JP2007139526A - Navigation device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a navigation device capable of retrieving accurately a road in address retrieval, and displaying the result. <P>SOLUTION: This device has steps for: setting a map display coordinate in each administrative district relative to a road crossing a plurality of administrative district boundaries; retrieving a road having the map display coordinate in an administrative district specified by retrieval information when the retrieval information is inputted; and displaying the road on a display based on the map display coordinate of the retrieved road. Hereby, road display can be switched in each administrative district, for example, when the road is retrieved in A district, the map display coordinate in the A district is used, and when the road is retrieved in B district, the map display coordinate in the B district is used, as shown in figure 5(b). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation device having a function of searching for a route to a destination and guiding the searched route, and more particularly to address search when setting a destination or the like.

  The navigation device detects the current position of the host vehicle, reads map data around the host vehicle location from the map database, draws the map data on the display, and displays the vehicle mark on the map. When the current position changes due to the movement of the vehicle, the map scrolls and the vehicle mark moves accordingly.

  A typical function of the navigation device is a function of searching for a route to a destination and guiding the route to the destination along with the movement of the host vehicle. To make it easier to set destinations, you can search for facilities and buildings by phone number and address, search for entertainment facilities and leisure facilities by genre, etc., or move the cursor on the map screen of the display to locate the point. A search function is provided. Further, the destination is not limited to one place, and it is possible to set a stop-by place on the way.

  If the address is not sufficiently developed, or if the address database is still under development, it may not be possible to perform an address search using the end address. In particular, countries such as China and Europe and the United States generally express addresses using road names, unlike Japanese address notations. Address searches in such countries are road (street) searches.

  When performing an address search, that is, a road search, the user performs a search by narrowing down, for example, from an upper layer to a lower layer determined in the administrative district, and selects a desired road from a list of roads existing in the city or ward specified by the search. Select the road. In the road search, when there are a plurality of roads with the same name in the same city, the destination cannot be accurately identified from the road name. In order to solve such a problem, Patent Document 1 displays a plurality of districts on a display screen when the input road name passes through a plurality of districts in a city, and a destination exists from among them. It makes it possible to identify the district.

  If the destination is a road, guidance to the end of the road may be given as a guidance point. In that case, guidance is continued even though the vehicle has reached the center of the road. There is a problem that it ends up. In order to solve such a problem, Patent Literature 2 discloses a technique for notifying the destination of the vehicle by voice when the vehicle reaches a road or a predetermined distance range along the road.

JP 2002-107166 A JP 2002-39780 A

  In areas such as China that have a vast land area that has not yet been addressed or where address searches are not permitted, the map display coordinates referenced when displaying the searched road are one road. Only one is set for. Further, there is not necessarily a clear agreement as to which position on the road the map display coordinates are set, and the position to be set is arbitrarily left on the database creator side. For example, for a certain road, the intermediate point is set as the map display coordinates, and for a certain road, the end is set as the map display coordinates. In such a case, if one road name straddles a plurality of administrative district boundaries, a road of an administrative district different from the administrative district that the user is looking for may be displayed.

  For example, a road called “Youth Street” exists in the same city of “Asahi Ward Youth Street in Shenyang City” and “Young Street Away in Shenyang City Sunshine Ward Youth Street”, and it passes across Asahi Ward and Sunset Ward Ward. If the map display coordinates of “Young Main Street” are set to Sunset Ward, and the user performs a refined search of Shenyang City / Asahi Ward / Youth Main Street, “Youth Main Street” is selected from the list of roads passing through Asahi Ward. However, since the map display coordinates are set to the sunset ward, “Young Main Street” of the sunset ward is displayed on the display. For this reason, the “Youth Street” in Asahi Ward that the user is looking for cannot be displayed. Furthermore, depending on the navigation device, when the map display coordinates of “Young Main Street” are set to the sunset ward, there is a model that cannot narrow down “Youth Main Street” from Asahi Ward.

  The present invention solves such conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a navigation device capable of accurately searching and displaying an address or road desired by a user in address search or road search. .

