JPH07336286A - Information providing device for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an information providing device for the automobile which can cope with a case wherein information that a user requests is net registered. CONSTITUTION:A retrieval means 51 retrieves the information that the user 40 requests in a data base 41, and a transmitting means 52 sends it to a radio transmission station 54 to offer the information to an on-vehicle navigation device 5, which displays its contents. When the information is not retrieved, an information nonregistration informing means 53 informs the user 40 of nonregistration information and the transmission/reception and storage device 55a of a registration requesting means 55 automatically sends a request for registration to a requested information subject by FAX. At this time, a 1st registration request inhibiting means 55b inhibits the request for registration in a specific time zone, but in a specific time after the nonregistration is reported, a 2nd registration request inhibiting means 55c inhibits the request for registration.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle information providing device for providing information to be displayed on a vehicle-mounted navigation device via a wireless transmission station.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Some navigation devices mounted on an automobile display on a display, for example, facility information about a recreational place in addition to the current position of the subject vehicle. However, the contents that can be displayed are limited to so-called fixed information registered in advance in a fixed-size memory such as a CD-ROM or a ROM card.
It is necessary to update the OM card and the like frequently, which is troublesome and costly.

Therefore, as a method for solving the above problem, an information providing device has been devised which provides information to a navigation device via a wireless transmission station in response to a user's request.

[0004]

However, in such an information providing apparatus, since a wide range of the latest information is requested by the user, it is difficult to register all the information in the apparatus in advance. is there.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an automobile information providing apparatus capable of coping with the case where the information requested by the user is not registered. There is.

[0006]

As shown in FIG. 5, according to the invention of claim 1, an information providing device 5 for an automobile which provides information to a vehicle-mounted navigation device 5 through a wireless transmission station 54.
0, a database 41 for accumulating information, a search means 51 for searching the database 41 for request information from the user 40, and a transmission for transmitting the information to the wireless transmission station 54 when the request information is retrieved. Means 52, information non-registration notifying means 53 for notifying the user 40 of the request information non-registration when the request information is not retrieved, and the request information subject 56 to automatically request the information registration to the database 40. And a registration requesting means 55 for performing.

According to the invention of claim 2, in claim 1, the registration request means 55 comprises a transmission / reception / accumulation means 55a for automatically sending an application form to the request information subject 56 and accepting an application. It is characterized by

The invention of claim 3 is characterized in that, in claim 1 or 2, the registration requesting means 55 comprises a first registration request prohibiting means 55b for prohibiting the registration request in a predetermined time zone. There is.

[0009] According to the invention of claim 4, in any one of claims 1 to 3, the registration requesting means 55 causes the user 4
It is characterized in that it is provided with a second registration request prohibiting means 55c for prohibiting the registration request until a predetermined time elapses after the notification of the request information non-registration to 0.

[0010]

In the vehicle information providing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the searching means 51 searches the database 41 for the requested information from the user 40, and the searched information is transmitted by the transmitting means 5.
2 transmits to the wireless transmission station 54. And the wireless transmission station 54
Provides the request information to the vehicle-mounted navigation device 5, and the navigation device 5 displays the content of the request information. If the request information is not retrieved from the database 41, the information non-registration notifying means 53 notifies the user 4 that the request information is not registered in the database 41.
0, and the registration request means 55 causes the request information subject 5
6 request registration.

As described above, according to the first aspect of the invention, since the database is provided, the information required by the user can be selectively provided as needed. In addition, when there is no corresponding data, the notification that the requested information is not registered in the database is sent to the user, so if the user has not registered the data, the user directly contacts the facility related to the requested information. It is possible to select such as. Further, since the registration request is automatically made to the requested information subject, the database side can enhance the database according to the user's request.

In the automobile information providing apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, the transmission / reception / accumulation means 55a sends the application form and accepts the application to the information subject not registered in the database. It is possible to efficiently enhance the database in line with the request.

