Patent Publication Number: US-2020301986-A1

Title: Server and vehicle

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-054404 filed on Mar. 22, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a server and a vehicle configured to create recommendation information for a user on the basis of an attribute of the user, and to present such information to the vehicle. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2016-206715 (hereinafter referred to as JPA 2016-206715), a technique is disclosed in relation to a recommendation management server, in which recommendation information such as recommended vehicle type information or the like is presented to a user on the basis of a driving license acquisition period of the user, and for beginning drivers, recommendation information is provided of driving courses or the like that are not recommended (see paragraph [0018] of JPA 2016-206715). 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     However, with the technique disclosed in JPA 2016-206715, in addition to recommendation information that is recommended, recommendation information that is not recommended is also provided to the user, and therefore, the time with which the user is involved with the recommendation information is prolonged, and the technique tends to be cumbersome. 
     The present invention has been devised taking into consideration such a problem, and has the object of providing a server and a vehicle in which recommendation information that the user avoids is removed and is not presented. 
     One aspect of the present invention is characterized by a server configured to present recommendation information to a vehicle, the server comprising an attribute estimation unit configured to estimate an attribute of a user on the basis of a visit history of the user with the vehicle, and a removal unit configured to remove in advance, based on the attribute estimated by the attribute estimation unit, recommendation information that the user avoids from among the recommendation information to be presented on a display unit of the vehicle. 
     Another aspect of the present invention is characterized by a vehicle to which recommendation information is presented on a display unit, the vehicle comprising an attribute estimation unit configured to estimate an attribute of a user on the basis of a visit history of the user with the vehicle, and a removal unit configured to remove in advance, based on the attribute estimated by the attribute estimation unit, recommendation information that the user avoids from among the recommendation information to be presented on the display unit. 
     According to the present invention, the recommendation information that the user avoids from among the recommendation information to be presented on the display unit inside the vehicle is removed in advance based on the attribute of the user that was estimated on the basis of the visit history of the user with the vehicle. Therefore, the recommendation information deemed to be necessary by the user is left remaining and is presented, and the user experience (the personal experience obtained by the user) afforded by the recommendation can be enhanced. 
     The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a configuration diagram of an information providing system in which a vehicle according to a present embodiment and a server according to a present embodiment are connected via a communication network; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the vehicle according to the present embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic sequence diagram provided to describe operations of the embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a creation table diagram for describing a process of creating an estimated attribute result database and an avoidance information database according to the embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a configuration diagram of an information providing system in which a vehicle according to a modification and a server according to a modification are connected via a communication network; 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram of the vehicle according to the modification; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic sequence diagram provided to describe operations of the modification; and 
         FIG. 8  is a creation table diagram for describing a process of creating an estimated attribute result database and an avoidance information database according to the modification. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of a server and a vehicle according to the present invention will be presented and described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     [Configuration] 
       FIG. 1  is a configuration diagram of an information providing system  12  in which a vehicle  16  according to a present embodiment and a server  20  according to a present embodiment are connected via a communication network  18 . 
     In addition to the vehicle  16  and the server  20 , an SNS (Social Network Service) server  56  and a content provider  61  are connected to the communication network  18 . 
     A communication unit  14  and a navigation device  10  are installed in the vehicle  16 , and a communication unit  14   s  and a navigation unit  13   s  are installed in the server  20 . 
     A user  50  such as a driver rides in the vehicle  16 , and the user  50  carries a mobile terminal  51  such as a smartphone or the like. Further, a vehicle interior camera  33  is installed in the vehicle  16 . The vehicle interior camera  33 , for example, is a driver monitoring camera, and constantly captures images of the entirety of the vehicle interior including the head of the user  50  such as the driver or the like. 
     The navigation device  10 , the server  20 , and the mobile terminal  51  each includes a computer, which in addition to a CPU (central processing unit), a ROM (including an EEPROM), and a RAM (random access memory) serving as memories (storage units), includes input/output devices such as an A/D converter and a D/A converter and the like, and a timer serving as a time measurement means, and by reading out and executing programs stored in the ROM, functions as various function realizing units (function realizing means), for example, a control unit, a computation unit, a processing unit, and the like. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the vehicle  16  including a detailed configuration of the navigation device  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the navigation device  10  is equipped with a navigation device main body  11 , an input unit (touch panel)  34  connected to the navigation device main body  11 , a disk drive (storage medium readout device)  35 , the vehicle interior camera  33 , a display unit (an image display device such as a monitor, a display or the like)  32 , a speaker (sound output device)  36 , a GPS device  38 , a vibration gyro  39 , and a vehicle speed sensor  40 . 
