GB2427498A

GB2427498A - Car navigation apparatus with insurance premium calculation means.

Info

Publication number: GB2427498A
Application number: GB0611898A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mikiya Nakano; Gary Mills
Original assignee: Denso Corp
Current assignee: Denso Corp
Priority date: 2005-06-20
Filing date: 2006-06-15
Publication date: 2006-12-27
Also published as: GB0611898D0; DE102006027832A1; JP2006350953A

Abstract

A car navigation apparatus comprises a route calculating means, an insurance premium information storing means, an insurance premium calculating means and a an insurance premium indicating means. In use, a route is calculated by the route calculating means using information stored in a database about roads on a map held in a map database. The insurance premium information storing means stores insurance cost information per unit distance which corresponds to road attribute information. Attributes may include the road type and number of lanes. The unit distance cost may also vary with time zone. The premium calculation means combines the generated route information with the stored insurance information and displays an insurance premium to the user via the indicating means. Where multiple routes are calculated multiple insurance premiums are also calculated which may be searched to identify the lowest premium cost.

Description

CAR NAVIGATION APPARATUS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a car navigation apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION With easing of regulations about insurance such as deregulation of accident insurance premium rates, premiums of accident insurance (automobile insurance) against damages of traffic accidents are being reduced. In the future, insurance premiums are expected to be set and charged in accordance with actually traveled distances and routes. Accordingly, various suggestions have been m ade. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique as follows: to obtain data about accident insurance from an accident insurer, a request for data about the accident insurance is sent to a computer of the accident insurer, along with vehicle driving history information of driving a vehicle; the computer of the accident insurer which has received the request and vehicle driving history information calculates the data about the accident insurance, including an accident insurance premium and compensation information about a driver of the vehicle, in accordance with the vehicle driving history information; and the computer sends the calculated data about the accident insurance to the vehicle. Patent Document 2 describes a technique as follows: a vehicular apparatus selects multiple routes in accordance with multiple different criteria, for example, that a required time, a route distance, a lower risk, an expressway, or the smaller number of intersections is prioritized; the vehicular apparatus sends the selected multiple routes to a risk server via a network; the risk server receives the multiple routes from the vehicular apparatus via the network;the risk server calculates a route risk, which is an incidence rate of accidents when the driver travels on each route, in accordance with (i) a positional risk, which is an incidence rate of accidents corresponding to a position contained in each route, (ii) a drive mode (auto/manual), (iii) a safety capability of an automobile, (iv) an accident avoidance capability of an auto drive, (v) a driving aptitude of a driver, (vi) weather information on the route, (vii) traffic information on the route, and (viii) the number of right and left turns contained on the route; the risk server calculates a premium of automobile insurance for the drive in accordance with the route risk, and sends it to the vehicular apparatus; and the vehicular apparatus receives an insurance premium of each of the selected routes from the risk server, and displays it on a monitor of a display portion.Accordingly, the driver reviews a plan of the drive in accordance with the premium displayed on the monitor. In the techniques of Patent Documents 1, 2, information about an insurance premium in accordance with a route can be provided to a user. However, in both techniques, because a server outside a vehicle calculates an insurance premium, a vehicular apparatus such as a car navigation apparatus cannot calculate an insurance premium by itself. Further, in both techniques, because the vehicular apparatus is connected to an outer server via a network, information about an insurance premium cannot be provided to the user when the vehicular apparatus cannot be connected to the network. In the technique of Patent Document 1, because an insurance premium is calculated in accordance with a driving history, an insurance premium on a route cannot be provided to the user unless the user actually travels on the route. In the technique of Patent Document 2, because an insurance premium on a selected route is calculated before the drive, and provided to the user, the user can review the drive plan. However, in the technique of Patent Document 2, because an insurance premium is calculated in accordance with a positional risk, which is an incidence rate of accidents corresponding to each position contained on a route, the insurance premium cannot be calculated in accordance with a length (distance) of the route.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION - Patent Document 1: JP-2003-6439-A - Patent Document 2: JP-2004-171482-A In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a car navigation apparatus which can calculate an insurance premium for a route by itself in accordance with information stored in an existing map database before actual traveling on the route, and provide information about the calculated insurance premium to a user. To achieve the above object, an example car navigation apparatus includes route calculating means for calculating a route to a destination by use of road information about roads on a map stored in a map database. The car navigation apparatus includes: insurance premium information storing means for storing insurance premium information showing an insurance premium per a unit distance corresponding to road attribute information contained in road information; insurance premium calculating means for calculating an insurance premium for a route from insurance premiums per unit distances corresponding to road attributes of roads forming the route