Information processing device

Abstract

To improve a technology for providing a user with information of spots.SOLUTION: A drive support device 40 is an information processing device. The drive support device 40 includes a storage part 45, and a control part 46. The storage part 45 stores information of a plurality of rectangular sections for partitioning a map, and position information of a plurality of spots on the map. The control part 46 extracts a departure point, a destination point and a combination of two adjacent points from at least one passage point on a route from the departure point to the destination point, and identifies the smallest rectangular area including a combination of two points in a rectangular area formed including sections. The control part 46 determines to provide a user with information of spots included in a search area based on the smallest rectangular area among a plurality of spots.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, technologies for providing users with information on spots such as facilities or tourist attractions have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a route search device that presents a list of stop spots around the current position of a vehicle to a user.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] There is room for improvement in conventional technologies for providing users with spot information. For example, conventional technologies present stop spots within a certain distance from the current position of a vehicle to a user. Therefore, conventional technologies cannot present stop spots within a wide range from a starting point to a destination to a user.

[0005] In view of this point, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the technology for providing users with spot information.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a storage unit and a control unit. The storage unit stores information of a plurality of rectangular sections that demarcate a map and location information of a plurality of spots on the map. The control unit extracts pairs of adjacent points from the starting point, the destination point, and at least one passing point along the path from the starting point to the destination point, and identifies the smallest rectangular region that includes the pair of points among the rectangular regions comprising the sections. The control unit decides to provide the user with information of spots included in the search region based on the smallest rectangular region among the plurality of spots. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the technology for providing spot information to users can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This block diagram shows a schematic configuration of a system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the system's operation procedure. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the system's operation procedure. [Figure 4] This is a diagram to explain the search area. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments relating to this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, System 1 includes a server device 10, a terminal device 20, and a vehicle 30. Figure 1 shows System 1 including one server device 10, one terminal device 20, and one vehicle 30. However, System 1 may include any number of server devices 10, any number of terminal devices 20, and any number of vehicles 30.

[0011] The server device 10, the terminal device 20, and the vehicle 30 can communicate with each other via network 2. Network 2 may be any network, including mobile communication networks and the Internet.

[0012] System 1 can provide users planning their travel with information on spots they have registered in advance. Users may travel by any means of transportation, such as a vehicle, bicycle, or on foot. In this embodiment, the user travels by vehicle 30.

[0013] The server device 10 is an information processing device. The server device 10 is composed of, for example, one or a plurality of computers that can communicate with each other.

[0014] Terminal device 20 is an information processing device. Terminal device 20 is, for example, a smartphone, tablet device, or personal computer (PC). Terminal device 20 is operated by a user. The user of terminal device 20 is also the user of vehicle 30. The user of terminal device 20 registers in advance the spots they wish to visit when traveling by vehicle 30 by operating terminal device 20. Spots are, for example, facilities or tourist destinations.

[0015] Vehicle 30 may be any type of automobile. Vehicle 30 is equipped with a driver assistance device 40. The driver assistance device 40 is an information processing device. The driver assistance device 40 is, for example, a car navigation system.

[0016] (Server configuration) The server device 10 comprises a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a control unit 13.

[0017] The communication unit 11 is configured to include at least one communication module that can be connected to the network 2. The communication module is, for example, a communication module compliant with a standard such as a wired LAN (Local Area Network) or a wireless LAN. The communication unit 11 is connected to the network 2 via a wired LAN or a wireless LAN by the communication module.

[0018] The storage unit 12 is configured to include at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The storage unit 12 may function as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 12 stores data used for the operation of the server device 10 and data obtained by the operation of the server device 10. For example, map information is stored in the storage unit 12.

[0019] The map information stored in the storage unit 12 includes information on a plurality of nodes and a plurality of links. A node indicates, for example, an intersection or a point where the road type changes on a road. A link indicates a road connecting two nodes.

[0020] The map information stored in the memory unit 12 includes information on a plurality of rectangular sections that divide the map. The sections are, for example, squares or rectangles. For example, the map can be divided into a plurality of sections by dividing the map along each of the latitude and longitude. The section information includes, for example, the size of the section, information on the corresponding latitude and longitude, and the like. Information on sections of different sizes may be stored in the memory unit 12 for one map. The sections are also referred to as meshes. As the sections, meshes provided by public institutions such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism may be used, or meshes uniquely set in the system 1 may be used. When meshes provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism are used as the sections, the sections are referred to as primary meshes, secondary meshes, 2.5th-order or third-order meshes according to their sizes. The sizes of the primary mesh, secondary mesh, 2.5th-order mesh and third-order mesh are 80 [km] × 80 [km], 10 [km] × 10 [km], 5 [km] × 5 [km] and 1 [km] × 1 [km], respectively.

