Content delivery system

Abstract

Providing technology that reduces the likelihood of periods where content cannot be played. [Solution] The system comprises a driving load acquisition unit that acquires the driving load of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, a content acquisition unit that acquires content corresponding to the driving load of the road, and a playback control unit that plays the content in a playback unit when the vehicle is traveling on the road. The playback control unit, if the vehicle reaches a second road where the driving load is higher than the driving load corresponding to the first content within the playback period of the first content, plays the second content corresponding to the driving load on the second road in place of the first content in the playback unit.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a content providing system. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, technologies for providing various types of content to passengers of a vehicle while the vehicle is traveling are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for distributing advertisement information related to a destination or an information providing point located around a destination while a user is moving along a travel route. It is also disclosed that the advertisement information is output at a timing linked to the content of a radio broadcast that a user is currently viewing / listening to on a navigation device. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 discloses that advertisement information is output in a manner that does not hinder movement guidance as much as possible during movement guidance. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2023-46535 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] When realizing a configuration for providing content in a manner that does not hinder movement guidance, for example, it is conceivable to change the output period of content before or after the period in which movement guidance is output so that movement guidance and content do not overlap. In order to change the output period of content so that it does not overlap with movement guidance during content playback, it is necessary to change the output period such that the playback start timing of content comes after movement guidance, or change the output period such that the playback end timing of content comes before movement guidance. However, when such a change to the output period is performed, a period in which content is not played occurs. This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a technology that reduces the possibility of periods in which content cannot be played. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To achieve the above objective, the content provision system includes a driving load acquisition unit that acquires the driving load of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, a content acquisition unit that acquires content corresponding to the driving load of the road, and a playback control unit that plays the content in a playback unit when the vehicle is traveling on the road. The playback control unit, if the vehicle reaches a second road where the driving load is higher than the driving load corresponding to the first content within the playback period of the first content, plays the second content corresponding to the driving load on the second road in the playback unit instead of the first content.

[0006] In other words, in a configuration where content corresponding to the driving load is played back by the playback unit, if it is estimated that the vehicle will reach a second road with a higher driving load before the playback of the first content is completed, the first content is not played back. Instead of the first content, the second content corresponding to the driving load on the second road is played back. As a result, the possibility of the second content being played back on a road where the first content was scheduled to be played back, and of a period during which no content is played back, can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A block diagram showing the overall configuration, including the content delivery system. [Figure 2] A diagram showing content information. [Figure 3] Figures 3A and 3B show the sections that make up the planned route. [Figure 4] Figures 4A and 4B show the sections that make up the planned route. [Figure 5] Flowchart for content delivery processing. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Here, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order. (1) System configuration: (1-1) Server configuration: (1-2) Configuration of the content delivery system: (2) Content provision processing: (3) Other embodiments:

[0009] (1) System configuration: Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the overall system configuration including the content provision system 100 according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the content provision system 100 cooperates with a server 10 and a traffic information management server 50. Server 10 stores the content that the content provision system 100 provides to vehicle drivers and distributes the stored content to the content provision system 100. The traffic information management server 50 is a server that collects and stores current traffic information for each road section. Current traffic information is information indicating the average vehicle speed, which is identified based on the detection results of vehicle speed that changes according to congestion, etc., for each road section. Traffic information for any road section is provided to the content provision system 100 upon request from the content provision system 100. There may be multiple content provision systems 100, but only one is shown in Figure 1.

[0010] (1-1) Server configuration: The server 10 includes a control unit 20 equipped with a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., a storage medium 30, and a communication unit 40. The server 10 can execute programs stored in the storage medium 30 and ROM using the control unit 20. In this embodiment, the control unit 20 can execute a content provision program (not shown). The communication unit 40 includes a circuit for communicating with other devices. The control unit 20 can communicate with the content provision system 100 via the communication unit 40.

[0011] Content information 30a is recorded on the storage medium 30. Content information 30a is information indicating various types of content, and in this embodiment, it is sound data for playing sound. Of course, content information 30a is not limited to sound data, and the content may be expressed in various formats such as video data.

[0012] Figure 2 shows an example of content information 30a. In this embodiment, content information 30a is stored in the storage medium 30 for each file that constitutes the sound data. In addition, in the content information 30a, information indicating the genre of the content, the playback period, and information indicating whether or not a coupon is available are associated with the file name of the file that constitutes the sound data.

[0013] In this embodiment, the genre is either music or conversation, and conversation is further subdivided according to its content. Conversation includes human speech and requires understanding of its content. On the other hand, music does not require understanding of the content of speech and can be listened to passively. Therefore, in this embodiment, music is considered to have a lower listening load than conversation. In this embodiment, the listening load is in two stages: high (conversation) and low (music). Music may also be subdivided according to genre, etc. The playback period is the length of time required from the start to the end of playback of each sound data.

