Information processing device, method for informing of usage fee of map data, and computer program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device for improving convenience in guiding a usage fee of map data, a method for guiding the usage fee of the map data, and a computer program.SOLUTION: A usage fee guidance system (an information processing device) 1 includes: a map information storage unit (a map DB 121) for storing map data divided in units of mesh of a constant size; a fee storage unit (a fee DB 122) for storing a usage fee in units of mesh of the map data; a guidance unit 112 for selecting at least a part of the mesh from the map data according to operation of a user to determine the usage fee of the map data relative to the selected mesh; and a display unit (an input / output unit 250) for displaying the usage fee. Thus, convenience in guiding the usage fee of the map data is improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for informing users of a usage fee for map data. [Background technology]

[0002] Services that allow users to use pre-prepared map data for a fee are known. Conventionally, such services have stipulated areas where map data is available (in other words, areas for which users pay a usage fee) for each administrative district, such as a city, ward, town, or village. Patent Document 1 discloses a map information display device that can identify administrative districts and change the display design for each administrative district. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-208434 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a service that allows users to use map data for a fee, the method of defining an area by administrative district has a problem that it is difficult to use and does not meet the needs of users. For example, when defining an area by administrative district, even if the area in which the user wants to use the map data is small, the user needs to pay the usage fee for the entire administrative district including the area. Also, when defining an area by administrative district, if the area in which the user wants to use the map data is located between administrative districts, the user needs to pay the usage fee for the multiple administrative districts that span the area. Thus, in the conventional method, when the area in which the user wants to use the map data is significantly different from the administrative district, the usage fee for the map data may be an amount that the user does not intend, and there is a problem that it is difficult to use. In this respect, the technology described in Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration the notification of the usage fee for the map data.

[0005] For this reason, there has been a demand for an information processing device that can improve the convenience of notifying users of the usage fee for map data. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve at least part of the above-mentioned problems, and can be realized in the following form: An information processing device, comprising: a map information storage unit that stores map data divided into mesh units of a fixed size, a fee storage unit that stores a usage fee for the map data in each mesh unit, a display unit that displays a map image divided into the mesh units based on the map data, and a guidance unit that selects at least some meshes in response to a user's operation on the map image displayed on the display unit, and calculates a usage fee for the map data for the selected mesh; the guidance unit selects a mesh at least a part of which overlaps with an inside of an area drawn freehand in response to a freehand input operation by a user on a map image displayed on the display unit, and calculates the usage fee of the map data for the selected mesh; After the guidance unit calculates the usage fee for the map data, the display unit displays the calculated usage fee and a map image for fee guidance in which an area indicating a range selected in response to an operation by the user is superimposed on the map image divided in mesh units. The display unit displays the freehand drawn range as the area, superimposed on the map image for the fare guide. In addition, the present invention can be realized in the following forms.

[0007] (1) According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing device, comprising: a map information storage unit that stores map data divided into mesh units of a fixed size; a fee storage unit that stores a usage fee for the map data in units of the mesh; a guidance unit that selects at least a portion of the meshes from the map data in response to a user's operation and asks for a usage fee for the map data for the selected meshes; and a display unit that displays the usage fee.

[0008] According to this configuration, the map data is divided into mesh units of a fixed size, and the guidance unit selects at least some meshes from the map data in response to a user's operation, and requests the usage fee for the map data for the selected mesh. This allows the user to specify the area in which he or she wishes to use the map data, without being bound by administrative districts, and to pay the usage fee for that area. As a result, this configuration can eliminate the inconvenience caused by area definitions based on administrative districts, and improve convenience when informing users of the usage fee for map data. Note that "mesh" refers to a unit into which map data is divided into fixed sizes, and is also called "quad."

[0009] (2) In the information processing device of the above aspect, the guidance unit may display a map image on the display unit, and in response to a freehand input operation on the displayed map image, select a mesh at least a portion of which overlaps within the area drawn freehand, and calculate the usage fee. According to this configuration, the guidance unit displays a map image on the display unit, and calculates the map data usage fee for the mesh selected in response to freehand input operations on the displayed map image. This allows the user to easily specify the area for which he or she wishes to use the map data by intuitively understanding and easily operable freehand input operations while referring to the map image displayed on the display unit. In addition, the guidance unit selects a mesh that overlaps at least a portion of the range drawn freehand, making it possible to select a mesh whose range completely covers the area specified by the user. As a result, this configuration can further improve convenience when informing users of the usage fee for map data.

