Information processing device

Abstract

To improve usability of a predetermined service.SOLUTION: An information processing device that processes information on a user of a predetermined service includes: first operation means that calculates the probability of the user selling belongings, as a first operation value; second operation means that calculates the probability of the user purchasing a new product, as a second operation value; and transmission means that transmits, when both the first operation value and the second operation value meet respective criteria, information for the user to purchase the new product, to the user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device mainly for a vehicle trade-in service. [Background technology]

[0002] Among the services that handle goods, there are those that support users in purchasing new goods on the premise that they sell their possessions, that is, those that provide so-called trade-in services (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-173404 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned services, users often find communication troublesome, and further improvements in usability are required, especially in today's information-based society.

[0005] The present invention aims, for example, to improve the usability of a given service. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention relates to an information processing device, the information processing device comprising: A trade-in service that allows you to purchase new products in exchange for selling your belongings An information processing device that processes user information, Based on first information indicating the communication history of the user with an appraisal agent who appraises the belongings, The user The aforementioned a first calculation means for calculating a probability of selling the belongings as a first calculation value; Based on second information indicating a communication history of the user with a seller selling the new product, The user The aforementioned a second calculation means for calculating a probability of purchasing a new product as a second calculation value; When both the first calculated value and the second calculated value satisfy a criterion, the user purchases the new product. Support or assist in the actual implementation of the procedures. for Third and a transmitting means for transmitting information to the user. It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the usability of a given service. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a service system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a mode of providing a service. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0010] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a service system SY according to the first embodiment. The service system SY includes a plurality of terminals T owned by a plurality of users U, and an information processing device 1 capable of communicating with the terminals T. Each terminal T is typically a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, but may also be a personal computer (PC) or other electrical device with a communication function, such as a smart watch or a game console. The terminal T may also be expressed as a communication terminal or the like. The information processing device 1 is capable of mutual communication with each terminal T via a network N, and manages information about the corresponding user U, details of which will be described later.

[0011] The information processing device 1 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 11 and a memory 12. The CPU 11 loads a predetermined program on the memory 12, enabling the implementation of each function described below. As another example, the information processing device 1 may be configured with an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and its functions may be implemented by causing at least one processing circuit with memory to execute a predetermined program. In other words, the functions of the information processing device 1 can be implemented by either software or hardware.

[0012] The information processing device 1 may be expressed as an information management device 1, an information providing device 1, or the like.

[0013] In such a service system SY, the information processing device 1 provides information about services to a user U via a network N and a terminal T, and also accepts orders for services from the user U via the terminal T and the network N. The services include, for example, a vehicle purchase service, a vehicle sale service, etc., and in this embodiment, further includes a trade-in service. In a vehicle trade-in service, the user U can sell a vehicle that the user U owns and use the resulting proceeds to purchase a new vehicle (next / another vehicle).

[0014] For ease of explanation, the vehicle to be sold will be referred to as vehicle Vo, and the new vehicle will be referred to as vehicle Vn. Here, vehicle Vn is not limited to a specific vehicle, but may be one or more vehicles selected from multiple candidates that may be purchased.

[0015] Furthermore, the term "service" is interpreted broadly, and in this specification, the concept of service includes not only the products and services provided to user U, but also part of the content provided to user U in the process, and for the purpose of distinction, this part may be expressed as a sub-service.

[0016] In the trade-in service described above, in many cases, the user U first has the vehicle Vo appraised, and then considers purchasing the vehicle Vn based on the results of the appraisal. The appraisal of the vehicle Vo itself is often performed by the user U via a website using the terminal T. This allows the user U to have the vehicle Vo appraised relatively easily without having to meet or talk face-to-face with a seller (dealer or other intermediary).

[0017] After evaluating the vehicle Vo, the user U may contact a dealer if necessary to consider purchasing the vehicle Vn, but the actual action may be left to the user U. In other words, subsequent services to the user U who has evaluated the vehicle Vo may be required to be provided in a manner appropriate for the user U.

