Information processing device and information processing method

Abstract

To improve a technique related to a search for a parking lot candidate.SOLUTION: An information processing device 20 includes a control section 23 configured to: display a congestion state of an adjacent parking lot on a display screen 14A of a navigation device 10 when the congestion state occurs in the parking lot adjacent to a destination set on the display screen of the navigation device 10 in a vehicle; search for information on an alternative parking lot candidate within a range of a predetermined distance from the destination; and display list information on the alternative parking lots which satisfy a predetermined condition among the searched candidates, on the display screen 14A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, technologies related to searching for parking lot candidates are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a parking lot proposal system that displays a list of parking lot candidates considering the history information of users and third parties, together with the travel time, fee, and parking comfort, when a user sets a destination.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, Patent Document 1 does not consider the actual congestion situation of parking lots. For this reason, when a vehicle arrives at a parking lot that has been selected as a candidate, there is a possibility that the parking lot may not be available due to being full. In addition, in many cases, although the on-site parking lot or the attached parking lot of the destination can be used for free on the premise of using the destination facility, a paid parking lot may be guided, resulting in a potential economic loss. Therefore, there is room for improvement in technologies related to searching for parking lot candidates.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve technologies related to searching for parking lot candidates.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an information processing apparatus having a communication unit and a control unit that communicates via the communication unit. When a co-located parking lot adjacent to a destination set on a display screen of a navigation device in a vehicle is congested, the control unit displays the congestion status of the co-located parking lot on the display screen and searches for information on alternative parking lot candidates within a range of a predetermined distance from the destination, and displays list information of alternative parking lots that satisfy a predetermined condition among the searched candidates on the display screen.

[0007] An information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is executed by an information processing apparatus to display the congestion status of a co-located parking lot on a display screen when the co-located parking lot adjacent to a destination set on the display screen of a navigation device in a vehicle is congested, search for candidates for alternative parking lots within a range of a predetermined distance from the destination, and display list information of alternative parking lots that satisfy a predetermined condition among the searched candidates on the display screen.

Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the technology related to the search for parking lot candidates is improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.

[0011] (Overview of the Embodiment) Referring to FIG. 1, an overview of the system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The system 1 includes a vehicle 3, a navigation device 10, an information processing device 20, and a server 30. The navigation device 10, the information processing device 20, and the server 30 are communicably connected to a network 2 including, for example, the Internet and a mobile communication network.

[0012] The vehicle 3 is, for example, an automobile, but is not limited thereto and may be any vehicle. The automobile is, for example, a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), an HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or an FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle), etc., but is not limited to these. The number of vehicles 3 included in the system 1 may be arbitrarily determined.

[0013] The navigation device 10 is a car navigation device installed in the vehicle 3. However, the navigation device 10 is not limited to a so-called "car navigation" installed on the dashboard of the vehicle 3. The navigation device 10 may be a so-called "smartphone navigation" in which a smartphone or tablet terminal held by the driver of the vehicle 3 is temporarily installed on the dashboard and a car navigation application is executed on the display screen 14A of the terminal. In the present disclosure, "car navigation" is referred to as car navigation 10A, and "smartphone navigation" is referred to as smartphone navigation 10B.

[0014] The information processing device 20 is a computer such as a server device, etc. The information processing device 20 is communicable with the navigation device 10 and the server 30 via the network 2.

[0015] The server 30 is a computer such as a server device, etc., which is owned by, for example, an operator who operates a facility serving as a destination, or an operator who operates a service for providing parking lot usage information. The server 30 is communicable with the navigation device 10 and the information processing device 20 via the network 2.

[0016] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. When the co-located parking lot adjacent to the destination set on the display screen 14A of the navigation device 10 in the vehicle is congested, the information processing apparatus 20 displays the congestion status of the co-located parking lot on the display screen 14A, searches for information on alternative parking lot candidates within a range of a predetermined distance from the destination, and displays on the display screen 14A a list of information on alternative parking lots that satisfy a predetermined condition among the searched candidates.

[0017] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the co-located parking lot at the destination is congested, a list of information on alternative parking lots that satisfy a predetermined condition is displayed. Therefore, even when the co-located parking lot is full and the user has to use a paid alternative parking lot, the user can select an alternative parking lot that meets the desired conditions from the list of information on alternative parking lots. Thus, in terms of improving the convenience of parking lot guidance, the technology related to the search for parking lot candidates is improved.

[0018] Next, each component of the system 1 will be described in detail.

