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

Abstract

This makes it possible to provide information in the display format desired by the user. [Solution] The controller of the information providing device acquires multiple types of attribute information of the recommended object, and in a coordinate space in which different types of attribute information from the multiple types of attribute information are assigned to multiple coordinate axes, it displays the recommended object at a position corresponding to the attribute information of the recommended object, and changes the coordinate axes in response to user operation and updates the position of the object according to the changed coordinate axes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information providing apparatus and an information providing system.

Background Art

[0002] In Patent Document 1, a navigation device extracts destination candidates based on predetermined initial information, and multidimensionally displays the extracted destination candidates using their feature data. Then, when any of the destination candidates is selected by a user referencing this display, the navigation device sets the selected destination candidate as the destination for route search.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The system of Patent Document 1 evaluates destination candidates using two types of feature data and displays them on two-dimensional coordinates, making it easy for the user to grasp the evaluation results. However, merely displaying the results of unilateral evaluation by the system side does not guarantee that the evaluation is performed with the attributes desired by the user, and there is a problem that accurate recommendations adapted to the user's needs cannot be made.

[0005] The technique of the present disclosure aims to enable information provision in a display mode desired by a user.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the information providing device of this disclosure acquires multiple types of attribute information for each recommended item. The information providing device also displays the recommended item's object at a position corresponding to the attribute information of the recommended item on a coordinate system where different types of attribute information from the multiple types of attribute information are assigned to multiple coordinate axes. The information providing device then changes the coordinate axes in response to user operation and updates the position of the object according to the changed coordinate axes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The technology disclosed herein can enable the provision of information in a display format desired by the user. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the information provision system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the configuration of the information provision device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of the information provision device. [Figure 4A] Figure 4A is a diagram (part 1) showing the flow of the process (information provision method) executed by the controller of the information provision device according to the information provision program. [Figure 4B] Figure 4B is a diagram (part 2) showing the flow of the process (information provision method) executed by the controller of the information provision device according to the information provision program. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of recommended information stored in the memory unit and server. [Figure 6A] Figure 6A shows a two-dimensional coordinate system defined by two evaluation axes. [Figure 6B] Figure 6B shows a three-dimensional coordinate system defined by three evaluation axes. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of a detection mode. [Figure 8A] Figure 8A shows an example of objects plotted on Figure 6. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating an example in which objects to be recommended are plotted for a plurality of users. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example in which detailed information is displayed. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation for changing an attribute assigned to an evaluation axis. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation for synthesizing attributes of an evaluation axis. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation for changing the origin of an evaluation axis. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an information providing system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a server. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a user terminal. [Figure 16A] FIG. 16A is a diagram (Part 1) illustrating a flow of processing (information providing method) executed by a controller of the server according to an information providing program. [Figure 16B] FIG. 16B is a diagram (Part 2) illustrating a flow of processing (information providing method) executed by the controller of the server according to the information providing program. [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments. For example, the information providing apparatus, information providing method, information providing program, and information providing system described below may appropriately undergo additions, omissions, substitutions, combinations, and other modifications to their configurations without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0010] <System Configuration> Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an information providing system 100 according to the present embodiment. The information providing system 100 provides information on targets for which users seek recommendations (hereinafter also simply referred to as recommendation targets), such as facilities, locations, and music. The information providing system 100 of the present embodiment includes an information providing device 10 that, when a user specifies a target for which a recommendation is sought, extracts information belonging to the target and provides the extracted information to the user. Further, the information providing system 100 may be configured to include a server 20 that accumulates information on recommendation targets, and the information providing device 10 acquires attribute information from the server 20.

[0011] The information providing device 10 of the present embodiment is an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle, and presents selection candidates such as a facility set as the destination of a navigation device 30 and music to be played in the vehicle during traveling, for example. At this time, the information providing device 10 places objects indicating each selection candidate (for example, marks such as figures like circles and squares, icons (figures) that evoke the target object, or character notations such as facility names) at corresponding positions on coordinates defined by a plurality of coordinate axes, based on the attributes of the objects. As a result, the user can intuitively grasp the attributes of each object from the display position of the object, make a selection based on a plurality of attributes, and obtain a convincing result. Note that the information providing device 10 is not limited to an in-vehicle device, and may be a smartphone or tablet terminal carried by the user, or a personal computer placed at the user's home or the like.

[0012] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the information providing device 10. As illustrated in Figure 2, the information providing device 10 is an information processing apparatus (computer) having a controller (control unit) 101, a storage unit 102, an input / output interface (IF) 103, and a communication IF 104, which are interconnected via a connection bus 110.

[0013] The controller 101 controls the entire information provision device and is composed of, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit) and main memory. The controller 101 is not limited to a configuration with a single processor, but may also be a multi-processor configuration. Furthermore, the controller 101 may have a single processor connected by a single socket, which may be multi-core This configuration may also be used. The main memory is used as a workspace for the controller 101, a storage area for programs and data, and a buffer area for communication data. The main memory includes, for example, Random Access Memory (RAM), or a combination of RAM and Read Only Memory (ROM). The main memory is a storage medium used by the processor as a cache area for programs and data, and as a workspace.

[0014] The memory unit 102 is an auxiliary storage device that stores programs executed by the controller 101, operation setting information, and so on. The memory unit 102 is not limited to an internal storage device built into the information providing device 10, but may also be an external storage device such as an external storage device or a NAS (Network Attached Storage). The memory unit 102 may be, for example, an HDD (Hard-disk Drive) or S These include SD (Solid State Drive), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), flash memory, USB memory, and memory cards. The storage unit 102 stores information that users request, such as facilities, locations, music, and videos.

