Information processing apparatus and method

Abstract

To improve concerns of a driver of a vehicle about reduction of an emission amount of carbon dioxide.SOLUTION: A server acquires a first reduction amount of carbon dioxide exhausted from a vehicle group, and converts the first reduction amount of carbon dioxide into a first amount of a biological group. The server acquires a second reduction amount of carbon dioxide exhausted from a first vehicle driven by a first user associated with the first vehicle included in the vehicle group and also acquires a contribution degree of the first user in the first amount of the biological group based on the second reduction amount of carbon dioxide. The server displays, on a predetermined display device, information indicating the first amount of the biological group and the contribution degree of the first user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to reducing carbon dioxide emissions due to vehicle driving.

Background Art

[0002] It is disclosed to detect a physical quantity that changes based on at least one of vehicle driving, steering, and braking or a physical quantity that changes by operating a predetermined operating member, and calculate a score of a driving operation based on the detection value (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] One aspect of the disclosure aims to provide an information processing device and a method capable of improving a driver's interest in reducing carbon dioxide emissions of a vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is to obtain a first reduction amount of carbon dioxide emitted from a group of vehicles, to obtain a second reduction amount of carbon dioxide emitted from a first vehicle corresponding to a first user included in the group of vehicles by the driving of the first user, to convert the first reduction amount of carbon dioxide into a first amount of a biological group, to obtain a contribution degree of the first user in the first amount of the biological group based on the second reduction amount of carbon dioxide, To display information indicating the first quantity of the group of organisms and the degree of contribution of the first user on a predetermined display device, A control unit that executes This is an information processing device equipped with [a specific feature / feature].

[0006] Another aspect of this disclosure is, Computers To obtain the first reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from the vehicle group, To obtain a second reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from a first vehicle through driving by a first user associated with a first vehicle included in the aforementioned group of vehicles, Converting the aforementioned first reduction in carbon dioxide into a first amount for the biota, Based on the second reduction in carbon dioxide, the degree of contribution of the first user to the first amount of the group of organisms is obtained, To display information indicating the first quantity of the group of organisms and the degree of contribution of the first user on a predetermined display device, This is how to do it. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of this disclosure, it is possible to increase vehicle drivers' interest in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the configuration of the driving diagnostic system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration between the server and the vehicle. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the server's functional configuration. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of information regarding the CO2 reduction amount of each vehicle in month X of year Y, which is stored in the CO2 reduction amount information database. [Figure 5] This is an example of a flowchart for the server's process of acquiring CO2 reduction data. [Figure 6] This is an example of a flowchart for the server's process of providing information on CO2 reduction. [Figure 7] This is an example of a display screen showing information on CO2 reduction amounts for multiple groups in a modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Presenting evaluation results of driving maneuvers is beneficial in raising drivers' awareness of safe driving, improving their driving skills, and reducing traffic accidents. However, drivers may gradually become bored with this. Therefore, in addition to the driving maneuver evaluation service, providing an evaluation of the vehicle's contribution to environmental issues from another perspective is expected to maintain drivers' interest in the evaluation of their driving maneuvers.

[0010] In one aspect of this disclosure, the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from vehicle operation is adopted as a contribution to environmental problems through vehicle operation. In one aspect of this disclosure, the amount of carbon dioxide reduction emitted from a group of vehicles is converted into the amount of a biological population, and the amount of that biological population, along with the degree of contribution of a single user, is presented to the user.

[0011] More specifically, one aspect of this disclosure is an information processing device comprising a control unit. The control unit may acquire a first reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from a group of vehicles and convert the first reduction in carbon dioxide emissions into a first amount of a biological population. The control unit may acquire a second reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from a first vehicle through driving by a first user associated with a first vehicle included in the group of vehicles, and based on the second reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, acquire the degree of contribution of the first user to the first amount of the biological population. The control unit may display information indicating the first amount of the biological population and the degree of contribution of the first user on a predetermined display device.

[0012] The information processing device is, for example, a server or an in-vehicle device. The in-vehicle device is a device equipped with a communication function such as, for example, a data communication device (DCM), a drive recorder, and a car navigation device. The control unit is, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The vehicles included in the vehicle group are, for example, so-called eco-cars such as electric vehicles (EVs), fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), hybrid vehicles (HVs), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), clean diesel vehicles (CDVs), and compressed natural gas vehicles (CNGs). Note that the vehicle group may be composed of one vehicle. The amount of carbon dioxide reduction discharged by the running of these vehicles is, for example, the amount reduced compared to the amount of carbon dioxide discharged when a conventional car runs the same distance.

[0013] The biological group is, for example, a group of trees, that is, a forest. However, it is not limited to this. The biological group may be, for example, any of a group of fruits that become trees, a group of vegetables that bear fruit in a field, a group of flowers that bloom in a flower bed, and a group of animals. When the biological group is a forest, the amount of the biological group is, for example, the number of trees or the area of the forest. When the biological group is a group of fruits, vegetables, and flowers, the amount of the biological group is, for example, the number, quantity, or planting area, etc. When the biological group is a group of animals, the amount of the biological group is, for example, the number of individuals of the animals.

[0014] The information indicating the first amount of the biological group is, for example, the first reduction of carbon dioxide discharged from the vehicle group It may be the first quantity corresponding to the reduction, or it may be a virtual object showing the biological group in a display mode corresponding to the first quantity. For example, the virtual object is image data such as an illustration or a photograph of the biological group, or a 3D model imitating the biological group. For example, when the biological group is a forest, the display mode of the forest object corresponding to the first quantity may be a display mode in which the number of trees included in the forest object increases or decreases according to the first quantity. Or, the display mode of the forest object corresponding to the first quantity may be, for example, a display mode in which the ratio of the displayed part of the forest object increases or decreases according to the first quantity.

