JP2006133132A - Portable navigation device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable navigation device capable of accurately detecting an output direction of a direction sensor mounted on a head set without holding a portable terminal at a predetermined angle, and thus performing an accurate heading up display. <P>SOLUTION: This portable navigation device 1 comprises a device body 10 including a present position detection part 11 detecting a present position, a route guide part 12 guiding a route from a start point to a destination, and a display part 13 displaying the present position and the route from the start point to the destination with a circumferential map image; and the head set 30 installed to the ear part to perform voice guidance or the like at the time of guiding the route from the start point to the destination. The head set 30 is provided with the azimuth sensor 31, and installation direction detecting members 38R and 38L for detecting the installation direction when installed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable navigation device, and more particularly to a portable navigation device capable of detecting an accurate traveling direction using a headset such as headphones or earphones when performing route guidance or the like.

  In recent years, mobile terminals such as mobile phones, PHS (Personal Handyphone System), and PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) are rapidly spreading. Along with this, various applications mounted on this mobile terminal have been developed. Among them, the current position of the pedestrian with the mobile terminal is detected, and further the route to the destination the pedestrian wants to go to is guided. Some of them have a route guidance function.

  In the route guidance from the departure point to the destination as described above, after searching for the route from the departure point to the destination, the current position is displayed on the display unit including a liquid crystal panel together with the map data and route data around the present point. It is displayed at time intervals, and navigation along the route is performed to the pedestrian by voice or the like. When performing such route guidance, map data around the current location, route data detected by route search, the current position of the pedestrian and its walking trajectory, etc. are displayed on the display unit, but the display method is always north. There are two types: north-up display that displays upward with respect to the display unit, and heading-up display that always displays the pedestrian's traveling direction upward with respect to the display unit.

  Among the display methods described above, the heading-up display has an advantage that the map image displayed on the screen can be easily associated with the actual landscape. In order to perform this heading-up display, heading-up display is currently performed in which a geomagnetic sensor is provided on a portable terminal to detect the traveling direction of a pedestrian and the traveling direction is directed upward with respect to the display unit.

  However, in the above-described method, it is necessary to always hold the mobile terminal including the geomagnetic sensor so that the traveling direction of the pedestrian is positioned upward and the display unit is directed upward. If the upper side of the head is turned, the heading-up display cannot be performed accurately because the traveling direction is not accurately detected. In order to solve such problems, the applicant of the present application has already filed a prior application 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-208093, hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1).

Below, the portable map display apparatus of the following patent document 1 is demonstrated.
The portable map display device includes a current position detecting unit that detects a current position, a current direction detecting unit that detects a current direction, a display unit that displays a map image together with a current position mark, and a current direction using map data. On-off operation of map display orientation fixed mode in a portable map display device comprising a map display control means for drawing a map image of a certain range around the current position in an upward direction together with a current position mark and displaying on the display means The map display control means provides a current direction immediately before the map display orientation fixed mode on operation is performed after the map display orientation fixed mode on operation is performed after the operation means is operated. Is fixed upward and a map image of a certain range around the current position is drawn together with the current position mark and displayed on the display means.

  With the above-described configuration, the portable map display device described in Patent Literature 1 described below has the current orientation immediately before the map display orientation fixed mode is turned on if the map display orientation fixed mode is turned on while performing heading-up display. Since the map image is displayed together with the current position mark while being fixed to face upward, the map image does not rotate and the map image does not become difficult to see even if the posture with the device is changed.

  By the way, in a mobile terminal having such a route guidance function, particularly in a mobile phone, a headphone or an earphone is used to make a call without holding the mobile phone body or to provide voice guidance during route guidance ( Hereinafter, these are collectively referred to as a headset). Various technologies related to a portable terminal equipped with such a headset have already been developed, and are also introduced in patent literature (see, for example, Patent Literature 2).

Hereinafter, a portable navigation device described in Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-177033) will be described. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of the portable navigation device of Patent Document 2.
As shown in FIG. 10, the portable navigation device 100 described in Patent Document 2 includes a device main body 112 and headphones 114, and the device main body 112 includes a display device 122, a plurality of input keys 126, and an LCD orientation sensor. 128, a GPS antenna 130 and a transmission / reception antenna 132. The headphone 114 includes a headband 136, a pair of earphones 138L and 138R as speaker means, and a head direction sensor 134.

  The portable navigation device 100 configured as described above uses the input key 126 to allow the user to input destination position information indicating the latitude and longitude of the destination, and then acquires the current position information. Subsequently, the current direction of the destination is calculated based on the position information of the destination and the position information of the current location, and the guide information and the map information are received from the server computer. Then, the current orientation of the LCD reference direction is acquired from the LCD orientation sensor 128, and a route image in which the current location of the user and the direction to be traveled are superimposed on a map image around the current location is displayed.

  Further, the current heading in the head front direction is acquired from the head heading sensor 134, and the angle difference between the current heading direction in the destination and the heading front direction acquired from the head heading sensor 134 is calculated. Then, with reference to the angle difference, the sound is output from the earphones 138L and 138R so that the sound image is localized at the target local position. As a result, the musical sound whose sound image is localized in the current direction of the destination in the real space is output from the earphones 138L and 138R.

