Information providing method, information providing apparatus, and information providing system

Abstract

A control command is transmitted for displaying, to a driver of the vehicle, an image obtained by superimposing a route from a current position of the vehicle to a destination on a standard map including information required for driving the vehicle. And transmits a control command for displaying, to the passenger of the vehicle, an image obtained by superimposing the route on a dedicated map of information specialized for the specific field, which is different from the standard map.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information providing method, an information providing device and an information providing system.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-095071 filed on June 13, 2022. For designated countries that recognize incorporation by reference, the contents described in the above-mentioned application are incorporated into this application by reference and become a part of the description of this application. Background Art

[0003] The following technology is known: accepting departure point information and destination information, determining a point (spot) that is close enough to the departure point or destination to satisfy a predetermined location condition and whose dynamic attractiveness of each user is large enough to satisfy a predetermined attractiveness condition, and outputting point-related information related to the determined point (Patent Document 1).

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-148881 Summary of the invention

[0007] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] When providing a map containing point information, it is necessary to provide the driver of the vehicle with a map required for driving along the route to avoid distracting the driver from driving. On the other hand, there is a need for fellow passengers to view a map dedicated to information in a specific area while confirming the route. However, the technology of Patent Document 1 is not a technology for providing different maps to the driver and fellow passengers. Therefore, there is a problem that it is not possible to provide the driver with a map required for driving the vehicle along the route while satisfying the needs of fellow passengers to view a map dedicated to information in a specific area while confirming the route.

[0009] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an information providing method, an information providing device and an information providing system which can provide a vehicle driver with a map required for driving the vehicle according to a route, while satisfying the needs of fellow passengers who want to view a map dedicated to information in a specific area while confirming the route.

[0010] Solutions for solving problems

[0011] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem by sending a control instruction for displaying an image obtained by superimposing a path from the current position of the vehicle to the destination on a standard map containing information required for driving the vehicle to the driver of the vehicle, and sending a control instruction for displaying an image obtained by superimposing a path on a special map that is different from the standard map and is specifically used for specific areas to passengers in the vehicle.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a map necessary for a vehicle driver to drive the vehicle along a route and to meet the needs of fellow passengers who want to view a map with information specialized for a specific area while checking the route. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of the information providing system involved in this embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2A It is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the car navigation device according to the present embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2B It is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the car navigation device according to the present embodiment.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a flowchart showing an example of a control procedure for executing the information providing method.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a sequence diagram until the driving route is guided in the information providing system according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] <First Embodiment>

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, an example in which the information providing method and information providing device according to the present invention are applied to an information providing system will be described. Figure 1 1 is a block diagram of an information providing system 100 including an information providing device 1 according to the present embodiment. Figure 1 As shown, the information providing system 100 includes an information providing device 1, a terminal device 20, and a car navigation device 30. The information providing device 1, the terminal device 20, and the car navigation device 30 can mutually transmit and receive information via a communication line network 40. Examples of the communication line network 40 include a mobile phone network, a wireless LAN network, a DSRC network, and a power line communication network. Figure 1In the illustrated information providing system 100 , one terminal device 20 and one car navigation device 30 are shown, but the information providing system 100 may be constituted by a plurality of terminal devices 20 and a plurality of car navigation devices 30 .

[0021] In the present embodiment, the information providing device 1 provides information to the user. The users are the driver and the passengers of the vehicle 3. The information provided to the driver and the passengers includes a map, a route to the destination of the vehicle 3, and information about POIs (Point of Interest). The terminal device 20 is a device that provides information to the passengers through images, sounds, etc. For example, the terminal device 20 is a vehicle-mounted display for the passengers of the vehicle 3, a portable terminal operated by the passengers, or a head-mounted display worn by the passengers. The vehicle-mounted display for the passengers is, for example, a device that is arranged at a position that the passengers can visually recognize. When the passengers are sitting in the rear seat, the vehicle-mounted display is arranged at the upper rear side of the seat of the front seat in the vehicle 3. The vehicle-mounted navigation device 30 is a device that provides information such as images and sounds to the driver. The vehicle-mounted navigation device 30 is a device that is arranged at a position that the driver can visually recognize, for example, it is fixed to the dashboard of the vehicle 3.

[0022] In addition, in the present embodiment, the terminal device 20 and the in-vehicle navigation device 30 are different devices and have different displays, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a display device may be provided in the vehicle 3, and the display device may have a driver screen displayed to the driver and a passenger screen displayed to the passenger. That is, a device having a display divided into a driver screen and a passenger screen provides different information to the driver and the passenger, respectively.

[0023] The information providing device 1 has a database 2 and a processor 10. The database 2 has a variety of different map data. The map data includes standard maps and special maps. The standard map contains at least information required for driving a vehicle. The standard map contains at least road information. The road information may also include the type of road (e.g., ordinary road, toll road, etc.), intersection, stop line, traffic light, and the location of road signs.

[0024] The standard map may also record POIs to which attributes are assigned. The attributes of the POI indicate the field to which the POI belongs. For example, the field to which the POI belongs is a field related to academics or interests. Fields related to academics include fields related to history, geography, geology, meteorology, and paleontology. The field related to academics only needs to include at least one of these fields, and the field may be one or more. In addition, for example, fields related to interests include fields related to restaurants, shrines and temples, mountaineering, etc. The field related to interests only needs to include at least one of these fields, and the field may be one or more. In this embodiment, the field to which the POI belongs is set as the attribute of the POI in advance for each POI. For example, when the POI is a historical building, the POI is classified into the field of "history", and the attribute of the POI is set to "history". In addition, the attributes of the POI may also include a main field and a sub-field associated with the main field. For example, "history" is set as the main field, and "historical events", "historical relics", and "politics" are set as the sub-fields of "history".

[0025] In addition, a POI may also have multiple attributes. In addition, a POI may also have an attribute score obtained by quantifying the degree of recommendation for users who like the field to which the POI belongs. In the case where the attribute of the POI is "history", the attribute score of the POI indicates the degree of recommendation of the POI for users who like "history". For example, the attribute score of the POI is expressed by a five-level score. The attribute score can use the word-of-mouth score on the Internet or can be set based on the past action history of other users. For example, in the case where users with specific attributes frequently visit, the attributes of the POI are set according to the attributes of the frequent users, and the attribute score of the POI is set high. In addition, the attribute score of the POI can also be a binary value of whether it is recommended. In this embodiment, the standard map includes point information including the location and name of the POI, but does not include detailed information related to specific points such as POIs and information specifically used for specific fields.

[0026] A dedicated map is a map dedicated to information in a specific field. A dedicated map is a map different from a standard map and is a map with more detailed information in a specific field than a standard map. A standard map is a map used for driving a vehicle, but a dedicated map is a map used for learning by a user. For example, a dedicated map is an old map, an old country name map, a topographic map, a contour map, a weather map, a disaster map, etc. The database 2 stores maps dedicated to information in a specific field for each specific field. That is, a dedicated map associated with an attribute is stored in the database 2 for each attribute.

