INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, ROUTE NAVIGATOR, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20140005940A1
• Filed: 03/14/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Toshikazu
• Granted Patent: US 9,109,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/527
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles

Abstract

An information processing apparatus may be implemented as a route navigator, which uses a route navigation method and a computer program product. A processing circuit is used to calculate respective passage frequencies of passageway segments in a passage history. The processing circuit then selects a navigation route to a destination, includes at least one passageway segment with a passage frequency that is a low or zero passage frequency.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a processing circuit that

calculates respective passage frequencies of passageway segments in a passage history, and

selects a navigation route to a destination, includes at least one passageway segment with a passage frequency that is a low or zero passage frequency.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless interface configured to send a search query to a remote device and receive data describing the navigation route that includes the passageway segment.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the passageway segment is a road.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the passageway segment is at least one of a pedestrian path and a sidewalk.

5. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the passageway segment is a bicycle path.

6. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the processing circuit sets a predetermined area that includes a current position and a destination, and selects the navigation route to be within the predetermined area.

7. The information processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein

a size of the predetermined area is expanded to in accordance with a user-specified extra-time input.

8. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the processing circuit selects the navigation route to coincide with a user-selectable location of interest.

9. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the processing circuit selects the navigation route to coincide with a location of interest, the location of interest is selected from website provided information.

10. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a movement mode detection unit that detects one of a plurality of user movement modes; and

a storage device that stores the passage history for each of the plurality of user movement modes, wherein

the processing circuit calculates the passage frequency based on the passage history for respective of the plurality of user movement modes.

11. A route navigator, comprising:

a search unit configured to selectably perform navigation searches in a first mode and a second mode,

when operating in the first mode, the search unit identifies a navigation route that includes a passageway segment that is not included in another navigation route identified with the second mode and has a passage frequency that is below a predetermined threshold,

when operating in the second mode, the search unit identifies the another navigation route according to a priority of at least one of a shortest distance and a shortest travel time; and

a display control circuit that display the navigation route when the search unit is operating in the first mode.

12. The route navigator of claim 11, further comprising:

a wireless interface configured that sends a search query to a remote device, and receive data describing the navigation route that includes the passageway segment.

13. The route navigator of claim 11, wherein

the passageway segment is a road.

14. The route navigator of claim 11, wherein

the passageway segment is at least one of a pedestrian path and a sidewalk.

15. The route navigator of claim 11, wherein

the passageway segment is a bicycle path.

16. The route navigator of claim 11, wherein

the passage history is zero.

17. The route navigator of claim 11, wherein

the search unit sets a predetermined area that includes a current position and a destination, and selects the navigation route to be within the predetermined area.

18. The route navigator of claim 17, wherein

when operating in the first mode, a size of the predetermined area is expanded to in accordance with a user-specified extra-time input.

19. The route navigator of claim 11, wherein

the search unit selects the navigation route to coincide with a user-selectable location of interest.

20. The route navigator of claim 11, wherein

the search selects the navigation route to coincide with a location of interest, the location of interest is selected from website provided information.

21. The route navigator of claim 11, further comprising:

a movement mode detection unit that detects one of a plurality of user movement modes; and

a storage device that stores the passage history for each of the plurality of user movement modes, wherein

the search unit calculates the passage frequency based on the passage history for respective of the plurality of user movement modes.

22. An information processing method comprising:

calculating with a processing circuit respective passage frequencies of passageway segments in a passage history, and

selecting a navigation route to a destination, includes at least one passageway segment with a passage frequency that is a low or zero passage frequency.

23. A route navigation method, comprising:

selectably performing with a search unit navigation searches in a first mode and a second mode,

when operating in the first mode, identifying a navigation route that includes a passageway segment that is not included in another navigation route identified with the second mode and has a passage frequency that is below a predetermined threshold,

when operating in the second mode, the identifying the another navigation route according to a priority of at least one of a shortest distance and a shortest travel time; and

displaying with a display control circuit the navigation route when the search unit is operating in the first mode.

24. A non-transitory computer storage medium having instruction stored therein that when executed by a processing circuit perform an information processing method, the method comprising:

calculating with the processing circuit respective passage frequencies of passageway segments in a passage history, and

selecting a navigation route to a destination, includes at least one passageway segment with a passage frequency that is a low or zero passage frequency.

25. A non-transitory computer storage medium having instructions stored therein that when executed by a processing circuit perform a route navigation method, the method comprising:

selectably performing with a search unit navigation searches in a first mode and a second mode,

when operating in the first mode, identifying a navigation route that includes a passageway segment that is not included in another navigation route identified with the second mode and has a passage frequency that is below a predetermined threshold,

when operating in the second mode, the identifying the another navigation route according to a priority of at least one of a shortest distance and a shortest travel time; and

displaying with a display control circuit the navigation route when the search unit is operating in the first mode.