JP2007047034A - Route information providing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a route information providing device capable of setting a route to a destination considering a possibility of occurrence of suspension of traffic or the like. <P>SOLUTION: In this route information providing device, a route to the destination is searched for and reported to a driver. The route information providing device 17 is characterized by having a weather information receiving means 14 for receiving weather information 7, a safety degree determination means 21 for determining a traveling safety degree of the route based on the weather information 7 received by the weather information receiving means 14, a detour route searching means 22 for searching for a detour route detouring around a safety decline spot when the safety decline spot having the lower degree of safety than a prescribed value is detected by the safety degree determination part 21 at the traveling prediction time of the route. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle route guidance device that guides a host vehicle along a route to a set destination.

  The navigation system refers to the map information mounted on the vehicle based on the vehicle position information, displays the vehicle position on the map in the map around the vehicle and notifies the driver. Also, if the destination is input, the route from the current position to the destination is searched, and the route that is predicted to have the shortest time to reach is guided to the driver.

In addition, a system has been developed that receives information such as traffic jam information, regulatory information, and accident information from base stations and beacons installed on the side of the road, and displays this information on a display device mounted on the vehicle. There has been proposed a navigation system that sets a route while avoiding a route that is closed due to regulations (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such a navigation system, a route to a destination is set while avoiding traffic jams and road closures, so that it is possible to reset a detour route that bypasses a road on which traffic is closed.
JP 07-129893 A

  However, since the invention described in Patent Document 1 performs a route search for detouring using the information when the road closure actually occurs, there is a disadvantage that it is not reflected in the route search until the road closure occurs. . Since a road closure occurs due to changes in the weather, a road closure may occur during traveling even when no road closure has occurred when searching for a route. Therefore, it is not sufficient to search for a route based on past information, such as when a road closure has already occurred.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a route information providing apparatus capable of setting a route to a destination in consideration of the possibility of traffic closure and the like.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a weather information receiving means for receiving weather information and weather information received by the weather information receiving means in a route information providing device that searches for a route to the destination and notifies the driver. Based on the safety degree judging means for judging the driving safety degree of the route, and when the safety degree judging means detects a safety lowering point lower than a predetermined level at the predicted driving time of the route, the safety lowering part is bypassed. And a detour route search means for searching for a detour route.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the route information provision apparatus which can set the path | route to the destination can be provided in consideration of possibility that a traffic stop etc. generate | occur | produce.

  Further, in one embodiment of the present invention, when a road closure is predicted by the safety degree determination unit and a bypass route reaching the destination is not searched by the bypass route search unit, the bypass route is not searched. The fact is notified to the driver.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to notify the driver before departure that there is a possibility that the destination cannot be reached due to traffic closure.

  Moreover, in one form of this invention, when the safety fall location is detected, the postponement of the departure of a predetermined time or a break is recommended.

According to the present invention, in the case where a reduced safety point is detected, the driver can determine whether or not to postpone departure or take a break by avoiding a closed road or a detour route. If the second travel time to travel to the destination by traveling on the detour route is longer than the predetermined time than the first travel time to travel to the destination, it is recommended to postpone departure or take a break for the predetermined time It is characterized by.

  Moreover, in one form of this invention, the weather information in the estimated driving time of a route or a detour route is alert | reported with a route or a detour route.

  According to the present invention, by referring to the displayed weather information, the driver can recognize the expected weather at the time of traveling in the area, and can be prepared for sudden deterioration of the weather.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the weather information is the weather information regarding rain, cloudy or clear weather, precipitation, snowfall, wind speed, or water level.

  Further, the present invention provides a route information providing apparatus for searching for a route to a destination and notifying a driver, based on weather information receiving means for receiving weather information, and weather information received by the weather information receiving means. A safety degree judging means for judging the driving safety degree and a detour route searching means for searching for a detour route that detours the place where the safety is lowered, and the road is closed by the safety degree judging means on the return route from the destination. Is predicted, and when the detour route reaching the destination is not searched by the detour route searching means, the driver is informed that there may be a situation where it cannot return from the destination. .

  According to the present invention, after reaching the destination, the driver can be notified before reaching the destination that the detour route may not be searched and returned.

