JP2007286019A - Road search device and method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To search the optimum bypass road met to preference of a user. <P>SOLUTION: An input part 19 receives an input of preference information of the user as to road search, and a storage part 16 stores the input preference information, in an on-vehicle machine 10. The preference information includes a parameter serving as a judgement reference value as to the propriety of searching the bypass road by the control part 13. The control part 13 acquires traffic information prepared based on a road situation or the like acquired by a road side DSRC transceiver, by push distribution. The control part 13 searches the optimum bypass road for the user, based on the traffic information and the preference information, when an attention calling level included in the traffic information is the judgement reference value or more. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a road search device, a road search method, and a program.

  Currently, a vehicle information and communication system (VICS) that transmits traffic information such as traffic congestion and traffic regulations to a traveling vehicle in real time is used. For example, Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2 disclose systems used for alerting a driver and searching for a detour.

In addition, instead of the conventional method using VICS, a technology for transmitting traffic information such as traffic congestion and traffic regulations to a traveling vehicle in real time using dedicated short range communication of DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication) has been studied. Yes. DSRC is a system in which a relatively narrow range with a diameter of about 30 m is used as a service area, and a large amount of data is communicated to vehicles existing within this range.
JP 2005-331378 A JP 2002-269681 A

  However, in the conventional detour search device, even when the distance between the point targeted by the traffic information and the point receiving the traffic information is far away, the detour is searched as soon as the traffic information is received. In some cases, the driver searches for a detour that makes a detour. In addition, since traffic information such as traffic jams is handled uniformly, it also picks up traffic information such as short traffic jams that do not require detours and traffic jams that are determined to be unnecessary depending on the user, and searches for detours. There was a problem.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a road search device, a road search method, and a program suitable for searching for a detour according to the user's preference. .

In order to achieve the above object, a road search device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes an acquisition unit, a reception unit, a storage unit, a search unit, a control unit, and an output unit.
The acquisition means acquires this information from a management device that manages information including road traffic information and priority of the traffic information.
The accepting means accepts an input of a parameter indicating a criterion for determining whether or not to search for a road route from the current location to the destination.
The storage means stores the parameters received by the receiving means.
The search means searches for the route of the road from the current location to the destination based on the information acquired by the acquisition means.
The control unit controls the search unit to search for a route when a predetermined condition is satisfied based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit and the parameters stored in the storage unit.
The output means outputs the route searched by the search means.
As a result, the road search device can select whether or not to search for roads based on parameters preset by the user.

The parameter includes information indicating whether the search means is at a level at which the route should be searched according to the priority of the traffic information,
The control unit can control the search unit to search for a route when the priority of the information acquired by the acquisition unit is a level at which the search unit should search for a route.
As a result, when the road information is acquired, the road search device is controlled not to search for a road unless the priority of the road information is a level at which the road should be searched in advance, and to search for a road in other cases. can do. For example, the level at which roads are to be searched can be set based on user preferences.

The parameter includes information indicating the priority of the search condition for the search means to search the road route,
The search means can determine a search condition based on the priority order included in this parameter, and can search for a road route using the determined search condition.
As a result, the road search device can search for roads by determining search conditions based on the priority order of the set search conditions. For example, roads can be searched with priority given to search conditions set in accordance with user preferences.

In order to achieve the above object, a road search method according to another aspect of the present invention is executed by a road search device having an acquisition unit, a reception unit, a storage unit, a search unit, a control unit, and an output unit. A road search method comprising an acquisition step, a reception step, a storage step, a search step, a control step, and an output step.
In the acquisition step, the acquisition unit acquires this information from a management device that manages information including road traffic information and priority of the traffic information.
The accepting step accepts an input of a parameter indicating a criterion for determining whether or not the accepting unit searches for a road route from the current location to the destination.
In the storing step, the storage unit stores the parameter received in the receiving step.
In the search step, the search unit searches for a route of the road from the current location to the destination based on the information acquired in the acquisition step.
In the control step, the control unit controls the search step to search for a route when a predetermined condition is satisfied based on the information acquired in the acquisition step and the parameters stored in the storage unit.
In the output step, the output unit outputs the route searched in the search step.
As a result, the road search device using this road search method can select whether or not to search for roads based on parameters preset by the user.

