JP2001059732A - Navigation device and storage medium recording its program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To travel comfortably without causing a driver to feel troublesomeness by performing such control as not to perform guidance at guidance intersections in the case that guidance intersections are continuous while traveling a road of the same road name. SOLUTION: A control means first determines and acquires guidance intersections which require guidance from route information. It is determined whether the acquired distance d1 between adjacent guidance intersections is greater than a predetermined distance L (i.e., 150 m) or not. In the case that it is greater than the predetermined distance L, one intersection map of the first guidance intersection is plotted and outputted. In addition, in the case that it is not greater than the predetermined distance L, the next distance d2 between guidance intersection is acquired, and the first distance d1 between guidance intersections is compared with the next distance d2 between guidance intersections. In the case that it is determined that the first distance d1 between guidance intersections is long (short), one (two) intersection map is plotted and outputted at the first guidance intersection, and two (one) intersection maps are plotted and outputted at the next intersection.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a navigation device for providing guidance information along a route. In the present invention, the intersection includes a branch point.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 1 shows a conventional navigation guidance system.
1 will be described. When traveling on a road having the same road name over a long section such as an expressway or a motorway, in a conventional navigation device, all exits and branch roads branching from the expressway are processed as guidance-required intersections. For example, in FIG. 11, when the guidance route is set to road, when approaching the guidance intersection R1, an intersection diagram of R1 and an arrow of "right direction" are displayed on the screen, and the content is spoken. When you pass through the guidance intersection R1 and approach the guidance intersection R2, rewrite the intersection diagram to R2, display the `` right '' arrow on the screen, output the contents by voice, and so on. Each time approaching, the guide intersection diagram is rewritten to provide display / voice guidance.

A rotary intersection is a ring road where a plurality of approach roads and exit roads are connected. In a conventional navigation device, all the rotary intersections are processed as guidance-required intersections. FIG. 14 shows a case where the rotary intersections R1 to Rn are continuous between the road and n + 1, and the guidance route goes straight on the road to n + 1. In section A1, "Rotary. Straight ahead. Second exit." Is output, and hereafter, section A2, ...
… At An each time, the voice phrase "Rotary. Straight ahead. Second exit." Is output repeatedly for guidance.

[0004]

As described above, conventionally, when traveling on a road having the same road name, guidance is performed each time the vehicle approaches a guidance intersection. In most cases, it is possible to select an appropriate route without guidance, and there is no need for guidance on a route that is clearly understood. Further, when the guidance intersections are continuous, there is a problem that if all the information is notified, the amount of information is too large to be troublesome.
Further, as described above, when a large number of rotary intersections are continuous in a certain section, the same guidance is output many times with the same voice phrase during the section, which makes the driver feel troublesome.

[0005] The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problem. In the case where there is a continuous guidance intersection on a road having the same road name, continuous guidance at the guidance intersection is not required, so that a driver can be provided to the driver. It is an object of the present invention to provide a navigation device capable of traveling comfortably without causing annoyance and a storage medium storing the program.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a navigation apparatus for providing guidance information along a route, wherein a plurality of guidance intersections are continuous when traveling on a road having the same road name. The present invention is characterized in that control is performed so that guidance is not performed at a guidance intersection, and the invention according to claim 2 is a navigation device that provides guidance information along a route. Acquiring means for acquiring a road name between the guidance intersections, and control means for controlling guidance at the guidance intersection based on the guidance intersection and the road name acquired by the acquisition means, wherein the control means If the guidance intersections are consecutive and the road name is the same, control is performed so that guidance at the guidance intersection is not performed. And then, an invention according to claim 3, wherein, in claim 1, characterized in that the guidance intersection is a rotary intersection, invention according to claim 4, claim 1
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein information of a distance to a last guidance intersection and a road name are notified at a first guidance intersection among the consecutive guidance intersections. A storage medium that stores a program of a navigation device that notifies information, and stores a program that controls not to perform guidance at a guidance intersection when traveling on a road having the same road name and consecutive guidance intersections. It is characterized by having done.

[0007]

According to the present invention, when there is a continuous guidance intersection on a road having the same road name, continuous guidance at the guidance intersection is not required, thereby making the driver feel troublesome. You can run comfortably without
In addition, it is possible to avoid an increase in the amount of information.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a navigation device of the present invention. An input device 1 for inputting information relating to route guidance, a current position detecting device 2 for detecting information relating to the current position of the own vehicle, navigation data required for route calculation, and display / voice guidance data and programs required for route guidance An information storage device 3 in which (application and / or OS) and the like are stored; a central processing unit 4 which performs display / voice guidance processing necessary for route search processing and route guidance and controls the entire system; It comprises an information transmitting / receiving device 5 for receiving road information and traffic information and transmitting / receiving information relating to the current position of the vehicle, and an output device 6 for outputting information relating to route guidance.