  It is possible to provide a route information providing apparatus capable of setting a route to a destination in consideration of the possibility of a road closure or the like.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a route information providing device applied to a vehicle, weather information, and the like. The vehicle 3 has an in-vehicle device 10 such as a navigation system, and can be connected to the center 1 via a wireless communication network such as a mobile phone. In addition, the vehicle 3 can receive radio waves from FM broadcasts from the broadcast station 2 or a transmitter installed on the side of the road. The vehicle 3 receives the weather information 7 via the center 1 by wireless communication or by broadcasting from the broadcasting station 2. Further, by receiving traffic information such as traffic jam information by VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System) or the like, a more accurate route search becomes possible. The weather information 7 includes predicted weather information 7a that is weather information several hours to several days later, and will be described in detail later.

  The center 1 provides various services to the vehicle 1 and includes a computer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a storage device, a communication device, and the like, and communicates with the vehicle 3 via a communication network, broadcast, or network. To do.

  The in-vehicle device 10 will be described. FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram of the in-vehicle device 10 having the route information providing device 17. The GPS receiver 11, the vehicle speed sensor 12, and the gyro sensor 13 are connected to the navigation system 16, and estimate the traveling position of the vehicle with high accuracy. The navigation system 16 has a road map DB 20 and extracts a road map around the travel position and in the forward direction from the road map DB 20 based on the estimated travel position. The extracted road map is displayed on the display device 18 together with the position of the host vehicle.

  The navigation system 16 includes a route information providing device 17 and is connected to the input device 15. When the destination is input from the input device 15, the route information providing device 17 searches for the shortest route from the estimated travel position to the destination, displays the route on the display device 18, and notifies the driver from the speaker 19. To do. The navigation system 16 is connected to the communication device 14, receives the weather information 7 and the traffic information 6, and transmits vehicle information to the center 1.

  The route information providing device 17 includes a safety degree determination unit 21 and a detour route search unit 22. The safety level determination means 21 determines the travel safety level of the route to the destination based on the weather information 7 received by the weather information reception means. Further, the detour route searching means 22 searches for a detour route that detours the safety lowered portion when the safety degree judging means 21 detects a safety lowered portion having a safety level lower than a predetermined value at the predicted travel time of the route to the destination. Explore. The driving safety level is a degree indicating whether or not the vehicle is able to travel safely because the weather affects the driving route, for example, road closure, river flooding, freezing, flooding. It indicates whether or not. A place (node or link described later) where a situation such as a road closure is predicted due to the influence of the weather is referred to as a safety lowered place. Details will be described below.

  The navigation system 16 is configured to estimate the current position while correcting the position by GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation and autonomous navigation, and adding correction by the map matching method. The GPS receiver 11 receives radio waves transmitted from a plurality of (three or more) GPS satellites, and estimates the current position of the vehicle by GPS navigation based on the arrival time of the radio waves and the position information of the GPS satellites.

  In addition, the navigation system 16 estimates the current position of the vehicle by autonomous navigation while accumulating the travel route of the vehicle based on information from the vehicle speed sensor 12 and the gyro sensor 13. And with respect to the position estimation by these GPS navigation and autonomous navigation, the present position is finally estimated with high precision by the map matching method which matches the road of the road map information extracted from the road map DB 20 and the position of the vehicle.

  The vehicle speed sensor 12 is a pulse sensor provided on each wheel, for example, and detects the vehicle speed based on the number of pulses detected at a predetermined time interval. The gyro sensor 13 detects the traveling direction of the vehicle based on the lateral G acting on the vehicle and its changing speed.

  The road map DB 20 for storing road map information is composed of a CD, a DVD-ROM, and a hard disk, and stores road map information such as road networks and intersections in association with latitude and longitude. The road map information includes information related to a node (a point where a road and a road intersect, that is, an intersection) and information related to a link (a road connecting the node and the node) corresponding to an actual road network. Stored in a table-like database.

  The node table has node numbers, coordinates, the number of links flowing out from the nodes, and their link numbers. The link table has a link number, a start node and an end node constituting the link, and a link length. The node number and the link number are determined so as not to overlap each other. Therefore, a road network is formed by following the node number and the link number.

  The road map information stores road information such as the width of the road and the number of lanes. In addition, road type information such as highways, general national roads, and local roads, and traffic rules such as speed limit, one-way traffic, U-turn prohibition, and the like are stored.

  The input device 15 inputs an operation from the driver using a push-down keyboard, buttons, remote controller, cross key, touch panel, and the like. An operation may be input by recognizing a voice generated by the driver with a microphone by a voice recognition circuit. The driver can input the destination by an address, a place name, a landmark name, a zip code, or the like.

