Information processing systems, information processing methods, and programs

Abstract

To provide an information processing system and method for achieving a service using a vacant test drive vehicle.SOLUTION: The information processing system 1000 includes at least one control unit. The control unit performs control to display a first screen for selecting a vehicle to ride in response to a request. The first screen allows selection of a plurality of vehicles to share, and the plurality of vehicles to share include a vehicle belonging to a first group and a vehicle belonging to a second group. Vehicles belonging to the first group are vehicles whose vacancy information is managed by the information processing system, and vehicles belonging to the second group are vehicles whose vacancy information is managed by the dealer. The control unit executes processing related to different arrangements depending on whether the vehicle for ride-sharing selected via the first screen belongs to the first group or the second group. The arrangement is an arrangement for a car.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] As one type of vehicle, there is a car. Patent Document 1 discloses a test drive vehicle providing system that aims to improve the convenience of users who wish to test drive a vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] For example, in many car dealerships as one type of vehicle, test drive vehicles are prepared. However, the test drive vehicles in the dealership are not always in use and may be available. When considering providing a service to use the available test drive vehicles managed in the dealership, if the availability information of all vehicles is unknown, the service may not be provided appropriately.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an information processing system is provided. The information processing system has at least one control unit. The control unit controls the display of a first screen for selecting cars to test drive as requested. The first screen is configured to allow selection of multiple cars to test drive. The multiple cars to test drive include cars belonging to a first group and cars belonging to a second group. The cars belonging to the first group are cars for which the information processing system manages the availability information. The cars belonging to the second group are cars for which a dealer manages the availability information. The control unit performs different arrangement-related processing depending on whether the cars to test drive selected via the first screen belong to the first group or the second group. The arrangement is a car arrangement. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of the system configuration of an information processing system. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of a server device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of the hardware configuration of a client device. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a table for managing vehicle information. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart (part 1) showing an example of information processing related to vehicle arrangement in an information processing system. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart (part 2) showing an example of information processing related to vehicle arrangement in an information processing system. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of the generated email text. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of a reservation screen. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of the image data loading screen. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of information processing related to automobile insurance policies. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the process for setting restrictions on the user's access. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of information processing related to vehicle arrangement in the information processing system of Modification Example 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The various features shown in the embodiments below can be combined with each other.

[0008] <Embodiment 1> 1. System Configuration Diagram Figure 1 shows an example of the system configuration of the information processing system 1000. As shown in Figure 1, the information processing system 1000 includes a server device 100, a client device 110, a client device 115, and a client device 140 as its system configuration. The server device 100, the client device 110, the client device 115, and the client device 140 are connected to each other via a network 150. The network 150 may include either or both a WAN (Wide Area Network) and / or the Internet.

[0009] Information processing system 1000 is a system that provides a service allowing users to compare multiple car models from multiple manufacturers.

[0010] The server device 100 is a device that provides the main functions of the information processing system 1000 and performs the main processes of the embodiments shown below (including the modified examples shown below).

[0011] The client device 110 is a device operated by a staff member at Spot 120. Spot 120 is a location where the permanent vehicle 130 is installed (or parked), and where users pick up and return test drive vehicles. Spot 120 is set up, for example, in a shopping center or a location adjacent to a shopping center. The permanent vehicle 130 is provided (or leased) by a dealer, parked at Spot 120, and its availability information is managed by the information processing system 1000. The permanent vehicle 130 is an example of a vehicle belonging to the first group. The availability information is information on the date and time the vehicle is available for loan to users. A dealer is an automobile dealer, a business that retails new and used cars, and in particular a sales business that has a special dealership agreement with an automobile manufacturer. However, in this specification, "dealer" includes not only sales businesses but also business premises.

[0012] For simplicity, Figure 1 shows only one spot 120 within the information processing system 1000, but multiple spots may exist within the information processing system 1000. Also, for simplicity, Figure 1 shows only one permanent vehicle 130 within spot 120, but multiple permanent vehicles may exist within a single spot 120.

[0013] The client device 115 is a device operated by users of the information processing system 1000. A user of the information processing system 1000 is a person who uses the client device 115 to access the website provided by the information processing system 1000, and who registers their user information, such as name, address, telephone number, email address, and password, on the user registration page. The email address is used as the user's user ID. Users use the client device 115 to access the information processing system 1000 to make car reservations, receive emails sent from the information processing system 1000, and so on. Hereafter, email will also be simply referred to as "mail."

[0014] In FIG. 1, for the sake of simplicity, only one client device 115 is shown within the information processing system 1000. However, the information processing system 1000 includes as many client devices 115 as there are users of the information processing system 1000.

[0015] The client device 140 is a device operated by an operator at the dealer 160. In the specification, the dealer 160 has a plurality of vehicles as test drive vehicles (test drive vehicle 170, test drive vehicle 180, and test drive vehicle 190 in FIG. 1). The test drive vehicles 170, 180, and 190 are managed at the dealer 160 and are vehicles for which the information processing system 1000 does not manage empty vehicle information. The test drive vehicles 170, 180, and 190 are an example of vehicles belonging to the second group. Hereinafter, the vehicles belonging to the second group are also referred to as request vehicles. A request vehicle can also be said to be a vehicle for which the dealer 160 manages empty vehicle information. A request vehicle is a vehicle parked at a location managed by the corresponding dealer. Examples of locations managed by the dealer include within the dealer's premises and parking lots near the dealer with which the dealer has a contract. Hereinafter, when collectively referring to the standing vehicle and the request vehicle, it is also referred to as a "car".

[0016] In FIG. 1, for the sake of simplicity, only one dealer 160 is shown within the information processing system 1000. However, there may be a plurality of dealers within the information processing system 1000. Also, in FIG. 1, for the sake of simplicity, three test drive vehicles are shown as examples within the dealer 160, but it is not limited to three. Any number of vehicles of one or more is acceptable.

[0017] The server device 100 does not manage the empty vehicle information of the test drive vehicles held by the dealer 160, but will be described as holding and managing information regarding the test drive vehicles held by the dealer 160. Here, the information regarding the test drive vehicle is information includes is information including the vehicle type of the vehicle, the grade of the vehicle, the color of the vehicle, and the like.

[0018] Here, the information processing system described in the claims may consist of multiple devices or of a single device. If the information processing system described in the claims consists of a single device, an example of such a device is a server device 100. If the information processing system described in the claims consists of multiple devices, examples of multiple devices include a server device 100 and a client device 110, or a server device 100 and a client device 140, or a server device 100 and a client device 115, or a cloud server composed of multiple server devices that provide the functions of server device 100.