     In this instance, the display unit  32  is made up from a liquid crystal display or the like that displays on a map the recommendation information and the result of a route search to a destination, etc., and the input unit  34 , for example, is constituted by a touch panel (touch screen) on the display unit  32 . The disk drive  35  is capable of reproducing, for example, respective disks such as a CD, a DVD, a BD or the like, which is a recording medium on which there is recorded map information including facility information. 
     The navigation device main body  11  includes a navigation unit  13  and an attribute estimation unit  28   c  including an image estimation unit  63 . 
     The navigation unit  13  is equipped with a map information storage unit  23  in which map information including road information and facility information is stored, a destination setting unit  24 , and a route searching unit  26  that performs a route search from a current location of the vehicle  16  to the destination to thereby obtain a recommended route. 
     On the basis of the map information stored in the map information storage unit  23 , the navigation device  10  refers to the destination setting unit  24 , and by means of the route searching unit  26 , searches for a recommended route to the destination that was set by the user  50  through the input unit  34 , and further guides the user  50  to the destination by guiding the vehicle  16  in accordance with the recommended route that was searched and retrieved. 
     Furthermore, the navigation device  10  is equipped with a current location detection device (current position detection device)  42  that functions as a current position detector or the like. The current location detection device  42  is a device that detects the current location of the host vehicle (user&#39;s own vehicle)  16 , and for example, is constituted from the vibration gyro  39  that detects the direction in which the host vehicle  16  is traveling, the vehicle speed sensor  40  that detects the vehicle speed, and the GPS device  38  that detects signals from GPS satellites, etc. 
     On the basis of the current location of the vehicle  16  detected by the current location detection device  42 , the navigation device  10  is capable of determining a route search starting point when searching for the recommended route. 
     As noted previously, when the destination is set by operation of the user  50  made on the input unit  34  with reference to the destination setting unit  24 , the current location of the vehicle  16  detected by the current location detection device  42  is set as the route search starting point. On the basis of route calculation information, a route calculation to the set destination is performed by a predetermined algorithm, a route between the route search starting point and the destination is searched and retrieved, and the recommended route to the destination is obtained. In addition, the recommended route and a map of the vicinity of the recommended route are displayed on the display unit  32 , and in accordance with the recommended route which is selected, and using voice guidance from the speaker  36  and a display on the display unit  32 , instructions to turn left or right are carried out appropriately by the navigation device  10 . 
     On the other hand, as shown in  FIG. 1 , in addition to a communication unit  14   s  and a navigation unit  13   s , which possesses a higher-order function corresponding to the navigation unit  13  of the vehicle  16 , the server  20  is equipped with a visit history database (visit history DB)  62   s , an attribute estimation unit  28   s , and a recommendation information creation unit  30   s.    
     The attribute estimation unit  28   s  includes an SNS estimation unit  58 , a visit history estimation unit  59 , and an estimated attribute result database (estimated attribute result DB)  29   s.    
     The recommendation information creation unit  30   s  is equipped with an avoidance information database (avoidance information DB)  31   s , a recommendation engine  60   s , and a removal unit  44   s . Moreover, since the server  20  also obtains the recommendation information from the content provider  61  that is connected to the communication network  18 , and presents such information to the vehicle  16 , the recommendation information creation unit  30   s  of the server  20  is drawn in the form of a dashed partition line in which the content provider  61  is included. 
     [Operations] 
     With reference to the schematic sequence diagram shown in  FIG. 3  and the creation table diagram  54  shown in  FIG. 4 , descriptions will be given concerning operations of the information providing system  12  comprising the vehicle  16  and the server  20  which are configured basically in the manner described above. 
     In the sequence according to the sequence diagram shown in  FIG. 3 , the server  20 , the vehicle  16 , and the user  50  who is a driver (according to the present embodiment, a plurality of users  50   i  who are believers of the Islamic faith and users  50   v  who are vegetarians) are associated with each other, and an attribute estimation step (pre-presentation step) P 1 , a non-recommendation information confirmation step (presentation step) P 2 , and a recommendation information presentation step (post-presentation step) P 3  are executed basically repeatedly. For example, when one attribute estimation step P 1  has occurred, the non-recommendation information confirmation step P 2  is performed with respect to the attribute estimation result, and the recommendation information presentation step P 3  reflecting the confirmation result is always executed therewith. 
