Search device

Abstract

To provide a search device capable of performing smooth meeting even when a meeting object person moves, a control method of the search device, and a program.SOLUTION: An on-vehicle device 1 to which a search device of the present invention is applied includes: a communication unit 16 for acquiring portable positional information denoting a current position of a portable terminal; and a controller 17 for setting a destination based on the acquired portable positional information to search a path to the destination. The controller 17 updates a setting of the destination according to changes in positional information of the portable terminal and the communication unit 16 transmits destination setting information to the portable terminal each time the destination is updated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a search device, a control method for a search device, and a program for assisting in rendezvous with a person to be reunited who carries an information terminal. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional technology of this type is proposed in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that acquires location information from an information terminal carried by a person to be met, searches for a public transportation boarding and disembarking facility suitable for the meeting, and displays the search results while sending them to the information terminal of the person to be met. This has the effect of enabling smooth meetings between people using vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle passengers") and people using public transportation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-72971 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a vehicle occupant and a person to be met are rendezvous, the person to be met may travel by foot or other means. For example, as shown in FIG. 6(a), a situation may be considered in which a vehicle departs from point A toward point B, which is the current location of the person to be met, and then the person to be met moves toward point A. In this case, the person to be met has the advantage of being able to meet up with the vehicle occupant more quickly than if they were to wait at point B. Also, as shown in FIG. 6(b), a situation may be considered in which a vehicle departs from point A toward point C, which is the destination, and the person to be met also moves from point B toward point C. In this situation, if there is no traffic congestion and the vehicle can travel smoothly, the person to be met can board the vehicle and head to point C together. However, if the vehicle cannot travel smoothly due to traffic congestion or other reasons, the person to be met can meet up at point C, thereby realizing an efficient rendezvous.

[0005] As described above, various situations can be assumed in which the person to be met moves during a rendezvous, but conventional technologies including Patent Document 1 have not been able to deal with such cases. In other words, when the person to be met moves, the only option is to redo the rendezvous setup operation, and even in that case, the only option is to manually set a suitable rendezvous location taking into account the travel distance of the vehicle and the person, or to wait there after transmitting location information indicating the current location.

[0006] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a search device, a control method for a search device, and a program that enable smooth rendezvous even when the person to be reunited moves. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The search device of the present invention comprises a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information indicating the current location of another terminal, a search unit that sets a destination based on the location information and searches for a route to the destination, and a destination notification unit that notifies the other terminal of the destination, wherein the search unit updates the destination in accordance with changes in the location information of the other terminal, and the destination notification unit notifies the updated destination each time the destination is updated by the search unit. The term "destination" refers to a stopover or a destination.

[0008] In the above-mentioned search device, the location information acquisition unit periodically acquires location information, and when the search unit determines from the location information that the other terminal has moved away from the set destination location by more than a predetermined distance, it updates the destination location based on the location information of the other terminal at that time.

[0009] In the above search device, the search unit sets the destination based on the location information and taking into consideration road conditions around the current location of the other terminal.

[0010] In the above-mentioned search device, when the search unit determines from the location information that the other terminal is in a no-parking or no-traffic zone, it sets a location outside these zones that is closest to the current location of the other terminal as the destination location.

[0011] In the above-mentioned search device, when the search unit determines from the location information that the other terminal is located in a congested section or a single-lane section, it sets a location outside these sections that is closest to the current location of the other terminal as the destination.

[0012] In the above-mentioned search device, when the search unit determines from the location information that the other terminal is located outside a predetermined area, it sets the location within the predetermined area that is closest to the current location of the other terminal as the destination location.

[0013] The control method for a search device of the present invention executes a location information acquisition step of acquiring location information indicating the current location of another terminal, a search step of setting a destination based on the location information and searching for a route to the destination, and a destination notification step of notifying the other terminal of the destination, wherein the search step updates the destination in accordance with changes in the location information of the other terminal, and the destination notification step notifies the updated destination each time the destination is updated by the search step.

