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

Abstract

This makes it easier to identify replacement parts during repairs. [Solution] This information processing device includes a memory unit that stores first correspondence information that associates part IDs that uniquely identify each of multiple parts used in product repair with part attribute information that indicates the attributes of the parts, and second correspondence information that associates part IDs of parts that can be substituted for each other, and a control unit that executes the following processes: based on a request from an external device including part attribute information for a first part used in product repair, identifying a part ID corresponding to the first part based on the part attribute information by referencing the first correspondence information; based on the identified part ID, acquiring a part ID of a substitute part that will substitute for the first part by referencing the second correspondence information; acquiring part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the substitute part by referencing the first correspondence information; and transmitting the acquired part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the substitute part to the external device.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A technology for managing vehicle parts has been proposed. Patent Document 1 proposes a technology for identifying parts that can be installed on a vehicle by managing a vehicle ID that indicates the vehicle, a part ID that indicates the part, and information that indicates whether the part can be installed, in association with each other. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-062637 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In addition to genuine parts from vehicle manufacturers, there are also alternative parts that are compatible with genuine parts that can be installed on vehicles, and different model numbers are assigned to genuine parts and alternative parts. Furthermore, in the case of parts supplied by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), even the same part may have a different model number assigned to it by the supplier than by the customer. Therefore, when replacing a part installed in a vehicle, it is not easy to identify the part to be used as a replacement. These challenges are also common to repairs of products other than vehicles.

[0005] One aspect of the disclosed technology aims to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can easily identify parts to be replaced during repair. [Means for solving the problem]

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

[0007] According to this information processing device, even if a product manufacturer or a compatible parts manufacturer assigns a unique model number to each part, a part ID that uniquely identifies each part is assigned to each part. Then, the part IDs of parts that are interchangeable with each other are associated with each other by the second correspondence information. In this information processing device, which manages the correspondence of part IDs in this manner, the part attribute information of the alternative part can be transmitted to the external device based on a request including the part attribute information for the first part used to repair the product, making it easy to identify interchangeable parts.

[0008] The information processing device may further include the following feature: The information processing device accesses the servers managed by the manufacturers of the respective products and identifies the parts that can be substituted for each other. By obtaining information from the servers managed by the manufacturers, the information processing device can make the information on the parts that can be substituted for each other more reliable.

[0009] The information processing device may further include the following feature: acquiring repair history information including the part attribute information from the external device, and identifying the parts that can be substituted for each other based on the acquired repair history information. By using the repair history information including information on parts that were actually used in repairs as a basis, the information processing device can make the information on the parts that can be substituted for each other more reliable.

[0010] The information processing device may further include the following feature: the control unit outputs a hierarchical structure in which the image representing the product is used as a root and images representing the plurality of parts are used as nodes subordinate to the root, and the images representing the parts associated in the second correspondence information are connected by line segments. By outputting such a hierarchical structure, the information processing device can output the relationship between interchangeable parts in a visually easy-to-understand manner.

[0011] The information processing device may further include the following feature: when the node is moved in the hierarchical structure, the control unit executes processing for updating the correspondence relationship of the part ID in the second correspondence information in accordance with the connection relationship of the node in the hierarchical structure after the move. The information processing device can update the information associated in the second correspondence information by a simple operation of operating the visually displayed hierarchical structure.

[0012] The information processing device may further include the following feature: In the update process, the control unit appends information indicating that the part ID correspondence before the update is the pre-update, and adds a record of the part ID correspondence after the update to the second correspondence information. In other words, the pre-update information is left in the second correspondence information with a notation indicating that it is the pre-update information, so the information processing device can later verify whether or not there was an error in the update process.

[0013] The disclosed technology can also be understood from the aspects of an information processing method and an information processing program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the disclosed technology, parts to be used for replacement during repairs can be easily identified. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

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

[0016] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a parts management system 1 according to an embodiment. The parts management system 1 is a system that manages parts used in repairing a vehicle 4, and when an inquiry is received about parts (alternative parts) that can be used in place of parts that are normally used at repair factories 3A, 3B, and 3C, provides information about the alternative parts to the repair factories 3A, 3B, and 3C. The vehicle 4 is an example of a "product."