[0027] In this embodiment, a dedicated map is presented for a user who wants to improve the specialization for a specific field. For example, the dedicated map includes a map dedicated to information in a field related to academics. If the user is interested in history, ancient maps and old country name maps are presented. In addition, if the user is interested in geology, topographic maps and contour maps are presented. In addition, if the user is interested in meteorology, weather maps and disaster maps are presented. In this embodiment, as described later, the user's favorite field is obtained as the user's attribute, and a dedicated map that matches the user's attribute is displayed, so that the user can study the field of his or her interest.

[0028] The dedicated map may also include a map dedicated to information in a field related to interest. For example, if the user likes to visit restaurants, a restaurant map dedicated to information about restaurants is presented. Also, if the user likes to visit shrines and temples, a map dedicated to information about shrines and temples is presented. Also, if the user likes to climb mountains, a map dedicated to information about climbing mountains, such as a picnic map, is presented.

[0029] The processor 10 is a computer having hardware and software, and the computer includes a ROM storing a program, a CPU executing the program stored in the ROM, and a RAM functioning as an accessible storage device. In addition, as an action circuit, an MPU, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA, etc. can be used instead of the CPU, or together with the CPU. Figure 1 As shown, the processor 10 is configured to include a user attribute acquisition unit 11, a storage unit 12, a route guidance unit 13, a POI determination unit 14, a destination suggestion unit 15, and a communication unit 16 as functional modules, and each function is executed by the cooperation of software and hardware for executing each process. In addition, in this embodiment, the functions of each functional module are described on the basis of dividing the functions of the processor 10 into 6 modules, but the functions of the processor 10 do not necessarily have to be divided into 6 modules.

[0030] The user attribute acquisition unit 11 acquires the user's attributes. For example, the user attribute acquisition unit 11 acquires the user's favorite field as the user's attribute. The user's attribute is the field that the user is interested in among the multiple fields classified in advance. The multiple fields include fields related to academics or interests. The user's attribute can be either an attribute selected by the user in advance or an attribute estimated in advance. For example, in the case where the user likes the field of "history", the user's attribute is "history". The user can also have multiple attributes. For example, the user attribute acquisition unit 11 acquires the field selected by the user as the field of interest in the questionnaire as the user's attribute. In addition, the user attribute acquisition unit 11 can also acquire the attribute score obtained by numerically quantifying the user's preference for a specific field. For example, the user attribute acquisition unit 11 acquires the evaluation score of each field selected by the user in the questionnaire in the five-level evaluation format as the attribute score. In the case where the user selects 5 points for "history" and 3 points for "geology" in the questionnaire, the user's attribute score for "history" is 5 points, and the user's attribute score for "geology" is 3 points. In addition, the attribute score for a specific field can also be expressed as a binary value of likes and dislikes for each field.

[0031] In addition, the user attribute acquisition unit 11 may also estimate the user's attributes based on the user's action history record. For example, the user attribute acquisition unit 11 acquires the user's action history record, determines the POI that the user has visited, and determines the field to which the POI belongs. The more times a user visits a POI belonging to a specific field, the greater the user attribute acquisition unit 11 estimates the user's attribute score for the specific field. In addition, the user's attributes may also change dynamically. For example, the user attribute acquisition unit 11 may also acquire the user's action history record at a certain period, and update the user's attributes based on the acquired user's action history record. In this embodiment, the user attribute acquisition unit 11 acquires the attributes of the co-passenger from the terminal device 20. In the case where the driver is a parent and the co-passenger is a child, the co-passenger's attributes may also be the attributes obtained by the parent selecting the field that the child wants to be interested in as part of the child's learning.

[0032] In addition, in the present embodiment, the attributes of POI are not limited to the fields related to academics or interests, and can also be classified into other categories. For example, the attributes of POI are shopping, restaurant, supermarket, gas station, etc. In addition, for example, the attributes of POI can also include further subdivided subcategories for each category. If the category is restaurant, the subcategories are Japanese food, Chinese food, Italian food, French food, etc. In this case, the user attribute acquisition unit 11 estimates the attribute score of the category of POI that the user frequently visits to be high based on the user's action history.

[0033] The storage unit 12 obtains various maps from outside the information providing device 1 and stores the various maps in the database 2. The storage unit 12 obtains a standard map from an external database and stores the standard map in the database 2. For example, the storage unit 12 may obtain information on a standard map and POIs, record POIs in the obtained standard map, and store the standard map including POIs in the database 2. The storage unit 12 updates the attributes and attribute scores of the POIs stored in the database 2 at a certain period. In addition, the storage unit 12 obtains a dedicated map from an external database and stores the dedicated map in the database 2.

[0034] The route guidance unit 13 guides the driver and the passengers according to the driving route from the current position of the vehicle 3 to the destination with the help of the terminal device 20 and the in-vehicle navigation device 30. When the route guidance unit 13 obtains the destination of the vehicle 3 and the current position of the vehicle 3, it generates the driving route from the current position of the vehicle 3 to the destination with reference to the standard map. The route guidance unit 13 uses the position information of the vehicle 3 received by the GPS receiving unit 31 as the current position of the vehicle 3. In addition, the route guidance unit 13 uses the information of the destination input by the driver or the passenger as the destination of the vehicle 3. The driving route can also be a route passing through multiple destinations. The route guidance unit 13 sends a control command for displaying an image obtained by superimposing the driving route on the standard map to the terminal device 20 and the in-vehicle navigation device 30. That is, in this embodiment, the route guidance unit 13 sends a control command for displaying the standard map to the terminal device 20 and the in-vehicle navigation device 30 before the user starts moving.

[0035] The POI determination unit 14 searches for POIs within a specified range from a specified location, and determines whether the attributes of the searched target POI are consistent with the attributes of the fellow passenger. First, the POI determination unit 14 sets a specified location as the center of the search range. The specified location is, for example, the current location of the vehicle 3. Alternatively, the specified location may be a search center location set by the fellow passenger on a standard map.

[0036] When the prescribed location is set at the current position of the vehicle 3, the POI determination unit 14 searches for POIs within a first prescribed range from the current position of the vehicle 3. The first prescribed range is a search range for POIs, for example, a range of a circle with a radius of a prescribed distance centered on the current position of the vehicle 3. In addition, the first prescribed range may also be a range that the vehicle 3 can move to within a prescribed time from the current position. In addition, the first prescribed range is not limited to the range of a circle centered on the current position of the vehicle 3, but may also be a range within a prescribed distance from the moving path from the current position of the vehicle 3 to the destination, or may be a range that the vehicle 3 can move to within a prescribed time after leaving the moving path.

[0037] In the present embodiment, the POI determination unit 14 displays the driving route, and after the vehicle 3 starts to travel along the driving route to the destination, the current position of the vehicle 3 is obtained at a certain period, and a POI is searched for within a first prescribed range centered on the current position of the vehicle 3. For example, the POI determination unit 14 determines whether there is a POI within the first prescribed range from the current position of the vehicle 3 on the standard map based on the current position of the vehicle 3 and the standard map containing the POI. In addition, in the case where a fellow passenger sets a search center on the standard map before or during the travel of the vehicle 3, the POI determination unit 14 may also determine whether there is a POI within a second prescribed range from the search center on the standard map. The second prescribed range is a range set in the same way as the first prescribed range. Regarding the description of the second prescribed range, the description of the first prescribed range is appropriately cited.

