Information providing device and information providing method

Abstract

The present invention provides accurate vehicle location information capable of withstanding various analyses and protecting location information related to personal information.　An information providing device 30 includes a communication unit 33 that receives location information of a plurality of vehicles 50; a storage unit 32 that stores map information including road maps; a departure / arrival point location information generating unit (for example, "departure / arrival point location information generating unit 313" described hereinafter) that accumulates the location information for discretely changing time for respective moving bodies, calculates a mode of the location information for the respective moving bodies, and generates, as departure / arrival point location information, plane information including the location information of the mode; and a location information outputting unit (for example, "location information outputting unit 314" described hereinafter) that, for each moving body of the plurality of moving bodies, outputs the plane information and also outputs the location information beyond a location separated by a prescribed distance from the position of the mode.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information providing device and an information providing method for providing position information of a mobile body such as an automobile in order to perform various information analyses relating to the mobile body such as an automobile. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known techniques for acquiring location information of a mobile object such as an automobile, and performing various analyses of the route traveled, facilities where the mobile object stayed, etc., based on the acquired location information of multiple mobile objects. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for identifying the route traveled by a mobile object and the locations of the start and end points of the route traveled by the mobile object by analyzing probe information output by a mobile terminal traveling with the mobile object. Based on the identified route traveled and the locations of the start and end points, it is possible to analyze the starting point and route taken by a mobile object that visited a facility (e.g., a train station) that was the destination, and display the analysis results. A user who refers to the analysis results can know the route traveled by each user of the facility (e.g., a train station) that was the destination. As described above, by utilizing the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is possible to display the starting point and travel route of each user who visits a facility. However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that by displaying the travel route and starting point when visiting a facility, personal information such as the home location and the office location of the person who visited the facility can be inferred. When performing such an analysis, it is important to protect the personal information of each mobile object (for example, home location information, workplace location information, etc.).

[0003] In this regard, Patent Document 2 (Patent No. 6721532) discloses a technology for generating analytical information that can provide accurate analysis results while protecting personal information by overlaying location information of vehicles that visit a facility, which changes discretely over time, on map information at a predetermined transparency level. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-76005 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6721532 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, while the technology described in Patent Document 2 can conceal location information around the home, which serves as the starting point and destination point, when analyzing a certain amount of location information of mobile objects, there is a possibility that locations around the home may become visible when the amount of location information of mobile objects becomes enormous. Therefore, in order to be widely adopted as an analysis tool, technology that takes into consideration the protection of personal information of mobile objects is required.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide an information providing device and an information providing method that are capable of generating location information of a moving body such as an automobile and providing the location information to a user who performs various analyses while protecting personal information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) An information providing device (e.g., information providing device 30 described later) of the present invention includes a receiving unit (e.g., “receiving unit 311” described later) that receives position information of a plurality of moving bodies (e.g., vehicles 50 described later); The system includes a memory unit (e.g., memory unit 32 described later) that stores map information including a road map, a departure / arrival point position information generation unit (e.g., "departure / arrival point position information generation unit 313" described later) that accumulates the position information that changes discretely over time for each of the multiple moving bodies, calculates the most frequent value of the position information for each of the multiple moving bodies, and generates area information including the most frequent position information as departure / arrival point position information, and a position information output unit (e.g., "position information output unit 314" described later) that outputs the area information for each of the multiple moving bodies and outputs the position information for positions that are a predetermined distance away from the most frequent position and beyond.

[0008] According to (1) above, it is possible to provide accurate vehicle location information that can withstand various analyses while protecting location information related to personal information, such as the vicinity of the home of the user of the mobile vehicle.

[0009] (2) In the information providing device described in (1) above, the surface information may be a mesh having a predetermined area or more.

[0010] According to (2) above, it is possible to provide an effect of making it possible to better protect personal information.

[0011] (3) In the information providing device described in (1) above, the area information may be an administrative district.

[0012] According to (3) above, it is possible to provide better protection for personal information.

[0013] (4) In the information providing device according to any one of (1) to (3) above, the position that is a predetermined distance away from the position that is the most frequent value may be a position that is away from the surface information.

[0014] According to (4) above, it is possible to further protect personal information.

[0015] (5) In the information providing device described in any one of (1) to (4) above, the location information output unit may output the surface information and the location information for a position that is a predetermined distance away from the most frequent position and thereafter, superimposed on the map information.

[0016] According to (5) above, it is possible to visualize the vehicle location information of a mobile object on a map while protecting the location information related to personal information, such as the vicinity of the user's home.

[0017] (6) The information providing method of the present invention is an information providing method performed by a computer (e.g., an information providing device 30 described later), and includes a receiving step of receiving position information of a plurality of moving bodies (e.g., a vehicle 50 described later), a storage step of storing map information including a road map, a departure / arrival point position information generating step of accumulating the position information for each of the plurality of moving bodies that changes discretely over time, calculating the most frequent value of the position information for each of the moving bodies, and generating area information including the most frequent position information as departure / arrival point position information, and a position information output step of outputting the area information for each of the plurality of moving bodies and outputting the position information for positions at a predetermined distance from the most frequent position and beyond.

[0018] According to the method (6) above, the same effect as that of the information providing device (1) can be achieved. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide accurate vehicle position information that can withstand various analyses while protecting position information related to personal information such as the vicinity of the home of a mobile user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of an entire information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of an in-vehicle navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of an information providing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a location information database according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a departure / arrival point position information table in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display of travel route information in which personal information is protected according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing an operation for generating surface information of one moving body (vehicle 50) in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an operation for generating travel route information for one moving body (vehicle 50) with personal information protection in the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] A preferred embodiment of the information providing system of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0022] <Overall configuration of information provision system 1> An information providing system 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 1, the information provision system 1 includes an in-vehicle navigation device 10, a mobile terminal 20, and an information provision device 30. These devices and terminals are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via a communication network 60. An information analysis device 40 may also be included. Although the figure also shows information transmitted and received by these devices and terminals, this information is merely an example. In this embodiment, information other than that shown in the figure may also be transmitted and received.

[0024] The in-vehicle navigation device 10 is a device that provides navigation (route guidance) to a user in a vehicle 50a. The in-vehicle navigation device 10 also has a function of measuring the position information of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 (i.e., the position information of the vehicle 50a). The in-vehicle navigation device 10 provides route guidance from the current position to the destination based on a request from the user in the vehicle 50 and the measured position information.

