Information processing device, information processing method, storage medium, and program

Abstract

This information processing device for assisting a rental service of batteries in a plurality of battery storage locations for storing a plurality of batteries comprises: an acquisition unit for acquiring usage information related to a battery storage location that a borrowing applicant, who desires to borrow a battery, previously used for returning a battery; and a selection unit for selecting, on the basis of the usage information, a rental battery to be lent to the borrowing applicant from among the plurality of batteries stored in the battery storage location.

Description

Information processing device, information processing method, storage medium, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for supporting a battery rental service.

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a technology for a battery rental service that improves the efficiency of battery collection by service crews by sending a notification to users who are using batteries that need maintenance, informing them that they will receive an incentive if they bring the batteries to a specific station.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-122254

[0004] However, battery rental services are generally configured so that users can freely select the destination for returning the battery based on their own convenience, etc. Therefore, even if a notification such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 is given, there is a possibility that the battery will not be returned to the station desired by the service provider.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to lend a suitable battery depending on the return history of the borrower, thereby contributing to improving the energy efficiency of battery transportation.

[0006] According to the present invention, an information processing device is provided that supports a battery rental service at multiple battery storage bases that each store multiple batteries, and is characterized by comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires usage information regarding the battery storage base that a person wishing to borrow a battery has previously used to return the battery; and a selection unit that selects a rental battery to be rented to the person wishing to borrow from among the multiple batteries stored at the battery storage base based on the usage information.

[0007] According to the present invention, a suitable battery can be lent depending on the return history of the borrower, thereby contributing to more efficient energy use in battery transportation.

[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0009] The accompanying drawings are included in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description are used to explain the principles of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a support system 1.

[0024] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a management server 2.

[0025] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a communication terminal 3.

[0026] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating user information managed in a user DB 221.

[0027] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating location information managed in a location DB 222.

[0028] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating battery information managed in a battery DB 223.

[0029] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating rental and borrowing usage information managed in a rental and borrowing DB 224.

[0030] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a process for sending a borrowing request based on a procedure related to borrowing.

[0031] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating an overview of lending a battery 4 based on selection information of the battery to be lent.

[0032] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating a selection process executed by the management server 2 of embodiment 1.

[0010] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiment does not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiment are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiment may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar configurations, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0011] In the embodiment described below, the present invention is applied to a management server that selects a battery to be loaned from among multiple batteries stored at a battery loan base in response to a borrowing request from a borrower, as an example of an information processing device. However, the present invention can be applied to any device that can select a battery to be loaned to a borrower in response to a request from the borrower.

[0012] <System Overview> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the support system 1. The support system 1 is a system that manages the rental and borrowing of batteries at multiple rental bases and provides a battery rental and borrowing service. The management server 2 is communicably connected to communication terminals 3a and 3b via a communication network such as the Internet, and is a server that operates the rental and borrowing service.

[0013] Users 101a and 101b are examples of users of the rental service, and the number of users is not limited to three. Each of users 101a and 101b owns an electric product that uses a battery. In the example shown in the figure, user 101a is a user of a battery-powered electric vehicle (here, an electric motorcycle) 102a. User 101b is a user of a battery-powered home appliance 102b. Home appliance 102b is, for example, an electric cooking appliance that can be used at a campsite, a discharge appliance for using a battery as an external power source, or a charger for charging a battery.

[0014] The illustrated communication terminals 3a to 3c are examples of communication terminals installed at rental bases 200a to 200c where batteries are charged and stored and then lent to borrowers, and the number of rental bases is not limited to three. In the following explanation, when rental bases 200a, 200b, and 200c are referred to collectively or when no distinction is made, they are referred to as rental base 200. When communication terminals 3a to 3c are referred to collectively or when no distinction is made, they are referred to as communication terminal 3.

[0015] The rental base 200 is a charging facility where batteries 4 to be delivered are stored. In the rental service, the rental base 200 lends stored batteries 4 in response to battery borrowing requests from borrowers. As will be described in detail later, in the rental service of this embodiment, the battery 4 is rented to the user 101 by the service provider. The rental base 200 is a facility operated by the rental service provider and also includes charging equipment for charging the stored battery 4. Therefore, the user 101 can procure a charged battery 4 by going directly to the rental base 200. In one aspect, the rental base 200 can be a battery station (rental bases 200b and 200c in the figure) configured to allow self-service pickup of charged batteries 4 and return of used batteries 4. In another aspect, the rental base 200 can be a store (rental base 200a in the figure) where designated employees rent charged batteries 4 and process collection of used batteries 4. In yet another aspect, rental base 200 may be a dealer of electric vehicle 102a or a maintenance factory for electric vehicle 102a. Communication terminal 3a is a personal computer used by an administrator of rental base 200a, and communication terminals 3b and 3c are control computers of charging devices installed at rental bases 200b and 200c, respectively.

