method

Abstract

To improve the technology related to product proposals. [Solution] A method executed by an information processing device 10, comprising: storing customer information of a customer at a vehicle dealership, vehicle information of a first vehicle previously purchased by the customer, vehicle information of a second vehicle purchased by the customer after the purchase of the first vehicle, and negotiation information at the time of the purchase of the second vehicle in a database; training a learning model using customer information, vehicle information of the first vehicle, vehicle information of the second vehicle, and negotiation information at the time of the purchase of the second vehicle as learning data; inputting customer information of the customer and vehicle information of a vehicle previously purchased by the customer into the trained learning model to obtain vehicle information of a proposed vehicle and negotiation information of the proposed vehicle; and notifying the customer of the vehicle information of the proposed vehicle and negotiation information of the proposed vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, techniques related to product proposals are known. For example, there is a technique of using a machine learning model to predict and propose products that a customer is likely to purchase based on customer data (such as age, gender, or family composition).

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] When proposing a relatively high-priced product such as a vehicle to a customer, presenting not only the details of the product but also a proposal scenario for promoting the purchase (for example, the merits of purchasing the vehicle) increases the likelihood that the customer will purchase the proposed vehicle. However, the prior art cannot provide such a proposal scenario.

[0004] An object of the present disclosure made in view of such circumstances is to improve the technique related to product proposals.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A method executed by an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: accumulating customer information of a customer at a vehicle dealership, vehicle information of a first vehicle that the customer has purchased in the past, vehicle information of a second vehicle that the customer has purchased after purchasing the first vehicle, and negotiation information at the time of purchasing the second vehicle in a database; training a learning model using the information accumulated in the database as learning data; acquiring vehicle information of a proposed vehicle and negotiation information of the proposed vehicle for the customer from the customer information of the customer and the vehicle information of the vehicles that the customer has purchased in the past using the trained learning model; notifying the customer of the vehicle information of the proposed vehicle and the negotiation information of the proposed vehicle. Includes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the technology relating to product proposals is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart showing the operation of an information processing device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] (Summary of this embodiment) Referring to Figure 1, an overview of System 1 according to one embodiment of this disclosure will be described. System 1 comprises an information processing device 10 and a terminal device 20. The information processing device 10 and the terminal device 20 are connected to each other via a network 30 such as the Internet or a mobile communication network.

[0009] The information processing device 10 includes one server device or multiple computers that can communicate with each other. The information processing device 10 stores the learning model.

[0010] The terminal device 20 includes one or more computers such as a PC (Personal Computer), smartphone, or tablet. The terminal device 20 is used by sales staff or customers of a vehicle dealership.

[0011] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. The method according to this embodiment is performed by the information processing device 10. The method includes storing customer information of a customer at a vehicle dealership, vehicle information of a first vehicle previously purchased by the customer, vehicle information of a second vehicle purchased by the customer after the purchase of the first vehicle, and negotiation information at the time of the purchase of the second vehicle in a database. The method includes training a learning model using the information stored in the database as training data. The method includes using the trained learning model to obtain vehicle information of a proposed vehicle and negotiation information of the proposed vehicle from the customer information and vehicle information of a vehicle previously purchased by the customer. The method includes notifying the customer of the vehicle information of the proposed vehicle and the negotiation information of the proposed vehicle.

[0012] The information processing device 10 relating to this disclosure trains a learning model using sales performance data accumulated at dealerships as training data. By using such a learning model, it is possible to generate sales negotiation information (proposal scenarios) in addition to vehicle information proposed to customers, and to make effective proposals to customers.

[0013] (Configuration of the information processing device 10) As shown in Figure 1, the information processing device 10 comprises a control unit 11, a communication unit 12, and a storage unit 13.

[0014] The control unit 11 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process, but is not limited to these. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), but is not limited to this. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), but is not limited to this. The control unit 11 controls each part of the information processing device 10 and executes processes related to the operation of the information processing device 10.

[0015] The communication unit 12 includes at least one communication interface connected to the network 30. The communication interface supports, for example, mobile communication standards such as 4G (4th generation) or 5G (5th generation), or wired LAN (Local Area Network) communication standards or wireless LAN communication standards, but is not limited to these and may support any communication standard.