[0015] The input / output IF103 is an interface for inputting and outputting data with peripheral devices. The input / output IF103 performs data input and output with devices such as a disk drive that reads data from storage media such as CDs and DVDs, an operation unit that receives user input, a display device that displays information to the user, and a position detection unit. The input / output IF103 may also perform data input and output with devices such as a tuner that receives radio and television broadcast waves, a reader / writer that reads and writes data to storage media such as memory cards, a microphone, a sensor, a speaker, and a camera. For example, the input / output IF103 is connected to a camera and transmits control signals to the camera for ON / OFF control, and also receives images captured by the camera. The operation unit is an input means that receives user input and inputs operation information indicating this input to the controller 101. The operation unit may be, for example, a button, a switch, a dial (rotary knob), a lever, etc. Alternatively, the operation unit may be a touch panel superimposed on the display surface of the display device. The position detection unit 38 is a device that acquires vehicle position information using a satellite positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System). Furthermore, the position detection unit 38 may be a device that determines position information by autonomous navigation based on the vehicle's movement information obtained from an acceleration sensor or the like. Note that if position information can be obtained from the navigation device 30, the position detection unit 38 may be omitted.

[0016] The communication IF104 is an interface that communicates with other devices via a communication line. For example, the communication IF104 may request information from an external server 20 via a wireless communication line and retrieve information from the server 20. The communication IF104 may also communicate with the navigation device 30 and receive information indicating the current location, destination, waypoints, and route.

[0017] In the information providing device 10, the controller 101 functions as a processing unit that performs predetermined information processing by executing an application program (such as an information providing program). However, at least a portion of the processing of each of the above processing units may be provided by a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc. Furthermore, at least a portion of each of the above processing units is an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), etc. It may be a dedicated LSI (large-scale integration), or other digital circuitry. Furthermore, the information providing device 10 may be configured to include analog circuits in at least a part of each of the above-mentioned processing units.

[0018] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of the information providing device 10. The information providing device 10 has a UI (User Interface) function 181 that accepts user operations and a trigger function 182 that detects the trigger for initiating recommendations. The UI function 181 is a function that prompts the user to input a recommendation request by displaying it on a display device or outputting an audio message. Function 182 detects that a trigger has occurred when information such as the time, user status, or vehicle status meets predetermined conditions. Specifically, when the time reaches 11:30 AM. The system may also detect triggers such as recommending lunch, recommending a rest stop when the user appears sleepy, or recommending a gas station or charging station when the vehicle's fuel or battery level is low.

[0019] When a recommendation request is received, the recommendation engine 183 obtains information such as selection history information 191 regarding each user's past selections for recommended items such as stores, information on recommended items 192 (including attribute information of recommended items), and recommendation condition information 193, such as (extraction) conditions for recommended items set by the user who requested the recommendation, from the storage unit 102 and the server 20, etc. Details of this information will be described later. The plotting function 184 selects multiple attributes from the list of evaluation axes (coordinate axes) 194, that is, the list of attributes assigned to the evaluation axes, and assigns them to each evaluation axis. The plotting function 184 then displays the recommended object on the display device 185 so that it plots the recommended object at a position corresponding to the attribute information of each recommended item on the coordinates determined by these evaluation axes.

[0020] <Information provision method> Figures 4A and 4B show the flow of the processing (information provision method) executed by the controller 101 of the information provision device 10 according to the information provision program. When power is supplied to the information provision device 10, such as when the vehicle's accessory power is turned on, the controller 101 monitors for a recommendation request or recommendation trigger (hereinafter also simply referred to as a recommendation request) from the user, and when a recommendation request occurs, it starts the processing shown in Figures 4A and 4B.

[0021] In step S10, the controller 101 accepts the user's input of recommendation conditions and proceeds to step S20. For example, the controller 101 displays a screen on the display device prompting the user to input recommendation conditions for selecting a recommendation target, such as "restaurant," "clothing store," "home center," or "convenience store," and acquires (accepts) the recommendation conditions entered by the user through the operation unit. The user's input of recommendation conditions may include selecting options, typing using a keyboard, voice input via a microphone, or gesture input using a camera.

[0022] In step S20, the controller 101 accepts the user's input of a mode and proceeds to step S30. For example, the controller 101 prompts the user to select a mode by displaying the mode options on a display device, and acquires information (mode identification information) indicating the mode selected by the user's operation and stores it in the storage unit 102. Here, modes include, for example, normal mode (a state in which no specific mode is selected), discovery mode (a mode that prioritizes new experiences), cost priority mode, time priority mode, etc. Further details about the modes will be explained as appropriate in later processing. Also, inputting a mode is not mandatory and may be omitted.

[0023] In step S30, the controller 101 detects other occupants (users) and proceeds to step S40. For example, the controller 101 detects people sitting in the passenger seat or rear seats using seat sensors. Alternatively, the controller 101 may perform image recognition processing on images of the interior of the vehicle taken by a camera to detect occupants present in the vehicle. If there are multiple occupants in the vehicle, the controller 101 may recognize each of them and provide information to each user, or it may group multiple users together and provide information to this group. When recognizing each user, the controller 101 may identify each user by, for example, performing facial recognition on images taken by a camera. The controller 101 may also use the smartphones or other devices that each user carries. The system may communicate with a key or similar device and identify each user using this identification information.

[0024] In step S40, the controller 101 determines whether or not the recommendation conditions were entered (specified) in step S10. For example, the controller 101 monitors the input operation for an appropriate duration and determines whether or not the recommendation conditions were entered (specified). In step S40, if the determination is negative, the controller 101 terminates the processes shown in Figures 4A and 4B, and if the determination is positive, it proceeds to step S50.

[0025] In step S50, the controller 101 retrieves information about recommended items that match the recommendation conditions specified by the user from the storage unit 102 and the server 20, and proceeds to step S60. The storage unit 102 and the server 20 store information for multiple recommended items, and each recommended item stores multiple types of attribute information. Figure 5 shows an example of recommended item information stored in the storage unit 102 and the server 20, and a data table in this format will be stored in the storage unit 102 and the server 20. The data table 70 in Figure 5 contains identification information, type, location information, evaluation information, selection history, waypoint information, detailed information, etc., for each recommended item such as facility or store. The identification information for recommended items is information that identifies the recommended item, for example, the facility name for a facility, the store name for a store, the title for music or video, etc. To improve identifiability, the identification information may be an ID code such as numbers or alphanumeric characters, and the facility name, title, etc. may be treated as separate information such as name information. For each piece of identification information, a data record is formed that makes up a data table. By matching each data record in the data table with various search conditions (recommendation conditions), it is possible to extract and obtain desired data sets related to the recommended items that match the search conditions (recommendation conditions).

