Information processing method, information processing program, and information processor

Abstract

To provide an information processing method, an information processor, and a display program which output a charge amount of a charge based on a travel distance of a vehicle.SOLUTION: An information processing method acquires balance data based on a use period and a total travel distance of a vehicle, calculates an additional charge based on a basic charge within a prescribed period of the vehicle and a travel distance within the prescribed period, on the basis of the balance data, and allows a computer to execute to processing of outputting a charge amount calculated from the basic charge and the additional charge.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing method, an information processing program, an information processing device, and a display program for outputting a usage fee bill based on a vehicle's travel distance. [Background technology]

[0002] Residual value credit is used as a payment method for the purchase price of a passenger car (see, for example, Patent Document 1). With residual value credit, the future trade-in price (residual value) is set in advance, and the monthly repayment amount is set based on the amount obtained by subtracting the residual value from the vehicle price. With residual value credit, the residual value remains unchanged until the end of the contract, which has the advantage that the amount of each repayment is lower than with regular credit payments. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-67659 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In residual value credit, it is important to set the residual value accurately. A vehicle's residual value is primarily inversely proportional to the number of years since initial registration and the total mileage, with the longer the age and total mileage, the lower the residual value. However, in traditional residual value credit, although there are some cases where certain options for the total mileage are available, the residual value is set almost uniformly at the time of contract. As a result, for users who do not use the car frequently and drive a small distance per trip, a residual value lower than a reasonable residual value is set, which creates a sense of unfairness.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing method, an information processing program, an information processing device, and a display program that output a usage fee bill based on the mileage of a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present application involves a computer executing a process to acquire residual value data based on the period of vehicle usage and total mileage, calculate a basic fee for the vehicle within a specified period and an additional fee based on the mileage within the specified period based on the residual value data, and output a billing amount calculated from the basic fee and the additional fee. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In one aspect of the present application, it is possible to output the amount of the usage fee billed based on the distance traveled by the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an automobile transaction system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a server. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a user terminal. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an owner terminal. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a communication device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle DB. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a residual value DB. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a fee DB. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a user DB. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a contract DB. [Figure 11]FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a device DB. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a position information DB. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a mileage DB. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a monthly total distance DB. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a billing DB. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of calculation of unit cost. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for fee calculation processing. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for calculating a basic fee. [Figure 19] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for calculating a billing unit price. [Figure 20] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for position information acquisition processing. [Figure 21] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for a travel distance calculation process. [Figure 22] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for calculating a total monthly mileage. [Figure 23] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for a usage fee calculation process. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a usage fee display screen. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a residual value DB. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of calculation of unit cost. [Figure 27] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a residual value DB. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for correcting distance costs. [Figure 29] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for cost adjustment processing. [Figure 30] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a training DB. [Figure 31] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an estimation model. [Figure 32]10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for model generation processing. [Figure 33] 10 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the procedure of the fee calculation process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] (Embodiment 1) The following describes an embodiment with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of an automobile transaction system. The automobile transaction system 100 includes a server 1, a user terminal 2, an owner terminal 3, and a communication device 4.

[0010] The server 1 is an information processing device that handles various information processes related to the operation of the automobile transaction system 100. The server 1 is composed of a server computer, a workstation, a PC (Personal Computer), etc. The server 1 may also be a multi-computer system consisting of multiple computers. The server 1 may be configured as a cluster system, a virtual machine virtually constructed by software, or a quantum computer. Furthermore, the functions of the server 1 may be realized by a cloud service.

[0011] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server 1. The server 1 includes a control unit 11, a main memory unit 12, an auxiliary memory unit 13, a communication unit 14, and a reading unit 15. Each component is connected by a bus B.

[0012] The control unit 11 has one or more arithmetic processing devices such as a central processing unit (CPU), a micro-processing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), etc. The control unit 11 reads and executes a control program 1P (program, program product) stored in the auxiliary storage unit 13, thereby performing various information processing, control processing, etc., performed by the server 1, and realizing various functional units such as an acquisition unit, a calculation unit, an output unit, etc.

[0013] The main memory unit 12 is a static random access memory (SRAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a flash memory, etc. The main memory unit 12 mainly stores data in the control unit 11. temporarily stores data necessary to execute arithmetic processing.

[0014] The auxiliary storage unit 13 is a hard disk or a solid state drive (SSD), and the control unit The server 1 stores a control program 1P and various DBs (Databases) required for the server 1 to execute processing. The auxiliary storage unit 13 stores a vehicle DB 131, a residual value DB 132, a fee DB 133, a user DB 134, a contract DB 135, a device DB 136, a location information DB 137, a mileage DB 138, a monthly total mileage DB 139, a billing DB 13A, and a training DB 13B. The auxiliary storage unit 13 may be an external storage device externally connected to the server 1. The various DBs stored in the auxiliary storage unit 13 may be stored in a database server or cloud storage different from the server 1.

[0015] The communication unit 14 communicates with the user terminal 2, the owner terminal 3, and the communication device 4 via the network N. In addition, the control unit 11 may use the communication unit 14 to download the control program 1P from another computer via the network N or the like, and store it in the auxiliary storage unit 13.

[0016] The reading unit 15 reads the portable storage medium 1a including a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM. The control unit 11 may read the control program 1P from the portable storage medium 1a via the reading unit 15 and store it in the auxiliary storage unit 13. The control unit 11 may also read the control program 1P from the semiconductor memory 1b.

[0017] The user terminal 2 is a terminal used by a vehicle user who uses a vehicle. In the vehicle transaction system 100, it is assumed that the vehicle user purchases a vehicle through an auto loan, residual value credit, etc., or rents a vehicle through a subscription or lease contract. The user terminal 2 is composed of a smartphone, tablet computer, laptop computer, PC, etc. Hereinafter, the vehicle user will also be simply referred to as the user. The vehicle will also be referred to as the vehicle.

[0018] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a user terminal 2. The user terminal 2 includes a control unit 21, a main memory unit 22, an auxiliary memory unit 23, a communication unit 24, a display panel 25, an operation unit 26, and an imaging unit 27. Each component is connected by a bus B.

[0019] The control unit 21 has one or more arithmetic processing units such as a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, etc. The control unit 21 provides various functions by reading and executing a control program 2P (program, program product) stored in the auxiliary storage unit 23.

[0020] The main memory unit 22 is an SRAM, a DRAM, a flash memory, etc. The main memory unit 22 mainly temporarily stores data necessary for the control unit 21 to execute arithmetic processing.

[0021] The auxiliary storage unit 23 is a hard disk or an SSD, etc., and stores various data necessary for the control unit 21 to execute processing. The auxiliary storage unit 23 may be an external storage device externally connected to the user terminal 2. The various DBs, etc. stored in the auxiliary storage unit 23 may be stored in a database server or cloud storage.

[0022] The communication unit 24 communicates with the server 1 via the network N. In addition, the control unit 21 may use the communication unit 24 to download the control program 2P from another computer via the network N or the like, and store it in the auxiliary storage unit 23.

[0023] The display panel 25 can be configured with a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, or the like. The operation unit 26 can be configured with, for example, a touch panel incorporated in the display panel 25, and allows the user to perform predetermined operations on the display panel 25. The operation unit 26 can also perform operations on a software keyboard displayed on the display panel 25. The operation unit 26 may also be a hardware keyboard, a mouse, or the like.

