Information processing system, information processing program, information processing device, and information processing method

Abstract

The system provides users with information that makes it easy to identify facilities with available shade on a map. [Solution] The information processing system 1 according to this embodiment comprises a map information acquisition means 253, a shade information acquisition means 253, a reception means 251, and a display control means 255. The map information acquisition means 253 acquires map information relating to a map within a predetermined range. The shade information acquisition means 253 acquires shade information relating to shade S. The reception means 251 receives a specified time specified by the user. The display control means 255 controls the display of icons indicating one or more facilities at the specified time on the map within the range, based on the map information and the shade information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing program, an information processing device, and an information processing method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an information processing system that searches for and guides facilities such as parking lots, such as a car navigation system, is known.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, based on a predetermined index indicating at least one of the proportions of shade and sunlight of each of a plurality of parking lots to be guided, and the characteristics of the area where the parking lot exists, the recommendation degree of each parking lot is calculated, and based on the ranking of the recommendation degrees, a map information processing device that orders and guides a plurality of parking lots is described.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In recent years, due to reasons such as the continuous sweltering heat in summer, action plans that avoid direct sunlight have become preferred. Even for facilities such as outdoor parking lots, shade is formed by buildings such as surrounding buildings, so it is conceivable to use this shade. On the other hand, users also hope to make action plans in a simple way. Therefore, it is preferable to be displayed on the map within the displayed range so that facilities where shade can be used can be easily grasped.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing system, an information processing program, an information processing device, and an information processing method that can provide users with information that can easily grasp facilities where shade is available on a map. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The information processing system according to the present invention is A means for acquiring map information relating to a map within a predetermined range, A means for acquiring shade information related to shade, A means of accepting requests at a time specified by the user, A display control means that controls the display of icons indicating one or more facilities at the specified time on the map within the range, based on the map information and the shade information. It is characterized by being equipped with [the following features]. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide users with information that allows them to easily identify facilities with available shade on a map. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of a schematic configuration of the entire information processing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of a functional block diagram of a user terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a functional block diagram of a server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4A] This is a diagram illustrating an example of a representative point of a facility. [Figure 4B] This is a diagram illustrating an example of a representative point of a facility. [Figure 5A] This is a diagram illustrating another example of a representative point for a facility. [Figure 5B] This is a diagram illustrating another example of a representative point for a facility. [Figure 6A] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of processing operations between a user terminal and a server in an information processing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6B]It is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing operation between a user terminal and a server of an information processing system according to the first embodiment, following FIG. 6A. [Figure 6C] It is a flowchart showing details of step S9 in FIG. 6B. [Figure 7A] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal in the first embodiment. [Figure 7B] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal in the first embodiment, following FIG. 7A. [Figure 7C] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal in the first embodiment, following FIG. 7B. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of a server according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9A] It is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing operation between a user terminal and a server of an information processing system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9B] It is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing operation between a user terminal and a server of an information processing system according to the second embodiment, following FIG. 9A. [Figure 9C] It is a flowchart showing details of step S9A in FIG. 9B. [Figure 10A] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal in the second embodiment. [Figure 10B] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal in the second embodiment, following FIG. 10A. [Figure 10C] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal in the second embodiment, following FIG. 10B.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. In each figure, components having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions of the components with the same reference numerals will not be repeated.

[0011] (First Embodiment) The information processing system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall schematic configuration of the information processing system 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of the user terminal 2 according to the first embodiment. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of the server 3 according to the first embodiment.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment includes a user terminal 2, a server 3, and a communication network NW. The user terminal 2 and the server 3 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate via a communication network NW such as the Internet. The communication network NW may be a wired line or a wireless line, and the type and form of the line are not limited.

[0013] User terminal 2 is a terminal device used by a user of information processing system 1. In this embodiment, user terminal 2 is a smartphone, but is not limited to this; it may be a tablet device, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, or a car navigation system installed in a vehicle C used by the user. Vehicle C is, for example, a private car, a delivery vehicle, a motorcycle, a bicycle, a moped, or a mobility scooter. Server 3 is a server device located, for example, in a data center.

[0014] Next, the configuration of user terminal 2 will be explained in detail with reference to Figure 2.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the user terminal 2 includes a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, an operation input unit 23, a display unit 24, and a control unit 25.

[0016] The communication unit 21 is an interface for sending and receiving information between the user terminal 2 and the server 3 via the communication network NW.

[0017] The storage unit 22 stores data transmitted and received via the communication unit 21. In addition, the storage unit 22 may also store programs executed by the control unit 25 and data necessary for processing by said programs. The storage unit 22 is composed of a storage device such as a semiconductor memory (SSD, etc.) or a hard disk.

[0018] The operation input unit 23 is an interface for inputting information to the user terminal 2, and is, for example, a touch panel or microphone in a mobile electronic device, or a keyboard, touchpad, dial buttons, or remote control in a stationary electronic device.

[0019] The display unit 24 is an interface that presents various information to the user from the user terminal 2, and is, for example, a liquid crystal display that displays video. The display unit 24 displays a map of a predetermined area, or an interface such as a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for accepting operations from the user.

