JP2002071377A - Navigation system for pedestrians - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a navigation system for pedestrians which allows works, such improving the specifications for a processor to be executed easily, and is superior in portability and handling of the pedestrians. SOLUTION: The system is so structured that a position information detector 101 is physically distant from a processor 102 and both communicate mutually by a wireless proximate data communication means, such as blue tooth.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pedestrian navigation system provided with a position information detecting device and a processing device having a navigation function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, GPS (Global Positioning Syst
A pedestrian navigation system using em) has been developed. Usually, pedestrian navigation systems
A position information detection device that acquires the current position information of the user (hereinafter, referred to as a “position information detection device”), and a process of performing a process such as a route search to a destination based on the current position information and the map information. A device is provided and these are integrated.

[0003]

However, in such an integrated pedestrian navigation system,
When a built-in processing apparatus is to be upgraded, it is necessary to take out the processing apparatus from the integrated apparatus main body, which causes a problem that the operation becomes complicated.

As a method of solving such a problem of workability, a method of making the position information detecting device and the processing device independent is considered. However, in this case, a code or the like for connecting the position information detection device and the processing device is required, and a situation occurs in which the movement of the pedestrian is restricted by the code or the like. For this reason, a new problem arises that pedestrians have poor portability and handling.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is possible to easily perform a work such as a specification upgrade for a processing apparatus, and to provide a pedestrian with excellent pedestrian portability and handling. It is intended to provide a navigation system.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a position information detecting device and a processing device are provided independently of each other. It is made to do in.

[0007] This makes it possible to omit the operation of removing the processing apparatus from the integrated apparatus main body, and to easily perform the operation of increasing the specifications of the processing apparatus. In addition, since a situation in which the movement of the pedestrian is restricted by a code or the like connecting the position information detection device and the processing device is prevented, a pedestrian navigation system excellent in pedestrian portability and handling is realized. can do.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A navigation system for a pedestrian according to the present invention includes a position information detecting section for detecting position information of a pedestrian, a physical distance from the position information detecting section, and A processing unit that receives position information by wireless communication, searches for route information based on the position information and destination information input from the pedestrian, and displays the route information to the pedestrian.

According to this configuration, since the position information detecting section and the processing section are independent from each other, operations such as removing the processing section from the integrated apparatus main body can be omitted.
Work such as spec-up of the processing unit can be easily performed.

Further, since data communication is performed by wireless communication between the position information detecting section and the processing section, the operation of the pedestrian is restricted by a code connecting the position information detecting section and the processing section. Therefore, a pedestrian navigation system having excellent pedestrian portability and handleability can be realized.

[0011] In the pedestrian navigation system according to the present invention, the processing section includes a map information storage section in which map information is stored, the position information received from the position information detection section,
A route search unit that searches for the route information from the map information and the destination information obtained from the map information storage unit;
A map display unit for displaying the route information searched by the route search unit.

According to this configuration, since the route information searched by the route search unit is displayed on the map display unit, pedestrians can be provided with navigation by map display.

[0013] In the pedestrian navigation system according to the present invention, the processing unit reads the map information from a storage medium storing the map information, the position information received from the position information detection unit, and the storage medium. A route search unit for searching for the route information from the map information and the destination information read from the PC, and a map display unit for displaying the route information searched by the route search unit.

[0014] According to this configuration, in addition to the effect of being independently configured as described above and being connected by wireless communication, map information is read from the storage medium, and the route is determined using the read map information. Since the information search process is performed, a storage unit such as a memory for accumulating map information in the processing unit is not required, and the cost required for manufacturing a device constituting the processing unit can be reduced.

Further, since the map information is stored not in the processing unit but in the storage medium, it is possible to obtain only the latest map information as needed by selecting the storage medium. Furthermore, when another device is used as the processing unit, it is not necessary to store the map information in the device, so that a pedestrian navigation system can be easily realized using the other device.

[0016] In the pedestrian navigation system according to the present invention, the processing unit receives the map information via a communication line, the position information received from the position information detecting unit, and the processing unit via the communication line. A route search unit that searches for the route information from the received map information and the destination information, and a map display unit that displays the route information searched by the route search unit is adopted.

According to this configuration, in addition to the effect of independent configuration as described above and the connection therebetween by wireless communication, map information is received via a communication line, and the received map information is transmitted. Since the search processing of the route information is performed by using the processing unit, a storage unit such as a memory for accumulating the map information in the processing unit is not required, and the cost required for manufacturing the device configuring the processing unit can be reduced.

