JP7717263B2 - Information providing device, information providing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information providing device, an information providing method, and a program.

Conventionally, battery stations that allow for the exchange (rental and return) of mobile batteries used in electric motorcycles, etc. have been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-78175

By the way, battery stations are sometimes installed on the premises of stores and other facilities around town. In such cases, it has been expected that the synergistic effects of using the battery station and the facility will increase economic benefits.

The present invention was made taking these circumstances into consideration, and one of its objectives is to provide an information provision device, information provision method, and program that can further enhance the synergistic effects of battery station use and facility use.

The information providing device, information providing method, and program of the present invention have the following configuration.

(1): One aspect of the present invention provides an information providing device relating to a battery exchange station that is installed in association with a facility and allows batteries to be replaced that are shared among multiple users. The information providing device includes a user identification unit that identifies a first user who used the battery exchange station based on the usage history of the battery exchange station, and identifies a second user who used the facility based on the usage history of the facility within a predetermined period that is the same as or close to the usage history of the battery exchange station, and a user analysis unit that analyzes trends regarding the similarity between the first user and the second user based on attribute information of the first user and attribute information of the second user.

(2): In the above aspect (1), the facility is a store that sells goods, and the user identification unit identifies the second user based on the history of electronic payments made using a terminal device at the facility.

(3): In the above aspect (1) or (2), the user analysis unit identifies a third user among the first users who did not use the facility based on the difference between the attribute information of the first user and the attribute information of the second user.

(4): In any of the above aspects (1) to (3), the user identification unit identifies a fourth user who returns a battery rented from a first battery exchange station installed in a first facility to a second battery exchange station installed in a second facility geographically different from the first facility, and the user analysis unit estimates the behavioral pattern of the fourth user after visiting the first battery exchange station or the second battery exchange station by classifying the behavioral pattern of the fourth user based on the behavioral history information of the fourth user, which is information including location information of the first facility and the second facility.

(5): In the above aspect (4), the user analysis unit further includes an order control unit that calculates the frequency of occurrence of a specific behavior pattern among the behavior patterns estimated for the fourth user over a predetermined period of time, and changes the order quantity of products related to the specific behavior pattern sold by a seller at the first facility or the second facility based on the frequency of occurrence.

(6): In the above-mentioned aspects (4) or (5), the usage history of the battery exchange station includes information regarding the time period during which the user used the battery exchange station, and the user analysis unit classifies the behavioral pattern of the fourth user into the behavioral pattern by time period based on the time period during which the fourth user used the first battery exchange station or the second battery exchange station.

(7): In any of the above aspects (1) to (6), the user analysis unit outputs support information based on the analysis results of the trends regarding the consistency to the facility, and further includes a compensation determination unit that determines compensation to be received from the facility administrator based on the results of the support information output by the user analysis unit.

(8): In the above aspect (7), the facility is a store that sells products, and the compensation determination unit increases or decreases the compensation in accordance with an increase or decrease in sales amount from the sale of the products at the facility after the support information is output.

(9): One aspect of the present invention is an information provision method relating to a battery exchange station where batteries shared by multiple users can be replaced, wherein the battery exchange station is installed in association with a facility, and an information provision device identifies a first user who used the battery exchange station based on the usage history of the battery exchange station, and identifies a second user who used the facility based on the usage history of the facility within a predetermined period that is the same as or close to the usage history of the battery exchange station, and the information provision device analyzes trends regarding the similarity between the first user and the second user based on attribute information of the first user and attribute information of the second user.

(10): One aspect of the present invention relates to a battery exchange station that is installed in association with a facility and is shared among multiple users, and allows batteries to be replaced. The program causes a computer to identify a first user who used the battery exchange station based on the usage history of the battery exchange station, and identify a second user who used the facility based on the usage history of the facility within a predetermined period that is the same as or close to the usage history of the battery exchange station, and analyze trends regarding the similarity between the first user and the second user based on attribute information of the first user and attribute information of the second user.

According to aspects (1), (2), (9), and (10), a first user who used the battery exchange station is identified based on the usage history of the battery exchange station, and a second user who used the facility is identified based on the usage history of the facility. Based on the attribute information of the first user and the attribute information of the second user, trends regarding the similarity between the first user and the second user can be analyzed, thereby further enhancing the synergistic effect of battery station usage and facility usage.

According to aspect (3), by identifying a third user among the first users who did not use the facility based on the difference between the attribute information of the first user and the attribute information of the second user, it is possible to recognize users who used the battery exchange station but did not use the facility.

According to aspect (4), by identifying a fourth user who returns a battery rented from a first battery exchange station installed in a first facility to a second battery exchange station installed in a second facility and classifying the behavioral pattern of the fourth user based on the attribute information of the fourth user, it is possible to recognize the behavioral pattern of the fourth user after visiting the first battery exchange station or the second battery exchange station.

According to aspects (5) and (6), the frequency of occurrence of a specific behavioral pattern among the behavioral patterns estimated for the fourth user over a predetermined period of time is calculated, and the order quantity of a product related to the specific behavioral pattern sold by a seller at the first facility or the second facility is changed based on the frequency of occurrence, thereby enabling the product to be sold efficiently at the facility.

