JP2001215127A - Navigation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a navigation system capable of comprehensibly expressing the circumstances near an input point. SOLUTION: A navigation system capable of registering an input point on a map comprises a target information memory means wherein target information to be a mark for guiding a vehicle is stored, a survey condition setting means capable of setting in advance survey conditions for specifying a target, and an output means for surveying a target positioning in a specific distance from the input point from the target information memory means according to the survey conditions and outputting the surveyed target information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a navigation device capable of easily expressing a situation near an input point.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a navigation device for guiding a route of a vehicle, the position of the vehicle is detected by a GPS system or the like.
The current position of the vehicle is specified by comparing it with map information recorded as node data and link data on a CD-ROM or the like, and a driving route to a registered destination (guide point) is searched, and a display such as a liquid crystal display is made. The map of the area and the search route are displayed on the screen.

When registering a point such as a destination, scroll the wide area map displayed on the display screen, move a cursor to a position to be registered on the corresponding map, operate a setting key, and move the cursor to the target point. Register as a place. Also, when guiding a vehicle along a search route, the detected current position is compared with the search route to always check whether the vehicle has deviated from the route, and a main intersection or a point where a course change is performed ( At intersections, etc., guidance such as straight ahead, right turn, left turn and the like is displayed or voiced. Then, when the vehicle approaches the destination, a voice message “arrival at the destination” is output, and the guidance ends.

[0004]

In the conventional navigation device, when registering a destination or the like, a point is input by a cursor on a wide area map displayed on a display screen. In some cases, an input position error occurs, and a point is registered in a place not intended by the user. Also, when guiding the vehicle along the travel route,
Guidance such as straight ahead, right turn, left turn etc. is mainly performed based on the search route, and the place name near is displayed even when approaching the input point,
There was a problem that it was difficult to grasp the surrounding scenery and the state of the building, and it was difficult to specify the input point. Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open
There is also a device that provides a user with a facility near an input point as disclosed in JP-A-272293. However, this is a device in which a device is selected unilaterally, and a facility that is difficult for the user to understand is provided. However, it cannot always be provided to the user in an easily understandable manner.

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a navigation device capable of expressing a situation near an input point in an easily understandable manner.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a navigation apparatus capable of registering an input point on a map. Target information storage means, search condition setting means capable of presetting a search condition for designating a predetermined target, and a target located within a predetermined distance from the inputted input point, Output means for searching from the object information storage means in accordance with the search condition and outputting information of the searched target is provided.

Further, the output means outputs the searched target information when the point is input.

Further, the output means outputs the searched target information when it is detected that the vehicle approaches the input point.

Further, the search condition is for designating the target object into a predetermined type.

Further, the search condition is for designating the predetermined distance.

Further, the output means thins out the targets by giving priority to a predetermined type of the targets when the number of the searched targets is larger than a predetermined number.

Further, the output means, when the number of the searched target objects is larger than a predetermined number, thins out the target objects by giving priority to the one closer to the input point and the searched target objects. It is.

[0013] Further, the output means outputs a direction or a direction in which the searched target is located with respect to the input point as the target information by a display or by voice.

Further, the output means displays only an input point and the symbol mark of the searched target on a map as target information.

[0015]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to the drawings.

A GPS receiver 11 receives radio waves from artificial satellites (GPS satellites) and calculates position information from the signals. Reference numeral 12 denotes a direction sensor such as a gyro sensor for detecting the traveling direction of the vehicle. Reference numeral 13 denotes a distance sensor for detecting a traveling distance of the vehicle, which uses a signal from a speedometer of the automobile. Reference numeral 14 denotes map information indicating road coordinate points and connections between them, and names, type data, symbol marks of target objects such as stations and gas stations (GS) serving as landmarks for guiding vehicles, and targets indicating symbol positions. CD-ROM or DVD (Digital Video) in which physical information is stored
o Disk) and a map database including the reading device and the like. 2 is position information from the GPS receiver 11,
A process of specifying the position of the vehicle based on the direction data of the direction sensor 12, the traveling distance data of the distance sensor 13, and the map information of the map database 14, a process of searching for a traveling route to a registered destination, a searched route And associated RAM and ROM for performing a process of guiding a vehicle along a road, a process of searching for a target based on predetermined conditions, and the like.
And the like. An input unit 31 includes operation switches for performing destination input, registration, and the like.
Reference numeral 41 denotes a display unit including a map (road) for guidance, a liquid crystal display panel for displaying a target, a driving circuit, and the like based on a signal from the control unit 2. Reference numeral 42 denotes an audio output unit for synthesizing audio for guidance based on an instruction from the control unit 2 and performing audio guidance using a speaker or the like.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an input point registration process performed by the control unit 2 of the navigation device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating a condition setting screen of the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3A is a search condition designation example, and FIG. 3B is a registered output condition designation example. FIG.
3A and 3B are output screen diagrams at the time of registration of the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 3A is an example of a display screen, and FIG. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to the drawings. Note that this processing starts from the point in time when the point registration mode key is operated.

