JP2009222409A - Device, method, and program for outputting information, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To generate and output guidance information associated with an area in a predetermined range in map information, according to a user's familiarity with information on the area. <P>SOLUTION: Information concerning the current position of the user is obtained by a position acquisition part 102, and the current position is set as a set spot by a spot setting part 103. A predetermined range in a direction heading toward a predicted traveling direction obtained by a direction prediction part 105 from the set spot, is set as a set range by a range setting part 106. Moreover, from information on the user obtained by a user information acquisition part 107, the number of movements performed in the area within the set range by the user in the past or a total travel distance are extracted by a number-of-times extraction part 108 or a distance extraction part 109. Based on the familiarity of the user with information on the area in the set range determined by a determination part 111, the guidance information associated with the area in the set range is generated and output by an output part 113. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information output device, an information output method, an information output program, and a recording medium that output information on guide points in map information.

  Conventionally, when displaying map information corresponding to the current position of a vehicle, an information display device has been proposed that displays guidance information such as facility service information and cultural information according to search conditions selected in advance by a user. (For example, see Patent Document 1 below.)

JP 2001-174279 A

  However, in the technique of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, even if the user is familiar with information about the area, such as an area where the user has traveled many times in the past, the user is not familiar with the information about the area. The guidance information is displayed according to the search condition selected in advance as in the region where the user travels for the first time. For this reason, in the area where it travels many times, since the same guidance information is displayed every time it travels, the problem that it is troublesome is mentioned.

  In addition, it may be possible to lower the search conditions to be selected in advance according to the area that the user is familiar with, but in this case, even if the user is not familiar with the information about the area, such as the area where the user is driving for the first time. , Guidance information to be displayed is reduced. For this reason, there is a problem that guidance information desired by the user may not be displayed.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, an information output apparatus according to the invention of claim 1 is based on user information acquisition means for acquiring information about a user and information on the user based on the information on the user. Generated by the determination means for determining the familiarity of the information regarding the area of the predetermined range in the map information, the generation means for generating the guidance information associated with the area based on the familiarity, and the generation means Output means for outputting the guidance information.

  An information output method according to the invention of claim 17 relates to a user information acquisition step of acquiring information about a user, and an area of a predetermined range in the map information of the user based on the information about the user. A determination step of determining a familiarity level of information, a generation step of generating guidance information associated with the area based on the familiarity level, an output step of outputting the guidance information generated by the generation step; It is characterized by including.

  According to an eighteenth aspect of the present invention, an information output program causes a computer to execute the information output method according to the seventeenth aspect.

  According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording medium in which the information output program according to the eighteenth aspect is recorded in a computer-readable state.

  Exemplary embodiments of an information output apparatus, an information output method, an information output program, and a recording medium according to the present invention will be explained below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Embodiment)
(Functional configuration of information output device)
First, a functional configuration of the information output apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the information output apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  In FIG. 1, an information output device 100 includes a storage unit 101, a position acquisition unit 102, a spot setting unit 103, a route setting unit 104, a direction prediction unit 105, a range setting unit 106, and a user information acquisition unit. 107, a number extraction unit 108, a distance extraction unit 109, an attribute extraction unit 110, a determination unit 111, a generation unit 112, and an output unit 113.

  The storage unit 101 stores map information. The map information includes road network data composed of nodes and links, and image data drawn using features relating to facilities, roads, and other terrain (mountains, rivers, land). The map information may include character information, information such as facility names and addresses, road and facility images, and the like. Further, the storage unit 101 stores information related to a movement history that the user has moved in the past. The information regarding the movement history may include information regarding points visited by the user in the past and attributes of each point. Note that the storage unit 101 may be the same body as the information output apparatus 100 or may be a separate body. The storage unit 101 may be a server connected to the information output apparatus 100 via a network.

  The position acquisition unit 102 acquires information related to the current position of the user. Specifically, the information regarding the current position of the user is acquired by, for example, a GPS unit or an acceleration sensor provided in a vehicle on which the user is boarded.

  The point setting unit 103 sets an arbitrary point in the map information. For example, the point setting unit 103 may set an arbitrary point in the map information by receiving an operation input from the user, or may set the current position of the user as the setting point.

  The route setting unit 104 sets a guide route to the destination point. The route setting unit 104 sets a guide route to the destination point based on, for example, information on the current location of the user and location information on the destination point set by the user.

  The direction prediction unit 105 predicts the traveling direction in which the user proceeds. The direction predicting unit 105 predicts, for example, a direction from a point set by the point setting unit 103 (hereinafter referred to as a set point) toward a destination point set by the route setting unit 104 as a traveling direction. To do. In addition, the direction prediction unit 105 predicts the traveling direction based on the difference between the one set point and the set point set before the one set point. In this case, for example, the direction from the setting point set before one setting point toward the one setting point is predicted as the traveling direction.

  The range setting unit 106 sets an arbitrary range in the map information. For example, the range setting unit 106 sets a predetermined range from the set point as the set range. Specifically, the range setting unit 106 sets a predetermined range in the direction from the setting point toward the traveling direction as the setting range. The predetermined range is a range of a predetermined angle with respect to the traveling direction from the set point. Further, the predetermined range may be a range from a set point to a predetermined distance. These predetermined ranges are set, for example, by receiving an operation input from the user in advance.

  The user information acquisition unit 107 acquires information about the user. The information related to the user is information related to the movement history stored in the storage unit 101, for example. Moreover, the user information acquisition part 107 may acquire the information regarding the area where the user's home region and the user's home which were input by the user are included, for example.