[0018] Therefore, in the service system SY of this embodiment, a preparatory service for considering the purchase of a new vehicle Vn (here, a service for evaluating the vehicle Vo) is first provided to the user U, and the nature of the subsequent service provided to the user U (here, a service for actually proceeding with the purchase procedure for the vehicle Vn) can be changed as needed.

[0019] 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a service provision mode according to this embodiment. This flowchart is mainly realized by the information processing device 1, and the outline thereof is to evaluate a user U's willingness to sell a vehicle Vo and a willingness to purchase a vehicle Vn, and to provide the user U with subsequent services based on the evaluation results.

[0020] In step S2000 (hereinafter simply referred to as "S2000," and the same applies to other steps described later), information Inf1 indicating a communication history is obtained from the terminal T of each user U. Information Inf1 may be expressed as communication history information Inf1.

[0021] A typical example of communication history is a website browsing history, which can be divided into multiple categories depending on its content or attributes. For example, a trade-in service can be divided into multiple sub-services: a sale, an appraisal (a step prior to the sale), and a purchase (which occurs approximately simultaneously with the sale). From this perspective, communication history can be divided into, for example, a browsing history of a website provided by an appraisal company that appraises a vehicle Vo, and a browsing history of a website provided by a dealer selling a product Vn. In other words, communication history information Inf1 can be said to include information Inf1a indicating the communication history between the appraisal company and user U, and information Inf1b indicating the communication history between the dealer and user U.

[0022] In this embodiment, the appraiser and the seller are the same company, but in other embodiments, they may be different companies, or different departments (e.g., people, sections, divisions, etc.) within the same company. If the appraiser and the seller are the same company, the information Inf1a and Inf1b can be distinguished by performing known analysis, such as determining whether or not a specific keyword is present in the communication content.

[0023] Here, the information Inf1a can be expressed as appraisal consultation information Inf1a from the perspective of the user U consulting with an appraisal agent regarding the appraisal of the vehicle Vo. The appraisal consultation information Inf1a typically includes information indicating the appraisal result (selling price or appraisal price) of the vehicle Vo. Alternatively / additionally, the appraisal consultation information Inf1a may include information indicating preparation for the appraisal of the vehicle Vo, for example, information indicating that the user U is considering receiving sales services for the vehicle Vo, information indicating that the user U will visit / has visited an appraisal agent, etc.

[0024] Furthermore, information Inf1b can be expressed as purchase consultation information Inf1b from the perspective of user U consulting with a dealer regarding the purchase of vehicle Vn. Purchase consultation information Inf1b typically includes information indicating browsing history (website access) for vehicle V. Alternatively / additionally, purchase consultation information Inf1b may include information indicating that user U is considering receiving purchase service for vehicle Vn, information indicating that user U will visit / has visited a dealer, etc.

[0025] In S2010, the probability that the user U will sell the vehicle Vo is calculated as a calculated value D1 based on the appraisal consultation information Inf1a. Here, the probability that the user U will sell the vehicle Vo can be statistically evaluated based on past cases of multiple users (which may or may not include the user U). In addition, the probability that the user U will sell the vehicle Vo can generally be estimated by comprehensively taking into account the appraisal results of the vehicle Vo and the user U's broad lifestyle (e.g., family composition, residential area, etc.). Therefore, the calculation process for calculating the calculated value D1 can typically be performed based on an arithmetic formula that inputs the appraisal results of the vehicle Vo, but it is also preferable to perform the calculation based on the lifestyle of the user U. In this regard, information indicating the lifestyle of the user U may be acquired in another accompanying step or may be registered in advance in the memory 12 or a predetermined database.

