Information processing device

Abstract

To provide an appropriate route for each user.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes a control unit that is configured to execute: obtaining a departure place and destination of a vehicle; generating a first route of the vehicle according to the departure place and destination; specifying a dangerous point that is a point associated with occurrence of an accident on the first route according to a first condition; specifying a struggling point that is a point on the first route where a user of the vehicle struggles, according to a second condition; generating a second route that includes less dangerous points or struggling points than the first route; and outputting the generated second route.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] It is known that by referring to danger information that includes a danger level at the current location of a wireless communication terminal, route information is generated so that the danger level per unit section is below a predetermined level, and the route information is transmitted to the wireless communication terminal (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-333423 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-091265 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The objective of the present disclosure is to provide an optimized route for each user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing device including a control unit configured to perform the following operations: obtain a departure point and a destination point of a vehicle; generate a first route for the vehicle according to the departure point and the destination point; identify danger points on the first route that are points associated with the occurrence of accidents according to a first condition; identify difficulty points on the first route that are points that a user of the vehicle has difficulty using according to a second condition; generate a second route that has fewer danger points or difficulty points than the first route; and output the generated second route.

[0006] The present disclosure can also be seen as an information processing method in which a computer executes the processing of the information processing device, or as an information processing program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method, or a non-transitory storage medium for storing the information processing program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an optimized route for each user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a vehicle, a user terminal, and a server that constitute a system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an image output on a touch panel of a user terminal after a route search. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an image output on the touch panel of the user terminal after a route is searched again. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing the overall processing of the system when proposing a route according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing processing in a server according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Each user who drives a vehicle has different difficulties in different situations. Even if the risk level of each section is set based on data collected by both parties and a route is generated according to that risk level, it may not be said that the optimal route is proposed for some users. Therefore, a control unit of an information processing device, which is one aspect of the present disclosure, acquires the departure point and destination of the vehicle. The departure point may be the current location of the vehicle. The departure point and destination may be input by the user. The control unit also generates a first route for the vehicle according to the departure point and destination. The first route is a route that the vehicle can travel from the departure point to the destination. The first route is generated, for example, without depending on the first condition and the second condition. The route may be generated according to predetermined rules to shorten the travel distance and travel time.

[0010] The control unit also identifies danger points on the first route that are points related to the occurrence of accidents in accordance with the first condition. The first condition is, for example, at least one of geographical conditions, conditions based on road traffic information, conditions acquired from multiple vehicles, conditions based on weather, and conditions based on time of day. These conditions are also conditions related to the likelihood of accidents occurring. The control unit also identifies difficulty points on the first route that are points at which the user of the vehicle has difficulty driving in accordance with the second condition. The second condition is, for example, at least one of conditions selected by the user, conditions acquired from the user's vehicle, conditions based on weather, and conditions based on time of day. These difficulty points are also points that force the user to drive in a manner that they are not good at.

[0011] Furthermore, the control unit generates a second route that has fewer dangerous points or difficult points than the first route. This second route is a route that avoids at least one of the dangerous points or difficult points that exist on the first route. Note that the control unit may generate a second route that does not pass through any dangerous points or difficult points. Therefore, the second route is a route that is less dangerous for the user than the first route. The control unit then outputs the generated second route. The output may be sent to, for example, the user's terminal. In this way, a second route optimized for each user can be generated. This output may include an instruction to display the route, dangerous points, or difficult points on the user's terminal. Furthermore, the control unit may generate the second route only if requested by the user after providing information about the first route to the user.

[0012] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the hardware configurations, module configurations, functional configurations, and the like described in the following embodiments are not intended to limit the technical scope of the disclosure to those configurations alone.