  The number-of-times extraction unit 108 extracts the number of times the user has moved in the area in the past from the information regarding the movement history. Here, the area is, for example, an area from a set point to a predetermined range in the map information, and the area moves as the set point moves. Further, the distance extraction unit 109 extracts the total movement distance that the user has moved in the past in the area from the information regarding the movement history.

  The attribute extraction unit 110 extracts attributes of points visited by the user in the area in the past from information on the movement history. Specifically, the attribute is, for example, “temple / shrine”, “scenic spot”, “hot spring”, “souvenir shop”, “restaurant”, and the like. Moreover, the attribute extraction part 110 may extract an attribute from the information input by the user.

  The determination unit 111 determines a user's familiarity with information regarding an area within a predetermined range in the map information based on information regarding the user. Familiarity is the degree to which a user is familiar with information about the area. For example, the determination unit 111 determines the familiarity based on information related to the movement history. Specifically, the determination unit 111 determines the familiarity based on, for example, the number of movements and the total movement distance extracted from information related to the movement history. In this case, for example, when the number of movements or the total movement distance is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it is determined that the familiarity is high. The determination unit 111 may determine that the degree of familiarity is high, for example, when the area for determining the degree of familiarity is a user's home region or an area including the user's home.

  The generation unit 112 generates guide information associated with the area based on the familiarity. The generation unit 112 may select guidance information based on the familiarity from various guidance information associated with the map information stored in the storage unit 101, for example. The guidance information is information regarding each guidance point included in the map information. Specifically, the guidance information includes, for example, information on facilities such as public facilities and general facilities, information on scenic spots such as mountains and lakes, information on administrative divisions, road traffic information, and the like. Further, for example, the name, attribute, contact information, opening time, highlight, cultural information, history, etc. of each guide point may be included.

  Specifically, for example, when the familiarity level is higher than a predetermined value, the generation unit 112 increases the number of guide points for outputting the guide information from a predetermined amount. Further, when the familiarity level is higher than a predetermined value, the generation unit 112 may reduce the amount of guidance information at each guidance point that outputs guidance information from a predetermined amount. The generation unit 112 may generate guidance information based on the attributes extracted by the attribute extraction unit 110. In this case, for example, you may increase the guidance point of the same attribute as the point which the user visited in the past. Moreover, the production | generation part 112 does not need to produce | generate the guidance information regarding the point which the user visited in the past.

  The output unit 113 includes a display screen that displays map information and a speaker that outputs audio data included in the guidance information. And the guidance information produced | generated by the production | generation part 112 is output. The output unit 113 outputs the guide information generated by the generation unit 112 in association with the map information.

(Information output processing procedure of the information output device)
Next, an information output processing procedure of the information output apparatus 100 will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an information output processing procedure of the information output apparatus. In the flowchart of FIG. 2, first, the position acquisition unit 102 acquires information regarding the current position of the user (step S201). Next, the location setting unit 103 sets the current location acquired in step S201 as a set location (step S202). In step S202, an arbitrary point input by the user may be set as the set point. In this case, step S201 may be omitted.

  Next, the direction in which the user proceeds is predicted by the direction prediction unit 105 (step S203). In step S203, for example, the direction from the set point toward the destination point set by the route setting unit 104 is predicted as the traveling direction. Further, the traveling direction may be predicted based on one set point and a set point set before the one set point. Then, the range setting unit 106 sets a predetermined range in the direction from the set point toward the traveling direction as the set range (step S204). In step S204, a range of a predetermined angle with respect to the traveling direction from the set point is set as the set range. Further, a range from the set point to a predetermined distance is set as the set range. Further, the user information acquisition unit 107 acquires information about the user (step S205). In step S205, as information about the user, for example, information about the movement history stored in the storage unit 101 is acquired.

  Next, the number of times the user has moved in the past within the area of the setting range is extracted from the information about the user acquired in step S205 by the number extracting unit 108 (step S206). Further, the distance extraction unit 109 extracts the total movement distance that the user has moved in the past within the area of the setting range from the information about the user (step S207).

  Next, the determination unit 111 determines the degree of familiarity of the user regarding the area of the set range in the map information (step S208). In step S208, for example, the degree of familiarity is determined based on the number of movements extracted in step S206 or the total movement distance extracted in step S207. In step S208, the degree of familiarity may be determined from information related to the user input by the user (for example, information related to the user's home region). In this case, step S206 and step S207 may be omitted.

  Further, the attribute extraction unit 110 extracts the attribute of the place where the user has visited in the past in the area of the setting range from the information about the user acquired in step S205 (step S209). Next, the generation unit 112 generates guidance information associated with the set range area based on the familiarity determined in step S208 and the attributes extracted in step S209 (step S210). In step S210, guidance information may be generated based only on the degree of familiarity. In this case, step S209 may be omitted.

  The output unit 113 outputs the guidance information generated in step S210 (step S211). Further, it is determined whether or not the user is moving (step S212), and if it is determined that the user is not moving (step S212: No), the series of processing is ended as it is. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S212 that the user is moving (step S212: Yes), the process returns to step S201, and the subsequent processing is repeated.

