JP4732763B2 - Route search method for navigation device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation device, and more particularly to a route search technique for an in-vehicle navigation device.

  Patent Document 1 describes an in-vehicle navigation device that searches for a recommended route while excluding roads with time restrictions. According to the route search of the in-vehicle navigation device, a road with time restriction is not included on the route.

WO 01/094887

  However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, a route to the destination may not be searched. For example, when the current position is on a road with a time restriction, or when all roads connected to the road with the current position are roads with a time restriction. In such a case, no route is presented to the user.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for reliably searching for a route in consideration of time restrictions.

In order to solve the above problems, a navigation equipment of the present invention, the road there is a time restriction, the first searching means to attempt a route search by excluding regardless time zone of the time constraints, the first search When the route is not searched by the means, the second search means for performing the route search ignoring the time restriction and the information on the time restriction of the road included in the route searched by the second search means are displayed. Display means for performing selection, and selection receiving means for receiving a selection as to whether or not to start guidance using the route searched by the second search means.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an in-vehicle navigation device to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

  As shown in the figure, the in-vehicle navigation device of the present embodiment includes an arithmetic processing unit 1, a display 2, a map data storage device 3, a voice input / output device 4, an input device 5, a wheel speed sensor 6, It has a geomagnetic sensor 7, a gyro sensor 8, and a GPS (Ground Positioning System) receiver 9.

  The arithmetic processing unit 1 is a central unit that performs various processes. For example, the current location is detected based on information output from the various sensors 6 to 8 and the GPS receiver 9, and the map data 310 necessary for display is read from the map data storage device 3 based on the obtained current location information. . Further, the read map data 310 is developed in graphics, and a mark indicating the current location is superimposed on the displayed map 2 and displayed on the display 2, or the map data 310 stored in the map data storage device 3 is used to instruct the user. The optimum route (recommended route) connecting the destination and the departure point (for example, the current location) is searched, and the user is guided using the voice input / output device 4 or the display 2.

  The display 2 is a unit that displays graphics information generated by the arithmetic processing unit 1, and is configured by a CRT, a liquid crystal display, or the like. The signal S1 between the arithmetic processing unit 1 and the display 2 is generally connected by an RGB signal or an NTSC (National Television System Committee) signal.

  The map data storage device 3 is composed of a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, HDD, or IC card. This storage medium stores map data.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of map data stored in the map data storage device 3. As shown in the figure, map data 310 is stored for each mesh region obtained by dividing the map into a plurality of parts. The map data 310 includes a mesh area identification code (mesh ID) 311 and link data 312 of each link constituting a road included in the mesh area. The link data 312 includes a link identification code (link ID) 3121, coordinate information 3122 of two nodes (start node and end node) constituting the link, road type information 3123 including the link, and a link indicating the link length. Long information 3124, link travel time 3125, link ID (connection link ID) 3126 of a link connected to each of the two nodes.

  It should be noted that the link data 312 of the links that make up the restricted road includes restriction information 3127. The restriction information 3127 includes information on a time zone in which passage of the link is restricted (prohibited). Moreover, when the time slot | zone of time regulation changes with days, the information is also included.

  Here, by distinguishing the start node and the end node for the two nodes constituting the link, the upward direction and the downward direction of the same road are managed as different links. The map data 310 also includes information (name, type, coordinate information, etc.) of map components other than roads included in the corresponding mesh area.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the description will be continued. The voice input / output device 4 converts the message to the user generated by the arithmetic processing unit 1 into a voice signal and outputs it, and recognizes the voice uttered by the user and transfers the content to the arithmetic processing unit 1.

  The input device 5 is a unit that receives an instruction from a user, and includes a hardware switch such as a scroll key and a scale change key, a joystick, a touch panel pasted on a display, and the like.

  The sensors 6 to 8 and the GPS receiver 9 are used for detecting the current location (own vehicle position) by the vehicle-mounted navigation device. The wheel speed sensor 6 measures the distance from the product of the wheel circumference and the measured number of rotations of the wheel, and further measures the angle at which the moving body is bent from the difference in the number of rotations of the paired wheels. The geomagnetic sensor 7 detects the magnetic field held by the earth and detects the direction in which the moving body is facing. The gyro 8 is configured by an optical fiber gyro, a vibration gyro, or the like, and detects an angle at which the moving body rotates. The GPS receiver 9 receives a signal from a GPS satellite and measures the distance between the mobile body and the GPS satellite and the rate of change of the distance with respect to three or more satellites, so that the current location, travel direction, and travel direction of the mobile body Measure.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the arithmetic processing unit 1.

