Navigation system

Abstract

The present invention pertains to a navigation system in which, when a second portable terminal is brought close to a first portable terminal, installation information of a passenger application is transmitted to the second portable terminal. If the installation is confirmed, the installation of the passenger application is performed. Then, if an operation for specifying a destination is performed in the second portable terminal, destination information is transferred from the destination setting application to the passenger application. The user is guided so that the second mobile terminal approaches the first mobile terminal. When the user brings the second portable terminal close to the first portable terminal, destination information is transmitted from the second portable terminal to the navigation device via the first portable terminal. A destination is set in a navigation device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to navigation systems. Background Art

[0002] In vehicles used in transportation businesses such as taxis, it is required to register the user's desired destination in the vehicle-mounted navigation device. Therefore, for example, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-184336, there is a known technology for setting the destination of the vehicle-mounted navigation device by using the destination information stored in the user's portable terminal by performing near field communication (NFC) between the vehicle-mounted communication unit and the user's portable terminal.

[0003] However, in order to enable communication between the vehicle-mounted navigation device and any portable terminal, complicated operations are required for pairing, or the navigation device is required to be equipped with a dedicated device for enabling communication with simple operations. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems and has an object to provide a navigation system that can register information on a user's desired destination through a simple operation.

[0005] A navigation system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes:

[0006] The first portable terminal;

[0007] the second portable terminal establishing communication with the first portable terminal based on short-range wireless communication when the distance between the second portable terminal and the first portable terminal becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined value; and

[0008] The vehicle-mounted navigation device can communicate with the first portable terminal.

[0009] When the communication between the first portable terminal and the second portable terminal is established, the first portable terminal receives the destination information including the destination selected in the second portable terminal, and transmits the destination information to the navigation device.

[0010] When receiving the destination information from the first mobile terminal, the navigation device sets a destination for route guidance using the received destination information.

[0011] In this way, if the first portable terminal and the second portable terminal establish communication under the short-distance communication, the first portable terminal can communicate with the navigation device. The second portable terminal can communicate with the navigation device via the first portable terminal without providing a dedicated device that can directly communicate with the second portable terminal in the navigation device. Therefore, the destination selected in the second portable terminal can be set as the destination of the route guidance in the navigation device.

[0012] In one embodiment, when the first portable terminal establishes communication with the second portable terminal, the first portable terminal transmits predetermined software to the second portable terminal. The predetermined software includes software capable of transmitting destination information to the first portable terminal through short-range wireless communication.

[0013] In this way, when the second portable terminal establishes communication with the first portable terminal, the predetermined software can be acquired through short-distance wireless communication. The destination information can be transmitted to the first portable terminal.

[0014] In still another embodiment, the second portable terminal uses predetermined software to convert information including a destination selected using existing software of the second portable terminal into destination information transmittable to the first portable terminal through short-range wireless communication.

[0015] In this way, the destination can be selected using the existing software of the second portable terminal. The destination can be easily selected using the software that the user is accustomed to.

[0016] In another embodiment, each of the first portable terminal and the second portable terminal is configured to be capable of NFC communication.

[0017] In this way, communication can be established between the first portable terminal and the second portable terminal through NFC communication.

[0018] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a navigation system that allows a user to register information on a desired destination through a simple operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Hereinafter, features, advantages, technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like components, wherein:

[0020] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle equipped with the navigation system according to the present embodiment.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a sequence diagram for explaining an example of the installation process of the passenger application executed in each of the first portable terminal and the second portable terminal.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a sequence diagram for explaining an example of a process of generating destination information executed in the second mobile terminal.

[0023] Figure 4This is a sequence diagram for explaining an example of a process of transferring destination information executed in each of the navigation device, the first mobile terminal, and the second mobile terminal.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a diagram for explaining an example of a series of operations involving each of the navigation device, the first mobile terminal, and the second mobile terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will not be repeated.

[0026] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a vehicle 100 equipped with a navigation system 1 according to the present embodiment. The vehicle 100 in the present embodiment includes, for example, a vehicle used as a taxi. Figure 1 As shown, a navigation system 1 is mounted on a vehicle 100 . The navigation system 1 includes an ECU 200 , a navigation device 300 , a first portable terminal 400 , and a second portable terminal 500 .

