JP2007271466A - Navigation system, route search server, and route search method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a navigation system that can efficiently search for a route, from a departure place to a destination, by reducing the load of route search and can efficiently restrict the search range without overlooking optimal route. <P>SOLUTION: In the navigation system 10, a network of transportation represented by nodes, links, and link cost has an average cost network data 303 where an average link cost is set as the link cost of each link, and a timetable network data 302, where the network of transportation represented based on the timetable. A route search means 314 searches for a predetermined number of candidate routes, based on the average cost network data 303, according to the information regarding the departure place and the destination set by an operating/inputting means 217, and searches for the optimal route of each candidate route, based on the timetable network data 302. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a route search system that searches and guides a route including a route using a transportation facility from a desired departure point to a destination, and in particular, efficiently uses a route using a transportation facility, and The present invention relates to a navigation system, a route search server, and a route search method that prevent an optimum guide route from leaking from a route search. In the present invention, network data for route search is composed of separate data of average cost network data based on average cost and timetable network data based on operation timetable, and the average cost network data is The present invention relates to navigation, a route search server, and a route search method in which a route search for a wide area is performed, a plurality of candidate routes are searched, and a guide route is searched for only candidate routes using timetable network data. is there.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, navigation devices and navigation systems that guide a user by searching for a route from a desired departure point to a destination using map data and road data are known. Such navigation devices and navigation systems are known. As a car navigation device that is installed in an automobile and guides the route to the driver, a communication type that uses a mobile phone as a navigation terminal to send a route search request to the route search server, receives the result, and receives route guidance Navigation systems have been put to practical use.

  In particular, the communication-type navigation system is a system that uses a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone as a navigation terminal, and is also used as a navigation system for pedestrians. As a navigation system for pedestrians, it is preferable to add a route guidance function including transportation, and in addition to searching and guidance for walking routes, the route search server accumulates routes and operation time data of transportation, There is also a navigation system having a function of guiding a route from a desired departure station to a desired destination station (boarding candidate train) in addition to searching for a walking route and guidance. There is also a traffic guidance system that receives and displays information such as routes, timetables of transportation facilities, and trains that can be boarded from an information distribution server without searching for walking routes.

  A general navigation device, a route search device and a route search method used in a communication navigation system are disclosed in, for example, the following Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-165681). This navigation system is configured to send information on a departure point and a destination from a portable navigation terminal to an information distribution server, and the information distribution server searches and guides a route that matches a search condition from road network and traffic network data. Has been. As the search condition, there are means for moving from the departure place to the destination, for example, walking, automobile, combined use of railroad and walking, and the route is searched as one of the search conditions.

  The information distribution server has roads (routes) of map data as nodes and nodes as the positions of inflection points, links connecting the nodes as links, and cost information (distance and required time) of all links as a database. ing. Then, the information distribution server sequentially searches for a link from the departure node to the destination node with reference to the database, and traces the node and link with the smallest cost information of the link as a guide route. The shortest route can be guided to the portable navigation terminal. As such a route search method, a method called label determination method or Dijkstra method is used. Patent Document 1 also discloses a route search method using this Dijkstra method.

  Such a route search system refers to an operation time database in which operation time data of each transportation facility is databased based on route search conditions such as departure date and time, departure place, destination, arrival time specified by the user. , Including connecting (transfer), connecting the departure point and destination, and sequentially following each available means of transportation as a route, guide routes that match the route search conditions (departure station, destination station, route, train, etc.) It is configured to present one or more candidates for transportation. As route search conditions, it is generally possible to specify conditions such as required time, number of transfers, and fares.

  In addition, as a system for conducting searches and guidance related to transportation facilities, a terminal device such as a mobile phone is connected to an information distribution server for guiding route information and timetable information of transportation facilities, and a desired departure station, departure time, destination station, etc. There is also provided a guidance system that can specify information, receive information on routes, trains, trains and other transportation means that can be boarded, and display them on a terminal device. In general, when such use is performed from a terminal device, address information such as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or a domain name for specifying a location where information to be downloaded exists is input to the terminal device and specified by the address. The information distribution server (information site) is accessed to download desired information.

  The route search data in the navigation system for route search and route guidance using the transportation system is the same as the road network data in the in-vehicle navigation system and the pedestrian navigation system. In addition to data networked as a two-way link, the operation time and required time of each link are added as link cost data for each means of transportation operated on each traffic route. Furthermore, there is a system in which fare data is added and the fare of the searched guide route is guided together.

  Therefore, the guidance route data distributed to the terminal device includes a route search condition specified by the user, such as a route route from the departure point to the destination, and buses, trains, trains, and times that guide the ride, and the operation. A timetable or a so-called station pasted timetable posted at a station is processed as it is or into a format such as display data that can be displayed on a necessary part, and distributed to the terminal device. The terminal device can check the route and the transportation means to be boarded by displaying the guidance route data, the operation timetable, or the station pasted timetable.

