Information Generation System

Abstract

An information generating device capable of efficiently providing probe information required for generating traffic information is provided. [Solution] The information generating device includes a probe information group acquisition unit that acquires, from each of a plurality of businesses that collect probe information including information on the vehicle's location and the time it passes through that location, a probe information group that is a set of probe information detected for a plurality of vehicles related to the business; an information generating unit that generates provision information to be provided to the outside based on the probe information group acquired by the probe information group acquisition unit; and an information providing unit that provides the provision information generated by the information generating unit to the outside.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information generation system, an information generation device, an information generation method, an information generation program, a probe information collection device, a probe information collection method, and a probe information collection program. More particularly, the present invention relates to an information generation system, an information generation device, an information generation method, and an information generation program that generate information to be provided using a group of probe information provided by a business operator. The present invention also relates to a probe information collection device, a probe information collection method, and a probe information collection program that collect probe information from multiple vehicles. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a system has been proposed that generates traffic information useful for driving a vehicle, such as travel time information, based on probe information collected from vehicles traveling on roads, and provides the generated traffic information to drivers (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Also, a system has been proposed in which probe information is directly acquired from privately owned vehicles to generate traffic information, and incentives are given to individuals who send probe information according to the quality of each piece of acquired probe information (see, for example, Patent Document 2). This system also discloses that probe information from multiple company vehicles owned by a company that performs a certain type of business can be acquired and used. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-241987 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-310396 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In order to generate traffic information, it is necessary to obtain probe information that is valuable to the business generating the traffic information (probe business operator) as efficiently as possible. The inventors focused on the following points of conventional systems. In other words, in conventional systems, probe business operators that collect probe information from privately owned vehicles and distribute traffic information only provide services based on the probe information collected from their own contracted individual members. Therefore, the inventors focused on the problems that the amount of probe information that can be obtained is limited and that the driving area can be biased.

[0006] Furthermore, while Patent Document 2 is configured to collect probe information from service provider vehicles, the service providers referred to herein, such as taxi and bus companies, only own a few hundred vehicles. Furthermore, because service provider vehicles operate for the purpose of performing specific tasks, they often travel on special roads and routes that ordinary vehicles do not normally travel, and may stop for long periods of time in places where ordinary vehicles do not normally stop. For this reason, the inventors realized that there are limitations to the use of the probe information obtained from service provider vehicles described in Patent Document 2.

[0007] These prior art documents have the same framework as conventional systems in that a closed service is provided by a single probe operator within its own probe information center.

[0008] The present invention was made based on the inventors' new perspective, and aims to provide an information generation system, an information generation device, an information generation method, and an information generation program that efficiently collect probe information necessary for generating traffic information.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a probe information collection device, a probe information collection method, and a probe information collection program that can efficiently provide probe information required for generating traffic information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] (1) In order to achieve the above object, an information generation system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a probe information group acquisition unit that acquires, from each of a plurality of businesses that collect probe information including information on the vehicle's location and the time it passes through that location, a probe information group that is a set of probe information detected for a plurality of vehicles associated with the business; an information generation unit that generates provision information to be provided to an external party based on the probe information group acquired by the probe information group acquisition unit; and an information provision unit that provides the provision information generated by the information generation unit to an external party.

[0011] (9) A probe information collection device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a probe information collection unit that collects probe information from each of a plurality of vehicles, the probe information including information on the position of the vehicle and the time when the vehicle passes through the position; a probe information group providing unit that provides a probe information group, which is a set of the probe information collected by the probe information collection unit, to an information generating device that generates provided information using the probe information group; and an information acquiring unit that acquires the provided information from the information generating device according to the value of the probe information group.

[0012] (10) An information generating device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a probe information group acquiring unit that acquires, from each of a plurality of businesses that collect probe information including information on the vehicle's location and the time it passes through that location, a probe information group that is a set of probe information detected for a plurality of vehicles associated with the business; an information generating unit that generates provision information to be provided to an external party based on the probe information group acquired by the probe information group acquiring unit; and an information providing unit that provides the provision information generated by the information generating unit to an external party.

[0013] (11) Another embodiment of the information generation method of the present invention includes the steps of acquiring, from each of a plurality of businesses that collect probe information including information on the vehicle's location and the time it passes through that location, a group of probe information that is a set of probe information detected for a plurality of vehicles associated with the business; generating provision information to be provided to the outside based on the acquired group of probe information; and providing the generated provision information to the outside.

[0014] (12) A probe information collection method according to another embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of collecting probe information from each of a plurality of vehicles, the probe information including information on the position of the vehicle and the time at which the vehicle passes through the position; providing a probe information group, which is a set of the collected probe information, to an information generating device that generates provided information using the probe information group; and obtaining the provided information from the information generating device according to the value of the probe information group.

[0015] (13) Another embodiment of the information generation program of the present invention causes a computer to function as a probe information group acquisition unit that acquires, from each of a plurality of businesses that collect probe information including information on the vehicle's location and the time it passes through that location, a probe information group that is a set of probe information detected for a plurality of vehicles associated with the business; an information generation unit that generates provision information to be provided to an external party based on the probe information group acquired by the probe information group acquisition unit; and an information provision unit that provides the provision information generated by the information generation unit to an external party.

[0016] (14) A probe information collection program according to another embodiment of the present invention causes a computer to function as a probe information collection unit that collects probe information from each of a plurality of vehicles, the probe information including information on the position of the vehicle and the time when the vehicle passes through the position; a probe information group providing unit that provides a probe information group, which is a set of the probe information collected by the probe information collection unit, to an information generating device that generates provided information using the probe information group; and an information acquiring unit that acquires the provided information from the information generating device according to the value of the probe information group. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently obtain or provide probe information required for generating traffic information. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a traffic information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a probe information collection device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a format of probe information collected from a probe terminal of a vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the information generating device. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by a probe information collection device. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the information generating device. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining map matching. [Figure 8] 10 is a scatter diagram of travel time information as traffic information generated by an information generating device and travel time information as traffic information generated by an external device. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the position accuracy of probe information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] (Findings that form the basis of the present invention) The present inventors have further discovered the following regarding the conventional systems described in the "Background Art" section.

[0020] If the probe information of multiple operators is integrated to create traffic information and then provided to each operator, the number of probe information and the area covered can be greatly expanded, which is expected to improve traffic information and bring great benefits to operators. When operators provide probe information or receive traffic information, they can receive compensation. Compensation does not have to be in cash, but can also be electronic money or a points system.

[0021] On the other hand, the hardware used, such as sensors, and the software used to collect and transmit probe information vary widely depending on the operator, so the quality of the probe information is expected to vary.The same thing can happen even within the same operator, depending on the generation of the hardware and software.

[0022] If all operators are treated equally under these circumstances, reputable operators who provide high-quality probe information may feel a sense of unfairness and become reluctant to provide probe information.

[0023] Conversely, if incentives are given to good operators, they will be more motivated to provide the information, and there is a possibility that they will try to improve the quality of probe information and increase the amount of information in order to receive further incentives. Furthermore, if the operators are car manufacturers or major service providers that develop in-vehicle navigation systems or smartphone application software, they will likely proactively improve their hardware and software, accelerating technological progress.

[0024] If this happens, the quality of probe information will be further improved, which will in turn improve the quality of traffic information, making a significant contribution to society by reducing traffic congestion.

[0025] The present invention was made based on this finding.

[0026] First, embodiments of the present invention will be listed and described.