In order to achieve the above object, a program according to another aspect of the present invention causes a computer to function as an acquisition unit, a reception unit, a storage unit, a search unit, a control unit, and an output unit.
The acquisition means acquires this information from a management device that manages information including road traffic information and priority of the traffic information.
The accepting means accepts an input of a parameter indicating a criterion for determining whether or not to search for a road route from the current location to the destination.
The storage means stores the parameters received by the receiving means.
The search means searches for the route of the road from the current location to the destination based on the information acquired by the acquisition means.
The control unit controls the search unit to search for a route when a predetermined condition is satisfied based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit and the parameters stored in the storage unit.
The output means outputs the route searched by the search means.
As a result, the program can cause the computer to function as a road search device that can select whether or not to search for a road based on parameters preset by the user.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a road search device, a road search method, and a program suitable for searching for a detour according to the user's preference.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, a detour search system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, the traffic information providing system performs communication using the DSRC method, but is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 1, the detour search system includes an in-vehicle device 10, a roadside DSRC transceiver 20, an information management device 30, and a GPS transmission artificial satellite 40.

  The in-vehicle device 10 is mounted on a vehicle traveling on a road, receives traffic information from the roadside DSRC transceiver 20, accumulates the received data, and deletes traffic information that satisfies a predetermined condition. Here, the distribution of traffic information is a so-called “push distribution” in which information is automatically sent from the information management device 30 to the in-vehicle device 10 even if the user does not operate (pull) instead of pulling out the information. Done. Then, the in-vehicle device 10 notifies the user by displaying the distributed traffic information on the display screen of the in-vehicle device 10 or outputting it by voice. As a result, the user can obtain the latest traffic information. For example, the user can obtain traffic congestion information on the road in advance to avoid the traffic congestion area. In the present embodiment, the traffic information is described as being distributed by push distribution, but the in-vehicle device 10 can also receive the traffic information when a request for receiving the traffic information is received from the user.

  The in-vehicle device 10 receives a GPS signal from the GPS transmission artificial satellite 40, and acquires the position information of the vehicle on which the in-vehicle device 10 is mounted and the system time of the traffic information providing system. The position information is typically indicated by latitude and longitude.

  The roadside DSRC transceiver 20 transmits the traffic information to the in-vehicle device 10 in the communication area set in the vicinity of the own device. The traffic information transmitted by the roadside DSRC transceiver 20 is information managed and distributed by the information management device 30. Typically, a plurality of roadside DSRC transceivers 20 are arranged beside main roads. The roadside DSRC transceiver 20 push-distributes traffic information and the like distributed from the information processing device 30 into the communication area. When the vehicle on which the vehicle-mounted device 10 is installed enters the communication area of the roadside DSRC transceiver 20, the vehicle-mounted device 10 receives the traffic information distributed from the information management device 30 from the roadside DSRC transceiver 20.

  The roadside DSRC transceiver 20 includes a sensor that acquires road traffic conditions (for example, information indicating traffic volume, traffic jam information, and the like). The information processing apparatus 30 acquires traffic conditions using the sensors and the like. Send to. In addition, you may use another apparatus provided with the sensor etc. which acquire the traffic condition of a road.

  The information management device 30 creates traffic information based on information transmitted from the roadside DSRC transceiver 20 and transmits it to all the roadside DSRC transceivers 20 of the traffic information providing system. In other words, the information management device 30 generates traffic information such as road traffic congestion generated in the service area by the traffic information providing system or traffic information such as traffic regulations known in advance in a predetermined data format, and transmits and receives roadside DSRC. To the machine 20.

  The GPS transmission artificial satellite 40 transmits a GPS signal to the in-vehicle device 10. The GPS signal includes position information represented by latitude and longitude, the current system time, and the like.

  Next, a detailed description of the configuration of the in-vehicle device 10 will be given. As shown in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle device 10 includes a GPS receiver 11, a GPS input unit 12, a control unit 13, a communication control unit 14, an in-vehicle DSRC transceiver 15, a storage unit 16, and an output control unit. 17, an output device 18, and an input unit 19.

  The GPS receiver 11 receives a GPS signal from the GPS transmission artificial satellite 40 and inputs the received GPS signal to a GPS input unit 12 described later.

  The GPS input unit 12 acquires a GPS signal from the GPS receiver 11 and demodulates the GPS signal. The GPS data obtained by demodulation is input to the control unit 13 and stored in the storage unit 16 under the control of the control unit 13.

The control unit 13 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), reads and executes an operating system (OS) and a control program stored in the storage unit 16, and controls the entire in-vehicle device 10. The control unit 13 includes an internal clock and measures the current time.
Specifically, for example, the control unit 13 acquires the current system time from the GPS data acquired from the GPS input unit 12. Further, the control unit 13 determines whether or not to delete the traffic information based on the current system time and traffic information, and deletes the traffic information when it is determined to delete. Details will be described later.

