Management method, program, and management system

Abstract

To improve convenience of a user in using a mobile body.SOLUTION: A terminal control method includes a guide step S3, an output step S7, and a notification step S13. The guide step S3 is a step for displaying a screen for promoting to acquire an identifier a mobile body scheduled to be used by a user on a terminal used by the user. The output step S7 is a step for outputting the identifier acquired through the guide step S3 to a control system for controlling the mobile body from the terminal. The notification step S13 is a step for displaying a screen for notifying that the mobile body is shifted from a locked state to a lock releasable state through the output step S7 on the terminal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a terminal control method, a program, and a mobile device. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a terminal control method for a terminal used when using a mobile device, a program for causing the terminal control method to be executed, and the mobile device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a bicycle rental system. In this bicycle rental system, a user determines their current location using the GPS (Global Positioning System) function of their mobile phone, and then accesses a rental host via a mobile phone base station and the Internet. The rental host sends the user a bicycle parking lot map based on their location information. The rental host also notifies the user of the key number used to rent the bicycle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-78223 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a terminal control method, a program, and a mobile object that can improve the convenience of users when using a mobile object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A terminal control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a guiding step, an output step, and a notification step. The guiding step is a step of displaying a screen on a terminal used by a user that prompts the user to obtain an identifier of a mobile object that the user plans to use. The output step is a step of outputting the identifier obtained through the guiding step from the terminal to a control system that controls the mobile object. The notification step is a step of displaying a screen on the terminal that notifies the user that the mobile object has transitioned from a locked state to an unlockable state through the output step.

[0006] A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes one or more processors to execute the above-described terminal control method.

[0007] A mobile body according to one aspect of the present disclosure is controlled by the control system that communicates with the terminal using the above-described terminal control method. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The present disclosure has an advantage of being able to improve the convenience of users when using a mobile object. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overview of a terminal, a control system, and an electric bicycle in which a terminal control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is used. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the electric bicycle. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the main part of the electric bicycle. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the terminal control method in the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing the operations of a terminal, a control system, and an electric bicycle using the terminal control method. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of an authentication screen displayed on the terminal of the above embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a guide screen displayed on the terminal of the above embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of an error screen displayed on the terminal of the above embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a confirmation screen displayed on the terminal of the above embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an unacceptable screen displayed on the terminal of the above embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a notification screen displayed on the terminal of the above embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] (1) Overview The terminal control method, program, and moving object 2 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the moving object 2 is a bicycle. More specifically, in this embodiment, the moving object 2 is an electric bicycle. Therefore, in the following, unless otherwise specified, the "moving object 2" will be described as the "electric bicycle 2."

[0011] The terminal control method of this embodiment is used when a user A1 (see FIG. 3) rents an electric bicycle 2 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). That is, in this embodiment, the electric bicycle 2 is managed by a rental service provider and is temporarily rented to a user A1 who has concluded a contract with the provider. When not in use, the electric bicycle 2 is, in principle, parked in a bicycle parking lot provided by the provider.

[0012] The terminal control method is executed, for example, by user A1 starting a general-purpose browser installed on terminal 1 (see FIG. 1) owned by user A1 and accessing a dedicated website. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the dedicated website can be obtained, for example, by reading a two-dimensional code (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark)) printed on a sticker attached to electric bicycle 2 with a reader 14 (described later) of terminal 1. Alternatively, the terminal control method may be executed by user A1 starting a dedicated application installed on terminal 1.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 4, the terminal control method includes at least a guidance step S3, an output step S7, and a notification step S13.

[0014] The guidance step S3 is a step in which a screen (guidance screen P2 (see FIG. 7)) is displayed on the terminal 1 used by the user A1, prompting the user A1 to obtain the identifier 10 of the electric bicycle (mobile body) 2 that the user A1 plans to use. In this disclosure, the "identifier 10" is unique information assigned to each electric bicycle 2. Therefore, when there are multiple electric bicycles 2, it is possible to identify one electric bicycle 2 corresponding to the identifier 10 by referring to the identifier 10.

[0015] The output step S7 is a step in which the identifier 10 acquired through the guidance step S3 is output from the terminal 1 to a control system 3 (see FIG. 1) that controls the electric bicycle (mobile object) 2. The "control system 3" referred to in this disclosure is not a control unit provided in the electric bicycle 2, but a server or the like located in a remote location away from the electric bicycle 2. In this embodiment, the control system 3 remotely controls the electric bicycle 2 by wirelessly communicating with the electric bicycle 2. However, the "remote control" referred to here does not include control of running the electric bicycle 2.

[0016] In this embodiment, the output step S7 is executed after the user A1, who has viewed the guidance screen P2 in the guidance step S3, operates the terminal 1 to cause the terminal 1 to acquire the identifier 10 of the electric bicycle 2.

[0017] The notification step S13 is a step of displaying on the terminal 1 a screen (notification screen P6 (see FIG. 11)) notifying that the electric bicycle (mobile body) 2 has transitioned from a locked state to an unlockable state via the output step S7. As will be described in detail later, the "locked state" referred to in this disclosure is a state in which the lock (in this embodiment, the circle lock 6 (see FIG. 1)) provided on the electric bicycle 2 is locked. Furthermore, the "unlockable state" referred to in this disclosure is a state in which the lock provided on the electric bicycle 2 is locked but can be unlocked by an operation by the user A1. In other words, the unlockable state is a state in which the electric bicycle 2 can be unlocked by the user A1 performing a specific operation on the electric bicycle (mobile body) 2. In this embodiment, the specific operation is the operation of pressing the power switch of the operation device 23 (described later).

[0018] In this embodiment, notification step S13 is executed after the control system 3, which has acquired the identifier 10 output from the terminal 1 in output step S7, wirelessly communicates with the electric bicycle 2 corresponding to the identifier 10, thereby transitioning the electric bicycle 2 from a locked state to a state that can be unlocked. Then, upon viewing the notification screen P6 in notification step S13, the user A1 can transition the electric bicycle 2 to an unlocked state by operating an operation device 23 (described later) of the electric bicycle 2. Thereafter, the user A1 can ride the electric bicycle 2. In this way, the electric bicycle (moving object) 2 is controlled by the control system 3, which communicates with the terminal 1 using the terminal control method.

[0019] As described above, in this embodiment, user A1 can use the electric bicycle (mobile object) 2 by completing the procedures while viewing the screens displayed on terminal 1 in guidance step S3, output step S7, and notification step S13. In other words, user A1 can complete the procedures up to using the electric bicycle 2 simply by using terminal 1. Therefore, this embodiment has the advantage of improving the convenience for user A1 when using the electric bicycle 2.

[0020] (2) Overall structure First, the overall configuration of a terminal 1, an electric bicycle 2, and a control system 3 that use the terminal control method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0021] The terminal 1 is a device carried by the user A1, such as a smartphone or a tablet computer. The terminal 1 includes a processing unit 11, a communication unit 12, a display unit 13, and a reading device 14.

