JP2025111050A - Information processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To more suitably provide information on places popular with locals.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes a control unit which is configured to: acquire a destination of a vehicle; acquire a distance from a home of a user of a vehicle to the destination; determine that the user of the vehicle is a local resident when the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, determine that the user of the vehicle is not a local resident when the distance is greater than the predetermined distance and store the determination result in a storage unit; determine whether or not the destination is a place popular with locals according to the number of times of determining that the user is a local resident and the number of times of determining that the user is not a local resident stored in the storage unit; and output information indicating that the destination is a place popular with locals when it is determined that the destination is a place popular with locals.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

This disclosure relates to an information processing device.

Patent Document 1 discloses that when a user sets a facility as their destination, the car navigation device uploads user information to an information center, associating the facility's unique name, the facility's genre name, and the area name on the vehicle's license plate. The information center classifies the accumulated user information by facility genre name and area name, and associates the facility's unique name within that genre with its local popularity. The user can then obtain facility information that includes the facility's unique name within the specified genre and the facility's local popularity, making it easy to obtain information on so-called "hidden gems" that are highly popular locally.

JP 2009-092567 A

The purpose of this disclosure is to better provide information about places popular with locals.

One aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing device including a control unit configured to: acquire a vehicle's destination; acquire the distance from the home of the vehicle user to the destination; determine that the vehicle user is a local resident if the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined distance; determine that the vehicle user is not a local resident if the distance is greater than the predetermined distance; store the determination result in a memory unit; determine whether the destination is a popular location among local residents based on the number of times the user has been determined to be a local resident and the number of times the user has been determined to be a non-local resident, which are stored in the memory unit; and output information indicating that the destination is a popular location among local residents based on the determination that the destination is a popular location among local residents.

Further aspects of the present disclosure include an information processing method for causing a computer to execute the above-described information processing, a program for causing a computer to execute this information processing method, and a computer-readable storage medium on which this program is non-temporarily stored.

This disclosure makes it possible to better provide information about places popular with locals.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a vehicle and a server that constitute the system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a table configuration of a vehicle information DB. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining whether a person is a local resident. 4 is a flowchart showing a process executed in a server in the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a process executed in a server in the second embodiment.

When tourists visit tourist destinations, they often want to go to popular restaurants that are frequented by locals. For example, even if they try to gather information about restaurants popular with locals on gourmet websites or tourist magazines, restaurants that pay advertising fees may be featured prominently, making it difficult to find the restaurant they are looking for.

To solve this problem, the present disclosure determines whether a user visiting a destination is a local resident based on the distance from the vehicle user's home to the destination. Destinations that are relatively frequently visited by local residents are determined to be popular places among local residents. Therefore, a control unit of an information processing device, which is one aspect of the present disclosure, acquires the vehicle's destination. The destination may be a destination entered into the vehicle's navigation device, or it may be a location other than the home where the vehicle 10 is parked.

The control unit also acquires the distance from the vehicle user's home to the destination. The home may be registered in, for example, an information processing device or a vehicle navigation device according to the present disclosure. As another example, the location where the vehicle has been parked the longest may be treated as the home. The distance from the home to the destination may be calculated based on map information. Furthermore, the control unit determines that the vehicle user is a local resident if the distance from the vehicle user's home to the destination is less than a predetermined distance, and determines that the vehicle user is not a local resident if this distance is longer than the predetermined distance, and stores the determination result in the memory unit. The predetermined distance is the distance from the user's home to the outermost extent of the area that can be considered the user's hometown. The hometown may be the user's living area. The hometown may also be defined by administrative districts such as cities, towns, and villages. The control unit determines whether users who visit the same destination are local resident and stores the determination result in the memory unit. This records the number of times the same destination has been visited by local residents and non-local residents.