  The display device 18 is a liquid crystal, organic EL, HUD (Head Up Display), or the like, and displays a road map, traffic information, and a route to the destination. In addition, when the input device is a touch panel, for example, the display device 18 may also be used. The speaker 19 is connected to the voice output device of the navigation system 16 and outputs a traveling direction such as an intersection guided by the navigation system 16 by voice.

  The communication device 14 receives the weather information 7 from the center 1 and receives the traffic information 6. Any receiving means may be used, but when the weather information 7 is received, the mobile phone network (GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) is used. , A PDC (Personal Digital Cellular), a PHS network, a wireless LAN, or the like to receive a radio wave. Further, when receiving predicted weather information from the broadcasting station 2, the receiving device receives radio waves such as satellite communication broadcasting, digital or analog AM / FM broadcasting, and television broadcasting.

  When the traffic information 6 is communicated, FM multiplex broadcasting is received by an FM antenna, or radio waves or light is received from a beacon provided on the side of the road. In the case of FM multiplex broadcasting, FM waves are received by the FM antenna. In the FM multiplexed wave, the traffic condition of the road in the wide area area up to the nearby prefecture, regulation information, etc. are transmitted.

  In the case of a beacon, radio waves from a beacon transmission source installed along a road are received by a beacon antenna. Beacons transmit information over a relatively short distance. The beacon transmits information such as traffic jam, link travel time, regulations, parking lot information, section travel time, and fault information. The link travel time and the section travel time are required time (travel time) from a corresponding intersection to a predetermined link or a linked section. Therefore, by receiving the traffic information by the beacon, it is possible to predict the arrival time to the destination and the traveling time to travel through each predetermined point to the destination.

  A route search will be described. As a route search method, there is known a method (for example, Dijkstra method, Boyer-Moore method) for selecting a route that minimizes the link cost accumulation from map data classified into links and nodes. . The link cost is calculated by a combination of link length, left / right turn cost, traffic regulation cost, and the like. For example, when A is the link length, B is the right / left turn cost, C is the traffic regulation cost, D is the road type coefficient, E is the road width cost coefficient, and link cost = (A + B + C) · D · E The route is searched so that the calculated value is the smallest. The road type coefficient D is set to be smaller as the road type is larger, and the road width cost coefficient E is set to be smaller as the road width is larger.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining route search by the Dijkstra method. In FIG. 3, the road network is represented by a grid, and the intersection of the grid is a node (intersection), and the line connecting the intersections is a link (road). The current location of the vehicle is estimated to be node P0, and the destination is node Pe. If there is no traffic restriction on any of the links in FIG. 3 and the road type is uniform, the link cost is minimized because the route A connecting the nodes P0 and Pe with a straight line. A is displayed on the display device 18, and the route A is notified from the speaker 19 to guide the driver to the destination Pe.

  Furthermore, when the route information providing device 17 receives the travel time of the link or section from the beacon as described above, the route information providing device 17 searches for a route that minimizes the total travel time of the link to the destination, and the link cost is minimized. The searched route can be corrected so as to be (dynamic route guidance). That is, the route guidance according to the traffic situation can be performed, and a route that can be reached in a shorter time even when making a long trip to the destination can be provided.

  When the route information providing device 17 searches for a route to the destination by adding correction by the dynamic route guidance to the Dijkstra method, for example, for each node to the destination, a transit time passing through the node or a travel time for traveling on the link (hereinafter referred to as the travel time) Simply referred to as travel time). The travel time can be calculated from the travel distance and the legal speed, and when the travel time is received from the beacon, the travel time can be accurately predicted. In FIG. 3, the current time is predicted to be t0, the travel time of the node N1 is t1, the travel time of the node N2 is t2, the travel time t3 of the node N3, and the travel time t4 of the node N4.

  By the way, the route information providing apparatus 17 can receive the weather information 7 as described above. FIG. 4 shows an example of weather information 7 received by the route information providing device 17. When the weather information 7 is received at time t0, the weather information “rainfall zero, wind speed light wind, temperature T degree”, etc., of the current location node P0 is received. Further, when the weather information 7 includes wide-area weather information 7 including the current location, the weather information of the nodes N1 to N3 and Pe can be received.

  Further, when the weather information 7 includes predicted weather information predicted in the future, the current location receives predicted weather information 7a predicted from the current time t0 to, for example, time t4.

  However, since the vehicle is moving toward the destination Pe, the vehicle does not exist at the node P0 after the time t1, and the node N1 at the time t1, the node N2 at the time t2, the node N3 at the time t3, It is predicted that the vehicle is traveling or arriving at node Pe at time t4.

