JP2007108119A - Navigation system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide "a navigation system" for displaying to automatically acquire real time images of a spot needed by a driver. <P>SOLUTION: The navigation system comprises storing a telephone number of a video provider providing camera specifying data specifying cameras C1 and C2 photographing a landscape of a prescribed spot and videos photographed by the cameras, specifying the camera when being a condition displaying the video photographed by any one camera, acquiring the provider telephone number of the video photographed by the specified camera, and acquiring a live video photographed by the camera by calling the video provider to be displayed with a map. For instance, live images photographed by the camera C1 installed on a road on a guide route GR to a destination in a jammed road specifying road traffic information provided from the outside and live images photographed by the camera C2 installed on a detour road RDP detouring the jammed road are displayed to be referred to road selection of the driver. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation device that displays a map and a guide route to a destination and guides a vehicle toward the destination, and more particularly to a navigation device that displays a live video of a predetermined point together with a map.

The in-vehicle navigation device displays a map, searches for a route to the destination, displays the searched route (guidance route) on the map, and guides the vehicle toward the destination. Such a navigation device has a function of displaying a crowded road based on road traffic information (for example, VICS information) acquired from the outside, a function of displaying a parking lot around the vehicle, a function of displaying tourist spots around the vehicle, and the like. .
The navigation device displays the traffic congestion by changing the color of the crowded road on the map or displaying the congestion line in parallel with the road when displaying the traffic congestion by VICS information, and displaying the availability of parking lots In this case, the icon color (red) indicating a parking lot is displayed as full, and the vacant space is displayed in green. Moreover, the tourist spot conveys the contents of the tourist spot to the user by drawing a still image stored in the database of the navigation device.
However, in the conventional navigation device, the user can know only the information provided by the navigation device. For this reason, it is impossible to know the current road traffic information, parking conditions, and sightseeing spots, and refer to these current road traffic information, parking conditions, and sightseeing spots. I couldn't act.

For example, when displaying traffic jams with VICS information,
・ There is a lot of traffic from the display ... However, there is no choice but to go over there ...
・ How much is it actually jammed? What should I do…. (Troubled!)
This happens. Also, in the parking lot display, if all the surrounding parking lots are full,
・ Which parking lot is full? But I'd like to stop around here ...
・ How long are you actually waiting? I'll wait if it's free soon ... (Troubled!)
This happens. In the case of a tourist spot display,
・ The cherry blossom season ... Navi says that is a tourist spot. If it hasn't bloomed yet, it looks like an idiot ...
・ How is it actually? I wonder if it's blooming ... (Troubled!)
This happens.
As a conventional technology, intersection images taken with a camera are stored in a terminal device installed on a telephone box, telephone pole, traffic light, etc. every day or every hour, and the navigation device guides the route via the telephone line. An intersection image is acquired from the terminal device at the upper intersection and displayed together with a map (see Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-202761

However, the conventional technology does not automatically acquire and display the real-time image of the spot required by the driver. In particular, the congestion situation, the parking situation, and the tourist spot situation at the predetermined spot required by the driver are automatically It is not intended to be acquired and displayed.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to automatically acquire and display a real-time image of a point required by a driver.
Another object of the present invention is to automatically acquire and display a congestion situation, a parking situation, and a sightseeing spot situation at a predetermined point required by the driver.

