JP6974185B2 - Vehicle-related processing execution device for car sharing and vehicle-related processing execution method for car sharing - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution device and a car-sharing-related processing execution method, and in particular, a car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution device and a car-sharing related to a car-sharing service in which a car-sharing vehicle is returned in a one-way manner. It is suitable for use in a vehicle-related processing execution method.

In recent years, as a service for renting vehicles to users, a car sharing service has become widespread in addition to the rental car service. Patent Document 1 describes a system that provides a car sharing service. In the system according to Patent Document 1, information indicating what kind of reservation has been made by a user who has used a car sharing service in the past is managed as history information, and the user uses the car sharing service as appropriate based on the history information. It provides useful information for booking a vehicle (for example, information indicating the congestion status during a time period when the user is statistically frequently used). According to Patent Document 1, the convenience of the user is improved, and the user can be encouraged to use the car sharing service.

Here, the car sharing service includes a round method and a one-way method as a method for returning a vehicle for car sharing. The round method is a method in which a user rents a car-sharing vehicle at one waiting facility and then returns the rented car-sharing vehicle to the one waiting facility. On the other hand, the one-way method is a method in which a user rents a car-sharing vehicle at one waiting facility and then returns the car-sharing vehicle to any of the returnable waiting facilities, not limited to the one waiting facility. be. Since the one-way method allows the user to drop off the car-sharing vehicle, it is highly convenient for the user, and it is expected that the one-way method will be widely used in the car-sharing service in the future.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-018456

By the way, the car sharing service is a service in which a user rents a car sharing vehicle and temporarily uses it, but when the user uses the car sharing vehicle, he / she feels attachment to the car sharing vehicle itself. , You may want to reuse the car-sharing vehicle itself. For example, the user feels comfortable while driving the car-sharing vehicle because the driving characteristics derived from the individual differences of the car-sharing vehicle match the user's driving style, and the car-sharing vehicle. When you drive a long distance using the vehicle and feel a sense of solidarity, you may feel attached to the car-sharing vehicle you used and want to use the car-sharing vehicle itself again.

Here, when the car-sharing vehicle is returned in a round manner, basically, the car-sharing vehicle used in the past is rented by the user and waits at the returned waiting facility. Therefore, the user can re-rent the car-sharing vehicle used in the past at the waiting facility. However, when the car-sharing vehicle is returned in a one-way manner, the car-sharing vehicle used by the user in the past is not waiting at a specific waiting facility, and the user intentionally used it in the past. It is difficult to rent a car-sharing vehicle again. On the other hand, regarding the car-sharing service in which the car-sharing vehicle is returned in a one-way manner, the user may wish to use the car-sharing vehicle itself rented by the car-sharing service again. If a service that contributes to the fulfillment of a desired desire can be provided, it will lead to an improvement in user satisfaction and encourage users to use the car sharing service. However, conventionally, there has been no service utilizing such a feature.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and for a car-sharing service in which a car-sharing vehicle is returned in a one-way manner, the car-sharing vehicle itself rented by the user in the past is re-used. The purpose is to provide an easy-to-use environment, improve user satisfaction, and encourage users to use car-sharing services.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution device of the present invention is the position of the car-sharing vehicle provided by the car-sharing service and the position of the user who has used the car-sharing service. And also manage the used vehicles that are the car-sharing vehicles that the users actually used in the past for each user. Then, the vehicle-related processing execution device for car sharing of the present invention monitors the position of the user and the position of the used vehicle to see if these positions are in close proximity to each other, and determines the position of the user. When it is detected that the position of the used vehicle has a predetermined relationship, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing for making the user aware of the existence of the used vehicle is executed.

In the car sharing service where the car sharing vehicle is returned by the one-way method, the car sharing vehicle that the user rented in the past does not wait at a specific waiting facility, so the car that the user intentionally used in the past While it is difficult to re-use the shared vehicle, the car-sharing vehicle waits in one of the distributed waiting facilities, so the user unintentionally accidentally in the past. You may pass near the car-sharing vehicle you used. Based on this, according to the present invention configured as described above, when the position of the user and the position of the used vehicle, which is the vehicle for car sharing actually used by the user in the past, are close to each other, the vehicle for car sharing Related processing is executed, and the user can be made aware of the existence of the used vehicle. For this reason, if the user feels attached to the used vehicle and wants to use the used vehicle again, and the user accidentally passes by the used vehicle, the used vehicle is used. It is possible to improve the user's satisfaction by reminding them of the attachment they felt when using the vehicle, and if there is a used vehicle nearby, it is possible to make the user feel that they are going to use it. It is possible to encourage users to use the car sharing service.

It is a figure which shows the configuration example of the vehicle-related processing execution system for car sharing which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure example of the control server which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the contents of the record of various databases. It is a figure used for the explanation of a specific positional relationship. It is a flowchart which shows the operation example of the control server which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle-related processing execution system 1 for car sharing according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution system 1 includes a control server 2 (corresponding to the “car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution device” in the claims), a mobile terminal 3, and an in-vehicle device 4. Consists of including. The control server 2, the mobile terminal 3, and the in-vehicle device 4 can each access the network N configured to include the Internet, a telephone network, and other communication networks.

