Search device, search method, and computer program

Abstract

To improve search efficiency and suppress erroneous search in a search device searching for a specific feature matching search criteria from features on a map.SOLUTION: A search device includes a feature information storage part for storing information relating to features on a map, a visited place information storage part for storing information relating to places to which a user of the search device has visited in the past, and a search part searching for a specific feature matching search criteria specified by the user, from the feature information storage part. The search part searches for the feature falling under the search criteria from information on one or more areas narrowed by areas that are stored in the visited place information storage part out of the feature information storage part and in which the past visited places are located, and outputs it as information relating to the specific feature.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a search device, a search method, and a computer program. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a technology for searching for specific features on a map that match search criteria (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Such technology is used in a variety of situations, such as specifying a destination or stopover in a navigation app, specifying a display position in a map display app, specifying a destination or stopover in a public transportation transfer guide app, and specifying a registered address in an information management app. Here, "feature" refers to everything that exists on a map (ground), including buildings such as "Tokyo Dome" and administrative districts such as "Minato Ward," as well as mountains, trees, and rocks.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a navigation device that allows a user to quickly and easily specify a destination by including a display control means for displaying an area item including the current location and other area items close to the current location, and a destination candidate search means for searching for destination candidates within a specified area item from the area items displayed on the display control means.For example, Patent Document 2 discloses an address search device that searches for a section including coordinates to be searched, in order from a level divided into wide-area sections to a level divided into small-area sections. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-78368 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-213211 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In a technology for searching for specific features on a map that match search criteria, if the search range is set to the entire country, search efficiency decreases. Furthermore, there is a risk of erroneous searches, such as when a user intends to search for "Minato Ward, Tokyo" and sets the search criteria to "Minato Ward, Nagoya City" or "Minato Ward, Osaka City" being presented as search results. In this regard, the navigation device described in Patent Document 1 uses the current location to narrow the search range in advance, thereby preventing a decrease in search efficiency, but has the problem of being ineffective when searching for features located far from the current location. Furthermore, the address search device described in Patent Document 2 searches from a wide range of hierarchies to a narrow range of hierarchies, thereby preventing erroneous searches, but still requiring time and effort for the search, resulting in poor search efficiency.

[0006] For this reason, there has been a demand for a search device that searches for specific features on a map that match search criteria, and that can improve search efficiency and reduce search errors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve at least part of the above-mentioned problems, and can be realized in the following aspects. a search device comprising: a feature information storage unit that stores information about features on a map; a visited place information storage unit that stores information about places visited in the past by a user of the search device, the visited place information storage unit including delivery destinations of packages that the user has previously delivered; a search unit that searches the feature information storage unit for specific features that match search criteria specified by the user; a package information storage unit that stores package information about packages that need to be delivered and are to be delivered by the user; and a registration unit that associates the information about the specific features searched for by the search unit with the package information entered by the user and registers the associated information in the package information storage unit, wherein the search unit searches for features that match the search criteria from information about one or more areas in the feature information storage unit that have been narrowed down to areas where the delivery destinations stored in the visited place information storage unit are located, and outputs the search results as information about the specific features.

[0008] (1) According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a search device comprising: a feature information storage unit that stores information about features on a map; a visited place information storage unit that stores information about places visited in the past by a user of the search device; and a search unit that searches the feature information storage unit for specific features that match search criteria specified by the user, wherein the search unit searches for features that match the search criteria from information about one or more areas in the feature information storage unit that have been narrowed down to areas where the previously visited places stored in the visited place information storage unit are located, and outputs the search results as information about the specific features.

[0009] According to this configuration, the search unit searches for features that meet the search criteria from information about one or more areas in the feature information storage unit, narrowed down to areas where previously visited places stored in the visited place information storage unit are located. Because people generally have fixed locations and ranges for their regular daily activities (hereinafter referred to as "living areas"), the probability of visiting an area they are visiting for the first time is overwhelmingly higher than the probability of visiting an area they have visited in the past. By utilizing this property, the search unit narrows the search range to one or more areas narrowed down to areas where previously visited places are located, thereby improving search efficiency compared to a nationwide search range. Furthermore, for example, if a user living in Tokyo intends to search for "Minato Ward, Tokyo" and enters the search criteria "Minato Ward, Nagoya City," search results such as "Minato Ward, Osaka City" are displayed, which can prevent erroneous searches. As a result, this configuration improves search efficiency and reduces erroneous searches in a search device that searches for specific features that meet search criteria from features on a map.