[0017] The parts management system 1 includes a parts management server 100, a repair factory terminal 200A, a repair factory terminal 200B, a repair factory terminal 200C, and a network N1. When the repair factory terminals 200A, 200B, and 200C are not distinguished from one another, they are also referred to as repair factory terminals 200. When the repair factories 3A, 3B, and 3C are not distinguished from one another, they are also referred to as repair factories 3.

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

[0019] The repair shop terminal 200 is an information processing device used in the repair shop 3 that repairs the vehicle 4. The repair shop terminal 200 transmits substitute part inquiry information that inquires about substitute parts that can substitute for parts that are scheduled to be used to the parts management server 100, and receives information about substitute parts from the parts management server 100 as a response to the substitute part inquiry information. The repair factory terminal 200B is an information processing device used in the repair factory 3B. The repair factory terminal 200C is an information processing device used in the repair factory 3C.

[0020] The network N1 is a computer network that connects information processing devices to each other so that they can communicate with each other. The network N1 may be a wired or wireless network. The network N1 is, for example, the Internet.

[0021] <Parts used to repair vehicle 4> Many parts, such as steering wheels, brake calipers, oil filters, timing chains, spark plugs, mirrors, and wipers, are used in the manufacture of the vehicle 4. As described above, each part comes in a variety of varieties, including genuine parts and compatible parts. These parts are assigned model numbers that identify the respective parts within the manufacturer that manufactured them. That is, genuine parts are assigned model numbers that identify the respective genuine parts within the vehicle manufacturer, and compatible parts are assigned model numbers that identify the respective compatible parts within the compatible parts manufacturer that manufactured them. Because these model numbers are assigned independently by each manufacturer, there is often no correlation between the model numbers assigned to genuine parts and the model numbers assigned to compatible parts. Furthermore, even the same part may be assigned different model numbers depending on the year and location of manufacture. Furthermore, even if the same part is improved, the model numbers assigned to the improved part may differ. Because each part manufacturer assigns model numbers independently, it may be difficult to identify compatible parts for a faulty part when repairing the vehicle 4 using the repair shop terminal 200. In order to make it easier to identify such parts, the parts management system 1 employs the following configuration.

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

[0023] The processor 11 is also called a microprocessor unit (MPU) or a central processing unit (CPU). The processor 11 is not limited to a single processor, but may have a multi-processor configuration. Furthermore, a single processor 11 connected via a single socket may have a multi-core configuration. The processor 11 may be, for example, a Digital The processor 11 may include a dedicated processor such as a signal processor (DSP), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a numerical processor, a vector processor, or an image processor. The processor 11 may also include an integrated circuit (IC) or other digital circuit. At least a part of the processor 11 may include an analog circuit. The integrated circuit may be a large scale integrated circuit (LSI). Examples of such an integrated circuit include a large scale integrated circuit (LSI), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a programmable logic device (PLD). An example of a PLD is a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The processor 11 may be a combination of a processor and an integrated circuit. This combination is called, for example, a microcontroller unit (MCU), a system-on-a-chip (SoC), a system LSI, or a chipset. In the parts management server 100, the processor 11 loads a program stored in the auxiliary storage unit 13 into a work area in the main storage unit 12, and controls peripheral devices through the execution of the program. This allows the parts management server 100 to execute processing that meets a predetermined purpose. The main storage unit 12 and the auxiliary storage unit 13 are recording media that can be read by the processor 11. be.

[0024] The main memory unit 12 is exemplified as a memory unit that is directly accessed by the processor 11. The main memory unit 12 includes a random access memory (RAM) and a read only memory (ROM).

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

[0026] The auxiliary storage unit 13 is, for example, an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), a solid state drive (SSD), a hard disk drive (HDD), etc. The auxiliary storage unit 13 is also, for example, a compact disc (CD) drive device, a digital versatile disc (DVD) drive device, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc (BD) drive device, etc. The auxiliary storage unit 13 may also be provided by a network attached storage (NAS) or a storage area network (SAN). The auxiliary storage unit 13 is an example of a "storage unit."

