Vehicle capable of sharing real-time information on destination and destination information sharing system for vehicle

Abstract

To suppress a plurality of vehicles from uselessly traveling toward the same destination.SOLUTION: The vehicle includes a movement support device capable of executing route guidance to a destination or automated driving, a communication device, a user interface device, a vehicle exterior camera, an occupant sensor that detects an occupant configuration of the vehicle, and a timer. In a case where an elapsed time until an occupant who gets out of a vehicle gets in the vehicle again is equal to or less than a return time threshold value according to an occupant composition of the vehicle, a movement support device makes an inquiry about difficulty of use of a destination, generates real-time destination information including an answer to the inquiry and an image captured by an external camera, and transmits the destination information to another vehicle heading for the same destination.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle capable of sharing real-time information about a destination, and a vehicle destination information sharing system. [Background technology]

[0002] The vehicle travels to the passenger's destination, where the passenger can exit the vehicle and accomplish their purpose at the destination.

[0003] The navigation device in Patent Document 1 discloses that it receives location information and destination information for each vehicle, such as vehicles parked in a temporary parking lot, and guides the vehicle by estimating that the temporary parking lot is available. The navigation device of Patent Document 2 discloses that if it determines that the engine stop time is less than a predetermined time, it is assumed that the user did not achieve their purpose at the destination facility because the user's stay time at the destination facility was short. Patent Document 2 also discloses that possible reasons for the vehicle engine being stopped for a short time include congestion or holidays. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-117151 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-322282 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, while some destinations are open 24 hours a day, in most cases they have set business days and business hours. Information about the business days and business hours of destinations is generally posted on the web. By referring to the web information of the destination they are heading to in advance, crew members can prevent themselves from heading to a destination that is closed or arriving at a destination outside of business hours.

[0006] However, information on the web may not be up to date, and destinations may be temporarily closed or have temporarily changed opening hours. These changes mean that even if passengers have checked the destination's online information in advance, they may end up heading to a destination that is actually closed or arriving at a destination outside of business hours, which is inconvenient for passengers because the information on the website is not always accurate.

[0007] Furthermore, there are cases where multiple people travel to the same destination at the same time in different vehicles. In this case, not only is the time of multiple passengers wasted due to overlapping, but multiple vehicles also waste travel energy. From the perspective of carbon neutrality, it is desirable to prevent such situations from occurring. Furthermore, depending on the actual destination and the congestion situation of the parking lot, there are cases where it is not only possible to park in a temporary parking lot as assumed in Patent Document 1, but also where it is not possible to park even in a temporary parking lot. Furthermore, the navigation device of Patent Document 2 always assumes that if the engine stop time at the destination is shorter than a predetermined time, the user was unable to achieve their goal at the destination due to congestion, a holiday, or other reasons. However, if the occupant is a single person, they may return to the vehicle immediately after achieving their goal. Conversely, if a family with children returns to the vehicle immediately without achieving their goal, it may take a long time for them to return to the vehicle. The judgment in Patent Document 2 does not reliably determine whether the occupant achieved their goal.

[0008] On the other hand, it is extremely difficult for passengers to know in advance whether a destination is temporarily closed or has temporarily changed its business hours, and passengers find it troublesome to repeatedly inquire about the business status of the destination during its business hours every time they intend to head to an alternative destination.

[0009] In this way, in a car-based society where multiple passengers travel to their destination in multiple vehicles, there is a potential need to prevent multiple vehicles from driving unnecessarily toward the same destination. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A vehicle capable of sharing real-time information about a destination according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a mobility assistance device capable of performing route guidance or automatic driving to a destination set in the vehicle, a communication device capable of sending and receiving destination information to and from other vehicles, a user interface device for occupants of the vehicle, an exterior camera that captures images of the outside of the vehicle, an occupant sensor that detects the occupant configuration of the vehicle, and a timer that measures the elapsed time after occupants dismount from the vehicle at the destination and the time before occupants dismount from the vehicle after the vehicle arrives at the destination, and the mobility assistance device determines whether the elapsed time until occupants who dismounted from the vehicle re-board the vehicle is equal to or longer than the occupant configuration. If the return time is equal to or less than a threshold value corresponding to the return time, or if the time before the occupants disembark from the time the vehicle arrives at the destination is equal to or more than a threshold value for the time before disembarkation, an inquiry about the difficulty of using the destination is made by the user interface device, a response to the inquiry that the destination is difficult to use is obtained from the user interface device, real-time destination information is generated including the obtained response and an image captured by the exterior camera, and the real-time destination information is transmitted from the communication device to another vehicle heading to the destination or to a server device having information about the destination.

[0011] A vehicle destination information sharing system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle destination information sharing system having a plurality of vehicles including a first-arrival vehicle traveling toward the same destination and arriving at the destination before the first-arrival vehicle, and a second-arrival vehicle arriving at the destination after the first-arrival vehicle, wherein the first-arrival vehicle is equipped with a first mobility assistance device capable of performing route guidance or automatic driving to the destination set in the first-arrival vehicle, a first communication device capable of sending and receiving destination information between the first-arrival vehicle and the second-arrival vehicle, a first user interface device for an occupant of the first-arrival vehicle, an exterior camera that captures images of the exterior of the first-arrival vehicle, an occupant sensor that detects the occupant composition of the first-arrival vehicle, and a time elapsed after the occupant disembarked from the first-arrival vehicle at the destination, and a time before the occupant disembarked from the first-arrival vehicle after the first-arrival vehicle arrived at the destination. and a timer for measuring the time elapsed until the occupants who disembarked from the first-arriving vehicle reboard are equal to or less than a return time threshold corresponding to the occupant composition, or if the time before the occupants disembark from the first-arriving vehicle after the first-arriving vehicle arrives at the destination is equal to or greater than a non-disembarkation time threshold, the first mobility assistance device makes an inquiry about the difficulty of using the destination using the first user interface device, obtains a response from the first user interface device in response to the inquiry that the destination is difficult to use, generates real-time destination information including the obtained response and an image captured by the exterior camera, and transmits the real-time destination information from the first communication device to the later-arriving vehicle heading to the destination. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the mobility assistance device queries the occupant about the difficulty of using the destination through a user interface device when the elapsed time from when the occupant disembarks from the vehicle at the destination until when they re-board is equal to or less than a return time threshold. The mobility assistance device also queries the occupant about the difficulty of using the destination through a user interface device when the time before the occupant disembarks from when the vehicle arrives at the destination is equal to or greater than a non-disembarkation time threshold. The mobility assistance device then obtains, as a response to the query, a response that the destination is difficult to use from the user interface device. The mobility assistance device generates real-time destination information. The mobility assistance device also transmits the generated real-time destination information to other vehicles heading to the same destination or to a server device having destination information. This allows other vehicles heading to the same destination as a vehicle of one embodiment of the present invention, or occupants who are referring to the server device while heading to the same destination as a vehicle of one embodiment of the present invention, to obtain real-time information on the business status of the destination before arriving at the destination.

[0013] Furthermore, the mobility assistance device does not inquire about all of the occupant's destinations, but only about destinations where the elapsed time from disembarking to re-boarding is less than or equal to the return time threshold, and destinations where the time before disembarking is greater than or equal to the non-disembarking time threshold. This prevents the occupant from being inquired about the business status of a destination every time they arrive at a destination. In particular, in one embodiment of the present invention, the return time threshold compared with the elapsed time until reboarding is set to a time according to the occupant composition. This prevents occupants from being over- or under-queued, as occurs when, for example, a fixed return time threshold that is not dependent on the occupant composition is compared with the elapsed time. For example, if the fixed return time threshold that is not dependent on the occupant composition is long, the occupants will not be queried at all. Conversely, if the fixed return time threshold that is not dependent on the occupant composition is short, the occupants will always be queried. The time it takes for an occupant who has disembarked from a vehicle to travel from the vehicle's parking location to a destination facility, etc., to confirm that the destination is closed, and then return, varies depending on the occupant composition of the vehicle. In one embodiment of the present invention, different return times are used as thresholds depending on the occupant composition, thereby avoiding over- or under-queuing returning occupants while enabling reliable queries when the destination is actually closed.