[0015] The contribution degree of the first user based on the second reduction amount of carbon dioxide emitted from the first vehicle may be represented by, for example, the ratio of the second reduction amount of carbon dioxide to the first reduction amount of carbon dioxide emitted from the vehicle group. Or, the contribution degree of the first user may be represented by the amount of the biological group obtained by converting the second reduction amount of carbon dioxide. Note that the contribution degree of the first user is not limited to these. Note that a plurality of users may be associated with the first vehicle. In this case, for each user, the reduction amount of carbon dioxide emission by driving can be obtained.

[0016] The predetermined display device on which the information indicating the first amount of the biological group and the contribution degree of the first user are displayed is, for example, a display device mounted on the first vehicle or a display device of a user terminal. The user terminal is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a PC, etc.

[0017] In one aspect of this disclosure, the amount of carbon dioxide reduction emitted by a group of vehicles is converted into the amount of a biological population and presented, allowing users to intuitively recognize the amount of carbon dioxide reduction by the group of vehicles. Furthermore, information on the amount of carbon dioxide reduction is displayed for the group of vehicles to which the first vehicle associated with the first user belongs, allowing users to feel a sense of connection with others, as they are all working towards the common goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions together. In another aspect of this disclosure, the degree of contribution of the first user to the first amount of a biological population is also displayed, which can increase interest in reducing carbon dioxide emissions by vehicles.

[0018] In one aspect of this disclosure, the control unit may acquire a first reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and a first amount of biomass for each of a plurality of vehicle groups, and display information indicating the first amount of biomass for each of the plurality of vehicle groups, and the degree of contribution of a first user, on a predetermined display device. The plurality of vehicle groups may be created, for example, based on geographic information about the vehicles or vehicle type. Geographic information about the vehicles may be, for example, the region where the vehicle is registered and the region where the vehicle is driven frequently. Alternatively, a vehicle group may consist of only one vehicle to which multiple users are associated. In this case, the degree of user contribution will indicate the degree of each user's contribution to the total reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from driving by all users associated with the single vehicle constituting the vehicle group.

[0019] According to one aspect of this disclosure, information is displayed for each of the multiple vehicle groups indicating a first amount of a biological group corresponding to the amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduced. This can stimulate a sense of competition among users of each of the multiple vehicle groups and increase overall interest in reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

[0020] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are illustrative, and this disclosure is not limited to the configurations of these embodiments.

[0021] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of the driving diagnostic system 100 according to the first embodiment. The driving diagnostic system 100 according to the first embodiment is a system that evaluates the driving operations of a vehicle. One of the services of the driving diagnostic system 100 is a service that provides information on the amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduced from the vehicle. In the first embodiment, the service of providing information on the amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduced from the vehicle, which is one of the services provided by the driving diagnostic system 100, will be described. Hereinafter, carbon dioxide will be referred to as CO2. Also, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduced from the vehicle will be simply referred to as the CO2 reduction amount.

[0022] The driving diagnostic system 100 includes a server 1, a data center 2, and a vehicle 3. Although the driving diagnostic system 100 includes multiple vehicles 3, only one vehicle 3 is shown in Figure 1 for convenience. The server 1, data center 2, and vehicle 3 are each connected to a network N1 and can communicate with each other through the network N1. Network N1 is, for example, a public network such as the Internet.

[0023] Vehicle 3 is a connected car that can communicate with other devices by connecting to network N1. Vehicle 3 is also an eco-car, emitting less CO2 than a convention car. Vehicle 3 transmits vehicle driving information to data center 2 at predetermined intervals. This vehicle driving information includes information acquired by various sensors mounted on vehicle 3. More specifically, it includes vehicle identification information, timestamps, location information, driving speed, driving distance, and images captured by on-board cameras. However, the information included in the vehicle driving information is not limited to these. If vehicle 3 is rented, leased, or used for a sharing service, or if multiple users are associated with vehicle 3 and it is desired to distinguish which user is driving, the vehicle driving information may include identification information of the user using vehicle 3. The transmission interval for vehicle driving information can be arbitrarily set by the user of vehicle 3 or the administrator of the driving diagnostic system 100, for example, between 1 second and 1 minute. Vehicle driving information may also be transmitted when a predetermined event occurs. Events that trigger the transmission of vehicle driving information include, for example, turning the ignition of vehicle 3 on and off, and when a collision is detected.

[0024] Vehicle 3 is equipped with an in-vehicle device that has an application installed for receiving driving diagnostic services provided by the driving diagnostic system 100. For example, when the application is launched by user operation and a menu corresponding to the service providing information on CO2 reduction is selected, the in-vehicle device of vehicle 3 sends a request to server 1 to obtain information on CO2 reduction.

[0025] Data center 2 collects vehicle driving information for vehicle 3 and stores it in a database. Data center 2 is a data center that stores vehicle driving information for all vehicles 3 registered in the driving diagnostic system 100.

[0026] Server 1 acquires newly collected vehicle driving information for vehicle 3 from data center 2 at predetermined intervals. The acquisition interval for vehicle driving information can be arbitrarily set by the administrator of the driving diagnostic system 100, for example, between 1 minute and 1 hour. For example, if the acquisition interval for vehicle driving information is 10 minutes, Server 1 acquires from data center 2 all vehicle driving information for vehicle 3 registered in the driving diagnostic system 100 that has been newly collected in the most recent 10 minutes since the last acquisition.