[0014] The presence or absence of a coupon is information indicating whether a coupon is available for use by the vehicle driver. In other words, the audio data may announce a coupon within the conversation, and if a coupon is announced, information indicating the presence or absence of that coupon is associated with the file name. Furthermore, if there are restrictions on the time or location of using the coupon, information indicating these restrictions is included in the content information 30a. For example, the audio data with file name 1002 shown in Figure 2 is associated with information indicating that the coupon announced by the audio data is only usable in a specific service area (SA1). In this embodiment, the music audio data does not include coupons, but it may be configured to include them.

[0015] The control unit 20 receives a content transmission request from the content provision system 100 via the communication unit 40. The content transmission request includes information indicating the driving load for each section of the planned route of the vehicle using the content provision system 100 and the driving period required for each section. Details of the driving load will be described later. Based on the content information 30a, the control unit 20 extracts content that has a viewing load appropriate to the driving load and is played over the driving period, based on the driving load and driving period for each section. The control unit 20 then transmits the content information 30a to the source of the content transmission request via the communication unit 40. Other factors besides driving load and driving period, such as the driver's preferences, facilities along the planned route, and relevance to the destination, may also be considered when extracting content.

[0016] (1-2) Configuration of the content delivery system: In this embodiment, the content provision system 100 is a portable terminal that moves with the vehicle, which is a mobile object. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the content provision system 100 is a smartphone, tablet, or the like that is brought into the vehicle and used by the vehicle's occupants. The content provision system 100 comprises a control unit 200, a storage medium 300, a communication unit 400, a GNSS receiver 410, and a UI unit 420. The communication unit 400 includes a communication circuit for communicating with other devices. The content provision system 100 can communicate wirelessly with the server 10 via the communication unit 400.

[0017] The GNSS receiving unit 410 is a device that receives signals from the Global Navigation Satellite System. The GNSS receiving unit 410 receives radio waves from navigation satellites and outputs a signal (referred to as a GNSS signal) for calculating the position of the content providing system 100. The control unit 200 acquires this signal to obtain the position of the content providing system 100. The position of the content providing system 100 can be regarded as the position of a moving body (vehicle) that moves together with the content providing system 100.

[0018] The UI unit 420 is an interface unit for receiving instructions from a driver and providing various types of information to the driver, and includes a touch panel display, switches, a speaker, a microphone, and the like.

[0019] Map information 300a is stored in the storage medium 300. In the present embodiment, the map information 300a includes node data, link data, shape interpolation point data, and facility data. The node data is data indicating the positions of intersections. The link data indicates road sections and is associated with nodes corresponding to the end points of the sections. That is, the link data indicates links connecting nodes to each other. In the present embodiment, the link data includes information indicating road attributes of the section indicated by the link data. Road attributes include information indicating road types, for example, expressways, general roads such as national roads and prefectural roads, narrow streets, and the like. The link data is also associated with shape interpolation point data indicating the positions of shape interpolation points for specifying the shape of a road between nodes. The facility data includes information indicating the positions, genres, and the like of facilities existing on roads and in the surrounding areas thereof.

[0020] The control unit 200 is equipped with a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., and can execute various programs recorded on a recording medium (not shown) or ROM. In this embodiment, the control unit 200 can perform the search for a planned driving route and the route guidance that guides the vehicle along the planned driving route by executing a navigation program (not shown). The control unit 200 acquires the vehicle's current location based on the output of the GNSS receiver 410. The control unit 200 also acquires the vehicle's destination based on the driver's operation on the UI unit 420. Then, the control unit 200 uses the vehicle's current location as the starting point and searches for a route from the starting point to the destination by referring to map information 300a. Route search can be performed using a known route search algorithm. Of course, route search may be performed by the control unit 200 as in this embodiment, or it may be performed by the server 10 or a route search server (not shown), etc.

[0021] When a route search is performed, the control unit 200 considers the searched route as the planned route, generates information indicating the planned route, and stores it in the storage medium 300 as planned route information 300b. The planned route information 300b only needs to indicate the planned route from the vehicle's starting point to the destination, and in this embodiment, it is information indicating the sequence of nodes and links that constitute the road to be traveled between the vehicle's starting point and the destination facility.

[0022] The planned route is used to guide the vehicle driver. Specifically, the control unit 200 monitors the vehicle's current location based on the output information of the GNSS receiver 410. The control unit 200 also controls the UI unit 420 to provide route guidance so that the vehicle moves along the planned route. In this embodiment, the system is configured to provide voice guidance regarding the direction of travel and points to pay attention to at a predetermined distance before predetermined points where the driving load is high, such as turning points, junctions, and merging points.

