Information processing device

Abstract

To enable re-suggestion of charging stations to stop at along a route, which is tailored to the needs of a user.SOLUTION: An information processing device for searching for charging spots along a route from a departure point to a destination of a vehicle is provided, the information processing device comprising a control unit 110 configured to: respond to an operation for searching for charging spots along a route by determining one or more first charging spots to be suggested for visit from among one or more charging spots along the route; receive designation of one or more second charging spots a user wishes to stop by from among the one or more charging spots along the route; and responding to an operation for re-searching for charging spots along the route by adding at least one of the one or more second charging spots to the charging spots to be suggested for visit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to route planning. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a technology that suggests facilities to pass through on the route to a destination. In this regard, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle driving assistance system that uses location information of charging spots to search for a route that passes through charging spots so that the remaining battery power can be maintained between a departure point and a destination. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2010 / 137307 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure aims to provide a proposal of charging facilities to be passed through on a route that is tailored to the needs of the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is An information processing device that searches for charging spots on a route from a departure point to a destination of a vehicle, and has a control unit that, when an operation to search for charging spots on the route is performed, determines one or more first charging spots among one or more charging spots on the route that are charging spots at which the user suggests stopping; accepts designation of one or more second charging spots among one or more charging spots on the route that are charging spots at which the user wishes to stop; and, when an operation to re-search for charging spots on the route is performed, adds at least one of the one or more second charging spots to the charging spots at which the user suggests stopping.

[0006] Other aspects include a method executed by the information processing device, a program for causing a computer to execute the method, or a computer-readable storage medium non-temporarily storing the program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, when proposing charging facilities to be passed through on a route, it is possible to make re-proposals tailored to the needs of a user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen output by the in-vehicle terminal. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating components of the in-vehicle terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 5 is a flowchart of a process executed by a control unit of the in-vehicle terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for editing a list of charging spots in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart of a process executed by a control unit of an in-vehicle terminal according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for editing a list of charging spots in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] (overview) The device that provides route guidance to the vehicle's destination can also provide the user with information about facilities along the way.

[0010] For example, there is a system that provides route guidance for an EV (Electronic Vehicle) by selecting appropriate charging spots from among those available on the way to the destination so that the remaining charge of the EV does not run out to 0 and suggesting stops at those spots. This system can suggest to the user charging spots appropriately selected based on predetermined conditions from all charging spots available on the way to the destination and generate a driving route that passes through the suggested spots. However, the charging spots suggested by the device are not necessarily the charging spots that the user wants to stop at.

[0011] Nevertheless, in the prior art, for example, the user cannot edit the list of suggested charging spots, nor can the user add charging spots that the user wishes to stop at to the list of suggested charging spots.

[0012] In order for the device to make suggestions that meet the user's needs, it is preferable to add charging spots that the user wishes to visit to a list and register information about those charging spots, and when searching for charging spots, to give priority to suggesting the use of registered charging spots.

[0013] An information processing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: An information processing device that searches for charging spots on a route from a departure point to a destination of a vehicle has a control unit that, when an operation to search for charging spots on the route is performed, determines one or more first charging spots among one or more charging spots on the route that are charging spots at which the user is suggested to stop; accepts designation of one or more second charging spots among one or more charging spots on the route that are charging spots at which the user wishes to stop; and, when an operation to re-search for charging spots on the route is performed, adds at least one of the one or more second charging spots to the charging spots at which the user is suggested to stop.

[0014] A charging spot is a charging station where the battery of an EV can be charged. For example, a charging spot may be a charging stand equipped with a quick charger for EVs.

[0015] The operation of searching for a charging spot on the route refers to an operation by the user to search for a charging spot suitable for stopping at among charging spots that exist on the route to the destination.

[0016] The first charging spot is a charging spot that the information processing device according to the present disclosure suggests to the user to stop at. The information processing device according to the present disclosure selects several charging spots from all charging spots on the route to the destination, taking into consideration the remaining battery power of the vehicle to be guided, etc.

