Route retrieval device

Abstract

The present invention presents, to a driver, a route that applies, to the brain, a stimulus for promoting brain development and improvements in cognitive function.　A route retrieval device 1 comprises: a route retrieval unit 112 that retrieves a plurality of routes from the current location of a vehicle 10 to a destination; a passage history storage unit 121 that stores passage history information pertaining to a road along which an occupant of the vehicle 10 has passed; a passage result acquisition unit 114 that acquires, for each retrieved route and on the basis of the passage history, passage count information resulting from the occupant having passed along the route in the past, and elapsed time information from when the occupant has passed along the route in the past until the present; a load value calculation unit 115 that calculates, on the basis of the passage count information and the elapsed time information, a load value to be imparted to the occupant; and a control unit 116 that preferentially presents, to the occupant, information relating to a route having a high load value.

Description

Route search device

[0001] The present invention relates to a route search device.

[0002] In recent years, vehicles have been equipped with navigation devices that provide driving guidance for the vehicle and enable the driver to easily reach a desired destination. For example, one such technology has been disclosed that, when searching for a route from a departure point to a destination, does not only search for an optimal route, but also searches for, for example, a recommended route, a route that prioritizes toll roads, a route that prioritizes general roads, a route that prioritizes distance, etc., and presents the route to the driver (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-209208

[0004] However, with the above-mentioned technology, the occupant is presented with an easy route or a route with the shortest driving distance each time, so even if the occupant drives the route that has been searched for, brain activity is not stimulated, and the occupant's cognitive function and brain development cannot be improved.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a route search device that presents a driver with routes that stimulate the brain to improve cognitive function and promote brain development.

[0006] Form 1: One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a route search device that searches for a route to a destination specified by an occupant of a vehicle, the route search device comprising: a route search unit that searches for a plurality of routes from the current location of the vehicle to the destination; a traffic history storage unit that stores traffic history information of roads traveled by the occupant; a traffic record acquisition unit that acquires, for each of the searched routes based on the traffic history information, information on the number of times the occupant has traveled the route in the past and information on the elapsed time from the previous travel to the present; a load value calculation unit that calculates a load value to be imposed on the occupant for each of the routes based on the traffic number information and the elapsed time information; and a control unit that causes information on the routes with high load values ​​to be presented preferentially to the occupant.

[0007] Form 2: One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a route search device that includes a controller and searches for a route to a destination specified by an occupant of a vehicle, wherein the controller includes one or more processors and one or more memories communicably connected to the one or more processors, the one or more memories including storage that stores travel history information of roads traveled by the occupant, and the one or more processors acquire, for each of the searched routes based on the travel history information, information on the number of times the occupant has traveled the route in the past and information on the elapsed time from the last time the occupant traveled the route, calculates a load value to be imposed on the occupant based on the number of times the occupant traveled the route and the elapsed time information, and preferentially presents information on the routes with a high load value to the occupant.

[0008] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide a driver with a route to stimulate the brain to improve cognitive function and promote brain development.

[0009] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a route search device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a controller and a processor of the route search device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a traffic history acquired by the route search device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of traffic history information acquired by the route search device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of actual traffic information acquired by the route search device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a conversion table referred to when calculating a load value calculated by the route search device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of calculation of a load value calculated by the route search device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of display mode of information related to a searched route presented by the route search device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the processing flow for acquiring a driving history of the route search device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a controller and a processor of the route search device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of traffic history information acquired by the route search device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a conversion table referred to when calculating a load value calculated by the route search device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a diagram showing the configurations of a controller and a processor of a route search device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of calculation of a driving difficulty level calculated by the route search device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a conversion table referred to when calculating a load value calculated by the route search device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of calculation of a load value calculated by the route search device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the processing flow of a control unit of a route search device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configurations of a controller and a processor of a route search device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a conversion table referred to when calculating a load value calculated by the route search device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of calculation of a load value calculated by the route search device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a processing flow of a control unit of a route search device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of a controller and a processor of a route search device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing a processing flow of a control unit of a route search device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] <Embodiment> A route search device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 26 .

[0011] First Embodiment A route search device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. FIG.

[0012] <Configuration of Route Search Device 1> As shown in Fig. 1, the route search device 1 according to this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the route search device 1 is configured to include a controller 100. In this embodiment, the controller 100 is connected to a navigation device 20 installed in the vehicle 10, and transmits and receives information. The detailed configuration of the controller 100 will be described later.

[0013] In the present embodiment, the navigation device 20 includes a display unit 21. In the present embodiment, the display unit 21 is a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel, and displays a display screen for acquiring destination information from the occupant of the vehicle 10 and information about a route from the current location to the destination selected by the occupant. In the present embodiment, the navigation device 20 provides route guidance by displaying, for example, information about a route from the current location of the vehicle 10 to the destination on the display unit 21. In the present embodiment, the navigation device 20 displays, for example, information about a route searched for using a route search mode, for example, a "standard mode" or a "brain activation mode," on the display unit 21. In the present embodiment, when the "standard mode" is selected, for example, the navigation device 20 performs a route search from the current location of the vehicle 10 to the destination. In the present embodiment, when the "standard mode" is selected, for example, the navigation device 20 searches for routes such as a toll road priority route, a general road priority route, or a distance priority route, and provides guidance for the route selected by the occupant. In this embodiment, for example, when the "brain activation mode" is selected, the navigation device 20 causes the route search device 1 to execute a route search from the current location of the vehicle 10 to the destination. In this embodiment, for example, when the "brain activation mode" is selected, the navigation device 20 outputs destination information specified by the occupant to the controller 100. In this embodiment, for example, when the "brain activation mode" is selected, the navigation device 20 displays information about the route acquired from the controller 100 (the route searched by the route search device 1) on the display unit 21, and executes guidance for the route selected by the occupant. Details of the route acquired from the controller 100 will be described later.

[0014] <Configuration of Controller 100> The controller 100 is configured to include one or more processors and one or more memories communicably connected to the one or more processors. As shown in Fig. 2, in this embodiment, the controller 100 is configured to include a processor 110 and a memory 120. The configuration of the processor 110 will be described later.

[0015] The memory 120 is configured to include a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., which are not shown. In this embodiment, the memory 120 stores, for example, a control program and various data input from the processor 110. In this embodiment, the memory 120 pre-stores, for example, map information and the like. In this embodiment, the memory 120 is configured to include a travel history storage unit 121. In this embodiment, the travel history storage unit 121 is a storage that stores, for example, travel history information of the vehicle 10, and stores the travel history information input from the processor 110. The travel history information stored in the travel history storage unit 121 will be described later.

[0016] 2, the processor 110 includes a location information acquisition unit 111, a route search unit 112, a first travel history acquisition unit 113, a travel record acquisition unit 114, a load value calculation unit 115, and a control unit 116. Each unit of the processor 110 and the memory 120 inputs and outputs various types of information via the bus line BL.

[0017] In this embodiment, the location information acquisition unit 111 acquires location information of the vehicle 10 and the current time. In this embodiment, when a location information acquisition request is input from the control unit 116 (described later) via the bus line BL, the location information acquisition unit 111 acquires the current location of the vehicle 10 and the current time, for example, every second. The location information acquisition unit 111 acquires the current location of the vehicle 10 and the current time, for example, based on radio waves received from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite. In this embodiment, when a location information acquisition request is input from the control unit 116 (described later) via the bus line BL, the location information acquisition unit 111 continuously outputs the location information of the vehicle 10 and the current time information to the route search unit 112 and the first travel history acquisition unit 113 (described later).

