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

Abstract

This system makes it easier for vehicle occupants to understand the location of suggested stops using only voice commands. [Solution] The information processing device includes a search unit that searches for suggested spots, which are spots that the vehicle's occupants are suggested to visit, based on the vehicle's current location; a determination unit that determines whether or not there are known spots, which are spots that the occupants consider to be known, within a first range from the suggested spots; and an output control unit that, if the determination unit determines that there are known spots within the first range from the suggested spots, includes information indicating the positional relationship of the suggested spots to the known spots in the guidance information that guides the occupants to the suggested spots and outputs it by voice.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technique of providing information on spots to be suggested for a stopover to an occupant of a vehicle (referred to as "user" where appropriate). For example, a technique is known that searches for spots existing within a search range dynamically changed along a planned route from a current position to a destination, and outputs information on the searched spots.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the above-described conventional technique has room for improvement when outputting information of spots to be suggested for a stopover to the vehicle occupant. For example, in the above-described conventional technique, since information of spots to be suggested for a stopover is displayed on a screen, when a vehicle occupant (e.g., the driver) looks at the screen, the occupant's line of sight may deviate from the road. For this reason, it is desired to output information by voice, for example. Further, when outputting information to a vehicle occupant by voice, there is a demand for a technique that makes it easy for the vehicle occupant to grasp the position of a spot suggested for a stopover only by voice, so that the vehicle occupant does not need to look at the screen.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can facilitate vehicle occupants in understanding the location of suggested stops by voice alone. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information processing device according to the present invention includes: a search unit that searches for suggested spots, which are spots that the vehicle's occupants are suggested to visit, based on the vehicle's current location; a determination unit that determines whether or not there is a known spot, which is a spot that the occupants consider to be known, within a first range from the suggested spot; and, if the determination unit determines that there is a known spot within the first range from the suggested spot, an output control unit that outputs information indicating the positional relationship of the suggested spot to the known spot, including this information in the guidance information for guiding the suggested spot, via voice.

[0007] Furthermore, the information processing method according to the present invention is an information processing method executed by an information processing device, and includes: a search step of searching for suggested spots, which are spots that the vehicle's occupants are suggested to visit, based on the vehicle's current location; a determination step of determining whether or not there are known spots, which are spots that the occupants consider to be known, within a first range from the suggested spots; and, if the determination step determines that there are known spots within the first range from the suggested spots, an output control step of including information indicating the positional relationship of the suggested spots to the known spots in the guidance information for guiding to the suggested spots and outputting it by voice.

[0008] Furthermore, the information processing program according to the present invention causes a computer to execute the following: a search procedure for searching for suggested spots, which are spots that the vehicle's occupants are suggested to visit, based on the vehicle's current location; a determination procedure for determining whether or not there are known spots, which are spots that the occupants consider to be known, within a first range from the suggested spots; and, if the determination procedure determines that there are known spots within the first range from the suggested spots, an output control procedure for outputting information indicating the positional relationship of the suggested spots to the known spots, including this information in the guidance information for guiding the suggested spots, via voice. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration of an information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a prompt according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the information processing procedure by the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the information processing procedure by the information processing device related to the modified form. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of a computer that implements the functions of an information processing device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The following describes in detail, with reference to the drawings, embodiments for implementing the information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present application (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments"). Note that these embodiments do not limit the information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present application. Furthermore, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals in each of the following embodiments, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0011] (Embodiment) [1. Configuration of the Information Processing System] An example configuration of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment will be described using Figure 1. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the information processing system 1 includes an in-vehicle device 10 and an information processing device 100. The in-vehicle device 10 and the information processing device 100 are connected to each other via a network N, either by wire or wireless connection, enabling communication between them. The network N is, for example, a WAN (Wide Area Network) such as the Internet. Note that the information processing system 1 shown in Figure 1 may include multiple in-vehicle devices 10 and multiple information processing devices 100.

[0012] The on-board device 10 may be an on-board device mounted on a vehicle, which is an example of a mobile device. Figure 1 shows an example where the on-board device 10 is an on-board device of a vehicle VEx. In this example, the on-board device 10 may be, for example, a dedicated navigation device built into the vehicle VEx, or a navigation device that can be attached to the vehicle VEx.

[0013] Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 10 may be configured to function as an information processing device 100, which will be described later. For example, although Figure 1 shows the in-vehicle device 10 and the information processing device 100 as separate devices, the in-vehicle device 10 and the information processing device 100 may be integrated and configured as a single information processing device. In such a case, for example, some or all of the functions of the information processing device 100 may be introduced to the in-vehicle device 10.

[0014] Note that the in-vehicle device 10 may be a portable terminal device (e.g., smartphone, tablet terminal, laptop PC, desktop PC, PDA, etc.) in which an application compatible with a predetermined navigation system is installed. In such an example, the in-vehicle device 10 may, for example, be one that is used on a daily basis by the driver of the vehicle VEx.

