Content distribution servers and content distribution methods

Abstract

. Content distribution server (30), comprising: a storage unit (32) storing a plurality of contents associated with a device; a recording unit (311) which records one or both of activation information of a vehicle (60) and position information (122) of the vehicle (60) from a device (10) of the vehicle (60) provided in the vehicle as information for determination; and a content distribution unit (312) which distributes the contents stored in the storage unit (32) with respect to a mobile terminal (20), wherein the content distribution unit (312) determines that a user (50) is able to visit the facility with the vehicle (60) in a case where the determination information recorded by the recording unit (311) indicates that the vehicle (60) has been activated, and determines that the user (50) is unable to visit the facility with the vehicle (60) in a case where the determination information recorded by the recording unit (311) does not indicate that the vehicle (60) has been activated, and the content distribution unit (312) determines which contents in the plurality of contents stored in the storage unit (32) are distributed with respect to the mobile terminal (20) based on determination results related to the activations of these vehicles (60), wherein, in a case where a content distribution request is received from the mobile terminal (20), the recording unit (311) further requests the vehicle (60) designation information regarding an in-vehicle device (10) of a vehicle (60) corresponding to a mobile terminal (20) of a content distribution request source, and records the vehicle (60) designation information from the in-vehicle device (10) as a response to the request, characterized in that the content distribution server (30) further comprises a customer management database (321) in which identification information (222) of the mobile terminal (20) and identification information (123) of the vehicle (60) are associated with each other for each user (50), wherein the recording unit (311) further records the identification information (222) of the mobile terminal (20) from the mobile terminal (20) of the content distribution request source and specifies the vehicle (60) corresponding to the mobile terminal (20) of the content distribution request source with reference to the recorded identification information (222) of the mobile terminal (20) and the database (321).

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a content distribution server and a content distribution method that distribute contents. Technical background

[0002] In the prior art, a content distribution server is known in which content is transmitted in response to a request from a mobile terminal. By using the content distribution server, it is possible to provide, for example, store information, a coupon, or the like related to a user using the terminal as the content.

[0003] An example of technology relevant to such a content distribution server is disclosed in JP 2016-151512 A. In JP 2016-151512 A, a navigation application for route guidance is installed in the mobile terminal. Various service information objects related to the navigation application are then distributed from the content distribution server. Additionally, in JP 2016-151512 A, a user's movement rate is detected based on position information acquired by a global positioning system (GPS). Then, from the detected movement rate, it is determined whether the user is moving on foot, by a vehicle, or by bicycle. Furthermore, content corresponding to a determination result is distributed from the content distribution server.

[0004] US 2011 / 0 184 789 A1 discloses a system installed in a vehicle, which is equipped with a navigation unit, and a wireless mobile communication device, such as a mobile phone, connected to the system installed in the vehicle. A server is described therein, which contains a memory in which the wireless mobile communication device can receive additional information from the server. The system installed in the vehicle sends the destination data (information) to the wireless mobile communication device. The preambles of claims 1, 4, 8, and 9 are based on this document. Disclosure of the inventionProblems to be solved by the invention

[0005] As described above, in the case of using the technology disclosed in JP 2016-151512 A or the like, it is possible to transmit the contents according to a means of travel. However, in the technology disclosed in JP 2016-151512 A, the means of travel is determined based only on the movement rate of the mobile terminal, and there may be cases where accurate determination cannot be made. For example, in a case where the user travels by a public bus, it is not possible to accurately determine whether the user is traveling by a public bus whose movement route is restricted or by a vehicle that can travel on any route by merely observing the movement rate.In addition, even in a case where the user is moving by vehicle, if the user is unable to move smoothly due to traffic obstructions or the like, it is not possible to accurately determine whether the user is moving by vehicle or bicycle by merely observing the movement rate.

[0006] For this reason, a case is also considered where content that does not correspond to an actual means of transportation is provided due to an incorrect determination result. For example, the content of a facility located at a location that the user cannot access via a bus movement route is provided to a user traveling via a bus movement, or the content of a facility located at a distance that the user cannot access by bicycle is provided to a user traveling by bicycle.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a content distribution server and a content distribution method capable of distributing contents according to a travel means after the travel means has been more accurately determined.

[0008] To achieve the object, a content distribution server and method according to claims 1, 4, 8 and 9 are provided. (1) The content distribution server (for example, a content distribution server 30 as described below) according to a first aspect of the present invention includes: a storage unit (for example, a storage unit 32 as described below) that stores a plurality of contents associated with a device; a receiving unit (for example, a destination information receiving unit 311 as described below) that receives any one or both of activation information of a vehicle (for example, a vehicle 60 as described below) and position information of the vehicle from an in-vehicle device (for example, an in-vehicle navigation device 10 as described below) of the vehicle as destination information;and a content distribution unit (for example, a content distribution unit 312 as described below) that transmits the contents stored in the storage unit with respect to a mobile terminal (for example, a mobile terminal 20 as described below), wherein the content distribution unit determines whether or not a user is able to visit the facility by vehicle based on the determination information acquired by the acquisition unit, and determines which contents in the plurality of contents stored in the storage unit are distributed with respect to the mobile terminal based on a determination result.;

[0009] According to (1), there is obtained the effect that it is possible to distribute contents according to a means of travel after the means of travel is more accurately determined based on the information for determination acquired by the in-vehicle navigation device provided in the vehicle. (2) In the content distribution server according to (1), in a case where a distribution request of the contents is received from the mobile terminal, the acquisition unit further requests the vehicle designation information regarding an in-vehicle device of a vehicle corresponding to a mobile terminal of a distribution request source of the contents, and acquires the vehicle designation information from the in-vehicle device as a response to the request.

[0010] According to (2), the effect that the information for determination is requested when content distribution is requested is obtained, and thus it is possible to acquire the latest information for distribution according to a current situation and perform the determination. (3) In the content distribution server according to (1), the content distribution server may further include: a collecting unit (for example, a destination information collecting unit 313 described below) that receives the vehicle destination information from the in-vehicle device of the vehicle and collects the destination information triggered by activation of the vehicle, and in a case where a distribution request of the content is received from the mobile terminal, the receiving unit may further receive vehicle destination information corresponding to a mobile terminal of a distribution request source of the content from the collecting unit.

[0011] According to (3), the effect is obtained that in a case where the distribution request of the contents is received, it is possible to record the information for determination on the server side and to perform the determination without making an inquiry regarding the vehicle. (4) In the content distribution server according to (2) or (3), according to the present invention, the content distribution server includes: a customer management database (for example, a customer management database 321 described below) in which identification information of the mobile terminal and identification information of the vehicle are associated with each other for each user, and the acquisition unit further acquires the identification information of the mobile terminal from the mobile terminal of the content distribution request source and specifies the vehicle corresponding to the mobile terminal of the content distribution request source, with reference to the acquired identification information of the mobile terminal and the database.

[0012] According to (4), the effect is obtained that it is possible to specify the vehicle corresponding to the mobile terminal of the content distribution request source and to perform the determination by using the association between the identification information of the mobile terminal and the identification information of the vehicle. (5) In the content distribution server according to (2) or (3) described above, the acquisition unit may further acquire position information of the mobile terminal from the mobile terminal of the content distribution request source, and in a case that a position of the mobile terminal specified by the mobile terminal position information is within a predetermined range from a position of the vehicle specified by the information for determination, specify the vehicle as the vehicle corresponding to the mobile terminal of the content distribution request source.

[0013] According to (5), there is obtained the effect that even in a case that the database or the like is not prepared in advance, it is possible to specify the vehicle corresponding to the mobile terminal of the content distribution request source on the basis of the coincidence of the position information objects and to perform the determination. (6) The content distribution server according to a second aspect of the present invention includes: a storage unit (for example, a storage unit 32 as described below) that stores a plurality of contents associated with a device; a destination information acquisition unit (for example, the destination information acquisition unit 311 as described below) that acquires connection information indicating whether or not a mobile terminal (for example, the mobile terminal 20 as described below) and an in-vehicle device (for example, the in-vehicle navigation device 10 as described below) of a vehicle (for example, the vehicle 60 as described below) are in a state of connection with each other, from the mobile terminal as destination information;and a content distribution unit (for example, a content distribution unit 312 as described below) that distributes the contents stored in the storage unit with respect to the mobile terminal, in which the content distribution unit determines whether or not a user is able to visit the facility by vehicle based on the information for determination acquired by the acquisition unit, and determines which contents in the plurality of contents stored in the storage unit are distributed with respect to the mobile terminal based on a determination result.;

[0014] According to (6), the effect is that it is possible to distribute the contents according to a means of transport after the means of transport is selected based on the information on

[0015] Determination has been more precisely determined which are recorded by the mobile device. (7) In the content distribution server according to (6) as described above, the connection information may be information indicating whether or not near-field communication is performed between the mobile terminal and the device provided in the vehicle.

