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

Abstract

To provide an information processor, a method for processing information, and an information processing program which can propose a travel route different from a normal travel route without confusing a user.SOLUTION: The information processor according to the present application includes an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a notification unit. The acquisition unit acquires travel route information as information of each of a plurality of travel routes based on the position of a user. The determination unit determines information including information showing at least one travel route to propose to a user of a plurality of travel routes as proposition information on the basis of the travel route information acquired by the acquisition unit. The determination unit determines whether the difference between the proposition information of this time determined by the determination unit and proposition information of the times prior to this time satisfies a predetermined condition. The notification unit delivers information including the proposition information of this time and information of the difference as notification information if the above difference does not satisfies the predetermined condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there is known an information processing device that searches for a travel route for walking, jogging, running, cycling, or the like that allows a user to burn a target calorie consumption based on map information, and displays the searched travel route. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a technology that, when multiple travel routes with the same distance are extracted, extracts one travel route with the fewest traffic lights from among these travel routes and displays it. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7070960 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Although the above-mentioned conventional technology can propose a travel route with few traffic lights, for example, temporary travel restrictions are not taken into consideration, and the user U may not be able to travel along the proposed travel route due to temporary travel restrictions, etc. In order to solve this problem, it is conceivable to exclude travel routes where travel is restricted by temporary travel restrictions from the proposed travel route.

[0005] However, in a case where the travel route restricted by the temporary travel restriction is, for example, a normal travel route, if the normal travel route is not proposed, it may cause confusion to the user U. This may also occur in situations other than the temporary travel restriction.

[0006] The present application has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can suggest a travel route that is different from a normal travel route without causing confusion to the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The information processing device according to the present application includes an acquisition unit, a determination unit, a judgment unit, and a notification unit. The acquisition unit acquires travel route information, which is information on each of a plurality of travel routes starting from the position of the user. The determination unit determines, as proposed information, information including information indicating one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user among the plurality of travel routes, based on the travel route information acquired by the acquisition unit. The judgment unit judges whether or not a difference between the current proposed information determined by the determination unit and the previous or previous proposed information satisfies a predetermined condition. When a difference between the current proposed information and the previous or previous proposed information does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the notification unit notifies, as notification information, information including the current proposed information and information regarding the difference. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to one aspect of the embodiment, it is possible to provide an effect of proposing a travel route different from a normal travel route without causing confusion to a user. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of information processing according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a reception form displayed on the display unit by the reception unit of the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5]FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a map displayed on the display unit by the notification unit of the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of the map displayed on the display unit by the notification unit of the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of information processing by the processing unit of the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a travel route determination process by the processing unit of the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of a computer that realizes the functions of the information processing device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the information processing device, the information processing method, and the information processing program according to the present application (hereinafter, referred to as "embodiments") will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the information processing device, the information processing method, and the information processing program according to the present application are not limited to these embodiments. In addition, each embodiment can be appropriately combined as long as the processing contents are not contradictory. In addition, the same parts in each of the following embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0011] [1. An example of information processing] First, an example of information processing according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of information processing according to the embodiment, which is executed by an information processing device 1.

[0012] The information processing device 1 shown in Figure 1 has a route search application program (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a route search app) that provides a route search service installed, and a user U can use the route search service that suggests travel routes for the user U by operating the information processing device 1.

[0013] The route search service is a service for searching for a travel route of a user U who is the subject of travel, for example, a general travel route, a walking route, a jogging route, a running route, or a cycling route.

[0014] A general travel route is a travel route in which the purpose is to travel to a destination, such as commuting to work or school, shopping, meeting someone, etc., and in the following, travel in which the purpose is to travel to a destination may be referred to as a general travel. A walking route, a jogging route, a running route, or a cycling route is a travel route in which the purpose is the health or refreshment of the user U.

[0015] The walking route is the route the user U moves when walking, and the jogging route is the route the user U moves when jogging. The running route is the route the user U moves when running, and the cycling route is the route the user U moves when cycling.

[0016] The information processing device 1 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet PC (Personal Computer), or a wearable device, and is a device carried by a user U. The wearable device is, for example, smart glasses or a smart watch, but is not limited to such examples.

[0017] First, the information processing device 1 accepts setting information input or selected by the user U (step S1). The setting information includes, for example, first setting information, second setting information, and third setting information.

[0018] The first setting information is, for example, information such as the height, weight, age, and sex of the user U. The second setting information is, for example, information indicating the starting point and the end point of a moving route. The third setting information is information indicating a route type selected by the user U from a plurality of route types including a general moving route, a walking route, a jogging route, a running route, and a cycling route.

[0019] Next, the information processing device 1 searches for a plurality of travel routes based on the setting information received in step S1 (step S2). These multiple travel routes are travel routes that start and end at the starting point and ending point indicated in the second setting information. If the second setting information does not include information on the starting point, the current location of the user U is treated as the starting point of the travel route indicated in the second setting information. The information processing device 1 has, for example, road management information, and searches for a plurality of travel routes based on the road management information.

[0020] Road management information is information about roads, and includes, for example, information about nodes such as intersections and T-junctions, and information about links that are sidewalks and roadways connecting the nodes. Roads are above-ground passageways provided for the traffic of people and vehicles. Node information includes, for example, information about traffic lights and information indicating the distance between nodes. The distance between nodes is the position between the ends of the nodes, and is, for example, the distance of an intersection or the distance of a T-junction.

[0021] The link information includes, for example, information on the traveling direction of the sidewalk or road indicated by the link, information on the distance of the sidewalk or road indicated by the link, information on traffic signs provided on the sidewalk or road indicated by the link, etc. The distance of the sidewalk or road indicated by the link is the distance between the ends of the sidewalk or road indicated by the link. One end of the end of the sidewalk or road indicated by the link is, for example, the starting position of the sidewalk or road indicated by the link, and the other end of the end of the sidewalk or road indicated by the link is, for example, the ending position of the sidewalk or road indicated by the link.

[0022] The traffic signs are, for example, road signs such as guide signs, warning signs, regulatory signs, and directional signs. The regulatory signs are, for example, signs indicating road closures, speed restrictions, no U-turns, weight restrictions, and the like.

[0023] The information processing device 1, for example, identifies a travel route from the starting point to the end point indicated by the second setting information, etc., by connecting nodes and links from the starting point to the end point indicated by the second setting information, etc., and searches for the travel route. The information on the travel route searched for by the information processing device 1 includes information on the links from the starting point to the end point and information on the nodes.

[0024] Assume that the route type indicated by the third setting information is a general movement route, a walking route, a jogging route, or a running route. In this case, the information processing device 1 specifies the movement route from the starting point to the end point indicated by the second setting information, etc., by connecting the nodes and links of the sidewalk from the starting point to the end point indicated by the second setting information, etc.

[0025] In addition, it is assumed that the route type indicated by the third setting information is a cycling route. In this case, the information processing device 1 specifies a travel route from the starting point to the end point indicated by the second setting information, etc., by connecting the nodes and links of the roadway from the starting point to the end point indicated by the second setting information, etc.

[0026] Next, the information processing device 1 acquires travel route information, which is information on each of the multiple travel routes searched in step S2, from the traffic information providing device 2 (step S3). The travel route information includes, for example, traffic regulation information, control information, traffic volume information, and event information on the travel route.

[0027] The traffic regulation information is information on traffic regulations on a travel route, and includes, for example, information indicating the location of a specific travel regulation on a travel route and information indicating the type of the specific travel regulation on a travel route, etc. The type of the specific travel regulation is a type of travel regulation that prohibits the movement of the user U, such as a temporary road ban, a temporary road closure, or a temporary one-way road, but is not limited to these travel regulations and may be any type that imposes restrictions on the movement of the user U.

[0028] A temporary road ban, a temporary road closure, or a temporary one-way street is set, for example, by traffic restrictions due to road construction, traffic accidents, or traffic restrictions due to an event, but is not limited to such examples. Information indicating the location of a specific movement restriction is, for example, information on a node or link where a specific movement restriction is located, but is not limited to such examples.

[0029] The control information is control information for traffic lights present on the travel route, and includes, for example, information on the signal control pattern of the traffic lights present on the travel route and information on the signal control timing of the traffic lights present on the travel route. The information on the signal control pattern includes, for example, information indicating the period during which the signal indicated by the traffic light is green, information indicating the period during which the signal indicated by the traffic light is yellow, and information indicating the period during which the signal indicated by the traffic light is red.

[0030] The signal control timing information is the timing at which the signal indicated by the traffic light changes, and is, for example, information indicating the timing when the signal indicated by the traffic light last changed to a green light, but it may also be information indicating the timing when the signal indicated by the traffic light last changed to a red light, or other information.

