JP2021144496A - Information processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technology of suppressing reduction in utilization ratio of a company vehicle.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus manages rental reservations for company vehicles. In the information processing apparatus, a control unit measures the time elapsed from rental start time, for a reservation for a company vehicle of which the rental start time has come. If move of the company vehicle is not detected in a period from the rental start time to a first predetermined elapsed time, the control unit cancels the reservation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

This disclosure relates to technology for managing vehicles (company vehicles) lent to employees.

Technology that changes the reservation status of the user to the absence status if the user who made the waiting reservation of the facility does not respond to the call, and then changes the status of the user to the cancellation status if the absence status continues for a predetermined time. Has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-2019-0829886

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique capable of suppressing a decrease in the operating rate of a company vehicle.

This disclosure can be regarded as an information processing device that manages reservations for renting a company car, which is a vehicle for renting to employees. The information processing device in that case is
For reservations for company cars whose rental start date and time has arrived, measuring the elapsed time from the rental start date and time and
If the movement of the company vehicle is not detected during the period until the elapsed time reaches the first predetermined time, the reservation is canceled and the reservation is canceled.
May be provided with a control unit that executes the above.

Here, the present disclosure can be regarded as an information processing method including at least a part of the above processing, or as an information processing program for realizing the method or a non-temporary storage medium in which the information processing program is stored. You can also catch it.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a technique capable of suppressing a decrease in the operating rate of a company vehicle.

It is a figure which shows the outline of the company car management system to which this disclosure is applied. It is a figure which shows typically an example of the component | component which the company car management system in this Embodiment has. It is a figure which shows an example of the functional module included in the control part of a key unit. It is a figure which illustrates the table structure of the reservation information stored in the balance management DB. It is a flowchart which shows the processing flow performed in the loan management server apparatus in embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the processing flow performed in the loan management server apparatus in the modification.

Company organizations may own vehicles (company vehicles) to be rented to employees. When using such a company car, there are cases where usage fees and cancellation fees such as general rental car services or car sharing services are not levied. Therefore, the user (employee) can easily make a reservation for the company car and neglect the reservation cancellation procedure. For example, when there are a plurality of business candidates who are scheduled to use a company car, the user may make a plurality of reservations in order to secure a company car to be used in those candidates. That is, the user may make a plurality of reservations in order to temporarily hold the company car. In such a case, if the user forgets to cancel the reservation for not actually using the company car, the company car can be used by other users even though the company car is not used by the user. It disappears. As a result, the operating rate of company vehicles may decrease.

Further, in a rental car service or a car sharing service, the user does not always use the vehicle immediately after the rental start date and time, and the user may never use the vehicle during the rental period. However, in a rental car service, a car sharing service, or the like, if the user is provided with the right to use the vehicle during the rental period, the consideration can be obtained. On the other hand, if the rental target is a company car, if the company car is not actually used, the operating rate of the company car will decrease, and there is an advantage that the company organization etc. owns the company car. It will drop.

Therefore, in the information processing device according to the present disclosure, the control unit measures the elapsed time from the rental start date and time for the reservation of the company car whose rental start date and time has arrived. Then, if the movement of the company vehicle is not detected in the period until the elapsed time reaches the first predetermined time, the control unit cancels the reservation. The "first predetermined time" referred to here is the minimum that can be determined that the user who made the above reservation (hereinafter, may be referred to as "reserved user") does not actually use the company car. It's time. Such a first predetermined time may be a statistically determined time, or may be a time specified by company regulations or the like.

According to the information processing device according to the present disclosure, it is possible to cancel a reservation that the reserved user does not actually use the company car on behalf of the reserved user, such as a reservation that the reserved user has forgotten to cancel. .. As a result, it is possible to suppress as much as possible the occurrence of a situation in which the company car cannot be used by other users even though the company car is not used by the reserved user. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the operating rate of company vehicles.

As a method of determining whether the reserved user actually uses the company car, there is also a method of determining whether the unlocking operation of the company car is performed during the period until the elapsed time reaches the first predetermined time. Conceivable. However, from the viewpoint of suppressing a decrease in the operating rate of the company car, it cannot be said that the company car is actually used only by unlocking the company car. On the other hand, according to the method in which it is determined that the company car is actually used by moving the company car, it is possible to more reliably suppress the decrease in the operating rate of the company car. The "movement" at that time may be a movement in which the position of the company car changes slightly, but it may also be a movement in which the position of the company car changes from the premises of the company or the like to the outside of the premises.

By the way, when the reserved user actually uses the company car, there is a possibility that the work of loading the luggage into the company car is performed before the movement of the company car is started. In such a case, the movement of the company vehicle may not be detected during the period until the elapsed time reaches the first predetermined time. If the reservation is canceled because the movement of the company vehicle is not detected during the period until the elapsed time reaches the first predetermined time, the business of the reservation user may be hindered.