[0016] According to (7), the effect is obtained that it is possible to perform the determination based on the information for determination indicating a boarding state in which the near-field communication is performed. (8) In the content distribution server according to any one of (1) to (7) described above, in a case where it is determined that the user is able to visit the facility by the vehicle, the content distribution unit may further distribute a content stored in the storage unit and associated with a facility provided with a parking space, with respect to the mobile terminal.

[0017] According to (8), the effect is obtained that it is possible to distribute the contents associated with the facility that are highly useful when the user is able to move through the vehicle and is provided with the parking space for parking vehicles as the contents according to the means of movement. (9) In the content distribution server according to any one of (1) to (8) described above, in a case where a destination is set in a route guide in the in-vehicle device of the vehicle, the recording unit may further record any one or both of information indicating the destination and information indicating a route to the destination from the in-vehicle device, and the content distribution unit may distribute a content stored in the storage unit and corresponding to either one or both of the information indicating the destination and the information indicating the route to the destination, with respect to the mobile terminal.

[0018] According to (9) as described above, an effect is obtained that it is possible to distribute the contents according to the means of travel in consideration of the set destination. (10) A content distribution method according to the first aspect of the present invention includes: a storing step of storing a plurality of contents associated with a device; a acquiring step of acquiring any one or both of activation information of a vehicle (for example, the vehicle 60 described below) and position information of the vehicle from an in-vehicle device (for example, the in-vehicle navigation device 10 described below) of the vehicle, as information for determination;and a content distribution step of distributing the contents stored in the storage step with respect to a mobile terminal (for example, the mobile terminal 20 described below), wherein in the content distribution step, it is determined whether or not a user is able to visit the facility by vehicle based on the information for determination acquired in the acquisition step, and it is determined which content in the plurality of contents stored in the storage step is distributed with respect to the mobile terminal based on a determination result.;

[0019] According to the method of (10) as described above, the same effect as that of the content distribution server of (1) as described above is obtained. (11) A content distribution method according to the second aspect of the present invention includes: a storing step of storing a plurality of contents associated with a device; a receiving step of receiving connection information indicating whether or not a mobile terminal (for example, the mobile terminal 20 described below) and an in-vehicle device (for example, the in-vehicle navigation device 10 described below) of a vehicle (for example, the vehicle 60 described below) are in a state of connection with each other, from the mobile terminal as information for determination;and a content distribution step of distributing the contents stored in the storing step with respect to the mobile terminal, wherein in the content distribution step, it is determined whether or not a user is able to visit the facility by vehicle based on the information for determination acquired in the acquiring step, and it is determined, based on a determination result, which content in the plurality of contents stored in the storing step is transmitted with respect to the mobile terminal;

[0020] According to the method of (11) as described above, the same effect as that of the content distribution server of (6) as described above is obtained. Effects of the invention

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to distribute contents according to a means of transportation after the means of transportation has been more accurately determined. Brief description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a basic configuration of the entire content distribution system according to each embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a vehicle-mounted navigation device in each of the embodiments of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a mobile terminal in a first embodiment and a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a functional block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a content distribution server in the first embodiment and a third embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a customer management database in each of the embodiments of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of contents to be distributed in each of the embodiments of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of the contents to be distributed by each of the embodiments of the present invention. Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a basic operation in each of the embodiments of the present invention. Fig. 9 is a functional block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a content distribution server in the second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 10 is a functional block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a mobile terminal in the third embodiment of the present invention. Preferred mode for carrying out the invention

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Furthermore, three embodiments will be described below. As an outline of the three embodiments, a first embodiment is an embodiment in which a navigation device provided in a vehicle is inquired about what content is distributed to a mobile terminal by a content distribution server, and the determination is made based on the transmitted information as a response to the inquiry. In addition, a second embodiment is an embodiment in which a navigation device provided in a vehicle determines what content is distributed to a mobile terminal by a content distribution server based on information that starts to be transmitted in accordance with an activation.Furthermore, a third embodiment is an embodiment in which it is determined which content is transmitted to a mobile terminal from a content distribution server based on information transmitted from the mobile terminal. Hereinafter, the overall configuration of a content distribution system 1 common to the three embodiments will be described first, and then the detailed configuration of each of the embodiments will be described individually. <Gesamte Konfiguration des Inhalte-Verteilsystems 1>

[0023] The entire configuration of the content distribution system 1 common to each of the embodiments will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As described in Fig. As illustrated in Figure 1, the content distribution system 1 is configured by including a navigation device 10 provided in the vehicle, a mobile terminal 20, and a content distribution server 30. Each device and each terminal can be connected to communicate with each other through a communication network 40.

[0024] In addition, on the left side of the drawing, "at a time of getting on the vehicle" indicates a situation in which the in-vehicle navigation device 10 is provided in a vehicle 60, and a user 50 gets on the vehicle 60 and uses the in-vehicle navigation device 10 and the mobile terminal 20. In addition, on the right side of the drawing, "at a time of walking" indicates a situation in which the user 50 travels on foot and uses the mobile terminal 20. Further, for convenience of description, the description "at a time of walking" may include a case in which the user travels by a travel means such as a bicycle in addition to walking.In this embodiment, a distinction is made as to whether the user 50 enters the vehicle 60, which is capable of being moved arbitrarily, or moves by a means of transport other than the vehicle 60.

[0025] The in-vehicle navigation device 10 is a device that performs route guidance (vehicle navigation) with respect to the user 50 who gets into the vehicle 60. The in-vehicle navigation device 10 performs route guidance from a current position to a destination based on the request from the user 50. In addition, the in-vehicle navigation device 10 also has a function of detecting a position from position information of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 (i.e., position information of the vehicle 60). The in-vehicle navigation device 10 appropriately transmits information such as the position information to the content distribution server 30 as destination information. The details of the destination information will be described below.The in-vehicle navigation device 10 may be realized by a car navigation device mounted on the vehicle 60, which is a movable body, or it may be a portable navigation device (PND) that is simply mounted on the vehicle 60, which is the movable body, and can be transported.

[0026] The mobile terminal 20 is a mobile terminal used when the user 50 gets into the vehicle or moves on foot. The mobile terminal 20 performs the distribution request of a content to the content distribution server 30. In addition, content distributed by the content distribution server 30 is received and output (e.g., the content is displayed) in response to the distribution request. The mobile terminal 20 can be implemented by a smartphone, a portable phone, a tablet terminal, a laptop computer, and other portable electronic devices.

[0027] The content distribution server 30 is a server that transmits the contents related to the mobile terminal 20. The processing of the content distribution server 30 is the main aspect of each of the embodiments of the present invention. Specifically, the content distribution server 30 determines whether the user 50 of the mobile terminal 20 is getting into a vehicle (i.e., the user 50 is moving through the vehicle 60) or whether the user 50 is walking (i.e., the user 50 is traveling on foot) based on the determination information. Then, in a case where it is determined that the user 50 is getting into a vehicle, contents at the time of getting into a vehicle corresponding to a case where the user is getting into a vehicle are distributed to the mobile terminal 20.On the other hand, in a case where it is determined that the user 50 is walking, contents at the time of walking corresponding to a case where the user is walking are distributed to the mobile terminal 20.

[0028] In each of the embodiments of the present invention, an effect is obtained in which such a content distribution server 30 performs the determination using the information for determination, and therefore it is possible to distribute contents according to a traveling means after more accurately determining the traveling means.

[0029] The content distribution server 30 which performs such processing can be realized, for example, by incorporating software unique to this embodiment into a general-purpose server device.

[0030] The communication network 40 is realized by a network such as the Internet or a portable telephone network and a network as a combination thereof.

[0031] The vehicle 60 is a movable body into which the user 50 of the navigation device 10 or the mobile terminal 20 provided in the vehicle enters. The vehicle 60 is realized, for example, by a four-wheeled vehicle, a motorcycle, a bicycle, or the like.