[0025] The in-vehicle navigation device 10 also transmits the measured position information to the information providing device 30 as appropriate, together with a mobile unit ID, which is identification information for identifying the in-vehicle navigation device 10, and date and time information. Here, since the in-vehicle navigation device 10 and the vehicle 50a are used as a one-to-one pair, the transmitted position information can be essentially regarded as the position information of the vehicle 50a. Such an in-vehicle navigation device 10 can be realized by a portable car navigation device installed in a vehicle 50a, which is a moving body, or by a PND (Portable Navigation Device) simply installed in a vehicle 50a, which is a moving body.

[0026] The mobile terminal 20 is a mobile terminal used by a user in the vehicle 50b. Similar to the above-described in-vehicle navigation device 10, the mobile terminal 20 has a function of performing navigation (route guidance) and a function of measuring the position information of the mobile terminal 20 (i.e., the position information of the vehicle 50b).

[0027] Then, similarly to the above-described in-vehicle navigation device 10, the mobile terminal 20 appropriately transmits the measured location information to the information providing device 30 together with a mobile object ID, which is identification information for identifying the mobile terminal 20, and date and time information. Here, since the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 50b are used as a one-to-one pair, the transmitted location information can be essentially regarded as the location information of the vehicle 50b. Such a mobile terminal 20 can be realized by a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a notebook computer, or other portable electronic device.

[0028] Although the figure shows one pair of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 and the vehicle 50a, and one pair of the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 50b, there is no particular limit to the number of these pairs, and any number of these pairs may be included in this embodiment. Similarly, there is no particular limit to the number of information providing devices 30, and any number of information providing devices 30 may be included in this embodiment.

[0029] In the following description, when referring to the vehicle 50a equipped with the in-vehicle navigation device 10 and the vehicle 50b in which the user using the mobile terminal 20 rides without distinction, the final alphabet will be omitted and they will simply be referred to as "vehicle 50." Furthermore, the vehicle 50, the in-vehicle navigation device 10, and the portable terminal 20 used in the vehicle 50 move as the vehicle 50 moves. Therefore, in the following description, the vehicle 50, the in-vehicle navigation device 10, and the portable terminal 20 are also referred to as "mobile bodies" as appropriate.

[0030] The information providing device 30 is a device for generating and providing location information of each vehicle 50 that changes discretely over time and can withstand various analyses (hereinafter also referred to as "personal information-protected vehicle location information") while protecting location information related to personal information, such as the vicinity of the home of the user of each vehicle 50. Specifically, the information providing device 30 protects the location information related to personal information such as the vicinity of the home of the user of each vehicle 50 by, for example, face information, and generates and provides, as the time-discretely changing location information of the vehicle 50, the time-discretely changing location information of the vehicle 50 after a position that is a predetermined distance or more away from the face information or after a position that is a predetermined distance or more away from the home location information of the vehicle user. Details will be described later.

[0031] The generated vehicle position information with personal information protection may be output to a display (not shown) of the information providing device 30 so as to be displayed superimposed on map information. Alternatively, the vehicle position information with personal information protection may be output (transmitted) to an information analyzing device 40 having various analysis functions, and the information analyzing device 40 may display the vehicle position information superimposed on map information on a display (not shown) such as a display. Alternatively, the vehicle position information may be displayed superimposed on map information on a terminal device (not shown) communicably connected to the information analyzing device 40.

[0032] The information analysis device 40 is a device having a function of utilizing, for various analyses, the vehicle location information, the personal information of which is protected, provided by the information providing device 30. The information analysis device 40 can be realized by, for example, a personal computer, a server, etc. Note that a description of the functions of the information analysis device 40 will be omitted.

[0033] The vehicle 50 is a moving body in which a user of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 or the mobile terminal 20 rides. The vehicle 50 is realized by, for example, a four-wheeled automobile, a motorcycle, a bicycle, or the like.

[0034] The communication network 60 may be realized by a network such as the Internet or a mobile phone network, or a combination thereof. A local area network (LAN) may also be included as part of the network (for example, between the information providing device 30 and the information analyzing device 40). Before describing the information providing device 30, the in-vehicle navigation device 10 and the mobile terminal 20 will be briefly described.

[0035] <About the in-vehicle navigation device 10> The in-vehicle navigation device 10 receives power supply from the vehicle 50a and is automatically started when the user in the vehicle 50a turns on the ignition switch of the vehicle 50a (starts the engine). The in-vehicle navigation device 10 then operates until the user in the vehicle 50a turns off the ignition switch of the vehicle 50a (stops the engine).

[0036] As shown in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle navigation device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, a sensor unit 14, a display unit 15, and an input unit 16.

[0037] The control unit 11 is composed of an arithmetic processing device such as a microprocessor, and controls each unit that constitutes the in-vehicle navigation device 10. The control unit 11 will be described in detail later.

[0038] The storage unit 12 is composed of semiconductor memory or the like, and stores various programs such as control programs called firmware or operating systems, programs for performing route guidance processing, and programs for performing processing for transmitting location information to the information providing device 30, as well as other various information such as facility information for route guidance and map information including facility IDs.

[0039] In the figure, as information stored in the storage unit 12, location information 121 and a moving object ID 122, which are information relating specifically to the location information transmission process, are shown. The position information 121 is position information of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 (i.e., position information of the vehicle 50a) measured by the sensor unit 14 described later. The position information 121 can include not only information indicating the measured position but also the time when the positioning was performed.

[0040] The moving body ID 122 is information for identifying the in-vehicle navigation device 10 and the vehicle 50a in which the in-vehicle navigation device 10 is installed. As the mobile unit ID 122, for example, a manufacturing number uniquely assigned to the in-vehicle navigation device 10 can be used. Alternatively, in order for the communication unit 13 to connect to the communication network 60, which is a network such as a mobile phone network, a telephone number assigned to a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) inserted into the communication unit 13 can be used as the mobile unit ID 122. Alternatively, a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) uniquely assigned to the vehicle 50a or a license plate number can be used as the mobile unit ID 122.

[0041] The communication unit 13 has a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) or the like, and realizes wireless communication with another device (for example, the information providing device 30) via the communication network 60 in accordance with standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), and 5G (5th Generation), or standards such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The communication unit 13 is used, for example, by a position information transmission unit 112 (described later) to transmit position information 121 and a mobile object ID 122 stored in the storage unit 12 to the information providing device 30. However, there is no particular limitation on the data transmitted and received between the communication unit 13 and another device, and information other than the position information 121 and the mobile object ID 122 may be transmitted and received.

