JP2004212177A - Data acquisition area deciding device and data acquisition device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a user-friendly data acquisition device etc., for terminal of moving body with which the user efficiently acquires information by taking various communicating conditions into consideration without designating the destination of a moving body. <P>SOLUTION: This data acquisition device 100 decides the area suitable for acquiring the information on the moving route or the destination of the moving body after the present location of the body. This device is provided with a node discriminating section 102 which accumulates the history of positional information indicating the location of the moving body, a map information DB 103, and a positional history DB 104. This device is also provided with a predicting section 105 which predicts the moving route and destination of the moving body after the present location and an information acquisition area DB 107 and an information acquisition area candidate selecting section 106, both of which are used for deciding the area suitable for acquiring the information on the moving route or destination of the moving body from the areas on the predicted moving route based on the communication conditions, such as the communication zone, communication charge, radio wave intensity, etc., at every area. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a data acquisition device that is mounted on a moving body such as a vehicle and acquires information by wireless communication, and more particularly, to a data acquisition region determination device that determines a region suitable for acquiring information.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A state in which a mobile terminal such as a car navigation device having a wireless communication function is installed in a car so that the car is operated or parked in a parking area where a wireless LAN access point is provided. Thus, it is possible to acquire information (tourist information, weather information, traffic information, etc.) related to the destination and travel route.
[0003]
For example, in the middle of a drive to a destination, stop at a store where a wireless LAN access point is installed, and wirelessly connect the mobile terminal to the Internet via the access point connection port. Weather information and the like can be downloaded from the placed website and displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal. Similarly, a mobile phone is connected to the mobile terminal and the mobile phone is connected to the Internet as a communication means, or if the mobile terminal has a built-in wireless communication module, the mobile terminal is connected to the Internet via the wireless communication module. Thus, necessary information can be downloaded and displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal while the vehicle is running.
[0004]
As a conventional technique for providing information to such a mobile terminal, for example, an “information providing method and apparatus” for predicting a destination of a user and providing information about the predicted destination has been proposed (for example, a patent) Reference 1). According to this conventional technique, information on the predicted destination is automatically provided, so that the user is freed from the troublesome operation of searching for a Web site related to his / her destination on the Internet.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-293540 (FIG. 1 etc.)
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, wireless communication used for mobile communication differs from wired communication in that the communication conditions vary greatly depending on the communication position and communication means. For example, in the case of communication using a mobile phone, the reception state of radio waves differs depending on the position (region), and information cannot be acquired in places outside the service area. Even when a broadband wireless LAN is used, the communication band (communication speed) and the communication fee are not always constant. Furthermore, there are cases where broadband communication such as a wireless LAN can be used as communication means and cases where a narrow band such as a mobile phone is used, and these need to be used separately. Therefore, unless such communication circumstances are taken into consideration, it cannot necessarily be said that the information acquisition device is convenient for the user.
[0007]
For example, according to a conventional apparatus, it may be said that the user is already out of service area when trying to acquire information without considering the radio wave condition and the like, and the necessary information cannot always be provided to the user at an appropriate timing. The problem of not occurring. Further, since the connection is made without considering the communication means and the communication band, there may be a problem that information having a large data size is continuously downloaded over a long time on a low-speed communication line. Further, there may be a problem that the communication fee is higher than expected.
[0008]
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and it is not necessary for a user to specify a destination, and information can be efficiently acquired in consideration of various communication situations. An object of the present invention is to provide a data acquisition area determination device and a data acquisition device for a user-friendly mobile terminal.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a data acquisition region determination device according to the present invention is a data acquisition region determination device that determines a region suitable for acquiring information on a movement route or a destination after a current location of a mobile object. A storage unit that stores a history of position information indicating the position of the mobile body, a prediction unit that predicts a travel route and a destination after the current location of the mobile body based on the history, and a region on the predicted travel route And determining means for determining a region suitable for acquiring information relating to the travel route or the destination based on the communication situation for each region.
[0010]
Here, the communication situation is, for example, a communication band, and the determination unit may determine the area by giving priority to an area where the communication band is large. Similarly, the communication situation is, for example, a communication fee, and the determination unit may determine the region by giving priority to the region where the communication fee is low. The communication situation may be, for example, a communication band and a communication fee, and the determining unit may determine the region by giving priority to an area where the ratio between the communication band and the communication fee is large. Furthermore, the communication situation may be radio field intensity in wireless communication, and the determining unit may prioritize an area where the radio field intensity is strong and determine the area.
[0011]
As a result, the moving route and destination of the moving object are predicted, and an area suitable for information acquisition is determined based on various communication situations for each area, so that it is possible to efficiently acquire information with merit for the user. User-friendly information acquisition is realized. In addition, useless attempts to acquire information outside the service area are avoided, information acquisition within the service area is ensured, and advance information acquisition until reaching the destination is more reliable.