[0010] (3) In the information processing device of the above aspect, the guidance unit may display a map image on the display unit, and in response to a selection operation using a frame of a predetermined shape on the displayed map image, select the mesh at least a portion of which overlaps inside the frame, and calculate the usage fee. According to this configuration, the guidance unit displays a map image on the display unit, and calculates the usage fee for map data for a mesh selected in response to a selection operation using a frame of a predetermined shape on the displayed map image. This allows the user to easily specify the area for which he or she wishes to use the map data by performing an input operation using a frame of a predetermined shape while referring to the map image displayed on the display unit. In addition, the guidance unit selects a mesh that overlaps at least a portion inside the frame, so that it is possible to select a mesh that completely covers the area specified by the user. As a result, according to this configuration, it is possible to further improve convenience when informing users of the usage fee for map data.

[0011] (4) In the information processing device of the above form, the guidance unit may, in response to an operation of specifying a location to be the center of calculating the usage fee and a distance from the center, define a virtual frame that is the distance away from the location, select the mesh at least a portion of which overlaps inside the defined virtual frame, and calculate the usage fee. According to this configuration, the guidance unit defines a virtual frame in response to a designation operation of a location to be the center for which the usage fee is to be calculated and the distance from the center, and calculates the usage fee for map data for the mesh selected using the virtual frame. This allows the user to easily designate the area for which the user wishes to use map data by using a location to be the center and the distance from the center, such as "within a 5 km radius of home." In addition, the guidance unit selects a mesh that overlaps at least a portion inside the virtual frame, so that it is possible to select a mesh that completely covers the area specified by the user. As a result, this configuration can further improve the convenience of guiding users to the usage fee for map data.

[0012] (5) In the information processing device of the above form, the guidance unit may further cause the display unit to display a map image in which, in addition to the usage fee, the selected mesh is represented in a first manner and the unselected mesh is represented in a second manner having lower visibility than the first manner. According to this configuration, the guidance unit causes the display unit to display a map image in which, in addition to the usage fee, the selected mesh is displayed in a first manner, and the unselected mesh is displayed in a second manner that has lower visibility than the first manner. This allows the user to easily check the range that he or she specified, along with the usage fee, further improving convenience when informing the user of the usage fee for map data.

[0013] (6) In the information processing device of the above form, the guidance unit may, in response to an operation of reselecting at least a portion of the meshes from the selected meshes, calculate a usage fee for the map data excluding the meshes, display the calculated usage fee on the display unit, and display the map image in which the display of the meshes has been changed to the second aspect on the display unit. According to this configuration, in response to an operation of reselecting at least some of the selected meshes, the guidance unit calculates the usage fee for the map data excluding the meshes, displays the reselected meshes on the display unit, and displays a map image in which the display of the meshes has been changed to a second mode on the display unit. Therefore, if the user is not satisfied with the area specification or usage fee obtained with the first operation, the user can narrow (respecify) the area in which the user wishes to use the map data by performing an operation of selecting further meshes, and recalculate the usage fee. As a result, according to this configuration, it is possible to further improve convenience when informing the user of the usage fee for map data.

[0014] The present invention can be realized in various forms, for example, in the form of an information processing device that informs users of the usage fee for map data, a map display device, a system including these devices, a computer program for realizing the functions of each of these devices and systems, a server device for distributing the computer program, a non-transitory storage medium on which the computer program is stored, etc. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a usage fee information system (information processing device) according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a map DB. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a fee DB. [Figure 4] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for a usage fee notification process. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation by a user. [Figure 6] 13 is an example of a usage fee guide screen displayed on a display unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of an operation by a user. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of an operation by a user. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a method for defining a virtual frame. [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for a usage fee notification process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] 13 is an example of a usage fee guide screen displayed on a display unit in the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an information processing apparatus according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] A. First embodiment: FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a usage fee information system (information processing device) 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The usage fee information system 1 is a device that provides information on the usage fee for map data according to an area specified by a user's operation in a service that allows the user to use pre-prepared map data for a fee. The usage fee information system 1 includes a server 10 and a client 20. The server 10 is connected to the Internet INT by wired communication. The client 20 is connected to the Internet INT by wireless communication via a communication carrier BS. The communication carrier BS includes a transmitting / receiving antenna, a wireless base station, and an exchange. That is, the server 10 and the client 20 can communicate with each other via the Internet INT.