[0017] The second charging spot is a charging spot where the user wishes to stop. The user inputs information about the charging spot where the user wishes to stop to the information processing device according to the present disclosure. The user can select the second charging spot from among the first charging spots. The user can also select, as the second charging spot, any of the charging spots that are not selected as the first charging spot by the information processing device according to the present disclosure from among all charging spots on the route to the destination.

[0018] The operation of re-searching for charging spots on the route refers to an operation in which the user re-searches for a charging spot suitable for stopping off from among the charging spots on the route to the destination, with the aim of obtaining a result different from the first charging spot.

[0019] When an operation to re-search for charging spots on a route is performed, an information processing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure adds charging spots that the user has previously desired to stop at to the charging spots suggested for stop-at, and then presents the search results of charging spots to the user.

[0020] An information processing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure can guide a user to charging spots that accurately meet the user's needs by including charging spots that the user wishes to stop at when suggesting charging spots during a re-search.

[0021] The second charging spot may be a charging spot that the control unit has not suggested as a stop, and may be an arbitrary charging spot designated by the user.

[0022] As a result, the information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can include charging spots that were not suggested in the suggestions when re-searching, thereby enabling the information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure to more flexibly respond to user needs.

[0023] The second charging spot may be a charging spot designated from among charging spots suggested for stop-off by the control unit.

[0024] As a result, the information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can reliably include, among the proposed charging spots, charging spots that meet the user's needs in the suggestions when re-searching, thereby enabling the information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure to reliably meet the user's needs.

[0025] The control unit may also display one or more charging spots on the route as a list, and receive an input from the user to specify the second charging spot in the list.

[0026] As a result, the information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can display all target charging spots in a list format and accept a user's designation of a charging spot. Thus, the information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can accept the user's preference from among all target charging spots in a simple manner.

[0027] In addition, in an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when an operation to re-search for charging spots on the route is performed, the control unit may determine other charging spots to suggest stopping at, assuming that the vehicle will stop at one or more second charging spots.

[0028] For example, the control unit determines whether or not it is necessary to stop at another charging spot, assuming that the vehicle has been charged at the second charging spot. As a result, the information processing device according to an aspect of the present disclosure can appropriately select other charging spots to suggest to the user based on the charging spot the user wishes to stop at. Thus, the information processing device according to an aspect of the present disclosure can reflect the user's needs and suggest appropriate charging spots as stopover points.

[0029] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the hardware configuration, module configuration, functional configuration, etc. shown are not intended to limit the technical scope of the disclosure to only those.

[0030] (First embodiment) [Outline of processing performed by the in-vehicle terminal] An overview of an information processing device according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a screen output by an in-vehicle terminal. The information processing device according to this embodiment is realized, for example, as an in-vehicle terminal 100. The in-vehicle terminal 100 is mounted on a vehicle and provides functions such as a car navigation system to a user. The vehicle is typically an electric vehicle, and can communicate with external devices via a wireless communication network (for example, a cellular communication network). For example, the in-vehicle terminal 100 can obtain information about available charging spots on a route to a destination via the wireless communication network.

[0031] The on-board terminal 100 acquires information about all available charging spots that exist on the route from the departure point to the destination of the vehicle. Then, the on-board terminal 100 determines one or more charging spots that the user should stop at from among all the available charging spots.

[0032] Then, the in-vehicle terminal 100 displays all available charging spots in a list format on the display unit. At this time, the in-vehicle terminal 100 displays, among all charging spots displayed in the list format, charging spots where the user is suggested to stop by surrounded by a solid frame, and charging spots where the user is not suggested to stop by surrounded by a dashed frame.

[0033] If the user approves the proposed content, the charging spots indicated by solid lines are set as route points for the vehicle.

[0034] The user can also edit the list of charging spots that are suggested for the user to stop at. For example, the user can select a charging spot that the user wishes to stop at from among the charging spots that were not suggested as a stop. For example, as shown in the area surrounded by a dashed line frame in Fig. 1, the user can switch to the charging spot surrounded by a solid line frame (i.e., the charging spot that the user plans to stop at) by clicking on the charging spot displayed surrounded by a dashed line frame.