[0021] The control unit 13 is configured to include at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. The control unit 13 executes processes related to the operation of the server device 10 while controlling each part of the server device 10.

[0022] (Configuration of the terminal device) The terminal device 20 includes a communication unit 21, an input unit 22, an output unit 23, a memory unit 24, and a control unit 25.

[0023] The communication unit 21 is configured to include at least one communication module connectable to the network 2. The communication module is, for example, a communication module compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation).

[0024] The input unit 22 is capable of receiving input from the user. The input unit 22 is configured to include at least one input interface capable of receiving input from the user. The input interface may be, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touchscreen integrated with a display, or a microphone.

[0025] The output unit 23 is capable of outputting data. The output unit 23 is configured to include at least one output interface capable of outputting data. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display.

[0026] The hardware configuration of the storage unit 24 may be the same as or similar to that of the storage unit 12. The storage unit 24 stores data used for the operation of the terminal device 20 and data obtained through the operation of the terminal device 20.

[0027] The hardware configuration of the control unit 25 may be the same as or similar to that of the storage unit 12. The control unit 25 controls each part of the terminal device 20 and executes processes related to the operation of the terminal device 20.

[0028] (Configuration of driver assistance systems) The driver assistance device 40 includes a communication unit 41, a positioning unit 42, an input unit 43, an output unit 44, a storage unit 45, and a control unit 46.

[0029] The communication unit 41 comprises at least one communication module that can be connected to the network 2. The hardware configuration of the communication unit 41 may be the same as or similar to that of the communication unit 21.

[0030] The positioning unit 42 is capable of acquiring location information of the vehicle 30 equipped with the driver assistance device 40. The positioning unit 42 is configured to include at least one receiving module that corresponds to a satellite positioning system. The receiving module is, for example, a receiving module that corresponds to GPS (Global Positioning System).

[0031] The input unit 43 is capable of receiving input from the user. The hardware configuration of the input unit 43 may be the same as or similar to that of the input unit 22.

[0032] The output unit 44 is capable of outputting data. The hardware configuration of the output unit 44 may be the same as or similar to that of the output unit 23.

[0033] The hardware configuration of the memory unit 45 may be the same as or similar to that of the memory unit 12. The memory unit 45 stores data used for the operation of the driver assistance device 40 and data obtained from the operation of the driver assistance device 40.

[0034] The hardware configuration of the control unit 46 may be the same as or similar to that of the control unit 13. The control unit 46 controls each part of the driving assistance device 40 and performs processing related to the operation of the driving assistance device 40.

[0035] (System operation) Figures 2 and 3 are sequence diagrams showing an example of the operation procedure of System 1 shown in Figure 1.

[0036] In the process of step S1, the terminal device 20's control unit 25 receives an input indicating the location of a spot via the input unit 22. The user inputs the location of a spot they wish to visit while traveling by vehicle 30 into the input unit 22.

[0037] In step S2, the terminal device 20's control unit 25 transmits the spot location information received in step S1 to the server device 10 via the network 2 using the communication unit 21 (step S2).

[0038] In step S3, the server device 10's control unit 13 receives location information of spots from the terminal device 20 via the network 2 using the communication unit 11. The control unit 13 stores the received location information of spots in the storage unit 12. For example, the control unit 13 stores the location information of spots 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, and 57, as shown in Figure 4, in the storage unit 12.

[0039] The processes from steps S1 to S3 may be executed at any time, for example, before the user travels by vehicle 30. By executing the processes from steps S1 to S3, the spots that the user wishes to visit are pre-registered in the server device 10 before the user travels by vehicle 30.

[0040] In the process of step S4, the control unit 46 of the driver assistance device 40 receives an input requesting a route search, an input indicating a starting point, and an input indicating a destination point via the input unit 43. These inputs are entered into the input unit 43 by the user, for example, when the user is traveling to a destination point by vehicle 30 or when the user is planning to travel to a destination point by vehicle 30. Instead of receiving an input indicating a starting point, the control unit 46 may obtain the current position of vehicle 30 using the positioning unit 42. In this case, the control unit 46 uses the obtained current position of vehicle 30 as the starting point.

[0041] In step S5, the control unit 46 of the driver assistance device 40 transmits a signal requesting route search, location information of the starting point, location information of the destination point, and a signal indicating the user's means of transportation to the server device 10 via the network 2 using the communication unit 41. The signal indicating the user's means of transportation is, for example, a signal indicating a vehicle, bicycle, or walking. In this embodiment, the control unit 46 transmits a signal indicating a vehicle as the signal indicating the user's means of transportation.

