JP2020052052A - Program and terminal device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a display device capable of acquiring information on traffic congestion in real-time during traveling of a moving body.SOLUTION: In a display device, a display screen 45B includes: map information which includes current location information indicating a current location of a moving body in a congested section where a moving body is traveling; and a display part which displays a plurality of selection buttons 89A to 89C indicating the degree of congestion in an input window different from the map information. When any of selection buttons 89A to 89E is selected on the basis of touch panel operation or the like, a navigation device generates specific other vehicle information in accordance with the selected button.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a technology for exchanging information.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an in-vehicle device having a communication function for exchanging information with another terminal has been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an in-vehicle system that acquires post information and position information indicating a post destination of the post information by a communication device, and generates map data in which the post information is displayed at a position indicated by the position information. A display device is disclosed. Further, the in-vehicle display device described in Patent Literature 1 can display only posted information from a designated user. In addition, a technique related to the present invention is disclosed in Patent Document 2.

JP 2011-247832A Patent No. 3678639

  Generally, when an in-vehicle device such as a navigation device obtains traffic jam information from a server device on a network using a communication function, the provided traffic jam information is a result of statistical processing performed by the server device, resulting in real-time information. Not often. Further, with the technology described in Patent Literature 1, information can be posted in real time, but it is not possible to specify a request destination of information and obtain desired information by inquiring.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and has as its main object to provide a terminal device capable of acquiring information about traffic congestion in real time when a moving object is traveling. .

  The invention according to claim 1 is a program executed by a terminal device having a display unit and a computer, the computer comprising: an icon indicating a current position of a moving object; and an icon indicating a position of another moving object. First display means for displaying, on a map, traffic congestion information indicating a section in which traffic congestion has occurred, and one icon indicating the position of the other moving object displayed on the map as a specific other moving object. Selecting means for selecting, receiving the information of the specific other mobile from the server, and displaying the information of the specific other mobile on the display unit in association with the icon of the specific other mobile on the map; Function as display means.

  According to this, the user himself / herself can select another mobile object whose information is desired. In addition, the user can select other vehicles for which information is desired by referring to the traffic information displayed on the map and the position of other vehicles.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a terminal device having a display unit and a computer, wherein an icon indicating a current position of a moving object, an icon indicating a position of another moving object, and a section in which traffic congestion occurs. First display means for displaying the traffic congestion information on a map, selecting means for selecting one icon indicating the position of the other moving object displayed on the map as a specific other moving object, and Second display means for receiving information on the other moving object from the server, and displaying the information on the specific other moving object in correspondence with the icon of the specific other moving object on the map on the display unit.

1 shows a schematic configuration of an information requesting system according to an embodiment. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a navigation device. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a server device. 13 shows a display screen after receiving vehicle position information of another vehicle. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state where a specific other vehicle is selected on a display screen. 13 shows a display screen after receiving specific other vehicle information. 7 shows a display screen after receiving a request signal for specific other vehicle information. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of an information request process according to the embodiment. It is a figure for explaining the priority of the search range of vehicle position information.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a terminal device which moves together with a moving object, wherein a reference position specifying means for specifying a reference position for searching for another moving object which is a moving object other than the moving object, Display control means for displaying, on a display means, the position of the other moving object retrieved with reference to a reference position, and another movement for designating at least one of the other moving objects from the other moving object displayed by the display means It has a body designating means and a requesting means for requesting information from a terminal moving with the designated other moving body.

  The above terminal device is a terminal device that moves together with a moving object, and includes a reference position specifying unit, a display control unit, another moving unit specifying unit, and a requesting unit. The reference position specifying means specifies a reference position at which to search for another moving object based on an external input or the like. The display control means causes the display means to display the position of the other mobile object searched based on the reference position. The other moving object designating means specifies at least one other moving object from the other moving objects displayed by the display means based on an external input or the like. The request unit requests information from a terminal that moves together with the designated other mobile unit. The “moving object” includes a pedestrian in addition to a vehicle. According to this aspect, the terminal device can specify another mobile unit and request necessary information in real time.

  In one aspect of the terminal device, the information is information on traffic congestion. According to this aspect, the user of the terminal device can acquire the traffic jam information from another vehicle in real time while the mobile body is traveling.

  In another aspect of the terminal device, the display device further includes the display unit including a touch panel, wherein the display control unit causes the display unit to display a position of the other mobile object together with map information, and specifies the other mobile object. The means designates another mobile object designated by the user via the touch panel. According to this aspect, the terminal device can appropriately specify the other moving object intended by the user and request the necessary information in real time.

  In another aspect of the terminal device, the other moving body specifying means specifies the other moving body that is traveling ahead of the same congested section as the moving body. According to this aspect, the user of the terminal device can arbitrarily designate a preceding moving body and request the traffic jam information of the traffic jam section, for example, when approaching the traffic jam section.

  In another aspect of the terminal device, the display control unit displays, on the display unit, a position of the other mobile object searched based on an aspect ratio of a display of the display unit, based on the reference position. Display on the map. As described above, by displaying the position of the other moving object searched based on the aspect ratio of the display on the map, the terminal device can efficiently display the position of the searched other moving object on the display. it can.

