Information provision device

Abstract

To reduce a possibility for a user to feel dissatisfaction regarding a progress situation of vehicle delivery.SOLUTION: An information provision device 20 comprises a control section which acquires progress data indicating a movement locus of a vehicle VH, that a user U1 bought, from forwarding to delivery of the vehicle VH and outputs the acquired progress data to a terminal device 30 of the user U1. The control section detects a block, which satisfies a predetermined first condition, as a first block in one or more blocks included in the movement locus and performs control to change a display mode of the first block on the movement locus indicated by the progress data regarding the detected first block.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information providing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle information providing apparatus that provides vehicle information online using an information providing apparatus belonging to an automobile manufacturer and a user terminal owned by a user.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Regarding the vehicle before delivery purchased by the user, it is conceivable to provide the user who is the purchaser with the progress status of the delivery. As information regarding the progress status of the delivery, when displaying the movement trajectory of the vehicle before delivery during transportation on the user's terminal device, for example, if there is a section that seems suspicious at first glance, such as a section moving away from the store or a section where the moving speed of the vehicle is slow, in the movement trajectory while the vehicle is being transported from the factory to the store of the dealer with whom the user has contracted, the user may not know whether the system side recognizes it and may feel dissatisfied. The same applies to a section where a delay or the like has occurred in the transportation of the vehicle.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to reduce the possibility that the user feels dissatisfied regarding the progress status of the delivery.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The information providing apparatus according to the present disclosure is A control unit is provided that acquires progress data indicating the movement trajectory of the vehicle from the time it is shipped until it is delivered after a user purchases the vehicle, and outputs the acquired progress data to the user's terminal device. The control unit detects, as a first section, a section that satisfies a predetermined first condition among one or more sections included in the movement trajectory, and performs control to change the display mode of the first section on the movement trajectory indicated by the progress data for the detected first section.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the user feels dissatisfied with the progress of vehicle delivery.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] In each figure, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of the present embodiment, the description of the same or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0011] With reference to FIG. 1, the configuration of a system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0012] System 10 includes at least one information providing device 20, at least one terminal device 30, and at least one vehicle VH. Note that there may be a plurality of information providing devices 20, terminal devices 30, and vehicles VH, respectively.

[0013] The information providing device 20 can communicate with the terminal device 30 and the vehicle VH via the network 40.

[0014] The information providing device 20 is installed in a facility such as a data center. The information providing device 20 is, for example, a server belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system.

[0015] The terminal device 30 is held by the user U1. In the present embodiment, the user U1 is a purchaser of the vehicle VH. The terminal device 30 is, for example, a mobile device such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet, or a PC. "PC" is an abbreviation for personal computer.

[0016] The vehicle VH is any type of automobile such as, for example, a gasoline vehicle, a diesel vehicle, a hydrogen vehicle, an HEV, a PHEV, a BEV, or an FCEV. "HEV" is an abbreviation for hybrid electric vehicle. "PHEV" is an abbreviation for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. "BEV" is an abbreviation for battery electric vehicle. "FCEV" is an abbreviation for fuel cell electric vehicle. The vehicle VH is a private car in this embodiment, but is not limited thereto, and may be any vehicle as long as it is purchased by the user U1 and its movement trajectory until delivery can be tracked. The vehicle VH may be driven by a driver or may be an AV with automated driving at any level. "AV" is an abbreviation for autonomous vehicle. The level of automation is, for example, any one of levels 1 to 5 in the SAE level classification. "SAE" is an abbreviation for Society of Automotive Engineers.

[0017] The network 40 includes the Internet, at least one WAN, at least one MAN, or a combination thereof. "WAN" is an abbreviation for wide area network. "MAN" is an abbreviation for metropolitan area network. The network 40 may include at least one wireless network, at least one optical network, or a combination thereof. The wireless network is, for example, an ad hoc network, a cellular network, a wireless LAN, a satellite communication network, or a terrestrial microwave network. "LAN" is an abbreviation for local area network.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, the outline of this embodiment will be described.

[0019] Generally, a user who has purchased a vehicle is looking forward to the arrival of the vehicle they purchased and hopes to take delivery of it as soon as possible. Therefore, when displaying the moving trajectory of the vehicle during transportation before delivery to the user, it is important to create a sense of "currently moving forward" or "not stopped". However, the route for transporting the vehicle before delivery is not necessarily only the section where the vehicle is moving forward. Due to actual terrain or logistical strategy reasons, etc., for example, there may be a section where the vehicle is moving away from the store, or a section where the vehicle's moving speed is slow. However, if these sections are directly displayed to the purchaser as the vehicle's moving trajectory, the sense of "currently moving forward" or "not stopped" will be impaired, and the user may feel suspicious.

