JP5231474B2 - Navigation system, route search server, route search method, and terminal device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation system that searches for and guides candidate routes from an arbitrary starting point to a destination by using walking, automobiles, or public transportation, and in particular, any starting point using transportation. A navigation system, a route search server, a route search method, and a terminal capable of searching for a route by specifying a transfer allowable time allowed as a transfer time at a transit place when searching for a candidate route from the ground to the destination It relates to the device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a navigation device and a navigation system that guide a user by searching for a route from a desired departure place to a destination using map data and road data are known. As such a navigation device and navigation system, a car navigation device that is installed in an automobile and guides the route to the driver, a route search request is sent from the terminal device to the route search server via the network, and the result is received. Communication-type navigation systems that receive route guidance have been put into practical use.

  In particular, the communication-type navigation system is a system that uses a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone as a navigation terminal, and is also used as a navigation system for pedestrians. The route search server uses the road (route) of the map data as the node, the position of the inflection point as the node, the route connecting each node as the link, and the cost information (distance and travel time) of all the links in the database As prepared. Then, the route guidance server refers to the database, sequentially searches for links from the departure node to the destination node, and traces the node and link with the smallest cost information of the link to obtain a guidance route. The shortest route can be guided to the navigation terminal. As such a route search method, a method called label determination method or Dijkstra method is used.

  Furthermore, as a navigation system for pedestrians, it is preferable to add a route guidance function including transportation, and in addition to walking route search and guidance, the route search server accumulates transportation route and operation time data. In addition, there is a navigation system having a function of guiding a route from a desired departure station to a desired destination station (boarding candidate train) in addition to searching for a walking route and guidance.

  A route search system for searching for a route using such a transportation system includes an operation time database in which operation time data of each transportation facility is databased as route search data, an in-vehicle navigation system, and a pedestrian navigation system. As with the road network data in, in addition to the data that networked each station on a traffic route as a node and a two-way link between stations, the operation time and movement of each link for each means of transportation operated on each traffic route It has a database of a traffic network with time added as link cost data. Furthermore, there is a system in which fare data is added and the fare of the searched guide route is guided together.

  Then, based on route search conditions such as departure date and time, departure place, destination, arrival time specified by the user, refer to these databases and connect the departure place and destination, including transit (transfer) Follow each possible means of transportation (individual trains and buses) as a route, and select one guide route (departure station, destination station, route, train, etc.) that matches the route search conditions. It is configured to present multiple items. In general, as route search conditions, conditions such as travel time, number of transfers, and fare can be specified.

  In addition, as a system for searching and guiding about transportation facilities, a terminal device such as a mobile phone is connected to an information distribution server that guides route information and timetable information of transportation facilities without searching for walking routes. There is also a traffic guidance system that can specify a departure station, departure time, destination station, etc., receive information on transportation means such as routes, trains, and trains that can be boarded and display them on a terminal device. In general, when such use is performed from a terminal device, address information such as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or a domain name for specifying a location where information to be downloaded exists is input to the terminal device and specified by the address. The information distribution server (information providing site) is accessed to download desired information.

  From such a technical background, a technique for determining an optimum route route is disclosed as, for example, “Route route determination expert system” in the following Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-52067). The system disclosed in Patent Document 1 stores knowledge such as route data, transfer data, operation speed, and fare calculation data necessary for searching for a route route in a knowledge base, and input start point name and end point name characters. Based on the sequence, the optimum route is determined by inferring against the knowledge in the knowledge base.

  Then, out of the routes that can be reached from the departure point to the end point, the route candidate with the smallest number of transfers is selected, the travel time including the transfer time is calculated for each route, the route with the smallest change is determined, When the route is determined, the fare and route distance are calculated and displayed.

  In addition, a technique for searching for a connection route in the light of a transportation schedule is disclosed, for example, in the following Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-334387) as an “optimum connection sequence search method and system”. ing.

  The system disclosed in Patent Document 2 specifies a starting point, a destination, a desired departure time, and a search time range, limits a route search range from the starting point and the destination, and searches for a route from timetable data. If the operation link that includes an out-of-range transit node is excluded from the search, and the departure point and destination are not transit nodes, use the average travel time network to find the nearest transit nodes and contact them. A link is formed and a dynamic network is formed by adding an operation link within a search time range using timetable data sorted in the order of arrival time. The optimum transit series is searched for by registering the operation information list sorted in the order of the latest departure time, with the set of (operation information) as an element. In other words, this system is configured to eliminate a useless sequence search by limiting the search area in advance from the starting point and the destination so that the sequence search can be processed in a short time.

Furthermore, the applicant of the present application has already filed a patent application for the invention of Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-130653 as a technique for performing a transfer search with a wide departure time.
In the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-013957 (hereinafter referred to as “prior application”), traffic is searched with reference to network data for route search based on a route search request including a starting point and a destination. A navigation system comprising: route search means for searching for an optimum route including a route using an engine; and display means for displaying candidate routes searched by the route search means, including a range of departure times from a departure place An operation input means for inputting a route search condition, a time range determination means for determining a range of departure time, a time condition shift means for shifting a time condition, and a guide route sorting means, the time condition shift means, The time condition is sequentially changed to a different time condition within the departure time range according to a predetermined condition, and the route search means performs the time condition shift process. The optimum route is searched based on the time condition changed by the stage and stored as a candidate route in the guide route sorting means. The guide route sorting means sorts and outputs the candidate routes in the order specified by the route search condition. Is configured to do.