[0023] In this embodiment, the control unit 200 can execute a content provision program 210. By executing the content provision program 210, the control unit 200 provides content to the driver. When the content provision program 210 is executed, the control unit 200 functions as a driving load acquisition unit 210a, a content acquisition unit 210b, and a playback control unit 210c. The driving load acquisition unit 210a has the function of acquiring the driving load of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. In this embodiment, the control unit 200 acquires the driving load for each section of the vehicle's planned route using the function of the driving load acquisition unit 210a.

[0024] In this embodiment, driving load is an indicator of the burden placed on the driver in order to operate the vehicle. In this embodiment, driving load is divided into two levels: high and low. Sections of the planned route that include predetermined points where driving is more difficult than driving in a straight line are considered to have a high driving load. In this embodiment, predetermined points where driving is more difficult than driving in a straight line include junctions, interchanges, sharp curves, and intersections with right or left turns. A sharp curve is defined as a point where the radius of curvature of the curve is below a predetermined threshold.

[0025] In this embodiment, the control unit 200 acquires the driving load of roads on the planned route based on map information 300a and planned route information 300b. Then, by classifying roads with the same driving load consecutively into the same section, the planned route is divided into multiple sections. Details of this section division will be described later. Figure 3A shows an example in which the planned route from the departure point S to the destination G is divided into five sections Z1 to Z5 indicated by arrows. In Figure 3A, an example is shown in which the driving load in each section Z1 to Z5 is high, low, high, low, and high. In Figure 3A, the length of the arrows corresponds to the length of the driving period required to travel through each section.

[0026] The content acquisition unit 210b has the function of acquiring content corresponding to the driving load on the road. In this embodiment, the control unit 200 acquires content corresponding to the driving load in each section of the planned route using the function of the content acquisition unit 210b. Specifically, the control unit 200 refers to the map information 300a and acquires the driving time required for the vehicle to travel through each section of the planned route. The control unit 200 then associates information indicating the driving load for each section of the vehicle's planned route and the driving time required for each section, and sends a content transmission request to the server 10 via the communication unit 400. The control unit 20 of the server 10 receives the transmission request via the communication unit 40.

[0027] In this embodiment, the control unit 20 considers that the genre of content to be played in sections with a high driving load is low-viewing-load content (music), and that the genre of content to be played in sections with a low driving load is high-viewing-load content (conversation). Based on the content information 30a, the control unit 20 extracts one or more pieces of content that correspond to the genre for each section and that can be played as continuously as possible for the duration of the vehicle's journey within that section, and associates them with each section. The control unit 20 transmits information indicating the section to the content information 30a via the communication unit 40. The control unit 200 acquires the content information 30a via the communication unit 400 and stores it in the storage medium 300 as content information 300c.

[0028] Figure 3A shows that the viewing load for the five sections Z1 to Z5 on the planned route from departure point S to destination G is low, high, low, high, and low, respectively. The content associated with each section is also shown. Specifically, the content associated with the section with a low viewing load is music. The content associated with the section with a high viewing load is conversation, but for section Z2, tourist information whose playback period matches the length of the travel period T2 is associated. For section Z4, a radio program whose playback period matches the length of the travel period T4 is associated. Note that if there is no single piece of content that matches the travel period of a section, two or more pieces of content may be identified such that the sum of their playback periods matches the travel period, and these may be associated with that section.

[0029] The playback control unit 210c has the function of playing content in the playback unit when the vehicle is traveling on the road. In this embodiment, the control unit 200 plays content associated with each section when the vehicle reaches each section, based on the function of the playback control unit 210c. That is, the control unit 200 identifies the current location of the vehicle based on the output of the GNSS receiver 410, and when the vehicle's current location reaches the starting point of each section shown in Figure 3A, it controls the speaker of the UI unit 420 to play content information 300c associated with each section.

[0030] However, in this embodiment, the control unit 200 adjusts the content playback order using the functions of the playback control unit 210c so that content that does not correspond to the driving load is not played, and so that periods during which no content is played are minimized. In other words, when the vehicle is traveling along the planned route, referring to the current status information obtained from the traffic information management server 50, the actual driving period for each section may be shorter than the predetermined driving period. In this case, if content scheduled for a section with a low driving load and a high viewing load is played as planned, the vehicle will reach a section with a high driving load before playback is completed.

[0031] In Figure 3B, as illustrated in Figure 3A, the planned route is divided into multiple sections, and content corresponding to the driving load of each section is selected. However, according to the current information at the stage when the vehicle reaches section Z2, an example is shown where the driving period for section Z2 becomes a shorter driving period T2s than the initially planned driving period T2. In this case, it is highly likely that the playback of the sightseeing information associated with section Z2 will not be completed while driving through section Z2. Therefore, if this sightseeing information is played, even when the vehicle reaches section Z3, which has a high driving load, sightseeing information with a high viewing load will be played, resulting in an excessively high load on the driver.

