Manual generation device and manual generation system

Abstract

To provide a manual generating device capable of generating a manual suitable for an onboard machine whose features are configured.SOLUTION: A manual generating device 100 includes a configuration information acquisition unit 111, a default information acquisition unit 112, a configuration information reflection unit 113, and a manual generation unit 114. The configuration information acquisition unit 111 acquires configuration information employed in configuring an onboard machine 200 mounted in a vehicle 20. The default information acquisition unit 112 acquires default information of a manual including information that is stored in a memory unit 120 in advance, concerning the onboard machine 200, specifically concerning the operation of the onboard machine 200. The configuration information reflection unit 113 reflects the configuration information on the default information on the basis of the configuration information and default information. The manual generation unit 114 generates an operation manual of the onboard machine 200 on the basis of result-of-reflection information on which the configuration information is reflected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a manual generation device and a manual generation system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, technologies for generating and displaying manuals related to the operation of devices have been proposed. Patent Document 1 discloses a portable information processing device that displays a manual for in-vehicle devices. The portable information processing device disclosed in Patent Document 1 displays a manual corresponding to the state of the in-vehicle device on the display screen of the mobile phone terminal. [[ID=1�]]

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The portable information processing device disclosed in Patent Document 1 displays a manual on the display screen of the portable information processing device in conjunction with the operation of the in-vehicle device. That is, the portable information processing device needs to be displayed in a state where the in-vehicle device is activated. However, it is desired that the manual of the in-vehicle device can be read by the user even when the in-vehicle device is not actually operating, such as at startup or during maintenance in case of failure. In addition, the in-vehicle device has a large number of functions according to the type of vehicle, the purpose of use, and the information set for the in-vehicle device, and its manual becomes huge data including information on all functions. That is, the conventional manual of the in-vehicle device becomes redundant, including information unrelated to actual use.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the problems of such conventional technologies. And an object of the present invention is to provide a manual generation device capable of generating a manual suitable for an in-vehicle device with functions set. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A manual generation device according to an aspect of the present invention comprises: a setting information acquisition unit that acquires setting information used for setting an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle; a default information acquisition unit that acquires default information of a manual which includes information about the operation of the in-vehicle device and is stored in a storage unit in advance; a setting information reflection unit that reflects the setting information in the default information based on the setting information and the default information; and a manual generation unit that generates an operation manual for the in-vehicle device based on the reflection result information in which the setting information has been reflected.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a manual generation system comprising a user terminal, an in-vehicle device, and a manual generation device, wherein the manual generation device generates an operation manual for an in-vehicle device mounted in a vehicle, the manual generation device comprising: a setting information acquisition unit that acquires setting information used for setting the in-vehicle device input by the user via the user terminal; a default information acquisition unit that acquires default information for a manual, which includes information about the in-vehicle device stored in a storage unit in advance and includes information about the operation of the in-vehicle device; a setting information reflection unit that reflects the setting information in the default information based on the setting information and the default information; and a manual generation unit that generates an operation manual for the in-vehicle device based on the reflection result information in which the setting information has been reflected. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a manual generation device that can generate manuals suitable for in-vehicle devices with configured functions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows the configuration of the manual generation system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the configuration of the in-vehicle device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3]This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the manual generation device according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the manual generation device according to this embodiment. [Figure 5A] This figure shows an example of the input screen for setting information according to this embodiment. [Figure 5B] This figure shows an example of the input screen for setting information according to this embodiment. [Figure 5C] This figure shows an example of the input screen for setting information according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration information according to this embodiment. [Figure 7A] This figure shows an example of an operation manual generated by the manual generation device according to this embodiment. [Figure 7B] This figure shows an example of an operation manual generated by the manual generation device according to this embodiment. [Figure 7C] This figure shows an example of an operation manual generated by the manual generation device according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows an example of the processing performed by the manual generation device according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] This block diagram shows the functional configuration of a manual generation device according to another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The manual generation system 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for illustrative purposes and may differ from the actual ratios. In addition, in the following drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals.

[0011] (Manual generation system 1) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the manual generation system 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the manual generation system 1 includes a server 10, a vehicle 20, a user terminal 30, and a network 40.

