Program, in-vehicle device, and information processing method

Abstract

We aim to improve the efficiency of geofence detection processing. [Solution] A program relating to one aspect of this disclosure is a program for causing an in-vehicle device to execute an information processing method. The information processing method includes acquiring vehicle information indicating the current state of the vehicle, selecting whether or not to perform a geofence determination according to the acquired vehicle information, acquiring the current position measured by a positioning module if it is selected to perform a geofence determination, performing a geofence determination according to the acquired current position, outputting information regarding the result of the determination, and omitting the execution of the geofence determination if it is selected not to perform a geofence determination.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a program, an in-vehicle device, and an information processing method.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the development of technologies using geofences has advanced. A geofence is an area surrounded by a virtual boundary line. In geofence technology, basically, whether a user (or device) is inside or outside the geofence is determined according to the current position of the user (or device). This inside / outside determination may include determining whether the user (or device) has entered or exited the geofence. Then, an arbitrary action is executed according to the result of the inside / outside determination.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a system that acquires the position of a user device, determines whether the device has entered the geofence based on the acquired position, and provides a warning when it is determined that the device has entered the geofence. Also, Patent Document 2 proposes a system in which a server device distributes definition data of geofences existing within a predetermined range (range of threshold distance) from the current position of a client device to each client device, and each client device executes geofence determination processing according to the distributed definition data.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] One of the purposes of this disclosure is to provide technology for improving the efficiency of geofence determination processing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The program relating to the first aspect of this disclosure is a program for causing an in-vehicle device to execute an information processing method. The information processing method includes acquiring vehicle information indicating the current state of the vehicle, selecting whether or not to perform a geofence determination according to the acquired vehicle information, acquiring the current position measured by a positioning module if it is selected to perform a geofence determination, performing a geofence determination according to the acquired current position, outputting information regarding the result of the determination, and omitting the execution of the geofence determination if it is selected not to perform a geofence determination.

[0007] An in-vehicle device according to a second aspect of this disclosure includes a control unit. The control unit is configured to acquire vehicle information indicating the current state of the vehicle, to select whether or not to perform a geofencing determination according to the acquired vehicle information, to acquire the current position measured by the positioning module if it is selected to perform a geofencing determination, to perform a geofencing determination according to the acquired current position, and to output information regarding the result of the determination, and to omit the execution of the geofencing determination if it is selected not to perform a geofencing determination.

[0008] The information processing method relating to the third aspect of this disclosure is performed by a computer. The information processing method acquires vehicle information indicating the current state of the vehicle, and according to the acquired vehicle information, This includes selecting whether or not to perform a geofence determination, obtaining the current location measured by the positioning module if the selection is made to perform a geofence determination, performing a geofence determination based on the obtained current location, outputting information regarding the determination result, and omitting the geofence determination if the selection is made not to perform a geofence determination. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, it is expected that the process of determining geofences can be made more efficient. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 schematically illustrates an example of a scenario in which this disclosure applies. [Figure 2] Figure 2 schematically shows an example of a method for defining the geometry (area) of a geofence according to this disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 3 schematically shows an example of a method for defining the geometry (area) of a geofence according to this disclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 4 schematically shows an example of a method for defining the geometry (area) of a geofence according to this disclosure. [Figure 5] Figure 5 schematically illustrates an example of the geometry integration method described herein. [Figure 6] Figure 6 schematically illustrates an example of the geometry integration method described herein. [Figure 7] Figure 7 schematically illustrates an example of the geometry integration method described herein. [Figure 8] Figure 8 schematically shows an example of the judgment execution conditions of this disclosure. [Figure 9] Figure 9 schematically shows an example of the judgment execution conditions of this disclosure. [Figure 10] Figure 10 schematically shows an example of the judgment execution conditions of this disclosure. [Figure 11] Figure 11 schematically shows an example of the configuration (data structure) of the geofence definition data in this disclosure. [Figure 12] Figure 12 schematically shows an example of the hardware configuration of the in-vehicle device of this disclosure. [Figure 13] Figure 13 schematically shows an example of the software configuration of the in-vehicle device of this disclosure. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for determining geofences in this disclosure.

Embodiment for Carrying out the Invention

[0011] When applying geo fences to a vehicle, if the determination process of the geo fences is periodically executed, there may be wasteful processes. For example, assume a scenario where a geo fence for notifying a warning to a vehicle traveling at a speed higher than a predetermined speed is set. In this scenario, even though the vehicle is traveling at a speed lower than the predetermined speed and no warning will be notified, if the determination process of the geo fence is executed, the execution of this determination process may be wasted.

[0012] In contrast, the program according to the first aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing an in-vehicle device to execute an information processing method. The information processing method includes obtaining vehicle information indicating the current state of the vehicle, selecting whether to execute the determination of the geo fence according to the obtained vehicle information, obtaining the current position measured by the positioning module when it is selected to execute the determination of the geo fence, executing the determination of the geo fence according to the obtained current position, and outputting information regarding the result of the determination, and when it is selected not to execute the determination of the geo fence, omitting the execution of the determination of the geo fence.

[0013] According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to control whether to execute the determination process of the geo fence according to the current state (vehicle information) of the vehicle. Thereby, for example, in the above scenario, when it can be determined from the state of the vehicle that the determination of the geo fence is unnecessary, such as omitting the execution of the determination process of the geo fence according to the vehicle traveling at a low speed, the execution of the determination of the geo fence can be omitted. Therefore, since it is possible to suppress the execution of wasteful determination processes, it is possible to expect an improvement in the efficiency of the determination process of the geo fence.

[0014] Note that the form of the present disclosure may not be limited to the above program. As another form of the program according to the above aspect, one aspect of the present disclosure may be an information processing apparatus (in-vehicle apparatus) that realizes all or part of each of the above components, may be an information processing method, or may be a machine-readable storage medium such as a computer that stores a program. Here, the machine-readable storage medium may be a non-temporary medium that stores information such as a program by an electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action. The non-temporary storage medium may include a storage medium (CD, DVD, semiconductor memory, etc.), an auxiliary storage device of a computer, an external storage device connected to the computer, and the like.

[0015] For example, the in-vehicle apparatus according to the second aspect of the present disclosure may include a control unit. The control unit acquires vehicle information indicating the current state of the vehicle, selects whether to execute the geo-fence determination according to the acquired vehicle information, acquires the current position measured by the positioning module when it is selected to execute the geo-fence determination, executes the geo-fence determination according to the acquired current position, and outputs information regarding the result of the determination, and may be configured to omit the execution of the geo-fence determination when it is selected not to execute the geo-fence determination.

[0016] Also, for example, the information processing method according to the third aspect of the present disclosure may be executed by a computer. The information processing method includes acquiring vehicle information indicating the current state of the vehicle, selecting whether to execute the geo-fence determination according to the acquired vehicle information, acquiring the current position measured by the positioning module when it is selected to execute the geo-fence determination, executing the geo-fence determination according to the acquired current position, and outputting information regarding the result of the determination, and may include omitting the execution of the geo-fence determination when it is selected not to execute the geo-fence determination.

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments relating to one aspect of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely illustrative in all respects of this disclosure. Various improvements or modifications may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In implementing this disclosure, specific configurations may be adopted as appropriate depending on the embodiment. In this embodiment, the data appearing is described in natural language, but more specifically, it is specified in pseudo-language, commands, parameters, machine code, electrical signals, etc., that can be recognized by machines such as computers.

[0018] [1. Application Examples] Figure 1 schematically shows an example of a scenario to which this disclosure applies. The in-vehicle device 1 according to this embodiment is one or more computers configured to hold geofence definition data 30 in memory resources and to perform geofence determination processing defined by the held geofence definition data 30 at any time.

[0019] In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 1 acquires vehicle information 20 indicating the current state of the vehicle MV. Based on the acquired vehicle information 20, the in-vehicle device 1 selects whether or not to perform a geofence determination. If it is selected to perform a geofence determination, the in-vehicle device 1 acquires the current position 25 measured by the positioning module 16. Based on the acquired current position 25, the in-vehicle device 1 performs a geofence determination. The in-vehicle device 1 then outputs information (result information) 40 regarding the determination result. On the other hand, if it is selected not to perform a geofence determination, the in-vehicle device 1 omits the execution of the geofence determination.

[0020] Furthermore, geofence detection is determined by the geofence definition held by the acquired current location 25. This may be configured by determining whether the vehicle is inside or outside the geofence defined by data 30. This geofence determination may be performed continuously. If the geofence determination is performed continuously, the on-board device 1 may further determine the transition state of the vehicle MV relative to the geofence according to the previous and current determination results. The types of transition states may be defined as appropriate depending on the embodiment. For example, the types of transition states may include at least one of the following: staying outside the geofence, entering the geofence from outside, staying inside the geofence, and exiting the geofence from inside to outside. In the following description, determining whether the current position 25 is inside or outside the geofence (i.e., geofence determination) will also be referred to as "geofence inside / outside determination".

[0021] As described above, in this embodiment, it is possible to control whether or not to execute the geofence determination process according to the current state of the vehicle MV (vehicle information 20). This makes it possible to omit the execution of the geofence determination in situations where it can be determined from the state of the vehicle MV that geofence determination is unnecessary. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the execution of unnecessary determination processes, and thus the efficiency of the geofence determination process can be expected to be improved.

[0022] [In-vehicle device] The on-board device 1 may be any computer that is deployed in the vehicle MV at least temporarily. For example, the on-board device 1 may be an on-board unit mounted in the vehicle MV, or it may be a terminal device (such as a user terminal) that is deployed in the vehicle MV temporarily when a user uses the vehicle MV. In one example, the on-board device 1 may be a computer that constitutes at least a part of the vehicle MV. In another example, the vehicle MV may have a computer separate from the on-board device 1, and the on-board device 1 may be used by connecting to this computer of the on-board device 1.

[0023] In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 1 is configured to acquire the current position (current position 25) measured by the positioning module 16. The positioning module 16 may be located at any location where the position of the vehicle MV can be measured. In one example, the in-vehicle device 1 may have the positioning module 16 internally (i.e., built-in). In another example, the positioning module 16 may be located outside the in-vehicle device 1 (e.g., on the vehicle MV). The in-vehicle device 1 may be directly or indirectly connected to the externally deployed positioning module 16. Indirect connection may be via a network (e.g., Controller Area Network), another computer, etc. It may be composed of the following.

[0024] The current position 25 may be the position measured by the positioning module 16, a position obtained by correcting the measurement results of the positioning module 16 by any method, or a position predicted from the measurement results of the positioning module 16. In one example, the positioning module 16 may be mounted on an on-board device 1 deployed on the vehicle MV to indirectly measure the current position of the vehicle MV. In another example, the positioning module 16 may be mounted on the vehicle MV to directly measure the current position of the vehicle MV.

[0025] [vehicle] The type of vehicle MV is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. Vehicle MV may include manually driven vehicles and autonomous vehicles. Vehicle MV may be selected from, for example, two-wheeled vehicles, three-wheeled vehicles, four-wheeled vehicles, etc. The power source of the vehicle MV may be selected from, for example, electricity, fuel, etc. In one example, the vehicle MV may be a hybrid vehicle. The size of the vehicle MV may also be arbitrarily selected. For example, if the vehicle MV is an automobile, the size of the vehicle MV may be selected from large, medium, semi-medium, regular, large special, small special, etc. If the vehicle MV is a two-wheeled vehicle, the size of the vehicle MV may be selected from large, regular, etc.

[0026] [Vehicle Information] Vehicle information 20 may include any information relating to the state of the vehicle MV. For example, vehicle information 20 may include information such as driving speed, driving mode, and driving recorder shooting mode. Vehicle information 20 serves as an indicator for selecting whether or not to perform a geofence determination. The type of vehicle information 20 used as this indicator (in other words, the vehicle information 20 referenced during the determination) may be appropriately selected according to the embodiment, such as the conditions for selecting whether or not to perform a geofence determination. In this embodiment, the conditions for selecting whether or not to perform a geofence determination are also referred to as "determination execution conditions".

[0027] The in-vehicle device 1 may acquire vehicle information 20 from the vehicle MV as appropriate. In one example, if it constitutes at least a part of the vehicle MV, the in-vehicle device 1 may acquire vehicle information 20 from information held in the memory resources within its own device. Acquiring information from the memory resources of its own device may also be included in acquiring information from the vehicle MV. In another example, if it is used in connection with the computer of the vehicle MV, the in-vehicle device 1 may, for example, acquire ECU (Electronic Computer). Vehicle information 20 may be obtained from components of the vehicle MV, such as the Control Unit.

[0028] Furthermore, at least a portion of the vehicle information 20 (such as driving speed) may be obtained by an on-board sensor S. The type of on-board sensor S used is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. The on-board sensor S may include, for example, a vehicle speed sensor, a positioning module, etc. The on-board device 1 may be directly or indirectly connected to the on-board sensor S, and at least a portion of the vehicle information 20 may be obtained from the connected on-board sensor S. The on-board sensor S may include, for example, a camera or other sensor for observing the state of the occupants of the vehicle MV. The state of the vehicle MV may include the state of the occupants observed by this sensor.

[0029] In one example, the current state indicated by the vehicle information 20 may be the state of the vehicle MV at the time of selecting whether or not to perform a geofence determination, or in the vicinity thereof. The vehicle information 20 indicating the current state may be acquired at any time before selecting whether or not to perform a geofence determination. For example, the on-board device 1 may acquire the vehicle information 20 immediately before using it in the process of selecting whether or not to perform a geofence determination. However, the timing of acquiring the vehicle information 20 is not limited to this example and may be changed as appropriate depending on the embodiment. The timing of acquiring the vehicle information 20 does not have to be immediately before using it in the process of selecting whether or not to perform a geofence determination. Also, the current state may be the state obtained directly from the vehicle MV, a state obtained by correcting the information obtained from the vehicle MV in any way, or a state predicted from the information obtained from the vehicle MV.

[0030] [Geofence] A geofence is an area enclosed by a virtual boundary set on a map. Any action can be taken in response to the detection of an event affecting the area, such as entry into the area. Therefore, in one example, a geofence may be defined by the geometry that demarcates the area (geographical extent) and the actions associated with that area.

[0031] (Geometry) The method for defining geometry is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. Known methods may be used to define geometry. Geometric information may include any information for defining an area (geographic extent).

[0032] Figures 2, 3, and 4 schematically show an example of a method for defining the geometry GM (area) of a geofence according to this embodiment. In one example, as shown in Figure 2, the geometry GM may be defined by the center coordinates CC and the radius r. In this case, the area of ​​the geofence is, The geofence area may be defined as a circular region with radius r centered at center coordinate CC. The circumference of the circle with radius r centered at center coordinate CC is the boundary of the geofence area. If a path RP is given, the intersection point BD of the geofence boundary and path RP is the geofence boundary on path RP. Note that path RP may be given in any way. Path RP may be, for example, a road, a waterway, an airway, etc. Path RP may be given in real space or virtually. Path RP may be omitted.

[0033] In one example, as shown in Figure 3, the geometry GM may be defined by a sequence of coordinates of feature points FC. In this case, the geofence area may be defined as the extent of a closed polygon formed by connecting adjacent feature points FC. The lines connecting each feature point FC are the boundaries of the geofence area. The pathway RP and boundary (intersection BD) are the same as in the example in Figure 2. Note that in the example in Figure 3, six feature points FC are defined. However, the number of feature points FC is not limited to this example and may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. The number of feature points FC may be any number of three or more.

[0034] In one example, as shown in Figure 4, the geometry GM may be defined by a link LC and a distance d from the link LC. In this case, the geofence area may be defined as a capsule-shaped area at a distance d from the link LC. The outer perimeter of the capsule shape at a distance d from the link LC is the boundary line of the geofence area. The pathway RP and boundary (intersection BD) are the same as in the example in Figure 2. Note that the link LC may be defined as appropriate. The link LC may be given as a pathway RP such as a road link, or it may be given independently of the pathway RP. The information of the link LC may be configured as appropriate. For example, the information of the link LC may include identification information such as a link ID. Range information indicating the range of the link LC may be associated with the identification information and stored in an arbitrary memory area. In this way, the information of the link LC may be configured to indirectly indicate the range of the link LC. Alternatively, for example, the information of the link LC may be configured to directly indicate the range of the link LC by including the above range information. For example, the range of the link LC may be defined by endpoints (LC1, LC2). The endpoints (LC1, LC2) may also be called the start point or the end point, respectively. According to this example of geometry GM, by increasing the width of the link LC by a distance d, the geofence determination process (detection of events in the area) can be made easier compared to when the geofence is constructed using only the link LC.

[0035] (Geometry integration) The geofence area may be defined by a single geometry or by multiple geometries. When the area is defined by multiple geometries, the multiple geometries may be merged (combined) as appropriate. The method of merging the geometries is not particularly limited and may be selected as appropriate depending on the embodiment. For example, the merging of geometries may be defined by logical operators such as logical OR, logical AND, or exclusive OR.

[0036] Figure 5 schematically shows an example (logical OR) of the method for integrating geometries (GM1, GM2) according to this embodiment. Figure 5 assumes a scenario in which logical OR is used as the logical operator for integrating the two geometries (GM1, GM2). In this case, the geofence area is defined as an area that includes at least one of geometry GM1 or geometry GM2. If the current location (current location 25) belongs to at least one of the areas of geometry GM1 and geometry GM2, it is determined that the current location is inside the geofence. If the current location does not belong to either the area of ​​geometry GM1 or geometry GM2, it is determined that the current location is outside the geofence. As shown in Figure 5, if a path RP is given, the two intersection points BD between the outer perimeter (boundary line) after integrating each geometry (GM1, GM2) and the path RP become the geofence boundary on the path RP.

[0037] Figure 6 schematically shows an example (logical AND) of the method for integrating geometries (GM1, GM2) according to this embodiment. Figure 6 assumes a scenario in which logical AND is used as the logical operator for integrating the two geometries (GM1, GM2). In this case, the geofence area is defined as the overlapping area of ​​geometries GM1 and GM2. If the current location belongs to the area of ​​both geometries GM1 and GM2, it is determined that the current location is inside the geofence. If the current location belongs to the area of ​​only one of geometries GM1 or GM2, or does not belong to either area, it is determined that the current location is outside the geofence. As shown in Figure 6, if a path RP is given, the two intersection points BD between the outer perimeter of the overlapping range of the two geometries (GM1, GM2) and the path RP become the geofence boundary on the path RP.

[0038] Figure 7 schematically shows an example (exclusive OR) of the method for integrating geometries (GM1, GM2) according to this embodiment. Figure 7 assumes a scenario in which exclusive OR is used as the logical operator for integrating the two geometries (GM1, GM2). In this case, the geofence area is defined as the area of ​​only one of geometry GM1 or geometry GM2. If the current location belongs to the area of ​​only one of geometry GM1 or geometry GM2, it is determined that the current location is inside the geofence. If the current location belongs to the area where geometry GM1 and geometry GM2 overlap, or does not belong to either area, it is determined that the current location is outside the geofence. As shown in Figure 7, if a path RP is given, the two intersection points BD between the boundary lines of each geometry (GM1, GM2) and path RP, and the two intersection points BD between the outer perimeter of the overlapping range of the two geometries (GM1, GM2) and path RP become the geofence boundaries on path RP.

[0039] (action) The method for defining an action is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. Known methods may be used to define an action. For example, an action may be defined by the content of the action and the conditions for its execution. That is, an action may be defined to indicate "when" (execution conditions) and "what" (content of the action) to be performed for a given geographical area (geometry).

[0040] (A) Action details The content of the action may be determined as appropriate depending on the embodiment, such as the context and purpose of using the geofencing. For example, the content of the action may include performing arbitrary actions such as controlling the operation of a device (vehicle MV, on-board device 1, on-board sensor S, etc.), generating information, and outputting information. Controlling the operation of a device may include, for example, operating in a specific mode among multiple modes, executing a predetermined operation, permitting the execution of a predetermined operation, or prohibiting the execution of a predetermined operation. Generating information may include, for example, generating information to be notified to an external computer. Outputting information may include, for example, presenting information to a user or transmitting information to an external computer.

[0041] For example, a geofence may relate to the vehicle's (MV) speed. The action may specify that an arbitrary action be performed when the speed meets predetermined conditions. For example, the action may include notifying the user (driver, etc.) of a warning to encourage them to reduce their speed when the speed exceeds a predetermined value. As a specific example, a geofence may be set in a school zone. The action may include notifying a warning to encourage the vehicle to reduce its speed when the speed exceeds 30 km / h within the school zone. The action may also include controlling the operation of the vehicle (MV) to reduce its speed to below a predetermined value. Furthermore, for example, the action may include allowing the output of information when the speed is below a predetermined value. The action may include allowing (executing) the output of advertising information when the driving speed is below a predetermined value (including when stopped), and prohibiting (omitting) the output of advertising information when the driving speed exceeds a predetermined value. The case where the driving speed is equal to the predetermined value may be included in either the case where the driving speed is below the predetermined value or the case where the driving speed exceeds the predetermined value.