  In another aspect of the terminal device, the display control means causes the display means to display the position of the other moving object searched based on the traveling direction of the moving object with reference to the reference position. For example, depending on the type of requested information, such as traffic congestion information, only the user of the moving object existing in the traveling direction may know. Therefore, according to this aspect, the terminal device can display on the display means only the position of the other mobile object that may know the requested information.

  In another aspect of the terminal device, the terminal device communicates with a server device that manages position information of a moving object, and transmits information on the position of the other moving object searched by the server device based on the reference position, using the server device. And receiving means for receiving from the server. According to this aspect, the terminal device can appropriately acquire the information on the position of the other mobile unit from the server device.

  In another aspect of the terminal device, the requesting unit requests the information via the server device from a terminal that moves together with the specified other mobile object. According to this aspect, the terminal device can appropriately request the necessary information even when the terminal device cannot directly communicate with the terminal to which the information is requested.

  In another aspect of the terminal device, when a request for information is received from a terminal that moves with another moving body that is a moving body other than the moving body, an input receiving unit that receives an input for generating the information, Transmitting means for generating the requested information based on the input, and transmitting the generated information to a terminal moving with the other moving body. According to this aspect, when a terminal device receives a request for information from a terminal that moves with another mobile body, the terminal device receives an input necessary for generating information and preferably transmits the requested information to a request source. Can be.

  According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a control method executed by a terminal device moving with a moving object, wherein a reference position for searching for another moving object other than the moving object is designated. A reference position designation step, a display control step of displaying a position of the other moving object retrieved with reference to the reference position on a display means, and at least one of the other moving objects from the other moving object displayed by the display means. The mobile communication system further comprises a mobile unit designating step of specifying a mobile unit, and a requesting step of requesting information from a terminal moving with the specified other mobile unit. By using this control method, the terminal device can designate another mobile unit and request necessary information in real time.

  According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a program executed by a terminal device that moves with a moving object, wherein the reference position specifies a reference position to search for another moving object other than the moving object. Designation means, display control means for displaying on the display means the position of the other moving object searched with reference to the reference position, and at least one of the other moving objects from the other moving object displayed by the display means The terminal device functions as requesting means for requesting information from another mobile unit designating means for designating the information and a terminal moving with the specified other moving body. By installing and executing this program, the terminal device can specify another mobile unit and request necessary information in real time. Preferably, the above-mentioned program is stored in a storage medium.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Information request system]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration of the information request system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the information requesting system according to the present embodiment includes a navigation device 100A that provides route guidance for a following vehicle Ve1 traveling in the same congested section as a preceding vehicle Ve2, which will be described later. It includes a navigation device 100B that provides route guidance for a preceding vehicle Ve2 preceding the vehicle Ve1, and a server device 200. The server device 200 communicates with each of the navigation devices 100A and 100B via the network 300.

  In the information request system shown in FIG. 1, the navigation device 100A of the following vehicle Ve1 makes a request for the traffic jam information to the navigation device 100B of the preceding vehicle Ve2 via the server device 200.

  Hereinafter, when the navigation device 100A and the navigation device 100B are not particularly distinguished from each other, they are simply referred to as “navigation device 100”.

(1) Configuration of Navigation Device FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the navigation device 100. The navigation device 100 is, for example, a stationary navigation device or a portable terminal that provides route guidance. As shown in FIG. 2, the self-contained positioning device 10, GPS receiver 18, system controller 20, disk drive 31, data storage unit 36, a communication interface 37, a first communication device 38, a display unit 40, an audio output unit 50, an input device 60, and a second communication device 61. The navigation device 100 is an example of the “terminal device” in the present invention.

  The self-contained positioning device 10 includes an acceleration sensor 11, an angular velocity sensor 12, and a distance sensor 13. The acceleration sensor 11 includes, for example, a piezoelectric element, detects acceleration of the vehicle, and outputs acceleration data. The angular velocity sensor 12 includes, for example, a vibrating gyroscope, detects an angular velocity of the vehicle at the time of changing the direction of the vehicle, and outputs angular velocity data and relative azimuth data. The distance sensor 13 measures a vehicle speed pulse composed of a pulse signal generated as the wheels of the vehicle rotate.

  The GPS receiver 18 receives radio waves 19 that carry downlink data including positioning data from a plurality of GPS satellites. The positioning data is used to detect the absolute position of the vehicle from the latitude and longitude information.

  The system controller 20 includes an interface 21, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 22, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 23, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 24, and executes a control program stored in the ROM 23 or the like. The control of the entire navigation device 100 is performed.

  For example, the system controller 20 includes information on the navigation device 100 including the information on the traveling direction of the vehicle detected by the angular velocity sensor 12 and the like and the position information detected by the GPS receiver 18 and information on the vehicle on which the navigation device 100 performs route guidance (“ The vehicle information is also transmitted to the server device 200 at predetermined or irregular intervals. In the present embodiment, the vehicle position information Ip is, in addition to the above-described traveling direction information and position information, identification information (also referred to as “terminal ID”) of the navigation device 100 and information on the aspect ratio of the display screen of the display 44. including. The information on the traveling direction indicates, for example, the angle of the traveling direction when north is 0 °. Preferably, the system controller 20 may transmit the latest vehicle position information Ip to the server device 200 every time communication with the server device 200 is performed. As will be described later, the system controller 20 functions as “reference position designating device”, “display control device”, “other vehicle designating device”, and “requesting device” in the present invention.