[0012] The server 10 has a function of generating an operation manual for an in-vehicle device 200 (in-vehicle equipment) mounted on the vehicle 20. The user terminal 30 is a terminal configured by a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet, or the like. The user inputs setting information necessary for operating the in-vehicle device 200 via the user terminal 30. Further, the operation manual generated by the manual generation system 1 can be viewed, output, etc. via the user terminal 30.

[0013] Also, in the manual generation system 1, the server 10, the in-vehicle device 200 of the vehicle 20, and the user terminal 30 can communicate with each other via the network 40.

[0014] The manual generation system 1 is a system that generates a manual for the in-vehicle device 200 mounted on the vehicle 20. The in-vehicle device 200 has a number of functions according to the type of the vehicle 20, the purpose of use, and the information set for the in-vehicle device 200. Therefore, a general manual for the in-vehicle device 200 has an enormous amount of data including information on all functions. That is, the operation manual of the conventional in-vehicle device 200 may include redundant content other than the functions that the user actually plans to use.

[0015] Conventionally, when the user uses the operation manual of the in-vehicle device 200, the user needs to search for information regarding the in-vehicle device 200 that the user plans to use from the manual having an enormous amount of data including information on all these functions.

[0016] In addition, the provider (creator) of the operation manual may, for example, customize the manual according to the user's request to suit the operation of the in-vehicle unit 200 used by the user and provide it to the user. However, since the in-vehicle unit 200 has a large number of functions, it requires a great deal of man-hours and labor costs for the manual provider to create (customize) a manual that suits the operation of the in-vehicle unit 200 used by the user.

[0017] The manual generation system 1 according to the present embodiment enables the generation of an operation manual suitable for the in-vehicle unit 200 with functions set. Specifically, the manual generation system 1 enables the generation of an operation manual for the in-vehicle unit 200 that the user plans to operate according to the setting information of the in-vehicle unit 200 set by the user. Hereinafter, the details of each configuration of the manual generation system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0018] (Configuration of In-vehicle Unit 200) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the in-vehicle unit 200 mounted on the vehicle 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle unit 200 includes a CPU 210. The in-vehicle unit 200 also includes a speed signal IF 231 (Interface) and an engine signal IF 232. The in-vehicle unit 200 further includes a GPS IF 233 (Global Positioning System), a camera IF 234, an acceleration sensor IF 235, a pneumatic sensor IF 236, and a temperature sensor IF 237.

[0019] The in-vehicle unit 200 also includes a wide-area communication module 241, a non-volatile memory 242, a volatile memory 243, and an SD card 244. Furthermore, the in-vehicle unit 200 includes a SW input unit 245, an LCD 246 (liquid crystal display), a speaker IF 247, and an external output signal IF 248.

[0020] The CPU 210 realizes various functions required for the in-vehicle unit 200 by executing a pre-embedded program. The main operations of the CPU 210 will be described later.

[0021] The speed signal IF231 converts a predetermined vehicle speed signal output from the vehicle into a signal suitable for input processing by the CPU210. The CPU210 can determine the vehicle's speed and distance traveled by monitoring the number of pulses and the period of the vehicle speed signal.

[0022] The engine signal IF232 converts a predetermined engine rotation signal output from the vehicle into a signal suitable for input processing by the CPU210. The CPU210 can determine the engine speed (rpm) by monitoring the number of pulses and the period of the engine rotation signal.

[0023] The GPSIF233 is used to input signals from a GPS receiver (not shown) to the CPU210. The GPS receiver receives radio waves from multiple GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites and can calculate the current position of the vehicle 20, which is the receiving point. The CPU210 can obtain the current position information from the GPS receiver via the GPSIF233.

[0024] Camera IF234 acquires image data captured by an on-board camera (not shown) and sends it to the CPU 210. The acceleration sensor IF235, pneumatic sensor IF236, and temperature sensor IF237 are used to input information acquired by the acceleration sensor, pneumatic sensor, and temperature sensor installed in the vehicle 20 to the CPU 210. For example, the temperature sensor IF237 can convert an analog signal representing the temperature of a specific part of the luggage compartment of the vehicle 20 into a digital signal and provide it to the CPU 210.

[0025] The wide-area communication module 241 has the function of securing a wireless communication line with, for example, a wireless base station (not shown) provided by a mobile communication carrier, and enabling wide-area wireless communication. The wide-area communication module 241 can communicate with the server 10 via an antenna (not shown) and a network 40.