[0042] Furthermore, in one example, the geofence may relate to the driving mode of the vehicle MV. The action content may specify that an arbitrary action be performed when the driving mode satisfies predetermined conditions. For example, the vehicle MV may be a hybrid vehicle. The driving modes of a hybrid vehicle may include electric vehicle mode (EV mode) and hybrid (electric) vehicle mode (HV / HEV mode). The geofence may relate to a low emission zone. The action content may specify the operating mode of the vehicle MV. The action may include at least one of the following: controlling the vehicle and outputting information regarding low-emission zones. For example, geofences may be set up in low-emission zones. The action may include switching the operating mode of the vehicle MV from hybrid vehicle mode to electric vehicle mode or outputting a notification instructing the vehicle MV to switch to electric vehicle mode when the vehicle MV enters the geofence and the vehicle MV's operating mode is hybrid vehicle mode.

[0043] In one example, the vehicle MV may be equipped with a driving recorder. The geofence may relate to the recording mode of the driving recorder. The action content may specify that any action related to the recording mode of the driving recorder be performed. For example, the geofence may relate to prohibiting recording. The action content may include at least one of the following: controlling the recording mode of the driving recorder to turn off, and outputting information regarding the prohibition of recording. Specifically, the geofence may be set in an area where recording is prohibited. The action content may include switching the recording mode of the driving recorder from on to off, or outputting a notification instructing to switch to off, when the vehicle MV enters the geofence and the recording mode of the driving recorder is on.

[0044] The actions are not limited to the examples above and may be defined as appropriate depending on the embodiment. For example, the actions may include notifying an external computer (server, etc.) of the vehicle MV's movement status. The vehicle MV's movement status may include, for example, approaching the destination, arriving at the destination, staying at the destination, departing from the destination, etc. In one example, the vehicle MV may be a truck delivering goods, and the destination may be the delivery address of the goods (store, etc.). Also, for example, the actions may include activating the on-board sensor S when the current state of the vehicle MV satisfies predetermined conditions, and notifying an external computer of the sensing data obtained by the on-board sensor S.

[0045] Furthermore, the number of actions defined in the action description may be one or multiple. When multiple actions are defined in the action description, each action may be called a sub-action. The action description may be defined by a combination of multiple sub-actions. When the action description is defined by a combination of multiple sub-actions, each sub-action may be assigned an execution priority. In addition, there may be execution dependencies between at least some sub-actions, such as the execution of a second sub-action being controlled or the execution content of the second sub-action being determined based on the execution result of the first sub-action.

[0046] Furthermore, the action content may be determined statically in advance, or it may be determined dynamically according to predetermined conditions. Dynamic determination of the action content may be based on various conditions such as time of day, date, weather, presence or absence of an event, user status, and the status of the device (in-vehicle device 1, vehicle MV, etc.). This may be done in any way. For example, the action may be defined to display advertisements according to the time of day (e.g., display cafe advertisements in the morning and restaurant advertisements in the evening).

[0047] (B) Action execution conditions Action execution conditions are conditions for determining whether or not to perform an action. Action execution conditions may be defined as appropriate to include conditions related to events on the target geofence. Events on the geofence may be detected as appropriate depending on the result of the geofence inside / outside determination. In a simple example, conditions related to events on a geofence may include at least one of being located inside the geofence and being located outside the geofence. In addition, the progression of the positional relationship to the geofence may be monitored by continuously performing geofence inside / outside determination. Accordingly, in one example, conditions related to events on a geofence may be detected depending on the result of monitoring the progression of the positional relationship to the geofence. For example, events on a geofence may include at least one of staying outside the geofence, entering inside from outside the geofence, staying inside the geofence, and leaving outside from inside the geofence. Staying inside (outside) the geofence may include at least one of staying inside (outside) the geofence for a predetermined time and performing a predetermined movement inside (outside) the geofence.

[0048] The action execution conditions may further include any conditions other than those relating to events on the geofence. For example, the action execution conditions may further include conditions relating to the environment in which the action is executed. The execution environment may include any elements relating to the circumstances under which the action is executed. For example, the execution environment may include dynamic elements such as time of day, date, weather, and the presence or absence of any events. Also, for example, the action execution conditions may further include conditions relating to the state of the device (vehicle MV, on-board device 1, etc.).

[0049] When determining whether a condition is met, the on-board device 1 may appropriately obtain information to be used for the determination from any information source. For example, the on-board device 1 may determine whether an action execution condition other than the event condition for the geofence is met, based on at least one of the information held within the device and the information obtained from other devices connected to the device. If the action execution condition includes a condition relating to the state of the vehicle MV, the on-board device 1 may appropriately obtain vehicle information from the vehicle MV. The on-board device 1 may determine whether a condition relating to the state of the vehicle MV is met, based on the vehicle information obtained from the vehicle MV. The vehicle information used to determine whether the action execution condition is met and the vehicle information 20 used to determine whether the determination execution condition is met may be at least partially the same or different.

[0050] For example, regarding a geofence relating to the vehicle MV's driving speed, the action execution conditions relating to the vehicle MV's state may include conditions relating to the driving speed (e.g., threshold, numerical range, etc.). For example, the action execution conditions relating to the vehicle MV's state may include either the driving speed exceeding a threshold or the driving speed being below a threshold. If the action execution conditions include the former condition, the in-vehicle device 1 may determine that the action execution conditions are not met, based on the driving speed being below the threshold, and may omit executing the action (e.g., issuing a warning). Also, if the action execution conditions include the latter condition, the in-vehicle device 1 may determine that the action execution conditions are not met, based on the driving speed exceeding a threshold, and may omit executing the action (e.g., outputting advertising information).

[0051] Furthermore, for example, regarding a geofence for a low-emission zone, the action execution conditions related to the vehicle MV state may include the vehicle MV being in a mode other than electric vehicle mode (e.g., hybrid vehicle mode). In accordance with this, entry into the geofence will be performed. If the vehicle MV has been in electric vehicle mode from the beginning, the onboard device 1 may determine that the action execution conditions are not met and may omit the execution of the action to switch the operating mode of the vehicle MV to electric vehicle mode.

[0052] Furthermore, in one example, regarding a geofence relating to the shooting mode of the driving recorder, the action execution condition relating to the state of the vehicle MV may include the driving recorder's shooting mode being on (i.e., the driving recorder is operating). Accordingly, if the driving recorder's shooting mode is off (the driving recorder is stopped) before entering the geofence, the in-vehicle device 1 may determine that the action execution condition is not met and may omit the action of turning off the driving recorder's shooting mode (prohibiting shooting).

[0053] Furthermore, in one example, the action execution condition regarding the state of the vehicle MV may include the condition that no utterances are being made by applications other than the application of the action to be performed in the in-vehicle device 1. Accordingly, the in-vehicle device 1 may determine that the action execution condition is not satisfied while utterances by other applications are being made, and may omit the execution of the action. Upon completion of utterances by other applications, the in-vehicle device 1 may determine that the action execution condition is satisfied and execute the action defined in the action content.

[0054] Furthermore, after the action execution conditions are met, the action defined in the action content may be executed at any time. For example, the action may be executed immediately when the action execution conditions are met, or it may be executed after a predetermined delay period has elapsed. Also, the number of times the action is executed in response to the fulfillment of the action execution conditions is not particularly limited and may be determined as appropriate depending on the embodiment. For example, the action may be executed only once, or it may be executed repeatedly under predetermined conditions.

[0055] An action execution condition may define one or more conditions. An action execution condition may consist of a combination of multiple conditions. When it consists of a combination of multiple conditions, the action execution condition may be determined to be satisfied depending on whether any of the conditions included in the action execution condition are satisfied. For example, an action execution condition may be determined to be satisfied depending on whether any one of the conditions is satisfied or whether at least two or more conditions are satisfied. Each condition may be assigned a priority. The priority may be set statically or dynamically depending on the execution environment, etc. In this case, the judgment process for each condition may be executed according to the priority. An action execution condition may also be called a trigger event.

[0056] (map) Maps (map data) may be provided as appropriate. Map data may be configured as appropriate to represent a map. Known configurations may be used for the map data. For example, map data may be configured to include latitude and longitude coordinate information, road network information, facility information, etc. Road network information may include the ID (road link ID) of each road (road link). Map data may be stored in any storage area. Map data may be stored in at least one of the memory resources of the in-vehicle device 1 and an external storage device. The external storage device may include a storage device of an external computer such as a NAS (Network Attached Storage).

[0057] In the in-vehicle device 1, map data may be used for any purpose, such as displaying a designated area or location, or providing route guidance. If map data is not stored in advance and is to be used for any purpose, the in-vehicle device 1 may appropriately acquire data from an external storage device for at least the range of map data to be used. A known method may be used for acquiring the map data. In the in-vehicle device 1, the geofence determination process is linked to the process of using map data. It may be executed in conjunction with other processes, or it may be executed independently of any processes that use map data.

[0058] [Conditions for execution of judgment] The judgment execution condition is a condition for deciding whether or not to execute the geofence determination process. While the action execution condition specifies whether or not to execute an action after performing the geofence inside / outside determination, the judgment execution condition specifies whether or not to perform the geofence inside / outside determination in the first place.

[0059] In this embodiment, the judgment execution conditions may include conditions relating to the state of the vehicle MV. The judgment execution conditions may include other conditions other than those relating to the state of the vehicle MV, or they may consist only of conditions relating to the state of the vehicle MV without including such other conditions. The judgment execution conditions may be defined as appropriate for each geofence. In one example of this embodiment, the judgment execution conditions may include at least one of the following three conditions.

[0060] (1) Driving speed Figure 8 schematically shows an example of a determination execution condition (travel speed) according to this embodiment. In one example, the geofence may relate to the travel speed of the vehicle MV. The on-board device 1 may acquire the current travel speed 201 of the vehicle MV as an example of vehicle information 20. That is, the current state of the vehicle MV indicated by the vehicle information 20 may include the travel speed 201 of the vehicle MV. The determination execution condition may be that the travel speed of the vehicle MV satisfies a predetermined numerical condition. Accordingly, the on-board device 1 may choose whether or not to perform a geofence determination depending on whether or not the acquired travel speed 201 satisfies the predetermined numerical condition. If the travel speed 201 satisfies the predetermined numerical condition, the on-board device 1 may choose to perform a geofence determination. On the other hand, if the travel speed 201 does not satisfy the predetermined numerical condition, the on-board device 1 may choose not to perform a geofence determination.