[0038] The destination suggestion unit 15 suggests setting a destination to the fellow passenger. For example, the destination suggestion unit 15 sends a control command for suggesting a change of destination to the fellow passenger, or a control command for suggesting a place of passage between the current position of the vehicle 3 and the destination. In the present embodiment, when the POI determination unit 14 determines that there is a POI within the first prescribed range, the destination suggestion unit 15 obtains the attributes of the target POI within the first prescribed range from the standard map, and determines whether the attributes of the target POI are consistent with the attributes of the fellow passenger. That is, the destination suggestion unit 15 confirms whether the area to which the target POI belongs is consistent with the area that the fellow passenger likes.

[0039] For example, the destination suggestion unit 15 calculates the degree of consistency between the attributes of the target POI and the attributes of the passenger, and when the degree of consistency is higher than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that the attributes of the target POI and the attributes of the passenger are consistent. The higher the attribute score of the passenger and the higher the attribute score of the target POI, the higher the degree of consistency calculated by the destination suggestion unit 15. For example, the degree of consistency is calculated by multiplying the attribute score of the passenger and the attribute score of the target POI. In addition, the degree of consistency can also be calculated by an increasing function with the attribute score of the passenger and the attribute score of the target POI as parameters.

[0040] When the destination suggestion unit 15 determines that the attribute of the target POI is consistent with the attribute of the co-passenger, it sends a control instruction for suggesting the target POI as the destination to the terminal device 20. The control instruction for suggesting the target POI as the destination is a control instruction for suggesting that the destination be changed to the target POI, or a control instruction for suggesting that the target POI be set as a passing point between the current position of the vehicle 3 and the destination. For example, the destination suggestion unit 15 sends a control instruction for displaying the point information of the target POI and the suggestion information for suggesting the target POI as the destination to the terminal device 20. The point information of the target POI includes the location of the target POI, the point name of the target POI, and the attribute of the target POI. The point information may also include detailed information on the field to which the target POI belongs. For example, if the attribute of the target POI is "history", the detailed information is information related to the history of the target POI, such as the year when the building of the target POI was built. In addition, the detailed information may also include point information of other POIs in the vicinity of the target POI whose attributes are the same as those of the target POI. In addition, the point information and the suggestion information may also be output through sound information.

[0041] The point information of POI includes, for example, terrain information, historical information, and meteorological information. The terrain information includes volcanoes, plateaus, slopes, fan-shaped land, deltas, basins, Ria coasts, plains, mountains, mountain ranges, rivers, stalactite caves, wind tunnels / ice caves, forests, faults, geodetic trenches (Fossa Magna), circular dams, watersheds, mountain ridges and mountain names, and other places with topographical features. Historical information includes historical sites, ancient battlefields, shrines and Buddhist temples, Edo-era transportation roads (Tokaido, Nakasendo, etc.), ancient administrative divisions (Sagami Province, Suruga Province, etc.), and other places where historical events have occurred. Meteorological information includes places where rain, snow, hail / graupel, guerrilla-type rainstorms, tornadoes, lightning, etc. are occurring, and disaster warning areas. For example, when the attribute of the fellow passenger is "geology" and there is a mountain within the first predetermined range from the current position of the vehicle 3, the destination suggestion unit 15 determines that the attribute of the mountain is consistent with the attribute of the fellow passenger, which is "geology", and notifies the fellow passenger of the location, name, and attribute of the mountain through the terminal device 20. For example, a text such as "○○ mountain can be seen ahead." is displayed.

[0042] In addition, in the present embodiment, the destination suggestion unit 15 may also determine whether to suggest a destination, and if it is determined to be a suggested destination, send a control instruction for suggesting a destination to the terminal device 20. The destination suggestion unit 15 estimates the user's situation and / or the user's surrounding environment, and determines whether to suggest a destination based on the user's situation and / or the user's surrounding environment. Thus, a destination can be suggested at a timing that suits the user's situation and situation.

[0043] Especially in the case of in-car use, if the change is within the range that the driver can allow, the driver is likely to accept the destination suggestion. In addition, in the present embodiment, a destination is suggested to fellow passengers, especially children. In this case, the final decision is made by the driver, so even if the fellow passengers want to go to the suggested destination, the suggestion that is inconvenient for the driver may be rejected by the driver. In the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the suggestion of inconvenient suggestions to the driver, thereby avoiding the dissatisfaction of not being able to go to the destination that the fellow passengers want to go to in advance.

[0044] The destination suggestion unit 15 determines whether to suggest a destination based on at least one of the travel time, travel cost, and stay time at the target POI required to pass through the target POI. The travel cost includes additional highway fees, facility entrance fees, fuel costs, etc. The destination suggestion unit 15 obtains the budget and / or time that the user can allow input by the user, and if the target POI can be passed through within the obtained budget and / or time, it is determined to suggest the target POI as the destination. In this way, it is possible to prevent the situation where unexpected expenses and time are spent due to passing through the POI.

[0045] In addition, the destination suggestion unit 15 obtains the action history of the fellow passenger, and determines whether to suggest the target POI as the destination based on the action history of the fellow passenger. For example, if there is no visit history record of the fellow passenger visiting the target POI, the destination suggestion unit 15 determines to suggest the target POI as the destination. In this way, it is possible to suggest POIs that the fellow passenger has not visited.

[0046] In addition, when the target POI is a facility with business hours, the destination suggestion unit 15 determines whether the user's stay time is within the business hours of the target POI based on the business hours of the target POI. When the user's stay time is within the business hours of the target POI, the destination suggestion unit 15 determines to recommend the target POI as the destination. The destination suggestion unit 15 estimates the arrival time at the target POI based on the current time and the travel time to the target POI. Then, the destination suggestion unit 15 estimates the end time of the stay based on the arrival time and the stay time, and determines whether the end time of the stay is within the business hours. The business hours can also be obtained via the Internet. The stay time is, for example, the average stay time at the POI. In this way, it is possible to prevent a situation where the target POI is closed or about to close even though the user passes by it.

[0047] In addition, the destination suggestion unit 15 determines whether the user can move to the final destination before the desired arrival time when the user moves to the final destination after passing through the target POI. If the user can move to the final destination before the desired arrival time, the destination suggestion unit 15 determines to suggest the target POI as the destination. For example, the destination suggestion unit 15 determines whether the user can move to the final destination before the scheduled arrival time based on the user's desired arrival time at the final destination, the travel time when passing through the target POI, and the stay time at the target POI. The final destination is, for example, one's home.

[0048] The destination suggestion unit 15 may also obtain traffic information up to the target POI to calculate the travel time up to the target POI. The destination suggestion unit 15 obtains the desired arrival time of the user's final destination input by the user. The desired arrival time may also be an arrival time that the user can allow. That is, the user inputs the latest arrival time that can be allowed as the time to arrive at the final destination into the input unit 22 of the terminal device 20. The destination suggestion unit 15 suggests a destination to the user in a manner limited to POIs that can be passed through within a range that does not exceed the latest arrival time. Thus, even if the target POI is passed through, the user can arrive at home at a time that does not interfere with the next scheduled (work, school) schedule.

