CONTROL DEVICE, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR OPERATION OF SYSTEM

Abstract

To improve convenience for owners or users of shared vehicles.SOLUTION: A control device includes: a storage unit that stores a history related to travelling of a vehicle; a communication unit; and a control unit that transmits and receives information to and from another device via the communication unit. The control unit outputs a first history in a first period in response to a predetermined instruction in the first period, and does not output the first history even if the predetermined instruction is received in a second period that is distinguished from the first period based on information sent from a terminal device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device, a system, and a method of operating the system. [Background technology]

[0002] In so-called car sharing, where multiple users share a vehicle, various technologies have been proposed to support users. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for managing the status of staff in a service in which vehicles are delivered by staff of a car sharing service provider. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-215769 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In car sharing, there is room to improve convenience for vehicle owners or users.

[0005] The following describes a control device and the like that can improve convenience for vehicle owners or users. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The control device in the present disclosure is a control device having a memory unit that stores a history of a vehicle's traveling, a communication unit, and a control unit that transmits and receives information to and from other devices via the communication unit, The control unit outputs a first history for a first period in response to a specified instruction during the first period, and does not output the first history during a second period that is separated from the first period based on information sent from a terminal device, even if it receives the specified instruction.

[0007] The system disclosed herein is a system having a control device and a terminal device which communicate information with each other, wherein the control device stores a history of a vehicle's driving and outputs a first history for a first period in response to a specified instruction, the terminal device sends information to the control device for distinguishing a second period from the first period, and the control device does not output the first history during the second period even when it receives the specified instruction.

[0008] A system operation method in the present disclosure is a system operation method having a control device and a terminal device that communicate information with each other, the method including a step in which the control device stores a history related to the vehicle's driving and outputs a first history for a first period in response to a specified instruction, and a step in which the terminal device sends information to the control device for distinguishing a second period from the first period, and the control device does not output the first history during the second period even when receiving the specified instruction. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the control device and the like of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve convenience for the vehicle owner or user. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a configuration of an information processing system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the configuration of a server device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a terminal device. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a vehicle. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of an operation of the information processing system. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of an operation of an information processing system according to a modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the control device. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a history. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The following describes the embodiments.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing system in an embodiment. The information processing system 1 includes one or more server devices 10, vehicles 12, and terminal devices 13, which are connected to each other via a network 11 so as to be able to communicate information with each other. The server device 10 is, for example, a server computer that belongs to a cloud computing system or other computing system and functions as a server that implements various functions. The vehicle 12 is a vehicle provided for car sharing, and is a passenger car, a commercial vehicle, or the like, equipped with a communication function and an information processing function. The vehicle 12 is connected to the network 11 via a mobile communication network. The vehicle 12 is driven manually, but a part of the driving may be automated. The vehicle 12 is, for example, a gasoline-powered automobile, an electric vehicle (BEV; Battery Electric Vehicle), a hybrid automobile (HEV; Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a plug-in hybrid automobile (PHEV; Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a fuel cell automobile (FCEV; Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle), or the like. The terminal device 13 is an information processing device equipped with a communication function, which is used by a user of the vehicle 12. The terminal device 13 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, etc. The network 11 is, for example, the Internet, but may also be an ad-hoc network, a LAN, a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), or other networks, or any combination of these.

[0013] In this embodiment, the information processing system 1 supports management of a vehicle 12 provided for car sharing. The vehicle 12 is usually used by its owner, and is provided for use by a user when a user other than the owner reserves the vehicle for use. The in-vehicle device of the vehicle 12, the server device 10, or both correspond to the "control device" of this embodiment. The control device has a storage unit that stores a history of the driving of the vehicle 12, and outputs a history during the owner use period (hereinafter referred to as the owner use history) in response to a predetermined instruction during a period during which the owner uses the vehicle 12 (hereinafter referred to as the owner use period), and does not output the owner use history even if a predetermined instruction is received during a period (hereinafter referred to as the user use period) that is separated from the owner use period based on predetermined information sent from the terminal device 13 of the user of the vehicle 12. The history includes information on the searched route, the travel route, and the points included in the searched route or the travel route, and therefore relates to the privacy of, for example, the owner who used the vehicle 12. According to the control device of this embodiment, the owner use history during the owner use period is output to the owner, but the owner use history is not output to the user during the user use period, so that the owner's privacy is protected. This at least improves the convenience for the owner.