[0061] The method for measuring the driving speed 201 is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. In one example, the on-board sensor S may include a vehicle speed sensor S1. The on-board device 1 may acquire the driving speed 201 directly or indirectly from the vehicle speed sensor S1. In another example, the position of the vehicle MV may be continuously measured by the positioning module 16. The driving speed 201 may be measured as the amount of change in the position of the vehicle MV from the result of this continuous measurement. According to one example of this embodiment, with respect to geofences that monitor the driving speed of the vehicle MV, it is possible to expect to improve the efficiency of the geofence determination process.

[0062] The predetermined numerical conditions may be determined as appropriate depending on the embodiment. In one example, the predetermined numerical condition may be that the vehicle MV's travel speed 201 exceeds a threshold. That is, the selection of whether or not to perform a geofence determination may include selecting to perform a geofence determination when the vehicle MV's travel speed 201 exceeds a threshold, and selecting not to perform a geofence determination when the vehicle MV's travel speed 201 is less than a threshold. The threshold may be arbitrarily defined. The case where the travel speed 201 is equal to the threshold may be included in either the case where the travel speed 201 exceeds the threshold or the case where the travel speed 201 is less than the threshold. In one example, this numerical condition may be used in a scenario where a geofence is set to encourage the suppression of the above-mentioned travel speed, such as by notifying a warning for driving at speeds exceeding 30 km / h within a school zone. Output information such as warnings to be notified may be appropriately stored in memory resources (e.g., within the program). Output information may also be provided from an external storage device. According to one example of this embodiment, with respect to geofencing that monitors vehicles traveling at speeds exceeding a threshold, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the geofencing determination process.

[0063] In another example, a predetermined numerical condition may be that the vehicle MV's travel speed 201 is less than a threshold. That is, the choice of whether or not to perform geofence determination is This may include selecting to perform a geofence determination when the vehicle MV's travel speed 201 is below a threshold, and selecting not to perform a geofence determination when the vehicle MV's travel speed 201 exceeds a threshold. Similarly, the threshold may be arbitrarily defined. The case where the travel speed 201 is equal to the threshold may be included in either the case where the travel speed 201 is below the threshold or the case where the travel speed 201 exceeds the threshold. A travel speed 201 being below the threshold may include the vehicle MV being stopped. For example, this numerical condition may be used in a scenario to control whether to allow or prohibit the output of information according to the travel speed, such as allowing the output of advertising information when the travel speed is below a predetermined value, and prohibiting the output of advertising information when the travel speed exceeds a predetermined value. Output information such as advertising information may be appropriately stored in memory resources. Output information may also be provided from an external storage device. According to this example of the embodiment, it is possible to expect to improve the efficiency of the geofence determination process with respect to geofences that monitor travel at speeds below a threshold.

[0064] (2) Driving mode Figure 9 schematically shows an example of a determination execution condition (driving mode) according to this embodiment. In one example, the geofence may relate to the driving mode of the vehicle MV. The on-board device 1 may acquire information indicating the current driving mode 203 of the vehicle MV as an example of vehicle information 20. That is, the current state of the vehicle MV indicated by the vehicle information 20 may include the current driving mode 203 of the vehicle MV. The determination execution condition may be that the driving mode of the vehicle MV satisfies predetermined conditions. Accordingly, the on-board device 1 may choose whether or not to perform a geofence determination depending on whether or not the acquired driving mode 203 satisfies predetermined conditions. If the driving mode 203 satisfies predetermined conditions, the on-board device 1 may choose to perform a geofence determination. On the other hand, if the driving mode 203 does not satisfy predetermined conditions, the on-board device 1 may choose not to perform a geofence determination.

[0065] Information indicating the driving mode 203 may be obtained by any method. In one example, if the on-board device 1 constitutes at least a part of the vehicle MV, the on-board device 1 may obtain information indicating the driving mode 203 from its own memory resources. In another example, if the on-board device 1 is connected to the vehicle MV's computer, the on-board device 1 may obtain information indicating the driving mode 203 from the vehicle MV's computer (ECU, etc.). According to this example, with respect to geofences that monitor the driving mode of the vehicle MV, it is possible to expect improved efficiency in the geofence determination process.

[0066] The driving mode (driving mode 203) may appropriately define the driving method of the vehicle (vehicle MV), such as driving on battery power or driving on fuel. The types of driving modes are not particularly limited and may be appropriately determined according to the embodiment, such as the type of vehicle. Accordingly, the predetermined conditions may also be appropriately determined according to the embodiment. In one example, as described above, the vehicle MV may be a hybrid vehicle. The driving modes of a hybrid vehicle may include an electric vehicle mode and a hybrid vehicle mode. The electric vehicle mode may be a mode in which power is supplied from the battery and the vehicle is driven only by the electric motor. The hybrid vehicle mode may be a mode in which power is supplied from both fuel and the battery and the vehicle is driven by both the engine and the electric motor. The geofence may relate to a low-emission zone. The predetermined conditions for a driving mode may consist of the vehicle MV's current driving mode 203 being a mode other than the electric vehicle mode (such as a hybrid vehicle mode). In other words, the choice of whether or not to perform a geofencing check may include choosing to perform a geofencing check when the vehicle MV's current driving mode 203 is a mode other than electric vehicle mode, and choosing not to perform a geofencing check when the vehicle MV's current driving mode 203 is electric vehicle mode. A mode other than electric vehicle mode may be, for example, hybrid vehicle mode (HV / HEV mode). In one example, this predetermined condition is to switch the operating mode of the vehicle MV to electric vehicle mode or to instruct a switch to electric vehicle mode in a low-emission zone. This may be used in situations where a geofence is set up to encourage driving in electric vehicle mode in the low-emission zone, such as by outputting a notification. According to one example of this embodiment, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the geofence determination process with respect to the geofence that monitors the driving mode of the vehicle MV in the low-emission zone.

[0067] (3) Driving recorder shooting mode Figure 10 schematically shows an example of a determination execution condition (driving recorder shooting mode) according to this embodiment. In one example, the vehicle MV may be equipped with a driving recorder DR. The type of driving recorder DR is not particularly limited as long as it can record the driving conditions of the vehicle MV (especially the conditions outside the vehicle MV), and may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. For example, the driving recorder DR may be a video recording device such as a video camera. The in-vehicle device 1 may be directly connected to the driving recorder DR, or it may be indirectly connected via a network (Controller Area Network, etc.), the vehicle MV's computer, etc. This is also acceptable. The geofence may relate to the shooting mode of the driving recorder DR. The in-vehicle device 1 may acquire information indicating the current shooting mode 205 of the driving recorder DR as an example of vehicle information 20. That is, the current state of the vehicle MV indicated by the vehicle information 20 may include the current shooting mode 205 of the driving recorder DR. The judgment execution condition may be that the shooting mode of the driving recorder DR satisfies predetermined conditions. Accordingly, the in-vehicle device 1 may choose whether or not to perform a geofence judgment depending on whether or not the acquired shooting mode 205 satisfies predetermined conditions. If the shooting mode 205 satisfies predetermined conditions, the in-vehicle device 1 may choose to perform a geofence judgment. On the other hand, if the shooting mode 205 does not satisfy predetermined conditions, the in-vehicle device 1 may choose not to perform a geofence judgment.

[0068] Information indicating the shooting mode 205 may be obtained by any method. In one example, if the in-vehicle device 1 is part of the vehicle MV or directly connected to the driving recorder DR, the in-vehicle device 1 may obtain information indicating the shooting mode 205 from its own memory resources. In another example, if the in-vehicle device 1 is connected to the vehicle MV's computer or indirectly connected to the driving recorder DR, the in-vehicle device 1 may obtain information indicating the shooting mode 205 from the vehicle MV's components (such as the ECU). According to one example of this embodiment, with respect to geofences that monitor the shooting mode of the driving recorder DR, it is possible to expect improved efficiency in the geofence determination process.

[0069] The shooting mode (shooting mode 205) may appropriately define the operating method of the driving recorder (driving recorder DR), such as continuously recording or stopping recording. The types of shooting modes may be appropriately determined according to the embodiment. Accordingly, the predetermined conditions may also be appropriately determined according to the embodiment. For example, the shooting mode of the driving recorder DR may include a first mode that performs continuous recording (shooting mode is on) and a second mode that stops recording (shooting mode is off). Geofencing may relate to prohibiting shooting by the driving recorder DR. The predetermined conditions for the shooting mode may consist of the current shooting mode 205 of the driving recorder DR being on (first mode). That is, selecting whether or not to perform a geofencing determination may include selecting to perform a geofencing determination when the current shooting mode 205 of the driving recorder DR is on, and selecting not to perform a geofencing determination when the current shooting mode 205 of the driving recorder DR is off (second mode). For example, this predetermined condition may be used in a scenario where the operation of the driving recorder DR is controlled (recording is prohibited) in the aforementioned no-recording area. According to this example, with respect to geofencing that monitors the recording mode of the driving recorder DR in the no-recording area, it is expected that the efficiency of the geofencing determination process can be improved.

[0070] (Relationship with action execution conditions) The judgment execution conditions and action execution conditions may overlap. For example, the judgment items of the judgment execution conditions and action execution conditions may overlap at least partially. The judgment execution conditions and action execution conditions may overlap at least partially if the conditions of the overlapping judgment items are the same. As a result, the same conditions may be repeatedly judged as judgment execution conditions and action execution conditions.

[0071] Furthermore, if conditions that at least partially overlap between the judgment execution conditions and the action execution conditions can be set, the overlapping conditions may be omitted from either the judgment execution conditions or the action execution conditions. For example, overlapping conditions may be set as judgment execution conditions but not as action execution conditions (i.e., they may be omitted from action execution conditions). As a specific example, the condition relating to the low-emission zone (that the vehicle MV's driving mode 203 is a mode other than electric vehicle mode) may be set as a judgment execution condition but may be omitted from action execution conditions. Also, the condition relating to the shooting mode (that the driving recorder DR's shooting mode 205 is on) may be set as a judgment execution condition but may be omitted from action execution conditions.

