Vehicle management server

Abstract

To provide a vehicle management server which manages maintenance of vehicle parts, can reduce trouble of a vehicle owner in relation to maintenance of vehicle parts, and can implement maintenance with effective use of time.SOLUTION: A vehicle management server according to the present disclosure executes processing of: extracting, on the basis of use states of parts, a maintenance target part that requires maintenance; and making a reservation or proposal for maintenance service according to a parking location and a time period in a long-term parking schedule in response to extraction of the maintenance target part and when there is a plan for long-term parking in which a vehicle is parked for a predetermined time or longer in a vehicle usage schedule.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle management server that manages maintenance of vehicle parts. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle driving assistance system for electric vehicles that automatically searches for battery stations using the latest map information, allows the driver to select the nearest suitable battery station, provides guidance using a recalculated navigation system, obtains information such as whether or not the vehicle needs inspection, payment methods and services, and performs a vehicle inspection and transfer of a fully charged battery at an appropriate battery station on the road before driving again, all of which function in a series of linked functions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-025910 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Vehicles are equipped with parts that require maintenance periodically or for various reasons. Maintenance is usually performed at the discretion of the vehicle owner. In response to this, systems that notify the vehicle owner of the timing of maintenance have been considered. However, simply being notified of the timing of maintenance leaves the vehicle owner with the inconvenience of having to arrange the date and time of the maintenance, coordinate the maintenance shop, and complete the procedure for making a reservation for the maintenance.

[0005] The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 discloses that vehicle inspections of electric vehicles are conducted in conjunction with charging at a battery station and transferring batteries, making it possible to effectively utilize the time spent charging and transferring batteries to perform maintenance.

[0006] On the other hand, in addition to charging electric vehicles and transferring batteries, situations where general vehicles are parked for long periods of time can be expected. It would be worth considering making effective use of such long-term parked time for carrying out maintenance.

[0007] In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a technology capable of reducing the inconvenience to vehicle owners in carrying out maintenance of vehicle parts. Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology capable of carrying out maintenance that makes effective use of time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle management server that manages maintenance of vehicle parts.

[0009] The vehicle management server of the present disclosure is configured to execute the following processes: a process for acquiring the usage status of the parts; a process for acquiring a usage schedule of the vehicle; a process for extracting parts that require maintenance based on the usage status; and a process for reserving or proposing a maintenance service in accordance with the parking location and time period of the planned long-term parking when the parts that require maintenance have been extracted and the usage schedule indicates that the vehicle will be parked for a predetermined period of time or longer. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, parts to be maintained are extracted based on information on the usage status of parts acquired from a vehicle. Then, in response to the parts to be maintained being extracted and the vehicle usage schedule indicating that the vehicle will be parked for a long period of time, a reservation or proposal for a maintenance service is made according to the parking location and time period of the planned long-term parking.

[0011] This allows matching of long-term vehicle parking schedules with vehicle part maintenance. In turn, it reduces the inconvenience for users regarding the implementation of maintenance, such as coordinating the date and time of maintenance and the store where the maintenance will be performed, and the procedure for reserving the maintenance. In addition, since the maintenance is performed while the vehicle is parked, time can be used effectively. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a maintenance reservation function provided by the vehicle management server according to the embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 2] 13 is a flowchart showing a process according to a first embodiment of a maintenance reservation function. [Diagram 3] 13 is a flowchart showing a process according to a second embodiment of a maintenance reservation function. [Figure 4] 13 is a flowchart showing a process according to a third embodiment of a maintenance reservation function. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. However, when the number, quantity, amount, range, etc. of each element is mentioned in the embodiments shown below, the idea of ​​the present disclosure is not limited to the mentioned number unless it is specifically stated or the number is clearly specified in principle. Furthermore, the configurations etc. described in the embodiments shown below are not necessarily essential to the idea of ​​the present disclosure unless it is specifically stated or the number is clearly specified in principle. In addition, the same reference numerals are attached to the same or corresponding parts in each drawing, and the duplicated explanation is appropriately simplified or omitted.