  According to the navigation system of the prior application configured as described above, it is possible to search for a plurality of candidate routes included in the specified departure time range by simply specifying the range of the departure time, and to select those candidate routes. Since the guide route information sorted in the order of the above conditions can be obtained, the user can easily select a route that meets his / her request from the candidate routes.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-52067 (FIG. 1) JP-A-10-334387 (FIG. 5, paragraphs [0038] and [0039])

  In the conventional transit search disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2, a route that minimizes the number of times of transfer is generally selected from among several optimal route candidates. For this reason, since an optimal route is selected from among a plurality of guide routes originally listed as route candidates, a very inappropriate route is not selected.

  However, when a route search is performed on the condition of a desired departure time range as in the prior application, the number of route candidates to be searched increases overwhelmingly. In addition, when a route that minimizes the number of transfers is strictly determined, a route with a very long waiting time for transfer may be searched although the number of transfers is small. In particular, when a route search to a distant destination is performed, the tendency to transit a long-distance train becomes remarkable, so the waiting time may become very long. The route search methods disclosed in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 2 have a problem that such inconveniences cannot be solved.

  The inventor of the present application has made various studies to solve the above-mentioned problems, and as a result, it is possible to solve the above-mentioned problems by designating a permissible transfer time as a transfer time at a transit place of transportation. The present invention has been conceived and completed.

  That is, the present invention has an object to solve the above-described problems, and when searching for a candidate route from an arbitrary departure place to a destination using a transportation facility, it is allowed as a transfer time at a transit place of the transportation facility. It is an object of the present invention to provide a navigation system, a route search server, a route search method, and a terminal device that search for a route whose transfer time (waiting time) satisfies an allowable range of a user by specifying the allowable transfer time. Is.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application is
Based on a route search request including a starting point and a destination, route search means for searching for an optimum route including a route using a transportation means with reference to network data for route search, and candidate routes searched by the route search means In a navigation system comprising display means for displaying
The navigation system includes an operation input means for inputting a route search condition including a transfer allowable time allowed as a transfer time from one route of a transportation to another route, and a transportation information included in the route search network data. Network data editing means for extracting network data for transfer from the one route to the other route that can be changed within the allowable transfer time input by the operation input means from the network data, and
The route search means searches for the optimum route based on the network data extracted by the network data editing means when the route search condition includes the allowable transfer time.

The invention according to claim 2 of the present application is the navigation system according to claim 1,
The transfer allowance time includes the travel time from the transfer source point to the transfer destination point at the transfer location, and is the time from the arrival time at the transfer source point to the departure time from the transfer destination point. It is characterized by that.

The invention according to claim 3 of the present application is
A route search request including a starting point and a destination is transmitted to the route search server, and connected to a terminal device having display means for displaying the candidate route received from the route search server, and received from the terminal device. In a route search server that searches for an optimum route including a route using a transportation facility with reference to route search network data based on route search conditions,
A route search condition including a transfer allowable time allowed as a transfer time from one route of transportation to another route is input from the operation input means provided in the terminal device,
The route search server refers to route search means for searching for an optimum route including a route using a transportation facility with reference to the route search network data, and the network data of the transportation facility included in the route search network data. Network data editing means for extracting network data intended for transfer from the one route to the other route that can be changed within the transfer allowable time input by the operation input means, and
The route search means searches for the optimum route based on the network data extracted by the network data editing means when the route search condition includes the allowable transfer time.

The invention according to claim 4 of the present application is the route search server according to claim 3,
The transfer allowance time includes the travel time from the transfer source point to the transfer destination point at the transfer location, and is the time from the arrival time at the transfer source point to the departure time from the transfer destination point. It is characterized by that.

Furthermore, the invention according to claim 5 of the present application is
Based on a route search request including a starting point and a destination, route search means for searching for an optimum route including a route using a transportation means with reference to network data for route search, and candidate routes searched by the route search means A route search method in a navigation system comprising:
The navigation system includes an operation input means for inputting a route search condition including a transfer allowable time allowed as a transfer time from one route of a transportation to another route, and a transportation information included in the route search network data. Network data editing means for extracting network data for transfer from the one route to the other route that can be changed within the allowable transfer time input by the operation input means from the network data, and
The route searching means includes a step of searching for an optimum route based on the network data extracted by the network data editing means when the route search condition includes the transfer allowable time.

The invention according to claim 6 of the present application is the route search method according to claim 5,
The transfer allowance time includes the travel time from the transfer source point to the transfer destination point at the transfer location, and is the time from the arrival time at the transfer source point to the departure time from the transfer destination point. It is characterized by that.

