WO2024166412A1 - Information processing device, information processing method, information processing program, and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

One purpose of the present invention is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, an information processing program, and a storage medium that make it possible for suitable partners to match with each other during a phone call between a driver of a moving body and a user outside the moving body.　The information processing device performs information processing relating to audio communication between a first device that moves together with a moving body, and a second device which is a terminal outside the moving body, the information processing device comprising: a matching unit that performs matching between a user of the first device and a user of the second device on the basis of a plurality of desired information, including user type information indicating whether the user is the user of the first device or the user of the second device, desired type indicating a distinction between a guided person who desires to be guided and a guiding person who can guide, and a guiding-desired location of the guided person and a guiding-possible location of the guiding person; and a communication unit that performs the audio communication between the first device and the second device that have been matched.

Description

Information processing device, information processing method, information processing program, and storage medium

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, an information processing program, and a storage medium, and, for example, to an information processing device, an information processing method, an information processing program, and a storage medium that processes information regarding a call between a person inside a mobile body and a person outside the mobile body.

Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle information utilization system that references vehicle information transmitted from a mobile terminal mounted on the vehicle, searches for vehicles that are within a specified range from the user's current location, and displays information about the vehicles on the display of the user's terminal.

JP 2003-208462 A

For example, consider the case of virtual hitchhiking, in which a conversation takes place between the driver of a mobile body and the user of a terminal outside the mobile body without actually riding in the vehicle. In this case, it is preferable that the combination of the driver of the mobile body and the user of the terminal outside the mobile body is one in which both parties are satisfied with the content of the conversation. However, as in the above document, simply searching for vehicles traveling within a specified range from the perspective of the user of the terminal outside the mobile body may not result in a good combination depending on the purpose of the driver or user, which is one of the issues.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and one of its objectives is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, an information processing program, and a storage medium that enable matching of a suitable partner when a driver of a mobile body and a user outside the mobile body make a call.

The invention described in claim 1 is an information processing device that processes information related to voice communication between a first device that moves with a mobile body and a second device that is a terminal outside the mobile body, and is characterized by having a desired information acquisition unit that acquires multiple desired information including user type information indicating whether the user is a user of the first device or a user of the second device, and a desired type indicating whether the user is a person who wishes to be guided or a guide who can provide guidance, and including a desired guide location where the user wishes to be guided if the desired type is the person who is guided, and a guideable location where the guide can provide guidance if the desired type is the guide, a matching unit that matches users of the first device with users of the second device based on the desired information, and a communication unit that performs the voice communication between the first device and the second device after the matching is performed.

The invention described in claim 11 is an information processing device that processes information regarding voice communication between a first device that moves with a mobile body and a second device that is a terminal outside the mobile body, and is characterized in having a desired information acquisition unit that acquires guided information including a guided location from a user of the second device, an extraction unit that extracts one or more of the first devices based on the guided information and the current location of the first device or a route set in the mobile body, and a communication unit that performs the voice communication between one of the extracted one or more first devices and the second device.

The invention described in claim 12 is an information processing device that processes information regarding voice communication between a first device that moves with a mobile body and a second device that is a terminal outside the mobile body, and is characterized in having a desired information acquisition unit that acquires guided desired information including a guided desired place from a user of the first device, a guideable information acquisition unit that acquires guideable information including whether or not the user of the second device is guided and, if guided, a guideable place that is a place where guidance is possible, an extraction unit that extracts one or more of the second devices based on the guided desired information and the guideable information, and a communication unit that performs the voice communication between the first device and one of the extracted one or more second devices.

The invention described in claim 13 is an information processing method executed by an information processing device that processes information regarding voice communication between a first device that moves with a mobile body and a second device that is a terminal outside the mobile body, and is characterized in that it includes a preference information acquisition step of acquiring multiple preference information including user type information indicating whether the user is a user of the first device or a user of the second device, and a preference type indicating whether the user is a person who wishes to be guided or a guide who can provide guidance, and including a preferred guidance location where the user wishes to be guided if the preference type is the person who is guided, and a guideable location where the guide can provide guidance if the preference type is the guide, a matching step of matching users of the first device and users of the second device based on the preference information, and a communication step of performing the voice communication between the first device and the second device after the matching is performed.

The invention described in claim 14 is an information processing program executed by an information processing device having a computer and processing information regarding voice communication between a first device moving with a mobile body and a second device which is a terminal outside the mobile body, the information processing program causing the computer to execute the following steps: a preference information acquisition step of acquiring a plurality of preference information including user type information indicating whether the user is a user of the first device or a user of the second device, a preference type indicating whether the user is a person who wishes to be guided or a guide who can provide guidance, and including a preferred guidance location where the guide can provide guidance if the preference type is the person who is guided, and a guideable location where the guide can provide guidance if the preference type is the guide; a matching step of matching a user of the first device with a user of the second device based on the preference information; and a communication step of performing the voice communication between the first device and the second device after the matching.

The invention described in claim 15 is a computer-readable storage medium that stores an information processing program for causing an information processing device that includes a computer and processes information regarding voice communication between a first device that moves with a mobile body and a second device that is a terminal outside the mobile body to execute the following steps: a preference information acquisition step that acquires multiple preference information including user type information indicating whether the user is a user of the first device or a user of the second device, and a preference type indicating whether the user is a person who wishes to be guided or a guide who can provide guidance, and including a preferred guide location where the guide can provide guidance if the preferred type is the person who is guided, and a guideable location where the guide can provide guidance if the preferred type is the guide; a matching step that matches the user of the first device with the user of the second device based on the preference information; and a communication step that performs the voice communication between the first device and the second device after the matching is performed.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an overview of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a front seat portion of an automobile according to an embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of an external device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a server device according to an embodiment. 4 is a diagram showing an example of information about a driver (a user of an in-vehicle device) held by a server device according to an embodiment; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of information about a virtual fellow passenger (user of an external device) held by a server device in the embodiment; FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of request information received by a server device according to an embodiment. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of matching between a guideable location and a guide-desired location when matching is performed in the information processing system according to the embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of information processing executed by an information processing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of information processing executed by an information processing system according to an embodiment. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a routine executed by the server device according to the embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a subroutine executed by the server device according to the embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a subroutine executed by the server device according to the embodiment.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention. In the following description and accompanying drawings, the same reference symbols are used for substantially the same or equivalent parts.

The configuration of an information processing system 100 including an information processing device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an overview of the configuration of an information processing system 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing system 100 includes an in-vehicle device 10, an external device 30, and a server 50 as an information processing device. Note that FIG. 1 shows a case in which the in-vehicle device 10 is mounted on an automobile M as an example of a moving body. Also, FIG. 1 shows a smartphone as an example of the external device 30.

The in-vehicle device 10, the external device 30, and the server 50 can transmit and receive data to and from each other via the network NW using communication protocols such as TCP/IP and UDP/IP. The network NW can be constructed, for example, by a mobile communication network, wireless communication such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and Internet communication including wired communication.

In the information processing system 100, audio-visual communication is possible in which video and audio captured by the in-vehicle device 10 in the automobile M are transmitted to the external device 30, and audio captured by the external device 30 is transmitted to the in-vehicle device 10.

In the information processing system 100 of this embodiment, a voice call is established between the in-car device 10 and the external device 30, and then the video captured in the automobile M is distributed from the in-car device 10 to the external device 30.

In the following description, the communication mode in which a voice call is established between the in-car device 10 and the external device 30 while video captured in the automobile M is distributed from the in-car device 10 to the external device 30 as described above is referred to as video communication, which is one form of audio-video communication.

By performing such video communication, the user of the external device 30 watching the video transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 can feel as if he or she is riding in the vehicle M with the driver of the vehicle M. In other words, video communication can realize a virtual ride with the user of the external device 30 in the vehicle M. In addition, a system such as the information processing system 100 of this embodiment that can realize such video communication is also called a virtual ride-along system.

In this embodiment, the in-car device 10 and the external device 30 perform video communication via the server 50. The server 50 establishes voice communication between the in-car device 10 and the external device 30, and is capable of receiving from the in-car device 10 images captured in the automobile M and acquired by the in-car device 10, and transmitting the images to the external device 30.