[0012]
Further, the predicting means further calculates a probability that the moving body is predicted to take the moving path for each moving path, and the determining means is configured to determine a region having a strong radio field intensity based on the probability. You may determine the said area from the inside. For example, the predicting unit further calculates a probability that the moving body is predicted to take the moving route for each moving route, and the determining unit further determines whether or not the probability exceeds a certain value. If it is determined and exceeded, the current location of the moving body is determined to be a region suitable for acquiring the information.
[0013]
As a result, not only the communication situation but also the probability that the predicted route is taken is taken into account, so that the problem that the area for useless information acquisition not related to the current destination is determined is avoided.
[0014]
In addition, the communication situation is radio wave intensity in wireless communication, and the determining means further determines the current location and the subsequent locations based on the radio wave intensity and the probability even when the probability does not exceed a certain value. A region suitable for acquiring the information may be determined from regions on the movement route. Specifically, the determining means predicts an area on the moving route where the probability exceeds the threshold value, and predicts when the predicted area is an area where the radio wave intensity is weak. A region on the moving route excluding a region and a region where the radio wave intensity is strong is determined as a region suitable for acquiring the information.
[0015]
As a result, even if the prediction probability does not exceed a certain value, it is possible to acquire information in advance in consideration of the radio wave condition.For example, although the prediction probability has exceeded a certain value, Since it was out of service area, the occurrence of a problem that necessary information cannot be acquired until the destination is reached is avoided.
[0016]
The data acquisition area determination device further displays the area determined by the determination means as a candidate, and finally determines an area suitable for acquiring the information according to a user's selection instruction for the display. Means may be provided. Thereby, since the user can select a desired area from among a plurality of candidates, it is possible to select an area reflecting not only the communication situation and the prediction probability but also the user's preference and the like.
[0017]
Further, the communication includes communication using a mobile phone network and communication using a wireless LAN, and the determining means further includes either communication using the mobile phone network or communication using the wireless LAN based on the communication situation. You may choose. As a result, when both communication interfaces of a wireless LAN that has a broadband but requires parking of a moving body and a mobile phone network that can acquire information while moving in a narrow band are available, Detailed regional selection considering the advantages and disadvantages.
[0018]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the data acquisition apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. This data acquisition device 100 is provided in a car navigation device or the like mounted on a moving body such as a car, and acquires (downloads) information related to the destination (destination) and route of the moving body at an intermediate point on the route. Device, position information acquisition unit 101, node determination unit 102, map information DB 103, position history DB 104, prediction unit 105, information acquisition area candidate selection unit 106, information acquisition area DB 107, information presentation unit 108, information acquisition area determination unit 109, an input unit 110, an information acquisition unit 111, a mobile phone I / F unit 112, and a wireless LAN I / F unit 113. Here, among the elements constituting the data acquisition apparatus 100, the portions excluding the information acquisition unit 111, the mobile phone I / F unit 112, and the wireless LAN I / F unit 113 determine (determine) the position to acquire data. And constitutes a data acquisition position determination device.
[0019]
The position information acquisition unit 101 is a GPS receiver or the like, and specifies the position of the moving object on which the data acquisition device 100 is mounted.
The node determination unit 102 determines whether or not the current position of the mobile object corresponds to a node by collating the position information obtained by the position information acquisition unit 101 with the map information DB 103. Here, the nodes are intersections and landmarks registered in the map information DB 103, such as the points C1 to C5, L123, and L124 shown in FIG. 2, and specify the position and route of the moving object. Used for
[0020]
The map information DB 103 is a database that stores information related to all nodes in a certain area (for example, in Japan). For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a “node number” that identifies a node and a “ "Type / name" and node position ("East longitude" and "North latitude").
[0021]
The position history DB 104 is a database for accumulating information related to routes along which the moving body has moved. As the data structure, for example, as in the position history DBs 104a and 104b shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the vehicle travels through the node through which the moving body has passed and the date and time (route from the starting point to the destination). ), Or a structure that is recorded by accumulating all nodes that the mobile body has passed in the past, such as the position history DB 104c shown in FIG. 4C. It may be.
[0022]
The prediction unit 105 collates the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 101 with the position history DB 104, so that each time a new node indicating the current position of the moving object is recorded in the position history DB 104, the movement is performed. Predict body destinations and routes. For example, a route (a sequence of nodes) from the starting point of the moving body specified by the location information obtained by the location information acquisition unit 101 and a route for each run (a sequence of nodes) stored in the location history DB 104 are displayed. By comparing, the past driving | running | working (including the path | route of a moving body) which corresponds with the path | route until the moving body is specified. Then, by repeating such a comparison, when the type of past driving including the route up to the moving body is narrowed down to one as the moving body moves, the traveling route and the traveling Are predicted as the route and destination (destination) of the mobile body, respectively, and notified to the information acquisition area candidate selection unit 106.
