Vehicle maintenance imaging system and vehicle maintenance management system

Abstract

To provide a vehicle maintenance imaging system and a vehicle maintenance management system which can suppress fraudulence occurrence upon vehicle maintenance and increase the transparency of the vehicle maintenance.SOLUTION: A vehicle maintenance imaging system 10 of the present invention comprises: one or more installment imaging means 20 which can image a vehicle V and are installed around the vehicle V; and wearable imaging means 30 which can image the vehicle V and can be worn by a maintenance person P. The wearable imaging means 30 images the vehicle V, and the installment imaging means 20 can image the maintenance person P.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system that makes it possible to ensure that normal operations, such as maintaining parts that need replacement and maintenance during vehicle inspections and not performing excessive maintenance on unnecessary parts, are carried out transparently, and enables third-party audits to optimize the content of vehicle inspections. [Background technology]

[0002] In Japan, vehicle inspections are conducted for light vehicles, cars, and motorcycles with engine displacements above a certain level. The Motor Vehicle Inspection and Registration System, commonly known as vehicle inspection, is a system in which the government periodically inspects vehicles to ensure they are in a condition to be safely driven on the roads. By checking that each function of the vehicle is working properly and that exhaust gas regulations are met, it is an important system for maintaining road safety and the environment.

[0003] In principle, vehicle inspections are to be carried out at inspection centres run by the Transport Bureau, but in practice, vehicles are often taken to dealerships such as car dealerships or used car dealerships, gas stations, or repair shops. If the designated workshop is approved, it is possible to have your vehicle inspected on the spot as it is a private vehicle inspection centre with the same inspection lines as the public inspection centres.

[0004] To undergo a vehicle inspection, you will need your vehicle registration certificate, compulsory automobile liability insurance certificate, tax payment certificate, etc., but above all, the vehicle must be in compliance with various regulations. In other words, the vehicle undergoing inspection must meet a huge number of criteria, such as whether the engine, suspension, lights, etc. work, and it will not pass the inspection if there is even one defect or malfunction. If the vehicle does not pass the inspection, it cannot be driven on public roads, so if there are any parts that do not meet the regulations, you will need to replace parts, etc., in order to pass the inspection.

[0005] Regarding vehicle inspections, as described in Patent Document 1, a system has been proposed that helps even users with little knowledge about cars to undergo vehicle inspections at the inspection center of a transport bureau without having to take their car to a repair shop, etc., by allowing the user to photograph or record various parts of the car, or by using data based on the content entered by the user to determine whether parts need to be replaced and how to photograph them. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-362347 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Today, cars are essential in many areas, and there are a large number of car users. However, not all of these users are knowledgeable about cars. Because a car is a complex machine made up of many parts, the reality is that while many users can drive a car, they have difficulty maintaining it or recognizing the condition of its parts. Furthermore, most users do not have knowledge of the regulations required for vehicle inspections, such as how bright headlights should be.

[0008] For this reason, very few people supplement their own knowledge with a system such as the invention described in Patent Document 1 and attempt a user vehicle inspection; the vast majority of people take their car to a company that performs private vehicle inspections and have the inspection done by that company or a designated factory that has a relationship with that company.

[0009] Designated workshops will suggest to users what maintenance items need to be replaced and what maintenance items would be better to replace. The user will then carefully consider the suggestions, make selections, and decide on a maintenance plan. Maintenance will then be carried out in accordance with that plan, and the vehicle will then undergo inspection.

[0010] Designated workshops are expected to make maintenance recommendations based on the knowledge and experience of their qualified personnel. However, in recent years, there have been cases where they have suggested replacing parts that did not need to be replaced, or where they have suggested replacing parts and requested that parts be replaced, but have not actually done so. A series of reports have also included cases where a workshop has damaged a customer's car with a golf ball and then suggested replacing the damaged parts, which has become a major social issue.

[0011] In these cases, 1. There is an information asymmetry between users and designated factories, and unless designated factories have a high level of professional ethics, the system will not operate smoothly. 2 If there is a malicious designated factory, the facts will not be made public unless there is an internal whistleblower, as the designated factory operates behind closed doors. 3 Even if the information were made public, there would be limitations to the investigations conducted by external experts, as it would be impossible to verify the actual work carried out within the designated factories later. These were pointed out as issues.

[0012] The vehicle inspection system is designed to ensure the safety of passengers by having the government inspect vehicles to ensure they are in a condition to be driven safely on public roads, and ultimately to ensure the safety of other vehicles, pedestrians, etc. However, if there are malicious designated factories, not only will this system not be able to fully fulfill its purpose, but the existence of such factories cannot be eliminated without whistleblowing.

[0013] In short, the reality is that the vehicle inspection system itself is being called into question.