  The interface 21 performs an interface operation with the acceleration sensor 11, the angular velocity sensor 12, the distance sensor 13, and the GPS receiver 18. Then, from these, the vehicle speed pulse, acceleration data, relative azimuth data, angular velocity data, GPS positioning data, absolute azimuth data, and the like are input to the system controller 20. The CPU 22 controls the entire system controller 20. The ROM 23 has a not-shown non-volatile memory or the like in which a control program for controlling the system controller 20 and the like are stored. The RAM 24 readablely stores various data such as path data set in advance by the user via the input device 60, and provides a working area to the CPU 22.

  The system controller 20, a disk drive 31 such as a CD-ROM drive or a DVD-ROM drive, a data storage unit 36, a communication interface 37, a display unit 40, an audio output unit 50, and an input device 60 are interconnected via a bus line 30. It is connected to the.

  The disk drive 31 reads and outputs content data such as music data and video data from a disk 33 such as a CD or DVD under the control of the system controller 20. Note that the disk drive 31 may be either a CD-ROM drive or a DVD-ROM drive, or may be a CD- and DVD-compatible drive.

  The data storage unit 36 is configured by, for example, an HDD and stores various data used for navigation processing such as map data. The map data includes road data represented by a link corresponding to a road and a node corresponding to a connection portion (intersection) of the road, facility information regarding each facility, and the like.

  The first communication device 38 includes, for example, an FM tuner and a beacon receiver, and transmits information (hereinafter, referred to as “VICS information”) transmitted from a VICS (Vehicle Information Communication System, registered trademark) center or the like. Get more. Then, the interface 37 performs the interface operation of the first communication device 38 and inputs the VICS information to the system controller 20 or the like.

  The display unit 40 displays various display data on a display device such as a display under the control of the system controller 20. Specifically, the system controller 20 reads map data from the data storage unit 36. The display unit 40 displays map data and the like read from the data storage unit 36 by the system controller 20 on a display screen. The display unit 40 includes a graphic controller 41 that controls the entire display unit 40 based on control data sent from the CPU 22 via the bus line 30 and a memory such as a VRAM (Video RAM), and displays image information that can be displayed immediately. A buffer memory 42 for temporarily storing, a display controller 43 for controlling a display 44 such as a liquid crystal display or a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) based on image data output from the graphic controller 41, and a display 44 are provided. . The display 44 functions as an image display unit and includes, for example, a liquid crystal display device having a diagonal of about 5 to 10 inches, and is mounted near a front panel in the vehicle.

  The audio output unit 50 performs D / A (Digital to Analog) conversion of audio digital data transmitted from the CD-ROM drive 31, the DVD-ROM 32, the RAM 24, or the like via the bus line 30 under the control of the system controller 20. A D / A converter 51, an amplifier (AMP) 52 that amplifies an audio analog signal output from the D / A converter 51, and a speaker 53 that converts the amplified audio analog signal into audio and outputs the audio to the vehicle. It is provided with.

  The input device 60 includes keys, switches, buttons, a remote controller, a voice input device, and the like for inputting various commands and data. The input device 60 is arranged around the front panel and the display 44 of the main body of the vehicle-mounted electronic system mounted in the vehicle. When the display 44 is of a touch panel type, a touch panel provided on the display screen of the display 44 also functions as the input device 60.

  The second communication device 61 is configured by, for example, a mobile phone or a dedicated communication card, and communicates with a terminal connected to the network 300 including the server device 200. For example, based on the control of the system controller 20, the second communication device 61 transmits the vehicle position information Ip to the server device 200 at predetermined or irregular intervals.

(2) Configuration of Server Device FIG. 3 shows a schematic configuration of the server device 200. The server device 200 communicates via the network 300 with terminal devices that provide guidance for vehicles, such as the navigation devices 100A and 100B. As shown in FIG. 3, the server device 200 includes a communication unit 202, a storage unit 203, and a control unit 204. The communication unit 202, the storage unit 203, and the control unit 204 are mutually connected via a bus line 201.

  The communication unit 202 transmits and receives various data under the control of the control unit 204. For example, the communication unit 202 receives the vehicle position information Ip from each navigation device.

  The communication unit 200 has a function of connecting to a communication carrier such as an Internet line or a mobile phone carrier, and makes an appropriate connection to the network 300.

  The storage unit 203 includes, for example, an HDD. The storage unit 203 stores the vehicle position information Ip transmitted from each terminal device such as the navigation device 100 together with the address information of the transmission source, the information of the reception date and time, and the like. The storage unit 203 preferably stores the vehicle position information Ip in an easy-to-search order based on the latitude and longitude indicated by the position information included in the vehicle position information Ip. Further, based on the information on the reception date and time stored together with each vehicle position information Ip, the storage unit 203 discards the vehicle position information Ip that has passed a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) from the reception.

  The control unit 204 has a CPU, a memory such as a ROM and a RAM, and performs general control of the server device 200 by executing a program stored in the memory. The processing executed by the control unit 204 will be described in detail in the section of [Control Method].

