Information processor, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide a technology that can recommend replacement of a part before it becomes defective.SOLUTION: An information processor includes: an acquisition unit that acquires terminal data related to a terminal being used by a user; an estimation unit that estimates, on the basis of the terminal data, a wear rate of each part included in the terminal and a failure rate of each part included in the terminal; and a determination unit that determines, on the basis of the wear rate and the failure rate, whether or not replacement is recommended for each part included in the terminal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] At stores that handle contracts, sales, and troubleshooting of mobile terminals, users who complain about defects in the mobile terminals in use come to the store. When a user who complains about a defect comes to the store, a store clerk listens to the details of the defect from the user, diagnoses whether there is a failure by connecting to a dedicated tester, and performs repairs and terminal replacements according to the diagnosis results. Note that Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for diagnosing defects in mobile terminals.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As described above, in the current troubleshooting, it is common to perform it after receiving a user's report. However, when performing repairs or replacements after receiving a report, due to user requests or the like, there is a possibility that excessive responses such as replacing the entire terminal may be performed even though partial component replacement may be sufficient.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that enables recommending replacement before a component fails.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An information processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes an acquisition unit that acquires terminal data regarding a terminal being used by a user, an estimation unit that estimates, based on the terminal data, the degree of wear of each component included in the terminal and the failure rate of each component included in the terminal, and a determination unit that determines, based on the degree of wear and the failure rate, whether to recommend replacement for each component included in the terminal.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique that enables recommendation of replacement before a component fails.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each figure, those denoted by the same reference numerals have the same or similar configurations.

[0010] <System Configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a management system 1 according to the present embodiment. The management system 1 includes a management device 10 and one or more terminals 20. The management device 10 and the terminal 20 are connected via a wireless communication network and can communicate with each other.

[0011] The management device 10 is a device that manages the terminals 20 used by the user. The management device 10 may be composed of one or more physical servers or the like, may be configured using a virtual server operating on a hypervisor, or may be configured using a cloud server.

[0012] The terminal 20 may be any terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a mobile phone, a personal computer (PC), a notebook PC, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a home game device, etc., as long as it is a terminal used by the user.

[0013] The management device 10 manages the component state for each component constituting the terminal 20 used by the user, and estimates the presence or absence of components for which a future failure is expected based on the terminal data of the terminal 20. Further, when there is a component for which a future failure is expected, the management device 10 recommends component replacement to the user before the failure occurs. Here, the terminal data is data related to the terminal 20, and includes, for example, telemetry data, diagnostic data, symptom data, and repair history data. Specific examples of telemetry data, diagnostic data, symptom data, and repair history data will be described later. Note that the telemetry data, diagnostic data, symptom data, and repair history data are merely examples of the terminal data. The terminal data may include all of the telemetry data, symptom data, and repair history data, may not include some of the data, or may further include other data.

[0014] In addition, the management device 10 may estimate the compatibility between the terminal 20 and the user who uses the terminal 20, and recommend replacing the terminal 20 according to the estimation result. For example, for a user whose usage form does not match the specifications of the terminal 20, such as a user who mainly conducts email and web browsing but owns a terminal 20 that can play 3D games smoothly, it may be considered to recommend replacing the terminal 20 instead of replacing parts of the terminal 20.

[0015] In addition, the management device 10 may rank the terminal 20 that manages the component state into a plurality of grades indicating the quality of the terminal 20. For example, when purchasing or taking back the terminal 20 from the user and distributing it in the used market, the smooth distribution of the terminal 20 can be realized by ranking the quality of the terminal 20.

[0016] <Hardware Configuration> FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the management device 10. The management device 10 includes a processor 11 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), a memory, a storage device 12 such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and / or an SSD (Solid State Drive), a communication IF (Interface) 13 that performs wired or wireless communication, an input device 14 that receives input operations, and an output device 15 that outputs information. The input device 14 is, for example, a keyboard, a touch panel, a mouse, and / or a microphone, etc. The output device 15 is, for example, a display, a touch panel, and / or a speaker, etc.