[0023]
The information acquisition area candidate selection unit 106 refers to the information acquisition area DB 107 to identify all information acquisition areas on the predicted route notified from the prediction unit 105, and selects a candidate information acquisition area from among them. Then, the information presentation unit 108 and the information acquisition area determination unit 109 are notified. Here, the information acquisition area is a place where a wireless connection port for wirelessly downloading information on a destination as a destination of a mobile object and its route is installed. In this embodiment, access to a wireless LAN is performed. It is a point. The information acquisition area candidate selection unit 106 has a priority mode set in advance by the user (reference information selection area: communication band priority / communication charge priority / considering both communication bandwidth and charge). By referring to the information acquisition area DB 107, a certain number of information acquisition areas with high priority are selected as candidates from a plurality of information acquisition areas on the route.
[0024]
The information acquisition area DB 107 is a database that collects information on all information acquisition areas in a certain area (for example, in Japan). In the present embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. Data, that is, a name for each access point (“receivable point name”), “location information”, “communication band”, and “communication fee”. Here, the “communication band” is a data transmission rate in communication at the access point, and is, for example, 8 Mbps. The “communication charge” is a charge for communication at the access point, and is, for example, 10 yen / minute.
[0025]
The information presentation unit 108 is an LCD or the like that presents information acquisition area candidates notified from the information acquisition area candidate selection unit 106 to the user. The input unit 110 is a touch panel, a button, or the like that acquires a user instruction.
[0026]
The information acquisition area determination unit 109 includes a plurality of information acquisition areas selected by the information acquisition area candidate selection unit 106 based on the notification of candidates from the information acquisition area candidate selection unit 106 and the user instruction acquired by the input unit 110. One information acquisition area is specified from the candidates, and the information acquisition area 111 is notified of the specified information acquisition area.
[0027]
The information acquisition unit 111 determines whether or not the mobile object has stopped in the information acquisition area notified from the information acquisition area determination unit 109. If the mobile phone I / F unit 112 or the wireless LAN I / F is determined to have stopped, Via the F unit 113, data related to the destination (tourist information, weather information, traffic information, etc.) is acquired from the access point placed in the information acquisition area. For example, a website related to a destination is accessed via the Internet, and the information is downloaded and displayed on an LCD or the like. On the other hand, when the mobile object does not stop in the specified information acquisition area (for example, it is detected that the mobile object has passed through the area), the mobile phone I / O is inquired by a message display or the like. It is determined whether or not to acquire data by the F unit 112. If it is determined that the data is acquired, data related to the destination is downloaded via the mobile phone I / F unit 112.
[0028]
The information acquisition unit 111 detects that the moving body has stopped at a distance within a certain range of the information acquisition area based on the position information from the position information acquisition unit 101 (for example, the engine that It is determined that the mobile object has stopped at the information acquisition area when it stays in the same place for 5 minutes or more. In addition, when it is determined that the mobile body has stopped at the information acquisition area, the user can refer to the “communication band”, “communication charge”, etc. of the information acquisition area DB 107 for the user in terms of the communication band or communication charge. The mobile phone I / F unit 112 or the wireless LAN I / F unit 113 having a merit is selected, and information is acquired using the selected I / F.
[0029]
The mobile phone I / F unit 112 is an interface for connecting a mobile phone to the data acquisition device 100, and is used for acquiring information via the mobile phone. On the other hand, the wireless LAN I / F unit 113 is a wireless CSMA / CD communication interface, and is used to directly access a website on the Internet and acquire information.
[0030]
Next, the operation of the data acquisition apparatus 100 configured as described above will be described.
First, the process until the place where information is acquired by the data acquisition apparatus 100 is determined will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Now, it is assumed that the data acquisition device 100 is mounted on a moving body such as a car and is moving.
[0031]
The position information acquisition unit 101 acquires the position information of the moving body using GPS or the like (S100). The node determination unit 102 refers to the map information DB 103 to determine whether or not the mobile object is located at the node from the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 101 (S101). For example, it is determined whether or not the moving body is located within a certain distance from any node registered in the map information DB 103.
[0032]
As a result, when it is determined that the moving body is not located at the node (No in S101), the position information acquisition unit 101 again acquires position information (S100) and the node determination unit 102 determines the position of the moving body ( S101) is repeated. On the other hand, when it is determined that the mobile body is located at the node (Yes in S101), the node determination unit 102 stores the node number and date / time in the position history DB 104 (S102).
[0033]
Subsequently, the prediction unit 105 predicts the destination and route of the moving body by collating the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 101 with the position history DB 104. Here, if the prediction is not fixed (No in S103), the same processing is repeated until the prediction is fixed (S100 to S103). For example, by comparing the route from the starting point of the moving object specified by the position information obtained by the position information acquisition unit 101 with the route for each traveling stored in the position history DB 104, It is assumed that the prediction is confirmed when all past travels including the route are specified and the type of such past travels is narrowed down to one as the moving body moves. Note that the prediction is confirmed may be a case where the travel probability of the route, the probability of moving to the destination, or the like exceeds a certain threshold (for example, a probability of 70% or more).