[0032] Therefore, the control unit 200 modifies the content so that it plays content with a low viewing load in section Z2 as well. Figure 4A shows an example in which the content played in section Z2 is modified so that it is content with a low viewing load, i.e., music. In the configuration described above, if we consider section Z2 shown in Figures 3A, 3B, and 4A as the first section and section Z3 as the second section, and consider the first operating load to be low load and the second operating load to be high load, then we can consider that the control unit 200 is performing the following processing.

[0033] In other words, if the vehicle reaches a second section (Z3) with a second driving load (high load) that is higher than the first section within the playback period of the first content associated with the first section (Z2) with a first driving load (low load), the control unit 200 causes the second content (music) corresponding to the second driving load to be played by the playback unit in the first section (Z2). Furthermore, this process can also be described as a configuration in which, if the vehicle reaches a second road (Z3) with a driving load higher than the driving load (low load) associated with the first content within the playback period of the first content, the playback unit plays the second content (music) corresponding to the driving load (high load) on the second road instead of the first content.

[0034] According to this embodiment, if there is insufficient time to play conversation, which is content with a high viewing load, music, which is content with a lower viewing load, will be played. Therefore, even if the timing of content playback is modified, there is a low possibility that there will be a period during which no content is played.

[0035] Furthermore, the content played in place of content with a high viewing load has a low viewing load. Therefore, even if the vehicle reaches a section with a higher driving load while that content is playing, the content with a high viewing load will not be played in that section. In this way, it is possible to prevent content from being played in a way that excessively increases the driver's load.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the planned route is divided into multiple sections by classifying roads with the same driving load continuously into the same section, and content is associated with each section. If the driving load is defined and content is associated with each point on the planned route, the driving sections may be subdivided, and situations such as frequent changes in content genre may occur. However, in this embodiment, since content is associated with each section, the possibility of the planned route being subdivided by the driving load is reduced, and content of a reasonably continuous length can be provided to the vehicle's occupants.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, sections with high operational load are associated with content that has a lower viewing load than sections with low operational load. Therefore, in any section, the combined load of operational and viewing loads will not become excessively large.

[0038] (2) Content provision processing: Next, we will explain the content provision process performed by the content provision system 100 in cooperation with the server 10 and the traffic information management server 50. Figure 5 is a flowchart of the content provision process. Here, we will explain the content provision process while referring to the examples shown in Figures 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B as appropriate.

[0039] The content provision process shown in Figure 2 starts with the planned route information 300b recorded in the storage medium 300. When the content provision process starts, the control unit 200 acquires the planned route using the function of the driving load acquisition unit 210a (step S100). That is, the control unit 200 refers to the storage medium 300 and acquires the planned route information 300b.

[0040] Next, the control unit 200 acquires a section corresponding to the driving load using the function of the driving load acquisition unit 210a (step S105). In this embodiment, the control unit 200 determines whether or not there are predetermined points on the planned route where driving becomes more difficult. In this embodiment, predetermined points where driving becomes more difficult are points that have been predetermined as points where driving becomes more difficult than driving in a straight line. Specifically, predetermined points where driving becomes more difficult include junctions, interchanges, sharp curves, right and left turn intersections, etc.

[0041] The control unit 200 identifies the roads that make up the planned travel route from the departure point S to the destination G, and determines whether a predetermined point exists on each road. Specifically, the control unit 200 refers to the map information 300a and identifies nodes, i.e., intersections, on the planned travel route. The control unit 200 also identifies the road type of the roads connected to the intersection based on the map information 300a. If all the roads connected to the intersection are expressways, the control unit 200 considers that point to be a junction, which is a predetermined point. If part of the roads connected to the intersection are expressways and the other part is a general road, the control unit 200 considers that point to be an interchange, which is a predetermined point. Of course, this determination method is just one example, and if information indicating that a point is a junction or an interchange is included in the map information 300a, the determination of whether or not a point is a predetermined point may be made based on that information.

[0042] Furthermore, the control unit 200 identifies the road sections the vehicle will travel before and after an intersection if it were traveling along the planned route, and determines whether the vehicle's direction of travel before and after the intersection is straight ahead. If the vehicle's direction of travel before and after the intersection is not straight ahead, the control unit 200 considers the intersection to be a right or left turn intersection. Whether or not the direction is straight ahead can be determined by whether or not the angle at which the vehicle's direction of travel changes before and after the intersection is below a threshold, etc. Of course, this determination method is just one example, and if information indicating the direction of travel along the road is included in the map information 300a, then travel along the road may be determined as straight ahead, and travel that is not along the road may be determined as a right or left turn.

[0043] Furthermore, the control unit 200 identifies the radius of curvature of a road section based on the shape interpolation points of the link data indicating the road section that constitutes the planned travel route. The control unit 200 then considers any point where the radius of curvature is below a predetermined threshold to be a sharp curve. Through the above process, the control unit 200 identifies predetermined points that exist on the planned travel route.