[0017] <Functional Block Configuration> FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the functional block configuration of the management device 10. The management device 10 includes a storage unit 100, an acquisition unit 101, an estimation unit 102, a determination unit 103, a recommendation unit 104, a display control unit 105, and a collection unit 106. The storage unit 100 can be realized using the storage device 12 included in the management device 10. Also, the acquisition unit 101, the estimation unit 102, the determination unit 103, the recommendation unit 104, the display control unit 105, and the collection unit 106 can be realized by the processor 11 of the management device 10 executing a program stored in the storage device 12. Further, the program can be stored in a storage medium. The storage medium storing the program may be a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium (Non-transitory computer readable medium). The non-transitory storage medium is not particularly limited, and for example, it may be a storage medium such as a USB memory or a CD-ROM.

[0018] The storage unit 100 stores a terminal data DB 100a, a parts management DB 100b, and an inventory management DB 100c. The terminal data DB 100a is a DB (DataBase) that stores the terminal data acquired from the terminal 20 by the acquisition unit 101. The parts management DB 100b is a DB that manages, for each of the various parts constituting the terminal 20, the replacement history, the recommended replacement time, etc. for each part. The inventory management DB 100c is a DB that manages, for each of the various parts constituting the terminal 20, the inventory status for each part.

[0019] The acquisition unit 101 acquires terminal data regarding the terminal 20 being used by the user. For example, the terminal data may include at least the telemetry data acquired from the terminal 20 and the past repair history data of the terminal 20.

[0020] The estimation unit 102 estimates, based on the terminal data acquired by the acquisition unit 101, the degree of wear for each part included in the terminal 20 and the failure rate for each part included in the terminal 20.

[0021] "Degree of wear" is an indicator showing the degree to which a component is worn or deteriorated. That a component is worn or deteriorated means that although the component operates, it can no longer exhibit the performance it had when new. The degree of wear may be defined, for example, as 0 to 100%, and the closer it is to 100%, the more worn or deteriorated the component may be. Note that the definition of at what percentage the degree of wear should be set for a component in what state may vary for each component. For example, in the case of a battery, the degree of wear of 100% may be defined as the state where the battery capacity has decreased to 50% of that when new. Also, for components such as memory, a processor, various sensors, and a printed circuit board, which may malfunction but do not substantially wear or deteriorate in performance, the degree of wear may be kept at 0%.

[0022] "Failure rate" is an indicator showing the possibility of a component malfunctioning. That a component malfunctions means that the component stops operating. The failure rate may be defined, for example, as 0 to 100%, and the closer it is to 100%, the higher the possibility of malfunction. For example, a touch panel is more likely to malfunction in a terminal 20 that is used in a way that places a load on the touch panel. Also, an internal storage is more likely to reach the upper limit of rewritability and malfunction in a terminal 20 that is used in a way that repeatedly rewrites data in a state where the free capacity is small. Also, a processor is more likely to malfunction in a terminal 20 that operates a high-load application such as a 3D game for a long time. Note that for components such as memory, a processor, various sensors, and a printed circuit board, for which the correlation between the usage of the terminal 20 and the failure rate is low, the failure rate may gradually increase according to the elapsed time since purchase.

[0023] Based on the degree of wear and failure rate estimated by the estimation unit 102, the determination unit 103 determines whether to recommend replacement for each component of the terminal 20. Further, the determination unit 103 may determine the timing for recommending replacement for each component of the terminal 20 based on the degree of wear and failure rate estimated by the estimation unit 102. Further, in addition to the degree of wear and failure rate, the determination unit 103 may determine the timing for recommending replacement for each component of the terminal 20 based on the inventory status of the components of the terminal 20.

