JP2005227208A - Navigation system, display system, navigation method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize proper navigation in accordance with vehicle velocity and realize proper and effective image display in a vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: The detector 200 of a navigation system 1 detects the position and the velocity of a vehicle VC. A navigation system 100 calculates at any time, the distance between the vehicle VC and a guide point from the detection result of the detector 200. The navigation system 100 determines the output timing of guide information based on the vehicle velocity at the moment the distance beween the vehicle VC and the guide point becomes a specific value, and indicates a guide image on a display 450 constituted on the front window FW. The display 450 is constituted of a transparent display and indicates the guide image so as to superimpose harmonically on the external environment of the vehicle VC by transparently indicating the guide image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation system, a display system, a navigation method, and a program, and more particularly, to a navigation system, a display system, a navigation method, and a program suitable for car navigation.

  2. Description of the Related Art Car navigation systems (so-called “car navigation systems”) that present and guide route information to automobile drivers have been widely used. In the car navigation system, map information, guidance information for guiding a route, and the like are displayed on a display device installed on a dashboard of an automobile, for example, and the vehicle is guided to the destination by an optimum route. The timing for displaying such guidance information is usually determined based on the distance between the object (for example, an intersection to be turned next) and the car. In other words, the car navigation system detects the position of its own vehicle (a car equipped with the car navigation system) with GPS (Global Positioning System) at any time, and calculates the distance between the own vehicle and the target as needed. However, guidance information is output. For example, when outputting guidance information for guiding “turn left at intersection A”, the distance between the vehicle and the intersection A is calculated at any time based on the position of the intersection A on the map information and the position of the vehicle. When the distance reaches a predetermined value (for example, 100 m) (that is, the predetermined distance from the current position to the object), for example, image information and audio information indicating that “turn left at the next intersection A” Output to inform the driver.

  In such a car navigation system, image display has become more sophisticated. For example, displaying guide information on a bird's eye view three-dimensional map image has been put to practical use. The driver can recognize the guide information more intuitively by such a device for image display. For example, when using a bird's eye view-like three-dimensional map image, by displaying guidance information such as an arrow indicating a course in accordance with an intersection represented by the three-dimensional image, the driver can determine the position and direction to bend. Intuitive recognition.

  However, when the display timing of such guidance information is determined by the distance between the vehicle and the subject, the driver may not be able to respond appropriately depending on the vehicle speed. In other words, when driving at low to medium speeds, there is sufficient time from the point in time when the guidance information is output to reach the target (for example, an intersection), so the driver should recognize the actual target without fail. Operations (deceleration, steering, etc.) can be executed appropriately. However, when driving at high speeds, the time from the point when the guidance information is output until it reaches the target is shortened, so the driver cannot recognize the target and passes, sudden braking, sudden steering, etc. There is a risk of undesired operation for safety. That is, even when performing the same operation (for example, turning an intersection), the appropriate deceleration operation and steering angle differ depending on the speed, so the output timing of the guidance information is uniformly determined based on the distance, This may lead to unsafe guidance. Therefore, if the guidance considering the vehicle speed can be performed, improvement in safety can be expected.

  In addition, since the display device of the car navigation system is often installed on a dashboard or the like, the driver's line of sight is deviated from the front when checking the display during driving, which is not preferable for safety. Therefore, if guidance information can be displayed on the front window (windshield) and viewed at the same time as the actual landscape, safety can be improved and the guidance information can be viewed on the actual landscape. It is considered that the person can recognize the guidance information more intuitively. In this case, since only guidance information such as an arrow need be displayed, it is not necessary to generate and display an image that requires advanced image processing such as a three-dimensional map image, and a reduction in the amount of processing required for image processing can be expected. As a result, it is thought to contribute to the reduction of development and manufacturing costs.

A so-called head-up display is conventionally known as a display device for displaying an image on a front window of an automobile (for example, Patent Document 1). However, since the conventional head-up display has a structure in which an image is projected or reflected on the front window, a display area, an image that can be displayed, and the like are limited, and is not suitable for displaying guidance information in a car navigation system. That is, since the display area of the conventional head-up display is a part of the front window, it is difficult to display intuitive guidance information in harmony with the actual front scenery.
JP-A-5-278498

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a navigation system or the like that realizes appropriate guidance according to the speed of a moving body such as a vehicle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a display system or the like that can perform appropriate and effective image display on a moving body such as a vehicle.

In order to achieve the above object, a navigation system according to the first aspect of the present invention provides:
Position detection means for detecting the position of the vehicle, guidance information storage means for storing at least predetermined guidance information, output means for outputting the predetermined guidance information based on at least the vehicle position detected by the position detection means, In a navigation system with
Vehicle speed detection means for detecting the speed of the vehicle;
It further comprises output control means for controlling the output of guidance information,
The output control means determines the output timing of the guidance information based on at least the speed detected by the vehicle speed detection means;
Causing the output means to output the predetermined guidance information at the determined timing;
It is characterized by that.

  According to such a configuration, for example, in a car navigation system used in a vehicle such as an automobile, guidance information is output at an appropriate timing according to the speed of the vehicle. Operations can be performed safely.

In the above navigation system,
The output means preferably further includes a display means for displaying an image indicating the guidance information.
The display means desirably displays the image so that the display image and the external environment of the vehicle are transparently superimposed.

in this case,
It is desirable that the display means is composed of a transparent display device configured at least in a window portion on the front surface of the vehicle.

in this case,
The transparent display device preferably has a display area in which an area ratio of a display surface to a window area of the window portion is at least 70%.

  According to the above configuration, for example, a transparent display device is configured on a front window of an automobile or the like, and a guidance image for navigation is displayed, so that the driver can guide without diverting the line of sight ahead. Can recognize information. In addition, by displaying the guidance image so as to be superimposed on the external environment (for example, the front landscape), the driver can intuitively recognize the route to be guided. In this case, by displaying the guidance image transparently, guidance information can be presented without hindering the driver's field of view, and route guidance can be performed safely.

The above navigation system
It is desirable to further include an input means for receiving an instruction from the user.
The output control means preferably switches the output mode of the guidance information in accordance with an instruction received by the input means.

in this case,
The input means includes
Voice input means for inputting user's voice;
Voice recognition means for recognizing a user instruction from the voice input by the voice input means;
It is desirable to further include.

  According to the above configuration, for example, the display / non-display of the guidance image can be switched by the user's instruction. For example, when the guidance image becomes an obstacle during the safety confirmation, the guidance is made by the user's intention. The image can be hidden, and safety can be ensured. By inputting such instructions from the user by voice input, the driver does not need to operate the operation buttons or the like, and can give instructions with the line of sight facing forward, and can be operated more safely. it can.

In the above navigation system,
It is desirable that the output control means switches the guidance information output method based on at least the speed detected by the vehicle speed detection means.

in this case,
The output control means may switch the output of the guidance information to either audio output or image output based on a predetermined threshold value for the speed.

  According to the above configuration, the guidance information can be automatically switched to output either “voice” or “image” according to the speed of the vehicle.

In order to achieve the above object, a display system according to a second aspect of the present invention includes:
A display system for displaying predetermined information on a mobile object,
Information acquisition means for acquiring detection information indicating at least the state of the mobile body detected by the mobile body;
Image storage means for storing predetermined image information;
A display unit that displays an image stored in the image storage unit, and an image to be displayed by the display unit and a display timing are determined based on at least the detection information acquired by the information acquisition unit. Display control means for displaying,
The display means includes an inner display surface that displays an image on the inner side of the moving body, and an outer display surface that displays an image on the outer side of the moving body,
The display control means determines a display surface for displaying the image according to the image to be displayed.
It is characterized by that.

In the above display system,
The display means is preferably composed of a transparent display device.

In the above display system,
When the display means displays an image on the inner display surface, it is desirable to display the image so that the display image and the external environment of the moving body are transparently superimposed.

In the above display system,
The display control means can display at least predetermined guidance information used for navigation of the moving body on the inner display surface of the display means,
Or
The display control means may display predetermined standard information on an outer display surface of the display means.

In the above display system,
The transparent display device is preferably configured in a window portion of the moving body,
in this case,
The transparent display device may be attached to a window plate of the window portion,
Or
You may comprise in the window panel of the said window part.

In the above display system,
The transparent display device preferably has a display area in which an area ratio of a display surface to a window plate area of the window portion is at least 70% or more.

Also,
The transparent display device can be composed of a transparent EL display.

