JP2003307425A - Navigation system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a navigation system capable of updating information accurately at all times. <P>SOLUTION: Both a present location positioned by a GPS receiving part 11 of a terminal 10 and a destination inputted by an input part 12 are transmitted to a center 20. In the center 20, a control part 24 retrieves an optimal route from the present location to the destination on the basis of the received information; determines a point of division closest to the present location from among a large number of existing candidate points of division in the retrieved optimal route; extracts map information, etc., to the point of division from a storage part 22; extracts map information, etc., to the candidate points of division ahead of the point of division as auxiliary information from the storage part 22, and adds the acquired map information, etc., to the previously acquired map information, etc. The point of division is selected as a point for the terminal 10 to request update and is added to the map information, etc. All the information is transmitted to the side of the terminal 10, received at a transmitting/receiving part 13 of the terminal 10, stored in a storage part 15, and displayed on a display part 14. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a so-called navigation system with a communication function, which obtains necessary map information from a center and displays the current position and the like on a terminal based on the information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a so-called navigation system with a communication function is known in which necessary map information is obtained from a center and the current position of a terminal is displayed based on the obtained information.

However, each of these types is only for requesting and obtaining necessary information from the center when the user needs or moves to a predetermined position, Even if there is an unsuitable area such as a tunnel, an underground passage, or a mountainous area in or around the direction of travel of the terminal, the information within a predetermined range is simply obtained. Therefore, with this type of device, once the terminal enters the area where communication is inappropriate, communication with the center is no longer possible, and necessary information cannot be obtained until the terminal exits the area where communication is inappropriate. There was the problem of becoming impossible.

On the other hand, in order to deal with such a problem, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-27538,
If there is an unsuitable area in the preset route,
It has also been proposed to transmit the segment including the inappropriate communication area from the center to the terminal at the same time so that the information of these segments can be downloaded and used at the same time.

[0005]

However, the one disclosed in the above publication is located at the end of a segment when an optimum route to a destination is set and the route is divided into segments and transmitted. When the division point is in an area where communication is inappropriate, it simply says that the segment beyond that is added and transmitted, and the point where update information is requested at the terminal is near the end of the guide information already downloaded. In addition to this, there was a problem that communication for updating could not be sufficiently secured.

The present invention has been made in consideration of such a conventional problem, and provides a navigation system capable of always accurately updating information.

[0007]

A navigation system of the present invention comprises a terminal and a center, and the terminal has a positioning means for positioning the present location, an input means for inputting a destination,
The present invention includes a transmitting means for transmitting the present location and the destination to the center, a receiving means for receiving information from the center, a storage means for storing the received information, and a display means for displaying the present location together with the received information. The center has a receiving means for receiving the current location and the destination transmitted from the terminal, a searching means for searching a route from the received current location to the destination, and a division candidate point existing in the route from the current location to the destination. Determination means for determining the optimum division point closest to the current location, information extraction means for extracting the first map information and the first guidance information up to the division point, and a predetermined division before the division point. Adding means for adding the second map information and the second guide information up to the candidate point to the first map information and the first guide information, the first map information and the first guide information, and the second map information. Map information and The second guidance information to a configuration in which a transmission means for transmitting to the terminal.

With this configuration, in addition to the information up to the division point, map information and guidance information up to some further division candidate points are transmitted to the terminal side at the same time. Even if is started, the update procedure can be fully completed, and the map information and the guide information can be obtained without interruption.

Further, the navigation system of the present invention, as a determining means for determining a division point, reaches a predetermined number when a plurality of division candidate points existing in the route are sequentially counted in the traveling direction. For each division candidate point, the division candidate point is used as a division point. With this configuration,
When the route to the destination is set, the division points can be easily determined based on the division candidate points.

Further, the navigation system of the present invention is configured such that a point where communication can be performed between the center and the terminal is selected in advance as the division candidate point. With this configuration, the division point never becomes an unsuitable communication area, and the information can be easily updated from the division point.

Further, the navigation system of the present invention is provided with a division point correction means for setting a division candidate point, which is one step ahead of the division point, as a new division point when a communication inappropriate area exists immediately before the division point. It has a different configuration.

With this configuration, the division point is changed and corrected to the previous division candidate point, and information is transmitted from the center in a state in which information up to the division candidate point before the change-corrected division point is added. Therefore, there is an effect that information can be updated more reliably.

