JP2018004791A - Server device, communication terminal, information distribution system, and computer program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a server device, communication terminal, information distribution system and computer program that alleviate processing burdens pertaining to creation of version comparison information, and allow for management and distribution with a smaller data size.SOLUTION: A server device is configured so as to: create version comparison information 27 that defines a base version serving as a reference in map information having a version sequentially updated, and compares map information on an up-to-date version owned by a server device 3 with respect to map information on a base version for each map information segment unit; and distribute version comparison information 27 corresponding to the base version of the map information owned by a communication terminal 5 to the communication terminal 5 from the server device 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a server device, a communication terminal, an information distribution system, and a computer program that generate and manage information related to a version of map information.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a navigation device is often mounted on a vehicle that provides vehicle travel guidance so that a driver can easily arrive at a desired destination. Here, the navigation device detects the current position of the vehicle by a GPS receiver or the like, acquires map information corresponding to the current position through a recording medium such as a DVD-ROM or HDD or a network, and displays it on a liquid crystal monitor. It is a device that can do. In addition, the navigation device has a route search function for searching for an optimum route from a departure point (for example, the current position of the host vehicle) to the set destination when a desired destination is set. It also has a travel guidance function for guiding travel according to the route (guide route). In recent years, some mobile phones, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), smart phones, personal computers, and the like have functions similar to those of the navigation device (hereinafter referred to as communication terminals including the navigation device).

  Here, new roads (new roads) are built every year in Japan. Along with this, existing roads disappear, intersections are added, and the shapes of existing roads and intersections are changed. At this time, there is a problem that information regarding a new road or the like newly created after the map information of the communication terminal is created is not registered in the map information. In other words, in communication terminals with map information that does not include new roads, etc., new roads etc. are not subject to route search or guidance, so search for long-distance guide routes that do not pass through new roads, etc. However, there are cases where appropriate travel guidance is not performed, such as being not guided on a map image.

  Therefore, as a method for solving the above problem, for example, a method of updating the map information of an area where a new road or the like is added to the latest map information, or the latest map information without performing a route search on the communication terminal side. A method (hereinafter referred to as “center route search”) or the like that is executed by a server device that has the server and acquires information necessary for guidance or guidance from the server device can be considered. And when executing any of the above methods, the map information possessed by the communication terminal is compared with the latest map information possessed by the server device, and the latest map information possessed by the server device with respect to the map information possessed by the communication terminal. It is necessary to specify an area (for example, an area including a new road) in which is updated.

  For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-77095, when a server device receives a route search request from a navigation device when performing a center route search, a route search is performed while a searched route passes. The mesh code and version information are transmitted to the navigation device together with the searched route, and the navigation device stores the version of the corresponding mesh data (map information) in the server device based on the mesh code and version information transmitted from the server device. It has been proposed a technique for determining whether or not the mesh data is older than the mesh data, and requesting the server device for the latest version of mesh data for the mesh determined to be older.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-77095 (page 9-10, FIG. 10)

  Here, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, first, a route search is performed in the server device, and after determining the guide route, it is determined whether or not the latest version of the mesh data needs to be acquired from the server device. If it is determined that the latest version of the mesh data needs to be acquired, the navigation device requests the mesh data from the navigation device again. Therefore, it takes a very long time to obtain the necessary mesh data after the guide route is set. During this time, guidance based on the guide route cannot be performed, or wrong guidance is performed. Occurs.

  On the other hand, a configuration in which the server device and the communication terminal have in advance information (hereinafter referred to as version comparison information) obtained by comparing the map information of the communication terminal with the latest map information of the server device for each unit of map information. By doing so, it is possible to shorten the time until acquisition of the mesh data. However, in such a configuration, there is a problem that the generation process of the version comparison information becomes very complicated and the data size becomes very large.

Details of the above problem will be described below.
As shown in FIG. 13, since the map information is frequently updated, there are many versions. That is, there are many map information candidates that the communication terminal may have. For example, when the map information is sequentially updated from “ver.01” and the version of the latest map information held by the server device is “ver.12”, the map information that the communication terminal may have is “ver. .01 ”to“ ver.12 ”. Accordingly, as the version comparison information, all pieces of information obtained by comparing 11 types of map information from “ver.01” to “ver.11” and the map information of “ver.12” are required. Further, each time a new version of map information is added thereafter, the number of pieces of map information to be compared increases, which complicates the generation process of version comparison information and further increases the data size.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems, and generates version comparison information that compares the map information of the communication terminal with the latest map information of the server device, based on the base version. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a server device, a communication terminal, an information distribution system, and a computer program that can reduce the processing load related to generation, and can be managed and distributed in a smaller size.

In order to achieve the above object, a server device according to the present invention is connected to a communication terminal so as to be capable of two-way communication, and has a map information whose version is sequentially updated by updating based on the map information of the base version. In the apparatus, comparison information generating means for generating version comparison information comparing the map information of the newest version of the server apparatus with respect to the map information of the base version for each section of map information, and the communication terminal from the communication terminal Version receiving means for receiving information specifying a base version of map information possessed by a communication terminal; comparison information delivery means for delivering the version comparison information corresponding to the base version of map information possessed by the communication terminal to the communication terminal; Have.
In addition, as the “map information version”, the creation time of the map information, the update time when the map information was finally updated, and the map update information (update program) at the time of the final update are created. Includes any information that identifies the time of day.

  Further, the computer program according to the present invention is connected to a communication terminal so as to be capable of two-way communication, and in the server device having map information in which the version is sequentially updated by updating based on the map information of the base version, This is a program for generating and distributing version comparison information comparing information versions. Specifically, comparison information generating means for generating version comparison information by comparing the latest version of map information of the server device with respect to the map information of the base version for each section of map information, and the communication terminal Version receiving means for receiving information specifying the base version of the map information possessed by the communication terminal, and comparison information delivery for delivering the version comparison information corresponding to the base version of the map information possessed by the communication terminal to the communication terminal Function as a means.

  Further, the communication terminal according to the present invention is a communication terminal that is connected so as to be capable of bidirectional communication with a server device having map information whose version is sequentially updated by updating based on the map information of the base version. Version transmitting means for transmitting to the server device information specifying the base version of the map information possessed by the communication terminal, and the server device having the newest version for the map information of the base version for each section of the map information Comparison information receiving means for receiving, from the server device, the version comparison information corresponding to the base version of the map information held by the communication terminal among the version comparison information obtained by comparing the version map information.

  In addition, the information distribution system according to the present invention includes a communication terminal and map information that is connected to the communication terminal so as to be capable of two-way communication and that is updated sequentially based on the base version map information. And a server device having a version transmission means for transmitting information specifying a base version of map information possessed by the communication terminal to the server device. The apparatus comprises: comparison information generating means for generating version comparison information for comparing the latest version of map information of the server device with respect to the map information of the base version for each unit of map information; Version reception that receives information specifying the base version of the map information held by the communication terminal A means and a comparison information distribution means for distributing the version comparison information corresponding to the base version of the map information by the communication terminal has the communication terminal.

