Information processing method and information processing system

Abstract

An information processing system (1) presents position information of a vehicle (2) in a communication terminal (3) using a server (100) that receives measured position information of the vehicle (2), acquires a predetermined travel path of the vehicle (2), calculates estimated position information of the vehicle (2) on the basis of the measured position information and the predetermined travel path, and transmits the estimated position information to the communication terminal (3), the measured position information is a measured value of the position information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an information processing method and an information processing system. Background Technology

[0002] In the driving path estimation system described in Patent Document 1, the server obtains the vehicle's location information from the vehicle's device and estimates the driving path that the vehicle has traveled in the past.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-206757 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0007] However, in the driving path estimation system described in Patent Document 1, when it is desired to obtain the location information of a moving vehicle with high accuracy, there is a possibility that the amount of communication between the server and the vehicle device is too large.

[0008] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an information processing method and information processing system that can prevent the amount of communication required to present vehicle location information in a communication terminal from becoming too large.

[0009] Solution for solving the problem

[0010] In this invention, the server calculates the estimated location information of the vehicle based on the measured location information and the predetermined driving path, and sends the estimated location information to the communication terminal, thereby solving the above-mentioned problem.

[0011] Invention Effects

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the amount of communication required to present the vehicle's location information in the communication terminal from becoming excessive. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 It is a block diagram that includes the information processing system involved in the first and second embodiments.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of the information processing method according to the first embodiment.

[0015] Figure 3 It is shown in Figure 2 The flowchart shown illustrates the method for controlling the receiving frequency of location information measurement in the information processing method.

[0016] Figure 4This is a flowchart illustrating the process of the information processing method according to the second embodiment.

[0017] Figure 5 It is a block diagram including the information processing apparatus involved in the third embodiment.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of the information processing method according to the third embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0019] First Implementation Method

[0020] based on Figures 1-3 The first embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, the information processing system 1 includes a server 100 for displaying the location information of vehicle 2 on the communication terminal 3. The information processing system 1, vehicle 2, and communication terminal 3 can send and receive information from each other via a telecommunications network such as the Internet 300. The communication terminal 3 is primarily a smartphone or other terminal held by a user who wants to obtain the location information of vehicle 2. That is, when a user requests the transmission of vehicle 2's location information from the server 100 of the information processing system 1 via the communication terminal 3, the information processing system 1 sends the vehicle 2's location information to the communication terminal 3 based on the information received from vehicle 2. For example, when a user is waiting at a designated meeting point to meet vehicle 2, they request the information processing system 1 to send the vehicle 2's location information to confirm where vehicle 2 is traveling. Alternatively, for example, the user could be a taxi company employee requesting the information processing system 1 to send the vehicle 2's location information to confirm where their company's vehicle 2 is traveling.

[0022] The server 100 of the information processing system 1 includes a communication unit 101, a vehicle location information acquisition unit 102, a driving route acquisition unit 103, a vehicle location estimation unit 104, and a driving condition determination unit 105. Additionally, the vehicle 2 includes a self-location acquisition unit 201, a driving route setting unit 202, and a communication unit 203. The self-location acquisition unit 201 acquires the current location of the vehicle 2 (measures location information) from a GPS unit, a gyroscope sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, etc. Furthermore, the driving route setting unit 202 sets a predetermined driving route based on the destination of the vehicle 2. Additionally, the communication terminal 3 includes a communication unit 301, an input unit 302, and a display unit 303.

[0023] The structure of information processing system 1 is described in detail.

[0024] The communication unit 101 receives the measured location information of vehicle 2 at a predetermined frequency. That is, vehicle 2 sends the measured location information to server 100 at a predetermined frequency. The frequency at which the communication unit 101 receives the measured location information, i.e., the frequency at which vehicle 2 sends the measured location information to server 100, is typically, for example, once every 5 to 10 minutes, but is not limited to this. In addition, the communication unit 101 receives vehicle information from vehicle 2, including vehicle speed, the vehicle 2's planned travel route, and driving status. Furthermore, the communication unit 101 receives request information from communication terminal 3, as well as terminal location information from communication terminal 3. Additionally, the communication unit 101 sends information containing the location information of vehicle 2 to communication terminal 3. Furthermore, the communication unit 101 may also send information containing control commands to vehicle 2.

