Information processing device
The information processing apparatus addresses unfairness in lease services by providing rewards based on maintenance sessions, ensuring fairness and reducing perceived inequity among users.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
- Filing Date
- 2023-08-10
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-30
Smart Images
Figure 0007882188000001 
Figure 0007882188000002 
Figure 0007882188000003
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus.
Background Art
[0002] In a method of selling fuel to leased vehicles, for leased vehicles whose maintenance items in the lease contract include oil change, it is known that the discount rate of the fuel price is set higher than that of leased vehicles whose maintenance items in the lease contract do not include oil change (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] An object of this disclosure is to provide a technique effective in correcting unfairness among a plurality of users who use a lease service including maintenance.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0005] One aspect of this disclosure is an information processing apparatus. In that case, the information processing apparatus, for example, acquires the number of maintenance times performed at a predetermined base during a predetermined period for a leased vehicle including maintenance, and outputs reward information in which the amount provided to the user of the leased vehicle increases as the number of maintenance times decreases. It is provided with a control unit configured to execute
[0006] Another aspect of this disclosure may be an information processing method in which a computer executes the above-described processing, a program for causing the computer to execute the information processing method, or a non-temporary storage medium storing the program. [Effects of the Invention]
[0007] This disclosure provides a technology that can effectively rectify unfairness among multiple users utilizing a lease service that includes maintenance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle management system. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of maintenance information. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the information stored in the maintenance database. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of incentive information. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows the processing flow that is executed periodically on the server. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0009] Leasing services are known that grant users the right to use a vehicle by paying a fixed usage fee (monthly usage fee) on a regular basis (for example, every month). One form of leasing service is the maintenance-inclusive leasing service. A maintenance-inclusive leasing service is a service in which vehicle maintenance (vehicle inspection, inspection, and servicing, etc.) during the lease period is provided without additional charges, and the maintenance costs are included in the lease fee (application fee and / or monthly usage fee, etc.) in advance.
[0010] In this case, the lease service, which included maintenance, had predetermined maintenance schedules for each item. For example, the engine oil was scheduled to be changed at certain mileage intervals or periods of time. However, depending on how the user drives the vehicle, the predetermined maintenance schedule may not be appropriate. For example, in the case of a vehicle driven by a user who does not cause significant engine oil degradation, the engine oil may not degrade to the point of needing replacement within the predetermined mileage or period. In such cases, if oil changes are performed according to the predetermined mileage or period, it may lead to excessive consumption of engine oil resources.
[0011] Therefore, in lease services that include maintenance, a method of flexibly determining maintenance timing according to the vehicle's condition can be considered. However, if such a method is adopted, the number of maintenance sessions performed during the lease period may differ for each user. In other words, the number of maintenance sessions may differ among multiple users who are charged the same lease fee. As a result, users who have relatively fewer maintenance sessions may feel that it is unfair.
[0012] In contrast, the information processing device relating to this disclosure has a control unit that acquires the number of maintenance operations performed at a predetermined location during a predetermined period for a leased vehicle that includes maintenance. A leased vehicle that includes maintenance is a vehicle that is subject to the lease service that includes maintenance as described above. The predetermined location is a maintenance factory operated by the lease service provider, or a maintenance factory operated by a company commissioned by the lease service provider. The predetermined period may be the lease period, or a portion of the lease period (for example, several months to one year).
[0013] The control unit outputs information about rewards that are provided to the lease vehicle user in proportion to the number of maintenance sessions performed. The rewards should be such that users who perform relatively few maintenance sessions do not feel that they are being treated unfairly. For example, the reward may be a discount on the lease fee. Other examples include coupons, points, or gift certificates. The control unit may also be configured to further determine the amount of the reward according to the number of maintenance sessions for each item. For example, the amount of the reward may be determined to be higher for items that require a lot of man-hours for maintenance and / or items for which parts replaced during maintenance are expensive, as the number of maintenance sessions decreases.
[0014] Outputting reward information in the information processing device relating to this disclosure may include presenting the reward information to the operator through a display provided by the information processing device, and / or transmitting the reward information to the user's terminal.
[0015] This disclosure helps to prevent users who experience relatively few maintenance sessions from feeling unfairly treated.
[0016] <Embodiment> Specific embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are illustrative and are not limited to the configurations of these embodiments.
[0017] (Overview of the vehicle management system) A system to which the information processing device described herein is applied will be explained with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an overview of the system. The system in this embodiment consists of a branch terminal 1, a user terminal 2, and a server 3. The server 3 is connected to the branch terminal 1 and the user terminal 2 through a network N1 described later. In the example shown in Figure 1, only one branch terminal 1 and one user terminal 2 are shown, but multiple branch terminals 1 and user terminals 2 may be included in the system.