[0024] The imaging unit 27 is, for example, a CCD camera or a CMOS camera, and obtains image data by photoelectrically converting an optical signal input via a CCD or CMOS.

[0025] The owner terminal 3 is a terminal used by the owner of the vehicle. The owner of the vehicle may be a loan company, a credit company, a leasing company, etc. The operator of the vehicle trading system 100 may also be the owner. The owner terminal 3 may be a PC, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a smartphone, etc.

[0026] 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the owner terminal 3. The owner terminal 3 includes a control unit 31, a main memory unit 32, an auxiliary memory unit 33, a communication unit 34, an input unit 35, and a display unit 36. Each component is connected by a bus B.

[0027] The control unit 31 has one or more arithmetic processing units such as a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, etc. The control unit 31 provides various functions by reading and executing a control program 3P (program, program product) stored in the auxiliary storage unit 33.

[0028] The main memory unit 32 is an SRAM, a DRAM, a flash memory, etc. The main memory unit 32 mainly temporarily stores data required for the control unit 31 to execute arithmetic processing.

[0029] The auxiliary storage unit 33 is a hard disk or SSD, etc., and stores various data necessary for the control unit 31 to execute processing. The auxiliary storage unit 33 may be an external storage device externally connected to the owner terminal 3. The various DBs, etc. stored in the auxiliary storage unit 33 may be stored in a database server or cloud storage.

[0030] The communication unit 34 communicates with the server 1 via the network N. In addition, the control unit 31 may use the communication unit 34 to download the control program 3P from another computer via the network N or the like, and store it in the auxiliary storage unit 33.

[0031] The input unit 35 is a keyboard and a mouse. The display unit 36 ​​includes a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL (electroluminescence) display panel, etc. The display unit 36 ​​displays user information and the like output by the server 1. The input unit 35 and the display unit 36 ​​may be integrated to form a touch panel display. The owner terminal 3 may display on an external display device.

[0032] The communication device 4 is a device attached to an automobile. The communication device 4 has a function of measuring its own position using a satellite positioning system or the like, and a function of transmitting the measured position to the server 1 via a mobile communication network. The communication device 4 is, for example, configured by a communication-type drive recorder.

[0033] 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a communication device 4. The communication device 4 includes a control unit 41, a main memory unit 42, an auxiliary memory unit 43, a communication unit 44, a position acquisition unit 45, and an imaging unit 46. Each component is connected by a bus B.

[0034] The control unit 41 has one or more arithmetic processing units such as a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, etc. The unit 41 controls the communication device 4 by reading and executing a control program 4P (program, program product) stored in the auxiliary storage unit 43.

[0035] The main memory unit 42 is an SRAM, a DRAM, a flash memory, etc. The main memory unit 42 mainly temporarily stores data required for the control unit 41 to execute arithmetic processing.

[0036] The auxiliary storage unit 43 is an SD memory card, an SSD, or the like, and stores various data necessary for the control unit 41 to execute processing. The auxiliary storage unit 43 also stores location information acquired by the location acquisition unit 45 and images acquired by the imaging unit 46.

[0037] The communication unit 44 communicates with the server 1 via the network N. The communication unit 44 includes a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card 441, and transmits location information and images to the server 1 using a mobile communication network.

[0038] The position acquisition unit 45 is configured with a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, etc. The position acquisition unit 45 receives radio waves from GPS satellites. The position acquisition unit 45 determines its own position based on the received satellite radio waves.

[0039] The imaging unit 46 is configured by, for example, a CCD camera, a CMOS camera, etc. The imaging unit 46 obtains image data by photoelectrically converting an optical signal input via the CCD or CMOS, etc.

[0040] Next, the databases used by the automobile trading system 100 will be described. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a vehicle DB. The vehicle DB 131 stores information on vehicles handled by the automobile trading system 100. The vehicle DB 131 includes a vehicle ID column, a manufacturer column, a model column, a grade column, a body color column, a first registration date column, and a price column. The vehicle ID column stores a vehicle ID that can uniquely identify a vehicle. Any vehicle ID can be used as long as it can uniquely identify each vehicle in the automobile trading system 100. Vehicle IDs may be issued independently, but other IDs may also be used, such as the vehicle identification number (Vehicle Identification Number, abbreviated as VIN) defined by ISO3833 or the vehicle identification number issued by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The assigned chassis number may also be used. The manufacturer column stores the vehicle manufacturer. The vehicle model column stores the vehicle model. The grade column stores the vehicle grade. The body color column stores the color of the vehicle body (body color). The initial registration date column stores the initial registration date. The initial registration date is the date when the vehicle registration application was first submitted to the Land Transport Bureau and accepted. The price column stores the vehicle price at the time of initial registration. In the example of Figure 6, the vehicle price stored is in 10,000 yen.

[0041] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a residual value DB. Residual value DB 132 stores the residual value of a vehicle. Residual value DB 132 consists of a header 1321 and a table 1322. Header 1321 stores the vehicle ID, model, grade, and body color. Table 1322 stores the residual value rate and residual value in association with the total mileage of the vehicle and the number of years elapsed from the present time. The header 1321 and table 1322 shown in FIG. 7 are created and stored for each vehicle handled by automobile trading system 100. Residual value DB 132 is created when calculating the basic fee and billing unit price, which will be described later.

[0042] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a fee DB. Fee DB 133 stores vehicle usage fees. Fee DB 133 includes a vehicle ID column, a basic fee column, a billing unit price column, and a calculation date column. The vehicle ID column stores the vehicle ID. The basic fee column stores the fixed portion of the fee that does not change for each billing. The billing unit price column stores the unit price that forms the basis for calculating the pay-per-use fee (additional fee) that changes for each billing. The pay-per-use fee is calculated based on the distance traveled. Details will be described later. The calculation date column stores the date on which the fee was calculated. Note that in this specification, the usage fee is described as being paid monthly, but this is not limited to this.

[0043] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a user DB. The user DB 134 stores information about vehicle users. The user DB 134 includes a user ID column, a name column, a gender column, a date of birth column, and an address column. The user ID column stores a user ID that uniquely identifies a user. The name column stores the user's name. The gender column stores the user's gender. The date of birth column stores the user's date of birth. The address column stores the user's address.

[0044] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a contract DB. The contract DB 135 stores information on vehicle usage contracts concluded between owners and users. The contract DB 135 includes a user ID column, a vehicle ID column, a payment start month column, a payment end month column, a rate plan column, a monthly basic fee column, a billing unit price column, and a bonus payment column. The user ID column stores the user ID. The vehicle ID column stores the vehicle ID of the contracted vehicle. The payment start month column stores the year and month when the user starts or began paying the fee. The payment end month column stores the year and month when the user stops or ended paying the fee. The rate plan column stores the name of the rate plan. The monthly basic fee column stores the basic fee per month. The billing unit price column stores the unit price used to calculate the pay-per-use fee. In this specification, the pay-per-use fee is determined according to the mileage. The billing unit price is a pay-per-use fee per unit mileage, for example, per kilometer. The bonus payment column stores the payment month and amount when the usage fee is paid as a bonus.

[0045] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the device DB. The device DB 136 stores information about the communication device 4. The device DB 136 includes a vehicle ID column, a terminal management number column, an IMEI column, and a SIM column. The vehicle ID column stores the vehicle ID of the vehicle to which the communication device 4 is attached. The terminal management number column stores the management number of the communication device 4. The IMEI column stores the International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI). The SIM column stores the terminal serial number of the SIM card 441 included in the communication device 4.