[0025] The vehicle location information acquisition unit 102 acquires measured location information, which is a measured value of the vehicle 2's location information. As described above, the communication unit 101 receives the measured location information of the vehicle 2 at a predetermined frequency; therefore, the measured location information acquired by the vehicle location information acquisition unit 102 is updated at a predetermined frequency.

[0026] The route acquisition unit 103 acquires the predetermined route of vehicle 2. Furthermore, the predetermined route is either automatically set by the route setting unit 202 of vehicle 2 or set by the occupants of vehicle 2. Alternatively, if no predetermined route is set, the route acquisition unit 103 can also acquire the predetermined route by calculating it based on the destination. "Predetermined route set" means that the predetermined route has been registered in the vehicle 2's navigation system. Additionally, if vehicle 2 is an autonomous vehicle, "predetermined route set" can mean that the predetermined route has been set in the database of the driving control device (not shown) in a manner that allows the driving control device to drive vehicle 2 along the predetermined route. Alternatively, the communication unit 101 of server 100 can send information containing the predetermined route calculated by the route acquisition unit 103 to vehicle 2, and the route setting unit 202 of vehicle 2 can set the predetermined route based on the information received from server 100. Furthermore, the information indicating the predetermined route may also include time information.

[0027] The vehicle position estimation unit 104 calculates the estimated position information of vehicle 2 based on the measured position information of vehicle 2 and the predetermined driving path. Furthermore, the frequency at which the vehicle position estimation unit 104 updates the estimated position information is, for example, once every few seconds to once per minute. That is, the update frequency of the estimated position information by the vehicle position estimation unit 104 is higher than the reception frequency of the measured position information received by the server 100. Specifically, the vehicle position estimation unit 104 calculates the transmission time for sending the estimated position information to the communication terminal 3 based on the request information received from the communication terminal 3, and calculates the estimated position information corresponding to the transmission time based on the measured position information of vehicle 2, the predetermined driving path, and the vehicle speed. Furthermore, the server 100 calculates the vehicle speed of vehicle 2 based on changes in the measured position information of vehicle 2, but is not limited to this; it may also obtain the detection results from the vehicle speed sensor installed on vehicle 2.

[0028] The estimated position information calculated by the vehicle position estimation unit 104 is transmitted to the communication terminal 3 via the communication unit 101. In addition to the estimated position information of vehicle 2, the server 100 can also transmit information related to the estimation accuracy of the estimated position information to the communication terminal 3. This "information related to the estimation accuracy of the estimated position information" includes, for example, information such as "This position information is estimated based on the measured position information from ~ minutes ago" or "The measured position information will be updated in ~ minutes." Furthermore, after sending the estimated position information of vehicle 2 to the communication terminal 3, if the server 100 determines that the estimated position information is significantly different from the subsequently acquired measured position information (with a difference exceeding a specified distance), it can retransmit the correct position information to the communication terminal 3.

[0029] Furthermore, the driving condition determination unit 105 determines whether the accuracy of the estimated location information sent to the communication terminal 3 needs to be higher than the current accuracy based on the driving condition of vehicle 2. Specifically, if a predetermined driving path is not set, or if vehicle 2 deviates from the predetermined driving path, or if the average speed of vehicle 2 is significantly lower than a predetermined value, the driving condition determination unit 105 determines that the accuracy of the estimated location information has decreased to below a predetermined benchmark, that is, the accuracy of the estimated location information needs to be higher than the current accuracy. In addition, a situation where the average speed of vehicle 2 is significantly lower than the predetermined value is, for example, when vehicle 2 is caught in a traffic jam. Furthermore, the driving condition determination unit 105 can also detect the situation where vehicle 2 is caught in a traffic jam, that is, when the average speed of vehicle 2 is significantly lower than the predetermined value, based on traffic information received from an external information source. In addition, the average speed of vehicle 2 is calculated at intervals of time (e.g., 5 minutes) at which the waiting time for vehicle 2 is not mistaken for a traffic jam.