[0044] Furthermore, the control unit 200 considers the range of a predetermined distance before and after a specified predetermined point as a section where the driving load is high due to that predetermined point. Furthermore, if sections with high driving loads overlap, the control unit 200 connects the two sections and considers them as a single continuous section. Furthermore, the control unit 200 considers sections that were not considered to have a high driving load as sections with a low driving load. The five sections Z1 to Z5 shown in Figure 3A are examples of sections set on the planned route by the above processing.

[0045] Next, the control unit 200 acquires the travel period for each section using the function of the content acquisition unit 210b (step S110). Specifically, the control unit 200 refers to the map information 300a and identifies the road sections (links) that make up each section acquired in step S105. Furthermore, the control unit 200 refers to the map information 300a and identifies the length of each road section and the road type of each road section, and determines the required time to travel through each road section by dividing the length of the road section by the average vehicle speed of vehicles for each road type. Then, the control unit 200 acquires the cumulative value of the required time for all road sections that make up the section acquired in step S105 as the travel period for that section. The control unit 200 acquires the travel period for each section by performing the above processing for each section acquired in step S105. In Figure 3A, the length of the arrows indicating sections Z1 to Z5 corresponds to the length of the travel period in each section.

[0046] Next, the control unit 200 acquires content corresponding to the driving load of each section using the function of the content acquisition unit 210b (step S115). Specifically, the control unit 200 associates the driving load for each section acquired in step S105 with the driving period for each section acquired in step S110, and sends a content transmission request to the server 10 via the communication unit 400.

[0047] The control unit 20 of the server 10 receives the transmission request via the communication unit 40 and, referring to the content information 30a, associates content corresponding to the operating load with each section. Specifically, the control unit 20 determines the genre of content to associate with each section based on the operating load of the section. In this embodiment, music with a low viewing load is associated with sections with a high operating load, and conversations with a high viewing load are associated with sections with a low operating load. In this embodiment, it is assumed that music may be interrupted during playback, and the control unit 20 refers to the content information 30a and identifies and associates a file with a longer playback period than the running period of the section to which a music genre has been associated.

[0048] Furthermore, for sections to which conversations have been associated, the control unit 20 refers to the content information 30a and extracts one or more pieces of content from the conversation content whose driving period and playback period match (the difference between the two is minimized). For example, if there is a section with a driving period of 30 minutes and the content information 30a contains content with a playback period of 30 minutes, the control unit 20 associates that content with that section. Also, if there is a section with a driving period of 35 minutes and the content information 30a contains content with a playback period of 30 minutes and content with a playback period of 5 minutes, the control unit 20 associates these two pieces of content with that section. Once content has been associated for all sections constituting the planned driving section, the control unit 20 transmits information indicating the section to the content information 30a indicating each piece of content via the communication unit 40. The control unit 200 acquires the content information 30a via the communication unit 400 and stores it in the storage medium 300 as content information 300c. Figure 3A shows an example where music content is associated with sections Z1, Z3, and Z5, which have a high driving load, conversational content (tourism information) is associated with section Z2, which has a low driving load, and conversational content (radio programs) is associated with section Z4, which also has a low driving load.

[0049] Next, the control unit 200 starts acquiring the vehicle's current location and speed (step S120). That is, the control unit 200 starts the process of determining the vehicle's current location based on the output of the GNSS receiver 410. The control unit 200 also starts the process of acquiring the vehicle speed by dividing the distance traveled by the vehicle's current location by the time taken for the travel. The method for acquiring the vehicle's current location and speed is not limited to this method, and various known methods can be employed.

[0050] Next, the control unit 200 determines whether the vehicle has started moving based on the function of the regeneration control unit 210c (step S125). The start of movement can be determined by various methods. For example, it can be determined by whether the distance traveled from the current location exceeds a threshold, or whether the vehicle speed exceeds a threshold, etc. If it is not determined in step S125 that the vehicle has started moving, the control unit 200 waits until it is determined that the vehicle has started moving.

[0051] In step S125, if it is determined that the vehicle has started moving, the control unit 200 starts playing content using the function of the playback control unit 210c (step S130). That is, the control unit 200 refers to the content information 300c acquired in step S115 and plays content based on the file indicating the content corresponding to the current section. When the current location reaches another section, the control unit 200 plays content based on the file indicating the content corresponding to the new section. In the example shown in Figure 3A, immediately after the vehicle starts moving, music associated with section Z1 is played. After this, when the section changes, the content being played switches to the content corresponding to that section.