  As described above, according to the information output device 100 of the present embodiment, the predetermined range in the map information of the user is determined by the determination unit 111 based on the information about the user acquired by the user information acquisition unit 107. Determining the degree of familiarity with information about the area. The generation unit 112 can generate guidance information associated with the area based on the degree of familiarity, and the output unit 113 can output the guidance information. Therefore, in the area of the predetermined range, the guidance information to be output can be changed depending on the familiarity of the user.

  This allows the user to focus on traveling, for example, by reducing guidance information that is output in familiar areas, and increasing guidance information that is output in areas that are not familiar, Desired guidance information can be obtained. In addition, for example, in a familiar area, the user can be more familiar with information about the area by displaying a guide point that has not been guided until now. By not displaying the points, it is possible to obtain information regarding important guide points without error.

  Further, according to the information output apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the determination unit 111 can determine the familiarity level based on the information related to the movement history that the user has moved in the past. Therefore, it can be determined that the user is familiar with the area where the user has traveled. As a result, when the user travels in the same area, the same guidance information is not output, so the user can concentrate on traveling without feeling troublesome.

  Further, according to the information output apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the determination unit 111 can determine the degree of familiarity based on the number of times of movement in the area in the past. Therefore, it can be determined that the more familiar the user is, the higher the familiarity of the area. Thus, since the same guidance information is not output every time the user travels in the same area, the user can concentrate on traveling without feeling troublesome guidance information.

  Further, according to the information output apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the determination unit 111 can determine the degree of familiarity based on the total movement distance moved in the area in the past. Therefore, it can be determined that the longer the user travels, the higher the familiarity of the area. Thus, since the same guidance information is not output every time the user travels in the same area, the user can concentrate on traveling without feeling troublesome guidance information.

  Moreover, according to the information output device 100 of the present embodiment, when the familiarity level is higher than a predetermined value, the generation unit 112 can increase the number of guide points for outputting the guide information from a predetermined amount. As a result, the user can know the facilities and tourist attractions that he / she has never known in an area where he / she travels many times.

  Moreover, according to the information output apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, when the familiarity level is higher than a predetermined value, the generation unit 112 can reduce the amount of guidance information at each guidance point that outputs guidance information from the predetermined amount. . As a result, the user can not output detailed information related to the already-known guidance point, so that the user can concentrate on traveling without feeling troublesome guidance information.

  Further, according to the information output apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the determination unit 111 determines the degree of familiarity with the information regarding the setting range area, and the generation unit 112 associates the information with the setting range area based on the degree of familiarity. Generated guidance information can be generated. Therefore, for example, it is possible to output only guidance information within a range set in advance by the user. As a result, the user can obtain guidance information for a desired area.

  Moreover, according to the information output apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the range setting unit 106 can set a predetermined range from the set point as the set range. Therefore, only by setting one point, a predetermined range from that point can be set as a range for generating guidance information. As a result, the user can set an arbitrary range in advance, and by selecting a single point, the user can output guidance information in the range corresponding to that point, so it is necessary to set the range every time. It is easy to operate.

  Further, according to the information output apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the spot setting unit 103 can set the current position of the user as the set spot. Thus, the user can easily obtain guidance information regarding an area in a desired range from his / her current position by setting an arbitrary range in advance.

  Moreover, according to the information output device 100 of the present embodiment, the range setting unit 106 can set a predetermined range in the direction from the set point toward the traveling direction as the set range. As a result, the user can prevent the display of guidance information for areas that have already passed or that do not plan to proceed. Therefore, desired guidance information can be easily found.

  Moreover, according to the information output device 100 of the present embodiment, the direction prediction unit 105 can predict the traveling direction based on the difference between the set point and the set point set before the set point. it can. Therefore, the direction in which the user has moved until the user arrives at the current position can be predicted as the traveling direction that proceeds from the current position. As a result, the user can prevent the display of guidance information for areas that have already passed or that do not plan to proceed. Therefore, desired guidance information can be easily found.

  Further, according to the information output apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the range setting unit 106 receives an operation input from the user, so that a range of a predetermined angle and a predetermined distance from the set point to the traveling direction can be obtained. A range can be set as a setting range. Therefore, for example, if an angle and distance input is received from the user in advance, a range of a predetermined angle and a predetermined distance according to the current position of the user can be set as the setting range. Thus, the user can easily find the desired guidance information because only the guidance information from the current position to the desired angle and the desired distance is displayed. Further, since the user does not display unnecessary guide information, the user can concentrate on traveling without feeling the guide information bothersome.

  Further, according to the information output device 100 of the present embodiment, the generation unit 112 can generate guidance information based on the attributes of points visited by the user in the past in the area. Therefore, it is possible to output a guide point that the user is interested in. Thereby, the user can obtain desired guidance information.

  Examples of the present invention will be described below. In the present embodiment, an example in which the information output device of the present invention is implemented by a navigation device mounted on a moving body such as a vehicle (including a four-wheeled vehicle and a two-wheeled vehicle) will be described.

(Hardware configuration of navigation device)
Next, a hardware configuration of the navigation device 300 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a hardware configuration of the navigation device according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 3, the navigation device 300 includes a CPU 301, a ROM 302, a RAM 303, a magnetic disk drive 304, a magnetic disk 305, an optical disk drive 306, an optical disk 307, an audio I / F (interface) 308, and a microphone 309. A speaker 310, an input device 311, a video I / F 312, a display 313, a communication I / F 314, a GPS unit 315, various sensors 316, and a camera 317. Each component 301 to 317 is connected by a bus 320.