[0019] 2. Hardware Configuration (1) Hardware configuration of server device 100 Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of server device 100. As shown in Figure 2, the server device 100 includes, as a hardware configuration, a control unit 210, a storage unit 220, and a communication unit 230.

[0020] The control unit 210 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, and controls the entire server device 100.

[0021] The storage unit 220 is one of the following: HDD (Hard Disk Drive), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), SSD (Solid State Drive), or any combination thereof, and stores programs, data used by the control unit 210 when executing processing based on the programs, etc. The storage unit 220 is an example of a storage medium. Examples of data used by the control unit 210 when executing processing based on the programs include user data, vehicle information for permanently installed vehicles, vehicle availability information for permanently installed vehicles, vehicle information for requested vehicles, etc.

[0022] In this specification, the data used by the control unit 210 when executing processing based on the program is described as being stored in the storage unit 220, but it may also be stored in the storage unit of another device that can communicate with the server device 100. In other words, the data may be stored in the storage unit of any device as long as the control unit 210 can access or retrieve it. By executing processing based on the program stored in the storage unit 220, the functions of the server device 100 and the processing of the flowcharts shown in Figures 5, 6, 10, 11, and 12 described later are realized.

[0023] The communications unit 230 connects the server device 100 to the network 150 and manages communication with other devices.

[0024] Note that the hardware configurations of the control unit 210, storage unit 220, and communication unit 230 are not limited to one. For example, multiple control units may be included in the server device 100. The same applies to the client device 110 shown below.

[0025] (2) Hardware configuration of client device 115 Figure 3 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the client device 115. As shown in Figure 3, the client device 115 includes, as a hardware configuration, a control unit 310, a storage unit 320, an imaging unit 330, an input / output unit 340, and a communication unit 350.

[0026] The control unit 310 is a CPU or the like, and controls the entire client device 110.

[0027] The storage unit 320 is one of the following: HDD, ROM, RAM, SSD, etc., or any combination thereof, and stores programs, data used by the control unit 310 when executing processing based on the programs, etc. The storage unit 320 is an example of a storage medium.

[0028] In this specification, the data used by the control unit 310 when executing processing based on the program is described as being stored in the storage unit 320, but it may also be stored in the storage unit of another device that can communicate with the client device 110. In other words, the data may be stored in the storage unit of any device that the control unit 310 can access. The functions of the client device 110 are realized when the control unit 310 executes processing based on the program stored in the storage unit 320.

[0029] The imaging unit 330 is, for example, a camera or the like, which captures an image of a subject.

[0030] The input / output unit 340 is, for example, a touch panel, which outputs information and inputs information based on user operations.

[0031] The communications unit 350 connects the client device 115 to the network 150 via wireless communication and base stations, and manages communication with other devices.

[0032] In this specification, a smartphone is used as an example of the client device 115. However, the client device 115 may be a PC (Personal Computer), a tablet computer, or the like. The client device 115 can be any device that can display a screen as shown in Figure 8 (described later), accept user operations via the screen, and transmit information to the server device 100.

[0033] Similarly, the specification uses a PC as an example of client device 110 and client device 140. However, either or both of client device 110 and client device 140 may be a tablet computer, smartphone, or the like.

[0034] 3. Information Processing The information processing of Embodiment 1 will be described below.

[0035] (1) Overview of the process The control unit 210 controls the display of a reservation screen for selecting cars to test drive on the input / output unit 340 of the client device 115 in response to a request from the client device 115. The reservation screen is an example of the first screen. The reservation screen is configured to allow selection of multiple cars to test drive. The multiple cars to test drive include cars belonging to a first group and cars belonging to a second group.

[0036] Here, the vehicles belonging to the first group are also referred to as permanent vehicles, as mentioned above. Permanent vehicles are provided by dealers, parked at spot 120, and whose vacancy information is managed by the information processing system 1000. Hereafter, the first group will also be referred to as the permanent vehicle group. As mentioned above, vehicles belonging to the second group are also called request vehicles. Request vehicles are parked at Dealer 160, managed by Dealer 160, and Dealer 160 manages the availability information for these vehicles. Hereafter, the second group will also be referred to as the request vehicle group.

[0037] The control unit 210 executes different arrangement-related processes depending on whether the cars selected for comparison via the reservation screen belong to the permanent car group or the request car group. The arrangement is the arrangement of the cars to be compared. Here, the arrangement-related process for cars is, for example, the process of determining whether the car desired by the user is available for the period desired by the user and sending the result of the determination to the user.

[0038] By adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to provide and arrange for users to compare various new and / or used cars without having to own and manage vehicles of different manufacturers and grades for comparison before purchase.

[0039] (2) Details of the process (2-1) Car Information The server device 100 stores vehicle information in the storage unit 220, etc. Figure 4 shows an example of a table 400 for managing vehicle information. Table 400 includes at least the following items: vehicle ID 401, manufacturer information 402, grade information 403, identification information 404, spot information 405, vacancy information 406, and dealer information 407.

[0040] Vehicle ID 401 stores the vehicle ID. The vehicle ID is identification information that identifies the vehicle. Manufacturer information 402 stores manufacturer information. Manufacturer information is identification information that identifies the car manufacturer (the company that manufactures or produces the car). Grade information 403 stores grade information. Grade information includes information about the vehicle's equipment (audio, car navigation, interior and wheel information, etc.) and performance information (engine type, hybrid system specifications, drive system and displacement information, etc.). Identification information 404 stores identification information that identifies whether the vehicle is a permanent vehicle or a requested vehicle. For example, J indicates a permanent vehicle, and R indicates a requested vehicle.

[0041] Spot information 405 stores spot information. Spot information is identification information that identifies a spot. Vacancy information 406 stores information about available vehicles. Vacancy information refers to the dates and times when a vehicle is available for rental to a user. Dealer information 407 stores dealer information. Dealer information includes the name, address, and telephone number of the dealer providing the car, as well as the account information and email address of the dealer's representative. The account information of the dealer's representative includes the user ID (account ID) in the information processing system 1000, email address, telephone number, and profile picture if registered. The control unit 210 can send messages to users who have an account in the information processing system 1000, addressing them to their account ID within the information processing system 1000.

[0042] (2-2) Arrangement Processing Figure 5 is a flowchart (part 1) showing an example of information processing related to car arrangement in the information processing system 1000. The flowchart in Figure 5 shows the processing after the user selects the spot, car, desired usage period for comparison (pickup date and time and return date and time), etc., on the reservation screen. The information selected on the reservation screen is sent as a reservation request from the client device 115 to the server device 100. The reservation request includes the user ID of the user who made the reservation, the car ID that identifies the selected car, and the desired usage period for the comparison test. The control unit 210 stores the car ID, desired usage period, etc. included in the reservation request as reservation information in the storage unit 220, etc., associating it with the user ID.