[0020] The control unit 25 controls the operation of the user terminal 2. The control unit 25 comprises a reception unit 251, an information output unit 252, an information acquisition unit 253, a determination unit 254, and a display control unit 255. In this embodiment, each part of the control unit 25 is realized by the processor in the user terminal 2 executing a predetermined program. At least a portion of each part of the control unit 25 may be realized by hardware.

[0021] The reception unit 251 receives operations from the user via the operation input unit 23. The operations that are accepted include, for example, range specification operations to specify the range (display range) of the map that displays facilities with shade, and time specification operations to specify the time at which facilities with shade are to be displayed. In the following description, the time specified by the user through the time specification operation will also be referred to as the "specified time". The reception unit 251 is an example of a reception means in the claims.

[0022] The information output unit 252 transmits various information to the server 3 via the communication unit 21. The information transmitted is, for example, information related to the display range of the map specified by the range specification operation.

[0023] The information acquisition unit 253 receives various information from the server 3 via the communication unit 21. The information received includes, for example, map information relating to a predetermined area of ​​the map and shade information relating to shaded areas. The predetermined area is, for example, the display area described above. In this specification, the "predetermined area" is not limited to the display area, but may also be an area slightly larger than the display area, an area for each mesh, an administrative boundary (such as a prefecture or municipality), a region, a country, or the entire area in a database such as the map information database 321 described later. Shade information is, for example, information about areas that are shaded on the map at a predetermined time (shaded areas). The information acquisition unit 253 may acquire shade information for the entire area in a database such as the map information database 321, or it may acquire shade information for a part of the area. When acquiring shade information for a part of the area, that area may be the same area as the area from which the information acquisition unit 253 acquires map information, or it may be a different area. The information acquisition unit 253 may also acquire the current time via the communication unit 21, etc. The information acquisition unit 253 is an example of a means for acquiring map information and a means for acquiring shade information as described in the claims.

[0024] Thus, in this embodiment, one information acquisition unit 253 has the functions of both a map information acquisition means and a shade information acquisition means. Note that the map information acquisition means and the shade information acquisition means may be provided separately in their respective information acquisition units within the user terminal 2.

[0025] The determination unit 254 determines whether shade is available for each facility located within a predetermined range, based on the shade information and the facility information described later. In this embodiment, the determination unit 254 determines whether shade is available at each facility based on the shade condition of a representative point of each facility. For example, the determination unit 254 determines whether shade is available at each facility based on whether the representative point of each facility is in the shade. As will be described in detail later, the representative point is a point that represents the shade condition of each facility when determining whether shade is available, and is set up in the center of the facility's site, for example. The determination of whether the representative point is in the shade is made, for example, by whether the representative point is included in the shade area.

[0026] The display control unit 255 converts information into a video signal and outputs it to the display unit 24. For example, the display control unit 255 controls the display unit 24 to display a map within a predetermined range, or an interface such as buttons for accepting various operations from the user. The display control unit 255 is an example of a display control means within the claims.

[0027] Furthermore, the display control unit 255 controls the display of icons indicating one or more facilities at a predetermined time, such as a specified time, on the map within a predetermined range, based on map information and shade information. For example, the display control unit 255 displays icons on the map within the display range indicating facilities where shade is available at a specified time. The display control unit 255 may also display icons indicating facilities where shade is unavailable at a specified time. The icons include marks representing each facility (such as "P" for a parking lot), letters, labels, and symbols. The icons representing each facility are displayed in association with the location of each facility on the map. For example, the location of a facility's icon on the map is approximately the same as the location of that facility on the map.

[0028] In addition to the above configuration, the user terminal 2 may also be equipped with a positioning unit (not shown) that determines the current location of the user terminal 2 by means of GPS (Global Positioning System), WiFi positioning, or other means.

[0029] Next, we will explain the configuration of Server 3 in detail with reference to Figure 3.

[0030] As shown in Figure 3, the server 3 comprises a communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a control unit 33.

[0031] The communication unit 31 is an interface for sending and receiving information between the server 3 and the user terminal 2 via the communication network NW.

[0032] The storage unit 32 stores data transmitted and received via the communication unit 31. In addition, the storage unit 32 may also store programs executed by the control unit 33 and data necessary for processing by said programs. The storage unit 32 is composed of a storage device such as a semiconductor memory (SSD, etc.) or a hard disk.

[0033] Furthermore, the memory unit 32 includes a map information database 321, a building information database 322, and a facility information database 323.

[0034] The map information database 321 stores map information and is primarily used for map display or location searches (for example, latitude and longitude searches). The map information contained in the map information database 321 includes map data such as road maps for the entire country or individual regions. The map information may also include map object information (annotation information, symbol information, etc.) and POI (Point of Interest) information associated with the map data.

[0035] The building information database 322 stores building location information and building information in association. Here, building information refers to information about buildings that affect shading conditions. For example, building information includes height information indicating the height of the building, and shape information relating to the shape of the building, such as width and depth. In addition, building information may also include information on whether each building is a building whose height is publicly available, such as a building or apartment complex, or a building whose height is not publicly available, such as a detached house. In this case, for buildings whose height is publicly available, the building information may include the publicly available height as height information, and for buildings whose height is not publicly available, it may include a uniformly predetermined height, for example, 10m, as height information.

