JP2008045925A - Map display device, information center and direction sign display system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a map display device capable of displaying a directional sign displaying adequate name for guiding every direction of the branch. <P>SOLUTION: When a vehicle 31 approaches the branch 22, a directional sign 40A is superimposed on the map (30). The name 41a displayed with the right turn arrow mark on the directional sign 40A at the branch 22, the name of city etc., is displayed such as (○○ town) to which the most vehicles are travelling after right turn, the name 41b displayed with the straight going on arrow mark on the direction sign 40E at the branch 22, the name of city etc., is displayed such as (▵▵ town) to which the most vehicles are travelling after straightly passing through the branch, further the name 41c displayed with the left turn arrow mark on the directional sign 40E at the branch 22, the name of the city etc., is displayed such as (○× town) to which the most vehicles are travelling after the left turn. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a map display device for displaying a direction signboard, a direction signboard display system, and an information center constituting the direction signboard display system.

A navigation device that creates and displays a direction signboard when a vehicle approaches a branch road is known as a conventional technique (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-311625 A

  In the conventional navigation apparatus as described in Patent Document 1, there are cases where the place names in each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction signboard are not appropriate. In addition, since it is not always possible to display at all intersections, it may not be possible to display in a scene that the user needs.

(1) The map display device of the invention of claim 1 includes a display monitor and a direction signboard display control means for displaying a direction signboard of a branch road into which the vehicle enters on the display monitor. As a name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the signboard, a geographical name in a direction with a high probability that the vehicle will travel after passing through the branch road is displayed.
(2) The invention of claim 2 is the map display device of claim 1, further comprising receiving means for receiving traffic information from an information center that monitors the traffic volume on the road, and the direction signboard display control means comprises: Based on the traffic information received by the receiving means, the geographical name of the direction with the most traffic volume after passing through the branch road is used as the name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction signboard.
(3) The invention according to claim 3 is the map display device according to claim 1, further comprising storage means for preliminarily storing the geographical name in the direction with the highest traffic volume after passing through the branch road, and the direction signboard display control. The means is characterized in that the geographical name of the direction with the most traffic volume after passing through the branch road stored by the storage means is the name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction signboard.
(4) The invention of claim 4 is the map display device according to claim 1, further comprising receiving means for receiving various information from an information center that collects various information from a plurality of vehicles. The destination set for the plurality of vehicles traveling in each direction of the vehicle is collected, the receiving means receives the destination set for the plurality of vehicles from the information center, and the direction sign display control means is the receiving means. The most common destination among the destinations set for a plurality of received vehicles is the name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction signboard.
(5) The invention according to claim 5 is the map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the direction sign display control means uses the name of the prefecture, the name of the municipality, and the name as the name of the direction sign. One or a combination of a point name and a main point name is displayed.
(6) A sixth aspect of the present invention is the map display device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising facility information storage means for storing facility information to be displayed on the map, and direction signboard display control means. Is characterized in that the name of the facility among the predetermined ones of the facilities stored by the facility information storage means is displayed as the name of the direction signboard.
(7) The invention according to claim 7 is the map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the direction signboard display control means is configured to display the direction signboard according to the purpose of driving or the timing of driving. It is characterized by changing the name.
(8) The invention according to claim 8 is the map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the direction signboard display control means determines the direction signboard according to the scale of the map displayed on the display monitor. It is characterized by changing the name.
(9) The invention of claim 9 is the map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the direction signboard display control means includes at least a name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction signboard. It is characterized in that one is changed to another name after being displayed for a predetermined time.
(10) The invention of claim 10 is the map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the direction signboard display control means displays a plurality of branch paths on the direction signboard, and a plurality of branch paths. The name of each direction is displayed.
(11) The invention of claim 11 is the map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the direction signboard display control means displays information on the lanes of the branch road on the direction signboard. And
(12) The invention according to claim 12 is the map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the direction signboard display control means displays traffic information on the direction signboard.
