Information processing system and information processing method

Abstract

To provide a technology for promoting the use of an electric automobile in a car lease.SOLUTION: An enterprise information system 10 includes a customer management part 24 and an electric charge billing part 44. The customer management part 24 manages information on a customer of a car lease service including an electric automobile in a lease object. The electric charge billing part 44 bills an electric charge to a customer of an electric enterprise. The electric charge billing part 44 bills a discounted electric charge to the customer in the case that the customer of the electric enterprise is also a customer of the car lease service.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to data processing technology, and more particularly to an information processing system and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] A car leasing system has been proposed that presents car models equipped with or capable of being equipped with major equipment selected by the user from among vehicles offered by multiple car manufacturers (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-35164 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, the movement to switch from internal combustion vehicles (ICVs) to electric vehicles (EVs) has been accelerating worldwide, and there is a desire for EVs to become even more popular in car leasing.

[0005] This disclosure has been made in light of these circumstances, and one of its purposes is to promote the use of EVs in car leasing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problem, an information processing system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a customer management unit that manages information about customers of a car leasing service that includes electric vehicles as lease targets, and an electricity billing unit that bills electricity bills to customers of the electric utility. If a customer of the electric utility is also a customer of the car leasing service, the electricity billing unit bills the customer a discounted electricity bill.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing method, in which a computer executes steps of managing information about customers of a car leasing service that leases electric vehicles and billing customers of an electric utility company for electricity charges, and in the billing step, if the customer of the electric utility company is also a customer of the car leasing service, billing the customer for a discounted electricity charge.

[0008] Any combination of the above components, or any conversion of the expression of the present disclosure between an apparatus, a computer program, a recording medium on which a computer program is recorded, etc., is also valid as an aspect of the present disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to promote the use of EVs in car leasing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a corporate information system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the classification of discounts on electricity charges and fuel charges in an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing discount details for each category. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The subject of the device or method of the present disclosure includes a computer. The computer executes a computer program to realize the functions of the subject of the device or method of the present disclosure. The computer includes, as its main hardware configuration, a processor that operates according to the computer program. The type of processor is not important as long as it can realize the functions by executing the computer program. The processor is composed of one or more electronic circuits including semiconductor integrated circuits (IC, LSI, etc.). The computer program is recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a computer-readable ROM, optical disk, or hard disk drive. The computer program may be pre-stored on the recording medium or may be supplied to the recording medium via a wide area communication network including the Internet.

[0012] The technology of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings based on preferred embodiments. The embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the invention, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention. Identical or equivalent components, parts, and processes shown in each drawing are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted where appropriate. Furthermore, the scale and shape of each part shown in each drawing are set for convenience to facilitate explanation and should not be interpreted as limiting unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, when terms such as "first" and "second" are used in this specification or claims, unless otherwise specified, they do not represent any order or importance, but are used to distinguish one configuration from another.

[0013] An outline of an embodiment will be described. In recent years, the trend of switching from ICVs (for example, gasoline engine vehicles) to EVs (for example, secondary battery electric vehicles) has been accelerating worldwide, and further spread of EVs is desired in car leasing as well.

[0014] On the other hand, EVs still face challenges, such as an insufficient infrastructure for charging stations and insufficient driving range. As a result, car leasing users may feel uneasy about renting an EV. Furthermore, even if a customer returns an EV and decides to rent an ICV after leasing due to dissatisfaction with the above challenges, the change can incur significant costs, making it difficult to change vehicles in a car lease.

[0015] In light of these issues, the present embodiment proposes an information processing system that follows the gradual shift from ICVs to EVs and promotes the use of EVs in car leasing services that include EVs as leasing targets. The information processing system of the present embodiment has the following four features. Feature 1: Provides a car leasing service that makes it easy to switch between ICVs and EVs. Feature 2: Discounts on electricity bills for car leasing customers. Feature 3: When a leased EV is returned by the customer, it will be converted into a vehicle eligible for the car sharing service. Feature 4: EV lease fees are determined based on the revenue generated by the EV in the car sharing service.

[0016] Let's take a look at Feature 1. In conventional car leasing services, if a customer changes the vehicle they borrow and use under a lease contract (hereinafter referred to as the "lease vehicle") to another vehicle during the lease contract period (in other words, if they change vehicles), they are required to pay a set damages fee based on the remaining period of the lease contract. For example, if the monthly lease fee is 30,000 yen and there are two and a half years left on the lease contract, and they change vehicles, they may be required to pay a set damages fee of 30,000 yen x 30 months = 900,000 yen. Therefore, in conventional car leasing, it was difficult for customers to flexibly change their lease vehicles.