[0018] The route search unit 112 searches for multiple routes from the current location of the vehicle 10 to the destination. In this embodiment, for example, when a "brain activation mode" is selected in the navigation device 20, the route search unit 112 searches for multiple routes from the current location to the destination that can activate the brain. In this embodiment, when destination information is input from the control unit 116 (described later) via the bus line BL, for example, the route search unit 112 searches for multiple routes from the current location to the destination based on the destination location information included in the destination information, the current location information acquired from the location information acquisition unit 111, and the map information stored in the memory 120. Examples of routes that can activate the brain include a route with many right and left turns to the destination, a route that requires traveling on roads with heavy traffic, and a route that requires traveling on narrow roads. In this embodiment, the route search unit 112 outputs information about the searched route to the travel history acquisition unit 114 (described later), the load value calculation unit 115, and the control unit 116 (described later) via the bus line BL.

[0019] The first travel history acquisition unit 113 acquires travel history information for roads traveled by the occupants of the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, for example, when a travel history acquisition request is input from the control unit 116 (described later) via the bus line BL, the first travel history acquisition unit 113 acquires travel history information including the number of times each road traveled by the vehicle 10 has traveled and information about the time the road was last traveled. In this embodiment, for example, when the vehicle 10 travels on the road 1 from point A to point B shown in FIG. 3 , the first travel history acquisition unit 113 acquires information about the travel time and travel direction (e.g., uphill) of the vehicle 10 based on the location information acquired from the location information acquisition unit 111. In this embodiment, the first travel history acquisition unit 113 stores travel history information such as that shown in FIG. 4 in the travel history storage unit 121 based on the information about the travel time and travel direction. In this embodiment, the first travel history acquisition unit 113 acquires information regarding the travel time and travel direction for each road traveled by the vehicle 10, and updates the travel history information. In this embodiment, the first travel history acquisition unit 113 stores the updated travel history information in the travel history storage unit 121. The updating of the travel history information will be described. In this embodiment, for example, when the vehicle 10 travels on Road 1 (upbound), the first travel history acquisition unit 113 updates the time information of the "last traveled time" for Road 1 (upbound) included in the travel history information shown in FIG. 4 . In this embodiment, for example, when the vehicle 10 travels on Road 1 (upbound), the first travel history acquisition unit 113 updates the value of the "number of travels" for Road 1 (upbound) included in the travel history information (for example, the value of the number of travels in the upbound direction for Road 1 is increased by 1). In this embodiment, the first travel history acquisition unit 113 stops acquiring travel history information when a request to stop acquiring travel history information is input from the control unit 116 described later via the bus line BL, for example.

[0020] The travel history acquisition unit 114 acquires, for each route searched by the route search unit 112, information on the number of times the occupant of the vehicle 10 has traveled the route in the past and information on the elapsed time from the previous travel to the present, based on the travel history information stored in the travel history storage unit 121. In this embodiment, when information on the searched route is input from the route search unit 112, for example, via the bus line BL, the travel history acquisition unit 114 acquires, for each route, information on the number of times the occupant of the vehicle 10 has traveled the route in the past and information on the elapsed time from the previous travel to the present, based on the travel history information stored in the travel history storage unit 121. In this embodiment, the travel history acquisition unit 114, for example, checks the number of times each road constituting the searched route has traveled and acquires the minimum number of times of travel. In this embodiment, the travel history acquisition unit 114, for example, checks the elapsed time for each road constituting the searched route and acquires the maximum elapsed time. 5, for example, when four routes (e.g., routes 1 to 4) are input from the route search unit 112, the travel history acquisition unit 114 acquires travel count information for each route and information on the elapsed time from the last time the route was traveled to the present. In this embodiment, the travel history acquisition unit 114 outputs the travel count information for each route searched by the route search unit 112 and information on the elapsed time from the last time the route was traveled to the load value calculation unit 115 (described later) via the bus line BL.

[0021] The load value calculation unit 115 calculates a load value to be applied to the occupant based on the passage count information and elapsed time information for each route searched by the route search unit 112. In this embodiment, when a load value calculation request is input from the control unit 116 (described later) via the bus line BL, the load value calculation unit 115 digitizes the magnitude of the load (load value) to be applied to the occupant's brain based on the passage count information and elapsed time information for each route acquired from the passage history acquisition unit 114. An example of a method for calculating the load value will be described below. In this embodiment, the load value calculation unit 115 converts the passage count information acquired from the passage history acquisition unit 114 and the elapsed time information from the previous passage to the present into a numerical value, for example, using a conversion table such as that shown in FIG. 6. In the above conversion table, for example, a smaller number of passages is converted into a larger numerical value. In the above conversion table, for example, a longer time elapsed since the previous passage is converted into a larger numerical value. 7 , in this embodiment, the load value calculation unit 115 calculates the load value by multiplying a value converted based on the number of times the vehicle has passed (for example, for route 3, the number of times the vehicle has passed is 15, so the value is 4) by a value converted based on the time elapsed since the vehicle passed the previous route (for example, for route 3, the elapsed time is 5,000 hours, so the value is 6), and calculating the result as the load value (for example, for route 3, 4×6=24). In this embodiment, the load value calculation unit 115 outputs the calculated load value to the control unit 116 (described later) via the bus line BL. Note that the load value calculation unit 115 is not limited to the above-described calculation method as long as it can quantify the load on the occupant's brain based on the number of times the vehicle has passed the route and the elapsed time information.

[0022] In this embodiment, the control unit 116 controls the entire route search device 1 in accordance with a control program stored in the memory 120. In this embodiment, the control unit 116, for example, acquires ignition on / off information of the vehicle 10 from a vehicle control unit (not shown), and when it detects that the ignition of the vehicle 10 has changed from off to on, outputs a history acquisition request to the first travel history acquisition unit 113 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, the control unit 116, for example, acquires ignition on / off information of the vehicle 10 from a vehicle control unit (not shown), and when it detects that the ignition of the vehicle 10 has changed from on to off, outputs a history acquisition stop request to the first travel history acquisition unit 113 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, for example, when destination information is input from the navigation device 20, the control unit 116 outputs the destination information to the route search unit 112 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, for example, when the control unit 116 acquires information about the searched route from the route search unit 112, it outputs a load value calculation request to the load value calculation unit 115 via the bus line BL.

[0023] The control unit 116 preferentially presents information about routes with high load values ​​to the occupant. In this embodiment, the control unit 116 preferentially presents information about routes with high load values ​​to the occupant, for example, based on the load value acquired from the load value calculation unit 115. In this embodiment, the control unit 116 generates display information to be displayed on the display unit 21 of the navigation device 20, for example, based on information about the searched route and the load value, and outputs the generated display information and detailed information about the searched route (e.g., route outline, map information) to the navigation device 20. An example of the display mode of the display information to be displayed on the display unit 21 of the navigation device 20 will be described. In this embodiment, the control unit 116 outputs display information such as that shown in FIG. 8 to the navigation device 20. In this embodiment, the control unit 116 displays a comment such as, "The following four routes have been searched for using the brain activation mode. Recommended route 1 is the most recommended route. Take recommended route 1 to activate your brain and improve your cognitive function. Please touch the screen to check the details of the recommended route," to encourage the occupant to take recommended route 1, which is a route with a high load value. In this embodiment, the navigation device 20 detects, for example, an operation on a touch panel installed on the display unit 21, and displays detailed information (such as a route outline and map information) of the route selected by the occupant.