[0017] The server 10 includes a CPU 110, a storage unit 120, a communication unit 130, a ROM / RAM 140, and an input / output unit 150, and each unit is connected to each other via a bus (not shown).

[0018] The CPU 110 controls each unit of the server 10 by loading a computer program stored in the ROM 140 into the RAM 140 and executing it. The CPU 110 also functions as an acquisition unit 111 and a guidance unit 112. The acquisition unit 111 acquires operations performed by the user via the client 20. The guidance unit 112 cooperates with the acquisition unit 111 to execute a usage fee guidance process described in Fig. 4. The usage fee guidance process is a process for providing information on the usage fee for map data according to an area specified by an operation by the user.

[0019] The storage unit 120 is composed of a hard disk, a flash memory, a memory card, etc. The storage unit 120 includes a map database 121 and a fee database 122. In the following description, the database is also simply referred to as a "DB."

[0020] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the map DB 121. The map DB 121 is a DB that stores data for displaying a map image. The map DB 121 includes polygon data that represents the shape of features (all natural / artificial objects on the ground), names of features, and location coordinates of features (for example, latitude and longitude of representative points, planar rectangular coordinates, etc.). The map DB 121 may include additional information (hereinafter also referred to as "additional information"). The additional information is, for example, data related to topography, statistical data, etc. As shown in FIG. 2, the map DB 121 is divided into fixed sizes in advance, and unique identification numbers (M1 to M24 in the illustrated example) are assigned to the map DB 121. The fixed size can be arbitrarily determined, for example, as a section of meridians every 1 degree and latitudes every 2 / 3 degrees. Hereinafter, one section is also referred to as a "mesh" or a "quad". In other words, a mesh (quad) means a unit for dividing map data into fixed sizes. The map DB 121 corresponds to a "map information storage unit," and the data stored in the map DB 121 corresponds to "map data."

[0021] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the fee DB 122. The fee DB 122 is a DB that stores the usage fee of map data in units of meshes (quads). In the example of FIG. 3, the fee DB 122 stores the usage fee of the map data corresponding to each mesh in association with the identification number of the mesh. Note that "XXX" in FIG. 3 means an arbitrary amount (natural number). Note that the fee DB 122 shown in FIG. 3 is merely an example, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the example of FIG. 3, the usage fee of the map data is defined for each of the meshes M1 to Mn (n is a natural number), but the fee DB 122 may define only the usage fee of the map data for any one mesh. The fee DB 122 corresponds to a "fee storage unit", and the data stored in the fee DB 122 corresponds to "fee data".

[0022] The communication unit 130 controls communication with other devices such as the client 20 via a communication interface (not shown). The input / output unit 150 is various interfaces used for inputting and outputting information between the server 10 and a user. As the input / output unit 150, for example, a keyboard, a touch panel, an operation button, a microphone as an input unit, and a liquid crystal panel, a touch panel, a speaker, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) indicator, etc. as an output unit can be adopted.

[0023] The client 20 may be configured as a personal computer or an in-vehicle device, in addition to the smartphone shown in the figure. The client 20 includes a CPU 210, a storage unit 220, a communication unit 230, a ROM / RAM 240, an input / output unit 250, and a current position acquisition unit 260, and each unit is connected to each other by a bus (not shown).

[0024] The CPU 210 controls each part of the client 20 by loading a computer program stored in the ROM 240 into the RAM 240 and executing it, and also functions as a control unit 211. The control unit 211 requests the server 10 to execute a usage fee information process, obtains the result of the usage fee information process, and causes the input / output unit 250 to display it.

[0025] The storage unit 220 is composed of a hard disk, a flash memory, a memory card, etc. The communication unit 230 controls communication with other devices such as the server 10 via a communication interface (not shown). The input / output unit 250 is various interfaces used for inputting and outputting information between the client 20 and a user. For example, a touch panel as an input unit, a touch panel as a display unit (output unit), a liquid crystal panel, etc. can be used as the input / output unit 250. The current position acquisition unit 260 receives radio waves transmitted from artificial satellites constituting the GPS and acquires current position information (latitude and longitude) indicating the current position of the client 20.

[0026] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of the usage fee information process. The usage fee information process is a process for informing the user of the usage fee of the map data according to the area specified by the user's operation, and can be executed at any timing. For example, the usage fee information process may be executed when a predetermined application installed in the client 20 is started. After the application is started, the control unit 211 of the client 20 transmits a request to execute the usage fee information process and the specified position to the server 10. For the specified position, the current position acquired by the current position acquisition unit 260 may be used, or an address or the like specified by the user of the client 20 may be used.