[0016] 2A is a block diagram of the management server 2. The management server 2 includes a processing unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23. The processing unit 21 is a processor such as a CPU, and executes programs stored in the storage unit 22. The storage unit 22 is a storage device such as a RAM, a ROM, or a hard disk. The communication unit 23 includes a wired or wireless communication interface capable of communicating with the communication terminals 3, 4, and 5 via a communication network.

[0017] The storage unit 22 stores various data in addition to the programs executed by the processing unit 21. In the example of FIG. 2A, databases (DBs) 221 to 224 are illustrated as examples of data stored in the storage unit 22. DB 221 is a DB in which information about the user 101 is registered. DB 222 is a DB in which information about the rental base 200 is registered. DB 223 is a DB in which information about the battery 4 used in the rental service is registered. DB 224 is a DB in which information about the rental of the battery 4 performed in the rental service is registered. In the following description, DB 221, DB 222, DB 223, and DB 224 may be referred to as a user DB, base DB, battery DB, and rental DB, respectively. DB 221, DB 222, DB 223, and DB 224 may be separate databases or may be collectively referred to as a single database. In this embodiment, for convenience, the databases are described separately, but this does not mean that they are necessarily separate databases.

[0018] In this embodiment, it is assumed that all users 101 register as members before using the rental service. However, the rental service may also be used by those who have not registered as members.

[0019] <User Information> FIG. 3A shows an example of information (user information) stored in the user DB 221. The user DB 221 stores records for each user 101 (each member). The user ID 301 is identification information for identifying each individual user 101. The usage trend 302 is information about the user's 101 past usage trends of the rental service. As will be described in detail later, in this embodiment, for each user 101, information about the rental bases 200 used by the user 101 when using the rental service is managed for both the time of rental and the time of return. In the example shown in the figure, the usage trend 302 includes the number of times the user 101 borrowed items 311 for each rental base 200 used for rental, and the number of times the user returned items 312 for each rental base 200 used for return. The number of times the user borrowed items 311 and the number of times the user returned items 312 are associated with identification information (base ID) assigned to each rental base 200 to identify the rental base 200.

[0020] <Base Information> FIG. 3B shows an example of information (base information) stored in the base DB 222. The base DB 222 stores a record for each rental base 200. The base ID 321 is identification information for identifying each rental base 200. The location 322 is information about the geographical location of the rental base 200, and is typically the address of the rental base 200. The collection base flag 323 indicates whether the rental base 200 is a base used to collect batteries 4 to be discarded or recycled (hereinafter referred to as a collection base). The collection base flag 323 may be, for example, Boolean information, which indicates that the rental base 200 is a collection base when it is true, and indicates that the rental base 200 is not a collection base when it is false.

[0021] <Battery Information> FIG. 3C shows an example of information (battery information) stored in the battery DB 223. The battery DB 223 stores a record for each battery 4. The battery ID 331 is identification information for identifying each battery 4. The location 332 is information indicating the location of the battery 4. In the rental service, the battery 4 can be stored at the rental base 200 or loaned to the user 101. Therefore, in the former case, the location 332 stores the base ID of the rental base 200 where the battery 4 is stored, and in the latter case, the user ID of the user 101 currently borrowing the battery 4. In other words, when the location 332 indicates a base ID, this indicates that the battery 4 is stored at the rental base 200, and when the location 332 indicates a user ID, this indicates that the battery 4 is loaned to the user 101. Therefore, the user ID 301 and the base ID 321 are generated according to rules that allow them to be distinguished from each other.

[0022] The charging status 333 indicates the charging status of the battery 4. The charging status 333 may be information that can be acquired when the battery 4 is stored at the rental base 200. The charging status 333 may include information such as the charging start time, the charging completion time, and the elapsed time since charging completion.

[0023] The degradation state 334 indicates the degradation state of the battery 4. Because the quality of the battery 4 deteriorates depending on its usage and aging, for example, after the battery 4 is returned to the rental base 200, the degradation state may be diagnosed by the communication terminal 3 or the storage device, and the information on the degradation state 334 may be updated. Here, various existing methods may be used to diagnose the degradation state of the battery 4. The recycling candidate flag 335 indicates whether the battery has been confirmed to have progressed beyond a predetermined level as a result of the degradation state diagnosis and is judged to be desirable for recycling in the near future. The recycling candidate flag 335 may be, for example, Boolean information, and if it is TRUE, it indicates that the battery 4 is a recycling candidate, and if it is FALSE, it indicates that the battery 4 is not a recycling candidate.

[0024] <Rental Use Information> Figure 4 shows an example of information (rental use information) stored in the rental DB 224. The rental DB 224 stores records for each rental use of the rental service by the user 101. The rental use ID 401 is identification information for identifying each rental use. The user ID 402 is information for identifying the user 101 who performed the rental use. The battery ID 403 is information for identifying the battery 4 rented to the user 101 in that rental use. The rental base ID 404 is information for identifying the rental base 200 to which the battery 4 was rented in that rental use, and the rental date and time 405 indicates the date and time of rental. The return base ID 406 is information for identifying the rental base 200 to which the battery 4 was returned in that rental use, and the return date and time 407 indicates the date and time of return.

