Information processing device

Abstract

To provide an information processing device capable of more properly proposing vehicle transfer to a user.SOLUTION: An information processing device 100 comprises a control unit which executes the steps of: acquiring a value of a first vehicle 200 which is a vehicle currently used by a first user, an outstanding debt of the first vehicle 200, and first information which is information including the tendency of models of other vehicles after transfer and the tendency of payment methods of the other vehicles of at least one of second users who transferred from a vehicle whose model is the same as the first vehicle 200 to other vehicles in the past; and outputting second information which is information including a model to which transfer is recommended for the first user and a payment method when the first user transfers to the recommended model on the basis of the acquired first information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to providing information to users.

Background Art

[0002] There are many known technologies for providing information to users considering purchasing a vehicle. In this regard, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a sales support system that calculates the specifications of a vehicle recommended for purchase and the estimated price of the recommended vehicle based on customer attribute data and outputs them as a proposal.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of this disclosure is to more appropriately propose vehicle switching to a user.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One aspect of an embodiment of this disclosure is obtaining first information including the value of a first vehicle that is a vehicle currently used by a first user, the remaining debt of the first vehicle, and the tendency of the vehicle type of another vehicle after switching and the tendency of the payment method of the another vehicle for at least one second user who has switched from a vehicle of the same vehicle type as the first vehicle to another vehicle in the past; and outputting second information including the vehicle type recommended for the first user to switch to and the payment method when switching to a vehicle of the vehicle type based on the obtained first information. An information processing apparatus comprising a control unit that executes.

[0006] Other embodiments include a method performed by the above-mentioned device, a program for causing a computer to perform the method, or a computer-readable storage medium that non-temporarily stores the program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it will be possible to more appropriately suggest vehicle changes to users. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A conceptual diagram of the processes performed by an information processing device. [Figure 2] A diagram illustrating the components of a system including an information processing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] A flowchart of the process executed by the control unit of the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] A system is known that presents users considering purchasing a vehicle with information such as the price of recommended vehicles.

[0010] For example, consider a case where a user is considering changing vehicles. Based on the user's attribute data, the system recommends the specifications of a vehicle to the user for purchase, and the vehicle specifications are available. Obtain quotes for both options and present them to the user as a proposal.

[0011] However, providing recommended vehicle models based on the trends of other users switching vehicles, or even showing the payment amount for purchasing those recommended models, can make the service more appealing to users. To address these needs, it is preferable that the system presents recommended vehicle models based on the switching trends of other users, the prices of those recommended vehicles, the payment methods available when purchasing those recommended vehicles, and the monthly payment amounts.

[0012] The information processing device described in this disclosure acquires information including the value and outstanding balance of the vehicle currently used by the user, as well as trends in the types of vehicles and payment methods of other users after they switch vehicles. The information processing device then solves this problem by outputting information including the types of vehicles that the user is recommended to switch to, and the payment methods if they switch vehicles.

[0013] An information processing device relating to one aspect of this disclosure is: The system includes a control unit that performs the following actions: acquires first information, which includes the value of a first vehicle currently used by a first user, the outstanding balance on the first vehicle, and the trends in the types of vehicles and payment methods of at least one second user who has previously switched from a vehicle of the same type as the first vehicle to another vehicle; and outputs second information, which includes a vehicle type that the first user should switch to, and a payment method if the user switches to a vehicle of that type, based on the acquired first information.

[0014] The value of the first vehicle is typically its current market value. For example, the value of the first vehicle could be either the price at which it would be sold on the current market, or its trade-in value.

[0015] The outstanding balance for the first vehicle can be, for example, the price of the first vehicle minus the amount already paid by the user.

[0016] The trend in vehicle types after switching vehicles is a trend obtained by aggregating the vehicle types selected by multiple second users, different from the first user, after switching vehicles.

[0017] The trend in payment methods for the second vehicle after switching refers to the trend obtained by aggregating the payment methods chosen by the multiple second users to make payments for the vehicles after switching.

[0018] The control unit outputs a payment method that can be used when switching to a vehicle of a recommended vehicle type in accordance with the vehicle type recommended for the first user to switch.

[0019] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings. The hardware configuration, module configuration, functional configuration, etc. described in each embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of the disclosure only to them unless otherwise specified.