According to aspects (7) and (8), support information based on the analysis results of the trends regarding the consistency is output to the facility, and the compensation to be received from the facility manager is determined based on the results of the output of the support information. This allows the provider of the support information to provide the facility manager with information that is useful for product sales while receiving appropriate compensation from the facility manager for providing the information.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a battery sharing service system according to an embodiment; 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a detachable battery according to the embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a system configuration of a battery exchange station according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of a management server device according to an embodiment. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of an information providing apparatus according to an embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of a process executed by the information providing device of the embodiment regarding an information providing service. FIG. 10 is a first diagram illustrating a method for analyzing trends regarding the consistency between a first user and a second user. FIG. 10 is a second diagram illustrating a method for analyzing trends regarding the consistency between a first user and a second user. FIG. 10 is a third diagram illustrating a method for analyzing trends regarding the consistency between a first user and a second user.

Below, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of the information providing device, information providing method, and program of the present invention are described.

The following description explains the case where the information providing device of the embodiment is applied to a battery sharing service system (battery sharing service system) that shares batteries, which are power storage devices that are detachably mounted on electric vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "detachable batteries"). The information providing device of the embodiment may be applied to a management server device that manages a battery exchange station that accepts detachable batteries and provides replacement detachable batteries in the battery sharing service system. Furthermore, part or all of the information providing device of the embodiment may be provided as part of the battery exchange station, instead of the management server device.

In the following description, the term "electric vehicle" may include various vehicles that run on power from a removable battery, such as saddle-type electric vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "electric motorcycles") and four-wheeled electric vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "electric automobiles"). For example, it includes not only two-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles, but also three-wheeled vehicles (including vehicles with one front wheel and two rear wheels, as well as vehicles with two front wheels and one rear wheel), and even assisted bicycles, and other vehicle-type moving objects that run on an electric motor powered by power supplied from a removable battery. However, moving objects to which the information provision device of the embodiments can be applied may not only be these vehicle-type moving objects, but also moving objects such as mobile robots, autonomous driving devices, autonomous driving cars, other electric vehicles, drones, or other electric moving objects (electric mobility).

[1. Overall structure]
1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a battery sharing service system 1 according to an embodiment. The battery sharing service system 1 includes one or more (e.g., a plurality of) battery exchange stations 200 (four battery exchange stations 200-1 to 200-4 are illustrated in FIG. 1), a management server device 300, and an information providing device 400. The battery exchange stations 200, the management server device 300, and the information providing device 400 are capable of communicating with each other via a network NW.

The battery exchange station 200 includes, for example, a station control device 210 and one or more battery exchange devices 220 (two battery exchange devices 220-a and 220-b are shown in FIG. 1). The station control device 210 and the battery exchange devices 220 can communicate with each other via wire or wirelessly. The station control device 210 and the battery exchange devices 220 may be configured as a single integrated device rather than as separate devices.

The station control device 210 manages the charging and discharging of the removable battery 100 at the battery exchange device 220, as well as the receipt and provision of the removable battery 100 (hereinafter referred to as "replacement of the removable battery 100"). When a user of an electric vehicle 10 uses the battery exchange station 200, the station control device 210 provides the user with information for replacing the removable battery 100. For example, the station control device 210 provides the user with information indicating the battery slot 221 that will receive a removable battery 100 that has been used in the electric vehicle 10 and is low in remaining capacity, or information indicating the battery slot 221 that houses another removable battery 100 to be provided in place of the received removable battery 100. Furthermore, for example, the station control device 210 provides the battery exchange device 220 with information regarding the authentication of a user who intends to use the battery exchange station 200. For example, a user can use the battery exchange device 220 if the user is authenticated as an authorized user by the battery exchange station 200. The battery exchange device 200 may be configured to obtain information regarding user authentication from the station control device 210 each time authentication is performed, or may be configured to store the information once obtained and use it during subsequent authentications.

The battery exchange device 220 is a device that charges, discharges, and replaces removable batteries 100. The battery exchange device 220 has one or more (e.g., multiple) battery slots 221. The battery slots 221 are storage compartments that can accommodate and charge/discharge removable batteries 100. In the example shown in FIG. 1, one battery exchange device 220 has eight battery slots 221 and can simultaneously accommodate eight removable batteries 100. The battery exchange device 220 can simultaneously charge multiple removable batteries 100 accommodated in multiple battery slots 221 (up to eight removable batteries 100 in the example shown in FIG. 1). In this specification, "simultaneous charging" or "simultaneous charging" is not limited to cases where charging of multiple removable batteries 100 is started simultaneously, but also includes cases where part of the charging time of one removable battery 100 and part of the charging time of another removable battery 100 are simultaneous.