[0014] So, is it enough to just constantly film the inside of a repair shop? It's not that simple. The areas that need to be serviced on a vehicle can be complicated, such as inside the hood or wheel well, and there are many blind spots created when the mechanic's own head or body blocks the camera's view. Furthermore, because vehicles are mass-produced, it is conceivable that when performing maintenance on a certain vehicle, footage taken on another vehicle may be reused.

[0015] Therefore, the present invention provides a vehicle maintenance photography system and a vehicle maintenance management system that do not have these concerns, thereby providing specific technical means for solving this social problem. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] (1) The vehicle maintenance photography system of the present invention, which is provided to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a vehicle maintenance photography system that photographs maintenance work performed by a maintenance technician at an automobile maintenance workshop, and is equipped with one or more installed photography means that are installed around the vehicle and are capable of photographing the vehicle, and wearable photography means that are capable of photographing the vehicle and can be worn by the maintenance technician, and is characterized in that the vehicle is photographed by the worn photography means and the maintenance technician is photographed by the installed photography means.

[0017] According to the vehicle maintenance photography system of (1) above, the vehicle can be photographed from multiple viewpoints by photographing the maintenance technician with the installed photography means while photographing the vehicle from the maintenance technician's viewpoint with the worn photography means. Furthermore, according to the vehicle maintenance photography system of (1) above, it is possible to prove the authenticity of the footage photographed by the worn photography means using footage photographed by one or more installed photography means. This prevents the occurrence of fraudulent acts, such as maintenance technicians intentionally damaging vehicles or performing unnecessary repairs during vehicle maintenance (inspection or maintenance), and can increase the transparency of vehicle maintenance.

[0018] Furthermore, the vehicle maintenance photography system described in (1) above can photograph the condition of a customer's vehicle brought into a maintenance shop (for example, the inside of the hood or the inside of the wheel wells) from multiple viewpoints, and since it is difficult to alter the content of the footage, it is easy to verify the authenticity of the footage and images. Therefore, the vehicle maintenance photography system described in (1) above can contribute to ensuring that vehicles are properly maintained through vehicle inspections, for example. Therefore, the vehicle maintenance photography system described in (1) above can contribute to the smooth operation of the vehicle inspection system.

[0019] (2) In the vehicle maintenance photography system of the present invention, the installed photography means may include a first installed photography means installed in front of the vehicle and a second installed photography means installed in the rear of the vehicle.

[0020] According to the vehicle maintenance photography system described above in (2), a customer's vehicle brought into a maintenance workshop can be photographed from both the front and rear of the vehicle, and images can be captured without any blind spots, including the inside of the hood and wheel wells.

[0021] (3) In the vehicle maintenance photography system of the present invention, the installed photography means and the mounted photography means may be capable of acquiring time information and generating photography data including time information of the date and time the photography was taken.

[0022] According to the vehicle maintenance photography system described in (3) above, it is easy to check whether the time of photography matches between the image captured by the installed photography means and the image captured by the maintenance technician, and if the image is altered, it becomes easier to detect any fraud. As a result, the vehicle maintenance photography system described in (3) above can further increase transparency during maintenance.

[0023] (4) The vehicle maintenance management system of the present invention is a vehicle maintenance management system that manages maintenance work by maintenance personnel at an automobile maintenance shop, and is equipped with one or more installed photography means that are installed around the vehicle and are capable of photographing the vehicle, wearable photography means that are capable of photographing the vehicle and can be worn by the maintenance personnel, and a storage means that stores data, wherein the installed photography means and the wearable photography means are capable of acquiring time information and generating photography data that includes time information of the date and time the photography was taken, and is characterized in that it includes a photography step that photographs the vehicle with the wearable photography means and photographs the maintenance personnel with the installed photography means, and a photography data storage step that links the photography data photographed by the installed photography means and the photography data photographed by the wearable photography means and stores the linked photography data in the storage means.

[0024] According to the vehicle maintenance management system of (4) above, by capturing images of the maintenance technician using the installed image capture device and the vehicle from the maintenance technician's viewpoint using the worn image capture device, the vehicle can be captured without any blind spots. Furthermore, according to the vehicle maintenance management system of (4) above, it is easy to check whether the capture times of the images captured from the viewpoint of the installed image capture device and the maintenance technician match, making it easier to detect any tampering with the images. Furthermore, according to the vehicle maintenance management system of (4) above, images captured by one or more installed image capture devices are linked and stored in the storage device. Therefore, the vehicle maintenance management system of (4) above makes it easy to verify the authenticity of the images captured by the worn image capture device. This prevents the occurrence of tampering, such as maintenance technicians intentionally damaging vehicles or performing unnecessary repairs during vehicle maintenance, and also increases the transparency of vehicle maintenance by linking and presenting images from multiple viewpoints during maintenance.