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

[0028] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a repair shop terminal 200 according to an embodiment. The repair shop terminal 200 includes a processor 21, a main memory unit 22, an auxiliary memory unit 23, a communication unit 24, an input unit 25, an output unit 26, and a connection bus B2. The processor 21, the main memory unit 22, the auxiliary memory unit 23, the communication unit 24, and the connection bus B2 are similar to the processor 11, the main memory unit 12, the auxiliary memory unit 13, the communication unit 14, and the connection bus B1 of the parts management server 100, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

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

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

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

[0032] The management database 105 stores information related to the vehicle 4 and genuine parts and compatible parts used to repair the vehicle 4. The management database 105 is constructed, for example, in the auxiliary storage unit 13. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a vehicle management table 1051 stored in the management database 105. The vehicle management table 1051 is a table for managing information related to the vehicle 4. The vehicle management table 1051 has the following fields: "Vehicle ID," "Vehicle identification information," "Manufacturer," and "Vehicle model." The "Vehicle ID" stores an ID that uniquely identifies the vehicle 4 in the parts management system 1. The "Vehicle identification information" stores information assigned to the vehicle 4. The "Vehicle identification information" stores, for example, a vehicle identification number (VIN). The "Manufacturer" stores information indicating the manufacturer that manufactured the vehicle 4. The "Vehicle model" stores information indicating the vehicle model of the vehicle 4. The management database 105 may further store, for example, information indicating options installed in the vehicle 4 (sunroof, speakers, suspension, cold weather specifications, etc.) and information indicating transaction history (purchaser, whether the vehicle is new or used, etc.). The information stored in the "vehicle identification information," "manufacturer," and "vehicle model" fields is an example of "product attribute information." The information stored in "vehicle ID" is an example of "product ID."

[0033] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a parts management table 1052 stored in the management database 105. The parts management table 1052 has the following fields: "part ID," "model number," "manufacturer," "type," "status," and "vehicle identification information." The "part ID" field stores an ID that uniquely identifies a part used to repair a vehicle 4 in the parts management system 1. The "model number" field stores the model number assigned to the part by the manufacturer that manufactured the part. The "manufacturer" field stores information indicating the manufacturer that manufactured the part. The "type" field stores information indicating the type of part (e.g., brake caliper, oil filter, spark plug, etc.). The "status" field stores information indicating the status of the part. Examples of part statuses include a new genuine part, a used genuine part, a new compatible part, and a used compatible part. In the example of FIG. 6, the "status" field stores "genuine new" for a new genuine part, and "compatible used" for a used compatible part. "Vehicle identification information" is similar to the "vehicle identification information" in vehicle management table 1051, and stores vehicle identification information about the vehicle in which the part is used. The information stored in each of the fields "model number," "manufacturer," "type," "condition," and "vehicle identification information" is an example of "part attribute information." Part management table 1052 is information that indicates the correspondence between "part ID" and "part attribute information," and is an example of "first correspondence information."

[0034] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the association table 1053 stored in the management database 105. The association table 1053 is a table for managing the correspondence between interchangeable parts. The association table 1053 has the following fields: "First part ID," "Second part ID," and "Error." The information stored in the "First part ID" and "Second part ID" is the same as the "Part ID" in the part management table 1052. The "First part ID" and "Second part ID" store the part IDs of parts that are interchangeable with each other. When the correspondence between the "First part ID" and the "Second part ID" is updated, information indicating that the information is before the update (for example, "Incorrect registration" or "Before update") is stored in "Error." The association table 1053 is information indicating the correspondence between the part IDs of parts that are interchangeable with each other, and is an example of "second correspondence information."

[0035] Returning to FIG. 4, the vehicle registration unit 101 accepts the registration of the vehicle 4. For example, the vehicle registration unit 101 may output a vehicle registration screen on a display to accept the registration of the vehicle 4. FIG. 8 shows an example of a vehicle registration screen 1011 output by the vehicle registration unit 101 in the embodiment. 1 is a diagram. The vehicle registration screen 1011 has a vehicle identification information input field 1012, a manufacturer input field 1013, a vehicle model input field 1014, a register button 1015, and a cancel button 1016. The vehicle identification information input field 1012 is an input field for accepting input of vehicle identification information. The manufacturer input field 1013 is an input field for accepting input of information indicating the manufacturer. The vehicle model input field 1014 is an input field for accepting input of information indicating the vehicle model.

