JP2008014797A - Navigation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a navigation apparatus for preventing a vehicle from erroneously approaching a lane, in which the vehicle cannot advance although a driver of the vehicle desires to advance. <P>SOLUTION: The navigation apparatus displays lanes 41a-41c overlayed on a map 30, including three intersections of a first intersection 33a which the vehicle traveling on a recommended route 32 reaches, a second intersection 33b which the vehicle reaches, and further a third intersection 33c which the vehicle reaches. Here, the apparatus will display not only the right turning intersection 33c, but also the lanes 41a and 41b of the advancing intersections 33a and 33b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation apparatus that performs route guidance using a route searched by route search.

When going straight through an intersection based on the recommended route searched for, when a right-turn and / or left-turn lane is installed at the intersection, whether or not you are driving in a straight-ahead lane before approaching the intersection A traveling lane guide device that is confirmed by the above is known as a prior art (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2000-137894 A

  In the conventional traveling lane guidance apparatus as described in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that it is difficult to understand because guidance information at a straight intersection is not displayed on the display monitor.

(1) The navigation device of the invention of claim 1 stores current position detecting means for detecting the current position of the vehicle, search means for searching for a recommended route to a predetermined destination, and lane information of an intersection passing through the recommended route. Lane information storage means, an intersection detection means for detecting an intersection where a vehicle traveling on the recommended route next passes based on the current location of the vehicle detected by the current location detection means, and lane information storage means Lane information display means for displaying the lane information of the intersection detected by the intersection detection means based on the lane information, and the lane information display means displays at least the lane information of the intersection going straight.
(2) The invention of claim 2 is the navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the lane information display means displays the recommended lane display mode to be traveled at the intersection in a different manner from the display mode of other lanes. Features.
(3) The invention of claim 3 is the navigation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the intersection detection means detects a plurality of nearest intersections through which the vehicle traveling on the recommended route passes, and the lane information means is It is characterized by displaying lane information of a plurality of nearest intersections.
(4) The navigation device of the invention of claim 4 is based on the current location detection means for detecting the current location of the vehicle, the lane information storage means for storing the lane information of the intersection, and the current location of the vehicle detected by the current location detection means, Intersection detection means for detecting an intersection in the traveling direction of the vehicle, and lane information display means for displaying the lane information of the intersection detected by the intersection detection means based on the lane information stored in the lane information storage means The lane information display means displays at least the lane information of the intersection that goes straight.

  According to the present invention, the intersection lane information is also displayed for an intersection that goes straight ahead other than an intersection that turns right or left. Therefore, it is possible to prevent accidental entry into a lane where the vehicle cannot go straight even if it wants to go straight, without providing voice guidance for confirming whether the vehicle is traveling in a straight vehicle.

  A configuration of a navigation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. The navigation device 1 in FIG. 1 can display lane information of a traveling intersection based on map data stored in the DVD-ROM 110. The navigation device 1 includes a control circuit 11, ROM 12, RAM 13, current location detection device 14, image memory 15, display monitor 16, speaker 17, input device 18, and disk drive 19. A DVD-ROM 110 is loaded in the disk drive 19.

  The control circuit 11 includes a microprocessor and its peripheral circuits, and performs various controls by executing a control program stored in the ROM 12 using the RAM 13 as a work area. When the control circuit 11 performs a predetermined route search process based on the map data stored in the DVD-ROM 110, the processing result is displayed on the display monitor 16 as a recommended route.

  The current position detection device 14 is a device that detects the current position of the vehicle. For example, a vibration gyro 14a that detects the traveling direction of the vehicle, a vehicle speed sensor 14b that detects the vehicle speed, and a GPS signal from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite. It consists of a GPS sensor 14c and the like. The navigation device 1 determines a map display range, a route search start point, and the like based on the current location of the vehicle detected by the current location detection device 14, and displays the current location on the map.

  The image memory 15 stores image data to be displayed on the display monitor 16. This image data includes map drawing data and various graphic data, which are appropriately generated based on the map data stored in the DVD-ROM 110 read by the disk drive 19. The navigation device 1 can perform map display and the like by using the image data generated in this way.

  The disk drive 19 reads map data for displaying a map on the display monitor 16 from the loaded DVD-ROM 110. The map data includes map display data, route search data, and the like, and the display and route search data include road link information and node information. The map display data has map data of a plurality of scales from wide areas to details, and the scale of the display map can be changed according to a user request. The map data may be read from a recording medium other than the DVD-ROM 110, such as a CD-ROM or a hard disk.

  The display monitor 16 provides the user with various information such as a road map near the vehicle position as a screen display based on various information such as map data. The speaker 17 guides the user's various input operations and outputs sound for guiding the route to the user. The input device 18 has an input switch for the user to set various commands, and is realized by a remote controller or the like. The user selects and sets the destination by manually operating the input device 18 in accordance with instructions on the display screen of the display monitor 16.

