JP2023032972A - Information processing device and information processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an information processing device and information processing method for quickly dealing with a support incident occurring in an unmanned vehicle configured to provide a predetermined service.SOLUTION: A center server 1 of a mobile locker system comprises a control unit 11 configured to detect occurrence of a support incident requiring human support regarding an unmanned vehicle configured to travel without people to provide a predetermined service, and request a user registered in the predetermined service and located in the surroundings of the vehicle, or store staff of an affiliate business operator acting as a virtual administrator, to deal with the support incident.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present disclosure relates to an information processing device and an information processing method.

A locker management system has been disclosed that determines a locker to be used by a user based on the user's request for locker use and dispatches an automatic driving vehicle equipped with the determined locker to the user (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-96201

An object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing device and an information processing method that can quickly respond to a support incident that occurs in an unmanned vehicle that provides a predetermined service.

One aspect of the present disclosure is
detecting the occurrence of a labor-intensive support incident for a vehicle providing a given service;
requesting a virtual manager located around the vehicle to handle the support case;
a control unit that executes
It is an information processing device comprising

One of the other aspects of the present disclosure is
the computer
detecting the occurrence of a labor-intensive support incident for a vehicle providing a given service;
requesting a virtual manager located around the vehicle to handle the support case;
is an information processing method for executing

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present disclosure, it is possible to quickly respond to a support incident that occurs in an unmanned vehicle that provides a predetermined service.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of a mobile locker system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an example of the hardware configuration of the center server, user terminal, and vehicle. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of functional configurations of a center server, user terminals, vehicles, and store terminals. FIG. 4 is an example of information held in the user information database. FIG. 5 is an example of information held in the virtual administrator terminal information database. FIG. 6 is an example of information held in the incentive information database. FIG. 7 is an example of information held in the history information database. FIG. 8 is an example of information held in the service information database. FIG. 9 is an example of a user registration screen of a user terminal. FIG. 10 is an example of a support response request screen of the user terminal. FIG. 11 is an example of a flowchart of vehicle processing according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is an example of a flowchart of processing of the center server according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is an example of a flowchart of user registration processing of the user terminal. FIG. 14 is an example of a flow chart of processing when a user terminal receives a support response request. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence of responses to a vehicle support incident by a virtual administrator in the first embodiment. FIG. 16 is a flowchart of operator selection processing in the modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 17 is an example of a flowchart of vehicle processing according to the second embodiment.

2. Description of the Related Art There is a system that provides a temporary storage service for baggage that can be taken out or deposited in a locker at a location designated by a user by moving a vehicle loaded with the locker. A locker that can be moved while being loaded on a vehicle is hereinafter referred to as a mobile locker. The temporary luggage storage service using mobile lockers is hereinafter referred to as mobile locker service.

Vehicles used for mobile locker services are assumed to be unmanned and capable of autonomous travel. Since there is no staff in the vehicle, for example, when an abnormality occurs in the vehicle, it is necessary to return to the center that manages the vehicle. For example, in the case of relatively minor abnormalities such as forgetting to close the locker door, forgetting to leave garbage in the vehicle, and dirt in the vehicle, even without specialized knowledge and skills and special tools, etc. , is available.

Therefore, in one aspect of the present disclosure, virtual administrators who are in charge of minor maintenance of vehicles are recruited from users registered with the mobile locker service, and administrators of vehicles are scattered in various places. build a system. For example, when a support case such as a minor abnormality occurs in a vehicle, a user who is registered as a virtual administrator who exists in the surrounding area is requested to respond to the support case and have the support case resolved. . As a result, for example, the trouble of returning to the center can be saved, and the operating rate of the vehicles used for the mobile locker service can be improved. Note that the system in which users are scattered as virtual administrators is not limited to mobile locker services, and can be applied to any service that uses vehicles.

One of the aspects of the present disclosure is to detect the occurrence of a support incident requiring manpower for a vehicle that provides a predetermined service, and to request a virtual manager located around the vehicle to handle the support incident. and a control unit that executes the above. The information processing device is, for example, a server that controls the vehicle or a computer mounted on the vehicle. The control unit is, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

Examples of support cases include misplacement of trash in the vehicle, cleaning of the vehicle, and the like. If the vehicle is an electric vehicle that runs on electricity, the support case also includes support for charging. If the predetermined service is, for example, a mobile locker service, the support incidents include forgetting to close the locker door, assistance in loading and unloading luggage, and transportation of luggage to a predetermined location. In addition, the support case of the vehicle 3 is not limited to these.

A virtual manager is a person other than a person who engages in predetermined services or vehicle maintenance, and is in charge of responding to support incidents that occur regarding a vehicle used for a predetermined service. In addition to virtual administrators, they are also called supporters or helpers, for example. A virtual administrator is a user who has registered for a predetermined service or a store staff member of an affiliated business operator. A user who has registered for a given service may choose whether or not to register as a virtual administrator.

The control unit identifies the virtual administrators located around the vehicle based on the location information of the vehicle and the terminals used by the virtual administrators, and requests the identified virtual administrators to handle the support case. good too. For example, when the information processing device is a server, the request to the virtual administrator to handle the support issue may be made by sending a request to the terminal used by the virtual administrator to handle the support issue. . However, not limited to this, if the information processing device is a computer installed in a vehicle, for example, a voice requesting a response to a support case is output from a speaker installed in the vehicle, may be notified to the virtual administrator who

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, by requesting a virtual manager existing in the vicinity of a support incident that has occurred in a vehicle, the support incident can be dealt with more quickly. For example, in the case of maintenance for a minor abnormality, the problem can be solved quickly and without unnecessary travel, and the operating rate of the vehicle can be improved. In addition, if the support incident that occurred in the vehicle is loading and unloading of luggage or transportation from the vehicle to a predetermined place, by requesting a nearby virtual manager to handle it, even if there is no staff on the vehicle Support can be provided to the user in using the service.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit may further identify a virtual manager who matches the attribute according to the type of support case from among the virtual managers existing around the vehicle. For example, if the type of support case is loading and unloading or transportation of luggage, it may be difficult for a female to handle large or heavy luggage, so a male virtual manager is more suitable. be. Therefore, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to request a virtual administrator who has a highly suitable attribute for the type of support case to handle the support case, and to smoothly handle the support case. can be done.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit further identifies a virtual administrator having an attribute that satisfies the desired conditions when the support case has occurred at the request of the user and the desired conditions of the user have been received. You may do so. As a result, it is possible to request the virtual administrator to respond to the support case according to the wishes of the user requesting support.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit may give a predetermined incentive to the virtual administrator who has handled the support case. The value or content of the incentive may be a value according to the type of support case, or the virtual administrator who handled the support case is an individual user or a business operator affiliated with a predetermined service It may be determined depending on whether it is staff. This can expedite the implementation of the support incident response. In addition, this makes it possible to increase the motivation to register as a virtual administrator and increase the number of virtual administrators.

The present disclosure can also be specified as an information processing method executed by a computer as one of other aspects. The information processing method includes the following steps: detecting the occurrence of a support incident requiring manpower for a vehicle that provides a predetermined service; and requesting a virtual manager located near the vehicle to handle the support incident. include.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below based on the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of a mobile locker system 100 according to the first embodiment. The mobile locker system 100 is a system that provides a mobile coin locker by mounting a coin locker on a vehicle and running the vehicle. The user can leave the baggage in a locker at the designated location, have the baggage stored for a predetermined period, and take out the baggage from the locker at the designated location. The place to deposit the baggage and the place to take out the baggage may be different. A usage fee is charged to the user according to, for example, the length of time the baggage is kept, the distance between the place where the baggage is deposited and the place where the baggage is taken out, and the like.

The mobile locker system 100 is used by the center server 1, the lockers 4, the vehicle 3 on which the lockers 4 are loaded, the user terminals 2 of the users registered with the service, and the shops of the businesses affiliated with the service. and a store terminal 5 that is connected to the store. Although the mobile locker system 100 includes a plurality of user terminals 2, vehicles 3, lockers 4, and store terminals 5, only one of each is shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of convenience.

The locker 4 has a plurality of storage units in one housing. Each storage section provided in the locker 4 has a door and can be locked and unlocked.

In the mobile locker service, in principle, it is assumed that the user who deposits the luggage in the locker 4 and the user who takes out the luggage from the locker are the same person. However, it is also possible for the user who deposited the luggage in the locker to hand over the authentication information or the physical key of the electronic lock of the locker 4 to another user to request the retrieval of the luggage.