[0026] The categories are classifications of similar recommended items, such as restaurants, clothing stores, home centers, and pharmacies. In other words, the categories in Figure 5 represent the information 192 for recommended items. Location information indicates the location of the recommended item, for example, latitude and longitude. However, location information is not limited to this and may also be a mesh code (a region identification code assigned to each subdivided area in a network-like structure).

[0027] The evaluation information indicates the evaluation of the recommended item and has evaluation values ​​for multiple evaluation items, such as Evaluation 1, Evaluation 2, Evaluation 3, etc. The evaluation values ​​for each evaluation item are, for example, Outdoorness [Outdoor - Indoor], Frequency of visit [Often visits - Never been], Distance [Near - Far], Waiting time [Short - Long], Price [Cheap - Expensive], Accessibility [Easy - Difficult], Need to walk [None - Yes], Popularity [Famous - Hidden gem], Liveliness [Lively - Quiet], Localness [Local - Universal], Family-friendlyness [Family-friendly - Adult-friendly], Stylishness [Stylish - Popular], Heartiness (Food and drink only) [Hearty - Light], Drinking (Food and drink only) [Drinks - Meals], Newness [New - Old], etc. In each evaluation, the information enclosed in brackets [] represents the evaluation value, and for that evaluation item, the high and low evaluations are shown in the format [high evaluation - low evaluation]. For example, if the evaluation item is the degree of outdoor activity of a facility, a facility that specializes in outdoor activities will receive a high evaluation value, and a facility that specializes in indoor activities will receive a low evaluation value. Similarly, for distance, a facility or location that is nearby and easily accessible will receive a high evaluation value, while a facility or location that is far away and not easily accessible will receive a low evaluation value. These evaluation items and their evaluation values ​​can be arbitrarily set according to the content of the recommendation, etc. In this example, the evaluation values ​​are shown as text information, but they can also be represented by numbers (1, 2, 3, ... in order of increasing evaluation) or symbols (English letters (A, B, C, ... in order of increasing evaluation) etc.).

[0028] The selection history is the history information of when the recommended item was selected, and the identification information of the user who made the selection. This includes (for example, the user ID). In other words, the selection history in Figure 5 also constitutes selection history information regarding recommended items for each user. By extracting the selection history of users who requested recommendations from this, it is possible to generate selection history information regarding recommended items for recommended users. The waypoint information is information about places that are likely to be passed through when using the recommended items, such as roadside stations, service areas, parking areas, convenience stores, gas stations, and charging stations; in other words, it is the type of facility, store, etc. that is closely related to the recommended items. The detailed information is information that explains the recommended items in detail.

[0029] In the example shown in Figure 5, the attribute information related to the recommended item includes the type, location information, evaluation information, selection history, and transit information associated with the identification information of the recommended item. Furthermore, the controller 101 receives the identification information of the recommended item not only from the storage unit 102 and the server 20, but also from web servers and SNS (Social Networking Service) on the internet. Attribute information may be obtained based on reports, names, etc. Alternatively, the controller 101 may instruct the generating AI to evaluate each facility on an 11-point scale (-5 to +5), and obtain the results as evaluation information. Furthermore, the "distance" attribute information may be determined, for example, by calculating the route from the vehicle's current location to the recommended location based on map information, calculating the distance along this route, and assigning a value of +5 if it is within 10km, +4 if it is within 20km, ... 0 if it is within 50km, -4 if it is 90km or more, -5 if it is 100km or more, etc.

[0030] In step S60, the controller 101 determines the attributes to be assigned to the evaluation axis based on the user's selection operations, etc., and proceeds to step S70. If the attributes to be assigned to the evaluation axis have not been determined, the controller 101 assigns the default attributes to the evaluation axis. Figure 6A shows a two-dimensional coordinate system defined by two evaluation axes. In Figure 6A, "Intensity" is assigned to the X axis and "Frequency of Visits" is assigned to the Y axis. Figure 6B shows a three-dimensional coordinate system defined by three evaluation axes. In Figure 6B, in addition to the X and Y axes in Figure 6A, "Price" is assigned to the Z axis.

[0031] If a mode is entered in step S20 (other than normal mode), the controller 101 determines the attributes to be assigned to the evaluation axis according to this mode. For example, the controller 101 reads the mode identification information from the storage unit 102 and assigns it to multiple evaluation axes according to this mode identification information. Figure 7 shows an example of a discovery mode. In Figure 7, "Evaluation by Others" is assigned to the X axis and "Frequency of Visits" is assigned to the Y axis. The evaluation by others is calculated, for example, by comparing the recommendation condition information 193 of the recommended user with the selection information of other users based on the selection history, classifying users with similar selection tendencies as similar users and users with dissimilar tendencies as dissimilar users, and adding or subtracting the number of selections by similar users as a positive value and the number of selections by dissimilar users as a negative value for each recommended item. In other words, in this example, the information (evaluation information) corresponding to the recommended item in the information (evaluation) item in the data table of Figure 5 corresponding to the selected evaluation axis is processed and converted into evaluation values ​​(numerical values ​​(coordinate values)) corresponding to the evaluation axis. In addition, the information (evaluation information) corresponding to the recommended item in the data table of Figure 5 corresponding to the selected evaluation axis may be used directly as the evaluation value corresponding to the evaluation axis.

