JP7146225B2 - Information processing system, information processing program, information processing apparatus, and information processing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing program, an information processing apparatus, and an information processing method.

Currently, users of communication terminals such as smart phones and tablet terminals often install and use applications in these communication terminals. As a technique for recommending another application in an application currently used by a user, there is a technique as described in Patent Document 1, for example. This technology is intended to promote the installation of the recommended application by giving an incentive to the user who has installed the recommended application for the application being used.

However, the application recommendation technology described above does not meet the latent needs of the user, and does not necessarily recommend the application that the user wants. Also, for example, a method of outputting an advertisement for an application related to a means of transportation directly specified by the user as a search condition, such as recommending a car navigation application when searching for a route by car based on map information, is widely implemented. However, this method does not recommend apps that meet the latent needs of users.

JP 2016-135267 A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing system that recommends an application that meets the user's needs while the application is being executed.

An information processing system according to one embodiment includes an extracting means for extracting a needs element including a user's needs from information on movement route constituent elements constituting a movement route including a plurality of movement sections; identifying means for identifying a second application that cooperates with the first application in use and corresponds to the needs element based on the element; and outputting means for outputting information of the identified second application. Prepare.

According to the information processing system of the present invention, it is possible to recommend an application that meets the user's needs.

1 is a block diagram showing an example of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing of the information processing system 1; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a second application's recommendation in the detailed information of a moving section; 4 is a flowchart showing another example of the flow of processing of the information processing system 1; 4 is a flowchart showing still another example of the flow of processing of the information processing system 1; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a recommendation of a second application in route detailed information; The figure which shows the example of the recommendation of the 2nd application in point information. The figure which shows the example of the recommendation of a 2nd application with respect to a some point or moving section information.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to components having equivalent functions in each drawing, and detailed description of the components with the same reference numerals will not be repeated.

In the following description, the starting point is the starting point of the route, and the destination is the destination of the route, for example, the starting point and destination set in the route search conditions. A waypoint is a point on a route, for example, a waypoint set in a route search condition, or a boarding place including a boarding place or a transfer place of a transportation system included in the route information. . Transportation means, for example, public transportation.

In addition, in the following examples of the embodiments, as an explanation of the route, a case of boarding a train using a platform as a station will be mainly explained, but the present invention is not limited to trains, and can be used for any means of transportation such as buses and ships. Applicable. The boarding point is, for example, a bus stop if the means of transportation is a bus, and a boarding point if the means of transportation is a ship. The route described below may include a plurality of sections with different means of transportation. Unless otherwise noted, the travel section includes travel on foot, bicycle, etc. other than public transportation.

(First embodiment)
The information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment is, for example, a system that constitutes a comprehensive search application (first application) that searches for route information from a departure point to a destination and outputs the searched route information, This is a system that recommends another application (second application) according to the movement section in the route. This second application is an application that cooperates with the first application, and is an application that is more advantageous to use than the first application for the travel segment. For example, the second application is an application that includes more detailed information on the travel segment than the first application, or has a user interface that is easier to use than the first application for information on the travel segment.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1 , the information processing system 1 includes a terminal device 2 and a server 3 . The terminal device 2 and the server 3 are communicably connected to each other via a network 4 such as the Internet. The network 4 may be either a wired line or a wireless line, regardless of the type or form of the line.

The terminal device 2 is used by a user, and is, for example, an information processing terminal such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal computer, or a tablet terminal. The terminal device 2 includes a control section 21 , a communication section 22 , a storage section 23 , an operation section 24 and an output section 25 . The terminal device 2 may include positioning means (not shown) for positioning the current position of the terminal device 2 by GPS (Global Positioning System), Wi-Fi (registered trademark) positioning, or the like.

Whether or not to send information about the user's location information to the server 3 may be set by opt-in or opt-out at the time of application installation or initial setting, or may be selected at any time by environment setting. good too. Alternatively, the user may be allowed to select whether or not to transmit the current position for each search. When transmitting the information, whether or not to store the information in the server 3 may be similarly selected. If not, do not transmit or store such information. By doing so, it is possible to protect the user's personal information while providing more suitable information to the user who desires the information.

The control unit 21 includes a search condition setting unit 211 that sets route search conditions, and an information output unit 212 that outputs information to be output by the output unit 25 . Note that each part of the control part 21 may be realized by software by executing a predetermined program by the processor in the terminal device 2 .

The search condition setting unit 211 acquires the route search conditions set by the user through the operation unit 24 and sets the route search conditions. The route search conditions include at least departure point and destination information. Departure points and destinations are not limited to railway stations, and information that can identify points, such as addresses, building names, postal codes, telephone numbers, homes, companies, bus stops, airports, ports, boarding ports, etc. may be The starting point may be the current position detected by positioning means such as GPS or Wi-Fi positioning. In addition to the departure point and destination, the route search conditions may include conditions such as transit points, routes used, departure time, arrival time, first train, last train, and the like.