[0026] The non-volatile memory 242 is an electronic device similar to flash memory, which allows data to be read and stored data to be rewritten by access from the CPU 210. The non-volatile memory 242 is used to store various parameters, constant data, programs, and other data used by the in-vehicle unit 200.

[0027] The volatile memory 243 is a semiconductor memory device that allows data to be freely read and written by the CPU 210. The volatile memory 243 is used to temporarily hold various types of data handled by the CPU 210.

[0028] The SD card 244 is connected to the in-vehicle unit 200 in a removable manner using a predetermined card interface (not shown). The SD card 244 is used to store various data that the in-vehicle unit 200 should record, such as vehicle 20 driving data.

[0029] The SW input unit 245 is equipped with a switch that generates signals representing the operating status of multiple buttons for receiving input operations from a user, such as the driver of the vehicle 20. For example, the switch signals acquired by the SW input unit 245 include ON / OFF signals for the ignition switch (not shown), ON / OFF signals for the brake switch (not shown), and ON / OFF signals for the turn signal switch (not shown). The signals representing the operating status of each button (SW) are input from the SW input unit 245 to the CPU 210.

[0030] The LCD246 is positioned on the front of the vehicle unit 200's casing in a location easily visible to the driver. Controlled by the CPU210, it is used to display the operating status of the vehicle unit 200 and to display information necessary for user input operations.

[0031] Speaker IF247 is an interface to a speaker (not shown) installed in the vehicle 20. Speaker IF247 can output alarm sounds or simulated voices to the speaker under the control of the CPU 210. External output signal IF248 is an interface to other equipment installed in the vehicle 20 (hereinafter referred to as "other equipment"). External output signal IF248 can output signals to other equipment under the control of the CPU 210.

[0032] (Server 10 configuration) Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of server 10. As shown in Figure 3, server 10 includes a manual generation device 100 as a function. In this embodiment, the manual generation device 100 is composed of a general-purpose computer comprising a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, an input / output IF 130 (Interface), and a communication IF 140. Details of the control unit 110 and the storage unit 120 will be described later.

[0033] Furthermore, when the user terminal 30 is implemented as a personal computer, smartphone, tablet, etc., the configuration may be the same as that shown in the block diagram in Figure 3.

[0034] The input / output interface 130 is, for example, a component (interface) for a user to exchange data with the server 10. The input / output interface 130 includes, for example, an input interface and an output interface (not shown in the diagram).

[0035] The input interface in the input / output IF130 has an interface function for inputting various information by the user, and information is input from outside the server 10. Information is input to the input interface by the user through devices connected to the server 10, such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, trackball, and voice recognition device. The input interface can also be used as a data input terminal to input data from an external storage device (not shown), etc.

[0036] The output interface of the input / output interface 130 can display the configuration information and manual information described later on a display device (not shown) connected to the server 10. The display device can be, for example, a display device or a projector device.

[0037] The communication interface 140 is an interface that enables mutual communication between the server 10, the in-vehicle device 200 of the vehicle 20, and the user terminal 30 via the network 40.

[0038] (Functions of the manual generation device 100) Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the manual generation device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, the control unit 110 of the manual generation device 100 includes a setting information acquisition unit 111, a default information acquisition unit 112, a setting information reflection unit 113, a manual generation unit 114, and an output control unit 115 as its functions. Each of these functions of the control unit 110 will be described later.

[0039] Furthermore, the control unit 110 controls the entire server 10, for example, by running an operating system. In addition, the control unit 110 operates based on a program stored in the storage unit 120 and executes the functions described above. Note that the program is not limited to being stored in the storage unit 120, but may also be stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory) or the like (not shown) in the manual generation device 100.

[0040] As shown in Figure 4, the storage unit 120 stores the information contained in the configuration information DB121 (DB: Database), the default information DB122, and the manual information DB123 as data. Note that there may be one or more storage units 120 that store each of these data. For example, a single storage unit 120 may be configured to store data in separate areas. Alternatively, the data may be distributed and stored in multiple storage devices located in physically separate locations.

[0041] The configuration information acquisition unit 111 acquires the configuration information of the in-vehicle device 200 set by the user via the user terminal 30 and stores it in the configuration information DB 121.

[0042] Figures 5A to 5C show examples of screens displayed on the user terminal 30 when a user inputs setting information for the in-vehicle unit 200 via the user terminal 30. Based on the screens shown in Figures 5A to 5C, the user inputs setting information for the in-vehicle unit 200. This setting information includes, for example, speed limit warning settings, whether or not to output voice, and card operation settings.

[0043] In the example shown in Figure 5A, items include operational settings such as card operation and in-vehicle unit mode settings. In the example shown in Figure 5B, items include settings such as the target speed for issuing warnings and sudden acceleration. In the example shown in Figure 5C, an example of items for setting whether or not to enable voice is shown. Note that the screen examples shown in Figures 5A to 5C are examples of operational settings for the in-vehicle unit 200, and in the operational settings of the in-vehicle unit 200, setting information is entered based on the diagrams in Figures 5A to 5C and other diagrams.

[0044] The user configures the operation settings of the in-vehicle unit 200 based on the screens shown in Figures 5A to 5C, etc. The configured settings information is set on the in-vehicle unit 200, for example, via the SD card IF244 of the in-vehicle unit 200. Alternatively, the settings information may be set on the in-vehicle unit 200 via the network 40. The settings information is also sent to the server 10 via the network 40. The settings information acquisition unit 111 of the manual generation device 100 acquires the settings information sent from the user terminal 30 and stores it in the settings information DB 121.

[0045] Figure 6 shows an example of setting information stored in the setting information DB121. In the example shown in Figure 6, the setting information includes items related to "operation settings," "in-vehicle unit mode settings," "switch SW2" to "switch SW4," and "alarms." Note that the information shown in Figure 6 represents only a part of the setting information, and there are multiple other setting information related to the operation of the in-vehicle unit 200, depending on the functions of the in-vehicle unit 200, in addition to the information shown in Figure 6.

[0046] The "Operation Settings" section indicates whether or not the in-vehicle unit 200 is operated using a card. The example shown in Figure 6 shows an example where card operation has been set by the user.

[0047] The "In-vehicle unit mode setting" indicates whether the in-vehicle unit 200 is operating in "normal mode" or "non-operation mode." In "normal mode," the vehicle 20 is moved in and out of the depot by button operation, operation card, or driver code input. In "non-operation mode," the vehicle is moved in and out of the depot without button operation. For example, recording starts (vehicle movement) and ends (vehicle movement) automatically by turning the IGN (ignition switch) ON or OFF.

[0048] "Switch SW2" to "Switch SW4" contain information assigned to switches SW2 to SW4 on the in-vehicle unit 200. Additionally, "Alarm" includes settings for various alarms and whether or not to include sound.

[0049] The default information acquisition unit 112 acquires default information from the operation manual that has been previously stored in the default information DB 122 of the storage unit 120. In this embodiment, the default information is data (default value) that includes information from the operation manual corresponding to all functions provided in the in-vehicle device 200.

[0050] The configuration information reflection unit 113 reflects the contents of the configuration information into the default information based on the configuration information and the default information. Specifically, the configuration information reflection unit 113 retains the items (information) in the default information that correspond to the configuration information, and deletes the items that are not set in the configuration information. The configuration information reflection unit 113 also stores the reflected results as reflected result information in the default information DB 122. For example, if the "operation setting" is card operation, the card operation items in the default information will remain, and the cardless operation items will be deleted.

[0051] In this embodiment, items other than those configurable in the configuration information will remain in the default information and will not be deleted. For example, items other than those configurable in the configuration information that are not deleted from the default information are essential information for the operation of the in-vehicle device 200, such as matters concerning prohibitions and warnings, and information concerning the specifications of the in-vehicle device 200.

[0052] The manual generation unit 114 generates an operation manual for the in-vehicle device 200 based on the reflection result information reflected in the setting information reflection unit 113. Specifically, the manual generation unit 114 edits the pages of the operation manual, adjusts the table of contents, etc., based on the reflection result information of the default information, and generates an operation manual for the in-vehicle device 200 set by the user. In other words, in this embodiment, the operation manual generated by the manual generation unit 114 is a manual that has been edited by extracting only the information necessary for the operation of the in-vehicle device 200 set by the user from the default information of the manual.

[0053] Figures 7A to 7C show examples of operation manuals generated by the manual generation unit 114. For example, if a user sets "Card Operation" in the "Operation Settings" of the settings information via the user terminal 30, the operation manual generated by the manual generation unit 114 will include the operation manual for card operation shown in Figure 7A. In this case, the operation manual generated by the manual generation unit 114 will not include the operation manual for cardless operation shown in Figure 7B.

[0054] On the other hand, if "Cardless Operation" is set in the "Operation Settings" of the configuration information, the operation manual generated by the manual generation unit 114 will include the operation manual for cardless operation shown in Figure 7B. In this case, the operation manual generated by the manual generation unit 114 will not include the operation manual for card operation shown in Figure 7A.

[0055] Furthermore, if the "Alarm" setting in the configuration information is set to "Audio Output," an operation manual showing an example of audio output, as shown in Figure 7C, will be included.

[0056] The output control unit 115 controls the output of the operation manual generated by the manual generation unit 114. Specifically, the output control unit 115 outputs the operation manual in response to user requests. For example, if a user requests the output of the operation manual from the user terminal 30, the output control unit 115 outputs the operation manual to the user terminal 30 via the network 40. If a user requests the output of the operation manual directly from the server 10, the output control unit 115 outputs it to the server 10's display. Alternatively, when a user requests the output of the operation manual directly from the server 10, the output control unit 115 may output the operation manual by printing it from a printer (not shown) connected to the server 10.

[0057] (Outline of the processing flow of the manual generation device 100) Next, the processing flow in the manual generation device 100 is shown using the flowchart in Figure 8. The series of operations of the manual generation device 100 shown in the flowchart in Figure 8 begin when the manual generation device 100 is started and end when the work is completed. In addition, the flowchart in Figure 8 also ends when the power is turned off or when an interrupt occurs indicating the end of processing. Furthermore, in the following explanation of the flowchart, the same content as described in the above-mentioned explanation of the manual generation system 1 and manual generation device 100 will be omitted or simplified.

[0058] In step S801, the setting information acquisition unit 111 acquires the setting information of the in-vehicle device 200 set by the user via the user terminal 30 and stores it in the setting information DB 121. The process then proceeds to step S802.

[0059] In step S802, the default information acquisition unit 112 acquires the default information of the operation manual that has been previously stored in the default information DB 122 of the storage unit 120. In this embodiment, the default information is data (default value) that contains information of the operation manual corresponding to all functions provided in the in-vehicle unit 200. The process then proceeds to step S803.

[0060] In step S803, the configuration information reflection unit 113 reflects the contents of the configuration information into the default information based on the configuration information and the default information. Specifically, the configuration information reflection unit 113 retains the items (information) in the default information that correspond to the configuration information, and deletes the items that are not set in the configuration information. The configuration information reflection unit 113 also stores the reflected results as reflection result information in the default information DB 122.

[0061] In step S804, the control unit 110 determines whether the setting information has been applied to the default information. If the control unit 110 determines in step S804 that the setting information has been applied (step S804: YES), the process proceeds to step S805. On the other hand, if the control unit 110 determines in step S804 that the setting information has not been applied (step S804: NO), the process returns to the process in step S803 and repeatedly executes the process from step S803.

[0062] In step S805, the manual generation unit 114 generates an operation manual for the in-vehicle device 200 based on the reflection result information reflected in the setting information reflection unit 113. Specifically, the manual generation unit 114 edits the pages of the operation manual, adjusts the table of contents, etc., based on the reflection result information of the default information, and generates an operation manual for the in-vehicle device 200 set by the user. In other words, in this embodiment, the operation manual generated by the manual generation unit 114 is a manual that has been edited by extracting only the information necessary for the operation of the in-vehicle device 200 set by the user from the default information of the manual.

[0063] As described above, the manual generation device 100 comprises a setting information acquisition unit 111, a default information acquisition unit 112, a setting information reflection unit 113, and a manual generation unit 114. The setting information acquisition unit 111 acquires setting information used to configure the in-vehicle device 200 mounted on the vehicle 20. The default information acquisition unit 112 acquires default information for a manual that includes information about the operation of the in-vehicle device 200, which is stored in the storage unit 120 in advance. The setting information reflection unit 113 reflects the setting information in the default information based on the setting information and the default information. The manual generation unit 114 generates an operation manual for the in-vehicle device 200 based on the reflection result information in which the setting information has been reflected.