The invention according to claim 7 of the present application is
Included in the route search network data is a route search means for searching for an optimal route including a route using a transportation system by referring to the route search network data based on a route search request including the starting point and the destination. Network data editing means for extracting network data for transfer from one route to another route that can be transferred within a transfer allowable time allowed as a transfer time among network data of a transportation facility, and the route The search means is a terminal device connected via a network to a route search server for searching for an optimum route based on the network data extracted by the network data editing means when the route search condition includes the allowable transfer time. There,
The terminal device displays operation input means for inputting a route search condition including a transfer allowable time allowed as a transfer time from the first route to another route of the transportation, and candidate routes searched by the route search means Display means, and the operation input means inputs an allowable transfer time as a transfer time at a transit place of the transportation facility.

The invention according to claim 8 of the present application is the terminal device according to claim 7,
The transfer allowance time includes the travel time from the transfer source point to the transfer destination point at the transfer location, and is the time from the arrival time at the transfer source point to the departure time from the transfer destination point. It is characterized by that.

In the invention according to claim 1, the operation input means for inputting a route search condition including an allowable transfer time as a transfer time from one route to another route of the transportation means, and the route search network data include Network data editing means for extracting network data for transfer from the one route to the other route that can be changed within the allowable transfer time input by the operation input means from the network data of the transport The route search means is configured to search for an optimum route based on the network data extracted by the network data editing means when the route search condition includes the allowable transfer time.

According to such a configuration, it is possible to change from one route to another that can be transferred within the specified transfer allowable time only by specifying the transfer allowable time allowed as the transfer time from one route to another route of transportation. It is possible to search for a candidate route intended for transfer to the other route, and to obtain information on a guide route that satisfies the allowable range of the user for the transfer time. Therefore, the user can obtain a desired route that meets his / her request.

  In the invention according to claim 2, in the navigation system according to claim 1, the transfer allowable time includes a travel time from the transfer source point to the transfer destination point at the transfer location, and to the transfer source point. The time is from the arrival time to the departure time from the transfer point.

  According to such a configuration, after arriving at the point of transfer source (the point at which the transportation facility that had been transferred before the transfer at the transfer location arrives), the point of transfer destination (the point at which the transfer facility at the transfer location departs) ) And the waiting time until the departure time of the next transportation that departs from the transfer point after the transfer is completed (arrival at the transfer point) Since the combined time is defined as the desired transfer time, information on the guide route is obtained so that even if either the travel time or the waiting time is extremely long, the combined time satisfies the allowable range of the user. Will be able to. Therefore, the user can obtain a desired route that meets his / her request.

  In addition, since the desired transfer allowance time may be exceeded only by the travel time as in the case of a transfer from a railway to an airplane, if the specified transfer allowance time is shortened to, for example, about 30 minutes, substantially one hour or more is required. It is also possible to avoid a route search that cannot be changed, such as a transfer from a railway to an airplane.

  In the inventions according to claims 3 and 4, it is possible to provide a route search server constituting the navigation system according to claims 1 and 2, respectively, and inventions according to claims 5 and 6. Can provide a route search method for realizing the navigation system according to claims 1 and 2, respectively. Moreover, in the invention concerning Claim 7 and Claim 8, the terminal device which comprises the navigation system concerning Claim 1 and Claim 2 can be provided now, respectively.

1 is a system configuration diagram showing a configuration of a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the detailed structure of the navigation system in the Example of this invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the pattern of the transfer time in the transfer place concerning the Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the mobile telephone as a terminal device concerning the Example of this invention. It is a screen block diagram which shows an example of the input screen of the route search conditions concerning the Example of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the concept of the data of a road network. It is a schematic diagram which shows the concept of the data of a traffic network. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of map data. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure of the route search server concerning the Example of this invention.

  Hereinafter, specific examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples and drawings. However, the embodiments shown below illustrate a navigation system for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and are not intended to specify the present invention for this navigation system. The present invention can be equally applied to navigation systems of other embodiments included in the scope.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing a configuration of a navigation system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the navigation system 10 includes a terminal device 20 and a route search server 30 that are connected via a network 12. The navigation system 10 includes a POI information distribution server 50 that provides detailed information such as the location of POIs (Points of Interest) that belong to various categories, service contents, advertisements, map data, traffic route data, and operation timetables. It includes various information distribution servers 51 that provide data, contents such as music and various images, and other information.

  The route search server 30 can acquire necessary data from the POI information distribution server 50 or other information distribution server 51 via the network 12 and add it to its own database. Similarly, a search request can be transmitted to the POI information distribution server 50 or another information distribution server 51 to obtain a desired search result.

  The navigation system 10 according to the present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and the route search server 30 may have the function of a map distribution server that distributes the map of the POI location together with the navigation service function. The terminal device 20 can also use a mobile phone, and may be a portable device such as a PDA, a music player, a portable game machine, or a personal computer (PC).

  The route search server 30 shown in FIG. 1 includes a map database 34 and a route search network database 35. When a route search request is received from the terminal device 20, the route search server 30 searches for a route with reference to the route search network database 35. And it has the general navigation function which transmits the guidance route (recommended route) obtained from the result of route search to the terminal device 20. Further, when there is a request for obtaining map data by designating a desired point or POI from the terminal device 20, the corresponding map data is read with reference to the map database 34 and distributed to the terminal device 20.

