Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

To facilitate the identification of replacement parts during repairs. [Solution] The information processing device includes a storage unit that stores first correspondence relationship information that associates a part ID that uniquely identifies each of a plurality of parts used in the repair of a product with part attribute information that indicates the attributes of the part, and second correspondence relationship information that associates the part IDs of parts that can be substituted for each other, and a control unit that, based on a request from an external device that includes part attribute information about a first part used in the repair of a product, performs the following: a process of identifying a part ID corresponding to a first part based on the part attribute information by referring to the first correspondence relationship information; a process of obtaining a part ID of a substitute part that replaces the first part by referring to the second correspondence relationship information based on the identified part ID; a process of obtaining part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the substitute part by referring to the first correspondence relationship information; and a process of transmitting the obtained part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the substitute part to an external device.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program.

Background Art

[0002] Techniques for managing vehicle parts have been proposed. In Patent Document 1, a technique for specifying parts that can be attached to a vehicle by associating a vehicle ID indicating the vehicle, a part ID indicating the part, and information indicating whether the part can be attached is proposed.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As parts that can be attached to a vehicle, in addition to genuine parts by vehicle manufacturers, there are also alternative parts that are compatible with genuine parts, and different part numbers are assigned to each of the genuine parts and alternative parts. Also, in the case of parts supplied by an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), even if they are the same part, the part number assigned to the part at the supplier and the part number assigned to the part at the customer may be different. Therefore, when replacing a part mounted on a vehicle, it is not easy to identify the part to be used for replacement. Such problems are common to the repair of products other than vehicles.

[0005] One aspect of the disclosed technology aims to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can easily identify parts used for replacement during repair.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the disclosed technology is exemplified by the following information processing device: The information processing device includes a storage unit that stores first correspondence information which associates a part ID that uniquely identifies each of a plurality of parts used to repair a product with part attribute information which indicates the attributes of the part, and second correspondence information which associates the part IDs of the parts that can be substituted for each other; and a control unit that, based on a request from an external device which includes the part attribute information for the first part used to repair the product, performs the following: a process which identifies the part ID corresponding to the first part based on the part attribute information by referring to the first correspondence information; a process which obtains the part ID of a substitute part that replaces the first part by referring to the second correspondence information based on the identified part ID; a process which obtains the part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the substitute part by referring to the first correspondence information; and a process which transmits the obtained part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the substitute part to the external device.

[0007] According to this information processing device, even if product manufacturers or compatible parts manufacturers assign unique part numbers to parts, a part ID that uniquely identifies each part is assigned to it. Then, the part IDs of mutually interchangeable parts are associated with the second correspondence information described above. In this information processing device, where the correspondence of part IDs is managed in this way, the part attribute information of the replacement part can be transmitted to the external device based on a request that includes the part attribute information of the first part used to repair the product, making it easy to identify interchangeable parts.

[0008] This information processing device may further have the following features: The control unit is the plurality of components The system accesses servers managed by the respective manufacturers to identify the interchangeable parts. By obtaining information from the servers managed by these manufacturers, the information on interchangeable parts can be made more reliable.

[0009] This information processing device may further have the following features: It acquires repair history information, including the above-mentioned part attribute information, from the above-mentioned external device, and identifies the above-mentioned parts that can be substituted for each other based on the acquired repair history information. By using the above-mentioned repair history information, which includes information on the parts actually used in the repair, this information processing device can make the information on the above-mentioned parts that can be substituted for each other more reliable.

[0010] The information processing device may further have the following features. The control unit outputs a hierarchical structure in which an image representing the product is the root, and images representing the multiple parts are placed as nodes under the root, and the images representing the parts associated in the second correspondence information are connected by line segments. By outputting such a hierarchical structure, the information processing device can output the relationships between interchangeable parts in a visually easy-to-understand manner.

[0011] The information processing device may further have the following features. When a node is moved in the hierarchical structure, the control unit performs an update process for the correspondence of the part ID in the second correspondence information, according to the connection relationship of the node in the hierarchical structure after the move. The information processing device can update the information associated in the second correspondence information through a simple operation of the visually displayed hierarchical structure.

[0012] The information processing device may further have the following features. In the update process, the control unit adds information indicating that the pre-update information is attached to the pre-update correspondence of the part IDs, and adds the record of the post-update correspondence of the part IDs to the second correspondence information. That is, since the pre-update information is left in the second correspondence information with an indication that it is pre-update information, the information processing device can later verify whether or not there was an error in the update process.

[0013] Disclosure technology can also be understood from the perspectives of information processing methods and information processing programs. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the disclosed technology, parts used for replacement during repair can be easily identified.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a parts management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a parts management server according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a repair shop terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the processing blocks of a parts management server according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a vehicle management table stored in a management database. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a parts management table stored in a management database. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an association table stored in a management database. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a vehicle registration screen output by a vehicle registration unit in an embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a parts registration screen output by a parts registration unit in an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a parts correspondence screen output by an association unit in an embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a certain compatible parts node image is specified on a parts correspondence screen. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a parts correspondence screen after the movement of the specified compatible parts node image. [Figure 13] FIG.  13 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a certain compatible parts node image and another compatible parts node image are specified on a parts correspondence screen. [Figure 14]FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the selected nodes in FIG. 13 are connected by line segments. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow related to vehicle registration of the parts management server according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow related to parts registration of the parts management server according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow related to the association processing of parts of the parts management server according to the embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow related to the association editing processing of parts of the parts management server according to the embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow related to the response processing of the parts management server according to the embodiment.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0016] <EMBODIMENT> Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a parts management system 1 according to the embodiment. The parts management system 1 manages parts used for repairing a vehicle 4 and provides information on substitute parts to repair factories 3A, 3B, and 3C when receiving an inquiry about substitute parts that can be used instead of the parts normally used in the repair factories 3A, 3B, and 3C. The vehicle 4 is an example of a "product".

