JP2005195518A - Navigation system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a navigation system capable of displaying a moving condition varied moment by moment to be visually grasped easily. <P>SOLUTION: A map is displayed on a display screen 21 of the navigation system to guide a user to a destination, an icon (user icon) 22 indicating the present position of the user, and an icon 30 indicating the destination are superposedly displayed on the map, and a route 50 from the present position of the user to the destination is displayed. A straight line (relational line 40) is displayed further to connect the icon indicating the user and the icon indicating the destination. In the display by this manner, an exceptional occurrence situation is displayed to be grasped easily by the user and the situation is guided by changing a display mode in at least one out of the icon indicating the user, the icon indicating the destination and the relational line connecting those, for example, when the exceptional occurrence situation of such an accident as the user arrives at the destination in delay occurrs. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation device that is mounted on a mobile information terminal such as a mobile phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), or a car navigation device and that can provide route guidance to a predetermined destination. The present invention relates to a display technique and a situation guidance technique in a navigation device for making it possible to grasp information.

  A conventional navigation device, for example, receives a GPS (Global Positioning System) signal to identify a current position, calculates an optimum route to a predetermined destination based on the current position, and provides route guidance. Has the function to perform. This navigation device is currently incorporated in a portable terminal that can be carried by a user such as a mobile phone or a PDA, or an in-vehicle device that is mounted on a moving means such as a vehicle or a ship, and provides various support related to the movement of the user. Can be done.

  For example, in Patent Document 1 below, a predetermined server determines a meeting place for a plurality of users to gather according to the purpose and desire of each of the plurality of users, and each user at a predetermined time interval. Is acquired, and map information that enables the grasp of the current positions of all the users is distributed to each user. Further, Patent Document 1 described below also describes that a configuration in which a meeting place can be changed and a meeting time can be changed by a predetermined server is described.

Further, in Patent Document 2 below, in addition to the host vehicle, the position of another vehicle is displayed on the display screen of the navigation device, and each vehicle travels toward a predetermined destination. By determining the approach order of each vehicle with respect to the vehicle and displaying a rank mark indicating the order on the position mark of each vehicle, the relative positional relationship of each vehicle when traveling in a group toward the destination is determined. Techniques that facilitate this are disclosed.
JP2003-87845A (FIG. 13, paragraphs 0038-0040, 0043) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-210701 (FIGS. 4 and 5, paragraphs 0012 and 0013)

  However, according to the technique described in Patent Document 1, processing such as determination and management of the meeting place is performed in an integrated manner by a predetermined server, and the predetermined server periodically acquires from each user. Since the meeting place is set based on the information related to the current position, it is impossible to sufficiently reflect the detailed movement status of each user in the setting of the meeting place and the change of the meeting place. That is, it is insufficient as a technique for enforcing status guidance / display of objects that dynamically change from moment to moment. In addition, when setting the meeting place for the first time, the conditions input by each user are reflected in the setting process of the meeting place. The user is requested to input such conditions one by one, and the user's Since the meeting place is determined based on the current position, the meeting place cannot be determined unless it is just before the meeting.

  In addition, according to the technique described in Patent Document 2, it is easy to grasp which vehicle is closest to the destination by displaying additional information such as a ranking mark on the display screen. However, it is only possible to visually obtain information on which vehicle has the possibility of arriving at the earliest destination, for example, the overall positional relationship between the own vehicle and other vehicles, This is difficult when it is desired to grasp the movement status of each vehicle. Further, in the technology described in Patent Document 2, only vehicles are supported, and movement with other mobile information terminals (eg, walking, boarding a train, riding in a passenger seat of a car, etc.) is supported. Not.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention simplifies the operability for the user and can set the destination corresponding to the detailed change of the moving situation, so that the user can change every moment. It is an object of the present invention to provide a navigation device capable of providing a visual display that can easily and instantaneously grasp and judge the situation and perform supplementary voice guidance.

In order to achieve the above object, the navigation device of the present invention is a navigation device that provides route guidance to a destination,
Destination setting means for setting, as the destination, a place where a predetermined target can be encountered;
Current position acquisition means for acquiring the current position of the navigation device;
Route guidance means for performing route guidance from the current position to the destination;
Display means capable of displaying a map including the current position,
When the predetermined current position display icon and the predetermined destination display icon indicating the current position and the destination are displayed on the map by the display means, the current position display icon and the destination display are displayed. It is configured to display a straight line connecting icons.
With the above configuration, the navigation device can easily grasp the overall relationship between the current position and the destination by visual recognition, and can also visually grasp the moving situation that changes from moment to moment. It becomes possible to display.

  According to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the scale of the map is large, and at least one of the location of the current position on the map and the location of the destination on the map cannot be displayed on the display screen. The predetermined current position indicating the current position at a location where a straight line connecting the current position on the map and the destination on the map intersects an end of the map displayed on the display screen. There is provided a navigation device configured to display at least one of a display icon and the predetermined destination display icon indicating the destination.

Further, according to the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, an exception occurrence status detecting means for detecting an exception occurrence status requesting the change of the destination,
When the exception occurrence situation is detected by the exception occurrence situation detection means, a destination candidate generation means for generating a new destination candidate capable of encountering the predetermined target,
A navigation device is provided.

  According to the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, a navigation device configured to display an icon indicating the occurrence of the exception occurrence situation at a location corresponding to the occurrence location of the exception occurrence situation on the map. Is provided.

Further, according to the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, the communication device has communication means for communicating with other navigation devices,
There is provided a navigation device configured to transmit the current position of the navigation device acquired by the current position acquisition means to the other navigation device.

Further, according to the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, the communication device has communication means for communicating with other navigation devices,
A navigation device is provided that is configured to receive a current position of the other navigation device.