  According to the server device, the communication terminal, the information distribution system, and the computer program according to the present invention having the above-described configuration, the server is not a version comparison information obtained by comparing all versions of map information but a map information of a specific base version. By generating version comparison information that compares the latest version of map information of the device, it is possible to reduce the processing burden related to generation of version comparison information, and to manage and distribute version comparison information in a smaller size And In addition, using version comparison information shortens the time required until the communication terminal obtains, for example, guidance information necessary for moving guidance of a mobile body and map update information for updating the map from the server device. can do.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an information distribution system according to the present embodiment. It is the block diagram which showed the structure of the information delivery system which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure explaining the version of map information. It is the figure which showed an example of version comparison information. It is a block diagram which shows typically the control system of the communication terminal which concerns on this embodiment. It is a flowchart of the comparison information generation processing program according to the present embodiment. It is the figure which showed an example of difference information. It is the figure which showed the production | generation method of version comparison information. It is a flowchart of the movement guidance processing program which concerns on this embodiment. It is a flowchart of the movement guidance processing program which concerns on this embodiment. It is the figure which showed the area used as the request | requirement object of movement guidance information. It is the figure which showed the area used as the request | requirement object of movement guidance information. It is a figure explaining the problem of the prior art.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a server device, a communication terminal, an information distribution system, and a computer program according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, a schematic configuration of an information distribution system 1 including a server device and a communication terminal according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an information distribution system 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information distribution system 1 according to this embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the information distribution system 1 according to the present embodiment basically includes a server device 3 included in a map information center 2 and a communication terminal 5 possessed by a user 4. The server device 3 and the communication terminal 5 are configured to be able to transmit / receive electronic data to / from each other via the communication network 6. Examples of the communication terminal 5 include a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, and a navigation device. In addition, the user 4 may be in a state of getting on the vehicle, or may be in a state of not getting on the vehicle.

  Here, the server device 3 performs a route search in response to a request from the communication terminal 5. Specifically, when a destination is set in the communication terminal 5 or when a route re-search (reroute) is performed, it is necessary for a route search from the communication terminal 5 to the server device 3 such as a departure point and a destination. Information is transmitted together with the route search request (however, in the case of re-search, it is not always necessary to transmit information regarding the destination). Then, the server device 3 that has received the route search request performs a route search using the map information of the server device 3 and specifies a recommended route from the departure point to the destination. Thereafter, the specified recommended route is transmitted to the requesting communication terminal 5. Then, the communication terminal 5 sets the received recommended route as a guide route, and performs movement guidance according to the guide route. Thereby, even if the map information that the communication terminal 5 has at the time of route search is an old version of map information, it is possible to set an appropriate guide route based on the latest version of map information that the server device 3 has. Become.

  In addition to the distribution of the search route, the server device 3 also distributes the travel guidance information for performing the travel guidance of the user in the communication terminal 5 in response to a request from the communication terminal 5. The travel guidance information is created based on the latest version of the map information, and as described later, the current position in the communication terminal 5 is identified in accordance with the latest version of the map information, the travel guidance along the guidance route, the image This is information for display. Then, the communication terminal 5 uses the travel guide information distributed from the server device 3, so that even if the map information of the communication terminal 5 is an old version of map information, the server device is based on the latest version of map information. It is possible to carry out the movement guidance along the guidance route searched in 3.

  On the other hand, the communication terminal 5 is an information terminal possessed by the user 4 and provided with a navigation function. For example, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, a navigation device, or the like is applicable.

  Here, the navigation function searches for a route corresponding to the condition specified by the user, displays a map image around the current position of the user 4, and displays the current position of the user 4 in the displayed map image. Or a function of performing movement guidance along a set guidance route. Note that it is not necessary for the communication terminal 5 to have all the navigation functions described above, and the present invention can be configured as long as it has at least a function for guiding the user to move.

  The communication network 6 includes a large number of base stations arranged in various parts of the country and a communication company that manages and controls each base station. The base station and the communication company are connected to each other by wire (optical fiber, ISDN, etc.) or wirelessly. It is configured by connecting. Here, the base station has a transceiver (transmitter / receiver) for communicating with the communication terminal 5 and an antenna. The base station performs wireless communication between the communication companies, and relays communication between the communication terminal 5 that is at the end of the communication network 6 and is within the range (cell) of the base station's radio waves to and from the server device 3. Have a role to play.

  Next, the configuration of the server device 3 in the information distribution system 1 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the server device 3 includes a server control ECU 11, a device-side map DB 12 as information recording means connected to the server control ECU 11, and a server-side communication device 13.

  The server control ECU 11 (electronic control unit) is an electronic control unit that performs overall control of the server device 3, and is used as a working memory when the CPU 21 performs various types of arithmetic processing as well as the arithmetic unit and the control unit. In addition to the RAM 22, the control program, the ROM 23 and the ROM 23 in which a version comparison information generation processing program (see FIG. 6) and a movement guide processing program (see FIGS. 9 and 10) described later are recorded An internal storage device such as a flash memory 24 is provided. The server control ECU 11 has various means as processing algorithms together with an ECU of the communication terminal 5 described later. For example, the comparison information generation unit generates version comparison information by comparing the latest version of map information of the server device 3 with respect to the base version of map information for each section of the map information. The version receiving unit receives information specifying the base version of the map information included in the communication terminal 5 from the communication terminal 5. The comparison information distribution means distributes to the communication terminal 5 version comparison information corresponding to the base version of the map information that the communication terminal 5 has.

  In addition, the device-side map DB 12 includes the latest map information registered and updated based on external input data and input operations and the map information of the previous version of the latest version on the device-side map information 25. As a storage means that is divided and stored for each area (for example, for each 20 km square level 10 mesh). Here, the version is used to specify when the map information was created, when the final update was performed, or when the map update information (update program) was created when the final update was performed. It is possible to specify the time when map information was created by referring to the version.

  Here, in this embodiment, there are a base version as a reference and a version other than the base version as the version of the map information. The base version is a version of the map information at the time when the whole update (renewal) for updating the entire map information performed every predetermined period (for example, every six months) is performed. Accordingly, a new base version of map information is registered every elapse of a predetermined period. Then, the base version map information is used as a reference for subsequent differential updates until a new base version is registered thereafter. On the other hand, the version other than the base version corresponds to the version of the map information at the time when the difference update for updating a part of the map information is performed based on the map information of the base version. And as shown in FIG. 3, the update of the map information in the server apparatus 3 is performed repeatedly by performing the difference update once or several times after the whole update is performed, and the map information is sequentially updated.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the map information is sequentially updated by the difference update based on the map information of “ver.01” which is the initial map information, and “ver.02”, “ver.03”, “ver. The version of the map information is updated in the order of “04”. Then, the whole update is performed from the map information “ver.04”, and the map information becomes “ver.05”. Thereafter, the map information is sequentially updated by the difference update based on the map information of “ver.05”, not the map information of “ver.01”, and “ver.06”, “ver.07”, “ver.08” The version of the map information is updated in the order of "." Then, the whole update is performed from the map information “ver.08”, and the map information becomes “ver.09”. Further, the map information is sequentially updated by the difference update based on the map information of “ver.09”, and the version of the map information is updated in the order of “ver.10”, “ver.11”, “ver.12”. The latest version is the map information of “ver.12”. In the example shown in FIG. 3, “ver.01”, “ver.05”, and “ver.09” are the base versions.
As described above, the device-side map DB 12 basically includes the latest version of map information and the map information of the previous version of the latest version (“ver. 11” and “ver. 12 ”) is stored as the apparatus-side map information 25, but it is also possible to store an older version of map information before that.

  The device-side map information 25 has basically the same structure as the map information stored in the communication terminal 5, and includes various types of information necessary for route search, route guidance, and map display including the road network. It consists of information. For example, link data regarding roads (links), node data regarding node points, intersection data regarding each intersection, point data regarding points such as facilities, map display data for displaying a map, search data for searching for a route, points It consists of search data and the like for searching.

  As described later, various data used for route search processing for searching for a route from a departure place (for example, the current position of the vehicle) to a set destination as described later are recorded. For example, a search cost such as a cost obtained by quantifying the appropriate degree as a route for an intersection (hereinafter referred to as an intersection cost) or a cost obtained by quantifying an appropriate degree as a route for a link constituting a road (hereinafter referred to as a link cost). Cost calculation data used for calculation is stored.

  Further, the device-side map DB 12 is information for specifying the current position and performing travel guidance along the guidance route in the communication terminal 5 in correspondence with the latest version of map information separately from the device-side map information 25. The movement guidance information 26 is also stored separately for each area (for example, every mesh of level 13 in 2.5 km square).