The input device 1 has a function of, for example, inputting a destination and instructing the central processing unit 4 to perform a navigation process according to a driver's intention. Means for realizing the function include a touch switch and a jog dial for inputting a destination as a telephone number or coordinates on a map, and requesting route guidance. Of course, an input device such as a remote controller may be used. Also, a voice recognition device for enabling voice input and a storage card reader for reading data stored in an IC card or a magnetic card can be added. In addition, data is stored between the information center that stores data necessary for navigation and provides information via a communication line at the request of the driver and information sources such as portable electronic devices that have map data and destination data. A data communication device for exchanging data can be added.

The current position detecting device 2 uses a satellite navigation system (GPS) to calculate the current position, running speed or absolute azimuth of the vehicle, a GPS receiving device, current position information,
A beacon receiver that receives information such as oblique line information, G using cellular phone (car phone), FM multiplex signal, etc.
A data receiving device that receives a PS correction signal, for example, an absolute direction sensor that detects the traveling direction of the vehicle in an absolute direction by using geomagnetism, for example, a steering sensor, a traveling direction of the vehicle in a relative direction by using a gyro sensor. , For example, a distance sensor that detects the traveling distance of the vehicle from the number of rotations of the wheels.

The information storage device 3 is an external storage device that stores programs and data for navigation, and includes, for example, a CD-ROM, a DVD (registered trademark) -ROM, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, and a memory card. . The program includes a program for performing a process such as a route search, a program for performing interactive guidance by voice input, a program for performing display / voice output control necessary for route guidance, and searching for a point or facility. The stored data includes map data, search data, map matching data, destination data, registered point data, road data, image data of intersections such as intersections, genre-specific data, and landmark data. And all the data necessary for the navigation device. It should be noted that the present invention
The D-ROM stores only data, and the program can be applied to a type that stores it in a central processing unit.

The central processing unit 4 non-volatilely stores a CPU for executing various arithmetic processing and important information (for example, a program for executing route search and route guidance, data for setting conditions, data for various parameters, etc.). Flash memory (for example, electrically erasable EEPROM: electrically erasable
and Programmable ROM), flash memory and CD
ROM, which is a non-volatile storage unit storing a program for performing a data update and a program update process, a set point coordinate of a destination, and a road name code No. The RAM is configured to temporarily store the searched route guidance information and the data being processed. In addition, although not shown in the drawings, interactive processing by voice input from the input device 1 is performed, and a voice, a phrase read from the information storage device 3 based on a voice output control signal from the CPU, A voice processor that synthesizes a set of sentences, sounds, and the like, converts it into an analog signal, and outputs the analog signal to a speaker, a communication interface that exchanges input / output data by communication, and a sensor input that captures a sensor signal of the current position detection device 2. It has an interface and a clock for writing the date and time in the internal diagnostic information. Note that a program for performing the above-described update processing may be stored in an external storage device.

The program according to the present invention and other programs for executing navigation may all be stored in a CD-ROM which is an external storage medium, or a part or all of these programs may be stored in a ROM of the main body. You may. Various navigation functions are realized by inputting data and programs stored in the external storage medium as external signals to the central processing unit of the navigation apparatus main body and performing arithmetic processing.

The navigation apparatus of the present invention has a relatively large capacity flash memory for reading a program from the CD-ROM of the external storage device, and a program for performing a boot process of a CD (program reading means).
A small-capacity ROM in which is stored. The flash memory is a non-volatile storage unit that retains stored information even when the power is turned off. Then, as a start-up process of the CD, the program in the ROM serving as the program reading means is started, the program stored in the flash memory is checked, and the disk management information of the CD-ROM in the information storage device 3 is read. The program loading process (update process) is performed based on this information and the state of the flash memory.

The information transmitting / receiving device 5 uses a VICS information receiving device for obtaining information using FM multiplex broadcasting, a radio beacon, an optical beacon, or the like, a mobile phone, a personal computer, or the like. ) And a data transmitting / receiving device for communicating information with other vehicles.

The output device 6 has a function to output guidance information by voice and / or screen when the driver needs it, and to print out data processed by the central processing unit 4 and the like. As means for this, a display for displaying input data on a screen and a route guidance screen, a data processed by the central processing unit 4 and an information storage device 3 are provided.
And a speaker for outputting route guidance by voice.

