Information processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide an information processor for specifying a user on the basis of reservation information of vehicle use, and for executing the setting of a vehicle and an on-vehicle device to the specified user.SOLUTION: The server 1 is an information processing device including a storage unit that stores setting information of the vehicle M and the in-vehicle device MD for each user and a control unit, the control unit receives a vehicle use reservation including a reservation time of a target vehicle from a target user, acquires setting information of the target user as target user setting information from setting information stored in the storage unit, before the reservation time, the target in-vehicle device of the target vehicle is remotely activated, and the target user setting information is transmitted to the activated in-vehicle device, thereby causing the target in-vehicle device to execute presetting using the target user setting information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 proposes a technology for performing personal authentication based on communication with a terminal carried by a user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-085150 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] One object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology for identifying a user based on reservation information for vehicle use and for configuring a vehicle and an in-vehicle device for the identified user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An information processing device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a storage unit that stores setting information for a vehicle and an in-vehicle device for each user, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to: accept a vehicle use reservation from a target user, including a reservation time for a target vehicle; acquire setting information for the target user from the setting information stored in the storage unit as target user setting information; remotely start a target in-vehicle device of the target vehicle before the reservation time; and transmit the target user setting information to the started in-vehicle device to cause the target in-vehicle device to perform pre-setting using the target user setting information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to authenticate a user based on reservation information for vehicle use, and to configure the vehicle and in-vehicle device for the authenticated user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example of a situation to which the present disclosure is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of various types of information stored in the storage unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows an example of a processing procedure of the information processing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] [1 Application example] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example of a scenario in which the present disclosure is applied. The server 1 according to this embodiment is an example of an information processing device including a control unit 11 and a storage unit 12. The storage unit 12 stores setting information 91 for a vehicle M and an in-vehicle device MD for each user U. When a vehicle use reservation including a reservation time for the vehicle M is received from the user U, the control unit 11 acquires target user setting information for the target vehicle and the target in-vehicle device of the target user from the storage unit 12. When the time when the target user is scheduled to board approaches, the control unit 11 is configured to remotely activate the target in-vehicle device of the target vehicle and transmit the acquired target user setting information for the target user to the target in-vehicle device, thereby performing pre-settings. The specific user U who transmitted the vehicle use reservation is referred to as the "target user," the user terminal UD owned by the target user as the "target user terminal," the vehicle M owned by the target user as the "target vehicle," and the in-vehicle device MD installed in the target vehicle as the "target in-vehicle device."

[0009] As another form of the server 1 (information processing device) according to the above embodiment, one aspect of the present disclosure may be an information processing method that realizes all or part of the above components, a program, or a storage medium that stores such a program and is readable by a machine such as a computer. A storage medium that is readable by a machine such as a computer is a medium that stores information such as a program by electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action.

[0010] In this embodiment, before the target user uses the target vehicle owned by the target user himself, automatic login and setting of the target vehicle and the target in-vehicle device are executed.

[0011] 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of various types of information stored in the storage unit 12. As illustrated, the storage unit 12 may include identification information (ID) of the user U and identification information (ID) of the vehicle M. The storage unit 12 may further include identification information (ID) of the in-vehicle device MD, the address of the in-vehicle device MD, and setting information 91 of the user U, which are associated with the identification information. In addition, since one user U may own multiple vehicles M, multiple vehicle IDs may exist for one user ID.

[0012] (Setting information) The contents of the setting information 91 of the vehicle M and the in-vehicle device MD for each user U stored in the storage unit 12 are not particularly limited and may be determined appropriately depending on the embodiment. The setting information of the ECUs for the vehicle and multimedia systems may be included.

[0013] The items included in the setting information of the body ECU are not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. For example, the items may include settings for the driving position, air conditioning, etc.

[0014] The items included in the setting information of the multimedia ECU are not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. For example, the items may include settings such as favorite locations on a car navigation system, display settings, and the volume of the assist voice.

[0015] The items included in the setting information of the body system and multimedia system ECUs are not limited to these examples, and may include any setting related to the vehicle M and the in-vehicle device MD.

[0016] The format of the information stored for each setting item in the setting information 91 is not particularly limited as long as the format allows the in-vehicle device MD to interpret the settings, and may be determined appropriately depending on the embodiment.

[0017] The method of storing the setting information 91 in the storage unit 12 is not particularly limited and may be selected appropriately depending on the embodiment. As an example, the target user setting information may be transmitted from the target in-vehicle device to the server 1 when the target user finishes using the target vehicle, and the control unit 11 may update the information in the storage unit 12.

