JP7626670B2 - Management device and usage information management method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a management device and a usage information management method for managing the collection of application usage information.

Conventionally, vehicles are equipped with various on-board devices, such as a heater control device and an audio device (see Patent Document 1, etc.). These on-board devices often have a structure in which the operating state is changed by operating switches or a touch panel provided in the driver's seat, for example.

JP 2019-117562 A

By the way, it is being considered to use terminals such as high-performance mobile phones owned by users as operation interfaces for these in-vehicle devices. In this case, for example, it is conceivable that a dedicated application would be downloaded to the terminal, and the terminal would be used as an operation interface for the in-vehicle device by starting and executing this application. For application creators, in order to get many applications downloaded, it is necessary to develop applications that provide high user satisfaction.

The management device that solves the above problem is configured to be used in a control system that controls a device equipped with a user's usage object by an application downloaded to the device, and includes an acquisition unit that acquires usage information that is an index of the usage satisfaction of the application that has a download history, and a storage unit that stores the usage information acquired by the acquisition unit.

The usage information management method that solves the above problem is a method used in a control system that controls a device equipped with a user's usage object by an application downloaded to the device, and causes a management device that manages the usage information to acquire usage information that is an index of the usage satisfaction of the application that has a download history, and to store the acquired usage information.

The present invention makes it possible to collect usage information that is useful for application development.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a management device according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a screen diagram showing an example of a GUI. FIG. 11 is a screen diagram showing another example of a GUI. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of an operation performed when a new application is requested from the management device. 1 is a schematic diagram of the actions that occur when a new application is downloaded to a device. A diagram showing the procedure for obtaining and storing usage information from a terminal. Overview of how usage information is provided.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.
As shown in Fig. 1, the user's object 1 includes an on-board device 2 provided on the user's object 1. The user's object 1 is, for example, a vehicle 3. When the user's object 1 is, for example, a vehicle 3, the on-board device 2 is an on-board device 2a. In this case, the on-board device 2 includes a heater control device 4 that conditions the air inside the vehicle, an audio device 5 that is an on-board audio device, and a car navigation device (not shown) that provides guidance on driving to a destination. The on-board device 2 may be operable, for example, by a switch or a touch panel provided inside the vehicle.

The user's item 1 is equipped with a control system 9 that enables the mounted device 2 to be operated by a device 8 held by the user. The device 8 is preferably, for example, a mobile terminal 8a carried by the user. In this example, the device 8 is preferably, for example, a multi-function terminal having multiple functions. The multi-function terminal is, for example, a highly functional mobile phone. The control system 9 controls the mounted device 2 based on remote operation of the device 8.

The device 8 includes a device control unit 10 that controls the operation of the device 8, a memory 11 to which data can be written, a network communication unit 12 that performs network communication, a wireless module 13 that performs short-range wireless communication, an operation unit 14 used when operating the device 8, and a display unit 15 that displays various screens. The device control unit 10 controls the operation of the device 8 based on the operation of the operation unit 14 and communication with the outside. The network communication is, for example, LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G, 5G, etc. It is preferable that the display unit 15 is, for example, a touch panel.

An application 16 that is executed when the mounted device 2 is operated is registered in the memory 11 of the device 8. The application 16 is a type of application for operating the device 8 as a graphical user interface (GUI). A graphical user interface is an interface that graphically displays display elements such as icons, buttons, and pull-down menus on the display unit 15 of the device 8, and operates the mounted device 2 by operating these display elements. It is preferable that an application 16 is provided for each mounted device 2.

The user item 1 is equipped with a communication module 17 that wirelessly communicates with the device 8. The communication module 17 is connected to the mounted device 2 via a communication line 18. The communication between the device 8 and the communication module 17 is preferably, for example, short-range wireless communication. Various types of communication can be used for short-range wireless communication, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and UWB (Ultra Wide Band). The device 8 remotely controls the mounted device 2 via short-range wireless communication.

Figure 2 shows an example of a graphical user interface of the heater control device 4 displayed on the device 8. In this example, the display unit 15 displays a display operation body 19 (first display operation body 19a) operated when selecting an airflow mode, a display operation body 19 (second display operation body 19b) operated when selecting an airflow volume, and a display operation body 19 (third display operation body 19c) operated when selecting an airflow temperature. Here, the first display operation body 19a is displayed large in the center of the screen, and the smaller second display operation body 19b and third display operation body 19c are displayed vertically below it.

Figure 3 shows an example of another graphical user interface of the heater control device 4 displayed on the device 8. In this example, the first display operation body 19a, the second display operation body 19b, and the third display operation body 19c are displayed at approximately the same size. Furthermore, the first display operation body 19a is displayed in the upper part of the screen, and the second display operation body 19b and the third display operation body 19c are displayed side by side in the lower part of the screen.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the control system 9, the use of the application 16 is managed by a management device 21 capable of network communication with the device 8. The management device 21 is preferably, for example, a server that manages a computer network.

