JP2002092788A - Information communicating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily collect plural vehicles having navigation devices to a predetermined place of meeting. SOLUTION: The positional data is obtained by the communication from the other vehicles, and the positions a-d of the other vehicles are displayed on a display device. The facility (a convenience store A in a drawing) nearest to the center of a minimum circle from the minimum circle including a self-car and the other cars is searched, and the facility is determined as the place of meeting. The information of the determined place of meeting is given to the other cars, and then the route guide is executed for the place of meeting as a destination. The procedure is continuously or discontinuously executed to collect the cars at a shortest distance.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information communication apparatus for providing route guidance to a collective place.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is an information communication device of this kind, for example, a navigation device, which displays not only the position of the own vehicle but also the position of another vehicle on a map.

[0003]

According to the above-described device, not only the position of the own vehicle but also the position of another vehicle are displayed, which is convenient when the user works together. However, in the case where each of them does not act separately but acts together after gathering somewhere, the display of the position of the other vehicle by the above-described device is not sufficient.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to be able to easily gather at a collective.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a means for detecting a current location, a means for obtaining the current location from another information communication device, and An information communication device comprising: means for setting a meeting place based on the current location and the obtained current position of the other information communication device; and means for communicating the set meeting point to the other information communication device. And

According to the present invention, by communicating the set meeting place to another information communication device, it is possible to easily gather at the meeting place.

[0007] In this case, as in the second aspect of the present invention, if a means for performing route guidance to the set collective point is provided, it is possible to reliably reach the set collective point.

[0008] As a set point to be set, as in the invention according to claim 3, a predetermined point is specified from the detected current position and the current position of the obtained other information communication apparatus, and the predetermined point is determined to be close to the predetermined point. Facilities.
By using the facility as a meeting place, it is possible to make the facility more appropriate than when the meeting place is set to an arbitrary place.

According to the invention as set forth in claim 4, if means for automatically updating the gathering point at a predetermined timing is provided, the gathering point can be appropriately adjusted with respect to the position of each information communication device which changes every moment. It can be.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information communication device which includes means for detecting a current position, and provides route guidance to a set destination, wherein the means obtains the current position from another information communication device; Means for setting an aggregation based on the set destination, the detected current location, and the obtained current location of the other information communication device; and communicating the set aggregation to the other information communication device. And means for performing the operation.

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily converge on the set point set in consideration of the destination.

[0012] In this case, if means for guiding the route to the set complex is provided as in the invention according to claim 6, it is possible to reliably reach the set complex.

[0013] As the set place to be set, a predetermined point is specified from the set destination, the detected present position, and the obtained present position of the information communication device. Then, it can be a facility close to the predetermined point. By using the facility as a meeting place, it is possible to make the facility more appropriate than when the meeting place is set to an arbitrary place.

According to the present invention, if a means is provided for updating the gathering place according to a user's instruction, the gathering place can be appropriately set with respect to the position of each information communication device which changes every moment. Things.

[0015] In the information communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the information communication apparatus to be used for setting a meeting place among the other information communication apparatuses is specified. If means for setting the gathering point using the current location of the specified information communication device, even if some information communication devices are far away from other information communication devices, Can be set.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a vehicle navigation device (information communication device) according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

The navigation device includes a position detecting device 1 such as a GPS receiver for outputting a signal for detecting the current position of the vehicle, a map data reading device (map data reading means) 2 for reading map data from a map storage medium, and An operation switch group 3 for performing various operations required for navigation, a control circuit (control means) 4 for executing various processes required for navigation, and a display device (display means) 5 for displaying a map or the like; It comprises a voice uttering device (voice uttering means) 6 for uttering a voice into a vehicle interior, a remote control sensor 8 for receiving a signal from a remote controller 7, a communication device (communication means) 9 for communicating with another vehicle, and the like. I have. This communication device 9
A device that communicates with another vehicle using a telephone line or the like can be used. The operation switch group 3, the remote controller 7, and the remote controller sensor 8 constitute an operation detecting means for detecting an operation of the user. When the user operates the operation switch group 3 or the remote controller 7, an operation associated with the operation is performed. The signal is input to the control circuit 4. Further, the control circuit 4 includes a current position detection unit that detects the current position based on a signal from the position detection device 1.

A control circuit 4 in the navigation device displays a map and a current position on a display device 5 based on a signal from the position detection device 1 and map data read by the map data reading device 2 as in the conventional one. When performing route guidance to the destination by user operation in addition to executing the process for causing the vehicle to travel to the destination, the display device 5 displays the route to the destination, and the voice utterance device 6 indicates the direction to travel at the guidance intersection or the like. , A route guidance process for causing a voice utterance is executed.