[0036] The facility information database 323 stores facility location information and facility information in association. Here, facility information refers to information about a facility that indicates whether or not shade is available. Examples of such facilities include parking lots and restaurants (cafes, restaurants, etc.). If the facility is a parking lot, the facility information includes, for example, the location information of the parking lot, information about the parking area where car C can be parked, and information about the area of ​​the entire parking lot site or the parking area. If the facility is a restaurant, the facility information includes, for example, the location information of the restaurant, information about the dining area, and information about outdoor seating such as terrace seating. The facility information may also include information about a representative point of the facility.

[0037] Furthermore, at least one of the building information database 322 and the facility information database 323 may be included in the map information database 321. Also, the facility information database 323 may be included in the building information database 322.

[0038] Furthermore, although not shown in the diagram, a route network database may be provided in the storage unit 32. The route network database is a database used, for example, when the server 3 performs route searching, and includes road network information as route network information. Road network information is represented by a combination of data for nodes on the road network representation, such as intersections, and data for links, which are road sections between nodes.

[0039] The control unit 33 controls the operation of the server 3. The control unit 33 includes an information acquisition unit 331, a shade information generation unit 332, and an information output unit 333. In this embodiment, each part of the control unit 33 is realized by the processor in the server 3 executing a predetermined program. At least a portion of each part of the control unit 33 may be realized by hardware.

[0040] The information acquisition unit 331 receives various information from the user terminal 2 via the communication unit 31. The information received is, for example, information regarding the display range of the map. The information acquisition unit 331 also acquires various information from each database in the storage unit 32. More specifically, the information acquisition unit 331 acquires map information relating to a predetermined range of the map from the map information database 321. The information acquisition unit 331 also acquires building information of buildings located within that range from the building information database 322. The information acquisition unit 331 also acquires facility information of facilities located within that range from the facility information database 323. The information acquisition unit 331 is an example of a map information acquisition means as described in the claims.

[0041] The shade information generation unit 332 generates shade information related to shade. For example, the shade information generation unit 332 generates shade information within the display range based on building information of buildings located within the map display range and information about the position of the sun (height, direction, etc.). Information about the position of the sun may be generated by the shade information generation unit 332 based on time information (date and time, etc.), or it may be acquired by the shade information generation unit 332 from information stored in the storage unit 32, or it may be acquired from an external server. The shade information generation unit 332 may generate shade information for the entire range in a database such as the map information database 321, or it may generate shade information for a part of the range. When generating shade information for a part of the range, that range may be the same range as the range from which the information acquisition unit 331 acquires map information, or it may be a different range.

[0042] Furthermore, the shade information may be generated based on time information specified by the user. Time information may include at least one of the following: time, season, or date. For example, information regarding the position of the sun may change depending on the time, season, or date, and the shade information may change in accordance with this change in information.

[0043] Furthermore, shade information may be generated based on the weather at a date and time specified by the user. For example, if the weather is sunny, the shaded area may be the area shaded by buildings, and if the weather is cloudy or rainy, the shaded area may be the entire area on the map. If the date and time specified by the user is later than the current date and time, the shade information may be generated using the weather forecast provided by the weather forecast.

[0044] Furthermore, shade information may be generated based on sun exposure information. For example, shaded areas are generated as areas on the map that are not in sun exposure.

[0045] Furthermore, shade information may be generated in advance and stored in the storage unit 32 as a shade information database. In this case, the shade information may be generated in advance for all ranges and all dates and times in a database such as the map information database 321, and stored in the storage unit 32. In this case, the shade information generation unit 332 may be omitted.

[0046] The information output unit 333 transmits various information, such as map information and shade information, to the user terminal 2 via the communication unit 31. The information output unit 333 is an example of an output means within the scope of the claims.

[0047] Next, the representative points of the facilities will be described with reference to Figures 4A, 4B, 5A, and 5B. As described above, in this embodiment, whether or not shade is available is determined by whether or not the representative point of each facility is in the shade. Figures 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating an example of a representative point of a facility. Figures 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating another example of a representative point of a facility. In Figures 4A to 5B, the symbol C1 indicates a car parked in the sun, and the symbol C2 indicates a car parked in the shade.

[0048] As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, if the facility is a parking lot PL1, the representative point RP of the facility is set, for example, at the center of the parking lot PL1 site. In the example in Figure 4A, since the representative point RP is not included in the shaded area S, it is determined that shade is not available for this facility. In the example in Figure 4B, however, since the representative point RP is included in the shaded area S, it is determined that shade is available for this facility.

[0049] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 5A and 5B, if a facility includes areas where users do not utilize shade, the representative point RP of the facility may be set in a location different from the center of the site. Figures 5A and 5B show a parking lot PL2 with a gate GT as an example of such a facility. Gate GT is used when entering and exiting parking lot PL2, but it is not included in the parking area where cars can be parked. In such cases, the representative point RP is set at the center of the area where users utilize shade, such as the center of the parking area of ​​parking lot PL2. Figure 5A shows a shade area S similar to that in Figure 4A. However, in the example in Figure 5A, unlike the example in Figure 4A, the representative point RP is included in the shade area S, so it is determined that shade is available at this facility. Also, in the example in Figure 5B, the representative point RP is not included in the shade area S, so it is determined that shade is not available at this facility. Thus, in the case of a facility that includes areas where users do not utilize shade, setting the representative point RP at a location offset from the center of the facility site makes it possible to more appropriately determine whether or not shade is available.