For example, during video communication between the in-car device 10 and the external device 30, guidance regarding the location where the automobile M is traveling can be provided between the user of the in-car device 10 and the user of the external device 30.

For example, while driving in a familiar location, the driver of automobile M, who is the user of in-vehicle device 10, can guide the user of external device 30 about the location by providing tourist information about the area and other information about the region. In this case, if the user of external device 30 is not familiar with the location and wishes to be guided, for example, by planning a trip to the location, both parties can achieve their goals. In addition, the user of external device 30 can receive guidance while watching actual driving footage through video communication.

On the other hand, the user of the external device 30 can also provide guidance. For example, while the driver of the automobile M is driving in an unfamiliar place, the user of the external device 30 who is familiar with the place can provide guidance about the place via video communication by providing tourist information in the vicinity, information about the area such as places where caution is required when driving, and places where there are always traffic jams.

In this embodiment, it is possible to pair a user of the in-vehicle device 10 with a user of the external device 30 so that video communication can be conducted between a guide and a guided person as described above. The server 50 performs matching to determine a pairing of a user of the in-vehicle device 10 and a user of the external device 30, and can establish video communication between the determined parties.

Note that the occupants of the automobile M, including the driver and passengers, can be users of the in-vehicle device 10. In this embodiment, the explanation will be centered on the case where the user of the in-vehicle device 10 is the driver of the automobile M.

In the following, in this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 is a car navigation device. In addition, in this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 is a terminal device of a so-called cloud-type car navigation device that receives a destination to which the user wishes to be guided from the user, transmits the destination to the server 50, and the server 50 generates a route to the destination.

As described above, in this embodiment, the external device 30 is described as a smartphone. The touch panel 31 is, for example, a touch panel monitor that combines a display, such as a liquid crystal display capable of displaying images, with a touch pad. The touch panel 31 is capable of generating a signal that represents an input operation to the touch panel 31 received from the user.

In this embodiment, the touch panel 31 displays the video delivered from the in-vehicle device 10 during video communication. During video communication, the user of the external device 30 can talk to the driver of the automobile M while watching the video displayed on the touch panel 31.

In addition, information related to video communication is displayed on the touch panel 31. For example, the touch panel 31 displays a registration screen for the user of the external device 30 to register information necessary for video communication in the information processing system 100, a confirmation screen for whether or not to consent to video communication with the driver of the automobile M, and other screens. The user of the external device 30 can input information related to video communication by performing an input operation on the touch panel 31.

The speaker 33 is capable of emitting sounds such as music and voice. During video communication, the speaker 33 emits the sound from the in-car device 10 during a voice call.

The microphone 35 is a microphone device that receives sounds emitted toward the external device 30. During video communication, the sound picked up by the microphone 35 is transmitted to the in-car device 10 via the server 50 as the sound of the voice call.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of the front seat of an automobile M equipped with the in-vehicle device 10. As an example of an installation, FIG. 2 shows a case where the in-vehicle device 10 is installed in the dashboard DB of the front seat of the automobile M.

The GPS receiver 11 is a device that receives signals (GPS signals) from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites. The GPS receiver 11 is arranged, for example, on a dashboard DB. The GPS receiver 11 may be arranged anywhere as long as it can receive GPS signals. The GPS receiver 11 is capable of transmitting the received GPS signals to the in-vehicle device 10. The in-vehicle device 10 obtains current position information of the automobile M using the GPS signals.

The exterior camera 13 is an imaging device that captures images of the area in front of the automobile M. In this embodiment, the exterior camera 13 is arranged on the dashboard DB so that the imaging direction is the front. For example, the exterior camera 13 can capture images of the area in front of the automobile M through the windshield. The exterior camera 13 may be provided near the rearview mirror RM or attached to the inside of the windshield FG. During video communication, the image captured by the exterior camera 13 is distributed to the external device 30.

The in-vehicle camera 14 is an imaging device that captures images of the interior of the automobile M. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle camera 14 is installed at the top end of the windshield FG or on the ceiling near the top end. For example, the in-vehicle camera 14 is capable of capturing images of the driver of the automobile M. For example, the in-vehicle camera 14 may be installed so as to be capable of capturing images of the interior of the automobile M, including the passenger seat and rear seats of the automobile M.

For example, during video communication, the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 14 is distributed to the external device 30 together with the image captured by the exterior camera 13. For example, in the external device 30, the image from the exterior camera 13 and the image from the in-vehicle camera 14 may be displayed in a switched manner at the user's choice, or may be displayed side by side.

The touch panel 15 is, for example, a touch panel monitor that combines a display, such as a liquid crystal display capable of displaying images, with a touch pad. The touch panel 15 is disposed, for example, in the center console of the dashboard DB. The touch panel 15 may be disposed in a location that is visible to the driver and within the driver's reach. For example, the touch panel 15 may be attached to the dashboard DB.

The touch panel 15 is capable of displaying a screen based on the control of the in-vehicle device 10. The touch panel 15 is also capable of transmitting a signal representing an input operation to the touch panel 15 received from a user to the in-vehicle device 10. For example, the touch panel 15 may display car navigation guidance. Furthermore, it may be possible to perform operations related to the car navigation function, such as setting a destination, via the touch panel 15.

In addition, the touch panel 15 may display information regarding video communication, and may display a screen such as an operation reception screen for requesting the server 50 to match with a user of the external device 30, or a screen asking whether or not video communication with the user of the external device 30 with whom a match has been made is possible. For example, the user of the in-vehicle device 10 can input information required for requesting matching with a user of the external device 30 and select whether or not to allow video communication in response to a question about whether or not video communication is possible, by performing an input operation on the touch panel 15.

The speaker 17 is provided, for example, on the interior side of the A-pillar AP. The speaker 17 is capable of emitting sounds such as music and voices under the control of the in-vehicle device 10. During video communication, the speaker 17 emits sound from the external device 30 during a voice call.

In addition, when the notification regarding video communication is made by voice, a voice such as an inquiry as to whether or not video communication with the user of the external device 30 determined by matching is possible is issued from the speaker 17. In addition, when making such an inquiry, a pre-recorded message may be issued in the voice of the user of the external device 30.

The microphone 19 is a microphone device that picks up sounds inside the vehicle, and is located, for example, on the dashboard DB. The microphone 19 may be located anywhere, such as on the rearview mirror RM or the steering wheel, as long as it is capable of picking up sounds inside the vehicle. During video communication, the sound picked up by the microphone 19 is transmitted to the external device 30 as the sound of the voice call.

Furthermore, operation inputs for requesting matching with a user of the external device 30 or selecting whether or not to accept an inquiry about whether or not video communication is possible may be made by voice via the microphone 19.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the in-vehicle device 10. For example, the in-vehicle device 10 is a device in which a storage unit 23, a control unit 25, and a communication unit 27 work together via a system bus.

The automobile M is also equipped with an acceleration sensor 21. The acceleration sensor 21 is capable of measuring the acceleration of the automobile M and outputting a signal indicating the measured acceleration. The acceleration sensor 21 is a sensor capable of detecting the acceleration in the traveling direction of the automobile M, i.e., the forward/rearward direction, as viewed from above the automobile M. The acceleration sensor is also capable of detecting, for example, acceleration in the lateral direction (width direction) perpendicular to the traveling direction of the automobile M. The in-vehicle device 10 may obtain current position information of the automobile M based on, for example, the acceleration indicated by the sensor signal of the acceleration sensor 21 in addition to the GPS signal from the GPS receiver 11.

The storage unit 23 is a storage device configured, for example, by a hard disk drive, a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 23 stores various programs executed in the in-vehicle device 10, such as an operating system and software for the terminal.

The various programs may be obtained, for example, from another server device or the like via a network, or may be recorded on a recording medium and read via various drive devices. In other words, the various programs stored in the storage unit 23 can be transmitted via a network, and can also be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and transferred.

The memory unit 23 also stores map information including road maps. This map information is used, for example, for displaying directions in car navigation systems.

The control unit 25 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and functions as a computer. The control unit 25 realizes various functions by the CPU reading and executing various programs stored in the ROM and the storage unit 23. In this embodiment, the control unit 25 performs functions such as voice calls and video distribution functions during video communication, as well as car navigation functions.

