Destination selection device, and vehicle navigation device and program

Abstract

To provide a destination selection device, and a vehicle navigation device and program that do not let passengers get bored.SOLUTION: A destination selection device comprises: an acquisition unit which acquires passenger attributes of a group that a plurality of passengers form, and accompanying-level information based upon how many times at least some of the plurality of passengers ride on a vehicle and act together; and a selection unit which selects recommended destinations for the vehicle that the plurality of passengers ride based upon the passenger attributes and the accompanying-level information. The selection unit selects, as recommended destinations, destinations which are further different from destinations matching the passenger attributes as the number of times of accompanying that the accompanying-level information shows is larger.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a destination selection device, a vehicle navigation device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, there is a vehicle navigation device that provides a so-called mystery tour, guiding a vehicle to a destination without informing the vehicle occupants of the destination (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-228341 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A mystery tour provided by a vehicle navigation device stimulates the curiosity of passengers because the destination is unknown, but passengers may become bored if they are guided to the same places multiple times.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide a destination selection device, a vehicle navigation device, and a program that can prevent occupants from becoming bored. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The destination selection device, the vehicle navigation device, and the program according to the present invention employ the following configuration. (1): A destination selection device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an acquisition unit that acquires occupant attributes of a group formed by a plurality of occupants and accompaniment level information based on the number of times that at least some of the plurality of occupants have accompany- ed in a vehicle, and a selection unit that selects a recommended destination for the vehicle in which the plurality of occupants accompany based on the occupant attributes and the accompaniment level information, wherein the selection unit is more likely to select as a recommended destination a destination that deviates from destinations suitable for the occupant attributes the greater the number of times that the accompaniment level information indicates.

[0007] (2) In the aspect (1) above, a receiving unit is further provided that receives an input of a degree of deviation between a destination suitable for the occupant attributes and a recommended destination candidate that is a candidate for a recommended destination.

[0008] (3): In the aspect of (1) above, the occupant attributes include at least one characteristic of the occupant's age or gender.

[0009] (4): In the aspect (1) above, the selection unit selects the recommended destination based on the range of the destination area.

[0010] (5): In the aspect (1) above, the selection unit selects the recommended destination further based on a scheduled return time of the vehicle.

[0011] (6): A vehicle navigation device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle navigation device further comprising: a destination selection device selected from among (1) to (5) above; a setting unit that sets the recommended destination as an objective; a generation unit that generates a route from a current position to the recommended destination; and a guidance unit that guides the vehicle along the route.

[0012] (7): A program according to one embodiment of the present invention causes a computer to acquire accompaniment level information based on occupant attributes of a group formed by multiple occupants and the number of times that at least some of the multiple occupants have accompanied the vehicle in a vehicle, and select a recommended destination for the vehicle in which the multiple occupants are accompanying the multiple occupants based on the occupant attributes and the accompaniment level information.The program causes the computer to select a recommended destination that deviates from a destination suitable for the occupant attributes as the number of times that the accompaniment level information indicates is greater. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to aspects (1) to (7), it is possible to prevent passengers from becoming bored. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a vehicle navigation device 100 according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a relationship between an accompaniment level and an accompaniment count. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of a destination candidate DB 141. [Figure 4] 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a relationship between a destination candidate group and a deviation degree of a group occupant attribute. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of an accompaniment level information DB 142. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of a destination history 143. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process of the vehicle navigation device 100 of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a vehicle navigation device 100 according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a touch panel 112. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a destination providing system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a destination selection device, a vehicle navigation device, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] <First embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle navigation device 100 according to a first embodiment. The vehicle navigation device 100 is equipped with a normal mode and a mystery tour mode. The normal mode is a mode in which a vehicle in which a passenger is riding is guided to a destination specified by the passenger. The mystery tour mode is a mode in which a vehicle in which a passenger is riding is guided to a destination set by the vehicle navigation device 100 regardless of the passenger's designation. The mystery tour mode is a mode for providing a passenger with a trip without a specific destination while specifying, for example, the range of a destination area and a scheduled time of returning home. The passenger can enjoy a trip without knowing the destination. The mystery tour mode may be a mode in which a destination can be set and a tour in which the passenger does not know the route.