  Here, the movement guide information 26 includes matching data necessary for map matching of the current position of the user, and guidance for causing the user to move along a guidance route such as a left / right turn guidance at a guidance intersection. Guidance data necessary for the display and display data for displaying a map image and a guidance screen. The matching data includes data for specifying the road shape, for example. In addition, the guidance data includes, for example, data for specifying the shape of the intersection and the connection relationship between the intersection and the road. The display data includes data for displaying a map image including a road network and a guidance screen for performing movement guidance on the display of the communication terminal 5.

  Further, the device-side map DB 12 also stores version comparison information 27 obtained by comparing the latest version of map information of the server device 3 with respect to the base version of map information for each section of map information (for example, for each mesh). Has been. If there are a plurality of base versions, version comparison information 27 is stored in which the map information of the server device 3 is compared with the map information of the base version for each of the plurality of base versions. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, version comparison information 27 comparing “ver.01” and “ver.12”, version comparison information 27 comparing “ver.05” and “ver.12”, and “ver .09 ”and version comparison information 27 comparing“ ver. 12 ”are stored in the apparatus-side map DB 12.

  Here, the version comparison information 27 according to the present embodiment is specifically a section in which the latest version of map information of the server device 3 is updated with respect to the base version of map information (hereinafter referred to as an update target area). It is the information which specified. More specifically, it is a table in which a flag that identifies a partition that corresponds to the update target area and a partition that does not correspond to the update target area is associated with each partition unit (for example, mesh unit) of the map information. An example of the version comparison information 27 is shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 4, there is a new road after the base version map information 28 is created, and among the meshes constituting the base version map information 28, a total of six meshes in the corresponding area include the previous version “ A situation in which the server apparatus 3 has the latest map information 29 that has been differentially updated from “50” to the new version “60” is shown. In the situation illustrated in FIG. 4, there is an update target area that is a section in which the latest version of map information of the server device 3 is updated with respect to the base version of map information. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the version comparison information 27 associates a flag for identifying a partition corresponding to the update target area and a partition not corresponding to the update target area in mesh units. Specifically, “0” is associated with the mesh corresponding to the update target area, and “1” is associated with the mesh not corresponding to the update target area. In the example shown in FIG. 4, version comparison information 27 for a 5 × 5 mesh is shown for the sake of simplification, but actual version comparison information 27 represents each mesh ( When the mesh is composed of a plurality of hierarchies, the table is a table in which flags are associated with each other for each area and each hierarchy.

  The server device 3 then sends the version comparison information 27 corresponding to the base version of the map information of the communication terminal 5 among the version comparison information 27 stored in the device-side map DB 12 to the communication terminal 5 as will be described later. To deliver. As a result, the communication terminal 5 refers to the distributed version comparison information 27 to update the update target area (that is, the latest version of the map information of the server device 3 with respect to the map information of the communication terminal 5). Area) can be easily specified. It should be noted that a standard common to the server apparatus 3 and the communication terminal 5 is used as the area division standard in the version comparison information 27.

  Further, when receiving a route search request from the communication terminal 5, the server device 3 uses the device-side map information 25 to perform a route search from the departure point to the destination. Then, the searched route is distributed to the communication terminal 5 that requested it. The server control ECU 11 also distributes the travel guidance information 26 to the communication terminal 5 as necessary. Specifically, an area in which the communication terminal 5 may move in the future (for example, around the current position of the communication terminal 5 or around the guidance route set by the communication terminal 5), and according to the version comparison information 27 The target area movement guidance information 26 is distributed to the communication terminal 5 for the specified update target area.

  On the other hand, the server side communication device 13 is a communication device for communicating with the communication terminal 5 via the communication network 6. In addition to the communication terminal 5, information such as traffic information, regulation information, traffic accident information, etc. transmitted from the Internet network, traffic information center, for example, VICS (registered trademark: Vehicle Information and Communication System) center, probe center, etc. It is also possible to receive traffic information consisting of

  Next, a schematic configuration of the communication terminal 5 will be described with reference to FIG. In the following description, a navigation device installed in a vehicle is used as the communication terminal 5, and a case where the vehicle is particularly guided as a moving body will be described as an example. However, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, or the like may be used instead of the navigation device. In the case of using a mobile phone or a tablet terminal, it is also possible to provide movement guidance for a moving body (for example, a pedestrian or a bicycle) other than the vehicle. FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically showing a control system of the navigation device which is the communication terminal 5 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the communication terminal 5 according to the present embodiment records a current position detection unit 31 that detects a current position of a vehicle (moving body) on which a navigation device that is the communication terminal 5 is mounted, and various data are recorded. The data recording unit 32, the navigation ECU 33 that performs various arithmetic processes based on the input information, the operation unit 34 that receives operations from the user, and a guide route to the map and the destination for the user. A liquid crystal display 35 for displaying, a speaker 36 for outputting voice guidance regarding route guidance, a DVD drive 37 for reading a DVD as a storage medium, a communication module 38 for communicating with the server device 3, the VICS center, and the like, Have

Below, each component which comprises the communication terminal 5 is demonstrated in order.
The current position detection unit 31 includes a GPS 41, a vehicle speed sensor 42, a steering sensor 43, a gyro sensor 44, and the like, and can detect the current vehicle position, direction, vehicle traveling speed, current time, and the like. . Here, in particular, the vehicle speed sensor 42 is a sensor for detecting a moving distance and a vehicle speed of the vehicle, generates a pulse according to the rotation of the driving wheel of the vehicle, and outputs a pulse signal to the navigation ECU 33. And navigation ECU33 calculates the rotational speed and moving distance of a driving wheel by counting the pulse which generate | occur | produces. Note that it is not necessary for the communication terminal 5 to include all of the above four types of sensors, and the communication terminal 5 may include only one or more of these types of sensors.

  In addition, the data recording unit 32 reads an external storage device and a hard disk (not shown) as a recording medium, a terminal-side map DB 45, a version management DB 46, a cache 47, a predetermined program, and the like recorded on the hard disk and stores them on the hard disk. And a recording head (not shown) as a driver for writing predetermined data. The data recording unit 32 may be constituted by a nonvolatile memory, a memory card, an optical disk such as a CD or a DVD, instead of the hard disk.

  Here, the terminal-side map DB 45 is a storage unit that stores terminal-side map information 48 used for route search and travel guidance in the communication terminal 5.

  Here, the terminal-side map information 48 stored in the terminal-side map DB 45 is composed of various information necessary for route search, route guidance, and map display including the road network, like the device-side map information 25 described above. For example, link data relating to roads (links), node data relating to node points, intersection data relating to each intersection, point data relating to points such as facilities, map display data for displaying a map, search data for searching for a route And search data for searching for a point.

  The terminal-side map information 48 stored in the terminal-side map DB 45 is based on map update information distributed from a map distribution server (not shown) or map update information acquired from a recording medium. It is updated to a new version of map information by rewriting the data. The update of the map information is performed not only for the difference update for updating only a part of the map information but also for the whole update for the entire map information. In addition, since the update of the terminal side map information 48 is generally performed arbitrarily by the user, the terminal side map information 48 is not necessarily the latest version of map information. That is, the terminal-side map information 48 of the communication terminal 5 and the version of the terminal-side map DB 45 of the server device 3 are often different. In the present embodiment, as described above, there are a base version and a version other than the base version as the version of the map information (see FIG. 3). Depending on the update status of the terminal-side map information 48, the terminal-side map information 48 may be map information of a base version or may be map information of a version other than the base version.

  In addition, the terminal-side map DB 45 also includes, for each area, movement guidance information 26 for specifying the current position, traveling guidance along the guidance route, and displaying images in the communication terminal 5 corresponding to the terminal-side map information 48. (For example, each level 13 mesh of 2.5 km square) is divided and stored. The movement guide information 26 may be configured to be included in the terminal-side map information 48.