[0034]
When the prediction is confirmed (Yes in S103), the information acquisition area candidate selection unit 106 refers to the information acquisition area DB 107 to identify all the information acquisition areas on the predicted route notified from the prediction unit 105. Then, a candidate information acquisition area is selected from them, and notified to the information presentation unit 108 and the information acquisition area determination unit 109 (S104). For example, “Food discount (line 2 store), fishing kite pier” is predicted as the destination, and “A intersection → Prefectural road 43 → B intersection → National road 2 → C intersection → Wangan line” is predicted as the route. In this case, as a candidate for a store (information acquisition area) where a wireless LAN access point exists on the route, the gas station “Gekkou GS” and the convenience store “convenience store Max” registered in the information acquisition area DB 107 are used. elect.
[0035]
Then, the information presentation unit 108 displays the selected information acquisition area candidates on the LCD or the like (S105). FIG. 7 is a screen display example of information acquisition area candidates. Here, on the display screen of the car navigation device, there are two information acquisition area candidates “Gekkou GS” and “Convenience Store Max” and a message that prompts the user to select “the store on the right is on the route. Is displayed?
[0036]
In response to this display, when the user's selection instruction is acquired by the input unit 110 (Yes in S106), the information acquisition area determination unit 109 finally selects the information acquisition area candidate corresponding to the selection instruction. Is determined as a new information acquisition area (S107).
[0037]
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a detailed procedure of S104 (information acquisition area candidate selection) in FIG. Note that the user presets a reference (priority mode) for selecting a candidate for an information acquisition area for the data acquisition device 100 in advance. That is, a mode parameter for specifying one of “prioritize communication band” / “prioritize communication charge” / “considering both communication band and charge” is stored in the data acquisition apparatus 100 in advance. .
[0038]
First, the information acquisition area candidate selection unit 106 determines which of the three priority modes is selected by referring to the mode parameter (S104a).
[0039]
As a result, when “prioritize communication band” is selected (“communication band priority” in S104a), the information acquisition area candidate selection unit 106 selects all the predicted paths notified from the prediction unit 105. From the information acquisition areas, the information acquisition area having the maximum “communication bandwidth” in the information acquisition area DB 107 (or a fixed number from the communication bandwidth having a larger communication bandwidth) is selected, and the information presentation area 108 and the information acquisition area determination section 109 are selected. Notification is made (S104b). For example, all information acquisition areas in which “communication bandwidth” is registered as 12 Mbps (maximum value) are selected.
[0040]
On the other hand, when “prioritize communication charge” is selected (“communication charge priority” in S104a), the information acquisition area candidate selection unit 106 receives all information on the predicted route notified from the prediction unit 105. From the acquisition areas, the information acquisition area having the minimum “communication fee” in the information acquisition area DB 107 (or a fixed number from the low communication fee) is selected and notified to the information presentation unit 108 and the information acquisition area determination unit 109. (S104c). For example, an information acquisition area in which “communication charge” is registered as 5 yen / minute (minimum value) and an information acquisition area in which 6 yen / minute (the next lowest communication charge) is registered are selected.
[0041]
Further, when “considering both communication bandwidth and fee” is selected (“considering both” in S104a), the information acquisition area candidate selecting unit 106 is on the predicted route notified from the predicting unit 105. From all the information acquisition areas, select the information acquisition area with the maximum ratio of “communication bandwidth” and “communication charge” in the information acquisition area DB 107 (or a fixed number from the largest value), and present the information Notification to the unit 108 and the information acquisition area determination unit 109 (S104d). For example, all information acquisition areas in which the ratio of “communication bandwidth” to “communication fee” is 1.2 (“communication bandwidth” is 12 (Mbps) and “communication fee” is 10 yen / minute, etc.) are selected. . In this way, according to the data acquisition device 100, information acquisition area candidates are selected and displayed to the user based on the criteria selected by the user. The desired one can be selected from the displayed candidates without doing so.
[0042]
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure related to determination of the type of I / F (mobile phone I / F unit 112 or wireless LAN I / F unit 113) used when downloading information. That is, here, the operation procedure of the information acquisition unit 111 following the final step (S107) of the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is shown.
[0043]
The information acquisition unit 111 determines whether or not the mobile object has stopped in the information acquisition area (here, the store) notified from the information acquisition area determination unit 109 (S110). For example, based on the position information from the position information acquisition unit 101, the information acquisition area DB 107, information from the sensor that detects engine stop, and the like, it is determined whether or not the mobile body has stopped at a distance within a certain range of the store. to decide.
[0044]
As a result, when it is determined that the mobile object has stopped at the store (Yes in S110), the information acquisition unit 111 transmits a communication I / F that is advantageous to the user to the mobile phone I / F unit 112 and the wireless LAN I / F. The information is selected from the unit 113 (S111), and the destination information and the like are downloaded using the selected communication I / F (S112). For selection of the communication I / F, either the cellular phone I / F unit 112 or the wireless LAN I / F unit 113 is selected according to the mode parameter. For example, when the mode parameter is set to “prioritize communication charge” and the “communication charge” (wireless LAN communication charge) of the store registered in the information acquisition area DB 107 is 10 yen / minute, the mobile phone The cell phone I / F unit 112 is selected because it is cheaper (for example, 10 yen / 3 minutes).