[0010] (2) The search device of the above form may further include a current location acquisition unit that acquires the current location of the user, and the search unit may acquire the area in which the acquired current location is located, and if the area in which the current location is located is included in the areas in which the previously visited places are located, search for a feature that meets the search criteria from information about one area in the feature information storage unit that has been narrowed down to the area in which the current location is located, and if the area in which the current location is located is not included in the areas in which the previously visited places are located, search for a feature that meets the search criteria from information about one or more areas in the feature information storage unit that have been narrowed down to the areas in which the previously visited places are located. According to this configuration, if the area in which the current location is located is included in the area in which previously visited locations are located, the search unit will use the current location to narrow down the search range to one area narrowed down to the area in which the current location is located, thereby making it possible to limit the search range using the current location and further improving search efficiency.

[0011] (3) In the search device of the above form, if there is no feature that meets the search criteria, the search unit may re-search for a feature that meets the search criteria from information about one or more prefectures in the feature information storage unit that has been narrowed down using either the prefecture where the previously visited location is located or the prefecture where the user's home is located. According to this configuration, if there is no feature that matches the search criteria, the search unit expands the search range to either the prefecture where the previously visited place is located or the prefecture where the user's home is located and performs a search again, thereby preventing the occurrence of an event where "no search results are found" and improving usability for the user. Furthermore, since the search unit automatically performs a search again if there is no feature that matches the search criteria, there is no risk of causing trouble for the user.

[0012] (4) In the search device of the above form, the visited place information storage unit may include, as the past visited places, delivery destinations of packages that the user has previously delivered, and the search unit may search for a feature that meets the search criteria from information about one or more areas in the feature information storage unit that have been narrowed down to the area in which the delivery destination stored in the visited place information storage unit is located. In recent years, the spread of online shopping has led to an increase in demand for logistics services, and the number of people (hereinafter referred to as "delivery personnel") engaged in the task of delivering packages, such as merchandise, to designated destinations has also increased. To improve operational efficiency, delivery personnel are assigned a predetermined area of ​​responsibility, and deliver packages to residential homes within that area. In this regard, according to the present configuration, the search unit narrows the search range to one or more areas narrowed down by the areas where the delivery personnel (users) have previously delivered packages, thereby improving search efficiency and reducing search errors. Furthermore, the search unit automatically considers the areas where the delivery personnel have previously delivered packages to be the delivery personnel's area of ​​responsibility, thereby saving the delivery personnel the time and effort of inputting their own area of ​​responsibility and improving usability.

[0013] (5) The search device of the above form may further include a parcel information storage unit that stores information regarding parcels requiring delivery, which are parcels that the user is to deliver, and a registration unit that associates information regarding the specific feature searched for by the search unit with information regarding the parcels requiring delivery entered by the user and stores the information in the parcel information storage unit. According to this configuration, the registration unit associates information about the specific feature searched by the search unit with information about the parcel to be delivered input by the delivery person (user), and stores the information in the parcel information storage unit. This allows the delivery person to register, manage, and utilize information about the parcel to be delivered.

[0014] The present invention can be realized in various forms, such as a search device that searches for specific features that match search criteria from features on a map, a navigation device or transfer information device that uses this search technology to set departure points, destinations, and intermediate points, a map display device that uses this search technology to set a display position, a computer program for realizing the functions of each of these devices and a system that includes each of these devices, a server device for distributing the computer program, and a non-transitory storage medium that stores the computer program. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a package information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an address code DB. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure for a registration process. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen used in search processing. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a search process. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen used in the registration process of package information. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a process for registering package information. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of how a registered package information DB is used. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a package information management system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a package information management system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a search system according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] A. First embodiment: FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a package information management system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The package information management system 1 is a system in which users (hereinafter also referred to as "delivery personnel") are engaged in logistics operations, particularly the task of delivering packages such as merchandise to designated destinations. The package information management system 1 illustrated here is used by users (delivery personnel) to register, manage, and utilize information about packages to be delivered (hereinafter also referred to as "packages requiring delivery"). The package information management system 1 performs a search process as part of the process in which a user registers information about packages requiring delivery. The search process searches all features on a map for specific features that match specified search criteria. In this search process, the package information management system 1 of this embodiment narrows the search range by using "areas" that divide the map according to predetermined criteria.

[0017] The package information management system 1 includes a server 10 and a client 30. The server 10 is connected to the Internet INT by wired communication. The client 30 is connected to the Internet INT by wireless communication via a communication carrier BS. The communication carrier BS includes a transmitting / receiving antenna, a wireless base station, and a switching center. In other words, the server 10 and the client 30 can communicate with each other via the Internet INT.

[0018] The server 10 includes a CPU 110, a communication unit 120, a ROM / RAM 130, and a storage unit 140, and these units are interconnected by a bus (not shown).