The battery exchange device 220 is supplied with power from an external power source PS. The external power source PS is, for example, a 100V AC commercial power source. The battery exchange device 220 charges the removable battery 100 received from the user of the electric vehicle 10 in accordance with control by the station control device 210. When charging of the removable battery 100 is complete, the battery exchange device 220 transmits a notification to the station control device 210 indicating that charging has been completed. This allows the station control device 210 to recognize the removable battery 100 that is available to the user of the electric vehicle 10. The battery exchange device 220 may also discharge any remaining power in the removable battery 100. Details of the battery exchange station 200 will be described later.

The management server device 300 is connected to a network NW. The network NW may include, for example, one or more of the Internet, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, a WAN (Wide Area Network), a LAN (Local Area Network), etc. In this embodiment, the management server device 300 communicates with and manages multiple battery exchange stations 200 via the network NW. For example, the management server device 300 receives information indicating the status of each battery exchange station 200 (hereinafter referred to as "status information") from each battery exchange station 200, and determines the status of each battery exchange station 200 based on the status information.

The management server device 300 communicates directly or via the network NW with a terminal device (not shown) used by an administrator who manages the battery sharing service system 1, and outputs predetermined notifications regarding the status of the battery exchange station 200 to the terminal device. The terminal device may be a desktop or laptop personal computer, for example.

The management server device 300 communicates via the network NW with a terminal device (not shown) used by security personnel in charge of maintaining the battery exchange station, and outputs predetermined notifications regarding the status of the battery exchange station 200 to the terminal device. The terminal device is, for example, a portable terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet. Details of the management server device 300 will be described later.

The information providing device 400 is a device that provides support information services to members of the battery sharing service. In this embodiment, the members of the battery sharing service are assumed to be businesses that provide installation locations for battery exchange stations 200 to the service vendor of the battery sharing service. For example, the service vendor of the battery sharing service may be a manufacturer that manufactures removable batteries 100, a supplier that sells removable batteries 100 purchased from the manufacturer, or a business that provides services using removable batteries 100 provided by the manufacturer or supplier. In addition to providing installation locations for battery exchange stations 200, the member may also be a business that provides battery sharing services to users using the installed battery exchange stations 200. The battery exchange station 200 is installed outside a facility such as a store operated by the member, i.e., outdoors of the facility building or indoors separate from the building, within a predetermined distance from the building.

In addition, the support information in this embodiment is information for supporting the franchisee's business operations. More specifically, the support information in this embodiment is information based on the tendency regarding the consistency between a user of the battery exchange station 200 (hereinafter referred to as the "first user") and a second user. Here, the second user is a franchisee's store that provides the installation space for the battery exchange station 200, and is a user who has used an installation store SH located within a predetermined range (e.g., within the store's premises) of the battery exchange station 200 to be installed. In other words, in this case, the consistency between the first user and the second user indicates the tendency of a user who has used the battery exchange station 200 to use an installation store SH on the premises after that use. Such consistency and various information that can be discerned from the consistency can be useful support information for the franchisee in operating the installation store.

[2. Configuration of electric vehicle]
2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an electric vehicle 10 according to an embodiment. The electric vehicle 10 runs on the driving force of an electric motor driven by power supplied from a removable battery 100. However, the electric vehicle 10 may also be a hybrid electric vehicle that runs on the driving force of a combination of the removable battery 100 and an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine. The electric vehicle 10 includes, for example, a battery connection unit 12, a vehicle control unit 14, a driving force output device 16, vehicle sensors 18, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 20, and a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 22.

The battery connection unit 12 is electrically connected to the removable battery 100 when the removable battery 100 is attached to the electric vehicle 10. The battery connection unit 12 includes a connection terminal for a power line that receives power from the removable battery 100, and a connection terminal for a communication line that communicates data between the removable battery 100 and the vehicle control unit 14.

The vehicle control unit 14 acquires measurement results from the vehicle sensors 18, acquires a value representing the state of charge (SOC) of the power storage unit 120 from the BMU (Battery Management Unit) 110 provided in the removable battery 100, and acquires the position of the electric vehicle 10 from the GNSS receiver 22. The vehicle control unit 14 controls the driving force output device 16 based on the acquired data. The vehicle control unit 14 may transmit the position information of the electric vehicle 10 acquired from the GNSS receiver 22 to the removable battery 100 via the battery connection unit 12.

The driving force output device 16 includes, for example, an electric motor, an inverter, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls the inverter. The ECU controls the power supplied to the electric motor from the removable battery 100, for example, by controlling the inverter. The vehicle sensors 18 include various sensors mounted on the electric vehicle 10, such as a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a rotational speed sensor, an odometer, and others. The vehicle sensors 18 output their measurement results to the vehicle control unit 14.

The HMI 20 outputs various information to the user of the electric vehicle 10 and accepts input operations from the user. The HMI 20 includes, for example, various display devices such as a HUD (Head Up Display) and a meter display unit (which may be a touch panel), a speaker, etc. The GNSS receiver 22 determines the position of the electric vehicle 10 based on radio waves received from GNSS satellites such as GPS satellites.

[3. Removable Battery]
3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the detachable battery 100 according to the embodiment. The detachable battery 100 includes, for example, a power storage unit 120, a BMU 110, and a connection unit 150. The BMU 110 includes, for example, a measurement sensor 130 and a storage unit 140.

