JP4994028B2 - Gasoline price information collection system, gasoline price information collection method, and navigation apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a gasoline price information collection system, a gasoline price information collection method, and a navigation device that collect gasoline price information at a gas station.

2. Description of the Related Art A route guidance device that receives information on the fuel unit price of a gas station using a portable terminal device or a beacon receiver system is known as a conventional technology (for example, Patent Document 1). Information on the fuel cost of the gas station is stored in the management server and transmitted to the route guidance device by data communication.
JP 2002-195843 A

  In the conventional route guidance apparatus as described in Patent Document 1, the reliability of the displayed fuel cost unit price information depends on the accuracy of the information on the fuel cost unit price of the gas station stored in the management server. . However, Patent Document 1 does not disclose how to collect accurate fuel unit price information of a gas station and store it in a management server.

(1) The gasoline price information collecting system according to the first aspect of the present invention is a detection means for detecting a gas station based on the current location and information on the position of the gas station included in the map data, and an imaging means for photographing the detected gas station. , A gasoline price recognizing means for recognizing the gasoline price by recognizing a number associated with a specific character included in the photographed gas station image, and a gasoline that transmits the recognized gasoline price and the detected position of the gas station Information center comprising a navigation device having a price transmission means, a communication means for receiving the gasoline price and the detected position of the gas station, and a gasoline price storage means for storing the received gasoline price together with the detected position of the gas station It is characterized by including.
(2) The invention of claim 2 is the gasoline price information collection system according to claim 1, wherein the photographing means of the navigation device photographs the gas station when a vehicle equipped with the navigation device approaches the gas station. And
(3) The invention of claim 3 is the gasoline price information collecting system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gasoline price storage means of the information center extracts the latest gasoline price of the same gas station, and the gas station It is memorized as a gasoline price.
(4) The invention of claim 4 is the gasoline price information collection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the gasoline price storage means of the information center extracts the price of the same gas station, It is characterized by memorizing the highest number of prices as the gasoline price at the gas station.
(5) In the gasoline price information collecting method of the invention of claim 5, the control circuit of the navigation device mounted on the vehicle detects the gas station based on the current location and the information on the position of the gas station included in the map data. by mounting a camera on the vehicle, the detected gas station control circuit is photographed, the gasoline price control circuit is recognized by recognizing a number corresponding to the specific character included in the image of the photographed gas station, The control circuit transmits the recognized gasoline price and the detected gas station position, the information center communication device receives the gasoline price transmitted by the control circuit and the detected gas station position, and the received gasoline price is The server of the information center stores together with the detected position of the gas station .
(6) The navigation device of the invention of claim 6 is a detection means for detecting a gas station based on the current location and the information on the position of the gas station included in the map data, an imaging means for imaging the detected gas station , Gasoline price recognizing means for recognizing a gasoline price by recognizing a number associated with a specific character included in the photographed gas station image, and a gasoline for transmitting the recognized gasoline price and the detected position of the gas station And a price transmission means.
(7) The invention of claim 7 is the navigation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the photographing means photographs the gas station when the vehicle approaches the gas station.
(8) A navigation device according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is a gasoline price receiving means for receiving a gasoline price stored in the gasoline price storage means, transmitted from the information center according to any one of the first to fourth aspects. It is characterized by providing.
(9) The invention according to claim 9 is the navigation device according to claim 8, wherein the display form of the cheapest gas station among the gasoline prices received by the gasoline price receiving means is changed to the display form of another gas station. Gas station display control means for changing and displaying is provided.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to quickly collect accurate information on gasoline prices at a gas station.

  A configuration of a gasoline price information collecting system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. The gasoline price information collection system in FIG. 1 includes a navigation device 1 and an information center 2 provided in a vehicle. The navigation device 1 and the information center 2 are connected via a network 3. In this gasoline price information collection system, the gasoline price information of the gas station acquired by the navigation device 1 can be transmitted to the information center 2 via the network 3. The transmitted gasoline price information of the gas station is stored in the server 21 of the information center 2.

  Details of the navigation device 1 will be described later. The information center 2 includes a server 21. The server 21 stores gasoline price data of the gas station. As shown in FIG. 2, the gas price data 20 of the gas station includes the position (latitude and longitude) of the gas station, the price per liter of regular gasoline, the price per liter of high-octane gasoline, and the price per liter of light oil. The price, the number of times the same information was sent, and the data update date and time are stored.