  Further, the version management DB 46 is information that identifies the version of the current terminal-side map information 48 currently stored in the terminal-side map DB 45 (for example, version number, last update date and time, and map update information that has been finally updated). (Date and time of creation of (update program)). Information for specifying “base version of terminal-side map information 48” is also stored. When the terminal-side map information 48 is map information of the base version (for example, “ver. 09” in FIG. 3), the base version corresponds to “base version of the terminal-side map information 48”. On the other hand, when the terminal-side map information 48 is map information of a version other than the base version (for example, “ver. 10” in FIG. 3), the base version that is the basis of the version is “the base of the terminal-side map information 48”. Corresponds to “Version”. For example, in the map information whose version is updated as shown in FIG. 3, when the current version of the terminal-side map information 48 is “ver.10”, the “base version of the terminal-side map information 48” is “ ver.09 ".

  The version management DB 46 also stores version comparison information 27 distributed from the server device 3. As described above, the version comparison information 27 is information obtained by comparing the latest version of map information of the server device 3 with respect to the map information of the base version for each partition unit (for example, each mesh) of the map information (FIG. 4). ). In particular, the server device 3 delivers information obtained by comparing the latest version of map information of the server device 3 with respect to the map information of the base information of the map information of the communication terminal 5.

  On the other hand, the cache 47 is a storage means for temporarily storing the movement guide information 26 distributed from the server device 3. In the information distribution system 1 according to the present embodiment, as described above, there is an area where the vehicle may travel in the future (for example, around the current position of the vehicle, around the guidance route set by the communication terminal 5). For the update target area specified by the version comparison information 27, the travel guide information 26 is distributed from the server device 3 and stored in the cache 47. Here, the travel guidance information 26 is information for specifying the current position, traveling guidance along the guidance route, and displaying an image in the communication terminal 5 corresponding to the latest version of the map information as described above.

  Then, the navigation ECU 33 stores the map to be stored in the terminal-side map DB 45 for the update target area, that is, for the section in which the latest version of the map information of the server device 3 is updated with respect to the base version of the map information of the communication terminal 5. The new version of the travel guide information 26 stored in the cache 47 is used instead of the information and travel guide information to identify the current position of the vehicle, travel guidance along the guide route, display images, and the like.

  Further, the movement guide information 26 distributed from the server device 3 is stored cumulatively in the cache 47. When the remaining capacity of the cache 47 becomes equal to or less than the threshold value, the travel guide information 26 stored in the cache 47 is preferentially deleted from the one with the low remaining priority. Note that the remaining priority is, for example, the movement guidance information 26 of an area located around the current position of the vehicle or an area located around the guidance route set in the communication terminal 5. Is set higher than 26.

  On the other hand, the navigation ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 33 is an electronic control unit that performs overall control of the communication terminal 5, and includes a CPU 51 as an arithmetic device and a control device, and a working memory when the CPU 51 performs various arithmetic processes. A RAM 52 that stores route data when a route is searched, a control program, and a ROM 53 that stores a movement guidance processing program (see FIGS. 9 and 10) described later, An internal storage device such as a flash memory 54 for storing a program read from the ROM 53 is provided. The navigation ECU 33 has various means as processing algorithms together with the ECU of the server device 3. For example, the version transmission unit transmits information specifying the base version of the map information included in the communication terminal 5 to the server device 3. The comparison information receiving means includes the version comparison information 27 obtained by comparing the latest version of map information of the server device 3 with respect to the base version of map information for each section of the map information. Version comparison information 27 corresponding to the base version is received from the server device 3.

  The operation unit 34 is operated when inputting a departure point as a travel start point and a destination point as a travel end point, and has a plurality of operation switches (not shown) such as various keys and buttons. Then, the navigation ECU 33 performs control to execute various corresponding operations based on switch signals output by pressing the switches. The operation unit 34 may have a touch panel provided on the front surface of the liquid crystal display 35. Moreover, you may have a microphone and a speech recognition apparatus.

  Further, the liquid crystal display 35 has a map image including a road, traffic information, operation guidance, operation menu, key guidance, guidance route from the departure point to the destination, guidance information along the guidance route, news, weather forecast, Time, mail, TV program, etc. are displayed. Instead of the liquid crystal display 35, HUD or HMD may be used.

  In addition, the speaker 36 outputs voice guidance for guiding traveling along the guidance route based on an instruction from the navigation ECU 33 and traffic information guidance.

  The DVD drive 37 is a drive that can read data recorded on a recording medium such as a DVD or a CD. Based on the read data, music and video are played, the terminal-side map DB 45 is updated, and the like. A card slot for reading / writing a memory card may be provided in place of the DVD drive 37.

  The communication module 38 is a communication for receiving information such as map update information, route information, travel guide information, and traffic information transmitted from the server device 3, VICS (registered trademark) center, probe center, and the like. For example, a mobile phone or DCM is applicable.

  Next, a comparison information generation processing program executed by the server device 3 in the information distribution system 1 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the comparison information generation processing program according to this embodiment. Here, the comparison information generation processing program is executed when, for example, the device-side map information 25 included in the server device 3 is updated, and generates a new version comparison information 27 based on the updated device-side map information 25. It is. Note that the program shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 below is stored in the RAM or ROM provided in the server device 3 and is executed by the CPU 21.

  First, in step (hereinafter abbreviated as S) 1, the CPU 21 updates the device-side map information 25 stored in the device-side map DB 12 based on external input data and input operations. The update of the apparatus-side map information 25 includes a difference update that updates only a part of the map information based on the map information of the current base version, and an overall update (renewal) that updates the entire map information. When the update is performed, the updated map information becomes a new version of the map information. In particular, when the entire update is performed, the updated map information becomes the new base version map information.

  Next, in S2, the CPU 21 updates the new device-side map information 25 (that is, the latest version of the device-side map information 25) and the device-side map information 25 before the update (that is, one of the newest versions). The difference information regarding the difference from the previous version of the apparatus-side map information 25) is acquired.

  Here, specifically, the difference information is information specifying a section (hereinafter referred to as an update execution area) in which the updated apparatus-side map information 25 is updated with respect to the apparatus-side map information 25 before update. More specifically, it is a table in which a flag identifying a partition corresponding to the update execution area and a partition not corresponding to the update execution area is associated with each partition unit (for example, mesh unit) of the map information. FIG. 7 shows an example of difference information.

  In FIG. 7, there is a new road after the device-side map information 25 before update is created, and among the meshes constituting the map information 28 of the device-side map information 25, a total of four meshes in the corresponding area. An example in which the difference is updated from the previous version to the new version “70” is shown. The difference information 61 associates a flag for identifying a partition corresponding to the update execution area and a partition not corresponding to the update execution area in units of meshes. Specifically, “0” is associated with four meshes corresponding to the update execution area, and “1” is associated with other meshes not corresponding to the update execution area. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the difference information 61 for a 5 × 5 mesh is shown for simplification of explanation, but the actual difference information 61 includes each mesh (mesh In the case of a plurality of hierarchies, the table is a table in which flags are associated with each area and each hierarchy). Further, the difference information 61 may be generated by the server device 3 by comparing the device-side map information 25 before update with the device-side map information 25 after update, or for updating the device-side map information 25. It is good also as a structure produced | generated from updated map information. Furthermore, it is good also as a structure which acquires the difference information 61 from the outside.

  Subsequently, in S3, the CPU 21 obtains version comparison information 27 corresponding to the device-side map information 25 before the update of S1 (that is, the device-side map information 25 of the previous version of the latest version) from the device-side map DB 12. read out. Specifically, version comparison information 27 in which the device-side map information 25 before update is compared with the base version map information for each partition unit (for example, each mesh) of the map information corresponds to the previous device-side map information. At the time of the update of 25, it produces | generates by S4 mentioned later. When there are a plurality of base versions, the version comparison information 27 obtained by comparing the base-side map information 25 with the map information of the base version for each of the plurality of base versions is read.