[Control method]
Next, information request processing executed by the navigation devices 100A and 100B and the server device 200 will be described.

(1) Processing of Navigation Apparatus 100A First, in the present embodiment, processing executed by the navigation apparatus 100A that provides route guidance for the following vehicle Ve1 will be specifically described.

  First, the navigation device 100A displays a map including the current position on the display 44 based on the position information generated by the GPS receiver 18. Further, the navigation device 100A generates the vehicle position information Ip including the position information on the current position and the information on the traveling direction, and transmits the vehicle position information Ip to the server device 200.

  Further, navigation device 100A transmits a signal (also referred to as “first request signal Ir1”) for requesting server position information Ip of the other vehicle to server device 200. The navigation device 100A may transmit the above-described first request signal Ir1 when the user explicitly inputs (for example, presses a dedicated button), and automatically transmits the first request signal Ir1 at a constant or irregular interval. You may. Further, here, as described in the description of the processing of the server device 200, the navigation device 100A specifies the current position of the following vehicle Ve1 specified by the vehicle position information Ip as the reference position, and sends the vehicle information to the server device 200. It is assumed that a search for the position information Ip is executed.

  Then, the navigation device 100A receives the vehicle position information Ip of the other vehicle from the server device 200 as a response to the first request signal Ir1, and displays an icon representing the vehicle corresponding to each of the received vehicle position information Ip. Display on the map screen inside. This will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of the display screen 45A of the display 44 after receiving the vehicle position information Ip of the navigation device 100A. On the display screen 45A shown in FIG. 4, the following vehicle Ve1 is displayed by an icon 81A, the preceding vehicle Ve2 is displayed by an icon 82B, and other vehicles are displayed by icons 82C to 82E. The icon 82B indicating the preceding vehicle Ve2 is displayed on the traffic road of the succeeding vehicle Ve1 and on the traffic congestion line 83 indicating that it is a traffic congestion section.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the navigation device 100A displays the position and the traveling direction of each vehicle indicated by the vehicle position information Ip received from the server device 200 using icons 82B to 82E. Accordingly, the navigation device 100A allows the user to easily recognize the position of another vehicle and the like, and also allows the user to recognize the presence of a vehicle (here, the preceding vehicle Ve2) existing in the same congested section as the own vehicle.

  Next, the navigation device 100A specifies a vehicle (also referred to as “specific other vehicle”) to which the traffic jam information is requested based on the input by the user. This specific example will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a situation where the navigation device 100A selects a specific other vehicle on the display screen 45A. Here, it is assumed that navigation device 100A accepts input from the touch panel. As shown in FIG. 5, the user of the navigation device 100A indicates the icon 82B indicating the preceding vehicle Ve2 traveling in the same congested section among the icons 82B to 82E indicating the other vehicles displayed on the display screen 45A with a finger. Selection is made by touching with 84. In this case, the navigation device 100A detects that the icon 82B has been touched on the display screen 45A, and recognizes the preceding vehicle Ve2 as the specific other vehicle. In this manner, the user of the navigation device 100A can arbitrarily and easily select a specific other vehicle whose traffic congestion information is to be asked on the display screen 45A.

  Next, the navigation device 100A requests the navigation device 100B, which generates the vehicle position information Ip of the preceding vehicle Ve2 designated as the specific other vehicle, to request the traffic congestion information (also referred to as the “second request signal Ir2”). Is transmitted to the server device 200. For example, in this case, the navigation device 100A includes the terminal ID included in the vehicle position information Ip of the preceding vehicle Ve2 as the specific other vehicle in the second request signal Ir2, so that the preceding vehicle Ve2 is the destination of the request for the congestion information. Make things clear.

  Next, the navigation device 100A receives, from the server device 200, information generated by the navigation device 100B of the specific other vehicle (also referred to as “specific other vehicle information Is”). Here, the specific other vehicle information Is is traffic congestion information generated by the navigation device 100B based on a user's input of the preceding vehicle Ve2 which is the specific other vehicle. A specific method of generating the specific other vehicle information Is will be described in the description of the processing of the navigation device 100B. Then, the navigation device 100A displays the received specific other vehicle information Is on the display screen 45A. This specific example will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 6 shows a display screen 45A after receiving the specific other vehicle information Is. As shown in FIG. 6, in this case, a balloon 85 indicating traffic congestion information is displayed from the icon 82B of the preceding vehicle Ve2, which is a specific other vehicle. In addition, the balloon 85 displays the traffic jam information “medium traffic jam 15 minutes” related to the degree of traffic jam generated based on the input of the specific other vehicle user, and the generation time “18:06” of the specific other vehicle information Is. Thus, the user of the following vehicle Ve1 can preferably recognize real-time traffic information obtained from the preceding vehicle Ve2 traveling ahead in the same traffic congestion section.

(2) Process of Server Device 200 Next, a process executed by the server device 200 will be described.

  As described above, the server device 200 stores the vehicle position information Ip transmitted from each navigation device 100 in the storage unit 203. Further, based on the reception date and time stored together with each vehicle position information Ip, server device 200 discards vehicle position information Ip that has passed a predetermined time or more after reception.

