Information processing methods

Abstract

To provide a method that facilitates booking of vehicles.SOLUTION: A method implemented by an information processing device is provided. The method comprises acknowledging specification of a service to be used by a user from among multiple services for lending vehicles to users, and outputting design data defining a design of a user interface to be used by the user to search for a vehicle to be rented according to the specified service.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing method.

Background Art

[0002] Services for making various reservations using a user interface designed by a computer have become widespread. As an invention related thereto, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a user interface design method capable of designing a user interface that is easy to change in design and has excellent operability.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for easily making a reservation for a vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The first aspect of the present disclosure is a first step of receiving a designation of a service used by the user from among a plurality of services for lending a vehicle to the user; and a second step of outputting design data defining a design of a user interface used by the user to search for a vehicle related to the lending based on the designated service.

[0006] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute the above information processing method, or a computer-readable storage medium storing the program non-temporarily.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] This disclosure provides a convenient method for making vehicle reservations. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A diagram illustrating the overview of the reservation system in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] A diagram illustrating the configuration of the server device and user terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] An example of a vehicle search screen generated by a server device. [Figure 4] Examples of data stored on a server device. [Figure 5] A flowchart of the processes performed by the server device. [Figure 6] A diagram illustrating the configuration of the server device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] An example of design data used in the third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Services that temporarily lend out cars are becoming popular. These services include car sharing, car leasing, and car rental. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly common for a single company to offer multiple services, such as car rental and car sharing.

[0010] Users of the vehicle rental service make reservations in advance using a website or dedicated application software. To reserve a vehicle, users must specify multiple criteria, such as the vehicle type, rental period, and the location where the vehicle will be picked up, and then search for a vehicle that matches their preferences.

[0011] However, depending on the type of service, the items that users prioritize differ, which meant that vehicle searches were not always easy. For example, users of services that rent vehicles for short periods (from 15 minutes to a few hours), such as car sharing, may prioritize the location of the station where the vehicle is located over the type of vehicle. On the other hand, users of services that rent vehicles for long periods (from several months to several years), such as car leasing, may prioritize the specific vehicle model over the location of the station.

[0012] Therefore, it is preferable to use different user interfaces for accepting vehicle searches depending on the type of service, for example, by primarily providing a location-based search function for short-term rental services and a vehicle model-based search function for long-term rental services. The information processing method relating to this disclosure solves the aforementioned problem.

[0013] An information processing method relating to a first aspect of this disclosure includes a first step of receiving a designation of a service to be used by a user from among a plurality of services that lend vehicles to the user, and a second step of outputting design data that defines the design of a user interface used by the user to search for the vehicle to be lent, based on the designated service.

[0014] Multiple services refer to services that lend vehicles to users, such as car sharing, car rental, or car leasing. These multiple services may have different basic contract periods. For example, car sharing could be based on 15-minute increments, car rental on 12-hour increments, and car leasing on a monthly basis. The first step is to identify which of these multiple services the user will use. In the second step, data related to the design of the user interface that users use to search for vehicles (design data) is obtained based on the specified service.

[0015] Design data is data that defines the design of a user interface for searching for rentable vehicles. For example, when a user applies for vehicle rental via a website, the design data may be a style sheet. Also, when a user applies for vehicle rental via an application program, the design data may be design data for the graphical user interface (GUI) used by the application program. Design data can be obtained for each service used by the user. For example, when a user wishes to use a car-sharing service, design data corresponding to the car-sharing service can be output, and when a user wishes to use a car lease service, design data corresponding to the car lease service can be output.

[0016] In this case, the design data corresponding to the car-sharing service can be configured to facilitate station search. Also, the design data corresponding to the car lease service can be configured to facilitate vehicle type search.

[0017] For example, when a first service with a vehicle rental period shorter than a predetermined period is specified, design data with user interface components for specifying the location of vehicle delivery preferentially arranged may be output. Also, when a second service with a vehicle rental period longer than a predetermined period is specified, design data with user interface components for specifying vehicle type and rental period preferentially arranged may be output.

[0018] Also, it may be possible to accept a designation of the country or region where the service is provided to the user and output design data corresponding to the country or region. With such a configuration, a user interface compliant with the laws and regulations of the relevant country can be provided.

[0019] The following describes specific embodiments of this disclosure with reference to the drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the hardware configurations, module configurations, functional configurations, etc., described in each embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of the disclosure to those configurations alone.