[0032] Further, in the drawing, information to be transmitted and received with respect to each device and each terminal is illustrated, but such information is merely an example. In this embodiment, information other than the illustrated information may be transmitted and received. In addition, the number of devices and the number of terminals included in this embodiment, as well as the number of users 50, are not specifically limited. As described above, the overall configuration common to each of the embodiments will be described. Next, a specific configuration of each device in the first embodiment and an operation of each device will be described. [First embodiment]<Funktionaler Block der in einem Fahrzeug vorgesehenen Navigationsvorrichtung 10>

[0033] A functional block of the navigation device 10 provided in a vehicle will be described with reference to a block diagram of Fig. 2. Here, the in-vehicle device 10 receives supply of a power source from the vehicle 60. Then, an ignition switch of the vehicle 60 is turned on (the engine is started) by the user 50 getting into the vehicle 60, and the in-vehicle navigation device 10 is automatically activated. In addition, the in-vehicle navigation device 10 is operated until an ignition-off state of the vehicle 60 is set by the user 50 getting into the vehicle 60 (the engine is turned off). As described above, activation states of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 and the vehicle 60 are linked to each other.

[0034] As in Fig. 2, the navigation device 10 provided in the vehicle is configured to include a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, a sensor unit 14, a display unit 15, and an input unit 16.

[0035] The control unit 11 is implemented by an arithmetic processing device such as a microprocessor and controls each unit that configures the device 10. The details of the control unit 11 will be described below.

[0036] The storage unit 12 is configured by a semiconductor memory or the like, and stores all programs such as a control program called firmware or an operating system, a program for performing route guidance processing, and a program for performing transmission processing of the destination information with respect to the content distribution server 30, as well as various information items such as map information. In the drawing, map information 121 for performing route guidance processing, as well as position information 122 and identification information 123 for performing transmission processing of the destination information are illustrated as the information stored in the storage unit 12.

[0037] The map information 121 includes information such as information relevant to a feature such as a road or a facility, road information, facility position information, and parking lot information. In addition, the map information 121 includes road network data including map data for displaying a road, a background of a road map, and the like; position information of a node (e.g., an intersection, a turning point, a curve point, or the like of the road) and type information thereof; position information of a link, which is a route connecting the nodes, and type information thereof; link cost data relevant to cost information of all the links (e.g., a distance, required time, or the like), and the like.

[0038] So-called road map information, such as the type of road or traffic light, is stored as the road information. In the facility location information, the location information of each of the facilities is stored as longitude and latitude information. In addition, the facility location information may include incidental information such as identification information (a facility ID), a name, facility classifications (and / or genre), a telephone number, an address, and an opening time of the facility. In a case where the facility is a restaurant, a menu may be provided, as well as facility information relevant to a commodity service or the like. In the parking lot information, position information of the parking lot is stored as the longitude and latitude information.In a case where the parking space is a parking space of each of the facilities, the facility and the parking space are stored associated with each other.

[0039] The position information 122 is the position information of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 (ie, the position information of the vehicle 60), the position of which is detected by the sensor unit 14 described below. The position information 122 may include a position detection time, which is not only information indicating a position that has been detected, but also a time for performing position detection.

[0040] In addition, the identification information 123 is information for identifying the vehicle 60 in which the in-vehicle navigation device 10 is provided. For example, a vehicle identification number (VIN) or a license plate number intrinsically attached to the vehicle 60 may be used as the identification information 123. In addition, information relevant to the in-vehicle navigation device 10 may be used as the identification information 123 for identifying the vehicle 60. For example, a production number or the like uniquely associated with the in-vehicle navigation device 10 may be used as the identification information 123.In addition, in order for the communication unit 13 to be connected to the communication network 40, which is a network such as a portable telephone network, a telephone number associated with a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) installed in the communication unit 13 may be used as the identification information 123.

[0041] Each of the information objects stored in the storage unit 12 may be configured by previously storing it in the storage unit 12, or may be appropriately configured by downloading it from the content distribution server 30, other server devices (not illustrated), or the like connected to the communication network 40 if necessary. Furthermore, the information may be appropriately corrected in accordance with the input of the user 50.

[0042] The communication unit 13 includes a digital signal processor (DSP) or the like, and realizes wireless communication with other devices (e.g., the content distribution server 30) through the communication network 40 based on a standard such as 3rd Generation (3G), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The communication unit 13 is used, for example, for a destination information transmission unit 112 described below for transmitting the destination information with respect to the content distribution server 30. However, data transmitted and received between the communication unit 13 and the other device is not limited, and information other than the destination information objects may be transmitted and received.

[0043] The sensor unit 14 is configured, for example, with a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor, a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, and the like. The sensor unit 14 functions as a position detection means that detects position information, receives a GPS satellite signal from a GPS sensor, and determines the position information (a longitude and a latitude) of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 through position detection. Positioning of the sensor unit 14 is performed at a predetermined time interval (for example, a three-second interval) as described above. The position information whose position has been determined is stored in the storage unit 12 as the position information 122.

[0044] Furthermore, in the sensor unit 14, it is possible to further increase the accuracy of positioning the position information of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 based on an angular rate or an acceleration rate measured by a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor. In addition, in a case where it is difficult or impossible to perform GPS communication, the sensor unit 14 is also capable of calculating the position information of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 according to base station information received from the communication unit 13 by using assisted Global Positioning System (AGPS) communication.

[0045] The display unit 15 is configured by a display device such as a liquid crystal display and an organic electroluminescent panel. The display unit 15 receives an instruction from the control unit 11 and displays an image. Examples of the information displayed on the display unit 15 include the current position of the in-vehicle navigation device 10, map information of the surroundings of the current position of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 read from the map information 121, a destination set by the user 50, meeting information notified from the other in-vehicle navigation device 10, local route information based on route information distributed from the content distribution server 30, other route information objects, various user interfaces, and the like.

[0046] The input unit 16 is configured by an input device (not shown), such as a physical switch called a numeric keypad or a touch panel superimposed on a display surface of the display unit 15, and the like. A signal based on an operation input from the input unit 16, such as the user 50 pressing the numeric keypad and touching the touch panel, is output to the control unit 11, and thus, a selection operation of the user 50 and a scaling operation of a map can be realized.

[0047] Furthermore, although not illustrated, a speaker, a microphone, or the like may be provided in the in-vehicle navigation device 10. The speaker outputs a sound related to a driver, and the microphone picks up a sound generated by the driver. As described above, information may be output from the speaker as a sound, or various selections or instructions of the driver, from which a sound is input through the microphone, may be input to the control unit 11 through sound recognition technology.

[0048] Next, the details of the control unit 11 will be described. The control unit 11 is configured by a microprocessor including a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), input / output (I / O), and the like. The CPU executes each program read from the ROM or the storage unit 12, reads the information from the RAM, the ROM, and the storage unit 12 when the program is executed, and writes the information to the RAM and the storage unit 12, thus performing signal delivery to the communication unit 13, the sensor unit 14, the display unit 15, and the input unit 16. Then, hardware and software (a program) cooperate with each other, and thus the processing of this embodiment is realized.

[0049] The control unit 11 includes a route guidance unit 111 and the destination information transmission unit 112 as a functional block. The route guidance unit 111 is a section that performs route guidance processing to the destination, such as a facility, input or selected by the user 50. The route guidance processing to the destination is identical to route guidance processing in a general car navigation system.That is, the route guidance unit 111 generates a map to the destination based on the map information 121 stored in the storage unit 12, the current position of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 detected by the sensor unit 14, the position of the destination, and the route information to the destination on the map, and displays the information on the display unit 15, thus performing route guidance. In this case, the route guidance unit 111 is capable of using route information such as the local route information, which is the route information distributed from the content distribution server 30, or the general route information described below, as route information for route guidance.

[0050] Further, in this case, a sound for route guidance may be output from the speaker (not illustrated). In addition, information about a road congestion situation, weather information, or the like may be obtained through the communication of the communication unit 13, and the obtained information may be used in the route guidance processing. For example, a road situation (e.g., a traffic congestion situation or the like) acquired from a vehicle information communication system (VICS: registered trademark) or the like by the communication unit 13 may be used in the route guidance processing. Furthermore, the route guidance processing to the destination is well known to one skilled in the art, and therefore, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0051] The destination information transmission unit 112 is a section that transmits the destination information to the content distribution server 30 through wireless communication using the communication unit 13. In this embodiment, when the destination information is requested from the content distribution server 30, the destination information transmission unit 112 transmits the destination information to the content distribution server 30 in response. Here, the destination information in this embodiment includes the identification information 123, which is identification information of the vehicle 60 provided with the in-vehicle navigation device 10.In addition, the information for determination includes any one or both of activation information, which is information indicating whether or not the vehicle 60 is activated, and position information 122 stored in the storage unit 12.