[0014] 2 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of the server device 10. The server device 10 has a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, a control unit 23, an input unit 25, and an output unit 26. The server device 10 may be a single server computer, or may be composed of two or more computers that are communicably connected and operate in cooperation with each other. In that case, the configuration shown in FIG. 2 is appropriately arranged in the two or more server computers.

[0015] The communication unit 21 includes one or more communication interfaces. The communication interface is, for example, a LAN interface. The communication unit 21 receives information used in the operation of the server device 10, and transmits information obtained by the operation of the server device 10. The server device 10 is connected to the network 11 by the communication unit 21, and communicates information with the vehicle 12 or the terminal device 13 via the network 11.

[0016] The storage unit 22 includes, for example, one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or a combination of at least two of these, functioning as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM). The RAM is, for example, a static RAM (SRAM) or a dynamic RAM (DRAM). The ROM is, for example, an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM). The storage unit 22 stores information used in the operation of the server device 10 and information obtained by the operation of the server device 10.

[0017] The control unit 23 includes one or more processors, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination of these. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc. The control unit 23 executes information processing related to the operation of the server device 10 while controlling each part of the server device 10.

[0018] The input unit 25 includes one or more input interfaces. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen integrated with a display, or a microphone that accepts voice input. The input unit 25 accepts an operation to input information used in the operation of the server device 10, and sends the input information to the control unit 23.

[0019] The output unit 26 includes one or more output interfaces. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The output unit 26 outputs information obtained by the operation of the server device 10.

[0020] The functions of the server device 10 are realized by executing a control program in a processor included in the control unit 23. The control program is a program for making the server computer execute processing of steps included in the operation of the server device 10, thereby making the server computer realize a function corresponding to the processing of the steps. In other words, the control program is a program for making a computer function as the server device 10. Also, some or all of the functions of the server device 10 may be realized by a dedicated circuit included in the control unit 23. Also, the control program may be stored in a non-transitory recording / storage medium readable by the server device 10, and read by the server device 10 from the medium.

[0021] FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of the vehicle 12. The vehicle 12 is equipped with an in-vehicle device 30. The in-vehicle device 30 has a communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, a control unit 33, a positioning unit 34, an input unit 35, and an output unit 36. These may be configured as one control device, or may be configured by two or more control devices, or may be configured by a control device and other devices such as a communication device. The control device includes, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) and the like. The communication device includes, for example, a DCM (Data Communication Module) and the like. The control device may also be configured to include a personal computer, a tablet terminal, a smartphone terminal, a navigation device, and the like. Each unit is connected to each other or to other devices and devices of the vehicle 12 so as to be able to communicate information with each other or with other devices and devices of the vehicle 12 through an in-vehicle network conforming to a standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0022] The communication unit 31 includes one or more communication interfaces. The communication interfaces include interfaces corresponding to mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation). The communication interfaces also include interfaces corresponding to short-range wireless communication standards such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or infrared communication. The communication unit 31 receives information used in the operation of the control unit 33, and transmits information obtained by the operation of the control unit 33. The control unit 33 is connected to the network 11 via a mobile communication base station by the communication unit 31, and communicates information with other devices via the network 11.

[0023] The memory unit 32 includes one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memories are, for example, RAM or ROM. The RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. The ROM is, for example, EEPROM. The memory unit 32 functions as, for example, a main memory device, an auxiliary memory device, or a cache memory. The memory unit 32 stores information used in the operation of the control unit 33 and information obtained by the operation of the in-vehicle device 30.