[0031] The above-mentioned traffic lights present on the travel route are fixed-cycle traffic lights, but may also include sensor-responsive traffic lights. When the traffic lights present on the travel route are sensor-responsive traffic lights, the control information is, for example, control information predicted by the traffic information providing device 2 or the information processing device 1 based on the history of past signal changes. The control information predicted by the traffic information providing device 2 or the information processing device 1 is, for example, control information for each day of the week and each time period, but is not limited to such an example.

[0032] The traffic volume information is information about the traffic volume of the travel route, and includes, for example, information indicating the number of vehicles at each link or each node included in the travel route. The number of vehicles at each link or each node is the real-time number of vehicles, or the number of vehicles predicted by the traffic information providing device 2 or the information processing device 1 based on the past traffic volume history.

[0033] The traffic volume may be indicated by an average travel speed instead of or in addition to the number of vehicles. The average travel speed is a real-time average travel speed or an average travel speed predicted by the traffic information providing device 2 or the information processing device 1 based on a past traffic volume history. The predicted number of vehicles and average travel speed are, for example, information for each day of the week and each time period, but are not limited to such examples.

[0034] The event information is information about events taking place in the vicinity of the travel route, and includes information indicating the type of event, information indicating the scale of the event, etc. Event types include, for example, concerts, sporting events, flea markets, fashion shows, marathons, festivals, and other events.

[0035] Based on the information on the travel route, the information processing device 1 acquires travel route information including traffic regulation information, control information, traffic volume information, and event information from the traffic information providing device 2. For example, the information processing device 1 transmits an information transmission request including information on each node and each link indicated in the information on the travel route to the traffic information providing device 2 (step S3-1), thereby acquiring traffic regulation information, control information, traffic volume information, and event information from the traffic information providing device 2 (step S3-2).

[0036] The traffic information providing device 2 transmits traffic light control information of each node indicated in the information transmission request, traffic volume information of each link and each node indicated in the information transmission request, traffic regulation information of the links and nodes indicated in the information transmission request, and event information which is information on events held in the vicinity of the links and nodes indicated in the information transmission request, to the information processing device 1. The information processing device 1 acquires the traffic light control information of each node, traffic volume information of each link and each node indicated in the information transmission request, traffic regulation information of the links and nodes indicated in the information transmission request, and event information which is information on events held in the vicinity of the links and nodes indicated in the information transmission request, transmitted from the traffic information providing device 2.

[0037] Next, based on the travel route information acquired in step S3, the information processing device 1 determines, as proposed information, information including information indicating one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U from among the multiple travel routes searched in step S2 (step S4).

[0038] For example, based on the travel route information acquired in step S3 and the travel speed corresponding to the route type specified by the setting information, the information processing device 1 determines one or more travel routes among the multiple travel routes searched in step S2 that satisfy the proposal conditions as one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U.

[0039] The movement speed according to the route type specified by the setting information is, for example, a movement speed predicted by the information processing device 1 based on the user U's past movement history, and differs depending on whether the route type indicated in the setting information is a general movement route, a walking route, a jogging route, a running route, or a cycling route.

[0040] For example, when the route type indicated in the setting information is a general movement route, the information processing device 1 predicts the movement speed of the user U based on the past sidewalk movement history during general movement of the user U. Also, when the route type indicated in the setting information is a walking route, the information processing device 1 predicts the movement speed of the user U based on the past sidewalk movement history during walking of the user U.

[0041] Furthermore, for example, when the route type indicated in the setting information is a jogging route, the information processing device 1 predicts the user U's movement speed on the sidewalk based on the past movement history of the user U when jogging. Furthermore, for example, when the route type indicated in the setting information is a running route, the information processing device 1 predicts the user U's movement speed based on the past movement history of the user U when running.

[0042] Furthermore, for example, when the route type indicated in the setting information is a cycling route, the information processing device 1 predicts the movement speed of the user U on the roadway based on the past movement history of the user U while cycling.

[0043] Furthermore, the information processing device 1 predicts whether or not to stop at each specific node on the moving route, the stopping time at each specific node, etc., based on the control information acquired in step S3 and the predicted moving speed. Furthermore, when the route type indicated in the setting information is cycling, the information processing device 1 can also predict whether or not to stop at each specific node on the moving route, the stopping time at each specific node, etc., based on the traffic volume information and control information acquired in step S3 and the predicted moving speed.

[0044] In addition, when the setting information includes pace information, which is information on the pace specified by the user U, the travel speed indicated by the pace information can be used instead of the predicted travel speed to predict whether or not there will be a stop at each specific node on the travel route, and the duration of the stop at each specific node, etc.

[0045] The information processing device 1 determines one or more travel routes that satisfy the proposal conditions among the multiple travel routes searched in step S2 as one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U based on prediction results such as the travel time along the travel route, whether or not there will be a stop at each specific node along the travel route, and the stop time at each specific node.

[0046] The proposed conditions include, for example, at least one of a condition regarding travel time, a condition regarding travel restrictions, and a condition regarding stops, etc. A travel route that satisfies the condition regarding travel restrictions is, for example, a travel route with the shortest travel time among the multiple travel routes searched for in step S2.

[0047] A travel route that satisfies the conditions regarding travel restrictions is a travel route that does not have any of the above-mentioned specific travel restrictions. A travel route that satisfies the conditions regarding stops is, for example, a travel route in which the number of stops of the user U's travel is less than a threshold or a travel route in which the time of stoppage of the user U's travel is within a threshold. The threshold is, for example, a value that increases in proportion to the distance of the travel route (travel distance), but may be a fixed value.

[0048] The proposed conditions are individual conditions such as conditions regarding travel time, conditions regarding travel restrictions, and conditions regarding stopping, but may also be a combination of two or more conditions such as conditions regarding travel time, conditions regarding travel restrictions, and conditions regarding stopping.

[0049] For example, the proposed condition may be a condition that satisfies both a condition related to travel time and a condition related to travel restrictions, a condition that satisfies both a condition related to travel time and a condition related to stopping, a condition that satisfies both a condition related to travel restrictions and a condition related to stopping, etc. The proposed condition may also be a condition that satisfies all of the conditions related to travel time, the conditions related to travel restrictions, and the conditions related to stopping.

[0050] For example, the information processing device 1 determines a travel route that does not have the above-mentioned specific travel restriction location among the multiple travel routes searched for in step S2 based on the travel route information acquired in step S3. Then, the information processing device 1 determines a travel route that does not have a travel restriction location and has the shortest predicted travel time or multiple travel routes that are ranked high in terms of shortest travel time as one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U.

[0051] Furthermore, based on the travel route information acquired in step S3, for example, the information processing device 1 determines, from among the multiple travel routes searched in step S2, a travel route that does not have the above-mentioned specific travel restriction locations and does not involve stopping by the user U. Then, the information processing device 1 may determine, as one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U, a travel route that does not have any travel restriction locations and does not involve stopping by the user U and has the shortest predicted travel time, or multiple travel routes that are ranked high in terms of shortest travel time.

[0052] Furthermore, the information processing device 1 determines, for example, from among the multiple travel routes searched for in step S2, a travel route that does not have any of the above-mentioned specific travel restrictions and in which the user U's stopping time or number of stops is within a threshold, based on the travel route information acquired in step S3. The information processing device 1 can also determine, as one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U, a travel route that does not have any of the travel restrictions and in which the user U's stopping time or number of stops is within a threshold and has the shortest predicted travel time, or multiple travel routes that are ranked in the top order for shortest travel time. The threshold is, for example, a value that increases in proportion to the distance of the travel route (travel distance), but may be a fixed value.

[0053] Furthermore, based on the event information included in the movement route information acquired in step S3, the information processing device 1 predicts nodes and links that will cause an impediment to the movement of the user U. An impediment to the movement of the user U means, for example, a state in which the user U cannot move at a predicted or specified movement speed on the movement route due to crowding or traffic congestion.

[0054] Then, the information processing device 1 determines, from among the multiple travel routes searched in step S2, a travel route that does not have the above-mentioned specific travel restriction locations and does not have nodes or links that would impede the travel of the user U. Then, the information processing device 1 can also determine, as one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U, a travel route that does not have any travel restriction locations and does not have any nodes or links that would impede the travel of the user U and has the shortest predicted travel time or multiple travel routes that are ranked high in terms of shortest travel time.

[0055] When the information processing device 1 has determined one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U, it determines, as proposed information, information including information indicating the one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U. When there are multiple travel routes to be proposed to the user U, the proposed information includes, in addition to information indicating the multiple travel routes, information indicating a recommended ranking of these multiple travel routes. The information indicating the travel route includes, for example, information indicating each node of the travel route and information indicating each link.

[0056] The proposed information includes, for example, information indicating multiple travel routes proposed to the user U, and information indicating the ranking of the multiple travel routes. The information indicating the ranking of the travel routes is the recommended ranking of the travel routes to the user U. When the information processing device 1 determines multiple travel routes that satisfy the above-mentioned conditions and have the shortest predicted travel time as the multiple travel routes to be proposed to the user U, the travel route with the shorter travel time has a higher recommended ranking. Hereinafter, the recommended ranking may be simply referred to as ranking.