[0015] Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 10 may also include various sensors such as a camera, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a GPS sensor, and an atmospheric pressure sensor. The sensor information detected by the sensors may be transmitted to the information processing device 100 by the in-vehicle device 10. Further, the vehicle VEx may also include, for example, a sensor for a safe driving system, and sensor information obtained by this sensor may also be transmitted to the information processing device 100.

[0016] The information processing device 100 is a device that performs information processing according to the embodiment. For example, the information processing device 100 may perform the information processing according to the embodiment in accordance with an information processing method implemented by an information processing program according to the embodiment. The information processing device 100 searches, based on the current position of the vehicle, for a proposed spot which is a spot for which a stop-by is proposed to an occupant of the vehicle. The information processing device 100 also determines whether or not a known spot, which is a spot considered to be known to the occupant, exists within a first range from the proposed spot. Further, when the information processing device 100 determines that a known spot exists within the first range from the proposed spot, the information processing device 100 causes information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot with respect to the known spot to be included in guidance information for guiding the proposed spot and output as voice.

[0017] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the moving body is described as the vehicle VEx, but the moving body is not limited to the vehicle VEx. In addition, the user described in the embodiment may be any person as long as the person has boarded the vehicle VEx and used the in-vehicle device 10. For example, the user may be a person who uses the vehicle VEx on a daily basis, or may be the owner of the vehicle VEx.

[0018] [2. Configuration of In-Vehicle Device] A configuration example of the in-vehicle device 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the in-vehicle device 10 according to the embodiment. The in-vehicle device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, a positioning unit 13, an operation input unit 14, a control unit 15, and an audio output unit 16.

[0019] (Communication Unit 11) The communication unit 11 is implemented by a NIC (Network Interface Card), an antenna, or the like. The communication unit 11 is connected to various networks via a wired or wireless connection, and transmits and receives information to and from, for example, the information processing apparatus 100.

[0020] (Storage Unit 12) The storage unit 12 is implemented by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. Specifically, the storage unit 12 stores various programs.

[0021] (Positioning Unit 13) The positioning unit 13 receives a predetermined signal and measures the position of the vehicle VEx. The positioning unit 13 measures the current position of the vehicle VEx. The positioning unit 13 uses a GNSS (global navigation satellite system) to receive radio waves including positioning data transmitted from a navigation satellite. The positioning data is used to detect the absolute position of the vehicle VEx from latitude and longitude information and the like. The positioning data corresponds to the position information according to the present embodiment. Note that the GNSS used may be, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System) or any other system. The positioning unit 13 outputs the positioning data to the control unit 15.

[0022] (Operation Input Unit 14) The operation input unit 14 consists of buttons, switches, touch panels, etc., that accept user input and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the user input to the control unit 15. The operation input unit 14 may also accept voice input.

[0023] (Control Unit 15) The control unit 15 is a controller, and is realized by executing various programs stored in the memory device inside the in-vehicle device 10 using RAM as the working area, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit). Alternatively, the control unit 15 is a controller and can be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0024] The control unit 15 has a transmitting unit 151 and a receiving unit 152 as functional units, and may realize or execute the information processing operations described below. Note that the internal configuration of the control unit 15 is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 2, and other configurations are also possible as long as they perform the information processing described later. In addition, each functional unit represents the function of the control unit 15 and does not necessarily have to be physically separated.

[0025] (Transmitter 151) The transmitting unit 151 transmits various types of information to the information processing device 100. For example, the transmitting unit 151 transmits to the information processing device 100 information indicating the current location of the vehicle determined by the positioning unit 13. The transmitting unit 151 also transmits to the information processing device 100 information (for example, a string of characters) entered by the user via the operation input unit 14.

[0026] (Receiving unit 152) The receiving unit 152 receives various types of information from the information processing device 100. For example, the receiving unit 152 receives guidance information from the information processing device 100 to guide users to suggested spots. When the receiving unit 152 receives guidance information, it outputs the guidance information as voice from the voice output unit 16.

[0027] (Audio output unit 16) The audio output unit 16 includes a speaker and converts the digital audio signal acquired from the control unit 15 into an analog audio signal by D / A (Digital / Analog) conversion, and outputs audio corresponding to the analog audio signal from the speaker.

[0028] [3. Configuration of the Information Processing Device] An example configuration of the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment will be described using Figure 3. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example configuration of the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment. The information processing device 100 includes a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a control unit 130.

[0029] (Communications Department 110) The communication unit 110 is implemented by a NIC, antenna, etc. The communication unit 110 is connected to various networks by wired or wireless means, and performs information transmission and reception with, for example, the in-vehicle device 10.

[0030] (Storage unit 120) The storage unit 120 is implemented by, for example, semiconductor memory elements such as RAM and flash memory, or storage devices such as hard disks and optical discs. Specifically, the storage unit 120 stores various programs. For example, the storage unit 120 stores an information processing program according to the embodiment. The storage unit 120 also stores various data. For example, the storage unit 120 has a map information storage unit 121, a spot details information storage unit 122, and a user information storage unit 123.