[0043] In step S501, the control unit 210 retrieves the identification information stored in the identification information 404 of the corresponding record based on the car ID included in the received reservation request and the table 400, and determines whether the car to be reserved is a permanent vehicle or a requested vehicle. If the control unit 210 determines that the vehicle to be reserved is a permanently installed vehicle, it proceeds to step S502. If it determines that the vehicle to be reserved is a requested vehicle, it proceeds to step S601 in Figure 6.

[0044] In step S502, the control unit 210 retrieves the available vehicle information stored in the available vehicle information 406 of the corresponding record in the table 400.

[0045] In step S503, the control unit 210 determines whether a car is available for the period indicated by the user's desired usage period, based on the acquired vehicle availability information and the desired usage period for comparing different cars included in the reservation request. The process in step S503 is an example of a process that determines whether a car is available for the period from the user's desired pick-up date to the desired return date, based on vehicle availability information, when the car selected via the reservation screen belongs to a permanent vehicle group. If the control unit 210 determines that a car is available during the desired usage period, it proceeds to step S504; if it determines that a car is not available during the desired usage period, it proceeds to step S505.

[0046] In step S504, the control unit 210 executes processing related to arranging a vehicle identified by the vehicle ID included in the reservation request. The processing in step S504 is related to arranging a vehicle for a permanently installed vehicle. More specifically, the control unit 210 removes the information on the desired usage period from the vehicle availability information 406 of the vehicle identified by the vehicle ID (i.e., the period indicated by the desired usage period is not considered available (a comparison test is scheduled)). The control unit 210 also creates a vehicle arrangement message containing information such as the user ID of the user who made the reservation, the vehicle ID of the vehicle selected on the reservation screen, and the desired usage period selected on the reservation screen, and sends it to the person in charge at the relevant spot.

[0047] The specification describes that spot representatives and dealer representatives have accounts in the information processing system 1000, and that the control unit 210 sends messages to the corresponding representative's account. However, the control unit 210 may also send emails to the spot representative's email address and the dealer representative's email address.

[0048] In step S505, the control unit 210 creates an email addressed to the user who made the reservation. If the result in step S503 is YES and the process proceeds to step S505, this email is to inform the user that the reserved car has been secured. The email includes the user ID, the user's name, phone number, information about the secured car (vehicle type, manufacturer, grade, and color, etc.), and the user's desired rental period (pickup date and time, and return date and time). On the other hand, if the result in step S503 is NO and the process proceeds to step S505, this email is to inform the user that the reserved car could not be secured. The email includes the user ID, the user's name, phone number, information about the car that could not be secured, and the user's desired rental period (pickup date and time, and return date and time).

[0049] In step S506, the control unit 210 sends the email created in step S505 to the email address of the user identified by the user ID. The process in step S506 is an example of a process that sends the result of the determination to the user. Furthermore, the process in step S506 is an example of a process in which, if the car to be compared selected via the reservation screen belongs to a permanent car group, the control unit 210 sends the user information on the availability of the car, which is identified based on the desired usage period of the car specified by the user and the available car information managed by the information processing system. Availability information is information indicating whether or not the reserved car is available.

[0050] Figure 6 is a flowchart (part 2) showing an example of information processing related to vehicle arrangement in the information processing system 1000. In step S601 of Figure 6, the control unit 210 creates an inquiry message. The inquiry message asks the dealer's representative whether the car specified by the user is available for the desired usage period specified by the user. The inquiry message includes the user ID of the user who made the reservation, the car ID that identifies the selected car, the desired usage period for the comparison test, etc.

[0051] In step S602, the control unit 210 retrieves the dealer information stored in the dealer information 407 of the corresponding record based on the vehicle ID and table 400. The control unit 210 sends the inquiry message created in step S601 to the dealer's representative based on the dealer's representative account information included in the dealer information. Step S602 is an example of a process that, if the car to be compared via the reservation screen belongs to the requested car group, sends an inquiry request to the dealer managing the car to check whether the car is available for the period from the user's desired pick-up date to the desired return date.

[0052] In step S603, the control unit 210 creates an email to the user who made the reservation. This email is not an email informing the user that the reserved car has been arranged, but rather an email informing the user that the reservation for the car has been completed. The email includes the user ID, the user's name, phone number, information about the reserved car (car model, manufacturer, grade and color, etc.), and the desired usage period for the car (pickup date and time and return date and time).

[0053] In step S604, the control unit 210 sends the email created in step S603 to the email address of the user identified by the user ID.

[0054] In step S605, the control unit 210 determines whether or not it has received a response message to the inquiry message sent to the dealer's representative in step S602. If the control unit 210 has received a response message, it proceeds to step S606; otherwise, it repeats the process in step S605.

[0055] There are at least two types of response messages: a response message indicating that the car specified by the user is available for the desired usage period specified by the user (hereinafter also referred to as an OK message), and a response message indicating that the car specified by the user is available for the desired usage period specified by the user (hereinafter also referred to as an NG message). If the car specified by the user is available for the desired usage period specified by the user, the dealer will remove the information about the desired usage period from the car's availability information (i.e., the period indicated by the desired usage period will be considered not to be available (a comparison test is scheduled)). The OK message will also include information such as whether the dealer has secured the car.

[0056] For example, when the control unit 210 detects that a predetermined URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in the inquiry message has been selected, it controls the client device 140 to display a predetermined screen. The predetermined screen includes information identifying the car specified by the user, the desired usage period specified by the user, a first object (e.g., an OK button), and a second object (e.g., an NG button). When the first object is selected, an OK message is sent from the client device 140 to the server device 100. The OK message indicates that the desired car can be used during the desired usage period. When the second object is selected, an NG message is sent from the client device 140 to the server device 100. The NG message indicates that the desired car cannot be used during the desired usage period.

[0057] In step S606, the control unit 210 creates an email to the user who made the reservation. The control unit 210 modifies the email it creates depending on whether the message received from the client device 140 is an OK message or an NG message. If the response message is an OK message, the control unit 210 creates an email informing the user that the reserved car has been secured. The email includes a message informing the user that the reserved car has been secured, the user ID, the user's name, telephone number, information about the secured car (vehicle type, manufacturer, grade and color, etc.), and the desired rental period for the car (pickup date and time and return date and time). If the response message is an NG message, the control unit 210 creates an email informing the user that the reserved car could not be secured. The email includes a message informing the user that the reserved car could not be secured, the user ID, the user's name, telephone number, information about the car that could not be secured (vehicle type, manufacturer, grade and color, etc.), and the desired rental period for the car (pickup date and time and return date and time). Step S606 is an example of a process that receives input information from the dealer and determines whether or not a car is available based on the received information.