[0018] (Vehicle reservation) A vehicle use reservation is a reservation sent from a user U and includes the user U's identification information, the specification of the vehicle to be used, and the reservation time. The contents included in a vehicle use reservation are not particularly limited and may be determined appropriately depending on the embodiment. Furthermore, a vehicle use reservation may include a reservation that is automatically set according to the user U's usage habits.

[0019] In order to accept vehicle reservations from the user terminal UD, the server 1 may be configured to be able to execute a web service for interacting with the user terminal UD. A service that interacts with dedicated application software (hereinafter referred to as an app) installed on the target user terminal using a predetermined protocol may be executed on the server 1. In these cases, information required for the web service or app is stored in a predetermined storage area. The predetermined storage area may be the storage unit 12 of the server 1 or an external storage area (database) connected via the communication interface 13.

[0020] User authentication is performed by logging in to the web service or app using the user U's identification information. The web service or app may be configured so that the user U can make vehicle reservations by specifying the date and time of use, as well as make vehicle reservations according to the user U's usage habits and change user setting information.

[0021] The server 1 receives a vehicle use reservation including the reservation time of the target vehicle, and acquires the identification information of the target user, the identification information of the target in-vehicle device associated with the target vehicle, the address of the target in-vehicle device, and the target user setting information by referring to the storage unit 12. When the reservation time approaches, the server 1 remotely activates the target in-vehicle device installed in the target vehicle and transmits the acquired target user setting information to the target in-vehicle device. The method of determining whether the reservation time is approaching is not particularly limited and may be determined appropriately depending on the embodiment. In one example, the reservation time may be determined to be approaching when a predetermined time has passed from the reservation time. The predetermined time may be set to a constant value such as 1 to 5 minutes.

[0022] (Remote activation of in-vehicle devices) The method by which the server 1 remotely activates the in-vehicle device MD is not particularly limited and may be determined appropriately depending on the embodiment. A known method may be adopted as the method for remotely activating the in-vehicle device MD. Furthermore, the method for transmitting user setting information to the activated target in-vehicle device is also not particularly limited and may be determined appropriately depending on the embodiment. For example, the information may be transmitted from the server 1 via cellular communication to the address of the target in-vehicle device acquired from the storage unit 12.

[0023] The target in-vehicle device that has received the target user setting information executes login and pre-setting as the target user based on the received information. The execution of pre-setting may be a command issued from the target in-vehicle device to each unit in the target vehicle to set the unit in accordance with the target user setting information.

[0024] In this way, since the target user's login and configuration to the target vehicle and the target in-vehicle device that he or she plans to use are completed before the target user gets in the vehicle, it is possible to reduce the effort required for the target user to perform configuration operations. Furthermore, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the target user can log in without authentication using the target user's registered terminal that can be recognized by the target in-vehicle device. Therefore, it is possible to achieve the advantageous effect of avoiding a situation in which the target user cannot log in for reasons such as not having an authentication terminal, or having an authentication terminal that cannot be detected even if the target user has one.

[0025] When a ride in the target vehicle is detected, a login notification may be sent to the target user from the target in-vehicle device or from the server 1 that has received ride detection information from the target in-vehicle device. The login notification may be sent directly to the target user's target user terminal, or may be made available for confirmation on a web service or app. The target user who has confirmed the login notification may be configured to be able to log out of the target in-vehicle device if the logged-in user is not the target user. This makes it possible to ensure the privacy of the target user.

[0026] In addition, if the user is not detected as a target user within a predetermined time after automatic login to the target vehicle-mounted device, automatic logout from the target vehicle-mounted device may be executed. The predetermined time for executing automatic logout may be determined appropriately depending on the embodiment. stomach.

[0027] [2 Configuration Examples] As shown in Fig. 1, the server 1 according to this embodiment is a computer in which a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication interface 13 are electrically connected. The control unit 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc., and is configured to execute any information processing. The storage unit 12 stores, for example, The storage unit 12 may be configured with a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, or the like. In this embodiment, the storage unit 12 stores a program 81 and setting information 91. The program 81 is a program for causing the server 1 to execute the information processing according to this embodiment. The program 81 includes a series of instructions for the information processing. The setting information 91 may be stored in an external storage device connected via a network. The communication interface 13 is configured to perform wired or wireless data communication via the network. The communication interface 13 may be configured with, for example, a wired LAN (Local Area Network) module, a wireless LAN module, or the like. In this embodiment, the server 1 may use the communication interface 13 to perform data communication via the network with another computer (for example, a target in-vehicle device, a target user terminal, or the like).