  The navigation device according to the present invention is a map display coordinate that is referred to when displaying a display, an input unit, and a road, and sets and sets a map display coordinate for each administrative district for a road that straddles a plurality of administrative district boundaries. In response to the search information from the storage means for storing the map display coordinates and the input means, the map display coordinates stored in the storage means are referred to, and the map display coordinates of the administrative district specified by the search information are included. Search means for searching for a road and display means for displaying the road on a display based on the map display coordinates of the searched road.

  Preferably, the search information is information that hierarchically narrows administrative districts input from a user. For example, in the case of address search in China, narrowing down is performed in the order of province / city / district. In addition, the search means generates a plurality of road lists that pass through the administrative district specified by the search information, and displays the generated road lists on the display. For example, when a ward is selected by the narrowing search, all roads passing through the ward are displayed in a list. Then, the road selected from the road list is displayed on the display.

  The map display coordinates can be set at, for example, an intermediate point of a road passing through the administrative district, a dense spot where a certain number of landmarks of the road passing through the administrative district exist, or an intersection.

  Further, according to the present invention, a road search method in a navigation device having map display coordinates referred to when performing road display includes a step of setting map display coordinates for each administrative district for a road that straddles a plurality of administrative district boundaries, When the information is input, the method includes a step of searching for a road having the map display coordinates of the administrative district specified by the search information, and a step of displaying the road on the display based on the map display coordinates of the searched road.

  The road search method further includes a step of setting a destination based on the road displayed on the display and the surrounding map, and the searched road can be highlighted. Further, only landmarks existing along the road may be displayed. The road search method includes a step of setting a map display coordinate of the searched road or a nearby point as a destination, and searching for a route to the destination.

  According to the present invention, since the map display coordinates are set for each administrative district on the road crossing the administrative district boundary, the road or address of the administrative district desired by the user is accurately displayed when performing road display at the time of address search. be able to. Furthermore, it is possible to search for the optimum route using the accurately displayed point as the destination and to perform route guidance to the destination.

  Details of the vehicle-mounted navigation device of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an in-vehicle navigation device according to the present invention. The navigation device 1 receives a radio wave from a GPS satellite and measures a current position and a current direction of the vehicle, a self-contained navigation sensor 12 including a vehicle speed sensor and a gyro sensor, and an antenna 14. VICS / FM multiple receiver 16 for receiving current road traffic information, touch panel 22, user input interface 20 including voice input unit 24 and remote control operation unit 26, storage device 30 having a large-capacity hard disk, data by wireless or wired Data communication control unit 32 enabling communication, audio output unit 40 for outputting sound from speaker 42, display control unit 50 for displaying image on display 52, program memory 60 for storing program, data memory for temporarily storing data 70, vehicle by in-car communication such as vehicle bus It includes a state detection unit 80 and the control unit 90 detects the running state.

  The storage device 30 stores a program and a database for executing various navigation functions. The program includes a route search to the destination, route guidance to the destination, and other functions necessary for navigation.

  The database includes map data and facility data. The map data includes link (road) data and intersection data regarding roads. Link data is data related to roads connecting intersections, node data indicating the coordinates of the start and end points of roads, type data indicating road types (national roads, ordinary roads, prefectural roads, etc.), width, and regulations. (For example, one-way), information on the number of lanes, link cost or link duration. The intersection data includes restriction data relating to the coordinate position of the intersection, the name of the intersection, the right / left turn of the intersection, and the like. The facility data includes information such as the location and name of restaurants, parking lots, shops, buildings, and many other landmarks.

  The link data further includes map display coordinates that are referred to when performing road display. At least one map display coordinate is set for one road name. When one road name crosses a plurality of administrative district boundaries, map display coordinates are set for each administrative district boundary. Preferably, as shown in FIG. 2, a management table that stores the association between road names and map display coordinates is used. For example, links (L # 10, 11, 12) constituting the road name S1 are associated, and the administrative district through which the road name S1 passes is identified from the coordinate positions included in those links. If the road name passes through one administrative district, the flag is set to “0”. If the road name crosses multiple administrative district boundaries, the flag is set to “1”. For example, when having a hierarchical administrative district of province / city / ward, the road name S1 is a road that passes only through the A ward, and the road name S2 is a road that passes through the A and B wards.