  With the above-described configuration, the portable navigation device 100 described in Patent Document 2 below changes the tone output condition according to the angle difference between the current direction of the destination and the current direction of the head front direction. Can easily recognize the target direction in the real space by the musical sound output from the speaker means. Therefore, according to this portable navigation device, the user can easily determine the direction to proceed based on the route image.

JP 2003-208093 A (paragraphs [0003], [0006], [0022]) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-177033 (FIG. 3, paragraphs [0006], [0013], [0018], [0031] to [0038])

  However, since the mobile map display device of Patent Document 1 can cancel the temporary change in the angle of the mobile terminal by turning on the map display orientation fixing mode, the mobile terminal always holds the mobile terminal at a predetermined angle. Although it is no longer necessary, since there is no accessory such as a headset, it is equipped with a direction sensor in the mobile terminal. Therefore, in order to perform heading-up display, the mobile terminal inevitably changes when the direction of travel changes. It is necessary to hold the mobile terminal body in the map display orientation. Similarly, in the portable navigation device 100 described in Patent Document 2, the LCD main direction is determined by the LCD orientation sensor 128 attached to the device main body 112, so that the device main body 112 can be used for heading-up display. Must be held at a predetermined angle.

  In the portable navigation device described in Patent Document 2, the head direction sensor 134 is provided in the headphone 114 so that the head front direction of the user can be detected. When the head is worn in the opposite direction, the head front direction output by the head direction sensor 134 is exactly the reverse of the actual direction. At this time, the sound image is localized in a predetermined direction because the speaker is also reversed. However, the voice guidance of the portable navigation device 100 performed through the headphones 114 is in the opposite direction for the user when guiding “right” or “left”, and there is a risk of misunderstanding.

  In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have studied various methods for performing heading-up display without holding the mobile terminal at a predetermined angle. As a result, an orientation sensor for detecting the pedestrian's traveling direction is attached to the mobile terminal. It was found that heading-up display can be performed without holding the mobile terminal at a predetermined angle by setting the detected direction of the direction sensor attached to the headset as the traveling direction.

  By the way, the above-mentioned patent document 2 has already disclosed a technique in which an orientation sensor (134) is attached to a headset (114). However, as described above, the direction detected by the head direction sensor 134 may detect the direction opposite to the traveling direction depending on the direction in which the headphones 114 are attached. At this time, the pedestrian displayed on the display screen is facing backwards. It will be recognized as if you are walking.

  Furthermore, the headset used in the portable navigation device is not limited to a headphone made up of two earphones and a headband, but can be used by putting it on one ear like a hands-free kit for a mobile phone using wireless such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). Because it is unclear whether a headset attached to one ear is attached to the left or right, the head front direction output by the orientation sensor attached to this headset is not always correct. Therefore, the portable navigation device of Patent Document 2 cannot achieve the above-described object.

  Accordingly, the present inventors have further studied various methods for solving the above-described problems, and as a result, if it is possible to detect the mounting direction of the headset, it is desirable as an orientation sensor for detecting the traveling direction when performing headset display. And the present invention has been achieved.

  That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a portable navigation device that can perform accurate heading-up display without holding the portable terminal at a predetermined angle.

  Still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable navigation device capable of correctly detecting the output direction of the direction sensor attached to the headset.

In order to achieve the above object, a portable navigation device according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a current position detecting means for detecting a current position, and a route guiding means for guiding a route from a departure place to a destination. A display unit that displays the current position and a route from the departure place to the destination together with a map image of the surroundings, and an apparatus body comprising:
A headset that is attached to the ear and performs voice guidance when guiding the route from the departure place to the destination by the route guidance means;
A portable navigation device comprising:
The headset is equipped with an orientation sensor and is provided with a mounting direction detection member for detecting the mounting direction at the time of mounting.

  The invention according to claim 2 relates to the portable navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the headset includes a right-ear earphone and a left-ear earphone, and the direction sensor is the right-ear earphone or It is mounted on one of the left earphones, and the mounting direction detecting member has a shape that can be attached only to either the left or right when attached to the ear.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable navigation device comprising: a current position detecting means for detecting a current position by satellite navigation or the like; a route guiding means for guiding a route from a departure place to a destination; And a display means for displaying a route from the departure place to the destination together with a surrounding map image,
A headset that is attached to the ear and performs voice guidance when guiding the route from the departure place to the destination by the route guidance means;
A portable navigation device comprising:
The headset is equipped with an azimuth sensor, and the traveling direction is detected from the azimuth detected by the azimuth sensor and the locus of the current position detection result by the satellite navigation in the current position detection means.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the portable navigation device according to the third aspect, wherein the traveling direction is detected by the azimuth sensor based on a current position detection result by satellite navigation in the current position detecting means. If the direction is substantially the same as the direction derived from the trajectory, the direction detected by the direction sensor is the traveling direction, and the direction detected by the direction sensor is the current position detected by satellite navigation in the current position detection means. When the direction is substantially different from the direction derived from the trajectory of the result, the direction obtained by rotating the output direction of the direction sensor by 180 ° is set as the traveling direction.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable navigation device comprising: a current position detecting means for detecting a current position; a route guiding means for guiding a route from a departure place to a destination; the current position and the departure place. A display unit that displays a route from the destination to the destination together with the surrounding map image,
A headset that is attached to the ear and performs voice guidance when guiding the route from the departure place to the destination by the route guidance means;
A portable navigation device comprising:
A main body side direction sensor is provided in the apparatus main body, and a headset side direction sensor is provided in the headset, and the heading side sensor is advanced from the direction detected by the main body side direction sensor and the headset side direction sensor. It is characterized by detecting a direction.