[0020] In the system 10 according to the present embodiment, the information providing device 20 acquires progress data D1 indicating the moving trajectory Mt of the vehicle VH from the time the vehicle VH purchased by a certain user U1 is shipped until it is delivered, and outputs the acquired progress data D1 to the terminal device 30 of the user U1. The information providing device 20 detects, as a first section Sc1, a section that satisfies a predetermined first condition among one or more sections Sc included in the moving trajectory Mt, and performs control to change the display mode of the first section Sc1 on the moving trajectory Mt indicated by the progress data D1 for the detected first section Sc1.

[0021] According to the present embodiment, when there is a section in the moving trajectory Mt of the vehicle VH that the user U1 may feel suspicious about, the display mode thereof is changed. Therefore, the user U1 can know that the system 10 side is aware of even the movement of the vehicle VH that seems suspicious, and can feel at ease. As a result, the possibility that the user U1 feels dissatisfied regarding the progress status of the delivery of the vehicle VH can be reduced.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 2, the configuration of the information providing device 20 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0023] The information providing device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23.

[0024] The control unit 21 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or any combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or a GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. "CPU" is an abbreviation for central processing unit. "GPU" is an abbreviation for graphics processing unit. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA. "FPGA" is an abbreviation for field-programmable gate array. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC. "ASIC" is an abbreviation for application specific integrated circuit. The control unit 21 executes processes related to the operation of the information providing device 20 while controlling each part of the information providing device 20.

[0025] The storage unit 22 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM or a ROM. "RAM" is an abbreviation for random access memory. "ROM" is an abbreviation for read only memory. The RAM is, for example, an SRAM or a DRAM. "SRAM" is an abbreviation for static random access memory. "DRAM" is an abbreviation for dynamic random access memory. The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM. "EEPROM" is an abbreviation for electrically erasable programmable read only memory. The storage unit 22 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. In the storage unit 22, data used for the operation of the information providing device 20 and data obtained by the operation of the information providing device 20 are stored. Schedule data D2 indicating the schedule until the vehicle VH is parked may be stored in the storage unit 22 in association with the identifier ID of the vehicle VH.

[0026] A map database may be constructed in the memory unit 22. The map database is a database that stores map information Dm of the entire area where the vehicle VH may travel from the time it is shipped until it is stored. The map information Dm includes, for example, information indicating the speed limits of roads in the area. For example, near the port where the imported vehicle is transported, the speed limit is often low and restricted, and it may also take time for customs procedures. Therefore, the map information Dm may include information indicating the location of the port within the area. Also, when transporting a plurality of vehicles including the vehicle VH with one truck, it is conceivable that the truck stops at stores other than the store where the vehicle VH is stored. Therefore, the map information Dm may include information on places where the vehicle VH may stop, such as stores other than the dealer contracted by the user U1. The map information Dm may include information on specific areas or regions where the vehicle is prohibited from traveling by law or the like and where the vehicle needs to detour.

[0027] The communication unit 23 includes at least one communication interface. The communication interface is, for example, a LAN interface. The communication unit 23 receives data used for the operation of the information providing device 20 and transmits data obtained by the operation of the information providing device 20. In the present embodiment, the communication unit 23 communicates with the terminal device 30 and the vehicle VH.

[0028] The functions of the information providing device 20 are realized by executing the program according to the present embodiment with a processor as the control unit 21. That is, the functions of the information providing device 20 are realized by software. The program causes the computer to execute the operation of the information providing device 20, thereby causing the computer to function as the information providing device 20. That is, the computer functions as the information providing device 20 by executing the operation of the information providing device 20 according to the program.

[0029] The program can be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include flash memory, magnetic recording devices, optical discs, magneto-optical recording media, or ROM. The distribution of the program is performed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending a portable medium such as an SD card, DVD, or CD-ROM that stores the program. "SD" is an abbreviation for Secure Digital. "DVD" is an abbreviation for digital versatile disc. "CD-ROM" is an abbreviation for compact disc read only memory. The program may be stored in the server's storage and distributed by transferring the program from the server to other computers. The program may be provided as a program product.