  Thereafter, in S4, the CPU 21 updates the device-side map after the update in S1 based on the difference information 61 acquired in S2 and the version comparison information 27 corresponding to the device-side map information 25 before update read in S3. Version comparison information 27 corresponding to the information 25 (that is, the latest version of the device-side map information 25) is newly generated. Specifically, version comparison information 27 is generated by comparing the updated device-side map information 25 against the base version map information for each section (for example, each mesh) of the map information. When there are a plurality of base versions, version comparison information 27 is generated by comparing the updated apparatus side map information 25 against the base version map information for each of the plurality of base versions. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, version comparison information 27 comparing “ver.01” and “ver.12”, version comparison information 27 comparing “ver.05” and “ver.12”, and “ver .09 ”and“ ver.12 ”are compared, and version comparison information 27 is generated.

  Hereinafter, the generation process of the version comparison information 27 in S4 will be described with reference to FIG. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, a new version comparison is performed by combining the difference information 61 acquired in S2 and the version comparison information 27 corresponding to the device-side map information 25 before update read in S3. Information 27 is generated. That is, among the flags included in the version comparison information 27 corresponding to the device-side map information 25 before update, the meshes designated as the update execution area in the difference information 61 (four meshes in the example shown in FIG. 9). ) Is rewritten to “0”. Of the meshes designated in the update execution area, the mesh whose flag is already “0” is maintained in the “0” state.

  The new version comparison information 27 generated in S4 includes a section corresponding to the update target area that is a section in which the latest version of map information of the server device 3 is updated with respect to the base version of map information. This is a table in which flags for identifying partitions that do not correspond to the update target area are associated with each other. When the device-side map information 25 is updated to the base version map information in S1, the base version map information and the latest version map information of the server device 3 are the same. This is a table in which flags not corresponding to update target areas are associated with sections.

  Next, in S5, the CPU 51 stores the version comparison information 27 generated in S4 in the device-side map DB 12. If version comparison information 27 created in the past exists in the apparatus-side map DB 12, it is basically overwritten. However, the past version comparison information 27 may be left in the DB for a certain period.

  Subsequently, a movement guidance processing program executed by the server device 3 and the communication terminal 5 in the information distribution system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. 9 and 10 are flowcharts of the travel guidance processing program according to this embodiment. Here, the travel guidance processing program is a program that is executed after the ACC power supply (accessory power supply) of the vehicle is turned on, searches for a route from the departure point to the destination, and performs travel guidance along the guidance route. . However, when the communication terminal 5 is a device other than the navigation device, it is executed after the main body power of the communication terminal 5 is turned on (after startup) instead of the ACC power supply. The programs shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 9 and 10 below are stored in the RAM and ROM provided in the server device 3 and the communication terminal 5 and are executed by the CPU 21 or the CPU 51.

  First, the movement guidance processing program executed by the CPU 51 of the communication terminal 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. In S <b> 11, the CPU 51 transmits a request for version comparison information 27 (hereinafter referred to as a comparison information request) corresponding to the base version of the terminal-side map information 48 to the server device 3. As described above, the version comparison information 27 is a table in which a flag that identifies a partition corresponding to the update target area and a partition not corresponding to the update target area is associated with each partition unit (for example, mesh unit) of the map information. Yes (Fig. 4).

  The comparison information request transmitted in S11 includes a terminal ID that identifies the communication terminal 5 that is the transmission source of the comparison information request, and information that identifies the current “base version of the terminal-side map information 48”. . When the terminal-side map information 48 is map information of the base version (for example, “ver. 09” in FIG. 3), the base version corresponds to “base version of the terminal-side map information 48”. On the other hand, when the terminal-side map information 48 is map information of a version other than the base version (for example, “ver. 10” in FIG. 3), the base version that is the basis of the version is “the base of the terminal-side map information 48”. Corresponds to “Version”. For example, in the map information whose version is updated as shown in FIG. 3, when the current version of the terminal-side map information 48 is “ver.10”, the “base version of the terminal-side map information 48” is “ ver.09 ". Information specifying the current “base version of the terminal-side map information 48” is stored in the version management DB 46.

  Next, in S12, the CPU 51 receives the version comparison information 27 transmitted from the server device 3 in response to the comparison information request. Here, the version comparison information 27 received in S2 is created in the above-described comparison information generation processing program (FIG. 6), and the server device 3 has the map information of “base version of the terminal-side map information 48”. This is information for specifying an update target area that is a section in which the latest version of the map information is updated.

  Subsequently, in S13, the CPU 51 stores the version comparison information 27 received from the server apparatus 3 in S12 in the version management DB 46. If the version comparison information 27 acquired in the past exists in the version management DB 46, it is basically overwritten. However, the past version comparison information 27 may be left in the DB for a certain period.

  Next, in S <b> 14, the CPU 51 sets a route destination in the communication terminal 5. The destination is basically set based on a user operation (for example, a registration point reading operation, facility search or selection operation) received by the operation unit 34. However, when performing re-search (reroute), the destination currently set in the communication terminal 5 is continuously set without setting a new destination.

  Subsequently, in S15, the CPU 51 specifies the current position of the vehicle based on the detection result of the current position detection unit 31 and the map information. Note that when the current position of the vehicle is specified, a map matching process for matching the current position of the vehicle with map information is performed. Identification of the current position of the vehicle is basically performed based on the terminal-side map information 48 of the communication terminal 5, but the version of the terminal-side map information 48 in the area where the vehicle is currently located is older than the apparatus-side map information 25. In the case (that is, in the case of the update target area), it is specified using the travel guide information 26 stored in the cache 47 instead of the old version of map information and travel guide information stored in the terminal-side map DB 45. However, if there is no travel guidance information 26 in the area corresponding to the cache 47, the cache information is specified using old version map information and travel guidance information stored in the terminal-side map DB 45.

  After that, in S16, the CPU 51 specifies the “update target area around the current position of the vehicle” based on the version comparison information 27 stored in the version management DB 46 in S13 and the current position of the vehicle specified in S15. . Specifically, the CPU 51 first specifies a total of 9 meshes of 3 × 3 centering on the mesh where the vehicle is currently positioned as a mesh around the current position of the vehicle. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 11, the mesh where the vehicle is currently located is “mesh Q”, so the meshes around the current position of the vehicle are meshes K, L, M, P, Q, R centered on mesh Q. , U, V, W. Thereafter, it is determined whether the meshes K, L, M, P, Q, R, U, V, and W correspond to the update target area with reference to the version comparison information 27, and are determined to correspond to the update target area. The mesh, that is, the mesh associated with the flag “0” in the version comparison information 27 is specified as the “update target area around the current position of the vehicle”.

  Subsequently, in S <b> 17, the CPU 51 transmits to the server device 3 a request for travel guidance information 26 targeted for the “update target area around the current position of the vehicle” specified in S <b> 16. However, the area where the same travel guide information 26 is already stored in the cache 47 of the communication terminal 5 is excluded from the request target. Here, as described above, the movement guide information 26 corresponds to the latest version of map information of the server device 3 in order to specify the current position, travel guidance along the guide route, and display images in the communication terminal 5. Information. It should be noted that the request for travel guidance information transmitted in S17 includes a terminal ID that identifies the communication terminal 5 that is the source of the travel guidance information request, and an area that is the target for requesting travel guidance information (specified in S16). Information (for example, mesh identification number) for specifying “updated area around current position of vehicle”).

  Thereafter, in S <b> 18, the CPU 51 receives the movement guide information 26 transmitted from the server device 3 in response to the request for the movement guide information 26. The travel guidance information 26 is necessary for matching data necessary for map matching of the vehicle and guidance for causing the vehicle to travel along a guidance route such as a left / right turn guidance at a guidance intersection. It includes guidance data and display data for displaying a map image and a guidance screen. That is, the movement guidance information 26 received in S18 is information for specifying the current position, traveling guidance along the guidance route, and displaying an image in the update target area around the current position of the vehicle.

