JP7850620B2 - Information provision device, information provision method, and program - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an information provision device, an information provision method, and a program.

International Publication No. 2016/046923 discloses a server device equipped with a common preference information acquisition unit that searches the life logs of multiple users corresponding to multiple identification pieces of information included in an information request, and acquires common preference information including objects of interest shared by multiple users.

Furthermore, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-176765 discloses a technology for improving the usability of a navigation system when multiple people are traveling together, while maintaining driving safety.

International Publication No. 2016/046923 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-176765

While Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for outputting information that includes objects of common interest to multiple accompanying persons, it does not disclose a technology for outputting information that includes objects of high probability of interest to multiple persons.

One example of a problem that this invention aims to solve is to broaden the range of interests of passengers by providing information that is likely to be of interest to at least one of the multiple passengers.

The invention described in claim 1 is,
A terminal information acquisition unit that acquires first terminal information relating to the first terminal of the first passenger of the mobile vehicle, and second terminal information relating to the second terminal of the second passenger of the mobile vehicle,
A provision information identification unit identifies first provision information to be provided to the first passenger using first person information of the first passenger stored in association with the first terminal information, and identifies second provision information to be provided to the second passenger using second person information of the second passenger stored in association with the second terminal information,
A related information identification unit identifies a third piece of information related to the first piece of information using the first piece of information, and identifies a fourth piece of information related to the second piece of information using the second piece of information,
A duplicate information identification unit that identifies at least one of the following: the fifth information which is the overlapping portion between the third information and the second information, and the sixth information which is the overlapping portion between the fourth information and the first information;
The information providing device includes an output control unit that causes at least one of the fifth provided information and the sixth provided information to output to at least one of the mobile device side device, the first terminal, and the second terminal located within the mobile device.

The invention described in claim 9 is,
The computer that makes up the information provision device
First terminal information relating to the first terminal of the first passenger of the mobile vehicle, and second terminal information relating to the second terminal of the second passenger of the mobile vehicle are obtained.
Using the first person information of the first passenger stored in association with the first terminal information, the first information to be provided to the first passenger is identified, and using the second person information of the second passenger stored in association with the second terminal information, the second information to be provided to the second passenger is identified.
Using the first provided information, a third provided information related to the first provided information is identified, and using the second provided information, a fourth provided information related to the second provided information is identified.
Identify at least one of the following: the fifth information, which is the overlapping portion between the third information and the second information, and the sixth information, which is the overlapping portion between the fourth information and the first information.
This is an information provision method that causes at least one of the fifth information provision and the sixth information provision to be output to at least one of the mobile device, the first terminal, and the second terminal located within the mobile device.

The invention described in claim 10 is,
The computer that will realize the information provision device
A procedure for obtaining first terminal information relating to the first terminal of the first passenger of a mobile vehicle, and second terminal information relating to the second terminal of the second passenger of the mobile vehicle.
A procedure for identifying first information to be provided to the first passenger using first person information of the first passenger stored in association with the first terminal information, and identifying second information to be provided to the second passenger using second person information of the second passenger stored in association with the second terminal information.
A procedure for identifying third information related to the first information using the first information, and identifying fourth information related to the second information using the second information,
A procedure for identifying at least one of the following: the fifth information which is the overlapping portion between the third information and the second information, and the sixth information which is the overlapping portion between the fourth information and the first information.
This is a program for causing a procedure to output at least one of the fifth provided information and the sixth provided information to at least one of the mobile device, the first terminal, and the second terminal located within the mobile device.

This is a block diagram illustrating the schematic of the information provision system according to the first embodiment. This is a schematic diagram illustrating how to obtain information from the first terminal. This is a schematic diagram illustrating how to obtain information from the second terminal. This is a conceptual diagram illustrating the fifth and sixth pieces of information provided. This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of an information provision device. This is a flowchart of the processing performed by the information providing device and the mobile device when the mobile device in the first embodiment outputs the fifth provided information. This is a flowchart of the processing performed by the information providing device and the first terminal when the first terminal of the first embodiment outputs the sixth provided information. This is an image illustrating how the first terminal outputs the sixth information on its display. This is a block diagram outlining the information provision system of the second embodiment. This is a flowchart of the processing performed by the information providing device and the second terminal when the second terminal of the second embodiment outputs the sixth provided information. This is a schematic diagram showing the sixth information to be provided, which is output to the display of the second terminal in the second embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing the sixth information provided, which is output to the display of the second terminal after the second location information is selected. This is a conceptual diagram illustrating the information-providing device of the fourth embodiment.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In all drawings, similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted where appropriate.

In the following explanation, each component of each device refers to a functional block, not a hardware-level configuration. Each component of each device is realized through any combination of hardware and software, centered around the CPU, memory, programs loaded into memory, storage media such as a hard disk for storing those programs, and a network connection interface. Furthermore, there are various variations in the implementation methods and devices.

[First Embodiment]
(Information provision system 100)
Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic of the information provision system 100 of the first embodiment. The information provision system 100 will be explained using Figure 1.

The information provision system 100 comprises an information provision device 1 and a mobile device 2. The mobile device 2 is located within a mobile body. In the first embodiment, the mobile device 2 is mounted on the mobile body. In the first embodiment, the mobile body is a vehicle. The mobile device 2 includes a camera unit 2a, an audio output control unit 2b, an audio input unit 2c, and a position sensor unit 2d. Although not shown, the mobile device 2 may include a display.

The camera unit 2a has an in-camera and an out-camera (not shown). The in-camera is facing inward and includes at least the driver's seat in its field of view. The in-camera photographs the interior of the vehicle so that the driver is visible. Alternatively, the in-camera may photograph the entire interior of the vehicle so that the occupants (driver and passengers) are visible. The out-camera is facing outward. The out-camera photographs the area outside the vehicle.

In the first embodiment, the voice output control unit 2b outputs machine voice. For example, the voice output control unit 2b outputs voice information regarding route guidance to a destination.

The voice spoken by the passenger is input to the voice input unit 2c. The voice input unit 2c is linked to a microphone (not shown). The passenger includes the pilot (=driver) and other passengers.

The position sensor unit 2d acquires the position information of the moving object (or the device on the moving object side 2) for example, using GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

The mobile device 2 is configured to communicate with the information providing device 1 via the first network 101. The first network 101 includes, for example, communication over a 4G or 5G line. The mobile device 2 includes an external communication unit (not shown) for configuring the first network 101.

The mobile device 2 is configured to communicate with the first terminal 3 and the second terminal 4 inside the mobile vehicle via the second network 102 (details of the first terminal 3 and the second terminal 4 will be described later). The second network 102 is, for example, a wireless communication means, and the mobile device 2 can wirelessly communicate with at least two of the terminals inside the mobile vehicle through this wireless communication means. The second network 102 includes, for example, Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth®. The mobile device 2 is configured to include an in-vehicle communication unit (not shown) for configuring the second network 102.

The first terminal 3 is the terminal of the first passenger of the mobile vehicle, and is owned, managed, carried, or used by the first passenger. The first passenger is one of several passengers in the mobile vehicle. In the first embodiment, the first passenger is the operator V (=driver).

The second terminal 4 is the terminal of the second passenger of the mobile vehicle, and is owned, managed, carried, or used by the second passenger. The second passenger is one of several passengers (excluding the first passenger) on the mobile vehicle. In the first embodiment, the second passenger is passenger U.

The first terminal 3 and the second terminal 4 each include either a smartphone, a tablet, or a PC (personal computer).

(Information providing device 1)
The information providing device 1 includes a terminal information acquisition unit 10, a provided information identification unit 20, a related provided information identification unit 30, a duplicate provided information identification unit 40, an output control unit 50, a storage processing unit 60, a receiving unit 70, and a route setting unit 80. In the first embodiment, the information providing device 1 is located outside the vehicle. The information providing device 1 may also be a so-called cloud server.

(Terminal information acquisition unit 10)
The terminal information acquisition unit 10 acquires first terminal information and second terminal information. In the first embodiment, the information providing device 1 (terminal information acquisition unit 10) acquires first terminal information and second terminal information from the first terminal and second terminal via the mobile device 2. The first terminal information is information relating to the first terminal 3 of the first passenger (= pilot V) of the mobile device. Information relating to the first terminal 3 is information associated with the first terminal 3, and includes, for example, the name, terminal model, terminal ID, and the name of the terminal registered in the first terminal 3.

The second terminal information pertains to the second terminal 4 of the second passenger (= passenger U) of the mobile vehicle. This information includes data associated with the second terminal 4, such as the name, terminal model, terminal ID, and the name of the terminal registered on the second terminal 4. If there are multiple passengers on the mobile vehicle, there may be multiple second terminals 4, each representing a passenger.

(How to obtain device information)
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the method for obtaining the first terminal information. Using Figure 2,
The method by which the terminal information acquisition unit 10 acquires first terminal information through operations performed on the first terminal 3 or the second terminal 4 will be described.

