JP7828181B2 - Information display device, information display method, program, and storage medium - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to technology that can be used in vehicle route guidance.

In vehicle route guidance, there is a known technology that displays information related to the current route the vehicle is traveling on and information related to a new route different from the current route, as information to guide the vehicle to its destination.

Specifically, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a navigation device displays a map that includes a set route to a destination and an alternative route to reach the destination, and superimposes a warning message on the map that includes the difference between the time required to travel from the vehicle's current location to the destination along the set route and the time required to travel from the vehicle's current location to the destination along the alternative route.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-3097

However, the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the problem that, for example, when a warning display is superimposed on a map, it may become difficult for the user to see information other than the warning information contained in the map.

In other words, with the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a problem associated with the aforementioned issue of information relating to multiple routes for guiding a vehicle to a destination being displayed in a manner that reduces visibility.

The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its main objective is to provide an information display device that can display information related to multiple routes for guiding a vehicle to a destination in a highly visible manner.

The invention described in a claim is an information display device, comprising: a route acquisition unit that acquires a first route for guiding a vehicle to a destination; and a second route that is different from the first route and includes a route branching off from the first route; a display unit that displays, in a first area of a display screen, the first route, first simplified information displayed in association with the first route, the second route, and second simplified information displayed in association with the second route; and a display unit that displays, in a second area different from the first area of the display screen, first detailed information that includes more detailed information than the first simplified information as information related to the first route, and second detailed information that includes more detailed information than the second simplified information as information related to the second route. and a control unit, wherein the display control unit sets the display mode for the first simplified information and the first detailed information to a first display mode, and sets the display mode for the second simplified information and the second detailed information to a second display mode different from the first display mode , and the display control unit displays, in the first area, the first route, a first speech bubble containing the first simplified information, the second route, and a second speech bubble containing the second simplified information, and displays, in the second area, a first panel containing the first detailed information and accepting an operation to select the first route, and a second panel containing the second detailed information and accepting an operation to select the second route.

The invention described in a claim is an information display method executed by an information display device , which acquires a first route for guiding a vehicle to a destination and a second route different from the first route, including a route branching off from the first route, and displays, in a first area of a display screen, the first route, first simplified information associated with the first route, the second route, and second simplified information associated with the second route, and displays, in a second area different from the first area of the display screen, first detailed information including more detailed information than the first simplified information as information related to the first route, and second simplified information including more detailed information than the second simplified information as information related to the second route. and second detailed information including the first simplified information, set the display mode of the first simplified information and the first detailed information to a first display mode, and set the display mode of the second simplified information and the second detailed information to a second display mode different from the first display mode, display the first route, a first speech bubble including the first simplified information, the second route, and a second speech bubble including the second simplified information in the first area, and display a first panel including the first detailed information and accepting an operation to select the first route, and a second panel including the second detailed information and accepting an operation to select the second route in the second area.

The invention described in a claim is a program executed by an information display device having a computer, the program including a route acquisition unit that acquires a first route for guiding a vehicle to a destination and a second route different from the first route including a route branching off partway along the first route, and a program that displays, in a first area of a display screen, the first route, first simplified information displayed in association with the first route, the second route, and second simplified information displayed in association with the second route, and displays, in a second area different from the first area of the display screen, first detailed information including more detailed information than the first simplified information as information related to the first route, and second detailed information including more detailed information than the second simplified information as information related to the second route. and causes the computer to function as a display control unit that displays the first simplified information and the first detailed information, wherein the display control unit sets the display mode for the first simplified information and the first detailed information to a first display mode, and sets the display mode for the second simplified information and the second detailed information to a second display mode different from the first display mode, and the display control unit displays, in the first area, the first route, a first speech bubble containing the first simplified information, the second route, and a second speech bubble containing the second simplified information, and displays, in the second area, a first panel containing the first detailed information and accepting an operation to select the first route, and a second panel containing the second detailed information and accepting an operation to select the second route.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a terminal device according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a terminal device according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an information display screen according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an information display screen according to the embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process performed in a terminal device according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a system according to a modified example. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a server device in a system according to a modified example.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, an information display device includes a route acquisition unit that acquires a first route for guiding a vehicle to a destination and a second route that is different from the first route and includes a route branching off from the first route; and a display control unit that displays the first route, first simplified information associated with the first route, and the second route, and second simplified information associated with the second route in a first area of a display screen, and also displays first detailed information relating to the first route that includes more detailed information than the first simplified information and second detailed information relating to the second route that includes more detailed information than the second simplified information in a second area of the display screen, the display control unit setting the display mode of the first simplified information and the first detailed information to a first display mode, and setting the display mode of the second simplified information and the second detailed information to a second display mode that is different from the first display mode.