According to the present invention, in the navigation device that displays a map and a guide route to a destination and guides the vehicle toward the destination, the camera specifying data for specifying a camera that captures a landscape at a predetermined point, and Storage means for storing the telephone number of the video provider that provides the video taken by the camera, camera specifying means for specifying the camera when any camera displays the video taken, and camera specification A telephone number acquisition unit for acquiring from the storage means a telephone number of a video taken by the camera specified by the means, a video acquisition unit for calling the video provider and acquiring a video taken by the camera, This is achieved by a navigation device including a display unit that displays an image together with a map.
The navigation device of the present invention further includes a guidance route search unit that searches for a guidance route to a destination, a road traffic information acquisition unit that acquires road traffic information from the outside, and road traffic information that displays a degree of road congestion on a map. A display unit, wherein the storage means stores an installation position of the camera and a telephone number of a video source taken by the camera, and the camera specifying means is installed on a road that is the congested road and constitutes a guide route The telephone number of the selected camera is obtained from the storage means.
The guidance route search unit searches for a bypass road that bypasses a congested road, and the camera specifying means obtains a telephone number of a camera installed on the bypass road from the storage means.
The navigation device of the present invention further includes a parking lot information display unit for searching and displaying a parking lot around the vehicle on the map and displaying whether or not the parking lot is full. Stores the parking lot where the camera is installed and the source telephone number of the video taken by the camera, and if the surrounding parking lot is full, the camera specifying means takes a picture taken by the camera installed in each parking lot Is obtained from the storage means.
The navigation device of the present invention further includes a sightseeing spot information display unit for searching for a sightseeing spot around the vehicle and displaying it on a map, and displaying information about the sightseeing spot, and the storage means is provided with a camera. The camera-providing telephone number of the video taken by the camera is stored, and the camera specifying means obtains the telephone-source telephone number of the video taken by the camera installed in the tourist area around the vehicle from the storage means.

According to the present invention, camera identification data for identifying a camera that captures a landscape at a predetermined point and a telephone number of a video provider that provides a video captured by the camera are stored, and a video captured by one of the cameras is stored. When the situation to be displayed is reached, the camera is identified, the telephone number of the video source taken by the identified camera is obtained, the video taken by the camera is obtained by calling the video provider, and the map is obtained. Since it is displayed together with this, a real-time image of a point required by the driver can be automatically acquired and displayed.
According to the present invention, a live image of an actual congestion situation at a predetermined point required by the driver (for example, a point on a road that is a congested road and forms a guidance route or a point on a detour road that bypasses a congested road). Can be displayed and provided to the driver.
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide the driver with a live image by displaying the actual full vehicle situation and the waiting condition in each parking lot when the surrounding parking lots are full.
In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a driver with cherry blossoms and the like by displaying the scenery at a sightseeing spot around the vehicle as a live image.

  Camera identification data that identifies the camera that captures the scenery at a given location and the phone number of the video provider that provides the video captured by the camera are stored, and the situation is such that the video captured by one of the cameras is displayed. At this time, the camera is specified, the telephone number of the video source taken by the specified camera is acquired, the live video shot by the camera by calling the video provider is acquired and displayed together with the map. For example, a live image captured by a camera installed on a road that is identified by road traffic information provided from the outside and that is on the road on the route to the destination, and a detour that bypasses the congested road Display live images taken by the camera to help drivers select a road.

(A) On-vehicle navigation device FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an on-vehicle navigation device that implements the present invention. A map storage medium (for example, hard disk, DVD, etc.) 11 holds map data, and navigation control. The apparatus 12 reads predetermined map information. The vehicle position calculation unit 13 calculates the current vehicle position based on signals input from the self-contained navigation sensor (azimuth sensor, mileage sensor) 14 and the GPS receiver 15, and inputs it to the navigation control device 12. A road traffic information receiving unit 16 such as a VICS information receiving unit receives road traffic information provided from the outside and inputs it to the navigation control device 12. An operation unit 17 such as a touch panel or a remote controller inputs various commands for navigation and various settings and inputs the commands to the navigation control device 12. The display device (monitor) 18 displays a map created by the navigation control device 12 and various menus, displays a guidance route, a parking lot, a sightseeing spot, etc. on the drawn map in an identifiable manner. Display an image. The telephone interface 19 performs an interface function between the mobile telephone 20 and the navigation control device. For example, the mobile telephone 20 is requested to call the other party instructed by the navigation control device 12 to obtain a live image, and the mobile telephone 20 provides live video providing providers 21a and 21b based on the moving image distribution service. , 21c,... Are input to the navigation control device 12.

