Apparatus and method for generating meteorological parameters

Abstract

To provide a weather condition parameter generation method using a weather condition parameter generation device comprising a travel data storage section, a travel data extraction section, a parking situation identification section and a parameter generation section.SOLUTION: A weather condition parameter generation method includes: causing a travel data storage section to store travel data of a probe car; and causing a travel data extraction section to extract travel data of a (1-0)th probe car group parking in a parking lot of a first facility on a fundamental weather condition, to extract travel data of a (1-1)th probe car group parking in the parking lot of the first facility on a first weather condition, to extract travel data of a (2-0)th probe car group parking in a parking lot of a second facility on the fundamental weather condition, and to extract travel data of a (2-1)th probe car group parking in the parking lot of the second facility on the first weather condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to improvements in a device and method for generating meteorological parameters.

Background Art

[0002] The meteorological conditions at the destination visited for purposes such as leisure are important factors in achieving that purpose. For example, in the case of outdoor facilities such as parks, if the meteorological conditions are stormy, it is not possible to enjoy playing or taking a walk there. Therefore, there may be a situation where one has to give up the visit. On the other hand, in the case of indoor facilities such as shopping malls, the influence of meteorological conditions is small, and even in stormy weather, one does not have to give up visiting there. Therefore, conventionally, a navigation device that narrows down the destination considering meteorological conditions has been proposed (see Patent Documents 1 to 3).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Disclosure of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the prior art, based on the prediction of meteorological conditions at each candidate destination at the arrival prediction time of each destination, the destination is narrowed down to a suitable one, but no clear index of meteorological conditions for narrowing down the destination is shown. Furthermore, even with the same meteorological conditions, the usage mode varies depending on the characteristics of the facility that is the destination. For example, in an outdoor theme park primarily featuring swimming pools, a little rain won't hinder its use, but low temperatures will. On the other hand, in an outdoor theme park primarily featuring rides, rainy weather can have a greater impact than high or low temperatures. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The inventors considered that the impact (degree of disruption) of weather conditions might differ for each destination facility, and therefore investigated how to quantify the impact of weather conditions on each facility. As a result, we realized that by using the parking situation in each facility's parking lot as an indicator and comparing changes in weather conditions with changes in the parking situation at each facility, we could identify the impact of weather conditions on each facility as a weather condition parameter. In other words, the first aspect of this invention is defined as follows: A method for generating weather condition parameters using a weather condition parameter generation device comprising a driving data storage unit, a driving data extraction unit, a parking status identification unit, and a parameter generation unit, The aforementioned driving data storage unit stores the driving data of the probe car. The driving data extraction unit is instructed to extract driving data of the 1-0 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 1st facility under basic weather conditions, to extract driving data of the 1-1 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 1st facility under first weather conditions, to extract driving data of the 2-0 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 2nd facility under basic weather conditions, and to extract driving data of the 2-1 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 2nd facility under first weather conditions. The parking situation identification unit is instructed to identify the 1-0 parking situation from the driving data of the 1-0 probe car group, to identify the 1-1 parking situation from the driving data of the 1-1 probe car group, to identify the 2-0 parking situation from the driving data of the 2-0 probe car group, and to identify the 2-1 parking situation from the driving data of the 2-1 probe car group. The parameter generation unit is instructed to compare the 1-0 parking situation with the 1-1 parking situation, and based on the results, generate the 1-0 basic weather condition parameters for the first facility under the basic weather conditions and the 1-1 weather condition parameters for the first facility under the first weather conditions; and the parameter generation unit is instructed to compare the 2-0 parking situation with the 2-1 parking situation, and based on the results, generate the 2-0 basic weather condition parameters for the second facility under the basic weather conditions and the 2-1 weather condition parameters for the second facility under the first weather conditions. Method for generating weather condition parameters.

[0006] The concept of a method for generating meteorological condition parameters defined in this first phase can also be understood as a device for generating meteorological condition parameters and a program for a computer that controls the device (Phases 12 and 13).

[0007] According to the method for generating weather condition parameters in the first phase as defined above, weather condition parameters are generated for each facility according to the weather conditions there. Here, the weather condition parameters generated based on the probe car's driving data are indicators that reflect the actual conditions of the facility, and they can also be easily updated. When the weather condition parameters generated by the first generation method are applied to the navigation system, the weather conditions at the estimated time of arrival at the destination facility are predicted, and weather condition parameters are identified according to the predicted weather conditions. The identified weather condition parameters serve as clear indicators for destination selection. In other words, by using these weather condition parameters in the navigation system, it becomes possible to guide the user to a suitable destination. Furthermore, since these weather condition parameters are set for each facility, facilities guided using these weather condition parameters can become highly reliable destinations for users.