[0072] Furthermore, when setting overlapping judgment items in the judgment execution conditions and action execution conditions, the conditions for the judgment items (threshold conditions, etc.) may be set appropriately according to the embodiment. The conditions for overlapping judgment items may differ between the judgment execution conditions and action execution conditions. In this case, for example, the judgment execution conditions may be set to be more easily satisfied (more likely to be selected for execution) than the action execution conditions for overlapping judgment items.

[0073] As a specific example, in the above case where an action is executed when the driving speed exceeds a predetermined value, the threshold for the judgment execution condition (first threshold) may be set to a smaller value than the threshold for the action execution condition (second threshold). For example, in the case of the school zone above, the threshold for the action execution condition may be set to 30 km / h, and the threshold for the judgment execution condition may be set to a speed slower than 30 km / h (e.g., 20 km / h). Also, as a specific example, in the above case where an action is executed when the driving speed is below a predetermined value, the threshold for the judgment execution condition (first threshold) may be set to a larger value than the threshold for the action execution condition (second threshold). For example, in the case of controlling the output of advertising information above, the threshold for the judgment execution condition may be set to a speed faster than the threshold for the action execution condition.

[0074] The timing of executing the judgment execution condition may differ from the timing of executing the action execution condition. The judgment execution condition may be executed before the action execution condition. If the timing of executing the judgment execution condition differs significantly from the timing of executing the action execution condition, the state of the vehicle MV may change between the time the judgment execution condition is executed and the time the action execution condition is executed. Due to the change in the state of the vehicle MV, the state of the vehicle MV may not satisfy the action execution condition at the time the judgment execution condition is executed, but may satisfy the action execution condition at the time the action execution condition is executed. In such a case, even though the state of the vehicle MV satisfies the action execution condition, the action execution condition determination process may be omitted, which may result in the action execution being omitted. According to one example of this embodiment, by setting the judgment execution condition to be more easily satisfied than the action execution condition, it is possible to suppress the omission of the action execution condition determination process (and thus the omission of the action execution) even though the state of the vehicle MV could satisfy the action execution condition.

[0075] (others) The judgment execution conditions are not limited to the above example and may be set appropriately depending on the embodiment. The judgment execution conditions may be set for static information or for dynamic information such as the execution environment. Static information may include, for example, the type (model) of the vehicle MV and the user's attributes. User attributes may include, for example, the user's age and gender. In one example, the judgment execution conditions may include a hysteresis condition that sets a dead zone (hysteresis) of a predetermined distance after performing an inside / outside determination and does not perform the inside / outside determination process again until that distance has been traveled. By including this hysteresis condition in the judgment execution conditions, it is possible to suppress the frequent execution of determination processing near the geofence boundary.

[0076] [Geofence Definition Data] The geofence definition data 30 is configured to define geofences (geometry and actions), but its configuration is not particularly limited and may be determined as appropriate depending on the embodiment. For example, the geofence definition data 30 may be configured to include information on geometry and actions.

[0077] Figure 11 schematically shows an example of the configuration of geofence definition data 30 according to this embodiment. In one example, geofence definition data 30 may include action data 303 that defines actions in the geofence, and main data 301 that includes identification information (action ID) for the action data 303. By including the identification information for the action data 303 in the main data 301, the action data 303 is associated with the main data 301. As the number of geofences increases, the amount of data in the geofence definition data 30 may increase. In contrast, in this example, the geofence definition data 30 is divided into main data 301 and action data 303. In other words, the action data 303 is separated from the main data 301. This makes the action data 303 reusable. That is, by associating the action data 303 with another main data, the same action defined by the action data 303 can be set in another geofence. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the amount of data for the geofence definition data 30, as it is possible to suppress data duplication for the definition of the same action. By increasing the reuse rate, the reduction in the amount of data can be promoted.

[0078] In one example, the geofence definition data 30 may further include geometry data 305 that defines the geometry that demarcates the geofence area. The main data 301 may further include identification information (geometry ID) for the geometry data 305. By including the identification information for the geometry data 305 in the main data 301, the geometry data 305 is associated with the main data 301. In this example, similar to the action data 303, the geometry data 305 is also separated from the main data 301. This makes the geometry data 305 reusable. In other words, by associating the geometry data 305 with another main data, the same area definition (geometry) provided by the geometry data 305 can be applied to another geofence. Therefore, according to this example, when setting multiple geofences in the same area, data duplication for the same area definition can be suppressed. As a result, the amount of data for the geofence definition data 30 can be reduced.

[0079] (Main unit data) The main data 301 may be configured as appropriate to indicate a geofence. For example, the main data 301 may be configured to indicate the definition of a geofence together with the associated action data 303 and geometry data 305 by including identification information (action ID, geometry ID) for the action data 303 and geometry data 305. Figure 1 As shown in 1, in one example of this embodiment, the main data 301 may include fields for storing various information such as main ID, action ID, geometry ID, drawing information, judgment execution conditions, expiration date, and management information. The order of each field is not particularly limited and may be changed as appropriate depending on the embodiment. In one example, one main data 301 may correspond to one geofence.

[0080] The main unit ID may be used to identify a geofence. The main unit ID is an example of identification information in the main unit data 301. The data format of the identification information (main unit ID) is not particularly limited and may be determined as appropriate depending on the embodiment. The value of the main unit ID may be given according to the time when the geofence was registered by the creation of the main unit data 301. The time may include the year, month, and day. The unit of time may be arbitrarily selected. In this way, the main unit ID may be configured so that the registration order can be determined by the value of the main unit ID.

[0081] The action ID is used to identify the action (action data 303) applied to the geofence. The action ID is an example of identification information for action data 303. The data format of the action identification information (action ID) is not particularly limited and may be determined as appropriate depending on the embodiment. As shown in Figure 11, in one example of this embodiment, the main data 301 contains the action ID, so that the action data 303 identified by the action ID is linked to the main data 301.

[0082] The geometry ID is used to identify the geometry (geometry data 305) to which the geofence is applied. The geometry ID is an example of identification information for geometry data 305. The data format of the geometry identification information (geometry ID) is not particularly limited and may be determined as appropriate depending on the embodiment. As shown in Figure 11, in one example of this embodiment, the main data 301 contains the geometry ID, so that the geometry data 305 identified by the geometry ID is linked to the main data 301.

[0083] Here, as described above, in one example, the geofence area may be defined by one geometry or by multiple geometries (Figures 5 to 7). Accordingly, including identification information for geometry data 305 may consist of including identification information for each of the geometry data 305 of one or more geometries. If identification information for each of the geometry data 305 of multiple geometries is included, the main data 301 may further include logical operators used to integrate the multiple geometries.

[0084] In the example shown in Figure 11, one or more geometry IDs may be stored in the geometry ID field of the main data 301. This allows one or more geometry data 305 to be associated with the main data 301. By including multiple geometry IDs in the main data 301, multiple geometries may be associated with the main data 301 and used to define the area of ​​the geofence. The main data 301 may also include a field for storing logical operators. If the main data 301 includes multiple geometry IDs, this field may store logical operators used when integrating the geometries corresponding to each geometry ID. This allows the main data 301 to include logical operators used for integrating each associated geometry.

[0085] According to one example of this embodiment, the geofence area can be defined using multiple geometry data 305 (multiple geometries). This further enhances the reusability of the geometry data 305, and thus a further reduction in data volume can be expected. In addition, complex area definitions can be easily generated not only by simple area definitions using a single geometry, but also by combining multiple geometries.

[0086] In one example, as shown in Figure 11, if the integration of multiple geometries is permitted, the main data 301 may further include a field for storing the integrated shape formed by integrating multiple geometries using logical operators. This means that if the main data 301 includes the geometry IDs of the geometry data 305 for each of the multiple geometries, it may further include the integrated shape formed by integrating the multiple geometries. The integrated shape may be used for any purpose, such as distance calculation. According to this example, by including the integrated shape in the main data 301, it becomes unnecessary to perform the geometry integration operation each time a geofence is used. This is expected to improve processing efficiency.

[0087] Drawing information is used to draw geofences on the map. In one example of this embodiment, the main data 301 may further include drawing information for drawing geofences on the map in the in-vehicle device 1, by having a field for storing this drawing information. As described above, in the in-vehicle device 1, the map may be used for any purpose such as displaying a designated area or location, or providing route guidance. Map data may be used to draw the map. Drawing information may include any information used to draw geofences on the map. For example, drawing information may include information such as a representative point (coordinates, etc.), name, and drawing attributes. Drawing attributes may include on / off display of the geofence, fill color, border color, transparency, icon attributes, etc. Icon attributes may include on / off display of the icon, content information (storage location of the icon image, etc.), etc. The representative point may be used as the point where the icon is displayed. In one example of this embodiment, the geometry data 305 that defines the geometry is separated from the main data 301, while the drawing information is retained in the main data 301. As a result, the in-vehicle device 1 can draw geofences by referring to the drawing information of the main unit data 301, without having to refer to the geometry data 305. Consequently, the efficiency of the geofence drawing process can be expected to be improved.

[0088] As described above, the judgment execution conditions are used to select whether or not to perform the geofence determination process. In one example of this embodiment, the main data 301 may further include judgment execution conditions for selecting whether or not to perform the geofence determination, by including a field for storing these judgment execution conditions. According to one example of this embodiment, it is possible to decide whether or not to perform the geofence determination by referring to the judgment execution conditions in the main data 301, without referring to the action data 303 (and geometry data 305). This is expected to improve the efficiency of the geofence determination process.

[0089] The expiration date indicates the period during which the geofence defined by the geofence definition data 30 is valid. In one example of this embodiment, the main data 301 may further include the geofence expiration date by including a field for storing this expiration date. According to this example of the embodiment, the period for which the geofence is applied can be specified by the expiration date included in the main data 301. Furthermore, it is possible to determine whether the geofence is valid or not by referring to the expiration date in the main data 301, without referring to the action data 303 and geometry data 305. This is expected to improve the efficiency of the process for verifying the validity of the geofence.

[0090] Management information may include any information used for the operation of the main data 301. For example, management information may include creation time, update time, etc. The time may include year, month, and day. The unit of time may be arbitrarily selected. The creation time may indicate the time when the main data 301 was created. The update time may indicate the time when the geofence definition data 30 was updated. For example, the update time may be configured to indicate the time when at least one of the main data 301, the associated action data 303, and the associated geometry data 305 was updated. Thus, in this example of the embodiment, the main data 301 is configured such that at least one of the main data 301, action data 303, and geometry data 305 The update time may further include an overall update time indicating the time of the update. In one example of this embodiment, by aggregating the update times in the main data 301, it becomes possible to determine whether or not at least one of the main data 301, action data 303, and geometry data 305 has been updated simply by referring to the main data 301, without referring to the action data 303 and geometry data 305. This is expected to improve the efficiency of the process when determining whether or not the geofence definition data 30 has been updated. However, the update times included in the main data 301 are not limited to this example and may be changed as appropriate depending on the embodiment. In another example, the update time may be configured to indicate the time when the main data 301 was updated, without indicating the time when the action data 303 and geometry data 305 were updated. In yet another example, the main data 301 may separately include an overall update time and individual update times for the main data 301.