[0058] In step S607, the control unit 210 sends the email created in step S606 to the email address of the user identified by the user ID. Step S607 is an example of a process that sends the result of the determination to the user. Furthermore, the process in step S607 is an example of the process in which, if the car to be compared selected via the reservation screen belongs to the requested car group, the control unit 210 sends the user information on the availability of the car, which is identified based on the desired usage period of the car specified by the user and the car availability information managed by the dealer. As another example, if a dealer manages information on the availability of test drive vehicles (requested vehicles) in its own management system, the control unit 210 may, for example, obtain the availability information via an API (Application Programming Interface) provided by this management system and determine whether or not a vehicle is available during the desired usage period.

[0059] When the control unit 210 receives an NG message from the client device 140, it creates an email containing instructions to guide the user to a replacement vehicle (a permanently available vehicle) and sends it to a predetermined call center representative. More specifically, based on the manufacturer information of the car selected by the user on the reservation screen and the desired usage period, the control unit 210 creates an email containing instructions to guide the user to a permanently available vehicle of the same manufacturer that is available for the desired usage period and sends it to the call center representative. This process is an example of a procedure that, when a vehicle belonging to the requested vehicle group is selected on the reservation screen but the vehicle is not arranged, sends information to a designated recipient guiding them to a test drive of a vehicle from the same manufacturer as the selected vehicle. Furthermore, this process is an example of a process that, if a vehicle belonging to the requested vehicle group is selected on the reservation screen but the vehicle is not arranged, sends information to a designated recipient guiding the user to a test drive of a vehicle belonging to the permanent vehicle group.

[0060] As another example, when the control unit 210 receives an NG message from the client device 140, it may create a message within the information processing system 1000 instead of sending it via email and send it to a predetermined call center representative.

[0061] As another example, when the control unit 210 receives an NG message from the client device 140, it may retrieve at least one candidate vehicle from the same manufacturer that is available for the desired period based on the manufacturer information and desired usage period of the vehicle selected by the user on the reservation screen, and the availability information of the permanently stocked vehicles. The control unit may then create an email containing the candidate information and send it to a predetermined call center representative.

[0062] Figure 7 shows an example of the generated email text. The email contains information 710 regarding the name of the vehicle reserved by the user and the desired usage period. The email also contains information 720 regarding candidate vehicles from the same manufacturer that are available during the desired usage period, which has been acquired by the control unit 210. User information 730 is the information of the user who made the reservation. Upon receiving an email like the one shown in Figure 7, the call center representative can call the phone number indicated in user information 730 and inform the customer that the reserved vehicle (requested vehicle) is already booked, and then guide them to a vehicle of the same manufacturer as the requested vehicle (regularly stocked vehicle) that is available for the desired period of use.

[0063] As another example, the control unit 210 may send an email or message, as shown in Figure 7, to the user who made the reservation, rather than sending an email as shown in Figure 7 to the call center representative.

[0064] As described above, according to Embodiment 1, by using a permanently stationary vehicle that manages vacancy information and a request vehicle that does not manage vacancy information, it is possible to appropriately provide a service that allows users to compare multiple cars. By using a request vehicle, the problems of securing parking space for cars and the need to prepare various cars for users to compare can be solved. By using a permanently stationary vehicle, even if a request vehicle is unavailable, it is possible to introduce a suitable car that is available for the period the user wants to use the service. In addition, by keeping a permanently stationary vehicle at the spot at all times, users can actually see the cars. Even if only one car is provided by a dealer, by obtaining cars from dealers of multiple manufacturers, it is possible to immediately show users cars from multiple manufacturers.

[0065] (Variation 1) The following describes Modification 1 of Embodiment 1. Modification 1 is included in Embodiment 1 and is not a different embodiment from Embodiment 1. Configurations and processes not described in Modification 1 are the same as in Embodiment 1.

[0066] In the modified example 1, the control unit 210 controls the display of the car on the reservation screen to be different depending on the plan the dealer is subscribed to.

[0067] Figure 8 shows an example of the reservation screen 800. The control unit 210 of Modification 1 controls the display of the reservation screen shown in Figure 8 on the input / output unit 340 of the user's client device 115. The reservation screen 800 displays cars from multiple manufacturers for each car grade. That is, the reservation screen 800 is configured to allow the user to select multiple cars from different companies to compare. The cars included in the reservation screen 800 cannot be distinguished from regular cars or requested cars by the user. The reservation screen 800 also includes cars provided by multiple dealers. Image 810 is an example of an image showing cars from dealers that are subscribed to the standard plan.

[0068] Image 820 is an example of an image showing a car from a dealer that is subscribed to a special plan with higher monthly payments than the standard plan. The control unit 210 adds a recommended mark image 830 to image 820. This process is an example of a process that changes the way cars are displayed on the reservation screen depending on the plan the dealer is subscribed to. Mark image 830 is just an example and may be an image containing text such as "Recommended!" or "Popular Model!". In other words, any form is acceptable as long as it differs from the image of cars in the standard plan.

[0069] Image 840 is an example of an image showing a car from a dealer that is subscribed to a special plan with higher monthly payments than the standard plan. The control unit 210 displays the border of image 840 thicker than the border of image 810. This process is an example of a process that changes the way cars are displayed on the reservation screen depending on the plan the dealer is subscribed to. Making the border thicker is just one example; the pattern of the border, the color, the fill color of the area indicated by the border, or the fill pattern may also be changed. In other words, any form is acceptable as long as it differs from the image of a car on the standard plan. As another example, you could enlarge the car image itself when outputting it, or you could display the car image at the top of the list to highlight cars from dealers who are subscribed to the special plan more than cars from dealers who are subscribed to the standard plan.

[0070] According to Modification 1, the way cars are displayed on the reservation screen can be varied depending on the plan each dealer is subscribed to. Therefore, for example, when displaying a list of cars to compare, cars from dealers subscribed to special plans with higher monthly payments than the standard plan can be highlighted. This increases the likelihood that the user will choose that car, leading to a test drive and ultimately a purchase.

[0071] (Modification 2) The following describes a modified example 2 of Embodiment 1. Modified example 2 is included in Embodiment 1 and is not a different embodiment from Embodiment 1. Configurations and processes not described in Modified Example 2 are the same as in Embodiment 1.

