JP2009180591A - Map display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To intelligibly display points reachable within a period desired by a user. <P>SOLUTION: This map display device 1A is equipped with: a display unit 6; a map data inputter 4 with map data stored therein; an operating switch group 5 including a base point setting means and a period setting means; and a control circuit 2. When a search base point is set by the point setting means and a desired travel period is set by the period setting means, the control circuit 2 is used for searching for reachable points reachable within the set period as to roads in a plurality of directions from the base point based on the map data, editing a map for display so that the plurality of reachable points searched for are rectilinearly about equal distances from the base point on a display screen of the display unit 6, and causing the edited map to be displayed on the display unit 6. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a map display device capable of searching for and displaying points that can be reached within a time desired by a user.

Conventionally, in a navigation apparatus, when a destination is specified, route calculation is performed and guidance by voice and display is performed. In the case of displaying this route, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-151867 discloses a display of the starting point and the vicinity of the destination in an easy-to-understand manner when an expressway is included in the route.
JP 2004-205347 A

  However, in the conventional device, the display until the destination is decided is changed, and the user has not yet decided the destination, but he wants to go somewhere, so he arrived too early at the inn at the destination. It was difficult to respond to requests such as wanting to see somewhere within an appropriate time.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a map display device capable of easily displaying a point that can be reached within a time desired by a user.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the user sets the search base point by the base point setting means and sets the desired travel time by the time setting means, the search means uses the map data to Search for reachable points that can be reached in the set desired travel time on a plurality of roads from the search base point, and the display control means displays a plurality of reachable time points searched by the search means on the display screen of the display means. The display map is edited so as to be substantially the same distance linearly from the search base point, and the edited map is displayed on the display. As a result, the reachable points on multiple roads that can be reached at the desired travel time desired by the user are displayed on a circle with the same radius from the search base point, and the multiple points that can be reached at the desired travel time are displayed on the display screen. It can be easily confirmed.

  In this case, the search means searches for reachable points of the roads in the plurality of directions that can be reached in the set desired travel time, and in addition, searches for the roads in the plurality of directions in a unit time equal to or less than the set desired travel time. The display control means also searches for each unit reachable point at the set desired travel time so that each reachable point is linearly approximately the same distance from the search base point, and at the unit time. A configuration may be adopted in which the display map is edited so that each unit reachable point is linearly approximately the same distance from the search base point (invention of claim 2). If it does in this way, in addition to being able to confirm a plurality of points which can go in travel desired time easily on a display screen, a plurality of unit reachable points in unit time will also be displayed.

  In addition, there is a transit point setting means for setting an arbitrary point before the reachable point as a transit point, and when the transit point is set by the transit point setting unit, the search unit travels to the transit point. The remaining time from the time to the desired travel time is updated and set as a new desired travel time, a plurality of roads are selected from the search base point based on the map data, using the waypoint as the search base point, and the update setting It is also possible to search for reachable points on the roads in the plurality of directions that can be reached in the desired travel time (invention of claim 3). If it does in this way, the reachable point which can drive | work in the remaining time can be known from there via a waypoint, and the convenience improves.

  Further, the plurality of roads may be roads leading to major cities (invention of claim 4). In this way, a route is calculated for the main city, the point corresponding to the desired travel time for the route can be set as the reachable point, and the reachable point can be easily determined.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a car navigation device including a function as a travel information database creation device will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the car navigation apparatus. The car navigation apparatus 1 includes a control circuit 2 mainly composed of a microcomputer, a position detector 3 for detecting the current position of the vehicle, a map data input device 4 as map data storage means, an operation switch group 5, a color liquid crystal The display unit 6 includes a display, an audio output device 7, a remote control sensor 8, a remote control 9, and the like.

  The position detector 3 includes a G sensor 10 for detecting the pitch angle of the vehicle, a gyroscope 11 for detecting the roll angle of the vehicle, a distance sensor 12 for detecting the travel distance of the vehicle, and a radio wave transmitted from an artificial satellite. And a GPS receiver 13 for GPS (Global Positioning System) that detects (positions) the current position of the vehicle. Each sensor 10-13 has an error with a different property. For this reason, the control circuit 2 detects the current position, traveling direction, speed, travel distance, current time, etc. of the vehicle with high accuracy by using the detection values of the sensors 10-13 while interpolating. Yes. Depending on the accuracy, the position detector 3 may be configured by only a part of the sensors 10 to 13 described above. Further, a steering rotation sensor, a wheel sensor of each rolling wheel, or the like may be used.

  The map data input device 4 corresponds to map data storage means, and is road map data, landmark data, map matching data, destination data (facility database), and table data for converting traffic information into road data. It is comprised by the drive device for reading data from the map data recording medium which recorded various data, such as. As the map data recording medium, a large-capacity storage medium such as a DVD is generally used, but a medium such as a memory card or a hard disk device may be used.