[0020] (First embodiment) An overview of the reservation system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. The reservation system according to this embodiment is a system for making vehicle reservations in a service that temporarily lends out vehicles. The reservation system consists of a device (server device 100) that accepts vehicle reservations and a user terminal 200 for accessing the server device 100.

[0021] Server device 100 is operated by a service provider that leases designated vehicles (automobiles). Server device 100 also stores a vehicle reservation ledger and interacts with user terminals 200 to provide a service that allows users to reserve their desired vehicle. In this embodiment, the service provider provides multiple types of services involving the rental of vehicles.

[0022] Here, we will illustrate several types of services, including car sharing services and car leasing services. Car sharing services are services that lend vehicles in short time increments, such as 15 minutes. Car leasing services, on the other hand, are services that lend vehicles for longer periods than car sharing, such as one month. Users who wish to borrow a vehicle can log in to the server device 100 by specifying one of these services.

[0023] The user terminal 200 is a computer used by users who are to be loaned a vehicle. Through the user terminal 200, users can access the server device 100 to search for available vehicles and apply to borrow a vehicle of their choice.

[0024] Figure 2 is a diagram showing in more detail the components of the server device 100 and the user terminal 200 included in the reservation system according to this embodiment. Here, we will first describe the user terminal 200. The user terminal 200 is a computer used by an individual, such as a personal computer, smartphone, mobile phone, tablet computer, or personal information terminal. The user terminal 200 is composed of a control unit 201, a storage unit 202, a communication unit 203, and an input / output unit 204.

[0025] The control unit 201 is a computing device that manages the control performed by the user terminal 200. The control unit 201 can be implemented by a computing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). ru. The control unit 201 performs the function of accessing and interacting with the server device 100. This function may be implemented by a web browser running on the user terminal 200 or by dedicated application software.

[0026] The storage unit 202 comprises a main memory and an auxiliary storage device. The main memory is the memory where programs executed by the control unit 201 and data used by said control programs are stored. The auxiliary storage device is the device where programs executed by the control unit 201 and data used by said control programs are stored. The auxiliary storage device may store programs executed by the control unit 201 packaged as applications. It may also store an operating system for running these applications. When a program stored in the auxiliary storage device is loaded into the main memory and executed by the control unit 201, the processes described below are performed.

[0027] Main memory may include RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). Auxiliary storage may include EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM) and hardware. This may include disk drives (HDD, Hard Disk Drive). Furthermore, auxiliary storage devices may also be included. This may include removable media, i.e., portable recording media.

[0028] The communication unit 203 is a wireless communication interface for connecting the user terminal 200 to a network. The communication unit 203 is configured to communicate with the server device 100 via, for example, a wireless LAN or a mobile communication service such as 3G, 4G, or 5G. The input / output unit 204 is a unit that receives input operations performed by the user and presents information to the user. In this embodiment, it consists of a single touch panel display. That is, it is composed of a liquid crystal display and its control means, and a touch panel and its control means.

[0029] Next, the server device 100 will be described. The server device 100 accepts vehicle reservations and concludes vehicle rental agreements based on the results of interactions with the user terminal 200. The server device 100 can accept reservations for multiple types of vehicle rental services. In this embodiment, two services are provided: a car-sharing service and a car-leasing service. In this embodiment, the car-sharing service is a service that rents out vehicles in 15-minute increments, and the car-leasing service is a service that rents out vehicles on a monthly basis. For each service, vehicles are rented out at different locations (e.g., unmanned stations, manned offices). Therefore, vehicle and reservation management is performed separately for each service.

[0030] In this embodiment, the server device 100 may be configured to run a web server for interacting with the user terminal 200. In this case, for example, the user terminal 200 can perform procedures related to vehicle reservations by accessing the web service using a browser. The server device 100 may also provide services by means other than a web server. For example, the server device 100 may run a service that interacts with dedicated application software installed on the user terminal 200 using a predetermined protocol.

[0031] The server device 100 can be configured as a computer having a processor such as a CPU or GPU, main memory such as RAM or ROM, and auxiliary storage such as EPROM, hard disk drive, and removable media. The auxiliary storage contains the operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and the programs stored there are loaded into the working area of ​​the main memory and executed. Through the execution of the programs, each component is controlled, thereby realizing various functions that match the predetermined purpose, as described later. This is possible. However, some or all of the functions may be implemented by hardware circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs.

[0032] The server device 100 is configured to include a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, and a communication unit 103. The control unit 101 is a computing device that manages the control performed by the server device 100. The control unit 101 can be implemented by a computing device such as a CPU. The control unit 101 is configured with two functional modules: a search unit 1011 and a reservation acceptance unit 1012. Each functional module may be implemented by executing a stored program using a CPU.