Further, since the map information is received not through the processing unit but through the communication line, it is possible to obtain only the latest map information as needed by selecting the map information obtained through the communication. Furthermore, when another device is used as the processing unit, it is not necessary to store the map information in the device, so that a pedestrian navigation system can be easily realized using the other device.

The pedestrian navigation system according to the present invention includes a voice output unit that outputs the route information by voice to the pedestrian, and the processing unit is configured to output the route information based on the route information searched by the route search unit. A configuration is employed in which audio data is generated and the audio data is transmitted to the audio output unit by wireless communication.

According to this configuration, the route information searched by the route search unit is displayed on the map display unit, and the voice data corresponding to the route information is output to the pedestrian, so that the map display is performed for the pedestrian. And navigation by voice data can be provided.

In the navigation system for a pedestrian according to the present invention, the processing unit functions as a master and communicates with a plurality of communication devices including the position detection unit and the voice output unit, which are a plurality of slaves disposed in a short distance, by wireless communication. Use a configuration that allows communication.

According to this configuration, the processing unit can obtain information by wireless communication with a communication device serving as a slave located at a short distance other than the position detection unit and the audio output unit, so that the information obtained from the communication device can be obtained. It can be used to provide new services during navigation.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a pedestrian navigation system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a pedestrian navigation system 100 according to the first embodiment includes a position information detecting device 101 for detecting the current position information of a user, and a current position information and map information. And a processing device 102 for performing processing such as a route search to a destination based on the information.

In the position information detecting device 101, a position information detecting section 103 is provided with a GPS (Global Positioning System).
m), etc., to indicate the user ’s current location,
Detect position information such as latitude and altitude. Then, the position information detection unit 103 passes the detected position information to the data communication unit 104. The data communication unit 104 transmits the position information detected by the position information detection unit 103 to the processing device 102 by wireless communication.

In the processing device 102, the data communication unit 1
05 receives position information from the position information detecting device 101. The position information received by the data communication unit 105 is passed to the route search unit 106. The route search unit 106 performs a route search process based on the position information, the destination information separately input from an input unit (not shown), and the map information stored in the map information database (DB) 107. Map display unit 108
Displays the route information searched by the route search unit 106 and the map information together. Thereby, the user can receive the navigation by the map display. Note that the route search and map display means are based on the conventional navigation system, and a description thereof will be omitted.

In the pedestrian navigation system 100 of the present embodiment, the position detecting device 101 and the processing device 102
For example, Bluetooth, which is one of the standards for short-range data communication by wireless, is adopted as a means of data communication by wireless communication with the wireless communication device.

As described above, according to the pedestrian navigation system 100 of the present embodiment, the position detecting device 101
For example, Bluetooth is employed as a data communication unit by wireless communication between the communication device and the processing device 102, so that the position information detecting device 101 and the processing device 102 can be configured independently. This makes it possible to easily perform operations such as spec-up for the processing device 102. Further, since data communication is performed by wireless communication between them, a pedestrian navigation system that is excellent in portability and handleability for pedestrians can be realized without restricting pedestrian movement.

In the pedestrian navigation system using the GPS, it is necessary to always expose the position information detecting device 101 so that radio waves from satellites can be received. According to this, the position information detecting device 101 and the processing device 102
Independently configured, the position detection device 101 alone can be exposed, so that such a demand can be met, and portability and handling of pedestrians can be further improved.

When the above-described Bluetooth is adopted, for example, the processing device 102 is set as a master for determining a frequency pattern, and the position detecting device 101 is set as a slave following the master, thereby enabling the pedestrian navigation. The system can be realized. In this case, any device that enables wireless communication by Bluetooth and has the function of the above-described processing device 102 can be combined with the position detection device 101 to perform the navigation for the pedestrian. System 100 can be implemented. For example, a mobile phone is a general example of a device carried by a pedestrian, and a processing device only for realizing a pedestrian navigation system by mounting the function of the processing device 102 on the mobile phone. The effects of the pedestrian navigation system 100 according to the present embodiment can be obtained even if the user does not carry the 102.

When Bluetooth is adopted, the master as a processing device is assumed to control up to seven slaves.
2 communicates with slaves other than the position detection device 101,
The data obtained by the communication may be used in the present pedestrian navigation system.

For example, in a complex store such as a department store,
A transmitting device as a slave is installed at a predetermined interval, and information including the location of the store in the complex type store is transmitted from the transmitting device. The processing device 102 receives the information when the communication device enters the communication range of the transmitting device, and based on the information, determines the location of the store in the complex type store and the like on the map display unit 108.
Can be displayed. Thus, it is conceivable to realize a navigation system in the complex type store.