[0027] (1) An information generation system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a probe information group acquisition unit that acquires, from each of a plurality of businesses that collect probe information including information on the vehicle's location and the time it passes through that location, a probe information group that is a set of probe information detected for a plurality of vehicles associated with the business; an information generation unit that generates provision information to be provided to an external party based on the probe information group acquired by the probe information group acquisition unit; and an information provision unit that provides the provision information generated by the information generation unit to an external party.

[0028] According to this configuration, probe information groups are acquired from multiple businesses, and information to be provided is generated from the acquired probe information groups. This information to be provided is traffic information such as travel time information and congested section information, or information useful to the business (for example, discount information on products and services). Because probe information groups are acquired from multiple businesses, it is possible to acquire probe information for areas that cannot be covered by a single business alone. It is also possible to select and use high-quality probe information from probe information groups of different quality among businesses. This makes it possible to efficiently acquire the probe information necessary to generate traffic information.

[0029] (2) The information generating system may further include a value assessment unit that assesses, for each of the businesses, the value of the probe information group provided by the business.

[0030] According to this configuration, the value of the probe information group is evaluated for each business operator. Therefore, it is possible to change the content of the information to be generated and the compensation paid to the business operator depending on the value of the probe information group. This provides an incentive for businesses to provide probe information with higher value, and as a result, it becomes possible to efficiently obtain the probe information necessary for generating traffic information from businesses.

[0031] (3) The information generation unit may also generate the provided information based on the value of the probe information group evaluated by the value evaluation unit and the probe information group acquired by the probe information group acquisition unit.

[0032] This configuration allows the information to be generated by taking into account the value of the probe information group. For example, the weight of probe information with high location accuracy and high value is increased over that of probe information with low location accuracy and low value, and travel time information is generated using probe information acquired from multiple businesses. As a result, it becomes possible to generate traffic information such as highly accurate travel time information.

[0033] (4) The information providing unit may provide the provided information to the plurality of businesses.

[0034] According to this configuration, each business operator can receive the provided information in return for providing a set of probe information, which provides an incentive for the business operators to provide probe information, and as a result, the business operators can efficiently obtain the probe information necessary for generating traffic information from the business operators.

[0035] (5) The information providing unit may provide different pieces of information for each business operator based on the value of the probe information group evaluated by the value evaluation unit.

[0036] With this configuration, it is possible to provide more valuable information to a business operator who has provided a group of valuable probe information, which provides the business operator with an incentive to provide more valuable probe information, thereby enabling the business operator to efficiently obtain probe information necessary for generating traffic information from the business operator.

[0037] (6) The information providing unit may also provide the provided information to users other than the plurality of businesses.

[0038] According to this configuration, the provided information can be used by a party other than the business that provides the probe information.

[0039] (7) Furthermore, the above-mentioned information generation system may further include a compensation information acquisition unit that acquires compensation information indicating the compensation to be paid by the business operator or a user other than the business operator for the provision of the provided information, and the information generation unit may generate the provided information by changing the content of the provided information for each business operator or user in accordance with the compensation indicated by the compensation information acquired by the compensation information acquisition unit.

[0040] According to this configuration, businesses or users who pay a higher price can receive higher quality information.

[0041] (8) The value assessment unit also determines (1) the total distance traveled by the plurality of vehicles indicated by the group of probe information, (2) the total number of pieces of probe information included in the group of probe information, (3) the area covered by the vehicle positions indicated by the probe information included in the group of probe information, (4) the real-time nature of the group of probe information, (5) the position intervals of the movement trajectories indicated by the group of probe information, (6) the proportion of the group of probe information that has been map-matched, (7) the proportion of the group of probe information that has been obtained by a dedicated terminal, (8) the type of information included in the probe information included in the group of probe information, and (9) the walking distance of the group of probe information. The value of the probe information group may be evaluated based on at least one of the following: (1) the proportion of probe information detected about pedestrians; (10) the presence or absence of probe information including location information about the location of a specified road; (11) the presence or absence of probe information obtained from vehicles moving through congested sections; (12) the accuracy of the traffic information as the provided information generated by the information generation unit based on the probe information group; (13) the distance between the start and end points of the movement trajectory indicated by the probe information group; (14) the positional accuracy of the probe information indicated by the probe information group; (15) the type of road related to the vehicle location indicated by the probe information group; and (16) the proportion of probe information about stopped vehicles in the probe information group.

[0042] According to this configuration, the more useful a probe information group is for generating traffic information, the more valuable it can be evaluated. Therefore, businesses that collect probe information groups can be appropriately evaluated, and high-quality information can be provided to businesses that provide high-value probe information groups. This provides businesses with an incentive to provide more valuable probe information, and as a result, it becomes possible to efficiently obtain probe information necessary for generating traffic information from businesses.

[0043] (9) A probe information collection device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a probe information collection unit that collects probe information from each of a plurality of vehicles, the probe information including information on the position of the vehicle and the time when the vehicle passes through the position; a probe information group providing unit that provides a probe information group, which is a set of the probe information collected by the probe information collection unit, to an information generating device that generates provided information using the probe information group; and an information acquiring unit that acquires the provided information from the information generating device according to the value of the probe information group.

[0044] According to this configuration, the higher the value of the probe information set provided to the information generating device, the higher the quality of the provided information that can be obtained. This provides an incentive for operators of probe information collecting devices to provide more valuable probe information. As a result, the probe information collecting device efficiently provides the information generating device with the probe information necessary for generating traffic information.

[0045] (10) An information generating device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a probe information group acquiring unit that acquires, from each of a plurality of businesses that collect probe information including information on the vehicle's location and the time it passes through that location, a probe information group that is a set of probe information detected for a plurality of vehicles associated with the business; an information generating unit that generates provision information to be provided to an external party based on the probe information group acquired by the probe information group acquiring unit; and an information providing unit that provides the provision information generated by the information generating unit to an external party.

[0046] This configuration is similar to the configuration of the information generating system shown in (1), and its actions and effects are also similar, so detailed description thereof will not be repeated here.

[0047] (11) An information generation method according to another embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of acquiring, from each of a plurality of businesses that collect probe information including information on the vehicle's location and the time it passes through that location, a group of probe information that is a set of probe information detected for a plurality of vehicles associated with the business; generating provision information to be provided to the outside based on the acquired group of probe information; and providing the generated provision information to the outside.

[0048] This configuration includes steps corresponding to each processing unit of the information generation system shown in (1), and its actions and effects are the same as those shown in (1), so detailed description thereof will not be repeated here.

[0049] (12) A probe information collection method according to another embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of collecting probe information from each of a plurality of vehicles, the probe information including information on the position of the vehicle and the time at which the vehicle passes through the position; providing a probe information group, which is a set of the collected probe information, to an information generating device that generates provided information using the probe information group; and obtaining the provided information from the information generating device according to the value of the probe information group.

[0050] This configuration includes steps corresponding to the processing units of the probe information collection device shown in (9), and its actions and effects are the same as those shown in (9). Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated here.

[0051] (13) An information generation program according to another embodiment of the present invention causes a computer to function as a probe information group acquisition unit that acquires, from each of a plurality of businesses that collect probe information including information on the vehicle's location and the time it passes through that location, a probe information group that is a set of probe information detected for a plurality of vehicles associated with the business; an information generation unit that generates provision information to be provided to an external party based on the probe information group acquired by the probe information group acquisition unit; and an information provision unit that provides the provision information generated by the information generation unit to an external party.

[0052] This configuration is similar to the configuration of the information generating system shown in (1), and its actions and effects are also similar, so detailed description thereof will not be repeated here.