[0045]
On the other hand, when it is determined that the mobile object has not stopped at the store (No in S110), the information acquisition unit 111 abandons the download by the wireless LAN I / F unit 113, and then the mobile phone I / F unit 112. It is determined whether or not to download according to (S113). For example, the mobile phone I / F unit 112 determines whether to download by interacting with the user via the screen / button of the mobile phone. As a result, when a user instruction is given to download, information is downloaded by the mobile phone I / F unit 112 (S112).
[0046]
In this way, according to the data acquisition apparatus 100, the user desires the communication band, the communication fee, etc., not only when selecting a candidate for a store to stop by but also when determining the type of communication interface. Automatic selection based on criteria is performed. Further, even when the user does not stop at the information acquisition area that is selected by the schedule, the mobile phone I / F unit 112 downloads the information after confirmation by the user.
[0047]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the location where the information related to the destination of the mobile object can be downloaded and the type of the communication interface are determined according to the communication band, the communication fee, etc. Information regarding the destination and the like can be acquired by a desired method and place, and a comfortable drive can be enjoyed.
[0048]
In the information acquisition area DB 107, an access point for wireless LAN has been registered in advance, but this registration content is not fixed, but via the mobile phone I / F unit 112 or the wireless LAN I / F unit 113. It may be updated by downloading from a website or the like. In other words, the information acquisition area DB 107 may be included as a download target by the data acquisition device 100.
[0049]
At this time, a pay registration system may be used for the information acquisition area to be downloaded. For example, a convenience store or a gas station that wants to display a store name pays a registration fee in advance and registers an advertisement for the store name on a predetermined website. Then, only stores registered in the pay website can be selected as download candidates by the data acquisition apparatus 100. As a result, a business model of an advertisement / advertisement service in the information acquisition area for the data acquisition apparatus 100 is established.
[0050]
In addition, although it is expensive for a store to install an access point, the store name can be displayed on the mobile terminal and the user can be guided, which can lead to an increase in the ability to attract customers. There is a merit.
[0051]
Further, it is needless to say that the present invention can include access points that do not incur communication charges as candidates to be selected. In that case, regarding the display of a plurality of access point candidates, (1) select and display an arbitrary store from the access points on the route.
(2) Display (a certain number) in order from the store closest to the current location.
(3) Displays stores of genres that the user has frequently visited in the past, for example, there are access points at “convenience stores” and “family restaurants”, but when users often go to convenience stores, the convenience stores are preferentially displayed. It may be displayed in a manner such as.
[0052]
(Embodiment 2)
Next, a data acquisition apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described.
[0053]
FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the data acquisition apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Similar to the data acquisition device 100 of the first embodiment, the data acquisition device 200 is provided in a car navigation device or the like mounted on a moving body such as a car, and is related to the destination (destination) and route of the moving body. This is a device that acquires (downloads) information at a midpoint on the route, but differs from the first embodiment in that an optimal information acquisition position is determined according to the prediction probability and communication status of the destination. The information acquisition unit 101, the node determination unit 102, the map information DB 103, the position history DB 104, the prediction unit 201, the information acquisition area determination unit 202, the information acquisition area DB 203, the information acquisition unit 204, and the mobile phone I / F unit 112 are configured. . This data acquisition device 200 acquires information using only the mobile phone I / F unit 112, that is, without moving to a fixed connection point such as an access point for a wireless LAN and moving in various radio wave conditions. It is different from Embodiment 1 also in the point which acquires information below.
[0054]
Of the elements constituting the data acquisition device 200, the part excluding the information acquisition unit 111 and the mobile phone I / F unit 112 is a component for determining (determining) the position from which data is acquired. An acquisition position determination device is configured. Hereinafter, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.
[0055]
The prediction unit 201 collates the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 101 with the position history DB 104, so that each time a new node indicating the current position of the moving object is recorded in the position history DB 104, the movement The body path (predicted path including the destination) and the probability (predicted probability) for each path are predicted. For example, a route (a sequence of nodes) from the starting point of the moving body specified by the location information obtained by the location information acquisition unit 101 and a route for each run (a sequence of nodes) stored in the location history DB 104 are displayed. By comparing, all past travels (including the route of the moving body) that coincide with the route so far of the moving body are extracted, and these are set as predicted routes. Then, for each extracted predicted route, the probability (predicted probability) for each predicted route is calculated by proportionally allocating based on the number of times accumulated in the past (number of times recorded as the same travel).
[0056]
The information acquisition area DB 203 is a database that collects information related to the information acquisition area. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the information acquisition area DB 203 is obtained by dividing the whole country into fixed areas based on the location of the base station of the mobile phone network. This is a database that collects identification names ("information acquisition area name"), "area position information (center position)", and "radio wave intensity" for all information acquisition areas, with areas and wireless zones as information acquisition areas. . Here, the “radio wave intensity” is a reception level when communication is performed by a mobile phone in the information acquisition area, and is classified into “strong”, “medium”, and “out of service area” from a strong state. “Out of service area” includes the case of “out of service area or weak radio wave”.