[0036] When the registration button 1015 is pressed with information related to the vehicle 4 entered in each of the input fields, the vehicle identification information input field 1012, the manufacturer input field 1013, and the vehicle model input field 1014, the vehicle registration unit 101 generates a vehicle ID that uniquely identifies the vehicle 4 in the parts management system 1, and registers the generated vehicle ID and the information entered in the vehicle identification information input field 1012, the manufacturer input field 1013, and the vehicle model input field 1014 in the vehicle management table 1051. That is, the vehicle registration unit 101 registers the generated vehicle ID in the "vehicle ID" of the vehicle management table 1051, the information entered in the vehicle identification information input field 1012 in the "vehicle identification information" of the vehicle management table 1051, the information entered in the manufacturer input field 1013 in the "manufacturer" of the vehicle management table 1051, and the information entered in the vehicle model input field 1014 in the "vehicle model" of the vehicle management table 1051. In addition, when the cancel button 1016 is pressed, the vehicle registration unit 101 erases the information entered in each of the input fields, the vehicle identification information input field 1012, the manufacturer input field 1013, and the vehicle model input field 1014, and cancels the registration in the vehicle management table 1051.

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

[0038] When information related to the part to be registered has been entered into each of the input fields, namely, model number input field 1022, manufacturer input field 1023, type input field 1024, status input field 1025, and vehicle identification information input field 1026, and the register button 1027 is pressed, the part registration unit 102 generates an ID that uniquely identifies the part to be registered in the part management system 1, and registers the generated ID and the information entered into the model number input field 1022, manufacturer input field 1023, type input field 1024, status input field 1025, and vehicle identification information input field 1026 in the part management table 1052. That is, the part registration unit 102 registers the generated ID in the "part ID" of the part management table 1052, the information entered in the model number input field 1022 in the "model number" of the part management table 1052, the information entered in the manufacturer input field 1023 in the "manufacturer" of the part management table 1052, the information entered in the type input field 1024 in the "type" of the part management table 1052, the information entered in the status input field 1025 in the "status" of the part management table 1052, and the information entered in the vehicle identification information input field 1026 in the "vehicle identification information" of the part management table 1052. Furthermore, when the cancel button 1028 is pressed, the part registration unit 102 deletes the information entered in each of the input fields, namely the model number input field 1022, the manufacturer input field 1023, the type input field 1024, the status input field 1025, and the vehicle identification information input field 1026, and cancels the registration in the part management table 1052.

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

[0040] Furthermore, the associating unit 103 may, for example, output a parts association screen on a display that visually shows the correspondence between the parts associated in this manner. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a parts association screen 1031 output by the associating unit 103 in an embodiment. The parts association screen 1031 may show the correspondence between parts using a hierarchical structure, as shown in (A) in the upper part of Fig. 10, in which a vehicle node image 1032 indicating the vehicle 4 is used as the root, and genuine part node images 1033 indicating genuine parts that can be applied to repair the vehicle 4 indicated by the vehicle node image 1032 and compatible part node images 1034 indicating compatible parts that can be applied to repair the vehicle 4 indicated by the vehicle node image 1032 are arranged as nodes. Furthermore, the parts correspondence screen 1031 may show the correspondence relationships of parts used to repair the vehicle 4 using a hierarchical structure, for example, as shown in the lower part (B) of FIG. 10 , in which one of the compatible part node images 1034, a compatible part node image 10341, is used as the root, and the vehicle node image 1032, the genuine part node image 1033, and the compatible part node image 1034 are arranged as nodes. The parts correspondence screen 1031 may use any of the vehicle node image 1032, the genuine part node image 1033, and the compatible part node image 1034 as the root. In the hierarchical structures exemplified in the upper part (A) of FIG. 10 and the lower part (B) of FIG. 10, the root serves as the starting point for searching (exploring) nodes in the hierarchical structure, and also serves as the basis for showing the correspondence relationships between the root and each node. In this embodiment, the part association screen 1031 has a hierarchical structure with a vehicle node image 1032 as the root, as shown in the upper part (A) of Fig. 10. In the hierarchical structure of the part association screen 1031, for example, an image showing a part stored in the "first part ID" of the association table 1053 is arranged as a parent node, and an image showing a part stored in the "second part ID" is arranged as a child node. In such a hierarchical structure, the genuine part node image 1033 may be arranged as a child node of the compatible part node image 1034, or the compatible part node image 1034 may be arranged as a child node of the genuine part node image 1033.On the part correspondence screen 1031, parts that can be substituted for each other are visually displayed by the connection relationship between the genuine part node image 1033 and the compatible part node image 1034.