  The invention according to claim 6 relates to the portable navigation device according to claim 5, wherein the traveling direction is an orientation in which an orientation detected by the headset side orientation sensor is detected by the main body side orientation sensor. And the direction detected by the headset side azimuth sensor is substantially the same as the direction detected by the main body side azimuth sensor. If the directions are different from each other, a direction obtained by rotating the azimuth detected by the headset side azimuth sensor by 180 ° is set as a traveling direction.

  By providing the above configuration, the present invention has the following excellent effects. That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the orientation sensor is mounted on the headset and the mounting direction detection member for detecting the mounting direction at the time of mounting is provided, A pair of earphones to be worn on the ear, and even when the orientation sensor is attached to one of the pair of earphones, the attachment direction detection member is attached to the headset. , It can easily detect whether the direction sensor is installed in the earphone attached to either the left or right ear, so that the head front direction can be detected accurately, thereby detecting the traveling direction Therefore, when displaying the current position on the map on the display unit, the mobile terminal does not need to be held in the direction of travel. It is possible to perform the heading-up display on.

  According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the effect described in claim 1, the mounting direction detection member is shaped so that it can be attached only to either the left or right ear. However, it is possible to perform desirable mounting without being aware of the mounting direction.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the headset is equipped with an azimuth sensor, and proceeds from the azimuth detected by the azimuth sensor and the locus of the current position detection result by the satellite navigation in the current position detection means. By detecting the direction, it becomes possible to accurately detect the traveling direction without providing a special member in the headset, and when displaying the current position on the map in the display unit, the mobile terminal is set to the traveling direction. The heading-up display can be performed accurately without having to hold the head.

  According to the invention of claim 4, in addition to the effect of claim 3, the direction detected by the direction sensor is derived from the locus of the current position detection result by satellite navigation in the current position detection means. If the direction is substantially the same as the direction to be taken, the direction detected by the direction sensor is set as the traveling direction, and the direction detected by the direction sensor is determined from the locus of the current position detection result by satellite navigation in the current position detection means. When the direction is substantially different from the derived direction, the output direction of the direction sensor is opposite to the direction of travel by setting the direction of rotation of the output direction of the direction sensor 180 ° as the direction of travel. Even so, an accurate traveling direction can be detected.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a main body side direction sensor is provided in the apparatus main body, and a headset side direction sensor is provided in the headset, and the main body side direction sensor and the headset are provided. By detecting the traveling direction from the direction detected by the side azimuth sensor, it is possible to detect an accurate traveling direction, and by detecting the traveling azimuth using the heading side azimuth sensor, The heading-up display can be performed accurately without having to hold the heading toward the traveling direction.

  According to the invention of claim 6, in addition to the effect of claim 5, the traveling direction is an orientation in which the orientation detected by the headset side orientation sensor is detected by the main body side orientation sensor. And the direction detected by the headset side azimuth sensor is substantially the same as the direction detected by the main body side azimuth sensor. If the direction detected by the headset side azimuth sensor is 180 degrees, the direction of rotation is 180 degrees, and the direction of rotation of the azimuth sensor is opposite to the direction of travel. However, it is possible to detect the accurate direction of travel, and more accurately detect the direction of travel by detecting the direction of travel based on the output direction of the direction sensor on the headset side. It will be able to be performed.

  Hereinafter, the best embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below exemplify portable navigation devices for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and are not intended to specify the present invention. Other embodiments included in are equally applicable.

  Below, each structure of the portable navigation apparatus concerning Example 1 of the present invention is explained in detail. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a portable navigation device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view showing a headset of the portable navigation device of the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a diagram of the portable navigation device of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a traveling direction detection process in the portable navigation device of the first embodiment.

  The mobile navigation device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a mobile terminal 10 and a headset 30. And the portable terminal 10 connects these with the present position detection part 11, the route guidance part 12, the display part 13, the operation part 14, the main control part 15, the data storage part 16, and I / F17. The headset 30 includes a direction sensor 31, a traveling direction detection unit 32, a speaker 33, a microphone 34, and an I / F 35.