[0017] In the information processing system of the embodiment, when a customer changes the leased vehicle during a specified period within the lease contract, for example, when changing from an EV to an ICV or from an ICV to an EV, the customer is not charged an amount equivalent to the specified damages. This allows for a highly convenient car leasing service and promotes the use of EVs in car leasing.

[0018] Feature 2 will now be described. When leasing an EV, the customer's electricity bill may be high due to the need to charge the EV. In the information processing system of the embodiment, if a customer of a car leasing service is also a customer of an electricity business operated by a company related to the company providing the car leasing service, the customer's electricity bill is discounted. This can promote the use of EVs in car leasing.

[0019] Feature 3 will now be explained. The used EV market is less developed than ICVs, and the expected residual value (also known as resale value) of EVs in the used car market tends to be low. As a result, EV lease fees are high, making it difficult to include EVs in the eligible vehicles for car leasing. In the information processing system of the embodiment, when a leased EV is returned by a customer, it becomes possible to switch that EV to an eligible vehicle for a car sharing service. This reduces EV lease fees and promotes the use of EVs in car leasing.

[0020] Feature 4 will now be explained. Until now, the lease fee for a certain vehicle has been determined based on the vehicle's expected residual value in the used car market. However, as mentioned above, the used EV market is less developed than that for ICVs, making it difficult to determine an appropriate lease fee for an EV. In the information processing system of the embodiment, the lease fee for an EV is determined based on the revenue generated by the EV in a car sharing service. This makes it possible to determine an appropriate lease fee for an EV, thereby promoting the use of EVs in car leasing.

[0021] The information processing system of the embodiment has all of the above-mentioned Features 1 to 4, but it will be understood by those skilled in the art that it is also possible to realize an information processing system having any one of the above-mentioned Features 1 to 4. It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that it is also possible to realize an information processing system having any two or three of the above-mentioned Features 1 to 4.

[0022] The information processing system of the embodiment will be described in detail. 1 shows the configuration of a corporate information system 10 according to an embodiment. The corporate information system 10 is an information processing system for an energy company that sells oil. The energy company (including group companies) according to the embodiment operates a car leasing business, a car sharing business, and an electricity business in addition to a petroleum product sales business.

[0023] The electricity business can be considered a retail electricity business, operating as an independent power producer that provides surplus energy to the power grid. The petroleum product sales business includes fuel sales at multiple service stations associated with an energy company, for example, multiple service stations that carry the brand name of the energy company. A service station is, for example, a gas station, hereinafter also referred to as "SS."

[0024] In an embodiment, a customer of a car leasing service can select and register a specific service station from among multiple service stations associated with an energy provider as a support service station (support SS). A support SS is an SS selected by the user as a "regular" SS. Typically, an SS located in a convenient location for the user is likely to be selected as a support SS.

[0025] 1 includes a block diagram showing multiple functional blocks provided in a computer that constitutes a corporate information system 10. The corporate information system 10 includes a car leasing system 20, a car sharing system 30, an electricity business system 40, a store device 50, and a fuel billing unit 54.

[0026] Each block shown in the block diagrams of this disclosure can be realized in hardware terms by elements and mechanical devices such as a computer's CPU and memory, and in software terms by a computer program, etc. However, the functional blocks shown here are realized by the cooperation of these elements. Those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various ways by combining hardware and software.

[0027] A computer program that implements the functions of at least some of the functional blocks shown in Fig. 1 may be installed in the storage of one or more computers. The CPUs of the one or more computers may load the installed computer program into their main memory and execute it to perform the functions of the functional blocks shown in Fig. 1.

[0028] In addition, the functions of the multiple functional blocks shown in Figure 1 may be executed by a single computer or may be distributed and executed by multiple computers. When the functions of the multiple functional blocks shown in Figure 1 are distributed and executed by multiple computers, the multiple computers may send and receive data via a communication network including a LAN, a WAN, and the Internet.

[0029] The car leasing system 20 is an information processing system that processes data related to a car leasing business (car leasing service) operated by an energy company. The car leasing system 20 includes a lease fee determination unit 22, a lease vehicle management unit 23, a customer management unit 24, a customer information notification unit 25, and a lease fee billing unit 26. Hereinafter, a vehicle leased to a customer, or in other words, a vehicle to be leased, will also be referred to as a "leased vehicle." In the car leasing service of the embodiment, the leased vehicles that can be rented by customers include both ICVs and EVs.