[0024] The control unit 33 includes one or more processors, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination of these. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA or an ASIC. The control unit 33 executes information processing related to the operation of the vehicle 12 while controlling each part of the control unit 33.

[0025] The positioning unit 34 includes one or more Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. The GNSS includes at least one of the Global Positioning System (GPS), the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), BeiDou, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), and Galileo. The positioning unit 34 acquires position information of the vehicle 12 and transmits the information to the control unit 33.

[0026] The input unit 35 includes one or more input interfaces. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen integrated with a display, or a microphone that accepts voice input. The input interface may further include a camera that captures a captured image or an image code, or an IC card reader. The input unit 35 accepts an operation by a user to input information used for the operation of the control unit 33, and sends the input information to the control unit 33.

[0027] The output unit 36 ​​includes one or more output interfaces. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display. The output unit 36 ​​outputs information obtained by the operation of the control unit 33 to, for example, a user.

[0028] The functions of the control unit 33 are realized by executing a control program on a processor included in the control unit 33. The control program is a program for making a computer execute processing of steps included in the operation of the control unit 33, thereby making the computer realize functions corresponding to the processing of those steps. In other words, the control program is a program for making a computer function as the control unit 33. In addition, some or all of the functions of the control unit 33 may be realized by a dedicated circuit included in the control unit 33.

[0029] The control unit 33 generates information for controlling various mechanisms and devices of the vehicle 12, and sends the control information to control circuits of the various mechanisms and devices to control them.

[0030] 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the terminal device 13. The terminal device 13 is an information terminal device such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal device, etc. The terminal device 13 has a communication unit 41, a storage unit 42, a control unit 43, a positioning unit 44, an input unit 45, and an output unit 46.

[0031] The communication unit 41 includes one or more communication interfaces compatible with wired or wireless LAN standards. The communication interfaces include interfaces compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation). The communication interfaces also include interfaces compatible with short-range wireless communication standards such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or infrared communication. The terminal device 13 is connected to the network 11 by the communication unit 41 via a nearby router device or a mobile communication base station, and communicates information with other devices via the network 11.

[0032] The memory unit 42 includes one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memories are, for example, RAM or ROM. The RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. The ROM is, for example, EEPROM. The memory unit 42 functions as, for example, a main memory device, an auxiliary memory device, or a cache memory. The memory unit 42 stores information used in the operation of the control unit 43 and information obtained by the operation of the control unit 43.

[0033] The control unit 43 has, for example, one or more general-purpose processors such as a CPU, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or one or more dedicated processors specialized for a specific process. Alternatively, the control unit 43 may have one or more dedicated circuits such as an FPGA, an ASIC, or the like. The control unit 43 generally controls the operation of the terminal device 13 by operating according to a control / processing program, or operating according to an operating procedure implemented as a circuit. The control unit 43 transmits and receives various information to and from the server device 10, etc. via the communication unit 41, and executes the operation according to this embodiment.

[0034] The positioning unit 44 includes one or more GNSS receivers. The GNSS includes at least one of GPS, QZSS, BeiDou, GLONASS, and Galileo, for example. The positioning unit 44 acquires location information of the terminal device 13 and transmits the location information to the control unit 43.

[0035] The input unit 45 includes one or more input interfaces. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen integrated with a display, or a microphone that accepts voice input. The input interface may further include a camera that captures a captured image or an image code, or an IC card reader. The input unit 45 accepts an operation to input information used for the operation of the control unit 43, and sends the input information to the control unit 43.

[0036] The output unit 46 includes one or more output interfaces. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display. The output unit 46 outputs information obtained by the operation of the control unit 43.

[0037] The functions of the control unit 43 are realized by a processor included in the control unit 43 executing a control program. The control program is a program for causing the processor to function as the control unit 43. In addition, some or all of the functions of the control unit 43 may be realized by a dedicated circuit included in the control unit 43.