[0049] The destination suggestion unit 15 determines whether to suggest the target POI as the destination based on the moving path. For example, when the number of waypoints in the moving path is less than the prescribed number of waypoints, the destination suggestion unit 15 determines to suggest the target POI as the destination. When a large number of waypoints are set in the moving path, it is considered that the planned movement is carefully arranged in advance. On the other hand, when few waypoints are set in the moving path, it is considered that there is a surplus in the plan. In this embodiment, the target POI can be suggested as the destination without interfering with the user's plan.

[0050] The destination suggestion unit 15 determines whether to suggest the target POI as the destination based on the continuous driving time of the vehicle 3. The continuous driving time is the time when the power of the vehicle 3 is turned on. For example, when the continuous driving time exceeds the prescribed driving time, the destination suggestion unit 15 determines to suggest the target POI as the destination. In addition, when it is predicted that the continuous driving time will exceed the prescribed driving time before reaching the destination, the destination suggestion unit 15 determines to suggest the target POI as the destination. Therefore, when the continuous driving time is long, by suggesting the passing target POI, the driver can be encouraged to rest.

[0051] The destination suggestion unit 15 determines whether to suggest the target POI as a destination based on the traffic information. The destination suggestion unit 15 obtains traffic information from the outside, and determines to suggest the target POI as a destination when a predetermined time has passed since the vehicle 3 encountered congestion based on the traffic information around the vehicle 3. In addition, the destination suggestion unit 15 obtains traffic information from the outside, and determines to suggest the target POI as a destination when there is congestion on the driving route based on the traffic information of the driving route. In this way, the driver who encounters congestion can be encouraged to rest to change his mood and recover from fatigue.

[0052] The destination suggestion unit 15 determines whether to suggest the target POI as a destination based on the state of the user in the vehicle 3. The destination suggestion unit 15 obtains the voice information between the users in the vehicle 3 from the in-vehicle navigation device 30, and estimates the conversation frequency of the users. When the conversation frequency of the users is less than a predetermined frequency, the destination suggestion unit 15 determines to suggest the target POI as the destination. In addition, the destination suggestion unit 15 obtains the in-vehicle image including the face of the passenger from the in-vehicle navigation device 30, and performs image recognition processing on the in-vehicle image to recognize the expression of the passenger. When the expression of the passenger is recognized as a bored expression, the destination suggestion unit 15 determines to suggest the target POI as the destination. In addition, when there are multiple target POIs with a higher degree of consistency than a predetermined threshold, the destination suggestion unit 15 may suggest the target POI with the highest degree of consistency as the destination, or may suggest multiple target POIs with the highest degree of consistency as the destination in descending order of the degree of consistency.

[0053] When the destination suggestion unit 15 determines that the field to which the target POI belongs is consistent with the field that the passenger likes, the destination suggestion unit 15 sends a control command for displaying a dedicated map for information specifically for the field to which the target POI belongs, which replaces the standard map, to the passenger. That is, when the destination suggestion unit 15 determines that the attribute of the target POI is consistent with the attribute of the passenger, the displayed map is switched from the standard map to the dedicated map. Based on the attribute of the target POI, the destination suggestion unit 15 obtains a dedicated map for information specifically for the field indicated by the attribute of the target POI from the database 2, and sends the acquired dedicated map to the terminal device 20. For example, when the attribute of the target POI is "history", the destination suggestion unit 15 obtains an ancient map as a dedicated map for information specifically for "history", and sends a control command for displaying the ancient map. Since the attribute of the target POI is consistent with the attribute of the passenger, a map specifically for the attribute of the passenger, that is, the information of the field that the passenger likes is displayed. In addition, the destination suggestion unit 15 may also display the information of the target POI on the standard map when suggesting the target POI.

[0054] When the destination suggestion unit 15 obtains the approval inputted by the fellow passenger for setting the waypoint from the terminal device 20, it sends a control instruction for displaying the waypoint information and suggesting the driver to set the waypoint to the vehicle navigation device 30. The waypoint information is, for example, point information of the object POI. Moreover, when the destination suggestion unit 15 obtains the approval inputted by the driver for setting the waypoint, it sets the waypoint. When the object POI is suggested as the waypoint, the object POI is set as the waypoint. As described above, after the fellow passenger approves to set the object POI as the destination, when the driver also approves, the object POI is set as the destination. That is, in the present embodiment, the final decision is made by the driver, and even if the fellow passenger approves, the object POI is not set as the destination if the driver does not approve.

[0055] The destination suggestion unit 15, when obtaining the driver's approval, sends a control instruction to the in-vehicle navigation device 30 for displaying to the driver an image obtained by superimposing the driving route from the current position of the vehicle 3 to the destination on a standard map. The destination is, for example, an object POI. In addition, the destination suggestion unit 15 sends a control instruction to the terminal device 20 for displaying to the fellow passengers an image obtained by superimposing the driving route on a special map for information specifically used for the area to which the object POI belongs. At this time, the destination suggestion unit 15 may also send a control instruction for providing the fellow passengers with information related to a specific area around the driving route. For example, detailed information on the area to which the object POI belongs is provided to the fellow passengers through images and / or sounds.

[0056] Here, an example of a screen displaying a travel route to a target POI in the present embodiment will be described using FIG. 2 . Figure 2A FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of the car navigation device 30 that displays a travel route to a target POI on a standard map in the present invention. Figure 2A In the example, the current position of the vehicle V, the travel path R, and the point TP of the target POI set as the destination are displayed on the standard map MS. Figure 2A In the screen shown, the vehicle 3 is driven according to the travel route to the target POI. Figure 2B FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of the terminal device 20 that displays a travel route to a target POI on a dedicated map in the present invention. Figure 2B In FIG. 1 , the current position of the vehicle V, the travel route R, and the point TP that is the target POI set as the destination are displayed on the dedicated map MP. Figure 2B In the example of FIG. 1 , an ancient map is displayed as a special map. In this embodiment, by assisting learning in a specific area in conjunction with navigation, fellow passengers can view Figure 2BThe screen shown in the figure can be used to confirm the driving route to the target POI and to understand the information of the surrounding specific area on the way to the destination.

[0057] In addition, in the present embodiment, the processor 10 sends control instructions for displaying the driving route on the map to the terminal device 20 and the in-vehicle navigation device 30, respectively, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in the case where the vehicle 3 is provided with a display device having a driver screen and a passenger screen, the processor 10 may send control instructions for displaying an image obtained by superimposing the driving route on the standard map on the driver screen, and control instructions for displaying an image obtained by superimposing the driving route on the dedicated map on the passenger screen to the display device.

[0058] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the POI determination unit 14 determines that there is a POI within the second prescribed range from the search center, the destination suggestion unit 15 determines whether the area to which the target POI within the second prescribed range belongs is consistent with the area preferred by the fellow passenger. The destination suggestion unit 15 may also send a control command for displaying a dedicated map instead of a standard map to the terminal device 20 when it is determined that the area to which the target POI belongs is consistent with the area preferred by the fellow passenger. In addition, the destination suggestion unit 15 may also send a control command for suggesting the target POI as a destination.