  The mobile terminal 10 is composed of a mobile phone, for example, and the current position detection unit 11 detects the current position of the user holding the mobile terminal 10 by satellite navigation or self-contained navigation, and includes a GPS reception unit 11a, a calculation unit 11b, The distance sensor 11c. The GPS receiver 11a is used to detect the current position by satellite navigation, receives radio waves from a plurality of GPS satellites 19, and calculates and outputs the current position from the distance to the plurality of GPS satellites 19, The distance sensor 11c is an acceleration sensor and is used to estimate and detect the current position by self-contained navigation. The distance sensor 11c detects a travel distance by double integration of the output of the acceleration sensor. A calculation for detecting the current position from the distance to the plurality of GPS satellites 19 received by the GPS receiver 11a and the output result of the distance sensor 11c are calculated and output.

  The route guidance unit 12 uses route data from a departure point to a destination, map data around the current location, voice guidance data at the time of route guidance, and the like received from a route search server (not shown) in response to a user's route search request. The route from the departure point to the destination is guided and comprises an image processing unit 12a, a voice guidance processing unit 12b, and a data communication unit 12c. The data communication unit 12c transmits a user's route search request to the route search server via the public line 20, and receives map data, route data and other necessary data transmitted from the route search server. When the map data received by the data communication unit 12c is vector data, the image processing unit 12a creates map data by adding an icon or the like on the data, and displays the map data and route data on the display unit 13. In order to perform the image processing of the received data such as creating raster data by superimposing both data, the voice guidance processing unit 12b indicates the direction of the turn when the user approaches an intersection or the like during route guidance. The guidance is made by voice, and the voice data created here is output from the speaker 33 of the headset 30.

  The display unit 13 is composed of, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays a current location display at the time of route guidance, a display of a route search request setting screen and other setting screens, and this display at the time of route guidance. A so-called heading-up display is performed in which the upper direction of the section 13 is displayed as the user's traveling direction. The operation unit 14 includes a plurality of input keys, which are arranged, for example, at predetermined intervals below the display unit 13 to instruct the start of navigation of the mobile navigation device 1 or to input route search conditions. Is. The input key may be a push button, a cross key, or a touch panel integrated with the display unit.

  The main control unit 15 realizes various functions of the mobile navigation device 1, and by executing various control programs stored in the data storage unit 16, for example, if the mobile navigation device 1 is a mobile phone, a route guidance function is provided. Not only the telephone functions but also all functions such as Internet communication functions are controlled. The data storage unit 16 includes a ROM, a RAM, and the like. In addition to the control program executed by the main control unit 15, map information, traveling direction information, GPS reception information, voice guidance information, current location information, destination location information Position information and the like are stored. The main control unit 15 can also execute a control program related to map display such as map matching processing.

  The I / F 17 is an interface for performing mutual communication with the headset 30, and transmits a voice signal at the time of calling or voice guidance of a cellular phone by wireless connection. Here, the connection with the headset 30 is a wireless connection, but it may of course be a wired connection with a cable, for example.

  The headset 30 is connected to the mobile terminal 10 and used during a call or voice guidance. The headset 30 includes an orientation sensor 31, a traveling direction detection unit 32, a speaker 33, a microphone 34, and an I / F 35. . The azimuth sensor 31 is a three-dimensional geomagnetic sensor. For example, a TMR (Tunneling Magnetoresistive) element or a GMR (Giant Magnetoresistive) element is used. The other one is placed on the axis perpendicular to the head front direction and the other one is placed on the axis perpendicular to the head front direction. The head direction of the user's head is detected by extracting an output signal from the magnetoresistive element, and the traveling direction detection unit 32 is detected from the direction sensor 31 when a traveling direction acquisition request is received from the mobile terminal 10. The head front direction is acquired as the user's traveling direction and transmitted to the mobile terminal 10 side.

  The speaker 33 provides voice guidance during a call or route guidance on a mobile phone, and the microphone 34 is used during a call on the mobile phone. Further, the I / F 35 performs mutual communication with the I / F 17 on the mobile terminal 10 side, receives the audio signal transmitted from the mobile terminal 10 side and the traveling direction detection request, and collects the audio signal collected by the microphone and The traveling direction detected by the traveling direction detection unit 32 is transmitted to the mobile terminal 10 side.

  A headset 30 having the above-described configuration is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the headset 30 includes a pair of earphones 36 and 37 that can be worn on both ears of the user. The earphones 36 and 37 have a speaker 33 and a microphone 34, respectively. The direction sensor 31 is attached only to one of the earphones 36 and 37 (36 in the figure). It is preferable that the azimuth sensor 31 is attached at a position away from the speaker 33 as shown in FIG. 2 because the disturbance factor of the sensor due to magnetic leakage from the speaker 33 can be further reduced. However, in a recent three-dimensional geomagnetic sensor, such a disturbance factor can be canceled, so that the mounting position does not necessarily have to be a position away from the speaker 33.