[0016] The storage unit 13 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 13 may function as, for example, a main memory, an auxiliary memory, or a cache memory. The storage unit 13 stores any information used in the operation of the information processing device 10. For example, the storage unit 13 may store system programs, application programs, and embedded software. The storage unit 13 may also store any information related to the sale of purchased vehicles. The information stored in the storage unit 13 may be updated based on information obtained from the network 30, for example, via the communication unit 12.

[0017] (Configuration of terminal device 20) As shown in Figure 1, the terminal device 20 comprises a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, an input unit 23, and a display unit 24.

[0018] The control unit 21 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing, but is not limited thereto. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA, but is not limited thereto. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC, but is not limited thereto. The control unit 21 executes processing related to the operation of the terminal device 20 while controlling each part of the terminal device 20.

[0019] The communication unit 22 includes at least one communication interface for connecting to the network 30. The communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard such as 4G or 5G, or a wired LAN communication standard or a wireless LAN communication standard, but is not limited thereto and may correspond to any communication standard.

[0020] The input unit 23 includes one or more input interfaces. The input unit 23 receives an operation of inputting information used for the operation of the terminal device 20. The input interface may be, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen provided integrally with the display of the display unit 24, or a microphone for receiving voice input. Instead of being provided in the terminal device 20, the input unit 23 may be connected to the terminal device 20 as an external input device. As a connection method, any method such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used.

[0021] The display unit 24 includes one or more display interfaces. The display interface is, for example, a display that displays information as an image. The display is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The display unit 24 displays the information obtained by the operation of the terminal device 20. Instead of being provided in the terminal device 20, the display unit 24 may be connected to the terminal device 20 as an external display device. As a connection method, any method such as USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used.

[0022] (Operation flow of the information processing apparatus 10) Referring to FIG. 2, the operation of the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, the communication between the information processing apparatus and the terminal device 20 is performed via the communication units 12 and 22 and the network 30.

[0023] S1: The control unit 11 of the information processing apparatus 10 accumulates in the database the customer information of the customer at the vehicle dealership, the vehicle information of the first vehicle purchased by the customer in the past, the vehicle information of the second vehicle purchased by the customer after purchasing the first vehicle, and the negotiation information at the time of purchasing the second vehicle.

[0024] Customer information refers to information about the customer. Examples of customer information include the customer's age, gender, hobbies, and family structure. Vehicle information refers to information about the vehicle. Examples of vehicle information include the make and model, options such as vehicle equipment, performance, year of manufacture, purchase date, purchase price, inspection date, and mileage. Negotiation information includes information about one or more facilitating factors to encourage the customer to purchase a vehicle. Examples of one or more facilitating factors include the make and model, options such as vehicle equipment, performance, payment method, insurance, and purchase timing. Negotiation information may also include reasons for suggesting at least one of the one or more facilitating factors. For example, reasons for suggesting a purchase timing may include the next vehicle inspection date, the customer's life events (birth, starting to live alone, purchasing a house, moving, obtaining a child's driver's license or taking entrance exams, etc.), delivery date, shipping schedule, and dealer's inventory status. Negotiation information makes the criteria for the customer to decide whether or not to purchase the proposed vehicle clearer, and as a result, the likelihood of the customer purchasing the proposed vehicle increases. The database is stored in the storage unit 13.

[0025] S2: The control unit 11 uses the information stored in the database as training data to train the learning model.

[0026] For example, the control unit 11 may train the learning model using supervised learning, where, when customer information and vehicle information for the first vehicle are input to the learning model, the correct answer is when vehicle information for the second vehicle is output as vehicle information to propose to the customer, and negotiation information regarding the purchase of the second vehicle is output as negotiation information related to that vehicle.

[0027] S3: The control unit 11 uses a trained learning model to obtain vehicle information of proposed vehicles and business negotiation information for proposed vehicles from the customer's customer information and vehicle information of vehicles previously purchased by the customer.

[0028] Customer information and vehicle information may be stored in the storage unit 13, for example, linked to a reference number. The control unit 11 may receive the reference number entered into the input unit 23 of the terminal device 20 and input the customer information and vehicle information linked to the reference number into the learning model.