The management device 21 includes an acquisition unit 22 that acquires usage information D1 that is an index of the degree of satisfaction with use of an application 16 that has a download history. The acquisition unit 22 acquires the usage information D1 from the device 8 via network communication. When an application 16 is replaced, the acquisition unit 22 acquires the usage information D1 of the application 16 that was being used up until that point. The usage information D1 is, for example, information that can be used to create a graphical user interface for the application 16. The usage information D1 is, for example, information relating to the usage time D1a of the application 16. The usage time D1a is the time from when the application 16 is downloaded to when it is replaced.

The management device 21 includes a storage unit 23 that stores the usage information D1 acquired by the acquisition unit 22. The storage unit 23 is preferably, for example, a memory provided in a server. Each time the acquisition unit 22 acquires the usage information D1, the storage unit 23 writes it into the memory and holds it.

The management device 21 includes a providing unit 24 that provides to others the evaluation results of the application 16 evaluated based on the accumulated usage information D1. The providing unit 24 evaluates the exchanged application 16 based on the usage information D1 accumulated by the accumulation unit 23, and provides the evaluation results to others. For example, when the providing unit 24 receives a request from a third party for information on the evaluation results, it provides the evaluation results of the application 16 to the third party.

Next, the operation of the management device 21 (usage information management method) of this embodiment will be described.
4, when a user wishes to change the graphical user interface of the device 8, the user executes an exchange operation of the application 16 on the device 8. The exchange operation of the application 16 is carried out, for example, by launching the application 16 currently in use and displaying an exchange screen 27 of the application 16 on the display unit 15. Then, the desired application 16 is selected from the group of applications displayed on the exchange screen 27. The device 8 transmits a download request for the application 16 selected by the user to the management device 21 via the network.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the management device 21 receives a download request for a new application 16 from the device 8, it transmits the data of this application 16 to the device 8 over the network. When the device 8 receives the new application 16, it writes it to the memory 11. This completes the exchange of the application 16 of the device 8.

Next, a procedure for collecting and storing the usage information D1 when the application 16 is replaced will be described.
6, in step 101, the device 8 determines whether or not the application 16 written in the memory 11 has been replaced. If the application 16 has been replaced, the process proceeds to step 102. On the other hand, if the application 16 has not been replaced, the process waits in step 101.

In step 102, when the application 16 is replaced, the device 8 transmits usage information D1 related to the application 16 before the replacement to the management device 21 via network communication. The usage information D1 may be transmitted to the management device 21 after the replacement of the application 16 is completed, or may be transmitted to the management device 21 during the registration process of the new application 16.

In step 103, the management device 21 acquires the usage information D1 transmitted from the device 8. Specifically, the acquisition unit 22 acquires the usage information D1 transmitted from the device 8.

In step 104, the management device 21 accumulates the usage information D1 acquired by the acquisition unit 22. Specifically, the accumulation unit 23 accumulates the usage information D1 acquired by the acquisition unit 22. The accumulation unit 23 accumulates the usage information D1, for example, by writing it to a memory provided in the server. The management device 21 performs the above acquisition and accumulation each time the application 16 acquires the usage information from each registered device 8.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the management device 21 receives a request from a third party to provide the evaluation results of the application 16, the management device 21 provides the evaluation results of the application 16 to the third party. The provision of the usage information D1 is executed by the providing unit 24. The evaluation results of the application 16 include, for example, the evaluation results of each application 16, or an index indicating what kind of application 16 has high satisfaction. The providing unit 24 outputs the evaluation results of the application 16 to the third party's terminal, for example, by wireless communication such as network communication.

The third party who is provided with the evaluation results creates a new graphical user interface based on the evaluation results. Specifically, the trends of the applications 16 with high evaluation results are identified, and a new application 16 is created based on those trends. In this way, the creator of the application 16 creates the new application 16 based on the evaluation results of the application 16, making it possible to create a graphical user interface that meets the needs of the customer and the market.

According to the management device 21 (usage information management method) of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The management device 21 is used in a control system 9 that controls an installed device 2 of a user's object 1 by an application 16 downloaded to a device 8. The management device 21 includes an acquisition unit 22 that acquires usage information D1 that serves as an index of the degree of satisfaction with the use of the application 16 that has a download history. The management device 21 includes a storage unit 23 that stores the usage information D1 acquired by the acquisition unit 22.

According to this configuration, when the device 8 is used as an operation interface for the on-board device 2, the application 16 is downloaded to the device 8. The user can operate the on-board device 2 through the device 8 by starting the application 16 on the device 8. In addition, the management device 21 acquires and accumulates usage information D1 that is an index of the degree of satisfaction with the use of the application 16 that has a download history. Thus, it is possible to collect usage information D1 that is useful for the development of the application 16.

(2) When the application 16 is replaced, the acquisition unit 22 acquires usage information D1 of the application 16 that was being used up until that point. According to this configuration, when a user replaces an application 16, it is highly likely that the user is dissatisfied with that application 16. Therefore, collecting usage information D1 at the time of replacing an application 16 contributes to collecting a user's usage satisfaction level that is closer to their true feelings.

(3) The providing unit 24 of the management device 21 evaluates the exchanged application 16 based on the usage information D1 accumulated by the accumulation unit 23, and provides the evaluation result to others. According to this configuration, the evaluation result of the application 16 analyzed from the collected usage information D1 can be provided to others as necessary, leading to the creation of a new, highly convenient application 16.