Further, in the navigation system of the present invention, when there is a communication inadequate area up to the division candidate point prior to the division point, the second map to the division candidate point further ahead of the communication inadequate area. A configuration is provided in which the information and the second guidance information are added to the first map information and the first guidance information.

With this configuration, when there is a communication inadequate area before the division candidate point before the division point, information up to the division candidate point before the communication inappropriate area is transmitted to the terminal as preliminary information. In this case as well, the information can be updated accurately.

In the navigation system of the present invention, the terminal is provided with means for recognizing the information of the update point for issuing the information update request from the received information and transmitting the information update request to the center when the information reaches the update point. Then, the center is provided with means for deciding an update point for issuing an information update request and adding information on the update point, and means for transmitting the information added by the means for adding the information on the update point to the terminal. did.

With this configuration, the update point for updating the information is determined by the center and transmitted to the terminal. Therefore, the terminal only needs to take the update procedure according to the information, and communication failure between the terminal and the center. It's easy to avoid things like being able to.

Further, in the navigation system of the present invention, the terminal is provided with means for transmitting an information update request to the center when the terminal is separated from the division candidate point by a predetermined distance or more. With this configuration, when the terminal is separated from the division candidate point by a predetermined distance or more, an information update request can be automatically transmitted to update the information.

In the navigation system of the present invention, the terminal is provided with means for transmitting an information update request to the center when the arrival at the division candidate point is delayed by a predetermined time or more. With this configuration, when the arrival at the division candidate point is delayed by a predetermined time or more, the information update request can be automatically transmitted to update the information.

[0019]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention is composed of a movable terminal 10 and a center 20 capable of communicating with the terminal 10.

The movable terminal 10 is configured, for example, for carrying or on-vehicle, and has a GPS receiving section 11 for positioning the present location of the self, and an input section 12 for inputting a destination and a waypoint. , A transmission / reception unit 13 that communicates with the center 20, and a display unit 1 that displays input information from the input unit 12, reception information from the transmission / reception unit 13, and other information.
4, a storage unit 15 that stores information received by the transmission / reception unit 13, and a control unit 16 that controls each of these units.

The center 20 is constructed so as to be able to communicate with the terminal 10 via a wireless telephone line, the Internet, or other communication lines, and a transmission / reception unit 21 for communicating with the terminal 10 and map information. A storage unit 22 for storing guide information and other information, an external information collecting unit 23 for obtaining the latest information such as road construction, traffic regulation, traffic jam information, communication area, and a control unit 24 for controlling these. I have it.

The information collected by the external information collecting section 23 is constructed so as to be appropriately stored and stored in the storage section 22, and the main intersections, branch points, guidance points, etc. are stored in the center 20. Are registered as division candidate points when information is transmitted from the terminal to the terminal 10. Then, as the candidate points for division, points that can communicate with the terminal 10 are selected based on the information on the communication area collected by the external information collecting unit 23.

Next, the operation of the navigation system according to this embodiment will be described.

2, 3, and 6 are flow charts for explaining the operation of the navigation system according to the present embodiment. 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams for explaining the operation of the navigation system.

Now, when the terminal 10 is put into operation, the GPS
The receiver 11 operates to measure the current position (step 2
01). If map information near the current location is stored in the storage unit 15 in advance, the information is displayed on the display unit 14 together with the current position measured by the GPS receiving unit 11.

Next, the destination is input using the input unit 12 (step 202), and the present location is input via the transmission / reception unit 13.
The destination information is transmitted to the center 20 (step 20
3), and in the center 20, the transmitted / received information of the present location and the destination is respectively received by the transmission / reception unit 21 (step 20).
4), and supply to the control unit 24.

When the information on the current location and the destination is input to the control section 24, the control section 24 searches for the optimum route from the current location to the destination based on this information (step 205). When a transit point is input in addition to the destination, the optimum route from the current location through the transit point to the destination is searched.

Here, the optimum route is a route in which the distance from the current position to the destination is the shortest, or a route in which the required time from the current position to the destination is the shortest.
These are calculated based on the latest road construction information, traffic regulation information, traffic jam information, and other traffic information stored in the storage unit 22, respectively.