[0014] The program of the present invention is characterized by causing a computer to execute each step of the above-described method for controlling a search device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a simplified configuration diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an in-vehicle device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a route guidance process performed by the communication system. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing screen transitions of a mobile terminal. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the background art. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] A search device, a control method for a search device, and a program according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In this embodiment, an in-vehicle device having an Internet communication function and a car navigation function is exemplified as the search device. Also, a mobile terminal (e.g., a smartphone) is exemplified as an information terminal for identifying the current location of a meeting target person who is traveling on foot.

[0017] 1 is a simplified block diagram of a communication system SY using a search device of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the communication system SY includes an in-vehicle device 1 mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, a mobile terminal 2 (other terminal) carried by a person to be met who is meeting the vehicle occupant, and a network 3 for communication between the in-vehicle device 1 and the mobile terminal 2.

[0018] The in-vehicle device 1 may be a so-called car navigation device that is retrofitted after the vehicle is shipped, or may be incorporated into a vehicle control system. Also, a portable terminal (smartphone, mobile phone, etc.) carried by a vehicle passenger, or an information processing terminal (notebook computer, PDA, etc.) loaded on the vehicle may be used as the in-vehicle device 1. Meanwhile, although the portable terminal 2 is assumed to be a smartphone in this embodiment, other information processing terminals (mobile phone, notebook computer, PDA, etc.) may also be used.

[0019] In this embodiment, the network 3 is assumed to be the Internet network (cloud). The in-vehicle device 1 and the mobile terminal 2 are connected to the Internet network via a wireless repeater (not shown). Note that communication between the in-vehicle device 1 and the mobile terminal 2 does not necessarily have to be performed via the network 3, and other communication technologies such as long-distance wireless communication may also be used.

[0020] Next, the hardware configurations of the in-vehicle device 1 and the mobile terminal 2 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the in-vehicle device 1. The in-vehicle device 1 includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 11, an antenna 12, a standalone navigation sensor 13, a display 14, a speaker 15, a communication unit 16, a control unit 17, and a map database (hereinafter referred to as "map DB") 18. Note that the display 14 and the speaker 15 do not necessarily need to be integrated with the in-vehicle device 1, and may be configured independent of the in-vehicle device 1.

[0021] The GPS receiver 11 receives GPS information (including location information indicating the current location and time information indicating the current time) via the antenna 12. The self-contained navigation sensor 13 consists of an angle sensor and a distance sensor (neither of which are shown), and is used in combination with the GPS receiver 11 to identify the vehicle's location. The display 14 displays the route search results and, as necessary, various confirmation screens (screens that prompt the user for confirmation). The speaker 15 outputs route guidance information by voice and provides various voice confirmations (voice guidance that prompts the user for confirmation).

[0022] The communication unit 16 communicates with the mobile terminal 2 via the network 3. In this embodiment, the communication unit 16 is used to receive mobile location information (location information) indicating the current location of the mobile terminal 2 and to transmit destination setting information indicating a destination (meeting place, target location) set in the in-car device 1 (location information acquisition unit, target location notification unit). The control unit 17 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 17a, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 17b, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 17c. The CPU 17a is a central processing unit that performs various arithmetic processing. In this embodiment, the control unit 17 mainly sets a destination and searches for a route (search unit). The ROM 17b stores control programs and control data for the CPU 17a to perform various arithmetic processing. The RAM 17c is used as a work area when the CPU 17a performs various arithmetic processing.

[0023] The map DB 18 stores map data for route search. The map DB 18 may be provided on a server on the network 3, and the in-vehicle device 1 may access the server to read the map data. The control program in the ROM 17b may be executed by the server. In other words, the in-vehicle device 1 may be operated using cloud computing technology.