[0018] The base terminal 1 is a terminal arranged at a predetermined base. The predetermined base is a maintenance factory operated by the lease service provider or a maintenance factory commissioned by the lease service provider, etc., and performs maintenance on the vehicle 200. The user terminal 2 is a terminal used by the user of the vehicle 200. The vehicle 200 is a leased vehicle whose usage right is granted to the user by the user paying a fixed usage fee regularly (for example, every month). In the present embodiment, the lease contract of the vehicle 200 includes a contract in which maintenance (vehicle inspection, inspection, and repair, etc.) during the lease period can be received without additional fees. The server 3 is an example of the information processing device according to the present disclosure and is operated by the lease service provider. The server 3 has a function of periodically collecting the driving history and diagnostic information of the vehicle 200 from the vehicle 200 and determining the maintenance timing of the vehicle 200 based on the collected information. Further, the server 3 has a function of notifying the user of the determined maintenance timing through the user terminal 2. Thereby, for the vehicle 200 of the user who drives in a manner that makes it difficult for vehicle parts to deteriorate, the number of maintenance times can be reduced. Also, the server 3 of the present embodiment has a function of determining an incentive (reward) provided to the user according to the number of times of maintenance (maintenance times) that the vehicle 200 has received at a predetermined base during a predetermined period. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the user (the user who drives in a manner that makes it difficult for vehicle parts to deteriorate) with a small number of maintenance times of the vehicle 200 from feeling a sense of unfairness.
[0019] In the system of the present embodiment, each time the vehicle 200 is maintained at a predetermined base, an employee of the predetermined base, etc. transmits maintenance information to the server 3 through the base terminal 1. In one example, as shown in FIG. 2, the maintenance information includes the identifier of the vehicle 200 (vehicle ID), the identifier of the maintenance item performed at the predetermined base (item ID), and the date (implementation date) when the vehicle 200 was maintained at the predetermined base. The item ID included in the maintenance information may be the item name of the maintenance.
[0020] Based on such maintenance information, the server 3 calculates the number of maintenance times for each item that the vehicle 200 has received during a predetermined period, and determines an incentive according to the number of maintenance times for each item. The incentive may be anything as long as it can prevent users with relatively few maintenance times from feeling unfair. As an example, the incentive may be a discount on the lease fee. As another example, the incentive may be a coupon, points, a gift certificate, or the like. The server 3 outputs the incentive information determined as described above.
[0021] (Configuration of the server) Here, the configuration of the server 3 in the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the server 3 of the present embodiment includes a processor 301, a main memory unit 302, an auxiliary storage unit 303, and a communication unit 304. Note that the configuration of the server 3 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1, and in addition to the processor 301, the main memory unit 302, the auxiliary storage unit 303, and the communication unit 304, an input / output device may be provided.
[0022] The processor 301 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The processor 301 loads the program stored in the auxiliary storage unit 303 into the work area of the main memory unit 302 and executes it, thereby realizing functions that meet a predetermined purpose. In the present embodiment, the processor 301 that executes the program stored in the auxiliary storage unit 303 corresponds to the control unit according to the present disclosure. The main memory unit 302 is a computer-readable recording medium. In the present embodiment, the main memory unit 302 is used as a work area for loading the program stored in the auxiliary storage unit 303, and is also used as a buffer for temporarily storing the calculation results of the processor 301 and the like. The main memory unit 302 includes, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory).
[0023] The main memory unit 302 is used as a work area for loading the program stored in the auxiliary storage unit 303, and is also used as a buffer for temporarily storing the calculation results of the processor 301 and the like. The main memory unit 302 includes, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The main memory unit 302 includes, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory).
[0024] The auxiliary storage unit 303 is a computer-readable recording medium. In this embodiment, the auxiliary storage unit 303 stores various programs to be executed by the processor 301, and various data used when the processor 301 executes these programs. The auxiliary storage unit 303 includes, for example, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM) or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The auxiliary storage unit 303 may also include removable media, i.e., a portable recording medium. The programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit 303 include the OS (Operating System) as well as a program for determining incentives provided to the user of the vehicle 200. Some or all of the information stored in the auxiliary storage unit 303 may be stored in the main storage unit 302.
[0025] In this embodiment, the auxiliary storage unit 303 stores the maintenance DB 310 and incentive data 320. The maintenance DB 310 is constructed by the processor 301 executing a DBMS (Database Management System) program.
[0026] Maintenance DB310 is a database that stores information about the number of maintenance procedures performed on vehicle 200 at a predetermined location during a predetermined period. The predetermined period may be, for example, the lease period of vehicle 200, or a portion of the lease period (for example, several months to one year).
