JP2008185524A - Navigation device and its route searching method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To search for a route not including a short-distance toll road, in route search in a 'toll road priority' mode. <P>SOLUTION: This navigation device includes a reference distance setting means for setting a reference distance used for determining a short-distance toll road to be avoided, a route searching means for searching for a route, and a determination means for determining whether a route searched for by the route searching means includes a toll road shorter than a reference distance or not. When determined that the route includes a toll road shorter than the reference distance by the determination means, the route searching means removes the determined toll road shorter than the reference distance, and performs route search again. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation device and its route search technology.

  There is an in-vehicle navigation device that performs a route search so that a toll road is preferentially included when “toll road priority” is selected as a route search condition and “toll road priority” is selected.

JP 2002-13937 A

  However, in the conventional technology, a route including a toll road with a short distance may be searched. Such a route is not a route that the user desires because there is little time merit for a fee.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to search for a more meaningful route in a route search including a toll road.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention searches for a route that does not include a short-distance toll road.

  For example, when the navigation apparatus of the present invention receives an instruction for avoiding a short-distance toll road by the accepting means for accepting an instruction to avoid a short-distance toll road, the toll road having a predetermined distance or less is accepted by the accepting means. Route search means for searching for a route not including

  Further, the navigation device of the present invention includes a reference distance setting means for setting a reference distance used for determination of a short distance toll road to be avoided, a route search means for searching for a route, and a route searched by the route search means, Determining means for determining whether or not a toll road having a reference distance or less is included. Then, when the determination unit determines that the route includes a toll road that is less than or equal to the reference distance, the route search unit excludes the toll road that is less than or equal to the reference distance and performs route search again.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an in-vehicle navigation device 1 to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. As shown in the figure, the in-vehicle navigation device 1 includes a control device 10, a current position calculation device 20, an input device 30, and a display device 40.

  The current position calculation device 20 is a device that collects information for calculating the current position, and includes a vehicle speed sensor, a gyro sensor, a GPS (Global Positioning System) reception device, and the like.

  The input device 30 is a device for receiving an instruction from a user. The input device 30 includes a touch panel 31 that can be seen through a display screen provided on the front surface of the display device 40. Note that a hard switch (not shown) such as a dial switch may be provided separately.

  The display device 40 includes a liquid crystal display device and the like, and is a unit that displays graphics information generated by the control device 10.

  The control device 10 is a device for controlling other devices (current position calculation device 20, input device 30, display device 40, etc.). The control device 10 is configured by a general-purpose computer system including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), an interface with other devices, a bus connecting them, and the like. The

  The control device 10 includes a main control unit 11, an input content analysis unit 12, a route search unit 13, and a display processing unit 14 as functional units. These functional units are achieved by executing a program loaded into the memory by the CPU. Therefore, a program for performing each process is stored in the ROM.

  The main control unit 11 is a central unit that performs various processes. For example, from the output of the current position calculation device 20, the current position is calculated by map matching processing using the map data 16 stored in the storage device. In addition, a user request is received via the input content analysis unit 12 and a process corresponding to the request is executed. For example, when a route search request is received from the user, the route search unit 13 is instructed to perform route search processing. Further, the route guidance is performed by displaying the searched route and guidance information on the display device 40.

  The input content analysis unit 12 analyzes a request from a user input via the input device 30 and sends the result to the main control unit 11.

  The route search unit 13 sets a departure point (usually the current position) and a destination according to instructions from the main control unit 11, and searches for a route from the departure point to the destination. At this time, the route search unit 42 searches for a route that satisfies search conditions such as “toll road priority”, “general road priority”, and “distance priority”. Specifically, a link cost corresponding to the search condition is set for each link constituting the road on the map, and a route with the minimum total cost is searched using a route search algorithm such as the Dijkstra method. For example, in the case of “priority road priority”, the cost of the link belonging to the toll road is set to be low so that the toll road is easily selected and the route search is performed.

  The display processing unit 14 performs processing for displaying a map and a menu on the display device 40 in accordance with an instruction from the main control unit 11. For example, a menu screen for selecting a search condition such as “toll road priority”, “general road priority”, “distance priority” is displayed. In addition, the route to the destination is displayed on the map and a car mark indicating the current position is displayed.

  The map data 16 stores data related to roads and buildings on the map. Specifically, data (link data) relating to links constituting roads on the map is stored. The link data stores information such as the link start node / end node, link length, link travel time, and the type of road to which the link belongs (whether it is a toll road).