[0017] The vehicle navigation device 100 is provided, for example, in a vehicle (not shown). The vehicle navigation device 100 is a device that guides a vehicle occupant to a destination by, for example, indicating a route to the destination. The vehicle navigation device 100 includes, for example, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) device 110, a touch panel 112, an in-vehicle camera 114, a speaker 116, a storage device 140, and a processing device 150.

[0018] The GNSS device 110 measures its own position based on radio waves arriving from a GNSS satellite (e.g., a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite), for example. The GNSS device 110 measures its own position by, for example, latitude and longitude. The position of the GNSS device 110 measured by the GNSS device 110 becomes the position of the vehicle in which the vehicle navigation device 100 is mounted.

[0019] The touch panel 112 is provided, for example, in a position close to the driver's seat on the instrument panel of the vehicle. The touch panel 112 includes a liquid crystal display that displays information according to an electric signal transmitted by the processing device 150. The touch panel 112 displays, for example, a GUI (Graphical User Interface) image and accepts an input operation such as an operator such as a driver touching the GUI image with a finger.

[0020] The touch panel 112 transmits an electric signal corresponding to the received input operation to the processing device 150. For example, the touch panel 112 generates occupant information for identifying an occupant riding in the vehicle based on the input operation of the occupant, and transmits the generated occupant information to the processing device 150. The occupant information includes, for example, an ID given to the occupant or the vehicle for identifying the occupant, and position information for identifying the position of the vehicle measured by the GNSS device 110.

[0021] The touch panel 112 further enables the occupant to perform an input operation for setting the range of the destination area and the scheduled time of returning home. The range of the destination area may be set, for example, within a certain prefecture, a certain city, a certain region, etc. The scheduled time of returning home may be set as a specific time, or may be set as a range, such as from a certain hour to a certain hour. When the touch panel 112 receives an operation by the occupant to set the range of the destination area and the scheduled time of returning home, it generates tour-related setting information. The touch panel 112 transmits the generated tour-related setting information to the processing device 150.

[0022] The interior camera 114 is, for example, a digital camera provided at a front position of the top panel inside the vehicle. The interior camera 114 generates image information by capturing an image inside the vehicle. When an occupant is in the vehicle, the interior camera 114 can capture an image of the occupant's face, and the image information includes the occupant's face. The interior camera 114 transmits the generated image information to the processing device 150.

[0023] A passenger in the vehicle may have a passenger terminal such as a smartphone, and the passenger terminal may transmit passenger information for identifying the passenger to the processing device 150. The passenger information transmitted by the passenger terminal may include, for example, an ID given to the passenger or the passenger terminal for identifying the passenger, and location information for identifying the location of the passenger terminal. The current location of the vehicle may be acquired based on the location information transmitted by the passenger terminal of the passenger in the vehicle.

[0024] The speaker 116 is, for example, a sound output device that is disposed in the vicinity of the driver in the vehicle and outputs sound. The speaker 116 outputs a sound corresponding to an electric signal transmitted by the processing device 150. For example, when characters are displayed on the touch panel 112, the speaker 116 may output a sound that reads out the displayed characters.

[0025] The storage device 140 stores, for example, a destination candidate database (hereinafter, DB) 141, an accompaniment level information DB 142, and a destination history 143. The destination candidate database (hereinafter, DB) 141, the accompaniment level information DB 142, and the destination history 143 are read out and updated by, for example, the processing device 150.

[0026] The processing device 150 includes, for example, a destination setting unit 151, a generating unit 152, and a guiding unit 153. The processing device 150 is realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device 140 such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory (a storage device having a non-transient storage medium), or may be stored in a removable storage medium (non-transient storage medium) such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and may be installed by mounting the storage medium in a drive device.

[0027] The destination setting unit 151 sets a destination to be the arrival destination of the vehicle equipped with the vehicle navigation device 100 when the vehicle navigation device 100 operates in the mystery tour mode. The destination setting unit 151 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 181, a counting unit 182, a selection unit 183, and a setting unit 184. The destination setting unit 151 is an example of a destination selection device.

