JP2009063587A - Display device, display device for mobile unit, luminance adjustment processing program, and luminance adjustment method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a display device capable of appropriately displaying information on a screen to a user and reducing power consumption by screen displaying, and to provide a display device for mobile units, a luminance adjustment processing program, and a luminance adjustment method. <P>SOLUTION: The display device is provided with a display means having a screen for displaying at least a map; a calculation means for calculating the direction of user's eyes; and a display control means for adjusting the luminance of the screen, according to whether the direction of eyes calculated by the calculation means faces a screen. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present application relates to a technical field of a navigation device, a computer program, a screen control method, and a measurement interval control method for guiding a route of a moving object.

  Currently, mobile phones are widely used. In recent years, sensors such as GPS (Global Positioning System) are installed and installed in mobile phones and automobiles that function as portable navigation devices. Therefore, mobile phones that function as car navigation devices have been developed.

  At that time, the driving power of the mobile phone can be obtained from the car battery of the automobile, but the driving power in the case of portable use is obtained from a built-in battery such as a lithium ion battery, so that it can be used for a long time. The most important factor is how to reduce the power consumption when the mobile phone functions as a navigation device.

  On the other hand, even a normal in-vehicle navigation device may be used for a relatively long period of time, so the power consumption is not negligible depending on the remaining battery level of the in-vehicle battery.

  Therefore, as one method for reducing the power consumption, it can be considered to reduce the power consumption by the screen display.

  For example, methods such as starting a screen saver after a predetermined time, turning off the screen display, or darkening the screen have been generally used.

  In addition, in the mobile communication terminal described in Patent Document 1, necessary map information is displayed if the distance from the current point to the target point is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, and is not displayed when the distance exceeds the predetermined distance. As a result, the power consumption is reduced as compared with the case where the map information is always displayed.

  On the other hand, in navigation processing, calculation processing based on output signals from each sensor is performed in order to acquire (position) the own vehicle position. In order to increase the accuracy, positioning is performed at intervals of a certain degree or less. In general, the interval is fixed (for example, every second), and the power consumed by the arithmetic processing and the power consumed by each sensor are large relative to the total power consumed. Accounted for.

Therefore, for example, in the portable navigation device described in Patent Document 2, a predicted time until arrival at a target existing on the route to the destination is calculated, and the pedestrian and the target are calculated before the predicted time elapses. Compared with the case where comparison is always performed at a predetermined time interval, the power consumption is reduced by comparing at a predetermined time interval after the predicted time has passed without comparing whether or not the objects have overlapped. ing.
JP 2004-101366 A JP 2002-81957 A

  However, since the conventional method such as starting the screen saver described above is executed regardless of the user's intention, even when the user wants to see the information, the necessary information is not displayed on the screen. Usability is poor. On the other hand, even when the user does not need to look at the screen, the screen display is maintained until a predetermined time elapses, so that useless power may be consumed.

  The technique described in Patent Document 1 also has the same problem as described above because the screen display and non-display are performed depending on the distance to the target point and the required time regardless of the user's intention.

  Moreover, in the technique described in Patent Document 2, since the comparison process is not performed until the predicted time until the target arrives, for example, when the target passes through the target earlier than the predicted time, or the route has been deviated. In such a case, the power consumption required for the re-comparison process after the lapse of the prediction time is increased, and the comparison process performed in advance is wasted.

  The present application has been made in view of the above points, and one example of the problem is a display device that can reduce power consumption due to screen display while appropriately displaying information on the screen to the user, and movement The object is to provide a display device for body, a brightness adjustment processing program, and a brightness adjustment method.

  In addition, another example of the subject of the present application is a navigation device, a computer program, and a measurement interval control capable of reducing power consumption by measurement processing while appropriately measuring a current position or the like according to a moving state of a moving object. It is to provide a method.

  In order to solve the above problem, the invention according to claim 1 is calculated by display means having at least a screen for displaying a map, calculation means for calculating a user's gaze direction, and the calculation means. Display control means for adjusting the brightness of the screen according to whether or not the line-of-sight direction is facing the screen.

  The invention according to claim 5 is a display device for a mobile unit that is mounted on a mobile unit and displays at least a map, and includes a display unit having a screen for displaying the map, and a driver of the mobile unit. Calculation means for calculating a line-of-sight direction; and display control means for adjusting the brightness of the screen according to whether or not the driver's line-of-sight direction calculated by the calculation means is directed to the screen. It is characterized by.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer included in a display device including a display unit having at least a screen for displaying a map, a calculation unit that calculates a gaze direction of a user, and the calculation unit that calculates the computer According to whether or not the line-of-sight direction is directed to the screen, it functions as a display control means for adjusting the luminance of the screen.

  The invention according to claim 7 is a display device for a mobile body that is mounted on a mobile body and displays at least a map, and is included in a display device for mobile body that includes display means having a screen for displaying the map. A computer for calculating a gaze direction of the driver of the moving body, and adjusting a luminance of the screen according to whether or not the gaze direction of the driver calculated by the calculation unit is directed to the screen It is characterized by functioning as display control means.

  The invention according to claim 8 is a luminance adjustment method in a display device including a display unit having at least a screen for displaying a map, a calculation step of calculating a user's line-of-sight direction, and the calculation step And a display control step of adjusting the luminance of the screen according to whether or not the line-of-sight direction is facing the screen.

  The invention according to claim 9 is a display device for a mobile unit that is mounted on a mobile unit and displays at least a map, and the luminance in the display unit for mobile unit comprising display means having a screen for displaying the map. In the adjustment method, the luminance of the screen is calculated according to a calculation step of calculating a gaze direction of the driver of the moving body, and whether or not the gaze direction of the driver calculated in the calculation step is facing the screen. And a display control step for adjusting.