[0027] Server 1 acquires the amount of CO2 emission reduction of vehicle 3 at predetermined intervals based on the vehicle driving information of vehicle 3. In the first embodiment, Server 1 acquires and records the amount of CO2 emission reduction of vehicle 3 on a monthly basis. Server 1 also groups vehicles 3 that meet predetermined conditions. In the first embodiment, Server 1 groups vehicles 3 by registered region. The grouping criteria for Vehicle 3 are not limited to specific criteria; for example, they may be grouped by vehicle type, or by the region in which the vehicles travel most frequently.

[0028] Server 1, in response to a request from Vehicle 3 for information on CO2 reduction, converts the amount of CO2 reduction for the group to which Vehicle 3 belongs into the amount of forest capable of absorbing the same amount of CO2 in the same amount of time, and returns a forest object displayed in a manner corresponding to the amount of forest. The display form of the forest object changes as the amount of forest increases, such as becoming larger, increasing in number, or approaching a complete forest. The amount of forest is either the number of trees or the forest area.

[0029] Furthermore, Server 1 calculates, as a measure of the user's contribution, for example, the amount of forest obtained by converting the CO2 reduction amount of Vehicle 3 corresponding to that user, or the ratio of Vehicle 3's CO2 reduction amount to the group's CO2 reduction amount, and transmits this to Vehicle 3. In the first embodiment, it is explained that the amount of forest obtained by converting the CO2 reduction amount of Vehicle 3 corresponding to that user is adopted as the measure of the user's contribution.

[0030] As CO2 reduction increases, the amount of forest capable of absorbing the same amount of CO2 in the same amount of time also increases. Therefore, in the first embodiment, as the amount of CO2 reduction of the group to which vehicle 3 belongs increases, the forest object becomes larger, more numerous, or approaches a complete state. This allows users to intuitively recognize the amount of CO2 reduction of their group and feel that they are working towards achieving a common goal with other users. Furthermore, the amount of forest converted from the amount of CO2 reduction of vehicle 3 is also presented as an indicator of the user's contribution, allowing users to recognize their own contribution to CO2 reduction through their driving and increase their interest in and motivation for CO2 reduction. It can also help maintain motivation for continued use of other driving diagnostic services provided by the driving diagnostic system 100.

[0031] Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration between Server 1 and Vehicle 3. Server 1 includes a CPU 101, memory 102, auxiliary storage device 103, and communication unit 104. The auxiliary storage device 103 is, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). And, SSDs (Solid State Drives), etc. The program is stored in the auxiliary storage device 103. RAM includes, for example, the OS (Operating System) and several other programs. Memory 102 includes, for example, semiconductor memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). Memory 102 and auxiliary storage device 103 are examples of computer-readable recording media. In the first embodiment, server 1 is an example of an "information processing device".

[0032] The CPU 101 performs various processes by loading the OS and various other programs stored in the auxiliary storage device 103 into memory 102 and executing them. There may be more than one 101; the CPU 101 is an example of a "control unit".

[0033] The communication unit 104 is a module that connects, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) card and network cables such as optical modules, and includes a signal processing circuit. The communication unit 104 is not limited to a circuit that can connect to a wired network, but may also be a wireless signal processing circuit that can process wireless signals from a wireless communication network such as WiFi.

[0034] Next, Figure 2 shows the components related to the processing of CO2 reduction information from the driving diagnostic system 100, as described above, extracted from the configuration of vehicle 3, and the configuration of vehicle 3 is not limited to that shown in Figure 2. Vehicle 3 includes an in-vehicle device 310, a location information acquisition unit 320, a touch panel display 330, and a group of sensors 340. These components include, for example, a CAN (Controller Area Network) network and an in-vehicle Ethernet. It is connected via an in-vehicle network, etc.

[0035] The location information acquisition unit 320 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. The position information acquisition unit 320 acquires the position information of the vehicle 3 at a predetermined interval. The interval at which the position information acquisition unit 320 acquires position information is set, for example, between 0.1 seconds and 1 second. The sensor group 340 includes multiple sensors, such as a camera, a speedometer, an odometer (distance meter), and an acceleration sensor. Each sensor included in the sensor group 340 performs measurements at a predetermined interval and outputs the detected value to the in-vehicle device 310. For example, the detected value of the camera is the captured image. For example, the detected value of the speedometer is the speed. For example, the detected value of the odometer is the cumulative distance traveled.

[0036] The in-vehicle device 310 is, for example, a data communication device (DCM), a drive recorder with communication functions, or a car navigation system. In Figure 2, the in-vehicle device 310 is assumed to be a data communication device. The hardware configuration of the in-vehicle device 310 includes a CPU 311, memory 312, auxiliary storage device 313, communication unit 314, and interface 315. The CPU 311, memory 312, and auxiliary storage device 313 are the same as those of CPU 101, memory 102, and auxiliary storage device 103, respectively.

[0037] The communication unit 314 communicates with external devices based on mobile communication systems such as 5G, 6G, and 4G, Wi-Fi, or wireless communication systems such as DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications). Interface 315 is an interface for connecting to the in-vehicle network.