The information display device includes a route acquisition unit and a display control unit. The route acquisition unit acquires a first route for guiding a vehicle to a destination and a second route different from the first route, the second route including a route branching off midway from the first route. The display control unit displays the first route, first simplified information associated with the first route, and the second route, second simplified information associated with the second route in a first area of the display screen, and also displays first detailed information relating to the first route that includes more detailed information than the first simplified information and second detailed information relating to the second route that includes more detailed information than the second simplified information in a second area of the display screen that is different from the first area. The display control unit also sets the display mode of the first simplified information and the first detailed information to a first display mode, and sets the display mode of the second simplified information and the second detailed information to a second display mode different from the first display mode. This allows information about multiple routes for guiding the vehicle to the destination to be displayed in a highly visible manner.

In one aspect of the information display device described above, the display control unit displays, in the first area, the first route, a first speech bubble containing the first simplified information, the second route, and a second speech bubble containing the second simplified information, and, in the second area, displays a first panel containing the first detailed information and accepting an operation to select the first route, and a second panel containing the second detailed information and accepting an operation to select the second route.

In one aspect of the above information display device, the second detailed information displayed on the second panel includes information indicating the difference when the vehicle's driving route is changed from the first route to the second route.

In one aspect of the information display device described above, when one of the first route and the second route is selected, the device further includes a route determination unit that determines the selected route as the route to the destination if the vehicle's travel distance after the display control unit starts displaying the display screen reaches a predetermined distance.

In one aspect of the information display device described above, the display control unit further displays, in the second area, an indicator showing the correspondence between the predetermined distance and the distance traveled by the vehicle since the timing.

In one aspect of the information display device described above, the display control unit further displays, in the second area, a first button that accepts an operation to confirm the first route as the route to the destination, and a second button that accepts an operation to confirm the second route as the route to the destination, and further includes a route confirmation unit that, when an operation is performed on one of the first button and the second button, confirms the route corresponding to that one button as the route to the destination.

In another embodiment of the present invention, an information display method acquires a first route for guiding a vehicle to a destination and a second route different from the first route, the second route including a route branching off from the first route, and displays the first route, first simplified information associated with the first route, and the second route, second simplified information associated with the second route in a first area of a display screen; and displays first detailed information relating to the first route, including more detailed information than the first simplified information, and second detailed information relating to the second route, including more detailed information than the second simplified information, in a second area of the display screen different from the first area. The method sets the display modes of the first simplified information and the first detailed information to a first display mode, and sets the display modes of the second simplified information and the second detailed information to a second display mode different from the first display mode. This allows information relating to multiple routes for guiding a vehicle to a destination to be displayed in a highly visible display mode.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a program executed by an information display device including a computer causes the computer to function as a route acquisition unit that acquires a first route for guiding a vehicle to a destination and a second route different from the first route, the second route including a route branching off from the first route, and a display control unit that displays, in a first area of a display screen, the first route, first simplified information associated with the first route, the second route, and second simplified information associated with the second route, and displays, in a second area of the display screen different from the first area, first detailed information relating to the first route that includes more detailed information than the first simplified information, and second detailed information relating to the second route that includes more detailed information than the second simplified information. The display control unit sets the display mode of the first simplified information and the first detailed information to a first display mode, and sets the display mode of the second simplified information and the second detailed information to a second display mode different from the first display mode. By executing this program on a computer, the above-mentioned information display device can be realized. This program can be stored on a storage medium and used.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[Overall configuration]
1 is a front view of a terminal device according to an embodiment. The terminal device 100 is a portable terminal that can be carried by a user, and has a display 110 on which a touch panel 120 is layered. The terminal device 100 provides route guidance to a specified destination for pedestrians, vehicles, etc.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing the general configuration of a terminal device according to an embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the terminal device 100 includes an output unit 11, an input unit 12, a memory unit 13, a communication unit 14, a GPS receiver 16, and a control unit 17. The elements of the terminal device 100 are interconnected via a bus 10, and are configured to enable the transmission of necessary information between the elements.