[0026] The calculation of the calculated value D1 may be performed based on an arithmetic formula according to a predetermined program, or may be performed by AI (Artificial Interigence). In this case, for example, a learning device may be used, which is a computer including an input layer, an intermediate layer, and an output layer as a neural network. The computer includes a convolutional neural network (CNN), and this configuration enables machine learning. This machine learning is also called deep learning. For example, an autoencoder may be adopted instead of or in addition to a CNN. In this regard, the calculation may be expressed as determining, setting, etc., or as evaluating, estimating, etc.

[0027] In S2020, the probability that user U will purchase vehicle Vn is calculated as a calculated value D2 based on the purchase consultation information Inf1b. Here, the probability of purchasing vehicle Vn, like the probability of selling vehicle Vo, can be statistically evaluated based on past cases for multiple users. Generally, the probability that user U will purchase vehicle Vn can be estimated by comprehensively taking into account the appraisal results of vehicle Vo, user U's lifestyle, the price of vehicle Vn, and user U's broad economic situation (e.g., total assets, income, etc.). Therefore, the calculation process for calculating calculated value D2 can typically be performed based on an equation that inputs the appraisal results of vehicle Vo and the selling price of vehicle Vn. It is also preferable to further perform the calculation based on user U's economic situation and lifestyle. In this regard, in addition to the information indicating the lifestyle described above, information indicating user U's economic situation may be acquired in another additional step or may be pre-registered in memory 12 or a predetermined database.

[0028] The calculation of the above-mentioned calculated value D2 may be performed based on an arithmetic formula according to a predetermined program, similar to the calculation of the calculated value D1, but may also be performed by AI (Artificial Interigence).

[0029] In S2030, it is determined whether or not both of the calculated values ​​D1 and D2 satisfy the criteria. If both of the calculated values ​​D1 and D2 satisfy the criteria, the process proceeds to S2040; if not (if at least one of the calculated values ​​D1 and D2 does not satisfy the criteria), the process proceeds to S2100.

[0030] Here, the fact that both the calculated values ​​D1 and D2 satisfy the criteria corresponds to the user U being proactive in both selling the vehicle Vo and purchasing the vehicle Vn, that is, the user U's willingness to sell the vehicle Vo and the willingness to purchase the vehicle Vn are both relatively high. Therefore, for example, when the calculated value D1, which is the probability that the user U will sell the vehicle Vo, is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value D1, TH The calculated value D2, which is the probability that the user U will purchase the vehicle Vn, is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold D2 TH If it is greater, the process proceeds to S2040.

[0031] In S2040, information Inf2 for purchasing vehicle Vn is sent to user U. Information Inf2 is information for supporting or assisting user U in actually proceeding with the procedure to purchase vehicle Vn, and examples of such information include the price, inventory, dealers, websites, telephone numbers, and email addresses of vehicle Vn. Alternatively / additionally, information Inf2 does not have to be about vehicle Vn itself, but may be information based on the appraisal results of vehicle Vo, i.e., information about other vehicles equivalent to vehicle Vn. Examples of such information include information that falls within a predetermined standard range in terms of performance, price, etc. This information Inf2 may be referred to as purchase support information Inf2.

[0032] Based on the purchase support information Inf2 received in this way, the user U can contact the seller and receive a trade-in service.

[0033] In S2100, the transmission of purchase support information Inf2 is suppressed, and instead, other information Inf3 is sent to the dealer to actually proceed with the procedure for user U to receive the trade-in service. Information Inf3 includes information for informing the dealer that user U was considering receiving the trade-in service (hereinafter, information Inf3 will be referred to as notification information Inf3). In other words, if it is considered that user U has a relatively low willingness to sell vehicle Vo or a relatively low willingness to purchase vehicle Vn, purchase support information Inf2 is not sent to user U, and notification information Inf3 is sent to the dealer.

[0034] Furthermore, upon receiving the notification information Inf3 in this manner, the seller may, if necessary, attempt to contact the user U directly by telephone or email, thereby enabling the user U to consult with the seller individually and specifically.