[0072] (Registration of automobile insurance policy) In Modification 2, the control unit 210 controls the display of an image data loading screen on the input / output unit 340, etc., of the user's client device 115 in response to a request from the client device 115. The image data loading screen is an example of the second screen. Figure 9 shows an example of the image data loading screen. Email 900 is an example of an email sent from the server device 100 to the client device 115 when the arrangement is complete. When the user selects the "Upload Image Data" button 910, the control unit 210 controls the display of the image data loading screen 920 on the input / output unit 340, etc., of the user's client device 115. The image data loading screen 920 includes a GUI (Graphical User Interface) component 930. The GUI component 930 is, for example, a camera image. When the GUI component 930 is selected, the control unit 310 activates the imaging unit 330 and captures an image of the subject (for example, an automobile insurance policy prepared by the user). The captured image data is stored in the storage unit 320, etc. Area 940 is an area that displays a list of image data stored in the storage unit 320. The user selects an image of a car insurance policy (for example, image data 950) from the image data displayed in area 940 and selects the register button 960. In other words, the image data loading screen 920 is configured to allow registration of image data of the insurance policy for the user's private car that they have reserved to test drive.

[0073] When the registration button 960 is selected, image data of the automobile insurance policy is transmitted from the client device 115 to the server device 100. Upon receiving the image data of the automobile insurance policy from the client device 115, the control unit 210 stores the image data of the automobile insurance policy in the storage unit 220 or the like, associating it with the user ID of the corresponding user.

[0074] (Utilization of automobile insurance policy) Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of information processing related to automobile insurance policies. In step S1001, the control unit 210 determines whether there is any reservation information that is before the predetermined date and time of vehicle handover, based on the desired usage period of the reservation information stored in the memory unit 220, etc., and the current time information. An example of the predetermined date and time is two days. For the sake of simplicity, two days will be used as an example below. The control unit 210 obtains the current time information from the hardware clock and / or system clock of the server device 100. If the control unit 210 determines that there is a reservation that is two days before the vehicle handover date, it proceeds to step S1004. If it determines that there is no reservation that is two days before the vehicle handover date, it proceeds to step S1003.

[0075] In step S1003, the control unit 210 executes a process to cancel the reservation. For example, the control unit 210 may add information to the reservation information indicating that the reservation is being canceled, or it may create an email stating that the reservation is being canceled because the image data of the automobile insurance policy was not registered by the specified date and time, and send it to the user who made the reservation. Step S1003 is an example of a process that cancels a user's reservation if image data of the car insurance policy is not registered within a specified period before the date of use of the cars to be compared.

[0076] In step S1004, the control unit 210 acquires information from the image data of the automobile insurance policy. The control unit 210 may perform optical character recognition processing to read the information from the image data of the automobile insurance policy, or it may input the image data into a trained model and acquire the information from the trained model. The trained model is a machine learning model that has been trained using image data as input data and the information contained in the image data as output data. The control unit 210 obtains at least the vehicle information, the insurer's date of birth, and the driver age condition from the image data of the automobile insurance policy. The driver age condition is a condition that limits the age of the driver covered by the automobile insurance (voluntary insurance). Automobile insurance is designed so that the higher the age limit, the lower the insurance premium, as the accident rate is relatively lower for older drivers.

[0077] In step S1005, the control unit 210 analyzes the likelihood of replacement based on the acquired information. More specifically, the control unit 210 ranks the likelihood of replacement based on the initial registration date and vehicle inspection expiration date information included in the acquired contract vehicle information, for example, as high, medium, or low probability. The control unit 210 determines the likelihood of replacement in such a way that the older the initial registration date and the closer the vehicle inspection expiration date, the higher the likelihood of replacement. As another example, the control unit 210 inputs the initial registration date and vehicle inspection expiration date information into a trained model and obtains a value from the trained model indicating the likelihood of replacement (for example, it may be a ranked value such as high, medium, or low as described above, or it may be a numerical value such as 90%, 50%, or 10%). The trained model is a machine learning model that has been trained using the initial registration date and vehicle inspection expiration date information as input data and whether or not the car was replaced as output data.

[0078] In step S1006, the control unit 210 analyzes the vehicle types that the insurer may replace based on the acquired information. More specifically, the control unit 210 analyzes the vehicle types that the insurer may replace based on the acquired date of birth and / or driver age conditions. For example, the control unit 210 identifies the user's age group based on the acquired date of birth of the insurer, and considers the vehicle types associated with the identified age group as vehicle types that the insurer may replace. As another example, the control unit 210 inputs the insurer's date of birth into a trained model and obtains information on vehicle types that the insurer may replace from the trained model. The trained model is a machine learning model that has been trained using the insurer's date of birth as input data and the vehicle types that the insurer has replaced as output data.

[0079] Furthermore, for example, the control unit 210 identifies the age range of the family members of the user who may drive the car, based on the acquired driver age conditions. The control unit 210 sets the vehicle models that are likely to be replaced as those associated with the combination of the user's age range identified based on the insurer's date of birth and the user's family age range identified based on the driver age conditions. As another example, the control unit 210 inputs the insurer's date of birth and driver age conditions into a trained model and obtains information on potential replacement vehicle models from the trained model. The trained model is a machine learning model trained with the insurer's date of birth and driver age conditions as input data and the vehicle models that the insurer has replaced as output data.

[0080] In step S1007, the control unit 210 outputs the user information of the relevant user, along with the value indicating the likelihood of replacement obtained in step S1005, and the information of the vehicle models that the user is likely to replace, identified in step S1006, as analysis results. The control unit 210 outputs the analysis results by, for example, transmitting the value indicating the likelihood of replacement and the information of the vehicle models that the user is likely to replace to another device (for example, the client device 140 of the dealer that provides the cars the user has been test-driving).

[0081] The processes in steps S1005 and S1007 are examples of processes that output information identifying the likelihood of the user replacing their car based on image data registered via the image data loading screen 920. Furthermore, the processes in steps S1005 and S1007 are also examples of processes that output information identifying the likelihood of the user replacing their car based on the contracted car information contained in the image data.

[0082] The processes in steps S1006 and S1007 are examples of processes that output information identifying a vehicle model that the user may replace based on image data registered via the image data loading screen 920. Furthermore, the processes in steps S1006 and S1007 are also examples of processes that output information identifying a vehicle model that the user may replace based on the insurer's date of birth and driver age conditions included in the image data.

[0083] When a dealer representative receives information about the possibility of a vehicle replacement and / or information about the type of vehicle that the customer is likely to replace, they can then recommend a suitable vehicle to the customer who is most likely to replace their vehicle.

