JP2007248235A - Car navigation device and map information - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a car navigation device and map information capable of presenting information necessary for safe traveling of a user without increase of a storage capacity of a database. <P>SOLUTION: This car navigation device 1 is equipped with a positioning means for measuring the position of one's own car, a specification means for specifying the position on a map of one's own car by using the position of one's own car and the map information of a topological map constituted of a node and a link, a recognition means for recognizing information on the periphery of one's own car, a determination means for determining whether one's own car is positioned in a crossing range or not, and a processing means for processing the information on the periphery of one's own car recognized by the recognition means and acquiring geometric information in the crossing range. The device is characterized by being equipped with a learning means 2 for creating a metric map based on the geometric information in the crossing range, when the determination means determined that one's own car is positioned in the crossing range. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a car navigation device mounted on a vehicle and map information.

  In recent years, for the purpose of improving the convenience of users, many vehicles have been searched for the position and destination of the own vehicle and the shortest time or the shortest distance route using search map information stored in a database in advance. A car navigation device is provided that presents the position and destination of the host vehicle and the searched route to the user together with display map information.

Since the map information used in this car navigation device is preferably updated based on the latest information, for example, a car navigation device having a learning function as described in Patent Document 1 has been proposed. In this car navigation device, when there is a new road that does not exist in the map information stored in the vehicle database in advance, the new road can be newly registered in the map information.
JP 2003-42775 A

  However, in such a car navigation device, the map information is composed of a so-called topological map in which nodes and links are combined, so that the shape of intersections, presence of signals, etc. can be used so that the user can drive the vehicle more safely. When more detailed information is learned and presented to the user, there has been a problem that the request cannot be satisfied. However, if all the map information is constituted by a metric map that can display the geometric information of the intersection such as the shape of the intersection and the presence / absence of a signal, there arises a problem that the storage capacity of the database is increased.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a car navigation device and map information that can present information necessary for a user's safe driving without increasing the storage capacity of a database.

In order to solve the above problem, a car navigation device according to the present invention provides:
Positioning means for measuring the own vehicle position, specifying means for identifying the position of the own vehicle on the map using the map information of the topological map composed of the own vehicle position, the node, and the link; Recognizing recognizing means, determining means for determining whether or not the vehicle is located within the intersection range, and processing the vehicle surrounding information recognized by the recognizing means to obtain geometric information within the intersection range. And a learning means for creating a metric map based on geometric information within the intersection range when the determination means determines that the vehicle is located within the intersection range. And

  Here, the topological map is map information composed of nodes and links. Nodes generally refer to road intersections, the number of lanes and the number of widths that change, and links connect adjacent nodes. The road information included in the link includes information such as link distance, direction, width, number of lanes, and one-way traffic. A metric map is map information created by grid processing of an image, which can express the geometric shape of a road represented by an intersection.

  Here, the processing means processes the vehicle periphery information recognized by the recognition means to obtain road information outside the intersection range, and the determination means determines that the vehicle is located outside the intersection range. In this case, it is preferable that the learning unit creates a topological map based on road information outside the intersection range. Thereby, even outside the range outside the intersection range, the nodes and links constituting the topological map can be more accurately created and learned based on the road information acquired by the processing means.

  In addition, it is preferable that the determination unit obtains the intersection range based on the width of road information included in the links constituting the intersection. According to this, the intersection range can be determined by a simpler method.

  Further, the determination means sets the intersection range as an inner range of a circle having a radius based on the maximum value of the width of the road information having a link centered on the nodes constituting the intersection. It is preferable to obtain. Thereby, the intersection range can be determined by a simpler method.

  In addition, it is preferable that the learning unit recognizes an intersection between the circle and the link constituting the intersection as a new node and corrects the node constituting the intersection based on the new node. Thereby, the node which comprises the said intersection can be corrected by the node around the said newly learned node.

  Further, when the intersection is a four-way, the learning means corrects a node constituting the intersection by using an intersection of two pairs of straight lines connecting two pairs of nodes facing each other of the new node. Is preferred. Thereby, the node which comprises the said intersection can be corrected with a simpler method.