The power storage unit 120 is, for example, a battery pack consisting of multiple cells connected in series. The cells that make up the power storage unit 120 are secondary batteries that can be repeatedly charged and discharged, such as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), nickel-metal hydride batteries, and all-solid-state batteries. The secondary batteries that make up the power storage unit 120 may be, for example, lead-acid batteries, sodium-ion batteries, capacitors such as electric double-layer capacitors, or combination batteries that combine secondary batteries and capacitors. There are no particular limitations on the configuration of the secondary batteries that make up the power storage unit 120.

The BMU 110 controls the charging and discharging of the power storage unit 120, performs cell balancing, detects abnormalities in the power storage unit 120, derives the cell temperature of the power storage unit 120, derives the charge/discharge current of the power storage unit 120, and estimates the SOC of the power storage unit 120. The BMU 110 stores abnormalities or malfunctions of the power storage unit 120 identified based on the measurement results of the measurement sensor 130 in the memory unit 140 as battery status information. The measurement sensor 130 is a voltage sensor, current sensor, temperature sensor, etc. for measuring the state of charge of the power storage unit 120. The measurement sensor 130 outputs the measured voltage, current, temperature, etc. to the BMU 110.

The memory unit 140 includes a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory. The memory unit 140 stores the battery status information described above. The memory unit 140 may also store identification information (battery ID) assigned to the removable battery 100. The connection unit 150 is electrically connected to the battery connection unit 12 of the electric vehicle 10 when the removable battery 100 is attached to the electric vehicle 10. In this state, the removable battery 100 supplies the power stored in the power storage unit 120 to the electric motor provided in the electric vehicle 10.

4. Battery Exchange Station
4 is a block diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the battery exchange station 200 according to the embodiment. In this embodiment, the station control device 210 includes, for example, a battery management unit 211, a charge/discharge control unit 212, an information output unit 214, and a storage unit 216.

The battery management unit 211, charge/discharge control unit 212, and information output unit 214 are each realized by a hardware processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. Some or all of the functions of these components may be realized by a dedicated LSI. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (storage device with a non-transitory storage medium) such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory provided in the station control device 210, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory provided in the station control device 210 by loading the storage medium into a drive device provided in the station control device 210. The storage unit 216 is realized by one or a combination of storage devices such as a HDD, flash memory, and RAM (Random Access Memory).

The battery management unit 211 manages multiple removable batteries 100 housed in multiple battery slots 221. For example, the battery management unit 211 manages the receipt (including return) of removable batteries 100 from users of electric vehicles 10, the determination of whether or not the removable batteries 100 need to be charged or discharged, and the provision (including lending) of fully charged removable batteries 100 to users of electric vehicles 10.

The charge/discharge control unit 212 controls the charging and discharging of removable batteries 100 that the battery management unit 211 has determined require charging. For example, the charge/discharge control unit 212 charges and discharges the removable battery 100 by controlling the AC/DC converter 260 and DC/DC converter 271 included in the battery exchange device 220. The charge/discharge control unit 212 stores the control history related to the charging and discharging of the removable battery 100 in the memory unit 216 as control history information I12. The control history related to the charging and discharging of the removable battery 100 is an example of information about the operating status of the removable battery 100. The control history information I12 includes, for example, the charging start and end times of each removable battery 100, and information correlating the number of removable batteries 100 being simultaneously charged with date and time information. The control history information I12 may also include the discharging start and end times of the removable battery 100.

The information output unit 214 transmits status information of the battery exchange station 200, including the control history information I12 and battery status information I13 stored in the memory unit 216, to the management server device 300 at a predetermined interval. The predetermined interval is, for example, every 10 minutes, but is not limited to the above example. The status information is linked to the station ID I11 stored in the memory unit 216 and transmitted to the management server device 300. The station ID I11 is identification information that can identify the battery exchange station 200.

In addition, in this embodiment, the battery replacement device 220 has, in addition to the AC/DC converter 260, multiple DC/DC converters 271, multiple interface boards (I/F boards) 272, and a control board 273.

AC power is supplied from the external power supply PS to the AC/DC converter 260. The AC/DC converter 260 converts the AC power supplied from the external power supply PS into DC power and supplies the converted DC power to multiple DC/DC converters 271.

The multiple DC/DC converters 271 are provided in a one-to-one relationship with the multiple battery slots 221. The multiple DC/DC converters 271 are electrically connected in parallel to the AC/DC converter 260. The DC/DC converter 271 is connected to the removable battery 100 housed in the battery slot 221. The DC/DC converter 271 converts the DC power supplied from the AC/DC converter 260 into DC power having a voltage suitable for charging the removable battery 100, and supplies the converted DC power to the removable battery 100.

The multiple IF boards 272 are provided in a one-to-one relationship with the multiple battery slots 221. The IF boards 272 are connected to the removable batteries 100 housed in the battery slots 221. The IF boards 272 communicate with the removable batteries 100 and acquire information (e.g., battery status information and battery ID) stored in the memory unit 140 of the removable battery 100 from the removable battery 100. The IF boards 272 output the information acquired from the removable battery 100 to the control board 273.