[0038] In the first embodiment, the in-vehicle device 310 generates vehicle driving information from the sensor group 340's detection values ​​at predetermined intervals and transmits it to the data center 2. The in-vehicle device 310 also sends a request to the server 1 for information regarding CO2 reduction amount at the user's operation, and displays the received information on the touch panel display 330 as a response. For convenience, the communication of the in-vehicle device 310 will be described below as if it were the communication of the vehicle 3. Note that the hardware configuration of the server 1 and the vehicle 3 is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 2.

[0039] Figure 3 shows an example of the functional configuration of Server 1. Server 1's functional configuration includes an information acquisition unit 11, a calculation unit 12, a control unit 13, a user information database 14, and a CO2 reduction amount information database. 15. It includes a vehicle information database 16 and a group information database 17. The functions of each of these functional components are achieved by executing a predetermined program.

[0040] The information acquisition unit 11 accesses the data center 2 at predetermined intervals and acquires vehicle driving information for the most recent cycle for the vehicles 3 registered in the driving diagnostic system 100. Based on the newly acquired vehicle driving information, the calculation unit 12 updates the current month's CO2 reduction amount for each vehicle 3, which is stored in the CO2 reduction amount information DB 15 described later. Details of the processing by the calculation unit 12 will be described later.

[0041] The control unit 13 receives a request from vehicle 3 to obtain information regarding CO2 reduction. Along with this request, the control unit 13 also receives, for example, the identification information of vehicle 3, the user's identification information, and the specified month. The control unit 13 obtains the CO2 reduction amount for the group to which vehicle 3 belongs and the CO2 reduction amount for vehicle 3 for the specified month by referring to the CO2 reduction amount information DB 15. The control unit 13 converts the CO2 reduction amount for the group to which vehicle 3 belongs for the specified month to determine the amount of forest. The CO2 reduction amount for the group to which vehicle 3 belongs is an example of the "first reduction amount of carbon dioxide". The amount of forest obtained by converting from the CO2 reduction amount for the group to which vehicle 3 belongs is an example of the "first amount of biota". Details of the method for converting from CO2 reduction amount to amount of forest will be described later.

[0042] The control unit 13 obtains the user's contribution level based on the amount of CO2 reduction by vehicle 3 in the specified month, as well as the user's contribution level based on the identification information received along with the acquisition request. In the first embodiment, the user's contribution level is obtained as the amount of forest converted from the amount of CO2 reduction by vehicle 3 driven by the user in the specified month. Details of the method for converting from CO2 reduction to the amount of forest will be described later. The amount of CO2 reduction by vehicle 3 driven by the user is the "second carbon dioxide reduction." This is an example of "reduction amount".

[0043] The control unit 13 determines the display mode of the forest object according to the amount of forest obtained through conversion from the CO2 reduction amount of the group to which the vehicle 3 belongs. For example, if the display mode of the forest object changes so that the number of trees included increases as the amount of forest obtained increases, the control unit 13 calculates the number of trees in the forest object by dividing the amount of forest in the group obtained by the amount of forest per tree in the pre-set forest object, and determines the display mode of the forest object so that the calculated number of trees are included. For example, if the display mode of the forest object changes so that it becomes larger as the amount of forest obtained increases, the control unit 13 obtains the ratio of the amount of forest in the group obtained to the amount of forest associated with the standard size of the forest object, and determines the display mode of the forest object so that it becomes the size obtained by multiplying the standard size by this ratio. For example, if the display mode of the forest object changes so that it approaches a complete forest as the amount of forest obtained increases, the control unit 13 obtains the ratio of the amount of forest in the group obtained to the amount of forest associated with the complete forest object, and determines the display mode of the forest object so that only the portion of the complete forest object corresponding to that ratio is included, with the rest being missing.

[0044] The control unit 13 transmits information regarding CO2 reduction to the vehicle 3 in response to a request to obtain information regarding CO2 reduction. The information regarding CO2 reduction transmitted to the vehicle 3 includes, for example, the forest object in the determined display mode, the amount of forest obtained by conversion from the group's CO2 reduction amount, and the user's contribution. However, the information regarding CO2 reduction transmitted to the vehicle 3 is not limited to the above information. The forest object in the determined display mode is an example of "information indicating the first amount of a biota".

[0045] User information DB 14, CO2 reduction amount information DB 15, vehicle type information DB 16, and group information DB 17 are created in the storage area of ​​auxiliary storage device 103. User information DB 14 holds information about users registered in the driving diagnostic system 100. The user information held in the user information DB 14 includes, for example, the user's identification information, the identification information of the vehicle used by the user, the vehicle's registration region, and the vehicle's make and model. The vehicle's registration region may be, for example, declared by the user. However, the user information held in the user information DB 14 is not limited to this information. If one user uses multiple vehicles, user information is held for each vehicle used. Using a vehicle includes using a vehicle owned by the user, and using a vehicle that is rented, leased, or shared.

[0046] The CO2 reduction information database 15 stores the CO2 reduction amount for each user's vehicle 3 on a monthly basis. Details of the information stored in the CO2 reduction information database 15 are described later. Vehicle Information Database 16 stores the fuel efficiency for each vehicle type, i.e., the distance traveled per liter of gasoline. The fuel efficiency for each vehicle type is used to calculate the amount of CO2 reduction. Group information DB 17 holds information about the group of vehicles 3.