[0025] <<Configuration Example of Communication Terminal 3>> Fig. 2B is a block diagram of the communication terminal 3. The communication terminal 3 includes a processing unit 31, a storage unit 32, a communication unit 33, and a display unit 34. The processing unit 31 is a processor such as a CPU, and executes programs stored in the storage unit 32. The storage unit 32 is a storage device such as RAM or ROM. The programs stored in the storage unit 32 also include an application program for providing the rental service of this embodiment (lending a battery to the user 101 or returning a battery from the user 101) at the rental base 200. The application program may be downloaded from a server such as the management server 2, or may be distributed on a storage medium such as a CD-ROM.

[0026] The communication unit 33 is a wireless communication device capable of communicating with the management server 2 via a communication network. The display unit 34 is a display device for displaying electronic images, and is, for example, a touch panel display.

[0027] <<Outline of Rental Service>> An outline of the battery 4 rental service provided using the support system 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The rental service is, for example, a form of battery sharing service, in which a battery 4 is rented to a pre-registered user 101 at a rental base 200. In this embodiment, the rental of batteries with common specifications or compatible batteries is assumed, but batteries with different specifications may also be rented. Note that the rental service is not limited to battery rentals for a fee, but may also include free battery rentals.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, each lending base 200 is equipped with a storage device capable of storing and charging multiple batteries 4. In one aspect, the storage device is configured so that one unit has 12 slots, each capable of storing one battery 4. The 12 slots are operated so that at least one slot is always left empty so that a returned battery 4 can be stored. Therefore, the storage device is configured so that a maximum of 11 batteries 4 can be loaned at the same time.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 5A, the user 101 can borrow a charged battery 4 by visiting the rental base 200 and completing the procedures for borrowing a battery. Fig. 5A shows an example of an unmanned rental base such as rental bases 200b and 200c, and the user 101 can complete the procedures for borrowing by operating the communication terminal 3 provided at the rental base 200. When the procedures for borrowing are completed, a borrowing request including the base ID of the rental base 200 and the user ID of the user 101 requesting the borrowing is sent from the communication terminal 3 to the management server 2.

[0030] When the management server 2 receives the borrowing request, it selects a battery 4 to be lent to the user 101 from among the multiple batteries 4 stored at the lending base 200, and returns information about the selected battery 4 to the communication terminal 3. At this time, the processing unit 21 of the management server 2 references the battery information managed in the battery DB 223 and identifies the battery 4 stored at the lending base 200. The processing unit 21 then selects the battery 4 to be lent to the user 101 based on a predetermined selection rule. The selection of the battery 4 is basically performed based on rules such as selecting a battery that has been charged a long time ago. The processing unit 21 also issues a new lending usage ID, generates new lending usage information, and registers it in the lending DB 224. The new rental / borrowing usage information is configured, for example, with a newly issued rental / borrowing usage ID in rental / borrowing usage ID 401, the user ID of the user 101 who performed the procedure for borrowing in user ID 402, the battery ID of the selected battery 4 in battery ID 403, the location ID of the rental location 200 that sent the borrowing request in rental location ID 404, and the time the borrowing request was received in rental date and time 405. Other information in the rental / borrowing usage information may be initial values ​​or blank until the battery 4 is returned.

[0031] When the communication terminal 3 receives information about the battery 4 selected by the management server 2, it displays information about the slot in the storage device that contains the selected battery 4 on the display unit 34, as shown in Fig. 5B. At this time, the slot is controlled to a state in which, for example, the door can be opened and closed. Based on the displayed information, the user 101 can remove the charged battery 4 from the slot and borrow it.

[0032] <Battery Collection> As described above, the battery 4 deteriorates due to repeated charging and discharging, etc., and reaches a degraded state where it no longer maintains its original power supply performance. Batteries that have deteriorated beyond a certain level become unsuitable for use due to factors such as a shortened usable time and a reduced power supply voltage, and therefore need to be separated from the items to be rented in the rental service and collected for disposal or recycling.

[0033] However, in a mode in which degraded batteries are separated for collection at each rental base 200, the batteries to be collected are scattered, which poses a problem in terms of efficiency, for example, requiring collection personnel to visit multiple rental bases 200. For this reason, in the rental service of this embodiment, batteries that should be collected in the near future are classified as collection candidates based on the degree of deterioration, and the lending user 101 is controlled so that collection candidate batteries tend to gather at specific collection bases. When a battery 4 is classified as a collection candidate based on the results of the degradation diagnosis, the processing unit 21 updates the collection candidate flag 335 in the battery information for that battery 4 to TRUE.

[0034] Here, a battery that is a candidate for collection is a battery that is in a state where it is desirable to collect it in the near future due to its state of deterioration, but that meets predetermined quality standards and is in a state where it can be used as a normal battery. In other words, even if a battery that is a candidate for collection is loaned to the user 101, the user 101 can use the battery in the same way as a battery that is not a candidate for collection.