  When the destination is set by the user, the navigation apparatus 1 performs a route calculation from the current location detected by the GPS sensor 14c to the destination based on a predetermined algorithm. Hereinafter, this route calculation is referred to as route search. The route thus obtained (hereinafter referred to as a recommended route) is displayed on the screen so as to be distinguished from other roads by changing the display form, for example, the display color. Thereby, the user can recognize the recommended route on the map on the screen. In addition, the navigation device 1 instructs the user in the direction of travel using a screen or voice so that the vehicle can travel according to the recommended route, thereby guiding the route of the vehicle.

  After searching for a recommended route, the control circuit 11 creates an intersection information table 20. The intersection information table 20 will be described with reference to FIG. The intersection information table 20 is a table in which information about up to 10 intersections within a predetermined distance (20 km in the present embodiment) on the recommended route from the current location of the vehicle is compiled in a table. The intersection information table 20 is created in the RAM 13 by the control circuit 11 with reference to the current location of the vehicle, the route search result, and the route search data, and is updated, for example, every second.

  The intersection information table 20 stores the number of intersection information 21 and intersection information # 0 (22) to intersection information #m (23). The number of intersection information stores the number of intersection information (number of intersections) stored in the intersection information table, and each piece of intersection information stores various types of information described below. Each intersection information includes a mesh ID 24, an X coordinate 25, a Y coordinate 26, a guidance flag 27, an intersection name 28, a landmark ID number 29, a landmark ID 210, a lane number 211, a lane information 212, and a traffic signal flag 213.

  The mesh ID 24 stores the mesh ID where the corresponding intersection is located. The mesh ID is an ID for specifying one mesh in map data divided and managed in a mesh shape. The X coordinate 25 and the Y coordinate 26 are position coordinates of the intersection in the mesh. The guidance flag 27 is an identification flag for identifying a right turn, a left turn, a straight ahead, or the like at the intersection. The name of the intersection stored in the map data is set in the intersection name 28 column. In the landmark ID number 29 column, if there is a landmark at the intersection, the number is set. A landmark is a landmark for route guidance, for example, a famous building, a convenience store, a gas station, a restaurant, etc., and a landmark ID is landmark display data for displaying the landmark. This is an ID for referring to.

  The intersection information table 20 stores the number of lanes 21 entering the intersection (lane number) 21 and lane information 212 for displaying lanes. The lane information 212 is extracted from data for guiding the route to the user according to the recommended route (hereinafter referred to as guidance data). It has information such as whether each lane can go straight, can turn right, can turn left, and is an additional lane. The extension lane refers to a lane in which, for example, a right turn exclusive lane is added when approaching the intersection. By using such lane information, intersection lane information can be displayed on the display screen of the display monitor 16. The traffic signal flag 213 is an identification flag indicating whether or not there is a traffic signal at the intersection.

  Next, display of lane information in the navigation device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a display screen of the display monitor 16 displayed when the route is being guided. A map 30 around the vehicle position, a vehicle position mark 31 and a recommended route 32 are displayed on the display screen. It is assumed that the recommended route 32 goes straight through the crossing 33a, goes straight through the crossing 33b, and turns right at the crossing 33c. A guide pin 34 is displayed at an intersection that turns right or left (hereinafter referred to as a guidance intersection), such as an intersection 33c.

  In the upper part of the area where the map 30 is displayed, the name 35, the distance 36 and the lane 37 of the intersection 33a where the vehicle will reach next are displayed. Of the lanes 37 of the next intersection 33a to be reached, the arrow of the lane through which the recommended route 32 passes is displayed in a different color from the other arrows. Below the area where the map 30 is displayed, an expected arrival time 38 of the destination and a distance 39 to the destination are displayed.

  Overlaid on the map 30, lanes 41a to 41c of three intersections of an intersection 33a to which a vehicle traveling on the recommended route 32 arrives next, an intersection 33b to reach next, and an intersection 33c to reach next are displayed side by side. The The lanes to be displayed are the lane 41a of the intersection 33a, the lane 41b of the intersection 33b, and the lane 41c of the intersection 33c from the top, that is, the lanes 41a to 41c of the three intersections closest to the current location of the vehicle. Of the arrows indicating the traveling directions of the lanes 41a to 41c at the intersections 33a to 33c, the arrows of the lanes through which the recommended route 32 passes are displayed in different colors.

  When the vehicle passes through the intersection 33a, the lanes 37 and 41a of the intersection 33a are deleted, and the name of the next intersection to be reached “○ △ intersection”, the lane 41b of the intersection 33b, and the ○ △ intersection at the top of the map 30 In the lane information displayed overlaid on the map 30, the lane 41b at the XX intersection 33b, the lane 41c at the XX intersection 33c, and the lane at the intersection arriving next to the XX intersection 33c are displayed from above. Is displayed.

