JP2001255166A - Navigation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inform by sounding a distance remaining from one's vehicle position to an intersection where the vehicle is supposed to turn. SOLUTION: When own vehicle position CM approaches a position 300 m behind the intersection CP where the vehicle is to turn, the navigation system 1 outputs an output control signal indicating from which of a left speaker 3 and a right speaker 4 a warning beep is to be outputted to an audio apparatus 2, and the warning beep by a cycle T1. The audio apparatus 2 outputs the warning beep from either of the connected left and right speakers 3 and 4, based on the output control signal from the navigation system 1. When the vehicle position CM nears a position 200 m behind the intersection CP as the vehicle runs, the warning beep is outputted by a cycle T2 shorter than the T1. When the vehicle position CM nears a position 100 m behind the intersection CP, the warning beep is outputted by a cycle T3 shorter than the T2. When the distance remaining from the vehicle position CM to the intersection CP becomes 30 m or shorter, the warning beep is kept sounding to inform a driver that around here is the intersection CP.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a navigation device, and more particularly, to a navigation device having a route guidance function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A navigation device which guides a vehicle and enables a driver to easily arrive at a desired destination detects a position of the vehicle and reads a position around the position of the vehicle from a ROM disk such as a DVD-ROM. Is read out, a map image is displayed on a display screen, and a vehicle position mark is superimposed and displayed at a predetermined position on the map image. Then, as the current position changes due to the movement of the own vehicle, the own vehicle position mark on the screen is moved, or the own vehicle position mark is fixed at a predetermined position such as the center of the screen, and the map is scrolled. The map information around the car position can be understood at a glance.

Normally, a navigation device has a route guidance function of searching for a guidance route from a departure place to a destination, displaying the guidance route on a map, and performing intersection guidance. When a departure point and a destination are input, the guidance route control unit of the navigation device automatically determines an optimal guidance route and continuously stores nodes (latitude and longitude) constituting the guidance route in the guidance route memory. At the time of actual traveling, a search is made for a guidance route included in the map display area of the screen from the node sequence stored in the guidance route memory, and the guidance route is displayed so as to be distinguishable from other roads. When a vehicle enters a predetermined distance from an approaching intersection, an intersection guide map (an enlarged view of the intersection and an arrow indicating a traveling direction at the intersection, a distance from the vehicle position to the intersection, an intersection name, a landmark around the intersection). Etc.) to indicate which road you should drive,
You can see which direction you should go at the intersection.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining intersection guidance in a conventional navigation device. (A) is a display screen display example when the own vehicle position approaches within a predetermined distance of the intersection to be turned, and (b) is an example of guidance voice output until the own vehicle position passes through the intersection to be turned. is there.
In FIG. 4A, DSP is a display screen of the navigation device, and MP is a left screen obtained by dividing the display screen DSP into two, and is a map around the own vehicle position displayed based on the map scale SC. CM is the current vehicle position, and CP is the next intersection on the guidance route to turn.
CPF is a right screen obtained by dividing the display screen DSP into two, and is an enlarged view of the intersection CP to be displayed, which is displayed when the vehicle position CM approaches within a predetermined distance of the intersection to be turned. CD is a course direction display at the intersection CP to be turned, and BG is a bar display indicating the remaining distance from the vehicle position CM to the intersection CP to be turned. Also, FIG.
In (b), ME is the guidance voice output from the navigation device until the vehicle position CM passes the intersection CP to be turned, and the guidance voice corresponding to the remaining distance from the vehicle position CM to the intersection CP to be turned. ME is output.

In the conventional navigation device, when the vehicle position CM approaches a predetermined distance (for example, 300 m) before the intersection CP to be turned next during route guidance, an enlarged view CPF of the intersection CP to be turned is displayed on the display screen DS.
Intersection C that should be displayed on P and turn with guidance voice
Guides the distance to P and the course direction. For example, FIG.
As shown in (b), when the vehicle position CM approaches 300 m before the intersection CP to be turned, the navigation device announces "turn right 300 m ahead". Thereafter, as the vehicle travels, the bar display BG displays the remaining distance from the vehicle position CM to the intersection CP to be turned in a bar in real time, and the voice guidance is slightly short of the intersection CP to be turned. Turn right. "

[0006]