  When the server device 200 receives the first request signal Ir1 from the navigation device 100A, the server device 200 uses the vehicle position information Ip stored in the storage unit 203 other than the vehicle position information Ip received from the navigation device 100A, and The vehicle position information Ip having position information close to the position indicated by the position information Ip is searched. Then, server device 200 transmits the searched vehicle position information Ip to navigation device 100A.

  Here, a search method of the vehicle position information Ip will be specifically described. Preferably, server device 200 searches for vehicle position information Ip in consideration of the aspect ratio of display screen 45A included in vehicle position information Ip received from navigation device 100A. For example, the server device 200 sets the width of the rectangle having the above-described aspect ratio around the position of the navigation device 100A to a predetermined width (for example, 20 km), and transmits the vehicle position information Ip indicating the position in the rectangle to the navigation device. Send to 100A. The above-mentioned predetermined width is predetermined in consideration of the bandwidth of the line used by the server device 200 and the like. In this case, the short direction of the above-described rectangle is determined so as to match the short direction (for example, north-south direction) of the map display area when the navigation device 100A actually displays the map.

  In another example, the server device 200 sets the width of the above-described rectangle to a length that includes a predetermined number of positions corresponding to the vehicle position information Ip in the rectangle, and a predetermined number (for example, a position indicating the position in the rectangle) (100 pieces) of vehicle position information Ip is transmitted to the navigation device 100A. The above-mentioned predetermined number is predetermined in consideration of the bandwidth of the line used by the server device 200 and the like.

  As described above, the server device 200 determines the vehicle position information Ip to be transmitted to the navigation device 100A based on the aspect ratio of the display screen 45A of the navigation device 100A. Thereby, the server device 200 can suppress transmission of useless vehicle position information Ip that is not used for display in consideration of the actual display range of the map.

  Further, when receiving the second request signal Ir2 transmitted from the navigation device 100A, the server device 200 requests the navigation device 100B for the specific other vehicle information Is (also referred to as a “third request signal Ir3”). ). Here, the above-described third request signal Ir3 includes the position information and the traveling direction information of the following vehicle Ve1, which is the request source of the specific other vehicle information Is. Then, when receiving the specific other vehicle information Is from the navigation device 100B as a response to the third request signal Ir3, the server device 200 transmits the specific other vehicle information Is to the navigation device 100A.

(3) Processing of Navigation Apparatus 100B Next, processing executed by the navigation apparatus 100B will be described.

  When receiving the third request signal Ir3 from the server device 200, the navigation device 100B displays an input screen related to traffic congestion information. This will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 7 is an example of the display screen 45B of the display 44 of the navigation device 100B after receiving the third request signal Ir3 from the server device 200. Here, it is assumed that the navigation device 100B displays a map including the current position of the preceding vehicle Ve2 together with the icon 82Ba indicating the preceding vehicle Ve2 before receiving the third request signal Ir3.

  As shown in FIG. 7, in this case, the navigation device 100B displays an input window 88 indicating that the third request signal Ir3 has been received on the display screen 45B. In FIG. 7, the navigation device 100B displays, in the input window 88, “Tell me about the preceding vehicle and made a request” to let the user recognize the necessity of input and determine the degree of congestion in the congested section during traveling. Select buttons 89A to 89E are displayed.

  Here, the selection buttons 89A to 89C are buttons corresponding to each degree of congestion, and the degree of congestion and the congestion time as a guide when selecting each degree of congestion are displayed. The above-described congestion time may indicate a traveling time from when the preceding vehicle Ve2 approaches the congestion section to the present, and indicates a traveling time required for traveling a predetermined distance (for example, 1 km) in the congestion section. It may be something. The selection button 89A is selected when the congestion time is about 5 minutes, the selection button 89B is selected when the congestion time is about 10 minutes, and the selection button 89C is selected when the congestion time is 15 minutes. It is selected when it is above.

  Here, preferably, the congestion time corresponding to each congestion degree displayed in the selection buttons 89A to 89C differs for each road on which the preceding vehicle Ve2 is traveling. For example, the navigation device 100B stores statistical information of traffic congestion time during traffic congestion on each road, and determines the traffic congestion time to be displayed in the selection buttons 89A to 89C based on the statistical information. For example, if the navigation device 100B determines, based on the above-described statistical information, that the traveling road has a tendency to increase the traffic congestion time, the navigation device 100B determines that the road has no tendency to increase the traffic congestion time. Each congestion time displayed in the selection buttons 89A to 89C is made longer than in the case where the judgment is made. The statistical information described above may be generated for each road type such as a toll road and a general road.

  The selection button 89D is selected when the user does not want to answer the traffic jam information. The selection button 89E is selected when the navigation apparatus 100B automatically answers. When the selection button 89E is selected, the navigation device 100B calculates the congestion time based on, for example, past traveling histories. At this time, the navigation device 100B regards, for example, a point where the average traveling speed in a predetermined unit time is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold as a start point of the congestion section, and determines the congestion time based on the elapsed time after passing the start point. calculate.