[0024] Based on the terminal data, the recommendation unit 104 estimates a value indicating the compatibility between the user and the terminal 20 (hereinafter referred to as "compatibility degree"). When the compatibility degree between the user and the terminal 20 is less than a predetermined threshold value, the recommendation unit 104 recommends to the user to replace the terminal 20.

[0025] Further, when the determination unit 103 determines that there is no component for which replacement is recommended among the components of the terminal 20, and the compatibility degree between the user and the terminal 20 is less than a predetermined threshold value, the recommendation unit 104 may recommend to the user to replace the terminal 20. Alternatively, when the determination unit 103 determines that there is a component for which replacement is recommended among the components of the terminal 20, and the compatibility degree between the user and the terminal 20 is less than a predetermined threshold value, the recommendation unit 104 may recommend to the user to replace the terminal 20.

[0026] The display control unit 105 causes the display to display various types of information output by the management device 10. For example, the display control unit 105 may cause the display to display the degree of wear and failure rate estimated by the estimation unit 102 and the timing for recommending replacement determined by the determination unit 103.

[0027] The collection unit 106 acquires terminal data from each of the plurality of terminals 20 and stores it in the terminal data DB 100a. For example, the collection unit 106 may acquire terminal data from the plurality of terminals 20 at a predetermined cycle and store it in the terminal data DB 100a, or may acquire telemetry data regarding the terminal 20 from the server of a communication operator. In the terminal data DB 100a, the latest terminal data among the collected terminal data may be stored, or a plurality of terminal data including the latest may be stored as a history.

[0028] In addition, the collection unit 106 acquires symptom data of the terminal 20 from the server of a support center that accepts various supports regarding the terminal 20 and stores it in the terminal data DB 100a.

[0029] In addition, the collection unit 106 acquires repair result data of the terminal 20 from the server of a support center that accepts repairs regarding the terminal 20 and stores it in the terminal data DB 100a.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the component management DB 100b. The component management DB 100b manages components for each terminal 20, and the example in FIG. 4 shows the component management DB 100b for one terminal 20. "Component name" indicates the name of each component constituting the terminal 20. "Component ID" indicates an identifier that uniquely identifies the component. "Purchase date" indicates the date when the terminal 20 was purchased. "Replacement history" indicates the date when the component was last replaced. "Degree of wear" indicates the degree of wear estimated based on the terminal data. "Failure rate" indicates the failure rate estimated based on the terminal data. "Recommended replacement time" stores the date indicating the time when component replacement is recommended, determined based on the degree of wear and the failure rate. For components that do not particularly require replacement, "none" is stored. "Replacement status" indicates whether the component has been replaced by the recommended replacement time. For example, "Green" indicates that the recommended replacement time is set and the current date is before the recommended replacement time. "Yellow" indicates that the recommended replacement time is set and the current date is within a predetermined period (e.g., one week, etc.) after exceeding the recommended replacement time. "Red" indicates that the recommended replacement time is set and the current date has exceeded the recommended replacement time by a predetermined period.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the inventory management DB 100c. The inventory management DB 100c manages the inventory of components of all terminals 20 managed by the management device 10. "Component name" indicates the name of each component constituting the terminal 20. "Component ID" indicates an identifier that uniquely identifies the component. "Component supply status" indicates the inventory status of the component. "Green" indicates that there is an abundant inventory. "Yellow" indicates that the inventory is low (or the inventory will run out within the first predetermined number of days (e.g., several weeks, etc.)). "Red" indicates that there is almost no inventory (or the inventory will run out within the second predetermined number of days (e.g., several days, etc.)). Note that the first predetermined number of days and the second predetermined number of days may be the same for all components or may be different for each component.

[0032] In the functional block configuration described above, the terminal data DB 100a may be stored in one or more other information processing apparatuses capable of communicating with the management apparatus 10. The acquisition unit 101 may acquire terminal data by making an inquiry to the information processing apparatus. Also, the inventory management DB 100c may be stored in one or more other information processing apparatuses capable of communicating with the management apparatus 10. The management apparatus 10 may acquire the inventory status of parts by making an inquiry to the information processing apparatus.