On the other hand, if the movement of the company car is not detected and the unlocking operation of the company car is detected by the time when the elapsed time reaches the first predetermined time, until the elapsed time reaches the second predetermined time. The reservation may be canceled if the movement of the company vehicle is not detected. The "second predetermined time" referred to here is a time longer than the first predetermined time. The second predetermined time may be, for example, a time obtained by adding the first predetermined time to the time from the rental start date and time until the unlocking operation is detected. If the unlocking operation and the locking operation of the company car are repeated, the time from the rental start date and time until the last locking / unlocking operation is detected is added to the first predetermined time. , The second predetermined time may be set. As a result, even if the movement of the company car is not detected during the period until the elapsed time reaches the first predetermined time, if the unlocking operation of the company car is detected during the same period, the elapsed time is the second. 2 Cancellation of reservation is postponed until the specified time is reached. As a result, it is possible to prevent the reservation of the company car from being unnecessarily canceled when the work of loading the luggage into the company car is performed before the movement of the company car is started. can.

<Embodiment>
Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in the present embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of disclosure to those alone unless otherwise specified.

In the present embodiment, an example in which the information processing device according to the present disclosure is applied to a system for managing reservations related to rental of a company car (hereinafter, may be referred to as a “company car management system”) will be described. ..

<Company car management system>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a company vehicle management system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the company vehicle management system in this embodiment includes an on-board unit OBU (On-Board Unit), a user terminal 200, a rental management server device 400, and a center server device 500.

The in-vehicle unit OBU is mounted on the company vehicle 10. The in-vehicle unit OBU performs an authentication process based on the terminal authentication information possessed by the user terminal 200. Then, based on the above authentication result, the in-vehicle unit OBU operates the vehicle using the user terminal 200 (for example, unlocking / locking the vehicle door, turning on / off the vehicle power supply, and operating the prime mover in the company vehicle 10. Decide whether or not to respond to the start / stop operation, etc.). Further, the in-vehicle unit OBU in this example also has a function of acquiring the position of the company vehicle 10 and transmitting it to the rental management server device 400.

The user terminal 200 is a portable terminal used by a user (employee) who is a borrower of the company car 10. The user terminal 200 acquires terminal authentication information when the user uses the company car 10. Then, when the company vehicle 10 is operated using the user terminal 200, the user terminal 200 transmits the above terminal authentication information to the in-vehicle unit OBU.

The lease management server device 400 is arranged at a company or the like that owns the company car 10. The rental management server device 400 manages reservations for company vehicles. When the rental management server device 400 receives the rental request signal of the company car 10 from the user terminal 200, the rental management server device 400 makes a reservation for the company car 10 that can be used during the rental period desired by the user. Then, when the start timing of the rental period of the reservation (rental start date and time) arrives or immediately before that, the rental management server device 400 provides the terminal authentication information for enabling the vehicle operation of the company car 10 to the user terminal. Requests the center server device 500 to transmit to 200.

Further, the rental management server device 400 determines whether the company vehicle 10 has moved within a predetermined period from the rental start date and time based on the position information of the company vehicle 10 transmitted from the in-vehicle unit OBU. Then, if the company car 10 has not moved within a predetermined period from the rental start date and time, the reservation for the company car 10 is cancelled. In that case, the lease management server device 400 requests the center server device 500 to perform a process for invalidating the vehicle operation of the company car 10 by the user terminal 200.

The center server device 500 is arranged at a sales company of the company car 10, a manufacturing company of the company car 10, an affiliated company of those companies, and the like. The center server device 500 transmits the terminal authentication information to the user terminal 200 based on the request from the loan management server device 400. When the terminal authentication information transmitted from the center server device 500 is received by the user terminal 200, the user who is the borrower of the company car 10 can operate the company car 10 by using the user terminal 200. .. The terminal authentication information may be transmitted directly from the center server device 500 to the user terminal 200, or may be transmitted from the center server device 500 to the user terminal 200 via the loan management server device 400.

The center server device 500 also has a function of invalidating the terminal authentication information of the user terminal 200 based on the request from the loan management server device 400. For example, the center server device 500 transmits a command for invalidating the terminal authentication information to the user terminal 200. In the user terminal 200 that has received such a command, a process for invalidating the terminal authentication information (for example, a process for deleting the terminal authentication information from the terminal) is performed.

<System configuration>
Here, each component of the company vehicle management system will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration example of the vehicle-mounted unit OBU, the user terminal 200, the lease management server device 400, and the center server device 500 shown in FIG.