[0013] <Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle 10, a user terminal 20, and a server 30 that constitute a system 1 according to an embodiment. The system 1 is a system that proposes routes to a user (which may be a driver). In the example shown in FIG. 1, the system 1 is configured to include a vehicle 10, a user terminal 20, and a server 30. The user terminal 20 is a mobile terminal carried by a user of the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 is a vehicle associated with the user terminal 20. There may be a plurality of vehicles 10 and a plurality of user terminals 20. The server 30 may be configured from a plurality of servers. The vehicle 10, the user terminal 20, and the server 30 are interconnected by a network N1. The network N1 is, for example, a global public communication network such as the Internet, which is a WAN (Wide Area Network). Network) or other communication networks may be adopted. The network N1 may also include a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone network, or a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0014] The server 30 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), a main memory (RAM, ROM, etc.), and an auxiliary memory (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.). The software stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, it is possible to realize various functions (software modules) that meet specific purposes, as will be described later. However, some or all of the modules may be realized as hardware modules using hardware circuits such as ASICs and FPGAs.

[0015] The server 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a communication module 33. The control unit 31 is a computing unit that executes predetermined programs to realize various functions of the server 30. The control unit 31 can be realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 31 may also be configured to include RAM, ROM, cache memory, etc. Details of the control unit 31 will be described later.

[0016] The storage unit 32 is a means for storing information, and is configured with a storage medium such as a RAM, a magnetic disk, or a flash memory. The storage unit 32 stores programs executed by the control unit 31, data used by the programs, etc. The storage unit 32 also stores databases (a vehicle information DB 321, a danger point information DB 322, a difficult point information DB 323, an audio guide information DB 324, and a map information DB 325).

[0017] The vehicle information DB 321 has fields for a vehicle ID, a user terminal ID, a departure point, a destination, a current location, and sensor information. The vehicle ID field stores information (vehicle ID) that can identify the vehicle 10. The user terminal ID field stores information (user terminal ID) that can identify the user terminal 20 linked to the vehicle 10. The departure point field stores information about the departure point of the vehicle 10. The destination field stores information about the destination of the vehicle 10. Note that the departure point and the destination may be stored as one route. The current location field stores the current location of the user terminal 20. Note that the current location of the vehicle 10 may be stored instead of the current location of the user terminal 20. The sensor information field stores information about detection values ​​of various sensors acquired by the sensor group 15 of the vehicle 10. The information stored in the vehicle information DB 321 is transmitted from the vehicle 10 or the user terminal 20 to the server 30. When the control unit 31 receives vehicle information from the vehicle 10 or the user terminal 20, the control unit 31 stores the vehicle information in the vehicle information DB 321.

[0018] The danger point information DB 322 stores information about danger points. A danger point is a point where there is a high possibility of an accident occurring. A danger point is a point common to multiple users (e.g., all users). Note that a point may be represented by a road section or the coordinates of the point. For example, it may be a point where a predetermined number of accidents or more have occurred in the past, a point with the same conditions as other points where accidents have occurred, or a point where vehicle behavior that may cause an accident has been detected in the past. Examples of danger points include a point where driving starts, a point where to turn right at an intersection, a point where to turn left at an intersection, a main road with little traffic, a narrow road with little traffic, a main road with heavy traffic, a narrow road with heavy traffic, a road without a center line, a road with one lane in each direction, a road requiring multiple lane changes, a congested road, a curved road, an uphill road, a downhill road, a school route, a residential area, a point where an alley exits a main road, a point where a road merges with a main road, a parking lot of a commercial facility, an icy road, a construction site, an expressway entrance, an expressway exit, a point where accidents frequently occur, a point where near misses occur, a road with many commercial facilities, a parking lot, etc.