  The communication control unit 14 acquires a DSRC signal from the in-vehicle DSRC transceiver 15, demodulates the DSRC signal, converts it into traffic information data, and inputs the traffic information data to the control unit 13. The traffic information data is stored in the storage unit 16 under the control of the control unit 13.

  The in-vehicle DSRC transmitter / receiver 15 receives a DSRC signal from the roadside DSRC transmitter / receiver 20 using an antenna, and inputs the received DSRC signal to the communication control unit 14.

  The storage unit 16 includes a hard disk device, a flash memory device, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk-Read Only Memory) drive device, and the like. Various data such as programs and received traffic information are stored. The memory | storage part 16 memorize | stores the map data (map database) of the service area | region of a traffic information provision system. The map data is stored in a DVD-ROM attached to the DVD-ROM drive device and is appropriately read from the control unit 13. Alternatively, the map database may be previously read from the DVD-ROM and stored (installed) in the hard disk device.

  The output control unit 17 converts the traffic information data into a data format that can be output by the output device 18 under the control of the control unit 13, and inputs the data to the output device 18.

  The output device 18 displays the acquired traffic information and the like. For example, the output device 18 includes a display such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a speaker, a microphone, and the like.

  The input unit 19 includes a touch panel, operation keys, and the like. The input unit 19 generates an input signal based on an instruction input or a data input input from a user using a touch panel or the like, and inputs the input signal to the control unit 13. Typically, the touch panel is placed on the display of the output device 18 so that the coordinates on the display and the coordinates on the touch panel match with each other as viewed from the user. Thereby, the user can perform a desired operation instruction by pressing an operation button or icon displayed on the display. In addition to the touch panel and operation keys, other input devices such as operation switches and voice input devices may be provided.

  Here, FIG. 3 is an example of traffic information displayed on the display of the output device 18. For example, in the traffic information indicated by the DSRC signal transmitted from the roadside DSRC transceiver 20, the “traffic information number (No.)” as identification information, the “coordinate” of the point targeted by the traffic information, and the point , “Congestion level”, “no traffic”, “other obstacle level”, “effective range” indicating the geographical range in which this traffic information is valid, “expiration date” of this traffic information, "Awareness level" is included. The traffic information distributed from the information management device 30 (that is, the DSRC signal transmitted from the DSRC transmitter 20) includes such information. In addition, traffic information is not restricted to this, You may include other information. Further, the traffic information may include a part of the information instead of the whole. The control unit 13 controls the communication control unit 14 and the in-vehicle DSRC transceiver 15 to acquire the traffic information by receiving the DSRC signal, and controls the output control unit 17 and the output device 18 to control the traffic as shown in the figure. Display information. The layout of the screen can be set arbitrarily. The control unit 13 may display the traffic information on the display of the output device 18 or may output the information to the speaker by voice. In the present embodiment, the control unit 13 displays the details of the received traffic information on the display, but the image and sound of the traffic information may be received and reproduced. In this case, the information management device 30 distributes image data and voice data including traffic information, the roadside DSRC transceiver 20 pushes these image data and voice data, and the in-vehicle DSRC transceiver 15 transmits these image data and voice data. The audio data is received, and the control unit 13 may reproduce and output these image data and audio data with a predetermined reproduction program stored in the storage unit 16.

  The “traffic information number” is information for identifying traffic information distributed from the information management apparatus 30, and for example, a serial number is used. The traffic information number only needs to identify traffic information, and the setting method is arbitrary.

  “Coordinates” are information for specifying a point or area targeted by the traffic information, and are typically expressed by numerical values representing specific latitude and longitude. Further, instead of specific numerical values, text information such as a place name or a building name indicating the point or area may be used. Alternatively, the information may be relatively or roughly indicated information such as “near the 50 meters ahead of the XX intersection”. Instead of displaying the coordinates using numerical values and characters, the map image around the point / region indicated by the coordinates is read from the map database stored in the storage unit 16, and the map image and the latitude / longitude coordinates You may make it display by matching.

  The “congestion level” is information indicating the degree of traffic jam information that is one of the traffic information. For example, the congestion level is classified into levels such as “1” having a relatively small degree of congestion, “2” having a medium level, and “3” having a large level. The user can determine how much the traffic jam is based on the traffic jam level even with the same traffic jam information. Note that the method for classifying the traffic jam level can be arbitrarily changed.

  “Closed” is information relating to traffic regulation, which is one type of traffic information, and is information for determining whether there is a closed road. “Yes” is set when there is a closed road, and “No” is set when there is no closed road. For example, when a traffic stop “Yes” is associated with certain traffic jam information, the user can know that the traffic jam is a traffic jam due to road closure. In addition, the information regarding this traffic regulation may include not only the presence / absence of traffic closure but also information indicating the cause of the traffic closure. For example, it may be information indicating a traffic accident, road construction, heavy rain, heavy snow, and other accidents.