[0033] The search unit 1011 receives a request from the user terminal 200 to specify the service the user will use and searches for vehicles available for reservation under that service. Specifically, the search unit 1011 allows the user to select whether to use a car-sharing service or a car-leasing service, then searches for a vehicle the user wishes to borrow, and provides the results.

[0034] The search unit 1011 generates a graphical user interface (GUI) for searching for vehicles, obtains search criteria from the user terminal 200 via the GUI, and executes the search. Examples of criteria for searching for a vehicle include the location where the vehicle will be handed over (station, office, etc.), the reservation period, or vehicle attributes (vehicle type, model, etc.).

[0035] For example, if the search criteria is a location where a vehicle is to be handed over, the search unit 1011 may generate a GUI that includes a map. In this case, the user can find the location of the business office or station on the map. Furthermore, for example, if the search criteria is a reservation period, the search unit may generate a GUI that includes components for specifying dates and times (such as a date picker or calendar). In this case, the user can search for vehicles available during the specified period. Furthermore, for example, if the search criteria are vehicle attributes, the search unit may generate a GUI that includes components for specifying vehicle attributes (such as vehicle type, body shape, model, or passenger capacity). In this case, the user can search for vehicles that have the specified attributes.

[0036] In this embodiment, the search unit 1011 acquires data that defines the design of the GUI (hereinafter referred to as design data) and generates a GUI for performing a vehicle search based on the design data.

[0037] Furthermore, the search unit 1011 retrieves and uses different design data based on the service selected by the user. Figure 3 shows multiple design data sets and an example of the GUI generated by those design data sets. Here, design data A is the design data that generates a GUI mainly for searching stations using a map. Design data B is the design data that generates a GUI mainly for searching by vehicle type. Design data C is the design data that generates a GUI mainly for searching by usage period.

[0038] For example, when a user uses a car-sharing service, that user may prioritize the location of the station over the available car models. In this case, it is preferable for the search unit 1011 to generate the search screen using design data A. Furthermore, when a user uses a car leasing service, that user is more concerned about the location of the branch office than the location of the branch office. In some cases, users may prioritize the availability of vehicle models. In this case, it is preferable for the search unit 1011 to generate the search screen using design data B. Alternatively, users may prioritize the vehicle's usage period. In this case, it is preferable for the search unit 1011 to generate the search screen using design data C. Thus, the search unit 1011 stores the association between the services used by the user and the design data used when searching for vehicles, and generates a GUI using the design data corresponding to the selected service. The user can then use the generated GUI to search for vehicles that are available for reservation.

[0039] Vehicles available for reservation can be searched based on data stored in the memory unit 102 (described later) (for example, data for managing vehicles, data for managing reservations, etc.). If a separate server for managing reservations exists, the search unit 1011 may send a query to that server.

[0040] Note that the designs shown in Figure 3 differ only in their display methods, and users can also display fields for entering other search criteria through user interaction. For example, when generating a search screen using design data A, the fields for entering vehicle type or usage period are output in a collapsed state. In this case, tapping the screen will display the fields for entering vehicle type or usage period.

[0041] The reservation acceptance unit 1012 determines which vehicle to lend to the user based on the search results performed by the search unit 1011. It also obtains the necessary conditions for lending the vehicle and confirms the vehicle reservation. The reservation acceptance unit 1012 may update the reservation ledger stored in the storage unit 102, or, if a separate server for managing reservations exists, it may send the reservation data to that server.

[0042] The storage unit 102 comprises a main memory and an auxiliary storage device. The main memory is the memory where programs executed by the control unit 101 and data used by said control programs are stored. The auxiliary storage device is the device where programs executed by the control unit 101 and data used by said control programs are stored.

[0043] Furthermore, the memory unit 102 stores vehicle data 102A, reservation data 102B, member data 102C, and design data 102D.

[0044] Vehicle data 102A is data relating to multiple vehicles provided for loan. Figure 4(A) is an example of vehicle data 102A. As shown in the diagram, vehicle data 102A includes the fields for vehicle ID, model ID, vehicle attributes, and affiliation. The Vehicle ID field stores an identifier that uniquely identifies the vehicle (e.g., chassis number or VIN, Vehicle Identification Number). The Model ID field stores the vehicle's model The Dell and grade identifiers are stored here. The Vehicle Attributes field stores data about the vehicle's attributes. These attributes include, for example, vehicle type, cabin type, passenger capacity, load capacity, body color, and engine displacement. The Affiliation field stores the identifier of the station or depot where the vehicle is located. Vehicle data may be periodically updated by the server device 100 based on data obtained from an external device that manages information about vehicles provided for loan.