[0030] The computer stores, for example, a program stored in a portable medium or a program transferred from a server in the main memory device once. Then, the computer reads the program stored in the main memory device with the processor and executes the processing according to the read program with the processor. The computer may directly read the program from the portable medium and execute the processing according to the program. The computer may sequentially execute the processing according to the received program each time a program is transferred from the server to the computer. The processing may be executed by a so-called ASP-type service that realizes the function only by execution instructions and result acquisition without transferring the program from the server to the computer. "ASP" is an abbreviation for application service provider. The program includes information for use in processing by an electronic computer that conforms to the program. For example, data that is not a direct instruction to the computer but has the property of defining the processing of the computer corresponds to "what conforms to the program".

[0031] Some or all of the functions of the information providing apparatus 20 may be realized by a programmable circuit or a dedicated circuit as the control unit 21. That is, some or all of the functions of the information providing apparatus 20 may be realized by hardware.

[0032] With reference to FIG. 3, the configuration of the terminal device 30 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0033] The terminal device 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, a communication unit 33, an input unit 34, and an output unit 35.

[0034] The control unit 31 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or any combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC. The control unit 31 executes processing related to the operation of the terminal device 30 while controlling each part of the terminal device 30.

[0035] The storage unit 32 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM or a ROM. The RAM is, for example, an SRAM or a DRAM. The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM. The storage unit 32 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. Data used for the operation of the terminal device 30 and data obtained by the operation of the terminal device 30 are stored in the storage unit 32.

[0036] The communication unit 33 includes at least one communication interface. The communication interface is, for example, a LAN interface. The communication unit 33 receives data used for the operation of the terminal device 30 and transmits data obtained by the operation of the terminal device 30. In the present embodiment, the communication unit 33 communicates with the information providing apparatus 20.

[0037] The input unit 34 includes at least one input interface. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen provided integrally with the display, or a voice sensor. The input unit 34 receives an operation for inputting data used for the operation of the terminal device 30. Instead of being provided in the terminal device 30, the input unit 34 may be connected to the terminal device 30 as an external input device. As the connection method, for example, any method such as USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used. "USB" is an abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus. "HDMI (registered trademark)" is an abbreviation for High-Definition Multimedia Interface.

[0038] The output unit 35 includes at least one output interface. The output interface is, for example, a display. The display is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display. "LCD" is an abbreviation for liquid crystal display. "EL" is an abbreviation for electro luminescence. In the present embodiment, the display is a touch panel that also serves as the input unit 34. The output unit 35 outputs data obtained by the operation of the terminal device 30. In the present embodiment, the control unit 31 of the terminal device 30 displays the data acquired from the information providing device 20 on the display as the output unit 35. Instead of being provided in the terminal device 30, the output unit 35 may be connected to the terminal device 30 as an external output device. As the connection method, for example, any method such as USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used.

[0039] With reference to FIG. 4, the operation of the system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. This operation corresponds to the control method according to the present embodiment.

[0040] In S1 (hereinafter, each step of the flowchart is specified as S and a number), the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 acquires progress data D1 indicating the movement locus Mt of the vehicle VH from the time it is shipped until it is delivered to the user U1. The progress data D1 can be acquired by any procedure. For example, the control unit 21 receives position information transmitted from the vehicle VH over time via the communication unit 23, and generates a movement locus Mt calculated based on the received position information. The control unit 21 acquires the information indicating the generated movement locus Mt as the progress data D1. Alternatively, the generation of the progress data D1 may be performed in the vehicle VH. The control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 may acquire the progress data D1 by receiving the progress data D1 transmitted from the vehicle VH.

[0041] In S2, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 outputs the acquired progress data D1 to the terminal device 30 of the user U1. Specifically, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 transmits the progress data D1 to the terminal device 30 via the communication unit 23. The terminal device 30 receives the progress data D1 transmitted from the information providing device 20 and outputs the received progress data D1. Specifically, the control unit 31 of the terminal device 30 displays the movement locus Mt indicated by the progress data D1 on a display corresponding to the output unit 35. As a result, on the terminal device 30, the movement locus Mt of the vehicle VH is displayed for the user U1. In the present embodiment, the movement locus Mt indicated by the progress data D1 is displayed on a map.

[0042] In S3, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 detects, as a first section Sc1, a section among one or more sections Sc included in the movement locus Mt indicated by the progress data D1 acquired in S1 that satisfies a predetermined first condition. Specifically, the control unit 21 sets the point where the vehicle VH is delivered as the destination P, and as the first condition, for each of the one or more sections Sc, determines whether the traveling direction f of the movement locus Mt is different from the direction toward the destination P. For example, the control unit 21 determines whether the traveling direction f is a direction away from the destination P.