Further, the control circuit 4 executes an assembly point guidance process when the vehicle gathers with a plurality of other vehicles somewhere. In this case, although not shown, the execution of the meeting point guidance process is selected using the screen selection of the display device 5, and the other vehicles to be assembled are selected using the registration information (user name and communication address thereof) of the other vehicles. When this selection operation is completed, collective communication is made to the selected navigation devices of the other vehicles using the communication device. Then, a navigation device serving as a host (hereinafter, referred to as a host navigation) and a navigation device serving as a guest (hereinafter, referred to as a guest navigation) are determined among the navigation devices of all the vehicles that gather. in this case,
The host navigation is determined by mutual communication by a user operation using a communication device, or a navigation device that first makes a collective contact is defined as a host navigation. Note that both the host navigation and the guest navigation have the configuration shown in FIG.

Thereafter, the control circuit 4 in the host navigation executes a collective point guidance process shown in FIG. First, a request for transmission of location data is made to all guest navigation systems (step 1).
01), the position data transmitted from the guest navigation is received (step 102). As a result, position data indicating the current location of the guest navigation can be obtained. Then, the position data of each vehicle including the own vehicle is transmitted to all of the guest navigations (step 103). The position data can be obtained in each navigation device based on a signal from the position detection device 1. Then, based on the received position data from the guest navigation, the display device 5 displays the position of the other vehicle (step 104). For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, the positions of the other vehicles indicated by a to d are displayed on the map of the display device 5 with respect to the position of the own vehicle indicated by a triangle.

Next, the process proceeds to step 105 for judging whether or not it is the first time or the timing of resetting the complex (that is, updating of the complex), since it is the first arrival,
The judgment is YES. Then, a minimum circle including all vehicles (own vehicle and other vehicles) is created (step 10).
6). For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the own vehicle and other vehicles a to d are identified by a minimum circle including all the vehicles (in the case of FIG. Circle)
Create In this case, specifically, the circle is specified by the center coordinates and radius of the equation of the circle.

Next, the 3 used to identify the circle
Diagonal θ of the longest side of triangle formed by points
Is within 90 ° (step 107). If the determination is YES, a facility (a facility shown as a landmark on a map, such as a convenience store or a gas station) closest to the center of the circle (center coordinates) is searched, and the facility is set as a meeting place (step). 10
8). For example, the mark x in FIG. 4A is the center of the circle, and the convenience store A near the center is set as a meeting place. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the diagonal θ of the longest side of the above triangles exceeds 90 °, the facility closest to the midpoint of the longest side is searched, and the point is searched. It is set as a meeting place (step 109). In the case of FIG. 4B, the line connecting the vehicle and the point b is the longest side of the triangle, the cross is the midpoint of the side, and the convenience store B nearby
Is set as a meeting place. Therefore, step 108,
By the processing of 109, the center of the minimum circle or the midpoint of the longest side is specified as the predetermined point, and the facility close to the predetermined point is set as the meeting place.

The meeting place set in this way is notified to all of the guest navigations (step 110). Thereafter, route guidance is performed with the gathering place as a destination (step 11).
1). This route guidance itself is the same as the conventional one,
A guidance route is displayed on the display device 5 so as to guide the own vehicle to the meeting place (see FIG. 3B), and a voice utterance device 6 utters a direction to proceed at the guidance intersection.

Next, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has arrived at the meeting place by comparing the coordinates of the current position with the coordinates of the meeting place (step 112). When the vehicle has not arrived at the complex, the process returns to step 101, and the position of the other vehicle, which is changing moment by moment, is displayed on the display device 5 by the processing of steps 101 to 104.
In addition, route guidance to the meeting place is performed by the processing of step 111.

Also, depending on the progress of the other vehicle, it may be necessary to reset the meeting place. For this reason, in this embodiment, the larger the diameter of the above-mentioned minimum circle is, the longer the timing interval is (for example, a linear proportional relationship),
The timing to reset the complex is set. If it is determined in step 105 that the timing for resetting the meeting place has come, the processing of steps 106 to 110 is performed, the resetting of the meeting place is performed, and a new meeting place is notified to all of the guest navigation systems. In this way, the meeting place can be automatically updated in accordance with the position of the own vehicle and the other vehicle that change every moment.

On the other hand, the control circuit 4 in the guest navigation executes a collective point guidance process shown in FIG. First, it is determined whether or not there has been a request for transmission of position data from the host navigation (step 201), and if there has been a transmission request, the position data is transmitted to the host navigation (step 202). Next, the position data of each vehicle transmitted from the host navigation is received, and the position of the other vehicle is displayed on the display device 5 in the guest navigation (step 203).