[0022] The processing unit 11 includes, for example, a computer system. The computer system is mainly composed of a processor and a memory as hardware. The processor executes a program recorded in the memory of the computer system to realize the functions of the processing unit 11. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, provided via a telecommunications line, or provided by being recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, optical disk, or hard disk drive that is readable by the computer system.

[0023] The processing unit 11 executes the terminal control method by controlling the communication unit 12, the display unit 13, and the reading device 14. In this embodiment, the processing unit 11 executes the authentication step S1, the presentation step S10, the determination steps S10 and S11, and the confirmation step S10 in addition to the guidance step S3, the output step S7, and the notification step S13 already described (see FIG. 4). Each step will be described in detail in "(4) Operation" below.

[0024] The communication unit 12 is a communication interface for communicating with the control system 3 and includes a wireless communication module. The communication unit 12 communicates with a communication unit 32 (described later) of the control system 3 via a network N1 such as the Internet using the wireless communication module, for example, optical wireless communication using light such as infrared light or visible light as a medium, or wireless communication using radio waves as a medium. The communication unit 12 may be connected to the network N1 via a communication device such as a router.

[0025] The display unit 13 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. In this embodiment, the display unit 13 displays the content of the dedicated website acquired via the network N1. When the terminal control method is executed by a dedicated application, the display unit 13 displays the content read from the memory of the terminal 1 by the application.

[0026] The reading device 14 has a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) image sensor. In this embodiment, the reading device 14 is an imaging device (camera) built into the terminal 1. As shown in FIG. 3 , when the user A1 holds the terminal 1 facing a sticker 931 on the electric bicycle 2 on which the identifier 10 is printed, the reading device 14 reads and acquires the identifier 10. That is, in this embodiment, the identifier 10 is attached to the electric bicycle (moving object) 2 and is read by the reading device 14.

[0027] The electric bicycle 2 includes a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, an operating device 23, a battery unit 4, a motor 51, and a circle lock 6. The motor 51 and the circle lock 6 will be described in detail in "(3) Electric Bicycle" below.

[0028] The control unit 21 includes, for example, a computer system. The computer system is mainly composed of a processor and memory as hardware. The functions of the control unit 21 are realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, may be provided via a telecommunications line, or may be provided by being recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, optical disk, or hard disk drive that is readable by the computer system.

[0029] The control unit 21 has the function of executing a drive process, a transmission process, and a lock control process.

[0030] The drive process is a process for controlling the motor 51. More specifically, in the drive process, the control unit 21 outputs a drive control signal to the motor 51 to control the motor 51 so that the motor 51 rotates at a predetermined rotation speed. For example, the control unit 21 controls the motor 51 so as to assist the pedaling force of the user A1 at a predetermined speed.

[0031] The transmission process is a process in which, when the communication unit 22 receives request information (described later) transmitted from the control system 3, the communication unit 22 acquires remaining capacity information from the battery control unit 42 of the battery unit 4 and transmits the acquired remaining capacity information to the control system 3. Note that, when the control unit 21 periodically acquires remaining capacity information from the battery control unit 42 and stores it in memory, the control unit 21 may transmit the latest remaining capacity information stored in memory to the control system 3.

[0032] The lock control process includes a process of controlling the circle lock 6 to transition the circle lock 6 from a locked state to an unlockable state, or from an unlockable state to a locked state, by communicating with the control system 3. The lock control process is also a process of transitioning the circle lock 6 from an unlockable state to an unlocked state when an activation signal (described later) is received from the operation device 23 when the circle lock 6 is in an unlockable state. In other words, even if the control unit 21 receives an activation signal from the operation device 23 when the circle lock 6 is in a locked state, it does not transition the circle lock 6 to an unlocked state, but maintains the locked state.

[0033] The communication unit 22 is a communication interface for communicating with the control system 3 and includes a wireless communication module. The communication unit 22 communicates with a communication unit 32 (described later) of the control system 3 via a network N1 such as the Internet using the wireless communication module, for example, optical wireless communication using light such as infrared light or visible light as a medium, or wireless communication using radio waves as a medium. The communication unit 22 may be connected to the network N1 via a communication device such as a router.

[0034] The operating device 23 is attached to a handle 83 (described later) of the electric bicycle 2. The operating device 23 has a power switch that is pressed by the user A1. When the power switch is pressed, the operating device 23 sends an activation signal to the control unit 21. The operating device 23 also has a switch that accepts input to change the degree to which the motor 51 assists the pedaling force (pedaling force) of the user A1, and a display that displays parameters such as the remaining charge of the battery 41.

[0035] The battery unit 4 includes a battery 41 and a battery control unit 42.

[0036] The battery 41 supplies power to the motor 51 of the motor unit 5 (see FIG. 2). In addition to the motor 51, the battery 41 also supplies power to, for example, the headlight and the operating device 23. The battery 41 is removably attached to the seat tube 73 (described later). In other words, the electric bicycle (mobile object) 2 has the battery 41 used as a power source for controlling the electric bicycle 2.

[0037] Each time the electric bicycle 2 is used, the battery control unit 42 determines the amount of power (battery power consumption) consumed by the battery 41 when the electric bicycle 2 is traveling (when in use). Power consumption information indicating the amount of battery power consumption is output from the battery control unit 42 to the control unit 21. The battery control unit 42 also manages the remaining capacity of the battery 41. More specifically, the battery control unit 42 determines the difference between the remaining capacity of the battery 41 before use and the amount of battery power consumption as the remaining capacity of the new battery 41. Remaining capacity information indicating the remaining capacity of the battery 41 is output from the battery control unit 42 to the control unit 21.

[0038] The remaining charge of the battery 41 is corrected taking into consideration the deterioration of the battery 41. The deterioration of the battery 41 can be determined from a charge / discharge history indicating the charging / discharging of the battery 41. The charge / discharge history is stored together with the ID (Identification) of the battery 41. If the battery 41 has a communication function, the charge / discharge history may be stored in an external device such as a server.

[0039] As already mentioned, the control system 3 is a server or the like located in a remote location away from the electric bicycle 2. The control system 3 includes a control unit 31, a communication unit 32, and a storage unit 33.

[0040] The control unit 31 includes, for example, a computer system. The computer system is mainly composed of a processor and memory as hardware. The functions of the control unit 31 are realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, may be provided via a telecommunications line, or may be provided by being recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, optical disk, or hard disk drive that is readable by the computer system.

[0041] The control unit 31 has the function of executing an authentication process, a specification process, an acquisition process, a determination process, an unlocking process, and a notification process.

[0042] The authentication process is a process in which, when the communication unit 32 acquires authentication information transmitted from the terminal 1, the control unit 31 determines whether the authentication information is included in the database stored in the storage unit 33, that is, whether the user A1 based on the authentication information is registered. If the authentication process is successful, that is, if the user A1 is registered, the control unit 31 transmits response information indicating that the authentication process was successful to the terminal 1. On the other hand, if the authentication process fails, that is, if the user A1 is not registered or the authentication information entered by the user A1 is incorrect, the control unit 31 transmits response information indicating that the authentication process was unsuccessful to the terminal 1.