  Thereafter, in S19, the CPU 51 performs a route search process from the departure point to the destination set in S14 using the terminal-side map information 48 of the communication terminal 5, and a recommended route from the departure point to the destination (hereinafter referred to as the following). The terminal recommended route). Specifically, based on the link data, node data, search data, etc. included in the terminal-side map information 48, the link cost obtained by quantifying the appropriate degree as the route to the link (road), or the route to the intersection (node) As described above, the intersection cost obtained by quantifying the appropriate degree, the toll cost obtained by quantifying the cost required for traveling, and the like are calculated, and the terminal recommended route is searched using each calculated search cost. For example, a known Dijkstra method is used, and a route with a minimum cost value is set as a terminal recommended route. Since the route search process using the Dijkstra method is already known, the details are omitted. Further, the departure point may be the current position of the vehicle, or may be an arbitrary point (for example, home) designated by the user.

  Subsequently, in S <b> 20, the CPU 51 transmits to the server device 3 a route search request for requesting a route search from the departure point to the destination. Here, in the route search request, the terminal ID that identifies the communication terminal 5 that is the transmission source of the route search request, the departure place (for example, the current position of the vehicle) that is the search condition for the route search, and the purpose set in S14 Information for specifying the ground and route information for specifying the terminal recommended route searched in S19 are included. However, when the vehicle is rerouted when the vehicle deviates from the guide route, the destination is basically the same as that at the previous search, and therefore information specifying the destination may not be transmitted.

  In addition, as route information for specifying the terminal recommended route, information specifying the entire terminal recommended route may be transmitted. Of the terminal recommended routes, in particular, continuous from the departure point within a predetermined distance from the departure point. Only the information specifying the road train to be transmitted may be transmitted.

  Thereafter, in S21, the CPU 51 receives the searched route information transmitted from the server device 3 in response to the route search request. Here, the searched route information received in S21 is the purpose from the departure point searched by the server device 3 using the device side map information 25 which is the latest version of map information based on the route search request transmitted in S20. This is information regarding a recommended route to the ground (hereinafter referred to as a server recommended route).

  Subsequently, in S22, the CPU 51 determines whether or not to set the server recommended route received in S21 as the guide route of the communication terminal 5. When the server recommended route is received from the server device 3, the received server recommended route is basically set as the guide route of the communication terminal 5. However, for example, when the server recommended route cannot be received from the server device 3 due to a communication error or the like, the route other than the server recommended route such as the terminal recommended route searched by the communication terminal 5 in S19 is a guide route for the communication terminal 5. Set to.

  If it is determined that a route other than the server recommended route is set as the guide route of the communication terminal 5 (S22: NO), the process proceeds to S23.

  In S23, the CPU 51 sets, for example, the terminal recommended route searched by the route search process in S19 as a guidance route that is a target for vehicle travel guidance in the communication terminal 5. Thereafter, vehicle travel guidance is started based on the set guidance route. For example, display a map image that includes the road network around the location of the vehicle, or display an enlarged view of the guidance branch point when the guidance branch point to be turned right or left approaches a predetermined distance before the vehicle. , Guiding the traveling direction of the vehicle at the guidance branch point. In S23, the CPU 51 basically performs the travel guidance based on the terminal-side map information 48 and the movement guide information 26 stored in the terminal-side map DB 45. Here, since the terminal recommended route searched by the route search process of S19 is a route searched based on the terminal-side map information 48 of the communication terminal 5, a new version of travel guidance acquired from the server device 3 is obtained. The current position of the vehicle can be specified and guided to the correct position even using the old version of the movement guide information 26 instead of the information 26, and the correct traveling direction of the vehicle can be guided at the guidance intersection. However, regarding the area where the new version of the travel guidance information 26 obtained from the server device 3 exists, the travel guidance may be performed using the travel guidance information 26.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the server recommended route received in S21 is set as the guide route of the communication terminal 5 (S22: YES), the process proceeds to S24.

  In S <b> 24, the CPU 51 sets the server recommended route received in S <b> 21 as a guidance route that is a target for vehicle travel guidance in the communication terminal 5. Thereafter, vehicle travel guidance is started based on the set guidance route. For example, display a map image that includes the road network around the location of the vehicle, or display an enlarged view of the guidance branch point when the guidance branch point to be turned right or left approaches a predetermined distance before the vehicle. , Guiding the traveling direction of the vehicle at the guidance branch point. In S24, the CPU 51 basically performs the travel guidance based on the terminal-side map information 48 and the movement guide information 26 stored in the terminal-side map DB 45. However, if the terminal-side map information 48 and the movement guide information 26 stored in the terminal-side map DB 45 are not the latest version in the area around the current position of the vehicle or the area around the guide route, the cache is acquired from the server device 3 and cached. The travel guidance is also performed using the travel guidance information 26 stored in 47. The travel guidance information 26 is necessary for matching data necessary for map matching of the vehicle and guidance for causing the vehicle to travel along a guidance route such as a left / right turn guidance at a guidance intersection. Since it includes guidance data and display data for displaying a map image and a guidance screen, even if the terminal-side map information 48 and the movement guidance information 26 stored in the terminal-side map DB 45 are not the latest version, the latest version It is possible to appropriately carry out travel guidance along the guide route searched based on the map information.

  Subsequently, in S <b> 25, the CPU 51 acquires a guide route that is currently set in the communication terminal 5.

  Next, in S26, the CPU 51 specifies the “update target area around the guide route” based on the version comparison information 27 stored in the version management DB 46 in S13 and the guide route acquired in S25. Specifically, the CPU 51 first identifies a mesh including at least a part of the guide route within a predetermined distance L from the current position of the vehicle to the destination direction as a mesh around the guide route. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 12, meshes including at least a part of the guide route 65 within a predetermined distance L from the current position of the vehicle to the destination direction are meshes H, M, Q, and R. Thereafter, it is determined whether the meshes H, M, R, and Q correspond to the update target area with reference to the version comparison information 27, and the flag “ The mesh associated with “0” is specified as the “update target area around the guide route”.

  Subsequently, in S <b> 27, the CPU 51 transmits to the server device 3 a request for the travel guidance information 26 targeted for the “update target area around the guide route” specified in S <b> 26. However, the area where the same travel guide information 26 is already stored in the cache 47 of the communication terminal 5 is excluded from the request target. Note that the request for travel guidance information transmitted in S27 includes the terminal ID that identifies the communication terminal 5 that has transmitted the request for travel guidance information, and the area that is the target for requesting travel guidance information (specified in S26). Information (for example, mesh identification number) for specifying “updated area around guide route”).

  Thereafter, in S28, the CPU 51 receives the travel guidance information 26 transmitted from the server device 3 in response to the request for the travel guidance information 26. The travel guidance information 26 is necessary for matching data necessary for map matching of the vehicle and guidance for causing the vehicle to travel along a guidance route such as a left / right turn guidance at a guidance intersection. It includes guidance data and display data for displaying a map image and a guidance screen. That is, the movement guidance information 26 received in S28 is information for specifying the current position, traveling guidance along the guidance route, and displaying images in the update target area around the guidance route.

  Thereafter, in S29, the CPU 51 determines whether or not the vehicle has straddled a section (for example, mesh) of the map information.

  And when it determines with the vehicle straddling the division of map information (S29: YES), it transfers to S30. On the other hand, when it is determined that the vehicle does not straddle the section of the map information (S29: NO), the process proceeds to S33.

  In S30, the CPU 51 determines, based on the version comparison information 27 stored in the version management DB 46 in S13, the current position of the vehicle, and the guidance route acquired in S25, the “update target area around the current position of the vehicle” and “guidance” Each update target area around the route is specified. It should be noted that the process is the same as S16 for specifying the “update target area around the current position of the vehicle”, and the “update target area around the guide route” is the same as S26, and the details are omitted.