In the vehicle information providing apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, the first registration request prohibiting means 55b prohibits the information subject not registered in the database from requesting the registration within a predetermined time period. Therefore, the registration request can be made according to the business hours of the requestee, and the efficiency of the registration request can be improved.

In the automobile information providing apparatus according to the invention of claim 4, the second registration request prohibiting means 55c prohibits the registration request until a predetermined time elapses after the notification of the request information non-registration to the user. , It is possible to avoid getting busy when the user directly contacts the information subject, and to schedule the user.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an automobile information providing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 4 are flowcharts for explaining the operation of an information center.

In FIG. 1, the pager system 1 includes a pager information center (automobile information providing device) 3 for searching and providing information from a database 41 in response to an inquiry from a user 40, and the pager information center 3 A pager base station 4 for transmitting information provided by
The navigation device 5 for an automobile receives and displays the information transmitted from the pager base station 4.

The pager information center 3 includes a computer (search means) 42 for searching information requested by the user 40 from the database 41, and a modem (transmitting means) 17 for transmitting the searched information. , And a printer 43 for printing the search results and the like.

Further, the computer 42 functions as an information non-registration notifying means for notifying the user 40 that the requested information is unregistered when there is no corresponding information in the database 41 as a result of the search. , Database 41 in the facility 44 in which the user 40 wants information
It functions as a registration request means for automatically requesting registration. Furthermore, the computer 42 functions as first and second registration request prohibition means for prohibiting the registration request at the time of the registration request and in the predetermined time period and after a predetermined time has passed after notifying the user that the request information has not been registered. . Further, the printer 43 also displays information such as unregistered request information of the user 40. An operator 45 who manually inputs data is arranged in the information center 3, and the facility 44 is further installed.
Accumulation of reply fax data from registration request destinations such as
An X storage device 46 is provided, and the device 46 and the computer 42 automatically send an application form to a facility 44 or the like,
A transmission / reception / storage means for automatically accepting applications is configured.

Since the pager base station 4 wirelessly transmits the information received from the modem 17 of the pager information center 3 and the information received by the modem 22 to the vehicle navigation device 5 by radio. And the transmitting device 23. At the time of data transmission by the transmitter 23, each piece of information such as facility information, news, weather forecast, traffic information, etc., represented by variable length data of maximum 1 kilobyte, for example, is divided into a plurality of 40 bytes. The data is divided into data, and a header added to each of the divided data (header divided data) is used as the transmission data. That is, the transmitter 23
Information is transmitted as a plurality of divided data with headers.

The vehicle navigation device 5 receives the transmission data including the display selection code, the character data, the graphic data, and the display control code transmitted from the transmission device 23 of the pager base station 4.
The data received by the pager 30 is serially input and a buffer for temporarily storing the data is provided, and a decoder 31 for converting the input data and information converted by the decoder 31 (display character string or Display computer 32 as a control unit for inputting (graphic data) and controlling display, and the display computer 32.
It is mainly composed of a display 33 controlled by. In the decoder 31, the RAM as an external storage medium in which the decoder conversion table is written
A slit 31a for inserting the card 20 is provided. Further, the display computer 32 is connected to a message memory 34 for temporarily storing the display character string and graphic data.

Correspondence between the claims of the present invention and the apparatus of the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The pager information center 3 of the above embodiment corresponds to the automobile information providing apparatus 50 of the present invention. The computer 42 is included in the search means 51 for searching the database 41.
However, the modem 17 corresponds to the transmitting means 52 for transmitting the retrieved information. When the above request information is not retrieved, the user 40 is notified of the unregistered information.
Non-registration notification means 53 for notifying the user and the information subject 56
The computer 42 corresponds to the registration requesting means 55 for making a registration request.

Further, the registration requesting means 55 is a transmitting / receiving / storing means 5 for automatically sending an application form and accepting an application.
5a, a first registration request prohibiting means 55b for prohibiting a registration request in a predetermined time zone, and a second registration request prohibiting means 55c for prohibiting a registration request until a predetermined time elapses after notifying the user that the requested information is not registered. The computer 42 corresponds to these. The pager base station 4 corresponds to a wireless transmission station 54 that wirelessly transmits the information transmitted from the transmission means 52 to the vehicle-mounted navigation device 5. Then, the information subject 56 has a facility 44.
Corresponds.