The control unit also determines whether the destination is a popular place among locals based on the number of times the user is determined to be a local and the number of times the user is determined to be a non-local, which are stored in the memory unit. The number of times the user is determined to be a local and the number of times the user is determined to be a non-local, which are stored in the memory unit, are considered to correlate with the popularity of the destination among locals. For example, a place that is popular with locals is considered to be visited by many locals. Also, for example, if locals visit the same destination more often than non-locals, the place is considered to be popular with locals. Furthermore, for example, if the same local resident visits the same destination multiple times, the place is also considered to be popular with locals. Taking these factors into consideration, the control unit can determine whether the destination is a popular place among locals.

Then, in response to determining that the destination is a place popular with locals, the control unit outputs information about the destination being a place popular with locals. This output may be performed, for example, in response to a request from the vehicle or the user's terminal. In this way, information about places popular with locals can be provided.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments. Furthermore, the following embodiments can be combined as much as possible.

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a block diagram that schematically illustrates an example of the configuration of a vehicle 10 and a server 30 that constitute a system 1 according to a first embodiment. In the example of FIG. 1, the system 1 includes the vehicle 10 and the server 30. While FIG. 1 illustrates one vehicle 10 as an example, the present invention is not limited to this, and multiple vehicles 10 may be present. The vehicle 10 and the server 30 are interconnected by a network N1. Note that the network N1 is, for example, a global public communication network such as the Internet, and may be a WAN (Wide Area Network) or other communication network. The network N1 may also include a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone, or a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

The server 30 has a control unit 31, a memory unit 32, and a communication module 33. The server 30 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), a main memory unit (RAM, ROM, etc.), and an auxiliary memory unit (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.). The auxiliary memory unit stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, various functions (software modules) that match specific purposes, as described below, can be realized. However, some or all of the modules may be realized as hardware modules using hardware circuits such as ASICs and FPGAs.

The control unit 31 is a computing unit that executes predetermined programs to realize various functions of the server 30. The control unit 31 can be realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 31 may also be configured to include RAM, ROM (Read Only Memory), cache memory, etc. Details of the control unit 31 will be described later.

The memory unit 32 is a means for storing information and is composed of storage media such as RAM, a magnetic disk, or flash memory. The memory unit 32 stores programs executed by the control unit 31, data used by these programs, and the like. The memory unit 32 also contains databases (vehicle information DB 321 and map information DB 322), in which vehicle information and map information are stored.

Here, Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the table configuration of vehicle information DB 321. Vehicle information DB 321 has fields for vehicle ID, user ID, home location, destination, route, and number of visits. The vehicle ID field stores information (vehicle ID) that can identify the vehicle 10. The user ID field stores information (user ID) that can identify the user. The home location field stores information related to the location of the user's home. The user's home location may be registered in advance in the vehicle 10 or the server 30. If the user's home location is registered in the vehicle 10, it may be transmitted from the vehicle 10 to the server 30, for example, along with the vehicle 10's location information. The destination field stores information related to the destination of the vehicle 10. The destination of the vehicle 10 is the location where the power switch 15 of the vehicle 10 is turned off and the vehicle 10's system is stopped. As another example, the destination may be a destination input into the vehicle 10's navigation device. In this case, information about the destination may be transmitted from the vehicle 10 to the server 30 at any time after the destination is input into the navigation device. The destination may also be expressed as the name, coordinates, or address of the facility.

The route field stores information about the route based on the position information transmitted from the vehicle 10. The route information indicates the transition of the position information from the departure point of the vehicle 10 to the destination, and is information about the route actually traveled by the vehicle 10. That is, the route field stores position information for each predetermined time period from when the power switch 15 of the vehicle 10 is turned on to when it is turned off. This position information includes time information corresponding to the position. The visit count field stores information about the number of visits to the same destination. The visit count may be counted by the vehicle 10 and transmitted to the server 30, or may be counted by the server 30 based on the vehicle ID, user ID, and destination. Hereinafter, the information stored in the vehicle information DB 321 in this manner will also be referred to as vehicle information. The vehicle information includes information about the vehicle ID, user ID, home position, destination, route, and number of visits. The vehicle information may be transmitted from the vehicle 10 to the server 30 when the vehicle 10 is powered off, or may be generated by the control unit 31 of the server 30 based on position information periodically transmitted from the vehicle 10 and information about the startup status of the vehicle 10.