In the first embodiment, the terminal information acquisition unit 10 acquires first terminal information from the first terminal 3 when the first terminal 3 is brought into the vehicle and becomes able to communicate with the mobile device 2 via the second network 102.

In the first embodiment, when the terminal information acquisition unit 10 attempts to acquire first terminal information relating to the first passenger's (= pilot V's) first terminal 3 from the first terminal 3, as shown in Figure 2, first terminal identification information T1 is displayed on the display of the first terminal 3 or the second terminal 4. First terminal identification information T1 is information for identifying the terminal of the first passenger (= pilot V). First terminal identification information T1 is at least a part of the first terminal information. Specifically, for example, the display shows the name of the terminal registered in the first terminal 3. This display is, for example, a touch panel. At this time, a message supporting the selection of the first terminal identification information T1, such as "Please select the driver's terminal," may be displayed.

In the example shown in Figure 2, a list of multiple terminals brought into the vehicle and capable of communicating with the mobile device 2 via the second network 102 is displayed. The operator V can select the first terminal identification information T1 corresponding to operator V's first terminal from the displayed list on, for example, the touch panel of the first terminal 3, or a passenger U can select the first terminal identification information T1 corresponding to operator V's first terminal from the displayed list on, for example, the touch panel of the second terminal 4. In this way, the terminal information acquisition unit 10 can identify the first terminal 3, which is operator V's terminal, and acquire the first terminal information from the first terminal 3.

Furthermore, the terminal information acquisition unit 10 may, for example, display a screen containing a message such as "I am the driver" and a list of multiple terminals on a terminal (first terminal 3 or second terminal 4) brought into the vehicle by the passenger. The unit then identifies the first terminal 3, which is the terminal of the driver V, by receiving the terminal selected by the driver V from the screen as first terminal identification information T1.

Next, the method by which the terminal information acquisition unit 10 acquires the first terminal information through the mobile device 2 will be described. When inputting the first terminal identification information T1 to the mobile device 2, voice input may be used. In this case, for example, the voice output control unit 2b of the mobile device 2 may output the message "Is the terminal named ccc the driver's terminal?", and if the response is "Yes", the terminal information acquisition unit 10 may acquire the information of the terminal related to that message (= terminal ccc) as the first terminal information.

Thus, in the first embodiment, when the first terminal identification information T1, which identifies the first terminal 3, is input to at least one of the mobile device 2, the first terminal 3, and the second terminal 4, the terminal information acquisition unit 10 acquires the first terminal information from the first terminal 3.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the method for obtaining information from the second terminal. Using Figure 3,
The method by which the terminal information acquisition unit 10 acquires second terminal information from the second terminal 4 through operations performed on the first terminal 3 or the second terminal 4 will be described.

The above describes a method for acquiring information for the first terminal, but information for the second terminal can be acquired using a similar configuration. For example, as shown in Figure 3, a message such as "Please select the passenger's terminal" may be displayed on the display of the second terminal 4 (or the first terminal 3). The terminal information acquisition unit 10 can identify the second terminal 4 and acquire the second terminal information from the second terminal 4 by either the passenger U selecting the second terminal identification information T2 corresponding to the second terminal 4 from the list displayed on the display of the second terminal 4, or by the operator V selecting the second terminal identification information T2 corresponding to the second terminal 4 from the list displayed on the display of the first terminal 3.

The terminal information acquisition unit 10 may acquire the second terminal information when the second terminal identification information T2, which identifies the second terminal 4, is input to at least one of the mobile device 2, the first terminal 3, and the second terminal 4.

(Variations of the method for obtaining terminal information)
Modifications of the terminal information acquisition method will be described below. As shown in Figure 1, the information providing device 1 of the first embodiment further includes an image information acquisition unit 90.

The image information acquisition unit 90 acquires first image information. The first image information is image information of at least one of the first and second passengers, generated by the camera unit 2a mounted on the mobile body. In the first embodiment, the first image information includes at least the facial image information of the first passenger (= pilot V). The first image information may also include the facial image information of the second passenger (= passenger U) in addition to the facial image information of the first passenger (= pilot V).

The image information acquisition unit 90 identifies the first passenger (= pilot V) and the second passenger (= passenger U) using the positional information of the first passenger and the second passenger within the first image. Specifically, for example, if the person captured in the first image is sitting in the driver's seat, the image information acquisition unit 90 may identify that person as the first passenger (= pilot V). If the person captured in the first image is sitting in the passenger seat or rear seat, the image information acquisition unit 90 may identify that person as the second passenger (= passenger U).

The memory unit (not shown) pre-stores multiple second image data. This second image data contains image information of users, including the pre-registered first and second passengers. The memory unit (not shown) also pre-stores terminal information (including first and second terminal information) associated with the second image data.

The terminal information acquisition unit 10 compares multiple second image information with the first image information and identifies at least the second image information corresponding to the pilot V (= first passenger). The terminal information acquisition unit 10 identifies the terminal information associated with the identified second image information and acquires this terminal information as the first terminal information. Alternatively, the terminal information acquisition unit 10 may further identify the second image information corresponding to passenger U and acquire the terminal information associated with the identified second image information as the second terminal information.

Thus, the terminal information acquisition unit 10 can acquire at least one of the first terminal information and the second terminal information using the first image information acquired by the image information acquisition unit 90, and at least one of the second image information of the first and second passengers that has been stored in advance.

By including an image information acquisition unit 90 in the information providing device 1, the information providing device 1 can communicate directly with the first terminal 3 (or second terminal 4) without going through the mobile device 2. This eliminates the need for communication between the first terminal 3 (or second terminal 4) and the mobile device 2. Furthermore, the terminal information acquisition unit 10 can acquire the first terminal information (or second terminal information) without the first terminal 3, second terminal 4, or mobile device 2 having to input the first terminal identification information T1 (or second terminal identification information T2).

(Provided information identification unit 20)
The information provision identification unit 20 shown in Figure 1 uses the first personal information of the first passenger (= pilot V) to identify the first information to be provided to the first passenger (= pilot V). The first personal information of the first passenger (= pilot V) is stored in a storage unit (not shown) linked to the first terminal information.

The first person information includes at least one of the following: attribute information relating to the attributes of the first passenger (=pilot V), visit history information relating to the first passenger's visit history, search history information relating to the search history on the first terminal 3, and purchase history information relating to the purchase history on the first terminal 3. The attribute information includes at least one of the following: gender, age, address, family structure, occupation, income, and hobbies/preferences of the first passenger (=pilot V).

The information provision identification unit 20 uses the second person information of the second passenger (=passenger U), which is stored in association with the second terminal information, to identify the second information provision to be provided to the second passenger (=passenger U). Note that while there may be multiple passengers on a moving vehicle, this explanation focuses on the case where there is only one passenger.

The second passenger's (=passenger U) personal information is stored in a memory unit (not shown) linked to the second terminal information. The second passenger's personal information includes at least one of the following: attribute information relating to the second passenger's (=passenger U's) attributes, visit history information relating to the second passenger's (=passenger U's) visit history, search history information relating to the second terminal 4's search history, and purchase history information relating to the second terminal 4's purchase history. The attribute information includes at least one of the following: the second passenger's (=passenger U's) gender, age, address, family structure, occupation, income, and hobbies/preferences.

The information identification unit 20 uses the first person information (or second person information) to identify the user's preferences and interests, and then identifies the first information (or second information) related to those interests.

(First provided information, second provided information)
The first information to be provided to the first passenger (= pilot V) includes at least one of the following: information about places related to pilot V's hobbies and preferences, information about places related to pilot V's interests, information about products related to (or of interest to) pilot V's hobbies and preferences, and news information related to (or of interest to) pilot V's hobbies and preferences.

Information regarding locations related to pilot V's hobbies and preferences, and information regarding locations related to pilot V's interests, includes, for example, locations of favorite restaurants, confectionery shops selling favorite sweets, outlet stores selling favorite clothing, movie theaters showing favorite films, comic book rental shops renting favorite manga, leisure facilities offering favorite leisure experiences, live music venues featuring favorite artists, favorite driving spots, and favorite tourist destinations, as well as other information about these locations (such as new product releases or sales).

The second set of information to be provided to the second passenger (= Passenger U) includes at least one of the following: information about locations related to Passenger U's hobbies and preferences, information about locations related to Passenger U's interests, information about products related to (or of interest to) Passenger U's hobbies and preferences, and news information related to (or of interest to) Passenger U's hobbies and preferences. The information about locations related to Passenger U's hobbies and preferences and information about locations related to Passenger U's interests are the same as the examples described in the first set of information.

In the first embodiment, the first and second provided information are stored in the storage of the information providing device 1. The first and second provided information may also be stored on a server located outside the information providing device 1.