[0028] The acquisition unit 181 acquires image information transmitted by the in-vehicle camera 114. The acquisition unit 181 estimates the characteristics of the occupants, such as their age and gender, by performing image analysis on the acquired image information, and identifies the occupants who ride in the vehicle. When the occupant information is transmitted from the touch panel 112 or the occupant terminal, the acquisition unit 181 may identify the characteristics of the occupants of the vehicle based on the occupant information. When identifying the occupants, the acquisition unit 181 also identifies the number of occupants who ride in the vehicle.

[0029] The acquisition unit 181 acquires occupant attributes of a group formed by multiple occupants (hereinafter, group occupant attributes) based on the identified characteristics of the occupants and the number of occupants, and also acquires accompaniment level information based on the group occupant attributes and the number of times the group has accompanied. The group occupant attributes are classified, for example, into male group, female group, mixed gender group (hereinafter, mixed group), couple, and family. The group occupant attributes may be further subdivided groups, for example, groups divided into young and elderly groups, or groups divided by whether or not families have children. The number of times the group has accompanied is the number of times multiple occupants have acted together in a vehicle.

[0030] The accompaniment level indicated in the accompaniment level information is, for example, a level determined based on the number of accompaniment times, and the higher the number of accompaniment times, the higher the level is set. The acquisition unit 181 acquires the accompaniment level information according to the number of accompaniment times of the acquired group. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the accompaniment level and the number of accompaniment times.

[0031] The acquisition unit 181 acquires an accompaniment level of "0" for a group that has never accompany a mystery tour in which they rode in a vehicle together (hereinafter, "accompanied mystery tour") and is accompanying a mystery tour for the first time. The acquisition unit 181 acquires an accompaniment level of "1" for a group that has accompany a mystery tour once or twice in the past, and an accompaniment level of "2" for a group that has accompany a mystery tour three to five times in the past. The acquisition unit 181 acquires an accompaniment level of "3" for a group that has accompany a mystery tour six to nine times in the past, and an accompaniment level of "4" for a group that has accompany a mystery tour ten or more times in the past.

[0032] The acquisition unit 181 measures the current time and acquires the measured current time. The acquisition unit 181 acquires tour-related setting information transmitted by the touch panel 112. The acquisition unit 181 acquires the range of the destination area of ​​the mystery tour and the estimated time of returning home based on the acquired tour-related setting information. The acquisition unit 181 further acquires location information transmitted by the touch panel 112. The acquisition unit 181 identifies the current location of the vehicle based on the acquired location information.

[0033] The counting unit 182 counts the number of times a group formed by multiple passengers travels together. The number of times of accompanying is the number of times the same group travels together in a vehicle. For example, the counting unit 182 counts the number of times of accompanying when the mystery tour mode is used. The counting unit 182 may count all the number of times of accompanying, including when the mystery tour mode is not used.

[0034] The counting unit 182 may count the number of times that at least some of the occupants rode in the vehicle together. For example, when two of three people who ride in the vehicle together have a riding experience, the counting unit 182 may count it as the number of times that the two people have ridden together. The counting unit 182 may exclude past riding experiences, for example, riding experiences that occurred three years or more ago, from the number of times that the occupants have ridden together.

[0035] The selection unit 183 refers to the destination candidate DB 141 stored in the storage device 140, and selects a recommended destination for a vehicle with multiple occupants based on the group occupant attributes and accompanying level information. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the destination candidate DB 141. The destination candidate DB 141 is a DB including multiple destination candidate groups, each of which includes multiple destination candidates according to the occupant attributes and accompanying level of the group.

[0036] The destination candidates are candidates for destinations according to the vehicle navigation device 100 operating in the mystery tour mode. The destination candidates are, for example, classified into categories, such as facilities such as "amusement parks" and "theaters," or natural environments such as "highlands" and "lakes." The destination candidates may be other than these facilities and natural environments, and may be activities such as "hiking" and "movie watching," or restaurants such as "cafes" and "B-grade gourmet."

