Location range setting apparatus, control method and controller for apparatus mounted in mobile object, and automotive air conditioner and control method for the same

1. A location range setting apparatus comprising:

a location information acquiring unit for acquiring location information indicating a location of a mobile object;

a road information acquiring unit for acquiring road segment information indicating a specific segment of a road;

a segment determining unit for associating said location information with said road segment information corresponding to the location indicated by said location information;

a storage unit for storing a plurality of pieces of said location information and said road segment information respectively as learned data;

a clustering unit for clustering said plurality of pieces of road segment information included in said learned data into at least a first cluster or a second cluster; and

a location range setting unit for determining a first range for the location of said mobile object from the road segment information included in said first cluster, and for determining a second range for the location of said mobile object from the road segment information included in said second cluster.

2. The location range setting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said location range setting unit indicates said first range by identification information identifying the road segment information included in said first cluster.

3. The location range setting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said clustering unit clusters, from among said plurality of pieces of location information included in said learned data, the location information whose distance relative to each other is not greater than a predetermined value into at least one third cluster, and clusters the road segment information with which the location information not included in said at least one third cluster is associated into said first cluster or said second cluster.

4. A controller for an apparatus mounted in a mobile object, comprising:

a location information acquiring unit for acquiring location information indicating a location of said mobile object;

a road information acquiring unit for acquiring road segment information indicating a specific segment of a road;

a segment determining unit for associating said location information with said road segment information corresponding to the location indicated by said location information;

a storage unit for storing a plurality of pieces of said location information and said road segment information respectively as learned data;

a learning unit for constructing, by using said learned data, a probabilistic model into which said location information is inputted in order to calculate a recommended probability of a specific setting operation;

a control information correcting unit for calculating said recommended probability by inputting current location information, which indicates the current location of said mobile object, into the probabilistic model constructed by said learning unit, and for correcting setting information or control information related to a user setting operation in accordance with said recommended probability so as to achieve said specific setting operation; and

a control unit for controlling said apparatus in accordance with said corrected setting information or control information, wherein

said learning unit comprises:

a clustering subunit for clustering said plurality of pieces of road segment information included in said learned data into at least a first cluster or a second cluster;

a location range setting subunit for determining a first range for the location of said mobile object from the road segment information included in said first cluster, and for determining a second range for the location of said mobile object from the road segment information included in said second cluster; and

a probabilistic model constructing subunit for constructing said probabilistic model by determining said recommended probability for the mobile object location contained in said first range and said recommended probability for the mobile object location contained in said second range.

5. The controller according to claim 4 , wherein said location range setting subunit indicates said first range by identification information identifying the road segment information included in said first cluster.

6. The controller according to claim 4 , wherein said clustering subunit clusters, from among said plurality of pieces of location information included in said learned data, the location information whose distance relative to each other is not greater than a predetermined value into at least one third cluster, and clusters the road segment information with which the location information not included in said at least one third cluster is associated into said first cluster or said second cluster.

7. An automotive air conditioner comprising:

an air-conditioning unit for supplying conditioned air into a vehicle;

a location information acquiring unit for acquiring location information indicating a location of said vehicle;

a road information acquiring unit for acquiring road segment information indicating a specific segment of a road;

a segment determining unit for associating said location information with said road segment information corresponding to the location indicated by said location information;

a storage unit for storing a plurality of pieces of said location information and said road segment information respectively as learned data;

a learning unit for constructing, by using said learned data, a probabilistic model into which said location information is inputted in order to calculate a recommended probability of a vehicle occupant performing a specific setting operation;

a control information correcting unit for calculating said recommended probability by inputting current location information, which indicates the current location of said vehicle, into the probabilistic model constructed by said learning unit, and for correcting setting information or control information related to a setting operation of said occupant in accordance with said recommended probability so as to achieve said specific setting operation; and

an air-conditioning control unit for controlling said air-conditioning unit in accordance with said corrected setting information or control information, wherein

said learning unit comprises:

a clustering subunit for clustering said plurality of pieces of road segment information included in said learned data into at least a first cluster or a second cluster;

a location range setting subunit for determining a first range for the location of said vehicle from the road segment information included in said first cluster, and for determining a second range for the location of said vehicle from the road segment information included in said second cluster; and

a probabilistic model constructing subunit for constructing said probabilistic model by determining said recommended probability for the vehicle location contained in said first range and said recommended probability for the vehicle location contained in said second range.