The display is composed of a simplified liquid crystal display or the like, and is an enlarged view of an intersection based on map data and guidance data processed by the central processing unit 4, arrows indicating the destination name, time, distance, and traveling direction. And so on. By transmitting image data to the display as bitmap data, a communication line used for serial communication or the like can be used instead of a dedicated image signal line, and another communication line can be used. The display is provided with a memory for temporarily storing bitmap data.

This display is provided in the instrument panel near the driver's seat, and the driver or the driver can check the current position of the own vehicle by looking at the display, and can also obtain information on the route from now on. Obtainable. Although not shown, a tablet including a touch panel, a touch screen, or the like is used as a display screen of the display, and a point input or a road input can be performed by touching or tracing the screen. Good.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the flow of processing of the entire system of the navigation device according to the present invention. First, an initialization process is performed to read out a navigation program from a CD-ROM, store it in a flash memory, and start up (step S1). When the program is started, the current position of the vehicle is detected by the current position detecting device 2, and a map around the current position is displayed, and the name of the current position is displayed (step S2).
Next, a destination is set using a target name such as a place name or a facility name, a telephone number, an address, a registered point, a road name, and the like (step S).
3) A route search from the current position to the destination is performed (step S4). When the route is determined, the route guidance / display until the vehicle arrives at the destination is repeatedly performed while tracking the current position by the current position detection device 2 (step S5). If you enter a detour before you reach your destination,
A search area is set, a re-search is performed in the search area, and route guidance is similarly repeated until the user arrives at the destination.

FIGS. 3 to 9 show an example of the route guidance / display processing performed in step S5 of FIG. 2. When three or more guidance intersections are adjacent and continuous, guidance information is provided to the driver. Is a process of continuous intersection guidance for outputting more easily understandable.

As shown in FIG. 4, when there are three or more consecutive guidance intersections and both the distance d1 to the guidance intersection and the distance d2 to the guidance intersection are short,
Conventionally, when approaching a guidance intersection, an intersection map is displayed on the display screen and "turn right" on the screen,
It displays the arrows of "Left turn" and "Right turn" and outputs the voice guidance saying "It is right turn. It is XXm ahead and left turn. It is a branch (or branch continues)." Pass through. In addition, the voice guidance at the guidance intersection is "Branch ahead (or branch continues)."
The reason for this is that if the driver gives voice guidance saying "turn right ahead (or turn right, turn left, then turn left)", the driver's judgment will be confused.

As described above, when three or more guide intersections are adjacent and continuous, the process of displaying / voice guiding all the guide intersections at one time has been conventionally performed. On the other hand, although it is displayed on the intersection map, the voice guidance is "It is a branch ahead (or branch continues)." Therefore, the driver judges the route after the third guidance by looking at the screen. It was necessary, and it was hard to understand for the driver.

An example of a guidance process for solving this problem will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the process of continuous intersection guidance.

First, the control means determines and acquires a guidance intersection requiring guidance from the route information (step S1). Next, a distance d1 between adjacent guidance intersections is acquired (step S2). The distance between the intersections can be obtained by adding distances obtained in advance as road data. In addition, you may acquire by reading the data stored beforehand. Then, it is determined whether or not the acquired distance d1 between the intersections is a predetermined distance L (for example, within 150 m, the distance differs depending on the speed of the vehicle, and is different between a general road and an expressway), and is determined within the predetermined distance. If not, at step 17, an intersection diagram consisting of one of the first guidance intersections is drawn and output as guidance information. Also,
When the distance d1 between the guidance intersections is within the predetermined distance L, the distance d2 between the next guidance intersections is obtained (step S).
14). In step S15, the distance d2 between the next guidance intersections
When it is determined that the distance is equal to or longer than the predetermined distance L, in step S20, the first guidance intersection and the next guidance intersection are determined.
Draws an intersection diagram consisting of two and outputs it as guidance information. On the other hand, in step S15, the distance d2 between the next guidance intersections
Is determined to be within a predetermined distance, the distance d1 between the first guidance intersection and the distance d2 between the next guidance intersection are compared in step S16. Here, for example, when it is determined that the distance d1 between the first guidance intersections is long, an intersection diagram consisting of one guidance intersection is drawn at the first guidance intersection in step S18, and at the next guidance intersection, An intersection diagram composed of two guidance intersections is drawn and output as guidance information. If it is determined in step S16 that the distance d1 between the first guidance intersections is short, the process proceeds to step S1.
At 9, at the first guidance intersection, an intersection diagram consisting of two guidance intersections is drawn, and at the next guidance intersection, an intersection diagram consisting of one guidance intersection is drawn and output as guidance information.

