Vehicle processing system

Abstract

To provide a vehicle processing system that does not force a user to give up using a service even when a congestion state is delivered as "congested".SOLUTION: A vehicle processing system (10) includes a plurality of vehicle processing stations (25) connected to a network and a terminal apparatus (20) connected to the network. The vehicle processing system (10) includes distribution means (51) that can deliver information on the plurality of vehicle processing stations. The vehicle processing stations each include imaging means (50) that can capture images in the vehicle processing stations. The vehicle processing system further includes image analysis means (70) that can analyze the images captured by the imaging means, and congestion degree determination means (71) that can determine a congestion degree of each of the vehicle processing stations from an analysis result by the image analysis means. The terminal apparatus includes calculation means (80) that can calculate a fee for a service provided by the vehicle processing stations based on a predetermined parameter.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle processing system.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a system capable of notifying the operator or user of a car wash of the congestion situation of the car wash. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-122340 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1) describes a car wash system capable of grasping the number of vehicles present in each car wash by imaging the state of each car wash and analyzing the image, and making the vehicle number data publicly available on the Internet as the congestion situation of the car wash.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, a system that provides users with information such as "congested" has a problem that in some cases, it may cause users to give up using the service. For example, when a user checks the congestion situation of car washes in various places on the Internet, if all places are congested or only places far from the user's current location are available, the user may give up using the car wash and choose to wash the car by themselves. Also, when a "congested" notification is given at the car wash, there is a risk that the arriving user may see the display and give up and go back. Every time a user gives up using the service in this way, the service operator loses sales.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle processing system that can prevent users from giving up using the service even when the congestion situation is distributed as "congested". [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A vehicle processing system according to one solution of the present invention is a vehicle processing system comprising a plurality of vehicle processing facilities connected to a network and a terminal device connected to the network, wherein the vehicle processing system has distribution means capable of distributing information about the plurality of vehicle processing facilities, each of the plurality of vehicle processing facilities has imaging means capable of taking images of the inside of the vehicle processing facility, the vehicle processing system further comprises image analysis means capable of analyzing images taken by the imaging means and congestion determination means capable of determining the congestion level of each of the plurality of vehicle processing facilities from the analysis results of the image analysis means, and the terminal device is characterized in that it has calculation means capable of calculating the charges for services provided by the plurality of vehicle processing facilities based on predetermined parameters. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one solution of the present invention, the vehicle processing system can effectively encourage users to visit the vehicle processing facility even while distributing information about the congestion status as "congested" during times of congestion at the facility. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle processing system 10 relating to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the processing server 20 in the vehicle processing system 10. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a side view of the car wash device 30 of the vehicle processing system 10. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a front view of the car wash device 30 of the vehicle processing system 10. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the main control unit 60 of the vehicle processing system 10. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a flowchart showing an example of the user notification process of the vehicle processing system 10. [Figure 7]This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the screen of an application 110 in a vehicle processing system 10A according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 7 is a configuration diagram of the user terminal 101 related to the vehicle processing system 10A shown in Figure 7. [Figure 9] Figure 7 shows the configuration diagram of the processing server 20A of the vehicle processing system 10A. [Figure 10] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the user notification process of the vehicle processing system 10A. [Figure 11] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the main control unit 60B of a vehicle processing system 10B according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0009] In the embodiments of the present invention described below, explanations will be divided into multiple sections where necessary, but in principle, they are not unrelated to each other; one is a modification, detail, or part of the other. For this reason, in all figures, components having the same function are denoted by the same reference numeral, and repeated explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, the number of components (including number, numerical value, quantity, range, etc.) is not limited to a specific number unless otherwise explicitly stated or clearly limited in principle, and may be greater than or less than a specific number. Also, when referring to the shape of components, unless otherwise explicitly stated or clearly considered not to be so in principle, it will include those that are substantially similar or approximate to that shape.

[0010] (First Embodiment) Embodiments of the vehicle processing system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments of the present invention, a car wash device having the function of washing the exterior (body surface) of a vehicle will be used as the vehicle processing device installed in a vehicle processing facility connected to a vehicle processing server via a network.

[0011] Figure 1 shows a diagram of the vehicle processing system 10. The vehicle processing system 10 comprises a processing server 20 and multiple car washes 25 operated by the same operator. The multiple car washes 25 are located on different sites at a distance from each other and are equipped with one or more car wash machines 30. The processing server 20 and the car wash machines 30 are connected via a network 11 using IoT (Internet of Things) technology. The processing server 20 has the function of remotely controlling the car wash machines 30 of the multiple car washes 25 and managing the entire system. The car wash machines 30 have the function of processing the user's vehicle C. The network 11 consists of wired communication transmission lines and wireless communication transmission lines, etc. More specifically, it consists of, for example, the internet, P2P (Peer to Peer) networks, dedicated lines, power line communication lines, VPN (Virtual Private Network), wireless packet communication networks, mobile phone lines, wireless LAN (Local Area Network), NFC (Near Field Communication), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and others.