  Hereinafter, the best embodiment of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, embodiment described below is embodiment at the time of applying this application with respect to a vehicle-mounted navigation apparatus.

[1. First Embodiment ]
[1.1 Configuration and Function of Navigation Device 100 ]
First, the configuration and function of the navigation device 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of the navigation device 100 according to the first embodiment.

  The navigation apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment displays information for route guidance to a destination set by a driver (an example of a driver), a passenger, etc. (hereinafter referred to as a user) on a screen. By reducing the screen brightness according to the situation, the power consumption due to the screen display is reduced.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a navigation device 100 according to the present embodiment indicates a GPS receiving unit 101 that receives GPS data, a vehicle speed sensor 102 that detects vehicle speed data indicating the traveling speed of the vehicle, and a traveling direction of the vehicle. A gyro sensor 103 that detects azimuth data, a handle operation sensor 104 that detects operation angle data indicating the operation angle of the steering wheel, and an interface unit 105 that calculates the vehicle position based on GPS data, vehicle speed data, and azimuth data A VICS data receiving unit 106 that receives VICS (Vehicle Information Communication System) data, an HD drive 107 that writes data to and reads data from an HD (Hard Disk) that stores various data such as map data, DVD drive that reads data from a DVD disc (Digital Versatile Disk) 08, an operation unit 109 used when a user inputs a command to the system, a microphone 110 that collects the user's voice, and a voice recognition circuit 111 that recognizes a command to the system from the voice collected by the microphone 110. A display unit 112 that displays map data, the position of the vehicle, and the like, a display control unit 114 that controls the display unit 110 using the buffer memory 113, an audio processing circuit 115 that generates audio such as route guidance, and an audible signal A speaker 116 that outputs sound waves of a frequency, a camera 117 that captures the driver's image, a video recognition circuit 118 that recognizes the direction in which the driver is facing from the image captured by the camera 117, a vehicle position and a map A dangerous zone determination unit 119 that determines whether the vehicle is located in the dangerous zone from the data, and the entire system The system control unit 120 controls and a random access memory (RAM) / read only memory (ROM) 121, and the system control unit 120 and each unit are connected by a system bus 122.

  Further, the vehicle speed sensor 102 constitutes an example of speed detection means according to the present application, the gyro sensor 103 constitutes an example of direction detection means according to the present application, and the handle operation sensor 104 constitutes an operation amount detection means according to the present application. The interface unit 105 configures an example of a measurement unit according to the present application, the danger zone determination unit 119 configures an example of a point data acquisition unit according to the present application, and the system control unit 120 An example of a screen control means is comprised.

  Furthermore, the GPS receiving unit 101, the vehicle speed sensor 102, the gyro sensor 103, and the handle operation sensor 104 constitute an example of a detection unit according to the present application, and the danger zone determination unit and the system control unit 120 are an example of a determination unit according to the present application. Configure.

  The GPS receiving unit 101 receives a radio wave including a satellite orbit and time data transmitted from a GPS satellite, calculates a current position of the moving body based on the received radio wave, and outputs the current position to the interface unit 105 as GPS data. It is like that.

  The vehicle speed sensor 102 detects the traveling speed of the vehicle, converts it into a voltage or the like corresponding to the detected speed, and outputs it to the interface unit 105 as vehicle speed data (an example of speed data according to the present application). .

  The gyro sensor 103 detects the azimuth angle of the vehicle, converts it to a voltage or the like corresponding to the detected azimuth angle, and outputs it to the interface unit 105 as azimuth angle data (an example of direction data according to the present application). ing.

  The handle operation sensor 104 detects the turning angle of the steering wheel, converts it to a voltage or the like corresponding to the detected turning angle, and outputs it to the interface unit 105 as operation angle data (an example of operation amount data according to the present application). It has become.

  The interface unit 105 is configured to perform interface processing among the GPS receiving unit 101, the vehicle speed sensor 102, the gyro sensor 103, the handle operation sensor 104, and the system control unit 120, and GPS data and vehicle speed data at predetermined intervals. In addition, the vehicle position is calculated based on these data while inputting the azimuth angle data and is output to the system control unit 120 as the vehicle position data.

  The VICS data receiving unit 106 receives VICS data that is road traffic information such as traffic jams, required time, accidents, speed regulation, etc. by receiving radio waves such as FM multiplex broadcasting, and the acquired VICS data is a system control unit. 120 is output.

  The HD drive 107 is composed of an HD and a drive for recording and playing back to the HD, reads out map data and the like stored in the HD, outputs it to the system control unit 120, and outputs it from the system control unit 120. Various data are written to the HD.

  In addition to road shape data necessary for navigation operations, this map data stores various related data such as related facility data and name data in association with road shape data.

  The DVD drive 108 includes a storage unit that detachably stores a DVD disk, a drive that plays back a DVD, and the like, reads map data for update from the DVD disk, and outputs the read map data to the system control unit 120. It is supposed to be.

  Further, the DVD drive 108 is adapted to reproduce a DVD disc in which content data such as audio and video is recorded, and the reproduced content data and the like are displayed via the system control unit 120 on the display control unit 113. And output to the audio processing circuit 115.

  The operation unit 109 includes a remote control device having various keys such as setting buttons, numeric keys, and cursor keys, and outputs a control signal corresponding to a user input operation to the system control unit 120. Yes.