[0020] (Embodiment) An overview of the processing performed by the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment will be described while referring to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of the processing executed by the information processing apparatus 100. The information processing apparatus 100 is an apparatus that provides information regarding vehicle switching (for example, replacement purchase) to a first user who is using a first vehicle 200. The information processing apparatus 100 acquires information regarding the first vehicle 200 and information regarding the tendency of other users who were riding in the same vehicle type as the first vehicle 200 to switch vehicles, and based on these, recommends to the first user a vehicle type to be recommended as a switching destination and presents it.

[0021] The information processing apparatus 100 acquires the value of the first vehicle 200, which is the vehicle currently used by the first user, and the remaining debt of the first vehicle 200. The value of the first vehicle 200 can be, for example, the current price of the first vehicle 200 in the market. The remaining debt of the first vehicle 200 is the remaining amount of the vehicle price that the first user should pay and that has not been repaid.

[0022] In addition, the information processing apparatus 100 acquires information regarding the switching tendency (hereinafter referred to as second user information) of a user (hereinafter referred to as the second user) who has switched from the same vehicle type as the first vehicle 200 to another vehicle. Here, the second user information includes information regarding the tendency of the vehicle type of the vehicle after switching and information regarding the payment method of the vehicle after switching. In addition to second user information, the information processing device 100 may also acquire information regarding the value of the first vehicle 200 and the outstanding balance of the first vehicle 200. This information is collectively referred to as "transfer information." Transfer information is an example of "first information."

[0023] The information processing device 100 then outputs recommendation information to the output terminal 300, which includes information on the vehicle type that the first user is recommended to switch to, and the payment method if the user switches to the recommended vehicle type. Here, recommendation information is an example of the second information.

[0024] In this manner, the information processing device 100 provides information to the first user based on information about the vehicle currently being used by the first user and information about the second user. The information provided includes recommended vehicle models as replacements (hereinafter referred to as recommended vehicle models) and information regarding payment methods if the recommended vehicle is purchased. This allows the first user to compare and consider recommended vehicle models and their payment methods. Therefore, the information processing device 100 can make more appropriate vehicle replacement suggestions to the user.

[0025] Next, we will describe in detail each element that constitutes the system. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the components of the system according to the embodiment. The system consists of an information processing device 100, an output terminal 300, a vehicle server 400, and a user server 500.

[0026] The information processing device 100 according to this embodiment includes a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a communication unit 130.

[0027] The control unit 110 is implemented using a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and memory. The control unit 110 includes an acquisition unit 111 and an output unit 112 as functional modules. These functional modules may be implemented by executing a program using the control unit 110.

[0028] The acquisition unit 111 acquires information regarding the value of the first vehicle 200 and information regarding the outstanding balance of the first vehicle 200 from the vehicle server 400. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 111 acquires second user information from the user server 500. Here, the second user is at least one user who has previously switched from a vehicle of the same type as the first vehicle 200 to a different vehicle. There may be multiple second users. The second user information may also include the aggregated results of the vehicle types of the vehicles switched to by multiple second users, and the aggregated results of the payment methods for those vehicles. The acquisition unit 111 acquires this information (transfer information).

[0029] The output unit 112 outputs recommendation information to the first user based on the transfer information acquired by the acquisition unit 111, which includes a vehicle model recommended as a transfer destination (recommended vehicle model) and information on the payment method if the user transfers to the recommended vehicle model. The output unit 112 may also output to the output terminal 300 as recommendation information information, which includes information on a specific vehicle model, information on the payment method when purchasing the vehicle of that model, and the monthly payment amount if that payment method is selected.

[0030] The memory unit 120 is a main memory device such as RAM or ROM, an EPROM, a hard disk drive, and an auxiliary memory device such as removable media. The auxiliary memory device stores the operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, each function that matches the predetermined purpose of each part of the control unit 110 can be realized. However, some or all of the functions may be realized by hardware circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs.

[0031] The storage unit 120 stores data used or generated in the processing performed by the control unit 110. The storage unit 120 may also store information about the vehicle currently being used by the first user.

[0032] The communication unit 130 is composed of a communication circuit that performs wireless communication. The communication unit 130 may be, for example, a communication circuit that performs wireless communication using 4G (4th Generation), or a communication circuit that performs wireless communication using 5G (5th Generation). Alternatively, the communication unit 130 may be a communication circuit that performs wireless communication using LTE (Long Term Evolution), or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area). The communication circuit may perform communication using Area (Wi-Fi). Alternatively, the communication unit 130 may be a communication circuit that performs wireless communication using Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0033] Next, we will describe devices other than the information processing device 100. The output terminal 300 is a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer, etc. The output terminal 300 communicates with the information processing device 100 wirelessly or via a wired connection and outputs recommended information. The output terminal 300 may output still images or videos, or audio, as recommended information.