The vehicle 3 is assumed to be an autonomous vehicle. Further, the vehicle 3 is not staffed, and runs unmanned except when the user deposits or takes out luggage from the locker 4.例文帳に追加Further, in the first embodiment, it is assumed that the vehicle 3 is an electric vehicle that uses electric power of a rechargeable battery as an energy source. However, the vehicle 3 is not limited to this, and may be an engine-driven automobile using gasoline as an energy source, a hybrid automobile using electric power and gasoline as an energy source, or the like. In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the vehicles 3 are traveling in their assigned areas. Further, the vehicle 3 may run according to an on-demand system in which a request for using a service is generated, or may travel along a predetermined route. In 1st Embodiment, it assumes that the vehicle 3 drive|works by an on-demand system.

The user terminal 2 is a terminal used by a user who has registered for the service of the mobile locker system 100 . The user terminal 2 is, for example, a smart phone, a tablet terminal, or a PC (Personal Computer). An application program for using the services of the mobile locker system 100 is installed in the user terminal 2 .

The store terminal 5 is, for example, a PC, a tablet terminal, a POS (Point Of Sales) terminal, or the like. An application program for executing processing related to the mobile locker system 100 is installed in the store terminal 5 . In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the store terminal 5 is a terminal used within the premises of the store.

The user terminal 2, the vehicle 3, and the store terminal 5 are connected to the network N1, and communicate with the center server 1 through the network N1. Network N1 is, for example, a public network such as the Internet. The vehicle 3 is equipped with, for example, a device having a communication function, and can be connected to the network N1 and communicate with the center server 1 by the device.

The center server 1 is a server that manages the mobile locker system 100 . When the user uses the service of the mobile locker system 100 , the user transmits a locker use request to the center server 1 through the application program of the user terminal 2 . Along with the request to use the locker, information on the location and date of depositing the luggage and the location and date of taking out the luggage, which are specified by the user, are also sent to the center server 1 .

When the center server 1 receives a locker use request from the user terminal 2, the center server 1 determines a vehicle 3 heading to a specified place at a specified date and time and a storage part of a locker 4 for storing luggage. If the locker 4 employs an electronic lock, the center server 1 notifies the user terminal 2 of the locker 4 authentication information. Thereafter, the user meets the vehicle 3 at the specified location, gets into the vehicle 3, stores the luggage in the locker 4, and locks the locker 4 using the authentication information received from the center server 1. - 特許庁When taking out the luggage, the user meets the vehicle 3 at a predetermined place, gets into the vehicle 3, unlocks the mobile locker 4 using the authentication information received from the center server 1, and takes out the luggage from the locker 4. .

In the first embodiment, the user of the user terminal 2 and the business operator of the store having the store terminal 5 are registered as virtual administrators of the mobile locker system 100 . A virtual manager is a person who is running for support for the vehicle 3 . Support cases include, for example, forgetting to close the door of the locker 4, forgetting to leave garbage in the vehicle 3, minor abnormalities such as insufficient charging, support for loading and unloading of luggage from the vehicle 3, and predetermined from the vehicle 3 Transportation of goods to places, etc. Support cases are not limited to these. Normally, the maintenance of the vehicle 3 is performed by the administrator of the mobile locker system 100, but for cases that do not require special skills, equipment, tools, etc., such as the above-mentioned support cases, the maintenance is performed by the virtual administrator. Authorized. A virtual administrator is also called a supporter or a helper. A predetermined incentive is given to the virtual administrator who has responded to the support case.

When the center server 1 detects that a support incident has occurred in the vehicle 3, the center server 1 identifies a virtual administrator who exists within a predetermined distance from the vehicle 3, and the user terminal 2 or store terminal 5 of the identified virtual administrator. Send a support request to A support incident is detected by, for example, a notification from the vehicle 3, a request from the user terminal 2, and monitoring of the vehicle 3 by the center server 1. FIG.

The virtual manager who received the support request handles the support case for the vehicle 3 . If the support case is a locker 4 door that has been left unclosed, the response is, for example, to close the left-closed locker 4 door. If the support incident is trash left behind in the vehicle 3, the response is to remove and dispose of the trash in the vehicle 3, for example. If the support issue is insufficient charging, the response may be, for example, support such as providing a charging station for the vehicle 3 and/or plugging the charging cord of the vehicle 3 into an outlet. If the support incident is assistance with loading and unloading of luggage from the vehicle 3 , the response is to load or unload the luggage from the vehicle 3 . When the support case is transportation of a load from the vehicle 3 to a predetermined location, for example, it is transportation of the cargo from the vehicle 3 to a predetermined location.

As a result, even when the vehicle 3 is operated in an unmanned state, it is possible to borrow the help of the surrounding virtual managers when manpower is required. For example, if the abnormality is minor, it can be resolved without moving the vehicle 3 to a maintenance shop or the like, and the operating rate of the vehicle 3 can be improved. In addition, when the user needs support, the virtual manager can be called, so the convenience of the mobile locker service can be improved. In addition, since it is not necessary to have staff on board the vehicle 3, personnel costs can be reduced.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the center server 1, the user terminal 2, and the vehicle 3. As shown in FIG. The center server 1 is, for example, a dedicated server computer or a general-purpose computer. The center server 1 includes a CPU 101, a memory 102, an external storage device 103, and a communication section 104 as a hardware configuration. The memory 102 and the external storage device 103 are computer-readable recording media. The center server 1 is an example of an "information processing device".

The external storage device 103 stores various programs and data used by the CPU 101 when executing each program. The external storage device 103 is, for example, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM) or a hard disk drive. The programs held in the external storage device 103 include, for example, an operating system (OS), a control program for the mobile locker system 100, and various other application programs.

The memory 102 is a storage device that provides the CPU 101 with a storage area and a work area for loading programs stored in the external storage device 103 and is used as a buffer. The memory 102 is, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random
including semiconductor memory such as Access Memory).

The CPU 101 executes various processes by loading the OS and various other application programs stored in the external storage device 103 into the memory 102 and executing them. The number of CPUs 101 is not limited to one, and a plurality of CPUs may be provided. The CPU 101 is an example of a "controller".

The communication unit 104 is, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) or the like. The communication unit 104 is, for example, connected by wire to an access network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), and is connected to the network N1 through the access network. however. The communication unit 104 is not limited to a circuit that connects to a network by wire, and may be a wireless communication circuit that conforms to a wireless communication system such as WiFi or a mobile communication system.

Next, the user terminal 2 is, for example, a smart phone, a tablet terminal, a wearable terminal, or a PC. The user terminal 2 includes a CPU 201, a memory 202, an external storage device 203, a wireless communication section 204, a touch panel display 205, and a position acquisition sensor 206 as a hardware configuration. However, in FIG. 2, as the hardware configuration of the user terminal 2, the hardware components that perform the processing according to the first embodiment are extracted and shown, and the hardware components included in the user terminal 2 are shown in FIG. are not limited to the elements shown in

The CPU 201, memory 202, and external storage device 203 are similar to the CPU 101, memory 102, and external storage device 103, respectively. However, a storage device (storage) employed as the external storage device 203 is, for example, a flash memory. The external storage device 203 may include a portable recording medium such as an SD card. The external storage device 203 also holds application programs for using the services of the mobile locker system 100 in addition to the OS and the like.

The wireless communication unit 204 is, for example, a wireless communication circuit in accordance with mobile communication methods such as 5G (5th Generation), 6G, 4G, and LTE (Long Term Evolution), and wireless communication methods such as WiMAX and WiFi. be. The wireless communication unit 204 connects to the network N1 by wireless communication and enables communication with the center server 1 .

The touch panel display 205 outputs an image according to an instruction from the CPU 201 and outputs a signal input by the user to the CPU 201 . The position acquisition sensor 206 is a sensor that acquires position information indicating the current position of the user terminal 2. The position acquisition sensor 206 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. Position acquisition sensor 206
The location information obtained by is, for example, latitude and longitude. However, the location acquisition sensor 206 is not limited to a GPS receiver, and the location information acquired by the location acquisition sensor 206 is not limited to latitude and longitude. The position information acquired by the position acquisition sensor 206 is output to the CPU 201 .

Vehicle 3 includes data communication device 310 , touch panel display 320 , sensor 330 , and speaker 340 . However, FIG. 3 extracts and shows the hardware components related to the processing related to the mobile locker system 100, and the hardware configuration of the vehicle 3 is not limited to that shown in FIG.