[0014] 1. Maintenance reservation function The vehicle management server according to this embodiment manages the maintenance of vehicle parts. In particular, the vehicle management server according to this embodiment provides a reservation function for the maintenance of vehicle parts. Hereinafter, the maintenance reservation function provided by the vehicle management server 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0015] The vehicle management server 10 according to this embodiment is configured to be able to transmit information to and from the vehicle 1 that is the object of management. For example, the vehicle 1 performs wireless communication (e.g., cellular communication) with a base station installed in the vicinity using an on-board communication device, and the vehicle management server 10 forms a communication network that communicates with the base station via the Internet. The vehicle management server 10 may be configured to manage a plurality of vehicles 1. In this case, the vehicle management server 10 is configured to be able to transmit information to and from each of the plurality of vehicles 1.

[0016] The vehicle 1 transmits information on the usage status of parts that require maintenance periodically or for various reasons to the vehicle management server 10. Examples of parts that require maintenance periodically or for various reasons include tires, brake pads, batteries, spark plugs, wipers, and various consumables (engine oil, coolant fluid, washer fluid, etc.). The information on the usage status of parts includes information that serves as an index for determining whether or not maintenance is required for each part. Examples include the date of the last maintenance, the period since the last maintenance, tire pressure, mileage with the current parts, battery voltage, and the amount of use or remaining amount of various consumables. These may be provided for each part. The vehicle 1 may also be equipped with a sensor for detecting the information on the usage status of parts.

[0017] Furthermore, the vehicle 1 transmits the usage schedule of the vehicle 1 to the vehicle management server 10. The usage schedule of the vehicle 1 includes information on the usage time period and destination for the planned use of the vehicle 1 (commuting, shopping, pick-up and drop-off, etc.). Here, the usage schedule of the vehicle 1 may be a periodic schedule (daily or weekly schedule, etc.). Furthermore, the usage schedule of the vehicle 1 may include information on the route to the destination.

[0018] The usage schedule of vehicle 1 is registered by a user (typically the owner of vehicle 1). For example, the user registers the usage schedule by operating a terminal (e.g., a car navigation device) in vehicle 1. Alternatively, the user registers the usage schedule by operating his / her own user terminal (which may be a dedicated terminal or a general-purpose terminal such as a smartphone with a specified application installed). In this case, the usage schedule of vehicle 1 may be configured to be transmitted directly from the user terminal to vehicle management server 10. For example, the user terminal is connected to vehicle management server 10 via the Internet.

[0019] The usage schedule of the vehicle 1 may be registered for immediately prior plans. For example, when the vehicle 1 is parked in a parking lot, the estimated parking time in the parking lot may be registered as the usage schedule.

[0020] The vehicle management server 10 is typically a computer equipped with a memory and a processor. In this case, the memory is coupled to the processor and stores a plurality of executable instructions provided by a program and various data required for executing the processes. The processor operates according to the instructions to realize the execution of various processes based on the data stored in the memory. Information acquired by the vehicle management server 10 is stored as data in the memory.

[0021] The vehicle management server 10 executes a process (hereinafter also referred to as a "target part extraction process") for extracting parts requiring maintenance (hereinafter also referred to as "maintenance target parts") based on information on the usage status of parts acquired from the vehicle 1. Examples of the target part extraction process include processes such as extracting parts requiring maintenance by comparing with data on vehicles with past breakdowns, extracting parts requiring maintenance because the period since the previous maintenance is approaching or has passed the recommended maintenance period for the parts, extracting tires as parts requiring maintenance because the tire pressure is below the recommended value, and extracting a specific consumable as a part requiring maintenance because the remaining amount of the specific consumable is below a predetermined value. In response to the extraction of the parts requiring maintenance, the vehicle management server 10 may notify the vehicle 1 or a user that there are parts requiring maintenance.