[0008] The second aspect of this invention is defined as follows: In the method for generating weather condition parameters for the first phase, the parking situation is the average parking rate and / or average parking time at each of the facilities. According to the second-phase generation device defined in this way, data processing can be simplified by adopting the average parking rate and / or average parking time as the parking situation.

[0009] To further simplify data processing, a third phase can be adopted. That is, In the method for generating the second phase, the 1-0 basic weather condition parameter and the 1-1 weather condition parameter are determined based on the ratio of the 1-0 parking situation and the 1-1 parking situation. The 2-0 basic weather condition parameters and the 2-1 weather condition parameters are determined based on the ratio of the 2-0 parking conditions to the 2-1 parking conditions.

[0010] The fourth aspect of this invention is defined as follows: In the generation method specified in any of the first to third phases, the driving data extraction unit excludes the driving data of probe cars that are recognized as commercial vehicles from the extraction target. The purpose for which commercial vehicles park differs from the facility's original purpose (leisure, dining, etc.). Therefore, the parking patterns also differ, and thus become noise in the driving data.

[0011] The fifth aspect of this invention is defined as follows: Map data for a navigation device having facility attribute parameters assigned to a facility and used when selecting a facility, Map data comprising, as facility attribute parameters, weather condition parameters corresponding to the weather conditions of the facility. This application proposes an invention that generates weather condition parameters for each facility. Map data that incorporates such weather condition parameters as part of facility attribute parameters for each facility can be considered a novel invention.

[0012] The sixth aspect of this invention is defined as follows: In the map data defined in the fifth aspect, the weather condition parameter is determined based on the ratio between the stay status data of facility users when the facility is under basic weather conditions and the stay status data of facility users when the facility is under the first weather condition. In the map data of the sixth aspect defined as above, the weather condition parameter is created simply. Therefore, the map data of the sixth aspect can be provided at a low cost.

[0013] The seventh aspect of this invention is defined as follows. That is, In the map data defined in the fifth or sixth aspect, the stay status data is the parking status data of vehicles, and the driving data from commercial vehicles is excluded. According to the map data of the seventh aspect defined as above, when generating the weather condition parameter, the driving data from commercial vehicles, which is likely to be noise, is excluded. Therefore, the map data has high reliability.

[0014] The eighth aspect of this invention is defined as follows. That is, A navigation method using a navigation device including a facility attribute storage unit, a search condition input unit, a general-purpose facility selection unit, a weather condition prediction unit, a weather condition parameter specifying unit, a facility specifying unit, and a guidance unit, storing in the facility attribute storage unit, for each facility, the facility attribute parameters used to select the facility, and the facility attribute parameters include the weather condition parameters corresponding to the weather conditions of the facility, allowing the search condition input unit to accept input of facility search conditions from a user, causing the general-purpose facility selection unit to select a corresponding facility based on the input facility search conditions by referring to the other facility attribute parameters excluding the weather condition parameters, and calculating the predicted arrival time at each facility, causing the weather condition prediction unit to predict the weather conditions at the predicted arrival time of each selected facility, causing the weather condition parameter specifying unit to specify the weather condition parameters at each facility based on the predicted weather conditions by referring to the facility attribute storage unit, The facility specifying unit specifies a recommended facility by referring to the specified weather condition parameters and other facility attribute parameters; The guidance unit guides the specified recommended facility; Navigation method.

[0015] According to the navigation method of the eighth aspect defined as above, first, following a general method, facilities that can be destinations are selected by referring to facility attribute parameters other than weather condition parameters. Further, based on the predicted arrival times at the selected facilities, the weather conditions at each facility at the predicted arrival times are predicted. In this aspect, the weather condition parameters are specified for each facility based on the weather conditions predicted in this way. As a result, the weather condition parameters can be used as facility attribute parameters. Therefore, the recommended facilities are specified using the facility attribute parameters including the weather condition parameters.

[0016] The concept of the navigation method defined in the eighth aspect can also be grasped as a navigation device (the fourteenth aspect)