  Therefore, the predicted weather information 7a is preferably weather information that matches the travel route of the vehicle and the travel time, and the route information providing device 17 uses the predicted weather information 7a to provide more safety. A high route can be provided to the driver. The route information providing device 17 extracts the predicted weather information 7a from the weather information 7 as shown in FIG. 4 based on the provided route and the predicted travel time. In FIG. 4, the predicted weather information 7a to be extracted is surrounded by a thick frame.

  The route information providing device 17 that has extracted the predicted weather information 7a determines whether or not there is a travel location with low safety in terms of weather. For example, if the rainfall per hour is known as the predicted rainfall of the predicted weather information 7a, the total rainfall expected by the driving time can be known, so if there is a driving location where the total rainfall is greater than a predetermined reference value, it is detected as a safety drop location To do.

  In addition to rainfall, when there is a bridge at a link or node, the water level of the river is higher than a predetermined reference value, or when the wind speed is higher than a predetermined reference value when there is a bridge or cliff at a link or node, When there is more snow than a predetermined reference value, the link or node is detected as a safety drop point.

  In the present embodiment, when a reduced safety location is detected, the route information providing device 17 searches for a route that bypasses the reduced safety location. For example, when the node N2 at the time t2 is detected as a safety drop point, the link length A from the node N1 to the node N3 is multiplied by an appropriate weight constant so that the route passing through the node N2 is less likely to be searched, Search for routes. If the link cost of the route A increases due to the weight constant, a bypass route with a lower link cost is searched for even if the travel distance becomes longer. Note that the link from the node N1 to the node N3 may be excluded from the searched route so that the route that travels through the reduced safety point is not searched.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of routes B and C that bypass the node N2 at time t2. In addition, since the route B or C is a route searched based on the forecast weather information 7a, if the route B or C has a reduced safety point, it is possible to search for a further detour route.

  It is to be noted that the safety drop point can be accurately detected by maintaining and using a disaster record that has actually been closed due to river flooding, strong wind, earth and sand disaster, flooding, snow cover, etc. that occurred in the past. When the route information providing device 17 searches for the route A, the disaster record is searched for whether there is a link or a node that has been closed in the past in the route A, and the weather in the case where the road is closed is referred to. It is possible to detect a lowered safety point based on the correlation between the weather when the road is closed and the predicted weather information. For example, when a rainfall of 80 to 90% is predicted from the predicted weather information 7a with respect to the rainfall when the road is closed, it can be predicted that a link or node that has been closed in the past will be closed.

  The disaster record may be held and updated as a disaster record DB in the database of the center 1 or may be held by the vehicle 3. Further, the weather when the traffic is closed may be stored by the center 1 together with the disaster record, or the vehicle 3 may be stored together with the disaster record. In addition, the vehicle 3 may acquire the weather when a disaster record or a road closure occurs from the center 1 or a predetermined server via the communication device 14.

  As described above, the route information providing device 17 can notify the driver of a route that bypasses a link or a node that may be closed based on the predicted weather information 7a during movement. In addition, when it is already closed by weather information instead of forecast weather information, a detour route may be notified. In addition, when it is known that the road has already been closed by FM multiplex broadcasting or beacon, but the forecast weather information 7a has a high probability that the weather will be improved and the road will be released, the route that travels through the closed road May be notified.

  In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which it is inevitably necessary to pass through a safety-reduced point even when searching for a detour route. Note that the search for a detour route is the same as that in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 6A shows an example of a vehicle and a road map heading to the destination. In FIG. 6A, the driver is present at the point P0 and is scheduled to travel toward the destination Pe (airport). Since the destination Pe is surrounded by the sea, it must travel on the bridge 30 in order to reach the destination Pe. Therefore, the route information providing device 17 searches for a route traveling on the bridge 30.

  When the route information providing device 17 receives the predicted weather information 7a and according to the predicted weather information 7a, it is predicted that a strong wind will blow on the bridge 30 at the time when the bridge 30 travels, a route that bypasses the bridge 30 is a road. Search from map DB20. However, since there is no route that bypasses the bridge 30, informing the driver of the route traveling on the searched bridge 30 is not preferable because the driver encounters a closed road.

  In a present Example, when the route which detours a safety | security fall location cannot be searched in this way, the fact which concerns is notified before a departure, and the judgment material whether to go to the destination Pe is provided to a driver | operator.