[0024] 3 is a block diagram of the mobile terminal 2. The mobile terminal 2 includes a GPS receiver 21, an antenna 22, a touch panel 23, a call unit 24, a communication unit 26, a control unit 27, and a map DB .

[0025] The GPS receiver 21 receives GPS information (including location information and time information) via the antenna 22. The touch panel 23 is used to display various information and perform various operations. In this embodiment, it is mainly used for starting a meeting when meeting with a vehicle passenger and for displaying route guidance information (see FIG. 5). The call unit 24 implements a telephone function.

[0026] The communication unit 26 communicates with the in-vehicle device 1 via the network 3. In this embodiment, the communication unit 26 is used to receive destination setting information set in the in-vehicle device 1 and to transmit mobile location information indicating the current location of the device measured by the GPS receiver 21. The control unit 27 is made up of a CPU 27a, a ROM 27b, and a RAM 27c. A meeting assistance application for operating in cooperation with the in-vehicle device 1 is installed in the ROM 27b. Furthermore, as one function of the meeting assistance application, device identification information for identifying the vehicle (in-vehicle device 1) with which the meeting will take place is set in advance (stored in the ROM 27b).

[0027] The map DB 28 stores map data for route search. Like the map DB 18, the map DB 28 may be provided on a server on the network 3. The map DB 28 may also be stored as part of a meeting assistance application. Furthermore, the meeting assistance application may be executed on a server on the network 3.

[0028] Next, the flow of the route guidance process by the communication system SY will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 4. Here, it is assumed that a meeting assistance application is running on the mobile terminal 2, and that the process starts when a meeting start operation using the meeting assistance application is performed.

[0029] When the user of the mobile terminal 2 (the person to be met) performs an operation to start the meeting (for example, when the start meeting button displayed on the touch panel 23 is selected, S01), the mobile terminal 2 transmits mobile location information indicating the current location of the terminal to the in-vehicle device 1 (S02).

[0030] If multiple pieces of device identification information are set in advance in the mobile terminal 2, the device identification information of the in-vehicle device 1 with which the meeting will be held may be selected from the set information and the meeting start operation may be performed. In this case, the mobile location information may be transmitted to the selected device identification information as the destination. Alternatively, multiple meeting start buttons may be displayed on the touch panel 23 corresponding to the multiple set device identification information, and the destination of the mobile location information may be determined depending on which button is selected from the displayed buttons.

[0031] When the in-car device 1 acquires the mobile location information from the mobile terminal 2 (S03), it sets a destination to be the meeting place based on the mobile location information and performs a route search (S04). Here, the current location of the mobile terminal 2 is set as the destination based on the acquired mobile location information. Then, upon completion of the route search, the in-car device 1 starts route guidance of the device itself and transmits destination setting information indicating the set destination and vehicle location information (measurement result of the GPS receiver 11) indicating the location of the device itself to the mobile terminal 2, which is the source of the mobile location information (S05). The destination setting information and vehicle location information may be a map code or an address.

[0032] When the destination setting information and vehicle position information are transmitted from the in-vehicle device 1, the mobile terminal 2 starts route guidance and displays the destination based on the destination setting information and the position of the in-vehicle device 1 based on the vehicle position information (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle position") on the map displayed on the touch panel 23 (S06). After the route guidance starts, the mobile terminal 2 also periodically transmits mobile position information to the in-vehicle device 1 (S07).

[0033] On the other hand, when the in-car device 1 acquires mobile location information from the mobile terminal 2 after starting route guidance (S08), it determines whether the mobile terminal 2 has moved based on the mobile location information (S09). Here, it determines that the mobile terminal 2 has moved when the mobile terminal 2 is away from the set destination by a predetermined distance (for example, several tens to several hundreds of meters). If it is determined that the mobile terminal 2 has not moved (S09: No), it returns to S08.