[0042] In the process of step S6, the control unit 13 of the server device 10 receives a signal requesting route search, location information of the starting point, location information of the destination point, and a signal indicating the user's means of transportation from the driving support device 40 via the network 2, through the communication unit 11.

[0043] In step S7, the server device 10's control unit 13 uses information on multiple nodes and multiple links stored in the storage unit 12 to perform a route search from the starting point to the destination point. The control unit 13 may perform the route search from the starting point to the destination point using any route search algorithm. The control unit 13 performs the route search from the starting point to the destination point and determines the route from the starting point to the destination point on the map. The route from the starting point to the destination point consists of at least one node and one link.

[0044] For example, the control unit 13 performs a route search from the starting point 70 to the destination point 71 on the map 60 as shown in Figure 4. The control unit 13 performs the route search and determines the route 72 from the starting point 70 to the destination point 71.

[0045] In the process of step S8, the control unit 13 of the server device 10 extracts at least one waypoint from the determined path. The control unit 13 may extract multiple waypoints or extract one waypoint. If the determined path is composed of nodes, the control unit 13 may extract the nodes that make up the path as waypoints. The control unit 13 may extract intersections on the determined path as waypoints. The control unit 13 may extract points that divide the path at equal intervals as waypoints. For example, in Figure 4, the control unit 13 extracts waypoints 73, 74, and 75 from path 72.

[0046] In the processing of step S9, the control unit 13 of the server device 10 extracts pairs of adjacent points on the route from among the starting point, destination point, and passing points. For example, in Figure 4, the control unit 13 extracts pairs of adjacent points on the route 72, such as starting point 70 and passing point 73, passing point 73 and passing point 74, passing point 74 and passing point 75, and passing point 75 and destination point 71.

[0047] In step S10, the control unit 13 of the server device 10 determines the size of the sections that will be used to divide the map. The control unit 13 determines the size of the sections that will be used to divide the map so that the size of the sections corresponds to the user's means of transportation received in step S6. For example, the control unit 13 may determine the size of the sections so that the faster the user's means of transportation, the larger the sections that will be used to divide the map. For example, the user's speed increases in the order of walking, cycling, and then vehicle. Therefore, when the above-mentioned primary to tertiary mesh is used for the sections, the control unit 13 may determine the size of the sections that will be used to divide the map to be 1 [km] × 1 [km] when the user's means of transportation is walking. The control unit 13 may determine the size of the sections that will be used to divide the map to be 2.5 [km] × 2.5 [km] when the user's means of transportation is cycling. The control unit 13 may determine the size of the sections that will be used to divide the map to be 10 [km] × 10 [km] when the user's means of transportation is a vehicle. Once the control unit 13 determines the size of the section, it retrieves information about the section of the determined size from the storage unit 12 and divides the map. For example, in Figure 4, the control unit 13 divides the map 60 into sections 61. The size of section 61 is 10 [km] × 10 [km].

[0048] In step S11, the control unit 13 identifies the smallest rectangular region among the rectangular regions comprising the partitions that includes the pair of points extracted in step S9. This smallest rectangular region may consist of one or more partitions. The smallest rectangular region may consist of one or more partitions. The rectangular region is, for example, a square or a rectangle. For example, in Figure 4, the control unit 13 identifies the smallest rectangular region 62 among the rectangular regions comprising partition 61 that includes the pair of starting point 70 and passing point 73. The control unit 13 identifies the smallest rectangular region 63 among the rectangular regions comprising partition 61 that includes the pair of passing point 73 and passing point 74. The control unit 13 identifies the smallest rectangular region 64 among the rectangular regions comprising partition 61 that includes the pair of passing point 74 and passing point 75. The control unit 13 identifies the smallest rectangular region 65 among the rectangular regions comprising partition 61 that includes the pair of passing point 75 and destination point 71.

[0049] In step S11, the control unit 13 may identify the smallest rectangular region containing the two points for all pairs of points extracted in step S9, or it may identify the smallest rectangular region containing the two points for some of the pairs of points extracted in step S9.

[0050] In the process of step S11, the control unit 13 may identify the area comprising the partition surrounding the destination point as a rectangular area. For example, the control unit 13 may identify the area comprising N × N (where N is an odd number of 3 or more) partitions centered on the partition containing the destination point as a rectangular area. For example, in Figure 4, the control unit 13 identifies the area comprising 3 × 3 partitions centered on the partition 61 surrounding the destination point 71 as a rectangular area 66.