[0019] The CPU 110 controls each part of the server 10 by loading a computer program stored in the ROM 130 into the RAM 130 and executing it. The CPU 110 also functions as a control unit 111. The control unit 111 cooperates with the client 30 in a registration process described below to register information about parcels requiring delivery in the parcel information database 141. Hereinafter, the information about parcels requiring delivery will also be referred to simply as "parcel information." The control unit 111 also plots and displays the parcel information registered in the parcel information database 141 on a map. Details will be described later. In the following description, the database will also be referred to simply as a "DB."

[0020] The communication unit 120 controls communication with other devices such as the client 30 via a communication interface (not shown).

[0021] The storage unit 140 is composed of a hard disk, a flash memory, a memory card, etc. The storage unit 140 stores a package information DB 141 through a registration process described below. The package information DB 141 functions as a "package information storage unit" that stores information about packages requiring delivery. Details of the package information DB 141 will be described later. The storage unit 140 also stores a map information DB 142 in advance. The map information DB 142 is a database that stores data representing map images. The data representing the map images includes information necessary for map display, such as topography, buildings, and road shapes.

[0022] The client 30 can be configured as any device, such as a smartphone as shown in the figure, a personal computer, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, etc. In this embodiment, the client 30 corresponds to a "search device" that searches for specific features that match search criteria specified by a user. The client 30 includes a CPU 310, a communication unit 320, a ROM / RAM 330, a storage unit 340, an input / output unit 350, and a current position acquisition unit 360, and each unit is interconnected by a bus (not shown).

[0023] The CPU 310 controls each unit of the client 30 by loading a computer program stored in the ROM 330 into the RAM 330 and executing it. The CPU 310 also functions as a registration unit 311 and a search unit 312. The registration unit 311 cooperates with the server 10 in a registration process described below to register information about parcels requiring delivery (parcel information) in the parcel information DB 141 of the server 10. The search unit 312 executes a search process to specify the address of the parcel requiring delivery in the registration process described below. Specifically, the search unit 312 searches the feature information DB 343 for a specific feature that matches the search criteria specified by the user. The "specific feature" searched here is the delivery destination of the parcel requiring delivery. The registration unit 311 then associates information about the specific feature searched by the search unit 312 (e.g., the delivery address, etc.) with information about the parcel requiring delivery input by the user (e.g., the presence or absence of a delivery box, the specified delivery time, etc.) and registers the information in the parcel information DB 141. Details will be described below.

[0024] The communication unit 320 controls communication with other devices such as the server 10 via a communication interface (not shown).

[0025] The storage unit 340 is composed of a hard disk, a flash memory, a memory card, etc. The storage unit 340 pre-stores past delivery destination information 341, an address code DB 342, and a feature information DB 343. The past delivery destination information 341 stores information for identifying the location of a delivery destination to which a user of the client 30 has previously delivered a parcel requiring delivery. In this embodiment, an "address" is used as information for identifying the location of the delivery destination. Therefore, the past delivery destination information 341 stores addresses of delivery destinations to which a user of the client 30 has previously delivered a parcel requiring delivery. The past delivery destination information 341 functions as a "visited location information storage unit" that stores information about places visited by the user in the past.

[0026] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the address code DB 342. As described above, the package information management system 1 of this embodiment narrows the search range during the search process by using "areas" that are created by dividing a map according to predetermined criteria. The address code DB 342 shown in FIG. 2 is a database for defining these "areas." The address code DB 342 includes address codes and corresponding administrative districts corresponding to the address codes. The address codes are unique identification numbers that can distinguish each piece of data. Each of the alphabets A to X shown in FIG. 2 represents an arbitrary character string. The corresponding administrative district stores the administrative district corresponding to each address code. That is, in the example of FIG. 2, the area is divided into administrative districts defined for each city, ward, town, or village. The address code DB 342 functions as an "area information storage unit" that divides areas and stores the areas in association with arbitrary locations.

[0027] For example, as shown in Figure 2, all features under "Sapporo City, Hokkaido" represented by address code AAA01 are treated as belonging to the same area. Similarly, all features under "Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo" represented by address code BBB01 are treated as belonging to the same area, and all features under "Chuo Ward, Tokyo" represented by address code BBB02 are treated as belonging to the same area.

[0028] Returning to FIG. 1, the explanation will be continued. The feature information DB 343 stores "information about features" on the maps stored in the map information DB 142. The "information about features" includes the names and addresses of the features. In addition to the names and addresses, the information about features may include any information such as the location information of the feature (e.g., latitude and longitude), the genre of the feature (e.g., the type of feature, or if the feature is a facility, the type of facility), and various other information about the feature. The feature information DB 343 functions as a "feature information storage unit."