Next, it is determined whether or not a meeting place has been notified from the host navigation system (step 205). When there is a meeting point notification, a meeting place is set (step 206).
Thereafter, route guidance to the collective land is performed (step 20).
7). This route guidance is the same as the route guidance in the host navigation (step 111). Also, only when there is a notification of the meeting place from the host navigation system, the setting of the meeting place is performed, and otherwise, the process proceeds from step 205 to step 209 to provide route guidance to the meeting place.

Then, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has arrived at the gathering point by comparing the coordinates of the current position with the coordinates of the gathering point (step 208), and the above processing is repeated until the vehicle arrives at the gathering point. In this way, the route guidance to the meeting place is appropriately performed also in the guest navigation.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the number of the own vehicle and the other vehicle is three or more has been described. However, when the number of the own vehicle and the other vehicle is two, the midpoint of the line connecting the two vehicles is used. It is only necessary to set a meeting place in the vicinity.

Further, when a car runs off the guide route while guiding to the collective point, the route to the collective point may be automatically recalculated. If this recalculation is performed even after resetting the complex, each car can surely reach the set complex.

(Second Embodiment) In the above-described first embodiment, an example in which a plurality of vehicles converge at an assembly point has been described. However, when a plurality of vehicles travel toward the same destination, You can also gather somewhere before heading to your destination. Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described.

First, in any one of the navigation devices, although not shown, execution of a destination guidance process via a collective point is selected using screen selection of the display device 5, a destination is set, and registration information of another vehicle is set. (A user name and its communication address, etc.) to select another vehicle. When this selection operation is completed, the destination and the set are communicated to the navigation devices of all the selected other vehicles using the communication device. Then, the host navigation and the guest navigation are determined among the navigation devices of all the vehicles that gather. In this case, the host navigation is determined by mutual communication by a user operation using a communication device, or the navigation device that first makes a collective contact is used as the host navigation, or the navigation device located farthest from the destination Is the host navigation. Note that both the host navigation and the guest navigation have the configuration shown in FIG.

Thereafter, the control circuit 4 in the host navigation executes a destination guidance process shown in FIG. In this destination guidance processing, steps 305, 306, 311,
Processing other than 312 is the same as the collective point guidance processing shown in FIG. That is, first, the position data is requested to be transmitted to all of the guest navigation systems (step 301), the position data transmitted from the guest navigation system is received (step 302), and the position data of each vehicle including the own vehicle is transmitted to all of the guest navigation systems. Transmit (step 303). Then, based on the received position data from the guest navigation, the display device 5 displays the position of the other vehicle (step 304).

Next, the process proceeds to step 305 for judging whether or not there has been an instruction for resetting the first time or the collective place. Since it is the first time, the judgment is YES. Then, a minimum circle including all vehicles (own vehicle and other vehicles) and the destination is created (step 306). Next, it is determined whether the diagonal θ of the longest side of the triangle formed by the three points used to specify the circle is within 90 ° (step 307). If the determination is YES, a facility (a facility shown as a landmark on a map, such as a convenience store or a gas station) closest to the center of the circle (center coordinates) is searched, and the facility is set as a meeting place (step). 308). If the diagonal [theta] of the longest side of the above triangles exceeds 90 [deg.], A facility closest to the midpoint of the longest side is searched, and that point is set as a cluster (step 309).

The meeting place set in this way is notified to all guest navigations (step 310). After that, route guidance to the destination with the passing point as the meeting point is performed (step 311).

Next, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has arrived at the destination by comparing the coordinates of the current position with the coordinates of the destination (step 312). When the vehicle has not arrived at the destination, the process returns to step 101, and the display device 5 displays the other vehicle position that changes moment by moment by the processing of steps 101 to 104.
Further, the route guidance to the destination with the passing point at the meeting point is performed by the processing of step 311.

In the case of resetting the collective point, in this embodiment, the collective point is set including the destination, so that the collective point is automatically reset with time as in the first embodiment. Then, the complex will be shifted each time. Therefore, in this embodiment, only when the user of the host navigation system determines that the resetting of the collective place is necessary, the resetting of the collective place, that is, the update of the collective place is performed by the resetting instruction operation of the user. Specifically, when the resetting instruction operation is performed, in step 305, a resetting instruction of the collective land is determined, and the processing of steps 306 to 310 is performed to reset the collective land.

By performing the above-described processing, both the own vehicle and the other vehicle go to the gathering place and gather there. And
After gathering, all vehicles can arrive at the destination by route guidance to the destination.