[0032] In this way, by assigning attributes to multiple evaluation axes in step S60, a coordinate system (two-dimensional coordinate system) is defined by these multiple evaluation axes. Note that in discovery mode, not limited to this "evaluation by others" level, other factors such as popularity [popular - unpopular] or fame [famous - unknown] may also be assigned to evaluation axes, and the user may be allowed to select which attributes to assign to the evaluation axes (presented to the user). Thus, in discovery mode, by assigning the degree of evaluation within a group of others (hereinafter also referred to as "public opinion"), such as evaluation by others, fame, and popularity, to one or more axes, evaluations from people other than the user can be taken into account. In Figure 7, items located in the first and second quadrants are frequently performed by users and therefore lack novelty for them. For this reason, if you want to discover something new, you should choose from the third or fourth quadrant. Of these, items in the third quadrant are highly regarded by the public, so choosing from this quadrant increases the likelihood of discovering something both highly valued and novel for the user. Furthermore, items in the fourth quadrant are less regarded by the public, so choosing from this quadrant allows for a more challenging choice rather than a safe, universally appealing one.

[0033] Furthermore, the function of assigning evaluation axes according to the mode in this embodiment is not limited to the discovery mode described above. For example, in cost-priority mode, one evaluation axis can be assigned to price and the other to satisfaction. Similarly, in time-priority mode, one evaluation axis can be assigned to usage time (average time per use) and the other to satisfaction.

[0034] In step S70, the controller 101 extracts attribute information determined in step S60 from the attribute information of each recommended item acquired in step S50, and proceeds to step S80. If there are too many recommended items, the objects will become densely packed and difficult to see when displayed on the display device, so the recommended items may be narrowed down according to predetermined conditions. For example, the controller 101 may narrow down the recommended items to a predetermined number in order of the number of times similar users have selected them. Also, if the recommended items are stores or locations, if the location of the recommended item is too far away, there is a high possibility that it will not be usable even if recommended, so the recommended items may be narrowed down to those located within a predetermined distance from the vehicle's current location.

[0035] In step S80, the controller 101 displays (plots) each recommended object in the coordinate system defined in step S60 (e.g., a two-dimensional coordinate plane) at a coordinate position corresponding to each attribute information (evaluation value of an evaluation item) of the recommended object, and then proceeds to step S90. Figure 8A shows an example of plotting each object on Figure 6A. In Figure 8A, shaded circles (circles) represent objects. Figure 8B shows an example of plotting recommended objects for multiple users. In Figure 8B, the display format of the objects, specifically the shading of the circles, is different for user A (e.g., the driver) and user B (e.g., the passenger in the front seat). However, the objects for each user may differ in color, shape, brightness, blinking pattern, etc. Thus, the information provided by the information provider 10 is a graphic display in which each recommended object is displayed at a position (coordinate point) corresponding to each evaluation value on a coordinate space (two-dimensional plane in Figure 8) defined by multiple evaluation axes. Therefore, users can intuitively understand multiple (two) evaluations of the recommended items through the displayed shapes.

[0036] In step S90, the controller 101 determines whether the user has performed a selection operation for requesting detailed information. The selection operation for requesting detailed information is a predetermined operation such as long-pressing or tapping an object displayed on the display device, or dragging and dropping it to a predetermined position. If the determination in step S90 is positive, the controller 101 proceeds to step S100; if the determination is negative, it proceeds to step S130.

[0037] In step S100, the controller 101 displays the selected object and its corresponding detailed information, and then proceeds to step S110. Figure 9 shows an example of the display of detailed information. As shown in Figure 9, the controller 101 detects via the touch panel that the user has long-pressed object 72 with their finger, and displays the detailed information 73 of the recommended object associated with this object 72.

[0038] In step S110, the controller 101 determines whether the user has performed an operation to erase the detailed information. In the example in Figure 9, if the user has selected the close button 74, If successful, the controller 101 determines that an erase operation has been performed. Note that the erase operation is not limited to this, and may also be an operation such as the user lifting their finger from the screen or selecting object 72 again. Until the user performs this erase operation, i.e., if the determination in step S110 is negative, the controller 101 repeats the determination in this step. Also, if a predetermined time has elapsed after the display of detailed information, the controller 101 determines that the state is equivalent to the operation of erasing the detailed information. Note that in Figures 4A and 4B, when this determination is repeated, the process is simply shown as a loop for the sake of explanation, but this does not completely exclude transitions to other processes during this loop, and parallel processes or other processes may be performed after checking for interrupts, etc. If the determination in step S110 is positive, the controller 101 moves to step S120, erases the detailed information 73, and moves to step S130.

[0039] In step S130, the controller 101 determines whether an operation to adopt the recommended item (hereinafter also referred to as the adoption operation) has been performed. For example, if a user adopts a displayed store (recommended item) as a destination on the navigation device 30, they drag and drop the store object 72 onto the icon 75 (Figure 9) associated with the navigation device 30. Note that the adoption operation is not limited to this, and may also be other predetermined operations such as tapping, long-pressing, or flicking the object 72. If the controller 101 detects an adoption operation and determines it to be positive, it proceeds to step S140; if it does not detect an adoption operation and determines it to be negative, it proceeds to step S170. Furthermore, the adoption operation is not limited to the navigation device, but may also be an operation to display a web page related to the recommended item or to make a phone call by dragging and dropping the object 72 onto an icon 91 associated with the Web or an icon 92 associated with a telephone. Furthermore, if the recommendation target corresponding to object 72 represents content such as music or video, the system may also be configured to play and output the content related to the recommendation target by dragging and dropping object 72 onto the icon 93 associated with the audio device.

[0040] In step S140, the controller 101 determines whether or not to recommend an intermediate stop. For example, if the selected destination (recommended item) is close and there is no need to recommend an intermediate stop, i.e., if the distance to the destination is less than a predetermined value, the controller 101 makes a negative determination and proceeds to step S150. If the recommended item is content such as music or video, the controller 101 makes a negative determination and proceeds to step S150 (the processing in step S140 is not necessary, and the processing in step S150 is skipped).

