SERVER DEVICE, PROGRAM, INFORMATION PROVIDING SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR OPERATION OF INFORMATION PROVIDING SYSTEM

Abstract

To accurately create and provide vehicle history information.SOLUTION: A server device has a communication part and a control part for communicating of information using the communication part. The control part receives a plurality of odometer values over time from a vehicle. When a second odometer value after a first odometer value is greater than or equal to the first odometer value, the control part sends out history information of the vehicle based on the odometer value. When the second odometer value is smaller than the first odometer value, the control part stops sending of historical information based on the odometer value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a server device, a program, an information providing system, and an operation method of an information providing system. [Background technology]

[0002] In the used car market where used cars are bought and sold, the buying and selling price of the car is assessed according to the condition of the car being bought and sold. To support the appraisal of the car, a technology has been proposed that provides the buyer or seller with vehicle history information. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that includes a chart server with a database that records the management history of each individual car, and one or more terminals that can read and write data from and to the database. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-9572 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There is room for improvement in the means of creating and providing vehicle history information.

[0005] The following describes a server device and the like that enables vehicle history information to be accurately created and provided. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The server device in the present disclosure has a communication unit and a control unit that communicates information via the communication unit, and the control unit receives multiple odometer values ​​from a vehicle over time, and when a second odometer value following a first odometer value is equal to or greater than the first odometer value, executes transmission of historical information based on the odometer values ​​of the vehicle, and when the second odometer value is smaller than the first odometer value, stops transmitting the historical information based on the odometer values.

[0007] An operation method of an information provision system in the present disclosure is an operation method of an information provision system having a server device and a vehicle that communicate information with each other, in which the server device receives a plurality of odometer values ​​from the vehicle over time, and when a second odometer value following a first odometer value is equal to or greater than the first odometer value, transmits historical information based on the odometer values ​​of the vehicle, and when the second odometer value is smaller than the first odometer value, stops transmitting the historical information based on the odometer values. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the server device and the like of the present disclosure, it is possible to accurately create and provide vehicle history information. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information providing system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the configuration of a server device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a terminal device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the information providing system. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the server device. [Figure 7A] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a transition of an odometer value. [Figure 7B] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a transition of an odometer value. [Figure 7C] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a transition of an odometer value. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the information providing system. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of history information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The following describes the embodiments.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an information providing system in an embodiment. The information providing 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 passenger car, a commercial vehicle, or the like, equipped with a communication function and an information processing function, and is connected to the network 11 via a mobile communication network. The vehicle 12 is manually driven, but a part of the driving may be automated. The vehicle 12 is, for example, a gasoline-powered automobile, an electric automobile (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 used by the owner of the vehicle 12 or a salesperson of the dealer of the vehicle 12. The owner of the vehicle 12 refers to a person who owns and drives or maintains / manages the vehicle 12. The terminal device 13 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a PC (Personal Computer), 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.

[0012] When the owner of the vehicle 12 sells the vehicle 12, the vehicle 12 is appraised by a salesperson of the dealer (hereinafter, referred to as the appraiser). The information provision system 1 collects the odometer readings of the vehicle 12 using the server device 10, and accurately creates historical information about the vehicle 12 and provides it to the appraiser. Specifically, the server device 10 has a communication unit and a control unit that communicates information using the communication unit. The control unit receives a plurality of odometer readings from the vehicle 12 over time, and executes transmission of historical information based on the odometer readings of the vehicle 12 when a second odometer reading following a first odometer reading is equal to or greater than the first odometer reading. In addition, the control unit stops transmitting historical information based on the odometer readings when the second odometer reading is smaller than the first odometer reading. Since the odometer readings of the vehicle 12 usually increase cumulatively, historical information such as the average mileage and actual fuel consumption per trip can be obtained from the amount of change, and such historical information is used as a reference for the appraisal. However, if the odometer value of the vehicle 12 is tampered with by rewinding or replacing the odometer, the reliability of the history information based on the odometer value decreases. Therefore, when the odometer value that should be cumulatively increased decreases and the probability of tampering is high, the server device 10 stops sending the history information, thereby preventing an appraisal from being made based on history information with reduced reliability. In this way, it becomes possible to accurately create and provide information indicating the condition of the vehicle.