[0038] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation procedure of the information processing system 1 in this embodiment. FIG. 5 shows the procedure for the cooperation of the server device 10, the in-vehicle device 30, and the terminal device 13 when car sharing is performed. Here, the procedure when the in-vehicle device 30 operates as the "control device" in this embodiment is shown. Steps related to various information processing of the server device 10, the in-vehicle device 30, and the terminal device 13 in FIG. 5 are executed by the respective control units 23, 33, and 43. Also, steps related to the transmission and reception of various information of the server device 10, the in-vehicle device 30, and the terminal device 13 are executed by the respective control units 23, 33, and 43 transmitting and receiving information to each other via the communication units 21, 31, and 41, respectively. In the server device 10, the in-vehicle device 30, and the terminal device 13, the control units 23, 33, and 43, respectively, store the information to be transmitted and received in the storage units 22, 32, and 42 as appropriate. Furthermore, the control units 23, 33 and 43 accept various information inputs through the input units 35 and 45, respectively, and output various information through the output units 36 and 46, respectively.

[0039] In step S500, the terminal device 13 sends reservation information for reserving the use of the vehicle 12 to the server device 10. For example, a user of the terminal device 13 uses the terminal device 13 to access a portal site for members of a car sharing service provided by the server device 10. The portal site displays information on available vehicles 12, available times, and the like. Such information is provided in advance or as needed from the terminal device 13 used by the owner of the vehicle 12 and managed in the server device 10. The user uses the terminal device 13 to input a desired vehicle, a start time and end time of use, his / her member ID, and the like, and sends the input information to the server device 10 as reservation information for use. At this time, the reservation information includes information for identifying the terminal device 13.

[0040] In step S502, the server device 10 searches for existing reservations that may affect the acceptance of a reservation based on the reservation information of the terminal device 13, and if there is no existing reservation, accepts a new reservation based on the reservation information from the terminal device 13. The memory unit 22 stores information such as information identifying the terminal device 13, the user's member ID, identification information of the desired vehicle 12, the start time of use, and the end time of use, in association with each other.

[0041] In step S504, the server device 10 sends the acceptance information and the authentication information to the terminal device 13. The acceptance information includes, for example, information such as the reserved start time of use, the location of the vehicle 12, and the end time of use. The authentication information is used to authenticate the user who made the reservation in the vehicle 12. The terminal device 13 receives the information sent from the server device 10.

[0042] In step S506, the server device 10 transmits the acceptance information and the authentication information to the vehicle-mounted device 30. The vehicle-mounted device 30 receives the information transmitted from the server device 10.

[0043] Step S508 is executed when the user starts using the vehicle 12. In step S508, the terminal device 13 transmits authentication information and use start information to the in-vehicle device 30. The use start information is information indicating the start of use based on a reservation. When the user starts using the vehicle 12 based on a reservation, the user approaches the vehicle 12 carrying the terminal device 13 and operates the terminal device 13 to transmit the authentication information and use start information to the in-vehicle device 30. For example, the short-range communication interface of the communication unit 41 transmits the authentication information and use start information. For example, an application for car sharing is installed in the terminal device 13, and when the user selects start of use from the application menu, the terminal device 13 transmits the use start information in response to this. The in-vehicle device 30 receives information transmitted from the terminal device 13, for example, by a short-range communication module of the communication unit 31.

[0044] In step S510, the in-vehicle device 30 performs authentication processing and unlocks the vehicle 12. The in-vehicle device 30 performs authentication processing based on authentication information sent from the server device 10 and the terminal device 13. When authentication is established, the in-vehicle device 30 stores use start information together with a time stamp, and instructs the ECU that controls the door lock of the vehicle 12 to unlock. The in-vehicle device 30 may set a condition for establishing authentication that the time at which the authentication information was received matches the use start time included in the acceptance information within an arbitrary range. Through such operations of the in-vehicle device 30, the user can get into the vehicle 12 and start using the vehicle 12.

