Program and Method

Abstract

Improve the technology for guiding the location of energy supply equipment. [Solution] The program causes the user's terminal device to execute a process that includes outputting a message regarding energy supply equipment located within the target area that can replenish the vehicle's energy, when it is determined that the user has entered the target area based on the user's location information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a program and a method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a technique for guiding information on energy supply facilities has been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an in-vehicle device that displays a map of a service area when it detects that a vehicle has entered the service area.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Patent Document 6

Patent Document 7

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] There has been room for improvement in the technique for guiding information on energy supply facilities.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the technique for guiding information on energy supply facilities.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A program according to one embodiment of this disclosure is On the user's terminal device, Based on the user's location information, if it is determined that the user has entered the target area, a message regarding energy supply equipment installed within the target area that can replenish the vehicle's energy will be output. Execute the process that includes this.

[0007] A method according to one embodiment of this disclosure is: A method performed by the user's terminal device, Based on the user's location information, if it is determined that the user has entered the target area, a message regarding energy supply equipment installed within the target area that can replenish the vehicle's energy will be output. Includes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the technology for providing information on energy supply equipment is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This block diagram shows a schematic configuration of a system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the terminal device. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the general configuration of the server. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the terminal device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below.

[0011] (Summary of the embodiment) Referring to FIG. 1, the outline of the system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The system 1 includes a terminal device 10 and a server 20. The terminal device 10 and the server 20 can communicate with each other via a network 30 including, for example, the Internet and a mobile communication network.

[0012] The terminal device 10 is, for example, a computer such as a PC (Personal Computer), a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal, and a dedicated application having a car navigation function is installed therein. Alternatively, the terminal device 10 is a car navigation (Automotive navigation system) installed in the user's vehicle V. The terminal device 10 is used by the user. As will be described later, the terminal device 10 displays the target area and the position of the energy supply facility on the map screen and outputs synthesized voice.

[0013] The server 20 belongs to, for example, a cloud computing system or other computing systems and implements various functions. The server 20 can communicate with the terminal device 10 via the network 30.

[0014] The network 30 includes the Internet, at least one WAN, at least one MAN, or a combination thereof. "WAN" is an abbreviation for wide area network. "MAN" is an abbreviation for metropolitan area network. The network 30 may include at least one wireless network, at least one optical network, or a combination thereof. The wireless network is, for example, an ad hoc network, a cellular network, a wireless LAN, a satellite communication network, or a terrestrial microwave network. "LAN" is an abbreviation for local area network.

[0015] The vehicle V is any automobile that uses energy such as gasoline, electricity, hydrogen, etc. for at least a part of driving.

[0016] In this embodiment, the user is driving a vehicle V on a road such as a highway (hereinafter referred to as "road etc."). The vehicle V can replenish energy by using energy supply facilities provided in each target area on the driving route of the vehicle V.

[0017] In this embodiment, the "energy supply facility" refers to a facility installed on the site of a target area described later and capable of replenishing energy to the vehicle V. The energy supply facility is, for example, a gas station, an EV charging station, or a hydrogen station, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0018] In this embodiment, the "target area" refers to an area where the vehicle V can enter from the road etc. and where the user can park for a certain period of time to rest or replenish energy for the vehicle V. The target area is, for example, a service area (SA) or a parking area (PA), etc., but is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, when the vehicle V enters the target area, the vehicle V drives in sequence on a driving route including an access road (deceleration lane), a parking lot, and an exit road (acceleration lane) in one-way traffic. Also, the energy supply facility can be directly accessed by the vehicle V from the access road or the parking lot.

[0019] In this embodiment, "the vehicle V enters the target area" means that the vehicle V deviates from the driving route of the road etc. and drives on the driving route of the target area.

[0020] Information about each target area is stored in the server 20 in advance and can be arbitrarily changed.

[0021] Here, the outline of this embodiment will be described, and the details will be described later. The terminal device 10 determines whether the vehicle V has entered the target area based on the position information of the user's vehicle V. The terminal device 10 acquires the remaining energy amount of the vehicle V. Then, when it is determined that the vehicle V has entered the target area and the remaining energy amount is less than a predetermined standard, the terminal device 10 outputs a message regarding one or more energy supply facilities provided in the target area.