  The voice recognition circuit 111 analyzes speech sound generated by the user input from the microphone 110, recognizes a user operation command, and outputs a control signal corresponding to the recognized operation to the system control unit 120. It is supposed to be.

  The display unit 112 is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) panel, and displays map data and the like on the screen under the control of the display control unit 114, and is superimposed on the route such as the vehicle position. Various information necessary for guidance is displayed.

  The display control unit 114 generates map data, content data, and the like input via the system control unit 120 in the buffer memory 113 based on the data input based on the control of the system control unit 120. The image data is read from the buffer memory 113 and output to the display unit 112 at a predetermined timing.

  In addition, the display control unit 114 performs ON / OFF control of the screen of the display unit 112 based on the control of the system control unit 120 (increases or decreases the screen brightness).

  Specifically, for example, when a liquid crystal panel is used for the display unit 112, the screen is turned on by supplying power to the backlight and turned on, and the power supply to the backlight is stopped. Then, the screen is turned off by turning it off. Note that the screen may be turned on by increasing the voltage of the power supplied to the backlight, and the screen may be turned off by lowering the voltage.

  Further, for example, when an organic EL panel is used for the display unit 112, the screen is turned on by increasing the voltage supplied to the light emitter as a whole, and the voltage supplied to the light emitting element is set. The screen is turned off by lowering the entire screen.

  Note that the power supply to the display unit 112 may be stopped and the screen display may be erased to perform the OFF control.

  The sound processing circuit 115 generates and amplifies a sound signal based on the control of the system control unit 120, and outputs the sound signal to the speaker 116. For example, the traveling direction of the vehicle at the next intersection, Information related to route guidance including traffic information such as traffic jams and traffic closures is output as an audio signal.

  The camera 117 is composed of, for example, a lens, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), etc., receives light from the outside by the CCD, and generates video data based on a voltage signal corresponding to the received light amount. The video data is output to the video recognition circuit 118. Since the camera 117 is used to capture a video of the driver's face used to determine whether or not the driver is viewing the screen of the display unit 112, the camera 117 is near the center of the upper or lower portion of the display unit 112. In addition, it is desirable to install the lens facing the driver's face.

  The image recognition circuit 118 recognizes the driver's face and eyes by analyzing the image data output from the camera 117, and the direction angle of the driver's line of sight with respect to the camera 117 (even the direction angle with respect to the screen of the display unit 112). The line-of-sight data according to (Yes) is output to the system control unit 120.

  Specifically, the image recognition circuit 118 calculates, for example, the direction in which the driver's face is facing, and further calculates the gaze direction from the front direction of the face from the position of the pupil portion with respect to the white eye portion of the driver's eyes. To do. The direction in which the driver's face is facing may be simply set as the line-of-sight direction.

  The dangerous zone determination unit 119 inputs the vehicle position data and the map data via the system control unit 120, determines whether the vehicle is currently located in the dangerous zone based on these data, and the determination The result is output to the system control unit 120 as a control signal.

  Specifically, the danger zone determination unit 119 acquires related data (an example of point data according to the present application) associated with a road or the like where the vehicle is currently located from the map data. When the acquired related data includes information such as a school road or a place where accidents frequently occur in the past, the driver displays the screen of the display unit 112 in order to drive safely. Judged as a dangerous zone that should not be seen.

  Further, the dangerous zone determination unit 119 acquires, for example, related data of a point 100 m ahead on the moving route of the vehicle, and based on the acquired related data, whether or not the point 100 m ahead is a dangerous zone. The result is output to the system control unit 120 as a control signal.

  The system control unit 120 is mainly configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and includes various input / output ports such as a GPS reception port and a key input port.

  The system control unit 120 controls the entire navigation device 100, reads out a control program stored in the RAM / ROM 121, executes various processes, and temporarily stores data being processed in the RAM / ROM 121. To save.

  For example, the system control unit 120 performs correction processing such as map matching based on the vehicle position data output from the interface unit 105 and the map data read from the HD by controlling the HD drive 107 when performing route guidance. And control so that the route guidance information is displayed on the map indicating the surrounding area including the current position of the vehicle on the display unit 112, and the route guidance information is output as voice from the voice processing circuit. It is like that.

  Further, the system control unit 120 causes the display control unit 114 to turn on the screen of the display unit 112 based on the vehicle speed data, the operation angle data, the GPS data, the map data, and the control signal output from the danger zone determination unit 119. Or whether to perform OFF control.

  As a criterion for this, for example, when it is a situation where the driver may see the screen of the display unit 112, it is a situation where the driver should concentrate on driving and driving the vehicle, so that the screen should not be seen. Although the OFF control is used, specific determination processing will be described later.

  Further, based on the control signal output from the dangerous zone determination unit 119, the system control unit 120, when a point 100m ahead on the moving route is a dangerous zone, before reaching the point, the dangerous zone The display unit 112 is controlled to display information for notifying entry.

[1.2 Operation of Navigation Device 100 ]
Next, in the navigation device 100 having the above configuration, an operation when the screen of the display unit 112 is ON / OFF controlled will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of the navigation device 100 according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the system control unit 120 first receives the position data output from the interface unit 105, surrounding map data including the current position of the vehicle indicated by the position data, and data reception output from the VICS receiving unit. Based on the unit 106, for example, it is determined whether or not there is information to be displayed on the screen of the display unit 112 and transmitted to the user, such as guidance of the traveling direction of the vehicle at an intersection or update of traffic information (step S11). If there is information to be transmitted (step S11: YES), the process proceeds to step S13. If there is no information to be transmitted (step S11: NO), the process proceeds to step S12.