[0057]
The information acquisition area determination unit 202 obtains information on the route and destination of the moving object based on information such as the predicted route and the prediction probability specified by the prediction unit 201 and the radio wave intensity registered in the information acquisition area DB 203. An information acquisition area suitable for acquisition is determined. Specifically, when the moving body is located in a certain information acquisition area, it is determined that it is preferable to acquire information in the following information acquisition area. That is, (1) when the prediction probability calculated by the prediction unit 201 exceeds a certain threshold, the current information acquisition area of the mobile object acquires information on the destination of the predicted route, etc. It is determined that the location is suitable, and (2) even if the prediction probability does not exceed a certain threshold, information is acquired as a result of considering the radio field intensity in the future route of the mobile object. The information acquisition area that is considered desirable is also determined to be a suitable place for acquiring information on the destination of the predicted route.
[0058]
The information acquisition unit 204 determines whether or not the current position of the mobile object corresponds to the information acquisition area determined by the information acquisition area determination unit 202, and if so, via the mobile phone I / F unit 112. Then, the data (tourist information, weather information, traffic information, etc.) regarding the destination and route of the predicted route notified from the information acquisition area determination unit 202 is acquired. For example, a website related to a destination is accessed via the Internet, and the information is downloaded and displayed on an LCD or the like.
[0059]
Next, the operation of the data acquisition apparatus 200 configured as described above will be described.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which the data acquisition device 200 determines where to acquire information. Now, it is assumed that the data acquisition device 200 is mounted on a moving body such as a car and is moving. At this time, the acquisition of the position information of the moving body by the position information acquisition unit 101, the determination of the node position by the node determination unit 102, and the registration in the position history DB 104 by the node determination unit 102 are the same as in the first embodiment. Yes, not shown in this figure.
[0060]
First, based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 101 and the position history DB 104, the prediction unit 201 sets a combination of a prediction path and a prediction probability of the mobile body each time the mobile body moves to a new node. Are specified (S200).
[0061]
Now, for example, assume that the predicted route and the predicted probability as shown in FIG. 14 are specified in the information acquisition area group shown in FIG. That is, when the moving body is located in the information acquisition area A shown in FIG. 13, there are three patterns, that is, (1) the prediction route is A → B → F, the prediction probability is 0.7, and (2) prediction. Assume that three patterns with a path of A → B → C → D, a prediction probability of 0.15, (1) a prediction path of A → B → G → H, and a prediction probability of 0.15 are predicted. Here, the predicted route as a series of nodes predicted by the prediction unit 201 is illustrated as a series of information acquisition areas to which the node belongs.
[0062]
The information acquisition area determination unit 202 that has received the notification of the predicted route and the predicted probability determines whether or not any of the predicted routes has a predicted probability that exceeds a certain threshold (for example, 0.6). Judgment (S201), for the predicted route that has exceeded (Yes in S201), the information acquisition area where the mobile body is currently located is determined as a suitable place to acquire information on the destination of the predicted route, The information acquisition area 204 is notified to the information acquisition unit 204. As a result, the information acquisition unit 204 downloads information regarding the destination of the predicted route and the like via the mobile phone I / F unit 112 in the current information acquisition area (S205). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, the prediction probability of the predicted route A → B → F is 0.7 and exceeds the threshold value (0.6). Sightseeing information related to the destination F, road information related to the halfway point B, and the like are downloaded.
[0063]
On the other hand, for a predicted route whose predicted probability does not exceed a certain threshold (No in S201), the information acquisition area determination unit 202 formulates a virtual route (S202). In other words, the position of the moving body where the prediction probability is expected to exceed the threshold value is specified for each prediction path. Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, for the predicted route A → B → C → D of the pattern N0.2, when the moving object comes to the information acquisition area C, Predicting that the prediction probability will exceed the threshold, and for the predicted route A → B → G → H of the pattern N0.3, when the mobile body enters the information acquisition area G, the predicted probability of this predicted route Is expected to exceed the threshold. In this example, as shown in FIG. 13, in the past position history DB 104, the transition destination from the information acquisition area C is only the information acquisition area D, and the transition destination from the information acquisition area G is only the information acquisition area H. Because it is.
[0064]
Subsequently, the information acquisition area determination unit 202 acquires information in the information acquisition area by referring to the “radio wave intensity” in the information acquisition area DB 203 for the information acquisition area whose prediction probability exceeds the threshold. It is determined whether or not it can be performed (S203). For example, in the example shown in FIGS. For the information acquisition area C belonging to No. 2, the radio wave intensity is “out of range”, so it is determined that it is difficult to acquire information in the information acquisition area (No in S203). The information acquisition area B whose intensity is “medium” or higher is determined as a more appropriate information acquisition area, and the information acquisition unit 204 is notified of this. As a result, when the mobile body is located in the information acquisition area B, the information acquisition unit 204 that has received the notification downloads information related to the destination of the predicted route and the like via the mobile phone I / F unit 112 (S205). .