  According to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, when the exception occurrence status is detected by the exception occurrence status detection means, the communication device is used to Notifying the contents of the exception occurrence situation, the predetermined current position display icon indicating the current position of the navigation device displayed on the display screen or the current position of the navigation device and the destination A navigation device configured to notify the user of the navigation device of the exception occurrence status by changing the display mode related to the straight line is provided.

  According to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, when the exception occurrence status is detected by the exception occurrence status detection means, the communication device is used to Notifying the contents of the exception occurrence status, notifying the new destination candidate generated by the destination candidate generating means, and indicating the current position of the navigation device displayed on the display screen The exception occurrence status is notified to the user of the navigation device by a change in a display mode relating to the predetermined current position display icon or the straight line connecting the current position of the navigation device and the destination. A navigation device is provided.

  Further, according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the navigation device further includes schedule storage means for storing a schedule of the user of the navigation device, and the destination setting means sets the destination based on the schedule. A navigation device configured to do is provided.

  Further, according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, when the exception occurrence status detected by the exception occurrence status detection means becomes difficult to move to the destination, the movement to the destination is If there is a possibility of being behind schedule, a navigation device is provided that is at least one of when a better destination is found for encountering the predetermined object.

  Further, according to the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, there is provided a navigation device having means for grasping the user's purpose of the navigation device and setting the predetermined target that enables the user's purpose to be achieved. The

  According to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, when the current position of the other navigation device is acquired from the other navigation device via the communication unit, the current position of the other navigation device is determined. There is provided a navigation device configured to display a predetermined current position display icon and to display a straight line connecting the current position of the navigation device and the current position of the other navigation device.

  Further, according to the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, when the movement status related to the other navigation device is acquired from the other navigation device via the communication means, it is displayed on the display screen. The predetermined current position display icon indicating the current position of the navigation device, the predetermined current position display icon indicating the current position of the other navigation device, the current position of the navigation device and the other navigation device Navigation configured to notify the user of the navigation device of the movement status of the other navigation device by a change in display mode related to at least one of the straight lines connecting the current position of the navigation device An apparatus is provided.

  According to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the predetermined current position display icon indicating the current position of the navigation device, the predetermined current position display icon indicating the current position of the other navigation device, Provided is a navigation device having voice guidance means for performing voice guidance triggered by a change in display mode related to at least one of the straight lines connecting the current position of the navigation device and the current position of the other navigation device. Is done.

  Further, according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, when the current position display icon and / or the destination display icon overlap each other, the icons are shifted and displayed. A navigation device is provided.

  The navigation device according to the present invention has the above-described configuration, makes it easy for the user to operate and allows the user to set a destination corresponding to a change in the detailed movement situation. It is possible to perform a visual display that makes it easy to grasp the moving situation.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, definitions relating to terms used in this specification will be described.

  The “target” is a partner (a friend / acquaintance, an unknown person), an item (information, a product), and a place (a destination, a scenery while moving to the destination).

  The “mobile body” is a vehicle such as a user or a vehicle that moves together with a mobile information terminal such as an in-vehicle navigation device, a mobile phone, a PDA, or a notebook PC (Personal Computer), and is mainly used to realize the purpose of movement. It moves with sex. A mobile information terminal that moves together with a mobile object has a current position information acquisition function that acquires the position information of the mobile object, and a communication function that communicates with an arbitrary communication network or another mobile information terminal. ing.

  In addition, the “essential purpose” is an achievement target (purpose) that the mobile object intends to achieve.

  In addition, the “action plan” is a plan for a user to meet an object and a schedule adjusted among a plurality of objects including the user in order to achieve an essential purpose.

  The “movement purpose” is a component when the essential purpose is classified by the action plan, and is an object that is achieved when the mobile object moves with an initiative.

  The “movement behavior” is a movement route plan including a specific policy or plan for achieving the movement purpose. Note that the purpose of movement is achieved by a combination of one or more movement actions.

  Further, the “dynamic destination” is a destination whose position dynamically changes from moment to moment, or a plurality of candidate destinations for an ambiguous or unclear purpose. In other words, a dynamic destination is a destination that has the potential to fluctuate, and the fluctuation pattern of a dynamic destination may be a case where a single destination changes its position, or a certain destination There are cases where transitions are made to land candidates. In the present specification, for example, a destination that is normally set in a conventional in-vehicle navigation device may be distinguished from a dynamic destination by calling it a static destination. Both target destinations are sometimes collectively referred to as destinations.

  The “movement guidance service” is a service that supports movement to a destination by a moving body, and as a basic service, proposal, guidance, situation grasping, and the like are performed. That is, the travel guidance service provides the user with a destination proposal, route guidance to the destination, notification of a change in the dynamic destination, notification of various situations of the other party, and the like. The various situations of the other party include the other party's current situation (eg, current position, current movement mode, current exception occurrence situation, etc.), and the other party's past situation (eg, position history, movement history, past Exception occurrence situation history), the future situation of the opponent (for example, estimated future planned position, estimated future movement mode), and the like.

  In addition, “exception occurrence status” refers to situations where an accident or failure has occurred that must change the initial action plan, or when a more suitable target than the current situation has been discovered. Depending on the situation, the destination may be dynamically changed or the action plan may be changed.

Moreover, the following are mentioned as a specific example of each relationship of the essential objective mentioned above, an action plan, a movement objective, and a movement route plan, for example.
Essential Purpose: Dating Action Plan: Meet Dating Partner (Moving Objective A), Go to Amusement Park (Moving Objective B), then Go to Restaurant (Moving Objective C)
Travel route plan for travel purpose A: Go to β station by bicycle from home (travel route plan P), get on the train and get off at α station (travel route plan Q). Meet at α station.
Travel plan for travel purpose B: Get on the bus from α station and get off in front of the amusement park.
Travel path plan for travel purpose C: Walk from the amusement park to the restaurant.

  FIG. 9 shows the relationship among the above-described essential purpose, movement purpose, and movement route plan. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the relationship among the essential purpose, the movement purpose, and the movement route plan in the embodiment of the present invention. Normally, a single destination is set in the moving route plan, but the destination is not set in the moving route plan when the moving route plan is a walk or stroll. There is also.