  The structure of the navigation apparatus 1 which comprises a gasoline price information collection system is shown in FIG. The navigation apparatus 1 can photograph a gas station that exists in the right direction ahead of the vehicle or the left direction ahead of the vehicle, and can read the price of gasoline from the photographed image. The navigation device 1 includes a control circuit 11, ROM 12, RAM 13, current location detection device 14, image memory 15, display monitor 16, speaker 17, input device 18, communication device 19, camera 110, data storage unit 111, gasoline price recognition unit 112. And a disk drive 113. A DVD-ROM 114 is loaded in the disk drive 113.

  The control circuit 11 includes a microprocessor and its peripheral circuits, and performs various controls by executing a control program stored in the ROM 12 using the RAM 13 as a work area. When the control circuit 11 performs a predetermined route search process based on the map data stored in the DVD-ROM 114, the processing result is displayed on the display monitor 16 as a recommended route.

  The current position detection device 14 is a device that detects the current position of the vehicle. For example, a vibration gyro 14a that detects the traveling direction of the vehicle, a vehicle speed sensor 14b that detects the vehicle speed, and a GPS signal from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite. It consists of a GPS sensor 14c and the like. The navigation device 1 determines a map display range, a route search start point, and the like based on the current location of the vehicle detected by the current location detection device 14, and displays the current location on the map.

  The image memory 15 stores image data to be displayed on the display monitor 16. This image data includes map drawing data and various graphic data, which are appropriately generated based on map data stored in the DVD-ROM 114 read by the disk drive 113. The navigation device 1 can perform map display and the like by using the image data generated in this way.

  The disk drive 113 reads map data for displaying a map on the display monitor 16 from the loaded DVD-ROM 114. The map data includes map display data, route search data, facility data, and the like, and the display and route search data includes road link information and node information. The map display data has map data of a plurality of scales from wide areas to details, and the scale of the display map can be changed according to a user request. The facility data includes information about the facility, and specifically includes detailed information such as the location (latitude, longitude), name, type, and address and business hours of various facilities. A facility around the current location of the vehicle can be searched from information on the position (latitude, longitude) of the facility data. In addition, facilities of a specific category such as a gas station can be searched from information on the type of facility. The map data may be read from a recording medium other than the DVD-ROM 114, such as a CD-ROM or a hard disk.

  The display monitor 16 provides the user with various information such as a road map near the vehicle position as a screen display based on various information such as map data. The speaker 17 guides the user's various input operations and outputs sound for guiding the route to the user. The input device 18 has operation keys for the user to set various commands, and is realized by a button switch on the operation panel, a hard switch around the panel, or the like. The user performs a setting operation such as destination selection by pressing a button switch on the panel with a finger according to an instruction on the display screen of the display monitor 16.

  When the destination is set by the user, the navigation device 1 performs a route calculation from the current location detected by the current location detection device 14 to the destination based on a predetermined algorithm. Hereinafter, this route calculation is referred to as route search. The route thus obtained (hereinafter referred to as a recommended route) is displayed on the screen so as to be distinguished from other roads by changing the display form, for example, the display color. Thereby, the user can recognize the recommended route on the map on the screen. In addition, the navigation device 1 instructs the user in the direction of travel using a screen or voice so that the vehicle can travel according to the recommended route, thereby guiding the route of the vehicle.

  The communication device 19 can perform data communication using wireless means of the mobile terminal. The communication device 19 is connected to the information center 2 via the network 3 and can transmit gasoline price information detected by the navigation device 1.

  The camera 110 is provided in the front part of the vehicle and photographs a gas station that is present in the right front direction or the left front direction of the vehicle.

  The data storage unit 111 is configured by a rewritable recording medium such as a flash memory or a hard disk, and stores data necessary for the function of the navigation device 1. Information stored in the data storage unit 111 is appropriately read out and used by the control circuit 11. Further, it stores the gasoline price information of the gas station transmitted from the information center 2 or the image taken by the camera 110.

  The gasoline price recognizing unit 112 recognizes the gasoline price from the gas station image taken by the camera 110. A gasoline price recognition method in the gasoline price recognition unit 112 will be described with reference to FIG. A signboard or bulletin board displaying the gasoline price is displayed at a prominent position of the gas station. Therefore, when the gas station is photographed, a signboard and a bulletin board displaying the gasoline price as shown in FIG. 4A are also photographed. Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, edges are extracted from the shade of the photographed image. Compare the extracted edges with the “regular”, “high-octane” and “light oil” character patterns, and select the position where the characters “regular”, “high-octane” and “light oil” are displayed in the captured image. look for. Then, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), the numbers located to the left of the letters “regular”, “high-octane” and “light oil”, or below the letters “regular”, “high-octane” and “light oil”. Recognize the number that is located by comparing it with the number pattern. At a gas station, the characters “regular”, “high-octane” and “light oil” are usually displayed, and the price of gasoline per liter is displayed on the left or lower side of each character. Therefore, by recognizing the numbers located to the left or below the letters “regular”, “high-octane” and “light oil” from the extracted edges, as shown in FIG. 3 (c), regular gasoline, high-octane gasoline and The price per liter of light oil can be recognized.

