JP2009156851A - Navigator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To retrieve for a guiding path by which a facility is located in the travelling direction left-hand side at the last destination point, when the facility name is input as a destination. <P>SOLUTION: An input means can be input either the facility or a point as the destination. A control means retrieves for optimal path with which the travelling direction reaches a link of predetermined direction among links belonging to road nearest to this destination, when the facility is input by the input means as the destination. The control means retrieves for optimal path among the paths to two different links in which directions capable of advancing differ, respectively, when the point is input by the input means as the destination. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation device that searches for a guide route such that when a facility name is input as a destination, the facility is located on the left side in the traveling direction at the final destination.

  The route search in the vehicular navigation apparatus is mainly performed by accumulating the link length (link cost), the required time, and the like, and calculating the route having the shortest total link length or the total required time as the guide route.

  The guidance route calculated in this way is calculated in consideration of the time or distance to the destination, but the positional relationship between the final destination and the destination on the guidance route is not considered at all. It was.

  The Japanese road traffic law stipulates that vehicles pass in the left lane, so that when the vehicle reaches the final destination on the guide route, the destination is located on the left side with respect to the vehicle traveling direction. It is ideal to calculate the guide route (see FIG. 2).

  However, the current route search function may search for a guide route in which the destination is located on the opposite lane side when viewed from the final destination on the searched guide route. If the ground is located on the opposite lane side, there is a problem that the amount of travel is so large that it cannot cross the opposite lane side (see Fig. 3), and because there is a median, there is a problem that it cannot cross the opposite lane side (see Fig. 4). Arise.

  In order to solve these problems, the following Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-113297) describes a route calculation method and a navigation device using this method.

By selecting a link that can lay the vehicle at the destination as the calculation end link, this navigation device excludes routes that cannot be attached to the destination without crossing or turning from the calculation target. Is something that can be done.
JP-A-9-113297 (paragraph [0004], paragraph [0051])

  The route calculation method disclosed in Patent Document 1 and a navigation device using this method are for searching for a route that can automatically place a vehicle on the destination when the destination is set.

  However, as the destination setting method, for example, a facility name is input and the location of the facility having the facility name is set as the destination, or a desired point on the map image displayed on the display means is set as a cursor. For example, there is a method of setting as a destination by designating by movement.

  In destination setting by inputting the facility name, the user designates the facility to be the destination as the pinpoint, so it is ideal to perform a route search with the position corresponding to this facility as the final destination of the guidance route .

  On the other hand, when a desired point on the map image is set as the destination, the user does not want to go to a specific place, but often wants to go near that point.

  Accordingly, in order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a navigation device that searches for a guidance route in which a facility is located on the left side in the traveling direction at the final destination when a facility name is input as a destination. With the goal.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application is directed to input means for inputting a destination, storage means for storing map information including road link data, and a destination input from the input means. And a control means for searching for a link belonging to the road closest to the destination with reference to the map information, and searching for a route having the lowest cost up to the link as an optimal route, The road link data includes two road link data, each of which has at least a different traveling direction with respect to one road, and the input means can input one of a facility and a point as a destination, When the facility is input as a destination by the input means, the control means is a link whose traveling direction is a predetermined direction among links belonging to the road closest to the destination. Searches the optimum route to the point is characterized in that it searches for an optimum route from among the routes of possible directions progression when entered as the destination to the mutually different two links by the input unit.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the navigation device according to the first aspect, the link whose traveling direction is a predetermined direction is a link whose destination is located on the left side in the traveling direction in the case of left-hand traffic. It is characterized by that.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the navigation device according to the first aspect, the navigation device further includes a display unit, and the input unit is a facility candidate displayed in one or more of the display units. The facility is inputted as a destination by selecting a desired facility from the above.

The invention according to claim 4 is the navigation device according to claim 1 or claim 3, wherein the storage means further stores map image data,
The input means inputs a desired point on the map image displayed on the display means as a destination.

  In the present invention, when the facility is input as a destination by the input means, the control means searches for an optimum route to a link whose traveling direction is a predetermined direction among links belonging to the road closest to the destination, When a point is inputted as a destination by the input means, an optimum route is searched from routes to two links having different directions that can be traveled.