(13) The invention according to claim 13 is the map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the direction signboard display control means displays the direction signboard of the interchange in the direction of a general road. The required time to the point indicated by the name, the required time to the point and the required fee are displayed on the direction signboard using the expressway.
(14) The invention of claim 14 is the map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the direction signboard display control means is a name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction signboard. When the same name is displayed, the time required to the point related to the name is displayed.
(15) The invention of claim 15 is a display monitor, a summary map creating means for creating a summary map of a map displayed on the display monitor, and a direction signboard display for displaying a direction signboard created from the summary map on the display monitor The direction signboard display control means displays a geographical name in a direction with a high probability that the vehicle will travel as a name of each direction of the summary map displayed on the direction signboard.
(16) The invention of claim 16 is the map display device according to claim 15, wherein the direction signboard display control means displays the traffic information superimposed on the summary map of the direction signboard.
(17) The invention of claim 17 includes a display monitor and name display control means for displaying the name of each direction of the branch road on the map when the vehicle enters the branch road. As a name of each direction of the branch road, a geographical name of a direction having a high probability that the vehicle will travel after passing through the branch road is displayed.
(18) The invention of claim 18 is the map display device according to claim 17, further comprising receiving means for receiving traffic information from an information center monitoring the traffic volume on the road, wherein the name display control means Based on the traffic information received by the means, the geographic name of the direction with the most traffic volume after passing through the branch road is used as the name of each direction of the branch road.
(19) The map display device according to the invention of claim 19 comprises a display monitor and a direction signboard display control means for displaying on the display monitor a direction signboard of the branch road into which the vehicle enters. The name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the signboard is changed according to the driving purpose of the driver or the driving time.
(20) A map display device according to a twentieth aspect of the present invention includes a display monitor and a direction signboard display control means for displaying a direction signboard of a branch road into which the vehicle enters on the display monitor. The name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the signboard is changed depending on the scale of the map displayed on the display monitor.
(21) A map display device according to a twenty-first aspect of the present invention comprises a display monitor and a direction signboard display control means for displaying on the display monitor a direction signboard of the branch path into which the vehicle enters, and a branch path displayed on the direction signboard. At least one of the names in each direction is changed to another name after being displayed for a predetermined time.
(22) A direction signboard display system according to the invention of claim 22 includes a display monitor, a detection means for detecting the current location of the vehicle, a direction signboard display control means for displaying a direction signboard of a branch road into which the vehicle enters on the display monitor, and the vehicle Map display device provided with communication means for transmitting the current location of the vehicle and receiving the name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction signboard from the information center, and the branch road for identifying the branch road where the vehicle enters from the current location of the vehicle The information center includes a specifying unit and a transmission unit that monitors the traffic volume of the road and transmits the name of the direction with the highest traffic volume after passing through the branch road to the map display device.
(23) The information center according to claim 23 is a current location receiving means for receiving the current location of the vehicle equipped with the map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 22 from the map display device, and a vehicle from the current location of the vehicle. A map identification device that identifies the branch road that the vehicle enters, a name identification device that monitors the traffic volume of the road, identifies the name of the direction with the most traffic volume after passing through the branch road, and a map display device And a name transmitting means for transmitting the name.

  According to the map display device of the present invention, the name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction signboard is a geographical name with a high probability that the vehicle will travel after passing through the branch road. Therefore, an appropriate name can be displayed on the direction signboard to guide the user in each direction of the branch road. It can also be displayed at all intersections.

  FIG. 1 shows a navigation device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the navigation device 1, a direction signboard can be created together with a map display and displayed on the display monitor 16. The navigation device 1 includes a control circuit 11, a ROM 12, a RAM 13, a current location detection device 14, an image memory 15, a display monitor 16, a speaker 17, an input device 18, a VICS (road traffic information system) information receiving unit 19, a communication device 110, and a disk. A drive 111 is included. The disk drive 111 is loaded with a DVD-ROM 112 in which map data is stored.

  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 112, the processing result is displayed on the display monitor 16 as a recommended route.