[0028] Note that, with regard to the specific hardware configuration of the server 1, components can be omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate depending on the embodiment. For example, the control unit 11 may include multiple hardware processors. The hardware processors may be configured with a microprocessor, an FPGA (field-programmable gate array), a DSP (digital signal processor), a GPU (graphics processing unit), an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), etc.

[0029] Furthermore, a server may be provided for each function executed by the server 1 (acquisition of vehicle use reservations, acquisition of setting information 91, remote activation of in-vehicle device MD, etc.). For example, in addition to a main server that acquires vehicle use reservations, a profile server that acquires setting information 91 and a PUSH server that remotely activates the in-vehicle device MD and transmits setting information 91 may be provided. In this case, these server groups may appropriately link data to provide services to target users, target vehicles, and target in-vehicle devices.

[0030] [3 Example of operation] 2 shows an example of a processing procedure of the server 1 according to this embodiment. The following processing procedure is an example of an information processing method executed by a computer.

[0031] (Step S101) In step S101, the control unit 11 acquires a vehicle use reservation transmitted from a target user. The vehicle use reservation includes the target user's identification information as well as information regarding the target vehicle and its reservation time. Upon acquiring the vehicle use reservation, the control unit 11 proceeds to step S102.

[0032] (Steps S102 to S103) In step S102, the control unit 11 determines whether target user setting information corresponding to the target user's identification information included in the vehicle use reservation exists in the storage unit 12. If not, the control unit 11 ends the information processing according to this embodiment. If the target user setting information exists, the control unit 11 acquires it in step S103, and the control unit 11 proceeds to step S104.

[0033] (Steps S104 to S106) In step S104, the control unit 11 determines whether the reservation time for the target vehicle is approaching. When a predetermined time before the reservation time has passed, which indicates that the reservation time is approaching, the control unit 11 remotely starts the target in-vehicle device in step S105. In step S106, the control unit 11 transmits the target user setting information acquired in step S103 to the remotely started target in-vehicle device. When this step is completed, the information processing according to this embodiment ends.

[0034] [Features] In this embodiment, the server 1 stores the setting information 91 for each user U in the storage unit 12, and can acquire the target user setting information of the target user who has transmitted the vehicle use reservation. Before the target user gets into the target vehicle, the acquired target user setting information is transmitted to the target in-vehicle device. This allows the target in-vehicle device to perform pre-settings based on the received target user setting information, thereby achieving the advantageous effect of eliminating the need for the target user to manually perform setting work after getting into the target vehicle. Furthermore, by storing the setting information 91 for each user U in the storage unit 12, the server 1 can grasp the potential needs of the user U for the vehicle M and the in-vehicle device MD. This allows the stored information to be useful for future development, etc.

[0035] [4 Variations] In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the vehicle M used by the user U is a vehicle M owned by the user U. As a variation of this, it may be assumed that the vehicle M is a rental car or a shared car.

[0036] In this case, the provider of the rental car or car sharing service can use a server 1 equipped with a storage unit 12 that stores identification information of users U registered with the service and setting information 91 corresponding to that identification information. The setting information 91 stored in the storage unit 12 may be general-purpose settings for the vehicle M or the on-board device MD, rather than settings specific to each individual vehicle M. The general-purpose settings may be settings that are not specific to the vehicle M, among the setting items of the body system and multimedia system ECUs.

[0037] In response to a vehicle reservation made by user U on a website operated by a rental car or car sharing service provider, target user setting information corresponding to the target user's identification information is acquired, and settings based on the acquired target user setting information for the designated target vehicle are executed before the reservation time. This makes it possible to improve the user U's experience of using the rental car or car sharing service.

[0038] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the above description is merely an example of the present disclosure in all respects. It goes without saying that various improvements or modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The processes and means described in the present disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1. Server, 11. Control unit, 12. Memory unit, 13. Communication interface, 81 Program, 91 Setting information M: vehicle, U: user, MD··In-vehicle device, UD··User terminal

Claims

[Claim 1] An information processing device including a storage unit that stores setting information of a vehicle and an in-vehicle device for each user, and a control unit, The control unit Accepting a vehicle reservation from the target user, including the reservation time for the target vehicle; acquiring setting information of the target user from the setting information stored in the storage unit as target user setting information; remotely activating the target in-vehicle device of the target vehicle before the reserved time; and transmitting the target user setting information to the activated target in-vehicle device, thereby causing the target in-vehicle device to execute pre-setting using the target user setting information; configured to perform Information processing device.

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