[0043] The identification process is a process in which, when the communication unit 32 acquires an identifier 10 transmitted from the terminal 1, the control unit 31 refers to the database stored in the storage unit 33 to identify the electric bicycle 2 corresponding to the identifier 10. Once the electric bicycle 2 corresponding to the identifier 10 has been identified, the control unit 31 then executes the acquisition process.

[0044] The acquisition process is a process of communicating with the electric bicycle 2 identified in the identification process to acquire remaining capacity information (information regarding the remaining capacity of the battery 41) held by this electric bicycle 2. The control unit 31 transmits request information requesting remaining capacity information to the electric bicycle 2 identified in the identification process.

[0045] The determination process is a process for determining whether the electric bicycle 2 identified in the identification process is usable or not, based on the remaining charge information acquired in the acquisition process. Specifically, the control unit 31 determines that the electric bicycle 2 is usable if the remaining charge of the battery 41 based on the remaining charge information is equal to or greater than a threshold (for example, 20% SOC (State Of Charge)), and determines that the electric bicycle 2 is unusable if it is less than the threshold. The control unit 31 transmits the remaining charge information acquired in the acquisition process and the determination result of the determination process to the terminal 1.

[0046] The unlocking process is a process of transitioning the electric bicycle 2 from a locked state to a state that can be unlocked by remotely controlling the circle lock 6 of the electric bicycle 2 through communication with the electric bicycle 2 identified in the identification process. Here, the unlocking process is merely a process of transitioning the electric bicycle 2 from a locked state to a state that can be unlocked, and is not a process of transitioning the electric bicycle 2 from a locked state to an unlocked state. After executing the unlocking process, the control unit 31 then executes a notification process.

[0047] The notification process is a process of notifying that the electric bicycle 2 identified in the identification process has transitioned from a locked state to an unlockable state by communicating with the terminal 1. The control unit 31 transmits notification information to the terminal 1 indicating that the identified electric bicycle 2 has transitioned from a locked state to an unlockable state.

[0048] The communication unit 32 is a communication interface for communicating with the terminal 1 or the electric bicycle 2, and includes a wireless communication module. The communication unit 32 communicates with the communication unit 12 of the terminal 1 or the communication unit 22 of the electric bicycle 2 via a network N1 such as the Internet, using the wireless communication module, for example, optical wireless communication using light such as infrared or visible light as a medium, or wireless communication using radio waves as a medium. The communication unit 32 may be connected to the network N1 via a communication device such as a router.

[0049] Here, in this embodiment, the communication unit 12 of the terminal 1 does not communicate with the communication unit 22 of the electric bicycle 2. In other words, in this embodiment, each step such as guidance step S3 executed by the terminal 1 is executed without communication between the terminal 1 and the electric bicycle (moving object) 2. For this reason, in this embodiment, for example, information about user A1 held by the terminal 1 is not transmitted to the electric bicycle 2, which has the advantage that it is easy to prevent information about user A1 from being leaked to a third party via the electric bicycle 2.

[0050] The storage unit 33 includes, for example, an electrically rewritable non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), and a volatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 33 stores a database including authentication information for one or more users A1 who have contracts with a rental service provider for electric bicycles 2. The storage unit 33 also stores a database including identifiers 10 of one or more electric bicycles 2 managed by the rental service provider for electric bicycles 2.

[0051] (3) Electric bicycles Next, the electric bicycle 2 will be described using Figure 2. Figure 2, which is referred to in the following embodiments, is a schematic diagram, and the ratios of the sizes and thicknesses of the components in the figure do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios.

[0052] In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the running surface 100 (see FIG. 2) is assumed to be a horizontal surface. However, in reality, the running surface 100 does not have to be a horizontal surface, and may be inclined relative to the horizontal surface or may be an uneven surface.

[0053] Furthermore, hereinafter, the direction in which the electric bicycle 2 moves is defined as the "forward direction," the direction opposite the forward direction is defined as the "rearward direction," and the forward and rearward directions together are defined as the "front-rear direction." Furthermore, two opposite directions that are perpendicular to the front-rear direction and perpendicular to the horizontal plane are defined as the "up-down direction." Furthermore, two opposite directions that are perpendicular to the front-rear direction and parallel to the horizontal plane are defined as the "left-right direction." However, these definitions of directions are not intended to limit the manner in which the electric bicycle 2 can be used. Furthermore, the arrows indicating each direction in the drawings are merely shown for explanatory purposes and have no substance.

[0054] The electric bicycle 2 is a bicycle that can travel on a riding surface 100 using electrical power. In this embodiment, the electric bicycle 2 is an electrically assisted bicycle that uses a motor 51 to assist the pedaling force (pedaling force) of a user A1 (see FIG. 3).

[0055] The electric bicycle 2 includes a motor unit 5 and a frame 7. The electric bicycle 2 also includes a plurality of wheels 81 (two in FIG. 2), a front fork 82, a handlebar 83, a saddle 84, a pair of crank arms 85 (one in FIG. 2), a pair of pedals 86 (one in FIG. 2), a power transmission body 87, and a battery 41. The electric bicycle 2 also includes a circle lock 6, a basket 91, a front fender 92, and a rear fender 93.

[0056] (3.1) Wheels The multiple wheels 81 are members that support the frame 7 on the riding surface 100. In this embodiment, the electric bicycle 2 is equipped with a front wheel 88 and a rear wheel 89 as the multiple wheels 81. The front wheel 88 has a hub 881 at its center, and the rear wheel 89 has a hub 891 at its center. The multiple wheels 81 are attached to the frame 7 and rotate by the pedaling force of the user A1 and the power output from the motor 51.

[0057] The front wheel 88 is the front wheel of the two wheels 81 aligned in the front-rear direction. The front wheel 88 is supported by a pair of legs 821 (one in FIG. 2) so as to be rotatable about an axis along the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the front wheel 88 is a wheel that does not receive power transmitted from the motor unit 5.

[0058] A front fender 92 that curves along the circumferential direction of the front wheel 88 is provided above the front wheel 88. The front fender 92 functions as a mudguard that prevents water droplets or mud, etc., that are splashed up by the front wheel 88 from being scattered toward the user A1 while the electric bicycle 2 is traveling.

[0059] The rear wheel 89 is the rear wheel of the two wheels 81 lined up in the front-to-rear direction. The rear wheel 89 is supported by two chain stays 75 so as to be rotatable about an axis along the left-to-right direction. The rear wheel 89 is equipped with a rear sprocket 892 that is concentric with a hub 891 and attached integrally to the hub 891. The rear sprocket 892 is connected to a drive sprocket (described later) of the motor unit 5 via a power transmission body 87. As a result, the power output from the motor unit 5 is transmitted to the rear wheel 89.

[0060] A rear fender 93 curved along the circumferential direction of the rear wheel 89 is provided above the rear wheel 89. The rear fender 93 functions as a mudguard to prevent water droplets or mud, etc., splashed up by the rear wheel 89 from being scattered toward the user A1 while the electric bicycle 2 is traveling. In this embodiment, a sticker 931 bearing a two-dimensional code as the identifier 10 is affixed to the rear fender 93, as shown in FIG.