[0042] The sensor unit 14 is configured by, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor, a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, etc. The sensor unit 14 has a function as a position detection means for detecting position information, and receives GPS satellite signals using the GPS sensor to measure the position information (latitude and longitude) of the in-vehicle navigation device 10. As described above, the positioning by the sensor unit 14 is performed at predetermined time intervals (for example, every 3 seconds). The measured position information is stored in the storage unit 12 as position information 121. Note that the GPS sensor can measure altitude in addition to latitude and longitude, so the position information may include altitude in addition to latitude and longitude. The sensor unit 14 can further improve the accuracy of measuring the position information of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 based on the angular velocity and acceleration measured by the gyro sensor and acceleration sensor. The display unit 15 is configured with a display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic electroluminescence panel, etc. The display unit 15 receives an instruction from the control unit 11 and displays an image. The input unit 16 is configured with an input device (not shown) such as a physical switch called a numeric keypad or a touch panel provided over the display surface of the display unit 15. In addition, although not shown, a speaker, a microphone, etc. may also be provided. The speaker outputs audio to the driver, and the microphone collects sounds etc. uttered by the driver. This allows information to be output as voice from a speaker, and various selections and instructions made by the driver via voice input via a microphone to be input to the control unit 11 using voice recognition technology.

[0043] Next, the control unit 11 will be described in detail. The control unit 11 is configured by a microprocessor having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random access memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), I / O (Input / Output), etc. The CPU executes each program read from the ROM or storage unit 12, and during execution, reads information from the RAM, ROM, and storage unit 12, writes information to the RAM and storage unit 12, and exchanges signals with the communication unit 13, sensor unit 14, display unit 15, and input unit 16. In this way, the processing in this embodiment is realized by the cooperation of hardware and software (programs).

[0044] The control unit 11 includes a route guidance unit 111 and a location information transmission unit 112 as functional blocks.

[0045] The route guidance unit 111 is a part that performs route guidance processing to a destination such as a facility input or selected by the user, and is well known to those skilled in the art, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0046] The location information transmitting unit 112 is a part that transmits the location information 121 and the moving object ID 122 stored in the storage unit 12 to the information providing device 30 by wireless communication using the communication unit 13.

[0047] The location information transmission unit 112 transmits the location information 121 and the moving object ID 122 to the information providing device 30 periodically from when the ignition switch of the vehicle 50a is turned on (engine is started) by the user in the vehicle 50a at the start of the drive and the in-vehicle navigation device 10 is automatically started until the ignition switch of the vehicle 50a is turned off (engine is stopped) at the end of the drive. For example, transmission is performed in real time every time the sensor unit 14 performs positioning at a predetermined time interval (e.g., every 3 seconds). In other words, transmission is performed in real time from the start of the drive until the end of the drive. Also, instead of transmitting to the information providing device 30 in real time, multiple pieces of information (for example, location information 121 updated every three seconds over a three-minute period and moving object ID 122) may be transmitted all at once. That is, so-called burst transmission may be performed. The length of the predetermined time interval and whether to transmit in real time or in burst transmission can be set arbitrarily depending on the environment in which this embodiment is applied, etc. In this way, by performing real-time transmission or burst transmission, the location information transmission unit 112 transmits location information 121 for identifying the movement route of the vehicle 50a whose position is measured by the sensor unit 14, and the moving body ID 122 to the information providing device 30.

[0048] In this case, the position specified by the position information 121 measured immediately after the ignition switch is turned on (engine is started) and the in-vehicle navigation device 10 is automatically started can be transmitted to the information providing device 30 as the initial vehicle position in the drive, i.e., the starting position. Furthermore, the position specified by the position information 121 measured immediately before the ignition switch is turned off (engine is stopped) can be transmitted to the information providing device 30 as the final vehicle position in the drive, i.e., the parking position. For example, information indicating that the position information 121 represents the starting position or the parking position (for example, by setting the value of a flag indicating this to 1) is added to the position information 121 before it is transmitted to the information providing device 30. In addition, the location information 121 (i.e., the parking position) measured immediately before the ignition switch is turned off (engine is stopped) may be transmitted when the ignition switch is turned on (engine is started) and the in-vehicle navigation device 10 is started again.

[0049] In addition, when burst transmission is performed, for example, when the route guidance unit 111 determines that the vehicle 50a has arrived at the destination such as a facility, the location information transmission unit 112 can switch to transmitting in real time. This can prevent a situation in which the ignition switch is turned off (engine stopped) after arrival at the destination such as a facility before the location information 121 of the destination such as a facility is transmitted, resulting in the location information 121 of the destination such as a facility not being transmitted to the information providing device 30.

[0050] Furthermore, the position information transmitting unit 112 can transmit the speed information of the vehicle 50a to the information providing device 30 together with the position information 121 and the moving object ID 122 described above. <Regarding the mobile terminal 20> As shown in FIG. 3, the mobile terminal 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, a sensor unit 24, a display unit 25, an input unit 26, and a short-range communication unit 27. Here, the control unit 21, the memory unit 22, the communication unit 23, the sensor unit 24, the display unit 25, and the input unit 26 have functions equivalent to those of the functional blocks of the same names included in the above-mentioned in-vehicle navigation device 10. In other words, by replacing the wording "in-vehicle navigation device 10" with "portable terminal 20" and the wording "vehicle 50a" with "vehicle 50b" in the description of the above-mentioned in-vehicle navigation device 10, the functional blocks of the portable terminal 20 can be described, and therefore redundant description will be omitted.

[0051] On the other hand, the mobile terminal 20 differs from the in-vehicle navigation device 10 in that it includes a short-range communication unit 27, and this difference will be described below. The short-range communication unit 27 is a part for performing non-contact short-range communication conforming to standards such as NFC (Near Field Communication) and Bluetooth (registered trademark), or wired short-range communication via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable or the like.

[0052] On the other hand, the vehicle 50b includes a short-range communication unit for communicating with the short-range communication unit 27. For example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of the vehicle 50b includes the short-range communication unit. The case where the mobile terminal 20 can communicate with the ECU through short-range communication is the case where the mobile terminal 20 is present inside the vehicle 50b. In this case, the location information measured by the sensor unit 24 of the mobile terminal 20 corresponds to the location information of the vehicle 50b.