[0019] The point at which driving started is a point within a range from when the vehicle 10 starts moving from the parked state until it has traveled a predetermined distance or until a predetermined time has passed. For example, the point at which driving started may be determined based on information about the current location transmitted from the vehicle 10. In other words, if the vehicle 10 has been stopped for a predetermined time and then started moving, any point within a range from when it has traveled a predetermined distance or until a predetermined time has passed may be considered to be the point at which driving started. In such cases, a driver may need to cross a sidewalk to exit the road, which may result in an accident. Information regarding traffic volume, congested roads, and construction sites may be acquired from an external server providing road traffic information. Information regarding right-turn points at intersections, left-turn points at intersections, roads without center lines, single-lane roads, roads requiring multiple lane changes, main streets, narrow roads, curved roads, uphill roads, downhill roads, school routes, residential areas, points where alleys exit main streets, points where main streets merge, parking lots for commercial facilities, expressway entrances, expressway exits, roads with many commercial facilities, and parking lots may be stored in the map information DB 325 (described later). Icy roads may be determined based on, for example, the temperature obtained from a server providing a weather forecast. Near-miss incident locations may be locations where vehicle 10 exhibits behavior that could lead to an accident. Danger points may also be determined based on, for example, the detection values ​​of the sensor groups 15 of multiple vehicles 10. For example, a point where sudden braking or a sudden acceleration is detected above a threshold may be determined as a danger point. The detection values ​​of the sensor group 15 of the vehicle 10 are determined using information stored as sensor information in the vehicle information DB 321. Note that danger points are not limited to the above examples, and may be any points where there is a high possibility of an accident occurring.

[0020] Furthermore, danger points may be identified by combining multiple conditions. For example, a weather-related condition and a map-related condition may be combined to identify a curved road when it is raining as a danger point. Furthermore, for example, a weather-related condition, a time-of-day condition, and a map-related condition may be combined to identify a curved road when it is raining at night as a danger point. The location where it will rain may be obtained, for example, from a server that provides a weather forecast.

[0021] The difficulty point information DB 323 stores information about points where the user is not good at driving. Examples of difficulty points include points where the user is not good at driving, points where the user is not good at road conditions, and points where the user is not good at weather. A difficulty point is a point identified for each user. A difficulty point may be input by the user to the user terminal 20 and transmitted from the user terminal 20 to the server 30. A difficulty point may be, for example, a point where a right turn is made, a point where a main road is passed, a point where a narrow road is passed, or a point where it is raining or snowing. A difficulty point may also be a point selected by the user from the same categories as the danger points. A difficulty point corresponding to a user may also be identified based on detection values ​​of the sensor group 15 of the user's vehicle 10. For example, a point having the same conditions as a point where sudden braking is detected at or above a threshold, or a point having the same conditions as a point where sudden acceleration is detected at or above a threshold may be identified as a difficulty point.

[0022] Furthermore, a plurality of conditions may be combined to identify a difficult point. For example, a weather-related condition and a map-related condition may be combined to identify a curved road when it is raining as a difficult point. Furthermore, a weather-related condition, a time-of-day condition, and a map-related condition may be combined to identify a curved road when it is raining at night as a difficult point.

[0023] The voice guidance information DB 324 stores voice data corresponding to dangerous points and difficult points. This voice data is data used for voice guidance. For example, at the point where you start driving, voice data corresponding to "When you get on the road, be sure to check for pedestrians and bicycles" corresponds.

[0024] The map information DB 325 stores map information including map data and POIs (Points of Interest) such as characters and photos that indicate the characteristics of each point on the map data. The information DB 325 may be provided from another system connected to the network N1, for example, a GIS (Geographic Information System). The data includes link data related to the route (links), node data related to node points, intersection data related to each intersection, search data for searching routes, facility data related to facilities, and search data for searching for locations.

[0025] The communication module 33 is a communication interface for connecting the server 30 to the network N1. The communication module 33 may be configured to include, for example, a network interface board, a wireless communication interface for wireless communication, etc. The server 30 can perform data communication with the vehicle 10 and the user terminal 20 via the communication module 33.