[0012] Each of the multiple car washes 25 is further equipped with cameras 50 as imaging devices. The cameras 50 are optical devices such as CCD cameras and are installed to capture still images or videos of the inside or surrounding areas of each car wash 25. The cameras 50 utilize IoT (Internet of Things) technology and are connected to the processing server 20 and the car wash equipment 30 via the network 11. The images acquired by the cameras 50 are used by the congestion determination means 71, described later, to determine the congestion level inside each car wash 25. Therefore, it is preferable to install the cameras 50 so that their field of view includes areas along the vehicle movement paths within each car wash 25, and locations where vehicle queues are likely to form during times of congestion. The number of cameras 50 to be installed in each car wash 25 should be determined appropriately according to the size of the car wash 25 site.

[0013] The plurality of car wash facilities 25 further includes a display unit 51 as a distribution means. The display unit 51 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The display unit 51 uses IoT (Internet of Things) technology similar to the camera 50 and is communicably connected to at least the processing server 20 via the network 11. Based on the signal from the processing server 20, the display unit 51 can display (distribute) useful information to the visiting customers, such as the price of the services provided by the plurality of car wash facilities 25 and the congestion level of the plurality of car wash facilities 25. In order to provide such information, the display unit 51 may be installed in an easy-to-see orientation from a position where a vehicle waiting line is likely to be formed, such as during on-wire congestion, within each car wash facility 25. How many display units 51 to install in each car wash facility 25 and what size (resolution) of the display unit 51 to install may be appropriately determined according to the size of the site of the car wash facility 25 and the like.

[0014] In addition, in this embodiment, the plurality of car wash facilities 25 are treated as a group of car wash facilities operated by the same operator at the store level. However, for example, they may be composed of a plurality of car wash facilities with different operators at the store unit level, which are linked by a single franchise system operated by a certain operator. Also, it is not necessary that all of the car wash facilities operated by the same operator must be grouped together as the plurality of car wash facilities 25. For example, car wash facilities operated by the same operator may be grouped based on predetermined conditions, such as being within a specific area or within a predetermined distance (for example, within a 10-kilometer radius) from a certain store, and one of the groups may be regarded as the plurality of car wash facilities 25.

[0015] Fig. 2 shows a configuration diagram of the processing server 20. The processing server 20 is, for example, an HTTP server accessed from each car wash device 30 and the like. The processing server 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23 having receiving means and transmitting means.

[0016] The control unit 21 is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and is connected to each component of the processing server 20 such as the storage unit 22. The control unit 21 can perform the processes given by the execution of the programs stored in the storage unit 22 and realize the functions of the processing server 20. That is, the control unit 21 has various means (functional components) for exerting the functions of the processing server 20 according to a pre-programmed sequence based on signals and data from each component and the like.

[0017] The control unit 21 has means (price calculation means 80) for calculating and updating the prices of the services provided at a plurality of car wash sites 25. For the service price calculation by the price calculation means 80, for example, the congestion levels of a plurality of car wash sites 25 are used as variables. The price calculation method of the price calculation means 80 will be described in a later paragraph.

[0018] In addition, the control unit 21 has a display control unit 81 for controlling the display contents of the display units 51 provided at a plurality of car wash sites 25. When, for example, the price calculation means 80 updates the price of the service provided at any one of the car wash sites 25, the display control unit 81 can update the display contents of the display unit 51 to notify the user of this.

[0019] The storage unit 22 is composed of, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc., and can store programs and various data. The communication unit 23 is composed of, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Controller), etc., and can establish communication between each car wash device 30 and the processing server 20 via the network 11.

[0020] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of the car wash device 30, and FIG. 4 shows a schematic front view of the car wash device 30.

[0021] In this embodiment, the car wash device 30 includes a main body 31 that is erected on the ground G (ground surface). The main body 31 can perform washing and other treatments on the user's vehicle C. The main body 31 is composed of a gate-shaped frame (housing) that straddles the vehicle C to be treated. Therefore, the main body 31 has a pair of leg frames 31a that stand up from the ground G and a beam frame 31b that rests on this pair of leg frames 31a. In the following description, the right side of Figure 3 will be considered the front of the main body 31, and the left side of Figure 3 will be considered the rear of the main body 31.

[0022] The car wash device 30 also includes a pair of rails 32, wheels 33 and 34. The pair of rails 32 extend parallel to each other and are installed on the ground G. Wheels 33 and 34 are installed at the bottom of a pair of leg frames 31a, respectively. In the car wash device 30, wheels 33 are the driving wheels and wheels 34 are the driven wheels. The main body 31 can move back and forth (reciprocate) on the rails 32 via wheels 33 and 34 (a total of 4 wheels) when a vehicle C is stationary between the pair of rails 32.