The control unit 25 is connected to be able to communicate with various devices provided in the automobile M, namely, the GPS receiver 11, the exterior camera 13, the interior camera 14, the touch panel 15, the speaker 17, the microphone 19, and the acceleration sensor 21. The control unit 25 acquires data from the various devices provided in the automobile M. The control unit 25 also supplies data to the various devices provided in the automobile M.

Specifically, the control unit 25 sequentially acquires GPS signals from the GPS receiver 11. The control unit 25 also sequentially acquires a signal indicating the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor 21. The control unit 25 acquires current position information of the automobile M based on, for example, the GPS signal and the signal from the acceleration sensor.

The control unit 25 sequentially acquires images captured by the exterior camera 13 and the interior camera 14. The control unit 25 acquires signals representing input operations performed on the touch panel 15. The control unit 25 also supplies image data to be displayed on the touch panel 15. The control unit 25 also supplies audio data to the speaker 17. The control unit 25 also sequentially acquires audio in the automobile M picked up by the microphone 19.

The communication unit 27 is a communication device that transmits and receives data to and from external devices in accordance with instructions from the control unit 25. The communication unit 27 is, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) for connecting to the network NW.

The communication unit 27 is connected to the network NW described above, and transmits and receives various data to and from the server 50. The communication unit 27 also transmits and receives various data to and from the external device 30 via the server 50.

For example, the control unit 25 can transmit information including a destination input by a user of the in-vehicle device 10 to the server 50 via the communication unit 27, and receive route information or navigation information to the destination from the server 50.

During video communication, the control unit 25 sequentially transmits images captured by the exterior camera 13 or the interior camera 14 to the server 50 via the communication unit 27. During video communication, the control unit 25 also receives audio data from the external device 30 via the server 50 via the communication unit 27, and sequentially transmits audio from inside the automobile M picked up by the microphone 19 to the server 50.

For example, while the automobile M is traveling, the control unit 25 sequentially transmits current location information of the automobile M obtained based on the GPS signal and the signal from the acceleration sensor to the server 50 via the communication unit 27.

The control unit 25 transmits information about the video communication input by the occupant to the server 50, for example, via the communication unit 27. For example, the control unit 25 transmits information to the server 50, such as information input by the driver via the touch panel 15 or microphone 19 indicating a request for matching with a user of the external device 30.

The control unit 25 receives information related to video communication from the server 50, for example, via the communication unit 27. For example, the control unit 25 receives an image for displaying a screen such as an inquiry screen about whether video communication is possible with the user of the external device 30 determined by matching, and supplies the received image to the touch panel 15. For example, the control unit 25 receives audio data such as an inquiry about whether video communication is possible with the user of the external device 30 with whom matching has been made, and supplies the received audio data to the speaker 17.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the external device 30. For example, the external device 30 is a device in which a storage unit 37, a control unit 39, and a communication unit 41 work together via a system bus (not shown).

The storage unit 37 is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive, a solid state drive (SSD), flash memory, etc., and stores various programs such as an operating system and software for the external device 30.

The various programs may be obtained, for example, from another server device or the like via a network, or may be recorded on a recording medium and read via various drive devices. In other words, the various programs stored in the storage unit 37 can be transmitted via a network, and can also be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and transferred.

The control unit 39 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and functions as a computer. The CPU reads and executes various programs stored in the ROM and memory unit 37 to realize various functions.

The control unit 39 is communicatively connected to the above-mentioned touch panel 31, speaker 33, and microphone 35. The control unit 39 is capable of receiving signals indicating input operations to the touch panel 31 and audio input signals from the microphone 35. The control unit 39 is also capable of transmitting video or image signals to the touch panel 31 to cause it to display, and transmitting audio signals to the speaker 33 to cause it to output sound.

Specifically, the control unit 39 causes the image during the video communication to be displayed on the touch panel 31, and causes the audio during the video communication picked up in the automobile M to be output to the speaker 33.

The control unit 39 can also accept input operations related to video communication made by the user via the touch panel 31 or microphone 35. For example, the control unit 39 can accept input operations via the touch panel 31 and microphone 35, such as information indicating a request for matching with the user of the in-vehicle device 10, or information indicating a choice as to whether or not to allow video communication with the user of the in-vehicle device 10 with whom a match has been made.

For example, the control unit 39 causes the touch panel 31 to display a screen for accepting operations to request matching with the user of the in-vehicle device 10, a screen for inquiring whether video communication with the user of the in-vehicle device 10 with whom the match has been made is possible, and other such screens. For example, the control unit 39 may cause the speaker 33 to output a sound such as an inquiry as to whether video communication with the user of the in-vehicle device 10 with whom the match has been made is possible.

The communication unit 41 is connected to the network NW described above, and transmits and receives various data to and from the server 50. The communication unit 41 also transmits and receives various data, such as voice and route information transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10, and voice acquired by the external device 30, to and from the in-vehicle device 10 via the server 50.

The control unit 39 of the external device 30 can receive information via the communication unit 41 to display a screen such as a screen asking whether or not video communication is possible with the user of the in-vehicle device 10 that has been matched as described above.

In addition, during video communication, the control unit 39 sequentially receives images from the exterior camera 13 and the interior camera 14 transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 via the server 50 via the communication unit 41.

The control unit 39 can also transmit audio data of the voice picked up by the microphone 35 to the in-vehicle device 10 via the communication unit 41 for voice calls in video communication. The control unit 39 can also receive audio data transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 via the communication unit 41 for voice calls in video communication.

For example, the control unit 39 of the external device 30 can receive current location information of the automobile M transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 via the server 50 through the communication unit 41. Also, for example, the control unit 39 can receive route information or navigation information of the automobile M from the server 50 through the communication unit 41. For example, navigation information of the automobile M may also be displayed on the external device 30 during video communication.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the server 50. For example, the server 50 is a device in which a storage unit 51, a communication unit 53, and a control unit 55 work together via a system bus.

As described above, during video communication, the server 50 sequentially receives from the in-vehicle device 10 images captured by the exterior camera 13 or the interior camera 14 and acquired by the in-vehicle device 10. During video communication, the server 50 sequentially transmits the images received from the in-vehicle device 10 to the external device 30.

The server 50 also has a function similar to that of a SIP server, which establishes a voice call between the in-car device 10 and the external device 30 during video communication and transfers the data of the voice call.

The server 50 also has the function of receiving current location information of the automobile M from the in-vehicle device 10 and information on a destination set by a user who is an occupant of the automobile M, and generating a route to the destination based on the current information and the destination information.

Furthermore, the server 50 has a function of matching the user of the in-vehicle device 10 with the user of the external device 30, and carrying out video communication between the matched user of the in-vehicle device 10 and the user of the external device 30.

In this embodiment, the user of the in-vehicle device 10 or the user of the external device 30 who wishes to find a partner for video communication will be referred to simply as a requester without distinction. For example, if the requester is a user of the in-vehicle device 10, the server 50 will match the requester with multiple users of the external devices 30 who have been registered in advance with the server 50.

The storage unit 51 is composed of, for example, a hard disk device and an SSD (solid state drive), and stores various programs such as the operating system and software for the server 50.

The various programs may be obtained, for example, from another server device or the like via a network, or may be recorded on a recording medium and read via various drive devices. In other words, the various programs stored in the storage unit 51 can be transmitted via a network, and can also be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and transferred.

The storage unit 51 stores, for example, an information processing program that enables the server 50 to match a user of the in-vehicle device 10 with a user of the external device 30 and to perform video communication between the matched user of the in-vehicle device 10 and the user of the external device 30.

The memory unit 51 also has a registration information storage unit that stores registration information, which is information registered in the server 50 by users of multiple in-vehicle devices 10 and multiple external devices 30.

As an example, a case will be described in which the registration information is stored separately for the user of the in-vehicle device 10 and the user of the external device 30, but the registration information may also be stored together in a single database.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing data LD1, which is an example of registration information of a user of an in-vehicle device 10, among the registration information. The registration information of a user of an in-vehicle device 10 is stored, for example, for each pair of an in-vehicle device ID that can identify each in-vehicle device 10 and a user ID that can identify each user of the in-vehicle device 10.