[0034] Furthermore, if it is determined that the mobile terminal 2 has moved (S09: Yes), it is determined whether the current location of the mobile terminal 2 is a location where parking and stopping are not possible (S10). Here, if the mobile terminal 2 is in a no-parking or no-traffic section, it is determined that the location is a location where parking and stopping are not possible. If it is determined that the current location of the mobile terminal 2 is not a location where parking and stopping are not possible (S10: No), the current location after the mobile terminal 2 has moved is set (updated) as a new destination, and the destination is displayed on the map on the display 14 (S11). If it is determined that the current location of the mobile terminal 2 is a location where parking and stopping are not possible (S10: Yes), a location within a section where parking and stopping is possible that is closest to the current location after the mobile terminal 2 has moved is set and displayed as a new destination (S12).

[0035] Thereafter, the in-car device 1 transmits the updated destination setting information and the vehicle position information at this time to the mobile terminal 2 (S13). The mobile terminal 2 receives these and displays the updated destination and vehicle position on the map on the touch panel 23 (S14). Meanwhile, after S13, the in-car device 1 determines whether the meeting has been completed (S15). Here, the in-car device 1 determines that the meeting has been completed when the current positions of the in-car device 1 and the mobile terminal 2 are within a predetermined distance (when they are almost the same). If it is determined that the meeting has not been completed (S15: No), the process returns to S08. If it is determined that the meeting has been completed (S15: Yes), the in-car device 1 terminates route guidance and notifies the mobile terminal 2 of this fact (S16). Upon receiving this notification, the mobile terminal 2 terminates route guidance (S17). When route guidance is terminated, it is preferable to display a message to that effect on the display 14. Furthermore, the meeting assistance application may be automatically terminated upon completion of route guidance.

[0036] Next, a screen displayed on the touch panel 23 of the mobile terminal 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5(a) shows an example of a screen display immediately after the meeting assistance application is launched. Immediately after the meeting assistance application is launched, the current position (reference numeral 51) of the mobile terminal 2 is displayed on a map, similar to a general map application. At this time, the triangular mark reference numeral 51 indicates the orientation of the user. Although not specifically shown, it is also possible to change the scale of the map, change the display direction, and so on.

[0037] FIG. 1B shows the state after the user has performed a waiting start operation. In the example shown in the figure, the current location (reference numeral 51) of the mobile terminal 2 is set as the destination (reference numeral 52). After the waiting start operation is performed, locations where parking or stopping is not possible are displayed with diagonal lines (reference numeral 55). Furthermore, if the current location of the in-vehicle device 1 is within the display range based on the received vehicle position information, the current location of the in-vehicle device 1 (reference numeral 56) and the direction of travel (reference numeral 57) are displayed. Furthermore, the vehicle's route (travel trajectory, reference numeral 58) is displayed, starting with the current location (reference numeral 56) of the in-vehicle device 1. These displays allow the person being met to determine on which side of the road they should wait.

[0038] Figure 2(c) shows the state when the destination has changed due to the user's movement. In the example shown in the figure, the user has moved to position 55, and the destination has been changed to 62. As described above, the current position (55) of the mobile terminal 2 and the destination (62) do not match because the mobile terminal 2 is located in a place where parking is not possible. Therefore, the location closest to the current position (55) of the mobile terminal 2 within an area where parking is possible is set as the destination. In addition, because the destination has been changed, a message (65) to that effect is displayed. This message is displayed temporarily and disappears after a few seconds.

[0039] Although the display on the in-vehicle device 1 side is not specifically shown, it displays the current position of the in-vehicle device 1 side, the current position of the mobile terminal 2, the set destination, locations where parking is not possible, and a message indicating that the destination has been changed, in a manner similar to the display on the mobile terminal 2 shown in Figure 5.