[0017]

[0018] The parts management server 100 is an information processing device that manages parts used to repair vehicle 4, which is identified by vehicle identification information such as model, chassis number, and vehicle identification number (VIN). The parts management server 100 manages information related to parts used to repair the vehicle, exemplified by genuine parts provided by the vehicle manufacturer that manufactured vehicle 4 and compatible parts provided by compatible parts manufacturers. The parts management server 100 receives replacement parts inquiry information from the repair shop terminal 200. The replacement parts inquiry information includes, for example, vehicle identification information for vehicle 4 and information related to parts that were planned to be used at the repair shop 3. When the parts management server 100 receives replacement parts inquiry information, it sends response information to the repair shop terminal 200 that includes information related to replacement parts that can replace the parts identified by the information related to the parts that were planned to be used included in the replacement parts inquiry information.

[0019] The repair shop terminal 200 is an information processing device used in the repair shop 3 where the vehicle 4 is repaired. The repair shop terminal 200 sends alternative parts inquiry information to the parts management server 100 to inquire about alternative parts that can be used in place of the parts to be used, and receives information about alternative parts from the parts management server 100 as a response to the alternative parts inquiry information. The repair shop terminal 200A is used for repairs. This is an information processing device used in factory 3A. Repair factory terminal 200B is an information processing device used in repair factory 3B. Repair factory terminal 200C is an information processing device used in repair factory 3C.

[0020] Network N1 is a computer network that connects information processing devices in a way that enables them to communicate with each other. Network N1 may be based on wired communication or wireless communication. Network N1 is, for example, the Internet.

[0021] <Parts used to repair Vehicle 4> Vehicle 4 is manufactured using many parts, including the steering wheel, brake calipers, oil filter, timing chain, spark plugs, mirrors, and wipers. As mentioned above, each of these parts has various types, such as genuine parts and compatible parts. Each of these parts is assigned a part number that identifies it within the manufacturer that produced it. That is, genuine parts are assigned a part number that identifies them within the vehicle manufacturer, and compatible parts are assigned a part number that identifies them within the compatible part manufacturer that produced them. Since these part numbers are assigned independently by each manufacturer, there is often no correlation between the part numbers assigned to genuine parts and those assigned to compatible parts. Furthermore, even for the same part, different part numbers may be assigned depending on the year and place of manufacture. Also, even for the same part, improvements may result in different part numbers being assigned to parts before and after improvements. In this way, because each parts manufacturer assigns part numbers independently, it can be difficult to identify compatible parts for a faulty part when repairing Vehicle 4 at repair shop terminal 200. In the parts management system 1, the following configuration is adopted to facilitate the identification of such parts.

[0022] <Hardware Configuration> Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the parts management server 100 according to the embodiment. The parts management server 100 comprises a processor 11, a main memory unit 12, an auxiliary memory unit 13, a communication unit 14, and a connection bus B1. The processor 11, the main memory unit 12, the auxiliary memory unit 13, and the communication unit 14 are interconnected by the connection bus B1.

[0023] The processor 11 is also called a microprocessor unit (MPU) or central processing unit (CPU). The processor 11 is not limited to a single processor, but may be a multiprocessor configuration. Furthermore, a single processor 11 connected by a single socket may have a multicore configuration. The processor 11 is, for example, a Digital The processor 11 may include dedicated processors such as a Signal Processor (DSP), Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), numerical processor, vector processor, and image processing processor. The processor 11 may also include integrated circuits (ICs) and other digital circuits. Furthermore, at least a portion of the processor 11 may include analog circuits. The integrated circuit is a Large Scale Integrated Circuit. This includes LSIs, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), and Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs). PLDs include, for example, Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). The processor 11 may be a combination of a processor and an integrated circuit. Such combinations are called, for example, a microcontroller unit (MCU), a System-on-a-chip (SoC), a system LSI, or a chipset. In the parts management server 100, the processor 11 deploys programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit 13 to the work area of ​​the main storage unit 12 and controls peripheral devices through program execution. This allows the parts management server 100 to perform processing that conforms to a predetermined purpose. The main storage unit 12 and the auxiliary storage unit 13 are storage media readable by the processor 11. be.

[0024] The main memory unit 12 is exemplified as a memory unit that is directly accessed by the processor 11. The main memory unit 12 includes Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM).

[0025] The auxiliary storage unit 13 stores various programs and data on a recording medium in a read-write manner. The auxiliary storage unit 13 is also called an external storage device. The auxiliary storage unit 13 stores the operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc. The OS includes a communication interface program that exchanges data with external devices connected via the communication unit 14. External devices include, for example, other information processing devices and external storage devices connected by a computer network. The auxiliary storage unit 13 may also be, for example, part of a cloud system, which is a group of computers on a network.

[0026] The auxiliary storage unit 13 is, for example, an Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), a Solid State Drive (SSD), a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), etc. Alternatively, the auxiliary storage unit 13 may be a Compact Disc (CD) drive, a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) drive, a Blu-ray® Disc (BD) drive, etc. Furthermore, the auxiliary storage unit 13 may be provided by a Network Attached Storage (NAS) or Storage Area Network (SAN). The auxiliary storage unit 13 is just one example of a "storage unit".

[0027] The communication unit 14 is, for example, an interface with the network N1. The communication unit 14 communicates with external devices via the network N1.