[0035] Furthermore, the user can select a charging spot that the user does not want to stop at among the charging spots that are suggested for stop-in. For example, as shown by the area surrounded by a two-dot chain line in Fig. 1, the user can switch to a charging spot surrounded by a dashed line (i.e., a charging spot that the user does not plan to stop at) by clicking on the charging spot displayed surrounded by a solid line frame.

[0036] Information about the charging spot selected by the user is saved and will be used in subsequent searches. For example, when the user performs an operation to re-search for a charging spot to be proposed for a stop, the in-vehicle terminal 100 performs a re-search for charging spots other than the charging spot that the user previously selected to stop at. In other words, the in-vehicle terminal 100 stores the charging spot that the user previously selected to stop at as a charging spot to be proposed for a stop, and appropriately changes the other charging spots as necessary.

[0037] As a result, when re-proposing charging spots to be passed through, the on-board terminal 100 can include charging spots that the user previously selected to stop at in the charging spots to be proposed to be passed through. It is possible to make new proposals tailored to the user's needs.

[0038] [Configuration of in-vehicle terminal] Next, a description will be given of the hardware and software configurations of the devices constituting the on-board terminal 100. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating the components of the on-board terminal 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0039] The in-vehicle terminal 100 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), a main memory device (RAM, ROM, etc.), and an auxiliary memory device (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.). The auxiliary memory device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, various functions (software modules) that match predetermined purposes, as described below, can be realized. However, some or all of the functions may be realized as hardware modules using hardware circuits such as ASICs, FPGAs, etc.

[0040] The in-vehicle terminal 100 includes a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, a communication unit 130, and a display unit 140.

[0041] The control unit 110 is realized by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and a memory. The control unit 110 includes, as functional modules, a search unit 111, an input reception unit 112, and an output unit 113. These functional modules may be realized by the control unit 110 executing a program.

[0042] The search unit 111 acquires information about available charging spots on the route to the user's destination. Then, the search unit 111 determines a charging spot that the user should stop at from among the available charging spots. For example, the search unit 111 queries an external server device or the like to acquire a list of available charging spots on the route to the destination. Then, the search unit 111 determines a charging spot that the user should stop at from among the charging spots listed in the list, taking into consideration the remaining battery level of the vehicle, the location of the charging spot, and the like.

[0043] The input receiving unit 112 receives, from the user, input of information regarding a charging spot that the user wishes to stop at. For example, the input receiving unit 112 receives a result of the user selecting a charging spot that the user wishes to stop at from a list of available charging spots that the output unit 113 (described later) outputs to the display unit 140 (described later).

[0044] The output unit 113 outputs information about available charging spots acquired by the search unit 111 and information about charging spots determined by the search unit 111 for which a stop is proposed to be made to the display unit 140. For example, the output unit 113 displays a list of all available charging spots on the display unit 140. The list may be displayed on the display unit 140 in a manner that enables a distinction to be made between charging spots for which the search unit 111 has proposed a stop to be made and charging spots for which the search unit 111 has not proposed a stop to be made. Note that the manner in which the output unit 113 outputs information about available charging spots and charging spots for which a stop to be proposed to be made is not limited to the above.

[0045] The storage unit 120 is a main storage device such as RAM or ROM, and an auxiliary storage device such as an EPROM, a hard disk drive, and a removable medium. The auxiliary storage device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc. By executing the stored programs, it is possible to realize the functions that match the predetermined purpose of each part of the control unit 110. However, some or all of the functions may be realized by hardware circuits such as ASICs and FPGAs.

[0046] The storage unit 120 stores data and the like used or generated in the processing performed by the control unit 110. The storage unit 120 may also store information about all available charging spots on the route to the destination.

[0047] The communication unit 130 is configured with a communication circuit that performs wireless communication. The communication unit 130 may be, for example, a communication circuit that performs wireless communication using 4G (4th Generation) or a communication circuit that performs wireless communication using 5G (5th Generation). The communication unit 130 may also be a communication circuit that performs wireless communication using LTE (Long Term Evolution) or a communication circuit that performs wireless communication using LPWA (Low Power Wide Area). The communication unit 130 may be a communication circuit that performs communication using the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard.