The registration information includes user type information, which is information indicating whether the user corresponding to each user ID is a user of the in-vehicle device 10 or a user of the external device 30. The registration information also includes a desired type, which is information indicating whether the user corresponding to each user ID is a "guide" who wishes to be guided or a "guide" who can provide guidance.

As an example, in this embodiment, if the user is the in-vehicle device 10 user, the user type is set to "driver," and if the user is the external device 30 user, the user type is set to "passenger."

Furthermore, if the desired type is to be guided, the registration information includes a desired guided location, which is information indicating a location to which guidance is desired. Furthermore, if the desired type is to be a guide, the registration information includes a possible guided location, which is information indicating a location to which guidance by the guide is possible.

The locations where guidance is available and the desired locations for guidance may be, for example, information indicating a location on a map or an address, or may be information indicating an area such as a city name, municipality, or "near XX." For example, multiple locations may be registered as locations where guidance is available or desired locations for guidance.

For example, places that the user of the in-vehicle device 10 is familiar with are registered in advance as guideable places. For example, places such as the user's hometown, place of work, or living area are registered as guideable places.

Also, when the user of the in-vehicle device 10 is driving the automobile M, the current location of the in-vehicle device 10, i.e., the current location of the automobile M, may be set as a navigable location. For example, the server 50 may obtain current location information of the automobile M from the in-vehicle device 10 and set it as a navigable location for the user of the in-vehicle device 10.

Also, for example, when a route is set in the in-vehicle device 10, major waypoints on the route may be registered as navigable locations. Major waypoints may be identified by the server 50 as a predetermined area that includes navigable locations, such as intersections, buildings, and other locations that can serve as landmarks when providing guidance.

In the example shown in FIG. 6, a predetermined area including "X Temple" may be identified as a major route point. For example, the server 50 may receive route information for the automobile M from the in-vehicle device 10, identify major route points based on the received route information, and set them as navigable locations.

The desired location to be guided to is set, for example, when the server 50 receives information indicating that the desired type is a person to be guided and the user of the in-vehicle device 10 requests matching with the user of the external device 30. For example, information input into the in-vehicle device 10 by the user of the in-vehicle device 10, or a major waypoint or destination on the route set by the user of the in-vehicle device 10, is set as the desired location to be guided to by the user of the in-vehicle device 10 who is the person to be guided to.

The desired location to be guided to is registered by the user of the in-vehicle device 10, for example, when the user, whose desired category is a guided person, wishes to receive guidance in response to a request from the user of the external device 30, whose desired category is a guide.

The desired location may also include the current location or a major intermediate location, just like the locations that can be guided.

The registration information may further include, for example, information indicating the timing when video communication is possible. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the registration information includes information indicating the standby state of the in-vehicle device 10 as information indicating the timing when video communication is possible. For example, the standby state is "ON" when the in-vehicle device 10 is powered on. In addition, for example, when the standby state is "ON", a planned standby time indicating until when video communication is possible may be registered.

In addition, the registration information of the user of the in-vehicle device 10 may include, for example, if the desired type is a person to be guided, information indicating that the communication partner is required to have high guidance skills for the desired location, such as information indicating whether or not a local person is desired. Also, if the desired type is a guide, information indicating guidance skills for the possible locations, such as information indicating whether or not the person is from the user's hometown, and information indicating driving skills such as driving history may be included.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing data LD2, which is an example of registration information of users of external devices 30, among the registration information. The registration information of users of external devices 30 is stored, for example, for each pair of an external device ID capable of identifying each external device 30 and a user ID capable of identifying each user of the external device 30.

Similar to the registration information of the user of the in-vehicle device 10 described above, the registration information of the user of the external device 30 also includes user type information and desired type. Similar to the registration information of the user of the in-vehicle device 10 described above, the registration information of the user of the external device 30 also includes a desired guided location indicating a location to which guidance is desired if the desired type is a guidee, and includes a guideable location indicating a location to which guidance by the guide is possible if the desired type is a guide.

For example, places that the user of the external device 30 is familiar with are registered in advance as locations to which the user can provide guidance. For example, places such as the user's hometown, place of work, or living area are registered as locations to which the user can provide guidance.

The desired location for guidance is registered, for example, when a user of the external device 30 whose desired type is a person to be guided to transmits information to the server 50 indicating a request for matching with the user of the in-vehicle device 10.

The desired location to be guided to is registered by the user of the external device 30, for example, when the user wishes to be guided to the location when requested by the user of the in-vehicle device 10, for example, when the user wishes to be guided to the desired location by the user.

As described above, the registration information may further include, for example, information indicating the timing when video communication is possible. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the registration information includes information indicating the standby state of the external device 30 as information indicating the timing when the user of the external device 30 is able to perform video communication.

For example, the standby state is set to "ON" by a setting on an application for video communication used in the external device 30. For example, even if the standby state is OFF, it may be possible to receive a notification on the application that a match has been made with the user of the in-vehicle device 10. Also, for example, when the standby state is "ON", a planned standby time indicating how long video communication is possible may be registered.

In addition, the registration information of the user of the external device 30 may include, for example, if the desired type is a person to be guided, information indicating that the communication partner is required to have high guidance skills for the desired location, such as information indicating whether or not a local person is desired. Also, if the desired type is a guide, information indicating guidance skills for the possible locations, such as information indicating whether or not the location is the user's hometown, and information indicating driving advice skills such as driving history may be included.

The information stored in the registration information storage unit is not limited to the above examples, but may include other information and be used for matching.

The memory unit 51 also stores map information including road maps. The map information is used by the server 50 when it generates a route for car navigation. The map information is also used by the server 50 when it acquires major stopovers on the route of the vehicle M based on the current position of the vehicle M.

The communication unit 53 is connected to the network NW described above, and transmits and receives various data between the in-vehicle device 10 and the external device 30.

The control unit 55 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and functions as a computer. The CPU realizes various functions by reading and executing various programs stored in the ROM and the memory unit 51.

The control unit 55 has a function of acquiring registration information of a user of the in-vehicle device 10 or registration information of a user of the external device 30. The control unit 55 stores the acquired registration information in the registration information storage unit 51A.

The control unit 55 acquires the registration information, for example, by receiving the registration information transmitted from each of the in-vehicle devices 10 or each of the external devices 30 via the communication unit 53. For example, the registration information of the user of the in-vehicle device 10 or the registration information of the user of the external device 30 as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 is stored in the registration information storage unit 51A.

In addition, in the information processing system 100, the control unit 55 has a function of acquiring request information that is sent to the server 50 when a user of the in-vehicle device 10 or a user of the external device 30 as a requester requests the server 50 to search for a partner for video communication.

FIG. 8 shows data RD1, which is an example of request information. The request information includes an external device ID or an in-vehicle device ID and a user ID, similar to the registration information described above. The request information also includes information indicating a request to search for a partner for video communication.

Furthermore, like the registration information described above, the request information includes a user type indicating whether the user is the user of the in-vehicle device 10 or the user of the external device 30, and a desired type indicating whether the user is a person to be guided or a guide who can provide guidance. If the desired type is a person to be guided, it includes a desired guide location, which is a place where the user wishes to be guided, and if the desired type is a guide, it includes a guideable location, which is a place where the guide can provide guidance.

The request information is generated, for example, by inputting an input operation by the user on the in-vehicle device 10 or an input operation by the user on the external device 30. For example, on the input screen for the request information, a guidance type is selected, and a location where guidance is available or a desired location is input. In addition, the guidance type and a location where guidance is available or a desired location may be input by voice, for example, "Look for a communication partner who can provide guidance within XX city."

For example, if the guidance type of the user of the in-vehicle device 10 is a person to be guided, the guidance type is set to a person to be guided and the desired location to be guided is set to Kyoto city by a voice command such as "Find a communication partner who can guide you around Kyoto city."

In addition, even if the user of the in-vehicle device 10 does not input a desired location for guidance, if a route has been set, route information may be sent to the server 50 instead of the desired location for guidance. In that case, for example, the server 50 may set a major stopover or a destination on the route as the desired location for guidance based on the route information.

For example, if the desired type of the user of the external device 30 is to be a guide, places where the user frequently drives by car, places such as stores that the user frequently visits, and places such as the user's living area are input as places where guidance is available. For example, the user of the external device 30 who is a guide may set the time when he/she is looking for people who want to be guided, that is, the planned time when video communication is possible, as the planned waiting time. In that case, for example, the planned waiting time is added to the request information and transmitted to the server 50.