  Next, the lane display process of the navigation device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The processing in FIG. 4 is executed in the control circuit 11 by a program that starts when route guidance is started.

  In step S <b> 401, the current location detection device 14 detects the current location of the vehicle. In step S402, the intersection where the vehicle traveling on the recommended route passes next is specified from the intersection information table 20. In step S403, the guidance flag 27, the lane information 212, and the intersection name 28 are extracted from the intersection information of the intersection that passes next. In step S404, the intersection where the vehicle traveling on the recommended route passes next is specified from the intersection information table 20. In step S405, the guidance flag 27 and the lane information 212 are extracted from the intersection information of the intersection that passes next. In step S406, the intersection where the vehicle traveling on the recommended route passes further is specified from the intersection information table 20. In step S407, the guidance flag 27 and the lane information 212 are extracted from the intersection information of the intersection that passes next. In step S408, the color of the arrow in the direction in which the recommended route proceeds in the intersection lane is changed, and the three intersection lanes are displayed on the display monitor 16.

  In step S409, the intersection name of the next intersection is displayed. In step S410, the distance between the next intersection and the current location is calculated. In step S411, the distance to the next intersection is displayed on the display monitor 16. In step S412, the current location of the vehicle is detected. In step S413, it is determined whether the vehicle has passed the next intersection. If it has passed, an affirmative decision is made in step S413 and the routine returns. If not, step S413 is negatively determined and the process returns to step S410.

The navigation device 1 according to the above embodiment has the following operational effects.
(1) The intersection lane information is displayed even at an intersection that goes straight ahead other than an intersection that turns right or left. Therefore, it is possible to prevent accidental entry into a lane where the vehicle cannot travel straight even though it wants to travel straight, without providing voice guidance for confirming whether the vehicle is traveling in a straight traveling lane.

(2) Not only the lane information of the next intersection where the vehicle passes next but also the lane information of a plurality of intersections ahead of it. Therefore, the user can easily determine the number of intersections that should be turned, and can prevent the vehicle from going straight at the intersection that makes a right turn or a left turn.

(3) If the voice guidance is stopped, the troublesomeness is eliminated.

The navigation apparatus 1 of the above embodiment can be modified as follows.
(1) The number of intersections displaying lane information on the display monitor 16 is not limited to three. For example, you may make it display the lane information of the five nearest intersections among the intersections within 2 km ahead of a vehicle.

(2) When route guidance is not performed, lane information of only the nearest intersection in the vehicle traveling direction may be displayed. In this case, since the intersection information table 20 is not created, the current position and the traveling direction of the vehicle are specified by the current position detection device 14, and the lane information is extracted from the route search data stored in the DVD-ROM 110.

(3) Although the arrow of the lane through which the recommended route passes is displayed in a different color from the other arrows, if the display form of the lane through which the recommended route passes is different from the display form of other lanes, the embodiment It is not limited. For example, the lane through which the recommended route passes may be displayed with shading.

The correspondence between the elements of the claims and the embodiments will be described.
The present location detection means of the present invention corresponds to the current location detection device 14, and the search means corresponds to the control circuit 11. The lane information storage means corresponds to the RAM 13 or the DVD-ROM 110, and the intersection detection means corresponds to the control circuit 11. The lane information display means corresponds to the control circuit 11 and the display monitor 16. In addition, the above description is an example to the last, and when interpreting invention, it is not limited to the correspondence of the component of said embodiment and the component of this invention at all.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the navigation apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the intersection information table of the navigation apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the display of the lane information of the navigation apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the lane display process of the navigation apparatus of embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Navigation apparatus 11 Control circuit 14 Present location detection apparatus 16 Display monitor 20 Intersection information table 33a-33c Intersection 37, 41a-41c Lane

Claims (4)

Current location detection means for detecting the current location of the vehicle;
Search means for searching for a recommended route to a predetermined destination;
Lane information storage means for storing lane information of intersections passing through the recommended route;
Based on the current location of the vehicle detected by the current location detection means, an intersection detection means for detecting an intersection through which the vehicle traveling on the recommended route passes next;
Lane information display means for displaying the lane information of the intersection detected by the intersection detection means based on the lane information stored by the lane information storage means,
The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lane information display means displays at least lane information of a straight intersection. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein
The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lane information display means displays a recommended lane to be traveled at the intersection in a manner different from a display form of other lanes. The navigation device according to claim 1 or 2,
The intersection detection means detects a plurality of nearest intersections through which a vehicle traveling on the recommended route passes,
The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the lane information means displays lane information of the nearest intersections. Current location detection means for detecting the current location of the vehicle;
Lane information storage means for storing intersection lane information;
An intersection detection means for detecting an intersection in the traveling direction of the vehicle based on the current location of the vehicle detected by the current location detection means;
Lane information display means for displaying the lane information of the intersection detected by the intersection detection means based on the lane information stored by the lane information storage means,
The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lane information display means displays at least lane information of a straight intersection.

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