     Moreover, although separate vehicles  16  are used by the user  50   i  and the user  50   v , in the present embodiment, in order to avoid complexity, the vehicle  16  will be described as an individual vehicle  16 . 
     In the attribute estimation step P 1  and the non-recommendation information confirmation step P 2  shown in  FIG. 3 , an avoidance factor (avoidance information) for determining the recommendation information for the user  50  (in actuality, non-recommendation information that is a selective limiting factor) is detected, and then, the estimated attribute result DB  29   s  and the avoidance information DB  31   s  are respectively created. 
     [Attribute Estimation Step (Pre-Presentation Step) P 1 ] 
     First, in the attribute estimation step P 1 , the SNS estimation unit  58  of the attribute estimation unit  28   s  of the server  20  refers to the SNS server  56 , and in the case that, from the information i 4  (profile information) of the user  50   i , the user  50   i  is professing to be of the Islamic faith, it is estimated that the user  50   i  possesses an attribute (Islamic religion) for which the possibility is high that he or she is a believer of the Islamic faith, and the attribute of the estimation result (Muslim, Islamic Religion) is stored in association with the user  50   i  in the estimated attribute result DB  29   s . Moreover, the SNS server  56  acquires the information i 4  on the basis of a usage history or the like of the user  50   i  on the mobile terminal  51   i.    
     Further, in the attribute estimation step P 1 , the SNS estimation unit  58  of the attribute estimation unit  28   s  of the server  20  refers to the SNS server  56 , and in the case that, from the information i 7  (profile information) of the user  50   v , the user  50   v  is professing to be a vegetarian (vegetarian or vegan), it is estimated that the user  50   v  possesses an attribute (orientation toward vegetarianism) for which the possibility is high that he or she is a vegetarian (attribute), and the attribute of the estimation result (vegetarian, orientation toward vegetarianism) is stored in association with the user  50   v  in the estimated attribute result DB  29   s.    
     Furthermore, in the attribute estimation step P 1 , the visit history estimation unit  59  of the attribute estimation unit  28   s  of the server  20  refers to POI (Point of Interest) information, and floating car data indicative of position information and route information, which are included in the visit history database (visit history DB)  62   s  of the vehicle  16  extracted from the navigation device  10  of the vehicle  16  via the communication unit  14  and the communication network  18 . 
     In this case, the visit history estimation unit  59  determines, from the information i 1  (visit history) of the user  50   i  of the vehicle  16  that the user  50   i  has visited a mosque in a temple, from the information i 2  (visit history) that the user  50   i  has visited a Halal certified store, and from the information i 3  (visit history) that the user  50   i  has visited a restaurant or a grocery store during the evening without having eaten from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan, that the user  50   i  possesses an attribute (Islamic religion) for which the possibility is high that he or she is a believer of the Islamic faith, and the attribute of the determination result (Muslim, Islamic Religion) is stored in association with the user  50   i  in the estimated attribute result DB  29   s.    
     Further still, in the attribute estimation step P 1 , the visit history estimation unit  59  of the attribute estimation unit  28   s  of the server  20  refers to the POI information and the floating car data (FCD) indicative of the position information and the route information, which are included in the visit history database (visit history DB)  62   s  extracted from the navigation device  10  of the vehicle  16  via the communication unit  14  and the communication network  18 . 
     In this case, on the basis of the fact that, from the information i 6  (visit history) of the user  50   v  of the vehicle  16 , the user  50   v  has visited the vegetarian or vegan specialty store, the visit history estimation unit  59  determines that the user  50   v  possesses an attribute for which the possibility is high that he or she is a vegetarian, and the attribute of the determination result (vegetarian, orientation toward vegetarianism) is stored in association with the user  50   v  in the estimated attribute result DB  29   s.    