The data communication device 310, the touch panel display 320, the sensor 330, and the speaker 340 are connected to each other by an in-vehicle network such as in-vehicle Ethernet (registered trademark) or CAN (Controller Area Network).

The touch panel display 320 is provided inside the vehicle 3, for example. In the first embodiment, the touch panel display 320 is used as an input device for user operations when a user requests support such as loading and unloading of luggage or transportation of luggage to a predetermined location. Further, in the first embodiment, the touch panel display 320 is used as an input device for a user operation to complete handling of a support case. In the first embodiment, touch panel display 320 displays a screen according to an instruction from data communication device 310 and outputs an input user operation to data communication device 310 .

The sensor 330 is a sensor that monitors the state inside the vehicle 3 . For example, the sensor 330 is a camera, a sensor that detects opening/closing of the door of the locker 4, or the like. A plurality of sensors 330 may be provided. Moreover, the sensor 330 may include multiple types of sensors. The sensor 330 is used, for example, to detect minor anomalies in the vehicle 3, such as forgetting to close the door of the locker 4 and leaving trash behind. A value detected by sensor 330 is output to data communication device 310 . The detection value of the sensor 330 is, for example, a captured image when the sensor 330 is a camera, and the door is opened or closed when the sensor 330 is a sensor for detecting opening/closing of the door of the locker 4. This information indicates that

The speaker 340 is installed toward the outside of the vehicle 3, for example. In the first embodiment, the speaker 340 receives voice data input from the data communication device 310 and outputs voice.

The data communication device 310 includes a CPU 301, a memory 302, an external storage device 303, a wireless communication section 304, and a position acquisition sensor 305 as hardware configuration. CPU
301, memory 302, and external storage device 303 are similar to CPU 101, memory 102, and external storage device 103, respectively. However, the external storage device 303 stores a control program for the vehicle 3 for executing the processing of the mobile locker system 100 . The wireless communication unit 304 and the location acquisition sensor 305 are similar to the wireless communication unit 204 and the location acquisition sensor 206, respectively. Communication between the vehicle 3 and the center server 1 is actually performed by the data communication device 310, but for the sake of convenience, the vehicle 3 is hereinafter referred to as the communication subject. That is, when the vehicle 3 is described as transmitting or receiving, the data communication device 310 actually transmits or receives.

Note that the hardware configuration of the store terminal 5 is similar to that of the user terminal 2, for example. That is, the store terminal 5 includes a CPU, memory, external storage device, and touch panel display. Also, the store terminal 5 is provided with either a communication unit or a wireless communication unit depending on the type of device. Also, the store terminal 5 may include a position acquisition sensor. However, since the store terminal 5 may be a stationary device, in this case, the store terminal 5 may not have a position acquisition sensor. Further, in the first embodiment, it is assumed that the store terminal 5 is a terminal used within the premises of the store, and the location information of the store terminal 5 is substituted with the location information of the store. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the store terminal 5 may not have a position acquisition sensor, and even if it does have a position acquisition sensor, it is not used.

The hardware configuration of the center server 1, the user terminal 2, and the vehicle 3 shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and the hardware configuration of the center server 1, the user terminal 2, and the vehicle 3 is shown in FIG. is not limited to For example, the user terminal 2 includes, in addition to the hardware components shown in FIG. 2, a microphone, a speaker, a camera, and a position sensor such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) as a hardware configuration.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of functional configurations of the center server 1, the user terminal 2, the vehicle 3, and the store terminal 5. As shown in FIG. The center server 1 includes a control unit 11, a virtual administrator terminal information DB 12, an incentive information DB 13, a history information DB 14, a service information DB 15, and a user information DB 16 as functional components. The processing of the control unit 11 is achieved by the CPU 101 executing the control program of the mobile locker system 100 . In addition, hereinafter, the user terminal 2 indicates the user terminal of the user registered as the virtual administrator, and the processing as the terminal of the virtual administrator will be described. The processing of the user terminal of a general user who uses the mobile locker service is simply referred to as "user terminal".

The control unit 11 detects the occurrence of a support incident related to the vehicle 3 and requests a virtual manager present in the vicinity of the vehicle 3 to handle the support incident. First, the control unit 11 receives position information from the vehicle 3 and the user terminal 2 at predetermined intervals, and monitors the respective positions.

The control unit 11 detects the occurrence of a support incident by receiving, for example, a support request requesting handling of the support incident from the user terminal or the vehicle 3 . Along with the support request, the identification information and location information of the user terminal or vehicle 3 that sent the request and the information related to the support case are also received. The information related to the support case is, for example, information indicating the type of the support case and detailed information of the support case. Types of support cases include, for example, forgetting to close the door of the locker 4, forgetting to leave trash, insufficient charging, loading and unloading of luggage, transportation of luggage, and the like. Information indicating the type of support case is, for example, a flag, code, or keyword.

The information included in the support case details varies depending on the type of support case. If the support event is forgetting to close the door of the locker 4 , the detailed information of the support event is, for example, identification information and/or information indicating the position in the locker 4 of the corresponding storage unit of the locker 4 . If the support case is trash left behind, the detailed information of the support case is, for example, information indicating the target trash. The information indicating the target trash is, for example, information indicating the type and size of the target trash, and/or a captured image of the interior of the vehicle 3 in which the target trash is included in the imaging range.

If the support case is insufficient charging, the detailed information of the support case is, for example, the current remaining battery level. If the support case is loading and unloading a package, the support details are, for example, service identification information and package size. If the support case is transportation of a package, the detailed information of the support is, for example, service identification information, package size, and location information of the delivery destination. Service identification information is identification information assigned to one service that uses a mobile locker in the mobile locker service.

Occurrence of a support incident is not limited to being detected by receiving a support request from the user terminal or vehicle 3 , and may be detected by the control unit 11 . For example, the vehicle 3 may transmit the detection value of the sensor 330 to the center server 1 at a predetermined cycle, and the control unit 11 may detect the occurrence of the support incident for the vehicle 3 based on the detection value of the sensor 330 .

When the control unit 11 detects the occurrence of a support case, based on the position information of the vehicle 3 and the position information of the user terminal 2 and the store terminal 5 registered as virtual administrators, a predetermined specifies the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5 of the virtual manager existing within the range of . The range in which the user terminal 2 or store terminal 5 of the virtual manager is specified is, for example, a range within a predetermined distance from the vehicle 3, or the same section as the vehicle 3, and is set by the administrator of the mobile locker system 100. be. Information on the user terminals 2 and store terminals 5 registered as virtual administrators is obtained by referring to the virtual administrator terminal information DB 12, which will be described later.

The control unit 11 transmits a request for support to the user terminal 2 or store terminal 5 of the specified virtual administrator. Along with the support response request, identification information of the target vehicle, location information of the target vehicle 3, information indicating the type of support case, information indicating the content of the support case, information regarding incentives to be given, and details of support Information and the like are also transmitted. The information indicating the type of support case and the detailed support information, which are transmitted together with the support response request, are the information indicating the type of support case and the details of the support received together with the support request from the user terminal or the vehicle 3. Same content as information. However, the information indicating the type of support case transmitted together with the support response request is, for example, in message format.

The control unit 11 receives a response indicating acceptance from the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5 in response to the support request. The control unit 11 selects the virtual administrator of the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5 who sent the response indicating acceptance as the person who handles the support case, and transmits a formal request to the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5. do. As a result, the request for the support case of the vehicle 3 is established. The control unit 11 transmits the support handling information to the target vehicle 3 to notify that the support incident will be dealt with. The support handling information includes, for example, the type of support case, the identification information of the implementer, and the detailed information of the support case described above.

Note that the control unit 11 may transmit the support response request to the user terminals 2 or store terminals 5 of a plurality of virtual administrators present within a predetermined range from the vehicle 3 . When accepting responses from a plurality of user terminals 2 or store terminals 5 of a plurality of virtual administrators, for example, the control unit 11 determines whether the user terminal 2 or store terminal 5 from which the earliest received response indicating acceptance has been transmitted. of virtual administrators may be selected as facilitators of support incident responses. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may prioritize the virtual administrator of the store terminal 5 over the user terminal 2 from among the user terminals 2 or store terminals 5 that have sent the received response indicating acceptance, and carry out support case handling. You can choose as a person.