[0024] <Processing Flow of Route Search Device 1 for Acquiring Travel History Information> The processing flow of route search device 1 for acquiring travel history information will be described with reference to FIG.

[0025] The control unit 116 determines whether the ignition of the vehicle 10 has changed from off to on (step S110). If the control unit 116 determines that the ignition of the vehicle 10 has not changed from off to on ("NO" in step S110), the control unit 116 returns the process to a standby state. If the control unit 116 determines that the ignition of the vehicle 10 has changed from off to on ("YES" in step S110), the control unit 116 transitions the process to step S120.

[0026] The control unit 116 causes the position information acquisition unit 111 to acquire the current position information of the vehicle 10 and the current time information (step S120), and then causes the process to proceed to step S130.

[0027] The control unit 116 causes the first travel history acquisition unit 113 to acquire travel history information of the vehicle 10 and update the travel history information stored in the travel history storage unit 121 (step S130).

[0028] The control unit 116 determines whether the ignition of the vehicle 10 has changed from on to off (step S140). If the control unit 116 determines that the ignition of the vehicle 10 has not changed from on to off ("NO" in step S140), the control unit 116 returns the process to step S120 and continues the process. If the control unit 116 determines that the ignition of the vehicle 10 has changed from on to off ("YES" in step S140), the control unit 116 ends the process.

[0029] <Processing Flow by the Control Unit 116 for Presenting the Searched Route to the Occupant> A processing flow by the control unit 116 for presenting the searched route to the occupant will be described with reference to FIG.

[0030] The control unit 116 determines whether or not destination information has been acquired from the navigation device 20 (step S210). If the control unit 116 determines that destination information has not been acquired from the navigation device 20 ("NO" in step S210), the control unit 116 returns the process to a standby state. If the control unit 116 determines that destination information has been acquired from the navigation device 20 ("YES" in step S210), the control unit 116 transitions the process to step S220.

[0031] The control unit 116 causes the route search unit 112 to search for multiple routes to the destination (step S220), and then causes the process to proceed to step S230.

[0032] The control unit 116 causes the load value calculation unit 115 to calculate the load value for each path found in step S220 (step S230), and then causes the process to proceed to step S240.

[0033] The control unit 116 outputs the display information generated based on the load value calculated in step S230 to the navigation device 20 (step S240), and ends the process.

[0034]

[0023] <Functions and Effects> As described above, the route search device 1 according to this embodiment includes a route search unit 112 that searches for multiple routes from the current location of the vehicle 10 to the destination, a travel history storage unit 121 that stores travel history information of roads traveled by the occupant of the vehicle 10, a travel record acquisition unit 114 that acquires, for each searched route based on the travel history information, information on the number of times the occupant has traveled the route in the past and information on the elapsed time from the last time the occupant traveled the route to the present, a load value calculation unit 115 that calculates a load value to be applied to the occupant based on the travel number information and the elapsed time information, and a control unit 116 that preferentially presents information on routes with high load values ​​to the occupant. When the same stimulus is applied to neurons in the brain multiple times, it can be considered that the neuron will show the greatest response the first time and that the response will become smaller the more times it is applied. In other words, it can be assumed that when driving a route (road) that the driver has never driven before, the driver's brain activity is most activated, and that the less frequently driven the route (road) is, or the less the driver remembers having driven the route (road), the more activated the driver's brain activity is. Therefore, the route search device 1 preferentially presents to the driver, from among routes to the destination, routes that have been driven less frequently and for which a longer elapsed time has elapsed since the last time the driver drove the route. In this way, the route search device 1 can present to the driver routes that stimulate the brain to improve cognitive function and promote brain development.

[0035] Second Embodiment A route search device 1A according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 11 to 15. Note that components with the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment have similar functions, and therefore detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0036] 11, the route search device 1A according to this embodiment is configured to include a controller 100A and a communication unit 130. The controller 100A will be described later.

[0037] In this embodiment, the communication unit 130 is a known short-range wireless communication module such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi, and functions as an interface for communicating with, for example, a wearable terminal 200 worn by the driver. In this embodiment, the wearable terminal 200 continuously acquires, for example, biological information of the driver, such as the heart rate and blood pressure. In this embodiment, for example, when the wearable terminal 200 receives a biological information transmission request from the controller 100A, it continuously transmits the driver's biological information to the controller 100A.

[0038] <Configuration of Controller 100A> The controller 100A is configured to include one or more processors and one or more memories communicably connected to the one or more processors. As shown in Fig. 11, in this embodiment, the controller 100A is configured to include a processor 110A and a memory 120A. The configuration of the processor 110A will be described later.

[0039] The memory 120A is configured to include a ROM / RAM, etc. (not shown). In this embodiment, the memory 120A stores, for example, a control program and various data input from the processor 110A. In this embodiment, the memory 120A pre-stores, for example, map information and the like. In this embodiment, the memory 120A is configured to include a travel history storage unit 121A. In this embodiment, the travel history storage unit 121A is a storage that stores, for example, travel history information of the vehicle 10, and stores the travel history information input from the processor 110A. The travel history information stored in the travel history storage unit 121A will be described later.

[0040] 11 , the processor 110A is configured to include a location information acquisition unit 111, a route search unit 112, a first travel history acquisition unit 113A, a travel record acquisition unit 114A, a load value calculation unit 115A, a control unit 116A, and a biological information acquisition unit 117. Each unit of the processor 110A and the memory 120A inputs and outputs various types of information via the bus line BL.

[0041] The biometric information acquisition unit 117 acquires biometric information of the occupant. In this embodiment, when a biometric information acquisition request is input from a control unit 116A (described later) via the bus line BL, the biometric information acquisition unit 117 transmits a biometric information transmission request to the wearable device 200 via the communication unit 130 and acquires the biometric information of the occupant. In this embodiment, the biometric information acquisition unit 117 outputs the acquired biometric information to a first travel history acquisition unit 113A (described later) via the bus line BL.

[0042] The first travel history acquisition unit 113A acquires travel history information including biometric information of the occupant. In this embodiment, for example, when a travel history acquisition request is input from the control unit 116A described later, the first travel history acquisition unit 113A acquires travel history information including the number of times the vehicle 10 has traveled for each road, information about the time the vehicle last traveled on that road, and biometric information of the occupant (driver). In this embodiment, for example, when the vehicle 10 travels on the road 1 from point A to point B shown in FIG. 3 , the first travel history acquisition unit 113A acquires information about the travel time and travel direction (e.g., uphill) of the vehicle 10 based on the position information acquired from the position information acquisition unit 111. In this embodiment, the first travel history acquisition unit 113A acquires, for example, the heart rate of the occupant (driver) when traveling along the road 1 shown in Fig. 3 from the biometric information acquisition unit 117, and acquires, as travel history information, the difference between the maximum and minimum heart rate (e.g., heart rate per minute) while traveling along the road 1 (hereinafter referred to as the "variation value of the biometric information"). In this embodiment, the first travel history acquisition unit 113A stores travel history information such as that shown in Fig. 12 in the travel history storage unit 121A based on, for example, information on the travel time and travel direction and the variation value of the biometric information. In this embodiment, the first travel history acquisition unit 113A acquires, for each road traveled by the vehicle 10, information on the number of travels, information on the last travel time, and information on the variation value of the biometric information, and updates the travel history information. In this embodiment, the first travel history acquisition unit 113A stores the updated travel history information in the travel history storage unit 121A. In this embodiment, for example, when the vehicle 10 travels on Road 1, the first travel history acquisition unit 113A checks whether the variation value of the acquired biometric information is greater than the variation value of the biometric information for Road 1 stored in the travel history storage unit 121A. In this embodiment, for example, when the variation value of the acquired biometric information is greater than the variation value of the biometric information for Road 1 stored in the travel history storage unit 121A, the first travel history acquisition unit 113A updates the variation value of the biometric information for Road 1 stored in the travel history storage unit 121A to the acquired biometric information.In addition, the biometric information that the first travel history acquisition unit 113A stores in the travel history memory unit 121A is not limited to heart rate, and biometric information that can be acquired by the wearable terminal 200 (e.g., blood pressure, etc.) may be added to the travel history information.