[0022] According to this embodiment, information regarding energy supply equipment, such as the location of energy supply equipment in the target area, can be conveyed to users who have a high need to supply energy to vehicle V. Furthermore, since synthesized voice is not output to users who do not have a high need to supply energy to vehicle V, inconvenience can be reduced. In this way, the technology for guiding users to information about energy supply equipment is improved, as users entering the target area can easily grasp the information about energy supply equipment.

[0023] Next, we will describe in detail each component of System 1.

[0024] (Terminal device configuration) As shown in Figure 2, the terminal device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, an input unit 14, an output unit 15, and an acquisition unit 16.

[0025] The control unit 11 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process, but is not limited to these. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), but is not limited to this. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), but is not limited to this. The control unit 11 controls the operation of the entire terminal device 10.

[0026] The storage unit 12 includes one or more memories. The memories are, for example, semiconductor memories, magnetic memories, or optical memories, but are not limited to these. Each memory included in the storage unit 12 may function as, for example, a main memory, an auxiliary memory, or a cache memory. The storage unit 12 stores any information used for the operation of the terminal device 10. For example, the storage unit 12 may store system programs, application programs, and map information. The information stored in the storage unit 12 may be updateable with information obtained from the network 30 via, for example, the communication unit 13.

[0027] The communication unit 13 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 30. These communication interfaces support, for example, mobile communication standards such as 4G (4th Generation) and 5G (5th Generation), wired LAN (Local Area Network) standards, or wireless LAN standards, but are not limited to these and may support any communication standard. In this embodiment, the terminal device 10 communicates with the server 20 via the communication unit 13 and the network 30.

[0028] The input unit 14 includes one or more input devices for detecting user input operations. These input devices are, but are not limited to, physical keys, capacitive keys, a mouse, a touch panel, a touchscreen integrated with the display of the output unit 15, or a microphone. Alternatively, the input unit 14 may include an interface for connecting external input devices.

[0029] The output unit 15 includes one or more output devices that output information. These output devices are, for example, a display that outputs information as video, or a speaker that outputs information as sound, but are not limited to these. Alternatively, the output unit 15 may include an interface for connecting an external output device.

[0030] The acquisition unit 16 has a GPS receiver that receives GPS signals from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites. The control unit 11 derives the position (e.g., latitude and longitude) of the terminal device 10 based on the GPS signals received by the acquisition unit 16.

[0031] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 16 includes an optional sensor module capable of acquiring the amount of energy used by the vehicle V. For example, if the vehicle V uses gasoline as its energy source, the acquisition unit 16 may include a sensor module capable of measuring the amount of fuel injected by the vehicle V. For example, if the vehicle V uses electricity as its energy source, the acquisition unit 16 may include a power sensor module capable of calculating the power consumption of the vehicle V. For example, if the vehicle V uses hydrogen as its energy source, the acquisition unit 16 may include a sensor module capable of measuring the amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle V.

[0032] (Server configuration) As shown in Figure 3, the server 20 comprises a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23.

[0033] The control unit 21 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 21 controls the operation of the entire server 20.

[0034] The storage unit 22 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 22 may function as, for example, a main memory, an auxiliary memory, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores any information used for the operation of the server 20. For example, the storage unit 22 may store system programs, application programs, map information, embedded software, and databases.

[0035] The communication unit 23 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 30. These communication interfaces may support, for example, mobile communication standards, wired LAN standards, or wireless LAN standards, but are not limited to these and may support any communication standard.

[0036] In this embodiment, the communication unit 23 can acquire location information of the vehicle V by receiving it from the terminal device 10.

[0037] Furthermore, the communication unit 23 can obtain the remaining energy of the vehicle V by receiving it from the terminal device 10.

[0038] (Operation of the terminal device) Referring to Figure 4, the operation of the terminal device 10 according to this embodiment will be described. The operation in Figure 4 corresponds to the method according to this embodiment.

[0039] S100: The control unit 11 of the terminal device 10 acquires the position information of the vehicle V.

[0040] Any method can be used to acquire location information. For example, the control unit 11 acquires the location information of the vehicle V using the acquisition unit 16. The location information of the vehicle V may be specified by longitude and latitude.