     Further still, in the attribute estimation step P 1 , in the case it is determined from the image information i 5  of the vehicle interior camera  33  that the user  50   i  is wearing a hijab and is covering the hair, the image estimation unit  63  of the attribute estimation unit  28   c  of the vehicle  16  determines that the user  50   i  possesses an attribute (Islamic religion) for which the possibility is high that he or she is a believer of the Islamic faith. In this case, the attribute estimation unit  28   c  of the vehicle  16  associates the attribute of the estimation result with the user  50   i  and transmits it to the server  20 , and the server  20  stores the attribute of the estimation result (Muslim, Islamic Religion) in the estimated attribute result DB  29   s.    
     Further still, in the attribute estimation step P 1 , in the case it is determined from the image information i 8  of the vehicle interior camera  33  that the user  50   v  is riding with a pet, in this instance a dog, the image estimation unit  63  of the attribute estimation unit  28   c  of the vehicle  16  determines that the user  50   v  possesses an attribute for which the possibility is high that he or she is a pet (dog) owner. In this case, the attribute estimation unit  28   c  of the vehicle  16  associates the attribute of the estimation result with the user  50   v  and transmits it to the server  20 , and the server  20  stores the attribute of the estimation result (pet lover) in the estimated attribute result DB  29   s.    
     [Non-Recommendation Information Confirmation Step (Presentation Step) P 2 ] 
     In the non-recommendation information confirmation step P 2  which takes place after the attribute estimation step P 1 , the removal unit  44   s  of the recommendation information creation unit  30   s  of the server  20 , based on a priority ordering of the avoidance information DB  31   s  that is associated with the attribute recorded in the estimated attribute result DB  29   s , confirms the non-recommendation information by presenting the message, “Should stores that are not Halal certified not be displayed?” on the display unit  32  of the vehicle  16 . Further, a confirmation is made by presenting the message, “Should stores other than vegetarian specialty stores not be displayed?” on the display unit  32 . Furthermore, a confirmation is made by presenting the message, “Should stores other than those that allow pets not be displayed?” on the display unit  32 . 
     Moreover, in the non-recommendation information confirmation step P 2 , the attribute estimation unit  28   s  or the removal unit  44   s  of the server  20  confirms the attribute recorded in the estimated attribute result DB  29   s  by presenting the message “Are you a believer of the Islamic faith?” on the display unit  32  of the vehicle  16 . Alternatively, a confirmation may be made by presenting the message, “Are you a vegetarian or vegan?” on the display unit  32 . Furthermore, a confirmation may be made by presenting the message, “Is a pet (dog) riding in the vehicle?” on the display unit  32 . 
     In the case that a positive response is made by way of the input unit  34  in relation to the presented message, the recommendation information creation unit  30   s  stores the avoidance information, to be described below, in the avoidance information database (avoidance information DB)  31   s . In the case of a negative response or a non-response, the avoidance information is not stored. Further, the priority ordering of the avoidance information DB  31   s  is updated on the basis of the response. 
     In the case it is determined that the user  50   i  possesses an attribute for which the possibility is high that he or she is a believer of the Islamic faith, the recommendation information creation unit  30   s  stores in the avoidance information DB  31   s  the following recommendations (1) to (5) in association with the user  50   i  as avoidance information, and more specifically, as non-suggested recommendations which are not presented to the user  50   i . Moreover, avoidance information which is based on attributes that are not associated with the user  50  are stored in advance in the avoidance information DB  31   s.    
     (1) Recommendations for stores that are not Halal certified 
     (2) Recommendations for sites to visit (visiting facilities) other than mosques during prayer hours 
     (3) Recommendations for restaurants or food stores during the daytime at the time of Ramadan 
     (4) Recommendations for restaurants using genetically modified plants as ingredients 
     (5) Recommendations for specialty stores for alcoholic beverages 
     On the other hand, in the case that the user  50   v  possesses an attribute for which the possibility is high that he or she is a vegetarian (vegetarian or vegan), and the user  50   v  is riding with a pet, the recommendation information creation unit  30   s  stores in the avoidance information DB  31   s  the following recommendations (6) to (9) in association with the user  50   v  as avoidance information, and more specifically, as non-suggested recommendations which are not presented to the user  50   v  of the vehicle  16 . 
     (6) Recommendations for sites to visit other than vegetarian specialty stores 
     (7) Recommendations for restaurants that serve primarily meat dishes 
     (8) Recommendations for egg and dairy producing areas 
     (9) Recommendations for sites to visit other than sites that allow pets 
     [Recommendation Information Presentation Step (Post-Presentation Step) P 3 ] 
     In the recommendation information presentation step P 3  which takes place after the non-recommendation information confirmation step P 2 , the server  20  creates recommendations on the basis of the visit history at sites visited by the user  50  in accordance with the recommendation engine  60   s.    