[0053] (14) A probe information collection program according to another embodiment of the present invention causes a computer to function as a probe information collection unit that collects probe information from each of a plurality of vehicles, the probe information including information on the position of the vehicle and the time when the vehicle passes through the position; a probe information group providing unit that provides a probe information group, which is a set of the probe information collected by the probe information collection unit, to an information generating device that generates provided information using the probe information group; and an information acquiring unit that acquires the provided information from the information generating device according to the value of the probe information group.

[0054] This configuration is similar to the configuration of the probe information collection device shown in (9), and its actions and effects are also similar, so detailed description thereof will not be repeated here.

[0055] [Details of the embodiment of the present invention] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that each of the embodiments described below represents a preferred specific example of the present invention. The numerical values, shapes, components, component placement and connection configurations, steps, and step order shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention is defined by the claims. Therefore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not recited in the independent claims that represent the highest concept of the present invention are not necessarily required to achieve the object of the present invention, but are described as constituting a more preferred embodiment. At least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any manner.

[0056] (Embodiment) [1. Overall configuration of the traffic information system] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a traffic information system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Traffic information system 100 collects probe information from probe terminals installed in vehicles 5A to 5C traveling on roads, including information on the position of each vehicle 5 and the time at which the vehicle passes through that position. Traffic information system 100 generates traffic information such as travel time information and congested section information based on the probe information collected from the probe terminals of each vehicle 5, and provides the generated traffic information to the car navigation system of each vehicle 5. Each vehicle 5 is equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver or the like, and collects the position information of the vehicle 5.

[0057] The traffic information providing system 100 includes probe information collecting devices 1A to 1C, an information generating device 2, a user device 3, and a probe using device 4.

[0058] The probe information collection device 1A is a device managed by an operator A, and is a device that collects probe information from a probe terminal of a vehicle 5A that is contracted by the operator A. The probe information collection device 1B is a device managed by an operator B, and is a device that collects probe information from a probe terminal of a vehicle 5B that is contracted by the operator B. The probe information collection device 1C is a device managed by an operator C, and is a device that collects probe information from a probe terminal of a vehicle 5C that is contracted by the operator C. The operator may be a manufacturer that produces the vehicle 5 or a manufacturer that produces a car navigation system installed in the vehicle 5. However, the operator is not limited to these, as long as it is a company that collects probe information.

[0059] In the following description, when the probe information collection devices 1A to 1C are not distinguished from one another, they will be referred to as probe information collection devices 1, and when the vehicles 5A to 5C are not distinguished from one another, they will be referred to as vehicles 5.

[0060] The information generating device 2 acquires a probe information group, which is a set of probe information, from each of the probe information collecting devices 1A to 1C, and generates information to be provided including traffic information based on the acquired probe information group. The information generating device 2 provides the generated information to be provided to the probe information collecting devices 1A to 1C. The information generating device 2 may also provide compensation information having monetary value to the probe information collecting devices 1A to 1C in consideration for the provision of the probe information group. Furthermore, the information generating device 2 may acquire compensation information having monetary value from the probe information collecting devices 1A to 1C, and provide the generated information to be provided to the probe information collecting devices 1A to 1C in consideration for the acquired compensation information.

[0061] The user device 3 is, for example, a device used by a general driver, and does not provide probe information to the information generating device 2, but receives provided information from the information generating device 2. The user device 3 is, for example, a car navigation system installed in a vehicle, or a smartphone used by the vehicle driver. When receiving the provided information, the user device 3 transmits compensation information having monetary value to the information generating device 2.

[0062] The probe use device 4 is a device that generates traffic information by reusing the probe information group collected by the information generating device 2 from the probe information collecting devices 1A to 1C. For example, the probe use device 4 is operated by a different operator than the operator that operates the information generating device 2, and generates traffic information from a different perspective than the information generating device 2. In receiving the probe information group from the information generating device 2, the probe use device 4 transmits compensation information having monetary value to the information generating device 2.

[0063] 1 may be connected via a communication network such as the Internet or a dedicated communication network. Furthermore, the probe terminals of the vehicles 5A to 5C and the probe information collection devices 1A to 1C may be connected via a wireless communication network such as a mobile phone network or a dedicated wireless communication network.

[0064] [2. Configuration of probe information collection device 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the probe information collection device 1. As shown in FIG.

[0065] The probe information collection device 1 includes a communication I / F unit 11, a probe information collection unit 12, a probe information storage unit 13, a probe information group providing unit 14, a compensation information providing unit 15, an information acquisition unit 16, a provided information storage unit 17, a compensation information storage unit 18, and an information providing unit 19.

[0066] The communication I / F unit 11 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from the probe terminal of the vehicle 5 and the information generating device 2 via wired or wireless communication, and is configured by a LAN (Local Area Network) adapter or the like.

[0067] The probe information collection unit 12 collects probe information from the probe terminal of the vehicle 5 via the communication I / F unit 11. The probe information collection unit 12 writes the collected probe information to the probe information storage unit 13, thereby storing the collected probe information in the probe information storage unit 13.

[0068] The probe information accumulation unit 13 is a storage device that stores the probe information collected by the probe information collection unit 12, and is configured by an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or the like.

[0069] 3 is a diagram showing an example format of probe information collected from a probe terminal of a vehicle 5. The probe terminal of a vehicle 5 acquires the probe information at a predetermined time interval (for example, every 30 seconds) or a predetermined distance interval (for example, every 100 meters). The probe information includes vehicle ID information, location information, time information, direction information, fuel efficiency information, terminal type information, vehicle model information, and a map matching flag.

[0070] The vehicle ID information is information for identifying the vehicle 5 or the probe terminal of the vehicle 5. The location information is information indicating the traveling position of the vehicle 5 using latitude and longitude. The time information is information indicating the time when the location information was acquired. The direction information is information indicating the traveling direction of the vehicle 5. The fuel efficiency information is information indicating the fuel efficiency of the vehicle 5. The terminal information is information for identifying the type of terminal that acquires the probe information. In other words, the terminal information indicates whether the probe terminal placed on the vehicle 5 is a dedicated terminal such as a car navigation system installed in the vehicle 5, or a general-purpose terminal such as a smartphone used by the driver of the vehicle 5. The vehicle model information is information indicating the vehicle model classification of the vehicle 5. For example, the vehicle model information indicates whether the vehicle 5 is a light vehicle, a standard vehicle, a medium-sized vehicle, or a large vehicle. The map matching flag indicates whether the location information has been map-matched.

[0071] 2 again, the probe information group providing unit 14 transmits a probe information group, which is a set of probe information collected by the probe information collecting unit 12 and stored in the probe information storage unit 13, to the information generating device 2 via the communication I / F unit 11. Here, the probe information group providing unit 14 may transmit the probe information group stored in the probe information storage unit 13 during a predetermined time. Furthermore, the probe information group providing unit 14 may transmit a probe information group that summarizes a predetermined number of pieces of probe information after the predetermined number of pieces of probe information have been stored in the probe information storage unit 13.

[0072] The compensation information providing unit 15 transmits compensation information having monetary value to the information generating device 2 via the communication I / F unit 11. By transmitting the compensation information, it is possible to pay compensation for obtaining higher quality information to the business operator operating the information generating device 2.

[0073] The information acquiring unit 16 acquires, from the information generating device 2 via the communication I / F unit 11, provided information corresponding to the value of the probe information group provided by the probe information group providing unit 14. In other words, the higher the value of the provided probe information group, the higher the quality of the provided information the information acquiring unit 16 can acquire. Furthermore, when the consideration information providing unit 15 transmits consideration information to the information generating device 2, the higher the monetary value indicated by the consideration information, the higher the quality of the provided information the information acquiring unit 16 can acquire. The information acquiring unit 16 stores the acquired provided information in the provided information storage unit 17.