[0014] One embodiment of the present invention not only prevents multiple vehicles from unnecessarily driving to the same destination, but also optimizes the frequency of inquiries to occupants for each occupant composition, thereby keeping the burden on occupants being inquired at an appropriate level so as not to be excessive. The driver of the later-arriving vehicle, who receives a real-time notification of the business status of the destination from the first-arriving vehicle that arrived at the destination first, can obtain the real-time business status information of the destination to which the later-arriving vehicle is heading and decide how to respond. Also, the driver searching for a destination on the server device can obtain the real-time business status information of the destination and decide how to respond. As a result, in one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a plurality of vehicles from traveling unnecessarily to the same destination.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, if it takes a long time for the occupants to return to the vehicle to reach their destination, the elapsed time until reboarding is unlikely to be equal to or less than the return time threshold corresponding to the occupant composition. In this case, the mobility assistance device does not transmit real-time destination information. As a result, the later-arriving vehicle heading toward the destination does not receive real-time destination information from the earlier-arriving vehicle. The occupants of the later-arriving vehicle can continue traveling while maintaining their destination, arrive at the destination, and achieve their purpose at the destination. That is, in one embodiment of the present invention, the real-time business status information of the destination communicated between vehicles is not simply notified based on individual conditions, such as whether a parking lot is unavailable or whether the destination is difficult to access. In one embodiment of the present invention, the real-time business status information of the destination is notified based on the results of a comprehensive assessment of these conditions by the occupant of the first-arriving vehicle. For example, if the destination is normally congested, the occupant of the first-arriving vehicle will wait at the destination. In this case, the real-time business status information is not communicated to the later-arriving vehicle. Moreover, as described above, the notifications between vehicles are made according to the occupant composition of the first-arriving vehicle. The occupant composition of a later-arriving vehicle heading to the same destination is generally likely to be the same as or similar to the occupant composition of the earlier-arriving vehicle. Destination users have trends that vary by destination. According to one embodiment of the present invention, occupants of later-arriving vehicles can avoid excessive notifications while traveling and can take into consideration carefully selected notifications, if any. Occupants of later-arriving vehicles will not be overly discouraged from using the destination due to excessive notifications of real-time business status information. Occupants of later-arriving vehicles can consider the impact of carefully selected real-time business status information while traveling and decide whether to continue using the destination. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a vehicle destination information sharing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the main configuration of the control system of the vehicle shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of destination information sharing control by the navigation device of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the first-come-first-served sharing control of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 shows a list of return time thresholds for each occupant configuration classification. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the inquiry notification control executed in the inquiry notification process of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the late-arrival sharing control in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the control of the server control unit for generating the shared vehicle list. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a shared vehicle list generated and transmitted by the server control unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a timing chart showing the overall flow of the destination information sharing process between the first vehicle and the third vehicle in the state of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a timing chart showing the overall flow of the destination information sharing process between the first vehicle to the third vehicle when the parking lot in FIG. 1 is already full. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a vehicle destination information sharing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Destination information sharing system 1 has a plurality of vehicles 2-4 that have the function of sharing real-time information about destinations. Destination information sharing system 1 of FIG. 1 further has server device 5. Server device 5 is connected to a carrier communication network 7 that is connected to a plurality of base stations 6 that are distributed along the roads on which the vehicles travel. In this case, each of the plurality of vehicles 2-4 and server device 5 can send and receive information via base stations 6 and carrier communication network 7. Furthermore, the plurality of vehicles 2-4 may send and receive information to and from each other through direct communication such as V2V (Vehicle to Vehicle) communication.

[0019] The server device 5 includes a server communication device 43, a server memory 42, a server control unit 41, and a server bus 49 to which these are connected. The server communication device 43 may be connected to the carrier communication network 7 as shown in FIG. 1 , or may be connected to an internet network that is connected to the carrier communication network 7. Such a server communication device 43 is capable of communicating with a plurality of vehicles 2 to 4 via a base station 6. The server communication device 43 may, for example, transmit or receive information to a single vehicle, or may transmit information to a plurality of vehicles 2 to 4 by broadcast. The server memory 42 stores programs and data. The data stored in the server memory 42 may include information such as normal business days and business hours of the destination of the vehicle. The server control unit 41 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The CPU reads and executes a program from the server memory 42. In this way, the CPU functions as the server control unit 41. The server control unit 41 controls the operation of the server device 5, including the operation of the server communication device 43.

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a first vehicle 2, a second vehicle 3, and a third vehicle 4 as multiple vehicles 2 to 4. The first vehicle 2, the second vehicle 3, and the third vehicle 4 are all heading to the same restaurant 10. Restaurant 10 is the destination. Customers of restaurant 10 park their vehicles in a parking lot 11 attached to restaurant 10, get out of their vehicles, and travel to restaurant 10. After finishing their visit to restaurant 10, the customers return from restaurant 10 to their vehicles, get in their vehicles, and head to their next destination. In addition, parking lot 11 in FIG. 1 has one parking space available. In this case, first vehicle 2 can park, but second vehicle 3 and third vehicle 4 cannot park until a new parking space becomes available. Also, a family is already waiting in front of restaurant 10 in FIG. 1. In this case, the occupants of first vehicle 2 must wait in front of restaurant 10 even if they park their vehicle in a vacant parking space.

[0021] Incidentally, destinations such as restaurant 10 may be open 24 hours a day, but in many cases they have opening days and opening hours. Information about the opening days and opening hours of destinations is generally posted on the web. By referring to the web information about the destination in advance, passengers can avoid heading to a destination that is closed or arriving at a destination outside of opening hours. However, information on the web may not be up to date, and destinations may be closed or change their opening hours temporarily. These changes can cause passengers to travel to destinations that are actually closed or arrive at destinations outside of business hours, even if they have previously checked the destination's online information. The fact that online information is not always accurate can be inconvenient for passengers trying to use the destination. Furthermore, there are cases where multiple people travel to the same destination at the same time in different vehicles. In this case, not only is the time of multiple passengers wasted due to overlapping, but multiple vehicles 2 to 4 also overlap, resulting in unnecessary travel energy consumption. From the perspective of carbon neutrality, it is desirable to avoid such situations from occurring.

[0022] On the other hand, it is extremely difficult for passengers to know in advance whether a destination is temporarily closed or has temporarily changed its business hours. It is a pain for passengers to have to inquire about the business status of a destination during its business hours every time they intend to head to a destination.

[0023] In this way, in a car-based society where multiple occupants travel to their destination in multiple vehicles 2 to 4, there is a potential need to prevent multiple vehicles 2 to 4 from wasting time driving toward the same destination, which is difficult to achieve. In this embodiment, real-time destination information is shared among multiple vehicles 2 to 4 using a vehicle destination information sharing system 1, thereby reducing the occurrence of such waste. Moreover, in this embodiment, when a destination is actually available, a unique technology is used to ensure that its use is not restricted. For example, if the occupant of the first vehicle 2 in FIG. 1 decides to abandon the restaurant 10 after the first vehicle 2 has reached its destination, this real-time information is sent to the second vehicle 3 and the third vehicle 4, which have not yet reached the same destination. This allows the occupant of the second vehicle 3 and the third vehicle 4 to abandon the destination and change to another alternative destination before reaching the destination. In this case, the first vehicle 2 is the first vehicle to arrive at the destination, while the second vehicle 3 and the third vehicle 4 are the second vehicles to arrive at the destination later. In the following, when it is necessary to particularly distinguish between the configuration of the first-arriving vehicle and the configuration of the later-arriving vehicle, the configuration of the first-arriving vehicle will be given the identification number "first," and the configuration of the later-arriving vehicle will be given the identification number "second." As a result, this embodiment makes it possible to prevent redundant travel to destinations that are difficult to access, without impairing the convenience of occupants who use vehicles to travel to their destinations. A detailed explanation is provided below.

