System, device and medium for evaluating the effect of a vehicle software update

An information processing device configured to update software used in a vehicle based on update data of the software, the update data being transmitted to the vehicle from an external device that is communicably connected to the vehicle, the information processing device comprising:

• processing circuitry configured to:
• acquire respective pieces of predetermined data about states of the vehicle before and after the software update;
• determine whether the predetermined data before the software update has been acquired;
• and
• update the software based on the update data, when it is determined that the predetermined data before the software update has been acquired;
• search, after the software update, for a travel route suitable for acquiring the predetermined data after the software update;
• guide, after the software update, the travel route for a driver of the vehicle;
• evaluate an effect of the software update based on the respective pieces of predetermined data before and after the software update, wherein the effect of the software update is an effect relating to an improvement of a performance corresponding to a purpose of the software update, and wherein the performance is at least one of a motive power performance, an energy saving performance, or a speed of shift change of a transmission;
• evaluate the effect by performing virtual simulation using a virtual model corresponding to the vehicle, based on the respective pieces of predetermined data before and after the software update, and comparing results of the virtual simulation;
• and
• change a travel condition of the vehicle in the virtual simulation, in accordance with a content of the software update.

An information processing method executed by an information processing device configured to update software used in a vehicle based on update data of the software, the update data being transmitted to the vehicle from an external device that is communicably connected to the vehicle, the information processing method comprising:

• acquiring respective pieces of predetermined data about states of the vehicle before and after the software update;
• determining whether the predetermined data before the software update has been acquired;
• and
• updating the software based on the update data, when it is determined that the predetermined data before the software update has been acquired;
• searching, after the software update, for a travel route suitable for acquiring the predetermined data after the software update;
• guiding, after the software update, the travel route for a driver of the vehicle;
• evaluating an effect of the software update based on the respective pieces of predetermined data before and after the software update, wherein the effect of the software update is an effect relating to an improvement of a performance corresponding to a purpose of the software update, and wherein the performance is at least one of a motive power performance, an energy saving performance, or a speed of shift change of a transmission;
• evaluating the effect by performing virtual simulation using a virtual model corresponding to the vehicle, based on the respective pieces of predetermined data before and after the software update, and comparing results of the virtual simulation;
• and
• changing a travel condition of the vehicle in the virtual simulation, in accordance with a content of the software update.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for causing an information processing device to execute steps, the information processing device configured to update software used in a vehicle based on update data of the software, the update data being transmitted to the vehicle from an external device that is communicably connected to the vehicle, the steps comprising:

• acquiring respective pieces of predetermined data about states of the vehicle before and after the software update;
• determining whether the predetermined data before the software update has been acquired;
• and
• updating the software based on the update data, when it is determined that the predetermined data before the software update has been acquired;
• searching, after the software update, for a travel route suitable for acquiring the predetermined data after the software update;
• guiding, after the software update, the travel route for a driver of the vehicle;
• evaluating an effect of the software update based on the respective pieces of predetermined data before and after the software update, wherein the effect of the software update is an effect relating to an improvement of a performance corresponding to a purpose of the software update, and wherein the performance is at least one of a motive power performance, an energy saving performance, or a speed of shift change of a transmission;
• evaluating the effect by performing virtual simulation using a virtual model corresponding to the vehicle, based on the respective pieces of predetermined data before and after the software update, and comparing results of the virtual simulation;
• and
• changing a travel condition of the vehicle in the virtual simulation, in accordance with a content of the software update.