The mobile terminal 3 is a portable terminal owned by the user. In the present embodiment, the mobile terminal 3 is a plate-shaped terminal (for example, a so-called smartphone or a tablet computer) having a touch panel provided in a wide area on the front surface, and is assumed to be equipped with at least a GPS unit. .. The application installed on the mobile terminal 3 can acquire the detection value of the GPS unit by using the API provided by the OS. The form of the mobile terminal 3 is not limited to the form exemplified in this embodiment, and as an example, a mobile computer other than a tablet type, a wristwatch type wearable terminal, or the like may be used.

In the present embodiment, the user possessing the mobile terminal 3 is registered as a member of a company that provides a car sharing service (hereinafter referred to as "car sharing provider"), and the car sharing service provided by the car sharing provider. Can be used. In the present embodiment, the user uses the car sharing service in the following embodiments. That is, waiting facilities are set up in various places by the car sharing provider. The waiting facility is a facility where vehicles rented to users in the car sharing service (hereinafter referred to as "vehicles for car sharing") are rented and vehicles for car sharing are accepted for return. Then, when renting a car-sharing vehicle, the user goes to a waiting facility, appropriately performs procedures necessary for borrowing such as user authentication, and rents the car-sharing vehicle. Although details are omitted, the user can reserve a vehicle for car sharing in advance by using the reservation service provided by the car sharing provider.

In addition, when returning a car-sharing vehicle, the user should go to an "arbitrary" waiting facility with the car-sharing vehicle and properly perform the necessary procedures for return, including payment of the usage fee, to return the car-sharing vehicle. return. Although details are omitted, the usage fee is appropriately calculated based on the time when the user rents the car sharing vehicle, the mileage, and the like. As described above, in the present embodiment, the return of the car-sharing vehicle is not limited to the waiting facility in which the user rents the car-sharing vehicle, but is an arbitrary waiting facility (naturally, the waiting facility in which the car-sharing vehicle is rented). It is done by the one-way method of returning to (may be). The one-way method is highly convenient for the user because the user can drop off the car-sharing vehicle.

The in-vehicle device 4 is a device mounted on a car-sharing vehicle rented by a car-sharing provider. The in-vehicle device 4 according to the present embodiment has at least the following functions. That is, the in-vehicle device 4 has a function of communicating with the control server 2 via the network N. Further, the in-vehicle device 4 has a function of detecting the position of the vehicle and the direction of the vehicle based on the detection values of the GPS unit (not shown) and other sensors. "Vehicle orientation" means the orientation in which the front of the vehicle body is heading, regardless of whether the vehicle is moving or stopped. Further, the in-vehicle device 4 has a function of driving the headlight 5 by controlling a drive mechanism (not shown) for driving the headlight 5 provided in the vehicle.

The control server 2 is a server device managed by a car sharing provider, and executes various processes related to the provision of the car sharing service. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the control server 2. Note that, in FIGS. 1 and 2, the control server 2 is represented by one block, but this does not mean that the control server 2 is composed of a single server device, and the control server 2 is a control server 2. , May be configured by a plurality of server devices.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control server 2 has a communication unit 10, a position management unit 11, a user information management unit 12, a vehicle information management unit 13, a positional relationship monitoring unit 14, and a car-sharing vehicle-related process execution as functional configurations. It has a part 15. Each of the above functional blocks 10 to 15 can be configured by any of hardware, DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and software. For example, when configured by software, each of the functional blocks 10 to 15 is actually configured to include a computer CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., and is a program stored in a recording medium such as RAM, ROM, a hard disk, or a semiconductor memory. Is realized by the operation of. The above is the same for other functional blocks described later. Further, the control server 2 includes a position storage unit 20, a user information storage unit 21, a vehicle information storage unit 22, and a facility information storage unit 23 as storage means.

The communication unit 10 communicates with a device connected to the network N according to a predetermined communication standard.

The position management unit 11 manages the position and orientation of each of the car-sharing vehicles by using the vehicle position management database 20a stored in the position storage unit 20. The vehicle position management database 20a is a database having a record for each vehicle for car sharing. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing the contents of one record in the vehicle position management database 20a. As shown in FIG. 3A, one record of the vehicle position management database 20a has a vehicle ID, vehicle position information, and vehicle orientation information. The vehicle ID is identification information for identifying a vehicle for car sharing. Vehicle position information and vehicle orientation information will be described later. Hereinafter, the processing of the position management unit 11 when managing each position of the car sharing vehicle by using the vehicle position management database 20a will be described in detail.