[0028] Figure 3 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the repair factory terminal 200 according to the embodiment. The repair factory terminal 200 includes a processor 21, a main memory unit 22, an auxiliary memory unit 23, a communication unit 24, an input unit 25, an output unit 26, and a connection bus B2. The processor 21, main memory unit 22, auxiliary memory unit 23, communication unit 24, and connection bus B2 are the same as the processor 11, main memory unit 12, auxiliary memory unit 13, communication unit 14, and connection bus B1 of the parts management server 100, so their explanation is omitted.

[0029] The input unit 25 receives operation instructions from the user. Examples of the input unit 25 include a keyboard, pointing device, touch panel, accelerometer, and voice input device.

[0030] The output unit 26 outputs data processed by the processor 21 and data stored in the main memory unit 22. Examples of the output unit 26 include a display, speaker, printer, etc.

[0031] <Processing block> Figure 4 shows an example of a processing block of the parts management server 100 according to the embodiment. The parts management server 100 includes a vehicle registration unit 101, a parts registration unit 102, an association unit 103, a response unit 104, and a management database 105. The parts management server 100 executes the processing of each part of the parts management server 100, such as the vehicle registration unit 101, parts registration unit 102, association unit 103, response unit 104, and management database 105, by having the processor 11 execute a computer program that has been expanded in executable form in the main memory unit 12. 11 is an example of a "control unit". The computer program executed by the processor 11 is an example of an "information processing program".

[0032] The management database 105 stores information about vehicle 4 and genuine and compatible parts used to repair vehicle 4. The management database 105 is constructed, for example, in the auxiliary storage unit 13. Figure 5 shows an example of a vehicle management table 1051 stored in the management database 105. The vehicle management table 1051 is a table that manages information related to vehicle 4. The vehicle management table 1051 has the following items: "Vehicle ID", "Vehicle Identification Information", "Manufacturer", and "Vehicle Type". The "Vehicle ID" stores an ID that uniquely identifies vehicle 4 in the parts management system 1. The "Vehicle Identification Information" stores information assigned to vehicle 4. For example, the vehicle identification number (VIN) is stored in the "Vehicle Identification Information". The "Manufacturer" stores information indicating the manufacturer that manufactured vehicle 4. The "Vehicle Type" stores information indicating the vehicle type of vehicle 4. Furthermore, the management database 105 may also store information such as options installed on vehicle 4 (sunroof, speakers, suspension, cold weather specifications, etc.) and transaction history (buyer, whether it is a new or used car, etc.). The information stored in the "Vehicle Identification Information," "Manufacturer," and "Vehicle Model" fields is an example of "Product Attribute Information." The information stored in "Vehicle ID" is an example of "Product ID."

[0033] Figure 6 shows an example of a parts management table 1052 stored in the management database 105. The parts management table 1052 has the following items: "Part ID", "Model Number", "Manufacturer", "Type", "Status", and "Vehicle Identification Information". The "Part ID" stores an ID that uniquely identifies the part used to repair the vehicle 4 in the parts management system 1. The "Model Number" stores the model number assigned to the part by the manufacturer that produced the part. The "Manufacturer" stores information indicating the manufacturer that produced the part. The "Type" stores information indicating the type of part (brake caliper, oil filter, spark plug, etc.). The "Status" stores information indicating the status of the part. Examples of part statuses include new genuine parts, used genuine parts, new compatible parts, and used compatible parts. In the example in Figure 6, "New Genuine" is stored in "Status" for new genuine parts, and "Used Compatible" is stored for used compatible parts. The "Vehicle Identification Information" is the same as the "Vehicle Identification Information" in the vehicle management table 1051, and stores vehicle identification information for the vehicle in which the part is used. The information stored in each of the "Model Number," "Manufacturer," "Type," "Status," and "Vehicle Identification Information" fields is an example of "Part Attribute Information." The parts management table 1052 is information that shows the correspondence between "Part ID" and "Part Attribute Information," and is an example of "First Correspondence Information."

[0034] Figure 7 shows an example of an association table 1053 stored in the management database 105. The association table 1053 is a table that manages the correspondence between interchangeable parts. The association table 1053 has the following items: "First Part ID", "Second Part ID", and "Error". The information stored in "First Part ID" and "Second Part ID" is the same as the "Part ID" in the parts management table 1052. "First Part ID" and "Second Part ID" store the part IDs of parts that are interchangeable with each other. "Error" stores information indicating that the information is from before the update when the correspondence between "First Part ID" and "Second Part ID" has been updated (for example, "Incorrect Registration" or "Before Update"). The association table 1053 is information that shows the correspondence between part IDs of interchangeable parts and is an example of "Second Correspondence Information".

[0035] Returning to Figure 4, the vehicle registration unit 101 accepts the registration of vehicle 4. The vehicle registration unit 101 may accept the registration of vehicle 4 by, for example, outputting a vehicle registration screen to a display. Figure 8 shows an example of a vehicle registration screen 1011 output by the vehicle registration unit 101 in this embodiment. This is a diagram. The vehicle registration screen 1011 has a vehicle identification information input field 1012, a manufacturer input field 1013, a vehicle type input field 1014, a registration button 1015, and a cancel button 1016. The vehicle identification information input field 1012 is an input field that accepts vehicle identification information. The manufacturer input field 1013 is an input field that accepts information indicating the manufacturer. The vehicle type input field 1014 is an input field that accepts information indicating the vehicle type.