[0033] <Processing Procedure> (Determination of Recommended Replacement Time) FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for determining the recommended replacement time. The management apparatus 10 periodically executes the processing procedure shown in FIG. 6 for each terminal 20 to repeatedly perform analysis of the wear degree of parts and prediction of the failure rate of parts, and sets or updates the recommended replacement time of parts. In the example of FIG. 6, the processing order of step S101 and step S102 may be reversed.

[0034] In step S100, the acquisition unit 101 acquires terminal data regarding the terminal 20 being used by the user from the terminal data DB 100a. As described above, the terminal data may include telemetry data, diagnostic data, symptom data, repair result data, and the like.

[0035] Telemetry data is data indicating the state of the terminal 20 output from the terminal 20. The telemetry data may include, in addition to the data itself output from the terminal 20, data obtained by processing or analyzing the data output from the terminal 20. The telemetry data includes, for example, terminal ID (such as IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity)), OS (Operating System) version, amount of transmitted and received data, battery capacity (design value), estimated battery capacity, processor usage rate, list of installed applications, operation time of each application, start event and / or end event of the application, operation log of the application, installation date and time of the application, total internal storage capacity, free internal storage capacity, information regarding communication status (radio wave state signal: inside the coverage area, outside the coverage area, strong or weak, etc.), various setting values in the operation system, access information to websites, occurrence time and / or end time of various events, location information, detection data by various sensors (such as an acceleration sensor) provided in the terminal 20, and the like.

[0036] Symptom data is data indicating malfunctions felt by the user with respect to the operation of the terminal 20 reported by the user. Examples of the symptom data include data indicating symptoms such as poor touch panel response (such as scrolling, pinch-in, pinch-out, etc.), slow screen scrolling, poor battery life, slow operation of the terminal 20, slow communication speed, and low sound volume.

[0037] Repair record data is data indicating the repair record of the terminal 20 in the past. For example, the repair record data may include, for example, information indicating the repair location of the terminal 20 and the date of repair.

[0038] In step S101, the estimation unit 102 estimates the failure rate of each component constituting the terminal 20 based on the terminal data. For example, the estimation unit 102 inputs the terminal data into a learning model for estimating the failure rate of components, and obtains the failure rate output from the learning model, thereby estimating the failure rate. The learning model for estimating the failure rate of components can be generated, for example, by generating teacher data using telemetry data, symptom data, and repair history data, and training the model using the generated teacher data.

[0039] For example, as a result of frequently using a 3D game that severely stresses the touch panel, there is a terminal 20 used by a user who replaced the touch panel due to a load on the touch panel. The telemetry data of the terminal 20 includes data indicating that the 3D game has been running for a long time and data indicating that the processor usage rate has been high for a long time. Assume that the symptom data of the terminal data includes data indicating that there has been a report that the reaction of the touch panel is poor. In this case, teacher data that outputs a failure rate of 100% can be created using the telemetry data and symptom data of the terminal 20 as input data. Similarly, teacher data that outputs a failure rate of 0% can be created from the terminal data of the terminal 20 that does not have a history of replacing the touch panel in the repair history data. In this way, a learning model that outputs the failure rate of the touch panel can be generated by generating a large number of teacher data using the terminal data collected from a large number of terminals 20 and training the model. Note that the learning model that outputs the failure rate may be generated for each component.

[0040] Note that the estimation unit 102 may use a mathematical formula (for example, failure rate = elapsed period × 10%) indicating that the failure rate increases linearly based on the purchase date of the terminal 20 or the period elapsed since the last replacement date, and obtain the failure rate by inputting the elapsed period into the mathematical formula. The mathematical formula may be different for each component.