Here, the contents of the above processing will be described with reference to FIG. The distance d1 between the first guidance intersection and the next guidance intersection and the distance d2 between the guidance intersection and the further guidance intersection are both within a predetermined distance of 150 m. In this case, an intersection diagram may be drawn by combining three guidance intersections. However, considering visibility, it is appropriate to draw an intersection diagram up to two guide intersections. Therefore, the control means
The length of the distance d1 is compared with the length of the distance d2, and when it is determined that d1> d2, as shown in FIG. As guidance information, control is performed so as to switch to an intersection diagram including a guidance intersection as shown in FIG. When it is determined that d1 <d2, as shown in FIG. 6A, an intersection diagram including a guidance intersection is output as the guidance information of the guidance intersection, and as shown in FIG. As shown in (B), control is performed so as to switch to an intersection diagram consisting of guidance intersections. By controlling in this way, even if a plurality of guidance intersections exist continuously, guidance information can be output accurately at each guidance intersection.

Next, a case where four guidance intersections are continuous will be described with reference to FIG. For example, if the distance between intersections is d1
In the case of <d2 <d3, control is performed so that the guidance information of the guidance intersection is output as an intersection diagram including the guidance intersection, and the guidance intersection is output such that an intersection diagram including one guidance intersection is output. Also, the distance between intersections is d2 <d1
In the case of <d3, since an intersection diagram including a guidance intersection is output as guidance information of the guidance intersection, an intersection diagram including one guidance intersection is output for each of the guidance information with the guidance intersection. By comparing the distances between consecutive guidance intersections in this way, the shortest place can be combined and output as an intersection diagram composed of two guidance intersections.

Further, in the above example, the control is described with priority given to the shortest part. However, control may be performed by judging the continuity of the composite intersection diagram. For example,
When the distance between the intersections is d3 <d2 <d1, etc., d1 <d3 <d2, d3 <d1 <d2, etc., the guidance information of the guidance intersection is output in an intersection diagram including the guidance intersection. Here, since the continuity of the guidance is interrupted, it is possible to control so as to output an intersection diagram including the guidance intersection as the guidance information of the guidance intersection. By controlling the plurality of continuous guidance processes based on the determination of the continuity of the guidance intersection after outputting the guidance information in a composite manner,
Even when more guidance intersections are continuous, guidance information can be provided accurately.

At the first guidance intersection in the composite intersection diagram, voice guidance may be provided for the direction in which the two guidance intersections should turn, and voice guidance may not be provided at the second guidance intersection. Alternatively, at the second guidance intersection, audio information may be output only in the direction in which the vehicle should turn at the second guidance intersection. Furthermore, control may be performed so that the direction to turn at the next third guidance intersection can be output.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show another example of the continuous intersection guidance process. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the flow of the process.
FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the guidance system of FIG. First, in step S21, the distance between the first and next guidance intersections
dn is obtained from the road data stored in the information storage device 3, and in step S22, the distance dn + 1 between the next and the next guidance intersection is similarly obtained. In step S23, the distances dn, dn are obtained.
It is determined whether both +1 are less than or equal to a predetermined distance L. If the distances between the guide intersections dn and dn + 1 are long and NO, step S1
At 4 the first and the next guidance intersection are guided independently, distance dn, dn + 1
Are less than or equal to the predetermined distance L, the process proceeds to step S25.
It is determined whether or not dn is shorter than dn + 1. If the first guide intersection distance dn is shorter than the next guide intersection distance dn + 1, a plurality of first and next guide intersections are displayed / continuous voice guidance in step S26. If dn is not shorter than dn + 1, the first and next guidance intersections are set to single display / continuous voice guidance or single guidance in step S27.

According to the above processing, in the case of the guidance in FIG. 4, when the distance d1 is equal to or less than the distance d2, the intersection is
Multiple display / continuous voice guidance is provided, and intersections are provided as single guidance. That is, when approaching the guidance intersection in section A,
The intersection map is displayed on the display screen, and the arrows of “turn right” and “turn left” are displayed on the screen, and voice guidance “turn right, ahead turn left” is output. In addition,
In the intersection diagram, both intersections are drawn on one screen centering on an intermediate point between the intersections. Section C after passing the guidance intersection
, The intersection diagram of the guidance intersection is rewritten and displayed, an arrow of “turn right” is displayed on the screen, and voice guidance “turn right” is output.