  In step S12, the system control unit 120 determines whether there is an operation input and a voice operation command input by the user via the operation unit 109 and the voice recognition circuit 111, and if there is an input (step S12: YES), the process proceeds to step S13, and if there is no input (step S12: NO), the process proceeds to step S16.

  In step S <b> 13, the system control unit 120 determines whether the driver is in a safe situation even when viewing the screen of the display unit 112.

  Specifically, the system control unit 120 determines that the screen may be viewed when the moving speed of the vehicle is less than 60 km / h, for example, based on the vehicle speed data output from the interface unit 105. When the moving speed is 60 km / h or higher, it is determined that the screen should not be viewed. Note that the moving speed of the vehicle may be calculated based on the temporal change of the GPS data output from the interface unit 105.

  Further, based on the operation angle data output from the interface unit 105, the system control unit 120 determines that the screen may be viewed when the steering angle of the handle is less than 45 degrees, for example. If it is higher than this, it is determined that the screen should not be viewed. If the turning angle of the steering wheel is more than a certain angle, the vehicle is in the middle of turning an intersection, turning a sharp curve, or in the garage It is assumed that For this reason, when the turning angle of the handle is greater than a certain angle, it is determined that the screen should not be viewed. It is also possible to make the same determination as described above by comparing the angular velocity when the vehicle turns with a predetermined threshold based on the temporal change in the azimuth angle data output from the interface unit 105.

  Further, the system control unit 120 controls the danger zone determination unit 119 to determine whether the vehicle is located in the danger zone, and based on the control signal output from the danger zone determination unit 119, If the vehicle is not currently located in the danger zone, it is determined that the screen can be viewed. If the vehicle is located in the danger zone, it is determined that the screen should not be viewed.

  Then, if all of the above determination results are in a safe situation even when viewing the screen (step S13: YES), the system control unit 120 proceeds to step S14 and should not see any screen. If the situation is present (step S13: NO), the process proceeds to step S16.

  In step S14, the system control unit 120 determines whether or not the driver's line of sight is facing the screen of the display unit 112 (the lens of the camera 117) based on the control signal output from the video recognition circuit 118 ( Step S14) When the line of sight is directed to the screen (step S14: YES), the display control unit 114 is controlled to turn on the screen of the display unit 112, thereby the screen of the display unit 112 becomes brighter (step S14). S16).

  On the other hand, when the line of sight is not directed to the screen (step S14: NO), the system control unit 120 proceeds to step S15 and controls the display control unit 114 to turn off the screen of the display unit 112, thereby displaying the display. The screen of the unit 112 becomes dark (step S15).

  The above process will be described in more detail. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of screen control according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating another example of the screen control according to the first embodiment.

  When there is no information to be transmitted to the user (step S11: NO), it is not necessary to brighten the screen unless the user is performing any operation (step S12: NO).

  On the other hand, if there is information to be transmitted to the user (step S11: YES), the information is displayed on the screen, and if any operation is performed (step S12: YES), information corresponding to the operation content is displayed. Display on the screen. In such a situation, it is desirable to brighten the screen because the driver is likely to gaze at the screen.

  Therefore, if the driver is not allowed to look at the screen from the viewpoint of safety (step S13: NO), the screen should not be watched, so the screen is darkened.

  Moreover, if the driver is not actually looking at the screen (step S14: NO), it is not necessary to brighten the screen.

  Then, after all the conditions are met, the screen is brightened.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when there is no information to be transmitted to the user (there is no operation input), when the screen is darkened and guidance information on the direction of travel of the vehicle at the next intersection is displayed (safe, And the driver is looking at the screen), make the screen brighter. When the display of the guidance information is completed, the screen is darkened. When the updated traffic information is displayed on the screen, the screen is brightened.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4A, when the vehicle speed is 20 km / h, the screen is brightened according to the presence / absence of information to be transmitted to the user and the presence / absence of operation input (the same applies hereinafter), and 60 km If / h is reached, the screen is darkened. And when it falls to 30 km / h, the screen is brightened again.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the vehicle is traveling linearly, the screen is brightened, and the screen is darkened while the steering wheel is being operated to turn the intersection. After turning around the intersection, the screen is brightened again.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4C, the screen is darkened when the vehicle enters the danger zone, and the screen is brightened when the vehicle escapes from the danger zone.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when displaying information to be transmitted to the user on the screen of the display unit 112, the vehicle speed, the traveling direction, detected by the GPS receiving unit 101 and the sensors 102 to 104, Based on the movement state of the vehicle such as the steering wheel operation angle or the map data, the system control unit 120 should determine whether or not the driver can see the screen of the display unit 112 and see the screen. When it is determined that the situation is not the situation, the display control unit 114 is controlled so as to lower the brightness of the screen of the display unit 112.

  Therefore, it is possible to reduce power consumption due to screen display while appropriately displaying information on the screen to the user.

  In addition, based on the vehicle speed data output from the vehicle speed sensor 102, the system control unit 120 determines that the screen should not be viewed when the moving speed is 60 km / h or more, for example.

  Further, based on the operation angle data output from the handle operation sensor 104, the system control unit 120 is in a situation where the screen should not be viewed when the turning angle of the handle is 45 degrees or more, for example. to decide.

  Further, the dangerous zone determination unit 119 determines whether or not the vehicle is in the current dangerous zone based on the position data and map data output from the interface unit 105, and based on the determination result, the system control unit 120. However, it is determined whether or not the driver can view the screen of the display unit 112.

  As described above, when the driver looks at the screen, the screen becomes dark so that the screen is not watched. Therefore, safety during driving is also improved.