  FIG. 6B shows an example of notification contents when a route detouring the reduced safety point displayed on the display device 18 cannot be searched. When a route that bypasses the safety-reduced location cannot be searched, the route information providing device 17 displays on the display device 18, for example, “Because of the strong wind, only a route passing through a location that may be closed is searched”.

  By referring to the display as shown in FIG. 6 (b), the driver can recognize that there is a possibility that the route to the destination Pe may be closed. Judgment can be made at an early stage, such as withdrawal or postponement.

  If a strong wind has already blown on the bridge 30 when the route search is performed and it is not possible to search for a route that bypasses the safety-decreasing point, whether or not it is better to inform the driver to the destination Pe Judgment materials can be provided.

  FIG. 6C shows an example of notification contents displayed on the display device 18 when a route that has already detoured around the reduced safety point cannot be searched. If it is not possible to search for a route that has already bypassed the safety-decreasing portion, the route information providing device 17 displays on the display device 18 "Because of the strong wind, only the route that passes the passage that is currently closed has been searched." .

  Even if the road is currently closed, it is preferable to notify the information when the strong wind is already settled according to the weather information or when the strong wind is predicted to be settled according to the predicted weather information. is there. The driver recognizes that there is a possibility that the road closure may be released, and can make an early decision such as determination of another means of transportation to reach the destination Pe, cancellation of the departure, postponement.

  In FIG. 6, it is assumed that there is a reduced safety point that cannot be detoured on the route to the destination Pe, but it is difficult to reach the destination Pe by the vehicle even when there is a reduced safety point at or near the destination Pe. For example, there is a river near the destination Pe, and there is a possibility that the river will overflow.

  FIG. 7A shows an example of the content of notification when there is a reduced safety point near the destination Pe displayed on the display device 18. In FIG. 7A, the driver is present at the point P0 and is planning to travel toward the destination Pe. A river 31 flows in the vicinity of the destination Pe.

  When the route information providing device 17 receives the predicted weather information 7a, and the predicted weather information 7a predicts that the river 31 may be flooded, the target can be obtained even if the vehicle can travel to the vicinity of the destination Pe. Since the ground Pe cannot be reached, the driver encounters a foothold, which is not preferable.

  Therefore, when there is a safety drop near the destination Pe, the route information providing device 17, as in FIG. 6A, “There is a possibility that a river will be flooded in the vicinity of the destination and the destination cannot be reached. May be displayed ”on the display device 18.

  The driver can recognize that there is a possibility that the destination Pe cannot be reached by referring to the display as shown in FIG. 6 (b), determine another transportation means to reach the destination Pe, cancel the departure, Judgment can be made early, such as postponement.

  In addition, when the destination Pe is already in a safety-reduced place when the route search is performed, similarly, it is possible to provide the driver with information to determine whether or not the destination Pe is heading for the destination Pe. It becomes.

  FIG. 7B shows an example of the notification content displayed on the display device 18 in the case where there is already a reduced safety point near the destination Pe. When the destination Pe is already a safety-decreasing point, the route information providing device 17 displays on the display device 18 that “the river near the destination is flooded and it is difficult to reach the destination”. To do.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a detour route that detours around the lowered safety point cannot be searched, the driver can be notified early, so that the driver can determine another means of transportation to reach the destination Pe, Judgment can be made at an early stage, such as cancellation or postponement of departure.

  In this embodiment, a case will be described in which, after reaching the destination, it is necessary to travel in a place where there is a risk of being closed, and to return to the departure direction.

  As shown in FIG. 6 (a), when it is necessary to travel on the bridge 30 to reach the destination Pe, the bridge 30 is not closed but can reach the destination Pe, but is closed when returning to the departure point. It may become. In such a case, before reaching the destination (preferably before departure), it is preferable to notify the driver that there is a possibility of being closed when returning to the departure point.

  In the outbound route to the destination, it is possible to predict the time when the vehicle travels in the lowered safety location depending on the distance to the destination and the travel time, but the route information providing device 17 cannot determine how much time is spent at the destination. It is not possible to predict the time when the vehicle travels in a place where safety is reduced. Therefore, for example, it is determined based on the predicted weather information 7a whether or not there is a link or a node that may not be closed within a predetermined time (for example, 24 hours, hereinafter referred to as a round trip estimated time) from the departure time. To do.

  Briefly, the route information providing apparatus 17 has a link or node between the departure point and the destination that may be closed within the estimated round-trip time after the predicted arrival time to reach the destination, and If there is no detour route, the route information providing device 17 notifies the driver of the road closure guidance.