[0046] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a location information DB. The location information DB 137 stores the location of the communication device 4, i.e., the location of the vehicle. The location information DB 137 includes an IMEI column, a SIM column, a trip start column, a trip end column, a time column, a latitude column, and a longitude column. The IMEI column stores the IMEI assigned to the communication device 4. The SIM column stores the terminal serial number of the SIM card 441 included in the communication device 4. A flag is set in the trip start column if the record corresponds to the start of a trip. A flag is set in the trip end column if the record corresponds to the end of a trip. A trip is a series of vehicle operations. The trip start point of a trip is the point at which the engine starts, and the trip end point is the point at which the engine stops. For example, in FIG. 12, a check mark indicates that a flag is set. The time column stores the time at which the location was observed. The latitude column stores the latitude indicating the location. The longitude column stores the longitude indicating the location. The coordinates indicating the location are not limited to the latitude and longitude of the geographic coordinate system, but may be coordinate values ​​of the UTM coordinate system or a plane rectangular coordinate system.

[0047] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a mileage DB. The mileage DB 138 stores the mileage of each trip. The mileage DB 138 includes a vehicle ID column, an IMEI column, a start column, an end column, a trip column, and a mileage column. The vehicle ID column stores the vehicle ID. The IMEI column stores the IMEI assigned to the communication device 4. The start column stores the start date and time of the trip. The end column stores the end date and time of the trip. The trip column stores a sequence number. The mileage column stores the mileage of the trip. In the example of FIG. 13, the unit is meters (m).

[0048] FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a monthly total distance DB. The monthly total distance DB 139 stores the total distance traveled by each vehicle per month. The monthly total distance DB 139 includes a vehicle ID column, an IMEI column, a year / month column, and a total distance column. The vehicle ID column stores the vehicle ID. The IMEI column stores the IMEI assigned to the communication device 4. The year / month column stores the year and month that are the subject of calculation. The total distance column stores the total distance traveled for the subject month. The total distance is calculated by extracting data for the subject month from the travel distance DB 138. The total distance traveled is calculated by extracting the trip data and adding up the distances of the extracted records. For trips that span multiple months, it is determined in advance whether the trip is judged based on the start date and time or the end date and time.

[0049] Figure 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a billing DB. The billing DB 13A stores the amount of usage fees billed to users. The billing DB 13A includes a user ID column, a vehicle ID column, an IMEI column, a usage year and month column, a basic fee column, a metered fee column, and a usage fee column. The user ID column stores the user ID. The vehicle ID column stores the vehicle ID of the vehicle used by the user. The IMEI column stores the IMEI assigned to the communication device 4. The usage year and month column stores the month of vehicle use that is the subject of the bill. The basic fee column stores the amount of the basic fee billed. If a bonus payment is set, the basic fee will be a different amount for a regular month than for a bonus month. The metered fee column stores the amount of the metered fee billed. The usage fee column stores the amount of the usage fee billed (= basic fee + metered fee).

[0050] Next, we will explain how to calculate the basic fee and billing unit price that form the basis of the usage fee. Hereinafter, the amount by which the residual value decreases is referred to as depreciation. In this specification, we will focus on the fact that there are various factors (depreciation factors) that cause the residual value of a vehicle to decrease, but they can be broadly divided into "factors that depreciate according to the amount used" and "factors that depreciate according to the passage of time even if not used." The former is depreciation determined by the total mileage of the vehicle. The latter is depreciation determined by the passage of time from the initial registration, even if the total mileage is zero. Based on these factors, depreciation due to the passage of time, regardless of the total mileage of the vehicle, is mainly recovered as part of the basic fee, and depreciation due to the total mileage is mainly recovered as a metered fee. Below, we will explain using a specific example.

[0051] First, the residual value data that forms the basis of the calculation will be explained. Residual value data (residual value rate and residual value) associated with each vehicle model, each grade, and each body color, as well as the number of years since the initial registration month and the total mileage, is acquired. Hereinafter, this residual value data will be referred to as basic residual value data. The server 1 acquires the residual value data from an information provider, for example, by downloading it, and stores it in the auxiliary memory unit 13, etc. Even if the vehicle model, grade, and body color are the same, the residual value will differ depending on the rating, which is determined by the vehicle's condition, etc. In this embodiment, residual value data for a rating that indicates a condition that is better than average is acquired.

[0052] Next, calculate the number of years that have passed since the first registration of the vehicle model at the time of calculation or the planned start date of use. For example, if you are calculating in April 2023 for a vehicle that was first registered in December 2020, the number of years that have passed is two.

[0053] Next, calculate the expected total number of years that have elapsed by adding the expected period of the usage contract. In other words, calculate the number of years that have elapsed at the end of the usage period. In the example above, if the usage period (predetermined period) is three years from April 2023, the expected total number of years that have elapsed is 2 years + 3 years = 5 years.

[0054] Next, by referring to the basic residual value data, a table is created that associates the expected total elapsed years and total mileage with the residual value rate and residual value. An example is the residual value DB 132 shown in Figure 7. In the above example, the expected total elapsed years is 5 years = 60 months. However, Figure 7 also creates tables for cases where the usage period is 1 year or 5 years, i.e., the expected total elapsed years are 3 years = 36 months and 7 years = 84 months.

[0055] The created residual value DB 132 is referenced to identify the residual value and residual value rate for the total mileage of 0 km in the expected total number of years elapsed. In the example of Figure 7, when the expected total number of years elapsed is 3 years, the residual value is 2,507,000 yen and the residual value rate is 89.3%.

[0056] The residual value or residual value rate for the specified total mileage of 0 km is used to calculate the principal payment, which is the total amount to be collected as the basic fee. For example, the residual value rate is used to calculate using the following formula (1).

[0057] Principal = Vehicle price - (Vehicle price x Residual value) + Maintenance fee + Tax + Miscellaneous expenses ... (1) The vehicle price is the vehicle price at the time of initial registration stored in the price column of the vehicle database. Maintenance fees are the costs for vehicle inspections and regular inspections during the usage period. Taxes include automobile tax (light vehicle tax), environmental performance tax, automobile weight tax, and consumption tax. Miscellaneous expenses include compulsory automobile liability insurance premiums, inspection and registration fees, garage certification fees, and delivery fees.

[0058] The basic fee is calculated from the principal amount using the following formula (2).

[0059] Basic fee = (principal + interest fee) / number of payments … (2) If payments are made monthly during the usage period, the number of payments is equal to the number of months in the usage period. If the usage period is 3 years, the number of payments is 36.

[0060] The calculated basic fee is stored in fee DB 133. Note that the calculation of the basic fee based on the residual value or residual value rate when the total mileage is 0 km is based on the above-mentioned idea that the amount of the decrease in residual value over time, regardless of the total mileage of the vehicle, is recovered as the basic fee. Note that the calculation methods of the basic fee using formulas (1) and (2) are examples and are not limited to these.

[0061] Next, we will explain how to calculate the unit price. First, from the residual value data for each total mileage over the estimated total age of the vehicle, two corresponding residual values ​​are identified based on any two total mileages. The depreciation per unit distance is calculated by dividing the difference between the identified residual values ​​by the difference between the two total mileages.