The output unit 11 includes a display 110 and a speaker 111 for outputting audio, and outputs information in response to operations by the user of the terminal device 100 under the control of the control unit 17. The input unit 12 includes a touch panel 120 and is an interface that accepts input of necessary commands and information by the terminal user to the terminal device 100, i.e., operations. For example, the input unit 12 accepts input specifying a destination or input specifying route search conditions. In addition to the touch panel 120, the input unit 12 may also have keys, switches, buttons, audio input devices, etc. for inputting various commands and data.

The memory unit 13 stores programs for controlling the operation of the terminal device 100 and holds information necessary for the operation of the terminal device 100. For example, the memory unit 13 stores various data used in navigation processing, such as map data. The map data includes road data represented by links corresponding to roads and nodes corresponding to road junctions (intersections), as well as facility information regarding each facility.

The communication unit 14 transmits and receives data to and from other devices in accordance with a predetermined protocol. For example, under the control of the control unit 17, the communication unit 14 receives screen information to be displayed on the display 110 from a server device via a network such as the Internet. The GPS receiver 16 receives radio waves carrying downlink data including positioning data from multiple GPS satellites, thereby generating information on the current location of the terminal device 100 and transmitting it to the control unit 17.

The control unit 17 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and other components (not shown), and performs various controls over the components within the terminal device 100.

For example, the control unit 17 accepts input specifying a destination via the input unit 12, and sets a route to the specified destination (also called a "guidance route"). The control unit 17 also sets one or more guidance points on the route to the destination. Guidance points are set as points on the route to the destination where guidance is required. Specifically, guidance points are set at, for example, intersections where the vehicle must turn right or left, and important passing points for the vehicle to travel along the guidance route. The control unit 17 then provides route guidance based on the guidance route while displaying a map using the current position as the base point.

In addition to the components shown in FIG. 2, the terminal device 100 may also include various standalone positioning devices such as an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a distance sensor.

[Display-related processing]
Next, a specific example of the process relating to the display will be described. Note that the following description will be given assuming that the user operating the terminal device 100 is a passenger in the vehicle Ve.

When an instruction to start route guidance for the vehicle Ve is input via the input unit 12, the control unit 17 acquires a guidance route MR from the current location of the vehicle Ve to the destination DTP based on map data and the like stored in the memory unit 13.

While the vehicle Ve is traveling along the guidance route MR, the control unit 17 determines whether it is possible to guide the vehicle Ve to the destination DTP via a route that branches off from the guidance route MR.

If the control unit 17 determines that the vehicle Ve cannot be guided to the destination DTP via a route branching off from the guidance route MR, it continues route guidance for the guidance route MR. When route guidance for the guidance route MR is performed, for example, a display screen that does not include the guidance route MRN, speech bubbles KJG and KJN, detailed information display panels PRG and PRN, and mark MKB (described below) is displayed on the display 110. Furthermore, if the control unit 17 determines that the vehicle Ve can be guided to the destination DTP via a route branching off from the guidance route MR, it generates an information display screen JGA as shown in FIG. 3 and displays the generated information display screen JGA on the display 110. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an information display screen according to the embodiment.

The information display screen JGA includes information display areas JDA and JDB.

The information display area JDA is provided as an area for displaying on a map the guide route MRG and guide route MRN that can guide the vehicle Ve from its current location to the destination DTP, as well as a speech bubble KJG indicating the guide route MRG and a speech bubble KJN indicating the guide route MRN. The information display area JDA also displays the guide route MR and a mark MKB indicating the branch point BKT where the guide route MR branches into the guide route MRG and the guide route MRN. The information display area JDA also displays a mark MKA (e.g., flag-shaped) indicating the location of the destination DTP of the vehicle Ve. The information display area JDA also displays a mark MKV (e.g., arrowhead-shaped) indicating the current location and direction of travel of the vehicle Ve.

The guided route MRG is the route taken when guiding the vehicle Ve to the destination DTP along the guided route MR, and corresponds to the current route acquired before the guided route MRN was acquired. In other words, the guided route MRG overlaps with the route from the branch point BKT onwards on the guided route MR. In addition, the words "current route", for example, are displayed inside the speech bubble KJG as simple information to inform the passengers of the vehicle Ve that the guided route MRG is the current route.