[0043] The travel history acquisition unit 114A acquires, for each route searched by the route search unit 112, information on the number of times the vehicle 10 has traveled the route in the past, information on the elapsed time from the previous travel to the present, and a variation value of the biometric information. In this embodiment, when information on the searched route is input from the route search unit 112, for example, via the bus line BL, the travel history acquisition unit 114A acquires, for each route, information on the number of times the vehicle 10 has traveled the route in the past, information on the elapsed time from the previous travel to the present, and a variation value of the biometric information based on the travel history information stored in the travel history storage unit 121A. In this embodiment, the travel history acquisition unit 114A, for example, checks the number of times each road constituting the searched route has traveled and acquires the minimum value of the number of times traveled. In this embodiment, the travel history acquisition unit 114A, for example, checks the elapsed time for each road constituting the searched route and acquires the maximum value of the elapsed time. In this embodiment, the travel history acquisition unit 114A checks the variation value of the biometric information for each road that constitutes the searched route, and acquires the maximum variation value of the biometric information. In this embodiment, the travel history acquisition unit 114A outputs, via the bus line BL, information on the number of travels, elapsed time information, and information on the variation value of the biometric information for each route searched by the route search unit 112 to the load value calculation unit 115A (described later).

[0044] The load value calculation unit 115A calculates a load value to be applied to the occupant based on the passage count information, elapsed time information, and variation value information of the biological information for each route searched by the route search unit 112. In this embodiment, when a load value calculation request is input from the control unit 116A (described later) via the bus line BL, the load value calculation unit 115A quantifies the magnitude of the load (load value) to be applied to the occupant's brain based on the passage count information, elapsed time information, and variation value information of the biological information for each route acquired from the passage history acquisition unit 114A. An example of a method for calculating the load value will be described below. In this embodiment, the load value calculation unit 115A converts the passage count information, elapsed time information from the previous passage to the present, and variation value of the biological information acquired from the passage history acquisition unit 114A using, for example, a conversion table such as that shown in FIG. 13 to quantify the passage count information and the elapsed time information from the previous passage to the present. Note that the quantification of the passage count information and the elapsed time information from the previous passage to the present is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described again. In this embodiment, the load value calculation unit 115A digitizes the variation value of the biometric information based on, for example, a conversion table such as that shown in FIG. 13 . In the above-described conversion table, for example, the larger the variation value of the biometric information, the larger the conversion value. As shown in FIG. 14 , in this embodiment, the load value calculation unit 115 calculates the load value by multiplying a value converted based on the number of passes (e.g., for route 3, the number of passes is 15, so the value is 4), a value converted based on the elapsed time since the previous pass (e.g., for route 3, the elapsed time is 5,000 hours, so the value is 6), and a value converted based on the variation value of the biometric information (e.g., for route 3, the variation value is 12, so the value is 2). In this embodiment, the load value calculation unit 115A outputs the calculated load value to the control unit 116A (described later) via the bus line BL. The load value calculation unit 115A is not limited to the calculation method described above, as long as it can quantify the load on the occupant's brain based on the number of passages information, elapsed time information, and fluctuation value information of the biological information.

[0045] In this embodiment, the control unit 116A controls the entire route search device 1A in accordance with a control program stored in the memory 120A. In this embodiment, the control unit 116A, for example, acquires ignition on / off information of the vehicle 10 from a vehicle control unit (not shown), and when it detects that the ignition of the vehicle 10 has changed from off to on, outputs a history acquisition request to the first travel history acquisition unit 113A and a biometric information acquisition request to the biometric information acquisition unit 117 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, the control unit 116A, for example, acquires ignition on / off information of the vehicle 10 from a vehicle control unit (not shown), and when it detects that the ignition of the vehicle 10 has changed from on to off, outputs a history acquisition stop request to the first travel history acquisition unit 113A and a biometric information acquisition stop request to the biometric information acquisition unit 117 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, for example, when destination information is input from the navigation device 20, the control unit 116A outputs the destination information to the route search unit 112 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, for example, when information on a searched route is acquired from the route search unit 112, the control unit 116A outputs a load value calculation request to the load value calculation unit 115A via the bus line BL.

[0046] The control unit 116A preferentially presents information about routes with high load values ​​to the occupant. In this embodiment, the control unit 116A preferentially presents information about routes with high load values ​​to the occupant, for example, based on the load value acquired from the load value calculation unit 115A. In this embodiment, the control unit 116A generates display information to be displayed on the navigation device 20, for example, based on information about the searched route and the load value. Note that the display information generated by the control unit 116A is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0047] <Processing Flow of Route Search Device 1A for Acquiring Travel History Information> The processing flow of route search device 1A for acquiring travel history information will be described with reference to FIG.

[0048] The control unit 116A determines whether the ignition of the vehicle 10 has changed from off to on (step S110). If the control unit 116A determines that the ignition of the vehicle 10 has not changed from off to on ("NO" in step S110), the control unit 116A returns the process to a standby state. If the control unit 116A determines that the ignition of the vehicle 10 has changed from off to on ("YES" in step S110), the control unit 116A transitions the process to step S120.

[0049] Control unit 116A causes position information acquisition unit 111 to acquire current position information of vehicle 10 and current time information (step S120), and transitions the process to step S310.

[0050] The control unit 116A causes the biometric information acquisition unit 117 to acquire biometric information of the occupant (driver) of the vehicle 10 (step S310), and then causes the process to proceed to step S130.

[0051] The control unit 116A causes the first travel history acquisition unit 113A to acquire travel history information of the vehicle 10 and update the travel history information stored in the travel history storage unit 121A (step S310).

[0052] The control unit 116A determines whether the ignition of the vehicle 10 has changed from on to off (step S140). If the control unit 116A determines that the ignition of the vehicle 10 has not changed from on to off ("NO" in step S140), the control unit 116A returns the process to step S120 and continues the process. If the control unit 116A determines that the ignition of the vehicle 10 has changed from on to off ("YES" in step S140), the control unit 116A ends the process.