[0035] When a battery 4 is classified as a collection candidate, the destinations to which the battery 4 can be loaned are limited. Collection of the collection candidate batteries can be made easier and more efficient if they are collected at a specific collection base. However, forcing the user 101 to return the battery 4 to the loan base 200 in order to collect the collection candidate batteries at the collection base is troublesome for the user 101 and may also be a factor that reduces the convenience of the rental service. For this reason, the rental service of this embodiment loans the collection candidate batteries to users 101 who tend to return borrowed batteries to the collection base, making it easier for the collection candidate batteries to reach the collection base.

[0036] That is, when a battery candidate for collection is stored at the lending location 200 related to the borrowing request, the processing unit 21 refers to the frequency of returns to the collection location of the user 101 when selecting a battery to lend to the user 101 who made the borrowing request, and controls whether to select the battery candidate for collection as the battery to be loaned. More specifically, when the frequency of returns of batteries to the collection location of the user 101 who made the borrowing request exceeds a first threshold, the processing unit 21 selects the battery candidate for collection as the battery to be loaned to the user 101. On the other hand, when the frequency of returns of batteries to the collection location of the user 101 who made the borrowing request does not exceed the first threshold, the processing unit 21 does not select the battery candidate for collection as the battery to be loaned to the user 101. By controlling in this manner, the battery candidate for collection is loaned to the user 101 who regularly uses a collection location to return batteries 4, thereby creating a situation in which batteries candidate for collection are more likely to be collected at collection locations.

[0037] For this control, the processing unit 21 acquires information analyzing the usage status of the rental base 200 for each user 101. The usage status analysis can be performed, for example, based on rental / borrowing usage information registered in the rental / borrowing DB 224. More specifically, the processing unit 21 extracts rental / borrowing usage information including the user ID of the relevant user 101 in the user ID 402 and aggregates the information for each return base ID 406, thereby deriving the frequency with which the user 101 returns the battery 4 to each rental base 200. The frequency with which the user 101 returns the battery 4 to the rental base 200 may simply be the number of times the user 101 has returned the battery 4 to the rental base 200, or it may be the number of times the user 101 has returned the battery 4 in a specific period, such as the last six months. Alternatively, the frequency with which the user 101 has returned the battery 4 to the rental base 200 may be the probability that the user 101 has used the rental base 200 to return a battery in their previous use of the rental / borrowing service. Therefore, the processing unit 21 can obtain the frequency with which the user 101 who made the borrowing request returns the battery 4 to the collection point, and based on this information, controls whether or not to select a battery that is a candidate for collection as a battery to be loaned to the user 101.

[0038] (Setting of collection points) Due to the characteristics of the rental service, rental points 200 are provided in various regions, but it is not realistic to set a single rental point 200 as a collection point. In other words, if a collection point is set at a rental point 200 far away from a specific rental point 200, it is unlikely that the battery 4 borrowed at that specific rental point 200 will be returned to the collection point, and efficient collection of batteries that are candidates for collection may not be realized. Therefore, the area where the rental service is provided is divided into, for example, multiple sub-areas of a predetermined size, and a collection point is set for each sub-area from the rental points 200 distributed in that sub-area.

[0039] When setting a collection point, the processing unit 21 acquires information analyzing the usage status of each rental point 200 in the sub-area. The analysis of the usage status of the rental point 200 can be performed, for example, based on rental / borrowing usage information registered in the rental / borrowing DB 224. More specifically, the processing unit 21 can derive the frequency with which the rental point 200 is used to return batteries 4 by aggregating rental / borrowing usage information in which the return point ID 406 includes the base ID of the rental point 200. The frequency with which the battery 4 is returned to the rental point 200 may simply be the number of times the battery 4 has been returned to the rental point 200, or may be the number of times the battery 4 has been returned in a specific period, such as the last six months. Therefore, the processing unit 21 can acquire the frequency with which the battery 4 has been returned to the rental point 200 for each of the rental points 200 in the sub-area. In this embodiment, the processing unit 21 sets the rental point 200 with the highest battery 4 return frequency among the rental points 200 distributed in the sub-area as the collection point for the sub-area.

[0040] <<Selection Process>> The following describes in detail the selection process executed by the management server 2 of this embodiment in response to a borrowing request to select a battery 4 to be loaned to the user 101 who made the borrowing request, with reference to the flowchart in Figure 6. The process corresponding to this flowchart can be realized by the processing unit 21 reading out a corresponding processing program recorded in, for example, ROM, and expanding and executing it in RAM. This selection process will be described as being initiated when a borrowing request is received from a communication terminal 3. In the following description, the lending base 200 associated with the communication terminal 3 that sent the borrowing request will be referred to as the "target base," and the user 101 who made the borrowing request (who has completed the procedures for borrowing) will be referred to as the "borrower."