[0030] Furthermore, when vehicle 2 travels within a specified range along a predetermined travel path, the driving condition determination unit 105 determines that the required accuracy of the estimated location information is higher, i.e., the accuracy of the estimated location information needs to be higher than the current accuracy. The specified range is, for example, a range within a specified reference distance from an interchange or junction on a highway. Alternatively, the specified range may also be a range within a specified reference distance from the destination. The destination is, for example, the meeting point with the user holding the communication terminal 3. In this case, the driving condition determination unit 105 may also obtain a predetermined arrival time for vehicle 2 to reach the destination, and when it is predicted that vehicle 2 will arrive at the destination later than the predetermined arrival time, the reference distance is set larger compared to when it is predicted that vehicle 2 will arrive at the destination before the predetermined arrival time. That is, when it is predicted that vehicle 2 will arrive at the destination later than the predetermined arrival time, the specified range is wider compared to when it is predicted that vehicle 2 will arrive at the destination before the predetermined arrival time. Furthermore, the predetermined arrival time is a pre-set time, such as the user's desired travel time or a predetermined arrival time notified to the user in advance.

[0031] When the driving condition determination unit 105 determines that "it is necessary to improve the accuracy of the estimated position information to a higher level than the current accuracy," the communication unit 101 of the server 100 sends a control command to the vehicle 2 to increase the frequency at which the communication unit 203 of the vehicle 2 sends the measured position information. That is, when it is necessary to improve the accuracy of the estimated position information to a higher level than the current accuracy, the server 100 increases the frequency of receiving the measured position information compared to when it is not necessary. Specifically, when it is not necessary to improve the accuracy of the estimated position information to a higher level than the current accuracy, the server 100 receives the measured position information at a first frequency (e.g., once every 5 to 10 minutes), and when it is necessary to improve the accuracy of the estimated position information to a higher level than the current accuracy, it receives the measured position information at a second frequency (e.g., once every 2 to 3 minutes), which is higher than the first frequency.

[0032] Furthermore, if no predetermined driving path is set, or if vehicle 2 deviates from the predetermined driving path, or if the average speed of vehicle 2 is significantly lower than a predetermined value, the driving path acquisition unit 103 calculates a new predetermined driving path based on the current driving condition of vehicle 2. Then, the vehicle position estimation unit 104 calculates the estimated position information of vehicle 2 based on the new predetermined driving path and the measured position information.

[0033] Next, use Figure 2 The flowchart illustrates the process of the information processing method executed by the server 100 of the information processing system 1.

[0034] First, in step S1, server 100 receives the measured location information of vehicle 2 at a first frequency (once every 5 to 10 minutes).

[0035] Then, in step S2, server 100 obtains the predetermined driving path of vehicle 2.

[0036] Furthermore, the processing of step S1 and the processing of step S2 can be performed simultaneously, or the processing of step S1 can be performed after the processing of step S2.

[0037] Next, in step S3, the server 100 calculates the estimated position information of the vehicle 2 based on the measured position information and the predetermined driving path of the vehicle 2 at a higher frequency than the first frequency (once every few seconds to once a minute).

[0038] Next, in step S4, the server 100 determines whether it has received a request from the communication terminal 3 to send the location information of the vehicle 2.

[0039] If no request to send location information is received from communication terminal 3, server 100 repeats the processing steps S1 to S3.

[0040] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S4 that "a request to send the location information of vehicle 2 has been received from communication terminal 3", then in step S5, server 100 sends estimated location information to communication terminal 3.

[0041] In addition, the server 100 may first perform the determination process of step S4, and then, if it is determined that "a request to send the location information of vehicle 2 has been received from the communication terminal 3", perform the processing of steps S1 to S3 and S5.

[0042] Next, refer to Figure 3 The flowchart illustrates a method for controlling the frequency of receiving location information by the server 100 in the information processing system 1.

[0043] First, in step S11, the server 100 determines whether it is necessary to increase the accuracy of the estimated location information to a higher level than the current accuracy. If no predetermined driving path is set for vehicle 2, or vehicle 2 is traveling on a path deviating from the predetermined driving path, or the average speed of vehicle 2 is significantly lower than a predetermined value, or vehicle 2 is traveling within a predetermined specific range within the predetermined driving path (a range within a predetermined reference distance from the interchange or junction of the highway or a range within a predetermined reference distance from the destination), the server 100 determines that it is necessary to increase the accuracy of the estimated location information to a higher level than the current accuracy.