  With this configuration, when a facility is input as a destination, a search is made for an optimal route to a link whose traveling direction is a predetermined direction among links belonging to the road closest to the destination. When is input, it is possible to search for an optimum route from routes to two links having different traveling directions.

  In the present invention, the link whose traveling direction is a predetermined direction is a link whose destination is located on the left side in the traveling direction in the case of left-hand traffic.

  With such a configuration, in the case of left-hand traffic, it is possible to search for a route in which the destination is located immediately on the left side at the final destination, so that it is easy to enter the destination.

  Hereinafter, specific examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples and drawings. However, the embodiment described below exemplifies a navigation device for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and is not intended to specify the present invention as this navigation device, and claims. It is equally applicable to the navigation devices of other embodiments that fall within the scope of the above.

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

  The control means 10 in the navigation device is constituted by a processor including a CPU, ROM, and RAM (not shown), and controls the operation of each part of the navigation device 1 according to a control program recorded in the ROM and RAM.

  The current position detection means 11 is composed of, for example, a GPS receiver and receives radio waves including time information from a plurality of GPS satellites orbiting the earth and calculates the current position based on the received radio waves. .

  Furthermore, the current position detection means 11 can also calculate the current position using a self-contained navigation unit composed of a distance sensor, a direction sensor, and the like. In this case, the current position can be calculated by detecting the travel distance and travel direction of the vehicle on which the navigation device 1 is mounted, and adding these values to the reference position. By combining the detection of the current position by this self-contained navigation unit and the detection of the current position based on the GPS receiver, tunnels that cannot receive radio waves from GPS satellites, high-rise buildings that are susceptible to errors due to the effects of multipath, etc. In effect.

  The map storage means 12 stores road node data having nodes as nodes such as road branch points, and road data including road link data having links as paths connecting the nodes.

  The road node data includes road node numbers, position coordinates, number of connection links, branch point names, etc., as well as guidance data that guides the right turn, left turn, straight ahead, etc. at the branch point and guidance start that starts guidance at the branch point Points are stored.

  The road link data includes the road node numbers that are the starting and ending points of the link, information on the road data to which the road link data belongs, such as the type of road, number of lanes, road width, etc. The time required for traveling, information on the traveling direction, and the like are stored.

  In the road data, two road link data are stored according to the traveling direction.

  In addition to these pieces of information, the map storage means 12 includes a map image for displaying a map on the display means 14 to be described later, an image showing the facility appearance, etc., and at least the facility name and the location of the facility for the facility. The facility information included is stored.

  The input means 13 is composed of various key switches and the like, and is used for input operations in the navigation device 1, input of a departure place, a destination, and the like. The input means 13 may be input by touching an icon or the like displayed on the screen by providing a touch panel function to the display means 14 described later.

  The display means 14 displays a map image and a guide route on the map image so as to be distinguishable from other roads, and is constituted by, for example, a liquid crystal display.

  Next, the input of the destination performed via the input means 13 is demonstrated.

  For example, when a facility name is input, the destination is input by referring to the map storage unit 12 and setting the location of the facility having the facility name as the destination, or on the map image displayed on the display unit 14. There is a method of setting a desired point as a destination by designating the desired point by moving a cursor or the like.

  When the facility location is set as the destination by inputting the facility name, for example, the facility is classified into genres such as a hotel or a restaurant to facilitate the input of the facility name, and the user desires When a genre is selected, facility names included in the genre are displayed in a list, and a desired facility name may be selected and input from among the facility names displayed in the list.

  Furthermore, a landmark that indicates the genre to which the facility belongs is displayed for each facility at a corresponding position on the map image displayed on the display means 14, and the facility corresponding to the designated landmark is set as the destination. You may make it do.

  When a desired point on the map image is selected, for example, when a zip code or address is input, a map image of the area including the zip code or address is displayed on the display means 14 and moved to a cursor or the like. If a desired point on the map image can be input, the desired point can be easily set as the destination.

  Next, route search performed by the control means 10 will be described.

  Usually, in the route search, when the destination is input as described above, the road data stored in the map storage means 12 is referred to, the road link data closest to the departure place and the destination is searched, and the departure is made. A route having the minimum cost such as the shortest distance and the shortest time is searched between the road link data corresponding to the place and the destination by the Dijkstra method or the like.