[0064] This enables the manual generation device 100 to generate operation manuals suitable for the in-vehicle unit 200 with configured functions. Specifically, the manual generation device 100 enables the generation of operation manuals for the in-vehicle unit 200 that the user plans to operate, according to the user's configured settings for the in-vehicle unit 200.

[0065] Furthermore, the manual generation device 100 is further equipped with an output control unit 115 that outputs an operation manual in response to a user request. This allows the manual generation device 100 to display the operation manual on the user terminal 30 or the server 10's display in response to a user request. The output control unit 115 may also print the operation manual from a printer connected to the server 10. This enables the manual generation device 100 to output the operation manual according to the situation in which the operation manual is used, such as when the user is actually operating the in-vehicle unit 200, or during maintenance before or after the in-vehicle unit 200 is started up.

[0066] (Other embodiments) While embodiments have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, these embodiments are not limited to those described above. Furthermore, the components described above include those easily conceivable by those skilled in the art, and those that are substantially the same. Moreover, the configurations described above can be combined as appropriate. In addition, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configurations can be made without departing from the spirit of the embodiments.

[0067] In the above-described embodiment, the manual generation device 100 generates an operation manual suitable for the operation of the in-vehicle unit 200 based on the setting information of the in-vehicle unit 200 set by the user via the user terminal 30. The manual generation device 100 may further be configured to generate an operation manual that reflects the driving data of the vehicle 20.

[0068] For example, as shown in Figure 9, the manual generation device 100 may include a driving data acquisition unit 116 and a driving data reflection unit 117 in the control unit 110, and a driving data information DB 124 in the storage unit 120. The driving data acquisition unit 116 acquires driving data of the vehicle 20 from the in-vehicle device 200 and stores it in the driving data information DB 124. The driving data reflection unit 117 may also reflect information related to the driving data in the reflection result information reflected by the setting information reflection unit 113 based on the driving data of the vehicle 20 stored in the driving data information DB 124.

[0069] As a result, for example, if the driving data acquired by the system recognizes a situation in which many alarms are generated, the setting information reflection unit 113 and the driving data reflection unit 117 may generate an operation manual in which the content related to the alarms is placed in the first half of the operation manual. Similarly, for example, if the driving data acquisition unit 116 acquires that a function of the in-vehicle unit 200 is frequently used by the user, the setting information reflection unit 113 and the driving data reflection unit 117 may generate an operation manual in which the content related to that function is placed in the first half of the operation manual. As a result, the manual generation device 100 can generate an operation manual that is applied to the actual specifications of the user's vehicle 20 and the in-vehicle unit 200, thereby improving the efficiency and effectiveness of using the manual.

[0070] Furthermore, a computer program (manual generation program) that causes a computer to execute the processing (manual generation method) in the manual generation device 100, and a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is stored, are included within the scope of this embodiment. Here, the type of computer-readable recording medium is arbitrary. Moreover, the computer program is not limited to one stored on the recording medium, but may also be transmitted via telecommunications lines, wireless or wired communication lines, networks such as the Internet, etc.

[0071] The features of the manual generation device 100 and the manual generation system 1 are described below.

[0072] The manual generation device 100 according to the first embodiment includes a setting information acquisition unit 111 that acquires setting information used for setting the in-vehicle unit 200 mounted on the vehicle 20. The manual generation device 100 also includes a default information acquisition unit 112 that acquires default information for a manual, which includes information about the operation of the in-vehicle unit 200 and is stored in the storage unit 120 in advance. The manual generation device 100 also includes a setting information reflection unit 113 that reflects the setting information in the default information based on the setting information and the default information. Furthermore, the manual generation device 100 includes a manual generation unit 114 that generates an operation manual for the in-vehicle unit 200 based on the reflection result information in which the setting information has been reflected.

[0073] According to the above configuration, the manual generation device 100 can generate an operation manual suitable for the in-vehicle device 200 with its functions configured. In other words, the manual generation device 100 can generate an operation manual for the in-vehicle device 200 that the user plans to operate, according to the configuration information of the in-vehicle device 200 set by the user.

[0074] The manual generation device 100 according to the second embodiment may further include an output control unit 115 that outputs an operation manual in response to a user's request.