[0053] The processing flow in which the control unit 116A presents the searched route to the occupant is the same as the processing flow of the control unit 116 in the first embodiment described above, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0054] <Operations and Effects> As described above, the route search device 1A according to this embodiment includes the biometric information acquisition unit 117 that acquires biometric information of the occupant. The travel history storage unit 121A stores travel history information including the biometric information. The load value calculation unit 115A calculates a load value to be applied to the occupant for each route based on travel count information, elapsed time information, and biometric information. When driving a route (road) that the driver has traveled for the first time, it is considered that the driver's biometric information (e.g., heart rate) changes significantly due to anxiety or tension. Furthermore, when driving on a complexly connected expressway, frequent lane changes are required, and it is considered that the driver's biometric information (e.g., heart rate) changes significantly due to anxiety or tension. In other words, it is assumed that driving a route (road) in which biometric information changes significantly increases the load on the driver's brain. Therefore, the route search device 1A estimates the route that places the highest brain load on the occupant based on the travel count, elapsed time, and biometric information, and preferentially presents the route that places the highest brain load on the occupant. This allows the route search device 1A to present to the driver routes that stimulate the brain to improve cognitive function and promote brain development.

[0055] <Third embodiment> A route search device 1B according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figures 16 to 20. Note that components with the same reference numerals as those in the first and second embodiments have similar functions, and therefore detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0056] <Configuration of Route Search Device 1B> As shown in FIG. 16, the route search device 1B according to this embodiment is configured to include a controller 100B.

[0057] <Configuration of Controller 100B> The controller 100B is configured to include one or more processors, and one or more memories communicably connected to the one or more processors. As shown in Fig. 16, in this embodiment, the controller 100B is configured to include a processor 110B and a memory 120.

[0058] 16 , the processor 110B is configured to include a location information acquisition unit 111, a route search unit 112, a first travel history acquisition unit 113, a travel record acquisition unit 114, a load value calculation unit 115B, a control unit 116B, and a driving difficulty calculation unit 118. Each unit of the processor 110B and the memory 120 inputs and outputs various types of information via the bus line BL.

[0059] The driving difficulty calculation unit 118 calculates the driving difficulty for each route searched by the route search unit 112. In this embodiment, when information about the route searched by the route search unit 112 and a driving difficulty calculation request are input from a control unit 116B (described later) via the bus line BL, the driving difficulty calculation unit 118 calculates the driving difficulty for each route searched by the route search unit 112. In this embodiment, the driving difficulty calculation unit 118 quantifies the driving difficulty of a route based on, for example, the number of vehicle operations performed when traveling along the searched route to the destination. Examples of the vehicle operations include turning right or left at an intersection, changing lanes, and merging onto a highway. In this embodiment, the driving difficulty calculation unit 118 acquires the number of vehicle operations performed when traveling along the route searched by the route search unit 112 based on, for example, map information stored in the memory 120. In this embodiment, the driving difficulty calculation unit 118 calculates the driving difficulty for each route as, for example, 1 for each right / left turn, 3 for each lane change, and 2 for each highway merging operation, as shown in FIG. 17 . In this embodiment, for example, route 3 has 30 right / left turn operations (30×1), 10 lane change operations (10×3), and 1 highway merging operation (1×2), so the driving difficulty for route 3 is 62 (=30×1+10×3+1×2). In this embodiment, the driving difficulty calculation unit 118 outputs the calculation result (driving difficulty information) to the load value calculation unit 115B via the bus line BL. Note that since the driving difficulty calculation unit 118 is only required to calculate the driving difficulty for each route, it may calculate the driving difficulty by further quantifying, for example, the width of the road traveled.

[0060] The load value calculation unit 115B calculates a load value to be applied to the occupant for each route based on the passage count information, elapsed time information, and driving difficulty level. In this embodiment, when a load value calculation request is input from the control unit 116B (described later) via the bus line BL, the load value calculation unit 115B quantifies the magnitude of the load (load value) to be applied to the occupant's brain based on the passage count information, elapsed time information, and driving difficulty level information for each route acquired from the first passage history acquisition unit 113, which are acquired from the first passage history acquisition unit 113, and the driving difficulty level information for each route acquired from the driving difficulty level calculation unit 118. An example of a method for calculating the load value will be described below. In this embodiment, the load value calculation unit 115B uses, for example, a conversion table to convert the passage count information acquired from the first passage history acquisition unit 113, the elapsed time information from the previous passage to the present, and the driving difficulty level information acquired from the driving difficulty level calculation unit 118, into numerical values. Note that the quantification of the passage count information and the elapsed time information from the previous passage to the present is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, the load value calculation unit 115B quantifies the driving difficulty based on, for example, a conversion table such as that shown in FIG. 18 . In the above-described conversion table, for example, the larger the numerical value of the driving difficulty obtained from the driving difficulty calculation unit 118, the larger the numerical value is converted to. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19 , the load value calculation unit 115B multiplies a numerical value converted based on the passage count (e.g., for route 3, the number of passages is 15, so the value is 4), a numerical value converted based on the elapsed time since the previous passage (e.g., for route 3, the elapsed time is 5,000 hours, so the value is 6), and a numerical value converted based on the driving difficulty (e.g., for route 3, the driving difficulty is 62, so the value is 2), thereby calculating the load value (e.g., for route 3, 4 × 6 × 2 = 48). In this embodiment, the load value calculation unit 115B outputs the calculated load value to a control unit 116B (described later) via the bus line BL. Note that the load value calculation unit 115B is not limited to the calculation method described above, as long as it can quantify the load on the occupant's brain based on the passage count information, the elapsed time information, and the driving difficulty level.

[0061] In this embodiment, the control unit 116B controls the entire route search device 1B in accordance with a control program stored in the memory 120. In this embodiment, the control unit 116B, for example, acquires ignition on / off information of the vehicle 10 from a vehicle control unit (not shown), and when it detects that the ignition of the vehicle 10 has changed from off to on, outputs a history acquisition request to the first travel history acquisition unit 113 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, the control unit 116B, for example, acquires ignition on / off information of the vehicle 10 from a vehicle control unit (not shown), and when it detects that the ignition of the vehicle 10 has changed from on to off, outputs a history acquisition stop request to the first travel history acquisition unit 113 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, for example, when destination information is input from the navigation device 20, the control unit 116B outputs the destination information to the route search unit 112 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, for example, when the control unit 116B acquires information about the searched route from the route search unit 112, the control unit 116B outputs, via the bus line BL, information about the acquired route and a driving difficulty calculation request to the driving difficulty calculation unit 118. In this embodiment, for example, when the control unit 116B acquires information about the searched route from the route search unit 112, the control unit 116B outputs, via the bus line BL, a load value calculation request to the load value calculation unit 115B.

[0062] The control unit 116B preferentially presents information about routes with high load values ​​to the occupant. In this embodiment, the control unit 116B preferentially presents information about routes with high load values ​​to the occupant, for example, based on the load value acquired from the load value calculation unit 115B. In this embodiment, the control unit 116B generates display information to be displayed on the navigation device 20, for example, based on information about the searched route and the load value. Note that the display information generated by the control unit 116B is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0063] <Processing Flow by which the Control Unit 116B Presents the Found Route to the Occupant> A processing flow by which the control unit 116B presents the found route to the occupant will be described with reference to FIG.

[0064] The control unit 116B determines whether or not destination information has been acquired from the navigation device 20 (step S210). If the control unit 116B determines that destination information has not been acquired from the navigation device 20 ("NO" in step S210), the control unit 116B returns the process to a standby state. If the control unit 116B determines that destination information has been acquired from the navigation device 20 ("YES" in step S210), the control unit 116B transitions the process to step S220.

[0065] Control unit 116B causes route search unit 112 to search for multiple routes to the destination (step S220), and then causes the process to proceed to step S410.