The present invention can be applied to the following forms in addition to the learning based on the use of the metric map and the topological map by the intersection range described above. That is, the car navigation device according to the present invention is
Positioning means for measuring the own vehicle position, specifying means for identifying the position of the own vehicle on the map using the map information of the topological map composed of the own vehicle position, the node, and the link; Recognizing recognition means, determining means for determining whether or not the vehicle is located within a predetermined range, and processing the vehicle surrounding information recognized by the recognition means to obtain geometric information within the predetermined range. And a learning means for creating a metric map based on geometric information within the predetermined range when the determination means determines that the vehicle is located within the predetermined range. It is good also as providing.

  Here, the processing means processes the surrounding information of the vehicle recognized by the recognition means to acquire road information outside the predetermined range, and the determining means is configured to detect when the own vehicle is located outside the predetermined range. In the determination, it is preferable that the learning unit creates a topological map based on road information outside the predetermined range. Thereby, even outside the predetermined range, it is possible to more accurately create and learn the nodes and links constituting the topological map based on the road information acquired by the processing means.

  Furthermore, the predetermined range may be a frequent accident section. Alternatively, the predetermined range may be a range designated by the user. Thereby, the case where a metric map is created based on traffic information or a user's judgment can be distinguished from the case where a topological map is created.

  Further, the map information according to the present invention is map information used for display or search of the own vehicle position or the search route of the car navigation device, and any intersection range is constituted by both a metric map and a topological map, The outside of the intersection range is constituted by a topological map.

Alternatively, the map information according to the present invention is
Map information used to display or search the vehicle position or search route of the car navigation device. The predetermined range is composed of both a metric map and a topological map, and the outside of the predetermined range is composed of a topological map. It is characterized by that.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to learn and present to a user information necessary for the user's safe driving without increasing the storage capacity of the database.

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

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a car navigation apparatus according to the present invention.

  The car navigation device 1 includes a car navigation ECU 2, a GPS antenna 3, an inertia measurement unit (IMU) 4, an antilock brake system (ABS) 5, a steering sensor 6, a receiver 7, a database 8, a display 9, a speaker 10, and a touch panel. 11, a camera 12, a laser range finder 13, and a storage medium 14.

  The car navigation ECU 2 (Electronic Control Unit) is constituted by, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a data bus connecting them, and the CPU performs the following processing according to a program stored in the ROM.

  The car navigation ECU 2 includes a GPS receiving antenna 3, an IMU (Inertia Measurement Unit) 4, a steering sensor 6, a display 9, a speaker 10, a touch panel 11, a receiver 7, a database 8, a camera 12, and a laser. The range finder 13 and the storage medium 14 are connected, and further, an ABS (anti-lock brake system) 5 is connected according to a communication standard such as CAN or FlexRay.

  A GPS (Global Positioning System) receiving antenna 6 receives radio waves from three military satellites among a plurality of military satellites launched above the earth, and car navigation based on these radio waves. The ECU 2 measures the position of the own vehicle, that is, the longitude and latitude based on the principle of triangulation. When measuring altitude in addition to longitude and latitude, four military satellites are used.

  Here, the IMU 4 detects the yaw rate of the vehicle, and the steering sensor 6 is provided in a steering device of the vehicle and detects a steering angle. The touch panel 11 is an input device for a user to input search conditions such as a destination, and the database 8 is configured by a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or hard disk, and a topological map including nodes and links. Map information for display and map information for search are stored and stored. The display 9 displays the search route searched by the car navigation ECU 2 based on the input destination together with map information for display. The ABS 5 is a device that prevents the wheel from being locked during braking, and obtains a vehicle speed to be used for the control from a wheel speed sensor (not shown).

  Further, the receiver 7 is compliant with light or radio beacon, and receives road information from a VICS (Vehicle Information & Communication System). In VICS, general road information collected by the police and highway information collected by the Highway Public Corporation are sent to the VICS Center, and the edited information is transmitted by FM multiplex broadcasting, radio wave beacons or optical beacons. is there.