  As illustrated, the arithmetic processing unit 1 has a configuration in which devices are connected by a bus 32. The arithmetic processing unit 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21 that executes various processes such as numerical calculation and control of each device, and a RAM (Random Access) that stores map data and arithmetic data read from the map data storage device 3. Memory) 22, ROM (Read Only Memory) 23 for storing programs and data, DMA (Direct Memory Access) 24 for executing data transfer between the memories and between the memory and each device, and graphics drawing In addition, a drawing controller 25 that performs display control, a video random access memory (VRAM) 26 that stores graphics image data, a color palette 27 that converts image data into RGB signals, and an A / A that converts analog signals into digital signals. D converter 28 and SCI (Serial Communicati) which converts serial signals into parallel signals synchronized with the bus on Interface) 29, a PIO (Parallel Input / Output) 30 that puts a parallel signal on the bus in synchronization with the bus, and a counter 31 that integrates the pulse signal.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the arithmetic processing unit 1.

  As illustrated, the arithmetic processing unit 1 includes a user operation analysis unit 41, a route search unit 42, a route guidance unit 44, a display processing unit 45, and a current position calculation unit 46.

  The current position calculation unit 46 uses distance data and angle data obtained as a result of integrating the distance pulse data S5 measured by the wheel speed sensor 6 and the angular acceleration data S7 measured by the gyro 8, respectively. The current position (X ′, Y ′), which is the position after the vehicle travels, is periodically calculated from the initial position (X, Y), and the current position is obtained by map match processing.

  The user operation analysis unit 41 receives a request from the user input by the input device 5, analyzes the request content, and controls each unit of the arithmetic processing unit 1 so that processing corresponding to the request content is executed. To do.

  The route search unit 42 uses the Dijkstra method or the like to reach the destination at a low cost (for example, travel time, travel distance, etc.) among the routes connecting the two specified points (departure location (current location), destination). The reachable route is searched from the map data.

  The route guiding unit 44 compares the information on the recommended route searched by the route searching unit 42 with the information on the current location, and determines whether the vehicle should go straight or turn right or left before passing the intersection or the like. It is used to notify the user by voice, or the direction to be advanced is displayed on the map displayed on the display 2 to notify the user of the recommended route.

  The display processing unit 45 generates a drawing command so that the requested video is displayed on the display 2 and outputs the drawing command to the display 2.

  [Description of Operation] Next, the operation of the vehicle-mounted navigation device having the above-described configuration will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the route search process of the in-vehicle navigation device of this embodiment. This flow is started when the user operation analysis unit 41 receives a search request for a recommended route from the user via the voice input / output device 4 or the input device 5.

  First, the user operation analysis unit 41 sets a departure place and a destination. The operation analysis unit 41 receives a departure place, a destination, and a departure time from the user via the input device 5. When the current location obtained by the current position calculation unit 46 is set as the departure location, the designation of the departure location by the user may be omitted.

  When the departure point, the destination, and the departure time are set as described above, the user operation analysis unit 41 instructs the route search unit 42 to start the route search process.

  In response to this, the route search unit 42 starts searching for a route from the departure point to the destination. However, the route search unit 42 performs route search by excluding links with time restrictions. That is, the route search unit 42 excludes the link whose link data 312 includes the restriction information 3127 related to time restriction, from the link candidates constituting the route, regardless of the restriction time zone. Then, using only the link without time restriction, an attempt is made to search for a route with the minimum total cost (S102).

When the route is searched (Yes in S104), the route search unit 42 instructs the route guide unit 44 to guide the route using the searched route (S110).
On the other hand, when the route could not be searched (No in S104), the route search unit 42 performs the route search again ignoring the time restriction (S106).

  The case where the route search fails is when the current position is on a link with time restriction, or when the end node of the link with the current position is connected only to a link with time restriction.

  The route search unit 42 searches for a route without excluding the link with time restriction from the link candidates constituting the route.