Next, the operation of the apparatus of this embodiment will be described. When the user 40 wants information about the facility 44, he / she calls the pager information center 3 and calls the facility 44
When the telephone number is entered, the information corresponding to the telephone number is retrieved from the database 41 in the information center 3, the retrieved information of the facility 44 is transmitted from the center 3, and the display 33 of the navigation device 5 is displayed. Is displayed in.

The above operation will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. User 40 to facility 4 in the above information center 3
When there is a telephone call for inquiries regarding information regarding item 4, the user 40 is provided with an input guidance for prompting the user to enter the ID number and the telephone number of the facility 44 (steps S1, S
2). When the user is confirmed from the above ID number,
The input telephone number is searched from the database 41 (steps S3 and S4), and when there is data, a hit message of data indicating that the information is to be transmitted to the navigation device is transmitted to the user 40. The telephone line is disconnected (steps S5 to S7).

Then, after connecting the transmitting station 4 to the telephone line and transmitting the information about the facility 44 to the transmitting station 4 via the modem 17, the line with the transmitting station 4 is disconnected and the processing is terminated. (Steps S8 to S10).

If there is no data in the database 41 in step S5, the registration request prohibition list in which the telephone numbers of facilities and the like for which registration requests are prohibited is listed is searched as shown in FIG. If there is no data in the list, a re-input message prompting the input of the telephone number of the facility 44 is transmitted again (steps S11 to S13). Then, if the re-entered telephone number is the same as the number entered in step S3, the user is notified by sending an unregistered notice indicating that the telephone number has not been registered in the database and a termination message. Disconnect the line (step S1)
4 to S16). If the telephone number re-entered in step S14 is different from the previous one, step S4
Then, the database 41 is searched for the reentered telephone number.

After disconnecting the line with the user 40 in step S16, the facility 44 is requested to register in the database 41 as follows. In this case, the computer 42 functions as the registration requesting means 55. At present, if it is the prohibition time of the registration request, it waits until it is possible (steps S17 and S18), and if it is outside the prohibition time, the telephone line is connected to the facility 44 (step S19).
Then, the information that the user 40 has made an inquiry,
Also, the input guidance for selecting the registration method in the database 41 is transmitted to check the input from the facility 44 (steps S20 and S21).

In the above input guidance, it is possible to input in three ways by pressing the numbers 1 to 3 followed by # in the touch-tone operation of the telephone, and "1 #" indicates that the FAX registration request is "2 #". "" Indicates that registration is desired by mail, and "3 #" indicates that registration is rejected.

When "1 #" is input from the facility 44, the FAX number of the facility 44 is accepted and then an end message is transmitted to disconnect the line with the facility 44 (steps S22 to S24). ). After that, the FAX
After dialing the number and transmitting the registration form to the facility 44 by FAX, the line with the facility 44 is disconnected (steps S25 to S27).

When "2 #" is input from the facility 44, an end message is immediately sent to disconnect the line with the facility 44 (steps S28 and S27). In this case, information regarding registration procedures will be mailed again later.

When "3 #" is entered from the facility 44, the facility 44 is registered in the prohibition list in which the facility or the like for which the registration request is prohibited is recorded, and the end message is transmitted. Disconnect the line (steps S29, S)
30, S27).

After disconnecting the line with the facility 44, a report showing the response status with the facility 44 is printed by the printer 43 (step S31), and if there is a reply from the facility 44 by FAX, F of the reply data
After the storage in the AX storage device 46 or the printing by the printer 43, the processing is terminated (steps S32 to S).
33).

If there is data in the prohibition list in step S11, a prohibition guidance indicating that the facility is a wrong number or a facility that rejects inquiries is sent to the user 40 (step S34), and then the process proceeds to step S27. Then, the line with the user 40 is disconnected.