[0030] The lease fee determination unit 22 determines the lease fee for each of a plurality of lease vehicles. The lease fee determination unit 22 determines the lease fee for an EV in a car leasing service based on the revenue obtained from the EV in a car sharing service. The method for determining the lease fee for an EV will be described later.

[0031] The leased vehicle management unit 23 stores and manages information relating to multiple leased vehicles (hereinafter also referred to as "lease vehicle information"). The leased vehicle information includes the lease fee for each leased vehicle determined by the lease fee determination unit 22. When an EV leased to a customer is returned by the customer, the leased vehicle management unit 23 is configured to cooperate with the car sharing system 30 (shared vehicle management unit 32) described below so as to be able to switch the returned EV from a vehicle eligible for the car leasing service to a vehicle eligible for the car sharing service.

[0032] The customer management unit 24 stores and manages information about customers of the car leasing service. The customer information notification unit 25 transmits the information about customers of the car leasing service stored in the customer management unit 24 to the electric utility system 40 (customer management unit 42) described below. The customer information notification unit 25 also transmits the information about customers of the car leasing service stored in the customer management unit 24 to the fuel billing unit 54 described below.

[0033] The lease fee billing unit 26 bills each customer of the car leasing service stored in the customer management unit 24 for the lease fee. The lease fee billing unit 26 may bill each customer for the lease fee in cooperation with a system or device of a financial institution such as a credit company. Furthermore, when a customer switches their lease vehicle from a first vehicle (e.g., an ICV) to a second vehicle (e.g., an EV), the lease fee billing unit 26 does not bill the customer an amount equivalent to the specified damages that will be incurred according to the remaining period of the lease contract for the first vehicle.

[0034] In the embodiment, the lease contract period for the car leasing service is five years. In the embodiment, if a customer changes the leased vehicle between the 25th and 48th months of the lease contract period (the two-year period from the third to fourth year, hereinafter also referred to as the "specific period"), the lease fee invoice unit 26 will not invoice the customer for the amount equivalent to the specified damages, regardless of the model of the leased vehicle. On the other hand, if a customer changes the leased vehicle outside the specific period within the lease contract period, the lease fee invoice unit 26 will invoice the customer for the amount equivalent to the specified damages, as before.

[0035] As a variant, the specified period during which the lease customer is not charged the amount equivalent to the specified damages when switching leased vehicles may vary depending on the vehicle type of the leased vehicle. For example, the specified period for switching a leased vehicle from an EV to another vehicle (e.g., an ICV) may be set before the specified period for switching a leased vehicle from a vehicle other than an EV (e.g., an ICV) to another vehicle. For example, when the leased vehicle is an EV, the lease fee billing unit 26 may not bill the customer the amount equivalent to the specified damages if the customer switches leased vehicles between the third and twenty-sixth months of the lease contract period. On the other hand, when the leased vehicle is an ICV, the lease fee billing unit 26 may not bill the customer the amount equivalent to the specified damages if the customer switches leased vehicles between the twenty-fifth and forty-eighth months of the lease contract period.

[0036] The car sharing system 30 is an information processing system that processes data related to a car sharing business (car sharing service) operated by an energy company. The car sharing system 30 includes a shared vehicle management unit 32. The shared vehicle management unit 32 stores and manages information related to multiple vehicles that can be used in the car sharing service.

[0037] The electric power business system 40 is an information processing system that processes data related to the electric power business operated by an energy business operator. The electric power business system 40 may be a system of an electric power company that is a group company of the energy business operator. The electric power business system 40 includes a customer management unit 42 and an electricity billing unit 44.

[0038] The customer management unit 42 stores and manages information about customers of the electric utility. The customer management unit 42 stores customer information for the car leasing service sent from the car leasing system 20 (customer information notification unit 25). In other words, if a customer of the electric utility is also a customer of the car leasing service, the customer management unit 42 stores information indicating this. For example, in the corporate information system 10, the same customer may be assigned the same customer ID across multiple systems, such as the car leasing system 20 and the electric utility system 40. If the customer ID included in the customer information for the car leasing service sent from the car leasing system 20 matches a customer ID assigned to a customer of the electric utility, the customer management unit 42 may set a flag in the information of that customer indicating that the customer is currently using the car leasing service.