[0040] As described above, according to this embodiment, when a vehicle occupant and a person to be met who carries a mobile terminal 2 make a rendezvous, the destination is updated as needed in response to changes in the current location of the mobile terminal 2, allowing the rendezvous to proceed smoothly even if the person to be met moves. Furthermore, the destination is set taking into consideration whether the location is suitable for parking or stopping, allowing the person to meet in a safe location. Furthermore, whenever the destination is updated by the in-vehicle device 1, the destination is notified to the mobile terminal 2, allowing the person to wait for the vehicle in peace.

[0041] The following various modifications can be adopted: In the above embodiment, a case where a destination (final destination of route guidance) is set based on mobile location information is exemplified, but a waypoint (target location) may be set instead of a destination.

[0042] In the above embodiment, route guidance is started using a meeting start operation by the mobile terminal 2 as a trigger (see S01 in FIG. 4), but the meeting start operation may also be performed on the in-vehicle device 1 side. In this case, the in-vehicle device 1 transmits vehicle position information to the mobile terminal 2 of the person to be met in response to the meeting start operation. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 2 starts a meeting assistance application in response to receiving the vehicle position information, and transmits the mobile position information to the in-vehicle device 1.

[0043] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, whether or not the portable terminal 2 has moved is determined by the in-car device 1, but the determination may be made on the side of the portable terminal 2. In this case, the portable terminal 2 does not periodically transmit the portable terminal location information, but only when it has moved a predetermined distance or more from the currently set destination.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the rendezvous is determined to be complete when the current location of the in-car device 1 and the current location of the mobile terminal 2 are within a predetermined distance (when they nearly match) (see S15 in FIG. 4), but if the in-car device 1 and the mobile terminal 2 can communicate with each other via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication or infrared communication, the rendezvous completion may be determined by this communication. In other words, the rendezvous may be determined to be complete when it is detected by these communication means that the in-car device 1 and the mobile terminal 2 are in close proximity to each other.

[0045] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when setting a destination at the start of route guidance, no determination is made as to whether the mobile terminal 2 is located in a location where parking and stopping are possible (see S04 in FIG. 4), but as shown in S10 to S12 in FIG. 4, a configuration may also be adopted in which the destination is set within a section where parking and stopping are possible when setting a destination at the start of route guidance.

[0046] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the destination setting information is transmitted when the vehicle has moved a predetermined distance or more from the set destination (see S09 to S13 in FIG. 4), but the destination setting information may be transmitted from the in-vehicle device 1 to the mobile terminal 2 only when the destination changes. In other words, even if the mobile terminal 2 has moved a predetermined distance or more, if the destination does not change because the current position of the mobile terminal 2 is outside an area where parking and stopping is possible, the destination setting information may not be transmitted.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, if it is determined that the mobile terminal 2 is in a no-parking or no-traffic section, a location outside these sections and closest to the current location of the mobile terminal 2 is set as the destination, but it may also be determined whether the mobile terminal 2 is in a congested section or a single-lane section. In this case, it is sufficient to set as the destination a location outside the congested section or single-lane section and closest to the current location of the mobile terminal 2. Note that a "congested section" may be a section that is currently congested, or a section where congestion is expected at that time of day.

[0048] Furthermore, instead of setting a destination while avoiding prohibited sections such as no parking and stopping sections, no-traffic sections, congested sections, and single-lane sections, the priority of sections that fall under these categories may be lowered when setting a destination. In other words, a prohibition order may be set for each section (for example, no-traffic section > no-parking and stopping section > congested section > single-lane section), and if there is no section where parking and stopping is possible within a predetermined distance from the current position of the mobile terminal 2 other than the above sections, the destination may be set within a single-lane section within the predetermined distance.

[0049] Also, instead of setting a destination that avoids prohibited sections, a configuration may be adopted in which an allowed area is set in advance. In other words, if it is determined that the mobile terminal 2 is outside a predetermined area (allowed area) that has been set in advance, a location within the predetermined area that is closest to the current location of the mobile terminal 2 may be set as the destination.