(Related information provided section 30)
The related information identification unit 30 identifies the third information using the first information and identifies the fourth information using the second information. The related information identification unit 30 identifies the third and fourth information using statistical information. The statistical information may be information generated from general user trends (for example, men in their 50s and older tend to avoid fatty foods), or information generated based on information obtained from users of the information provision system 100. Users of the information provision system 100 include the first passenger, the second passenger, and other users.

The statistical information includes at least one of the following for multiple users of the information provision system 100: visit history information, search history information, and purchase history information. This visit history information, search history information, and purchase history information are obtained from users of the information provision system 100. Furthermore, the statistical information includes at least one of the following for each of the first and second passengers: visit history information, search history information, and purchase history information.

The visit history information includes information about the places visited by both the first and second passengers. This location information may be generated, for example, using a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) installed in the mobile device 2, the first terminal 3, and the second terminal 4.

The search history information for the first passenger includes, for example, information about drive spots searched by the first passenger on terminal 3. The purchase history information for the second passenger includes, for example, information about sweets purchased by the second passenger from an online shop via terminal 4.

The memory processing unit 60 stores at least one of the following as part of the statistical information in the memory unit (not shown): visit history information relating to the first passenger's visit history, visit history information relating to the second passenger's visit history, search history information relating to the first passenger's search history, search history information relating to the second passenger's search history, purchase history information relating to the first passenger's purchase history, and purchase history information relating to the second passenger's purchase history. The memory unit (not shown) may be located inside the information providing device 1 or outside the information providing device 1.

The memory processing unit 60 stores at least one of the following in the memory unit (not shown) as part of the statistical information: visit history information relating to the visit history of users other than the first and second passengers, search history information relating to the search history of users other than the first and second passengers, and purchase history information relating to the purchase history of users other than the first and second passengers. In other words, the above information (visit history information, search history information, and purchase history information) is acquired from all users utilizing the information provision system 100, and statistical information is generated based on this information.

(Third provided information, fourth provided information)
The third-party information provided is information related to the first-party information provided. Information related to the first-party information is, for example, information that has similar attributes to the first-party information, and is therefore estimated to be of relatively high interest to the first passenger, whose tastes and preferences match (or who is interested in) the first-party information. Specifically, for example, suppose that in the information on restaurants, the Japanese food group includes udon restaurants, soba restaurants, donburi restaurants, tempura restaurants, and eel restaurants, and these are pre-categorized as one group. In this case, if the first-party information provided to the first passenger is information about a soba restaurant, the related information identification unit 30 identifies the udon restaurants, donburi restaurants, tempura restaurants, and eel restaurants within the same group (the same group as the soba restaurant) as information with similar attributes to the soba restaurant (= third-party information provided). Alternatively, if udon restaurants, donburi restaurants, tempura restaurants, and eel restaurants are pre-stored and associated with soba restaurants, the related information identification unit 30 may identify the information of these (udon restaurants, donburi restaurants, tempura restaurants, and eel restaurants) as information with similar attributes to the first provided information, soba restaurants (= third provided information).

Alternatively, the third-party information provided may be information estimated, based on statistical data, to be relatively likely to interest the first passenger whose tastes and preferences align with (or are interested in) the first-party information provided. For example, if the first-party information provided is about a comic book rental store, the related information identification unit 30 uses statistical data to identify what genres of facilities users who prefer comic book rental stores tend to prefer. For instance, the related information identification unit 30 may use statistical data showing that users who like manga (comics) tend to like movies to identify information about movie theaters as the third-party information provided, based on the information about comic book rental stores as the first-party information.

The fourth set of information provided is information related to the second set of information provided. Information related to the second set of information is, for example, information whose attributes are similar to those of the second set of information, and therefore is estimated to be of relatively high interest to a second passenger whose hobbies and preferences align with (or are interested in) those of the second set of information.

Alternatively, the fourth piece of information provided may be information estimated, based on statistical data, to be of relatively high probability to interest a second passenger whose hobbies and preferences align with (or are interested in) the second piece of information provided. The related information identification unit 30 identifies the fourth piece of information using the second piece of information in the same manner as identifying the third piece of information using the first piece of information.

(Duplicate provided information identification unit 40)
The duplicate information identification unit 40 identifies at least one of the fifth information I5 and the sixth information I6. Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the fifth information and the sixth information. The fifth information I5 and the sixth information I6 will be explained using Figure 4.

The area indicated by the vertical lines in Figure 4 represents the first provided information I1, and the area indicated by the horizontal lines in Figure 4 represents the third provided information I3. The area shown in white and enclosed by a solid line in Figure 4 represents the second provided information I2, and the area shown by the diagonal lines and enclosed by a dotted line represents the fourth provided information I4. The black-filled area (left side) in Figure 4 represents the sixth provided information I6, and the black-filled area (right side) represents the fifth provided information I5. (Note that the size of the black-filled areas (left and right sides) is slightly smaller than the actual area related to the fifth provided information I5 (sixth provided information I6) for the sake of visibility.)

The fifth piece of information provided, I5, is the overlapping portion of the third piece of information provided, I3, and the second piece of information provided, I2. More specifically, for example, the fifth piece of information provided, I5, is information that the second passenger is interested in, and is also information that the first passenger is relatively likely to be interested in.

The sixth piece of information provided, I6, is the overlapping portion of the fourth piece of information provided, I4, and the first piece of information provided, I1. More specifically, for example, the sixth piece of information provided, I6, is information that the first passenger is interested in, and is also information that the second passenger is relatively likely to be interested in.

(Output control unit 50)
The output control unit 50 causes at least one of the fifth provided information and the sixth provided information to at least one of the mobile device 2, the first terminal 3, and the second terminal 4 located on the mobile device. In the first embodiment, when outputting to the first terminal 3 and the second terminal 4, the output control unit 50 causes at least one of the fifth provided information and the sixth provided information to at least one of the first terminal 3 and the second terminal 4 via the mobile device 2. In the first embodiment, when outputting to the mobile device 2, the output control unit 50 causes the fifth provided information or the sixth provided information to be output as audio from the mobile device 2.

The output control unit 50 may output both the fifth and sixth provided information, or it may output only one of them.

(Receiving unit 70)
The receiving unit 70 receives at least one of the first input information, the second input information, and the third input information. The first input information is information input to the first terminal 3 after the output control unit 50 has output at least one of the fifth provided information and the sixth provided information from the first terminal 3. The first input information is information input to the first terminal 3 after the first passenger recognizes at least one of the fifth provided information and the sixth provided information. The second input information is information input to the second terminal 4 after the output control unit 50 has output at least one of the fifth provided information and the sixth provided information from the second terminal 4. The second input information is information input to the second terminal 4 after the second passenger recognizes at least one of the fifth provided information and the sixth provided information. The third input information is information input to the mobile device 2 after the output control unit 50 has output at least one of the fifth provided information and the sixth provided information from the mobile device 2. The third input information is information that is input to the mobile device 2 after the passenger (including the first and second passengers) recognizes at least one of the fifth and sixth provided information.

(Route setting unit 80)
The route setting unit 80 sets the route that the mobile body should take using at least one of the first input information, second input information, and third input information received by the receiving unit 70. In the first embodiment, the first input information includes first passenger-side confirmation information indicating whether or not to set the route that the mobile body should take. In the first embodiment, the second input information includes second passenger-side confirmation information indicating whether or not to set the route that the mobile body should take. In the first embodiment, the third input information includes device-side confirmation information indicating whether or not to set the route that the mobile body should take.

The first passenger confirmation information indicates whether the first passenger approves of setting a new route for the mobile vehicle to travel, and is input by the first passenger into the first terminal 3. The second passenger confirmation information indicates whether the second passenger approves of setting a new route for the mobile vehicle to travel, and is input by the second passenger into the second terminal 4. The device confirmation information indicates whether the passengers (including the first and second passengers) approve of setting a new route for the mobile vehicle to travel, and is input by the passengers into the mobile vehicle-side device 2. The route setting unit 80 sets the route for the mobile vehicle to travel using at least one of the first passenger confirmation information, the second passenger confirmation information, and the device confirmation information.

The output control unit 50 causes the mobile device 2, the first terminal 3, and the second terminal 4 to output route information for the route the mobile device should take. The route information includes information regarding directions to the destination and also includes map information. The route information may be output as voice from the mobile device 2 or displayed on the display of the mobile device 2. The route information may also be output as voice from the first terminal 3 (or the second terminal 4) or displayed on the display of the first terminal 3 (or the second terminal 4).

(Example hardware configuration)
Figure 5 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the information providing device 1. The information providing device 1 includes a bus 1010, a processor 1020, a memory 1030, a storage device 1040, an input/output interface 1050, and a network interface 1060.

Bus 1010 is a data transmission path for the processor 1020, memory 1030, storage device 1040, input/output interface 1050, and network interface 1060 to send and receive data to and from each other. However, the method of connecting the processor 1020 and other components to each other is not limited to bus connection.

Processor 1020 is a processor implemented using components such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).