[0027] Figure 3 shows an example of information stored in the Maintenance DB 310. As shown in Figure 3, the Maintenance DB 310 has multiple tables (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "maintenance information tables") corresponding to each of the multiple vehicles 200 under the management of Server 3. Each Maintenance Information Table has a field where the vehicle ID of the corresponding vehicle 200 is registered and a field where the end date of the predetermined period is registered, as well as multiple records for each maintenance item that is applicable to the corresponding vehicle 200. In the example shown in Figure 3, each record has an Item ID field where the identifier (Item ID) of the item to be maintained is registered, and a Count field where the cumulative value (Number of Maintenance) of the number of times maintenance for each item was performed at a predetermined location during the predetermined period is registered. In the example shown in Figure 3, item names such as "engine oil," "battery," and "wiper" are used as the information registered in the Item ID field, but identifiers other than item names may also be used.
[0028] The information registered in the "Number of Times" field in each maintenance information table of the Maintenance DB310 is updated each time maintenance for each item of the corresponding vehicle 200 is performed at a designated location. For example, if the engine oil of vehicle 200 is changed at a designated location, maintenance information including the vehicle ID of vehicle 200, the item ID corresponding to the engine oil, and the date the engine oil change was performed is sent from the location terminal 1 to the server 3. Upon receiving such maintenance information, the server 3 identifies the maintenance information table for vehicle 200 based on the vehicle ID. Subsequently, the server 3 identifies the record in the identified maintenance information table that has "Engine Oil" registered in the item ID field, and the maintenance count registered in the "Number of Times" field of the identified record is incremented by one.
[0029] Furthermore, if the specified period is a portion of the lease period, the information registered in the "Number of Times" field in each maintenance information table of the Maintenance DB310 will be reset to "0 times" each time the end date of the specified period arrives.
[0030] Incentive data 320 specifies the amount of incentive for each maintenance item. This is the data. Figure 4 shows an example of incentive data 320. As shown in Figure 4, incentive data 320 consists of multiple tables (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "incentive data tables") for each maintenance item. Each incentive data table has an amount of incentive set for each maintenance cycle for each item. In this embodiment, the amount of incentive is set to increase as the number of maintenance cycles for each item decreases. For "engine oil" as an example in Figure 4, the amount of incentive increases as the number of maintenance cycles (number of engine oil changes) decreases. Also, in this embodiment, the amount of incentive is set to differ for each item. For example, items that require a lot of man-hours for maintenance may have an even greater incentive when the number of maintenance cycles is low compared to items that require less man-hours. As another example, items with high-priced parts replaced during maintenance (parts costs) may have an even greater incentive when the number of maintenance cycles is low compared to items with low-priced parts.
[0031] Next, the communication unit 304 of server 3 is an interface for connecting server 3 to network N1. In one example, the communication unit 304 is configured to include a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board and a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. In this embodiment, the communication unit 304 communicates with the base terminal 1 and the user terminal 2 through network N1.
[0032] In the server 3 configured as described above, when the communication unit 304 receives maintenance information transmitted from the base terminal 1, the processor 301 executes the following processes by running a program stored in the auxiliary storage unit 303. First, the processor 301 identifies the maintenance information table corresponding to the vehicle 200 by accessing the maintenance DB 310 with the vehicle ID included in the maintenance information as an argument. The processor 301 then identifies the record in which information matching the item ID is registered in the item ID field by accessing the identified maintenance information table with the item ID included in the maintenance information as an argument. For example, if the item ID included in the maintenance information is "engine oil", the processor 301 identifies the record in which "engine oil" is registered in the item ID field. The processor 301 then increments the maintenance count registered in the count field of the identified record by one.
[0033] Furthermore, in the server 3 configured as described above, the processor 301 periodically (for example, every day) performs the following processes by executing a program stored in the auxiliary storage unit 303. First, the processor 301 accesses the maintenance DB 310 to determine if there are any vehicles 200 whose predetermined period has ended. For example, if there is a maintenance information table in the maintenance DB 310 in which the date of the previous day is registered in the end date field, the processor 301 may determine that the predetermined period for the vehicle 200 corresponding to that maintenance information table has ended.
[0034] If it is determined that there is a vehicle 200 whose predetermined period has ended, the processor 301 calculates the incentive amount for each maintenance item based on the information registered in the maintenance information table of the vehicle 200 and the incentive data 320. For example, taking the "engine oil" item as an example, the processor 301 identifies the record in the maintenance information table where "engine oil" is registered in the item ID field, and reads the maintenance count registered in the count field of the identified record. Next, the processor 301 accesses the incentive data 320 and identifies the incentive data table corresponding to engine oil. The processor 301 then reads the incentive amount from the identified incentive data table that corresponds to the maintenance count read from the maintenance information table. 301 sets the incentive amount read from the incentive data table to the incentive amount corresponding to the "engine oil" item. Similar processing is performed for other items registered in the item ID field of the maintenance information table.
