Method and apparatus for providing route guidance service considering weather information

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for providing a route guidance service considering weather information. More specifically, the method for providing a route guidance service considering weather information comprises the steps of: searching for at least one basic route, which can be traveled from a departure point to a destination, in response to a service provision request from a user terminal when the service provision request is received from the user terminal; searching for at least one minimum exposure route, which can be traveled from the departure point to the destination, on the basis of facility information and weather information in response to the service provision request; and providing basic route information including the at least one basic route and minimum exposure route information including the at least one minimum exposure route.

Description

Method and device for providing route guidance service considering weather information

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and device for providing a route guidance service that takes weather information into consideration.

[0002] Currently, most public transportation route-finding applications utilize Customizable Contraction Hierarchies (CCH) to provide routes. Each application customizes the CCH algorithm. For example, they apply different weights to different road types, impose penalties for entering facilities, and consider multiple entrances to provide optimal routes. They also provide routes by varying the weights for distance and time, taking into account factors such as road type and school zones.

[0003] Meanwhile, due to global warming, we have entered an era of climate crisis, and the Earth has warmed at an unprecedented rate over the past 2,000 years, which has reportedly led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of heavy rains since the 1950s.

[0004] These changes in weather conditions will have a direct impact on public transportation users who are affected by perceived temperature and precipitation, and the importance of weather information released by the Korea Meteorological Administration is expected to increase.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need to develop technologies that can minimize the impact of climate on users using various modes of transportation.

[0006] The background technology of the invention has been prepared to facilitate a better understanding of the present invention. It should not be construed as an admission that the matters described in the background technology of the invention constitute prior art.

[0007] Most current navigation apps don't provide weather information for walking routes heavily affected by precipitation. This information is inadequate to address the unpredictable weather changes of the climate crisis.

[0008] Furthermore, these applications do not provide information on departure times least affected by precipitation. Consequently, users must search for more detailed weather information separately. Furthermore, the walking routes provided by existing applications are limited to a single optimal route, without considering weather conditions.

[0009] Meanwhile, recent rapid climate change has led to sudden weather anomalies such as heavy rain, forcing users to urgently purchase umbrellas or raincoats for transportation.

[0010] Accordingly, the inventor of the present invention recognized that users using various means of transportation take more time to reach their destination due to weather factors that hinder movement, such as rain and snow, and this not only causes unnecessary resource consumption and economic expenditure, but also results in increased time burden, environmental burden, and economic burden.

[0011] Accordingly, the inventors of the present disclosure have invented a method and device that can provide an optimal route that minimizes the influence of weather and allows a user to travel from a departure point to a destination in the shortest time among several routes that can be taken by the user, taking into account weather information.

[0012] Accordingly, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method and device for providing a route guidance service that takes into account weather information, which collects weather information of each region that a user passes through to move from a starting point to a destination from at least one preset external server or terminal, and provides a shortest travel route that minimizes exposure to weather, which has been set as an obstacle, by further considering the weather information together with facility information.

[0013] The tasks of the present invention are not limited to the tasks mentioned above, and other tasks not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0014] To solve the aforementioned problem, a method for providing a route guidance service considering weather information according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided. The method may include, when a service provision request is received from a user terminal, a step of searching for at least one basic route that can move from a departure point to a destination in response to the service provision request; a step of searching for at least one minimum exposure route that can move from the departure point to the destination based on facility information and weather information in response to the service provision request; and a step of providing basic route information including the at least one basic route and minimum exposure route information including the at least one minimum exposure route.

[0015] According to a feature of the present invention, the step of searching for at least one basic route information includes the step of calculating the travel time for at least one means of transportation included in each basic route; and the step of calculating the required time for each basic route by collecting the travel times for at least one means of transportation, wherein the at least one means of transportation may include a means of transportation preset by the user.

[0016] According to a feature of the present invention, the step of searching for at least one minimum exposure path can be selectively performed according to preset conditions, and the preset conditions can include respective thresholds for at least one of fine dust, temperature, humidity, precipitation, or wind speed.

[0017] According to a feature of the present invention, the step of searching for at least one minimum exposure path may include the step of comparing weather information for each zone passed through to move from the starting point to the destination with the preset conditions to detect a walking obstacle; when the walking obstacle is detected, the step of determining a weight for a walking section among the zones based on the facility information; and the step of searching for the at least one minimum exposure path by applying the weight.

[0018] According to a feature of the present invention, the step of searching for at least one minimum exposure path includes the step of calculating the travel time for at least one means of transportation included in each minimum exposure path; and the step of calculating the required time for each minimum exposure path by collecting the travel times for each means of transportation, wherein the at least one means of transportation may include a means of transportation preset by a user.

[0019] According to a feature of the present invention, the weight is defined as a travel time calculated using speed and distance, and may be determined by reflecting a correction factor corresponding to at least one of the presence or absence of a structure, the type of structure, the presence or absence of a tunnel, the road width, or the road characteristics in the speed.

[0020] According to a feature of the present invention, the step of searching for at least one minimum exposure path may further include a step of generating a predicted value for the walking obstacle element in the walking section included in each minimum exposure path.

[0021] According to a feature of the present invention, the facility information includes information on at least one of the presence or absence of a structure, the type of structure, the presence or absence of a tunnel, the road width, or the road characteristics, and the weather information includes information on at least one variable among fine dust, temperature, humidity, precipitation, or wind speed, and may include a predicted value according to the time change of each variable.