[0035] In summary, according to this flowchart, user U's willingness to sell vehicle Vo and willingness to purchase vehicle Vn are individually evaluated, and if both are relatively high, purchase support information Inf2 is transmitted to user U. This allows user U to receive the trade-in service. On the other hand, if at least one of the willingness to sell vehicle Vo and willingness to purchase vehicle Vn is relatively low, the transmission of purchase support information Inf2 is suppressed, and instead, notification information Inf3 is transmitted to the dealer. The dealer can attempt to contact user U directly by telephone or email, as necessary. According to this embodiment, user U can receive useful information about the trade-in service in an appropriate manner at an appropriate time, for example, after browsing a website, thereby improving usability.

[0036] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it becomes possible for a retailer whose business operations tend to be diversified or fragmented to centrally plan, manage, and provide the services provided to users U, making it possible to provide high-quality services to an ever-increasing number of users U.

[0037] The contents of this embodiment may be partially changed without departing from the spirit thereof, and for example, the order of some steps in the flowchart may be changed.

[0038] For example, in S2000 for acquiring the communication history information Inf1, both the assessment consultation information Inf1a and the purchase consultation information Inf1b are acquired at once. However, they may be acquired separately in several steps. For example, the assessment consultation information Inf1a may be acquired first, and if the acquired assessment consultation information Inf1a satisfies a predetermined condition, the purchase consultation information Inf1b may be acquired. In this case, the calculation value D1 may be calculated based on the assessment consultation information Inf1a (see S2010), the purchase consultation information Inf1b may be acquired based on the result, and then the calculation value D2 may be calculated (see S2020). According to this embodiment, unnecessary acquisition of the communication history information Inf1 can be prevented.

[0039] Furthermore, for example, in S2030, which determines whether both the calculated values ​​D1 and D2 satisfy the criteria, the level of interest of the user U in the vehicle Vn may be taken into consideration. As an example, this determination may also be made based on the number of visits to a website about the vehicle Vn. That is, if the number of visits is greater than a predetermined number and both the calculated values ​​D1 and D2 satisfy the criteria, the process proceeds to S2040; otherwise, the process proceeds to S2100.

[0040] (Second embodiment) 2 may be executed periodically, i.e., the calculated value D1 calculated in S2010 and the calculated value D2 calculated in S2020 may be periodically updated, and the determination in S2030 may be periodically performed. The period may be set arbitrarily, for example, every 12 hours, every day, or every week. This allows the user U to receive useful information about the trade-in service at a more appropriate time.

[0041] On the other hand, if a predetermined condition is satisfied, the calculated values ​​D1 and D2 are initialized, for example, set to an initial value of 0. For example, if no new communication history information Inf1 is obtained, it can be said that the calculated values ​​D1 and D2 will not change due to updates. Therefore, the calculated values ​​D1 and D2 can be initialized if they do not change over a predetermined period of time (after a predetermined number of updates).

[0042] Furthermore, if user U quickly completes the purchase of vehicle Vn, this service is no longer necessary, and therefore the transmission of purchase support information Inf2 and notification information Inf3 is no longer necessary. In this case, calculated values ​​D1 and D2 need to be recalculated, and therefore may be initialized. It is possible to detect that user U has completed the purchase of vehicle Vn based on communication history information Inf1.

[0043] According to this embodiment, useful information regarding the trade-in service is provided to the user U at a more appropriate time, which not only provides the same effects as the first embodiment but also contributes to further improving usability.

[0044] (Third embodiment) Generally, the appraisal result (selling price or appraised price) of the vehicle Vo often fluctuates in accordance with the sale of other vehicles and the transmission of related information. Therefore, for example, when the information management device 1 acquires information indicating a change in the appraised price of the vehicle Vo, that information or related information may be transmitted to the user U as price fluctuation information.

[0045] Examples of price fluctuation information may be direct information indicating the assessed price or market price of the vehicle Vo, or indirect information indicating the assessment criteria or method. The price fluctuation information may be sent to the user U approximately simultaneously with the transmission of the purchase support information Inf2 to the user U (see S2040) or thereafter as appropriate.