[0017] The ninth aspect of the present invention is defined as follows. A navigation method using a navigation device including a facility attribute storage unit, a search condition input unit, a destination facility selection unit, a weather condition prediction unit, a weather condition parameter specifying unit, an alternative facility selection unit, a parameter comparison unit, and a guidance unit, The facility attribute storage unit stores facility attribute parameters used for selecting a facility for each facility, and the facility attribute parameters include weather condition parameters corresponding to the weather conditions of the facility. The search condition input unit allows a user to input a facility search condition. The destination facility selection unit selects a destination facility based on the input facility search condition and calculates a predicted arrival time at the destination facility. The weather condition prediction unit predicts the weather conditions at the predicted arrival time of the selected destination facility. The weather condition parameter identification unit is instructed to identify the first weather condition parameter at the target facility based on the predicted weather conditions, by referring to the facility attribute storage unit. The alternative facility selection unit is instructed to select an alternative facility that has a predetermined relationship with the target facility, and to calculate the estimated arrival time at the alternative facility. The weather condition forecasting unit is instructed to predict the weather conditions at the estimated arrival time of the selected alternative facility. The weather condition parameter identification unit is instructed to identify a second weather condition parameter at the alternative facility based on the predicted weather conditions of the alternative facility, by referring to the facility attribute storage unit. The parameter comparison unit is made to compare the first weather condition parameter and the second weather condition parameter. A navigation method that causes the guide unit to provide a route to the target facility and, according to the results of the comparison, provides information about the existence of an alternative facility.

[0018] According to the navigation method for the ninth phase as defined above, first, a destination facility is selected in accordance with general methods, and then, based on the predicted time of arrival at the selected destination facility, the weather conditions at the destination facility at that predicted time of arrival are predicted. Based on the predicted weather conditions in this way, the first weather condition parameter for the target facility is identified. In parallel with the above, alternative facilities that have a predetermined relationship with the target facility, for example, being nearby or possessing the same facility attributes, are selected, and the second meteorological condition parameters for such alternative facilities are similarly identified. By comparing the first and second weather condition parameters identified in this way, if, for example, the second weather condition parameter is superior to the first weather condition parameter, the existence of an alternative facility can be displayed on the navigation system. On the other hand, if the first weather condition parameter is superior to the second weather condition parameter, the existence of an alternative facility may not be indicated on the navigation system.

[0019] The navigation method concept defined in the ninth phase can also be understood as a navigation device (Phase 15).

[0020] When an alternative facility is suggested, the weather conditions at the original facility are generally unfavorable. Therefore, the weather conditions at the original facility can be displayed on the navigation system to alert users (Phase 10). For users, the choice of facility is not solely determined by the weather conditions at that facility. Therefore, the decision of whether or not to inform users about the existence of a second facility should not be based solely on a comparison of weather condition parameters, but should also be made by considering other facility attribute parameters (Phase 11). [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a weather condition parameter generation device according to an embodiment of this invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a detailed block diagram of the 1-0 driving data extraction unit. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a detailed block diagram of the 1-0 parking situation identification unit. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a detailed block illustrating the function of the parameter generation unit 40. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a navigation device according to an embodiment of this invention. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the navigation device shown in Figure 5. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a navigation device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the navigation device shown in Figure 7. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the computer system applied to the generation device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the computer system to which the navigation device in Figure 5 is applied. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of this invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a weather condition parameter generation device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. This generation device 1 includes a driving data storage unit 10, a driving data extraction unit 20, a parking situation identification unit 30, and a parameter generation unit 40. An external server can be used as the driving data storage unit 10. The driving data storage unit 10 stores driving data from the probe car. Here, driving data includes not only probe data (location information, time information) that can be obtained from the probe car in a general way, but also the vehicle internal data of the probe car. Here, vehicle internal data refers to data related to various states of the vehicle output from sensors, control units, etc., that can be transmitted over the network installed in the vehicle using various communication protocols, including CAN (Controller Area Network). This vehicle internal data includes driving speed data, acceleration data, brake operation data, steering angle data, on / off data, and other data.

[0023] The driving data extraction unit 20 extracts data from the driving data storage unit 10 of the probe car that matches the specified conditions. In this example, weather conditions are classified into six patterns as shown in Table 1, and driving data of the probe car under conditions that match each weather condition is extracted. [Table 1]

[0024] Figure 2 shows the details of the 1-0 driving data extraction unit 21. The first-0 driving data extraction unit 21 comprises an extraction unit 211, an extracted driving data storage unit 213, and an extraction condition identification unit 215. This first-0 driving data extraction unit 21 extracts driving data from a probe car parked in the parking lot of the first facility when the first facility is under basic weather conditions. For the first facility (parking lot coordinates: x, y) identified by the facility identification unit 2151 of the extraction condition identification unit 215, the weather condition identification unit 2153 refers to the weather data server 217 to identify the time period (t) that satisfies the basic weather conditions. The extraction unit 211 extracts probe data (x, y, t) of vehicles parked in the parking lot of the first facility (x, y) at time (t) when the first facility (x, y) is under basic weather conditions, from the driving data storage unit 10. The extracted driving data is stored in the extracted driving data storage unit 213.