[0084] According to Modification 2, it is possible to provide a service that allows users to compare multiple cars by effectively utilizing automobile insurance policies.

[0085] (Variation 3) The following describes a modification 3 of Embodiment 1. Modification 3 is included in Embodiment 1 and is not a different embodiment from Embodiment 1. Configurations and processes not described in Modification 3 are the same as in Embodiment 1.

[0086] (Settings for restricted users) Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the process for setting restrictions on the user's access. In step S1101, the control unit 210 of the modified example 3 determines, based on the user's past usage history, whether or not the user is using the car like a rental car, that is, whether or not the user is not using the car for the purpose of comparing different cars. The control unit 210 performs the process of step S1101 periodically (for example, once every two weeks). As an example of a user who is not using the car for the purpose of comparing different cars, the following explanation will use a user who is using the car like a rental car.

[0087] Here, the usage history includes the mileage, driving time, driving location, and driving speed of the car used by the user. The control unit 210 determines whether or not the car may be being used as a rental car based on at least one of these pieces of information. For example, if there are a predetermined number of usage records where the vehicle has traveled more than a predetermined distance within a set predetermined period (e.g., one day), the control unit 210 determines that the vehicle may be being used as a rental car. Furthermore, if, for example, the vehicle has visited a location more than a predetermined distance away from the spot more than a predetermined number of times, or has visited the same location multiple times, the control unit 210 will determine that the vehicle may be being used like a rental car. Furthermore, for example, if the vehicle has been driven on a highway or similar road at a predetermined speed or higher more than a predetermined number of times, the control unit 210 will determine that it may be being used as a rental car. Furthermore, if the vehicle is driven more than a predetermined number of times during predetermined time periods, such as late at night and early in the morning, the control unit 210 will determine that it may be being used as a rental car.

[0088] If the control unit 210 determines that there is a user using the car as a rental car, it proceeds to step S1102. If it determines that there is no user using the car as a rental car, it returns to step S1101, and in the example above, it executes the process of step S1101 again after two weeks.

[0089] In step S1102, the control unit 210 creates an email or message containing a URL to the user details screen of a user who may be using the car as a rental car, and sends it to the person in charge's device (for example, client device 110). When a URL is selected, the user details screen is displayed. The user details screen includes user information such as the user ID, user's name, and phone number, as well as the user's past usage history. The user details screen may also include suggestive information indicating that the user may be using the car like a rental car. Any information that suggests the possibility that the user is using the car like a rental car is acceptable. For example, the control unit 210 may display an image such as "Rental Car Use Restriction" on the user details screen.

[0090] In step S1103, the control unit 210 determines whether or not to set a user who may be using the vehicle like a rental car as a restricted member whose use of the vehicle is restricted. For example, if the "Register" button is selected on the user details screen, the control unit 210 determines to set the user as a restricted member whose use of the vehicle is restricted, and if the "Do not register" button is selected, it determines not to set the user as a restricted member whose use of the vehicle is restricted.

[0091] If the control unit 210 determines that a user who may be using the vehicle like a rental car should be designated as a restricted member whose use of the vehicle is restricted, it proceeds to step S1104. If it determines that a user who may be using the vehicle like a rental car should not be designated as a restricted member whose use of the vehicle is restricted, it terminates the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 11.

[0092] In step S1104, the control unit 210 adds information indicating that the user is a restricted member to the user information of the relevant user.

[0093] As another example, the control unit 210 may automatically set the user as a restricted user if it determines that the vehicle may be being used like a rental car.

[0094] (Processing of reservations made by restricted users) Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of information processing related to vehicle arrangement in the information processing system 1000 of the modified example 3.

[0095] In step S1201, the control unit 210 obtains user information based on the user ID included in the received reservation request. The control unit 210 determines whether the user who made the reservation is a restricted user based on whether or not information indicating that the user is a restricted user is attached to the obtained user information. If the control unit 210 determines that the user who made the reservation is a restricted member, it proceeds to step S1202; if it determines that the user who made the reservation is not a restricted member, it proceeds to step S501.

[0096] In step S1202, the control unit 210 creates a reservation confirmation email indicating that the reservation has been completed. In step S1203, the control unit 210 sends a reservation completion email to the email address of the user identified by the user ID.

[0097] After a predetermined period (for example, 1 hour) has elapsed since sending the reservation confirmation email in step S1203, in step S1204, the control unit 210 creates a reservation NG email indicating that the reserved car could not be arranged.

[0098] In step S1205, the control unit 210 sends the email created in step S1204 to the email address of the user identified by the user ID. The process of sending an email in step S1205 after a predetermined period (for example, 1 hour) has elapsed since the reservation confirmation email was sent is an example of a process that sends information to the user indicating that the reserved car for comparison could not be arranged after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the reservation, in cases where the user who made the reservation is set to not be a user who intends to compare cars. This process is in place to prevent problems by not immediately sending an email indicating that a car reservation is unavailable, even though we want to restrict car use by members with restricted access.

[0099] According to Modification 3, it is possible to restrict usage for users who are using the car not for its intended purpose, but rather as a rental car.

[0100] (Modification 4) The following describes a modification 4 of Embodiment 1. Modification 4 is included in Embodiment 1 and is not a different embodiment from Embodiment 1. Configurations and processes not described in Modification 4 are the same as in Embodiment 1.

[0101] In the above-mentioned specification, a permanent vehicle was described as a vehicle provided (or granted) by a dealer, parked at spot 120, and whose vacancy information is managed by the information processing system 1000. However, in Modification 4, instead of, or together with, a permanent vehicle provided (or granted) by a dealer, parked at spot 120, and whose vacancy information is managed by the information processing system 1000, the following vehicles (1) and / or (2) may be included. (1) Company vehicles provided (or granted) by a designated corporation or other entity, parked at spot 120, and whose vacancy information is managed by the information processing system 1000. (2) Company vehicles provided (or granted) by a designated manufacturer, etc., parked at spot 120, and whose vacancy information is managed by the information processing system 1000.

[0102] Furthermore, the requested vehicle in Variant 4 is parked in a location managed by the relevant dealer, and may be replaced by, or together with, the vehicles described in (3) and / or (4) below, which are for which the dealer manages the availability information. (3) A vehicle whose vacancy information is managed by a designated corporation or other entity, and which is parked in a location managed by the designated corporation or other entity. (4) A vehicle whose vacancy information is managed by a designated manufacturer or other entity, and which is parked in a location managed by the relevant designated manufacturer or other entity.