[0048] The display unit 140 is a display that displays images and the like to provide information to the user. The display unit 140 may be a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The display unit 140 may also be realized as a touch panel display. The display unit 140 may display a list of charging spots that are determined by the search unit 111 and that are suggested for a stop, and a map showing their location information.

[0049] [In-vehicle terminal processing] Next, a description will be given of specific contents of the processing performed by the on-board terminal 100. Fig. 3 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the control unit 110 of the on-board terminal 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0050] The on-board terminal 100 starts the process illustrated in Fig. 3 when, for example, a main switch of the vehicle is turned on. Alternatively, the on-board terminal 100 may start the process illustrated in Fig. 3 when a request is received from the user of the vehicle. The request may be an operation from the user to search for charging spots on the route.

[0051] First, in step S10, the search unit 111 acquires information about all charging spots available on the route from the departure point of the vehicle to the destination. For example, the search unit 111 may acquire a list of all charging spots available on the route to the destination. Alternatively, the search unit 111 may individually inquire of multiple external devices and collect all information about charging spots available on the route to the destination, which information is provided by each device.

[0052] In step S11, the search unit 111 determines whether or not information about a charging spot previously input by the user at which the user wishes to stop (hereinafter referred to as a first designated charging spot) is stored in the storage unit 120. That is, the search unit 111 determines whether or not there is a charging spot at which the user previously wished to stop. If it is determined that information about the first designated charging spot is present, this step is determined as positive.

[0053] If the determination in this step is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0054] If the determination in this step is negative, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0055] When the process proceeds to step S13, the search unit 111 adds at least one of the first designated charging spots to the charging spots that are proposed for a user to stop by. The search unit 111 determines one or more charging spots that are proposed for a user to stop by based on a predetermined condition. The specified condition is, for example, the remaining battery capacity of the vehicle or the location of each charging spot. Then, the search unit 111 adds a first designated charging spot to the one or more determined charging spots, and determines it as a charging spot that is proposed to the user as a stopping point. If there are multiple first designated charging spots, the search unit 111 may add all of the first designated charging spots to the charging spots that are proposed to the user as a stopping point. Depending on the number of first designated charging spots, the search unit 111 may delete some of the one or more charging spots that it has determined and that it proposes to the user as a stopping point.

[0056] When the process proceeds to step S12, the search unit 111 determines a charging spot to which the user is to drop in based on a predetermined condition from among all the available charging spots acquired in step S10.

[0057] Next, after step S12 and step S13, in step S14, output unit 113 displays a list of charging spots where a stop is suggested on display unit 140. Output unit 113 outputs the list of charging spots where a stop is suggested, which is determined by search unit 111 in step S12 or step S13.

[0058] Next, in step S15, the input receiving unit 112 receives input from the user regarding the presence or absence of a charging spot (first designated charging spot) at which the user wishes to stop. If there is a first designated charging spot, the input receiving unit 112 also receives input of specific information identifying the first designated charging spot. The input receiving unit 112 can receive input from the user not only that there is a first designated charging spot, but also that there is no first designated charging spot.

[0059] The input receiving unit 112 may acquire information for identifying the first designated charging spot via the display unit 140. For example, the user can select the first designated charging spot from a list of available charging spots displayed on the display unit 140. The selection may be made by clicking on the screen or tapping on the touch panel display.

[0060] The charge spot selected as the first designated charge spot may be a charge spot that has not been suggested for a stop by the search unit 111 and that is listed in the list of available charge spots. Alternatively, the charge spot selected as the first designated charge spot may be selected from the list of charge spots that have been suggested for a stop by the search unit 111.

[0061] Next, in step S16, the input receiving unit 112 determines whether or not a first designated charging spot has been designated by the user. That is, the input receiving unit 112 determines whether or not an input indicating that there is a first designated charging spot has been made in step S15. If the input receiving unit 112 determines that the user has input information regarding the first designated charging spot, the determination in this step is affirmative.

[0062] If the determination in this step is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S17.

[0063] If the determination in this step is negative, the process ends.