[0053] Therefore, the mobile terminal 20 activates the position information transmission unit 212 while short-range communication with the ECU is possible via the short-range communication unit 27. Then, the activated position information transmission unit 212 transmits, to the information providing device 30, position information 221 for identifying the travel route of the vehicle 50b whose position is measured by the sensor unit 24, and the moving object ID 222, in the same manner as the position information transmission unit 112 of the in-vehicle navigation device 10.

[0054] For example, when a user gets into vehicle 50b carrying mobile terminal 20 and turns on the start switch of vehicle 50b, such as an ignition switch, vehicle 50b and mobile terminal 20 are connected (paired), and then location information 221 measured by mobile terminal 20 and moving body ID 222 are transmitted from mobile terminal 20 to information providing device 30. Furthermore, when a start switch of the vehicle 50b, such as an ignition switch, is turned off, the pairing between the vehicle 50b and the mobile terminal 20 is released.

[0055] If the vehicle 50b has a function of measuring position information, the position information measured by the vehicle 50b, rather than the position information measured by the sensor unit 24, may be transmitted to the information providing device 30 as the position information 121. In this case, the sensor unit 24 may be omitted from the mobile terminal 20.

[0056] <Regarding the information providing device 30> The information providing device 30 obtains the position information of each vehicle 50 from the in-vehicle navigation device 10 or the mobile terminal 20, and thereby creates a position information database, which is a database of the position information of each vehicle 50. The information providing device 30 also stores map information including facility positions for a plurality of facilities. The information providing device 30 then generates accurate vehicle position information (hereinafter also referred to as "personal information protected vehicle position information") for overlaying the time-discretely changing position information of mobile objects that have visited a facility on the map information, after protecting the position information related to personal information, such as the vicinity of the home of the user of each vehicle 50, by using, for example, surface information. As will be described later, the surface information may be set in advance as, for example, a mesh having a predetermined area or more, an administrative district, etc. Furthermore, the surface information may be surface information including home location information of a predetermined number or more of vehicle users within an area indicated by the surface information. Furthermore, in the vehicle position information for which personal information is protected, the time-discretely variable position information of the vehicle 50 indicating the travel route may be time-discretely variable position information of the vehicle 50 after a position that is a predetermined distance or more away from the surface information or after a position that is a predetermined distance or more away from the home position information of the vehicle user. The mobile object ID of the vehicle 50 is also converted into a random value (referred to as a "converted mobile object ID") using, for example, a one-way function. In this way, the information providing device 30 provides, for each converted mobile body ID, travel route information identified based on the time-discretely changing location information received for each movement of the mobile body, as vehicle location information with personal information protection.

[0057] In this way, with vehicle position information for which personal information has been protected, the surface information including the position information around the home of the user of each vehicle 50 makes it difficult for the user using the information to visually recognize each of the position information around the home of the user of each vehicle 50, thereby protecting personal information. On the other hand, by outputting position information for a position that is a predetermined distance away from the position around the user's home and beyond, it becomes possible to know, for example, the route taken by a user visiting a certain facility to get to the facility and the route taken to return after visiting the facility. In other words, the route taken to reach the facility and the route taken home after visiting the facility can be known. That is, according to this embodiment, it is possible to generate and provide accurate vehicle position information that can withstand the analysis desired by the user while protecting personal information. Next, functional blocks included in the information providing device 30 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 4, the information providing device 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a communication unit 33.

[0059] The control unit 31 is configured with a processing unit such as a microprocessor, and controls each unit constituting the information providing device 30. The control unit 31 will be described in detail later.

[0060] The storage unit 32 is configured with a semiconductor memory or the like, and stores various programs such as control programs called firmware or operating systems, programs for performing the process of providing location information, and other various information such as map information. The figure shows, as information stored in the storage unit 32, a map information storage unit 321 that stores map information, which is information particularly related to the process of providing location information, a location information database 322 that stores the location information of each vehicle 50, and a departure / arrival point location information table 323 that stores the parking location information of each vehicle 50.

[0061] The map information stored in the map information storage unit 321 includes, for a plurality of facilities, facility identification information (facility ID), facility name, facility type (and / or genre) related to the type of facility, telephone number, address, business hours, center position information indicating the center position of the facility (e.g., latitude and longitude information), etc. Here, the facility type indicates the type of business of the facility, such as a convenience store, hospital, car dealership, etc. In addition to map information, the memory unit 32 may also include road network data including road information, display map data for displaying the background of roads and road maps, location information and type information of nodes (e.g., road intersections, bends, end points, etc.), location information and type information of links which are routes connecting each node, and link cost data relating to cost information of all links (e.g., distance, required time, etc.).

[0062] The map information may be configured to be stored in advance in the map information storage unit 321, or may be configured to be downloaded as needed from a server device (not shown) or the like connected to the communication network 60. Furthermore, the map information may be modified as needed in response to user input or the like.

[0063] The location information database 322 is a database constructed based on the location information 121 and moving object ID 122 received from the in-vehicle navigation device 10, and the location information 221 and moving object ID 222 received from the mobile terminal 20. The location information database 322 is constructed and updated by each functional block included in the control unit 31. The location information database 322 will be described in detail later.

[0064] As will be described later, the departure / arrival point position information table 323 is a table that stores position information determined by the departure / arrival point position information recording unit 312 as the parking position of the vehicle 50 in association with the identification information of the vehicle 50. In this case, the departure / arrival point position information table 323 may store, in addition to the parking position, the parking time at the parking position, including date and time information.

[0065] In the following description, when the location information 121 and the location information 221 are described without distinction, they will be referred to as "location information" without the reference numerals. Similarly, when the moving body ID 122 and the moving body ID 222 are described without distinction, they will be referred to as "moving body ID" without the reference numerals.

[0066] The communication unit 33 has a DSP and the like, and conforms to standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), and 5G (5th Generation), and Wi-Fi (registered trademark), to realize wireless communication and wired communication with other devices (for example, the in-vehicle navigation device 10 and the mobile terminal 20) via the communication network 60. The communication unit 33 is used, for example, to receive location information, user information, and mobile object IDs transmitted from the in-vehicle navigation device 10 and the mobile terminal 20, respectively. However, there is no particular restriction on the data exchanged between the communication unit 33 and other devices, and information other than the above may also be exchanged.

[0067] Next, the control unit 31 will be described in detail. The control unit 31 is configured by a microprocessor having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), I / O (Input / Output), etc. The CPU executes each program read from the ROM or storage unit 32, and during execution, reads information from the RAM, ROM, and storage unit 32, writes information to the RAM and storage unit 32, and exchanges signals with the communication unit 33, sensor unit 34, display unit 35, and input unit 36. In this way, the processing in this embodiment is realized by the cooperation of hardware and software (programs).

