JP2001141491A - Navigation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a navigation system wherein, even if a course guide data from a remote navigation device is interrupted due to communication interruption, etc., a course guiding with an on-vehicle device is started without delay. SOLUTION: A course delivery center 24 transmits a course guide data to an on-vehicle device 12 upon the course guide request from the on-vehicle device 12. Here, a course guide data related to a partial guide course comprising at least a part of the entire guide course is transmitted to the on-vehicle device 12. As an end point for the partial guide course, a point with which an independent course guide can be started at the on-vehicle device 12 is selected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a navigation system, and more particularly, to a navigation system having both a vehicle-mounted navigation device and a remote navigation device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A navigation system for providing vehicle route guidance using a remote navigation device called a route distribution center installed outside a vehicle has been studied. In such a navigation system, route guidance data is wirelessly transmitted from a remote navigation device to a vehicle-mounted navigation device, and the vehicle-mounted navigation device performs route guidance using the route guidance data. Also in such a navigation system, it is desirable that the in-vehicle navigation device is configured to be capable of independently providing route guidance as in the related art. In this way, even when the route guidance data does not arrive from the remote navigation device due to a communication failure or the like, or when it is desired to reduce the communication cost, the route guidance by the vehicle-mounted navigation device can be performed.

[0003] By the way, from a remote navigation device,
Sending the route guidance data to all the navigation routes to the in-vehicle navigation device at one time may cause waste. That is, once the vehicle deviates from the guide route to the side road, all route guide data relating to the subsequent guide route is wasted. For this reason, instead of transmitting all the guidance routes at once, it has been considered to transmit the route guidance data for the guidance route of a certain distance to the in-vehicle navigation device, and then to transmit additional route guidance data as necessary. I have. For example, for all the guide routes having a total length of about 100 km, instead of transmitting the route guide data for all the guide routes for 100 km at a time, first, the route guide data for the guide route of about 10 km is transmitted. When the vehicle has traveled to about 7 km, partial route guidance data for the next 10 km is newly transmitted to the in-vehicle navigation device. In this way, even when the vehicle deviates from the guidance route on the way, the amount of wasted route guidance data can be reduced.

[0004]

However, the on-board navigation device and the remote navigation device often have different map data (road data). Generally, map data used for route guidance by an in-vehicle navigation device is a CD-ROM or DVD (Digital Video Diary).
sk), etc., and it cannot be expected that these map data will be updated frequently. On the other hand, it is relatively easy for the remote navigation device to hold new map data. For this reason, there may be roads that do not exist in the map data held by the on-vehicle navigation device, but do exist in the map data held by the remote navigation device. For a new road that exists only in the map data held by such a remote navigation device, only the route guidance by the remote navigation device is possible, and the route guidance by the in-vehicle navigation device is not possible. For this reason, if the route guidance data is interrupted while traveling on such a new road, autonomous route guidance cannot be performed by the vehicle-mounted navigation device.
That is, according to the map data held by the on-vehicle navigation device, the vehicle is located in a place where no road should exist, and it is difficult to search for a route from this position to the destination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to promptly shift to route guidance using a vehicle-mounted navigation device even when transmission of route guidance data from a remote navigation device is interrupted. It is an object of the present invention to provide a new navigation system.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in a navigation system according to the present invention, a remote navigation device provided outside a vehicle and a route to be traveled by the vehicle are received from the remote navigation device. Guidance is possible based on route guidance data,
An in-vehicle navigation device capable of autonomously guiding a route on which the vehicle should travel, and wherein the remote navigation device includes at least a part of all the guide routes. Route guidance data generation means for generating route guidance data for a guidance route, and route guidance data transmission means for transmitting the route guidance data for the partial guidance route to the in-vehicle navigation device, wherein the route guidance data generation means includes: An end point adjusting means for selecting, as an end point of the partial guidance route, a point at which route guidance by the in-vehicle navigation device is possible is included.

According to the present invention, when an on-vehicle navigation device performs route guidance based on route guidance data transmitted from a remote navigation device, the end point of the route guidance can be route-guided by the on-vehicle navigation device. It is a point. For this reason, even if the subsequent route guidance data does not arrive from the remote navigation device, the on-vehicle navigation device determines the end point of the partial guidance route represented by the route guidance data based on the route guidance data that has already arrived, The vehicle can be guided to a point where route guidance can be provided by the navigation device.
As a result, route guidance by the in-vehicle navigation device starting from the point can be promptly performed. In this way, even when communication between the in-vehicle navigation device and the remote navigation device is interrupted, the guidance subject can be smoothly shifted from the remote navigation device to the in-vehicle navigation device.