[0044] If it is determined in step S11 that "it is not necessary to make the accuracy of the estimated location information higher than the current accuracy", the server 100 does not change the receiving frequency of the measured location information.

[0045] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S11 that "it is necessary to make the accuracy of the estimated location information higher than the current accuracy", in step S12, the server 100 increases the receiving frequency of the measured location information.

[0046] Based on the above, the information processing system 1 of the first embodiment receives the measured location information of vehicle 2, obtains the predetermined driving path of vehicle 2, calculates the estimated location information of vehicle based on the measured location information and the predetermined driving path, and sends the estimated location information to the communication terminal 3. Here, the measured location information is the measured value of the location information. Therefore, the information processing system 1 sends the estimated location information of vehicle 2 to the communication terminal 3 instead of the measured location information. Thus, even when a request to send the location information of vehicle 2 is received from the communication terminal 3, it is not necessary to obtain the measured location information at a high frequency (a few seconds to one minute), preventing excessive communication volume between the server 100 and vehicle 2.

[0047] In addition, the information processing system 1 acquires the vehicle speed of the vehicle 2, calculates the transmission time for sending the estimated location information to the communication terminal 3, and calculates the estimated location information corresponding to the transmission time based on the measured location information of the vehicle 2, the predetermined driving path, and the vehicle speed. Thus, the information processing system 1 can calculate the estimated location information based on the timing of outputting location information to the communication terminal 3.

[0048] Furthermore, the estimated location information is updated more frequently than the measured location information is received. Therefore, even when the information processing system 1 receives a request to transmit the location information of the vehicle 2 from the communication terminal 3, it can provide the user with estimated location information with a specified accuracy without acquiring the measured location information at a high frequency (a few seconds to one minute).

[0049] Furthermore, the information processing system 1 determines whether it is necessary to improve the accuracy of the estimated location information to a higher level than the current accuracy. If it is necessary to improve the accuracy of the estimated location information to a higher level than the current accuracy, the system increases the frequency of receiving the measured location information compared to the case where it is not necessary to improve the accuracy of the estimated location information. Therefore, the information processing system 1 can change the frequency of receiving the measured location information based on whether it is necessary to improve the accuracy of the estimated location information. Thus, when the accuracy of the estimated location information is lower than a predetermined reference accuracy, or when the required accuracy of the estimated location information has increased, the information processing system 1 can improve the accuracy of the estimated location information to a higher level by changing the frequency of receiving the measured location information.

[0050] If a predetermined driving path for vehicle 2 is not set, or if vehicle 2 deviates from the predetermined driving path, or if the average speed of vehicle 2 is significantly lower than a specified value, the information processing system 1 determines that the accuracy of the estimated position information needs to be higher than the current accuracy. Therefore, in scenarios where it is difficult to accurately estimate position information based on measured position information and a predetermined driving path, the information processing system 1 can determine that the accuracy of the estimated position information is lower than a specified baseline accuracy and increase the frequency of receiving measured position information.

[0051] Furthermore, when vehicle 2 is traveling within a specified range along a predetermined travel path, information processing system 1 determines that the accuracy of the estimated position information needs to be higher than the current accuracy. Therefore, when vehicle 2 is traveling within the specified range, information processing system 1 can determine that the required accuracy of the estimated position information has increased, and thus increase the frequency of receiving the measured position information.

[0052] Furthermore, the specific range is the area within a predetermined reference distance from the interchange or merging point of the highway. Therefore, when vehicle 2 travels within this predetermined reference distance from the interchange or merging point of the highway, information processing system 1 can determine that the required accuracy of the estimated location information has increased, and thus increase the frequency of receiving the location information. In other words, whether vehicle 2 passes through an interchange or merging point of the highway, and the time required for vehicle 2 to pass through the interchange or merging point, have a significant impact on the arrival time of vehicle 2 at its destination. Therefore, when vehicle 2 travels within the predetermined reference distance from the interchange or merging point of the highway, information processing system 1 determines that the required accuracy of the estimated location information has increased.