[0057] Next, the information processing device 1 determines whether or not the proposed route difference, which is the difference between the current proposed information determined in step S4 and the previous proposed information, satisfies a predetermined condition (step S5). The previous proposed information is information indicating a travel route in which the start point and end point of the travel route indicated by the current proposed information are the same, and is proposed information notified to the user U in the past.

[0058] The previous proposal information to be compared with the current proposal information may be, for example, the proposal information notified to user U before this time, that was most frequently notified to user U within a predetermined period of time or a predetermined number of times since the previous time, or all proposal information notified to user U within a predetermined period of time or a predetermined number of times since the previous time, but is not limited to such examples.

[0059] When one or more travel routes included in the current proposal information and the previous proposal information are different from each other, the information processing device 1 determines that the proposed route difference does not satisfy a predetermined condition. For example, when the number of travel routes included in the current proposal information and the previous proposal information is two or more, and at least one travel route included in the current proposal information and the previous proposal information is different from each other, the information processing device 1 determines that the proposed route difference does not satisfy a predetermined condition.

[0060] In addition, the information processing device 1 determines that the proposed route difference does not satisfy a predetermined condition when the rankings of the multiple travel routes included in the current proposal information and the previous or earlier proposal information are different from each other, even if the travel routes included in the current proposal information and the previous or earlier proposal information are the same.

[0061] Next, when the proposed route difference determined in step S5 does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the information processing device 1 notifies information including the current proposal information and information related to the proposed route difference as notification information (step S6).

[0062] The information on the proposed route difference includes reason information that indicates the reason why the current proposed information was determined. The reason information is, for example, text information indicating "There is currently a temporary road closure on the previously proposed route, so a travel route different from the previously proposed route is proposed" or text information indicating "Congestion due to an event is predicted on the previously proposed route, so a travel route different from the previously proposed route is proposed."

[0063] In addition, the information regarding the proposed route difference includes, for example, information indicating that the travel route included in the current proposal information is different from the travel route in the previous or earlier proposal information, or information indicating that the rankings of multiple travel routes included in the current proposal information and the previous or earlier proposal information are different from each other.

[0064] In the example shown in Fig. 1, the map shown in the notification information includes the previously proposed route and the currently proposed route, and includes reason information indicating the reason why the currently proposed information was determined. The previously proposed route is a travel route included in the previously proposed information, and the currently proposed route is a travel route included in the currently proposed information.

[0065] In the example shown in Figure 1, the reason information, which is information indicating the reason why the current proposed information was decided, is text information indicating, "There is currently a temporary road closure on the previously proposed route, so we are proposing a travel route that is different from the previously proposed route."

[0066] Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the proposal information includes one travel route, if the proposal information includes two or more travel routes, information on the two or more travel routes is included in the notification information.

[0067] In this way, the information processing device 1 determines a travel route that satisfies the stop-related condition among multiple travel routes based on control information of traffic lights present on each of multiple travel routes starting from the position of the user U who is the travel target, and notifies the user of information on the determined travel route. In this way, the information processing device 1 can notify the user of information on a travel route that increases the user U's satisfaction.

[0068] The configuration of an information processing system including the information processing device 1 and the traffic information providing device 2 that perform such processing will be described in detail below.

[0069] 2. Configuration of the Information Processing System 2 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG 2, the information processing system 100 according to the embodiment includes an information processing device 1 and a traffic information providing device 2.

[0070] The information processing device 1 is used by different users U. The information processing device 1 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet PC, or a wearable device. The wearable device is, for example, smart glasses or a smart watch, but is not limited to such examples. For example, the information processing device 1 may be an in-vehicle device provided on a bicycle.

[0071] The information processing device 1 and the traffic information providing device 2 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other by wire or wirelessly via a network N. Note that the information processing system 100 shown in Fig. 2 may include a plurality of information processing devices 1 and traffic information providing devices 2.

[0072] The network N includes, for example, a Wide Area Network (WAN) such as the Internet and mobile communication networks such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), 4th Generation (4G), and 5th Generation (5G: fifth generation mobile communication system).

[0073] The information processing device 1 can communicate with the traffic information providing device 2 by connecting to a network N via a mobile communication network or short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or a wireless LAN (Local Area Network).

[0074] [3. Information Processing Device 1] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment includes a communication unit 10, a display unit 11, an operation unit 12, a sensor group 13, a storage unit 14, and a processing unit 15.

[0075] [3.1. Communication unit 10] The communication unit 10 is realized by, for example, a network interface card (NIC) etc. The communication unit 10 is connected to a network N by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information to and from the traffic information providing device 2 via the network N.

[0076] [3.2. Display section 11] The display unit 11 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display.

[0077] [3.3. Operation unit 12] The operation unit 12 includes, for example, a keyboard including keys for inputting letters, numbers, and spaces, an enter key, and arrow keys, a mouse, a power button, etc. When the display unit 11 is a touch panel compatible display, the operation unit 12 includes a touch panel.

[0078] [3.4. Sensor Group 13] The sensor group 13 includes, for example, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an illuminance sensor, a positioning sensor, a microphone, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, an image sensor, etc. The positioning sensor is a position sensor that detects the position of the information processing device 1.

[0079] The temperature sensor is a sensor that detects the temperature around the information processing device 1. The humidity sensor is a sensor that detects the humidity around the information processing device 1. The illuminance sensor is a sensor that detects the illuminance around the information processing device 1. The microphone is a sensor that detects the sound around the information processing device 1.

[0080] The acceleration sensor is a sensor that detects the acceleration of the information processing device 1. The gyro sensor is a sensor that detects the attitude, such as the tilt and rotation, of the information processing device 1. The geomagnetic sensor is a sensor that detects geomagnetism. The image sensor is a sensor that captures an image of the surroundings of the information processing device 1.

[0081] [3.5. Storage section 14] The storage unit 14 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a random access memory (RAM) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk.

[0082] The memory unit 14 stores, for example, information transmitted from the traffic information providing device 2 and acquired by the processing unit 15 via the network N and the communication unit 10, detection information which is information detected by the sensor group 13, and the like.

[0083] The storage unit 14 includes a road information storage unit 20, a user information storage unit 21, and a setting information storage unit 22.

[0084] [3.5.1. Road information storage unit 20] The road information storage unit 20 stores road management information, traffic volume information, event information, etc. The road management information includes, for example, information on nodes such as intersections and T-junctions, and information on links that are sidewalks and roadways connecting the nodes.

[0085] The node information includes, for example, traffic light information and information indicating the distance of the node. The traffic light information includes, for example, information for identifying the traffic light. The information for identifying the traffic light is, for example, traffic light identification information. The node distance is the position between the ends of the node, and is, for example, information indicating the distance of an intersection or information indicating the distance of a T-junction.

[0086] Link information includes, for example, information on the direction of travel on the sidewalk or road indicated by the link, information indicating the distance of the sidewalk or road indicated by the link, and information on traffic signs installed on the sidewalk or road indicated by the link.

[0087] The distance of a sidewalk or roadway indicated by a link is the distance between the ends of the sidewalk or roadway indicated by the link. One end of the end of the sidewalk or roadway indicated by the link is, for example, the starting position of the sidewalk or roadway indicated by the link, and the other end of the end of the sidewalk or roadway indicated by the link is, for example, the ending position of the sidewalk or roadway indicated by the link.

[0088] The traffic signs are, for example, road signs such as guide signs, warning signs, regulatory signs, and directional signs. The regulatory signs are, for example, signs indicating road closures, speed restrictions, no U-turns, weight restrictions, and the like.

[0089] The road management information also includes control information and traffic regulation information, etc. The control information is control information for traffic signals present on the travel route, and includes, for example, information on the signal control pattern of the traffic signals present on the travel route and information on the signal control timing of the traffic signals present on the travel route.

[0090] The traffic light control pattern information includes, for example, information indicating the period during which the signal indicated by the traffic light is green, information indicating the period during which the signal indicated by the traffic light is yellow, and information indicating the period during which the signal indicated by the traffic light is red.

[0091] The signal control timing information is, for example, information indicating the timing when the signal indicated by the traffic light last changed to a green light, but it may also be information indicating the timing when the signal indicated by the traffic light last changed to a red light, or other information.

[0092] The above-mentioned traffic lights present on the travel route are fixed-cycle traffic lights, but may also include sensor-responsive traffic lights. When the traffic lights present on the travel route are sensor-responsive traffic lights, the control information is, for example, control information predicted by the traffic information providing device 2 or the processing unit 15 based on the history of past signal changes. The control information predicted by the traffic information providing device 2 or the processing unit 15 is, for example, control information for each day of the week and each time period, but is not limited to such an example.

