Information inputting apparatus, information providing apparatus, and information providing system provided with these apparatuses

• US 9,804,684 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2011
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kitahama, Kenichi, Endo, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Titus
• Application Number:
  US14/362,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20140337546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,160 Days
• Field of Search: 710 73
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/5899 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/5915 Inter vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/592 Data transfer involving external databases
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/50 Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle B60K35/231 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

A vehicle is provided with a button that is depressed by a driver at any time for inputting intention information indicating an intention of approving a condition or an intention of rejecting the condition. The intention information inputted by the depressing operation of the button is transmitted to an information providing center. The intention information is transmitted together with position information indicating a point where the button is depressed and time information indicating a time. In the center, a server provides related information related to the transmitted intention information as a feedback. The server also supposes the reason why the transmitted intention information is inputted, and transmits the supposed reason to a closed SNS or an open SNS with a response form. The server then determines a reason of input based upon a response in accordance with the response form, and accumulates the determined reason in an information storage section so as to be retrievable in association with the intention information.

Claims

1. An information inputting apparatus comprising:

an input unit, which is provided in a compartment of a vehicle and is inputted by an occupant of the vehicle; and

circuitry mounted on the vehicle, wherein

the input unit is used by the occupant to input intention information indicating at least an opinion or feeling of approval of a condition involved with the occupant aboard the vehicle in a real space, which includes at least one of a surrounding condition, a road condition, a driving condition of the vehicle, and a health condition of the occupant, when the occupant approves the condition, and an opinion or feeling of rejection of the condition when the occupant rejects the condition, and

the circuitry is configured to;

transmit the intention information input by the occupant with the input unit to an information providing center outside of the vehicle,

when the occupant inputs with the input unit a reason why the occupant had the opinion or feeling of approval or of rejection of the condition, transmit the reason to the information providing center, and

when the information providing center is unable to determine the reason, receive feedback information from the information providing center to prompt the occupant to clarify the reason why the occupant had the opinion or feeling of approval or of rejection of the condition.

2. The information inputting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the input unit is connected to an on-vehicle device, which can be mounted on the vehicle, so as to make communication, and

the input unit supplies the intention information to the on-vehicle device according to an input operation by the occupant.

3. The information inputting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the on-vehicle device that can be mounted on the vehicle includes the circuitry that includes communication circuitry that is configured to communicate with the information providing center outside of the vehicle, and to transmit the intention information, which is supplied according to the operation on the input unit by the occupant, to the information providing center outside of the vehicle.

4. The information inputting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the communication circuitry in the on-vehicle device is configured to transmit condition information, which is related to the condition involved with the occupant aboard the vehicle, to the information providing center outside of the vehicle in association with the intention information, when the occupant inputs the intention information via the input unit.

5. The information inputting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the condition information is at least one of current position information indicating a current position of the vehicle when the occupant inputs the intention information via the input unit and time information indicating a time when the Occupant inputs the intention information.

6. The information inputting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the communication circuitry in the on-vehicle device is configured to transmit at least one of identification information for identifying the vehicle and identification information for identifying the occupant to the information providing center outside of the vehicle in association with the intention information, when the occupant inputs the intention information via the input unit.

7. The information inputting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the communication circuitry in the on-vehicle device is configured to communicate with the information providing center outside of the vehicle by logging in to a predetermined network service, and

the communication circuitry is configured to transmit the identification information for identifying the occupant to the information providing center outside of the vehicle in association with the intention information, when logged in the predetermined network service.

8. The information inputting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the occupant is at least a driver of the vehicle, and

the input unit is provided at least on a portion near a steering wheel operated by the driver.

9. The information inputting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the input unit is provided at a position where the driver can make an input operation while gripping the steering wheel.

10. The information inputting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the input unit is at least any one of a button depressed by the occupant, a voice input unit to which a voice of the occupant is inputted, and an image recognition unit that recognizes an expression of a face of the occupant as an image.