  FIG. 8 shows an example of the notification content displayed on the display device 18 when there is a possibility that the user cannot return from the destination. In FIG. 8, the driver is present at the point P0 and is scheduled to travel toward the destination Pe (airport). Since the destination Pe is surrounded by the sea, it must travel on the bridge 30 in order to reach the destination Pe.

  As in the second embodiment, the route information providing device 17 receives the predicted weather information 7a and determines whether or not a strong wind is predicted at the time when the bridge 30 travels according to the weather information 7a. . Further, the route information providing device 17 determines whether or not there is a place where the safety is lowered within the estimated round trip time after the predicted arrival time based on the predicted weather information 7a. When a reduced safety point is detected on the bridge 30, there is no detour route, so the route information providing device 17 displays “There is a risk of being closed due to strong winds after XX time” on the display device 18. If the time at which the road closure is released is predicted, it is preferable to display them together.

  The notification as shown in FIG. 8 may be performed only when a predetermined condition is satisfied. For example, when there is no need to return from the destination, there is no need to notify the traffic stop guidance as shown in FIG. For example, when the navigation system 16 sets the home as a starting point and departs from a predetermined range from the home or home, it can be predicted that the user will return to the home (there is a route for the forward path and the return path). Therefore, in the case where the home is set as the starting point in the navigation system 16, it is not necessary to assume that the route is returned to the airport when a route search is performed with the airport side as the departure point.

  For this reason, the case where the departure point is at home or the vicinity thereof can be set as a condition for notification of traffic closure on the return path. Whether the vehicle is on the home side or the destination side across a link (a bridge in FIG. 8) that cannot travel when the road is closed can be determined by link topology analysis. The home position is registered in the navigation system.

  In addition, if it is not possible to reach the destination, there is no need to notify the return route, so that the arrival to the destination can be predicted as a condition for notifying the traffic on the return route.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, after reaching the destination, it is possible to notify in advance that there is a possibility that the road may be closed in a state where there is no detour route, so there is a possibility that the destination cannot be returned. It is possible to recognize that there is, and it is possible to make an early decision such as examination of the time to return from the destination or postponement.

  In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which there are a wide range of places where the safety is lowered and it takes a long time to travel on the detour route. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the relationship between the travel route and the expected rainfall. In FIG. 9 (a), a rain cloud passes through the route D from the starting point P0 to the destination Pe, and rainfall of a predetermined amount or more is expected at the passing point. In FIG. 9A, an area 60 (hereinafter referred to as “rainfall area”) having a predetermined amount of rainfall covers the route D.

  In this embodiment, the vehicle travels in the area where the rain region 60 covers a predetermined area of the route D. The route information providing device 17 determines that there is a portion of reduced safety due to the rain region 60 at the time of traveling on the route D based on the predicted weather information 7a as shown in FIG. 4, and searches for a detour route.

  FIG. 9B shows an example of a detour route searched by the route information providing device 17. Since the detour route E avoids the relatively wide rainfall region 60, the detour route E is longer than the route D. As described above, when the detour route is longer than the initial route D by a predetermined amount or more, the driver is forced to have a longer driving time, so it is preferable to notify the driver in advance.

  The travel time expected to be necessary for traveling on the detour route can be estimated from the travel time by beacon, travel distance and legal speed. Therefore, when the time to travel on route E is longer than a predetermined time (for example, α hours) compared to the time to travel on route D, the route information providing device 17 “travels longer due to the detour route ○○ time” Are displayed on the display device 18. The driver can recognize the display and make an appropriate judgment.

  In addition, when the α time longer than the predetermined time is required for traveling on the detour route, the route information providing device 17 can recommend postponing the departure time or taking a break on the way. In many cases, the rain region 60 that has more rainfall as it detours moves in a short time or the rain is weakened. FIG. 9C shows a state in which the rain region 60 has moved away from the route D after a predetermined time has elapsed. If the rain region 60 is separated from the route D within a predetermined time as shown in FIG. 9 (c), it is better to wait until the rain region 60 passes than traveling along the detour route E over a long time. This is preferable in terms of fuel consumption and driver fatigue.

  FIG. 10A shows an example of notification content that recommends postponement of departure before departure displayed on the display device 18. In FIG. 10 (a), the route information providing device 17 recommends postponing the departure, so “It is recommended to depart after about ○ hours because it is necessary to travel on the detour route when it departs now.” Is displayed.

  FIG. 10B shows an example of the notification content displayed on the display device 18 that recommends taking a break on the way before departure. In FIG. 10B, the route information providing device 17 recommends that the departure be postponed, so it is necessary to take a detour for about ○ time on the way because it is necessary to travel on the detour route. Is displayed.