[0068] The control unit 31 includes, as functional blocks, a receiving unit 311, a departure / arrival point position information recording unit 312, a departure / arrival point position information generating unit 313, and a position information output unit 314.

[0069] <Receiving unit 311> The receiving unit 311 receives successive pieces of position information together with time information from a plurality of vehicles 50. More specifically, the receiving unit 311 is a part that updates the position information database 322 based on the successive pieces of position information and the mobile object ID received from the mobile object via the communication unit 33.

[0070] An example of the data structure of the location information database 322 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 5, the location information database 322 may store, for each vehicle 50, "speed information" in addition to the "mobile object ID," "movement progress," and "continuous location information and time information from the vehicle 50" received by the receiving unit 311.

[0071] As described above, the "mobile object ID" in the location information database 322 is information for identifying the in-vehicle navigation device 10 or the mobile terminal 20 that is the source of the location information, etc., or the vehicle 50 in which they are installed. The "movement progression" in the location information database 322 is all consecutive location information received from the mobile object from the start of transmission of location information, etc. to the present. This consecutive location information makes it possible to identify parking location information including the parking location, parking date and time, etc. Note that the movement progression also includes time information when the location information was measured. Furthermore, when speed information is transmitted from the mobile object together with the location information, the received speed information is stored in association with the time information and location information.

[0072] The receiving unit 311 may update the location information database 322 by storing the above-mentioned information in a new field based on the received location information and identification information each time the transmission of location information and identification information from any of the in-car navigation devices 10 and the mobile terminal 20 is started and then completed.

[0073] <Departure / Arrival Point Position Information Recording Unit 312> Based on the location information database 322, the departure / arrival point location information recording unit 312 stores the location information of the first departure of the vehicle 50 each day as the departure point location of the vehicle in the departure / arrival point location information table 323 in association with the identification information of the vehicle 50. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the departure / arrival point position information table 323. As shown in Fig. 6, the departure / arrival point position information table 323 may store, for each vehicle 50, a "mobile object ID," "travel date and time," "departure point position information," "arrival point position information," "travel route information," and "parking time."

[0074] Specifically, the departure / arrival point position information recording unit 312 may store the departure point position information and the arrival point position information together with date and time information at the departure point position and the parking time at the arrival point. Note that the parking time may be the parking time at the departure point instead of the parking time at the arrival point. Also, the parking time at the departure point and the parking time at the arrival point may be stored. In addition, when the moving body (vehicle 50) departs from an arrival point described later, the departure / arrival point position information recording unit 312 records the arrival point as a new departure point and the time-discretely changing position information to the next arrival point as travel route information in the departure / arrival point position information table 323. Furthermore, the departure / arrival point position information recording unit 312 determines that the mobile object (vehicle 50) has been parked when it is determined that there has been no change in the vehicle position information for a predetermined period of time or more, based on the position information database 322. Furthermore, when it is determined that the vehicle 50 has been parked, the departure / arrival point position information recording unit 312 calculates the parking time of the mobile object (vehicle 50). The departure / arrival point position information recording unit 312 stores the position information at which it has been determined that the vehicle 50 has been parked as the arrival point position of the vehicle in the departure / arrival point position information table 323 in association with the identification information of the vehicle 50. Furthermore, the departure / arrival point position information recording unit 312 stores the parking time, including date and time information at the parking position, together with the departure point / arrival point position information.

[0075] More specifically, for example, when the transmission of position information and the like is started once and then the last received position information is received, and no position information is transmitted for a predetermined time, the departure / arrival point position information recording unit 312 may determine that the position corresponding to this last received position information is the arrival point position. In this case, the departure / arrival point position information recording unit 312 may calculate the predetermined time during which no position information is transmitted as the parking time of the vehicle 50. Furthermore, when a position corresponding to other transmitted position information does not change for a certain time or more, this position may be determined to be the arrival point position. In this case, the departure / arrival point position information recording unit 312 may calculate the time during which the position does not change as the parking time of the vehicle 50. Furthermore, if the interval between the times at which adjacent pieces of position information were measured in consecutive pieces of position information received from vehicle 50 exceeds a predetermined first time or is equal to or longer than a predetermined first time, and any of the speed information pieces of the adjacent position information is lower than a predetermined speed V0 or is shorter than that, then departure / arrival point position information recording unit 312 may determine that the vehicle was stopped. In this case, departure / arrival point position information recording unit 312 may calculate the interval between the times at which the adjacent pieces of position information were measured as the parking time of vehicle 50. Here, the predetermined speed V0 may be, for example, the speed at which the vehicle stops in a parking lot. It may also be 0 km / h. It may also be set according to the characteristics of each vehicle 50 (characteristics of the driver when driving). By doing so, even if the device is an apparatus that cannot transmit location information when the ignition is on and / or when the ignition is off, it is possible to identify information that is likely to indicate parking. Note that when the vehicle 50 stops transmitting position information of the vehicle 50 when the ignition is turned off, as in the case of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 of a current engine vehicle, the current position transmitted immediately before reception of position information of the vehicle 50 stopped may be used as the parking position. In this case, the departure / arrival point position information recording unit 312 may calculate the time from when transmission of position information of the vehicle 50 stopped to when transmission of position information of the vehicle 50 next started as the parking time of the vehicle 50. Similarly, when the vehicle 50 starts transmitting position information of the vehicle 50 when the ignition is turned on, for example, like the in-vehicle navigation device 10 in a current engine vehicle, the current position at which reception of the position information of the vehicle 50 starts may be set as the parking position. In this case, the departure / arrival point position information recording unit 312 may calculate, as the parking time of the vehicle 50, the time difference from the time at which transmission of the position information of the vehicle 50 stopped before reception of the position information of the vehicle 50 starts. Furthermore, if the vehicle 50 is capable of transmitting stop signal information even when stopped, such as an electric vehicle, the parking position may be the current position indicated by the stop signal or the most recent position information of the vehicle 50. In this case, the departure / arrival point position information recording unit 312 may calculate the time from when the stop signal information is received until the next reception of start signal information or position information as the parking time of the vehicle 50. Similarly, if the vehicle 50 is capable of transmitting activation signal information when the vehicle 50 is activated, such as an electric vehicle, the current position indicated by the activation signal may be regarded as the parking position. In this case, the departure / arrival point position information recording unit 312 may calculate, as the parking time of the vehicle 50, the time difference from the time when stop signal information or the last position signal was received from the vehicle 50 before receiving the track signal information.