The control board (control unit) 273 controls the AC/DC converter 260, multiple DC/DC converters 271, and multiple IF boards 272.

[5. Management Server Device]
5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of the management server device 300 according to the embodiment. The management server device 300 includes, for example, an information acquisition unit 310, a station management unit 320, an information provision unit 330, and a storage unit 370.

The information acquisition unit 310, station management unit 320, and information provision unit 330 are each realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI, ASIC, FPGA, or GPU, or by a combination of software and hardware. Some or all of the functions of these components may be realized by a dedicated LSI. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (storage device with a non-transitory storage medium) such as a HDD or flash memory provided in the management server device 300, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory provided in the management server device 300 by inserting the storage medium into a drive device provided in the management server device 300. The storage unit 370 is realized by one or a combination of storage devices such as a HDD, flash memory, and RAM.

The information acquisition unit 310 acquires status information transmitted from each battery exchange station 200. For example, the information acquisition unit 310 acquires control history information I12 and battery status information I13 transmitted from each battery exchange station 200. In this specification, "acquire" includes not only acquisition by receiving from an external source, but also internal generation (e.g., generation by performing a predetermined calculation on information received from an external source). The information acquisition unit 310 stores the status information acquired from each battery exchange station 200 in the memory unit 370 as status history information I21.

The station management unit 320 manages each battery exchange station 200 based on status information acquired from each battery exchange station 200. For example, the station management unit 320 manages the operating status of each battery exchange station 200, the number of removable batteries 100 received by each battery exchange station 200, the number of removable batteries 100 provided by each battery exchange station 200, etc.

The information providing unit 330 provides the status history information I21 to the information providing device 400 in response to a request from the information providing device 400. In addition, the information providing unit 330 may generate usage history information I31 based on the status history information I21 in response to a request from the information providing device 400, and provide the generated usage history information I31 to the information providing device 400.

The memory unit 370 stores status history information I21 and station management information I23. The station management information I23 is management information including the station ID and installation location of each battery exchange station 200.

[6. Information provision device]
6 is a block diagram showing an example of a system configuration of the information providing device 400 according to the embodiment. The information providing device 400 includes, for example, an information acquiring unit 410, a user identifying unit 420, a user analyzing unit 430, an order control unit 440, a price determining unit 450, and a storage unit 470.

The information acquisition unit 410, user identification unit 420, user analysis unit 430, order control unit 440, and price determination unit 450 are each realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI, ASIC, FPGA, or GPU, or by a combination of software and hardware. Some or all of the functions of these components may be realized by a dedicated LSI. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (storage device with a non-transitory storage medium) such as a HDD or flash memory provided in the information providing device 400, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory provided in the information providing device 400 by inserting the storage medium into a drive provided in the information providing device 400. The storage unit 470 is realized by one or a combination of storage devices such as a HDD, a flash memory, and a RAM.

The information acquisition unit 410 acquires usage history information I31 and store usage information I32 and stores them in the memory unit 470. The usage history information I31 is information indicating the usage history of each user of the battery exchange station 200. For example, the information acquisition unit 410 generates usage history information I31 for each user and for each battery exchange station 200 based on various information stored in the memory unit 216 by the station control device 210 and various information stored in the memory unit 370 by the management server device 300, and stores this information in the memory unit 470.

Store usage information I32 is information that indicates the usage history of each user at the installed store SH. For example, the information acquisition unit 410 acquires store usage information I32 from a POS (Point of Sales) terminal at the installed store SH and stores it in the memory unit 470. Furthermore, for example, the information acquisition unit 410 may acquire store usage information I32 via the store management terminal TM at the installed store SH. For example, store usage information I32 may include information about the products purchased by the user, attribute information of the user who purchased the products (e.g., gender, age, etc.), the time the user purchased the products, information about the store, etc.

The user identification unit 420 identifies a first user who used the battery exchange station 200 based on usage history information I31 of the battery exchange station 200, and identifies a second user who used the store SH (an example of a facility) based on store usage information I32 regarding the store SH where the battery exchange station 200 is installed. More specifically, the user identification unit 420 identifies the second user based on the usage history of the store SH where the battery exchange station 200 is installed within a predetermined period that is the same as or close to the usage history of the battery exchange station 200.

The user analysis unit 430 analyzes trends regarding the consistency between the first user and the second user based on the attribute information of the first user and the attribute information of the second user. The user analysis unit 430 generates support information based on the analysis results of the trends regarding the consistency, and outputs the generated support information.

The order control unit 440 changes the order quantity of products related to the user's possible behavioral patterns based on the frequency of the behavioral patterns actually performed by the user. The frequency of the behavioral patterns is estimated by the user analysis unit 430 based on the analysis results of the trends regarding the above-mentioned consistency.

The compensation determination unit 450 determines the compensation to be received from the manager of the installation store SH based on the results of the support information output by the user analysis unit 430. In other words, an example of compensation here can be said to be the service usage fee that the affiliate must pay to the provider of the information provision service for the provision of support information.