For example, when the control unit 11 receives a support response completion notification indicating completion of handling of the support case from both the vehicle 3 and the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5 of the person who handled the support case, Determine the completion of handling of the target support case. The support response completion notification from the vehicle 3 is input, for example, from the touch panel display 320 provided in the vehicle 3 by the person who handles the support incident. However, not limited to this, for example, when the control unit 11 receives a support response completion notification from either the vehicle 3 or the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5 of the person who handles the support case , may determine the completion of handling of the target support case.

The control unit 11 gives an incentive to the person who handles the support case according to, for example, the type of the support case. The given incentives are, for example, points that can be used in the mobile locker system 100, discount coupons for mobile locker services, electronic money, cash, or the like. The control unit 11 may, for example, give different types of incentives for individual users and business operators. For example, the control unit 11 provides individual users with points or coupons as an incentive. For example, the control unit 11 may pay the business operator a fee as an incentive. For example, the control unit 11 collects the results of handling support cases from history information for each of a plurality of shops of the business operator or for all shops collectively, and charges for a predetermined period. pay.

A virtual administrator terminal information DB 12 , an incentive information DB 13 , a history information DB 14 , a service information DB 15 and a user information DB 16 are created in the storage area of the external storage device 103 of the center server 1 . The virtual administrator terminal information DB 12 holds information on terminals used by virtual administrators. The incentive information DB 13 holds information on incentives given for each type of support case. The history information DB 14 holds history information about events corresponding to support cases. The service information DB 15 holds information on services requested in the mobile locker system 100 . The user information DB 16 holds information on users registered in the mobile locker system 100 and businesses affiliated with the mobile locker system 100 . Virtual administrator terminal information DB
12, incentive information DB 13, history information DB 14, service information DB 15, and user information DB 16, respectively, will be described later in detail.

Next, the vehicle 3 has a control section 31 as a functional configuration. The processing of the control unit 31 is achieved by the CPU 301 of the data communication device 310 executing the control program for the vehicle 3 of the mobile locker system 100 .

The control unit 31 acquires the detection value of the sensor 330 at a predetermined cycle and analyzes the detection value of the sensor 330 to detect, for example, forgetting to close the door of the locker 4 and leaving garbage in the vehicle 3. Detect minor anomalies. A detection condition is set in advance for a minor anomaly detected by the control unit 31, and the controller 31 detects a minor anomaly when the detection value of the sensor 330 satisfies the detection condition.

The control unit 31 also controls an ECU (Electronic
Control Unit) notifies you that the remaining power of the rechargeable battery is insufficient. Insufficient remaining power of the rechargeable battery is referred to as insufficient charge. The notification of insufficient charging occurs, for example, when the remaining power amount becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. In addition, the control unit 31 receives an input of a user operation for requesting support from the touch panel display 320 . In the user operation for requesting support, information indicating the type of support case and detailed information about the support case are input.

When the control unit 31 detects a minor abnormality, receives a notification of insufficient charging, or receives an input of a user operation requesting support, the control unit 31 detects the occurrence of a support case and provides support to the center server 1. Submit your request. Along with the support request, identification information and position information of the vehicle 3, information indicating the type of support case, and detailed information of the above-described support case are also transmitted.

The control unit 31 receives the support support information from the center server 1 when the control unit 31 itself transmits a support request or when a user terminal transmits a support request regarding the vehicle 3 to the center server 1 . When receiving the support information, the control unit 31 displays a support completion input screen including the support information on the touch panel display 320 . When the completion of handling the support case is input from the support completion input screen, the control unit 31 transmits a support handling completion notice to the center server 1 .

Next, the user terminal 2 has a control unit 21 as a functional configuration. The processing of the control unit 21 is achieved by the CPU 201 executing an application program for using the services of the mobile locker system 100 . The control unit 21 transmits a user registration request to the center server 1 upon receiving an input of a user operation for user registration. Along with the user registration request, for example, a user name, password, identification information of the user terminal 2, and information indicating whether to register as a virtual administrator are also transmitted.

Upon receiving the support request from the center server 1, the control unit 21 notifies the user of the support request. The notification method is, for example, push notification or the like. The control unit 21 displays on the touch panel display 205 a support request screen, which will be described later, including information regarding the support request. When a user operation indicating acceptance or a user operation indicating refusal is input through touch panel display 205 , control unit 21 transmits a response indicating acceptance or a response indicating refusal to center server 1 . Upon receiving a formal request from the center server 1 , the control unit 21 outputs to the touch panel display 205 , for example, that the request for handling the support case has been formally received as a practitioner. The control unit 21 transmits a support response completion notice to the center server 1 when a user operation indicating completion of response to the support case is input. Identification information of the user terminal 2 is also transmitted in the response to the center server 1 .

Next, the store terminal 5 includes a control section 51 as a functional component. The control unit 51 is achieved by the CPU of the store terminal 5 executing a program for the store terminal 5 of the mobile locker system 100 held in the external storage device. When the control unit 51 receives a support response request from the center server 1, the control unit 51, like the control unit 21, notifies the staff of the store acting as a virtual administrator by voice or the like, and, for example, displays a support response request screen on the touch panel display. do. When a user operation indicating acceptance or a user operation indicating refusal is input, the control unit 51 transmits a response indicating acceptance or a response indicating refusal to the center server 1 . Upon receiving a formal request from the center server 1, the control unit 51 outputs, for example, to a touch panel display, that the request for handling the support case has been formally received as a practitioner. When a user operation indicating completion of handling of the support case is input, the control unit 51 transmits a support handling completion notification to the center server 1 . In response to the center server 1, the identification information of the store terminal 5 is also transmitted.

FIG. 4 is an example of information held in the user information DB 16. As shown in FIG. The user information DB 16 holds information on users who have registered with the mobile locker system 100 or businesses affiliated with the mobile locker system 100 . One record of the mobile locker system 100 includes user ID, individual/enterprise, virtual manager, sex, age, and incentive fields.

User identification information is stored in the user ID field. A user's identification information is uniquely assigned in the mobile locker system 100 . Information indicating whether the user is an individual user or a business is stored in the individual/business field. Information indicating whether the user is an individual user or a business is, for example, a flag, code, or keyword.

Information indicating whether the user is a virtual administrator is stored in the virtual administrator field. Information for determining whether a user is a virtual administrator is, for example, a flag, code, or keyword. The gender and age fields store information indicating the gender and age of the user, respectively. The information indicating the gender and the information indicating the age of the user are, for example, flags, codes, or keywords. Values are stored in the gender and age fields when information indicating that the user is an individual user is stored in the individual/enterprise field. If information indicating that the person is a business is stored in the individual/business field, the sex and age fields are blank.

Information on incentives held by the user is stored in the incentive field. Incentives are given to individual users, for example, points and coupons that can be used in the mobile locker system 100 . In the first embodiment, the operator is paid a fee as an incentive. In some cases, the operator may not be paid incentives according to the contract.

A record in the user information DB 16 is registered, for example, when a user registration request is received from the user terminal 2 and when a partnership contract is established with a business operator. The user selects whether or not to register as a virtual administrator. Information held in the user information DB 16 is not limited to the information shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is an example of information held in the virtual administrator terminal information DB 12. As shown in FIG. The virtual administrator terminal information DB 12 holds information on terminals used by virtual administrators. One record in the virtual administrator terminal information DB 12 corresponds to one terminal used by the virtual administrator. One record of the virtual administrator terminal information DB 12 includes fields of terminal ID, user ID, store ID, and location information.

Identification information of the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5 is stored in the terminal ID field. The identification information of the user terminal 2 and the store terminal 5 may be, for example, uniquely assigned in the mobile locker system 100, or may be terminal identification information uniquely assigned to the user terminal 2 and the store terminal 5 in advance. good. The identification information of the user of the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5 is stored in the user ID field.

The store ID field stores the identification information of the store where the store terminal 5 is used. The store identification information may be assigned to each store by the business operator, or may be uniquely assigned by the mobile locker system 100 . The store ID field is blank when the user terminal 2 is of an individual user.

Information indicating the positions of the user terminal 2 and the shop terminal 5 is stored in the position information field. In the case of the user terminal 2, the location information field is updated by the control unit 11 each time location information is received from the user terminal 2 at a predetermined cycle. In the field of location information, in the case of the store terminal 5, location information of the store where the store terminal 5 is used is stored.

For example, when a user registration request is received from the user terminal 2, and when a terminal registration request is received from the shop terminal 5 after a partnership contract is established with the business operator, the record of the virtual manager terminal information DB 12 is , is registered by the control unit 11 . The information held in the virtual administrator terminal information DB 12 that receives the terminal registration request from the shop terminal 5, the user identification information, the shop identification information, the terminal identification information, and the shop location information is shown in FIG. 5 is not limited to the information shown.