[0093] The traffic regulation information includes, for example, information indicating the location of a specific travel regulation in a link or node, information indicating the type of the specific travel regulation in a link or node, etc. The specific travel regulation is a travel regulation in which the travel of the user U is restricted (for example, prohibited), such as a temporary road ban, a temporary road closure, or a temporary one-way street, but is not limited to these travel regulations and may be of any type that restricts the travel of the user U.

[0094] The traffic volume information is information about the traffic volume of the travel route, and includes, for example, information indicating the number of vehicles at each link or each node included in the travel route. The number of vehicles at each link or each node is the real-time number of vehicles or the number of vehicles predicted by the processing unit 15 based on the past traffic volume history.

[0095] The traffic volume may be indicated by an average travel speed instead of or in addition to the number of vehicles. The average travel speed is a real-time average travel speed or an average travel speed predicted by the processing unit 15 based on a past traffic volume history. The predicted number of vehicles and average travel speed are, for example, information for each day of the week and each time period, but are not limited to such examples.

[0096] The event information is information about events taking place in the vicinity of the travel route, and includes information indicating the type of event and information indicating the scale of the event. For example, the event types include concerts, sporting events, flea markets, fashion shows, marathons, festivals, and other events. Note that traffic volume information and event information may be included in road management information.

[0097] [3.5.2. User information storage unit 21] The user information storage unit 21 includes user information that is information about the user U. The user information includes attribute information that is information indicating the attributes of the user U, travel history information that is information regarding travel routes previously selected by the user U, proposal history information that is proposal information including information indicating travel routes previously proposed to the user U, and the like.

[0098] The attributes of the user U are, for example, demographic attributes, psychographic attributes, etc. The demographic attributes are demographic attributes, and include a plurality of attribute items such as age, sex, occupation, place of residence, annual income, and family structure.

[0099] Psychographic attributes are psychological attributes, and include, for example, a plurality of attribute items related to lifestyle, values, interests, etc. For example, each of the plurality of attribute items in the psychographic attributes is an object of interest to the user U, such as a car, clothes, travel, games, camping, motorcycle, train, home appliance, or computer.

[0100] The movement history information includes information indicating a movement route previously selected by the user U, information indicating the past movement state of the user U along the movement route previously selected by the user U, etc. The information indicating the movement route includes, for example, information indicating the start point and end point of the movement route, and information indicating each of the links and nodes included in the movement route.

[0101] The past movement state of the user U includes, for example, information indicating a route type previously selected by the user U, the past movement positions of the user U, and the past movement speed of the user U. The movement positions and movement speed of the user U are positions indicated by position information included in the detection information output from the sensor group 13, and speeds calculated based on such position information, but are not limited to such examples.

[0102] The moving speed of the user U includes, for example, information on the moving speed of each link and information on the moving speed of each node, etc. As described above, the route type is a walking route, a jogging route, a running route, or a cycling route.

[0103] The proposal history information is proposal information including information indicating a travel route previously proposed to the user U, and includes, for example, information indicating a travel route previously proposed to the user U and information indicating a route type of the travel route. The proposal history information may include reason information, which will be described later.

[0104] 3.5.3. Setting information storage unit 22 The setting information storage unit 22 stores setting information, which is information previously set by the user U. The setting information includes, for example, information on a travel route set by the user U, information on a starting point set by the user U, information on an end point set by the user U, and the like. The setting information also includes, for example, information on proposed conditions set by the user U, and the like.

[0105] [3.6. Processing section 15] The processing unit 15 is a controller, and is realized, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) executing various programs stored in a storage device inside the information processing device 1 using the RAM as a working area.

[0106] The processing unit 15 may be partially or entirely realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The processing unit 15 functions as a functional unit including an acquisition unit 30, a reception unit 31, a search unit 32, a determination unit 33, a determination unit 34, and a notification unit 35 by executing the above-mentioned route search application on an OS (Operating System), etc.

[0107] [3.6.1. Acquisition part 30] The acquisition unit 30 acquires various pieces of information from the traffic information providing device 2, an external information processing device, and the like via the communication unit 10, and stores the acquired various pieces of information in the storage unit .

[0108] For example, the acquisition unit 30 acquires traffic volume information, control information, traffic regulation information, event information, etc. from the traffic information providing device 2 or an external information processing device via the communication unit 10, and stores the acquired traffic volume information, control information, traffic regulation information, event information, etc. in the road information storage unit 20.

[0109] In addition, the acquisition unit 30 can acquire information on each node and each link from the traffic information providing device 2 or an external information processing device via the communication unit 10, and store the acquired information on each node and information on each link in the road information storage unit 20.

[0110] In addition, the acquisition unit 30 can acquire information indicating the attributes of user U from an external information processing device or the like via the communication unit 10, and store the acquired information indicating the attributes of user U in the user information storage unit 21.

[0111] The acquisition unit 30 also acquires various types of information from the storage unit 14. For example, the acquisition unit 30 acquires road management information, traffic regulation information, event information, and the like from the road information storage unit 20. The acquisition unit 30 also acquires user information, which is information about a user U, from the user information storage unit 21. The acquisition unit 30 also acquires setting information set by the user U from the setting information storage unit 22.

[0112] The acquisition unit 30 acquires travel route information, which is information on each of a plurality of travel routes starting from the position of the user U. For example, when a route search request is accepted by the acceptance unit 31, the acquisition unit 30 acquires road management information and the like from the road information storage unit 20 based on the setting information and the like accepted by the acceptance unit 31. Then, the acquisition unit 30 acquires travel route information, which is information on each of a plurality of travel routes searched by the search unit 32 as a plurality of travel routes starting from the position of the user U. The travel route information is information on the travel route, and includes traffic volume information, control information, traffic regulation information, event information, and the like of the travel route. As described above, the control information is control information on traffic lights present on the travel route.

[0113] The multiple travel routes searched for by the search unit 32 are multiple different travel routes that start from the position of the user U who is the subject of travel, and are, for example, a general travel route, a walking route, a jogging route, a running route, a cycling route, and the like.

[0114] When the receiving unit 31 receives a route search request, if the distance information, traffic volume information, control information, traffic regulation information, and event information of the multiple travel routes searched by the searching unit 32 are not stored in the storage unit 14, the acquiring unit 30 can also acquire the distance information, traffic regulation information, traffic volume information, and control information of the travel route as distance information of the travel route from the traffic information providing device 2. In addition, the acquiring unit 30 acquires proposal history information and the like from the user information storage unit 21.

[0115] The acquisition unit 30 repeatedly acquires movement status information that is information indicating the movement status of the user U who has started moving along the movement route notified by the notification unit 35. For example, the acquisition unit 30 repeatedly acquires the movement status information that is information indicating the movement status of the user U from the user information storage unit 21, the sensor group 13, or the like.

[0116] [3.6.2. Reception Unit 31] The reception unit 31 receives various information and requests input or selected by the user U through operation of the operation unit 12 by the user U.

[0117] For example, the reception unit 31 receives setting information input or selected by the user U, and stores the received setting information in the user information storage unit 21. As described above, the setting information includes, for example, the first setting information, the second setting information, and the third setting information.

[0118] The first setting information is, for example, information such as the height, weight, age, and sex of the user U. The second setting information is, for example, information indicating the starting point and the end point of a moving route. The third setting information is information indicating a route type selected by the user U from a plurality of route types including a general moving route, a walking route, a jogging route, a running route, and a cycling route.

[0119] Furthermore, the receiving unit 31 receives movement pace information input or selected by the user U. The movement pace information is information indicating the pace of movement of the user U along the movement route about which the information is notified by the notifying unit 35. The movement pace information is information indicating the above-mentioned specified movement speed, and is included in the second setting information, for example, but may also be information received by the receiving unit 31 separately from the second setting information.

[0120] The movement pace indicated by the movement pace information is a constant movement speed from the starting point to the end point on the movement route, but may also be a constant movement speed per unit distance from the starting point to the end point on the movement route, or a movement speed that changes curvedly depending on the movement distance on the movement route.

[0121] The reception unit 31 also receives a route search request and a route guidance request. A route search request is generated, for example, when the user U operates the operation unit 12 to select a route search button, and a route guidance request is generated, for example, when the user U operates the operation unit 12 to select a route guidance button.

[0122] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a reception form displayed on the display unit 11 by the reception unit 31 of the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment. The reception form 50 shown in Fig. 4 includes a starting point input box 51, an end point input box 52, a route type selection box 53, a route search button 54, a route guidance button 55, and a map 60. On the map 60, a travel route searched by the search unit 32 when the route search button 54 is selected (pressed) by the user U is displayed.

[0123] The starting point input frame 51 is an input frame for inputting information indicating the starting point of a travel route, and the user U can input information indicating the starting point into the starting point input frame 51 by operating the operation unit 12, or can input information indicating the starting point into the starting point input frame 51 by selecting a position on the map 60. Note that if the user U does not input a starting point, information indicating the user U's current location is set in the starting point input frame 51.