[0024] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the main configuration of the control system 20 of the vehicle of FIG. Each of the first vehicle 2, the second vehicle 3, and the third vehicle 4 in FIG. 1 has a control system 20 in FIG. The vehicle control system 20 in Figure 2 includes a UI control device 21, a sensor control device 22, a navigation device 23, a driving control device 24, a V2V communication device 25, a carrier communication device 26, a short-range communication device 27, and a vehicle network 29 to which these are connected.

[0025] The vehicle network 29 may be a vehicle-specific network such as a Controller Area Network (CAN), a Local Interconnect Network (LIN), or a broadband network for vehicles. The vehicle network 29 may also include a general network such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3. By using such a vehicle network 29, multiple control devices and devices provided in the vehicle can input and output information to and from other devices.

[0026] A touch panel monitor 31, a speaker 32, and a microphone 33 are connected to the UI control device 21 as examples of UI devices (user interface devices) for vehicle occupants. The touch panel monitor 31 displays images in an operable manner. The speaker 32 outputs voice guidance and the like. The microphone 33 detects the voices of occupants in the vehicle. The UI control device 21 controls the operations of the connected devices. The UI control device 21 displays an operation screen on the touch panel monitor 31 and detects touch operation inputs by occupants. The UI control device 21 outputs voice guidance from the speaker 32 and detects voice operation inputs in response to the voice guidance from the microphone 33. The UI control device 21 controls communication with occupants in the vehicle.

[0027] The sensor control device 22 is connected to, for example, an exterior camera 34, an interior camera 35, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 36, a door opening / closing sensor 37, and a timer 38. The exterior camera 34 and the interior camera 35 capture images of the outside of the vehicle. The interior camera 35 may be a monocular camera, a compound camera, or a 360-degree camera. The interior camera 35 captures images of occupants inside the vehicle. The interior camera 35 may be used for personal recognition of the driver, etc. However, in this embodiment, the interior camera 35 is preferably capable of capturing images of the occupants inside the vehicle. The GNSS receiver 36 receives radio waves from a GNSS satellite (not shown) and generates position information of the vehicle in which the GNSS receiver 36 is installed. The door opening / closing sensor 37 detects the opening / closing state of a door that opens and closes when an occupant gets in or out of the vehicle. The timer 38 measures time and date. The timer 38 measures the elapsed time after the vehicle arrives at its destination and the occupant gets out of the vehicle. The sensor control device 22 controls the operations of these devices connected to the sensor control device 22. The sensor control device 22 may determine the occupant configuration in the vehicle based on, for example, an image captured by the in-vehicle camera 35. The occupant configurations that may be riding in the vehicle at the same time include families with children, couples, groups such as friends, and single people. In this case, the in-vehicle camera 35 functions as an occupant sensor that detects the occupant configuration of the vehicle. A seat occupancy sensor may be connected to the sensor control device 22 to detect the occupant configuration.

[0028] When a destination for the vehicle is set, the navigation device 23 searches for and provides guidance on a route to the destination. The navigation device 23 may have a destination database for destination search. The map data and destination database used by the navigation device 23 may be automatically updated via communication or the like. In this case, the navigation device 23 functions as a travel assistance device capable of providing route guidance to the destination set in the vehicle.

[0029] The driving control device 24 controls the driving of the vehicle. The driving control device 24 may execute driving assistance control such as driving control under manual driving or driving control under automatic driving in accordance with the driving operation of the driver. Furthermore, when a destination is set, the driving control device 24 may control the driving of the vehicle to the destination by automatic driving. The driving control device 24 may control the driving of the automobile in cooperation with the navigation device 23. In this case, the driving control device 24 functions as a travel assistance device capable of executing automatic driving to the destination set in the vehicle.

[0030] The V2V communication device 25 communicates with V2V communication devices 25 of other vehicles in the vicinity of the vehicle. The V2V communication device 25 may be capable of communicating with base stations 6 in the vicinity of the vehicle. The V2V communication device 25 is a communication device capable of sending and receiving destination information to and from other vehicles.

[0031] The carrier communication device 26 communicates with the carrier's base station 6 in the vicinity of the vehicle.

[0032] The short-range communication device 27 communicates with an occupant terminal 28 in the vehicle by short-range communication such as IEEE802.15.1. Each of the V2V communication device 25, the carrier communication device 26, and the short-range communication device 27 functions as a communication device provided in a vehicle.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing destination information sharing control by the navigation device 23 of FIG. The navigation device 23, as a travel assistance device, repeatedly executes the destination information sharing control of FIG. In this embodiment, the navigation device 23 executes various controls as shown in FIG. 3 and described below, but the driving control device 24 may execute similar controls.

[0034] In step ST1, the navigation device 23 determines whether or not a new destination has been set for the vehicle. The occupant sets their destination in the vehicle using the UI device of the vehicle. If such a setting has been made, the navigation device 23 determines that a new destination has been set, and proceeds to step ST2. If a new destination has not been set for the vehicle, the navigation device 23 ends this control. In this case, the destination information is not shared.

[0035] In step ST2, the navigation device 23 transmits destination information of the vehicle. The navigation device 23 transmits the destination information of the vehicle from the carrier communication device 26 to the server device 5 via the base station 6. The destination information of the vehicle is received by the server communication device 43 of the server device 5. Furthermore, the navigation device 23 may transmit destination information of the vehicle to another vehicle via V2V communication from the V2V communication device 25.

[0036] In step ST3, the navigation device 23 determines whether or not a shared vehicle list has been received. The shared vehicle list is a list of multiple vehicles 2 to 4 traveling toward the same destination, and in this embodiment, is received by the carrier communication device 26 from the server device 5. An example of the shared vehicle list is shown in FIG. 9. By the processing of step ST2, the shared vehicle list generated in the server device 5 is updated to include information on the latest destinations of the multiple vehicles 2 to 4. The navigation device 23 repeatedly executes the destination information sharing control of FIG. 3, so that the navigation device 23 can receive the latest shared vehicle list generated in the server device 5. If the shared vehicle list has been received, the navigation device 23 proceeds to step ST4. If the shared vehicle list has not been received, the navigation device 23 proceeds to step ST5.

[0037] In step ST4, the navigation device 23 stores the shared vehicle list acquired through reception. The navigation device 23 may store the shared vehicle list in the memory of the navigation device 23. The shared vehicle list stored in the memory of the navigation device 23 is updated to the latest version by the navigation device 23 repeatedly executing the destination information sharing control of FIG. 3.

[0038] In step ST5, the navigation device 23 determines whether or not the vehicle has arrived at the destination. The navigation device 23 may determine that the vehicle has arrived at the destination when, for example, the vehicle position detected by the GNSS receiver 36 is the location of the destination or a location in the vicinity of the destination. The destination determined here may be the location of the facility that the occupant intends to use in FIG. 1, or the location of the parking lot 11 associated with the facility. Immediately after the vehicle starts traveling toward the destination, the vehicle has not yet arrived at the destination. If the vehicle has not arrived at the destination, the navigation device 23 advances the process to step ST6. If the vehicle has arrived at the destination, the navigation device 23 advances the process to step ST7.