[0041] Also, in this embodiment, it may be considered that there is a correlation between the degree of battery wear and the failure rate. For example, the estimation unit 102 may use a mathematical formula showing the correlation between the failure rate of the battery and the degree of battery wear, and obtain the failure rate by inputting the degree of wear into the mathematical formula. The mathematical formula may be, for example, such that the failure rate is 100% when the degree of wear is 100%, the failure rate is 60% when the degree of wear is 80%, and the failure rate is 30% when the degree of wear is 50%.

[0042] In step S102, the estimation unit 102 estimates the degree of wear of each component constituting the terminal 20 based on the terminal data. Here, the estimation unit 102 inputs the terminal data into a learning model for estimating the degree of wear of the component, and estimates the degree of wear by obtaining the degree of wear output from the learning model. The learning model for estimating the degree of wear of the component can be generated, for example, by generating teacher data using telemetry data and symptom data, and learning the model using the generated teacher data.

[0043] For example, assume that the telemetry data of the terminal 20 with a deteriorated battery includes data indicating the number of times the battery has been charged, and the symptom data of the terminal 20 includes data indicating that there has been a report that the battery has poor performance. In this case, teacher data that outputs a wear degree of 100% can be created using the telemetry data of the terminal 20 as input data. Similarly, teacher data that outputs a wear degree of 0% can be created from the terminal data of the terminal 20 whose symptom data does not include data indicating that the battery has poor performance. In this way, a learning model that outputs the degree of battery wear can be generated by generating a large number of teacher data using the terminal data collected from a large number of terminals 20 and learning the model. Note that the learning model that outputs the degree of wear may be generated for each component. As described above, for components that remain at 0% wear, there is no need to prepare a learning model.

[0044] In addition, when the terminal data includes data indicating the degree of wear of parts, the estimation unit 102 may use the value of the terminal data as it is for estimating the degree of wear of the parts, or may use the value after correcting the value of the terminal data using a predetermined mathematical formula for estimation.

[0045] In step S103, the determination unit 103 determines whether to recommend replacement for each part included in the terminal 20 based on the degree of wear and the failure rate estimated by the estimation unit 102. For example, the determination unit 103 compares the determination condition data indicating the recommended replacement timing according to the degree of wear and the failure rate with the degree of wear and the failure rate estimated by the estimation unit 102, and determines that part replacement is necessary when the degree of wear and the failure rate match the determination condition data, and determines that part replacement is not necessary when the degree of wear and the failure rate do not match the determination condition data.

[0046] In addition, the determination unit 103 may determine the timing for recommending replacement for each part included in the terminal 20 based on the inventory status of the parts included in the terminal 20 in addition to the degree of wear and the failure rate. For example, the determination unit 103 compares the determination condition data indicating the recommended replacement timing according to the degree of wear and the failure rate with the degree of wear, the failure rate, and the inventory status of the parts estimated by the estimation unit 102, and thereby may determine the timing for recommending replacement for each part included in the terminal 20.

[0047] The determination unit 103 stores the determined recommended replacement timing of the parts in the "recommended replacement timing" field of the parts management DB 100b. In addition, the determination unit 103 sets the determined recommended replacement timing for each part in the "recommended replacement timing" field of the parts management DB 100b by executing the processing procedures of steps S101 to S103 for each part. Note that for parts that do not correspond to any of the determination condition data, the determination unit 103 determines that replacement is not required at the current time and sets "none" in the "recommended replacement timing" field of the parts management DB 100b.

[0048] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of determination condition data indicating the recommended replacement timing. For example, the determination condition for determination number 1 indicates that for a part with a part ID of xxxx, when the wear level exceeds a% and the failure rate exceeds b% and the part supply status is "Green", it is recommended to replace the part within several months. Similarly, the determination condition for determination number 2 indicates that for a part with a part ID of xxxx, when the wear level exceeds a% and the failure rate exceeds b% and the part supply status is "Yello", it is recommended to replace the part within several weeks. Similarly, the determination condition for determination number 3 indicates that for a part with a part ID of xxxx, when the wear level exceeds a% and the failure rate exceeds b% and the part supply status is "Red", it is recommended to replace the part within several days. Thus, even for the same part, the recommended replacement timing can be changed depending on the part supply status.