[0029] The input / output unit 350 is a variety of interfaces used for inputting and outputting information between the client 30 and the user. For example, the input / output unit 350 may be a touch panel as an input unit, a touch panel as a display unit (output unit), or a liquid crystal panel. The current location acquisition unit 360 receives radio waves transmitted from artificial satellites constituting the GPS (Global Positioning System) or QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System), and acquires current location information (latitude and longitude) indicating the current location of the client 30. Here, since the client 30 is carried by the user, the current location acquired by the current location acquisition unit 360 can be considered the same as the current location of the user.

[0030] Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the registration process. The registration process of this embodiment is a process for registering information about parcels requiring delivery (parcel information), and can be executed at any timing. For example, the registration process may be executed when a predetermined application installed on the client 30 is started. Note that, among the registration process shown in Fig. 3, steps S100 to S142 correspond to the "search process" described above.

[0031] FIG. 4 shows an example of a screen used in the search process. FIG. 4(A) shows an example of a search screen W1 displayed on the input / output unit 350 in step S100. In step S100 of FIG. 3, the search unit 312 of the client 30 causes the input / output unit 350 to display the search screen W1 shown in FIG. 4(A) and acquires search conditions specified by the user. The search screen W1 includes a search condition specification field B11 and a search button B12. The user enters an arbitrary character string (in the illustrated example, "Minato Ward") in the search condition specification field B11 and taps the search button B12. Tapping the search button B12 triggers the search unit 312 to acquire the character string in the search condition specification field B11 and use it as a search condition.

[0032] Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the search process. In step S102 of Fig. 3, the search unit 312 of the client 30 references the past delivery destination information 341. Fig. 5(A) shows an example of the past delivery destination information 341 referenced in step S102. The alphabets A to E in the past delivery destination information 341 shown in Fig. 5(A) each represent an arbitrary character string.

[0033] In step S104, the search unit 312 acquires the address code (area) from the past delivery destination information 341. Specifically, the search unit 312 acquires the address code (identification number representing the area) where each delivery destination is located for each delivery destination (past visited location) stored in the past delivery destination information 341 referenced in step S102. The search unit 312 uses each delivery destination in the past delivery destination information 341 to search for an administrative district in the address code DB 342 and acquire the address code of the matching administrative district. In the example of FIG. 5(A), the search unit 312 acquires address code BBB02 and address code BBB03.

[0034] In step S106, the search unit 312 acquires the prefecture where the user's home is located. The prefecture where the user's home is located may be registered in advance by the user, or may be estimated by analyzing the user's behavioral trajectory.

[0035] 5(B) is a diagram illustrating steps S108 to S124. In step S108 of FIG. 3, the search unit 312 acquires the current location of the client 30 from the current location acquisition unit 360. In step S110, the search unit 312 acquires the address code (identification number representing the area) of the location (current location) represented by the current location. The search unit 312 uses the current location to search for an administrative district in the address code DB 342 and acquires the address code of the matching administrative district.

[0036] In step S120, the search unit 312 determines whether the address code of the current location (an identification number representing an area) is included in the address code (an identification number representing an area) of the past delivery address. Specifically, the search unit 312 determines whether the address code of the current location acquired in step S110 is included in the address code acquired in step S104. If it is included (step S120: YES), in step S122, the search unit 312 sets only the address code of the current location as the search area. For example, as shown in example 1 of FIG. 5(B), if the current location is a place belonging to "Minato-ku, Tokyo" represented by address code BBB03 and below, the search unit 312 sets the address code BBB03 of the current location as the search area. On the other hand, if it is not included (step S120: NO), in step S124, the search unit 312 sets the address code of the past delivery address as the search area. For example, as shown in Example 2 of Figure 5(B), if the current location is a location below "Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo" represented by address code BBB04, the search unit 312 sets the address codes BBB02 and BBB03 of the past delivery addresses as the search area.

[0037] FIG. 5(C) is a diagram illustrating step S130. In step S130 of FIG. 3, the search unit 312 searches the feature information DB 343 for information that is within the search area set in steps S122 and S124 and that meets the search criteria acquired in step S100. Here, the search criteria illustrated in FIG. 4(A) is "Minato Ward." Therefore, in a normal search method (a search method that does not limit the nationwide range by area), places belonging to and below "Minato Ward, Tokyo," "Minato Ward, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture," and "Minato Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture," which are circled in FIG. 5(C), are searched for. However, in step S130, the search area is narrowed down to the search area set in steps S122 and S124. For example, in the case of Example 2 described above, a search is performed for features that meet the search criteria "Minato Ward" from the information narrowed down by address codes BBB02 and BBB03. As a result, only places belonging to and below "Minato Ward, Tokyo" are searched for.

[0038] In step S140, the search unit 312 determines whether or not there are any search results in step S130. If there are any search results (step S140: YES), the search unit 312 transitions the process to step S142. On the other hand, if there are no search results (step S140: NO), the search unit 312 transitions the process to step S144. In step S144, the search unit 312 sets the prefecture acquired in step S106 (the prefecture where the user's home is located) as the inspection area, transitions the process to step S130, and performs a search again.