Note that the search condition setting unit 211 may acquire and set a part or all of the route search conditions without using the operation unit 24 . For example, if the user does not input the time information, the current time may be obtained as the departure time from a clock (not shown) of the terminal device 2 or from an external server. In addition, route search conditions may be acquired based on the past route search history, information on routes registered in advance by the user (commuting/school route, favorite route, etc.), or information registered in an application such as a calendar A route search condition may be acquired and set based on schedule information or the like.

If time information is not input by the user, as another example from the above example, the route information acquisition unit 311 of the server 3, which will be described later, searches for a route using the time indicated by the clock in the server 3 as the current departure time. You can do it.

The information output unit 212 converts the route information and the like received from the server 3 into a video signal and outputs the video signal to the output unit 25 . Also, the data received from the server 3 may be generated by the information output unit 212 so that the user can easily view the data. Note that the information output unit 212 may convert the information into an audio signal and output the audio signal to the output unit 25 .

The communication unit 22 is an interface for transmitting and receiving information between the control unit 21 and the server 3 via the network 4 . The storage unit 23 stores a program for operating the control unit 21 and data (user information, etc.) handled by the control unit 21 . The operation unit 24 is an interface for the user to input information to the terminal device 2, and includes, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, buttons, a microphone, dial buttons, and the like.

The output unit 25 is an interface for outputting various information from the terminal device 2 to the user. For example, the output unit 25 is video display means such as a liquid crystal display for displaying video, and outputs various information from the terminal device 2 to the user. Specifically, the output unit 25 displays a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for receiving an operation from a user, route information described later, and the like. Alternatively, the output unit 25 may be a speaker that outputs searched route information, new arrival information, etc. by voice, or may be a vibrator that vibrates when there is new arrival information. Moreover, when the operation unit 24 is a touch panel, the operation unit 24 may also serve as the output unit 25 .

Note that the output unit 25 may not directly present information to the user. For example, the output unit 25 may output a video signal or an audio signal to video display means or audio output means connected to the outside of the terminal device 2, or may output data to a printing device connected to the outside. may be output, or the data may be output and stored in the terminal device 2 or an external storage device.

Next, the server 3 will be explained. The server 3 includes a control unit 31 , a storage unit 32 , and a communication unit 33 as an interface for transmitting and receiving information to and from the outside via the network 4 .

The control unit 31 includes a route information acquisition unit 311 , a needs element extraction unit 312 and an application identification unit 313 . Note that the functions of these units may be realized by software by the processor in the server 3 executing a predetermined program.

The route information acquisition unit 311 performs a route search based on route search conditions transmitted from the terminal device 2 via the network 4 and data stored in the route information database 321 in the storage unit 32. Get the result as route information. The route search may be performed by a route information search unit (not shown), or the route information acquisition unit 311 may search for route information based on route search conditions. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the route information acquisition unit 311 searches for route information, but this is not the only option.

The route information acquired by the route information acquisition unit 311 includes, as route elements, point information such as departure points and destinations, and information on travel sections between each piece of point information. Note that the route information may include information on waypoints (including transfer stations, etc.).

Based on the route information including the route elements acquired by the route information acquisition unit 311, the needs element extraction unit 312 extracts the latent needs of the user (latent needs) and the latent needs, which are route elements from which the latent needs can be estimated. Extract elements. That is, the needs element extracting unit 312 extracts, as latent needs elements, information on points or travel sections in the route information that are presumed to have latent needs of the user.

The application identifying unit 313 identifies, from the cooperative application information database 322 in the storage unit 32 , a second application that is an application that cooperates with the first application and that corresponds to the latent needs extracted by the needs element extracting unit 312 . Then, the specified second application is output to the terminal device 2 via the communication unit 33 and the network 4 .

The storage unit 32 is a database that stores various data, and includes a route information database 321 and a cooperative application information database 322 . The storage unit 32 can be configured by an arbitrary storage device such as a hard disk, nonvolatile semiconductor memory (SSD, etc.), for example. Although the storage unit 32 is assumed to be in the server 3 in the drawing, it may be a database server separate from the control unit 31 or a separate server that is communicatively connected to the information processing system 1 as an independent server as a file server. may be provided in the device.

The route information database 321 is a database that is used when searching route information for public transportation and route information related to road information such as walking and cycling. The route information database 321 includes at least a route network information database, and may further include at least one of a timetable information database, a map database, and a POI (Point of Interest) information database. For example, if the first application is an application that performs a comprehensive route search, it may have all the databases described above.

The route network information database is a database used for route searching, and includes a road network information database and a traffic network information database. The road network information is road network information, and may be stored as separate data for each mode of transportation such as walking, bicycle, motorbike, and automobile. Transportation network information is network information of public transportation, and is stored for each mode of transportation such as a train, bus, or airplane.

The timetable information database is a database used when searching for a route in consideration of timetables, and is a database of timetable information stored for each mode of transportation of public transportation. A map database is a database that stores map information, and is a database that is mainly used for display and location search such as moving route search. The POI database is a database used for point searches such as free word searches and category searches.

Information stored in these databases may be updated at a predetermined timing.

If you want to search for a route without specifying the time, you don't have to prepare a timetable information database. A timetable information database is provided. Further, when performing a route search only between stations, it is not necessary to provide a map database or a POI database. A database is provided. These databases are not shown, but are provided when appropriate and necessary.

