Vehicle function control method and vehicle function control system

Abstract

A vehicle function control system 1 controls a function installed in a vehicle 2 by using a processor 10. The processor 10: acquires reservation information for a target vehicle having a limited use time; identifies, on the basis of the reservation information, a recommended function to be introduced to a user; and outputs, to an on-vehicle terminal of the target vehicle or a communication terminal 3, recommendation information for introducing the recommended function.

Description

Vehicle function control method and vehicle function control system

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle function control method and a vehicle function control system.

[0002] The vehicle arbitration system described in Patent Document 1 arbitrates multiple requests generated by applications in order to add applications and expand functions in a vehicle.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-162110

[0004] However, simply adding applications and expanding functions does not make the functions of the applications known to vehicle users.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle function control method and a vehicle function control system that can notify a user of recommended functions.

[0006] The present invention solves the above problem by identifying recommended functions to be introduced to a user based on reservation information for a target vehicle with limited usage time, and outputting recommended information introducing the recommended functions to the target vehicle's onboard terminal or user terminal.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to make recommended functions known to users.

[0008] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle function control system according to the present embodiment. It is a diagram showing a display screen of a display of the vehicle shown in Figure 1. It is a flowchart showing the procedure of a vehicle function control method executed by the vehicle function control system shown in Figure 1. It is a diagram showing a display screen of a display of a communication terminal shown in Figure 1.

[0009] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. A vehicle function control system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a cloud system that controls functions installed in a vehicle 2. The functions include, for example, a map application that provides map information and route guidance, a battery control application that manages the status of the vehicle's battery, and applications that control in-vehicle devices such as seat heaters and air conditioners. These functions are processed by a processor included in the vehicle 2 or a communication terminal 3, and provide the user with information, an operating environment for in-vehicle devices, an entertainment environment, and support tools to assist driving. A vehicle has each function as a standard function when shipped from the factory, but functions can be added or expanded according to user requests.

[0010] When adding or expanding a function, the user operates the communication terminal 3 to send an operation command for adding or expanding the function from the communication terminal 3 to the vehicle function control system 1. When adding or expanding a function, the user can also operate the in-vehicle display 21 of the vehicle 2 to send an operation command for adding or expanding the function from the communicator 23 of the vehicle 2 or the communication terminal 3 to the vehicle function control system 1. In response to the operation command, the vehicle function control system 1 then sends a control command to the communication terminal 3 to guide the user to addable or expandable functions suitable for the vehicle 2. A guide screen for the addable or expandable functions is displayed on the communication terminal 3. The user selects the function to be added or expanded on the communication terminal 3. The vehicle function control system 1 then downloads an application (software) having the selected function to the vehicle 2. The vehicle function control system 1 then performs a process (activation process) to activate the downloaded application. As a result, the function to be added or expanded is newly installed in the vehicle 2 and becomes available for use. The following describes the configurations of the vehicle function control system 1, the vehicle 2, and the communication terminal 3. In the following description, functions that are desired to be added or expanded will be collectively referred to as "additional functions."

[0011] The vehicle function control system 1 has a processor 10 and a database 19. The vehicle function control system 1 is capable of communicating with a vehicle 2 and a communication terminal 3 carried by a user of the vehicle 2 via a network 4. The vehicle function control system 1 corresponds to a server. The processor 10 is a controller that controls the entire vehicle function control system 1, and has a processing unit such as a CPU, a memory that stores a program, and the like. The processor 10 has, as functional blocks, a vehicle management unit 11, a function control unit 12, a billing management unit 13, a customer management unit 14, and a usage status analysis unit 15. Processing in the functional blocks such as the vehicle management unit 11 is performed by executing a program stored in the memory in the processing unit.

[0012] The vehicle management unit 11 manages vehicles 2, functions that can be installed on vehicles 2, and users. Vehicles 2 are personal cars, business cars, vehicles with limited usage time, etc. Vehicles 2 with limited usage time are vehicles 2 that can be rented out for a fee or free of charge, such as rental cars, and are vehicles 2 that can be rented out to an unspecified number of users. In the following explanation, vehicles 2 with limited usage time will also be simply referred to as rental cars. Users are not limited to individuals and may be corporations. The vehicle management unit 11 manages user IDs, vehicle IDs, and functions that can be installed on vehicles in association with each other in a database. The user ID is the user's personal information, and the vehicle ID is identification information for the vehicle.