Memory 1030 is a main memory device implemented using RAM (Random Access Memory), etc.

The storage device 1040 is an auxiliary storage device implemented as a removable media such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or memory card, or as ROM (Read Only Memory), and has a recording medium. The recording medium of the storage device 1040 stores program modules that implement each function of the information providing device 1 (for example, the terminal information acquisition unit 10, the provided information identification unit 20, the related provided information identification unit 30, the duplicate provided information identification unit 40, and the output control unit 50). The processor 1020 reads these program modules into the memory 1030 and executes them, thereby realizing each function corresponding to that program module. Furthermore, the storage device 1040 also functions as the storage unit described above.

The input/output interface 1050 is an interface for connecting the information providing device 1 with various input/output devices.

The network interface 1060 is an interface for connecting the information providing device 1 to a network. This network may be, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network). The network interface 1060 may connect to the network via a wireless connection or a wired connection. The information providing device 1 may communicate with the mobile device 2 via the network interface 1060.

(Example of operation of the first embodiment 1)
Figure 6 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the information providing device 1 and the mobile device 2 when the mobile device 2 of the first embodiment outputs the fifth information to be provided. It is assumed that the mobile device 2 is constantly in communication with the information providing device 1 via the first network 101.

In step S10, the terminal information acquisition unit 10 acquires the first terminal information and the second terminal information. In the first embodiment, the timing at which the terminal information acquisition unit 10 acquires the first terminal information and the second terminal information is, for example, when the power to the mobile device 2 is turned on and the first terminal 3 and the second terminal 4 become able to communicate with the mobile device 2 through the second network 102.

In step S20, the information provision identification unit 20 identifies the first person information of the first passenger (= pilot V) stored in association with the first terminal information, and uses the identified first person information to identify the first information to be provided to the first passenger (= pilot V). It also identifies the second person information of the second passenger (= passenger U) stored in association with the second terminal information, and uses the identified second person information to identify the second information to be provided to the second passenger (= passenger U).

For example, suppose the first person information includes information such as the fact that operator V's favorite food is curry, or that there is a certain number of curry restaurant search history entries on the first terminal 3. The information provision identification unit 20 identifies this first person information and uses this information to identify information about curry restaurants as the first information provision to be provided to operator V.

For example, suppose the second person information includes information such as passenger U's favorite food being soba noodles, or that there is a certain number of soba restaurant search history entries on the second terminal 4. The information provision identification unit 20 identifies this second person information and uses it to identify information about soba restaurants as the second information provision to be provided to passenger U.

In step S30, the related information identification unit 30 identifies the third information using the first information and identifies the fourth information using the second information. Specifically, for example, the related information identification unit 30 uses information about curry restaurants as the first information to identify information about soba restaurants and tonkatsu restaurants as the third information related to the information about curry restaurants. More specifically, the related information identification unit 30 uses statistical information that people who like curry tend to like soba and tonkatsu (people with a high search history for curry restaurants also tend to have a high search history for soba and tonkatsu restaurants) to identify information about soba restaurants and tonkatsu restaurants as the third information.

Furthermore, the related information identification unit 30 uses the information about soba restaurants as the second type of information to identify information about donburi restaurants and eel restaurants as the fourth type of information related to the soba restaurant information. More specifically, the related information identification unit 30 uses statistical information that people who like soba tend to like donburi and eel (people who frequently search for soba also frequently search for donburi and eel restaurants) to identify information about donburi restaurants and eel restaurants as the fourth type of information.

In step S40, the duplicate information identification unit 40 identifies at least one of the fifth information I5 and the sixth information I6. In the first embodiment, the duplicate information identification unit 40 identifies the fifth information I5. In the specific example above, the second information I2 (information about a soba restaurant) and the third information I3 (information about a soba restaurant and a tonkatsu restaurant) overlap in the information about the soba restaurant. Therefore, the duplicate information identification unit 40 identifies the information about the soba restaurant as the fifth information I5. The fifth information I5 is information that should be provided to the second passenger (i.e., information that the second passenger would be interested in), and is also information that the first passenger is relatively likely to be interested in.

In step S50, the output control unit 50 of the information providing device 1 transmits the fifth information I5 (information about soba restaurants in the above example), identified by the duplicate information identification unit 40, to the mobile device 2. Alternatively, the output control unit 50 may transmit to the mobile device 2 a fifth information selected from among multiple fifth information items identified by the duplicate information identification unit 40 (information about a soba restaurant selected from among multiple soba restaurants in the above example).

In step S60, the mobile device 2 outputs the fifth provided information received from the output control unit 50 of the information providing device 1 as audio. In the first embodiment, the fifth provided information I5 is output by at least one of the mobile device 2, the first terminal 3, and the second terminal 4, with information identifying it as the second provided information I2 and information identifying it as the third provided information I3 added to it.

Information identifying the information as second-provided information I2 is, for example, information suggesting that the second-provided information I2 is information of interest to the second passenger. Information identifying the information as third-provided information I3 is, for example, information suggesting that the third-provided information I3 is information that is relatively likely to be of interest to the first passenger. More specifically, for example, the mobile device 2 outputs the following voice message: "There's a soba restaurant called zzz (the name of the soba restaurant) 1km away that I recommend to xxx (where "xxx" is the name of the owner of the second terminal 4), and which I think yyy (where "yyy" is the name of the owner of the first terminal 3) might also like. Shall we go there?"

Next, in step S70, the third input information is input to the mobile device 2. In the first embodiment, the third input information includes device-side confirmation information indicating whether or not to set a route for the mobile device (in this case, a route to the soba restaurant) (i.e., whether or not to set a waypoint (or destination)). For example, in the above case, if the operator V (or passenger U) says "yes" to the voice output from the mobile device 2, the voice of that utterance, as device-side confirmation information, is input to the voice input unit 2c of the mobile device 2.

In step S80, the mobile device 2 transmits the third input information (device-side confirmation information) to the receiving unit 70 of the information providing device 1. In step S90, the receiving unit 70 of the information providing device 1 receives the third input information.

In step S100, the route setting unit 80 uses the third input information (device-side confirmation information) to determine whether or not to set a route for the mobile object (in this case, the route to the soba restaurant) (i.e., whether or not to set a waypoint (or destination)). The route setting unit 80 may decide to set a route for the mobile object when an utterance indicating "agreement," such as "yes," "uh-huh," or "OK," is input to the voice input unit 2c. The route setting unit 80 may also decide not to set a route for the mobile object when an utterance indicating "disagreement," such as "no," "no," or "no," is input to the voice input unit 2c, or when no utterance indicating "agreement" is input within a predetermined time.

If the third input information (device-side confirmation information) includes information indicating agreement to set the route (Yes in step S100), then in step S110, the route setting unit 80 sets the route the mobile body should take (the route to the soba restaurant). Then, in step S120, the route setting unit 80 transmits route information regarding the route to the soba restaurant to the mobile body-side device 2. In step S130, the mobile body-side device 2 outputs the route information as voice. Specifically, it might say something like, "Starting route guidance to zzz (name of the soba restaurant). Turn left at the next intersection 500m ahead."

If the third input information (device-side confirmation information) contains information indicating that the user does not agree to set the route (No in step S100), the process may return to step S40 and identify the fifth provided information. Then, in step S50, the output control unit 50 may transmit different fifth provided information to the mobile device 2. If the third input information (device-side confirmation information) contains information indicating that the user does not agree to set the route (No in step S100), the process may be terminated.

(Example of operation of the first embodiment, part 2)
Figure 7 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the information providing device 1 and the first terminal 3 when the first terminal 3 outputs the sixth provided information in the first embodiment. The mobile device 2 is assumed to be constantly in communication with the information providing device 1 via the first network 101. Step S10 is the same as the processing in Figure 6.

In Example 2, the first person information includes information such as the first passenger (pilot V) liking movies and having a frequent search history for movie titles on terminal 3. The second person information includes information such as the second passenger (passenger U) liking manga and having a purchase history of manga-related digital content on terminal 4.

In step S21, the information provision identification unit 20 uses the first person information to identify information regarding movie theaters showing the latest films and rental DVD stores where new releases have become available for rent, as first information to be provided to the first passenger (pilot V). It also uses the second person information to identify information regarding rental comic stores offering half-price rentals, as second information to be provided to the second passenger (passenger U).

In step S31, the related information identification unit 30 uses information about movie theaters and DVD rental stores as first provided information to identify information about comic book rental stores and internet cafes as third provided information related to the movie theater information. More specifically, the related information identification unit 30 uses statistical information that people who like movies tend to like comic book rental stores and internet cafes (people who frequently visit movie theaters also frequently visit comic book rental stores and internet cafes) to identify information about comic book rental stores and internet cafes as third provided information.