[0064] When the process proceeds to step S17, the input receiving unit 112 stores at least one of the first designated charging spots in the storage unit 120. The input receiving unit 112 stores information identifying the first designated charging spots in the storage unit 120.

[0065] Next, in step S18, the search unit 111 adjusts the content of the suggestions for other charging spots, assuming that the user will stop at the first designated charging spot. For example, the search unit 111 determines whether charging is necessary at other charging spots on the route, assuming that the vehicle will be charged at the first designated charging spot. For example, if the destination can be reached by simply charging at the charging spot designated by the user, the search unit 111 may withdraw the suggestions for stopping at the other charging spots that were suggested as stops. Furthermore, if it is predicted that the vehicle will run out of power before arriving at the first designated charging spot, the search unit 111 may add the new charging spot as a suggested charging spot for stopping at. After the process of step S18, the process proceeds to step S14.

[0066] By performing the above-described process, the in-vehicle terminal 100 can include the charging spot that the user selected to stop at in the charging spots that are proposed to be stopped at when re-proposing charging spots to be passed through.

[0067] Next, a description will be given of the details of the screen in the first embodiment where the user inputs the charging spots where the user wants to stop. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the screen for editing the list of charging spots in the first embodiment. This screen is presented to the user in step S15.

[0068] As shown in (a) of Fig. 4, a screen for editing a list of charging spots that the search unit 111 has suggested for a stop is displayed on the display unit 140 of the in-vehicle terminal 100. When the user wants to edit the list of charging spots that the search unit 111 has suggested for a stop, the user presses an edit button 50 on the screen. Note that a list of all available charging spots on the route may be displayed separately on the screen, but is not shown in Fig. 4.

[0069] Next, when the edit button 50 is pressed, a screen for selecting a charging spot to stop at is displayed, as shown in (b) of Fig. 4. For example, the user deletes Destination 2 and adds Destination 4 as a charging spot to stop at, as shown by the dashed frame 51.

[0070] When the above operation is performed, the search unit 111 deletes Destination 2 from the list of charging spots suggested for a stop and adds Destination 4 to the list of charging spots suggested for a stop. Then, the search unit 111 outputs the search results again, with charging spots other than Destination 4 at which the user has requested a stop targeted for a re-search. If the user is going to stop at Destination 2, a stop at Destination 3 is considered appropriate and suggested, but if the user does not want to stop at Destination 2, a stop at another charging spot may be appropriate instead. Therefore, for example, as shown in (d) of FIG. 4, the search unit 111 suggests a stop at Destination 5, indicated by the dashed frame 52, instead of Destination 3, which has been targeted for a re-search.

[0071] On the screen described above, the user can specify a charging spot that he or she wishes to stop at.

[0072] In the first embodiment, the input receiving unit 112 receives, from the user, information specifying a charging spot at which the user wishes to stop. Then, the search unit 111 presents the search result to the user again, so that the charging spot at which the user wishes to stop is included in the charging spots that the search unit 111 suggests to stop at. Furthermore, when the user performs an operation to search for a charging spot again, the in-vehicle terminal 100 according to this embodiment suggests, as a charging spot to stop at, a charging spot that the user has previously desired to stop at. This allows the in-vehicle terminal 100 to suggest appropriate charging spots to be visited by the user without missing any charging spots that the user wishes to visit. Therefore, the in-vehicle terminal 100 can re-suggest charging facilities along the route in accordance with the user's needs.

[0073] (Second embodiment) [Outline of processing performed by the in-vehicle terminal] In the first embodiment, the in-vehicle terminal 100 receives information about charging spots that the user wants to stop at and reflects the information in the results of a re-search for the charging spots. However, it is also possible that the user may specify charging spots that the user does not want to stop at, rather than charging spots that the user wants to stop at. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the in-vehicle terminal 100 receives input about charging spots that the user does not want to stop at, rather than charging spots that the user wants to stop at, and reflects the information in the results of a re-search for the charging spots.