[0045] Step S512 is executed when the user ends the use of the vehicle 12. In step S512, the terminal device 13 sends authentication information and end-of-use information to the in-vehicle device 30. The end-of-use information is information indicating the end of use based on a reservation. When the user ends the use of the vehicle 12 based on a reservation, the user gets off the vehicle 12 and operates the terminal device 13 to transmit the authentication information and the end-of-use information to the in-vehicle device 30. For example, when the user selects end-of-use from a menu of a car sharing application, in response to this, the terminal device 13 transmits the end-of-use information via a short-range communication interface. The in-vehicle device 30 receives the information sent from the terminal device 13 via, for example, the short-range communication interface of the communication unit 31.

[0046] In step S514, the in-vehicle device 30 performs authentication processing and locks the vehicle 12. The in-vehicle device 30 performs authentication processing based on the authentication information, and if authentication is successful, stores use end information together with a timestamp, and instructs the ECU that controls the door locks of the vehicle 12 to lock the doors. This operation of the in-vehicle device 30 allows the user to end use of the vehicle 12. Note that the in-vehicle device 30 may invalidate the authentication information after storing the use end information. This makes it possible to improve the security of the vehicle 12.

[0047] In step S516, the in-vehicle device 30 transmits the use end information and the authentication information to the server device 10. The end information is information indicating that the use of the vehicle 12 corresponding to the authentication information has ended. The server device 10 receives the information transmitted from the in-vehicle device 30.

[0048] 5, a user use period 51 in which a user uses the vehicle 12 is separated from an owner use period 50 in which the owner uses the vehicle 12, based on information that the in-vehicle device 30 receives from the terminal device 13. For example, steps S510 to S514 correspond to the user use period 51, and the rest correspond to the owner use period 50.

[0049] FIG. 6 shows a procedure of a modified example of FIG. 5. In the modified example, when a user reserves the use of a vehicle 12, a staff member of the car sharing service provider delivers the vehicle 12 to the user. This makes it possible to improve convenience for the user. Here, the terminal devices 13 used by the user and the staff member are respectively terminal devices 13-1 and 13-2. FIG. 6 differs from FIG. 5 in the following points.

[0050] In step S500, reservation information is sent from terminal device 13-1 used by the user to server device 10. Then, in step S504, reception information and authentication information are sent from server device 10 to terminal device 13-1. Furthermore, in step S505 added to Fig. 5, server device 10 sends the reception information and authentication information to terminal device 13-2. This allows the staff member to start using vehicle 12 using terminal device 13-2.

[0051] In step S508, authentication information and use start information are sent from the terminal device 13-2 used by the staff member to the in-vehicle device 30. The staff member starts using the vehicle 12, and drives the vehicle 12 to deliver it to the user. The user receives the vehicle 12 from the staff member and starts using the vehicle 12. Then, in step S512 at the end of use, authentication information and use end information are sent from the terminal device 13-2 used by the user to the in-vehicle device 30.

[0052] Here, the in-vehicle device 30 receives authentication information and start of use information from the terminal device 13-1, and authentication information and end of use information from the terminal device 13-2. As in FIG. 5, steps S510 to S514 correspond to the user use period 52, and the rest correspond to the owner use period 50.

[0053] 5 or 6, during the owner use period 50 and the user use period 52, the in-vehicle device 30 stores a history relating to the traveling of the vehicle 12 in the storage unit 32. The owner, user, or staff may check the history when using the vehicle 12. The operation procedure of the in-vehicle device 30 in such a case is shown in FIG.

[0054] Fig. 7 is a flow chart showing an example of an operation procedure of the control unit 33 of the in-vehicle device 30. The procedure in Fig. 7 is executed at an arbitrary cycle (for example, a cycle of several tens of milliseconds to several seconds).