  Next, the gasoline price information acquisition process of the navigation device 1 in the gasoline price information collection system according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The process of FIG. 5 is executed in the control circuit 11 by a program that starts when the navigation apparatus 1 is powered on.

  In step S501, a gas station in the vehicle traveling direction is detected by collating with the map data stored in the DVD-ROM 114. In step S502, the current position detection device 14 detects the current position of the vehicle, and determines whether or not the vehicle has approached within a predetermined distance from the detected gas station. The predetermined distance is a distance at which the gas station can be photographed from the vehicle. When the vehicle has approached the detected gas station within a predetermined distance, an affirmative determination is made in step S502 and the process proceeds to step S503. If the vehicle has not yet approached, step S502 is repeated.

  In step S503, a gas station is photographed. In step S504, the current position detection device 14 detects the current position of the vehicle, and determines whether the vehicle has passed the detected gas station. If the vehicle has passed the detected gas station, an affirmative determination is made in step S504, and the process proceeds to step S505. If the vehicle has not yet passed through the detected gas station, a negative determination is made in step S504, and the process returns to step S503.

  In step S505, photographing of the detected gas station is terminated. In step S506, the gasoline price recognition unit 112 recognizes the gasoline price from the photographed gas station image. In step S507, the communication device 19 transmits the taken gas station position information (latitude and longitude of the gas station) and gasoline price information to the information center 2.

  Next, the gasoline price data update process of the information center 2 in the gasoline price information collection system in one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In step S601, it is determined whether or not the gasoline price information of the gas station has been received by the communication device 22. If received, an affirmative determination is made in step S601 and the process proceeds to step S602. If not received, step S601 is repeated. In step S602, the received gasoline price information of the gas station is stored in the server 21 and the gasoline price data 20 is updated. The data transmitted from the navigation device 1 includes gasoline station position information (latitude and longitude of the gas station) in addition to the gasoline price information. By collating this position information with the position information of the gasoline price data 20, the gas station of the gasoline price information transmitted by the navigation device 1 can be specified. Therefore, the gasoline price information of the gas station in the gasoline price information transmitted by the navigation device 1 in the gasoline price data 20 can be updated.

  The gasoline price data 20 stored in the server 21 of the information center 2 can be used as follows, for example. Here, it is assumed that the user is inputting the desired fuel type (regular gasoline) into the navigation device 1. A facility vicinity search is selected from a menu (not shown) displayed on the display monitor 16 of the navigation device 1, and a gas station is selected as a facility to be searched. As a result, the gas stations around the vehicle position are searched from the map data, and the detected gas stations 71a to 71c on the map 70 are displayed as icons as shown in FIG. The information center 2 transmits only the price of the fuel type (regular gasoline) input to the navigation device 1 to the navigation device 1. And the navigation apparatus 1 acquires the price information of regular gasoline from the gasoline price data 20 of the information center 2, and displays the gasoline price information 72a-72c on a map. This allows the user to know where the gas station can go to purchase the cheapest regular gasoline.

  The gas station display process of the navigation device 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The processing of FIG. 8 is executed in the control circuit 11 by a program that starts when a facility vicinity search is selected from a menu (not shown) displayed on the display monitor 16 of the navigation apparatus 1 and a gas station is selected as the facility to be searched. The

  In step S801, a gas station around the current location of the vehicle is searched from facility data stored in the DVD-ROM 114. In step S802, the information center 2 is requested for gasoline price information of the searched gas station via the communication device 19, and the gasoline price information of the searched gas station is acquired from the information center 2. In step S803, a map, a gas station icon and gasoline price information are displayed on the display monitor 16 so as to overlap the map.

The gasoline price information collection system according to the above embodiment has the following effects.
(1) The camera 110 mounted on the vehicle captures the gas station, recognizes the gasoline price from the captured image and transmits it to the information center 2, and sends the gasoline price information of the transmitted gas station to the management server 21 of the information center 2. To remember. Therefore, it is possible to quickly collect accurate information on the gasoline price at the gas station.