[0013] 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 is, for example, a single computer. Alternatively, the server device 10 may be composed of two or more computers that are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate information and operate in cooperation with each other. In that case, the configuration shown in FIG. 2 is appropriately arranged in the two or more computers.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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 a computer execute processing of steps included in the operation of the server device 10, 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 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.

[0020] FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of the vehicle 12 according to the present embodiment. The vehicle 12 includes a communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, a control unit 33, a positioning unit 34, an input unit 35, an output unit 36, and a detection unit 37. 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 via an in-vehicle network conforming to a standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network) so as to be able to communicate information.

[0021] The communication unit 31 includes one or more communication interfaces. The communication interfaces are interfaces compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation). 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 by the communication unit 31 via a mobile communication base station, and communicates information with other devices via the network 11.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] The detection unit 37 has one or more sensors that detect the state or operation of each part of the vehicle 12, or an interface with the sensors, and sends information indicating the detection results by the sensors to the control unit 33. The sensors include sensors that detect the state or operation of the drive mechanism of the vehicle 12, such as an engine, a motor, a battery, a fuel cell, a power train, etc. The sensors also include sensors that detect the state or operation of the control mechanism of the motion of the vehicle 12, such as a suspension, a brake, etc. Such sensors include an odometer. Furthermore, the sensors include sensors that detect the state or operation of the living environment of the vehicle 12, such as an airbag, lighting, air conditioning, doors, door locks, etc. The sensors also include sensors that detect the state or operation of a driving operation mechanism that accepts operations for operating the drive mechanism or the motion control mechanism. Furthermore, the sensors also include sensors that detect events acting on the body of the vehicle 12, such as acceleration and flooding. Furthermore, the sensors also include radar, image sensors, infrared sensors, etc. that detect the presence of other objects around the vehicle 12, the distance to those objects, etc.

[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 controls them by sending the control information to control circuits of the various mechanisms and devices. The control unit 33 may intervene in the driving operation by controlling a mechanism that accepts driving operations.

[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, a personal computer, 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 has a communication module compatible with wired or wireless LAN standards, a module compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE, 4G, 5G, etc. 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 performs information communication 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] The operation of the information providing system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0039] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation procedure of the information providing system 1 in this embodiment. FIG. 5 shows the procedure for the cooperation operation of the server device 10, the vehicle 12, and the terminal device 13. The server device 10 can execute the procedure shown in FIG. 5 for each of one or more vehicles 12, or for each of one or more terminal devices 13. Steps related to various information processing of the server device 10, the vehicle 12, and the terminal device 13 in FIG. 5 are executed by the respective control units 23, 33, and 43. Steps related to the transmission and reception of various information of the server device 10, the vehicle 12, 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 vehicle 12, and the terminal device 13, the control units 23, 33, and 43 appropriately store the information to be transmitted and received in the storage units 22, 32, and 42, respectively. 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.

[0040] Fig. 5 shows a procedure when the server device 10 collects historical information of the vehicle 12. The terminal device 13 that executes the procedure shown in Fig. 5 is a terminal device used by the owner of the vehicle 12 or a sales representative of a dealer.

[0041] Step S500 is executed once, for example, when the owner of the vehicle 12 starts using the vehicle 12. In step S500, the terminal device 13 sends consent information regarding the disclosure of the history information to the server device 10. For example, when the owner of the vehicle 12 starts using the vehicle 12, the owner indicates his / her intention of consenting or disagreeing to the disclosure to a third party of the history information obtained from the vehicle 12 when the owner uses the vehicle 12. The owner or the salesperson operates the terminal device 13 to input information indicating consent or disagreement. For example, the terminal device 13 accesses a portal site operated by a dealer on the server device 10, acquires information on an input screen, and displays it. The owner or the salesperson inputs consent information indicating consent or disagreement along with the identification information of the owner and the identification information of the vehicle 12. The consent information includes information indicating the date and time of the consent or disagreement, and whether the consent or disagreement is indicated. The terminal device 13 displays the input screen on a display and accepts input of information by operating a key or a touch panel. The terminal device 13 sends the input information to the server device 10. The server device 10 receives information sent from the terminal device 13 .