[0061] A circle lock 6 is attached to the rear wheel 89. The circle lock 6 can be in one of three states: locked, unlocked, or unlockable. The locked state prohibits the electric bicycle 2 from traveling by restricting the rotation of the rear wheel 89. The unlocked state allows the electric bicycle 2 to travel without restricting the rotation of the rear wheel 89. The unlockable state prohibits the electric bicycle 2 from traveling by restricting the rotation of the rear wheel 89, but can be switched from the locked state to the unlocked state when an operation is received from the operating device 23. In other words, in the locked state, the circle lock 6 cannot be switched to the unlocked state even if the user A1 operates the operating device 23, but in the unlockable state, the circle lock 6 can be switched to the unlocked state when the user A1 operates the operating device 23. In this embodiment, when the electric bicycle 2 is not in use, the circle lock 6 is generally in the locked state.

[0062] (3.2) Front fork The front fork 82 supports the front wheel 88. The front fork 82 includes a pair of legs 821, a crown 822, and a steering column 823. The crown 822 connects the upper ends of the pair of legs 821. The steering column 823 protrudes from the crown 822. The front wheel 88 is rotatably attached to the pair of legs 821 via a shaft that passes through a hub 881. The rotation axis of the front wheel 88 is parallel to the running surface 100. The protruding direction (longitudinal direction) of the steering column 823 extends from the crown 822 in an upward and rearward direction, and is inclined with respect to the running surface 100.

[0063] (3.3) Handle The handlebars 83 are attached to the upper end of a steering column 823 and are fixed to the front fork 82. The steering column 823 passes through a head tube 71 of the frame 7, which will be described later, and is rotatably attached to the frame 7. The rotation axis of the steering column 823 is approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the steering column 823. Therefore, the handlebars 83 can rotate the front wheel 88 around an axis that is along the longitudinal direction of the steering column 823.

[0064] A basket 91 for storing belongings of the user A1 is attached above the connection between the handle 83 and the steering column 823. In addition, an operating device 23 is attached to the handle 83.

[0065] (3.4) Frame The frame 7 is a framework to which a plurality of wheels 81, a front fork 82, a handlebar 83, a saddle 84, a battery 41, and a motor unit 5 are attached. The material of the frame 7 is, for example, an aluminum alloy containing aluminum as a main component. However, the material of the frame 7 is not limited to an aluminum alloy, and may be, for example, iron, chrome molybdenum steel, high-tensile steel, titanium, or magnesium. Furthermore, the material of the frame 7 is not limited to a metal, and may be, for example, carbon, wood, bamboo, or fiber-reinforced synthetic resin (e.g., CFRP; Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics).

[0066] In this embodiment, the frame 7 includes a plurality of pipes, namely, a head tube 71, a down tube 72, a seat tube 73, a pair of seat stays 74 (one in FIG. 2), and a pair of chain stays 75 (one in FIG. 2). The frame 7 also includes a bracket 76. In this disclosure, a "pipe" refers to a thin, hollow member. The cross-sectional shape of the pipe in this disclosure may be, for example, a circle (including a perfect circle, an oval, and an ellipse), a rectangle (including a square), a hexagon, or an octagon. A motor 51 and a battery 41 are attached to the frame 7.

[0067] (3.4.1) Head tube The head tube 71 is a pipe that supports the front fork 82. The central axis of the head tube 71 is inclined with respect to the riding surface 100 so that it approaches the rear as it goes upward. The steering column 823 passes through the head tube 71 so that the central axis of the head tube 71 and the central axis of the steering column 823 are aligned. This allows the head tube 71 to rotatably support the steering column 823. In this embodiment, the rotation axis of the steering column 823 is the same as the central axis of the head tube 71.

[0068] (3.4.2) Downtube The down tube 72 is a pipe that connects the head tube 71 and the seat tube 73. The front end of the down tube 72 in the longitudinal direction is connected to the head tube 71. The rear end of the down tube 72 in the longitudinal direction is connected to the seat tube 73. In this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the down tube 72 is inclined with respect to the riding surface 100 so that it slopes downward as it extends rearward.

[0069] (3.4.3) Seat tube The seat tube 73 is a pipe that holds the saddle 84. The lower longitudinal end of the seat tube 73 is connected to a bracket 76. The central axis of the seat tube 73 is inclined with respect to the riding surface 100 so that it extends rearward as it extends upward from the lower end. The rear longitudinal end of the down tube 72 is connected to the lower end of the seat tube 73. In this embodiment, a battery 41 is removably attached to the seat tube 73.

[0070] (3.4.4) Chainstay The pair of chain stays 75 are pipes that support the shaft of the rear wheel 89. The front ends of the chain stays 75 in the longitudinal direction are connected to the bracket 76. The rear ends of the chain stays 75 in the longitudinal direction are connected to the rear ends of the seat stays 74. The pair of chain stays 75 are separated in the left-right direction, and the rear wheel 89 is rotatably attached to the rear ends of the pair of chain stays 75 via a shaft that passes through a hub 891. The rotation axis of the rear wheel 89 is approximately parallel to the riding surface 100 and is the same as the central axis of the shaft that supports the rear wheel 89.

[0071] (3.4.5) Seat stays The pair of seat stays 74 are pipes that connect the chain stays 75 and the seat tube 73. In this embodiment, the rear ends of the seat stays 74 in the longitudinal direction are connected to the rear ends of the chain stays 75 in the longitudinal direction. The front ends of the seat stays 74 in the longitudinal direction are connected to the middle part of the seat tube 73. Here, the "middle part of the seat tube 73" refers to the portion of the seat tube 73 in the longitudinal direction excluding the lower and upper ends.

[0072] (3.4.6) Brackets The bracket 76 is the portion to which the motor unit 5 is attached. The rear end of the down tube 72 in the longitudinal direction, the lower end of the seat tube 73 in the longitudinal direction, and the front end of the chain stay 75 in the longitudinal direction are connected to the bracket 76. As a result, the rear end of the down tube 72 in the longitudinal direction, the lower end of the seat tube 73 in the longitudinal direction, and the front end of the chain stay 75 in the longitudinal direction are fixed to one another.

[0073] (3.5) Saddle The saddle 84 has a seat pillar 841. The seat pillar 841 passes through the seat tube 73 along the central axis of the seat tube 73. The seat pillar 841 protrudes downward from the portion of the saddle 84 where the user sits. In this embodiment, the seat pillar 841 is inclined with respect to the riding surface 100 so that it slopes forward as it extends downward. The seat pillar 841 is attached to the seat tube 73 so as to be movable along the central axis of the seat tube 73.

[0074] (3.6) Pedals The pedals 86 are attached to the longitudinal ends of each crank arm 85 on the side opposite the crankshaft (described later). The pedals 86 are attached rotatably to the crank arms 85. The rotation axis of the pedals 86 is approximately parallel to the rotation axis of the crankshaft.