Map information DB322 also stores map information including map data and POIs (Points of Interest), such as text and photos that indicate the characteristics of each point on the map data. Note that map information DB322 may be provided by another system connected to network N1, such as a GIS (Geographic Information System). Map data includes, for example, link data related to roads (links), node data related to node points, intersection data related to each intersection, search data for searching routes, facility data related to facilities, and search data for searching for locations. Facilities include restaurants. POI corresponding to restaurants include location information of the restaurant, information about the type of cuisine the restaurant serves (e.g., Japanese, Chinese, Italian, etc.), and information about the restaurant's contact information.

The communication module 33 is a communication interface for connecting the server 30 to the network N1. The communication module 33 may be configured to include, for example, a network interface board, a wireless communication interface for wireless communication, etc. The server 30 can communicate data with each vehicle 10 via the communication module 33.

Note that the specific hardware configuration of server 30 may include omissions, substitutions, and additions of components as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

Next, we will explain the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 is composed of a control unit 11, a memory unit 12, a communication module 13, a position information sensor 14, a power switch 15, and a touch panel 16. These components are interconnected by a CAN bus, which is an in-vehicle network bus. Note that these components may also be components such as a DCM (Data Communication Module), a head unit, a navigation device, an air conditioning system, and a driving system.

The control unit 11 is a computing unit that executes predetermined programs to realize various functions of the vehicle 10. The control unit 11 can be realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 11 may also be configured to include RAM, ROM (Read Only Memory), cache memory, etc.

The memory unit 12 is a means for storing information and is composed of storage media such as RAM, a magnetic disk, or flash memory. The memory unit 12 stores programs executed by the control unit 11, data used by the programs, etc. The memory unit 12 stores location information acquired by the location information sensor 14. The memory unit 12 may also store information related to the user's home location. The memory unit 12 may also store information related to the number of visits to each destination.

The communication module 13 is a communication means for connecting the vehicle 10 to the network N1. In this embodiment, the vehicle 10 can communicate with other devices (e.g., the server 30) via the network N1 using mobile communication services such as 3G, LTE, 5G, and 6G.

The position information sensor 14 acquires position information (e.g., latitude and longitude) of the vehicle 10. The position information sensor 14 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, a wireless communication unit, etc.

The power switch 15 is a switch for changing the startup state of the vehicle 10; when pressed by the driver, it starts the vehicle 10 or stops the functions of the vehicle 10. The state in which the driver presses the power switch 15 to start the vehicle 10 is called the power-on state, and the state in which the user presses the power switch 15 again to stop the functions of the vehicle 10 is called the power-off state. The power switch 15 may be an IG switch. The power-on state corresponds to the IG-on state, and the power-off state corresponds to the IG-off state. The touch panel 16 is a device that accepts input from the user and presents information to the user, and is a touch panel display that includes, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an EL (Electroluminescence) panel.

The control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 transmits the detection value of the position information sensor 14 and the startup status of the vehicle 10, along with the vehicle ID and time information, to the server 30 at predetermined time intervals. The startup status of the vehicle 10 may be transmitted to the server 30 when triggered by the driver pressing the power switch 15. If the vehicle 10 system is not started, the server 30 can determine that the vehicle 10 is in a parked state. The control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 may also transmit the above vehicle information to the server 30 when triggered by the driver pressing the power switch 15 to stop the vehicle 10's functions.