[0013] The vehicle management unit 11 stores information about functions currently installed in the vehicle 2 and functions purchased by the user (hereinafter also referred to as purchased functions) and function information (application information) about additional functions in the database 19 after associating the information with the vehicle ID and user ID. The function information includes identification information (function ID) of a function that can be installed in the vehicle, the purchase date and time of the function, status information indicating whether the function is enabled or disabled, the function's usage history, and the function's available time. Note that the function information does not need to include all of this information.

[0014] The vehicle management unit 11 allocates a vehicle 2 that meets the user's preferences based on the reservation information provided when the user reserves a rental car, or determines the rental car to be rented to the user based on the user's selection. The reservation information is information entered by the user when reserving a rental car, and includes the user ID, the reserved vehicle model, the start and end times of use of the vehicle 2, the user's personal information, the departure point, etc., and may also include information regarding the rental car's usage environment (or usage conditions), such as the number of passengers in the rental car, family composition, passenger attributes (gender, age, etc.), the user's preferences (hobbies and tastes), the destination, and stopover points. Note that the reservation information does not need to include all of this information. Once the vehicle management unit 11 determines a rental car, it stores the user ID of the user using the rental car, the rental car's vehicle ID, and the reservation information in the database 19 in association with each other.

[0015] The function control unit 12 controls functions that can be installed in the vehicle 2. Functions that can be installed in the vehicle 2 include functions that have already been downloaded to the vehicle 2, functions that have not been downloaded to the vehicle 2 but have been purchased by the user, newly added functions, etc. If the user wants to add or expand a function, they can purchase an application online. Note that adding or expanding a function does not have to be paid for, and may be free of charge. When the function control unit 12 receives a command from the user or the system to install an additional function, it downloads the additional function to the vehicle 2 in accordance with the command.

[0016] For example, when a user who is a vehicle owner operates the communication terminal 3 to add a function to the vehicle (private car) 2, the communication terminal 3 outputs a control command including at least a user ID to the vehicle function control system 1 to display a guide screen for functions that can be installed. The function control unit 12 refers to the database 19 to identify a vehicle ID corresponding to the user ID and functions installed in the vehicle 2. The function control unit 12 identifies additional functions that can be installed in the vehicle 2 based on the identified vehicle ID, and the function control unit 12 transmits data for providing information about the identified additional functions to the communication terminal 3. The communication terminal 3 displays a guide screen for the additional functions identified by the function control unit 12. When the user operates the communication terminal 3 and selects an additional function to be installed, the communication terminal 3 transmits a selection command to the vehicle function control system 1. The function control unit 12 downloads the additional function selected by the user to the vehicle 2 based on the selection command.

[0017] When introducing additional functions to the user, the function control unit 12 introduces recommended functions to be introduced to the user. Recommended functions are additional functions recommended to the user based on the user's preferences, the rental car usage environment, etc. The function control unit 12 identifies recommended functions based on reservation information. The function control unit 12 may identify recommended functions based on personal information included in the reservation information. For example, the function control unit 12 may identify user attributes (gender, age) from the personal information and identify functions that are used frequently, used frequently, or installed frequently among a group of users with the same attributes as recommended functions. The function control unit 12 may identify recommended functions based on family composition information included in the reservation information. For example, if there are children as passengers in the rental car, the function control unit 12 may identify functions that provide an entertainment environment for children as recommended functions based on the family composition.

[0018] The function control unit 12 may identify recommended functions based on information about the number of passengers included in the reservation information. For example, if the number of passengers in the rental car is large, the function control unit 12 may identify a function that provides an entertainment environment for a large number of passengers as a recommended function. The function control unit 12 may also identify recommended functions based on usage information included in the reservation information that indicates the rental car's usage environment. The usage environment corresponds to the vehicle interior environment, vehicle exterior environment, or driving environment, and is indicated by the vehicle interior temperature, the number of passengers, the outside climatic conditions (temperature, humidity, season, weather, etc.), the rental car's departure point, destination, driving route, departure time, arrival time, the number of passengers, and the attributes of the passengers. For example, the function control unit 12 identifies, based on the vehicle interior environment or vehicle exterior environment, a function that operates a seat heater as a recommended function if the outside air temperature or cabin temperature during use of the rental car is low. For example, based on the rental car's driving route, etc., the function control unit 12 identifies, as a recommended function, a function that controls a massage device in the seat if the driving distance is long.