[0027] ECU200 is a computer having a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) for executing a program, a memory such as a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM), and an input / output interface. ECU200 includes various control programs for controlling various electrical devices mounted on vehicle 100. The various control programs include, for example, a control program for controlling the behavior of vehicle 100 and a control program for controlling the operation of navigation device 300. In addition, a control subject for controlling the operation of navigation device 300 may be built into navigation device 300 as a control unit.

[0028] The navigation device 300 sets a travel route to the destination using information about the destination received from the user or the first portable terminal 400. The navigation device 300 uses a position detection device (not shown) such as a global positioning system (GPS) to obtain the position of the vehicle 100. The navigation device 300 uses a reporting device (display device, speaker, etc.) to report information about the route guidance based on the set travel route.

[0029] The navigation device 300 includes a communication device 302. The communication device 302 is configured to be usable in a first communication method (such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi, etc.) that requires a prior pairing process with a communication target device. In this embodiment, the communication target device includes a first portable terminal 400. That is, the navigation device 300 and the first portable terminal 400 are in a state where they can communicate through an authentication process such as pairing.

[0030] The first portable terminal 400 is a portable terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a wearable device, and is carried by a driver of the vehicle 100 , for example.

[0031] The first portable terminal 400 includes a control device 402, a communication device 404, a storage device 406, a position detection device 408, and a user interface (hereinafter referred to as UI) 410. The control device 402, the communication device 404, the storage device 406, the position detection device 408, and the UI 410 are connected to each other via a communication bus (not shown) so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0032] The control device 402 includes a processor 402a such as a CPU that executes a program and a memory 402b. The program (e.g., application software (hereinafter referred to as application)) stored in the memory is read out by the processor and software processing is executed. By executing the software processing, the application is started. The various controls involved in the control device 402 are not limited to software processing, but can also be processed by dedicated hardware (electronic circuit).

[0033] The communication device 404 includes a first communication unit 404a capable of communication in a first communication format and a second communication unit 404b capable of communication in a second communication format (e.g., short-range wireless communication such as NFC communication). For the communication device 404, if the distance between the second communication unit 404b and another device capable of NFC communication is less than a specified value, NFC communication can be performed between the communication device 404 and the device.

[0034] The storage device 406 stores various information including information related to applications. For example, the storage device 406 stores information related to applications that is transmitted to the second portable terminal 500 when communicating with the second portable terminal 500 described later by short-distance wireless communication.

[0035] The position detection device 408 detects, for example, the position information of the first portable terminal 400. The position detection device 408 detects the position of the first portable terminal 400 using, for example, a GPS satellite, a wireless local area network (LAN), or the like.

[0036] The UI 410 includes, for example, a display device that displays various information and an input device (neither of which is shown) that accepts user operations. The UI 410 may be formed of, for example, a touch panel display.

[0037] The second mobile terminal 500 is a portable terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a wearable device, and is carried by a user (hereinafter referred to as a passenger) of the vehicle 100 such as a taxi.

[0038] The second portable terminal 500 includes a control device 502, a communication device 504, a storage device 506, a position detection device 508, and a UI 510. The control device 502, the communication device 504, the storage device 506, the position detection device 508, and the UI 510 are connected to each other via a communication bus (not shown) so as to be able to communicate with each other. The control device 502 includes a processor 502a and a memory 502b. The communication device 504 includes a first communication unit 504a and a second communication unit 504b.

[0039] The control device 502, the communication device 504, the storage device 506, the position detection device 508, and the UI 510 have the same configurations as the control device 402, the communication device 404, the storage device 406, the position detection device 408, and the UI 410 of the first portable terminal 400, respectively. In addition, the processor 502a, the memory 502b, the first communication unit 504a, and the second communication unit 504b have the same configurations as the processor 402a, the memory 402b, the first communication unit 404a, and the second communication unit 404b, respectively. Therefore, their detailed descriptions will not be repeated.

[0040] When the vehicle 100 having the above configuration is used as a taxi, in order to properly arrive at the destination desired by the passenger, it is preferable to register the destination designated by the passenger in the navigation device 300. Therefore, when the passenger is riding in the vehicle 100, it is required to quickly communicate with the navigation device 300 and transmit information related to the destination.