[0066] Control unit 116B causes driving difficulty level calculation unit 118 to calculate the driving difficulty level for each of the multiple routes searched for in step S220 (step S410), and transitions the process to step S230.

[0067] Control unit 116B causes load value calculation unit 115B to calculate a load value for each path found in step S220 (step S230), and then causes the process to proceed to step S240.

[0068] The control unit 116B outputs the display information generated based on the load value calculated in step S230 to the navigation device 20 (step S240), and ends the process.

[0069] <Operations and Effects> As described above, the route search device 1B according to this embodiment includes a driving difficulty calculation unit 118 that calculates a driving difficulty level for each route searched for by the route search unit 112. The load value calculation unit 115B calculates a load value to be imposed on the occupant for each route based on the number of passes, the elapsed time, and the driving difficulty level. In this embodiment, the driving difficulty calculation unit 118 calculates the driving difficulty level for each route based on the number of right / left turns, lane changes, and other operations performed while traveling along the route searched for by the route search unit 112. When performing vehicle operations such as right / left turns and lane changes, the driver recognizes the positions of surrounding vehicles and pedestrians and makes decisions while operating the vehicle. In other words, vehicle operations such as right / left turns and lane changes can be considered to increase the load on the driver's brain. Therefore, the route search device 1B estimates the route that places the greatest burden on the brain based on the number of passes, the elapsed time, and the driving difficulty level, and preferentially presents the route that places the greatest burden on the brain to the occupant. This allows the route search device 1B to present to the driver routes that stimulate the brain to improve cognitive function and promote brain development.

[0070] 21 to 24, a route search device 1C according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that components with the same reference numerals as those in the first to third embodiments have similar functions, and therefore detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0071] <Configuration of Route Search Device 1C> As shown in Fig. 21, the route search device 1C according to this embodiment is configured to include a controller 100C and a communication unit 130C. The controller 100C will be described later.

[0072] In this embodiment, the communication unit 130C is, for example, a known wireless communication module, and functions as an interface for communicating with the server 300 connected to the network N. An example of the network N is the Internet. In this embodiment, the server 300 stores, for example, information regarding the traffic volume for each road (for example, traffic jam / congestion / smooth traffic, etc.). The information stored in the server 300 is updated to the latest information as appropriate.

[0073] <Configuration of Controller 100C> The controller 100C is configured to include one or more processors, and one or more memories communicably connected to the one or more processors. As shown in Fig. 21 , in this embodiment, the controller 100C is configured to include a processor 110C and a memory 120.

[0074] 21 , the processor 110C includes a location information acquisition unit 111, a route search unit 112, a first traffic history acquisition unit 113, a traffic record acquisition unit 114, a load value calculation unit 115C, a control unit 116C, and a traffic volume information acquisition unit 119. The units of the processor 110C and the memory 120 input and output various types of information via the bus line BL.

[0075] The traffic volume information acquisition unit 119 acquires vehicle traffic volume information for each route searched by the route search unit 112. In this embodiment, for example, when information about the route searched by the route search unit 112 and a traffic volume information acquisition request are input from a control unit 116C described later, the traffic volume information acquisition unit 119 acquires traffic volume information for each route searched by the route search unit 112. In this embodiment, the traffic volume information acquisition unit 119 connects to the server 300 via, for example, a communication unit 130C, and acquires traffic volume information for each route searched by the route search unit 112. In this embodiment, examples of the traffic volume information acquired by the traffic volume information acquisition unit 119 include smooth traffic, congestion, and traffic jam. In this embodiment, the traffic volume information acquisition unit 119 outputs the traffic volume information acquired from the server 300 to the load value calculation unit 115C via, for example, the bus line BL.

[0076] The load value calculation unit 115C calculates a load value to be applied to the occupant for each route based on the passage count information, elapsed time information, and traffic volume information. In this embodiment, when a load value calculation request is input from the control unit 116C (described later) via the bus line BL, the load value calculation unit 115C quantifies the magnitude of the load (load value) to be applied to the occupant's brain based on the passage count information and elapsed time information for each route acquired from the traffic record acquisition unit 114, and the traffic volume information for each route acquired from the traffic volume information acquisition unit 119. An example of a method for calculating the load value will be described below. In this embodiment, the load value calculation unit 115C quantifies the passage count information acquired from the first traffic history acquisition unit 113, the elapsed time information from the previous time of passage to the present, and the traffic volume information acquired from the traffic volume information acquisition unit 119, for example, using a conversion table. Note that the digitization of the passage count information and the elapsed time information from the previous passage to the present is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, the load value calculation unit 115C digitizes the traffic volume information based on, for example, a conversion table such as that shown in FIG. 22 . In this embodiment, the load value calculation unit 115C converts, for example, the traffic volume information to "congested" as a value of 3, the traffic volume information to "traffic jam" as a value of 2, and the traffic volume information to "smooth" as a value of 1. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 23 , the load value calculation unit 115C multiplies a value converted based on the passage count (e.g., 4 for route 3 because the number of passages is 15), a value converted based on the elapsed time since the previous passage (e.g., 6 for route 3 because the elapsed time is 5,000 hours), and a value converted based on the traffic volume information (e.g., 2 for route 3 because the traffic volume information indicates congestion), to calculate a load value (e.g., 4 x 6 x 2 = 48 points for route 3). In this embodiment, the load value calculation unit 115C outputs the calculated load value to a control unit 116C (described later) via the bus line BL. Note that the load value calculation unit 115C is not limited to the calculation method described above, as long as it can quantify the load on the occupant's brain based on the number of passages information, elapsed time information, and traffic volume information.

[0077] In this embodiment, the control unit 116C controls the entire route search device 1C in accordance with a control program stored in the memory 120. In this embodiment, the control unit 116C, for example, acquires ignition on / off information of the vehicle 10 from a vehicle control unit (not shown), and when it detects that the ignition of the vehicle 10 has changed from off to on, outputs a history acquisition request to the first travel history acquisition unit 113 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, the control unit 116C, for example, acquires ignition on / off information of the vehicle 10 from a vehicle control unit (not shown), and when it detects that the ignition of the vehicle 10 has changed from on to off, outputs a history acquisition stop request to the first travel history acquisition unit 113 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, for example, when destination information is input from the navigation device 20, the control unit 116C outputs the destination information to the route search unit 112 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, for example, when the control unit 116C acquires information about the searched route from the route search unit 112, the control unit 116C outputs, via the bus line BL, information about the acquired route and a traffic volume information acquisition request to the traffic volume information acquisition unit 119. In this embodiment, for example, when the control unit 116C acquires information about the searched route from the route search unit 112, the control unit 116C outputs, via the bus line BL, a load value calculation request to the load value calculation unit 115C.

[0078] The control unit 116C preferentially presents information about routes with high load values ​​to the occupant. In this embodiment, the control unit 116C preferentially presents information about routes with high load values ​​to the occupant, for example, based on the load value acquired from the load value calculation unit 115C. In this embodiment, the control unit 116C generates display information to be displayed on the navigation device 20, for example, based on information about the searched route and the load value. Note that the display information generated by the control unit 116C is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0079] <Processing Flow by which the Control Unit 116C Presents the Found Route to the Occupant> A processing flow by which the control unit 116C presents the found route to the occupant will be described with reference to FIG.