(4) The usage information D1 is information that can be used to create a graphical user interface for the application 16. With this configuration, it is possible to evaluate and market the graphical user interface for the application 16 provided to the market based on the collected usage information D1. This contributes to the creation of a graphical user interface that provides high levels of satisfaction.

(5) The usage information D1 is information related to the usage time D1a of the application 16. With this configuration, the degree of satisfaction with the use of the application 16 can be determined by the simple method of checking the usage time D1a.

(6) Usage time D1a is the time from when application 16 is downloaded to when it is replaced. According to this configuration, if the download is used for a long time without being replaced, it can be said that the usage satisfaction is high. In this way, it is possible to collect a usage satisfaction that accurately reflects the user's intentions.

(7) The device 8 is a mobile terminal 8a carried by a user. With this configuration, it is possible to remotely operate the mounted device 2 using the mobile terminal 8a, which contributes to improving the convenience of operating the mounted device 2.

(8) The user's object of use 1 is a vehicle 3. The on-board device 2 is an on-board device 2a mounted on the vehicle 3. With this configuration, user evaluations of the application 16 for operating the on-board device can be accumulated and used for marketing.

This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs.
When the application 16 is replaced and then re-downloaded, the usage time D1a before and after the replacement may be added together.

The timing of acquiring the usage information D1 is not limited to when the application 16 is replaced. For example, the usage information D1 may be acquired periodically, or may be acquired when the operation to send the usage information D1 is executed on the device 8.

The user may be prompted to input details regarding the satisfaction level of the usage information D1, and the input information may also be provided to the management device 21.
The usage information D1 is not limited to the usage time D1a of the application 16, and may be any information that reflects the user's satisfaction level.

The server that provides the application 16 and the server that acquires and stores the usage information D1 may be separate.
The acquisition unit 22 is not limited to being provided only in the server, and may be configured in cooperation with elements other than the server.

The acquiring unit 22, the storing unit 23, and the providing unit 24 may each be provided on a different medium.
The device 8 may be any terminal equipped with a computer.
The on-board device 2 may be changed to a device other than the heater control device 4 or the audio device 5.

- The user's item 1 is not limited to a vehicle 3, and may be changed to other devices or equipment. Similarly, the on-board device 2 is not limited to an on-board device 2a, and may be changed to other devices or equipment according to the type of the user's item 1.

-Each of the acquisition unit 22, the storage unit 23, and the provision unit 24 may be configured as [1] one or more processors that operate according to a computer program (software), or [2] a combination of such a processor and one or more dedicated hardware circuits, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), that executes at least some of the various processes. The processor includes a CPU and memory, such as RAM and ROM, and the memory stores program code or instructions configured to cause the CPU to execute the processes. The memory (computer-readable medium) includes any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or dedicated computer. Alternatively, instead of a computer that includes the above processor, a processing circuit configured by one or more dedicated hardware circuits that execute all of the various processes may be used.

- Each of the acquisition unit 22, the storage unit 23, and the provision unit 24 may be configured from an independent processor, or may be constructed from a processor with some of its functions shared. In this way, each of the acquisition unit 22, the storage unit 23, and the provision unit 24 is not limited to being an independent functional block, but may be configured from a single functional block, or may be configured from a functional block with some functions shared.

- Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to examples, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to those examples or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and modifications within the scope of equivalents. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms that include only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and concept of the present disclosure.

1...user usage item, 2...mounted device, 2a...vehicle-mounted device, 3...vehicle, 8...device, 8a...mobile terminal, 9...control system, 16...application, 21...management device, 22...acquisition unit, 23...storage unit, 24...provision unit, D1...usage information, D1a...usage time.

Claims (7)

A management device used in a control system that controls a device equipped with a user's usage object by an application downloaded to the device, comprising:
an acquisition unit that acquires usage information serving as an index of a degree of satisfaction with the application having a download history;
a storage unit that stores the usage information acquired by the acquisition unit ;
a providing unit that evaluates the exchanged application based on the usage information stored by the storage unit and provides a result of the evaluation to another person ;
The acquisition unit is a management device that acquires, when the application is replaced, the usage information of the application that was being used up until that point, and acquires input information relating to the satisfaction level of the usage information based on user input . The management device according to claim 1, wherein the usage information is information that can be used to create a graphical user interface for the application. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the usage information is information relating to a usage time of the application. The management device according to claim 3, wherein the usage time is the time from when the application is downloaded to when it is replaced. The management apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the device is a mobile terminal carried by a user. The user object is a vehicle,
The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the on-board device is an on-board device mounted in the vehicle. A usage information management method for use in a control system that controls a device equipped with a user usage object by an application downloaded to the device, comprising:
acquiring usage information that is an index of a level of satisfaction with the application having a download history;
accumulating the acquired usage information; and
evaluating the exchanged application based on the accumulated usage information and providing the evaluation result to another person ;
A usage information management method that causes a management device that manages the usage information to acquire the usage information of the application that was being used up until that point when the application is replaced, and to acquire input information relating to the satisfaction level of the usage information based on user input .

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