  First, the CPU 301 governs overall control of the navigation device 300. The ROM 302 records programs such as a boot program, a data update program, a route setting program, a traveling direction prediction program, a familiarity determination program, and a guidance information generation program. The RAM 303 is used as a work area for the CPU 301. That is, the CPU 301 controls the entire navigation device 300 by executing various programs recorded in the ROM 302 while using the RAM 303 as a work area.

  The route setting program sets a guide route to the destination point. The route setting program sets a guide route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination point input by the user based on information indicating information on the current position of the vehicle calculated from information such as a GPS unit 315 described later. Let

  Although the details will be described later, the traveling direction prediction program predicts the traveling direction of the vehicle. The traveling direction prediction program predicts, for example, the direction toward the destination point of the route set by the route setting program as the traveling direction. Further, for example, the traveling direction is predicted based on the information on the current position of the vehicle and the position information of the vehicle before a predetermined time. Specifically, the direction from the position before a predetermined time toward the current position is predicted to be the traveling direction.

  Although the details will be described later, the familiarity determination program causes the user to determine the familiarity of the information related to the area based on the number of movements and the total movement distance of the area that the user has moved in the past.

  Although the details will be described later, the guidance information generation program generates guidance information associated with the area based on the familiarity determined by the familiarity determination program. Further, the guidance information generation program may generate guidance information based on the attributes of points visited by the user in the past in the area.

  The magnetic disk drive 304 controls the reading / writing of the data with respect to the magnetic disk 305 according to control of CPU301. The magnetic disk 305 records data written under the control of the magnetic disk drive 304. As the magnetic disk 305, for example, an HD (hard disk) or an FD (flexible disk) can be used.

  The optical disk drive 306 controls reading / writing of data with respect to the optical disk 307 according to the control of the CPU 301. The optical disk 307 is a detachable recording medium from which data is read according to the control of the optical disk drive 306. As the optical disc 307, a writable recording medium can be used. As a removable recording medium, in addition to the optical disk 307, an MO, a memory card, or the like may be used.

  Examples of information recorded on the magnetic disk 305 and the optical disk 307 include map information and function information. The map information includes background data that represents features (features) such as buildings, rivers, and the ground surface, and road shape data that represents the shape of the road, and is composed of multiple data files divided by district. ing.

  The road shape data further includes traffic condition data. The traffic condition data includes, for example, whether or not there is a signal or a pedestrian crossing, whether or not there is a highway doorway or junction, the length (distance) of each link, road width, direction of travel, road type (highway, Such as toll roads and general roads).

  The function information is three-dimensional data representing the shape of the facility on the map, character data representing the description of the facility, and other various data other than the map information. Map information and function information are recorded in blocks divided into districts or functions. Specifically, for example, the map information is recorded in such a state that each map can be divided into blocks so that each map represents a predetermined district on the map displayed on the display screen. Further, for example, the function information is recorded in a state where each function can be divided into a plurality of blocks so as to realize one function.

  The function information is data for realizing functions such as program data for realizing route search, calculation of required time, route guidance, etc. in addition to the above-described three-dimensional data and character data. Each of the map information and the function information is composed of a plurality of data files divided for each district or for each function.

  Another example of information recorded on the magnetic disk 305 and the optical disk 307 is a movement history. The movement history is a history of movement of the user in the past or a travel history of travel of the vehicle on which the user is boarded, and is associated with the map information. The travel history includes the number of times traveled along each route and the total travel distance. In addition, the travel history may include information on points visited by the user in the past (for example, points where the vehicle has stopped for a predetermined time or more).

  The audio I / F 308 is connected to a microphone 309 for audio input and a speaker 310 for audio output. The sound received by the microphone 309 is A / D converted in the sound I / F 308. For example, the microphone 309 may be installed near the sun visor of the vehicle, and the number thereof may be one or more. From the speaker 310, a sound obtained by D / A converting a predetermined sound signal in the sound I / F 308 is output. Note that the sound input from the microphone 309 can be recorded on the magnetic disk 305 or the optical disk 307 as sound data.

  Examples of the input device 311 include a remote controller having a plurality of keys for inputting characters, numerical values, various instructions, and the like, a keyboard, and a touch panel. The input device 311 may be realized by any one form of a remote control, a keyboard, and a touch panel, but can also be realized by a plurality of forms.

  The video I / F 312 is connected to the display 313. Specifically, the video I / F 312 is output from, for example, a graphic controller that controls the entire display 313, a buffer memory such as a VRAM (Video RAM) that temporarily records image information that can be displayed immediately, and a graphic controller. And a control IC for controlling the display 313 based on the image data to be processed.

  The display 313 displays icons, cursors, menus, windows, or various data such as characters and images. On the display 313, the above-described map information is drawn two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally. In the map information displayed on the display 313, a mark or the like representing the current position of the vehicle on which the navigation device 300 is mounted can be displayed in an overlapping manner. The current position of the vehicle is calculated by the CPU 301.

  The display 313 displays guide information generated by the guide information generation program. In addition, on the display 313, each guide point where the guide information is generated by the guide information generating program is displayed in association with the map information.

  As the display 313, for example, a CRT, a TFT liquid crystal display, a plasma display, or the like can be used. The display 313 is installed near the dashboard of the vehicle, for example. A plurality of displays 313 may be installed in the vehicle, for example, in the vicinity of the dashboard of the vehicle or in the vicinity of the rear seat of the vehicle.