  The information sent by VICS is mainly traffic jam information (traffic jam sections and distances), but emergency information such as required time from current location of vehicle, traffic regulation, speed regulation, chain regulation, parking lot information, earthquake / tsunami, etc. Including. Transmission methods include FM multiplex broadcasting (wide area communication method using NHK FM), radio beacon (communication method mainly installed on expressways), and optical beacon (communication method using infrared rays to main general roads). There are three receivers for each information transmission method, but if there are no receivers that comply with light or radio wave beacons, it is impossible to search for a congestion avoidance route called DRG (Dynamic Route Guidance). As described above, it is preferable that the receiver 10 conforms to light or a radio beacon. Information transmitted by VICS is displayed by three methods: character display, simple graphic display, and map display.

  The measurement of the position of the own vehicle using the GPS receiving antenna 6 described above is based on the characteristics of using radio waves from military satellites, when the own vehicle is located in a valley of a high-rise building or the own vehicle is traveling in a tunnel. In this case, or when the host vehicle is traveling under a viaduct, the GPS receiving antenna 6 cannot receive radio waves, which causes a problem that the position of the host vehicle cannot be measured.

  For this reason, when the GPS receiving antenna 6 as described above cannot receive radio waves, the car navigation ECU 2 determines the vehicle speed detected by the ABS 5, the yaw rate detected by the IMU 4, and the steering angle detected by the steering sensor 6. In addition to measuring the position of the vehicle by calculating the travel distance and direction of the vehicle, and measuring the position of the vehicle using the GPS receiving antenna 6, the accuracy of the measurement of the total vehicle position is increased. . Note that the vehicle speed is not limited to being acquired from the ABS 5, and can be acquired from such devices as long as the vehicle is equipped with, for example, VSC (Vehicle Dynamic Control), ECB (Electronic Control Brake), or the like.

  The car navigation ECU 2 then displays the map information for display in the database 8, the position of the vehicle measured by the method described above, the destination input by the touch panel 11, the traffic jam section received by the receiver 7, etc. Together with the information, the position of the vehicle on the map is specified and displayed on the display 9. At the same time, the car navigation ECU 2 compares the map information for display in the database 8 with the position of the own vehicle measured by the above-described method, and determines whether or not the own vehicle is within the intersection range.

  The camera 12 is for recognizing the surrounding information of the own vehicle. For example, the camera 12 is arranged at the center upper part of the windshield in the vehicle compartment so that the optical axis coincides with the front of the vehicle, and images the front of the vehicle. The captured image is converted into geometric information (upward view) in the horizontal plane by the car navigation ECU 2.

  The laser range finder 13 is also used for recognizing the surrounding information of the own vehicle. For example, the laser range finder 13 is disposed at the center upper part of the windshield in the vehicle room so that the optical axis coincides with the front of the vehicle. Measure the distance to the object present in The measured information is converted into geometric information (upward view) in the horizontal plane by the car navigation ECU 2.

  When the car navigation ECU 2 determines that the host vehicle is within the intersection range, the geometric information acquired by the camera 12 and the laser range finder 13 (intersection shape, position and shape of curb on the sidewalk, right turn lane, sign The car navigation ECU 2 creates a metric map within the intersection range as shown in FIG. 2, for example. Further, when the car navigation ECU 2 determines that the vehicle is outside the intersection range, the road information such as road alignment, the number of lanes, and the width is recognized based on these geometric information. Create a topological map of the road outside the intersection area as shown. Further, the car navigation ECU 2 integrates the metric map and the topological map to create a learning file as shown in FIG. 4 and stores the learning file in the storage medium 14. When a learning file stored in the past exists in the storage medium 14, the past learning file is corrected or overwritten by the newly created learning file.

  Further, the car navigation ECU 2 integrates the learning file stored in the storage medium 14 and the map information in the database 8 (after restoring the topological map schematically using the number of lanes and the width of the link, And display them on the display 9.

  When the database 8 is configured by a readable / writable hard disk or the like, the map information in the database 8 and the learning file can be integrated and stored in the database 8.

  The above-described specific method is used to determine whether the vehicle is in the intersection range. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing map information used in the car navigation apparatus according to the present invention.

  The host vehicle A is traveling toward the node B on the topological map made up of nodes and links as shown in FIG. Four links L1, L2, L3, and L4 are connected to the node B to form an intersection, and the vehicle A travels on the link L4. From the road information of the links L1, L2, L3, and L4, the widths of the links L1, L2, L3, and L4 are obtained as W1, W2, W3, and W4, respectively. When the maximum value of the widths W1, W2, W3, and W4 is W4, a radius R = W4 is drawn, a circle C having a radius R centered on the node B is drawn, and the inside of the circle C is within the intersection range. Define. These are schematically shown in FIG.