  Next, the outline of the present invention will be described. In order to satisfy the essential purpose of the mobile object, the present invention is suitable for an appropriate purpose so that the mobile object can meet an object desired to meet or an object suitable for the essential purpose of the mobile object. It provides a support service that provides guidance for moving to the ground. In addition, said encounter means the case where an essential purpose is satisfy | filled by encountering a predetermined object. The present invention is a support service (Rendezvous Assistance (Trademark pending)) for supporting the encounter between the user and the subject as described above, and this support service provides support for preparation to meet (planning phase), It is possible to classify into three phases: support (rendezvous phase) and support (contingency phase) in the situation of exception occurrence (for return). In addition, in order to realize this support service, the present invention supports movement guidance to dynamic destinations that dynamically change in addition to existing static destinations. Note that the essential purpose includes collective action, that is, the support service can provide a collective support service that supports a set of a plurality of people. Also, the moving purpose can be configured with a plurality of moving purposes, and the plurality of moving purposes can be configured with a GOF composite pattern and a horizontal series subset. This makes it possible to include / consolidate midway destinations (routes).

  Moreover, FIG. 10 is a figure for demonstrating the outline | summary of this invention. As shown in FIG. 10, when the user (self) has an essential purpose of meeting the target, the support service provided by the present invention is requested to support the encounter with the target. The support service provides appropriate suggestions and travel guidance in response to a request from the user (self), and provides support for the user (self) to meet an appropriate target including a partner, an article, and a place.

  Next, the configuration and operation of the support service according to the present invention will be specifically described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a communication apparatus related to a user (self) in the embodiment of the present invention. A user (self) has an in-vehicle information terminal (for example, a car navigation device) 1 and a portable information terminal (for example, a mobile phone or a PDA) 2. In the present specification, the in-vehicle information terminal 1 and the portable information terminal 2 are collectively referred to as a mobile information terminal 10. Furthermore, there is a portal server 5 having C / S (client / server) cooperation with the mobile information terminal 10 as a client. The portal server 5 is, for example, a home server that exists in the user's (self) home, or a predetermined server that is arranged on the Internet, and communicates with the portal server 5 that other users (partners) have. Is possible.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a system configuration in the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, the mobile information terminal 10 held by each user (the user (self) and the user (partner) are shown in FIG. 2) and the portal server 5 having C / S cooperation are communicated. It is shown that they are connected by a network and have portal server cooperation with each other. That is, the mobile information terminals 10 of the respective users can communicate with each other via the respective portal servers 5. Note that FIG. 2 shows a state in which the portal server 5 relating to two users, that is, the user (self) and the user (partner) is connected to each other, but there are three or more users. Similarly, the portal servers 5 of the respective users can be connected and linked to each other even when they exist.

  Next, the function of the mobile information terminal 10 in the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing functions of the mobile information terminal in the embodiment of the present invention. The mobile information terminal 10 includes a control unit 101, a communication unit 102, an operation unit 103, a notification unit 104, a current position acquisition unit 105, a route guidance unit 106, a schedule storage unit 107, a preference information storage unit 108, and a schedule setting processing unit 109. , A movement status monitoring unit 110, a target information acquisition unit 111, and a destination candidate generation unit 112.

  The control means 101 controls the operation of each component, and has an internal bus that allows the components to be connected to each other. For example, the control means 101 can be realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit). In addition, the communication unit 102 is a wireless communication unit that enables communication with a communication network such as the portal server 5 or the Internet, and communication with a mobile information terminal of another user (when the mobile unit is a vehicle, This is a wireless communication means that enables inter-vehicle communication). Note that the communication method by the communication unit 102 is not particularly limited.

  The operation means 103 enables user operations and information input. The operation means 103 can be used for any operation / operation including an operation panel, a touch panel, a remote control (remote controller), a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, and a voice synthesis function. It can be realized by input means. The notification unit 104 is for notifying the user of information, such as a display for visually informing (displaying) information or a speaker for notifying information audibly.

  The current position acquisition unit 105 has a function of acquiring the current position of the mobile information terminal 10 (that is, the current position of the mobile object) by receiving, for example, a GPS signal. Further, the route guidance means 106 has a function of setting a route to the set destination and performing route guidance. At the time of route setting, data related to roads and facilities stored in a map information database (not shown), traffic information acquired by a VICS information acquisition means (not shown), and moving speed detection means (not shown) It is possible to calculate the required time to the destination based on the moving speed of the moving body detected by (shown).

  The schedule storage means 107 is an information storage medium for storing a user's personal schedule (action plan). The preference information storage means 108 is an information storage medium for storing user preference information indicating the interests and characteristics of the user. The user preference information is generated by, for example, a user preference analysis unit that analyzes user behavior history and the like to estimate user preference and generates user preference information. The mobile information terminal 10 may have this user preference analysis means, and may acquire user preference information from another device having a user preference analysis function.

  The schedule setting processing unit 109 has a function of performing processing related to the action plan stored in the schedule storage unit 107, and is based on information stored in the schedule storage unit 107 and the preference information storage unit 108. It is possible to draft an action plan (for example, setting a movement purpose or target), change an action plan in an exception occurrence situation, or adjust an action plan with another user. In addition, the schedule setting processing unit 109 performs setting of a destination and a movement route plan based on an action plan, a change of a dynamic destination, and the like.