[0022] According to a feature of the present invention, the method may further include a step of detecting and recommending a starting time at which the predicted value of a variable determined to be a walking obstacle among the variables in the walking section is the minimum based on the predicted value according to the time change of each variable.

[0023] In order to solve the above-described problem, a route guidance service providing device considering weather information according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided. The device includes: a communication interface; a memory; and a processor operably connected to the communication interface and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to, when a service provision request is received from a user terminal, search for at least one basic route that can move from a departure point to a destination in response to the service provision request, search for at least one minimum exposure route that can move from the departure point to the destination based on facility information and weather information in response to the service provision request, and provide basic route information including the at least one basic route and minimum exposure route information including the at least one minimum exposure route.

[0024] Specific details of other embodiments are included in the description and drawings of the invention.

[0025] The present invention collects weather information of each region that a user passes through to move from a starting point to a destination from at least one preset external server or terminal, and provides a shortest travel route that minimizes exposure to climate that has been set as an obstacle factor by further considering the weather information together with facility information.

[0026] The effects according to the present invention are not limited to those exemplified above, and more diverse effects are included within the present invention.

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a route guidance service providing system considering weather information according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a service server that provides a route guidance service considering weather information according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a user terminal that uses a route guidance service that takes weather information into account according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method for providing a route guidance service considering weather information according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] FIGS. 5 to 7 are drawings showing an example of a user interface implemented on a display module of a user terminal so that guidance information can be provided to a user through the user terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are drawings showing an example of a user interface implemented on a display module of a user terminal so that basic route information among guidance information can be provided to the user according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 are drawings showing an example of a user interface implemented on a display module of a user terminal so that minimum exposure path information among guidance information according to one embodiment of the present invention can be provided to the user.

[0034] FIG. 12 is a drawing showing an example of a user interface in which forecast information generated based on weather information is implemented on a display module of a user terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] The advantages and features of the present invention, and the methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided solely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar components.

[0036] In this document, the expressions "has," "may have," "includes," or "may include" indicate the presence of a feature (e.g., a number, function, operation, or component such as a part), but do not exclude the presence of additional features.

[0037] In this document, the expressions "A or B," "at least one of A and / or B," or "one or more of A or / and B" can include all possible combinations of the listed items. For example, "A or B," "at least one of A and B," or "at least one of A or B" can all refer to cases where (1) at least one A is included, (2) at least one B is included, or (3) at least one A and at least one B are included.

[0038] The terms "first," "second," "first," or "second," as used herein, may describe various components, regardless of order and / or importance, and are only used to distinguish one component from another, without limiting the components. For example, a first user device and a second user device may represent different user devices, regardless of order or importance. For example, without departing from the scope of the rights set forth in this document, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a first component.

[0039] When it is said that a component (e.g., a first component) is "(operatively or communicatively) coupled with / to" or "connected to" another component (e.g., a second component), it should be understood that the component is directly coupled to the other component, or can be connected via another component (e.g., a third component). Conversely, when it is said that a component (e.g., a first component) is "directly coupled to" or "directly connected to" another component (e.g., a second component), it should be understood that no other component (e.g., a third component) exists between the first component and the other component.

[0040] The expression "configured to" as used herein can be used interchangeably with, for example, "suitable for," "having the capacity to," "designed to," "adapted to," "made to," or "capable of." The term "configured to" does not necessarily mean something that is "specifically designed to" in hardware. Instead, in some contexts, the expression "a device configured to" can mean that the device, together with other devices or components, is "capable of." For example, the phrase "a processor configured (or set) to perform A, B, and C" may mean a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor) for performing those operations, or a general-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU or application processor) that can perform those operations by executing one or more software programs stored in a memory device.

[0041] The terms used in this document are used only to describe specific embodiments and may not be intended to limit the scope of other embodiments. The singular expression may include the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, may have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art described in this document. Terms defined in general dictionaries among the terms used in this document may be interpreted as having the same or similar meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this document. In some cases, even if a term is defined in this document, it cannot be interpreted to exclude the embodiments of this document.

[0042] The individual features of the various embodiments of the present invention can be partially or wholly combined or combined with each other, and as can be fully understood by those skilled in the art, various technical connections and operations are possible, and each embodiment can be implemented independently of each other or can be implemented together in a related relationship.

[0043] For clarity in the interpretation of this specification, the terms used in this specification are defined below.

[0044] The device referred to as “service server” hereinafter may mean, but is not limited to, a single physically independent server according to the present invention, and may also be a single virtual machine, and is intended to encompass a single module or program or docker operating on a single virtual or physical machine.

[0045] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by describing a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.

[0046] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a route guidance service providing system considering weather information according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Referring to FIG. 1, a route guidance service provision system (1000) (hereinafter referred to as the "service provision system") according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a system configured to set at least one variable that may affect a user's movement from a starting point to a destination, determine walking obstacles for a walking section based on the variables, and thereby provide the user with guidance information on a route that minimizes the impact of walking obstacles. Accordingly, the service provision system (1000) may include a service server (100), a user terminal (200), and / or an information provision device (300).

[0048] First, the service server (100) may correspond to a web server and refers to a device (i.e., a device providing a route guidance service considering weather information) for providing a route guidance service (hereinafter referred to as a 'route guidance service') that takes weather information into account in the service providing system (1000) of the present invention.