[0076] <Departure / Arrival Point Position Information Generator 313> Next, the departure / arrival point position information generation unit 313 will be described. The departure / arrival point position information generation unit 313 calculates the mode (also referred to as the "mode departure / arrival point position") of the departure / arrival point positions of each mobile body (vehicle 50) during a predetermined period based on a departure / arrival point position information table 323 that records the departure point position information and arrival point position information of each mobile body (vehicle 50) of a plurality of mobile bodies, and generates area information including the mode position information as the mode departure / arrival point position information. Here, the departure / arrival point position of the mobile body (vehicle 50) refers to a position (arrival position) where the mobile body (vehicle 50) is parked when moving and is also a position (departure position) from which the mobile body departs after parking. As will be described in a modified example below, location information for protecting the personal information of the user of the mobile body (vehicle 50) may be applied not only to the most frequent departure / arrival points but also to the locations of the workplace, school, etc. of the user of the mobile body (vehicle 50), as will be described in detail later.

[0077] The degree of "match" between the same positions may be determined arbitrarily. For example, if the in-vehicle navigation device 10 or the portable terminal 20 can measure position information with high accuracy, the range within which a match is determined may be narrowed. On the other hand, if the in-vehicle navigation device 10 or the portable terminal 20 cannot measure position information with such high accuracy, the range within which a match is determined may be widened. In other words, the stopping positions may be determined to match even if there is some deviation in the positions. In this way, the departure / arrival point position information generation unit 313 calculates the most frequent departure / arrival point positions for each mobile object (vehicle 50), associates the calculated most frequent departure / arrival point positions with the mobile object ID as positions near the home of the user of the mobile object (vehicle 50), and records them in the storage unit 32. Note that if the departure position is determined to be the position of a rental car facility, it may be recorded as "rental car" because it is not the mobile object user's base of operations. In this way, the departure / arrival point position information generating unit 313 can identify position information relating to personal information that is near the home of the user of each vehicle 50.

[0078] Next, the departure / arrival point position information generating unit 313 generates area information based on the most frequent departure / arrival point positions identified for each moving body (vehicle 50). Specifically, for example, the departure / arrival point position information generating unit 313 may generate, as area information, a mesh having a predetermined area or more that includes the most frequent departure / arrival point positions identified for each moving body (vehicle 50). When generating a mesh as area information, for example, the mesh may include the home positions of a predetermined number or more of vehicles 50. Furthermore, the departure / arrival point position information generating unit 313 may generate, as area information, a predetermined administrative district including the most frequent departure / arrival point positions identified for each moving body (vehicle 50). Here, the administrative district is preferably an administrative district including a predetermined number of households or more. By treating administrative districts as area information, for example, when conducting an analysis based on "personal information-protected travel route information," various analyses based on administrative districts can be performed, such as analyzing trends for each administrative district regarding the number of vehicles 50 traveling from the administrative district where the home location is located to a specified location or facility, and conversely, analyzing trends for each administrative district regarding the number of vehicles 50 traveling from a specified location or facility to the administrative district where the home location is located. The method for generating surface information for protecting location information relating to personal information, such as the vicinity of the home of the user of the mobile body (vehicle 50), has been described above.

[0079] <Location information output unit 314> The position information output unit 314 outputs the surface information for each of the plurality of moving bodies, and also outputs the position information for positions at or after a predetermined distance away from the position with the most frequent value. Specifically, the location information output unit 314 generates, for each mobile object ID, a travel route from a departure point to a destination point for each trip as travel route information based on location information that changes discretely over time and is received during the trip. The location information picked up as travel route information may be based on a predetermined time interval. Here, the time interval may be a parameter value set by a user who performs various analyses using the vehicle location information. In this case, if the departure location and the arrival location are the aforementioned most frequent departure / arrival locations for the moving body (vehicle 50), the departure location and / or the arrival location corresponding to the most frequent departure / arrival locations are replaced with the aforementioned area information. At the same time, the location information output unit 314 picks up location information from positions that are a predetermined distance away from the most frequent departure / arrival locations as travel route information. This makes it possible to prevent the location of the moving body (vehicle 50) near the user's home from being guessed. Note that a position that is a predetermined distance away from the most frequent departure / arrival position may be set as a position that is far from the area information corresponding to the most frequent departure / arrival position. Specifically, for example, the position information output unit 314 may pick up time-discretely changing position information that constitutes the travel route information from position information that is after the position that is a predetermined distance away from the most frequent departure / arrival position and that is located outside the area information. This will enable us to further protect your personal information.

[0080] Next, the location information output unit 314 converts each mobile object ID of each mobile object (vehicle 50) into a random value (referred to as a "temporary mobile object ID") using, for example, a one-way function, so that personal information cannot be identified from the mobile object ID. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the mobile object ID, which is personal information that identifies an individual, from being guessed from the "temporary mobile object ID," thereby eliminating the possibility of personal information being leaked from the mobile object ID. The above has described a method for generating travel route information with personal information protection (referred to as "travel route information with personal information protection") by picking up time-discretely changing location information that constitutes travel route information from the corresponding surface information in place of the location information from the departure point to the arrival point for each virtual mobile body ID of each mobile body (vehicle 50) during a specified period, if the departure point or arrival point is the most frequent departure / arrival point position of the user, and location information from positions after a specified distance away from the most frequent departure / arrival point position of the user.

[0081] The location information output unit 314 outputs and records to the storage unit 32 travel route information, with personal information protected, from the departure point to the arrival point for each temporary moving object ID of each moving object (vehicle 50) during a predetermined period.

[0082] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of display of travel route information in which personal information is protected. As shown in FIG. 7, the location information output unit 314 may output the travel route information with personal information protection on the display of the information providing device 30 or the information analysis device 40, etc., by superimposing it on map information, as described above. By doing so, it is possible to protect the location information related to personal information, such as the vicinity of the home of the user of each moving body (vehicle 50), while visualizing the travel route information from the departure point to the arrival point of each moving body (vehicle 50) on a map.

[0083] Furthermore, the location information output unit 314 may provide the travel route information with personal information protection to the information analysis device 40. In this way, the information analysis device 40 can perform various known analyses using the travel route information. As described above, it is possible to provide vehicle location information that can withstand various analyses while protecting location information related to personal information, such as the vicinity of the home of the user of the moving body (vehicle 50). The method for providing vehicle location information with personal information protection has been described above.