(In-vehicle unit OBU)
As shown in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle unit OBU includes a key unit 100 and a vehicle control device 300. The key unit 100 has a wireless interface similar to that of an electronic key (portable device) of a smart key. As a result, the key unit 100 communicates with the vehicle control device 300 to unlock / lock the company vehicle 10, turn on / off the vehicle power supply, and start / stop the prime mover without using a physical key. Etc. can be performed. Further, the key unit 100 authenticates the user terminal 200 by performing short-range wireless communication with the user terminal 200, and the key unit 100 behaves as an electronic key of the company car 10 based on the authentication result. To decide.

The vehicle control device 300 controls various vehicle operations (for example, an operation of unlocking / locking the door of the company vehicle 10, an operation of turning on / off the vehicle power supply, an operation of starting / stopping the prime mover, etc.). It is an existing device that constitutes a part of the smart key system. Specifically, the vehicle control device 300 is in the high frequency (Radio Frequency, hereinafter referred to as RF) band from the electronic key assigned to the company vehicle 10 (hereinafter, may be referred to as “portable device”). The door of the company car 10 is unlocked or locked according to the unlocking signal or the locking signal transmitted by radio waves. Further, when the vehicle power is turned on / off or the vehicle prime mover is started / stopped on the portable device, the vehicle control device 300 is used to search for the portable device at a low frequency (Low Frequency).
The portable device is authenticated by transmitting radio waves in the band (hereinafter referred to as LF). Then, if the authentication is successful, the vehicle control device 300 also has a function of accepting (permitting) each of the above operations. In this embodiment, instead of the portable device, the key unit 100 controls various operations of the company vehicle 10 by transmitting and receiving radio waves in the RF band and the LF band to and from the vehicle control device 300. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the communication destination of the vehicle control device 300 is limited to the key unit 100.

The key unit 100 is arranged at a predetermined position (for example, in the glove box) in the vehicle interior of the company car 10. The key unit 100 has a function of authenticating the user terminal 200 by performing short-range wireless communication with the user terminal 200, and transmits various signals using RF band radio waves to the vehicle control device 300 when the authentication is successful. Has a function to do. When the key unit 100 receives a key ID transmission request transmitted from the vehicle control device 300 using radio waves in the LF band, the key unit 100 authenticates the user terminal 200 by performing short-range wireless communication with the user terminal 200. It also has a function. The key unit 100 also has a function of transmitting the key ID of the key unit 100 to the vehicle control device 300 using radio waves in the RF band when the above authentication is successful. Further, the key unit 100 in this example also has a function of sequentially transmitting the current position of the key unit 100 (that is, the current position of the company car 10) to the rental management server device 400.

Here, the functional module included in the key unit 100 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the key unit 100 includes a storage unit 1041, an authentication unit 1042, a position acquisition unit 1043, and a communication processing unit 1044. A control program for controlling the key unit 100 is stored in the storage unit 1041. The key unit 100 realizes various functions by executing a control program stored in the storage unit 1041. For example, the key unit 100 has a function of receiving a polling signal transmitted from the vehicle control device 300 using radio waves in the LF band, and transmits various signals or key IDs to the vehicle control device 300 using radio waves in the RF band. Realize the function. The key unit 100 also realizes a function of processing short-range wireless communication with the user terminal 200. The key unit 100 also realizes a function of generating various signals or key IDs for vehicle operation when the authentication unit 1042 succeeds in authenticating the user terminal 200. The key unit 100 also realizes a function of acquiring the current position of the company car 10. The key unit 100 also realizes a function of processing wireless communication with the loan management server device 400.

The authentication unit 1042 authenticates the user terminal 200 based on the terminal authentication information received from the user terminal 200. Specifically, the authentication unit 1042 compares the authentication information (authentication information unique to the key unit 100) stored in the storage unit 1041 with the terminal authentication information received from the user terminal 200, and when they match. Judge that the authentication was successful. If both authentication information do not match, the authentication unit 1042 determines that the authentication has failed.

Here, for example, when the key unit 100 receives an unlocking request or a locking request (hereinafter collectively referred to as "locking / unlocking request") from the user terminal 200, the authentication unit 1042 first bases the terminal authentication information on the key unit 100. Authenticate the user terminal 200. When the authentication unit 1042 succeeds in authenticating the user terminal 200, the authentication unit 1042 generates a lock / unlock signal according to the request received from the user terminal 200. Then, the authentication unit 1042 transmits the generated lock / unlock signal to the vehicle control device 300 using radio waves in the RF band. At that time, the authentication method performed by the authentication unit 1042 may be a method of simply comparing the authentication information with each other to verify the identity, or a method using asymmetric encryption. Hereinafter, as necessary, the authentication information stored in the storage unit 1041 of the key unit 100 is referred to as device authentication information, and the authentication information transmitted from the user terminal 200 is referred to as terminal authentication information.