  The current location detection device 14 is a device that detects the current location of the vehicle. The current location device 14 includes a vibration gyro 14a, a vehicle speed sensor 14b, a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor 14c, and the like. The vibration gyro 14a detects the traveling direction of the vehicle, the vehicle speed sensor 14b detects the vehicle speed, and the GPS sensor 14c detects a GPS signal from a GPS satellite. 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 road map drawing data and various graphic data, which are appropriately generated based on the map data stored in the DVD-ROM 112. The navigation device 1 can perform map display and the like by using the image data generated in this way.

  The disk drive 111 reads map data from the DVD-ROM 112. The map data includes map display data, route search data, and the like. The map display data and the route search data include road link information and node information stored in the map data. 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 112, 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 outputs sound for instructing the user to perform various input operations and for guiding the route. The input device 18 has an input switch for a user to set various commands, and is realized by an operation panel, a remote controller, or the like. The user sets the destination by operating the input device 18 in accordance with an instruction on the display screen of the display monitor 16 or a voice instruction from the speaker 17.

  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. The route thus obtained (hereinafter referred to as a recommended route) is displayed on the screen in a manner different 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.

  The VICS information receiving unit 19 receives VICS information such as traffic jam information supplied from a VICS information center (not shown) and outputs it to the control circuit 11. This VICS information is transmitted mainly by radio beacons installed on highways, optical beacons installed mainly on general roads, or FM multiplex broadcasting. Radio wave beacons and optical beacons transmit VICS information to vehicles passing near the installation site, and FM multiplex broadcasting covers a wider communication area. The navigation device 1 receives the VICS information transmitted by them by the VICS information receiving unit 19.

  The communication device 110 can perform data communication with an external information center or the like using wireless means of the mobile terminal. The communication device 110 can connect to an information center (not shown) via a network and acquire traffic information from the information center. Here, the information center is a center that constantly monitors the traffic volume of each road. Therefore, the information center has actual traffic information (probe information) such as in which direction there are many vehicles traveling after passing through the branch road.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the display of the direction signboard in one Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 2 is a wide area map 20 including the vehicle position. Reference numeral 21 indicates the vehicle position. The code | symbol 22 shows the branch path from which the own vehicle will approach from now. As shown in FIG. 2, when the vehicle turns right on the branch road 22 and proceeds along the road, the vehicle proceeds in the direction of “XX town”. However, there are many vehicles that turn to the left on the branch road 24 and head for the route 23a that travels in the direction of “XX town” than the vehicle that travels along the road. Further, when the vehicle turns left on the branch road 22 and proceeds along the road, it proceeds in the direction of “□□ town”. However, there are many vehicles heading for the route 23c which makes a left turn at the branch road 25 and proceeds in the direction of “XX town” rather than the vehicle traveling along the road.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a display screen displayed on the display monitor 16 when the vehicle approaches the branch road 22. A map 30 around the vehicle position is displayed on the display screen. A vehicle position mark 31 is displayed at the vehicle position of the map 30. A direction signboard 40 </ b> A is displayed on the map 30.

  The name 41 a displayed on the right turn arrow of the direction signboard 40 </ b> A displays the city name “XX town” in the direction in which most vehicles travel after turning right on the branch road 22. Similarly, in the name 41b displayed on the straight arrow of the direction signboard 40A, the city name “ΔΔ town” in the direction in which the most vehicles travel after traveling straight on the branch road 22 is displayed. Furthermore, in the name 41c displayed on the left turn arrow of the direction signboard 40A, after turning left at the branch road 22, the name of the municipality “○ × machi” in the direction in which the most vehicles travel is displayed.

  As described above, the name of the municipality in the traveling direction with a large amount of traffic is displayed on the direction signboard 40A. Then, the municipality name with the highest probability that the vehicle will travel is displayed.

  On the other hand, if the name of the administrative division in the traveling direction when traveling along the road after passing through the branch road 22 is displayed as it is on the direction signboard, it becomes like a direction signboard 40B in FIG. That is, “XX town” is displayed on the right turn arrow of the direction signboard 40B, “ΔΔ town” is displayed on the straight arrow, and “□□ town” is displayed on the left turn arrow. In this case, even if you see direction signboard 40B, there is a high probability that the vehicle will travel to “XX town” or “□□ town”, but to go to “XX town” or “□□ town”. I do not know how to proceed on the branch path 22.