  Then, when any one of the selection buttons 89A to 89E is selected based on an operation on the touch panel or the like, the navigation device 100B generates the specific other vehicle information Is according to the selected button. Specifically, when any one of the selection buttons 89A to 89C is selected, the navigation device 100B outputs the traffic jam time, the traffic jam degree corresponding to the selected button, and the time information indicating the selected time to the specific other vehicle information Is. Set forth in When the selection button 89D is selected, the navigation device 100B generates the specific other vehicle information Is indicating that no answer is given. Furthermore, when the selection button 89E is selected, the navigation device 100B determines the congestion time calculated based on the travel history and the time information indicating the calculated time in the specified other vehicle information Is. Then, the navigation device 100B transmits the generated other specific vehicle information Is to the server device 200.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the navigation device 100B displays an icon 81Aa indicating the following vehicle Ve1 based on the position information and the traveling direction information included in the third request signal Ir3, and also displays the input window 88 from the icon 81Aa. Is displayed. Thereby, the navigation device 100B can appropriately notify the user of the position of the following vehicle Ve1 that is the request source of the specific other vehicle information Is.

  Note that when the following vehicle Ve1 that is the request source of the specific other vehicle information Is is located outside the display range of the map being displayed, the navigation device 100B, for example, displays the following vehicle Ve1 without displaying the icon 81Aa of the following vehicle. Only the arrow 87 extending from the direction in which Ve1 exists may be displayed. In another example, the navigation device 100B may change the scale of the map being displayed so that the position of the following vehicle Ve1 is included in the display range of the map. In still another example, the navigation device 100B may transition the display range of the map without changing the scale of the map until the position of the following vehicle Ve1 is included in the display range of the map. In yet another example, the navigation device 100B may display a new window displaying a map including the icon 81Aa of the following vehicle Ve1 on the map being displayed. In any of these examples, the navigation device 100B can preferably make the user recognize the position of the following vehicle Ve1 that is the request source of the specific other vehicle information Is.

[Processing flow]
FIG. 8 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a procedure of an information request process executed by the navigation devices 100A and 100B and the server device 200. In FIG. 8, a solid arrow indicates a processing flow, and a broken arrow indicates a data flow. The navigation devices 100A and 100B and the server device 200 repeatedly execute the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. In addition, it is assumed that the navigation devices 100A and 100B transmit the vehicle position information Ip of the own vehicle to the server device 200 based on a predetermined timing, in addition to the processing of the flowchart illustrated in FIG.

  First, the navigation device 100A determines whether or not it is the request timing of the vehicle position information Ip of another vehicle (step S101). For example, the navigation device 100A determines whether or not there is an input indicating that the vehicle position information Ip of another vehicle should be acquired, and / or whether or not it is time to automatically acquire the vehicle position information Ip of another vehicle. . Then, when the navigation device 100A determines that it is not the request timing of the vehicle position information Ip of the other vehicle (Step S101; No), the process of the flowchart ends.

  On the other hand, when it is the request timing of the vehicle position information Ip of another vehicle (step S101; Yes), the navigation device 100A requests the vehicle position information Ip of another vehicle (step S102). Specifically, navigation device 100A transmits first request signal Ir1 to server device 200. Then, the server device 200 receives the first request signal Ir1 (Step S201). In this case, the server device 200 searches for the target vehicle position information Ip from the vehicle position information Ip stored in the storage unit 203, and transmits the target vehicle position information Ip to the navigation device 100A (Step S202). Specifically, in this case, the server device 200 calculates the vehicle position information Ip corresponding to the terminal ID other than the terminal ID of the navigation device 100A, and the vehicle position information Ip existing at a position close to the position of the navigation device 100A. Search for.

  Then, the navigation device 100A receives the vehicle position information Ip from the server device 200 (Step S103). Then, the navigation device 100A displays the position of the other vehicle on the map (step S104). For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the navigation device 100A displays icons 82B to 82E indicating other vehicles on a map.

  Next, the navigation device 100A determines whether a specific other vehicle has been designated (step S105). For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when there is a contact with the display screen 45A, the navigation device 100A designates the vehicle indicated by the icon at the contact position as a specific other vehicle. Then, when the specific other vehicle is specified (step S105; Yes), the navigation device 100A proceeds to step S106. Here, it is assumed that the navigation device 100A has detected the designation of the preceding vehicle Ve2 for which the navigation device 100B performs route guidance. On the other hand, when there is no designation of the specific other vehicle (Step S105; No), the navigation device 100A continuously detects the input of designating the specific other vehicle in Step S105.

  Next, the navigation device 100A requests the specific other vehicle information Is (step S106). Specifically, navigation device 100A transmits second request signal Ir2 to server device 200.

  Then, the server device 200 receives the second request signal Ir2, and transmits a third request signal Ir3 requesting the specific other vehicle information Is to the navigation device 100B (Step S203). Then, the navigation device 100B receives the third request signal Ir3 (Step S301).

  Then, the navigation device 100B generates the specific other-vehicle information Is based on the input, and transmits it to the server device 200 (step S302). For example, the navigation device 100B generates the specific other vehicle information Is by displaying an input window 88 as shown in FIG. 7 on the display screen 45B and receiving an input for generating the specific other vehicle information Is. Then, the server device 200 receives the specific other vehicle information Is transmitted from the navigation device 100B, and transmits the specific other vehicle information Is to the navigation device 100A (step S204).