[0039] FIG. 4(B) shows an example of a search result display screen W2 displayed on the input / output unit 350 in step S142. In step S142 of FIG. 3, the search unit 312 causes the input / output unit 350 to display the search result display screen W2 shown in FIG. 4(B). The search result display screen W2 includes a search result D21 and a list D22 of features belonging to the search result D21 and below (in the illustrated example, administrative districts belonging to the search result D21). The user can further select a desired administrative district (in the example of this embodiment, the delivery address of the package to be registered through the registration process) from the list D22 by tapping. For example, when "Gangnam" is tapped, the search unit 312 further displays features and administrative districts belonging to "Gangnam" and below, thereby accepting the user's specification of the delivery address.

[0040] Figure 6 shows examples of screens used in the package information registration process. Figure 6(A) shows an example of a list screen W3 displayed on the input / output unit 350 in step S150. Figure 6(B) shows an example of a detail screen W4 displayed on the input / output unit 350 in step S150.

[0041] In step S150 of FIG. 3, the registration unit 311 of the client 30 registers package information using the search results of the search process (steps S100 to S142). First, the registration unit 311 causes the input / output unit 350 to display the list screen W3 shown in FIG. 6(A). The list screen W3 includes a delivery address D31 (details are as described in FIG. 4(B)) specified by the user, a list D32 of features belonging to the delivery address D31 or below (in the illustrated example, administrative districts belonging to the delivery address D31), a map display icon B31, a package information registration icon B32, and a registration information availability icon B33. The map display icon B31 is displayed next to the delivery address D31 specified by the user. When the map display icon B31 is tapped, the registration unit 311 causes the input / output unit 350 to display a map centered on the delivery address D31 specified by the user.

[0042] The package information registration icon B32 and the registration information availability icon B33 are displayed next to each other in the list D32. Tapping the package information registration icon B32 causes the registration unit 311 to display the details screen W4 shown in FIG. 6B on the input / output unit 350. The details screen W4 is used to register package information. The details screen W4 includes a delivery address D41, a delivery box availability selection field B41, a nameplate information input field B42, a remarks information input field B43, a time specification selection field B44, a delivery box availability selection field B45, and a registration button B46. The delivery address D41 combines the delivery address D31 specified by the user with the administrative district where the package information registration icon B32 was tapped from the list of features D32 belonging to the delivery address D31 and below, and represents the final delivery address of the package. The delivery box availability selection field B41 is an input field for selecting whether a delivery box exists at the delivery destination. The nameplate information input field B42 is an input field for inputting special notes for the delivery destination. The remarks information input field B43 is an input field for inputting other remarks. The time specification selection field B44 is an input field for selecting a specified delivery time period for the package. The delivery box availability selection field B45 is an input field for selecting whether or not the package can be left in the delivery box. After inputting information in each selection and input field B41 to B45, the user taps the registration button B46.

[0043] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the package information registration process. FIG. 7(A) shows an example of a list screen W3 displayed on the input / output unit 350 after package information has been registered. When the registration button B46 is tapped, the registration unit 311 associates the delivery address D41 with the information about the package to be delivered entered by the user (i.e., the input contents of each selection and input field B41 to B45), and transmits the information to the server 10. The control unit 111 of the server 10 stores the information received from the registration unit 311 in the package information DB 141 for each user. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7(A), the registration unit 311 of the client 30 changes the registration information presence / absence icon B33 of the feature (administrative district) for which package information has been registered to an icon with a check mark, and displays the list screen W3. As a result of repeating the above-mentioned registration process (Figure 3), one or more pieces of package information (three in the illustrated example) are registered in the package information DB 141 of the server 10 for the user of the client 30 (user A in the illustrated example), as shown in Figure 7 (B).

[0044] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of how the registered package information DB 141 is utilized. The package information DB 141 registered in the server 10 can be utilized in various ways. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the package information DB 141 may be used to display a map screen W5 on the input / output unit 350 of the client 30. The map screen W5 includes a plurality of symbols S1 to S5 indicating package information registered in the package information DB 141 and a current location symbol PL indicating the user's current location. Each package information symbol S1 to S5 is plotted at a position corresponding to a "delivery address" in the package information DB 141. When the user taps each package information symbol S1 to S5 on the map screen W5, information about the package (i.e., whether or not a delivery box is available in the package information DB 141, nameplate information, remarks, designated delivery time, availability of the delivery box, etc.) may be displayed in a subwindow. Route guidance from the current location to each delivery address may also be provided.