[0045] Reservation data 102B is data related to vehicle reservations (reservation ledger). As shown in Figure 4(B), reservation data 202B stores the reservation identifier, member identifier, reservation period, vehicle identifier, etc. Reservation data 102B is stored when a vehicle reservation is made. It is updated by the reservation department 1012 at the time it is received.

[0046] Member data 102C is a collection of data about members who use the service. As shown in Figure 4(C), member data 202C stores member identifiers, member information (member's personal information), and other similar data.

[0047] Design data 102D is GUI design data as described above. When a user applies for vehicle rental via a website, the design data may also be a style sheet. The search unit 1011 can dynamically generate a search screen using the design data.

[0048] The four types of data described above are maintained for each of the multiple services. For example, if a car-sharing service and a car-leasing service are provided, vehicle data, reservation data, member data, and design data are stored separately, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 2.

[0049] Each of the aforementioned data sets may be constructed by a database management system (DBMS) program executed by a processor, which manages the data stored in memory. In this case, each data set can be, for example, a relational database.

[0050] The communication unit 103 is a communication interface for connecting the server device 100 to a network. The communication unit 103 is comprised of, for example, a network interface board and a wireless communication interface for wireless communication.

[0051] Note that the configuration shown in Figure 2 is just one example, and all or part of the illustrated functions may be performed using specially designed circuits. Furthermore, program storage and execution may be performed using combinations of main memory and auxiliary memory other than those shown.

[0052] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processes executed by the server device 100. The processes shown in Figure 5 begin, for example, when a user logs in to a service provided by the server device 100. At the time the processes begin, it is assumed that the server device 100 has completed user identification.

[0053] First, in step S11, the search unit 1011 identifies the target service that the user will use. The target service may be specified on the GUI, or it may be identified based on the URL accessed by the user. For example, if reservations for a car-sharing service and a car-leasing service are made on different domains, the target service that the user will use may be identified based on the accessed domain. Furthermore, if car-sharing service reservations and car-leasing service reservations are made by different application programs, the program may identify the service the user is using based on the source of access.

[0054] In step S12, the search unit 1011 extracts the design data corresponding to the identified service from the storage unit 102.

[0055] In step S13, the search unit 1011 generates a screen (GUI) for vehicle search based on the acquired design data. For example, if the design data is a stylesheet, the stylesheet is applied to generate a website screen. This generates a search screen like the one shown in Figure 3.

[0056] In step S14, the search unit 1011 retrieves the search conditions entered by the user via the GUI and performs a vehicle search. For example, if the GUI generated by the design data is mainly for map searches, the search unit 1011 retrieves information about vehicles belonging to stations specified on the map. If the GUI provided by the design data is mainly for vehicle type searches, the search unit 1011 retrieves information about vehicles that match the specified vehicle type. If the GUI provided by the design data is mainly for period searches, the search unit 1011 retrieves information about vehicles available during the specified period. This information can be extracted based on vehicle data 102A and reservation data 102B.

[0057] Furthermore, the search unit 1011 may identify the vehicle the user wishes to reserve based on the search results. For example, the search unit 1011 may provide the user with the reservation status of multiple vehicles included in the search results and accept the user's request for a specific vehicle.

[0058] In step S15, the reservation reception unit 1012 obtains the necessary conditions for vehicle reservation and updates the reservation data 102B to execute the vehicle reservation.

[0059] As described above, in the first embodiment, in a system that provides multiple services for lending vehicles to a user, a screen for vehicle search is provided using different design data depending on the service selected by the user. This configuration allows for prioritizing the search methods that users consider important for each service (e.g., map search, vehicle search, time period search), thereby improving usability.

[0060] (Second Embodiment) In the first embodiment, the server device 100 dynamically generated a GUI for vehicle search based on the stored design data. On the other hand, the information processing method in this disclosure can also be specified as a method executed by a device that provides a prototype design when designing a GUI. Figure 6 is a configuration diagram of the server device 100A in the second embodiment.

[0061] In the second embodiment, the server device 100A is a device that provides only design data (e.g., design templates) in response to external requests. The control unit of the server device 100A is configured to include a data provision unit 1013 as a functional module. The data provision unit 1013 receives the service specification as input, and accordingly extracts and outputs the design data corresponding to the specified service from the storage unit 102. The storage unit 102 of the server device 100A stores multiple design data sets 102D corresponding to multiple services. The storage unit 102 may also store data for associating services with design data.