  In addition, the movement status monitoring unit 110 has a function of grasping the movement status of the moving body and monitoring whether it is necessary to change the action plan. Therefore, for example, the movement status monitoring unit 110 can realize the VICS information acquisition unit and the movement speed detection unit included in the route guidance unit 106 described above. In addition, the movement status monitoring unit 110 includes an exception occurrence status detection unit 119 that detects a delay due to an accident or traffic jam, a situation in which an action plan cannot be executed, and the like. The target information acquisition unit 111 is a unit for acquiring information related to the target, and has a function of acquiring the movement status of the target, searching for a better target, and the like via the communication unit 102. In addition, the destination candidate generation unit 112 may, for example, create a new destination in order to change the dynamic destination when the destination is initially set or when an exception occurrence state is detected by the exception occurrence state detection unit 119. It is a means for generating destination candidates. The destination candidates generated by the destination candidate generation unit 112 may be set as destinations as they are, or a plurality of destinations may be generated and proposed to the user via the notification unit 104 or the like. It is also possible to have the user confirm or select by performing or notifying the mobile information terminal 10 of another user.

  Here, the main functions according to the present invention are realized in the mobile information terminal 10, but for example, the schedule storage means 107, the preference information storage means 108, the schedule setting processing means 109, the target information acquisition means 111, It is also possible to arrange the destination candidate generation means 112 and the like on the portal server 5. In this case, since communication between the mobile information terminals 10 of each user, which will be described later, is performed between the portal servers 5 to which each user belongs, various negotiations between users can be performed in a stable communication environment. It becomes.

  Next, the operation in the mobile information terminal 10 will be described. In the following description of the operation, the case where the target is an article or a place will be described first, and then the case where the target is the opponent will be described. For example, when the object that the mobile body is trying to meet is an article or a place, basically all the operations are performed by the mobile body information terminal 10 related to one mobile body. In addition, when the object that the mobile body is trying to meet is a partner, as described later, communication with mobile information terminals related to two or more mobile bodies including the mobile communication terminal 10 of the counterpart is performed. .

  FIG. 4 shows an outline of the operation when the object is an article or a place. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of the operation when the target is an article or a place in the embodiment of the present invention. In order to achieve the user's essential purpose, a planning phase operation is first performed to support preparation for encounter with the target, and then a rendezvous phase that is support for movement to the target location (destination). Is performed. When an exception occurs, the destination is changed or the action plan is canceled by the operation of the contingency phase.

<Planning phase when the target is goods or places>
For example, when it is set as an essential purpose that a certain user performs shopping for a desired product, the mobile body tries to meet the desired product itself or a store handling the desired product. Set as goods or places. The essential purpose setting or the target setting may be set by a user input by the operation unit 103, or may be set to user preference information or information provided from a predetermined server on the Internet. Based on this, the mobile information terminal 10 may make a proposal to the user.

  When an essential purpose or target is set, first, the schedule setting processing unit 109 searches for the target, and further sets a travel route plan for meeting the searched target. When the target is an article or a place, a point where the target exists is set as a destination, and a specific movement route plan is set based on a movement purpose for reaching the destination. In addition, the destination set by the schedule setting processing unit 109 and the travel route plan for reaching the destination are set in the user's action plan and stored in the schedule storage unit 107 in this way. The

  In addition, when setting an action plan, it is possible to present the action plan to the user, and to set the action plan after receiving confirmation, and without receiving confirmation from the user. It is also possible to set an action plan. Further, when setting the destination, for example, it is desirable to set an appropriate action plan that is reasonable for the movement distance, for example, according to another action plan that has already been set. As a starting point, a place where the user exists in the immediately preceding action plan needs to be set. Further, according to the user's preference, a place where the user is accustomed to go can be preferentially set as the destination. Thus, the preparation for the user to meet the goods and the place is completed.

<Rendezvous phase when the target is goods or places>
Next, based on the action plan set in the planning phase, support is provided when the user meets the target. This support basically provides route guidance to a set destination using the current position acquisition unit 105 and route guidance unit 106, that is, similar to the route guidance in the conventional navigation device. It is. However, the monitoring of the movement status by the movement status monitoring unit 110 and the acquisition of information related to the target by the target information acquisition unit 111 are continuously performed. Depending on the monitoring result or the information acquisition result, an action plan or There is a possibility of entering a contingency phase where the destination is changed.

  Further, in this rendezvous phase, map display is performed on a display means (for example, a liquid crystal display) included in the notification means 104 for visual display as shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen that can be visually recognized by the user when the target is an article or a place in the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 11, a map composed of a thin solid line indicating a road, a dotted line indicating a railway and a station, and a one-dot chain line indicating a coastline is displayed in the display screen 21. An icon 22 indicating the user and an icon 30 indicating the destination are superimposed on the position and the destination, respectively. In addition to the route 50 until the user reaches the destination, a straight line (relation line 40) connecting the icon 22 indicating the user and the icon 30 indicating the destination (the location where the target exists) is displayed as a solid line. ing.

  The icon 22 indicating the user and the icon 30 indicating the destination indicate the respective positions on the map, and at the same time, by visually changing the state of the user and the destination, the status of the user and the destination can be visually displayed. Is possible. The relationship line 40 is a line segment that makes it easy to recognize the relative relationship between the user and the destination (the point where the target exists), and at the same time, like the icons 22 and 30, the display of the relationship line 40 By changing the mode, it is possible to visually display the situation of the user and the destination. Such a change in display mode is particularly effective in a contingency phase in which an exception occurrence situation as described later is detected.

<Contingency phase when the target is goods or places>
As described above, when it is estimated that the situation in which the time when the user arrives at the destination is delayed due to, for example, traffic jam or the like by the movement status monitoring unit 110, or by the target information acquisition unit 111, For example, when a better destination satisfying the essential purpose of meeting the target can be found, the mobile information terminal 10 moves from the rendezvous phase to the contingency phase, and the current purpose. The dynamic destination is changed from the ground to a new destination having a better condition (for example, another store handling the desired product).

  When changing the dynamic destination, the user is notified that the dynamic destination needs to be changed, and the dynamic destination is changed after receiving confirmation from the user. It is also possible to change the dynamic destination without receiving user confirmation. In addition, when changing the dynamic destination, not only searching for the point where the target can be met the earliest, but for example, considering that there is no unreasonable effect on the action plan immediately after the current action plan. It is desirable to set a new destination.