[0043] In S3, instead of specifying the traveling direction f of the movement locus Mt for each of one or more sections Sc, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 may monitor the moving speed v of the vehicle VH, and as a first condition, determine whether the moving speed v of the vehicle VH is less than the threshold Th. The threshold Th can be arbitrarily set as long as it is a value that is felt to be slow from the perspective of the user U1, such as a value significantly lower than the average speed of the vehicle VH on the movement locus Mt.

[0044] In S4, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 performs control to change the display mode of the first section Sc1 on the movement locus Mt indicated by the progress data D1 for the first section Sc1 detected in S2. Specifically, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 transmits information indicating the determination result in step S4 to the terminal device 30 via the communication unit 23. For example, the control unit 41 transmits information indicating the section corresponding to the first section Sc1 on the movement locus Mt to the terminal device 30.

[0045] In the present embodiment, the terminal device 30 receives, via the communication unit 33, information indicating the section corresponding to the first section Sc1 transmitted from the information providing device 20 in step S4. The control unit 31 of the terminal device 30 changes the display mode of the section corresponding to the first section Sc1 on the movement locus Mt displayed on the display as the output unit 35. The display mode of the first section Sc1 can be arbitrarily changed as long as the first section Sc1 can be distinguished from the sections other than the first section Sc1. For example, the control unit 31 changes the color of the first section Sc1 on the movement locus Mt to a color different from the sections other than the first section Sc1 and outputs it. The control unit 31 may also output the width of the first section Sc1 on the movement locus Mt to be thicker than the sections other than the first section Sc1.

[0046] As described above, the information providing device 20 according to the present embodiment detects, as the first section Sc1, a section that satisfies a predetermined first condition among one or more sections Sc included in the movement locus Mt of the vehicle VH, and performs control to change the display mode on the movement locus Mt for the detected first section Sc1.

[0047] According to such a configuration, when there is a section on the movement locus Mt of the vehicle VH that the user U1 may feel suspicious about, the display mode thereof is changed. Therefore, even if the movement of the vehicle VH looks suspicious, the user U1 can know that the system 10 side has recognized it, and thus can feel at ease. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the user U1 feels dissatisfied with the progress of the parking of the vehicle VH.

[0048] As a modification example of the present embodiment, when an operation for the user U1 to select the first section Sc1 is performed, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 may perform control to display the first section data d1 regarding the first section Sc1. The terminal device 30 receives an operation for the user U1 to specify the first section Sc1 on the movement locus Mt on the map. The operation for specifying the first section Sc1 may be performed in an arbitrary procedure. As one example, it is performed by a GUI operation such as the user U1 tapping the first section Sc1 on the movement locus Mt displayed on the output unit 25. "GUI" is an abbreviation of graphical user interface.

[0049] As reasons for the vehicle VH moving away from the conveyance destination, for example, when a plurality of vehicles including the vehicle VH are being conveyed by one truck, if the truck stops at a store other than the store where the vehicle VH is to be parked, or when detouring a specific area or region where the running of the vehicle is prohibited by law or the like. Also, as a reason for the slow movement speed v of the vehicle VH during conveyance, it is conceivable that the section is near a port, the speed limit of the road is set low, or it takes time for customs procedures.

[0050] When the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 detects that the first section Sc1 has been specified by the user U1, it generates first section data d1. The first section data d1 can be generated arbitrarily, but for example, it can be generated by the following procedure. For example, when the traveling direction f of the movement trajectory Mt in the first section Sc1 is different from the direction toward the destination P, the control unit 21 refers to the map information Dm stored in the map database constructed in the storage unit 22, and determines whether the traveling direction f is, for example, toward a store other than the store where the vehicle VH is parked, or due to a detour, etc. The control unit 21 generates information indicating the determined result as the first section data d1. The control unit 21 transmits the generated first section data d1 to the terminal device 30 via the communication unit 23. The terminal device 30 receives the first section data d1 transmitted from the information providing device 20 via the communication unit 33. The control unit 31 of the terminal device 30 displays the received first section data d1 in the vicinity of the section corresponding to the first section Sc1 on the movement trajectory Mt displayed on the display as the output unit 35.

[0051] According to this modification, regarding the first section Sc1 specified by the user U1, information regarding the first section Sc1 is displayed. Specifically, the reason for the behavior of the vehicle VH in the first section Sc1 is displayed. Therefore, even if the movement of the vehicle VH seems suspicious at first glance, the user U1 can understand the reason, so the possibility that the user U1 feels dissatisfied is further reduced.