  According to the display system as described above, for example, a transparent display can be configured on the front window of a moving body such as an automobile to display various images. In this case, since the display is transparent, the display image can be viewed not only from the inside of the moving body but also from the outside. That is, it has an internal display surface and an external display surface. By displaying a guide image provided by a navigation system such as a car navigation system or an image showing an abnormality of the moving body on the internal display surface, it is possible to provide information to passengers of the moving body. In this case, by displaying the image so as to be transparently superimposed on the external environment, the image does not block the field of view of the driver of the moving body. On the other hand, information can be provided to the outside of the mobile body by displaying, for example, an advertisement information or an image for notifying the mobile body of illegal acts (such as destruction or theft) on the external display surface. That is, in a moving body such as an automobile, image display according to various scenes can be appropriately and effectively performed.

In order to achieve the above object, a navigation method according to a third aspect of the present invention includes:
A navigation method in a car navigation device,
Detecting vehicle speed at any time;
Calculating the distance between the vehicle and a predetermined guidance object as needed;
Determining the output timing of predetermined guidance information according to the speed when the calculated distance becomes a predetermined value;
Outputting the guidance information at the determined output timing;
It is characterized by performing.

In order to achieve the above object, a program according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is:
Car navigation system
Detecting vehicle speed at any time;
Calculating the distance between the vehicle and a predetermined guidance object as needed;
Determining the output timing of predetermined guidance information according to the speed when the calculated distance becomes a predetermined value;
Outputting the guidance information at the determined output timing;
Is executed.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, suitable navigation according to the speed of a mobile body (vehicle) is realizable. Further, by displaying the image information so as to be superimposed on the external environment, it is possible to perform image display that satisfies both safety and convenience. Furthermore, by configuring the transparent display in the window portion, not only the inside of the mobile body (vehicle) but also the outside can be displayed, and appropriate and effective image display can be performed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a case where the present invention is applied to a navigation system for performing navigation on a vehicle (moving body) will be described as an example. In this embodiment, an automobile is used as the vehicle. Therefore, the navigation system according to the present embodiment is a so-called car navigation system (car navigation system).

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the navigation system 1 according to the present embodiment is composed of a navigation device 100, a detection unit 200, and a display device 450, and each is arranged in a vehicle VC (automobile). The navigation device 100 and the detection unit 200 are configured inside the vehicle VC, and the display device 450 is configured in a front window (front window) FW of the vehicle VC. A GPS antenna 211 and the like are installed on the outer surface of the vehicle VC.

  The navigation device 100 is a device for guiding a route to a desired destination to a driver of the vehicle VC, and is configured in the vehicle VC so as to be connected to an electric system, an information system, or the like of the vehicle VC. The configuration of the navigation device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the navigation device 100. As illustrated, the navigation device 100 includes a control unit 110, a detection information acquisition unit 120, an input control unit 130, an output control unit 140, a program storage unit 150, a storage unit 160, an input unit 300, An output unit 400.

  The control unit 110 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like, and controls each unit of the navigation device 100 and executes an operation program stored in the program storage unit 150. Various information is provided to passengers of the vehicle VC. In particular, a navigation operation for guiding the driver is performed based on various detection information about the vehicle VC. The control unit 110 includes a storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory). This storage device functions as a storage area (hereinafter referred to as “work area”) for developing (loading) operation programs and various data.

The control unit 110 realizes at least the following functions by executing the operation program.
(1) “Vehicle state detection function”: A function for detecting the state of the vehicle VC as needed based on detection information about the vehicle VC acquired by the detection information acquisition unit 120. (2) “Calculation function”: By the vehicle state detection function. A function that performs various calculations based on the detected state of the vehicle VC and determines information to be output and output timing according to the result (3) “Navigation function”: Based on the calculation result of the calculation function, Function to perform route guidance by outputting predetermined guidance information (4) “Output control function”: Function to output information to be output by an appropriate output method according to the calculation result by the calculation function

  The above functions can be realized by so-called “software processing” in which the control unit 110 executes a program, and so-called “hardware processing” is performed in cooperation with a device that specially executes each function. May be realized. Moreover, the electric power for operating the navigation apparatus 100 shall be supplied from the predetermined power supply (battery etc.) with which the vehicle VC was equipped.

  The detection information acquisition unit 120 includes a predetermined interface (I / F) mechanism, and connects the detection unit 200 that detects the state of the vehicle VC and the control unit 110, and indicates the detection result of the detection unit 200. (Hereinafter referred to as “detection information”) is generated and input to the control unit 110.

  Here, the detection unit 200 includes a group of devices for detecting the operation, state, position, and the like of the vehicle VC. The detection unit 200 is disposed in various places of the vehicle VC and is detected by a predetermined wire harness or the like. Connected with. Details of the detection unit 200 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the detection unit 200. As illustrated, the detection unit 200 includes a position / direction detection unit 210, a speed detection unit 220, an abnormality detection unit 230, and a traveling state detection unit 240.

  The position / direction detection unit 210 includes, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) device and the like, and detects the position and traveling direction of the vehicle VC. In the present embodiment, a GPS device is used as the position / direction detection unit 210. Therefore, the GPS antenna 211 is connected to the position / direction detection unit 210. The GPS antenna 211 is installed, for example, on the outer surface of the vehicle VC (FIG. 1), and receives a position measurement radio wave transmitted by a GPS artificial satellite. The position / direction detection unit 210 detects the position (latitude / longitude) and the traveling direction of the vehicle VC based on the position measurement radio wave received by the GPS antenna 211.

  The speed detection unit 220 detects the travel speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle VC, and is connected to, for example, a predetermined speed detection mechanism (speed display device) provided in the vehicle VC, and the vehicle speed of the vehicle VC. Is detected. In this case, for example, the vehicle speed of the vehicle VC is detected by measuring the wheel rotation speed of the vehicle VC. The method of detecting the vehicle speed of the vehicle VC by the speed detection unit 220 is arbitrary. For example, in cooperation with the position / direction detection unit 210, the vehicle speed is determined by measuring the moving distance and the required time of the vehicle VC. You may make it detect.

  The abnormality detection unit 230 detects an abnormality in the vehicle VC. For example, the abnormality detection unit 230 is connected to a predetermined abnormality detection mechanism (warning device) provided in the vehicle VC and detects an abnormality in the vehicle VC. In the present embodiment, for example, an abnormality in driving the vehicle VC (hereinafter referred to as “vehicle abnormality”) such as a decrease in the remaining amount of fuel, a decrease in hydraulic pressure, an increase in water temperature / oil temperature, or the like is detected. In addition, an illegal act such as theft or destruction of the vehicle VC is detected as an abnormality. In this case, for example, an illegal act on the vehicle VC is detected by detecting destruction of a door or a window of the vehicle VC, use of an illegal key, starting by an unauthorized method, and the like. Such fraud detection may be performed by an arbitrary security device (alarm device) attached to the vehicle VC. In this case, it is assumed that an illegal act is detected by connecting the detection information acquisition unit 120 and a security device (alarm device).

  The traveling state detection unit 240 detects a state relating to traveling of the vehicle VC, and detects the traveling state of the vehicle VC by being connected to, for example, a predetermined electronic control mechanism provided in the vehicle VC. . In the present embodiment, the running state of the vehicle VC is detected by detecting the state of, for example, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a handle, a transmission, etc. for performing an operation related to the running of the vehicle VC. In this case, for example, the accelerator opening, the depression force of the brake pedal, the steering angle by the steering wheel operation, or the number of stages of the transmission are detected.

  Returning to FIG. 2, another configuration of the navigation device 100 will be described.

  The input control unit 130 includes a predetermined I / F mechanism, and connects the input unit 300 that receives an input by a passenger of the vehicle VC (hereinafter referred to as “user”) and the control unit 110, and Input contents are input to the controller 110.

  Here, the input unit 300 includes an operation input device 310, a voice input device 320, and the like.

  The operation input device 310 includes, for example, keys and buttons to which an instruction or the like for the navigation device 100 is assigned in advance, and inputs an instruction or the like to the navigation device 100 by a user operation.

  The voice input device 320 is composed of a sound collection device such as a microphone, for example, and inputs a voice generated by a user's utterance.

  The input unit 300 may be configured integrally with the vehicle VC, or may be appropriately installed in the vehicle VC as a retrofit (for example, an upper part of a dashboard, a console unit, a handle, etc.). For example, the operation input device 310 may be configured on a dashboard or the like as an operation panel including a plurality of button groups, or may be provided in the form of a wireless remote controller or the like. The input unit 300 may include both the operation input device 310 and the voice input device 320, or may have a configuration including either the operation input device 310 or the voice input device 320.

  The input control unit 130 to which the input unit 300 is connected converts an input signal from the input unit 300 into a predetermined signal format as necessary and inputs the signal to the control unit 110. In the present embodiment, an analog signal such as a voice signal input to the voice input device 320 is converted into a digital signal (A / D conversion), and the user's utterance content (instruction content) is recognized from the input voice. A voice recognition unit 131 and the like are included. That is, the input control unit 130 inputs a user instruction to the control unit 110 based on the input from the input unit 300. Note that the voice recognition unit 131 is configured by using any known / common technique.