  When the terminal device 20 requests a route search from the route search server 30 and receives a route guidance service, the terminal device 20 sets route search conditions such as a desired departure place and destination and sends the route search server 30 with the route search condition. Send a route search request. The terminal device 20 can set an allowable transfer time when requesting a route search using the allowable transfer time permitted as the transfer time as a route search condition. Here, the transfer time is defined as follows.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining a pattern of transfer time at a transfer place (transfer station).
When a user transfers from a train on line A to a train on line B at station X, as shown in FIG. 3 (a), the user gets off from the train on line A that arrives at platform A, and is shown in FIG. 3 (b). In this way, the travel time required to move to the X station B platform where the train on the B route arrives and departs is assumed to be T1. Then, as shown in FIG. 3 (c), T2 is the time to wait at the platform before getting on the B line train that has arrived at B platform, and the B line train that has been boarded as shown in FIG. 3 (d) departs. Let T3 be the time to wait in the car before doing.

In this case, transfer time is
(1) Time from the arrival time at the transfer point (the point at which the transportation facility that had been transferred before the transfer at the transit location arrives) to the departure time at which the next transportation system departed from the transfer destination point ( Transfer time T1 + home waiting time T2 + in-car waiting time T3),
(2) Time (home waiting time T2) from the transfer end point to the boarding time to get on the next transportation from the transfer end point to the point to transfer to (the point where the changed transportation at the transfer point departs) Or
(3) Time (home waiting time T2 +) from the end time of moving to the transfer destination point (the point at which the changed transportation system departs at the transfer point) to the departure time when the next transport system that departed from the transfer destination point departs Car waiting time T3)
Defined in either

In the route search server 30, a control program for performing a route search based on the definition of any one of the above-described transfer times or a plurality of transfer time definitions in a manner that can be selected and set by the user is stored in advance in the ROM. It is registered.
When the allowable transfer time is set from the terminal device 20, the allowable range of the transfer time is specified as “within 15 minutes” or “within 30 minutes”.

When the route search server 30 receives a route search request for which a transfer allowable time is set from the terminal device 20, the route search server 30 extracts from the route search network database 35 the transportation facilities that can be transferred within the specified transfer allowable time, and candidate routes. Explore. The route search at this time can be performed by a route search method of setting condition specification performed in a general navigation system.
By performing such a route search, a candidate route that can be transferred within a desired transfer time can be obtained, and the user of the terminal device 20 can further obtain a desired route that meets his / her request. Become.

  Hereinafter, the navigation system 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described based on specific examples, but before that, the detailed configuration of the navigation system 10 according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the navigation system 10 of FIG. The terminal device 20 is a terminal capable of receiving a navigation service, and includes a control unit 201, a communication unit 21, a GPS reception unit 22, a search request unit 23, a guide route data storage unit 24, a display unit 25, and an operation input unit 26. It is prepared for.

  In the terminal device 20, the control means 201 is a microprocessor having a RAM, a ROM, and a processor (not shown), and controls the operation of each unit by a control program stored in the ROM. The communication means 21 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving communication data with the route search server 30 and the like via the network 12.

  The GPS receiving means 22 receives a signal from a GPS satellite and calculates the current position by latitude and longitude. The operation input means 26 consists of numbers, alphabet keys, other function keys, selection keys, scroll keys (up / down / left / right arrow keys), etc., and performs input for operating the terminal device 20, as well as the departure place, purpose It is also used as an input function for route search conditions such as ground. The display means 25 comprises a liquid crystal display panel or the like, and is used for displaying a guidance route, a recommended route or a map distributed (transmitted) from the route search server 30. The display unit 25 also functions as an input unit for displaying the menu screen and operating the terminal device 20.

The search request unit 23 creates a route search request based on the route search conditions such as the departure point and the destination set by the operation input unit 26 or the display unit 25, and transmits the route search request to the route search server 30.
The guide route data storage unit 24 temporarily stores guide route data that is a route search result distributed from the route search server 30, and guide routes and recommended routes transmitted from the route search server 30 to the terminal device 20. Is stored in the guide route data storage unit 24 together with the map data, and the guide data and map data such as the guide route stored in the guide route data storage unit 24 are read out as necessary and displayed. 25.

  When a map is displayed on the display unit 25, generally, a guide route and a current state of the terminal device 20 are displayed on a map of a certain scale and a certain range including the current position of the terminal device 20 measured by the GPS receiving unit 22. A mark indicating the position is superimposed and displayed so that the current position mark is at the center of the display screen. Since the measured position information includes an error, route matching processing is performed to correct the current position on the guide route when the current position is deviated from the guide route. In addition, when voice guide data is added to the guidance route data distributed from the route search server 30, for example, when the terminal device 20 approaches an intersection or a branch point (guidance point), “Further, 300m Play a voice message such as “Turn left at the intersection. Please turn left” and guide the user.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an appearance of a mobile phone as a terminal device according to the embodiment of the present invention. When the terminal device 20 is a mobile phone, as shown in FIG. 3, the terminal device 20 has a display means 25 such as a liquid crystal display panel, a numeric keypad and a scroll key SK (launcher key), a clear key, a display on a specific numeric key, etc. Operation input means 26 to which a mode switching key is assigned is provided. Map data and guide route data transmitted from the route search server 30 are stored in the guide route data storage unit 24, read out from the guide route data storage unit 24 as necessary, and displayed on the display screen 251 of the display unit 25. The

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a route search condition input screen 500 displayed on the display screen 251. The terminal device 20 transmits a route search request to the route search server 30 based on the conditions and operations input by the operation input unit 26. When making a route search request to the route search server 30, the route search server is configured by setting a desired departure point and destination from the menu displayed on the display means 25 as shown in FIG. 5 or from the operation input means 26. 30.