[0049] This service server (100) may be connected to a user terminal (200) and an information provision device (300) to provide the route guidance service, and may collect or receive all information / data related to the route guidance service, such as various notifications, requests, and information. Meanwhile, the service server (100) may separately construct a database to store and manage user information for at least one user, as well as weather information and facility information for at least one region and / or area. To this end, the service server (100) may construct and provide a separate platform (application) or web page to search for at least one route from a departure point set by the user to a destination based on weather information and facility information and provide the searched route as guidance information. The route guidance service may be provided based on the platform (application) or web page. However, this is only one embodiment, and the route guidance service according to the present invention may be provided to the user by being applied to a platform or web page already constructed for providing maps / routes.

[0050] Route guidance services can be platform (application) or web page based.

[0051] Specifically, when a service provision request is received from a user terminal (200) of a user registered to use the service, the service server (100) searches for at least one basic route and at least one minimum exposure route considering facility information and weather information based on the service provision request, and then provides these as guidance information.

[0052] At this time, facility information and / or weather information may be collected upon service provision request, collected at preset intervals, or collected when a change is detected and stored or updated on the service server (100) and / or database. Here, the facility information includes information on at least one of the presence or absence of a structure, the type of structure (roof, building passageway, shade canopy, etc.), the presence or absence of a tunnel, road width (main street, alleyway, etc.), or road characteristics (uphill, downhill, traffic light, child protection zone, etc.), and the weather information includes information on at least one variable among fine dust, temperature, humidity, precipitation, or wind speed, and may include predicted values ​​according to the time change of each variable. However, since the change cycle of facility information is generally longer than that of weather information, the preset cycles for collecting facility information and weather information do not necessarily need to be set identically. That is, the preset cycles for collecting facility information and weather information may be set differently from each other. For example, facility information may be collected on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis, and weather information may be collected on a second or minute basis.

[0053] Meanwhile, the service server (100) may not simply provide at least one basic route and at least one minimum exposure route that have been searched, but may generate and provide basic route information and minimum exposure route information, each including at least one means of transportation included in each basic route or each minimum exposure route, and the time required for each means of transportation. In particular, the minimum exposure route information may further include predicted values ​​for pedestrian obstacles in the walking section included in each minimum exposure route.

[0054] Here, at least one means of transportation includes at least one of a car, bus, subway, bicycle, motorcycle, kickboard, and walking, and at least one specific means of transportation can be preset by the user. In this case, when searching for at least one basic route and at least one minimum exposure route, the service server (100) can configure the route using only a combination of the preset specific means of transportation. To this end, in addition to the facility information and weather information described above, the service server (100) can also collect traffic route information, walking route information, and the like.

[0055] That is, the service server (100) does not limit the types of data and / or information collected to provide a route guidance service, nor does it limit the method of collection thereof, and this can be set or changed by a user or an administrator of the service server (100).

[0056] Meanwhile, the service server (100) can implement and provide a user interface so that guidance information including basic route information and minimum exposure route information is visually displayed on the display module of the user terminal (100).

[0057] At this time, the basic path information may include at least one basic path, and the minimum exposure path information may include at least one minimum exposure path.

[0058] As an example, the service server (100) may select and provide one basic route and one minimum exposure route that take the shortest time to move.

[0059] Additionally, as another embodiment, the service server (100) may provide a list of at least one basic route and at least one minimum exposure route included in each of the basic route information and the minimum exposure route information, sorted in order of the shortest travel time, i.e., in order of the fastest possible arrival from the departure point to the destination. In this case, all possible routes may be provided, but only a preset number of routes located at the top in the sorted state may be provided.

[0060] This service server (100) will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 2.

[0061] Meanwhile, the user terminal (200) is a general term for a terminal possessed by a user who wishes to use a route guidance service through the service server (100), and there may be at least one.

[0062] This user terminal (200) can use the route guidance service by running a separate platform (application) provided by the service server (100) or by accessing a web page.

[0063] For example, a user may be provided with guidance information including basic route information and minimum exposure route information by sending a service provision request to the service server (100) through a user terminal (200). The user may set a starting point and a destination through the service provision request, and may set at least one means of transportation to be used to move from the starting point to the destination. At this time, the user may use the route guidance service by executing a separate platform built by the service server (100) through the user terminal (200) or accessing a web page, or may use the route guidance service according to the present invention by applying it to a platform or web page already built for providing a map / route.

[0064] Meanwhile, the information providing device (300) is a device that is pre-linked (connected) to the service server (100) to collect at least one of facility information, weather information, traffic route information, or walking route information, and collectively refers to a device, terminal, or server possessed by an information provider or provided by an information providing organization.

[0065] At this time, facility information, weather information, traffic route information, and walking route information can be collected by different information providing devices (300), and there can be at least one information providing device (300). That is, the service server (100) can be pre-linked (connected) with at least one information providing device (300) and collect information for which collection authority is permitted from each information providing device (300). For example, as information providing devices (300) for collecting facility information, weather information, traffic route information, and walking route information, the Korea Meteorological Administration API (Application Programming Interface), open API for route search (public transportation route API, walking route API, etc.) can be connected to the service server (100).