[0124] The end point input frame 52 is an input frame for inputting information indicating the end point, and the user U can input information indicating the end point into the end point input frame 52 by operating the operation unit 12, or can input information indicating the end point into the end point input frame 52 by selecting a position on the map 60.

[0125] The route type selection frame 53 is a selection frame for selecting the route type of the moving route, and is shown by, for example, a combo box or a list box. The route type is, for example, the above-mentioned general moving route, walking route, jogging route, running route, cycling route, etc.

[0126] The route search button 54 is a button for requesting the route search application to search for a travel route. The route guidance button 55 is a button for requesting the route search application to provide guidance on a travel route that is searched by the route search application by pressing the route search button 54, is shown on the map 60, and is selected by the user U.

[0127] The reception unit 31 receives information indicating a starting point input in a starting point input box 51, information indicating an end point input in an end point input box 52, information indicating a route type set in a route type selection box 53, etc. The reception unit 31 also receives a route search request made by the user U selecting (pressing) a route search button 54, and receives a route guidance request made by the user U selecting (pressing) a route guidance button 55.

[0128] The reception unit 31 can also receive proposed condition information, which is information indicating proposed conditions specified by the user U. The proposed conditions include, for example, at least one of the above-mentioned conditions regarding travel time, the above-mentioned conditions regarding travel restrictions, and conditions regarding stops.

[0129] [3.6.3. Search unit 32] When a route search request is received by the reception unit 31, the search unit 32 searches for a plurality of travel routes from a starting point to an end point received by the reception unit 31. The plurality of travel routes searched for by the search unit 32 differ from each other in at least some of the nodes and links.

[0130] The search unit 32 searches for multiple travel routes from a starting point to an end point, for example, based on the road management information acquired by the acquisition unit 30. The road management information acquired by the acquisition unit 30 includes information on multiple nodes and information on multiple links.

[0131] The search unit 32, for example, identifies a travel route from the starting point to the end point by connecting links and nodes from the starting point to the end point, and searches for the travel route. The information on the travel route searched by the search unit 32 includes information on the nodes and links from the starting point to the end point.

[0132] Assume that the route type indicated by the third setting information is a general movement route, a walking route, a jogging route, or a running route. In this case, the search unit 32 identifies the movement route from the starting point to the end point indicated by the second setting information, etc., by connecting the nodes and links of the sidewalk from the starting point to the end point indicated by the second setting information, etc.

[0133] In addition, it is assumed that the route type indicated by the third setting information is a cycling route. In this case, the search unit 32 identifies the travel route from the starting point to the end point indicated by the second setting information, etc., by connecting the nodes and links of the roadway from the starting point to the end point indicated by the second setting information, etc.

[0134] The search unit 32 can, for example, search for a predetermined number of travel routes in ascending order of distance from the starting point to the end point, or search for travel routes whose distance from the starting point to the end point is within a threshold. The threshold is, for example, a value within n times the distance of the travel route with the shortest distance from the starting point to the end point, but is not limited to such an example. n is a value larger than 1, for example, a value such as 1.3 or 1.5.

[0135] The travel route searched for by the search unit 32 is a travel route of a route type designated by the user U from among a general travel route, a walking route, a jogging route, a running route, and a cycling route. The route type designated by the user U is a route type indicated in the setting information accepted by the acceptance unit 31.

[0136] [3.6.4. Decision unit 33] Based on the travel route information acquired by the acquisition unit 30, the determination unit 33 determines, as proposed information, information including information indicating one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U from among the multiple travel routes searched by the search unit 32.

[0137] For example, based on the travel route information acquired by the acquisition unit 30 and the travel speed corresponding to the route type specified by the setting information accepted by the acceptance unit 31, the determination unit 33 determines one or more travel routes among the multiple travel routes searched by the search unit 32 that satisfy the proposal conditions as one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U.

[0138] The movement speed according to the route type specified by the setting information is, for example, a movement speed predicted by the determination unit 33 based on the user U's past movement history, and differs depending on whether the route type indicated by the setting information is a general movement route, a walking route, a jogging route, a running route, or a cycling route.

[0139] For example, when the route type indicated by the setting information is a general movement route, the determination unit 33 predicts the movement speed of the user U based on the past sidewalk movement history during general movement of the user U. Also, when the route type indicated by the setting information is a walking route, the determination unit 33 predicts the movement speed of the user U based on the past sidewalk movement history during walking of the user U.

[0140] Furthermore, for example, when the route type indicated in the setting information is a jogging route, the determination unit 33 predicts the movement speed of the user U on the sidewalk based on the past movement history of the user U when jogging. Furthermore, for example, when the route type indicated in the setting information is a running route, the determination unit 33 predicts the movement speed of the user U based on the past movement history of the user U on the sidewalk when running.

[0141] Furthermore, for example, when the route type indicated in the setting information is a cycling route, the determination unit 33 predicts the movement speed of the user U on the roadway based on the user U's past movement history when cycling.

[0142] Furthermore, the determination unit 33 predicts whether or not to stop at each specific node on the travel route, and the stopping time at each specific node, based on the control information acquired by the acquisition unit 30 and the predicted travel speed. Furthermore, when the route type indicated by the setting information is cycling, the determination unit 33 can also predict whether or not to stop at each specific node on the travel route, and the stopping time at each specific node, based on the traffic volume information and control information acquired by the acquisition unit 30 and the predicted travel speed.

[0143] In addition, when the setting information includes pace information, which is information on the pace specified by the user U, the travel speed indicated by the pace information can be used instead of the predicted travel speed to predict whether or not there will be a stop at each specific node on the travel route, and the duration of the stop at each specific node, etc.

[0144] The determination unit 33 determines one or more travel routes that satisfy the proposal conditions among the multiple travel routes searched by the search unit 32 as one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U, based on, for example, prediction results such as the travel time along the travel route, whether or not there will be a stop at each specific node along the travel route, and the stop time at each specific node along the travel route, as well as traffic regulation information along the travel route.

[0145] The proposed conditions include, for example, at least one of a condition regarding travel time, a condition regarding stopping, and a condition regarding travel restrictions, etc. A travel route that satisfies the condition regarding travel restrictions is, for example, a travel route with the shortest travel time among the multiple travel routes searched by the search unit 32.

[0146] A travel route that satisfies the condition regarding stops is, for example, a travel route in which the number of stops of the user U's travel is equal to or less than a threshold number of times, or a travel route in which the time of stops of the user U's travel is within a threshold time, etc. The threshold number of times or the threshold time is, for example, a value that increases in proportion to the distance of the travel route (travel distance), but may also be a fixed value.

[0147] A travel route that satisfies the conditions regarding travel restrictions is a travel route that does not have any of the above-mentioned specific travel restrictions, etc. As described above, the travel route information acquired by the acquisition unit 30 includes traffic regulation information that is information regarding traffic regulations for each of the multiple travel routes searched by the search unit 32, and the determination unit 33 can determine, based on the traffic regulation information, information that includes information indicating one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U among the multiple travel routes searched by the search unit 32, as suggested information.

[0148] The determination unit 33 determines, for example, a travel route that does not have the above-mentioned specific travel restriction location among the multiple travel routes searched by the search unit 32 based on the travel route information acquired by the acquisition unit 30. Then, the determination unit 33 determines, as one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U, a travel route that does not have a travel restriction location and has the shortest predicted travel time or multiple travel routes that are ranked high in terms of shortest travel time.

[0149] Furthermore, the determination unit 33 determines, for example, a travel route that does not have the above-mentioned specific travel restriction location and does not require the user U to stop among the multiple travel routes searched for in step S2 based on the travel route information acquired by the acquisition unit 30. The determination unit 33 can also determine, as one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U, a travel route that does not have a travel restriction location and does not require the user U to stop, and that has the shortest predicted travel time, or multiple travel routes that are ranked high in terms of shortest travel time.

[0150] Furthermore, the determination unit 33 determines, for example, from among the multiple travel routes searched by the search unit 32, a travel route that does not have the above-mentioned specific travel restriction location and in which the user U's stop time or number of stops is within a threshold, based on the travel route information acquired by the acquisition unit 30. The determination unit 33 can also determine, as one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U, a travel route that does not have a travel restriction location and in which the user U's stop time or number of stops is within a threshold, and has the shortest predicted travel time, or multiple travel routes that are ranked high in terms of shortest travel time. The threshold is, for example, a value that increases in proportion to the distance (travel distance) of the travel route, but may be a fixed value.

[0151] As described above, the travel route information acquired by the acquisition unit 30 includes control information for one or more traffic lights that exist on each of the multiple travel routes searched by the search unit 32, and the determination unit 33 can determine, based on the control information acquired by the acquisition unit 30, information that includes information indicating one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U among the multiple travel routes searched by the search unit 32, as proposed information.