[0047] The group information stored in the group information DB 17 includes, for example, the group ID, the identification information of the group creation criteria, and the conditions for the group. The group creation criteria include, for example, the registration region of vehicle 3, the vehicle type of vehicle 3, and the most frequently driven region of vehicle 3. There are conditions for a group. The conditions for a group are the conditions of the vehicle 3 that are classified into that group. For example, if the group creation criterion is the vehicle type of vehicle 3, the conditions for a group are the information indicating the vehicle type that is classified into that group. For example, if the group creation criterion is the registration region of vehicle 3, the conditions for a group are the information indicating the region that is classified into that group. Note that the functional configuration of server 1 is not limited to the example shown in Figure 3.

[0048] Figure 4 shows an example of information regarding the CO2 reduction amount for each vehicle 3 in year X and month Y, as stored in the CO2 reduction amount information DB 15. One record of information regarding the CO2 reduction amount for vehicle 3 stored in the CO2 reduction amount information DB 15 includes the fields for User ID, Vehicle ID, Group ID, Mileage, and CO2 reduction amount. The User ID field stores the user's identification information. The Vehicle ID field stores the identification information for vehicle 3. The Group ID field stores the identification information for the group to which vehicle 3 belongs. The Mileage field stores the cumulative mileage of vehicle 3 in year X and month Y. The CO2 reduction amount field stores the cumulative CO2 reduction amount of vehicle 3 in year X and month Y.

[0049] The group to which vehicle 3 belongs is determined by the control unit 13 based on group creation criteria such as the vehicle type of vehicle 3, the registered region of vehicle 3, or the most frequently driven region of vehicle 3. If the most frequently driven region of vehicle 3 is used as the group creation criterion, for example, the most frequently driven region of vehicle 3 may be requested by the user, or the control unit 13 may obtain statistical data on the driving region of vehicle 3 from the data center 2 and identify it from that statistical data.

[0050] The mileage of vehicle 3 in month X is obtained by the control unit 13 based on vehicle driving information collected from vehicle 3 in month X. The amount of CO2 reduction by vehicle 3 in month X is obtained by the control unit 13, for example, using the mileage of vehicle 3 in month X.

[0051] In the example shown in Figure 5, multiple records with different user identification information are shown for the same vehicle 3 with the identification information 'V001'. This indicates, for example, that multiple users are associated with vehicle 3 with identification information 'V001'. For example, if vehicle 3 is a leased vehicle and is jointly leased by multiple users, the records for those multiple users will look like this. When multiple users jointly lease vehicle 3, an application program for the service of multiple users leasing one vehicle is installed in the in-vehicle device 310. When driving, the information of the user driving is entered by the user, and the application program adds the user's identification information to the vehicle driving information. This makes it possible to obtain information such as the mileage for each user, and also to obtain the degree of contribution for each user. Note that when multiple users are associated with one vehicle 3, the group to which the vehicle belongs will be the same for all users. Note that the case in which multiple users are associated with one vehicle 3 is not limited to the case in which multiple users lease one vehicle. For example, if there are multiple members in a family who drive vehicle 3, multiple users may be associated with a single vehicle 3.

[0052] Figure 5 is an example of a flowchart for the CO2 reduction amount acquisition process of Server 1. The process shown in Figure 5 is repeatedly executed at the same cycle as, for example, the cycle in which the information acquisition unit 11 accesses the data center 2. The main execution unit of the process shown in Figure 5 is the CPU 101 of Server 1, but for convenience, the explanation will focus on the functional components. The same applies to the flowcharts that appear from Figure 5 onward.

[0053] In OP101, the calculation unit 12 receives vehicle driving information for one cycle of the vehicle 3 registered in the driving diagnostic system 100 that accesses the data center 2 from the information acquisition unit 11. Attach. The processes from OP102 to OP105 are executed for each user registered in the operation diagnostic system 100, that is, for each user with a record in the CO2 reduction amount information DB 15.

[0054] In OP102, the calculation unit 12 obtains the mileage of vehicle 3 driven by the target user for the current month. If vehicle 3 and user are associated on a one-to-one basis, the calculation unit 12 first extracts the most recent and oldest vehicle mileage information from the vehicle mileage information obtained in OP101 for vehicle 3 associated with the target user in the user information DB 14. The calculation unit 12 obtains the difference in mileage (cumulative value) included in the two extracted vehicle mileage information. The calculation unit 12 adds this difference in mileage to the target user's mileage for the current month in the CO2 reduction amount information DB 15 to obtain the mileage of vehicle 3 driven by the target user for the current month. If vehicle 3 and user are associated on a one-to-many basis, the calculation unit 12 first extracts the most recent and oldest vehicle mileage information from the vehicle mileage information obtained in OP101, including the target user's identification information and the identification information of vehicle 3 associated with the target user in the user information DB 14. From this point onward, similar to the case where vehicle 3 and the user are associated on a one-to-one basis, the difference in mileage (cumulative value) included in the two vehicle driving information is obtained, and this difference is added to the mileage for the current month recorded in the CO2 reduction amount information DB 15 to obtain the mileage of vehicle 3 driven by the target user for the current month.

[0055] In OP103, the calculation unit 12 obtains the fuel efficiency of the vehicle 3 associated with the target user from the vehicle information DB 16. In OP104, the calculation unit 12 uses the mileage obtained in OP102 and the fuel efficiency of vehicle 3 obtained in OP103 to calculate the amount of CO2 reduction by vehicle 3 due to the target user's driving during the current month. The amount of CO2 reduction is obtained using the following formula 1.

number

[0056] The CO2 emission factor is the amount of CO2 emitted per liter of gasoline. The same fuel efficiency value for the convention car will be used for all three vehicles. For example, if the driving distance is 10 km, the CO2 emission factor is 2.36 kg / L, the convention car's fuel efficiency is 14.6 km / L, and the target vehicle 3's fuel efficiency is 20 km / L, the CO2 reduction will be 0.43 kg.