The guided route MRN is a route that guides the vehicle Ve to the destination DTP along a route that branches off from the guided route MR, and corresponds to a new route acquired immediately before the information display screen JGA is displayed. Furthermore, the words "New Route," for example, are displayed inside the speech bubble KJN as simple information to inform the passengers of the vehicle Ve that the guided route MRN is a new route.

According to the processing described above, the control unit 17 displays, in the information display area JDA, the guide route MRG, a speech bubble KJG containing simplified information displayed in association with the guide route MRG, and the guide route MRN, and a speech bubble KJN containing simplified information displayed in association with the guide route MRN.

In the information display area JDB, a detailed information display panel PRG containing detailed information about the guide route MRG and a detailed information display panel PRN containing detailed information about the guide route MRN are displayed. In other words, the detailed information display panel PRG contains more detailed information about the guide route MRG than the simple information contained in the speech bubble KJG. Furthermore, the detailed information display panel PRN contains more detailed information about the guide route MRN than the simple information contained in the speech bubble KJN. The information display area JDB may be provided, for example, as an area superimposed on the information display area JDA.

The detailed information display panel PRG displays, for example, the time and distance required to travel from the current location of the vehicle Ve to the destination DTP when the guide route MRG is selected. The detailed information display panel PRG also displays, for example, the amount of tolls and other fees to be paid when the guide route MRG is selected. The detailed information display panel PRG also displays, for example, a message similar to the "Current Route" message in the speech bubble KJG to inform the occupants of the vehicle Ve that the guide route MRG is the current route. The detailed information display panel PRG also has a route confirmation button BRG that accepts a tap operation to confirm the guide route MRG as the route to the destination DTP. The detailed information display panel PRG also has a function to accept a tap operation to select the guide route MRG in areas other than the route confirmation button BRG. The route confirmation button BRG also displays an indicator IGT that indicates the correspondence between a predetermined distance THD and the distance VMD traveled by the vehicle Ve since the display of the information display screen JHA began.

The predetermined distance THD is set, for example, as the distance from a predetermined point on the guidance route MR just before the junction BKT. Therefore, when the travel distance VMD of the vehicle Ve reaches the predetermined distance THD, the guidance route from the junction BKT onwards is confirmed as the currently selected guidance route.

The detailed information display panel PRN displays, for example, the required time and distance from the current location of the vehicle Ve to the destination DTP when the guide route MRN is selected. The detailed information display panel PRN also displays, for example, the toll or other fee to be paid when the guide route MRN is selected. The detailed information display panel PRN also displays the difference in required time, distance, and fee when the guide route of the vehicle Ve is changed from the guide route MRG to the guide route MRN. That is, the detailed information related to the guide route MRN displayed on the detailed information display panel PRN includes information indicating the difference when the vehicle Ve's driving route is changed from the guide route MRG to the guide route MRN. The detailed information display panel PRN also displays, for example, a message similar to the "New Route" speech bubble KJN to inform the occupants of the vehicle Ve that the guide route MRN is a new route. The detailed information display panel PRN also has a route confirmation button BRN that accepts a tap operation to confirm the guide route MRN as the route to the destination DTP. Additionally, the detailed information display panel PRN has a function that accepts tap operations to select the guide route MRN in areas other than the route confirmation button BRN.

Here, on the information display screen JGA in Figure 3, the guide route MRG is selected, for example, when a passenger in the vehicle Ve taps on the detailed information display panel PRG, or when the initial route guidance settings stored in the memory unit 13 are read.

When the guide route MRG is selected, the control unit 17 sets the display mode of the speech bubble KJG and the detailed information display panel PRG to display mode HTB, and sets the display mode of the speech bubble KJN and the detailed information display panel PRN to display mode HTW. The display mode HTB is a display mode that allows the user to visually confirm that one of the guide routes MRG and MRN has been selected, and is set, for example, as a combination of a black background and white text. The display mode HTW is a display mode that allows the user to visually confirm that the other of the guide routes MRG and MRN has not been selected, and is set, for example, as a combination of a white background and black text.

The control unit 17 detects the travel distance VMD of the vehicle Ve after the display of the information display screen JHA begins, and performs processing to display the detected travel distance VMD on the indicator IGT. The control unit 17 also determines whether the travel distance VMD of the vehicle Ve after the display of the information display screen JHA begins has reached a predetermined distance THD.

