JP2002267471A - On-vehicle navigation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable an on-vehicle navigation system to accurately set the present location of its own vehicle when the vehicle leaves a multistory parking space, underground parking lot, etc., or the vehicle runs on either a ground road or a high-level road constructed in parallel with the ground road. SOLUTION: In the case where the user of this on-vehicle navigation system voices an instruction 'to the exit of this parking lot' to this system when the vehicle leaves the multistory parking space or underground parking lot or the user voices an instruction 'up' meaning the high-level road or 'down' meaning the ground road by voicing when the vehicle runs on the ground road or high- level road constructed in parallel with the ground road, the recognized result of this system is informed to a map matching module and the present location of the vehicle is set at the position (the exit of the parking lot, high-level road, or ground road) specified by the voiced instruction on a map.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a vehicle navigation device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vehicular navigation apparatus detects a current position of a vehicle based on position detection information from a GPS receiver and the like, and uses the detected current position and map data stored in a map disk. And a map matching function for matching the current position of the vehicle with the road position on the map.

[0003]

However, in the above navigation system, when a vehicle exits a multi-story parking lot or underground parking lot, the current position of the vehicle cannot be accurately grasped until map matching is performed correctly. There is.

[0004] In addition, on a road on which an elevated road and a ground road run in parallel, it may not be possible to determine whether the vehicle is traveling on the elevated road or the ground road, and erroneous map matching may be performed.
In this case, it is only necessary to detect the ascending or descending of the elevated road by using the inclination sensor to determine whether the elevated road or the ground road. However, it is necessary to separately prepare an inclination sensor or the like.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to enable the current position of a vehicle to be set correctly even in the above-mentioned location without providing a special sensor.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first to third aspects of the present invention, the current position of a vehicle is adjusted to a road position on a map by using map data stored in a map disk. In a vehicular navigation apparatus provided with a map matching means, a voice recognition means for recognizing a voice uttered by a user is provided, and the map matching means outputs a voice instruction of a user for specifying a current position of the vehicle by the voice recognition means. Upon recognition, the current position of the vehicle is set to the position on the map specified by the voice instruction.

[0007] By using the voice instruction by the user in this way, without providing a special sensor, it is difficult to know the exact current position on the device side (for example, when the user leaves a multi-story parking lot, underground parking lot, etc. The present position of the vehicle can be set correctly even on an elevated road and a road on which a ground road runs in parallel.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a vehicle navigation device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The navigation device includes a position detector 1 for detecting the current position of the vehicle. The position detector 1 includes a geomagnetic sensor 2, a gyroscope 3, a distance sensor 4, and a GPS receiver 5. Also,
Navigation devices are CD-ROM, DVD-ROM
, A map data input device 6 for reading map data from a map disk 6a, and a group of operation switches for performing various operations required for navigation (including touch switches and mechanical switches integrated with the display device 9).
7, a control circuit 8 for executing various processes required for navigation, a display device 9 for displaying a map or the like, a remote control sensor 10 for receiving a signal from a remote control 11, a PT
A T switch 12, a microphone 13, a speaker 14, and the like are provided.

The control circuit 8 reads map data from the map disk 6a via the map data input device 6, and displays a map and a current position on the display device 9 based on the read map data and the current position of the vehicle. When the user performs an operation to execute route guidance using the operation switch group 7, the remote controller 11, and the like, the map data is read from the map disk 6a to set a route to the destination, and the display device 9 is displayed. And a function of causing the speaker 14 to emit a guidance voice at the guidance intersection at the guidance intersection.

The control circuit 8 adjusts the current position of the vehicle detected based on the detection information from the position detector 1 to the road position on the map using the map data stored in the map disk 6a. A map matching module (map matching means) 8a, a voice recognition module (voice recognition means) 8b for recognizing a user's voice, and the like are provided. When the PTT switch 12 is operated, the voice recognition module 8b takes in a voice signal of a voice uttered by the user from the microphone 13 and performs voice recognition processing. The user can input various voice instructions to the navigation device using the voice recognition.

Next, the processing of the speech recognition module 8b and the processing of the map matching module 8a will be described.

When the user operates the PTT switch 12 to input a voice instruction, the voice recognition module 8b
Is executed, and the voice instruction input by the user is recognized by voice (step 101). Next, it is determined whether or not the recognition result is one of “parking lot exit”, “above”, and “below” (step 102). If the recognition result is other than "parking lot exit", "above", and "below", a process corresponding to the recognition result is executed (step 103). If the recognition result is any one of "parking lot exit", "above", and "below", it is notified to the map matching module 8a (step 104).

The map matching module 8a repeatedly executes the processing shown in FIG. 3, and determines whether any one of "parking lot exit", "up", and "down" has been notified from the voice recognition module 8b. (Step 201).
When the notification is not made, a map matching process for setting the current position so that the current position of the vehicle matches the road position on the map is performed (step 202). Also,
From the voice recognition module 8b, "parking lot exit", "top",
When any one of "down" is notified, the current position set in the map matching processing up to that time is set to the notified position on the map (step 203). Specifically, when the “parking lot exit” is notified, the current position is set at the exit position of the parking lot (the parking lot where the current location is located). When the current position is set and "down" is notified, the current position is set on the ground road. Then, the current position is displayed on the display device 9 based on the current position thus set.

As can be seen from the above description, when the user gives a voice instruction of "parking lot exit" when the vehicle leaves the multi-level parking lot or underground parking lot, the current position is set to the exit of the parking lot. Also, on a road where an elevated road and a ground road run side by side, if the user gives a voice instruction of “up” while traveling on the elevated road, the current position is set to the elevated road, and when traveling on the ground road, ", The current position is set to the ground road. As described above, by setting the current position using the voice instruction from the user, the current position can be accurately notified to the user without performing erroneous map matching.

In the above-described embodiment, voices are indicated by "parking lot exit", "above", and "below". However, the voice means a parking lot exit, an elevated road, and a ground road. If so, another voice may be used. In addition, the present position may be set by a user's voice instruction as described above in a place where the position detection by the GPS receiver cannot be performed accurately other than the exit of the parking lot, the elevated road, and the ground road.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing processing of a voice recognition module 8b.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a process of a map matching module 8a.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Position detector, 2 ... Geomagnetic sensor, 3 ... Gyroscope, 4 ... Distance sensor, 5 ... GPS receiver, 6 ... Map data input device, 6a ... Map disk, 7 ... Operation switch group, 8 ... Control circuit, 8a: Map matching module, 8b: Voice recognition module, 9: Display device, 10 ...
Remote control sensor, 11 remote control, 12 PTT switch, 13 microphone, 14 speaker.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A vehicular navigation apparatus having a map matching means for matching a current position of a vehicle to a road position on a map using map data stored in a map disk, wherein a voice recognition for recognizing a voice uttered by a user. Means, the map matching means, when the voice recognition means recognizes a voice instruction of a user specifying the current position of the vehicle,
A vehicle navigation device, wherein a current position of a vehicle is set to a position on a map specified by the voice instruction. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the map matching means sets a current position of the vehicle at the exit of the parking lot when the speech recognition means recognizes a voice instruction indicating a parking lot exit. The vehicle navigation device according to any one of the preceding claims. 3. The map matching means sets the current position of the vehicle on the elevated road or the ground road when the voice recognition means recognizes a voice instruction indicating an elevated road or a ground road in a road where the elevated road and the ground road run together. The vehicular navigation device according to claim 1, wherein: