In-Vehicle Weather Display Accuracy via Map Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Car navigation devices often display weather information for points not intended by the user due to inaccuracies in touch input or small map scales, leading to incorrect weather data being shown.

Innovation Solution

An in-vehicle device that divides the map into areas and determines the closest area to the user's designated point on the travel route, outputting weather information for that area to ensure accurate data display.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If weather information is displayed for the point designated by the user on the map, then the user can refer to weather information on the travel route, but the weather of the position which is not necessarily intended by the user may be displayed due to touch input inaccuracies or small map scales

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of weather information displayVSAvoiduser operation convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The map area is divided into multiple grid areas, and the system determines which grid area contains the travel route to accurately identify the intended location for weather information display. This segmentation approach allows precise location identification without requiring high-precision touch input from the user.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of determining whether the designated point is within the travel route, the system inverts the approach by checking whether the travel route is within the area including the designated point. This inversion simplifies the determination process and improves accuracy in identifying the intended location.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Area of stationary object

If the map scale is small to show the entire travel route, then the map can display the full route overview, but it becomes hard to touch accurately the point of which the user wants to know the weather information

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemap display areaVSAvoidtouch input accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

By dividing the map into grid areas and determining which grid contains the travel route, the system maintains accurate location identification even when the map displays a large area at small scale. This eliminates the need for high-precision touch input while preserving full route visibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The grid area system acts as an intermediary between the user's rough touch input and the precise location identification. Instead of requiring direct point-to-route matching, the system uses grid containment as an intermediate step to accurately determine the intended location.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If the system checks whether the designated point is exactly on the travel route, then the weather information accuracy can be high, but the system may fail to provide weather information when the user's input slightly deviates from the route

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveweather information accuracyVSAvoidtolerance to user input variation

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system inverts the checking logic from 'is the point on the route' to 'is the route in the area including the point'. This inversion naturally provides tolerance for slight deviations while maintaining accuracy, as long as the travel route falls within the grid area containing the user's designated point.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

By using grid areas that encompass multiple possible locations, the system beforehand cushions against slight deviations in user input. The grid structure provides a buffer zone that accommodates touch input variations while still accurately identifying the intended location for weather information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentUS11226210B2Information processing apparatus, output method, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium

Publication Date: 2022.01.18 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

An information processing apparatus includes an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle. The in-vehicle device includes a display device and a processor. The in-vehicle device outputs, on the display device, weather information of a point designated by a user on a map, displays a travel route along which the vehicle travels on the map on the display device, and in a case where the travel route is not included in the area including the point designated by the user on the map among a plurality of areas obtained by dividing the map and the processor determines that the point designated by the user is within a predetermined range from the travel route, outputs, on the display device, the weather information of an area closest to the point designated by the user among the areas including the travel route.