[0035] When the incentive amounts are determined for all items registered in the item ID field of the maintenance information table, the processor 301 calculates the sum of those incentive amounts. The processor 301 determines the calculated sum to be the amount of incentive to be provided to the user of vehicle 200. The processor 301 outputs information on the determined incentive amount (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "incentive information"). Outputting incentive information may include presenting the incentive information to the operator through the input / output device of server 3, presenting the incentive information to the user through user terminal 2, or presenting the incentive information to the lease service provider through the lease service provider's terminal.
[0036] The method for determining the amount of incentive provided to the user of vehicle 200 is not limited to the example described above and can be flexibly changed depending on the embodiment. For example, the processor 301 may determine the amount of incentive provided to the user of vehicle 200 according to the total number of maintenance cycles for each item. In that case, the processor 301 may provide a larger amount of incentive to the user of vehicle 200 the smaller the total number of maintenance cycles for each item.
[0037] (Process flow) The processing flow executed on server 3 in this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing flow executed on server 3 periodically (for example, every day).
[0038] In Figure 5, the processor 301 determines whether there are any vehicles 200 under the management of the server 3 whose predetermined period has ended (step S101). Specifically, the processor 301 accesses the maintenance DB 310 to determine if there is a maintenance information table in which the date of the previous day is registered in the end date field. If there is no maintenance information table in which the date of the previous day is registered in the end date field, the processor 301 determines that there are no vehicles 200 whose predetermined period has ended (negative determination in step S101). In that case, the processor 301 terminates the execution of this processing routine. If there is a maintenance information table in which the date of the previous day is registered in the end date field, the processor 301 determines that the predetermined period for the vehicle 200 corresponding to that maintenance information table has ended (positive determination in step S101). In that case, the processor 301 executes the process in step S102.
[0039] In step S102, the processor 301 obtains the incentive amount for each item for the vehicle 200 that was determined to have completed a predetermined period in step S101. Specifically, the processor 301 obtains the incentive amount for each maintenance item by accessing the incentive data 320 with the number of maintenance sessions for each item registered in the maintenance information table of the vehicle 200 as an argument. Once the incentive amount has been obtained for all items registered in the item ID field of the maintenance information table of the vehicle 200, the processor 301 executes the process in step S103.
[0040] In step S103, the processor 301 calculates the sum of the incentive amounts for each item obtained in step S102. After completing the processing in step S103, the processor 301 executes the processing in step S104.
[0041] In step S104, the processor 301 outputs incentive information including the sum calculated in step S103. In one example, the processor 301 may present the incentive information to the operator through the input / output device of the server 3. In another example, the processor 301 may transmit the incentive information to the user terminal 2 (present to the user) or to the terminal of the lease service provider (present to the lease service provider) through the communication unit 304. After completing the processing in step S104, the processor 301 terminates the execution of the processing flow shown in Figure 5.
[0042] According to the embodiment described above, among multiple users utilizing a lease service that includes maintenance (among multiple users who are charged the same lease fee), users who perform maintenance relatively less frequently are provided with greater incentives. This helps to prevent users who perform maintenance relatively less frequently from feeling that they are being treated unfairly.
[0043] <Variation> In the embodiments described above, an example was described in which server 3 is composed of a single computer, but it may also be composed of multiple computers interconnected via network N1. In other words, the processing of server 3 as described in the embodiments above may be divided and executed by multiple computers interconnected via network N1. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0044] 1... Branch terminal, 2... User terminal, 200... Vehicle, 3... Server, 301... Processor, 302... Main memory unit, 303... Auxiliary memory unit, 310... Maintenance DB, 320... Incentive data, 304... Communication unit
Claims
1. An information processing apparatus comprising a storage unit and a control unit, The aforementioned storage unit is Maintenance information including information on the number of maintenance procedures performed at designated locations during a specified period for each item of leased vehicles that include maintenance, and The amount of incentive set for each maintenance cycle for each of the aforementioned items, Remember this, The control unit, By referring to the aforementioned storage unit, the number of maintenance cycles for each item of the leased vehicle is obtained. By referring to the aforementioned storage unit, the amount of incentive corresponding to the number of maintenance cycles for each item of the leased vehicle is obtained. The amount of incentives to be provided to the user is determined by calculating the sum of the incentive amounts for each item of the leased vehicle acquired, and Outputting information regarding the amount of incentive provided to the user as determined. It is configured to perform, The amount of incentive set for each maintenance cycle for the aforementioned items is configured such that the amount of incentive increases for items that require more man-hours for maintenance, even when the maintenance cycle is infrequent. Information processing device.
2. The aforementioned predetermined period is at least a portion of the lease term. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.