  Then, the navigation device 100A receives the specific other vehicle information Is transmitted by the server device 200 (Step S107). Thereafter, the navigation device 100A displays the content indicated by the specific other vehicle information Is on the map (step S108). For example, as shown in the display screen 45A of FIG. 6, the navigation device 100A displays a balloon 85 based on the icon 82B of the specific other vehicle, and displays the degree of congestion, the congestion time, and the generation time of the specific other vehicle information Is. Is displayed in the balloon 85.

[Modification]
Hereinafter, each modified example of the embodiment will be described. Note that these modifications may be combined and applied to the above-described embodiments.

(Modification 1)
In the description of the search method of the vehicle position information Ip in the embodiment, the server device 200 has searched for the vehicle position information Ip in consideration of the aspect ratio of the display screen 45A. However, the method to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to this.

  Alternatively, the server device 200 may determine the vehicle position information Ip to be transmitted based on the linear distance from the position of the navigation device 100A that has requested the vehicle position information Ip. In this case, for example, the server device 200 may transmit vehicle position information Ip corresponding to a position included in a circle having a predetermined radius around the position of the navigation device 100A to the navigation device 100A. The above-mentioned radius is, for example, 20 km, and is determined based on the bandwidth of the line used by the server device 200 and the like. In another example, the server device 200 transmits to the navigation device 100A a predetermined number (for example, 100) of vehicle position information Ip indicating a position having a short straight-line distance from the navigation device 100A that is the request source of the vehicle position information Ip. You may.

  Further, the server device 200 considers the aspect ratio of the display screen 45A or the linear distance from the request source of the vehicle position information Ip in addition to the linear distance from the request source of the vehicle position information Ip. Vehicle position information Ip to be transmitted may be determined based on the information. This will be specifically described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 9A is a map centered on the icon 81Ab indicating the following vehicle Ve1, divided into four regions 91 to 94 by a vertical line 90V extending in the north-south direction and a horizontal line 90H extending in the east-west direction. Is shown. In FIG. 9A, it is assumed that the following vehicle Ve1 is traveling in the south-southeast direction.

  In this case, the server device 200 sets a higher search priority in an area that is closer to the traveling direction of the following vehicle Ve1. Specifically, in the case of FIG. 9A, the server device 200 preferentially transmits the vehicle to be transmitted from the vehicle position information Ip indicating the position in the area 91 existing in the direction overlapping the traveling direction of the following vehicle Ve1. Search for the position information Ip. Next, when the number of the vehicle position information Ip indicating the position in the area 91 is less than the number to be transmitted, the server apparatus 200 sets the area 92 in a direction close to the traveling direction of the succeeding vehicle Ve1 next to the area 91. The vehicle position information Ip to be transmitted is searched for the vehicle position information Ip indicating the position in the vehicle. As described above, in the example of FIG. 9A, the server device 200 transmits the vehicle position information Ip to be transmitted in the order of the area 91, the area 92, the area 93, and the area 94 based on the traveling direction of the following vehicle Ve1. Search for.

  FIG. 9B shows a map divided into four regions 91a to 94a by lines 90L and 90R, which are each shifted by a predetermined angle in the left-right direction with respect to the traveling direction around the icon 81Ab indicating the following vehicle Ve1. . In this case, in the search for the vehicle position information Ip, the server device 200 designates the area 91a overlapping with the traveling direction as the highest priority, and designates the area 94a in the direction opposite to the traveling direction as the lowest priority. Accordingly, in this case, the server device 200 first searches the vehicle position information Ip indicating the position in the area 91a for the vehicle position information Ip to be transmitted with priority. When the number of vehicle position information Ip indicating the position in the area 91a is less than the predetermined number to be transmitted, the server device 200 converts the vehicle position information Ip indicating the position in the area 92a, 93a into the area 94a. The search is performed as the vehicle position information Ip to be transmitted with priority over the vehicle position information Ip indicating the position.

  As described above, by determining the vehicle position information Ip to be transmitted based on the traveling direction of the vehicle that has requested the vehicle position information Ip, the server device 200 gives priority to the vehicle position information Ip of the vehicles in the same congestion line. Can be sent in a targeted manner.

(Modification 2)
In the embodiment, when the specified other vehicle is specified, the second request signal Ir2 is transmitted from the navigation device 100A to the server device 200 immediately, and the requested specific vehicle information Is is defined in the traffic jam information. However, an aspect to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to this. Instead, the navigation device 100A may allow the user to specify information desired to be acquired by the specific other vehicle information Is.

  Specifically, when a specific other vehicle is specified in step S105 of FIG. 8, the navigation device 100A further causes the user to input a question, and includes information on the question specified by the input. The second request signal Ir2 may be transmitted in step S106. In this case, for example, the navigation device 100A may accept character input, and include the input character in the second request signal Ir2 as information on a questionnaire. In another example, the navigation device 100A may select an arbitrary option from a predetermined option such as a pull-down menu, and include the content of the selected option in the second request signal Ir2 as information on a questionnaire. The question may be, for example, asking a recommended restaurant.