[0042] Steps S502 and S504 are executed at an arbitrary period when the owner uses the vehicle 12. The arbitrary period may be, for example, a few hours to a few days.

[0043] In step S502, the vehicle 12 sends the detection information to the server device 10. The detection information is various information detected in the vehicle 12, including an odometer value. In the vehicle 12, the control unit 33 acquires the position information from the positioning unit 34 and the odometer value and other detection results from the detection unit 37, and sends the detection information including the position information and the detection results to the server device 10. The detection information includes information on the date and time when the position information and the detection results were acquired. The date and time information is, for example, a GPS timestamp included in the GPS signal. The detection information also includes identification information of the vehicle 12. The identification information of the vehicle 12 includes the vehicle name, grade, body color, chassis number, model, year, initial registration date, manufacturing date, etc., and is stored in the storage unit 32 in advance. The server device 10 receives the information sent from the vehicle 12. The control unit 23 may store information on the recall response of the vehicle 12 provided by the manufacturer of the vehicle 12 in the storage unit 22 in association with the identification information of the vehicle 12.

[0044] In step S504, the server device 10 generates or updates historical information of the vehicle 12 based on the detection information acquired from the vehicle 12. In the server device 10, the control unit 23 generates historical information from the detection information. The historical information includes, for example, average mileage per trip, actual fuel consumption, total mileage, diagnostic code generation history, abnormality occurrence history of the engine, transmission, motor system, suspension, brake pressure, battery, etc., oil change history, airbag operation history, etc. The control unit 23 generates such historical information based on the detection information by an arbitrary algorithm. The control unit 23 generates historical information such as average mileage per trip and actual fuel consumption based on, for example, the odometer value included in the detection information.

[0045] 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure for creating historical information such as average mileage for each trip based on the odometer value, actual fuel consumption, etc. The procedure in FIG. 6 corresponds to the subroutine of step S504 in FIG. 5, and is executed by the control unit 23 of the server device 10.

[0046] In step S602, the control unit 23 sorts the odometer readings for a predetermined period of time in the past in order of date and time based on the GPS timestamps attached to the odometer readings. The predetermined period is an arbitrary period of time, for example, several weeks to several months, and is set in advance.

[0047] In step S604, the control unit 23 divides the sorted odometer readings into unit periods. The unit period may be any period predetermined, such as one day, several days, or one week, but is set to one day here. Thus, the odometer readings are divided into units of one day.

[0048] Step S606 is a step for determining whether or not the odometer value has been tampered with in the vehicle 12, based on the transition of the odometer value. Specifically, the control unit 23 determines whether the first odometer value ODO(N)_st on the (N+1)th day is smaller than the final odometer value ODO(N)_ed on the Nth day and the final odometer value ODO(N)_ed on the (N+1)th day is smaller than the final odometer value ODO(N)_ed on the Nth day, or whether the intermediate odometer value ODO(N)_md is smaller than the first odometer value ODO(N)_st on the (N+1)th day and the final odometer value ODO(N+1)_ed is smaller than the first odometer value ODO(N)_st on the (N+1)th day.

[0049] 7A to 7C are schematic diagrams showing the transition of the odometer value. In each of the figures, the horizontal axis represents the elapsed time and the vertical axis represents the odometer value. The odometer values ​​sorted according to the GPS timestamps are plotted in a time frame 70 for the Nth day and a time frame 71 for the (N+1)th day.

[0050] FIG. 7A shows a case where the odometer value changes normally. FIG. 7A shows a case where the final odometer value ODO(N)_ed on the Nth day is equal to or greater than the initial odometer value ODO(N)_st, the initial odometer value ODO(N+1)_st on the (N+1)th day is equal to or greater than the final odometer value ODO(N)_ed on the Nth day, and the final odometer value ODO(N+1)_ed on the (N+1)th day is equal to or greater than the initial odometer value ODO(N+1)_st. In the example of FIG. 7A, the odometer value increases simply with the elapsed time, and the odometer value increases cumulatively as the vehicle 12 travels. In this case, it can be determined that the odometer value changes normally. That is, the example of FIG. 7A corresponds to the determination result "No" of step S606 in FIG. 6.