Next, the control unit 31 of the server 30 will be described in detail. The control unit 31 of the server 30 identifies places popular with local residents based on vehicle information acquired from multiple vehicles 10. The following description assumes that this place is a restaurant. However, it is not limited to restaurants; it may also be other stores or facilities. The control unit 31 can also determine whether a destination is a restaurant by referencing the map information DB 322. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a method for determining whether a user is a local resident. In Figure 3, P1 indicates the home location of the user of the vehicle 10, and P2 indicates the destination (which may also be the arrival point) of the vehicle 10. This destination is a restaurant. The dashed-dotted line indicates the route of the vehicle 10. In Figure 3, the dotted line indicates a circle with a radius of a predetermined distance centered on destination P2. The area surrounded by this dotted line is the area where the homes of local residents who visit destination P2 are likely to be located. The predetermined distance may be, for example, the average distance a local person travels in the vehicle 10 when eating or drinking at a local restaurant.

The control unit 31 counts the number of times a local resident has visited the restaurant if the destination P2 of the vehicle 10 is a restaurant and the distance from the home of the user of the vehicle 10 to the restaurant that is destination P2 is less than a predetermined distance. The value counted in this way is referred to as the "number of local resident visits." Note that if the same vehicle 10 visits destination P2 multiple times, the number of times counted is weighted more heavily. For example, the first time a local resident visits the same destination P2, it is counted as one visit, the second visit as two visits, and the third visit as three visits. In other words, if the same local resident visits the same destination P2 three times, the number of local resident visits is 1 + 2 + 3 = 6. In this way, the control unit 31 adds the number of times a local resident has visited destination P2 to the number of local resident visits.

Meanwhile, the control unit 31 counts the number of times that non-locals have visited the restaurant when the destination P2 of the vehicle 10 is a restaurant and the distance from the home of the user of the vehicle 10 to the restaurant, which is destination P2, is longer than a predetermined distance. The value counted in this way is referred to as the "number of visits by non-locals." Unlike the number of visits by locals, the number of visits by non-locals is not weighted by the actual number of visits when counting. In other words, if the same non-local visitor visits the same destination P2 three times, the number of visits by non-locals is 1 + 1 + 1 = 3.

Furthermore, when destination P2 of vehicle 10 is a restaurant, control unit 31 counts the total number of people who visited destination P2. This total number of people will be referred to below as the "actual number of visits." The actual number of visits is not weighted as described above.

The location of the home of the user of vehicle 10 may be a pre-registered location, or may be the location where vehicle 10 is parked the longest. Information about the user's home is linked to the vehicle ID and user ID and stored in the memory unit 32 by the control unit 31.

The local index is defined as the sum of the number of visits by local residents and the number of visits by non-local residents divided by the actual number of visits. In other words, the local index is expressed by the following formula.
Local index = (number of visits by locals + number of visits by non-locals) / actual number of visits

The local index is a value that increases the more frequently the same local resident visits a restaurant. Here, if the same user visits the same restaurant multiple times, it is assumed that the user likes the restaurant. Therefore, the higher the local index, the more popular the restaurant is with local residents. Note that the local index is not limited to the above formula and may be calculated using other formulas. For example, the ratio of the total number of visits by local residents to the actual number of visits may be used as the local index. In other words, if a restaurant has a high proportion of local residents among its visitors, it may be considered to be popular with local residents.

When the local index for a restaurant is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control unit 31 recognizes the restaurant as being popular with local residents. If the control unit 31 recognizes a restaurant as being popular with local residents, it stores information indicating that the restaurant is popular with local residents (hereinafter also referred to as popularity information) in the POI corresponding to the restaurant stored in the map information DB 322.

The control unit 31 then provides the popularity information to the user's terminal or vehicle 10. For example, when a route search is performed on the navigation device of the vehicle 10, if a restaurant that has been recognized as popular among locals is located near the destination or route, information about that restaurant may be displayed on the touch panel 16. For example, when a map is displayed on the touch panel 16, an icon may be displayed on the map that indicates the location of a restaurant that has been recognized as popular among locals. Furthermore, when the user taps that icon, information about the restaurant may be displayed on the touch panel 16.