  In addition to the above, the car navigation device 1 according to the present invention performs the following learning. 7 and 8 are schematic views showing map information used in the car navigation apparatus according to the present invention.

  On the map of the topological map composed of nodes and links as shown in FIG. 7, four links L5, L6, L7, L8 are connected to node D to form intersections, and links L5, L6, L7, From the road information of L8, the widths of the links L5, L6, L7, and L8 are obtained as W5, W6, W7, and W8, respectively. When the maximum value of the widths W5, W6, W7, and W8 is W8, the radius R = W8, a circle C centered on the node D is drawn, and the inside of the circle C is defined as the intersection range. As shown in FIG. 8, the intersections of the circle C and the links L5, L6, L7, and L8 constituting the intersection are learned as new nodes E, F, G, and H, and these new nodes E and F , G, and H, the node D constituting the intersection is corrected. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, when the intersection is a four-way, using the intersection DS of two pairs of straight lines EG and FH connecting two pairs of opposite nodes of new nodes E, F, G, and H. Then, the node D constituting the intersection is corrected, and the intersection DS is recognized as a new node.

  The control content of the car navigation apparatus according to the present invention described above will be described with reference to a flowchart. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the control contents of the car navigation apparatus according to the present invention.

  In S1, the car navigation ECU 2 measures the vehicle position by the method described above, and in S2, the car navigation ECU 2 specifies the vehicle position in the map by the method described above. In S3, the surrounding information of the own vehicle is acquired by the camera 12 and the laser range finder 13. If the car navigation ECU 2 determines in S4 that the host vehicle is within the intersection range, the process proceeds to S5. In S5, the geometric information in the intersection range is recognized based on the surrounding information of the host vehicle. In S6, the car navigation ECU 2 Create a metric map within the intersection range based on the geometric information.

  If the car navigation ECU 2 determines in S4 that the vehicle is outside the intersection range, the process proceeds to S7. In S7, the car navigation ECU 2 recognizes road information outside the intersection range based on the surrounding information of the vehicle, and in S8 Based on the road information, the car navigation ECU 2 creates a topological map of the road outside the intersection range. In S9, the car navigation ECU 2 creates a learning file by integrating the metric map in the intersection range created in S6 and the topological map outside the intersection range created in S8, stores it in the storage medium 14, and in S10 the car navigation system. The ECU 2 integrates the map information in the database 8 and the learning file and displays them on the display 7.

  In this way, within the intersection range, create a metric map that can express in detail the geometric information of the intersection (the shape of the intersection, the shape of the curb on the sidewalk, the presence and shape of the right turn lane, the position of the traffic light, etc.) Outside the intersection range, by creating a topological map that expresses only the width of the road and the number of lanes, it is possible to learn information necessary for safe driving efficiently without increasing the capacity of the storage medium. it can. Further, since the user can know the geometric information in the intersection range in more detail in advance after the next time, the user can drive more safely according to the information.

  Furthermore, although not shown here, a transmitter for transmitting the learning file created by the car navigation ECU 2 to the roadside center is provided, and the car navigation device 1 according to the present embodiment is mounted on a plurality of vehicles, and these car navigation systems are provided. A plurality of learning files created by the device 1 are aggregated by the center, map information is created in real time, and the map information is transmitted from the center on the ground side to the vehicle to display map information for vehicle display or search in real time. It is also possible to update.

  The effect of the learning file created by the car navigation apparatus according to this embodiment will be described below. 10 to 12 are schematic diagrams showing the effect of the learning file created by the car navigation apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a topological map showing general roads in Toyota city, FIG. 12 is a detailed map showing general roads in Toyota city, and FIG. 11 is restored from a learning file created by the car navigation device according to the present invention. It is a schematic diagram of an intersection and a road.

  In a general road as shown in FIG. 10 in Toyota city, a vehicle equipped with the car navigation device according to the present embodiment is run to create a learning file as described above, and a schematic diagram restored from the learning file. FIG. 11 was compared with FIG. 12, which is a drawing of an actual road.