[0041] In S601, the processing unit 21 determines whether or not there is a battery that is a candidate for collection among the loaned batteries 4 stored at the target base. The determination in this step can be made, for example, by determining whether or not there is battery information in which the collection candidate flag 335 is TRUE in the battery information associated with the base ID of the target base and registered in the battery DB 223. If the processing unit 21 determines that there is a battery that is a candidate for collection among the loaned batteries 4 at the target base, it proceeds to S602, and if it determines that there is no battery that is a candidate for collection, it proceeds to S606.

[0042] In S602, the processing unit 21 identifies a collection base in the area where the target base exists.

[0043] In S603, the processing unit 21 determines whether the frequency of battery returns from the borrower to the collection center exceeds the first threshold. If the processing unit 21 determines that the frequency of battery returns from the borrower to the collection center exceeds the first threshold, the processing proceeds to S604. If the processing unit 21 determines that the frequency of battery returns from the borrower to the collection center does not exceed the first threshold, the processing proceeds to S605.

[0044] In S604, the processing unit 21 selects a battery that is a candidate for collection from among the batteries 4 to be lent at the target base as a battery to be lent to the borrower.

[0045] On the other hand, if it is determined in S603 that the frequency of battery returns by the borrower to the collection base does not exceed the first threshold, the processing unit 21 selects, in S605, a battery other than the collection candidate among the batteries 4 available for loan at the target base as the battery to be loaned to the borrower. At this time, the processing unit 21 may select, based on a predetermined selection rule, for example, the battery other than the collection candidate that has the longest elapsed time since charging was completed as the battery to be loaned to the borrower.

[0046] If it is determined in S601 that there are no batteries 4 available for loan at the target base that are candidates for collection, the processing unit 21 selects a battery to be loaned to the borrower from among the batteries 4 available for loan in S606. At this time, the processing unit 21 may select, based on a predetermined selection rule, for example, the battery that has been charged the longest since completion of charging among batteries other than the candidates for collection, as the battery to be loaned to the borrower.

[0047] In S607, the processing unit 21 returns information on the selection result of the battery to be lent to the applicant to the communication terminal 3 related to the target base, and completes this selection process.

[0048] In this way, the information processing device of this embodiment can lend a suitable battery according to the return history of the battery applicant, thereby contributing to the efficiency of energy used in battery transportation. More specifically, when a battery candidate for collection is stored at a target base, the battery candidate for collection is lent to a borrower who has a high tendency to return batteries to the collection base in the past, making it easier to move the battery candidate for collection to the collection base via the borrower.

[0049] [Variation 1] Incidentally, in the embodiment described above, in a configuration in which a battery candidate for collection is selected as a battery to be loaned to a user 101 only when a borrowing request is made from the user 101 whose frequency of returning batteries to a collection point exceeds a first threshold, there is a possibility that the battery candidate for collection will continue to be stored at the loan point 200 without being loaned to any user 101. In other words, at a loan point 200 where no user 101 whose frequency of returning batteries to a collection point exceeds the first threshold visits to borrow, even if there is a battery 4 that has been designated a collection candidate as a result of diagnosis, there is a possibility that the opportunity to loan the battery 4 will be lost because it has been classified as a collection candidate.

[0050] To avoid such a situation where a battery candidate for collection is not loaned, for example, if there is a battery candidate for collection that has been stored for a predetermined period of time, the processing unit 21 may change the threshold for the return frequency to a second threshold that is lower than the first threshold when selecting a battery to loan to a borrower. In this case, the probability that the battery candidate for collection will be selected as a battery to be loaned increases, and therefore the battery candidate for collection can be moved to another loan base 200.

[0051] [Variation 2] In Variation 1 described above, lowering the threshold for return frequency makes it easier for a battery candidate for collection to be selected as a battery to be loaned. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. If a battery candidate for collection exists whose storage period exceeds a predetermined period, the battery may be prioritized for transfer to another loan base 200, and the battery candidate for collection may be loaned regardless of the frequency with which the borrower returns the battery to the loan base. In this case, the battery candidate for collection is treated the same as a battery that is not a candidate for collection, and the processing unit 21 selects a battery to be loaned to the borrower based on predetermined selection rules. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the situation in which a battery candidate for collection remains stored at a specific loan base 200 for a long period of time.

[0052] [Variation 3] In the case where there is a battery that is a candidate for collection and whose storage period has exceeded a predetermined period, control for moving the battery that is a candidate for collection to another rental base 200 has been described in Variations 1 and 2, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. In the aspect of the variation described above, the battery that is a candidate for collection is moved to another rental base 200, but if there is no user 101 that uses the other rental base 200 who frequently returns batteries to the collection base, there is a similar possibility that the battery that is a candidate for collection will not be loaned and will remain at the rental base 200.

[0053] For this reason, the processing unit 21 may identify a lending base 200 (hereinafter referred to as an intermediate base) where loaned batteries tend to be returned to a collection base, and determine a user 101 to whom the battery candidate for collection will be loaned so that the battery candidate for collection will be moved to the intermediate base. In other words, by moving the battery candidate for collection to an intermediate base that has loaned a large number of batteries that have been returned to a collection base, it is possible to increase the probability that the battery candidate for collection will be loaned to a user 101 at the intermediate base who frequently returns batteries to a collection base.