[0052] In this way, during the process of playing content corresponding to a section, the control unit 200 determines whether or not the vehicle has entered a low-operating-load section using the function of the playback control unit 210c (step S135). That is, the control unit 200 determines whether or not the vehicle's current location is in a section with a low operating load among the sections acquired in step S105. Through this process, each time the vehicle moves from a high-operating-load section to a low-operating-load section, it is determined that it has entered a low-operating-load section. If it is not determined in step S135 that the vehicle has entered a low-operating-load section, the control unit 200 repeats the determination from step S135 onward. Note that the processing in steps S135 to S145 is performed before the start of playback of content corresponding to the new section.

[0053] In step S135, if it is determined that the vehicle has entered a section with a low operating load, the control unit 200 uses the function of the playback control unit 210c to acquire the travel period for the entered section based on the current traffic information (step S140). Specifically, the control unit 200 communicates with the traffic information management server 50 via the communication unit 400 to acquire the current traffic information for the entered section determined to have been entered in step S135. For example, as shown in Figure 3A, when the vehicle starts traveling with content associated with each section, and the vehicle reaches the boundary between sections Z1 and Z2, and the current location moves into section Z2 at time Tp shown in Figure 3B, the control unit 200 considers section Z2 to be the entered section and acquires the current traffic information for section Z2.

[0054] Furthermore, the control unit 200 refers to the map information 300a to determine the length of each road section that constitutes the entry section, and determines the time required to travel through each road section by dividing the length of each road section by the average vehicle speed indicated by the current traffic information. The control unit 200 then considers the sum of the required times for each road section to be the total travel time for the entry section. Figure 3B shows an example in which the travel time determined for section Z2, which is the entry section, based on the current traffic information, is the travel time T2s.

[0055] Next, the control unit 200 determines, using the function of the playback control unit 210c, whether the driving period of the entry section is shorter than the playback period of the candidate content (step S145). Here, the candidate content includes the content associated with the entry section in step S115 and the content that was not played because it was replaced with low-viewing-load content in step S150, which will be described later. If the latter content does not exist, the candidate content consists only of the former content. Also, there may be multiple pieces of the latter content. As shown in Figure 3B, when the vehicle enters a low-operating-load section for the first time on the planned driving route, the candidate content consists only of the content associated with that section in step S115.

[0056] The control unit 200 identifies the playback period of the candidate content and compares it with the travel period obtained in step S140. If it is determined that the travel period of the entry section is shorter than the playback period of the candidate content, then no matter which candidate content is played, it will not be possible to play the entire candidate content while traveling through the entry section. Therefore, the control unit 200 plays content with a low viewing load using the function of the playback control unit 210c (step S150). That is, the control unit 200 controls the UI unit 420 to play music, which is content with a low viewing load.

[0057] For example, in Figure 3B, at time Tp, the travel period for section Z2 is T2s, which is shorter than the estimated travel period T2 before the vehicle started traveling. This suggests that the travel period T2s is shorter than the planned playback period for tourist information. In this case, the content played in section Z2 is replaced with music from tourist information, as shown in Figure 4A. Note that the low-viewing-load content may be content already acquired in content information 300c, or it may be content newly acquired from server 10.

[0058] In this way, when content is replaced with content that has a low viewing load, the original content becomes candidate content for a high-load section located ahead in the direction of travel. As shown in Figure 4A, when tourist information is replaced with music, the tourist information becomes candidate content for a high-load section further ahead, i.e., section Z4. In this case, the radio program originally scheduled for section Z4 and the tourist information become candidate content.

[0059] Next, the control unit 200 determines whether or not a limited coupon exists (step S155). Specifically, the control unit 200 refers to the content information 300c of the content that was designated as candidate content in step S145 and determines whether or not a coupon that is restricted in at least one of the time or place is associated with it. For example, in the example shown in Figure 2, a coupon that can only be used in a specific service area (SA1) is a limited coupon that is restricted in location. Since the tourist information associated with section Z2 includes this coupon, in this example, when the vehicle reaches section Z2, it is determined that a limited coupon exists.

[0060] In step S155, if it is determined that a limited coupon exists, the control unit 200 adds the limited coupon to the playback target (step S160). That is, the control unit 200 extracts the sound data indicating the limited coupon and adds it to the playback target for the current section's travel period. The sound data indicating the limited coupon is generated in advance as a separate file, distinct from the sound data indicating other conversations. The playback timing of the limited coupon may be at any time while traveling within the entry section. However, it is preferable that the timing does not overlap with route guidance. In step S155, if it is not determined that a limited coupon exists, step S160 is skipped.

[0061] On the other hand, in step S145, if it is not determined that the driving period of the entry section is shorter than the playback period of the candidate content, that is, if the playback period of at least one of the candidate content is shorter than the driving period, the control unit 200 plays the content with the highest priority among the content that can be played during the driving period, using the function of the playback control unit 210c (step S165).

