JP2005189037A - Vehicle-mounted navigation system and traffic information display method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle-mounted navigation system and a traffic information display method for preventing traffic information at an appropriate timing according to the traveling state of a vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: When traffic information is transmitted from a traffic information center outside the vehicle, it is stored in a traffic information storage part 18. For example, every time the vehicle passes through a principle intersection, a control part 17 extracts information on roads in a prescribed range ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle from the traffic information storage part 18 and reconstructs traffic information. A traffic information image drawing part 26 creates traffic information images on the basis of the traffic information reconstructed at the control part 17 and displays it on a display device 7. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-vehicle navigation device and a traffic information display method for acquiring traffic information from a traffic information center and displaying the traffic information on a display device.

  The in-vehicle navigation device includes a map data storage device such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) or hard disk on which map data is recorded, a display device such as a liquid crystal panel, a gyro, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, and a vehicle speed sensor. A vehicle position detection device that detects the current position of the vehicle and the direction of the vehicle is included. Then, map data including the current position of the vehicle is read from the map data storage device, a map image around the current position of the vehicle is drawn based on the map data and displayed on the display device, and a vehicle position mark (location) Is displayed superimposed on the map image, the map image is scrolled according to the movement of the vehicle, the map image is fixed on the screen and the vehicle position mark is moved, and where the vehicle is currently traveling Can be seen at a glance.

  In general, the in-vehicle navigation device is equipped with a route guidance function that allows the user to easily travel to a desired destination without making a mistake on the road. According to this route guidance function, the lowest cost route connecting from the starting point to the destination using map data is automatically searched by performing simulation calculation such as horizontal search method or Dijkstra method, and the searched route is guided. It is memorized as a route, and when driving, the guidance route is displayed with a different color from other roads and drawn thickly, or when the vehicle approaches the intersection on the guidance route where it should turn right or left The user is guided to the destination by drawing an arrow indicating the course at the intersection on the map.

  Cost is based on distance, road width, road type (general road or highway, etc.), a value multiplied by a constant according to right turn and left turn, etc., estimated travel time of vehicle, etc. The degree of appropriateness as a numerical value. Even if there are two routes having the same distance, the cost differs depending on whether the user uses a toll road or whether to give priority to distance or time.

In recent years, an in-vehicle navigation device that acquires traffic information such as traffic congestion and traffic regulations from a traffic information center outside the vehicle and notifies the user of the traffic information has become widespread. For example, in an in-vehicle navigation system equipped with a VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System) receiver, traffic information (VICS) sent from a traffic information center (VICS center) via radio wave beacons, optical beacons, FM multiplex broadcasting, or the Internet. Information) is received and displayed on the display device. In VICS, a character display type (level 1) that displays traffic information only with characters, a simple graphic type (level 2) that displays traffic information using simple graphics, and a map display type (level 3) that displays traffic congestion points on a map. There are three types of display methods.
JP 2003-133975 A

  However, in the above-described conventional vehicle-mounted navigation device, even if traffic information is acquired from the outside of the vehicle, it cannot be said that the information is sufficiently utilized. For example, in a conventional in-vehicle navigation device, a map around the current position of the vehicle is displayed on the display device while the vehicle is running, and traffic information using simple graphics is interrupted and displayed on the screen when VICS information is received. . However, in the conventional vehicle-mounted navigation device, only the traffic information in a simple graphic sent from the VICS center is displayed as it is, so that the traffic information on the road not related to the route of the own vehicle is also displayed. Therefore, it is difficult to instantaneously determine which traffic information is related to the route of the own vehicle only by looking at the traffic information displayed on the display device.

  Further, in the conventional vehicle-mounted navigation device, when traffic information is received, the traffic information is interrupted and displayed on the screen. However, when a predetermined time elapses, the traffic information is deleted and the map display is continued. Therefore, if the traffic information is away from the location where the traffic information is received, the traffic information is not displayed when the vehicle actually approaches the traffic jam location, so the traffic jam status is not known and the traffic jam may be involved. is there.