  Next, a direction signboard display process according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The processing of FIG. 5 is performed in the control circuit 11 by executing a program that starts when a map is displayed on the display monitor 16.

  In step S501, the current location of the vehicle is detected by the current location detection device 14. In step S502, a branch road existing in the vehicle traveling direction is detected based on the current location of the vehicle and the map data stored in the DVD-ROM 112. In step S503, the shape of the branch road is specified from the number of links connected to the node corresponding to the branch road and the angle formed by the link where the vehicle enters the branch road and another link.

  In step S504, traffic information provided to the branch road from the information center is acquired through the communication device 110. This traffic information includes information as to which direction the vehicle proceeds after passing through the branch road. In step S505, the geographical name of the direction with the most traffic volume after passing through the branch road is extracted from the traffic information acquired from the information center. The geographical name is the name of an administrative section or facility displayed on the map. Here, the city name is extracted.

  In step S506, the figure of the arrow of the direction signboard is selected from the shape of the branch path specified in step S503. The shape of the arrow on the direction signboard is prepared in advance, such as for a crossroad or for a T-shaped road, and is selected from these. In step S507, the name extracted in step S505 is combined with an arrow graphic to create a direction signboard.

  In step S508, the current location is detected. In step S509, it is determined whether the distance to the branch path detected in step S502 is within a predetermined distance (for example, 300 m). If the distance is within the predetermined distance, an affirmative determination is made in step S509 and the process proceeds to step S510. If the distance is greater than the predetermined distance, a negative determination is made in step S509, and the process returns to step S508. In step S510, the direction signboard is displayed as a pop-up screen on the map.

  In step S511, the current location is detected. In step S512, it is determined whether the branch path detected in step S502 has been passed. If it has passed, an affirmative determination is made in step S512 and the process proceeds to step S513. If it has not passed, a negative determination is made in step S512, and the process returns to step S511. In step S513, the direction signboard is deleted. Then, the process ends.

The navigation device 1 according to the above embodiment has the following effects.
The name of each direction of the branch road 22 displayed on the direction signboard 40 </ b> A is the name of a municipality in the direction in which the vehicle is likely to travel after passing through the branch road 22. Therefore, a name suitable for guiding each direction of the branch path 22 to the user can be displayed on the direction signboard 40A.

The navigation apparatus 1 of the above embodiment can be modified as follows.
(1) The name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction signboard is not limited to the name of a municipality as long as it is a geographical name indicating a direction in which the vehicle is likely to travel after passing through the branch road. For example, it may be a famous spot name or a main spot name.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of a direction signboard displaying a famous spot name. Proceeding along the route 23a of FIG. 2, the famous point “XX Port” is reached, and “XX Port” is displayed on the right turn arrow of the direction signboard 40C. Proceeding along the route 23b in FIG. 2, the famous point “ΔΔ Airport” is reached, and “ΔΔ Airport” is displayed on the straight arrow of the direction signboard 40C. Then, when proceeding along the route 23c in FIG. 2, it reaches the famous spot “X Tower”, and “X Tower” is displayed on the left turn arrow of the direction signboard 40C. Proceeding along the routes 23a to 23c gives priority to the closest one when reaching a plurality of famous points or main points.

  The user can be appropriately guided by the direction signboard by displaying on the direction signboard the name of the famous spot or the name of the main spot in the direction in which the vehicle is likely to travel after passing through the branch road. This is because a user is likely to have a famous point or a main point as a destination, and is likely to be a landmark even if it is not a destination.

  Further, a famous facility among the facilities stored in the map data of the DVD-ROM 112 may be registered in advance to be displayed on the direction signboard and displayed on the direction signboard. This is because a famous facility is likely to be a destination or a landmark even if it is not a prominent or major point. In this case, when a plurality of registered facilities are applicable, the closest one is given priority.