[0026] When the control unit 31 of the server 30 receives information regarding a route search request from the user terminal 20, it executes a route search based on the departure point and destination. At this time, the control unit 31 searches for a route according to predetermined rules, such as the route with the shortest travel distance or the route with the shortest travel time. This search can be performed using known techniques. The control unit 31 also identifies danger points and difficult points on the searched route. Furthermore, the control unit 31 transmits information regarding the danger points and difficult points to the user terminal 20 along with information regarding the searched route. At this time, the control unit 31 transmits a command to the user terminal 20 to display the searched route, danger points, and difficult points on a touch panel 25 of the user terminal 20, which will be described later.

[0027] 2 is a diagram showing an image 400 output on the touch panel 25 of the user terminal 20 after a route search. The image 400 displays, on a map, a current location 401 of the user terminal 20, a destination 402, a route 403, a first danger point 404, a first difficulty point 405, a second danger point 406, a second difficulty point 407, and a button 408 for requesting a search for an avoidance route. The button 408 displays a message such as "Search for an avoidance route." When the user taps the button 408, a request to avoid the danger points and difficulty points is transmitted from the user terminal 20.

[0028] When the control unit 31 receives a request from the user terminal 20 to avoid danger points and difficult points, the control unit 31 executes a route search again to avoid danger points and difficult points. At this time, the control unit 31 may generate a route with the fewest danger points and difficult points, or may generate a route with no danger points or difficult points at all. As another example, the control unit 31 may generate a route with fewer danger points and difficult points than in the initial route search. Note that, because the travel distance increases as the number of points to be avoided increases, a limit may be set on the travel distance or travel time that increases as a result of avoiding the points. This limit may be input by the user into the user terminal 20. Alternatively, the control unit 31 may generate a route in which the number of danger points and difficult points is equal to or less than a predetermined number. The predetermined number may be a number input by the user into the user terminal 20. Alternatively, the user may set the number of danger points and difficult points to be avoided. Alternatively, the control unit 31 may generate a route to avoid points selected by the user from the danger points and difficult points displayed on the user terminal 20.

[0029] Then, the control unit 31 identifies danger points and difficult points on the re-searched route. Furthermore, the control unit 31 transmits information about the danger points and difficult points along with information about the re-searched route to the user terminal 20. At this time, the control unit 31 transmits a command to the user terminal 20 to display the re-searched route, danger points, and difficult points on a touch panel 25 of the user terminal 20, which will be described later.

[0030] 3 is a diagram showing an image 400 output on the touch panel 25 of the user terminal 20 after the route is searched again. Since it is no longer necessary to pass through the first danger point 404 and the second difficult point 407, the image 400 displays the first danger point 404 and the second danger point 406. In this way, the route is searched again so that the number of dangerous points and difficult points is reduced.

[0031] Furthermore, the control unit 31 transmits audio guidance corresponding to the danger point and the difficult point to the user terminal 20. For example, when the user terminal 20 approaches within a predetermined distance from a danger point or a difficult point, the control unit 31 extracts information related to the audio guidance corresponding to the danger point or the difficult point from the audio guidance information DB 324 and transmits it to the user terminal 20. In addition to the audio guidance, the control unit 31 may also transmit to the user terminal 20 a command to display characters corresponding to the audio guidance on the touch panel 25 of the user terminal 20.

[0032] The vehicle 10 is a connected car with communication functions. The vehicle 10 is equipped with a control unit 11, a memory unit 12, a communication module 13, a position information sensor 14, a sensor group 15, a touch panel 16, and a speaker 17. These components are interconnected by a CAN bus, which is an in-vehicle network bus. These components include a DCM (Data Communication Module), a head unit, a navigation system, an air conditioning system, and It may also be a component of a vehicle's running system.

[0033] The control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 can be realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 11 may also be configured to include RAM, ROM (Read Only Memory), cache memory, etc. The storage unit 12 is a means for storing information and is configured by a storage medium such as RAM, a magnetic disk, or a flash memory. The storage unit 12 stores programs executed by the control unit 11, data used by the programs, etc.