  The road map data includes data such as road shape, road width, road name, signal, railroad crossing, building, various facilities, place name, terrain, etc., and for displaying the road map on the screen of the display 7. Contains data. Destination data consists of information about transportation facilities such as stations, leisure facilities, accommodation facilities, public facilities, various stores such as retail stores, department stores, restaurants, residences, condominiums, and place names. The data includes data such as the telephone number, address, latitude and longitude, and also includes data for displaying a landmark indicating the facility on the road map on the display 7 screen. It is configured.

  The operation switch group 5 (corresponding to the base point setting means, the time setting means, and the waypoint setting means) is not shown in detail, but is provided on a mechanical switch provided near the screen of the display 6 or on the screen of the display 6. A touch panel switch (including a base point setting unit, a time setting unit, and a waypoint setting unit) is provided. A user (driver) uses the operation switch group 5 to input various information such as a destination, information necessary for searching for a destination, a passing point, and a screen or a display mode of the display unit 7. The command is entered. The user can also input commands and the like by operating the remote controller 9.

  The display 6 corresponds to display means, and a map around the position of the vehicle is displayed on the screen of the display 6 at various scales, and the current position of the vehicle and the progress are superimposed on the display. A current location mark (pointer) indicating the direction is displayed. In addition, when performing route guidance to the destination, a route guidance screen is displayed. Further, the display 6 displays an input screen for inputting information necessary for the user to search for the destination, searching for and setting the destination, various messages, and the like. It has become.

  The microcomputer constituting the control circuit 2 includes a CPU, memory (RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, etc.), I / O, and the like. When the CPU executes a program stored in the ROM (or flash memory), it functions as a search unit and a display control unit.

  Here, the function as the route search means is to automatically calculate a recommended travel route from the starting point (current position) of the vehicle to the destination, and for example, the Dijkstra method is used. Specifically, a road map around the current location is displayed on the screen of the display 7 so that the vehicle can move along the travel route, and a current location mark indicating the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle is superimposed on the road map. It is a function to display. In this case, the display of the current location moves on the map as the vehicle travels, and the map is scrolled according to the position of the vehicle.

Here, the control circuit 2, the position detector 3, the map data input device 4, the operation switch group 5, the display device 6 and the like constitute a map display device 1A.
Next, functions of the control circuit 2 as search means and display control means will be described with reference to FIGS.
In step S1, the current map is displayed on the display 6, or the initial screen of the car navigation device is displayed. Although this display form is not shown, a time map setting switch unit (touch panel switch unit) for changing the map to a time map (time reference map) is formed on the screen.

  In step S2, it is determined whether or not the user has operated the time map setting switch unit (whether there is a setting). If there is a setting, the process proceeds to step S3 to display the wide area map shown in FIG. Screen A is displayed on the display 6. In this case, a detail (magnification) setting unit a1, a base point setting unit a2 as a base point setting unit, and a map change setting unit a3 for changing from a time map to a distance map (normal map), each comprising a touch panel switch, are provided. Display. Further, on this display screen A, for example, a scale S of the distance that can be traveled in 2 hours is also displayed.

  In step S4, it is determined whether or not there is a setting from the base point setting unit a2 and the detailed setting unit a1. If “YES”, the process proceeds to step S5, and the setting is performed around the set base point. Normal map data in a range corresponding to the enlargement ratio is acquired from the map data input device 4. The image of the acquired normal map data is a distance map (normal map) as shown in FIG.

  In step S6, first, a plurality of major cities are set in the map range shown in FIG. 7, and in step S7, a route to the city is calculated using the set city as a destination, and in step S8, In this route calculation, a point that arrives at the desired travel time set by the user is searched. In this case, for example, a unit reachable point is also searched in units of 15 minutes and stored.

Here, the desired travel time set by the user is, for example, “90 minutes”. It is assumed that the reachable point in “90 minutes” is indicated by reference signs A1, A2, and A3 in FIG.
In step S9, the reachable points A1, A2, A3 are linearly approximately the same distance from the base point (in this case, indicated by the symbol K), and other unit reachable points are also the base points. The map data for display is shrunk or enlarged and edited so as to be substantially the same distance linearly from K (the map scale is changed according to the direction of the road).

  In step S10, as shown in FIG. 5, in the edited display map B, the reachable points A1 ′, A2 ′, A3 ′ are linearly approximately the same distance (for example, R1) from the base point K ′. To display. In this case, the portion other than the road having the reachable point may be displayed in a blurred manner.

  In FIG. 5, when the map detail level selection setting unit c1 is operated (determined in step S11), the process proceeds to step S12, and the screen C shown in FIG. 6 is displayed, and the unit can be reached in units of 15 minutes. The point is displayed. For example, the unit reachable points in 45 minutes are indicated by reference numerals Q1 to Q6. Expected arrival points in 45 minutes between the unit reachable points Q1 to Q6 are indicated by an expected time line Qj. The expected time line is also displayed at the unit reachable points at 15 minutes and 30 minutes.