When the control unit 17 detects that the travel distance VMD of the vehicle Ve has reached a predetermined distance THD while the guide route MRG is selected, it confirms the guide route to the destination DTP after the junction BKT as the guide route MRG. Furthermore, when the control unit 17 detects, for example, that a tap operation has been performed on the route confirmation button BRG, it confirms the guide route to the destination DTP after the junction BKT as the guide route MRG even if the travel distance VMD of the vehicle Ve has not reached the predetermined distance THD. According to this embodiment, it is possible to tap the route confirmation button BRG even when the guide route MRG is not selected.

On the other hand, when the guide route MRN is selected when the vehicle Ve's travel distance VMD has not yet reached the predetermined distance THD, the control unit 17 sets the display mode of the speech bubble KJG and the detailed information display panel PRG to the display mode HTW, and sets the display mode of the speech bubble KJN and the detailed information display panel PRN to the display mode HTB. According to this processing by the control unit 17, an information display screen JGB such as that shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on the display 110. Note that on the information display screen JGB, an indicator IGT is displayed inside the route confirmation button BRN. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an information display screen according to the embodiment.

When the control unit 17 detects that the travel distance VMD of the vehicle Ve has reached a predetermined distance THD while the guide route MRN is selected, it confirms the guide route to the destination DTP after the junction BKT as the guide route MRN. Furthermore, when the control unit 17 detects, for example, that a tap operation has been performed on the route confirmation button BRN, it confirms the guide route to the destination DTP after the junction BKT as the guide route MRN even if the travel distance VMD of the vehicle Ve has not reached the predetermined distance THD. According to this embodiment, the route confirmation button BRN can be tapped even when the guide route MRN is not selected.

When the guidance route from branch point BKT to destination DTP is confirmed as one guidance route, the control unit 17 erases the information display area JDB and displays an information display screen on the display 110 showing the one guidance route on a map.

According to the processing described above, when there are two guide routes for guiding the vehicle Ve to the destination DTP, the control unit 17 can generate a display screen that displays an overview of the two guide routes in the information display area JDA while displaying details of the two guide routes in the information display area JDB.

The above-described processing is not limited to applications when the recommended route MR is the (initial) route set at the start of route guidance, but is also applied in a similar manner when, for example, the recommended route MR is a (confirmed) route after the branch point BKT.

[Processing flow]
Next, a process performed in the terminal device 100 will be described. This process is realized by the control unit 17 shown in Fig. 2 executing a program prepared in advance. Fig. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the process performed in the terminal device according to the embodiment.

First, when an instruction to start route guidance for the vehicle Ve is input via the input unit 12, the control unit 17 acquires a guidance route MR from the current location of the vehicle Ve to the destination DTP (step S11).

Next, while the vehicle Ve is traveling along the guidance route MR, the control unit 17 determines whether the vehicle Ve can be guided to the destination DTP via a route that branches off from the guidance route MR (step S12).

If the control unit 17 determines that the vehicle Ve cannot be guided to the destination DTP via a route that branches off from the guidance route MR (step S12: NO), it ends the series of processes in FIG. 5 without performing the processes from step S13 onwards, and then continues route guidance according to the guidance route MR.

If the control unit 17 determines that the vehicle Ve can be guided to the destination DTP via a route branching off from the guide route MR (step S12: YES), it causes the display 110 to display an information display screen including information related to the guide route MRG, which corresponds to the current route, and information related to the guide route MRN, which corresponds to the new route (step S13). Note that in step S13, it is sufficient for either of the information display screens JGA or JGB described above to be displayed. Therefore, for example, when the information display screen JGA is displayed by the processing of step S13, the speech bubble KJG and the detailed information display panel PRG are displayed in the display mode HTB, and the speech bubble KJN and the detailed information display panel PRN are displayed in the display mode HTW. Also, for example, when the information display screen JGB is displayed by the processing of step S13, the speech bubble KJG and the detailed information display panel PRG are displayed in the display mode HTW, and the speech bubble KJN and the detailed information display panel PRN are displayed in the display mode HTB.

Then, the control unit 17 determines whether the guidance route from branch point BKT onwards has been confirmed as one of the current route and the new route (step S14). Specifically, the control unit 17 determines, for example, in step S14, whether a tap operation has been performed on either the route confirmation button BRG or BRN. Furthermore, the control unit 17 determines, for example, in step S14, whether the travel distance VMD of the vehicle Ve has reached a predetermined distance THD.