When the locking / unlocking signal is transmitted to the vehicle control device 300, the authentication unit 1042 also transmits the electronic key ID (key ID) to the vehicle control device 300. The key ID referred to here may be stored in the key unit 100 in a plain text state in advance, or may be stored in a state encrypted by a code unique to the user terminal 200. When the key ID is stored in an encrypted state, the authentication unit 1042 obtains the original key ID by decrypting the encrypted key ID using the terminal authentication information transmitted from the user terminal 200. You may do so.

When the key unit 100 receives the key ID transmission request from the vehicle control device 300, the authentication unit 1042 performs short-range wireless communication with the user terminal 200 to obtain the terminal authentication information of the user terminal 200. get. Then, the authentication unit 1042 authenticates the user terminal 200 based on the acquired terminal authentication information, and when the authentication is successful, the key ID of the key unit 100 is transmitted to the vehicle control device 300 by radio waves in the RF band.

The position acquisition unit 1043 acquires the current position of the company car 10. Typically, the position acquisition unit 1043 acquires the current position of the company vehicle 10 by using a GPS receiver or the like. The position acquisition unit 1043 in this example acquires the current position of the company vehicle 10 at a predetermined cycle. The information (position information) regarding the current position acquired by the position acquisition unit 1043 is transmitted to the loan management server device 400 by the communication processing unit 1044 described later. That is, the position information of the company car 10 is transmitted from the key unit 100 to the rental management server device 400 at a predetermined cycle. As a result, the rental management server device 400 can grasp the current position, the movement route, and the like of the company car 10.

The communication processing unit 1044 transmits the position information acquired by the position acquisition unit 1043 to the loan management server device 400. For example, the communication processing unit 1044 uses a wireless communication circuit to transmit location information to the loan management server device 400 via the network. The wireless communication circuit is connected to the network by using a mobile communication service such as 5G (5th Generation) or LTE (Long Term Evolution). Further, the wireless communication circuit may be connected to the network by using wireless communication such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

(User terminal 200)
Next, the user terminal 200 will be described. As described above, the user terminal 200 is a terminal carried by a user (employee) who is a borrower of the company car 10. The user terminal 200 is, for example, a small computer such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a personal information terminal, or a wearable computer (smart watch, etc.). Such a user terminal 200 includes a short-range communication unit 201, a communication unit 202, a control unit 203, and an input / output unit 204.

The short-range communication unit 201 includes a device that performs short-range wireless communication with the key unit 100. The short-range communication unit 201 uses, for example, a predetermined wireless communication standard to perform communication at a short distance (to the extent that communication can be performed inside and outside the vehicle interior). The predetermined wireless communication standard is, for example, the Bluetooth® Low Energy standard (hereinafter referred to as BLE). The short-range communication unit 201 may perform wireless communication with the user terminal 200 by using NFC (Near Field Communication), UWB (Ultra Wideband), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or the like.

The communication unit 202 includes a device for connecting the user terminal 200 to the network. In this example, the communication unit 202 uses a mobile communication service such as 5G or LTE to communicate with another device via a network.

The control unit 203 is a computer that controls the user terminal 200. The control unit 203 performs, for example, a process of acquiring the terminal authentication information described above, a process of generating a lock / unlock request, a process of transmitting the terminal authentication information or the lock / unlock request to the key unit 100, and the like. Such a control unit 203 is configured by, for example, a microcomputer, and realizes a function for performing the above-mentioned various processes by executing a program stored in the storage unit.

The control unit 203 interacts with the user via the input / output unit 204. The input / output unit 204 is a device that receives an input operation performed by the user and presents information to the user. Typically, the input / output unit 204 includes a touch panel display.

The control unit 203 displays an operation screen on the input / output unit 204 and generates a lock / unlock request according to the operation performed by the user. For example, the control unit 203 outputs an icon for unlocking or an icon for locking to the touch panel display, and generates an unlocking request or a locking request based on the operation performed by the user. .. The operation performed by the user is not limited to that via the touch panel display. For example, it may be a hardware switch or the like.

The control unit 203 performs a process for acquiring the terminal authentication information. The terminal authentication information is not information (key ID) for the vehicle control device 300 to authenticate the key unit 100, but information for the key unit 100 to authenticate the user terminal 200 (for example, unique to the key unit 100). Information associated with the device authentication information). Specifically, the control unit 203 transmits a signal (rental request signal) for requesting the rental of the company vehicle 10 to the rental management server device 400 via the communication unit 202. The "rental request signal" referred to here includes user identification information for identifying a user who is a borrower, and information regarding a rental period. The information regarding the lending period includes, for example, information such as a lending start date and time and a lending end date and time (return date and time). When the terminal authentication information is transmitted from the center server device 500 or the lending management server device 400 in response to the lending request signal, the control unit 203 receives the terminal authentication information through the communication unit 202. The terminal authentication information thus acquired is stored in the storage unit of the user terminal 200. As a result, the user terminal 200 can operate the company car 10 by using the terminal authentication information stored in the storage unit.