[0062] Specifically, candidate content is assigned a priority. The priority indicates which content should be prioritized when multiple candidate contents are available for playback during the driving period. While the method of defining priority is not limited, in this embodiment, content associated with later sections on the planned driving route will have a higher priority.

[0063] For example, in the examples shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the shortened travel period T2s causes the content of section Z2 to be replaced with music, and the sightseeing information that was associated with section Z2 in step S115 is not played. In this case, the sightseeing information becomes a candidate content for section Z4, which is further ahead and has a higher driving load. As a result, in section Z4, the originally scheduled radio program and the sightseeing information become candidate content, but the sightseeing information that was associated with section Z2, which is further along the planned travel route, has a higher priority.

[0064] Therefore, if step S135 determines that the train has entered a low-operating-load section and the time Tp shown in Figure 4B is the time when step S145 is performed and S165 is executed with the candidate content being the aforementioned radio program and tourist information, the control unit 200 plays the tourist information, which has a higher priority. Figure 4B shows an example in which tourist information is played instead of the originally scheduled radio program in section Z4. If the playback of the candidate content is completed within the travel period of the entry section, it is preferable to play music with a low listening load for the remaining period. Figure 4B shows an example in which music is played after the tourist information. Also, the original content (radio program) that is no longer played after the tourist information is played can become candidate content in a high-operating-load section ahead in the direction of travel. However, in the example shown in Figure 4B, the radio program is not played because there is no high-operating-load section before section Z4.

[0065] In the above process, if section Z2 is considered the first section, section Z3 the second section, and section Z4 the third section, the control unit 200, using the function of the playback control unit 210c, newly associates the first content (tourism information) with the third section, which is located ahead of the first section in the direction of vehicle travel and whose driving load is the same as the first driving load. Furthermore, it can be said that the control unit 200, using the function of the playback control unit 210c, determines the content to be played back by the playback unit in the third section based on the playback period of the third content (radio program) that was associated with the third section and the first content (tourism information) that has been newly associated with the third section.

[0066] With the above configuration, even if the estimated travel period based on current traffic information is shorter than the previously estimated travel period, and the planned content cannot be played within the travel period, the planned content may still be played in a section further ahead. In this way, as the number of candidate content items ahead of the planned travel route increases, the likelihood of being able to play content with a high viewing load increases, even if the actual travel period is shorter than the previously estimated travel period. However, if there is no content that can be played within the travel period among the previously acquired content information 300c, it will be necessary to communicate again, but new playable content may be acquired from the server 10.

[0067] If step S160 or step S165 is executed, or if it is determined in step S155 that no limited coupons exist, the control unit 200 repeats the processing from step S135 onward.

[0068] (3) Other embodiments: The above embodiments are merely examples for carrying out the present invention, and various embodiments can be adopted. For example, the content provision system 100 may be a device mounted on a vehicle. The content provision system 100 may also be implemented as a standalone system. Furthermore, if the travel period of a section is longer than the playback period of the content associated with that section, content with a lower viewing load may be played during the period after the playback of the content. Alternatively, other content with a playback period closer to the length of the content may be transmitted and played.

[0069] The content provision system may be implemented by a server 10 and a content provision system 100. The server 10 may be implemented by multiple server computers. At least a portion of the driving load acquisition unit 210a, content acquisition unit 210b, and playback control unit 210c that constitute the content provision system 100 may be divided among multiple devices, for example, the server 10. For example, at least a portion of the following may be performed by the server 10: searching for the planned route, control for route guidance, acquisition of driving load for each section, and determination of content corresponding to each section. Some of the configurations of the above embodiment may be omitted, and the order of processing may be changed or omitted. Also, some of the configurations may be different.

[0070] The driving load acquisition unit only needs to be able to acquire the driving load of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. In other words, since the driving load on the driver can vary depending on various factors such as the shape and location of the road, its relationship to other roads, and the terrain around the road, the driving load acquisition unit only needs to be able to acquire the driving load that is determined from these various factors. The driving load only needs to be an indicator of how much burden is placed on the driver in order to drive the vehicle.

[0071] For example, the greater the amount and difficulty of driving operations, the higher the driving load may be, or the greater the amount of information that needs to be recognized around the vehicle, the higher the driving load may be. The road information used to identify the driving load is not limited to the examples in the above-described embodiment, and the driving load may be identified based on various types of information, such as the presence or absence of various regulations, the presence or absence of special roads such as five-way or three-way intersections, and the presence or absence of junctions and merges. In addition to static information identified based on map information, the driving load may also be identified based on dynamic information that can change over time, such as the presence or absence of traffic congestion, the presence or absence of construction, the presence or absence of fallen objects, etc.

[0072] The operating load may be defined as changing in steps or as changing continuously. If it changes in steps, the number of operating load levels may be an integer of 2 or more.