[0025] Furthermore, the vehicle maintenance management system described in (4) above can capture images of the condition of a customer's vehicle brought into a repair shop (for example, the inside of the hood or the inside of the wheel wells) from multiple viewpoints, and since it is difficult to alter the content of the images, it is easy to verify the authenticity of the footage or images. Therefore, the vehicle maintenance management system described in (4) above can contribute to ensuring that vehicles are properly maintained through vehicle inspections, for example. Therefore, the vehicle maintenance management system described in (4) above can contribute to the smooth operation of the vehicle inspection system.

[0026] (5) The vehicle maintenance management system of the present invention may include an inspection photography step in which, when the vehicle is inspected, the vehicle is photographed using the attached photography means and the maintenance technician is photographed using the installed photography means; a maintenance photography step in which, when the vehicle is maintained after the inspection, the vehicle is photographed using the attached photography means and the maintenance technician is photographed using the installed photography means; and a maintenance data storage step in which the photography data taken in the inspection photography step and the photography data taken in the maintenance photography step are linked and stored in the storage means.

[0027] According to the vehicle maintenance management system described in (5) above, by filming both inspection and maintenance work, it is possible to compare the footage before and after maintenance, which prevents maintenance personnel from intentionally damaging vehicles or performing unnecessary repairs, thereby further increasing the transparency of the entire maintenance work. [Effects of the Invention]

[0028] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle maintenance photography system and a vehicle maintenance management system that can suppress the occurrence of fraud during vehicle maintenance and increase the transparency of vehicle maintenance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a vehicle maintenance photography system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a vehicle maintenance management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 3 is a block diagram showing a storage unit of the vehicle maintenance management system of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing each step of the vehicle maintenance management system of FIG. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] Hereinafter, the vehicle maintenance photography system 10 and the vehicle maintenance management system 40 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0031] The vehicle maintenance photography system 10 and the vehicle maintenance management system 40 can be used to monitor vehicle maintenance work, such as during vehicle inspection or maintenance, to prevent fraudulent work or to prove that there is no fraud in the vehicle maintenance. The vehicle maintenance photography system 10 and the vehicle maintenance management system 40 can be used during vehicle maintenance, such as during maintenance for the automobile inspection and registration system (so-called vehicle inspection) defined in the Road Transport Vehicle Act to check whether the vehicle meets national safety standards, or during maintenance for periodic vehicle inspections.

[0032] In this specification, a "service provider" refers to a party that provides vehicle maintenance as a service, such as an automobile repair shop that performs automobile maintenance. For example, service providers include dealerships such as automobile dealers and used car dealerships, gas stations, automobile repair shops, and private vehicle inspection centers that have inspection lines similar to those of public inspection centers. Note that automobile repair shops are not limited to licensed designated shops. In other words, an automobile repair shop refers to a party that can perform vehicle maintenance as a service, regardless of whether it is a licensed designated shop or whether it has equipment for vehicle inspections.

[0033] In addition, the term "vehicle" in this specification includes, for example, standard automobiles such as passenger cars, small automobiles such as compact passenger cars and large motorcycles, and light passenger cars such as light passenger cars and motorcycles, as classified according to the Road Transport Vehicle Act.

[0034] Furthermore, in this specification, "maintenance" includes various tasks to improve the condition of a vehicle. Specifically, "maintenance" refers to various tasks to maintain the vehicle in good condition. For example, maintenance includes vehicle inspections, oil changes, and part replacement / repair. In addition to periodic inspections such as vehicle inspections, maintenance also includes maintenance to ensure the vehicle is ready for use immediately after delivery and repairs to restore the vehicle to its original condition when it malfunctions.

[0035] In this specification, among the maintenance, the work of checking the condition of a vehicle, such as whether maintenance is required, without repairing the vehicle, may be referred to simply as "inspection." Furthermore, among the maintenance, specific vehicle maintenance work, such as oil changes and part replacements, may be referred to simply as "maintenance."

[0036] In this specification, a person who performs vehicle maintenance, such as a maintenance technician or an assistant who assists in maintenance work, may be referred to as a "maintenance technician." That is, a maintenance technician includes a person who is responsible for various maintenance-related tasks, such as a person who is responsible for vehicle inspection, maintenance, or repair. In addition, a maintenance technician may or may not have a maintenance qualification.

[0037] In this specification, when vehicle maintenance is performed, the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle in an installed state may be described simply as the "fore-and-aft direction X." Furthermore, the front in the fore-and-aft direction X may be described simply as the "fore X1," and the rear may be described simply as the "rear X2." Furthermore, the up-and-down direction of the vehicle in an installed state may be described simply as the "up-and-down direction Y." Furthermore, the upside in the up-and-down direction Y may be described simply as the "upper side Y1," and the downside may be described simply as the "lower side Y2."