In the example shown in FIG. 8, the user sending the request information is a user of the external device 30, and the data RD1 includes the external device ID. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the flag in the "Request" item is ON, it indicates a request to find a partner for video communication. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 8, since the user is a user of the external device 30, the user type is "passenger." Note that, if the user sending the request information is a user of the in-vehicle device 10, the request information includes the in-vehicle device ID instead of the external device ID, and the user type is "driver."

In the example shown in FIG. 8, the desired type is "person to be guided" and includes the desired location to which the requester, who is the person to be guided, wishes to be guided. Note that if the desired type is "guide," the request information includes the location to which the requester can be guided.

As described above, both the registration information and the request information include a user type, a desired type, and a place to which guidance can be given or a desired place to be given according to the desired type. In this embodiment, the user type, the desired type, and the place to which guidance can be given or a desired place to be given according to the desired type are referred to as desired information. The desired information is used to match the user of the in-vehicle device 10 with the user of the external device 30 in this embodiment.

The control unit 55 acquires registration information and request information to acquire desired information that can be used for matching in this embodiment, and functions as a desired information acquisition unit 57.

In other words, the control unit 55 functions as a desired information acquisition unit 57 that executes a step of acquiring multiple pieces of desired information (desired information acquisition step) including user type information indicating whether the user is the user of the in-vehicle device 10 as the first device or the user of the external device 30 as the second device, and a desired type indicating whether the user is a person wishing to be guided or a guide who can provide guidance, and including a desired guidance location where the user wishes to be guided if the desired type is a person wishing to be guided, and including a guideable location where the guide can provide guidance if the desired type is a guide. In other words, the control unit 55 has the desired information acquisition unit 57 as a functional unit.

For example, when the desired information acquisition unit 57 receives request information with the desired type being a person to be guided from the user of the external device 30, it functions as a desired information acquisition unit that acquires guided desired information including a guided location, which is a location to which the user of the second device wishes to be guided.

For example, when the desired information acquisition unit 57 receives request information with the desired type set as "recipient" from the user of the in-vehicle device 10, it functions as a desired information acquisition unit that acquires desired information to be guided, which is a desired guided location, from the user of the first device. In this case, the desired information acquisition unit 57 functions as a navigable information acquisition unit that acquires navigable information including whether or not the user of the second device can be guided and, if so, a navigable location, which is a location where guidance is possible, by acquiring, for example, registration information of the user of the external device 30.

The desired information may further include information indicating the timing when video communication is possible, such as information indicating a standby state, as described above. The desired information is used to match the user of the in-vehicle device 10 with the user of the external device 30.

When the control unit 55 acquires the request information, it executes processing as a matching unit 59 that matches the user of the in-vehicle device 10 with the user of the external device 30 based on the desired information included in the acquired request information and the desired information included in the registration information. In other words, the control unit 55 has a matching unit 59 as a functional unit.

For example, the matching unit 59 compares the desired location to be guided to and the locations to which guidance can be provided between the requester and each of the users of the in-vehicle devices 10 or the users of the external devices 30 (also referred to as registrants) who have registered registration information. The matching unit 59 matches the users of the in-vehicle devices 10 and the users of the external devices 30 based on the comparison results.

For example, the matching unit 59 compares the desired location to be guided with the locations to be guided for each of the registered users who have a desired location different from the desired location indicated by the request information, among the registered users who have a user type different from the user type indicated by the request information.

As described above, for example, the desired location of guidance and the location where guidance is available are information indicating a location or information indicating an area. For example, the location of guidance desired and the location where guidance is available are matched based on criteria such as the distance between locations, the distance between areas, the distance between locations and areas, or whether or not a location or area is included within an area.

For example, matching may be performed based on whether the area indicating the desired guidance location (also referred to as the desired area) is included in the area indicating the guidable location (also referred to as the possible area), and whether the desired area and the possible area are within a specified distance (adjacent or nearby). Furthermore, if there are multiple desired areas, matching may be performed based on the number of areas in which the desired area and the guiding area overlap. For example, the matching result may be calculated as the degree of match between the desired guidance location and the guiding possible location, and expressed as a numerical value.

With reference to Figure 9, an example of matching a desired guide location with a guideable location will be described. Figure 9 shows a case where an area AR including a certain temple T exists as a major stop on route R along which a vehicle M is scheduled to travel from point P to point Q.

For example, a driver of a car M (assumed to be user A), who is a user of the in-vehicle device 10, plans to travel from point P, where the driver lives, to point Q, where the driver works. For example, the driver's desired type is assumed to be "guide," and the driver has already registered information with "Kyoto City" as a possible guide location. For example, when a route is set in the in-vehicle device 10, an area AR including "XX Temple" is identified as a major stopover and added to the registration information.

For example, when a user of the external device 30 (user B) sends request information specifying the desired type as "person to be guided" and the desired location as "X temple in Kyoto city," the area AR including X temple T is identified as the desired location.

The matching unit 59 compares the location where user B wishes to be guided with the locations where user A can be guided to among registered users whose user type is "driver" and whose desired user type is "guide," that is, each of the registered users including user A. In this case, the comparison result shows that the area AR, which is the location where user B wishes to be guided to, matches the locations where user A can be guided to.

For example, familiar locations do not need to be preregistered as navigable locations; in that case, the current location or major intermediate locations can be used for matching.

For example, when the matching unit 59 calculates the degree of match as the comparison result, it prioritizes each of the registered users whose degree of match is calculated in order of the degree of match, and extracts a predetermined number of registered users from the highest priority as candidates for video communication with the requester.

For example, the matching unit 59 determines a partner for video communication of the requester from among the extracted partner candidates. For example, the matching unit 59 notifies the registered person with the highest priority among the extracted video communication partner candidates, and if consent is obtained from that registered person, determines that that registered person as the partner for video communication of the requester. In this manner, matching is performed between the user of the in-vehicle device 10 and the user of the external device 30.

In addition, when the user type is a driver and the current location or major intermediate points are registered as guideable locations in addition to areas familiar to the user, the locations familiar to the user and the current location or major intermediate points that match may be given a higher priority and may be more easily matched. Also, if the driver is not set as having a familiar area as a guideable location, the priority may be lowered and matching may be more difficult.

In addition, if a registered user is in a standby state, that is, if the registered user is registered as being available for video communication, matching of the registered user in a standby state may be prioritized.

When the matching unit 59 matches the user of the in-car device 10 with the user of the external device 30, the control unit 55 establishes video communication between the matched in-car device 10 and external device 30. The control unit 55 functions as a communication unit that performs audio communication between the matched in-car device 10 and external device 30.

The following describes the communication sequence between the devices in the information processing system 100 and the control routine by the server 50.

[When a virtual passenger becomes the client]
10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a sequence executed when a user of the external device 30 becomes a requester in the information processing system 100 of this embodiment. In this sequence, it is assumed that a plurality of registrants have completed the registration of the registration information as described above.

First, the external device 30 accepts an input operation of request information from a user (step S11), and the request information is sent to the server 50 (step S12).

When the server 50 receives the request information, it performs a matching process (step S13) to match the user of the external device 30 with one of the multiple registered users who are users of the in-vehicle device 10.

When the server 50 has completed the matching process, it transmits a notification of a desire to ride to the matched in-vehicle device 10, indicating that the user wishes to virtually ride in the automobile M via video communication (step S14).

When the in-vehicle device 10 receives the notification of a passenger request, it accepts the input operation of consent by the driver of the vehicle M (step S15) and transmits a notification of consent to the server 50 (step S16).

When the server 50 receives the notification of approval, it sends a URL for starting video communication to the external device 30 (step S17). When the user of the external device 30 taps the URL and the external device 30 accesses the URL (step S18), the server 50 establishes a voice call between the in-car device 10 and the external device 30 and starts video communication in which the video captured in the automobile M is distributed from the in-car device 10 to the external device 30 (step S19).

For example, if the user of the external device 30 desires guidance, but the user of the matched in-vehicle device 10 has not set a location where guidance is available, the video communication may be configured to only deliver video without conducting a voice call, at least at the start.