[0019] The function control unit 12 may also identify recommended functions based on history data indicating the usage history of the functions and / or the vehicle 2. The history data may include usage history when the functions were used in a vehicle 2 other than a rental car (e.g., a user-owned vehicle such as a personal car) or usage history when the functions were used in a vehicle 2 other than a rental car. The function usage history may include the number of people who used the function, the number of times the function was used, and the duration of use of the function. The vehicle 2 usage history may include the date and time (season, time of year) when the vehicle 2 was used, the location where the vehicle 2 was used, and the number of passengers. The usage history may include not only the usage history of the current user who reserved the rental car, but also the usage history of other users who have reserved rental cars in the past. For example, if the function control unit 12 determines from the rental car usage history that the reserved rental car will be used in a cold region (e.g., Hokkaido in winter), it may identify a function that is often used in cold winter regions (e.g., a seat heater control function) as a recommended function. If the reservation information indicates that there are multiple passengers in the rental car, the function control unit 12 may identify a function that was frequently used during multiple rides (e.g., a game app used by multiple users) as a recommended function from the function usage history.

[0020] The function control unit 12 transmits data including information for introducing the recommended functions identified as described above to the vehicle 2 or the communication terminal 3. Then, the vehicle 2 or the communication terminal 3 displays a guide screen for the additional functions identified by the function control unit 12.

[0021] The function control unit 12 may include information on the explanation of the recommended function, such as how to use the recommended function (hereinafter also referred to as function explanation information), as information for introducing the recommended function. For example, if the recommended function is a function for controlling a seat heater, how to operate the seat heater and precautions to take when using the seat heater correspond to the function explanation information.

[0022] After downloading the additional function to the vehicle 2, the function control unit 12 performs processing to enable the additional function so that the additional function can be used in the vehicle 2. The function control unit 12 can also disable (deactivate) an additional function installed in the vehicle 2. The function control unit 12 updates the function information stored in the database 19 when an additional function is installed in the vehicle 2, when an additional function is deleted from the vehicle 2, when an additional function is enabled or disabled, or when a user purchases a new additional function. This allows the function control unit 12 to manage what functions a user who has registered a user ID has purchased and in which vehicle 2 the purchased functions have been installed.

[0023] The billing management unit 13 manages payments when a user purchases a function. The customer management unit 14 manages customer information (user ID) in a database 19 in association with the vehicle ID of the vehicle 2. The usage status analysis unit 15 uses AI to analyze the usage status of the vehicle 2 based on driving data of the vehicle 2, etc.

[0024] The database 19 stores personal data indicating personal information of the user, such as a user ID, vehicle data including a vehicle ID, function data including a function usage history and function information by the user, reservation data including rental car reservation information, etc. The database 19 may also store and manage driving data of the vehicle 2, etc.

[0025] The vehicle 2 is connected to the vehicle function control system 1 and the communication terminal 3 via a network 4. The vehicle 2 includes a processor 20, an in-vehicle display 21, a storage medium 22, a communicator 23, and an in-vehicle device 24. The processor 20 is a control unit that controls the in-vehicle display 21, the storage medium 22, the communicator 23, and the in-vehicle device 24. The in-vehicle display 21 is, for example, provided on the instrument panel of the vehicle and is a touch-panel display. The in-vehicle display 21 displays a menu screen that presents functions installed in the vehicle 2. FIG. 2 is an example of the menu screen displayed on the in-vehicle display 21. As shown in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle display 21 displays icons 211 that indicate installed functions. For example, the icons 211 may be an icon indicating a call function, an icon indicating a music function, an icon indicating a map function, or the like. For example, when a user (occupant) uses the in-vehicle phone or the communication terminal 3 to make a call to an external party, the user touches the icon 211 that displays a receiver. When an additional function is installed in the vehicle 2, an icon representing the additional function is displayed on the in-vehicle display 21. The in-vehicle display 21 may also display an icon indicating a function that is not installed in the vehicle 2 but can be installed in the vehicle 2. For example, the in-vehicle display 21 displays a guide screen for installing an additional function in the vehicle 2 based on a user operation. At this time, the in-vehicle display 21 displays an icon of the newly installable additional function. When the user touches the desired icon, the processor 20 transmits a command to the vehicle control function system 1 to install the additional function.