     Further, the server  20  acquires recommendations from the content provider  61 . 
     In this case, in relation to the recommendations of the recommendation engine  60   s  and the content provider  61 , the recommendation information creation unit  30   s  executes, in the removal unit  44   s  and with reference to the avoidance information DB  31   s , a presentation determination to determine whether the recommendations should be displayed on the display unit  32  of the vehicle  16  or not (not recommended). 
     In this manner, on the display unit  32  of the vehicle  16 , based on the attribute estimated by the attribute estimation units  28   s  and  28   c , from among the recommendation information to be presented on the display unit  32 , the recommendations removed by the removal unit  44   s  are not presented. 
     According to the above-described embodiment, factors that limit the selection of the recommendations, such as a religious faith or an orientation toward vegetarianism of the user  50  or the like, are determined from the visit history or from the image of the vehicle interior camera  33 , and recommendations that the user  50  avoids are removed in advance by the removal unit  44   s  of the server  20 . 
     Therefore, for example, restaurants that serve meat are no longer recommended to a user  50   v  who is estimated to be a vegetarian, restaurants that serve pork, which is a land animal in accordance with the teachings of Haram, are no longer recommended to a user  50   i  who is estimated to be of the Islamic faith, and the like, and as a result, recommendations can be presented which are close to the attribute of the user  50  ( 50   i ,  50   v ). 
     In addition, when a recommendation is set as a non-suggested recommendation, since the agreement of the user  50  is obtained in the non-recommended information confirmation step P 2 , the accuracy of the recommendations (non-suggested recommendations) that are removed is improved. 
     [Modifications] 
     [Configuration] 
       FIG. 5  is a configuration diagram of an information providing system  12 A in which a vehicle  16 A according to a modification and a server  20 A according to a modification are connected via the communication network  18 . 
     In the drawings referred to below, the same or corresponding parts as those shown in  FIGS. 1 to 4  are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description of such features is omitted. 
       FIG. 6  is a block diagram of the vehicle  16 A including a detailed configuration of the navigation device  10 A. 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic sequence diagram provided to describe operations of an information providing system  12 A in which the vehicle  16 A according to the modification and the server  20 A according to the modification are connected via the communication network  18 . 
       FIG. 8  is a creation table diagram  54 A. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , with the information providing system  12 A in which the vehicle  16 A according to the modification and the server  20 A according to the modification are connected via the communication network  18 , an attribute estimation step P 1 A, a non-recommendation information confirmation step P 2 A, and a recommendation information presentation step P 3 A are executed exclusively by the vehicle  16 A. 
     Therefore, as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , separately from the visit history DB  62   s  of the server  20 A, a visit history DB  62   c  is provided in a navigation device main body  11 A of the vehicle  16 A. An attribute estimation unit  28   ca  provided in the vehicle  16 A is equipped with the image estimation unit  63 , the visit history estimation unit  59 , and an estimated attribute result DB  29   c.    
     [Operations] 
     With reference to the schematic sequence diagram shown in  FIG. 7  and the creation table diagram  54 A shown in  FIG. 8 , descriptions will be given concerning operations of the information providing system  12 A comprising the vehicle  16 A and the server  20 A which are configured basically in the manner described above. 
     In the sequence according to the sequence diagram shown in  FIG. 7 , the vehicle  16 A, and the user  50  (according to the modification as well, users  50   i  who are believers of the Islamic faith and users  50   v  who are vegetarians) are associated with each other, and an attribute estimation step (pre-presentation step) P 1 A, a non-recommendation information confirmation step (presentation step) P 2 A, and a recommendation information presentation step (post-presentation step) P 3 A are executed repeatedly. 
     In the attribute estimation step P 1 A and the non-recommendation information confirmation step P 2 A shown in  FIG. 7 , an avoidance factor (avoidance information) for determining the recommendation information for the user  50  (in actuality, non-recommendation information that is a selective limiting factor) is detected, and then, the estimated attribute result DB  29   c  and the avoidance information DB  31   c  are respectively created. 