[0037] The destination candidate DB141 stores, for example, a plurality of destination candidate groups for each group occupant attribute and accompanying level. For example, a destination candidate group A for a male group with an accompanying level of "0" is stored, and a destination candidate group B for a female group is stored. The destination candidate DB141 stores destination candidates included in the destination candidate group that are, for example, within a predetermined area (e.g., XY city, △△ city, etc.) and are set during a predetermined time period (e.g., daytime, nighttime), and include suitable locations.

[0038] For example, the destination candidate group is set with a degree of deviation from the destination suitable for the group's attributes. The degree of deviation is set according to the degree of surprise that the destination would be visited, for example, in view of the group's attributes, and in other words, can be expressed as a degree of mystery. The higher the degree of deviation, the more it deviates from the group occupant attributes (the higher the degree of mystery).

[0039] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the destination candidate group and the deviation degree between the group occupant attributes. The deviation degree between the destination candidate group and the group occupant attributes coincides with the deviation degree between the destination candidates included in the destination candidate group and the group occupant attributes. In the destination candidate DB 141 shown in Fig. 3, the higher the accompanying level, the higher the deviation degree from the group occupant attributes of the destination candidate group associated with the group.

[0040] The selection unit 183 selects, as a recommended destination, a destination that deviates (has a high degree of deviation) from destinations suitable for the group occupant attributes the more the number of accompaniment indicated by the accompaniment level information is. The selection unit 183 refers to the destination candidate DB 141 for the group occupant attributes and accompaniment level acquired by the acquisition unit 181, and selects a recommended destination group that deviates from destinations suitable for the group occupant attributes the more the number of accompaniment indicated by the accompaniment level information is. The selection unit 183 selects one recommended destination from a plurality of destination candidates included in the selected destination candidate group. The recommended destination is a destination recommended as a destination by the vehicle navigation device 100 operating in mystery tour mode.

[0041] The selection unit 183 may select a recommended destination from among multiple destinations included in the selected group of recommended destination candidates in any manner. For example, the selection unit 183 may select a recommended destination according to the occupants constituting the group, or may select a recommended destination randomly. A recommended destination may be set independently of a group of recommended destinations.

[0042] The setting unit 184 sets the recommended destination selected by the selection unit 183 as the destination of the passenger-joined mystery tour. The recommended destination set by the setting unit 184 may be notified to the passenger by displaying it on the touch panel 112 or by sounding it through the speaker 116, or may not be notified to the passenger.

[0043] When a recommended destination is set for a group that is not included in the accompaniment level information DB 142, the setting unit 184 generates accompaniment level information by assigning a group ID to the group for which the recommended destination is set. The setting unit 184 updates the accompaniment level information DB 142 by adding the generated accompaniment level information.

[0044] The generation unit 152 generates a route from the current position to the recommended destination based on the current position of the vehicle specified by the acquisition unit 181 in the destination setting unit 151 and the recommended destination set by the setting unit 184. The guidance unit 153 guides the vehicle from the current position to the recommended destination along the route generated by the generation unit 152 by displaying a map or the like on the touch panel 112 and outputting sound from the speaker 116. When the vehicle arrives at the recommended destination with the guidance of the guidance unit 153, the setting unit 184 updates the accompaniment level information DB 142 by updating the accompaniment count added by the counting unit 182.

[0045] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the accompaniment level information DB142. The accompaniment level information DB142 is a table showing the degree of deviation between the group occupant attributes preset according to the accompaniment level information and the recommended destination candidates. The accompaniment level information includes the group ID, occupant attributes, the names, ages, sex and other characteristics of the occupants who form the group, and the accompaniment level. When the guidance unit 153 provides guidance on a route to a recommended destination for a group included in the accompaniment level information DB142, the setting unit 184 calculates the accompaniment level based on the number of accompaniments and updates the accompaniment level information DB142.

[0046] The guidance unit 153 updates the destination history 143 indicating the history of the group's visits to the recommended destinations. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the destination history 143. The destination history 143 includes information on the destinations for each group that has taken a passenger mystery tour. For example, the group with group ID "0001F" has the destination "XX Amusement Park" for the first passenger mystery tour, the destination "XX Lake" for the second passenger mystery tour, and the destination "XX Plateau" for the third passenger mystery tour. The group passenger attributes may be set for each group based on the destination history 143, etc.