Further, when the control unit 203 receives a command for invalidating the terminal authentication information (hereinafter, may be referred to as an “invalidation command signal”) from the center server device 500, the control unit 203 invalidates the terminal authentication information. do. For example, the control unit 203 erases the terminal authentication information stored in the storage unit of the user terminal 200 from the storage unit. As a result, the user cannot operate the company car 10 using the user terminal 200.

(Rental management server device 400)
Next, the loan management server device 400 will be described. The loan management server device 400 is a computer having a processor, a main storage unit, an auxiliary storage unit, and the like, and corresponds to the information processing device according to the present disclosure. The operating system (Operating System: OS), various programs, various tables, and the like are stored in the auxiliary storage unit of the loan management server device 400. Then, the processor loads the program stored in the auxiliary storage into the work area of the main storage and executes it, and controls each component through the execution of the program to realize a function that meets a predetermined purpose. do. The loan management server device 400 in this example includes a control unit 401, a communication unit 402, and a loan management DB 403 as its functional components.

The communication unit 402 connects the loan management server device 400 to the network. For example, the communication unit 402 includes a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or W.
Using a communication network such as i-Fi (registered trademark), communication with other devices is performed via the network. Further, the communication unit 402 communicates with the user terminal 200 via the network by using the mobile communication service.

The loan management DB 403 is formed by storing information regarding the reservation of the company car 10 in the auxiliary storage unit. In the rental management DB 403, the user (reserved user) who makes a reservation for the company car 10 and the information related to the reservation for the company car 10 are linked. Such a loan management DB 403 is constructed by a program of a database management system (DBMS) executed by a processor managing data stored in an auxiliary storage unit. The loan management DB 403 is, for example, a relational database.

Here, a configuration example of the reservation information stored in the loan management DB 403 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a table configuration of reservation information. As shown in FIG. 4, the table stored in the balance management DB 403 (hereinafter, may be referred to as “reservation information table”) has fields such as a user ID, a period, a vehicle ID, and a status. User identification information (hereinafter, may be referred to as "user ID") for identifying each reserved user is registered in the user ID field. The user ID is information given when each reserved user joins the company, and is, for example, an employee ID for identifying an individual employee. In the period field, information regarding the period during which the company car 10 is rented to each reserved user is registered. For example, information indicating a lending start date and time and a lending end date and time (hereinafter, may be referred to as “lending period information”) is registered in the period field. In the vehicle ID field, vehicle identification information (hereinafter, may be referred to as "vehicle ID") for identifying the company vehicle 10 to be rented to each reserved user is registered. In the status field, information indicating the rental status of the company car 10 is registered. For example, when the rental of the company car 10 to the reserved user has been completed (when the company car 10 has been returned), "finished" is registered in the status field. When the company car 10 is rented out to the reserved user, "rental" is registered in the status field. If the company car 10 is in the reservation stage before being rented to the reservation user, "reserving" is registered in the status field.

The control unit 401 makes a reservation for the company car 10 based on the request from the reservation user. For example, when the communication unit 402 receives the lending request signal from the user terminal 200, the control unit 401 extracts information on the lending period from the lending request signal. The control unit 401 identifies the company vehicle 10 that can be used during the extracted rental period. The control unit 401 generates a reservation information table by associating various information including the vehicle ID of the specified company car 10 and the information regarding the rental period with the user ID included in the rental request signal. .. The control unit 401 stores the generated reservation information table in the balance management DB 403.

Further, in the control unit 401, for the reservation whose rental start date and time has arrived, has the company car 10 to be rented moved within the period (predetermined period) until the elapsed time from the rental start date and time reaches the predetermined time? To judge. At that time, the control unit 401 measures the elapsed time from the rental start date and time, and monitors the position information sequentially transmitted from the key unit 100 of the company car 10 to the rental management server device 400 for company use. Determine whether the car 10 is moving or not. Then, if the movement of the company car 10 is detected within the period until the elapsed time from the rental start date and time reaches the predetermined time, the control unit 401 considers that the reservation is valid. That is, it is determined that the company car 10 is actually used. In that case, the control unit 401 changes the information registered in the status field of the reservation information table from "reserving" to "renting". On the other hand, if the movement of the company car 10 is not detected within the period until the elapsed time from the rental start date and time reaches the predetermined time, the control unit 401 considers that the reservation is invalid. That is, it is determined that the company car 10 is not actually used. In that case, the control unit 401 executes the cancellation process of the reservation. In the cancellation process in this example, the process of deleting the reservation information table corresponding to the reservation from the loan management DB 403, or the process of changing the information registered in the status field of the reservation information table from "reserving" to "finished". Will be done. Further, in the cancellation process in this example, a signal for requesting invalidation of the terminal authentication information provided to the user terminal 200 (hereinafter, may be referred to as an "invalidation request signal") is transmitted through the communication unit 402. The process of transmitting to the center server device 500 is also performed. The invalidation request signal at that time includes information for identifying the user terminal 200 used by the reserved user (hereinafter, may be referred to as "terminal identification information").