[0025] Furthermore, if there is no change in the coordinates (x, y) for a specified period and / or the engine is off, the vehicle is judged to be parked. However, the conditions for determining whether a vehicle is parked can be set arbitrarily. Weather conditions and extraction criteria can be set arbitrarily. For example, wind speed and humidity can be added as weather conditions. It is also possible to select only the weather conditions at the time of parking as an extraction criterion.

[0026] Furthermore, it is preferable not to use commercial vehicles as probe cars. That is, if the driving data includes data indicating the vehicle's attributes, and that vehicle's attribute data indicates it is for commercial use, the driving data extraction unit 211 will not extract that driving data.

[0027] In Figure 1, the 1-1 Driving Data Extraction Unit 22 extracts driving data from probe cars parked in the parking lot of Facility 1 when the first weather conditions are met. The 2-0 Driving Data Extraction Unit 25 extracts driving data from probe cars parked in the parking lot of Facility 2 when the basic weather conditions are met. The 2-1 Driving Data Extraction Unit 26 extracts driving data from probe cars parked in the parking lot of Facility 2 when the first weather conditions are met. In this way, driving data from probe cars parked at each facility under the weather conditions shown in Table 1 is extracted. It is preferable to constantly update the extracted driving data and replace it with older data.

[0028] The driving data extracted by the driving data extraction unit 20 is sent to the parking situation identification unit 30. In the 1-0 Parking Status Identification Unit 31, as shown in Figure 3, driving data when the first facility was under basic weather conditions is read from the Extracted Driving Data Storage Unit 213, the average parking rate is calculated in the Average Parking Rate Calculation Unit 311, and stored in the Average Parking Rate Storage Unit 313. The average parking rate is calculated as follows: Based on the extracted driving data, the number of probe cars parked in the parking lot of Facility 1 per unit time (for example, per hour) is counted and compared with the capacity (maximum number of parking spaces) of the parking lot. Since the capacity (maximum number of parking spaces) of Facility 1's parking lot is predetermined, the parking rate is obtained. The parking rates for other unit time periods can be obtained in the same way, and these are averaged to obtain the average parking rate. The obtained average parking rate is stored in the average parking rate storage unit 313. In some facilities, the average parking rate may be affected by the season or day of the week. In such cases, it is preferable for the parking situation identification unit to calculate the average parking rate for each affected season and day of the week.

[0029] Similarly to the above, the 1-1 Parking Status Identification Unit 32 calculates and stores the average parking rate when the 1st facility is under the 1st weather conditions. The 2-0 Parking Status Identification Unit 35 calculates and stores the average parking rate when the 2nd facility is under the basic weather conditions. The 2-1 Parking Status Identification Unit 36 ​​calculates and stores the average parking rate when the 2nd facility is under the 1st weather conditions.

[0030] The parameter generation unit 40 identifies weather condition parameters based on the parking conditions (average parking rate) identified by the parking conditions identification unit 30. As shown in Figure 4, the average parking rate as the 1-0 parking situation and the average parking rate as the 1-1 parking situation are compared in the average parking rate comparison unit 410. In this example, the average parking rate of each facility under basic weather conditions is used as the baseline (parameter: 1). This average parking rate is compared with the average parking rate of facility 1 under weather condition 1. For example, if the former average parking rate is 50% while the latter average parking rate is 25%, then the parameter for the latter is set to 25% ÷ 50% = 0.5. That is, if facility 1 has a 1-0 weather condition parameter under basic weather conditions, then facility 1 has a 1-1 weather condition parameter under weather condition 1, which is set to 1 (according to the 1-0 weather condition parameter identification unit 401). Each weather condition parameter is stored in the 1-0 weather condition parameter storage unit 41 and the 1-1 weather condition parameter storage unit 42. In the same manner as described above, the 2-0 weather condition parameter and the 2-1 weather condition parameter are stored in the 2-0 weather condition parameter storage unit 45 and the 2-1 weather condition parameter storage unit, respectively.

[0031] For each facility in Table 1, the average parking rate was calculated for each weather condition, and the weather condition parameters for each weather condition were determined using the average parking rate under the basic weather conditions as a baseline, as described above (see Table 2). [Table 2] In Table 2, a weather condition parameter with a smaller value than weather condition parameter 1 for the basic weather conditions indicates a lower average parking rate under those weather conditions, i.e., fewer visitors under those weather conditions. On the other hand, a weather condition parameter with a larger value than weather condition parameter 1 for the basic weather conditions indicates a higher average parking rate under those weather conditions, i.e., more visitors under those weather conditions.

[0032] In the example above, the weather condition parameters are determined by the ratio of the average parking rate under basic weather conditions to the average parking rate under other weather conditions, based on the count of parking spaces per unit time. However, the method of determining weather condition parameters is not limited to this. Weather condition parameters can also be determined based on the average parking time under each weather condition.