[0054] Therefore, when a battery candidate for collection whose storage period exceeds a predetermined period exists at the target base, the processing unit 21 may refer to the frequency with which the borrower returns the battery to the intermediate base and control whether to select the battery candidate for collection as a battery to be loaned. More specifically, the processing unit 21 may select the battery candidate for collection as a battery to be loaned when the frequency with which the borrower returns the battery to the intermediate base is higher than a threshold value.

[0055] Here, the intermediate base station can be identified by extracting rental / borrowing information in which the return base station ID 406 indicates the base station ID of the collection base station, and aggregating the rental / borrowing information for the rental base station ID 404. Note that, unlike the collection base stations, multiple intermediate base stations may be identified so that it is easy to move batteries that are candidates for collection to the collection base station. In one aspect, the intermediate base station can be a rental base station 200 that has rented out batteries that have been returned to the collection base station more than a predetermined value.

[0056] [Variation 4] In the above-described embodiment and variation, the battery 4 is assumed to be rented and returned within a predetermined area, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in a situation where the user 101 travels long distances by electric motorcycle, such as when touring, the user 101 may borrow a battery 4 from a rental base 200 in an area that the user 101 normally uses, install it on the electric motorcycle, travel to a destination outside that area, replace the battery at the rental base 200 in the destination area, and then return to the area that the user normally uses.

[0057] In such a case, the battery borrowed in the destination area is returned to the lending base 200 in the area that the user 101 normally uses, rather than to the destination area. In other words, the lending and returning of the battery 4 may not be completed within one area.

[0058] Therefore, when selecting a battery to lend to a borrower at one lending base 200, rather than referring to the frequency with which the borrower returns the battery to a collection base in the area where the lending base 200 is located, it is also possible to refer to the frequency with which the borrower returns the battery to a collection base in the area that the borrower normally uses, and control whether or not to lend the battery that is a candidate for collection.

[0059] For this reason, in this modified example, the user information for each user 101 includes information on the standard usage area that the user 101 normally uses. When the processing unit 21 receives a borrowing request, it identifies the standard usage area of ​​the borrower by referencing the user information of the user ID included in the borrowing request, and can identify a collection base in the area by extracting base information for the area whose location 322 is TRUE and whose collection base flag 323 is TRUE from the base information for the area. Then, the processing unit 21 changes whether to select a collection candidate battery as a battery to be loaned to the borrower, depending on whether the frequency of the borrower's battery returns to the identified collection base exceeds a first threshold.

[0060] By doing this, batteries that are candidates for collection can be loaned to borrowers whose standard usage area is an area different from the loan base 200 where the borrowing request was made, thereby making it possible to more efficiently collect batteries that are candidates for collection.

[0061] [Variation 5] In the above-described embodiment and variation, the selection of a battery as a candidate for collection as a battery to be loaned is controlled simply based on the frequency with which the borrower returns the battery to the collection center. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if each user 101 has a tendency to return the battery 4 according to the time of year, such as when the user 101 is more likely to return the battery 4 to the loan center 200 near their home during the cold winter months, the processing unit 21 may refer to information on the borrower's tendency to return the battery 4 during the relevant time period based on the date and time of receipt of the borrow request and the borrowing period, and may make a different decision on whether to loan the battery as a candidate for collection.

[0062] [Variation 6] Incidentally, the frequency of returning batteries to each rental base 200 may change depending on changes in the usage pattern of the rental service by the user 101, an increase in the number of users of the rental service, the addition of rental bases 200 within the area, etc. For this reason, the usage status of each rental base 200 by all users of the rental service may be repeatedly determined on the condition that a predetermined time has passed since the collection base was set, and the collection base may be reset.

[0063] Furthermore, if the same lending base 200 continues to be set as a collection base, batteries that are candidates for collection are more likely to be loaned to users 101 who frequently return batteries to the lending base 200. Therefore, from the perspective of fairness, to prevent batteries that are candidates for collection from being loaned only to specific users 101, a lending base 200 that has once been set as a collection base may be controlled so that it is excluded from the list of setting candidates when it is re-set.

[0064] [Embodiment 2] In the above-described embodiment, the management server 2 is described as executing the selection process. However, the selection process may be executed, for example, by any information communication terminal capable of acquiring various information. Such an information communication terminal may include the communication terminal 3 provided at the rental base 200. In this case, the selection process is executed by a CPU (not shown) built into the information communication terminal expanding a selection process program recorded in a storage device such as an HDD into RAM or the like. Here, the selection process program executed by the CPU may be installed in the storage device of the information communication terminal via a storage medium such as a CD-ROM.

[0065] Although the present invention has been described above by dividing it into a plurality of embodiments and modifications, the configurations of these embodiments and modifications may be applied in combination.