  The communication I / F 314 is connected to a network via wireless and functions as an interface between the navigation device 300 and the CPU 301. The communication I / F 314 is further connected to a communication network such as the Internet via wireless, and also functions as an interface between the communication network and the CPU 301.

  Communication networks include LANs, WANs, public line networks and mobile phone networks. Specifically, the communication I / F 314 includes, for example, an FM tuner, a VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System) / beacon receiver, a radio navigation device, and other navigation devices, and traffic and traffic distributed from the VICS center. Get road traffic information such as regulations. VICS is a registered trademark. The communication I / F 314 is configured by an in-vehicle wireless device that performs two-way wireless communication with a wireless device installed on the roadside, for example, when using DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), and traffic information and map information Get various information. A specific example of DSRC is ETC (non-stop automatic fee payment system).

  The GPS unit 315 receives radio waves from GPS satellites and outputs information indicating the current position of the vehicle. The output information of the GPS unit 315 is used when the CPU 301 calculates the current position of the vehicle together with output values of various sensors 316 described later. The information indicating the current position is information for specifying one point on the map information such as latitude / longitude and altitude.

  The various sensors 316 output information for determining the position and behavior of the vehicle, such as a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an angular velocity sensor. The output values of the various sensors 316 are used for the calculation of the current position of the vehicle by the CPU 301 and the amount of change in speed and direction.

  The camera 317 captures images inside or outside the vehicle. The image may be either a still image or a moving image. For example, the behavior of the passenger inside the vehicle is photographed by the camera 317, and the photographed image is output to a recording medium such as the magnetic disk 305 or the optical disk 307 via the video I / F 312. To do. The camera 317 captures a situation outside the vehicle, and outputs the captured video to a recording medium such as the magnetic disk 305 or the optical disk 307 via the video I / F 312. Further, the camera 317 has an infrared camera function, and the surface temperature distributions of objects existing inside the vehicle can be relatively compared based on video information captured using the infrared camera function. The video output to the recording medium is overwritten and stored.

  A storage unit 101, a position acquisition unit 102, a spot setting unit 103, a route setting unit 104, a direction prediction unit 105, a range setting unit 106, a user information acquisition unit 107, and a frequency extraction unit included in the information output apparatus 100 illustrated in FIG. 108, the distance extraction unit 109, the attribute extraction unit 110, the determination unit 111, the generation unit 112, and the output unit 113 are programs recorded in the ROM 302, RAM 303, magnetic disk 305, optical disk 307, etc. in the navigation apparatus 300 shown in FIG. Using the data and data, the CPU 301 executes a predetermined program and controls each part in the navigation device 300 to realize the function.

  That is, the navigation apparatus 300 of the embodiment has the functions provided in the information output apparatus shown in FIG. 1 by executing the information output program recorded in the ROM 302 as a recording medium in the navigation apparatus 300, as shown in FIG. The information output processing procedure can be executed.

(Contents of navigation device processing)
Next, the contents of the processing of the navigation device will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the contents of processing of the navigation device. In the flowchart of FIG. 4, first, a target range is accepted (step S401). In step S401, the target range is an arbitrary range input by the user, for example. The target range is, for example, a range in which the user wants to generate and display guidance information according to an arbitrary point in the map information.

  Next, information about the current position of the vehicle is acquired (step S402). In step S402, information regarding the current position of the vehicle is calculated from information such as the GPS unit 315. Further, the traveling direction prediction program is executed to predict the traveling direction of the vehicle (step S403). Then, the target range accepted in step S401 in the direction from the current position of the vehicle acquired in step S402 toward the traveling direction predicted in step S403 is set as a search area (step S404). In step S404, the search area is an area for generating and displaying guide information in the map information.

  Next, a travel history is acquired (step S405). In step S405, a travel history is acquired from the magnetic disk 305 and the optical disk 307, for example. In step S405, the travel history may be acquired from a storage device (not shown) separate from the navigation device 300 or a server (not shown) connected via the communication I / F 314. Next, by executing the familiarity degree determination program, the familiarity degree of information related to the search area set in step S404 is determined based on the travel history acquired in step S405 (step S406).

  Next, by executing the guidance information generation program, guidance information is generated based on the familiarity determined in step S406 (step S407). And the guidance information produced | generated in step S408 is output (step S408). In step S408, guidance information is displayed on the display 313, for example. Further, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is traveling (step S409). If it is determined that the vehicle is traveling (step S409: Yes), the process returns to step S402 and the subsequent processing is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S409 that the vehicle is not running (step S409: No), the series of processing ends. In step S409, for example, when the vehicle is stopped for a predetermined time or more, it is determined that the vehicle is not running. Further, for example, when the vehicle arrives at the destination point on the route set by the route setting program, it may be determined that the vehicle is not traveling.

(Search area)
Next, the process of predicting the traveling direction in step S403 of FIG. 4 and the process of setting as a search area in step S404 will be described. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a search area. As shown in FIG. 5, the search area 510 is a range of a predetermined angle θa and a predetermined distance La from the current position 501 of the vehicle toward the predicted traveling direction D. Here, the predetermined angle θa and the predetermined distance La are values received from the user in step S401 in FIG. The predetermined angle θa is set such that, for example, half of the angle θa / 2 overlaps the traveling direction D.