[0066] For example, the service server (100) can collect and utilize the ultra-short-term forecast and ultra-short-term real-time information provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration through the Korea Meteorological Administration API. At this time, the ultra-short-term forecast is announced every 40 minutes, and may include weather forecast data for 6 hours including the search time between 0 and 39 minutes, and weather forecast data for 6 hours after the search time between 40 and 59 minutes. In addition, the ultra-short-term real-time information is announced every 45 minutes, and may include weather forecast data one hour before the search time between 0 and 44 minutes, and weather forecast data at the search time between 45 and 59 minutes.

[0067] Each of the user terminals (200) and / or information providing devices (300) described above may be at least one, and may be a computer, UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC), workstation, netbook, PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), portable computer, web tablet, wireless phone, mobile phone, smart phone, pad, smart watch, wearable terminal, e-book, PMP (portable multimedia player), portable game console, navigation device, black box or digital camera, other mobile communication terminal, etc., on which a plurality of application programs (i.e., applications) desired by each user and / or information provider (specific institution, company, etc.) can be installed and executed, and is not limited to the terminals mentioned above.

[0068] Meanwhile, the service provision system (1000) is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 1, and may be configured to include other devices (terminals, servers, etc.) or may be configured to exclude some configurations.

[0069] Based on this service provision system (1000), weather information of each region that a user passes through to move from a starting point to a destination can be collected from at least one preset external server or terminal, and the shortest travel route that minimizes exposure to climate set as an obstacle factor can be provided by further considering the weather information together with facility information.

[0070] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a service server that provides a route guidance service considering weather information according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 2, the service server (10) may include a communication interface (110), a memory (120), an I / O interface (130), and a processor (140), and each component may communicate with each other through one or more communication buses or signal lines.

[0072] The communication interface (110) can be connected to a user terminal (200) and an information provision device (300) as well as other devices through a wired / wireless communication network to exchange data.

[0073] Meanwhile, the communication interface (110) that enables transmission and reception of such data includes a wired communication port (111) and a wireless circuit (112), wherein the wired communication port (111) may include one or more wired interfaces, for example, Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB), FireWire, etc. In addition, the wireless circuit (112) may transmit and receive data with an external device via an RF signal or an optical signal. In addition, the wireless communication may use at least one of a plurality of communication standards, protocols, and technologies, for example, GSM, EDGE, CDMA, TDMA, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, VoIP, Wi-MAX, or any other suitable communication protocol.

[0074] The memory (120) may store data for at least one process (algorithm) for providing a route guidance service, or a program that reproduces the process. Furthermore, the memory (120) may further store processes for performing other operations, but this is not limited thereto.

[0075] Meanwhile, the memory (120) can store various data used in the service server (100) as well as at least one pre-trained artificial intelligence model as needed.

[0076] In various embodiments, the memory (120) may include a volatile or non-volatile storage medium capable of storing various data, commands, and information. For example, the memory (120) may include at least one type of storage medium among a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., an SD or XD memory, etc.), RAM, SRAM, ROM, EEPROM, PROM, network storage, cloud, and blockchain database.

[0077] In various embodiments, the memory (120) may store configurations of at least one of an operating system (121), a communication module (122), a user interface module (123), and one or more applications (124).

[0078] An operating system (121) (e.g., embedded operating systems such as LINUX, UNIX, MAC OS, WINDOWS, VxWorks, etc.) may include various software components and drivers to control and manage general system operations (e.g., memory management, storage device control, power management, etc.) and may support communication between various hardware, firmware, and software components.

[0079] The communication module (122) can support communication with other devices through the communication interface (110). The communication module (122) can include various software components for processing data received by the wired communication port (111) or wireless circuit (112) of the communication interface (110).

[0080] The user interface module (123) can receive a viewer's request or input from a keyboard, touch screen, microphone, etc. through an I / O interface (130) and provide a user interface on the display.

[0081] An application (124) may include a program or module configured to be executed by one or more processors (140).

[0082] The I / O interface (130) can connect at least one of input / output devices (not shown) of the service server (100), such as a display, a keyboard, a touch screen, and a microphone, to the user interface module (123). The I / O interface (130) can receive user input (e.g., voice input, keyboard input, touch input, etc.) together with the user interface module (123) and process commands according to the received user input.

[0083] The processor (140) is connected to a communication interface (110), a memory (120), and an I / O interface (130) to control the overall operation of the service server (100), and can perform various commands through applications or programs stored in the memory (120).

[0084] The processor (140) may correspond to a computing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an AP (Application Processor). Furthermore, the processor (140) may be implemented in the form of an integrated chip (IC), such as a SoC (System on Chip) in which various computing devices are integrated. Alternatively, the processor (140) may include a module for calculating an artificial neural network model, such as an NPU (Neural Processing Unit).

[0085] Specifically, when a service provision request is received from a user terminal (200), the processor (140) searches for at least one basic route from a departure point to a destination based on the service provision request, and searches for at least one minimum exposure route from a departure point to a destination based on the service provision request by taking into account facility information and weather information. Thereafter, the processor (140) can provide basic route information including at least one basic route and minimum exposure route information including at least one minimum exposure route as guidance information to the user terminal (200).

[0086] That is, the processor (140) searches for at least one basic route that does not consider weather information and at least one minimum exposure route that considers weather information, and compiles these and provides them as guidance information.