Here, the in-vehicle device 4 periodically detects the position of the vehicle and the direction of the vehicle at a predetermined cycle while the power is turned on, and the information indicating the position of the vehicle and the information indicating the direction of the vehicle are shown. And the vehicle position notification information including the vehicle ID is transmitted to the control server 2. Upon receiving the vehicle position notification information, the position management unit 11 identifies a record corresponding to the vehicle ID included in the information among the records of the vehicle position management database 20a. Then, the position management unit 11 updates the vehicle position information of the specified record with the information indicating the position of the vehicle included in the received vehicle position notification information. Further, the position management unit 11 updates the vehicle orientation information of the specified record with the information indicating the vehicle orientation included in the received vehicle position notification information. As a result of the above processing performed by the position management unit 11, the values of the vehicle position information and the vehicle orientation information of the record corresponding to the vehicle for car sharing in the vehicle position management database 20a are mounted on the vehicle for car sharing. The value is updated by the vehicle position notification information most recently received from the in-vehicle device 4.

In this embodiment, even while the vehicle is stopped (standby) at the standby facility, the power required for the in-vehicle device 4 is supplied from the backup power source or the like, and the in-vehicle device 4 is turned on. .. Further, even while the vehicle is stopped at the standby facility, the electric power required for the headlight 5 is supplied, and the headlight 5 can be driven under the control of the in-vehicle device 4.

Further, the position management unit 11 manages each position of the user by using the user position management database 20b stored in the position storage unit 20. The user location management database 20b is a database having a record for each user. FIG. 3B is a diagram showing the contents of one record in the user location management database 20b. As shown in FIG. 3B, one record in the user location management database 20b has a user ID, user location information, and an application start flag. The user ID is identification information for identifying the user. The user location information and the application startup flag will be described later. Hereinafter, the processing of the position management unit 11 when managing each position of the user by using the user position management database 20b will be described in detail.

Here, in the present embodiment, the mobile terminal 3 is in a state in which a dedicated application (hereinafter referred to as "dedicated application") is activated while the user is moving outdoors. The dedicated application is an application provided by a car sharing provider and has the following functions. That is, the dedicated application periodically acquires the detected value from the GPS unit of the mobile terminal 3 at a predetermined cycle while the dedicated application is running, and based on the acquired detected value, the user's position (= GPS unit). It has a function of transmitting the user position notification information including the information indicating the position of the mobile terminal 3 indicated by the detected value of the user ID and the user ID to the control server 2. Upon receiving the user position notification information, the position management unit 11 identifies a record corresponding to the user ID included in the information among the records of the user position management database 20b. Then, the position management unit 11 updates the user position information of the specified record with the information indicating the user's position included in the received user position notification information. As a result of the above processing performed by the location management unit 11, the value of the user location information of the record corresponding to one user of the user location management database 20b is the user most recently received from the mobile terminal 3 possessed by the one user. It will be the value updated by the location notification information.

Further, the position management unit 11 sets the application start flag during the period when the user position notification information is periodically received from the mobile terminal 3 of one user at a predetermined cycle, and lowers the application start flag during the other period. .. As a result of the above processing being performed by the location management unit 11, the dedicated application of the mobile terminal 3 owned by the one user is activated for one user, and corresponds to the one user in the user location management database 20b. When the value of the user position information of the record reflects the current position of the user, the application start flag is set, and in other cases, the application start flag is lowered.

In the present embodiment, the mobile terminal 3 (the terminal that receives the vehicle presence notification mail described later) transmits the user position notification information. In this regard, the device for transmitting the user position notification information may be a device other than the mobile terminal 3. For example, a wearable terminal worn by the user (for example, a wristwatch-type wearable terminal or a glasses-type wearable terminal) may be configured to transmit user position notification information.

The user information management unit 12 uses the user information database 21a stored in the user information storage unit 21 to use a car sharing vehicle (hereinafter, may be referred to as “used vehicle”) actually used by the user in the past. to manage. The user information database 21a is a database having a record for each user. FIG. 3C is a diagram showing the contents of one record in the user information database 21a. As shown in FIG. 3C, one record in the user information database 21a has a user ID, used vehicle information, and user mail information. Used vehicle information and user mail information will be described later. Hereinafter, the process of the user information management unit 12 when managing the car sharing vehicle actually used by the user in the past by using the user information database 21a will be described in detail.

Here, the control server 2 has a usage status management function that comprehensively manages the usage status of the car-sharing vehicle by the user (whether the car-sharing vehicle is rented out or is waiting at the waiting facility). Connected to the system. This usage status management system transmits rental notification information including the user ID of the user and the vehicle ID of the rented car sharing vehicle to the control server 2 each time the car sharing vehicle is rented to the user. do. Upon receiving the loan notification information, the user information management unit 12 identifies the record corresponding to the user ID included in the information among the records in the user information database 21a. Then, the user information management unit 12 updates the used vehicle information of the specified record based on the vehicle ID (= vehicle ID of the car sharing vehicle lent to the user) included in the received rental notification information. The control server 2 may have a function of comprehensively managing the usage status of the car sharing vehicle by the user, and the user information management unit 12 may update the used vehicle information based on the function.