[0033] A navigation device 100 that utilizes the weather condition parameters generated in this manner is described below (Figure 5). This navigation device 100 consists of a navigation execution unit 50 and a navigation data storage unit 70. The navigation execution unit 50 comprises an input unit 51, a current location identification unit 53, a route calculation unit 55, and a facility selection unit 60. The user can input destination search criteria via the input unit 51. The current location identification unit 53, the route calculation unit 55, and the guidance unit 59 can utilize general-purpose modules used in navigation devices. The route calculation unit 55 calculates the route to the destination specified via the input unit 51, based on the current location identified by the current location identification unit 53. In this calculation, the contents of the map data storage unit 71 and the traffic data storage unit 73 of the navigation data storage unit 70 are referenced.

[0034] The facility selection unit 60 includes a general-purpose facility selection unit 61, a weather condition forecasting unit 63, a weather condition parameter identification unit 65, and a recommended facility identification unit 67. The general-purpose facility selection unit 61 selects a facility according to a general procedure by referring to facility attribute parameters stored in the general-purpose parameter storage unit 751, in accordance with the facility search conditions entered via the input unit 51. The facility attribute parameters stored in the general-purpose parameter storage unit 751 include parameters indicating the purpose of the facility, such as leisure and dining; parameters indicating major categories such as education, sports, and religion; parameters indicating subcategories within sports, such as baseball, golf, and bowling; and facility-specific parameters that characterize the facility. The general-purpose facility selection unit 61, for example, refers to a keyword entered by the user via the input unit 51 and selects a facility with attributes similar to that keyword, using the degree of similarity as an indicator. Of course, the distance from the current location is also taken into consideration.

[0035] The general-purpose facility selection unit 61 identifies the estimated arrival time for each selected facility (using the route calculation unit 55). The weather condition forecasting unit 63 identifies the weather conditions at the estimated arrival time for each facility by referring to the weather data server 217. This weather data server 217 is capable of predicting the weather conditions for each facility. For example, it can use so-called weather forecasts provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency or the Japan Weather Association. It is also possible to use private weather information services.

[0036] The weather condition parameter identification unit 65 identifies weather condition parameters corresponding to the weather conditions by referring to the data in the weather condition parameter storage unit 753, based on the weather conditions of the facility (at the predicted arrival time) predicted by the weather condition forecasting unit 63. The weather condition parameter storage unit 753 stores the data in Table 2 generated by the generation device 1 described above. The recommended facility identification unit 67 identifies recommended facilities by adding an index of meteorological condition parameters for each facility to an index of similarity with the facility selection conditions used by the general-purpose facility selection unit 61. The identified recommended facilities will be communicated to users via the information desk 59.

[0037] The operation of this navigation device 100 will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 6. In step 1, the search criteria for facilities are entered via the input unit 51. In step 3, the general-purpose facility selection unit 61 selects a facility by referring to the general-purpose parameters of the facility stored in the general-purpose parameter headquarters 751 and following a general procedure.

[0038] In step 5, the general-purpose facility selection unit 61 utilizes the functions of the route calculation unit 55 to calculate, using a general-purpose program provided in the navigation device, the estimated time of arrival at the facility selected in step 3, based on the current location, when the facility is set as the destination. In step 7, the weather condition forecasting unit 63 refers to the weather data server 217 and forecasts the weather conditions at each facility at the predicted arrival time calculated in step 5.

[0039] In step 9, the weather condition parameter identification unit 65 refers to the contents of the weather condition parameter storage unit 753 and identifies the weather condition parameters corresponding to the weather conditions predicted in step 7 at the relevant facility. In step 11, the recommended facility identification unit 67 takes into account the weather condition parameters in addition to the facility selection criteria entered by the user, which were identified in step 9, and performs facility selection to identify recommended facilities. For the recommended facilities identified in this way, the weather conditions at the predicted arrival time will not hinder the purpose of using the facility. In step 13, the information unit 59 guides users to recommended facilities.

[0040] Figure 7 shows another embodiment of the navigation device 200. Elements performing the same function as those in Figure 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted. In the navigation device 200 shown in Figure 7, the target facility selection unit 261 of the facility selection unit 260 selects a facility according to a general procedure by referring to facility attribute parameters stored in the general-purpose parameter storage unit 751, in accordance with the facility search conditions entered via the input unit 51. The target facility selected by the target facility selection unit 261 is guided by the navigation device. In this example, assuming the navigation system is to guide users to the target facility, the alternative facility identification unit 267 identifies alternative facilities related to the target facility in the background of the navigation system's operation. For this alternative facility, the weather conditions at the estimated time of arrival are predicted (weather condition prediction unit 63), similar to the target facility, and the weather condition parameters are identified (weather condition parameter identification unit 65).