[0091] Regarding the specific configuration of the main data 301, depending on the embodiment, components can be omitted, replaced, and added as appropriate. For example, at least one of the logical operators, integrated shapes, drawing information, judgment execution conditions, expiration dates, and management information may be omitted. Drawing information, judgment execution conditions, and expiration dates may be stored in at least one of the action data 303 and geometry data 305. At least one of the creation time and update time may be stored separately from the management information. At least one of the creation time and update time may be omitted in the management information. The management information may further include other information other than the creation time and update time (e.g., creator, updater, deletion time, deleter, etc.). The main data 301 may further include other information such as the action category, whether or not to publish, and the type of in-vehicle device 1 to which the geofence definition data is provided.

[0092] (Action data) The action data 303 may be configured as appropriate to indicate the defined action by including definition information for the action. As shown in Figure 11, in one example of this embodiment, the action data 303 may include fields for storing various information such as action ID, action execution conditions, action content, and management information. The order of each field is not particularly limited and may be changed as appropriate depending on the embodiment. In one example, one action data 303 may correspond to one action definition.

[0093] The action ID is used to identify action data 303. The action execution conditions define the conditions under which the action is performed. The action content defines the content of the action to be performed. The action execution conditions and action content may be defined as described above. The action execution conditions and action content are examples of action definition information. The management information may include any information used for the operation of action data 303. The management information for action data 303 may be structured similarly to the management information for main data 301, except that the target is replaced from main data 301 to action data 303. For example, the management information may include creation time, update time, etc. The creation time may indicate the time when action data 303 was created. The update time may indicate the time when action data 303 was updated.

[0094] Regarding the specific configuration of the action data 303, depending on the embodiment, components can be omitted, replaced, and added as appropriate. For example, management information may be omitted. At least one of the creation time and update time may be kept separately from the management information. At least one of the creation time and update time may be omitted in the management information. Management information may further include other information other than the creation time and update time (e.g., creator, updater, deletion time, deleter, etc.). Action data 303 may further include other information such as the action category and name.

[0095] (Geometry data) The geometry data 305 may be configured as appropriate to indicate the geometry to be defined by including geometry definition information (information that defines an area). As shown in Figure 11, in one example of this embodiment, the geometry data 305 may include fields for storing various information such as geometry ID, geometry (definition information), and management information. The order of each field is not particularly limited and may be changed as appropriate depending on the embodiment. In one example, one geometry data 305 may correspond to one geometry definition.

[0096] The geometry ID is used to identify the geometry data 305. The geometry (definition information) defines the area of ​​the geofence. For example, the geometry may be defined in the manner described above, such as a circle (Figure 2), a polygon (Figure 3), or a link (Figure 4). The management information may include any information used for the operation of the geometry data 305. The management information for geometry data 305 may be structured similarly to the management information for main data 301, etc., except that the target is replaced. For example, the management information may include the creation time, update time, etc. The creation time may indicate the time when the geometry data 305 was created. The update time may indicate the time when the geometry data 305 was updated.

[0097] Regarding the specific configuration of the geometry data 305, depending on the embodiment, components can be omitted, replaced, and added as appropriate. For example, management information may be omitted. At least one of the creation time and update time may be kept separately from the management information. At least one of the creation time and update time may be omitted in the management information. The management information may further include other information other than the creation time and update time (e.g., creator, updater, deletion time, deleter, etc.). The geometry data 305 may further include other information such as the action category and name.

[0098] (An example of a reference procedure when determining whether something is internal or external) When the on-board device 1 performs geofence determination processing, each field of the geofence definition data 30 (main data 301, action data 303, and geometry data 305) may be referenced as appropriate.

[0099] As an example, in the first step, the in-vehicle device 1 may determine whether or not the judgment execution conditions of the main data 301 are met. In this example embodiment, conditions related to the state of the vehicle MV may be specified in the judgment execution condition field of the main data 301. As a result, the in-vehicle device 1 may determine whether or not the judgment execution conditions are met (i.e., whether or not to execute the geofence judgment process) according to the acquired vehicle information 20 (the current state of the vehicle MV).

[0100] In the second step, for geofences that are determined to satisfy the judgment execution conditions, the on-board device 1 may refer to the geometry ID (identification information) of the main data 301 and access the geometry data 305 associated with the main data 301. The on-board device 1 may refer to the geometry of the geometry data 305 and determine whether the current position 25 is inside or outside the area defined by the geometry. In one example of this embodiment, this judgment process corresponds to geofence determination (inside / outside determination). If the geofence determination process is being executed continuously, the geofence determination may also include determining the transition state of the vehicle MV relative to the geofence.

[0101] In one example, if multiple geometry data 305 are linked to the main data 301, the in-vehicle device 1 may identify the geofence area by integrating the geometry of each of the multiple geometry data 305 using the logical operators of the main data 301. Also, in another example, if the information of the area defined after the integration of multiple geometries is stored in the main data 301 as an integrated shape, the in-vehicle device 1 may access the geometry data 305. These may be omitted. In other words, the in-vehicle device 1 may identify the integrated area by referring to the integrated figure of the main data 301. The in-vehicle device 1 may then determine whether the current position 25 is inside or outside the identified area.

[0102] In the third step, the in-vehicle device 1 may refer to the action ID (identification information) of the main data 301 and access the action data 303 associated with the main data 301. The in-vehicle device 1 may then determine whether or not the action execution conditions of the action data 303 are met. In the fourth step, for geofences that have been determined to meet the action execution conditions, the in-vehicle device 1 may execute the action defined by the action content of the action data 303.

[0103] (Path to obtaining geofence definition data) The in-vehicle device 1 may acquire geofence definition data 30 for each geofence as appropriate. In one example, the geofence definition data 30 may be pre-loaded into the memory resources of the in-vehicle device 1. In another example, the in-vehicle device 1 may acquire geofence definition data 30 from an external storage device such as a server as appropriate. For example, the in-vehicle device 1 may acquire all of the pooled geofence definition data 30 at once from the external storage device. Alternatively, for example, the geofence definition data may be stored in a database. The server may be configured to access the database. The database may be stored in the server's memory resources or in an external storage device accessible to the server. The in-vehicle device 1 may notify the server of its current location and request the provision of geofence definition data 30. The server may extract geofences that exist within a predetermined distance from the current location. The predetermined distance may be arbitrarily defined. The server may provide the geofence definition data 30 of the extracted geofences to the in-vehicle device 1. As a result, the in-vehicle device may acquire the geofence definition data 30.

[0104] (others) The data format of the geofence definition data 30 is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. Furthermore, the data structure of the geofence definition data 30 (main data 301, action data 303, geometry data 305) may be appropriately modified depending on the embodiment.

[0105] For example, in the example shown in Figure 11, the action data 303 and geometry data 305 are separated from the main data 301. However, the configuration of the geofence definition data 30 is not limited to this example. In another example, only one of the action data 303 or geometry data 305 may be separated from the main data 301, while the other is included in the main data 301. For example, only the action data 303 may be separated from the main data 301, and the geometry data 305 may be included in the main data 301. Or, only the geometry data 305 may be separated from the main data 301, and the action data 303 may be included in the main data 301. In yet another example, if reusability of the actions and geometries is not required, both the action data 303 and geometry data 305 may be included in the main data 301.

[0106] Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 1 may be configured to execute a determination process for each geofence by holding geofence definition data 30 for each of the multiple geofences. In one example of this embodiment, if the multiple geofences include one or more geofences for which the satisfaction of the determination execution conditions is determined according to the vehicle information 20 (i.e., whether or not to execute the determination is selected), then the multiple geofences may include at least one of the geofences for which the satisfaction of the determination execution conditions is determined by information other than the vehicle information 20 and the geofences for which the determination of the determination execution conditions is omitted. The geofence definition data 30 held in the in-vehicle device 1 is the geofence definition data for each of the multiple geofences. Offense definition data may be included. In addition, in geofences where the satisfaction of the judgment execution conditions is determined according to the vehicle information 20, actions that affect the state of the vehicle MV (such as the examples in Figures 8 to 10 above) may be set. The judgment execution conditions according to the vehicle information 20 may be defined in correspondence with the actions set in the geofence.

[0107] [2 Example Configurations] [Example Hardware Configuration] Figure 12 schematically shows an example of the hardware configuration of the in-vehicle device 1 according to this embodiment. In one example, the in-vehicle device 1 according to this embodiment may be configured as a computer in which a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, an external interface 13, an input device 14, an output device 15, and a positioning module 16 are electrically connected.

[0108] The control unit 11 may include hardware processors such as a CPU, RAM (Random Access Memory), and ROM (Read Only Memory), and is configured to perform information processing based on programs and various data. The control unit 11 (CPU) is an example of processor resources.

[0109] The storage unit 12 may include, for example, a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive, or semiconductor memory, and is configured to hold arbitrary data. The storage unit 12, RAM, and ROM are examples of memory resources of the in-vehicle device 1. In one example, the storage unit 12 may store various information such as a program 81 and geofence definition data 30.

[0110] Program 81 is a program that causes the in-vehicle device 1 to perform information processing related to geofence determination (Figure 14, described later). Program 81 includes a series of instructions for said information processing. Program 81 is an example of a program of this disclosure.

[0111] In one example, at least one of the program 81 and the geofence definition data 30 may be stored in the storage medium 91 instead of or together with the storage unit 12. The storage medium 91 is configured to store various types of information (stored programs, etc.) by electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical means so that a machine such as a computer can read the information. The storage unit 12 and the storage medium 91 are examples of non-temporary storage media. The in-vehicle device 1 may retrieve at least one of the program 81 and the geofence definition data 30 from the storage medium 91. The storage medium 91 may be a disk-type storage medium (CD, DVD, etc.) or a non-disk-type storage medium such as semiconductor memory (flash memory, etc.). Any drive device may be used to read the information stored in the storage medium 91. The type of drive device may be selected according to the storage medium 91. The drive device may be connected to the in-vehicle device 1 by any method (for example, via the external interface 13). The storage medium 91 may include an external storage device.