[0053] Furthermore, the specific range is the area within a predetermined reference distance from the destination. Therefore, when vehicle 2 is traveling within this predetermined reference distance from the destination, i.e., approaching the destination, the information processing system 1 can determine that the required accuracy of the estimated location information has increased, and thus increase the frequency of receiving the location information. For example, the closer vehicle 2 gets to the destination, the more detailed and accurate the location information of vehicle 2 will be needed by users waiting for it at the destination. Therefore, when vehicle 2 is traveling within the predetermined reference distance from the destination, the information processing system 1 determines that the required accuracy of the estimated location information has increased.

[0054] Furthermore, the information processing system 1 acquires the predetermined arrival time for vehicle 2 to reach its destination. When it predicts that vehicle 2 will arrive at its destination later than the predetermined arrival time, it sets a larger reference distance within a specific range compared to when it predicts that vehicle 2 will arrive before the predetermined arrival time. Therefore, even when vehicle 2 is expected to arrive late or is traveling at a location farther from its predetermined destination, the information processing system 1 can increase the frequency of receiving location information to improve the accuracy of the estimated location information.

[0055] Second Implementation Method

[0056] Next, based on Figure 4 The information processing method according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Furthermore, the information processing system 1 that executes the information processing method according to the second embodiment has... Figure 1 The structure shown is the same. Furthermore, in the following description, it is the same as... Figures 1-3 The same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings indicate the same or identical parts, therefore detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0057] use Figure 4 The flowchart below illustrates the process of the information processing method executed by the server 100 of the information processing system 1 involved in this embodiment.

[0058] like Figure 4 As shown, in step S21, the server 100 of the information processing system 1 first determines whether the communication terminal 3 is inside the vehicle 2. Specifically, the vehicle 2 determines whether it can conduct short-range wireless communication with the communication terminal 3. If the vehicle 2 and the communication terminal 3 can conduct short-range wireless communication, the communication unit 203 of the vehicle 2 sends the result to the server 100, and the server 100 determines that the communication terminal 3 is inside the vehicle 2.

[0059] If it is determined in step S21 that "communication terminal 3 is not inside vehicle 2", then server 100 will communicate with... Figure 2 Similarly, steps S1 to S3 calculate the estimated position information of vehicle 2 based on the measured position information of vehicle 2 and the predetermined driving path.

[0060] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S21 that "the communication terminal 3 is inside the vehicle 2", the server 100 determines in step S23 whether the latest update time of the terminal location information obtained from the communication terminal 3 is later than the latest update time of the measured location information of the vehicle 2.

[0061] If, in step S23, it is determined that "the latest update time of the terminal location information is before the latest update time of the measured location information of vehicle 2", then in step S22, the server 100... Figure 2 Similarly, steps S1 to S3 calculate the estimated position information of vehicle 2 based on the measured position information of vehicle 2 and the predetermined driving path.

[0062] If it is determined in step S23 that "the latest update time of the terminal location information is later than the latest update time of the measured location information of vehicle 2", the server 100 calculates the estimated location information based on the terminal location information and the predetermined driving path in step S24.

[0063] In addition, Figure 4 In the flowchart shown, the decision-making process in step S23 can also be omitted as shown by the dashed line. That is, if the communication terminal 3 is inside the vehicle 2, the server 100 can calculate the estimated position information based on the terminal position information and the predetermined driving path in step S24.

[0064] Based on the above, in the second embodiment, when the communication terminal 3 is inside the vehicle 2 and the latest update time of the terminal location information obtained from the communication terminal 3 is later than the latest update time of the measured location information of the vehicle 2, the information processing system 1 calculates estimated location information based on the terminal location information. Therefore, when the communication terminal 3 is inside the vehicle 2, the information processing system 1 compares the latest update time of the terminal location information with the latest update time of the measured location information of the vehicle 2 and uses the location information with the newer update time, thus enabling high-precision calculation of estimated location information.

[0065] Alternatively, when the communication terminal 3 is inside the vehicle 2, the information processing system 1 can calculate the estimated location information based on the terminal location information obtained from the communication terminal 3. Therefore, given that the update frequency of the terminal location information of the communication terminal 3 (such as a smartphone) is generally higher than the update frequency of the measured location information of the vehicle 2, the information processing system 1 can calculate the estimated location information with high accuracy based on the terminal location information when the communication terminal 3 is inside the vehicle 2.