[0019] (Configuration of the Navigation Device) As shown in FIG. 1, the navigation device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a positioning unit 12, an input unit 13, an output unit 14, a storage unit 15, and a control unit 16.

[0020] The communication unit 11 includes one or more communication interfaces for connecting to the network 2. The communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard such as 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation), but is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, the navigation device 10 communicates with the information processing apparatus 20 via the communication unit 11 and the network 2.

[0021] The positioning unit 12 includes one or more devices for acquiring the position information of the vehicle 3. Specifically, the positioning unit 12 includes, for example, a receiver corresponding to GPS, but is not limited thereto, and may include a receiver corresponding to any satellite positioning system.

[0022] The input unit 13 is configured to include at least one input interface capable of receiving an input by a driver of the vehicle 3. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitance key, a pointing device, a camera, a touch screen provided integrally with a display of the output unit 14 described later, or a microphone that picks up the voice of the driver. However, the input interface is not limited to these.

[0023] The output unit 14 is configured to include at least one voice output interface capable of outputting voice, and at least one display interface capable of displaying characters or images. The voice output interface is, for example, a speaker (hereinafter referred to as speaker 14B). The display interface is, for example, a display screen such as an LCD or an organic EL display (hereinafter referred to as display screen 14A). The voice output interface and the display interface are not limited to these.

[0024] The storage unit 15 includes one or more memories. The memory is, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, or an optical memory, etc., but is not limited to these. Each memory included in the storage unit 15 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 15 stores any information used for the operation of the navigation device 10. For example, the storage unit 15 may store a system program, an application program, and embedded software, etc. The information stored in the storage unit 15 may be updated with information acquired from the network 2 via the communication unit 11, for example.

[0025] The control unit 16 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing, but is not limited thereto. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), but is not limited thereto. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), but is not limited thereto. The control unit 16 controls the operation of the entire navigation device 10.

[0026] (Configuration of the information processing device) As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing device 20 includes a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a control unit 23.

[0027] The communication unit 21 includes one or more communication interfaces for connecting to the network 2. The communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard, a wired LAN (Local Area Network) standard, or a wireless LAN standard, but is not limited thereto, and may correspond to any communication standard. In the present embodiment, the information processing device 20 communicates with the navigation device 10 and the server 30 via the communication unit 21 and the network 2.

[0028] The storage unit 22 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 22 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores any information used for the operation of the information processing device 20. For example, the storage unit 22 may store a system program, an application program, a database, and the like. The information stored in the storage unit 22 may be updated, for example, with information obtained from the network 2 via the communication unit 21.

[0029] The control unit 23 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 23 controls the operation of the entire information processing apparatus 20.

[0030] (Configuration of the Server) As shown in FIG. 1, the server 30 includes a communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a control unit 33.

[0031] The communication unit 31 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 2. The communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard, a wired LAN (Local Area Network) standard, or a wireless LAN standard, but is not limited thereto and may correspond to any communication standard. In the present embodiment, the server 30 communicates with the information processing apparatus 20 via the communication unit 31 and the network 2.

[0032] The storage unit 32 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 32 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 32 stores any information used for the operation of the server 30. For example, the storage unit 32 may store a system program, an application program, a database, and the like. The information stored in the storage unit 32 may be updated with information acquired from the network 2 via the communication unit 31, for example.

[0033] The control unit 33 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 33 controls the operation of the entire server 30.

[0034] (Operation Flow of the Information Processing Apparatus) With reference to FIG. 2, the operation of the information processing apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment will be described. This operation relates to the display of a list of alternative parking lots that satisfy predetermined conditions.

[0035] S101: The control unit 23 receives information on the destination set on the display screen 14A of the navigation device 10 in the vehicle.

[0036] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a display example of the navigation device 10. The destination information is the location information of the destination. The location information is the information of the latitude and longitude of the target point. As shown in FIG. 3, when the driver of the vehicle 3 sets a destination on the display screen 14A of the navigation device 10, the location information of the current location of the vehicle 3 measured by the positioning unit 12 and the location information of the destination are transmitted to the information processing device 20.

[0037] S102: The control unit 23 acquires information on the attached parking lot attached to the received destination.