  A general in-vehicle navigation device stores traffic information sent from the VICS center in a memory, so that the traffic information stored in the memory is displayed again on the display device by performing a predetermined operation. It is possible. However, from the viewpoint of safety, it is preferable to avoid operating the navigation device while driving the vehicle.

  Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-133975 discloses that the content of a traffic information page (traffic information image) to be interrupted is set in advance for each broadcast area, so that the user interrupts and displays the desired traffic information page. A traffic information receiving device is disclosed. However, since this traffic information receiving device also displays an interrupt when traffic information is received, it does not solve the above-described problem.

  As described above, an object of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle navigation device and a traffic information display method for presenting traffic information at an appropriate timing according to the traveling state of a vehicle.

  The above-described problems include a display device, a map data storage unit that stores map data, a vehicle position detection unit that detects the current position of the vehicle, and a traffic information reception unit that receives traffic information sent from the traffic information center. Based on the traffic information storage unit that stores the traffic information received by the traffic information reception unit, the map data stored in the map data storage unit, and the current position of the vehicle detected by the vehicle position detection unit A traffic information image based on the traffic information reconstructed by the control unit that extracts the traffic information corresponding to the vehicle travel state from the traffic information storage unit and reconstructs the traffic information This is solved by an in-vehicle navigation device comprising a traffic information image drawing unit that draws and displays on the display device.

  Further, the above-described problem is a traffic information display method of an in-vehicle navigation device that receives traffic information sent from the outside of the vehicle and guides the vehicle, and stores the traffic information sent from the outside of the vehicle as a traffic information storage unit. In accordance with the driving state of the vehicle, only predetermined traffic information is extracted from the traffic information storage unit and reconstructed, and a traffic information image is drawn and displayed based on the reconstructed traffic information. The problem is solved by the traffic information display method of the in-vehicle navigation device, characterized in that it is displayed on the device.

  In the present invention, traffic information sent from the outside of the vehicle is stored in the traffic information storage unit, and only predetermined information is extracted from the traffic information storage unit and reconstructed according to the running state of the vehicle. For example, when a vehicle passes a main intersection, only information related to roads within a certain range ahead of the vehicle in the traveling direction is extracted from the traffic information storage unit to reconstruct the traffic information, and based on the reconstructed traffic information The traffic information image is drawn and displayed on the display device. Thereby, since only the information related to the route of the own vehicle is displayed on the display device, the driver can grasp the traffic information related to the route of the own vehicle at a glance.

  In the present invention, since traffic information (traffic information image) related to the route of the vehicle is displayed at an appropriate timing according to the running state of the vehicle, the traffic information acquired from outside the vehicle can be used effectively. Can do.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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

  Reference numeral 1 denotes a DVD storing map data and the like. Map data stored on DVD1 is divided into longitude and latitude widths of appropriate size according to the scale level such as 1/12500, 1/25000, 1/50000, and 1/100000, etc. Is recorded as a coordinate set of vertices (nodes) expressed in longitude and latitude. A road is formed by connecting two or more nodes, and a portion connecting two nodes is called a link.

  Reference numeral 3 denotes an operation unit provided with various operation buttons and the like for operating the navigation apparatus body 10 to be described later.

  A GPS receiver 4 receives a GPS signal transmitted from a GPS satellite and detects the latitude and longitude of the current position of the vehicle. Reference numeral 5 denotes a self-contained navigation sensor, and the self-contained navigation sensor 5 includes an angle sensor 5a such as a gyro that detects a vehicle rotation angle, and a travel distance sensor 5b that generates a pulse every certain travel distance.

  A traffic information receiver 6 receives traffic information sent from a traffic information center outside the vehicle via a radio beacon, an optical beacon, FM multiplex broadcasting, the Internet, or the like. Reference numeral 7 denotes a display device such as a liquid crystal panel capable of displaying a map image. The navigation device main body 10 displays a map around the current position of the vehicle on the display device 7, and displays a guidance route from the departure point to the destination, a vehicle position mark, and other guidance information. Reference numeral 9 denotes a speaker for providing guidance information to the user by voice.

  The navigation device body 10 is composed of the following.