[0027] In step S10, the guidance unit 112 of the server 10 generates a map image of the area around the specified position acquired from the client 20, with the specified position as the center, and transmits the map image to the client 20. The control unit 211 of the client 20 displays the received map image on the input / output unit 250 serving as a display unit.

[0028] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an operation by a user. As a result of step S10, a screen W1 shown in FIG. 5 is displayed on the input / output unit 250 of the client 20. In the illustrated example, the screen W1 includes a guidance display C1 for guiding the user in the operation and a map image C2 of the area around the specified position P. The scale of the map image C2 is a predetermined default value. The scale of the map image C2 may be specified or changed in advance by the user of the client 20. The user of the client 20 performs an operation of surrounding a desired area for map data on the displayed map image C2 with freehand in accordance with the guidance display C1 (in other words, an operation of drawing a frame F1 with freehand). Hereinafter, this operation is also called a "freehand input operation."

[0029] In step S12 of FIG. 4, the acquisition unit 111 of the server 10 acquires information for identifying the frame F1 from the client 20 (for example, the start point, end point, and trajectory of a freehand input operation).

[0030] FIG. 6 is an example of a usage fee guidance screen displayed on the display unit. In step S14 of FIG. 4, the guidance unit 112 of the server 10 selects meshes within the drawing range of the frame F1. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the guidance unit 112 selects not only the meshes M11 and M15 that entirely overlap the inside of the frame F1, but also the meshes M6 to M10, M12 to M14, M16, and M18 to M20 that at least partially overlap the inside of the frame F1. In step S16 of FIG. 4, the guidance unit 112 of the server 10 calculates the usage fee for the map data for the meshes selected in step S14. Specifically, the guidance unit 112 obtains the usage fee for each selected mesh from the fee DB 122, and adds them up to calculate the usage fee for the selected mesh.

[0031] In step S18, the guiding unit 112 of the server 10 generates a map image including the calculated usage fee, transmits it to the client 20, and then transitions the process to step S12. The control unit 211 of the client 20 displays the received map image on the input / output unit 250 serving as a display unit.

[0032] As a result of step S18, the input / output unit 250 of the client 20 displays the screen W2 illustrated in FIG. 6. In the illustrated example, the screen W2 includes a guidance display C11 for guiding the user to perform a re-operation, a map image C12 representing the selected mesh, and a usage fee guidance display C13. In the map image C12, the mesh selected in step S14 is displayed in a first aspect DM1, and the mesh not selected in step S14 is displayed in a second aspect DM2. The "second aspect DM2" can be any display aspect as long as it has lower visibility than the first aspect DM1, and in the illustrated example, it is a display aspect in which a gray layer is superimposed. Note that the map image C12 may or may not include a frame F1 indicated by a dashed line. Also, it is sufficient that the screen W2 includes the usage fee guidance display C13, and the guidance display C11 and the map image C12 can be omitted.

[0033] The user of the client 20 can again perform freehand input operation on the displayed map image C12 in accordance with the guidance display C11. In this case, steps S12 to S18 in Fig. 4 are repeated, and a guidance display C13 of the usage fee is displayed according to the new range of input operation by the user.

[0034] As described above, according to the usage fee guidance system (information processing device) 1 of the first embodiment, the map data in the map DB 121 is divided into mesh (quad) units of a fixed size, and the guidance unit 112 selects at least some meshes from the map data in response to a user's operation, and calculates the usage fee for the map data for the selected mesh. This allows the user to specify the area in which he or she wishes to use the map data, without being bound by administrative districts, and to pay the usage fee for that area. As a result, according to the usage fee guidance system 1 of the first embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the inconvenience caused by area definitions in administrative district units, and to improve convenience when informing users of the usage fee for map data.

[0035] According to the first embodiment of the fee guidance system (information processing device) 1, the guidance unit 112 displays the map images C2 (FIG. 5) and C12 (FIG. 6) on the input / output unit 250 as a display unit, and obtains the fee for map data for the mesh selected according to a freehand input operation on the displayed map images C2 and C12 (FIG. 4: steps S14 and S16). Therefore, the user can easily specify the area (frame F1) for which the user desires to use the map data by an intuitively easy-to-understand and easy-to-operate freehand input operation while referring to the map images C2 and C12 displayed on the input / output unit 250. Furthermore, the guidance unit 112 selects a mesh that at least a part of which overlaps with the inside of the range (frame F1) drawn freehand, and therefore can select a mesh that completely covers the area specified by the user (FIG. 6). As a result, according to the first embodiment of the fee guidance system 1, the convenience of guiding the user to the fee for map data can be further improved.