(2) The vehicle location detection device 14 of the navigation device 1 and the map data stored in the DVD-ROM 114 are used to detect the approach of the vehicle to the gas station, and when the vehicle approaches the gas station, the camera 110 takes a picture of the gas station. I tried to do it. Therefore, it is not necessary to always photograph the outside of the vehicle with the camera 110 and perform image processing and image recognition.

(3) By acquiring gasoline price information from the server 21 of the information center 2, accurate and new gasoline price information 72a to 72c can be displayed on the display monitor 16 of the navigation device 1.

The gasoline price information collection system of the above embodiment can be modified as follows.
(1) When the navigation device 1 is searching for a recommended route, it may search for a gas station on the recommended route, and take a picture of the gas station when approaching the gas station. Since the gas station through which the vehicle passes can be accurately detected, the gas station can be reliably photographed.

(2) When the vehicle is provided with a camera for detecting an obstacle ahead of the vehicle, the gas station may be photographed using the camera. The number of cameras provided in the vehicle can be reduced, and the space and cost for installing the cameras can be saved.

(3) Each time the gasoline price is recognized from the image of the gas station taken by the navigation device 1, the gasoline price information is transmitted to the information center 2. However, the gasoline price information may be stored in the data storage unit 111 and the gasoline price information may be transmitted to the information center 2 when the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on or off. This is because it may take time before the navigation device 1 can connect to the information center 2, and it is more efficient to send gasoline price information in a batch.

(4) The travelable range of the vehicle may be calculated from the amount of gasoline remaining in the fuel tank and the fuel consumption of the vehicle, and the gasoline price may be displayed together with a gas station within the travelable range of the vehicle. It is possible to prevent running out of fuel when heading to a cheaper gas station.

(5) When heading to the destination after stopping at a gas station and supplying gasoline, in order to reach the destination from the distance to the destination, the fuel consumption of the vehicle, and the gasoline price obtained from the information center 2 A necessary fuel cost may be calculated. Since the gasoline price is accurate, the required fuel cost can be calculated accurately.

(6) Although the navigation apparatus 1 recognizes the gasoline price from the image of the gas station, the information center 2 may recognize the gasoline price. In this case, the navigation device 1 transmits image data of the gas station to the information center 2. In the information center 2, the gasoline price is recognized by performing image processing on the image of the image data, and the gasoline price is stored in the server 21.

(7) The latest gasoline price at the same gas station may be extracted from the gasoline price information received from the navigation device 1 and stored in the server 21 as the gasoline price at the gas station. For example, as shown in FIG. 9A, gasoline price information received from the navigation device 1 at a predetermined time is stored in the server 21 as temporary storage data 90. Gasoline price information 91a to 91c at the same gas station is extracted from the position (latitude, longitude) of the gas station included in the gasoline price information. Then, the latest gasoline price information 91c of the gas station is extracted based on the shooting date and time of the gas station included in the gasoline price information. The extracted gasoline price information 91c is stored in the gasoline price data 20 as shown in FIG. Thereby, the latest gasoline price information can be reliably stored in the price data 20.

(8) Among the gasoline price information received from the navigation device 1, the price of the same gas station is extracted, and the largest number of the gasoline prices is stored in the server 21 as the gasoline price at the gas station. May be. For example, as shown in FIG. 10A, gasoline price information received from the navigation device 1 at a predetermined time is stored in the server 21 as temporary storage data 100. Gasoline price information 101a to 101e at the same gas station is extracted from the position (latitude and longitude) of the gas station included in the gasoline price information. And the gasoline price information 101c-101e in the gasoline price with the largest number of received cases is extracted among the extracted gasoline price information. Here, the number of receiving gasoline price information 101c to 101e, where the price of regular gasoline is 120 yen, the price of high-octane gasoline is 130 yen, and the price of light oil is 100 yen, is 3, and the number is the largest. The extracted gasoline price information 101c to 101e is stored in the gasoline price data 20 as shown in FIG. There are cases where the gasoline price cannot be clearly read from the image of the taken gas station (in the case of gasoline price information 101a), or the gasoline price recognition unit 112 incorrectly recognizes the gasoline price (in the case of gasoline price information 101b). . Even in such a case, as described above, the gasoline price information 101c to 101e having the largest number of the same gasoline prices is stored in the server 21, thereby accurately storing the gasoline price information in the price data 20. be able to.

(9) The display form of the cheapest gas station among the gasoline prices received from the information center may be changed to the display form of other gas stations and displayed on the display monitor 16 of the navigation device 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the gasoline price of the gas station 71a is the cheapest among the gas stations 71a to 71c. Therefore, the display form of the gas station 71a is changed to the display form of the gas stations 71c and 71c and displayed. As a result, the gas station with the lowest gasoline price can be quickly found from the map 70. As shown in FIG. 11, the display form of the displayed gasoline price information 72a to 72c is also displayed by changing the display form of the cheapest gasoline price information 72a from the display form of the other gasoline price information 72b and 72c. You may do it.