  The output control unit 140 is configured by a predetermined I / F mechanism, and connects the output unit 400 that outputs information to the user of the vehicle VC or the outside of the vehicle VC and the control unit 110, and determines the information determined by the control unit 110. Output to the output unit 400.

  The output unit 400 includes a sound report device 410, a display device 450, and the like. The sound reporting device 410 is constituted by, for example, a speaker installed in the vehicle VC, and outputs sound information determined by the control unit 110. Note that the sound reporting device 410 may use an audio system (car audio) provided in the vehicle VC. The display device 450 includes a predetermined display device and displays image information determined by the control unit 110. Details of the display device 450 will be described later. Here, the output unit 400 preferably includes both the sound reporting device 410 and the display device 450, but is configured to include either the sound reporting device 410 or the display device 450 (preferably the display device 450). May be.

  The output control unit 140 to which the output unit 400 is connected outputs information determined by the control unit 110 to the output unit 400 by a suitable output method. For example, the output control unit 140 converts the information supplied from the control unit 110 into an audio signal that can be output by the sound reporting device 410 when the control unit 110 selects “output by voice”. Further, when the control unit 110 selects “output as an image (video)”, the information supplied from the control unit 110 is displayed on the display device 450 in a suitable format. Therefore, the output control unit 140 includes an audio signal generation unit 141 that converts information supplied from the control unit 110 into an audio signal, a display control unit 142 that displays information supplied from the control unit 110 on the display device 450, and the like. Prepare.

  Here, the voice signal generation unit 141 is configured by, for example, a predetermined voice synthesizer and the like, and outputs the information supplied from the control unit 110 as voice as if a person is speaking. In addition, the display control unit 142 appropriately processes information (image information) supplied from the control unit 110 and causes the display device 450 to display the information (for example, image deformation, size change, dynamic display, reverse display, and blinking). Display, transparent display, non-transparent display, etc.).

  The program storage unit 150 is, for example, a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, or a hard disk device, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory). The storage unit is configured of a storage medium, and stores various programs executed by the control unit 110 of the navigation device 100. Each process to be described later is realized by the control unit 110 executing a program stored in the program storage unit 150.

  The storage unit 160 includes, for example, a storage device such as a ROM, a flash memory, and a hard disk device, or a storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and stores various types of information necessary for navigation operations by the navigation device 100. Is done. In this embodiment, “geographic information” required for route search, “map information” required for route determination, “guidance information” output during navigation, “standard information” that is output information other than guidance information, In addition, “setting information” indicating the setting contents of the navigation device 100 is stored in the storage unit 160.

  “Geographical information” is point information on road traffic. For example, place names, road names, intersection names (signal names), bridge names, names of related facilities such as expressways (entrance / entrance name, toll gate name, service area name) Etc.), names of various facilities that are landmarks (building names such as buildings, railway route names and station names), and their position information (latitude and longitude, etc.).

  “Map information” is information indicating a road map of a region corresponding to a point included in at least “geographic information”, and includes information indicating the topography and the like in addition to the road in the region. It is assumed that the position indicated by “geographic information” and the position on “map information” are associated with each other. It is also assumed that the distance between arbitrary points can be calculated based on the map information.

  “Guidance information” is information notified to the driver when the navigation device 100 is performing a navigation operation for performing route guidance, for example, image information such as an arrow displayed on the display device 450. In addition, the fixed sentence information when the sound output device 410 outputs a sound is included. More specifically, it is information for inducing an operation to be performed by the driver in order to travel on the set route. That is, for example, it is composed of an arrow indicating a direction in which the vehicle VC should travel (straight, left turn, right turn, etc.) at an intersection in front of the vehicle VC, or a fixed sentence such as “turn left at the intersection 100 meters ahead”. Is done. Such information is output as an image or sound.

  The “standard information” is information displayed on the display device 450 in addition to the navigation guidance information, and includes, for example, information for showing outside the vehicle VC in addition to information for showing to the user of the vehicle VC. For example, “alarm information” displayed to the user of the vehicle VC when the abnormality detection unit 230 detects a vehicle abnormality, or when an illegal act such as theft of the vehicle VC is detected, “Notification information” for notifying the effect, or “advertisement information” for showing an advertisement or the like outside the vehicle VC when the vehicle VC is stopped is included.

  “Setting information” is setting information regarding the operation performed by the navigation device 100, and includes, for example, an output method (“sound only”, “image only”, “sound + image”, etc.), and an image display method (for example, Settings such as the display time of the guide information, the transparency of the display image, etc.) or the necessity of displaying the report information and the advertisement information are shown. In addition, “vocabulary information” indicating a vocabulary to be compared with the speech recognition result by the speech recognition unit 131 is also recorded. The contents shown in the setting information are set in advance by the user using the input unit 300.

  Next, details of the display device 450 will be described below. The display device 450 according to the present embodiment is composed of a transparent flat display device that transmits visible light through the display area. That is, in the state where nothing is displayed on the display device 450, it looks like a transparent panel or a transparent film. As such a transparent display device, for example, an organic EL display or an inorganic EL display can be used. An EL (electroluminescence) display displays an image by emitting light by applying a voltage to a light-emitting material deposited on a transparent substrate such as a glass substrate. For example, a transparent electrode or conductive film can be formed by forming with ITO (Indium-Tin-Oxide) or ZnO (zinc oxide). By using such a transparent electrode or the like, a transparent EL display that transmits visible light through the display region can be formed.

  In the present embodiment, such a transparent display device 450 is configured on the front window FW of the vehicle VC. A configuration example of the display device 450 will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 4A is a diagram schematically illustrating a front landscape as viewed from the inside of the vehicle VC. That is, it is a state of the front scenery (external environment) seen through the front window FW. As shown in FIG. 4B, the display device 450 of the present embodiment is installed in accordance with a front window FW that can visually recognize such an external environment. As described above, since the display device 450 is a transparent display through which visible light is transmitted, as shown in FIG. 4B, from the inside of the vehicle VC to the outside of the vehicle VC via the display device 450 and the front window FW. You can see the environment (landscape in front).

  In the present embodiment, a guide image GD (guidance information) for guiding the traveling direction of the vehicle VC and the like is displayed on the display device 450 configured as described above (FIG. 4C). That is, as shown in FIG. 4C, the guide image GD is displayed on the display device 450 so as to be superimposed on the forward scenery (external environment). In addition, the guide image GD is desirably displayed so as to harmonize with the actual landscape (external environment). For example, when a bent arrow for guiding a left / right turn is displayed as shown in FIG. 4C, the actual traveling direction angle on the road seen through the display device 450 matches the bent angle of the arrow. The guide image GD is displayed as shown. With such a display, the driver can intuitively recognize the traveling direction and the like.

  The display device 450 is installed in accordance with the front window FW, but the installation method is arbitrary. An example of an installation method of the display device 450 will be described with reference to FIG. For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the display device 450 can be fixed to the front window FW using an arbitrary fixing member FM.

  When installed using such a fixing member FM, a gap may be formed between the display device 450 and the front window FW. In this case, there is a possibility that parallax occurs between the external environment seen from the driver's viewpoint and the image displayed on the display device 450. In this case, since the guide image GD cannot be displayed so as to harmonize with the external environment, display adjustment for correcting parallax may be required. For this reason, it is desirable that the front window FW and the display device 450 are in close contact or as close as possible.

  FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating an example in which the display device 450 is configured to be in close contact with the front window FW, and shows a cross section of the front window FW and the display device 450. As shown in the figure, the display device 450 and the front window FW can be brought into close contact with each other by sticking the display device 450 to the front window FW using the adhesive material AH. This method is particularly effective when the display device 450 is in the form of a film. That is, in a transparent EL display or the like, a film-shaped transparent display can be configured by configuring a substrate on which a light emitter or the like is formed with a transparent film-shaped material. Since such a film-like display is lighter than a panel-like display composed of a glass substrate or the like, it can be attached to the front window FW with an adhesive material AH or the like. Further, even when the front window FW has a curved surface, the display device 450 can be brought into close contact with the front window FW. Note that the display device 450 may have a panel shape as long as the display device 450 can be adhered to the front window FW. Moreover, the adhesive material AH can be arbitrary, for example, can be an adhesive, a double-sided tape, or the like.