[0041] On the part correspondence screen 1031, the vehicle node image 1032 is represented as a diamond, the genuine part node image 1033 as a circle, and the compatible part node image 1034 as a rectangle, but the vehicle node image 1032, genuine part node image 1033, and compatible part node image 1034 may be, for example, photographs of the corresponding vehicles or parts. Furthermore, the names of the vehicle node image 1032, genuine part node image 1033, and compatible part node image 1034 may be added near the vehicle node image 1032, genuine part node image 1033, and compatible part node image 1034. This processing allows users of the parts management system 1 to easily understand which nodes correspond to which parts and vehicles.

[0042] Here, the associating unit 103 associates parts by moving nodes on the part correspondence screen 1031. The component association screen 1031 may accept modifications to the component association. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state in which a certain compatible component node image 1034 has been designated on the component association screen 1031. Such designation can be achieved, for example, by using a pointing device such as a mouse to move the mouse cursor 800 onto the desired compatible component node image 1034 (for example, the compatible component node image 1034A, which is one of the child nodes of the compatible component node image 1034C). The designated compatible component node image 1034A is then moved to the position of the child node of the compatible component node image 1034B. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of the component association screen 1031 after the designated compatible component node image 1034A has been moved. It can be seen that, as a result of the node movement, the compatible component node image 1034A has become a child node of the compatible component node image 1034B.

[0043] When the compatible part node image 1034A is moved in this manner, the associating unit 103 updates the association table 1053. That is, the associating unit 103 registers information indicating an incorrect registration in the "Error" field of the record in the association table 1053 in which the part ID of the compatible part node image 1034C is stored as the "First part ID" and the part ID of the compatible part node image 1034A is stored as the "Second part ID." The associating unit 103 then adds to the association table 1053 a record in which the part ID of the compatible part node image 1034B is stored as the "First part ID" and the part ID of the compatible part node image 1034A is stored as the "Second part ID." Furthermore, when outputting the part correspondence screen 1031, the associating unit 103 excludes records in the association table 1053 in which an incorrect registration is registered as an "Error" field, to visually display the correspondence between parts.

[0044] The associating unit 103 may also accept a correction to the association of interchangeable parts by adding or deleting a line segment between nodes on the part association screen 1031. Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a certain genuine part node image 1033 and another compatible part node image 1034 are designated on the part association screen 1031. In Fig. 13, a compatible part node image 1034D and a genuine part node image 1033A are selected, and the selected nodes are represented by dotted lines.

[0045] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the nodes selected in FIG. 13 are connected by a line segment. In FIG. 14, a line segment L1 is set connecting the compatible part node image 1034D and the genuine part node image 1033A. When the line segment L1 is set in this manner, the associating unit 103 adds a record to the association table 1053, storing the part ID of the genuine part node image 1033A as the "first part ID" and storing the part ID of the compatible part node image 1034D as the "second part ID." Note that, like the compatible part node image 1034D in FIG. 14, a node having multiple parent nodes may exist on the part association screen 1031.

[0046] Returning to FIG. 4 , upon receiving the substitute part inquiry information from the repair shop terminal 200, the reply unit 104 transmits reply information including information related to the substitute part to the repair shop terminal 200. The reply unit 104, for example, refers to the parts management table 1052 based on the vehicle identification information and information related to the part planned to be used included in the substitute part inquiry information, and acquires the part ID of the part planned to be used. The reply unit 104 then refers to the association table 1053 and extracts a record in which the acquired part ID is stored in the "first part ID" or "second part ID" field. The reply unit 104 acquires the part ID (also referred to as the substitute part ID) associated with the part ID of the part planned to be used in the extracted record. The reply unit 104 acquires information associated with the substitute part ID in the parts management table 1052 (e.g., model number, manufacturer, type, vehicle identification information), and transmits the acquired information to the repair shop terminal 200 as information related to the substitute part.

