Assistance controlling apparatus, assistance controlling method, and computer-readable storage medium

An assistance controlling apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor;
• an acquiring unit that uses the at least one processor to acquire position information of a plurality of user terminals;
• an identifying unit that uses the at least one processor to identify, among the plurality of user terminals, a first user terminal and a second user terminal which are moving at a distance of a predetermined value or less from each other, based on a history of position information of the plurality of user terminals;
• and
• an assistance controlling unit that uses the at least one processor to perform control related to assistance for a traffic participant when one of the first user terminal or the second user terminal is detected to move to an opposite side of a road with respect to a position of an other of the first user terminal or the second user terminal, the assistance controlling apparatus further comprises
• an interpersonal relationship information acquiring unit that uses the at least one processor to acquire interpersonal relationship information indicating a degree of companionship among a plurality of users associated with the plurality of user terminals, wherein
• the assistance controlling unit enhances the assistance for the traffic participant more as the degree of companionship between a user associated with the first user terminal and a user associated with the second user terminal is higher.

An assistance controlling method comprising:

• acquiring position information of a plurality of user terminals;
• identifying, among the plurality of user terminals, a first user terminal and a second user terminal which are moving at a distance of a predetermined value or less from each other, based on a history of position information of the plurality of user terminals;
• and
• performing control related to assistance for a traffic participant when one of the first user terminal or the second user terminal is detected to move to an opposite side of a road with respect to a position of an other of the first user terminal or the second user terminal, the assistance controlling method further comprises
• determining whether current positions of the first user terminal and the second user terminal are points at which the first user terminal and the second user terminal start moving in different directions from each other, based on the history of the position information of the first user terminal and the second user terminal, wherein
• the performing control includes reducing the assistance for the traffic participant when the current positions of the first user terminal and the second user terminal are identified as points at which the first user terminal and the second user terminal start moving in the different directions from each other.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a program, wherein the program causes a computer to function as:

• an acquiring unit that uses the computer to acquire position information of a plurality of user terminals;
• an identifying unit that uses the computer to identify, among the plurality of user terminals, a first user terminal and a second user terminal which are moving at a distance of a predetermined value or less from each other, based on a history of position information of the plurality of user terminals;
• and
• an assistance controlling unit that uses the computer to perform control related to assistance for a traffic participant when one of the first user terminal or the second user terminal is detected to move to an opposite side of a road with respect to a position of an other of the first user terminal or the second user terminal, the assistance controlling apparatus further comprises
• a determining unit that uses the computer to determine whether current positions of the first user terminal and the second user terminal are points at which the first user terminal and the second user terminal start moving in different directions from each other, based on the history of the position information of the first user terminal and the second user terminal, wherein
• the assistance controlling unit reduces the assistance for the traffic participant when the current positions of the first user terminal and the second user terminal are identified by the determining unit as points at which the first user terminal and the second user terminal start moving in the different directions from each other.