[0046] According to this embodiment, more useful information regarding the trade-in service is provided to the user U, which not only provides the same effects as the first embodiment but also contributes to further improving usability.

[0047] (Fourth embodiment) In the first embodiment described above, when the user U has a relatively high willingness to sell the vehicle Vo and a relatively high willingness to purchase the vehicle Vn, the purchase support information Inf2 is transmitted to the user U. However, when the user U has a relatively high willingness to sell the vehicle Vo but a relatively low willingness to purchase the vehicle Vn (D1>D1), TH and D2≦D2 TH In the case of (1), the user U's lifestyle has changed significantly, and it is considered that the user U no longer needs to own a vehicle. In such cases, the provision of other services may be required.

[0048] For example, in S2030 (see Figure 2), D1>D1 TH and D2≦D2 TH If it is determined that the purchase support information Inf2 is not available to the user U (see S2040) and the notification information Inf3 is not available to the seller (see S2100), other information may be sent to the user U. Examples of such information include information about car sharing services and information about shuttle services using self-driving cars.

[0049] According to this embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and in addition, it is also advantageous in diversifying the content of services.

[0050] (others) In the above embodiment, a vehicle trade-in service is exemplified. However, the trade-in item is not limited to a vehicle. It may be any of the user U's belongings for which sales and purchase services can be provided substantially simultaneously. Furthermore, the content of the service may also be applied to a service that includes multiple sub-services. In other words, the content of the embodiment may be applied to a service that includes a sub-service for reviewing a predetermined procedure and a sub-service for actually carrying out the procedure. Therefore, the content of the embodiment and some of the modifications exemplified in this specification are applicable to a variety of services, and may be modified within the scope of their intent in response to the diversification of services. This is advantageous for further improving usability in today's information-based society.

[0051] In the above description, for ease of understanding, each element is denoted by a name related to its function. However, each element is not limited to having the content described in the embodiment as its main function, and may have that function auxiliary to the content. Therefore, each element is not strictly limited to the expression, and the expression can be replaced with a similar expression. In the same spirit, the expression "apparatus" may be replaced with "unit," "component," "piece," "member," "structure," "assembly," etc., or may be omitted.

[0052] (Summary of the embodiment) Some features of the embodiments can be summarized as follows: A first aspect relates to an information processing device (for example, 1), the information processing device comprising: An information processing device that processes information of a user (e.g., U) of a predetermined service, A first calculation means (e.g., S2010) for calculating a probability that the user will sell his / her belongings (e.g., Vo) as a first calculation value (e.g., D1); A second calculation means (e.g., S2020) for calculating a probability that the user will purchase a new product (e.g., Vn) as a second calculation value (e.g., D2); and a transmitting means for transmitting to the user information (e.g., Inf2) for the user to purchase the new product when both the first calculated value and the second calculated value satisfy a criterion. This allows the user's willingness to sell their belongings and their willingness to purchase new items to be individually evaluated, and subsequent services are appropriately provided to the user based on the evaluation results, thereby improving usability.

[0053] In a second aspect, The service is a vehicle trade-in service. That is, the first aspect can be appropriately realized in a vehicle trade-in service.

[0054] In a third aspect, The system further includes an acquisition means (e.g., S2000) for acquiring a communication history (e.g., Inf1) from the user's communication terminal, The communication history includes: First information (e.g., Inf1a) indicating a communication history between a first company that evaluates the belongings and the user; Second information (e.g., Inf1b) indicating a communication history between a second trader selling the new product and the user; Contains This makes it possible to more appropriately realize the first aspect.

[0055] In a fourth aspect, the first information includes information indicating an assessment result of the belongings, The transmitting means transmits to the user, when both the first calculation value and the second calculation value satisfy the criteria, information indicating an item corresponding to the assessment result of the belongings as the new product. This makes it possible to more appropriately realize the first aspect.