[0112] The external interface 13 is configured to connect to an external device by wire or wireless connection. The external interface 13 may be, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, a communication port (communication module), a dedicated port, etc. The type and number of external interfaces 13 may be determined as appropriate depending on the embodiment. The communication standard of the communication port (communication module) may be arbitrarily selected. For example, the communication standard may be appropriately selected from the Internet, wireless communication network, mobile communication network, telephone network, dedicated network, etc. The dedicated network may include an in-vehicle network (Controller Area Network). In one example, the in-vehicle device 1 is connected to the external interface 13 It may be connected to the vehicle MV via [a specific device / method].

[0113] The input device 14 is configured to accept information input. The input device 14 may be composed of, for example, a touch panel, an operator, etc. The output device 15 is configured to output information. The system is configured as follows. The output device 15 may consist of, for example, a display, a speaker, etc. The user can operate the in-vehicle device 1 by using the input device 14 and the output device 15. The input device 14 and the output device 15 do not have to be directly connected to the in-vehicle device 1, and may be connected indirectly via the external interface 13. The input device 14 and the output device 15 may be integrated in at least part by a touch panel display, etc.

[0114] The positioning module 16 is configured to measure position. The type of positioning module 16 is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of measuring position, and may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. For example, the positioning module 16 may be a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor. The positioning module 16 may be composed of a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor or the like. For example, the positioning module 16 may be configured to estimate the distance to each base station (wireless access point) according to the signal strength received from each base station. The positioning module 16 may be configured to measure the position using any method (such as tripoint surveying) from the estimated distance to each base station. In this case, the positioning module 16 may be at least partially common with the external interface 13 (communication module). In one example, the positioning module 16 may be composed of a control unit 11 (CPU) and a communication module. The type of base station may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. Also, the positioning module 16 does not have to be built into the in-vehicle device 1, and may be connected to the in-vehicle device 1 via the external interface 13.

[0115] Furthermore, regarding the specific hardware configuration of the in-vehicle device 1, components can be omitted, replaced, and added as appropriate depending on the embodiment. For example, the control unit 11 may include multiple hardware processors. Hardware processors include microprocessors, FPGAs (field-programmable gate arrays), DSPs (digital signal processors), ECUs, It may consist of a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc. At least one of the input device 14 and the output device 15 This may be omitted. At least one of the program 81 and the geofence definition data 30 may be stored in an external storage device such as a NAS. An external storage device is also an example of a non-temporary storage medium. The in-vehicle device 1 may consist of multiple computers. In this case, the hardware configuration of each computer may or may not be the same. The in-vehicle device 1 may consist of a computer designed specifically for the services to be provided, as well as terminal devices, etc. Terminal devices may include user terminals such as smartphones and tablet terminals.

[0116] [Software Configuration] Figure 13 schematically shows an example of the software configuration of the in-vehicle device 1 according to this embodiment. The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 executes instructions contained in the program 81 stored in the storage unit 12 using the CPU. As a result, the in-vehicle device 1 operates as a computer equipped with a first acquisition unit 111, a selection unit 112, a second acquisition unit 113, a determination unit 114, and an output processing unit 115 as software modules. In other words, in this embodiment, each software module of the in-vehicle device 1 is realized by the control unit 11 (CPU).

[0117] The first acquisition unit 111 is configured to acquire vehicle information 20 indicating the current state of the vehicle MV. The selection unit 112 is configured to select whether or not to perform a geofence determination according to the acquired vehicle information 20. The second acquisition unit 113 is configured to acquire the current position 25 measured by the positioning module 16 when the selection unit 112 selects to perform a geofence determination. The determination unit 114 is configured to perform a geofence determination according to the acquired current position 25 when the selection unit 112 selects to perform a geofence determination. The output processing unit 115 outputs the geofence The system is configured to output information 40 regarding the result of the determination when the selection unit 112 selects to perform the determination. If the selection unit 112 selects not to perform the geofence determination, the geofence determination is omitted.

[0118] In this embodiment, an example is described in which each software module of the in-vehicle device 1 is implemented by a general-purpose CPU. However, some or all of the above software modules may be implemented by one or more dedicated processors or chipsets. Each of the above modules may also be implemented as a hardware module. Regarding the software configuration of the in-vehicle device 1, modules may be omitted, replaced, and added as appropriate, depending on the embodiment.

[0119] [3 Examples of operation] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for determining a geofence according to this embodiment. The following processing procedure is an example of an information processing method executed by a computer (in-vehicle device 1). However, the following processing procedure is merely an example, and each step may be modified as much as possible. Furthermore, depending on the embodiment, steps in the following processing procedure can be omitted, replaced, and added as appropriate.

[0120] (Step S101) In step S101, the control unit 11 operates as the first acquisition unit 111 and acquires vehicle information 20 indicating the current state of the vehicle MV.

[0121] The type of vehicle information 20 to be acquired may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment, such as the conditions for selecting whether or not to perform geofence determination. For example, if a geofence relating to the vehicle MV's driving speed is provided, the control unit 11 may acquire the driving speed 201. Also, in an example, if a geofence relating to the vehicle MV's driving mode is provided, the control unit 11 may acquire information indicating the current driving mode 203. Also, in an example, if a geofence relating to the driving recorder DR's shooting mode is provided, the control unit 11 may acquire information indicating the current shooting mode 205 of the driving recorder DR. Once the vehicle information 20 is acquired, the control unit 11 proceeds to the next step S102.

[0122] (Step S102) In step S102, the control unit 11 operates as a selection unit 112 and selects whether or not to perform a geofence determination according to the acquired vehicle information 20.

[0123] The control unit 11 may appropriately select whether or not to perform a geofence determination according to the given determination execution conditions. For example, a determination execution condition may be given that specifies that the vehicle MV's travel speed 201 exceeds a threshold. In this case, the control unit 11 may choose to perform a geofence determination in response to the vehicle MV's travel speed 201 exceeding the threshold. The control unit 11 may choose not to perform a geofence determination in response to the vehicle MV's travel speed 201 being less than the threshold.

[0124] In one example, a determination execution condition may be given that specifies that the vehicle MV's travel speed 201 is less than a threshold. In this case, the control unit 11 may choose to perform a geofencing determination depending on whether the vehicle MV's travel speed 201 is less than the threshold. The control unit 11 may choose not to perform a geofencing determination depending on whether the vehicle MV's travel speed 201 exceeds the threshold.

[0125] In another example, vehicle MV may be a hybrid vehicle, and a determination execution condition is given that specifies that the current driving mode 203 of vehicle MV is a mode other than electric vehicle mode. This may be done. In this case, the control unit 11 may choose to perform a geofencing determination depending on whether the current driving mode 203 of the vehicle MV is a mode other than electric vehicle mode (such as hybrid vehicle mode). The control unit 11 may choose not to perform a geofencing determination depending on whether the current driving mode 203 of the vehicle MV is electric vehicle mode.

[0126] In one example, a determination execution condition may be given that specifies that the current shooting mode 205 of the driving recorder DR is ON. In this case, the control unit 11 may choose to perform a geofencing determination depending on whether the current shooting mode 205 of the driving recorder DR is ON. The control unit 11 may choose not to perform a geofencing determination depending on whether the current shooting mode 205 of the driving recorder DR is OFF.

[0127] For example, if the geofence definition data 30 consists of main data 301, action data 303, and geometry data 305, the processing in step S102 may consist of the processing of the first step of the reference procedure for determining whether an area is inside or outside. Once a decision is made whether or not to perform a geofence determination, the control unit 11 proceeds to the next step S103.

[0128] (Step S103) In step S103, the control unit 11 acts as a selection unit 112 and determines the branch destination of the process according to the selection result in step S102. If the decision is made, the control unit 11 proceeds to the next step S104 for the selected geofences. On the other hand, if the decision is not made, the control unit 11 skips the processing in steps S104 to S106 for the selected geofences and proceeds to step S107. That is, if all geofences do not satisfy the decision execution conditions, the control unit 11 skips the processing in steps S104 to S106 and proceeds to step S107. If at least some geofences satisfy the decision execution conditions, the control unit 11 proceeds to the next step S104 and executes the processing from step S104 onwards for the geofences that satisfy the decision execution conditions. Thus, if the control unit 11 chooses not to perform a geofence decision, it skips the execution of the decision for that geofence (step S105). In one example, geofences for which no decision execution conditions have been set may be provided. For this geofence, the control unit 11 may skip the processing in steps S101 to S103 and proceed to step S104.

[0129] (Step S104) In step S104, the control unit 11 operates as a second acquisition unit 113 and acquires the current position 25 measured by the positioning module 16. Once the current position 25 is acquired, the control unit 11 proceeds to the next step S105.

[0130] Note that the timing of executing the process in step S104 is not limited to this example and may be changed as appropriate depending on the embodiment. In another example, the control unit 11 may execute the process in step S104 regardless of whether or not it performs geofence determination. The control unit 11 may periodically execute the process in step S104 to obtain the current position 25, regardless of the processes in steps S101 to S103. The process in step S104 may be executed at any timing before the next step S105. The process in step S104 may be executed before step S102 or step S101.

[0131] (Step S105) In step S105, the control unit 11 operates as a determination unit 114 and performs geofence determination according to the acquired current position 25. That is, the control unit 11 performs geofence determination according to the acquired It is determined whether the current location 25 is inside or outside the geofence defined by the geofence definition data 30 that is held.

[0132] In one example, in this determination process, the control unit 11 may generate a determination result configured to indicate whether the user is located inside or outside the defined geofence. Also in one example, since the inside / outside determination is performed continuously for at least some geofences, a previous determination result may exist. If a previous determination result exists, the control unit 11 may generate a determination result configured to indicate whether the user is staying outside the geofence, has entered the geofence from outside, is staying inside the geofence, or has exited the geofence from inside to outside, depending on the previous and current determination results.

[0133] For example, if the geofence definition data 30 consists of main data 301, action data 303, and geometry data 305, the processing in step S105 may consist of the processing of the second step of the reference procedure for determining whether a geofence is inside or outside. For geofences for which the determination process has been completed, the control unit 11 proceeds to the next step S106.

[0134] (Step S106) In step S106, the control unit 11 operates as an output processing unit 115 and outputs information 40 regarding the result of the geofence determination.

[0135] The output destination and the content of the information 40 to be output may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. In one example, the control unit 11 may output the judgment result as is. The output destination may be, for example, RAM, storage unit 12, output device 15, or another computer (including external storage device). For example, the control unit 11 may save the current judgment result to a memory resource for use in subsequent internal / external judgments.