[0045] In the above example, a search was performed by entering the character string "Minato Ward," which represents the administrative district, in the search condition specification field B11. However, any character string can be entered in the search condition specification field B11. For example, "hospital," which represents the genre of the feature (for example, the type of feature, or the type of facility if the feature is a facility), can be entered in the search condition specification field B11. In this case, a list of hospitals within the search area is displayed in the feature list D22 on the search result display screen W2. For example, "Tokyo Tower," which represents the name of the feature, can be entered in the search condition specification field B11. In this case, the address of the feature is displayed in the search result D21 on the search result display screen W2.

[0046] In the above example, a delivery person as a user registers, manages, and utilizes information about a package to be delivered (package requiring delivery). However, the search process (steps S100 to S144 in FIG. 3) may also be used by a user who is not a delivery person to search for a specific feature that matches the search criteria that the user specifies, such as to specify a destination or a stopover in a navigation app, a display position in a map display app, a destination or a stopover in a public transportation transfer guide app, or a registered address in an information management app. In this case, the past delivery destination information 341 only needs to store information about places that the user has visited in the past (addresses, latitude and longitude, etc.).

[0047] As described above, according to the search device (client 30) of the first embodiment, the search unit 312 searches for features that meet the search criteria from information about one or more areas in the feature information storage unit (feature information DB 343) narrowed down to areas where previously visited places stored in the visited place information storage unit (past delivery destination information 341) are located ( FIG. 3 : steps S122, S124, S130). Because people generally have fixed locations and ranges for their regular daily activities (hereinafter also referred to as "living areas"), the probability of visiting an area they are visiting for the first time is overwhelmingly higher than the probability of visiting an area they have visited in the past. By utilizing this property, the search unit 312 narrows down the search range to one or more areas where previously visited places are located, thereby improving search efficiency compared to when the search range is nationwide. Furthermore, for example, if a user living in Tokyo intends to search for "Minato Ward, Tokyo" and sets the search criteria to "Minato Ward," it is possible to prevent erroneous searches such as "Minato Ward, Nagoya City" or "Minato Ward, Osaka City" from being displayed as search results (Fig. 5(C)). As a result, in a search device that searches for specific features on a map that match the search criteria, it is possible to improve search efficiency and prevent erroneous searches.

[0048] Furthermore, according to the search device (client 30) of the first embodiment, when the area in which the current location is located is included in the area in which previously visited places are located, the search unit 312 sets the search range to one area narrowed down by the area in which the current location is located (FIG. 3: steps S120 and S122, FIG. 5(B): example 1). This makes it possible to limit the search range using the current location, further improving search efficiency.

[0049] Furthermore, according to the search device (client 30) of the first embodiment, if there is no feature that matches the search criteria (FIG. 3: step S140: NO), the search unit 312 expands the search range to the prefecture where the user's home is located and searches again (FIG. 3: steps S144, S130). This prevents the occurrence of an event where "no search results" occurs, improving usability for users. Furthermore, because the search unit 312 automatically searches again when there is no feature that matches the search criteria, there is no risk of causing trouble for the user.

[0050] Furthermore, with the recent spread of internet shopping, the demand for logistics services has increased, and the number of people (delivery personnel) engaged in the task of delivering packages, such as merchandise, to designated destinations has also increased. To improve operational efficiency, delivery personnel are assigned a predetermined area of ​​responsibility and deliver packages to residential homes within that area. In this regard, according to the package information management system 1 of the first embodiment, the search unit 312 of the client 30 narrows the search range to one or more areas narrowed down by the areas where the delivery personnel have previously delivered packages (FIG. 3: steps S122, S124, S130). This improves search efficiency and reduces search errors. Furthermore, the search unit 312 automatically considers the areas where the delivery personnel have previously delivered packages as the delivery personnel's area of ​​responsibility, thereby saving the delivery personnel the time and effort of inputting their own area of ​​responsibility and improving usability.

[0051] Furthermore, according to the package information management system 1 of the first embodiment, the registration unit 311 of the client 30 associates information about specific features searched for by the search unit 312 with information about packages requiring delivery entered by the delivery person (user), and stores the information in the package information storage unit (package information DB 141). This allows the delivery person to register information about packages requiring delivery, and manage and utilize the information as described in FIG. 8.

[0052] B. Second embodiment: 9 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a package information management system 1A according to the second embodiment. The package information management system 1A according to the second embodiment includes a server 10A instead of the server 10 and a client 30A instead of the client 30 in the configuration described in the first embodiment.

[0053] The CPU 110A of the server 10A further includes a search unit 112. The search unit 112 cooperates with the client 30 to execute search processing (FIG. 3: steps S100 to S142) similar to that performed by the search unit 312 of the client 30 described in the first embodiment. The storage unit 140A of the server 10A further includes past delivery destination information 143, an address code DB 144, and a feature information DB 145. The past delivery destination information 143 is similar to the past delivery destination information 341 described in the first embodiment. The address code DB 144 is similar to the address code DB 342 described in the first embodiment. The feature information DB 145 is similar to the feature information DB 343 described in the first embodiment.