  The “other obstacle level” is information indicating the degree of information that causes obstacles to pass and information that alerts the driver in addition to traffic jam information. For example, the level is classified into “2” for a large speed restriction due to heavy rain or wind, “1” for a small speed restriction, “0” for no speed restriction, and the like. In addition to numerical information, this obstacle level may include information such as the specific speed of speed regulation, the presence / absence of chain regulation due to snow, and traffic information for each vehicle type, such as prohibition of traffic for large vehicles only. Good. In this case, this item of traffic information may be output as “other fault information” instead of “other fault level”.

  “Effective range” is information for designating an area range in which traffic information is valid. There are many traffic information for various points / regions, and information on points / regions far from the vicinity of a certain roadside DSRC transceiver 20 is also included. Therefore, the information management device 30 sets an effective range in the traffic information to be distributed and transmits it to the roadside DSRC transceiver 20.

  The “expiration date” is information that specifies a temporal range in which the traffic information is valid. An expiration date is set in advance in the traffic information, traffic information within the expiration date is valid, and information after the expiration date is invalid. For example, when the in-vehicle device 10 stays in the effective range for a long time (for example, one day) and the time has passed, the control unit 13 invalidates the traffic information.

  The “attention level” is information indicating the priority and importance of traffic information. Typically, it represents the rank of the severity of information that the driver of the vehicle should know when passing through the location / region indicated by the traffic information. Symbols, figures, images, etc. can also be used. For example, the alert level is expressed in 5 levels, in order of importance, “No traffic” is level 5, “Traffic of 1 km or more” is level 4, “Dangerous material fall” is level 4, “500 meters or less “Congestion” is level 3, “Frozen road” is level 2, “There is a broken car” is level 1, and so on. However, the setting method of these levels is arbitrary.

  Next, the operation of the detour search system of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the roadside DSRC transmitter / receiver 20 acquires traffic raw information indicating a change in road traffic conditions (step S1). Then, the roadside DSRC transceiver 20 transmits the traffic raw information to the information management device 30 (step S2).

  Next, the information management device 30 receives traffic raw information from the roadside DSRC transceiver 20 in the traffic information providing system (step S3). Then, the information management device 30 creates traffic information from the collected traffic raw information (step S4), and transmits the traffic information to the roadside DSRC transceiver 20 (step S5).

  Then, the DSRC transmitter 20 receives the traffic information (step S6), and transmits the traffic information to the in-vehicle device 10 (step S7).

  The control part 13 of the vehicle equipment 10 receives traffic information (step S8), and performs a detour search process (step S9). Details of the detour search processing will be described later.

(Preference level setting process)
Next, a process in which the user sets in advance the vehicle-mounted device 10 to search for a detour according to his / her preference (hereinafter referred to as “preference level setting process”) will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This process is a process performed by the control unit 13 and the input unit 19 in cooperation.

  First, the control unit 13 determines whether a preference level is input to the input unit 19 (step S11). This preference level is information indicating how much attention the user wants to search for another detour. Typically, it is represented by a numerical value in the same manner as the above-described alert level. For example, depending on the user, it may be determined that no detour is permitted (allowable) if the traffic is within one kilometer, or it may be determined that detour (not acceptable) if there is any traffic. Therefore, the user sets in advance as a preference level what level of alerting level is acceptable. Then, as will be described later, the control unit 13 determines whether or not to search for a detour based on the set preference level.

  When it is determined that the preference level has not been input (step S11; No), the control unit 13 ends the preference level setting process. On the other hand, when it is determined that the preference level has been input (step S11; Yes), the control unit 13 outputs the setting content corresponding to the input preference level (step S12). For example, the control unit 13 controls the output control unit 17 to maintain (allow) the current navigation information without searching for a detour for what kind of traffic information, or what kind of traffic If it is information, a screen showing whether a detour is searched (unallowable) is displayed on the display. As a result, the user can visually confirm the setting contents. In addition, you may output with a sound from a speaker. Further, this step may be omitted when it is not necessary to confirm the setting contents.

  The control unit 13 determines whether or not to set at the input preference level (step S13). For example, the control unit 13 controls the output control unit 17 to display a screen for confirming to the user whether or not the setting may be made with the input preference level, and to input an instruction indicating whether or not to set the setting. Accept from the input unit 19.