In one aspect of the present invention, the end point adjusting means selects a point on the entire guide route, on which the on-board navigation device can provide route guidance, as an end point of the partial guide route. Including. In this way, even when the guidance subject is shifted from the remote navigation device to the on-vehicle navigation device, the user does not have to make an extra detour.

Further, in one aspect of the present invention, the route guidance data generating means includes means for generating route guidance data for a partial guide route obtained by adding a dummy guide route to a part of the entire guide route. The end point adjusting means selects a point at which route guidance by the on-vehicle navigation device is possible as an end point of the dummy guide route. Even in this case, when the subsequent route guidance data does not arrive from the remote navigation device, the vehicle is guided to a point where route guidance by the vehicle-mounted navigation device is possible based on the route guidance data already received by the vehicle-mounted navigation device. Can be. In addition, even if a suitable end point of the partial guide route is not found on all the guide routes, by adding the dummy guide route in this way,
It is possible to easily set a partial guidance route ending at a point where route guidance by the vehicle-mounted navigation device is possible.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The navigation system 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a vehicle-mounted device (vehicle-mounted navigation device) 12 and a route distribution center (remote navigation device) 24. In-vehicle device 1
Reference numeral 2 denotes a communication unit 14, an input unit 16, a control unit 18, a local database (local DB) 20, and a display unit 2.
2 is included. The communication unit 14 includes a wireless communication unit such as a mobile phone, and makes a route guidance request to the route distribution center 24, and transmits route guidance data as a response to the request.
Receive from. The control unit 18 includes a CPU, a necessary memory, and the like, and controls each unit of the vehicle-mounted device 12. The input unit 16 is configured using, for example, a touch panel or the like, and is capable of inputting search conditions for route guidance (whether or not to use a destination or an expressway). The display unit 22 is configured to include an LCD or the like, and displays the route guidance data generated by the vehicle-mounted device 12 and the route guidance data transmitted from the route distribution center 24 in an image, so that the vehicle travels to the user. The route can be guided. The local DB 20
For example, it is configured to include a CD-ROM, a DVD, and the like, and holds map data. Then, the control unit 18 controls the local D in accordance with the search condition input from the input unit 16.
With reference to the map in B20, the guidance route is output to the display unit 22 as a search result.

In the navigation system 10 according to the present embodiment, the in-vehicle device 12 is provided with the local DB 20, and the in-vehicle device 12 alone can guide the user on the route on which the vehicle should travel. It has become. Further, in the navigation system 10, by making a route guidance request to the route distribution center 24, the route guidance data is received from the route distribution center 24, and is displayed and output on the display unit 22. It is also possible to perform route guidance with the guide as the main body.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a procedure for performing display for route guidance on the display unit 22 of the vehicle-mounted device 12 based on route guidance data transmitted from the route distribution center 24. FIG. 3A shows route guidance data transmitted from the route distribution center 24, which represents all the guidance routes from the current location to the destination. As shown in the figure, the route guidance data includes information indicating the shape of the guidance route. In addition, information for performing voice guidance to turn right or left at each intersection or to go straight may be included in the route guidance data. FIG. 2B shows a part of the map data stored in the local DB 20. In the control unit 18, when the communication unit 14 receives the route guidance data from the route distribution center 24,
Of the map data stored in the local DB 20,
The map data around the guidance route represented by the route guidance data is read from the local DB 20. The read data is shown in FIG. And the control unit 18
Then, the guidance route shown in FIG. 7A is superimposed on the map shown in FIG. 7B, and the guidance display shown in FIG. By doing so, FIG.
Although the new road indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 3 is not stored in (b), the guide display shown in FIG. 2 (c) is performed for the user, and the information is stored in the local DB 20. Regardless of whether the map data is new or old, route guidance based on the latest map data held in the route distribution center 24 can be performed.