More specifically, the initial value of the used vehicle information is a null value. Then, when the user information management unit 12 receives the rental notification information about one user, it is included in the received rental notification information in the used vehicle information of the record corresponding to the one user in the user information database 21a. Add the vehicle ID. At that time, if the used vehicle information already includes a vehicle ID having the same value as the value of the vehicle ID to be added, the user information management unit 12 does not add the vehicle ID in duplicate. As a result of the above processing performed by the user information management unit 12, the value of the used vehicle information of the record corresponding to one user of the user information database 21a is actually used (borrowed) by the one user in the past. It is a value indicating each vehicle ID of the car sharing vehicle.

Further, the user information management unit 12 uses the user information database 21a stored in the user information storage unit 21 to use an e-mail address (hereinafter, "user e-mail address") used by the user to receive a vehicle presence notification e-mail described later. ) Is managed. In the present embodiment, the user e-mail address for one user is an e-mail address that can be used for receiving an e-mail by the mobile terminal 3 possessed by the one user. To elaborate on the processing of the user information management unit 12 when managing the user e-mail address, the user information management unit 12 acquires the user's user e-mail address by a predetermined means at a predetermined timing. As an example, when a user registers as a member, the user email address is input to a predetermined user interface related to the member registration, and the user information management unit 12 has the user email input to the predetermined user interface. Get the address.

Then, when the user information management unit 12 acquires the user email address for one user, the value of the user email information of the record corresponding to the one user in the user information database 21a is determined by the acquired user email address. Update. Further, when the user information management unit 12 receives an instruction to change the value of the user email address indicated by the user email information of the record corresponding to the user of the user information database 21a, the user information management unit 12 is instructed to change the value of the user email address based on the instruction. Change the value of the user mail information related to the user of. As a result of the above processing performed by the user information management unit 12, the user mail information of the record corresponding to one user of the user information database 21a can be used by receiving the mail by the mobile terminal 3 possessed by the one user. It is information indicating an e-mail address.

The user email address corresponds to "communication information" in the claims. In the present embodiment, the vehicle presence notification information is transmitted by e-mail (described later), but the information may be transmitted by another method such as push notification via a dedicated application. In this case, the information necessary for transmitting the information by another method corresponds to "communication information". For example, when the information is transmitted by push notification via a dedicated application, the information required for push notification (for example, device identification information issued by a predetermined server) corresponds to "communication information". do.

The vehicle information management unit 13 manages the reservation status of the vehicle for car sharing by using the vehicle information database 22a stored in the vehicle information storage unit 22. The vehicle information database 22a is a database having a record for each vehicle for car sharing. FIG. 3D is a diagram showing the contents of one record in the vehicle information database 22a. As shown in FIG. 3D, one record in the vehicle information database 22a has a vehicle ID, a reservation flag, use start date / time information, a waiting flag, and waiting facility information. Hereinafter, the processing of the vehicle information management unit 13 when managing the reservation status of the car sharing vehicle using the vehicle information database 22a will be described in detail.

Here, the control server 2 is connected to a reservation status management system having a function of comprehensively managing the reservation status of the car-sharing vehicle. Although details are omitted, the reservation of the car-sharing vehicle is made at the user's desired start date and time among the car-sharing vehicles waiting at the waiting facility where the user wishes to rent the car-sharing vehicle by a predetermined means. Car-sharing vehicles that can be rented are selected and properly executed. Then, this reservation status management system notifies the control server 2 of the combination of the vehicle ID of the reserved car-sharing vehicle and the information indicating the start date and time of use each time the user makes a reservation for the car-sharing vehicle. do. Further, this reservation status management system controls the vehicle ID of the car-sharing vehicle every time the reserved car-sharing vehicle is rented out to the user based on the reservation or every time the reservation is canceled. Notify to.

Based on the notification from the reservation status management system, the vehicle information management unit 13 rents out a car-sharing vehicle based on the reservation during the period in which a reservation is made for one car-sharing vehicle (after the reservation is made, the car-sharing vehicle is rented out based on the reservation. The reservation flag of the record corresponding to the one car-sharing vehicle in the vehicle information database 22a is set in the vehicle information database 22a), and the reservation flag is lowered in the other period. Further, the vehicle information management unit 13 sets the value of the usage start date / time information as a value indicating the usage start date / time related to the reservation during the period when the reservation is made for one car sharing vehicle, and sets the value indicating the usage start date / time related to the reservation in the other period. The value of the usage start date and time information is a null value.

Further, the vehicle information management unit 13 uses the vehicle information database 22a stored in the vehicle information storage unit 22 to determine whether or not the vehicle for car sharing is waiting in the standby facility, and if the vehicle is in standby, the waiting facility is on standby. To manage. More specifically, as described above, the control server 2 comprehensively manages the usage status of the car-sharing vehicle by the user (whether the car-sharing vehicle is rented or is waiting at the waiting facility). It is connected to a usage management system that has a function. Then, in this usage status management system, every time the car-sharing vehicle is returned to the waiting facility and the waiting of the car-sharing vehicle is started at the waiting facility, the vehicle ID of the car-sharing vehicle and the car-sharing vehicle are used. The control server 2 is notified of the combination with the facility ID (identification information for identifying the waiting facility) of the waiting facility on which the vehicle waits. Further, this usage status management system notifies the control server 2 of the vehicle ID of the car-sharing vehicle each time the car-sharing vehicle is rented out to the user and the standby of the car-sharing vehicle at the waiting facility is canceled. ..