[0059] In addition, in the present embodiment, when the vehicle 3 arrives at the target POI, the destination suggestion unit 15 sends a control command for displaying a dedicated map to the terminal device 20. For example, the destination suggestion unit 15 determines whether the vehicle 3 has arrived at the target POI based on the current position of the vehicle 3 and the position of the target POI. When the destination suggestion unit 15 determines that the vehicle 3 has arrived at the target POI, it sends a control command for displaying a dedicated map for information dedicated to the area to which the target POI belongs to the terminal device 20. When the destination suggestion unit 15 provides route guidance to the target POI on the dedicated map, the dedicated map is also displayed after the user arrives at the target POI.

[0060] In addition, the destination suggestion unit 15 sends a control command for switching the image displayed to the driver and / or the fellow passenger based on the operation of switching the map between the standard map and the dedicated map. The destination suggestion unit 15 sends a control command for switching the image displayed to the fellow passenger when the operation information for switching the map is obtained from the terminal device 20. The destination suggestion unit 15 sends a control command for switching the image displayed to the driver when the operation information for switching the map is obtained from the in-vehicle navigation device 30.

[0061] The communication unit 16 is a communication interface that supports various communication standards. The communication unit 16 supports, for example, a wired LAN standard, a wireless LAN standard, etc. The communication unit 16 transmits and receives information to and from the terminal device 20 via the communication line network 40 .

[0062] The terminal device 20 is a portable information communication terminal. Examples of the terminal device 20 include a smartphone, a laptop computer, a tablet terminal, a head mounted display, etc. In addition, the terminal device 20 may also be a rear seat monitor mounted on the vehicle 3. Figure 1 As shown, the terminal device 20 includes a GPS receiving unit 21, an input unit 22, a control unit 23, an output unit 24, and a communication unit 25. The GPS receiving unit 21 acquires the location information of the terminal device 20 from a GPS satellite. As an example of the location information of the terminal device 20, information of latitude and longitude can be cited. The GPS receiving unit 21 acquires the location information of the terminal device 20 from the GPS satellite at a predetermined period. While the vehicle 3 is moving, the terminal device 20 is in the vehicle 3, so the location information of the terminal device 20 is changed along with the movement of the vehicle 3.

[0063] The input unit 22 is an input interface for accepting user input. The input unit 22 is composed of one or more devices. For example, the input unit 22 is composed of a touch panel or a keyboard through which the user can input text, and a microphone through which the user can input sound. The information input by the passenger is sent to the information providing device 1 via the communication unit 36. The information input by the user to the input unit 22 is, for example, the destination of the vehicle 3.

[0064] In addition, the information input by the user to the input unit 22 is the attributes of the fellow passenger, that is, the favorite areas of the fellow passenger. In the present embodiment, for example, before starting the route guidance, a five-level scoring questionnaire related to the areas of interest to the fellow passenger is displayed with the aid of the output unit 24. The input unit 22 obtains the favorite areas of the fellow passenger as the fellow passenger's answer to the questionnaire. Before using the information providing system 100, the fellow passenger inputs the favorite areas of the fellow passenger to the input unit 22 in advance. The information input by the user is sent to the information providing device 1 via the communication unit 25. In addition, the information input by the user to the input unit 22 is an approval operation or a rejection operation for setting the object POI as the destination. In the present embodiment, the point information of the object POI and the suggestion information suggesting setting the object POI as the destination are displayed with the aid of the output unit 24. The fellow passenger inputs an approval operation or a rejection operation for the suggestion information with the aid of the input unit 22. In addition, the information input by the user to the input unit 22 is a search center that becomes the center of the search range. When the standard map or the dedicated map is displayed via the output unit 24, the passenger selects a search center point on the standard map or the dedicated map.

[0065] The control unit 23 is a computer including a ROM storing a program for executing each process, a CPU executing the program stored in the ROM, and a RAM functioning as an accessible storage device. The control unit 23 guides the fellow passengers on the travel route. The control unit 23 receives the position information of the vehicle 3 from the GPS receiving unit 31 at a predetermined period. The position information of the vehicle 3 is changed as the vehicle 3 moves, so the control unit 23 performs route guidance according to the travel route based on the current position of the vehicle 3.

[0066] For example, when the control unit 23 obtains a control instruction for displaying a standard map or a special map from the information providing device 1 via the communication unit 25, the control unit 23 displays the standard map or the special map to the passenger with the help of the output unit 24. When the control unit 23 obtains a control instruction for displaying a driving route on a standard map or a special map from the information providing device 1, the control unit 23 displays the driving route on the standard map or the special map with the help of the output unit 24. The control unit 23 displays the driving route to the passenger with the help of the output unit 24 and provides route guidance. The control unit 23 can use a known route guidance method to guide the passenger on the driving route of the vehicle 3. The specific route guidance method is omitted.

[0067] In addition, when the attributes of the fellow passenger are input to the input unit 22, the control unit 23 sends the attributes of the fellow passenger to the information providing device 1 via the communication unit 25. In addition, when the destination is input to the input unit 22, the control unit 23 sends the current position and destination of the vehicle 3 at that point in time to the information providing device 1. In addition, the control unit 23 suggests setting the object POI as the destination with the help of the output unit 24. For example, the control unit 23 displays the point information of the object POI and the suggestion information suggesting setting the object POI as the destination to the fellow passenger with the help of the output unit 24. In addition, when an approval operation for setting the object POI as the destination is input to the input unit 22, the control unit 23 sends the approval for setting the object POI as the destination to the information providing device 1 via the communication unit 25.

[0068] The output unit 24 is an output interface for outputting route guidance based on the generated driving route. In the present embodiment, the output unit 24 displays a map, the driving route of the vehicle 3, and recommended information of a target POI as a destination to the user. In addition, the output unit 24 notifies fellow passengers of detailed information of the target POI. The output unit 24 is composed of one or more devices. For example, the output unit 24 is composed of a display that displays the route guidance on a screen and a speaker that outputs voice data of the route guidance. Examples of the display include a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL panel, and the like.

[0069] For example, when the output unit 24 receives a control instruction for displaying to a fellow passenger an image obtained by superimposing the driving route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination on a standard map or a special map, the output unit 24 displays to the fellow passenger an image obtained by superimposing the driving route on a standard map or a special map. The object POI can also be displayed in the standard map or the special map. In addition, before starting the route guidance, the output unit 24 displays questions for obtaining the attributes of the fellow passenger. For example, the output unit 24 displays to the fellow passenger a questionnaire with a five-level scoring method related to the areas of interest of the fellow passenger. The communication unit 25 is a communication interface that supports various communication standards. The communication unit 25 supports, for example, a wired LAN standard, a wireless LAN standard, etc. The communication unit 25 sends and receives information to and from the information providing device 1 via the communication line network 40.