[0023] The car wash device 30 also includes a driving motor 35 and a driving encoder 36. The driving motor 35 is provided on each of the pair of leg frames 31a of the main body 31 so as to connect to the wheels 33 from a position higher than the wheels 33 relative to the ground G. The driving motor 35 is configured to be reversible and moves the main body 31 back and forth via the wheels 33 (drive wheels). The driving encoder 36 is provided on one of the leg frames 31a of the main body 31 and is connected to the output shaft of the driving motor 35 on that side. The driving encoder 36 detects the driving position of the main body 31 on the rail 32. That is, the driving encoder 36 outputs a pulse signal for each unit angle rotation while detecting the rotation direction of the driving motor 35 (i.e., the rotation direction of the wheels 33).

[0024] Furthermore, the car wash device 30 is equipped with a gate device 39. The gate device 39 has a barrier rod 40 that can swing up and down. The barrier rod 40 of the gate device 39 is opened as needed, for example, when a car wash reservation (service execution reservation) is made by the reception device 41, which will be described later. The gate device 39 can prevent other vehicles from approaching the travel range of the main unit 31 while the vehicle C is being washed.

[0025] Furthermore, the car wash system 30 is equipped with a reception device 41. The reception device 41 is equipped with a display unit 42, which is made up of, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. Therefore, the display unit 42 can display data related to the car wash system 30 to the user. In addition, the display unit 42 has touch panel functionality, such as a capacitive or resistive touch panel. By touching the display unit 42, the user of the car wash system 30 can decide, for example, what kind of service (such as a car wash) they want to receive.

[0026] Furthermore, the car wash device 30, as a washing device, is equipped with a top brush 43 and a pair of side brushes 44 provided on the main body 31. The top brush 43 (rotating brush) is housed in the beam frame 31b of the gate-shaped main body 31 when in standby mode. As a movable part, the top brush 43 rotates and moves up and down in accordance with the movement of the main body 31, and can mainly brush the top surface of the vehicle C. The pair of side brushes 44 (rotating brushes) are each housed in the leg frames 31a of the gate-shaped main body 31 when in standby mode. As movable parts, the pair of side brushes 44 rotate and open and close (move closer to and further apart from each other) in accordance with the movement of the main body 31, and can mainly brush the front, sides, and rear of the vehicle C.

[0027] Furthermore, the car wash device 30 includes a top spray 45 and a pair of side sprays 46 as cleaning devices, which are provided on the main body 31. The top spray 45 is housed in the beam frame 31b of the gate-shaped main body 31. As the main body 31 moves, the top spray 45 sprays cleaning fluid such as water or detergent from multiple spray nozzles (not shown) provided on a pipe, mainly cleaning the top surface of the vehicle C. The pair of side sprays 46 are each housed in the leg frames 31a of the gate-shaped main body 31. As the main body 31 moves, the pair of side sprays 46 spray cleaning fluid such as water or detergent from multiple spray nozzles (not shown) provided on a pipe, mainly cleaning the sides of the vehicle C. In the car wash device 30, the top spray 45 and side sprays 46 are provided in front of the main body 31 than the top brush 43 and side brushes 44, in order to brush the vehicle C as the main body 31 moves forward.

[0028] Furthermore, the car wash device 30 includes a top nozzle 47 (blower nozzle) and a pair of side nozzles 48 (blower nozzles) provided on the main body 31 as a washing device. The top nozzle 47 is housed in the beam frame 31b of the gate-shaped main body 31 when in standby mode. As a movable part, the top nozzle 47 moves up and down without contacting the vehicle C while blowing air as the main body 31 moves, and can mainly dry the top surface of the vehicle C. The pair of side nozzles 48 are each housed in the leg frame 31a of the gate-shaped main body 31 when in standby mode. As movable parts, the pair of side nozzles 48 open and close without contacting the vehicle C while blowing air as the main body 31 moves, and can mainly dry the sides of the vehicle C.

[0029] Furthermore, the car wash device 30 is equipped with a vehicle detection unit 49 on the main body 31 for detecting the shape of the vehicle C. The vehicle detection unit 49 is located on the front side of the main body 31 and extends in the upright direction of the main body 31 (in the direction of the vehicle height of the vehicle C). The vehicle detection unit 49 can detect the shape of the vehicle C by known methods, such as using a photoelectric sensor. More specifically, as the main body 31 moves, it can read the shape (silhouette) of the vehicle C from the side. Since the car wash device 30 brushes and washes along the shape of the vehicle C as the main body 31 moves forward, the vehicle detection unit 49 is located in front of the main body 31, ahead of the top brush 43 and side brushes 44.

[0030] The car wash device 30 drives washing devices such as the top brush 43 and top nozzle 47 based on the detection results of the vehicle detection unit 49. By driving the devices in accordance with the shape of the vehicle C acquired by the vehicle detection unit 49, it is possible to prevent, for example, the top brush 43 from being pressed too hard against the vehicle C during brushing, and to prevent the top nozzle 47 from coming into contact with the vehicle C during drying.