[0050] The determination of the shade status of a facility may be performed by methods other than using the facility's representative point RP. For example, the determination unit 254 may determine whether shade is available at each facility based on the shade rate of each facility. More specifically, the determination unit 254 may determine whether shade is available at each facility based on whether the shade rate of each facility is above a threshold. The shade rate is calculated based on the shade information and facility information. For example, the shade rate is calculated as the percentage of the area included in the shaded area out of the total area of ​​the facility's site. The threshold is, for example, 50%. Alternatively, the shade rate may be calculated as the percentage of the area included in the shaded area out of the area where the user will use the shade. Or, multiple representative points RP may be set up at the facility, and the shade rate may be calculated as the percentage of representative points RP included in the shaded area.

[0051] <Operation of Information Processing System 1> Next, an example of the operation of the information processing system 1 according to the first embodiment, configured as described above, will be explained with reference to the sequence diagrams in Figures 6A and 6B, and the screen examples in Figures 7A to 7C. Figures 6A and 6B are sequence diagrams showing an example of processing operation between the user terminal 2 and the server 3 of the information processing system 1 according to the first embodiment. Figures 7A to 7C are diagrams showing an example of a screen displayed on the user terminal 2 in the first embodiment.

[0052] First, the reception unit 211 of the user terminal 2 determines whether a display range has been specified (step S1). More specifically, the user operates the operation input unit 23 of the user terminal 2 to perform a range specification operation to specify the range of the map that will display facilities where shade is available. The range specification operation is, for example, the operation in which the user launches the application. In this case, the display range is a predetermined range centered on the user's current location (for example, a 500m square). The reception unit 211 then determines whether this range specification operation has been performed.

[0053] Furthermore, the range selection operation may also be an operation in an already launched application to select a mode for displaying facilities with available shade, or an operation to instruct the application to display facilities with available shade within the range of the currently displayed map. In this case, the display range is the range of the map displayed when the user performs these operations. Additionally, the range selection operation may also be an operation to switch the range of the displayed map using pinch-in, pinch-out, tap, drag, etc. In this case, the display range is the range of the map after the switch.

[0054] If it is determined that a display range has been specified (Step S1: Yes), the information output unit 252 of the user terminal 2 sends information regarding the display range to the server 3 (Step S2). On the other hand, if it is not determined that a display range has been specified (Step S1: No), the user terminal 2 waits by repeating the determination in Step S1.

[0055] After step S2, the information acquisition unit 331 of server 3 receives information regarding the display range (step S3).

[0056] Next, the information acquisition unit 331 of server 3 acquires map information and facility information within a predetermined range (step S4). For example, the information acquisition unit 331 refers to the map information database 321 to acquire map information for a predetermined range of maps. The information acquisition unit 331 also refers to the facility information database 323 to acquire facility information for facilities located within the predetermined range.

[0057] Next, the shade information generation unit 332 of server 3 generates shade information within a predetermined range (step S5). For example, first, the shade information generation unit 332 acquires building information of buildings located within the predetermined range. Then, based on the acquired building information, the shade information generation unit 332 generates shade information for a predetermined time (such as the current time). For example, based on the location and shape information of the buildings and information on the position of the sun at a predetermined time, the shade information generation unit 332 calculates the shape of the shadows that each building located within the predetermined range casts on the ground. Then, by superimposing the calculated shadow shapes of each building, it generates shade information for the shaded area.

[0058] In this embodiment, in step S5, the shade information generation unit 332 generates shade information for a predetermined time period (for example, from sunrise to sunset, 7:00 to 17:00) within a predetermined range in response to the range specification operation. More specifically, the shade information generation unit 332 generates shade information for multiple times (for example, 7:00, 8:00, ..., 17:00) included in the time period. Note that the times included in the time period are not limited to the examples described above. Furthermore, the time period may change depending on the season or date.

[0059] Next, the information output unit 333 of the server 3 transmits map information, facility information, and shade information to the user terminal 2 (step S6). In this embodiment, the information output unit 333 transmits the shade information for the above time period all at once.

[0060] After step S6, the information acquisition unit 253 of the user terminal 2 receives map information, facility information, and shade information (step S7). In this embodiment, the information acquisition unit 253 receives the shade information for the above time period all at once.

[0061] Next, the display control unit 255 of the user terminal 2 displays the map within the display range (step S8). More specifically, as shown in screen W1 of Figure 7A, the display control unit 255 displays the map within the display range, buildings, roads, map symbols, names, and shade information S based on shade information on the display unit 24.

[0062] Next, the display control unit 255 of the user terminal 2 overlays icons of facilities where shade is available on the map at a predetermined time (step S9). More specifically, it displays icons of facilities where shade is available at a predetermined time T1 (here, 12:00). The predetermined time T1 is one of several times included in the predetermined time period described above. The predetermined time T1 may be a set time, the current time, or a time set by the user.