For example, if the user type of the external device 30 in this sequence is a "guideee," one of the motivations for sending request information is to scout out a trip. For example, a user of the external device 30 who is planning a trip can receive guidance from a driver who is familiar with the area to a place where the user wishes to be guided. For example, the user can do preliminary research for the trip by receiving information about the place where the user wishes to be guided through a voice call in video communication or by watching distributed video.

For example, if the user type of the external device 30 in this sequence is a "guide," the motivation for sending request information may be the utilization of guidance skills or the utilization of spare time. For example, by being matched with a driver who is driving in an unfamiliar place, the guidance skills of the user of the external device 30 for that place can be actively utilized. For example, by including in the request information, as part of the desired information, information indicating the timing at which guidance can be provided, spare time can be utilized effectively. Furthermore, for example, by providing an incentive such as points to the provider of the guidance, the user of the external device 30 is motivated to become a requester who can provide guidance.

[When the driver is the requester]
11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a sequence executed when the user of the in-vehicle device 10 becomes a requester in the information processing system 100 of this embodiment. First, the in-vehicle device 10 accepts an input operation of request information from the user (step S21). For example, a voice input operation such as "Find a communication partner who can guide me around Kyoto city" is accepted. After that, the request information is transmitted to the server 50 (step S22).

When the server 50 receives the request information, it performs a matching process (step S23) to match the user of the in-vehicle device 10 with one of the multiple registered users who are users of the external device 30.

When the server 50 has completed the matching process, it sends a ride request notification to the matched external device 30, requesting the registered person to virtually ride in the automobile M via video communication (step S24).

When the external device 30 receives the notification of the ride request, it accepts the input operation of acceptance by the user of the external device 30 (step S25) and sends a notification of acceptance to the server 50 (step S26).

When the server 50 receives the notification of approval, it transmits the notification of approval to the in-car device 10 (step S27) and transmits a URL for starting video communication to the external device 30 (step S28). When the user of the external device 30 taps the URL and the external device 30 accesses the URL (step S29), the server 50 establishes a voice call between the in-car device 10 and the external device 30 and starts video communication in which the video captured in the automobile M is distributed from the in-car device 10 to the external device 30 (step S30).

For example, if the user type of the in-vehicle device 10 in this sequence is a "guided person," one of the motivations for sending request information is to relieve anxiety about driving in unfamiliar places.

For example, if the user type of the in-vehicle device 10 in this sequence is a "guide," one of the motivations for sending request information may be to add value to daily travel or to relieve boredom or drowsiness.

[Control routine]
12 is a flowchart showing a control routine RT1 which is an example of a control routine executed by the control unit 55 of the server 50 when matching a user of the in-car device 10 with a user of the external device 30 and performing video communication between the matched in-car device 10 and the external device 30. For example, when the server 50 is powered on, the control unit 55 repeatedly executes the control routine RT1.

When the control unit 55 starts the control routine RT1, it determines whether or not request information is present (step S101). In step S101, for example, the control unit 55 determines whether or not the desired information acquisition unit 57 has received request information that includes the desired information of the requester and information indicating a request to find a partner for video communication.

If it is determined in step S101 that no request information exists (step S101: NO), the control unit 55 ends the control routine RT1.

If it is determined in step S101 that request information exists (step S101: YES), the control unit 55 acquires the request information (step S102). In step S102, for example, the control unit 55 supplies the request information received by the desired information acquisition unit 57 to the matching unit 59.

After executing step S102, the control unit 55 causes the matching unit 59 to execute a partner candidate extraction subroutine to extract registered persons who can be potential video communication partners for the requester (step S103).

After executing step S103, the control unit 55 determines whether or not one or more registered users have been extracted by step S103 (step S104).

If it is determined in step S104 that a registered person has not been extracted (step S104: NO), the control unit 55 notifies the requester that there is no corresponding person (step S105). In step S105, for example, information indicating that there is no corresponding person is transmitted to the requester's in-vehicle device 10 or external device 30.

If it is determined in step S104 that a registered person has been extracted (step S104: YES), the control unit 55 executes a communication partner determination subroutine and executes processing to determine one registered person as a call partner for the requester (step S106). In step S106, for example, the control unit 55 causes the matching unit 59 to execute the communication partner determination subroutine. In step S106, for example, a notification is sent from among the extracted multiple registered people in descending order of the score calculated in step S103, requesting consent to conduct video communication with the requester.

After executing step S106, the control unit 55 determines whether or not a communication partner has been determined (step S107). In step S107, for example, if consent for video communication was not obtained from any of the registered users in step S106, it is determined that a communication partner has not been determined.

If it is determined in step S107 that a communication partner has not been determined (step S107: NO), the control unit 55 proceeds to step S105 and notifies the requester that there is no match.

If it is determined in step S107 that the communication partner has been determined (step S107: YES), the control unit 55 starts video communication between the in-vehicle device 10 and the external device 30 between the requester who sent the request information and the determined registered person (step S108).

After executing step S108 or step S105, the control unit 55 ends the control routine RT1.

In steps S103 to S106, the matching unit 59 executes a matching step of matching a user of the first device with a user of the second device based on the desired information.

In steps S107 and S108, the control unit 55 functions as a communication unit that executes a step (communication step) of performing voice communication between the matched in-vehicle device 10 and the external device 30.

In steps S106 to S108, for example, if one or more in-vehicle devices 10 are extracted for one external device 30 in step S103, the control unit 55 functions as a communication unit that performs voice communication between one of the extracted one or more in-vehicle devices 10 and one external device 30.

In addition, in steps S106 to S108, when one or more external devices 30 are extracted for one in-vehicle device 10 in step S103, the control unit 55 functions as a communication unit that performs voice communication between one of the extracted one or more external devices 30 and one in-vehicle device 10.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a partner candidate extraction subroutine RT2, which is an example of a routine executed by the matching unit 59 in step S103 of the control routine RT1.

When the matching unit 59 starts the partner candidate extraction subroutine RT2, it extracts registered persons with a user type different from the user type of the requester (step S201). In step S201, the matching unit 59 reads out registration information of registered persons with a user type different from the user type indicated by the request information from the registration information holding unit 51A of the memory unit 51. For example, if the user type of the requester is "passenger" indicating a user of the external device 30, the matching unit 59 reads out registration information whose user type is "driver" indicating a user of the in-vehicle device 10.

After executing step S201, the matching unit 59 extracts registrants with a desired type different from the desired type of the requester from among the registrants extracted in step S201 (step S202). In step S202, for example, if the user type indicated by the request information is "recipient," registration information with a user type of "guide" is extracted.

After step S202 is executed, the matching unit 59 calculates the degree of agreement between the desired guidance location and the guidable location between the requester and each of the one or more registered users extracted in step S202 (step S203). In step S203, the matching unit 59 calculates the degree of agreement between the desired guidance location and the guidable location between the user of one in-vehicle device 10 and each of the users of the multiple external devices 30, or between the user of one external device 30 and each of the users of the multiple in-vehicle devices 10.

In step S203, for example, as described above, the degree of match is calculated based on the distance between the point or area indicating the desired guidance location and the point or area indicating the guidance available location.

After step S203 is executed, a priority is assigned to each of one or more registered users based on the degree of match calculated in step S203 (step S204). In step S204, for example, the priority is assigned in descending order of the degree of match. For example, if there is no difference in the degree of match, the priority may be assigned based on other parameters. For example, if the request information includes the requester's requirements regarding the level of guidance skills or driving skills, the priority may be assigned in descending order of the degree of suitability of the items in the registration information that correspond to the requirements.

In steps S203 and S204, the matching unit 59 generates multiple combinations between the requester and each of the extracted one or more registered users by combining a user of one in-vehicle device 10 with each of the users of multiple external devices 30, or by combining a user of one external device 30 with users of multiple in-vehicle devices 10, and prioritizes the multiple combinations according to the result of matching between the desired location for guidance and the locations that can be guided to.

After executing step S204, the matching unit 59 extracts a predetermined number of registrants based on the priority assigned in step S204 (step S205). In step S205, for example, about 3 to 5 registrants are extracted. In step S205, for example, a threshold value for the degree of match may be set, and registrants whose degree of match exceeds the threshold may be extracted.