[0052] It is considered that data indicating an activation state of the vehicle 60 (for example, data of a data object indicating an activation state) is included in the information for determination as the activation information. However, in this embodiment, as described above, the activation state of the vehicle 60 and an activation state of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 are linked to each other. For this reason, it is indicated that the in-vehicle navigation device 10 is capable of transmitting the information for determination, that is, that the vehicle 60 is also activated.For this reason, even in a case where the data indicating the activation state (for example, the data of the data object indicating the activation state) is not itself included in the information for determination, the activation information is essentially included.

[0053] However, in a case where the in-vehicle navigation device 10 includes a battery or the like, there may be a case where the in-vehicle navigation device 10 is activated regardless of the activation of the vehicle 60. That is, there may also be a case where the activation states of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 and the vehicle 60 are not linked to each other. In this case, the in-vehicle navigation device 10 monitors whether or not the vehicle 60 is activated, and the data as the activation information (for example, the data of the data object indicating the activation state) is further included in the information for determination based on a monitoring result. <Funktionaler Block des mobilen Endgeräts 20>

[0054] Next, a functional block of the mobile terminal 20 will be described with reference to a block diagram of Fig. 3. Here, the mobile terminal 20 receives the power supply from a battery (not shown) provided therein, and thus the above-described in-vehicle navigation device 10 is operated without receiving the power supply from the vehicle 60. However, for charging the battery, the mobile terminal 20 may receive the power supply from a cigarette lighter or the like of the vehicle 60.

[0055] As in Fig. 3, the mobile terminal 20 is configured to include a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, a sensor unit 24, a display unit 25, an input unit 26, and a near-field communication unit 27. Here, the storage unit 22, the communication unit 23, the sensor unit 24, the display unit 25, and the input unit 26 have the same functions as those of the functional blocks with the same names included in the above-described in-vehicle navigation device 10.That is, each of the functional blocks of the mobile terminal 20 will be described by replacing the “vehicle-mounted navigation device 10” in the description of the above-described vehicle-mounted navigation device 10 with the “mobile terminal 20” and by replacing reference numerals of the functional blocks of the same names, and thus the overlapping description will be omitted.

[0056] On the other hand, the mobile terminal 20 is different from the in-vehicle navigation device 10 in that a functional block provided in the control unit 21 is different and the mobile terminal 20 includes the near-field communication unit 27, and thus the difference will be described below.

[0057] Like the control unit 11, the control unit 21 is configured by an arithmetic processing unit such as a microprocessor, and controls each unit constituting the mobile terminal 20. In addition, hardware and software (a program) cooperate with each other, thereby realizing the control of the control unit 21. Such a point is identical to that of the control unit 11, and therefore, repeated description thereof will be omitted.

[0058] Unlike the control unit 11, the control unit 21 includes a content request unit 211 as a functional block. The content request unit 211 is a section that transmits a content distribution request to the content distribution server 30. Here, in this embodiment, the content distribution request includes at least the identification information 222 stored in the storage unit 22. Further, the content distribution request may include the location information 222 (ie, the location information of the mobile terminal 20) stored in the storage unit 22.

[0059] Then, the content distribution server 30 distributes the content to the mobile terminal 20 in response to the content distribution request. Further, such transmission and reception are performed by the communication unit 23. Here, the content is, for example, any of a still image, a moving image, and a sound, a combination thereof, or the like. The content distribution server 30 distributes data of the still image, the moving image, or the sound constituting the content, a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for browsing the content on a network, and the like. At this time, the content distribution server 30 distributes the content in accordance with whether the user 50 of the mobile terminal 20 is getting into a vehicle or walking, as described above.

[0060] The transmission of the content distribution request from the content request unit 211 may be performed periodically and may be triggered by receiving an operation corresponding to the content distribution request from the user 50 through the input unit 26. In addition, the content distributed from the content distribution server 30 (or the content acquired by the content request unit 211 based on the distributed URL) is displayed on the display unit 25. Further, in a case where sound is included in the content, the content is output from a speaker (not illustrated).

[0061] The near-field communication unit 27 is a section for performing contactless near-field communication based on a standard such as Near Field Communication (NFC) or Bluetooth (registered trademark), or wired near-field communication through a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable or the like. In response to this, the in-vehicle navigation device 10 or the vehicle 60 includes a near-field communication unit for performing communication with the near-field communication unit 27. In this case, for example, an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle 60 includes the near-field communication unit.

[0062] Then, there is a case where the mobile terminal 20 is capable of communicating with the in-vehicle navigation device 10 or the vehicle 60 through near-field communication, that is, a case where the mobile terminal 20 is present in the vehicle 60. In this case, the position information of the mobile terminal 20, whose position is determined by the sensor unit 24, corresponds to the position information of the vehicle 60.

[0063] Furthermore, in a case where the vehicle 60 has a function of detecting the position of the position information, the mobile terminal 20 may receive position information whose position is determined by the vehicle 60, but not the position information whose position is determined by the sensor unit 24. In this case, the sensor unit 24 may be omitted from the mobile terminal 20. <Funktionaler Block des Inhalte-Verteilservers 30>

[0064] Next, a functional block of the content distribution server 30 will be described with reference to the block diagram of Fig. 4 are described.

[0065] As in Fig. 4, the content distribution server 30 is configured to include a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, a communication unit 33, a display unit 34, and an input unit 35.

[0066] The control unit 31 is configured by an arithmetic processing device such as a microprocessor and controls each unit that configures the server 30. The details of the control unit 31 will be described below.

[0067] The storage unit 32 is configured by a semiconductor memory or the like, and stores a control program called firmware or an operating system, each program such as a program for performing content distribution, a customer management database for managing customers, and various information objects such as various contents. In the drawing, a customer management database 321 and a content group 322, which are information relevant to content distribution processing of the content distribution server 30, are illustrated as the information stored in the storage unit 32.

[0068] The customer management database 321 is a database in which identification information of the mobile terminal 20 and the identification information of the vehicle 60 are associated with each other for each user. The customer management database 321 is constructed and updated, for example, based on the identification information acquired at the time of sale of the vehicle 60 or at the time of registering user information for receiving content distribution in this embodiment. Further, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the customer management database 321 is constructed and updated by an external device (not shown) and transmitted to the content distribution server 30. However, as a modification thereof, the customer management database 321 may be constructed and updated by the content distribution server 30.

[0069] An example of a customer management database 321 is described with reference to Fig. 5. As described in Fig. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the customer management database 321 includes a "user ID," a "vehicle ID," and a "mobile terminal ID" as an attribute. Here, the "user ID" is identification information for identifying the user, and is implemented, for example, by the user's name and unique information assigned to each of the users (for example, a combination of text data objects). In addition, the "vehicle ID" is identification information for identifying the vehicle 60, and is implemented, for example, by unique information assigned to each of the vehicles 60 (for example, a combination of text data objects), like the user ID. Further, the vehicle ID is information corresponding to the identification information 123 stored in the navigation device 10 provided in the vehicle.Furthermore, the "mobile terminal ID" is identification information for identifying the mobile terminal 20 and is implemented, for example, by unique information associated with each of the mobile terminals 20 (for example, a combination of text data objects), such as the user ID. Furthermore, the mobile terminal ID is information corresponding to the identification information 222 stored in the mobile terminal 20.

[0070] The information corresponding to each of the attributes is stored in each field of the customer management database 321. Furthermore, for a customer ID "AAA," a customer ID, a vehicle ID, and a mobile terminal ID may be associated with each other on a one-to-one basis; for a customer ID "BBB," a plurality of mobile terminal IDs may be associated with one vehicle ID; or for a customer ID "CCC," a plurality of vehicle IDs and mobile terminal IDs may be associated with one customer ID. That is, the IDs may be associated with each other on a one-to-one basis, a one-to-many basis, or a many-to-many basis.

[0071] The content group 322 is a group of contents distributed with respect to the mobile terminal 20 by the content distribution server 30 in response to the content distribution request. The content group 322 includes a plurality of contents. In addition, the content is not specifically limited and, in this embodiment, also includes contents relevant to an establishment. The establishment is also not specifically limited and includes, for example, an establishment such as a restaurant or a convenience store.