The user 40 is the information center 3
After that, the facility 44 is directly called to obtain necessary information.

The information data transmitted from the modem 17 in the pager information center 3 is wirelessly transmitted to the automobile navigation device 5 via the modem 22 of the pager base station 4 and the transmitter 23, and It is input to the decoder 31 via the pager 30 and stored in the buffer. Then, information corresponding to the display selection code in the transmission data is retrieved from the conversion table and the information is decoded. The conversion table is the RAM card 20 created in advance by the paging center 3.
Is written in the memory, and the driver may insert the RAM card 20 into the slit 31a of the decoder 31 when operating the navigation device 5.

Next, the decoded information is stored in the buffer for each type based on the head, and is transmitted to the display computer side in response to a data display request from the display computer side described later.

Here, a menu screen for information selection is displayed on the display 33 by the display computer 32, and a display request is made to the decoder 31 by selecting the menu with a cursor key or the like, The information stored in the buffer is displayed on the display 33.
Is displayed in.

As described above, in this embodiment, the database 4
Since No. 1 is provided, the information required by the user 40 can be selectively and appropriately provided. Further, when there is no corresponding information, the user is notified that the information has not been registered, so that the user 40 can directly contact the facility 44 and obtain the latest information. Further, since the data registration request is automatically transmitted, it is possible to quickly construct the database 41 having the information that the user wants, and it is possible to reduce manpower and cost. .

Further, since the registration request is prohibited according to the time zone, the registration request can be made according to the business hours of the request destination.

Further, since the registration request is prohibited until a predetermined time elapses after the user 40 is notified that the request information has not been registered, the user 40 is busy when the user directly contacts the facility 44. Can be avoided.

[0041]

As described above, according to the vehicle information providing apparatus according to the invention of claim 1, when there is no corresponding data in the database, the user is notified that the request information is not registered, and the automatic Since the registration request is made to the request information subject, the user can select to directly contact the facility or the like, and the database can be enhanced according to the user's request.

According to the vehicle information providing apparatus of the second aspect of the present invention, the application form is sent and the application is automatically accepted, so that the database can be efficiently constructed. There is.

According to the vehicle information providing apparatus of the third aspect of the invention, the registration application is prohibited according to the time zone, so that the efficiency of the registration application can be improved.

Further, according to the vehicle information providing apparatus of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the registration application is prohibited for a predetermined time after notifying the user of non-registration, so that the convenience of the user can be improved. is there.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block configuration diagram of an automobile information providing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the information center of the apparatus of the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the information center of the apparatus of the above embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the information center of the apparatus of the above embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a claim configuration diagram of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 5 In-Vehicle Navigation Device 41 Database 50 Vehicle Information Providing Device 51 Searching Means 52 Sending Means 53 Information Unregistered Notifying Means 54 Radio Transmitting Station 55 Registration Request Means 55a Transmission / Reception / Storage Means 55b First Registration Request Prohibition Means 55c Second Registration Requests Prohibition measures 56 Request information subject

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An automobile information providing device for providing information to an in-vehicle navigation device via a wireless transmission station, a database for accumulating information, a search means for searching request information from a user from the database, When the request information is retrieved, a transmitting means for transmitting the information to the wireless transmission station, an information non-registration notifying means for notifying the user of the request information non-registration when the request information is not retrieved, and the request information main body On the other hand, an information providing device for an automobile, comprising: a registration requesting unit that automatically requests registration of information in the database. 2. The automobile according to claim 1, wherein the registration requesting means includes transmission / reception / accumulation means for automatically transmitting an application form to the request information subject and receiving an application. Information providing device. 3. The registration requesting means according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the registration requesting means prohibits the registration request in a predetermined time period.
An automobile information providing device, characterized in that it comprises a registration request prohibiting means. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the registration requesting means prohibits the registration request until a predetermined time has elapsed after notifying the user that the request information has not been registered.
An automobile information providing device, characterized in that it comprises a registration request prohibiting means.