  Reference numeral 11 is a DVD controller that reads map data from the DVD 1, and 12 is a buffer memory that temporarily stores map data read from the DVD 1. Reference numeral 13 denotes an interface connected to the operation unit 3, reference numeral 14 denotes an interface connected to the GPS receiver 4, reference numeral 15 denotes an interface connected to the autonomous navigation sensor 5, and reference numeral 16 denotes an interface connected to the traffic information receiver 6.

  Reference numeral 17 denotes a control unit constituted by a microcomputer. The control unit 17 detects the current position of the vehicle based on signals input from the interfaces 14 and 15, reads map data around the current position of the vehicle from the DVD 1 to the buffer memory 12, and reads the map data to the buffer memory 12. Various processes such as searching for a guidance route from the departure place to the destination are performed under the search conditions set using the map data.

  A traffic information storage unit (memory) 18 temporarily stores traffic information received by the traffic information receiver 6. A map drawing unit 19 draws a map image using the map data read out to the buffer memory 12. Reference numeral 21 denotes an operation screen / mark drawing unit for drawing various menu screens (operation screens) and various marks such as a vehicle position mark and a cursor according to the operation status.

  22 is a guide route storage unit that stores the guide route searched by the control unit 17, and 23 is a guide route drawing unit that draws the guide route. In the guide route storage unit 22, all nodes of the guide route searched by the control unit 17 are stored from the departure point to the destination. The guide route drawing unit 23 reads the guide route information (node sequence) from the guide route storage unit 22 and draws it with a color and thickness different from those of other roads.

  Reference numeral 26 denotes a traffic information image drawing unit. The control unit 17 reads out and reconstructs the traffic information stored in the traffic information storage unit 18 at a predetermined timing, and outputs the traffic information to the traffic information image drawing unit 26. The traffic information image drawing unit 26 draws a traffic information image based on the traffic information reconstructed by the control unit 17 and outputs the traffic information image to the display device 7. Details of the traffic information image drawn by the traffic information image drawing unit 26 will be described later.

  An audio output unit 24 supplies an audio signal to the speaker 9 based on a signal from the control unit 17. Reference numeral 25 denotes an image compositing unit, which is a map image drawn by the map drawing unit 19, various marks and operation screens drawn by the operation screen / mark drawing unit 21, a guide route drawn by the guide route drawing unit 23, and traffic information The traffic information image drawn by the image drawing unit 26 is superimposed and output to the display device 7.

  In the vehicle-mounted navigation device configured as described above, the control unit 17 detects the current position of the vehicle and the direction of the vehicle from the GPS signal received by the GPS receiver 4 and the signal input from the autonomous navigation sensor 5. The control unit 17 reads map data around the current position of the vehicle from the DVD 1 and stores it in the buffer memory 12. Then, the map drawing unit 19 is controlled to generate a map image, and the map image around the current position of the vehicle is displayed on the display device 7. Further, the control unit 17 generates a vehicle position mark by controlling the operation screen / mark generation unit 21 and displays it on the map image. Thereafter, the control unit 17 moves the vehicle position mark on the map image or scrolls the map image as the vehicle moves.

  When the user operates the operation unit 3 to set a destination, the control unit 17 searches for a guidance route from the departure point to the destination under a preset condition using the current position of the vehicle as a departure point. The guidance route obtained by the above is stored in the guidance route storage unit 22. And the control part 17 outputs guidance information suitably with a driving | running | working of a vehicle, and guides a vehicle to drive | work along a guidance route to the destination.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the in-vehicle navigation device of this embodiment when traffic information is received from the outside of the vehicle, and FIG. 3 shows the operation of the in-vehicle navigation device of this embodiment when the vehicle passes through a main intersection. It is a flowchart to show. Here, the vehicle is traveling along the guidance route indicated by the thick line with an arrow in the maps shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, and a map around the current position of the vehicle is displayed on the display device 7. It shall be.

  First, with reference to FIG. 2, the operation of the in-vehicle navigation device of the present embodiment when traffic information is received from the traffic information center will be described.