[0039] In step ST6, the navigation device 23 executes late-arrival sharing control to receive real-time destination information sharing. Details of the late-arrival sharing control will be described with reference to FIG. As a result, the vehicles that have not yet arrived at the destination execute the late arrival shared control. Thereafter, the navigation device 23 ends this control.

[0040] In step ST7, the navigation device 23 ends the subsequent arrival shared control that has been executed in step ST6.

[0041] In step ST8, the navigation device 23 acquires the latest shared vehicle list that is stored.

[0042] In step ST9, the navigation device 23 determines whether or not it has already received real-time destination information, which is shared information, from all vehicles other than its own vehicle included in the latest shared vehicle list. If the shared information has been received from all vehicles included in the latest shared vehicle list, the navigation device 23 ends this control. If the shared information has not been received from all the vehicles included in the latest shared vehicle list, the navigation device 23 proceeds to step ST10.

[0043] In step ST10, the navigation device 23 executes first-come, first-served sharing control to share real-time information about the destination from the own vehicle. Details of the first-come, first-served sharing control will be described with reference to FIGS. Thereafter, the navigation device 23 ends this control.

[0044] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the first-come-first-served sharing control of FIG. When the vehicle arrives at the destination as the first vehicle, the navigation device 23 repeatedly executes the first-arrival sharing control of FIG. 4 according to FIG.

[0045] In step ST21, the navigation device 23 determines whether the shift lever of the vehicle is operated to the P range. If the shift is not into P range, the navigation device 23 repeats this process. When the vehicle is parked in a predetermined parking lot 11 and the shift lever is operated to the P range, the navigation device 23 advances the process to step ST22.

[0046] In step ST22, the navigation device 23 uses the timer 38 to start measuring the time before getting off the vehicle.

[0047] In step ST23, the navigation device 23 determines the occupant configuration of the vehicle. The navigation device 23 may acquire information about the occupant composition of the vehicle, which is determined based on an image captured by the in-vehicle camera 35. The navigation device 23 may also obtain information about the occupant configuration of the vehicle based on information from seating sensors on the seats used by the occupants. Then, the navigation device 23 determines the occupant composition of the vehicle based on the acquired occupant composition information. The occupant configurations who get off their vehicle and travel to their destination include, for example, a family with a parent and child, a married couple consisting of only adults, a group of adults other than a married couple, and single people. The navigation device 23 may determine the occupant composition of the vehicle by determining which of these occupant composition categories the information on the occupant composition of the vehicle most closely matches. Whether a person is an adult or a child can be distinguished by the part of the body captured in the captured image, the level of the detection value of the seating sensor, or the like.

[0048] In step ST24, the navigation device 23 acquires the return time threshold value corresponding to the occupant configuration determined in step ST23.

[0049] FIG. 5 is a list 50 of return time thresholds for each occupant configuration classification. The return time threshold list 50 of FIG. 5 may be stored in the memory of the navigation device 23 . The return time threshold list 50 in FIG. 5 includes classifications of occupant configurations, such as a family with a parent and child, a married couple consisting of only adults, a group consisting of only adults other than a married couple, and a single person. Each category is also associated with a return time threshold. In the example of FIG. 5, the return time threshold for families is the longest, at 60 seconds. The return time threshold for married couples is the next longest, at 50 seconds. The return time threshold for groups is the next longest, at 15 seconds. The return time threshold for single people is the shortest, at 10 seconds. These values ​​may be determined, for example, taking into consideration the time it takes to travel from parking lot 11 in FIG. 1 to the destination facility and the time it takes to get in and out of a vehicle. Families with children tend to travel the slowest. Elderly couples may also travel slowly. In contrast, groups of young people travel quickly, but single people often travel even faster. The return time thresholds in FIG. 5 are set with this in mind. The navigation device 23 uses the occupant configuration determined in step ST23 as a key to obtain the corresponding return time threshold from the return time threshold list 50 of FIG. The return time thresholds in Fig. 5 are merely an example. The magnitude relationship between the return time thresholds for each category may also be different from that shown in Fig. 5. Furthermore, the classification of occupant configurations may include categories other than those shown in Fig. 5.

[0050] In step ST25, the navigation device 23 determines whether or not the door of the vehicle has been opened or closed, thereby enabling the navigation device 23 to determine that an occupant has exited the vehicle. When getting off the vehicle, the passenger opens and closes the vehicle door. The navigation device 23 may determine whether or not the door of the vehicle has been opened or closed based on the detection result of the door opening / closing sensor 37. If the door of the vehicle is not opened or closed, the navigation device 23 advances the process to step ST26. If the door of the vehicle has been opened or closed, the navigation device 23 advances the process to step ST27.

[0051] In step ST26, the navigation device 23 determines whether the current time before getting off the vehicle measured by the timer 38 is equal to or greater than the non-getting off time threshold. Here, the no-dismount time threshold is set to a time longer than the standard time from when the occupant operates the shift lever to the P range until when the occupant dismounts from the vehicle. This allows the navigation device 23 to determine that the occupant is not about to get out of the vehicle parked at the destination. If there are no available parking spaces in the parking lot 11 at the destination, the occupant will wait inside the vehicle. If the time before disembarking is equal to or greater than the non-disembarking time threshold, the navigation device 23 advances the process to step ST30 to inquire of the occupants remaining in the vehicle. If the time before getting off is not equal to or greater than the non-getting off time threshold, the navigation device 23 returns the process to step ST25.

[0052] In step ST27, the navigation device 23 starts measuring, using the timer 38, the time that has elapsed since the occupant who determined in step ST25 that he or she has dismounted from the vehicle.

[0053] In step ST28, the navigation device 23 determines whether the door of the vehicle has been opened and closed again, thereby enabling the navigation device 23 to determine that the occupant has returned to the vehicle. If the door of the vehicle is not opened or closed again, the navigation device 23 repeats this process. If the door of the vehicle is opened and closed again, the navigation device 23 advances the process to step ST29.

[0054] In step ST29, the navigation device 23 determines whether the current elapsed time measured by the timer 38 is equal to or less than the return time threshold value acquired in step ST24. If the occupant who has exited the vehicle is active at the destination, the currently elapsed time measured by the timer 38 will generally be longer than the return threshold. In contrast, when an occupant who has exited the vehicle returns to the vehicle without engaging in any activity at the destination, the current elapsed time measured by the timer 38 will generally be shorter than the return threshold. If the elapsed time is equal to or less than the return time threshold, the navigation device 23 advances the process to step ST30 to inquire of the occupant who returned early about the business status of the destination. If the elapsed time is not equal to or less than the return time threshold, the navigation device 23 ends this control.

[0055] In step ST30, the navigation device 23 notifies the UI device of an inquiry about the accessibility of the destination when the vehicle arrives at the destination. Here, the navigation device 23 may notify an inquiry about the business status of the destination from the UI device. In this case, the navigation device 23 may display an inquiry screen about the business status of the destination on the touch panel monitor 31, or output an inquiry voice about the business status of the destination from the speaker 32.

[0056] In step ST31, the navigation device 23 acquires a response to the inquiry from the UI device. If an inquiry is made about the accessibility of the destination, the navigation device 23 can obtain a response about the accessibility of the destination.

[0057] In step ST32, the navigation device 23 determines whether or not to end the inquiry to the occupant who has returned to the vehicle. If the inquiry is not to be ended, the navigation device 23 returns the process to step ST30. The navigation device 23 repeats the process from step ST30 to step ST32 until it determines that the inquiry is to be ended. Then, when the inquiry is completed, the navigation device 23 advances the process to step ST33 in order to share real-time information about the destination.

[0058] In step ST33, the navigation device 23 acquires an image relating to the destination. Here, the image relating to the destination may be an image of the facility at the destination or an image of the parking lot 11 at the destination. Furthermore, the navigation device 23 may acquire an image at the time when the shift lever is operated to the P range, or an image at the current time. The navigation device 23 may acquire images from an exterior camera 34 or from a passenger terminal 28 via a short-range communication device 27. The image taken by the vehicle exterior camera 34 is basically an image of the parking lot 11.