[0075] (3.7) Power Transmission Body The power transmission member 87 transmits the power output from the motor unit 5 to at least one of the multiple wheels 81. In this embodiment, the power transmission member 87 is a chain that is stretched between a drive sprocket of the motor unit 5 and a rear sprocket 892 of the rear wheel 89 so as to be able to transmit power. However, in the present disclosure, the power transmission member 87 may also be, for example, a belt, a shaft, a wire, or a gear.

[0076] (3.8) Motor unit As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the motor unit 5 includes a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, a motor 51, a crankshaft, and a drive sprocket. The crankshaft and drive sprocket are not shown. The motor unit 5 is a device capable of outputting a driving assist output. In this embodiment, the motor unit 5 adds the driving assist output to the pedaling force, which is the human-powered driving force, and transmits it to the rear wheel 89 via a power transmission body 87.

[0077] As shown in Fig. 2, a pair of crank arms 85 are attached to the crankshaft of the motor unit 5. The longitudinal direction of the crank arms 85 intersects (here, is perpendicular to) the rotation axis of the crankshaft. The pair of crank arms 85 are aligned in a straight line when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the crankshaft.

[0078] The drive sprocket is made up of, for example, multiple sprockets, and together with the rear sprocket 892, forms a transmission. By changing the shift position of this transmission, the electric bicycle 2 can be shifted.

[0079] The motor 51 is configured to provide rotational power to the wheel 81 of the electric bicycle 2. The motor 51 is provided near the crankshaft of the electric bicycle 2, is driven by power from the battery 41, and transmits power to the crankshaft.

[0080] (4) Operation The terminal control method of this embodiment will be explained below with reference to Figures 4 to 11, along with the operations of the terminal 1, electric bicycle 2, and control system 3. In the following, it is assumed that user A1 is standing near the electric bicycle 2 that he or she plans to use and has completed accessing a dedicated website using terminal 1. In the following, the terminal control method will be explained mainly with reference to Figure 4, and the operations of the terminal 1, electric bicycle 2, and control system 3 will be explained mainly with reference to Figure 5.

[0081] First, when user A1 accesses a dedicated website using terminal 1, terminal 1 displays authentication screen P1 shown in FIG. 6 on display unit 13 (S1 (S101)). The authentication screen P1 displays a character string prompting the user to enter authentication information required to authenticate user A1. The authentication screen P1 also displays a text box P11 for entering user A1's identification number, a text box P12 for entering user A1's PIN, and an icon P13 for accepting completion of entry. In other words, the terminal control method of this embodiment further includes authentication step S1, which causes terminal 1 to display a screen (authentication screen P1) prompting the user to enter authentication information used to authenticate user A1.

[0082] Upon viewing the authentication screen P1, user A1 operates terminal 1 to input the identification number and password into text boxes P11 and P12, respectively (i.e., input authentication information), and selects icon P13 (S102). Then, terminal 1 transmits the authentication information to the control system 3 (S103).

[0083] When the authentication information is received, the control system 3 executes the authentication process using the received authentication information (S104). If the authentication process is successful (S2: Yes), the control system 3 transmits response information indicating that the authentication process has been successful to the terminal 1 (S105). The terminal 1 that has received the response information displays the guide screen P2 shown in FIG. 7 on the display unit 13 (S3 (S106)). On the other hand, if the authentication process has failed (S2: No), the control system 3 transmits response information indicating that the authentication process has failed to the terminal 1. The terminal 1 that has received the response information may, for example, display the authentication screen P1 again on the display unit 13, and also display a character string indicating that the authentication process has failed on the display unit 13. In this case, the user A1 may enter the authentication information again, or may give up using the electric bicycle 2.

[0084] The guidance screen P2 displays a character string that prompts the user A1 to obtain the identifier 10 of the electric bicycle 2 that the user A1 plans to use. The guidance screen P2 also displays an icon P21 that represents a reading device 14 (here, a camera). In other words, the terminal control method of this embodiment has a guidance step S3 in which a screen (guidance screen P2) that prompts the user A1 to obtain the identifier 10 of the electric bicycle (mobile object) 2 that the user A1 plans to use is displayed on the terminal 1 used by the user A1. Then, in the terminal control method of this embodiment, the guidance step S3 is executed when the authentication of the user A1 is successful after the authentication step S1.

[0085] After viewing the guide screen P2, user A1 operates terminal 1 to select icon P21 (S4: Yes). Then, terminal 1 starts up reading device 14 (S5). As shown in FIG. 3, user A1 points terminal 1 toward sticker 931 affixed to the rear fender 93 of the electric bicycle 2 that he or she plans to use. This causes reading device 14 to read the identifier 10 written on sticker 931 (S107).

[0086] If the identifier 10 is read by the reading device 14, that is, if the identifier 10 is successfully acquired (S6: Yes), the terminal 1 transmits the acquired identifier 10 to the control system 3 (S7 (S108)). In other words, the terminal control method of this embodiment has an output step S7 in which the identifier 10 acquired via the guidance step S3 is output from the terminal 1 to the control system 3 that controls the electric bicycle (mobile object) 2.

[0087] On the other hand, if the identifier 10 is not read by the reading device 14, that is, if acquisition of the identifier 10 has failed (S6: No), the terminal 1 displays an error screen P3 shown in FIG. 8 on the display unit 13 (S8). The error screen P3 displays a character string indicating that acquisition of the identifier 10 of the electric bicycle 2 has failed. The error screen P3 also displays an icon P31 that prompts the user A1 to retry acquiring the identifier 10. Upon viewing the error screen P3, the user A1 can select the icon P31 to restart the reading device 14 and try to acquire the identifier 10 again.

[0088] Upon receiving the identifier 10, the control system 3 executes an identification process using the received identifier 10 (S109). As a result, the control system 3 identifies the electric bicycle 2 corresponding to the received identifier 10. The control system 3 then executes an acquisition process to transmit request information to the identified electric bicycle 2 requesting the transmission of remaining amount information (S110). Having received the request information, the electric bicycle 2 executes a transmission process to transmit the remaining amount information to the control system 3 (S111).

[0089] When receiving the remaining amount information, the control system 3 executes a determination process using the received remaining amount information (S112). If the remaining amount of the battery 41 is equal to or greater than the threshold (S9: Yes), the control system 3 transmits presentation information including the acquired identifier 10 and remaining amount information to the terminal 1 (S113). The terminal 1 that has received the presentation information displays a confirmation screen P4 shown in FIG. 9 on the display unit 13 (S10 (S114)). In other words, the terminal control method of this embodiment further includes a presentation step S10 that displays a screen (confirmation screen P4) including mobile object information (here, remaining amount information) related to the electric bicycle (mobile object) 2 on the terminal 1 via the output step S7. In this embodiment, the mobile object information is remaining amount information, that is, information related to the remaining amount of the battery 41.

[0090] Furthermore, in the terminal control method of this embodiment, remaining charge information (mobile body information) is acquired from the electric bicycle (mobile body) 2 via output step S7. That is, in this embodiment, the remaining charge information is displayed on the terminal 1 at the time when user A1 plans to use the electric bicycle 2, so user A1 can grasp the latest status of the electric bicycle 2 that he plans to use (the latest remaining charge of the battery 41) by looking at the confirmation screen P4.