8. The automotive air conditioner according to claim 7 , wherein said location range setting subunit indicates said first range by identification information identifying the road segment information included in said first cluster.

9. The automotive air conditioner according to claim 7 , wherein said clustering subunit clusters, from among said plurality of pieces of location information included in said learned data, the location information whose distance relative to each other is not greater than a predetermined value into at least one third cluster, and clusters the road segment information with which the location information not included in said at least one third cluster is associated into said first cluster or said second cluster.

10. A control method for a controller for controlling an apparatus mounted in a mobile object, said controller having a storage unit, a control information correcting unit, having at least one probabilistic model associated with a specific setting operation, for calculating a recommended probability of a user performing said specific setting operation by inputting location information indicating a location of said mobile object into said probabilistic model, and for correcting setting information or control information related to a setting operation of said user in accordance with said recommended probability so as to achieve said specific setting operation, and a control unit for controlling said apparatus in accordance with said corrected setting information or control information, said control method comprising:

acquiring said location information;

acquiring road segment information indicating a specific segment of a road;

associating said location information with said road segment information corresponding to the location indicated by said location information;

storing a plurality of pieces of said location information and said road segment information respectively as learned data into said storage unit;

clustering said plurality of pieces of road segment information included in said learned data stored in said storage unit into at least a first cluster or a second cluster;

determining a first range for the location of said mobile object from the road segment information included in said first cluster, and determining a second range for the location of said mobile object from the road segment information included in said second cluster; and

constructing said probabilistic model by determining said recommended probability for the mobile object location contained in said first range and said recommended probability for the mobile object location contained in said second range.

11. The control method according to claim 10 , wherein said determining said first range indicates said first range by identification information identifying the road segment information included in said first cluster.

12. The control method according to claim 10 , further comprising clustering, from among said plurality of pieces of location information included in said learned data, the location information whose distance relative to each other is not greater than a predetermined value into at least one third cluster, and wherein

said clustering said plurality of pieces of road segment information into at least said first cluster or said second cluster, clusters the road segment information with which the location information not included in said at least one third cluster is associated into said first cluster or said second cluster.

13. A control method for an automotive air conditioner having an air-conditioning unit for supplying conditioned air into a vehicle, a storage unit, a control information correcting unit, having at least one probabilistic model associated with a specific setting operation, for calculating a recommended probability of a vehicle' occupant performing said specific setting operation by inputting location information indicating a location of said vehicle into said probabilistic model, and for correcting setting information or control information related to a setting operation of said occupant in accordance with said recommended probability so as to achieve said specific setting operation, and an air-conditioning control unit for controlling said air-conditioning unit in accordance with said corrected setting information or control information, said control method comprising:

acquiring said location information;

acquiring road segment information indicating a specific segment of a road;

associating said location information with said road segment information corresponding to the location indicated by said location information;

storing a plurality of pieces of said location information and said road segment information respectively as learned data into said storage unit;

clustering said plurality of pieces of road segment information included in said learned data stored in said storage unit into at least a first cluster or a second cluster;

determining a first range for the location of said vehicle from the road segment information included in said first cluster, and determining a second range for the location of said vehicle from the road segment information included in said second cluster; and

constructing said probabilistic model by determining said recommended probability for the vehicle location contained in said first range and said recommended probability for the vehicle location contained in said second range.

14. The control method according to claim 13 , wherein said determining said first range indicates said first range by identification information identifying the road segment information included in said first cluster.

15. The control method according to claim 13 , further comprising clustering, from among said plurality of pieces of location information included in said learned data, the location information whose distance relative to each other is not greater than a predetermined value into at least one third cluster, and wherein

said clustering said plurality of pieces of road segment information into at least said first cluster or said second cluster, clusters the road segment information with which the location information not included in said at least one third cluster is associated into said first cluster or said second cluster.