[0036] Furthermore, according to the usage fee guidance system (information processing device) 1 of the first embodiment, the guidance unit 112 displays, in addition to the usage fee C13, a map image C12 in which the selected mesh is represented in a first aspect DM1 and the unselected mesh is represented in a second aspect DM2 that is less visible than the first aspect DM1, on the input / output unit 250 as a display unit. This allows the user to easily check the range that he or she has specified, along with the usage fee C13, further improving convenience when informing the user of the usage fee for map data.

[0037] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of an operation by a user. As a result of step S10 of the usage fee information process (FIG. 4), the input / output unit 250 of the client 20 may display a screen W3 shown in FIG. 7 instead of the screen W1 shown in FIG. 5. The screen W3 includes a guide display C1 for guiding the user in the operation and a map image C2 around the specified position P. The user of the client 20 performs an operation to surround the desired range of map data use with a rectangular frame F2 on the displayed map image C2 according to the guide display C1 on the screen W3 (in other words, an operation to specify the start point and the end point with a pointer and draw a rectangular frame F2). Hereinafter, this operation is also called a "selection operation using a frame." In the example of FIG. 7, the frame F2 is rectangular, but the frame F2 can be any shape, and may be a circular shape or a polygonal shape.

[0038] The subsequent steps S12 to S18 are as described in Fig. 4. Specifically, the acquisition unit 111 acquires information for identifying the frame F2, and the guidance unit 112 selects a mesh that overlaps at least a portion of the range of the frame F2, calculates the usage fee for the selected mesh, and causes the input / output unit 250 to display it.

[0039] In this way, the method of selecting a mesh by the user of the client 20 can be changed in various ways, and the selection operation using the frame described in FIG. 7 may be adopted. In this way, the same effect as that described above can be achieved. According to the example of FIG. 7, the guidance unit 112 displays the map image C2 on the input / output unit 250 as a display unit, and calculates the usage fee of the map data for the mesh selected in response to the selection operation using the frame F2 of a predetermined shape on the displayed map image C2. Therefore, the user can easily specify the area for which the user wishes to use the map data by performing an input operation using the frame F2 of a predetermined shape while referring to the map image C2 displayed on the input / output unit 250. Furthermore, the guidance unit 112 selects a mesh that at least a part of which overlaps the inside of the frame F2, so that the mesh that completely covers the area specified by the user can be selected. As a result, according to the example of FIG. 7, the convenience of guiding the usage fee of the map data can be further improved.

[0040] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another example of an operation by a user. As a result of step S10 of the usage fee notification process (FIG. 4), the input / output unit 250 of the client 20 may display a screen W4 shown in FIG. 8 instead of the screen W1 shown in FIG. 5. The screen W4 includes a guidance display C1 for guiding the user in the operation, input fields C5 and C6 for specifying a location, an input field C7 for specifying a distance, and a decision button C8. The user of the client 20 specifies a location to be the center of the map data usage fee and a distance from the center according to the guidance display C1 on the screen W4. Specifically, when the location to be the center of the map data usage fee is specified by "address", the user selects or inputs a desired address using the input field C5. On the other hand, when the location to be the center of the map data usage fee is specified by "line of public transportation, etc.", the user selects or inputs a desired line using the input field C6. After that, the user uses the input field C7 to select or input a distance for dividing the range from the location specified in the input field C5 or C6, and presses the decision button C8. Hereinafter, this operation is also called a "location and distance specification operation."

[0041] In step S12 of the usage fee notification process (FIG. 4), the acquisition unit 111 of the server 10 acquires information for identifying the virtual frame (specifically, the contents of the input fields C5, C6, and C7) from the client 20. In step S14, the virtual frame is defined, and meshes at least partially overlapping the inside of the defined virtual frame are selected.