  Subsequently, in S31, the CPU 51 requests the server device 3 for the travel guidance information 26 for the “update target area around the current position of the vehicle” and the “update target area around the guide route” specified in S30. And send. However, the area where the same travel guide information 26 is already stored in the cache 47 of the communication terminal 5 is excluded from the request target. The request for travel guidance information transmitted in S31 includes the terminal ID that identifies the communication terminal 5 that has transmitted the request for travel guidance information and the area that is the target for requesting travel guidance information (specified in S30). Information (for example, mesh identification number) for specifying “updated area around current position of vehicle” and “updated area around guide route”).

  Thereafter, in S <b> 32, the CPU 51 receives the travel guide information 26 transmitted from the server device 3 in response to the request for the travel guide information 26. The travel guidance information 26 is necessary for matching data necessary for map matching of the vehicle and guidance for causing the vehicle to travel along a guidance route such as a left / right turn guidance at a guidance intersection. It includes guidance data and display data for displaying a map image and a guidance screen. That is, the travel guidance information 26 received in S32 is used to specify the current position, travel guidance along the guide route, and display images in the update target area around the current position of the vehicle and the update target area around the guide route. Information.

  Thereafter, in S33, the CPU 51 determines whether or not the vehicle has reached the destination.

  And when it determines with the vehicle having reached | attained the destination (S33: YES), the said movement guidance processing program is complete | finished. On the other hand, when it is determined that the vehicle has not reached the destination (S33: NO), the process returns to S29, and continuously receives the travel guidance information and provides the travel guidance using the received travel guidance information. Do.

  Next, a movement guide processing program executed by the CPU 21 of the server device 3 will be described.

  First, in S41, the CPU 21 receives a comparison information request transmitted from the activated communication terminal 5. The comparison information request includes a terminal ID that identifies the communication terminal 5 that is the transmission source of the table update request, and information that identifies the current “base version of the terminal-side map information 48”.

  Subsequently, in S42, the CPU 21 reads out the version comparison information 27 corresponding to the “base version of the terminal-side map information 48” from the device-side map DB 12 based on the comparison information request received in S41. Here, the version comparison information 27 is created in the above-described comparison information generation processing program (FIG. 6) and stored in the apparatus-side map DB 12. In particular, when there are a plurality of base versions, the version comparison information 27 is generated for each of the plurality of base versions, and the version comparison information 27 corresponding to the “base version of the terminal-side map information 48” is read out from the version comparison information 27.

  Thereafter, in S43, the CPU 21 transmits the version comparison information 27 read in S42 to the communication terminal 5 that requested it.

  Next, in S <b> 44, the CPU 21 receives a request for the travel guidance information 26 transmitted from the communication terminal 5. The request for the travel guidance information 26 includes the terminal ID that identifies the communication terminal 5 that has transmitted the request for travel guidance information, and the area for which the travel guidance information is requested (the current vehicle specified in S16). The information (for example, mesh number) specifying the update target area around the position is included.

  Subsequently, in S45, based on the request for the travel guidance information 26 received in S44, the CPU 21 extracts the travel guidance information 26 for the corresponding area from the device-side map DB 12.

  Thereafter, in S46, the CPU 21 transmits the travel guidance information 26 extracted in S45 to the communication terminal 5 that requested it.

  Next, in S <b> 47, the CPU 21 receives a route search request transmitted from the communication terminal 5. In the route search request, the terminal ID that identifies the communication terminal 5 that is the transmission source of the route search request, the departure point (for example, the current position of the vehicle) that is the search condition for the route search, and the destination set in S14 above. And route information for specifying the terminal recommended route searched in S19.

  Next, in S48, the CPU 21 performs a route search process from the departure place to the destination using the route search request received in S47 and the device-side map information 25 of the server device 3, and from the departure place to the destination. Identify the recommended route to the ground (server recommended route). The server recommended route is a route including at least a part of the terminal recommended route searched by the communication terminal 5. More specifically, a route to a destination connected to a terminal recommended route within a predetermined distance from the departure point is searched, and a route that combines the terminal recommended route within the predetermined distance from the departure point and the searched route is a server. Use the recommended route.

  Subsequently, in S49, the CPU 21 transmits searched route information for specifying the server recommended route specified in S48 to the communication terminal 5 that is the transmission source of the route search request. As a result, the server recommended route is set as the guide route in the communication terminal 5.

  Thereafter, in S50, the CPU 21 receives a request for the travel guide information 26 transmitted from the communication terminal 5 after the guide route is set. The request for the travel guidance information 26 includes the terminal ID that identifies the communication terminal 5 that has transmitted the request for travel guidance information, and the area for which the travel guidance information is requested (the periphery of the guide route identified in S26). Information (for example, mesh number) is included.

  Subsequently, in S51, the CPU 21 extracts the movement guidance information 26 of the corresponding area from the apparatus-side map DB 12 based on the request for the movement guidance information 26 received in S50.

  Thereafter, in S52, the CPU 21 transmits the travel guidance information 26 extracted in S51 to the communication terminal 5 that requested it.

  Furthermore, in S53, the CPU 21 receives a request for the travel guidance information 26 transmitted from the communication terminal 5 after straddling the section of the map information. The request for the travel guidance information 26 includes the terminal ID for identifying the communication terminal 5 that has transmitted the request for travel guidance information, and the area for which the travel guidance information is requested (the current vehicle specified in S30). Information (for example, mesh number) for specifying the area around the position and the area around the guide route) is included.

  Subsequently, in S54, the CPU 21 extracts the travel guidance information 26 of the corresponding area from the apparatus-side map DB 12 based on the request for the travel guidance information 26 received in S53.

  Thereafter, in S55, the CPU 21 transmits the movement guide information 26 extracted in S54 to the communication terminal 5 that requested it. As a result, in the communication terminal 5, various types of movement guidance are performed using the distributed movement guidance information 26.

  As described above in detail, in the information distribution system 1, the server device 3, the communication terminal 5, and the computer program executed on the server device 3 or the communication terminal 5 according to the present embodiment, the reference is included in the map information whose versions are sequentially updated. Version comparison information 27 is generated by comparing the latest version of map information of the server apparatus 3 with respect to the map information of the base version for each block unit of the map information (S4). Since the version comparison information 27 corresponding to the base version of the map information possessed by the terminal 5 is distributed from the server device 3 to the communication terminal 5 (S41 to S43), the processing burden related to the generation of the version comparison information 27 is reduced, and more The version comparison information 27 can be managed and distributed in a small size.If the version comparison information 27 is used, for example, the time required until the communication terminal 5 obtains the travel guidance information 26 necessary for performing the travel guidance of the mobile body from the server device 3 can be shortened.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
For example, in the present embodiment, the communication terminal 5 uses the version comparison information 27 distributed from the server device 3 to specify an area for requesting the travel guidance information 26 necessary for performing the travel guidance of the mobile body (S16). , S26, S30), but the communication terminal 5 can use the version comparison information 27 distributed from the server device 3 for other purposes. For example, when updating the terminal-side map information 48 included in the communication terminal 5, it may be used to specify an area to be updated. In that case, the time required to acquire the map update information from the server device can be shortened compared to the conventional case.

  In the present embodiment, the processing (S11 to S13, S41 to S43) related to the distribution of the version comparison information 27 from the server device 3 to the communication terminal 5 is performed after the communication terminal 5 is turned on. The configuration is performed before the search is performed, but may be performed at other timing. For example, you may implement at the timing when the map information which the server apparatus 3 has updated, the timing when the map information which the communication terminal 5 has was updated, and every predetermined period (for example, every month).