In addition, when a restaurant search is performed using the navigation device of the vehicle 10, the control unit 31 may preferentially display restaurants that have been recognized as popular among local residents. Furthermore, when a user searches for a restaurant using a specified application program on the user's terminal, the control unit 31 may preferentially display restaurants that have been recognized as popular among local residents.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the server 30 in the first embodiment. The flowchart shown in FIG. 4 is executed for each vehicle 10 at predetermined time intervals. In step S101, the control unit 31 determines whether the vehicle 10 is parked. The control unit 31 determines that the vehicle 10 is parked, for example, when the power-on state (which may be an IG-on state) changes to the power-off state (which may be an IG-off state). The state of the power switch 15 (which may be an IG switch) is included in the vehicle information transmitted from the vehicle 10 and stored in the vehicle information DB 321. Note that information indicating that the vehicle 10 has been parked may be transmitted from the vehicle 10 to the server 30. As another example, in step S101, the control unit 31 may determine whether a destination P2 has been set in the navigation device of the vehicle 10. In this case, when the destination P2 has been set in the navigation device, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 notifies the server 30 that the destination P2 has been set. This notification may include information regarding the destination P2. If the control unit 31 makes an affirmative determination in step S101, the process proceeds to step S102, and if the control unit 31 makes a negative determination, the present routine ends.

In step S102, the control unit 31 acquires destination P2. The control unit 31 acquires the location at the time the power switch 15 of the vehicle 10 is turned off as destination P2. As another example, in step S102, the control unit 31 may acquire destination P2 set in a navigation device. In step S103, the control unit 31 determines whether destination P2 is a restaurant. The control unit 31 extracts a POI corresponding to destination P2 from the map information DB 322 and determines whether information related to a restaurant is included. If the control unit 31 makes a positive determination in step S103, the process proceeds to step S104; if the control unit 31 makes a negative determination, the routine ends. Note that if it is desired to collect information about places popular with locals, not just restaurants, the process of step S103 can be omitted.

In step S104, the control unit 31 acquires the home position P1 of the user of the vehicle 10. The home position P1 is associated with the vehicle ID and user ID and stored in the memory unit 32. In step S105, the control unit 31 calculates the distance D1 from the home position P1 to the destination P2. The control unit 31 calculates the distance D1 by referencing the map information DB 322. This distance D1 may be a straight-line distance or a distance along a route. In step S106, the control unit 31 determines whether the distance D1 from the home position P1 to the destination P2 is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance is a distance that can be considered a local distance, as shown in FIG. 3, and is stored in the memory unit 32. If the control unit 31 makes a positive determination in step S106, the process proceeds to step S107; if the control unit 31 makes a negative determination, the process proceeds to step S109.

In step S107, the control unit 31 refers to the vehicle information DB 321 to obtain the most recent number of visits for the same user and the same destination P2. This number of visits is the number of visits to the destination up to the previous time, and does not include the current visit. In step S108, the control unit 31 counts the number of local resident visits C1 corresponding to destination P2. The control unit 31 extracts the number of local resident visits C1 attached to the POI corresponding to destination P2 from the map information DB 322. Furthermore, the control unit 31 updates the number of local resident visits C1 by adding 1 to the number of visits obtained in step S107. The control unit 31 adds the updated number of local resident visits C1 to the POI corresponding to destination P2 in the map information DB 322. The control unit 31 also updates the actual visit number by adding 1 to the actual visit number attached to the POI corresponding to destination P2 in the map information DB 322. The control unit 31 adds the updated actual visit count to the POI corresponding to destination P2 in the map information DB 322.

On the other hand, in step S109, the control unit 31 counts the number of visits C2 to non-local residents corresponding to destination P2. The control unit 31 extracts the number of visits C2 to non-local residents attached to the POI corresponding to destination P2 from the map information DB 322. Furthermore, the control unit 31 updates the number of visits C2 to non-local residents by adding 1 to the number of visits C2 to non-local residents. The control unit 31 adds the updated number of visits C2 to the POI corresponding to destination P2 in the map information DB 322. The control unit 31 also adds 1 to the actual visit count attached to the POI corresponding to destination P2 in the map information DB 322 to update the actual visit count. The control unit 31 adds the updated actual visit count to the POI corresponding to destination P2 in the map information DB 322.