  A route search method for performing a route search using a transportation facility is disclosed as a traffic network route search method in, for example, the following Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-258184). The traffic network route search method disclosed in Patent Document 2 expresses a traffic network from a starting point to a destination point by using a node as a point and a link between points as a link. It is a traffic network route search method that searches under conditions.

  In this method, as the route from the departure point and destination point to the transportation station to be used, the straight distance from the departure point and destination point to the transportation station to be used, and from the destination point to the transportation station to be used. The average distance is calculated using latitude and longitude information as a variable, the average cost is calculated using the linear distance as a variable, the stations of all the use transportation facilities included in the cost range specified by the average cost are determined, and the walking route is determined. The total walking network is expressed by incorporating the determined walking route into the traffic network route of the transportation system, and searching is performed under the cost condition obtained by the label determination method using a computer.

  The data of the road network and the route network used for normal route search are configured as follows. That is, for example, when the road is composed of roads A, B, and C as shown in FIG. 5, the end points, intersections, and inflection points of the roads A, B, and C are used as nodes, and the roads connecting the nodes are directed. Link cost data that is represented by the link of, and is node data (node latitude / longitude), link data (link number) and link cost of each link (link distance or time required to travel the link). It consists of.

  That is, in FIG. 5, Nn (◯ mark) and Nm (◎ mark) indicate nodes, and Nm (◎ mark) indicates a road intersection. Directional links connecting the nodes are indicated by arrow lines (solid line, dotted line, two-dot chain line). As for the links, there are links facing in the upward and downward directions of the road, but in FIG. 5, only the links in the direction of the arrows are shown for the sake of simplicity.

  When route search is performed using such road network data as a route search database, links linked from the starting node to the destination node are traced to accumulate the link cost, thereby minimizing the accumulated link cost. Search and guide the route. That is, in FIG. 5, when a route search is performed with the departure point as the node AX and the destination as the node CY, the road travels from the node AX to the road A, turns right at the second intersection, enters the road C, and reaches the node CY. The link cost is accumulated sequentially, and a route that minimizes the accumulated link cost is searched for and guided.

  Although other routes from the node AX to the node CY are not shown in FIG. 5, there are actually other such routes, so a plurality of routes that can be reached from the node AX to the node CY are displayed. A search is performed in the same manner, and a route with the lowest link cost is determined as the optimum route. This method is performed by, for example, a known method called the Dijkstra method.

  On the other hand, the traffic network data for route search of the transportation system is configured as follows. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, in the case of traffic routes A, B, and C, each station (each airport on an aircraft route) provided on each traffic route A, B, and C is a node, and the nodes are connected. A section is represented by a directional link, and node data (latitude / longitude) and link data (link number) are network data. In FIG. 6, Nn (◯ mark) and Nm (◎ mark) indicate nodes, Nm (◎ mark) indicates a transit point (such as a transfer station) on a traffic route, and a directional link connecting each node. It is indicated by an arrow line (solid line, dotted line, two-dot chain line). As for the links, there are links facing in the upward and downward directions of the traffic route. In FIG. 6, only the links in the direction of the arrows are illustrated for the sake of simplicity.

  However, the traffic network basically has a different link cost compared to the road network. In other words, in the road network, the link cost is fixed and static, but in the traffic network, as shown in FIG. 6, trains and aircraft (hereinafter referred to as individual trains and aircrafts) that operate the traffic route. A plurality of means of transportation). The time of departure from one node and the time of arrival at the next node are determined for each means of transportation (specified by timetable data and operation data), and individual routes do not necessarily link to adjacent nodes. There is a case. This is the case, for example, with express trains and trains that stop at each station. In such a case, a plurality of different links exist on the same traffic route, and the required time between nodes may differ depending on the transportation means. In this sense, the traffic network data is network data based on the operation timetable and can be called timetable network data.

  In the transportation network illustrated in FIG. 6, a plurality of transportation means (routes) Aa to Ac... Exist on the same link of the transportation route A, and a plurality of transportation means (routes) Ca to Cc. Will do. Therefore, unlike a simple road network, the transportation network of a transportation facility has a data amount proportional to the total number of transportation means (routes such as individual airplanes and trains). For this reason, the data of the traffic network becomes a huge amount of data compared to the data amount of the road network. Accordingly, much time is required for route search accordingly.

  In order to search for a route from a certain departure point to a certain destination using such traffic network data, all the means of transportation that can be used (ride) when arriving from the departure point to the destination are searched. It is necessary to specify the means of transportation that matches the search conditions.

  For example, in FIG. 6, when performing a route search in which the departure point is a node AX of the traffic route A and a certain departure time is specified and the node CY of the traffic route C is the destination, the route operates on the traffic route A. Of the transportation means Aa to Ac..., All transportation means after the departure time are sequentially selected as the departure route. Based on the arrival time at the transit node on the transit route C, among all the transit means Ca to Cc... Operating on the transit route C, all combinations of transit means after the time that can be boarded at the transit node. The total time required for each route, the number of transfers, and the like are guided.