[0063] In this embodiment, the display control unit 255 does not display icons for facilities where shade is unavailable at time T1. In the example in Figure 7A, no facilities within the display range have available shade at time T1, so no facility icons are displayed. A more detailed explanation of the operation in step S9 will be described later.

[0064] Next, the reception unit 251 of the user terminal 2 accepts an operation to change the time (step S10). More specifically, as shown in Figure 7A, the screen W1 displays a slider bar SB, which is an interface for accepting time specification operations, along with a map within the display range. The user operates the knob on the slider bar SB. For example, the user changes the time by touching the knob with their finger and sliding it horizontally. Changing the time is one example of a time specification operation.

[0065] Alternatively, instead of the slider bar SB, a drum roll or an icon that can be moved within screen W1 (for example, a sun icon) may be displayed.

[0066] Furthermore, the reception unit 251 receives instructions via the play button B shown on screen W1 to display facility icons based on shade information that changes over a predetermined time period. That is, when the user taps the play button B, icons of facilities where shade is available at each time within the above time period (for example, 7:00, 8:00, ..., 17:00) are automatically switched and displayed at predetermined time intervals.

[0067] Next, the reception unit 251 of the user terminal 2 determines whether or not the time has been changed (step S11). More specifically, the reception unit 251 determines whether or not the operation to change the time described above has been accepted.

[0068] If it is determined that the time has been changed (Step S11: Yes), the display control unit 255 of the user terminal 2 overlays icons of facilities where shade is available at the changed time onto the map (Step S12). For example, as shown in screen W2 of Figure 7B, if the user changes the time T1 to time T2, the display control unit 255 overlays icons of one or more facilities F1 (in this case, parking lots) where shade is available at the changed time T2 onto the map. The changed time T2 is an example of a specified time in the claims. In this way, the display control unit 255 changes the display manner of the facility icons in response to the operation to change the time. Note that the change in the display manner of the facility icons is not limited to displaying the facility icons. For example, the display control unit 255 may hide the facility icons, or change the color, shade, gradient, contrast, shape, etc. of the facility icons. Specifically, the display control unit 255 may remove the icons of facilities where shade is no longer available at the changed time T2. The details of Step S12 are the same as in Step S9.

[0069] On the other hand, if it is not determined that the time has changed (step S11: No), user terminal 2 waits by repeating the determination in step S11.

[0070] After step S12, the operation of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment ends.

[0071] Furthermore, after step S12, the user terminal 2 may return to step S10 and accept the operation to change the time again. For example, as shown in screen W3 of Figure 7C, if the user changes the time T2 to time T3, the display control unit 255 overlays icons of facilities where shade is available on the map at the changed time T3. In the example of screen W3, in addition to icons for multiple facilities F1, icons for multiple facilities F2 where shade is available are displayed.

[0072] Now, with reference to Figure 6C, we will explain step S9 in more detail. Figure 6C is a flowchart showing the details of step S9 in Figure 6B.

[0073] As shown in Figure 6C, after step S8, the information acquisition unit 253 of the user terminal 2 acquires facility information and shade information for a predetermined time (step S91). More specifically, the information acquisition unit 253 acquires facility information of facilities located within a predetermined range, and shade information for time T1 within that range.

[0074] Next, the determination unit 254 of the user terminal 2 determines whether shade is available at each facility at a predetermined time (step S92). In this embodiment, the determination unit 254 determines whether the representative point RP of each facility located within a predetermined range is in the shade at time T1.

[0075] Next, the display control unit 255 of the user terminal 2 displays icons for facilities within a predetermined range that have been determined to have available shade (step S93).

[0076] The operation of step S99 is completed by the steps S91 to S93 described above. The details of the operation of step S12 are the same as those of steps S91 to S93 described above, except that the "predetermined time" is replaced with the "changed time".

[0077] As described above, the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment comprises an information acquisition unit 253, a reception unit 251, and a display control unit 255. The information acquisition unit 253 acquires map information relating to a map within a predetermined range. The information acquisition unit 253 also acquires shade information relating to shaded areas. The reception unit 251 receives a specified time specified by the user. The display control unit 255 controls the display of icons indicating one or more facilities at the specified time on the map within the range, based on the map information and shade information.

[0078] According to this embodiment, users can easily identify facilities with available shade on a map. For example, during hot seasons such as summer, users can easily identify parking lots within a predetermined area on a map that will prevent their car's interior from becoming too hot.

[0079] Furthermore, in this embodiment, icons representing each facility are displayed in association with the location of each facility on the map. This allows users to easily identify the locations of facilities where shade is available on the map.

[0080] In this embodiment, the reception unit 251 receives a time specification operation from the user, and the display control unit 255 displays an icon of a facility where shade is available at the specified time specified by the time specification operation. This allows the user to find out which facilities have shade available at the specified time.