[0051] In step S12, the control unit 13 of the server device 10 determines the search area based on the rectangular area identified in step S11. The search area is the area where spots to be provided to the user are searched. As an example, the control unit 13 may determine the search area to be the area formed by combining the identified rectangular areas. When combining the identified rectangular areas, the control unit 13 may treat overlapping parts of multiple rectangular areas as a single part. For example, in Figure 4, hatching is applied to the search area. In Figure 4, the control unit 13 determines the search area to be the area formed by combining rectangular areas 62, 63, 64, 65, and 66. The control unit 13 treats the overlapping parts of rectangular areas 62 and 63, the overlapping parts of rectangular areas 63 and 64, and the overlapping parts of rectangular areas 64 to 66 as separate parts. As another example, the control unit 13 may determine the search area to be the area formed by combining the identified rectangular areas and the area surrounding the outer perimeter of the combined area. For example, the control unit 13 may determine the search area to be the area with hatching in Figure 4 and the section 61 surrounding the hatched area. In yet another example, the control unit 13 may determine the search area to be the area formed by combining the identified rectangular areas and an area in which sections are arranged around the outer perimeter of the combined area so that the thickness of the sections is a predetermined number. The predetermined number may be set according to the means of movement.

[0052] In step S13, the control unit 13 of the server device 10 extracts spots from among the multiple spots stored in the storage unit 12 that are included in the search area determined in step S11. The control unit 13 decides to provide the user with information about the extracted spots. For example, in Figure 4, the control unit 13 extracts spots 51 and 53 from spots 50 to 56 that are included in the hatched search area. The control unit 13 decides to provide the user with information about spots 51 and 53. In this embodiment, the control unit 13 provides location information of the spots as spot information.

[0053] After the processing in step S13, system 1 proceeds to the processing in step S14 shown in Figure 3.

[0054] In step S14, the control unit 13 of the server device 10 transmits the route information determined in step S7 and the spot location information determined in step S13 to the driver assistance device 40 via the network 2 using the communication unit 11.

[0055] In the process of step S15, the control unit 46 of the driving support device 40 receives route information and spot location information from the server device 10 via the network 2 using the communication unit 41.

[0056] In step S16, the control unit 46 of the driver assistance device 40 outputs the route information and spot location information received in step S15 to the output unit 44. For example, the control unit 46 displays the route information and spot location information on the display of the output unit 44. By executing the process in step S16, the user can understand the route from the starting point to the destination and the locations of spots around that route. The user can select a spot that they want to visit with the vehicle 30 from among the spots output from the output unit 44. The user inputs an input indicating the selected spot to the input unit 43 of the driver assistance device 40.

[0057] In the process of step S17, the control unit 46 of the driving support device 40 receives an input from the input unit 43 indicating a spot selected from among the spots output by the output unit 44. The control unit 46 transmits the location information of the spot received by the input unit 43 to the server device 10 via the network 2 using the communication unit 41 (step S18).

[0058] In step S19, the control unit 13 of the server device 10 receives location information of the spot via the network 2 using the communication unit 11. In other words, in step S19, the control unit 13 receives location information of at least one of the multiple spots that it decided to provide to the user in step S13. Upon receiving the location information of the spot, the control unit 13 determines a new route from the starting point to the destination point that passes through the received spot (step S20). For example, suppose the control unit 13 has received location information of spot 53 as shown in Figure 4. In this case, the control unit 13 determines a new route from the starting point 70 to the destination point 71 that passes through spot 53. The control unit 13 transmits the information of the new route to the driver assistance device 40 via the network 2 using the communication unit 11 (step S21).

[0059] In step S22, the control unit 46 of the driver assistance device 40 receives new route information from the server device 10 via the network 2 using the communication unit 41. The control unit 46 outputs the new route information to the output unit 44 (step S23). For example, the control unit 46 displays the new route information on the display of the output unit 44. As a result of the execution of step S23, the user can drive the vehicle 30 along the new route and stop at selected spots.

[0060] In the server device 10 according to this embodiment, the control unit 13 decides to provide the user with information on the spots included in the search area from among the multiple spots stored in the storage unit 12.

[0061] Here, as a comparative example, consider providing the user with information on spots within a certain distance from the vehicle 30's current location. In such a comparative example, it is not possible to provide the user with information on spots within a wide range from the starting point to the destination. Furthermore, the server device 10 will search for spots within a certain distance at each location along the route from the starting point to the destination. Due to this configuration, the calculation process performed by the server device 10 becomes complex in the comparative example. Therefore, the server device 10 is required to have high computing power in the comparative example.