  The headset 30 is further provided with a right-ear attachment 38R and a left-ear attachment 38L that provide an effect of assisting wearing only in either the left or right ear as a wearing direction detection member. The attachments 38R and 38L are detachably attached to the earphones 36 and 37. In FIG. 2, the right ear attachment 38R is attached to the earphone 36 including the direction sensor 31. However, if the attachments 38R and 38L can be removed in this way, it is necessary to detect which ear the earphone 36 to which the direction sensor 31 is attached is attached. A switch 39 that is detected only when the attachment 38R is attached is provided, and the output of the switch 39 detects which earphone 36, 37 is attached to the right ear, thereby detecting the direction sensor of the earphone 36. The position of 31 is grasped. The azimuth sensor 31 is set so as to correctly detect the front direction of the head when attached to the right ear, for example. When the earphone 36 is attached to the left ear, the azimuth sensor 31 is detected by the traveling azimuth detector 32. 180 outputs the outputs of the geomagnetic sensors arranged in the head front axis direction (X-axis direction) and the axial direction perpendicular to the head front direction (Y-axis direction) when the user is worn detected by Rotate to detect each axis and transmit the detection result to the mobile terminal 10.

  FIG. 3 shows a state in which the user wears the headset 30 having the above-described configuration. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the earphones 36 and 37 are hooked by attaching the attachments 38R and 38L to the user's ear. If the earphone is attached to the ear, it is impossible to attach the earphone to which the right ear attachment 38R (left ear attachment 38L) is attached to the left ear (to the right ear). The attachment position of 31 can be detected.

  Below, the advancing direction detection process in the portable navigation apparatus 1 of Example 1 is demonstrated with reference to the flowchart of FIG. However, in this detection process, it is assumed that the user starts route guidance with the headset 30 already attached, but the present invention can be similarly applied to the case where the current position is simply displayed without performing route guidance. Needless to say.

  First, when route guidance is started in the mobile terminal 10, a heading-up display of the current position on the display unit 13 is started in step S10. When the current position display is started, a traveling direction detection request is transmitted from the portable terminal 10 to the headset 30 via the I / F 17 in order to detect the traveling direction in step S11. When the advancing direction detection request is received on the headset 30 side, three axes such as the head front direction are detected by the orientation sensor 31 attached to the headset 30 in step S12. Next, in step S13, the headset is detected. By detecting the mounting position (right ear or left ear) of the azimuth sensor 31 from the output state of the switch 39 by the traveling azimuth detector 32 in the head 30, the correct head front direction is detected. That is, for example, when the azimuth sensor 31 is set to detect the correct head front direction when the earphone 36 having the azimuth sensor 31 is attached to the right ear, the right ear attachment 38R is provided on the earphone 36. When attached, the head front direction detected by the direction sensor 31 is detected as the traveling direction as it is, and when the left ear attachment 38L is attached to the earphone 36, the head front direction detected by the direction sensor 31 is detected. The direction rotated by 180 ° is recognized as the correct head front direction, and this direction is detected as the traveling direction.

  The traveling direction detected in step S13 is transmitted to the mobile terminal 10 via the I / F 35 in step S14. In step S15, the traveling direction detected by the traveling direction detection unit 32 is displayed on the display unit 13. The heading-up display of the current position is performed so that it becomes the direction. The position information at this time is calculated and output using the GPS receiver 11a or the distance sensor 11c.

  Further, in step S16, it is detected whether or not a predetermined time (for example, 1 to 2 seconds) set as a time interval for detecting the traveling azimuth has elapsed. If the predetermined time has elapsed, the main controller 16 sets the headset. The traveling direction detection request is transmitted again to 30 (step S11). If the predetermined time has not elapsed, it is detected in step S17 whether or not the destination has been reached. If the destination has been reached, a series of processing is terminated. If the destination has not been reached, the flow returns to step S16 to return to the predetermined time. Monitor whether time has passed.

  With the above-described configuration, the portable navigation device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention detects the head front direction output from the direction sensor 31 attached to the headset 30 as the traveling direction, and therefore, when performing route guidance or the like. Since there is no need to hold the mobile terminal 10 in the direction of travel while holding it in the hand, the convenience is further improved, and the direction sensor 31 is attached only to one of the earphones 36 and 37 as the headset 30, By attaching attachments 38R and 38L as attachment direction detecting members to the respective earphones 36 and 37, an accurate head front direction can be detected.

  Further, when the orientation sensor 31 is provided in the headset 30, for example, when the user is looking at the scenery or the like, the front direction of the user's head strictly indicates a direction different from the traveling direction. Therefore, there is no problem even if the display unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 does not display the traveling direction strictly as the upward direction.

  In the first embodiment, the headset that is worn on both ears has been described. However, a user's handset kit (such as a hands-free kit for a mobile phone using Bluetooth (registered trademark)) that is worn only on one ear is used. Some ears change depending on your preference. In such an earphone, it is not practical to attach the mounting direction detection member as shown in the first embodiment to the earphone because the ears that can be mounted are limited to either the left or right. Therefore, as a second embodiment, a portable navigation device 1A capable of detecting an accurate traveling direction even using an earphone that is worn only on one ear as described above will be described below.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the portable navigation device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a headset of the portable navigation device of the second embodiment, and FIG. 6A is viewed from one side. FIG. 6B is a perspective view seen from the other side, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a traveling direction detection step in the portable navigation device of the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, the description thereof is omitted, and only different components are described.