[0034] The vehicle server 400 is a server device that communicates with the information processing device 100 wirelessly or via a wired connection. The vehicle server 400 stores the value of the first vehicle 200 and the outstanding balance of the first vehicle 200. That is, the vehicle server 400 stores the current market price or trade-in price of the first vehicle 200, and the amount of the outstanding balance that the first user must pay for the first vehicle 200. In this way, the vehicle server 400 stores a portion of the information that constitutes the transfer information.

[0035] The user server 500 is a server device that communicates with the information processing device 100 wirelessly or via a wired connection. The user server 500 stores information about multiple users who have previously changed vehicles, including the vehicle type before the change, the vehicle type after the change, and the payment method for the vehicle after the change.

[0036] In this way, the user server 500 stores information for generating transfer information. The information processing device 100 analyzes the information obtained from the user server 500 and generates second user information that represents the trend of the second user's vehicle type after the transfer and the trend of the second user's payment method for the vehicle after the transfer.

[0037] Next, we will explain the specific details of the processing performed by the information processing device 100. Figure 3 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the control unit 110 of the information processing device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0038] The information processing device 100 may also accept access from an external device, process the data, and provide the results to the external device. The processing shown in Figure 3 may be initiated when an access is received from an external device, such as a computer installed at an automobile dealership or repair center, or a computer owned by the first user.

[0039] First, in step S10, the acquisition unit 111 acquires transfer information, including the value of the first vehicle 200, the outstanding balance of the first vehicle 200, and second user information. The acquisition unit 111 communicates with the vehicle server 400 and the user server 500 to acquire the transfer information. Specifically, the acquisition unit 111 acquires the value of the first vehicle 200 and the outstanding balance of the first vehicle 200 from the vehicle server 400. The acquisition unit 111 also acquires and analyzes information stored in the user server 500 to generate second user information, which is information indicating the trend of the second user's vehicle type after switching vehicles and the trend of the second user's payment method for the vehicle after switching vehicles. The acquisition unit 111 uses the acquired value of the first vehicle 200, the outstanding balance of the first vehicle 200, and the second user information as switching information.

[0040] Next, in step S11, the output unit 112 outputs recommendation information to the output terminal 300, which includes information on the vehicle type recommended for the first user to switch to, and the payment method if the user switches to that vehicle type. The output unit 112 may also generate recommendation information based on the vehicle switching information acquired by the acquisition unit 111, and output the generated recommendation information to the output terminal 300. For example, the output unit 112 may generate the combination of vehicle type and payment method most frequently selected by the second user, based on information indicating the second user's vehicle type trends after switching vehicles and the second user's payment method trends after switching vehicles, and output it as recommendation information.

[0041] As mentioned above, the second user is one or more users who were using the same vehicle model as the first user. The output unit 112 may obtain information about the value of the vehicle and the outstanding balance of the vehicle when the second user switched vehicles. The output unit 112 may then extract second users whose vehicle value and outstanding balance are similar to those of the vehicle owned by the first user, and perform the processing in step S11 on the extracted second users.

[0042] In this way, the information processing device 100 can present to the first user who is switching from the first vehicle 200 a recommended vehicle type and payment method, etc., based on the value and outstanding balance of the first vehicle 200, as well as the switching trends of other users.

[0043] (modified version) The embodiments described above are merely examples, and this disclosure may be modified as appropriate without departing from its essence.

[0044] For example, the processes and means described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented, as long as no technical inconsistencies arise.

[0045] 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.

[0046] This disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program is The data 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]

[0047] 100... Information Processing Device 110... Control Unit 111...Acquisition part 120...Storage section 130... Communications Department 200...First vehicle 300... Output terminal 400...Vehicle Server 500 User Server

Claims

[Claim 1] Obtaining first information which includes the value of a first vehicle currently used by a first user, the outstanding balance of the first vehicle, and information on the trends in the type of vehicle and payment method of at least one second user who has previously switched from a vehicle of the same type as the first vehicle to another vehicle, Based on the acquired first information, second information is output, which includes the vehicle type recommended for the first user to switch to, and the payment method if the user switches to the said vehicle type. It includes a control unit that performs the following: Information processing device.

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