Further, a transmitting device as a slave is installed in a certain store, and information including an arrangement in the store is transmitted from the transmitting device. The processing device 102 can receive the information when the user enters the store, and display the arrangement of the products in the store on the map display unit 108 based on the information. Thus, it is conceivable to realize a navigation system in a specific store.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a pedestrian navigation system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The pedestrian navigation system 200 according to the second embodiment is characterized by performing not only navigation by map display but also navigation by voice. Hereinafter, a pedestrian navigation system 200 according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, the components denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 have the same functions,
Description is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pedestrian navigation system 200 according to the second embodiment includes a position information detecting device 101, a processing device 102, and a voice output device 201. Note that, as the audio output device 201, for example, headphones are assumed.

In the processing device 102, the map display unit 1
At 08, the route information and the map information searched by the route search unit 106 are displayed, and the route information searched by the route search unit 106 is passed to the audio data generation unit 202. The audio data generation unit 202 generates audio data based on the received route information. The audio data generated by the audio data generation unit 202 is passed to the data communication unit 203. The data communication unit 203 transmits the audio data to the audio output device 201 by wireless communication.

In the audio output device 201, the data communication unit 204 receives audio data from the processing device 102. The audio data received by the data communication unit 204 is passed to the audio output unit 205. The audio output unit 205 outputs the audio data. Thereby, the user can receive the navigation by voice. It should be noted that the means for voice output is based on the conventional voice navigation system, and a description thereof will be omitted.

In the pedestrian navigation system 200 of the present embodiment, the position detecting device 101 and the processing device 102
As a means of data communication by wireless communication between the processing device 102 and the audio output device 201 during the first embodiment.
Similarly to the above, Bluetooth, which is one of the standards for wireless short-range data communication, is adopted.

As described above, according to the pedestrian navigation system 200 of the present embodiment, the position detecting device 101
For example, Bluetooth is employed as a data communication unit by wireless communication between the processing device 102 and the sound output device 201 between the processing device 102 and the sound output device 201.
Can be configured independently. Accordingly, in addition to realizing navigation by voice, it is possible to easily perform operations such as spec-up for the processing device 102. Further, since data communication is performed by wireless communication between them, a pedestrian navigation system that is excellent in portability and handleability for pedestrians can be realized without restricting pedestrian movement.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a pedestrian navigation system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Pedestrian navigation system 300 according to Embodiment 3 processes map information into processing device 1.
02 is stored in an information medium as a storage medium mountable in the processing device 102 without being stored in the storage device 02. Hereinafter, the pedestrian navigation system 300 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Note that, in FIG. 3, components denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 have the same functions, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 3, a pedestrian navigation system 300 according to the third embodiment includes a position information detecting device 101, a processing device 102, and an information medium 301 that can be mounted on the processing device 102. . In addition,
As the information medium 301, a memory stick or SD
A storage medium such as a card is assumed.

In the processing device 102, the media reading unit 302 reads out the map information stored in the information medium 301 mounted on the processing device 102 when the route search unit 106 performs a route search process. The map information read by the media reading unit 302 is stored in the route search unit 10.
Passed to 6. The route search unit 106 performs a route search process based on the map information, the position information received from the position detection device 101, and the destination information separately input.

As described above, according to the pedestrian navigation system 300 of the present embodiment, the position detecting device 101
For example, Bluetooth is employed as a data communication unit by wireless communication between the communication device and the processing device 102, so that the position information detecting device 101 and the processing device 102 can be configured independently. This makes it possible to easily perform operations such as spec-up for the processing device 102. Further, since data communication is performed by wireless communication between them, a pedestrian navigation system that is excellent in portability and handleability for pedestrians can be realized without restricting pedestrian movement.

Further, since the map information is stored in the information medium 301 instead of in the processing device 102, no storage means such as a memory for storing the map information in the processing device 102 is required, and the manufacturing cost of the processing device 102 is reduced. Can be reduced.

Further, since the map information is stored not in the processing device 102 but in the information medium 301, by selecting the information medium 301, the latest map information can be obtained as needed. As a result, it is possible to obtain optimal information for the user.

Further, since the map information is stored not in the processing device 102 but in the information medium 301, it is not necessary to store the map information in the device when another device is used as the processing device 102. Thereby, a pedestrian navigation system can be easily realized by using other devices.

(Embodiment 4) FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a pedestrian navigation system according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. Pedestrian navigation system 400 according to Embodiment 4 processes map information in processing device 1.
02, and is obtained by communication from a service provider without being stored. Hereinafter, a pedestrian navigation system 400 according to Embodiment 4 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 4, the components denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 have the same functions,
Description is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 4, a pedestrian navigation system 400 according to the fourth embodiment includes a position information detecting device 101 and a processing device 102 capable of communicating with a service provider 401.