The memory unit 470 includes, for example, a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory. The memory unit 470 stores the above-mentioned usage history information I31 and store usage information I32.

Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the information providing device 400 of the embodiment regarding the information providing service. First, in the information providing device 400, the information acquisition unit 410 acquires usage history information I31 and store usage information I32 (step S101). Next, the user identification unit 420 identifies the first user based on the usage history information I31 acquired in step S101 (step S102). As described above, the first user is a user who has used the battery exchange station 200, and the usage history information I31 is information indicating the usage history of the battery exchange station 200 by the first user.

Next, the user identification unit 420 identifies the second user based on the store usage information I32 acquired in step S101 (step S103). As described above, the second user is a user who has used the store SH where the battery exchange station 200 is installed, and the store usage information I32 is information indicating the usage history of the store SH by the second user.

Next, the user analysis unit 430 analyzes the trends in consistency for each of the first and second users identified in steps S102 and S103 (step S104). Figures 8 and 9 are schematic diagrams illustrating a method for analyzing trends in consistency between the first and second users. First, Figure 8 is a diagram showing the classification of users who use the battery exchange station 200 and the store SH where it is installed. Figure 8 shows users U1 to U3 as users who use the store SH where it is installed or the battery exchange station 200 installed within the premises BD of the store SH where it is installed.

In this case, user U1 is classified as a first user because, of the battery exchange station 200 and the installation store SH, he only used the battery exchange station 200 and exited the premises BD. User U2 is classified as a second user because, of the battery exchange station 200 and the installation store SH, he only used the installation store SH and exited the premises BD. On the other hand, user U3 uses the battery exchange station 200, then the installation store SH, before exiting the premises BD, so he is classified as both a first user and a second user. In other words, in this case, the user analysis unit 430 can recognize that the first user and the second user for user U3 are the same. Here, the user analysis unit 430 further classifies a user whose first user and second user are the same as a third user.

Figure 9 shows the relationship between the first user, second user, and third user. In Figure 9, area G10 represents a set of first users, and area G20 represents a set of second users. In this case, area G30, which belongs to both areas G10 and G20, is a set of third users. Here, for the first user, usage history can be identified at an individual level based on usage history information I31 of the battery exchange station 200. Furthermore, if electronic payment history information such as electronic money or credit card information is assumed as store usage information I32, store usage history can also be identified at an individual level. In such cases, the user analysis unit 430 can recognize the third user by comparing the usage history of the battery exchange station 200 with the usage history of the store SH where it is installed.

However, if the store usage information I32 is such that usage history cannot be identified at an individual level, as is the case with many POS data, it is not possible to accurately match the first and second users. In such cases, the matching is basically done on a time basis. For example, the user analysis unit 430 may determine the identity of the first and second users by comparing the time when the first user used the battery exchange station 200 with the time when the second user used the store SH where the station is installed, and determining the validity of the time difference between the two.

However, time-based matching does not identify the second user at an individual level, and therefore does not necessarily allow for accurate analysis of the identity of the first and second users. Therefore, the user analysis unit 430 may perform matching that combines location information as a way to improve the accuracy of time-based matching. In this case, the first user has a user terminal device equipped with a location information acquisition function, such as a smartphone or mobile phone, and the first user's location information is provided from the user terminal device to the information providing device 400 in a timely manner.

Figure 10 shows a method for identifying a third user that combines location information in addition to usage history information I31 and store usage information I32. In Figure 10, category G10, as in Figure 9, indicates a first user who replaced the removable battery 100 using the battery exchange station 200. On the other hand, category G40 indicates a user who entered the installed store SH as a second user who used the installed store SH. Furthermore, category G50 indicates a user who purchased a product at the installed store SH. In this case, the user analysis unit 430 can identify users belonging to all categories G10, G40, and G50, i.e., a first user who used the battery exchange station 200, entered the installed store SH, and purchased a product, as a third user.

More specifically, the user analysis unit 430 classifies the first user recognized based on the usage history information I31 into users who entered the installed store SH and users who did not enter the installed store SH based on location information. Next, the user analysis unit 430 compares the usage history information I31 of users who entered the installed store SH with the POS data (store usage information I32), thereby being able to identify users who entered the installed store SH and for whom corresponding POS data exists as third users G60.

In addition, when matching the usage history information I31 with the store usage information I32 described above, the key information used as the matching key may include information other than time and location information. For example, various attribute information such as the user's gender or age group may be used as the key information. The various attribute information may be information contained in, for example, POS data or user registration information for a battery sharing service. More specifically, the user analysis unit 430 may identify a third user based on commonalities between the attribute information of a first user and the attribute information of a second user. Based on the results of such analysis, the administrator of the store SH where the battery exchange station 200 is installed can recognize users who have used the store SH where the battery exchange station 200 is installed.