[0070] The in-vehicle navigation device 30 provides the driver with route guidance according to the travel route based on the travel route from the current position of the vehicle 3 to the destination. Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle-mounted navigation device 30 includes a GPS receiving unit 31, an input unit 32, a storage unit 33, a control unit 34, an output unit 35, and a communication unit 36. The GPS receiving unit 31 acquires the position information of the vehicle 3 from the GPS satellite. As an example of the position information of the vehicle 3, there can be cited the information of latitude and longitude. The GPS receiving unit 31 acquires the position information of the vehicle 3 from the GPS satellite at a predetermined period, so the position information of the vehicle 3 is changed as the vehicle 3 moves. The predetermined period is a predetermined period.

[0071] The input unit 32 is an input interface for accepting input from the passenger. The input unit 32 is composed of one or more devices. For example, the input unit 32 is composed of a touch panel for the passenger to input text and a microphone for the passenger to input sound. In the case where the input unit 32 is a touch panel, the input unit 32 may also be integrally formed with the output unit 35. As input information input by the passenger to the input unit 32, for example, the destination of the vehicle 3 may be cited. In addition, in the case of displaying suggestion information for setting a destination to the user, as input information, for example, an approval operation or a rejection operation for setting the destination may be cited.

[0072] The storage unit 33 stores various maps. In the present embodiment, the storage unit 33 stores standard maps and special maps. In addition, in the present embodiment, an example of a structure in which the storage unit 33 stores maps is given for explanation, but the storage location of the map is not limited to the storage unit 33, and the map may also be stored outside the vehicle 3. For example, the map may be stored by a server provided outside the vehicle 3, or the communication unit 36 ​​may download the map from the server.

[0073] The control unit 34 is a computer including a ROM storing a program for executing each process, a CPU executing the program stored in the ROM, and a RAM functioning as an accessible storage device. The control unit 34 guides the driver of the vehicle 3 on the driving route of the vehicle 3. When the control unit 34 obtains the driving route from the information providing device 1, the control unit 34 displays the driving route to the driver via the output unit 35. In addition, in the present embodiment, the control unit 34 is not limited to obtaining the driving route from the information providing device 1, and the driving route may be generated by the control unit 34.

[0074] The position information of the vehicle 3 is input from the GPS receiving unit 31 to the control unit 34 at a predetermined period. The position information of the vehicle 3 is changed as the vehicle 3 moves, so the control unit 34 performs route guidance according to the driving route based on the current position of the vehicle 3. The control unit 34 can use the route guidance method known at the time of filing this application to guide the user on the driving route of the vehicle 3. The specific route guidance method is omitted. In addition, when the control unit 34 receives a control instruction to recommend the object POI as the destination from the information providing device 1, the output unit 35 recommends to the driver to set the object POI as the destination. For example, the control unit 34 displays the object POI on a standard map or a special map, and displays recommendation information recommending setting the object POI as the destination.

[0075] When the control unit 34 obtains the approval input by the driver to set the target POI as the destination, the control unit 34 sets the target POI as the destination. The control unit 34 updates the initially set destination to the target POI and generates a driving route from the current position of the vehicle 3 to the target POI. In addition, when the position of the target POI is set as a passing point, the control unit 34 generates a driving route from the current position of the vehicle 3 to the initially set destination via the target POI. When the driving route is generated, the control unit 34 sends the driving route to the information providing device 1 via the communication unit 36. In addition, the control unit 34 obtains the in-vehicle information of the vehicle 3 from the in-vehicle sensor 4, and sends the obtained in-vehicle information to the information providing device 1. The in-vehicle sensor 4 is, for example, a camera for obtaining an in-vehicle image including the faces of the driver and the passengers in the vehicle. In addition, the in-vehicle sensor 4 is, for example, a microphone for obtaining sound information of a conversation including the driver and the passengers in the vehicle.

[0076] The output unit 35 is an output interface for the control unit 34 to output the route guidance. In addition, in the present embodiment, the output unit 35 outputs a map, a driving route of the vehicle 3, a target POI, and recommended target POIs sent from the information providing device 1 as recommended information of the destination. The output unit 35 is composed of one or more devices. For example, the output unit 35 is composed of a display that displays the route guidance on a screen and a speaker that outputs voice data of the route guidance. Examples of the display include a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL panel, and the like.

[0077] For example, the output unit 35 displays a standard map, and displays the driving route and the current position of the vehicle 3 on the standard map. In addition, the output unit 35 displays the target POI sent from the information providing device 1 on the standard map. In addition, the output unit 35 may also display the driving route from the current position of the vehicle 3 to the target POI on the standard map. In addition, the output unit 35 may also notify the detailed information of the target POI through sound information. In addition, when the output unit 35 receives a control instruction for displaying a dedicated map for information dedicated to the field to which the target POI belongs from the information providing device 1, it displays the dedicated map instead of the standard map. That is, the output unit 35 switches the displayed map from the standard map to the dedicated map. The output unit 35 may also display the driving route to the target POI on the dedicated map. As described above, the driving route to the target POI is generated based on the standard map. That is, the driving route to the target POI is a route according to the road on the standard map. In the standard map and the dedicated map, for example, when the dedicated map is an old map, the position of the road on the map may be inconsistent. Therefore, when a driving route generated based on a standard map is displayed in a superimposed manner on a dedicated map, for example, the driving route may be displayed in a portion where no road exists on the dedicated map.

[0078] The communication unit 36 ​​is a device having a wireless communication function for transmitting and receiving information with the outside in a wireless manner. As the communication unit 36, for example, a telematics control unit (Telematics Control Unit) can be cited. The communication unit 36 ​​transmits and receives information with the information providing device 1 and the terminal device 20 via the communication line network 40 through the wireless communication function.

[0079] The navigation function of the in-vehicle navigation device 30 is linked to the navigation function of the terminal device 20. For example, the same information as that displayed on the output unit 35 of the in-vehicle navigation device 30 is displayed by the output unit 24 of the terminal device 20. The information displayed by the output unit 24 of the terminal device 20 may be completely the same as the information displayed by the output unit 35, or may be partially the same as the information displayed by the output unit 35. When the control unit 34 generates a driving route to the destination of the vehicle 3, the control unit 34 sends the driving route to the terminal device 20 via the information providing device 1. As a result, the driver and the passenger can watch different displays and share the same driving route.

[0080] Next, use Figure 3 The control process of the information providing method executed by the information providing device 1 will be described. Figure 3 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a control process for executing an information providing method. In step S1, the processor 10 obtains the attributes of the fellow passenger. The processor 10 obtains the attributes of the fellow passenger from the terminal device 20 via the communication unit 16. The attributes of the fellow passenger are, for example, the fields of interest of the fellow passenger. In step S2, the processor 10 records the information of the POI to which the attributes are assigned in the standard map. For example, the processor 10 obtains the standard map and the POI information from an external database, and records the POI information in the standard map.

[0081] In step S3, the processor 10 obtains the current position and destination of the vehicle 3. In step S4, the processor 10 sends a standard map including a driving route to the terminal device 20 and the vehicle navigation device 30. The processor 10 generates a driving route from the current position of the vehicle 3 obtained in step S3 to the destination, and sends a control instruction for displaying an image obtained by superimposing the driving route on the standard map to the terminal device 20 and the vehicle navigation device 30. In step S5, the processor 10 obtains a search range indication from the terminal device 20. The search range indication includes a search range desired by the fellow passengers. In the present embodiment, the search range is set to a first specified range starting from the current position of the vehicle 3 for illustration. After the vehicle 3 starts to travel, the processor 10 proceeds to step S6.