  The route search condition input screen 500 includes a departure point input field 501, a destination input field 502, a use date input field 503, a time input field 504, a time type input field 505, a moving means input field 506, and a route display order input field. 507, an allowable transfer time input field 508, a walking setting input field 509, a used route input field 510, a search start button 511 for starting a search at the current time, and a search start button 512 for starting a search with setting conditions. It has been.

  The starting point and destination are set by inputting an address, a telephone number, a station name, a point name such as a building name, a latitude / longitude, or the like in the starting point input field 501 and the destination input field 502. That is, in this input field, free word input is possible in principle, but it can be set by an address, a telephone number, a POI (Point of Interest) name, or the like. Further, the current location of the terminal device 20 measured by the GPS receiving means 22 can be used for the input of the departure place. Furthermore, a method may be used in which a map is displayed on the display unit 25 of the terminal device 20, a point is designated on the displayed map, and converted into latitude and longitude information.

  The setting of the use date and time is set by inputting the date and time of actually using a transportation facility such as a train in the use date input field 503 and the time input field 504 in order to perform a search according to the operation timetable data. In the use date input field 503 and the time input field 504, the date and time when the route search condition input screen 500 is displayed are set as initial values.

  In the time type input field 505, the conventional “departure”, “arrival”, “last train”, and “first departure” conditions can be selected and set from the pull-down menu 505-1 for the type of time input in the time input field 504. is there. Accordingly, when “departure” or “arrival” is selected, it is possible to set whether it is the departure time or the arrival time. The “last train” is the route that can delay the departure most, and the “first departure” requires the route that can start the day and reach the destination earliest.

In the moving means input field 506, it is possible to select and set moving means at the time of route search. When “Vehicle + Walk” is selected, permitted vehicles (airplane, Shinkansen, limited express, route bus, etc.) can be set in the use route column 510.
In the route display order input field 507, the conventional route display order is "in order of shorter required time", "in order of cheaper fare", "in order of decreasing number of transfers", "in order of less walking (distance of walking route)" These conditions can be selected and set using a pull-down menu 507-1.

  Here, in "Short order of required time", the specified departure time range is satisfied and the route is found in the order of shorter required time. In "Lowest fare order", the specified departure time range is satisfied, and the route is in ascending order of fare Is obtained. In addition, the route with the specified departure time is satisfied in the order of the least number of transfers and the route is obtained in the order of the smaller number of transfers, and the route in the order of the smaller distance of the walking section is satisfied with the specified departure time range. Routes are found in ascending order.

  In the transfer allowance time entry field 508, it is possible to select and set the conditions of “unlimited”, “within 60 minutes”, “within 45 minutes”, “within 30 minutes”, and “within 15 minutes” with the pull-down menu 508-1. It is. The initial value is set to “unlimited”, but the present invention will function when a condition other than “unlimited” is selected. In addition, the input of the transfer allowable time may be a numerical input method.

In the walking setting input field 509, it is possible to select and set the conventional “skeka”, “standard”, and “slow” conditions for the walking speed from the pull-down menu 509-1. Here, the time cost of the walking section is estimated with the speed of 6 km / h for “Saseka”, 5 km / h for “standard”, and 4 km / h for “slow”.
When the necessary condition setting is completed and the search start button 511 or 512 is operated, a route search request is transmitted from the terminal device 20 to the route search server 30.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the route search server 30 includes a control unit 301, a communication unit 31, a search request storage unit 32, a route search unit 33, a map database 34, a route search network database 35, and a network data editing unit 36. The guide route data editing means 37 is provided.

  In the route search server 30, the control unit 301 is a microprocessor having a RAM, a ROM, and a processor (not shown), and controls the operation of each unit by a control program stored in the ROM. The communication unit 31 is an interface for communicating with the terminal device 20, the POI information distribution server 50, and other information distribution servers 51 via the network 12.

The search request storage means 32 is for temporarily storing a route search condition included in a route search request transmitted from the terminal device 20.
The route search means 33 refers to the search network database 35 based on the route search conditions such as the departure point and destination and the current position information transmitted from the terminal device 20, and the route from the departure point to the destination. Perform a search. As such a route search method, a method called label determination method or Dijkstra method is used. Such a configuration is the same as that of a general navigation system.

  The route search network database 35 stores road network data for searching for a travel route by foot or car and traffic network data for searching for a travel route using public transportation. Specifically, the road (route) is the node and the position of the inflection point is the node, the route connecting each node is the link, node data, link data, and cost information (distance and required time) of all links It consists of some link cost data and is made into a database. The network data for transportation is also stored as link cost data, with stations as nodes, links between stations, and timetable data (departure time, arrival time, required time) of each vehicle such as trains. is there.