Furthermore, the related information identification unit 30 uses the information on rental comic stores as the second type of information to identify information on movie theaters and internet cafes as the fourth type of information related to the information on rental comic stores. More specifically, the related information identification unit 30 uses statistical information indicating that people who frequently visit rental comic stores also tend to frequently visit movie theaters and internet cafes (people with a high history of visiting rental comic stores also tend to have a high history of visiting movie theaters and internet cafes) to identify information on movie theaters and internet cafes as the fourth type of information.

In the first embodiment, in step S41, the duplicate information identification unit 40 identifies the sixth information I6. Specifically, for example, since the first information I1 includes information about movie theaters and DVD rental stores, and the fourth information I4 includes information about movie theaters and internet cafes, the first information I1 and the fourth information I4 overlap in the portion relating to movie theaters. Therefore, the duplicate information identification unit 40 identifies the information relating to movie theaters as the sixth information I6. The sixth information I6 is information that should be provided to the first passenger (i.e., information that the first passenger is interested in), and is also information that is relatively likely to be of interest to the second passenger.

In step S51, the output control unit 50 of the information providing device 1 transmits the sixth information provided (in the above example, information about movie theaters), identified by the duplicate information provision identification unit 40, to the first terminal 3 via the mobile device 2.

In step S61, the first terminal 3 outputs the sixth provided information received from the output control unit 50 of the information providing device 1 to the display of the first terminal 3. In the first embodiment, the sixth provided information I6 is output by at least one of the mobile device 2, the first terminal 3, and the second terminal 4, with information identifying it as the first provided information I1 and information identifying it as the fourth provided information I4 added to it.

Information identifying the first provided information I1 is, for example, information suggesting that the first provided information I1 is information of interest to the first passenger. Information identifying the fourth provided information I4 is, for example, information suggesting that the fourth provided information I4 is information that is relatively likely to be of interest to the second passenger.

Figure 8 is an illustrative diagram showing the output of the sixth provided information I6 from the first terminal 3 to the display. For example, the first terminal 3 may output the message "Recommended for yyy (where "yyy" is the owner of the first terminal 3 (= operator V))" (information identifying it as the first provided information I1) and the message "xxx might also like it" (information identifying it as the fourth provided information I4) to the display. Icons for the messages "Yes" and "No" may also be displayed on the display simultaneously. The output control unit 50 may output the sixth provided information to the display of the first terminal 3, and may also output the sixth provided information as audio from the first terminal 3, such as "Shall we head to the movie theater that is recommended for yyy and that xxx might also like?"

Returning to Figure 7, in step S71, the first input information is entered into the first terminal 3. In the first embodiment, the first input information includes confirmation information from the first passenger indicating whether or not to set a route for the moving object (in this case, a route to the movie theater) (i.e., whether or not to set a waypoint (or destination)). For example, in the above case, if the first passenger (i.e., the operator V) selects the "Yes" icon on the display (see Figure 8), the information that the icon was selected, i.e., that the sixth provided information was selected (i.e., that the passenger agreed to set a route to the movie theater), is entered into the first terminal 3 as confirmation information from the first passenger.

In step S81, the first terminal 3 transmits the first input information (= first passenger confirmation information) to the receiving unit 70 of the information providing device 1. In step S91, the receiving unit 70 of the information providing device 1 receives the first input information.

In step S101, the route setting unit 80 of the information providing device 1 uses the first input information (= first passenger confirmation information) to determine whether or not to set a route for the moving object (in this case, the route to the movie theater) (= whether or not to set a waypoint (or destination)). If the "Yes" icon is selected on the first terminal 3, the route setting unit 80 may decide to set a route for the moving object. If the "No" icon is selected on the first terminal 3, the route setting unit 80 may decide not to set a route for the moving object.

If the first input information (= first passenger confirmation information) includes information indicating consent to proceed along the said route, that is, if the "Yes" icon is selected in step S71 (Yes in step S101), then in step S111, the route setting unit 80 sets the route that the mobile vehicle should take (the route to the movie theater). Then, in step S121, the output control unit 50 transmits the route information to the movie theater to at least one of the first terminal 3, the second terminal 4, and the mobile vehicle-side device 2 in order to output the route information to the movie theater from at least one of these devices. In the first embodiment, the output control unit 50 transmits the route information to the first terminal 3 and the mobile vehicle-side device 2.

In step S131, the first terminal 3 and the mobile device 2 output the route information. On the first terminal 3, the route information to the movie theater is displayed on its screen along with the message, "The route to the movie theater has been set." The mobile device 2 outputs a voice message such as, "The route to the movie theater has been set. Route guidance will begin. Turn left at the next intersection 500m ahead."

If the first input information (= first passenger confirmation information) contains information indicating that the passenger does not agree to set the route in question, i.e., if the "No" icon is selected in step S71 (No in step S101), the process returns to step S41, and the duplicate information identification unit 40 of the information providing device 1 may identify a sixth information item different from the sixth information item mentioned above. Then, in step S51, the output control unit 50 of the information providing device 1 may transmit this different sixth information item to the first terminal 3. Furthermore, if the input information (= first passenger confirmation information) contains information indicating that the passenger does not agree to set the route in question (No in step S101), the process may be terminated.

Furthermore, the processing from step S21 onward may be performed concurrently with the processing from step S20 onward in Figure 6. In this case, the output control unit 50 may output both the fifth and sixth provided information (for example, the fifth provided information may be output from the mobile device 2 and the sixth provided information from the first terminal 3).

As described above, the information providing device 1 of the first embodiment comprises a terminal information acquisition unit 10, a provided information identification unit 20, a related provided information identification unit 30, a duplicate provided information identification unit 40, and an output control unit 50. The output control unit 50 causes at least one of the fifth provided information and the sixth provided information to be output from at least one of the mobile device 2, the first terminal 3, and the second terminal 4.

The fifth set of information provided includes the third set of information, which is relatively likely to be of interest to the first passenger, and the sixth set of information provided includes the fourth set of information, which is relatively likely to be of interest to the second passenger. This allows the first and second passengers to be provided with information that is not already of interest to them, but which is expected to be of interest to them. This expands the range of interests of the passengers.

Furthermore, by including second-level information (information of interest to the second passenger) in the fifth-level information provision, and first-level information (information of interest to the first passenger) in the sixth-level information provision, the satisfaction of both the first and second passengers with the drive will be improved.

In this way, by providing at least one of the fifth and sixth pieces of information, the output control unit 50 can improve the driving satisfaction of one passenger while broadening the range of interests of other passengers.

Furthermore, the first provided information includes at least one of the following: information about locations related to the first passenger's hobbies and preferences, and information about locations related to the first passenger's interests. The second provided information includes at least one of the following: information about locations related to the second passenger's hobbies and preferences, and information about locations related to the passenger's interests. This allows information customized to the interests and preferences of at least one of the multiple passengers to be provided as the fifth or sixth provided information. Therefore, it is possible to improve the satisfaction of one passenger with their drive while effectively broadening the range of interests of other passengers.

Furthermore, the fifth and sixth pieces of information provided concern spots and leisure activities that at least one of the passengers is already interested in. Therefore, when the first and second passengers visit or experience the spots or leisure activities indicated in the fifth or sixth pieces of information together, the passenger who is already interested in those spots can explain their appeal to the other passenger, who is relatively likely to be interested but is not currently interested. This increases the likelihood that passengers who are not currently interested in those spots or leisure activities will become interested. Thus, the range of interests among passengers can be effectively broadened.

The fifth information provided is output by at least one of the mobile device 2, the first terminal 3, and the second terminal 4, with information identifying it as the second information provided and information identifying it as the third information provided added to it. This allows the first passenger to become aware of the second passenger's interests. Therefore, even if the first passenger is not currently interested in the fifth information provided, the likelihood of them becoming interested increases.

The sixth piece of information is output by at least one of the mobile device 2, the first terminal 3, and the second terminal 4, with information identifying it as the first piece of information and information identifying it as the fourth piece of information added to it. This allows the second passenger to recognize the first passenger's interests. Therefore, even if the second passenger is not currently interested in the sixth piece of information, the likelihood of them becoming interested increases.

The related information identification unit 30 identifies the third and fourth information using statistical information. This increases the likelihood that the first passenger will be interested in the third information, and also increases the likelihood that the second passenger will be interested in the fourth information.

The memory processing unit 60 stores at least one of the following in the memory unit (not shown) as part of the statistical information: visit history information relating to the first passenger's visit history, visit history information relating to the second passenger's visit history, search history information relating to the first passenger's search history, search history information relating to the second passenger's search history, purchase history information relating to the first passenger's purchase history, and purchase history information relating to the second passenger's purchase history. Furthermore, the memory processing unit 60 stores at least one of the following in the memory unit (not shown) as part of the statistical information: visit history information relating to the visit history of users other than the first and second passengers, search history information relating to the search history of users other than the first and second passengers, and purchase history information relating to the purchase history of users other than the first and second passengers.