FIG. 6 is an example of information held in the incentive information DB 13. As shown in FIG. The incentive information DB 13 holds correspondences between the types of support cases and incentives. One record of the incentive information DB 13 includes incident ID, support content, and incentive fields.

The incident ID field stores identification information that identifies the support case. Information indicating the type of support case corresponding to the incident ID is stored in the support content field. Information indicating the type of support case is either a flag, a code, or a keyword.

The incentive field stores information about incentives given to virtual administrators who have responded to support cases. In the first embodiment, the incentive information DB 13 shown in FIG. 6 is referenced by the control unit 11 when incentives are given to individual users. However, if the same incentives are given to individual users and businesses, the same incentive information DB 13 may be shared. Information held in the incentive information DB 13 is not limited to that shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is an example of information held in the history information DB 14. As shown in FIG. The history information DB 14 retains history information regarding handling of support cases. One record of the history information DB 14 includes fields of time stamp, user ID, individual/enterprise, and content of support.

The time stamp field stores, for example, the date and time when the record was registered. The value of the timestamp field may be the date and time when the support response completion notification is received from the user terminal 2 or store terminal 5 of the virtual manager who handled the support case, or from the target vehicle 3 .

The user ID field stores the identification information of the user who is the virtual administrator who handled the support case. The individual/business field stores information indicating whether the user who is the virtual administrator who has handled the support case is an individual user or a business. Information indicating the type of support case is stored in the support content field.

In the first embodiment, the record of the history information DB 14 indicates that both the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5 of the virtual manager who handled the support case and the target vehicle 3 received the support response completion notification. When completed, it is created and registered by the control unit 11 . The history information DB 14 is calculated by the control unit 11, for example, when calculating a fee for handling each provider support case in a predetermined period. The charge to the business operator is calculated, for example, by summing up the number of implementation times for each type of support case for each business operator, calculating the charge according to the number of implementation times, and totaling all the types.

Information held in the history information DB 14 is not limited to that shown in FIG. For example, the history information DB 14 may include identification information of vehicles to be supported and detailed information of support cases.

FIG. 8 is an example of information held in the service information DB 15. As shown in FIG. The service information DB 15 holds service information. One record of the service information DB 15 shown in FIG. 8 is service information of a service provided for one locker use request. One record of the service information DB 15 shown in FIG. 8 includes fields of service ID, user ID, locker ID, deposit date/time, deposit location, withdrawal date/time, and withdrawal location.

The service ID field stores service identification information. The service identification information is assigned by the control unit 11 when the service is provided for the locker use request received from the user terminal. User identification information is stored in the user ID field. The locker ID field stores the identification information of the storage section of the locker 4 assigned to the service.

The deposit date/time, deposit location, withdrawal date/time, and withdrawal location fields store information indicating the deposit date/time, deposit location, withdrawal date/time, and withdrawal location, respectively. The information indicating the deposit location and the withdrawal location is, for example, an address, latitude and longitude, landmark name, and the like. The deposit date and time and the withdrawal date and time are indicated by, for example, year, month, day, hour and minute.

The control unit 11 receives a locker use request from the user terminal, and adds a record to the service information DB 15 when the service is provided. When the record is added, the control unit 11 assigns identification information to the established service and stores it in the service ID field. The locker ID field stores the identification information of the storage unit of the locker 4 assigned by the control unit 11 . In the fields of user ID, date and time of deposit, place of deposit, date and time of withdrawal, and place of withdrawal, the identification information of the user, the date and time of deposit, and the A place, a takeout date and time, and a takeout place are stored. Information held in the service information DB 15 is not limited to the information shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is an example of a user registration screen of the user terminal 2. As shown in FIG. The user registration screen is a screen for inputting information about the user and performing user registration in the mobile locker system 100 . The user registration screen is displayed, for example, when user registration is selected from the menu of the application program for using the services of the mobile locker system 100 .

The user registration screen shown in FIG. 9 includes input fields for a user name, password, gender, age group, registration area, and settlement method, a check box for selecting registration as a virtual administrator, and a user registration button. and a cancel button. When the user registration button is selected, a user registration request operation is input to the user terminal 2 , and the control unit 21 transmits the user registration request to the center server 1 .

Along with the user registration request, information on the user name, password, gender, age, registration area, and payment method entered on the user registration screen is also sent to the center server 1 . In the user registration screen, when the check box for selecting registration as a virtual administrator is checked, information indicating registration as a virtual administrator is sent to the center server 1 along with the user registration request. . If the check box for selecting registration as a virtual administrator is not checked, the user registration request is sent to the center server 1 together with information indicating that the virtual administrator will not be registered. Note that the user registration screen shown in FIG. 9 is an example, and the configuration of the user registration screen is not limited to the example shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is an example of a support request screen of the user terminal 2. As shown in FIG. The support response request screen is a screen for inputting a response as to whether or not to approve implementation of response to the support case of the vehicle 3 . The support request screen is displayed when a support request is received from the center server 1 . That is, the support response request screen is displayed when the user of the user terminal 2 is registered as a virtual administrator and when the user terminal 2 exists within a predetermined range from the vehicle 3 requiring support incident response. be.

In the support request screen shown in FIG. 10, information indicating the type of support case, information indicating the content of the support case, identification information of the target vehicle 3, information about incentives to be provided, and information about the target vehicle 3, a display column indicating the position information of the target vehicle 3, an approval button, and a rejection button. These pieces of information are received from the center server 1 together with the request for support.

In the example shown in FIG. 10, the message "garbage left behind in vehicle" is displayed as the information indicating the type of support case. The message "Please remove garbage from the vehicle." is displayed as information indicating the content of the response to the support case. "Vehicle identification information: CA001" is displayed as the information of the target vehicle 3. FIG. As information about incentives to be given, "Granted points: 100pt" is displayed.

The captured image inside the target vehicle 3 in the example shown in FIG. 10 is one of the information included in the detailed support information when the type of the support case is leftover garbage. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the position information of the vehicle is notified from the center server 1 as latitude and longitude, for example, and the user terminal 2 displays the current position of the user terminal 2 on the map for easy visual understanding. is shown with

When the consent button is selected, the control unit 21 transmits a response indicating consent to the center server 1 . When the rejection button is selected, the control unit 21 transmits a rejection response to the center server 1 . The control unit 21 also transmits the identification information of the user terminal 2 and the identification information of the user to the center server 1 together with the response indicating acceptance or the response indicating refusal. Note that the configuration of the support request screen is not limited to the example shown in FIG.

<Process flow>
FIG. 11 is an example of a flowchart of processing of the vehicle 3 according to the first embodiment. The processing shown in FIG. 11 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle. 11 is executed by the CPU 301 of the data communication device 310, but for the sake of convenience, the functional components will be mainly described.

In OP101, the control unit 31 determines whether or not a support incident has occurred. The occurrence of a support incident is detected, for example, when a minor abnormality is detected, when a notification of insufficient charging is received, or when input of a user operation requesting support is received. If a support case has occurred (OP101: YES), the process proceeds to OP102. If no support issue has occurred (OP101: NO), the process proceeds to OP103.

In OP102, the control unit 31 transmits a support request to the center server 1. FIG. Along with the support request, for example, identification information and location information of the vehicle 3, information indicating the type of support case, and detailed information of the support case are also transmitted.

In OP<b>103 , the control unit 31 determines whether support support information has been received from the center server 1 . The support correspondence information is transmitted from the center server 1 to the vehicle 3 when a support request is generated from the user terminal or the vehicle 3 . The support handling information includes, for example, information indicating the type of support case, identification information of the implementer, and detailed information of the support case. If support support information has been received from the center server 1 (OP103: YES), the process proceeds to OP105.

If the support information is not received from the center server 1, or if the support information is not received from the center server 1 even after a predetermined time has passed since the support request was sent (OP103: NO), the process shown in FIG. Processing ends.

In OP105, the control unit 31 determines whether or not a user operation to complete support is input. The user operation for completion of support handling is input by the user (virtual administrator) who handles the handling of the support case. If the user operation for completion of support has been input (OP105: YES), the process proceeds to OP106, and the control unit 31 transmits a support completion notification to the center server 1. FIG. If the user operation to complete the support has not been input (OP105: NO), the control unit 31 enters a standby state until the user operation to complete the support is input.