[0103] According to Modification 4, the service related to comparing different car rides can also be provided using company cars and / or cars directly provided by manufacturers.

[0104] (Variation 5) The following describes Modification 5 of Embodiment 1. Modification 5 is included in Embodiment 1 and is not a different embodiment from Embodiment 1. Configurations and processes not described in Modification 5 are the same as in Embodiment 1.

[0105] The above specification uses a car as an example of a vehicle for explanation. However, it is not limited to cars and can be applied to vehicles in general. Examples of vehicles other than cars include motorcycles, electric scooters, boats, helicopters, and airplanes.

[0106] In other words, the control unit 210 in Modification 5 controls the display of a reservation screen to select vehicles to compare in response to a request. The reservation screen is configured to allow the selection of multiple vehicles to compare. The multiple vehicles to compare include vehicles belonging to a first group and vehicles belonging to a second group. Vehicles belonging to the first group are provided by vehicle vendors and whose availability information is managed in the information processing system. Vehicles belonging to the second group are managed by vehicle vendors and whose availability information is not managed in the information processing system. The control unit 210 executes different arrangement-related processing depending on whether the vehicles to compare selected via the reservation screen belong to the first group or the second group. The arrangement is the arrangement of a vehicle.

[0107] According to Modification 5, by using permanent vehicles whose availability information is managed and request vehicles whose availability information is not managed, it is possible to appropriately provide a service that allows users to compare multiple vehicles. By using request vehicles, the problems of securing a place to store vehicles and the need to prepare various vehicles for users to compare can be solved. By using permanent vehicles, even if a request vehicle is unavailable, it is possible to introduce a suitable vehicle that is available for the period the user wants to use it. In addition, by keeping permanent vehicles at the spot at all times, users can actually check the vehicles. Even if only one vehicle is provided by a dealer, by providing vehicles from dealers of multiple manufacturers, it is possible to immediately let users see vehicles from multiple manufacturers.

[0108] <Note> The product may be provided in any of the following embodiments. (Note 1) An information processing system, Having at least one control unit, The control unit, The system controls the display to show a first screen where the user can select the car to test drive, The aforementioned first screen is configured to allow the selection of multiple cars to compare, The aforementioned group of cars to be compared includes cars belonging to the first group and cars belonging to the second group. The vehicles belonging to the first group are those whose vacant vehicle information is managed by the information processing system. The aforementioned vehicle availability information is information about the dates and times when a vehicle can be rented to a user. The vehicles belonging to the second group mentioned above are those whose availability information is managed by the dealer. Depending on whether the car selected via the first screen to be compared belongs to the first group or the second group, different processing related to the arrangement is performed. The aforementioned arrangement is for a car. Information processing system. (Note 2) The information processing system described in Appendix 1, The control unit, If the vehicle selected for comparison via the first screen belongs to the first group, the system sends the user information on the vehicle's availability, which is determined based on the user's specified desired usage period and the vehicle availability information managed by the information processing system. Information processing system. (Note 3) The information processing system described in Appendix 2, The control unit, If the vehicle to be compared via the first screen belongs to the first group, the system determines whether the vehicle is available or not based on the availability information for the period from the user's desired pick-up date to the desired return date, and sends the result of the determination to the user. Information processing system. (Note 4) An information processing system described in any one of the appendices 1 to 3, The control unit, If the car selected for comparison via the first screen belongs to the second group, the availability information for the car, identified based on the desired usage period of the car specified by the user and the car's availability information managed by the dealer, is sent to the user. Information processing system. (Note 5) The information processing system described in Appendix 4, The control unit, If the car selected for comparison via the first screen belongs to the second group, a request to inquire whether the car is available for the period from the user's desired pick-up date to the desired return date is sent to the dealer managing the car, the entered information is received from the dealer, the availability of the car is determined based on the received information, and the result of the determination is sent to the user. Information processing system. (Note 6) An information processing system described in any one of the appendices 1 to 5, The control unit, If a vehicle belonging to the second group is selected on the first screen but the vehicle is not arranged, information guiding the user to test drive a vehicle from the same manufacturer as the selected vehicle will be sent to the designated recipient. Information processing system. (Note 7) An information processing system described in any one of the appendices 1 to 6, The control unit, If a vehicle belonging to the second group is selected on the first screen but the vehicle is not arranged, information guiding the user to test drive a vehicle belonging to the first group will be sent to the designated recipient. Information processing system. (Note 8) An information processing system described in any one of the appendices 1 to 7, The control unit, Depending on the plan the dealer is subscribed to, the way the car is displayed on the first screen will differ. Information processing system. (Note 9) An information processing system described in any one of the appendices 1 to 8, The control unit, Control to display a second screen upon request, The second screen described above is configured to allow users who have made reservations to compare cars to register image data of their personal vehicle insurance policy. Information processing system. (Note 10) The information processing system described in Appendix 9, The control unit, If the image data of the automobile insurance policy is not registered within a specified period prior to the date of use of the aforementioned cars to be compared, the user's reservation will be canceled. Information processing system. (Note 11) The information processing system described in Appendix 9, The control unit, Based on the image data registered via the second screen, the system outputs information that identifies the likelihood of the user replacing their car. Information processing system. (Note 12) The information processing system described in Appendix 11, The control unit, Based on the information of the contracted vehicle included in the aforementioned image data, information is output to identify the likelihood of the user replacing their vehicle. Information processing system. (Note 13) The information processing system described in Appendix 9, The control unit, Based on the image data registered via the second screen, the system outputs information identifying the type of vehicle the user may replace their current vehicle with. Information processing system. (Note 14) The information processing system described in Appendix 13, The control unit, Based on the insurer's date of birth and driver age conditions included in the aforementioned image data, information is output to identify the type of vehicle the user may potentially replace their vehicle with. Information processing system. (Note 15) An information processing system described in any one of the appendices 1 through 14, The control unit, If the user who made the reservation is not intended to compare cars, then after a predetermined time has elapsed since the reservation, information will be sent to the user indicating that the reserved cars for comparison were not arranged. Information processing system. (Note 16) An information processing system described in any one of the appendices 1 through 15, The aforementioned first screen is configured to allow the user to select multiple cars from different companies to compare. The cars belonging to the aforementioned first group are cars parked in a spot, The aforementioned spot is a location where users can pick up and return the cars they are comparing. The vehicles belonging to the second group are those parked in locations managed by the relevant dealer. Information processing system. (Note 17) An information processing system, Having at least one control unit, The control unit, The system controls the display to show a first screen where the user can select the vehicle to compare based on their request. The aforementioned first screen is configured to allow the user to select from multiple vehicles to compare. The aforementioned multiple vehicles to be compared include vehicles belonging to the first group and vehicles belonging to the second group. Vehicles belonging to the first group are vehicles whose availability information is managed by the information processing system, The vehicle availability information is information about the dates and times when the vehicle can be rented to a user. The vehicles belonging to the second group are those whose availability information is managed by the dealer. Depending on whether the vehicle to be compared via the first screen belongs to the first group or the second group, different arrangement processes are executed. The aforementioned arrangements concern the arrangement of transportation. Information processing system. (Note 18) An information processing system, Having at least one control unit, The control unit, The system controls the display to show a first screen where the user can select the car to test drive, The aforementioned first screen is configured to allow the selection of multiple cars to compare, The aforementioned group of cars to be compared includes cars belonging to the first group and cars belonging to the second group. Depending on whether the car selected via the first screen to be compared belongs to the first group or the second group, different processing related to the arrangement is performed. The aforementioned arrangement is for a car. Information processing system. (Note 19) An information processing method performed by an information processing system, The system controls the display to show a first screen where the user can select the car to test drive, The aforementioned first screen is configured to allow the selection of multiple cars to compare, The aforementioned group of cars to be compared includes cars belonging to the first group and cars belonging to the second group. The vehicles belonging to the first group are those whose vacant vehicle information is managed by the information processing system. The aforementioned vehicle availability information is information about the dates and times when a vehicle can be rented to a user. The vehicles belonging to the second group mentioned above are those whose availability information is managed by the dealer. Depending on whether the car selected via the first screen to be compared belongs to the first group or the second group, different processing related to the arrangement is performed. The aforementioned arrangement is for a car. Information processing methods. (Note 20) It is a program, Computers, A program to function as an information processing system as described in any one of the appendices 1 through 18.