In step S11, it is determined whether or not the point registration mode key has been operated. If the point registration mode key has been operated, the process proceeds to step S12 to enter the point registration mode. If the point registration mode key has not been operated, the process ends. This determination is made based on the operation state of the point registration mode key (input unit 31) by the user.

In step S12, the map information / target object information near the registered point is read out from the map database 14 and displayed on the display unit 41, and the process proceeds to step S13. That is,
A wide area map including the point is displayed on the display unit 41 based on the operation of the cursor so that the user can input a point (a destination or the like) to be registered on the map screen using the cursor. At this time, the screen is scrolled according to the operation of the cursor so that the user can display the map of the desired point (near the destination) as described above. In addition to the scroll display using the cursor, a desired map may be read from a telephone number or an address.

In step S13, it is determined whether or not the point input has been completed.
And waits if the point input is not completed. That is,
The user moves the cursor to a predetermined point, and determines whether or not the user has operated a setting key at that point to input a point.

In step S14, it is determined whether search conditions for searching for a landmark serving as a landmark near the input point input as described above have been specified. The process moves to step S15, and if no search condition is specified, the process waits. This determination is made by the user when the point input is completed, by referring to the search condition designation screen diagram (see FIG. 3A) displayed on the display unit 41 in a different setting mode different from the point registration mode in advance. The search is performed based on a search condition (specified by a mesh) specified by a key (or a cancel key). Search condition is map database 14
The type of target to be searched from (including the type, name, and location of the target) (for example, a station serving as a landmark, a gas station (GS), a convenience store (CS), a supermarket (SM), various schools, buildings, etc. Types, or all types, specified by the user in advance from buildings, rivers, bridges, railroad crossings, roads, etc., search distances (for example, 200, 100, 50 m within the range to be searched from the input point), The azimuth (eg, east, west, south, north, and the middle, etc.) with respect to the input point, the direction of the searched target object with respect to the input point (eg, the same side, the opposite side, the front, the rear, and the right side of the input point) , Left side, and a combination thereof). The type may be provided with detailed information (such as the name of each facility) at a lower level as needed. For example, in some cases, it is difficult to determine any of a plurality of gas stations using only a gas station as a target, and names such as GS belonging to company A and GS belonging to company B are added as search targets.

In step S15, a landmark near the input point is searched for a target, and the flow advances to step S16. That is, a target recorded in the map database 14 is searched based on search conditions specified in advance (examples of specifying search conditions in FIG. 3A).

In step S16, the azimuth and direction of the target are calculated, and the flow advances to step S17. In other words, based on the input point (latitude / longitude coordinates) input by the cursor and the location (latitude / longitude coordinates) of the searched target (each facility), the direction (the guide point with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle) is considered. The direction (direction of the target) or the direction (direction of the target viewed from the input point) is calculated. For example, the direction and direction are obtained from the difference between the latitude and longitude of the input point and the target point.

In step S17, the target and its position are output, and the flow advances to step S18. That is, the searched target (specified type) near the input point input by the user (within a predetermined distance) and its position are output in advance by the user in the registered output condition specification example of FIG. Output according to conditions. For example, when displayed on the display unit 41, the input point (Goal) and the symbol mark of the designated target (for example, National Highway, Company A, etc.) so that the positional relationship between the input point (Goal) and the target can be understood as shown in FIG. Gas stations, convenience stores) are simply displayed as target information. Also, when expressing the position of each target (facility) by voice, the positional relationship is difficult to understand unlike the case of displaying on the screen, so the direction and direction are added, and "the destination along National Highway 2 is added. "We have set" and "There is a gas station on the east side" and the like, and the voice output unit 42 outputs it. When there are a plurality of targets of the same type in the vicinity, a name is further added and the voice output unit 42 outputs a voice such as "There is a gas station of Company A on the east side". Alternatively, the above-described voice guidance may be replaced with character information and the information may be superimposed on the screen. The display output and the audio output are for the user to confirm the detailed position of the input point, and are close to the input point (for example,
The target may be the closest location or a few locations from the nearest location). If there are too many facilities (targets) such as gas stations, schools, convenience stores, etc. that are searched for, even if they are displayed on the display unit 41, they are too complicated and difficult to see like conventional map screens. Thin out to the extent that it is easy to do. For example, when the number of target objects (the number of facilities) searched by the search condition is larger than a preset number, the description is omitted. For the thinned target (facility etc.), a method of restricting the distance from the input point (for example, limiting to a target adjacent to the input point) or a method of restricting the type of facility (target) (for example, According to the set priority order (or the order set by the user), only facilities that are particularly recognizable, such as schools and gas stations, are displayed / voice output targets).

In step S18, it is determined whether or not the registration has been confirmed.
If the registration is not confirmed, the process returns to step S13 to repeat the process up to step S18 until the setting key is operated. This determination is made based on whether or not the setting key operated in step S13 has been operated again. still,
In addition, the registration may be automatically determined when a predetermined time has elapsed without operating the setting key, and the step of confirming the registration may be omitted. If the cancel key is operated in step S18, the process may return to step S13. In the present embodiment, the input point is set on the west side of the gas station of Company A along Route 2; however, if the guide point is set on the south side of the gas station of Company A along the prefectural road, Since the user determines that the input position is incorrect (not the intended point) and operates the cancel key or the like, the process returns to step S13 according to the instruction, and starts over from the point input processing.