[0066] Third Implementation Method

[0067] Next, based on Figure 5 , 6 The information processing method according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Furthermore, in the following description, [the following will be used in conjunction with...] Figures 1-4 The same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings indicate the same or identical parts, therefore detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0068] like Figure 5 As shown, vehicle 2 has an information processing device 20. The information processing device 20 has a processor 200. The processor 200 has a self-position acquisition unit 201, a driving path setting unit 202, a communication unit 203, and a driving status determination unit 204. That is, the structure of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment is similar to... Figure 1 The difference in the structure of the vehicle 2 shown is that it has a driving condition determination unit 204.

[0069] Furthermore, the information processing device 20 of vehicle 2 can communicate with server 400 via Internet 4. Server 400 includes a communication unit 101, a vehicle location information acquisition unit 102, a driving path acquisition unit 103, and a vehicle location estimation unit 104. That is, the structure of server 400 in this embodiment is similar to... Figure 1 The difference in the structure of the server 100 shown is that it does not have a driving condition determination unit 105. The information processing device 20 of the vehicle 2 sends the measured position information and the predetermined driving path of the vehicle 2 to the server 400, and the server 400 sends the estimated position information of the vehicle 2 calculated based on the measured position information and the predetermined driving path of the vehicle 2 to the communication terminal 3.

[0070] This describes the processing performed by the driving status determination unit 204 of the information processing device 20 of vehicle 2.

[0071] The driving condition determination unit 204 determines whether it is necessary to increase the accuracy of the location information (measured location information) sent to the server 400 to a higher level based on the driving condition of the vehicle 2. Specifically, if a predetermined driving path is not set, or if the vehicle 2 deviates from the predetermined driving path, or if the average speed of the vehicle 2 is significantly lower than a predetermined value, the driving condition determination unit 204 determines that the accuracy of the estimated location information calculated by the server 400 has decreased to below a predetermined benchmark, that is, it is necessary to increase the accuracy of the location information sent to the server 400 to a higher level.

[0072] Furthermore, when vehicle 2 is traveling within a specified range along a predetermined travel path, the driving condition determination unit 204 determines that the required accuracy of the estimated location information has increased; that is, the accuracy of the location information sent to server 400 needs to be higher than the current accuracy. The specified range is, for example, a range within a specified reference distance from an interchange or junction on a highway. Alternatively, the specified range could also be a range within a specified reference distance from the destination. The destination is, for example, the meeting point with the user holding communication terminal 3. In this case, the driving condition determination unit 105 can also obtain the predetermined arrival time for vehicle 2 to reach the destination, and when it is predicted that vehicle 2 will arrive at the destination later than the predetermined arrival time, the reference distance is set larger compared to when it is predicted that vehicle 2 will arrive at the destination before the predetermined arrival time. In other words, when it is predicted that vehicle 2 will arrive at the destination later than the predetermined arrival time, the specified range is wider compared to when it is predicted that vehicle 2 will arrive at the destination before the predetermined arrival time.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the server 400 may determine, based on the driving status of the vehicle 2, whether it is necessary to increase the accuracy of the location information (measured location information) sent by the vehicle 2's information processing device 20 to the server 400 to a higher level than the current accuracy, and the vehicle 2's information processing device 20 may receive this determination result. That is, the driving status determination unit 204 of the information processing device 20 may also determine, based on the determination result of the server 400, whether it is necessary to increase the accuracy of the location information (measured location information) sent to the server 400 to a higher level than the current accuracy.

[0074] When the driving condition determination unit 204 determines that "it is necessary to increase the accuracy of the location information sent to the server 400 to a higher level than the current accuracy," the information processing device 20 increases the frequency of sending the measured location information to the server 400. That is, when it is necessary to increase the accuracy of the location information sent to the server 400 to a higher level than the current accuracy, the information processing device 20 increases the frequency of sending the measured location information compared to when it is not necessary. Specifically, when it is not necessary to increase the accuracy of the sent location information to a higher level than the current accuracy, the information processing device 20 sends the measured location information at a first frequency (e.g., once every 5 to 10 minutes), and when it is necessary to increase the accuracy of the location information to a higher level than the current accuracy, it sends the measured location information at a second frequency (e.g., once every 2 to 3 minutes), which is higher than the first frequency.