[0074] Furthermore, the information acquiring unit 16 may acquire compensation information having monetary value from the information generating device 2 via the communication I / F unit 11 as compensation for providing the probe information group. The information acquiring unit 16 stores the acquired compensation information in the compensation information storage unit 18. The information acquiring unit 16 acquires compensation information in cases where compensation information is acquired instead of provided information as compensation for providing the probe information group, as well as cases where the provided information is acquired as compensation for providing the probe information group but the value of the probe information group is higher than the value of the provided information. In the latter case, the information acquiring unit 16 acquires compensation information from the information generating device 2 in which the difference between the value of the probe information group and the value of the provided information is converted into monetary value.

[0075] The provided information storage unit 17 and the consideration information storage unit 18 are storage devices that store the provided information and consideration information acquired by the information acquisition unit 16, respectively, and are configured by an HDD or the like.

[0076] The information providing unit 19 provides the provided information to the vehicle 5 by transmitting the provided information stored in the provided information storage unit 17 to the probe terminal of the vehicle 5 via the communication I / F unit 11. For example, if the provided information is traffic information, the probe terminal displays the traffic information on the screen of the probe terminal to assist the driver of the vehicle 5 in driving. Also, if the provided information is video content information, the probe terminal displays the video content information on the screen of the probe terminal to provide entertainment during the driver or passengers of the vehicle 5's break time.

[0077] In addition, the information providing unit 19 provides the compensation information by transmitting the compensation information stored in the compensation information storage unit 18 to the probe terminal of the vehicle 5 via the communication I / F unit 11. The amount of compensation indicated by the compensation information is determined individually by the business operator operating the probe information collection device 1.

[0078] The destination of the provided information and the compensation information is not limited to the probe terminal, but may be a car navigation system, a smartphone, or the like.

[0079] 3. Configuration of Information Generating Device 2 FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the information generating device 2. As shown in FIG.

[0080] The information generating device 2 includes a communication I / F unit 21, a probe information group acquiring unit 22, a probe information storage unit 23, a value assessment unit 24, a consideration information acquiring unit 25, an information generating unit 26, and an information providing unit 27.

[0081] The communication I / F unit 21 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from the probe information collection devices 1A to 1C, the user device 3, and the probe use device 4 via wired or wireless communication, and is configured by a LAN adapter or the like.

[0082] The probe information group acquiring unit 22 acquires a probe information group, which is a set of probe information, from each of the probe information collection devices 1A to 1C via the communication I / F unit 21. The probe information group acquiring unit 22 divides the acquired probe information group for each probe information collection device 1 and accumulates it in the probe information accumulation unit 23.

[0083] The probe information storage unit 23 is a storage device that stores the above-mentioned probe information group, and is configured with a HDD or the like.

[0084] The value assessment unit 24 assesses the value of the probe information group stored in the probe information storage unit 23 for each probe information collection device 1. The value assessment unit 24 assesses the value of the probe information group from the viewpoint of the quantity and quality of the probe information group. The method of assessing the value will be described later.

[0085] The consideration information acquisition unit 25 acquires consideration information from the probe information collection devices 1A to 1C, the user device 3, and the probe use device 4 via the communication I / F unit 21. This consideration information is information indicating the consideration to be paid in exchange for the information provided by the information generating device 2. For example, the consideration indicated by the consideration information has five levels from 1 to 5, with the higher the value, the greater the amount of consideration. Furthermore, consideration information with considerations of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 has values ​​of 100,000 yen, 200,000 yen, 300,000 yen, 400,000 yen, and 500,000 yen, respectively.

[0086] The information generating unit 26 generates traffic information as information to be provided to the outside based on the probe information group stored in the probe information storage unit 23. For example, the information generating unit 26 generates travel time information indicating the travel time of a predetermined road section from the movement trajectory of the vehicle 5 indicated by the probe information group including time information for a predetermined time period, and generates congested section information indicating a congested section within the road section.

[0087] The information generation unit 26 may generate traffic information by taking into account the value of the probe information group stored in the probe information storage unit 23. For example, assume that the value of the probe information group acquired from the probe information collection device 1A is 5 (for example, on a 5-point scale, the higher the value, the higher the value), the value of the probe information group collected from the probe information collection device 1B is 3, and the value of the probe information group collected from the probe information collection device 1C is 1. In this case, the information generation unit 26 may generate traffic information using probe information selected as follows, rather than using all of the probe information stored in the probe information storage unit 23. That is, the information generation unit 26 selects probe information from the probe information stored in the probe information storage unit 23 so that the ratio of the probe information acquired from the probe information collection device 1A, the probe information collection device 1B, and the probe information collection device 1C is 5:3:1. The information generation unit 26 generates traffic information using the selected probe information. In this way, by generating traffic information by preferentially using probe information groups with high values, highly accurate traffic information can be generated.

[0088] The information generating unit 26 may generate video content information as information to be provided by acquiring video content information stored in advance or by acquiring video content information from an external server.

[0089] The information generation unit 26 changes the quality of the information to be provided to the probe information collection device 1 according to the value of the probe information group evaluated by the value evaluation unit 24. In other words, the information generation unit 26 provides higher-quality information to a probe information collection device 1 that has provided a probe information group with a high value. The higher the value of the probe information group, the higher the time resolution of the travel time information to be provided. For example, the time resolution of the travel time information to the probe information collection device 1A, the probe information collection device 1B, and the probe information collection device 1C may be in units of 1 minute, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes, respectively. Furthermore, the higher the value of the probe information group, the higher the position resolution of the congested section information to be provided. For example, the position resolution of the congested section information to the probe information collection device 1A, the probe information collection device 1B, and the probe information collection device 1C may be in units of 1 meter, 5 meters, and 10 meters, respectively. Furthermore, when video content information is provided as the provided information, the higher the value of the probe information group, the higher the screen resolution of the video content information to be provided. For example, the screen resolutions of the video content information provided to the probe information collection device 1A, the probe information collection device 1B, and the probe information collection device 1C may be 1024×768 pixels, 640×480 pixels, and 320×240 pixels, respectively.

[0090] The information generating unit 26 may generate, as the provided information, information that is useful to the business operator of the probe information collection device 1 or the driver of the vehicle 5, such as discount information on products or services. In this case, the information generating unit 26 may generate discount information with a larger discount rate for the probe information collection device 1 that has provided a group of probe information with higher value.

[0091] When the information generating unit 26 acquires the compensation information from the probe information collecting device 1, the information to be provided to the probe information collecting device 1 is generated based on the value of the probe information group evaluated by the value evaluating unit 24 and the compensation indicated by the compensation information. In other words, the information generating unit 26 provides higher quality information to the probe information collecting device 1 having a larger total value of the value of the probe information group and the compensation indicated by the compensation information.

[0092] The information generating device 2 does not acquire probe information groups from the user device 3, but acquires only compensation information. Therefore, the information generating unit 26 generates, as the information to be provided to the user device 3, information of higher quality as the compensation indicated by the compensation information acquired from the user device 3 is higher.

[0093] The information generating device 2 does not acquire probe information groups from the probe use device 4, but acquires only consideration information. Furthermore, the information that the information generating device 2 provides to the probe use device 4 is a probe information group. For this reason, the higher the consideration indicated by the consideration information acquired from the probe use device 4, the higher quality probe group information the information generating unit 26 generates as the probe information group to provide to the probe use device 4. For example, the higher the consideration, the more probe information the information generating unit 26 selects from the probe information storage unit 23 so that the higher the consideration, the more probe information evaluated as having high value by the value evaluation unit 24 is included. In this way, the information generating unit 26 generates a probe information group according to the consideration.