     [Attribute Estimation Step (Pre-Presentation Step) P 1 A] 
     In the attribute estimation step P 1 A, the visit history estimation unit  59  of the attribute estimation unit  28   ca  of the vehicle  16 A refers to POI (Point of Interest) information, and floating car data indicative of the position information and the route information, which are included in the visit history DB  62   c  of the vehicle  16 A extracted by the navigation device  10 A of the vehicle  16 A. 
     In this case, the visit history estimation unit  59  determines, from the information i 1  (visit history) of the user  50   i  of the vehicle  16 A that the user  50   i  has visited a mosque in a temple, from the information i 2  (visit history) that the user  50   i  has visited a Halal certified store, and from the information i 3  (visit history) that the user  50   i  has visited a restaurant or a grocery store during the evening without having eaten from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan, that the user  50   i  possesses an attribute for which the possibility is high that he or she is a believer of the Islamic faith, and the attribute of the estimation result (Muslim, Islamic Religion) is stored in association with the user  50   i  in the estimated attribute result DB  29   c.    
     Further, in the attribute estimation step P 1 A, on the basis of the fact that, from the information i 6  (visit history) of the user  50   v  of the vehicle  16 A, the user  50   v  has visited a vegetarian or vegan specialty store, the visit history estimation unit  59  determines that the user  50   v  possesses an attribute (orientation toward vegetarianism) for which the possibility is high that he or she is a vegetarian, and the attribute of the estimation result (vegetarian, orientation toward vegetarianism) is stored in association with the user  50   v  in the estimated attribute result DB  29   c.    
     Further still, in the attribute estimation step P 1 A, in the case it is determined from the image information i 5  of the vehicle interior camera  33  that the user  50   i  is wearing a hijab and is covering the hair, the image estimation unit  63  of the attribute estimation unit  28   ca  of the vehicle  16 A determines that the user  50   i  possesses an attribute for which the possibility is high that he or she is a believer of the Islamic faith. In this case, the attribute estimation unit  28   ca  of the vehicle  16 A associates the attribute of the estimation result with the user  50   i , and stores the attribute in the estimated attribute result DB  29   c.    
     Further still, in the attribute estimation step P 1 A, in the case it is determined from the image information i 8  of the vehicle interior camera  33  that the user  50   v  is riding with a pet, in this instance a dog, the image estimation unit  63  of the attribute estimation unit  28   ca  of the vehicle  16 A determines that the user  50   v  possesses an attribute for which the possibility is high that he or she is a pet (dog) owner. In this case, the attribute estimation unit  28   ca  of the vehicle  16 A stores the attribute of the estimation result (pet lover) in the estimated attribute result DB  29   c.    
     [Non-Recommendation Information Confirmation Step (Presentation Step) P 2 A] 
     In the non-recommendation information confirmation step P 2 A which takes place after the attribute estimation step P 1 A, the removal unit  44   c  of the recommendation information creation unit  30   c  of the vehicle  16 A, based on a priority ordering of the avoidance information DB  31   c  that is associated with the attribute recorded in the estimated attribute result DB  29   c , confirms the non-recommendation information by presenting the message, “Should stores that are not Halal certified not be displayed?” on the display unit  32  of the vehicle  16 A. Further, a confirmation is made by presenting the message, “Should stores other than vegetarian specialty stores not be displayed?” on the display unit  32 . Furthermore, a confirmation is made by presenting the message, “Should stores other than those that allow pets not be displayed?” on the display unit  32 . 
     Moreover, in the non-recommendation information confirmation step P 2 A, the attribute estimation unit  28   ca  or the removal unit  44   c  may confirm the attribute recorded in the estimated attribute result DB  29   c  by presenting the message “Are you a believer of the Islamic faith?” on the display unit  32  of the vehicle  16 A. Alternatively, a confirmation may be made by presenting the message, “Are you a vegetarian or vegan?” on the display unit  32 . Furthermore, a confirmation may be made by presenting the message, “Is a pet (dog) riding in the vehicle?” on the display unit  32 . 
     In the case that a positive response is made by way of the input unit  34  in relation to the presented message, the recommendation information creation unit  30   c  stores the avoidance information, to be described below, in the avoidance information database (avoidance information DB)  31   c . In the case of a negative response or a non-response, the avoidance information is not stored. Further, the priority ordering of the avoidance information DB  31   c  is updated on the basis of the response. 