[0039] The customer management unit 42 also stores data indicating the amount of electricity used by each customer. The amount of electricity used by each customer includes the amount of electricity used in each customer's home, as well as the amount of electricity used at charging spots, charging stands, and charging stations outside the home (for example, the amount of electricity used for route charging of an EV). The electricity billing unit 44 bills each customer of the electric utility company for electricity according to the amount of electricity used by each customer stored in the customer management unit 42. The electricity billing unit 44 may bill each customer for electricity in cooperation with a system or device of a financial institution such as a credit company.

[0040] When a customer of the electric utility is also a customer of the car leasing service, the electricity billing unit 44 bills the customer a discounted electricity bill. For example, when a flag indicating that a customer is using the car leasing service is set in the information of a certain customer stored in the customer management unit 42, the electricity billing unit 44 may bill the customer a lower electricity bill than usual.

[0041] The store device 50 manages sales information for fuel at the SS. The store device 50 transmits the sales information for fuel to a fuel billing unit 54, which will be described later. The sales information includes the ID of the customer who purchased the fuel, the unit price (e.g., price per liter) of the fuel purchased by the customer, and the purchased amount.

[0042] The fuel billing unit 54 bills each customer who purchases fuel for their vehicle at a SS for the fuel cost. The fuel billing unit 54 may also bill each customer for the fuel cost in cooperation with a system or device of a financial institution such as a credit company. The fuel billing unit 54 stores information about customers of the car leasing service sent from the car leasing system 20 (customer information notification unit 25). When a customer of the car leasing service purchases fuel (e.g., fuel for a leased vehicle) at a SS, the fuel billing unit 54 bills the customer for the discounted fuel cost.

[0043] Here, the discounts on electricity charges and fuel charges in the corporate information system 10 will be explained. FIG. 2 shows the categories of discounts on electricity charges and fuel charges in the embodiment. FIG. 3 shows the discount contents for each category. In the corporate information system 10 of the embodiment, customers who use the car leasing service, have registered a support SS, and have a contract with an electricity company (an electricity contract), are classified into category 1. Customers in category 1 are then given both a discount on fuel charges (a discount of 5 yen from the regular price per liter) and a discount on electricity charges (a discount of 2 yen from the regular price per kWh (kilowatt hour)). Note that the discounts on electricity charges and fuel charges (discount amount, etc.) shown in the embodiment are merely examples, and the discounts are of course not limited to the types shown in the embodiment.

[0044] In addition, in the embodiment, customers who use the car leasing service, have registered a support SS, and do not have an electric utility contract are classified as category 2. Customers in category 2 are only given a discount on fuel charges, and not on electricity charges. Customers who use the car leasing service but do not have an electric utility contract are classified as category 3. Customers in category 3 are not given a discount on fuel charges or electricity charges, regardless of whether they have an electric utility contract or not.

[0045] As a modified example, among the customers in category 1 of the embodiment, only customers who lease EVs may be classified into category 1, and discounts may be given on both fuel and electricity charges. On the other hand, among the customers in category 1 of the embodiment, customers who lease vehicles other than EVs (e.g., ICVs) may be classified into category 2, and only discounts on fuel charges may be given. This modified example can further promote the use of EVs in car leasing.

[0046] As another variation, registration with a support SS may be excluded from the discount conditions. For example, customers who use car leasing services and have an existing contract with an electricity supplier may be classified as Category 1, regardless of whether they are registered with a support SS. On the other hand, customers who use car leasing services and have not yet signed an electricity supplier contract may be classified as Category 2, regardless of whether they are registered with a support SS.

[0047] In addition, although the electricity rate discount in the embodiment is based on a pay-per-use system, as a modified example, the electricity rate discount may be based on a flat rate system, or a combination of a flat rate system and a pay-per-use system. For example, if the electricity rate is a combination of a flat rate basic fee and a pay-per-use energy fee, instead of discounting the energy fee as in the embodiment, a predetermined amount may be discounted from the basic fee. Alternatively, the energy fee may be discounted as in the embodiment, and a predetermined amount may also be discounted from the basic fee.

[0048] Next, we will explain how to determine the lease fee for an EV in the corporate information system 10. Conventionally, the monthly lease fee for a leased vehicle has been calculated using the following formula 1. Monthly lease fee = (Vehicle procurement price + interest income - expected residual value + expenses) / lease contract period (Equation 1) The estimated residual value was calculated based on information on the current used car market (sales prices in the used car market, etc.) and trend information from the past few years (fluctuations in sales prices, etc.).