  On the moving route, for example, when the dangerous zone determination unit 119 determines that 100m ahead is a dangerous zone, the system control unit 120 may enter the dangerous zone before reaching the dangerous zone. Since the display control unit 114 is controlled so that the information to be notified is displayed on the display unit 112, the user can know in advance that the danger zone is entered before entering the danger zone and the screen becomes dark. .

  In this embodiment, the screen is ON / OFF controlled by performing all of the determination based on the vehicle speed data, the determination based on the operation angle data, and the determination based on the related data associated with the road, etc. You may make it perform ON / OFF control by the one part determination.

[1.3 Modification ]
Next, a modification according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a navigation system S according to a modification of the first embodiment.

  In the first embodiment described above, the case where the present application is applied to an in-vehicle navigation system has been described. However, the present application can also be applied to a navigation system using a mobile phone.

  The navigation system according to this modification connects various sensors to a mobile phone that can communicate with other mobile phones by transmitting and receiving radio waves to and from radio base stations belonging to a mobile communication network. By mounting these on the vehicle, it functions as car navigation.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the navigation system S includes a mobile phone 200, an external vehicle speed sensor 201 that detects vehicle speed data that indicates the traveling speed of the vehicle, and an external handle operation that detects operation angle data that indicates the operation angle of the handle. Sensor 202.

  The mobile phone 200 includes a transmission / reception unit 203 that transmits / receives radio waves to / from a radio base station of a mobile communication network via an antenna AT, a communication processing unit 204 that performs modulation / demodulation of data to be transmitted / received, and a GPS reception that receives GPS data. Unit 205, a gyro sensor 206 for detecting azimuth angle data indicating the traveling direction of the vehicle, an external data input unit 207 for inputting data from an external device, a map database 208 for storing map data, and a user for the system An operation unit 209 used when inputting a command, a microphone 210 that collects a user's voice, a display unit 211 that displays map data, a vehicle position, and the like, a speaker 212 that outputs sound waves of an audible frequency, From the camera 213 that captures the driver's video, and the vehicle location and map data, the vehicle is located in the danger zone. A risk zone determination unit 214 that determines whether or not there is a power source 215, a system control unit 216 that controls the entire system, and a memory unit 217 that includes a RAM, a ROM, and the like. The system control unit 216 and each unit are Connected by system bus.

  Further, the vehicle speed sensor 201 constitutes an example of speed detection means according to the present application, the handle operation sensor 202 constitutes an example of operation amount detection means according to the present application, and the gyro sensor 206 corresponds to the direction detection means according to the present application. An example is comprised, the dangerous zone determination part 214 comprises an example of the point data acquisition means which concerns on this application, and the system control part 216 comprises an example of the determination means which concerns on this application, a screen control means, and a measurement means.

  Furthermore, the vehicle speed sensor 201, the handle operation sensor 202, and the gyro sensor 206 constitute an example of a detection unit according to the present application.

  The transmission / reception unit 203 receives radio signals such as a call signal and a control signal transmitted from the radio base station via the antenna AT, outputs the radio signal to the communication processing unit 204, and outputs the digital call output from the communication processing unit. Signals etc. are transmitted as radio waves.

  In addition, the transmission / reception unit 203 receives the VICS data signal transmitted from the radio base station, and outputs the received VICS data signal to the communication processing unit 204.

  The communication processing unit 204 demodulates the call signal or the like output from the transmission / reception unit 203, outputs the demodulated signal to the system control unit 216, and modulates the call signal output from the system control unit 216 to transmit / receive The data is output to the unit 203.

  The external data input unit 207 performs A / D (Analog / Digital) conversion on the vehicle speed data and the operation angle data output from the vehicle speed sensor 201 and the steering wheel operation sensor, and outputs the converted data to the system control unit 216. It has become.

  The power source 215 includes a battery such as a lithium ion battery, and charges the electric power supplied from the vehicle-mounted battery while reducing the electric power to a predetermined voltage, and supplies the reduced electric power to the system control unit and other parts. It is supposed to be.

  The system control unit 216 is mainly configured by a CPU and integrates various circuits such as a voice recognition circuit, a voice processing circuit, a display control circuit, and a buffer memory, and various input / output ports such as a GPS reception port and a key input port. Configured.

  The system control unit 216 controls the entire navigation system S. The system control unit 216 reads the control program stored in the memory unit 217, executes various processes, and temporarily stores data being processed in the memory unit 217. To save.

  For example, the system control unit 216 generates a voice signal by subjecting the call data output from the communication processing unit 204 to format conversion, D / A conversion, amplification, and the like, and outputs the voice signal to the speaker 212. Call data is generated by performing D / A conversion, format conversion, etc. on the audio signal output from 210, and this call data is output to the communication processing unit 204.

  In addition, when performing route guidance, the system control unit 216 outputs information related to route guidance as an audio signal and analyzes the user's speech input from the microphone 210 to recognize a user operation command. It is like that.

  Further, the system control unit 216 calculates the direction angle of the driver's line of sight by analyzing the video data output from the camera 213.

  Furthermore, the system control unit 216 calculates the vehicle position based on the GPS data output from the GPS receiving unit 205, the azimuth data output from the gyro sensor 206, and the vehicle speed data acquired from the external data input unit 207. Then, the vehicle position data is output to the danger zone determination unit 214, and correction processing such as map matching is performed based on the vehicle position and the map data read from the map database. It is supposed to be displayed.

  Furthermore, the system control unit 216 performs ON / OFF control of the screen of the display unit 211.

  Since other configurations and functions are the same as those of the navigation device 100 described above, and the operation of the navigation system S is also the same as that of the navigation device 100, detailed description thereof is omitted.