If the control unit 17 determines that the guidance route after the junction BKT has not been confirmed as one of the current route and the new route (step S14: NO), the control unit 17 returns to step S13 and continues displaying the information display screen. Specifically, if a tap operation has not been performed on either the route confirmation button BRG or BRN and the travel distance VMD of the vehicle Ve has not reached the predetermined distance THD, the control unit 17 determines that the guidance route after the junction BKT has not been confirmed as one of the guidance routes.

When the control unit 17 determines that the guidance route from the junction BKT onwards has been confirmed as one of the current route and the new route (step S14: YES), it terminates the series of processes in FIG. 5 and then provides route guidance according to that one guidance route. Specifically, when a tap operation is performed on one of the route confirmation buttons BRG and BRN, the control unit 17 determines that the guidance route from the junction BKT onwards has been confirmed as the one guidance route corresponding to that one route confirmation button. Alternatively, when a one guidance route was selected at the time when the traveling distance VMD of the vehicle Ve reached a predetermined distance THD, the control unit 17 determines that the guidance route from the junction BKT onwards has been confirmed as that one guidance route.

In this embodiment, the control unit 17 functions as a route acquisition unit, a display control unit, and a route determination unit.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when there are two guide routes for guiding the vehicle Ve to the destination DTP, outlines of the two guide routes can be displayed in the information display area JDA, while details of the two guide routes can be displayed in the information display area JDB. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when there are a current route and a new route for guiding the vehicle Ve to the destination DTP, the display modes of the balloon KJG and the detailed information display panel PRG for displaying information related to the current route can be set to the same display mode, while the display modes of the balloon KJN and the detailed information display panel PRN for displaying information related to the new route can be set to the same display mode. Therefore, according to this embodiment, information related to multiple routes for guiding the vehicle to the destination can be displayed in a highly visible display mode.

[Modification]
The following describes various modifications suitable for the above-described embodiment. These modifications can be applied to the above-described embodiment in any combination.

(Variation 1)
Instead of the terminal device 100, a server device connected via a network may execute part of the processing of the control unit 17.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of a system related to a modified example. As shown in Figure 6, the terminal device 100 is connected to the server device 200 via the network 150. The terminal device 100 then provides route guidance by receiving information necessary for route guidance from the server device 200.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing the general configuration of a server device in a system related to a modified example. As shown in Figure 7, the server device 200 has a communication unit 202, a memory unit 203, and a control unit 204. The communication unit 202, the memory unit 203, and the control unit 204 are connected to each other via a bus line 201.

The communication unit 202 sends and receives various data via the network 150 under the control of the control unit 204. The storage unit 203 is composed of, for example, an HDD, and stores data necessary for route searches, such as map data. The control unit 204 has memory such as a CPU, ROM, and RAM, and performs overall control of the server device 200 by executing programs stored in the memory.

In this case, when the communication unit 202 receives information indicating route search conditions, including destination information and departure point information such as the current location, from the terminal device 100, the control unit 204 determines a guide route and transmits information about the guide route to the terminal device 100. The control unit 17 of the terminal device 100 provides route guidance based on the guide route information received from the server device 200. The control unit 204 also receives information indicating the current location of the vehicle Ve from the terminal device 100, acquires two guide routes for guiding the vehicle Ve to the destination DTP, generates display screen information necessary for displaying an information display screen including simplified information and detailed information related to the two guide routes, and transmits the generated display screen information from the communication unit 202 to the terminal device 100. In such a case, the control unit 17 displays an information display screen such as that illustrated in FIG. 3 or 4 on the display 110 based on the display screen information received from the server device 200.

In this way, even if the server device 200 executes part of the processing of the control unit 17, the terminal device 100 can perform processing related to displaying an information display screen including simplified information and detailed information related to the two guide routes. Note that the processing of the server device 200 may also be executed by a server system consisting of multiple server devices. In this modification, the server device 200 is an example of an "information display device" according to the present invention, and the control unit 204 is an example of a "computer" according to the present invention.

(Variation 2)
The terminal device 100 is not limited to a portable terminal such as a smartphone as shown in Fig. 1 , but may also be a stationary navigation device installed in a vehicle. In this case, the control unit of the navigation device performs display control on the display of the navigation device in the same manner as the control unit 17.

In the above-described embodiments, the program can be stored using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media and supplied to a computer control unit, etc. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic storage media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical storage media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R/Ws, and semiconductor memories (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (Random Access Memory)).