  When such a film display is used, the display device 450 may be configured in a window plate that forms the front window FW. An example of this case is shown in FIG. FIG. 5C is a diagram illustrating a cross section of the front window FW and the display device 450. As shown in the figure, the front window FW includes two (double) window plates, an outer window plate WP1 and an inner window plate WP2. The display device 450 is configured between the window plates WP1 and WP2. That is, the window plate WP1 and the window plate WP2 are configured to sandwich the display device 450. With such a configuration, the display device 450 can be formed inside the window plate of the front window FW. This method is useful, for example, when manufacturing a vehicle VC provided with the display device 450 from the beginning. Further, the front window FW having such a configuration can be supplied as a part of the vehicle VC. Note that the display device 450 may have a panel shape as long as it can be sandwiched between window plates. Further, the window plate WP1 and the window plate WP2 of the front window FW do not sandwich the display device 450, but the window plate WP1 and the window plate WP2 are used as substrates of the display device, and the front window FW itself is configured as a transparent display device. Also good.

  In addition, the area of the display surface of the display device 450 is desirably 70% or more of the window plate area of the front window FW. That is, in this embodiment, the guide image GD is displayed in harmony with the external environment in order to provide more intuitive navigation. For example, when displaying a guidance image GD indicating the position and approach direction of an intersection with arrows, when the guided intersection is in the distance (FIG. 6 (a)), or close to the intersection (FIG. 6 (b)). Then, the display position of the guide image GD on the display device 450 is different. That is, when the guidance object is close to the vehicle VC, the guidance image GD can be displayed at positions on the left and right end sides and the lower end side of the field of view through the front window FW, thereby harmonizing with the actual external scenery. Image display. Here, for example, when the display device 450 is configured to be only a part of the front window FW (for example, only near the center of the front window FW), such image display cannot be realized. Therefore, in order to enable image display in harmony with the external environment, the display device 450 and the front window FW preferably have the same shape and area, but at least the area of the display device 450 is the window plate of the front window FW. If the area can be 70% or more, image display in harmony with the external environment is possible.

  Thus, the guide image GD is displayed on the display device 450 so as to be superimposed on the external environment. Here, the guide image GD displayed on the display device 450 is desirably displayed transparently. That is, as shown to Fig.7 (a), when the guidance image GD is opaquely filled, it will interrupt a driver | operator's front view and is unpreferable on safety. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 7B, the guidance image GD can be displayed with only the contour line, so that the guidance information can be displayed without blocking the driver's front view.

  However, for example, when there is a difference in illuminance (brightness) between the inside and the outside of the vehicle VC, it may be difficult to visually recognize the contour line alone. Further, depending on the form of the guide image GD to be displayed (for example, display of only character information), sufficient visibility may not be obtained with only the outline. In such a case, for example, as shown in FIG. 7C, the guide image GD may be transparently painted. That is, by setting a predetermined transparency (transparency) and coloring the visible light reflected from the external environment passes through the guide image GD, the driver can visually recognize the external environment via the guide image GD. Can do. By setting it as such a display mode, the guidance image GD with high visibility can be displayed, without impairing safety. Note that. The transparent filling is not limited to coloring, and for example, a transparent pattern may be applied.

  With the display mode as described above, the guide image GD is displayed on the display device 450 so that the guide image GD and the external environment are transparently superimposed. Such setting and designation of the display mode (output mode) is performed by the display control unit 142 of the output control unit 140. That is, when the display control unit 142 designates predetermined transparency and supplies image information to the display device 450, the display device 450 displays the guidance information GD in the designated display mode.

  Here, it is desirable that the display mode of the guidance information GD can be changed by a user instruction. In this case, the user of the vehicle VC inputs an instruction from the input unit 300 and switches the display mode. For example, a button or the like to which a display mode switching instruction is assigned to the operation input device 310 is configured, and a button corresponding to the display mode desired by the user is operated to input the display mode switching instruction to the navigation device 100. More specifically, for example, an “outline” button for switching to a display mode with only an outline, a “transparent” button for switching to a transparently filled display mode, and the like are configured in the operation input device 310. Then, the display control unit 142 designates a display mode corresponding to the operated button and causes the display device 450 to display an image according to the operation of the operation input device 310 by the user.

  In addition to the switching of the display mode related to “transparent display” as described above, display / non-display switching of the guide image GD or the like may be performed according to a user instruction. That is, even when the guidance image GD is displayed transparently, it may be preferable that no image display is present, for example, when the surrounding safety is confirmed. In such a case, the field of view required by the driver can be secured by setting the display mode to “non-display” and not displaying the guide image GD according to an instruction from the user (particularly the driver). When guidance based on the guidance image GD becomes necessary, navigation can be received again by switching the display mode from “non-display” to “display” according to a user instruction. In this case, for example, a “non-display” button for switching the display mode to “non-display” and a “display” button for switching the display mode to “display” are configured in the operation input device 310. The display control unit 142 controls the display device 450 by designating a display mode corresponding to the operated button in accordance with the operation of the operation input device 310 by the user. That is, the display device 450 controls the display control unit 142 to hide the displayed image or redisplay the image that has been hidden.

  In this way, by enabling the display mode (output mode) to be switched by a user instruction, a suitable display mode can be selected according to the scene. That is, it is possible to improve safety by using a display mode with better visibility, or by not displaying when an image is unnecessary. However, when the display mode is switched by the operation input device 310, it may be necessary to confirm the button position of the operation input device 310 at the time of operation. In particular, when the driver operates, the line of sight is directed toward the operation input device 310 during driving, which may be unfavorable for safety.

  Therefore, it is desirable that the display mode switching instruction be performed by voice input. That is, a word or the like representing an instruction to switch to a display mode desired by the user is uttered and input to the voice input device 320. Then, the voice recognition unit 131 of the input control unit 130 recognizes the voice and recognizes which display mode the input voice indicates. More specifically, a word indicating a switching instruction (hereinafter referred to as “instruction word”) is defined in advance for each display mode, and recorded in the storage unit 160 as vocabulary information included in the setting information. Here, instruction words arbitrarily set by the user are recorded in association with predetermined instruction contents. For example, when the instruction word is “contour”, it is associated with the instruction content “switch to display mode with only contour”.

  When the recognized voice matches any of the specified instruction words, the control unit 110 instructs the display control unit 142 about the instruction content corresponding to the instruction word. That is, for example, when the user speaks “contour”, the guide image GD displayed on the display device 450 is switched to the display mode of only the contour. Similarly, for example, when the user speaks “transparent”, “display”, “non-display”, and the like, the display mode of the guide image GD on the display device 450 is switched.

  By performing the display mode switching by such voice input, the user (particularly the driver) can switch the display mode to a desired one without operating the operation input device 310 or the like. For this reason, the driver can switch the display mode without deflecting his / her line of sight from the front, and even when the display mode needs to be switched during driving, the driver can safely execute the display mode.

  The operation of the navigation system 1 having the above configuration will be described below. First, the “navigation process” according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, a case where the vehicle VC, which is an automobile, is guided (navigated) to a driver or the like of the vehicle VC along a route to a desired destination will be described as an example. The “navigation process” described below is started when the navigation apparatus 100 is activated by power-on or the like. In addition, with the start of the “navigation process”, the detection operation by the detection unit 200 is also started, and the control unit 110 of the navigation device 100 uses the detection information as information (detection information) indicating the detection result by the detection unit 200. It is assumed that it is acquired at any time via the acquisition unit 120.

  For example, the control unit 110 determines a route from the current position of the vehicle VC to the destination based on the destination input by the user from the input unit 300, and sets a “guidance point” (guidance point) on the route. Determine and hold in the work area (step S101). More specifically, the control unit 110 specifies the position (latitude / longitude, etc.) of the destination input by the user with reference to “geographic information” in the storage unit 160, and the vehicle VC from the position / direction detection unit 210. The current position (latitude / longitude, etc.) of is specified as the “departure point”. Then, with reference to “map information” in the storage unit 160, a route from the identified departure point to the destination is determined. Furthermore, a point to be guided to the user on the route (for example, an intersection to turn right or left, an entrance to a highway to be used, etc.) is identified as a “guide point”, and each guidance is made by referring to “geographic information”. Acquires position information indicating the position of the point (latitude, longitude, etc.). The acquired location information of the guidance points is stored in the work area after being given a serial number (for example, “1, 2,..., N”: hereinafter referred to as “guidance number”) in the order from the departure point. .

  When the vehicle VC starts traveling by the driver's operation, the control unit 110 sets the guide number to an initial value “1” and calculates the distance D from the guide point corresponding to the guide number to the vehicle VC as needed ( Step S102). Here, the control unit 110 refers to the “map information” in the storage unit 160 based on the position of the vehicle VC detected at any time by the position / direction detection unit 210 and the position information of the guidance point held in the work area. And the distance D to the present position of the vehicle VC and the said guidance point is calculated at any time.