[0036] When the registration button 1015 is pressed with information relating to vehicle 4 entered in the respective input fields of vehicle identification information input field 1012, manufacturer input field 1013, and vehicle type input field 1014, the vehicle registration unit 101 generates a vehicle ID that uniquely identifies vehicle 4 in the parts management system 1, and registers the generated vehicle ID and the information entered in the vehicle identification information input field 1012, manufacturer input field 1013, and vehicle type input field 1014 in the vehicle management table 1051. Specifically, the vehicle registration unit 101 registers the generated vehicle ID in the "Vehicle ID" field of the vehicle management table 1051, the information entered in the vehicle identification information input field 1012 in the "Vehicle Identification Information" field of the vehicle management table 1051, the information entered in the manufacturer input field 1013 in the "Manufacturer" field of the vehicle management table 1051, and the information entered in the vehicle type input field 1014 in the "Vehicle Type" field of the vehicle management table 1051. Furthermore, when the cancel button 1016 is pressed, the vehicle registration unit 101 deletes the information entered in the vehicle identification information input field 1012, the manufacturer input field 1013, and the vehicle type input field 1014, and cancels the registration to the vehicle management table 1051.

[0037] Returning to Figure 4, the parts registration unit 102 accepts the registration of parts. The parts registration unit 102 may, for example, accept the registration of parts by outputting a parts registration screen to a display. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of a parts registration screen 1021 output by the parts registration unit 102 in an embodiment. The parts registration screen 1021 has a model number input field 1022, a manufacturer input field 1023, a type input field 1024, a status input field 1025, a vehicle identification information input field 1026, a registration button 1027, and a cancel button 1028. The model number input field 1022 is an input field that accepts the input of the model number of the part to be registered. The manufacturer input field 1023 is an input field that accepts the input of information indicating the manufacturer of the part to be registered. The type input field 1024 is an input field that accepts the input of information indicating the type of the part to be registered. The status input field 1025 is an input field that accepts the input of information indicating the status of the part to be registered via a pull-down menu 10251. The vehicle identification information input field 1026 is an input field that accepts vehicle identification information for vehicles in which the registered parts are used.

[0038] When the registration button 1027 is pressed after information relating to the part to be registered has been entered in the respective input fields of the part number input field 1022, manufacturer input field 1023, type input field 1024, status input field 1025, and vehicle identification information input field 1026, the parts registration unit 102 generates an ID that uniquely identifies the part to be registered in the parts management system 1, and registers the generated ID and the information entered in the part number input field 1022, manufacturer input field 1023, type input field 1024, status input field 1025, and vehicle identification information input field 1026 in the parts management table 1052. In other words, the parts registration unit 102 registers the generated ID in the "Part ID" field of the parts management table 1052, the information entered in the model number input field 1022 in the "Model Number" field of the parts management table 1052, the information entered in the manufacturer input field 1023 in the "Manufacturer" field of the parts management table 1052, the information entered in the type input field 1024 in the "Type" field of the parts management table 1052, the information entered in the status input field 1025 in the "Status" field of the parts management table 1052, and the information entered in the vehicle identification information input field 1026 in the "Vehicle Identification Information" field of the parts management table 1052. Furthermore, when the cancel button 1028 is pressed, the parts registration unit 102 deletes the information entered in the respective input fields of model number input field 1022, manufacturer input field 1023, type input field 1024, status input field 1025, and vehicle identification information input field 1026, and cancels the registration to the parts management table 1052.

[0039] Returning to Figure 4, the association unit 103 associates mutually interchangeable parts with the registered parts. The association unit 103, for example, accesses a server managed by the compatible parts manufacturer to obtain correspondence information indicating which compatible parts are interchangeable with which genuine parts. The correspondence information includes, for example, information indicating the manufacturer that produced the compatible parts, the part number assigned to the compatible parts, information indicating the manufacturer that produced the genuine parts, and the part number assigned to the genuine parts. Based on the correspondence information, the association unit 103 obtains the part IDs of the mutually interchangeable genuine parts and compatible parts, stores one part ID in the "first part ID" of the association table 1053, and stores the other part ID in the "second part ID" of the association table 1053. Here, there may be multiple compatible parts that can substitute for one genuine part. Also, there may be other genuine parts that can substitute for one genuine part. Also, there may be other compatible parts that can substitute for a certain compatible part.

[0040] Furthermore, the association unit 103 may output a parts correspondence screen to the display, for example, which visually shows the correspondence between the associated parts. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of a parts correspondence screen 1031 output by the association unit 103 in an embodiment. The parts correspondence screen 1031 may, for example, as shown in (A) in the upper part of Figure 10, use a vehicle node image 1032 representing vehicle 4 as the root, and arrange genuine parts node images 1033 representing genuine parts applicable to repairing vehicle 4 shown in vehicle node image 1032 and compatible parts node images 1034 representing compatible parts applicable to repairing vehicle 4 shown in vehicle node image 1032 as nodes to show the correspondence between parts. Furthermore, the parts correspondence screen 1031 may also show the correspondence of parts used to repair vehicle 4 by a hierarchical structure in which one of the compatible parts node images 1034, specifically compatible parts node image 10341, is used as the root, and the vehicle node image 1032, genuine parts node image 1033, and compatible parts node image 1034 are arranged as nodes, for example, as shown in (B) in the lower part of Figure 10. The parts correspondence screen 1031 may use any of the vehicle node image 1032, genuine parts node image 1033, and compatible parts node image 1034 as the root. In the hierarchical structure exemplified in (A) in the upper part of Figure 10 and (B) in the lower part of Figure 10, each node is connected by a line segment starting from the root, according to the correspondence stored in the association table 1053. The root is located at the top of the hierarchical structure. The root serves as the starting point for searching (exploring) nodes in the hierarchical structure and is the basis for showing the correspondence between the root and each node. In this embodiment, the parts correspondence screen 1031 has a hierarchical structure with the vehicle node image 1032 as the root, as shown in (A) of the upper part of Figure 10. In the hierarchical structure of the parts correspondence screen 1031, for example, an image representing a part stored in the "first part ID" of the association table 1053 is placed as a parent node, and an image representing a part stored in the "second part ID" is placed as a child node. In such a hierarchical structure, the genuine part node image 1033 may be placed as a child node of the compatible part node image 1034, or the compatible part node image 1034 may be placed as a child node of the genuine part node image 1033.On the parts correspondence screen 1031, interchangeable parts are visually represented by the connection relationships between the genuine part node image 1033 and the compatible part node image 1034.