  If it is convenient for the user, the name of the famous spot, the name of the main spot, the name of the municipality, and the name of the prefecture may be combined and displayed on the direction signboard.

(2) You may make it change the name of each direction of the fork road displayed on the direction signboard according to the objective of driving, and the driving time. For example, when driving for an excursion season (for example, Golden Week) or for excursions, as shown in FIG. 7, the names displayed on the direction signboard 40D are “XX museum”, “△△ zoo”, “ ○ × Amusement park ”and amusement park. A direction signboard displaying an appropriate name can be displayed according to the driving situation of the user, and convenience is improved. In this case, among the facilities stored in the map data of the DVD-ROM 112, those to be displayed on the direction signboard according to the driving time and the driving purpose are registered in advance. Further, the input device 18 is operated so that the purpose of driving can be input.

(3) You may make it change the name of each direction of the branch road currently displayed on the direction signboard with the scale ratio of the map 30 currently displayed. For example, the map 30 in FIG. 3 is changed to the wide area map 80 in FIG. And you may make it change the municipality name displayed on the direction signboard 40E into the name of the municipality located in the distance from what is displayed on the direction signboard 40A. Since the wide area map 80 is displayed when it is desired to know information on a point far from the vehicle position, an appropriate name can be displayed on the direction signboard 40E.

  When the map 30 in FIG. 3 is changed to the wide area map 80 in FIG. 8B, the name displayed on the direction signboard 40F is changed from the municipality name to the prefecture name as shown in FIG. 8B. It may be. Displaying the wide area map 80 is a case where it is desired to know the approximate position of the current location, and the name indicating the direction of the branch path 22 needs to be displayed in the approximate direction. Therefore, also in this case, the user can be appropriately guided by the direction signboard 40F. When a detailed map is displayed, the station name may be displayed on the direction signboard.

(4) Although one branch path 22 is displayed on the direction signboard 40A, a plurality of branch paths 42a and 42b may be displayed on the direction signboard 40G as shown in FIG. Since it is possible to determine whether or not the second branch road 42b should be turned right or left, it is possible to make a right or left turn on a desired branch road without fail. In addition, as shown in FIG. 9, the distances 43a to 43d from the vehicle position to the point indicated by the name may be displayed together with the names of the directions of the branch roads 42a and 42b displayed on the direction signboard. . When the point indicated by the name is a destination or a landmark, the distances 43a to 43d to the destination or the landmark are known, and convenience is improved.

(5) As shown in FIG. 10, the lane information 44 of the branch road may be displayed on the direction signboard 40H. By displaying the lane information 44, it is possible to prevent an incorrect lane from entering the branch path 42a.

(6) As shown in FIG. 10, the traffic information 45 such as the VICS information received by the VICS information receiver 19 may be displayed on the direction signboard 40H. By displaying the traffic information 45 such as traffic jam information each time the direction signboard 40H is displayed, the traffic jam can be immediately recognized when the traffic jam occurs, and convenience is improved.

(7) As shown in FIG. 11, a summary map of the map displayed on the display monitor 16 may be created and displayed as a direction signboard 40I. In order to proceed in a desired direction, it is possible to easily grasp which branch road should be turned left or right. Moreover, you may make it display the traffic information 46a-46c, such as traffic congestion, on the summary map of this direction signboard 40I. In addition to the simple graphic display (level 2) provided by the VICS information, the simple graphic display of the VICS information in accordance with the map displayed on the display monitor 16 can be performed. Therefore, it is possible to receive a simple graphic display of traffic information in a display range optimum for the user.

  Only when the scale of the map is smaller than a predetermined value, the direction signboard 40I obtained by converting the map into a summary map may be displayed. Further, instead of displaying the map on the display monitor 16, the direction sign 40I of the summary map may be displayed.