  [Description of Operation] Next, the characteristic operation of the vehicle-mounted navigation device 1 of this embodiment will be described.

  The in-vehicle navigation device 1 according to the present embodiment performs a route search according to a search condition. The search conditions include “toll road priority” in which the toll road is preferentially selected so that the toll road is preferentially selected, and the route search is performed so that the toll road is difficult to select and the general road is preferentially selected. There are “general road priority” and “distance priority” in which a route search is performed so that the distance is the shortest without distinction between general roads and toll roads.

  Therefore, the in-vehicle navigation device 1 includes a search condition setting mode for accepting setting of a route search condition from the user.

  FIG. 2 is an example of a display screen in the search condition setting mode.

  When the main control unit 11 receives a request for shifting to the search condition setting mode from the user via the input device 30, the main control unit 11 displays a search condition setting screen 400 as illustrated in FIG. 2 via the display processing unit 14. Display on device 40.

  The main control unit 11 displays search condition options 410 on the search condition setting screen 400 as shown in the figure. At this time, the search condition option 410 includes an option 411 for setting “toll road priority”.

  When the option 411 for setting “toll road priority” is pressed, the main control unit 11 sets the search condition to “toll road priority”.

  Further, when the “toll road priority” is set, the main control unit 11 displays an option 412 for accepting a setting as to whether or not a short-distance toll road is to be avoided.

  When the option 412 for avoiding a short-distance toll road is pressed, the main control unit 11 adds “short-distance toll road avoidance” to the search condition.

  Further, the main control unit 11 displays a field 413 for attaching the reference distance setting so as to accept a reference distance that is a threshold of the distance of the toll road to be avoided. In the field 413, the currently set reference distance (initial value is, for example, 10 km) is displayed, a button 414 for accepting increase / decrease in the reference distance is displayed, and an instruction to increase / decrease the reference distance is received from the user. In accordance with the accepted increase / decrease instruction, the reference distance is increased / decreased.

  When the user presses the route search start button 415 via the input device 30, the main control unit 11 determines the search conditions and instructs the route search unit 13 to perform route search processing.

  Hereinafter, a case where “toll road priority” and “short distance toll road avoidance” are set as route search conditions will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of route search processing in such a case. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a route search method in such a case.

  First, the route search unit 13 performs a route search such that a toll road is preferentially selected. Specifically, the link cost (link length or link travel time) of a link belonging to a toll road is multiplied by a predetermined coefficient of 1 or less (for example, 0.5), thereby lowering the link cost of a general road. Set a route search that minimizes the total cost.

  Next, the route search unit 13 tries to extract a section composed of a short-distance toll road from the searched route (S102). Specifically, the route search unit 13 refers to the link data of the map data, identifies the link belonging to the toll road among the links constituting the searched route, and the link belonging to the toll road is below the reference distance. Extract consecutive sections.

  This will be specifically described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 4A, it is assumed that the route 310 from the departure point 301 to the destination 302 searched in S101 uses a toll road 331 and a toll road 332. The section 321 belonging to the toll road 331 of the route 310 is less than the reference distance. On the other hand, the section 322 belonging to the toll road 332 exceeds the reference distance. In such a case, the route search unit 13 extracts a section 321 that is less than or equal to the reference distance.

  Next, the route search unit 13 determines whether or not a section composed of a short-distance toll road has been extracted (S103). If the section is extracted (Y in S103 in FIG. 3), the extracted section is determined. A re-route search is performed by excluding the constituent links from the candidate links for the route search (S104). Then, it returns to S102 and continues processing.

  In the example of FIG. 4A, the route search unit 13 performs a re-search by excluding the links constituting the section 321 that are equal to or less than the reference distance from the candidate links for the route search.

  The route search unit 13 performs a re-search until a route that does not include a toll road that is less than or equal to the reference distance is searched.

  Then, the route search unit 13 finally searches for a route 311 that does not include a toll road less than or equal to the reference distance, as shown in FIG. 4B. Note that the route 311 searched in this way may include a toll road section 323 exceeding the reference distance.

  Thus, when searching for a route that does not include a toll road that is equal to or less than the reference distance (N in S103), the route search unit 13 sends the searched route to the main control unit 11, and ends the route search process.

  Thereafter, the main control unit 13 displays the searched route on the display device 40 and receives an instruction from the user as to whether or not to set as a guidance route. And if the instruction | indication which sets as a guidance route is received, the searched route | route will be set to a guidance route and a route guidance process will be started.

  The flow of FIG. 3 has been described above.