[0041] In the parts correspondence screen 1031, the vehicle node image 1032 is represented as a rhombus, the genuine parts node image 1033 as a circle, and the compatible parts node image 1034 as a rectangle. However, the vehicle node image 1032, genuine parts node image 1033, and compatible parts node image 1034 may, for example, be photographs of the corresponding vehicles or parts. In addition, the names of the vehicle node image 1032, genuine parts node image 1033, and compatible parts node image 1034 may be attached to their vicinity. By performing such processing, users of the parts management system 1 can easily understand which node corresponds to which part or vehicle.

[0042] Here, the association unit 103 moves the node on the component correspondence screen 1031. Modifications to the item associations may be accepted. Figure 11 illustrates a state in the part correspondence screen 1031 where a compatible part node image 1034 has been specified. Such a specification can be made, for example, by moving the mouse cursor 800 using a pointing device such as a mouse over the desired compatible part node image 1034 (for example, compatible part node image 1034A, which is one of the child nodes of compatible part node image 1034C). Then, the specified compatible part node image 1034A is moved to the position of a child node of compatible part node image 1034B. Figure 12 illustrates the part correspondence screen 1031 after the specified compatible part node image 1034A has been moved. It can be seen that, due to the node movement, compatible part node image 1034A has become a child node of compatible part node image 1034B.

[0043] When the compatible part node image 1034A is moved in this manner, the association unit 103 updates the association table 1053. Specifically, the association unit 103 registers information indicating an incorrect registration in the "Error" field of the record in the association table 1053 where the part ID of compatible part node image 1034C is stored as the "First Part ID" and the part ID of compatible part node image 1034A is stored as the "Second Part ID". Then, the association unit 103 adds a record to the association table 1053 where the part ID of compatible part node image 1034B is stored as the "First Part ID" and the part ID of compatible part node image 1034A is stored as the "Second Part ID". Furthermore, when the association unit 103 outputs the part correspondence screen 1031, it excludes the records in the association table 1053 where an incorrect registration has been registered in the "Error" field, visually showing the correspondence between parts.

[0044] Furthermore, the association unit 103 may accept modifications to the association of substitute parts by adding or deleting line segments between nodes in the part matching screen 1031. Figure 13 illustrates a state in the part matching screen 1031 where a genuine part node image 1033 and another compatible part node image 1034 are specified. In Figure 13, the compatible part node image 1034D and the genuine part node image 1033A are selected, and the selected nodes are represented by dotted lines.

[0045] Figure 14 illustrates a state in which the nodes selected in Figure 13 are connected by line segments. In Figure 14, a line segment L1 is set connecting the compatible part node image 1034D and the genuine part node image 1033A. When the line segment L1 is set in this way, the association unit 103 adds a record to the association table 1053 that stores the part ID of the genuine part node image 1033A as the "first part ID" and the part ID of the compatible part node image 1034D as the "second part ID". Note that, as with the compatible part node image 1034D in Figure 14, there may be nodes with multiple parent nodes in the part correspondence screen 1031.

[0046] Returning to Figure 4, when the response unit 104 receives replacement part inquiry information from the repair shop terminal 200, it sends response information including information about the replacement part to the repair shop terminal 200. The response unit 104, for example, refers to the parts management table 1052 based on the vehicle identification information and information about the parts to be used included in the replacement part inquiry information, and obtains the part ID of the parts to be used. Then, the response unit 104 refers to the association table 1053 and extracts the record in which the obtained part ID is stored as "first part ID" or "second part ID". The response unit 104 obtains the part ID (also called the replacement part ID) associated with the part ID of the parts to be used in the extracted record. The response unit 104 obtains the information associated with the replacement part ID in the parts management table 1052 (for example, model number, manufacturer, type, vehicle identification information), and sends the obtained information to the repair shop terminal 200 as information about the replacement part.

[0047] <Processing Flow> Figure 15 shows an example of the processing flow related to vehicle registration in the parts management server 100 according to the embodiment. The diagram is shown. Below, with reference to Figure 15, an example of the processing flow related to vehicle registration in the parts management server 100 will be explained.

[0048] In step S1, the vehicle registration unit 101 outputs a vehicle registration screen 1011. In step S2, the vehicle registration unit 101 accepts input of information related to the vehicle to be registered for each input field (vehicle identification information input field 1012, manufacturer input field 1013, and vehicle type input field 1014) of the vehicle registration screen 1011 output in step S1.

[0049] In step S3, the vehicle registration unit 101 determines whether or not the registration button 1015 has been pressed. If the registration button 1015 has been pressed (YES in step S3), the process proceeds to step S4. If the registration button 1015 has not been pressed (NO in step S3), the process in step S2 is repeated.

[0050] In step S4, the vehicle registration unit 101 generates a vehicle ID that uniquely identifies the vehicle to be registered, based on the information received in step S2, within the parts management system 1. In step S5, the vehicle registration unit 101 associates the information entered in each input field of the vehicle registration screen 1011 in step S2 with the vehicle ID generated in step S4 and registers it in the vehicle management table 1051.