(8) As shown in FIG. 12, when the interchange is displayed on the direction signboard 40J in the branch road, the traffic information 47a and 47b such as VICS information may be displayed on the road. Furthermore, the required time 48a to the point of the name displayed on the direction signboard 40J on the general road, and the required time 48b and the charge 48c when traveling on the expressway to the point of the name are displayed. May be. It is possible to compare the case where the general road is used to the point of the name and the case where the highway is used to the point of the name by time and fee, thereby improving the convenience for the user.

(9) The name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction signboard does not always need to be a constant display, and may be switched sequentially. For example, after the station name is displayed on the direction signboard 40K for a certain time as shown in FIG. 13A, the ward name is displayed on the direction signboard 40L as shown in FIG. 13B, and the ward name is displayed for a certain time. After that, the station name may be displayed again on the direction signboard 40K. For the user, it may be easier to understand when the name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction signboard is displayed as a station name, or when it is displayed as a ward name. Therefore, it is possible to adapt to the user's preference by sequentially switching as described above. You may make it switch sequentially only about the name of the one part direction among the names of each direction of the branch road currently displayed on the direction signboard.

(10) When the same geographical name is displayed in a plurality of directions on the branch road, the required time to the point of the name may be displayed on the direction signboard. As a result, it can be seen in which direction the branch road can be advanced to reach the point of the geographical name. For example, it is assumed that the direction signboard 40M in FIG. 14 is displayed when traveling on the main road and going in the direction of OO station. Since “OO station” is displayed on the arrow in the straight direction that is the main road, it can be seen that if you proceed on the main road, you can reach the station. On the other hand, since the same geographical name “XX station” is displayed on the right-pointing arrow, it can be seen that it is possible to reach “XX station” even if the branch road is turned to the right. When traveling straight on a branch road, the time required to reach "XX station" is 10 minutes, but when turning right, it is 5 minutes. Therefore, the road that turns right on the branch road is "XX station". It turns out that it is a shortcut to. Therefore, the shortcut can be conveyed to the user by the direction signboard 40M.

(11) The user may be able to select whether to display the direction signboard of the present invention or to display the direction signboard that displays the direction when traveling in each direction of the branch road.

(12) Although the direction signboard is displayed as a pop-up screen, it may be displayed as a divided screen.

(13) The name of the direction signboard may be received from the information center, and the name may be displayed on the direction signboard. In this case, the navigation device 1 transmits information on the current location of the vehicle to the information center using the communication device 110. In the information center, the branch path into which the vehicle enters is identified from the information on the current location of the vehicle. From the information on the traffic volume of the road being monitored, the geographical name of the direction with the highest traffic volume is identified after passing through the branch road. The identified geographical name is transmitted from the information center to the navigation apparatus 1 to the apparatus. And the navigation apparatus 1 displays the geographical name transmitted from the information center on the direction signboard. Since the information center performs the process of identifying the name to be displayed on the direction signboard from the traffic information, the processing load on the navigation device 1 is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to prevent processing other than the direction signboard display process of the navigation device 1 from being delayed by the direction signboard display process.

(14) The name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction signboard may be stored in advance in the DVD-ROM 112 in which the map data is stored. In this case, the name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction signboard of each branch road is predetermined based on the traffic information of the information center. Then, the name is stored in the DVD-ROM 112. When the vehicle approaches the branch road, a direction signboard is displayed based on the name stored in the DVD-ROM 112.

(15) You may make it define the name of each direction of the branch path displayed on a direction signboard as follows. The information center collects data on the destination of the vehicle traveling in each direction of the branch road from the information on the destination set in the navigation device of each vehicle. The largest number of destinations set is the name of each direction of the branch road. Then, the information may be transmitted to the navigation device 1. Further, information on the name of the branch path created in this way may be stored in the DVD-ROM 112 in advance.

(16) Although the name of each direction of the branch path 22 is displayed on the direction signboard 40A as shown in FIG. 2, the direction signboard 40A is not displayed as shown in FIG. The direction names 32a to 32c may be displayed. Even in this way, it is possible to appropriately guide each direction of the branch path 22 to the user.

(17) The direction signboard was created by selecting the arrow sign of the direction signboard from the shape of the branch road, but the direction signboard was created by creating the arrow figure directly from the map data, such as summarizing the shape of the branch sign. You may make it do.