[0041] The first weather condition parameters of the target facility and the second weather condition parameters of the alternative facility obtained in this manner are compared by the parameter comparison unit 210, and the results of the comparison are reflected in the guidance mode of the guidance unit 59. For example, if the second weather condition parameter of an alternative facility is greater than the first weather condition parameter of the target facility, the system will guide users to the alternative facility while showing them the route to the target facility. At that time, the weather conditions at the predicted time of arrival at the target facility can be displayed. On the other hand, if the first weather condition parameter of the target facility is greater than the second weather condition parameter of the alternative facility, guidance to the alternative facility is unnecessary. This is because the user's original purpose at the target facility will not be hindered by the weather conditions.

[0042] The operation of this navigation device 200 will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 8. Steps 21 through 29 are essentially the same as steps 1 through 9 in Figure 6, and involve selecting a facility using a general procedure. In this example, this is referred to as the target facility. In step 32, the alternative facility identification unit 267 identifies alternative facilities related to the target facility. The alternative facilities may have the same category of facility attributes as the target facility and be located near the target facility (for example, within 20 km). In step 35, the alternative facility identification unit 267 uses the functions of the route calculation unit 55 to calculate the estimated arrival time to the alternative facility. In step 37, the weather condition forecasting unit 63 predicts the weather conditions of the alternative facility at the estimated arrival time calculated in step 35. In step 39, the weather condition parameter identification unit 65 refers to the contents of the weather condition parameter storage unit 753 and identifies the weather condition parameters corresponding to the weather conditions predicted in step 37 at the alternative facility.

[0043] In step 41, the parameter comparison unit 210 compares the first weather condition parameter corresponding to the weather conditions at the predicted arrival time of the target facility with the second weather condition parameter corresponding to the weather conditions at the predicted arrival time of the alternative facility. If the first weather condition parameter is greater than the second weather condition parameter (step 41: Y), the process proceeds to step 43, and the guidance unit 59 provides route guidance to the destination facility. If the first weather condition parameter is smaller than the second weather condition parameter (step 41:N), the process proceeds to step 45, where the guidance unit 59 provides route guidance to the target facility, and in step 47, an alternative facility is provided.

[0044] Figure 9 shows the hardware configuration of the generation device 1 shown in Figure 1. The arithmetic unit 300 comprises a CPU 301, ROM 303, and RAM 305, and is responsible for controlling the entire system. It also controls the calculation portions of the driving data extraction unit 20, the parking situation identification unit 30, and the parameter generation unit 40. ROM 303 is a non-volatile memory that stores control programs for the arithmetic unit 300. RAM 305 stores weather conditions in a readable format and provides a working area to the CPU 301. The control programs for the arithmetic unit 300 are not limited to ROM 303; they may also be stored in RAM 305 or the first and second storage devices 340 and 350. Various data are output via the output device 320. Necessary information such as weather conditions is input via the input device 330.

[0045] The first storage device 340 functions as an extracted driving data storage unit 213, an average parking rate storage unit 313, and weather condition parameter storage units 41-46. The second storage device 350 functions as a driving data storage unit 10. The first and second storage devices preferably utilize a portion of the server system's memory device, such as hard memory or flash memory. A portion of the RAM in the arithmetic unit can be used as a buffer memory, which is a temporary storage area for data. External communication networks are connected via a communication interface 13. The various components that make up the computer are connected by a system bus 370.

[0046] Figure 10 shows the hardware configuration of the navigation device 100 shown in Figure 5. The arithmetic unit 400 comprises a CPU 401, ROM 403, and RAM 405, and is responsible for controlling the entire system. It also controls the calculation portion of the navigation execution unit 50, specifically functioning as the current location identification unit 53, the route calculation unit 55, and the facility selection unit 60. ROM 403 is a non-volatile memory that stores control programs for the arithmetic unit 400. RAM 405 stores weather conditions in a readable format and provides a working area to the CPU 401. The control programs for the arithmetic unit 400 are not limited to ROM 403; they may also be stored in RAM 405 or the first and second storage devices 440 and 450. Various navigation data is provided to the user via the guidance unit 59. Facility selection conditions and other information are input by the user via the input unit 51.