[0047] <Processing flow> FIG. 15 shows an example of a processing flow related to vehicle registration in the parts management server 100 according to the embodiment. An example of a processing flow related to vehicle registration by the parts management server 100 will be described below with reference to FIG.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0058] In step S41, the associating unit 103 outputs the component correspondence screen 1031. In step S42, the associating unit 103 accepts a change operation (moving a node, adding or deleting a line segment connecting nodes) for step S1031. In step S43, the associating unit 103 updates the association table 1053 in accordance with the change operation accepted in step S42.

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

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

[0061] In step S53, the response unit 104 refers to the association table 1053 based on the part ID of the part scheduled to be used acquired in step S52, and identifies an alternative part ID. In step S54, the response unit 104 acquires information related to the alternative part associated with the alternative part ID identified in step S53 from the part management table 1052.

[0062] In step S55, the replying unit 104 transmits to the repair shop terminal 200 the information on the substitute part acquired in step S54.

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

[0064] Here, mutually interchangeable parts are registered in association table 1053 based on correspondence information indicating which compatible parts can be substituted for which genuine parts, which information is obtained from a server managed by a compatible parts manufacturer. According to this embodiment, information is registered in association table 1053 based on information provided by the compatible parts manufacturer, thereby increasing the reliability of the information registered in association table 1053.

[0065] According to this embodiment, the relationships between interchangeable parts are visually displayed by the hierarchical structure of the part correspondence screen 1031. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to easily identify parts that can substitute for a certain part.

[0066] In this embodiment, the association table 1053 is updated by accepting modifications to the association of substitutable parts by moving nodes and adding or deleting lines connecting nodes in the hierarchical structure of the part correspondence screen 1031. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the association of substitutable parts can be updated with a simple operation.

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

[0068] The hierarchical structure of the parts correspondence screen 1031 of this embodiment makes it possible to visually display, for example, various vehicle models and compatible parts that can replace various genuine parts. Therefore, this embodiment can also be used for sales activities of compatible parts.

[0069] <Modification> In the embodiment described above, correspondence information indicating which genuine parts can be substituted for compatible parts is obtained from a server managed by a compatible parts manufacturer. However, the correspondence information indicating which genuine parts can be substituted for compatible parts is not limited to being obtained from a server managed by a compatible parts manufacturer. For example, repair history information on repairs performed on the vehicle 4 at the repair shop 3 may be accumulated in the repair shop terminal 200. The repair history information may include, for example, a correspondence relationship between information on parts removed from the vehicle 4 for replacement and information on parts installed in the vehicle 4 after replacement. The parts management system 1 may obtain the repair history information from the repair shop terminal 200 and, based on the correspondence relationship contained in the obtained repair history information, obtain correspondence information indicating which genuine parts can be substituted for compatible parts. Because such repair history information is information based on actual replacement records, the reliability of the information registered in the association table 1053 can be increased.

[0070] The substitute part inquiry information may also include information indicating the condition of the part, such as "genuine new" indicating a new genuine part or "compatible used" indicating a used compatible part. In such a case, the reply unit 104 may transmit to the repair shop terminal 200 information related to the substitute part that is narrowed down to information matching the condition included in the substitute part inquiry information. In this embodiment, the reply unit 104 transmits the information related to the substitute part in response to reception of the substitute part inquiry information. However, the transmission of the information related to the substitute part by the reply unit 104 does not have to be triggered by reception of the substitute part inquiry information. The transmission of the information related to the substitute part by the reply unit 104 may be performed, for example, by batch processing of the substitute part inquiry information stored in the auxiliary storage unit 13. For example, the substitute part inquiry information transmitted from the repair shop terminal 200 may be stored in the auxiliary storage unit 13, and a process of identifying a substitute part ID based on the substitute part inquiry information stored in the auxiliary storage unit 13 may be performed at a predetermined timing, such as overnight.