From the opposite perspective, the user analysis unit 430 may identify as third users those first users who did not visit the installation store SH based on the difference between the attribute information of the first user and the attribute information of the second user. Based on such analysis results, the manager of the installation store SH can identify users who used the battery exchange station 200 but did not visit the installation store SH. By analyzing the attributes and characteristics of users identified in this way, the manager of the installation store SH can efficiently conduct marketing regarding product sales at the installation store SH.

Returning to the explanation of Figure 7, the information providing device 400 then generates support information based on the results of the analysis of trends related to consistency performed in step S104 (step S105), and outputs the generated support information to the store SH where the device is installed (or its manager) (step S106). For example, the support information may be information that indicates the analysis results of the user analysis unit 430 themselves, or may be information generated based on the analysis results.

For example, in the information providing device 400 of this embodiment, the user identification unit 420 identifies a fourth user who returned a removable battery 100 rented from a first battery exchange station 200 installed at a first installation store SH to a second battery exchange station 200 installed at a second installation store SH that is geographically different from the first installation store SH. The user analysis unit 430 classifies the behavioral pattern of the fourth user based on the behavioral history information of the fourth user, thereby estimating the behavioral pattern of the fourth user after visiting the first battery exchange station 200 or the second battery exchange station 200. For example, the behavioral history information may be any information that indicates the user's behavioral history, and examples include the use history of the battery exchange station 200 and the user's location information. The behavioral history information also includes location information of the first installation store SH and location information of the second installation store SH. The user analysis unit 430 can estimate the behavioral patterns of users who move between the first installed store SH and the second installed store SH based on the behavioral history information. Here, the first battery exchange station 200 is an example of a "first battery exchange station," and the second battery exchange station 200 is an example of a "second battery exchange station." Furthermore, the first installed store SH is an example of a "first facility," and the second installed store SH is an example of a "second facility."

Examples of behavioral patterns include commuting to work or school, returning home, and traveling around. For example, suppose there is a fourth user who is a teenager and whose intended use of the removable battery 100 is indicated as a bicycle. This information can be recognized, for example, based on various attribute information registered by the user with the battery sharing service. Furthermore, it is recognized based on behavioral history information that this fourth user uses the first battery exchange station 200 around 8:00 a.m. Monday through Friday and the second battery exchange station 200 around 4:00 p.m. In this case, the user analysis unit 430 may infer that the behavioral pattern after stopping at the first battery exchange station 200 is commuting to school, and that the behavioral pattern after stopping at the second battery exchange station 200 is returning home. Such behavioral pattern estimation may be performed based on a correspondence between predetermined behavioral history information conditions and behavioral patterns, or may be performed using a machine learning model that inputs behavioral history information and outputs behavioral patterns.

In this way, the user analysis unit 430 may be configured to classify the behavioral patterns of the fourth user into behavioral patterns by time period based on the time period during which the fourth user used the first battery exchange station 200 or the second battery exchange station 200. In this case, the usage history information I31 of the battery exchange station 200 is assumed to include information regarding the time period during which the user used the battery exchange station 200.

In this case, the information providing device 400 may be configured to further determine, via the user analysis unit 430, the frequency of occurrence over a predetermined period of a specific behavior pattern among the behavior patterns estimated for the fourth user, and to change, via the order control unit 440, the order quantity of a product related to the specific behavior pattern (hereinafter referred to as "specific product") sold by a seller at the first installation store SH or the second installation store SH based on the frequency of occurrence of the specific behavior pattern. By performing such order control, the manager of the installation store SH can appropriately order the specific product in accordance with the user's demand. The order control unit 440 may be configured to order the specific product on behalf of the manager of the installation store SH, or to output order quantity information necessary for the manager of the installation store SH to order the specific product.

Next, the compensation determination unit 450 determines the compensation to be received from the manager of the installation store SH based on the support information output by the user analysis unit 430 (step S107). For example, the compensation determination unit 450 may increase or decrease the compensation based on an increase or decrease in the sales amount from the sale of a specific product at the installation store SH after the support information is output.

According to the embodiment described above, with regard to a battery exchange station where batteries can be replaced and shared among multiple users, the battery exchange station is installed adjacent to a facility, and a first user who used the battery exchange station is identified based on the usage history of the battery exchange station, and a second user who used the facility is identified based on the usage history of the facility within a specified period that is the same as or close to the usage history of the battery exchange station, and trends regarding the similarity between the first user and the second user are analyzed based on the attribute information of the first user and the attribute information of the second user, thereby further enhancing the synergistic effects of battery station usage and facility usage.

The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.
a storage medium for storing computer-readable instructions;
a processor connected to the storage medium;
The processor executes the computer-readable instructions to:
A battery exchange station is provided in association with a facility, and is shared among a plurality of users. The battery exchange station is used to exchange batteries. A first user who used the battery exchange station is identified based on the usage history of the battery exchange station. The second user who used the facility is identified based on the usage history of the facility within a predetermined period that is the same as or close to the usage history of the battery exchange station.
analyzing trends regarding the consistency between the first user and the second user based on the attribute information of the first user and the attribute information of the second user;
Information provision device.