  Whether to postpone departure or recommend a break depends on the difference between the time expected to travel on the detour route E and the time expected to travel on the original route D, and a decrease in safety from the route D. This can be determined by the time until no place is detected. That is, if the rain region 60 and the route D do not overlap after the lapse of T time, the route D can be traveled after the lapse of T time or a little later.

  Therefore, if the T time is about the same as the α time or shorter than the α time, it is more efficient for the driver to postpone the departure or take a break. If the T time is longer than the α time by a predetermined amount (for example, T> 1.5 × α), the detour route will be used to reach the destination earlier than the postponed departure even if the mileage is longer it can.

  By the way, when it is recommended to take a break, the break may be taken at the departure point or immediately before the rain region 60. However, if a break is taken too early after departure, a search for a parking place is necessary, or a break is caused too far from the destination, which is a psychological burden. In addition, during traveling to the rain region 60, the weather in the rain region 60 may recover early and the route D may be able to travel earlier than predicted. Therefore, it is preferable that the route information providing device 17 recommends a break when it is possible to take a break more than a predetermined distance from the departure point.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a break point and a rain region. If the end of the rain region 60 on the departure point side is separated from the departure point Pe by a predetermined distance or more, the driver can take a break at, for example, the point R after traveling to some extent. Also, as shown by the dotted line, when the end of the rain region 60 ′ on the departure point side is not more than the predetermined distance from the departure point Pe, if a break is taken at the point R ′, the travel distance from the departure point is not sufficient, so the route information The providing device 17 recommends the driver to postpone the departure instead of taking a break.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is determined whether or not the detour route is longer than the predetermined value. Or taking a break along the way. In addition, it is possible to notify the driver by determining whether it is appropriate to run the detour route, postpone the departure, or take a break.

  If the route to the destination, its travel time, and predicted weather information are acquired, the weather that the driver encounters while traveling to the destination can be notified to the driver even at the departure point. If there is no location where the safety is reduced, the weather of the route with the lowest link cost is displayed. If a location where the safety is reduced is detected and a bypass route is searched, the weather of the bypass route is displayed.

  FIG. 12A is a diagram showing the predicted weather information displayed on the travel route displayed on the display device 18. In FIG. 12A, the searched route F is displayed on the road map divided into predetermined regions such as prefectures and cities, and weather predicted for each region is displayed by weather marks.

  Since the searched route F travels AREA1 to AREA5, the weather at the time when the vehicle travels on the route F from the state where the vehicle is at the main departure point P0 and travels in each area of AREA1 to AREA5 is displayed. . For example, it is expected that AREA 1 and 2 are cloudy after rain, AREA 3 is cloudy and clear, and AREA 4 and 5 are clear. In addition, the visibility of a driver | operator is improved by displaying the area | region of the same weather mark by the same color.

  The driver can recognize the expected weather at the time of traveling in the area by referring to FIG. 12A, and can prepare for sudden deterioration of the weather.

  If the vehicle travels along route F, the predicted weather information 7a acquired at the travel time is updated and displayed. FIG. 12B shows the predicted weather information 7a predicted in AREA1 and AREA2 at the time when the travel of AREA2 is completed. The time when the vehicle has already traveled, such as AREA 1 and 2, may be predicted when returning to the destination without staying at the destination, or the driver may input the time when the vehicle is scheduled to return to the departure point. The travel times of AREA 1 and 2 calculated based on the time may be used. In FIG. 12B, it is predicted that the time around AREA 1 and 2 will be cloudy.

  Note that the actual weather at the time to be displayed may be displayed as the weather in the area where the traveling has ended, instead of the weather expected at the time of returning to the traveling area. Moreover, you may make it switch by a driver | operator's operation, and you may display two weathers, such as an upper stage and a lower stage, in each area | region of the display apparatus 18, for example.

  Moreover, when the safety fall location is detected, it is suitable to display a safety fall location on a road map. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the temporal transition of the expected rainfall displayed on the road map.

  FIG. 13 shows the amount of rainfall per hour predicted at 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00, the predicted travel route of the vehicle, and the predicted position of the vehicle. The rain is displayed in a darker color as the amount of rain increases, and the driver can easily recognize the rain. Further, a rainfall table 54 showing the relationship between the rainfall and the displayed color is displayed on a part of the display device 18.