When the route guidance data shown in FIG. 2A is transmitted to the vehicle-mounted device 12 as a partial guidance route up to the middle of the route, the following problem occurs. That is, if the division point is located on the road indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 3, the route guidance display as shown in FIG. 4 is performed. In this case, if the route guidance data relating to the subsequent guidance route is not transmitted from the route distribution center 24 to the vehicle-mounted device 12, the vehicle will lose route guidance on the road indicated by the dotted line in FIG. In this state, even if the in-vehicle device 12 starts the independent route guidance, the local DB 22 stores the information in FIG.
Since there is no data related to the road indicated by the dotted line, the route guidance by the in-vehicle device 12 alone cannot be started immediately. Therefore, in the navigation system 10 according to the present embodiment, the route distribution center 24 adjusts so that the division point of the guide route is not provided on the road indicated by the dotted line in FIG. That is, in the example shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the route distribution center 24 determines the end point of the partial guidance route,
The starting point or the ending point of the road indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 3 is selected. That is, as shown in FIG.
Partial guidance route from current location to intersection A (end of new road)
Or the route from the current location to the intersection B (start point of the new road) is selected as the partial guidance route.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the end point of the partial guide route is selected to be one of the entire guide routes.
If the road on which the map data is not stored in the on-vehicle device 12 extends over a long distance, it becomes difficult to appropriately select a division point. In other words, if the route is followed to a point where independent route guidance can be performed by the vehicle-mounted device 12, the route to be collectively guided by the route distribution center 24 as a partial guide route becomes a long distance. The data amount of the route guidance data to be transmitted from the distribution center 24 to the communication unit 14 becomes large. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, there is a case where a new highway 30a is opened to the old road 32 and this highway 30a is searched as a guide route. Here, the old road 32 is included in the map data of the local DB 20, but the highway 3
0a and the interchange access road 30b are not included in the map data of the local DB 20. For the expressway 30a and the interchange access road 30b, the route distribution center 2
It is assumed that it is included only in the map data held in No. 4. As shown in FIG. 2B, the entire guide route 34 passes on the highway 30a with respect to the old road 32, and does not intersect the old road 32 over a long distance.
Therefore, even if the guide route 34 is to be divided at an appropriate distance, it is impossible to select the end point on the old road 32.

Therefore, in the navigation system 10 according to the present embodiment, when the guide route 34 is divided, the guide route 34 is divided at the interchange 35 and the interchange access road 3 leading to the old road 32 therefrom.
0b is added as the dummy guide route 38. That is,
Route guidance data on a guidance route obtained by adding the partial guidance route 36 and the dummy guidance route 38 is transmitted from the route distribution center 24 to the vehicle-mounted device 12. In this way, even if the guide route 34 does not intersect the old road 32 over a long distance, the end point of the guide route represented by the route guide data is simply set to the road existing in the map data held in the local DB 20. Can be provided above. For this reason, the vehicle is moved to the old road 3 by the route guidance shown in FIG.
2, and it is possible to promptly shift to route guidance by the in-vehicle device 12 alone.
The dummy guide route 38 is displayed only when the transmission of the route guide data from the route distribution center 24 is interrupted.
2 is desirably displayed. Further, in this case, the dummy guide route 38 can be displayed separately from the original partial guide route 36 by blinking display or the like. By doing so, the user can rely on the user's choice whether to continue running on the highway 30a at his / her own risk, or to safely arrive at the destination by independent route guidance with the vehicle-mounted device 12.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the route guidance processing in the route distribution center 24. As shown in the figure, when the route distribution center 24 receives a route search request from the vehicle-mounted device 12 (S101), the route distribution center 24
A route search process is performed using the remote DB held in step (S102). Then, among the searched guide routes, the roads existing for one year or more and the roads added within one year are classified (S103). Then, a partial guide route is set by dividing the entire guide route obtained as a search result by a predetermined distance, and route guide data representing the partial guide route is transmitted to the vehicle-mounted device 12 (S104). At this time, the end point of the partial guidance route is not set on the road determined to have been added within one year in S103. In this way, based on the route guidance data transmitted from the route distribution center 24, the in-vehicle device 12 can guide the vehicle to a position where the in-vehicle device 12 can independently provide route guidance. Therefore, even when the next route guidance data does not reach the vehicle-mounted device 12, independent route guidance can be quickly performed by the vehicle-mounted device 12.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining a modification of the process in S104 of FIG. As shown in the figure, in this processing, the route distribution center 24 determines whether there is an appropriate division point (S201). That is, in the route distribution center 24, conditions for route division such as 10 km ± 3 km are set in advance, and the vehicle-mounted device 12
It is determined whether or not there is a point where independent route guidance is possible. Here, it is determined whether there is a road existing for more than one year in the range of 10 km ± 3 km from the current point. If it is determined in S201 that there is an appropriate division point, a partial guidance route ending with the division point is set, and the route guidance data for the partial guidance route is transmitted to the vehicle-mounted device 10. On the other hand, if it is determined in S201 that there is no appropriate division point, the route distribution center 24 determines that the side road leading to the road existing for one year or more is, for example,
It is determined whether it is within a range of 0 km ± 3 km (S20).
2). If there is a side road, a partial guidance route with a dummy route as shown in FIG. 6C is set, and the route guidance data for the route is transmitted to the vehicle-mounted device 12 (S
204). When it is determined in S202 that there is no side road, a predetermined distance, for example, 1
A partial guidance route ending at a point of 0 km is set, and route guidance data for the route is transmitted to the vehicle-mounted device 12 (S2).
05).