  When a route is searched for in this way, the route search unit 42 sets whether or not to start guidance on the searched route. At this time, the route search unit 42 displays on the display 2 a screen for accepting selection as to whether or not to start guidance on the route searched in S106 via the display processing unit 45.

  FIG. 6 is a display example of the screen in such a case. As shown in the figure, the setting screen 600 displays a message 601 indicating that a route ignoring time restrictions has been searched. And the selection of whether guidance may be started with the searched route is received.

  The searched route may be displayed on a map. Moreover, you may display the link with time regulation with that. Further, detailed information on time regulation may be displayed.

  When the route search unit 42 receives an instruction from the user via the input device 5 to guide on the searched route (Yes in S108), the route search unit 42 instructs the route guide unit 44 to start guidance on the route searched in S106. Instruct (S110).

  On the other hand, when an instruction is received from the user via the input device 5 so as not to guide the searched route (No in S108), the route guiding unit 42 again sets search conditions (departure point, destination setting, etc.). )

  Here, the route guidance process of S110 will be described. When performing route guidance using a route that ignores time regulation, the route guidance unit 44 continues to monitor whether or not the current position has approached a predetermined distance (for example, 200 m) from a link with time regulation. And when approaching within a predetermined distance, it displays that there exists a link with time regulation ahead.

  FIG. 7 is a display example in such a case. As shown in the figure, the route guiding unit 44 displays 602 that there is a time restriction ahead, and displays detailed information (such as a restriction time zone) 603 of the time restriction included in the restriction information 3127.

  Note that the route guiding unit 44 may output the fact that there is a time restriction or the details of the time restriction by voice via the voice input / output device 4.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above.

  According to the above-described embodiment, since the route search is attempted while excluding the road with time restriction, the route ignoring the time restriction can be output even when the route is not searched. Therefore, finally, a route from the departure place to the destination can be presented to the user.

  The recommended route may include a road with a time restriction, but even a road with a time restriction may be able to pass on the passage date and time. Whether or not to pass such a road may be left to the user.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made.

  For example, in the above embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a vehicle-mounted navigation device has been described, but the present invention can also be applied to a navigation device other than the vehicle-mounted navigation device.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an in-vehicle navigation device to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of map data stored in the map data storage device 3. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the arithmetic processing unit 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the arithmetic processing unit 1. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the recommended route search process of the in-vehicle navigation device to which this embodiment is applied. FIG. 6 is a display example of a setting screen as to whether guidance is started on the searched route. FIG. 7 is a display example of information on time regulation during route guidance.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Arithmetic processing part, 2 ... Display, 3 ... Map data storage device, 4 ... Voice input / output device, 5 ... Input device, 6 ... Wheel speed sensor, 7 ... Geomagnetic sensor, 8 ... Gyro, 9 ... GPS receiver, 21 ... CPU, 22 ... RAM, 23 ... ROM, 24 ... DMA, 25 ... Drawing controller, 26 ... VRAM, 27 ... Color palette, 28 ... A / D converter, 29 ... SCI, 30 ... PIO, 31 ... Counter, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 41 ... User operation analysis part, 42 ... Route search part, 44 ... Route guidance part, 45 ... Display processing part, 46 ... Current position calculation part

Claims (4)

A first search means that tries to perform a route search by excluding roads with time restrictions regardless of the time restriction period;
If the route is not searched by the first search means, and second search means for performing a route search by ignoring time regulations,
Display means for displaying information on time regulation of roads included in the route searched by the second search means;
A navigation apparatus comprising: a selection receiving unit that receives a selection as to whether or not to start guidance using the route searched by the second search unit. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein
A navigation apparatus comprising: a guidance unit that performs guidance on a route that is selected by the selection accepting unit so that guidance is performed using the route searched by the second search unit. The navigation device according to claim 2, wherein
The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the display means outputs information on time regulation in the vicinity of a road with time regulation. A first search step in which a road with time regulation is excluded regardless of the time zone of the time regulation and the route search is attempted;
If the route is not searched in the first search step, a second search step of performing a route search by ignoring time regulations,
A display step for displaying information on time regulation of roads included in the route searched in the second search step;
A route search method for a navigation device, comprising: a selection reception step for receiving a selection as to whether or not to start guidance using the route searched in the second search step.

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