The linked application information database 322 is a database that stores information on applications linked with the first application. For example, if the first application is a comprehensive search application that searches for routes, the linked application may be specialized in information related to means of transportation, such as train timetables, bus timetables, walking, bicycles, motorbikes, and automobiles. and applications that specialize in information related to places or regions such as sightseeing spots and word-of-mouth information.

The application identifying unit 313 acquires the information of the second application in the latent needs information element extracted by the needs element extracting unit 312 and the information of the application linked to the latent needs stored in the linked application information database 322. identified by

In the cooperative application information database 322, the information of these cooperative applications and latent needs are linked and stored. That is, the information of the second application corresponding to latent needs is stored in the cooperative application information database 322 . For example, the potential need of a user who wanted a bus timetable in the first application is information about buses or bus timetables. By referring to the cooperative application information database 322, it is possible to specify the application information related to the bus timetable as the information of the second application corresponding to this latent need.

Other examples of linking between latent needs and information of the second application are as follows. Note that the example given below is just an example, and there may be other linking relationships. In addition, the user's needs and need elements are not limited to latent ones, and may be manifested by user's operation for each of the following.

A bicycle-specific application is linked to the need to avoid long walking distances, and a walking-specific application is linked to the need to accumulate points if walking. be done. A tourist information application is linked to the need to travel. An application specializing in bus information or an application specializing in taxi information is linked to the need for not wanting to walk with heavy luggage. An application specializing in bus information and an application specializing in local underground passage information are linked to the needs of not wanting to get wet in the rain, not being cold, and not wanting to sweat. For those who are interested in health, an application dedicated to walking is linked.

Furthermore, these needs are estimated not only from information on route points or travel sections, but also from past or current operation information of the user's terminal device 2 in addition to these information. good too. In the example of the previous paragraph, if the walking section is long, it is estimated that there is a latent need that the user does not want to walk for a long time, or that if they do walk, they want to accumulate points. If a popular travel POI is selected, a potential or explicit need to travel is estimated. When searching for POIs related to stores that sell daily necessities and large products, it is estimated that there is a latent need for not wanting to walk around with heavy luggage. If the weather is rainy, cold, hot, etc. and there is a walking section on the route, latent needs such as not wanting to get wet in the rain are estimated. If a person often searches for a massage parlor or a super public bathhouse, it is estimated that the person is interested in health.

Next, the operation of the information processing system according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the information processing system according to this embodiment. Hereinafter, in the description of each embodiment or modified example, the needs and needs elements described above are potential needs of the user and will be described as latent needs and latent needs elements. may be needs. In this case, the needs and need factors are the user's explicit needs and need factors.

First, the search condition setting unit 211 acquires the route search conditions input by the user through the operation unit 24, and transmits them to the server 3 through the communication unit 22 (step S10).

Next, the route information acquisition unit 311 that has received the route search conditions via the communication unit 33 performs a route search according to the route search conditions, lists a plurality of searched route information, and transmits the list through the communication unit 33. It is transmitted to the terminal device 2 (step S20). The route information acquisition unit 311 performs a route search using various databases provided in the route information database 321 based on route search conditions.

This route search searches for a plurality of candidate routes according to route search conditions. Candidate routes include, for example, a route that arrives at the destination early, a route with a low fare to the destination, a route with a small number of transfers, or a route with less traffic congestion to the destination. to be explored. The route information acquisition unit 311 makes a list of these routes and transmits the list to the terminal device 2 . Moreover, it is not always necessary to have a plurality of routes, and only one route may be transmitted according to user-input conditions, for example, the route with the earliest arrival time. In this case, a list of only one route may be sent, or detailed information may be sent by omitting the next step S11.

Next, the information output unit 212 of the terminal device 2 that has received the route search result list via the communication unit 22 outputs the search result list to the output unit 25 . When the user makes a request to acquire detailed information of one route in the list via the operation unit 24, the request is transmitted to the server 3 via the communication unit 22 (step S11).

Next, the route information acquisition unit 311 of the server 3 that has received the request to acquire the detailed information transmits the detailed information of the route to the terminal device 2 (step S21). The detailed information on the route may be searched and acquired in step S20, or may be searched and acquired in step S21.

Next, the information output unit 212 of the terminal device 2 that has received the detailed information on the route outputs the detailed information on the route to the output unit 25 (step S12). FIG. 3A is a diagram showing an example of detailed route information displayed on the output unit 25. FIG. In this example, the user is searching for a route from XX 3-chome bus stop to □□ station.

In the detailed display, point information 2500, 2502, 2504, 2506 and movement section information 2501, 2503, 2505 are alternately arranged. For example, the point information 2500 indicates that you will get on the ◯× route of the ☆☆ bus from ◯◯ 3-chome. ☆☆When you get on the bus, as shown in the movement section information 2501, there are five stops up to ○○ Jingu Shrine, which is a transit point, shown in the point information 2502, and the fare is 100 yen. The time is shown to be 10 minutes.

Similarly, the point information 2504 indicates that the waypoint is XX station, the point information 2506 indicates that the destination is □□ station, and the movement section information 2503 between the point information 2502 and 2504 indicates that it is a walking route. , point information 2504 and 2506 indicates that the section information 2505 is the ΔΔ line (train).