[0075] Next, refer to Figure 6 The flowchart illustrates a method for the processor 200 of the information processing device 20 to control the transmission frequency of the measured location information.

[0076] First, in step S31, the processor 200 determines whether it is necessary to increase the accuracy of the location information (measured location information) sent to the server 400 to a higher level than the current accuracy. If a predetermined driving path for vehicle 2 is not set, or vehicle 2 is traveling on a path deviating from the predetermined driving path, or the average speed of vehicle 2 is significantly lower than a predetermined value, or vehicle 2 is traveling within a predetermined specific range within the predetermined driving path (a range within a predetermined reference distance from the interchange or junction of the highway or a range within a predetermined reference distance from the destination), the processor 200 determines that it is necessary to increase the accuracy of the measured location information to a higher level than the current accuracy.

[0077] If it is determined in step S31 that "it is not necessary to make the accuracy of the measured location information higher than the current accuracy", the processor 200 does not change the transmission frequency of the measured location information.

[0078] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S31 that "it is necessary to make the accuracy of the measured location information higher than the current accuracy", in step S32, the processor 200 increases the transmission frequency of the measured location information.

[0079] As described above, the information processing apparatus 20 according to the third embodiment determines whether it is necessary to increase the accuracy of the location information sent to the server 400 to a higher level than the current accuracy. When it is not necessary to increase the accuracy of the location information to a higher level than the current accuracy, the information processing apparatus 20 sends the measured location information of vehicle 2 to the server 400 at a first frequency; when it is necessary to increase the accuracy of the location information to a higher level than the current accuracy, it sends the measured location information to the server 400 at a second frequency higher than the first frequency. Therefore, the information processing apparatus 20 can change the frequency of sending the location information (measured location information) according to whether there is a need to increase the accuracy of the location information sent to the server 400. Thus, for example, if the accuracy of the estimated location information calculated by the server 400 based on the location information (measured location information) of vehicle 2 is lower than a predetermined reference accuracy, or if the required accuracy of the estimated location information is increased, the information processing apparatus 20 determines that it is necessary to increase the accuracy of the location information sent to the server 400 to a higher level than the current accuracy and increases the frequency of sending the location information.

[0080] If a predetermined driving path for vehicle 2 is not set, or if vehicle 2 deviates from the predetermined driving path, or if the average speed of vehicle 2 is significantly lower than a specified value, the information processing device 20 determines that the accuracy of the location information needs to be higher than the current accuracy. Therefore, in scenarios where the server 400 has difficulty estimating accurate location information based on the measured location information and the predetermined driving path, the information processing device 20 can determine that the accuracy of the location information sent to the server 400 needs to be higher than the current accuracy, and increase the frequency of location information transmission.

[0081] Furthermore, when vehicle 2 is traveling within a specified range along a predetermined travel path, information processing device 20 determines that the accuracy of the location information needs to be higher than the current accuracy. Therefore, when vehicle 2 is traveling within the specified range, information processing device 20 can determine that the required accuracy of the location information sent to server 400 has increased, and increases the frequency of location information measurement and transmission.

[0082] Furthermore, the specific range is the area within a predetermined reference distance from the interchange or junction of the highway. Therefore, when vehicle 2 travels within this predetermined reference distance from the interchange or junction, the information processing device 20 can determine that the required accuracy of the location information has increased and increase the frequency of transmitting the location information. That is, whether vehicle 2 passes through an interchange or junction of the highway, and the time required for vehicle 2 to pass through the interchange or junction, have a significant impact on the arrival time of vehicle 2 at its destination. Therefore, when vehicle 2 travels within the predetermined reference distance from the interchange or junction of the highway, the information processing device 20 determines that the required accuracy of the location information has increased.

[0083] Furthermore, the specific range is the area within a predetermined reference distance from the destination. Therefore, when vehicle 2 is traveling within this predetermined reference distance from the destination, i.e., approaching the destination, the information processing device 20 can determine that the required accuracy of the location information has increased, and thus increase the frequency of location information transmission. In other words, for example, the closer vehicle 2 gets to the destination, the more detailed and accurate the location information of the user waiting for vehicle 2 at the destination becomes; therefore, when vehicle 2 is traveling within the predetermined reference distance from the destination, the information processing device 20 determines that the required accuracy of the location information has increased.