[0022] Then, the vehicle management server 10 executes a process for making a reservation or proposal of a maintenance service (hereinafter also referred to as a "reservation proposal process") according to the parking location and time period in the long-term parking plan, when the maintenance target parts are extracted and the vehicle 1 is scheduled to be parked for a predetermined time or more in the usage schedule of the vehicle 1. Here, the predetermined time may be suitably determined according to the environment in which the vehicle management server 10 according to the present embodiment is applied. For example, it is considered that the predetermined time is a time generally required for maintenance. In particular, a different time may be determined according to the extracted maintenance target parts. Note that the vehicle management server 10 may be configured to execute a process for accepting parts for which maintenance is desired to be performed among the extracted maintenance target parts. In this case, a reservation for a maintenance service is not made for parts for which maintenance is not desired. By configuring in this manner, it is possible to prevent a reservation for a maintenance service from being made against the user's will. In turn, it is possible to improve usability.

[0023] When executing the reservation proposal process, the vehicle management server 10 acquires availability information for maintenance from the business 2 that performs the maintenance service. Examples of the business 2 include a dealer, a service factory, and a vehicle repair shop. In the reservation proposal process, the vehicle management server 10 selects a business 2 that can perform maintenance at the parking location and time period in the long-term parking plan, and specifies the parking location and time period to make a reservation for the maintenance service. The reservation for the maintenance service is realized, for example, by communicating with the reservation management server of the business 2.

[0024] The business entity 2 performs the maintenance service according to the reservation made by the vehicle management server 10, so that the vehicle 1 can enjoy the maintenance of the parts to be maintained while parked. Here, the parking location for the long-term parking is typically a parking lot 3 located at a different location from the business entity 2. For example, the parking lot 3 may be a parking lot at a shopping location, a parking lot at a restaurant, or a parking lot at the company where the vehicle 1 works. For this reason, the business entity 2 typically needs to dispatch a worker when performing the maintenance service. Therefore, it is desirable for the vehicle management server 10 to make a reservation for the maintenance service while taking into consideration the dispatch of such a worker. For example, the reservation destination may be limited to the business entity 2 whose parking lot 3 is included in the service provision range of the on-site maintenance, and the availability may be confirmed while taking into consideration the time required for dispatch.

[0025] However, it may be assumed that the parking location for long-term parking will be the business operator 2. For example, the vehicle 1 may be an electric vehicle and may be scheduled to be charged at a power supply facility installed at a dealer. In this case, there is no need to consider dispatching workers.

[0026] After making a reservation for a maintenance service, the vehicle management server 10 notifies the vehicle 1 or the user of the details of the reservation.

[0027] In addition, the vehicle management server 10 may be configured to notify the vehicle 1 or the user of reservation guide information (for example, store guide and reservation time guide) as a maintenance service proposal in the reservation proposal process, and execute a process to confirm the acceptance of the reservation. Furthermore, the vehicle management server 10 may search for events, playgrounds, cafes, etc. where the user can kill time near the parking location where the maintenance is to be performed, and notify the user of this information as guide information. When implementing the maintenance service proposal in this way, the vehicle management server 10 makes a reservation for the maintenance service in response to the reservation being accepted. In particular, the reservation guide information may include information about multiple businesses 2 that are candidates for reserving the maintenance service. The vehicle management server 10 may be configured to accept the selection of a business 2 that accepts (desired) the reservation from among the multiple businesses 2. By configuring in this way, it is possible to prevent a maintenance service reservation from being made against the user's will. In turn, it is possible to improve usability.

[0028] Furthermore, even if there is no long-term parking planned in the usage schedule of the vehicle 1 and the reservation proposal process is not executed, the vehicle management server 10 may execute a process of proposing to include a long-term parking plan in the usage schedule in response to the extraction of a maintenance target part in the target part extraction process (hereinafter, also referred to as "schedule proposal process"). Here, the proposed long-term parking plan is given based on learning about the past usage status of the vehicle 1. For example, it may learn that there is a regular weekly plan (lessons, work, shopping, etc.), and propose to include it in the usage schedule as a long-term parking plan. Note that the usage status of the vehicle 1 may be configured to be acquired sequentially or periodically from the vehicle 1, or may be configured to be acquired by referring to the current or past usage schedule of the vehicle 1.