By using statistical information based on data collected from an unspecified number of users utilizing the information provision system 100, the related information identification unit 30 identifies the third and fourth provided information, thereby increasing the likelihood that the first passenger will be interested in the third provided information, and further increasing the likelihood that the second passenger will be interested in the fourth provided information.

Furthermore, by including a receiving unit 70 and a route setting unit 80, route setting to locations related to the fifth or sixth provided information can be simplified. This makes it possible to easily visit locations related to the fifth or sixth provided information.

Furthermore, the output control unit 50 causes at least one of the fifth and sixth provided information to be output to at least one of the first terminal 3 and the second terminal 4 via the mobile device 2. Since the fifth or sixth provided information is output using the same communication means (second network 102), the communication costs borne by the user can be reduced.

[Second Embodiment]
Figure 9 is a block diagram illustrating the schematic of the information provision system 100 of the second embodiment. The information provision device 1 of the second embodiment further includes a location information acquisition unit 95, and the function of the route setting unit 80 differs from that of the first embodiment. The following will mainly describe the differences from the first embodiment.

(Position information acquisition unit 95)
The location information acquisition unit 95 acquires the first location information from the fifth provided information identified by the duplicate provided information identification unit 40. The location information acquisition unit 95 acquires the second location information from the sixth provided information identified by the duplicate provided information identification unit 40.

The first location information is information about the location of a place related to the fifth provided information. For example, if the fifth provided information includes information about a live venue where the first passenger's favorite singer is performing, the first location information includes the location information of that live venue.

The second location information is information about the location of a place related to the sixth provided information. For example, if the sixth provided information includes information about a movie of interest to the second passenger, the second location information includes the location information of the movie theater showing that movie.

(Route setting unit 80)
The route setting unit 80 of the second embodiment generates difference information regarding the difference between the already set route and the route to which the mobile body should newly take. The output control unit 50 causes the difference information to be output from at least one of the mobile body side device 2, the first terminal 3, and the second terminal 4.

Furthermore, the location information acquisition unit 95 acquires the first location information (or second location information) from the fifth provided information (or sixth provided information) identified by the duplicate provided information identification unit 40. The location information acquisition unit 95 acquires the first location information (or second location information) by extracting the first location information (or second location information) contained in the fifth provided information (or sixth provided information).

In the second embodiment, the output control unit 50 outputs the second location information along with the map information from the second terminal 4. The route setting unit 80 uses this second location information to set the route the moving object should take.

(Example of operation of the second embodiment)
Figure 10 is a flowchart of the processing by the information providing device 1 and the second terminal 4 when the second terminal 4 outputs the sixth provided information in the second embodiment. Step S10 is the same as the processing in Figures 6 and 7. In the operation example of the second embodiment, the first person information includes information such as the first passenger's favorite brand being "bbb" and that the first passenger frequently searches for accessories, bags, and clothing of that brand on the first terminal 3. Also in the operation example of the second embodiment, the second person information includes information such as the second passenger frequently searching for clothing-related items on the second terminal 4 and frequently purchasing clothing through the second terminal 4 at online shops.

In step S21, the information provision unit 20 uses the first person information to identify the following as first information to be provided to the first passenger: information about the location of an accessory shop selling accessories of the first passenger's favorite brand "bbb", information about the location of a bag shop selling "bbb" bags, and information about the location of a clothing store selling "bbb" clothing. The information provision unit 20 then uses the second person information to identify the following as second information to be provided to the second passenger: information about the location of a clothing store.

In step S31, the related information identification unit 30 uses the first provided information to identify, as third provided information, information regarding the location of a hat shop where hats of the first passenger's favorite brand "bbb" are sold, and information regarding the location of a shoe shop where shoes of the "bbb" brand are sold. Specifically, based on statistical information indicating that users who frequently visit clothing stores, have a history of searching for clothing, have a history of purchasing clothing, and are likely to be interested in hats and shoes, the related information identification unit 30 identifies the third provided information.

The related information identification unit 30 uses the second provided information to identify information regarding the locations of accessory shops, bag shops, hat shops, and shoe shops as the fourth provided information. Specifically, based on statistical information indicating that users with a history of searching for clothing, purchasing clothing, and frequently visiting clothing stores are likely to be interested in accessories, bags, hats, and shoes, the related information identification unit 30 identifies the fourth provided information.

In step S41, the duplicate information identification unit 40 identifies the sixth information to be provided, I6. Specifically, for example, the first information to be provided, I1, includes information about accessory shops, bag shops, and clothing stores, while the fourth information to be provided, I4, includes information about accessory shops, bag shops, shoe shops, and hat shops. Therefore, the first information to be provided, I1, and the fourth information to be provided, I4, overlap in the portion relating to accessory shops and bag shops. For this reason, the duplicate information identification unit 40 identifies the information relating to accessory shops and bag shops as the sixth information to be provided, I6. The sixth information to be provided, I6, is information that should be provided to the first passenger (i.e., information that the first passenger would be interested in), and is also information that the second passenger is relatively likely to be interested in.

In step S42, the location information acquisition unit 95 of the information providing device 1 extracts the second location information of the accessory shop and the second location information of the bag shop included in the sixth provided information, and acquires that second location information.

In step S52, the output control unit 50 of the information providing device 1 transmits the sixth information provided (including the second location information of the accessory shop and the second location information of the bag shop) identified by the duplicate information provision identification unit 40 to the second terminal 4.

Then, in step S62, the sixth provided information, including the second location information of the accessory shop and the second location information of the bag shop, received by the second terminal 4 from the output control unit 50, is output to the display of the second terminal 4 along with the map information.

Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing the sixth information provided, which is output to the display of the second terminal 4 in the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 11, the display of the second terminal 4 shows the second location information related to the location of the sixth information provided (for example, the second location information of the accessory shop and the second location information of the bag shop) along with map information. The black line route R in Figure 11 indicates a route that has already been set.

In the second embodiment, the sixth provided information I6 is output by at least one of the mobile device 2, the first terminal 3, and the second terminal 4, with the addition of information identifying that it is the first provided information I1 and information identifying that it is the fourth provided information I4. The information identifying that it is the first provided information I1 is, for example, information that suggests that the first provided information I1 is information that the first passenger may be interested in. The information identifying that it is the fourth provided information I4 is, for example, information that suggests that the fourth provided information I4 is information that the second passenger is likely to be interested in, and therefore should be recommended to the second passenger. More specifically, as shown in Figure 11, for example, the display of the second terminal 4 may show a message such as "Recommended for yyy (where "yyy" is the name of the owner of the first terminal 3)!" (= information identifying that it is the first provided information I1) and a message such as "xxx (where "xxx" is the name of the owner of the second terminal 4) should definitely try it!" (= information identifying that it is the fourth provided information I4).

In step S72 shown in Figure 10, the second location information selected by the second passenger (=passenger U) is stored as input information. Specifically, when the second passenger (=passenger U) taps the icon for the second location information (star mark, black circle mark in Figure 11) displayed on the display of the second terminal 4, the second location information corresponding to the tapped icon is stored as input information. The input information includes the second location information selected by the second passenger (=passenger U).

Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing the sixth information provided, which is output to the display of the second terminal 4 after the second location information is selected. The example in Figure 12 describes the case where the second passenger (= passenger U) taps the accessory shop icon.

If a route to the destination has already been set, the route setting unit 80 generates difference information D regarding the difference between the already set route and the route to be newly set for the moving object. In step S73 of Figure 10, the output control unit 50 causes the difference information D to be output from the second terminal 4. In the second embodiment, the difference information D includes at least one of the following: time, distance, and whether or not toll roads were used.

On the display of the second terminal 4 in Figure 12, information regarding the difference in travel time and distance between the existing route and the route that includes the accessory shop is displayed as difference information D. In Figure 12, difference information D indicates that making a detour to the accessory shop increases the travel time to the pre-set destination by 10 minutes and adds a 3-kilometer detour.

Returning to Figure 10, in step S74, further input information is entered into the second terminal 4. In the second embodiment, the input information includes confirmation information from the second passenger regarding whether or not to set a route for the moving object (in this case, a route to the accessory shop). For example, in Figure 12, if the second passenger (passenger U) selects the "Yes" icon on the display of the second terminal 4, the information that the second passenger selected that icon (i.e., agreed to set a route that includes a stop at the accessory shop) is entered into the second terminal 4 as confirmation information from the second passenger.

In step S82 of Figure 10, the second terminal 4 transmits the input information (i.e., the second location information of the accessory shop and the second passenger confirmation information) to the information providing device 1. In step S92, the receiving unit 70 of the information providing device 1 receives the input information.

In step S102, the route setting unit 80 uses the input information (i.e., the location information provided by the accessory shop and the confirmation information for the second passenger) to determine whether or not to set a route for the mobile vehicle (in this case, the route to the accessory shop). When the "Yes" icon shown in Figure 12 is selected, the route setting unit 80 may decide to set a route for the mobile vehicle. When the "No" icon shown in Figure 12 is selected, the route setting unit 80 may decide not to set a route for the mobile vehicle.