[0051] Fig. 7B shows a transition of the odometer value that is highly likely to have been tampered with. Fig. 7B shows a case where the final odometer value ODO(N)_ed on the Nth day is equal to or greater than the initial odometer value ODO(N)_st, and the final odometer value ODO(N+1)_ed on the (N+1)th day is equal to or greater than the initial odometer value ODO(N+1)_st, but the initial odometer value ODO(N+1)_st on the (N+1)th day is smaller than the final odometer value ODO(N)_ed on the Nth day, and the final odometer value ODO(N+1)_ed on the (N+1)th day is smaller than the final odometer value ODO(N)_ed on the Nth day. In the example of Fig. 7B, a discontinuity occurs in the simple increase in the odometer value between the Nth day and the N+1th day, and the odometer value decreases once and then increases again. Here, if the decrease in the odometer value is an invalid value due to a communication failure or the like, the odometer value should be restored to at least the level just before the decrease immediately after the decrease. However, even after about one day has passed, the final odometer value ODO(N+1)_ed on the (N+1)th day remains smaller than the final odometer value ODO(N)_ed on the Nth day, so the odometer value has not recovered. Therefore, in this case, it can be determined that there is a high probability that the odometer value has been tampered with by rewinding or replacing the odometer between the Nth day and the N+1th day. That is, the example of FIG. 7B corresponds to the determination result "Yes" in step S606 of FIG. 6.

[0052] FIG. 7C shows a transition of the odometer value that is highly likely to have been tampered with, different from FIG. 7B. In FIG. 7C, the final odometer value ODO(N)_ed on the Nth day is equal to or greater than the initial odometer value ODO(N)_st, and the initial odometer value ODO(N+1)_st on the (N+1)th day is equal to or greater than the final odometer value ODO(N)_ed on the Nth day, but the intermediate odometer value ODO(N+1)_md on the (N+1)th day is smaller than the initial odometer value ODO(N+1)_st on the (N+1)th day, and the final odometer value ODO(N)_ed on the (N+1)th day is smaller than the initial odometer value ODO(N+1)_st on the (N+1)th day. In the example of FIG. 7C, a discontinuity occurs in the simple increase of the odometer value in the middle of the N+1th day, and the odometer value decreases once and then increases again. Here, if the decrease in the odometer value is an invalid value due to a communication failure or the like, the odometer value should be restored to at least the level immediately before the decrease. However, even after about one day has passed, the final odometer value ODO(N+1)_ed on the (N+1)th day remains smaller than the initial odometer value ODO(N)_st on the N+1th day, so the odometer value has not recovered. Therefore, in this case, it can be determined that there is a high probability that the odometer value was tampered with by rewinding or replacing the odometer on the N+1th day. That is, the example of FIG. 7C corresponds to the determination result "Yes" in step S606 of FIG. 6.

[0053] Returning to FIG. 6, in step S606, if the odometer value changes as shown in FIG. 7A, the control unit 23 judges the result to be "No" and proceeds to step S608, and if the odometer value changes as shown in FIG. 7B or FIG. 7C, the control unit 23 judges the result to be "Yes" and proceeds to step S610.

[0054] If it is determined that the odometer value is changing normally, in step S608, the control unit 23 generates history information such as the actual fuel consumption and the average travel distance per trip based on the odometer value. Then, the control unit 23 ends the procedure of FIG.

[0055] On the other hand, if it is determined that the odometer value is highly likely to have been tampered with, in step S610, the control unit 23 does not generate history information based on the odometer value, and stores a record of the determination that the odometer value is abnormal in the storage unit 22. Then, the control unit 23 ends the procedure of Fig. 6. In this case, the control unit 23 does not generate history information based on the odometer value, but generates other history information.