[0041] Location information may be acquired at any time.

[0042] S101: The control unit 11 determines whether or not vehicle V has entered the target area. If it is determined that it has entered (S101-Yes), the process proceeds to S102. If it is determined that it has not entered (S101-No), the process terminates.

[0043] Any method can be used to determine whether or not vehicle V has entered the target area. For example, if the position information of vehicle V traveling on a highway indicates a position on the deceleration lane leading to the target area rather than on the main highway, the control unit 11 may determine that vehicle V has entered the target area. On the other hand, if the position information of vehicle V indicates a position on the main highway, the control unit 11 may determine that vehicle V has not entered the target area.

[0044] S102: The control unit 11 obtains the remaining energy of the vehicle V.

[0045] For example, the control unit 11 acquires the remaining energy of the vehicle V using the acquisition unit 16.

[0046] S103: The control unit 11 determines whether the remaining energy is below a predetermined standard. If it is determined to be below the predetermined standard (S103-Yes), the process proceeds to S104. If it is determined to be above the predetermined standard (S103-No), the process terminates.

[0047] The predetermined standard may be a fixed value, or it may be automatically determined by the control unit 11. For example, if the user has set a destination point, the control unit 11 may calculate the predetermined standard based on the distance from the location of the target area where the vehicle V has been determined to have entered to the destination point. For example, the control unit 11 may set a higher predetermined standard the longer the distance from the target area to the destination. In this case, the control unit 11 may also consider the type of vehicle V (fuel efficiency), etc., when calculating the predetermined standard. For example, the control unit 11 may set a lower predetermined standard the better the fuel efficiency of the vehicle V.

[0048] S104: When the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle V has entered the target area and the remaining energy level is below a predetermined standard, it outputs a message in synthesized speech regarding one or more energy supply facilities located within the target area. The message output does not have to be in the form of synthesized speech; for example, the control unit 11 may display the message in text format on the screen of the terminal device 10.

[0049] For example, the control unit 11 outputs a message in synthesized speech from the output unit 15 that guides the user to the location of energy supply equipment within the target area. In addition, the control unit 11 may output information in synthesized speech regarding the number, type, etc., of energy supply equipment installed within the target area.

[0050] As described above, the terminal device 10 determines whether the user's vehicle V has entered the target area based on the vehicle's location information. The terminal device 10 obtains the vehicle V's remaining energy level. If the terminal device 10 determines that the vehicle V has entered the target area and the remaining energy level is below a predetermined standard, it outputs a message regarding one or more energy supply facilities located within the target area.

[0051] With this configuration, information about energy supply facilities in the target area can be conveyed to users who have a high need to supply energy to vehicle V. Furthermore, since synthesized voice is not output to users who do not have a high need to supply energy to vehicle V, inconvenience can be reduced. In this way, the technology for guiding users to information about energy supply facilities is improved, as users entering the target area can easily grasp the information about energy supply facilities.

[0052] While this disclosure has been described based on the drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions, etc., included in each component or step, etc., can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps, etc., can be combined into one or divided.

[0053] For example, in one modified embodiment described above, in S104, the control unit 11 of the terminal device 10 may determine the content of the message to be output by synthesized speech based on the position information of vehicle V at the time it is determined that vehicle V has entered the target area. For example, if vehicle V has already moved close to the energy supply equipment at the time it is determined that vehicle V has entered the target area, the output message may not be appropriate as guidance. By changing the content of the message output by the control unit 11 according to the position of vehicle V, the user can be guided to the location of the energy supply equipment more appropriately.

[0054] Furthermore, for example, in the above embodiment, the control unit 11 of the terminal device 10 may shorten the message content when it is determined that the vehicle V has entered the target area, if the vehicle V's position at that time is within the second area beyond the checkpoint set on the travel path of the target area, compared to when it is within the first area before the checkpoint. For example, if, at the time it is determined that the vehicle V has entered the target area, it is traveling within the first area before the checkpoint set at a predetermined position within the target area (for example, on the deceleration lane leading to the target area or within the parking lot), the control unit 11 outputs all of the pre-set messages. If the vehicle V is traveling within the second area beyond the checkpoint, the control unit 11 outputs a message shorter than the pre-set messages. Any method can be used to shorten the message to be output. For example, part of the message may be omitted, or the message playback speed may be increased. Even when the vehicle V has traveled a considerable distance along the travel path and the distance to the energy supply equipment is short, shortening the message to be output allows the user to be guided to the location of the energy supply equipment with more time to spare.