11. The information inputting apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a notification unit, wherein

the circuitry is configured to acquire related information related to an input of the intention information by the occupant via the input unit from the information providing center outside of the vehicle via the communication circuitry in the on-vehicle device, and the notification unit notifies the occupant of the acquired related information.

12. The information inputting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the related information is based upon intention information inputted by an occupant of another vehicle for the condition when the occupant inputs the intention information via the input unit.

13. The information inputting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the related information is information related to a number of intention information pieces inputted by the occupant of the other vehicle, or information related to the intention information inputted by the occupant of the other vehicle.

14. The information inputting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the related information is acquired from the information providing center outside of the vehicle through a predetermined network service that can be used by the occupant.

15. An information providing apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to;

collect information pieces supplied from plural vehicles,

provide various information pieces related to the information pieces collected by the circuitry to at least an occupant of each of the vehicles,

collect intention information, which is inputted by the occupant and indicates at least an opinion or feeling of approval of a condition involved with the occupant aboard the vehicle in a real space, which includes at least one of a surrounding condition, a road condition, a driving condition of the vehicle, and a health condition of the occupant, when the occupant approves the condition, and an opinion or feeling of rejection of the condition when the occupant rejects the condition, from the plural vehicles,

determine a reason why the occupant had the opinion or feeling of approval or of rejection of the condition, and

when the circuitry is unable to determine the reason, provide feedback information to prompt the occupant to clarify the reason why the occupant had the opinion or feeling of approval or of rejection of the condition.

16. The information providing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

when the circuitry collects the intention information from one vehicle out of the plural vehicles, the circuitry is configured to provide information based upon intention information collected from other plural vehicles out of the plural vehicles to an occupant of the one vehicle.

17. The information providing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

the information provided by the circuitry to the occupant of the one vehicle is information related to a number of intention information pieces collected from the other plural vehicles by the circuitry, or information related to the intention information collected from the other plural vehicles by the circuitry.

18. The information providing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

the circuitry is configured to provide information based upon intention information, which is collected from a vehicle of an occupant who has a predetermined relationship to the occupant of the one vehicle, out of intention information pieces collected from the plural vehicles by the circuitry, to the occupant of the one vehicle.

19. The information providing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

when one vehicle out of the plural vehicles from which the circuitry collects the intention information pieces is on a specific position, the circuitry is configured to provide information based upon intention information collected from other plural vehicles out of the plural vehicles to the occupant of the one vehicle.

20. The information providing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

the circuitry is configured to:

accumulate plural intention information pieces collected from the plural vehicles by the circuitry so as to be retrievable,

supplement a reason why the intention information collected by the circuitry is inputted and supplied from the vehicle, and

accumulate the reason, which is supplemented by the circuitry, so as to be retrievable in association with the intention information collected by the circuitry.

21. The information providing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

the circuitry is configured to accumulate the acquired intention information, and position information indicating a position of the vehicle when the intention information is inputted and time information indicating a time when the intention information is inputted, so as to be retrievable, the position information and the time information being associated with the acquired intention information, and

the circuitry is configured to supplement the reason why the intention information collected by the circuitry is supplied from the vehicle based upon the plural intention information pieces accumulated so as to be retrievable in the circuitry, plural position information pieces, and time information pieces accumulated in association with each of the plural intention information pieces, and environment information indicating an environment around the vehicle indicated by the position information and the time information.

22. The information providing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

the circuitry is configured to present a response form encouraging the occupant of the vehicle to make a response about a reason why the intention information collected by the circuitry is supplied from the vehicle through a predetermined network service that can be used by the occupant of the vehicle, and to supplement the reason why the intention information collected by the circuitry is supplied from the vehicle based upon the response according to the response form.

23. The information providing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein

the circuitry is configured to:

suppose the reason why the intention information collected by the circuitry is supplied from the vehicle based upon the plural intention information pieces accumulated in the circuitry,

present the supposed reason to the occupant through the predetermined network service as well as present a response form encouraging the occupant to make a response as to whether the supposed reason is true or not, and

supplement the reason why the intention information collected by the circuitry is supplied from the vehicle based upon the response in accordance with the response form.