     In the case it is determined that the user  50   i  possesses an attribute for which the possibility is high that he or she is a believer of the Islamic faith, the recommendation information creation unit  30   c  stores in the avoidance information DB  31   c  the following recommendations (1) to (5) in association with the user  50   i  as avoidance information, and more specifically, as non-suggested recommendations which are not presented to the user  50   i . Moreover, avoidance information which is based on attributes that are not associated with the user  50  are stored in advance in the avoidance information DB  31   c.    
     (1) Recommendations for stores that are not Halal certified 
     (2) Recommendations for sites to visit (visiting facilities) other than mosques during prayer hours 
     (3) Recommendations for restaurants or food stores during the daytime at the time of Ramadan 
     (4) Recommendations for restaurants using genetically modified plants as ingredients 
     (5) Recommendations for specialty stores for alcoholic beverages 
     On the other hand, in the case that the user  50   v  possesses an attribute for which the possibility is high that he or she is a vegetarian (vegetarian or vegan), and the user  50   v  is riding with a pet, the recommendation information creation unit  30   c  stores in the avoidance information DB  31   c  the following recommendations (6) to (9) in association with the user  50   v  as avoidance information, and more specifically, as non-suggested recommendations which are not presented to the user  50   v  of the vehicle  16 A. 
     (6) Recommendations for sites to visit other than vegetarian specialty stores 
     (7) Recommendations for restaurants that serve primarily meat dishes 
     (8) Recommendations for egg and dairy producing areas 
     (9) Recommendations for sites to visit other than sites that allow pets 
     [Recommendation Information Presentation Step (Post-Presentation Step) P 3 A] 
     In the recommendation information presentation step P 3 A which takes place after the non-recommendation information confirmation step P 2 A, the recommendation information creation unit  30   c  of the vehicle  16 A creates recommendations on the basis of the visit history at sites visited by the user  50  in accordance with the recommendation engine  60   c.    
     The recommendation information creation unit  30   c  acquires the recommendations from the recommendation engine  60   s  and the content provider  61  of the server  20 A. 
     In this case, in relation to the recommendations of the recommendation engines  60   c  and  60   s  and the content provider  61 , the recommendation information creation unit  30   c  executes, in the removal unit  44   c  and with reference to the avoidance information DB  31   c , a presentation determination to determine whether the recommendations should be displayed or not (not recommended) on the display unit  32  of the vehicle  16 A. 
     In this manner, on the display unit  32  of the vehicle  16 A, based on the attribute estimated by the attribute estimation unit  28   ca , from among the recommendation information to be presented on the display unit  32 , the recommendations removed by the removal unit  44   c  are not presented. 
     According to the above-described modification, factors that limit the selection of the recommendations, such as a religious faith or an orientation toward vegetarianism of the user  50  or the like, are determined from the visit history or from the image of the vehicle interior camera  33 , and recommendations that the user  50  avoids are removed in advance. 
     Therefore, for example, restaurants that serve meat are no longer recommended to a user  50   v  who is estimated to be a vegetarian, restaurants that serve pork, which is a land animal in accordance with the teachings of Haram, are no longer recommended to a user  50   i  who is estimated to be of the Islamic faith, and the like, and as a result, recommendations can be presented which are close to the attribute of the user  50  ( 50   i ,  50   v ). 
     In addition, when a recommendation is set as a non-suggested recommendation, since the agreement of the user  50  is obtained in the non-recommended information confirmation step P 2 A, the accuracy of the recommendations that are removed is improved. 
     Inventions that can be Obtained from the Embodiments and Modifications 
     Hereinafter, inventions that can be obtained from the above-described embodiments and the modifications thereof will be described below. Moreover, in order to facilitate understanding, reference characters used in connection with the constituent elements described above (in the embodiments and modifications) are provided in parentheses; however, it should be understood that the constituent elements are not limited to those to which such reference characters have been provided. 
     The server ( 20 ) according to the present invention is characterized by a server that presents the recommendation information to the vehicle ( 16 ), the server ( 20 ) comprising the attribute estimation unit ( 28   s ) that estimates the attribute of the user ( 50 ) on the basis of the visit history of the user ( 50 ) with the vehicle ( 16 ), and the removal unit ( 44   s ) that removes in advance, based on the attribute estimated by the attribute estimation unit ( 28   s ), the recommendation information that the user ( 50 ) avoids from among the recommendation information to be presented on the display unit ( 32 ) of the vehicle ( 16 ). 