Based on the notification from the usage status management system, the vehicle information management unit 13 refers to the vehicle information database 22a for the period during which the one car-sharing vehicle is waiting at the waiting facility for the one car-sharing vehicle. Set the waiting flag of the record corresponding to one car-sharing vehicle, and lower the waiting flag during the rest of the period. Further, the vehicle information management unit 13 corresponds to the one car-sharing vehicle in the vehicle information database 22a while the one-car-sharing vehicle is waiting at the waiting facility for the one car-sharing vehicle. The value of the waiting facility information in the record is taken as the facility ID of the waiting facility where the one car-sharing vehicle is waiting.

The facility information storage unit 23 stores the facility information database 23a. FIG. 3E is a diagram showing the contents of one record in the facility information database 23a. As shown in FIG. 3 (E), one record of the facility information database 23a contains a facility ID and facility location information indicating the location of the facility (for example, the location of the central part of the area on the map of the facility). Have.

The positional relationship monitoring unit 14 monitors for each user whether or not the position of the user and the position of the used vehicle have a specific positional relationship. Hereinafter, the processing of the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 will be described in detail by taking as an example a case where a certain user (hereinafter, referred to as “target user” for convenience) is targeted for processing. That is, the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 actually executes the processes described below for each of the users.

The positional relationship monitoring unit 14 monitors whether or not the application activation flag of the record corresponding to the target user in the user position management database 20b is set for the target user. When the application activation flag is set (= when the dedicated application of the mobile terminal 3 owned by the target user is activated), the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 performs the following processing during the period when the application activation flag is set. It is executed, and the following processing is not executed during the other period. As described above, when the application start flag related to one user is set, the value of the user position information related to the one user is a value reflecting the current position of the one user.

When the application activation flag for the target user is set, the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 has the vehicle ID of the used vehicle for the target user based on the used vehicle information of the record corresponding to the target user in the user information database 21a. To get. As mentioned above, there may be no used vehicles for the target user, or there may be multiple used vehicles. In the following, it is assumed that there is one or more used vehicles for the target user. If there is no used vehicle for the target user, the following processing is not performed.

For each of the used vehicles for the target user, the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 determines whether the used vehicle is waiting in the waiting facility based on the waiting flag of the record corresponding to the used vehicle in the vehicle information database 22a. Judging whether or not it is, the following positional relationship monitoring process is executed for the used vehicles waiting in the waiting facility, while the following positional relationship monitoring process is executed for the used vehicles that are not waiting in the waiting facility. do not.

The positional relationship monitoring unit 14 monitors whether or not the relationship between the position of the target user and the position of the used vehicle has a specific positional relationship in the positional relationship monitoring process. FIG. 4 is a diagram used for explaining a specific positional relationship. The positional relationship monitoring unit 14 first monitors whether or not the relationship between the position of the target user and the position of the used vehicle has a specific positional relationship, based on the vehicle position information and the vehicle orientation information related to the used vehicle. , The specific range H1 is calculated. As shown in FIG. 4, the specific range H1 is centered on the position of the vehicle (the position indicated by the vehicle position information in the present embodiment) and is in front of the vehicle body (the direction indicated by the vehicle orientation information in the present embodiment). It is a fan-shaped area that extends to. The central angle θ1 and the radius T1 of the specific range H1 allow the light of the headlight 5 to be emitted by the user when the headlight of the vehicle is driven while the user is located within the specific range H1. It is set appropriately based on the results of prior tests and simulations from the viewpoint of making it a perceptible range. Therefore, when one user is located within the specific range H1 related to one vehicle and the headlight 5 of the one vehicle is driven, the light projected by the headlight 5 of the one vehicle is emitted. It will be perceived by the one user. The positional relationship monitoring unit 14 calculates the specific range H1 related to the used vehicle as an area on the map.

After calculating the specific range H1 related to the used vehicle, the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 determines whether or not the target user has entered the specific range H1 based on the user position information related to the target user and the calculated specific range H1. Monitor. Then, when the target user enters the specific range H1 related to the used vehicle, the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 determines that the relationship between the position of the target user and the position of the used vehicle has become a specific positional relationship. do. As described above, the specific positional relationship is a positional relationship in which the user can perceive the light of the headlight 5 when driving the headlight 5 of the used vehicle.

The specific positional relationship corresponds to the "predetermined relationship" in the claims. In the present embodiment, the specific positional relationship is the positional relationship between the position of the user and the position of the used vehicle when the user enters the specific range H1 related to the used vehicle. However, the specific positional relationship is not limited to the exemplified positional relationship. That is, in the present embodiment, the specific positional relationship may be such that the user can perceive the light of the headlight 5 when driving the headlight 5 of the used vehicle. For example, the shape of the specific range H1 is not limited to a fan shape.

The positional relationship monitoring unit 14 executes the above positional relationship monitoring process for each of the waiting used vehicles.