[0059] In step ST34, the navigation device 23 generates real-time destination information. The navigation device 23 generates destination information including the summary of the answers given in step ST31 and the image given in step ST33. The real-time destination information includes information such as whether the destination is closed, changes to the destination's business hours, congestion or waiting times at the destination or parking lot, which indicate difficulty in using the destination, as well as images of the destination or parking lot that are difficult to use.

[0060] In step ST35, the navigation device 23 transmits the real-time destination information of the subject vehicle generated in step ST34 to other vehicles included in the shared vehicle list that have not yet received the information. Here, "other vehicles that have not received destination information" refers to other vehicles that have not received real-time destination information at the time of arrival of the vehicle that has arrived at the destination. All such other vehicles are considered to be subsequent vehicles, with the vehicle executing this process being the first vehicle to arrive. Navigation device 23 may transmit real-time destination information of the vehicle from carrier communication device 26 through base station 6, or may transmit it to other vehicles via V2V communication from V2V communication device 25. The information transmitted to base station 6 may be transmitted to other vehicles through another base station 6, for example, via server device 5. In this case, carrier communication device 26 or V2V communication device 25 functions as the first communication device of the first-arriving vehicle.

[0061] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the inquiry notification control executed in the inquiry notification process of FIG. In FIG. 6, the inquiry notification control inquires about the difficulty of using a destination. The navigation device 23 repeatedly executes the inquiry notification control of FIG. 6 to inquire about the business status of the destination at the time when the vehicle arrives at the destination. The navigation device 23, as a travel assistance device, executes the inquiry notification control of FIG. 6 in stages each time it executes the inquiry notification process of step ST30 of FIG.

[0062] In step ST41, the navigation device 23 inquires whether the destination is closed or not. If the destination is closed, the destination cannot be used. In response to this, the navigation device 23 acquires the response of the occupant in step ST31 of FIG.

[0063] In step ST42, the navigation device 23 inquires whether the opening hours of the destination have changed. If the opening hours of the destination have changed, the destination may not be available. In response to this, the navigation device 23 acquires the response of the occupant in step ST31 of FIG.

[0064] In step ST43, the navigation device 23 determines whether or not the answer given in steps ST41 and ST42 indicates that the destination is open for business. If the destination is not closed or has not changed its business hours, the destination is considered to be open, in which case the navigation device 23 proceeds to step ST44. On the other hand, if the destination is closed or the business hours have changed, the navigation device 23 ends this control.

[0065] In step ST44, the navigation device 23 notifies the user of the congestion status and waiting time for destinations that are open. If the destination or parking lot is crowded, it will be difficult to use the destination. If the waiting time is long, it will be difficult to use the destination. In response to this, the navigation device 23 acquires the response of the occupant in step ST31 of FIG.

[0066] Through the series of inquiry processes in FIG. 6, the navigation device 23 can obtain information about the business status of the destination for the occupant who returned early. The navigation device 23 can obtain, as a response to the difficulty of using the destination, a response that the destination is closed, a response that the business hours of the destination have changed, or a response that the destination is so crowded that it is not suitable for use. All of this business status information may be included in the real-time destination information.

[0067] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the late-arrival sharing control in FIG. When the navigation device 23 is a subsequent vehicle and receives destination information from a first-arrival vehicle while traveling to the destination, the navigation device 23 repeatedly executes the subsequent-arrival sharing control of FIG. 7 in accordance with FIG.

[0068] In step ST51, the navigation apparatus 23 determines whether the carrier communication device 26 or the V2V communication device 25 of the own vehicle has received new real-time destination information from the first-arrival vehicle. In this case, the carrier communication device 26 or the V2V communication device 25 functions as a second communication device for the following vehicle.

[0069] In step ST52, the navigation device 23 determines whether or not the opening hours of the destination have been changed in the new real-time destination information. As described above, the real-time destination information includes information on the response result from the occupant of the first-arriving vehicle regarding the difficulty of using the destination. If the response result from the occupant of the first-arriving vehicle includes a response regarding the destination being closed or the business hours having changed, the navigation device 23 may determine that the business hours of the destination have changed. If the business hours have been changed, the navigation device 23 advances the process to step ST53. If the business hours have not been changed, the navigation device 23 advances the process to step ST59.

[0070] In step ST53, the navigation device 23 further determines whether or not the destination is closed in the new real-time destination information. If the destination is closed, the occupants' purpose cannot be achieved even if the vehicle continues to travel to the destination. The navigation device 23 proceeds to step ST54 to change the destination to a new one. If the destination is not closed, the navigation device 23 advances the process to step ST59.

[0071] From step ST54, the navigation device 23 starts the process of searching for and recommending a new destination. The navigation device 23 first searches for an alternative destination for the following vehicle to replace the current destination. The navigation device 23 searches the destination database to extract information about new alternative destinations. In this case, the navigation device 23 may set conditions such as an alternative destination of the same type as the current destination, being between the current location of the vehicle and the current destination, or being close to the route to the future destination of the vehicle.

[0072] In step ST55, the navigation device 23 notifies the user of the found alternative destination as a recommendation from the UI device. If there are multiple alternative destinations, the passengers of the later arriving vehicle may select one of them. If there is one alternative destination, the occupant of the subsequent vehicle may provide operational input for approval.

[0073] In step ST56, the navigation device 23 updates the destination of the following vehicle to the recommended alternative destination.

[0074] In step ST57, the navigation device 23 searches for a route from the current traveling position to the destination of the new following vehicle.

[0075] In step ST58, the navigation device 23 starts guidance along the route searched for in step ST57. Thereafter, the navigation device 23 ends this control.

[0076] In response to the recommendation notification in step ST55, the occupant of the subsequent vehicle may input an operation to continue maintaining the current destination. In this case, the navigation device 23 may end this control without executing the processes from step ST56 to step ST58.

[0077] In step ST59, the navigation device 23 determines whether or not it is possible to arrive at the destination by the closing time of the business hours at the destination in the new real-time destination information. At this time, the navigation device 23 may compare the estimated time of arrival of the vehicle at the destination along the current route with the closing time of business at the destination in the new real-time destination information. Furthermore, in many cases, the last order time is set before the closing time of the restaurant 10. For this reason, the navigation device 23 may obtain a general last order time for comparison instead of the closing time of the destination in the new real-time destination information. If it is possible to arrive at the destination by the closing time of the business, the navigation device 23 ends this control. If it is not possible to arrive at the destination by the closing time of the business hours, the navigation device 23 advances the process to step ST60. In this way, if there is no change in the business hours of the destination or if the destination is not closed, the navigation device 23 further determines whether the later-arriving vehicle can arrive at the destination within business hours on the current route. Based on the shared information, the navigation device 23 determines whether the business hours have changed, whether the destination is closed, and whether the vehicle can arrive within business hours.

[0078] In step ST60, the navigation device 23 notifies the user of the difficulty in arriving within business hours through the UI device. Thereafter, the navigation device 23 ends this control.

[0079] With the above control, a later-arriving vehicle among multiple vehicles 2 to 4 heading to the same destination can stop its journey before reaching the destination based on the shared information from the earlier-arriving vehicle that has already arrived at the destination.

[0080] Next, the operation of the server device 5 that supports the sharing of real-time destination information between the first-arrival vehicle and the second-arrival vehicle will be described. The operation of the server device 5 described below may be executed individually in each of the first navigation device 23 of the first-arriving vehicle and the second navigation device 23 of the second-arriving vehicle. In particular, when the first-arriving vehicle and the second-arriving vehicle transmit and receive information via V2V communication, the operation of the server device 5 described below may be executed individually in the first-arriving vehicle and the second-arriving vehicle.