  The controller 110 determines whether or not the distance D from the guidance point to the vehicle VC has reached a predetermined value (step S103). Here, the “predetermined value” is the maximum value of the distance that defines the travel range of the vehicle VC (hereinafter referred to as “guidance range NA”) when the navigation device 100 outputs guidance information (hereinafter referred to as “distance”). Dmax ”). That is, as shown in FIG. 9A, the range from the guidance point to the distance Dmax toward the vehicle VC is the guidance range NA. In the present embodiment, guidance information is output when the vehicle VC is traveling in the guidance range NA. Here, the distance Dmax that defines the guidance range NA is defined in advance based on a predetermined maximum speed (hereinafter referred to as “speed Vmax”).

  More specifically, when the vehicle VC is traveling at the maximum possible speed (speed Vmax), the distance required for the driver who has recognized the guidance information to perform an appropriate operation is set as the distance Dmax. For example, in the case of turning at an intersection, when the traveling speed is high, the speed at the time of reaching the intersection may be too high to bend unless the deceleration operation is sufficiently performed. Therefore, for example, the distance Dmax is defined based on a demonstration result or a theoretical value indicating a distance (so-called braking distance) required for the vehicle VC to reach a stop state (0 km / h) from the speed Vmax. . The reference speed Vmax for defining the distance Dmax can be, for example, the maximum speed in the performance of the vehicle VC (that is, the physical upper limit of the speed at which the vehicle VC can travel). By defining the distance Dmax based on such a speed Vmax, the inside of the guidance range NA in which guidance information can be appropriately output regardless of the speed at which the vehicle VC is traveling is defined. can do. The speed Vmax can be set arbitrarily. For example, the speed Vmax is set based on a recommended speed for traffic safety or a road traffic rule (for example, a speed limit set on a road on which the vehicle VC is traveling). May be. In this embodiment, as an example, it is assumed that the speed Vmax is set to “100 km / h” and the distance Dmax is set to “500 m”.

  In the present embodiment, a point (output timing) at which guidance information is to be output based on the vehicle speed of the vehicle VC at the time when the point reaches the end (distance Dmax) of the guidance range NA defined in this way. To decide. Here, the vehicle speed of the vehicle VC from reaching the point where the distance Dmax is reached until reaching the guidance point is defined as “speed Vx”, and the distance (guidance is determined in order to define the output timing of the guidance information according to the speed Vx. The distance from the point to the vehicle VC) is “distance Dx”.

  In the present embodiment, the speed Vx and the distance Dx are associated in advance, and the output timing of the guidance information is determined based on the distance Dx corresponding to the speed Vx. That is, the guidance information is output when the distance from the guidance point to the vehicle VC becomes the distance Dx.

  Here, the distance Dx is set so as to be proportional to the speed Vx, for example, as shown in the graph of FIG. That is, the higher the speed Vx, the longer the distance Dx. In other words, the higher the speed Vx, the more the guidance information is output. This is because the faster the vehicle speed, the shorter the time it takes to reach the guidance point from the current position, so that the driver is informed of the guidance information sufficiently in front so that appropriate operation can be performed at the guidance point. . It should be noted that the relationship between the speed Vx and the distance Dx may not be the proportional relationship as described above, and may be defined based on the performance of the vehicle VC.

  In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the relationship between the speed and the distance is recorded in advance in the storage unit 160 as a “vehicle speed-distance correspondence table” as shown in FIG. Note that the “vehicle speed-distance correspondence table” is recorded in the storage unit 160 as “setting information”. The control unit 110 refers to the “vehicle speed-distance correspondence table” stored in the storage unit 160, and determines the output timing of the guidance information according to the vehicle speed of the vehicle VC.

  Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 8, details of the process for determining such output timing will be described.

  When the distance D between the vehicle VC and the guidance point becomes the distance Dmax (step S103: Yes), the control unit 110 indicates the current vehicle speed (speed Vx) acquired from the speed detection unit 220 via the detection information acquisition unit 120. Get vehicle speed information. The controller 110 further determines whether or not the current vehicle speed (speed Vx) of the vehicle VC is less than the speed Vmax based on the acquired vehicle speed information (step S104).

  When the speed Vx is less than the speed Vmax (step S104: Yes), the control unit 110 refers to the “vehicle speed-distance correspondence table” in the storage unit 160 and acquires distance information indicating the distance Dx corresponding to the speed Vx. , Hold in work area. The controller 110 further determines whether or not the distance D from the guidance point to the current position of the vehicle VC has become the distance Dx indicated by the distance information held in the work area (step S105).

  When the distance D from the guidance point to the current position of the vehicle VC becomes the distance Dx (step S105: Yes), the control unit 110 determines whether or not the speed Vx at that time is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold (step). S106). This threshold value is used to determine whether the guidance information output is “voice output” or “image output”. In the present embodiment, the higher the vehicle speed is, the more guidance information is output in the foreground. Therefore, when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, the actual guidance point (intersection etc.) is the point when the guidance information is output. It is a considerable distance ahead and may not be visible in some cases. In such a case, it is difficult to display the guide image GD that accurately points to the guide point on the display device 450. Therefore, when the speed is high (high speed range), it is appropriate to output the guidance information by voice. In the present embodiment, the reference speed for determining whether or not the vehicle speed is in the high speed range is defined as “threshold speed Vth”.

  The threshold speed Vth can be defined based on the distance Dx set in the “vehicle speed-distance correspondence table” (FIG. 10B), for example. That is, by setting the value of the speed Vx corresponding to the distance at which the guidance point can be visually recognized from the vehicle VC as the threshold speed Vth, the guidance image GD that accurately points to the guidance point can be displayed. In the present embodiment, as an example, the threshold speed Vth is set to “80 km / h”. The setting of the threshold speed Vth is not limited to the above, and may be set according to the user's preference, for example. In this case, it is assumed that information indicating the threshold speed Vth designated by the user is recorded in the storage unit 160 in advance as “setting information”.

  When it is determined in step S106 that the speed Vx is equal to or higher than the threshold speed Vth (80 km / h) (step S106: Yes), the control unit 110 controls the audio signal generation unit 141 to receive guidance information from the sound reporting device 410. Is output by voice (step S107). Here, guidance information having contents corresponding to the distance Dx is output. For example, when the speed Vx when the vehicle VC reaches the point where the distance Dmax is 80 km / h, the corresponding distance Dx is “300 m” based on the “vehicle speed-distance correspondence table” (FIG. 10B). " In this case, as shown in FIG. 9 (b), when the vehicle VC reaches 300m before the guidance point, a sound with a content such as “turn right (turn left) 300m” is output from the sound report device 410. The

  On the other hand, when the speed Vx is less than the threshold speed Vth (step S106: No), the control unit 110 controls the display control unit 142 to display a predetermined guide image GD on the display device 450. That is, the guidance information is output as an image (step S108). For example, when the speed Vx when the vehicle VC reaches the point where the distance Dmax is 50 km / h, the corresponding distance Dx is “100 m” based on the “vehicle speed-distance correspondence table” (FIG. 10B). Become. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9C, when the vehicle VC reaches 100m before the guide point, an image such as an arrow indicating the traveling direction at the guide point is displayed on the display device 450.

  In this case, according to the distance Dx corresponding to the current vehicle speed (speed Vx), the display control unit 142 determines the size of the guide image GD, the display area on the display device 450, and the like, and causes the display device 450 to display the size. . For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when an arrow indicating the position of an intersection to turn right and left and an arrow indicating the approach direction are displayed as the guide image GD, the size of the guide image GD corresponding to the distance Dx and the display area on the display device 450 are set. Define in advance. Here, for example, as shown in FIG. 11A, a plurality of regions (A1 to E5) are assigned in advance to the display surface of the display device 450, and “distance-image” as shown in FIG. The “correspondence table” is prepared in the storage unit 160 as “setting information” in advance. As shown in the drawing, in the “distance-image correspondence table”, “display area” and “display size” corresponding to the distance Dx are defined for each prepared guide image GD. Here, the “display size” is defined by the area ratio (%) of the guide image GD to the display surface size (area) of the display device 450. Here, the larger the value of the distance Dx, the smaller the size of the guide image GD, and the display device 450 is specified to be displayed near the center.

  Assuming that the road (traveling road) on which the vehicle VC is traveling is straight and flat, the far end (disappearance point) of the road converges near the center of the display area of the display device 450. Therefore, when the distance Dx is large (that is, when the guide point is far away), the size of the guide image GD is reduced and the center of the display area is set near the center. By displaying the information, the guidance point can be accurately pointed. On the other hand, when the vehicle VC approaches a guidance point (for example, an intersection) (that is, when the distance Dx is small), the guidance point is visually recognized on the right end or the left end side of the display area, and further approaches. Therefore, it will be visually recognized greatly at the lower end side of the display area. Therefore, when the distance Dx is small, the guide point can be accurately pointed by increasing the size of the guide image GD and displaying it in the lower end region on the left and right end sides of the display region.