[0029] When it is approved that the long-term parking plan be included in the usage schedule and the usage schedule is registered, the vehicle management server 10 makes a reservation for the maintenance service.

[0030] 2. Working Example Several embodiments of the maintenance reservation function realized by the vehicle management server 10 will be described below.

[0031] 2-1. First Example A first embodiment of the maintenance reservation function will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing processing according to the first embodiment. The first embodiment assumes a case in which some parts of the vehicle 1 have expired maintenance or the maintenance is due soon.

[0032] In step S100, a part that is a target for maintenance is extracted. This is performed by executing a target part extraction process in the vehicle management server 10. In the following description, it is assumed that at least one part that is a target for maintenance is extracted in step S100. If no part that is a target for maintenance is extracted in step S100, the process ends without executing a reservation proposal process or a schedule proposal process.

[0033] After step S100, the process proceeds to step S110.

[0034] In step S110, a selection of parts to be maintained is accepted from the parts to be maintained extracted in step S100. For example, the user selects the parts to be maintained that are the subject of the reservation proposal process by operating the terminal of the vehicle 1 or the user terminal. Here, the user may be notified of the time and cost required for maintenance of each of the parts to be maintained.

[0035] After step S110, if there is no plan for long-term parking in the usage schedule of the vehicle 1 (step S120; No), it is proposed to include a plan for long-term parking in the usage schedule (step S130). This is performed by executing a schedule proposal process in the vehicle management server 10. After step S130, the process according to the first embodiment ends.

[0036] After step S110, if the usage schedule of the vehicle 1 includes a plan for long-term parking (step S120; Yes), the process proceeds to step S140.

[0037] In step S140, a business entity 2 capable of on-site maintenance for the parking location and time period in the planned long-term parking is extracted.

[0038] After step S140, the process proceeds to step S150.

[0039] In step S150, the business 2 that can provide the service at the lowest price is selected from the businesses 2 extracted in step S140, and a reservation for the maintenance service is made. The user is also notified that the reservation has been completed. The processes related to steps S140 and S150 are performed by the vehicle management server 10 executing a reservation proposal process.

[0040] After step S150, the process proceeds to step S160.

[0041] In step S160, the on-site maintenance is carried out by the reserved business operator 2. At this point, the user may be notified of the time when the on-site maintenance will be completed. After step S160, the processing according to the first embodiment ends.

[0042] 3-2. Second Example Next, a second embodiment of the maintenance reservation function will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the process according to the second embodiment. The second embodiment assumes a case where parts to be maintained have been extracted by executing the target part extraction process, there is no plan for long-term parking in the current usage schedule, and a reservation for a maintenance service has not yet been made.

[0043] In step S200, the vehicle 1 is parked in a parking lot 3 that is a target of maintenance services provided by any of the businesses 2.

[0044] After step S200, the process proceeds to step S210.

[0045] In step S210, the estimated parking time of the vehicle 1 in the parking lot 3 is registered by the user as a usage schedule.

[0046] After step S210, if the estimated parking time indicates that the vehicle 1 is not parked for a long period in the parking lot 3 (step S220; No), the reservation proposal process is not executed and the process according to the second embodiment ends.

[0047] After step S210, if it is determined from the estimated parking time that the vehicle 1 is parked in the parking lot 3 for a long period of time (step S220; Yes), the process proceeds to step S230.

[0048] In step S230, businesses 2 capable of on-site maintenance at the parking lot 3 where the vehicle 1 is parked during the estimated parking time are extracted.

[0049] After step S230, the process executes the processes related to steps S240 and S250. Here, the processes related to steps S240 and S250 are equivalent to the processes related to steps S150 and S160. After step S250, the process related to the second embodiment ends.

[0050] 3-3.Third Example Next, a third embodiment of the maintenance reservation function will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the process according to the third embodiment. The third embodiment assumes a case in which the vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle and cannot reach a destination set in a navigation system or the like with the current remaining battery power.

[0051] In step S300, a destination is set in a navigation system or the like.