Next, when the user requests the detailed status of the travel section from the detailed route information via the operation unit 24, the request is sent to the server 3 (step S13). For example, the clock mark on the right end of the travel section information 2501 in FIG. 3A is a timetable display button 2507 for displaying the timetable for the travel section. sends the request to the server 3. The selection here means an operation that can be performed via the operation unit 24, such as tapping, touching, clicking, double-clicking, swiping, judgment by voice input, or the like.

Next, the need element extracting unit 312 of the server 3 that has received the request for detailed information on the travel section searches for and acquires detailed information on the travel section (step S22). For example, since the means of transportation of the travel section information 2501 in FIG. 3A is a bus, when the timetable display button 2507 is selected, the user desires to display the timetable of the bus. In this case, the route information acquisition unit 311 searches for and acquires the bus timetable desired by the user from the timetable information database in the route information database 321 .

Next, the needs element extracting unit 312 determines whether or not there is a latent need in the travel section. If there is, it is extracted (step S23).

Next, the application identifying unit 313 identifies the information of the cooperative application corresponding to the extracted latent needs from the application information stored in the cooperative application information database 322 (step S24). The application specified by the application specifying unit 313 is the second application that cooperates with the first application and that meets latent needs.

Next, the control unit 31 transmits the acquired detailed information on the travel section and information on the second application to the terminal device 2 (step S25). It should be noted that if the travel section designated by the user is not a latent need element, step S24 may be omitted and the detailed information of the travel section may be transmitted to the terminal device 2 .

Next, the information output unit 212 of the terminal device 2 outputs to the output unit 25 the detailed information on the travel section and the information on the second application received from the server 3 (step S15). FIG. 3(b) is a diagram showing an example of a display output to the output unit 25 when the user selects the bus timetable display button 2507 in the movement section information 2501 in FIG. 3(a).

As shown in FIG. 3B, the timetable information of the bus is displayed like the timetable display information 2508 for the moving section traveled by the bus. In this example, simple timetable information of buses after 12:27, which is the departure time, is displayed. For example, the user can obtain information that the buses at 12:28, 12:43, 12:58, 13:13, and 13:28, which are after 12:27, are nearby. becomes.

A user who displays a timetable for such a bus travel section may want an application that not only temporarily browses the bus timetable but also potentially displays the bus timetable. In order to meet such latent needs of the user, the information of the second application is displayed like cooperative application information 2509 together with a simple timetable display. By doing so, it is possible to appropriately recommend an application that meets latent needs.

By selecting this cooperative application information 2509, a transition is made to a screen for installing the second application to the terminal device 2 of the user. The user can choose whether or not to install the second application according to the user's own intention.

If the recommended second application has already been installed in the terminal device 2 , the second application may be started by selecting the cooperative application information 2509 . By doing so, the user can start the second application installed in the terminal device 2 from the display screen of the first application, which improves convenience.

In addition, when estimating latent needs, it is also possible to use the user's usage log of the first application. For example, in a past route search, if the user was trying to display detailed information related to a bus timetable for detailed route information, it is estimated that bus timetable information is a latent need for the user. . Then, if there is a section of movement in which the means of transportation is a bus among the plurality of sections of movement on the route, the section of movement may be extracted as a latent need element. The latent needs may be estimated on the condition that the bus timetable information has been displayed a predetermined number of times (for example, twice) or more.

In addition, when the travel section is not a latent need element, the detailed information of the travel section is displayed, and the information of the cooperative application is not displayed. By doing so, more detailed information can be displayed in the display area of the output section 25 . In addition, excessive display of recommendations can be suppressed, and user satisfaction can be improved.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the user executes a route search using the first application and extracts a need element based on the user's input operation for outputting detailed information on the movement route In other words, when there is a potential or actual need of the user for the section of travel for which the user has attempted to display detailed information in the route information, the second application is an application that is linked with the first application that is suitable for the need. can be recommended.

By making recommendations in this way, it is possible to recommend applications that are more suitable for user needs, improve convenience, and enable the business operator to more appropriately guide users to linked applications. For example, in the case of cooperative applications, there are many cases where the user interface such as GUI is common, and even when using a recommended application, it provides a means to access necessary information without causing excessive burden on the user. It becomes possible to Furthermore, it is also possible to automatically set the user setting information and the like recorded in the first application and the application setting information and the like as the same setting information in the second application.

(Second embodiment)
In the first embodiment described above, the user's needs and need elements are extracted at the timing of selecting the travel section in the route information, but the extraction of these pieces of information is not limited to the above timing. In the present embodiment, an example of extracting user's needs and need elements at a timing different from that of the first embodiment will be described.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the processing flow of the information processing system 1 in this embodiment. As an overall flow of processing, at the timing when the user requests route details from a list of searched route information, the needs element in the route and the user's needs in the need element are extracted. A more detailed description will be given below.

The steps from the step of acquiring route search conditions input by the user (step S10) to the step of requesting route details from the listed route information (step S11) are the same as in the first embodiment.