  The “distance-image correspondence table” exemplified here is set assuming that the travel path is straight and flat. However, if it is determined that the travel path is curved (curved) or inclined based on the “map information” in the storage unit 160, “ By appropriately shifting the display area specified on the basis of the “distance-image correspondence table” in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction, the display position of the guide image GD is made appropriate even when the travel path is not straight or flat. can do. Through such processing, the guidance image GD can be displayed on the display device 450 in harmony with the external environment, and the user can intuitively recognize the guidance point. Since the determination of the display position of the guide image GD is made based on the distance Dx corresponding to the speed Vx that is the current vehicle speed, the size and display position of the guide image GD depends on the vehicle speed of the vehicle VC. Will be determined.

  Returning to FIG. 8, when it is determined in step S104 that the vehicle speed (speed Vx) is the speed Vmax (or is equal to or higher than the speed Vmax) (step S104: No), the control unit 110 determines that the speed Vx (that is, Guidance information corresponding to the distance Dx (that is, the distance Dmax) corresponding to the speed Vmax) is output from the sound reporting device 410 as a voice (step S107). Here, the guidance information is output by voice output by the sound reporting device 410. That is, since the distance Dmax in the present embodiment is “500 m”, for example, guidance information such as “turn left after 500 m (right turn)” is output as voice. The reason why the voice output is used here is that the vehicle speed is fast (maximum speed Vmax) and the distance to the guidance point is long (maximum value of the guidance range NA).

  The controller 110 determines whether or not the vehicle VC has reached the guide point (step S109). Here, it is determined whether or not the vehicle VC has reached the guidance point based on the current position of the vehicle VC detected by the position / direction detection unit 210 and the position information of the guidance point held in the work area. Is done. If the vehicle VC has not reached the guidance point (step S109: No), steps S104 to S108 are repeated. In other words, until reaching the guidance point, guidance information corresponding to the distance to the guidance point and the vehicle speed of the vehicle VC is output as needed. Here, when guidance information is output, a driver | operator shall decelerate according to this. Therefore, the vehicle speed (speed Vx) of the vehicle VC gradually decreases until the vehicle VC reaches the guide point after reaching the point where the distance becomes the distance Dmax. Therefore, since the value of the distance Dx corresponding to the speed Vx also gradually decreases, guidance information in an appropriate format is output at an appropriate timing according to the change in speed. For example, when the speed of the vehicle VC when reaching the point where the distance is Dmax is high, guidance information is first output by voice, and the driver decelerates the vehicle VC accordingly. Then, according to the deceleration of the vehicle VC, route guidance using the guidance image GD is performed.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle VC reaches the guidance point (step S109: Yes), the control unit 110 determines whether or not the guidance point is the final guidance point of the guidance points determined in step S101 ( Step S110).

  If the guidance point is not the final guidance point (step S110: No), the control unit 110 increments the guidance number by “+1” (step S111) and executes steps S102 to S110. That is, guidance information output for the guidance point corresponding to the next guidance number is executed as needed according to the vehicle speed of the vehicle VC.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle VC has reached the final guidance point (step S110: Yes), the “navigation process” is terminated.

  By executing the “navigation process”, the control unit 110 of the navigation device 100 determines and outputs the output timing of the guidance information based on the vehicle speed of the vehicle VC. Further, the output mode of the guidance information is automatically switched to “voice output” or “image output” according to the vehicle speed. Here, in the case of image output, the display control unit 142 further causes the display device 450 to display the size and display position of the guide image GD as needed according to the vehicle speed. If the user gives a display mode switching instruction while the guide image GD is displayed on the display device 450 in this way, the control unit 110 generates an interrupt process, and the display control unit 142 instructs the user to The display mode is switched according to the switching (switching between “contour” and “transmission”, or switching between display and non-display).

  According to the navigation device 100 described above, guidance information for navigation is displayed on the transparent display device 450 configured on the front window FW of the vehicle VC, so that the user (driver) can view the scenery in front (external Environment) and guidance information can be viewed at the same time. Further, since the guidance information is displayed so as to harmonize with the external environment according to the vehicle speed of the vehicle VC, the driver can intuitively recognize the guidance point (intersection etc.). Furthermore, since the output timing of the guidance information is determined according to the vehicle speed, for example, the guidance information is provided sufficiently before the guidance point when traveling at high speed. Accordingly, the driver can perform a deceleration operation and steering with a margin, and can appropriately respond to the guidance information. That is, it is possible to travel on the designated route without passing through the guide point without slowing down or performing an unsafe operation such as sudden braking or sudden steering.

  Since the display device 450 used in such a navigation system 1 is composed of a transparent display as described above, for example, as shown in FIG. When an image (alphabet “B” in the example in the figure) is displayed on the display device 450, as shown in FIG. 12B, the image is reversed and displayed in the horizontal direction from the outside of the vehicle VC. Can be seen as. That is, since the display device 450 is transparent, the image displayed on the display device 450 can be viewed not only from the inside of the vehicle VC but also from the outside of the vehicle VC.

  Here, if the image is reversed in the left-right direction and displayed on the display device 450, an image recognizable from the outside of the vehicle VC can be displayed as shown in FIG. That is, by controlling the direction of the display image, a display surface targeting the inside of the vehicle VC (hereinafter referred to as “inside display surface”) and a display surface targeting the outside of the vehicle VC (hereinafter referred to as “inside display surface”). The display device 450 can be configured as “outside display surface”. On the inner display surface of the display device 450, an image intended for the user of the vehicle VC such as various warning information (for example, information indicating vehicle abnormality) is displayed in addition to the guide image GD in the navigation operation described above. Can do.

  On the other hand, for example, a “standard image” indicating external contents can be appropriately displayed on the outer display surface. The “standard image” can be, for example, an “advertisement image” that represents an advertisement or a promotion. In addition, when a fraudulent act such as theft is performed on the vehicle VC, for example, a message such as “This car is a stolen car” may be displayed and used as a “report image” for reporting to the outside. it can.

  A process for displaying such a standard image by the navigation device 100 (“standard image display process”) will be described with reference to the drawings. First, processing for displaying an “advertisement image” (advertisement display) will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG.

  This “standard image display processing” is started, for example, when the vehicle VC starts running, and displays a predetermined advertisement image on the display device 450 while the vehicle VC is stopped. Further, when the “navigation process” described above is being executed, it is assumed to be executed in parallel. During the execution of the process, detection information indicating a detection result by the detection unit 200 is acquired by the detection information acquisition unit 120 as needed.

  The controller 110 determines whether or not the traveling vehicle VC has been stopped (step S210). Here, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is stopped based on the vehicle speed detected by the speed detector 220.

  When it is determined that the vehicle VC has stopped (step S201: Yes), the control unit 110 further determines whether or not an advertisement image may be displayed (step S202). Here, for example, the suitability of the advertisement display is determined based on “setting information” and “point information” stored in the storage unit 160 and various “detection information” acquired by the detection information acquisition unit 120. The That is, whether or not to display based on the “necessity of advertisement display” set in the “setting information” or whether the advertisement image should be displayed depending on the state of the vehicle VC based on the “detection information” or the like. Determine whether or not.

  For example, when the vehicle VC is stopped only by operating the brake pedal, there is a possibility that the vehicle VC is temporarily or intermittently stopped due to a traffic jam or the like. In such a case, since there is a possibility of resuming the traveling immediately, not only the merit of displaying the advertisement is low, but also the advertisement image display on the display device 450 becomes intermittent, which is not preferable in terms of safety. Therefore, based on the operation of the parking brake (side brake) detected by the traveling state detection unit 240 and the state of the transmission (“neutral” or “parking”), it is predicted that the vehicle VC will stop for a certain time or more. In this case, it is determined that the advertisement may be displayed. In addition, for example, when the vehicle VC is traveling on an expressway, it may be determined that the advertisement should not be displayed even if the vehicle VC is stopped. Such advertisement image display conditions may be set as appropriate by the user or the like, and may be stored in the storage unit 160 as “setting information”.

  If it is determined in step S202 that the advertisement display is not appropriate (step S202: No), the process returns to step S201 to detect the stop state of the vehicle VC.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the advertisement may be displayed (step S202: Yes), the control unit 110 acquires a predetermined advertisement image from the storage unit 160 (step S203) and develops it in the work area.

  The control unit 110 controls the display control unit 142 to display the advertisement image (advertisement image AD) acquired in step S203 on the outer display surface of the display device 450 (step S204). That is, as shown in FIG. 14A, the advertisement image AD is displayed on the display device 450 so as to be reversed when viewed from the inside of the vehicle VC. As a result, as shown in FIG. 14B, the advertisement image AD is displayed so as to be recognized from the outside of the vehicle VC. In this case, the acquired image can be inverted and displayed on the display device 450 by the display control unit 142, and the image used as the advertisement image AD may be stored in the storage unit 160 in an inverted state in advance. .