When the distance d1 is greater than the distance d2, the intersection is defined as single display / continuous voice guidance, and the intersection is defined as multiple display / continuous voice guidance. That is, when approaching the guidance intersection in section A, an intersection diagram is displayed on the display screen, and an arrow of “turn right” is displayed on the screen,
It outputs a voice guidance saying "It is a right turn. Ahead ahead, XX m ahead, a left turn."
, Rewrite and display the intersection map and turn left on the screen,
An arrow “turn right” is displayed, and voice guidance “turn left, ahead turn right” is output.

In the case of guidance where the four intersections shown in FIG. 7 are continuous, when the distance d1 = d2 = d3, a plurality of display / continuous voice guidance is provided together with the intersections and the intersections. That is, the intersection map with section A is displayed, voice guidance "turn right, ahead is left" is output, and the intersection map with section C is rewritten and displayed in section C after passing the guidance intersection. Then, a voice guidance saying "turn right, ahead turn left" is output. Note that d1 <d2 <
The same applies to d3, d1 <d3 <d2, d3 <d1 <d2, that is, the distance between the first or second guidance intersection.
In this case, d1 and d3 are shorter than the distance between the other guide intersections, and each guide intersection cannot perform single guidance or single display / continuous voice guidance.

When d2 <d1 <d3, the intersection is
Single display / continuous voice guidance, intersection refers to multiple display / continuous voice guidance, and intersection refers to single guidance. In other words, when approaching the guidance intersection in section A, an intersection diagram is displayed on the screen, and voice guidance saying "It is right turn, ahead, XX m ahead, left turn." Is output, and the vehicle passes the guidance intersection. In section B, the display of the intersection with the guidance intersection is rewritten and displayed, and voice guidance saying "Left turn. Beyond, right turn" is output. In section D, the intersection map of the guidance intersection is rewritten and displayed. The voice guidance "turn left" is output. The same applies to the case of d2 <d3 <d1, that is, the distance d2 between the next guidance intersections is shorter than the distance between the other guidance intersections, and the guidance intersection is a single guide or a single display.
This is the case where continuous voice guidance is not possible.

In the case of d3 <d2 <d1, the intersection and the intersection are single display / continuous voice guidance, and the intersection is plural display / continuous voice guidance. In other words, when approaching the guidance intersection in section A, an intersection diagram is displayed on the screen, and voice guidance “turn right, ahead of XX m ahead, left turn” is output, and the vehicle passes through the guidance intersection. In section B, the intersection map of the guidance intersection is rewritten and displayed, and voice guidance saying “Left turn. Ahead ahead, ○ m ahead, right turn” is output, and in section C, the intersection map of the guidance intersection Is rewritten and displayed, and a voice guidance of "turn right, ahead turn left" is output.

As described above, when three or more guidance intersections are adjacent and continuous, the distance between the guidance intersections is obtained, and the distances are compared to obtain a plurality of display / continuous voice guidances. If the distance between adjacent guidance intersections is short even if the distance is required, two or more guidance intersections with a short distance between the guidance intersections are given priority instead of multiple displays and continuous voice guidance of three or more guidance intersections. Control is performed to provide multiple displays and continuous voice guidance for intersections. This allows
Since voice guidance and an intersection map are always created for two or less guidance intersections, guidance information can be provided to the driver more easily.

FIGS. 10 to 14 show examples of the route guidance / display processing performed in step S5 of FIG. 2, and are diagrams for explaining the continuous guidance unnecessary control. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the continuous guidance unnecessary control and illustrating a processing flow.

First, a guidance intersection and a road name are obtained from the route information calculated in step S31,
At 32, it is determined whether or not the guidance intersections are continuous. If the guidance intersections are continuous, it is determined at step S33 whether or not the road names of the continuous sections are the same. Do.

FIG. 11 and FIG.
2 will be described. In FIG. 11, is a road, a road has a road name “I-10”, a road has road names “I-20” and “US-10”, and a road has a road name “I-10”.
-20 ", the road is named" US-10 ", and the guidance intersection R1 is labeled" Exit 1 "in the direction of the road and" Exit 2 "in the direction of the road. I have.

In the case where the guide route is set to the road, and the vehicle is guided to the city C, when approaching the guidance intersection R1, as shown in FIG. 12, the intersection diagram of R1, "Exit 2", and the road name " Road US-10 '' is displayed and the guidance intersection R1
Is controlled so that guidance is not performed even if the vehicle passes through and approaches the guidance intersection R2. The display method includes, in addition to the exit number and the road name, the abbreviation of the road and the city name. If there are a plurality of these destination data, they are selected and displayed with priorities. Further, voice guidance may be performed in addition to the display of the destination data. In that case, "go to US-10.", "Go along the road.", "Go through US-10 for a while.", "Diagonally to the right."
And the like, and control is performed so that guidance is not performed even when approaching the guidance intersection R2.