[0084] <Operation of this embodiment> Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. Here, Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the process in 11. Specifically, the flowchart shows the operation of calculating the most frequent departure / arrival point positions of one moving body (vehicle 50), specifying the calculated most frequent departure / arrival point positions as the vicinity of the home of the user of the moving body (vehicle 50), and generating area information. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of generating travel route information for each moving body (vehicle 50) with personal information protection. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of generating travel route information for one moving body (vehicle 50) with personal information protection. The operational process in which the information providing device 30 (receiving unit 311) receives the identification information, location information, time information, etc. of each moving body (vehicle 50) from the moving body (vehicle 50) and creates and updates the location information database 322, and the operational process in which the information providing device 30 (departure / arrival point location information recording unit 312) determines the parking location of each moving body (vehicle 50) from the movement progress of the location information of each moving body (vehicle 50), and determines the departure point location information, arrival point location information, parking time, departure time, arrival time, etc. and creates and updates the departure / arrival point location information table 323 are both well known to those skilled in the art, and detailed explanations will be omitted. First, the operation of generating surface information for each moving body (vehicle 50) will be described.

[0085] Referring to Figure 8, in step S10, the information providing device 30 (departure / arrival point location information generation unit 313) selects one mobile body ID based on the departure / arrival point location information table 323, and calculates the frequency of each of all departure / arrival point locations of the mobile body (vehicle 50) corresponding to the mobile body ID during a specified period. As described above, the determination of whether the location information is the same is based on a preset degree of "match."

[0086] In step S11, the information providing device 30 (departure / arrival point position information generating unit 313) selects a position with a large value of frequency of departure / arrival point positions, and determines (identifies) the selected position as being near the home of the user of the mobile body (vehicle 50). Hereinafter, the position determined (identified) in step S11 is also referred to as "position information related to personal information."

[0087] In step S12, the information providing device 30 (departure / arrival point position information generating unit 313) stores in the storage unit 32 the "position information related to personal information" determined (specified) in step S11 in association with the mobile object ID.

[0088] In step S13, the information providing device 30 (departure / arrival point position information generating unit 313) generates surface information based on the "position information related to personal information" determined (specified) in step S11. Here, the surface information may be generated for a predetermined area including the position, for example, as described above, for a mesh of a predetermined area or more including the position, or for an administrative district including the position.

[0089] In step S14, the information providing device 30 (departure / arrival point location information generation unit 313) stores in the memory unit 32, in association with the mobile body ID, the surface information including the "location information related to personal information" determined (identified) in step S13.

[0090] In step S15, the information providing device 30 (departure / arrival point position information generating unit 313) It is determined whether or not surface information has been generated for all moving bodies (vehicles 50). If surface information has been generated for all moving bodies (vehicles 50) (if YES), the process ends. If surface information has not been generated for all moving bodies (vehicles 50) (if NO), the process proceeds to step S10. By the operations described above, it is possible to generate surface information corresponding to each of all moving bodies (vehicles 50).

[0091] Next, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 9, an operation for generating travel route information for a moving body (vehicle 50) with personal information protection will be described.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 9, in step S20, the information providing device 30 (location information output unit 314) selects one moving object ID and converts the moving object ID into a random value (referred to as a "temporary moving object ID") using, for example, a one-way function.

[0093] In step S21, the information providing device 30 (position information output unit 314) selects one piece of travel route information related to the moving object ID.

[0094] In step S22, the information providing device 30 (location information output unit 314) converts the travel route information related to the mobile object ID selected in step S21 into "travel route information with personal information protection," links it to the temporary mobile object ID, and stores it in the memory unit 32.

[0095] In step S23, the information providing device 30 (location information output unit 314) determines whether or not all travel route information of the moving body (vehicle 50) corresponding to the moving body ID in a predetermined period has been converted into "travel route information with personal information protection." If all travel route information of the moving body (vehicle 50) corresponding to the moving body ID has been converted (if YES), the process proceeds to step S24. If all travel route information of the moving body (vehicle 50) corresponding to the moving body ID has not been converted (if NO), the process proceeds to step S21.

[0096] In step S24, the information providing device 30 (location information output unit 314) determines whether or not "travel route information with personal information protection" has been generated for all moving bodies (vehicles 50). If "travel route information with personal information protection" has been generated for all moving bodies (vehicles 50) (if YES), the process ends. If "travel route information with personal information protection" has not been generated for all moving bodies (vehicles 50) (if NO), the process proceeds to step S20. By the operations described above, it is possible to generate "travel route information with protected personal information" corresponding to each of all moving bodies (vehicles 50).

[0097] According to the present embodiment described above, it is possible to provide accurate vehicle location information (travel route information from the departure point to the arrival point) that can withstand various analyses while protecting location information related to personal information such as the vicinity of the home of the user of the mobile vehicle. Furthermore, by defining the surface information as a mesh or administrative district of a predetermined area or larger, and by limiting the location information included in the travel route information from the departure point to the arrival point to only location information away from the surface information, it is possible to achieve even greater protection of personal information. In addition, by overlaying the travel route information with personal information protection on the map information and outputting it, it is possible to visualize the vehicle position information (travel route information) of the mobile object on the map while protecting the location information related to personal information, such as the vicinity of the mobile object's user's home.

[0098] <About hardware and software> Each of the devices included in the above navigation system can be realized by hardware, software, or a combination of these. Furthermore, the navigation method performed by the cooperation of each of the devices included in the above navigation system can also be realized by hardware, software, or a combination of these. "Realized by software" here means that the method is realized by a computer reading and executing a program.

[0099] The program can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, and semiconductor memories (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (Random Access Memory)). The program may also be supplied to a computer by various types of transitory computer-readable media. Examples of transitory computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The transitory computer-readable media can supply the program to a computer via a wired communication path such as an electric wire or optical fiber, or via a wireless communication path.