[0052] In this embodiment, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 may further perform control to detect a section that satisfies a second condition different from the first condition as the second section Sc2, and change the display mode of the second section Sc2 on the movement trajectory Mt indicated by the progress data D1 for the detected second section Sc2. Specifically, the control unit 31 may further perform the processes of S5 to S7 shown in FIG. 4.

[0053] In S5, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 acquires schedule data D2 indicating the schedule until the vehicle VH is parked. The schedule data D2 may be acquired by any procedure. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the schedule data D2 is stored in advance in the storage unit 22 in association with the identifier ID of the vehicle VH. The control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 reads out the schedule data D2 of the vehicle VH from the storage unit 22 based on the identifier ID of the vehicle VH.

[0054] In S6, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 detects the second section Sc2. Specifically, the control unit 21 compares the schedule data D2 acquired in S5 with the progress data D1. In this embodiment, it is assumed that for each of one or more sections Sc, the passing time T1 when the vehicle VH has passed through each section is recorded in the movement locus Mt indicated by the progress data D1. Also, it is assumed that the schedule indicated by the schedule data D2 includes the scheduled passing time T2 when the vehicle VH passes through each of one or more sections Sc. As a second condition, the control unit 21 determines, for each of one or more sections Sc, whether the passing time T1 stored in the movement locus Mt indicated by the progress data D1 is later than the scheduled passing time T2 indicated by the schedule data D2. Alternatively, as a second condition, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 may determine whether the passing speed of the vehicle VH in a certain section is lower than the speed limit of that section. Then, when it is determined that the passing speed of the vehicle VH is lower than the speed limit of the section, the control unit 21 may detect the section as the second section Sc2.

[0055] In S7, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 performs control to change the display mode of the second section Sc2 on the movement locus Mt indicated by the progress data D1 for the second section Sc2 detected in S6. Specifically, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 transmits information indicating the determination result in step S6 to the terminal device 30 via the communication unit 23. For example, the control unit 41 transmits information indicating the section corresponding to the second section Sc2 on the movement locus Mt to the terminal device 30.

[0056] In this embodiment, the terminal device 30 receives, via the communication unit 33, information indicating a section corresponding to the second section Sc2 transmitted from the information providing device 20 in step S6. The control unit 31 of the terminal device 30 changes the display mode of the section corresponding to the second section Sc2 on the movement locus Mt displayed on the display as the output unit 35. The display mode of the second section Sc2 can be arbitrarily changed as long as the second section Sc2 can be distinguished from the sections other than the second section Sc2 and the first section Sc1. For example, the control unit 31 changes the color of the second section Sc2 on the movement locus Mt to a color different from the sections other than the second section Sc2 and the first section Sc1 and outputs it. The control unit 31 may output the width of the second section Sc2 on the movement locus Mt to be thicker than that of the first section Sc1. Alternatively, the control unit 31 may output the second section Sc2 on the movement locus Mt as a dashed line.

[0057] As described above, the information providing device 20 according to this embodiment acquires the schedule data D2 indicating the schedule until the vehicle VH is parked, and based on the result of comparing the acquired schedule data D2 with the progress data D1, detects a section that satisfies a second condition different from the first condition as the second section Sc2, and further performs control to change the display mode of the second section Sc2 on the movement locus Mt indicated by the progress data D1 for the detected second section Sc2.

[0058] According to this embodiment, when there is a section where a delay or the like occurs during the conveyance of the vehicle VH, the display mode thereof is further changed. Therefore, even when a delay occurs during the conveyance, the user U1 can know that the system 10 side is aware of it and can feel at ease. As a result, the possibility that the user U1 feels dissatisfied with the progress status of the parking of the vehicle VH can be further reduced.

[0059] As a modification example of the present embodiment, when an operation for the user U1 to select the second section Sc2 is performed, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 may perform control to display second section data d2 regarding the second section Sc2. The terminal device 30 receives an operation for the user U1 to specify the second section Sc2 on the movement locus Mt on the map. Since the operation for specifying the second section Sc2 is the same as the operation for the user U1 to specify the first section Sc1, the description thereof is omitted.

[0060] As reasons for the conveyance of the vehicle VH to be delayed, for example, when the truck carrying the vehicle VH is caught in a traffic jam, or when a single truck delivers a plurality of vehicles including the vehicle VH to a plurality of stores and the loading and unloading time is prolonged at a store due to a mistake in the order of the cargos.