  The in-vehicle navigation device 1 has a function of automatically searching for a route when the current position of the vehicle deviates from the route during route guidance (referred to as “auto-reroute function”). Even in such an auto-reroute function, a route avoiding a short-distance toll road can be re-searched by performing the flow shown in FIG.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above.

  According to the embodiment, it is possible to prevent a route including a too short toll road from being obtained as a search result.

  In the present embodiment, the user can easily set the reference distance of the short distance toll road to be avoided. Therefore, a route according to the user's preference can be searched.

  The above embodiment can be variously modified.

  For example, when the main control unit 11 displays a route searched by excluding the short-distance toll road, as shown in FIG. 5, a message 342 indicating that the short-distance toll road has been avoided is displayed on the route search result display screen 500. It may be displayed. By doing this, it is possible to inform that the “short-distance toll road avoidance” function, which is also a search condition, has worked. Moreover, you may display the path | route 341 searched before removing the link which belongs to a short distance toll road at this time. Further, the sum of the link lengths of the links constituting the excluded toll road (links constituting the avoided toll road) may be calculated and displayed as the length of the avoided toll road section. At this time, the estimated travel time of the avoided toll road section may be obtained and displayed by dividing the distance of the avoided toll road section by a predetermined speed (for example, 50 km / h). Moreover, when the charge of this toll road section is included in the map data, the charge may be displayed. According to these displays, the user can understand the merits of avoiding a short-distance toll road.

  The main control unit 11 may receive a change in the reference distance along with the route display. Therefore, in order to set the reference distance, a field 413 for setting the reference distance and a button 414 for accepting an instruction to increase or decrease the reference distance are displayed in the same manner as in the route search condition setting screen 400 of FIG. Good.

  Note that the main control unit 11 may accept an increase / decrease in the reference distance via the touch panel 31 or by rotating a dial switch.

  Further, as a distance threshold used for determination of the toll road to be avoided, the reference distance set by the user may not be used as it is, but may be given a width. For example, when the user designates 10 km, if the 10.1 km toll road exceeds 10 km and is not excluded, it is inconvenient. Therefore, the route search unit 13 adds the predetermined width value α to the reference distance X set by the user to obtain the determination threshold Q. In the short distance priority road extraction process in S102 of FIG. 3, the route search unit 13 extracts toll roads that are equal to or less than the determination threshold Q from the searched route. In this way, it is possible to perform route search by excluding toll roads that are slightly longer than the distance designated by the user.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an in-vehicle navigation device to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a route search condition setting screen. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of route search processing. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a route search method. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display screen of a route search result.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... In-vehicle navigation system,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Control apparatus, 11 ... Main control part, 12 ... Input content analysis part, 13 ... Route search part, 14 ... Display processing part, 16 ... Map data 20 ... Current position calculation device 30 ... input device, 31 ... touch panel,
40 ... Display device

Claims (6)

A navigation device,
An accepting means for accepting an instruction to avoid a short-distance toll road;
A navigation apparatus comprising: route searching means for searching for a route that does not include a toll road having a predetermined distance or less when an instruction to avoid a short distance toll road is received by the receiving means. The navigation device according to claim 1,
The reference distance setting means includes
A navigation device that displays an option for accepting an instruction to avoid the short distance toll road on a route search condition setting screen. A navigation device,
A reference distance setting means for setting a reference distance used to determine a short distance toll road to be avoided;
Route search means for searching for a route;
Determination means for determining whether or not the route searched by the route search means includes a toll road equal to or less than the reference distance;
The route search means includes
A navigation device characterized in that, when it is determined by the determination means that the route includes a toll road that is less than or equal to the reference distance, the toll road that is less than or equal to the reference distance is excluded and the route search is performed again. The navigation device according to claim 3,
The reference distance setting means includes
A navigation device characterized by receiving an instruction to increase or decrease the reference distance on a route search condition setting screen. A navigation device route search method,
A reception step for accepting an instruction to avoid a short-distance toll road;
A route search step of searching for a route that does not include a toll road that is equal to or less than a predetermined distance when an instruction for avoiding a short-distance toll road is received by the receiving step; Method. A navigation device route search method,
A reference distance setting step for setting a reference distance used to determine a short-distance toll road to be avoided;
A route search step for searching for a route;
A determination step of determining whether the route searched by the route search means includes a toll road equal to or less than the reference distance;
The route search step includes:
When the determination step determines that the route includes a toll road that is less than or equal to the reference distance, the route search is performed again by excluding the toll road that is less than or equal to the reference distance. Method.

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