After executing step S205, the matching unit 59 ends the partner candidate extraction subroutine RT2.

In steps S203 to S205 of this routine, for example, if the user of the external device 30 is a requester whose desired category is to be guided, the matching unit 59 functions as an extraction unit that extracts one or more in-vehicle devices 10 based on the guidance request information of the user of the external device 30 and the current position of the in-vehicle device 10 or the route set in the automobile M.

In addition, in steps S203 to S205 of this routine, for example, when the user of the in-vehicle device 10 is a requester whose desired category is to be guided, the matching unit 59 functions as an extraction unit that extracts one or more external devices 30 based on the guided information of the user of the in-vehicle device 10 and guide availability information including whether the external device 30 is guideable and, if so, the location to which the external device 30 can be guided.

Note that, for example, in this routine, if the current location of the in-car device 10 is too close to the location to which the user of the external device 30 wishes to be guided, the matching unit 59 may exclude the user of the in-car device 10 from being extracted as a candidate for a video communication partner. In other words, a user of the in-car device 10 that is within a specified distance (e.g., within 1 km, within a few minutes) of the location to which the user of the external device 30 wishes to be guided may be excluded from matching targets. This makes it possible to prevent, for example, a situation in which the destination is reached immediately after video communication has begun, and the video communication ends with little guidance being given.

Note that, for example, in this routine, the matching unit 59 may not match the user of the in-vehicle device 10 with the user of the external device 30 if the current location of the in-vehicle device 10 and the current location of the external device 30 are within a predetermined distance (e.g., within 1 km).

For example, in this routine, the matching unit 59 may obtain the current location of each external device 30 when extracting video communication partners for a user of one in-vehicle device 10 from among multiple external devices 30. If the current location is too close to, for example, the current location of the automobile M or a major route point as a navigable location or a desired location for guidance, the user of that external device 30 may be excluded from the candidates to be extracted as video communication partners.

In other words, if the current location of the external device 30 is within a predetermined distance from a location including the current location of the automobile M in which the in-car device 10 is mounted, the destination, or a location on a route set in the automobile M, the user of the external device 30 may be excluded from matching targets. This, for example, can prevent the automobile M from being identified by the user of the external device 30, and protect the privacy of the user of the in-car device 10. As another aspect, control may be performed to end the call when the current location of the external device 30 and the current location of the automobile M come within a predetermined distance during video communication.

As mentioned above, the requester may be able to choose whether or not to exclude registered users who meet certain conditions from matching targets.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a communication partner determination subroutine RT3, which is an example of a routine executed by the matching unit 59 in step S106 of the control routine RT1.

When the matching unit 59 starts the communication partner determination subroutine RT3, it notifies the registered person with the highest priority among the registered people extracted in the partner candidate extraction subroutine RT2 of a video communication request (step S301). In step S301, for example, if the requester is a user of the external device 30, a notification of a request to ride is sent to the user of the in-vehicle device 10, which has the highest priority. Also, in step S301, for example, if the requester is a user of the in-vehicle device 10, a notification of a request to ride is sent to the user of the external device 30.

After executing step S301, the matching unit 59 determines whether the video communication has been accepted (step S302). In step S302, for example, if the server 50 receives a response indicating acceptance to the notification sent in step S301, it is determined that the video communication has been accepted. In step S301, for example, if a response to reject the video communication is received, or if a response indicating acceptance is not received within a predetermined time, it is determined that the video communication has not been accepted.

If it is determined in step S302 that the video communication has been accepted (step S302: YES), the matching unit 59 determines the registrant who accepted the request as the communication partner with the requester (step S303). In step S303, the user of one in-vehicle device 10 or the user of one external device 30 is determined as the communication partner.

If it is determined in step S302 that video communication has not been accepted (step S302: NO), it is determined whether or not there is a registered user with the next highest priority among the registered users extracted in the partner candidate extraction subroutine RT2 (step S304).

In step S304, if it is determined that there is no registrant with the next highest priority (step S304: NO), the matching unit 59 ends the communication partner determination subroutine RT3 without determining a communication partner.

If it is determined in step S304 that a registered user with the next highest priority exists (step S304: YES), the matching unit 59 sends a notification of a video communication request to the registered user with the next highest priority (step S305).

After executing step S305, the matching unit 59 proceeds to step S302 and determines whether or not the video communication has been accepted.

This routine sends requests for video communication in descending order of priority, and if any registered person accepts the request, that registered person is selected as the communication partner. If none of the registered people accepts the request, no communication partner is selected, and as described above, in step S105 of control routine RT1, the requester is notified that there is no match.

In this routine, the matching unit 59 notifies the user of the in-vehicle device 10 or the user of the external device 30, in descending order of priority, of at least some of the multiple combinations generated in steps S203 and S204 of the partner candidate extraction subroutine RT2.

In addition, in this routine, the matching unit 59 may simply determine, for example, the registrant with the highest priority as the communication partner with the requester.

In addition, for example, in step S301 of this routine, the requester may be able to select a communication partner from one or more registered users extracted in the partner candidate extraction subroutine RT2.

As described above in detail, the information processing device of the present invention is an information processing device that processes information regarding voice communication between an in-vehicle device 10 as a first device that moves with an automobile M as a mobile body, and an external device 30 as a second device that is a terminal outside the mobile body, and has a desired information acquisition unit that acquires multiple desired information including user type information indicating whether the user is a user of the first device or a user of the second device, and a desired type indicating whether the user is a person who wishes to be guided or a guide who can provide guidance, and including a desired guide location where the user wishes to be guided if the desired type is a person who is guided, and a guideable location where the guide can provide guidance if the desired type is a guide, a matching unit that matches users of the first device with users of the second device based on the desired information, and a communication unit that performs voice communication between the matched first device and the second device.

As described above, in the present invention, the desired information includes a desired type, so that, for example, a user whose desired information is to be a guide can be matched with a user whose desired type is to be guided based on the desired information. Therefore, through voice communication between the matched first device and second device, a user who wishes to be guided can receive guidance from a user who is able to provide guidance, and both the user of the first device and the user of the second device can achieve their goals through the voice communication.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, an information processing program, and a storage medium that can match a driver of a mobile body and a user outside the mobile body with a suitable partner when they make a call.

For example, the information processing device of this embodiment has a desired information acquisition unit that acquires guided information including a guided location from a user of a second device, which is a location to which the user wishes to be guided, an extraction unit that extracts one or more of the first devices based on the guided information and the current location of the first device or a route set in a mobile body, and a communication unit that performs voice communication between one of the extracted one or more first devices and the second device.

With this configuration, for example, an in-vehicle device 10 installed in an automobile M traveling along a route that includes a location to which a user of an external device 30 wishes to receive guidance can be extracted. The user of the external device 30 can receive guidance about the desired location, for example, through voice communication with the user of one of the extracted in-vehicle devices 10.

For example, the information processing device of this embodiment has a desired information acquisition unit that acquires guided desired information including a guided location from a user of a first device, which is a location to which the user desires guidance; a guideable information acquisition unit that acquires guideable information including whether or not the user of a second device is guideable and, if guideable, which is a location to which guidance is possible; an extraction unit that extracts one or more second devices based on the guided desired information and the guideable information; and a communication unit that performs voice communication between one of the extracted one or more second devices and the first device.

With this configuration, for example, an external device 30 used by a user of an external device 30 capable of providing guidance to a location to which the user of the in-vehicle device 10 wishes to be guided can be extracted. The user of the in-vehicle device 10 can receive guidance to the desired location, for example, through voice communication with the user of one of the extracted external devices 30.

The configurations, routines, etc. of the in-vehicle device 10, server 50, and external device 30 in the above-described embodiment are merely examples, and can be appropriately selected or changed depending on the application, etc.

For example, in the above embodiment, the registration information is stored in the registration information storage unit of the server 50, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the information stored in the registration information storage unit may be stored in an external server separate from the server 50.

In the above embodiment, an example of video communication in the information processing system 100 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention is applicable to cases where only voice calls are made between the external device 30 and the in-car device 10 in the information processing system 100. In other words, the present invention is also applicable to communication in a form in which no video is distributed from the in-car device 10. Furthermore, for a certain period of time immediately after the start of video communication, only video may be distributed, and the voice call may be started later.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the in-car device 10 and the external device 30 perform video communication via the server 50, but the video communication may be performed directly between the in-car device 10 and the external device 30.