If the "Yes" icon is selected in step S74 (Yes in step S102), in step S112, the route setting unit 80 uses the second location information to set the route the mobile object should take (a route that includes a stop at the accessory shop). Then, in step S122, the output control unit 50 transmits the route information to the accessory shop to the second terminal 4 and the mobile object-side device 2 so that the route information to the accessory shop can be output from the second terminal 4 and the mobile object-side device 2.

In step S132, the second terminal 4 and the mobile device 2 output the route information. Specifically, for example, the second terminal 4 displays the route information to the accessory shop on its display along with a message such as, "The route to the accessory shop where 'bbb' accessories are sold has been set." The mobile device 2 outputs a voice message such as, "The route to the accessory shop where 'bbb' accessories are sold has been set. Route guidance will begin. Turn left at the next corner."

If the "No" icon is selected in step S74 (No in step S102), the process returns to step S41, and the duplicate information identification unit 40 of the information providing device 1 may re-identify the sixth information to be provided. The output control unit 50 of the information providing device 1 may then transmit the different sixth information to the second terminal 4. Note that if the "No" icon is selected in step S74 (No in step S102), the process may be terminated.

In the second embodiment, multiple pieces of sixth-provided information were displayed on the display of the second terminal 4. However, the multiple pieces of sixth-provided information may be displayed in a list format on the second terminal 4, and the sixth-provided information selected from among them may be used as input information.

As described above, according to the information provision device 1 of the second embodiment, the route setting unit 80 generates differential information D, and the output control unit 50 outputs the differential information D from at least one of the mobile device 2, the first terminal 3, and the second terminal 4. This makes it clear the increase in travel time and distance due to detours, making it easier to decide whether or not to make a detour to a recommended location.

Furthermore, the first input information includes confirmation information from the first passenger regarding whether or not to set a route for the moving vehicle; the second input information includes confirmation information from the second passenger regarding whether or not to set a route for the moving vehicle; and the third input information includes confirmation information from the device regarding whether or not to set a route for the moving vehicle. This allows the route to be set after confirming the intentions of the first or second passenger. Therefore, the route setting unit 80 can effectively set the route.

[Third Embodiment]
The configuration and operation example of the information providing device 1 in the third embodiment are the same as in the first embodiment, but differ from the first embodiment in that a priority order is set between the fifth and sixth provided information. The following will mainly describe the differences from the first embodiment.

The output control unit 50 may use priority to determine whether to output the fifth information or the sixth information. For example, if the fifth information has a higher priority, the output control unit 50 may output only the fifth information. The output control unit 50 then outputs the information it has decided to output (either the fifth or sixth information) to at least one of the first terminal 3, the second terminal 4, and the mobile device 2.

Since the fifth information provided includes the third information, which is relatively likely to interest the first passenger (= pilot V), configuring the output control unit 50 to output only the fifth information allows for the selection of a target (in this case, pilot V) whose interest needs to be broadened. Thus, by setting a priority between the fifth and sixth information, it is possible to arbitrarily select the passenger whose interest needs to be broadened.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Figure 13 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the information providing device 1 of the fourth embodiment. The information providing device 1 of the fourth embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in the function of the duplicate information identification unit 40. The following will mainly describe the differences from the first embodiment.

The duplicate information identification unit 40 identifies the seventh information I7. The blacked-out areas (both upper and lower) in Figure 13 represent the seventh information I7 (note that the size of the blacked-out areas (both upper and lower) is slightly smaller than the actual area related to the seventh information I7 for visibility purposes). The seventh information I7 is the overlapping portion of the third information I3 and the fourth information I4. More specifically, the seventh information I7 is information that is relatively likely to be of interest to both the first passenger and the second passenger. The output control unit 50 may output the seventh information I7 identified by the duplicate information identification unit 40 from at least one of the information providing devices: the mobile device 2, the first terminal 3, and the second terminal 4.

This allows us to provide the first and second passengers with information that is not already of interest to them, but is expected to be of interest to them. In other words, it can broaden the range of interests for both the first and second passengers.

The embodiments described above with reference to the drawings are illustrative examples of the present invention, and various other configurations can also be adopted.

In this embodiment, the first passenger has been described as the pilot; however, the first passenger may be a co-passenger and the second passenger may be the pilot. Furthermore, both the first and second passengers may be co-passengers.

In the first embodiment, the information providing device 1 included a route setting unit 80, which set the route using the fifth provided information. However, the system may also be configured such that the route is not set, and the output control unit 50 simply provides the fifth provided information (the system may also be configured without a route setting unit 80). In this case, the output control unit 50 may simply output product information (advertisements) and news information as the fifth provided information to at least one of the mobile device 2, the first terminal 3, and the second terminal 4.

If there are multiple passengers, the terminal information acquisition unit 10 may acquire multiple pieces of second terminal information relating to multiple second terminals 4. The provided information identification unit 20 may identify multiple pieces of second provided information to be provided to each owner of the second terminal 4 (second passenger), the related provided information identification unit 30 may identify multiple pieces of fourth provided information for each second passenger, and the duplicate provided information identification unit 40 may identify multiple pieces of fourth provided information and sixth provided information which are the overlapping portions of the first provided information.

The output control unit 50 may output the differential information D from at least one of the mobile device 2, the first terminal 3, and the second terminal 4.

If a destination is pre-set, the duplicate information identification unit 40 may use route information to the destination to select the fifth information (or sixth information) to be provided to the first and second passengers from among multiple fifth information (or sixth information) options. In other words, locations along the destination may be preferentially identified as the fifth information (or sixth information).

The location information acquisition unit 95 may acquire mobile body location information, which is the location information of the mobile body (or mobile body-side device 2), via the location sensor unit 2d. The duplicate provision information identification unit 40 may select the fifth provision information from among multiple fifth provision information using the mobile body location information and the first location information. The duplicate provision information identification unit 40 may also select the fifth provision information closest to the current location of the mobile body from among multiple fifth provision information.

The duplicate information identification unit 40 may select the sixth information from among multiple sixth information sources using the mobile body location information and the second location information. The duplicate information identification unit 40 may also select the sixth information source closest to the mobile body's current location from among multiple sixth information sources.

Furthermore, while the flowcharts used in the above description show multiple steps (processes) in sequence, the execution order of the steps performed in each embodiment is not limited to that order. In each embodiment, the order of the illustrated steps can be changed to the extent that it does not impair the content. Also, the above embodiments can be combined to the extent that their content is not contradictory.