  In addition, for example, when the user himself / herself cannot move due to an accident or injury, or when another schedule is suddenly entered, the user may not be able to reach the destination. The movement status monitoring means 110 monitors the time since the movement is stopped, the deviation time and the deviation distance from the currently guided route, and determines that the action plan cannot be achieved. If it is determined that if an action plan is forcibly achieved, another action plan must be changed, it is possible to decide to cancel the action plan. In this case, along with the cancellation of the action plan, setting of the destination and route guidance to the destination are also canceled. In addition, when an action plan is canceled in this way, for example, a new action plan for realizing the essential purpose of the canceled action plan is set at the same time the next day or one week later. Is possible, and this allows the user to achieve the essential purpose at another opportunity that could not be achieved due to some condition.

  Further, as described above, by changing the display mode of the icons 22 and 30 shown in FIG. 11, it is possible to notify the user of the exception occurrence status. For example, an exception occurrence status such as a delay due to traffic congestion or a better destination is detected, the color or shape of the icons 22, 30 is changed, the display method of the icons 22, 30 is changed (flashing, etc.), and the shape of the icons 22, 30 is changed. By displaying a change (such as a change in the shape of the icons 22 and 30 due to an animation, etc.), a balloon including a character string describing the contents of the exception occurrence status, the user visually recognizes the exception occurrence status. Is possible.

  Similarly to the icons 22 and 30 described above, it is possible to notify the user of the occurrence of an exception by changing the display mode of the relationship line 40 shown in FIG. Also in this case, according to various exception occurrence situations, the color of the relationship line 40, the change of the line type, the change of the display method of the relationship line 40 (flashing, etc.), the change of the line shape of the relationship line 40 (according to animation, etc.) By displaying a balloon including a character string describing the contents of the exception occurrence situation, etc., the user can visually recognize the exception occurrence situation.

  In addition, the display mode related to the icons 22 and 30 and the relationship line 40 used for notification of such an exception occurrence situation can be set by the user, and the user corresponds to each exception occurrence situation according to his / her preference. It is desirable to be able to set the display mode. In addition, since the display of the icons 22 and 30 and the relationship line 40 may interfere with the display (for example, route display) in other functions, the icon 22 is selected so as not to deteriorate the display visibility in the other functions. 30 and the relationship line 40 are desirably set to be displayed, and it is desirable that the user can arbitrarily set ON / OFF of the display of the icons 22 and 30 and the relationship line 40.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when a target is an article or a place, a travel route plan for achieving an essential purpose is established, and a user is guided to a destination where the target can be met. It becomes possible to do. In addition, in an exception occurrence situation, it is possible to make a decision to change to an optimal destination or to cancel the action plan itself. In addition, the action plan can be set, changed, or reset while considering the balance with other schedules of the user. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide the user with various support services for satisfying the essential purpose of the user, as well as simply guiding to the destination. In particular, the display mode of the relationship line 40 that connects the icon 22 indicating the user, the icon 30 indicating the destination, and the icon 22 indicating the user and the icon 30 indicating the destination (point where the target exists) is changed. This makes it possible for the user to easily see the overall situation relating to movement, the exception occurrence situation, and the like.

  Next, the operation in the mobile information terminal 10 when the target is the opponent will be described. Here, in addition to the user (self) having the mobile information terminal 10, there are two other users (partner A) and user (partner B) having the mobile information terminal 10. A case where three users hold a meeting will be described. When the target is the other party, the other party also has the mobile information terminal 10, and the mobile information terminals 10 can communicate with each other.

  First, an individual action plan and an overall action plan will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the correlation between each user's individual action plan and the overall action plan in the embodiment of the present invention. The common action plan shown in FIG. 5 is an action plan when a plurality of users act as one group, and is a schedule (for example, a meeting) of the entire group. On the other hand, the individual action plan shown in FIG. 5 is an action plan for each user, and the action plan stored in the schedule storage means 107 of the mobile information terminal 10 is basically this individual action plan. is there.

  For example, when three users hold a meeting, common information regarding the date and place of the meeting is described in the personal action plan of each user. As described above, the common action plan can be formed from a common action plan in each user's individual action plan, and is not necessarily managed as a substantial action plan.

<Planning phase when target is partner>
Similarly to the case where the target is an article or a place, the operation related to the planning phase is first performed when the target is the other party. Here, the mobile information terminal 10 of the user (self) plays the role of a leader who makes a decision on the action plan for the mobile information terminals 10 of the user (partner A) and the user (partner B). And

  FIG. 6 is a sequence chart showing the flow of information between the mobile information terminals in the planning phase when the target is the other party in the embodiment of the present invention. First, each user receives information such as the date and place of the meeting and stores this information in the schedule storage means 107. At this time, the schedule setting processing means 109 of the mobile information terminal 10 of the user (self) confirms the information (schedule) related to the meeting stored in the schedule storage means 107 (step S601), and the members attending the meeting If there is no description of the member who attends the meeting, the attending member is estimated from other information and history, and each member (user (partner A) is identified. ) And the user (partner B)) of the mobile information terminal 10 are requested to negotiate for determining the meeting place (steps S603 and S605).

  In this section, we will discuss the meeting place when the meeting date / time has already been decided, but the meeting date / time has not been decided, but only the meeting is decided. It is also possible to determine whether or not to hold a meeting by negotiation, and even if it is not certain whether or not to hold a meeting in the first place, it is also possible to determine whether or not to hold a meeting.

  The mobile information terminals 10 of the user (partner A) and the user (partner B) confirm their respective schedules (steps S607 and S609), and in particular, the meeting place such as the place immediately before the meeting and the information on the gathering time can be selected. Information necessary for determination is acquired and returned to the mobile information terminal 10 of the user (self) (steps S611 and S613). In addition, when determining the meeting place for immediately gathering, in this step S611 and 613, information, such as the present position and moving speed where each user exists, should just be returned.