  The curb on the sidewalk at the intersection shown in FIG. 11 closely matches the shape of the curb on the sidewalk shown in FIG. 12, and the alignment, width, and number of lanes of the road outside the intersection shown in FIG. 11 are also shown in FIG. It matches the alignment, width, and number of lanes of the road outside the intersection. Thus, it can be seen that the learning file created by the car navigation apparatus according to the present embodiment can faithfully reproduce the geometric shape within the intersection range and the road information outside the intersection range.

  In the embodiment described above, paying attention to the intersection range, the metric map and the topological map are used separately inside and outside the range to learn information necessary for the safe driving of the user. The user inputs from the touch panel 11 the area where the accident occurs frequently, the area around the entrance / exit of the parking lot in the city area, or the frequency that the user designates as the destination is high, and whether or not the vehicle is within these ranges. If it is determined, learning can be performed using the metric map if it is within the range, and learning can be performed using the topological map if it is outside the range. Examples are shown below.

  Since the car navigation apparatus of the present embodiment is the same as that shown in FIG. 1 according to the first embodiment, the description of the configuration and functions will be omitted because they are redundant.

  FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a method for determining the inside and outside of the accident-prone section of the car navigation apparatus according to this embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 13, there are two nodes I and J, and the link L9 connecting the nodes I and J is a section where a sharp curve continues, and this section is an accident-prone section based on information such as VICS. Assume that the user knows. In this case, the user designates that the link L9 is an accident-prone section by an input from the touch panel 11.

  In this case, the car navigation ECU 2 determines whether or not the vehicle is in the accident-prone section (link L9), and determines that the vehicle is in the accident-prone section by the camera 12 and the laser range finder 13. Based on the recognized geometric information (presence / absence / position and shape of guardrail, actual curvature of sharp curve, presence / absence of bank, etc.), the car navigation ECU 2 creates a metric map. Further, when the car navigation ECU 2 determines that the vehicle is outside the link L9, the road information such as the road alignment, the number of lanes, and the width is recognized based on the geometric information, and the accident occurrence section Create a topological map of the outside road.

  Hereinafter, the control contents of the car navigation apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to flowcharts. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the control contents of the car navigation apparatus according to this embodiment.

  In S11, the car navigation ECU 2 measures the vehicle position by the method as described above, and in S12, the car navigation ECU 2 specifies the vehicle position in the map by the method as described above. In S13, the surrounding information of the own vehicle is acquired by the camera 12 and the laser range finder 13. If the car navigation ECU 2 determines in S14 that the vehicle is in the accident-prone section designated by the user, the process proceeds to S15, and in S15, the geometric information in the accident-prone section is recognized based on the surrounding information of the vehicle. In S16, the car navigation ECU 2 creates a metric map in the accident-prone section based on the geometric information.

  If the car navigation ECU 2 determines in S14 that the vehicle is outside the frequent accident section, the process proceeds to S17. In S17, the car navigation ECU 2 recognizes road information outside the frequent accident section based on the surrounding information of the own vehicle, and S18. Based on this road information, the car navigation ECU 2 creates a topological map of the road outside the accident-prone section. In S19, the car navigation ECU 2 creates a learning file by integrating the metric map in the frequent accident section created in S16 and the topological map outside the frequent accident section created in S18, and stores it in the storage medium 14, and in S20. The car navigation ECU 2 integrates the map information in the database 8 and the learning file and displays them on the display 7.

  In this way, in the accident frequent section, a metric map that can express in detail the geometric information of the road (presence and shape of guardrail, actual curvature of sharp curve, etc.) is created, and outside the accident frequent section, By creating a topological map that expresses only the width of the road and the number of lanes, it is possible to efficiently learn information necessary for the safe driving of the user without increasing the capacity of the storage medium. Moreover, since the user can know the road information of the accident-prone section in more detail in advance, it can contribute to the user's safe driving effectively.

  In addition, although it is shown here that the user designates an accident-prone section, for example, the user may enter an area near the entrance / exit of a parking lot where other vehicles frequently enter and exit in an urban area, or an area frequently designated as a destination. Can be specified, and based on this, the metric map and the topological map can be used separately for learning.

  Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions are made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. be able to.

  The present invention relates to a car navigation device having a learning function and map information, and in particular, it can learn in detail the information necessary for a user's safe driving without causing an increase in the capacity of a storage medium. It is useful when applied to various vehicles such as passenger cars, trucks, and buses.

1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a car navigation device according to the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the metric map in the intersection range which the car navigation apparatus concerning this invention creates. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the topological map outside the intersection range which the car navigation apparatus which concerns on this invention produces. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the learning file which the car navigation apparatus concerning this invention produces. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the method of determining the intersection range which the car navigation apparatus concerning this invention uses. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the method of determining the intersection range which the car navigation apparatus concerning this invention uses. It is a flowchart which shows the method of correcting the node which comprises the intersection of the car navigation apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the method of correcting the node which comprises the intersection of the car navigation apparatus concerning this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the control content of the car navigation apparatus concerning this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the effect of the learning file which the car navigation apparatus concerning this invention produced. It is a schematic diagram which shows the effect of the learning file which the car navigation apparatus concerning this invention produced. It is a schematic diagram which shows the effect of the learning file which the car navigation apparatus concerning this invention produced. It is a schematic diagram which shows the method for determining the inside / outside of the accident frequent occurrence area of the car navigation apparatus concerning this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the control content of the car navigation apparatus concerning this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Car navigation system 2 Car navigation ECU
3 GPS antenna 4 IMU
5 ABS
6 Steering sensor 7 Receiver 8 Database 9 Display 10 Speaker 11 Touch panel 12 Camera 13 Laser range finder 14 Storage medium

Claims (12)

  Positioning means for measuring the own vehicle position, specifying means for identifying the position of the own vehicle on the map using the map information of the topological map composed of the own vehicle position, the node, and the link; Recognizing recognizing means, determining means for determining whether or not the vehicle is located within the intersection range, and processing the vehicle surrounding information recognized by the recognizing means to obtain geometric information within the intersection range. And a learning means for creating a metric map based on geometric information within the intersection range when the determination means determines that the vehicle is located within the intersection range. Car navigation device.   When the processing means processes the vehicle surrounding information recognized by the recognition means to obtain road information outside the intersection range, and the determination means determines that the vehicle is located outside the intersection range, The car navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the learning means creates a topological map based on road information outside the intersection range.   3. The car navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit obtains the intersection range based on a width of road information included in a link constituting the intersection.   The determination means obtains the intersection range as an inner range of a circle whose center is a node constituting the intersection and whose radius is a length based on the maximum width of road information included in the link constituting the intersection. The car navigation device according to claim 3.   5. The learning unit recognizes an intersection between the circle and a link constituting the intersection as a new node, and corrects the node constituting the intersection based on the new node. The car navigation device described in 1.   The learning means, when the intersection is a four-way, corrects a node constituting the intersection by using an intersection of two pairs of straight lines connecting two pairs of nodes facing each other of the new node. The car navigation device according to claim 5.   Positioning means for measuring the own vehicle position, specifying means for identifying the position of the own vehicle on the map using the map information of the topological map composed of the own vehicle position, the node, and the link; Recognizing recognition means, determining means for determining whether or not the vehicle is located within a predetermined range, and processing the vehicle surrounding information recognized by the recognition means to obtain geometric information within the predetermined range. And a learning means for creating a metric map based on geometric information within the predetermined range when the determination means determines that the vehicle is located within the predetermined range. A car navigation device comprising:   The processing means processes the vehicle surrounding information recognized by the recognition means to acquire road information outside the predetermined range, and the determination means determines that the vehicle is located outside the predetermined range. The car navigation device according to claim 7, wherein the learning unit creates a topological map based on road information outside the predetermined range.   The car navigation device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the predetermined range is an accident-prone section.   The car navigation device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the predetermined range is a range designated by a user.   Map information used to display or search the vehicle position or search route of the car navigation device, and any intersection range is composed of both a metric map and a topological map, and outside the intersection range is composed of a topological map Map information characterized by being made.   Map information used to display or search the vehicle position or search route of the car navigation device. The predetermined range is composed of both a metric map and a topological map, and the outside of the predetermined range is composed of a topological map. Map information characterized by

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