[0072] As described above, the contents are, for example, any of the still image, the moving image, and the sound, a combination thereof, or the like. The content distribution server 30 distributes the data of the still image, the moving image, or the sound that configures the contents, a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for browsing the contents on the network, and the like. Further, the content distribution server 30 distributes the contents in accordance with whether the user 50 of the mobile terminal 20 is getting into a vehicle or walking, as described above. A specific example of the contents included in the content group 322 will be described below.

[0073] The communication unit 33 includes a digital signal processor (DSP) or the like, and realizes wireless communication with other devices through the communication network 40 based on a standard such as 3rd Generation (3G), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The communication unit 33 is used, for example, to receive the destination information transmitted from the in-vehicle navigation device 10 or the content distribution request transmitted from the mobile terminal 20. In addition, the communication unit 33 is used, for example, to transmit the request for the destination information related to the in-vehicle navigation device 10 or to transmit the content related to the mobile terminal 20.However, the data transmitted and received between the communication unit 33 and the other device is not particularly limited, and information other than the information objects may be transmitted and received.

[0074] The display unit 34 is configured by a display device such as a liquid crystal display and an organic electroluminescence panel. The display unit 34 receives an instruction from the control unit 31 and displays an image. The input unit 35 is configured by an input device (not illustrated) such as a keyboard or a mouse, and the like. The display unit 34 and the input unit 35 are used, for example, by a management unit that manages the content distribution server 30 and the like.

[0075] Next, the details of the control unit 31 will be described. The control unit 31 is configured by a microprocessor, which includes a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), input / output (I / O), and the like. The CPU executes each program read from the ROM or the storage unit 32, reads the information from the RAM, the ROM, and the storage unit 32 when the program is executed, and writes the information related to the RAM and the storage unit 32, thus performing the supply of the signal to the communication unit 33, the display unit 34, and the input unit 35. Then, hardware and software (a program) cooperate with each other, and thereby the processing of this embodiment is realized.

[0076] The control unit 31 includes a destination information acquisition unit 311 and a content distribution unit 312 as a functional block. In a case where the content distribution request is from the content request unit 211 of the mobile terminal 20, the destination information acquisition unit 311 requests the destination information from the destination information transmission unit 112 of the in-vehicle navigation device 10. Then, in response, the destination information transmission unit 112 receives the destination information to be transmitted and thus acquires the destination information. The destination information acquired by the destination information acquisition unit 311 is output to the content distribution unit 312.

[0077] Here, in this embodiment, the number of mobile terminals 20 or the number of in-vehicle navigation devices 10 is not limited, and there are a plurality of mobile terminals 20 and a plurality of in-vehicle navigation devices 10. In addition, the users 50 who use each of the mobile terminals 20 and the in-vehicle navigation devices 10 are different from each other. For this reason, in a case where the content distribution request is received from any one mobile terminal 20, it is necessary for the determination information receiving unit 311 to perform the inquiry regarding the in-vehicle navigation device 10 corresponding to the mobile terminal 20 of a distribution request source, without performing the inquiry regarding all of the in-vehicle navigation devices 10.

[0078] There are two methods as a method for the content distribution unit 312 to specify the in-vehicle navigation device 10 corresponding to the mobile terminal 20 of the distribution request source. First, a first method is a method in which the in-vehicle navigation device 10 corresponding to the mobile terminal 20 of the distribution request source is specified by using the association in the customer management database 321. As described above, in this embodiment, the content distribution request includes the identification information 222 stored in the storage unit 22. Then, the content distribution unit 312 is able to specify the in-vehicle navigation device 10 corresponding to the mobile terminal 20 of the distribution request source based on the association between the identification information 222 and the customer management database 321.

[0079] Additionally, a second method is a method that uses the position information. In a case where the content distribution request includes the position information 222, which is information indicating the position of the mobile terminal 20, the position information 222 is compared with the position information (the position information 122) of each of the navigation devices 10 provided in the vehicle.Then, in a case where a position specified by the position information 222 and a position specified by the position information (the position information 122) of any one of the in-vehicle navigation devices 10 are within a predetermined range, it is possible to specify that the in-vehicle navigation device 10 is the in-vehicle navigation device 10 corresponding to the mobile terminal 20 of the distribution request source. Further, the predetermined range may be any range in accordance with a positioning accuracy of each of the sensor units of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 or the mobile terminal 20, or the like.Here, in order to realize the second method, it is necessary for the destination information acquisition unit 311 to periodically acquire the destination information including the position information (the position information 122) of each of the navigation devices 10 provided in the vehicle. The details of the periodic acquisition will be described below as the description of a second embodiment.

[0080] By each method, in a case where the in-vehicle navigation device 10 is specified according to the mobile terminal 20 of the distribution request source, the destination information acquisition unit 311 requests the destination information related to the specified in-vehicle navigation device 10. The destination information acquisition unit 311 acquires the destination information transmitted from the in-vehicle navigation device 10 in response to the request. Then, the destination information acquisition unit 311 outputs the acquired destination information to the content distribution unit 312.

[0081] The content distribution unit 312 is a section that distributes any of the plurality of contents in the content group 322 stored in the storage unit 32 with respect to the mobile terminal 20. The content distribution unit 312 determines whether or not the user 50 is able to visit a facility with the vehicle 60 corresponding to the content based on the destination information acquired by the destination information acquisition unit 311.

[0082] Specifically, in a case where the activation information included in the determination information indicates that the vehicle 60 is activated, it is determined that the user 50 is able to visit the facility with the vehicle 60 corresponding to the content. On the other hand, in a case where the activation information included in the determination information does not indicate that the vehicle 60 is activated, it is determined that the user 50 is unable to visit the facility with the vehicle 60 corresponding to the content.In addition, in a case where the information for determination regarding the demand is transmitted from the in-vehicle navigation device 10, it is considered that the vehicle 60 that supplies the power source to the in-vehicle navigation device 10 is not activated, and thus, in such a case, it is also determined that the user 50 is unable to visit the facility with the vehicle 60 corresponding to the content.

[0083] Then, the content distribution unit 312 determines whether or not to distribute any of the plurality of contents included in the content group 322 stored in the storage unit 32 to the mobile terminal 20 based on a determination result. The distributed content is output to the user 50 by the method described above as the description of the mobile terminal 20. <Spezifisches Beispiel von zu verteilenden Inhalten>

[0084] Next, a specific example of the contents distributed with respect to the mobile terminal 20 by the contents distribution unit 312 will be described with reference to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. Hereinafter, a case in which the distributed content is displayed on the display unit 25 of the mobile terminal 20 will be described as an example.

[0085] First, an example of contents to be distributed in a case where the content distribution unit 312 determines that the user 50 is able to visit the facility with vehicle 60 corresponding to the content will be described with reference to Fig. 6. In this case, content is distributed that takes into account that the user 50 is able to visit the facility with the vehicle 60. For example, the content of a facility provided with a parking space for parking the vehicle 60 is distributed.

[0086] In the example from Fig. 6, information about a restaurant "Burger House," which is an establishment provided with a parking space, is displayed as the content. The content includes not only "parking available" information indicating that a parking space is available, but also information such as an address or phone number of a store, or information about products to be provided.

[0087] In addition, in a case where the content distribution request includes the position information 222, which is the information indicating the position of the mobile terminal 20, the content of a remote facility may be distributed that is within a distance to which the user is able to move from the position specified by the position information 222 of the vehicle 60, but to which it is difficult to move on foot. In this case, a distance to the store from the position specified by the position information 222, an estimated arrival time in a case where the user moves to the store with the vehicle 60, or the like as in Fig. 6. Furthermore, in this case, the content distribution server 30 may have a function for route guidance or information such as map information.

[0088] Further, for example, in a case where the display unit 25 is realized by a touch-sensitive panel as shown in Fig. 6, an operation button such as “store details” or “coupon information” is displayed, and in a case where the user presses such an operation button by an operation, other contents corresponding to “store details”, “coupon information” or the like can be displayed.

[0089] The other contents may be distributed together with the contents in the current display, and in a case where the operation button is pressed, the mobile terminal 20 and the content distribution server 30 communicate with each other, and thus the other contents may be redistributed. In addition, the contents of a coupon (content) to be distributed may be contents based on the fact that the user 50 is able to visit the facility with the vehicle 60. For example, a free parking ticket or the like may be distributed as the coupon (content) based on the fact that the user 50 is able to visit the facility with the vehicle 60.