[0054] The CPU 310A of the client 30A is provided with a registration unit 311A ​​instead of the registration unit 311, and does not have a search unit 312. The registration unit 311A ​​displays the above-mentioned screens W1 to W5, transmits the search conditions specified on the search screen W1 to the server 10A, and displays a search result display screen W2 using the search results received from the server 10A. In addition, the registration unit 311A ​​executes step S150 in Fig. 3. The storage unit 340A of the client 30A does not have the past delivery destination information 341, address code DB 342, or feature information DB 343 described in the first embodiment.

[0055] As described above, the configuration of the package information management system 1A can be modified in various ways, and the search process (FIG. 3: steps S100 to S142) may be executed by the server 10A. In the second embodiment, the server 10A corresponds to the "search device." The package information management system 1A of the second embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the first embodiment described above. Furthermore, the package information management system 1A of the second embodiment can reduce the processing load on the client 30A.

[0056] C. Third embodiment: 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a package information management system 1B of the third embodiment. The package information management system 1B of the third embodiment does not include the server 10 in the configuration described in the first embodiment, and includes a client 30B instead of the client 30. In the third embodiment, the client 30B corresponds to a "search device."

[0057] The CPU 310B of the client 30B includes a registration unit 311B instead of the registration unit 311. In step S150 of FIG. 3, the registration unit 311B associates the delivery address D41 with the information about the package to be delivered input by the user (i.e., the input contents of each selection and input fields B41 to B45), and stores the information in the package information DB 344. The storage unit 340B of the client 30B further includes a package information DB 344 and a map information DB 345. The map information DB 345 is similar to the map information DB 142 described in the first embodiment.

[0058] As described above, the configuration of the package information management system 1B can be modified in various ways, and may be configured so that the processing of FIG. 3 can be performed by the client 30B alone (without cooperation with the server 10). The package information management system 1B of the third embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the first embodiment described above. Furthermore, the package information management system 1B of the third embodiment can reduce the communication load on the client 30B.

[0059] D. Fourth embodiment: 11 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a search system 1C of the fourth embodiment. The search system 1C of the fourth embodiment does not include the server 10 in the configuration described in the first embodiment, and includes a client 30C instead of the client 30. In the fourth embodiment, the client 30C corresponds to the "search device."

[0060] The CPU 310C of the client 30C does not include the registration unit 311 described in the first embodiment. Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, of the processes described in FIG. 3, only the search process (FIG. 3: steps S100 to S142) is executed, and the registration of package information described in step S150 is not performed. The results of the search process can be used to search for specific features that match the search criteria specified by the user, for example, to specify a destination or a stopover in a navigation app, a display position in a map display app, a destination or a stopover in a public transportation transfer guide app, or a registered address in an information management app. Note that the past delivery destination information 341 only needs to store information about places that the user has visited in the past (addresses, latitude and longitude, etc.).

[0061] In this way, it may be configured as a "search system 1C" instead of the package information management system 1. The search system 1C of the fourth embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the first embodiment described above.

[0062] E. Variations: In the above embodiment, a part of the configuration realized by hardware may be replaced by software, and conversely, a part of the configuration realized by software may be replaced by hardware. In addition, the following modifications are also possible.

[0063] Variation 1: The above embodiment shows an example of the configuration of the package information management system, server, and client. However, the configuration of each device can be arbitrarily adopted. For example, at least one of the package information DB 141 and the map information DB 142 of the server 10 may be stored in the client 30. For example, at least a part of the past delivery destination information 341, the address code DB 342, and the feature information DB 343 of the client 30 may be stored in the server 10.

[0064] For example, in the above embodiment, an "area" is defined by administrative districts established for each city, ward, town, or village. However, an area may be defined in any range. For example, an area may be defined in mesh units (quad units) of a certain size (this size may differ between urban areas and other areas). For example, the package information described in the above embodiment may include other information. An example of such other information is drop-off delivery information. Drop-off delivery information may include whether drop-off delivery is possible, the designation of the drop-off delivery location, the designation of the conditions for drop-off delivery (date, time, weather, etc.), etc.

[0065] Variation 2: In the above embodiment, the registration process (FIG. 3) and the search process (FIG. 3: steps S100 to S142) have been described using an example of a processing procedure. However, these processing procedures can be modified in various ways, and the processing content of each step may be added, omitted, or changed, and the execution order of each step may be changed.