  When a road name passes through one administrative district, one point on the road that passes through the administrative district is set as map display coordinates, and when the road name passes through multiple administrative districts, for each administrative district One point on the road passing through the administrative district is set as map display coordinates. In the case of the road name S1, the point P1 on the road S1 in the A ward is set as the map display coordinates. In the case of the road name S2, the points P2a and P2b on the road S2 are set as map display coordinates for each of the A ward and the B ward.

  The data communication control unit 32 enables data communication with an external network or an external electronic device via an internal communication function or an external communication function such as a mobile communication terminal. For example, it communicates with other navigation devices or performs data communication with a mobile phone or a network server.

  The program memory 60 loads a program stored in the storage device 30 and stores, for example, a program 62 that searches for a route to a destination, a program 64 that provides route guidance, and an address search program 66 that searches for an address. The data memory 70 stores map data 72 read from the storage device 30, route data 74 searched for a route, link data 76 searched for, and the like. It is also possible to use an external memory that can be attached to and detached from the navigation device.

  The state detection unit 80 is connected to the vehicle bus, detects a vehicle speed pulse signal of the own vehicle, steering wheel steering angle information, parking information, and the like, and outputs these signals to the control unit 90. The control unit 90 determines the traveling state of the vehicle based on the signal from the state detection unit 80, and further controls the navigation operation according to various programs stored in the program memory 60 in response to an instruction from the user interface 20. .

  The navigation device according to the present invention has a novel feature when performing an address search, particularly a road search, using a database stored in the storage device 30. The road search is used, for example, in a country or region where an address is represented by a road name, or in an area where an address is not maintained. The searched road is displayed on the display based on the map display coordinates set for the road. In addition, a map around the road may be displayed. The displayed road is used when setting a destination, or used for searching for surrounding facilities.

  Next, an address search operation in the navigation device will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the navigation device is activated and an item for setting a destination is selected from the menu screen, an initial search screen 200 as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on the display (step S101).

  When the user selects address search from the initial search screen 200 (step S102), the control unit 90 refers to the database stored in the storage device 30 and displays the search screen 210 on the display 52 (step S103). Thereafter, a hierarchical narrowing search corresponding to the administrative district is performed from the search screen 210 (step S104).

  In the address search screen 210, the right screen 212 displays a top-level list of administrative districts under a certain rule such as alphabetical order or alphabetical order. In this example, since a province / city / district hierarchy is used, a list of provinces in the top layer is displayed here in alphabetical order. Savings that cannot be displayed on the display can be displayed with a scroll bar. On the left screen 214, a mini map corresponding to the currently selected address is displayed. The mini map displays a road map of a certain scale (here, 250 meters is displayed centering on the vehicle position), and a cursor 216 is displayed on the map. By moving the cursor 216 back and forth and right and left, the mini-map can be scrolled in that direction. In the lower part of the search screen, a button 218 for instructing map display is arranged. By selecting a desired province in the list and giving an input with the button 218, the map display of the mini map can be switched. At the same time, the scale can be changed.

  The user operates the input interface 20 to select a desired saving from the address search screen 210. In the example shown in the figure, “Ministry A” is selected. When the user selects a desired “Ministry”, the screen is switched to the search screen 220, and the search screen 220 displays a list of “Cities” included in the selected [Province]. When selecting “saving” again, the input interface 20 can be operated to return to the search screen 210. Also on the search screen 220, a map display corresponding to the selected “city” is displayed on the mini-map on the left screen. The search screen 220 displays a list of “A1 city, A2 magazine,... An city” included in “Ministry A”, and shows a state where “A2 city” is selected by the user.

  When a desired city is selected by the user, a search screen 230 is displayed. The search screen 230 displays a list of wards and a mini map included in the selected city. In the example of the figure, a list of “A21 ward, A22 ward, A23 ward,... A2n ward” included in the selected “A2 city” is displayed.

  Next, when a desired ward is selected by the user, a search screen 240 is displayed. The search screen 240 displays a list of roads and a mini map included in the selected ward. The destination can be set by selecting a desired road from the roads included in the list. Detailed operations for setting the destination will be described later. In the example in the figure, a list of “A211, A212, A213,... A21n” included in the selected “A21 ward” is displayed, and “A211” is selected. In the mini map, a peripheral map centering on “A211 street” is displayed.