  In this way, the network data for transportation systems is much smaller than the network data for roads with an overwhelmingly large number of networks. It is necessary to search for a route based on the operation time of each means of transportation, and the addition of calculation processing in the route search is large. There is a problem of becoming.

  In order to solve such a problem, for example, in the following Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-334387), the range of the route search is limited by the starting point and the destination where the route should be searched. An invention of an optimal transit sequence search method that reduces the processing load of route search is disclosed. As a method of limiting the route search range, a line connecting the starting point and the destination is used as a base line, enclosed by a figure (area) such as a rectangle or an ellipse including the front, back, left, and right sides of the line. A method of setting a search prohibition area in a certain area unit has been proposed in which a line connecting a starting point and a destination is used as a base line and a direction outside the base line is proposed.

  The “outward direction of the base line” means that the direction opposite to the destination is the target of the search prohibited area at the starting point, and the direction opposite to the starting point is the search prohibited area at the destination. In this method, a search prohibition for each region (for example, in units of prefectures) is defined in advance in a table, and the range of prohibition is specified when the starting point and the destination are determined.

JP 2001-165681 A (FIGS. 1 and 2) JP 2000-258184 A (FIGS. 4 and 7) JP-A-10-334387 (FIG. 5, paragraphs [0040] and [0041])

  However, as disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 3, when a route search is performed by limiting the route search range in advance from the starting point and the destination, how to limit the route search range and optimal guidance We have not found a solution that can be obtained without leaking or optimizing its restriction method. For this reason, the following problems arise.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when searching for a route from “Tokyo” to “NAKATSUGAWA” in Gifu Prefecture, a typical route is “Tokyo” to “NAGOYA”. The first route RT1 (the solid line route in FIG. 7) from the “NAGOYA” to the “NAKATSUGAWA” by using the Shinkansen to “NAKATSUGAWA”. On the other hand, the shortest route in terms of distance is the second route RT2 using the center line (the dotted route in FIG. 7).

  In the case of such a departure point and destination, the first route RT1 is a practical route that is overwhelmingly short in time to use the Shinkansen. On the other hand, although the second route is the shortest route in terms of distance, the required time is longer than the first route even if the conventional line express is used. Especially those living in Gifu Prefecture know this empirically.

  When the range of the route search is limited as disclosed in Patent Document 3, in the route search connecting the starting point and the destination as described above, if the Nagoya is not included in the search range, the first route RT1 cannot be searched. Not limited to the above example, in multimodal route search including various transportation systems including aircraft and ships, there is a big difference in the moving speed of the transportation system, and it moves once to a point far away from the destination. In many cases, it is more appropriate to take a route from there to the destination.

  There are many examples of such starting points and destinations, and it is difficult to determine the search range. In order to search for a route so that the optimum route does not leak, it is necessary to make the range of the route search as wide as possible. If the route search range is widened, the processing load for route search increases, and it becomes impossible to search for the optimum route efficiently at high speed. Conversely, if the search range is limited to be narrow, high-speed search processing can be performed, but the possibility that the optimum route leaks increases. Such conflicting problems arise in route search using transportation.

  The inventor of the present application has conducted various studies in order to solve such problems, and as a result, in addition to timetable network data based on timetable data used for route search using ordinary transportation facilities, Separately prepare the average cost network data that expresses the route network of the transportation system only with the average cost. First, use the average cost network data to search the candidate route from the departure point to the destination, and only the candidate route is the timetable network The inventors have conceived that the above problem can be solved by performing a route search using data, and have completed the present invention.

  That is, the present invention has an object to solve the above-mentioned problems, can reduce the load of route search, and can efficiently search for a route from the starting point to the destination, and without overlooking the optimum route. It is an object of the present invention to provide a navigation system, a route search server, and a route search method that can efficiently limit a search range.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application is
Average cost network data in which the link cost of each link is an average link cost for a network of transportation expressed by nodes, links and link costs, and timetable network data expressing the network of the transportation based on a timetable A route search means, and an operation / input means for setting a route search condition,
The route search means searches for a predetermined number of predetermined candidate routes based on the average cost network data in accordance with the information of the starting point and destination set by the operation / input means, and for each of the candidate routes An optimum route in each candidate route is searched based on the timetable network data and a guide route is output.

  The invention according to claim 2 of the present application is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the navigation system further comprises timetable network editing means for editing timetable network data, and the timetable network editing means is configured to include the predetermined number of candidates. Only the route timetable network data is edited, and the route search means searches for and outputs the optimum route in each candidate route based on the edited timetable network data.

  The invention according to claim 3 of the present application is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the average cost network data includes an average link cost for each means of transportation, and the route search means includes the means for transportation included in the route search condition. Based on the setting, the candidate route is searched based on an average link cost corresponding to the means of transportation.