  Further, when the guide image GD is displayed on the inner display surface of the display device 450 by “navigation processing”, the advertisement image AD may be displayed on the outer display surface after the display of the inner display surface is interrupted. In addition, the advertisement image AD may be displayed on the outer display surface so as to be superimposed on the guide image GD or the like displayed on the inner display surface. Note that the advertisement image AD needs to be viewed by a person outside the vehicle VC. Therefore, unlike the guide image GD, the advertisement image AD need not be displayed transparently, but rather is preferably displayed opaquely.

  Returning to FIG. 13, the display control unit 142 displays the advertisement image AD on the outer display surface of the display device 450 until the vehicle VC starts (restarts) running (step S205: No). That is, it is determined whether or not the vehicle VC has started traveling based on the detection information acquired from the detection information acquisition unit 120 by the control unit 110. Here, the start of travel of the vehicle VC is detected based on the vehicle speed of the vehicle VC detected by the speed detector 220, the operation of the travel system detected by the travel state detector 240, and the like.

  When it is determined that the vehicle VC has started running (step S205: Yes), the control unit 110 controls the display control unit 142 and ends the display of the advertisement image AD (step S206).

  Control unit 110 repeats steps S201 to S206 until the advertisement display operation ends (step S207: No). Here, for example, whether or not the advertisement display operation should be ended by a user inputting an instruction to end advertisement display from the input unit 300, detection of power-off of the navigation device 100, engine stop of the vehicle VC, or the like. Determined. When the end of the advertisement display operation is determined (step S207: Yes), the “standard image display process (advertisement display)” is ended.

  With the above processing, when the vehicle VC stops, a predetermined advertisement image is displayed on the outer display surface of the display device 450. Thereby, for example, since an advertisement image is displayed while the vehicle is stopped due to a signal waiting or the like, an advertisement or the like can be shown to a pedestrian or an oncoming passenger. With such a display function, for example, when the vehicle VC is a company vehicle such as a company, the company name of the company, a product advertisement, and the like can be displayed using the vehicle VC. Alternatively, the present invention may be applied to a vehicle that performs advertising activities by applying advertisement painting to the vehicle body. In the present embodiment, since the advertisement image AD is displayed by detecting that the vehicle VC has stopped based on the vehicle speed or the like, the advertisement image AD may interfere with the driver's view while the vehicle VC is traveling. Absent.

  In addition, since the display device 450 according to the present embodiment is configured by an EL display, the display device 450 is not limited to characters and the like, and can display various images as the advertisement image AD. That is, not only full-color photographic images can be displayed, but also moving images can be displayed, and a high advertising effect can be obtained. Furthermore, since the display device 450 according to the present embodiment has a display area that is 70% or more of the area of the front window FW, the advertisement image can be displayed almost on the entire front window FW. A powerful advertisement display can be performed. The display condition of the advertisement image AD is arbitrary. For example, the advertisement image AD may be displayed while the vehicle VC is parked (for example, when parked in an outdoor parking lot).

  Next, processing (“standard image display processing (abnormal display)”) in the case of displaying information (abnormal information) indicating abnormality occurring in the vehicle VC as “standard information” will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. To do. For example, even when the vehicle VC is in a parked state (that is, when the engine is in a stopped state), for example, the navigation device 100 according to the present embodiment is configured such that a part of the function is operated by standby power. (So-called standby state). The “standard image display process (abnormality display)” is started when the abnormality detection unit 230 of the detection unit 200 detects an abnormality during the operation of the navigation device 100. That is, the detection information acquisition unit 120 is started when the detection information (abnormal information) is acquired from the abnormality detection unit 230.

  The control unit 110 determines whether the acquired abnormality information indicates “fraud” or “vehicle abnormality” (step S301).

  When the acquired abnormality information indicates “fraud” such as theft or destruction of the vehicle VC (step S301: Yes), the control unit 110 acquires a predetermined “report image” from the storage unit 160, and displays the display control unit. 142 is displayed on the outer display surface of the display device 450 (step S302). Examples of the “abnormal information” indicating “fraud” include the destruction of the window of the vehicle VC, the destruction of the door lock, the use of an unauthorized key, the start of the vehicle VC by an unauthorized means, and the like. Cases apply.

  Here, the “report image” is an image for notifying the outside that an illegal act is being performed on the vehicle VC, and indicates a message such as “This car is a stolen car”, for example. . Since the “report image” needs to be viewed by a person outside the vehicle VC, the report image EM is displayed on the outer display surface of the display device 450 as shown in FIG. Moreover, in order to improve the visibility from the outside, it is desirable that the notification image EM should be displayed opaquely rather than being transparently displayed.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that predetermined display control is appropriately performed by the display control unit 142 so that a person outside the vehicle VC can easily recognize the image. For example, in addition to the message “this car is a stolen car”, a plurality of messages such as “theft incident is occurring” and “please notify the police” are prepared and sequentially displayed. Alternatively, the notification image EM may be blinked or displayed in a conspicuous color. Further, when the vehicle VC is in a stopped state, as shown in FIG. 16B, the notification image EM is displayed so as to opaquely fill the entire display area of the display device 450. It may be possible to prevent the fraudster from driving the vehicle VC and to prevent theft.

  The notification image EM is displayed until the abnormal state is recovered by the normal recovery operation (step S303 in FIG. 15: No). Here, the “regular restoration operation” is, for example, unlocking using a regular key, or a predetermined reset operation that can be performed only by the user or the manufacturer / seller of the navigation device 100.

  When such a regular restoration operation is executed (step S303: Yes), the control unit 110 ends the display of the notification image EM (step S306) and ends the process.

  On the other hand, when the “abnormal information” indicates “vehicle abnormality” indicating an abnormality in traveling of the vehicle VC (step S301: No), the control unit 110 acquires a predetermined warning image from the storage unit 160 and performs display control. The data is displayed on the inner display surface of the display device 450 by the unit 142 (step S304).

  Here, for example, an image corresponding to a warning light displayed on the instrument panel (instrument panel) of the automobile is displayed as the warning image AL. A display example of the warning image AL is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, a warning image AL is displayed on the inner display surface of the display device 450 so that the user of the vehicle VC can recognize. Since a vehicle abnormality may occur while the vehicle VC is traveling, it is desirable that the warning image AL be displayed transparently (contour display or transparent painting) so as not to disturb the driver's view. When the guide image GD is displayed on the inner display surface by the “navigation process”, the warning image AL is displayed in parallel with the display of the guide image GD. In this case, it is desirable to determine the display position of the warning image AL so that the guide image GD and the warning image AL do not overlap. This is because any image is information that should be visually recognized by the user, and the display position of the guidance image GD changes as needed according to the travel of the vehicle VC.

  The warning image AL is displayed until the vehicle abnormality is resolved (step S305: No). When the abnormality detection unit 230 detects that the vehicle abnormality is resolved (step S305: Yes), the control unit 110 ends the display of the warning image AL via the display control unit 142 (step S306), and ends the process.

  When an abnormality occurs in the vehicle VC by the above processing, the fact can be displayed on the display device 450 and notified to the user of the vehicle VC or the outside of the vehicle VC. This contributes to the prevention of accidents caused by vehicle abnormalities, the suppression of crimes, or early resolution. In this embodiment, since the image is displayed on the display device 450 corresponding to the front window FW, the notification information EM can be displayed on almost the entire surface of the front window FW, and can be effectively notified to the outside. Further, since the warning image AL normally displayed on the instrument panel or the like is displayed on the display device 450 configured on the front window FW, the driver's line of sight can be moved even if a vehicle abnormality occurs while the vehicle VC is traveling. Therefore, it is possible to notify that fact, and it is possible to safely promote the response to the vehicle abnormality.

  In the above embodiment, the display device 450 is configured as the front window FW of the vehicle VC. However, in addition to the front window FW, the display device 450 may be configured as, for example, a rear window (rear window) or a side window. . Further, the place where the display device 450 is configured is not limited to the window portion, and may be, for example, a glasses-type display device or a helmet visor. Even in such a case, various information can be intuitively recognized by the user by transparently displaying a guide image or the like so as to overlap with the external environment in the user's field of view.

  Moreover, although the case where this invention was applied to the car navigation system was illustrated in the said embodiment, you may provide as a display system which does not have a car navigation function. In this case, the display device 450 described above is configured in the window portion of the vehicle VC, and the advertisement image AD, the notification image EM, and the warning image AL are displayed in the window portion.