[0136] In one example, the control unit 11 may determine whether or not the action execution conditions for a geofence are met, according to the geofence determination result. For geofences determined to meet the action execution conditions, the control unit 11 may execute the action defined by the action content. Outputting information 40 regarding the geofence determination result may include determining whether or not the action execution conditions are met, and executing the action set for the geofence that meets the action execution conditions. Executing an action may include controlling the operation of the vehicle MV, such as notifying the above-mentioned warning, controlling the permission to output advertising information, controlling the driving mode, controlling the shooting mode, etc. If the action to be executed includes outputting information such as the above-mentioned warning and advertising information, the information 40 regarding the determination result may include the information output by this action. In one example, if the geofence definition data 30 consists of main body data 301, action data 303, and geometry data 305, the processing related to the execution of this action may consist of the processing of the third and fourth steps of the reference procedure for internal / external determination described above. If other output devices besides the output device 15 are provided on the vehicle MV, the output destination of the information 40 may include the other output devices. Once the output of information 40 is complete, the control unit 11 proceeds to the next step S107.

[0137] (Step S107) In step S107, the control unit 11 determines whether or not to terminate the process. The determination criteria can be set arbitrarily. For example, the control unit 11 may determine not to terminate the process until a termination instruction is given. On the other hand, when a termination instruction is given, the control unit 11 may determine to terminate the process. The termination instruction can be given in any way, such as terminating / suspending the application or stopping the device.

[0138] If it determines that the process should not be terminated, the control unit 11 returns the process to step S101. The process is executed again from step S101. This allows the control unit 11 to continuously perform inside / outside determination for the geofence defined by the retained geofence definition data 30. On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines that it is time to terminate the process, it terminates the processing procedure related to inside / outside determination of the geofence in this example. Note that the timing of terminating the process is not limited to this example. The control unit 11 may terminate the processing procedure related to inside / outside determination of the geofence at any time. Also, in one example, the control unit 11 may execute the series of processes from steps S101 to S107 in real time.

[0139] [Features] In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 1 controls whether or not to execute the geofence determination process according to the current state of the vehicle MV (vehicle information 20) through the processing in steps S102 and S103. As a result, in situations where it can be determined from the state of the vehicle MV that geofence determination is unnecessary, the execution of the geofence determination in step S105 can be omitted. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the execution of unnecessary determination processes, and thus the efficiency of the geofence determination process can be expected to be improved.

[0140] [4. Variant] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above, the above description is merely illustrative in all respects. The processes and means described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical inconsistencies arise. Furthermore, various improvements or modifications may be made to the above embodiments as appropriate.

[0141] [5 Supplement] The processes and means described herein can be freely combined and implemented, provided that no technical inconsistencies arise.

[0142] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by a single device may be divided and executed by multiple devices. Conversely, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration used to implement each function can be flexibly changed.

[0143] This disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program implementing the functions described in the embodiments above to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the computer's system bus, or it may be provided to the computer via a network. The non-temporary computer-readable storage medium may include, for example, any type of disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic card, flash memory, optical card, semiconductor drive, any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions, etc. Disks may include, for example, magnetic disks, optical disks, etc. Magnetic disks may include, for example, hard disk drives (HDDs), etc. Optical disks may include, for example, CD-ROMs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc. Semiconductor drives may include, for example, solid-state drives, etc. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0144] 1...In-vehicle device, 11...Control unit, 12...Storage unit, 13...External interface, 16…Positioning module, 20... Vehicle information, 201...Driving speed, 203...Driving mode, 205... Shooting mode, 25...Current location, 30…Geofence definition data, 81...Program, 91...Storage medium, MV...Vehicle, S...On-board sensor, S1...Vehicle speed sensor, DR...Driving Recorder

Claims

1. A program for causing an in-vehicle device to execute an information processing method, The aforementioned information processing method is To obtain vehicle information that shows the current status of the vehicle, Based on the acquired vehicle information, select whether or not to perform a geofence determination. If you choose to perform the aforementioned geofence determination, To obtain the current location measured by the positioning module, Based on the acquired current location, the geofence determination is performed, and To output information regarding the result of the aforementioned determination, and If it is selected not to perform the geofence determination, the execution of the geofence determination will be omitted. including, program.

2. The current state of the vehicle, as indicated by the aforementioned vehicle information, includes the vehicle's speed. The choice of whether or not to perform the aforementioned geofence determination is, Select to perform the geofence determination when the vehicle's speed exceeds a threshold, and If the vehicle's speed is below a threshold, select not to perform the geofence determination. including, The program according to claim 1.

3. The current state of the vehicle, as indicated by the aforementioned vehicle information, includes the vehicle's speed. The choice of whether or not to perform the aforementioned geofence determination is, Select to perform the geofence determination when the vehicle's speed is below a threshold, and If the vehicle's speed exceeds a threshold, select not to perform the geofence determination. including, The program according to claim 1.

4. The current state of the vehicle, as indicated by the aforementioned vehicle information, includes the current driving mode of the vehicle. The program according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned vehicle is a hybrid vehicle, The driving modes of the aforementioned hybrid vehicle include electric vehicle mode and hybrid vehicle mode. The aforementioned geofence relates to a low-emission zone, The choice of whether or not to perform the aforementioned geofence determination is, Selecting to perform the geofence determination when the current driving mode of the vehicle is hybrid vehicle mode, and If the current driving mode of the vehicle is electric vehicle mode, choose not to perform the geofence determination. including, The program according to claim 4.

6. The aforementioned vehicle is equipped with a driving recorder, The current state of the vehicle, as indicated by the aforementioned vehicle information, includes the current shooting mode of the driving recorder. The aforementioned geofence is related to the prohibition of photography, The choice of whether or not to perform the aforementioned geofence determination is, Select to perform the geofence determination when the current shooting mode of the driving recorder is turned on, and If the current shooting mode of the aforementioned driving recorder is off, select not to perform the geofence determination. including, The program according to claim 1.

7. To obtain vehicle information that shows the current status of the vehicle, Based on the acquired vehicle information, select whether or not to perform a geofence determination. If you choose to perform the aforementioned geofence determination, To obtain the current location measured by the positioning module, Based on the acquired current location, the geofence determination is performed, and To output information regarding the result of the aforementioned determination, and If it is selected not to perform the geofence determination, the execution of the geofence determination will be omitted. A control unit configured to perform the following: In-vehicle device.

8. The current state of the vehicle, as indicated by the aforementioned vehicle information, includes the vehicle's speed. The choice of whether or not to perform the aforementioned geofence determination is, Select to perform the geofence determination when the vehicle's speed exceeds a threshold, and If the vehicle's speed is below a threshold, select not to perform the geofence determination. including, The in-vehicle device according to claim 7.

9. The current state of the vehicle, as indicated by the aforementioned vehicle information, includes the vehicle's speed. The choice of whether or not to perform the aforementioned geofence determination is, Select to perform the geofence determination when the vehicle's speed is below a threshold, and If the vehicle's speed exceeds a threshold, select not to perform the geofence determination. including, The in-vehicle device according to claim 7.

10. The current state of the vehicle, as indicated by the aforementioned vehicle information, includes the current driving mode of the vehicle. The in-vehicle device according to claim 7.

11. The aforementioned vehicle is a hybrid vehicle, The driving modes of the aforementioned hybrid vehicle include electric vehicle mode and hybrid vehicle mode. The aforementioned geofence relates to a low-emission zone, The choice of whether or not to perform the aforementioned geofence determination is, Selecting to perform the geofence determination when the current driving mode of the vehicle is hybrid vehicle mode, and If the current driving mode of the vehicle is electric vehicle mode, choose not to perform the geofence determination. including, The in-vehicle device according to claim 10.

12. The aforementioned vehicle is equipped with a driving recorder, The current state of the vehicle, as indicated by the aforementioned vehicle information, includes the current shooting mode of the driving recorder. The aforementioned geofence is related to the prohibition of photography, The choice of whether or not to perform the aforementioned geofence determination is, Select to perform the geofence determination when the current shooting mode of the driving recorder is turned on, and If the current shooting mode of the aforementioned driving recorder is off, select not to perform the geofence determination. including, The in-vehicle device according to claim 7.

13. A method of information processing performed by a computer, To obtain vehicle information that shows the current status of the vehicle, Based on the acquired vehicle information, select whether or not to perform a geofence determination. If you choose to perform the aforementioned geofence determination, To obtain the current location measured by the positioning module, Based on the acquired current location, the geofence determination is performed, and To output information regarding the result of the aforementioned determination, and If it is selected not to perform the geofence determination, the execution of the geofence determination will be omitted. including, Information processing methods.

14. The current state of the vehicle, as indicated by the aforementioned vehicle information, includes the vehicle's speed. The choice of whether or not to perform the aforementioned geofence determination is, Select to perform the geofence determination when the vehicle's speed exceeds a threshold, and If the vehicle's speed is below a threshold, select not to perform the geofence determination. including, The information processing method according to claim 13.

15. The current state of the vehicle, as indicated by the aforementioned vehicle information, includes the vehicle's speed. The choice of whether or not to perform the aforementioned geofence determination is, Select to perform the geofence determination when the vehicle's speed is below a threshold, and If the vehicle's speed exceeds a threshold, select not to perform the geofence determination. including, The information processing method according to claim 13.

16. The current state of the vehicle, as indicated by the aforementioned vehicle information, includes the current driving mode of the vehicle. The information processing method according to claim 13.

17. The aforementioned vehicle is a hybrid vehicle, The driving modes of the aforementioned hybrid vehicle include electric vehicle mode and hybrid vehicle mode. The aforementioned geofence relates to a low-emission zone, The choice of whether or not to perform the aforementioned geofence determination is, Selecting to perform the geofence determination when the current driving mode of the vehicle is hybrid vehicle mode, and If the current driving mode of the vehicle is electric vehicle mode, choose not to perform the geofence determination. including, The information processing method according to claim 16.

18. The aforementioned vehicle is equipped with a driving recorder, The current state of the vehicle, as indicated by the aforementioned vehicle information, includes the current shooting mode of the driving recorder. The aforementioned geofence is related to the prohibition of photography, The choice of whether or not to perform the aforementioned geofence determination is, Select to perform the geofence determination when the current shooting mode of the driving recorder is turned on, and If the current shooting mode of the aforementioned driving recorder is off, select not to perform the geofence determination. including, The information processing method according to claim 13.

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