[0051] Figure 16 is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow related to parts registration in the parts management server 100 according to the embodiment. Hereinafter, an example of the processing flow related to parts registration in the parts management server 100 will be described with reference to Figure 16.

[0052] In step S11, the parts registration unit 102 outputs the parts registration screen 1021. In step S12, the parts registration unit 102 accepts input of information related to the parts to be registered for each input field (model number input field 1022, manufacturer input field 1023, type input field 1024, status input field 1025, and vehicle identification information input field 1026) of the parts registration screen 1021 output in step S11.

[0053] In step S13, the parts registration unit 102 determines whether or not the registration button 1027 has been pressed. If the registration button 1027 has been pressed (YES in step S13), the process proceeds to step S14. If the registration button 1027 has not been pressed (NO in step S13), the process in step S12 is repeated.

[0054] In step S14, the parts registration unit 102 generates a parts ID that uniquely identifies the information of the parts to be registered, which was received as input in step S12, in the parts management system 1. In step S15, the parts registration unit 102 associates the information entered in each input field of the parts registration screen 1021 in step S12 with the parts ID generated in step S14 and registers it in the parts management table 1052.

[0055] Figure 17 is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow related to the component association process of the component management server 100 according to the embodiment. Hereinafter, an example of the processing flow related to the component association process of the component management server 100 will be described with reference to Figure 17.

[0056] In step S31, the association unit 103 accesses a server managed by the compatible parts manufacturer to obtain correspondence information indicating which compatible parts can substitute for which genuine parts. In step S32, based on the correspondence information obtained in step S31, the association unit 103 obtains the part IDs of the mutually interchangeable genuine parts and compatible parts, stores one part ID in the "first part ID" column of the association table 1053, and stores the other part ID in the "second part ID" column of the association table 1053.

[0057] Figure 18 is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow related to the component association editing process of the component management server 100 according to the embodiment. Hereinafter, an example of the processing flow related to the component association editing process of the component management server 100 will be described with reference to Figure 18.

[0058] In step S41, the association unit 103 outputs the component correspondence screen 1031. In step S42, the association unit 103 accepts modification operations (moving nodes, adding / deleting line segments connecting nodes) for step S1031. In step S43, the association unit 103 updates the association table 1053 according to the modification operations accepted in step S42.

[0059] Figure 19 is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow related to the response processing of the parts management server 100 according to the embodiment. Hereinafter, an example of the processing flow related to the response processing of the parts management server 100 will be described with reference to Figure 19.

[0060] In step S51, the response unit 104 receives replacement parts inquiry information from the repair factory terminal 200. In step S52, the response unit 104 refers to the parts management table 1052 based on the replacement parts inquiry information received in step S51 and obtains the part ID of the part to be used.

[0061] In step S53, the response unit 104 refers to the association table 1053 based on the part ID of the part to be used obtained in step S52 to identify the alternative part ID. In step S54, the response unit 104 obtains information related to the alternative part associated with the alternative part ID identified in step S53 from the parts management table 1052.

[0062] In step S55, the response unit 104 transmits the information regarding the replacement part obtained in step S54 to the repair factory terminal 200.

[0063] <Effects of the Embodiment> According to this embodiment, a unique part ID is assigned to parts that have been assigned part numbers independently by the vehicle manufacturer or compatible parts manufacturer in the parts management system 1. Then, the part IDs of mutually interchangeable parts are associated with each other in the association table 1053. Therefore, according to this embodiment, interchangeable parts can be easily identified.

[0064] Here, the registration of mutually interchangeable parts in the association table 1053 is performed, for example, by obtaining correspondence information from a server managed by the compatible parts manufacturer that indicates which compatible parts can be substituted for which genuine parts, and based on the obtained correspondence information. According to this embodiment, by registering information in the association table 1053 based on information provided by the compatible parts manufacturer, the reliability of the information registered in the association table 1053 can be increased.

[0065] According to this embodiment, the hierarchical structure of the component correspondence screen 1031 visually represents the relationships between interchangeable components. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to easily identify which component can be substituted for a given component.

[0066] In this embodiment, the association of replaceable parts is updated in the association table 1053 by accepting modifications to the association of replaceable parts through the movement of nodes and the addition or deletion of line segments connecting nodes in the hierarchical structure of the parts correspondence screen 1031. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the association of replaceable parts can be updated with simple operations.

[0067] In this embodiment, when the association table 1053 is updated, information indicating an incorrect registration is registered in the "Error" field of the record in the association table 1053 before the update. At the same time, the updated correspondence is added to the association table 1053 as a new record. According to this embodiment, since the record before the update is not deleted from the association table 1053, it is possible to later verify whether there are any errors in updating the correspondence.

[0068] According to the hierarchical structure of the parts correspondence screen 1031 of this embodiment, for example, compatible parts that can replace various vehicle types and various genuine parts can be visually displayed. Therefore, this embodiment can also be used for sales activities of compatible parts.

[0069] <Variation> In the embodiments described above, correspondence information indicating which genuine parts a compatible part can substitute for is obtained from a server managed by the compatible parts manufacturer. However, the correspondence information indicating which genuine parts a compatible part can substitute for is not limited to being obtained from a server managed by the compatible parts manufacturer. For example, repair history information of repairs performed on vehicle 4 at repair shop 3 may be stored at repair shop terminal 200. Repair history information includes, for example, the correspondence between information on parts removed from vehicle 4 for replacement and information on parts that were replaced and incorporated into vehicle 4. The parts management system 1 may obtain repair history information from repair shop terminal 200 and obtain correspondence information indicating which genuine parts a compatible part can substitute for from the correspondence relationships included in the obtained repair history information. Since such repair history information is information with actual replacement records, the reliability of registration in association table 1053 can be increased.