[0031] (Map information storage unit 121) The map information storage unit 121 stores map information. This map information includes road data, which represents the road network using links corresponding to roads and nodes corresponding to road connections (intersections), and spot information, which is information about special locations (hereinafter referred to as "spots") such as those with good facilities or scenery, where information that can identify a spot is associated with the category of the spot and information indicating the location of the spot. Here, a spot includes, for example, entertainment facilities such as amusement parks and game centers, public baths, shops such as convenience stores and restaurants, scenic spots, shopping streets and walking paths, and other locations and areas.

[0032] (Spot detailed information memory unit 122) The spot details information storage unit 122 stores spot details, which are detailed information about a spot. For example, the spot details information storage unit 122 stores spot details that include information that identifies a spot, introductory information such as reasons for recommendation and business hours, and information indicating whether or not the spot is famous.

[0033] (User information storage unit 123) The user information storage unit 123 stores user information, which is information about the user. User information includes information about visited spots, which are spots in the user's visit history. For example, information about visited spots may include information that can identify the visited spot and information that indicates the location of the visited spot. User information also includes information about the user's attributes. For example, user information includes user attribute information such as the user's age, gender, interests, etc. For example, the user information storage unit 123 stores user information that includes information that can identify the user, information that can identify the vehicle the user is riding in, information about the user's visited spots, and information about the user's attributes, all linked together.

[0034] (Control unit 130) The control unit 130 is a controller and is implemented, for example, by a CPU or MPU executing various programs (for example, information processing programs according to the embodiment) stored in the memory device inside the information processing device 100 using RAM as a working area. Alternatively, the control unit 130 is a controller and can be implemented, for example, by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA.

[0035] The control unit 130 has a route setting unit 131, an acquisition unit 132, a search unit 133, a determination unit 134, and an output control unit 135 as functional units, and may realize or execute the information processing operations described below. Note that the internal configuration of the control unit 130 is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 3, and other configurations are also acceptable as long as they perform the information processing described later. Furthermore, each functional unit represents the function of the control unit 130 and does not necessarily have to be physically separated.

[0036] (Route setting unit 131) The route setting unit 131 sets the vehicle's travel route from its current location (or departure point) to its destination by referring to map information. For example, the route setting unit 131 obtains information indicating the vehicle's current location and information indicating the destination from the in-vehicle device 10. When the route setting unit 131 obtains information indicating the vehicle's current location and information indicating the destination, it refers to the map information storage unit 121 to obtain map information. Subsequently, the route setting unit 131 sets the travel route from the vehicle's current location to its destination by referring to the map information. Hereafter, the travel route set by the route setting unit 131 may be referred to as the planned route.

[0037] (Acquisition part 132) The acquisition unit 132 acquires information indicating the vehicle's current location from the on-board device 10. The acquisition unit 132 acquires information indicating the vehicle's current location by receiving this information from the on-board device 10. For example, the information indicating the vehicle's current location may be information indicating the latitude and longitude corresponding to the vehicle's current location. The information indicating the vehicle's current location may also include a timestamp indicating the current time corresponding to the current location. The acquisition unit 132 may acquire information indicating the vehicle's current location in real time. When the acquisition unit 132 acquires information indicating the vehicle's current location, it stores the information indicating the vehicle's current location in the user information storage unit 123 in association with user-identifiable information. For example, the acquisition unit 132 stores the information indicating the vehicle's current location in the user information storage unit 123 in association with user-identifiable information as user history information.

[0038] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 132 receives a search request for suggested spots, which are places that the vehicle occupants are suggested to visit. Specifically, the acquisition unit 132 receives a search request for suggested spots by acquiring request information, including the search request for suggested spots, from the in-vehicle device 10. More specifically, the acquisition unit 132 acquires a string entered by the user along with the search request for suggested spots as request information. For example, the acquisition unit 132 acquires the string "I want to stop by a convenience store" entered by the user along with the search request for suggested spots as request information. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 132 may acquire information that includes only the search request for suggested spots as request information. This corresponds to cases where the user requests suggestions for recommended spots.

[0039] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 132 determines whether or not it has received a search request for a suggested spot. Specifically, the acquisition unit 132 determines whether or not it has acquired request information including a search request for a suggested spot. If the acquisition unit 132 determines that it has not acquired the request information, it determines that it has not received a search request for a suggested spot. If the acquisition unit 132 determines that it has not received a search request for a suggested spot, it determines again whether or not it has received a search request for a suggested spot. Also, if the acquisition unit 132 determines that it has acquired the request information, it determines that it has received a search request for a suggested spot. If the acquisition unit 132 determines that it has received a search request for a suggested spot, it outputs the request information to the search unit 133.