When the optimum route is searched in this way, a large number of division candidate points are present in the route, so that the division point closest to the current position is first determined from among them (step 206). That is, when the information such as map information and guidance information is transmitted from the center 20 to the terminal 10, the division point is a point that serves as a guideline for dividing the information, and the division point is stored in the storage unit 22 in advance. Candidate points (main intersections, branch points, guide points, etc. where communication with the terminal is possible) are selected and determined.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, with the optimum route from the current location to the destination searched, for example, the fourth division candidate point (d) is counted as the division point from the current location. Selected and determined.

When the division points are determined, first, map information up to the division points, guidance information, etc. are retrieved from the storage unit 22 (step 207), and then some division candidates ahead of the division points. Map information up to the point, guidance information, etc. are retrieved from the storage unit 22 as preliminary information and added to the previous map information, guidance information, etc. (step 208). That is, in FIG. 4, information up to the next division candidate point (e) is extracted as preliminary information and added to the information up to the division point (d).

When the preliminary information is added in this way, information on the point at which the update request is issued from the terminal 10 is added next (step 209). . That is, in the present embodiment,
A division point is selected as a point for issuing an update request, and this is added to map information, guidance information, and the like. Then, all such information is transmitted to the terminal 10 side via the transmitting / receiving unit 21 (step 210).

The information transmitted to the terminal 10 side is received by the transmission / reception unit 13 (step 211) and stored in the storage unit 15 (step 212). Then, the control unit 16 reads out necessary information from the storage unit 15 and displays it on the display unit 14 together with the current position measured by the GPS receiving unit 11 (step 21).
3).

When the terminal 10 moves along the optimum route and reaches the point (the dividing point in the present embodiment) which previously issued the update request received from the center 20 (step 301), at this point, the destination is reached. It is determined whether the vehicle has arrived at the destination (step 302). If the destination has not been reached, the control unit 16
Enters the update request operation (step 303). In the update request operation, the current position at that time measured by the GPS receiving unit 11, the destination previously input using the input unit 12 and stored in the storage unit 15, and the stopover stored in the storage unit 15 are still stored. The transit point or the like that has not passed is transmitted again to the center 20 via the transmission / reception unit 13.

Therefore, based on these pieces of information, in the same way as above, the center 20 searches for the optimum route from the current position to the destination, the information up to the next division point, and the division candidates several points ahead of the division point. The information up to the point is read from the storage unit 22, the information about the point at which an update request is issued next, and the like are added to this, and the information is transmitted to the terminal 10 side. Therefore, on the terminal 10 side, the information transmitted to the terminal 10 side can be received by the transmission / reception unit 13 and displayed on the display unit 14 together with the current position measured by the GPS reception unit 11.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the center 2
Since the information of the point where the update request is issued is sent from 0, at this point, the update request can be automatically issued and the new next information can be obtained again, and the update can be performed smoothly and automatically. be able to.

By the way, in the present embodiment, the center 20
From the terminal 10 as well as the information on the point where the update request is issued from
If the present location of the vehicle is distant from the division candidate point by a predetermined distance or more (step 304) or if the arrival at the division candidate location is delayed by a predetermined time or more (step 305), these are automatically detected. I am trying to issue an update request.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the division points are determined, some predetermined division candidate points counted from the current position are selected and determined as the division points. If there is a tunnel or other communication inadequate area immediately before the set number of division candidate points,
There is provided a means for changing and correcting the division points so that the division candidate points subsequent to the next division point will not be the division points.

That is, a more specific description will be given with reference to FIG.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, as described above,
It is configured such that the fourth division candidate point counted from the current position is the division point. Therefore, the division point when obtaining the first transmission information is (d) as described above,
The first transmission information includes the information up to the division point (d) and the division candidate points (1 in this example) several points ahead of the division point (d).
The information is up to the next division candidate point (e).

However, paying attention to the case where the second transmission information is obtained, in this case, the terminal 10 determines the division point (d).
Therefore, the division point (d) is the current location, and the update request is output at the division point (d). Therefore, the next division point is the division point (d)
It is the fourth division candidate point counted from, ie, the division candidate point (h) if it is originally.

However, immediately before the division candidate point (h),
There is a tunnel and it is an area where communication is inappropriate. Therefore, in this case, the center 20 detects this in advance and changes the division point to the next division candidate point, that is, (i) in this example. That is, in this case, the second transmission information includes the information up to the division point (i) and the division candidate points that are several points ahead of the division point (i) (in this example, one division candidate point (j )) It becomes the information up to.