[0047] Next, a process executed in the vehicle navigation device 100 of the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of the vehicle navigation device 100 of the first embodiment. The flowchart shown in Fig. 7 is started, for example, when a passenger performs an input operation on the touch panel 112 to instruct the execution of a mystery tour.

[0048] When a passenger operates the touch panel 112 to instruct execution of a mystery tour, the vehicle navigation device 100 first receives an electrical signal instructing the start of the mystery tour transmitted by the touch panel 112, and accepts the instruction to start the mystery tour (step S101).

[0049] Next, the acquisition unit 181 receives image information transmitted by the interior camera 114, and performs image analysis on the received image information to identify an occupant who is in the vehicle (step S103). The acquisition unit 181 may identify an occupant based on occupant information transmitted by the touch panel 112 or an occupant terminal instead of or in addition to the result of image processing.

[0050] Next, the acquisition unit 181 acquires group occupant attributes of the group riding in the vehicle based on the identified characteristics and number of occupants (step S105). Next, the acquisition unit 181 identifies and acquires the current position (latitude, longitude) of the vehicle in which the group rides based on the position information transmitted from the touch panel 112, and measures the current time to acquire the current time (step S107).

[0051] Next, the acquisition unit 181 acquires the range of the destination area of ​​the accompanied mystery tour and the scheduled time of returning home from the tour based on the tour-related information transmitted by the touch panel 112 (step S109). Next, the acquisition unit 181 refers to the accompaniment level information DB 142 for the acquired group passenger attributes, and acquires the accompaniment level (step S111).

[0052] When acquiring the accompaniment level, the acquisition unit 181 determines whether or not the group has accompanied a group on an accompanied mystery tour (step S113). If the acquisition unit 181 determines that the number of times the group has accompanied a group on an accompanied mystery tour is 0 and that the group has no experience of accompanying a group, the setting unit 184 generates accompaniment level information (step S115) and updates the accompaniment level information DB 142 by adding the generated accompaniment level information.

[0053] Next, the selection unit 183 selects a recommended destination from the group of recommended destinations suitable for the group occupant attributes acquired in step S105 (step S117). For this purpose, the selection unit 183 refers to the group occupant attributes acquired by the acquisition unit 181 in the destination candidate DB 141 for the area and time period corresponding to the current location, current time, destination area range, and expected return home time acquired by the acquisition unit 181. The selection unit 183 selects a recommended destination from the group of destination candidates with an accompaniment level of "0" in the referenced destination candidate DB 141.

[0054] On the other hand, if the acquisition unit 181 determines that the number of times the group has accompanied a passenger on a mystery tour is 1 or more and that the passenger has experience accompanying a group, the selection unit 183 selects a recommended destination from a group of recommended destinations of group passenger attributes that deviate from destinations suitable for the group passenger attributes as the number of times the group has accompanied a passenger increases (step S119). For this reason, the selection unit 183 refers to the destination candidate DB 141 of the area and time period corresponding to the current location, current time, and expected time of returning home acquired by the acquisition unit 181, and the group passenger attributes acquired by the acquisition unit 181. The selection unit 183 selects a recommended destination from a group of destination candidate groups of the accompanying level corresponding to the number of times the group has accompanied a passenger in the referred destination candidate DB 141.

[0055] In mystery tours by groups, the choice of destination is a factor in their attractiveness. For groups with a low level of accompanying, the destination has a low degree of deviation and is selected to match the group's attributes, which makes the mystery tour attractive. For example, if the group is a male group and the accompanying level is low at "1," Group C, a destination candidate group with a relatively low degree of deviation, will be selected.

[0056] On the other hand, as the number of times a group accompanies each other increases and the accompaniment level rises, the mystery tour by the group becomes prone to becoming monotonous, which raises concerns about the decline in its appeal as a mystery tour. Therefore, as the accompaniment level increases, a group of destination candidates with a high degree of deviation is selected, for example, group B for a male group. When a group with a high level of accompaniment selects a destination with a high degree of deviation, the degree of monotony as a mystery tour decreases, and the appeal of the mystery tour can be maintained or improved.