[0055] In step S700, the control unit 33 stores history related to the traveling of the vehicle 12 in the memory unit 32. The history is stored in a table 80 as shown in FIG. 8, for example, in association with the period type at the time the history was acquired. The period type is an owner use period or a user use period. For example, the initial value of the period type is the owner use period, and the control unit 33 determines the period type in step S705 or S707, which will be described later. The history includes information on the searched route, the travel route, and points included in the searched route or the travel route, etc. The history corresponding to the owner use period is the owner use history, and the history corresponding to the user use period is the user use history.

[0056] In step S702, the control unit 23 determines whether or not there is a history output request. When the owner, user, or staff performs an operation on the input unit 35 of the in-vehicle device 30 to request output of the history, the history output request is sent to the control unit 33. If a history output request has been received (Yes), the control unit 23 proceeds to step S704. On the other hand, if a history output request has not been received (No), the control unit 23 ends the procedure in FIG.

[0057] In step S704, the control unit 33 determines whether the information acquired the last time the authentication process was executed is use start information or use end information.

[0058] If the usage start information was acquired when the authentication process was last executed, this indicates that it is during the user usage period 52 in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. In this case, the control unit 33 executes step S706. In step S706, the control unit 33 outputs only the user usage history. For example, the user usage history is displayed in an arbitrary manner on the display of the output unit 36.

[0059] If end of use information was acquired when the authentication process was last executed, this indicates that the device is in the owner use period 50 in Figs. 5 and 6. In this case, the control unit 33 executes step S708. In step S708, the control unit 33 outputs only the owner use history. For example, the owner use history is displayed in an arbitrary manner on the display of the output unit 36.

[0060] After step S706 or S708, in step S710, the control unit 33 ends the output of the history. For example, after an arbitrary display time (for example, ten to several tens of seconds) has elapsed, the display ends. Then, the control unit 33 ends the procedure of FIG.

[0061] According to the above-described procedure, the user usage history is output during the user usage period (including the period during which the staff uses the vehicle 12), but the owner usage history is not output, so the owner can provide the vehicle 12 for car sharing without worrying that his / her usage history will be known by users or staff. On the other hand, the owner usage history is output during the owner usage period, but the user usage history is not output, so the user can use car sharing without worrying that the owner will know his / her usage history. In this way, it is possible to improve not only the owner's convenience, but also the user's convenience.

[0062] The procedures in Figures 5 to 7 are the procedures when the in-vehicle device 30 corresponds to the "control device" of this embodiment, but when the server device 10 corresponds to the "control device", the procedures in Figures 5 to 7 are changed as follows.

[0063] 5 and 6, the in-vehicle device 30 sends the authentication information and use start information received from the terminal device 13 or 13-2 to the server device 10 in step S508, where the server device performs authentication processing and sends the authentication result to the in-vehicle device 30. Then, instead of step S510, the in-vehicle device 30 unlocks the door based on the authentication result by the server device 10. Also, in step S512, the in-vehicle device 30 sends the authentication information and use end information received from the terminal device 13 or 13-1 to the server device 10, where the server device performs authentication processing and sends the authentication result to the in-vehicle device 30. Then, instead of step S514, the in-vehicle device 30 locks the door based on the authentication result by the server device 10.

[0064] 7 is performed by the control unit 23 of the server device 10. In step S700, the control unit 23 acquires and stores history information from the in-vehicle device 30. In step S702, the control unit 23 acquires and determines whether or not there is a history output request from the in-vehicle device 30. Then, in steps S706 and S708, the control unit 23 sends an instruction to the in-vehicle device 30 to output the usage history, and in step S710, sends an instruction to end the history output.

[0065] Alternatively, in a case where the server device 10 and the in-vehicle device 30 cooperate to correspond to a “control device,” for example, the in-vehicle device 30 may store the history, while the server device 10 may determine the type of usage period and generate an instruction to output the usage history in accordance with the determination result.