[0041] On the other hand, in step S140, if information about a waypoint is associated with the recommendation target adopted by the user (i.e., if a recommendation for a waypoint is necessary), the controller 101 makes a positive determination and returns to step S10, and processes steps S10 to S140 with this waypoint as the recommendation target. In this case, the controller 101 can recommend a suitable waypoint when heading to the destination by processing steps S10 to S140 using the waypoint information of the recommendation target selected as the destination, for example. In the examples of Figures 4A and 4B, the recommendation of a waypoint is displayed in coordinates (multidimensional coordinates) determined by multiple evaluation axes by repeating steps S10 to S140, similar to the destination. However, since waypoints are somewhat limited by the destination, they may be provided not only in multidimensional coordinates but also in a list display or the like. Furthermore, when making the determination in step S140, the controller 101 may ask the user whether or not to recommend waypoints via display or voice, and determine whether or not to recommend waypoints based on the user's response. There is not limited to one waypoint, and after the operation to select a waypoint is performed, the controller may determine in step S140 to "recommend a waypoint" and repeat the processing in steps S10 to S140. After repeatedly determining whether or not to recommend waypoints in this manner, the controller may choose not to recommend any further waypoints. If the controller determines that the condition is not met (negative determination), the controller 101 proceeds to step S150.

[0042] In step S150, the controller 101 transmits the selected recommendation information to the corresponding device. For example, if the recommendation is a destination or waypoint to be set on the navigation device 30, the controller 101 transmits this destination and waypoint information to the navigation device 30. The navigation device 30, having received this information from the information provider 10, sets the destination and waypoint based on the information and performs navigation by determining the route from the current location to the destination. If the selected recommendation is content such as music or video, the controller 101 transmits this content to the device that plays it.

[0043] In step S160, the controller 101 determines that it has completed providing recommendation information in response to the recommendation request, clears the recommendation request that initiated the processing shown in Figures 4A and 4B, and terminates the processing shown in Figures 4A and 4B.

[0044] On the other hand, if the determination in step S130 is negative, the controller 101 proceeds to step S170 to determine whether the user has performed an operation to change the display of the coordinate axes (hereinafter also referred to as a change operation). Here, the change operation includes changing or combining attributes assigned to each evaluation axis, changing the scale (enlarging or reducing), changing the origin position, etc. If the controller 101 determines in step S170 that a change operation has been performed (positive determination), it proceeds to step S180 and changes the display content of the evaluation axes according to this change operation. After the completion of step S180, the controller 101 proceeds to step S70. As a result, each recommended object is displayed at the corresponding position in the modified coordinate space. That is, it is updated to be displayed in the changed display format. On the other hand, if the determination in step S170 is negative, the controller 101 proceeds to step S90. Note that this loop from step S170 to step S90, like step S110 mentioned above, does not completely exclude the possibility of proceeding to other processes.

[0045] Figure 10 shows an example of an operation to change the attribute assigned to an evaluation axis. In Figure 10, when the user long-presses the evaluation axis (target of change) that they want to change on the display screen, the controller 101 detects that an attribute change operation has been performed via a touch panel superimposed on the display surface of the display device and displays a list of attributes 71 in the nearby area. The user slides their finger to the name of the attribute they want to change in the list while keeping their finger in contact with the screen, and then lifts their finger from the screen over the attribute they want to change. The controller 101 detects that the attribute that was displayed at the position where the finger was lifted has been selected and assigns that attribute to the evaluation axis to be changed.

[0046] Figure 11 shows an example of an operation to combine (mix) the attributes of an evaluation axis. In Figure 11, the user touches the evaluation axis to be changed (the first evaluation axis) on the display screen with their finger, drags it to the other axis (the second evaluation axis), and drops it (lifts their finger from the screen). The controller 101 detects that this combining operation has been performed via the touch panel and assigns the multiple attribute information that was assigned to the coordinate axes that were the target of this combining operation to a single coordinate axis. In the example in Figure 11, the controller 101 further assigns the attribute (frequency of performance) of the first evaluation axis to the second evaluation axis, changing the second evaluation axis to a third evaluation axis. As a result, the attribute information assigned to the third evaluation axis becomes the degree of intensity and the frequency of performance. The controller 101 also combines multiple types of attribute information assigned to the third evaluation axis for each recommended item to generate combined attribute information. For example, the controller 101 calculates the multiple types of attribute information assigned to the third evaluation axis for each recommended item using a predetermined calculation formula to obtain combined attribute information. The calculation may involve multiplying the evaluation value of each attribute piece by a weight and then summing these values. However, the calculation is not limited to this; for example, it may involve adding up multiple types of attribute pieces assigned to a third evaluation axis and dividing by the number of combined attribute pieces (2 in the example in Figure 11), thereby reflecting multiple types of attribute pieces in the combined attribute piece. It is sufficient if it is present. Note that the operation of combining attributes is not limited to this. Also, the number of attributes to be combined is not limited to two, but may be three or more. Furthermore, when the user selects an attribute to assign to the first evaluation axis using the same operation as in Figure 10, the controller 101 assigns the selected attribute to the first evaluation axis and changes it to the fourth evaluation axis. Note that when a combination operation is performed,

[0047] In Figure 11, the names of the combined attributes are displayed near the third evaluation axis, and the user can change the proportion of the combined attributes by dragging the attribute names in a predetermined direction. For example, if the user drags attribute name 76 upward, the controller 101 increases the weight coefficient multiplied by the evaluation value of that attribute, thereby increasing the proportion of that attribute relative to other attributes. On the other hand, if the user drags attribute name 76 downward, the controller 101 decreases the weight coefficient multiplied by the evaluation value of that attribute, thereby decreasing the proportion of that attribute relative to other attributes. Note that the operations to change the proportions are not limited to these.