[0074] Fig. 5 is a flowchart of processing executed by the control unit 110 of the in-vehicle terminal 100 according to the second embodiment. The in-vehicle terminal 100 starts the processing illustrated in Fig. 5 when the main switch of the vehicle is turned on. Alternatively, the in-vehicle terminal 100 may start the processing illustrated in Fig. 5 when it receives a request from the user of the vehicle. The request may be an operation from the user to search for charging spots along the route.

[0075] First, in step S20, the search unit 111 acquires information about all available charging spots on the route to the destination. For example, the search unit 111 may acquire a list of all available charging spots on the route to the destination. Alternatively, the search unit 111 may individually inquire of multiple external devices and collect all information about available charging spots on the route to the destination that is provided by each device.

[0076] In step S21, the search unit 111 determines whether information about a charging spot previously input by the user that the user did not want to stop at (hereinafter referred to as a second designated charging spot) is stored in the storage unit 120. A second designated charging spot is a charging spot that the system previously suggested the user should stop at, but that the user did not want to stop at. If it is determined that information about the second designated charging spot is available, this step is determined as positive.

[0077] If the determination in this step is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S23.

[0078] If the determination in this step is negative, the process proceeds to step S22.

[0079] When the process transitions to step S23, the search unit 111 determines charge spots to which the user is suggested to stop, so as not to include the second designated charge spot in the result. The search unit 111 determines one or more charge spots to which the user is suggested to stop, based on a predetermined condition. The predetermined condition is, for example, the remaining battery capacity of the vehicle or the location of each charge spot. At this time, the search unit 111 determines charge spots to which the user is suggested to stop, so as not to include the second designated charge spot in the one or more determined charge spots.

[0080] When the process proceeds to step S22, the search unit 111 determines a charging spot to which the user is to drop in based on a predetermined condition from among all the available charging spots acquired in step S20.

[0081] Next, after steps S22 and S23, in step S24, the output unit 113 displays a list of charging spots that are suggested for stopping by on the display unit 140. The search unit 111 outputs a list of charging spots that are determined in step S22 or step S23 and that are proposed as stops.

[0082] Next, in step S25, the input receiving unit 112 receives input from the user regarding the presence or absence of charging spots (second designated charging spots) at which the user does not wish to stop. If there are second designated charging spots, the input receiving unit 112 also receives input of specific information identifying the second designated charging spots. The input receiving unit 112 can receive input from the user not only that there are second designated charging spots, but also that there are no second designated charging spots.

[0083] The input receiving unit 112 may acquire information for identifying the second designated charging spot via the display unit 140. For example, the user can select the second designated charging spot from a list of available charging spots displayed on the display unit 140. The selection may be made by clicking on the screen or tapping on the touch panel display.

[0084] Next, in step S26, the input receiving unit 112 determines whether or not a second designated charging spot has been designated by the user. That is, the input receiving unit 112 determines whether or not an input indicating that there is a second designated charging spot has been made in step S25. If the input receiving unit 112 determines that information regarding the second designated charging spot has been input by the user, the determination in this step is affirmative.

[0085] If the determination in this step is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S27.

[0086] If the determination in this step is negative, the process ends.

[0087] When the process proceeds to step S27, the input receiving unit 112 stores the second designated charging spot in the storage unit 120. The input receiving unit 112 stores information identifying the second designated charging spot in the storage unit 120.

[0088] Next, in step S28, the search unit 111 deletes the second designated charge spot from the list of charge spots that are suggested to the user for a stop. If, as a result of deleting the second designated charge spot from the list, it is predicted that the remaining charge of the vehicle will not last from one of the suggested charge spots to the next charge spot, the search unit 111 may further add a charge spot that is suggested to the user for a stop. In this case, the search unit 111 adjusts the added charge spots so that the second designated charge spot is not included. After the processing of step S28, the processing proceeds to step S24.

[0089] By performing the processing described above, the in-vehicle terminal 100 can re-propose charging spots to pass through, and can suggest stopping at appropriate charging spots without including charging spots that the user has chosen not to stop at among the charging spots to be proposed for stopping at.

[0090] Next, a screen for inputting charging spots that the user does not want to stop at in the second embodiment will be described in detail. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for editing a list of charging spots in the second embodiment. This screen is presented to the user in step S25.