[0041] However, in order to enable communication between the navigation device 300 and any portable terminal, a complicated operation such as inputting a password during pairing is required, or the navigation device 300 is required to be equipped with a dedicated device for enabling communication with a simple operation.

[0042] In view of this, in the present embodiment, the first portable terminal 400 and the navigation device 300 operate as follows. That is, the distance between the first portable terminal 400 and the second portable terminal 500 is less than a predetermined value, thereby establishing communication related to short-range wireless communication. At this time, if the first portable terminal 400 receives the destination information included in the destination selected in the second portable terminal 500, the destination information is sent to the navigation device 300. If the navigation device 300 receives the destination information from the first portable terminal 400, the received destination information is used to set the destination of the route guidance.

[0043] In this way, the first portable terminal 400 and the second portable terminal 500 establish communication by short-distance communication. The first portable terminal 400 and the navigation device 300 can communicate. The second portable terminal 500 and the navigation device 300 can communicate via the first portable terminal 400 without providing a dedicated device in the navigation device 300 that can directly communicate with the second portable terminal 500. Therefore, the destination selected in the second portable terminal 500 can be set as the destination of the route guidance in the navigation device 300.

[0044] Below, refer to Figure 2 An example of a process of installing an application for a passenger, which is executed in each of the first portable terminal 400 and the second portable terminal 500 , will be described. Figure 2 This is a sequence diagram for explaining an example of the installation process of the passenger application executed in each of the first portable terminal 400 and the second portable terminal 500 .

[0045] like Figure 2 As shown, the first portable terminal 400 includes an application for passenger vehicles (D). Information related to the application for passenger vehicles (D) is stored in the storage device 406 of the first portable terminal 400. When the control device 402 receives an instruction to start the application for passenger vehicles (D), the control device 402 reads the information related to the application for passenger vehicles (D) from the storage device 406 and executes a process of starting the application for passenger vehicles (D). The process of starting the application is executed by the control device 402 as described above. Since the same is true for other applications, the detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

[0046] The passenger vehicle application (D) has, for example, a function of sending installation information of the passenger application (C) to a communication partner that has become capable of communication based on short-range wireless communication. The second portable terminal 500 has an application for sending and receiving information with a communication partner through short-range wireless communication. As an application for sending and receiving information through short-range wireless communication, for example, an application capable of NFC communication that is installed as a standard application of the operating system (OS) of the portable terminal (hereinafter referred to as NFC application (A)) can be used. The function of the passenger application (C) will be described later.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown in (a-1) of FIG. 1 , the second portable terminal 500 carried by the passenger is brought close to the first portable terminal 400 of the vehicle 100 until the distance becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value. Figure 2 As shown in (a-2) of FIG. 1 , communication based on short-range wireless communication is established, and a predetermined request signal is sent to the first portable terminal 400. If the first portable terminal 400 receives the predetermined request signal, Figure 2As shown in (a-3) of FIG. 4 , the installation information of the passenger application (C) stored in the storage device 406 is transmitted to the second mobile terminal 500 .

[0048] like Figure 2 As shown in (a-4) of FIG. 5 , the installation of the passenger application (C) is confirmed in the second portable terminal 500. For example, a display is made in the UI 510 of the second portable terminal 500 to confirm whether the passenger application (C) can be installed. Figure 2 As shown in (a-5) of FIG. 5 , if the passenger performs an operation to allow installation on UI 510 (for example, a touch operation on a predetermined area), the control device 502 of the second portable terminal 500 executes the installation process of the passenger application (C). As a result, Figure 2 As shown in (a-6) of FIG. 1 , information related to the passenger application (C) is stored in the storage device 506 of the second mobile terminal 500. The passenger application (C) is now executable.

[0049] Below, refer to Figure 3 An example of a process of generating destination information executed in second portable terminal 500 will be described. Figure 3 This is a sequence diagram for explaining an example of a process of generating destination information executed in the second portable terminal 500 .

[0050] like Figure 3 As shown, the second mobile terminal 500 includes an application for setting a destination designated by a passenger (hereinafter referred to as a destination setting application (B)) in addition to the above-mentioned NFC application (A) and passenger application (C).

[0051] The destination setting application (B) has a function of displaying map information on the display screen of the UI 410 and a function of accepting an operation of designating a specific position in the displayed map image.