[0057] In OP105, the calculation unit 12 updates the CO2 reduction amount for vehicle 3 driven by the target user for the current month in the CO2 reduction amount information DB 15 using the CO2 reduction amount obtained in OP104. At the same time, the calculation unit 12 also updates the mileage driven by vehicle 3 driven by the target user for the current month in the CO2 reduction amount information DB 15 using the mileage obtained in OP102. After processing for the target user is completed, processing from OP102 is performed for the next user, and when processing from OP102 to OP105 is completed for all users, the process shown in Figure 5 is completed.

[0058] In Figure 5, the CO2 reduction amount for vehicle 3 driven by the target user for the current month is obtained by acquiring the total mileage of vehicle 3 driven by the target user for the current month and the CO2 reduction amount corresponding to the total mileage. However, this is not limited to this method. For example, the CO2 reduction amount corresponding to the difference in mileage (cumulative value) between the latest and oldest vehicle mileage information for vehicle 3 driven by the target user, obtained from the vehicle mileage information acquired by OP101, is added to the CO2 reduction amount for vehicle 3 driven by the target user for the current month in the CO2 reduction amount information DB 15 to obtain the CO2 reduction amount for vehicle 3 driven by the target user for the current month. You may do so.

[0059] Figure 6 is an example of a flowchart for the process by which Server 1 provides information on CO2 reduction amounts. The process shown in Figure 6 is executed repeatedly at predetermined intervals.

[0060] In OP201, the control unit 13 determines whether or not it has received a request from the vehicle 3 to obtain information regarding CO2 reduction. If the request is received (OP201:YES), the process proceeds to OP202. If the request is not received (OP201:NO), the process shown in Figure 6 ends.

[0061] In OP202, the control unit 13 retrieves from the CO2 reduction amount information DB 15 the amount of CO2 reduction by the requesting user driving vehicle 3 for the specified month, and the amount of CO2 reduction by the group to which vehicle 3, associated with that user, belongs. The amount of CO2 reduction by the group to which vehicle 3, associated with the requesting user, belongs for the specified month is obtained by summing the amounts of CO2 reduction in the CO2 reduction amount information DB 15 for the specified month, in records where the identification information of the group to which vehicle 3 belongs and the group identification information are the same. Hereinafter, the group to which vehicle 3, associated with the requesting user, belongs will simply be referred to as the target group.

[0062] In OP203, the control unit 13 converts the CO2 reduction amount of the target group into the amount of forest. As an example, let's explain how to calculate the amount of forest in terms of forest area. The amount of CO2 absorbed by 1 hectare of cedar plantation in one year is 8.8 tons, which translates to 733 kg / ha per month. If the CO2 reduction amount of the target group in the specified month is 365 kg, the amount of forest can be calculated to be approximately 0.5 hectares. If the amount of forest is to be expressed in terms of the number of trees, the amount of CO2 reduction amount of the target group can be converted to the number of trees by using the amount of CO2 absorbed by one tree per month.

[0063] In OP204, the control unit 13 obtains the amount of forest by converting the amount of CO2 reduction from the vehicle 3 driven by the requesting user for the specified month, which was obtained in OP202, as the degree of contribution of the requesting user.

[0064] In OP205, the control unit 13 determines the display mode of the forest object for the target group according to the amount of forest in the target group acquired in OP203. The determination of the display mode of the forest object is as described above. For example, in a setting where one complete forest object is displayed for every hectare of forest area, if the forest area of ​​the target group is 0.5 hectares, the display mode of the forest object for the target group is determined to be a partially incomplete state.

[0065] In OP206, the control unit 13 transmits information regarding the amount of CO2 reduction to the vehicle 3 as a response to the acquisition request. The information regarding the amount of CO2 reduction transmitted to the vehicle 3 in OP206 includes, for example, the display mode of the forest object determined in OP205, the amount of forest in the target group, and the degree of contribution (amount of forest) of the requesting user. However, the information contained in the information regarding the amount of CO2 reduction transmitted to the vehicle 3 is not limited to these. Upon receiving the information regarding the amount of CO2 reduction, the touch panel display 330 of the vehicle 3 displays a screen, for example, the screen example shown in Figure 1. After that, the process shown in Figure 6 is completed.

[0066] <Effects of the First Embodiment> According to the first embodiment, the user of vehicle 3 can recognize the amount of CO2 reduction for the group to which vehicle 3 belongs, and the degree of the user's contribution to the CO2 reduction for the group. The amount of CO2 reduction for the group to which vehicle 3 belongs is replaced with the amount of forest, and according to the amount of forest It is displayed as a forest object in a visual format. Since forests are known to absorb CO2, using the forest object allows users to intuitively recognize the amount of CO2 reduction and feel a sense of contributing to environmental issues. The user's contribution to the CO2 reduction of the group is also displayed, which can make users feel a sense of ownership regarding environmental issues and increase the interest of vehicle drivers (users) in reducing CO2 emissions.

[0067] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the service providing information on CO2 reduction is one of the driving diagnostic services provided by the driving diagnostic system 100. Therefore, by providing information on CO2 reduction, the motivation to continue using the driving diagnostic service can be maintained. Also, the on-board device 310 is one of the driving diagnostic services provided by the driving diagnostic system 100. Therefore, by providing information on CO2 reduction, if the application for receiving the driving diagnostic service is installed on the on-board device 310, the service will be provided simply by the vehicle 3 of the driving diagnostic system 100 being driven. Therefore, the user does not need to perform any operation to receive the service providing information on CO2 reduction; the user only needs to drive the vehicle 3.