[0031] Figure 5 is a configuration diagram showing the control system of the car wash device 30. As shown in Figure 5, the main unit 31 comprises a main unit control unit 60, a main unit storage unit 61, and a main unit communication unit 62. The main unit control unit 60 is composed of, for example, a CPU, and is connected to each component such as the main unit communication unit 61. The main unit storage unit 61 is composed of, for example, ROM, RAM, and external memory (such as a USB memory). The main unit communication unit 62 is connected to the network 11 and is composed of, for example, a mobile communication circuit.

[0032] The main unit control unit 60 executes the program stored in the main unit storage unit 61. In other words, the main unit control unit 60 is equipped with various means (functional components) to perform the functions of the main unit 31 according to a pre-programmed sequence based on signals and data from each component.

[0033] For example, the main unit control unit 60 includes means (travel detection means 63) for detecting the travel position of the main unit 31 from the pulse signal of the travel encoder 36. The main unit control unit 60 also includes means (vehicle shape detection means 64) for detecting the height position of the vehicle C by driving the vehicle detection unit 49 triggered by the pulse signal of the travel encoder 36. The main unit control unit 60 also includes means (vehicle shape data creation means 65) for creating vehicle shape data from the detection results of the travel detection unit 63 and the vehicle shape detection unit 64. This vehicle shape data is stored in the main unit storage unit 61. The main unit control unit 60 then controls various cleaning devices such as brushes 43 and 44 based on the vehicle shape data read from the main unit storage unit 61.

[0034] Furthermore, the main unit control 60 is equipped with means (image processing means 70) for detecting vehicles present in an image by performing image recognition processing on the input image (i.e., the image captured by the camera 50). For vehicle detection by the image processing means 70, a trained model generated by machine learning, such as deep learning, is used. For example, vehicle detection by the image processing means 70 is performed using a region-based object recognition model such as YOLO (You Only Look Once) or SSD (Single Shot Detector), which divides the image captured by the camera 50 into multiple regions and estimates the presence or absence of a vehicle in each region based on the trained model.

[0035] Furthermore, the main control unit 60 is equipped with means (congestion determination means 71) for determining the degree of congestion at the car wash 25 from the vehicle detection results of the image processing means 70. The congestion determination means 71 determines that the car wash 25 is congested, for example, when the proportion of the area in the input image where the image processing means 70 estimates the presence of vehicles exceeds a certain standard.

[0036] The method for determining the degree of congestion of the congestion determination means 71 is not limited to the above. For example, the image processing means 70 may be used to detect the number of vehicles present in the car wash 25, and the system may be configured to determine that the area is congested if there are more than a certain number of vehicles present.

[0037] As described above, the main control unit 60 is equipped with various means (functions), and each means is executed by the main control unit 60. Although each means has been described as being provided by the main control unit 60, they may also be provided as separate components (devices) from the main control unit 60. In particular, functions related to determining the congestion level of the car wash 25 (for example, image processing means 70 and congestion level determination means 71) do not necessarily have to be provided in the car wash device 30, but may be provided in, for example, the processing server 20.

[0038] The operation of the car wash system 30 (car washing service) will now be explained. The user determines the washing process (washing course) to be performed by the car wash system 30 via the reception device 41. The car wash system 30 then guides the user by display, voice, etc., to stop car C at a predetermined stopping position. Once it is detected by a sensor (not shown) or the like that vehicle C has reached the predetermined stopping position, the car wash system 30 executes the washing process determined by the user.

[0039] For example, if the reception device 41 selects a service in which the main unit 31 makes 1.5 round trips on the rail 32 to perform cleaning (1.5 round trip car wash course), the car wash device 30, as the first forward step, moves the main unit 31 forward (forward travel) while detecting the vehicle C with the vehicle detection unit 49, and sprays cleaning water and cleaning agent from the top spray 45 and side spray 46. Furthermore, in accordance with the shape of the vehicle C determined by the vehicle detection unit 49, the top brush 43 and side brush 44 are used to brush and clean the surface of the vehicle C.

[0040] Next, as a re-process, the car wash device 30 moves its main body 31 backward (reverse movement) while spraying washing water onto the vehicle C from the top spray 45 and side spray 46 to wash away dirt and detergent.

[0041] Finally, in the second forward process, the car wash device 30 moves its main body 31 forward (forward travel) while blowing air onto the vehicle C using the top nozzle 47, etc., to remove water droplets and dry it. After that, it guides the user to exit the vehicle by voice or other means, and the washing process is completed.

[0042] Next, we will explain an example of the process for notifying (distributing) users when the car wash area 25 is crowded, referring to the flowchart in Figure 6.

[0043] Cameras 50 installed in multiple car washes 25 capture images of the inside of each car wash 25 at predetermined time intervals (for example, every 3 minutes or every second) [1]. Camera 50-1 installed in car wash 25-1 captures images of the inside of car wash 25-1, and camera 50-2 installed in car wash 25-2 captures images of the inside of car wash 25-2.