[0081] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the control of the server control unit 41 for generating a shared vehicle list. The server control unit 41 of the server device 5 repeatedly executes the shared vehicle list generation control shown in FIG.

[0082] In step ST71, the server control unit 41 determines whether the server communication device 43 has received new destination information from the vehicle. If new destination information has not been received, the server control unit 41 repeats this process. When the new destination information is received, the server control section 41 advances the process to step ST72.

[0083] In step ST72, the server control unit 41 stores the new destination information acquired in step ST71 in the server memory 42 in association with the ID of each vehicle. As a result, the destination information of the plurality of vehicles 2 to 4 is stored in the server memory 42 in association with each ID.

[0084] In step ST73, the server control unit 41 reads the destination information of the plurality of vehicles 2 to 4 stored in the server memory .

[0085] In step ST74, the server control section 41 sorts the read destination information of the plurality of vehicles 2 to 4 by destination.

[0086] In step ST75, the server control section 41 extracts, from the sorting result, a plurality of vehicles 2 to 4 that are heading to the same destination.

[0087] In step ST76, the server control unit 41 generates a shared vehicle list for the plurality of vehicles 2 to 4 extracted in step ST75.

[0088] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the shared vehicle list 60 generated and transmitted by the server control unit 41. As shown in FIG. The shared vehicle list 60 in FIG. 9 includes information on common destinations and information on the vehicle IDs of a plurality of vehicles 2 to 4. The shared vehicle list 60 in FIG. 9 includes a first vehicle 2, a second vehicle 3, and a third vehicle 4 that are heading to the same destination in FIG.

[0089] In step ST77, the server control unit 41 transmits the shared vehicle list 60 generated in step ST76 to each vehicle included in the shared vehicle list 60. The server control unit 41 transmits the shared vehicle list 60 from the server communication device 43 via the base station 6 to each vehicle included in the shared vehicle list 60. Thereafter, the server control unit 41 ends this control.

[0090] In this way, the server control unit 41 acquires information on the destinations of the multiple vehicles 2 to 4 from the multiple vehicles 2 to 4 using the server communication device 43. The server control unit 41 extracts the multiple vehicles 2 to 4 with the same destination from the acquired information on the multiple destinations, and generates and transmits a shared vehicle list 60 including information on the multiple vehicles 2 to 4 heading to the same destination. As a result, the vehicles 2 to 4 can acquire from the server device 5 information about other vehicles heading to the same destination. Furthermore, the navigation device 23 of each vehicle can execute transmission to other vehicles included in the shared vehicle list 60 in step ST35 of the first-come-first-served sharing control in FIG. At this time, the navigation device 23 of each vehicle transmits its own real-time destination information only if it has not received destination information from any of the other vehicles included in the shared vehicle list 60 at the time of arrival at the destination. Furthermore, the navigation device 23 of each vehicle may transmit its own real-time destination information only to other vehicles included in the shared vehicle list 60 from which it has not received destination information.

[0091] FIG. 10 is a timing chart showing the overall flow of the destination information sharing process between the first vehicle 2 to the third vehicle 4 in the state of FIG. Figure 10 shows the first vehicle 2, second vehicle 3, and third vehicle 4 of Figure 1. Time flows from top to bottom.

[0092] 3, the first vehicle 2, the second vehicle 3, and the third vehicle 4 transmit their respective destination information to the server device 5. The server device 5 generates a shared vehicle list 60 for the first vehicle 2, the second vehicle 3, and the third vehicle 4 that are heading to the same destination, and transmits it to each vehicle in step ST77.

[0093] Thereafter, the first vehicle 2 arrives at the destination first. The first vehicle 2 parks in the parking lot 11 and uses the destination. In this case, the navigation device 23 of the first vehicle 2 determines that the first vehicle 2 has arrived at the destination in step ST5 of FIG. 3, and performs the first-arrival sharing control of FIG. 4 in step ST10 of FIG. 3 as the first-arrival vehicle. However, the occupants of the first vehicle 2 can use the facility. As a result, the navigation device 23 of the first vehicle 2 ends the first-come, first-served shared control without executing step ST35 of FIG.

[0094] Next, the second vehicle 3 arrives at the destination second. Since there is no available space in the parking lot 11, the occupant of the second vehicle 3 waits in the parking lot 11, for example, with the shift lever in P range. In this case, the navigation device 23 of the second vehicle 3 determines that the second vehicle 3 has arrived at the destination in step ST5 of FIG. 3, and performs the first-arrival shared control of FIG. 4 in step ST10 of FIG. 3 as the first-arrival vehicle. However, there is a possibility that the occupants of the second vehicle 3 will not be able to use the facility even if they wait inside the vehicle. The navigation device 23 of the second vehicle 3 executes step ST35 of Fig. 4 to transmit real-time destination information.

[0095] Finally, the third carriage, carriage 4, is scheduled to arrive at its destination third. However, during the movement, the occupant of the third vehicle 4 receives a recommendation notification based on real-time destination information from the second vehicle 3 in step ST55 of the late arrival sharing control in FIG. The occupant of the third vehicle 4 can know the business status of the destination before arriving at the destination. Also, the occupant of the third vehicle 4 can change the destination in accordance with the recommendation notification.

[0096] FIG. 11 is a timing chart showing the overall flow of the destination information sharing process between first vehicle 2 to third vehicle 4 when parking lot 11 in FIG. 1 is already full. Figure 11 shows the first vehicle 2, second vehicle 3, and third vehicle 4 of Figure 1. Time flows from top to bottom.

[0097] The process up to when the server device 5 transmits the shared vehicle list 60 is the same as that shown in FIG.

[0098] Thereafter, the first vehicle 2 arrives at the destination first. Since there is no available space in the parking lot 11, the first vehicle 2 waits in the parking lot 11 with the shift lever in P range, for example. In this case, the navigation device 23 of the first vehicle 2 determines that the first vehicle 2 has arrived at the destination in step ST5 of FIG. 3, and performs the first-arrival sharing control of FIG. 4 in step ST10 of FIG. 3 as the first-arrival vehicle. However, there is a possibility that the occupants of the first vehicle 2 will not be able to use the facility even if they wait inside the vehicle. The navigation device 23 of the first vehicle 2 executes step ST35 of Fig. 4 to transmit real-time destination information.

[0099] Next, second vehicle 3 is scheduled to arrive at the destination second, followed by third vehicle 4, which is scheduled to arrive at the destination third. However, while the second vehicle 3 and the third vehicle 4 are moving, they receive real-time destination information from the first vehicle 2. Then, the occupants of the second vehicle 3 and the third vehicle 4 receive the recommendation notification in step ST55 of the late arrival sharing control in FIG. The occupants of the second vehicle 3 and the third vehicle 4 can understand the business status of the destination before arriving at the destination. In addition, the occupants of the second vehicle 3 and the third vehicle 4 can change their destination in accordance with the recommendation notification. If both the occupants of the second vehicle 3 and the third vehicle 4 change their destinations, the process indicated by the dashed lines in the figure will no longer be executed.

[0100] On the other hand, if neither the occupant of the second vehicle 3 nor the occupant of the third vehicle 4 changes their destination, the process shown by the broken line in the figure is executed. When the second vehicle 3 arrives at the destination, the navigation device 23 of the second vehicle 3 executes step ST35 in FIG. 4 to transmit real-time destination information. As a result, the occupants of the third vehicle 4, which is scheduled to arrive third, receive another recommendation notification based on real-time destination information from the second vehicle 3 while traveling. By receiving multiple recommendation notifications, the occupants of the third vehicle 4 can more easily change their destination in accordance with the recommendation notifications. In this embodiment, it is expected that a situation where the vehicles 2 to 4 cannot be parked at the destination and used can be prevented from occurring in a chain reaction.