  When it is determined that the setting is not to be made (step S13; No), the control unit 13 ends the preference level setting process. On the other hand, when it is determined to be set (step S13; Yes), the control unit 13 stores the input preference level in the storage unit 16 (step S14), and performs a detour search process described later based on the preference level. Control to do.

  When the vehicle-mounted device 10 is activated for the first time or when the preference level is not set, a predetermined value as a default value (for example, when traffic information is acquired, a detour search is always performed based on the traffic information. Is set).

(Bypass search processing)
Next, the detour search process will be described. This detour search process is executed by the control unit 13 of the in-vehicle device 10. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the detour search process.

  First, the control part 13 of the vehicle equipment 10 accumulate | stores the traffic information obtained by decoding the DSRC signal acquired with the vehicle-mounted DSRC transmitter / receiver 15 in the memory | storage part 16 (step S21).

  The control unit 13 determines whether or not the vehicle on which the vehicle-mounted device 10 is mounted has reached the point (point / region) indicated by the traffic information stored in the storage unit 16 in step S21 (step S22). The control unit 13 controls the GPS receiver 11 to sequentially acquire the current position of the in-vehicle device 10 and determines whether or not the position of the in-vehicle device 10 has reached a point / region indicated by the traffic information. In addition, when the traffic information is expressed by specific numerical values such as latitude and longitude, not only when the exact same point is reached, but also a predetermined width in the east, west, south, and north directions of the point indicated by the traffic information. Even when entering the area, it is determined that the vehicle has reached the point / region indicated by the traffic information. The method of setting the range of this area is arbitrary.

  When it is determined that the vehicle on which the vehicle-mounted device 10 is mounted has not reached the point indicated by the traffic information (step S22; No), the process returns to step S22 again, and this process is repeated.

  When it is determined that the vehicle equipped with the vehicle-mounted device 10 has reached the point indicated by the traffic information (step S22; Yes), the control unit 13 determines the acquired traffic information based on the setting by the user (driver or the like). It is determined whether it is acceptable (step S23).

When it is determined that the acquired traffic information is not acceptable (step S23; No), the control unit 13 searches for a detour based on the traffic information (step S24). Specifically, the control unit 13 reads the map data stored in the storage unit 16 into the RAM, searches for a road that can be used to reach the destination from the current location, and determines a travel route. When there are a plurality of movement routes, the control unit 13 lists all of them or a predetermined number of movement routes in the order of shortest movement estimation time and displays them on the display, and an instruction from the user to the input unit 19 One movement route is determined based on the input or the like.
Moreover, the control part 13 converts the acquired traffic information by the output control part 17, and alert | reports traffic information by the output device 18 by an image or an audio | voice (step S25). In addition, the control part 13 may perform the detour search of step S24, and the traffic information alerting | reporting of step S25 in parallel. That is, the control unit 13 notifies the traffic information while searching for a detour, so that the detour search process can be speeded up and the user can know the traffic information more quickly.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the acquired traffic information is acceptable (step S23; Yes), the control unit 13 notifies the traffic information without searching for a detour (step S25). That is, the control unit 13 does not search for a detour if the traffic information is lower than the preference level set in the above preference level setting process (or the default preference level if not set). .

  Then, the control unit 13 ends the detour search process. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 searches the detour by allowing the acquired traffic information based on the preset preference level, or does not search the detour without allowing it. Can be controlled. And the vehicle equipment 10 can perform a search of a detour and alert | report of traffic information efficiently so that it may match a user preference.

  The operation of the detour search system described above is an example and can be changed.

  For example, in step S24, the control unit 13 may determine a detour based on a preset preference level even when there are a plurality of detours. In this case, the preference level stores, in addition to the level of traffic information for which a detour is to be searched, information indicating what parameter is to be searched preferentially. For example, priority is given to those with a short estimated travel time, priority is given to those with less travel distance, priority is given to routes with low tolls, priority is given to routes with many easy-to-understand landmarks (such as buildings), and routes with few traffic lights This is information indicating that priority is given, priority is given to a route with few right and left turns, priority is given to a road on which the roadside DSRC transceiver 20 is installed, and the like. And the control part 13 may search a detour preferentially based on the preference level (preference information) containing such information.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, a traffic information deletion process is further added to the above-described embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the detour search processing of this embodiment.

  First, the control unit 13 determines whether or not the traffic information is outside the expiration date at the current time of the vehicle-mounted device 10 based on the expiration date information added to the acquired traffic information (step S31).

  If the traffic information is outside the expiration date (step S31; Yes), the control unit 13 ends the process.

  If the traffic information is not outside the expiration date (step S31; No), the control unit 13 accumulates the traffic information in the storage unit 16 (step S32).