[0068] In the first embodiment, the conditions for creating a group of vehicles can be freely set by the administrator of the driving diagnostic system 100. For example, if multiple users are associated with one vehicle 3, such as when one vehicle 3 is leased by multiple users, that vehicle 3 may be treated as one group. A group containing only that vehicle 3 will correspond to multiple users associated with that vehicle 3. In this case, each user can recognize their own contribution to the group containing only that vehicle 3.

[0069] A single vehicle 3 can belong to only one group among multiple groups created based on predetermined creation criteria. However, vehicle 3 can belong to groups created using different creation criteria than those specified. For example, if vehicle 3 belongs to group A of the vehicle type it corresponds to, it cannot belong to group B of other vehicle types. On the other hand, while vehicle 3 belongs to group A, it can belong to group X of the region where vehicle 3 is registered, but cannot belong to group Y of another region. In this way, when multiple group creation criteria exist, the user can select from the application menu which group's creation criteria should be used to display information on CO2 reduction. Information on the selected group's creation criteria may be sent to server 1 along with the request to obtain information on CO2 reduction.

[0070] <Variation> In the first embodiment, Server 1 requests information regarding the amount of CO2 reduction for the group to which Vehicle 3, associated with the requesting user, belongs, and transmits it to Vehicle 3. In this case, the user can recognize the information regarding the amount of CO2 reduction for the group to which Vehicle 3 (the user itself) belongs, but cannot know the information regarding the amount of CO2 reduction for other groups. In a modified example, Server 1 obtains information regarding the amount of CO2 reduction for multiple other groups in addition to the group to which Vehicle 3, associated with the requesting user, belongs, and transmits it to Vehicle 3. In this case, Server 1 may perform, for example, the processing of OP202, OP203, and OP205 in Figure 6 for each group, and obtain the amount of CO2 reduction for the group and the display mode of the forest object.

[0071] Figure 7 shows an example of a display screen showing information on CO2 reduction amounts for multiple groups in a modified example. In Figure 7, multiple vehicles 3 are grouped by registered region. Therefore, area name = group name. Also, the amount of forest is shown in terms of the number of trees. The group to which vehicle 3, corresponding to the requesting user, belongs is area G. In Figure 7, The data provided includes information on the amount of CO2 reduction in Area G, to which Vehicle 3, corresponding to the requesting user, belongs, including the forest object in Area G, the amount of forest in Area G (forest area), the degree of contribution of the requesting user (forest area), and the amount of CO2 reduction due to the requesting user's operation of Vehicle 3.

[0072] In the example shown in Figure 7, in addition to area G to which vehicle 3, corresponding to the requesting user, belongs, the forest objects and CO2 reduction amounts for areas A, B, C, D, E, and F surrounding area G are also shown. The forest objects for each of these areas are placed and displayed on a map showing the layout of each area. The control unit 13 of server 1 may, when the group creation criteria are based on geographical information about vehicle 3, place the forest objects for each group on the map, create a screen like the one shown in Figure 7, and send it to vehicle 3.

[0073] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 7, a ranking of groups (areas) in descending order of CO2 reduction is also displayed. The control unit 13 of the server 1 may rank the groups by CO2 reduction amount, transmit the ranking information to the vehicle 3, and display it on the vehicle 3. In the example shown in Figure 7, the forest object may be displayed on the touch panel display 330 for only some of the groups. Also, the range in which the forest object is displayed may be changed by user operation. The ranking displayed in the example shown in Figure 7 may be a ranking among multiple groups (areas) within the range in which the forest object is displayed, or it may be a ranking among all groups (areas), including groups (areas) outside the range in which the forest object is displayed.

[0074] As shown in the example in Figure 7, by presenting users with information on CO2 reduction amounts for other groups in addition to the group to which their vehicle 3 belongs, it is possible to stimulate users' competitive spirit and increase their interest in CO2 reduction.

[0075] <Other variations> The embodiments described above are merely examples, and this disclosure may be modified as appropriate without departing from its essence.

[0076] In the first embodiment, the server 1 creates information regarding CO2 reduction, but is not limited to this, and the server 1 and the in-vehicle device 310 may cooperate to create information regarding CO2 reduction. For example, the server 1 may perform the CO2 reduction acquisition process shown in Figure 5, and the in-vehicle device 310 may perform the information provision process shown in Figure 6. The in-vehicle device 310 may query the server 1 to obtain the CO2 reduction amount of the vehicle 3 on which it is installed and the CO2 reduction amount of the group to which the vehicle 3 belongs, determine the amount of forest and the characteristics of the forest objects in the group, obtain the user's contribution, and output it to the touch panel display 330. In this case, the in-vehicle device 310 is an example of an "information processing device".