[0042] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a method of defining a virtual frame. FIG. 9(A) is a diagram for explaining a method of defining a virtual frame F3 when a place to be the center of calculating the usage fee of map data is specified by "address". In the case of FIG. 9(A), the guidance unit 112 defines a circle having a radius specified by the input field C7 and centered on an address (specified place) specified by the input field C5 as the virtual frame F3. FIG. 9(B) is a diagram for explaining a method of defining a virtual frame F3 when a place to be the center of calculating the usage fee of map data is specified by "a route of public transportation or the like". In the case of FIG. 9(B), the guidance unit 112 defines a range that is away from the start point, the end point, and the route connecting them for the route (specified route) specified by the input field C6 by the distance specified by the input field C7 as the virtual frame F3. Subsequent steps S14 to S18 are as described in FIG. 4. Specifically, the guiding unit 112 selects a mesh that has at least a portion overlapping the range of the virtual frame F3, calculates the usage fee for the selected mesh, and causes the input / output unit 250 to display it.

[0043] In this way, the method of selecting a mesh by the user of the client 20 can be changed in various ways, and the operation of specifying the location and distance described in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 may be adopted. In this way, the same effect as that described above can be achieved. According to the example of FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the guidance unit 112 defines a virtual frame F3 in response to the operation of specifying the location C5, C6 to be the center for calculating the usage fee and the distance C7 from the center, and calculates the usage fee of the map data for the mesh selected using the virtual frame F3. Therefore, the user can easily specify the area in which the user wishes to use the map data by using the location to be the center and the distance from there, such as "within a radius of 5 km from the home". Furthermore, the guidance unit 112 selects a mesh that at least a part of which overlaps the inside of the virtual frame F3, so that it is possible to select a mesh that completely covers the area specified by the user. As a result, according to the example of FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the convenience of guiding the usage fee of the map data can be further improved.

[0044] B. Second embodiment: Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the usage fee guidance process of the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the area in which the user wishes to use the map data can be narrowed (re-specified) and the usage fee can be recalculated. The server 10 of the usage fee guidance system (information processing device) 1 of the second embodiment has an acquisition unit 111a instead of the acquisition unit 111 and a guidance unit 112a instead of the guidance unit 112 in the configuration of the first embodiment. The acquisition unit 111a and the guidance unit 112a execute the usage fee guidance process shown in Fig. 10. In the usage fee guidance process shown in Fig. 10, steps S20 and S22 are executed after step S18 is completed.

[0045] Fig. 11 is an example of a usage fee guide screen displayed on the display unit in the second embodiment. As a result of step S18 in Fig. 10, a screen W2a shown in Fig. 11 is displayed on the input / output unit 250 of the client 20. In the illustrated example, the screen W2a includes a guide display C11a for guiding the user to perform another operation, a map image C12 representing the selected mesh, and a usage fee guide display C13. The map image C12 and the usage fee guide display C13 are as described in the first embodiment. The guide display C11a displays a message that the range can be modified by a tap operation.

[0046] The user of the client 20 performs an operation of reselecting an unintended mesh (in other words, a mesh outside the area for which the user wishes to use the map data) from among the selected meshes (in other words, the meshes displayed in the first mode DM1) on the displayed map image C12 in accordance with the guidance display C11a. Hereinafter, this operation is also referred to as a "reselection operation." Note that on the screen W2a, the reselection operation may be realized by means other than tapping (for example, clicking, specifying a mesh number, etc.).

[0047] In step S20 of FIG. 10, the acquisition unit 111a of the server 10 determines whether or not a tap operation has been acquired from the client 20. If a tap operation has been acquired (step S20: YES), the acquisition unit 111a transitions the process to step S22. On the other hand, if a tap operation has not been acquired (step S20: NO), the acquisition unit 111a transitions the process to step S12. As described in the first embodiment, the user may again perform a freehand input operation on the displayed map image C12. In this case, as described in the first embodiment, steps S12 to S18 described in the first embodiment are repeated.

[0048] In step S22, the guidance unit 112a excludes the tapped mesh (i.e., the mesh acquired in step S20) from the mesh selected in step S14. Thereafter, the guidance unit 112a executes steps S16 and S18. As a result of step S18, the input / output unit 250 of the client 20 displays a screen W2a in which the map image C12 and the usage fee information display C13 have been updated. In this way, the user of the client 20 can use the screen W2a to tap to reselect a mesh outside the area in which the user wishes to use the map data, or to repeatedly perform freehand input operations, thereby checking the updated map image C12 and usage fee information display C13.