[0152] Furthermore, the determination unit 33 predicts nodes and links that will cause an impediment to the movement of the user U, based on the event information included in the movement route information acquired by the acquisition unit 30. An impediment to the movement of the user U means, for example, a state in which the user U cannot move at a predicted movement speed or a specified movement speed on the movement route due to crowding or traffic congestion.

[0153] Then, the determination unit 33 determines, from among the multiple travel routes searched by the search unit 32, a travel route that does not have the above-mentioned specific travel restriction locations and does not have nodes or links that would impede the travel of the user U. Then, the determination unit 33 can also determine, as one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U, a travel route that does not have any travel restriction locations and does not have any nodes or links that would impede the travel of the user U and has the shortest predicted travel time, or multiple travel routes that are ranked high in terms of shortest travel time.

[0154] As described above, the travel route information acquired by the acquisition unit 30 includes event information, which is information regarding events held in the vicinity of each of the multiple travel routes searched by the search unit 32, and the determination unit 33 can determine, based on the event information, information including information indicating one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U from among the multiple travel routes searched by the search unit 32, as suggested information.

[0155] Here, an example of a method for predicting whether or not there will be a stop at each specific node and the stop duration at each specific node will be described.

[0156] The determination unit 33 predicts, for example, a passing time required to pass through the first section, a passing time required to pass through each second section, a passing time required to pass through the third section, and the like for each travel route. The first section is a section from the starting point of the travel route to the end position of the first link of the travel route. The second section is a section of links or a section of nodes on the travel route. The third section is a section from the starting point of the last link on the travel route to the end point of the travel route.

[0157] The determination unit 33 predicts the passing time for each of the above sections based on, for example, the traffic volume of each link and each node and the speed limit information of each link and each node. The link information and node information include the link speed limit information and node speed limit information as traffic sign information, and the determination unit 33 predicts the passing time for each of the above sections based on the traffic volume information and road management information.

[0158] The determination unit 33 can also predict the movement speed of the user U based on, for example, the past movement history of the user U, and predict the passing time of each of the above-mentioned sections based on the predicted movement speed. The movement speed of the user U is, for example, the movement speed in each of the above-mentioned sections. For example, the determination unit 33 predicts the movement speed of the user U of each link and each node based on the past movement history of the user U, and predicts the passing time of each of the above-mentioned sections based on the predicted movement speed of each link and each node.

[0159] In addition, the determination unit 33 can predict the movement speed of the user U in each of the above-mentioned sections based on traffic volume information, road management information, and the user U's past movement history, and can also predict the passing time of each of the above-mentioned sections based on the predicted movement speed.

[0160] The movement speed of each section predicted by the determination unit 33 includes a stop section movement speed, which is the movement speed of the section when stopping within the section, a post-stop section movement speed, which is the movement speed of the section when stopping within the previous section, and a non-stop section movement speed, which is the movement speed of the section when not stopping within the section. The determination unit 33 predicts the passing time of each of the above-mentioned sections based on the predicted stop section movement speed, predicts the passing time of each of the above-mentioned sections based on the predicted post-stop section movement speed, and predicts the passing time of each of the above-mentioned sections based on the predicted non-stop section movement speed.

[0161] The determination unit 33 selects the i-th specific node from among the multiple specific nodes included in the travel route for each travel route searched by the search unit 32. The specific node is a node where a traffic light is located. i is an integer from 1 to N, and N is the number of specific nodes included in the travel route.

[0162] The determination unit 33 predicts a travel time, which is the time required to reach the i-th specific node from the starting position, based on the passing time of each section described above, and predicts the arrival time at the i-th specific node based on the predicted travel time. The starting position is, for example, the starting position of the mobile node when i=1, and the starting position of the j-th specific node when i=j. j is an integer from 2 to N. The starting position of a node is the same as the ending position of the link connected to that node.

[0163] Based on the control information acquired by the acquisition unit 30, the determination unit 33 determines the signal state of the traffic light of the i-th specific node at the predicted arrival time at the starting position of the i-th specific node, and predicts whether it will be necessary to stop movement at the i-th specific node.

[0164] When it is predicted that it will be necessary to stop movement at the starting position of the i-th specific node, the determination unit 33 predicts the stopping time at the starting position of the i-th specific node based on the control information acquired by the acquisition unit 30.

[0165] Then, the determination unit 33 predicts the passing time, which is the time at which the i-th specific node will be passed, based on the stopping time at the starting point position of the i-th specific node and the passing time required to pass through the i-th specific node.

[0166] The determination unit 33 increments i by one from 1 and executes the above-mentioned process to predict the arrival time at the starting point position of each specific node, whether or not to stop at the starting point position of each specific node, the stopping time at the starting point position of each specific node, the passing time of each specific node, etc. The passing time of the i-th specific node is used to predict, for example, the arrival time of the i+1-th specific node at the starting point position.

[0167] The determination unit 33 predicts the stop time and the number of stops on the movement route based on the presence or absence of a stop at each specific node and the stop time at each specific node. For example, the determination unit 33 predicts the number of stops on the movement route as the number of stops on the movement route, and predicts the total stop time at specific nodes on the movement route as the stop time on the movement route. In this way, the determination unit 33 predicts the stop time and the number of stops on each of the multiple movement routes based on the control information acquired by the acquisition unit 30.

[0168] Furthermore, the determination unit 33 predicts the travel time of the travel route based on, for example, the departure time of the travel route, the passing time of the Nth specific node, and the travel time from the end position of the Nth specific node to the end position of the travel route. In this way, the determination unit 33 can predict the travel time of the travel route.

[0169] The travel speed predicted by the determination unit 33 is, for example, the travel speed of each section, but may also be the average travel speed from the starting point to the end point of the travel route. The travel time predicted by the determination unit 33 is the travel time of the travel route, but may also be the travel time of each link or each node included in the travel route.

[0170] [3.6.5. Judgment unit 34] The determination unit 34 determines whether or not a proposed route difference, which is a difference between the current proposed information determined by the determination unit 33 and the previous proposed information, satisfies a predetermined condition. The previous or earlier proposed information is information indicating a travel route in which the start point and end point of the travel route indicated by the current proposed information are the same, and is proposed information that has been notified to the user U in the past. The determination unit 34 identifies the previous or earlier proposed information based on the proposal history information acquired by the acquisition unit 30.

[0171] The previous proposal information to be compared with the current proposal information may be, for example, the proposal information notified to user U before this time, that was most frequently notified to user U within a predetermined period of time or a predetermined number of times since the previous time, or all proposal information notified to user U within a predetermined period of time or a predetermined number of times since the previous time, but is not limited to such examples.

[0172] When one or more travel routes included in the current proposal information and the previous proposal information are different from each other, the determination unit 34 determines that the proposed route difference does not satisfy a predetermined condition. For example, when the number of travel routes included in the current proposal information and the previous proposal information are two or more, when at least one travel route included in the current proposal information and the previous proposal information is different from each other, the determination unit 34 determines that the proposed route difference does not satisfy a predetermined condition.

[0173] In addition, the determination unit 34 determines that the proposed route difference does not satisfy a predetermined condition when the rankings of multiple travel routes included in the current proposal information and the previous or earlier proposal information are different from each other, even if the travel routes included in the current proposal information and the previous or earlier proposal information are the same.

[0174] Furthermore, even if the travel route included in the current proposal information and the travel route included in the previous or previous proposal information differ in some nodes or links, if the distance of the different parts is less than a threshold distance, the determination unit 34 can determine that the travel route included in the current proposal information and the travel route included in the previous or previous proposal information are the same.

[0175] The threshold distance is, for example, 1 / m times the average distance between the travel route included in the current proposal information and the travel route included in the previous or previous proposal information. m is, for example, a value in the range of 10 to 20, but is not limited to such an example. The threshold distance may also be 1 / m times the distance (travel distance) of the travel route included in the current proposal information.

[0176] [3.6.6.Notification section 35] The notification unit 35 notifies the user U of various information. For example, the notification unit 35 notifies the user U of proposed information including information on one or more travel routes determined by the determination unit 33 as travel routes to be proposed to the user U.

[0177] For example, the notification unit 35 notifies information on one or more travel routes determined by the determination unit 33 by displaying map information on the display unit 11 in which the one or more travel routes determined by the determination unit 33 are highlighted on a map, or by outputting information on the one or more travel routes determined by the determination unit 33 from a speaker (audio output unit) not shown.

[0178] In addition, when the determination unit 34 determines that the difference between the current proposed information and the previous or previous proposed information does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the notification unit 35 notifies the user U of information including information regarding the proposed route difference in addition to the current proposed information as notification information.

[0179] The information on the proposed route difference includes reason information that indicates the reason why the current proposed information was determined. The reason information is, for example, text information indicating "There is currently a temporary road closure on the previously proposed route, so a travel route different from the previously proposed route is proposed" or text information indicating "Congestion due to an event is predicted on the previously proposed route, so a travel route different from the previously proposed route is proposed."