calculated by the route calculating means by use of the insurance premium information stored in the insurance premium information storing means;and an insurance premium indicating means for indicating the insurance premium for the route calculated by the insurance premium calculating means. The example car navigation apparatus can calculate a route to a destination before actually traveling on a route. Additionally, the car navigation apparatus can calculate an insurance premium for a route (and its length/distance to a destination) from insurance premiums per unit distances corresponding to road attributes of roads forming the calculated route by use of the insurance premium information corresponding to the road attribute information contained in the road information stored in the existing map database, and indicates information about the calculated insurance premium by use of, e.g., an audio output and a screen display. Accordingly, before actually traveling on a route, the example car navigation apparatus can calculate an insurance premium for the route from the information stored in the existing map database, and provide information about the calculated insurance premium to the user. A map database can store at least one of a road type and the number of lanes as road attribute information for the example car navigation apparatus. Accordingly, for example, insurance premium information corresponding to a road type such as a residential road, prefectural road, national road, and automobile-only road and to a road attribute such as the number of lanes is stored in the insurance premium information storing means, so that the insurance premium calculating means can calculate an insurance premium in accordance with, e.g., the road types of roads forming a route and the number of lanes of the respective roads. Furthermore, in an example car navigation apparatus, the route calculating means calculates multiple routes to the destination. The insurance premium indicating means includes display control means for displaying an insurance premium for each route calculated by the route calculating means. Accordingly, for example, when a user is made to select a route to be guided from the multiple routes, an insurance premium for each route is displayed, so that an amount of an insurance premium can be an alternative when selecting the route. Furthermore, in an example car navigation apparatus, the route calculating means calculates multiple routes to a destination in accordance with multiple different searching conditions. The searching conditions include a searching condition that a lower insurance premium of automobile insurance is prioritized. Accordingly, for example, a route for which the lowest insurance premium is set can be calculated. An example car navigation apparatus further includes a route selecting means for selecting a route to be guided, from the multiple routes (e.g., which are displayed by the display control means), and a route guiding means for guiding the route selected by the route selecting means. Accordingly, for example, the user can select a route for which the lowest insurance premium is set, and make the car navigation apparatus guide the route. Furthermore, in an example car navigation apparatus, the insurance premium information storing means stores insurance premium information including an insurance premium per a unit distance corresponding to a time zone. In other words, a risk can differ when traveling on the same road in a different time zone. Accordingly, the insurance premium information corresponding to time zones are also stored, so that an insurance premium for a route can be calculated by use of the insurance premium information corresponding to time zones and the road attributes. An example car navigation apparatus further includes an inputting means for inputting an insurance premium per a unit distance corresponding to a road attribute. Insurance premium data storing means stores a unit insurance premium corresponding to a road attribute inputted by the inputting means. Accordingly, insurance premium information to be stored in the insurance premium information storing means can be inputted from the inputting means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of example embodiments made with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall structure of a car navigation apparatus; FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a flow of an insurance premium calculating process using the car navigation apparatus; FIG. 3 is a route selecting screen for a route calculating result of each searching condition; FIG. 4 is a route selecting screen showing details of the route calculating results in searching conditions; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing insurance premium information about road types; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing insurance premium information about time zones;FIG. 7 is a diagram showing insurance premium information about the number of lanes; and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing ranks of sums of insurance premiums.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention are explained below in reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a brief structure of a car navigation apparatus 100 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the car navigation apparatus 100 in a vehicle includes a geomagnetic sensor 1, a gyroscope 2, a distance sensor 3, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 4 for a GPS for detecting a current position of the vehicle in accordance with a radio wave from a GPS satellite, a map data input device 5 for storing a map database, a group of operation switches (SW) 6, an outer sensor 7, an integrated circuit (IC) 8, a display device 9, an outer information input-output device 10, and an external memory device 11 as a non-volatile storge medium which can store data used by the integrated circuit 8. All these components are known. The integrated circuit 8 is formed as a microcomputer. The integrated circuit 8 includes a known CPU, ROM, I/O, inner memory, and a bus line for connecting these components to each other. A program executed by the car navigation apparatus 100 is written in the ROM. In accordance with this program, the CPU and the like execute predetermined operations. The geomagnetic sensor 1, gyroscope 2, distance sensor 3, and GPS receiver 4 form a position detector for detecting a position of