[0052] like Figure 3 As shown in (b-1) of FIG. 1 , for example, it is assumed that a passenger starts the destination setting application (B) and performs an operation (touch operation) to designate a specific position in the map image displayed on the display screen. Figure 3 As shown in (b-2), the destination setting application (B) uses the location specified by the touch operation as the destination and generates destination information including location information. The location information is information that can determine the location of the destination. The location information may include, for example, information related to the latitude and longitude of the destination. The location information may include information related to the name of a facility that uses the destination as its location. Alternatively, the location information may include information related to the residence of the destination.

[0053] like Figure 3As shown in (b-3), the destination setting application (B) transfers the generated destination information to the passenger application. The destination setting application (B) may transfer the destination information to the passenger application (C) when receiving a predetermined operation of the passenger for transferring the destination information to the passenger application (C).

[0054] Below, refer to Figure 4 An example of a process of transferring the destination information executed in each of the navigation device 300 , the first portable terminal 400 , and the second portable terminal 500 will be described. Figure 4 This is a sequence diagram for explaining an example of a process of transferring destination information executed in each of the navigation device 300 , the first portable terminal 400 , and the second portable terminal 500 .

[0055] like Figure 4 As shown, the first mobile terminal 400 includes an application for setting a destination to be transmitted to the navigation device 300 (hereinafter referred to as a destination setting application (E)) in addition to the above-mentioned passenger vehicle application (D).

[0056] like Figure 4 As shown in (c-1) of FIG. 5 , when the passenger application (C) attempts to obtain destination information, information guiding the second portable terminal 500 to approach the first portable terminal 400 is displayed on the display screen of the UI 510 .

[0057] like Figure 4 As shown in (c-2) of FIG. 1 , the passenger brings the second portable terminal 500 closer to the first portable terminal 400 until the distance becomes less than a predetermined value. Then, communication is established through short-range wireless communication. Figure 4 As shown in (c-3) of FIG. 4 , the passenger application (C) transmits the destination information to the first mobile terminal 400 .

[0058] like Figure 4 As shown in (c-4) of FIG. 1 , the passenger vehicle application (D) converts the received destination information into a format that can be read by a destination setting application (E) described later, and transfers the converted destination information to the destination setting application (E).

[0059] like Figure 4 As shown in (c-5) of FIG. 1 , the destination setting application (E) converts the data of the destination information into a format transmittable to the navigation device 300 that has become communicable, and transmits the data to the navigation device 300. The navigation device 300 sets the destination using the received destination information.

[0060] Reference Figure 5An example of a series of operations of each of the navigation device 300 , the first portable terminal 400 , and the second portable terminal 500 based on the above-described configuration of the navigation system 1 and the sequence diagram will be described. Figure 5 This is a diagram for explaining an example of a series of operations related to each of the navigation device 300 , the first mobile terminal 400 , and the second mobile terminal 500 .

[0061] The vehicle 100 is, for example, a taxi. The first portable terminal 400 is provided at a predetermined position in the vehicle (for example, a position where a passenger sitting in a rear seat can bring the second portable terminal 500 close). The first portable terminal 400 is in a state capable of communicating with the navigation device 300 by a prior operation performed by the driver of the vehicle 100. For the passenger, this is the first time to ride in the vehicle 100 equipped with the navigation system 1.

[0062] For example, when a passenger sits in the rear seat of a taxi, the passenger brings the second portable terminal 500 close to the first portable terminal 400 by being urged by the driver, or by a guide sign or voice guidance around the seat. When the distance between the first portable terminal 400 and the second portable terminal 500 is below the specified value for short-range wireless communication, the NFC application (A) of the second portable terminal 500 sends a request signal to the first portable terminal 400. If the passenger vehicle application (D) of the first portable terminal 400 receives the request signal, it sends the installation information of the passenger application (C) to the second portable terminal 500. In the second portable terminal 500, a confirmation screen for confirming whether to install is displayed on the UI 510. If the user's operation to allow installation is accepted, the passenger application (C) is installed in the second portable terminal 500. In this way, the processing for the first ride is performed.

[0063] After executing the process for the first ride, the passenger activates the destination setting application (B) of the second mobile terminal 500 and performs an operation to designate a desired destination. Then, the destination setting application (B) transfers the destination information to the passenger application (C).