[0034] The communication module 13 is a communication means for connecting the vehicle 10 to the network N1. In this embodiment, the vehicle 10 can communicate with other devices (for example, the server 30) via the network N1 using mobile communication services such as 3G, LTE, 5G, and 6G. The location information sensor 14 acquires location information (for example, latitude and longitude) of the vehicle 10 at a predetermined interval. The location information sensor 14 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. These include the signal processing unit, the radio communication unit, etc.

[0035] The sensor group 15 includes a sensor that detects the occurrence of an event in the vehicle 10. The sensor group 15 includes, for example, a sensor that detects the state of the vehicle 10 and a sensor that detects the driver's actions. The sensor group 15 includes, for example, a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, an accelerator opening sensor that detects the position of the accelerator pedal, a brake sensor that detects the position of the brake pedal, a steering angle sensor that detects the angle of the steering wheel, an engine rotation speed sensor that detects the rotation speed of the engine, a yaw rate sensor, a turn signal switch sensor (a sensor that detects the state of the turn signal switch), a shift position sensor, and the like. The sensor group 15 may also include a sensor that detects the activation of a system such as a pre-crash safety system. The position information sensor 14 may also be included in the sensor group 15. The touch panel 16 is a device that accepts input from a user and presents information to a user, and is, for example, a touch panel display that includes an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an EL (Electroluminescence) panel. The speaker 17 is a means for outputting sound and the like.

[0036] The control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 transmits the detection values ​​of the position information sensor 14 and the detection values ​​of the sensor group 15 to the server 30 at predetermined time intervals. The control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 can also receive information about the route from the user terminal 20 by communicating with the user terminal 20. This communication may be short-range wireless communication or wired communication. The control unit 11 The route is displayed on the touch panel 16.

[0037] The user terminal 20 is a terminal used by a user of the vehicle 10, and is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a wearable terminal, or a PC (Personal Computer). The user terminal 20 has application software installed therein for, for example, providing route guidance for the vehicle 10. The user terminal 20 includes a control unit 21, a memory unit 22, a communication module 23, a position information sensor 24, a touch panel 25, and a speaker 26. The control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 can be realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 21 may also be configured to include RAM, ROM (Read Only Memory), cache memory, etc. The memory unit 22 is a means for storing information and is configured by a storage medium such as RAM, a magnetic disk, or a flash memory. The memory unit 22 stores programs executed by the control unit 21, data used by the programs, etc. The communication module 23, position information sensor 24, and touch panel 25 of the user terminal 20 have the same configuration as the communication module 13, position information sensor 14, touch panel 16, and speaker 17 of the vehicle 10.

[0038] The control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 transmits information for requesting a route search to the server 30. The control unit 21 also receives information related to the searched route from the server 30 and displays it on the touch panel 25. At this time, the control unit 21 displays the searched route, danger points, and difficult points on the map displayed on the touch panel 25. The control unit 21 also accepts a request from the user to search for a route that avoids danger points and difficult points. The user can request a search for a route that avoids danger points and difficult points by pressing a button 408 displayed on the touch panel 25 along with the words "Search for an avoidance route." Upon accepting this request, the control unit 21 transmits information related to this request to the server 30. Thereafter, upon receiving information related to the re-searched route, the control unit 21 displays the received route on the touch panel 25.

[0039] The control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 can also transmit information about the route to the vehicle 10. In this case, the information is transmitted by short-range wireless communication or wired communication. The control unit 11 of the vehicle 10, which has received the information about the route, displays the route on a map displayed on the touch panel 16 of the vehicle 10.

[0040] 4 is a sequence diagram showing the overall processing of the system 1 when proposing a route according to the embodiment. Vehicle information is transmitted from the vehicle 10 to the server 30 at predetermined time intervals (S01). The vehicle information may also be transmitted from the vehicle 10 to the server 30 when some event occurs (for example, when sudden braking is detected). The server 30 stores the received vehicle information in the vehicle information DB 321, thereby updating the vehicle information DB 321 (S02). Location information is transmitted from the vehicle 10 and the user terminal 20 to the server 30 at predetermined time intervals.