[0070] Furthermore, the replacement parts inquiry information may include information indicating the condition of the parts, such as a new genuine part or a used compatible part. In such cases, the response unit 104 only needs to send information related to replacement parts that matches the condition included in the replacement parts inquiry information to the repair shop terminal 200. In this embodiment, the response unit 104 sent information related to replacement parts in response to the receipt of the replacement parts inquiry information. However, the response unit 104 does not necessarily need to be triggered by the receipt of the replacement parts inquiry information. The response unit 104 may send information related to replacement parts in batch processing, for example, to replacement parts inquiry information stored in the auxiliary storage unit 13. For example, replacement parts inquiry information sent from the repair shop terminal 200 may be stored in the auxiliary storage unit 13, and the process of identifying replacement part IDs based on the replacement parts inquiry information stored in the auxiliary storage unit 13 may be performed at a predetermined time, such as at night.

[0071] In this embodiment, the repair of vehicle 4 was given as an example, but the products to which the parts management system 1 can be applied are not limited to the repair of vehicle 4. Products to which the parts management system 1 can be applied include a variety of products such as home appliances, audio equipment, mobile devices such as robots and drones, smartphones, feature phones, power tools, personal computers, furniture, buildings, and software programs. Furthermore, the parts to which the parts management system 1 can be applied are not limited to tangible items such as mechanical parts, but may also include, for example, program modules.

[0072] Furthermore, if the association table 1053 contains information indicating that the correspondence between a certain part A and another part B is "error" and is not based on the information before the update, and a change operation is detected that attempts to associate part A and part B on the part correspondence screen 1031, the association unit 103 may output a confirmation screen to confirm the execution of the change operation, or it may prohibit the change operation. Outputting a confirmation screen or prohibiting the change operation can prevent incorrect part correspondences from being registered in the association table 1053.

[0073] The embodiments and variations disclosed above can be combined in any way.

[0074] <Computer-readable recording medium> An information processing program that enables a computer or other machine or device (hereinafter referred to as "computer, etc.") to perform any of the above functions can be recorded on a recording medium that the computer, etc. can read. By having the computer, etc. read and execute the program on this recording medium, it can be made to provide that function.

[0075] Here, a recording medium that can be read by a computer refers to a recording medium that stores information such as data and programs through electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical means and can be read by a computer. Examples of such recording media that can be removed from a computer include flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), Compact Disc-Recordable (CD-R), Compact Disc-ReWriterable (CD-RW), Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), Blu-ray Disc (BD), Digital Audio Tape (DAT), 8mm tape, flash memory, external hard disk drives, and Solid State Drives (SSDs). In addition, recording media that are fixed to a computer include internal hard disk drives, SSDs, and ROMs.

[0076] As used in the embodiments and claims described above, the terms “part,” “means,” “apparatus,” and “system” do not merely mean physical means, but also include cases where the functions of these are realized by software or software services. Furthermore, the functions of a single “part,” “means,” “apparatus,” or “system” may not only be realized by a single physical means, software, software module, or apparatus, but may also be realized by multiple physical means, software, software modules, apparatus, or combinations thereof.

[0077] The terms used in the embodiments and claims described above should be interpreted as non-limiting terms. For example, the term "includes" should be interpreted as "not limited to those described as including." The term "contains" should be interpreted as "not limited to those described as containing." The term "equips" should be interpreted as "not limited to those described as equipped." The term "possesses" should be interpreted as "not limited to those described as possessing." The term "complements" should be interpreted as "not limited to those described as possessing."