[0049] In this way, the usage fee guidance process can be modified in various ways, and an operation to reselect an unintended mesh from among the selected meshes may be acquired, and the usage fee may be recalculated and provided by the operation. The usage fee guidance system (information processing device) 1 of the second embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the first embodiment described above. According to the usage fee guidance system 1 of the second embodiment, the guidance unit 112a obtains the usage fee of the map data excluding the mesh in response to an operation to reselect at least a part of the mesh from among the selected meshes, displays the same on the input / output unit 250 as a display unit, and displays the map image C12 in which the display of the mesh is changed to the second aspect DM2 on the input / output unit 250. Therefore, if the user is not satisfied with the area specification or usage fee obtained by the first operation, the user can narrow (respecify) the area in which the map data is desired to be used by performing an operation to select a part of the meshes, and recalculate the usage fee. As a result, according to the usage fee guidance system 1 of the second embodiment, the convenience of providing information on the usage fee of the map data can be further improved.

[0050] C. Third embodiment: FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing device 10b of the third embodiment. The information processing device 10b of the third embodiment is configured by one device (for example, a personal computer). The information processing device 10b includes an acquisition unit 111b instead of the acquisition unit 111 and a guidance unit 112b instead of the guidance unit 112 in the configuration of the server 10 of the first embodiment. The acquisition unit 111b and the guidance unit 112b input and output information to and from the input / output unit 150 instead of the input / output unit 250 of the client 20 in the usage fee guidance process (FIG. 4). In this way, the function of the information processing device 10b can be realized with a standalone configuration. Note that the information processing device 10b may be configured other than a personal computer (for example, a smartphone, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, a game machine, etc.).

[0051] D. Variations: In the above embodiment, a part of the configuration realized by hardware may be replaced by software, and conversely, a part of the configuration realized by software may be replaced by hardware. In addition, the following modifications are also possible.

[0052] Variation 1: In the above embodiment, an example of the configuration of the information processing device is shown. However, the configuration of the information processing device may be any mode. For example, the map DB 121 and the fee DB 122 may be stored in the client 20 (FIG. 1) or another device (e.g., a cloud server) communicably connected to the information processing device 10b (FIG. 12).

[0053] Variation 2: In the above embodiment, the usage fee notification process (FIGS. 4 and 10) has been described by citing an example of the processing procedure. However, these processing procedures can be modified in various ways, and the processing contents in each step may be added, omitted, or changed, and the execution order of each step may be changed. For example, in step S14, the guidance unit 112 may select only meshes whose entirety overlaps the inside of the frames F1 to F3. For example, in step S14, the guidance unit 112 may select only meshes whose areas overlap the inside of the frames F1 to F3 by a predetermined ratio or more. The predetermined ratio may be determined arbitrarily, and may be specified or changed by the user.

[0054] For example, in step S16, the guidance unit 112 can calculate the usage fee for the selected mesh by a method other than the above. Specifically, when a predetermined number or more meshes are selected, the guidance unit 112 may reduce the usage fee calculated from the fee DB 122, and when a predetermined number or less meshes are selected, the guidance unit 112 may increase the usage fee calculated from the fee DB 122. For example, in step S18, the guidance unit 112 may display the usage fee calculated in step S16 plus a basic fee.

[0055] For example, in step S18, the guidance unit 112 may display screens W1 to W4 in various forms. Various changes may be made to the text of the guidance display for guiding the user to perform a re-operation, the map image, and the usage fee guidance display. In addition, the screens W1 to W4 may include items other than those described above.

[0056] Variation 3: In the above embodiment, an example of the map DB 121 (FIG. 2) and the fee DB 122 (FIG. 3) have been given and described. However, the configurations of the map DB 121 and the fee DB 122 can be modified in various ways. For example, the meshes (quads) of the map DB 121 (FIG. 2) do not necessarily have to be of equal size. In this case, the size of the meshes may be defined according to any criteria, such as making the meshes finer in areas with high population density and larger in areas with low population density, making the meshes finer in downtown areas and larger in residential areas, making the meshes finer in a certain prefecture and larger in another prefecture, etc.

[0057] For example, the fee DB 122 (FIG. 3) may be a DB that stores mesh IDs and coefficients. In this case, the guidance unit 112 can determine the fee for each mesh by multiplying the fixed fee per mesh by the coefficient searched for in the fee DB 122. In addition, the fee DB 122 can be modified in various ways so long as it is possible to calculate the usage fee for each mesh, and the guidance unit 112 can calculate the usage fee for the map data in various ways that are suited to the fee DB 122.