[0057] Next, the counting unit 182 increments the number of accompaniment times to update the accompaniment level information (step S121). After that, a mystery tour toward the selected recommended destination is performed (step S123). To perform the mystery tour, the generation unit 152 generates a route toward the recommended destination. Next, the guidance unit 153 guides the vehicle to move along the route generated by the generation unit 152.

[0058] Next, when the vehicle carrying the passengers of the group arrives at the recommended destination, the mystery tour ends. When the vehicle arrives at the recommended destination, the guiding unit 153 updates the destination history 143 (step S125). Thus, the vehicle navigation device 100 ends the process shown in FIG.

[0059] The vehicle navigation device 100 of the first embodiment selects and sets recommended destinations suited to the group occupant attributes and executes a mystery tour, so that the occupants can be entertained. In addition, when selecting a recommended destination, the recommended destination is selected based on an accompaniment level according to the number of times the group has been accompanied, and the more the number of times the accompaniment is, the more deviated the recommended destination is from the group occupant attributes. Therefore, even for a group that has executed a mystery tour many times, the degree of monotony of the mystery tour can be reduced, so that the occupants do not get bored.

[0060] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment will be described. The vehicle navigation device of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in the storage contents of the storage device 140 and the configuration of the processing device 150. Hereinafter, the vehicle navigation device of the second embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the vehicle navigation device 100 according to the second embodiment.

[0061] In the vehicle navigation device 100 of the second embodiment, the storage device 140 stores a destination candidate DB 141, but does not store an accompaniment level information DB 142 or a destination history 143. Also, a reception unit 185 is provided in a destination setting unit 151 of a processing device 150. In the vehicle navigation device 100 of the second embodiment, the touch panel 112 allows an occupant to input group occupant attributes, the number of people, and the number of accompaniments. The occupant can request the start of a mystery tour by inputting information on the touch panel 112. In other respects, the device has the same configuration as the vehicle navigation device 100 of the first embodiment.

[0062] 9 is a diagram showing an example of a start request screen IM1 for requesting the start of a mystery tour on the touch panel 112. The start request screen IM1 is provided with a passenger attribute designation button BT11, a number of passengers designation button BT12, a number of accompaniment designation button BT13, and a mystery level designation button BT14. The passenger attribute designation button BT11, the number of passengers designation button BT12, the number of accompaniment designation button BT13, and the mystery level designation button BT14 are all pull-down menus, and the pull-down buttons are displayed on the right end of each button.

[0063] A first message image MG11 asking "What kind of group is it?" is displayed to the left of the occupant attribute designation button BT11. When the pull-down button is operated on the occupant attribute designation button BT11, options such as "male group", "female group", "mixed group", "couple", and "family" are displayed as group occupant attributes. An option item designated by the occupant from among these options is designated as the group occupant attribute. The touch panel 112 generates occupant attribute information according to the designated group occupant attribute.

[0064] A second message image MG12 asking "How many people?" is displayed to the left of the number of people designation button BT12. When the pull-down button is operated on the number of people designation button BT12, options such as "2 people", "3 people", "4 people", and "5 people" are displayed as the number of occupants. An option designated by the occupant from among these options is designated as the number of people in the group. The touch panel 112 generates occupant number information according to the designated number.

[0065] A third message image MG13 saying "Number of times traveled together in the past" is displayed to the left of the accompaniment count designation button BT13. When the pull-down button is operated on the accompaniment count designation button BT13, options such as "0 times", "1 to 2 times", "3 to 5 times", "6 to 9 times", and "10 times or more" are displayed as the number of accompaniment times. An option designated by the occupant from among these options is designated as the number of accompaniment times. The touch panel 112 generates accompaniment count information according to the designated number of accompaniment times.

[0066] A fourth message image MG14 reading "Mystery Level" is displayed to the left of the mystery level designation button BT14. When the pull-down button is operated on the mystery level designation button BT14, options such as "Do not designate", "1", "2", "3", and "4" are displayed as the mystery level. An option designated by the occupant from among these options is designated as the mystery level. The touch panel 112 generates mystery level information according to the designated mystery level.