the vehicle. Because errors having different properties occur in these respective components, the multiple sensors are structured to compensate for each other. In consideration of an accuracy of each sensor, part of the above sensors may form the position detector. As the outer sensor 7, a steering sensor, a vehicle speed sensor for each wheel, and the like may be used. The map data input device 5 is used for inputting a map database including, e.g., road network data, index data, and drawing data, and sends the inputted data in response to a request from the integrated circuit 8. As a storage medium for storing the data, CD-ROMs or DVD-ROMs are generally used because of the data volume. Rewritable storage media such as memory cards and hard disks may be used. Link data and node data forming road network data, and the drawing data will be explained below. First, each road on a map is divided at multiple nodes such as intersections, branches, and junctions. The divided road between the nodes is defined as a link. The road is formed by connecting links to each other. The link data includes, e.g., an identification number (link ID) for identifying the link, a link length showing a length of the link, coordinates (latitude, longitude) of a start and end of the link, a road type (such as a residential road (narrow street), prefectural road, national road, and automobile-only road including an expressway), a road width, and the number of lanes. Here, "prefectural road" can be defined as a road belonging to a local administrative organization such as a prefecture, state, county, etc. in each country. Road types may be differently defined in each country. As described above, the link data includes information about the road attributes such as road types and the number of lanes. Accordingly, insurance premium information of automobile insurance corresponding to the road attribute such as a road type and the number of lanes is stored in an inner memory of the integrated circuit 8; therefore, the inner memory is used as an insurance premium information storing means. An insurance premium corresponding to road types and the number of lanes of roads forming a route can be therefore calculated in an insurance premium calculating process. This insurance premium information and insurance premium calculating process will be described later. On the other hand, the node data includes the following: a node ID unique to each node where roads on the map intersect each other, branch, or meet each other; a node coordinate (latitude, longitude); a connection link ID in which link IDs of all the links connected to a node are described; and a point attribute showing whether a point corresponds to a branch point, a junction, or an intersection. The drawing data is used for displaying a map shown in FIG. 3, including: landscapes of, e.g., seas (including, e.g., lakes and ponds) and mountains; and display characters, display positions (latitudes, longitudes), polygons, markers (such as landmarks) of facilities, roads, and branch points, junctions, and intersections of roads. The group of the switches 6 use, e.g., touch switches or mechanical switches integrated with the display device 9. The switches are used for scrolling a map displayed on the screen of the display device 9 and for various inputs such as input of characters. The display device 9 includes, e.g., a liquid crystal display. The screen of the display device 9 displays a vehicle position mark corresponding to a current position of a vehicle inputted from the position detector, and a road map around the vehicle generated by a map database inputted from the map data input device 5. The outer information input-output device 10 is, e.g., a communications device which can achieve mobile communications such as a mobile phone. The outer information input-output device 10 can communicate with an outside, e.g., a dedicated information center such as a VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System) (trademark) which provides road traffic information or any one in the Internet via an outer information network. Furthermore, data obtained via the outer information input-output device 10 can be stored in the external memory device 11 or inner memory of the integrated circuit 8. The car navigation apparatus 100 includes a so-called route guiding function for calculating multiple routes starting from a current position (or a specified arbitrary point) to a destination automatically, and for producing a guide route, when the destination is set by use of, e.g., the group of the switches 6 and a remote controller (not shown). In this route guiding function, multiple routes are calculated in accordance with multiple different searching conditions (for example, that a toll road, a general road, a shorter distance, or a lower insurance premium is prioritized). From the calculated multiple routes, a route selecting screen (FIGs. 3, 4) for selecting a route to be guided, is displayed on the display device 9, and the user is allowed to select a desired route. Then, the selected route is guided. Accordingly, in the route guiding function, a route having the lowest insurance premium can be calculated. The user can select the route having the lowest insurance premium, and make the car navigation apparatus 100 guide the route. In the route guiding function, when multiple routes are searched, an insurance premium calculating process of FIG. 2 is executed by use of insurance premium information shown in FIG. 5 to calculate an insurance premium for each route (and its length/distance to a destination). Then, information about the calculated insurance premium is indicated; namely, the information about the calculated insurance premium is displayed on the route selecting screen shown in FIGs. 3, 4, and outputted audibly, so that the user is notified of the information. Thus an insurance premium for each route is displayed when the user selects a route to be guided from multiple routes; therefore, an amount of the insurance premium can be an alternative when selecting the route. FIG. 5 shows insurance premium information showing insurance premiums corresponding to the road types (such as a residential road, prefectural road, national road, and automobile-only road) per unit distances. In the insurance premium calculating process, by use of unit insurance premiums corresponding to the road types shown in FIG. 5, an insurance premium corresponding to each of the multiple routes (and its length of the route or distance to a destination) is calculated from the insurance premiums per unit distances corresponding to road attributes of roads included in the each of the multiple routes. Then, the user is notified of information about the calculated insurance premium. Next, a flow of the insurance premium calculating process is explained in reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. 