  The traveling direction D is predicted based on, for example, the current position 501 of the vehicle and the position 502 of the vehicle a predetermined time ago. Specifically, the direction from the vehicle position 502 a predetermined time ago toward the current vehicle position 501 is predicted to be the traveling direction D.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the search area. In FIG. 6, it is assumed that the guidance route 603 to the destination point 602 is set by the route setting forward route gram. As shown in FIG. 6, the search area 610 is a range of a predetermined angle θb and a predetermined distance Lb toward the traveling direction, with the direction from the current position 601 of the vehicle toward the destination point 602 as the traveling direction.

  In FIG. 6, the direction from the current position 601 of the vehicle toward the destination point 602 is the traveling direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the direction of the route on which the vehicle is currently traveling may be set as the traveling direction. The search area 610 may be, for example, a range of angles in which the predetermined angle θb is not set and the entire guidance route 603 from the current position 601 to the destination point 602 is included as the search area 610.

  In FIG. 5 or FIG. 6, the case where both the predetermined angle and the predetermined distance are set in the search area is shown, but only one of them may be set, for example, neither is set. The entire range of the map information displayed on the display may be used as the search area.

(About processing to determine familiarity)
Next, an example of processing for determining the familiarity in step S406 in FIG. 4 will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for determining the degree of familiarity. In FIG. 7, first, the number of travels in the search area is extracted from the travel history acquired in step S405 of FIG. 4 (step S701). And it is judged whether the driving | running | working frequency extracted in step S701 is more than predetermined value (step S702). If it is determined in step S702 that the number of times of travel is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (step S702: Yes), it is determined that the degree of familiarity is high (step S703), and the series of processing ends.

  On the other hand, if it is not determined in step S702 that the number of times of travel is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (step S702: No), it is determined that the degree of familiarity is low (step S704), and the series of processing ends.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing another example of the process for determining the degree of familiarity. In FIG. 8, first, the total travel distance in the search area is extracted from the travel history acquired in step S405 of FIG. 4 (step S801). Then, it is determined whether or not the total travel distance extracted in step S801 is a predetermined value or more (step S802). In step S802, when it is determined that the total travel distance is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (step S802: Yes), it is determined that the degree of familiarity is high (step S803), and the series of processing ends.

  On the other hand, if it is not determined in step S802 that the total travel distance is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (step S802: No), it is determined that the degree of familiarity is low (step S804), and the series of processing ends.

  In FIG. 7 or FIG. 8, the degree of familiarity is two levels of “high” or “low”, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the degree of familiarity may be further divided in stages to obtain three levels of “high”, “medium”, and “low”, or may be divided into higher levels.

(About processing to generate guidance information)
Next, processing for generating guidance information in step S407 of FIG. 4 will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing processing for generating guidance information. As shown in FIG. 9, first, information relating to points visited by the user in the past (hereinafter referred to as “visit points”) is extracted from the travel history acquired in step S405 of FIG. 4 (step S901). In step S901, the number of times the user has visited the visit point in the past may be extracted.

  Next, the attribute of the visited point extracted in step S901 is extracted (step S902). The attribute is information associated with an arbitrary point in the map information. Specifically, for example, “temple / shrine”, “scenic spot”, “hot spring”, “souvenir shop”, “restaurant” Etc. If the degree of familiarity determined in step S406 of FIG. 4 is high (step S903: Yes), the number of guidance points is increased and the guidance information regarding each guidance point is reduced based on the attributes extracted in step S902. (Step S904), guidance information is generated (Step S905), and a series of processing ends.

  On the other hand, if the degree of familiarity is low in step S903 (step S903: No), the number of guidance points is reduced and the guidance information regarding each guidance point is increased based on the attributes extracted in step S902 (step S906). Proceeding to step S905, guidance information is generated, and a series of processing ends.

  In the flowchart of FIG. 9, in step S904 or step S906, the visit point extracted in step S901 may not be included in the guide point. In step S904 or step S906, the attribute extracted in step S902 is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, all guide points included in the search area may be targeted regardless of the attribute.

  FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing guide points in the search area. As shown in FIG. 10, for example, information on each guide point in the map information includes an attribute, a name, the number of visits the user has visited each guide point, and the guide level of each guide point. Yes. Here, the guidance level is, for example, the importance level or the name recognition level of each guidance point. As shown in FIG. 10, for example, a guidance point with a guidance level of A is a well-known point and is always displayed. For example, a guidance point with a guidance level of B is low-profile and only when the user desires. This is the point to be displayed.

  In the present embodiment, for example, all guide points in the map information search area are A temple 1001, B Taisha 1002, C Jingu 1003, and D temple 1004 with attributes "Temple / Shrine" and attributes "Hot spring". The D hot spring 1005, the E hot spring 1006, the F restaurant 1007, the G restaurant 1008, and the H soba 1009 whose attributes are “meal restaurant”. In addition, it is assumed that the user has visited the A temple 1001 three times and the G restaurant 1008 once in the past.

(Guidance point display example)
Next, a display example of guidance information in step S408 in FIG. 4 will be described. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of guidance points when the degree of familiarity is low. In FIG. 11, when the degree of familiarity is low, only the points with the guidance level A among the guidance points shown in FIG. 10 are displayed. Further, in FIG. 11, only the guide points included in the attributes of the visit points visited by the user in the past are displayed, and the visit points are not displayed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, the display 313 includes, in FIG. 10, “A temple 1001” and “G restaurant 1008” which are included in “temple / shrine” and “restaurant” which are attributes of the visited points, and are the visited points. A guide point with a guide level A other than is displayed. That is, when the degree of familiarity is low, B company 1002 and F shop 1007 are displayed on the display 313.

  FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of guidance points when the degree of familiarity is high. In FIG. 12, when the degree of familiarity is high, the points with the guidance levels A and B among the guidance points shown in FIG. 10 are displayed. In FIG. 12, only the guide points included in the attributes of the visited points are displayed and the visited points are not displayed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, the display 313 includes the A temple 1001 and the G restaurant 1008 that are included in the “temple / shrine” and “restaurant” that are the attributes of the visited points in FIG. Guide points with guide levels A and B other than are displayed. That is, when the degree of familiarity is high, the display 313 displays the C shrine 1003, the D temple 1004, and the H soba 1009 in addition to the B main company 1002 and the F shop 1007.

(Display example of guidance information on guidance points)
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a display example of guidance information regarding guidance points when the degree of familiarity is low. As shown in FIG. 13, when the degree of familiarity is low, information on each guide point is increased. For example, in addition to the name, address, and telephone number in the information related to the B company 1002 shown in FIG. 10, a comment about the guide point, highlights in the guide point, and the like are displayed.

  FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a display example of guidance information regarding guidance points when the degree of familiarity is high. As shown in FIG. 14, when the degree of familiarity is high, information regarding each guide point is reduced. For example, only the name, address, and telephone number are displayed in the information related to B company 1002 shown in FIG.

  As described above, according to the navigation device 300 of the present embodiment, based on the information about the user acquired by the user information acquisition unit 107, the area of the predetermined range in the map information of the user by the determination unit 111. Determine the degree of familiarity with the information. The generation unit 112 can generate guidance information associated with the area based on the degree of familiarity, and the output unit 113 can output the guidance information. Therefore, in the area of the predetermined range, the guidance information to be output can be changed depending on the familiarity of the user.

  This allows the user to focus on traveling, for example, by reducing guidance information that is output in familiar areas, and increasing guidance information that is output in areas that are not familiar, Desired guidance information can be obtained. In addition, for example, in a familiar area, the user can be more familiar with information about the area by displaying a guide point that has not been guided until now. By not displaying the points, it is possible to obtain information regarding important guide points without error.

  Moreover, according to the navigation apparatus 300 of a present Example, the judgment part 111 can judge a familiarity based on the information regarding the movement history which the user moved in the past. Therefore, it can be determined that the user is familiar with the area where the user has traveled. As a result, when the user travels in the same area, the same guidance information is not output, so the user can concentrate on traveling without feeling troublesome.

  Moreover, according to the navigation apparatus 300 of a present Example, the judgment part 111 can judge a familiarity based on the frequency | count of the movement which moved within the area in the past. Therefore, it can be determined that the more familiar the user is, the higher the familiarity of the area. Thus, since the same guidance information is not output every time the user travels in the same area, the user can concentrate on traveling without feeling troublesome guidance information.

  Further, according to the navigation device 300 of the present embodiment, the degree of familiarity can be determined by the determination unit 111 based on the total movement distance moved in the area in the past. Therefore, it can be determined that the longer the user travels, the higher the familiarity of the area. Thus, since the same guidance information is not output every time the user travels in the same area, the user can concentrate on traveling without feeling troublesome guidance information.

  Moreover, according to the navigation apparatus 300 of a present Example, when the familiarity degree is higher than predetermined value, the production | generation part 112 can increase the guidance point which outputs guidance information from predetermined amount. As a result, the user can know the facilities and tourist attractions that he / she has never known in an area where he / she travels many times.

  Further, according to the navigation device 300 of the present embodiment, when the familiarity level is higher than a predetermined value, the generation unit 112 can reduce the amount of guidance information at each guidance point that outputs guidance information from the predetermined amount. As a result, the user can not output detailed information related to the already-known guidance point, so that the user can concentrate on traveling without feeling troublesome guidance information.

  Further, according to the navigation device 300 of the present embodiment, the determination unit 111 determines the degree of familiarity with the information regarding the setting range area, and the generation unit 112 associates the information with the setting range area based on the degree of familiarity. Guide information can be generated. Therefore, for example, it is possible to output only guidance information within a range set in advance by the user. As a result, the user can obtain guidance information for a desired area.

  Further, according to the navigation device 300 of the present embodiment, the range setting unit 106 can set a predetermined range from the set point as the set range. Therefore, only by setting one point, a predetermined range from that point can be set as a range for generating guidance information. As a result, the user can set an arbitrary range in advance, and by selecting a single point, the user can output guidance information in the range corresponding to that point, so it is necessary to set the range every time. It is easy to operate.

  Further, according to the navigation device 300 of the present embodiment, the location setting unit 103 can set the current position of the user as the set location. Thus, the user can easily obtain guidance information regarding an area in a desired range from his / her current position by setting an arbitrary range in advance.

  Further, according to the navigation device 300 of the present embodiment, the range setting unit 106 can set a predetermined range in the direction from the set point to the traveling direction as the set range. As a result, the user can prevent the display of guidance information for areas that have already passed or that do not plan to proceed. Therefore, desired guidance information can be easily found.

  Further, according to the navigation device 300 of the present embodiment, the direction prediction unit 105 can predict the traveling direction based on the difference between the set point and the set point set before the set point. Therefore, the direction in which the user has moved until the user arrives at the current position can be predicted as the traveling direction that proceeds from the current position. As a result, the user can prevent the display of guidance information for areas that have already passed or that do not plan to proceed. Therefore, desired guidance information can be easily found.