<Modification>
The information providing device 400 may be configured to transmit recommended information about services that a facility manager wants to provide or products that the facility manager wants to sell to users, such as third users, to a user terminal device, such as a smartphone, used by the user. Furthermore, the information providing device 400 may be configured to determine the attributes of the user when the battery exchange station 200 authenticates the user to replace the removable battery 100 and notify the user of recommended information based on the attributes. The information providing device 400 may also be configured to notify recommended information based on weather information in addition to or instead of the user's attributes. For example, if a user uses the battery exchange station 200 when the temperature is low, the information providing device 400 may determine that the temperature is low based on the weather information and, based on the user's attribute information, determine that the user is a man in his 40s who prefers hot canned coffee in cold weather (this is an example of attribute-based determination, but is not limited to this). In this case, the information providing device 400 may transmit recommended information, such as a discount coupon for canned coffee sold at the store SH where the information providing device 400 is installed, to the user's terminal device.

The above describes the form for implementing the present invention using embodiments, but the present invention is in no way limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

1... Battery sharing service system, 10... Electric vehicle, 12... Battery connection unit, 14... Vehicle control unit, 16... Driving force output device, 18... Vehicle sensor, 20... HMI, 22... GNSS receiver, 100... Detachable battery, 110... BMU, 120... Power storage unit, 130... Measurement sensor, 140... Memory unit, 150... Connection unit, 200... Battery exchange station, 210... Station control device, 211... Battery management unit, 212... Charging/discharging control unit, 214... Information output unit, 21 6...storage unit, 220...battery exchange device, 221...battery slot, 260...AC/DC converter, 271...DC/DC converter, 272...interface board, 273...control board (control unit), 300...management server device, 310...information acquisition unit, 320...station management unit, 330...information provision unit, 370...storage unit, 400...information provision device, 410...information acquisition unit, 420...user identification unit, 430...user analysis unit, 440...order control unit, 450...price determination unit, 470...storage unit

Claims (10)

An information providing device relating to a battery exchange station that is installed in association with a facility and is shared among a plurality of users and allows batteries to be exchanged,
a user identification unit that identifies a first user who used the battery exchange station based on a usage history of the battery exchange station, and that identifies a second user who used the facility based on a usage history of the facility within a predetermined period that is the same as or close to the usage history of the battery exchange station;
a user analysis unit that analyzes trends regarding the consistency between the first user and the second user based on attribute information of the first user and attribute information of the second user;
An information providing device comprising: The facility is a store that sells goods,
the user identification unit identifies the second user based on a history of electronic payments made using a terminal device at the facility.
The information providing device according to claim 1 . the user analysis unit identifies a third user who did not use the facility among the first users based on a difference between the attribute information of the first user and the attribute information of the second user.
3. The information providing device according to claim 1. the user identification unit identifies a fourth user who returned a battery rented from a first battery exchange station installed in a first facility to a second battery exchange station installed in a second facility geographically different from the first facility;
the user analysis unit classifies the behavior pattern of the fourth user based on behavior history information of the fourth user, which is information including location information of the first facility and the second facility, and thereby estimates the behavior pattern of the fourth user after visiting the first battery exchange station or the second battery exchange station.
The information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the user analysis unit calculates an appearance frequency in a predetermined period of a specific behavior pattern among the behavior patterns estimated for the fourth user;
an order control unit that changes an order quantity of a product related to the specific behavior pattern, which is sold by a seller at the first facility or the second facility, based on the appearance frequency;
5. The information providing device according to claim 4. The battery exchange station usage history includes information about the time period during which the user used the battery exchange station,
the user analysis unit classifies the behavior pattern of the fourth user into the behavior pattern by time period based on a time period in which the fourth user used the first battery exchange station or the second battery exchange station.
6. The information providing device according to claim 4 or 5. the user analysis unit outputs support information based on the analysis result of the tendency regarding the agreement to the facility;
a fee determination unit that determines a fee to be received from a manager of the facility in accordance with a result of output of the support information by the user analysis unit;
The information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The facility is a store that sells goods,
the compensation determination unit increases or decreases the compensation in accordance with an increase or decrease in sales amount of the product sold at the facility after the support information is output.
The information providing device according to claim 7. A method for providing information about a battery exchange station where a battery shared by a plurality of users can be exchanged, comprising:
Installing the battery exchange station in association with a facility;
an information providing device identifies a first user who used the battery exchange station based on a usage history of the battery exchange station, and identifies a second user who used the facility based on a usage history of the facility within a predetermined period that is the same as or close to the usage history of the battery exchange station;
an information providing device analyzes a tendency regarding the consistency between the first user and the second user based on the attribute information of the first user and the attribute information of the second user;
Information provision method. A battery exchange station is provided in association with a facility and is shared among a plurality of users, and allows batteries to be exchanged. The battery exchange station includes:
Identifying a first user who used the battery exchange station based on a usage history of the battery exchange station, and identifying a second user who used the facility based on a usage history of the facility within a predetermined period that is the same as or close to the usage history of the battery exchange station;
Analyzing trends regarding the consistency between the first user and the second user based on attribute information of the first user and attribute information of the second user;
A program that executes the following.