[0056] In addition, in step S606, if the first odometer value ODO(N)_st on the (N+1)th day is smaller than the final odometer value ODO(N)_ed on the Nth day, or if the intermediate odometer value ODO(N)_md is smaller than the first odometer value ODO(N)_st on the (N+1)th day, the control unit 23 determines that there is a high probability that the odometer value has been tampered with and proceeds to step S610, which is also within the scope of this embodiment.

[0057] 8 shows a procedure when server device 10 discloses historical information of vehicle 12. Terminal device 13 that executes the procedure shown in FIG. The server device 10 can execute the procedure shown in Fig. 8 for each of one or more terminal devices 13. Steps relating to various information processing of the server device 10 and the terminal device 13 in Fig. 5 are executed by the respective control units 23 and 43. Furthermore, steps relating to sending and receiving various information of the server device 10 and the terminal device 13 are executed by the respective control units 23 and 43 sending and receiving information to each other via the respective communication units 21 and 41. In the server device 10 and the terminal device 13, the respective control units 23 and 43 appropriately store the information to be sent and received in the respective storage units 22 and 42. Furthermore, the control units 23 and 43 accept input of various information through the respective input units 35 and 45, and output various information through the respective output units 36 and 46.

[0058] Step S800 is executed, for example, when an appraiser appraises the vehicle 12 and determines the appraisal amount in response to a request from an owner who wishes to sell the vehicle 12. In step S800, the terminal device 13 sends a request to the server device 10 to disclose history information of the vehicle 12. An instruction requesting disclosure of the history information of the vehicle 12 is input to the terminal device 13 by the appraiser, along with identification information of the vehicle 12, identification information of the owner of the vehicle 12, identification information of the appraiser, etc. The terminal device 13 sends a request for the history information of the vehicle 12 to the server device 10 together with the input information. The server device 10 receives the information sent from the terminal device 13.

[0059] In step S802, the server device 10 confirms the agreement regarding the disclosure of the history information. The server device 10 uses the identification information of the owner or the identification information of the vehicle 12 sent from the terminal device 13 together with the disclosure request as a key, and refers to the agreement information associated with the identification information to confirm whether or not the disclosure of the history information has been agreed upon.

[0060] In step S804, the server device 10 transmits the history information or a non-agreement notice to the terminal device 13 according to the confirmation result in step S802. Here, if the server device 10 has generated history information based on the odometer value, it transmits it. That is, the server device 10 executes transmission of the history information based on the odometer value. On the other hand, if the server device 10 has not generated history information based on the odometer value, it does not transmit it. That is, the server device 10 stops transmitting the history information based on the odometer value. Also, instead of transmitting the history information based on the odometer value, the server device 10 may transmit information indicating that an abnormality in the odometer value is determined to be present to the terminal device 13. Furthermore, if an agreement has been reached regarding the disclosure of the history information, the server device 10 transmits the history information of the vehicle 12 to the terminal device 13, or if no agreement has been reached, the server device 10 transmits a non-agreement notice indicating non-agreement to the disclosure of the history information to the terminal device 13. The terminal device 13 receives the information transmitted from the server device 10.

[0061] In step S806, the terminal device 13 outputs the historical information or the notice of non-agreement received from the server device 10. For example, the terminal device 13 displays the historical information of the vehicle 12 on a display and presents it to the appraiser. This allows the appraiser to appraise the vehicle 12 by referring to the historical information. Here, if historical information based on the odometer value has been generated by the server device 10 and has been received, the terminal device 13 displays it, and if historical information based on the odometer value has not been generated and has not been received, the terminal device 13 does not display it. Alternatively, the terminal device 13 displays a message indicating that the historical information of the vehicle 12 cannot be disclosed on a display and presents it to the appraiser.

[0062] 9 shows an example of the display of historical information presented to the assessor. The historical information is displayed as a chart 9 including information for each item, such as basic information 90, important matters 92, performance diagnosis 94, and usage status 96.

[0063] The basic information 90 includes information items for identifying the vehicle 12, such as the vehicle name, grade, body color, chassis number, model, year, date of first registration, and date of manufacture.