[0100] <Modification> The above-described embodiment is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment alone, and the present invention can be implemented in various modified forms within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0101] <Variation 1> In this embodiment, the most frequent departure / arrival location of a mobile body (vehicle 50) during a specified period is identified as being near the home of the user of the mobile body (vehicle 50), and surface information is generated to protect the most frequent departure / arrival locations as personal information, but the locations for protecting personal information are not limited to this. In addition, if the departure point location of each mobile body (vehicle 50) is frequently the departure point information of the first departure of each day during the specified period, for example, the departure point location information generation unit 313 may identify the departure point location (excluding rental car facilities, taxi facilities, etc.) as the home location of the user of the mobile body (vehicle 50) and identify it as a location where personal information is protected, even if the departure point location is not the most frequent departure / arrival point location. Furthermore, the departure / arrival point location information generation unit 313 may determine that the arrival point location of each mobile body (vehicle 50) is a location that the mobile body arrives at after moving from the previously identified home location of the user of the mobile body (vehicle 50) (including temporary parking during travel) on each day (particularly on weekdays, etc.) during the specified period, and that the mobile body (vehicle 50) frequently stays at the arrival point for a long time and then moves from the arrival point location to the previously identified home location of the user of the mobile body (vehicle 50) (including temporary parking during travel), even if the arrival point is not the most frequent departure / arrival point location, if the arrival point location can be identified as the user's workplace, school, etc. by comparing it with map information, then the arrival point location may be identified as a location that protects personal information. In addition, the departure / arrival point location information generation unit 313 may also identify a location where the mobile body (vehicle 50) is frequently parked for a long period of time during the day, for example, from the previous day to the next day, as the home location of the user of the mobile body (vehicle 50) and identify it as a location where personal information is protected.

[0102] As described above, when identifying a location where personal information is to be protected other than the most frequent departure / arrival point location, in step S11 of the flowchart shown in Figure 8, which shows the operation of generating surface information for each moving body (vehicle 50), the information providing device 30 (departure / arrival point location information generation unit 313) may identify a location where personal information is to be protected using the method described above. In step S13, the departure / arrival point position information generating unit 313 may generate face information based on each piece of "position information related to personal information" determined (specified) in step S11.

[0103] 9, in step S22 of the flowchart showing the operation of generating travel route information for each moving body (vehicle 50) with personal information protection, if the departure position and arrival position in the travel route information related to the moving body ID correspond to "location information related to personal information," they may be replaced with the respective "location information related to personal information." In this way, not only the location near the home of the user of the moving body (vehicle 50), but also the location near the workplace and the location near the school may be protected as personal information.

[0104] <Variation 2> For example, the functional configurations of Figures 2, 3, and 4 are merely examples and do not limit the functional configuration of this embodiment. In other words, it is sufficient for each device to have the function of executing a series of processes related to the information analysis function of the present invention as a whole, and the functional blocks used to realize this function are not particularly limited to the examples of Figures 2, 3, and 4.

[0105] <Variation 3> As another variation, the in-vehicle navigation device 10 and the mobile terminal 20 may be realized by other devices that do not have a route guidance function. In other words, the route guidance function of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 and the mobile terminal 20 is not an essential configuration. In this case, the information providing device 30 may further have a route guidance function, and may provide route guidance by communicating with the in-vehicle navigation device 10 and the mobile terminal 20.

[0106] <Variation 4> Furthermore, as another modification, although the above embodiment has been described as realizing the information providing device 30 by a single server device or the like, the functions of the information providing device 30 may be distributed among a plurality of server devices as appropriate, forming a distributed processing system. Also, the functions of the information providing device 30 may be realized on the cloud.

[0107] <Variation 5> In the above-described embodiment, the information providing device 30 is configured to receive, from each vehicle 50, the identification information, location information, time information, etc. of the vehicle 50 via the communication unit 33. Furthermore, the receiving unit 311 is configured to appropriately create and update the location information database 322 based on the identification information, location information, time information, etc. received from each vehicle 50. Alternatively, for example, an FCD (Floating Car Data) server (tentative name) may be provided separately from the information providing device 30, and the FCD server may receive, from each vehicle 50, the identification information, location information, time information, and the like of the vehicle 50. In this case, the information providing device 30 may acquire the location information, etc. of each vehicle from the FCD server, and create and update the location information database 322 (movement progress) as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1 Information provision system 10. In-vehicle navigation devices 11, 21, 31, 41 Control unit 111, 211 Route Information Department 112, 212 Location information transmission unit 12, 22, 32, 42 storage section 121, 221 Location information 122, 222 Identification information 13, 23, 33, 43 Communications Department 14, 24 Sensor section 15, 25, 44 display section 16, 26, 45 Input section 20 Mobile devices 27 Near Field Communication Department 30 Information provision device 311 Receiving unit 312 Departure / arrival point location information recording unit 313 Departure / arrival point location information generation unit 314 Location information output unit 32 Storage section 321 Map Information 322 Location Database 323 Departure / Arrival Location Information Table 40 Information analysis device 50, 50a, 50b vehicles 60 Communication Network

Claims

1. a receiving unit that receives position information of a plurality of moving objects; a storage unit for storing map information including road maps; a departure / arrival point position information generating unit that accumulates the position information of each of the plurality of moving bodies that changes discretely over time, calculates a mode of the departure / arrival point position information of each of the moving bodies in a predetermined period based on the departure point position information and the arrival point position information of each of the moving bodies, and generates, as departure / arrival point position information, area information including the departure / arrival point position information of the mode of each of the moving bodies; a position information output unit that outputs the surface information for each of the plurality of moving bodies and outputs a movement path of the moving body by picking up the position information that changes discretely over time from a position that is a predetermined distance away from the departure / arrival point position of the most frequent value; Equipped with This allows the information providing device to perform analysis including the movement route and stay positions of the mobile object while protecting personal information for each mobile object.

2. 2. The information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the surface information is a mesh having a predetermined area or more.

3. 2. The information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the area information is an administrative district.

4. 4. The information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the position that is a predetermined distance away from the position that is the most frequent value is a position that is away from the surface information.

5. The information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the position information output unit outputs the surface information and the position information from a position that is a predetermined distance away from the position with the most frequent value onward by superimposing them on the map information.

6. An information providing method performed by a computer, comprising: a receiving step of receiving location information of a plurality of moving objects; a storage step of storing map information including a road map; a departure / arrival point position information generating step of accumulating the position information of each of the plurality of moving bodies which changes discretely over time, calculating a mode of the departure / arrival point position information of each of the moving bodies in a predetermined period based on the departure point position information and the arrival point position information of each of the moving bodies, and generating, as departure / arrival point position information, area information including the departure / arrival point position information of the mode of each of the moving bodies; a position information output step of outputting the surface information for each of the plurality of moving bodies and outputting the movement path of the moving body by picking up the position information that changes discretely over time from a position that is a predetermined distance away from the departure / arrival point position of the most frequent value; Equipped with This is an information providing method characterized by making it possible to analyze the movement route and stay positions of the mobile object while protecting personal information for each mobile object.

Images