[0087] At this time, the processor (140) may be configured to selectively provide at least one minimum exposure path depending on the presence or absence of a walking obstacle that affects the user when walking. In other words, the processor (140) may selectively perform an operation of searching for at least one minimum exposure path according to preset conditions. Here, the preset conditions may include thresholds for each of at least one variable among fine dust, temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind speed. For example, based on the collected weather information, information on each of at least one variable (e.g., predicted values ​​according to time change) may be checked, and the predicted values ​​for each variable corresponding to the time zone in which the user moves may be compared with each threshold value. If the predicted value exceeds the threshold value, it may be determined as a walking obstacle. In this case, a path that can minimize the user's exposure to the determined walking obstacle may be searched for or selected as the minimum exposure path.

[0088] First, when searching for at least one basic route, the processor (140) calculates the travel time for at least one means of transportation included in each basic route, and then compiles the travel time for at least one means of transportation to calculate the required time for each basic route. At this time, at least one basic route may be sorted in order of the calculated required time and used as is, or only a preset number of basic routes arranged at the top may be used.

[0089] Meanwhile, when searching for at least one minimum exposure path, the processor (140) compares weather information for each zone passed through to move from the starting point to the destination with preset conditions to detect obstacles to walking, and when obstacles to walking are detected, determines a weight for the walking section among each zone based on facility information, and then applies the weight to search for at least one minimum exposure path. At this time, the weather information and facility information may be collected from each information providing device (300).

[0090] In addition, the processor (140) calculates the travel time for at least one means of transportation included in each minimum exposure path, and calculates the required time for each minimum exposure path by compiling the travel times for at least one means of transportation. Similarly, at least one minimum exposure path may be sorted in the order of the calculated required time and used as is, or only a preset number of minimum exposure paths arranged at the top may be used.

[0091] As described above, a user can use at least one means of transportation to reach a destination from a starting point based on each route (basic route and / or minimum exposure route), and one route can be composed of a combination of at least one means of transportation, and the processor (140) can provide a visual display of the required time for each route (basic route and / or minimum exposure route), and can distinguish between sections by means of transportation that the user wants to use for movement or by means of available transportation, and can provide the required time for each section by displaying it respectively.

[0092] In addition, the processor (140) can generate and provide prediction values ​​for walking obstacles in walking sections among the sections included in each minimum exposure path.

[0093] Meanwhile, the processor (140) may recommend a departure time based on predicted values ​​according to the temporal changes of at least one variable. Specifically, the processor (140) may detect and recommend a departure time that allows the user to move while being minimally affected by variables determined to be obstacles to walking, i.e., a departure time with a minimum predicted value of a variable determined to be an obstacle to walking.

[0094] Meanwhile, when a user selects one of at least one basic route included in the basic route information through a user terminal (200), the processor (140) can provide detailed information about the selected basic route.

[0095] Likewise, when a user selects one of the minimum exposure paths included in the minimum exposure path information through the user terminal (200), the processor (140) can provide detailed information about the selected minimum exposure path.

[0096] This allows users to move quickly from their starting point to their destination in the shortest possible time, while being less affected by obstacles in their path.

[0097] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a user terminal that uses a route guidance service that takes weather information into account according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0098] Referring to FIG. 3, the user terminal (200) may include a memory interface (210), one or more processors (220), and a peripheral interface (230). Various components within the user terminal (200) may be connected by one or more communication buses or signal lines.

[0099] The memory interface (210) is connected to the memory (250) and can transmit various data to the processor (220). Here, the memory (250) can include at least one type of storage medium among flash memory type, hard disk type, multimedia card micro type, card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory, etc.), RAM, SRAM, ROM, EEPROM, PROM, network storage, cloud, and blockchain database.

[0100] In various embodiments, the memory (250) may store a web / app application or program configured to provide route guidance services. Furthermore, the memory (250) may store various types of information about the user and various types of information obtained through the application or program.

[0101] In various embodiments, the memory (250) may store at least one of an operating system (251), a communication module (252), a graphical user interface module (GUI) (253), a sensor processing module (254), a telephone module (255), and an application module (256). Specifically, the operating system (251) may include instructions for processing basic system services and instructions for performing hardware operations. The communication module (252) may communicate with at least one of one or more other devices, computers, and servers. The graphical user interface module (GUI) (253) may process a graphical user interface. The sensor processing module (254) may process sensor-related functions (e.g., processing voice input received through one or more microphones (292). The telephone module (255) may process telephone-related functions. The application module (256) may perform various functions of a user application, such as electronic messaging, web browsing, media processing, navigation, imaging, and other processing functions. In addition, the user terminal (200) can store one or more software applications (256-1, 256-2) (e.g., service applications) associated with a type of service in the memory (250).

[0102] In various embodiments, the memory (250) may store a digital assistant client module (257) (hereinafter, DA client module), and accordingly, may store commands for performing client-side functions of the digital assistant and various user data (258) (e.g., user-customized vocabulary data, preference data, other data such as the user's electronic address book, etc.).

[0103] Meanwhile, the DA client module (257) can obtain the user's voice input, text input, touch input, and / or gesture input through various user interfaces (e.g., I / O subsystem (240)) provided in the user terminal (200).

[0104] Additionally, the DA client module (257) can output data in audiovisual and tactile forms. For example, the DA client module (257) can output data consisting of a combination of at least two or more of voice, sound, notification, text message, menu, graphic, video, animation, and vibration. In addition, the DA client module (257) can communicate with a digital assistant server (not shown) using a communication subsystem (280).