On the other hand, the control circuit 4 in the guest navigation executes a destination guidance process shown in FIG. In this destination guidance processing, processing other than steps 407 and 408 is the same as the gathering point guidance processing shown in FIG. That is,
It is determined whether or not there has been a request for transmitting position data from the host navigation (step 401), and if there has been a transmission request, the position data is transmitted to the host navigation (step 40).
2). Next, the position data of each vehicle transmitted from the host navigation is received, and the position of the other vehicle is displayed on the display device 5 in the guest navigation (step 404).

Next, it is determined whether or not a communication of the meeting place has been made from the host navigation system (step 405). If there is communication of the meeting place, the meeting place is set (step 406).
Route guidance to the destination with the passing point at the meeting point is performed (step 407). Then, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has arrived at the destination by comparing the coordinates of the current position and the coordinates of the destination (step 408), and the above processing is repeated until the vehicle arrives at the destination. In this manner, also in the guest navigation, route guidance to the destination is appropriately performed with the meeting point as the passing point.

In this embodiment, the guest navigation system may provide route guidance to the meeting place, and thereafter, may be guided to the destination by the host navigation system. Also, in this embodiment, if a car runs off the guide route while guiding to the gathering place, the route to the gathering place may be automatically recalculated. If this recalculation is taken after resetting the complex,
Each car can definitely reach the set-up area.

(Third Embodiment) In the above-described first and second embodiments, an example is described in which the meeting place is set based on the positional relationship of all vehicles (including the destination in the second embodiment).
When some vehicles are far away from other vehicles, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, when vehicles shown by e and f are far away from vehicles shown by g to j, Of the vehicles (including the destination in the second embodiment), the larger vehicles g to j are located farther away from vehicles e and f
Will have to move accordingly. Also,
In the case of setting a meeting place including a destination as in the second embodiment, there is a possibility that more vehicles g to j must move in the opposite direction to the destination. Therefore, in this embodiment, a moving vehicle (hereinafter, referred to as a moving vehicle) and a vehicle to be fixed (hereinafter, referred to as a fixed vehicle) are determined, and an aggregation point is set for the fixed vehicle. In this embodiment, the fixed vehicle is assumed to move to the meeting place when the moving vehicle enters a predetermined distance range.

A case where this embodiment is applied to the first embodiment will be described. In this case, the host navigation is determined in the same manner as in the first embodiment, or is used as the navigation device for the farthest moving vehicle.

In the control circuit 4 in the host navigation, FIG.
In the gathering point guidance process shown in FIG. 9, the process shown in FIG. 9 is executed for the process between AB. That is, after step 104 in FIG. 2, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in the fixed vehicle selection mode (step 113). In the host navigation, the user selects the fixed vehicle selection mode on the screen of the display device 5 prior to the processing shown in FIG. Then, when the vehicle is in the fixed vehicle selection mode, it is determined whether or not the first time or the timing of resetting the meeting place has come (step 114). At the first arrival, the judgment is YES,
Next, the fixed vehicle is specified and registered (step 116). In this case, the fixed vehicle is specified from the other vehicle position displayed on the display device 5 and registered. After the registration has been performed once, the process may be skipped when step 116 is reached, or the registration may be performed again.

Thereafter, a minimum circle including all fixed vehicles is created (step 116). Next, it is determined whether the diagonal θ of the longest side of the triangle formed by the three points used to specify the circle is within 90 ° (step 117). If the determination is YES, the facility (convenience store,
A facility such as a gas station, which is shown as a landmark on the map, is searched, and the facility is set as a meeting place (step 118). If the diagonal angle θ of the longest side of the above triangles exceeds 90 °, the facility closest to the midpoint of the longest side is searched, and that point is set as a cluster (step 119). The thus set meeting place and whether the vehicle is a fixed vehicle or a moving vehicle are notified to all of the guest navigations (step 120).

By repeating the above processing, the moving vehicle moves toward the meeting place.

Thereafter, when all vehicles are within a predetermined distance from the complex (for example, within the range of the minimum circle created in step 116), when step 121 is reached,
If the determination is YES, the fixed vehicle is notified that the vehicle can be moved (step 122), and the fixed vehicle selection mode is released (step 123). As a result, all the vehicles are heading for the collective land.