[0065]
On the other hand, the pattern No. For the information acquisition area G belonging to No. 3, since the radio wave intensity is “medium”, it is determined that information can be acquired in the information acquisition area G (Yes in S203). It is determined that the information should be acquired after reaching the acquisition area G and the prediction probability exceeds the threshold, and the information acquisition is suspended at the present time (when the moving object is in the information acquisition area A). (S204). That is, the pattern No. With respect to the predicted route 3, at that time, it waits without determining a suitable place for acquiring information.
[0066]
In this way, each time the moving object moves to a new node, the predicted path and the prediction probability of the moving object are specified, and if the prediction probability exceeds a certain threshold value, The current location is determined to be a location suitable for obtaining information on the predicted route and the destination, and the information is downloaded. As a result, information necessary for the user is automatically downloaded with a high probability, and the driver and the like are released from the troublesome operation required to acquire the information.
[0067]
Even if the prediction probability does not exceed a certain threshold, the information acquisition area where the prediction probability exceeds the threshold with the progress of the moving object is predicted, and information is acquired in the information acquisition area. It is judged from the radio wave condition of the information acquisition area whether or not it can be performed. And when it is judged that acquisition of information is difficult, acquisition of information is performed in the information acquisition area before this information acquisition area. This avoids the occurrence of a problem that necessary information acquisition is not performed because the radio wave condition is poor although the prediction probability exceeds the threshold value.
[0068]
Although the data acquisition device according to the present invention has been described based on the embodiments, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.
For example, in the first embodiment, the candidate for the information acquisition area is selected after one predicted route is specified. However, the candidate for the information acquisition area may be selected for a plurality of predicted routes. As a result, candidates for the information acquisition area are selected at a relatively early stage after the mobile body departs, and the options for the user are expanded.
[0069]
In the first embodiment, when there are a plurality of candidates for the selected information acquisition area, the display order is set according to the selected reference value (communication band, etc.), and the reference value together with the name of the information acquisition area is displayed. (Communication band etc.) may also be displayed.
[0070]
In the first embodiment, information acquisition area candidates are selected from the viewpoint of the communication band and communication charge of the access point for wireless LAN. However, as in the second embodiment, the communication band and communication charge by the mobile phone are selected. In addition, by considering the radio wave condition, the optimum information acquisition location may be searched from both the information acquisition area for wireless LAN and the information acquisition area for mobile phone.
[0071]
In the first and second embodiments, the data acquisition device is provided in the car navigation device. However, the present invention is not limited to such an implementation, and is provided in, for example, a portable information terminal provided with a GPS or the like. May be. Furthermore, the data acquisition device according to the present invention can be applied not only when it is mounted on a moving body such as a car, but also when it is carried by a person.
[0072]
Especially when there are restrictions on hardware specifications such as mobile phones, the terminal needs to have at least a location information acquisition unit, an information acquisition unit, and a communication I / F. Other configurations are on the network as necessary. You may make it exist in either. For example, the database such as the map information DB and the information acquisition area DB may be configured to be downloaded from other devices on the network as needed without being provided in the terminal. Of course, an in-vehicle terminal with poor specifications may have the same configuration.
[0073]
【The invention's effect】
As is clear from the above description, according to the data acquisition area determination device according to the present invention, the moving route and the destination of the moving object are predicted, and the area suitable for information acquisition is based on various communication circumstances for each area. Therefore, it is possible to acquire information that is advantageous to the user, and user-friendly information acquisition is realized.
[0074]
Moreover, information acquisition in the area is ensured, and prior information acquisition until reaching the destination is more reliable.
Furthermore, since not only the communication situation but also the probability of the predicted route is taken into account, the inconvenience that a region for useless information acquisition not related to the current destination is determined is avoided.
[0075]
In addition, even if the prediction probability does not exceed a certain value, it is possible to obtain information in advance in consideration of radio wave conditions.For example, although the prediction probability exceeds a certain value, the area is out of range Therefore, the occurrence of a problem that necessary information cannot be acquired until the destination is reached is avoided.
[0076]
In addition, by providing a user interface, the user can select a desired area from a plurality of candidates, so that it is possible to select an area that reflects not only the communication situation and the prediction probability, but also the user's preferences and the like. Become.
[0077]
Furthermore, when both communication interfaces of a wireless LAN that requires broadband and mobile parking and a mobile phone network that can acquire information while moving but are narrow are available, Fine-grained regional selection that takes into account the advantages and disadvantages.
[0078]
As described above, the data acquisition device according to the present invention provides the mobile terminal with appropriate information at an appropriate location, particularly for a car driver who is likely to be stressed due to lack of information on the destination. As an information providing apparatus, the practical value of the present invention is extremely high.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration of a data acquisition device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a node.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a data structure of a map information DB.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of a position history DB.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of an information acquisition area DB.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a process until a place where information is acquired is determined by the data acquisition apparatus;
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a display example of candidates for an information acquisition area.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a detailed procedure of S104 (selection of information acquisition area candidates) in FIG. 6;
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure related to determination of an I / F type (mobile phone I / F unit or wireless LAN I / F unit) used when downloading information;
FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a data acquisition apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of an information acquisition area DB.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which a location from which information is acquired is determined by a data acquisition device.