[0077] In the first embodiment, a forest object is used as the object representing the CO2 reduction amount of a group, but it is not limited to this. For example, the object representing the CO2 reduction amount of a group may be a plant that is the target of cultivation, such as vegetables, fruits, crops, and flowers, or it may be a predetermined animal. Alternatively, the object representing the CO2 reduction amount of a group may be a group of these. If the object representing the CO2 reduction amount of a group is an object representing one of the above organisms, and the amount of CO2 absorbed by the organism is known, the CO2 reduction amount of the group may be converted to the amount of the organism (planting area, quantity, number), and the display method of the object may be determined according to the amount of the organism. If the CO2 of the organism is not known, the relationship between the amount of forest and the amount of the organism may be predetermined, the CO2 reduction amount may be converted to the amount of forest, and then the amount of forest may be further converted to the amount of the organism, and the display method of the object may be determined according to the amount of the organism. The display method for the object may be determined. In this case, the quantity of the organism in the group will be notified to vehicle 3.

[0078] The processes and methods described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented, provided that no technical inconsistencies arise.

[0079] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by a single device may be divided and executed by multiple devices. Conversely, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is implemented can be flexibly changed.

[0080] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program implementing the functions described in the embodiments above to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the computer's system bus, or it may be provided to the computer via a network. Non-temporary computer-readable storage mediums include, for example, any type of disk such as magnetic disks (floppy disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), etc.), optical disks (CD-ROMs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic cards, flash memory, optical cards, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0081] 1. Server 2. Data center 3. Vehicles 11...Information acquisition department 12. Calculation Section 13. Control Unit 14. User Information Database 15...CO2 reduction amount information DB 16. Vehicle Information Database 17. Group Information Database 100--Driving Diagnostic System 101··CPU 102...memory 103...Auxiliary storage device 104. Communications Department 310...In-vehicle equipment 320...Location information acquisition unit 330 ··Touch panel display 340-sensor group

Claims

1. To obtain the first reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from the vehicle group, To obtain a second reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from the first vehicle through driving by a first user associated with the first vehicle included in the vehicle group, Converting the aforementioned first reduction in carbon dioxide into a first amount for a group of organisms, Based on the second reduction in carbon dioxide, the degree of contribution of the first user to the first amount of the group of organisms is obtained, The determination involves displaying information indicating the first quantity of the biological group and the degree of contribution of the first user on a predetermined display device. A control unit that executes An information processing device comprising, The aforementioned group of organisms is a forest, The quantity of the aforementioned biological group is the number of trees in the forest or the area of ​​the forest. The information indicating the first quantity of the biological group includes the first quantity and an object indicating a forest in a display manner corresponding to the first quantity. The control unit, As the first quantity of the aforementioned group of organisms, the number of trees or forest area capable of absorbing the same amount of carbon dioxide as the first reduction amount of carbon dioxide is obtained. As a measure of the first user's contribution, the number of trees or forest area capable of absorbing the same amount of carbon dioxide as the second reduction in carbon dioxide is obtained. As a display mode for the forest object corresponding to the number of trees or the area of ​​the forest capable of absorbing the same amount of carbon dioxide as the first reduction in carbon dioxide, the display mode for the forest object is determined such that the larger the forest object becomes, or the number of forest objects increases, or the forest object approaches a complete form, as the number of trees or the area of ​​the forest capable of absorbing the same amount of carbon dioxide as the first reduction in carbon dioxide increases. In the determined display mode, an object representing the forest corresponding to the first amount of the forest, the first amount of the forest, and the degree of contribution of the first user are displayed on the predetermined display device. Information processing device.

2. The control unit, For each of the multiple vehicle groups, the first reduction amount of carbon dioxide and the first amount of the organisms are obtained. For each of the aforementioned groups of vehicles, the first reduction in carbon dioxide emissions is ranked, The predetermined display device is configured to display, for each of the plurality of vehicle groups, an object representing the forest corresponding to the first amount of the forest in the display configuration determined for that group, the first amount of the forest, the degree of contribution of the first user, and information indicating the ranking of the first reduction amount of carbon dioxide for each of the plurality of vehicle groups. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned group of vehicles is created based on geographic information about the vehicles, The control unit causes the predetermined display device to display information indicating the first quantity of the biological group for each of the plurality of vehicle groups in the corresponding area on the map. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. Computers To obtain the first reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from the vehicle group, To obtain a second reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from the first vehicle through driving by a first user associated with the first vehicle included in the vehicle group, Converting the aforementioned first reduction in carbon dioxide into a first amount for a group of organisms, Based on the second reduction in carbon dioxide, the degree of contribution of the first user to the first amount of the group of organisms is obtained, To display information indicating the first quantity of the group of organisms and the degree of contribution of the first user on a predetermined display device, A method for performing the following: The aforementioned group of organisms is a forest, The quantity of the aforementioned biological group is the number of trees in the forest or the area of ​​the forest. The information indicating the first quantity of the biological group includes the first quantity and an object indicating a forest in a display manner corresponding to the first quantity. The aforementioned computer, As the first quantity of the aforementioned group of organisms, the number of trees or forest area capable of absorbing the same amount of carbon dioxide as the first reduction amount of carbon dioxide is obtained. As a measure of the first user's contribution, the number of trees or forest area capable of absorbing the same amount of carbon dioxide as the second reduction in carbon dioxide is obtained. As a display mode for the forest object corresponding to the number of trees or the area of ​​the forest capable of absorbing the same amount of carbon dioxide as the first reduction in carbon dioxide, the display mode for the forest object is determined such that the larger the forest object becomes, or the number of forest objects increases, or the forest object approaches a complete form, as the number of trees or the area of ​​the forest capable of absorbing the same amount of carbon dioxide as the first reduction in carbon dioxide increases. In the determined display mode, an object representing the forest corresponding to the first amount of the forest, the first amount of the forest, and the degree of contribution of the first user are displayed on the predetermined display device. method.

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