However, in the intersection guidance of such a navigation device, the course direction of the intersection to be turned is displayed on a display screen, and a guidance voice is also announced, so that the driver should turn. It was relatively easy to understand which way to turn left or right at the intersection. However, it was difficult to tell how far ahead it would be better to turn. Certainly, the remaining distance from the position of the vehicle to the intersection to be turned is displayed in the enlarged view of the intersection.
Turn right at 00m. "They are about to turn right," he said, roughly fragmenting the distance, but depending on the speed of his car, the time to reach the intersection to turn was different. For this reason, it is difficult for the driver to know how far ahead he should turn, and there were problems such as passing through the intersection at which the vehicle should turn and turning at the previous intersection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a navigation device that makes it easy for a driver to know where to turn when the vehicle approaches a predetermined distance before an intersection to be turned.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided an output means for outputting a warning sound in accordance with a remaining distance from an own vehicle position to an intersection to be turned, and the output means reduces the remaining distance. Accordingly, this is achieved by shortening the period of the warning sound and outputting it. Thereby, the driver can know the distance to the intersection to be turned in the cycle of the warning sound.

Further, according to the present invention, the above object is attained by providing an output control means which is connected to an audio device and outputs a warning sound from a speaker in a course direction at an intersection to be turned. Thereby, the driver can know the distance to the intersection to be turned and the course direction at the intersection only by the warning sound.

[0010]

(A) Outline of the present invention FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a configuration diagram thereof, wherein 1 is a navigation device, 2 is an audio device, and 3 and 4 are left and right speakers connected to the audio device 2. (B) is a diagram for explaining the intersection guidance of the present invention, where CM is the position of the vehicle and CP is an intersection on the guidance route that should be turned. When the vehicle position CM approaches 300 m before the intersection CP to be turned, the navigation device 1 sends the left and right speakers 3 and 4 to the audio device 2.
An output control signal for instructing which of the above to output a warning sound and a warning sound are output in a cycle T1. The audio device 2 outputs a warning sound from one of the connected left and right speakers 3 and 4 based on an output control signal from the navigation device 1. When the own vehicle position CM approaches 200 m before the intersection CP to be turned in accordance with the traveling of the own vehicle, the period of the warning sound is output at T2 shorter than T1. When the vehicle position CM approaches 100 m before the intersection CP to be turned, the period T2 is used. Shorter T
When the remaining distance from the vehicle position CM to the intersection CP to be turned becomes 30 m or less, a warning sound is kept sounding, and the driver is notified that this is the intersection CP to be turned. Thereafter, when the vehicle position CM passes the intersection CP to be turned, the output of the warning sound is stopped.

(B) Embodiment (a) Configuration of Navigation Apparatus FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a navigation apparatus 1 according to the present invention. 1
1 is a CD-ROM, DVD-RO for storing map information, etc.
ROM disk such as M, 12 is a ROM disk controller for controlling reading of map information and the like from the ROM disk 11, 13 is a position measuring device for measuring the current position of the vehicle, a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a moving distance, It is composed of a gyro for detecting an azimuth, a CPU for position calculation, a GPS receiver, and the like. 14 is a map information memory that stores map information read from the ROM disk 11, 15 is a guidance route memory that stores searched guidance routes, 16 is a menu selection operation, an enlargement / reduction operation, a cursor movement (map scroll) operation, Remote controller for performing destination input operation, etc., 17
Is a remote control interface.

Reference numeral 18 denotes a processor (CPU) for controlling the entire navigation apparatus, 19 a ROM for storing various programs such as a route search, and 20 an R for storing processing results and the like.
AM, 21 is a display controller that generates a map image based on the map information and controls the display of various information, 22 is a VRAM that stores various images, 23 is a display device, and 24 is a vehicle from the position of the vehicle to the intersection to be turned. A warning sound output unit for outputting a warning sound according to the remaining distance, 25
Is an output control unit that controls the output of a warning sound based on the course direction of the intersection to be turned and the completion of the output of the warning sound. The left speaker 3 turns when the intersection turns left, and the right turns when the turn turns right. The audio device is controlled by an output control signal so as to output a warning sound from the speaker 4. 2
Reference numeral 6 denotes a bus line in the navigation device.

(B) Configuration of Audio Device FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of the audio device 2 of the present invention. 31
Is an audio control unit that controls the entire audio device, and receives an output control signal transmitted from the output control unit 25 of the navigation device 1. An operation unit 32 performs an operation of selecting an audio source, an operation of adjusting a volume, and the like. 33 is an MD unit for reproducing MD, and 34 is a CD unit for reproducing CD. 35 is MD unit 3
3, a selector for switching each input audio signal from the CD unit 34 and the navigation device 1 based on an instruction from the audio control unit 31;
The output to the left and right speakers 3 is controlled based on the instruction. An amplifier 36 amplifies the audio signal output from the selector 35.