[0047] The first storage device 440 functions as a weather condition parameter storage unit 753. This weather condition parameter storage unit 753 is assumed to be constantly updated with weather condition parameters generated by the generation device 1 in Figure 1, in the form shown in Table 2. The second storage device 450 functions as a general-purpose parameter storage unit 751, a map data storage unit 71, and a traffic data storage unit 73. These are typically found in general-purpose navigation devices. The first and second storage devices preferably utilize a portion of the server system's memory device, such as hard memory or flash memory. A portion of the RAM in the arithmetic unit can be used as a buffer memory, which is a temporary storage area for data. External communication networks are connected via a communication interface 13. The various components that make up the computer are connected by a system bus 370. In the above, a similar hardware configuration can be used in the navigation device 200 shown in Figure 7. The CPU 401 functions as the parameter comparison unit 201.

[0048] This invention is not limited in any way to the embodiments and examples described above. Various modifications that do not depart from the scope of the claims and are easily conceivable by those skilled in the art are also included in this invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] 1. Meteorological condition parameter generation device 10. Driving data storage unit 20 Driving data extraction unit 30 Parking Status Identification Section 40 Parameter generation unit 60 Facility Selection Unit, 61 General-Purpose Facility Selection Unit, 63 Weather Condition Forecast Unit, 65 Weather Condition Parameter Identification Unit, 67 Recommended Facility Identification Unit 75 Facility attribute storage unit, 751 General-purpose parameter storage unit, 753 Meteorological condition parameter storage unit 100, 200 Navigation Devices 210 Parameter Comparison Section 260 Facility Selection Department, 267 Alternative Facility Identification Department 217 Weather data server

Claims

1. A method for generating weather condition parameters using a weather condition parameter generation device comprising a driving data storage unit, a driving data extraction unit, a parking status identification unit, and a parameter generation unit, The aforementioned driving data storage unit stores the driving data of the probe car. The driving data extraction unit is instructed to extract driving data of the 1-0 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 1st facility under basic weather conditions, to extract driving data of the 1-1 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 1st facility under first weather conditions, to extract driving data of the 2-0 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 2nd facility under basic weather conditions, and to extract driving data of the 2-1 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 2nd facility under first weather conditions. The parking status identification unit is instructed to identify the 1-0 parking status from the driving data of the 1-0 probe car group, to identify the 1-1 parking status from the driving data of the 1-1 probe car group, to identify the 2-0 parking status from the driving data of the 2-0 probe car group, and to identify the 2-1 parking status from the driving data of the 2-1 probe car group. A method for generating weather condition parameters, comprising: causing the parameter generation unit to compare the 1-0 parking situation with the 1-1 parking situation, and generating the 1-0 basic weather condition parameter for the first facility under the basic weather conditions and the 1-1 weather condition parameter for the first facility under the first weather conditions based on the result; and causing the parameter generation unit to compare the 2-0 parking situation with the 2-1 parking situation, and generating the 2-0 basic weather condition parameter for the second facility under the basic weather conditions and the 2-1 weather condition parameter for the second facility under the first weather conditions based on the result.

2. The generation method according to claim 1, wherein the parking conditions are the average parking rate and / or average parking time at each of the facilities.

3. The 1-0 basic weather condition parameters and the 1-1 weather condition parameters are determined based on the ratio of the 1-0 parking conditions and the 1-1 parking conditions. The generation method according to claim 2, wherein the 2-0 basic weather condition parameter and the 2-1 weather condition parameter are determined based on the ratio of the 2-0 parking condition to the 2-1 parking condition.

4. The generation method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the driving data extraction unit excludes the driving data of probe cars that are certified as commercial vehicles from the extraction target.

5. A weather condition parameter generation device comprising a driving data storage unit, a driving data extraction unit, a parking situation identification unit, and a parameter generation unit, The aforementioned driving data storage unit stores the driving data of the probe car. The driving data extraction unit is instructed to extract driving data of the 1-0 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 1st facility under basic weather conditions, to extract driving data of the 1-1 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 1st facility under first weather conditions, to extract driving data of the 2-0 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 2nd facility under basic weather conditions, and to extract driving data of the 2-1 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 2nd facility under first weather conditions. The parking status identification unit is instructed to identify the 1-0 parking status from the driving data of the 1-0 probe car group, to identify the 1-1 parking status from the driving data of the 1-1 probe car group, to identify the 2-0 parking status from the driving data of the 2-0 probe car group, and to identify the 2-1 parking status from the driving data of the 2-1 probe car group. A weather condition parameter generation device that causes the parameter generation unit to compare the 1-0 parking situation and the 1-1 parking situation, and based on the result, generates the 1-0 basic weather condition parameter for the first facility under the basic weather conditions and the 1-1 weather condition parameter for the first facility under the first weather conditions, and causes the 2-0 parking situation and the 2-1 parking situation, and based on the result, generates the 2-0 basic weather condition parameter for the second facility under the basic weather conditions and the 2-1 weather condition parameter for the second facility under the first weather conditions.