  The mobile terminal 10A of the portable navigation device 1A has a traveling direction detection unit 11d in the current position detection unit 11, and the traveling direction detection unit 11d receives a sensor output transmitted from a headset 30A described later. The heading direction is derived from the sensor output by detecting the head front direction. This detection method will be described in detail later, and the description is omitted here.

  Next, the headset 30A of the portable navigation device 1A is of an earphone type that includes an orientation sensor 31 and is connected to the portable terminal 10A by a lead wire as shown in FIG. This headset 30A is mainly used when performing voice guidance during route guidance, and a microphone that allows a mobile phone call like the headset 30 of the first embodiment to be performed in a hands-free manner is incorporated in the headset. Unlike what I did, it was small and only worn on one ear. In addition, since the use of the headset 30A is limited to voice guidance or the like, downsizing is prioritized, and no means for detecting the traveling direction is mounted inside. Further, the orientation sensor 31 mounted on the headset 30A defaults the head front direction when worn on the left ear so that the head front direction is correctly detected when worn on the left ear. The Y axis perpendicular to the horizontal direction is set to the X axis and the Z axis which is the vertical direction at the time of mounting is set.

Below, the advancing direction detection process of 1 A of portable navigation apparatuses of Example 2 is demonstrated with reference to FIG.
For example, when the route guidance is started, display of the current position on the display unit 13 is first started in step S21. Then, in step S22, the azimuth sensor output request is transmitted from the main control unit 15 to the headset 30A via the I / F 17, and when the azimuth sensor output request is received by the I / F 35, in step S23, X, Detection of the Y and Z axes is performed. The X, Y, and Z axes detected in step S23 are transmitted to the mobile terminal 10A via the I / F 35 in step S24.

  In the portable terminal 10A that has received the output result of the direction sensor 31, processing for determining whether the output result of the direction sensor 31 is correct is performed in the traveling direction detection unit 11d. Specifically, first, it is detected how many times the GPS receiving unit 11a has received the signal after the route guidance is started in step S25. If the number of times is two or more, the process proceeds to step S26, and the number is two or less. Since it is not possible to determine whether the output result of the orientation sensor 31 is correct or not, in step S29, the head front direction when mounted on the left ear set as a default is regarded as the head front direction as it is. At this time, if the user wears the headset 30A in the right ear, the direction opposite to the traveling direction is detected as the traveling direction. However, GPS reception is detected at a relatively short time interval such as an interval of 2 to 5 seconds. Therefore, there is no major problem because the period in which GPS reception is not performed twice or more is a short period.

  If it is determined in step S25 that the number of times of GPS reception is 2 or more, the traveling direction is estimated and detected from the previous two GPS positioning positions in step S26. The estimated direction may be obtained, for example, by calculating a vector that simply connects the two GPS positioning positions. The estimated traveling direction does not strictly indicate the traveling direction of the user, but it is sufficient that the degree of accuracy indicating the approximate traveling direction can be obtained. When the estimated traveling direction is obtained in step S26, the X axis of the sensor output is compared with the estimated traveling direction in step S27, and the X axis of the sensor output indicates substantially the same direction as the estimated traveling direction. Recognizes that the headset 30A is worn on the left ear of the user and recognizes that the X-axis indicates the front direction of the head, and detects the X-axis as the traveling direction in step S29. If the X axis of the sensor output indicates a direction substantially different from the estimated traveling direction in step S27, it is recognized that the headset 30A is worn on the right ear, and the sensor output X in step S28. The axis and the Y axis are rotated by 180 °, and the rotated X axis is regarded as the correct head front direction and detected as a traveling direction in step S29. The substantially same direction and the substantially different direction do not need to be exactly the same direction, for example, when the X-axis direction of the sensor output is oriented within ± 90 ° from the estimated traveling direction Are substantially the same direction, and conversely, if the X-axis direction of the sensor output is not oriented within ± 90 ° from the estimated traveling direction, the direction is substantially different.

  In step S30, a heading-up display of the current position is performed so that the traveling direction detected in step S29 is upward on the display unit 13. Further, in step S31, it is detected whether or not a predetermined time (for example, 1 to 2 seconds) set as a time interval for detecting the heading again has passed. If the predetermined time has passed, the main controller 15 sets the headset. The traveling direction detection request is transmitted again to 30A (step S22). If the predetermined time has not elapsed, it is detected in step S32 whether or not the destination has been reached. If the destination has been reached, the series of processing is terminated. If the destination has not been reached, the flow returns to step S31 to return to the predetermined position. Monitor whether time has passed.

  With the above-described configuration, it is possible to detect an accurate traveling direction even when using the headset 30A that is worn only on one ear, such as the portable navigation device 1A of the second embodiment.

  By the way, as described in the first and second embodiments, the portable navigation device does not always include a headset. Rather, since the headset is an accessory, it is naturally possible to use a mobile terminal main body equipped with an orientation sensor as a standard so that a route search can be performed without the headset. Therefore, hereinafter, as a third embodiment, a portable navigation device 1B having an orientation sensor on the portable terminal side will be described.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the portable navigation device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a traveling direction detection process in the portable navigation device of the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the same components as those in the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, the description thereof is omitted, and only different configurations are described.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the portable navigation device 1B includes a portable terminal 10B and a headset 30B. The headset 30B has the same configuration as that shown in the second embodiment. The mobile terminal 10B is different from the mobile terminal 10A of the second embodiment in that the current position detection unit 11 includes an azimuth sensor 11e. Map display, current position display, self-contained navigation, etc. without using the headset 30B. The route guidance including can be performed.