[0084] Furthermore, the information processing device 20 acquires the predetermined arrival time for vehicle 2 to reach its destination. When it is predicted that vehicle 2 will arrive at its destination later than the predetermined arrival time, it sets a larger reference distance within a specific range compared to when it is predicted that vehicle 2 will arrive before the predetermined arrival time. Therefore, even if vehicle 2 is expected to arrive late or is traveling at a location farther from its predetermined destination, the information processing device 20 can increase the frequency of location information transmission to improve the accuracy of the location information sent to the server 400.

[0085] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0086] 1: Information processing system; 2: Vehicle; 3: Communication terminal; 100, 400: Server; 20: Information processing device; 200: Processor.

Claims

1. An information processing method, which uses a server to present vehicle location information in a communication terminal, wherein, The server performs the following processing: Receive measured location information, wherein the measured location information is the measured value of the vehicle's location information; Obtain the vehicle's predetermined travel route; The estimated position information of the vehicle is calculated based on the measured location information and the predetermined driving path; and The estimated location information is sent to the communication terminal.

2. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein, The server performs the following processing: Obtain the vehicle speed; Calculate the transmission time for sending the estimated location information to the communication terminal; and The estimated location information corresponding to the sending time is calculated based on the measured location information, the predetermined driving path, and the vehicle speed.

3. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The estimated location information is updated more frequently than the measured location information is received more frequently.

4. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The server performs the following processing: Determine whether it is necessary to make the accuracy of the estimated location information higher than the current accuracy; as well as When it is necessary to make the accuracy of the estimated location information higher than the current accuracy, the frequency of receiving the measured location information is increased compared to when it is not necessary to make the accuracy of the estimated location information higher than the current accuracy.

5. The information processing method according to claim 4, wherein, If the predetermined driving path is not set, or if the vehicle deviates from the predetermined driving path, or if the average speed of the vehicle is significantly lower than the specified value, the server determines that the accuracy of the estimated location information needs to be higher than the current accuracy.

6. The information processing method according to claim 4, wherein, When the vehicle is traveling within a specified range on the predetermined travel path, the server determines that it is necessary to make the accuracy of the estimated location information higher than the current accuracy.

7. The information processing method according to claim 6, wherein, The specific range is the area within a specified reference distance from the interchange or junction of the expressway.

8. The information processing method according to claim 6, wherein, The specific range is the range within a specified baseline distance from the destination.

9. The information processing method according to claim 8, wherein, The server performs the following processing: Obtain the scheduled arrival time for the vehicle to reach the destination; and When it is predicted that the vehicle will arrive at the destination later than the predetermined arrival time, the reference distance is set larger compared to when it is predicted that the vehicle will arrive at the destination before the predetermined arrival time.

10. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The server performs the following processing: Determine whether the communication terminal is inside the vehicle; When the communication terminal is inside the vehicle, determine whether the latest update time of the terminal location information obtained from the communication terminal is later than the latest update time of the measured location information of the vehicle. as well as When the latest update time of the terminal location information is later than the latest update time of the measured location information, the estimated location information is calculated based on the terminal location information.

11. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The server performs the following processing: Determine whether the communication terminal is inside the vehicle; When the communication terminal is inside the vehicle, the estimated location information is calculated based on the terminal location information obtained from the communication terminal.

12. An information processing method, which uses a processor to send vehicle location information to a server, wherein... The processor performs the following processing: Determine whether it is necessary to make the accuracy of the location information sent to the server higher than the current accuracy; Without needing to increase the accuracy of the location information above the current accuracy, the measured location information is sent to the server at a first frequency, wherein the measured location information is the measured value of the vehicle's location information; as well as When it is necessary to make the accuracy of the location information higher than the current accuracy, the measured location information is sent to the server at a second frequency higher than the first frequency.

13. An information processing system comprising a server that sends vehicle location information to a communication terminal, wherein, The server performs the following processing: Receive measured location information, wherein the measured location information is the measured value of the vehicle's location information; Obtain the vehicle's predetermined travel route; The estimated position information of the vehicle is calculated based on the measured location information and the predetermined driving path; and The estimated location information is sent to the communication terminal.

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