In OP<b>107 , the control unit 31 determines whether or not a response has been received from the center server 1 . If a response has been received from the center server 1 (OP107: YES), the processing shown in FIG. 11 ends. If no response has been received from the center server 1 (OP107: NO), the control unit 31 enters a standby state until receiving a response from the center server 1. FIG.

FIG. 12 is an example of a flowchart of processing of the center server 1 according to the first embodiment. The processing shown in FIG. 12 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle. Although the CPU 101 executes the processing shown in FIG. 12, for the sake of convenience, the description will focus on the functional components.

In OP201 , the control unit 11 determines whether or not a support request has been received from the user terminal or the vehicle 3 . Along with the support request, for example, identification information and location information of the vehicle 3, information indicating the type of support case, and detailed information of the support case are also received. If a support request has been received (OP201: YES), the process proceeds to OP202. If no support request has been received (OP201: NO), the process shown in FIG. 12 ends.

In OP202, the control unit 11 refers to the virtual administrator terminal information DB 12 to identify the user terminal 2 or store terminal 5 of the virtual administrator present within a predetermined range from the vehicle 3. FIG. In OP203, the control unit 11 transmits a support request to the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5 identified in OP202. Along with the support response request, for example, identification information of the target vehicle 3, location information of the target vehicle 3, information indicating the type of support case, information indicating the content of the support case, information regarding incentives to be given, and Detailed support information is also sent.

In OP204, the control unit 11 determines whether or not a response indicating acceptance of the support request has been received from the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5, which is the destination of the support request transmitted in OP203. If a response indicating acceptance of the support request is received (OP204: YES), the process proceeds to OP205. If a response indicating acceptance of the support request is not received, that is, if a response indicating refusal is received (OP204: NO), the process shown in FIG. 12 ends. When a plurality of user terminals 2 or store terminals 5 are specified in OP202 and a support response request is transmitted to a plurality of user terminals 2 or store terminals 5 in OP203, at least one user terminal 2 or store terminal 5 If a response indicating acceptance is received, OP204 is affirmative. Conversely, if a response indicating acceptance is not received from either one of the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5, OP204 makes a negative determination.

In OP205, the control unit 11 determines the user (virtual administrator) of the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5, which is the sender of the received response indicating acceptance, as the person who handles the support case, and the user terminal 2 or A formal request is transmitted to the store terminal 5. In addition, when responses indicating approval have been received from a plurality of user terminals 2 or store terminals 5, the control unit 11 selects from among the plurality of user terminals 2 or store terminals 5 randomly or under a predetermined condition. The user of the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5 that satisfies the above is determined as the person who handles the support case. The predetermined condition is, for example, being the sender of the first received response indicating acceptance, or giving priority to the store terminal 5, or the like. Further, in OP205, the control unit 11 transmits support correspondence information to the vehicle 3. FIG.

In OP206, the control unit 11 determines whether or not a support response completion notification has been received from the vehicle 3. If the support response completion notification has been received from the vehicle 3 (OP206: YES), the process proceeds to OP207. If the support completion notification is not received from the vehicle 3 (OP206: NO), the control unit 11 enters a standby state until the support completion notification is received from the vehicle 3.

In OP207, the control unit 11 determines whether or not a support response completion notification has been received from the user terminal 2 or the shop terminal 5 of the person who handled the support case. If a support response completion notification is received from the user terminal 2 or store terminal 5 of the person who handled the support case (OP207: YES), the process proceeds to OP208. If the support completion notification is not received from the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5 of the person who handled the support case (OP207: NO), the control unit 11 waits until the support completion notification is received.

In OP208, the control unit 11 transmits a response to the vehicle 3 and the user terminal 2 or store terminal 5 of the person who handles the support case. Also, the control unit 11 records history information in the history information DB 14 . In OP209, the control unit 11 refers to the incentive information DB 13, gives an incentive according to the type of the support case to the person who handles the support case, and obtains the corresponding user information of the user information DB 16. Update. Note that the processing of OP209 is performed when the person who handles the support case is an individual user. After that, the processing shown in FIG. 12 ends.

13 and 14 are examples of flowcharts of processing of the user terminal 2 according to the first embodiment. The processes in FIGS. 13 and 14 are each repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle. 13 and 14 is executed by the CPU 201, but for the sake of convenience, functional components will be mainly described.

FIG. 13 is an example of a flowchart of user registration processing of the user terminal 2 . In OP<b>301 , the control unit 21 determines whether or not a user operation requesting user registration has been input through the touch panel display 205 . If a user operation requesting user registration has been input (OP301: YES), the process proceeds to OP302. If the user operation requesting user registration is input and the user is in the residence (OP301: NO), the processing shown in FIG. 13 ends.

In OP302, the control unit 21 transmits a user registration request to the center server 1. FIG. Along with the user registration request, for example, a user name, password, identification information of the user terminal 2, and information indicating whether to register as a virtual administrator are also transmitted.

In OP303, the control unit 21 determines whether a response to the user registration request has been received from the center server 1 or not. Receipt of the response from the center server 1 indicates that the user of the user terminal 2 has been registered in the mobile locker system 100 . If a response to the user registration request has been received from the center server 1 (OP303: YES), the processing shown in FIG. 12 ends. If a response to the user registration request has not been received from the center server 1 (OP303: NO), the control unit 21 enters a standby state until a response is received from the center server 1. FIG.

FIG. 14 is an example of a flowchart of processing when the user terminal 2 receives a support request. In OP 401 , the control unit 21 determines whether or not a request for support has been received from the center server 1 . If a support request has been received from the center server 1 (OP401: YES), the process proceeds to OP402. If no request for support has been received from the center server 1 (OP401: NO), the process shown in FIG. 14 ends.

In OP402, the control unit 21 displays a support request screen on the touch panel display 205. FIG. In OP403, the control unit 21 determines whether or not a user operation as a response indicating acceptance has been input through the touch panel display 205 or not. If a user operation indicating acceptance has been input (OP403: YES), the process proceeds to OP404 where control unit 21 transmits a response indicating acceptance to center server 1 . If a user operation indicating rejection is input (OP403: NO), the process proceeds to OP405, in which control unit 21 transmits a response indicating rejection to center server 1. FIG. After that, the processing shown in FIG. 14 ends.

In OP406, the control unit 21 determines whether or not a formal request has been received from the center server 1. If a formal request has been received from the center server 1 (OP406: YES), the process proceeds to OP407. For example, if a formal request is not received from the center server 1 even after a predetermined period of time has passed (OP406: NO), the process shown in FIG. 14 ends.

In OP407, the control unit 21 determines whether or not a user operation to complete the support has been input. If the user operation to complete the support has been input (OP407: YES), the process proceeds to OP408, in which the control unit 21 transmits a support completion notification to the center server 1. If the user operation to complete the support has not been input (OP407: NO), the control unit 21 enters a standby state until the user operation to complete the support is input.

In OP409, the control unit 21 determines whether or not a response has been received from the center server 1. If a response has been received from the center server 1 (OP409: YES), the processing shown in FIG. 14 ends. If no response has been received from the center server 1 (OP409: NO), the control unit 21 is in a standby state until receiving a response from the center server 1. FIG.

It should be noted that the processes shown in FIGS. 11 to 14 are examples, and processes can be added, replaced, and deleted as appropriate according to the embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence of handling of a support case of the vehicle 3 by the virtual manager in the first embodiment. FIG. 15 shows a sequence of processing from when a slight abnormality occurs in the vehicle 3 to having the virtual manager around the vehicle 3 handle the minor abnormality.

In S11, the vehicle 3 detects a minor abnormality such as forgetting to close the door of the locker 4 (OP101 in FIG. 11: YES). In S12, the vehicle 3 transmits a support request to the center server 1 (OP102 in FIG. 11). Along with the support request sent in S12, the identification information and position information of the vehicle 3, the information indicating that the door of the locker 4 was forgotten to be closed, and the identification information of the corresponding storage section of the locker 4 and/or the position in the locker 4 are indicated. Information is also sent. The information indicating that the door of the locker 4 was left unclosed corresponds to the information indicating the type of support case. The identification information of the corresponding storage unit of the locker 4 and/or the information indicating the position in the locker 4 corresponds to the detailed information of the support case.