[0064] The important matters 92 include information indicating whether or not an inappropriate operation or action has been applied to the vehicle body. The important matters 92 include an item regarding whether or not the odometer may need to be replaced or rewound. For example, "Yes" is displayed here in response to a record in which an odometer value is determined to be abnormal. The important matters 92 also include an item of the total value from before the odometer was replaced or rewound. However, if it is determined that the odometer value has been tampered with and therefore history information based on the odometer value is not generated, the total value is not displayed. Furthermore, the important matters 92 include items such as whether or not a warning light is on, whether or not an impact exceeding a standard has been detected, whether or not a diagnostic code has been detected, and whether or not a recall has been addressed.

[0065] The performance diagnosis 94 includes items such as the engine, transmission, motor system, suspension, brake pressure, and battery, and indicates whether each item is normal or abnormal.

[0066] The usage status 96 includes items such as fuel efficiency values ​​based on past driving records, i.e., actual fuel efficiency, and average driving distance per trip. These items correspond to history information based on odometer values. For example, when history information based on odometer values ​​is generated, the generated values ​​are displayed here, but when history information based on odometer values ​​is not generated, no values ​​are displayed. The usage status 96 also includes items such as average number of driving days, number of trips driven in coastal areas and heavy snow areas, and speed distribution. When the probability of tampering with the odometer value is high, the reliability of the various detection information is low, so that history information corresponding to these items is not generated, and therefore no values ​​are displayed. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which an appraisal is made based on unreliable information.

[0067] According to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to accurately create and provide information indicating the state of the vehicle 12.

[0068] 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]

[0069] 1 Information provision system 10. Server equipment 11 Network 12 Vehicles 13 Terminal Equipment 21, 31, 41 Communications Department 22, 32, 42 storage section 23, 33, 43 Control section 34, 44 Positioning unit 25, 35, 45 Input section 26, 36, 46 Output section 37 Detection unit

Claims

1. The Communications Department and a control unit that communicates information through the communication unit; the control unit receives a plurality of odometer values ​​from the vehicle over time, and executes transmission of history information based on the odometer values ​​of the vehicle when a second odometer value following a first odometer value is equal to or greater than the first odometer value, and when the second odometer value is smaller than the first odometer value, executes transmission of the history information based on the odometer value when a third odometer value acquired within a predetermined period following the second odometer value is greater than the first odometer value, and stops transmission of the history information based on the odometer value when the third odometer value is equal to or less than the first odometer value; the first odometer reading is a final odometer reading in a first time period, the second odometer reading is a first odometer reading in a second time period after the first time period, and the third odometer reading is an odometer reading in the second time period. Server device.

2. In claim 1, the third odometer reading being a last odometer reading during the second period; Server device.

3. In any one of claims 1 and 2, When the control unit stops transmitting the history information based on the odometer value, the control unit transmits information indicating an abnormality in the odometer value. Server device.

4. When executed by a computer, the computer is caused to operate as the server device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. program.

5. An information providing system comprising the server device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and a vehicle.

6. A method for operating a system having a server device and a vehicle that communicate with each other, comprising the steps of: the server device receives a plurality of odometer readings from the vehicle over time, and executes transmission of history information based on the odometer readings of the vehicle when a second odometer reading following a first odometer reading is equal to or greater than the first odometer reading, and when the second odometer reading is smaller than the first odometer reading, executes transmission of the history information based on the odometer reading when a third odometer reading obtained within a predetermined period following the second odometer reading is greater than the first odometer reading, and stops transmission of the history information based on the odometer reading when the third odometer reading is equal to or less than the first odometer reading, the first odometer reading is a final odometer reading in a first time period, the second odometer reading is a first odometer reading in a second time period after the first time period, and the third odometer reading is an odometer reading in the second time period. How it works.

7. In claim 6, the first odometer reading is a final odometer reading in a first time period, and the third odometer reading is a final odometer reading in a second time period. How it works.

8. In claim 6 or 7, the server device transmits information indicating an abnormality in the odometer value when the server device stops transmitting the history information based on the odometer value. How it works.

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