Information presentation apparatus and information presentation method

• US 20040181337A1
• Filed: 03/09/2004
• Published: 09/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yuda, Masato, Kawasaki, Yoshiteru, Nishimura, Kenji, Araki, Hitoshi, Senda, Keiichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,031,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968

Abstract

The in-vehicle information apparatus 1 according to the present invention for presenting, to a user, information which includes a returning route is composed of the following: a home position holding unit 102 for holding beforehand a position of the user'"'"'s home; a home arrival time holding unit 103 for holding beforehand a home arrival time of the user; a present position obtainment unit 106 for obtaining a present position of the user; a present time obtainment unit 107 for obtaining a present time; a route search unit 108 for obtaining a returning route from the present position to the user'"'"'s home position, a required time for the returning route, and a departure time to leave the present position so that the user can get home by the home arrival time; and a presentation unit 111 for comparing the departure time obtained by the route search unit 108 and the present time, and presenting to the user the departure time and the returning route obtained by the route search unit 108, before the departure time is passed.

Claims

1. An information presentation apparatus for presenting, to a user, information which includes a returning route, the apparatus comprising:

a home position holding unit operable to hold in advance a position of the user'"'"'s home;

a home arrival time holding unit operable to hold in advance a home arrival time of the user;

a present position obtainment unit operable to obtain a present position of the user;

a present time obtainment unit operable to obtain a present time;

an obtainment unit operable to obtain the following information;

a returning route from the present position to the user'"'"'s home position;

a required time for the returning route; and

a departure time to leave the present position so that the user can get home by the home arrival time; and

a presentation unit operable to compare the departure time obtained by the obtainment unit and the present time, and present to the user the departure time and the returning route which are obtained by the obtainment unit, before the departure time is passed.

2. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a preference accumulation unit operable to accumulate beforehand user'"'"'s preferences relating to route selection,

wherein the obtainment unit obtains the returning route which reflects the user'"'"'s preferences relating to route selection, which are accumulated by the preference accumulation unit.

3. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a map data holding unit operable to hold map data,

wherein the information presentation apparatus is placed in a vehicle the user drives,

the obtainment unit obtains the following based on the map data:

the returning route, the required time for the returning route, and the departure time, and

the presentation unit presents on a map the returning route to be taken by the user.

4. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising an operation unit,

wherein the obtainment unit searches for the returning route when the user operates the operation unit.

5. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the obtainment unit searches for the returning route in at least one of the following dynamic timings:

at intervals of a predetermined period of time;

at intervals of a predetermined amount of distance;

when the vehicle stops at a traffic light;

when new VICS information including new traffic information is obtained; and

when the vehicle drives off the guide route.

6. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the user'"'"'s preferences relating to route selection accumulated by the preference accumulation unit include at least one of the following:

“

Prioritize toll roads”

, “

Prioritize large roads”

, and “

Prioritize roads with few intersections”

.

7. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a control unit operable to control a degree of reflecting the user'"'"'s preferences relating to route selection, which are used by the obtainment unit,

wherein the control unit compares the present time, the home arrival time, and the required time for the returning route obtained by the obtainment unit, and judges whether or not the user can get home by the home arrival time by taking the returning route obtained by the obtainment unit, and

when judging that the user cannot get home by the home arrival time, the control unit requests the obtainment unit to search for the route again based on modified user'"'"'s preferences relating to route selection so as to shorten the required time.

8. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the presentation unit presents to the user that the user'"'"'s preferences relating to route selection, which are already set by the user, are modified, in the case where the control unit has requested the obtainment unit to modify the preferences relating to route selection so as to search the route again.

9. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein, in the case where the control unit has requested the obtainment unit to modify the user'"'"'s preferences relating to route selection so as to search the route again, the control unit updates the preferences relating to route selection, which are accumulated by the preference accumulation unit, to the modified preferences.

10. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a user specification unit operable to specify a user from among a plurality of users,

wherein the home arrival time holding unit holds in advance a home arrival time for each of the plurality of users,

the preference accumulation unit holds in advance preferences relating to route selection for each of the plurality of users, and

the obtainment unit obtains a returning route which reflects the user'"'"'s preferences relating to route selection, said user being specified by the user specification unit.

11. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a user identification unit operable to identify a user of the vehicle from among a plurality of users,

wherein the home arrival time holding unit holds in advance a home arrival time for each of the plurality of users,

the preference accumulation unit accumulates in advance preferences relating to route selection for each of the plurality of users,

the obtainment unit obtains a returning route which reflects the user'"'"'s preferences relating to route selection, said user being identified by the user identification unit.

12. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the information presentation apparatus is portable, and

the obtainment unit obtains the following from outside:

the returning route, the required time for the returning route, and the departure time.

13. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising an operation unit,

wherein the obtainment unit obtains the following from outside when the user operates the operation unit:

the returning route, the required time for the returning route, and the departure time.

14. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the obtainment unit obtains, from outside, the returning route, the required time for taking the returning route, and the departure time in at least one of the following dynamic timings:

at intervals of a predetermined period of time;

at intervals of a predetermined amount of distance; and

when the vehicle drives off the guide route.

15. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the user'"'"'s preferences relating to route selection, which are accumulated by the preference accumulation unit, include at least one of the following:

“

Order of priority in a means of transportation;

train, bus, taxi and on foot”

, “

Prioritize a total amount of fares” and

“

Order of priority for walking routes;

avoiding dark places and taking the shortest route”

.

16. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a control unit operable to control a degree of reflecting the user'"'"'s preferences relating to route selection which are used by the obtainment unit,

wherein the control unit compares the present time, the home arrival time, and the required time for the returning route obtained by the obtainment unit, and judges whether or not the user can get home by the home arrival time by taking the returning route obtained by the obtainment unit, and

when judging that the user cannot get home, the control unit requests the obtainment unit to search again the route based on modified user'"'"'s preferences relating to route selection so as to shorten the required time.

17. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein the presentation unit presents to the user that the preferences relating to route selection set by the user are modified, when the control unit has requested the obtainment unit to modify the preferences relating to route selection so as to search the route again.

18. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein, in the case where the control unit has requested the obtainment unit to modify the preferences relating to route selection so as to search the route again, the control unit updates the preferences relating to route selection, which are accumulated by the preference accumulation unit, to the modified preferences.

19. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising an operation unit,

wherein the obtainment unit obtains, from outside, map data including the returning route, when the user operates the operation unit, and

the presentation unit presents on a map the returning route.

20. An information presentation method employed by an information presentation apparatus which presents, to a user, information including a returning route,

wherein the information presentation apparatus comprises:

a home position holding unit operable to hold in advance a position of the user'"'"'s home; and

a home arrival time holding unit operable to hold in advance a home arrival time of the user, and

the method comprising;

a present position obtainment step of obtaining a present position of the user;

a present time obtainment step of obtaining a present time;

an obtainment step of obtaining a returning route from the present position to the user'"'"'s home position, a required time for the returning route, and a departure time to leave the present position so that the user can get home by the home arrival time; and

a presentation step of comparing the departure time obtained in the obtainment step and the present time, and presenting to the user the departure time and the returning route which are obtained in the obtainment step, before the departure time is passed.

21. A program for an information presentation method employed by an information presentation apparatus which presents, to a user, information including a returning route,

wherein the information presentation apparatus comprises:

a home position holding unit operable to hold in advance a position of the user'"'"'s home; and

a home arrival time holding unit operable to hold in advance a home arrival time of the user, and

the program causing a computer to execute;

a present position obtainment step of obtaining a present position of the user;

a present time obtainment step of obtaining a present time;

an obtainment step of obtaining a returning route from the present position to the user'"'"'s home position, a required time for the returning route, and a departure time to leave the present position so that the user can get home by the home arrival time; and

a presentation step of comparing the departure time obtained in the obtainment step and the present time, and presenting to the user the departure time and the returning route which are obtained in the obtainment step, before the departure time is passed.