In the above description, it is determined that there is a high possibility that the road data added or updated in the map data of the route distribution center 24 within a certain period of time is not likely to be held by the vehicle-mounted device 12, and In the above, the end point of the partial guidance route is not set.
The version information of the map data stored in the local DB 20 is transmitted from the vehicle-mounted device 12 to the route distribution center 24 in advance, and the route distribution center 24 determines the road data not stored in the vehicle-mounted device 12 based on the version information. Can also. In this case, the route distribution center 24 stores in advance which road data is stored in all versions of the map data, and compares the contents with the version of the map data transmitted from the vehicle-mounted device 12. Thus, the road in which the data is not held in the vehicle-mounted device 12 is determined. For example, the route distribution center 24 stores a table such as which version of map data has information on all roads, but which version of map data has no information. do it. In addition, a road ID of a road in which data exists in the local DB 20 of the on-vehicle device 12 is transmitted to the route distribution center 24 in advance, and the
The point at which route guidance is possible may be determined.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a procedure for displaying route guidance data transmitted from a route distribution center on a vehicle-mounted map in the navigation system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a road on which on-board equipment cannot provide route guidance;

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a problem when the setting of a partial guidance route is inappropriate.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a route guidance screen generated based on route guidance data transmitted from the route distribution center to the vehicle-mounted device in the navigation system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a process performed by the route distribution center when the guide route does not pass through a point where the in-vehicle device alone can perform route guidance over a long distance.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process performed by a route distribution center in the navigation system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process performed by a route distribution center in the navigation system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 navigation system, 12 onboard equipment, 14
Communication unit, 16 input unit, 18 control unit, 20 local database, 22 display unit, 24 route distribution center,
30a Expressway, 30b Interchange Access Road, 32 Old Road, 34 Guide Route, 35 Interchange, 36 Partial Guide Route, 38 Dummy Guide Route.

Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Akito Tada 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture Toyota Motor Corporation F-term (reference) 2F029 AA02 AC14 5H180 AA01 BB04 BB05 BB13 FF13 FF22 FF33

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A remote navigation device provided outside a vehicle, wherein a route on which the vehicle should travel can be guided based on route guidance data received from the remote navigation device, and a route on which the vehicle travels can be determined. An in-vehicle navigation device capable of autonomous guidance, wherein the remote navigation device generates route guidance data on a partial guidance route including at least a part of all the guidance routes. Route guidance data generating means for transmitting the route guidance data relating to the partial guidance route to the in-vehicle navigation device, the route guidance data generating means comprising: End point adjustment to select a possible point as the end point of the partial guidance route Navigation system characterized in that it comprises a stage. 2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the end point adjusting unit sets a point on the entire guide route, at which route guidance by the on-vehicle navigation device is possible, as an end point of the partial guide route. A navigation system comprising means for selecting. 3. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said route guidance data generating means includes a route guidance data relating to a partial guidance route obtained by adding a dummy guidance route to a part of said all guidance routes. Wherein the end point adjusting means selects a point at which route guidance by the on-vehicle navigation device is possible as an end point of the dummy guide route.