[0066] In the above-described embodiment, the processing and control programs that stipulate the operation of the vehicle 12 and the terminal device 13 may be stored in the memory unit 22 of the server device 10 or in the memory unit of another server device and downloaded to each device via the network 11, or may be stored in a non-transitory recording and storage medium that is readable by each device and read from the medium by each device.

[0067] In the above, the embodiment has been described based on the drawings and examples, but it should be noted that those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications and corrections based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and corrections are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each means, each step, etc. can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple means, steps, etc. can be combined into one or divided into one. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1. Information Processing Systems 10. Server device 11 Network 12 Vehicles 13 Terminal Equipment 20, 31, 41 Communications Department 21, 32, 42 storage section 22, 33, 43 Control section 34, 44 Positioning unit 25, 35, 45 Input section 26, 36, 46 Output section

Claims

1. A storage unit that stores a history of the vehicle's travel; The Communications Department and A control unit that transmits and receives information to and from other devices via the communication unit; A control device having the control unit outputs a second history in a second period determined based on information sent from a terminal device in response to a predetermined instruction, but does not output a first history in a first period other than the second period, and outputs the first history in response to the predetermined instruction, but does not output the second history, during the first period. Control device.

2. In claim 1, The information sent from the terminal device is start information indicating the start of the second period or end information indicating the end of the second period. Control device.

3. In claim 2, The start information or the end information is acquired by the terminal device when a user of the terminal device makes a reservation for use of the vehicle. Control device.

4. In claim 2, The control unit receives the start information and the end information from different terminal devices, respectively. Control device.

5. In claim 2, The control unit outputs an instruction to unlock the vehicle when receiving the start information, or outputs an instruction to lock the vehicle when receiving the end information. Control device.

6. In any one of claims 1 to 5, The history includes information on a searched route, a traveled route, and points included in the searched route or the traveled route. Control device.

7. In a system having a control device and a terminal device which communicate with each other, The control device stores a history of the vehicle's travel, the terminal device transmits information for dividing a second period from a first period to the control device; the control device outputs a second history in the second period in response to a predetermined instruction, but does not output a first history in a first period other than the second period; and outputs the first history in response to the predetermined instruction, but does not output the second history, in the first period other than the second period. system.

8. In claim 7, The information sent by the terminal device to the control device is start information indicating the start of the second period or end information indicating the end of the second period. system.

9. In claim 8, The terminal device acquires the start information or the end information by a user performing a process for reserving use of the vehicle. system.

10. In claim 8, The control device receives the start information and the end information from different terminal devices, respectively. system.

11. In claim 8, The control device outputs an instruction to unlock the vehicle when the control device receives the start information, or outputs an instruction to lock the vehicle when the control device receives the end information. system.

12. In any one of claims 7 to 11, The history includes information on a searched route, a traveled route, and points included in the searched route or the traveled route. system.

13. A method for operating a system having a control device and a terminal device that communicate with each other, comprising the steps of: The control device stores a history of the vehicle's travel, The terminal device transmits information for dividing a second period from a first period to the control device, the control device outputs a second history in the second period in response to a predetermined instruction, but does not output a first history in a first period other than the second period; and outputs the first history in response to the predetermined instruction, but does not output the second history, in the first period other than the second period. How it works.

14. In claim 13, The information sent by the terminal device to the control device is start information indicating the start of the second period or end information indicating the end of the second period. How it works.

15. In claim 14, The terminal device acquires the start information or the end information by a user performing a process for reserving use of the vehicle. How it works.

16. In claim 14, The control device receives the start information and the end information from different terminal devices, respectively. How it works.

17. In claim 14, The control device outputs an instruction to unlock the vehicle when the control device receives the start information, or outputs an instruction to lock the vehicle when the control device receives the end information. How it works.

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