[0081] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an interface for accepting a specified time (such as a slider bar SB) is displayed along with the facility icon and a map of a predetermined area. This allows the user to specify a time without having to switch to another screen. In other words, the user can check the availability of shaded facilities on the map while specifying a time. The user can also intuitively understand how the shaded conditions of a facility have changed when the specified time is changed.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the time specification operation does not include a confirmation operation to confirm the specified time. The confirmation operation is an operation other than the operation of selecting time T2, such as pressing the "Confirm" button or "OK" button after selecting time T2, for example by moving the knob to time T2. In other words, in this embodiment, the user completes the time specification operation of specifying time T2 in a single operation of selecting time T2. This allows the user to efficiently understand how the availability of shade in a facility changes between multiple different times.

[0083] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the reception unit 251 receives instructions via the play button B to automatically switch and display facility icons over a predetermined time period. This allows the user to understand the changes in available shaded facilities without being distracted by operations to specify or change the time.

[0084] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the display control unit 255 controls the display of each facility's icon based on the shaded state of the representative point RP of each facility. This makes it easy to determine whether or not a facility has available shade. Note that if the display control unit 255 controls the display of each facility's icon based on the shade ratio of each facility, it can more appropriately determine whether or not shade is available.

[0085] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the display control unit 255 displays shaded areas S based on shaded area information on a map within a predetermined range. This allows the user to intuitively understand the location of shaded areas on the map.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the reception unit 211 of the user terminal 2 receives a range specification operation, the information acquisition unit 253 acquires shade information for a predetermined time period within the specified range in response to the range specification operation. This eliminates the need for communication between the user terminal 2 and the server 3 when a time specification operation is received from the user in step S10, allowing the user to specify a time and identify facilities where shade is available at a faster rate. It is also possible to send information about the specified time to the server 3 each time a time specification operation is received and generate shade information for the specified time.

[0087] Furthermore, when calculating the shade rate, the display control unit 255 may change the display mode of each facility's icon based on the shade rate of each facility. For example, the display control unit 255 may set the color of the facility's icon to red if the shade rate of the facility at a specified time is 0% or more and less than 50%, and to green if it is 50% or more and 100% or less. This allows the user to easily grasp the detailed shade situation.

[0088] Alternatively, the display control unit 255 may change the display mode of each facility's icon based on the length of time shade is available at each facility from the time the shaded area is displayed (e.g., the specified time). For example, the display control unit 255 may set the color of the facility's icon to red if the length of time shade is available from the specified time is 0 hours or more but less than 2 hours, and to green if it is 2 hours or more. This allows the user to easily identify facilities suitable for their future plans.

[0089] (Second embodiment) In the first embodiment described above, the structure of each facility was not taken into consideration when determining whether or not each facility was in the shade. The structure of a facility refers to, for example, whether the facility is a parking lot, primarily above ground, underground, or mechanical. Different facility structures may result in different shade conditions for each facility. In the second embodiment described below, such facility structures are also taken into consideration when displaying facility icons. The following description will focus on the differences between the information processing system 1A according to the second embodiment and the first embodiment described above.

[0090] Figure 8 shows an example of a functional block diagram of server 3A according to the second embodiment. Server 3A in this embodiment includes a storage unit 32A instead of the storage unit 32 of server 3 in the first embodiment. In addition to the configuration of storage unit 32, storage unit 32A includes a facility structure information database 324.

[0091] The facility structure information database 324 includes facility structure information, which is information about the structure of a facility and affects the shading conditions of the facility. If the facility is a parking lot, the facility structure information includes, for example, information about whether each parking lot is mainly above ground, underground, or mechanical. More detailed information may include information about the number of parking spaces that can be parked above ground, underground, and mechanically in each parking lot. If the facility is a restaurant, the facility structure information includes, for example, information about the presence of exterior walls, roofs, and eaves of the restaurant. The facility structure information database 324 may also be included in the map information database 321, the building information database 322, or the facility information database 323.

[0092] In this embodiment, the information acquisition unit 331 of the server 3A acquires facility structure information of facilities located within a predetermined range from the facility structure information database 324. The information acquisition unit 253 receives the facility structure information from the server 3A. Both the information acquisition unit 253 and the information acquisition unit 331 are examples of facility structure information acquisition means within the scope of the claims.

[0093] In this embodiment, the determination unit 254 of the user terminal 2 determines whether or not shade is available at each facility based on the facility structure information. The display control unit 255 of the user terminal 2 controls the display of facility icons based on the facility structure information, in addition to the map information and shade information.

[0094] <Operation of Information Processing System 1A> Next, an example of the operation of the information processing system 1A according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the sequence diagrams in Figures 9A and 9B, and the example screens in Figures 10A to 10C. Figures 9A and 9B are sequence diagrams showing an example of processing operation between the user terminal 2 and the server 3 of the information processing system 1A according to the second embodiment. Figures 10A to 10C are diagrams showing an example of a screen displayed on the user terminal 2 in the second embodiment.

[0095] Steps S1 to S3 are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0096] After step S3, the information acquisition unit 331 of server 3 acquires map information, facility information, and facility structure information within a predetermined range (step S4A). For example, the information acquisition unit 331 acquires map information relating to the map within a predetermined range, and facility information for facilities located within that range. Furthermore, the information acquisition unit 331 refers to the facility structure information database 324 to acquire facility structure information for facilities located within the predetermined range.