(C) Processing Flow of Navigation Apparatus of the Present Invention FIG. 4 is a processing flow of the navigation apparatus 1 of the present invention. The CPU 18 determines whether or not the vehicle position measured by the position measurement device 13 has approached a first distance before an intersection to be turned next (step 101). If approaching, the CPU 18 outputs the alarm sound output unit 24 and the output control unit 25.
The warning sound output unit 24 starts outputting a warning sound of the period T1 to the selector 35 of the audio device 2, and the output control unit 25 outputs an output control signal based on the course direction of the intersection to be turned to the audio device 2. Audio control unit 31
(Step 102). Next, the CPU 18 determines whether or not the vehicle position measured by the position measuring device 13 has approached a second distance before the intersection to be turned (step 103). If so, the CPU 18 outputs a warning sound. The warning sound output unit 24 starts outputting a warning sound of the cycle T2 to the selector 35 of the audio device 2 (step 104).

Next, the CPU 18 determines whether or not the vehicle position has approached a third distance before the intersection to be turned (step 105). If so, the CPU 18 instructs the warning sound output unit 24. Is output, and the warning sound output unit 24 outputs the period T3
Is started to be output to the selector 35 of the audio device 2 (step 106). Further, the position measuring device 13
It is determined whether or not the position of the vehicle measured in step (4) approaches a fourth distance before the intersection to be turned (step 107). If approaching, the warning sound output unit 24 outputs a continuous warning sound to the audio device. Output to the second selector 35 is started (step 108).

Thereafter, the CPU 18 determines whether or not the position of the vehicle has passed an intersection to be turned (step 10).
9) If it has passed, the output of the warning sound by the warning sound output unit 24 is stopped and an output control signal notifying the completion of the output of the warning sound is output to the audio control unit 31 of the audio device 2.
(Step 110).

In the above description, the period of the warning sound output from the navigation device 1 is changed when the distance from the vehicle position to the intersection to be turned becomes a predetermined value. Various changes can be easily made using the remaining distance to the vehicle as a parameter (for example, the remaining distance to the intersection where the period of the warning sound should be turned / 1000 seconds).

(D) Processing Flow of Audio Device of the Present Invention FIG. 5 is a processing flow of the audio device 2 of the present invention.
First, the audio control unit 31 determines whether an output control signal transmitted from the navigation device 1 has been received (step 201). Upon receiving the output control signal, the input of the selector 35 is switched to the navigation device 1 side (step 202), and it is determined whether or not the output of the warning sound described in the output control signal is left (step 20).
3). If the output of the warning sound is to the left, the audio control unit 31 issues an instruction to the selector 35 and outputs a warning sound only from the left speaker (step 204). A warning sound is output only from the speaker (step 205).

Thereafter, the audio controller 31 determines whether or not an output control signal transmitted again from the navigation device 1 has been received (step 206). If the output has not been received, the input of the selector 35 is left as it is, and if the output control signal is received, the input of the selector 35 is switched to the original source before the input to the navigation device side (step 207).

In the above description, the input of the selector 35 is set to the navigation device side when the warning sound is output from the navigation device 1 even when the audio device 2 is used as the music source. It is also possible to output a warning sound and output the music source as it is to the opposite speaker.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, a warning sound is output according to the remaining distance from the vehicle position to the intersection to be turned,
As the remaining distance decreases, the warning sound period is shortened, so the driver can see how far ahead he should turn without warning the intersection guide map on the display screen without having to look at the remaining distance. Can be.

Further, according to the present invention, the warning sound is output from the speaker of the audio device connected based on the course direction of the intersection to be turned further. You can know the distance and the course direction at the intersection.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a navigation device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an audio device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a processing flow of the navigation device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a processing flow of the audio device of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating intersection guidance in a conventional navigation device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1. Navigation device 2. Audio device 3. Left speaker 4. Right speaker CM Position of own vehicle CP.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) 9A001

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A navigation device having a route guidance function, comprising: warning sound output means for outputting a warning sound in accordance with a remaining distance from an own vehicle position to an intersection to be turned, wherein the warning sound output means includes the remaining distance. A navigation device characterized in that the shorter the period of the warning sound is, the shorter the warning sound is outputted. 2. The navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising an output control unit connected to an audio device and outputting the warning sound from a speaker in a traveling direction at the intersection to be turned.