[0180] In addition, the information regarding the proposed route difference includes, for example, information indicating that the travel route included in the current proposal information is different from the travel route in the previous or earlier proposal information, or information indicating that the rankings of multiple travel routes included in the current proposal information and the previous or earlier proposal information are different from each other.

[0181] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a map 60 displayed on the display unit 11 by the notification unit 35 of the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment. The map 60 shown in Fig. 5 includes a currently proposed route 61, reason information 62, a previously or previous proposed route 63, and traffic regulation position information 64. The currently proposed route 61 and the reason information 62 are information included in the currently proposed information. The previously or previous proposed route 63 is a previously or previous proposed route that is compared with the currently proposed route 61.

[0182] The reason information 62 is text information indicating, "Because there is currently a temporary road closure on the previously proposed route, a travel route different from the previously proposed route is proposed." The traffic restriction location information 64 is information indicating the reason why the previously proposed information is not the current proposed information.

[0183] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing another example of a map 60 displayed on the display unit 11 by the notification unit 35 of the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment. The map 60 shown in Fig. 6 includes a current first proposed route 61A, a current second proposed route 61B, reason information 62, and traffic regulation position information 64. The current proposed route 61, the current second proposed route 61B, and the reason information 62 are information included in the current proposed information.

[0184] The first proposed route 61A is the route with the shortest travel time, is a route without the specific travel restrictions described above, and is the route with the shortest predicted travel time. The second proposed route 61B is a route with a small number of stops, is a route without the specific travel restrictions described above, and is the route with the number of stops by the user U within a threshold value.

[0185] In the example shown in Figure 6, the current first proposed route 61A has a higher proposed rank than the current second proposed route 61B, is shown with a thicker line than the current second proposed route 61B, and is displayed more highlighted than the current second proposed route 61B.

[0186] When there are three or more travel routes that satisfy the proposal conditions, the map 60 included in the current proposal information is displayed as a proposed route for each of the three or more travel routes that satisfy the proposal conditions. The proposal order is, for example, a higher order for the user U who requests route guidance more frequently, or a priority order designated by the user U, or an order preset for each proposal condition. The map 60 shown in FIG. 6 may also clearly show proposed routes from the previous time onward, similar to the map 60 shown in FIG. 5.

[0187] 4. Processing Procedure Next, a procedure of information processing by the processing unit 15 of the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment will be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of information processing by the processing unit 15 of the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment.

[0188] As shown in Fig. 7, the processing unit 15 of the information processing device 1 determines whether or not a route search request has been received (step S10). When the processing unit 15 determines that the route search request has been received (step S10: Yes), it performs a proposed information determination process (step S11). The travel route determination process in step S11 is the process of steps S20 to S29 shown in Fig. 8, and will be described in detail later. When the processing unit 15 ends the process of step S11, it notifies the user U of the proposed information (step S12).

[0189] When the processing of step S12 is completed or when it is determined that a route search request has not been received (step S10: No), the processing unit 15 determines whether or not a route guidance request has been received (step S13). When the processing unit 15 determines that a route guidance request has been received (step S13: Yes), it starts route guidance (step S14). The route guidance is performed by guiding the movement of the user U's vehicle along the travel route selected by the user U. The route guidance process is performed by using well-known technology.

[0190] When the process of step S14 is completed or when it is determined that the route guidance request has not been received (step S13: No), the processing unit 15 determines whether or not the operation end timing has arrived (step S15). The processing unit 15 determines that the operation end timing has arrived when, for example, the power supply of the information processing device 1 is turned off.

[0191] If the processing unit 15 determines that the operation end time has not arrived (step S15: No), it transitions to step S10, and if the processing unit 15 determines that the operation end time has arrived (step S15: Yes), it terminates the processing shown in FIG. 7.

[0192] 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a travel route determination process by the processing unit 15 of the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG 8, the processing unit 15 searches for a plurality of travel routes from a starting point to a destination (step S20).

[0193] Next, the processing unit 15 acquires traffic regulation information, control information, traffic volume information, event information, and the like for each travel route searched in step S20 from the storage unit 14 (step S21). Then, the processing unit 15 predicts the travel time for each travel route based on the information acquired in step S21 (step S22). The processing unit 15 also predicts the stop time for each travel route based on the information acquired in step S21 (step S23). The processing unit 15 predicts the number of stops for each travel route based on the information acquired in step S21 (step S24).

[0194] Next, the processing unit 15 determines a travel route that satisfies the proposal condition among the multiple travel routes based on the travel time, stop time, and number of stops of each travel route predicted in steps S22 to S24 (step S25).Then, the processing unit 15 determines information including information indicating the travel route determined in step S25 to satisfy the proposal condition as proposal information (step S26).

[0195] Next, the processing unit 15 determines a proposed route difference, which is a difference between the previous or previous proposed information and the current proposed information (step S27). Then, the processing unit 15 determines whether the proposed route difference satisfies a predetermined condition (step S28). If the processing unit 15 determines that the proposed route difference does not satisfy the predetermined condition (step S28: No), it adds reason information, which is information indicating the reason why the current proposed information was decided, to the current proposed information (step S29).

[0196] When the processing of step S29 is completed, or when it is determined that the proposed route difference satisfies the predetermined condition (step S28: Yes), the processing unit 15 ends the processing shown in FIG.

[0197] [5. Other] In the above example, an example was described in which the end points of the multiple travel routes searched for by the search unit 32 are the same, but the end points of the multiple travel routes searched for by the search unit 32 may be different from each other.

[0198] For example, the second setting information included in the setting information accepted by the accepting unit 31 may include information indicating a type of movement in addition to the information indicating the starting point and the end point of the movement route. The information indicating the type of movement is, for example, information indicating the starting point and the end point of the movement route, information indicating a specified movement distance, information indicating a specified movement time, information indicating a specified number of steps, or information indicating a specified movement calorie.

[0199] The specified travel distance is the travel distance specified by the user U. The information on the specified travel distance is an example of travel distance information indicating the travel distance from the starting point (starting point) of the travel route. The specified travel time is the travel time specified by the user U. The specified travel step count is the number of steps specified by the user U. The specified travel calories are the calories burned specified by the user U. The search unit 32 can search for multiple travel routes based on the information indicated by the information indicating the travel type.

[0200] In addition, the conditions regarding stops may include, instead of or in addition to a travel route in which the number of stops in user U's movement is below a threshold and a travel route in which the duration of stoppages in user U's movement is within a threshold, for example, a travel route that does not involve stops in user U's movement, a travel route in which the number of stops in user U's movement is the fewest, and a travel route in which the duration of stoppages in user U's movement is the shortest.

[0201] The determination unit 33 may be configured to be included in the search unit 32. In this case, the search unit 32 is notified of the proposed information determined by the function of the determination unit 33 by the notification unit .

[0202] [6. Hardware Configuration] The information processing device 1 according to the embodiment described above is realized by a computer 200 having a configuration as shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of the computer 200 that realizes the functions of the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment. The computer 200 has a CPU 201, a RAM 202, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 203, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 204, a communication interface (I / F) 205, an input / output interface (I / F) 206, and a media interface (I / F) 207.

[0203] The CPU 201 operates and controls each unit based on a program stored in the ROM 203 or the HDD 204. The ROM 203 stores a boot program executed by the CPU 201 when the computer 200 is started up, programs that depend on the hardware of the computer 200, and the like.

[0204] The HDD 204 stores programs executed by the CPU 201, data used by such programs, etc. The communication interface 205 receives data from other devices via a network N (see FIG. 2) and sends it to the CPU 201, and transmits data generated by the CPU 201 to other devices via the network N.

[0205] The CPU 201 controls output devices such as a display and a printer, and input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, via the input / output interface 206. The CPU 201 acquires data from the input devices via the input / output interface 206. The CPU 201 also outputs generated data to the output devices via the input / output interface 206.

[0206] The media interface 207 reads a program or data stored in the recording medium 208 and provides it to the CPU 201 via the RAM 202. The CPU 201 loads the program from the recording medium 208 onto the RAM 202 via the media interface 207, and executes the loaded program. The recording medium 208 is, for example, an optical recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or a PD (Phase change rewritable Disc), a magneto-optical recording medium such as an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), a tape medium, a magnetic recording medium, or a semiconductor memory.

[0207] For example, when the computer 200 functions as the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment, the CPU 201 of the computer 200 executes a program loaded on the RAM 202 to realize the function of the processing unit 15. In addition, the HDD 204 stores data in the storage unit 14. The CPU 201 of the computer 200 reads and executes these programs from the recording medium 208, but as another example, these programs may be obtained from another device via the network N.

[0208] [7. Other] In addition, among the processes described in the above embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically by a known method. In addition, the information including the processing procedures, specific names, various data and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings can be changed arbitrarily unless otherwise specified. For example, the various information shown in each drawing is not limited to the illustrated information.