[0049] In Equation 1, vehicles with a low expected residual value at the end of the lease have higher monthly lease fees. Currently, the used EV market is immature, and EVs tend to have low expected residual values. As a result, monthly lease fees for EVs are relatively high, making it difficult to include EVs as eligible vehicles for car leasing. Another issue is that it is difficult to include EVs as eligible vehicles for services that do not charge customers a specified amount of damages when switching leased vehicles (also known as "switching services").

[0050] Therefore, in the corporate information system 10 of the embodiment, when a leased EV is returned by a customer, an option is provided to convert the returned EV from a car lease vehicle to a car sharing vehicle. As a result, in the embodiment, the lease fee for the EV in the car leasing service is determined based on the revenue obtained from the EV in the car sharing service. This prevents the EV lease fee from becoming too expensive.

[0051] Specifically, the lease fee determination unit 22 of the car lease system 20 calculates the monthly lease fee for the EV using the following formula 2. Monthly lease fee = (Vehicle procurement price + interest income - expected share vehicle income + expenses) / lease contract period ...(Formula 2) The expected revenue from shared vehicles is calculated using the following formula 3. Estimated revenue from shared vehicles = Planned car sharing service fee (yen / 15 minutes) × estimated annual usage time (calculated from planned utilization rate) × vehicle usage period (years) – expenses (Equation 3)

[0052] As a variant, the lease fee determination unit 22 may calculate the value of the monthly lease fee for the EV using both Equation 1 and Equation 2, and determine the lower of the value calculated using Equation 1 and the value calculated using Equation 2 as the monthly lease fee for the EV.

[0053] Describe possible use cases for leasing or trading in an EV. Case 1: When implementing a switching service between EVs and ICVs, the amount of the specified damages may become large, resulting in a large loss for the car leasing business. In this case, the period for which EVs returned by customers are converted to the car sharing service and the utilization rate of EVs in the car sharing service should be considered, and EVs whose leases have expired can be used in the car sharing service. For example, the lease vehicle management unit 23 of the car leasing system 20 may estimate the vehicle usage period and utilization rate of the EV returned by the customer using Equation 3 based on the model year and condition of the EV, and if the estimated revenue from the shared vehicle using Equation 3 is equal to or greater than the specified damage cost, the EV may be converted to a car sharing service.

[0054] Case 2: The selling price of an EV on the used car market may be too low to begin with. In this case, the monthly lease fee for the EV should be determined with the option of converting the EV at the end of its lease into a shared vehicle. For example, the lease fee determination unit 22 of the car lease system 20 calculates the monthly lease fee for the EV by regarding the expected profit from the shared EV after the lease ends as equivalent to the residual value, as shown in Equation 2. In doing so, it is desirable to take into account the demand forecast for the shared vehicle (required number of vehicles, required vehicle size, etc.) and consider the feasibility of the expected profit.

[0055] The operation of the enterprise information system 10 configured as above will be described with reference to FIG. As explained in relation to Equation 1, the lease fee determination unit 22 of the car lease system 20 determines the monthly lease fee for an ICV based on information on the used car market (such as the selling price of each vehicle). Also, as explained in relation to Equations 2 and 3, the lease fee determination unit 22 determines the monthly lease fee for an EV based on the revenue earned from the EV in the car sharing service. The lease fee determination unit 22 passes the lease fee for each vehicle to the lease vehicle management unit 23 for storage.

[0056] Customer A enters into a car leasing contract with a car leasing business operated by an energy provider, and a leased vehicle 12 is provided to Customer A. Customer A also selects a specific SS from among multiple SSs associated with the energy provider as a support SS and registers the support SS. The customer management unit 24 of the car leasing system 20 stores customer information for the car leasing service that associates Customer A's ID, information about the leased vehicle 12, and information indicating that the support SS has been registered.

[0057] Customer A may complete the car lease contract and support SS registration procedures at the SS. In this case, the SS's store device 50 may transmit information about the leased vehicle 12 and information indicating that the vehicle has been registered with the support SS to the customer management unit 24 and register them. Alternatively, customer A may operate an information terminal (such as a PC or smartphone) (not shown) to access a website provided by the car lease system 20 and complete the car lease contract and support SS registration procedures online. In this case, customer A's information terminal may transmit information about the leased vehicle 12 and information indicating that the vehicle has been registered with the support SS to the customer management unit 24 and register them.

[0058] The customer information notification unit 25 of the car leasing system 20 transmits the customer information of the car leasing service to the customer management unit 42 of the electric power business system 40, and also transmits the customer information of the car leasing service to the fuel billing unit 54. The customer management unit 42 of the electric power business system 40 and the fuel billing unit 54 store the customer information of the car leasing service. Here, the customer information of the car leasing service includes information indicating that customer A is a customer of the car leasing service and information indicating that customer A has registered a support SS.