[0049] Also, for example, the determination condition for determination number 4 indicates that for a part with a part ID of yyyy, when the wear level exceeds c% and the failure rate exceeds d% and the part supply status is "Green", it is recommended to replace the part within several weeks. On the other hand, as described above, the determination condition for determination number 1 indicates that when the part supply status is "Green", it is recommended to replace the part within several months. Thus, even when the part supply status is the same, the recommended replacement timing can be changed depending on the type of part.

[0050] Note that the determination condition data is only an example, and the determination condition data according to this embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, determination condition data that can determine the recommended replacement timing from the wear level and the failure rate by deleting the part supply condition from the determination conditions shown in FIG. 7 may be prepared. In this case, the determination unit 103 may determine the timing for recommending replacement for each part included in the terminal 20 by comparing the wear level and the failure rate estimated by the estimation unit 102 with the determination condition data.

[0051] (Setting of replacement status) FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for updating the replacement status. The management device 10 updates the replacement status indicating whether the user has replaced the parts by periodically executing the processing procedure shown in FIG. 8 for each terminal 20 and for each part.

[0052] In step S200, the determination unit 103 refers to the parts management DB 100b and determines whether the current date has exceeded the recommended replacement time. If the current date has exceeded the recommended replacement time, the process proceeds to step S202; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S201.

[0053] In step S201, the determination unit 103 sets "Green" in the "Replacement Status" of the parts management DB 100b.

[0054] In step S202, the determination unit 103 determines whether the current date has passed a predetermined period since the recommended replacement time. If the current date has passed a predetermined period since the recommended replacement time, the process proceeds to step S204; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S203.

[0055] In step S203, the determination unit 103 sets "Yellow" in the "Replacement Status" of the parts management DB 100b.

[0056] In step S204, the determination unit 103 sets "Red" in the "Replacement Status" of the parts management DB 100b.

[0057] (Repair proposal, recommended model proposal) FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for making a repair proposal or a recommended model proposal to the user. The management device 10 makes a repair proposal for the parts to the user of the terminal 20 by executing the processing procedure shown in FIG. 9 for each terminal 20.

[0058] In step S301, the recommendation unit 104 refers to the component management DB100b and determines the presence or absence of components that need to be repaired by searching for components with a date set in the "recommended replacement time". If there are components that need to be replaced, the process proceeds to step S302; if not, the process proceeds to step S305.

[0059] In step S302, the recommendation unit 104 recommends to the user who uses the terminal 20 to replace the components with a date set in the "recommended replacement time". For example, the recommendation unit 104 may send a message to the terminal 20 indicating the name of the component that needs to be replaced and recommending component replacement. Note that when the "replacement status" of the component that needs to be replaced is "Yellow", the recommendation unit 104 may send messages to the terminal 20 more frequently than when the "replacement status" is "Green". Also, when the "replacement status" of the component that needs to be replaced is "Red", the recommendation unit 104 may send messages to the terminal 20 more frequently than when the "replacement status" is "Yellow".

[0060] In step S303, when the recommendation unit 104 receives a notification from the user that the component replacement will not be performed, the process proceeds to the processing procedure of step S305. When receiving a notification that the component replacement will be performed, the process proceeds to the processing procedure of step S304.

[0061] In step S304, when the recommendation unit 104 receives a notification from a repair worker or the like that the component replacement of the terminal 20 has been performed, it refers to the component management DB100b, updates the "replacement record" of the replaced component to the date when the component was replaced, updates the "recommended replacement time" to "none", and updates the "replacement status" to "Green".

[0062] In step S305, the estimation unit 102 estimates the compatibility between the user who uses the terminal 20 and the terminal 20 based on the terminal data. If it is estimated that the compatibility is good, the process ends; if it is estimated that the compatibility is bad, the process proceeds to the processing procedure of step S306.