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

[0072] Furthermore, in the case where information indicating that the information is before the update is stored in "Error" for the correspondence relationship between a certain component A and another component B in the association table 1053, if a change operation to associate components A and B on the component correspondence screen 1031 is detected, the association unit 103 may output a confirmation screen to confirm the execution of the change operation or prohibit the change operation. By outputting the confirmation screen or prohibiting the change operation, it is possible to prevent an incorrect association of components from being registered in the association table 1053.

[0073] The embodiments and modifications disclosed above can be combined with each other.

[0074] <Computer-readable recording medium> An information processing program that causes a computer or other machine or device (hereinafter referred to as a computer, etc.) to realize any of the above functions can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Then, by having the computer, etc. read and execute the program from this recording medium, the function can be provided.

[0075] Here, a computer-readable recording medium refers to a recording medium that stores information such as data and programs electrically, magnetically, optically, mechanically, or chemically and that can be read by a computer. Among such recording media, those that are removable from a computer include, for example, flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), Compact Disc-Recordable (CD-R), Compact Disc-Rewriteable (CD-RW), Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), Blu-ray Disc (BD), Digital Audio Tape (DAT), 8mm tape, flash memory, external hard disk drives, and solid state drives (SSDs). Furthermore, recording media that are fixed to a computer include built-in hard disk drives, SSDs, ROMs, etc.

[0076] The terms "unit," "means," "device," and "system" used in the above-described embodiments and claims do not simply mean physical means, but also include cases where the functions they possess are realized by software or software services. Furthermore, the functions of a single "unit," "means," "device," or "system" may be realized not only by a single physical means, software, software module, or device, but also by multiple physical means, software, software modules, devices, or a combination thereof.

[0077] The terms used in the above embodiments and claims should be interpreted as open-ended terms. For example, the term "including" should be interpreted as "not limited to what is described as including." The term "containing" should be interpreted as "not limited to what is described as containing." The term "comprising" should be interpreted as "not limited to what is described as comprising." The term "having" should be interpreted as "not limited to what is described as having." The term "comprising" should be interpreted as "not limited to what is described as comprising."

[0078] (Appendix 1) a storage unit that stores first correspondence information that associates part IDs that uniquely identify each of a plurality of parts used in repairing a product with part attribute information that indicates attributes of the parts, and second correspondence information that associates the part IDs of the parts that can be substituted for each other; a process of identifying the part ID corresponding to a first part used in repairing the product by referring to the first correspondence information based on a request from an external device including the part attribute information about the first part; a process of obtaining the part ID of an alternative part that substitutes for the first part by referring to the second correspondence information based on the identified part ID; a process of acquiring the part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the alternative part by referring to the first correspondence relationship information; and a control unit that executes a process of transmitting the part attribute information corresponding to the acquired part ID of the alternative part to the external device. Information processing device. (Appendix 2) the control unit accesses a server managed by a manufacturer that manufactures each of the plurality of parts, and identifies the parts that can be substituted for each other. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1. (Appendix 3) acquiring repair history information including the part attribute information from the external device, and identifying the parts that can be substituted for each other based on the acquired repair history information; 3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2. (Appendix 4) the control unit arranges a first image showing the product and a second image showing the part as nodes, connects the first image and the second image with a line segment based on the first correspondence information, and connects the second images showing the parts that can be substituted for each other with a line segment based on the second correspondence information, and outputs a hierarchical structure with either the first image or the second image as a root. 4. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. (Appendix 5) when the node is moved in the hierarchical structure, the control unit executes a process of updating the second correspondence relationship information in accordance with a connection relationship of the node in the hierarchical structure after the movement. 5. The information processing device according to claim 4. (Appendix 6) In the update process, the control unit adds information indicating that the record is before update to the correspondence relationship of the component ID before update, and adds the record of the correspondence relationship of the component ID after update to the second correspondence relationship information. 6. The information processing device according to claim 5. (Appendix 7) a computer including a storage unit that stores first correspondence information that associates part IDs that uniquely identify each of a plurality of parts used in repairing a product with part attribute information that indicates attributes of the parts, and second correspondence information that associates the part IDs of the parts that can be substituted for each other, a process of identifying the part ID corresponding to a first part used in repairing the product by referring to the first correspondence relationship based on a request from an external device including the part attribute information about the first part used in repairing the product; a process of obtaining the part ID of an alternative part that substitutes for the first part by referring to the second correspondence relationship based on the identified part ID; a process of acquiring the part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the alternative part by referring to the first correspondence relationship; and transmitting the part attribute information corresponding to the acquired part ID of the alternative part to the external device. Information processing methods. (Appendix 8) A computer including a storage unit that stores first correspondence information that associates part IDs that uniquely identify each of a plurality of parts used in repairing a product with part attribute information that indicates attributes of the parts, and second correspondence information that associates the part IDs of the parts that can be substituted for each other, a process of identifying the part ID corresponding to a first part used in repairing the product by referring to the first correspondence information based on a request from an external device including the part attribute information about the first part; a process of obtaining the part ID of an alternative part that substitutes for the first part by referring to the second correspondence relationship based on the identified part ID; a process of acquiring the part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the alternative part by referring to the first correspondence relationship; The part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the acquired substitute part is sent to the external device. and execute the process of receiving the data. Information processing program. [Explanation of symbols]