[0059] The lease fee billing unit 26 of the car lease system 20 periodically bills the customer A stored in the customer management unit 24 for the monthly lease fee for the leased vehicle 12 stored in the leased vehicle management unit 23.

[0060] If customer A changes the leased vehicle 12 to another vehicle, the customer management unit 24 stores information about the changed leased vehicle 12 in association with customer A. The lease fee billing unit 26 also switches to billing customer A the monthly lease fee for the changed leased vehicle 12. If customer A changes the leased vehicle 12 during a specific period within the lease contract period, the lease fee billing unit 26 does not bill customer A an amount equivalent to the specified damages. This makes it possible to realize a highly convenient car leasing service that makes it easy to change the leased vehicle (for example, switch between an ICV and an EV) before the expiration of the lease contract period.

[0061] Customer A enters into an electricity contract with an electric utility company operated by an energy provider and consumes the electricity provided by the electric utility company. The customer management unit 42 of the electric utility system 40 stores customer information of the electric utility company, including Customer A's ID and electricity rate plan. As described above, the customer management unit 42 also stores information indicating that Customer A is a customer of the car leasing service and information indicating that Customer A has registered a support SS.

[0062] The electricity billing unit 44 of the electric utility system 40 bills each electric utility customer for electricity charges by referring to the electric utility customer information stored in the customer management unit 42. The electricity billing unit 44 determines that customer A is both an electric utility customer and a car leasing service customer, and that the support SS has been registered, in other words, that customer A falls into category 1 in Figure 2, and bills customer A for the discounted electricity charges.

[0063] For example, the amount of electricity consumed by customer A is sequentially recorded in the customer information of the customer management unit 42. If customer A's leased vehicle 12 is an EV, the amount of electricity consumed by customer A includes the amount of electricity used for home charging and route charging of the leased vehicle 12. The electricity billing unit 44 calculates the electricity bill for customer A based on the amount of electricity consumed by customer A recorded in the customer information of the customer management unit 42 and the electricity unit price discounted by 2 yen per kWh, and bills customer A for the electricity bill.

[0064] The corporate information system 10 of the embodiment can suppress the rise in electricity charges due to EV charging and promote the use of EVs in car leasing. It can also support customer acquisition for car leasing businesses and electricity businesses. Furthermore, by including support SS registration as a condition for electricity rate discounts, it can also help foster customer loyalty for the petroleum product sales business of energy companies.

[0065] Customer A purchases fuel for the leased vehicle 12 or another owned vehicle (not shown) at a SS. The store device 50 at the SS transmits fuel sales information to the fuel billing unit 54. The fuel billing unit 54 refers to the fuel sales information and bills each customer who purchased fuel for the fuel.

[0066] As described above, the fuel billing unit 54 stores information indicating that customer A is a customer of the car leasing service and information indicating that customer A has registered a support SS. The fuel billing unit 54 determines that customer A is a customer of the car leasing service and has registered a support SS, and bills customer A for the discounted fuel price.

[0067] For example, the fuel billing unit 54 sequentially records the amount of fuel purchased by customer A and the fuel unit price at the time of purchase. The fuel billing unit 54 calculates the fuel price for customer A based on the amount of fuel purchased by customer A and the fuel unit price discounted by 5 yen per liter, and bills customer A for the fuel price. According to the corporate information system 10 of the embodiment, it is possible to offer fuel discount benefits to all customers of car leasing services, thereby supporting customer acquisition in the car leasing business. Furthermore, by including registration at a support SS as a condition for fuel discounts, it is possible to support the fostering of customer loyalty to the energy company's petroleum product sales business.

[0068] The leased vehicle management unit 23 of the car lease system 20 manages leased vehicle information relating to multiple leased vehicles. The leased vehicle information includes information indicating the status of multiple leased vehicles (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle status information") registered from an external device. The vehicle status information includes the mileage of the leased vehicle, self-diagnosis results, malfunction information, and maintenance information.

[0069] The leased vehicles (including leased vehicle 12) of the embodiment are equipped with a communication unit that communicates with external devices via a communication network such as the Internet. The communication unit of the leased vehicle repeatedly transmits and registers the latest mileage and self-diagnosis result data of the vehicle to the leased vehicle management unit 23 at predetermined times (for example, when the power is turned on / off or at a predetermined time). The leased vehicle management unit 23 accepts registration of mileage and self-diagnosis result data transmitted from a certain leased vehicle, and updates the vehicle status information of the leased vehicle based on the data.