     In accordance with such a configuration, the recommendation information that the user ( 50 ) avoids, from among the recommendation information to be presented on the display unit ( 32 ) inside the vehicle ( 16 ), is removed in advance based on the attribute of the user ( 50 ) that was estimated on the basis of the visit history of the user ( 50 ) with the vehicle ( 16 ). Therefore, the recommendation information deemed to be necessary by the user ( 50 ) is left remaining and is presented, and the user experience (the personal experience obtained by the user) afforded by the recommendation can be enhanced. 
     Further, on the basis of the attribute estimated by the attribute estimation unit ( 28   s ), the removal unit ( 44   s ) causes the user ( 50 ) to select non-recommended information that is not to be recommended, and sets the attribute in the removal unit ( 44   s ) when a positive response is obtained from the user ( 50 ). 
     In this manner, since the attribute for which a positive response is obtained from the user ( 50 ) is set in the removal unit ( 44   s ), the accuracy of the removal determination made by the removal unit ( 44   s ) is improved. 
     Further, the removal unit ( 44   s ) preferably presents the attribute estimated by the attribute estimation unit ( 28   s ) to the display unit, and sets the attribute in the removal unit ( 44   s ) when a positive response is obtained from the user ( 50 ) with respect to the presented attribute. 
     In this manner, since the attribute for which a positive response is obtained from the user ( 50 ) is set in the removal unit ( 44   s ), the accuracy of the removal determination made by the removal unit ( 44   s ) is improved. 
     Furthermore, the attribute of the user ( 50 ) that is estimated may be at least one of an attribute of an orientation toward vegetarianism and a specific religious faith of the user ( 50 ). 
     In accordance with this feature, on the basis of at least one of the attribute of the orientation toward vegetarianism and the specific religious faith of the user ( 50 ), it is possible to further improve the accuracy of the recommendation information presented to the user ( 50 ) as well as the user experience. 
     Further still, the attribute estimation unit ( 28   s ) may estimate the attribute of the user ( 50 ) on the basis of information on a social networking service (SNS) of the user ( 50 ), in addition to the visit history with the user ( 50 ) in the vehicle ( 16 ). 
     In accordance with this feature, by reinforcing the estimation of the attribute of the user ( 50 ) on the basis of the information on the SNS of the user ( 50 ), it is possible to more accurately estimate the attribute of the user ( 50 ). 
     The vehicle ( 16 ) which receives the service from the server ( 20 ) is also included in the present invention. 
     The vehicle ( 16 A) according to the present invention is a vehicle to which the recommendation information is presented on the display unit ( 32 ), the vehicle ( 16 A) comprising the attribute estimation unit ( 28   ca ) that estimates the attribute of the user ( 50 ) on the basis of the visit history with the user ( 50 ) in the vehicle ( 16 A), and the removal unit ( 44   c ) that removes in advance, based on the attribute estimated by the attribute estimation unit ( 28   ca ), the recommendation information that the user ( 50 ) avoids from among the recommendation information to be presented on the display unit ( 32 ). 
     In accordance with such a configuration, the recommendation information that the user ( 50 ) avoids, from among the recommendation information to be presented on the display unit ( 32 ) inside the vehicle ( 16 A), is removed in advance based on the attribute of the user ( 50 ) that was estimated on the basis of the visit history of the user ( 50 ) with the vehicle ( 16 A). Therefore, the recommendation information deemed to be necessary by the user ( 50 ) is left remaining and is presented, and the user experience (the personal experience obtained by the user) afforded by the recommendation can be enhanced. 
     Further, the vehicle interior camera ( 33 ) is provided, wherein the attribute estimation unit ( 28   ca ) estimates the attribute of the user ( 50 ) on the basis of the image information of the vehicle interior camera ( 33 ), in addition to the visit history of the user ( 50 ) with the vehicle ( 16 A). 
     In accordance with this feature, from the image information of the vehicle interior camera ( 33 ), for example, information such as food products eaten by the user ( 50 ), the clothes (a hijab or indigenous clothing) worn by the user ( 50 ) or the like can be obtained, and from such information, by reinforcing the estimation of the attribute of the user ( 50 ), the attribute of the user ( 50 ) can be more accurately estimated. 
     The present invention is not limited to the Islamic religion referred to in the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that the features of the present invention may be applied to various religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity or the like, and that various configurations could be adopted therein based on the descriptive content of the present specification.