[0038] [About the Vehicle Maintenance Photography System] Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a vehicle maintenance photography system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 is a side view showing a state in which a vehicle V to be maintained is placed on a lift 11, which is a setting location for the vehicle V for maintenance.

[0039] The vehicle maintenance photography system 10 includes a plurality of cameras (photographing means 12) capable of photographing an object. Specifically, the vehicle maintenance photography system 10 includes a plurality of (two in this embodiment) installed photography means 20 for photographing the vehicle V and the maintenance technician P from predetermined positions, and a worn photography means 30 worn by the maintenance technician P for photographing the state of maintenance of the vehicle V. The vehicle maintenance photography system 10 also includes a first installed photography means 21 and a second installed photography means 22 as the installed photography means 20.

[0040] In the following description, devices (cameras, smartphones, etc.) that have the function of being able to photograph an object, such as the installed photographing device 20 and the wearable photographing device 30, may be collectively referred to simply as "photographing device 12." Note that the photographing device 12 may be any device that can photograph an object as a video or image. For example, the photographing device 12 may be a camera that is a device for photographing an object, or may be a terminal device with a photographing function, such as a smartphone or tablet. Furthermore, the photographing device 12 may be one that can photograph an object as a video, or one that can photograph an object as a still image.

[0041] The installed photographing means 20 (first installed photographing means 21 and second installed photographing means 22) are installed around the vehicle V. In the vehicle maintenance photographing system 10 of this embodiment, the first installed photographing means 21 and the second installed photographing means 22 have the same configuration except for the positions where they are installed. Specifically, the first installed photographing means 21 and the second installed photographing means 22 are portable cameras capable of taking video.

[0042] In the vehicle maintenance photography system 10 of this embodiment, the first installed photography unit 21 and the second installed photography unit 22 can be connected to a network via a wireless local area network (LAN) and can acquire time information. The first installed photography unit 21 and the second installed photography unit 22 can generate photography data that includes time information on the date and time the image was taken. Furthermore, the first installed photography unit 21 and the second installed photography unit 22 can store the photography data that includes time information on the date and time the image was taken in internal storage (not shown).

[0043] As shown in Fig. 1, the two installed photographing means 20 are installed in the fore-and-aft direction X of the vehicle V. Specifically, the first installed photographing means 21 is installed in front X1 and above Y1 of the vehicle V. In other words, the first installed photographing means 21 is installed in a position that overlooks the hood side of the vehicle V from slightly above. If the installed photographing means 20 is installed in front and above the vehicle V, it becomes easier to photograph the inside of the hood.

[0044] The second installed photographing means 22 is installed at the rear X2 and below Y2 of the vehicle V. In other words, the second installed photographing means 22 is installed in a position that allows one to look up from slightly below the trunk side of the vehicle V. If the installed photographing means 20 is installed at the rear and below of the vehicle V, it becomes easier to photograph the underside of the vehicle V and the wheel wells.

[0045] In this way, the vehicle maintenance photography system 10 is equipped with, as the installed photography means 20, a first installed photography means 21 installed at the front X1 of the vehicle V and a second installed photography means 22 installed at the rear X2 of the vehicle V. This allows the vehicle maintenance photography system 10 to photograph the customer's vehicle V brought into the maintenance workshop without any blind spots, including the inside of the hood and the inside of the wheel wells.

[0046] The position of the installed photographing means 20 may be adjusted so that the license plate always falls within the angle of view. With such a configuration, it is possible to easily determine whether the vehicle is the target of maintenance by checking the license plate in the photographed data, and it is possible to prevent the misuse of images obtained during maintenance of other vehicles. Furthermore, the number of installed photographing means 20 is not limited to two, and additional installed photographing means may be provided in addition to the front-rear direction X of the vehicle V, such as on the left and right sides of the vehicle V. Furthermore, the installed photographing means 20 may be one that is always installed at a predetermined position in an automobile maintenance shop (for example, a surveillance camera), or one that is installed around the vehicle V during maintenance work (for example, a portable camera).

[0047] The wearable photographing means 30 is a photographing means 12 that can be carried (wearable) by the maintenance technician P. In the vehicle maintenance photographing system 10 of this embodiment, the wearable photographing means 30 is a small camera (wearable camera) that can be worn on the body or the like to take photographs hands-free. The wearable photographing means 30 can be worn, for example, on the arm of the maintenance technician P or on the head of the maintenance technician P like glasses, and is preferably one that allows the maintenance technician P to take photographs hands-free.