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

Claims

1. a storage unit that stores first correspondence information that associates part IDs that uniquely identify each of a plurality of parts used in repairing a product with part attribute information that indicates attributes of the parts, and second correspondence information that associates the part IDs of the parts that can be substituted for each other; a process of identifying the part ID corresponding to a first part to be used in repairing the product by referring to the first correspondence information based on a request from an external device including the part attribute information about the first part; a process of referring to the second correspondence information based on the identified part ID and acquiring the part ID of an alternative part that substitutes for the first part; a process of acquiring the part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the alternative part by referring to the first correspondence relationship information; and a control unit that executes a process of transmitting the part attribute information corresponding to the acquired part ID of the alternative part to the external device. Information processing device.

2. the control unit accesses a server managed by a manufacturer that manufactures each of the plurality of parts, and identifies the parts that can be substituted for each other. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. acquiring repair history information including the part attribute information from the external device, and identifying the parts that can be substituted for each other based on the acquired repair history information; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. the control unit arranges a first image showing the product and a second image showing the part as nodes, connects the first image and the second image with a line segment based on the first correspondence information, and connects the second images showing the parts that can be substituted for each other with a line segment based on the second correspondence information, and outputs a hierarchical structure with either the first image or the second image as a root. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. when the node is moved in the hierarchical structure, the control unit executes a process of updating the second correspondence relationship information in accordance with a connection relationship of the node in the hierarchical structure after the movement. The information processing device according to claim 4 .

6. In the update process, the control unit adds information indicating that the correspondence relationship between the component IDs before the update is before the update, and adds the correspondence relationship between the component IDs after the update to the second correspondence relationship information. The information processing device according to claim 5 .

7. a computer including a storage unit that stores first correspondence information that associates part IDs that uniquely identify each of a plurality of parts used in repairing a product with part attribute information that indicates attributes of the parts, and second correspondence information that associates the part IDs of the parts that can be substituted for each other, a process of identifying the part ID corresponding to a first part to be used in repairing the product by referring to the first correspondence information based on a request from an external device including the part attribute information about the first part; a process of referring to the second correspondence information based on the identified part ID and acquiring the part ID of an alternative part that substitutes for the first part; a process of acquiring the part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the alternative part by referring to the first correspondence relationship information; and transmitting the part attribute information corresponding to the acquired part ID of the alternative part to the external device. Information processing methods.

8. a computer including a storage unit that stores first correspondence information that associates a part ID that uniquely identifies each of a plurality of parts used in repairing a product with part attribute information that indicates attributes of the part, and second correspondence information that associates the part IDs of the parts that can be substituted for each other; a process of identifying the part ID corresponding to a first part to be used in repairing the product by referring to the first correspondence information based on a request from an external device including the part attribute information about the first part; a process of referring to the second correspondence information based on the identified part ID and acquiring the part ID of an alternative part that substitutes for the first part; a process of acquiring the part attribute information corresponding to the part ID of the alternative part by referring to the first correspondence relationship information; and transmitting the part attribute information corresponding to the acquired part ID of the alternative part to the external device. Information processing program.

Images