[0070] Furthermore, at the SS, maintenance work is performed on leased vehicles (including leased vehicle 12). The store device 50 at the SS transmits data on malfunction information and maintenance information (e.g., inspection items, maintenance items, and information indicating the results of inspection and maintenance) of the leased vehicle that has undergone maintenance at the SS to the leased vehicle management unit 23 and registers it. The leased vehicle management unit 23 accepts registration of data on malfunction information and maintenance information for a certain leased vehicle transmitted from the store device 50, and updates the vehicle condition information of the leased vehicle based on that data.

[0071] When a leased vehicle 12 (here, an EV) is returned by customer A, the leased vehicle management unit 23 switches the leased vehicle 12 (EV) to an eligible vehicle for the car sharing service according to pre-stored vehicle status information of the leased vehicle 12 (EV). For example, if the mileage of the returned leased vehicle 12 (EV) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and / or if the self-diagnosis result includes a predetermined result (e.g., a result indicating battery degradation), the leased vehicle management unit 23 may switch the returned leased vehicle 12 (EV) to an eligible vehicle for the car sharing service. On the other hand, if the mileage of the returned leased vehicle 12 (EV) is less than a predetermined value and / or if the self-diagnosis result shows no abnormalities, the leased vehicle management unit 23 may maintain the returned leased vehicle 12 (EV) as a leased vehicle.

[0072] When switching a leased vehicle 12 (EV) to a vehicle eligible for the car sharing service, the leased vehicle management unit 23 may transmit data about the leased vehicle 12 (EV) to the shared vehicle management unit 32 of the car sharing system 30 and register the leased vehicle 12 (EV) in the shared vehicle management unit 32 as a vehicle eligible for the car sharing service. At the same time, the leased vehicle management unit 23 may remove the leased vehicle 12 (EV) from the list of leased vehicles by deleting the data about the leased vehicle 12 (EV) from the leased vehicle information. In this way, providing the option to convert an EV after the lease expires to a car sharing service makes it easier to reduce EV lease fees and promotes the use of EVs in car leasing.

[0073] The present disclosure has been described above based on examples. These examples are merely illustrative, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component or each treatment process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0074] Any combination of the above-described examples and modifications is also useful as an embodiment of the present disclosure. A new embodiment resulting from a combination will have the combined effects of the combined examples and modifications. It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the functions to be performed by each constituent element described in the claims can be realized by each component shown in the examples and modifications alone or in combination.

[0075] The techniques described in the above-described embodiment and modifications can be expressed as follows. [Item 1] a customer management department that manages information on customers of car leasing services that include electric vehicles as leasing targets; an electricity billing unit that bills electricity bills to customers of the electric utility; Equipped with When a customer of the electric utility is also a customer of the car leasing service, the electricity billing unit bills the customer for the discounted electricity bill. Information processing system. This information processing system will help curb the rising cost of electricity due to EV charging and promote the use of EVs in car leasing. [Item 2] In the case where a customer of the car leasing service selects a support service station from among a plurality of service stations related to a business providing the car leasing service, information indicating this is registered in the customer management unit, the electricity billing unit bills the customer a discounted electricity bill when the customer of the electricity business is also a customer of the car leasing service and has selected a support service station; Item 1. An information processing system according to item 1. This information processing system can help foster customer loyalty to service stations associated with businesses that operate car leasing businesses. [Item 3] a fuel billing unit that bills a customer of the car leasing service for a discounted fuel price when the customer purchases fuel at a service station associated with the business that provides the car leasing service; Item 3. The information processing system according to item 1 or 2. This information processing system makes it possible to provide benefits to all customers of car leasing services, thereby helping to acquire customers in the car leasing business. [Item 4] a vehicle management unit that manages information about the vehicle to be leased; when the electric vehicle leased to the customer is returned by the customer, the vehicle management unit switches the electric vehicle to a vehicle eligible for the car sharing service; 4. The information processing system according to any one of items 1 to 3. This information processing system will make it easier to include EVs in the list of vehicles eligible for car leasing, thereby promoting the use of EVs in car leasing. [Item 5] the vehicle management unit accepts registration of information regarding the state of the electric vehicle, and switches the electric vehicle to a vehicle eligible for car sharing according to the registered state of the electric vehicle; Item 4. An information processing system according to item 4. This information processing system makes it easier to make appropriate decisions about whether or not to switch a returned EV into a car sharing service eligible vehicle. [Item 6] the vehicle management unit accepts registration of information regarding the state of the electric vehicle transmitted from the electric vehicle; Item 5. An information processing system according to item 5. This information processing system makes it possible to register the latest status of leased EVs without the need for human labor or the risk of human error. [Item 7] a lease fee determination unit that determines a lease fee for the electric vehicle based on revenue obtained from the electric vehicle in a car sharing service; 7. The information processing system according to any one of items 1 to 6. This information processing system makes it possible to determine appropriate leasing fees for EVs and makes it easier to include EVs in the list of vehicles eligible for car leasing, thereby promoting the use of EVs in car leasing. [Item 8] Managing information about customers of a car leasing service that includes electric vehicles as leasing targets; billing the electric utility customers for the electricity; The computer executes In the billing step, if a customer of the electric utility is also a customer of the car leasing service, the discounted electricity fee is billed to the customer. Information processing methods. This information processing method can curb the rise in electricity costs caused by charging EVs and promote the use of EVs in car leasing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 10 Corporate information system, 20 Car leasing system, 22 Leasing fee determination department, 23 Leased vehicle management department, 24 Customer management department, 30 Car sharing system, 40 Electricity business system, 44 Electricity billing department, 54 Fuel billing department.