[0026] The storage medium 22 stores applications downloaded to the vehicle 2, usage history of installed functions, personal information of the user, etc. The communicator 23 transmits and receives signals to and from the vehicle function control system 1 and the communication terminal 3. The in-vehicle devices 24 include a camera that captures images inside or outside the vehicle, a seat heater, an air conditioner, a speaker, etc.

[0027] The communication terminal 3 is a terminal that can be operated by a user, and includes a display, a communication device, a processor, etc. When reserving a rental car or installing an additional function in the vehicle 2, the user may operate the communication terminal 3 to send an operation command to the vehicle function control system 1 and / or the vehicle 2.

[0028] Next, the procedure of the vehicle function control method executed by the processor 10 of the vehicle function control system 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 3. The flow shown in Fig. 3 is executed when the user reserves a rental car or a predetermined time before the start time of using the rental car.

[0029] In step S1, the processor 10 acquires reservation information from the communication terminal 3. The processor 10 determines a rental car to rent to the user based on the reservation information. If a rental car reservation has already been made, the processor 10 may acquire the reservation information from the database 19.

[0030] In step S2, the processor 10 identifies recommended functions to be introduced to the user based on the reservation information. The processor 10 may also identify recommended functions based on the rental car usage environment indicated in the reservation information. In step S3, the processor 10 transmits recommended function data related to the recommended functions to the communication terminal 3 so that introduction information introducing the recommended functions is output to the communication terminal. The recommended function data is data used to introduce the recommended functions and includes information such as the name of the application, an icon representing the application, a description of the additional functions, the purchase price of the additional functions, and user ratings of the additional functions. The processor 10 also transmits vehicle data of the reserved rental car to the communication terminal 3. The processor 10 may also transmit data of functions that can be installed in the rental car other than the recommended functions to the communication terminal 3. The communication terminal 3 displays an introduction screen for introducing the recommended functions, such as that shown in FIG. 4, based on the recommended function data and vehicle data transmitted from the processor 10.

[0031] FIG. 4 shows an example of an introduction screen displayed on the communication terminal 3. The introduction screen includes an image 301 of a reserved rental car, a message 302 such as "Please select an option. ★ is recommended for you," and selection buttons 303-305 for selecting additional functions. The selection buttons 303-305 indicate examples of applications (apps) with recommended functions. Furthermore, the selection buttons 303 and 305 are marked with a star symbol indicating a recommendation. While viewing the introduction screen, the user can select the additional functions they wish to install in the rental car. Furthermore, the user can understand the additional functions recommended by the system from the star symbol and message 302. In the example of FIG. 4, the recommended "App A" is selected. When the user selects a recommended function and confirms it, the communication terminal 3 sends a selection command for the recommended function to the vehicle function control system 1. Note that the introduction screen introducing the recommended functions may be displayed not only on the communication terminal 3 but also on the in-vehicle display 21 of the vehicle 2. That is, the processor 10 displays an introduction screen such as that shown in FIG. 4 on the vehicle display 21 of the vehicle 2 and / or the communication terminal 3, thereby outputting recommendation information introducing the recommended functions to the rental car's onboard terminal or the communication terminal 3.

[0032] The introduction screen introducing the recommended functions may include function description information. For example, on the introduction screen shown in FIG. 4, pressing and holding one of the selection buttons 303 to 305 may cause a pop-up to appear, and a sentence outlining the recommended functions may be displayed within the pop-up. Alternatively, a switch button for displaying the function description information may be displayed within the selection buttons 303 to 305, and when the user touches the switch button, a sentence explaining the recommended functions may be displayed on the display. That is, the processor 10 may output information regarding the description of the recommended functions to the on-board display 21 or the communication terminal 3 of the rental car before the start time of using the rental car.

[0033] In step S4, upon receiving the selection command, the processor 10 updates the function information contained in the database 19 based on the user ID and vehicle ID. The vehicle ID is identification information for the rental car. The processor 10 updates the function data to indicate that the recommended functions indicated in the selection command will be used in the rental car and that they have been purchased by the user who reserved the rental car. Note that updating of the function data may be performed after the flow of step S6, which will be described later.

[0034] In step S5, the processor 10 downloads an application with the recommended function to the rental car before the user starts using the rental car and enables the recommended function in the rental car. For example, the processor 10 communicates with the rental car a predetermined time (e.g., 10 minutes) before the user starts using the rental car and initializes data related to functions installed in the rental car. This initialization deletes data on additional functions installed by the user who last used the rental car from the rental car. The processor 10 sends a command to the rental car to start downloading the recommended function. The rental car confirms that there is sufficient free space in the storage medium 22 and starts downloading the application with the recommended function. When the download is complete, the rental car sends a DL end command to the vehicle function control system 1, indicating that the download has ended.