  The invention according to claim 4 of the present application is the invention according to claim 3, wherein the navigation system further includes average cost data editing means for editing average cost network data, and the average cost data editing means is included in the route search condition. Only the average link cost corresponding to the transportation means is edited based on the setting of the transportation means, and the route searching means searches each candidate route based on the edited average cost network data. .

  The invention according to claim 5 of the present application is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the navigation system further includes average cost data editing means for editing average cost network data, and the average cost data editing means is provided on a traffic network. The link cost of the section corresponding to the suspension section is edited based on the suspension section information, and the suspension section is substantially excluded from the route search target.

The invention according to claim 6 of the present application is
A route search request including a starting point and a destination set by the operation / input means, and displaying guidance route data distributed from the route search server. In a route search server connected to a terminal device displayed on the display means via a network,
The route search server expresses a network of transportation represented by nodes, links, and link costs as average cost network data with the link cost of each link as an average link cost, and expresses the transportation network based on a timetable Timetable network data and route search means,
The route search means searches for a predetermined number of predetermined candidate routes based on the average cost network data according to the information of the starting point and destination set by the operation / input means, and for each of the candidate routes An optimum route in each candidate route is searched based on the timetable network data, and a guide route is output.

  The invention according to claim 7 of the present application is the invention according to claim 6, wherein the route search server further includes timetable network editing means for editing timetable network data, and the timetable network editing means includes the predetermined number of timetable network editing means. Only the timetable network data of the candidate route is edited, and the route search means searches for and outputs the optimum route in each candidate route based on the edited timetable network data.

  The invention according to claim 8 of the present application is the invention according to claim 6, wherein the average cost network data includes an average link cost for each means of transportation, and the route search means includes the means of transportation included in the route search condition. Based on the setting, the candidate route is searched based on an average link cost corresponding to the means of transportation.

  The invention according to claim 9 of the present application is the invention according to claim 8, wherein the route search server further includes average cost data editing means for editing average cost network data, and the average cost data editing means is adapted to the route search condition. Only the average link cost corresponding to the transportation means is edited based on the setting of the included transportation means, and the route search means searches each candidate route based on the edited average cost network data. To do.

  The invention according to claim 10 of the present application is the invention according to claim 6, wherein the route search server further includes average cost data editing means for editing average cost network data, and the average cost data editing means is provided on a traffic network. Based on the suspension section information, the link cost of the section corresponding to the suspension section is edited so that the suspension section is substantially excluded from the route search target.

The invention according to claim 11 of the present application is
Average cost network data in which the link cost of each link is an average link cost for a network of transportation expressed by nodes, links and link costs, and timetable network data expressing the network of the transportation based on a timetable A route search method in a navigation system comprising route search means and operation / input means for setting route search conditions,
A first step in which the route search means searches for a predetermined number of candidate routes determined in advance based on the average cost network data according to the information of the departure place and the destination set by the operation / input means; And a second step of searching for an optimum route in each candidate route based on the timetable network data for each candidate route.

  The invention according to claim 12 of the present application is the invention according to claim 11, wherein the navigation system further comprises timetable network editing means for editing timetable network data, and the timetable network editing means is configured to apply the predetermined number of candidates. A step of editing only the timetable network data of the route, and the second step is a process in which the route search means searches for the optimum route in each candidate route based on the edited timetable network data. It is characterized by that.

  The invention according to claim 13 of the present application is the invention according to claim 11, wherein the average cost network data includes an average link cost for each means of transportation, and the first step is means of transportation included in a route search condition. And a process of searching for the candidate route based on an average link cost corresponding to the transportation means.

  The invention according to claim 14 of the present application is the invention according to claim 13, wherein the navigation system further comprises average cost data editing means for editing average cost network data, and the average cost data editing means is included in the route search condition. And editing only the average link cost corresponding to the transportation means, and the first step searches each candidate route based on the edited average cost network data. It is a process.

  The invention according to claim 15 of the present application is the invention according to claim 11, wherein the navigation system further comprises an average cost data editing means for editing the average cost network data, and the average cost data editing means is suspended on the traffic network. It has a step of editing the link cost of the section corresponding to the suspension section based on the section information, and the suspension section is substantially excluded from the route search target.

  In the invention according to claim 1, the navigation system includes a network of transportation expressed by nodes, links and link costs, average cost network data in which the link cost of each link is an average link cost, and the network of transportation Time route network data expressed based on the time table, the route search means, a predetermined number of predetermined number based on the average cost network data according to the information of the departure place and destination set by the operation / input means A candidate route is searched, and an optimum route in each candidate route is searched for each candidate route based on the timetable network data.