According to the above control, when there is a continuous guidance intersection on a road having the same road name, continuous guidance at the guidance intersection is not required, so that the driver can travel comfortably without bothering the driver. It is also possible to avoid an increase in the amount of information.

Next, another example of the continuous guidance unnecessary control will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the output of the guide information can be controlled so as to be performed by changing the road attribute and determining the continuity of the road. For example, it is assumed that the route travels from the road US-10 to the road I-20 at the branch point R2 and travels on the I-20 for a while. At this time, a control may be performed so as to output guidance information about the road, such as "Please run on I-20 for a while" before the junction R2 when turning left when the attribute of the road changes.

When the names of the roads are output as the guide information, the exit roads I-10 and US-10 are compared, and although the road types are different, the line number 10 is the same.
The guidance information at junction R1 will output "Please proceed to I-10" when turning left and "US-10" when turning right.
Please proceed to. Is output. Next, at the branch point R2, comparing the two exit roads I-20 and US-10, the route numbers are different. Therefore, when turning left, go to "20." When turning right, go to "10." Please go ahead. ".

When a plurality of destination names are attached to a branch point, a common road name at the further branch point is searched for, and guidance information at the branch point is controlled and output. it can. For example, there is a route that turns left at the branch point R2. At this time, the branch point R2 goes to I-20, so the branch point R1
The guidance information of "I-2 attached to junction R1
Based on the destination names of "0" and "US-10", control may be performed so as to output "route to I-20."

Next, another example of the continuous guidance unnecessary control will be described. FIG. 14 shows a case where the rotary intersections R1 to Rn are continuous between the road and n + 1, and the guidance route goes straight on the road to n + 1. In this way, when the rotary intersection is continuous and goes straight ahead, During the section, the same guidance is output many times with the same voice phrase, which makes the driver feel troublesome. Therefore, when the vehicle travels straight on a road having the same road name and there is a rotary intersection or a branch point on the way, the trouble caused by the repetition of the same voice guidance is eliminated.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the flow of the processing for that. First, in step S41, information on a guidance intersection and a road name is acquired from the route information, and in step S42, it is determined whether or not a rotary intersection is continuous in an arbitrary section on the guidance route. For example, in step S43, it is determined whether or not all consecutive rotary intersections can be straight ahead, and if it is to be exited straight ahead, in step S43, it is determined whether or not the road going straight has the same road name from the beginning to the end. If it is a road name, the continuous guidance unnecessary control is performed in step S24. The continuous guidance unnecessary control is a process of guiding once as a continuous rotary intersection as one intersection. In the section A1 in FIG. 14, for example, the voice phrase "for 2 km, the national highway A10." Output, and do not provide guidance until the vehicle passes through the rotary intersection.

FIGS. 15 to 18 show an example of the route guidance / display process performed in step S5 of FIG. 2, and are diagrams for explaining the entrance / exit guidance process.

FIG. 15 shows that two general roads intersect relatively close to the high-speed main line, and the guide route is from a section A of the general road to a guide intersection to the high-speed entrance, a section B, and a high-speed road. Guidance when the section C of the main line, the guidance intersection to the highway exit, the section D, the guidance intersection, the section E of the general road, and the section C between the highway entrance and the exit are less than a predetermined distance (for example, 2 km) It is. The case where the section C is equal to or shorter than a predetermined distance (for example, 2 km) corresponds to the case where the distance d1 between the guidance intersection described with reference to FIG. 4 is relatively short (for example, 750 m or less). According to the voice guidance method, an intersection diagram of the guidance intersection is displayed in the section A shown in FIG. 15, and the guidance to the guidance intersection is provided by voice such as "turn right at the highway entrance.
Rewrite and display the intersection map of the guidance intersection in section C,
Guidance to the guidance intersection is given by voice, such as "The highway exit is right. Turn right ahead." Rewrite and display the intersection diagram of the guidance intersection in section D. ).

However, the conventional method has a problem that when the entrance and the exit are close to each other, the guidance of the exit is output at the entrance, which is very difficult for the driver to understand. In A, a high-speed exit guide is provided even though the current position is not entering a highway on a general road. In section C, a general road is provided even though the current position is not entering the general road at high speed. And there is a problem that it is very difficult for a driver to understand.

FIG. 16 is a view for solving the above-mentioned problem and for explaining an example of the entrance / exit guidance processing. First, at step S51, guidance intersection information is acquired from the route information, and it is determined whether there is an entrance and an exit at the guidance intersection acquired at step S52. If it is determined that there is an entrance and an exit, the entrance and exit are determined at step S53. It is determined whether or not the distance between them is less than or equal to a predetermined distance L2.