In S13, the center server 1 receives the support request from the vehicle 3 (OP201 in FIG. 12: YES), and identifies the user terminal 2 as the terminal of the virtual administrator existing within a predetermined range from the vehicle 3 (FIG. 12 OP202). In S14, the center server 1 transmits a support request to the user terminal 2 (OP203 in FIG. 12). In S14, together with the support response request, the identification information and position information of the vehicle 3, the information indicating that the door of the locker 4 was forgotten to be closed, the identification information of the corresponding storage section of the locker 4 and/or information indicating the position in the locker 4, and , information about the incentives granted is also transmitted.

In S15, the user terminal 2 receives the support response request from the center server 1 (OP401 in FIG. 14: YES), displays the support response request screen (OP402 in FIG. 14), and prompts the user to input a response indicating acceptance. Received (OP403 in FIG. 14: YES), and transmits a response indicating acceptance to the center server 1 (OP404 in FIG. 14). In S16, the center server 1 receives a response indicating acceptance from the user terminal 2 (OP204 in FIG. 12: YES), and transmits a formal request to the user terminal 2 (OP205 in FIG. 12). In S<b>17 , the center server 1 transmits support correspondence information to the vehicle 3 .

In S21, the virtual administrator who is the user of the user terminal 2 gets into the vehicle 3 and performs corresponding processing such as closing the door of the locker 4 that has been forgotten to close. In S22, the virtual administrator who is the user of the user terminal 2 inputs a user operation to complete the support response to the user terminal 2 and the vehicle 3 (OP105 in FIG. 11: YES, OP407 in FIG. 14). In S23, the vehicle 3 transmits a support response completion notification to the center server 1 (OP106 in FIG. 11). In S24, the user terminal 2 transmits a support response completion notification to the center server 1 (OP408 in FIG. 14).

In S25, since the center server 1 has received support response completion notifications from both the user terminal 2 and the vehicle 3 (OP206 in FIG. 12: YES, OP207: YES), it sends a response to the user terminal 2 and the vehicle 3. It transmits (OP208 of FIG. 12). In S26, the center server 1 provides the user of the user terminal 2 with an incentive for forgetting to close the door of the locker 4 (OP209 in FIG. 12).

<Action and effect of the first embodiment>
In the first embodiment, the administrators of the vehicle 3 can be distributed by the user or the business operator acting as a virtual administrator who can deal with the support cases of the vehicle 3 . As a result, even when a support incident for the vehicle 3 occurs, the support incident is dealt with by the virtual manager in the vicinity of the vehicle 3 . Therefore, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to respond more quickly to the support incident of the vehicle 3 .

For example, when the support case of the vehicle 3 is a minor abnormality, the vehicle 3 can solve the abnormality without returning to the center or the like, and the operating rate can be improved. In addition, for example, when the support case of the vehicle 3 is support for loading and unloading of luggage, transportation from the vehicle 3 to a predetermined place, etc., it is possible to improve convenience for the user who uses the mobile locker service.

Further, in the first embodiment, an incentive is given to the virtual manager who has handled the support incident of the vehicle 3, so that it is possible to encourage the virtual manager to register as a virtual manager. In addition, since incentives differ in type, timing, etc., depending on whether the user is an individual user or a business, it is possible to provide incentives that are convenient for the virtual administrator.

<Modified Example of First Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, a virtual administrator who exists within a predetermined range from the vehicle 3 is selected as the person who handles the support incident for the vehicle 3 . In addition to this, in the modified example of the first embodiment, the attributes of the virtual manager are also taken into consideration when selecting the implementer of the support case for the vehicle 3 .

For example, loading, unloading and carrying luggage can be difficult for women if the luggage is large or heavy. Also, when a user using the mobile locker service requests a virtual manager to load and unload or transport a package, the user and the virtual manager will meet face to face. When requesting the transportation of luggage, for example, the customer may have the luggage delivered to his or her home. Therefore, for example, a user requesting loading/unloading or transportation of luggage may assign attributes such as, for example, a female person is better than a male person or a young person is better to a person who handles a support case. There may be requirements for

In the modified example of the first embodiment, when the support case for the vehicle 3 is the loading and unloading or delivery of a package and the size of the package is equal to or larger than a predetermined size, the control unit 11 selects a male virtual administrator as the operator. to select. In addition, the control unit 11 receives desired conditions regarding the implementer from the user requesting the handling of the support case, and selects a virtual administrator who meets the desired conditions as the implementer. It should be noted that the user is the originator of the support request when the type of the support case is loading and unloading of luggage and transportation of luggage from the vehicle 3 to a predetermined location.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart of operator selection processing in the modification of the first embodiment. The processing shown in FIG. 16 is, for example, processing executed in place of the processing of OP202 in FIG. 16 is started after the control unit 11 receives the support request from the user terminal or the vehicle 3 (OP201 in FIG. 12).

In OP501, the control unit 11 refers to the virtual administrator terminal information DB 12 to identify the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5, which are the terminals of the virtual administrator, existing within a predetermined range from the vehicle 3. In OP502, the control unit 11 determines whether or not there is a desired condition for the person who handles the support incident of the vehicle 3. Desired conditions for the practitioner are input to the user terminal or vehicle 3 by the user who sent the support request, for example, and are sent to the center server 1 together with the support request. Desired conditions for the practitioner include, for example, designation of attributes such as gender and age.

If the implementer has desired conditions (OP502: YES), the process proceeds to OP503. In OP503, the control unit 11 refers to the user information DB 16 from among the user terminal 2 and the shop terminal 5, which are the terminals of the virtual administrator specified in OP501, and selects a user of the virtual administrator who meets the desired conditions. Terminal 2 or store terminal 5 is extracted. After that, the process proceeds to OP203 in FIG. In this case, a person who handles the support case for the vehicle 3 is selected from virtual administrators who exist within a predetermined range from the vehicle 3 and who meet the desired conditions. In addition, since the business does not have attributes such as gender and age, it may be treated as meeting the gender and age included in the desired conditions.

If there is no desired condition for the implementer (OP502: NO), the process proceeds to OP504. In OP504, the control unit 11 determines whether the type of support incident for the vehicle 3 is loading and unloading of cargo or transportation from the vehicle 3 to a predetermined location. If the type of support incident for the vehicle 3 is neither unloading of cargo nor transportation from the vehicle 3 to a predetermined location (OP504: NO), the process proceeds to OP203 in FIG. In this case, a person who handles the support incident for the vehicle 3 is selected from the virtual administrators existing within a predetermined range from the vehicle 3 .

In OP505, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the size of the cargo to be loaded/unloaded or transported is equal to or greater than a predetermined size. The size of the package may be graded, for example, by the total length of the width, height, and depth of the package. The size of the parcel is input to the user terminal or vehicle 3 by the user who sent the support request, and is sent to the center server 1 together with the support request.

If the size of the cargo to be unloaded or transported is greater than or equal to the specified size (OP5
05: YES), the process proceeds to OP506. In OP506, the control unit 11 refers to the user information DB 16 and extracts a male virtual administrator from the virtual administrators identified in OP501. After that, the process proceeds to OP203 in FIG. In this case, a person who handles the support incident for the vehicle 3 is selected from male virtual administrators present within a predetermined range from the vehicle 3 .

If the size of the cargo to be unloaded or transported is smaller than the predetermined size (OP505: NO), the process proceeds to OP203 in FIG. In this case, a person who handles the support incident for the vehicle 3 is selected from the virtual administrators existing within a predetermined range from the vehicle 3 .

According to the modified example of the first embodiment, it is possible to select, as a person who handles the support case for the vehicle 3, a virtual administrator whose attribute is according to the size of the luggage and the desired conditions of the user who made the support request. can. For example, when the support case of the vehicle 3 is loading and unloading or delivery of cargo, if the size of the cargo is large, the male virtual manager is selected as the executor, so that the loading and unloading or transportation can be carried out smoothly. can be done. For example, if the user making the support request has desired conditions for the implementer of the support case, a virtual administrator who meets the desired conditions can be selected as the implementer, enhancing the convenience of the mobile locker service. be able to.

<Second embodiment>
In the first embodiment, a request for support is transmitted from the center server 1 to the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5 of the virtual manager present around the vehicle 3 . In the second embodiment, instead of this, when a virtual administrator exists around the vehicle 3, the vehicle 3 outputs a voice message indicating a request for support, thereby providing support to the surrounding virtual administrator. Notify the request for response. In the second embodiment, the system configuration, hardware configuration and functional configuration of each device are the same as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 17 is an example of a flowchart of processing of the vehicle 3 according to the second embodiment. The processing shown in FIG. 17 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle. 17 is executed by the CPU 310 of the data communication device 310, but for the sake of convenience, the functional components of the vehicle 3 are mainly described. The process shown in FIG. 17 is executed in the second embodiment instead of the process shown in FIG. 11 of the first embodiment.