[0080] The control unit 116C determines whether or not destination information has been acquired from the navigation device 20 (step S210). If the control unit 116C determines that destination information has not been acquired from the navigation device 20 ("NO" in step S210), the control unit 116C returns the process to a standby state. If the control unit 116C determines that destination information has been acquired from the navigation device 20 ("YES" in step S210), the control unit 116C transitions the process to step S220.

[0081] Control unit 116C causes route search unit 112 to search for multiple routes to the destination (step S220), and then causes the process to proceed to step S510.

[0082] Control unit 116C causes traffic volume information acquisition unit 119 to acquire traffic volume information for each of the multiple routes searched for in step S220 (step S510), and then causes the process to proceed to step S230.

[0083] Control unit 116C causes load value calculation unit 115C to calculate a load value for each path found in step S220 (step S230), and then causes the process to proceed to step S240.

[0084] Control unit 116C outputs the display information generated based on the load value calculated in step S230 to navigation device 20 (step S240), and ends the process.

[0085] <Operations and Effects> As described above, the route search device 1C according to this embodiment includes a traffic volume information acquisition unit 119 that acquires vehicle traffic volume information for each route searched by the route search unit 112. The load value calculation unit 115C calculates a load value to be applied to the occupant for each route based on the number of passes, elapsed time information, and traffic volume information. For example, when traveling on a congested route (road), the driver recognizes the positions and movements of surrounding vehicles and frequently makes decisions while operating the vehicle. In other words, driving on a congested route (road) can be considered to increase the load on the driver's brain. Therefore, the route search device 1C estimates the route that places the greatest burden on the brain based on the number of passes, elapsed time, and vehicle traffic volume information, and preferentially presents the route that places the greatest burden on the brain to the occupant. This allows the route search device 1C to present the driver with routes that stimulate the brain to improve cognitive function and promote brain development.

[0086] Fifth Embodiment A route search device 1D according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 25 and 26. Note that components with the same reference numerals as those in the first to fourth embodiments have similar functions, and therefore detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0087] 25, a route search device 1D according to this embodiment is configured to include a controller 100D and a communication unit 130D. The controller 100D will be described later.

[0088] In this embodiment, the communication unit 130D is a known short-range wireless communication module such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi, and functions as an interface for communicating with, for example, a mobile terminal 400 carried by the driver of the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the mobile terminal 400 may be, for example, a smartphone. In this embodiment, the mobile terminal 400 acquires travel history information for roads traveled by the driver of the vehicle 10, regardless of the mode of transportation, such as walking, cycling, or driving. In this embodiment, for example, when the driver walks along the road 1 from point A to point B shown in FIG. 3 , the mobile terminal 400 stores information about the time and direction of travel (e.g., uphill) of the driver's travel as travel history information. In this embodiment, the mobile terminal 400 stores, for example, information about the time and direction of travel for each road traveled by the driver as travel history information. In this embodiment, when a request to transmit travel history information is input from a controller 100D described later via the communication unit 130D, the portable terminal 400 outputs the stored travel history information to the controller 100D.

[0089] <Configuration of Controller 100D> The controller 100D is configured to include one or more processors, and one or more memories communicably connected to the one or more processors. As shown in Fig. 25, in this embodiment, the controller 100D is configured to include a processor 110D and a memory 120D. The configuration of the processor 110D will be described later.

[0090] The memory 120D is configured to include a ROM / RAM (not shown). The memory 120D stores, for example, a control program and various data input from the processor 110D. In this embodiment, for example, map information and the like is pre-stored in the memory 120D. In this embodiment, the memory 120D is configured to include a travel history storage unit 121D. In this embodiment, the travel history storage unit 121D stores, for example, travel history information input from the processor 110D. The travel history information stored in the travel history storage unit 121D will be described later.

[0091] 25 , the processor 110D is configured to include a location information acquisition unit 111, a route search unit 112, a first travel history acquisition unit 113, a travel record acquisition unit 114, a load value calculation unit 115, a control unit 116D, and a second travel history acquisition unit 150. Each unit of the processor 110D and the memory 120D inputs and outputs various types of information via the bus line BL.

[0092] In the present embodiment, the second travel history acquisition unit 150 acquires travel history information stored in, for example, a mobile terminal 400 carried by the driver of the vehicle 10. In the present embodiment, for example, when a travel history acquisition request is input from a control unit 116D (described later), the second travel history acquisition unit 150 transmits a request to transmit travel history information to the mobile terminal 400 via the communication unit 130D. In the present embodiment, the second travel history acquisition unit 150 updates the travel history information (for example, the travel history information shown in FIG. 4 ) stored in the travel history storage unit 121D based on, for example, information regarding the travel time and travel direction for each road acquired from the mobile terminal 400. In the present embodiment, the second travel history acquisition unit 150 stores, for example, the updated travel history information in the travel history storage unit 121D. In this embodiment, for example, if the travel time of road 1 acquired from mobile device 400 is later than the travel time of road 1 in the travel history information stored in travel history storage unit 121D, second travel history acquisition unit 150 updates the travel time of road 1 in the travel history information stored in travel history storage unit 121D. In this embodiment, for example, if the travel history information acquired from mobile device 400 shows a history of the driver traveling on road 1, second travel history acquisition unit 150 updates the value of the "number of travels" of road 1 included in the travel history information stored in travel history storage unit 121D (increases the number of travels corresponding to the travel direction included in the travel history information acquired from mobile device 400 by one).

[0093] In this embodiment, the control unit 116D controls the entire route search device 1D in accordance with a control program stored in the memory 120D. In this embodiment, the control unit 116D, for example, acquires ignition on / off information of the vehicle 10 from a vehicle control unit (not shown), and when it detects that the ignition of the vehicle 10 has changed from off to on, outputs a travel history acquisition request to the first travel history acquisition unit 113 and the second travel history acquisition unit 150 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, the control unit 116D, for example, acquires ignition on / off information of the vehicle 10 from a vehicle control unit (not shown), and when it detects that the ignition of the vehicle 10 has changed from on to off, outputs a history acquisition stop request to the first travel history acquisition unit 113 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, for example, when destination information is input from the navigation device 20, the control unit 116D outputs the destination information to the route search unit 112 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, for example, when the control unit 116D acquires information about the searched route from the route search unit 112, it outputs a load value calculation request to the load value calculation unit 115 via the bus line BL.

[0094] The control unit 116D preferentially presents information about routes with high load values ​​to the occupant. In this embodiment, the control unit 116D preferentially presents information about routes with high load values ​​to the occupant, for example, based on the load value acquired from the load value calculation unit 115. In this embodiment, the control unit 116D generates display information to be displayed on the navigation device 20, for example, based on information about the searched route and the load value. Note that the display information generated by the control unit 116D is similar to that in the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0095] <Processing Flow by which the Control Unit 116D Presents the Found Route to the Occupant> A processing flow by which the control unit 116D presents the found route to the occupant will be described with reference to FIG.

[0096] The control unit 116D determines whether or not destination information has been acquired from the navigation device 20 (step S210). If the control unit 116D determines that destination information has not been acquired from the navigation device 20 ("NO" in step S210), the control unit 116D returns the process to a standby state. If the control unit 116D determines that destination information has been acquired from the navigation device 20 ("YES" in step S210), the control unit 116D transitions the process to step S220.

[0097] Control unit 116D causes route search unit 112 to search for multiple routes to the destination (step S220), and then causes the process to proceed to step S610.

[0098] The control unit 116D causes the second travel history acquisition unit 150 to update the travel history information stored in the travel history memory unit 121D based on the travel history information acquired from the mobile terminal 400 (step S610), and then transitions to step S230.