[0048] Figure 12 shows an example of an operation to change the origin of the evaluation axis (the intersection point of multiple evaluation axes). In Figure 12, the user touches the origin on the display screen with their finger and drags it in any direction. When the origin moves in this way, the range displayed on the display device changes, and objects that were outside the display range become visible. In the example in Figure 12, the origin has been moved to the left (towards the third quadrant), so the first and second quadrants are displayed more widely. Also, when the user touches the screen (touch panel) with multiple fingers and narrows the distance between these fingers to perform a so-called pinch-in operation, the controller 101 detects that a reduction operation has been performed and decreases the scale of the coordinates. On the other hand, when the user touches the screen with multiple fingers and widens the distance between these fingers to perform a so-called pinch-out operation, the controller 101 detects that an enlargement operation has been performed and increases the scale of the coordinates.

[0049] As described above, once processing such as changing the attributes assigned to the evaluation axis or changing the scale of the evaluation axis is complete, the controller 101 returns to step S70 and updates the position of each object according to the modified coordinate axis.

[0050] Furthermore, if the controller 101 makes a negative determination in step S40 after starting the processing of Figures 4A and 4B and terminates the processing of Figures 4A and 4B, the controller 101 repeatedly executes the processing of Figures 4A and 4B until the provision of recommendation information is complete. Also, if the recommendation request is cleared in step S160 and the processing of Figures 4A and 4B is terminated, the controller 101 will not execute the processing of Figures 4A and 4B until there is another recommendation request.

[0051] <Effects of the Embodiment>

[0052] (1) The information providing device 10 of this embodiment acquires multiple types of attribute information for each object (recommended object) for which the user requests a recommendation. The information providing device 10 also displays the recommended object 72 at a position corresponding to the attribute information of the recommended object on a coordinate space (a two-dimensional coordinate space (coordinate plane) in the case of two evaluation axes) where different types of attribute information from the multiple types of attribute information are assigned to multiple evaluation axes (coordinate axes). Furthermore, the information providing device 10 of this embodiment changes the evaluation axis in response to user operation and updates the position of the object according to the changed evaluation axis.

[0053] In this embodiment, the information providing device 10 displays recommended objects on a coordinate space defined by multiple evaluation axes, allowing users to intuitively grasp the attribute status of each object based on its display position. Furthermore, the information providing device 10 allows users to change the display content of each evaluation axis and display it in their desired form. This prevents users from being unilaterally presented with information by the system. Instead of viewing information in a fixed format, users can view it in the display format they prefer.

[0054] (2) The information providing device 10 of this embodiment assigns multiple types of attribute information to the evaluation axis in response to user operations and generates composite attribute information for the recommended item by combining the assigned multiple types of attribute information. The information providing device 10 then displays the recommended item object in the coordinate space at a position corresponding to the composite attribute information of the recommended item. Thus, according to the information providing device 10 of this embodiment, the user can confirm evaluation information based on the multiple types of attribute information specified by the operation.

[0055] (3) In the information providing device 10 of this embodiment, changing the evaluation axis is equivalent to changing the attribute information assigned to that evaluation axis. As a result, with the information providing device 10 of this embodiment, the user can see the evaluation results for the attributes they have specified and gain a sense of satisfaction.

[0056] (4) In the information providing device 10 of this embodiment, changing the evaluation axis is equivalent to changing the scale of the evaluation axis. Thus, according to the information providing device 10 of this embodiment, the user can check the recommendations on a desired scale by zooming in or out of the coordinate space where the evaluation information is displayed.

[0057] (5) In the information providing device 10 of this embodiment, changing the evaluation axis is a change in the intersection position of multiple evaluation axes. Thus, according to the information providing device 10 of this embodiment, the user can shift the origin position (intersection position) of the coordinate system and check the recommendation of a desired position.

[0058] (6) The information providing device 10 of this embodiment sets a synthesis ratio according to the user's operation and generates synthesized attribute information by synthesizing multiple types of attribute information at that synthesis ratio. Thus, with the information providing device 10 of this embodiment, the user can set a desired stiffness ratio, such as increasing the proportion of attribute information that they consider important, through operation, and then check the recommendations.

[0059] (7) The information providing device 10 of this embodiment extracts attribute information for recommended items for multiple users and displays objects at corresponding positions in coordinate space based on the extracted attribute information for multiple users. As a result, with the information providing device 10 of this embodiment, passengers (users) can see recommendations that also take the passengers into consideration.

[0060] (8) The information providing device 10 of this embodiment extracts attribute information for recommended items from multiple users and displays objects that differ for each user at corresponding positions in coordinate space based on the extracted attribute information for each user. As a result, according to the information providing device 10 of this embodiment, multiple users can each check recommendations that are appropriate for them.

[0061] (9) When an object is selected by the user, the information providing device 10 of this embodiment displays detailed information about the recommended items indicated by that object. Thus, with the information providing device 10 of this embodiment, the user can easily check detailed information about the recommended items.

[0062] (10) The information providing device 10 of this embodiment acquires mode identification information of the mode selected by the user and determines the attribute information to be assigned to the plurality of evaluation axes according to the mode identification information. Thus, with the information providing device 10 of this embodiment, the user can check the recommendations with a simple operation of selecting a mode such as the discovery mode, without having to perform troublesome operations such as selecting attributes one by one.

[0063] (11) The information providing device 10 of this embodiment is selected by other users similar to the user. Based on the information of the recommended items, attribute information of the recommended items is extracted. This allows the user to see recommendations that match their preferences, according to the information providing device 10 of this embodiment.

[0064] (12) The information providing device 10 of this embodiment extracts attribute information of the target based on information of the target selected by other users that are not similar to the user, in addition to information of the target selected by other users that are not similar to the user. As a result, the information providing device 10 of this embodiment allows the user to see recommendations that are unexpected to the user, i.e., new.

[0065] (13) The information providing device 10 of this embodiment extracts attribute information for recommended items for multiple users and displays objects at corresponding positions in coordinate space based on the extracted attribute information for multiple users. As a result, with the information providing device 10 of this embodiment, passengers (users) can see recommendations that also take the passengers into consideration.