[0048] The wearing-on camera unit 30 can connect to a network via wireless LAN and can acquire time information. The wearing-on camera unit 30 can also generate photographic data including time information on the date and time the photograph was taken. Furthermore, the wearing-on camera unit 30 can store the photographic data including time information on the date and time the photograph was taken in an internal storage (not shown).

[0049] The vehicle maintenance photography system 10 can capture images of the maintenance work being performed by the mechanic P and the condition of the vehicle V from multiple locations using each of the photography means 12. More specifically, the vehicle maintenance photography system 10 can capture images of the maintenance work (inspection work and maintenance work) being performed by the mechanic P and the condition of the vehicle V using three cameras: the first installed photography means 21, the second installed photography means 22, and the worn-on photography means 30. More particularly, in the vehicle maintenance photography system 10, the two cameras, the first installed photography means 21 and the second installed photography means 22, capture images with wide-angle lenses so that the mechanic P is always photographed, and the worn-on photography means 30 photographs the inspection work from the viewpoint of the mechanic P.

[0050] This allows all inspection work during maintenance to be recorded as video from all viewpoints. Furthermore, in the vehicle maintenance photography system 10, the inside of the hood and the bottom of the vehicle body when jacked up can also be captured by either of the photography means 12. Furthermore, in the vehicle maintenance photography system 10, even if the body of the maintenance technician P is in the blind spot of the first installed photography means 21 or the second installed photography means 22, the mounted photography means 30 can capture the vehicle V without any blind spots.

[0051] The vehicle maintenance photography system 10 makes it possible to verify the authenticity of the video captured by the mounted photography device 30 using the video captured by the multiple installed photography devices 20. This allows the vehicle maintenance photography system 10 to prevent the occurrence of fraudulent acts, such as intentional damage to the vehicle V or unnecessary repairs by a maintenance technician P during maintenance (inspection or maintenance) of the vehicle V, thereby increasing the transparency of vehicle maintenance. Furthermore, the vehicle maintenance photography system 10 can capture the condition of a customer's vehicle V brought into a maintenance shop (e.g., the inside of the hood or wheel well) from multiple viewpoints, and since the captured content is difficult to alter, it is easy to verify the authenticity of the video and images. This can contribute to ensuring that the vehicle V is properly maintained, for example, through vehicle inspections. Therefore, the vehicle maintenance photography system 10 can contribute to the smooth operation of the vehicle inspection system.

[0052] As described above, the imaging means 12 of this embodiment (first installed imaging means 21, second installed imaging means 22, and worn-on imaging means 30) can acquire time information and can generate imaging data including time information of the date and time when imaging was performed. That is, the first installed imaging means 21, second installed imaging means 22, and worn-on imaging means 30 can acquire accurate time, so that the time information is synchronized with each other (the time scales are linked), and imaging data including the time information can be generated.

[0053] This makes it easy for the vehicle maintenance photography system 10 to check whether the image captured from the viewpoint of the installed camera (installed photography means 20) and the image captured from the viewpoint of the maintenance technician P are photographed at the same time, making it easier to detect fraud if the image is altered. For example, if photography is performed only with the mounted photography means 30, it would be possible to reuse images of other vehicles, but with the vehicle maintenance photography system 10, the times of the images captured by the three photography means 12 (cameras) are synchronized, so scratches on the vehicle, license plates, etc. will appear in the image including time information, making it difficult to conceal them.

[0054] The image capturing means 12 may be equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System) function and be capable of acquiring its own location information. Furthermore, the image capturing means 12 may be individually assigned an IP address and be capable of starting and stopping image capturing, storing and managing captured data, etc., via a network infrastructure (e.g., a network camera). For example, the image capturing means 12 may be connectable to a network via a wireless or wired LAN.

[0055] Also, for example, the photographing means 12 may be equipped with internal storage capable of storing photographed data, or may be capable of automatically transferring photographed data to external storage (for example, server 50 or information processing device 60).

[0056] When photographing maintenance work using the vehicle maintenance photography system 10, each camera (photographing means 12) is operated to photograph the work. Note that starting and stopping photography may be done manually, such as by operating a recording start button or stop button on each photography means 12. Also, if the photography means 12 can be operated via a network (for example, if it is a network camera), starting and stopping photography may be done remotely from another terminal device. Furthermore, photography by each photography means 12 does not need to start and end at the same time. For example, photography by each photography means 12 may start and stop at different times, as long as it is possible to photograph the entire maintenance work.

[0057] Here, it is preferable that photography using the vehicle maintenance photography system 10 be performed multiple times, including during inspection and maintenance, as in the vehicle maintenance management system 40 described below. By photographing both the inspection and post-inspection maintenance work, the transparency of the entire maintenance work can be further increased. In this way, the vehicle maintenance photography system 10 can prevent the occurrence of fraudulent acts, such as the maintenance technician P intentionally damaging the vehicle V or performing unnecessary repairs, during maintenance of the vehicle V, and further increase the transparency of vehicle maintenance.