After receiving the request for route details, the needs element extracting unit 312 of the server 3 extracts latent needs elements (step S23). Extraction of latent need elements is performed by extracting elements for which latent needs are estimated from information on a plurality of travel sections or a plurality of points, which are route elements. For example, if the route details are as shown in FIG. 3A, extract the elements from the moving section information 2501, 2503, 2505 or the point information 2500, 2502, 2504, 2506 where potential needs are estimated. do. Here, the number of elements to be extracted is not limited to one, and multiple elements may be extracted.

The need element extraction unit 312 estimates whether or not there is latent need for each travel section and point, and extracts elements with latent needs as latent need elements. For example, since the means of transportation in the travel section information 2501 is a bus, the need element extraction unit 312 presumes that the latent need for this section relates to a bus, and extracts this travel section as a latent need element. Furthermore, in addition to the above, it may be assumed that the latent needs in the travel section information 2503 are related to walking, and this travel section may be extracted as the latent needs element. Similarly, it is possible to presume that latent needs in travel section information 2505 are related to trains, and to extract this travel section as a latent needs element.

In this way, the needs element extracting unit 312 attempts to estimate the latent needs for each element that constitutes the route at the timing when the route details are requested, and extracts the elements that constitute the route from which the latent needs can be estimated. Extract as Incidentally, it is also possible to similarly extract locations as latent needs elements. A specific example of extracting points will be described later.

Next, information on the second application is specified from the cooperative application information database 322 based on the extracted latent needs of each element (step S24). Information on the identified second application is associated with each latent need element. Subsequently, the searched route details, the extracted latent needs element, and the information of the second application linked with each latent needs element are transmitted to the terminal device 2 (step S26). Note that the detailed route information may be searched in step S20 as in the first embodiment described above, or may be searched in step S23 (in a step not shown) after receiving a request for detailed display of the route. You may search.

Next, the information output unit 212 of the terminal device 2 outputs the detailed information of the route to the output unit 25 (step S12). When the user makes a request for detailed information on the travel section, the search condition setting unit 211 transmits the request to the server 3 (step S13).

Next, the route information acquisition unit 311, which has received the request, acquires the requested detailed information of the movement section (step S22). Then, along with the acquired detailed information, if the travel section for which the detailed information is requested is the latent need element, information of the second application corresponding to the latent need element identified in step S24 is sent to the terminal device 2. Send (step S25).

According to the second embodiment, it is possible to more quickly output the information of the second application to the output unit 25 when the user requests the detailed information of the travel section. It is also possible to reduce the number of communications between the terminal device 2 and the server 3 . Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, it is possible to recommend the second application to the detailed display of the route. For example, in FIG. 6, the second application is recommended for the detailed display of the route at the timing of referring to the route information from the route information list.

(Third embodiment)
In the second embodiment described above, an example has been described in which latent needs and elements of latent needs are already extracted and the second application is specified at the timing of displaying a list of search paths. This is intended to reduce the number of communications between the terminal device 2 and the server 3 .

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment. In the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment, after the route search conditions are transmitted from the terminal device 2 to the server 3, a list of searched routes is created, detailed route information is obtained, latent needs are estimated, and The server 3 extracts latent need elements and specifies the second application, and transmits the searched, extracted and specified information to the terminal device 2 .

First, the search condition setting unit 211 acquires the route search conditions input by the user via the operation unit 24, and transmits them to the server 3 via the communication unit 22 (step S10).

Next, the route information acquisition unit 311 that has received the search conditions executes a route search according to the route search conditions and acquires the searched route (step S27). At this time, if there are a plurality of route search results, these search results are listed for easy display.

Next, the route information acquisition unit 311 acquires detailed information on each route (step S22). Subsequently, the needs element extraction unit 312 extracts latent needs elements from which latent needs can be estimated based on the detailed information of each searched route (step S23). Then, the application identifying unit 313 identifies the second application (step S24).

Next, each information thus searched, extracted, and specified is transmitted to the terminal device 2 (step S28).

The information output unit 212 of the terminal device 2 that has received each piece of information outputs each piece of information to the output unit 25 (step S16). For example, first, a list of multiple routes, which is the search result, is output to the output unit 25 . Then, according to the user's selection, the detailed information of the route or the detailed information of the moving section is output. If the selected travel segment is a latent need element, the recommendation information of the second application is also output at the timing of outputting the detailed information of the travel segment, as in the above-described embodiment.

By doing so, it is possible to reduce the number of times of communication between the terminal device 2 and the server 3, and when the user intends to compare and browse detailed information of a plurality of routes, communication is performed each time. Detailed information can be browsed without performing Furthermore, even when detailed information on a travel route is selected and the travel route is a latent need element, the second application can be recommended without communicating with the server 3 .

Several modified examples will be given below, and each of them will be described in detail. It should be noted that specific examples of embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments and modified examples described below.

(First modification)
In the explanation of the above embodiment, the latent need element is the travel section of the bus, and the latent need is also related to the bus. do not have. An example in which the means of transportation of the latent need element and the latent need do not match will be described below.

FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are diagrams showing part of the detailed display of the route in this modified example. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing a case where there is no recommendation of the second application as a comparative example. As shown in FIG. 6(a), point information 2510, 2512 and moving section information 2511 are provided. Note that these figures are part of the display screen cut out, so the route information of the train may be shown continuously after arriving at the station.