Live video providers 21a, 21b, 21c, ... hold live video taken by cameras installed at road intersections, parking lots, sightseeing spots, etc., and are distributed on demand. Each live video provider does not provide live video for all locations, but only provides live video for several locations assigned to it. Recent 3G mobile phone terminals are able to use video distribution services using videophones, and by calling a phone number for the service, video or real-time live video stored in the other server is displayed. The navigation control device 12 can acquire and display a live video of a required point via the mobile phone by using this moving image distribution service.
The map drawing control unit 31 of the navigation control device 12 generates a map image based on the map data around the vehicle and displays it on the monitor 18, and the route search control unit 32 searches for a route (guide route) to the destination. In addition to identifying and displaying on the map, a bypass route with a low cost is searched by avoiding a congested road. Based on the VICS information, the VICS display control unit 33 displays a congested road on the map in an identifiable manner, and performs live image acquisition and display control of a predetermined point on the road. The parking lot search control unit 34 searches for and displays a parking lot around the vehicle on the map, and performs acquisition and display control of a live image of a predetermined parking lot. The sightseeing spot search control unit 35 searches for sightseeing spots around the vehicle and displays them on a map, and performs acquisition and display control of live video of the sightseeing spots.

(B) VICS Information Display Control FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of display control of the VICS display control unit 33. In FIG. 2 (a), VM is a vehicle mark displayed at the current vehicle position, and a bold GR is a guidance route. When the vehicle is traveling along the guidance route GR, the VICS display control unit 33 displays a parallel line TRL of a color corresponding to the degree of congestion in parallel with the congested road TRR based on the VICS information received from the outside. . In addition, the route search unit 32 searches for and displays a detour route RDP that detours a congested road. Next, the VICS display control unit 33 is a congested road, a live image LIM1 taken by the camera C1 installed on the road on the guidance route to the destination, and a camera installed on the detour road RDP that bypasses the congested road The live video LIM2 captured by C2 is acquired and displayed together with a reduced map MAP as shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of the VICS display control unit 33, and the same components as those in FIG. The VICS information analysis unit 33a analyzes the received VICS information. If there is a congested road, the VICS information analysis unit 33a discriminates the congested road, and the congested road information is sent to the congested image generation unit 33b, the live video display control unit 33c, and the route search control unit 32. Enter each.
The congestion image generation unit 33b generates a parallel line TRL (FIG. 2 (a)) parallel to the congestion road and displays the congestion road in an identifiable manner. If there is a congested road on the guidance route, the route search control unit 32 searches for a detour road that bypasses the congested road, displays it on the monitor, and inputs it to the live video display control unit 33c. In the live video provider telephone number storage unit 33d, correspondence is set between the camera number installed at each point in advance, the phone number of the live video provider that provides video captured by the camera, and the camera installation position.

The live video display control unit 33c refers to the location data of the crowded road and the camera installation position, and determines the phone number of the live video provider of the camera C1 installed on the crowded road from the live video provider phone number storage unit 33d. Ask. Next, the live video captured by the camera C1 is fetched from the live video providing provider via the telephone interface 19 and the mobile telephone 20, and stored in the live video storage generating unit 33e. Further, the live video display control unit 33c refers to the position data of the detour road and the camera installation position, and the live video provider phone of the camera C2 installed on the detour road from the live video provider telephone number storage unit 33d. Ask for a number. Next, the live video captured by the camera C2 is fetched from the live video providing provider via the telephone interface 19 and the mobile telephone 20, and stored in the live video storage generating unit 33e. Thereafter, the live video storage generation unit 33e displays the stored live videos LIM1 and LIM2 taken by the cameras C1 and C2, as shown in FIG. 2 (b).
As described above, the congestion degree of the congested road and the detour road is displayed in the live video, so that the driver can appropriately determine which road to select and travel in the subsequent driving.