[0040] (Search section 133) If the search unit 133 determines that it has received a search request for suggested spots from the acquisition unit 132, it searches for suggested spots, which are spots that the vehicle's occupants should visit, based on the vehicle's current location. For example, if the search unit 133 has acquired request information from the acquisition unit 132, it identifies suggested spots based on the request information. For example, if the search unit 133 has acquired a string entered by the user along with a search request for suggested spots as request information, it identifies suggested spots based on the string entered by the user. For example, if the search unit 133 has acquired the string "I want to stop by a convenience store" entered by the user along with a search request for suggested spots as request information, it identifies the suggested spot as a convenience store based on the string "convenience store". Also, if the search unit 133 has acquired information that includes only a search request for suggested spots as request information, it refers to the user information storage unit 123 to acquire user information and identifies suggested spots corresponding to the user information. For example, the search unit 133 acquires information corresponding to the user's interests stored in the user information storage unit 123 and identifies suggested spots corresponding to the user's interests. For example, if the search unit 133 finds information that matches the user's interests, it identifies the suggested location as a game center.

[0041] Next, if the search unit 133 identifies a suggested spot, it refers to the map information storage unit 121 to obtain map information. Then, based on the information indicating the vehicle's current location and the map information, the search unit 133 searches for a suggested spot located within a predetermined range (for example, within a radius of 5 km) from the vehicle's current location. For example, based on the spot information included in the map information, the search unit 133 searches for a suggested spot from among spots located within a radius of a predetermined distance centered on the vehicle's current location on the map. For example, if the search unit 133 identifies a suggested spot as a convenience store, it searches for a convenience store located within a predetermined range from the vehicle's current location. For example, based on the spot information included in the map information, the search unit 133 searches for a convenience store from among spots located within a circle with a radius of a predetermined distance centered on the vehicle's current location on the map.

[0042] (Judgment unit 134) The determination unit 134 determines whether there is a known spot within a first range from the proposed spot that is considered known to the occupant. For example, a known spot is a visited spot that the occupant has visited in the past. For example, the determination unit 134 determines whether there is a visited spot within a first range from the proposed spot that is considered a known spot and is a spot that the occupant has visited in the past. For example, the determination unit 134 obtains information about visited spots that the user has visited in the past by referring to the user information storage unit 123. Subsequently, the determination unit 134 determines whether there is a visited spot within a first range from the proposed spot based on the information about visited spots and map information. For example, the determination unit 134 determines whether there is a visited spot among the spots located within a first range from the proposed spot. For example, the determination unit 134 determines whether there is a visited spot among the spots located inside a circle with a radius of a first distance centered on the location of the proposed spot on the map.

[0043] (Output control unit 135) If the determination unit 134 determines that a known spot exists within a first range from the proposed spot, the output control unit 135 outputs information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the known spot, along with the guidance information for guiding the user to the proposed spot, via voice. For example, if the determination unit 134 determines that a visited spot exists within a first range from the proposed spot, the output control unit 135 outputs information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the visited spot, along with the guidance information for guiding the user to the proposed spot, via voice. For example, the output control unit 135 generates guidance information for guiding the user to the proposed spot, which includes information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the visited spot. For example, the output control unit 135 inputs information about the proposed spot, information about the visited spot, and map information into a large-scale language model to generate guidance information. For example, the output control unit 135 inputs a prompt into the large-scale language model instructing it to generate guidance information that includes information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the visited spot, and generates guidance information. For example, the output control unit 135 generates guidance information by inputting a prompt to the large-scale language model instructing it to generate guidance information that includes information indicating the distance or time to travel from a visited spot to a suggested spot. The output control unit 135 also generates guidance information by inputting a prompt to the large-scale language model instructing it to generate guidance information that includes information indicating the direction of the suggested spot relative to the visited spot.

[0044] For example, suppose the suggested spot is "Game Center A" and the visited spot is "Supermarket B". In this case, the output control unit 135 inputs a prompt as shown in Figure 4 into the large-scale language model to generate guidance information. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a prompt according to the embodiment. In Figure 4, the output control unit 135 inputs a prompt containing the sentence, "Please describe the location of the suggested spot relative to the reference spot in 150 characters or less, including directions in a way that is easy for a car driver to understand. Reference spot: Supermarket B, Suggested spot: Game Center A" into the large-scale language model. The output control unit 135 then generates guidance information in the form of the sentence, "Game Center A is nearby. It is 400m west of Supermarket B." Alternatively, the output control unit 135 may generate guidance information in the form of the sentence, "Game Center A is nearby. It is about 1 minute west of Supermarket B." If the output control unit 135 generates guidance information, it transmits the guidance information to the in-vehicle device 10. The receiving unit 152 of the in-vehicle device 10 receives the guidance information from the information processing device 100. When the receiving unit 152 of the in-vehicle device 10 receives guidance information, it outputs the guidance information by voice from the voice output unit 16. In this way, the output control unit 135 outputs by voice the guidance information, including information indicating the distance or time of travel from the known spot to the proposed spot. The output control unit 135 also outputs by voice the guidance information, including information indicating the direction of the proposed spot relative to the known spot.

