Service information provision method

Abstract

To realize a service information provision method capable of providing service information suitable for each user.SOLUTION: A service information provision method includes the steps of: transmitting information related to a use of a vehicle 1 by a user from the vehicle 1 to a cloud server 2, so as to analyze the information; proposing required maintenance or item determined based on an analysis result to the user and a dealer; allowing the cloud server 2 to receive information related to an effect by a maintenance work or application of the item transmitted from the vehicle 1 after the dealer performs the maintenance work or the application of the item in response to the proposal; and notifying the user of the information related to the effect by the maintenance work or the application of the item. Thus, the personalized proposal can be performed based on a use form of the vehicle 1 by each one of the users.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a service information providing method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, connected vehicles capable of mutual communication of vehicle information (such as vehicle driving information) with information centers such as cloud servers have become widespread. Patent Document 1 discloses an information providing method for managing the repair history of a connected vehicle. Specifically, the method diagnoses vehicle faults and calculates component lifespans based on information acquired from sensors mounted on the vehicle. When repair work becomes necessary, the method transmits a repair request along with the vehicle's serial number to the information center. The information center then relays the repair request information to a terminal of a dealership that can provide repair work for the vehicle, thereby acting as an intermediary between the dealership and the vehicle user, and notifying the user of the transaction information for the selected dealership. When the user subsequently visits the dealership, the dealership performs the repair work in accordance with the transaction information, and the results of the work are registered in the information center as a work history for the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-323481 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, proposals have been made regarding system integration and services that encourage users to perform maintenance such as replacing parts based on information acquired from vehicles. However, because the manner in which each user uses their vehicle differs, the suggestions made to the user (suggestions encouraging part replacement, repair, etc.) may not be optimal for the manner in which the vehicle is used.

[0005] For example, for a user who frequently drives long distances (long driving distances per trip), it is preferable to suggest items that relieve fatigue while driving, but making such suggestions to a user who frequently drives short distances (short driving distances per trip) is not an optimal suggestion. Also, since users who frequently drive short distances often have a desire to improve fuel consumption, it is preferable to make suggestions to improve fuel consumption to such users, but it is not an optimal suggestion to make such suggestions to users who frequently drive long distances. Furthermore, for a user who enjoys so-called sporty driving, it is preferable to suggest items that improve the driving performance of the vehicle, but it is not an optimal suggestion to make such suggestions to a user who wishes to improve fuel consumption.

[0006] Until now, there has been no consideration given to providing personalized suggestions based on the vehicle usage patterns of individual users. As a result, there have been cases where suggestions to users have not been able to fully satisfy the users.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to realize a service information providing method that can provide service information suited to each user of a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The solution of the present invention to achieve the above object is a service information providing method that provides a user of the connected vehicle and a vehicle maintenance company with information related to maintenance for the connected vehicle or items for the connected vehicle based on information transmitted and received between the connected vehicle and an information center. The service information providing method includes the steps of transmitting information related to use of the connected vehicle from the connected vehicle to the information center for analysis, proposing the necessary maintenance or items to at least the vehicle maintenance company based on the results of the analysis, receiving information related to the effects of the maintenance work or application of the items transmitted from the connected vehicle by the information center after the vehicle maintenance company performs the maintenance work or applies the items in accordance with the proposal, and notifying the user of the information related to the effects of the maintenance work or application of the items.

[0009] The term "vehicle maintenance contractor" as used herein is a concept that includes vehicle dealerships, repair shops, etc. Furthermore, the term "maintenance or item proposals" as used herein is not limited to proposals for vehicle repair, improvement, part replacement, etc., but also includes various proposals such as proposals for improving fuel economy and driving performance (including proposals for changing engine oil and filling injector cleaner), proposals for hardware items to improve vehicle rigidity (including proposals for reinforcement work to improve vehicle rigidity), and proposals for software items to improve vehicle driving performance by rewriting ECU software, and is a concept that includes all proposals related to various services that vehicle maintenance contractors can provide.