In step S110, the control unit 31 calculates the local index. That is, the control unit 31 calculates "(C1 + C2) / actual visit count." The control unit 31 calculates the local index based on the number of visits by local residents C1, the number of visits by non-local residents C2, and the actual visit count currently assigned to the POI corresponding to destination P2 in the map information DB 322. In step S111, the control unit 31 determines whether the local index calculated in step S110 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The predetermined value is stored in the memory unit 32 as a local index corresponding to restaurants that are popular with local residents. If the control unit 31 makes a positive determination in step S111, the process proceeds to step S112; if the control unit 31 makes a negative determination, the process proceeds to step S114.

In step S112, the control unit 31 recognizes destination P2 as a popular restaurant. Then, in step S113, the control unit 31 adds popularity information to the POI corresponding to destination P2 in the map information DB 322.

On the other hand, in step S114, the control unit 31 determines that destination P2 is not a popular restaurant. Then, in step S115, the control unit 31 adds information to the POI corresponding to destination P2 in the map information DB 322 indicating that it is not a popular restaurant. Note that if popularity information had previously been added, the popularity information is deleted.

In step S116, the control unit 31 updates the vehicle information DB 321. That is, the control unit 31 stores the currently acquired information in each field of the vehicle information DB 321. The control unit 31 also provides the information stored in the map information DB 322 in response to a request from the user's terminal or the vehicle 10. For example, when the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 displays a map on the touch panel 16, it requests popularity information from the server 30. Then, upon receiving the popularity information from the server 30, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 displays an icon corresponding to the popularity information on the map displayed on the touch panel 16. Furthermore, for example, by adding information about the types of cuisine offered by restaurants to the POI, it is possible to provide the user with information about popular restaurants that correspond to the type of cuisine entered by the user.

Here, it is conceivable to determine whether a vehicle 10 belongs to a local resident by performing image recognition on the vehicle's license plate. However, cameras that can photograph license plates are not always available, and if the area corresponding to the license plate differs from the user's actual living area, it becomes difficult to accurately determine whether the vehicle belongs to a local resident. On the other hand, this embodiment makes it possible to more accurately determine whether a vehicle 10 belongs to a local resident without photographing the vehicle's license plate. Furthermore, this embodiment makes it possible to more effectively identify places that are popular with local residents and provide information about those places.

Second Embodiment
In the second embodiment, the control unit 31 of the server 30 provides information about shortcuts used by local residents. The control unit 31 compares the route taken by the local residents with the route normally guided by the navigation device, and if there is a difference, determines that the difference is due to shortcuts used by local residents. This comparison is performed, for example, on a link-by-link basis, and shortcuts are identified on a link-by-link basis.

Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the server 30 in the second embodiment. Execution of the flowchart shown in Figure 5 is triggered by the control unit 31 making a positive determination in step S106 of Figure 4.

In step S201, the control unit 31 acquires an actual route, which is the route actually traveled by the vehicle 10. The actual route is stored in the route field of the vehicle information DB 321 as a transition of position information from power-on to power-off of the vehicle 10, and therefore the control unit 31 acquires the actual route from the route field of the vehicle information DB 321. The actual route is an example of a second route.

In step S202, the control unit 31 generates a normal route from the departure point of the vehicle 10 to the destination P2. The normal route here is a route generated when the navigation device of the vehicle 10 searches for a route from the departure point to the destination P2. The control unit 31 generates the normal route using the same algorithm as the navigation device of the vehicle 10. The normal route is an example of a first route.

In step S203, the control unit 31 extracts the difference between the normal route and the actual route for each link. Then, in step S204, if there is a difference between the normal route and the actual route, the control unit 31 stores that part of the actual route as a shortcut in the memory unit 32. At this time, the control unit 31 also associates that part of the normal route with the actual route and stores it in the memory unit 32. Information about this shortcut is provided to the vehicle 10 by the control unit 31 in response to a request from the vehicle 10.