[0097] Step S5 is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0098] After step S5, the information output unit 333 of server 3 transmits map information, facility information, facility structure information, and shade information to user terminal 2 (step S6A). Subsequently, the information acquisition unit 253 of user terminal 2 receives the map information, facility information, facility structure information, and shade information (step S7A).

[0099] Step S8 is the same as in the first embodiment. After step S8, the display control unit 255 of the user terminal 2 overlays icons of facilities where shade is available at a predetermined time onto the map (step S9A). More specifically, as shown on screen W4 in Figure 10A, icons of one or more facilities F3 where shade is available at a predetermined time T1 are displayed. Multiple facilities F3 are, for example, underground parking lots, and are facilities where shade is available (regardless of the shade conditions) according to facility structure information. A more detailed description of the operation of step S9A will be given later.

[0100] Steps S10 and S11 are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0101] If it is determined in step S11 that the time has been changed (step S11: Yes), the display control unit 255 of the user terminal 2 overlays icons of facilities with available shade on the map at the changed time (step S12A). For example, as shown in screen W5 of Figure 10B, if the user changes the time from T1 to T2, the display control unit 255 overlays icons of facilities F1 (in this case, ground-level parking lots) with available shade on the map at the changed time T2. In the example of screen W5, in addition to icons of multiple facilities F3, icons of multiple facilities F1 with available shade are displayed. The details of step S12A are the same as in step S9A.

[0102] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 10B, a label L relating to the facility structure information of facility F1 is displayed along with the icon for facility F1. In the example of screen W5, the content of label L1 is "Ground level," indicating that facility F1 is a ground-level parking lot.

[0103] After step S12, the operation of the information processing system 1A according to this embodiment ends.

[0104] The user terminal 2 may return to step S10 after step S12A and accept the operation to change the time again. For example, as shown in screen W6 of Figure 10C, if the user changes the time T2 to time T3, the display control unit 255 overlays icons of facilities where shade is available on the map at the changed time T3. In the example of screen W3, in addition to the icons of facilities F1 and F3, icons for multiple facilities F2 where shade is available are also displayed. Also, as shown in screen W6, along with the icon for facility F2, a label related to the facility structure information of facility F2 (here, "ground level") is displayed.

[0105] Although omitted in the examples in Figures 10A to 10C, labels such as "Underground" for facility structure information of facility F3, which is an underground parking lot, and "Mechanical" for facility structure information of a mechanical parking lot, may be displayed along with the facility icon. Alternatively, an icon related to facility structure information may be displayed instead of a label related to facility structure information.

[0106] Now, let's refer to Figure 9C to explain step S9A in more detail. Figure 9C is a flowchart showing the details of step S9A in Figure 9B.

[0107] As shown in Figure 9C, after step S8, the information acquisition unit 253 of the user terminal 2 acquires facility information, facility structure information, and shade information for a predetermined time (step S91A). More specifically, the information acquisition unit 253 acquires facility information of facilities located within a predetermined range, facility structure information of those facilities, and shade information for time T1 within the predetermined range.

[0108] Next, the determination unit 254 of the user terminal 2 determines whether shade is available at each facility based on the facility structure information (step S92A). More specifically, the determination unit 254 refers to the facility structure information of each facility and determines whether shade is available at each facility. For example, if the facility is a parking lot and the facility structure information of that facility is "underground," it determines that shade is available at that facility regardless of the shade information. Also, if the facility is a restaurant and the facility structure information of that facility is "covered terrace seating," it determines that shade is available at that facility regardless of the shade information.

[0109] Furthermore, the determination in step S92A may be based on time. For example, if the facility is a restaurant and the facility structure information is "east-facing terrace seating with an outer wall on the west side," then it would not be determined that shade is available at the facility in the morning, but it would be determined that shade is available at the facility in the afternoon.

[0110] Furthermore, for facilities where shade is determined to be available in step S92A, the determination in the next step S93A may be omitted.

[0111] Step S93A is the same as step S92 in the first embodiment.

[0112] Next, the display control unit 255 of the user terminal 2 displays icons for facilities where shade is determined to be available based on facility structure information or shade information (step S94A). More specifically, the display control unit 255 displays icons for facilities where shade is determined to be available in step S92A or step S93A.

[0113] The operation of step S9A is completed by the steps S91A to S94A described above. The details of the operation of step S12A are the same as those of steps S91A to S94A described above, except that the "predetermined time" is replaced with the "modified time".

[0114] As described above, the information processing system 1A according to the second embodiment displays facility icons based on facility structure information that affects the shading conditions of facilities, in addition to map information and shade information. This makes it possible to provide users with appropriate information even when the shading conditions change depending on the structure of the facility.

[0115] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the display control unit 255 displays labels related to the facility structure information of each facility along with the icons of each facility. This allows the user to easily understand what facility structure information is responsible for the display of the icons.