[0056] In a fifth aspect, The first information includes information indicating a visit to the first trader. This makes it possible to more appropriately realize the first aspect.

[0057] In a sixth aspect, the second information includes information indicating a browsing history of the new product; The transmitting means transmits to the user information for the user to purchase the new product when both the first calculation value and the second calculation value satisfy the criterion and when the number of times the new product is viewed as indicated by the viewing history is greater than a predetermined number. This makes it possible to more appropriately realize the first aspect.

[0058] In a seventh aspect, The second information includes information indicating a visit to the second trader. This makes it possible to more appropriately realize the first aspect.

[0059] In an eighth aspect, The communication history includes a website browsing history. This makes it possible to more appropriately realize the first aspect.

[0060] In a ninth aspect, If the communication history includes information indicating that the user has purchased the new product, the first calculation means initializes the first calculation value; The second calculation means initializes the second calculation value. This makes it possible to more appropriately realize the first aspect.

[0061] In a tenth aspect, The acquisition means can further acquire information indicating fluctuations in the assessed price of the belongings as price fluctuation information, and the transmission means transmits to the user information based on the price fluctuation information in addition to the information for purchasing the new item. This makes it possible to more appropriately realize the first aspect.

[0062] In an eleventh aspect, The probability that the user will sell his / her belongings is equal to or exceeds a first reference value (e.g., D1 TH ) based on the first calculated value, and the probability that the user will purchase the new product is equal to or greater than a second reference value (e.g., D2 TH ) or less based on the second calculated value, The transmitting means transmits to the user information about a service different from the service based on the determination result of the determining means. This makes it possible to more appropriately realize the first aspect.

[0063] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1: information processing device, U: user, D1: first calculated value, D2: second calculated value.

Claims

1. An information processing device that processes information of users of a trade-in service that allows users to purchase new products in exchange for selling their belongings, a first calculation means for calculating a probability that the user will sell the belongings as a first calculation value based on first information indicating the user's communication history with an appraiser who appraises the belongings; a second calculation means for calculating a probability that the user will purchase the new product as a second calculation value based on second information indicating a communication history of the user with a seller selling the new product; and a transmitting means for transmitting third information to the user to support or assist the user in actually proceeding with the procedure for purchasing the new product when both the first calculated value and the second calculated value satisfy a criterion.

1. An information processing device comprising:

2. Each of the possessions and the new product is a vehicle.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

3. The communication device further includes an acquisition unit for acquiring the communication history from the communication terminal of the user.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the first information includes information indicating an assessment result of the belongings, The third information includes information indicating an item according to an assessment result of the belongings as the new product.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device further comprises: a first input unit;

5. The first information includes information indicating a visit to the appraiser.

5. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device further comprises: a processor for processing the information;

6. the second information includes information indicating a browsing history of the new product; The transmitting means transmits the third information to the user when both the first calculated value and the second calculated value satisfy the criterion and when the number of times the new product is viewed indicated by the viewing history is greater than a predetermined number.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device further comprises: a processor for processing the information;

7. The second information includes information indicating a visit to the retailer.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer.

8. The communication history includes a website browsing history.

8. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device comprises: a first input unit;

9. If the communication history includes information indicating that the user has purchased the new product, the first calculation means initializes the first calculation value; The second calculation means initializes the second calculation value.

9. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device comprises: a first input unit;

10. The transmitting means further transmits to the user, in addition to the information for purchasing the new product, information based on price fluctuation information which is information indicating fluctuations in the assessed price of the belongings.

10. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device is a computer.

11. The system further comprises a determination means for determining, based on the first calculated value, whether the probability that the user will sell the belongings is equal to or greater than a first reference value, and for determining, based on the second calculated value, whether the probability that the user will purchase the new product is equal to or less than a second reference value, The transmitting means transmits to the user information about a service different from the service based on the determination result of the determining means.

11. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device comprises: a first input unit;

Images