The car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 is a case where it is detected by the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 that the position of the user and the position of the used vehicle have a specific positional relationship, and the predetermined position will be described below. In the case of, the vehicle-related processing for car sharing is executed. Hereinafter, the position of one user (hereinafter referred to as "target user" for convenience) and the position of one used vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "target vehicle" for convenience) have a specific positional relationship. The processing executed by the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 when detected by the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 will be described in detail.

When the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 detects that the position of the target user and the position of the target vehicle have a specific positional relationship, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 determines the target vehicle in the vehicle information database 22a. It is determined whether or not the target vehicle has a reservation based on the usage flag of the corresponding record. When the target vehicle has no reservation, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 executes the car-sharing vehicle-related processing described below.

On the other hand, when the target vehicle has a reservation, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 determines the position of the target user and the target vehicle based on the usage start date / time information of the record corresponding to the target vehicle in the vehicle information database 22a. From the time when the position of is in a specific positional relationship, it is determined whether or not a reservation has been made for a specific time TM1 or more. If no reservation has been made for TM1 or more for a specific time from that point in time, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing described below is executed. On the other hand, if the reservation is made before the specific time TM1 from that time point, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing described below is not executed.

As described above, if there is no reservation for a specific time TM1 or more (including the case where no reservation is made) from the time when the position of the target user and the position of the target vehicle have a specific positional relationship, the vehicle for car sharing The related process execution unit 15 executes the car-sharing vehicle-related process. In the car-sharing vehicle-related processing, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 communicates with the in-vehicle device 4 mounted on the target vehicle and transmits control data required for the in-vehicle device 4 to the in-vehicle device 4. The headlight 5 is driven in a predetermined mode for a predetermined period. As a result, the headlight 5 is turned on in a predetermined mode for a predetermined period. The position of the target user and the position of the target vehicle have a specific positional relationship. Therefore, when the headlight 5 is turned on in a predetermined manner, the target user perceives the light projected by the headlight 5. The effect of this will be described later.

Further, in the car-sharing vehicle-related processing, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 refers to the user information database 21a, acquires the user mail information of the target user, and uses the user mail address indicated by the information as the destination. , Send an e-mail containing the following information (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle existence notification e-mail"). Information indicating that the target vehicle exists near the target user (referred to as "information J1"), information indicating the position of the target vehicle (referred to as "information J2"), and information indicating the availability of the target vehicle (referred to as "information"). J3 ").

Information J1 is, for example, a message such as "There is a car that I used before in the vicinity." Regarding the information J1, the target vehicle can be anthropomorphized and used as a message (for example, a message such as "I'm near you. If you like, please ride again."). The effect of making such a message will be described later. Information J2 is, for example, information in which information indicating that a car-sharing vehicle used in the past exists at the position of the target vehicle is added to a map clearly showing the position of the target user and the position of the target vehicle. .. Information J1 and J2 correspond to "vehicle existence notification information" in the claims. The information J3 is, for example, information indicating that when no reservation is made, and information indicating the start date and time of use when a reservation is made. Regarding information J3, as with information J1, the target vehicle is anthropomorphized and a message like the statement of the target vehicle (for example, a message "Today is always free" or "Today is until XX hours and XX minutes." It can be a message).

As a result of the above-mentioned car-sharing vehicle-related processing being executed by the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15, the target user is the headlight 5 of the target vehicle (the car-sharing vehicle actually used by the target user in the past). While perceiving the light of, the contents of the information J1 to J3 are recognized by the mail received by the mobile terminal 3. This has the following effects. That is, by perceiving the light of the headlight 5 of the target vehicle, the target user can recognize that the car sharing vehicle actually used in the past exists nearby. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the information J1 and the information J2 are included in the mail, the target user has used the car-sharing vehicle driven by the headlight 5 in the past based on the information. It is possible to accurately recognize that the vehicle is a vehicle.

Here, a user who has used a car-sharing vehicle in the past feels attachment to the car-sharing vehicle itself when using the car-sharing vehicle, and wants to use the car-sharing vehicle itself again. I may think. However, when the car-sharing vehicle is returned by the one-way method as in the present embodiment, it is difficult for the user to intentionally re-rent the car-sharing vehicle that was used in the past. Then, according to the present embodiment, when the target user accidentally passes by the target vehicle used in the past, it is possible to recognize that the target vehicle exists nearby. Therefore, if the target user feels attached to the target vehicle and wants to use the target vehicle again, and the target user accidentally passes by the target vehicle, the target vehicle is used. It is possible to improve the satisfaction of the target user by recalling the attachment felt when using it, and if there is a target vehicle nearby, it is possible to make the target user feel the psychology of using it because it is a big deal. , It is possible to encourage the target user to use the car sharing service.

In particular, the driving of the headlight 5 can give the target user an impression of an action voluntarily performed by the target vehicle, and can make the target user more attached. In addition, it is possible to make the target user more attached to the message of the e-mail by anthropomorphizing the target vehicle and making it a message like the remark of the target vehicle. Further, the target user can accurately recognize how long the target vehicle can be rented if the target vehicle is rented based on the information J3.