[0045] Furthermore, if the determination unit 134 determines that there are no known spots within a first range from the proposed spot, it determines whether or not the proposed spot exists within a second range from the vehicle's planned route. For example, if the determination unit 134 determines that there are no visited spots within a first range from the proposed spot, it determines whether or not the proposed spot exists within a second range from the vehicle's planned route. For example, the determination unit 134 determines whether or not the planned route exists within a circle on the map with a radius of a second distance centered on the proposed spot. The determination unit 134 may also determine whether or not the proposed spot exists within a spot located in an area that extends along the vehicle's planned route on the map and has a width of a third distance centered on the planned route.

[0046] If the determination unit 134 determines that a suggested spot exists within a second range from the planned route, the output control unit 135 outputs information indicating the positional relationship of the suggested spot to the planned route in the guidance information via voice. For example, the output control unit 135 generates guidance information that guides the user to the suggested spot and includes information indicating the positional relationship of the suggested spot to the planned route. For example, the output control unit 135 inputs information about the suggested spot, information about the planned route, and map information into a large-scale language model to generate guidance information. For example, the output control unit 135 inputs a prompt into the large-scale language model instructing it to generate guidance information that includes information indicating the positional relationship of the suggested spot to the planned route, and generates guidance information. For example, the output control unit 135 inputs a prompt into the large-scale language model instructing it to generate guidance information that includes information indicating the travel distance or travel time from the planned route to the suggested spot, and generates guidance information. Furthermore, the output control unit 135 inputs a prompt into the large-scale language model instructing it to generate guidance information that includes information indicating the direction of the suggested spot to the planned route, and generates guidance information.

[0047] For example, the output control unit 135 generates guidance information such as, "There is an A game center nearby. It is located 200m to the left, 2km ahead on the route." Alternatively, the output control unit 135 may generate guidance information such as, "There is an A game center nearby. It is located about 1 minute to the left, 2km ahead on the route." When the output control unit 135 generates guidance information, it transmits it to the in-vehicle device 10. In this way, the output control unit 135 outputs the guidance information via voice, including information indicating the distance or time to travel from the planned route to the suggested spot. The output control unit 135 also outputs the guidance information via voice, including information indicating the direction of the suggested spot relative to the planned route.

[0048] Furthermore, if the determination unit 134 determines that no suggested spot exists within a second range from the planned route, the output control unit 135 outputs information indicating the positional relationship of the suggested spot to the current location in the guidance information via voice. For example, the output control unit 135 generates guidance information that guides the user to the suggested spot and includes information indicating the positional relationship of the suggested spot to the vehicle's current location. For example, the output control unit 135 inputs information about the suggested spot, information about the vehicle's current location, and map information into a large-scale language model to generate guidance information. For example, the output control unit 135 generates guidance information by inputting a prompt into the large-scale language model instructing it to generate guidance information that includes information indicating the positional relationship of the suggested spot to the vehicle's current location. For example, the output control unit 135 generates guidance information by inputting a prompt into the large-scale language model instructing it to generate guidance information that includes information indicating the travel distance or travel time from the vehicle's current location to the suggested spot. Also, the output control unit 135 generates guidance information by inputting a prompt into the large-scale language model instructing it to generate guidance information that includes information indicating the direction of the suggested spot to the vehicle's current location.

[0049] For example, the output control unit 135 generates guidance information such as, "There is an A game center nearby. It is located 2 km northeast of your current location." Alternatively, the output control unit 135 may generate guidance information such as, "There is an A game center nearby. It is located about 1 minute northeast of your current location." When the output control unit 135 generates guidance information, it transmits the guidance information to the in-vehicle device 10. In this way, the output control unit 135 outputs the guidance information via voice, including information indicating the distance or travel time from the vehicle's current location to the suggested spot. The output control unit 135 also outputs the guidance information via voice, including information indicating the direction of the suggested spot relative to the vehicle's current location.

[0050] [4. Processing Procedure] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the information processing procedure by the information processing device according to the embodiment. In Figure 5, the acquisition unit 132 determines whether or not it has received a search request for a suggested spot (step S101). If the acquisition unit 132 determines that it has not received a search request for a suggested spot (step S101; No), it determines again whether or not it has received a search request for a suggested spot (step S101). If the search unit 133 determines that it has received a search request for a suggested spot by the acquisition unit 132 (step S101; Yes), it searches for suggested spots around the current location (step S102).

[0051] Furthermore, the determination unit 134 determines whether or not a known spot exists within a first range from the proposed spot (step S103). If the determination unit 134 determines that a known spot exists within a first range from the proposed spot (step S103; Yes), the output control unit 135 generates guidance information including information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the known spot (step S104). The output control unit 135 also outputs the guidance information by voice (step S105).

[0052] Furthermore, if the determination unit 134 determines that there are no known spots within a first range from the proposed spot (step S103; No), it determines whether or not the proposed spot exists within a second range from the planned route (step S106). Also, if the determination unit 134 determines that the proposed spot exists within a second range from the planned route (step S106; Yes), the output control unit 135 generates guidance information including information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot with respect to the planned route (step S107). Also, the output control unit 135 outputs the guidance information by voice (step S105).