  When the traffic information sent from the traffic information center is received by the traffic information receiver 6 in step S11, the process proceeds to step S12. The traffic information is sent via, for example, a beacon transmitter (optical beacon or radio beacon) installed on the road, FM multiplex broadcasting, or the Internet. In step S12, the control unit 17 stores the received traffic information in the traffic information storage unit 18 and interrupts and displays traffic information (VICS level 2) based on simple graphics created at the traffic information center, as in the conventional case. FIG. 5 shows a display example of traffic information using simple graphics created at the traffic information center.

  In this example, the traffic information storage unit 18 includes (1) a predicted travel time (15 minutes) to Horiuchi via the Hinodecho intersection, and (2) a travel prediction to Sakuragicho via Yoshinocho Inter. The time (20 minutes) and (3) the estimated travel time (15 minutes) to Mitsuhashi 5-chome via the bypass road (BP) via Yoshinocho Inter are stored (see FIG. 5).

  Next, it transfers to step S13 and the control part 17 determines whether fixed time passed since displaying the simple figure. When it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S14, and the display of the simple graphic is terminated.

  As described above, the vehicle-mounted navigation device according to the present embodiment receives the traffic information from the traffic information center outside the vehicle, and stores the traffic information in the traffic information storage unit 18 as well as the traffic information ( (Simple figure) is displayed on the screen as an interrupt.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the operation when the in-vehicle navigation device of the present embodiment passes through the main intersection will be described.

  First, in step S21, the control unit 17 monitors whether or not a main intersection has been passed based on the current position of the vehicle and the map data. Here, the main intersection means a relatively large intersection where main roads such as national roads and prefectural roads intersect.

  And when it determines with the vehicle having passed the main intersection, it transfers to step S22, and extracts the traffic information regarding the road which exists in the fixed range (for example, within 10 km) ahead of the vehicle advancing direction from the traffic information storage part 18. And reconstruct the traffic information. For example, when the vehicle passes the Hinodecho intersection shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), the control unit 17 uses the (2) Yoshinocho Inter as traffic information related to the road ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle. The estimated travel time to Sakuragicho (20 minutes) and (3) the estimated travel time (15 minutes) to Mitsuhashi 5-chome via the bypass road (BP) via the Yoshino-cho interchange are extracted. The control unit 17 reconstructs the traffic information and outputs it to the traffic information image drawing unit 26. At the same time, the control unit 17 reads data relating to these roads and intersections from the DVD 1 and outputs them to the traffic information image drawing unit 26. In addition, the control unit 17 reads out the guidance route data of the portions related to these roads from the guidance route storage unit 22 and outputs them to the traffic information image drawing unit 26.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S23, where the traffic information image drawing unit 26 draws a simple figure deformed with the road shape (intersection shape) based on the map data input from the control unit 17, and the traffic information and the traffic information and the simple figure are drawn on the simple figure. A traffic information image is generated by overlapping guide routes. And it transfers to step S24 and the produced | generated traffic information image is displayed on the display apparatus 7. FIG. FIG. 6 shows an example of a traffic information image generated by the traffic information image drawing unit 26. For example, the background color of the traffic information image is preferably different from the simple graphic of the traffic information center so that it can be easily distinguished from the simple graphic sent from the traffic information center.

  Next, it transfers to step S25 and the control part 17 monitors whether fixed time passed since displaying the traffic information image. And when it determines with fixed time having passed, it transfers to step S26 and the display of a traffic information image is complete | finished. Thereby, a map around the current position of the vehicle is displayed on the display device 7.

  As described above, when the traffic information related to the road ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle is stored in the traffic information storage unit 18, the vehicle-mounted navigation device of the present embodiment has the following every time when the vehicle passes the main intersection. The traffic information image drawn by the traffic information image drawing unit 26 is displayed on the display device 7. Since only the traffic information related to the road ahead in the traveling direction of the own vehicle is displayed in the traffic information image, the driver can easily grasp the road situation in the traveling direction ahead of the own vehicle.