The above-mentioned "predetermined time" is the minimum time during which the reserved user can determine that the company car 10 is not actually used, and corresponds to the "first predetermined time" according to the present disclosure. Such a predetermined time may be a statistically determined time, or may be a time specified by company regulations or the like.

Here, any one of the above-mentioned functional components of the loan management server device 400, or a part of the processing thereof, may be executed by another computer connected to the loan management server device 400 via the network. Further, the series of processes executed by the loan management server device 400 can be executed by hardware, but can also be executed by software.

(Center server device 500)
Next, the center server device 500 will be described. The center server device 500 has a general computer configuration, and the basic hardware configuration is the same as that of the loan management server device 400. Therefore, in the center server device 500, the processor loads the program stored in the auxiliary storage unit into the work area of the main storage unit and executes the program, and controls each component through the execution of the program for a predetermined purpose. Achieve functions that match. The center server device 500 in this example includes a control unit 501, a communication unit 502, and an authentication information DB 503 as its functional components.

The communication unit 502 is functionally equivalent to the communication unit 402 of the loan management server device 400, and is between the center server device 500 and another device (for example, the loan management server device 400 or the user terminal 200, etc.). To communicate.

The authentication information DB 503 is formed by storing the authentication information in the auxiliary storage unit. In the authentication information DB 503, the identification information (vehicle identification information) of the company vehicle 10, the device authentication information unique to the key unit 100 mounted on the company vehicle 10, and the terminal authentication information associated with the device authentication information. And are linked. Such an authentication information DB 503 is constructed by a DBMS program executed by a processor managing data stored in an auxiliary storage unit. The authentication information DB 503 is, for example, a relational database.

The control unit 501 performs processing related to issuing authentication information to the user terminal 200 and the like. Specifically, the control unit 501 accesses the authentication information DB 503, triggered by the reception of the authentication information issuance request signal transmitted from the loan management server device 400 by the communication unit 502. Then, the control unit 501 derives the terminal authentication information corresponding to the vehicle identification information included in the authentication information issuance request signal from the authentication information DB 503. Subsequently, the control unit 501 transmits the terminal authentication information derived from the authentication information DB 503 to the user terminal 200 via the communication unit 502. At that time, the terminal authentication information may be directly transmitted from the center server device 500 to the user terminal 200, or may be indirectly transmitted from the center server device 500 to the user terminal 200 via the loan management server device 400. good.

Further, the control unit 501 performs a process for invalidating the terminal authentication information provided to the user terminal 200 based on the request from the loan management server device 400. For example, when the communication unit 502 receives the invalidation request signal transmitted from the loan management server device 400, the control unit 501 extracts the terminal identification information from the invalidation request signal. Then, the control unit 501 transmits an invalidation command signal to the user terminal 200 specified by the terminal identification information through the communication unit 502. The "invalidation command signal" referred to here is a command for erasing the terminal authentication information stored in the storage unit of the user terminal 200 from the storage unit. In the user terminal 200 that has received such an invalidation command signal, as described above, the control unit 203 erases the terminal authentication information from the storage unit of the user terminal 200. As a result, the reserved user cannot operate the company car 10 using the user terminal 200. That is, the operation of the company car 10 by the user terminal 200 is invalidated.

Here, any one of the above-mentioned functional components of the center server device 500, or a part of the processing thereof, may be executed by another computer connected to the center server device 500 via a network. Further, the series of processes executed by the center server device 500 can be executed by hardware, but can also be executed by software.

<Processing flow>
Here, the processing flow performed by the loan management server device 400 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing flow that is repeatedly executed in a predetermined cycle in the loan management server device 400.