The point information 2510 is home point information, for example, information on the user's home registered in the first application. The point information 2512 is, for example, the point information of the ◯× station which is the nearest station to the home. A moving section between these pieces of point information 2510 and 2512 is a walking section indicated by the moving section information 2511 . The distance of this walking section is 1.4 km, and the movement section information 2511 indicates that it will take 20 minutes if walking at a standard speed.

FIG. 6(b) is for recommending a second application having information specific to bicycles when there is a walking section of such a distance. As shown in FIG. 6B, it is displayed as cooperative application information 2513 in the moving section information 2511 of the route detailed information. The difference from the above-described embodiment is that the information of the second application is displayed together with the detailed information of the route, instead of the timing when the detailed information of the moving section is selected.

The cooperative application information 2513 displayed here is, for example, an application for searching for a bicycle route. This bicycle route search application is an application that outputs a route suitable for cycling, unlike a walking route.

In this way, it is also possible to recommend a second application corresponding to a means of transportation different from the means of transportation associated with the travel section. As described above, if the walking distance is relatively long, an application that searches for bicycle routes can be recommended. A relatively long walking distance here means, for example, a distance exceeding a predetermined distance (eg, 1 km) or a distance exceeding a predetermined walking time (eg, 15 minutes). Note that the numerical values of 1 km and 15 minutes are given as examples, and the scope of the modification is not limited to these numerical values.

Furthermore, this numerical value may vary depending on the attributes of the user. For example, in the case of men and women under the age of 30, the predetermined distance and the predetermined time may be set longer. On the other hand, in the case of men and women in their fifties or older, the predetermined distance and predetermined time may be shortened. This user attribute may be information that the user can arbitrarily register in the first application, for example.

If there is a first application such as the user's past route search conditions and installation information, or a log related thereto, it is also possible to refer to the information in this log. For example, in the above description, a bicycle-dedicated application is recommended, but if there is a record of the user riding a motorcycle, a bicycle-dedicated application may be recommended. As another example, if the user is health-conscious, an application dedicated to walking, for example, an application that accumulates points by walking and allows the user to receive services with the accumulated points, may be recommended.

The attribute of the user may be reflected in the type of the second application to be recommended. For example, in the above example, an application dedicated to walking may be recommended to men and women in their twenties, and an application dedicated to cycling may be recommended to men and women in their sixties. As another example, the needs element extracting unit 312 may not extract such walking sections as latent needs elements for men and women in their thirties or younger.

As still another example, it is possible to change the extraction of latent need elements or the content of recommendation of the second application based on information such as the weather at the time of searching. For example, when recommending a linked application for walking distances as described above, when it is sunny, an application specialized for bicycle and motorcycle information is recommended as described above, and when it is raining , an application specialized for bus information may be recommended.

As still another example, the extraction of latent need elements and the content of recommendations of the second application may be changed according to the traffic information at the timing of executing the search. For example, if the means of transportation in a section of travel is a train, and there is information that the train is delayed, the latent needs related to the section of travel are considered to be means of travel other than trains, and the section of travel is treated as a latent needs element. You may make it extract. In this way, an application related to another means of transportation can be recommended as the second application according to the traffic information.

The traffic information includes train operation information as described above, as well as operation or traffic closure information on general roads or expressways, road congestion information, event information using roads (for example, marathons, demonstration marches, etc.), and the like. may In this case, for example, trains, buses, taxis, automobiles, motorbikes, bicycles, walking, etc. can be considered as alternative means of transportation, and these transportation means may be mutually recommended as the second application. .

Further, when there is some change in traffic information as described above, an application specialized for such traffic information may be recommended as the second application. For example, in a case where the means of transportation in a certain travel section is a car, the latent needs related to the travel section may be estimated as automobile traffic information, and the travel section may be extracted as the latent needs element.

That is, the second application does not necessarily need to be an application specialized for navigation information as described above, and may be an application specialized for traffic information. For example, the second application may be an application specialized for road traffic information and congestion information when the means of transportation is an automobile or a motorcycle, and may be an application specialized for traffic information and congestion information on roads when the means of transportation is a train. It may be an information-specific application.

As described above, a second application specializing in information such as navigation of a means of transportation different from the means of transportation related to the movement section, or a second application specializing in information different from the navigation information of the means of transportation related to the movement section By recommending the user's convenience can be improved. Along with this, the operator can smoothly guide the user to the related application.

(Second modification)
In the above-described embodiment and modified example, the second application is recommended for the travel section, but the element for recommending the second application is not limited to the travel section. In this modified example, an example of recommending the second application for an element that is not a moving section will be described.

FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b) are diagrams showing an example in which points in detailed route information are used as latent need elements. These figures show part of the route details when a route search from Tokyo to Kyoto is executed.

In the comparative example shown in FIG. 7A, the route detailed information includes point information 2520 and 2522 and moving section information 2521 . Point information 2520 indicates transfer at Shinagawa Station, point information 2522 indicates arrival at Kyoto Station, and travel section information 2521 indicates travel on the Shinkansen.