  According to such a configuration, a candidate route between the departure point and the destination is searched using the average cost network data, so that the route search range can be widened and the route search load does not increase. . In addition, since only a candidate route is searched for a guide route that can be actually boarded using the timetable network data, the route can be searched without increasing the load of the route search, and the possibility that the optimum route is leaked is reduced. Will be able to.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the navigation system further includes timetable network editing means for editing timetable network data, and the timetable network editing means includes the time of the predetermined number of candidate routes. Only the table network data is edited, and the route search means searches for and outputs the optimum route in each candidate route based on the edited timetable network data.

  According to such a configuration, since only the candidate route searched using the average cost network data is searched for a guide route that can be actually boarded using the timetable network data, the route is searched without increasing the load of the route search. It is possible to search, and the possibility that the optimum route leaks can be reduced.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the average cost network data includes an average link cost for each means of transportation, and the route search means is based on the setting of the means of transportation included in the route search condition. The candidate route is searched based on an average link cost corresponding to the transportation means.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to claim 3, wherein the navigation system further includes an average cost data editing means for editing the average cost network data, and the average cost data editing means is a transportation means included in the route search condition. Only the average link cost corresponding to the transportation means is edited, and the route search means searches each candidate route based on the edited average cost network data.

  According to such a configuration, a route search for only the average cost network related to the transportation means set as the search condition is performed from the average cost network data, so that the route search load can be further reduced. .

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the navigation system further comprises average cost data editing means for editing the average cost network data, and the average cost data editing means includes suspension section information on the traffic network. Based on the above, the link cost of the section corresponding to the suspension section is edited so that the suspension section is substantially excluded from the route search target.

  According to such a configuration, even when there is a section temporarily suspended in transportation due to a disaster or accident, it can be easily handled only by updating the average cost network data without updating the timetable network data. Will be able to.

  In the inventions according to claims 6 to 10, it becomes possible to provide route search servers constituting the navigation system according to claims 1 to 5, respectively, and claims 11 to 15. In the invention according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a route search method in the navigation system according to claims 1 to 5, respectively.

  Hereinafter, specific examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples and drawings. However, the embodiments shown below illustrate a navigation system for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and are not intended to specify the present invention for this navigation system. The present invention can be equally applied to navigation systems of other embodiments included in the scope.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the navigation system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The navigation system 10 is configured such that a terminal device 20 using a portable terminal such as a mobile phone, a PDA, or a music player is connected to a route search server 30 via a network 12 such as the Internet. In the first embodiment, the navigation system 10 that provides route search and guidance routes will be described as a specific example. However, the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to a stand-alone type navigation system. .

  The route search server 30 includes a database (DB1) that stores road network data for route search, a database (DB2) that stores traffic network data based on timetable data as timetable network data, and links of the traffic networks. A database (DB3) storing average cost network data expressed by an average link cost and a database (DB4) storing map data for display are provided. Here, the average cost network data represents the link cost of each link constituting the traffic network only by the average link cost. For example, in the case of a railway, the cost of a normal train is used as the average cost. .

  The route search server first searches for a route portion using the transportation facility using average cost network data, and searches for a predetermined number of candidate routes. At this time, as a parameter that affects the average cost, the transportation means selection conditions are set. For example, in the case where the use of the aircraft or the express is not permitted, the link cost of the route section of the aircraft use is edited, and the candidate Do not search as a route. The link cost can be edited by making the corresponding link cost infinite, setting a use prohibition flag, or excluding the corresponding link from the average cost network.

  The route search based on the average cost network data applies the route search by the Dijkstra method, but the network of the transportation system has much fewer links than the road network. Compared to a case where a car navigation system performs route search using road network data, route search using average cost network data can be easily performed without limiting the search range. Conventionally, since a route search on a timetable network was suddenly attempted, the number of transportation means (trains and buses) corresponding to links was large and the calculation load was large. In the Dijkstra method, a minimum cost route is first obtained. For example, a plurality of candidate routes can be obtained up to the Kth shortest route using the Martin algorithm. Here, about 5 to 20 routes (more) candidate routes are obtained internally.

  Next, the route search server limits the candidate route searched as described above to normal timetable network data based on the timetable (the timetable network data of the transportation means set as the search condition may also be limited. Since the route search is performed with reference to the timetable data, the timetable data subject to the route search can be significantly reduced. More specifically, a method of searching for a route using timetable network data in accordance with each candidate route determined by route search based on average cost network data and determining a transportation means (guide route) to get on, Any method may be used in which a route search is performed using timetable network data of all the candidate routes obtained by route search using average cost network data as a search range, and a transportation means for getting on is obtained. Thereby, a transportation means (guide route) that meets the conditions of departure time and arrival time is searched.