The above control will be described with reference to FIG. 15. In the section A, only the guidance intersection is displayed on the intersection diagram, and / or
In addition, a single guide that does not continuously guide the highway entrance and the exit, such as "The highway entrance is to the right." In addition, the intersection diagram of the guidance intersection is rewritten and displayed in section C, and / or the voice In this case, the guide is "single-turn right." As in "Driving to the right." (Independent guidance). In this way, the guidance at the entrance and exit is separated from the guidance on the main line, so that the guide can be provided with a lip and the traveling performance can be improved.

FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the flow of processing showing another example of the doorway guidance. In step S61, guidance intersection information is obtained from the route information. In step S62, it is determined whether or not there is a change in road attributes (for example, a general road and a high speed).
At 63, a guidance intersection at a road attribute change point is acquired, and control is performed so as to output a single guidance at the guidance intersection.

FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining the flow of processing showing another example of the entrance guidance. In step S71, guidance intersection information is acquired from the route information. In step S72, an entry flag is stored at a guidance intersection that enters a road such as a highway. In step S73, it is determined whether or not there is an entry flag.
If there is an incoming line flag, control is performed in step S74 to output single guidance at the guidance intersection.

In each of the above examples, the entrance and the exit are guided independently. However, when there is a branch between the entrance and the exit, for example, when there is a branch of an up line or a down line to the main line,
Since the visibility deteriorates when the screen is switched, guidance information can be separately output for voice output, and control can be performed so that a plurality of guidance intersections are simultaneously drawn and output for display.

Next, in the above-described route name guidance in the route guidance / display processing, the guidance / display processing in the case where the roads have the same road attribute but the road names change depending on the area will be described with reference to FIGS. explain.

In the road name guidance processing of the conventional navigation device, road data is provided with road attributes and road name data. For example, route information of a preset route is stored in a RAM or the like at a predetermined distance before a junction requiring guidance. And retrieves the road data after the branch based on the stored route information, and displays the road attributes and the road name of the route after the branch point, outputs the voice, and provides the driver with the route information. are doing.

By the way, according to the characteristics of the road conditions in a certain area, even though they have the same road attribute or the same road,
The name may vary depending on the region. For example, US expressways have an area called "FREEWAY" and an area called "EXPRESSWAY". In the conventional navigation device described above, for example, to express this US highway,
A road name may be given separately for each area, but the data amount increases.

Therefore, in this example, if the roads have the same road attribute or the same road but different names depending on the area, a judging means for judging the area where the road exists is provided, and the name corresponding to the area is provided. , And it is possible to provide detailed route guidance with a small amount of data.

FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram illustrating that the same road or the same road attribute, but the name is different depending on the region. Here, the solid line represents an expressway, and the road number “I-20” intersects with the road numbers “US-100” and “I-30” at branch points R3 and R4, respectively. The road with the road number "I-20" extends over the areas A and B beyond the administrative area boundary indicated by the dashed line. In area A, the expressway is called "FREEWAY" and in area B
Then it is called "EXPRESSWAY".

FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining a road name acquisition process in branch point guidance in the route guidance / display process. This process is applied, for example, when acquiring a road name in step S31 of the route guidance / display process described with reference to FIG. First, in step S91, the road data of the exit road along the route among the exit roads from the branch point (guidance intersection) to be guided is acquired from the information storage device 3, and the process proceeds to step S91.
At 92, a road name (or road number) and a road attribute in the road data are acquired. In step S93, it is determined whether the road attribute of the exit road after the branch is an expressway,
If it is a highway, steps S94 and S95
Then, it is determined whether the area to which the current position belongs is a “FREEWAY” area or an “EXPRESSWAY” area. If it is the "FREEWAY" area, "FREEWAY" is given to the road name (step S96), and if it is the "EXPRESSWAY" area, "EXPRESSWAY" is given to the road name (step S97).
Then, “FREEWA” is added to the acquired road name (road number).
Display or audio output with "Y" or "EXPRESSWAY" added.

FIG. 21 (A) shows a schematic representation of the branch point in the branch point guidance and the name of the direction after branching. In the process of FIG. 20, the road of the road after exiting the branch point to be guided is shown in FIG. The number is "I-30" and the current position is "EX
A display example in the case of being within the “PRESSWAY” area is shown.