[0082] In step S6, the processor 10 obtains the current position of the vehicle 3. The processor 10 obtains the position of the terminal device 20 or the vehicle navigation device 30 as the current position of the vehicle 3. In step S7, the processor 10 determines whether there is a POI within the first prescribed range from the current position of the vehicle 3. In the case where it is determined that there is a POI within the first prescribed range from the current position of the vehicle 3, the processor 10 proceeds to step S8. In the case where it is determined that there is no POI within the first prescribed range from the current position of the vehicle 3, the processor 10 returns to step S6 and repeats the subsequent process. In step S8, the processor 10 obtains the attributes of the object POI within the first prescribed range. The processor 10 obtains the attributes of the POI from the standard map on which the information of the POI is recorded.

[0083] In step S9, the processor 10 determines whether the attributes of the object POI are consistent with the attributes of the co-passenger. When the processor 10 determines that the attributes of the object POI are consistent with the attributes of the co-passenger, it proceeds to step S10. When the processor 10 determines that the attributes of the object POI are inconsistent with the attributes of the co-passenger, it returns to step S6 and repeats the subsequent process. In step S10, the processor 10 recommends the object POI whose attributes are consistent with the attributes of the co-passenger as the destination to the co-passenger and the driver. The processor 10 sends a control instruction for recommending the object POI as the destination to the terminal device 20 and the vehicle navigation device 30. In this embodiment, after obtaining approval from the terminal device 20, the object POI is recommended to the vehicle navigation device 30 as the destination.

[0084] In step S11, the processor 10 obtains approval for setting the target POI as the destination from the terminal device 20 and the in-vehicle navigation device 30. In step S12, the processor 10 displays the driving route to the target POI to the passengers and the driver with the help of the terminal device 20 and the in-vehicle navigation device 30. For example, the processor 10 generates a driving route from the current position of the vehicle 3 to the destination with the target POI as the destination. The processor 10 sends a control instruction to the in-vehicle navigation device 30 for displaying an image obtained by superimposing the driving route on a standard map to the driver, and sends a control instruction for displaying an image obtained by superimposing the driving route on a special map specifically for information on the area shown by the target POI to the passengers of the vehicle.

[0085] Next, use Figure 4 The operation of each device constituting the information providing system 100 will be described. Figure 4It is a timing diagram until the route guidance to the target POI is started in the information providing system 100. In step S21, the terminal device 20 obtains the attributes of the passenger. In step S22, the terminal device 20 sends the attributes of the passenger to the information providing device 1. In step S23, the information providing device 1 receives the attributes of the passenger from the terminal device 20. In step S24, the terminal device 20 obtains the current position and destination of the vehicle 3. In the case where the passenger enters the destination, the terminal device 20 obtains the current position and destination of the vehicle 3 at that time point and the input destination. In step S25, the terminal device 20 sends the current position and destination of the vehicle 3 to the information providing device 1. In step S26, the information providing device 1 receives the current position and destination of the vehicle 3 from the terminal device 20. In step S27, the information providing device 1 generates a driving route from the current position of the vehicle 3 to the destination. In step S28, the information providing device 1 sends a control instruction for displaying a standard map containing the driving route to the terminal device 20. For example, the information providing device 1 sends a control command for displaying a standard map including the travel route generated in step S27 .

[0086] In step S29, the terminal device 20 receives a control instruction for displaying a standard map from the information providing device 1. In step S30, the terminal device 20 displays a standard map including a driving route to the passenger. In step S31, the terminal device 20 sets the search range desired by the passenger. For example, in the case where the passenger sets the current position of the vehicle 3 as the search center, the first prescribed range from the current position of the vehicle 3 is set as the search range. In step S32, the terminal device 20 sends a search range indication including the search range set by the passenger in step S31 to the information providing device 1. In step S33, the information providing device 1 receives the search range indication from the terminal device 20. In step S34, the information providing device 1 searches for POIs within the first prescribed range from the current position of the vehicle 3 based on the search range indication. In the case where there is a POI within the first prescribed range, the information providing device 1 proceeds to step S35.

[0087] In step S35, the information providing device 1 calculates the degree of consistency between the attributes of the object POI within the first specified range and the attributes of the fellow passenger. In step S36, the information providing device 1 determines the high-ranking object POI with a high degree of consistency. In step S37, the information providing device 1 sends a control instruction for displaying a dedicated map containing point information of the high-ranking object POI to the terminal device 20. At this time, the information providing device 1 sends a control instruction for suggesting the object POI as a destination to the terminal device 20. In step S38, the terminal device 20 receives a control instruction for displaying a dedicated map and a control instruction for suggesting the object POI as a destination from the information providing device 1. In step S39, the terminal device 20 displays a dedicated map containing point information of the high-ranking object POI to the fellow passenger. In step S40, the terminal device 20 suggests the object POI as a destination.

[0088] In step S41, the terminal device 20 obtains approval for the suggestion to set the object POI as the destination. In step S42, the terminal device 20 sends approval for the suggestion to set the object POI as the destination to the information providing device 1. In step S43, the information providing device 1 receives approval for the suggestion to set the object POI as the destination from the terminal device 20. In step S44, the information providing device 1 sends a control instruction for suggesting the object POI as the destination to the in-vehicle navigation device 30. In step S45, the in-vehicle navigation device 30 receives the control instruction for suggesting the object POI as the destination. In step S46, the in-vehicle navigation device 30 suggests the object POI as the destination to the driver.

[0089] In step S47, the in-vehicle navigation device 30 obtains approval for the suggestion to set the target POI as the destination. In step S48, the in-vehicle navigation device 30 generates a driving route. In step S49, the in-vehicle navigation device 30 sends the driving route to the information providing device 1. In step S50, the in-vehicle navigation device 30 displays an image obtained by superimposing the driving route on a standard map to the driver to guide the driver to the driving route. In step S51, the information providing device 1 receives the driving route from the in-vehicle navigation device 30. In step S52, the information providing device 1 sends the driving route to the terminal device 20. In step S53, the terminal device 20 receives the driving route from the information providing device 1. In step S54, the terminal device 20 displays an image obtained by superimposing the driving route on a dedicated map to the fellow passengers to guide the fellow passengers to the driving route according to the driving route.

[0090] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the information providing device 1 may generate a driving route upon receiving the driver's approval from the in-vehicle navigation device 30, and send a control instruction for displaying an image obtained by superimposing the driving route on a map to the terminal device 20 and the in-vehicle navigation device 30, or the in-vehicle navigation device 30 may generate a driving route and send the driving route to the information providing device 1. In addition, the information providing device 1 is not limited to sending a control instruction for suggesting a target POI or a control instruction for displaying the driving route on a map to the terminal device 20 and the in-vehicle navigation device 30, but may also send information on the target POI or the driving route.