[0035] When the processor 10 receives the DL termination command, it sends an activation command to the rental car to enable the recommended function. The processor 20 in the rental car receives the activation command and processes the downloaded data to enable the application, changing the recommended function from a disabled state (unusable state) to an enabled state (usable state). As a result, the processor 10 performs a process (activation process) to enable the downloaded application.

[0036] In addition, when transmitting data of an application having a recommended function to a rental car or transmitting an activation command, the processor 10 may also transmit history data indicating the usage history of the recommended function. The history data is a usage history of when the recommended function was used in a vehicle other than the rental car (e.g., a vehicle owned by the user, such as a personal car). For example, if the recommended function is a function for controlling a massage device in a seat, the usage history is indicated by information such as the time of day when the massage device was used, the usage duration, the massage intensity level, and the area massaged. In other words, by transferring the history data from the personal car to the rental car, the user can receive a massage of the same intensity when using the rental car as when using the personal car. In other words, the user can use the recommended function according to their preferences without having to set it up again.

[0037] In step S6, the processor 10 determines whether the rental car usage time has elapsed. For example, when the rental car has been returned or when the usage time indicated in the reservation information has elapsed, the processor 10 determines that the rental car usage time has elapsed.

[0038] If the rental car usage time has elapsed, in step S8, the processor 10 disables the recommended function in the rental car. The processor 10 sends a deactivation command to the rental car to disable the recommended function. Upon receiving the deactivation command, the processor 20 in the rental car changes the status of the recommended function from enabled to disabled. This causes the processor 10 to perform a deactivation process (deactivation process) for the downloaded application. When disabling the recommended function in the rental car, the processor 20 also acquires data indicating the usage history and / or personal information of the recommended function from the rental car. The usage history of the recommended function is a history of the recommended functions used in the rental car while the rental car was in use. If personal information is stored in the storage medium 22 to enable the recommended function to be used in the rental car, the processor 20 may acquire the personal information and transmit it to the vehicle function control system 1. The processor 10 then stores the data indicating the usage history and / or personal information of the recommended function acquired from the rental car in the database 19. Personal function data such as the usage history is associated with a user ID and reflected in the database 19.

[0039] After disabling the recommended function, the processor 20 of the rental car deletes the data transmitted to the vehicle function control system 1. In other words, the data indicating the usage history and / or personal information of the recommended function is reflected in the database 19 and deleted from the storage medium 22 of the rental car after the rental car's usage time has elapsed.

[0040] As described above, the vehicle function control system 1 according to this embodiment acquires reservation information for a vehicle 2 with limited usage time, identifies recommended functions to be introduced to the user based on the reservation information, and outputs recommendation information introducing the recommended functions to an in-vehicle terminal or a communication terminal of the vehicle 2. This makes it possible to inform the user of recommended functions that can be installed in the vehicle.

[0041] For example, if a user who does not own a car uses a vehicle 2 with limited usage time, such as a rental car, if the user is not provided with appropriate information about additional functions, the user will lack motivation to purchase the paid functions, and the additional functions will not be installed in the rental car. As a result, the user will lose the opportunity to use the additional functions, resulting in a decrease in the convenience of the vehicle. While rental car companies could provide additional functions in advance in the provided vehicle, they would need to select functions tailored to the user who reserved the rental car. However, due to the diversification of customer needs, selecting functions is difficult. Furthermore, installing many additional functions in a rental car in order to cover all customer needs would result in high purchasing costs. On the other hand, limiting the additional functions installed in a rental car to those that are most highly sought after would fail to satisfy diverse customer needs. The vehicle function control system 1 of this embodiment introduces recommended functions tailored to the user for a vehicle 2 with limited usage time, such as a rental car, allowing the user to easily select useful functions, improving the convenience of the vehicle 2 and reducing the burden of purchasing functions on vehicle providers, such as rental car companies.

[0042] In this embodiment, the vehicle function control system 1 identifies recommended functions based on the usage environment of the vehicle 2 indicated in the reservation information. This allows recommended functions to be introduced according to the usage environment of the vehicle 2, and the recommended functions to be made known to the user.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle function control system 1 identifies recommended functions based on history data indicating the use history of the functions and / or the vehicle 2. This allows the recommended functions to be notified to the user.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle function control system 1 outputs information regarding the explanation of the recommended functions to the in-vehicle display 21 or the communication terminal 3 before the start time of use of the vehicle 2. This allows the explanation of the recommended functions to be presented to the user.