[0109] Finally, various embodiments of the present invention have been described, but these are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Novel embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Embodiments and variations thereof are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents.

[0110] The above-mentioned modifications may be combined in any way as desired. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 100: Server device 110: Client device 150: Network 210: Control Unit 220: Storage section 230: Communications Department 310: Control Unit 320: Storage section 330: Imaging unit 340: Input / output section 350: Communications Department 1000: Information Processing System

Claims

1. An information processing system used by a service provider that offers a service for comparing multiple cars from multiple manufacturers, Having at least one control unit, The control unit, The system controls the display of a first screen on the user's device for selecting which cars to reserve for comparison, as requested. The first screen is a reservation screen configured to allow selection of information including multiple cars to compare, The aforementioned group of cars to be compared includes cars belonging to the first group and cars belonging to the second group. The vehicles belonging to the first group are those whose vacant vehicle information is managed by the information processing system. The aforementioned vehicle availability information is information about the dates and times when a vehicle can be rented to a user. The vehicles belonging to the second group are those whose vacancy information is managed by the management system of the car dealer that sells the vehicles. Based on the available vehicle information in the information processing system, the available vehicle information in the dealer's management system, and the information selected by the user on the reservation screen, different arrangement processes are executed depending on whether the vehicle to be compared via the first screen belongs to the first group or the second group. The aforementioned arrangement is for a vehicle. If a vehicle belonging to the second group is selected on the first screen, but that vehicle is unavailable, information about a vehicle from the first group that is of the same manufacturer as the vehicle selected is sent to the designated recipient. Information processing system.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, The control unit, If it is determined that the car selected for comparison via the first screen belongs to the first group, the system sends the user the availability information for the car, which is identified based on the desired usage period of the car specified by the user and the available car information managed by the information processing system. If it is determined that the car selected for comparison via the first screen belongs to the second group, the availability information of the car, identified based on the desired usage period of the car specified by the user and the vacancy information managed by the dealer's management system, is sent to the user. Information processing system.

3. The information processing system according to claim 2, The control unit, If it is determined that the car selected via the first screen belongs to the first group, it is determined, based on the availability information, whether the car is available for the period from the desired pick-up date to the desired return date specified by the user, and the result of the determination is sent to the user. If it is determined that the car selected via the first screen belongs to the second group, an inquiry request is sent to the dealer managing the car to inquire whether the car is available for the period from the user's desired pick-up date to the desired return date. The system receives the entered information from the dealer, determines whether the car is available based on the received information, and sends the result of the determination to the user. Information processing system.

4. An information processing system used by a service provider that offers a service for comparing multiple vehicles from multiple manufacturers, Having at least one control unit, The control unit, The system controls the display of a first screen on the user's device for selecting and booking vehicles to compare, as requested. The first screen described above is a reservation screen configured to allow selection of information including multiple vehicles to compare, The aforementioned multiple vehicles to be compared include vehicles belonging to the first group and vehicles belonging to the second group. Vehicles belonging to the first group are vehicles whose availability information is managed by the information processing system. The vehicle availability information refers to the date and time when the vehicle can be rented to a user. Vehicles belonging to the second group are those whose availability information is managed by the vehicle dealer's management system. Based on the availability information in the information processing system, the availability information in the dealer's management system, and the information selected by the user on the reservation screen, different arrangement processes are executed depending on whether the vehicle to be compared via the first screen belongs to the first group or the second group. The aforementioned arrangements were for transportation. If a vehicle belonging to the second group is selected on the first screen, but that vehicle is unavailable, information guiding the user to a vehicle from the first group that is made by the same manufacturer as the selected vehicle is sent to the designated recipient. Information processing system.

5. An information processing method to be performed by an information processing system used by a service provider that provides a service for comparing multiple cars from multiple manufacturers, The system controls the display of a first screen on the user's device for selecting which cars to reserve for comparison, as requested. The first screen is a reservation screen configured to allow selection of information including multiple cars to compare, The aforementioned group of cars to be compared includes cars belonging to the first group and cars belonging to the second group. The vehicles belonging to the first group are those whose vacant vehicle information is managed by the information processing system. The aforementioned vehicle availability information is information about the dates and times when a vehicle can be rented to a user. The vehicles belonging to the second group are those whose vacancy information is managed by the management system of the car dealer that sells the vehicles. Based on the available vehicle information in the information processing system, the available vehicle information in the dealer's management system, and the information selected by the user on the reservation screen, different arrangement processes are executed depending on whether the vehicle to be compared via the first screen belongs to the first group or the second group. The aforementioned arrangement is for a vehicle. If a vehicle belonging to the second group is selected on the first screen, but that vehicle is unavailable, information about a vehicle from the first group that is of the same manufacturer as the vehicle selected is sent to the designated recipient. Information processing methods.

6. It is a program, Computers, A program for functioning as an information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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