[0053] Furthermore, if the determination unit 134 determines that no suggested spot exists within the second range from the planned route (step S106; No), the output control unit 135 generates guidance information including information indicating the positional relationship of the suggested spot to the current location (step S108). The output control unit 135 also outputs the guidance information by voice (step S105).

[0054] In the embodiment described above, the determination unit 134 determined whether a visited spot exists within a first range from the proposed spot as a known spot. However, known spots are not limited to visited spots. For example, a known spot may be a famous spot. Here, a famous spot includes spots that are well-known. For example, a famous spot includes spots that are widely recognized among the public. The determination unit 134 determines whether a famous spot exists within a first range from the proposed spot as a known spot. For example, the determination unit 134 refers to the spot details information storage unit 122 to obtain information about a famous spot, which is a spot associated with information indicating its fame. Subsequently, the determination unit 134 determines whether a famous spot exists within a first range from the proposed spot based on the information about the famous spot and map information. For example, the determination unit 134 determines whether a famous spot exists among spots located within a first range from the proposed spot. For example, the determination unit 134 determines whether a famous spot exists among spots located within a circle with a radius of a first distance centered on the location of the proposed spot on the map.

[0055] Furthermore, if the determination unit 134 determines that a famous spot exists within a first range from the proposed spot, the output control unit 135 outputs information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the famous spot, including this information in the guidance information for guiding the proposed spot, via voice output. For example, the output control unit 135 generates guidance information for guiding the proposed spot, which includes information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the famous spot. For example, the output control unit 135 inputs information about the proposed spot, information about the famous spot, and map information into a large-scale language model to generate guidance information. For example, the output control unit 135 inputs a prompt into the large-scale language model instructing it to generate guidance information including information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the famous spot, and generates guidance information. For example, the output control unit 135 inputs a prompt into the large-scale language model instructing it to generate guidance information including information indicating the travel distance or travel time from the famous spot to the proposed spot, and generates guidance information. In addition, the output control unit 135 inputs a prompt into the large-scale language model instructing it to generate guidance information including information indicating the direction of the proposed spot to the famous spot, and generates guidance information.

[0056] For example, suppose the proposed spot is "Game Center A" and the famous spot is "Land C". In this case, the output control unit 135 generates guidance information that reads, "Game Center A is nearby. It is 300m east of Land C." Alternatively, the output control unit 135 may generate guidance information that reads, "Game Center A is nearby. It is about 1 minute east of Land C."

[0057] The output control unit 135 may also output information indicating the travel time required when stopping at a suggested spot, as part of the guidance information. For example, the output control unit 135 may output information indicating how much the travel time required to reach the original destination will increase by stopping at a suggested spot, as part of the guidance information. The output control unit 135 may generate guidance information such as, "Stopping here will add 2 minutes to your travel time."

[0058] [5. Variations] In the embodiment described above, the determination unit 134 determines whether a known spot exists within a first range from the proposed spot, and if it determines that no known spot exists within the first range from the proposed spot, it determines whether the proposed spot exists within a second range from the planned route. In a modified example, the determination unit 134 determines whether a planned route exists within a second range from the proposed spot, and if it determines that no planned route exists within the second range from the proposed spot, it determines whether a known spot exists within a first range from the proposed spot.

[0059] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the information processing procedure by the information processing device according to the modified example. In Figure 6, the acquisition unit 132 determines whether or not it has received a search request for a suggested spot (step S201). If the acquisition unit 132 determines that it has not received a search request for a suggested spot (step S201; No), it determines again whether or not it has received a search request for a suggested spot (step S201). If the search unit 133 determines that it has received a search request for a suggested spot by the acquisition unit 132 (step S201; Yes), it searches for suggested spots around the current location (step S202).

[0060] Furthermore, the determination unit 134 determines whether or not a planned route exists within a second range from the proposed spot (step S203). If the determination unit 134 determines that a planned route exists within a second range from the proposed spot (step S203; Yes), the output control unit 135 generates guidance information including information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the planned route (step S204). The output control unit 135 also outputs the guidance information by voice (step S205).

[0061] Furthermore, if the determination unit 134 determines that there is no planned route within a second range from the proposed spot (step S203; No), it determines whether or not there is a known spot within a first range from the proposed spot (step S206). Also, if the determination unit 134 determines that there is a known spot within the first range from the proposed spot (step S206; Yes), the output control unit 135 generates guidance information including information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the known spot (step S207). Also, the output control unit 135 outputs the guidance information by voice (step S205).

[0062] Furthermore, if the determination unit 134 determines that no known spot exists within a first range from the proposed spot (step S206; No), the output control unit 135 generates guidance information including information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the current location (step S208). The output control unit 135 also outputs the guidance information by voice (step S205).