  By the way, the road traffic law in Japan stipulates that the vehicle travels in the left lane of the road. Therefore, the route is such that the destination is located on the left side with respect to the vehicle traveling direction at the final arrival point on the guide route. If guidance is provided, it will be possible to easily reach the facility.

  Therefore, in the present invention, when a facility is input as a destination, road link data having a traveling direction in which the facility is positioned on the left side with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle is used so that the facility can be easily reached. Search for the least cost route as a link.

  On the other hand, when a desired point on the map image displayed on the display unit 14 is set as a destination, the user does not want to go to a specific place but often wants to go to that point. In this case, the destination does not necessarily have to be located on the left side with respect to the vehicle traveling direction. Therefore, a route with the lowest cost is made by using two road link data having different traveling directions closest to the destination as destination links.

  However, even when a desired point on the map image displayed on the display means 14 is set as the destination, it is specified when the destination is specified from among the landmarks displayed on the map image. The route with the least cost is searched for using the road link data having the traveling direction in which the facility corresponding to the landmark is located on the left side of the traveling direction of the vehicle.

  Next, operation | movement of the control means 10 is demonstrated using the flowchart shown in FIG.

  In the process in step S1, the user inputs an facility name as a destination setting via the input means 13 to set the destination or to set a desired point on the map image as a destination. Then, it is determined in step S2 whether or not the instruction is to input a facility name and set a destination.

  If it is determined in step S2 that the destination is set by inputting the facility name (Y in step S2), the facility name is input in step S3 and corresponds to the facility name input in step S4. The location of the facility is read from the map storage means 12, and in step S5, the road link data closest to the facility is identified as the target link from the road link data on the left side of the facility with respect to the traveling direction. In step S6, a route having the minimum cost from the road link data closest to the departure place to the road link data specified in step S5 is searched and an optimum route is set.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2 that the destination setting is not performed by inputting the facility name (N in step S2), a map image is read from the map storage unit 12 and displayed on the display unit 14 in step S7. To do. When a desired point on the map image is input by the user via the input means 13 (Y in step S8), each of the traveling directions closest to the point input in step S8 in step S9. Road link data is read from the map storage means 12, and each is set as a target link.

  In step S10, a route with the lowest cost from the road link data closest to the departure point to each destination link is searched, and a route with a lower cost is selected from the routes with the lowest cost, and the optimum route is selected. Set.

  When the optimum route is set in step S6 or step S10, route guidance is started in step S11, and it is determined whether or not the current position detected by the current position detecting means 11 has reached the destination in step S12. If it is determined that the destination has been reached (Y in step S12), the route guidance is terminated.

  In the above-described embodiment, the road link data having the traveling direction such that the facility is on the left side with respect to the traveling direction has been described as being set as the target link. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The road link data having a traveling direction such that the facility is on the right side with respect to the traveling direction is set as the target link.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the navigation apparatus 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state in which the destination is located in the vehicle advancing direction left side in the last arrival point. It is a figure which shows the state in which the destination is located in the opposite lane side in the last arrival point. It is a figure which shows the state which cannot reach | attain the destination located in the opposite lane side in which a median strip exists in the last arrival point. It is a flowchart which shows the control action by the control means 10 in this navigation apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

1: Navigation device 10: Control means 11: Current position detection means 12: Map storage means 13: Input means 14: Display means

Claims (4)

Input means for inputting a destination, storage means for storing map information including road link data, and when a destination is input from the input means, the map information is referred to belong to the road closest to the destination In a navigation device comprising: a search unit for searching for a link, and searching for an optimum route as a route having a minimum cost to the link.
The road link data includes two road link data, each of which has a direction that can proceed at least with respect to one road.
The input means can input either a facility or a point as a destination, and the control means, when the facility is input as a destination by the input means, a link belonging to the road closest to the destination The optimum route to the link whose traveling direction is a predetermined direction is searched, and when the point is input as the destination by the input means, the optimum route is selected from the routes to the two links having different traveling directions. A navigation device characterized by searching.   The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the link whose traveling direction is a predetermined direction is a link whose destination is located on the left side in the traveling direction in the case of left-hand traffic. The navigation device further includes display means,
The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input unit inputs the facility as a destination by selecting a desired facility from one or more facility candidates displayed on the display unit. The storage means further stores map image data,
The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input unit inputs a desired point on the map image displayed on the display unit as a destination.

Images