[0066] For example, in steps S106, S144, and S130, the prefecture where the user's home is located is set as the search area. However, in step S144, instead of the prefecture where the user's home is located, the prefecture where the previously visited places are located (in other words, the prefecture where each delivery destination stored in past delivery destination information 341 is located) may be set as the search area. In this case, step S106 may be omitted. Furthermore, in step S144, both the prefecture where the user's home is located and the prefecture where the previously visited places are located may be set as the search area.

[0067] For example, the steps of obtaining the prefecture where the user's home is located (step S104), expanding the search area when no search results are found (steps S140, S144), and searching again (step S130) may be omitted.

[0068] For example, the steps of obtaining the current location (step S108), obtaining the address code of the current location (step S110), and narrowing the search area using the address code of the current location (steps S120 and S122) may be omitted. In this case, the search area is set uniformly using the address code of the past delivery address regardless of the current location (step S124).

[0069] Variation 3: The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, examples, and modifications, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the technical features in the embodiments, examples, and modifications corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be deleted as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1, 1A, 1B...Baggage information management system 1C...Search system 10,10A...Server 30, 30A~30C...Client 110,110A...CPU 111...Control unit 112...Search section 120…Communications Department 130...ROM / RAM 140,140A…Storage unit 141...Baggage information database 143...Past delivery information 310, 310A~310C...CPU 311, 311A, 311B...Registration Department 312...Search section 320…Communications Department 330...ROM / RAM 340,340A,340B…Storage section 341...Past delivery information 350…Input and output 360...Current location acquisition unit

Claims

1. A search device, a feature information storage unit that stores information about features on a map; a visited place information storage unit that stores information about places visited in the past by a user of the search device, the visited place information storage unit including delivery destinations of packages that the user has delivered in the past as the visited places in the past; a search unit that searches the feature information storage unit for a specific feature that matches the search criteria specified by the user; a parcel information storage unit that stores parcel information regarding parcels to be delivered that are parcels to be delivered by the user; a registration unit that associates information about the specific feature searched for by the search unit with the luggage information input by the user and registers the information in the luggage information storage unit; Equipped with The search unit searches for a feature that meets the search criteria from information about one or more areas in the feature information storage unit that have been narrowed down to the area in which the delivery destination stored in the visited location information storage unit is located, and outputs the search result as information about the specific feature.

2. The search device according to claim 1, further comprising: a current location acquisition unit that acquires the current location of the user; The search unit acquiring an area in which the acquired current location is located; If the area in which the current location is located is included in the area in which the delivery destination is located, a feature that meets the search criteria is searched for in the feature information storage unit from information about one area narrowed down to the area in which the current location is located; If the area in which the current location is located is not included in the area in which the delivery destination is located, a search device searches for a feature that meets the search criteria from information about one or more areas in the feature information storage unit that have been narrowed down to the area in which the delivery destination is located.

3. 3. The search device according to claim 1, A search device in which, if there is no feature that meets the search criteria, the search unit re-searches for a feature that meets the search criteria from information about one or more prefectures in the feature information storage unit that has been narrowed down using either the prefecture in which the delivery destination is located or the prefecture in which the user's home is located.

4. The search device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The registration unit is a search device that displays a list screen used for the registration, on which next to the specific feature searched for by the search unit, (i) a cargo information registration icon for displaying a details screen used to register the cargo information, and (ii) a registered information presence / absence icon indicating whether the cargo information has already been registered for the feature.

5. A search method is provided, comprising: an information processing device including a visited place information storage unit that stores information about places visited in the past by a user, the visited place information storage unit including delivery destinations of packages that the user has delivered in the past as the visited places; a step of searching for specific features that match the search criteria specified by the user from a feature information storage unit that stores information about features on the map; a step of registering the information about the specific feature searched for and the luggage information input by the user in association with each other in a luggage information storage unit; Run The package information is information about package to be delivered, which is package to be delivered by the user, and the package information storage unit is a storage unit that stores the package information, In the searching step, a feature that meets the search criteria is searched for from information about one or more areas in the feature information storage unit that have been narrowed down to the area where the delivery destination stored in the visited location information storage unit is located, and the search method outputs information about the specific feature.

6. A computer program is provided to an information processing device including a visited place information storage unit that stores information about places visited in the past by a user, the visited place information storage unit including delivery destinations of packages that the user has delivered in the past as the visited places, a step of searching for a specific feature that matches the search criteria specified by the user from a feature information storage unit that stores information about features on a map; a step of registering the information about the specific feature searched for and the luggage information input by the user in a luggage information storage unit in association with each other; A computer program for causing a computer to execute The package information is information about package to be delivered, which is package to be delivered by the user, and the package information storage unit is a storage unit that stores the package information, In the searching step, a computer program searches for a feature that meets the search criteria from information about one or more areas in the feature information storage unit that have been narrowed down to the area in which the delivery destination stored in the visited location information storage unit is located, and outputs the searched feature as information about the specific feature.

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