  On the other hand, when the narrow search on the search screen 230 is sufficient, the map display button is input in a state where a desired section on the search screen 230 is selected. Thereby, the screen is switched to the search screen 250. If the map scale is further changed from there, the screen is switched to the search screen 260. The user can set the destination from the search screen 260 by operating the map scale and the cursor.

  The administrative districts as described above are narrowed down, the roads for each narrowed administrative district are displayed, and the destination is set from there (step S105).

  What should be noted in the present embodiment is that, as described above, when one road name extends over a plurality of administrative district boundaries, map display coordinates are set for each administrative district. When the user selects any road name on the search screen 230, the control unit 90 refers to the management table shown in FIG. 2 and determines whether the selected road name crosses the administrative boundary. In other words, if the flag is “1”, it is determined that the selected road name crosses a plurality of administrative district boundaries. When straddling a plurality of administrative district boundaries, the control unit 90 refers to the map display coordinates of the administrative district that is currently narrowed down, and displays the road and its surrounding map on the mini-map based on the map display coordinates.

  In the case of the conventional method, as shown in FIG. 5A, when there is one road S straddling the A ward and the B ward and the map display coordinate P is set to the B ward, hierarchical narrowing down is performed. Even if the road S included in the A ward is selected, the map display becomes the B ward. Alternatively, the A ward itself cannot be selected, or the road S cannot be selected even if the A ward is selected. On the other hand, in this embodiment, for the road S, map display coordinates P1 and P2 are set for the A ward and the B ward, respectively. When a road is selected in the A ward, the map display coordinates P1 for the A ward When the road S is displayed on the basis of B and the road in the B district is selected, the road S is displayed on the basis of the map display coordinates P2, and the road for each searched administrative district can be displayed.

  In the above embodiment, an example in which hierarchical search is performed in the order of province / city / district has been described. However, if the user has previously searched for an address, the previously selected “province” or “ The selection of “city” can be omitted. In this case, a search screen 230 (see FIG. 4) for selecting “ku” is displayed. Further, when another province or city is selected, the search screen 230 can be returned to the search screen 220 or the search screen 210.

  Next, a preferred example of setting a destination from the searched road display will be described with reference to FIG. When the user selects a ward that is the lowest layer, a search screen 240 is displayed, and a desired road is selected from the road list, and when a map display button 218 is input from that state, a search screen 270 is displayed. The In the example of the figure, “A211 way” is selected.

  The mini map on the search screen 270 displays roads based on the map display coordinates of the searched roads. The searched road is highlighted on the display. Further, when the cursor is on the searched road, a road name 272 is displayed in a balloon character frame. Preferably, the character frame and the background color are translucently displayed. On the right screen of the search screen 270, input buttons for destination setting, point registration, nearby facilities, and screen switching are displayed.

  When the screen switching button 274 is selected from this state, an open map screen 280 is displayed on the display 52. The map display coordinates of the searched road are displayed as the center of the open map, and at the same time, the searched road is highlighted with a special color.

  When the map scale of the search screen 280 is switched from 250 m to 200 m, the search screen 290 is displayed. All landmarks 292 along the searched road are searched and their icons are displayed. The landmark includes a user mark, a landmark, a 3D deformed icon, and a guidance point icon, and the display of the highlighted landmark along the road supports detailed information retrieval. In the above example, the landmark is displayed when the scale is switched to 200 m or less, but the setting of the scale to be switched can be arbitrarily changed by the user.

  In the open map screen 280, the road is highlighted and the road name is displayed. Whether or not the road name is displayed can be determined by whether or not the cursor is currently on the search road. In addition, the search road highlighting restriction can be within a certain scale. For example, if the scale is 500 m or more, it is not highlighted.

  The map display coordinates of the searched road can be set as the destination, but the user can set an arbitrary position as the destination by operating the cursor. When the setting of the destination position is completed, the input interface is operated to instruct the destination setting.

  When the destination is set, the control unit 90 searches for the optimal route from the vehicle position or the designated position to the destination, and performs guidance guidance to the destination by the optimal route as the vehicle travels. .