[0044] The image processing means 70 performs image recognition processing using the image as an input image each time the camera 50-1 captures a new image of the car wash area 25-1 [2]. In the image recognition processing by the image processing means 70 in this embodiment, the input image is divided into multiple regions, and the presence or absence of a vehicle is estimated for each region.

[0045] Subsequently, the congestion determination means 71 calculates the ratio of the area where the vehicle estimated by the image processing means 70 is likely to be located to the entire input image, and determines whether it exceeds a predetermined ratio (for example, 30%) [3]. If the ratio of the area where the vehicle is likely to be located to the entire input image does not exceed the predetermined ratio, the congestion determination means 71 determines that the car wash 25-1 is not crowded [4]. On the other hand, if that ratio exceeds the predetermined ratio, the congestion determination means 71 determines that the car wash 25-1 is crowded [5].

[0046] This process is carried out at predetermined time intervals for each of the car washes 25 (i.e., car washes 25-1 to 25-n). If any of the car washes 25 (for example, car wash 25-1) is determined to be crowded, the price calculation means 80 recalculates the prices of the services provided at each car wash as necessary based on the level of congestion [6].

[0047] The recalculation of service prices is performed, for example, as follows: A base price is predetermined for the services provided at each car wash 25-1 to 25-n. The base price is the standard price (i.e., the price not recalculated by the price calculation means 80) that is presented to the user, for example, when none of the car washes are crowded. The price calculation means 80 sets an updated price by performing a predetermined calculation on this base price, for example, based on the congestion status of each car wash 25-1 to 25-n. The updated price is the price presented to the user after the price calculation means 80 has recalculated the price of the service.

[0048] For example, if car washes 25-1 and 25-2 are crowded, but car wash 25-3, which is located not far from car washes 25-1 and 25-2, is not crowded, the price calculation method 80 will discount the base price of each service at car wash 25-3 by 20% to determine the renewal price.

[0049] When the service price for car wash 25-3 is updated, the display control unit 81 changes the display content of the display units 51 for car washes 25-1, 25-2, and 25-3, for example [7]. Under the control of the display control unit 81, the display units 52-1, 52-2, and 52-3 display at least the updated service prices for car wash 25-3. At this time, it is also desirable for the display unit 51 to display the congestion status for each car wash 25. The congestion status may be expressed as a degree such as high or low, or as a time such as how many minutes the wait is. An approximate waiting time can be obtained, for example, by obtaining the number of cars waiting at that car wash 25 using the image processing means 70 and multiplying that number by the average processing time per car (the average time from the start to the end of service provision for each car).

[0050] For example, when a user visits car wash 25-1, even if they find that it is crowded, they can see the display on the display unit 51 and learn that there is another car wash 25-3 that is discounted and not crowded. In this way, by discounting the service price of the less crowded car wash 25-n based on the congestion status of each car wash 25-1 to 25-n, an incentive can be given for the user to go to one of the less crowded car washes. Even if the car washes that the user usually uses are car washes 25-1 and 25-2, and both are crowded, the user can be encouraged to use another car wash without giving up on receiving service. As mentioned above, since each car wash 25-1 to 25-n in this embodiment is operated by the same operator, even if the user uses car wash 25-3 instead of car wash 25-1 or 25-2, the operator will not lose out on revenue overall.

[0051] Furthermore, if, for example, all of the car washes 25-1 to 25-n are crowded, the price calculation method 80 may be used to reduce the base price of each service at all car washes 25 by 200 yen, and this can be set as the updated price. By updating prices in this way, even users who might otherwise give up on receiving services because all car washes are crowded can be given an incentive to go to one of the car washes 25 through the discount.

[0052] Furthermore, the services subject to price updates, such as discounts, are not limited to car washing, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the services that can be provided at the car wash. For example, if car wash 25 is equipped with refueling facilities for supplying liquid fuels such as gasoline or diesel to vehicles, the price calculation method 80 may be used to update not only the price of car washing services but also the price of liquid fuels when any of the car washes are busy. The same applies to services such as the provision of light meals.

[0053] The congestion determination means 71 may also be used to determine the congestion status of other services (i.e., services other than car washing). For example, each car wash 25 may be divided into sections such as a car washing area, a drying area, an interior cleaning area, and a refueling area, and the congestion status of each area may be determined separately. In this case, multiple congestion determination means 71 may be provided for each area, or a device that monitors the congestion status of each area comprehensively may be provided and the means 71 may be mounted on it.

[0054] When a user sees the display on the display unit 51 at a car wash (e.g., car wash 25-1) and moves to another car wash (e.g., 25-3), it is conceivable that the congestion status of each car wash 25 may change during the user's movement. For example, if the service price of a less congested car wash is updated to be cheaper, the period during which the updated price is valid may be set to be different from the time interval for determining congestion, so that the user is not disadvantaged by the time it takes to move between stores. The period during which the updated price is valid may be set based on the average waiting time of each car wash 25, which can be determined using queuing theory, for example.