[0058] [Vehicle maintenance management system] Next, a vehicle maintenance management system 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0059] 2, the vehicle maintenance management system 40 includes a first installed photographing means 21, a second installed photographing means 22, an attached photographing means 30, a server 50, and an information processing device 60. That is, the vehicle maintenance management system 40 includes the server 50 and the information processing device 60 in addition to the components (each photographing means 12) included in the vehicle maintenance photographing system 10.

[0060] In addition, since the first installed photography means 21, the second installed photography means 22, and the attached photography means 30 have the same configuration as the vehicle maintenance photography system 10, they will be described using the same symbols as those used in the description of the vehicle maintenance photography system 10, and detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0061] The server 50 is a NAS (Network Attached Storage) managed by the service provider C. The server 50 has, as its hardware configuration, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), and ROM (Read Only Memory), which are not shown. The CPU is a well-known computing means that controls the overall operation of the server 50. The RAM functions as a working area when the CPU processes information. The ROM stores various programs and data. In this hardware configuration, the CPU performs calculations according to a predetermined program, and functional blocks corresponding to the loaded program are configured in the server 50. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the server 50 is configured with a memory unit 51 (storage means) in which various data are stored.

[0062] The information processing device 60 is a client terminal used by a person in charge of the service provider C. In the vehicle maintenance management system 40 of this embodiment, the information processing device 60 is a personal computer. The information processing device 60 may be another client terminal. For example, the information processing device 60 may be a client terminal such as a tablet terminal or a smartphone. The information processing device 60 is connectable to the server 50 (NAS) via a LAN.

[0063] The information processing device 60 includes a control unit, a display unit, and an operation unit, all of which are not shown. The control unit has a CPU, RAM, and ROM, all of which are not shown, as hardware components. The CPU controls the operation of the entire control unit. The RAM functions as a work area when the CPU processes information. The ROM stores various programs and data. In this hardware configuration, the CPU performs calculations according to a predetermined program, and the control unit is configured with functional blocks corresponding to the loaded program.

[0064] In the vehicle maintenance management system 40 of this embodiment, various data such as photographed data taken by the photographing means 12, information on the vehicle V, and parts ordering history are stored in the server 50 through operations performed by the service provider C's staff member via the information processing device 60.

[0065] The vehicle maintenance management system 40 is not limited to this embodiment. Specifically, the vehicle maintenance management system of the present invention may have the memory unit 51 (memory means) provided in the client terminal. That is, the memory means of the vehicle maintenance management system of the present invention may be provided in a server or an information processing device. Furthermore, the memory means of the vehicle maintenance management system of the present invention may be provided in external storage.

[0066] Next, each step performed in the vehicle maintenance management system 40 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0067] As shown in Figure 4, the vehicle maintenance management system 40 performs the following steps: inspection photographing step S1, inspection photographed data storage step S2, inspection result recording step S3, maintenance photographing step S4, maintenance photographed data storage step S5, inspection step S6, and maintenance data storage step S7.

[0068] First, the inspection photographing step S1 will be described. The inspection photographing step S1 is performed when inspecting the vehicle V. In the inspection photographing step S1, the maintenance technician P inspects the vehicle V to identify areas that require maintenance or repair, and the state of the work is photographed by each photographing means 12. During the inspection work, the maintenance technician P wears the wearable photographing means 30 and performs the inspection work.

[0069] In the inspection photographing step S1, each photographing means 12 photographs the inspection work of the maintenance person P and the state of the vehicle V from multiple locations. More specifically, in the inspection photographing step S1, the inspection work of the maintenance person P and the state of the vehicle V are photographed by three cameras: the first installed photographing means 21, the second installed photographing means 22, and the worn photographing means 30.

[0070] In the inspection photographing data saving step S2, the various data photographed in the inspection photographing step S1 is saved in the server 50. More specifically, in the inspection photographing data saving step S2, the images photographed during inspection (inspection photographing data D1), which are images photographed by the first installed photographing means 21 (inspection first photographing data D1a), the images photographed by the second installed photographing means 22 (inspection second photographing data D1b), and the images photographed by the worn photographing means 30 (inspection third photographing data D1c), are saved in a linked state in the server 50. As described above, the photographing data photographed by each photographing means 12 includes date and time information.

[0071] In the inspection result recording step S3, the condition of the vehicle V is recorded after the inspection work. In the inspection result recording step S3, for example, various information such as the condition of the vehicle V, whether maintenance is required, and the items that require maintenance are recorded as the inspection results. The inspection results may be stored as data in the information processing device 60 or the server 50, for example, or may be recorded by filling out a form with the necessary items. Furthermore, after the inspection work has identified areas of the vehicle V that require maintenance, such as repair or replacement of parts or oil change, data such as an order form or sales order for parts may be converted into a predetermined format (for example, PDF) and saved in the server 50 or the information processing device 60.