(18) Although the direction signboard is displayed when the distance to the branch road is within the predetermined distance, the timing at which the direction signboard is displayed may be changed depending on the speed of the host vehicle or the congestion of the road. For example, a direction signboard may be displayed when the predicted arrival time to the branch road is within a predetermined time. Further, when the road is congested, the value of the predetermined distance may be made smaller than when the road is not congested.

(19) A high-probability geographical name and a geographical name when traveling along the road may be combined and displayed on the direction signboard.

(20) Although the navigation device 1 has been described in the embodiment of the present invention, the map display device is not limited to the navigation device 1 as long as it is a map display device.

  The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

The correspondence between the elements of the claims and the embodiments will be described.
The direction signboard display control means of the present invention corresponds to the control circuit 11, and the reception means corresponds to the communication device 110. Storage means, facility information storage means, and map data storage means correspond to the disk drive 111 and the DVD-ROM 112. The summary map creation means and the name display control means correspond to the control circuit 11. The detection means corresponds to the current position detection device 14, and the communication means corresponds to the communication device 110. 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 route with the most traffic volume after passing a fork road. It is a figure for demonstrating the direction signboard in which the municipality name with the highest probability that a vehicle progresses was displayed. It is a figure for demonstrating the signboard which displayed the municipality name of the municipality in the direction which progressed along the branch road. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the display process of the direction signboard in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the direction signboard which displayed the famous spot name. It is a figure for demonstrating the direction signboard displayed when driving for the purpose of a holiday season or a holiday. It is a figure for demonstrating the direction signboard displayed when displaying a wide area map. It is a figure for demonstrating the direction signboard which displayed several branch roads and the distance to the point which a name represents. It is a figure for demonstrating the direction signboard which displayed the lane information and traffic information of a fork road. It is a figure for demonstrating the direction signboard which displayed the summary map created based on the map currently displayed on the display monitor. It is a figure for demonstrating the direction signboard of an interchange. It is a figure for demonstrating the switching of the name of each direction of the branch road currently displayed on the direction signboard. It is a figure for demonstrating the direction signboard which displayed the required time to the point of the name, when the same geographical name is displayed in several directions in a branch road. It is a figure for demonstrating the map which displayed the name of each direction of a fork road.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Navigation apparatus 11 Control circuit 14 Present location detection apparatus 16 Display monitor 19 VICS information receiving part 20 Map 22, 24, 25 Branch road 23a-23c Route 21 with the most traffic volume Own vehicle position 31 Own vehicle position mark 40A-40M Direction signboard 110 Communication device 111 Disk drive 112 DVD-ROM

Claims (23)