[0041] When the user taps on the touch panel 25 of the user terminal 20 an icon associated with application software (hereinafter simply referred to as an app) that provides route guidance, the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 launches the app (S11). When the app launches, the control unit 21 displays on the touch panel 25 a user interface that allows the user to input a departure point and a destination. The departure point may be the current location, in which case there is no need to input the departure point. The user inputs the departure point and destination via the touch panel 25. The control unit 21 acquires the departure point and destination entered by the user (S12). After acquiring the departure point and destination, the control unit 21 transmits a route search request to the server 30 (S13). The route search request is a request to search for a route from the departure point to the destination. The route search request includes information on the vehicle ID and the user terminal ID.

[0042] The control unit 31 of the server 30, which has received a route search request from the user terminal 20, generates route information (S14). The route information includes information about the route, danger points, and difficult points. The route information is a route that the vehicle 10 can travel from the departure point to the destination, and is generated using known technology. The danger point information is information about danger points located on the route. The control unit 31 extracts danger points located on the route from the danger point information DB 322 to generate the information about the danger points. The difficult point information is information about difficult points linked to the user terminal ID, and the control unit 31 extracts difficult points located on the route from the difficult point information DB 323 to generate the information about the difficult points. The route information also includes a command to display the route, danger points, and difficult points on the touch panel 25 of the user terminal 20. The control unit 31 of the server 30 transmits the generated route information to the user terminal 20 (S15). At this time, a query as to whether to re-search for a route with fewer danger points and difficult points is also transmitted to the user terminal 20.

[0043] The control unit 21 of the user terminal 20, which has received the route information from the server 30, displays the route on a map displayed on the touch panel 25 (S16). Furthermore, the control unit 21 displays danger points on the map (S17) and also displays difficult points (S18). The control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 also receives a request to search for an avoidance route (hereinafter also referred to as an avoidance route request) from the user (S19). The user can request the search for an avoidance route by, for example, tapping a button 408 displayed on the touch panel 25 that reads "Search for avoidance route." Upon receiving the avoidance route request, the control unit 21 transmits the avoidance route request to the server 30 (S20). The avoidance route request includes information on the vehicle ID and the user terminal ID.

[0044] The control unit 31 of the server 30 that has received the avoidance route request generates route information (S21), similar to the process in S14. At this time, the control unit 31 searches for a route that avoids dangerous points and difficult points. The control unit 31 then transmits the generated route information to the user terminal 20 (S22). The route information includes a command to display the route, dangerous points, and difficult points on the touch panel 25 of the user terminal 20.

[0045] The control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 that has received the route information performs route guidance (S23). At this time, similar to S16, S17, and S18, the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 causes the touch panel 25 to display the route, danger points, and difficult points. The control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 also transmits position information acquired by the position information sensor 24 to the server 30 at predetermined time intervals (S24). The control unit 31 of the server 30 determines whether the user terminal 20 has approached a danger point or a difficult point within a predetermined distance based on the position information of the user terminal 20 and the information stored in the danger point information DB 322 and the difficult point information DB 323. Then, when a danger point or a difficult point is approached within a predetermined distance from the user terminal 20, the control unit 31 extracts information related to an audio guide corresponding to the danger point or the difficult point (hereinafter also referred to as audio guide information) from the audio guide information DB 324 (S25). When a dangerous point or a difficult point is approached, the voice guide notifies the user of the approaching dangerous point or difficult point and provides driving advice corresponding to the dangerous point or difficult point. The voice guide information includes voice data corresponding to the voice guide. The control unit 31 of the server 30 transmits the extracted voice guide information to the user terminal 20 (S26). The voice guide information includes a command to play the voice guide.