[0066] Summary of the embodiments The above embodiments disclose at least the following information processing device, information processing method, storage medium, and program: 1. The information processing device (2) of the above embodiment is an information processing device that supports a battery rental service at a plurality of battery storage bases (200) that store a plurality of batteries (4), and includes an acquisition unit (21) that acquires usage information regarding the battery storage base that a borrower (101) who wishes to borrow a battery has previously used to return the battery, and a selection unit (21) that selects a rental battery to be rented to the borrower from among the plurality of batteries stored at the battery storage base based on the usage information.

[0067] According to this embodiment, a suitable battery can be loaned depending on the return history of the battery applicant. 2. In the information processing device of the above embodiment, when the battery applicant borrows the battery at a first battery storage base among the plurality of battery storage bases, the selection unit selects the battery that is a candidate for collection from among the plurality of batteries stored at the first battery storage base as the loan battery to be loaned to the battery applicant, based on the frequency of the battery return by the borrower to a second battery storage base used to aggregate batteries that are candidate for collection and are not subject to the battery rental service among the plurality of batteries.

[0068] According to this embodiment, it is possible to make it easier for batteries that are candidates for collection to be returned to the first battery storage base that is used to consolidate batteries that are candidates for collection. 3. In the information processing device of the above embodiment, the selection unit selects the battery that is a candidate for collection as the loan battery to be loaned to the borrower when the frequency of returns from the borrower to the second battery storage base exceeds a first threshold.

[0069] According to this embodiment, it is possible to make it easier for batteries that are candidates for collection to be returned to a first battery storage base that is used to consolidate batteries that are candidates for collection. 4. In the information processing device of the above embodiment, the selection unit selects the battery that is a candidate for collection as the loan battery to be loaned to the person wishing to borrow when the frequency of returns to the second battery storage base by the person wishing to borrow exceeds a second threshold value that is lower than the first threshold value, on the condition that the period for which the battery that is a candidate for collection has been stored without being loaned at the first battery storage base exceeds a first predetermined period.

[0070] According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent a battery that is a candidate for collection from being stored without being loaned for a long period of time. 5. In the information processing device of the above embodiment, the selection unit selects the loaned battery that is a candidate for collection as a battery to be loaned to the borrower, regardless of the frequency of returns by the borrower to the second battery storage base, on the condition that the period for which the battery that is a candidate for collection has been stored without being loaned at the first battery storage base exceeds a second predetermined period.

[0071] According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent batteries that are candidates for collection from being stored without being rented out for a long period of time. 6. The information processing device of the above embodiment further includes a setting unit (21) that sets the second battery storage base within a predetermined geographical area based on the frequency of battery returns by users of the battery rental service at each of the battery storage bases distributed within the predetermined geographical area.

[0072] According to this embodiment, it is possible to efficiently collect batteries that are candidates for collection. 7. In the information processing device of the above embodiment, the setting unit sets the battery storage base where the frequency of battery returns by users of the rental service is highest as the second battery storage base in the predetermined geographical area.

[0073] According to this embodiment, the collection of batteries that are candidates for collection can be made more efficient. 8. In the information processing device of the above embodiment, the usage information further includes information on a standard geographical usage range of the borrower, and the selection unit selects the battery that is a candidate for collection as the loan battery to be loaned to the borrower based on the frequency of the borrower's return of batteries to the second battery storage base within the standard geographical usage range.

[0074] According to this embodiment, it is possible to make it easier for batteries that are candidates for collection to be returned, without being limited to the area in which the borrower wishes to borrow. 9. In the information processing device of the above embodiment, the setting unit resets the second battery storage base in the specified geographical area based on the frequency of battery returns by users of the lending service at each of the battery storage bases distributed in the specified geographical area, on the condition that a third specified period has elapsed since the setting of the second battery storage base.

[0075] According to this embodiment, an efficient first battery storage base can be set flexibly depending on the usage status of the battery rental service. 10. The information processing device of the above embodiment further includes an identification unit (21) that identifies a third battery storage base among the battery storage bases distributed in the specified geographical area that has loaned out batteries returned to the second battery storage base a number of times that exceeds a specified value, and the selection unit selects the collection candidate battery as the loan battery to be loaned to the borrower based on the frequency of the borrower's battery returns to the third battery storage base, on the condition that the period for which the collection candidate battery has been stored without being loaned out at the first battery storage base exceeds a fourth specified period.

[0076] According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent batteries that are candidates for collection from being stored without being loaned for a long period of time. 11. The information processing device of the above embodiment further includes an evaluation unit (3) that evaluates the deterioration state of batteries stored at the battery storage base, and a management unit (223) that manages the battery as a candidate for collection when the deterioration state of at least one of the batteries evaluated by the evaluation unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined level.

[0077] According to this embodiment, deteriorated batteries can be efficiently collected. 12. The information processing method of the above embodiment is an information processing method for supporting a battery rental service at a plurality of battery storage bases that each store a plurality of batteries, and includes: an acquisition step of acquiring usage information regarding the battery storage base that a person wishing to borrow a battery has used in the past to return the battery; and a selection step (S604, S605, S606) of selecting a rental battery to be rented to the person wishing to borrow a battery from the plurality of batteries stored at the battery storage base based on the usage information.