[0090] Next, an example of contents to be distributed in a case where the contents distribution unit 312 determines that it is not possible for the user 50 to visit the facility with the vehicle 60 corresponding to the content will be described with reference to Fig. 6. In this case, content is distributed taking into account that the user 50 is unable to visit the facility with the vehicle 60. For example, the content of a facility that is not provided with a parking space is also distributed, without distinguishing whether or not the parking space for parking the vehicle 60 is provided.

[0091] In the example from Fig. 6, information of a restaurant "Chinese House," which is an establishment that does not provide parking, is displayed as the content. The content includes not only "parking not available" information indicating that parking is not available, but also information such as an address or phone number of a store, or information from images of products to be provided.

[0092] In addition, in a case where the content distribution request includes the position information 222, which is the information indicating the position of the mobile terminal 20, the contents of a nearby facility that is within a distance to which the user is able to move on foot from the position specified by the position information 222 may be distributed. In this case, a distance to the store from the position specified by the position information 222, an estimated arrival time in a case where the user 50 moves to the store on foot, or the like as in Fig. 6. Furthermore, in this case, the content distribution server 30 may have a function for route guidance or information such as map information.

[0093] Furthermore, as in the example described with reference to Fig. 6, further contents corresponding to "store details," "coupon information," or the like may be displayed. In addition, for example, the content of a coupon (contents) to be distributed may be contents based on the fact that the user 50 is unable to visit the facility with the vehicle 60. For example, a service ticket of an alcoholic beverage that cannot be consumed while driving the vehicle 60, or the like, may be distributed as the coupon (contents) based on the fact that the user 50 visits the facility on foot rather than with the vehicle 60. <Betrieb dieser Ausführungsform>

[0094] Next, an operation at a time of distributing the contents in this embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart of Fig. 8. First, in step S11, the information acquisition unit 311 determines whether or not the content distribution request is received from the mobile terminal 20. Here, in a case where the content distribution request is not received from the mobile terminal 20, it is determined as No in step S11, and the determination of step S11 is repeated. On the other hand, in a case where the content distribution request is received from the mobile terminal 20, it is determined as Yes in step S11, and the processing proceeds to step S12.

[0095] In step S12, the destination information acquisition unit 311 requests the destination information regarding the navigation device 10 provided in the vehicle.

[0096] In step S13, the content distribution unit 312 determines whether or not the user 50 is able to visit the facility corresponding to the content with the vehicle 60 based on the destination information obtained from the destination information acquisition unit 311. A specific determination method is as described above as the description of the destination information acquisition unit 311.

[0097] In step S14, the content distribution unit determines whether or not a determination result in step S13 is a result that the user 50 is able to visit the facility corresponding to the content with the vehicle 60. In a case where the determination result is that the user 50 is able to visit the facility corresponding to the content with the vehicle 60, step S14 is determined to be Yes, and the processing proceeds to step S15. On the other hand, in a case where the determination result is a result that the user 50 is not able to visit the facility corresponding to the content with the vehicle 60, step S14 is determined to be No, and the processing proceeds to step S16.

[0098] In step S15, contents are distributed which take into account that the user 50 is able to visit the facility corresponding to the content with the vehicle 60. For example, the contents are distributed as described with reference to Fig. 6. Accordingly, this processing is terminated. On the other hand, in step S16, contents are distributed which take into account that the user 50 is not able to visit the facility corresponding to the contents with the vehicle 60. For example, the contents are distributed as described with reference to Fig. 7. Accordingly, this processing is terminated.

[0099] According to the operation described above, in this embodiment, it is possible to display contents according to a means of travel as described with reference to Fig. 6 or Fig. 7 after the means of travel is more accurately determined based on the information for determination obtained from the in-vehicle navigation device 10 provided in the vehicle 60. [Second embodiment]

[0100] Next, a second embodiment will be described. Here, the second embodiment is an embodiment in which it is determined which content is distributed to the mobile terminal by the content distribution server 30 based on the determination information that starts to be transmitted in accordance with the activation of the in-vehicle navigation device 10. Furthermore, a basic configuration, operation contents, and the like of this embodiment are common to the first embodiment. Therefore, repeated description of the common points will be omitted below, and differences from the first embodiment will be described in detail. <In dem Fahrzeug vorgesehene Navigationsvorrichtung 10 dieser Ausführungsform>

[0101] First, the in-vehicle navigation device 10 will be described. In the first embodiment, in a case where the destination information is requested from the content distribution server 30, the destination information regarding the content distribution server 30 is transmitted from the destination information transmission unit 112 of the in-vehicle navigation device 10. In contrast, in this embodiment, the destination information regarding the content distribution server 30 starts to be transmitted from the destination information transmission unit 112 in accordance with the activation of the in-vehicle navigation device 10.

[0102] Specifically, the transmission of the destination information transmission unit 112 regarding the content distribution server 30 is periodically performed while the ignition switch of the vehicle 60 is turned on (the engine is started) by the user 50 getting into the vehicle 60, the in-vehicle navigation device 10 is automatically activated, and then the ignition off state of the vehicle 60 is set (the engine is stopped). For example, every time the sensor unit 14 performs position determination at a predetermined time interval (for example, a three-second interval), the information is transmitted in real time.

[0103] In addition, a plurality of information items (for example, including the position information 122, which is updated at a three-second interval for three minutes) may be transmitted at one time, instead of performing the transmission with respect to the content distribution server 30 in real time. That is, so-called burst transmission is performed. The length of the predetermined time interval and the real-time transmission or burst transmission can be arbitrarily set according to an environment in which this embodiment is used, or the like. As described above, the real-time transmission or burst transmission is performed, and thus the destination information transmission unit 112 periodically transmits the destination information with respect to the content distribution server 30. <Inhalte-Verteilserver 30 dieser Ausführungsform>

[0104] Next, the configuration of a content distribution server 30a in this embodiment will be described with reference to a block of Fig. 9. The content distribution server 30a in this embodiment is different from the content distribution server 30 in the first embodiment, which was described with reference to Fig. 4, in that a destination information collecting unit 313 is added and the storage unit 32 stores collected destination information 323.

[0105] As described above, in this embodiment, the destination information transmission unit 112 of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 periodically transmits the destination information to the content distribution server 30. The content distribution server 30 includes the destination information collection unit 313 according to such periodic transmission. Then, the destination information collection unit 313 receives the destination information transmitted periodically and stores the obtained destination information in the storage unit 32 as the collected destination information 323.The collected destination information 323 is information in which the identification information of each of the vehicles 60 in which each of the in-vehicle navigation devices 10 is provided and information indicating an activation state are associated with each other. The destination information collection unit 313 updates the collected destination information 323 each time the destination information, which is periodically transmitted, is received. <Betrieb dieser Ausführungsform>

[0106] In such a configuration, in a case where the content distribution request is from the mobile terminal 20, the content distribution unit 312 in this embodiment acquires the destination information corresponding to the in-vehicle navigation device 10 corresponding to the mobile terminal 20 with reference to the collected destination information 323, without inquiring about the destination information regarding the in-vehicle navigation device 10 corresponding to the mobile terminal 20. That is, in this embodiment, a request target in step S12 is selected from Fig. 8 is different from that of the first embodiment.

[0107] Hereinafter, the processing after step S13 and the processing of step S11 are common to the first embodiment and this embodiment, and thus the repeated description will be omitted.

[0108] As described above, in this embodiment, it is possible to display contents according to a means of transportation as described with reference to Fig. 6 or Fig. 7 after the means of transportation has been more accurately determined based on the destination information. Additionally, in this embodiment, it is possible to omit the request for destination information, which is requested from the content distribution server 30 regarding the in-vehicle navigation device 10 each time the content distribution request is received from the mobile terminal 20.

[0109] In particular, it is preferable that the embodiment be implemented in an environment in which movement information or the like included in the destination information is collected for a purpose other than content distribution. For example, there is a system that collects the movement information of the vehicle 60 for the purpose of route guidance using a server, generates traffic congestion information from the analysis of the movement route of the user 50, or the like. By applying this embodiment to such a system, it is also possible to use the movement information collected for a purpose other than the destination information. [Third Embodiment]

[0110] Next, a third embodiment will be described. Here, the third embodiment is an embodiment in which the content distribution server 30 determines which content is distributed to the mobile terminal 20 based on the information transmitted from the mobile terminal 20.