  In addition, according to the navigation device 300 of the present embodiment, the range setting unit 106 receives an input of an operation from the user, so that a range of a predetermined angle and a predetermined distance from the set point to the traveling direction can be obtained. It can be set as a setting range. Therefore, for example, if an angle and distance input is received from the user in advance, a range of a predetermined angle and a predetermined distance according to the current position of the user can be set as the setting range. Thus, the user can easily find the desired guidance information because only the guidance information from the current position to the desired angle and the desired distance is displayed. Further, since the user does not display unnecessary guide information, the user can concentrate on traveling without feeling the guide information bothersome.

  Moreover, according to the navigation apparatus 300 of a present Example, the production | generation part 112 can produce | generate guidance information based on the attribute of the point which the user visited in the past in an area. Therefore, it is possible to output a guide point that the user is interested in. Thereby, the user can obtain desired guidance information.

  The information output method described in the present embodiment can be realized by executing a program prepared in advance on a computer such as a personal computer, a workstation, or a mobile terminal device (mobile phone). This program is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a hard disk, a flexible disk, a CD-ROM, an MO, and a DVD, and is executed by being read from the recording medium by the computer. The program may be a transmission medium that can be distributed via a network such as the Internet.

It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the information output device concerning this Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the information output processing procedure of an information output device. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of the navigation apparatus concerning a present Example. It is a flowchart which shows the content of the process of a navigation apparatus. It is explanatory drawing shown about an example of a search area. It is explanatory drawing shown about another example of a search area. It is a flowchart shown about an example of the process which judges a familiarity degree. It is a flowchart shown about another example of the process which judges a familiarity degree. It is a flowchart shown about the process which produces | generates guidance information. It is explanatory drawing shown about the guidance point in a search area. It is explanatory drawing shown about the example of a display of a guidance point when a familiarity degree is low. It is explanatory drawing shown about the example of a display of a guidance point when a degree of familiarity is high. It is explanatory drawing shown about the example of a display of the guidance information regarding a guidance point when a degree of familiarity is low. It is explanatory drawing shown about the example of a display of the guidance information regarding a guidance point in case a degree of familiarity is high.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Information output device 101 Memory | storage part 102 Position acquisition part 103 Point setting part 104 Path | route setting part 105 Direction prediction part 106 Range setting part 107 User information acquisition part 108 Count extraction part 109 Distance extraction part 110 Attribute extraction part 111 Judgment part 112 Generation | occurrence | production Part 113 Output part

Claims (19)

User information acquisition means for acquiring information about users;
A determination means for determining a degree of familiarity of information regarding an area of a predetermined range in the map information based on the information regarding the user;
Generating means for generating guidance information associated with the area based on the familiarity;
Output means for outputting the guidance information generated by the generation means;
An information output device comprising: The user information acquisition means acquires information about a movement history that the user has moved in the past,
The information output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the familiarity based on information related to the movement history. From the information relating to the movement history, further comprising a number extracting means for extracting the number of times the user has moved in the area in the past,
The information output apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit determines the familiarity based on the number of movements. Further comprising distance extraction means for extracting the total movement distance that the user has moved in the past in the area from the information relating to the movement history;
The information output apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit determines the familiarity based on the total moving distance.   5. The information output device according to claim 1, wherein when the degree of familiarity is higher than a predetermined value, the generation unit increases a guide point for outputting the guide information from a predetermined amount.   The said generating means reduces the amount of guide information at each guide point that outputs the guide information from a predetermined amount when the familiarity level is higher than a predetermined value. The information output device described. A range setting means for setting an arbitrary range in the map information;
The determining means determines the familiarity of information related to an area of the range set by the range setting means (hereinafter referred to as a setting range) of the user;
The information output device according to claim 1, wherein the generation unit generates guide information associated with the area of the setting range based on the degree of familiarity. Comprising point setting means for setting an arbitrary point in the map information;
8. The information output apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the range setting unit sets a predetermined range from the point set by the point setting unit (hereinafter referred to as a set point). Comprising position acquisition means for acquiring information relating to the current position of the user;
9. The information output device according to claim 8, wherein the point setting unit sets the current position of the user as the set point. Direction prediction means for predicting the direction of travel of the user,
The information output device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the range setting unit sets a predetermined range in a direction from the set point toward the traveling direction as the set range. It has route setting means to set the guide route to the destination point,
11. The information output device according to claim 10, wherein the direction predicting unit predicts a direction from the set point toward the destination point as the traveling direction.   The information according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the direction predicting means predicts the traveling direction based on a difference between the set point and a set point set before the set point. Output device.   The information output device according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the range setting means sets a range of a predetermined angle from the set point to the traveling direction as the set range.   The information output device according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the range setting unit sets a range from the set point to a predetermined distance as the set range.   The information output apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the range setting unit receives an operation input from the user. From the information related to the movement history, the user comprises an attribute extraction means for extracting attributes of points visited in the past in the area,
16. The information output apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the generation unit generates the guidance information based on the attribute. A user information acquisition process for acquiring information about the user;
Based on the information about the user, a determination step of determining the familiarity of the information about the area of the predetermined range in the map information of the user;
A generating step for generating guidance information associated with the area based on the degree of familiarity;
An output step of outputting the guidance information generated by the generation step;
An information output method comprising:   An information output program for causing a computer to execute the information output method according to claim 17.   A computer-readable recording medium on which the information output program according to claim 18 is recorded.

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