[0101] As described above, in this embodiment, the navigation device 23 inquires of the occupant about the business status of the destination only when the elapsed time from when the vehicle arrives at the destination and the occupant disembarks the vehicle until re-boarding is equal to or less than the return time threshold. The navigation device 23 then obtains, as a response to the inquiry, from the UI device, a response indicating that the destination is closed, that the business hours of the destination have changed, or that the destination is crowded. The navigation device 23 generates real-time destination information at the time the vehicle arrives at the destination. The navigation device 23 also transmits the generated real-time destination information to other vehicles heading to the same destination or to the server device 5 that has destination information. This allows other vehicles heading to the same destination as the vehicle of this embodiment to obtain real-time business status information of the destination before arriving at the destination. Also, a passenger who is heading to the same destination as the vehicle of this embodiment and is referring to the server device 5 can obtain real-time business status information of the destination before departing for the destination.

[0102] Furthermore, the navigation device 23 does not send an inquiry to all occupants who arrive at the destination, but sends an inquiry about the accessibility of the destination only if the elapsed time from when the occupant disembarked until when the occupant re-boarded the vehicle is equal to or less than the return time threshold. This prevents occupants from being asked about the accessibility of the destination every time they arrive at the destination. Also, occupants from being asked about the accessibility of the destination every time they arrive at an alternative destination. In particular, in this embodiment, the return time threshold to be compared with the elapsed time is not a uniform time but a time that corresponds to the occupant composition. This makes it less likely that the occupant will not be queried at all, for example, by comparing the return time threshold with a short, fixed return time. Conversely, it is less likely that the occupant will be queried frequently, for example, by comparing the return time threshold with a long, fixed return time. The time it takes for an occupant who has exited the vehicle to return to the vehicle after checking the closed destination from the vehicle's parking position varies depending on the occupant composition of the vehicle. This embodiment uses a time that varies depending on the occupant composition as the threshold, making it possible to prevent the occupant from being queried too much or too little. Moreover, this embodiment makes it possible to reliably queried the occupant when the destination is actually closed.

[0103] This embodiment can prevent multiple vehicles 2 to 4 from traveling to the same destination unnecessarily. Moreover, the inquiries made to the occupants for this purpose can be optimized according to the occupant composition. The burden on the occupants who are asked questions is neither excessive nor insufficient, but just right. Then, the occupants of the later-arriving vehicle who received the real-time business status of the destination from the first-arriving vehicle can obtain the real-time business status information of the destination to which the vehicle is heading and make a decision on how to respond. Also, the occupants searching for a destination on the server device 5 can obtain the real-time business status information of the destination and make a decision on how to respond. As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the vehicles 2 to 4 from traveling unnecessarily to the same destination.

[0104] Furthermore, if it takes a long time for the occupants to return to the vehicle to reach their destination, the elapsed time until they reboard the vehicle is unlikely to be equal to or less than the return time threshold value corresponding to the occupant composition. In this case, the navigation device 23 does not execute the series of processes described above. The navigation device 23 does not transmit real-time destination information at the time the vehicle arrives at the destination. As a result, other vehicles arriving later and heading toward the destination do not receive real-time destination information from the first-arriving vehicle. The later-arriving vehicles can continue traveling while maintaining their destination, arrive at the destination later, and achieve their purpose at the destination. In other words, the real-time business status information of the destination notified in this embodiment is not simply notified based on individual conditions, such as whether the parking lot 11 is unavailable or whether it is difficult to use the destination. The real-time business status information of the destination notified in this embodiment is notified based on the result of a comprehensive assessment of these conditions. For example, if the destination is normally congested, the occupants of the first-arriving vehicle will wait at the destination, and the real-time business status information will not be notified to the later-arriving vehicle. Furthermore, the notification is based on the occupant composition of the first-arriving vehicle. The occupant composition of a later-arriving vehicle heading to the same destination is generally likely to be the same as or similar to the occupant composition of the earlier-arriving vehicle. The user demographics of each destination vary. The occupants of the later-arriving vehicle are not notified of excessive and unnecessary notifications while in the vehicle, and can take the notifications into consideration, if any. The occupants of the later-arriving vehicle will not be discouraged from using the destination due to excessive notifications of real-time business status information. Furthermore, when the occupants of the later arriving vehicle receive the notification, they can take into consideration the impact that this will have on the occupant composition of their own vehicle, and can make an appropriate decision while in the vehicle while it is moving whether or not to continue using the destination.

[0105] Furthermore, compared to other classifications, families with parents and children take longer to get in and out of the vehicle, and it also takes longer to travel from the parking spot to the destination and back. In contrast, groups of adults other than married couples and single people get in and out quickly, and it also takes less time to travel from the parking spot to the destination facility and back. Single people in particular tend to act quickly. Also, adult-only married couples, depending on their age, tend to take the same amount of time as families, or as long as groups of adults other than married couples. Therefore, classifications of occupant composition, such as families, married couples, groups of adults other than married couples, and single people, are significant as classifications of the time it takes to get in and out of a vehicle and travel to and from the vehicle. Moreover, the time it takes to get in and out of a vehicle and travel to and from the vehicle tends to be shorter the later the classification is listed. As a result, by classifying and determining the vehicle occupancy as in this embodiment into either a family, a married couple, a group of adults other than a married couple, or a single person, it becomes possible to make appropriate inquiries when occupants return to a parked vehicle, neither too many nor too few.

[0106] In this embodiment, the navigation device 23 first inquires about whether the destination is closed or has changed its business hours. If the answer given is that the destination is open, the navigation device 23 further inquires about the congestion status or waiting time at the destination or the parking lot 11. The navigation device 23 then compiles the answers to all the inquiries and generates real-time destination information. As a result, in this embodiment, by first inquiring whether the vehicle is open when the occupant returns to the vehicle, if the vehicle is closed, further inquiries can be omitted, and the number of inquiries made to the occupant when the occupant returns to the vehicle can be minimized. On the other hand, if all inquiries were made at once, the occupant returning to the vehicle would have to answer other unclear inquiries even if the destination was closed.

[0107] In this embodiment, when the communication device of the navigation device 23 of the later-arriving vehicle receives real-time destination information from the earlier-arriving vehicle, the navigation device 23 first determines whether the business hours of the destination have changed. If the business hours of the destination have changed, the navigation device 23 then determines whether the destination is closed. If the business hours of the destination have not changed or the destination is not closed, the navigation device 23 then determines whether the current route will allow the vehicle to arrive at the destination within its business hours. If the destination is closed, the navigation device 23 searches for an alternative destination to replace the destination, recommends it from the UI device, and then starts route guidance or automatic driving to the alternative destination, allowing the occupants of the following vehicle to head to the alternative destination without heading to the closed destination. Furthermore, if it is impossible to arrive at the destination within business hours, the navigation device 23 notifies the user of the difficulty in arriving within business hours through the UI device, thereby enabling the passengers of the later arriving vehicle to recognize before arriving at the destination that they may not make it in time for the business hours of the destination. As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the vehicles 2 to 4 from traveling unnecessarily to the same destination.