[0111] Furthermore, as in the second embodiment, a basic configuration, operational contents, and the like of this embodiment are common to the first embodiment. Therefore, repeated descriptions of the common points will be omitted below, and differences from the first embodiment will be described in detail. <Mobiles Endgerät 20 dieser Ausführungsform>

[0112] Next, the configuration of a mobile terminal 20a in this embodiment will be described with reference to a block in Fig. 10. The mobile terminal 20a in this embodiment is different from the mobile terminal 20 in the first embodiment described with reference to Fig. 3, in that a transmission unit 212 for information for destination is added and the storage unit 32 stores connection information 223.

[0113] The connection information 223 is information indicating whether or not the mobile terminal 20a is connected to the vehicle 60 or the in-vehicle navigation device 10. Although described above as the description of the near-field communication unit 27, the near-field communication unit 27 performs contactless near-field communication based on a standard such as NFC or Bluetooth (registered trademark) or wired near-field communication through the USB cable or the like with the in-vehicle navigation device 10 or the vehicle 60. A state in which such near-field communication can be performed is regarded as a state in which the mobile terminal 20a is connected to the vehicle 60 or the in-vehicle navigation device 10.For example, a state in which the mobile terminal 20a is paired with the vehicle 60 or the in-vehicle navigation device 10 via Bluetooth (registered trademark) is regarded as a connection state. The near-field communication unit 27 in this embodiment stores the connection information 223 indicating whether or not the mobile terminal 20a and the vehicle 60 or the in-vehicle navigation device 10 are in the connection state in the storage unit 22.

[0114] When the content request unit 221 transmits the content distribution request to the content distribution server 30, the destination information transmission unit 212 generates the destination information based on the connection information 223 and transmits the destination information to the content distribution server 30. Further, the destination information includes information indicating whether or not the mobile terminal 20a is connected to the vehicle 60 or the navigation device 10 provided in the vehicle, and the identification information 222.

[0115] Then, information indicating that the mobile terminal 20a is connected to the vehicle 60 or the in-vehicle navigation device 10 is information indicating that the vehicle 60 and the in-vehicle navigation device 10, which is activated by being coupled with the vehicle 60, are activated. That is, in this embodiment, the information indicating the connection can be used as the activation information of the vehicle 60. <Betrieb dieser Ausführungsform>

[0116] In such a configuration, in a case where the content distribution request is received from the mobile terminal 20, the content distribution unit 312 in this embodiment also receives the destination information from the mobile terminal 20. For this reason, it is not necessary to request the destination information regarding the in-vehicle navigation device 10 corresponding to the mobile terminal 20 of the distribution request source. That is, it is possible to proceed to step S12 from Fig. 8 to waive.

[0117] Hereinafter, the processing after step S13 and the processing of step S11 are common to the first embodiment and this embodiment, and thus the repeated description will be omitted.

[0118] As described above, in this embodiment, it is possible to display contents according to a means of transportation as described with reference to Fig. 6 or Fig. 7 after the means of travel has been more accurately determined based on the destination information. Additionally, in this embodiment, it is possible to receive the destination information from the mobile terminal 20. For this reason, for example, even in a case where the vehicle 60 or the navigation device 10 provided in the vehicle does not have a function of performing communication with the content distribution server 30, it is possible to implement this embodiment. <Hardware und Software>

[0119] Furthermore, each device included in the navigation system described above may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Additionally, a navigation method performed by cooperation between the devices included in the navigation system described above may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Here, the fact that the navigation method is implemented by software indicates that a computer reads and executes a program, and thus the navigation method is implemented.

[0120] The program can be stored using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media and can be delivered to the computer. The non-transitory computer-readable medium includes various types of tangible storage media. Examples of the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium include a magnetic storage medium (e.g., a flexible disk, a magnetic tape, and a hard disk drive), a magneto-optical storage medium (e.g., a magneto-optical disk), a CD read-only memory (ROM), a CD-R, a CD-R / W, and a semiconductor memory (e.g., a mask ROM, a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable PROM (EPROM), a flash ROM, and a random access memory (RAM)). In addition, the program can be delivered to the computer through various types of volatile computer-readable media.Examples of the transient computer-readable medium include an electrical signal, an optical signal, and an electromagnetic wave. The transient computer-readable storage medium is capable of delivering the program to the computer through a wired communication path, such as an electrical wire and an optical fiber, or a wireless communication path. <modifikationsbeispiel>

[0121] The above-described embodiments are a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to only the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications that can be made within a range that does not deviate from the spirit of the present invention. [First modification example]

[0122] In each of the embodiments described above, as shown in step S14 of Fig. 8, the content to be distributed is selected based on whether the user 50 is able to visit the facility with the vehicle 60. In addition, the content may be selected taking other conditions into consideration. For example, content associated with the route guidance in the in-vehicle navigation device 10 may be distributed. In this case, the information for destination transmitted from the in-vehicle navigation device 10 includes information indicating a facility set as a current destination in the route guidance of the route guidance unit 111 and information indicating a route to the facility.

[0123] Then, in step S15, content corresponding to any one or both of the information indicating the destination and the information indicating the route to the destination may be distributed. For example, content corresponding to a facility of the destination may be distributed, or content corresponding to a facility on the route to the destination may be distributed. Accordingly, it is possible to distribute content more desirable to the user 50. In addition, for example, the content may be selected taking into account other conditions, such as the attributes of each of the users 50 and a time zone in which the distribution is performed. [Second modification example]

[0124] In each of the above-described embodiments, it has been described that the in-vehicle navigation device 10 performs route guidance, and for example, the mobile terminal 20 may have a function of performing route guidance. In this case, as in the first modification example described above, contents related to route guidance may be distributed.

[0125] In this case, for example, the content distribution request transmitted from the mobile terminal 20 includes information indicating a facility set as a current destination in the route guide of the mobile terminal, as well as information indicating a route to the facility. Then, in step S15, content including one or both of the information indicating the destination and the information indicating the route to the destination may be distributed. Accordingly, as with the first modification example described above, it is possible to distribute content that is more desirable to the user 50. [Third modification example]

[0126] In each of the above-described embodiments, contents are distributed with respect to the mobile terminal 20. As a modification thereof, the contents may be distributed with respect to the in-vehicle navigation device 10. Accordingly, the user 50 is able to refer to the contents subject to the distribution request in the mobile terminal 20, in the display unit 15 of the in-vehicle navigation device 10, or the like. [Fourth modification example]

[0127] In each of the embodiments described above, it has been assumed that the in-vehicle navigation device 10 is a device that performs route guidance processing. However, the in-vehicle navigation device 10 is not limited to this, and the in-vehicle navigation device 10 may be a device that performs other processing. That is, the route guidance unit 111 or the map information 121 may be omitted from the in-vehicle navigation device 10. [Fifth modification example]

[0128] The functional configuration of each of the above-described embodiments can be modified. That is, the functional configuration of Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 is merely an example, and the functional configuration of this embodiment is not limited thereto. That is, it is sufficient that each device has a function capable of executing a set of processing relevant to an information analysis function of the present invention as a whole, and which functional block is used to realize the function is not specific to the examples of Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 limited.

[0129] In addition, the description of the device for realizing such a functional configuration in the above-described embodiments is also merely an example. For example, in the above-described embodiments, it has been described that the content distribution server 30 is realized by one server device or the like, however, a distributed processing system may be used in which the functions of the content distribution server 30 are each appropriately distributed among a plurality of server devices. In addition, a virtual server function or the like on a cloud is used, and thus each of the functions of the content distribution server 30 can be realized.