[0062] Figure 16 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of calculating the unit cost price. The unit cost price is the unit price that forms the basis of the billing unit price. In the example shown in Figure 16, the expected total elapsed time is 3 years = 36 months, and the two combinations of residual values ​​are 0 km and other distances. The depreciation (absolute value) per km of mileage when the total mileage is 18,000 km is calculated as follows. One of the two combinations of residual values ​​does not have to be 0 km; for example, the depreciation per km of mileage can be calculated from the residual value for a total mileage of 18,000 km and the residual value for a total mileage of 24,000 km.

[0063] Cost unit price = (2,507,000 yen - 2,423,000 yen) / (18,000 - 0) = 5 yen (rounded to the nearest decimal place) When the calculation is performed for the other total distances traveled, the value in the kilometer unit row in Figure 16 is obtained. Based on the obtained multiple depreciation values ​​(absolute values), the value to be used in subsequent processing (called the unit cost) is determined. For example, from the multiple depreciation values ​​(absolute values), the maximum, median, or average value is used as the unit cost. If the maximum value is used, the unit cost will be 6 yen.

[0064] Furthermore, the unit price for billing is determined by adding profit, the amount equivalent to various expenses necessary for billing, and consumption tax to the cost unit price. Examples of expenses include administrative fees related to billing, transfer fees paid to financial institutions, and fees paid to collection agencies. For example, if a profit of 10 yen is added, the cost (distance cost) including the profit is 16 yen. Furthermore, if 5% is added to cover various expenses and 10% consumption tax is added, the unit price (billing unit price) to be billed to the user will be 18 yen, as shown below.

[0065] Invoice unit price = 16 yen x (1 + 0.05) x 1.1 = 18 yen (rounded to the nearest decimal point) As described above, the method for determining the basic fee and billing unit price is as described above. Regardless of the total mileage of the vehicle, the depreciation due to the passage of time is calculated as an average rating value, and this is collected as the basic fee. The depreciation due to the total mileage is collected as a pay-as-you-go fee. A fee plan calculated using this method is called a standard plan.

[0066] Next, the information processing performed by the automobile transaction system 100 will be described. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure. The fee calculation processing is initiated by a request from a person (prospective user) who intends to become a customer of the automobile transaction system 100 and a user of a vehicle. For convenience of explanation, the prospective user will be referred to as a user, and the terminal used will be referred to as a user terminal 2.

[0067] The user operates the user terminal 2 to instruct fee calculation. The control unit 21 of the user terminal 2 sends a calculation request to the server 1 (step S1). The control unit 11 of the server 1 receives the calculation request (step S2). The control unit 11 sends an input screen for inputting information about the target vehicle to the user terminal 2 (step S3). The control unit 21 of the user terminal 2 receives the input screen (step S4). The control unit 21 displays the input screen on the display panel 25 (step S5). The user inputs information about the vehicle they used into the input screen. The information to be input is the vehicle model, grade, and color (body color). The control unit 21 accepts the input (step S6). Note that the user may be prompted to enter the vehicle usage period in addition to the vehicle information. The control unit 21 transmits the accepted vehicle model, grade, and color to the server 1 (step S7). The control unit 11 of the server 1 receives the vehicle model, grade, and color (step S8). The control unit 11 determines whether the vehicle is in stock (step S9). In the automobile transaction system 100, it is assumed that vehicles are procured from affiliated dealers. Therefore, the control unit 11 inquires of the affiliated dealer's system to determine whether or not the vehicle is in stock. If the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle is in stock (YES in step S9), it determines the expected total age (step S10). The control unit 11 calculates the number of years that have elapsed since the initial registration date as of the processing date from the vehicle information obtained from the inquiry to the dealer. The control unit 11 adds the usage period to the current number of years that have elapsed, thereby determining the number of years that have elapsed at the expiration of the usage period = the expected total age. If the user specifies a usage period, the specified period is added. If the user does not specify a usage period, the expected total age is determined assuming 3, 5, 7, etc. At this time, multiple expected total ages may be specified, and the following processing may be performed for each expected total age. The control unit 11 creates a residual value / residual value rate table for the expected total age (step S11). The residual value DB 132 shown in FIG. 7 is an example. The control unit 11 calculates the basic fee (step S12). The control unit 11 calculates the billing unit price (step S13). The control unit 11 stores the calculated basic fee and billing unit price in the fee DB 133 (step S14). The control unit 11 creates a fee screen including the basic fee and billing unit price and sends it to the user terminal 2 (step S15).The control unit 21 of the user terminal 2 receives the fee screen and displays it on the display panel 25 (step S16). The control unit 21 ends the process. If the control unit 11 determines that there is no stock (NO in step S9), it creates a screen notifying the user that there is no stock and sends it to the user terminal 2 (step S17). The control unit 21 of the user terminal 2 receives the screen and displays it on the display panel 25 (step S18). The user inputs whether to end the process or to search for another vehicle without ending the process. The control unit 21 accepts the input (step S19). The control unit 21 determines whether to end the process (step S20). If the control unit 21 determines not to end the process (NO in step S20), it returns the process to step S5. If the control unit 21 determines to end the process (YES in step S20), it ends the process.

[0068] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for calculating the basic fee. The control unit 11 of the server 1 refers to the residual value DB 132 and identifies the residual value rate for a total mileage of 0 km over the estimated total number of years elapsed (step S31). The control unit 11 calculates taxes such as automobile tax and consumption tax (step S32). The control unit 11 acquires various expenses and fees such as compulsory automobile liability insurance and garage certificate (step S33). The control unit 11 calculates the basic fee (step S34). The basic fee is calculated, for example, using the above-mentioned formula (1). The control unit 11 returns the process to the caller.

[0069] FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for calculating the unit price for billing. The control unit 11 of the server 1 refers to the residual value DB 132 and selects two total mileages (step S41). The control unit 11 calculates the depreciation per unit kilometer (step S42). The control unit 11 divides the difference between the residual values ​​corresponding to the two selected total mileages by the difference between the total mileages to obtain the depreciation per kilometer. The control unit 11 determines whether there are other combinations of total mileages (step S43). If the control unit 11 determines that there are other combinations of total mileages (YES in step S43), the process returns to step S41. If the control unit 11 determines that there are no other combinations of total mileages (NO in step S43), the control unit 11 determines the unit cost price from all the calculated depreciation values ​​per unit kilometer (step S44). For example, the maximum depreciation value, the average depreciation value, or the median depreciation value is set as the unit cost price. The control unit 11 calculates the billing unit price by adding profit, an amount equivalent to various expenses necessary for billing, consumption tax, etc. to the unit cost price (step S45). The control unit 11 returns the process to the caller.

[0070] The user enters into a vehicle usage contract with the owner based on the basic fee and the unit price calculated by the fee calculation process. After the usage contract is concluded, the vehicle is delivered and the user begins using it.

[0071] Next, the calculation of the usage fee will be explained. The usage fee is calculated for each predetermined period, in this case, each month. To calculate the usage fee, it is necessary to calculate the total mileage for the predetermined period, which is the basis for calculating the pay-per-use fee, in this case, the total monthly mileage. The process for calculating the total monthly mileage will be explained.