[0045] The vehicle function control system 1 also acquires data indicating the usage history and / or personal information of the recommended functions from the vehicle 2, stores the acquired data in the database 19, and deletes the data from the vehicle 2 after the usage time of the vehicle 2 has elapsed. This improves the convenience of the recommended functions. Furthermore, since no history is left in the vehicle 2 rented for a limited time, information can be protected.

[0046] Furthermore, the vehicle function control system 1 transmits history data indicating the usage history of the recommended functions to the vehicle 2. This allows the history data of when the functions were used in another vehicle 2, such as the vehicle's own vehicle, to be used in the vehicle 2 being used this time, thereby optimizing the functions.

[0047] In the present embodiment, the vehicle function control system 1 may determine whether the recommended function has been downloaded to the vehicle 2 before the start of use of the vehicle 2. If the recommended function has not been downloaded, the vehicle function control system 1 may download the recommended function to the vehicle 2 before the start of use of the vehicle 2. For example, in the control flow of step S5, the processor 10 determines whether the recommended function has been downloaded to the rental car. The processor 10 may obtain a list of downloaded functions from the rental car and determine whether the recommended function is included in the list of downloaded functions. Alternatively, if the database 19 stores the vehicle ID of the rental car in association with function information of downloaded functions, the processor 10 may determine whether the recommended function has been downloaded to the rental car based on the data stored in the database 19. This eliminates the need to download application data having the recommended function after the start of use of a vehicle such as a rental car, thereby improving the convenience of the function.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the recommended function is a function that uses an external linked service, the vehicle function control system 1 may execute a process of logging in to the external linked service before the start time of use of the vehicle 2, based on a login ID corresponding to the user ID. For example, the external linked service is a digital distribution service such as a music streaming service. Such an external linked service is available in the vehicle 2 or the communication terminal 3, but logging in requires authentication processing using a login ID and password separate from the user ID. The database 19 stores the login ID and password of the external linked service in personal information such as the user ID. Then, the processor 10 executes a process of logging in to the external linked service based on the data stored in the database 19. This improves the convenience of the function.

[0049] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vehicle function control system 2 vehicle 3 communication terminal 10 processor 11 vehicle management unit 12 function control unit 19 database 20 processor 21 in-vehicle display 22 storage medium 23 communication device 24 in-vehicle device

Claims

1. A vehicle function control method executed by a processor to control functions installed in a vehicle, wherein the processor: obtains reservation information of a target vehicle with limited usage time; identifies recommended functions to be introduced to the user based on the reservation information; and outputs recommendation information for introducing the recommended functions to an in-vehicle terminal or a communication terminal of the target vehicle.

2. The vehicle function control method according to claim 1, wherein the processor identifies the recommended functions based on the usage environment of the vehicle indicated by the reservation information.

3. The vehicle function control method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processor identifies the recommended functions based on history data indicating the usage history of the functions and / or the vehicle.

4. The vehicle function control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the processor outputs information regarding the explanation of the recommended functions to an in-vehicle terminal or a communication terminal of the target vehicle before the usage start time of the target vehicle.

5. The vehicle function control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the processor: obtains data indicating the usage history or personal information of the recommended functions from the target vehicle; stores the obtained data in a database; and the data is deleted from the target vehicle after the usage time of the target vehicle has elapsed.

6. The vehicle function control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the processor transmits history data indicating the usage history of the recommended functions to the target vehicle.

7. The vehicle function control method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the processor: determines whether the recommended functions have been downloaded to the target vehicle before the usage start time of the target vehicle; and if not, downloads the purchased recommended functions to the target vehicle before the usage start time of the target vehicle.

8. The vehicle function control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when the recommended functions are functions that utilize an external cooperation service, the processor executes a process of logging in to the external cooperation service before the usage start time of the target vehicle using the user ID and the corresponding login ID.

9. A vehicle function control system comprising a processor that controls functions installed in a vehicle, the processor obtaining reservation information of a target vehicle with limited usage time, identifying a recommended function to introduce to the user based on the reservation information, and outputting recommendation information for introducing the recommended function to an in-vehicle terminal or a communication terminal of the target vehicle.

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