Further, in the present embodiment, the information up to the division point is added to the information up to the division candidate point prior to the division point as the preliminary information, and is transmitted. However, the division for obtaining the preliminary information is performed. In the case of a communication inadequate area in the vicinity of the candidate point, means for changing the division candidate point to a further division candidate point is provided.

That is, regarding this, as shown in FIG.
Will be specifically described. It is assumed that the terminal 10 reaches the division point (i) and issues an update request. In this case, the next division point is the division point (m) because it is the fourth division candidate point counted from the division point (i). Therefore, the third transmission information includes the information up to the division point (m) and the division candidate points several points ahead of the division point (m), that is, in this example, the division candidate point (n) that is originally one ahead. ) Information.

However, in this case, as shown in the figure, there is an unsuitable area for communication near the division candidate point (n).
The division candidate point (n) is further changed to the next division candidate point (o). If there is a communication inadequate area near the division candidate point (o), the division candidate point (p) is further changed. In this way, the division candidate points are sequentially changed, and the information from the division point (m) to the division candidate point (p) is transmitted to the terminal 10 side as the preliminary information together with the information from the division points (i) to (m). To do.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, main communicable intersections, branch points, guidance points, etc. are registered as division candidate points in advance, and when a route is searched, the The division point is selected and determined from the division candidate points in the route, and the information up to the division point and the information from the division point to a predetermined number of division candidate points ahead are additionally transmitted to the terminal side as preliminary information. Therefore, the terminal side can provide route guidance based on this information, and even when updating, since there is preliminary information, it is possible to slowly perform the updating procedure while this preliminary information is present, Has the advantage that it will almost never fail.

According to the present embodiment, even if the division candidate point is the communicable area, if there is a communication inadequate area in the vicinity of the division candidate point, the division point and the backup ahead of the division point are provided. Each of the division candidate points for obtaining information is further changed and corrected to a division candidate point further ahead of the division candidate points, which has an effect that the update procedure can be performed more reliably.

In addition, in the present embodiment, as a precaution, it is also configured as follows. That is, in the terminal 10, when the current location and the destination are transmitted from the terminal 10 to the center 20, in addition to the current location and the destination, the I
D is also configured to be transmitted at the same time. Then, in the center 20, as shown in FIG. 6, when the transmitting / receiving unit 21 receives this ID (step 601), the ID is stored and held in the storage unit 22 for a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes). Is configured.

When the optimum route from the current position to the destination is searched and the division point within the optimum route is determined, the ID of the terminal 10 previously stored in the storage unit 22 is the information up to the division point. , The information up to the division candidate point before the division point, and the information of the point to issue the update request are held in association with each other (step 602).

The information up to the division point, the information up to the division candidate point before the division point, and the information about the point to issue the update request are transmitted to the terminal 10 side as transmission information (step 6).
03), but when the line is disconnected during the transmission and the communication is interrupted, the operation is performed as follows.

That is, the control unit 24 determines whether the communication has been interrupted (step 604), and if the control unit 24 determines that the communication has been interrupted, it determines how many times it has occurred (step 605). If it is a predetermined number of times, for example, 10 times or less, the transmission information is transmitted again to the terminal 10 based on the ID stored in the storage unit 22 (step 606). The information to be transmitted is summarized as information from the division candidate points to the division candidate points, and the previously transmitted information is not transmitted, but only the untransmitted information is transmitted.

The data is transmitted again to the terminal 10 (step 60
6) If the communication is interrupted again during the process, the same operation is repeated. Then, the same operation is repeated a predetermined number of times (for example, 10 times), and when the communication is still stopped, the same operation is no longer repeated and the terminal 10
To wait for a resend request from (step 607).

When there is a resend request from the terminal 10, the I of the terminal 10 stored in the storage unit 22 is accordingly responded.
According to D, the untransmitted information is transmitted to the terminal 10.

The ID of the terminal 10 is as described above.
Storage unit 22 for a predetermined fixed time (for example, 10 minutes)
Is configured to be stored and stored in the memory (step 60
8) After a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes) has passed, the data is deleted (step 609).

Therefore, after a predetermined period of time (for example, 10 minutes) has passed, the untransmitted information cannot be obtained even if a retransmission request is issued from the terminal 10. However, the center 20 does not need to store the ID of the terminal 10 and the information related thereto after a certain period of time, and does not need an extra memory.