[0066] <Second Embodiment>

[0067] Figure 13 shows the configuration of the information provision system 200 according to the second embodiment. The information provision system 200 includes a user terminal 40 operated by a user and a server 50 connected to the user terminal 40 via a network. In this embodiment, the server 50 on the network makes recommendations, and the user terminal receives user operations and displays the recommendation information. In this embodiment, the processing performed by the controller 501 of the server 50 is the same as the processing performed by the controller 101 of the information provision device 10 in the first embodiment described above, so some explanation will be omitted.

[0068] Figure 14 shows the configuration of server 50. As illustrated in Figure 14, server 50 is an information processing device (computer) having a controller (control unit) 501, a storage unit 502, an input / output interface (IF) 503, and a communication IF 504, all interconnected by a connection bus 510. The controller 501, storage unit 502, input / output IF 503, communication IF 504, and connection bus 510 of server 50 are the same as those of the controller 101, storage unit 102, input / output IF 103, and communication IF 104 of information providing device 10, so a further explanation is omitted.

[0069] Figure 15 shows the configuration of the user terminal 40. In this embodiment, the user terminal 40 is an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle. However, it is not limited to this, and the user terminal 40 may be a smartphone or tablet terminal carried by the user. As illustrated in Figure 15, the user terminal 40 is an information processing device (computer) having a controller (control unit) 401, a storage unit 402, an input / output interface (IF) 403, and a communication IF 404, all interconnected by a connection bus 410. The controller 401, storage unit 402, input / output IF 403, communication IF 404, and connection bus 410 of the user terminal 40 are the same as the controller 101, storage unit 102, input / output IF 103, and communication IF 104 of the information providing device 10, so a further explanation is omitted. In this embodiment, the user terminal 40 acquires operation information related to user operations and transmits this operation information to the server 50. The user terminal 40 also acquires display information from the server 50 and displays a display image corresponding to this display information on the display device.

[0070] Figures 16A and 16B show the flow of processing (information provision method) executed by the controller 501 of the server 50 according to the information provision program. When the controller 501 of the server 50 receives a recommendation request (operation information) from the user terminal 40, it starts the processing shown in Figures 16A and 16B. Information such as user operation information and display information on the user terminal 40 (display information) is transmitted and received between the user terminal 40 and the server 50. Although performed as appropriate, this may be omitted in the following explanation. In the following explanation, operation information refers to input information for recommendation targets (such as recommendation conditions and information about the recommendation targets), selection of attribute information, requests for detailed information, and information related to operations such as changing coordinate axes. Display information refers to information such as an image plotting the recommended objects as an evaluation result (display image), an image in which coordinate axes have been changed, and an image showing detailed information, and is transmitted and received between the user terminal 40 and the server 50.

[0071] In step S210, the controller 501 receives (acquires) the user's input information for recommendations from the user terminal 40 via the communication IF 104, and then proceeds to step S220.

[0072] In step S220, the controller 501 receives (acquires) input information from the user terminal 40 via the communication IF 104 regarding the mode for displaying recommendation candidates, such as discovery mode, cost priority mode, and time priority mode, and then proceeds to step S230.

[0073] In step S230, if the controller 501 also makes recommendations to passengers (users), it receives (acquires) information about passengers from the user terminal 40 via the communication IF 104 and proceeds to step S240. For example, the user terminal 40 acquires information from the seat sensor and images captured by the camera, detects whether there are people sitting in the passenger seat or rear seat, and transmits the number of passengers and their identification information to the server 50.

[0074] In step S240, the controller 501 determines whether the recommendation conditions were entered (specified) at the user terminal 40 in step S210. In step S240, if the determination is negative, the controller 501 terminates the processing shown in Figures 16A and 16B; if the determination is positive, it proceeds to step S250.

[0075] In step S250, the controller 501 obtains information about recommended items that match the recommendation conditions specified by the user on the user terminal 40 via the storage unit 502 or other servers, and proceeds to step S260. In addition, the vehicle location information used in these processes is obtained by the user terminal 40 from the location detection unit 38 and the navigation device 30 and transmitted to the server 50, and the controller 501 obtains this transmitted information via the communication IF 504.

[0076] In step S260, the controller 501 determines the attributes to be assigned to the evaluation axis based on the user's selection operations on the user terminal 40, and then proceeds to step S270.

[0077] In step S270, the controller 501 extracts the attribute information determined in step S260 from the attribute information of each recommended target acquired in step S250, and proceeds to step S280.

[0078] In step S280, the controller 501 displays (plots) each recommended object in the coordinate system defined in step S260 (for example, a two-dimensional coordinate plane) at the coordinate position corresponding to each attribute information (evaluation value of the evaluation item) of the recommended object, and then proceeds to step S290.

[0079] In step S290, the controller 501 determines whether the user has performed a selection operation for requesting detailed information on the user terminal 40. If the determination in step S290 is positive, the controller 501 proceeds to step S300; otherwise, it proceeds to step S330.

[0080] In step S300, the controller 501 corresponds to the selected object. The detailed information is displayed on the user terminal 40 (the detailed information is sent to the user terminal 40), and the process proceeds to step S310.

[0081] In step S310, the controller 501 determines whether the user has performed an operation to erase the detailed information on the user terminal 40. Until the user performs this erasure operation, i.e., if the determination in step S310 is negative, the controller 501 repeats the determination in this step. The controller 501 also determines that the state is equivalent to the operation to erase the detailed information if a predetermined time has elapsed after the display (transmission) of the detailed information. Note that in Figures 16A and 16B, when this determination is repeated, the process is simply shown as a loop for the sake of explanation, but this does not completely exclude transitions to other processes during this loop, and parallel processes or other processes may be performed after checking for interrupt processing, etc. If the determination in step S310 is positive, the controller 501 proceeds to step S320 and erases the detailed information.

[0082] In step S330, the controller 501 determines whether or not an adoption operation for the recommended item has been performed on the user terminal 40. If the controller 501 detects an adoption operation and determines it to be positive, it proceeds to step S340; if it does not detect an adoption operation and determines it to be negative, it proceeds to step S370.