  The mobile information terminal 10 of the user (self) starts from the point where the respective user (partner A) and the user (partner B) exist immediately before the meeting, and further sets a schedule immediately before the user (self) meeting. After confirming, an optimum place is determined as a meeting place of the user (self), the user (partner A), and the user (partner B) (step S615), and each of the user (partner A) and the user (partner B) is moved. The physical information terminal 10 is notified (steps S617 and S619). In addition, as an optimal place as a meeting place, it is desirable that, for example, a place where all users do not greatly deviate from the route from their starting point to the meeting place is desirable. In addition to the meeting place, it is desirable to determine the meeting time.

  The mobile information terminals 10 of the user (partner A) and the user (partner B) that have received the notification of the meeting place in steps S617 and S619 store the information on the meeting place and the meeting time in the schedule storage unit 107. In addition, in each mobile information terminal 10 of the user (partner A) and the user (partner B) that have received the notification of the meeting place in steps S617 and S619, the user confirms the meeting place again and requests correction. It is also possible. In this case, for example, between the user's mobile information terminals 10, a plurality of negotiations related to the change of the meeting place (message exchange related to the proposal of the meeting place) are performed. In the above-described method, the mobile information terminal 10 of the user (self) serves as a leader to determine the meeting place, but another user may serve as a leader, and the user may be set. Instead, it is possible to converge to the optimum meeting place for each user by relaying while correcting the candidate of the meeting place between the users.

  According to the above operation, according to the negotiation between each user's mobile information terminal 10, in each user's personal action plan, after meeting with the other two users at the meeting place, it is planned to move together to the meeting place. As a result, it is possible to determine an optimum meeting place for each user.

<Rendezvous phase when the target is the opponent>
When moving to the meeting place, a moving route plan from the departure point to the meeting place is made at the mobile information terminal 10 of each user, and normal route guidance is executed based on the moving route plan. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, after each of the user (self), the user (partner A), and the user (partner B) having the mobile information terminal 10 moves toward the meeting place and all the members gather. , Move together to the meeting place. In addition, it is desirable that the mobile information terminal 10 of each user periodically notifies each other of his / her current position and movement status so that each user can grasp each other's current position. .

  FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen that can be visually recognized by the user (self) when the target is the other party in the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 12, as in FIG. 11, a map composed of a thin solid line indicating a road, a dotted line indicating a railway and a station, and a one-dot chain line indicating a coastline is displayed in the display screen 21. Further, on this map, an icon 23 indicating the current position of the user (self), an icon 24 indicating the user (partner A), an icon 25 indicating the user (partner B), an icon 31 indicating the meeting place, and a destination are indicated. Each of the icons 32 is displayed superimposed. In addition to the route 50 until the user reaches the destination, a straight line (relation line 41) connecting the icon 23 indicating the user (self) and the icon 31 indicating the meeting place, and the icon 23 indicating the user (self) And a line (relation line 42) connecting the icon 24 indicating the user (partner A) and a line connecting the icon 23 indicating the user (partner A) and the icon 25 indicating the user (partner B) (relation line 43). ing. In addition, these icons are arrange | positioned in the position on the map corresponding to each user's presence position, and the arrangement position of an icon also changes with each user's movement. Therefore, when a plurality of users exist in the vicinity of the same place (for example, when a plurality of users gather at the meeting place), the icons will be displayed overlapping each other. This may make it difficult to see the information indicated by the icon or the icon itself. In order to prevent such overlapping of icons, for example, when icons overlap, it is possible to display by shifting one or both of the icons. Also, in this case, the fact that the icons should be displayed in an overlapping manner is notified of the change in the display mode of the icons (changes in the color and shape of the icons, the blinking of the icons, and the fact that they are at the same point) It is desirable to indicate by a balloon display.

  In addition, during the rendezvous phase, each user's mobile information terminal 10 continuously monitors the movement status by the movement status monitoring unit 110 and the target information acquisition unit 111 acquires information related to the target. Depending on the monitoring results or information acquisition results, there is a possibility of entering a contingency phase for negotiating action plans and destination changes.

<Contingency phase when the target is the other party>
Similar to the contingency phase when the above-mentioned target is goods or places, the contingency from the rendezvous phase depends on various unexpected conditions such as traffic jams, accidents, better information acquisition, schedule changes, etc. It may be necessary to move to a phase. Monitoring and detection of such suddenly occurring conditions are performed by the movement status monitoring means 110 and the target information acquisition means 111 existing in each user's mobile information terminal 10, and when an exception occurs, the current destination (the meeting place) ) And the common action plan itself is negotiated again. As a result, for example, the dynamic destination is changed so that the meeting place approaches a person who is likely to be delayed due to traffic congestion, and the moving purpose of gathering is made faster. By making it possible to achieve this, it is possible to recover from an exception occurrence situation (for example, failure to meet within the target set time).

  FIG. 8 is a sequence chart showing the flow of information between mobile information terminals in the contingency phase when the target is the other party in the embodiment of the present invention. For example, in the user (own) mobile information terminal 10, when any change occurs in the movement situation or the movement environment and an exception occurrence situation is detected (step S 801), the destination candidate generation unit 112 generates an exception. A new meeting place candidate corresponding to the situation is generated (dynamic destination candidate is generated) (step S803). Then, the contents of the exception occurrence situation are notified to the mobile information terminal 10 of the other user, and the generated new meeting place candidate is proposed (steps S805 and S807).

  The user (partner A) and the user (partner B) mobile information terminal 10 that have received the exception occurrence status from the user (own) mobile information terminal 10 approve the new meeting place and return the approval result. In the case (steps S809, S811), the new meeting place is set as the destination in all the mobile information terminals 10 (steps S813, S815, S817), and the route guidance is continuously performed.