2. In this insurance premium calculating process, the process shown in FIG. 2 is executed for each route. At Step (hereinafter described as S) 10 shown in FIG. 2, variables (X, Xa, Xb, Xc, Xd) of the insurance premiums are initialized. At S20, it is determined whether roads forming a route include a residential road. When the determination is affirmative, the process goes to S30. When the determination is negative, the process goes to S40. At S30, in reference to a unit insurance premium (a) corresponding to the residential road shown in FIG. 5, this insurance premium (a) is multiplied by a distance of all residential roads contained in the route to calculate an insurance premium variable (Xa). At S40, it is determined whether the roads forming the route include a prefectural road. When the determination is affirm ative, the process goes to S50. When the determination is negative, the process goes to S60. At S50, in reference to a unit insurance premium b corresponding to the prefectural road shown in FIG. 5, this insurance premium b is multiplied by a distance of all prefectural roads contained in the route to calculate an insurance premium variable (Xb). At S60, it is determined whether the roads forming the route include a national road. When the determination is affirmative, the process goes to S70. When the determination is negative, the process goes to S80. At S70, in reference to a unit insurance premium c corresponding to the national road shown in FIG. 5, this insurance premium c is multiplied by a distance of all national roads contained in the route to calculate an insurance premium variable (Xc). At S80, it is determined whether the roads forming the route include an automobile-only road. When the determination is affirmative, the process goes to S90. When the determination is negative, the process goes to S100. At S90, in reference to a unit insurance premium d corresponding to the automobile-only road shown in FIG. 5, this insurance premium d is multiplied by a distance of all automobile-only roads contained in the route to calculate an insurance premium variable (Xd). At S100, the insurance premium variables (Xa, Xb, Xc, Xd) are summed to obtain an insurance premium (X) for the route. At S110, the insurance premium (X) is displayed on the display device 9. Accordingly, before actually traveling on the route, the car navigation apparatus 100 can calculate an insurance premium corresponding to the route by itself in accordance with the information about the road attributes stored in the existing map database. Then, the car navigation apparatus 100 can provide information about the calculated insurance premium to the user. The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been explained above. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. In the scope of the present invention, various alternative embodiments are possible without being limited by the above embodiments. For example, a risk differs when traveling on the same route in a different time zone. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6, insurance premium information corresponding to time zones may be stored in the inner memory of the integrated circuit 8. Then, by use of the insurance premium information corresponding to the time zones together with the road attributes, an insurance premium for a route may be calculated. The insurance premium information may correspond to not only the time zones but seasons and days of the week (such as weekdays, holidays, and vacations). The insurance premium information about the road types shown in FIG. 5 can be stored in the inner memory of the integrated circuit 8 in advance when the information is disclosed from, e.g., an insurer. When the information is not disclosed, it cannot be stored in the inner memory. In this case, the insurance premium information about the road types shown in FIG. 5 and the insurance premium information about the number of lanes shown in FIG. 7 may be stored as default information. By use of the information, an insurance premium may be calculated approximately. In accordance with an amount of the approximately-calculated insurance premium, a rank of an expected insurance premium may be provided to the user, as shown in FIG. 8. When the insurance premium information about the road attributes disclosed from, e.g., an insurer is updated, the updated insurance premium information is inputted by operating the group of the switches 6. Then, the insurance premium information stored in the inner memory of the integrated circuit 8 may be rewritten. Accordingly, insurance information to be stored in the inner memory of the integrated circuit 8 can be inputted by operating the group of the switches 6. Furthermore, the insurance premium information about the road attributes disclosed from, e.g., an insurer can be obtained via the outer information input-output device 10; then the obtained information can be stored, e.g., in the external memory device 11, the inner memory of the integrated circuit 8, or the like to allow the integrated circuit 8 to use the stored information. In the above embodiment, the insurance premiums or unit insurance premiums per unit distances (or the insurance premium information about the road attributes) are provided as money amounts (e.g., YEN or YEN/km); however, they can be alternatively provided as relative values such as levels, ratios, or ranks. In this case, the car navigation apparatus 100 can calculate routes using the relative values of unit insurance premiums per unit distances; then, the user is notified of calculated insurance premiums by using relative values. Each or any combination of processes or steps explained in the above can be achieved as a software unit (e.g., subroutine) and/or a hardware unit (e.g., circuit or integrated circuit), including or not including a function of a related device; furthermore, the hardware unit can be constructed inside of a m icrocom puter. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the above-described embodiments of the claimed invention.