In the above-described branch point guidance processing, the guidance of the exit road after branching is configured to determine which name the area to which the vehicle current position belongs corresponds to. It may be configured to determine to which area the position of the intersection belongs. Referring to FIG. 19, when the current vehicle position belongs to the area A (that is, the “FREEWAY” area), but the next guidance target junction R4 belongs to the area B (that is, the “EXPRESSWAY” area), In the road name acquisition process in the guidance output related to R4, the area to which the position coordinates of the guidance target branch point belongs is determined instead of step S94 in FIG.

As described above, the data structure of the road data in the case where the area where the road exists is determined and the name corresponding to the area is reported is as follows. The road attribute is stored, and the name information is stored together with the regional information independently of the road data ("FREEWAY", "EXPRESSWAY", etc.). Specifically, for example, the name information “FREEWAY” corresponding to the area A and the name “EXPRESSWAY” corresponding to the area B are stored.

Each road data can be divided and stored for each area, and can be managed and searched. For example, road data is divided into blocks in a rectangular area and stored, and area information (area A or area B, etc.) is stored for each block. Alternatively, it can be divided and stored for each administrative area such as municipalities, states, nations, etc., and managed for each administrative area.

In the current position area determination processing in step S94 in FIG. 20, or in the area determination processing to which a branch point or an intersection belongs, it is determined to which area it belongs from the current position or the position coordinates of the branch point. As described above, when road data (map data) is divided into blocks and stored, or when divided into administrative districts and stored,
By comparing the coordinates of the current position or junction with the coordinate information on the block or administrative area, determine which block or administrative area is included, and from the area information of the block or administrative area, determine to which area it belongs. to decide. Alternatively, a road (section) where the vehicle is currently traveling may be determined, and a block or an administrative area including the road (section) may be determined.

In the above example, the guidance processing at a branch point or an intersection in the route guidance / display processing has been described. However, as shown in FIG. The present invention can also be applied to points for displaying and displaying numbers. In this example, means for recognizing the road on which the vehicle is currently running is provided, and in FIG. 20, the target for acquiring the road name and attribute is replaced with the road on which the vehicle is currently running.

In the above example, the situation of the US highway has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and is applicable to all cases where the same type, the same attribute, or the same road name changes depending on the area. It is possible. Further, in the above example, the description has been made with respect to the two areas A and B. However, it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to a plurality of three or more areas.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a navigation device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a flow of overall processing of the navigation device in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a processing flow showing an example in a continuous intersection, which is an example of the guidance / display processing in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram for describing an example of continuous intersection guidance.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the guidance in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the guidance in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining another example of continuous intersection guidance.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a flow of processing showing another example of continuous intersection guidance.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the guidance system of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of continuous guidance unnecessary control, which is an example of the guidance / display processing of FIG. 2, and illustrating a flow of the processing;

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the example of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the example of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a flow of processing showing another example of continuous guidance unnecessary control.

FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining continuous rotary intersections in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining entrance / exit guidance as an example of the guidance / display processing of FIG. 2;

FIG. 16 is a diagram for describing an example of a doorway guidance process.

FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining another example of the entrance / exit guidance processing.

FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining another example of the entrance / exit guidance processing.

FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining FIG. 20;

20 is a diagram for explaining a road name acquisition process in a branch point guidance which is an example of the route guidance / display process of FIG. 2;

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a display example output by the processing of FIG. 20;

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2C032 HB22 HC05 HC08 HC30 HC31 HD03 HD07 HD16 HD21 2F029 AA02 AB01 AB07 AB09 AB13 AC02 AC04 AC08 AC14 AC18 5H180 AA01 BB02 BB04 BB05 BB12 BB13 FF04 FF05 FF12 FF13 FF25 FF25 FF25 FF25

Claims (5)

[Claims] In a navigation device for providing guidance information along a route, control is performed such that guidance at a guidance intersection is not performed when guidance intersections are continuous when traveling on a road having the same road name. A featured navigation device. 2. A navigation apparatus for providing guidance information along a route, comprising: an acquisition unit for acquiring a guidance intersection that requires guidance on the route and a road name between the guidance intersections; and a guidance intersection acquired by the acquisition unit. And control means for controlling the guidance at the guidance intersection based on the road name, wherein the control means is provided when the plurality of acquired guidance intersections are continuous and the road name is the same, A navigation device which controls so as not to provide guidance. 3. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the guidance intersection is a rotary intersection. 4. The information on the distance to the last guidance intersection and the name of the road at the first guidance intersection among the consecutive guidance intersections are notified.
A navigation device as described. 5. A storage medium storing a program of a navigation device for providing guidance information along a route,
A storage medium storing a program for controlling not to perform guidance at a guidance intersection when traveling on a road having the same road name and guidance intersections continue.