[0094] The information generating unit 26 may generate compensation information according to the value of the probe information group instead of generating the information to be provided. That is, the information generating unit 26 may generate compensation information with a high value for the probe information collection device 1 that has provided a probe information group with a high value.

[0095] Furthermore, the information generating unit 26 may generate compensation information in addition to generating the provided information. That is, if the value of the received probe information group is higher than the value of the generated provided information, the information generating unit 26 generates compensation information to pay the difference in value as compensation.

[0096] The information providing unit 27 provides the provided information or compensation information generated by the information generating unit 26 by transmitting it to the probe information collection device 1 via the communication I / F unit 21. The information providing unit 27 also provides the provided information generated by the information generating unit 26 by transmitting it to the user device 3 via the communication I / F unit 21. The information providing unit 27 also provides the probe information group generated by the information generating unit 26 by transmitting it to the probe use device 4 via the communication I / F unit 21.

[0097] [4. Processing flow of probe information collection device 1] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the probe information collection device 1.

[0098] The probe information collection unit 12 collects probe information from the probe terminals installed in the vehicle 5 (S1). An example of the format of the collected probe information is as shown in FIG.

[0099] The probe information collection unit 12 stores the collected probe information by writing it into the probe information storage unit 13 (S2).

[0100] The probe information group providing unit 14 provides a probe information group, which is a set of probe information stored in the probe information storage unit 13, by transmitting it to the information generating device 2 via the communication I / F unit 11 (S3). For example, the probe information group providing unit 14 collects the probe information stored in the probe information storage unit 13 every three minutes and provides it to the information generating device 2 as a probe information group. The probe information group providing unit 14 may delete the provided probe information group from the probe information storage unit 13.

[0101] The compensation information providing unit 15 determines whether there is compensation information to be provided to the information generating device 2 (S4). For example, if a contract is made between the operator of the probe information collection device 1 and the operator of the information generating device 2 to pay 100,000 yen per month, it is determined that there is compensation information to be provided when the payment date arrives.

[0102] If there is compensation information to provide (YES in S4), the compensation information providing unit 15 provides the compensation information by transmitting compensation information indicating a predetermined amount of compensation to the information generating device 2 via the communication I / F unit 11 (S5).

[0103] After the compensation information provision process (S5), or if there is no compensation information to provide (NO in S4), the information acquisition unit 16 acquires provision information corresponding to the value of the probe information group provided by the probe information group provision unit 14 from the information generation device 2 via the communication I / F unit 11 (S6). The information acquisition unit 16 stores the acquired provided information in the provided information storage unit 17 (S7).

[0104] The information providing unit 19 provides the provided information by transmitting the provided information stored in the provided information storage unit 17 to the probe terminal of the vehicle 5 via the communication I / F unit 11 (S8).

[0105] The information acquisition unit 16 determines whether or not compensation information having monetary value has been provided by the information generation device 2 via the communication I / F unit 11 as compensation for providing the probe information group (S9).

[0106] If the consideration information has been provided (YES in S9), the information acquisition unit 16 acquires the consideration information by receiving the consideration information from the information generation device 2 via the communication I / F unit 11 (S10).

[0107] Furthermore, the information acquisition unit 16 stores the acquired payment information in the payment information storage unit 18 (S11).

[0108] Furthermore, the information providing unit 19 provides the consideration information by transmitting the consideration information stored in the consideration information storage unit 18 to the probe terminal of the vehicle 5 via the communication I / F unit 11 (S12).

[0109] 5. Processing flow of information generating device 2 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the information generating device 2. FIG. 6 shows processing executed by the information generating device 2 between the information generating device 2 and the probe information collecting device 1.

[0110] The probe information group acquisition unit 22 acquires the probe information group from the probe information collection device 1 via the communication I / F unit 21 (S21).

[0111] The probe information group acquiring unit 22 separates the acquired probe information groups for each probe information collection device 1 and stores them in the probe information storage unit 23 (S22). That is, the probe information groups are stored with the identifiers of the probe information collection devices 1 attached thereto.

[0112] The value assessment unit 24 assesses the value of the probe information group stored in the probe information storage unit 23 (S23). The method of assessing the value will be described later.

[0113] The consideration information acquisition unit 25 determines whether consideration information has been provided by the probe information collection device 1 (S24).

[0114] If compensation information has been provided (YES in S24), the compensation information acquisition unit 25 acquires the compensation information by receiving the compensation information from the probe information collection device 1 via the communication I / F unit 21 (S25).

[0115] After the consideration information acquisition process (S25), or if consideration information has not been provided (NO in S24), the information generation unit 26 generates information to be provided to the probe information collection device 1 (S26). The information to be provided is generated according to the value of the probe information group evaluated by the value evaluation unit 24 and the consideration indicated by the consideration information acquired by the consideration information acquisition unit 25.

[0116] The information providing unit 27 provides the generated information to be provided by transmitting it to the probe information collection device 1 via the communication I / F unit 21 (S27).

[0117] The information generating unit 26 determines whether or not payment of a fee is required to the probe information collecting device 1 (S28). That is, if the value of the received probe information group is higher than the value of the generated provided information, the information generating unit 26 determines that payment of a fee is required. For example, if the value of the probe information group is 5 and the value of the generated provided information is 3, the information generating unit 26 determines that payment of a fee of 2, which is the difference (for example, 200,000 yen), is required. That is, if the difference value is greater than 0, it may be determined that payment of a fee is required. Note that, if the fee information acquiring unit 25 has acquired fee information from the probe information collecting device 1, it may determine whether or not payment of a fee is required based on the difference between the fee and value of the probe information group indicated in the acquired fee information and the value of the generated provided information.

[0118] If it is determined that payment of the consideration is necessary (YES in S28), the information generating unit 26 generates consideration information for paying the difference in value as the consideration (S29).

[0119] The information providing unit 27 provides the generated compensation information by transmitting it to the probe information collection device 1 via the communication I / F unit 21 (S30).

[0120] [6. Specific examples of value evaluation processing of probe information groups] Next, a specific example of the value evaluation process of the probe information group (S23 in FIG. 6) executed by the value evaluation unit 24 of the information generating device 2 will be described. The value evaluation unit 24 evaluates the value of the probe information group from the quantitative or qualitative aspects of the probe information. Specifically, the value evaluation unit 24 evaluates the value of the probe information group for each probe information collecting device 1 based on at least one of the following (1) to (16):

[0121] (1) The total distance traveled by multiple vehicles 5 indicated by the probe information group The probe information group indicates the movement trajectories of multiple vehicles 5. Therefore, the value assessment unit 24 assesses the probe information group such that the greater the total travel distance of the multiple vehicles 5 indicated by the probe information group, the higher the value of the probe information group. The total travel distance is calculated, for example, as the sum of the distances between the start and end points of the movement trajectories indicated by the probe information group. The value assessment unit 24 may determine the value of the probe information group from the total travel distance by referring to a data table that predetermines the relationship between distance and the value of the probe information group, such that the greater the distance, the higher the value.

[0122] (2) The total number of probe information included in the probe information group The value assessment unit 24 assesses the probe information group as being of higher value the greater the total number of pieces of probe information included in the group. However, even in a group of probe information sampled while the vehicle 5 travels the same distance, the number of pieces of probe information increases as the sampling interval decreases. For this reason, the value assessment unit 24 may weight the total number of pieces of probe information with a weight that decreases as the sampling interval decreases, and assess the value of the group of probe information based on the weighted total number of pieces of probe information. The value assessment unit 24 may determine the value of the group of probe information from the total number of weighted pieces of probe information by referring to a data table that predetermines the relationship between the number of pieces of probe information and the value of the group of probe information, such that the greater the number of pieces of probe information, the higher the value.