Claims

1. a first customer management unit that stores information about customers of a car leasing service that includes electric vehicles as lease targets; a second customer management unit that stores information about customers of an electric utility that supplies electricity to the customer's home; an electricity billing unit that calculates electricity charges to be billed to customers of the electric utility; Equipped with the second customer management unit stores information indicating that the customer of the electric power business is also a customer of the car leasing service, based on information about the customer of the electric power business and information about the customer of the car leasing service stored in the first customer management unit; the second customer management unit further stores data indicating an amount of electricity used by the customer of the electric utility, including an amount of electricity used at the customer's home and an amount of electricity used at a charging spot, a charging stand, or a charging station outside the home; When information indicating that a customer of the electric utility company is also a customer of the car leasing service is stored in the second customer management unit, the electricity billing unit calculates a discounted electricity bill for the amount of electricity used by the customer, which is stored in the second customer management unit and includes the amount of electricity used at the customer's home and the amount of electricity used at charging spots, charging stands, and charging stations outside the home. Information processing system.

2. In the second customer management unit, when a customer of the car leasing service selects a support service station from among a plurality of service stations related to a business that provides the car leasing service, information indicating this is registered, the electricity billing unit calculates the discounted electricity bill when the customer of the electricity business is also a customer of the car leasing service and has selected a support service station; The information processing system according to claim 1 .

3. a fuel price invoice unit that calculates a discounted fuel price when a customer of the car leasing service purchases fuel at a service station associated with a business that provides the car leasing service; 3. The information processing system according to claim 1.

4. a vehicle management unit that stores information about the vehicle to be leased; when the electric vehicle leased to the customer is returned by the customer, the vehicle management unit switches the electric vehicle to a vehicle eligible for the car sharing service; 4. The information processing system according to claim 1.

5. the vehicle management unit accepts registration of information regarding the state of the electric vehicle, and switches the electric vehicle to a vehicle eligible for car sharing according to the registered state of the electric vehicle; The information processing system according to claim 4 .

6. the vehicle management unit accepts registration of information regarding the state of the electric vehicle transmitted from the electric vehicle; The information processing system according to claim 5 .

7. a lease fee determination unit that determines a lease fee for the electric vehicle based on revenue obtained from the electric vehicle in a car sharing service; 7. The information processing system according to claim 4.

8. A computer of an information processing system including a first customer management unit that stores information about customers of a car leasing service that includes electric vehicles as lease targets, and a second customer management unit that stores information about customers of an electric utility that supplies electricity to customers' homes, calculating an electricity rate to be charged to customers of the electric utility; the second customer management unit stores information indicating that the customer of the electric power business is also a customer of the car leasing service, based on information about the customer of the electric power business and information about the customer of the car leasing service stored in the first customer management unit; the second customer management unit further stores data indicating an amount of electricity used by the customer of the electric utility, including an amount of electricity used at the customer's home and an amount of electricity used at a charging spot, a charging stand, or a charging station outside the home; In the calculating step, when information indicating that the customer of the electric utility company is also a customer of the car leasing service is stored in the second customer management unit, a discounted electricity rate is calculated for the amount of electricity used by the customer, which is stored in the second customer management unit and includes the amount of electricity used at the customer's home and the amount of electricity used at charging spots, charging stands, and charging stations outside the home. Information processing methods.

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