In step S19, the input point is registered, and the process ends. That is, since the input point was a point intended by the user based on the surrounding situation, the position (input position)
Is registered as a registration point (destination). Hereinafter, although the description is omitted in the present processing, a route from the current location is searched according to a predetermined condition with the registered input point as a destination, as in a normal navigation device. In addition to the destination, the acquaintance's house or the like may be a point of personal information.

In this way, the accuracy of the registered position is improved by comparing the positional relationship between the point input by the user with the cursor and the surrounding target (facility, etc.).
In addition, it is possible to grasp the situation of a target or the like near the destination before departure.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a guidance output process performed by the control unit 2 of the navigation device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a view showing a guidance output condition setting screen of the navigation device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
3A and 3B are output diagrams at the time of guidance of the navigation device according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to the drawings. Note that this processing is continuously performed during the guidance of the traveling route of the navigation device.

In step S21, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has approached a registered point (eg, a destination) registered as described above. If the vehicle approaches the registered point, the process proceeds to step S22. If not, the process proceeds to step S22. Move to S24. That is,
This is for determining whether or not the vehicle has reached the guidance start point according to the present embodiment. The determination is based on the position data of the vehicle detected by the GPS receiver 11 (or complemented by the direction sensor 12 and the distance sensor 13) and the map. The database 14 is collated to determine whether or not the vehicle has reached the guidance start point (for example, 400 m before) set by the user in advance under the guidance output condition (see FIG. 6).

In step S22, each target and its position are displayed on the display section 41 in accordance with the guidance output setting condition, and the flow advances to step S23. In other words, according to the output conditions (output, output, output) of the direction restriction (output, output, output) of the direction (output, output, output, output) of the direction (output, output, output, output) that are set by the user in advance under the guidance output conditions of FIG. A display unit 41 displays each searched object together with a road map as shown in FIG.
To be displayed.

In step S23, each target object and its position are output as voices according to the guide output setting conditions, and the process is terminated. In other words, the type, name, direction, and azimuth (including distance) of each searched target are voice-synthesized, and, for example, based on the current location, "There is a gas station of Company B on the right side 200m ahead", " There is a convenience store on the left 300 meters away, and a gas station of Company A on the right 400 meters away. Or, based on the registration point, "The gas station of Company B is 200 m to the right of the registration point,""Convenience store is 100 m to the left of the registration point,""A side of the registration point There is a gas station of the company. " By performing such detailed guidance, the positional relationship between the registered point or the current position and the target is clarified, and the registered point is easily specified.

In step S24, normal traveling guidance is continued, and the process returns to step S21. That is, there is no need to search for a target because the user has not yet approached the registration point. Therefore, since it is sufficient to provide the traveling guidance mainly on whether the vehicle has deviated from the route, a map of the traveling route (mainly a road map) is displayed on the display unit 41.
, And provide voice guidance at major intersections, guidance points, and the like.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the accuracy of setting the registered point is improved by comparing the point input by the cursor with the surrounding target. In addition, prior to departure, the situation of the target near the registration point can be grasped in advance, and when approaching the registration point, the positional relationship of the target near the registration point is clearly displayed or sound output, so the registration point can be determined. It is easy to identify and the driver can reach the destination without hesitation.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a navigation device capable of easily expressing the situation near the input point.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an input point registration process performed by a control unit 2 of the navigation device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a condition setting screen diagram of the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a registration output screen diagram of the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a guidance output process performed by the control unit 2 of the navigation device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a guide output condition setting screen of the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a view showing an output screen at the time of guidance of the navigation device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 ··· GPS receiver, 2 ··· Control unit, 12 ··· Direction sensor, 31 ···
..Input unit, 13... Distance sensor, 4
1 ... display unit, 14 ... map database,
42 voice output unit.

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A navigation device capable of registering an input point on a map, a target information storage means for storing information of a target which serves as a mark when guiding a vehicle, and specifying a predetermined target. Search condition setting means for preliminarily setting search conditions, and a target located within a predetermined distance from the input point input is searched from the target information storage means according to the search condition. A navigation device comprising output means for outputting information on a target. 2. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs the searched target information when the point is input. 3. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the output means outputs the searched target information when it is detected that the vehicle approaches the input point. 4. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the search condition is for specifying the target object in a predetermined type. 5. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the search condition is for specifying the predetermined distance. 6. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the output unit thins out the targets by giving priority to a predetermined type of the targets when the number of the searched targets is larger than a predetermined number. . 7. The method according to claim 7, wherein when the number of the searched target objects is larger than a predetermined number, the output means thins out the target objects by giving priority to the one closer to the input point and the searched target objects. Item 4. The navigation device according to item 1. 8. The navigation according to claim 1, wherein the output means outputs a direction or a direction in which the searched target object is located with respect to the input point as the target object information or outputs it by voice. apparatus. 9. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the output means displays only an input point and the symbol mark of the searched target on a map as target information.