[0099] Control unit 116D causes load value calculation unit 115 to calculate a load value for each path found in step S220 (step S230), and then causes the process to proceed to step S240.

[0100] Control unit 116D outputs the display information generated based on the load value calculated in step S230 to navigation device 20 (step S240), and ends the process.

[0101] <Operations and Effects> As described above, the travel history storage unit 121D of the route search device 1D according to this embodiment further stores travel history information acquired from the mobile terminal 400 carried by the vehicle occupant. It can be assumed that when the same stimulus is applied repeatedly to brain neurons, the brain responds most strongly the first time, and the response decreases with each successive stimulus. In other words, it can be assumed that the brain activity of the driver is most active when driving a route (road) that the driver has traveled for the first time, and that the brain activity is more active for routes that have been traveled less frequently or for which the driver has a weaker memory of having traveled the route. Therefore, the route search device 1D acquires travel history information for roads traveled by the driver, regardless of the driver's mode of transportation (e.g., walking, bicycle, car, etc.), and prioritizes presenting routes to the searched destination that have been traveled less frequently and have a longer elapsed time since the last time traveled. This allows the route search device 1D to present the driver with routes that stimulate the brain to improve cognitive function and promote brain development.

[0102] <Modification 1> The program for the processing of the route search device 1 described above may be executed in a processor and memory provided in the navigation device 20.

[0103] <Variation 2> In the above-described route search device 1D, an example has been described in which travel history information is acquired from the mobile terminal 400 carried by the driver and routes that may stimulate the driver's brain activity are presented. However, travel history information may also be acquired from a mobile terminal 400 carried by an occupant other than the driver of the vehicle 10 and routes may be presented. In other words, the route search device 1D preferentially presents routes that have been traveled less frequently and for which a long time has elapsed since the last time the route was traveled to the present to all occupants. In this way, the route search device 1D can present routes that may stimulate the brain activity to all occupants, including occupants who are not performing driving operations.

[0104] <Variation 3> The above-described route search devices 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D may, for example, acquire risk information for traveling a route to be presented to a passenger and, based on the risk information, not display information about a route determined to have a high driving risk. For example, the route search devices 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D may determine an acceptable brain load value for each driver's age, and if the calculated acceptable load value for the driver is exceeded, the driver's brain would be placed under a greater load, and therefore, information about the route may not be presented to the driver. Furthermore, for example, if the number of driving operations, such as the number of right and left turns, on the searched route exceeds a predetermined number, the driver's brain would be placed under a greater load, and therefore, information about the route may not be presented to the driver. In this way, the route search devices 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D can limit the load on the driver's brain.

[0105] <Variation 4> The route search device 1 described above quantifies the number of passes and elapsed time for each route and calculates the load value from the calculation results. However, for example, it may be configured to determine a route that can activate the brain based on data measuring the brain load value relative to the number of passes and elapsed time. For example, the driver's brain activation state relative to the number of passes and elapsed time is actually measured, and data showing the correlation between the number of passes, the elapsed time, and the brain load is obtained. In other words, the route search device 1 determines a route that can activate the brain based on the actually measured data. This allows the route search device 1 to determine a route that can activate the brain with higher accuracy.

[0106] The processes of the above-mentioned route search unit 112, first travel history acquisition unit 113, load value calculation unit 115, and control unit 116 are recorded on a recording medium readable by a computer system, and the program recorded on this recording medium is read into memory and executed, thereby realizing the route search device 1 of the present invention. The computer system here includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices.

[0107] The above computer system also includes a homepage providing environment (or display environment) if it utilizes a WWW (World Wide Web) system. The above program may be transmitted from a computer system storing the program in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves in the transmission medium. The transmission medium for transmitting the above program refers to a medium having the function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) such as the Internet or a communication line (communication line) such as a telephone line.

[0108] The above program may be for realizing some of the above functions, or may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can realize the above functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system.

[0109] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, all route search devices that can be implemented by a person skilled in the art through appropriate design modifications based on the above-described route search device as an embodiment of the present invention also fall within the scope of the present invention as long as they incorporate the gist of the present invention. Within the scope of the concept of the present invention, a person skilled in the art may conceive of various modifications and alterations, and it is understood that these modifications and alterations also fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, devices in which a person skilled in the art appropriately adds, deletes, or modifies components of the above-described embodiments, or adds, omits, or modifies processes, also fall within the scope of the present invention as long as they incorporate the gist of the present invention.

[0110] Furthermore, other effects brought about by the aspects described in the present embodiment that are apparent from the description in this specification or that can be appropriately conceived by a person skilled in the art are naturally understood to be brought about by the present invention. Various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all of the components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components across different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

[0111] 1; Route search device 10; Vehicle 20; Navigation device 100; Controller 110; Processor 111; Position information acquisition unit 112; Route search unit 113; First traffic history acquisition unit 114; Traffic record acquisition unit 115; Load value calculation unit 116; Control unit 117; Biometric information acquisition unit 118; Driving difficulty calculation unit 119; Traffic volume information acquisition unit 120; Memory 121; Traffic history storage unit 130; Communication unit 150; Second traffic history acquisition unit 200; Wearable terminal 300; Server 400; Mobile terminal N; Network

Claims

1. A route search device that searches for a route to a destination specified by an occupant of a vehicle, comprising: a route search unit that searches for a plurality of routes from the current location of the vehicle to the destination; a traffic history storage unit that stores traffic history information of roads traveled by the occupant; a traffic record acquisition unit that acquires, for each of the searched routes based on the traffic history information, information on the number of times the occupant has traveled the route in the past and information on the elapsed time from the previous time of travel to the present; a load value calculation unit that calculates a load value to be imposed on the occupant for each of the routes based on the number of times the occupant traveled the route and the elapsed time information; and a control unit that causes information on the routes with high load values ​​to be presented preferentially to the occupant.

2. The route search device described in claim 1, further comprising a biometric information acquisition unit that acquires biometric information of the occupant, wherein the travel history memory unit stores the travel history information including the biometric information, and the load value calculation unit calculates the load value to be applied to the occupant for each route based on the number of travels information, the elapsed time information, and the biometric information.

3. The route search device described in claim 1 further comprises a driving difficulty calculation unit that calculates the driving difficulty for each route searched by the route search unit, and the load value calculation unit calculates the load value to be imposed on the occupant for each route based on the number of passages information, the elapsed time information, and the driving difficulty.

4. The route search device described in claim 1, further comprising a traffic volume information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle traffic volume information for each of the routes searched by the route search unit, and wherein the load value calculation unit calculates the load value to be given to the occupant for each of the routes based on the number of passages information, the elapsed time information, and the traffic volume information.

5. The route search device according to claim 1, characterized in that the travel history storage unit further stores the travel history information obtained from a mobile terminal carried by the occupant.

6. A route search device having a controller for searching for a route to a destination specified by an occupant of a vehicle, wherein the controller includes one or more processors and one or more memories communicably connected to the one or more processors, the one or more memories including storage for storing travel history information of roads traveled by the occupant, and the one or more processors, based on the travel history information, acquire, for each of the searched routes, information on the number of times the occupant has traveled the route in the past and information on the elapsed time from the last time the route was traveled until the present, calculate a load value to be imposed on the occupant based on the travel number information and the elapsed time information, and preferentially present information on the routes with a high load value to the occupant.

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