[0116] Embodiments of the present invention have been described above. Note that the configurations in Figures 3 and 8 are examples, and at least some of the configuration requirements in the server 3 may be located in the user terminal 2. For example, the storage unit 32 and control unit 33 of the server 3 may be located in the user terminal 2 to configure an information processing device or information display device that can provide the user with information that allows them to easily identify facilities with available shade on a map using only the user terminal 2, without communication. In this case, the information output unit 252 may be omitted. Conversely, at least some of the configuration requirements in the user terminal 2 may be located in the server 3. For example, the server 3 may perform the processing of step S9 or step S9A described above.

[0117] At least a part of the information processing system described in the above-described embodiment may be configured with hardware or with software. If configured with software, a program that realizes at least a part of the functions of the information processing system may be stored on a recording medium such as a flexible disk or CD-ROM, loaded into a computer, and executed. The recording medium is not limited to removable ones such as magnetic disks or optical disks, but may also be a fixed recording medium such as a hard disk drive or memory.

[0118] Furthermore, programs that implement at least some of the functions of an information processing system may be distributed via communication lines such as the Internet (including wireless communication). In addition, such programs may be encrypted, modulated, or compressed and distributed via wired or wireless lines such as the Internet, or stored on a recording medium.

[0119] Furthermore, the information processing system may be made to function using one or more information processing devices. When multiple information processing devices are used, one of the information processing devices may be a computer, and the computer may execute a predetermined program to realize the function of at least one means of the information processing system.

[0120] Based on the above description, those skilled in the art may conceive of additional effects and various modifications of the present invention, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the individual embodiments described above. Various additions, modifications, and partial deletions are possible without departing from the conceptual idea and spirit of the present invention derived from the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0121] 1. Information Processing System 2 User terminals 24 Display 251 Reception Department 252 Information Output Unit 253 Information Acquisition Department 254 Judgment section 255 Display Control Unit 3 Servers 321 Map Information Database 322 Building Information Database 323 Facility Information Database 332 Shade Information Generation Unit F1-F3 Facilities L Label RP representative point S Shade SB Slider Bar T1~T3 time

Claims

1. A means for acquiring map information relating to a map within a predetermined range, A means for acquiring shade information related to shade, A means of accepting requests at a time specified by the user, A display control means that controls the display of icons indicating one or more facilities at the specified time on the map within the range, based on the map information and the shade information. An information processing system equipped with the following features.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the display control means displays an interface for receiving the specified time together with the icon and the map within the range.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the display control means controls the display of the icon based on the shaded state of one or more representative points of the facilities at the specified time.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the display control means controls the display of the icon based on the shade rate of one or more facilities at the specified time.

5. The reception means receives an operation from the user to change the time, The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the display control means changes the display mode of the icon in response to an operation to change the time.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the display control means changes the display pattern of the icons for each facility based on the length of time that shade is available at each facility from the specified time.

7. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the display control means does not display an icon for one or more of the facilities where shade is not available at the specified time.

8. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the shade information is information generated based on the weather at a date and time specified by the user.

9. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the display control means causes the shaded area based on the shaded area information to be displayed on the map within the range.

10. Computers, A means for acquiring map information relating to a map within a predetermined range, A means for acquiring shade information related to shade, A means of accepting requests at a time specified by the user, A display control means that controls the display of icons indicating one or more facilities at the specified time on the map within the range, based on the map information and the shade information. An information processing program designed to function as such.

11. An information processing program executed on a server that is communicatively connected to a terminal device, The aforementioned terminal device is A means of accepting requests at a time specified by the user, A display control means that controls the display of icons indicating one or more facilities at a specified time on a map within a predetermined range, based on map information relating to a map within a predetermined range and shade information relating to shade. It has, The aforementioned information processing program uses a computer, A map information acquisition means for acquiring the aforementioned map information, A means for acquiring the aforementioned shade information, Output means for outputting the map information and the shade information to the terminal device, An information processing program designed to function as such.

12. An information processing system comprising multiple computers connected in a communicative manner, A means for acquiring map information relating to a map within a predetermined range, A means for acquiring shade information related to shade, A means of accepting requests at a time specified by the user, A display control means that controls the display of icons indicating one or more facilities at the specified time on the map within the range, based on the map information and the shade information. In order to make an information processing system equipped with the following functions, An information processing program for causing at least one of the above-mentioned computers to function as at least one of the above-mentioned means.

13. To enable the information processing system described in any one of claims 1 to 9 to function using multiple computers connected in a communicative manner, An information processing program for causing one of the above-mentioned computers to function as at least one of the means in the information processing system described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

14. An information processing program for causing a computer to function as at least one of the means in the information processing system described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

15. Multiple information processing devices connected in a communicative manner, A means for acquiring map information relating to a map within a predetermined range, A means for acquiring shade information related to shade, A means of accepting requests at a time specified by the user, A display control means that controls the display of icons indicating one or more facilities at the specified time on the map within the range, based on the map information and the shade information. In order to configure an information processing system that includes, An information processing device characterized by comprising at least one of the above-described means.

16. The map information acquisition means includes the step of acquiring map information relating to a map within a predetermined range, The means for obtaining shade information includes the step of obtaining shade information related to shade, The reception method involves a step of accepting the user's specified time, The display control means controls the display of icons indicating one or more facilities at the specified time on the map within the range, based on the map information and the shade information. An information processing method characterized by comprising:

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