[0062] In contrast to the comparative example, in the server device 10 according to this embodiment, the control unit 13 extracts pairs of adjacent points from the starting point, destination point, and at least one passing point along the path. The control unit 13 identifies the smallest rectangular area containing the pair of points from among the rectangular areas composed of partitions. With this configuration, the search area based on the identified smallest rectangular area can be a wide range from the starting point to the destination point. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 13 provides the user with information on spots included in such a wide search area from the starting point to the destination point. As a result, unlike the comparative example, this embodiment can provide the user with information on spots within a wide range from the starting point to the destination point. Furthermore, unlike the comparative example, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to search for spots within a certain distance range at each position on the path from the starting point to the destination point. With this configuration, the calculation processing performed by the server device 10 can be simpler than in the comparative example. As a result, in this embodiment, high computing power is not required for the server device 10. In addition, in this embodiment, the load on the server device 10, such as calculation processing, can be reduced. By reducing the computational load on the server device 10, the server device 10 can simultaneously respond to route search requests and other inquiries from more devices.

[0063] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the technology for providing spot information to users can be improved.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the size of the sections that divide the map may be a size corresponding to the user's means of transportation. By dividing the map with sections of a size corresponding to the user's means of transportation, the search area for finding spots can be a size corresponding to the user's range of activity. By having a search area a size corresponding to the user's range of activity, it is possible to provide the user with appropriate spot information.

[0065] Furthermore, in the server device 10 according to this embodiment, the control unit 13 may extract nodes that constitute the route from the starting point to the destination point as waypoints. By extracting nodes that constitute the route as waypoints, the computational load on the server device 10 can be reduced compared to, for example, extracting waypoints by dedicated computational processing.

[0066] Furthermore, in the server device 10 according to this embodiment, the control unit 13 may identify a rectangular area that includes the area surrounding the destination point. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the control unit 13 may identify a rectangular area 66 that includes the area 61 containing the destination point 71. After reaching the destination point, the user can move freely around the area surrounding the destination point. In other words, the user's range of movement after reaching the destination point may be wider than the user's range of movement while moving along the route. By identifying a rectangular area that includes the area surrounding the destination point in this way, the destination point can provide the user with information on more spots. This configuration can improve user convenience.

[0067] Furthermore, in the server device 10 according to this embodiment, the control unit 13 may receive location information of at least one of the multiple spots that it has decided to provide to the user via the communication unit 11. In this case, the control unit 13 may determine a new route from the starting point to the destination point that passes through the received spot. With this configuration, the user can drive the vehicle 30 along the new route and stop at the selected spot. As a result, user convenience can be improved.

[0068] While this disclosure has been described based on the drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions, etc., included in each component or step can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps can be combined into one or divided into two.

[0069] For example, the processing performed by the server device 10 may be performed by any information processing device. As another example, a terminal device 20, which is an information processing device, may perform the processing performed by the server device 10. In this case, the control unit 25 of the terminal device 20 may receive input indicating the user's means of transportation via the input unit 22 before executing the processing of step S10. As described above, according to this embodiment, the calculation processing performed by the server device 10 becomes easier. Therefore, even a terminal device 20, which has lower computing power compared to the server device 10, can perform the same processing as the server device 10 at a relatively high speed. In the same or similar manner, as yet another example, a driver support device 40, which is an information processing device, may perform the processing performed by the server device 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1: System, 2: Network, 10: Server device, 11: Communication unit, 12: Memory unit, 13: Control unit, 20: Terminal device, 21: Communication unit, 22: Input unit, 23: Output unit, 24: Memory unit, 25: Control unit, 30: Vehicle, 40: Driving assistance device, 41: Communication unit, 42: Positioning unit, 43: Input unit, 44: Output unit, 45: Memory unit, 46: Control unit, 50, 51, 52, 53: Spot, 60: Map, 61: Section, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66: Rectangular area, 70: Starting point, 71: Destination point, 72: Route, 73, 74, 75: Waypoints

Claims

1. A storage unit that stores information on multiple rectangular sections that divide a map, and location information on multiple spots on the map, Communications Department and, It comprises a control unit and, The control unit, The communication unit receives a signal indicating the user's means of transportation. On the path from the starting point to the destination point, a pair of adjacent points is extracted from the starting point, the destination point, and at least one passing point; the smallest rectangular region containing the pair of points among the rectangular regions comprising the said area is identified; and it is decided to provide the user with information on the spots included in the search region based on the smallest rectangular region among the multiple spots. An information processing device in which the size of the compartment is corresponding to the user's means of transportation.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit extracts the nodes constituting the path as the passing points.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit identifies the region comprising the partition surrounding the destination point as a rectangular region.

4. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit, upon receiving location information of at least one of a plurality of spots that it has decided to provide to the user, determines a new route from the starting point to the destination point that passes through the received spot.

Images