[0063] Here, the estimation unit 102 may estimate the compatibility between the user and the terminal 20 by inputting the terminal data into a learning model for estimating the compatibility of the terminal 20, and obtaining the compatibility degree between the user and the terminal 20 output from the learning model. Note that the compatibility degree may be in the range of, for example, 0 to 100%, and the larger the value, the better the compatibility between the user and the terminal 20. The learning model for estimating the compatibility between the user and the terminal 20 can be generated, for example, by generating teacher data using telemetry data and symptom data, and training the model using the generated teacher data.

[0064] For example, if the symptom data does not include negative data regarding the performance of the terminal 20, such as the response of the terminal 20 being poor or the operation of the terminal 20 being slow, during a certain period, it is assumed that the compatibility between the user and the terminal 20 is good (that is, the user has no particular dissatisfaction). By using this terminal data, teacher data can be created that takes the telemetry data and symptom data of the terminal 20 as input data and outputs a high compatibility degree value (for example, 100% etc.).

[0065] On the other hand, if the symptom data includes negative data regarding the performance of the terminal 20, such as the response of the terminal 20 being poor or the operation of the terminal 20 being slow, and the telemetry data includes data indicating that applications (such as 3D games etc.) that require high specifications are frequently used, it is assumed that the compatibility between the user and the terminal 20 is poor (that is, the user is dissatisfied with the specifications of the terminal 20). By using this terminal data, teacher data can be created that takes the telemetry data and symptom data of the terminal 20 as input data and outputs a low compatibility degree value (for example, 0% etc.).

[0066] Note that the estimation unit 102 is not limited to estimation using a learning model, and may perform rule-based compatibility estimation. For example, when the telemetry data includes data indicating that the terminal 20 is repeatedly restarted, and data indicating that a high-load application (such as a 3D game) is frequently used, etc., a rule may be prepared in advance for the estimation unit 102 to estimate that the user has a poor compatibility with the terminal 20. Alternatively, when the telemetry data includes data indicating that a high-load application (such as a 3D game) is frequently used, etc., but does not include data indicating that the terminal 20 is repeatedly restarted, the estimation unit 102 may estimate that the user has a good compatibility with the terminal 20. Also, when the telemetry data includes data indicating that only low-load applications (such as mail, web browser, etc.) are used, and the terminal 20 is a high-spec terminal, the estimation unit 102 may estimate that the user has a poor compatibility with the terminal 20 (using an unnecessarily high-performance terminal 20).

[0067] In addition, the estimation unit 102 may perform both compatibility estimation using a learning model and rule-based compatibility estimation, and when the user is estimated to have a poor compatibility with the terminal 20 based on at least one of the estimation results, it may be estimated that the user has a poor compatibility with the terminal 20. Alternatively, the estimation unit 102 may perform both compatibility estimation using a learning model and rule-based compatibility estimation, and when the user is estimated to have a poor compatibility with the terminal 20 based on both of the estimation results, it may be estimated that the user has a poor compatibility with the terminal 20. By combining the learning model and the rule-based approach, it is possible to improve the estimation accuracy.

[0068] In step S306, the recommendation unit 104 recommends to the user who uses the terminal 20 to replace the terminal 20. For example, the recommendation unit 104 may send a message indicating that it recommends a terminal 20 of another model to the user's terminal 20. The message may include the model name of the model for which replacement is recommended. Regarding the specifications of the model for which replacement is recommended, it may be output from a learned model that estimates compatibility, or may be determined based on rules.

[0069] In the processing procedures described above, the processing procedures of step S305 and step S306 are executed when component replacement is unnecessary or impossible, but are not limited thereto. For example, the estimation unit 102 may execute before the processing procedures of step S305 and step S306 and step S302. When the compatibility between the terminal 20 and the user is poor, instead of recommending component replacement, a message indicating that the replacement of the terminal 20 is recommended may be sent.