  Then, based on the second request signal Ir2 received in step S203, the server device 200 transmits the third request signal Ir3 including the information of the above-described question item to the navigation device 100B. Then, in step S302, the navigation device 100B displays the information on the question included in the third request signal Ir3 on the display screen 45B and generates the specific other vehicle information Is corresponding to the answer to the question. Accept the input of. In this case, the navigation device 100B may receive an input for generating the specific other vehicle information Is by displaying a selection button corresponding to each predetermined option, similarly to the input window 88 of FIG. Characters indicating the contents of the answer to the question may be input. Then, the navigation device 100B generates the specific other vehicle information Is based on the input.

  As described above, even if the information is information other than the traffic jam information, the navigation device 100A can preferably request and acquire the specific other vehicle information Is indicating the answer to the desired question generated by the navigation device 100B. it can.

(Modification 3)
In steps S106 and S107 of the flowchart of FIG. 8, the navigation device 100A requests and receives the specific other vehicle information Is from the navigation device 100B via the server device 200. However, the method to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to this.

  Instead, the navigation device 100A may request and receive the specific other vehicle information Is from the navigation device 100B without passing through the server device 200. That is, the navigation device 100A may transmit the second request signal Ir2 to the navigation device 100B in step S106, and may receive the specific other vehicle information from the navigation device 100B in step S107. For example, in this case, the vehicle position information Ip further includes address information for communicating with the terminal that has generated the vehicle position information Ip, and the navigation device 100A refers to the vehicle position information Ip to communicate with the navigation device 100B. Perform communication. Even in this mode, the navigation device 100A can preferably request and receive the specific other vehicle information Is.

  Further, instead of receiving vehicle position information Ip of another vehicle from server device 200, navigation device 100A may directly receive vehicle position information Ip from another terminal including navigation device 100B. Then, in this case, the navigation device 100A displays the other vehicle on the map based on the vehicle position information Ip received from each terminal, and receives an input specifying the request destination of the specific other vehicle information Is. According to this aspect, the navigation device 100A can request the specific other vehicle information Is from the navigation device 100B without passing through the server device 200, and can appropriately acquire the specific other vehicle information Is.

  The receiving method according to this aspect can be realized by using the technology of the vehicle-to-vehicle network (vehicle-to-vehicle communication).

(Modification 4)
In step S202 in FIG. 8, the server device 200 has searched the vehicle position information Ip to be transmitted based on the current positions of the navigation device 100A and the following vehicle Ve1. However, the configuration to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to this.

  Alternatively, the server device 200 may search for the vehicle position information Ip to be transmitted based on the position specified by the navigation device 100A. Specifically, in this case, in step S102 of FIG. 8, the navigation device 100A includes, in the first request signal Ir1 for requesting the vehicle position information Ip of the other vehicle, information on the reference position when searching for the vehicle position information Ip. Include. The above-described reference position is set to a position specified by the user, for example, by operating a touch panel on a display screen 45A displaying a map. Then, in step S202, server device 200 searches for vehicle position information Ip indicating a position close to the above-described reference position.

(Modification 5)
In the embodiment, the navigation device 100A specifies only the preceding vehicle Ve1 as the specific other vehicle. Instead, the navigation device 100A may designate a plurality of vehicles as the specific other vehicle. In this case, for example, when icons 82B to 82E indicating other vehicles are displayed as shown on a display screen 45A of FIG. 5, the navigation device 100A accepts selection of a plurality of icons.

(Modification 6)
The navigation device 100A and the navigation device 100B may be terminal devices that move with a pedestrian. For example, in this case, similarly to the second modification, the navigation device 100A allows the user to specify information desired to be obtained by the specific other vehicle information Is, and transmits the second request signal Ir2 including the information of the specified question item to the server in step S106. Transmit to the device 200. In this case, the pedestrian is an example of the “mobile object” in the present invention.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be suitably applied to an in-vehicle navigation device, a PND (Portable / Personal Navigation Device), and other terminal devices having a communication function.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Independent positioning device 12 GPS receiver 20 System controller 22 CPU
36 data storage unit 38 communication device 40 display unit 44 display 60 input device 100A, 100B (100) navigation device 200 server device 300 network

Claims (4)

A program executed by a terminal device having a display unit and a computer,
Said computer,
First display means for displaying, on a map, an icon indicating the current position of the moving object, an icon indicating the position of another moving object, and congestion information indicating a section in which congestion has occurred;
Selecting means for selecting one icon indicating the position of the other moving object displayed on the map as a specific other moving object,
A second display unit that receives the information of the specific other moving object from a server, and displays the information of the specific other moving object on the display unit in association with the icon of the specific other moving object on the map;
A program to function as Transmitting means for transmitting any character information input by the terminal device to a server for transmitting to the specific other mobile object,
The program according to claim 1, wherein the program causes the terminal device to function.   The program according to claim 1, wherein the specific other mobile object is selected using a touch panel. A terminal device having a display unit and a computer,
First display means for displaying, on a map, an icon indicating the current position of the moving object, an icon indicating the position of another moving object, and congestion information indicating a section where congestion is occurring;
Selecting means for selecting one icon indicating the position of the other moving object displayed on the map as a specific other moving object;
Second display means for receiving the information of the specific other mobile object from a server, and displaying the information of the specific other mobile object on the display unit in association with the icon of the specific other mobile object on the map;
A terminal device comprising:

Images