  In the above example, every time the vehicle passes the main intersection, the control unit 17 extracts information related to the road ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle, reconstructs the traffic information, and is drawn by the traffic information image drawing unit 26. The case where the traffic information image is displayed on the display device 7 has been described. However, in the present invention, the display of the traffic information image is not limited to the timing when the vehicle passes the main road. For example, the traffic information image drawn by the traffic information image drawing unit 26 may be displayed on the display device 7 every time the vehicle passes a predetermined guidance point on the guidance route. Further, the traffic information image drawn by the traffic information image drawing unit 26 is displayed on the display device 7 every time the vehicle travels for a certain time (for example, every 10 minutes) or every time the vehicle travels for a certain distance (for example, every 5 km). It may be. Further, when the vehicle passes the exit of the expressway, the traffic information of the surrounding general road is extracted and reconstructed, and the traffic information image drawn by the traffic information image drawing unit 26 is displayed on the display device 7. You may do it.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case where the vehicle is traveling along the guidance route has been described. However, when the guidance route is not set, a traffic information image is similarly generated according to the traveling state of the vehicle. It is preferable to display on the display device 7.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case where the traffic information image is generated and displayed based on the traffic information related to the road ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle has been described. However, for example, when driving in an urban area, only the road ahead It is also possible to grasp the surrounding road conditions instead, so traffic information related to roads within a certain range around the current position of the vehicle is extracted and reconstructed to generate a traffic information image. Alternatively, it may be displayed on the display device 7.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an in-vehicle navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the in-vehicle navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention when traffic information is received from the outside of the vehicle. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the in-vehicle navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention when the vehicle passes through the main intersection. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating roads on which a vehicle is traveling in the description of the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example of traffic information using simple graphics created at the traffic information center. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a traffic information image generated by the traffic information image drawing unit.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... DVD,
3 ... operation part,
4 ... GPS receiver,
5 ... Self-contained navigation sensor,
6 ... Traffic information receiver,
7 ... display device,
10 ... navigation device body,
11 ... DVD controller,
12 ... Buffer memory,
17 ... control unit,
18 ... Traffic information storage unit,
19 ... Map drawing part,
21. Operation screen / mark drawing section,
22 ... guide route storage unit,
23: Guide route drawing unit,
24. Audio output unit,
25. Image composition unit,
26: Traffic information image drawing unit.

Claims (5)

A display device;
A map data storage unit for storing map data;
A vehicle position detector for detecting the current position of the vehicle;
A traffic information receiving unit for receiving traffic information sent from the traffic information center;
A traffic information storage unit for storing the traffic information received by the traffic information receiving unit;
The vehicle travel state is determined based on the map data stored in the map data storage unit and the current position of the vehicle detected by the vehicle position detection unit, and traffic corresponding to the vehicle travel state from the traffic information storage unit A control unit that extracts and reconstructs information;
A vehicle-mounted navigation device, comprising: a traffic information image drawing unit that draws a traffic information image based on the traffic information reconstructed by the control unit and displays the traffic information image on the display device.   When the control unit determines that the vehicle has passed a main intersection based on the map data stored in the map data storage unit and the current position of the vehicle detected by the vehicle position detection unit, the traffic information storage The in-vehicle navigation device according to claim 1, wherein traffic information corresponding to a running state of the vehicle is extracted from the unit and reconstructed.   The said control part extracts only the traffic information regarding the road in the fixed range ahead of the advancing direction of a vehicle from the said traffic information memory | storage part from the said traffic information memory | storage part, It rebuilds, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. In-vehicle navigation device.   The control unit extracts and reconstructs traffic information corresponding to a traveling state of the vehicle from the traffic information storage unit every time the vehicle travels for a certain time or every distance traveled. The in-vehicle navigation device according to Item 1. In the traffic information display method of the in-vehicle navigation device for receiving the traffic information sent from the outside of the vehicle and guiding the vehicle,
Store traffic information sent from the outside of the vehicle in a traffic information storage unit,
Extract and reconstruct only predetermined traffic information from the traffic information storage unit according to the running state of the vehicle,
A traffic information display method for an in-vehicle navigation device, wherein a traffic information image is drawn based on the reconstructed traffic information and displayed on a display device.

Images