  Note that there may be a case where at least one of the mobile information terminals 10 of the user (partner A) and the user (partner B) does not accept the new meeting place candidate. In such a case, the mobile information terminal 10 of the user (self) whose exception occurrence situation has been detected did not re-propose another candidate for another meeting place, or did not accept the new meeting place candidate. The mobile information terminal 10 negotiates between the mobile information terminals 10 until a meeting place that is accepted by all the mobile information terminals 10 is determined by newly proposing another meeting place candidate. It is desirable that

  Also, for example, one of the users may leave the group that is trying to gather at the meeting place, or a new user may join this group. When one of the users leaves, the action plan itself is revised again with the user's departure, or the best meeting place for all users (users remaining in the group) except the user who has left Can be reset. In addition, when a new user joins, a notification is sent from any mobile information terminal 10 to the newly joined user's mobile information terminal 10 so that the current meeting place is determined as the destination. It is possible to set the optimal location for all users including the new user.

  Similarly to the case shown in FIG. 11, it is possible to notify the user of the exception occurrence status by changing the display mode of the icons 23 to 25, 31, 32 shown in FIG. For example, the movement status of each user is visually displayed by the change of the display mode relating to the icon 23 indicating the user (self), the icon 24 indicating the user (partner A), and the icon 25 indicating the user (partner B). It is possible. Moreover, it is also possible to collect and display the movement status of each user in accordance with the display mode relating to the icon 31 indicating the meeting place and the icon 32 indicating the destination.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, when a meeting place for gathering with a plurality of opponents is set, the user (self) and others are particularly affected by the change in the display mode related to the relationship lines 41 to 43. It is preferable to display the relationship of the relative movement situation with the user and the meeting place. For example, when an exception occurs in the relative relationship between the user (self) and the meeting place (that is, when the user (self) seems to arrive late at the meeting place, For example, when it is impossible to arrive, the user can easily grasp by changing the display mode of the relation line 41 connecting the icon 23 indicating the user (self) and the icon 31 indicating the meeting place. This exception can be notified of the exception occurrence status.

  In addition, for example, when an exception occurs in the relative relationship between the user (self) and the user (partner A) or the user (partner B) (that is, the user (partner A) is the user (partner A) or the user When arrival at the meeting place is likely to be delayed compared to (partner B), or when the user (partner A) or the user (partner B) is arriving at the meeting place later than the user (self) In such a case, the display mode relating to the relationship lines 42 and 43 connecting the icon 23 indicating the user (self) and the icons 24 and 25 indicating the user (partner A) and the user (partner B) is displayed. By changing it, it becomes possible to notify the exception occurrence state with a display that is easy for the user to grasp. The display modes of the icons 23 to 25, 31, and 32 and the relationship lines 41 to 43 can be set in various ways according to various exception occurrence situations as described in the explanation of FIG. It is. In addition, the exception occurrence status on the map can be understood so that the user can grasp the occurrence location of the exception occurrence status (for example, the traffic jam occurrence location or accident occurrence location that caused the change of the dynamic destination). It is also possible to arrange an icon indicating that an exception occurrence situation has occurred and its contents at the occurrence point. It should be noted that the display mode of the icon relating to the exception occurrence situation can be arbitrarily set. It is also possible for the user to arbitrarily set ON / OFF display of the icons 23 to 25 and the relationship lines 41 to 43. In addition, voice guidance means is provided that can further guide the contents of the situation change caused by the change of the display mode by voice, using the display modes of the icons 23 to 25 and the relationship lines 41 to 43 as a trigger. It is also possible.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, when a plurality of icons 23 to 25, 31, and 32 are simultaneously displayed on one display screen, one icon is displayed according to the scale of the map on the display screen. Or the display position of a some icon may not fit in a display screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of the display screen that can be visually recognized by the user (self) when the target is the other party in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 illustrates a case where the position where the user (partner B) actually exists does not fit on the map on the display screen 21. In such a case, for example, a straight line between the current position of the user (self) and the position where the user (partner B) actually exists intersects with an end portion (the end of the screen) in the display screen 21. By placing an icon 25 indicating the user (partner B) at the location, no matter what scale the map on the display screen 21 is set to, the icon indicating the position, meeting place, destination, etc. of each user Is displayed on the display screen 21. In addition, for example, at the place where the shortest path between the current position of the user (self) and the position where the user (partner B) actually exists intersects with the end portion (the end of the screen) in the display screen 21. It is also possible to arrange an icon 25 indicating (partner B). In addition, in this way, when an icon is arranged at a location different from the position where it actually exists, the display related to the icon or the display related to the relationship line between the user (self) and the icon is performed. For convenience, it is desirable to be able to grasp that the icon is arranged at a location different from the location existing in the implementation.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when the target is the other party, it is possible to negotiate with the other party on the action plan for achieving the essential purpose and meet the other party. It is possible to set a destination, make a travel route plan to the destination, and guide the user to the destination. In addition, during route guidance, you can notify your opponent of your current position and movement status, and you can also receive your current position and movement status from your opponent, so you can grasp the opponent's current position and movement status in real time. It becomes possible. In addition, when an exception occurrence situation is detected, the other party is notified of the exception occurrence situation and negotiated for resetting the meeting place and resetting the action plan according to the exception occurrence situation. It is possible to allow the user (self) and the user (partner) to meet while dynamically changing the destination such as the meeting place according to various conditions. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide the user with various support services for satisfying the essential purpose of the user, as well as simply guiding to the destination.

  The navigation device according to the present invention simplifies the operability for the user, makes it possible to set a destination corresponding to a detailed change in the movement situation, and easily changes the movement situation from moment to moment. It has the effect of enabling visual display that can be grasped, and can be applied to a technology related to a navigation function that can perform route guidance to a predetermined destination. The present invention can be applied to display technology / situation guidance technology in a navigation device for making it possible to grasp the situation.