Even if the candidate route is searched using the average cost network data, if the time table search is performed using the actual timetable network data, the route is obtained with a required time different from the average cost. Sort it and display the results from the best. Routes with poor connections are lowered in order by sorting, but routes with short required time will survive even in sorting, and it is possible to guide the user in order from the optimum guide route.
By performing such a route search, it becomes possible to efficiently search and guide without overlooking the optimum route without increasing the calculation load of the route search.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the navigation system 10 of FIG. The terminal device 20 is a mobile phone equipped with a GPS positioning means 213 composed of a GPS receiver, for example, and includes a control means 211, a communication means 212, a distribution request means 214, a data storage means 215, a display means 216, an operation / input means. 217 and the like. Users can select walking or transportation as a means of transportation and receive route guidance using walking or transportation, and when they are in the passenger seat of a car, they can select a car as the means of transportation and get directions. Can receive.

  Although not shown, the control unit 211 includes a microprocessor (CPU) having a RAM and a ROM, and controls the operation of each unit by a control program stored in the ROM. The operation / input means 217 is for operation / input including numeric keys, alphabet keys, other function keys, selection keys, scroll keys, and the like. From the menu screen displayed on the display means 216 as output means. Various input operations are performed by selecting a desired menu or operating keys. Accordingly, the display unit 216 also functions as a part of the operation / input unit 217. The communication unit 212 is an interface for communicating with the route search server 30 via the network 12.

  When the user wants to request a route search from the route search server 30, the user operates the operation / input means 217 in the terminal device 20, selects the route search from the service menu displayed on the display means 216, and selects the current position, purpose Enter route search conditions such as location, means of transportation (automobile, walking, transportation, combined use of walking and transportation, etc.). The route search condition is edited into a distribution request to the route search server 30 by the distribution request unit 214 and transmitted to the route search server 30 via the communication unit 212.

  Distribution data such as a guidance route distributed from the route search server 30 is temporarily stored in the data storage unit 215, read out from the data storage unit 215 as necessary, and displayed on the display unit 216. If the delivery data from the route search server 30 includes a route using a transportation facility, a plurality of candidate routes are arranged in order (the display order such as the total required time order or the required fare order can be set by the user). Is displayed.

  The GPS positioning means 213 receives GPS satellite signals at a predetermined fixed period, and measures the current position of the terminal device 20 with latitude and longitude. Information on the current position measured by the GPS positioning means 213 is transmitted to the route search server 30 as necessary, and the route search server 30 is based on a route re-search or a current position information in response to a distribution request from the terminal device 20. It is used for searching various types of data, for example, a POI (interested place) that a user is interested in, and information distribution.

  On the other hand, as described above, the route search server 30 includes the road network data 301 for route search, the timetable network data 302 that is traffic network data based on the timetable data, and the average expressing the links at the average link cost. Cost network data 303 and map data 304 are provided.

  The route search server 30 includes a control unit 311, a communication unit 312, a distribution unit 313, a route search unit 314, an average cost data editing unit 315, a timetable network editing unit 316, and the like. Although not shown, the control unit 311 is a microprocessor having a RAM, a ROM, and a processor, and controls the operation of each unit by a control program stored in the ROM. The communication unit 312 is an interface for communicating with the terminal device 20 via the network 12.

  The route search means 314 searches for a route from the departure place to the destination based on the distribution request from the terminal device 20. When the moving means is a route search by foot or by car, the route search means 314 searches the guide route with reference to the road network data 301. When the transportation means is included in the moving means, the route search means 314 first searches for a predetermined number of candidate routes with reference to the average cost network data 303 as described above. FIG. 3 is a candidate route obtained by searching the route between the departure place (Tokyo) and the destination (NAKATSUGAWA) illustrated in FIG. 7 using the average cost network data 304. FIG. Routes such as a plurality of candidate routes RT1 to RT5 are obtained according to the number of candidate routes to be searched.

  Next, the route search unit 314 limits the candidate route searched using the average cost network data 303 (for example, RT1 to RT5 in FIG. 3) to the candidate route, and a normal timetable based on the timetable. The route is searched with reference to the network data 302, and the transportation means (guide route) to get on is obtained. By performing such a route search, it becomes possible to efficiently search and guide without overlooking the optimum route without increasing the calculation load of the route search.

  Therefore, the timetable network editing means 316 edits the timetable network data 302, edits only the timetable data of candidate routes (RT1 to RT5 in FIG. 3), and edits the timetable network edited by the route search means 314. Make a route search for data. The editing method includes a method of extracting timetable data of candidate routes (RT1 to RT5 in FIG. 3) from the timetable network data 302, a method of extracting timetable data of a route to which the candidate route belongs, a candidate route (FIG. 3). The method can be realized by a method of making the link cost of timetable data other than RT1 to RT5) infinite or a method of setting a use prohibition flag.

  In the route search using the average cost network data 303, when a transportation means restriction condition is set, for example, when a condition not to use an aircraft or a bullet train is set, the average cost data editing means 315 is set to the average cost network data. 303 is edited so that the average cost data of the corresponding route (link) is not referred to. As described above, the editing method can be realized by a method of setting the corresponding link cost to infinity, setting a use prohibition flag, or excluding the corresponding link from the average cost network.

