Route Recommendation Using Route Identity and Energy Consumption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional route search methods fail to present an ecological route that is easily accepted by users, as they often suggest routes significantly different from the user's usual travel path, making it difficult for users to accept the proposed switch to an electric vehicle.

Innovation Solution

An information processing system that includes a server device and an in-vehicle device to search for a route with higher identity to the user's usual travel route and lower energy consumption, presenting it as a proposed ecological route for an electric vehicle.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If a route search is performed based solely on link cost to find the optimal route, then energy consumption is minimized, but the route may be completely different from the user's usual travel path, making it difficult for the user to accept

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoiduser acceptance
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the route search parameters by introducing a dual-cost evaluation system. Instead of using only link cost (energy consumption), it combines link cost with identity cost (similarity to usual route) to create a comprehensive evaluation index. This parameter change allows the system to find routes that balance energy efficiency with user acceptance, resolving the contradiction between minimizing energy consumption and maintaining user acceptance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies beforehand cushioning by pre-calculating and storing the usual travel routes and their characteristics before performing the optimal route search. This pre-prepared information serves as a reference baseline that cushions against the potential user rejection of completely new routes. The system uses this pre-established data to ensure the recommended route maintains sufficient similarity to the user's accustomed path while still achieving energy savings.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Loss of energy

If a route completely different from the user's usual route is presented as optimal, then energy consumption may be reduced, but the user finds it difficult to accept as a future self-traveling route

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumption amountVSAvoidroute identity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the route evaluation from a single-parameter (link cost) system to a multi-parameter system that includes both energy consumption and route identity. By changing the evaluation parameters to include similarity metrics compared to usual routes, the system can identify routes that achieve energy savings without sacrificing adaptability to user preferences and habits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces route identity (similarity to usual route) as an intermediary factor between energy consumption and user acceptance. This intermediary parameter acts as a bridge, allowing the system to translate energy-efficient routes into user-acceptable recommendations by ensuring they maintain sufficient resemblance to the user's established travel patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If the system recommends a route with high identity to the user's usual route, then user acceptance improves, but energy consumption may not be minimized

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser acceptanceVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the optimization objective from minimizing only energy consumption to minimizing a composite cost function that includes both energy consumption and route identity. This parameter transformation enables the system to find routes that achieve an optimal balance between user acceptance and energy efficiency, rather than prioritizing one factor at the expense of the other.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4667875A1Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program
Publication Date: 2025.12.24 PIONEER IP
  • EP4667875A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4667875A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4667875A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An information processing device (100) according to the present disclosure includes: an acquisition unit (131) configured to acquire a history of a moving route in which a first moving object has moved from a departure point to a destination; and an output control unit (134) configured to cause a route searched from among candidate routes from the departure point to the destination to be output as a proposed route for moving by a second moving object different from the first moving object. In addition, the output control unit (134) causes the route searched from among the candidate routes to be output as the proposed route on condition that the route has higher identity with the moving route and an energy consumption amount is smaller than that in a case of moving the moving route by the second moving object.