[2. Second Embodiment ]
[2.1 Configuration and Function of Navigation Device 100a ]
Next, the configuration and function of the navigation device 100a according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the navigation device 100a according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 6, elements similar to those in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals.

  The navigation device 100a according to the present embodiment calculates (positions) the vehicle position based on the output from each sensor or the like for route guidance to the destination set by the user, and sets the positioning interval according to the situation. The power consumption due to the positioning process is reduced by making it longer.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the navigation device 100a according to the present embodiment includes a GPS receiving unit 101, a vehicle speed sensor 102, a gyro sensor 103, a steering operation sensor 104, an interface unit 105, and a VICS data receiving unit 106. HD drive 107, DVD drive 108, operation unit 109, microphone 110, voice recognition circuit 111, display unit 112, display control unit 114, voice processing circuit 115, speaker 116, camera 117, The image recognition circuit 118, the danger zone determination unit 119, the system control unit 120, and the RAM / ROM 121 are configured. The system control unit 120 and each unit are connected by a system bus 122.

  The navigation device 100a further includes a power supply unit 123 that supplies power to the system control unit 120 and other units, and a vehicle speed signal monitoring unit 124 that monitors the output from the vehicle speed sensor 102.

  Further, the vehicle speed sensor 102 constitutes an example of speed detection means according to the present application, the GPS receiver 101, the gyro sensor 103, and the handle operation sensor 104 constitute an example of situation detection means according to the present application, and the interface part 105 The VICS data receiving unit 106 configures an example of traffic information acquisition unit according to the present application, and the system control unit 120 configures an example of measurement interval control unit and prediction unit according to the present application. Configure.

  Furthermore, the system control unit 120 and the vehicle speed signal monitoring unit 124 constitute an example of a power control unit according to the present application.

  The power supply unit 123 supplies the power supplied from the in-vehicle battery to a predetermined voltage based on the control of the system control unit 120 and the vehicle speed signal monitoring unit 124 while supplying the power to the system control unit 120 and other components. ing.

  The vehicle speed signal monitoring unit 124 controls whether or not the power supply unit 123 starts power supply to each unit based on the vehicle speed data output from the vehicle speed sensor 102.

  Specifically, the vehicle speed signal monitoring unit 124 outputs to the power supply unit 123 a control signal corresponding to a voltage change or the like of vehicle speed data when the vehicle starts moving from a stopped state. The power supply by is started.

  The vehicle speed signal monitoring unit 124 may be configured by a circuit such as a comparator, or may be configured by a microcontroller and perform the above-described control by executing a predetermined control program.

  The system control unit 120 according to the present embodiment calculates a positioning interval based on the vehicle speed data output from the interface unit 105, and performs control so that the interface unit 105 performs positioning at the calculated positioning interval. .

  Specifically, for example, the system control unit 120 sets the positioning interval to 1 second (default value) when the vehicle speed is 40 km / h or more, and 2 seconds or 3 to 10 km / h when the vehicle speed is 10 to 40 km / h. For 30 seconds, 5 minutes for 1-3 km / h, 10 minutes for less than 1 km / h.

  In this way, when the moving speed is high, the moving distance of the vehicle per unit time becomes long.Therefore, the positioning interval is shortened to cope with the change in the moving state of the vehicle, but when the moving speed is slow, Since the movement speed per unit time becomes short, even if the positioning interval is extended, it is possible to sufficiently cope with changes in the movement state of the vehicle.

  When the positioning interval is increased, the system control unit 120 updates the current position of the vehicle based only on the vehicle speed data while the interface unit 105 is not performing the positioning process.

  In addition, when the system control unit 120 determines that the vehicle has stopped based on the vehicle speed data, the system control unit 120 outputs a control signal for stopping the power supply by the power supply unit 123 to the power supply unit 123.

  Since other configurations and functions are the same as those in the first embodiment, detailed description thereof is omitted.

[2.2 Operation of navigation device 100a ]
Next, operation | movement of the navigation apparatus 100a is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of the navigation device 100a according to the second embodiment.

  In a state where the vehicle is stopped, as shown in FIG. 7, the vehicle speed signal monitoring unit 124 monitors vehicle speed data from the vehicle speed sensor (step S21).

  Then, the vehicle speed signal monitoring unit 124 determines whether or not the vehicle speed is detected (step S22). If the vehicle speed is not detected (the vehicle is stopped) (step S22: NO), the vehicle speed data If the monitoring is continued (step S21) and the vehicle speed is detected (the vehicle starts moving) (step S22: YES), the power supply unit 123 is controlled to start supplying power to each unit. A signal is output (step S23).

  The system control unit 120 that has received the supply of power from the power supply unit 123 starts to execute the control program stored in the RAM / ROM 121 when the power is turned on (step S24).

  Then, the system control unit 120 starts input of vehicle speed data from the interface unit 105, and this input is performed at intervals of 1 second, for example (step S25).

  Next, as an initial setting, the system control unit 120 sets the flag N to 0 (step S26), calculates the moving speed of the vehicle based on the vehicle speed data (step S27), and the positioning interval corresponding to the moving speed. T is set in the RAM / ROM 121 (step S28).

  Then, the system control unit 120 determines whether or not the flag N is 1 (step S29), and when it is 1 (step S29: YES), after waiting for the positioning interval T seconds (step S30), GPS data and azimuth angle data are input by the interface unit 105 (step S31), and positioning calculation is performed (step S32).

  On the other hand, when the flag N is not 1 (step S29: NO), since the positioning calculation has not been performed so far, the waiting for T seconds is omitted and the interface unit 105 performs the positioning process (steps S31 and S32). ).