  Next, the route guidance operation to the destination will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Based on the output signals of the GPS receiver 10 and the self-contained navigation sensor 12, the control unit 90 detects the vehicle position (step S201). Map data around the detected vehicle position is read from the storage device 30, and the read map is displayed on the display 52 (step S202).

  The control unit 90 detects whether or not the own vehicle position has approached the destination (step S203). Whether or not the vehicle has approached is determined by whether or not the distance to the destination has reached a certain value, for example, 500 meters. When the vehicle position approaches within 500 m from the destination, the control unit 90 highlights the search road on the display 52 and displays the road name by a balloon, and all the lands present along the search road. A mark is displayed (step S204). As in the address search, the highlighting can be expressed by changing the contrast so that the guide route to the destination and the road color can be understood, or by using a broken line. Regardless of user settings, all landmarks along the search road are displayed and all landmarks other than the search road are deleted. Such display is continued until the destination is reached (step S205).

  FIG. 8 is an example of a guidance screen when “A211 street” is the destination. As shown in the figure, when the vehicle position mark M is displayed and the distance to the destination is within 500 m, the road 300 on which the vehicle is traveling and the route 304 to the searched road 302 are displayed. In addition, the search road is highlighted 306 (displayed by hatching). Further, “A211 street” is displayed as the road name, and all landmarks along the road are displayed.

  By providing such a guidance display, the user can recognize the search road 302 at a glance and accurately search for an actual destination using landmarks along the search road as a guide.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims. Deformation / change is possible.

  The navigation device according to the present invention can be used in a vehicle-mounted navigation device or system, or a computer device including these functions. In addition to the navigation function, the electronic device is used in a multimedia-compatible electronic device having an audio function, a TV broadcast receiving function, or the like, or an electronic system including a plurality of electronic devices having such a function. Can do.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the navigation apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the management table which registers the relationship between a road (road) name and map display coordinate. It is a flowchart explaining the address search operation | movement in the navigation apparatus concerning a present Example. It is an input example when setting a destination from address search. It is a figure explaining the display of the road at the time of the address search in a present Example. It is a figure explaining the detail of the setting of the destination in a present Example. It is a flowchart explaining the route guidance operation | movement to the destination in the navigation apparatus which concerns on a present Example. It is an example of a guidance display when approaching the destination.

Explanation of symbols

1: Navigation device 10: GPS receiver 20: Operation panel 30: Storage device 32: Communication control unit 40: Audio output unit 50: Display control unit 52: Display 60: Program memory 70: Data memory 80: State detection unit 90: Control unit 200: initial search screen 210: search screen

Claims (12)

A navigation device that searches for a route to a destination and guides the searched route.
Display,
Input means;
Storage means for storing map setting coordinates, which are map display coordinates to be referred to when performing road display, set map display coordinates for each administrative district for roads across a plurality of administrative district boundaries, and
In response to the search information from the input means, referring to the map display coordinates stored in the storage means, search means for searching for a road having the map display coordinates of the administrative district specified by the search information;
Display means for displaying the road on the display based on the map display coordinates of the searched road;
A navigation device. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the search information is information that hierarchically narrows administrative districts input from a user. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the search means generates a list of roads that pass through the administrative district specified by the search information, and displays the generated road list on a display. The navigation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the display means displays a road selected from the road list on a display. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the map display coordinates are set at an intermediate point of a road passing through the administrative district. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the map display coordinates are set at a point where a certain number or more of road landmarks passing through the administrative district exist. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the map display coordinates are set at an intersection of a road that passes through the administrative district. The navigation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising route search means for setting a map display coordinate of a searched road as a destination and searching for a route to the destination. A road search method in a navigation device having map display coordinates referred to when performing road display,
Setting map display coordinates for each administrative district for roads across multiple administrative district boundaries;
When the search information is input, searching for a road having the map display coordinates of the administrative district specified by the search information;
Displaying the road on the display based on the map display coordinates of the searched road;
Road search method having The road search method according to claim 9, further comprising a step of setting a destination based on the road displayed on the display and the surrounding map. The road search method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the searched road is highlighted on the display. 12. The road display method according to claim 9, wherein when the searched road is displayed, only landmarks existing along the road are displayed.

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