[0055] For example, when the control unit 11 of the terminal device 10 outputs a message in S104, it may display the location of the energy supply equipment on the map screen of the terminal device 10. The control unit 11 may also automatically adjust the scale of the map screen according to the location of the energy supply equipment and the location of the vehicle V. For example, the control unit 11 may automatically adjust the scale so that both the location of the vehicle V and the location of the energy supply equipment are displayed on the screen. This allows the user to confirm the location of the energy supply equipment at a glance. In addition, the control unit 11 may automatically adjust the scale of the map screen considering the locations of other predetermined facilities, etc.

[0056] Furthermore, for example, in the above-described embodiment, if two or more energy supply facilities are provided within the target area, the control unit 11 of the terminal device 10 may display the representative locations of the two or more energy supply facilities (for example, the central locations of the two or more energy supply facilities) on the map screen.

[0057] For example, in the above embodiment, the control unit 21 of the server 20 may calculate the center position in accordance with changes in the number and / or location of energy supply equipment. For example, if energy supply equipment is added to the target area, the control unit 21 calculates the new center position by analyzing video from a drive recorder or satellite image showing the energy supply equipment. The control unit 21 then stores the calculated center position in the storage unit 22 and transmits it to the terminal device 10 via the network 30. The control unit 11 of the terminal device 10 displays the new center position on the map screen. This allows the user to be guided to the latest location of energy supply equipment.

[0058] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, it is also possible for the server 20 to perform some of the processing that the terminal device 10 performs.

[0059] In the above case, the control unit 21 of the server 20 determines whether the vehicle V has entered the target area based on the location information of the user's vehicle V. The control unit 21 obtains the remaining energy level of the vehicle V. If the control unit 21 determines that the vehicle V has entered the target area and the remaining energy level is below a predetermined standard, it sends a message to the user's terminal device 10 regarding one or more energy supply facilities located within the target area.

[0060] Furthermore, it is also possible to implement an embodiment in which a general-purpose computer functions as the terminal device 10 according to the above embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing content that realizes each function of the terminal device 10 according to the above embodiment is stored in the memory of the general-purpose computer, and the processor reads and executes the program. Therefore, this disclosure can also be implemented as a program that can be executed by a processor, or as a non-temporary computer-readable medium that stores said program.