[0072] FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the location information acquisition process. The location information acquisition process is a process for acquiring location information from the communication device 4 attached to the vehicle and storing the vehicle's location in the location information DB 137. The communication device 4 detects that the vehicle's engine has started and starts the process. The control unit 41 of the communication device 4 transmits an authentication request to the server 1 (step S61). The control unit 11 of the server 1 receives the authentication request (step S62). The control unit 11 performs authentication (step S63). For example, the control unit 11 performs SMS authentication. The control unit 11 transmits the authentication result to the communication device 4 (step S64). The control unit 41 of the communication device 4 receives the authentication result (step S65). The control unit 41 determines whether the authentication was successful (step S66). If the control unit 41 determines that the authentication failed (NO in step S66), the process ends. If the control unit 41 determines that the authentication is successful (YES in step S66), it transmits the positioning result obtained by the position acquisition unit 45 to the server 1 (step S67). The control unit 11 of the server 1 receives the positioning result (step S68). The control unit 11 stores the vehicle's position information based on the positioning result in the position information DB 137 (step S69). The control unit 11 transmits a response to the communication device 4 indicating that the position information has been stored (step S70). The control unit 41 receives the response (step S71). The control unit 41 determines whether to end the process (step S72). For example, if the control unit 41 detects that the vehicle's engine has stopped, it determines to end the process. If the control unit 41 determines not to end the process (NO in step S72), it returns the process to step S67 and continues the process. If the control unit 41 determines to end the process (YES in step S72), it transmits an end to the server 1 (step S73). The control unit 11 of the server 1 receives the end (step S74). The control unit 11 stores the end (step S75). For example, the control unit 11 sets a Trip end flag in the latest location information. The control unit 11 transmits a response to the communication device 4 (step S76). The control unit 41 of the communication device 4 receives the response (step S77) and ends the process.

[0073] FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the travel distance calculation process. The travel distance calculation process is a process for calculating the vehicle travel distance for each trip based on the location information stored in the location information DB 137. The control unit 11 of the server 1 acquires the location information contained in one trip to be processed (step S91). Based on the location information, the control unit 11 plots the start location, end location, and intermediate locations of the trip on an electronic map (step S92). In doing so, the control unit 11 checks the overlap between each point and road line data, and corrects it so that all points are on roads (performs map matching). The control unit 11 generates a route from the start location to the end location using the plotted locations and the road line data or road network data ( Step S93). The control unit 11 calculates the mileage from the route and road network data (Step S94). The control unit 11 stores the mileage in the mileage DB 138 (Step S95). The control unit 11 determines whether to end (Step S96). The control unit 11 determines to end if there is no trip for which the mileage has not been calculated, and otherwise determines not to end. If the control unit 11 determines not to end (NO in Step S96), the process returns to Step S91 and continues. If the control unit 11 determines to end (YES in Step S96), the process ends. Note that it is desirable that the mileage calculation process calculates the mileage for a trip each time the end of that trip is detected in the location information acquisition process. In this case, Step S96 is unnecessary.

[0074] FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the monthly total mileage calculation process. The monthly total mileage calculation process is a process for calculating the total mileage for each vehicle per month. The monthly total mileage calculation process is executed by monthly batch processing or the like. The control unit 11 of the server 1 acquires the period to be calculated (step S111). For example, the period is from the 1st to the last day of the previous month. It is not limited to this, and may be from the 21st of the previous month to the 20th of the current month, for example. The control unit 11 acquires mileage data for each trip within the target period from the mileage DB 138 (step S112). As mentioned above, if the start and end of a trip span multiple months, it is determined in advance whether to judge based on the start date and time or the end date and time. The control unit 11 selects the vehicle ID to be calculated (step S113). The control unit 11 adds up the mileages of each trip for the selected vehicle ID to calculate the total monthly mileage (step S114). The control unit 11 stores the calculated total monthly mileage in the monthly total mileage DB 139 (step S115). The control unit 11 determines whether there is an unprocessed vehicle ID (step S116). If the control unit 11 determines that there is an unprocessed vehicle ID (YES in step S116), the control unit 11 returns the process to step S113 and performs processing on the unprocessed vehicle ID. If the control unit 11 determines that there is no unprocessed vehicle ID (NO in step S116), the control unit 11 ends the process.

[0075] FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the usage fee calculation process. The usage fee calculation process is a process for calculating the monthly usage fee to be billed to each subscriber. The usage fee calculation process is executed by monthly batch processing, etc. Note that it is assumed that the calculation of the total monthly mileage has been completed before the usage fee calculation process is executed. The control unit 11 of the server 1 extracts information about the user to be calculated from the user DB 134 (step S131). The control unit 11 selects the user to be processed (step S132). The control unit 11 obtains the total monthly mileage of the selected user from the total monthly mileage DB 139 (step S133). The control unit 11 obtains the user's billing unit price from the contract DB 135 and multiplies it by the total monthly mileage to calculate the usage fee (step S134). The control unit 11 calculates the usage fee by adding the calculated usage fee to the monthly basic fee obtained from the contract DB 135 (step S135). The control unit 11 stores the basic fee, metered fee, and usage fee in the billing DB 13A (step S136). Based on the billing information stored in the billing DB 13A, a separate billing process is performed on the user. The control unit 11 determines whether there are any unprocessed users (step S137). If the control unit 11 determines that there are any unprocessed users (YES in step S137), it returns the process to step S132. If the control unit 11 determines that there are no unprocessed users (NO in step S137), it ends the process. After calculating the usage fee, the calculated usage fee may be notified to the user. For example, the notification may be made by email, push notification, etc.

[0076] FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a usage fee display screen. The usage fee display screen d01 is a screen that displays monthly usage fees. The usage fee display screen d01 includes a usage fee d011, payment information d012, a basic fee d013, and a metered fee d014. The usage fee d011 indicates the usage fee to be charged. The payment information d112 indicates the payment date, such as the payment method and deduction date. The basic fee d013 indicates the monthly basic fee. The metered fee d014 indicates a metered fee based on the total monthly mileage.

[0077] In this embodiment, the usage fee is a charge based on the vehicle's mileage. Therefore, the usage fee is a reasonable value whether the user has a long or short mileage. If the owner is a leasing company or the like and the operator of the automobile trading system 100 is responsible for collecting the usage fee, the operator may hold the monthly usage fee until the expiration of the usage period, and after the expiration of the usage period, the operator may pay the total amount (accumulated value) of the usage fee to the owner. In this case, it is desirable to calculate the accumulated value of the usage fee for each contract every month and store it in the contract DB 135. This is because it is possible to check how much additional fee has been collected during the usage period. Furthermore, if the accumulated value is stored, it becomes possible to quickly process the payment to the owner after the expiration of the usage period.

[0078] (Embodiment 2) This embodiment relates to a configuration in which, if the total monthly mileage is within a specified value, no metered fee is charged, and if it exceeds the specified value, a metered fee according to the distance exceeded is charged. For example, if the total monthly mileage is within 500 km, no metered fee is charged, and only the basic fee is charged. This pricing plan is called a plan with no metered fee up to 500 km per month. The reason for limiting the metered fee to 500 km per month is that a survey of car owners found that the average monthly mileage is 500 km. Therefore, although a metered fee of up to 500 km per month is considered to have some validity, this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, metered fees may be charged up to 300 km per month, or 700 km per month. Such pricing plans that do not charge a metered fee when the total monthly mileage is within a specified value are collectively called flat-rate plans.