[0064] When the destination information is transferred from the destination setting application (B) to the passenger application (C), an image or text information for guiding the passenger to approach the first portable terminal 400 is displayed on the screen of the UI 510 of the second portable terminal 500. In addition, the passenger application (C) may also provide voice guidance so that the second portable terminal 500 approaches the first portable terminal 400.

[0065] When the second portable terminal 500 approaches the first portable terminal 400, the passenger application (C) transmits the destination information to the first portable terminal 400. When the passenger vehicle application (D) of the first portable terminal 400 receives the destination information, it transfers it to the destination setting application (E).

[0066] In the destination setting application (E), the destination information is converted into a format that enables setting of the destination in the navigation device 300, and is transmitted to the navigation device 300. The destination is set in the navigation device 300 using the received destination information.

[0067] As described above, according to the navigation system 1 involved in this embodiment, the first portable terminal 400 and the second portable terminal 500 establish communication based on short-distance communication. The first portable terminal 400 and the navigation device 300 can communicate. The second portable terminal 500 and the navigation device 300 can communicate via the first portable terminal 400 without providing a dedicated device that can directly communicate with the second portable terminal 500 in the navigation device 300. Therefore, the destination selected in the second portable terminal 500 can be set as the destination of the route guidance in the navigation device 300. Therefore, it is possible to provide a navigation system that can register the information of the destination desired by the user through a simple operation.

[0068] Furthermore, in the second portable terminal 500, the destination setting application (B) and the passenger application (C) are separately configured. As the destination setting application (B), an existing map application such as a standard map application or a map application that is generally widely used can be used in the OS. The convenience for passengers is improved, and the cost increase for application development can be suppressed.

[0069] Furthermore, the passenger vehicle application (D) and the destination setting application (E) are separately configured in the first portable terminal 400. As the destination setting application (E), an existing application for transmitting destination information to the navigation device 300 can be used. This can suppress the increase in cost for application development and the like.

[0070] Modifications will be described below.

[0071] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the destination information including the information related to the destination designated in the second portable terminal 500 is transmitted to the navigation device 300 via the first portable terminal 400 and the destination is set in the navigation device 300 is described as an example. The destination information may include information related to the driving route in addition to the information related to the destination, and the driving route is set in addition to the destination in the navigation device 300. Alternatively, the information related to the via point may be included in addition to the information related to the destination, and the via point is set in addition to the destination in the navigation device 300. In this way, the vehicle 100 can be moved to the destination according to the driving route desired by the passenger.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the passenger vehicle application (D) and the destination setting application (E) of the first portable terminal 400 are separately configured, but the passenger vehicle application (D) and the destination setting application (E) may be configured by one application. By configuring them as one application, the convenience for the driver can be improved.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the second portable terminal 500 obtains the passenger application (C) from the first portable terminal 400 is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to obtaining from the first portable terminal 400. The second portable terminal 500 may obtain the passenger application (C) from a predetermined server via a communication line such as the Internet, for example.

[0074] In addition, all or part of the above-mentioned modifications may be combined as appropriate for implementation.

[0075] The embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all points and are not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown by the scope of the claims for protection of this application rather than the above description, and is intended to include all changes within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims for protection of this application.

Claims

1. A navigation system, wherein: have: The first portable terminal; The second portable terminal establishes communication with the first portable terminal based on short-range wireless communication when the distance between the second portable terminal and the first portable terminal becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined value; as well as The vehicle-mounted navigation device is capable of communicating with the first portable terminal. When the communication between the first portable terminal and the second portable terminal is established, the first portable terminal receives destination information including the destination selected in the second portable terminal and transmits the destination information to the navigation device. When the navigation device receives the destination information from the first portable terminal, the navigation device sets a destination for route guidance using the received destination information.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein: When the first portable terminal establishes the communication with the second portable terminal, the first portable terminal sends predetermined software to the second portable terminal. The predetermined software includes software capable of transmitting the destination information to the first portable terminal via the short-range wireless communication.

3. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein: The second portable terminal uses the predetermined software to convert the information including the destination selected using existing software of the second portable terminal into the destination information transmittable to the first portable terminal through the short-range wireless communication.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein: Each of the first portable terminal and the second portable terminal is configured to be capable of near field communication (NFC).

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