[0055] In addition, the period during which the renewal price is valid may be set taking into account factors such as the time it takes to travel from one car wash 25 to another. More specifically, for example, if the display unit 51 of a busy car wash 25-1 displays a lower service fee for a less busy car wash 25-3, the validity period of that price may be calculated using the average time it takes to travel by car from car wash 25-1 to car wash 25-3 as a variable. Furthermore, the validity period of the renewal price may be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on factors such as the traffic congestion on the roads mainly used when traveling from car wash 25-1 to car wash 25-3 and the day of the week. This information may be displayed on the display unit 51 as needed.

[0056] (Second Embodiment) In the first embodiment described above, a configuration was described in which a display unit 51 is provided at each of the multiple car washes 25 as a means of distributing congestion information and fee information for the multiple car washes 25. However, other means may be used to distribute congestion information and fee information, such as a homepage viewable on a website or an application usable on a device such as a smartphone. In this embodiment, a vehicle processing system 10A that uses an application 110 usable on a user's mobile phone or smartphone (user terminal 101) as a means of distribution will be described.

[0057] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the screen of application 110. Application 110 becomes available on user terminal 101 after being installed on the user terminal 101. By using application 110, users can, for example, view congestion information and price information for each car wash 25. Furthermore, application 110 can uniquely identify users by, for example, assigning an ID to each user who uses it.

[0058] Figure 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the user terminal 101. The user terminal 101 is, for example, a smartphone. The user terminal 101 comprises a terminal control unit 102, a display unit 103, a terminal storage unit 104, a location information acquisition unit 105, and a terminal communication unit 106. The aforementioned application 110 is installed in the terminal storage unit 104. Note that the user terminal 101 is not limited to a smartphone; it may also be a notebook computer or other device with similar functionality.

[0059] The terminal control unit 102 is composed of, for example, a CPU. The display unit 103 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display unit 103 is equipped with touch panel functions such as capacitive or resistive touch and constitutes the input / output unit. The terminal storage unit 104 is composed of, for example, flash memory or RAM and can store programs and various data. The location information acquisition unit 105 is composed of, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver and can acquire the current location of the user terminal 101. The terminal communication unit 106 (including the receiving unit and the transmitting unit) is composed of, for example, a mobile communication circuit, a Bluetooth communication circuit, a WiFi communication circuit, etc. The user terminal 101 can communicate with the processing server 20A via the network 11 using the terminal communication unit 106.

[0060] Figure 9 is a configuration diagram of the processing server 20A in this embodiment. The processing server 20A comprises a control unit 21A, a storage unit 22A, and a communication unit 23 having receiving means and transmitting means. The processing server 20A can communicate with the user terminal 101 via the network 11 using the communication unit 23.

[0061] The control unit 21A includes a means (price calculation means 80A) for calculating and updating the prices of services provided at multiple car washes 25. The price calculation means 80A uses variables such as the congestion level of the multiple car washes 25, as well as, for example, the location information of the user terminal 101 and information of users of each application 110 stored in the storage unit 22A to calculate service prices.

[0062] Furthermore, the control unit 21A is equipped with a nearest car wash location identification means 111. The nearest car wash location identification means 111 can obtain the positional relationship (e.g., distance) between each car wash 25 and each application 110 user from the location information of the user terminal 101 obtained through communication with the user terminal 101.

[0063] Furthermore, the control unit 21A includes an application control means 112. The application control means 112 can control the display content of the application 110 in order to notify the user, for example, when the price calculation means 80A updates the price of a service provided at any of the car washes 25.

[0064] The memory unit 22A can store information about the users of application 110. More specifically, for each user of application 110, the memory unit 22A can store information such as which of the multiple car washes 25 they visit most frequently, how long it has been since their last visit, and what kind of vehicle they drive, all linked to the user's ID.

[0065] The process of notifying (distributing) users when the car wash 25 is crowded, using the vehicle processing system 10A configured in this way, will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 10. Note that the process from image capture by the camera 50 [1] to the determination of the degree of congestion by the congestion determination means 71 [5] is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0066] The degree of congestion is determined for each of the multiple car washes 25 (i.e., car washes 25-1 to 25-n), and if any of the car washes 25 (for example, car wash 25-1) is determined to be congested, the price calculation means 80A recalculates the price of the services provided at each car wash for each user as necessary, based on the congestion status, as well as the location information of the user terminal 101 and the information of each application 110 user stored in the storage unit 22A [6].

[0067] The recalculation of service prices is performed, for example, as follows: A base price is predetermined for the services provided at each car wash 25-1 to 25-n. The base price is a standard price (i.e., the price not recalculated by the price calculation means 80A, and a price common to all users) that is presented to the user, for example, when none of the car washes are crowded. The price calculation means 80A performs a predetermined calculation on this base price based on, for example, the congestion status of each car wash 25-1 to 25-n, the location information of the user terminal 101, and the information of each application 110 user stored in the storage unit 22A, and sets an updated price for each user. The updated price is the price presented to the user after the price calculation means 80A has recalculated the price of the service.