[0079] The calculation of the basic fee and billing unit price for the plan with no charge for up to 500 km per month is based on the assumption that the user will drive the vehicle at least 500 km per month during the usage period. In other words, if the usage period is 36 months, the basic fee is calculated assuming a total mileage of 18,000 km. Furthermore, since the total mileage is assumed to be longer than in the standard plan, the vehicle rating obtained as residual value data indicates an average condition, whereas the standard plan indicates a better-than-average condition. This embodiment differs from embodiment 1 in the method of calculating the basic fee, and this point will be mainly explained below.

[0080] Figure 25 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the residual value DB. The structure of the residual value DB 132 shown in Figure 25 is the same as that of the residual value DB 132 shown in Figure 7, so a detailed explanation will be omitted. As mentioned above, compared to the standard plan, the plan with no charge up to 500 km per month uses residual value data with a lower rating, so the values ​​shown in Figure 25 for both the residual value rate and the residual value are smaller than those shown in Figure 7.

[0081] The basic fee is calculated as follows. If the expected number of years since the date of purchase is 3 years = 36 months, the residual value DB 132 is referenced to identify the residual value rate for a total mileage of 18,000 km in the expected total number of years since purchase. In the example of FIG. 25, it is 83.0%. Using this residual value rate, the basic fee is calculated using formula (1) shown in the first embodiment. The difference is that the first embodiment used a residual value rate for a total mileage of 0 km, whereas the present embodiment uses a residual value rate for a total mileage of 18,000 km.

[0082] FIG. 26 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of calculating the unit cost price. The calculation method is the same as in the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. 16. As in FIG. 16, the expected total elapsed years is 3 years = 36 months, and the combination of two residual values ​​is 0 km and other distances. This is not limited to this, and a combination where one is not 0 km, for example, a residual value for a total mileage of 18,000 km and a residual value for a total mileage of 24,000 km, is also acceptable. The depreciation (absolute value) per km of mileage when the total mileage is 18,000 km is calculated as follows:

[0083] Cost unit price = (2,416,000 yen - 2,331,000 yen) / (18,000 - 0) = 5 yen (rounded to the nearest decimal place) If the maximum value is used as the unit cost, the unit cost will be 6 yen. Furthermore, the unit cost is added with profit, the amount equivalent to the various expenses required for billing, and consumption tax to determine the unit price for billing. The concept of calculating the unit price for billing from the unit cost is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0084] The processing performed in this embodiment is similar to the content shown in the flowcharts of Figures 17 to 23. However, the residual value rate specified in step S31 of the basic fee calculation processing (Figure 18) is a value corresponding to a total mileage of 18,000 km.

[0085] The free-of-charge plan for up to 500 km per month proposed in this embodiment has a higher fixed monthly basic fee than the standard plan, but since no additional fees (pay-as-you-go charges) are incurred for total monthly mileage up to 500 km, this is a more reasonable pricing plan than the standard plan for users who expect their vehicle mileage to be around 500 km per month.

[0086] (Embodiment 3) This embodiment is a fee plan that reduces the fixed basic fee more than the standard plan. It is called the economy plan because it focuses on the reduction of the basic fee. The economy plan is a plan that assumes a lower total monthly mileage than the standard plan. Therefore, the vehicle rating obtained as residual value data is a rating that indicates the vehicle condition is better than average in the standard plan, whereas in this embodiment, the vehicle rating is an even better rating than in the standard plan. This embodiment differs from embodiment 1 in the residual value data that is the basis for calculating the basic fee and metered fee.

[0087] Figure 27 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the residual value DB. The structure of the residual value DB 132 shown in Figure 27 is the same as that of the residual value DB 132 shown in Figure 7, so the explanation will be omitted. As mentioned above, compared to the standard plan, the economy plan uses residual value data with a higher rating, so the values ​​shown in Figure 27 for both the residual value rate and the residual value are larger than the values ​​shown in Figure 7.

[0088] The calculation method of the basic fee and the metered fee is the same as that in the first embodiment (standard plan), and therefore the explanation will be omitted. Also, the processing performed in this embodiment is the same as that shown in the flowcharts of Figures 17 to 23.

[0089] The economy plan proposed in this embodiment has a fixed monthly basic fee that is cheaper than the standard plan, so it is a plan suitable for users whose main purpose is to own and admire the vehicle, or simply enjoy driving it, rather than using the vehicle as a practical means of transportation, and who drive a short distance but get pleasure from owning it.

[0090] (Fourth embodiment) This embodiment relates to a form in which the billing rates for the Standard Plan and Economy Plan are adjusted in comparison with the plan with no charge for up to 500 km per month. As mentioned above, residual value data is used to calculate the basic fee and metered fee for each plan. To reiterate, residual value differs depending on the rating, which indicates the vehicle's condition. Since depreciation is considered to be positively correlated with the total mileage assumed for each plan, the basic fee and metered fee are calculated using residual value data for a vehicle with an average rating for the Plan with no charge for up to 500 km per month, residual value data for a vehicle with a slightly higher rating than the average for the Standard Plan, and residual value data for a vehicle with an even higher rating for the Economy Plan. However, regardless of the rating of a vehicle, if it is used for a total monthly mileage of 500 km, which is considered average, it is expected that the residual value evaluated after several years will be an average value. In other words, contrary to expectations, if a user who has signed up for the Standard Plan or Economy Plan uses a vehicle with a low mileage, the vehicle may not be used for a long time. If the total monthly mileage during the usage period remains around 500 km, the residual value at the end of the usage period may be lower than the residual value assumed at the time of the contract. Also, the pay-per-use fee is a fee to recover the depreciation according to the mileage, but since it is calculated under the assumption that the vehicle rating will not change, it is unlikely that it will be able to compensate for the unpaid amount of the basic fee. Therefore, the billing unit price for the Standard Plan and Economy Plan will be adjusted using the billing unit price for the plan with no charge up to 500 km per month.

[0091] Figure 28 is an explanatory diagram showing how to correct distance costs. Similar to the examples so far, Figure 28 shows an example in which the usage period is 36 months. The Plan column shows the name of the plan. The Expected Total Mileage column shows the total vehicle mileage during the usage period assumed when calculating the fee. For the plan with no charge for up to 500 km per month, this is 18,000 km. For the Standard Plan and Economy Plan, no expected total mileage is set. The Initial Residual Value Rate column shows the residual value rate at the end of the usage period when the total mileage, which is the basis for the basic fee, is 0 km. Similarly, the Initial Residual Value column shows the residual value at the end of the usage period when the total mileage is 0 km. The Base Cost column shows the cost unit price calculated for each plan in the billing unit price processing. The Expiration Residual Value column shows the residual value at the end of the usage period when the total mileage during the usage period is 18,000 km for each plan. The upper column shows the difference from the flat-rate plan, indicating the difference between the residual value at the end of the standard or economy plan and the residual value at the end of the plan with no charge for up to 500 km per month (reference residual value data). The column shows the residual value rate at the end of the usage period for each plan when the total mileage during the usage period is 18,000 km. The lower column shows the difference from the flat-rate plan, indicating the difference between the residual value rate at the end of the standard or economy plan and the residual value rate at the end of the plan with no charge for up to 500 km per month. The adjusted cost column indicates the value in the upper column of the difference from the flat-rate plan divided by 18,000. The distance cost column indicates the cost unit price, which is the sum of the value in the distance cost column and the value in the adjusted cost column. The billing unit price (excluding tax) column indicates the billing unit price, which is the cost unit price plus profits, etc. The billing unit price (including tax) column indicates the billing unit price including consumption tax.