It is a figure which shows the communication apparatus relevant to the user (self) in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the system configuration | structure in embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows typically the function of the mobile information terminal in embodiment of this invention. In embodiment of this invention, it is a figure which shows the outline | summary of operation | movement in case an object is a goods or a place. It is a figure for demonstrating the correlation of each user's individual action plan and the whole action plan in embodiment of this invention. In embodiment of this invention, it is a sequence chart which shows the flow of the information between each mobile information terminal of the planning phase in case an object is an other party. In embodiment of this invention, it is a figure which shows typically the movement state of the user in case an object is an other party. In embodiment of this invention, it is a sequence chart which shows the flow of the information between each mobile information terminal of a contingency phase in case an object is an other party. It is a figure which shows each relationship of the essential objective in embodiment of this invention, a movement objective, and a movement route plan. It is a figure for demonstrating the outline | summary of this invention. In embodiment of this invention, it is a figure which shows an example of the display screen which a user can visually recognize in case the object is a goods or a place. In embodiment of this invention, it is a figure which shows an example of the display screen which a user (self) can visually recognize in case the object is a partner. In embodiment of this invention, it is a figure which shows another example of the display screen which a user (self) can visually recognize in case the object is a partner.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 In-vehicle information terminal 2 Portable information terminal 5 Portal server 10 Mobile information terminal 21 Display screen 22 Icon indicating user 23 Icon indicating user (self) 24 Icon indicating user (partner A) 25 Icon indicating user (partner B) 30, 32 Icon indicating destination 31 Icon indicating meeting place 40, 41, 42, 43 Relationship line 50 Route 101 Control means 102 Communication means 103 Operation means 104 Notification means 105 Current position acquisition means 106 Route guidance means 107 Schedule storage means 108 preference information storage means 109 schedule setting processing means 110 movement status monitoring means 111 target information acquisition means 112 destination candidate generation means 119 exception occurrence status detection means

Claims (15)

A navigation device that provides route guidance to a destination,
Destination setting means for setting, as the destination, a place where a predetermined target can be encountered;
Current position acquisition means for acquiring the current position of the navigation device;
Route guidance means for performing route guidance from the current position to the destination;
Display means capable of displaying a map including the current position,
When the predetermined current position display icon and the predetermined destination display icon indicating the current position and the destination are displayed on the map by the display means, the current position display icon and the destination display are displayed. A navigation device configured to display a straight line connecting icons.   When the scale of the map is large and at least one of the location of the current location on the map and the location of the destination on the map cannot be displayed on the display screen, the current location on the map and the location on the map The predetermined current position display icon indicating the current position and the predetermined destination display indicating the destination at a position where a straight line connecting the destination and the edge of the map displayed on the display screen intersect The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation device is configured to display at least one of the icons. Exception occurrence status detecting means for detecting an exception occurrence status requesting change of the destination;
When the exception occurrence situation is detected by the exception occurrence situation detection means, a destination candidate generation means for generating a new destination candidate capable of encountering the predetermined target,
The navigation device according to claim 1 or 2.   The navigation device according to claim 3, wherein an icon indicating occurrence of the exception occurrence situation is displayed at a location corresponding to the occurrence location of the exception occurrence situation on the map. Having communication means for communicating with other navigation devices;
The navigation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the navigation apparatus is configured to transmit the current position of the navigation apparatus acquired by the current position acquisition unit to the other navigation apparatus. Having communication means for communicating with other navigation devices;
The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation device is configured to receive a current position of the other navigation device.   When the exception occurrence situation is detected by the exception occurrence situation detection means, the contents of the exception occurrence situation are notified to the other navigation device via the communication means and displayed on the display screen. The predetermined current position display icon indicating the current position of the navigation device being displayed or a change in the display mode relating to the straight line connecting the current position of the navigation device and the destination, The navigation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the navigation apparatus is configured to notify the user of the exception occurrence status.   When the exception occurrence status is detected by the exception occurrence status detection means, the contents of the exception occurrence status are notified to the other navigation device via the communication means, and the destination candidate The new destination candidate generated by the generation unit is notified, and the predetermined current position display icon indicating the current position of the navigation device displayed on the display screen or the current position of the navigation device The navigation device according to claim 6, wherein the exception occurrence status is notified to a user of the navigation device by a change in a display mode relating to the straight line connecting the destination and the destination.   9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a schedule storage unit that stores a schedule of a user of the navigation device, wherein the destination setting unit is configured to set the destination based on the schedule. The navigation device according to one.   When the exception occurrence status detected by the exception occurrence status detection unit is difficult to move to the destination, the possibility that the movement to the destination may be delayed from the scheduled time is determined. The navigation device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the navigation device is at least one of the cases where a better destination for encountering an object is found.   The navigation device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising means for grasping a user's purpose of the navigation device and setting the predetermined target that enables the user's purpose to be achieved.   When the current position of the other navigation device is acquired from the other navigation device via the communication means, the current position of the other navigation device is displayed with a predetermined current position display icon, and the navigation device The navigation device according to claim 6, configured to display a straight line connecting the current position of the current position and the current position of the other navigation device.   The predetermined current indicating the current position of the navigation device displayed on the display screen when the movement status of the other navigation device is acquired from the other navigation device via the communication means. At least one of a position display icon, the predetermined current position display icon indicating the current position of the other navigation device, and the straight line connecting the current position of the navigation device and the current position of the other navigation device. The navigation device according to claim 12, wherein the navigation device is configured to notify a user of the navigation device of a movement situation related to the other navigation device according to a change in the display mode.   The predetermined current position display icon indicating the current position of the navigation device, the predetermined current position display icon indicating the current position of the other navigation device, the current position of the navigation device and the other navigation device The navigation apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising voice guidance means for performing voice guidance triggered by a change in display mode related to at least one of the straight lines connecting the current position. The said current position display icon and / or the said destination display icon are comprised so that an icon may be shifted and displayed when they overlap each other. Navigation device.

Images