[0068] The calculation process of the price calculation means 80A when setting an update price for a user Y1 will be explained. Suppose that, based on the positional relationship between each car wash 25 and the user terminal 101 owned by user Y1, obtained by the nearest car wash identification means 111, it is known that, for example, user Y1 is closest to car wash 25-1, then to car wash 25-3, and then to car wash 25-2. In this case, if car wash 25-1 becomes crowded, the price calculation means 80A sets the update price such that, for example, the service price of car wash 25-3, which is closest to user Y1's current location and is not crowded, is the cheapest compared to the service prices of the other car washes 25.

[0069] As the prices for the car wash 25-3 services are updated, the application control means 112 changes the display content of user Y1's application 110 [7]. Under the control of the application control means 112, user Y1's application 110 displays at least the updated prices for the car wash 25-3 services.

[0070] The price calculation means 80A performs the same calculation for other users of application 110, excluding user Y1. For example, for user Y2, who is closest to car wash 25-2 after car wash 25-1, the update price is set so that the service price of car wash 25-2 is the lowest. In this way, for each user, if the nearest car wash is crowded, the service price of the next closest car wash is lowered, effectively providing an incentive for each user to go to another car wash that is not crowded. Even if the car wash that the user usually uses is the nearest car wash 25-1 and it is crowded, the user is not forced to give up on using the service and is encouraged to use another car wash.

[0071] Furthermore, in determining the update price for each application 110 user, various parameters can be used, not limited to the current location of the user terminal 101. For example, the memory unit 22A may store the visit history information of each application 110 user, and a special discount may be offered to application 110 users who have not received service for a predetermined period (e.g., one month). For each application 110 user, a special discount may be offered only for their first visit to a car wash 25 that they have never visited before. Such price changes do not necessarily have to be made according to the congestion level of each car wash 25, but may be made flexibly according to the characteristics of each user, such as the frequency of visits. Depending on the equipment of each car wash 25, the price calculation means 80A may also be used to update the prices of services other than car washing (e.g., refueling) for each user.

[0072] Furthermore, the functions of application 110 are not limited to those described above. For example, it may also be possible to reserve services to be received at car wash 25B through application 110, and to settle payments for those services through application 110.

[0073] The displayed content is not limited to what is shown in Figure 7; for example, video footage acquired by camera 50 can be directly displayed on the app. By using such video footage, users can more intuitively understand the congestion status of the car wash 25.

[0074] When determining the price of a service on a per-user basis, the group of car washes 25 that are grouped together may be determined each time based on the user's current location. For example, by setting the car washes 25 displayed in the application 110 to be within a radius of 10 kilometers from the user terminal 101's current location, the user can be presented with car washes that are convenient for them as options.

[0075] (Third embodiment) For example, if the congestion determination means 71 determines that any of the multiple car washes 25 is congested, the operation of the car wash equipment 30 and other devices in that car wash may be changed. In this embodiment, a vehicle processing system 10B having a car wash equipment 30B equipped with various functions that are particularly effective when the area is congested will be described.

[0076] The vehicle processing system 10B includes multiple car washes 25B operated by the same operator. Each of the multiple car washes 25B is located on different sites at a distance from each other and is equipped with one or more car wash machines 30B.

[0077] Figure 11 is a configuration diagram showing the control system of the car wash device 30B. The car wash device 30B includes a main control unit 60B. The main control unit 60B includes a vehicle spacing determination means 200, a waiting line instruction means 201, and a display control means 202.

[0078] The vehicle spacing detection means 200 can detect the distance between each vehicle forming a waiting line in the car wash area 25B from the image captured by the camera 50. The vehicle spacing determination means 200 determines the distance between vehicles, for example, by the number of pixels between the contour lines of each vehicle detected by the image processing means 70.

[0079] The queue instruction means 201 can determine whether the spacing between vehicles forming a queue is appropriate based on the detection results of the vehicle spacing determination means 200. Furthermore, if the spacing is not appropriate, it can issue instructions to the drivers (users) of the vehicles forming the queue. More specifically, for example, if some vehicles in the queue are too close together, the queue instruction means 201 can instruct those vehicles to increase the distance between them to prevent collisions.

[0080] Instructions by the waiting line instruction means 201 are given by updating the display on the display unit 51 via the display control means 202, which can control the content of the display unit 51. In addition, devices that easily attract the user's attention, such as LED rotating lights, may be provided separately, or a staff terminal 203 in the car wash 25B may be provided to communicate with a separate processing server 20B, so that instructions can be given to waiting vehicles via staff. The staff terminal 203 may be a smartphone equipped with a communication unit, similar to the user terminal 101.

[0081] The instructions given by the queue instruction means 201 allow users to receive services even in crowded car washes 25B without having to worry excessively about contact with other vehicles.