[0070] (Grade determination of terminal 20) In the processing procedure of step S302, the determination unit 103 may rank the terminals 20 that require component replacement into a plurality of grades. For example, the terminals 20 may be ranked into a plurality of grades according to the number and / or content of the components that need to be replaced. Specifically, it may be determined that it is grade A when only battery replacement is required, grade B for the terminal 20 that requires display replacement, and grade C for the terminal 20 that requires replacement of components with high replacement difficulty such as memory and sensors. For example, when a request is received from the user to give it away without component replacement, by pre-ranking the terminal 20, smooth distribution of the terminal 20 can be realized when it is distributed in the used market or the like.

[0071] <Summary> According to the embodiment described above, the management device 10 estimates whether each component constituting the terminal 20 needs to be replaced, and notifies the user when component replacement is necessary. This makes it possible to provide a technology that enables recommending replacement before a component fails.

[0072] In addition, the management device 10 determines whether component replacement is necessary and the recommended replacement timing using both the degree of wear and the failure rate of the components. Among the components, there are components that can no longer exhibit their original performance due to gradual wear, and components that do not wear but suddenly fail. Therefore, by determining whether component replacement is necessary, etc., using both the degree of wear and the failure rate of the components, it is possible to improve the determination accuracy compared to the case where only one of the degree of wear and the failure rate of the components is used.

[0073] The embodiments described above are for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and are not for limiting and interpreting the present invention. The flowcharts, sequences, each element included in the embodiments, and their arrangements, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, etc. described in the embodiments are not limited to those illustrated and can be appropriately changed. Also, it is possible to partially replace or combine the configurations shown in different embodiments.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0074] 1... Management system, 10... Management device, 11... Processor, 12... Storage device, 13... Communication IF, 14... Input device, 15... Output device, 20... Terminal, 100... Storage unit, 100a... Terminal data DB, 100b... Component management DB, 100c... Inventory management DB, 101... Acquisition unit, 102... Estimation unit, 103... Judgment unit, 104... Recommendation unit, 105... Display control unit, 106... Collection unit

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires terminal data related to a terminal in use by a user; An estimation unit that estimates the degree of wear of each component included in the terminal and the failure rate of each component included in the terminal based on the terminal data; A determination unit that determines whether to recommend replacement for each component included in the terminal based on the degree of wear and the failure rate; An information processing apparatus having the above.

2. In addition to the degree of wear and the failure rate, the determination unit further determines the timing for recommending replacement for each component included in the terminal based on the inventory status of the components included in the terminal, The information processing apparatus according to Claim 1.

3. The estimation unit estimates the compatibility between the user and the terminal based on the terminal data, The information processing apparatus according to Claim 1.

4. A recommendation unit that recommends replacement of the terminal to the user when a value indicating the compatibility between the user and the terminal is less than a predetermined threshold value, The information processing apparatus according to Claim 3.

5. When the determination unit determines that there is no component for which replacement is recommended among the components included in the terminal and a value indicating the compatibility between the user and the terminal is less than a predetermined threshold value, the recommendation unit recommends replacement of the terminal to the user, The information processing apparatus according to Claim 4.

6. The terminal data includes at least telemetry data acquired from the terminal and past repair record data of the terminal, The information processing apparatus according to Claim 1.

7. A step of acquiring terminal data related to a terminal in use by a user; A step of estimating the degree of wear of each component included in the terminal and the failure rate of each component included in the terminal based on the terminal data; A step of determining whether to recommend replacement for each component included in the terminal based on the degree of wear and the failure rate; An information processing method executed by an information processing apparatus including the above.

8. A step of acquiring terminal data related to a terminal in use by a user; A step of estimating the degree of wear of each component included in the terminal and the failure rate of each component included in the terminal based on the terminal data; A step of determining whether to recommend replacement for each component included in the terminal based on the degree of wear and the failure rate; A program for causing a computer to execute the above.

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