  Next, after setting the flag N to 1 (step S33), the system control unit 120 determines whether or not to reach a guidance point (for example, left turn point, high-speed doorway, etc.) by the next positioning after T seconds. (Step S34: YES), the process proceeds to step S35, and if not reached (step S34: NO), the process proceeds to step S36. Transition.

  In step S35, the system control unit 120 changes the setting of the positioning interval T to, for example, a default value of 1 second, waits for 1 second, and then causes the interface unit 105 to perform positioning processing (steps S30 to S32). . That is, if the vehicle moves past the guidance point before the next positioning process, the vehicle position displayed on the display unit 112 may be incorrect if the moving situation changes due to a change in the vehicle traveling direction or the like. In order to be accurate, this situation can be handled by shortening the positioning interval.

  For example, based on the operation angle data from the handle operation sensor, the positioning interval may be shortened when it is detected that the handle has been cut more than a predetermined amount, or when the set route is deviated. The positioning interval may be shortened.

  In step S36, the system control unit 120 inputs the vehicle speed data and determines whether or not the vehicle speed data has changed since the previous input. If there is no change (NO in step S36), the system control unit 120 waits for T seconds. Thereafter, the positioning process is continuously performed by the interface unit 105 (steps S30 to S32). If there is a change (step S37: YES), the process proceeds to step S36.

  In step S37, the system control unit 120 determines whether or not the input vehicle speed data indicates that the vehicle is stopped. If not (step S37: NO), the system control unit 120 further determines the movement speed. Calculation, positioning interval setting, etc. are performed (step S27-), and when stopped (step S37: YES), a control signal for stopping power supply is output to the power supply unit 123 (step S38).

  And the power supply part 123 which input the said control signal stops the power supply with respect to each part (step S39).

  As described above, according to this embodiment, the positioning interval is set so that the positioning interval by the interface unit 105 increases as the moving speed indicated by the vehicle speed data output from the vehicle speed sensor 102 via the interface unit 105 decreases. Since the control part 120 controls, it becomes possible to reduce the power consumption by the positioning process of the interface part 105, performing a positioning process appropriately according to the movement state of a vehicle.

  Further, when the vehicle speed data output from the vehicle speed sensor 102 indicates that the vehicle is not moving, the system is configured to stop the power supply to the GPS receiving unit 101, the sensors 102 to 104, the interface unit 105, and the like. Since the control unit 120 controls the power supply unit 123, the GPS receiving unit 101, the sensors 102 to 104, the interface unit, and the like are stopped when the positioning process is not necessary, thereby further reducing the power consumption by the positioning process. It becomes possible.

[2.3 Modification 1 ]
Next, a first modification according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of the navigation device 100a according to the first modification of the second embodiment. In FIG. 8, the same elements as those in FIG. It is. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the positioning interval in the first modification of the second embodiment.

  In the second embodiment described above, the positioning interval is determined based on the moving speed of the vehicle. However, the positioning interval may be further determined based on road traffic information.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the system control unit 120 starts input of VICS data from the VICS data receiving unit 106 after starting input of the vehicle speed signal (step S25). This is performed at intervals of 5 minutes (step S40).

  Thereafter, the system control unit 120 calculates the current moving speed of the vehicle (step S27), and then, based on the current vehicle position and VICS data, for example, from the road traffic information of a point 500 m ahead on the route. The vehicle moving speed at that point is predicted and calculated (step S41).

  For example, if the point is a heavy traffic jam, the moving speed is predicted to be several km / h, and if the speed is limited, the moving speed is also predicted to be below the limit.

  Next, the system control unit 120 determines a positioning interval based on the current speed (current movement speed of the vehicle) and the predicted speed (predicted movement speed) (step S42).

  Specifically, the positioning interval is lengthened as the predicted speed becomes slower, and conversely, the positioning interval is shortened as the predicted speed becomes faster. However, considering the current speed, for example, a result obtained by performing predetermined arithmetic processing on the current speed and the predicted speed is set as a positioning interval.

  Then, after the positioning process or the like (steps S31 to S33), the system control unit 120 determines whether or not there is a change in the traffic situation at a point 500 m ahead (step S44), and if there is no change (step S44). : NO), the process proceeds to step S36, and if there is a change (step S44: YES), the calculation of the moving speed, the prediction of the moving speed, and the like are further performed (from step S27).

  The above processing will be described in more detail using the example of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 9, when the travel route of the vehicle is divided into sections A, B, and C for convenience of explanation, the sections A and C have no traffic information that affects the moving speed of the vehicle, and the section B is congested. ing.

  In section A, the vehicle initially travels at a speed of 30 km / h, and the predicted speed ahead of 500 m is also 30 km / h. In this case, the positioning interval is 2 seconds.

  Thereafter, when traveling to 500 m before section B, the current speed is 30 km / h and there is no change, but based on the traffic information that section B is congested, the predicted speed is calculated as 1 km / h. In this case, the positioning interval is, for example, 5 minutes.

  As described above, although the current speed does not change, it is not necessary to frequently perform positioning when the moving state of the vehicle does not change much in the near future. Therefore, by increasing the positioning interval to some extent in advance, the power consumption by the positioning process is reduced.

  Then, entering the section B, the current speed is 1 km / h, and the predicted speed is also 1 km / h. Here, the speed interval is 10 minutes.

  Thereafter, when proceeding to 500 meters before section C, the current speed is 1 km / h and there is no change, but the predicted speed is calculated as 50 km / h based on traffic information that traffic congestion has been resolved in section C. In this case, the positioning interval is, for example, 30 seconds.