24. The information providing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein

the predetermined network service is a social networking service of a closed community that the occupant of the vehicle joins.

25. The information providing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein

the circuitry is configured to present to the occupant plural intention information pieces from an occupant of another vehicle corresponding to the intention information collected by the circuitry, as well as a response form encouraging the occupant to make a response about the reason why the intention information is supplied from the vehicle, and to supplement the reason why the intention information collected by the circuitry is supplied from the vehicle based upon the response in accordance with the response form.

26. The information providing apparatus according to claim 25, wherein

the predetermined network service is a social networking service of an open community that persons other than an occupant of a vehicle join.

27. The information providing apparatus according to claim 26, wherein

the plural intention information pieces from the occupant of the other vehicle presented through the social networking service, of an open community is presented with a nickname of the occupant of the other vehicle.

28. The information providing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein

the circuitry is configured to apply a predetermined point to the response, when the response is made in accordance with the response form presented by the circuitry.

29. An information providing system comprising:

an information inputting apparatus including an input unit provided in a compartment of a vehicle and operated by an occupant of the vehicle; and

an information providing apparatus including circuitry configured to collect information pieces supplied from plural vehicles including the information inputting apparatus, and to provide various information pieces related to the collected information pieces to at least an occupant of each of the vehicles, wherein

the input unit in the information inputting apparatus is used by the occupant to input intention information indicating at least an opinion or feeling of approval of a condition involved with the occupant aboard the vehicle in a real space, which includes at least one of a surrounding condition, a road condition, a driving condition of the vehicle, and a health condition of the occupant, when the occupant approves the condition, and an opinion or feeling of rejection of the condition when the occupant rejects the condition,

the circuitry in the information providing apparatus is configured to collect intention information, which is inputted via the input unit in the information inputting apparatus, from the plural vehicles, and

the circuitry in the information providing apparatus is configured to;

accumulate plural intention information pieces collected from the plural vehicles by the circuitry so as to be retrievable,

supplement a reason why the intention information collected by the circuitry is supplied from the vehicle, and

when the circuitry is unable to determine the reason, provide feedback information to prompt the occupant to clarify a reason why the occupant had the opinion or feeling of approval or of rejection of the condition.

30. The information providing system according to claim 29, wherein

the input unit in the information inputting apparatus is connected to an on-vehicle device, which can be mounted on the vehicle and includes communication circuitry configured to communicate with an information providing center outside of the vehicle, so as to make communication, and supplies the intention information to the on-vehicle device according to an input operation by the occupant, and

the on-vehicle device transmits the intention information supplied according to the operation on the input unit by the occupant to the information providing apparatus.

31. The information providing system according to claim 30, wherein

the communication circuitry in the on-vehicle device is configured to transmit condition information, which is related to the condition involved with the occupant aboard the vehicle, to the information providing apparatus in association with the intention information, when the occupant inputs the information via the input unit.

32. The information providing system according to claim 30, wherein

the information inputting apparatus includes a notification unit, and wherein

the communication circuitry in the on-vehicle device is configured to acquire related information related to an input of the intention information by the occupant via the input unit from the information providing apparatus, and the notification unit notifies the occupant of the acquired related information.

33. The information providing system according to claim 32, wherein

the related information is accumulated in the circuitry in the information providing apparatus, and is based upon intention information inputted by an occupant of another vehicle for the condition when the occupant inputs the intention information via the input unit.

34. The information providing system according to claim 33, wherein

the related information is acquired from the information providing apparatus through a predetermined network service that can be used by the occupant.

35. The information providing system according to claim 29, wherein

the circuitry in the information providing apparatus is configured to present a response form encouraging the occupant of the vehicle to make a response about a reason why the intention information collected by the circuitry is supplied from the vehicle through a predetermined network service that can be used by the occupant of the vehicle, and to supplement the reason why the intention information collected by the circuitry is supplied from the vehicle based upon the response according to the response form.