[0091] As shown in (a) of Fig. 6, a screen for editing a list of charging spots that the search unit 111 has suggested for a stop is displayed on the display unit 140 of the in-vehicle terminal 100. When the user wants to edit the list of charging spots that the search unit 111 has suggested for a stop, the user presses an edit button 50 on the screen. Note that a list of all available charging spots on the route may be displayed separately on the screen, but is not shown in Fig. 6.

[0092] Next, when the edit button 50 is pressed, a screen for selecting a charging spot to be deleted is displayed, as shown in (b) of Fig. 4. For example, the user selects Destination 2 as the charging spot to be deleted, as shown by the dashed frame 61.

[0093] When the above operation is performed, the search unit 111 deletes Destination 2 from the list of charging spots that the user suggests stopping at. When Destination 2 is deleted in this way, it may become necessary to stop at another charging spot instead. Therefore, the search results are output again after Destination 2, which the user has requested not to stop at, is not included in the search results again. For example, as shown in (d) of FIG. 4, the search unit 111 suggests stopping at Destination 4, which is indicated by a dashed frame 62, instead of Destination 2 that has been deleted.

[0094] On the screen described above, the user can specify charging spots at which the user does not wish to stop.

[0095] In the second embodiment, the input receiving unit 112 receives information from the user specifying charging spots at which the user does not want to stop. Then, the search unit 111 presents the search result to the user again, with the charging spots at which the user does not want to stop being included in the charging spots that the search unit 111 suggests to stop at. Furthermore, when the user performs an operation to search for a charging spot again, the in-vehicle terminal 100 according to this embodiment excludes charging spots that the user did not previously wish to stop at from the suggestions of charging spots to stop at. This allows the in-vehicle terminal 100 to suggest stops at appropriate charging spots without making unnecessary suggestions about charging spots that the user does not want to stop at. Therefore, the in-vehicle terminal 100 can re-suggest charging facilities along the route in accordance with the user's needs.

[0096] (Other variations) The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure can be modified and implemented as appropriate within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the disclosure. For example, the processes and means described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0097] In the above embodiment, the user selects and inputs a charging spot where the user wishes to stop from a list of all available charging spots, but the method for specifying the charging spot where the user wishes to stop is not limited to this. If the charging spot where the user wishes to stop is not included in the list, the user may specify the charging spot by inputting the name, ID, location information, etc. of the charging spot where the user wishes to stop into a screen that the output unit 113 displays on the display unit 140.

[0098] In addition, in the above embodiment, the output unit 113 outputs information to the display unit 140 of the in-vehicle terminal 100, but this is not limited to this. The output unit 113 may output information to a display device other than the display unit 140 of the in-vehicle terminal 100.

[0099] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. The information may be provided to the computer via a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the computer's system bus or via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk, such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a Blu-ray disk), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 100···In-vehicle terminal 110 Control unit 111...Exploration Department 112 Input reception section 113 Output section 120...Storage section 130 Communications Department 140...Display section

Claims

1. An information processing device that searches for charging spots on a route from a departure point to a destination of a vehicle, When an operation for searching for a charging spot on the route has been performed, determining one or more first charging spots that are charging spots to be proposed as a stop-over from among the one or more charging spots on the route; Accepting designation of one or more second charging spots that are charging spots at which the user wishes to stop, from among the one or more charging spots on the route; When an operation to re-search for charging spots on the route is performed, adding at least one of the one or more second charging spots to charging spots that are suggested to be visited; and a control unit that executes the following: Information processing device.

2. The second charging spot is a charging spot that is not suggested as a stop by the control unit and is an arbitrary charging spot designated by the user. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The second charging spot is a charging spot designated from among charging spots suggested for stop-over by the control unit. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. The control unit Displaying one or more charging spots on the route as a list; accepting an input from the user to specify the second charging spot in the list; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. The control unit When an operation to re-search for charging spots on the route is performed, Assuming the vehicle stops at the one or more second charge spots, determining other charge spots to propose a stop at. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

Images