[0062] In the second embodiment, an external device that designs the GUI receives a service selection from the user (designer) and transmits a service identifier to the server device 100A. The server device 100A extracts the design data corresponding to the service indicated by the received identifier and outputs it to the external device. With this configuration, it is possible to provide a GUI for vehicle search using design data tailored to the service.

[0063] In this embodiment, we have described an example in which the server device 100A provides only design data to an external device. However, the server device 100A can also generate a GUI by applying the extracted design data and then provide the generated GUI to the external device.

[0064] (Third embodiment) In the first embodiment, the server device 100 acquired design data based on a specified service. Alternatively, the design data may be selected based on the user's location or other factors.

[0065] Figure 7 shows an example where the design data stored in the memory unit 102 is defined for each region. For example, if the country or region where the user (or user terminal 200) is located can be identified, the server device 100 may select design data that corresponds to the specified service and that corresponds to that country or region. In this case, after identifying the service in step S11, the search unit 1011 may identify the country or region where the user is located and extract the corresponding design data from the storage unit 102. The country or region where the user is located may be entered by the user, or it may be determined based on location information transmitted from the user terminal 200.

[0066] In this embodiment, we have provided an example where design data is defined for each service and region, but the design data defined for each service may be customized for each country or region. For example, if the country or region where the user (or user terminal 200) is located can be identified, the server device may select design data corresponding to the specified service and then perform customization for the identified country or region. Customization may include, for example, embedding a map, or adapting the design data to comply with the laws and regulations of the country or region where the user is located.

[0067] (modified version) The embodiments described above are merely examples, and this disclosure may be modified as appropriate without departing from its essence. For example, the processes and means described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented, as long as no technical inconsistencies arise.

[0068] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by a single device may be divided and executed by multiple devices. Conversely, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is implemented can be flexibly changed.

[0069] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program implementing the functions described in the embodiments above to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the computer's system bus, or it may be provided to the computer via a network. Non-temporary computer-readable storage mediums include, for example, any type of disk such as magnetic disks (floppy disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), etc.), optical disks (CD-ROMs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic cards, flash memory, optical cards, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0070] 100... Server device 101,201...Control Unit 102,202...Storage section 103,203... Communications Department 200...User terminals 204...Input / output section

Claims

1. A computer operated by a service provider that provides multiple services of lending vehicles to a user receives a first step of receiving a user's selection of the service to be used from among the aforementioned multiple services. The computer outputs design data that defines the design of a user interface used by the user to search for the vehicle being rented, based on the specified service. Includes, Each of the aforementioned services has a different vehicle rental period, and the aforementioned services include at least a car-sharing service and a car-leasing service. In the first step, the computer identifies the service to be used by the user from among the multiple services based on the URL of the service website accessed by the user via the user terminal, or the application software for interacting with the service installed on the user terminal, which the user used on the user terminal. In the second step, if the service used by the user is identified as the car-sharing service, the computer outputs design data in which user interface components including a map are preferentially arranged, wherein user interface components that specify a location for vehicle handover using the map are arranged. Information processing methods.

2. The design data, in which a user interface component for specifying a location for handing over the vehicle using the map is preferentially arranged, includes, together with the user interface component for specifying a location for handing over the vehicle, a user interface component for specifying the vehicle type in a folded state, or a user interface component for specifying the vehicle loan period in a folded state, When the user interface component for specifying the vehicle type in the folded state is selected, a field for specifying the vehicle type opens, making it possible to specify the vehicle type using the user interface component. A user interface component that specifies the loan period for the folded vehicle is When selected, a field for specifying the vehicle's loan period opens, allowing the user to specify the loan period using the user interface component. The information processing method according to claim 1.

3. In the second step, the computer obtains, based on the identified service, one of the following: design data in which a user interface component specifying the location for handing over the vehicle using the map is preferentially arranged; design data in which a user interface component specifying the vehicle type is preferentially arranged; or design data in which a user interface component specifying the vehicle loan period is preferentially arranged. The information processing method according to claim 1.

4. In the second step, if the service used by the user is identified as the car leasing service, which has a longer lease period than the car sharing service, the computer outputs design data in which user interface components specifying the vehicle type are preferentially arranged, or design data in which user interface components specifying the vehicle lease period are preferentially arranged. The information processing method according to claim 1.

5. The computer further includes a third step of receiving a designation from the user for a country or region to which the service will be provided, In the second step, the computer outputs the design data corresponding to the country or region. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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