[0067] The touch panel 112 generates occupant attribute information, occupant number information, accompanying number information, and mystery level information in response to operations by the occupant, and then generates start request information including the occupant attribute information, occupant number information, accompanying number information, and mystery level information. The touch panel 112 transmits the generated start request information to the processing device 150.

[0068] The reception unit 185 receives, for example, start request information input by a passenger to the touch panel 112 and transmitted by the touch panel 112. The reception unit 185 receives accompaniment count information from the passenger included in the start request information (input of the number of accompaniment times). The reception unit 185 receives mystery level information from the passenger included in the start request information (input of the degree of deviation).

[0069] The processing device 150 starts the process shown in Fig. 7 when the reception unit 185 receives the start request information. Here, when a mystery level is specified (when a level other than "not specified" is selected as the mystery level), the selection unit 183 selects a destination with a deviation level according to the specified mystery level as a recommended destination, regardless of the number of times of accompanying. In the second embodiment, the identification of occupants may be performed based on occupant attribute information and occupant number information included in the start request information, without using image information captured by the in-vehicle camera 114.

[0070] The vehicle navigation device 100 of the second embodiment has the same effect as the vehicle navigation device 100 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, in the vehicle navigation device 100 of the second embodiment, the passenger can input the group passenger attributes, the number of passengers, the number of accompaniment times, etc., using the touch panel 112. Therefore, even if there is no accompaniment level information DB or destination history, the degree of monotony as a mystery tour can be reduced, so that the passengers do not get bored. Furthermore, in the vehicle navigation device 100 of the second embodiment, the passenger can specify misleading information, so that a tour with a degree of mystery according to the passenger's preferences can be executed.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the destination candidate DB 141 is classified by region and time period, but the destination candidate DB 141 may be provided without being classified by region and time period. In this case, the selection unit 183 may identify destination candidates within a movement range to which the vehicle can move within a specified time from the current position of the vehicle, the current time, the expected time of returning home, and the like, identified by the acquisition unit 181 in the destination setting unit 151, and select a recommended destination from the identified destination candidates.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the destination setting unit 151 is provided in the vehicle navigation device 100, but a function equivalent to the destination setting unit 151 may be provided as a separate program so that the vehicle navigation device can acquire the generated information. The function equivalent to the destination setting unit 151 may be provided in a computer mounted in the vehicle or a passenger terminal carried by the passenger, or may be provided in a server device with which the vehicle navigation device can communicate via a network or the like.

[0073] A destination providing system in which a server device has a function equivalent to the destination setting unit 151 will be described. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the destination providing system 1. The destination providing system 1 includes, for example, a vehicle navigation device 100, a passenger terminal 200, and a server device 300. The vehicle navigation device 100, the passenger terminal 200, and the server device 300 are capable of communicating with each other via a network NW.

[0074] The vehicle navigation device 100 includes a GNSS device 110, a touch panel 112, an in-vehicle camera 114, a speaker 116, and a processing device 150. Of these, the GNSS device 110, the touch panel 112, the in-vehicle camera 114, and the speaker 116 have the same configuration as those of the vehicle navigation device 100 of the first embodiment. The processing device 150 does not include a destination setting unit, but includes a generation unit 152, a guidance unit 153, and a reception processing unit 154. The reception processing unit 154 receives information transmitted by the server device 300.

[0075] The occupant terminal 200 includes, for example, a transmission / reception device 210 and a touch panel 220. The transmission / reception device 210 transmits information to the server device 300 and the vehicle navigation device 100, and receives information transmitted by the server device 300. The touch panel 220 displays various information and accepts input operations by the occupant.

[0076] The server device 300 includes, for example, a destination providing unit 310 and a storage device 320. The destination providing unit 310 includes, for example, an acquiring unit 181, a counting unit 182, a selecting unit 183, and a providing unit 188. The acquiring unit 181, the counting unit 182, and the selecting unit 183 have the same functions as those in the first embodiment. The providing unit 188 transmits the recommended destination selected by the selecting unit 183 to the vehicle navigation device 100 or the passenger terminal 200. The destination providing unit 310 is an example of a destination selection device.