When the communication is not interrupted, the ID of the terminal 10 stored in the storage unit 22 is deleted immediately after transmitting the transmission information. Needless to say, if retransmission is not expected, necessary information can be obtained on the basis of the new transmission of the current location and destination from the terminal 10 to the center 20 at any time.

[0059]

As described above, according to the present invention, in addition to the information up to the division point, the information up to several division candidate points in the future is simultaneously transmitted to the terminal side. It is possible to provide a navigation system having an excellent effect that even if the update procedure is started near the point, the update procedure can be performed sufficiently accurately.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a first flowchart explaining the operation of the navigation system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a second flowchart illustrating the operation of the navigation system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a first schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the navigation system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a second schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the navigation system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a third flowchart illustrating the operation of the navigation system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 terminals 11 GPS receiver 12 Input section 13 Transmitter / receiver 14 Display 15 memory 16 Control unit 20 centers 21 Transmitter / receiver 22 Memory 23 External Information Collection Department 24 Control unit

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) H04B 7/26 H04B 7/26 H H04Q 7/20 M 7/34 106A H04Q 7/04 Z F term (reference) ) 2C032 HB11 HB22 HB25 HC08 HC11 HC13 HD03 HD13 HD21 2F029 AA02 AB07 AB13 AC02 AC08 AC09 AC14 AC17 5H180 AA01 BB04 BB05 BB15 FF05 FF12 FF13 FF22 FF27 FF32 5K067 AA21 BB03 BB21 BB36 DD17 DD20 DD51 EE02 EE10 EE16 FF02 FF03 FF23 FF32 HH22 JJ02 KK15

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A terminal comprising a terminal and a center, the terminal comprising a positioning means for positioning the current location, an input means for inputting a destination, a transmitting means for transmitting the current location and the destination to the center, The center includes: a receiving unit that receives information from the center; a storage unit that stores the received information; and a display unit that displays the current location together with the received information, and the center transmits the information transmitted from the terminal. Receiving means for receiving the current location and the destination, searching means for searching a route from the received current location to the destination, and based on the division candidate points existing in the route from the current location to the destination Determining means for determining the optimum division point closest to the current location, information extracting means for extracting the first map information and the first guidance information up to the division point, and a predetermined point prior to the division point. Adding means for adding the second map information and the second guide information up to the division candidate point to the first map information and the first guide information, the first map information and the first guide information, A navigation system comprising: a transmission means for transmitting the second map information and the second guidance information to the terminal. 2. The dividing means for deciding the division point counts a plurality of the division candidate points existing in the route in the traveling direction in sequence, and when a predetermined number is reached, each of the division candidate points that has reached 2. The navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising means for setting the division candidate point as the division point. 3. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the division candidate points are selected in advance as points where communication can be performed between the center and the terminal. 4. When a communication inappropriate area exists immediately before the division point, a division point correction means for setting a division candidate point further ahead of the division point as a new division point is provided. The navigation system according to claim 1. 5. When there is a communication inadequate area up to a predetermined division candidate point ahead of the division point, second map information and a second map information up to the division candidate point further ahead of the communication inadequate area. 2. The navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising means for adding the second guide information to the first map information and the first guide information. 6. The terminal is provided with means for recognizing information of an update point for issuing an information update request from the received information and transmitting an information update request to a center when the information reaches the update point, , Means for deciding an update point for issuing the information update request and adding information on the update point, and means for transmitting the information added by the means for adding information on the update point to the terminal together with the map information. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the navigation system is added. 7. The device according to claim 1, further comprising means for transmitting an information update request to the center when the terminal is separated from the division candidate point by a predetermined distance or more. Navigation system. 8. The terminal is provided with means for transmitting an information update request to the center when the arrival at the division candidate point is delayed by a predetermined time or more.
Navigation system described in 1. 9. A positioning means for positioning the present location, an input means for inputting a destination, a transmitting means for transmitting the current location and the destination to a center, a receiving means for receiving information from the center, and a receiving means. The storage means for storing the received information, the display means for displaying the current location together with the received information, and the information of the update point for issuing an information update request from the received information are recognized, and the update point is reached. A terminal for a navigation system, further comprising means for transmitting the information update request to the center.