Furthermore, during video communication, while the above-mentioned video distribution is being performed from the in-vehicle device 10 to the external device 30, a voice call may be established between the in-vehicle device 10 and the external device 30 in parallel via a path separate from the information processing system 100.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the driver is primarily matched with the user of the external device 30 as the occupant of the automobile M, but occupants in the passenger seat or the back seat may also be matched with the user of the external device 30.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which video footage of the front and interior of the automobile M was distributed, but this is not limited to this. For example, the automobile M may be equipped with a camera that captures the side or rear of the automobile M, or a 360-degree camera, and video footage captured by these cameras may be distributed during video communication.

In the above embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 is an in-vehicle navigation device, but the in-vehicle device 10 does not need to have a navigation function. In that case, for example, the in-vehicle device 10 may transmit current position information of the automobile M to the server 50, and the current location may be registered as a navigable location, or major intermediate points may be predicted and registered based on the change in the current location.

For example, the in-vehicle device 10 may be configured by integrating a terminal device having a similar configuration to the in-vehicle device 10 with an external camera 13 and a touch panel 15. Specifically, for example, the in-vehicle device 10 may be a terminal device such as a smartphone, tablet, or PC with a camera that is equipped with an application that performs the same functions as the in-vehicle device 10. In this case, the in-vehicle device 10 may be mounted on the dashboard DB, for example, by a cradle or the like, so that the built-in camera can capture an image of the front of the automobile M through the windshield of the automobile M.

Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 10 may be configured not to display a screen to be presented to the driver of the automobile M. For example, the in-vehicle device 10 may have a configuration similar to that of a drive recorder, and may be, for example, a device integrated with the exterior camera 13. Specifically, the in-vehicle device 10 may be, for example, a device in which hardware that performs the above-mentioned video communication function of the in-vehicle device 10 is built into the housing of the exterior camera 13. In this case, the in-vehicle device 10 may not perform the various display outputs as described above.

In the above embodiment, the external device 30 is described as being a smartphone, but this is not limited thereto. The external device 30 is a terminal device that the user of the external device 30 can use for video communication, and is configured to be able to display or present messages related to video communication, accept operational inputs necessary for video communication, send and receive audio data, and receive and display video. For example, the external device 30 may be a terminal device such as a tablet, PC, or wearable device.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the in-vehicle device 10 was mounted on an automobile M, but the in-vehicle device 10 may also be mounted on other moving objects such as bicycles, motorbikes, and boats.

Reference Signs List 10 In-vehicle device 13 Outside-vehicle camera 14 Inside-vehicle camera 15 Touch panel 17 Speaker 19 Microphone 21 Acceleration sensor 23 Memory unit 25 Control unit 27 Communication unit 30 External device 31 Touch panel 33 Speaker 35 Microphone 37 Memory unit 39 Control unit 41 Communication unit 50 Server 51 Memory unit 53 Communication unit 55 Control unit 57 Desired information acquisition unit 59 Matching unit

Claims (15)

An information processing device for processing information regarding voice communication between a first device that moves together with a mobile object and a second device that is a terminal outside the mobile object,
a desire information acquiring unit that acquires a plurality of desire information including user type information indicating whether the user is a user of the first device or a user of the second device, and a desire type indicating whether the user is a guided person who wishes to be guided or a guide who is capable of providing guidance, and including a desired guide place that is a place where the user desires to be guided if the desire type is the guided person, and including a guideable place that is a place where the guide is capable of providing the guidance if the desire type is the guider;
a matching unit that matches a user of the first device with a user of the second device based on the desired information;
and a communication unit for performing the voice communication between the first device and the second device that have been matched. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the matching unit matches a user whose desired type is the guide with a user whose desired type is the guided person. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the matching unit matches the user of the first device with the user of the second device based on a comparison result between the guideable location and the guided location. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in matching the users of the first device and the users of the second device, the matching unit generates a plurality of combinations by combining one user of the first device with each of the users of the second device, or by combining one user of the second device with each of the users of the first device, and prioritizes the plurality of combinations according to the comparison result between the navigable locations and the desired location for guidance. The information processing device according to claim 4, characterized in that the matching unit notifies the user of the one of the first devices or the user of the one of the second devices of at least some of the multiple combinations in order of the highest priority. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the desired type of the user of the first device is the guide, the guiding possible locations include the current location of the mobile object, a destination, or a location on a route set in the mobile object. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the desired information includes information indicating a timing at which the user of the second device is available to provide guidance when the desired type of the user of the second device is to be a guide. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in matching between a user of the first device and a user of the second device, the matching unit excludes a user of the first device who is within a predetermined distance from the desired location of the user of the second device from the matching targets. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that, in matching between a user of the first device and a user of the second device, the matching unit excludes from the matching target a user of the second device whose current location of the second device is within a predetermined distance from a location including a current location of the mobile object moving together with the first device, a destination, or a location on a route set by the mobile object. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the matching unit does not match the user of the first device with the user of the second device when the distance between the current location of the first device and the current location of the second device is within a predetermined distance. An information processing device for processing information regarding voice communication between a first device that moves together with a mobile object and a second device that is a terminal outside the mobile object,
a desired information acquiring unit that acquires guided information including a guided location from a user of the second device;
an extraction unit that extracts one or a plurality of the first devices based on the guidance request information and a current location of the first device or a route set in the mobile object;
and a communication unit that performs the voice communication between one of the extracted one or more first devices and the second device. An information processing device for processing information regarding voice communication between a first device that moves together with a mobile object and a second device that is a terminal outside the mobile object,
a desired information acquiring unit that acquires guided information including a guided location from a user of the first device;
a guideable information acquisition unit that acquires guideable information including whether or not the user of the second device can provide guidance and, if so, a guideable place that is a place where guidance is possible;
an extraction unit that extracts one or more of the second devices based on the guidance request information and the guidable information;
an information processing apparatus comprising: a communication unit that performs the voice communication between one of the extracted one or more second devices and the first device; 1. An information processing method executed by an information processing device for processing information regarding voice communication between a first device that moves with a mobile object and a second device that is a terminal outside the mobile object, comprising:
a desire information acquiring step of acquiring a plurality of desire information including user type information indicating whether the user is a user of the first device or a user of the second device, and a desire type indicating whether the user is a guided person who wishes to be guided or a guide who is capable of providing guidance, and including a desired guide place that is a place where the user desires to be guided if the desire type is the guided person, and including a guideable place that is a place where the guide is capable of providing the guidance if the desire type is the guider;
a matching step of matching a user of the first device with a user of the second device based on the desired information;
and a communication step of performing the voice communication between the first device and the second device for which the matching has been achieved. An information processing program executed by an information processing device that includes a computer and processes information regarding voice communication between a first device that moves with a mobile object and a second device that is a terminal outside the mobile object, the information processing program comprising:
a desire information acquiring step of acquiring a plurality of desire information including user type information indicating whether the user is a user of the first device or a user of the second device, and a desire type indicating whether the user is a guided person who wishes to be guided or a guide who is capable of providing guidance, and including a desired guide place that is a place where the user desires to be guided if the desire type is the guided person, and including a guideable place that is a place where the guide is capable of providing the guidance if the desire type is the guider;
a matching step of matching a user of the first device with a user of the second device based on the desired information;
a communication step of performing the voice communication between the first device and the second device that have been matched;
An information processing program for executing the above. An information processing device includes a computer, the information processing device processing information related to voice communication between a first device that moves together with a mobile object and a second device that is a terminal outside the mobile object,
a desire information acquiring step of acquiring a plurality of desire information including user type information indicating whether the user is a user of the first device or a user of the second device, and a desire type indicating whether the user is a guided person who wishes to be guided or a guide who is capable of providing guidance, and including a desired guide place that is a place where the user desires to be guided if the desire type is the guided person, and including a guideable place that is a place where the guide is capable of providing the guidance if the desire type is the guider;
a matching step of matching a user of the first device with a user of the second device based on the desired information;
a communication step of performing the voice communication between the first device and the second device that have been matched;
A computer-readable storage medium storing an information processing program for executing the above.

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