[0075] With the above configuration, the manual generation device 100 can display the manual on the user terminal 30 or the server 10's display in response to the user's request. The output control unit 115 may also print the operation manual from a printer connected to the server 10. This allows the manual generation device 100 to output the operation manual according to the situation in which the manual is used, such as when the user is actually operating the in-vehicle unit 200, or during maintenance before or after starting up the in-vehicle unit 200.

[0076] The manual generation device 100 according to the third embodiment may further include a driving data acquisition unit 116 that acquires information regarding the driving of the vehicle 20 as driving data. The manual generation device 100 may further include a driving data reflection unit 117 that reflects information regarding the driving of the vehicle 20 in the reflected result information based on the driving data.

[0077] According to the above configuration, the manual generation device 100 can generate an operation manual that is applied to the actual specifications of the user's vehicle 20 and in-vehicle device 200, thereby improving the efficiency and effectiveness of using the manual.

[0078] The manual generation system 1 according to the fourth embodiment comprises a user terminal 30, an in-vehicle device 200, and a manual generation device 100, and is a manual generation system that generates an operation manual for the in-vehicle device 200 mounted on a vehicle 20. The manual generation device 100 has a setting information acquisition unit 111 that acquires setting information used to set up the in-vehicle device 200, which is input by the user via the user terminal 30. The manual generation device 100 also has a default information acquisition unit 112 that acquires default information for the manual, which is information about the in-vehicle device 200 that is stored in advance in a storage unit 120 and includes information about the operation of the in-vehicle device 200. The manual generation device 100 also has a setting information reflection unit 113 that reflects the setting information in the default information based on the setting information and default information. The manual generation device 100 also has a manual generation unit 114 that generates an operation manual for the in-vehicle device 200 based on the reflection result information in which the setting information has been reflected.

[0079] According to the above configuration, the manual generation system 1 can generate an operation manual suitable for the in-vehicle device 200 with configured functions. In other words, the manual generation system 1 can generate an operation manual for the in-vehicle device 200 that the user plans to operate, according to the configuration information of the in-vehicle device 200 set by the user. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1. Manual Generation System 10 servers 20 vehicles 30 User terminals 100 Manual Generator 110 Control Unit 111 Configuration Information Acquisition Unit 112 Default Information Acquisition Unit 113 Setting information reflection section 114 Manual Generation Unit 115 Output control unit 116 Driving data acquisition unit 117 Driving data reflection section 120 Storage section 121 Configuration Information Database 122 Default Information DB 123 Manual Information Database 200 Onboard equipment

Claims

1. A setting information acquisition unit that acquires setting information used to configure functions that the user actually plans to use in an in-vehicle device installed in the vehicle, A default information acquisition unit acquires default information that includes information about the in-vehicle device stored in a memory unit in advance, and which includes information about the operation of the in-vehicle device corresponding to all functions provided in the in-vehicle device. A setting information reflection unit reflects the setting information in the default information by, among the information included in the default information, retaining the items set in the setting information and deleting the items that are not set in the setting information, thereby reflecting the setting information in the default information. A manual generation unit generates an operation manual for the in-vehicle device based on the reflected result information that incorporates the aforementioned setting information, A manual generation device equipped with the following features.

2. The manual generation device according to claim 1, further comprising an output control unit that outputs the operation manual in response to a user's request.

3. A driving data acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the vehicle's movement as driving data, The manual generation device according to claim 2, further comprising a driving data reflection unit that reflects information relating to the driving of the vehicle in the reflection result information based on the driving data.

4. A manual generation system comprising a user terminal, an in-vehicle device, and a manual generation device, wherein the system generates an operation manual for the in-vehicle device installed in the vehicle, The manual generation device is A setting information acquisition unit that acquires setting information used to configure the functions that the user intends to use in the in-vehicle device, which the user has entered via the user terminal, A default information acquisition unit acquires default information from a manual that contains information about the in-vehicle device stored in a memory unit in advance, and which includes information about the operation of the in-vehicle device corresponding to all the functions provided in the in-vehicle device. A setting information reflection unit reflects the setting information in the default information by, among the information included in the default information, retaining the items set in the setting information and deleting the items that are not set in the setting information, thereby reflecting the setting information in the default information. A manual generation unit generates the operation manual for the in-vehicle device based on the reflected result information that reflects the aforementioned setting information, A manual generation system having the following features.

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