[0046] When the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 receives the voice guide information from the server 30, the control unit 21 executes the voice guide (S27). The control unit 21 outputs the corresponding voice data from the speaker 26. By doing so, audio guidance is performed. Note that the control unit 31 of the server 30 may transmit audio guidance information corresponding to danger points and difficult points on the route to the user terminal 20 in advance. The audio guidance information may then be stored in the storage unit 22 of the user terminal 20. In this case, the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 may extract the corresponding audio data from the storage unit 22 and play it back when the user terminal 20 approaches within a predetermined distance from the danger point or difficult point.

[0047] Furthermore, the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 may transmit the route information to the vehicle 10 (S28). Then, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 may display the route, dangerous points, and difficult points on the touch panel 16 of the vehicle 10, or may provide audio guidance (S29).

[0048] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing in the server 30 according to the embodiment. The flowchart shown in Fig. 5 is executed at predetermined time intervals in the server 30. Note that the following description will be given on the assumption that the vehicle information DB 321 stores necessary information.

[0049] In step S101, the control unit 31 determines whether or not a route search request has been received from the user terminal 20. The route search request received from the user terminal 20 includes information on the vehicle ID, the user terminal ID, the departure point, and the destination. Note that information on the current location may be included instead of the departure point. If the control unit 31 makes a positive determination in step S101, the process proceeds to step S102; if the control unit 31 makes a negative determination, the routine ends. In step S102, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the user is a registered user. At this time, the control unit 31 may also determine whether or not the user has been charged. If the control unit 31 makes a positive determination in step S102, the process proceeds to step S104; if the control unit 31 makes a negative determination, the process proceeds to step S103. In step S103, the control unit 31 transmits a message to the user terminal 20 prompting the user to register.

[0050] In step S104, the control unit 31 executes a route search. The control unit 31 generates a route from the departure point or the current location to the destination. At this time, the control unit 31 generates the route regardless of danger points and difficult points. The route generated at this time is an example of a first route. In step S105, the control unit 31 identifies danger points on the searched route. The control unit 31 identifies danger points located on the route from the danger point information DB 322. The conditions for identifying danger points stored in the danger point information DB 322 are an example of a first condition. In step S106, the control unit 31 identifies difficult points on the searched route. The control unit 31 identifies difficult points located on the route from the difficult point information DB 323. The conditions for identifying difficult points stored in the difficult point information DB 323 are an example of a second condition.

[0051] In step S107, the control unit 31 transmits route information to the user terminal 20. The route information includes information about the route searched for in step S104, information about the danger points identified in step S105, and information about the difficult points identified in step S106. The route information also includes a command to display the route, the danger points, the difficult points, and a button 408 labeled "Search for an avoidance route" on the touch panel 25 of the user terminal 20. The route information also includes a command to cause the user terminal 20 to execute audio guidance. The control unit 31 generates route information and transmits it to the user terminal 20. The processes from step S104 to step S106 correspond to the process of S14 in the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 4.

[0052] In step S108, the control unit 31 receives an avoidance route request from the user terminal 20. In other words, it is determined whether the user tapped the button 408 on the user terminal 20. If the control unit 31 makes a positive determination in step S108, the processing proceeds to step S110, and if the control unit 31 makes a negative determination, this routine ends. Note that if an avoidance route request is not received from the user terminal 20 even after a predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit 31 may treat it as if an avoidance route request was not received.

[0053] In step S109, the control unit 31 executes an avoidance route search to avoid danger points and difficult points. At this time, the control unit 31 may generate a route with the fewest danger points and difficult points, or may generate a route with no danger points or difficult points at all. The control unit 31 may also receive conditions on how to avoid danger points and difficult points from the user terminal 20. The route generated at this time is an example of a second route. In step S110, the control unit 31 identifies danger points on the searched avoidance route. Note that, if the control unit has generated an avoidance route in step S109 so as not to pass through danger points, this step S110 is omitted. In step S111, the control unit 31 identifies difficult points on the searched avoidance route. Note that, if the control unit has generated an avoidance route in step S109 so as not to pass through difficult points, this step S111 is omitted.