[0063] As described above, the determination unit 134 determines whether a planned route exists within a second range from the proposed spot, and if it determines that a planned route does not exist within the second range from the proposed spot, it determines whether a known spot exists within a first range from the proposed spot. If the determination unit 134 determines that a planned route exists within a second range from the proposed spot, the output control unit 135 outputs information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the planned route in the guidance information via voice.

[0064] [6. Effects] As described above, the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment includes a search unit 133, a determination unit 134, and an output control unit 135. The search unit 133 searches for suggested spots, which are spots that the vehicle's occupants are suggested to visit, based on the vehicle's current location. The determination unit 134 determines whether or not there are known spots, which are spots that the occupants consider to be known, within a first range from the suggested spots. If the determination unit 134 determines that there are known spots within the first range from the suggested spots, the output control unit 135 outputs information indicating the positional relationship of the suggested spots to the known spots, including this information in the guidance information for guiding to the suggested spots, via voice output.

[0065] In this way, the information processing device 100 can output information about suggested stops via voice. Furthermore, the information processing device 100 can output information indicating the positional relationship of suggested stops to known stops as part of the guidance information via voice, making it easier for vehicle occupants to understand the location of suggested stops simply by listening to the voice. In other words, the information processing device 100 makes it easy for vehicle occupants to understand the location of suggested stops solely by voice.

[0066] Furthermore, the determination unit 134 determines whether or not a visited spot, which is a spot that a crew member has visited in the past, exists within a first range from the proposed spot.

[0067] As a result, the information processing device 100 can output information indicating the positional relationship of suggested spots to spots that the occupant has visited in their history, along with the guidance information, via voice output. This makes it easier for the vehicle occupant to understand the location of suggested spots simply by listening to the voice output.

[0068] Furthermore, the determination unit 134 determines whether or not a well-known spot exists within a first range from the proposed spot, as a known spot.

[0069] As a result, the information processing device 100 can output information indicating the positional relationship between suggested spots and famous spots via voice guidance, making it easier for vehicle occupants to understand the location of suggested spots simply by listening to the voice guidance.

[0070] Furthermore, if the determination unit 134 determines that there are no known spots within a first range from the proposed spot, it determines whether or not there are proposed spots within a second range from the vehicle's planned route. If the determination unit 134 determines that there are proposed spots within the second range from the planned route, the output control unit 135 outputs information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the planned route in the guidance information via voice.

[0071] As a result, if there are no known spots nearby, the information processing device 100 can output information indicating the positional relationship of the suggested spots to the planned route in the guidance information via voice, making it easier for vehicle occupants to understand the location of the suggested spots simply by listening to the voice.

[0072] Furthermore, if the determination unit 134 determines that there are no suggested spots within the second range from the planned route, the output control unit 135 outputs information indicating the positional relationship of the suggested spots to the current location, along with the guidance information, via voice.

[0073] As a result, if there are no known spots or planned routes nearby, the information processing device 100 can output information indicating the positional relationship of the suggested spots to the vehicle's current location in the guidance information via voice, making it easier for the vehicle's occupants to understand the location of the suggested spots simply by listening to the voice.

[0074] Furthermore, the output control unit 135 outputs information indicating the distance or time traveled from a known spot to a proposed spot via voice, along with the guidance information.

[0075] This makes it easier for the information processing device 100 to understand the distance or travel time to the suggested stopover spot simply by listening to the voice message from the vehicle occupant.

[0076] Furthermore, the output control unit 135 outputs information indicating the direction of the proposed spot relative to the known spot via voice, along with the guidance information.

[0077] This makes it easier for the vehicle occupants to understand the direction of the suggested stop simply by hearing the voice message from the information processing device 100.

[0078] Furthermore, the determination unit 134 determines whether a planned route exists within a second range from the proposed spot, and if it determines that a planned route does not exist within the second range from the proposed spot, it determines whether a known spot exists within a first range from the proposed spot. If the determination unit 134 determines that a planned route exists within a second range from the proposed spot, the output control unit 135 outputs information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the planned route in the guidance information via voice.

[0079] As a result, if a planned route exists nearby, the information processing device 100 can output information indicating the positional relationship of the suggested spot to the planned route via voice guidance, making it easier for vehicle occupants to understand the location of the suggested stop simply by listening to the voice guidance. Furthermore, occupants can decide whether or not to stop at the suggested spot, taking into account the degree of deviation from the planned route.

[0080] [7. Hardware Configuration] Furthermore, the information processing device 100 according to the above-described embodiment is realized by a computer 1000 having a configuration such as that shown in Figure 7. Figure 7 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of a computer that realizes the functions of the information processing device 100. The computer 1000 includes a CPU 1100, RAM 1200, ROM 1300, HDD 1400, communication interface (I / F) 1500, input / output interface (I / F) 1600, and media interface (I / F) 1700.

[0081] The CPU 1100 operates based on programs stored in the ROM 1300 or HDD 1400, controlling various components. The ROM 1300 stores boot programs executed by the CPU 1100 when the computer 1000 starts up, as well as programs that depend on the computer 1000's hardware.