[0130] Specifically, for example, in the third embodiment, a server having the function of the destination information collecting unit 313 and a function of storing the destination information to be collected 323 may be separately provided, and the content distribution server 30 may request the destination information from the separate server. Such a configuration is particularly suitable in a case where the separate server collects and uses the destination information for a purpose other than distributing the content. List of reference symbols 1 Content distribution system 10 Navigation device provided in the vehicle 11, 21, 31 Control unit 111 Route guidance unit 112, 212 Transmission unit for information for the purpose of 12, 22, 32 storage unit 121 map information 122, 221 Position information 123, 222 identification information 13, 23, 33 Communication unit 14, 24 Sensor unit 15, 25, 34 display unit 16, 26, 35 input unit 20, 20a Mobile device 211 Content Request Unit 223 Connection information 27 Near-field communication unit 30, 30a Content distribution server 311 Recording unit for information for determination 312 Content distribution unit 313 Recording unit for information for determination 321 Customer Management Database 322 Content group 323 Collected information for determination 40 Communication network 50 users 60 vehicles< / modifikationsbeispiel>

Claims

[1] . Content distribution server (30), comprising: a storage unit (32) storing a plurality of contents associated with a device; a recording unit (311) which records one or both of activation information of a vehicle (60) and position information (122) of the vehicle (60) from a device (10) of the vehicle (60) provided in the vehicle as information for determination; and a content distribution unit (312) which distributes the contents stored in the storage unit (32) with respect to a mobile terminal (20), wherein the content distribution unit (312) determines that a user (50) is able to visit the facility with the vehicle (60) in a case where the determination information recorded by the recording unit (311) indicates that the vehicle (60) has been activated, and determines that the user (50) is unable to visit the facility with the vehicle (60) in a case where the determination information recorded by the recording unit (311) does not indicate that the vehicle (60) has been activated, and the content distribution unit (312) determines which contents in the plurality of contents stored in the storage unit (32) are distributed with respect to the mobile terminal (20) based on determination results related to the activations of these vehicles (60), wherein, in a case where a content distribution request is received from the mobile terminal (20), the recording unit (311) further requests the vehicle (60) designation information regarding an in-vehicle device (10) of a vehicle (60) corresponding to a mobile terminal (20) of a content distribution request source, and records the vehicle (60) designation information from the in-vehicle device (10) as a response to the request, characterized by that the content distribution server (30) further comprises a customer management database (321) in which identification information (222) of the mobile terminal (20) and identification information (123) of the vehicle (60) are associated with each other for each user (50), wherein the recording unit (311) further records the identification information (222) of the mobile terminal (20) from the mobile terminal (20) of the content distribution request source and specifies the vehicle (60) corresponding to the mobile terminal (20) of the content distribution request source with reference to the recorded identification information (222) of the mobile terminal (20) and the database (321). [2] The content distribution server (30a) of claim 1, further comprising: a collection unit (313) which receives the information for determining the vehicle (60) from the device (10) of the vehicle (60) provided in the vehicle and collects the information for determining triggered by an activation of the vehicle (60), wherein, in a case where a distribution request of the contents is received from the mobile terminal (20), the receiving unit (311) further receives information for determining a vehicle (60) corresponding to a mobile terminal (20) of a distribution request source of the contents from the collecting unit (313). [3] The content distribution server (30) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the acquisition unit (311) further acquires position information (221) of the mobile terminal (20) from the mobile terminal (20) of the content distribution request source, and in a case where a position of the mobile terminal (20) specified by the position information (221) of the mobile terminal (20) is within a predetermined range from a position of the vehicle (60) specified by the information for determination, specifies the vehicle (60) as the vehicle (60) corresponding to the mobile terminal (20) of the content distribution request source. [4] Content distribution server (30), comprising: a storage unit (32) storing a plurality of contents associated with a device; a recording unit (311) which records connection information (223) indicating whether or not a mobile terminal (20a) and a device (10) of a vehicle (60) provided in the vehicle are in a connected state from the mobile terminal (20a) as information for determination; and a content distribution unit (312) which distributes the contents stored in the storage unit (32) with respect to the mobile terminal (20a), wherein the content distribution unit (312) determines that a user (50) is able to visit the facility with the vehicle (60) in a case where the determination information recorded by the recording unit (311) indicates that the vehicle (60) has been activated, and determines that the user (50) is unable to visit the facility with the vehicle (60) in a case where the determination information recorded by the recording unit (311) does not indicate that the vehicle (60) has been activated, and the content distribution unit (312) determines which contents in the plurality of contents stored in the storage unit (32) are distributed with respect to the mobile terminal (20a) based on determination results related to the activations of these vehicles (60), wherein, in a case where a content distribution request is received from the mobile terminal (20), the recording unit (311) further requests the vehicle (60) designation information regarding an in-vehicle device (10) of a vehicle (60) corresponding to a mobile terminal (20) of a content distribution request source, and records the vehicle (60) designation information from the in-vehicle device (10) as a response to the request, characterized bythat the content distribution server (30) further comprises a customer management database (321) in which identification information (222) of the mobile terminal (20) and identification information (123) of the vehicle (60) are associated with each other for each user (50), wherein the recording unit (311) further records the identification information (222) of the mobile terminal (20) from the mobile terminal (20) of the content distribution request source and specifies the vehicle (60) corresponding to the mobile terminal (20) of the content distribution request source with reference to the recorded identification information (222) of the mobile terminal (20) and the database (321). [5] The content distribution server (30) according to claim 4, wherein the connection information (223) is information indicating whether or not near-field communication is performed between the mobile terminal (20a) and the in-vehicle device (10). [6] The content distribution server (30) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, in a case where it is determined that the user (50) is able to visit the facility with the vehicle (60), the content distribution unit (312) further distributes a content stored in the storage unit (32) and associated with a facility provided with a parking space with respect to the mobile terminal (20). [7] The content distribution server (30) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, in a case where a destination is set in a route guide in the in-vehicle device (10) of the vehicle (60), the acquisition unit (311) further acquires one or both of information indicating the destination and information indicating a route to the destination from the in-vehicle device (10), and the content distribution unit (312) distributes a content stored in the storage unit (32) and corresponding to one or both of the information indicating the destination and the information indicating the route to the destination, with respect to the mobile terminal (20). [8] Content distribution methods, including: a storing step of storing a plurality of contents associated with a device; a recording step of recording one or both of activation information of a vehicle (60) and position information (122) of the vehicle (60) from a device (10) of the vehicle (60) provided in the vehicle, as information for determination; and a content distribution step of distributing the contents stored in the storage step with respect to a mobile terminal (20), wherein the content distribution step determines that a user (50) is able to visit the facility with the vehicle (60) in a case where the destination information recorded in the recording step indicates that the vehicle (60) has been activated, and determines that the user (50) is unable to visit the facility with the vehicle (60) in a case where the destination information recorded in the recording step does not indicate that the vehicle (60) has been activated, and the content distribution step determines which contents in the plurality of contents stored in the storage step are distributed with respect to the mobile terminal (20),on the basis of determination results related to the activation of these vehicles (60), wherein, in a case where a content distribution request is received from the mobile terminal (20), the vehicle designation information (60) is further requested in the recording step with respect to a device (10) provided in the vehicle (60) corresponding to a mobile terminal (20) of a content distribution request source, and the vehicle designation information (60) is recorded from the device (10) provided in the vehicle as a response to the request, characterized by that in a customer management database (321) identification information (222) of the mobile terminal (20) and identification information (123) of the vehicle (60) are assigned to each other for each user (50), wherein in the recording step, the identification information (222) of the mobile terminal (20) is further recorded from the mobile terminal (20) of the content distribution request source, and the vehicle (60) corresponding to the mobile terminal (20) of the content distribution request source is specified with reference to the recorded identification information (222) of the mobile terminal (20) and the database (321). [9] Content distribution methods, including: a storing step of storing a plurality of contents associated with a device; a recording step of recording connection information (223) indicating whether or not a mobile terminal (20a) and a vehicle-provided device (10) of a vehicle (60) are in a connected state from the mobile terminal (20a) as information for determination; and a content distribution step of distributing the contents stored in the storage step with respect to the mobile terminal (20a), wherein the content distribution step determines that a user (50) is able to visit the facility with the vehicle (60) in a case where the determination information recorded in the recording step indicates that the vehicle (60) has been activated, and determines that the user (50) is unable to visit the facility with the vehicle (60) in a case where the determination information recorded in the recording step does not indicate that the vehicle (60) has been activated, and the content distribution step determines which contents in the plurality of contents stored in the storing step are distributed with respect to the mobile terminal (20a) based on determination results related to the activations of these vehicles (60), wherein, in a case where a content distribution request is received from the mobile terminal (20), the vehicle designation information (60) is further requested in the recording step with respect to a device (10) provided in the vehicle (60) corresponding to a mobile terminal (20) of a content distribution request source, and the vehicle designation information (60) is recorded from the device (10) provided in the vehicle as a response to the request, characterized by that in a customer management database (321) identification information (222) of the mobile terminal (20) and identification information (123) of the vehicle (60) are assigned to each other for each user (50), wherein in the recording step, the identification information (222) of the mobile terminal (20) is further recorded from the mobile terminal (20) of the content distribution request source, and the vehicle (60) corresponding to the mobile terminal (20) of the content distribution request source is specified with reference to the recorded identification information (222) of the mobile terminal (20) and the database (321).

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