[0092] As described above, in the case of the Standard Plan and Economy Plan, if the total distance traveled during the usage period reaches 18,000 km, which is the assumed total distance traveled for the plan with no charge for up to 500 km per month, even if the residual value at the end of the usage period falls to the same value as the residual value for the plan with no charge for up to 500 km per month, it is possible to recover the reduced residual value by treating the difference in residual value as the adjusted cost per km and adding it to the cost unit price.

[0093] As described above, after the cost unit price is corrected, the billing unit price is calculated. The procedure for correcting the cost unit price will be explained again using a flowchart. Figure 29 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the cost correction process. The cost correction process is executed in place of step S45 in the billing unit price calculation process shown in Figure 19. That is, following step S44, the cost correction process is executed, and step S45 is not executed and the process returns.

[0094] The control unit 11 of the server 1 determines whether the plan being calculated is a flat-rate plan (step S151). In this case, the flat-rate plan is a plan with no charge for up to 500 km per month. The designation of the rate plan to be calculated is accepted in step S6 of the rate calculation process shown in FIG. 17. If the control unit 11 determines that the plan is not a flat-rate plan (NO in step S151), it acquires the residual value at the end of the usage period of the flat-rate plan and the residual value at the end of the usage period for the target plan when the total mileage during the usage period is 18,000 km (step S152). The control unit 11 calculates the difference between the two acquired residual values ​​(step S153). The control unit 11 divides the difference in residual values ​​by the expected total mileage (here, 18,000 km) to calculate the adjusted cost (step S154). The control unit 11 calculates the distance cost (step S155). The distance cost is obtained by adding the adjusted cost to the cost unit price (standard cost) calculated in step S44 of FIG. 19. The control unit 11 calculates the billing unit price from the distance cost (step S156). When the control unit 11 determines that the plan is a fixed-price plan (step S151), If the answer is YES, step S156 is executed, and the control unit 11 ends the process.

[0095] In this embodiment, if a user who has signed up for the standard plan or economy plan unexpectedly travels a vehicle with a total monthly mileage of around 500 km during the usage period, and the residual value at the end of the usage period falls below the residual value assumed at the time of signing the contract and becomes the same level as the residual value of the plan with no charge up to 500 km per month, it is possible to recover the amount by which the residual value falls short by charging a pay-as-you-go fee at a unit price that takes into account the adjusted cost.

[0096] If the actual price when the vehicle is sold after the expiration of the usage period is lower than the expected residual value assumed at the time of the contract, an open-end method may be adopted, and the difference between the selling price and the expected residual value may be collected from the user. Alternatively, a closed-end method may be adopted, and no additional collection may be made from the user. Whether to use the open-end method or the closed-end method is determined in advance. Alternatively, the user and the owner may decide which method to use through discussion at the time of the contract.

[0097] (Embodiment 5) When calculating the basic fee and billing unit price, the key point is how to determine the estimated total mileage during the usage period. In this embodiment, a learning model is used to set the estimated total mileage for each user.

[0098] FIG. 30 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a training DB. The training DB 13B stores training data for learning a learning model, which will be described later. The training DB 13B includes a vehicle type column, a vehicle type class column, a color column, a grade column, an age column, a gender column, an occupation column, a usage period column, and a total mileage column. The vehicle type column to the grade column store data related to vehicles for which usage contracts have been made in the past. The vehicle type column stores the name of the vehicle. The vehicle type class column stores the vehicle class. Examples of classes include compact car class, standard class, luxury (high-end car) class, eco-friendly class, SUV class, and commercial vehicle class. The color column stores the body color of the vehicle. The grade column stores the vehicle grade. The age column to the occupation column store usage information. The age column stores the user's age. It may be a generation such as in their 40s. The gender column stores the user's gender. The occupation column stores the user's occupation. The usage period column stores the period during which the vehicle was used. The total mileage column stores the actual total mileage of the vehicle during the usage period. The training DB 13B is generated by referring to the user DB 134, contract DB 135, monthly total mileage DB 139, etc.

[0099] FIG. 31 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of an estimation model. The estimation model M is a learning model that outputs an estimated value of the total mileage of the vehicle during the usage period when vehicle information, user information, and usage period are input. The estimation model M is a neural network generated by deep learning, and is configured, for example, by a CNN (Convolutional Neural Network). In the learning process, the estimation model M learns using training data stored in the training DB 13B. In the example shown in FIG. 31, the vehicle information is the vehicle type, vehicle class, color, and grade. Furthermore, the user information is age, gender, and occupation.

[0100] FIG. 32 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for model generation processing. The control unit 11 of the server 1 acquires training data from the training DB 13B (step S171). The control unit 11 selects one record from the training data (step S172). The control unit 11 performs learning using the one record of the selected training data (step S173). For example, the control unit 11 inputs the vehicle information, user information, and usage period contained in the training data into the estimation model M, and optimizes parameters such as the weights between neurons constituting the estimation model M so that the estimated value of the total mileage output from the estimation model M approaches the value of the total mileage contained in the training data. The control unit 11 determines whether there are any unprocessed records that have not been used for learning (step If the control unit 11 determines that there is an unprocessed record (YES in step S174), the control unit 11 returns the process to step S172 and continues the process. If the control unit 11 determines that there is no unprocessed training data (NO in step S174), the control unit 11 stores the estimation model M obtained by learning (step S175) and ends the process.

[0101] FIG. 33 is a flowchart showing another example of the procedure for fee calculation processing. The user operates the user terminal 2 to instruct fee calculation. The control unit 21 of the user terminal 2 sends a calculation request to the server 1 (step S181). The control unit 11 of the server 1 receives the calculation request (step S182). The control unit 11 sends an input screen for inputting vehicle information, usage period, etc. to the user terminal 2 (step S183). The control unit 21 of the user terminal 2 receives the input screen (step S184). The control unit 21 displays the input screen on the display panel 25 (step S185). The user inputs information about the vehicle used on the input screen. The information to be input is the vehicle model, grade, color (body color), and usage period. The user may also be able to input a desired fee plan. Note that with regard to flat-rate plans, the total monthly mileage for which no pay-per-use fee is charged is determined by the total mileage during the usage period, so the input screen does not display an upper limit for the total monthly mileage for which the flat rate applies. The control unit 21 accepts the input (step S186). The control unit 21 transmits the accepted vehicle model, grade, color, and usage period to the server 1 (step S187). The control unit 11 of the server 1 receives the vehicle model, grade, color, and usage period (step S188). The control unit 11 determines whether the vehicle is in stock (step S189). Since the automobile trading system 100 is premised on vehicles being procured from affiliated dealers, the control unit 11 inquires of the affiliated dealer's system to determine whether the vehicle is in stock. If the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle is in stock (YES in step S189), it determines the expected total elapsed years (step S190). The control unit 11 calculates the number of years elapsed from the initial registration date to the processing date based on the vehicle information obtained from the inquiry to the dealer. The control unit 11 adds the usage period specified by the user to the current number of years elapsed to determine the number of years elapsed at the expiration of the usage period = the expected total elapsed years. The control unit 11 estimates the total mileage (step S191). That is, the control unit 11 inputs user information, vehicle information, and usage period into the estimation model M, and acquires an estimated value of the total mileage from the estimation model M. The control unit 11 creates a residual value / residual value rate table for the expected total elapsed years, taking into account the estimated total mileage (step S192). The control unit 11 adjusts the vehicle rating when acquiring residual value data, depending on the estimated total mileage.The control unit 11 calculates the basic fee (step S193). The control unit 11 calculates the billing unit price (step S194). In calculating the flat-rate plan, the basic fee and billing unit price are calculated using the estimated total mileage as the assumed total mileage. The control unit 11 stores the calculated basic fee and billing unit price in the fee DB 133 (step S195). The control unit 11 creates a fee screen including the basic fee and billing unit price and sends it to the user terminal 2 (step S196). The flat-rate plan fee screen includes the upper limit distance for which the monthly fee is a flat rate, calculated by dividing the estimated total mileage by the number of months in the usage period. For example, if the estimated total mileage is 14,400 km and the usage period is 36 months, the upper limit distance per month is 400 km. The control unit 21 of the user terminal 2 receives the fee screen and displays it on the display panel 25 (step S197). The control unit 21 ends the processing. If the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle is out of stock (NO in step S189), it creates a screen notifying the user that the vehicle is out of stock and sends it to the user terminal 2 (step S198). The control unit 21 of the user terminal 2 receives the screen and displays it on the display panel 25 (step S199). The user inputs whether to end the process or to search for another vehicle without ending the process. The control unit 21 accepts the input (step S200). The control unit 21 determines whether to end the process (step S201). If the control unit 21 determines not to end the process (NO in step S201), it returns the process to step S185. If the control unit 21 determines to end the process (YES in step S201), it ends the process.