  In addition, the navigation system 1 according to the above embodiment may include a display device other than the display device 450, or may be configured without a display device. For example, a liquid crystal display device or the like that is conventionally installed on a dashboard of an automobile may be used as the display device for the navigation system 1. In this case, by determining the display timing of the guide image based on the vehicle speed of the vehicle VC, it is possible to display an appropriate guide image according to the vehicle speed. Or you may use together such a conventional display apparatus and the display apparatus 450 concerning the said embodiment. In this case, for example, various setting operations such as destination setting are performed using a conventional display device, and a display device 450 is used to display a guidance image during navigation. You may make it use an apparatus properly.

  Or when it is set as the structure which is not equipped with a display apparatus, the suitable guidance according to the vehicle speed can be performed by determining the output timing of a guidance audio | voice based on the vehicle speed of the vehicle VC.

  Furthermore, in the conventional car navigation apparatus, for example, when the function can be changed by rewriting the operation program, by applying a program for executing the operation for determining the output timing according to the vehicle speed of the vehicle VC as described above. Even with the conventional car navigation system, it is possible to realize appropriate guidance according to the vehicle speed. For example, such a program can be provided by being stored in a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD, or can be provided via a communication medium such as the Internet.

  In the said embodiment, although demonstrated the motor vehicle as an example as vehicle VC, this invention is applicable not only to a motor vehicle but to all vehicles. Further, the present invention can be applied not only to the vehicle but also to any moving body. That is, the vehicle VC is not limited to an automobile, and may be, for example, a railway, a ship, an aircraft, and the like, and the present invention can be applied to these.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize appropriate navigation according to the speed of the moving body (vehicle). Further, by displaying the image information so as to be superimposed on the external environment, it is possible to perform image display that satisfies both safety and convenience. Furthermore, by forming a transparent display in the window, not only the inside of the moving body (vehicle) but also the outside can be displayed, and useful information provision can be realized.

1 is a diagram schematically showing an overall configuration of a “navigation system” according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the "navigation apparatus" shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a “detection unit” illustrated in FIG. 2. It is a figure for demonstrating the "display apparatus" concerning embodiment of this invention, (a) is a figure for demonstrating the front window in which a display apparatus is comprised, (b) is displayed on a front window. It is a figure which shows a mode when an apparatus is installed, (c) is a figure which shows the example when a guidance image is displayed on a display apparatus. It is a figure for demonstrating the method to comprise the display apparatus shown in FIG. 4 in a front window, (a) shows the example in the case of fixing a display apparatus to a front window with a fixing member, (b) shows a display apparatus. The example in the case of sticking to a front window is shown, (c) shows the example in the case of holding a display apparatus with the window plate of a front window. It is a figure for demonstrating the display position of the guidance image displayed on the display apparatus shown in FIG. 4, (a) shows the example of a display of a guidance image when a guidance point is far, (b) is a guidance point. The example of a display of the guidance image when approaching is shown. It is a figure for demonstrating the display mode of the guidance image displayed on the display apparatus shown in FIG. 4, (a) shows the example of a display when a guidance image is opaquely filled, (b) is guidance. A display example when only the outline of the image is displayed is shown, and (c) shows a display example when the guidance image is transparently filled. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the "navigation process" concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship between the speed of a vehicle, and the output timing of guidance information, (a) shows typically the "guidance range" from which guidance information is output, (b) is a vehicle speed of 80 km. The position where the guidance information is output at / h is schematically shown, and (c) schematically shows the position at which the guidance information is output when the vehicle speed is 50 km / h. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship between the speed of a vehicle, and the output timing of guidance information, (a) is a graph which shows the example of the relationship between the speed corresponding to the point where the speed of a vehicle and guidance information are output. (B) shows an example of a “vehicle speed-distance correspondence table” in which the vehicle speed and the distance corresponding to the point where the guidance information is output are recorded in association with each other. It is a figure for demonstrating the example of the method of determining the display position of the guidance image displayed by the "navigation process" shown in FIG. 8, (a) shows the example of the display area allocated to a display apparatus, (b) ) Shows an example of a “distance-image correspondence table” in which the display position and size of the guidance image are recorded in association with the distance. It is a figure for demonstrating the display surface comprised by the "display apparatus" concerning embodiment of this invention, (a) shows the example of a display when displaying an image toward the inside of a vehicle, (b) ) Schematically shows the state of the image visually recognized from the outside of the vehicle in this case, and (c) schematically shows the state of the image visually recognized from the outside of the vehicle when the image is reversed. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the "standard image display process (advertisement display)" concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the advertisement image displayed by "standard image display process (advertisement display)" shown in FIG. 13, (a) shows a mode that the displayed advertisement image was seen from the inside of a vehicle, (B) schematically shows the advertisement image viewed from the outside of the vehicle. It is a flowchart for demonstrating "standard image display processing (abnormal display)" concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the image displayed by the "standard image display process (abnormal display)" shown in FIG. 15, (a) is displaying the "notification image" which shows that there is a cheating in a vehicle on a display apparatus. (B) schematically shows how the “report image” is viewed from the inside of the vehicle, and (c) is a table when a “warning image” indicating a vehicle abnormality is displayed. An example is shown.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Navigation system VC Vehicle FW Front window 100 Navigation device 200 Detection part 450 Display device

Claims (20)

Position detection means for detecting the position of the vehicle, guidance information storage means for storing at least predetermined guidance information, output means for outputting the predetermined guidance information based on at least the vehicle position detected by the position detection means, In a navigation system with
Vehicle speed detection means for detecting the speed of the vehicle;
It further comprises output control means for controlling the output of guidance information,
The output control means determines the output timing of the guidance information based on at least the speed detected by the vehicle speed detection means;
Causing the output means to output the predetermined guidance information at the determined timing;
A navigation system characterized by that. The output means further comprises display means for displaying an image showing the guidance information,
The display means displays an image so that the display image and the external environment of the vehicle are transparently superimposed.
The navigation system according to claim 1. The display means includes at least a transparent display device configured in a window portion on the front surface of the vehicle.
The navigation system according to claim 2. The transparent display device has a display area in which an area ratio of a display surface to a window area of the window portion is at least 70%,
The navigation system according to claim 3. It further includes an input means for receiving an instruction from the user,
The output control means switches the output mode of guidance information according to the instruction received by the input means.
The navigation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The input means includes
Voice input means for inputting user's voice;
Voice recognition means for recognizing a user instruction from the voice input by the voice input means;
The navigation system according to claim 5, further comprising: The output control means switches a guidance information output method based on at least the speed detected by the vehicle speed detection means.
The navigation system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The output control means switches the output of the guidance information to either voice output or image output based on a predetermined threshold for the speed.
The navigation system according to claim 7. A display system for displaying predetermined information on a mobile object,
Information acquisition means for acquiring detection information indicating at least the state of the mobile body detected by the mobile body;
Image storage means for storing predetermined image information;
A display unit that displays an image stored in the image storage unit, and an image to be displayed by the display unit and a display timing are determined based on at least the detection information acquired by the information acquisition unit. Display control means for displaying,
The display means includes an inner display surface that displays an image on the inner side of the moving body, and an outer display surface that displays an image on the outer side of the moving body,
The display control means determines a display surface for displaying the image according to the image to be displayed.
A display system characterized by that. The display means includes a transparent display device.
The display system according to claim 9. The display means displays the image so that the display image and the external environment of the moving body are transparently superimposed when displaying the image on the inner display surface.
The display system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein: The display control means displays at least predetermined guidance information used for navigation of the moving body on the inner display surface of the display means.
The display system according to claim 9, wherein the display system is a display system. The display control means displays predetermined standard information on an outer display surface of the display means;
The display system according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein: The transparent display device is configured in a window portion of the moving body.
The display system according to claim 9, wherein the display system is a display system. The transparent display device is attached to the window plate of the window portion,
The display system according to claim 14. The transparent display device is configured in a window plate of the window portion.
The display system according to claim 14. The transparent display device has a display area in which an area ratio of a display surface to a window plate area of the window portion is at least 70%,
The display system according to claim 14, wherein the display system is a display system. The transparent display device is composed of a transparent EL display.
The display system according to any one of claims 10 to 17, wherein: A navigation method in a car navigation device,
Detecting vehicle speed at any time;
Calculating the distance between the vehicle and a predetermined guidance object as needed;
Determining an output timing of predetermined guidance information according to a speed when the calculated distance becomes a predetermined value;
Outputting the guidance information at the determined output timing;
The navigation method characterized by performing. Car navigation system
Detecting vehicle speed at any time;
Calculating the distance between the vehicle and a predetermined guidance object as needed;
Determining the output timing of predetermined guidance information according to the speed when the calculated distance becomes a predetermined value;
Outputting the guidance information at the determined output timing;
A program characterized by having executed.

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