  In this way, the current speed does not change, but if the vehicle movement status is likely to change in the near future, such as when turning left at an intersection X, the positioning interval remains long. Before the next positioning, the vehicle may pass the intersection. Therefore, this situation can be dealt with by shortening the positioning interval to some extent in advance.

  Then, entering section C, the current speed is 50 km / h, and the predicted speed is 50 km / h. Here, the speed interval is 1 second.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, in addition to the effect of the operation in the first embodiment, a point 500 m ahead on the travel route acquired from the VICS data output from the VICS data receiving unit 106. Based on the road traffic information, the predicted speed of the point is calculated, and the positioning interval is lengthened as the predicted speed becomes slower, so that the positioning process can be performed at a more appropriate time interval.

[2.4 Modification 2 ]
Next, a second modification according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the navigation system S1 according to the second modification of the second embodiment. In FIG. 10, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements as those in FIG. It is attached.

  Also in the second embodiment described above, as in the case of the first embodiment, the present application can be applied to a navigation system using a mobile phone.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the navigation system S <b> 1 according to this modification includes a mobile phone 200 a, a vehicle speed sensor 201, a handle operation sensor 202, and a power supply unit 218.

  The mobile phone 200a includes a transmission / reception unit 203, a communication processing unit 204, a GPS reception unit 205, a gyro sensor 206, an external data input unit 207, a map database 208, an operation unit 209, a microphone 210, The display unit 211, the speaker 212, the camera 213, the system control unit 216, and the memory unit 217 are configured, and the system control unit 216 and each unit are connected by a system bus.

  Moreover, the power supply unit 218 is comprised by the electric power supply part 219 and the vehicle speed signal monitoring part 220, and these functions are the same as that of the case of the said 2nd Embodiment.

  The other configurations and functions are the same as those of the navigation device 100a described above, and the operation of the navigation system S1 is also the same as that of the navigation device 100a.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a navigation device 100 according to a first embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of a process of the navigation apparatus 100 which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen control which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other example of the screen control which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of schematic structure of the navigation system S which concerns on the modification of 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of schematic structure of the navigation apparatus 100a which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of a process of the navigation apparatus 100a which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of a process of the navigation apparatus 100a which concerns on the 1st modification of 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the positioning interval in the first modification example of the second embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of schematic structure of navigation system S1 which concerns on the 2nd modification of 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

100, 100a Navigation device 101, 205 GPS receiver 102, 201 Vehicle speed sensor 103, 206 Gyro sensor 104, 202 Handle operation sensor 105 Interface unit 106 VICS data receiver 107 HD drive 108 DVD drive 109, 209 Operation unit 110, 210 Microphone 111 Voice recognition circuit 112, 211 Display unit 113 Buffer memory 114 Display control unit 115 Audio processing circuit 116, 212 Speaker 117, 213 Camera 118 Video recognition circuit 119, 214 Danger zone determination unit 120, 216 System control unit 121 RAM / ROM
122 system bus 123, 219 power supply unit 124, 220 vehicle speed signal monitoring unit 200, 200a mobile phone 203 transmission / reception unit 204 communication processing unit 207 external data input unit 208 map database 215 power supply 217 memory unit 218 power supply unit S, S1 navigation system

Claims (9)

Display means having at least a screen for displaying a map;
A calculation means for calculating a user's gaze direction;
Display control means for adjusting the brightness of the screen according to whether or not the line-of-sight direction calculated by the calculation means is directed to the screen;
A display device comprising:   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit decreases the luminance of the screen when the line-of-sight direction calculated by the calculation unit is not directed to the screen.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit increases the luminance of the screen when the line-of-sight direction calculated by the calculation unit faces the screen. The calculating means includes
Photographing means for photographing the user's face and generating video data;
Generating means for generating line-of-sight data corresponding to the direction angle of the line of sight of the user from the video data generated by the photographing means;
The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit adjusts the luminance of the screen according to the line-of-sight data generated by the generation unit. A mobile display device that is mounted on a mobile body and displays at least a map,
Display means having a screen for displaying the map;
Calculating means for calculating a gaze direction of the driver of the moving body;
Display control means for adjusting the brightness of the screen according to whether or not the driver's line-of-sight direction calculated by the calculation means is directed to the screen;
A moving body display device comprising: A computer included in a display device comprising display means having at least a screen for displaying a map;
A calculation means for calculating a user's gaze direction;
Display control means for adjusting the brightness of the screen according to whether or not the line-of-sight direction calculated by the calculation means is directed to the screen;
A brightness adjustment processing program characterized by functioning as A mobile device mounted on a mobile body and displaying at least a map, the computer included in the mobile display device comprising display means having a screen for displaying the map,
Calculating means for calculating a gaze direction of the driver of the moving body;
Display control means for adjusting the brightness of the screen according to whether or not the driver's line-of-sight direction calculated by the calculation means is directed to the screen;
A brightness adjustment processing program characterized by functioning as In a brightness adjustment method in a display device including a display unit having at least a screen for displaying a map,
A calculation step for calculating a user's gaze direction;
A display control step of adjusting the brightness of the screen according to whether or not the line-of-sight direction calculated in the calculation step is directed to the screen;
The brightness adjustment method characterized by including. In a moving body display device mounted on a moving body and displaying at least a map, the brightness adjusting method in the moving body display device comprising a display means having a screen for displaying the map,
A calculation step of calculating a gaze direction of the driver of the moving body;
A display control step of adjusting the brightness of the screen according to whether or not the driver's line-of-sight direction calculated in the calculation step is directed to the screen;
The brightness adjustment method characterized by including.