Below, the advancing direction detection process of the portable navigation apparatus 1B of Example 3 will be described with reference to FIG. However, here, for easier understanding, the azimuth sensor 31 provided on the headset 30B side is described as the first azimuth sensor 31, and the azimuth sensor 11e provided on the portable terminal 10B side is described as the second azimuth sensor 11e. Shall be performed. The configuration of the headset 30B is the same as that of the second embodiment (see FIG. 6).
For example, when route guidance is started, display of the current position on the display unit 13 is first started in step S41. In step S42, the first azimuth sensor output request is transmitted from the main controller 15 to the headset 30B via the I / F 17, and when the first azimuth sensor output request is received by the I / F 35, the first azimuth sensor output request is received in step S43. The azimuth sensor 31 detects the X, Y, and Z axes. The X, Y, and Z axes detected in step S43 are transmitted to the portable terminal 10B via the I / F 35 in step S44. At this time, the X, Y, and Z axes detected by the first azimuth sensor 31 are the same as the directions shown in the second embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  In the portable terminal 10B that has received the output result of the first azimuth sensor 31, processing for determining whether the output result of the first azimuth sensor 31 is correct is performed in the traveling azimuth detecting unit 11d. Specifically, first, in step S45, the X and Y axes are detected by the second orientation sensor 11e included in the mobile terminal 10B. The second orientation sensor 11e included in the mobile terminal 10B has the X-axis direction as the upward direction of the mobile terminal and the Y-axis direction as the lateral direction of the mobile terminal. In step S46, the sensor output of the first azimuth sensor 31 is compared with the sensor output of the second azimuth sensor 11e. If the X-axis indicates substantially the same direction, the first azimuth sensor 31 Assuming that the correct traveling direction is detected, the X axis of the first direction sensor 31 is detected as the traveling direction in step S48. In step S46, if the X axis of the first orientation sensor 31 and the X axis of the second orientation sensor 11e indicate substantially different directions, the first orientation sensor 31 detects the orientation opposite to the traveling orientation. In step S47, the X-axis and Y-axis of the first orientation sensor 31 output are rotated by 180 °, and the rotated X-axis is regarded as the correct head front direction, and the traveling direction is determined in step S48. To detect. The substantially same direction and the substantially different direction do not need to be exactly the same direction. For example, the first azimuth sensor output is within ± 90 ° from the X-axis azimuth of the second azimuth sensor output. If the X-axis direction of the first direction sensor is substantially the same direction, the X-axis direction of the first direction sensor output is opposite to ± 90 ° from the X-axis direction of the second direction sensor output. If it is facing, the direction is substantially different. Further, in this embodiment, the azimuth sensor is provided on both the mobile terminal 10B side and the headset 30B side, but the vertical axis is more stable in the output result of the azimuth sensor 31 on the headset 30B side. Therefore, it is assumed that the azimuth sensor 11e on the mobile terminal 10B side does not detect the azimuth in the Z-axis direction.

  In step S49, a heading-up display of the current position is performed so that the traveling direction detected in step S48 is upward on the display unit 13. Further, in step S50, it is detected whether or not a predetermined time (for example, 1 to 2 seconds) set as a time interval for detecting the heading again has elapsed. If the predetermined time has elapsed, the main controller 16 sets the headset. The traveling direction detection request is transmitted again to 30B (step S42). If the predetermined time has not elapsed, it is detected whether or not the destination has been reached in step S51. If the destination has been reached, the series of processing is terminated. If the destination has not been reached, the flow returns to step S50 to return to the predetermined time. Monitor whether time has passed.

  With the above configuration, even when the portable terminal 10B such as the portable navigation device 1B according to the third embodiment includes the direction sensor 11e, it is possible to detect an accurate traveling direction. Further, by adopting the output result of the direction sensor 31 on the headset 30B side as the traveling direction, it becomes possible to detect the traveling direction with higher accuracy.

(Application 1)
As shown in the third embodiment, according to the portable navigation device 1B including the orientation sensors 11e and 31 on both the mobile terminal 10B and the headset 30B, the head front direction detected by the orientation sensor 31 on the headset 30B side It is possible to estimate whether or not the user is looking at the mobile terminal by comparing the output azimuth in the X-axis direction on the mobile terminal 10B side. In other words, the fact that the X-axis orientation on the mobile terminal 10B side and the output orientation indicating the head front direction on the headset 30B side are different means that the user is looking at the surrounding scenery, etc. You don't have it, for example, you put it in a bag. That is, if these two orientations are the same, it means that there is at least the mobile terminal 10B in the user's field of view. Therefore, except for the case where the two orientations are the same, the display unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10B Control such as turning off the backlight can be performed, and a power saving effect can be obtained. Incidentally, as the same direction of the two directions at this time, for example, the head front direction detected by the direction sensor 31 on the headset 30B side exists within ± 30 ° of the direction of the X-axis direction of the direction sensor 11e of the mobile terminal 10B. If the head front direction detected by the direction sensor 31 on the headset 30B side does not exist within ± 30 °, the user determines that the user is not looking at the mobile terminal 10B. In the above description, the allowable angle indicating whether or not the same direction is within ± 30 ° is used.