The present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications to the configuration and details of the present invention that are understandable to those skilled in the art can be made within the scope of the present invention. In other words, the present invention naturally includes various modifications and alterations that a person skilled in the art would be able to make in accordance with the entire disclosure, including the claims, and the technical ideas. Furthermore, the disclosures of the above-cited patent documents and other documents are incorporated herein by reference.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 bus 11 output unit 12 input unit 13 storage unit 14 communication unit 16 GPS receiver 17 control unit 100 terminal device 110 display 120 touch panel 150 network 200 server device

Claims (8)

a route acquisition unit that acquires a first route for guiding a vehicle to a destination and a second route that is different from the first route and includes a route that branches off from the first route;
a display control unit that displays, in a first area of a display screen, the first route, first simplified information displayed in association with the first route, and the second route, second simplified information displayed in association with the second route, and that displays, in a second area different from the first area of the display screen, first detailed information including more detailed information than the first simplified information as information related to the first route, and second detailed information including more detailed information than the second simplified information as information related to the second route,
the display control unit sets a display mode of the first simplified information and the first detailed information to a first display mode, and sets a display mode of the second simplified information and the second detailed information to a second display mode different from the first display mode;
The display control unit is an information display device that displays, in the first area, the first route, a first speech bubble containing the first simplified information, the second route, and a second speech bubble containing the second simplified information, and in the second area, displays a first panel containing the first detailed information and accepting an operation to select the first route, and a second panel containing the second detailed information and accepting an operation to select the second route. The information display device according to claim 1, wherein the second detailed information displayed on the second panel includes information indicating the difference when the vehicle's driving route is changed from the first route to the second route. The information display device of claim 1 further comprises a route determination unit that, when one of the first route and the second route is selected, determines the selected route as the route to the destination if the vehicle's travel distance after the display control unit starts displaying the display screen reaches a predetermined distance. The information display device described in claim 3, wherein the display control unit further displays an indicator in the second area that indicates the correspondence between the predetermined distance and the distance traveled by the vehicle since the timing. the display control unit further displays, in the second area, a first button that accepts an operation to confirm the first route as a route to the destination, and a second button that accepts an operation to confirm the second route as a route to the destination;
2. The information display device according to claim 1, further comprising a route determination unit that, when an operation is performed on one of the first button and the second button, determines a route corresponding to the one button as a route to the destination. An information display method executed by an information display device,
acquiring a first route for guiding a vehicle to a destination and a second route different from the first route, the second route including a route branching off from the first route;
In a first area of a display screen, the first route, first simplified information displayed in association with the first route, and the second route, second simplified information displayed in association with the second route are displayed, and in a second area different from the first area of the display screen, first detailed information including more detailed information than the first simplified information as information related to the first route, and second detailed information including more detailed information than the second simplified information as information related to the second route, are displayed;
setting a display mode for the first simplified information and the first detailed information to a first display mode, and setting a display mode for the second simplified information and the second detailed information to a second display mode different from the first display mode;
An information display method that displays, in the first area, the first route, a first speech bubble containing the first simplified information, the second route, and a second speech bubble containing the second simplified information, and displays, in the second area, a first panel containing the first detailed information and accepting an operation to select the first route, and a second panel containing the second detailed information and accepting an operation to select the second route. A program executed by an information display device having a computer,
a route acquisition unit that acquires a first route for guiding a vehicle to a destination and a second route that is different from the first route and includes a route that branches off from the first route; and
causing the computer to function as a display control unit that displays, in a first area of a display screen, the first route, first simplified information displayed in association with the first route, and the second route, second simplified information displayed in association with the second route, and also displays, in a second area different from the first area of the display screen, first detailed information that includes more detailed information than the first simplified information as information related to the first route, and second detailed information that includes more detailed information than the second simplified information as information related to the second route;
the display control unit sets a display mode for the first simplified information and the first detailed information to a first display mode, and sets a display mode for the second simplified information and the second detailed information to a second display mode different from the first display mode;
The display control unit is a program that displays, in the first area, the first route, a first speech bubble containing the first simplified information, the second route, and a second speech bubble containing the second simplified information, and also displays, in the second area, a first panel containing the first detailed information and accepting an operation to select the first route, and a second panel containing the second detailed information and accepting an operation to select the second route. A storage medium storing the program described in claim 7.