  Next, the control unit 13 determines whether or not the traffic information stored in the storage unit 16 is outside the expiration date (step S33).

  When it is determined that the traffic information stored in the storage unit 16 is out of the expiration date (step S33; Yes), the control unit 13 deletes the traffic information (step S34) and ends this process. Details of the processing for deleting the traffic information will be described later as another embodiment.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the traffic information stored in the storage unit 16 is not outside the expiration date (step S33; No), the control unit 13 uses the traffic information stored in the storage unit 16 for the vehicle on which the vehicle-mounted device 10 is mounted. It is determined whether or not the indicated point has been reached (step S35).

  When it is determined that the point indicated by the traffic information has not been reached (step S35; No), the process returns to step S33 again, and the control unit 13 repeats this process.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the point indicated by the traffic information has been reached (step S35; Yes), the control unit 13 determines whether the traffic information is acceptable based on the set preference level ( Step S36).

  When it is determined that the traffic information is acceptable (step S36; Yes), the control unit 13 notifies the traffic information by an image or voice without searching for a detour (step S38). Exit.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the traffic information is not acceptable (step S36; No), the control unit 13 searches for a detour (step S37).

  Moreover, the control part 13 converts the acquired traffic information by the output control part 17, notifies traffic information by the output device 18 by an image or an audio | voice (step S38), and complete | finishes this process. In addition, the control part 13 may perform the detour search of step S37, and the traffic information alerting | reporting of step S38 in parallel. That is, the control unit 13 notifies the traffic information while searching for a detour, so that the detour search process can be speeded up and the user can know the traffic information more quickly.

(Embodiment 3, traffic information deletion process)
Next, a process of deleting traffic information stored in the storage unit 16 by the in-vehicle device 10 (hereinafter referred to as “traffic information deletion process”) will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The traffic information deletion process is typically a process performed by the control unit 13 in step S34 described above, but may be executed at regular predetermined timing (for example, interruption every second). However, the timing for performing the traffic information deletion process is not limited to this.

  First, the control unit 13 controls the GPS receiver 11 to activate the GPS receiver 11 and receive a GPS signal (step S41).

  The controller 13 determines whether or not a GPS signal has been received (step S42). If it is determined that the GPS signal has been received (step S42; Yes), the control unit 13 adjusts the time measured by the in-vehicle device 10 to the time of the traffic information providing system indicated by the GPS signal (step). S43).

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the GPS signal is not received (step S42; No), the process proceeds to step S44. In this case, the control unit 13 does not adjust the time of the in-vehicle device 10 and performs the following processing based on the time currently measured by the in-vehicle device 10.

  The control unit 13 controls the GPS receiver 11 to perform a process of receiving a GPS signal and adjusting the time (a process corresponding to steps S41 to S43) at a regular predetermined timing. May be. In this case, steps S41 to S43 of the traffic information deletion process can be omitted.

  Next, the control unit 13 determines whether or not traffic information is accumulated in the storage unit 16 (step S44). If the traffic information is accumulated in the storage unit 16 (step S44; Yes), the process proceeds to step S45. If the traffic information is not accumulated in the storage unit 16 (step S44; No), the traffic information deletion process is terminated. .

  Furthermore, the control unit 13 determines whether the traffic information stored in the storage unit 16 is within the expiration date from the expiration date added to the traffic information and the current time of the in-vehicle device 10 ( Step S45). If the traffic information is within the expiration date (step S45; Yes), the control unit 13 ends the traffic information deletion process. On the other hand, if the traffic information is outside the expiration date (step S45; No), the process proceeds to step S46.

  Then, the control unit 13 deletes the traffic information determined to be out of the expiration date from the storage unit 16 (step S46).

  In addition, the process of step S45-step S46 is performed about all the traffic information memorize | stored in the memory | storage part 16. FIG. For example, in addition to the traffic information and the time when the traffic information is received, the storage unit 16 determines whether or not the traffic information should be deleted by the traffic information deletion process (whether or not the data is valid data). And a flag indicating this is stored in association with each other. In step S45, the control unit 13 sets a predetermined value (for example, “1” or the like) indicating that the traffic information is not valid in a flag associated with the traffic information determined not to be within the expiration date. A predetermined value (for example, “0”) indicating that the traffic information is valid is set in a flag associated with the traffic information determined to be within the expiration date. Further, in step S46, the control unit 13 deletes the traffic information in which a predetermined value indicating that this flag is not valid is set, and retains the traffic information in which the predetermined value indicating that it is valid is set.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 can hold traffic information within a predetermined expiration date and automatically delete traffic information that has passed the expiration date. That is, even if a large amount of received traffic information exists, it is possible to manage such that old information whose expiration date has passed can be efficiently deleted.

