INFORMATION NOTIFICATION METHOD, INFORMATION NOTIFICATION SYSTEM, AND RECORDING MEDIUM FOR USER WHO PARKS VEHICLE

• US 20160111003A1
• Filed: 10/07/2015
• Published: 04/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: MIURA, KOUJI, ISHIDA, RYO, KIMURA, SOICHI, YAMASHITA, CHISATO
• Granted Patent: US 10,217,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/144 on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/146 where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space

Abstract

An information notification method includes obtaining a parking time limit during which a user is allowed to continuously park a vehicle at a parking lot, measuring a travel time required for the user to move from the parking lot to a destination, obtaining a round trip time required for the user to make a round trip between the destination and the parking lot, calculating a remaining time during which the user is allowed to stay at the destination by subtracting, from the parking time limit, the round trip time and an elapsed time measured from when the user has reached the destination, determining whether the remaining time is less than or equal to a threshold value preset to zero or greater, and notifying the user that the remaining time is short if it is determined that the remaining time is less than or equal to the threshold value.

Claims

1. An information notification method for use in an information notification system including a navigation system mounted in a vehicle and a mobile device of a user, the navigation system guiding the user to a destination and a parking lot, the mobile device being capable of communicating with the navigation system, the method comprising:

obtaining a parking time limit during which the user is allowed to continuously park the vehicle at the parking lot;

measuring a travel time required for the user to move from the parking lot to the destination;

obtaining a round trip time required for the user to make a round trip between the destination and the parking lot;

calculating a remaining time during which the user is allowed to stay at the destination by subtracting, from the parking time limit, the round trip time and an elapsed time measured from when the user has reached the destination;

determining whether the remaining time is less than or equal to a threshold value preset to a value that is greater than or equal to zero; and

notifying the user that the remaining time is short if it is determined that the remaining time is less than or equal to the threshold value.

2. The information notification method according to claim 1, wherein in obtaining a round trip time, a value is obtained by doubling the travel time obtained in measuring a travel time as the round trip time.

3. The information notification method according to claim 1, wherein the information notification system further includes a non-transitory recording medium that stores a measured length of time measured when at least one of the user and a person other than the user moves from the destination to the parking lot, and

wherein in obtaining a round trip time, a value is obtained by summing the travel time and the measured length of time stored in the non-transitory recording medium as the round trip time.

4. The information notification method according to claim 3, further comprising:

obtaining environment information indicating surrounding conditions when the user moves from the parking lot to the destination,

wherein the environment information obtained when the measured length of time is measured is stored in the non-transitory recording medium in association with the measured length of time, and

wherein in obtaining a round trip time, a value is obtained as the round trip time by summing the travel time and the measured length of time stored in the non-transitory recording medium in association with the obtained environment information.

5. The information notification method according to claim 3, further comprising:

calculating a travel speed of the user when the user moves from the parking lot to the destination,

wherein a travel speed of the person when the measured length of time is measured is stored in the non-transitory recording medium in association with the measured length of time, and

wherein in obtaining a round trip time, a value is obtained as the round trip time by summing the travel time and the measured length of time stored in the non-transitory recording medium in association with the calculated travel speed.

6. The information notification method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining attribute information regarding the parking lot indicating attributes of the parking lot; and

determining, on the basis of the obtained attribute information, whether in determining whether the remaining time is less than or equal to a threshold value, only a first predetermined value is used as the threshold value or both the first predetermined value and a second predetermined value other than the first predetermined value are used as the threshold value,

wherein in determining whether the remaining time is less than or equal to a threshold value, the determined threshold value is used.

7. The information notification method according to claim 6, wherein in notifying the user that the remaining time is short, a first device is used to notify the user if only the first predetermined value is used as the threshold value, and a second device different from the first device is used if both the first predetermined value and the second predetermined value are used as the threshold value.

8. An information notification system comprising:

a navigation system mounted in a vehicle, the navigation system guiding a user to a destination and a parking lot; and

a mobile device carried by the user and capable of communicating with the navigation system,

wherein the mobile device includes a processor and a non-transitory recording medium having a computer program therein, and the computer program causes the processor to perform,

obtaining a parking time limit during which the user is allowed to continuously park the vehicle at the parking lot,

measuring a travel time required for the user to move from the parking lot to the destination,

obtaining a round trip time required for the user to make a round trip between the destination and the parking lot,

calculating a remaining time during which the user is allowed to stay at the destination by subtracting, from the parking time limit, the round trip time and an elapsed time measured from when the user has reached the destination,

determining whether the remaining time is less than or equal to a threshold value preset to a value that is greater than or equal to zero, and

notifying the user that the remaining time is short if it is determined that the remaining time is less than or equal to the threshold value.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program for use in an information notification system including a navigation system mounted in a vehicle and a mobile device of a user, the navigation system guiding the user to a destination and a parking lot, the mobile device being capable of communicating with the navigation system, the computer program causes a processor of the mobile device to perform:

obtaining a parking time limit during which the user is allowed to continuously park the vehicle at the parking lot;

measuring a travel time required for the user to move from the parking lot to the destination;

obtaining a round trip time required for the user to make a round trip between the destination and the parking lot;

calculating a remaining time during which the user is allowed to stay at the destination by subtracting, from the parking time limit, the round trip time and an elapsed time measured from when the user has reached the destination;

determining whether the remaining time is less than or equal to a threshold value preset to a value that is greater than or equal to zero; and

notifying the user that the remaining time is short if it is determined that the remaining time is less than or equal to the threshold value.