Claims

1. A car navigation apparatus comprising: a route calculating means for calculating a route to a destination by use of road information about roads on a map stored in a map database: an insurance premium information storing means for storing insurance premium information showing an insurance premium per a unit distance corresponding to road attribute information contained in road information; an insurance premium calculating means for calculating an insurance premium for a route from insurance premiums per unit distances corresponding to road attributes of roads forming the route calculated by the route calculating means by use of the insurance premium information stored in the insurance premium information storing means; and an insurance premium indicating means for indicating the insurance premium for the route calculated by the insurance premium calculating means.

2. The car navigation apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the map database stores at least one of a road type and a number of lanes as road attribute information.

3. The car navigation apparatus of Claim 1 or 2, wherein the route calculating means calculates multiple routes to the destination, and the insurance premium indicating means includes a display control means for displaying an insurance premium for each route calculated by the route calculating means.

4. The car navigation apparatus of any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the route calculating means calculates multiple routes to the destination in accordance with multiple different searching conditions, and the searching conditions include a searching condition that a lower insurance premium is prioritized.

5. The car navigation apparatus of Claim 3 or 4, further comprising: a route selecting means for selecting a route to be guided, from the multiple routes; and a route guiding means for guiding the route selected by the route selecting means.

6. The car navigation apparatus of any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the insurance premium information storing means stores insurance premium information including an insurance premium per a unit distance corresponding to a time zone.

7. The car navigation apparatus of any one of Claims 1 to 6, further com prising: an inputting means for inputting an insurance premium per a unit distance corresponding to a road attribute, wherein the insurance premium data storing means stores a unit insurance premium corresponding to a road attribute inputted by the inputting means.

8. A car navigation apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.