[0082] The HDD1400 stores programs executed by the CPU1100, as well as data used by such programs. The communication interface1500 receives data from other devices via a predetermined communication network and sends it to the CPU1100, and transmits data generated by the CPU1100 to other devices via the predetermined communication network.

[0083] The CPU 1100 controls output devices such as displays and printers, and input devices such as keyboards and mice, via the input / output interface 1600. The CPU 1100 acquires data from input devices via the input / output interface 1600. The CPU 1100 also outputs the generated data to output devices via the input / output interface 1600.

[0084] The media interface 1700 reads a program or data stored in the recording medium 1800 and provides it to the CPU 1100 via the RAM 1200. The CPU 1100 loads the program from the recording medium 1800 onto the RAM 1200 via the media interface 1700 and executes the loaded program. The recording medium 1800 is, for example, an optical recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or PD (Phase Change Rewritable Disk), a magneto-optical recording medium such as an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), a tape medium, a magnetic recording medium, or a semiconductor memory.

[0085] For example, when the computer 1000 functions as an information processing device 100 according to the embodiment, the CPU 1100 of the computer 1000 realizes the functions of the control unit 130 by executing a program loaded on the RAM 1200. The CPU 1100 of the computer 1000 reads and executes these programs from the recording medium 1800, but as another example, these programs may be obtained from other devices via a predetermined communication network.

[0086] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, these are illustrative examples, and the present invention can be implemented in various other forms with modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, starting with the embodiments described in the disclosure section of the invention.

[0087] [8. Other] Furthermore, among the processes described in the above embodiments and modifications, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically by known methods. In addition, the processing procedures, specific names, and information including various data and parameters shown in the above document and drawings can be changed at will unless otherwise specified. For example, the various information shown in each figure is not limited to the information shown.

[0088] Furthermore, the components of each illustrated device are functionally conceptual and do not necessarily need to be physically configured as shown. In other words, the specific forms of distribution and integration of each device are not limited to those shown, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit according to various loads and usage conditions.

[0089] Furthermore, the embodiments and modifications described above can be combined as appropriate, provided that the processing content is not inconsistent. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 100 Information Processing Devices 110 Communications Department 120 Storage section 130 Control Unit 131 Route setting section 132 Acquisition Department 133 Search Section 134 Judgment section 135 Output Control Unit

Claims

1. A search unit searches for suggested spots, which are places that the occupants of the vehicle should visit, based on the vehicle's current location. A determination unit that determines whether or not there is a known spot within a first range from the proposed spot that is considered known to the occupant, If the determination unit determines that the known spot is within the first range from the proposed spot, the output control unit causes information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the known spot to be included in the guidance information for guiding to the proposed spot and output it by voice, An information processing device equipped with the following features.

2. The determination unit, As the aforementioned known spot, it is determined whether the visited spot, which is a spot that the crew member has visited in the past, is located within the first range from the proposed spot. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The determination unit, As a known spot, it is determined whether a famous spot exists within the first range from the proposed spot. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The determination unit, If it is determined that the known spot does not exist within the first range from the proposed spot, then it is determined whether or not the proposed spot exists within the second range from the planned route of the vehicle. The output control unit, If the determination unit determines that the proposed spot is located within the second range from the planned route, information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the planned route is included in the guidance information and output by voice. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The output control unit, If the determination unit determines that the proposed spot does not exist within the second range from the planned route, information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the current location is included in the guidance information and output by voice. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The output control unit, The guidance information includes information indicating the distance or time to travel from the known spot to the proposed spot, and is output via voice. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The output control unit, The guidance information includes information indicating the direction of the proposed spot relative to the known spot and is output via voice. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. The determination unit, Determine whether the planned route of the vehicle exists within a second range from the proposed spot, and if it is determined that the planned route does not exist within the second range from the proposed spot, determine whether the known spot exists within a first range from the proposed spot. The output control unit, If the determination unit determines that the planned route exists within the second range from the proposed spot, information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the planned route is included in the guidance information and output by voice. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

9. An information processing method performed by an information processing device, A search process for searching for suggested spots, which are places that the vehicle's occupants are suggested to visit, based on the vehicle's current location, A determination step of determining whether or not there is a known spot within a first range from the proposed spot that is considered to be known to the occupant, If the determination step determines that the known spot is located within the first range from the proposed spot, the output control step includes outputting information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the known spot, along with the guidance information for guiding to the proposed spot, via voice. Information processing methods including

10. A search procedure for searching for suggested spots, which are places that the occupants of a vehicle are suggested to visit, based on the vehicle's current location, A determination procedure for determining whether or not there is a known spot within a first range from the proposed spot that is considered known to the occupant, If the determination procedure determines that the known spot is located within the first range from the proposed spot, the output control procedure includes outputting information indicating the positional relationship of the proposed spot to the known spot, along with the guidance information for guiding to the proposed spot, via voice. An information processing program that causes a computer to execute something.

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