(Embodiment 4, traffic information deletion process-2)
Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be described. The present embodiment is a modification of the above-described traffic information deletion process, and is typically a process performed by the control unit 13 in the above-described step S34. However, the timing at which the traffic information deletion process is performed is arbitrarily changed. It is also possible to adopt a form. In the traffic information deletion process of the present embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 deletes the traffic information based on the position information of the in-vehicle device 10. In addition, since the other structure of the vehicle equipment 10 of this embodiment is the same as that of the above-mentioned embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted about the overlapping structure. Hereinafter, the traffic information deletion process of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, the control unit 13 controls the GPS receiver 11 to activate the GPS receiver 11 and receive a GPS signal (step S51).

  Next, the control unit 13 determines whether a GPS signal has been received (step S52). If it is determined that the GPS signal is received (step S52; Yes), the process proceeds to step S53. On the other hand, if it is determined that the GPS signal is not received (step S52; No), the traffic information deletion process is terminated.

  Furthermore, the control unit 13 determines whether or not traffic information is accumulated in the storage unit 16 (step S53). If the traffic information is accumulated in the storage unit 16 (step S53; Yes), the process proceeds to step S54. If the traffic information is not accumulated in the storage unit 16 (step S53; No), the traffic information deletion process is terminated. .

  And the control part 13 is the area information (for example, latitude / longitude information of traffic information etc.) which the traffic information memorize | stored in the memory | storage part 16 shows, and the positional information (for example, the present vehicle equipment 10 of the present vehicle equipment 10). From the latitude / longitude information), it is determined whether or not the traffic information stored in the storage unit 16 is information within a predetermined setting area (step S54). If the traffic information is within the setting area (step S54; Yes), the control unit 13 ends the traffic information deletion process. On the other hand, if the traffic information is outside the setting area (step S54; No), the process proceeds to step S55.

  Here, the predetermined setting area is, for example, an area indicated by a circle with a predetermined radius centered on the current latitude / longitude of the vehicle-mounted device 10. The setting area is stored in advance in a program stored in the storage unit 16 and an initial value is set. However, the setting area may be arbitrarily changed by the user and stored in the storage unit 16. The setting area is not limited to a circle, and may be an arbitrary shape.

  And the control part 13 deletes the traffic information outside a setting area from the memory | storage part 16 (step S55).

  In addition, the process of step S54-step S55 is performed about all the traffic information memorize | stored in the memory | storage part 16. FIG. For example, in addition to the traffic information, the storage unit 16 stores a flag indicating whether or not the traffic information is to be deleted by the traffic information deletion process (whether or not it is valid data). To do. In step S54, the control unit 13 sets a predetermined value (for example, “1” or the like) indicating that the traffic information is not valid in a flag associated with the traffic information determined not to be within the expiration date. A predetermined value (for example, “0”) indicating that the traffic information is valid is set in a flag associated with the traffic information determined to be within the expiration date. Further, in step S55, the control unit 13 deletes the traffic information in which a predetermined value indicating that this flag is not valid is set, and holds the traffic information in which the predetermined value indicating that it is valid is set.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 can retain traffic information in a predetermined setting area and can automatically delete traffic information that does not correspond to the setting area. That is, even if a large amount of received traffic information exists, it is possible to manage so that old information outside the setting area can be efficiently deleted.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible. In addition, the above-described embodiments can be freely combined.

  As a modification, the control unit 13 stores the history information of the GPS data acquisition time and position information received and acquired by the GPS receiver 11 in the storage unit 16, and the in-vehicle device 10 moves based on the history information. It is also possible to calculate the speed and change the setting area based on the calculation result. For example, if the moving speed of the vehicle-mounted device 10 is less than a threshold value (for example, 80 km / h), the first setting area (for example, a circle with a radius of 10 kilometers) is set. Otherwise, the second setting is set. Set to an area (for example, a circle with a radius of 20 kilometers). In this way, the in-vehicle device 10 can maintain appropriate traffic information based on the magnitude of the moving speed, or delete unnecessary traffic information and efficiently manage the traffic information.

  As another modification, the control unit 13 stores history information of the GPS data acquisition time and position information received and acquired by the GPS receiver 11 in the storage unit 16, and the vehicle-mounted device is based on the history information. It is also possible to calculate 10 moving directions and change the setting area based on the calculation result. For example, if the moving direction of the in-vehicle device 10 is a predetermined direction (for example, within 30 degrees centering on true north), the first setting area (for example, a circle with a radius of 10 kilometers) is set. For example, it is set in the second setting area (for example, a circle with a radius of 10 km obtained by shifting the center of the circle from true north). In this way, the in-vehicle device 10 can maintain appropriate traffic information based on the moving direction, or delete unnecessary traffic information and efficiently manage the traffic information.