In this modified example, the needs element extracting unit 312 estimates the location "Kyoto" as a latent need, and extracts the location information 2522 as a latent needs element. Latent needs are estimated, for example, from the attributes of an area or the popularity of a location or area. Further, it may be considered whether or not there is an application specializing in the information of the location or area among the cooperative applications. Then, the application identifying unit 313 identifies the second application that includes information specialized in the point information or area information of "Kyoto".

The attributes of the area are, for example, information indicating attributes such as sightseeing spots, downtown areas, many shrines and temples, shopping, parks, mountains, the sea, good scenery, and sports. The popularity of a place or area may be general popularity, may be based on the number of searches in the first application, or may be popularity calculated from other information such as questionnaires.

FIG. 7B is a diagram showing an example of recommending the second application on the route. As shown in FIG. 7B, the application specifying unit 313 recommends, for example, a Kyoto version tourist information application. Furthermore, images of typical sightseeing spots may be displayed together. A plurality of images of the representative sightseeing spots may be prepared and changed according to the attributes of the user. The image of the tourist spot may be a moving image or the like.

As described above, according to this modified example, latent needs are estimated based on the information of the points or areas in the search results, and these points or areas are extracted as latent needs elements, thereby allowing the user to , a cooperative application provided with information specific to a point or area of a destination or waypoint can be recommended.

(Third modification)
In each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, latent needs and latent need elements are estimated and extracted from one point information or moving section information among a plurality of point information and moving section information in the detailed route information. However, it is not limited to this. That is, the potential needs may be estimated from a plurality of point information or moving section information, and one latent need element may be extracted.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams showing an example of recommendations in this modified example. These figures show route search information with XX department store as the starting point and home as the destination.

In the comparative example shown in FIG. 8A, the detailed route information includes point information 2530, 2532, 2534, and 2536 and moving section information 2531, 2533, and 2535. Point information 2530 is ○○ department store, point information 2532 is ○○ station, point information 2534 is △△ station, and point information 2536 is home. Travel segment information 2533 and walking segment information 2535 exist.

The need element extraction unit 312 first estimates that the user has shopped at XX department store from the information of the location information 2530 . Since the walking distance in the movement section information 2535 is 1.4 km, which is relatively long, it is estimated that it is not easy for the user to move long distances with the luggage he has purchased.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8(b), regarding travel section information 2535, a second application specialized for bus information is recommended so as to prevent the user carrying luggage from walking long distances. In this way, instead of estimating one latent need from information on one point or traveling section and extracting latent needs elements, one latent need is estimated from information on a plurality of points or traveling sections, and latent needs You may make it extract an element.

Note that, in this modified example, the second application may be recommended even when the moving distance on foot is short compared to the first modified example described above. Further, the second application is not limited to an application specialized for bus information, and may be an application specialized for taxi information, for example.

(Fourth modification)
The second application is also recommended when the user searches for a route and it can be detected that the user is traveling by a different means of transportation than the means of transportation of the travel section in the detailed information of the searched route. be able to. The means of transportation of the user may be detected by a sensor (not shown) provided in the terminal device 2 or the like. In this case, permission may be obtained from the user in advance for using the sensor information in the first application.

For example, in the search result, a travel section in the route is on foot, but if the terminal device 2 that the user possesses detects that the user is traveling by bicycle in the travel section, recommends a second application specialized for the information of That is, when the user moves by means of transportation different from the planned means of transportation on the searched route, based on the difference between the means of transportation in the search result and the actual means of transportation, the application identifying unit 313 You may make it identify a 2nd application.

By doing so, it is possible to recommend a second application that is more suitable for the user's actual behavior, and it is possible to further improve the user's convenience.

As described above in each of the embodiments and modifications described above, the needs element extraction unit 312 extracts route search conditions, weather, traffic information, location attributes, popularity of locations, presence/absence of information on locations, moving sections , the usage log of the first application, and at least one of the attributes of the user, and extracts the travel section or point where the latent need exists as a latent need element.

Based on at least one of navigation information, traffic information, congestion information, location or area information, and alternative transportation means information, the application identification unit 313 extracts the latent need elements. , that is, an application that provides more detailed information about these information than the first application or provides an interface or the like that is more convenient than the first application for these information is specified as the second application.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the recommendation of the second application may be made at the timing when the user searches for a route as in each of the above-described embodiments, or at another timing. The different timing may be, for example, during movement, after arriving at a waypoint on the route, or after reaching the destination.

For example, at the timing when the user is moving in a certain travel segment, the second application may be recommended for a point or travel segment after the travel segment. By doing so, it is possible for the user to access a second application specialized for information about later points or travel segments in the travel segment.

Also, at the timing when the user is moving in a certain movement section, the second application may be recommended for the movement section, a point before the movement section, or the movement section. By doing so, the user's convenience will be improved when the user uses the same route in the future.

As another example, the timing of recommending the second application may be after reaching a point on the route. Information can be provided to the user in a timely manner by recommending a point or travel section after the point on the route, or the second application for the point. Similar to the above, it may be a second application for a point or travel segment before the point in question. Furthermore, after arriving at the destination, the second applications for a plurality of potential need elements present on the route may be collectively recommended. For example, if it is detected that the user is moving by bicycle, motorcycle, or car, the notification may distract the user's attention. make a recommendation.