[0050] Furthermore, the destination may not be set based solely on the distance from the current location of the mobile terminal 2 (provided that it is outside the prohibited section or within the permitted area), but may also be set taking into consideration the direction of travel of the vehicle. That is, as shown in FIG. 6(a), if the person to be met is traveling in the opposite direction to the vehicle's traveling direction, the destination may be set outside the prohibited section or within the permitted area in a direction closer to the vehicle than the current location of the mobile terminal 2. Furthermore, the destination may also be set taking into consideration whether the road is one-way. On a one-way road, as shown in FIG. 6(a), even if the person to be met is traveling in the opposite direction to the vehicle's traveling direction, the vehicle may have to make a U-turn to approach the person to be met. In such cases, the destination may be set outside the prohibited section or within the permitted area in a direction closer to the vehicle making the U-turn than the current location of the mobile terminal 2 (i.e., in the opposite direction to the traveling direction of the person to be met).

[0051] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when the mobile terminal 2 moves away from the set destination by a predetermined distance or more, it is determined that the mobile terminal 2 has moved (see S09 in FIG. 4). However, the movement of the mobile terminal 2 may be determined by detecting the movement of the mobile terminal 2 using a gyro sensor or the like mounted on the mobile terminal 2, and the in-car device 1 receiving the detection result.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the in-car device 1 and the portable terminal 2 display a message on the screen indicating that the destination has been changed, but instead of this, voice guidance may be provided. Also, voice guidance to that effect may be provided at the start and end of route guidance.

[0053] In addition to the message indicating that the destination has been changed, an arbitrary message (for example, "I'll stop by a convenience store") input to the mobile terminal 2 may be displayed or announced by voice on the in-vehicle device 1. Furthermore, the input of a message to the mobile terminal 2 and the transmission of the message to the in-vehicle device 1 may be configured to be performed at any timing, regardless of the change of destination (movement of the person to be met).

[0054] Furthermore, when the vehicle (in-vehicle device 1) approaches the destination, the in-vehicle device 1 may transmit a signal to that effect to the mobile terminal 2. Upon receiving the signal, the mobile terminal 2 notifies the user that the vehicle is approaching by displaying a message, providing audio guidance, vibrating, or the like.

[0055] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the vehicle position information is transmitted from the in-car device 1 to the mobile terminal 2 every time the destination is updated, but the vehicle position information may be transmitted periodically regardless of the destination being updated.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the destination is set and updated on the in-car device 1 side, but it may be set and updated on the mobile terminal 2 side. That is, the processing on the left side of the flowchart shown in Fig. 4 may be performed by the in-car device 1, and the processing on the right side may be performed by the mobile terminal 2.

[0057] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a pedestrian carried the mobile terminal 2, but the present invention can also be applied to cases where a person carrying the mobile terminal 2 is riding in a vehicle other than the vehicle in which the on-board device 1 is mounted, or in a moving body other than a vehicle.

[0058] Furthermore, each component of the in-car device 1 and the mobile terminal 2 shown in the above-described embodiments can be provided as a program. The program can also be provided by storing it on various recording media (not shown). In other words, the program for causing a computer to function as each component of the in-car device 1 and the mobile terminal 2, and the recording media on which the program is recorded, are also included in the scope of the present invention. Other modifications are possible as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1: In-vehicle device 2: Portable terminal 3: Network 11: GPS receiver 12: Antenna 13: Standalone navigation sensor 14: Display 15: Speaker 16: Communication unit 17: Control unit 18: Map DB 21: GPS receiver 22: Antenna 23: Touch panel 24: Call unit 26: Communication unit 27: Control unit 28: Map DB SY: Communication system

Claims

[Claim 1] a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information indicating the current location of the other terminal; a search unit that sets a destination based on the location information and searches for a route to the destination; a destination notification unit that notifies the other terminal of the destination, The search unit updates the destination location in response to a change in the location information of the other terminal; The search device, wherein the destination notification unit notifies the destination after update each time the search unit updates the destination.

Images