In the processing device 102, the data communication unit 4
Reference numeral 02 denotes communication with the service provider 401 via a communication network such as the Internet when the route search unit 106 performs a route search process, and downloads map information from the service provider 401. The map information downloaded by the data communication unit 402 is stored in the route search unit 10
Passed to 6. The route search unit 106 performs a route search process based on the map information, the position information received from the position detection device 101, and the destination information separately input. The data communication unit 402 includes the position detection device 101 and the processing device 10
2 is different from wireless short-distance data communication means.

As described above, according to the pedestrian navigation system 400 of the present embodiment, the position detecting device 101
For example, Bluetooth is employed as a data communication unit by wireless communication between the communication device and the processing device 102, so that the position information detecting device 101 and the processing device 102 can be configured independently. This makes it possible to easily perform operations such as spec-up for the processing device 102. Further, since data communication is performed by wireless communication between them, a pedestrian navigation system that is excellent in handling for pedestrians can be realized without restricting the movement of pedestrians.

Further, since the map information is obtained not through the processing device 102 but through the Internet communication, no storage means such as a memory for storing the map information in the processing device 102 is required, and the manufacturing cost of the processing device 102 is reduced. Can be reduced.

Further, since the map information is obtained not through the processing device 102 but through the Internet communication,
By selecting the map information obtained through communication, it is possible to obtain only the latest map information as needed. As a result, it is possible to obtain optimal information for the user.

Further, since the map information is obtained not through the processing device 102 but through the Internet communication,
When another device is used as the processing device 102, there is no need to store map information in the device. Thereby, a pedestrian navigation system can be easily realized by using other devices. For example, when a mobile phone or the like that can communicate via the Internet is used as the processing device 102, a pedestrian navigation system can be easily realized.

[0055]

As described above, according to the present invention,
While the position information detecting device and the processing device are made independent, communication between them is performed by wireless short-distance data communication means, so that work such as spec-up for the processing device can be easily performed. It is possible to provide a pedestrian navigation system that is excellent in portability and handling of pedestrians.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a pedestrian navigation system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a pedestrian navigation system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a pedestrian navigation system according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a pedestrian navigation system according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

100, 200, 300, 400 Pedestrian navigation system 101 Position information detection device 102 Processing device 103 Position information detection unit 104 Data communication unit 105 Data communication unit 106 Route search unit 107 Map information database (DB) 108 Map display unit 201 Voice Output device 202 Audio data generation unit 203 Data communication unit 204 Data communication unit 205 Audio output unit 301 Information media 302 Media reading unit 401 Service provider

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Noriko Hagiwara 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Kazuma, Osaka Prefecture F-term in Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. 5K067 AA21 BB36 EE02 EE12 EE35 FF03 FF23 HH22 HH23 JJ52 JJ56

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A position information detecting unit for detecting position information of a pedestrian, physically separated from the position information detecting unit, receiving the position information from the position detecting unit by wireless communication, receiving the position information and the position information A processing unit that searches for route information based on destination information input from a pedestrian and displays the route information to the pedestrian;
A pedestrian navigation system, comprising: 2. The processing unit includes: a map information storage unit in which map information is stored; the position information received from the position information detection unit; the map information and the destination information obtained from the map information storage unit The pedestrian navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising: a route search unit that searches for the route information from a map; and a map display unit that displays the route information searched by the route search unit. 3. The processing unit includes: a reading unit that reads the map information from a storage medium that stores map information; and the position information received from the position information detection unit, the map information read from the storage medium, The pedestrian navigation according to claim 1, further comprising: a route search unit that searches the route information from destination information; and a map display unit that displays the route information searched by the route search unit. system. 4. The processing unit includes: a communication unit that receives map information via a communication line; the position information received from the position information detection unit; the map information received via the communication line; The pedestrian navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising: a route search unit that searches the route information from ground information; and a map display unit that displays the route information searched by the route search unit. . 5. An audio output unit for outputting the route information by voice to the pedestrian, wherein the processing unit generates voice data based on the route information searched by the route search unit, The pedestrian navigation system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the voice data is transmitted to the output unit by wireless communication. 6. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processing unit functions as a master and can communicate with a plurality of communication devices serving as a plurality of slaves arranged in a short distance including the position detection unit and the audio output unit by wireless communication. The pedestrian navigation system according to claim 5, wherein