Examples of reference formats are provided below.
1. A terminal information acquisition unit that acquires first terminal information relating to the first terminal of the first passenger of the mobile vehicle, and second terminal information relating to the second terminal of the second passenger of the mobile vehicle,
A provision information identification unit identifies first provision information to be provided to the first passenger using first person information of the first passenger stored in association with the first terminal information, and identifies second provision information to be provided to the second passenger using second person information of the second passenger stored in association with the second terminal information,
A related information identification unit identifies a third piece of information related to the first piece of information using the first piece of information, and identifies a fourth piece of information related to the second piece of information using the second piece of information,
A duplicate information identification unit that identifies at least one of the following: the fifth information which is the overlapping portion between the third information and the second information, and the sixth information which is the overlapping portion between the fourth information and the first information;
An information providing device comprising: an output control unit that causes at least one of the fifth provided information and the sixth provided information to output to at least one of the mobile device, the first terminal, and the second terminal located within the mobile device.
2. In the information provision device described in 1.,
The first information provided includes at least one of the following: information relating to locations of things that suit the first passenger's hobbies and preferences, and information relating to locations of things that interest the first passenger.
The information providing device includes, in part, at least one of the following: information relating to locations of things that suit the hobbies and preferences of the second passenger, and information relating to locations of things that interest the second passenger.
3. In the information providing device described in 1. or 2.,
An information providing device in which the fifth provided information is output by at least one of the mobile device, the first terminal, and the second terminal, with the addition of information identifying that it is the second provided information and information identifying that it is the third provided information.
4. In the information providing device described in any one of items 1 to 3,
An information providing device in which the sixth provided information is output by at least one of the mobile device, the first terminal, and the second terminal, with the sixth provided information having information added to identify that it is the first provided information and information identified that it is the fourth provided information.
5. In the information providing device described in any one of items 1 to 4,
The aforementioned related information identification unit is an information providing device that identifies the third and fourth information using statistical information.
6.5. In the information provision device described above,
The system further includes a storage processing unit that stores at least one of the following as part of the statistical information: visit history information relating to the visit history of the first passenger, visit history information relating to the visit history of the second passenger, search history information relating to the search history of the first passenger, search history information relating to the search history of the second passenger, purchase history information relating to the purchase history of the first passenger, and purchase history information relating to the purchase history of the second passenger.
Information providing device, wherein the memory processing unit stores at least one of the following as part of the statistical information: visit history information relating to the visit history of users other than the first passenger and the second passenger; search history information relating to the search history of users other than the first passenger and the second passenger; and purchase history information relating to the purchase history of users other than the first passenger and the second passenger.
7. In an information providing device described in any one of items 1 to 6,
After the output control unit causes at least one of the fifth provided information and the sixth provided information to be output from at least one of the first terminal, the second terminal, and the mobile device, a receiving unit receives at least one of the first input information input to the first terminal, the second input information input to the second terminal, and the third input information input to the mobile device.
The system further includes a route setting unit that sets a route for the moving object to take using at least one of the first input information, the second input information, and the third input information received by the receiving unit,
The output control unit is an information providing device that causes the mobile body to output route information of the route it should take to at least one of the mobile body-side device, the first terminal, and the second terminal.
8.7. In the information provision device described above,
The route setting unit generates difference information regarding the difference between the already set route and the route to which the moving object should proceed.
The output control unit is an information providing device that causes the differential information to be output to at least one of the mobile device, the first terminal, and the second terminal.
9. In the information providing device described in 7. or 8.,
The first input information includes first passenger confirmation information regarding whether or not to set the route,
The second input information includes second passenger confirmation information regarding whether or not to set the route,
The third input information includes device-side confirmation information regarding whether or not to set the route,
The route setting unit is an information providing device that sets the route on which the moving object should proceed using at least one of the first passenger confirmation information, the second passenger confirmation information, and the device confirmation information.
10. In an information providing device described in any one of items 1 to 9,
A priority order is set between the fifth and sixth pieces of information provided above.
The output control unit is an information providing device that determines, using the priority order, whether to output either the fifth information or the sixth information.
11. In an information providing device described in any one of items 1 to 10,
The output control unit is an information providing device that, via the mobile device, causes at least one of the fifth provided information and the sixth provided information to at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal.
12. In an information providing device described in any one of items 1 to 11,
The mobile body further comprises an image information acquisition unit that acquires first image information of at least one of the first and second passengers generated from a camera unit mounted on the mobile body,
The terminal information acquisition unit is an information providing device that acquires at least one of the first terminal information and the second terminal information using the first image information acquired by the image information acquisition unit and at least one of the second image information of the first passenger and the second passenger that has been stored in advance.
13. The computer that realizes the information provision device,
First terminal information relating to the first terminal of the first passenger of the mobile vehicle, and second terminal information relating to the second terminal of the second passenger of the mobile vehicle are obtained.
Using the first person information of the first passenger stored in association with the first terminal information, the first information to be provided to the first passenger is identified, and using the second person information of the second passenger stored in association with the second terminal information, the second information to be provided to the second passenger is identified.
Using the first provided information, a third provided information related to the first provided information is identified, and using the second provided information, a fourth provided information related to the second provided information is identified.
Identify at least one of the following: the fifth information, which is the overlapping portion between the third information and the second information, and the sixth information, which is the overlapping portion between the fourth information and the first information.
An information provision method comprising outputting at least one of the fifth information provision and the sixth information provision to at least one of the mobile device, the first terminal, and the second terminal located within the mobile device.
14. The computer that will realize the information provision device,
A procedure for obtaining first terminal information relating to the first terminal of the first passenger of a mobile vehicle, and second terminal information relating to the second terminal of the second passenger of the mobile vehicle.
A procedure for identifying first information to be provided to the first passenger using first person information of the first passenger stored in association with the first terminal information, and identifying second information to be provided to the second passenger using second person information of the second passenger stored in association with the second terminal information.
A procedure for identifying third information related to the first information using the first information, and identifying fourth information related to the second information using the second information,
A procedure for identifying at least one of the following: the fifth information which is the overlapping portion between the third information and the second information, and the sixth information which is the overlapping portion between the fourth information and the first information.
A program for causing a procedure to output at least one of the fifth provided information and the sixth provided information to at least one of the mobile device, the first terminal, and the second terminal located within the mobile device.

1 Information providing device 2 Mobile device 3 First terminal 4 Second terminal 10 Terminal information acquisition unit 20 Provided information identification unit 30 Related provided information identification unit 40 Duplicate provided information identification unit 50 Output control unit 50 Receiving unit 60 Memory processing unit 70 Receiving unit 80 Route setting unit 90 Image information acquisition unit 95 Location information acquisition unit 100 Information providing system V Operator U Passenger

Claims (10)

A terminal information acquisition unit that acquires first terminal information relating to the first terminal of the first passenger of the mobile vehicle, and second terminal information relating to the second terminal of the second passenger of the mobile vehicle,
A provision information identification unit identifies first provision information to be provided to the first passenger using first person information of the first passenger stored in association with the first terminal information, and identifies second provision information to be provided to the second passenger using second person information of the second passenger stored in association with the second terminal information,
A related information identification unit identifies a third piece of information related to the first piece of information using the first piece of information, and identifies a fourth piece of information related to the second piece of information using the second piece of information,
A duplicate information identification unit that identifies at least one of the following: the fifth information which is the overlapping portion between the third information and the second information, and the sixth information which is the overlapping portion between the fourth information and the first information;
An information providing device comprising: an output control unit that causes at least one of the fifth provided information and the sixth provided information to output to at least one of the mobile device side device, the first terminal, and the second terminal located within the mobile device. In the information providing device according to claim 1,
The first information provided includes at least one of the following: information relating to locations of things that suit the first passenger's hobbies and preferences, and information relating to locations of things that interest the first passenger.
The information providing device includes, in part, at least one of the following: information relating to locations of things that suit the hobbies and preferences of the second passenger, and information relating to locations of things that interest the second passenger. In the information providing device according to claim 1 or 2,
An information providing device in which the fifth provided information is output by at least one of the mobile device, the first terminal, and the second terminal, with the addition of information identifying that it is the second provided information and information identifying that it is the third provided information. In the information providing device according to claim 1 or 2,
An information providing device in which the sixth provided information is output by at least one of the mobile device, the first terminal, and the second terminal, with the sixth provided information having information added to identify that it is the first provided information and information added to identify that it is the fourth provided information. In the information providing device according to claim 1 or 2,
The aforementioned related information identification unit is an information providing device that identifies the third and fourth information using statistical information. In the information providing device according to claim 5,
The system further includes a storage processing unit that stores at least one of the following as part of the statistical information: visit history information relating to the visit history of the first passenger, visit history information relating to the visit history of the second passenger, search history information relating to the search history of the first passenger, search history information relating to the search history of the second passenger, purchase history information relating to the purchase history of the first passenger, and purchase history information relating to the purchase history of the second passenger.
Information providing device, wherein the memory processing unit stores at least one of the following as part of the statistical information: visit history information relating to the visit history of users other than the first passenger and the second passenger; search history information relating to the search history of users other than the first passenger and the second passenger; and purchase history information relating to the purchase history of users other than the first passenger and the second passenger. In the information providing device according to claim 1 or 2,
A priority order is set between the fifth and sixth pieces of information provided above.
The output control unit is an information providing device that determines, using the priority order, whether to output either the fifth information or the sixth information. In the information providing device according to claim 1 or 2,
The output control unit is an information providing device that, via the mobile device, causes at least one of the fifth provided information and the sixth provided information to at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal. The computer that makes up the information provision device
First terminal information relating to the first terminal of the first passenger of the mobile vehicle, and second terminal information relating to the second terminal of the second passenger of the mobile vehicle are obtained.
Using the first person information of the first passenger stored in association with the first terminal information, the first information to be provided to the first passenger is identified, and using the second person information of the second passenger stored in association with the second terminal information, the second information to be provided to the second passenger is identified.
Using the first provided information, a third provided information related to the first provided information is identified, and using the second provided information, a fourth provided information related to the second provided information is identified.
Identify at least one of the following: the fifth information, which is the overlapping portion between the third information and the second information, and the sixth information, which is the overlapping portion between the fourth information and the first information.
An information provision method comprising outputting at least one of the fifth information provision and the sixth information provision to at least one of the mobile device, the first terminal, and the second terminal located within the mobile device. The computer that will realize the information provision device
A procedure for obtaining first terminal information relating to the first terminal of the first passenger of a mobile vehicle, and second terminal information relating to the second terminal of the second passenger of the mobile vehicle.
A procedure for identifying first information to be provided to the first passenger using first person information of the first passenger stored in association with the first terminal information, and identifying second information to be provided to the second passenger using second person information of the second passenger stored in association with the second terminal information.
A procedure for identifying third information related to the first information using the first information, and identifying fourth information related to the second information using the second information,
A procedure for identifying at least one of the following: the fifth information which is the overlapping portion between the third information and the second information, and the sixth information which is the overlapping portion between the fourth information and the first information.
A program for causing a procedure to output at least one of the fifth provided information and the sixth provided information to at least one of the mobile device, the first terminal, and the second terminal located within the mobile device.