For example, when performing a route search in vehicle 10, the control unit 11 of vehicle 10 requests information about shortcuts from server 30. When the control unit 11 of vehicle 10 obtains information about shortcuts from server 30, it first generates a normal route. It then determines whether the normal route includes a link where a shortcut exists. If a link where a shortcut exists is included, the control unit 11 of vehicle 10 displays both the normal route and the shortcut on the touch panel 16, allowing the user to select the route to guide. As another example, the control unit 11 of vehicle 10 may only provide guidance on shortcuts.

In this way, we can also provide users with information about shortcuts used by locals.

<Other embodiments>
The above embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure may be modified and implemented as appropriate within the scope of its gist. The processes and means described in the present disclosure may be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradictions arise. Furthermore, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

The home location can also be estimated as follows. For example, it is considered that the home is the location that most frequently serves as the starting point and destination. Therefore, each time route guidance is performed, the number of times each starting point and destination has served as the starting point or destination can be counted, and the location with the most counts can be treated as the home. In this case, there is no need to register the home in the navigation device. This can also be applied in the same way when a route search is performed on a user's terminal other than the vehicle 10 (for example, a smartphone). In this case, the control unit 31 of the server 30 obtains the necessary information from the user's terminal. At this time, the starting point and destination of the vehicle 10 can be treated as the same as the starting point and destination of the user's terminal.

Also, it may be inappropriate to consider a user as a local resident immediately after moving, etc. Therefore, for example, only if the location of a user's home remains unchanged for a predetermined period (e.g., six months) or more, the location may be treated as the user's home, or the user may be treated as a local resident.

The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer via a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the computer's system bus, or via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk, such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a Blu-ray disk), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

1 System 10 Vehicle 30 Server 31 Control unit 32 Storage unit 33 Communication module

Claims (5)

Obtaining a destination for the vehicle;
obtaining a distance from a home of a user of the vehicle to the destination;
If the distance is equal to or shorter than a predetermined distance, determine that the user of the vehicle is a local resident, and if the distance is longer than the predetermined distance, determine that the user of the vehicle is not a local resident, and store the determination result in a storage unit.
determining whether the destination is a place popular with local residents according to the number of times the user has been determined to be a local resident and the number of times the user has been determined to be a non-local resident, which are stored in the storage unit;
In response to determining that the destination is a place popular with the locals, outputting information about the destination being a place popular with the locals;
An information processing device comprising a control unit configured to execute the above. The control unit
When the same local resident visits the same destination, weighting the number of visits according to the number of visits and counting the number of visits by the local resident corresponding to the destination;
When the user who is not a local resident visits the destination, counting the number of visits by the non-local resident corresponding to the destination without performing the weighting according to the number of visits;
Counting the actual number of times said locals and non-locals visit said destination;
calculating an index of the destination being a popular place among locals by dividing the sum of the counted number of visits by locals and the counted number of visits by non-locals by the actual number counted;
determining that the destination is a popular place among locals when the index is equal to or greater than a predetermined value;
configured to further perform
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The control unit
determining whether or not a restaurant is located at the destination;
In response to determining that the restaurant is located at the destination, acquiring a distance from a home of the user of the vehicle to the destination;
configured to further perform
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The control unit
In response to a request from the vehicle or the user's terminal, transmitting information about places popular with locals to the vehicle or the user's terminal that has made the request;
configured to further perform
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The control unit
generating a first route from a home of a user of the vehicle to the destination;
If the distance is equal to or less than the predetermined distance, acquiring a second route that is an actual route traveled by the vehicle from the home of the user of the vehicle to the destination;
storing a difference between the first route and the second route in a storage unit as a shortcut;
outputting information about the shortcut to the vehicle;
configured to further perform
The information processing device according to claim 1 .