[0082] Conversely to the example described above, if there is a large gap between the vehicles forming the queue, the queue instruction means 201 may instruct the vehicle closest to the end of the queue to move forward a little. By giving such instructions, it is possible to prevent situations where, for example, the queue extends beyond the premises of the car wash 25B onto the public road, forcing users to wait on the public road.

[0083] Furthermore, the washing process speed changing means 204 can speed up or slow down the execution speed of the washing process (washing process course) based on the congestion information of the car wash 25B determined by the congestion determination means 71. If the car wash device 30B determines that the car wash 25B on which it is installed is congested, it can reduce the waiting time of users waiting in line to receive the service by, for example, speeding up the processing speed of the washing process using the washing process speed changing means 204.

[0084] Thanks to the various functions of the car wash system 30B that adapt to such congestion levels, users can receive services without stress or resistance, even if the car wash they visit is crowded. Therefore, even if the car wash they normally use is crowded, it is possible to encourage them to use that car wash instead of giving up on receiving services.

[0085] Furthermore, the display content of the display unit 51 when instructions from the waiting line instruction means 201 are not needed may be changed according to the congestion level. For example, when a car wash 25B is congested, it is assumed that vehicles waiting in that car wash 25B will remain in the same place for several minutes, so it is advisable to play a relatively long video advertisement (i.e., one that takes time to view) on the display unit 51 using control means such as the display control means 202. Conversely, when the car wash 25B is not congested (especially when there are no waiting vehicles), the vehicle drivers (users) do not have much time to look at the display unit 51 at length, so it is advisable to display information that does not take much time to convey, such as still image advertisements or weather forecasts.

[0086] Furthermore, when the car wash area 25B is not crowded (especially when there are no waiting vehicles), the processing speed of the car wash device 30B may be slowed down by the washing processing speed changing means 204. By slowing down the processing speed, for example, the time available to brush each part of the vehicle is extended, allowing the vehicle to be washed more effectively.

[0087] Furthermore, although the means related to vehicle spacing detection have been described as being provided by the main control unit 60B, they may also be provided in a separate component (for example, the processing server 20B) from the main control unit 60.

[0088] Although the present invention has been specifically described above based on embodiments, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from its essence.

[0089] For example, in the above embodiment, control based on the current level of congestion was described, but it may also be possible to estimate the future level of congestion based on the day of the week and time, and to control various functions of the vehicle processing system according to the estimated future level of congestion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 10. Vehicle Processing System 20 Processing Servers 25 Car wash 50 Cameras 51 Display section 70 Image processing means 71 Congestion level determination means 80. Pricing Methods

Claims

1. A vehicle processing system comprising multiple vehicle processing plants operated by the same operator connected to a network, and terminal devices connected to the network, Each of the vehicle processing facilities comprising the plurality of vehicle processing facilities is equipped with imaging means for imaging the area within the vehicle processing facility and distribution means for distributing information relating to the plurality of vehicle processing facilities. The terminal device includes an image analysis means for analyzing images captured by the imaging means, a congestion determination means for determining the congestion level of the vehicle processing plant from the analysis results of the image analysis means, and a calculation means for calculating the fees for services provided by the multiple vehicle processing plants based on at least the congestion level determined by the congestion determination means. The distribution means of the vehicle disposal facility distributes service fee information of other vehicle disposal facilities, calculated by the calculation means, within the vehicle disposal facility where the distribution means is provided. A vehicle processing system characterized by the following features.

2. The calculation means calculates the fee for the services provided by each of the vehicle disposal plants based on the degree of congestion at each of the vehicle disposal plants and the positional relationship between each of the vehicle disposal plants and other vehicle disposal plants with a high degree of congestion. The vehicle processing system according to feature 1.

3. A vehicle processing system comprising a plurality of vehicle processing plants operated by the same operator connected to a network, a terminal device connected to the network, and a user terminal owned by a user of the vehicle processing plant, Each of the vehicle processing facilities comprising the plurality of vehicle processing facilities is equipped with imaging means for imaging the area within the vehicle processing facility. The user terminal comprises a distribution means for distributing information related to the multiple vehicle processing plants and a location information acquisition means for acquiring the location information of the user terminal. The terminal device includes an image analysis means for analyzing images captured by the imaging means, a congestion determination means for determining the congestion level of the vehicle processing plant from the analysis results of the image analysis means, and a calculation means for calculating the service fee for each of the vehicle processing plants that make up the plurality of vehicle processing plants, based on the congestion level determined by the congestion determination means and the location information of the user terminal. The distribution means determines, based on the location information of the user terminal, which vehicle processing plant is the target of information distribution from among the multiple vehicle processing plants, and presents the service fee information for that vehicle processing plant, calculated by the calculation means, to each user. A vehicle processing system characterized by the following features.

4. The terminal device has a storage means for storing the usage history of the plurality of vehicle processing plants for each user, The calculation means calculates the fee for the services provided by each vehicle processing plant based on the usage history for each user. The vehicle processing system according to feature 3.

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