Route search device and route search method

• US 9,448,078 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishida, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tissot, Adam
• Assistant Examiner(s): CASTRO, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US14/408,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20150226564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• 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 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A center is provided with an information selecting section for selecting posted pieces of information including a prescribed term from among a plurality of pieces of information posted by users, and a route searching section for searching for a route for a mobile object based on the selected posted pieces of information. The center delivers pieces of information indicating the route searched for by the route search section to a navigation system that has made a request.

Claims

1. A route search device that searches for a route for a mobile object, comprising:

a data aggregating section configured by an information center that communicates with the mobile object, the data aggregating section aggregates posted pieces of information posted on an electronic information sharing network by multiple users, wherein each of the posted pieces of information include position information indicating posting positions of the posted pieces of information;

an information selecting section, wherein, from among the posted pieces of information, the information selection section uses a piece of information for selection in which multiple terms relating to subjects of posting are prescribed in advance, thereby selecting one or more posted pieces of information that include at least one of the multiple terms prescribed in the selection information, wherein the multiple terms include a prescribed positive term relating to at least a particular point or shop;

an information managing section that manages the posted pieces of information in units of predetermined regions each covering a posting position associated with this posted piece of information based on the posting positions of the posted pieces of information;

wherein the information managing section manages the posted pieces of information while using as a unit one of a partitioned region forming a matrix, a region within a predetermined range, or a place name of a posting position;

a level setting section that sets a recommendation level of each region based on the information amount and the prescribed positive terms of every selected posted piece of information associated with each region, respectively; and

a route searching section that searches for a route for the mobile object based on the recommendation level of each of the regions.

2. The route search device according to claim 1, wherein the route searching section searches for a route that passes through a particular point indicated by the selected posted pieces of information.

3. The route search device according to claim 1, wherein

based on position information about the selected posted pieces of information, the route searching section identifies posting positions associated with the selected posted pieces of information and searches for a route covering a relatively large number of the identified posting positions.

4. The route search device according to claim 1, wherein the route searching section determines that at least one of traveling time, a traveling distance, and traveling charge required for traveling is traveling cost, and excludes a route by which the determined traveling cost is higher than or equal to a prescribed threshold.

5. The route search device according to claim 1, further comprising a route presenting section that presents the searched route.

6. The route search device according to claim 5, wherein

the route searching section further determines a route while using, as the traveling cost, at least one of traveling time, a traveling distance, and traveling charge required for traveling, and

the route presenting section presents the determined route and the route searched for based on the selected posted pieces of information.

7. The route search device according to claim 1, wherein the route search device is provided in the information center that collects the posted pieces of information and delivers pieces of information about a route searched for based on the collected posted pieces of information to an information terminal.

8. The route search device according to claim 1, wherein the route search device is provided in an information terminal including a route presenting section that collects the posted pieces of information and presents pieces of information about a route searched for based on the collected posted pieces of information.

9. The route search device according to claim 7, wherein the information terminal is formed of at least one of a navigation system mounted on a vehicle forming the mobile object and a multifunctional phone capable of executing an application that offers route guidance based on the delivered pieces of information about the route.

10. A route search method that searches for a route for a mobile object, comprising:

communication an information center with the mobile object;

by the information center, aggregating posted pieces of information posted on an electronic information sharing network by multiple users, wherein each of the posted pieces of information include position information indicating posting positions of the posted pieces of information;

from among the posted pieces of information, using a piece of information for selection in which multiple terms are prescribed in advance, thereby selecting one or more posted pieces of information that include at least one of the multiple terms prescribed in the selection information, wherein the multiple terms include a prescribed positive term relating to at least a particular point or shop;

managing the posted pieces of information in units of predetermined regions each covering a posting position associated with the posted pieces of information based on the posting positions of the posted pieces of information;

wherein the posted pieces of information are managed while using as a unit one of a partitioned region forming a matrix, a region within a predetermined range, or a place name of a posting position;

setting a recommendation level of each region based on the information amount and the prescribed relative terms of every selected piece of information associated with each region, respectively;

searching for a route for the mobile object based on the recommendation level of each of the regions.

11. The route search method according to claim 10, further comprising, when searching for a route for the mobile object, searching for a route that passes through a particular point indicated by the selected posted pieces of information.

12. The route search method according to claim 10,

the method further comprising, when searching for a route for the mobile object,

identifying posting positions associated with the selected posted pieces of information based on position information about the selected posted pieces of information, and

searching for a route covering a relatively large number of the identified posting positions.