[0078] (Note 1) A storage unit that stores: first correspondence relationship information that associates a part ID that uniquely identifies each of several parts used in the repair of a product with part attribute information that indicates the attributes of the part, and second correspondence relationship information that associates the part IDs of parts that can be substituted for each other. A process that, based on a request from an external device including part attribute information for a first part used to repair the product, identifies the part ID corresponding to the first part by referring to the first correspondence information based on the part attribute information, A process to obtain the part ID of a replacement part that replaces the first part by referring to the second correspondence information based on the identified part ID, A process to obtain the part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the substitute part by referring to the first correspondence information, The system includes a control unit that performs a process of transmitting the part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the acquired replacement part to the external device, Information processing device. (Note 2) The control unit accesses a server managed by the manufacturer of each of the plurality of components to identify the components that can be substituted for one another. The information processing device described in Appendix 1. (Note 3) The system acquires repair history information, including the aforementioned part attribute information, from the external device, and identifies the parts that can be substituted for each other based on the acquired repair history information. The information processing device described in Appendix 1 or 2. (Note 4) The control unit arranges a first image representing the product and a second image representing the parts as nodes, connects the first image and the second image with line segments based on the first correspondence information, and connects the second images representing parts that can be substituted for each other with line segments based on the second correspondence information, and outputs a hierarchical structure with either the first image or the second image as the root. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 3. (Note 5) When the node is moved in the hierarchical structure, the control unit performs the second correspondence information update process according to the connection relationship of the node in the hierarchical structure after the move. The information processing device described in Appendix 4. (Note 6) In the update process, the control unit adds information indicating that the record of the correspondence relationship of the part ID before the update is pre-update, and adds the record of the correspondence relationship of the part ID after the update to the second correspondence relationship information. The information processing device described in Appendix 5. (Note 7) A computer comprising a storage unit that stores: first correspondence relationship information that associates a part ID that uniquely identifies each of several parts used in the repair of a product with part attribute information that indicates the attributes of the part, and second correspondence relationship information that associates the part IDs of parts that can be substituted for each other, A process that, based on a request from an external device including part attribute information for a first part used to repair the product, identifies the part ID corresponding to the first part by referring to the first correspondence relationship based on the part attribute information, A process to obtain the part ID of a replacement part that replaces the first part by referring to the second correspondence relationship based on the identified part ID, A process to obtain the part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the substitute part by referring to the first correspondence relationship, The process of transmitting the part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the acquired replacement part to the external device is performed. Information processing methods. (Note 8) A computer having a storage unit that stores: first correspondence relationship information that associates a part ID that uniquely identifies each of several parts used in the repair of a product with part attribute information that indicates the attributes of the part, and second correspondence relationship information that associates the part IDs of parts that can be substituted for each other, A process that, based on a request from an external device including part attribute information for a first part used to repair the product, identifies the part ID corresponding to the first part by referring to the first correspondence information based on the part attribute information, A process to obtain the part ID of a replacement part that replaces the first part by referring to the second correspondence relationship based on the identified part ID, A process to obtain the part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the substitute part by referring to the first correspondence relationship, The part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the acquired replacement part is sent to the external device. The process to trust and to execute, Information processing program. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0079] 1. Parts Management System 3. Repair shop 3A·Repair factory 3B··Repair factory 3C·Repair factory 4. Vehicles 11. Processor 12...Main memory 13...Auxiliary storage section 14. Communications Department 21 Processor 22...Main memory 23...Auxiliary storage section 24. Communications Department 25. Input section 26.. Output section 100 ·· Parts Management Server 101. Vehicle Registration Department 102. Parts Registration Department 103. Related section 104...Answer section 105. Management Database 200... Repair factory terminal 200A ·· Repair shop terminal 200B · Repair shop terminal 200C... Repair shop terminal 800 ··Mouse cursor 1011...Vehicle registration screen 1012 ··Vehicle Identification Information Input Field 1013 ··Manufacturer input field 1014 ··Vehicle type input field 1015 ··Register button 1016 ··Cancel button 1021 ·· Parts Registration Screen 1022 ··Model number input field 1023 ··Manufacturer input field 1024 ··Type input field 1025...Status input field 1026 ··Vehicle Identification Information Input Field 1027 ··Register button 1028 ··Cancel button 1031...Parts compatibility screen 1032 ··Vehicle node image 1033 ··Genuine Parts Node Image 1034 ·· Compatible parts node image 1051 ··Vehicle Management Table 1052 ·· Parts Management Table 1053 ··Association Table 10251 ·· Pull-down menu B1 connecting bus B2 connecting bus N1 Network

Claims

1. A storage unit that stores: first correspondence relationship information that associates a part ID that uniquely identifies each of several parts used in the repair of a product with part attribute information that indicates the attributes of the part, and second correspondence relationship information that associates the part IDs of parts that can be substituted for each other. A process that, based on a request from an external device including part attribute information for a first part used to repair the product, identifies the part ID corresponding to the first part based on the part attribute information by referring to first correspondence information, A process to obtain the part ID of a replacement part that replaces the first part by referring to the second correspondence information based on the identified part ID, A process to obtain the part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the substitute part by referring to the first correspondence information, The system includes a control unit that performs a process of transmitting the part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the acquired replacement part to the external device, Information processing device.

2. The control unit accesses a server managed by the manufacturer of each of the plurality of components to identify the components that can be substituted for one another. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The system acquires repair history information, including the aforementioned part attribute information, from the external device, and identifies the parts that can be substituted for each other based on the acquired repair history information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The control unit arranges a first image representing the product and a second image representing the parts as nodes, connects the first image and the second image with line segments based on the first correspondence information, and connects the second images representing parts that can be substituted for each other with line segments based on the second correspondence information, and outputs a hierarchical structure with either the first image or the second image as the root. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. When a node is moved in the hierarchical structure, the control unit performs the second correspondence information update process according to the connection relationship of the node in the hierarchical structure after the move. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4.

6. In the update process, the control unit adds information indicating that the record of the correspondence relationship of the part ID before the update is pre-update, and adds the record of the correspondence relationship of the part ID after the update to the second correspondence relationship information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5.

7. A computer comprising a storage unit that stores: first correspondence relationship information that associates a part ID that uniquely identifies each of several parts used in the repair of a product with part attribute information that indicates the attributes of the part, and second correspondence relationship information that associates the part IDs of parts that can be substituted for each other, A process that, based on a request from an external device including part attribute information for a first part used to repair the product, identifies the part ID corresponding to the first part based on the part attribute information by referring to first correspondence information, A process to obtain the part ID of a replacement part that replaces the first part by referring to the second correspondence information based on the identified part ID, A process to obtain the part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the substitute part by referring to the first correspondence information, The process of transmitting the part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the acquired replacement part to the external device is performed. Information processing methods.

8. A computer having a storage unit that stores: first correspondence relationship information that associates a part ID that uniquely identifies each of several parts used in the repair of a product with part attribute information that indicates the attributes of the part, and second correspondence relationship information that associates the part IDs of parts that can be substituted for each other, A process that, based on a request from an external device including part attribute information for a first part used to repair the product, identifies the part ID corresponding to the first part based on the part attribute information by referring to first correspondence information, A process to obtain the part ID of a replacement part that replaces the first part by referring to the second correspondence information based on the identified part ID, A process to obtain the part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the substitute part by referring to the first correspondence information, The process of transmitting the part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the acquired replacement part to the external device is performed. Information processing program.

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