[0102] In this embodiment, the estimation model M is used to estimate the total mileage during the usage period, so that the residual value and residual value rate at the end of the usage period can be estimated with high accuracy.

[0103] (Interpolation of residual value data) As mentioned above, residual value data is assumed to be obtained from information providers. Therefore, the residual value data obtained is discrete, and it is possible that the residual value data required for fee calculations may not be available. In such cases, the required data can be interpolated from the available data. For example, if residual value data for 3 years (36 months) and 4 years (48 months) are available and residual value data for 3.5 years (42 months) is required, divide the difference between the 4-year residual value data and the 3-year residual value data by 12 to find the monthly depreciation, multiply this depreciation by 6, and subtract the result from the 3-year residual value to obtain the residual value for 3.5 years.

[0104] Interpolation for distance is done in the same way as for distance cost. If residual value data for 18,000km and 24,000km are available and residual value data for 20,000km is needed, divide the difference in residual value data by the difference in distance (6,000km) to find the depreciation per km. Multiply the calculated depreciation by 2,000 and subtract the result from the residual value data for 18,000km to obtain the residual value data for 20,000km.

[0105] Interpolation for body color is difficult, but the following process can be used. For example, if residual value data is available for solid white but not for pearl white, the residual value data for solid white can be used instead, since they are both white-based colors. Alternatively, if it is known that pearl white is slightly less popular than solid white, the residual value data for solid white can be multiplied by a uniform factor of 0.9 to use this value as the residual value data for pearl white.

[0106] In addition, it has been determined that the most popular body colors are 6th: red, 7th: brown / beige, and 8th: green. Residual value data for red and green has been obtained, but if the required residual value data for brown / beige is not available, the intermediate value between the red data and the green data will be used as the residual value data for brown / beige.

[0107] The interpolation method described above is linear interpolation, but if another interpolation method is suitable, it may be adopted.

[0108] The technical features (constituent elements) described in each embodiment can be combined with each other, and by combining them, new technical features can be formed.

[0109] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above meaning, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0110] In addition, the claims are written in a format in which a claim cites two or more other claims (multiple claim format), but this is not limited to this. A multiple claim format in which at least one of multiple claims is cited (multi-multi claim format) may also be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 100: Automobile trading system 1: Server 1P: Control program 11: Control section 12: Main memory 13: Auxiliary storage section 131: Vehicle DB 132: Residual value DB 1321: Header 1322: Table 133: Fee DB 134: User DB 135: Contract DB 136: Device DB 137: Location information DB 138: Mileage DB 139: Monthly total distance DB 13A: Billing DB 13B: Training DB 14: Communications Department 15: Reading unit 16: Display panel 1a: Portable storage medium 1b: Semiconductor memory 2: User terminal 21: Control unit 22: Main memory 23: Auxiliary storage section 24: Communications Department 25: Display panel 26:Operation section 27: Imaging unit 2P: Control program 3: Owner's device 3P: Control program 4: Communication devices 41: Control unit 42: Main memory 43: Auxiliary storage section 44: Communications Department 45: Position acquisition part 46: Imaging unit 4P: Control program B: Bus N: Network

Claims

1. Obtain residual value data based on the vehicle's usage period and total mileage; Calculating a basic fee for the vehicle within a predetermined period and an additional fee based on the distance traveled within the predetermined period based on the residual value data; Output the billing amount calculated from the basic fee and the additional fee An information processing method in which processing is performed by a computer.

2. The additional fee is calculated based on a distance unit price calculated based on the residual value data and a mileage within a predetermined period. The information processing method according to claim 1 .

3. The distance unit price is determined by selecting two residual values ​​with different mileages from residual value data for each mileage over the number of years since the initial registration of the vehicle, and determining the difference between the two selected residual values. The information processing method according to claim 2 .

4. If the residual value data corresponding to a predetermined mileage in the number of years elapsed since the initial registration of the vehicle is less than the reference residual value data associated with the number of years elapsed and the mileage, an adjusted cost is calculated based on the amount corresponding to the shortfall and the mileage; The distance unit price is corrected based on the calculated adjusted cost. The information processing method according to claim 3 .

5. Generate multiple sets of two residual value combinations, The cost per distance is calculated for each of the generated pairs, and the highest value, median value, or average value is adopted as the cost per distance. The information processing method according to claim 3 .

6. The additional fee is calculated based on the adopted distance unit price plus a predetermined value. The information processing method according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

7. Each time the additional fee is calculated, an integrated value of the calculated additional fee is calculated; storing the calculated integrated value; After the predetermined period has elapsed, the stored integrated value is output. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. The basic fee is calculated based on the number of years that have passed since the vehicle was first registered at the time of expiration of the usage period. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

9. The basic fee is calculated based on the difference between the vehicle price when the vehicle was new or the current residual value and the residual value after a predetermined period of time has elapsed and the mileage is set to 0. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

10. The basic fee and the cost per distance are calculated by referring to a table that associates the vehicle type, grade, and body color with the number of years since initial registration and residual value data for each total mileage. The information processing method according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

11. Obtain residual value data based on the vehicle's usage period and total mileage; Calculating a basic fee for the vehicle within a predetermined period and an additional fee based on the mileage during the predetermined period based on the residual value data; Output the billing amount calculated from the basic fee and the additional fee An information processing program that causes a computer to execute a process.

12. an acquisition unit that acquires residual value data based on the vehicle usage period and total mileage; a calculation unit that calculates a basic fee for the vehicle within a predetermined period and an additional fee based on a mileage within the predetermined period based on the residual value data; an output unit that outputs a billed amount calculated from the basic fee and the additional fee; An information processing device comprising:

13. receiving a basic fee calculated using residual value data based on the vehicle usage period and total mileage, an additional fee calculated using the residual value data based on the mileage within a predetermined period, and a billing amount calculated based on the basic fee and the additional fee; Displaying the received basic fee, additional fee, and billing amount A display program that causes a computer to execute processing.

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