[0105] In various embodiments, the DA client module (257) may collect additional information about the surroundings of the user terminal (200) from various sensors, subsystems, and peripheral devices to construct a context associated with the user input. For example, the DA client module (257) may provide context information along with the user input to a digital assistant server to infer the user's intent. Here, the context information that may accompany the user input may include sensor information, such as lighting, ambient noise, ambient temperature, images of the surroundings, videos, etc. As another example, the context information may include the physical state of the user terminal (200) (e.g., device orientation, device position, device temperature, power level, speed, acceleration, motion patterns, cellular signal strength, etc.). As yet another example, the context information may include information related to the software state of the user terminal (200) (e.g., processes running on the user terminal (200), installed programs, past and present network activity, background services, error logs, resource usage, etc.).

[0106] In various embodiments, the memory (250) may include added or deleted instructions. Furthermore, the user terminal (200) may also include additional configurations other than those illustrated in FIG. 3, or may exclude some configurations.

[0107] The processor (220) can control the overall operation of the user terminal (200) and can execute various commands to use the route guidance service provided by the service server (100) by running an application or program stored in the memory (250).

[0108] The processor (220) may correspond to a computing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an AP (Application Processor). In addition, the processor (220) may be implemented in the form of an integrated chip (IC), such as a SoC (System on Chip) that integrates various computing devices that perform machine learning, such as an NPU (Neural Processing Unit).

[0109] In various embodiments, the processor (220) may display various information and / or data for route guidance based on the platform through a user interface screen.

[0110] The peripheral interface (230) can be connected to various sensors, subsystems, and peripheral devices to provide data so that the user terminal (200) can perform various functions. Here, the function performed by the user terminal (200) can be understood as being performed by the processor (220).

[0111] The peripheral interface (230) can obtain data from a motion sensor (260), a light sensor (light sensor) (261), and a proximity sensor (262), through which the user terminal (200) can perform orientation, light, and proximity detection functions, etc. For another example, the peripheral interface (230) can obtain data from other sensors (263) (positioning system - GPS receiver, temperature sensor, biometric sensor), through which the user terminal (200) can perform functions related to the other sensors (263).

[0112] In various embodiments, the user terminal (200) may include a camera subsystem (270) connected to a peripheral interface (230) and an optical sensor (271) connected thereto, through which the user terminal (200) may perform various photographing functions such as taking pictures and recording video clips.

[0113] In various embodiments, the user terminal (200) may include a communication subsystem (280) connected to a peripheral interface (230). The communication subsystem (280) may be comprised of one or more wired / wireless networks and may include various communication ports, radio frequency transceivers, and optical transceivers.

[0114] In various embodiments, the user terminal (200) includes an audio subsystem (290) connected to a peripheral interface (230), and the audio subsystem (290) includes one or more speakers (291) and one or more microphones (292), thereby enabling the user terminal (200) to perform voice-activated functions, such as voice recognition, voice replication, digital recording, and telephone functions.

[0115] In various embodiments, the user terminal (200) may include an I / O subsystem (240) connected to a peripheral interface (230). For example, the I / O subsystem (240) may control a touch screen (243) included in the user terminal (200) via a touch screen controller (241).

[0116] For example, the touch screen controller (241) may detect a user's contact and movement or cessation of contact and movement using any one of a plurality of touch sensing technologies, such as capacitive, resistive, infrared, surface acoustic wave technology, proximity sensor array, etc. As another example, the I / O subsystem (240) may control other input / control devices (244) included in the user terminal (200) via other input controller(s) (242). As an example, the other input controller(s) (242) may control one or more buttons, rocker switches, thumb wheels, infrared ports, USB ports, and pointer devices, such as a stylus.

[0117] FIG. 4 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method for providing a route guidance service that considers weather information according to one embodiment of the present invention. The series of operations can be performed through a platform built by the service server (100) or a separate web page. Below, each step of FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 through 12, with specific operations and details based on an example.

[0118] Referring to FIG. 4, when a service provision request is received from a user terminal (200), the processor (140) searches for at least one basic path that can move from a starting point to a destination based on the service provision request (S110).

[0119] Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 5, a service provision request can be made by a user executing / accessing a platform or web page, or a platform or web page built for providing a map / route, through a user terminal (200), and inputting a string into an input window (2101) configured to enable input of a starting point and a destination.

[0120] At this time, a map (2102) based on the current location on the display module (2100) of the user terminal (200) can be displayed through the map API, and a search result based on a string entered in the input window (2101) can be displayed in a preset display method (icon, text, etc.) within the map (2102).

[0121] Additionally, detailed information (2103) (including business name, address, road name address, industry, category, phone number, etc.) about the search results may be displayed in some areas, and the address corresponding to the search result may be set as the starting point or destination. To this end, a button (2104) may be provided that allows the search result to be set as the starting point or destination. Touching or selecting this button (2104) may switch to the route search screen, and if the corresponding address is set as the destination, the current location may be automatically set as the starting point if the starting point has not yet been set.

[0122] Meanwhile, the processor (140) can check the starting point and destination set by the user based on this service provision request, and after receiving the latitude and longitude coordinates of the starting point and destination through a pre-connected (linked) map API, search for at least one basic route based on the input coordinates through a public transportation route API and a walking route API.

[0123] Next, the processor (140) searches for at least one minimum exposure path that can move from the departure point to the destination based on the service provision request, taking into account facility information and weather information (S120).