[0209] In addition, each component of each device shown in the figure is a functional concept, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure. In other words, the specific form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit according to various loads, usage conditions, etc.

[0210] For example, the above-mentioned information processing device 1 may be realized by a terminal device and a server computer, or may be realized by multiple server computers. Also, depending on the functions, the configuration can be flexibly changed, such as by calling an external platform using an API or network computing.

[0211] Furthermore, the above-described embodiments and modifications can be appropriately combined as long as the processing contents are not contradictory.

[0212] 8. Effects As described above, the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment includes an acquisition unit 30, a determination unit 33, a judgment unit 34, and a notification unit 35. The acquisition unit 30 acquires travel route information, which is information on each of a plurality of travel routes starting from the position of the user U. The determination unit 33 determines, as proposed information, information including information indicating one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U among the plurality of travel routes, based on the travel route information acquired by the acquisition unit 30. The judgment unit 34 judges whether or not a difference between the current proposed information determined by the determination unit 33 and the previous or previous proposed information satisfies a predetermined condition. When the difference between the current proposed information and the previous or previous proposed information does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the notification unit 35 notifies the user U of information including the current proposed information and information regarding the difference as notification information. This allows the information processing device 1 to notify the user U of information on a travel route that increases the satisfaction level of the user U.

[0213] Furthermore, when one or more travel routes included in the current proposal information and the previous or previous proposal information are different, the determination unit 34 determines that the difference does not satisfy a predetermined condition. This allows the information processing device 1 to notify the user U of information on travel routes that will increase the user U's satisfaction.

[0214] Furthermore, when the rankings of the travel routes included in the current proposal information and the previous or previous proposal information are different from each other, the determination unit 34 determines that the difference does not satisfy a predetermined condition. This allows the information processing device 1 to notify the user U of information on a travel route that increases the user U's satisfaction.

[0215] In addition, the notification unit 35 notifies, as notification information, information including information on the difference as information indicating the reason why the current proposed information was determined by the determination unit 33. In this way, the information processing device 1 can notify information on a travel route that increases the satisfaction of the user U.

[0216] The travel route information also includes traffic regulation information, which is information on traffic regulations for each of the multiple travel routes, and the determination unit 33 determines, based on the traffic regulation information, information including information indicating one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U among the multiple travel routes as the proposed information. This allows the information processing device 1 to notify the user U of information on travel routes that will increase the satisfaction of the user U.

[0217] The travel route information also includes event information, which is information about events held in the vicinity of each of the multiple travel routes, and the determination unit 33 determines, based on the event information, information including information indicating one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U among the multiple travel routes, as suggested information. This allows the information processing device 1 to notify the user U of information about travel routes that will increase his or her satisfaction.

[0218] The travel route information also includes control information for one or more traffic lights that exist on each of the multiple travel routes, and the determination unit 33 determines, based on the control information, information including information indicating one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U among the multiple travel routes, as proposed information. This allows the information processing device 1 to notify the user U of information on travel routes that will increase his or her satisfaction.

[0219] Furthermore, the determination unit 33 determines a travel route in which the number of stops in the user U's travel is equal to or less than a threshold, or a travel route in which the time period in which the user U's travel is stopped is equal to or less than a threshold, as one or more travel routes to be proposed to the user U. This enables the information processing device 1 to notify information on travel routes that will increase the satisfaction of the user U.

[0220] Each of the multiple travel routes is a walking route, a jogging route, a running route, or a cycling route. This allows the information processing device 1 to notify the user U of information on travel routes that will increase the user U's satisfaction.

[0221] The above describes the embodiment of the present application in detail based on the drawings, but this is merely an example, and the present invention can be implemented in other forms that include various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, including the forms described in the Disclosure of the Invention section.

[0222] Furthermore, the above-mentioned "section, module, unit" can be read as "means" or "circuit", etc. For example, an acquisition section can be read as an acquisition means or an acquisition circuit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0223] 1. Information processing device 2 Traffic information providing device 10. Communications Department 11 Display section 12 Control section 13 Sensor Group 14 Storage section 15 Processing section 20 Road information storage section 21 User information storage unit 22 Setting information storage unit 30 Acquisition Department 31 Reception 32 Search section 33 Decision Section 34 Judgment section 35 Notification Department 50 Reception Form 51 Starting point input box 52 End point input box 53 Route type selection frame 54 Route search button 55 Route guidance button 60 Map 61,63 Suggested Route 61A First proposed route 61B Second proposed route 62 Reason Information 64 Traffic regulation location information 100 Information Processing Systems N Network U User

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires travel route information, which is information on each of a plurality of travel routes starting from a user's position; a determination unit that determines, as proposed information, information indicating two or more travel routes among the plurality of travel routes that satisfy different conditions and are to be proposed to the user, based on the travel route information acquired by the acquisition unit; and a determination unit that determines whether or not a difference between the current proposal information determined by the determination unit and the proposal information before or before a previous time satisfies a predetermined condition; a notification unit that notifies, when a difference between the current proposal information and the previous or previous proposal information does not satisfy a predetermined condition, information including the current proposal information and information regarding the difference as notification information; The determination unit is When one or more of the two or more travel routes included in the current proposal information and the previous or previous proposal information are different, it is determined that the difference does not satisfy a predetermined condition.

23. An information processing apparatus comprising:

2. The determination unit is Even if the two or more travel routes included in the current proposal information and the previous or earlier proposal information are the same, if the rankings of the travel routes included in the current proposal information and the previous or earlier proposal information are different from each other, it is determined that the difference does not satisfy a predetermined condition.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

3. The determination unit: When a distance of a different portion between the travel route included in the current proposal information and the travel route included in the previous or previous proposal information is less than a threshold, it is determined that the travel route included in the current proposal information and the travel route included in the previous or previous proposal information are the same; The threshold value is This is a value proportional to the average distance between the travel route included in the current proposal information and the travel route included in the previous or previous proposal information.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

4. The notification unit is The decision unit notifies the user of information indicating the reason why the current proposal information was decided by the decision unit as information related to the difference.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer.

5. The travel route information includes: traffic regulation information that is information regarding traffic regulations for each of the plurality of travel routes; The determination unit is Based on the traffic regulation information, information including information indicating two or more travel routes to be proposed to the user among the plurality of travel routes is determined as the proposed information.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer.

6. The travel route information includes: Event information is included which is information regarding events held in the vicinity of each of the plurality of travel routes; The determination unit is Based on the event information, information including information indicating two or more travel routes to be proposed to the user among the plurality of travel routes is determined as the proposed information.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer.

7. The travel route information includes: The information includes control information for one or more traffic lights present on each of the plurality of travel routes, The control information is When the traffic light is a sensor-activated traffic light, the control information is predicted based on a history of past traffic light changes, The determination unit is Based on the control information, information including information indicating two or more travel routes to be proposed to the user among the plurality of travel routes is determined as the proposed information.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer.

8. The determination unit is A travel route in which the number of stops of the user's travel is equal to or less than a threshold, and a travel route in which the time of stop of the user's travel is equal to or less than a threshold are determined as two or more travel routes to be proposed to the user.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7,

9. Each of the plurality of movement routes includes: Is a walking, jogging, running or cycling route 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer.

10. 1. A computer-implemented information processing method, comprising: An acquisition step of acquiring travel route information which is information on each of a plurality of travel routes starting from a user's position; a determination step of determining, as proposed information, information indicating two or more travel routes among the plurality of travel routes that satisfy different conditions and are to be proposed to the user, based on the travel route information acquired by the acquisition step; a determination step of determining whether or not a difference between the current proposal information determined by the determination step and the proposal information before or at the previous time satisfies a predetermined condition; a notification step of notifying information including the current proposal information and information related to the difference when a difference between the current proposal information and the proposal information before the last time does not satisfy a predetermined condition, The determination step includes: When one or more of the two or more travel routes included in the current proposal information and the previous or previous proposal information are different, it is determined that the difference does not satisfy a predetermined condition.

23. An information processing method comprising:

11. An acquisition step of acquiring travel route information which is information on each of a plurality of travel routes starting from a user's position; a determination step of determining, as proposed information, information indicating two or more travel routes among the plurality of travel routes, which are to be proposed to the user and which satisfy different conditions, based on the travel route information acquired by the acquisition step; a determination step of determining whether or not a difference between the current proposal information determined by the determination step and the proposal information before or at the last time satisfies a predetermined condition; a notification step of notifying, when a difference between the current proposal information and the proposal information before the last time does not satisfy a predetermined condition, information including the current proposal information and information related to the difference as notification information; The determination procedure includes: When one or more of the two or more travel routes included in the current proposal information and the previous or previous proposal information are different, it is determined that the difference does not satisfy a predetermined condition.

23. An information processing program comprising:

Images