[0123] (3) The area covered by the position of the vehicle 5 indicated by the probe information included in the probe information group. Probe information obtained by the vehicle 5 traveling in a wide area can be useful in generating traffic information for more roads than probe information obtained by the vehicle 5 traveling in a narrow area. For this reason, the value assessment unit 24 may assess the value of the probe information group higher the wider the area covered by the position of the vehicle 5 indicated by the probe information included in the probe information group. The value assessment unit 24 may determine the value of the probe information group from the area of ​​the covered area by referring to a data table that predetermines the relationship between the area of ​​the area and the value of the probe information group, such that the larger the area, the higher the value.

[0124] (4) Real-time probe information Probe information with recent location information acquisition times can be used to generate travel time information and congestion section information that are provided to drivers as real-time information. On the other hand, probe information with older acquisition times cannot be provided as real-time information and can only be used as statistical information for travel time information and congestion section information. Therefore, the more recent the location information acquisition time, the higher the value of the probe information. For example, the value assessment unit 24 may calculate the average of the differences between the time indicated by the time information of the probe information included in the probe information group and the current time, and evaluate the value of the probe information group higher the smaller the average difference. The value assessment unit 24 may refer to a data table that predetermines the relationship between the difference from the current time and the value of the probe information group, such that the smaller the difference, the higher the value, and calculate the value of the probe information group from the average of the above-mentioned differences.

[0125] (5) Position intervals of the movement trajectories indicated by the probe information group The probe information group indicates the movement trajectory of each vehicle 5, and the narrower the position interval of the movement trajectory (the interval between positions indicated by the position information of the probe information), the more detailed the movement trajectory of the vehicle 5 is indicated. In other words, the narrower the position interval of the movement trajectory, the more accurately the positions of acceleration / deceleration, sudden braking, or sudden steering of the vehicle 5 can be detected. Therefore, the narrower the position interval of the movement trajectory, the higher the value of the probe information group. For example, the value assessment unit 24 may refer to a data table that predetermines the relationship between the position interval of the movement trajectory and the value of the probe information group, such that the value increases as the position interval becomes narrower, and determine the value of the probe information group from the average of the position intervals indicated by the probe information group.

[0126] (6) The proportion of map-matched probe information in the probe information group FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining map matching. FIG. 7(a) shows the position indicated by the position information of the probe information before map matching (hereinafter referred to as the probe position), and FIG. 7(b) shows the probe position after map matching. Before map matching, the probe position 31 is away from the road 32 as shown in FIG. 7(a), but after map matching, the probe position 31 is on the road 32 as shown in FIG. 7(b). Map matching processing is necessary to generate accurate traffic information, but if map matching processing has been performed in advance, the information generating device 2 does not need to perform the map matching processing. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of processing by the information generating device 2. Therefore, it can be determined that probe information that has been subjected to map matching processing is highly valuable.

[0127] Whether map matching has been performed may be determined by a map matching flag provided in the probe information shown in Fig. 3. For example, the probe information collection device 1 may set a map matching flag for probe information for which map matching has been performed (the map matching flag may be set to 1). However, if it is known in advance whether all of the probe information provided by the probe information collection device 1 has been map matched or not, for example, due to a prior contract with a business operator, there is no need to provide a map matching flag in the probe information.

[0128] The information generating device 2 may refer to a data table that defines a predetermined relationship between the proportion of map-matched probe information and the value of the probe information group, and calculate the value of the probe information group from the proportion of map-matched probe information in the probe information group acquired from the probe information collecting device 1. The relationship defined by the data table is such that the larger the proportion, the higher the value.

[0129] (7) The proportion of probe information acquired by dedicated terminals among the probe information groups Probe information acquired by a dedicated terminal such as a car navigation system always indicates the movement trajectory of a vehicle 5. However, probe information acquired by a general-purpose terminal such as a smartphone may indicate the movement trajectory of a vehicle 5 or the movement trajectory of a pedestrian. For this reason, probe information acquired by a dedicated terminal is more reliable and therefore more valuable to the information generating device 2. The value evaluation unit 24 calculates the proportion of probe information acquired by a dedicated terminal in the probe information group based on the terminal type information of the probe information shown in FIG. 3. The value evaluation unit 24 may determine the value of the probe information group from the calculated proportion of probe information by referring to a data table that predetermines the relationship between the proportion of probe information acquired by a dedicated terminal and the value of the probe information group, such that the larger the proportion, the higher the value. Examples of terminal type information include an in-vehicle navigation system, a GPS logger, a mobile phone, a smartphone, and a tablet. Of these, an in-vehicle navigation system is a dedicated terminal, and a GPS logger, a mobile phone, a smartphone, and a tablet are general-purpose terminals. Furthermore, if it is known in advance, for example through a prior contract with a business operator, that all of the probe information provided by the probe information collection device 1 is probe information acquired by a dedicated terminal, there is no need to include terminal type information in the probe information.

[0130] (8) Types of information included in the probe information included in the probe information group As shown in an example in FIG. 3, probe information includes a variety of information. The more types of information included in the probe information, the more traffic information can be generated and the more accurate the traffic information can be. For this reason, the value assessment unit 24 calculates the average number of types of information included in the probe information included in the probe information group. The value assessment unit 24 may refer to a data table that predetermines the relationship between the number of types of information and the value of the probe information group, such that the greater the number of types of information, the higher the value, and determine the value of the probe information group from the average of the calculated number of types. Note that the number of types of information may be calculated by weighting more valuable information and adding up the weights.

[0131] (9) The proportion of pedestrian-related probe information in the probe information group Probe information acquired by a general-purpose terminal may be detected as pedestrian information, and pedestrian probe information is considered noise when generating traffic information. Therefore, the smaller the proportion of pedestrian-related probe information in a group of probe information, the higher the value of the group of probe information. For example, the value assessment unit 24 calculates the average moving speed of each moving object from the movement trajectory indicated by the group of probe information, and determines that probe information constituting a movement trajectory whose average moving speed is below a predetermined threshold is detected as pedestrian-related probe information. The value assessment unit 24 references a data table that predetermines the relationship between the proportion of pedestrian-related probe information and the value of the group of probe information, where the smaller the proportion, the higher the value. The value assessment unit 24 calculates the value of the group of probe information from the proportion of pedestrian-related probe information in the group of probe information. Note that if it is known in advance, for example through a prior contract with a business operator, that all of the probe information provided by the probe information collection device 1 is acquired by a dedicated terminal, there is no need to include device type information in the probe information. In this case, the number of pedestrian-related probe information detected is zero.

[0132] (10) Whether or not there is probe information including location information for the location of a specific road Some roads are difficult to collect probe information from. This can occur on roads with low traffic volume, as well as when the vehicles 5 contracted by the probe information collection device 1 are unevenly distributed in specific areas and cannot cover all areas. However, even for roads where probe information is difficult to collect, it is desirable to generate traffic information from the perspective of improving service. For this reason, probe information including location information of specific roads, such as roads with low traffic volume (hereinafter referred to as "probe information when traveling on a specific road") can be said to be highly valuable. For example, it is assumed that the value of a probe information group including probe information when traveling on a specific road and the value of a probe information group not including probe information when traveling on a specific road are predetermined. It is also assumed that information indicating these values ​​is stored in a data table. The value evaluation unit 24 determines whether the probe information group includes probe information when traveling on a specific road, and calculates the value of the probe information group by referring to the data table.