[0091] As described above, in this embodiment, the processor sends a control instruction for displaying an image obtained by superimposing the path from the current position of the vehicle to the destination on a standard map containing information required for driving the vehicle to the driver of the vehicle, and sends a control instruction for displaying an image obtained by superimposing the path on a special map containing information specifically for a specific area different from the standard map to the passengers of the vehicle. Thus, it is possible to provide the driver of the vehicle with a map required for driving the vehicle according to the path, while satisfying the needs of the passengers who want to view the map of information specifically for a specific area while confirming the path.

[0092] In addition, in this embodiment, when the processor obtains the destination input by the passenger, it sends a control instruction for displaying an image obtained by superimposing the route to the obtained destination on the standard map to the driver. As a result, the driver can drive the vehicle toward the destination set by the passenger.

[0093] In addition, in the present embodiment, the processor sends a control command for providing the passenger with information related to the specific area around the route, thereby enabling the passenger to know the information about the specific area around the route.

[0094] In addition, in the present embodiment, the processor sends a control instruction for suggesting to the fellow passenger to set a stopover point between the current position of the vehicle and the destination. Thus, a new destination can be suggested to the fellow passenger.

[0095] In addition, in this embodiment, when the processor obtains the approval input from the passenger for setting the viapoint, it sends a control instruction for displaying the viapoint information and suggesting the driver to set the viapoint, and when the processor obtains the approval input from the driver for setting the viapoint, it sets the viapoint. Thus, if the driver approves, the viapoint desired by the passenger can be set.

[0096] In addition, in this embodiment, the device for displaying images to the driver is the vehicle navigation device of the vehicle, and the device for displaying images to the passengers is the vehicle display, portable terminal or head mounted display for the passengers of the vehicle. Thus, the driver and the passengers can check the route by viewing the displays of different devices respectively.

[0097] In the present embodiment, the specific field is a field related to academics or interests. Thus, a dedicated map for information dedicated to the field related to academics or interests can be displayed to fellow passengers of the vehicle.

[0098] In addition, in this embodiment, the academic-related fields include at least one of the fields related to history, geography, geology, meteorology, and paleontology. Thus, a dedicated map dedicated to information in the fields related to history, geography, geology, meteorology, and paleontology can be displayed to the passengers of the vehicle.

[0099] In addition, in this embodiment, the processor sends a control command for switching the image displayed to the driver and / or fellow passengers based on the operation of switching the map between the standard map and the dedicated map. Thus, the map desired by the user can be displayed according to the user's intention.

[0100] In addition, in the present embodiment, a display device is provided in the vehicle, the display device having a driver screen for displaying to the driver and a passenger screen for displaying to the passenger, and the processor sends a control command for displaying an image obtained by superimposing the route on the standard map on the driver screen and a control command for displaying an image obtained by superimposing the route on the dedicated map on the passenger screen to the display device. Thus, different maps can be displayed to the driver and the passenger, respectively, on one display.

[0101] In addition, in the present embodiment, in the information providing system having at least the first navigation unit and the second navigation unit, the first navigation unit displays to the driver of the vehicle an image obtained by superimposing the path from the current position of the vehicle to the destination on a standard map containing information required for driving the vehicle, and the second navigation unit displays to the passengers of the vehicle an image obtained by superimposing the path on a special map that is different from the standard map and is used for information specifically for a specific area. Thus, while providing the driver of the vehicle with a map required for driving the vehicle according to the path, the needs of the passengers who want to view the map of information specifically for a specific area while confirming the path can be met.

[0102] In addition, the in-vehicle navigation device 30 and the terminal device 20 are examples of the "first navigation unit" and the "second navigation unit" respectively described in this application. In the present embodiment, the information providing system 100 is provided with the information providing device 1, the terminal device 20 and the in-vehicle navigation device 30, but is not limited thereto. For example, the information providing system 100 may also be a system including the terminal device 20 and the in-vehicle navigation device 30 having the function of the information providing device 1. In this case, the in-vehicle navigation device 30 and the terminal device 20 may also send and receive information to each other without going through the information providing device 1.

[0103] In addition, the embodiments described above are described to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not described to limit the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above embodiments is intended to include all design changes and equivalents belonging to the protection scope of the present invention.

[0104] Description of Reference Numerals

[0105] 100: information providing system; 1: information providing device; 10: processor; 11: user attribute acquisition unit; 12: storage unit; 13: route guidance unit; 14: POI determination unit; 15: destination suggestion unit; 16: communication unit; 3: vehicle; 20: terminal device; 30: vehicle-mounted navigation device.

Claims

1. A method for providing information, executed by a processor, the processor sends a control instruction for displaying an image obtained by superimposing a route from a current position of the vehicle to a destination on a standard map including information required for driving the vehicle to a driver of the vehicle, The processor sends a control instruction for displaying an image obtained by superimposing the route on a dedicated map different from the standard map and containing information specialized for a specific area to a fellow passenger of the vehicle.

2. The information providing method according to claim 1, wherein: The processor, when acquiring the destination input by the fellow passenger, transmits a control command for displaying an image in which the route to the acquired destination is superimposed on the standard map to the driver.

3. The information providing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The processor sends a control instruction for providing the passenger with information associated with the specific area around the route.

4. The information providing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The processor sends a control instruction for suggesting to the passenger to set a waypoint between the current position of the vehicle and the destination.

5. The information providing method according to claim 4, wherein: The processor, when receiving the approval inputted by the co-passenger for setting the waypoint, sends a control instruction for displaying the waypoint information and suggesting to the driver to set the waypoint, The processor sets the waypoint when obtaining the approval input by the driver for setting the waypoint.

6. The information providing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The device for displaying images to the driver is a navigation device on board the vehicle, The device for displaying an image to the fellow passenger is an in-vehicle display, a portable terminal, or a head-mounted display for the fellow passenger of the vehicle.

7. The information providing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The specific field is a field related to academics or interests.

8. The information providing method according to claim 7, wherein: The fields related to the academic discipline include at least any one of the fields related to history, geography, geology, meteorology, and paleontology.

9. The information providing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The processor sends a control instruction for switching an image displayed to the driver and / or the fellow passenger based on an operation of switching a map between the standard map and the dedicated map.

10. The information providing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: A display device is provided in the vehicle, the display device having a driver screen displayed to the driver and a passenger screen displayed to the passenger, The processor sends a control command for displaying an image in which the route is superimposed on the standard map on the driver screen, and a control command for displaying an image in which the route is superimposed on the dedicated map on the passenger screen to the display device.

11. An information providing device comprising a processor, the processor sends a control instruction for displaying an image obtained by superimposing a route from a current position of the vehicle to a destination on a standard map including information required for driving the vehicle to a driver of the vehicle, The processor sends a control instruction for displaying an image obtained by superimposing the route on a dedicated map different from the standard map and containing information specialized for a specific area to a fellow passenger of the vehicle.

12. An information providing system comprising at least a first navigation unit and a second navigation unit, The first navigation unit displays an image in which a route from a current position of the vehicle to a destination is superimposed on a standard map including information required for driving the vehicle to the driver of the vehicle. The second navigation unit displays an image in which the route is superimposed on a dedicated map having information dedicated to a specific area different from the standard map to a fellow passenger of the vehicle.

Images