[0091] The confirmation screen P4 displays a character string that prompts the user A1 to input whether or not they intend to use the electric bicycle 2. The confirmation screen P4 also displays an image P41 that represents the identifier 10 of the electric bicycle 2 that the user A1 plans to use, an image P42 that represents remaining charge information, an icon P43 that indicates that the user intends to use the electric bicycle, and an icon P44 that indicates that the user does not intend to use the electric bicycle. In other words, the terminal control method of this embodiment further includes a confirmation step S10 that causes the terminal 1 to display a screen (confirmation screen P4) that prompts the user A1 to input whether or not they intend to use the electric bicycle (moving object) 2.

[0092] On the other hand, if the remaining charge of the battery 41 is less than the threshold (S9: No), the control system 3 transmits unusable information to the terminal 1, indicating that the electric bicycle 2 cannot be used. The terminal 1 that has received the unusable information displays an unusable screen P5 shown in FIG. 10 on the display unit 13 (S11). The unusable screen P5 displays a character string indicating that the electric bicycle 2 that the user A1 plans to use cannot be used. The unusable screen P5 also displays an image P51 that displays the identifier 10 of the electric bicycle 2 that the user A1 plans to use, an image P52 that displays remaining charge information, and an icon P53 that encourages the use of another electric bicycle 2. In other words, the terminal control method of this embodiment further includes determination steps S10 and S11 in which the terminal 1 displays a screen (confirmation screen P4 or unusable screen P5) that includes determination information on whether the electric bicycle (mobile object) 2 is usable or not, determined based on the remaining charge information (mobile object information).

[0093] When user A1 sees the impossibility screen P5, if he / she wishes to use another electric bicycle 2, he / she selects icon P53. In this case, terminal 1 displays guidance screen P2 again on display unit 13. This allows user A1 to attempt to obtain the identifier 10 of the other electric bicycle 2. Of course, user A1 may give up on using the electric bicycle 2.

[0094] After viewing the confirmation screen P4, user A1 checks the remaining charge information and then selects icon P43 if he or she intends to use the electric bicycle 2, or icon P44 if he or she does not intend to use the electric bicycle 2. If icon P43 is selected, that is, if user A1 intends to use the electric bicycle 2 (S12: Yes), the terminal 1 transmits confirmation information indicating whether or not user A1 intends to use the electric bicycle 2 to the control system 3 (S115). On the other hand, if icon P44 is selected, that is, if user A1 does not intend to use the electric bicycle 2 (S12: No), the terminal 1 displays the guidance screen P2 on the display unit 13 again. In this case, user A1 may attempt to obtain the identifier 10 of another electric bicycle 2, or may give up on using the electric bicycle 2.

[0095] The control system 3 that has received the confirmation information executes the unlocking process. That is, the control system 3 transmits control information to the electric bicycle 2 identified in the identification process to transition the electric bicycle 2 from a locked state to an unlockable state (S116). The electric bicycle 2 that has received the control information executes the lock control process to transition the circle lock 6 from a locked state to an unlockable state (S117).

[0096] Furthermore, after executing the unlocking process, the control system 3 executes a notification process to send notification information indicating that the electric bicycle 2 has transitioned from a locked state to a state that can be unlocked to the terminal 1 (S118). Having received the notification information, the terminal 1 displays a notification screen P6 shown in Fig. 11 on the display unit 13 (S13 (S119)). In other words, the terminal control method of this embodiment has a notification step S13 that causes the terminal 1 to display a screen (notification screen P6) that notifies that the electric bicycle (moving object) 2 has transitioned from a locked state to a state that can be unlocked via the output step S7.

[0097] The notification screen P6 displays a character string indicating that the unlocking process has been completed and the bicycle has transitioned from a locked state to an unlockable state. The notification screen P6 also displays an image P61 representing the identifier 10 of the electric bicycle 2 that the user A1 plans to use, and an image P62 representing the unlocking operation for unlocking the circle lock 6. The image P62 represents the operating device 23 of the electric bicycle 2. The image P62 also includes an image P621 that prompts the user to press the power switch of the operating device 23.

[0098] Upon viewing the notification screen P6, user A1 presses the power switch of the operation device 23 of the electric bicycle 2 (S120). As a result, the control unit 21 of the electric bicycle 2 receives a start signal from the operation device 23, executes a drive process to start the motor 51, and executes a lock control process to transition the circle lock 6 from an unlockable state to an unlocked state (S121). In other words, in the terminal control method of this embodiment, the specific operation (pressing the power switch of the operation device 23) also serves as an operation to start the electric bicycle (moving object) 2. This allows user A1 to ride the electric bicycle 2.

[0099] (5) Advantages As described above, in this embodiment, user A1 can use the electric bicycle (mobile object) 2 by completing the procedures while viewing the screens displayed on terminal 1 in each of guidance step S3, output step S7, and notification step S13. For example, if authentication of user A1 and confirmation of user A1's intention to use the electric bicycle are not required, user A1 can use the electric bicycle 2 by simply completing the procedures of obtaining the identifier 10 of the electric bicycle 2 using terminal 1 and operating the operation device 23 of the electric bicycle 2. In other words, user A1 can complete the procedures up to using the electric bicycle 2 simply by using terminal 1. Therefore, this embodiment has the advantage of improving convenience for user A1 when using the electric bicycle 2.

[0100] Furthermore, in this embodiment, at the time when notification step S13 is executed, the electric bicycle (mobile object) 2 has only transitioned to an unlockable state, but has not yet transitioned to an unlocked state. Therefore, in this embodiment, the electric bicycle 2 transitions to the unlocked state only when operated by user A1, which has the advantage of making it easier to prevent unauthorized use by third parties compared to when the electric bicycle 2 automatically transitions to the unlocked state. In other words, if the electric bicycle 2 automatically transitions to the unlocked state, if user A1 temporarily leaves the area around the electric bicycle 2, there is a possibility that a third party who sees the electric bicycle 2 in an unlocked state may use it unauthorizedly. In contrast, in this embodiment, the electric bicycle 2 appears to be in a locked state at first glance, which reduces the possibility of a third party who sees the electric bicycle 2 using it unauthorizedly. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the electric bicycle 2 will not unlock without user A1's intention, which makes it easier to ensure the safety of user A1.

[0101] In this embodiment, the motor unit 5 has a function to detect whether the circle lock 6 is locked or unlocked. The electric bicycle 2 also has a function to transmit the status of the circle lock 6 to the terminal 1 via the network N1. This allows the user A1 to check the status of the circle lock 6 on the display unit 13 of the terminal 1.