  The road network data for route search in the pedestrian navigation system and the car navigation system is configured as follows. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a concept of road network data. For example, when the road is composed of roads A, B, and C as shown in FIG. 6, the end points, intersections, and bending points of the roads A, B, and C are used as nodes, and the roads connecting the nodes are directed links. Link cost data with node data (node latitude / longitude), link data (link number) and link cost of each link (link distance or time required to travel the link) as data Composed.

  That is, in FIG. 6, Nn (◯ mark) and Nm (◎ mark) indicate nodes, and Nm (◎ mark) indicates a road intersection. Directional links connecting the nodes are indicated by arrow lines (solid line, dotted line, two-dot chain line). As for the links, there are links facing in the upward and downward directions of the road, but in FIG. 6, only the links in the direction of the arrows are shown for the sake of simplicity.

  When route search is performed using such road network data as a route search database, links linked from the starting node to the destination node are traced to accumulate the link cost, thereby minimizing the accumulated link cost. Search and guide the route. That is, in FIG. 6, when a route search is performed with the departure point as the node AX and the destination as the node CY, the road travels from the node AX to the road A, turns right at the second intersection, enters the road C, and reaches the node CY. The link cost is accumulated sequentially, and a route that minimizes the accumulated link cost is searched for and guided.

  Although other routes from the node AX to the node CY are not shown in FIG. 6, there are actually other such routes, so that a plurality of routes that can be reached from the node AX to the node CY are displayed. A search is performed in the same manner, and a route with the lowest link cost is determined as the optimum route. This method is performed by, for example, a known method called the Dijkstra method.

  On the other hand, the traffic network data for route search of the transportation system is configured as follows. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the concept of traffic network data. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, in the case of traffic routes A, B, and C, each station (each airport on an aircraft route) provided on each traffic route A, B, and C is used as a node, and the nodes are connected. A section is represented by a directional link, and node data (latitude / longitude) and link data (link number) are network data. In FIG. 7, Nn (◯ mark) and Nm (◎ mark) indicate nodes, Nm (◎ mark) indicates a transit point (such as a transfer station) on a traffic route, and a directional link connecting each node. It is indicated by an arrow line (solid line, dotted line, two-dot chain line). As links, there are links facing in the upward and downward directions of the traffic route. In FIG. 7, only the links in the direction of the arrows are shown for the sake of simplicity.

  However, the traffic network basically has a different link cost compared to the road network. In other words, in the road network, the link cost is fixed and static. However, in the traffic network, as shown in FIG. 7, trains and airplanes (hereinafter referred to as individual trains and airplanes) that operate traffic routes are used. A plurality of means of transportation). The time of departure from one node and the time of arrival at the next node are determined for each means of transportation (specified by timetable data and operation data), and individual routes do not necessarily link to adjacent nodes. There is a case. This is the case, for example, with express trains and trains that stop at each station. In such a case, a plurality of different links exist on the same traffic route, and the required time between nodes may differ depending on the transportation means.

  In the transportation network illustrated in FIG. 7, a plurality of transportation means (routes) Aa to Ac... Exist on the same link of the transportation route A, and a plurality of transportation means (routes) Ca to Cc. Will do. Therefore, unlike a simple road network, the transportation network of a transportation facility has a data amount proportional to the total number of transportation means (routes such as individual airplanes and trains). For this reason, the data of the traffic network becomes a huge amount of data compared to the data amount of the road network. Accordingly, much time is required for route search accordingly.

  In order to search for a route from a certain departure point to a certain destination using such traffic network data, all the means of transportation that can be used (ride) when arriving from the departure point to the destination are searched. It is necessary to specify the means of transportation that matches the search conditions.

  For example, in FIG. 7, when performing a route search with the departure point as a node AX of the traffic route A and specifying a certain departure time and using the node CY of the traffic route C as the destination, the route operates on the traffic route A. Of the transportation means Aa to Ac..., All transportation means after the departure time are sequentially selected as the departure route. Based on the arrival time at the transit node on the transit route C, among all the transit means Ca to Cc... Operating on the transit route C, all combinations of transit means after the time that can be boarded at the transit node. The total time required for each route, the number of transfers, and the like are guided.

  Using such network data, the route search server 30 searches for a plurality of candidate routes from the departure point to the destination according to the route search conditions, and transmits the results to the terminal device 20 as guide route data. When the departure time of the departure place is specified in the route search condition, the departure time of the departure place is included in the guidance route data, and the terminal device 20 can display these on the display means 25 together with the details of the route. When the transfer route is included in the guide route, the train to be transferred at the transfer station and the departure time can be displayed in the same manner.

  The map database 34 stores vector map data. The map data stored in the map database 34 is composed of unit map data divided by a predetermined latitude / longitude range.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the structure of map data. As shown in FIG. 8, the map data is divided into map areas in units of predetermined latitude and longitude, and is configured as mesh unit map data M11 to M33. When distributed to the terminal device 20, the unit map data M21, M23, M12, and M32 adjacent to the unit map data M22 including the current position PP of the terminal device 20 in the vertical direction, the horizontal direction, and the diagonal direction are centered. , M11, M13, M31, and M33, a total of nine unit maps are distributed.