  In the present embodiment, the version comparison corresponding to the updated apparatus-side map information 25 after updating (S1) of the apparatus-side map information 25 included in the server apparatus 3 in the comparison information generation processing program (FIG. 6). Information is generated (S2 to S5), but the order of S1 and S2 to S5 may be reversed.

  In the present embodiment, the version comparison information 27 is a table that identifies meshes that correspond to the update target area and meshes that do not correspond to the update target area in units of meshes in the map information (FIG. 4). For example, you may identify by administrative division unit, such as a municipality.

  In the present embodiment, the communication terminal 5 is configured to request the travel guidance information 26 from the server device 3 for the update target area around the current position of the vehicle and the update target area around the guide route. As for the update target area in the area where the map image is displayed in 35, the movement guide information 26 may be requested from the server device 3. As a result, for example, when the map image displayed on the liquid crystal display 35 is scroll-displayed, the map image based on the latest version of the map information can be displayed.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the communication terminal 5 is present at the timing after the destination setting (S14) and before the route search request is transmitted to the server device 3 (S20). The travel guidance information 26 around the position is requested to the server device 3 (S17), but the travel guidance information is requested after the communication terminal 5 is started and before the guidance route is set. It may be done at the timing.

  In addition, the embodiment in which the server device, the communication terminal, the information distribution system, and the computer program according to the present invention are embodied has been described above. However, the server device may have the following configuration, in which case The effect of.

For example, the first configuration is as follows.
In the server device (3), which is connected to the communication terminal (5) so as to be capable of two-way communication, and has map information (25) in which the version is sequentially updated by updating based on the base version map information, the map information Comparison information generating means (21) that generates version comparison information (27) by comparing the latest version of map information of the server device with respect to the base version of map information for each partition unit; and from the communication terminal Version receiving means (21) for receiving information specifying the base version of the map information possessed by the communication terminal, and comparison for delivering the version comparison information corresponding to the base version of the map information possessed by the communication terminal to the communication terminal Information distribution means (21).
According to the server device having the above configuration, the version comparison information that compares the latest map information of the server device with respect to the map information of the specific base version, not the version comparison information that compares the map information of all versions. By generating information, it is possible to reduce the processing burden related to generation of version comparison information, and to manage and distribute version comparison information with a smaller size. In addition, using version comparison information shortens the time required until the communication terminal obtains, for example, guidance information necessary for moving guidance of a mobile body and map update information for updating the map from the server device. can do.

The second configuration is as follows.
The version comparison information (27) is information for specifying a section in which the latest version of map information of the server device (3) is updated with respect to the base version of map information.
According to the server device having the above configuration, the latest version of the map information of the server device is updated with respect to the base version of the map information, that is, the map information of the base version corresponds to the latest map information. It is possible to easily and quickly identify an area that is not.

The third configuration is as follows.
As the base version map information, new map information is registered every predetermined period.
According to the server device having the above configuration, the base version map information and the latest version of the server device are registered by newly registering the base version at regular intervals as the map information version is sequentially updated. It can be prevented that the map information greatly differs. As a result, the data amount of the version comparison information obtained by comparing the two can be reduced, and management can be facilitated.

The fourth configuration is as follows.
When there are a plurality of pieces of map information of the base version, the comparison information generation means (21) has the newest information that the server device has for the map information of the base version for each piece of map information of the plurality of base versions. The version comparison information (27) that compares the map information of the versions is generated, and the comparison information distribution means (21) corresponds to the base version of the map information that the communication terminal (5) has among a plurality of base versions. The version comparison information to be distributed to the communication terminal.
According to the server device having the above-described configuration, the base version map information and the latest version of map information of the server device are prevented from being greatly different from each other, while the version adapted to the update status of the communication terminal The comparison information can be distributed to the communication terminal. For example, for communication terminals that do not frequently update map information, it is possible to distribute version comparison information corresponding to the map information of the old base version of the communication terminal instead of the new base version.

The fifth configuration is as follows.
Request receiving means (21) for receiving a request for guidance information for performing movement guidance of a moving body in a section specified based on the version comparison information from the communication terminal (5), and a request from the communication terminal And distribution means (21) for distributing the guidance information to the communication terminal.
According to the server device having the above configuration, the center is distributed by distributing version comparison information for identifying whether or not the communication information is a section that needs to request guidance information for each section of map information. When performing route search, it is possible to shorten the time required to obtain guidance information necessary for performing movement guidance of a mobile object. As a result, after the communication terminal obtains the guidance route from the server device, it is possible to prevent as much as possible the occurrence of an event in which travel guidance based on the guidance route is not performed or erroneous guidance is performed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Information distribution system 2 Map information center 3 Server apparatus 4 User 5 Communication terminal 11 Server control ECU
12 Device side map DB
21 CPU
22 RAM
23 ROM
24 Flash memory 25 Device side map information 26 Movement guide information 27 Version comparison information 33 Navigation ECU
45 Terminal side map DB
48 Terminal side map information 51 CPU
52 RAM
53 ROM
54 Flash memory 61 Difference information

Claims (8)

In a server device having map information that is connected to a communication terminal so as to be capable of two-way communication and whose version is sequentially updated by updating based on the map information of the base version,
Comparison information generating means for generating version comparison information for comparing the latest version of map information of the server device with respect to the map information of the base version for each section of map information;
Version receiving means for receiving from the communication terminal information identifying a base version of map information possessed by the communication terminal;
A server apparatus comprising: comparison information distribution means for distributing the version comparison information corresponding to a base version of map information included in the communication terminal to the communication terminal.   The server device according to claim 1, wherein the version comparison information is information that identifies a section in which the latest version of map information of the server device is updated with respect to the base version of map information.   The server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein new map information is registered as the base version map information every elapse of a predetermined period. When there are a plurality of pieces of map information of the base version, the comparison information generating means, for each piece of map information of the plurality of base versions, maps of the newest version that the server device has with respect to the map information of the base version Generating the version comparison information comparing information,
The server apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the comparison information distribution unit distributes the version comparison information corresponding to a base version of map information included in the communication terminal among the plurality of base versions to the communication terminal. Request receiving means for receiving, from the communication terminal, a request for guidance information for performing movement guidance of a moving body in a section specified based on the version comparison information;
The server device according to claim 1, further comprising a distribution unit that distributes the guidance information to the communication terminal in response to a request from the communication terminal. A server device that is connected to a communication terminal so as to be capable of bidirectional communication and has map information in which the version is sequentially updated by updating based on the map information of the base version,
Comparison information generating means for generating version comparison information for comparing the latest version of map information of the server device with respect to the map information of the base version for each section of map information;
Version receiving means for receiving from the communication terminal information identifying a base version of map information possessed by the communication terminal;
Comparison information distribution means for distributing the version comparison information corresponding to the base version of the map information possessed by the communication terminal to the communication terminal;
Computer program to make it function. In a communication terminal connected so as to be capable of bidirectional communication with a server device having map information whose version is sequentially updated by updating based on the map information of the base version,
Version transmitting means for transmitting information specifying a base version of map information of the communication terminal to the server device;
Of the version comparison information obtained by comparing the latest version of map information of the server device with respect to the map information of the base version for each partition unit of map information, the communication terminal corresponds to the base version of the map information of the communication terminal. And a comparison information receiving means for receiving version comparison information from the server device. An information distribution system comprising: a communication terminal; and a server device connected to the communication terminal so as to be capable of two-way communication, and having map information in which versions are sequentially updated by updating based on the base version map information In
The communication terminal is
Version transmitting means for transmitting information specifying a base version of map information of the communication terminal to the server device,
The server device
Comparison information generating means for generating version comparison information for comparing the latest version of map information of the server device with respect to the map information of the base version for each section of map information;
Version receiving means for receiving from the communication terminal information identifying a base version of map information possessed by the communication terminal;
An information distribution system comprising: comparison information distribution means for distributing the version comparison information corresponding to a base version of map information included in the communication terminal to the communication terminal.

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