[0124] Step S120 is also a path-searching operation like step S110, but it performs a search for at least one minimum exposure path that can minimize the user's exposure in the walking section by considering facility information and path information.

[0125] Specifically, the processor (140) compares weather information for each zone to be passed through while moving from a starting point to a destination with preset conditions to detect obstacles to walking. If obstacles to walking are detected, the processor (140) determines a weight for each walking section within each zone based on facility information. Thereafter, the processor (140) can search for at least one minimum exposure path by applying the determined weights.

[0126] At this time, the weight is defined as the travel time calculated using speed and distance, and may be determined by reflecting a correction factor corresponding to at least one of the presence or absence of a structure, type of structure, presence or absence of a tunnel, road width, or road characteristics.

[0127] This weight can be expressed as in <Mathematical Formula 1> below.

[0128]

[0129] Here, the factor can be set as a correction factor corresponding to at least one of the presence or absence of a structure, the type of structure, the presence or absence of a tunnel, the road width, or the road characteristics, and at least one can be set. For example, factor 1 can be set as a correction factor related to the road width, and factor 2 can be set as a correction factor related to the presence or absence of a structure or a tunnel. If the road is a main road, the correction factor is 1.1, and if it is an alley, the correction factor is 1.0, so that a path with a wide road width can be searched preferentially. On the other hand, if the road has a tunnel, the correction factor is 12.0, if there is a structure, the correction factor is 10.0, and if it is a general road without any other structure or tunnel, the correction factor is 0.1, so that a path with a structure or tunnel that can avoid pedestrian obstacles can be given an additional advantage of 60. Through this, the processor (140) can set different speeds for roads with tunnels that can completely avoid pedestrian obstacles, roads with structures that help avoid pedestrian obstacles, and general roads, thereby granting a 60 advantage to a path with the corresponding characteristics and allowing it to be searched with priority.

[0130] That is, at least one minimum exposure path searched by step S120 includes a path having the property of avoiding walking obstacles even if the travel distance is longer than at least one basic path searched by step S110.

[0131] Next, the processor (140) provides basic path information including at least one basic path searched by step S110 and minimum exposure path information including at least one minimum exposure path searched by step S120 as guidance information to the user terminal (200) (S130).

[0132] At this time, the basic route information may include not only the total travel time for each basic route, but also the travel time for each mode of transportation included in each basic route. Furthermore, the minimum exposure route information may include not only the total travel time for each minimum exposure route, but also the travel time for each mode of transportation included in each minimum exposure route, as well as predicted values ​​for pedestrian obstacles within the walking section.

[0133] As illustrated in FIG. 6, guidance information (2105) may be displayed and provided on the display module (2100) of the user terminal (200). At this time, a basic route (2106) having the shortest travel time among at least one basic route included in the basic route information and a minimum exposure route (2107) having the shortest travel time among at least one minimum exposure route included in the minimum exposure route information may be displayed as guidance information (2105).

[0134] Hereby, the user can be guided to the desired route by selecting the basic route (2106) or the minimum exposure route (2107). If the user selects the minimum exposure route (2107), as illustrated in FIG. 7, not only specific information on the minimum exposure route (2107) with the shortest travel time but also specific information on each of the remaining minimum exposure routes can be displayed together in a list format (2108). At this time, the user can select the desired means of transportation through the first setting area (2109) and select a sorting condition for sorting at least one minimum exposure route included in the list through the second setting area (2110). For example, the user can divide the entire routes into routes that include only the entire route, bus route, or subway route as the means of transportation through buttons provided for dividing them into all routes, bus route, and subway route in the first setting area (2109). In addition, the second setting area (2110) can be used to provide various sorting options such as minimum walking distance, shortest distance, and minimum transfer, so that users can easily and quickly compare and select routes that meet their top priority.

[0135] If a user selects a basic route (2106), as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, at least one basic piece of information included in the basic route information among the guidance information may be provided in a list format on the display module (2100) of the user terminal (200). At this time, detailed information for each route may include the total time required to travel based on the route, the time required for each means of transportation, etc.

[0136] In one embodiment, when precipitation is set as a variable, the processor (140) collects weather information about the area that the user must pass through to move from the departure point set by the user to the destination, checks the precipitation by time period, and determines that the precipitation exceeds a threshold value as a walking obstacle. Thereafter, the processor (140) searches for a path with minimal exposure to rain on the walking section for the user based on the facility information. However, this is only one embodiment, and it is also possible to immediately determine that the precipitation is a walking obstacle when it is confirmed, without performing an operation of comparing the precipitation with the threshold value.

[0137] If the user selects the minimum exposure route (2107), as illustrated in FIG. 10, at least one minimum exposure information included in the minimum exposure route information among the guidance information may be provided in a list format (2112) together with a map (2111) on the display module (2100) of the user terminal (200). At this time, the detailed information for each route may include at least one of a predicted value (2113) of a variable (e.g., precipitation) for the moving time based on weather information, a total travel time when moving based on the route, a travel time for each means of transportation, a transfer section, transfer information for each section, and a stop. At this time, the travel time for each means of transportation is visually displayed in the form of a bar (2114) with each section divided, so that the user can easily check it. In addition, a predicted value (2115) for each of at least one variable that affects the user during the walking section, i.e., to which the user is exposed, may be displayed.