[0038] The attached parking lot is a parking lot for visitors attached to facilities such as banks, stores, commercial facilities, schools, and hospitals that are the destination. It is not uncommon for the attached parking lot to be available for free on the premise of using the destination facility. The information on the attached parking lot is, for example, a numerical value indicating the occupancy rate of the parking space, but is not limited to this. For example, when the occupancy rate of the parking space is 100%, the attached parking lot is full. The control unit 23 acquires the occupancy rate of the parking space of the attached parking lot from the server 30 of, for example, the operator operating the facility that is the destination or the operator operating the service providing the usage information of the parking lot via the communication unit 21 and the network 2.

[0039] S103: The control unit 23 determines whether or not the attached parking lot is congested. If the attached parking lot is congested, proceed to S104; if not, proceed to S108.

[0040] When the occupancy rate of the parking space of the attached parking lot exceeds a predetermined numerical value, the control unit 23 determines that the attached parking lot is congested. The predetermined numerical value is, for example, 90%, but is not limited to this.

[0041] S104: The control unit 23 displays the congestion status of the attached parking lot on the display screen 14A of the navigation device 10.

[0042] FIG. 3 is an example of the display screen 14A of the smartphone navigator 10B. As shown in FIG. 3, the display of the congestion situation is, for example, a banner display on the display screen 14A, but the display method is not limited to the banner display. The congestion situation may be notified by voice through the speaker 14B of the smartphone navigator 10B.

[0043] Furthermore, when the vehicle 3 is scheduled to arrive at the destination at a certain date and time, if the parking fee of the attached parking lot of the destination is higher than the normal fee, or if part or all of the attached parking lot is under construction, the control unit 23 may display the fee information or the construction status of the attached parking lot on the display screen 14A in a banner form.

[0044] S105: The control unit 23 searches for information on alternative parking lot candidates within a predetermined distance range from the destination.

[0045] The control unit 23 obtains information on alternative parking lots within a predetermined distance range from the destination from the server 30 of the operator who operates the parking lot usage information providing service via the communication unit 21 and the network 2. The information on the alternative parking lots includes, but is not limited to, the names, addresses, location information of the alternative parking lot candidates, and the occupancy rate of the parking spaces at the search time. As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 23 obtains information on a plurality of alternative parking lot candidates (20 locations in the example of FIG. 3) within a predetermined distance range from the destination, and displays the information on the plurality of alternative parking lot candidates on the display screen 14A. The control unit 23 may search for alternative parking lots where the occupancy rate of the parking spaces at the search time is equal to or less than a predetermined value (for example, 90% or less).

[0046] As shown in FIG. 3, when the driver of the vehicle 3 taps the banner display, the information on the alternative parking lot candidates may be searched, or the search for the alternative parking lot candidates may be started at the stage when it is determined that the attached parking lot is congested.

[0047] S106: The control unit 23 generates a list of information on alternative parking lots that meet predetermined conditions among the searched alternative parking lot candidates.

[0048] The predetermined conditions are, for example, (i) the parking fee per predetermined time (e.g., 1 hour) is relatively low among the candidates for alternative parking lots, or (ii) the total time of the time for vehicle 3 to move from the departure place to the entrance of the alternative parking lot, the time for vehicle 3 to move from the entrance of the alternative parking lot to the parking space, and the time for the driver of vehicle 3 to walk from the parking space of the alternative parking lot to the entrance of the destination facility is relatively short among the candidates for alternative parking lots. However, the predetermined conditions are not limited to these. The conditions desired by the driver of vehicle 3 may be set as the predetermined conditions.

[0049] S107: The control unit 23 displays the generated list information of alternative parking lots on the display screen 14A of the navigation device 10.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 23 displays, for example, a predetermined number of candidates for alternative parking lots on the display screen 14A. In the example of FIG. 3, the predetermined number is 5 from Parking Lot A to Parking Lot E, but it is not limited to this. In the case of the above-mentioned predetermined condition (i), the control unit 23 displays the list information of a predetermined number of alternative parking lots on the display screen 14A in the order of the lowest parking fee. In the case of the above-mentioned predetermined condition (ii), the control unit 23 displays the list information of a predetermined number of alternative parking lots on the display screen 14A in the order of the shortest total time.

[0051] When the driver of vehicle 3 selects a desired alternative parking lot on the display screen 14A (Parking Lot A in the example of FIG. 3), the control unit 16 of the navigation device 10 starts route guidance from the current location to the selected Parking Lot A.

[0052] S108: The control unit 23 determines whether vehicle 3 has arrived at the selected parking lot. If it has not arrived at the parking lot, it returns to S102 to continue the information processing. If it has arrived, the information processing ends.