  The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

The correspondence between the elements of the claims and the embodiments will be described.
The photographing means of the present invention corresponds to the camera 110, and the gasoline price recognition means corresponds to the gasoline price recognition unit 112. The gasoline price transmission means corresponds to the communication device 19. The communication means corresponds to the communication device 22, and the gasoline price storage means corresponds to the server 21. The gasoline price receiving means corresponds to the communication device 19, and the gas station display control means corresponds to the control circuit 11 and the display monitor 16. In addition, the above description is an example to the last, and when interpreting invention, it is not limited to the correspondence of the component of said embodiment and the component of this invention at all.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the gasoline price information collection system of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating gasoline price data. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the navigation apparatus which comprises a gasoline price information collection system. It is a figure for demonstrating the recognition method which recognizes a gasoline price from the image which image | photographed the display of the gasoline price. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the gasoline price information acquisition process of the navigation apparatus in the gasoline price information collection system in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the gasoline price data update process of the information center in the gasoline price information collection system in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the display screen of the display monitor which displayed the gas station around the own vehicle position. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the gas station display process of a navigation apparatus. It is a figure for demonstrating the process which memorize | stores the newest gasoline price information in a server. It is a figure for demonstrating the process which memorize | stores in a server gasoline price information with the largest number of reception among the received gasoline price information. It is a figure for demonstrating the display screen of the display monitor which changed the display form of the petrol station with the cheapest gasoline price, and displayed the petrol station around the own vehicle position.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Navigation apparatus 2 Information center 3 Network 11 Control circuit 14 Present location detection apparatus 19 Communication apparatus 21 Server 22 Communication apparatus 110 Camera 112 Gasoline price recognition part

Claims (9)

Detection means for detecting the gas station based on the current location and information on the position of the gas station included in the map data, imaging means for imaging the detected gas station, and specific characters included in the captured image of the gas station A gasoline price recognizing means for recognizing a gasoline price by recognizing a number associated with the navigation apparatus, and a navigation apparatus comprising a gasoline price transmitting means for transmitting the recognized gasoline price and the detected position of the gas station ; ,
Include the information center having a gasoline price storing means for storing the communication means and gasoline prices said received, together with the position of the detected gas station to receive said position of gas station which is the detected and the gasoline prices Gasoline price information collection system characterized by In the gasoline price information collecting system according to claim 1,
The gasoline price information collecting system, wherein the photographing means of the navigation device photographs the gas station when a vehicle equipped with the navigation device approaches the gas station. In the gasoline price information collection system according to claim 1 or 2,
A gasoline price information collecting system, wherein the gasoline price storage means of the information center extracts the latest gasoline price of the same gas station and stores it as a gasoline price at the gas station. The gasoline price information collection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Gasoline price information collecting system characterized in that the gasoline price storage means of the information center extracts the price of the same gas station, and stores the most frequently used gas price as the gas price at the gas station. . The control station of the navigation device mounted on the vehicle detects the gas station based on the current location and the information on the position of the gas station included in the map data, and the detected gas station is detected by the camera mounted on the vehicle. and the control circuit is captured, the recognized gas prices the control circuit by recognizing numbers corresponding to the specific character included in the image of the captured gas station, and the detected gasoline prices the recognized gasoline The control circuit transmits the position of the station, the communication circuit of the information center receives the gasoline price transmitted by the control circuit and the detected position of the gas station, and the received gasoline price is together with the detected position of the gas station, the information center server stores Gasoline price information collection method comprising the door. Detecting means for detecting the gas station based on the current location and information on the position of the gas station included in the map data;
Photographing means for photographing the detected gas station ;
Gasoline price recognition means for recognizing a gasoline price by recognizing a number associated with a specific character included in the photographed gas station image ;
A navigation apparatus comprising gasoline price transmission means for transmitting the recognized gasoline price and the detected position of the gas station . The navigation device according to claim 6, wherein
The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the photographing unit photographs the gas station when a vehicle approaches the gas station.   5. A navigation apparatus comprising gasoline price receiving means for receiving the gasoline price transmitted from the information center according to claim 1 and stored by the gasoline price storage means. The navigation device according to claim 8, wherein
A navigation apparatus comprising a gas station display control means for changing the display form of the cheapest gas station among the gasoline prices received by the gasoline price receiving means to a display form of another gas station. .

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