  As another modification, the control unit 13 can delete the traffic information stored in the storage unit 16 based on the priority of the information. For example, a traffic information number, a traffic congestion level, a failure level, or the like can be used as the priority. Alternatively, the information management device 30 may add information indicating priority in advance to the traffic information and distribute the information, and the control unit 13 may store the priority in the storage unit 16 in association with the acquired traffic information. . In this case, in step S45 or step S54 of the traffic information deletion process described above, the control unit 13 determines whether or not the priority is equal to or higher than a predetermined priority, and if the priority is equal to or higher than the predetermined priority, holds the traffic information. Otherwise, the traffic information may be deleted.

  As another modification, the in-vehicle device 10 includes an input unit that allows a user to arbitrarily input a priority for each traffic information, and the control unit 13 stores the set priority in association with the traffic information. The above-described traffic information deletion process can also be configured based on this priority. In this case, in step S45 or step S54 of the traffic information deletion process described above, the control unit 13 determines whether or not the priority is equal to or higher than a predetermined priority, and if the priority is equal to or higher than the predetermined priority, holds the traffic information. Otherwise, the traffic information may be deleted. For example, if there is traffic information that the user wants to save even after the expiration date, the input means such as the touch panel and operation keys are operated so as not to delete or hold the traffic information. By setting, traffic information can be efficiently managed as intended by the user.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a road search device, a road search method, and a program suitable for searching for a detour according to the user's preference.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an entire system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of a vehicle equipment. It is an example which shows the structure of the traffic information in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a sequence diagram of a system in an embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating a preference level setting process. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a detour search process according to the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart for explaining detour search processing according to the second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart for explaining traffic information deletion processing according to the third embodiment. 14 is a flowchart for explaining traffic information deletion processing according to the fourth embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 In-vehicle apparatus 11 GPS receiver 12 GPS input part 13 Control part 14 Communication control part 15 In-vehicle DSRC transceiver 16 Storage part 17 Output control part 18 Output device 19 Input part 20 Roadside DSRC transceiver 30 Information management apparatus

Claims (5)

An acquisition means for acquiring the information from a management device that manages information including road traffic information and priority of the traffic information;
A receiving means for receiving an input of a parameter indicating a criterion for determining whether or not to search a route of a road from the current location to the destination;
Storage means for storing the parameters received by the receiving means;
Search means for searching a route of the road from the current location to the destination based on the information acquired by the acquisition means;
A control unit that controls the search unit to search for a route when a predetermined condition is satisfied based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit and the parameter stored in the storage unit;
An output unit that outputs the route searched by the search unit. The parameter includes information indicating whether the search means is at a level at which a route should be searched, corresponding to the priority of the traffic information.
The control unit controls the search unit to search for a route when the priority of the information acquired by the acquisition unit is a level at which the search unit should search for a route. The road search device according to claim 1. The parameter includes information indicating a priority of a search condition for the search means to search a road route,
The road search device according to claim 1, wherein the search unit determines a search condition based on the priority order included in the parameter and searches for a road route based on the search condition. A road search method executed by a road search device having an acquisition unit, a reception unit, a storage unit, a search unit, a control unit, and an output unit,
The acquisition unit acquires the information from a management device that manages information including road traffic information and priority of the traffic information; and
A reception step of receiving an input of a parameter indicating a criterion for determining whether or not the reception unit searches for a route of a road from the current location to the destination;
A storage step in which the storage unit stores the parameter received in the reception step;
A search step for searching for a route of a road from a current location to a destination based on the information acquired by the acquisition step;
A control step for controlling the search step to search for a route when the control unit satisfies a predetermined condition based on the information acquired in the acquisition step and the parameter stored in the storage step. When,
The output section includes an output step of outputting the route searched in the search step. Computer
An acquisition means for acquiring the information from a management device that manages information including road traffic information and priority of the traffic information;
Accepting means for accepting input of a parameter indicating a criterion for determining whether or not to search a route of a road from the current location to the destination;
Storage means for storing the parameters received by the receiving means;
Search means for searching a route of the road from the current location to the destination based on the information acquired by the acquisition means;
Control means for controlling the search means to search for a route when a predetermined condition is satisfied based on the information acquired by the acquisition means and the parameters stored in the storage means;
A program that functions as an output unit that outputs the route searched by the search unit.

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