[0078] According to this embodiment, a suitable battery can be loaned depending on the return history of the battery applicant. 13. The program of the above embodiment causes a computer that supports a battery rental service at multiple battery storage bases that each store multiple batteries to execute an acquisition process that acquires usage information regarding the battery storage base that a battery applicant who wishes to borrow a battery has used to return the battery in the past, and a selection process (S604, S605, S606) that selects a rental battery to be loaned to the battery applicant from the multiple batteries stored at the battery storage base based on the usage information.

[0079] According to this embodiment, it is possible to lend a suitable battery depending on the return history of the borrower. 14. The computer-readable storage medium of the above embodiment stores the program described in 13 above.

[0080] According to this embodiment, a suitable battery can be loaned depending on the return history of the borrower.

[0081] Although the embodiments of the invention have been described above, the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

[0082] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-042310, filed March 18, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. An information processing device that supports a battery rental service at multiple battery storage bases that each store multiple batteries, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires usage information regarding the battery storage base that a person wishing to borrow a battery has previously used to return the battery; and a selection unit that selects a rental battery to be rented to the person wishing to borrow from among the multiple batteries stored at the battery storage base based on the usage information.

2. An information processing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that when the borrower borrows the battery at a first battery storage base among the plurality of battery storage bases, the selection unit selects the battery that is a candidate for collection from among the plurality of batteries stored at the first battery storage base as the loan battery to be loaned to the borrower based on the frequency with which the borrower returns the battery to a second battery storage base used to consolidate batteries that are candidates for collection and are not subject to the rental service among the plurality of batteries.

3. An information processing device as described in claim 2, characterized in that the selection unit selects the battery that is a candidate for collection as the loan battery to be loaned to the borrower when the frequency of return of the borrower to the second battery storage location exceeds a first threshold value.

4. An information processing device as described in claim 3, characterized in that the selection unit selects the battery candidate for collection as the loan battery to be loaned to the borrower when the frequency of returns to the second battery storage facility by the borrower exceeds a second threshold value lower than the first threshold value, provided that the period during which the battery candidate for collection has been stored without being loaned at the first battery storage facility exceeds a first predetermined period.

5. An information processing device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the selection unit selects the battery candidate for collection as the loan battery to be loaned to the borrower, regardless of the frequency of return by the borrower to the second battery storage facility, on the condition that the period during which the battery candidate for collection has been stored without being loaned at the first battery storage facility exceeds a second predetermined period.

6. An information processing device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that it further comprises a setting unit that sets the battery storage base to be the second battery storage base in a specified geographical range based on the frequency of battery returns by users of the rental service at each of a plurality of battery storage bases distributed in the specified geographical range.

7. An information processing device according to claim 6, characterized in that the setting unit sets the battery storage base at which the battery return frequency of users of the rental service is highest as the second battery storage base in the specified geographical range.

8. An information processing device as described in claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the usage information further includes information on the standard geographical usage range of the borrower, and the selection unit selects the recovery candidate battery as the loan battery to be loaned to the borrower based on the frequency of the borrower's return of the battery to the second battery storage base within the standard geographical usage range.

9. An information processing device as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the setting unit resets the second battery storage base in the specified geographical range based on the frequency of battery returns by users of the rental service at each of the battery storage bases distributed in the specified geographical range, on the condition that a third specified period has elapsed since the setting of the second battery storage base.

10. An information processing device as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9, further comprising an identification unit that identifies a third battery storage base among the battery storage bases distributed in the specified geographical range, which has loaned out batteries that have been returned to the second battery storage base a number of times that exceeds a specified value, and wherein the selection unit selects the battery of the candidate for collection as the loan battery to be loaned to the person wishing to borrow based on the frequency of the person's return of the battery to the third battery storage base, on the condition that the period for which the battery of the candidate for collection has been stored without being loaned out at the first battery storage base exceeds a fourth specified period.

11. An information processing device according to any one of claims 2 to 10, further comprising: an evaluation unit that evaluates the deterioration state of at least one of the plurality of batteries stored at the battery storage base; and a management unit that manages the battery as a candidate battery for collection if the deterioration state of at least one of the batteries evaluated by the evaluation unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined level.

12. An information processing method for supporting a battery rental service at multiple battery storage bases that each store multiple batteries, comprising: an acquisition process for acquiring usage information regarding the battery storage base that a person wishing to borrow a battery has previously used to return the battery; and a selection process for selecting a rental battery to be rented to the person wishing to borrow from among the multiple batteries stored at the battery storage base based on the usage information.

13. A program that causes a computer that supports a battery rental service at multiple battery storage locations that each store multiple batteries to execute an acquisition process that acquires usage information regarding the battery storage location that a person wishing to borrow a battery has previously used to return the battery, and a selection process that selects a rental battery to be rented to the person wishing to borrow from among the multiple batteries stored at the battery storage location based on the usage information.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing the program according to claim 13.

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