(C) Parking lot display control FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the display control of the parking lot search control unit 34. In FIG. 4 (a), VM is a vehicle mark displayed at the current vehicle position, and P1 to P4 are parking lot positions. It is a parking lot icon shown. The parking lot search control unit 34 searches the vicinity of the parking lot, displays the parking lot icons P1 to P4 at the parking lot position, displays the icon in red if the vehicle is full, and displays the icon in green if there is a vacancy. indicate. Further, if the entire parking lot is full, the parking lot search control unit 34 acquires live images LIM1 to LIM4 taken by the cameras C1 to C4 installed in the parking lot, as shown in FIG. 4 (b). The display is switched sequentially with the map MAP reduced in size.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of the parking lot search control unit 34, and the same parts as those in FIG. When a search for the vicinity of the parking lot is instructed by the operation unit 17, the parking lot search unit 34a searches for a parking lot existing around the car with reference to the parking lot information and the vehicle position stored in the parking lot database 34b. To do. Since the parking lot database 34b holds the parking lot name, its location, and the degree of congestion (full, empty) and other information (charges, business hours, etc.), the parking lot search unit 34a The parking lot information existing around the vehicle is obtained from the position and input to the parking lot image generation unit 34c and the live video display control unit 34d. The congestion level (full / empty) information is periodically acquired by the parking lot search unit from a parking lot congestion state providing server (not shown) and stored in the parking lot database 34b.
Based on the input parking lot information, the parking lot image generating unit 34c displays icons P1 to P4 at the parking lot positions as shown in FIG. Next, the live video display control unit 34d checks whether all the surrounding parking lots are full based on the input parking lot information, and if it is full, the live video display source telephone number storage unit 34e enters the parking lot. Obtain the phone number of the live video provider of the installed cameras C1 to C4. When the phone number is obtained, the live video display control unit 34d captures the live video captured by the cameras C1 to C4 from the live video providing provider via the telephone interface 19 and the mobile phone 20, and stores it in the live video storage generation unit 34f. To do. The live video storage generation unit 34f displays the live videos LIM1 to LIM4 captured by the stored cameras C1 to C4 by sequentially switching one by one or two as shown in FIG. 4 (b).
As described above, live images of full parking lots are sequentially displayed, so the driver can grasp the current congestion of each parking lot and the situation of the vehicle waiting for vacancy, and can appropriately determine which parking lot to park. Time can be shortened.