[0054] In step S112, the control unit 31 transmits route information to the user terminal 20. The route information includes information about the avoidance route searched for in step S110, information about the danger points identified in step S111, and information about the difficult points identified in step S112. The route information also includes a command to display the avoidance route, the danger points, and the difficult points on the touch panel 25 of the user terminal 20. The control unit 31 generates the route information and transmits it to the user terminal 20. The processing from step S109 to step S111 corresponds to the processing of S21 in the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 4.

[0055] In step S113, the control unit 31 determines whether the user terminal 20 has approached a predetermined distance from the danger point or the weak point. The predetermined distance is an appropriate distance for providing the user with voice guidance corresponding to the danger point or the weak point. The location information of the user terminal 20 is transmitted from the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 to the server 30 at predetermined time intervals. As another example, the control unit 31 may use the location information of the vehicle 10 instead of the location information of the user terminal 20. If the control unit 31 makes a positive determination in step S113, the process proceeds to step S114, and if the control unit 31 makes a negative determination, the process proceeds to step S115.

[0056] In step S114, the control unit 31 transmits the audio guide information to the user terminal 20. The control unit 31 extracts the corresponding audio guide information from the audio guide information DB 324 and transmits it to the user terminal 20. As another example, information related to audio guide may be stored in the storage unit 32 of the user terminal 20. The audio guide information includes a command to cause the user terminal 20 to execute audio guide. When the processing of step S114 ends, the processing returns to step S113. Furthermore, in step S115, the control unit 31 determines whether the user terminal 20 has arrived at the destination. If the control unit 31 makes a positive determination in step S115, this routine ends, and if a negative determination is made, the processing returns to step S113.

[0057] As described above, according to this embodiment, if there are danger points or difficult points on the route for the user, the user can be notified of this fact. Also, a route with fewer danger points and difficult points can be suggested to the user. Since the points differ for each user, the optimal route can be suggested for each user.

[0058] In this embodiment, an avoidance route is searched for by the user tapping button 408. However, as another example, the user may be able to select in advance whether or not to search for an avoidance route. For example, if the user inputs into the user terminal 20 that an avoidance route is to be constantly searched for, the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 will send an avoidance route request to the server 30 even if the user does not tap button 408. In this case, the route generated initially, which does not take into account dangerous points and difficult points, does not need to be sent from the server 30 to the user terminal 20.

[0059] <Other embodiments> The above embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure may be modified and implemented as appropriate within the scope of its gist. The processes and means described in the present disclosure may be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradictions arise. Furthermore, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

[0060] The present disclosure can also be realized by providing a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program 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]

[0061] 1 System 10 vehicles 20 User terminal 30 servers 31 Control Unit 32 Storage section

Claims

1. Obtaining a vehicle's origin and destination; generating a first route for the vehicle according to the starting point and the destination; Identifying danger points on the first route according to a first condition, the danger points being points associated with the occurrence of accidents; Identifying a weak point on the first route that is a weak point for the user of the vehicle according to a second condition; generating a second route having fewer dangerous points or less difficult points than the first route; outputting the generated second route; An information processing device comprising a control unit configured to execute the above.

2. the first condition is at least one of a geographical condition, a condition according to road traffic information, a condition obtained from a plurality of vehicles, a condition according to weather, and a condition according to a time period; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The second condition is at least one of a condition selected by the user, a condition acquired from the user's vehicle, a weather-related condition, and a time-of-day condition. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. the control unit generates the second route so as to avoid the dangerous points and the difficult points. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. the control unit generates the second route in response to receiving a request to generate the second route from a terminal of a user of the vehicle; outputting the second route includes transmitting a command to a terminal of a user of the vehicle to display the second route, the danger points, and the difficulty points; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

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