  Next, the operation procedure of the navigation system 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, in the process of step S <b> 11, a route search condition is set in the terminal device 20 and a route search request is transmitted to the route search server 30. The route search conditions are set by the operation / input means 217. The conditions are the same as those in the normal navigation system, such as departure point, destination, departure / arrival time conditions, transportation means selection conditions (aircraft, limited express use), etc. Enter the settings.

  When the route search server 30 receives the route search request from the terminal device 20 in the process of step S12, the route search server 30 analyzes the route search condition in the process of step S13, and determines whether or not a transportation facility that restricts use is set. It is determined whether or not the average cost network data 303 needs to be edited. If it is not necessary to edit the average cost network data, the process proceeds to step S15. If it is necessary to edit the average cost network data, the average cost data editing means 315 edits the average cost network data by any of the methods described above in the process of step S14, and the process proceeds to the process of step S15.

  In the process of step S15, the route search means 314 searches for a predetermined number of candidate routes using the average cost network data 303 or the average cost network data 303 edited by the process of step S14. When a predetermined number of candidate routes are searched, the timetable network editing unit 316 edits the timetable network data 302 into data of only candidate routes.

  Next, the route search means 314 performs a route search using the timetable network data 302 edited only for the candidate route in the process of step S17, and a traffic means (guide route) that meets the conditions of departure time and arrival time is searched. The The searched guidance route is output in the process of step S18 and distributed to the terminal device 20. Since the searched guide route is searched in the actual timetable, the route is obtained at a required time different from the average cost. However, the route is sorted and the result is output from the optimum one.

  In the above procedure, the method in which the timetable network editing unit 316 edits the timetable network data 302 into only candidate route data has been described. However, other methods can be used. For example, a method in which the route search means 314 searches using the timetable network data 302 according to each candidate route searched using the average cost network data, or time using all the candidate routes as a route search range. A search method using the table network data 302 may be used.

  As described above, the search time is divided into two stages: search for a candidate route using the average cost network data 303 and search for a route using the timetable network data 302 according to the candidate route. The table network data 302 can be effectively maintained. For example, a suspended section may occur in transportation due to a natural disaster or accident. Regardless of temporary driving arrangements, the navigation system must be compatible if it is suspended for days. For this purpose, the timetable network data 302 must be changed and maintained.

  Therefore, in the second embodiment, if the average cost data editing unit 315 edits the average cost data of the suspension section to be infinite, a candidate route including the suspension section is not searched, and the timetable network Without correcting the data 302, it is possible to perform a route search avoiding the suspended section. In addition, the structure of the navigation system of Example 2 is the same structure as the navigation system 10 shown in FIG.

  In this case, the navigation system is preferably a client-server type system in which the average cost network data of the traffic network and the timetable network data are on the route search server side. When the suspension is announced by the transportation means, the server administrator only needs to have an edit input means in the route search server that can set the average cost of the section to infinity. If there is a train that is suspended in other sections due to the influence of the suspended section, it will modify the timetable, but the amount of modification work will be greatly reduced. Of course, when there is a periodic schedule revision, the timetable network data 302 needs to be updated.

  In addition, when a suspended section occurs, the guidance of the affected train is different from the actual one and the service reliability is lowered. If the present invention is applied and quick database management is performed, provision of correct data can be maintained in a client-server type system.

  As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the average cost network data is used to search for a candidate route between the departure point and the destination, so that the route search range can be widened and the route search is performed. The load does not increase. In addition, since only a candidate route is searched for a guide route that can be actually boarded using the timetable network data, the route can be searched without increasing the load of the route search, and the possibility that the optimum route is leaked is reduced. Will be able to.

  Recently, the frequency of using route guidance using transportation by a mobile phone, a PC connected to the Internet, or a mobile terminal device is increasing. In such route guidance, in a client-server system, the load on the server becomes a problem when the number of clients increases. The present invention is extremely effective for reducing the load of server search processing, and is suitable for a client-server type system.

  Even a stand-alone navigation device can sufficiently provide average cost network data by distribution via the Internet. Since only the difference data requires a small amount of data, the present invention can be applied.

1 is a system configuration diagram showing a configuration of a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the navigation system of FIG. It is a figure which shows the result of having searched the candidate path | route from a departure place to the destination using average cost network data. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure of the navigation system concerning the Example of this invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the data of the road network for a route search. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the data of the traffic network for a route search. It is a figure which shows an example of the result of having searched the path | route from a desired departure place to the destination using a transportation.