In the screen C, a waypoint selection unit d1 as a waypoint setting means is composed of a touch panel switch.
In FIG. 6, when a waypoint before the reachable point is set by the waypoint selection unit d1, the control of FIG. 3 is executed. In step S14 of FIG. 3, the remaining time from the travel time to the route point to the desired travel time is updated and set as a new desired travel time. In step S15, the route point is set as a search base point. A plurality of major cities are set, and in step S17, the route to the city is calculated using the set city as a destination.

  In step S18, a point that can be reached in the new desired travel time is searched and stored. In step S19, the display map is edited so that each reachable point has the same distance from the new base point. In step S20, the edited display map is displayed. In this case, a map change setting unit is also displayed.

  In the above-described control, the characteristic part has been described, but control other than that described is also performed as necessary. For example, a cancel switch unit and other switch units are also provided on the display screen. Yes, control according to the switch operation is performed.

Thereafter, the user operates the map change setting unit to return the screen, confirms the destination, and returns to route guidance by a normal navigation device.
According to this embodiment, when the user sets the search base point by the base point setting unit and sets the desired travel time by the time setting unit, the search means in the control circuit 2 starts from the search base point based on the map data. A search is made for reachable points that can be reached in the set desired travel time on a plurality of roads, and the display control means in the control circuit 2 displays the plurality of reachable time points searched by the search means on the display screen of the display 6. The display map is edited so that the distance from the search base point is substantially the same linearly, and the edited map is displayed on the display. As a result, the reachable points on multiple roads that can be reached at the desired travel time desired by the user are displayed on a circle with the same radius from the search base point, and the multiple points that can be reached at the desired travel time are displayed on the display screen. It can be easily confirmed.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the search means in the control circuit 2 searches for the reachable points of the roads in the plurality of directions that can be reached in the set desired travel time, and in addition to the set desired travel time or less. The unit reachable points of the plurality of roads in unit time are also searched, and the display control means in the control circuit 2 has each reachable point in the set desired travel time approximately linearly from the search base point. Since the display map is edited so that each unit reachable point in the unit time is linearly approximately the same distance from the search base point, it can be performed at the desired travel time. In addition to being able to easily confirm a plurality of points on the display screen, it is also possible to display a plurality of unit reachable points in unit time.

  In addition, it includes a transit point setting unit d1 that sets an arbitrary point before the reachable point as a transit point, and the search means in the control circuit 2 has a transit point set by the transit point setting unit d1, The remaining time from the travel time to the waypoint to the desired travel time is updated and set as a new desired travel time, and the road from the search base point to a plurality of roads based on the map data is set as the search base point. Select and search for reachable points on the multiple roads that can be reached in the updated travel time, so know the reachable points that can be driven in the remaining time via the waypoints Can improve convenience.

Further, in this embodiment, since the roads in the plurality of directions are roads leading to the main city, the route calculation is performed for the purpose of the main city, and the point corresponding to the desired travel time for the route is set as the reachable point. And reachable points can be easily determined.
In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example, You may implement as changed as follows. For example, the display screens of FIGS. 5 and 6 may display a blurred road or the like in a portion other than the main road.

1 is a functional block diagram of a car navigation apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention. Flow chart showing control contents (part 1) Flow chart showing control contents (2) The figure which shows the display screen for action explanation (the 1) The figure which shows the display screen for action explanation (the 2) The figure which shows the display screen for action explanation (the 3) Figure showing distance map image data

Explanation of symbols

  In the drawings, 1 is a car navigation device, 1A is a map display device, 2 is a control circuit (search means, display control means), 4 is a map data input device (map data storage means), and 5 is an operation switch group (base point setting means). , Time setting means, waypoint setting means).

Claims (4)

Display means;
Map data storage means for storing map data;
A base point setting means for setting a search base point;
Time setting means for setting the desired travel time;
When the search base point is set by the base point setting unit and the desired travel time is set by the time setting unit, the set desired travel time is set on a plurality of roads from the search base point based on the map data. Search means for searching for reachable points,
The display map is edited so that the plurality of reachable points searched by the search means are linearly approximately the same distance from the search base point on the display screen of the display means, and the edited display map is And a display control means for displaying on the display means. In addition to searching for reachable points of the roads in the plurality of directions that can be reached in the set desired travel time, the search means reaches the unit arrival of the roads in the plurality of directions in a unit time that is equal to or less than the set desired travel time. Search for possible points,
The display control means is configured such that each reachable point at the set desired travel time is substantially the same distance linearly from the search base point, and each unit reachable point at the unit time is the search base point. The map display device according to claim 1, wherein the map for display is edited so that the distance is linearly approximately the same. Comprising a waypoint setting means for setting any point before the reachable point as a waypoint,
When there is a waypoint setting by the waypoint setting means, the search means updates and sets the remaining time from the travel time to the route point to the desired travel time as a new desired travel time. As a search base point, roads in a plurality of directions are selected from the search base points based on the map data, and a reachable point of the roads in the plurality of directions that can be reached in the updated set travel time is searched. The map display device according to claim 1 or 2.   4. The map display device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of roads are roads leading to a major city.

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