[0052] After step S300, the process proceeds to step S310.

[0053] In step S310, the vehicle management server 10 calculates the remaining battery power required to reach the destination. This may be executed in the vehicle 1 or in the vehicle management server 10.

[0054] After step S310, if the current remaining battery level is greater than the required remaining battery level calculated in step S310 (step S320; No), the processing according to the third embodiment ends.

[0055] After step S310, if the current remaining battery level is less than the required remaining battery level calculated in step S310 (step S320; Yes), the process proceeds to step S330.

[0056] In step S330, a part that is a target for maintenance is extracted. This is performed by executing a target part extraction process in the vehicle management server 10. In the following description, it is assumed that at least one part that is a target for maintenance is extracted in step S330.

[0057] After step S330, the process proceeds to step S340.

[0058] In step S340, the vehicle management server 10 extracts businesses 2 capable of performing maintenance on the parts subject to maintenance extracted in step S330.

[0059] Next, in step S350, the vehicle management server 10 further extracts businesses 2 that are equipped with power supply facilities from the businesses 2 extracted in step S340.

[0060] Next, in step S360, the vehicle management server 10 extracts businesses 2 within a predetermined range (near the route to the destination) from the businesses 2 extracted in step S350. The route to the destination may be provided by the usage schedule or may be obtained by communication with the vehicle 1.

[0061] The vehicle management server 10 notifies the user of the guidance information of the business 2 extracted in step S360, and further accepts the user's preference for the business 2 extracted in step S360.

[0062] After step S360, if the business operator 2 desired by the user is not among the businesses 2 extracted in step S360 (step S370; No), the processing according to the third embodiment ends.

[0063] After step S360, if the business operator 2 desired by the user is included among the business operators 2 extracted in step S360 (step S370; Yes), the process proceeds to step S380.

[0064] In step S380, the vehicle management server 10 notifies the user of the available reservation times (multiple selections may be possible) with the desired business 2, and confirms the acceptance of the reservation. Here, the expected arrival time at the business 2 may also be highlighted and notified.

[0065] When the reservation is accepted by the user, the reservation for maintenance and charging is made at the selected reservation available time (step S390). This allows the user to enjoy maintenance while charging at the desired business 2. As a result, the charging time can be used effectively. After step S390, the processing according to the third embodiment ends.

[0066] 3.Effects As described above, according to this embodiment, parts to be maintained are extracted based on information on the usage status of parts acquired from the vehicle 1. Then, in response to the fact that parts to be maintained have been extracted and that the usage schedule of the vehicle 1 includes a plan for long-term parking, a reservation for a maintenance service is made according to the parking location and time period of the planned long-term parking.

[0067] This makes it possible to match the long-term parking schedule of the vehicle 1 with the maintenance of the parts of the vehicle 1. In turn, it is possible to reduce the inconvenience to the user regarding the implementation of maintenance, such as coordinating the date and time of the maintenance and the store where the maintenance will be performed, and the procedure for reserving the maintenance. In addition, since the maintenance is performed while the vehicle 1 is parked, time can be used effectively. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1 vehicle 2 Business operators 3. Parking 10 Vehicle management server

Claims

1. A vehicle management server that manages maintenance of vehicle parts, A process of acquiring a usage status of the part; A process of acquiring a usage schedule of the vehicle registered by a user; A process of extracting maintenance target parts that require maintenance based on the usage status; a process of selecting a business entity capable of performing maintenance of the maintenance target part in the parking location and time period of the planned long-term parking in response to the extraction of the maintenance target part and the existence of a plan for long-term parking in which the vehicle is parked for a predetermined period of time or more in the usage schedule; A process of making a reservation for or proposing to the user a maintenance service for the parking location and the time period where the long-term parking is planned by the selected business operator; configured to run A vehicle management server comprising:

2. A vehicle management server according to claim 1, In response to the extraction of the maintenance target part when the long-term parking is not scheduled in the usage schedule, a process of suggesting to the user that the long-term parking schedule be included in the usage schedule is further executed. A vehicle management server configured as follows.

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