[0108] In this embodiment, the server control unit 41 of the server device 5 of the vehicle destination information sharing system 1 acquires destination information of the multiple vehicles 2-4 from the multiple vehicles 2-4 via the server communication device 43. The server control unit 41 generates a shared vehicle list 60 including the acquired destination and vehicle information. The server control unit 41 transmits the shared vehicle list 60 from the server communication device 43 to the multiple vehicles 2-4 heading to the same destination. This allows each vehicle to easily determine whether it is the first or last vehicle when it arrives at the destination, based on the shared vehicle list 60. In other words, when the multiple vehicles 2-4 heading to the same destination arrive at their destination, if they have not received real-time destination information from all the other vehicles included in the shared vehicle list 60, they can generate real-time destination information by assuming that their own vehicle is the first vehicle. Furthermore, the first vehicle among the multiple vehicles 2-4 heading to the same destination can reliably transmit real-time destination information to the other vehicles included in the shared vehicle list 60 as the last vehicle. This allows other vehicles that have not yet arrived at the destination to receive real-time destination information from one or more first-arriving vehicles in order as later-arriving vehicles. In particular, when there are three or more vehicles heading to the same destination, the occupants of the vehicle that will arrive last at the destination can receive real-time destination information from the first-arriving vehicles before arriving at the destination. The occupants of the vehicle that will arrive last at the destination can also easily recognize changes in the business status of the destination over time.

[0109] The above embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of one form of implementation of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the invention.

[0110] In the above-described embodiment, the shared vehicle list 60 of the plurality of vehicles 2 to 4 heading to the same destination is generated by the server device 5 and transmitted to the plurality of vehicles 2 to 4. Alternatively, for example, each vehicle may generate the shared vehicle list 60 on its own, based on information about the destinations of other vehicles acquired through V2V communication or the like.

[0111] In the embodiment described above, the navigation device 23 inquires about the difficulty of using a destination by inquiring about whether the destination is closed, whether business hours have changed, and whether the destination is crowded or has a waiting time. These inquiries are about the business status of the destination. In addition to this, for example, the navigation device 23 may inquire not only about the business status of the destination, but also about whether or not there has been any unexpected incident at the destination or its surroundings. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 1...Destination information sharing system, 2...First vehicle, 3...Second vehicle, 4...Third vehicle, 5...Server device, 6...Base station, 7...Carrier communication network, 20...Control system, 21...UI control device, 22...Sensor control device, 23...Navigation device (mobility assistance device), 24...Driving control device, 25...V2V communication device (communication device), 26...Carrier communication device (communication device), 27...Short-range communication device, 28...Occupant terminal, 29...Vehicle network, 31...Touch panel monitor (user interface device), 32...Speaker (user interface device), 33...Microphone (user interface device), 34...Exterior camera, 35...Interior camera (occupant sensor), 36...GNSS receiver, 37...Door opening / closing sensor, 38...Timer, 41...Server control unit, 42...Server memory, 43...Server communication device, 49...Server bus, 50...Return time threshold list, 60...Shared vehicle list

Claims

1. A mobility assistance device capable of performing route guidance or autonomous driving to a destination set in a vehicle; a communication device capable of transmitting and receiving destination information to and from other vehicles; a user interface device for an occupant of the vehicle; an exterior camera that captures an image of the exterior of the vehicle; an occupant sensor for detecting an occupant configuration of the vehicle; a timer that measures an elapsed time after the occupant gets off the vehicle at the destination and a time before the occupant gets off the vehicle after the vehicle arrives at the destination; and The mobility assistance device is When the elapsed time until the occupant who disembarked from the vehicle re-boards is equal to or less than a return time threshold corresponding to the occupant composition, or when the time before the occupant disembarks from the arrival of the vehicle at the destination is equal to or more than a non-disembarkation time threshold, an inquiry about the difficulty of using the destination is made by the user interface device; receiving, from the user interface device, a response to the inquiry indicating that the destination is difficult to use; generating real-time destination information including the acquired answer and the image captured by the exterior camera; transmitting the real-time destination information from the communication device to another vehicle heading to the destination or to a server device having information on the destination; Vehicles that can share real-time destination information.

2. The mobility assistance device is Based on the detection by the occupant sensor, classify the occupant configuration of the vehicle into at least one of a family (parent and child), a married couple (adults only), a group (adults other than a married couple) and a single person; The elapsed time is determined using the return time threshold that increases in the order of single person, group, married couple, and family according to the classified occupant configuration. The vehicle capable of sharing real-time destination information according to claim 1.

3. The mobility assistance device is In enquiring about the inaccessibility of the destination, making an inquiry about whether the destination is closed and whether its business hours have changed, and determining whether the destination is open based on the response to the inquiry; If it is determined that the destination is open, it inquires about the congestion status or waiting time of the destination or parking lot; generating real-time destination information that summarizes answers to all queries executed as answers about the accessibility of the destination; 3. A vehicle capable of sharing real-time destination information according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A vehicle destination information sharing system having a plurality of vehicles including a first-arrival vehicle that travels toward the same destination and arrives at the destination earlier than the first-arrival vehicle and a second-arrival vehicle that arrives at the destination after the first-arrival vehicle, The first-arrival vehicle is a first mobility assistance device capable of performing route guidance or automatic driving to a destination set in the first-arriving vehicle; a first communication device capable of transmitting and receiving destination information to and from the following vehicle; a first user interface device for an occupant of the first arriving vehicle; an exterior camera that captures an image of the exterior of the first-arrival vehicle; an occupant sensor for detecting the occupant configuration of the first-arrival vehicle; a timer that measures the elapsed time after the occupant gets off the first-arrived vehicle at the destination and the time before the occupant gets off the first-arrived vehicle after the first-arrived vehicle arrives at the destination; and the first mobility assistance device, When the elapsed time until the occupants who disembarked from the first-arriving vehicle re-board is equal to or less than a return time threshold corresponding to the occupant composition, or when the time before the occupants disembark from the first-arriving vehicle after the first-arriving vehicle arrives at the destination is equal to or more than a non-disembarkation time threshold, an inquiry is made on the first user interface device regarding the difficulty of using the destination, receiving, from the first user interface device, a response to the inquiry indicating that the destination is difficult to use; generating real-time destination information including the acquired answer and the image captured by the exterior camera; transmitting the real-time destination information from the first communication device to the following vehicle traveling toward the destination; Vehicle destination information sharing system.

5. The following vehicle is a second mobility assistance device capable of performing route guidance or automatic driving to the destination set for the following vehicle; a second communication device capable of transmitting and receiving the destination information in real time to and from the first-arriving vehicle; a second user interface device for an occupant of the trailing vehicle; and the second mobility assistance device, When the second communication device receives the real-time destination information from the first arriving vehicle, determining whether or not the business hours of the destination have changed based on the received real-time destination information; If there is a change in the business hours of the destination, it is further determined whether the destination is closed; If there is no change in the business hours of the destination, or if the destination is not closed, further determine whether the later-arriving vehicle can arrive at the destination within the business hours of the destination along its current route; If the destination is closed, searching for an alternative destination for the later-arriving vehicle to replace the destination and recommending it from the second user interface device, and then starting route guidance or automatic driving to the alternative destination; If it is not possible to arrive at the destination within business hours, notifying the user of the difficulty in arriving during business hours from the second user interface device; 5. The vehicle destination information sharing system according to claim 4.

6. a server device including a server communication device capable of communicating with a plurality of the vehicles and a server control unit that controls the server communication device; The server control unit acquiring, from the plurality of vehicles, information on destinations of the plurality of vehicles by the server communication device; extracting a plurality of vehicles going to the same destination from the acquired information on the plurality of destinations, and generating a shared vehicle list including information on the plurality of vehicles going to the same destination; transmitting the shared vehicle list from the server communication device to a plurality of the vehicles including the first-arriving vehicle and the second-arriving vehicle heading to the same destination; A plurality of vehicles including the first-arriving vehicle and the second-arriving vehicle heading to the same destination are When each vehicle arrives at the destination, it determines whether it has received real-time destination information from all of the other vehicles included in the shared vehicle list; If the destination information has not been received from all of the other vehicles, the first-arrival vehicle generates the destination information in real time and transmits it to other vehicles included in the shared vehicle list that have not yet received the destination information.

6. A vehicle destination information sharing system according to claim 4 or 5.

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