[0010] The above-mentioned specific items make it possible to suggest vehicle maintenance work or the application of items based on information related to the use of the connected vehicle, and to make personalized suggestions based on the vehicle usage patterns of each individual user. Furthermore, because the user is notified of information related to the effects of the maintenance work or the application of the items, the user can recognize the effects of performing the maintenance work or applying the items, and the user can be fully satisfied. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] In the present invention, vehicle maintenance work or the application of items is suggested based on information related to the use of a connected vehicle. This allows personalized suggestions to be made based on the vehicle usage patterns of each individual user. Furthermore, information related to the effects of the maintenance work or the application of the items is notified to the user. This allows the user to recognize the effects of performing the maintenance work or applying the items, and the user can be fully satisfied. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a service information providing method according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure of a service information providing method according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of distribution of short trip frequencies by different users. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. This embodiment will be described by taking as an example a case where a cloud server is used as an information center that receives information transmitted from a connected vehicle, and a mobile device (such as a smartphone) owned by the user of the connected vehicle is used as a means for providing (notifying) the user of the connected vehicle with information.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a service information providing method according to this embodiment. Communication mode A in Fig. 1 shows the respective communication modes of information transmission from vehicle 1 (more specifically, a DCM (Data Communication Module) installed in vehicle 1) to cloud server 2, and information transmission from cloud server 2 to mobile terminal (a terminal carried by the user who owns vehicle 1) 3 and dealer terminal (a personal computer or the like installed at the dealer of vehicle 1) 4. Communication mode B in Fig. 1 shows the respective communication modes of information transmission from vehicle 1 to cloud server 2 after maintenance work or application of an item, and information transmission from cloud server 2 to mobile terminal 3.

[0015] Communication is possible between the vehicle 1, cloud server 2, mobile terminal 3, and dealer terminal 4 using a predetermined communication network. Although only one vehicle 1 is shown in Fig. 1, multiple vehicles 1 can send and receive information to and from the cloud server 2 through communication using the communication network (communication of various information linked to the individual information of the vehicle 1). The communication network may be any of a mobile phone network with many base stations, the Internet, a dedicated communication network, etc.

[0016] A vehicle information acquisition ECU (Electronic Control Unit) and a DCM (Digital Control Module) (not shown) are mounted on the vehicle 1. These devices are interconnected via an in-vehicle network such as a CAN (Computer Aperture Network) so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0017] The vehicle information acquisition ECU includes, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read-Only Memory) that stores control programs, a RAM (Random-Access Memory) that temporarily stores data, and input / output ports.

[0018] The vehicle information acquisition ECU acquires information related to the vehicle's usage pattern (hereinafter sometimes referred to as vehicle information) from various sensors and outputs it to the DCM. An example of this vehicle information (also referred to as connected data) is the mileage per trip. That is, the mileage is measured based on the number of rotations of the drive shaft between the time the start switch of the vehicle 1 is turned on and the time it is turned off, and the information is output to the DCM. Note that the vehicle information (connected data) is not limited to the mileage per trip, but also includes various information used to determine whether maintenance should be performed (or whether an item should be applied) for each part of the vehicle 1. Examples of such information include driving pattern, fuel consumption rate, engine output, vehicle vibration, changes in accelerator opening, information about the driving area, driving behavior trends, and driving characteristics such as sudden acceleration and sudden deceleration. Furthermore, this connected data may be time-series information such as CAN 300 data, or information such as data monitor information preprocessed within the on-board ECU.

[0019] In addition, the vehicle information acquisition ECU is configured to acquire vehicle information from various sensors and output it to the DCM even after a predetermined maintenance work or item application has been performed on the vehicle at a dealership or the like.

[0020] The DCM is a communication device that communicates bidirectionally with the cloud server 2 via the communication network. Therefore, various types of vehicle information output from the vehicle information acquisition ECU to the DCM before maintenance work or application of an item is performed on the vehicle 1, and various types of vehicle information output from the vehicle information acquisition ECU to the DCM after maintenance work or application of an item is performed on the vehicle 1, are each transmitted from the DCM to the cloud server 2.

[0021] The cloud server 2 receives vehicle information from the DCM of the vehicle 1, analyzes the user's driving style, driving tendencies, driving operation tendencies, etc. from the vehicle information, analyzes the required maintenance or items from the results, and transmits the information of the analysis results to the mobile terminal 3 and the dealer terminal 4 via the communication network. This enables the user of the vehicle 1 and the dealer's staff to recognize that the vehicle 1 is in a state where it needs to undergo predetermined maintenance work or the application of an item. Furthermore, even after the maintenance work or the application of an item has been performed on the vehicle 1, the cloud server 2 receives vehicle information (information related to the effects of the maintenance work or the application of an item) from the DCM of the vehicle 1, generates information indicating the effects of the maintenance work or the application of the item from the vehicle information, and transmits this information to the mobile terminal 3 via the communication network. This enables the user of the vehicle 1 to recognize the effects of performing the maintenance work or the application of the item.