[0077] In the destination providing system 1 shown in FIG. 10, a destination providing unit 310 provided in a server device 300 selects a recommended destination in a procedure similar to the procedure for selecting a recommended destination in the destination setting unit 151 in the first embodiment. The destination providing unit 310 transmits the selected recommended destination to the vehicle navigation device 100 and the passenger terminal 200 to provide it. The vehicle navigation device 100 executes a mystery tour to guide the vehicle (passenger) to the provided recommended destination. The server device 300 may be a cloud server, that is, the operator of the server device 300 and the owner of the hardware may be different parties.

[0078] The passenger terminal 200 generates, for example, information about a mystery tour based on the transmitted recommended destinations and displays it on the touch panel 220 to provide to the passenger. The destination providing system 1 achieves the same effects as the first embodiment, and also selects recommended destinations in the server device 300 and provides them to the vehicle navigation device 100, etc. This makes it easier to expand the variety of recommended destinations to select, and further prevents the passenger from getting bored.

[0079] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. a storage medium for storing computer-readable instructions; a processor coupled to the storage medium; The processor executes the computer-readable instructions to: Acquire accompaniment level information based on occupant attributes of a group formed by a plurality of occupants and the number of accompaniment activities that at least some of the plurality of occupants have performed while riding in a vehicle; selecting a recommended destination for the vehicle with the plurality of occupants based on the occupant attributes and the accompaniment level information; the more the number of accompaniment times indicated by the accompaniment level information is, the more the recommended destination is selected, which is farther away from the destination suitable for the occupant attribute; Device.

[0080] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 100 Vehicle navigation device 110 GNSS equipment 112 Touch Panel 114 In-car camera 116 Speaker 140 Storage device 141 Destination candidate DB 142 Accompanying Level Information DB 143 Destination History 150 Processing Equipment 151 Destination setting section 152 Generation part 153 Information Department 181 Acquisition Department 182 Counting Department 183 Selection Section 184 Setting section 185 Reception BT11 Passenger attribute designation button BT12 Number of people designation button BT13 Number of accompaniment buttons BT14 Mystery Level Designation Button IM1 start request screen MG11 1st message image MG12 2nd message image MG13 3rd message image MG14 4th message image

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires accompaniment level information based on occupant attributes of a group formed by a plurality of occupants and the number of accompaniment activities that at least some of the plurality of occupants have performed while riding in a vehicle; A selection unit that selects a recommended destination for the vehicle in which the plurality of occupants are riding, based on the occupant attributes and the accompanying level information; Equipped with the selection unit is configured to select, as a recommended destination, a destination that deviates from a destination suitable for the occupant attribute as the accompaniment level information indicates a larger number of accompaniments; Destination selection device.

2. a reception unit that receives an input of a degree of deviation between a destination suitable for the occupant attribute and a recommended destination candidate that is a candidate for a recommended destination from the occupant, 2. The destination selection device according to claim 1.

3. The occupant attributes include at least one of the age and gender of the occupant.

2. The destination selection device according to claim 1.

4. The selection unit selects the recommended destination based on a range of a destination area of ​​the vehicle.

2. The destination selection device according to claim 1.

5. The selection unit selects the recommended destination further based on a scheduled return time of the vehicle.

2. The destination selection device according to claim 1.

6. A destination selection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5; A setting unit that sets the recommended destination as a destination; a generation unit that generates a route from a current location to the recommended destination; and a guide unit that guides the vehicle along the route. Vehicle navigation device.

7. On the computer, Acquire accompaniment level information based on occupant attributes of a group formed by a plurality of occupants and the number of accompaniment activities that at least some of the plurality of occupants have performed while riding in a vehicle; selecting a recommended destination for the vehicle with the plurality of occupants based on the occupant attributes and the accompaniment level information; The computer is caused to select, as a recommended destination, a destination that deviates from a destination suitable for the occupant attribute as the number of accompaniment times indicated by the accompaniment level information increases. program.

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