[0058] Variation 4: The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, examples, and modifications, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the technical features in the embodiments, examples, and modifications corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention column can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-mentioned problems or to achieve some or all of the above-mentioned effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1...Usage fee information system, information processing device 10. Server 10b...Information processing device 20…Client 110…CPU 111,111a,111b…Acquisition part 112,112a,112b…Information department 120...Storage section 121…Map database 122…Fee database 130…Communications Department 140…ROM / RAM 150…Input / output section 210…CPU 211...Control unit 220...Storage section 230…Communications Department 240…ROM / RAM 250…Input / output section 260…Current position acquisition unit

Claims

1. An information processing device, a map information storage unit that stores map data divided into mesh units of a fixed size; a fee storage unit that stores a usage fee for each mesh of the map data; a display unit that displays a map image divided into mesh units based on the map data; a guidance unit that selects at least some of the meshes in response to a user's operation on the map image displayed on the display unit, and requests a usage fee for the map data for the selected meshes; Equipped with the guidance unit selects a mesh at least a part of which overlaps with an inside of an area drawn freehand in response to a freehand input operation by a user on a map image displayed on the display unit, and calculates the usage fee of the map data for the selected mesh; the display unit, after the guidance unit has calculated the usage fee for the map data, displays the calculated usage fee and a map image for fare guidance in which an area indicating a range selected in response to an operation by the user is superimposed on the map image divided in mesh units; The display unit displays the freehand drawn range as the area, superimposed on the map image for fare guidance.

2. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, An information processing device, wherein the map image for toll guidance is a map image that represents the selected mesh in a first manner and the non-selected mesh in a second manner that has lower visibility than the first manner.

3. 3. The information processing device according to claim 2, the guiding unit, in response to an operation of reselecting at least a part of the meshes from among the selected meshes, calculates a usage fee for the map data excluding the reselected meshes; The display unit displays the map image for toll guidance in which the display of the excluded mesh has been changed to the second aspect.

4. A method for notifying users of a usage fee for map data in an information processing device having a map information storage unit that stores map data divided into mesh units of a fixed size, and a fee storage unit that stores a usage fee for the map data in the mesh units, comprising: a display step of displaying a map image divided into mesh units based on the map data; a guidance step of selecting at least some of the meshes in response to a user's operation on the map image displayed by the display step, and requesting a usage fee for the map data for the selected meshes; Equipped with In the guiding step, a mesh at least a part of which overlaps with an inside of an area drawn freehand is selected in response to a freehand input operation by a user on the map image displayed in the display step, and the usage fee of the map data for the selected mesh is calculated. the display step includes, after the guiding step has determined the usage fee for the map data, displaying the determined usage fee and a map image for fare guidance in which an area indicating a range selected in response to an operation by the user is superimposed on the map image divided in mesh units; In the display step, the range drawn freehand is displayed as the area on the map image for fee guidance in a superimposed manner.

5. A computer program comprising: a map information storage unit that stores map data divided into mesh units of a fixed size; and a fee storage unit that stores a usage fee for the map data in the mesh units; a first function of displaying a map image divided into mesh units based on the map data; a second function for selecting at least some of the meshes in response to a user's operation on the map image displayed by the first function, and calculating a usage fee for the map data for the selected meshes; a third function of displaying, after the usage fee for the map data is calculated in the second function, the calculated usage fee and a map image for fare guidance in which an area indicating a range selected in response to an operation by the user is superimposed on the map image divided in mesh units, the computer program for realizing the third function, the second function is to select the mesh at least a part of which overlaps with the inside of the range drawn freehand in response to a user's freehand input operation on the map image displayed by the first function, and to calculate the usage fee of the map data for the selected mesh; The third function is a computer program for displaying the freehand drawn range as the area, superimposed on the map image for fare guidance.

6. An information processing device, a map information storage unit that stores map data divided into mesh units of a fixed size; a fee storage unit that stores a usage fee for each mesh of the map data; a display unit that displays a map image divided into mesh units based on the map data; a guidance unit that selects at least some of the meshes in response to a user's operation on the map image displayed on the display unit, and requests a usage fee for the map data for the selected meshes; Equipped with the guiding unit, in response to a user's operation of specifying a location to be the center of calculating the usage fee for the map data and a distance from the center, defines a virtual frame that is the distance away from the location in the map image displayed on the display unit, selects a mesh that has at least a portion overlapping the inside of the defined virtual frame, and calculates the usage fee for the map data for the selected mesh; the display unit, after the guidance unit has calculated the usage fee for the map data, displays the calculated usage fee and a map image for fare guidance in which an area indicating a range selected in response to an operation by the user is superimposed on the map image divided in mesh units; The display unit displays the virtual frame as the area superimposed on the map image for fare guidance.

Images