In these cases, for example, the second application is recommended to the user by push notification from the first application or, if the second application has already been installed on the terminal device 2, by push notification from the second application. can be

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the second application corresponding to the needs of the user was described as one-to-one correspondence, but it is not limited to this. Many-to-many correspondence, for example, there may be multiple applications that are candidates for the second application corresponding to a certain need, or there may be multiple needs corresponding to a certain second application. In such a case, the user's past search results, etc., or information such as the number of users who installed the second application after the search by the first application (application installation results) are used to make recommendations. You may make it switch the information of a 2nd application.

For example, each user's preferences may be learned in advance from the user's past trends in the first application and the cooperative application, and recommended applications may be switched accordingly. The past trend of the user is the installation status of the application, the route search conditions in the application, or the past location information of the user if the user's permission is obtained. The second application may be determined from a plurality of candidate cooperative applications based on these pieces of information. As another method, an application with a high installation rate among a plurality of users may be selected as the second application, or an application with a high installation rate among users who are determined to have similar tastes as a result of learning may be selected as the second application. good too.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the first application has been described as a comprehensive search application, but it is not limited to this. For example, the first application may be a general Internet browser, and may perform a comprehensive search from a comprehensive search site on the browser. In this case, the cooperative application may be an application that cooperates with the site used for searching in the browser, for example, an application created by the same business operator as that of the site.

Moreover, at least part of the information processing system described in the above embodiments may be configured by hardware or may be configured by software. When configured with software, a program that implements at least part of the functions of the information processing system may be stored in a recording medium such as a flexible disk or CD-ROM, and read and executed by a computer. The recording medium is not limited to a detachable one such as a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and may be a fixed recording medium such as a hard disk device or a memory.

A program that implements at least part of the functions of the information processing system described above may be distributed via a communication line (including wireless communication) such as the Internet. Furthermore, the program may be encrypted, modulated, or compressed, and distributed via a wired line such as the Internet or a wireless line, or stored in a recording medium and distributed.

Furthermore, the information processing system may be operated by one or more information processing devices. When a plurality of information processing apparatuses are used, one of the information processing apparatuses may be a computer, and the computer may implement a function as at least one means of the information processing system by executing a predetermined program.

Additions, effects, and various modifications of the present invention may be conceived by those skilled in the art based on the above description, but aspects of the present invention are not limited to the individual embodiments described above. . Various additions, changes, and partial deletions are possible without departing from the conceptual idea and spirit of the present invention derived from the content defined in the claims and equivalents thereof.

1 information processing system 2 terminal device 21 control unit 211 search condition setting unit 212 information output unit 3 server 31 control unit 311 route information acquisition unit 312 need element extraction unit 313 application identification unit 32 storage unit 321 route information database 322 cooperative application information database

Claims (14)

comprising one or more processors,
The one or more processors are
extracting means for extracting needs elements including user's needs from information of route elements constituting a travel route including a plurality of travel sections searched in the first application being used;
identifying means for identifying a second application that cooperates with the first application and corresponds to information about the needs element, based on the needs element;
output means for outputting information of the second application;
operates as
Information processing system. The extracting means extracts at least one travel segment from the plurality of travel segments as the needs element.
The information processing system according to claim 1. The extracting means extracts at least one of a plurality of points included in the movement route as the needs element.
The information processing system according to claim 1. The extracting means extracts route search conditions, weather, traffic information, location attributes, popularity of locations, presence/absence of information on locations, distance of the travel section, usage log of the first application, and user attributes. extracting the needs element based on at least one piece of information;
The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The extraction means extracts the needs element based on a user's input operation for outputting detailed information on the movement route.
The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The second application is an application related to means of transportation,
The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The second application is at least one of navigation information, traffic information, congestion information, point or area information, and alternative means of transportation information, and provides information about the needs element. is
The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The output means outputs the information of the second application together with the route information of the moving route.
The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The output means outputs to the user by push notification that there is information on the second application;
The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The output means outputs the information of the second application while the user is moving along the movement route or after the user has arrived at a point included in the movement route.
The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9. When there are a plurality of candidates for the second application, the identifying means identifies the second application based on the installation record of each candidate.
The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 10. the computer,
extracting means for extracting needs elements including user's needs from information of route elements constituting a travel route including a plurality of travel sections searched in the first application being used;
identifying means for identifying a second application that cooperates with the first application and corresponds to information about the needs element, based on the needs element;
Information processing program that functions as the computer,
extracting means for extracting needs elements including user's needs from information of route elements constituting a travel route including a plurality of travel sections searched in the first application being used;
identifying means for identifying a second application that cooperates with the first application and corresponds to information about the needs element, based on the needs element;
output means for outputting information of the second application;
Information processing program that functions as by one or more processors,
extracting needs elements including user's needs from information of route elements constituting a travel route including a plurality of travel sections searched in the first application being used;
Based on the needs element, identifying a second application that cooperates with the first application and corresponds to information about the needs element;
outputting information of the second application;
Information processing methods.

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