[0073] The content acquisition unit only needs to acquire content that corresponds to the driving load on the road. In other words, the content is associated with the driving load. If the driving load is high, playing content that requires the driver's attention to watch will increase the difficulty of driving. For this reason, sections with a high driving load are associated with content that has a lower viewing load than sections with a low driving load. That is, when comparing the driving load in two sections, if one has a higher driving load than the other, then one section will be associated with content that has a lower viewing load than the other section. If the driving load is defined as changing in multiple stages or continuously, the higher the driving load in a section, the lower the viewing load associated with that section will be.

[0074] Viewing load is defined such that the higher the level of attention required to view the content, the higher the load. If the driving load has two levels, two types of viewing load are defined, such as music and conversation, as in the embodiment described above, and content with a low viewing load is played on roads with a high driving load, and content with a high viewing load is played on roads with a low driving load. If the driving load changes in three or more levels, or changes continuously, the viewing load is also defined to change in three or more levels or continuously, and each viewing load is associated with the content. Then, content selection is performed so that content with a viewing load lower than the viewing load identified from the driving load is played.

[0075] The playback control unit plays content in the playback unit when the vehicle is traveling on the road. In other words, the playback control unit plays content in the playback unit on the road that corresponds to the driving load on the road. However, the playback control unit can change the playback order and playback start position of the content. That is, if the first content is played on a road where the driving load is higher than the driving load corresponding to the first content, the viewing load of the first content will be excessive relative to the driving load, resulting in an excessive load on the driver. Therefore, if the playback control unit does not start playback of the first content and instead plays the second content corresponding to the driving load of the second road, it is possible to prevent a period in which no content is played due to the shifting of the planned first content. Furthermore, from the road where the first content was scheduled to be played to the second road, content with a viewing load that is viewable at the driving load on the second road will be played continuously. As a result, the load on the driver will not be excessive.

[0076] There are various methods for defining the driving load for each section of a vehicle's planned route. For example, the difficulty of driving on a road may be defined based on the shape of the road, the relationships between roads, etc., and sections where the average value of the difficulty within a certain distance exceeds a threshold may be considered high-load sections, while sections below the threshold may be considered low-load sections. The difficulty of driving may also be determined based on the planned route. For example, a junction where a vehicle branches off from the main line or merges onto the main line from a connecting road may be judged to have a higher driving difficulty than a junction where the vehicle continues to travel on the main line.

[0077] Furthermore, the methods of the present invention can also be applied as programs and methods. Moreover, such systems, programs, and methods may be implemented as standalone devices, or they may be implemented using parts shared with various components of a vehicle, encompassing a variety of embodiments. They can also be modified as appropriate, such as being partly software and partly hardware. Furthermore, the invention also functions as a recording medium for a program that controls the system. Of course, the recording medium for the program may be a magnetic recording medium, a semiconductor memory, or any recording medium developed in the future can be considered in exactly the same way. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1...Distribution content, 10...Server, 20...Control unit, 30...Storage medium, 30a...Content information, 40...Communication unit, 50...Traffic information management server, 100...Content provision system, 200...Control unit, 210...Content provision program, 210a...Driving load acquisition unit, 210b...Content acquisition unit, 210c...Playback control unit, 300...Storage medium, 300a...Map information, 300b...Scheduled driving route information, 300c...Content information, 400...Communication unit, 410...GNSS receiver unit, 420...UI unit

Claims

1. A driving load acquisition unit that acquires the driving load of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, A content acquisition unit that acquires content corresponding to the driving load of the aforementioned road, The vehicle includes a playback control unit that plays the content in the playback unit when the vehicle is traveling on the road, The aforementioned regeneration control unit, If the vehicle reaches a second road where the driving load is higher than the driving load corresponding to the first content within the playback period of the first content, the playback unit will play the second content corresponding to the driving load on the second road instead of the first content. Content delivery system.

2. The driving load acquired by the driving load acquisition unit is the driving load for each section of the planned route of the vehicle. The content acquired by the content acquisition unit corresponds to the operating load in each of the sections. The aforementioned regeneration control unit, If, within the playback period of the first content associated with the first section where the driving load is the first driving load, the vehicle reaches the second section where the driving load is higher than that of the first section, the second content corresponding to the second driving load is played back in the first section by the playback unit. The content provision system according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned regeneration control unit, The first content is newly associated with a third section that is located ahead of the first section in the direction of travel of the vehicle, and whose driving load is the same as the first driving load. Based on the playback period of the third content that was associated with the third section and the first content newly associated with the third section, the content to be played back by the playback unit in the third section is determined. The content provision system according to claim 2.

4. In the section with a high operating load, content with a lower viewing load (the load required for viewing) is associated with it compared to the section with a low operating load. The content provision system according to claim 2 or claim 3.

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