[0072] The maintenance photographing step S4 is performed when maintenance is performed on the vehicle V. In the maintenance photographing step S4, the maintenance work on the vehicle V is photographed. More specifically, after the parts of the vehicle V that require maintenance are identified through inspection work, maintenance such as part replacement on the vehicle V is performed in the maintenance photographing step S4, and the state of this work is photographed by each photographing means 12. During maintenance work, the maintenance technician P wears the attached photographing means 30 and performs the maintenance work.

[0073] In the maintenance photographing step S4, each photographing means 12 photographs from multiple locations the state of the maintenance work by the mechanic P and the state of the vehicle V. More specifically, in the maintenance photographing step S4, the state of the maintenance work by the mechanic P and the state of the vehicle V are photographed by three cameras: the first installed photographing means 21, the second installed photographing means 22, and the attached photographing means 30.

[0074] In the maintenance photographing data saving step S5, the various data captured in the maintenance photographing step S4 is saved in the server 50. More specifically, in the maintenance photographing data saving step S5, the photographing data captured during maintenance (maintenance photographing data D2), which includes the video captured by the first installed photographing means 21 (maintenance first photographing data D2a), the video captured by the second installed photographing means 22 (maintenance second photographing data D2b), and the video captured by the worn photographing means 30 (maintenance third photographing data D2c), are saved in a linked state in the server 50. As described above, the photographing data captured by each photographing means 12 includes date and time information.

[0075] In inspection step S6, an inspection is performed to determine whether the vehicle V complies with various standards. In inspection step S6, an inspection can be performed using inspection equipment. The inspection performed in inspection step S6 can be, for example, an inspection of items required for vehicle inspection (an inspection of whether the vehicle complies with safety standards). The inspection in inspection step S6 is not limited to inspections required for vehicle inspection. In other words, the inspection performed in inspection step S6 can be variously selected, such as a regular inspection or an optional inspection. The results of the inspection performed in inspection step S6 (measurement results) are recorded on a form (for example, a disassembly record book) with specified items.

[0076] Inspection items include, for example, a headlight inspection to check whether the light intensity and beam axis of the headlights are within standard values; a speedometer inspection to actually increase the vehicle's speed and check whether there is any error between that speed and the speedometer reading on the vehicle being inspected; a brake inspection to check the effectiveness of the front and rear brakes and the parking brake; a side slip inspection to check the amount of side slip of the front tires; and an exhaust gas inspection to measure the carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon concentrations in the exhaust gas.

[0077] In the maintenance data storage step S7, various data related to maintenance are linked to information identifying the vehicle V (for example, vehicle information D3 such as the vehicle identification number or license plate) and stored in the server 50. For example, in the maintenance data storage step S7, various data related to maintenance, such as inspection-time photographed data D1, maintenance-time photographed data D2, inspection result data D4, and inspection result data D5, are linked to the vehicle information D3 and stored in the server 50 (see FIG. 3). In this way, in the vehicle maintenance management system 40, data related to a series of maintenance steps, from inspection to maintenance and inspection (maintenance data), are stored in the server 50 in a linked state. This makes it easier to check the details of a series of maintenance tasks.

[0078] The data stored in maintenance data storage step S7 is not limited to the above-mentioned data, and various other data can be stored. For example, in addition to the above-mentioned information, the server 50 may also store video or photographic records of parts order slips, receipts, and invoices in association with the vehicle information D3.

[0079] In the vehicle maintenance management system 40, the first photograph is taken at the time of inspection to identify the maintenance location, and the second photograph is taken at the time of maintenance such as part replacement, oil change, etc. In other words, in the vehicle maintenance management system 40, photographs are taken by the photographing means 12 twice: at the time of inspection and at the time of maintenance.

[0080] The vehicle maintenance management system 40 can further increase the transparency of the entire maintenance work by photographing the work both during inspection and during maintenance after inspection. This allows the vehicle maintenance management system 40 to prevent the occurrence of fraudulent acts, such as the maintenance person P intentionally damaging the vehicle V or performing unnecessary repairs, during maintenance of the vehicle V, and further increase the transparency of vehicle maintenance.

[0081] As described above, the first installed imaging means 21, the second installed imaging means 22, and the worn-on imaging means 30 can acquire time information and can generate imaging data that includes time information on the date and time of imaging. That is, the first installed imaging means 21, the second installed imaging means 22, and the worn-on imaging means 30 can acquire accurate time, so that the time information is synchronized with each other (the time scales are linked), and imaging data that includes the time information can be generated.