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of an information acquisition area.
14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a predicted route and a prediction probability in the information acquisition area illustrated in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
100 Data acquisition device
101 Location information acquisition unit
102 Node determination unit
103 Map information DB
104 Location history DB
105 Predictor
106 Information acquisition area candidate selection section
107 Information acquisition area DB
108 Information presentation section
109 Information acquisition area determination unit
110 Input section
111 Information acquisition unit
112 Mobile phone I / F part
113 Wireless LAN I / F section
200 Data acquisition device
201 Predictor
202 Information acquisition area determination unit
203 Information acquisition area DB
204 Information acquisition unit

Claims (16)

A data acquisition area determination device for determining an area suitable for acquiring information on a movement route or destination after the current location of a moving object,
Storage means for storing a history of position information indicating the position of the moving body;
Predicting means for predicting a moving route and a destination after the current location of the moving body based on the history,
Data comprising: a determining unit that determines a region suitable for acquiring information on the travel route or the destination based on communication circumstances for each region from the predicted regions on the travel route. Acquisition area determination device. The communication situation is a communication band,
2. The data acquisition region determination device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the region by giving priority to a region where the communication band is large. The communication situation is a communication fee,
2. The data acquisition region determination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the region by giving priority to a region where the communication fee is low. The communication situation is a communication band and a communication fee,
2. The data acquisition area determination device according to claim 1, wherein the determination means prioritizes an area having a large ratio between a communication band and a communication charge, and determines the area. The communication situation is radio wave intensity in wireless communication,
2. The data acquisition area determination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination means prioritizes an area where the radio field intensity is strong and determines the area. The predicting means further calculates a probability that the moving body is predicted to take the moving route for each moving route,
6. The data acquisition area determination device according to claim 5, wherein the determination means determines the area from areas where the radio field intensity is strong based on the probability. The predicting means further calculates a probability that the moving body is predicted to take the moving route for each moving route,
The determining means further determines whether or not the probability exceeds a certain value, and if it exceeds, determines that the current location of the mobile body is a region suitable for acquiring the information. The data acquisition area determination device according to claim 1. The communication situation is radio wave intensity in wireless communication,
The determining means further acquires the information from the area on the moving route after the current location based on the radio wave intensity and the probability even when the probability does not exceed a certain value. 8. The data acquisition area determining apparatus according to claim 7, wherein an area suitable for the data is determined. The determining means predicts an area on the moving route where the probability exceeds the threshold, and if the predicted area is an area where the radio wave intensity is weak, the movement excluding the predicted area 9. The data acquisition area determination device according to claim 8, wherein an area on the route and the area where the radio wave intensity is strong is determined to be an area suitable for acquiring the information. The data acquisition region determination device further includes an interaction unit that displays the region determined by the determination unit as a candidate and finally determines a region suitable for acquiring the information in accordance with a user's selection instruction for the display. The data acquisition area determination device according to claim 1, further comprising: The communication includes communication using a mobile phone network and communication using a wireless LAN.
2. The data acquisition area determining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining unit further selects one of communication using the mobile phone network and communication using the wireless LAN based on the communication situation. A data acquisition area determination method for determining an area suitable for acquiring information on a movement route or destination after the current location of a moving object,
An accumulation step for accumulating a history of position information indicating the position of the moving object;
Based on the history, a prediction step of predicting a moving route and a destination after the current location of the moving body,
A decision step of determining a region suitable for obtaining information on the movement route or the destination from the regions on the predicted movement route based on communication circumstances for each region. Acquisition area determination method. A program for determining an area suitable for acquiring information on a moving route or destination after the current location of a moving object,
A program for causing a computer to execute the steps included in the data acquisition area determination method according to claim 12. A data acquisition device that is provided in a mobile body and acquires information about a travel route or destination after the current location of the mobile body,
Storage means for storing a history of position information indicating the position of the moving body;
Predicting means for predicting a moving route and a destination after the current location of the moving body based on the history,
Among the regions on the predicted travel route, the mobile unit is selected as a determination unit that determines a region suitable for acquiring information on the travel route or the destination based on communication circumstances for each region. Determining means for determining whether or not is located;
A data acquisition apparatus comprising: a communication unit configured to acquire information on the moving route or the destination by wireless communication when it is determined that the moving body is located in the area. In a mobile object, a data acquisition method for acquiring information related to a travel route or destination after the current location of the mobile object,
An accumulation step for accumulating a history of position information indicating the position of the moving object;
Based on the history, a prediction step of predicting a moving route and a destination after the current location of the moving body,
Of the regions on the predicted travel route, a determination step for determining a region suitable for acquiring information related to the travel route or the destination based on the communication situation for each region and the mobile object in the determined region A determination step for determining whether or not is located;
And a communication step of acquiring information on the moving route or the destination by wireless communication when it is determined that the moving body is located in the area. In a moving object, a program for obtaining information on a moving route or destination after the current position of the moving object,
A program for causing a computer to execute the steps included in the data acquisition method according to claim 15.

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