(Application example 2)
Furthermore, as an application example of the portable navigation device of the present invention, one of current position estimation methods used when performing route guidance or the like is to multiply the number of steps of a pedometer and to add a moving distance in the azimuth direction. However, when calculating the distance, if the heading direction is significantly different from the direction of the sidewalk or passage on the map at that point (hereinafter referred to as the link direction), the number of steps during that period is It is also possible not to reflect the distance calculation. This is because, usually, the face is facing the direction of travel, and the number of steps is occurring in a direction that is significantly different from the link direction on the map (for example, ± 60 ° or more). It is possible that the user has made a detour that is not on the map, or has stopped by a store. In this case, it is better not to accumulate distances. In this application example, since the user may look sideways instantaneously while walking, an actually effective output value may include conditions such as a case where the heading deviates continuously for three steps or more.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a portable navigation device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view showing the headset of the portable navigation device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the user wears the headset of the portable navigation device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a traveling direction detection process in the portable navigation device of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the portable navigation device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a diagram showing a headset of the portable navigation device of Example 2, FIG. 6 (a) is a perspective view seen from one side, FIG. 6 (b) is a perspective view seen from the other side, FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a traveling direction detection step in the portable navigation device of the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the portable navigation device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a traveling direction detection process in the portable navigation device of the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of a conventional portable navigation device.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1A, 1B Portable navigation apparatus 10, 10A, 10B Portable terminal 11 Current position detection part 12 Route guidance part 13 Display part 14 Operation part 15 Main control part 16 Data storage part 17 (Mobile terminal side) I / F
30, 30A, 30B Headset 31 Orientation sensor 32 Traveling direction detection unit 33 Speaker 34 Microphone 35 (Headset side) I / F
36, 37 Earphone 38R, 38L Attachment 39 Switch

Claims (6)

Current position detection means for detecting the current position, route guidance means for guiding the route from the departure place to the destination, and the current position and the route from the departure place to the destination are displayed together with surrounding map images. An apparatus main body comprising display means;
A headset that is attached to the ear and performs voice guidance when guiding the route from the departure place to the destination by the route guidance means;
A portable navigation device comprising:
A portable navigation device characterized in that an orientation sensor is mounted on the headset, and a mounting direction detection member for detecting the mounting direction at the time of mounting is provided.   The headset includes a right-ear earphone and a left-ear earphone, the direction sensor is mounted on either the right-ear earphone or the left-ear earphone, and the mounting direction detection member is attached to the ear. The portable navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the portable navigation device has a shape that can be attached only to either the left or right side. Current position detecting means for detecting the current position by satellite navigation, route guidance means for guiding the route from the departure place to the destination, and a map of the surroundings of the current position and the route from the departure place to the destination An apparatus body comprising display means for displaying together with an image;
A headset that is attached to the ear and performs voice guidance when guiding the route from the departure place to the destination by the route guidance means;
A portable navigation device comprising:
The headset is equipped with an azimuth sensor, and a traveling direction is detected from the azimuth detected by the azimuth sensor and the locus of the current position detection result by the satellite navigation in the current position detection means. Navigation device.   The advancing direction is detected by the azimuth sensor when the azimuth detected by the azimuth sensor is substantially the same as the azimuth derived from the locus of the current position detection result by satellite navigation in the current position detection means. When the azimuth is a traveling direction and the azimuth detected by the azimuth sensor is substantially different from the azimuth derived from the locus of the current position detection result by satellite navigation in the current position detection means, the output direction of the azimuth sensor The mobile navigation device according to claim 3, wherein a direction obtained by rotating 180 degrees is a traveling direction. Current position detection means for detecting the current position, route guidance means for guiding the route from the departure place to the destination, and the current position and the route from the departure place to the destination are displayed together with surrounding map images. An apparatus main body comprising display means;
A headset that is attached to the ear and performs voice guidance when guiding the route from the departure place to the destination by the route guidance means;
A portable navigation device comprising:
A main body side direction sensor is provided in the apparatus main body, and a headset side direction sensor is provided in the headset, and the heading side sensor is advanced from the direction detected by the main body side direction sensor and the headset side direction sensor. A portable navigation device that detects a direction.   The advancing direction advances in the direction detected by the headset side direction sensor when the direction detected by the headset side direction sensor is substantially the same direction as the direction detected by the main body side direction sensor. If the direction detected by the headset side direction sensor is substantially different from the direction detected by the main body side direction sensor, the direction detected by the headset side direction sensor is rotated by 180 °. The portable navigation device according to claim 5, wherein the direction made is a traveling direction.

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