[0061] Some embodiments of the present disclosure are described below. However, it should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to these. [Note 1] A method performed by the user's terminal device, Based on the location information of the user's vehicle, determine whether or not the vehicle has entered the target area. To obtain the remaining energy of the vehicle, and When it is determined that the vehicle has entered the target area and the remaining energy level is below a predetermined standard, a message regarding one or more energy supply facilities located within the target area is output. Methods that include... [Note 2] The method described in Appendix 1, A method comprising: the terminal device determining the content of the message to be output in synthesized speech based on the location information of the vehicle at the time it is determined that the vehicle has entered the target area, and outputting the message in synthesized speech. [Note 3] The method described in Appendix 2, The terminal device provides a method for shortening the content of the message when it is determined that the vehicle has entered the target area, if the vehicle's position at that time is within a second area located beyond a checkpoint set on the route of travel within the target area, compared to when the vehicle is within a first area located before a checkpoint. [Note 4] The method described in any one of the appendices 1 to 3, Displaying the location of the energy supply equipment on the map screen of the terminal device, and The scale of the map screen is automatically adjusted according to the location of the energy supply equipment and the location of the vehicle. Methods that further include the above. [Note 5] The method described in any one of the appendices 1 to 4, A method for displaying the central locations of two or more energy supply facilities on a map screen when two or more energy supply facilities are installed within the target area. [Note 6] The method described in any one of the appendices 1 to 5, A method for calculating a predetermined standard based on the distance from the location of the target area to the destination point, when the user has set a destination point. [Note 7] The method that the server executes, Based on the location information of the user's vehicle, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has entered the target area. To obtain the remaining energy of the vehicle, and When it is determined that the vehicle has entered the target area and the remaining energy level is below a predetermined standard, a message regarding one or more energy supply facilities located within the target area is sent to the user's terminal device. Methods that include... [Note 8] The method described in Appendix 7, A method comprising the server determining the content of the message to be output in synthesized speech based on the location information of the vehicle at the time it is determined that the vehicle has entered the target area. [Note 9] The method described in Appendix 8, A method for shortening the content of the message when the server determines that the vehicle has entered the target area, if the vehicle's position at that time is within a second area located beyond a checkpoint set on the route of travel within the target area, compared to when the vehicle is within a first area located before a checkpoint. [Note 10] A method described in any one of the appendices 7 to 9, The aforementioned terminal device, Displaying the location of the energy supply equipment on the map screen of the terminal device, and The map screen scale is automatically adjusted according to the location of the energy supply equipment and the location of the vehicle. Methods that further include the above. [Note 11] The method described in any one of the appendices 7 to 10, A method in which, when two or more energy supply facilities are installed within the target area, the server causes the terminal device to display the central locations of the two or more energy supply facilities on a map screen. [Note 12] The method described in Appendix 11, A method for the server to calculate the center position in accordance with changes in the number and / or location of the energy supply equipment. [Note 13] A method described in any one of the appendices 7 to 12, A method in which, when the user has set a destination point, the server calculates the predetermined standard based on the distance from the location of the target area to the destination point. [Note 14] A system comprising a terminal device and a server capable of communicating with the terminal device, The terminal device or the server is Based on the location information of the user's vehicle, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has entered the target area. The remaining energy of the vehicle is obtained, The aforementioned terminal device is A system that, when it is determined that the vehicle has entered the target area and the remaining energy level is below a predetermined standard, outputs a message regarding one or more energy supply facilities located within the target area. [Note 15] The system described in Appendix 14, The terminal device or the server is Based on the vehicle's location information at the time it is determined that the vehicle has entered the target area, the content of the message to be output in synthesized speech is determined. The terminal device is a system that outputs the message in synthesized speech. [Note 16] The system described in Appendix 15, The terminal device or the server is A system that, when it is determined that the vehicle has entered the target area, shortens the content of the message if the vehicle's position at that time is within a second area located beyond a checkpoint set on the vehicle's path within the target area, compared to when the vehicle is within a first area located before the checkpoint. [Note 17] A system described in any one of the appendices 14 to 16, The aforementioned terminal device is The location of the energy supply equipment is displayed on the map screen of the terminal device, and A system that automatically adjusts the scale of the map screen according to the location of the energy supply equipment and the location of the vehicle. [Note 18] A system described in any one of the appendices 14 to 17, The aforementioned terminal device is A system that displays the central locations of two or more energy supply facilities on a map screen when two or more energy supply facilities are installed within the aforementioned target area. [Note 19] The system described in Appendix 18, The aforementioned server, A system for calculating the central position in accordance with changes in the number and / or location of the energy supply equipment. [Note 20] A system described in any one of the appendices 14 to 19, The terminal device or the server is A system that calculates a predetermined standard based on the distance from the location of the target area to the destination point when the user has set a destination point. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0062] 1 System 10 Terminal devices 11 Control Unit 12 Storage section 13 Communications Department 14 Input section 15 Output section 16 Acquisition Department 20 servers 21 Control Unit 22 Memory section 23 Communications Department 30 Networks

Claims

1. On the user's terminal device, Based on the user's location information, if it is determined that the user has entered the target area, a message regarding energy supply equipment installed within the target area that can replenish the vehicle's energy will be output. A program that performs a process that includes this.

2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the message includes content that guides the location of the energy supply equipment.

3. The program according to claim 1, wherein the message includes information relating to the type of energy supply equipment.

4. The program according to claim 1, wherein the energy supply equipment is a gas station, an EV charging station, or a hydrogen station.

5. The program according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device is a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet device.

6. A method performed by the user's terminal device, Based on the user's location information, if it is determined that the user has entered the target area, a message regarding energy supply equipment installed within the target area that can replenish the vehicle's energy will be output. Methods that include...

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