  When the terminal device 20 moves and the map data is insufficient, the moving direction of the terminal device 20 is determined, and the route search server 30 distributes the insufficient unit map data. The same applies when the terminal device 20 makes a distribution request for map data by designating a specific point or POI (Point of Interest) position. The guide route data is distributed to the terminal device 20 together with the vector map data. The terminal device 20 thus receives the map data and the guidance route data from the route search server 30 and displays the map and the guidance route on the display means 25.

  In the present embodiment, the network data editing means 36, when requested by the user of the terminal device 20 for a route search specifying a transfer allowable time allowed as a transfer time, is included in the route search network database 35. The operation network data of the transportation facility that can be transferred within the specified transfer allowable time is temporarily extracted from the operation network data. When the route search is performed based on the route search network data including only the operation network data of the transportation system thus extracted, a guide route that can be connected within the transfer time desired by the user is selected.

  The guide route data editing means 37 is for editing the guide route (transport means such as individual trains) searched by the route search means 33 into data for distribution to the terminal device 20. That is, the guide route data editing unit 37 performs editing such as embedding the data of the optimum route or the plurality of recommended guide routes searched by the route searching unit 33 into the map data including the current position read from the map database 34. Create guide route data.

  The guide route data is distributed by adding map data to the guide route created as vector data, and guides such as a departure point on the guide route searched by the route search means 33, a turning point of the route, an intersection, and a destination. Points are set, and the position coordinates (latitude / longitude) of these guide points and guidance information related to each guide point (guidance information for going straight or turning left and right) are included. The terminal device 20 receives the distributed map data and the guide route data, displays the map and the guide route, and outputs or outputs a predetermined guide when it arrives at the guide point.

  The user of the terminal device 20 operates the operation input means 26 to display a menu screen or a predetermined input screen on the display means 25 when requesting a route search to the route search server 30 in the terminal device 20. The route search conditions such as the departure point, destination, and transfer time are input. Further, when receiving the guide route data and the map data from the route search server 30, the terminal device 20 temporarily stores them in the guide route data storage means 24, and displays the current position mark indicating the current position of the terminal device 20 and the current position. A map including a predetermined range and a guide route are displayed on the display means 25. When the current position changes and the map data is insufficient, the terminal device 20 requests the map data from the route search server 30 and receives distribution of the insufficient map data.

  When there is a route search request from the terminal device 20, the route search server 30 temporarily stores it in the search request storage unit 32. The route search means 33 searches for a plurality of candidate routes from the departure point to the destination with reference to the route search network database 35 according to the route search request stored in the search request storage means 32. Here, when the user of the terminal device 20 requests a route search specifying the transfer allowable time allowed as the transfer time, it is specified from the operation network data of the transportation facility included in the route search network database 35. The operation network data of the transportation facility that can be transferred within the permitted transfer time is temporarily extracted, and the route search is performed based on the route search network data including the extracted operation network data.

  Then, the candidate route is edited into guide route data and distributed to the terminal device 20 together with the map data. Further, the route search server 30 distributes the requested map data to the terminal device 20 according to the request from the terminal device 20.

  Next, the route search operation procedure in the route search server 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the route search server according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The operation procedure shown in FIG. 9 is realized by the control unit 301 of the route search server 30 executing a control program stored in the ROM.
First, in the process of step S901, the terminal device 20 inputs the departure point, the destination, and the output order according to the route search condition input screen shown in FIG. 4, and the transfer allowable time is input in step S902. The input route search condition is transmitted to the route search server 30.

When receiving the route search request from the terminal device 20, the route search server 30 temporarily stores it in the search request storage unit 32 in the process of step S903.
When the network data editing unit 36 receives the route search request designating the allowable transfer time, the network data editing means 36 within the specified allowable transfer time of the transportation network data included in the route search network database 35 in the process of step S904. Temporarily extract operation network data of transportation candidates that can be transferred to.

  The route search means 33 performs route search in the process of step S905 based on the route search network data including the operation network data extracted by the network data editing means 36, and the obtained candidate route is sent to the guide route data editing means 37. send. In step S906, the guide route data editing means 37 temporarily stores the candidate route data sent from the route search means 33.

The route search by the route search means 33 is a route search for specifying a moving means (used in both walking and transportation) used in general route search. It is a route search to follow. In this route search, even if a plurality of candidate routes are searched, they are all stored in the guide route data editing means 37.
When the guide route data is stored in the guide route data editing means 37 in the process of step S906, it is determined whether or not there is another transferable transportation candidate extracted in the process of step S907.

  If it is determined in step S907 that there is no other transportation candidate, the route search processing ends, and the process proceeds to step S908. The operation network data of the other transportation system included in the route search network database 35 determined that there is another transportation system candidate is temporarily extracted, and the process returns to the route search process in step S905.

  When the processing from step S905 to step S906 is repeated and the route search for all transferable transportation candidates is completed, it is determined in step S907 that there are no other transportation candidates. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S908, where the guide route data editing unit 37 sorts the temporarily stored candidate routes in the designated display order to create guide route data, and the guide created in the process of step S909. The route data is transmitted to the terminal device 20 via the communication unit 31, and the process is terminated.