[0053] When the control unit 23 acquires a notification from the navigation device 10 that the vehicle 3 has arrived at the alternative parking lot, it ends the information processing. On the other hand, when the vehicle 3 has not arrived at the selected alternative parking lot, the control unit 23 returns to S102 to continue the information processing. When the co-located parking lot becomes available due to a change in the situation, or when the alternative parking lot desired by the driver of the vehicle 3 is changed, the control unit 23 performs information processing according to the change in the situation.

[0054] As described above, when the co-located parking lot adjacent to the destination set on the display screen 14A of the navigation device 10 in the vehicle is congested, the information processing apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment displays the congestion status of the co-located parking lot on the display screen 14A, searches for information on alternative parking lot candidates within a range of a predetermined distance from the destination, and displays a list of alternative parking lots that satisfy a predetermined condition among the searched candidates on the display screen 14A.

[0055] According to such a configuration, when the co-located parking lot at the destination is congested, a list of alternative parking lots that satisfy a predetermined condition is displayed. Therefore, even when the co-located parking lot is full and the user has to use a paid alternative parking lot, the user can select an alternative parking lot that meets the desired conditions from the list of alternative parking lot information. Therefore, the technology related to the search for parking lot candidates is improved in terms of improving the convenience of parking lot guidance.

[0056] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or each step, etc. can be rearranged so as not to be logically contradictory, and a plurality of components or steps, etc. can be combined into one or divided.

[0057] For example, in the above-described embodiment, an embodiment in which the configuration and operation of the information processing apparatus 20 are distributed among a plurality of computers capable of communicating with each other is also possible. Also, for example, an embodiment in which some or all of the components of the information processing apparatus 20 are provided in the navigation apparatus 10 is also possible. For example, the navigation apparatus 10 mounted on the vehicle 3 may include some or all of the components of the information processing apparatus 20.

[0058] Further, for example, an embodiment in which a general-purpose computer functions as the information processing apparatus 20 according to the above-described embodiment is also possible. Specifically, a program describing the processing content for realizing each function of the information processing apparatus 20 according to the above-described embodiment is stored in the memory of a general-purpose computer, and the program is read and executed by a processor. Therefore, the present disclosure can also be realized as a program executable by a processor or a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing the program.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0059] 1 System 2 Network 3 Vehicle 10 Navigation Apparatus 10A Car Navigation 10B Smartphone Navigation 11 Communication Unit 12 Positioning Unit 13 Input Unit 14 Output Unit 14A Display Screen 14B Speaker 15 Storage Unit 16 Control Unit 20 Information Processing Apparatus 21 Communication Unit 22 Storage Unit 23 Control Unit 30 Server 31 Communication Unit 32 Storage Unit 33 Control Unit

Claims

1. A communication unit, An information processing apparatus comprising a control unit that communicates by means of the communication unit, wherein when a co-located parking lot adjacent to a destination set on a display screen of a navigation device in a vehicle is congested, the control unit displays the congestion status of the co-located parking lot on the display screen and searches for information on alternative parking lot candidates within a range of a predetermined distance from the destination, and displays list information of alternative parking lots that satisfy a predetermined condition among the searched candidates on the display screen.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when, at the date and time when the vehicle is scheduled to arrive at the destination, the parking fee of the co-located parking lot is higher than the normal fee, or when part or all of the co-located parking lot is under construction, the control unit further displays the fee information or the construction status of the co-located parking lot on the display screen of the navigation device.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is that the parking fee per predetermined time is relatively low among the candidates for alternative parking lots, and the control unit displays list information of a predetermined number of alternative parking lots on the display screen in ascending order of the parking fee.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is that the total time of the time for the vehicle to move from the departure place to the entrance of the alternative parking lot, the time for the vehicle to move from the entrance of the alternative parking lot to the parking space, and the time for the driver of the vehicle to move on foot from the parking space to the entrance of the destination facility is relatively short among the candidates for alternative parking lots, and the control unit displays list information of a predetermined number of alternative parking lots on the display screen in ascending order of the total time.

5. An information processing method, comprising: when a co-located parking lot adjacent to a destination set on a display screen of a navigation device in a vehicle is congested, displaying the congestion status of the co-located parking lot on the display screen; searching for candidates for alternative parking lots within a range of a predetermined distance from the destination; and displaying list information of alternative parking lots that satisfy a predetermined condition among the searched candidates on the display screen. ​

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