[0022] Next, the procedure of the service information providing method according to this embodiment will be described. Here, a case will be described in which a recommendation to fill the fuel with injector cleaner is made when the vehicle is frequently used for short trips (i.e., when the distance traveled per trip is short). If the user of the target vehicle 1 frequently drives short distances, the temperature of the engine coolant cannot be sufficiently raised, which makes it easy for incomplete combustion of the fuel to occur. This causes dirt such as deposits to adhere to the engine's injection system, resulting in uneven spray and abnormal atomization, which in turn leads to problems such as reduced engine power, worsened fuel consumption, and increased engine vibration. In such cases, filling the fuel with injector cleaner is expected to remove the dirt and resolve the problems. Therefore, it is effective to recommend the use of injector cleaner to users who frequently make short trips.

[0023] 2 is a flowchart for explaining the procedure of the service information providing method. This flowchart shows the procedure of the service information providing method for one vehicle 1, but similar processing is also performed in each vehicle that can communicate with the cloud server 2 via the communication network. This flowchart is also executed each time the start switch of the vehicle 1 is turned on.

[0024] First, in step ST1, it is determined whether or not the traveling of the vehicle 1 has ended. This determination is made based on the output from a vehicle speed sensor or a wheel speed sensor (not shown). Alternatively, it may be determined that the traveling of the vehicle 1 has ended when the start switch is turned off. If the determination in step ST1 is NO, the process ends.

[0025] If the vehicle 1 that was traveling ends its travel and the judgment in step ST1 is YES, the process proceeds to step ST2, where vehicle information for the current trip (the trip immediately before the travel ended) is sent from the DCM of vehicle 1 to the cloud server 2 (see communication A1 in Figure 1).

[0026] In step ST3, the travel distance for the trip (the travel distance from when the start switch of the vehicle is turned on to when it is turned off) is calculated.

[0027] In step ST4, it is determined whether the travel distance calculated in step ST3 corresponds to a short trip.

[0028] Here, we will explain short trip determination. Figures 3(a) to (c) show examples of distributions of short trip frequencies by different users. The bar graphs in these figures represent the frequency (number of times) that short trips were made in a given period. The line graphs represent the cumulative ratio. Here, for example, a short trip is defined as a trip with a distance of 8 km or less per trip. As shown in Figures 3(a) to (c), the frequency of short trips varies greatly depending on the user. For this reason, the information on maintenance or items that should be recommended to a user (optimal recommendations personalized based on the vehicle's usage pattern) will also differ depending on the short trip frequency.

[0029] If it is determined in step ST4 that the travel distance calculated in step ST3 corresponds to a short trip (YES determination), the process proceeds to step ST5, where 1 is added to the cumulative number of short trips stored in the cloud server 2. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST4 that the travel distance calculated in step ST3 does not correspond to a short trip (NO determination), the process proceeds to step ST6, where 1 is added to the cumulative number of non-short trips stored in the cloud server 2.

[0030] In step ST7, the short trip frequency is calculated for all trips in a predetermined period. Specifically, the short trip frequency is calculated by dividing the cumulative number of short trips in the predetermined period by the sum of the cumulative number of short trips and the cumulative number of non-short trips in the predetermined period. This process corresponds to the "step of transmitting information related to the use of the connected vehicle from the connected vehicle to an information center for analysis" in this invention.

[0031] In step ST8, it is determined whether the short trip frequency calculated in step ST7 exceeds a predetermined value X. If the short trip frequency does not exceed the predetermined value X and the determination in step ST8 is NO, the process ends without making a recommendation (proposal) for an injector cleaner.

[0032] If the short trip frequency exceeds the predetermined value X and the determination in step ST8 is YES, the process proceeds to step ST9, where injector cleaner recommendation information is transmitted to the mobile terminal 3 and the dealer terminal 4 (see communications A2 and A3 in FIG. 1). This allows the user who owns the mobile terminal 3 and the dealer clerk to recognize that filling of the injector cleaner has been recommended for the user's vehicle 1. This process corresponds to the "step of proposing to at least the vehicle maintenance company the necessary maintenance or items determined based on the analysis results" in this invention.