(D) Sightseeing Spot Display Control FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of display control of the sightseeing spot search control unit 35. In FIG. 6 (a), VM is a vehicle mark displayed at the current vehicle position, GR is a guidance route, and SSP1 to SSP2 Is a sightseeing spot icon indicating a sightseeing spot position. The sightseeing spot search control unit 35 searches for sightseeing spots existing around the vehicle or at a short distance from the guidance route, displays the sightseeing spot icons SS1 to SSP2 at the position, and displays the sightseeing spot icons SS1 to SSP2 at the request of FIG. 6 (b). As shown, the contents SPMG of the requested tourist spots SSP1 to SSP2 and the live images LIM1 to LIM2 taken by the cameras C1 to C2 installed in the tourist spot SSP1 are displayed together with the reduced map MAP.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the sightseeing spot search control unit 35. The same parts as those in FIG. The tourist spot search unit 35a searches for tourist spots existing around the vehicle with reference to the tourist spot information and the vehicle position stored in the tourist spot database 35b. The tourist spot database 35b stores the location of the tourist spot, the contents of the tourist spot, and other information in association with the tourist spot name. Therefore, the tourist spot search unit 35a uses the vehicle from the tourist spot position and the vehicle position. The sightseeing spots existing in the vicinity are obtained and input to the sightseeing spot image generation unit 35c and the live video display control unit 35d. The tourist spot image generator 35c displays tourist spot icons SSP1 to SSP2 at the tourist spot positions as shown in FIG. 6 (a) based on the inputted tourist spot information.
In this state, when a predetermined icon, for example, a sightseeing spot icon SSP1 is selected by the operation unit 17 to display the detailed information of the sightseeing spot, the sightseeing spot image generating unit 35c displays the content SPMG of the selected sightseeing spot SSP1 as shown in FIG. Display as shown in (b). In addition, the live video display control unit 35d obtains the phone number of the live video providing provider of the camera C1 installed at the tourist spot selected from the live video providing source telephone number storage unit 35e, and the telephone interface 19 and the mobile phone 20 The live video captured by the camera C1 is fetched from the live video providing provider via the and stored in the live video storage generating unit 35f. Thereafter, the live video save generation unit 35f displays the saved live video LIM1 taken by the camera C1 as shown in FIG. 6 (b).
As described above, since a live video of a sightseeing spot is displayed, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not to stop at the sightseeing spot by grasping the situation of the sightseeing spot, for example, the condition of cherry blossoms.
In the above description, it was explained that the live video is simply saved, but it is displayed as it is, or whether the received live video is displayed as it is, whether the moving image is recorded for a short time and cut immediately (charge saving), still It is possible to control display such as capturing as a picture, cutting immediately and displaying a still picture (fee saving). It is also possible to disconnect immediately and repeat the control to access the live video provider at another point, and simultaneously acquire a plurality of moving images or still images and display them sequentially on the map.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a vehicle-mounted navigation device that implements the present invention. 5 is a display control explanatory diagram of a VICS display control unit 33. FIG. It is a block diagram of a VICS display control part. It is display control explanatory drawing of a parking lot search control part. It is a block diagram of a parking lot search control part. It is display control explanatory drawing of a sightseeing spot search control part. It is a block diagram of a sightseeing spot search control part.

Explanation of symbols

11 Map storage media (eg hard disk, DVD, etc.)
12 navigation control device 13 vehicle position calculation unit 16 road traffic information reception unit 17 operation unit 18 display device (monitor)
19 Telephone interface 20 Mobile phone
21a, 21b, 21c, ... Live video provider

Claims (5)

In a navigation device for guiding a vehicle to a destination by displaying a map and a guide route to the destination,
Storage means for storing camera identification data for identifying a camera that captures a landscape at a predetermined point and a telephone number of a video provider that provides video captured by the camera;
Camera specifying means for specifying the camera when any camera displays the captured video,
A telephone number acquisition unit for acquiring, from the storage unit, a source telephone number of an image captured by the camera specified by the camera specifying unit;
A video acquisition unit that calls the video provider and acquires video captured by the camera;
A display unit for displaying the video together with a map;
A navigation device characterized by comprising: The navigation device
A guide route search unit for searching a guide route to the destination,
Road traffic information acquisition unit that acquires road traffic information from outside,
Road traffic information display section that displays the degree of road congestion on the map,
The storage means stores the installation position of the camera and the telephone number of the video source taken by the camera, and the camera specifying means is installed on the road that is the congested road and constitutes the guide route Obtain the camera phone number from the storage means;
The navigation device according to claim 1. The guidance route search unit searches for a detour road that detours a congested road, and the camera specifying means obtains a telephone number of a camera installed on the detour road from the storage means.
The navigation device according to claim 2. The navigation device
A parking lot information display section for searching and displaying a parking lot around the vehicle on the map and displaying whether or not the parking lot is full.
The storage means stores a parking lot in which a camera is installed and a telephone number of a video source taken by the camera, and the camera specifying means stores each parking lot if the surrounding parking lot is full. Obtaining the source telephone number of the video taken by the installed camera from the storage means,
The navigation device according to claim 1. The navigation device
Sightseeing area information display section for searching for sightseeing spots around the vehicle and displaying them on a map and displaying information about the sightseeing spots,
The storage means stores a sightseeing spot where a camera is installed and a telephone number of a video source taken by the camera, and the camera identification means is a video of a picture taken by a camera installed in a sightseeing spot around the vehicle. A provider telephone number is obtained from the storage means;
The navigation device according to claim 1.

Images