  As described above in detail, according to the navigation system according to the present invention, it is possible to make transit within the specified transfer allowable time only by specifying the transfer allowable time allowed as the transfer time at the transfer location of the transport. Can be searched, and information on the guide route that satisfies the user's allowable range can be obtained. Therefore, the user can further provide a navigation system that can obtain a desired route that meets the user's request.

  In the present embodiment, the communication type navigation system including the terminal device and the route search server has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the communication type navigation system, and any update of map data can be managed. The present invention may be applied when data is downloaded to a portable information device that operates as a stand-alone device in which a terminal device and a route search server are integrated and route guidance is performed by the portable information terminal alone.

  In addition, the navigation system according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration, and the route search server may be a server having a navigation function for automobiles in addition to a navigation function for pedestrians. The terminal device may be a mobile phone that does not have a GPS receiving means. In the case of a mobile phone that does not have a GPS receiving means, the location information of the communication area is obtained by location registration with respect to the base station, and the route search server may receive this location information from the mobile phone and determine the location.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Navigation system 12 ... Network 20 ... Terminal device 201 ... Control means 21 ... Communication means 22 ... GPS reception means 23 ... Search request means 24 ··· Guide route data storage means 25 ··· Display means 251 ··· Display screen 26 ··· Operation input means 30 ··· Route search server 301 · · · Control means 31 ··· Communication Means 32 .... Search request storage means 33 ... Route search means 34 ... Map database 35 ... Route search network database 36 ... Network data editing means 37 ... Guide Route data editing means

Claims (8)

Based on a route search request including a starting point and a destination, route search means for searching for an optimum route including a route using a transportation means with reference to network data for route search, and candidate routes searched by the route search means In a navigation system comprising display means for displaying
The navigation system includes an operation input means for inputting a route search condition including a transfer allowable time allowed as a transfer time from one route of a transportation to another route, and a transportation information included in the route search network data. Network data editing means for extracting network data for transfer from the one route to the other route that can be changed within the allowable transfer time input by the operation input means from the network data, and
The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the route search means searches for an optimum route based on the network data extracted by the network data editing means when the route search condition includes the allowable transfer time.   The transfer allowance time includes the travel time from the transfer source point to the transfer destination point at the transfer location, and is the time from the arrival time at the transfer source point to the departure time from the transfer destination point. The navigation system according to claim 1. A route search request including a starting point and a destination is transmitted to the route search server, and connected to a terminal device having display means for displaying the candidate route received from the route search server, and received from the terminal device. In a route search server that searches for an optimum route including a route using a transportation facility with reference to route search network data based on route search conditions,
A route search condition including a transfer allowable time allowed as a transfer time from one route of transportation to another route is input from the operation input means provided in the terminal device,
The route search server refers to route search means for searching for an optimum route including a route using a transportation facility with reference to the route search network data, and the network data of the transportation facility included in the route search network data. Network data editing means for extracting network data intended for transfer from the one route to the other route that can be changed within the transfer allowable time input by the operation input means, and
The route search server, wherein the route search means searches for an optimum route based on the network data extracted by the network data editing means when the route search condition includes the allowable transfer time.   The transfer allowance time includes the travel time from the transfer source point to the transfer destination point at the transfer location, and is the time from the arrival time at the transfer source point to the departure time from the transfer destination point. The route search server according to claim 3. Based on a route search request including a starting point and a destination, route search means for searching for an optimum route including a route using a transportation means with reference to network data for route search, and candidate routes searched by the route search means A route search method in a navigation system comprising:
The navigation system includes an operation input means for inputting a route search condition including a transfer allowable time allowed as a transfer time from one route of a transportation to another route, and a transportation information included in the route search network data. Network data editing means for extracting network data for transfer from the one route to the other route that can be changed within the allowable transfer time input by the operation input means from the network data, and
The route searching means includes a step of searching for an optimum route based on the network data extracted by the network data editing means when the route search condition includes the allowable transfer time. Search method.   The transfer allowance time includes the travel time from the transfer source point to the transfer destination point at the transfer location, and is the time from the arrival time at the transfer source point to the departure time from the transfer destination point. The route search method according to claim 5, wherein: Included in the route search network data is a route search means for searching for an optimal route including a route using a transportation system by referring to the route search network data based on a route search request including the starting point and the destination. Network data editing means for extracting network data for transfer from one route to another route that can be transferred within a transfer allowable time allowed as a transfer time among network data of a transportation facility, and the route The search means is a terminal device connected via a network to a route search server for searching for an optimum route based on the network data extracted by the network data editing means when the route search condition includes the allowable transfer time. There,
The terminal device displays operation input means for inputting a route search condition including a transfer allowable time allowed as a transfer time from the first route to another route of the transportation, and candidate routes searched by the route search means And a display unit configured to input a permissible transfer time as a transfer time at a transit place of the transportation facility by the operation input unit.   The transfer allowance time includes the travel time from the transfer source point to the transfer destination point at the transfer location, and is the time from the arrival time at the transfer source point to the departure time from the transfer destination point. The terminal device according to claim 7.

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