On the other hand, the control circuit 4 in the guest navigation which is regarded as a moving vehicle executes a collective point guidance process shown in FIG. Further, in the control circuit 4 in the guest navigation which is a fixed vehicle, the process of step 207 for providing route guidance to the collective point is performed as shown in FIG. 10 in the collective point guide process shown in FIG. That is, it is determined whether or not the host navigation has notified that the vehicle is a fixed vehicle (step 20).
7a) If there is a notification that the vehicle is a fixed vehicle, then it is determined whether or not there is a notification that the vehicle can be moved from the host navigation (step 207b). Until the fixed vehicle is notified and the mobile communication is subsequently received, the route guidance processing to the meeting place is not performed. Therefore, the fixed vehicle does not move to the meeting place, and stands by at that place. Thereafter, upon receiving a notification that the vehicle can be moved from the host navigation system, route guidance to the meeting place is performed (step 207c). It should be noted that the determination in steps 207a and 207b is YES once a notification to that effect is received from the host navigation system.

In this embodiment, the stationary vehicle waits until all the vehicles enter within a predetermined distance from the gathering place. However, the vehicle may go to the gathering place immediately without waiting.

Although this embodiment has been described as being applied to the first embodiment, it can be similarly applied to the second embodiment. Specifically, the control circuit 4 in the host navigation system executes AB in the destination guidance process shown in FIG.
The processing shown in FIG. in this case,
The difference is that a minimum circle including all fixed vehicles and destinations is created in step 116 of FIG. 9, and that a first or user's instruction for resetting the complex is determined in step 114. Further, in the control circuit 4 of the guest navigation which is a fixed vehicle, in the destination guidance processing shown in FIG. 6, the processing of step 407 for performing route guidance to the destination is changed to the processing shown in FIG. The process of step 207c in the middle is the route guidance process to the destination that has passed through the meeting place, as in the second embodiment.

Also in this embodiment, if a car runs off the guide route while guiding to the collective point, the route to the collective point may be automatically recalculated. If this recalculation is performed even after resetting the complex, each car can surely reach the set complex.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the navigation apparatus mounted on the vehicle is described. However, the present invention is not limited to the vehicle, but may include other moving objects (bicycles, motorcycles, people, etc.), or portable types. The present invention can be similarly applied to a portable terminal such as a navigation device and a portable telephone capable of transmitting and receiving position information.

The processing steps of the control circuit 4 shown in FIG. 2 and FIGS. 5 to 10 are grasped as means for realizing the respective functions.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a vehicle navigation device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a collective point guidance process executed by a control circuit 4 of the host navigation system in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a display example of the display device 5 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining creation of a minimum circle including all vehicles in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a collective point guidance process executed by the guest navigation control circuit 4 in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a destination guidance process executed by the control circuit 4 of the host navigation system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a destination guidance process executed by the guest navigation control circuit 4 in the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a third embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a part of a collective point guidance process executed by the control circuit 4 of the host navigation system in the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a part of a collective area guidance process executed by the control circuit 4 of the guest navigation which is a fixed vehicle in the third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Position detection device, 2 ... Map data reading device, 3 ... Operation switch group, 4 ... Control circuit, 5 ... Display device, 6 ... Voice utterance device, 7 ... Remote control, 8 ... Remote control sensor, 9 ... Communication device.

Continued on front page F-term (reference) 2C032 HC08 HD12 2F029 AA02 AB07 AB13 AC02 AC08 AC13 AC14 AC18 5H180 AA01 BB05 FF05 FF13 FF22 FF25 FF27 FF32 5K067 AA21 BB36 DD20 DD51 EE02 EE25 FF03 FF21 JJ25H

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A means for detecting a current location; a means for obtaining the current location from another information communication device; and a setting location based on the detected current location and the obtained current location of the other information communication device. An information communication device comprising: a communication unit that communicates the set meeting place with the other information communication device. 2. The information communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for providing a route guidance to the set collective land. 3. The means for setting the meeting point specifies a predetermined point from the detected current position and the obtained current position of the other information communication device, and sets a facility close to the predetermined point as the meeting point. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein
Or the information communication device according to 2. 4. The information communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for automatically updating the meeting place at a predetermined timing. 5. An information communication device comprising means for detecting a current position and providing route guidance to a set destination, wherein: means for obtaining the current position from another information communication device; Means for setting a meeting place based on the detected present position and the obtained present position of the other information communication device; and information comprising means for communicating the set meeting point to the other information communication device. Communication device. 6. The information communication apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: means for performing route guidance to the destination with the set meeting point as a passing point. 7. The means for setting the meeting place specifies a predetermined point from the set destination, the detected current position, and the current position of the obtained other information communication device,
The information communication device according to claim 5, wherein a facility near the predetermined point is set as a meeting place. 8. The information communication apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: means for updating the meeting place according to a user instruction. 9. An information communication device for use in setting a meeting place among the other information communication devices, wherein the means for setting the meeting point includes a current position of the obtained other information communication device. The information communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the meeting place is set using a current location of the specified information communication apparatus.