In FIG. 5, first, the control unit 401 of the lending / borrowing management server device 400 determines whether or not there is a reservation to be monitored (reservation for which the lending start date and time has arrived) (step S101). At that time, the control unit 401 determines whether or not there is a reservation to be monitored based on the information stored in the loan management DB 403. That is, the control unit 401 is a reservation information table in which the lending period information in which the lending start date and time matches the current date and time or the lending start date and time is immediately after the current date and time (for example, several minutes to several tens of minutes later) is registered in the period field. Determine if is present. If the reservation information table satisfying the above conditions exists, the control unit 401 determines that there is a reservation to be monitored (affirmative determination in step S101). On the other hand, if the reservation information table satisfying the above conditions does not exist, the control unit 401 determines that there is no reservation to be monitored (negative determination in step S101).

If a negative determination is made in step S101, the processing flow of FIG. 5 is temporarily terminated. On the other hand, if an affirmative determination is made in step S101, the control unit 401 measures the elapsed time from the lending start date and time for the reservation to be monitored (step S102).

Further, the control unit 401 is based on the position information transmitted from the key unit 100 of the company vehicle 10 (hereinafter, may be referred to as "target company vehicle 10") subject to the reservation. It is determined whether the movement of the company vehicle 10 is detected (step S103). At that time, the control unit 401 first identifies the target company vehicle 10 based on the vehicle ID registered in the vehicle ID field of the reservation information table extracted in step S101. Subsequently, the control unit 401 calculates the movement distance of the target company vehicle 10 from the rental start date and time based on the position information transmitted from the key unit 100 of the target company vehicle 10 at a predetermined cycle. Then, if the movement distance is larger than the predetermined distance, the control unit 401 determines that the movement of the target company vehicle 10 has been detected (affirmative determination in step S103). On the other hand, if the above-mentioned movement distance is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, the control unit 401 determines that the movement of the target company vehicle 10 has not been detected (negative determination in step S103). The "predetermined distance" is a distance set in consideration of a position error detected by the position acquisition unit 1043 described above, and is set to substantially zero (for example, a distance corresponding to the above error). You may. Further, the "predetermined distance" may be set to a distance required for the target company vehicle 10 to move from the premises of the company or the like to the outside of the premises.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S103, the processing flow of FIG. 5 is temporarily terminated. In that case, the reservation to be monitored is not canceled, and the information registered in the status field of the reservation information table is updated from "reserving" to "renting".

If a negative determination is made in step S103, the control unit 401 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed from the lending start date and time (step S104). That is, the control unit 401 determines whether the elapsed time from the lending start date and time has reached the predetermined time. At that time, if the elapsed time from the lending start date and time has not reached the predetermined time (negative determination in step S104), the processing flow returns to step S102. On the other hand, if the elapsed time from the lending start date and time has reached a predetermined time (affirmative determination in step S104), the control unit 401 executes the cancellation process (step S105). As described above, the cancellation process includes a process of deleting the reservation information table corresponding to the reservation to be monitored from the loan management DB 403, and a process of transmitting an invalidation request signal to the center server device 500.

When the above-mentioned cancellation process is performed on the loan management server device 400, the center server device 500 that has received the invalidation request signal from the loan management server device 400 performs a process for invalidating the terminal authentication information. .. That is, the invalidation command signal is transmitted from the center server device 500 to the user terminal 200. As a result, in the user terminal 200, the terminal authentication information is erased from the storage unit of the user terminal 200. As a result, the reserved user cannot operate the target company vehicle 10 using the user terminal 200. Then, if the terminal authentication information is provided to the user terminal of another user who wishes to rent the target company car 10, the target company car 10 of the other user can be used.

According to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to cancel a reservation that does not actually use the target company vehicle 10, such as a reservation that the reservation user has forgotten to cancel, on behalf of the reservation user. As a result, it is possible to suppress as much as possible the occurrence of a situation in which the target company vehicle 10 cannot be used by other users even though the target company vehicle 10 is not used by the reserved user. As a result, it becomes possible to suppress a decrease in the operating rate of the company vehicle 10.

<Modification example>
When the reserved user actually uses the target company vehicle 10, there is a possibility that the work of loading the luggage into the target company vehicle 10 or the like is performed before the movement of the target company vehicle 10 is started. .. In such a case, if it takes time to load the luggage, the target company vehicle 10 may not move within the period (predetermined period) until the elapsed time from the rental start date and time reaches the predetermined time. There is also sex. If the movement of the target company vehicle 10 is not detected within the above-mentioned predetermined period and the reservation to be monitored is canceled, the business of the reserved user may be hindered.

Therefore, in this modification, if the movement of the target company vehicle 10 is not detected within the above-mentioned predetermined period and the unlocking operation of the target company vehicle 10 is detected, the above-mentioned predetermined period is extended. It was to so. As a method of detecting the unlocking operation of the target company vehicle 10, the key unit 100 notifies the rental management server device 400 at the timing when the key unit 100 receives the unlocking operation by the user terminal 200 (hereinafter, "" It may be described as "unlocking notification".)) Can be used. The "timing when the key unit 100 accepts the unlocking operation by the user terminal 200" is the timing when the user terminal 200 which is the source of the unlocking request is successfully authenticated, or the key unit 100 unlocks the vehicle control device 300. This is the timing when the signal is transmitted.

