Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and non-transitory storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11620699-B2
Application number	US-202117212200-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2021
Priority date	Apr 23, 2020
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

In a system for renting vehicles to users, the operation rate of the vehicles is improved. An information processing apparatus for managing the rental of vehicles to users is configured to perform: generating a rental schedule of a vehicle for a first user; obtaining demand data related to a demand for the vehicle; and changing, based on the demand data, a vehicle return point included in the rental schedule, the vehicle return point being a point at which the first user returns the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information processing apparatus including a controller configured to perform:
generating a rental schedule of a vehicle for a first user, wherein the rental schedule includes a vehicle return point which is a point at which the first user returns the vehicle;
obtaining operation data regarding an operation route from an in-vehicle device of the vehicle that has already departed from the riding point of the first user;
obtaining, from a memory, demand data related to a demand of the vehicle;
based on the demand data, determine a riding point of a second user that will rent the vehicle after the first user, wherein the riding point of the second user is different from the vehicle return point of the first user and a distance between the riding point of the second user and the return point of the first user is equal to or less than a predetermined value;
changing, based on the demand data and the operation data, the vehicle return point included in the rental schedule to the riding point of the second user; and
transmitting the changed vehicle return point to a user terminal of the first user before the first user returns the vehicle.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller generates return data indicating an incentive to be given to the first user when the vehicle return point is changed.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the incentive includes a discount amount for the rental of the vehicle.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the incentive includes a transportation cost required for the first user to return.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the controller sets the transportation cost based on a number of loads loaded in the vehicle by the first user.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller determines whether or not to change the vehicle return point, based on a result of comparison between the incentive and a profit increased by renting the vehicle to the second user.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller determines a combination of the first user and the second user based on a distance from a predicted route of the vehicle to the riding point of the second user.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller reserves a second vehicle for the first user to take over, in the case of determining to change the vehicle return point.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
in cases where there is a second vehicle at the riding point of the second user which cannot meet the demand of the second user and to which the first user can transfer, the controller changes the vehicle return point and reserves the second vehicle for the first user.

10. An information processing method comprising:
a step of generating a rental schedule of a vehicle for a first user, wherein the rental schedule includes a vehicle return point which is a point at which the first user returns the vehicle;
a step of obtaining operation data regarding an operation route from an in-vehicle device of the vehicle that has already departed from the riding point of the first user;
a step of obtaining, from a memory, demand data related to a demand of the vehicle;
a step of, based on the demand data, determining a riding point of a second user that will rent the vehicle after the first user, wherein the riding point of the second user is different from the vehicle return point of the first user and a distance between the riding point of the second user and the return point of the first user is equal to or less than a predetermined value;
a step of changing, based on the demand data and the operation data, the vehicle return point included in the rental schedule to the riding point of the second user; and
a step of transmitting the changed vehicle return point to a user terminal of the first user before the first user returns the vehicle.

11. The information processing method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
generating return data that indicates an incentive to be given to the first user, in the case of changing the vehicle return point.

12. The information processing method according to claim 11 , wherein
the incentive includes a discount amount for the rental of the vehicle.

13. The information processing method according to claim 11 , wherein
the incentive includes a transportation cost required for the first user to return.

14. The information processing method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
setting the transportation cost based on a number of loads loaded in the vehicle by the first user.

15. The information processing method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
determining whether or not to change the vehicle return point, based on a result of comparison between the incentive and a profit that is increased by renting the vehicle to the second user.

16. The information processing method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
determining a combination of the first user and the second user based on a distance from a predicted route of the vehicle to the riding point of the second user.

17. The information processing method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
reserving a second vehicle to which the first user is to transfer, when it is determined that the vehicle return point is to be changed.

18. A non-transitory storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method according to claim 10 .

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sakurada Shin
• Nishimura Kazuya
• Ando Masaru
• Honda Toshinari

Classifications

• G06Q20/065

  using e-cash · CPC title

• G06Q30/0645 Primary

  Rental transactions; Leasing transactions · CPC title

• G06Q30/0207

  Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates · CPC title

• G06Q10/1093 Primary

  Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups · CPC title

• G06Q50/30

  Physics · mapped topic