[0061] When the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 detects that the second section Sc2 has been specified by the user U1, it generates the second section data d2. The second section data d2 may be arbitrarily generated. As an example, the control unit 21 acquires traffic jam information from an external server or the like, refers to the acquired traffic jam information, determines whether the delay is due to a traffic jam, and generates information indicating the determined result as the second section data d2. Alternatively, the control unit 21 may acquire data indicating the staying time at each store from the vehicle VH and generate the second section data d2 based on the acquired data. The control unit 21 may include in the second section data d2 content for apologizing for the occurrence of the delay. The generated second section data d2 is transmitted to the terminal device 30 via the communication unit 23. The terminal device 30 receives the second section data d2 transmitted from the information providing device 20 via the communication unit 33. The control unit 31 of the terminal device 30 displays the received second section data d2 in the vicinity of the section corresponding to the second section Sc2 on the movement locus Mt displayed on the display as the output unit 35.

[0062] According to this modification example, for the second section Sc2 specified by the user U1, information regarding the second section Sc2 is displayed. Specifically, the reason for the delay of the vehicle VH in the second section Sc2 is displayed. Therefore, even when the conveyance of the vehicle VH is delayed, the user U1 can understand the reason for the delay, further reducing the possibility that the user U1 feels dissatisfied.

[0063] Note that in this embodiment, after outputting the progress data D1 to the terminal device 30 in S1, it is a flowchart that performs the processing after S2 and controls to change the display mode of either the first section Sc1 or the second section Sc2. However, before outputting the progress data D1 acquired in S1 to the terminal device 30, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 performs the processing of S2 to S3 and further the processing of S4 to S6 on the progress data D1, and performs the processing of changing the display mode of the first section Sc1 and the second section Sc2 on the movement locus Mt indicated by the progress data D1. Then, data indicating the movement locus Mt' in which the display modes of the first section Sc1 and the second section Sc2 obtained as a result are changed may be output to the terminal device 30 as the progress data D1'. Thereby, the communication frequency between the information providing device 20 and the terminal device 30 can be reduced.

[0064] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, a plurality of blocks described in the block diagram may be integrated, or one block may be divided. Instead of executing a plurality of steps described in the flowchart in time series according to the description, each step may be executed in parallel or in a different order according to the processing ability of the device that executes the step or as necessary. In addition, changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0065] For example, in this embodiment, the information providing device 20 and the terminal device 30 are configured to communicate and perform data processing. However, by configuring the information providing device 20 according to this embodiment as a program that operates on the terminal device 30, the functions of the information providing device 20 may be executed as an application on the terminal device 30.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0066] 10 System 20 Control device 21 Control unit 22 Memory unit 23 Communication unit 30 Terminal device 31 Control unit 32 Memory unit 33 Communication unit 34 Input unit 35 Output unit 40 Network VH Vehicle U1 User

Claims

1. An information providing apparatus including a control unit that acquires progress data indicating a movement locus of a vehicle from when the vehicle purchased by a certain user is shipped until it is delivered, and outputs the acquired progress data to a terminal device of the user. The control unit detects, as a first section, a section among one or more sections included in the movement locus that satisfies a predetermined first condition, and performs control to change a display mode of the first section on the movement locus indicated by the progress data for the detected first section. The information providing apparatus.

2. The control unit uses the delivery location of the vehicle as a destination, and as the first condition, determines whether the traveling direction of the movement locus is different from the direction toward the destination for each of the one or more sections. The information providing apparatus according to Claim 1.

3. The control unit monitors the moving speed of the vehicle, and as the first condition, determines whether the moving speed of the vehicle is less than a threshold value for each of the one or more sections. The information providing apparatus according to Claim 1.

4. The control unit acquires schedule data indicating a schedule until the vehicle is delivered, and based on a result of comparing the acquired schedule data and the progress data, detects, as a second section, a section that satisfies a second condition different from the first condition, and further performs control to change a display mode of the second section on the movement locus indicated by the progress data for the detected second section. The information providing apparatus according to Claim 1.

5. In the movement locus indicated by the progress data, the passing time when the vehicle passes through each of the one or more sections is recorded. In the schedule indicated by the schedule data, the scheduled passing time when the vehicle passes through each of the one or more sections is included. The control unit determines, as the second condition, whether the passing time recorded in the movement locus indicated by the progress data is later than the scheduled passing time indicated by the schedule data for each of the one or more sections. The information providing apparatus according to Claim 4.

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