<Processing flow>
Here, the processing flow performed by the loan management server device 400 in this modification will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 6, the same reference numerals are given to the same processes as in FIG. 5 described above.

In FIG. 6, when a negative determination is made in step S103, the process of step S1001 is executed. In step S1001, the control unit 401 of the rental management server device 400 determines whether the unlocking operation of the target company vehicle 10 has been detected. For example, if the communication unit 402 receives the unlocking notification, the control unit 401 determines that the unlocking operation of the target company vehicle 10 has been detected (affirmative determination in step S1001). On the other hand, if the communication unit 402 does not receive the unlock notification, the control unit 401 determines that the unlocking operation of the target company vehicle 10 has not been detected (negative determination in step S1001).

If a negative determination is made in step S1001, the process of step S104 is executed. On the other hand, if an affirmative determination is made in step S1001, the process of step S1002 is executed before the process of step S104 is executed. In step S1002, the control unit 401 executes a process (extension process) of extending a predetermined period. For example, the control unit 401 calculates a new predetermined time by adding the initial value of the predetermined time to the elapsed time from the lending start date and time to the unlocking operation detection timing (timing when the unlocking notification is received). Along with this, the predetermined time used in the process of step S104 is changed to a new predetermined time after the extension. The predetermined time (initial value of the predetermined time) before the extension process is applied corresponds to the "first predetermined time" according to the present disclosure. In addition, the new predetermined time after the extension treatment corresponds to the "second predetermined time" according to the present disclosure.

According to the modification described above, the unlocking operation of the target company vehicle 10 is detected even if the movement of the target company vehicle 10 is not detected by the time when the predetermined time (initial value) elapses from the rental start date and time. If this is the case, it is possible to prevent the cancellation process from being performed when a predetermined time (initial value) has elapsed. As a result, when the reservation user who intends to actually use the target company vehicle 10 performs the loading work of the cargo and the movement timing of the target company vehicle 10 is delayed, the reservation of the monitoring target becomes unnecessary. Cancellation is suppressed. As a result, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment while suppressing the hindrance to the business of the reserved user who has the intention of actually using the target company vehicle 10.

<Others>
The above-described embodiments and modifications are merely examples, and the present disclosure may be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from the gist thereof. For example, each process performed by the loan management server device 400 and each process performed by the center server device 500 may be performed by one server device. That is, one server is a process related to reservation, a process related to acquisition of terminal authentication information, a process related to cancellation of a reservation to be monitored, a process related to issuance of terminal authentication information, and a process related to invalidation of terminal authentication information. It may be done on the device.

In addition, the processes and means described in the present disclosure can be freely combined and carried out as long as there is no technical contradiction. Further, the processing described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by a plurality of devices. Alternatively, the processing described as being performed by different devices may be performed by one device. In a computer system, it is possible to flexibly change what kind of hardware configuration each function is realized.

Further, the present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program having the functions described in the above-described embodiment to the computer, and having one or more processors of the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the computer's system bus, or may be provided to the computer via a network. A non-temporary computer-readable storage medium is a recording medium that can store information such as data and programs by electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action and can be read from a computer or the like. As such a recording medium, for example, any type of disc such as a magnetic disk (floppy (registered trademark) disk or hard disk drive (HDD)) or an optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD disk, Blu-ray disk, etc.) Can be exemplified. Further, the recording medium may be a medium such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, or an SSD (Solid State Drive).

10 Company car OBU In-vehicle unit 100 Key unit 1041 Storage unit 1042 Authentication unit 1043 Position acquisition unit 1044 Communication processing unit 200 User terminal 300 Vehicle control device 400 Rental management server device 401 Control unit 402 Communication unit 403 Rental management DB
500 Center server device 501 Control unit 502 Communication unit 503 Authentication information DB

Claims (2)

An information processing device that manages reservations for renting company cars, which are vehicles for renting to employees.
For reservations for company cars whose rental start date and time has arrived, measuring the elapsed time from the rental start date and time and
If the movement of the company vehicle is not detected during the period until the elapsed time reaches the first predetermined time, the reservation is canceled and the reservation is canceled.
Equipped with a control unit that executes
Information processing device. When the movement of the company vehicle is not detected and the unlocking operation of the company vehicle is detected during the period until the elapsed time reaches the first predetermined time, the control unit controls the elapsed time. If the movement of the company vehicle is not detected in the period until the second predetermined time, which is longer than the first predetermined time, is detected, the reservation is cancelled.
The information processing device according to claim 1.

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