[0133] (11) Availability of probe information obtained from vehicles moving through congested areas When a vehicle 5 is moving through a congested section, congested section information can be generated from the probe information of the vehicle 5. Such probe information is useful for generating traffic information and has high value. For example, a data table is prepared that predetermines the value of a probe information group that includes probe information obtained from a vehicle 5 moving through a congested section and the value of a probe information group that does not include the probe information. If the movement trajectory indicated by the probe information group includes a section where the traveling speed is equal to or less than a predetermined speed threshold, the value assessment unit 24 determines that the probe information group includes probe information obtained from a vehicle 5 moving through the congested section, and calculates the value of the probe information group from the above-mentioned data table.

[0134] (12) Accuracy of traffic information as information to be provided generated by the information generating unit 26 based on the probe information group

[0135] If the traffic information generated by the information generating unit 26 based on the probe information group is highly accurate, the value of the probe information group is high. To determine this accuracy, for example, the value evaluating unit 24 calculates a correlation coefficient between the traffic information generated by the information generating unit 26 based on the probe information group and traffic information acquired from an external device that provides highly accurate traffic information, and determines the calculated correlation coefficient as the accuracy. FIG. 8 is a scatter plot of travel time information as traffic information generated by the information generating device 2 and travel time information as traffic information generated by the external device. The horizontal axis represents the travel time generated by the information generating device 2, and the vertical axis represents the travel time generated by the external device. If the correlation coefficient between the two travel times is close to 1, the two are similar, and the accuracy of the probe information group is determined to be high and the value is high. In other words, the value evaluating unit 24 determines the value of the probe information group from the calculated correlation coefficient by referring to a data table that predefines the relationship between the correlation coefficient and the value of the probe information group, where the larger the correlation coefficient, the higher the value. The value evaluation unit 24 acquires the traffic information generated by an external device via the communication I / F unit 21. In the flowchart of Fig. 6, the traffic information is generated after evaluating the value of the probe information group, but when performing the value evaluation shown in (12), the traffic information may be generated before evaluating the probe information group.

[0136] The accuracy of traffic information may be determined by comparing traffic information between operators, and the value of the probe information group may be evaluated. For example, assume that probe information is provided from the probe information collection devices 1 of five operators, A, B, C, D, and E. In this case, the information generation unit 26 calculates travel time information for each operator using the probe information provided by the probe information collection device 1 of that operator. The value evaluation unit 24 compares trends in travel time information between operators. For example, it compares changes in travel time in the same road section. As a result, if the travel time information of operators A to D shows a similar trend, but operator E shows a different trend from the others, the value of the probe information group of operator E may be lower than the value of the probe information groups of the other operators A to E.

[0137] In addition, some businesses may provide traffic information such as travel time information without providing probe information. In such cases, the value assessment unit 24 calculates the value of the traffic information provided by the information generation unit 24 based on the traffic information provided and the probe information group provided by other businesses. 26 traffic information generated by each operator and of If the received traffic information has a different tendency from the generated plurality of traffic information, the evaluation of the business operator that provides only traffic information may be lowered, the quality of the provided information may be lowered, or the amount of compensation indicated in the compensation information to be provided may be lowered.

[0138] (13) Distance between the start and end points of the movement trajectory indicated by the probe information group A probe information group indicates multiple travel trajectories, but if the probe information group contains only short-distance travel trajectories, it is difficult to accurately calculate the travel time, and the value of the probe information group is low. For this reason, the value assessment unit 24 calculates the average distance between the starting point and ending point of the multiple travel trajectories indicated by the probe information group. The value assessment unit 24 refers to a data table that predetermines the relationship between distance and the value of the probe information group, such that the longer the distance, the higher the value, and determines the value of the probe information group from the average of the calculated distances.

[0139] (14) Position accuracy of probe information indicated by probe information group The higher the positional accuracy of the probe information indicated by the probe information group, the more accurate traffic information can be generated. Therefore, a probe information group containing probe information with higher positional accuracy has higher value. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the positional accuracy of probe information. FIG. 9(a) is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between a probe position 31 and a road 32 for probe information with relatively high positional accuracy. FIG. 9(b) is a graph illustrating the probability of an error occurring in the probe position 31 shown in FIG. 9(a), where the horizontal axis represents the error and the vertical axis represents the probability of an error occurring. The error is the distance indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 9(a), which is the distance between the probe position 31 and the road 32. FIG. 9(c) is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the probe position 31 and the road 32 for probe information with relatively low positional accuracy. FIG. 9(d) is a graph illustrating the probability of an error occurring in the probe position 31 shown in FIG. 9(c), where the horizontal axis represents the error and the vertical axis represents the probability of an error occurring. The error is the distance indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 9(c), which is the distance between the probe position 31 and the road 32.

[0140] The value assessment unit 24 calculates the average error of the probe information included in the probe information group. The value assessment unit 24 refers to a data table that defines a relationship between the error and the value of the probe information group in advance, such that the smaller the error, the higher the value, and determines the value of the probe information group from the calculated average error.

[0141] (15) The type of road related to the vehicle location indicated by the probe information group The value of the probe information may be changed depending on whether the road on which the vehicle 5 is traveling is an expressway or an ordinary road. For example, if the information generating device 2 provides traffic information mainly on ordinary roads, a probe information group containing a larger amount of probe information collected from vehicles 5 traveling on ordinary roads may be evaluated as having a higher value. The type of road on which the vehicle 5 is traveling may be determined by comparing the location information included in the probe information with road information (not shown) indicating the location of each type of road. The value evaluation unit 24 calculates the proportion of probe information collected while traveling on ordinary roads in the probe information group. The value evaluation unit 24 refers to a data table that predetermines the relationship between the proportion of ordinary roads and the value of the probe information group, such that the greater the proportion of ordinary roads, the higher the value, and determines the value of the probe information group from the calculated proportion.

[0142] Conversely, if the information generating device 2 provides traffic information mainly about expressways, the value of a probe information group that includes a larger amount of probe information collected from vehicles 5 traveling on expressways may be evaluated as being higher. In this case, the value evaluation unit 24 calculates the proportion of probe information collected while traveling on expressways in the probe information group, and determines the value of the probe information group from the calculated proportion by referring to a data table that predetermines the relationship in which the value increases as the proportion of probe information collected on expressways increases.

[0143] (16) The proportion of probe information from stopped vehicles among the probe information groups Vehicles 5 may stop for purposes such as loading and unloading luggage, resting, waiting for transportation at educational institutions such as schools or train stations, or waiting to enter a parking lot. Even while a vehicle 5 is stopped, probe information is collected from the vehicle 5. However, the probe information collected from such stopped vehicles is not useful for generating traffic information such as travel time information or congestion section information. Therefore, the smaller the proportion of probe information from stopped vehicles in a probe information group, the higher the value of the probe information group. For example, the value evaluation unit 24 detects, from the probe information group, probe information indicating that the location information has not changed for a predetermined time or longer as probe information from a stopped vehicle. The value evaluation unit 24 calculates the proportion of the stop time indicated by the probe information from the stopped vehicle out of the total traveling time indicated by the probe information group. The value evaluation unit 24 determines the value of the probe information group from the proportion of stop time by referring to a data table that predetermines the relationship between the proportion of stop time and the value of the probe information group, where the smaller the proportion, the higher the value.

[0144] The value assessment unit 24 may calculate the ratio of the number of pieces of probe information of stopped vehicles to the total number of pieces of probe information included in the probe information group, and determine that the smaller this ratio is, the higher the value of the probe information group.