[0102] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 21 of the electric bicycle 2 is configured to start the electric bicycle 2 only when the circle lock 6 transitions from an unlockable state to an unlocked state. In other words, the control unit 21 of the electric bicycle 2 is configured not to start the electric bicycle 2 if the circle lock 6 is in an unlocked state without passing through an unlockable state. Specifically, when the control unit 21 of the electric bicycle 2 receives a start signal from the operation device 23, that is, when the power switch of the operation device 23 is pressed, it inquires of the control system 3 whether the circle lock 6 was in an unlockable state immediately before. Then, if the circle lock 6 was not in an unlockable state immediately before, the control unit 21 of the electric bicycle 2 does not start the electric bicycle 2.

[0103] This embodiment has the following advantages. Suppose that user A1 leaves the electric bicycle 2 without locking the circle lock 6 (i.e., leaving the circle lock 6 unlocked). In this case, for example, the power to the electric bicycle 2 may be automatically turned off after a predetermined time has passed, and the power to the electric bicycle 2 may be turned off while the circle lock 6 remains unlocked. In such a case, even if a third party presses the power switch in an attempt to steal the electric bicycle 2, the control unit 21 of the electric bicycle 2 will not start the electric bicycle 2. Therefore, this embodiment has the advantage that it is easy to prevent a third party from illegally using the electric bicycle 2, even if the electric bicycle 2 is left unattended with the circle lock 6 left unlocked.

[0104] (6) Variations The above-described embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above-described embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Furthermore, the terminal control method may be embodied as a (computer) program, a non-transitory recording medium on which a program is recorded, or the like. In other words, a program according to one aspect may cause one or more processors to execute the above-described terminal control method.

[0105] Modifications of the above-described embodiment are listed below. The modifications described below can be applied in appropriate combinations.

[0106] In the terminal control method of the present disclosure, for example, the terminal 1 (or the control system 3) includes a computer system. The computer system is mainly composed of a processor and a memory as hardware. The processor executes a program stored in the memory of the computer system to realize the functions of the terminal 1 (or the control system 3) of the present disclosure. The program may be pre-stored in the memory of the computer system, provided via a telecommunications line, or provided in a non-transitory recording medium readable by the computer system, such as a memory card, an optical disk, or a hard disk drive. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). The integrated circuits, such as ICs and LSIs, are referred to by different names depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSIs, very large-scale integrations (VLSIs), or ultra-large-scale integrations (ULSIs). Furthermore, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), which are programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or logic devices that allow the reconfiguration of internal connections or internal circuit partitions of the LSI, can also be used as processors. The electronic circuits may be integrated into one chip or distributed across multiple chips. The chips may be integrated into one device or distributed across multiple devices. The computer system referred to here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Therefore, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

[0107] Furthermore, it is not essential for the terminal 1 (or the control system 3) that multiple functions of the terminal 1 (or the control system 3) are concentrated in one housing. The components of the terminal 1 (or the control system 3) may be distributed across multiple housings. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the control system 3 may be realized, for example, by a server device and the cloud (cloud computing), etc. Conversely, as in the above-described embodiment, all of the functions of the control system 3 may be concentrated in one housing.

[0108] In the above-described embodiment, the process of transitioning the electric bicycle 2 from a locked state to a state that can be unlocked is executed by a combination of communication between the terminal 1 and the control system 3 and communication between the electric bicycle (moving object) 2 and the control system 3, but this is not limited to this. For example, the process of transitioning the electric bicycle 2 from a locked state to a state that can be unlocked may be executed by communication between the terminal 1 and the electric bicycle 2.

[0109] In the above-described embodiment, the authentication information used to authenticate user A1 may be information unique to each user A1, and may be, for example, information about the biometric features of user A1 (fingerprint, veins, iris, etc.). In this case, terminal 1 may be provided with a device capable of acquiring information about the biometric features of user A1, such as a fingerprint reader.

[0110] In the above-described embodiment, the identifier 10 need only be information unique to the electric bicycle 2 and is not limited to a QR code (registered trademark). For example, the identifier 10 may be a two-dimensional code other than a QR code (registered trademark), a one-dimensional code such as a barcode, a three-dimensional code, or a simple character string. Furthermore, the identifier 10 may be the electric bicycle 2 itself. In this case, it is possible to obtain the identifier 10 based on an image of the electric bicycle 2 itself by performing appropriate image analysis processing on an image of the electric bicycle 2 captured by the camera of the terminal 1, for example.

[0111] In the above-described embodiment, the control system 3 may transition the electric bicycle 2 from a locked state to an unlockable state without confirming the user A1's intention to use the electric bicycle 2 when the control system 3 acquires the identifier 10 of the electric bicycle (mobile object) 2. In this case, the terminal control method may not include the confirmation step S10.

[0112] In the above-described embodiment, the motor unit 5 is a two-shaft motor unit, but it may also be a single-shaft motor unit. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the motor unit 5 is a center unit type motor unit, but this is not limiting. For example, the motor unit 5 may be a front hub unit type motor unit in which a motor is attached to the hub 881 of the front wheel 88. Also, for example, the motor unit 5 may be a rear hub unit type motor unit in which a motor is attached to the hub 891 of the rear wheel 89.

[0113] In the above-described embodiment, the electric bicycle 2 is an electrically assisted bicycle that uses the motor 51 to assist the pedaling force of the user A1, but is not limited to this. For example, the electric bicycle 2 may be a bicycle in which the drive system (human-powered drive system) that applies power to the wheels 81 using pedaling force and the drive system (motor-powered drive system) that applies power to the wheels 81 using the motor 51 are separate (a bicycle that can run only on power output from the motor 51). In short, the electric bicycle 2 may be an electrically assisted bicycle, or a bicycle that can run only on power output from the motor 51.

[0114] In the above-described embodiment, the electric bicycle 2 is a two-wheeled bicycle having one front wheel 88 and one rear wheel 89, but is not limited to this. For example, the electric bicycle 2 may be a three-wheeled bicycle having one front wheel 88 and two rear wheels 89. Alternatively, the electric bicycle 2 may be a three-wheeled bicycle having two front wheels 88 and one rear wheel 89. Furthermore, the electric bicycle 2 may be a four-wheeled bicycle having two front wheels 88 and two rear wheels 89.

[0115] In the above-described embodiment, the moving object 2 is an electric bicycle, but is not limited to this. For example, the moving object 2 may be a bicycle that does not have a motor 51 or a battery 41. Furthermore, for example, the moving object 2 may be a bicycle that does not have a motor 51 but has a communication function and a battery 41.

[0116] In the above-described embodiment, the moving object 2 is a bicycle, but is not limited to this. For example, the moving object 2 may be an automobile, a motorcycle, a boat, or the like, as long as it can be in a locked state, an unlocked state, and an unlockable state.

[0117] (summary) As described above, the terminal control method according to the first aspect includes a guidance step (S3), an output step (S7), and a notification step (S13). The guidance step (S3) is a step of displaying a screen (guidance screen (P2)) on the terminal (1) used by the user (A1) that prompts the user (A1) to acquire the identifier (10) of the mobile object (2) that the user (A1) plans to use. The output step (S7) is a step of outputting the identifier (10) acquired through the guidance step (S3) from the terminal (1) to the control system (3) that controls the mobile object (2). The notification step (S13) is a step of displaying a screen (notification screen (P6)) on the terminal (1) that notifies the user that the mobile object (2) has transitioned from a locked state to an unlockable state through the output step (S7).