In OP601, the control unit 31 determines whether or not a support incident has occurred. The occurrence of a support incident is detected, for example, when a minor abnormality is detected, when a notification of insufficient charging is received, or when input of a user operation requesting support is received. Further, in the second embodiment, a support request is transmitted from the user terminal to the center server 1, and the support request is transmitted from the center server 1 to the vehicle 3 when the vehicle 3 matches the support request. Therefore, in the second embodiment, even when a support request is received from the center server 1, the control unit 31 detects that a support case has occurred.

If a support issue has occurred (OP601: YES), the process proceeds to OP602. If no support issue has occurred (OP601: NO), the process shown in FIG. 17 ends.

In OP602, the control unit 31 transmits a virtual administrator identification request to the center server 1. FIG. The virtual administrator identification request is a request to determine whether or not the user terminal 2 or store terminal 5, which is the terminal of the virtual administrator, exists within a predetermined range from the vehicle 3 . For example, the identification information and location information of the vehicle 3 are also transmitted together with the virtual administrator identification request. As a response to the request for identifying the virtual administrator, information indicating whether or not the user terminal 2 or the shop terminal 5, which is the terminal of the virtual administrator, exists within a predetermined range from the vehicle 3 is received from the center server 1. be. However, the information is not limited to this, and the identification information of the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5, which is the terminal of the virtual manager, may also be received from the center server 1 within a predetermined range from the vehicle 3, for example.

In OP603, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5, which is the terminal of the virtual manager, exists within a predetermined range from the vehicle 3. The determination in OP603 is made based on the response to the request from the center server 1 to specify the virtual administrator. If the user terminal 2 or the store terminal 5, which is the terminal of the virtual administrator, exists within a predetermined range from the vehicle 3 (OP603: YES), the process proceeds to OP604. If the user terminal 2 or the shop terminal 5, which is the terminal of the virtual manager, does not exist within the predetermined range from the vehicle 3 (OP603: NO), the process shown in FIG. 17 ends.

In OP604, the control unit 31 outputs from the speaker 340 a voice message requesting a support case for the vehicle 3. The voice message output from the speaker 340 for requesting a response to a support case is, for example, "Please provide support." However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the control section 31 may simply output an alarm sound from the speaker 340 . The output of sound from speaker 340 continues for a predetermined time until, for example, an acceptance response is input.

When the virtual manager present around the vehicle 3 notices the voice output from the vehicle 3 and approves the response to the support case, for example, the virtual manager responds from the touch panel display 320 of the vehicle 3 indicating approval. and your own identification information. At this time, the touch panel display 320 may display, for example, a screen containing information such as the type of support case, such as a support response request screen.

In OP605, the control unit 31 determines, for example, through the touch panel display 320 whether or not a user operation indicating acceptance has been input. If a user operation indicating acceptance has been input (OP605: YES), the process proceeds to OP606. If the user operation indicating acceptance is not input even after the predetermined time has passed (OP605: NO), the processing shown in FIG. 17 ends.

In OP606, the control unit 31 determines whether or not a user operation to complete support is input. The user operation for completion of support handling is input by the user (virtual administrator) who handles the handling of the support case. If the user operation for completion of support has been input (OP606: YES), the process proceeds to OP607, and the control unit 31 transmits a support completion notification to the center server 1. FIG. As a result, the center server 1 records the history information of the response to the support incident of the vehicle 3 . If the user operation to complete the support has not been input (OP606: NO), the control unit 31 enters a standby state until the user operation to complete the support is input.

In OP608, the control unit 31 determines whether or not a response has been received from the center server 1. If a response has been received from the center server 1 (OP608: YES), the processing shown in FIG. 17 ends. If no response has been received from the center server 1 (OP608: NO), the control unit 31 is in a standby state until receiving a response from the center server 1. FIG.

In the second embodiment, the vehicle 3 outputs a voice to notify the surroundings of the request for handling the support case, so that the virtual administrator present in the surroundings can directly notify the occurrence of the support case. This makes it possible to respond to support cases more quickly. The data communication device 301 of the vehicle 3 according to the second embodiment is an example of an "information processing device".

<Other embodiments>
The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

The processes and means described in the present disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as there is no technical contradiction.

Also, the processing described as being performed by one device may be shared and performed by a plurality of devices. Alternatively, processes described as being performed by different devices may be performed by one device. In a computer system, it is possible to flexibly change the hardware configuration (server configuration) to implement each function.

The present disclosure can also be implemented by supplying a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and reading and executing the program by one or more processors of the computer. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the system bus of the computer, or may be provided to the computer via a network. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is any type of disk such as, for example, a magnetic disk (floppy disk, hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD disk, Blu-ray disk, etc.), Including read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic cards, flash memory, optical cards, any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

Reference Signs List 1 Center server 2 User terminal 3 Vehicle 4 Locker 5 Store terminals 11, 21, 31 Control unit 12 Virtual manager terminal information database 13 Incentive information database 14 History information database 15 Service information database 16 User information database 100 Mobile locker system 101, 201 CPU
102, 202... Memory 103, 203... External storage device 104... Communication unit 204... Wireless communication unit

Claims (20)

detecting the occurrence of a labor-intensive support incident for a vehicle providing a given service;
a control unit for requesting a virtual manager located around the vehicle to handle the support case;
Information processing device. The virtual administrator is a user who has registered for the predetermined service or a store staff of an affiliated business operator,
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The vehicle is an autonomous vehicle and runs without a human on board.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The control unit
Identifying a virtual manager located around the vehicle based on respective location information of the vehicle and a terminal used by the virtual manager;
Sending a request for handling the support case to the terminal used by the identified virtual administrator;
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The control unit
further identifying a virtual administrator that matches attributes according to the type of support case;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 4. The control unit
Further specifying a virtual administrator whose attribute satisfies the desired conditions when the support case has occurred at the request of the user and the desired conditions of the user have been received;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 4. The control unit
Giving a predetermined incentive to the virtual administrator who has responded to the support case;
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The control unit provides an incentive with a value according to the type of the support case,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 7. The control unit determines whether the virtual administrator who has responded to the support case is an individual user registered with the predetermined service or a staff member of a business affiliated with the predetermined service. determining the predetermined incentive accordingly;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 or 8. The control unit
receiving information indicating that the first user is also registered as the virtual administrator from the terminal of the first user who is to be registered with the predetermined service;
registering the first user in a storage unit as the virtual administrator;
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The vehicle is a vehicle loaded with a locker and provided for a service to transport luggage stored in the locker as the predetermined service,
The support incident is either forgetting to close the locker door, forgetting to leave garbage in the vehicle, insufficient charging of the vehicle, loading and unloading of the luggage, and transportation of the luggage to a predetermined place.
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9. the computer
detecting the occurrence of a labor-intensive support incident for a vehicle providing a given service;
and requesting a virtual manager located near the vehicle to handle the support case. The virtual administrator is a user who has registered for the predetermined service or a store staff of an affiliated business operator,
The information processing method according to claim 12. The vehicle is an autonomous vehicle and runs without a human on board.
The information processing method according to claim 12 or 13. the computer
Identifying a virtual manager located around the vehicle based on respective location information of the vehicle and a terminal used by the virtual manager;
Sending a request for handling the support case to the terminal used by the identified virtual administrator;
The information processing method according to any one of claims 12 to 14. the computer
further identifying a virtual administrator that matches attributes according to the type of support case;
The information processing method according to claim 15. the computer
Further specifying a virtual administrator whose attribute satisfies the desired conditions when the support case has occurred at the request of the user and the desired conditions of the user have been received;
The information processing method according to claim 15. the computer
Giving a predetermined incentive to the virtual administrator who has responded to the support case;
The information processing method according to any one of claims 12 to 17. the computer
receiving information indicating that the first user is also registered as the virtual administrator from the terminal of the first user who is to be registered with the predetermined service;
registering the first user in a storage unit as the virtual administrator;
The information processing method according to any one of claims 12 to 18. The vehicle is a vehicle loaded with a locker and provided for a service to transport luggage stored in the locker as the predetermined service,
The support incident is either forgetting to close the locker door, forgetting to leave garbage in the vehicle, insufficient charging of the vehicle, loading and unloading of the luggage, and transportation of the luggage to a predetermined place.
The information processing method according to any one of claims 12 to 19.

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