[0082] This makes it easier for the vehicle maintenance management system 40 to check whether the image captured from the viewpoint of the installed imaging means and the image captured from the viewpoint of the maintenance technician are photographed at the same time, making it easier to detect fraud if the image is altered.

[0083] According to the vehicle maintenance management system 40, even if the owner of the vehicle V changes later, various records from the time of maintenance can be referenced. Furthermore, the vehicle maintenance management system 40 allows insurance companies, government agencies, and the like to conduct audits later. As a result, the vehicle maintenance management system 40 can prevent fraudulent maintenance, such as excessive maintenance during vehicle inspections or repairs due to vehicle damage.

[0084] Furthermore, in the vehicle maintenance management system 40, photographed data taken during maintenance (during inspection and maintenance), inspection result data D5, and vehicle information D3 are linked and stored in the server 50. Therefore, by comparing the state of the maintenance (photographed data) with the inspection result data D5, it is possible to easily verify whether appropriate maintenance has been performed on the target vehicle V, whether the inspection item standards are met, and so on.

[0085] Note that the storage of the data photographed by each photographing means 12 in the server 50 (storing of photographed data in inspection photographed data storage step S2 and maintenance photographed data storage step S5) may be performed by storing the photographed data stored in the internal storage of each photographing means 12 in the server 50 using the information processing device 60 or the like. In addition, when the photographing means 12 is capable of transferring photographed data via a network, the data photographed by each photographing means 12 may be stored in the server 50 by directly transferring the recorded photographed data to the server 50.

[0086] Furthermore, data at each step may be stored in the server 50 as needed, or may be temporarily stored in the information processing device 60, and then linked to each piece of data and stored in the server 50 after maintenance is completed. [Industrial Applicability]

[0087] The vehicle photography system of the present invention can photograph a customer's vehicle without any blind spots, especially the inside of the hood and wheel wells, and since it is difficult to alter the content of the footage, it is easy to prove the authenticity of the footage and images, which can contribute to ensuring that vehicles are properly maintained through vehicle inspections, thereby helping to ensure the smooth operation of the vehicle inspection system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 10 Vehicle maintenance photography system 12 Filming Method 20 Installation and photography means 21 First installed photographing means (installed photographing means) 22 Second installation photographing means (installation photographing means) 30 Wearable photography means 40 Vehicle maintenance management system 50 servers 51 Storage unit (storage means) D1 Inspection photograph data D1a First photographed data during inspection D1b Second photographed data during inspection D1c Third photographed data during inspection D2 Maintenance data D2a First photographed data during maintenance D2b Second photographed data during maintenance D2c Third photograph data during maintenance P Maintenance personnel V vehicle

Claims

1. A vehicle maintenance photography system that photographs maintenance work by a mechanic at an automobile maintenance shop, one or more installed photographing means capable of photographing the vehicle and installed around the vehicle; a wearable photographing means that can photograph the vehicle and can be worn by the maintenance technician; A vehicle maintenance photography system, characterized in that the mounted photography means is capable of photographing the vehicle and the maintenance technician is capable of photographing the vehicle by the installed photography means.

2. The installation photographing means is a first installed photographing means installed at the front of the vehicle; 2. The vehicle maintenance photography system according to claim 1, further comprising: a second installation photography means installed at the rear of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle maintenance photography system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the installed photography means and the mounted photography means are capable of acquiring time information and generating photography data including time information of the date and time the photography was taken.

4. A vehicle maintenance management system that manages maintenance work by a maintenance technician at an automobile maintenance shop, one or more installed photographing means capable of photographing the vehicle and installed around the vehicle; a wearable photographing means capable of photographing a vehicle and wearable by the maintenance technician; a storage means for storing data, The installed photographing means and the worn photographing means are capable of acquiring time information and generating photographic data including time information of the date and time when the photograph was taken, an imaging step of imaging the vehicle with the mounted imaging means and imaging the maintenance technician with the installed imaging means; A vehicle maintenance management system characterized by including a photographic data storage step of linking the photographic data captured by the installed photographing means with the photographic data captured by the worn photographing means and storing the linked photographic data in the memory means.

5. an inspection photographing step of photographing the vehicle with the mounted photographing means and photographing the maintenance technician with the installed photographing means during inspection of the vehicle; a maintenance photographing step of photographing the vehicle with the mounted photographing means and photographing the maintenance technician with the installed photographing means during maintenance of the vehicle after the inspection; 5. The vehicle maintenance management system according to claim 4, further comprising a maintenance data storage step of linking the photographed data taken in the inspection photographing step and the photographed data taken in the maintenance photographing step and storing the linked photographed data in the storage means.

Images