Explanation of symbols

10. Navigation system 12 ... Network 20 ... Terminal device 211 ... Control means 212 ... Communication means 213 ... GPS positioning means 214 ... Distribution request means 215 ... Data storage means 216 ... display means 217 ... operation / input means 30 ... route search server 311 ... control means 312 ... communication means 313 ... distribution means 314 ... route search means 315 ... Average cost data editing means 316 ... Timetable network editing means 301 ... Road network data 302 ... Timetable network data 303 ... Average cost network data 304 ... Map data

Claims (15)

Average cost network data in which the link cost of each link is an average link cost for a network of transportation expressed by nodes, links and link costs, and timetable network data expressing the network of the transportation based on a timetable A route search means, and an operation / input means for setting a route search condition,
The route search means searches for a predetermined number of predetermined candidate routes based on the average cost network data in accordance with the information of the starting point and destination set by the operation / input means, and for each of the candidate routes A navigation system characterized by searching for an optimum route in each candidate route based on the timetable network data and outputting a guide route.   The navigation system further includes timetable network editing means for editing timetable network data, the timetable network editing means edits only the timetable network data of the predetermined number of candidate routes, and the route search means is the editing device. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein an optimum route in each candidate route is searched and output based on the timetable network data thus obtained.   The average cost network data includes an average link cost for each means of transportation, and the route search means is configured based on an average link cost corresponding to the means of transportation based on the setting of the means of transportation included in a route search condition. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein a route is searched.   The navigation system further includes an average cost data editing means for editing the average cost network data, and the average cost data editing means is based only on the average link cost corresponding to the transportation means based on the setting of the transportation means included in the route search condition. 4. The navigation system according to claim 3, wherein the route search means searches each candidate route based on the edited average cost network data.   The navigation system further includes an average cost data editing unit for editing average cost network data, and the average cost data editing unit calculates a link cost of a section corresponding to the suspension section based on suspension section information on the traffic network. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the navigation system is edited so that the suspension section is substantially excluded from a route search target. A route search request including a starting point and a destination set by the operation / input means, and displaying guidance route data distributed from the route search server. In a route search server connected to a terminal device displayed on the display means via a network,
The route search server expresses a network of transportation expressed by nodes, links, and link costs, average cost network data with the link cost of each link as an average link cost, and expresses the network of transportation based on a timetable Provided timetable network data and route search means,
The route search means searches for a predetermined number of predetermined candidate routes based on the average cost network data in accordance with the information of the starting point and destination set by the operation / input means, and for each of the candidate routes A route search server that searches for an optimum route in each candidate route based on the timetable network data and outputs a guide route.   The route search server further includes timetable network editing means for editing timetable network data, the timetable network editing means edits only the timetable network data of the predetermined number of candidate routes, and the route search means includes the 7. The route search server according to claim 6, wherein an optimum route in each candidate route is searched and output based on the edited timetable network data.   The average cost network data includes an average link cost for each means of transportation, and the route search means is configured based on an average link cost corresponding to the means of transportation based on the setting of the means of transportation included in a route search condition. The route search server according to claim 6, wherein a route is searched.   The route search server further includes average cost data editing means for editing average cost network data, and the average cost data editing means is based on the setting of the transportation means included in the route search condition, and the average link cost corresponding to the transportation means. 9. The route search server according to claim 8, wherein the route search means searches for each candidate route based on the edited average cost network data.   The route search server further includes an average cost data editing unit that edits average cost network data, and the average cost data editing unit is configured to determine a link cost of a section corresponding to the suspension section based on suspension section information on the traffic network. The route search server according to claim 6, wherein the suspension section is substantially excluded from the route search target. Average cost network data in which the link cost of each link is an average link cost for a network of transportation expressed by nodes, links and link costs, and timetable network data expressing the network of the transportation based on a timetable A route search method in a navigation system comprising route search means and operation / input means for setting route search conditions,
A first step in which the route search means searches for a predetermined number of candidate routes determined in advance based on the average cost network data according to the information of the departure place and the destination set by the operation / input means; And a second step of searching for an optimum route in each candidate route based on the timetable network data for each candidate route.   The navigation system further comprises timetable network editing means for editing timetable network data, the timetable network editing means editing only the timetable network data of the predetermined number of candidate routes, The route searching method according to claim 11, wherein the step is a process in which the route searching means searches for an optimum route in each candidate route based on the edited timetable network data.   The average cost network data includes an average link cost for each means of transportation, and the first step is based on an average link cost corresponding to the means of transportation based on the setting of means of transportation included in a route search condition. The route search method according to claim 11, further comprising a process of searching for a candidate route.   The navigation system further includes an average cost data editing means for editing the average cost network data, and the average cost data editing means is based on the setting of the transportation means included in the route search condition, and only the average link cost corresponding to the transportation means is included. The route search method according to claim 13, further comprising: a step of searching each candidate route based on the edited average cost network data.   The navigation system further includes an average cost data editing means for editing the average cost network data, and the average cost data editing means edits the link cost of the section corresponding to the suspension section based on the suspension section information on the traffic network. The route search method according to claim 11, wherein the suspension section is substantially excluded from a route search target.

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