[0033] In step ST10, a salesperson at the dealership guides the user to visit the dealership to fill the injector cleaner based on the recommendation information (see guidance C1 in FIG. 1). In step ST11, the user visits the dealership (see visit C2 in FIG. 1), the injector cleaner filling process is performed, and if the vehicle 1 then resumes traveling (see resumption of traveling C3 in FIG. 1), in step ST12, it is determined whether the traveling of the vehicle 1 that was traveling has ended. Note that when the injector cleaner filling process was performed, information indicating that the injector cleaner filling process had been performed was transmitted from the dealership to the cloud server 2 (see communication C4 in FIG. 1). If the determination in step ST12 is NO, the process ends.

[0034] When the vehicle 1 has finished traveling and the determination in step ST12 is YES, the process proceeds to step ST13, where vehicle information for the current trip (the trip immediately before the trip ended) is sent from the DCM of the vehicle 1 to the cloud server 2 (see communication B1 in FIG. 1). This process corresponds to the "step in which, after the vehicle maintenance company has performed the maintenance work or applied the item in accordance with the proposal, the information center receives information related to the effects of the maintenance work or application of the item sent from the connected vehicle" in this invention.

[0035] In step ST14, past vehicle information is compared with vehicle information for the current trip to confirm the effect of filling the injector cleaner. For example, filling the injector cleaner can be expected to improve engine output and fuel consumption, so these are compared between past vehicle information and vehicle information for the current trip. Then, in step ST15, information resulting from this comparison is calculated. For example, the rate of increase in engine output and the rate of improvement in fuel consumption are calculated.

[0036] In step ST16, this result information is sent to the mobile terminal 3 (see communication B2 in FIG. 1). This allows the user to recognize the effect of filling the injector cleaner. This process corresponds to the "step of notifying the user of information related to the effect of the maintenance work or application of the item." Note that the display on the mobile terminal 3 shown in FIG. 1 for recognizing the effect shows the relationship between the engine speed and engine output before the maintenance work or application of the item is performed with a white circle, and the relationship between the engine speed and engine output after the maintenance work or application of the item is performed with a black circle. This makes it possible to recognize the effect of performing the maintenance work or applying the item. This display also provides information about the next inspection (visit to the dealer).

[0037] As described above, in this embodiment, maintenance or items for the vehicle 1 are suggested based on information related to the user's use of the vehicle 1. This allows personalized suggestions to be made based on the usage pattern of the vehicle 1 for each individual user. In addition, the user is notified of information related to the effects of applying the maintenance work or items. This allows the user to recognize the effects of performing the maintenance work or applying the items, and the user can be fully satisfied.

[0038] -Other embodiments- The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and all modifications and applications within the scope of the claims and equivalents thereto are possible.

[0039] For example, in the above embodiment, the cloud server 2 is used as the information center, but other information centers such as an on-premise server may also be used.

[0040] In addition, in the above embodiment, the mobile terminal 3 owned by the user is used as a means for providing information to the user, but it is also possible to use a navigation system installed in the vehicle to provide information by displaying it on a monitor screen or by audio from a speaker.

[0041] In the above embodiment, the vehicle information is transmitted from the DCM of the vehicle 1 to the cloud server 2 when the vehicle 1 finishes traveling. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the vehicle information may be transmitted to the cloud server 2 at other times or at predetermined time intervals. [Industrial Applicability]

[0042] The present invention is applicable to a service information providing method for providing information relating to maintenance for a connected vehicle or items in a connected vehicle to a user of the connected vehicle and a vehicle maintenance company, respectively. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1...Vehicle (connected vehicle) 2...Cloud server (information center) 3...Mobile terminal 4...Dealer terminal

Claims

[Claim 1] A service information providing method for providing information relating to maintenance for a connected vehicle or information relating to items in the connected vehicle to a user of the connected vehicle and a vehicle maintenance company, respectively, based on information transmitted and received between the connected vehicle and an information center, the method comprising: transmitting information relating to the use of the connected vehicle from the connected vehicle to the information center for analysis; recommending to at least the vehicle maintenance company the maintenance or items required based on the results of the analysis; a step in which, after the vehicle maintenance company performs the maintenance work or applies the item in accordance with the suggestion, the information center receives information related to the effect of the maintenance work or the application of the item transmitted from the connected vehicle; and notifying the user of information relating to the effect of the maintenance work or application of the item.

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