[0029] The sales information for the proposed vehicle may include one or more promoting elements to encourage the customer to purchase the proposed vehicle. The sales information for the proposed vehicle may further include a reason for proposing at least one of the one or more promoting elements. This reason increases the likelihood that the proposed vehicle will be purchased. The reason may be based on at least one of the customer information and the vehicle information of the first vehicle. For example, if the customer information includes the customer's age (30 years old), gender (male), and hobby (fishing), the sales information for the proposed vehicle may include the vehicle type (RAV4®), options (coating), and the reasons for proposing these promoting elements. A reason for proposing the RAV4 could be that it has enough space to carry fishing gear and has a "TRAIL mode" that allows it to travel on rough roads when heading to fishing spots. A reason for proposing the coating could be that the coating helps to reduce dirt buildup when driving on rough roads when heading to fishing spots. For example, if a customer's past vehicle purchase information includes the vehicle type (Yaris Cross®), purchase date (3 years ago), and mileage (50,000 km), the negotiation information for the proposed vehicle may also include the purchase timing (present). Reasons for proposing the present as the purchase timing include, for example, the possibility of a decline in the used car market value of the Yaris Cross, and the fact that, considering the purchase date and mileage, selling the Yaris Cross now would provide sufficient funds to purchase the proposed vehicle.

[0030] The sales information for the proposed vehicle may include multiple sets of sales information. Furthermore, at least one of the one or more facilitating factors in the multiple sets of sales information may differ from one another. For example, the sales information for the proposed vehicle may include multiple sets of sales information for different vehicle models. Presenting multiple sets of sales information increases the customer's choices. In addition, the multiple sets of sales information may include reasons why some sales information is prioritized over others. For example, if the multiple sets of sales information include sales information for the RAV4 and sales information for the Land Cruiser (registered trademark), the reason may include differences in maximum output. A comparison based on such reasons can provide the customer with an effective proposal, increasing the likelihood that the proposed vehicle will be purchased.

[0031] S4: The control unit 11 notifies the customer of the vehicle information of the proposed vehicle and the sales negotiation information of the proposed vehicle.

[0032] The control unit 11 may transmit this information to the terminal device 20 and display this information on the display unit 24 of the terminal device 20. When the terminal device 20 is used by a customer, the information processing device 10 can automatically notify the customer of the vehicle information and negotiation information of the proposed vehicle based on the customer's input from the terminal device 20. When the terminal device 20 is used by a salesperson at a vehicle dealership, the salesperson can notify the customer of the vehicle information and negotiation information of the proposed vehicle verbally or via email, etc., so that the customer can obtain this information.

[0033] While this disclosure has been described based on the drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps can be combined into one or divided. For example, in the embodiments described above, an embodiment is also possible in which the configuration and operation of the information processing device 10 are distributed among multiple computers that can communicate with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1 System, 10 Information Processing Device, 11 Control Unit, 12 Communication Unit, 13 Storage Unit, 20 Terminal Device, 21 Control Unit, 22 Communication Unit, 23 Input Unit, 24 Display Unit, 30 Network

Claims

1. A method executed by an information processing device, The system stores customer information of a vehicle dealership, vehicle information of a first vehicle previously purchased by the customer, vehicle information of a second vehicle purchased by the customer after the purchase of the first vehicle, and negotiation information at the time of the purchase of the second vehicle in a database. The learning model is trained using the information stored in the aforementioned database as training data. Using the trained learning model, the vehicle information of the proposed vehicle and the negotiation information for the proposed vehicle are obtained from the customer information of the customer and the vehicle information of the vehicle the customer has previously purchased. To notify the customer of the vehicle information of the proposed vehicle and the sales negotiation information of the proposed vehicle, Methods that include...

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the sales information for the proposed vehicle includes one or more promotional elements for encouraging the purchase of the proposed vehicle, and a reason for proposing at least one of the one or more promotional elements.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the reason is based on at least one of the customer information of the customer and the vehicle information of vehicles previously purchased by the customer.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the negotiation information for the proposed vehicle includes a plurality of sets of negotiation information, and at least one of the one or more facilitating elements in the plurality of sets of negotiation information is different from one another.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of sets of deal information include reasons why some deal information takes precedence over other deal information.

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