[0083] In step S340, the controller 501 determines whether or not to recommend an intermediate stop. For example, if the destination determined to be adopted in step S330 is nearby and there is no need to recommend an intermediate stop, the controller 501 makes a negative determination and proceeds to step S350.

[0084] On the other hand, in step S340, if information about a waypoint is associated with the recommendation target adopted by the user (i.e., if a recommendation for a waypoint is necessary), the controller 501 makes a positive determination and returns to step S210, and processes steps S210 to S340 with this waypoint as the recommendation target.

[0085] In step S350, the controller 501 transmits the selected recommendation information to the user terminal 40. The user terminal 40 (controller 401) then retrieves this selected recommendation information and transmits it to the corresponding device (navigation device, etc.).

[0086] In step S360, the controller 501 determines that it has completed providing recommendation information in response to the recommendation request, clears the recommendation request that initiated the processing shown in Figures 16A and 16B, and terminates the processing shown in Figures 16A and 16B.

[0087] On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S330, the controller 501 proceeds to step S370 to determine whether or not a change operation has been performed by the user on the user terminal 40. If the controller 501 determines in step S370 that a change operation has been performed (positive determination), it proceeds to step S380 to change the display content of the evaluation axis according to this change operation. After the completion of step S380, the controller 501 proceeds to step S370. As a result, each recommended object is displayed at the corresponding position in the modified coordinate space. In other words, it is updated to be displayed in the changed display format. On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S370, the controller 101 proceeds to step S290. Note that this loop from step S370 to step S290, like the aforementioned step S310, does not completely exclude the possibility of proceeding to other processes.

[0088] Thus, the server (information providing device) 50 of this embodiment allows the user to view each evaluation axis. It can be modified and displayed in the desired format. This allows information to be provided in the display format preferred by the user, rather than the system unilaterally imposing recommendation results. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 10: Information provision device 20: Server 30: Navigation device 38: Position detection unit 40: User terminal 50: Server 70: Data Table 71: List 72: Object 73: Detailed Information 74: Button 75: Icon 76: Attribute Name 100: Information Provision System 101: Controller 102: Storage section 103: Input / Output Interface 104: Communication Interface 110: Connecting bus 200: Information Provision System 401: Controller 402: Storage section 403: Input / Output Interface 404: Communication Interface 410: Connecting bus 501: Controller 502: Storage section 503: Input / Output Interface 504: Communication Interface 510: Connecting bus

Claims

1. An information providing device equipped with a controller, The aforementioned controller, Obtain multiple types of attribute information for the recommended items, In a coordinate space where different types of attribute information from the multiple types of attribute information are assigned to multiple coordinate axes, the recommended object is displayed at a position corresponding to the attribute information of the recommended object. The coordinate axes are changed according to the user's operation. Update the position of the object according to the changed coordinate axes. Information provision device.

2. The aforementioned controller, In response to the user's operation, multiple types of attribute information are assigned to the coordinate axes. Synthesized attribute information is generated by combining the multiple types of attribute information assigned to the recommended target. In the aforementioned coordinate space, the recommended object is displayed at a position corresponding to the composite attribute information of the recommended object. The information providing device according to claim 1.

3. The information providing device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the change of the coordinate axes is a change of attribute information assigned to the coordinate axes.

4. The information providing device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the change of the coordinate axes is a change in the scale of the coordinate axes.

5. The information providing device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the change of the coordinate axes is a change in the intersection position of a plurality of the coordinate axes.

6. The aforementioned controller, The blending ratio is set according to the user's operation. The aforementioned multiple types of attribute information are combined according to the aforementioned combination ratio to generate the combined attribute information. The information providing device according to claim 2.

7. The aforementioned controller, Extract the attribute information of the recommended users from multiple users, Synthesized attribute information is generated by combining the attribute information extracted from the aforementioned multiple users. Based on the composite attribute information, the object is displayed at the corresponding position in the coordinate space. The information providing device according to claim 1 or claim 2.

8. The aforementioned controller, Extract the attribute information of the recommended users from multiple users, Based on the attribute information extracted for each user, the object, which is different for each user, is displayed at the corresponding position in the coordinate space. The information providing device according to claim 1 or claim 2.

9. The aforementioned controller, When the user selects the object, the detailed information of the recommended object is displayed. The information providing device according to claim 1 or claim 2.

10. The aforementioned controller, The mode identification information of the mode selected by the user is obtained, The attribute information to be assigned to the plurality of coordinate axes is determined according to the mode identification information. The information providing device according to claim 1 or claim 2.

11. Obtaining multiple types of attribute information for the recommended items, In a coordinate space where different types of attribute information from the multiple types of attribute information are assigned to multiple coordinate axes, the recommended object is displayed at a position corresponding to the recommended attribute information. The coordinate axes are changed in response to user operations, The position of the object is updated according to the changed coordinate axes, A method of providing information that the controller will use.

12. Obtaining multiple types of attribute information for the recommended items, In a coordinate space where different types of attribute information from the multiple types of attribute information are assigned to multiple coordinate axes, the recommended object is displayed at a position corresponding to the recommended attribute information. The coordinate axes are changed in response to user operations, The position of the object is updated according to the changed coordinate axes, A program that provides information to the controller to execute a command.

13. An information provision system comprising a user terminal operated by a user, and a server connected to the user terminal via a network, The aforementioned user terminal is Obtain operation information regarding user actions, The operation information is transmitted to the server, The display information is obtained from the aforementioned server, A display image corresponding to the aforementioned display information is displayed. The aforementioned server, The operation information is obtained from the user terminal, Based on the acquired operation information, the recommendation target is determined. Obtain multiple types of attribute information for the recommended items, In a coordinate space where different types of attribute information from the multiple types of attribute information are assigned to multiple coordinate axes, display information is generated to display the recommended object at the position corresponding to the recommended attribute information. The generated display information is sent to the user's terminal. In accordance with the acquired operation information, the coordinate axes are changed, The display information is updated to reflect the updated position of the object according to the changed coordinate axes. The updated display information is sent to the user terminal. Information provision system.

Images