6. A program applied to a computer used in a weather condition parameter generation device comprising a driving data storage unit, a driving data extraction unit, a parking situation identification unit, and a parameter generation unit, The aforementioned driving data storage unit stores the driving data of the probe car. The driving data extraction unit is instructed to extract driving data of the 1-0 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 1st facility under basic weather conditions, to extract driving data of the 1-1 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 1st facility under first weather conditions, to extract driving data of the 2-0 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 2nd facility under basic weather conditions, and to extract driving data of the 2-1 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 2nd facility under first weather conditions. The parking status identification unit is instructed to identify the 1-0 parking status from the driving data of the 1-0 probe car group, to identify the 1-1 parking status from the driving data of the 1-1 probe car group, to identify the 2-0 parking status from the driving data of the 2-0 probe car group, and to identify the 2-1 parking status from the driving data of the 2-1 probe car group. A computer program that causes the parameter generation unit to compare the 1-0 parking situation and the 1-1 parking situation, and based on the results, generate the 1-0 basic weather condition parameter for the first facility under the basic weather conditions and the 1-1 weather condition parameter for the first facility under the first weather conditions, and causes the 2-0 parking situation and the 2-1 parking situation, and based on the results, generate the 2-0 basic weather condition parameter for the second facility under the basic weather conditions and the 2-1 weather condition parameter for the second facility under the first weather conditions.

7. A method for generating weather condition parameters using a weather condition parameter generation device comprising a driving data storage unit, a driving data extraction unit, a parking status identification unit, and a parameter generation unit, The aforementioned driving data storage unit stores the driving data of the probe car. The driving data extraction unit is configured to extract only the driving data of the 1-0 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 1st facility under basic weather conditions, to extract only the driving data of the 1-1 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 1st facility under first weather conditions, to extract only the driving data of the 2-0 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 2nd facility under basic weather conditions, and to extract only the driving data of the 2-1 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 2nd facility under first weather conditions. The parking status identification unit is instructed to identify the 1-0 parking status from the driving data of the 1-0 probe car group, to identify the 1-1 parking status from the driving data of the 1-1 probe car group, to identify the 2-0 parking status from the driving data of the 2-0 probe car group, and to identify the 2-1 parking status from the driving data of the 2-1 probe car group. A method for generating weather condition parameters, wherein the parameter generation unit is instructed to compare the 1-0 parking situation and the 1-1 parking situation, and based on the results, generates the 1-0 basic weather condition parameter for the first facility under the basic weather conditions and the 1-1 weather condition parameter for the first facility under the first weather conditions, and the 2-0 parking situation and the 2-1 parking situation are instructed to compare the 2-0 parking situation and the 2-1 parking situation, and based on the results, generates the 2-0 basic weather condition parameter for the second facility under the basic weather conditions and the 2-1 weather condition parameter for the second facility under the first weather conditions, A method for generating weather condition parameters in which the stored driving data for the first and second facilities is updated.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the aforementioned update is always performed.

9. A method for generating weather condition parameters using a weather condition parameter generation device comprising a driving data storage unit, a driving data extraction unit, a parking status identification unit, and a parameter generation unit, The aforementioned driving data storage unit stores the driving data of the probe car for each time period, such as by season or day of the week. The driving data extraction unit is configured to extract only the driving data of the 1-0 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 1st facility when the basic weather conditions were met for each time period, and to extract only the driving data of the 1-1 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 1st facility when the first weather conditions were met for each time period, and to extract only the driving data of the 2-0 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 2nd facility when the basic weather conditions were met for each time period, and to extract only the driving data of the 2-1 probe car group that was parked in the parking lot of the 2nd facility when the first weather conditions were met for each time period. The parking status identification unit is instructed to identify the first-0 parking status from the driving data of the first-0 probe car group for each time period, to identify the first-1 parking status from the driving data of the first-1 probe car group for each time period, to identify the second-0 parking status from the driving data of the second-0 probe car group for each time period, and to identify the second-1 parking status from the driving data of the second-1 probe car group for each time period. A method for generating weather condition parameters, wherein the parameter generation unit is instructed to compare the 1-0 parking situation and the 1-1 parking situation for each time period, and based on the results, generates the 1-0 basic weather condition parameter for the first facility under the basic weather conditions for each time period and the 1-1 weather condition parameter for the first facility under the first weather conditions, and compares the 2-0 parking situation and the 2-1 parking situation for each time period, and based on the results, generates the 2-0 basic weather condition parameter for the second facility under the basic weather conditions for each time period and the 2-1 weather condition parameter for the second facility under the first weather conditions, A method for generating weather condition parameters in which the stored driving data for the first and second facilities is updated for each time period.

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