[0138] Meanwhile, a time selection area (2116) may be provided to provide guidance information at preset time intervals in certain areas. In other words, guidance information is provided based on the time of service request, but guidance information can be provided for other time periods by allowing the user to select a different time period through this time selection area (2116). For example, the time period with the lowest predicted value for at least one variable exposed to the user during a walking route may be displayed using preset display methods such as color or pattern to recommend a departure time.

[0139] If the user selects a different time zone in the time selection area (2116), detailed information (2117) for each route in the selected time zone can be displayed, as shown in FIG. 11.

[0140] FIG. 12 is a drawing showing an example of a user interface in which forecast information generated based on weather information is implemented on a display module of a user terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0141] Referring to FIG. 12, in addition to the route guidance service, the processor (140) may divide each region into sections and provide time-based prediction values ​​for at least one variable for each section (2118), thereby allowing the user to check time-based prediction values ​​for at least one variable for each time zone. At this time, on the map, sections in which at least one variable set by the user exceeds a preset threshold are displayed using preset display methods such as color and pattern, thereby allowing the user to easily check sections to be avoided when moving.

[0142] As described above, according to the present invention, a user can be guided to move quickly from a starting point to a destination while being less affected by walking obstacles by providing a route and / or time zone along with a basic route for the user to select, thereby allowing the user to be less affected by walking obstacles during the walking section.

[0143] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings, the present invention is not necessarily limited to these embodiments, and various modifications may be implemented without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not intended to limit the technical spirit of the present invention, but to explain it, and the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. The protection scope of the present invention should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the rights of the present invention.

[0144] [National Research and Development Project Supporting This Invention]

[0145] [Project ID] 2710006758

[0146] [Assignment Number] 00156360

[0147] [Ministry Name] Ministry of Science and ICT

[0148] [Name of Project Management (Specialist) Agency] Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation Institute

[0149] [Research Project Name] Training of Key Digital Leading Technology Talents

[0150] [Research Project Name] Regional Intelligence Innovation Talent Development (Soongsil University)

[0151] [Name of the project performing organization] Soongsil University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation

[0152] [Research Period] July 1, 2022 - December 31, 2029

Claims

1. A method for providing a route guidance service that takes into account weather information and is performed by a device, When a service provision request is received from a user terminal, a step of searching for at least one basic path that can move from a starting point to a destination in response to the service provision request; In response to the above service provision request, a step of searching for at least one minimum exposure path that can move from the departure point to the destination based on facility information and weather information; and A step of providing basic path information including at least one basic path and minimum exposure path information including at least one minimum exposure path, Method for providing route guidance service considering weather information.

2. In paragraph 1, The step of searching for at least one basic path information comprises: A step of calculating the travel time for at least one means of transportation included in each basic route; and Comprising a step of calculating the required time for each basic route by compiling the travel time for at least one means of transportation, At least one means of transportation mentioned above, Including a means of transportation preset by the user, Method for providing route guidance service considering weather information.

3. In paragraph 1, The step of searching for at least one minimum exposure path is: It can be performed selectively according to preset conditions, The above preset conditions are: Including each threshold for at least one of fine dust, temperature, humidity, precipitation or wind speed, Method for providing route guidance service considering weather information.

4. In paragraph 3, The step of searching for at least one minimum exposure path is: A step of detecting obstacles to walking by comparing weather information for each area passed through to move from the starting point to the destination with preset conditions; When the above walking obstacle is detected, a step of determining a weight for the walking section among each zone based on the facility information; and A step of searching for at least one minimum exposure path by applying the above weights, Method for providing route guidance service considering weather information.

5. In paragraph 4, The step of searching for at least one minimum exposure path is: A step of calculating the travel time for at least one means of transportation included in each minimum exposure route; and Comprising a step of calculating the required time for each minimum exposure route by compiling the travel time for at least one means of transportation, At least one means of transportation mentioned above, Including a means of transportation preset by the user, Method for providing route guidance service considering weather information.

6. In paragraph 4, The above weights are, It is defined as the travel time calculated using speed and distance, and is determined by reflecting a correction factor corresponding to at least one of the presence or absence of a structure, type of structure, presence or absence of a tunnel, road width, or road characteristics in the speed. Method for providing route guidance service considering weather information.

7. In paragraph 4, The step of searching for at least one minimum exposure path is: Further comprising a step of generating a predicted value for the above walking obstacle factor in the walking section included in each minimum exposure path. Method for providing route guidance service considering weather information.

8. In paragraph 1, The above facility information is, Contains information on at least one of the following: presence of a structure, type of structure, presence of a tunnel, road width, or road characteristics; The above weather information is, Including information on at least one variable among fine dust, temperature, humidity, precipitation or wind speed, and including predicted values ​​according to time changes of each variable. Method for providing route guidance service considering weather information.

9. In paragraph 8, A step of detecting and recommending a departure time at which the predicted value of a variable determined to be a walking obstacle among the variables in the walking section is the minimum based on the predicted value according to the time change of each of the above variables, Method for providing route guidance service considering weather information.

10. Communication interface; memory; and A processor operably connected to the communication interface and the memory, The above processor, When a service provision request is received from a user terminal, in response to the service provision request, at least one basic path that can move from the starting point to the destination is searched, In response to the above service provision request, at least one minimum exposure path that can move from the departure point to the destination is searched based on facility information and weather information, Configured to provide basic path information including at least one basic path and minimum exposure path information including at least one minimum exposure path, A device that provides route guidance services that take weather information into account.

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