  Since the predicted arrival time at which the destination Pe is reached is predicted, the reduced safety point occurring before the predicted arrival time is also predicted at the departure based on the predicted weather information 7a. The route information providing device 17 searches for the route G based on one or a plurality of safety lowered portions.

  For example, when it is predicted that the safety lowered portion X1 will occur at 10:00, the route G and the safety lowered portion X1 and the travel position predicted at about 10:00 are displayed on the 10:00 road map. In addition, when the safety decrease point X2 occurs at 11:00, the safety decrease point X2 is additionally displayed on the road map at 11:00 together with the expected rainfall.

  In addition, not only the safety-reduced location where the possibility of closing is high, but also a semi-safety-reduced location that can be a safety-reduced location when the rainfall further increases may be detected and displayed. In this way, since the road map that has been color-coded by the amount of rain and the safety-decreasing point X1 and the quasi-safety-decreasing point is displayed as time elapses, the driver may affect driving due to the weather. Can be recognized.

  According to this embodiment, the weather forecast can be provided to the driver in accordance with the travel time of the travel route. Further, since the predicted weather information that changes with the passage of time can be displayed together with the travel position and the safety drop point, the driver can easily recognize the influence of the weather on the travel.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a route information providing apparatus capable of setting a route to a destination in consideration of the possibility of traffic closure and the like. In addition, although the vehicle 3 has the function of the route information providing device 17, the safety degree determining unit 21 of the route information providing device 17 may be provided by the center 1. In this case, the vehicle 1 transmits the originally searched route to the center 1. The center 1 determines whether or not there is a reduced safety location based on the weather information 7 and the route. If there is a reduced safety location, the center 1 transmits it to the vehicle 3, so that the vehicle 3 can search for a bypass route.

It is a figure which shows the relationship between the route information provision apparatus applied to the vehicle, weather information, etc. It is a functional block diagram of the vehicle-mounted apparatus which has a route information provision apparatus. It is a figure for demonstrating the route search by the Dijkstra method. It is an example of the weather information which a route information provision apparatus receives. It is an example of the route which detours a safety fall part. It is a figure which shows an example of the vehicle and road map which go to the destination. It is an example of the alerting | reporting content when there exists a safety fall location in the vicinity of the destination. It is an example of the alerting | reporting content when there exists a possibility that it may become impossible to return from the destination. It is a figure which shows the relationship between a driving | running route and the rain which is estimated. It is an example of the alerting content which recommends the postponement of departure before departure. It is a figure which shows the relationship between a rest point and a rainfall area. It is a figure which shows the prediction weather information displayed on the driving | running route. It is a figure which shows the time transition of the estimated rainfall displayed on a road map.

Explanation of symbols

1 Center 3 Vehicle 6 Traffic Information 7 Weather Information 16 Navigation System 17 Route Information Providing Device

Claims (7)

Weather information receiving means for receiving weather information in a route information providing device that searches for a route to the destination and notifies the driver;
Safety degree determination means for determining the travel safety degree of the route based on the weather information received by the weather information reception means;
When a safety lowered portion where the safety level is lower than a predetermined level is detected by the safety level determination unit at the predicted travel time of the route,
A detour route search means for searching for a detour route that detours the safety degradation point;
A route information providing apparatus comprising: When the safety degree determination means predicts the occurrence of a closed road in the route, and the bypass route search means does not search for the bypass route reaching the destination,
Notifying the driver that the detour route is not searched,
The route information providing apparatus according to claim 1. If the reduced safety point is detected, it is recommended to postpone departure for a predetermined time or take a break.
The route information providing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that If the second travel time traveling on the detour route and traveling to the destination is longer than the predetermined time than the first travel time traveling on the route to the destination, the departure of the predetermined time Recommend postponement or break,
4. The route information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein Along with the route or the detour route, the weather information at the predicted travel time of the route or the detour route is notified.
5. The route information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The weather information is the weather information relating to rainy weather, cloudy or clear weather, precipitation, snowfall, wind speed, or water level.
The route information providing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: Weather information receiving means for receiving weather information in a route information providing device that searches for a route to the destination and notifies the driver;
Safety degree determination means for determining the travel safety degree of the route based on the weather information received by the weather information reception means;
A detour route search means for searching for a detour route that detours the safety degradation point,
In the case of a return trip from the destination, when it is predicted that the route will be closed by the safety degree determination means, and the bypass route reaching the destination is not searched by the bypass route search means,
Notifying the driver that there may be situations where it is not possible to return from the destination,
A route information providing apparatus characterized by that.