A display monitor;
A direction signboard display control means for displaying on the display monitor the signboard of the branch road into which the vehicle enters,
The direction sign display control means displays, as the name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction sign, a geographical name of a direction in which the vehicle is likely to travel after passing through the branch road. A map display device. The map display device according to claim 1,
A receiving means for receiving traffic information from an information center that monitors traffic on the road;
The direction signboard display control means, based on the traffic information received by the receiving means, the geographical name of the direction with the most traffic volume after passing through the branch road, each of the branch roads displayed on the direction signboard A map display device having a direction name. The map display device according to claim 1,
After passing through the branch road, the storage means for storing in advance the geographical name of the direction with the most traffic,
The direction signboard display control means uses the geographical name of the direction with the most traffic volume after passing through the branch road stored by the storage means as the name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction signboard. A map display device characterized by the above. The map display device according to claim 1,
Receiving means for receiving various information from an information center that collects various information from a plurality of vehicles,
The information center collects destinations set for the plurality of vehicles traveling in each direction of the branch road,
The receiving means receives destinations set for the plurality of vehicles from the information center,
The direction signboard display control means includes the most frequent destinations set in the plurality of vehicles received by the receiving means, and names of the directions of the branch roads displayed on the direction signboard. A map display device characterized by: The map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The map display device characterized in that the direction sign display control means displays, as the name of the direction sign, any one or a combination of a prefecture name, a municipality name, a famous spot name and a main spot name. The map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A facility information storage means for storing facility information to be displayed on a map;
The said direction signboard display control means displays the name of the facility in the predetermined thing among the facilities memorize | stored by the said facility information storage means as the name of the said direction signboard, The map display apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned . The map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The map display device characterized in that the direction sign display control means changes the name of the direction sign depending on the purpose of driving or the timing of driving. The map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The said direction signboard display control means changes the name of the said direction signboard according to the scale of the map currently displayed on the said display monitor, The map display apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The map display device, wherein the direction sign display control means changes at least one of the names in each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction sign to another name after displaying for a predetermined time. The map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The said direction signboard display control means displays a some branch road on the said direction signboard, and displays the name of each direction of the said some branch road, The map display apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The said direction signboard display control means displays the information of the lane of the said branch road on the said direction signboard, The map display apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The map display device, wherein the direction sign display control means displays traffic information on the direction sign. The map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
When the direction signboard display control means displays an interchange direction signboard, the required time to the point indicated by the name displayed in the direction of the general road, the required time to the point using the expressway and the necessary fee Is displayed on the direction signboard. The map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The direction signboard display control means displays the required time to the point related to the name when the same name is displayed as the name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction signboard. Map display device. A display monitor;
Summary map creating means for creating a summary map of the map displayed on the display monitor;
A direction signboard display control means for displaying a direction signboard created from the summary map on the display monitor;
The said direction signboard display control means displays the geographical name of the direction with the high probability that the said vehicle travels as a name of each direction of the said summary map displayed on the said direction signboard. The map display device according to claim 15,
The map display device, wherein the direction sign display control means displays traffic information superimposed on a summary map of the direction sign. A display monitor;
When the vehicle enters the branch road, the vehicle includes a name display control means for displaying the name of each direction of the branch road on the map,
The map display device, wherein the name display control means displays, as the name of each direction of the branch road, a geographical name in a direction with a high probability that the vehicle will travel after passing through the branch road. The map display device according to claim 17,
A receiving means for receiving traffic information from an information center that monitors traffic on the road;
The name display control means, based on the traffic information received by the receiving means, sets the geographical name of the direction with the most traffic volume after passing through the branch road as the name of each direction of the branch road. A map display device. A display monitor;
A direction signboard display control means for displaying on the display monitor the signboard of the branch road into which the vehicle enters,
The map display device characterized in that the direction sign display control means changes the name of each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction sign depending on the purpose of driving or the timing of driving. A display monitor;
A direction signboard display control means for displaying on the display monitor the signboard of the branch road into which the vehicle enters,
The said direction signboard display control means changes the name of each direction of the said branch road displayed on the said direction signboard by the scale ratio of the map currently displayed on the said display monitor, The map display apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. A display monitor;
A direction signboard display control means for displaying on the display monitor the signboard of the branch road into which the vehicle enters,
A map display device, wherein at least one name in each direction of the branch road displayed on the direction signboard is changed to another name after being displayed for a predetermined time. A display monitor, a detection means for detecting the current location of the vehicle, a direction signboard display control means for displaying a direction signboard of the branch road into which the vehicle enters, on the display monitor, and a current signboard position of the vehicle. A map display device comprising communication means for receiving the name of each direction of the branch path displayed on
A branch path identifying means for identifying a branch path where the vehicle enters from the current location of the vehicle, and monitoring the traffic volume of the road, and transmitting the name of the direction with the most traffic volume after passing through the branch path to the map display device A signboard display system comprising an information center provided with a transmitting means. A current location receiving means for receiving from the map display device a current location of a vehicle on which the map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 22 is mounted;
A branch path specifying means for specifying a branch path into which the vehicle enters from the current location of the vehicle;
Name identifying means for monitoring the traffic volume of the road and identifying the name of the direction with the most traffic volume after passing through the branch road from the traffic volume;
An information center comprising: name transmission means for transmitting the name to the map display device.

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