In the present embodiment, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing is executed when the target vehicle is not reserved for TM1 or more at a specific time. The specific time TM1 is set to be sufficient time (for example, one hour) for the target user to rent the target vehicle, drive a little, and then return it. Therefore, if the target vehicle is reserved before the specific time TM1, the target user cannot rent the target vehicle at that time. Then, according to the above configuration, when the target vehicle cannot be actually rented, the target user wants to rent the target vehicle without recognizing that the target vehicle exists nearby. You can avoid feeling that you can't borrow it.

Next, an operation example of the control server 2 will be described with reference to a flowchart. The flowchart FA in FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 of the control server 2. In particular, the flowchart FA refers to a user (hereinafter referred to as "target user" in the description using FIG. 5) and one used vehicle for the target user (hereinafter referred to as "target" in the description using FIG. 5). An example of a process executed by the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 for a vehicle)) is shown. Further, the flowchart FB of FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 of the control server 2. In particular, the flowchart FB is executed by the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 when the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 detects that the position of the target user and the position of the target vehicle have a specific positional relationship. Explains the process.

As shown in the flowchart FA of FIG. 5, the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 monitors whether or not the application activation flag of the record corresponding to the target user of the user position management database 20b is set for the target user (step SA1). .. When the application start flag is set (step SA1: YES), the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 executes the process of step SA2 or lower. If the application start flag is lowered during the execution of step SA2 or lower, the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 stops the processing, returns the processing procedure to step SA1, and whether the application start flag related to the target user is set again. Monitor whether or not. If there is no used vehicle for the target user (= the target user has never used the car sharing service), or if there is no used vehicle on standby, the process of step SA2 or less is executed. Not done. In the following, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that one or more used vehicles on standby exist for the target user.

In step SA2, the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 calculates the specific range H1. Next, the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 monitors whether or not the target user has entered the specific range H1 based on the user position information related to the target user and the specific range H1 calculated in step SA2 (step SA3). .. When it is detected that the target user has entered the specific range H1 (step SA3: YES), the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 detects that the position of the target user and the position of the target vehicle have a specific positional relationship. (Step SA4). The processing of steps SA2 to SA4 corresponds to the positional relationship monitoring processing. The positional relationship monitoring process is executed for each of the waiting used vehicles.

On the other hand, as shown in the flowchart FB of FIG. 5, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 detects by the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 that the position of the target user and the position of the target vehicle have a specific positional relationship. Monitor whether or not it has been done (step SB1). When it is detected that the specific positional relationship has been reached (step SB1: YES), the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 determines whether or not a reservation has been made (step SB2). If no reservation has been made (step SB2: YES), the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 shifts the processing procedure to step SB4. When a reservation is made (step SB2: NO), the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 determines whether or not a reservation has not been made for the target vehicle for a specific time TM1 or more (step SB3).

When the reservation is not made for the specific time TM1 or more (step SB3: YES), the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 shifts the processing procedure to step SB4. If a reservation is made before the lapse of the specific time TM1 (step SB3: NO), the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 does not execute the car-sharing vehicle-related processing and ends the processing.

In step SB4, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 communicates with the vehicle-mounted device 4 mounted on the target vehicle and transmits control data required for the vehicle-mounted device 4, thereby providing the vehicle-mounted device 4 with the headlight 5. It is driven in a predetermined mode for a predetermined period. Next, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 acquires the user email information of the target user, and sends a vehicle existence notification email containing the information J1 to J3 to the user email address indicated by the information (the vehicle existence notification email). Step SB5). The processes of steps SB4 and SB5 are car-sharing vehicle-related processes.

<Modification example>
Next, a modification will be described.

In the above embodiment, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing includes a processing for driving the headlight 5. In this regard, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing may be configured such that the processing for driving the headlight 5 is not included and only the e-mail is transmitted. Even with this configuration, the user can accurately recognize that there is a car-sharing vehicle used in the past nearby by referring to the contents of the mail (particularly, information J1 and J2). In this case, by setting the specific positional relationship to be a positional relationship in which the user is within a predetermined range including the position of the used vehicle, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing is performed when the user and the used vehicle are close to each other. Can be executed.

Further, in the above embodiment, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing is executed only when no reservation is made for the specific time TM1 or more. In this regard, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing may be executed regardless of whether or not a reservation is made. In the case of this configuration, when the user cannot actually rent the car-sharing vehicle used in the past, the car-sharing vehicle is nearby by driving the headlight 5 and by e-mail. However, even in this case, it is possible to remind the user of the use of the car-sharing vehicle, remind him of his attachment, and improve the user's satisfaction.

Further, in the above embodiment, the information described in the e-mail may not include either information J1 or information J2.