[0118] This embodiment has the advantage of improving the convenience for the user (A1) when using the moving body (2).

[0119] The terminal control method according to the second aspect is the same as the first aspect, but further includes an authentication step (S1). The authentication step (S1) is a step of displaying on the terminal (1) a screen (authentication screen (P1)) that prompts the user (A1) to input authentication information used to authenticate the user (A1). In the terminal control method, if the authentication step (S1) is successful and the user (A1) is authenticated, a guidance step (S3) is executed.

[0120] According to this embodiment, only the user (A1) who is authorized to use the mobile body (2) can use the mobile body (2), which has the advantage of making it easier to prevent unauthorized use of the mobile body (2) by a third party.

[0121] The terminal control method according to the third aspect is the same as that according to the first or second aspect, and further includes a presentation step (S10). The presentation step (S10) is a step of causing the terminal (1) to display a screen (confirmation screen (P4)) including mobile object information related to the mobile object (2) via the output step (S7).

[0122] This embodiment has the advantage that the user (A1) can use the moving object (2) after understanding the state of the moving object (2).

[0123] In the terminal control method according to the fourth aspect, in the third aspect, the mobile object information is acquired from the mobile object (2) through an output step (S7).

[0124] This embodiment has the advantage that the user (A1) can easily grasp the latest status of the moving object (2).

[0125] The terminal control method according to the fifth aspect is the third or fourth aspect, and further includes a determination step (S10, S11). The determination step (S10, S11) is a step of causing the terminal (1) to display a screen (a confirmation screen (P4) or an unusable screen (P5)) including determination information as to whether the mobile object (2) is usable or not, determined based on the mobile object information.

[0126] This embodiment has the advantage that the user (A1) can know whether the moving object (2) he / she plans to use is available for use or not.

[0127] In a terminal control method according to a sixth aspect, in any one of the third to fifth aspects, the mobile object (2) has a battery (41) used as a power source for controlling the mobile object (2), and the mobile object information is information about the remaining capacity of the battery (41).

[0128] This embodiment has the advantage that the user A1 can easily know whether the remaining charge of the battery 41 is sufficient when using the moving object 2.

[0129] The terminal control method according to the seventh aspect is any one of the third to sixth aspects, and further includes a confirmation step (S10). The confirmation step (S10) is a step of displaying on the terminal (1) a screen (confirmation screen (P4)) that prompts the user (A1) to input whether or not to use the moving object (2).

[0130] This embodiment has the advantage that the user (A1) can choose whether or not to actually use the moving object (2).

[0131] In the terminal control method according to the eighth aspect, in any of the first to seventh aspects, the unlockable state is a state in which the mobile body (2) is unlocked when the user (A1) performs a specific operation on the mobile body (2).

[0132] According to this embodiment, the mobile object (2) is unlocked by a specific operation by the user (A1), which has the advantage that it is easy to prevent unauthorized unlocking by a third party who does not know the specific operation.

[0133] In a terminal control method according to a ninth aspect, in the eighth aspect, the specific operation also serves as an operation to start up the moving body (2).

[0134] According to this embodiment, compared to when the user (A1) performs both the operation to unlock the mobile body (2) and the operation to start the mobile body (2), the number of operations that the user (A1) must perform before the mobile body (2) can be used can be reduced, which has the advantage of improving convenience for the user (A1).

[0135] In a terminal control method according to a tenth aspect, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the identifier (10) is attached to the moving object (2) and is read by a reading device (14).

[0136] According to this embodiment, the user (A1) can obtain the identifier (10) simply by having the reading device read the identifier (10), which has the advantage of improving convenience for the user (A1) compared to when the user (A1) manually inputs the identifier (10).

[0137] In a terminal control method according to an eleventh aspect, in any one of the first to tenth aspects, the steps executed by the terminal (1) are executed without communication between the terminal (1) and the mobile object (2).

[0138] This embodiment has the advantage that it is easy to prevent information about the user (A1) from being leaked to a third party via the mobile unit (2).

[0139] In a terminal control method according to a twelfth aspect, in any one of the first to eleventh aspects, the moving object (2) is a bicycle.

[0140] This embodiment has the advantage of improving convenience for the user (A1) when using the bicycle.

[0141] A program according to a thirteenth aspect causes one or more processors to execute the terminal control method according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects.

[0142] This embodiment has the advantage of improving the convenience for the user (A1) when using the moving body (2).

[0143] A moving object (2) according to a fourteenth aspect is controlled by a control system (3) that communicates with a terminal (1) by the terminal control method according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects.

[0144] This embodiment has the advantage of improving the convenience for the user (A1) when using the moving body (2).

[0145] The methods according to the second to twelfth aspects are not essential to the terminal control method and can be omitted as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0146] 1 device 10 Identifiers 14 Reading device 2 Electric bicycles (mobile vehicles) 3. Control System 41 Battery A1 User S1 Authentication Step S3 Guide step S7 Output Step S10 Presentation step, confirmation step, decision step S11 Judgment step S13 Notification step

Claims

1. a guidance step of displaying a screen on a terminal used by the user that prompts the user to obtain an identifier of the mobile object that the user plans to use; an output step of outputting the identifier acquired through the guidance step from the terminal to a control system that controls the mobile object; a notification step of displaying on the terminal a screen notifying that the mobile object has transitioned from a locked state to an unlockable state through the output step. Terminal control methods.

2. further comprising an authentication step of displaying on the terminal a screen prompting the user to input authentication information used for authenticating the user; If the authentication of the user is successful through the authentication step, the guidance step is executed. The terminal control method according to claim 1.

3. The method further includes a presentation step of displaying a screen including mobile object information related to the mobile object on the terminal after the output step.

3. The terminal control method according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the mobile object information is acquired from the mobile object through the output step; The terminal control method according to claim 3.

5. The method further includes a determination step of displaying on the terminal a screen including determination information as to whether the mobile object is usable or not, the determination information being based on the mobile object information.

5. The terminal control method according to claim 3 or 4.

6. the moving body has a battery used as a power source for controlling the moving body, the mobile object information is information about a remaining amount of the battery; The terminal control method according to any one of claims 3 to 5.

7. The method further includes a confirmation step of displaying on the terminal a screen prompting the user to input whether or not to use the mobile object. The terminal control method according to any one of claims 3 to 6.

8. The unlockable state is a state in which the mobile object is unlocked when the user performs a specific operation on the mobile object. The terminal control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The specific operation also serves as an operation to start the moving object. The terminal control method according to claim 8.

10. The identifier is attached to the moving object and is read by a reading device. The terminal control method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The steps performed by the terminal are performed without communication between the terminal and the mobile object. The terminal control method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The moving object is a bicycle. The terminal control method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. one or more processors, Executing the terminal control method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, program.

14. The terminal is controlled by the control system that communicates with the terminal according to the terminal control method of any one of claims 1 to 12. Mobile object.

Images