[0145] Conversely, the value of the probe information group may be determined to be higher the greater the ratio of the stop time indicated by the probe information of stopped vehicles to the total driving time indicated by the probe information group, or the ratio of the number of probe information of stopped vehicles to the total number of probe information. For example, the above ratio becomes higher in areas where there are waiting times to enter a parking lot, and such a determination is effective in meeting the desire to proactively discover such areas and use them for parking lot marketing. In this way, the value evaluation index of the probe information group may be changed depending on the purpose of use of the probe information, etc. Note that the value evaluation index may also be changed in the same way for the items shown in (1) to (15).

[0146] The value of the probe information group may be calculated by combining the above-described items (1) to (16). For example, the value may be calculated from the total vehicle mileage shown in (1), the value may be calculated from the total number of pieces of probe information shown in (2), and the sum of these may be used as the value of the probe information group.

[0147] [7. Effects of the embodiment] As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the information generating device 2 acquires probe information groups from the probe information collecting devices 1 of multiple operators and generates information to be provided from the acquired probe information groups. This information to be provided is traffic information such as travel time information and congested section information, or information useful to the operator (for example, discount information on products and services). Because the information generating device 2 acquires probe information groups from the probe information collecting devices 1 of multiple operators, it can acquire probe information for areas that cannot be covered by a single operator alone. In addition, it can select and use high-quality probe information from probe information groups of different quality among operators. This makes it possible to efficiently acquire probe information necessary for generating traffic information.

[0148] Furthermore, the information generating device 2 evaluates the value of the probe information group for each of the business operators' probe information collecting devices 1. Therefore, it is possible to change the content of the generated information to be provided and the compensation paid to the business operators depending on the value of the probe information group. This provides an incentive for business operators to provide probe information with higher value, and as a result, it becomes possible to efficiently obtain probe information necessary for generating traffic information from business operators.

[0149] Furthermore, the information generating device 2 can generate information to be provided by taking into account the value of the probe information group. For example, the information generating device 2 weights probe information with high position accuracy and high value higher than probe information with low position accuracy and low value, and generates travel time information using probe information acquired from multiple businesses. As a result, it becomes possible to generate traffic information such as highly accurate travel time information.

[0150] Furthermore, the information generating device 2 provides the generated information to be provided to the probe information collecting device 1. This allows each business operator of the probe information collecting device 1 to receive the information to be provided in return for providing a group of probe information. This provides an incentive for the business operators to provide probe information, and as a result, the business operators can efficiently obtain the probe information required to generate traffic information from the business operators.

[0151] Furthermore, the information generating device 2 can provide more valuable information to a business operator that has provided a group of valuable probe information. This provides an incentive for the business operator to provide more valuable probe information, and as a result, the business operator can efficiently obtain probe information necessary for generating traffic information from the business operator.

[0152] The information generating device 2 also provides the provided information to a user device 3 and the like other than the probe information collecting device 1. This allows the provided information to be used by a party other than the business providing the probe information.

[0153] Furthermore, the information generating device 2 can change the content of the information provided depending on the fee paid by the probe information collecting device 1 or the user device 3. As a result, businesses or users who pay a higher fee can receive higher quality information.

[0154] Furthermore, the value evaluation unit 24 of the information generating device 2 evaluates the value of the probe information group for each probe information collecting device 1 based on at least one of the above (1) to (16). This allows the probe information group to be evaluated as more valuable as it is useful for generating traffic information. This allows businesses that collect probe information groups to be appropriately evaluated, and high-quality information to be provided to businesses that provide probe information groups with high value. This provides businesses with an incentive to provide probe information with higher value, and as a result, it becomes possible to efficiently obtain probe information necessary for generating traffic information from businesses.

[0155] Furthermore, the higher the value of the probe information group provided to the information generating device 2, the higher quality the provided information the probe information collecting device 1 can acquire. This provides an incentive for businesses operating the probe information collecting device 1 to provide more valuable probe information. As a result, the probe information collecting device 1 efficiently provides the information generating device 2 with the probe information required to generate traffic information.

[0156] [8. Notes] Although the traffic information providing system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0157] For example, although the probe information collection device 1 and the information generation device 2 have been described as being composed of a single device, each device may be composed of multiple devices, and the probe information collection device 1 and the information generation device 2 may be configured as a probe information collection system or an information generation system, respectively. The devices that make up each system may be interconnected via a wide area network such as the Internet and may be distributed.

[0158] Furthermore, in the value judgment items shown in (7) or (9) above for the value evaluation process for the probe information group (S23 in FIG. 6), if it is known in advance that all of the probe information is probe information acquired by a dedicated terminal, for example, due to a prior contract with the operator, there is no need to include device type information in the probe information. Even if there is no contract, if it is known in advance that a GPS receiver, base station information, vehicle speed sensor, direction sensor, acceleration sensor, or angular velocity sensor is used, for example, all of the probe information is determined to be probe information acquired by a dedicated terminal. Therefore, in such cases, there is no need to include device type information in the probe information.

[0159] Furthermore, each of the above devices may be specifically configured as a computer system comprising a microprocessor, ROM, RAM, hard disk drive, display unit, keyboard, mouse, etc. A computer program is stored in the RAM or hard disk drive. Each device achieves its function when the microprocessor operates in accordance with the computer program. Here, a computer program is a combination of multiple instruction codes that indicate commands for a computer to achieve a predetermined function.

[0160] Furthermore, some or all of the components constituting each of the above devices may be configured as a single system LSI (Large Scale Integration). A system LSI is an ultra-multifunctional LSI manufactured by integrating multiple components on a single chip, and specifically, is a computer system configured including a microprocessor, ROM, RAM, etc. A computer program is stored in the RAM. The system LSI achieves its functions when the microprocessor operates in accordance with the computer program.

[0161] The present invention may also be embodied as the above-described methods, a computer program for implementing these methods on a computer, or a digital signal comprising the computer program.

[0162] Furthermore, the present invention may be the computer program or the digital signal recorded on a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium, such as a hard disk drive, CD-ROM, DVD, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, BD (Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc), semiconductor memory, etc. Alternatively, the present invention may be the digital signal recorded on such a non-transitory recording medium.

[0163] Furthermore, the present invention may also be such that the computer program or the digital signal is transmitted via a telecommunications line, a wireless or wired communication line, a network such as the Internet, or data broadcasting.

[0164] The program or the digital signal may also be implemented by another independent computer system by recording it on the non-transitory recording medium and transferring it, or by transferring it via the network or the like.

[0165] Furthermore, each step included in the program may be executed by multiple computers.

[0166] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the meaning described above, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0167] 1. Probe information collection device 1A Probe information collection device 1B Probe information collection device 1C Probe information collection device 2 Information generation device 3 User device 4. Probe-based devices 5 vehicles 5A vehicle 5B vehicle 5C vehicle 11 Communication I / F section 12 Probe Information Collection Department 13 Probe information storage unit 14 Probe Information Group Provider 15. Compensation Information Department 16 Information acquisition department 17 Provided information storage department 18. Compensation Information Storage Unit 19 Information Provision Department 21 Communication I / F section 22 Probe information group acquisition unit 23 Probe information storage unit 24 Valuation Department 25. Compensation Information Acquisition Department 26 Information generation section 27 Information Provision Department 31 Probe Position 32 Road 100 Traffic Information System

Claims

[Claim 1] a probe information group acquiring unit that acquires a probe information group from each of a plurality of first operators that collect probe information; an information generating unit that generates traffic information for each of the first businesses based on the probe information group; a value assessment unit that compares the traffic information for each of the first businesses with traffic information acquired from a second business and assesses the second business; An information generation system comprising:

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