Further, in the above embodiment, the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 and the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 may execute the following processing. That is, the positional relationship monitoring unit 14 monitors whether or not the user has entered the predetermined range including the position of the waiting facility based on the contents of the user position management database 20b and the facility information database 23a. When the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit 15 detects that the user has entered the predetermined range related to one waiting facility by the positional relationship monitoring unit 14, the user mail information related to the user is used as the basis for the user. An e-mail containing the following information is sent to the mobile terminal 3 of the above. Information that introduces the waiting facility (referred to as "Information J4") and information that introduces the waiting facility located around the user (referred to as "Information J5"). Information J4 or J5 may be configured to transmit the information of either one. The information that introduces the waiting facility is information indicating the location of the waiting facility, the availability of car-sharing vehicles waiting at the waiting facility, the campaign being conducted at the waiting facility, and other information about the waiting facility. , Information that is useful to the user and information that encourages the user to use the car sharing service. Information introducing the waiting facility is registered in advance for each waiting facility.

In addition, the above embodiment is merely an example of the embodiment of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed in a limited manner by this. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from its gist or its main features.

2 Control server (vehicle-related processing execution device for car sharing)
3 Mobile terminal 4 In-vehicle device 5 Headlight 11 Position management unit 12 User information management unit 14 Positional relationship monitoring unit 15 Car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit

Claims (9)

A location management unit that manages the location of the car-sharing vehicle provided by the car-sharing service and the location of users who have used the car-sharing service.
For each user, the user information management unit that manages the used vehicle, which is the car-sharing vehicle actually used by the user in the past,
A positional relationship monitoring unit that monitors whether or not the position of the user and the position of the used vehicle have a predetermined relationship close to each other.
When the positional relationship monitoring unit detects that the position of the user and the position of the used vehicle have the predetermined relationship, the car-sharing vehicle for making the user aware of the existence of the used vehicle. Vehicle-related processing execution unit for car sharing that executes related processing,
A vehicle-related processing execution device for car sharing, which is characterized by being equipped with. The predetermined relationship is a positional relationship in which the user can perceive the light of the headlight when driving the headlight of the used vehicle.
The car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit
When the positional relationship monitoring unit detects that the position of the user and the position of the used vehicle have the predetermined relationship, communication with the in-vehicle device of the used vehicle is performed as the car-sharing vehicle-related process. The vehicle-related processing execution device for car sharing according to claim 1, wherein the processing for driving the headlights on the vehicle-mounted device is executed. The user information management department
For each user, the communication information necessary for transmitting the information to the mobile terminal owned by the user is managed, and the communication information is managed.
The car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit
In the car-sharing vehicle-related processing, the in-vehicle device drives the headlight, and the used vehicle exists near the user on the mobile terminal owned by the user based on the communication information of the user. The vehicle-related processing execution device for car sharing according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle existence notification information including at least one of the information indicating to be used and the information indicating the position of the used vehicle is transmitted. The car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit
The car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution device according to claim 3, wherein in the car-sharing vehicle-related processing, information indicating the availability of the used vehicle is transmitted together with the vehicle existence notification information. The predetermined relationship is a positional relationship in which the user is within a predetermined range including the position of the used vehicle.
The user information management department
For each user, the communication information necessary for transmitting the information to the mobile terminal owned by the user is managed, and the communication information is managed.
The car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit
In the car-sharing vehicle-related processing, based on the communication information of the user, information indicating that the used vehicle exists near the user on the mobile terminal owned by the user, or the used vehicle. The vehicle-related processing execution device for car sharing according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle existence notification information including at least one of the information indicating the position of the vehicle is transmitted. The car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit
The car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution device according to claim 5, wherein in the car-sharing vehicle-related processing, information indicating the availability of the used vehicle is transmitted together with the vehicle existence notification information. The car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit
Regarding the used vehicle, when the reservation has not been made for a predetermined time or more since the position of the user and the position of the used vehicle have a predetermined relationship, the car-sharing vehicle-related processing is executed. The vehicle-related processing execution device for car sharing according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Further equipped with a facility information storage unit that stores each position of the waiting facility,
The user information management department
For each user, the communication information necessary for transmitting the information to the mobile terminal owned by the user is managed, and the communication information is managed.
The positional relationship monitoring unit is
Further monitoring whether the user has entered the predetermined area including the location of the waiting facility,
The car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit
When it is detected by the positional relationship monitoring unit that the user has entered the predetermined range related to the waiting facility, the mobile terminal possessed by the user is subjected to the one based on the communication information of the user. The car according to claim 1, wherein the information for introducing the waiting facility or the information for introducing the other waiting facility including the one waiting facility and located around the user is transmitted. Vehicle-related processing execution device for sharing. The position of the vehicle for car sharing provided by the car sharing service and the position of the user who has used the car sharing service are managed, and the car sharing actually used by the user in the past is managed for each user. It is a car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution method by a car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution device that manages a used vehicle that is a vehicle.
A step in which the positional relationship monitoring unit of the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution device monitors whether or not the position of the user and the position of the used vehicle have a predetermined relationship close to each other.
The car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution unit of the car-sharing vehicle-related processing execution device has detected that the position of the user and the position of the used vehicle have the predetermined relationship by the positional relationship monitoring unit. In the case, a step of executing a car-sharing vehicle-related process for making the user aware of the existence of the used vehicle, and
A vehicle-related processing execution method for car sharing, which comprises.

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