JP2009229149A - Warning device for turning on blinker and program for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To warn a driver at timing more responding to the specific nature of each driver in a technique for giving a warning when a blinker is not turned on before a junction to turn. <P>SOLUTION: A vehicular navigation apparatus comprises: a step 215 for reading learning distance when a blinker is turned on for a branch category (step 210) to which a junction A belongs before the junction A to turn; a step 225 for determining whether one's own vehicle has passed a position for turning on the blinker by comparing the read learning distance when the blinker is on with the distance from the current position of the vehicle to the junction A; and a step 240 for giving a warning to the driver of the vehicle, based on the fact that the blinker is not turned on (step 230) in spite of the fact that the determination result is affirmative. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a winker forget warning device and a program for a winker forget warning device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for issuing a warning when the turn signal is not turned on before a branch point scheduled to bend.
JP 2001-255167 A

  However, in the above technique, a warning is issued when the vehicle enters within a predetermined distance, and therefore the timing for issuing the warning is uniform. With such a technique, it is not possible to cope with a winker-on timing that is different for each driver. For example, the driver may receive a warning even though he is about to turn on the blinker. In such a case, the driver may feel that he / she has received a warning.

  In view of the above points, an object of the present invention is to issue a warning at a timing according to the characteristics of each individual driver in a technique for issuing a warning when the turn signal is not turned on before the branch point scheduled to bend. .

  In the invention according to claim 1 for achieving the above object, the blinker forgetting warning device records the distance to the branch point of the vehicle when the turn signal is on as a learning distance when the turn signal is turned on over a plurality of occasions. Further, the winker forgetting warning device compares the learning distance when the winker is turned on and the distance from the current position of the vehicle to the branch point A before the turning point A that is scheduled to bend, so that the vehicle turns on the winker. A determination is made as to whether or not the power position has passed, and a warning is given to the driver of the vehicle based on the fact that the turn signal is not turned on despite the positive determination result.

  In this way, the distance to the bifurcation point at the turn-on timing of turn signals in multiple opportunities is recorded as the turn-on learning distance, and the host vehicle should turn on the turn signal in relation to the turn-on learning distance. It is determined whether or not the position has been passed. Therefore, the blinker forgetting warning device can issue a warning according to the characteristics of each driver (that is, the turn-on timing of a different blinker for each driver).

  The record of the learning distance at turn-on time may be the distance at the time of recording (that is, the current time), or a statistical value (for example, an average value) of the distance at the past opportunity and the current distance. May be. In the former case, the statistical value of the recorded learning distance at turn-on time and the distance from the current position of the vehicle to the branch point A are used as comparative controls.

  In addition, as described in claim 2, the blinker forgetting warning device includes a plurality of branches belonging to the branch category for each of a plurality of branch categories (that is, categories in which branch features at a branch point are classified into a plurality of groups). It is also possible to record the learning distances of the winker on points together (that is, as a single statistical object).

  In this case, the blinker forgetting warning device compares the learning distance at the time of turn-on for the branch category to which the branch point A belongs and the distance from the current position of the vehicle to the branch point A before the branch point A, It may be determined whether or not the vehicle has passed a position where the turn signal should be turned on.

  In this way, branch points are grouped, and the learning distance at winker on is separately recorded for each group and used for warning determination, so that the execution / non-execution of warning can be controlled more finely.

  Further, as described in claim 3, the blinker forgotten warning device warns about the branch point A on the basis of the fact that the blinker is not turned on before entering the branch point A despite the warning. May be prohibited.

  In this way, even if it is determined that the winker forgotten warning device is a branch, it is possible to suppress a warning that the winker is not turned on at a point where the driver does not determine that the branch is a branch.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the winker forget warning device, when the winker is turned on after the warning, the distance from the vehicle to the branch point A when the winker is turned on is recorded as the learning distance when the winker is turned on. May be excluded.

  The turn-on of the winker executed by receiving the warning is different from the turn-on of the winker spontaneously executed by the driver, and the execution timing does not reflect the characteristics of the driver. By removing the turn-on of the winker in such a case from the recording target as the turn-on learning distance, it is possible to perform a warning according to the driver characteristics more accurately.

  Further, the blinker forgetting warning device records the distance from the vehicle to the branch point A when the turn signal is turned on as the learning distance when turn signal is turned on, based on the fact that the traveling speed of the vehicle is less than the reference speed when the turn signal is turned on. It may be excluded from the target.

  When the traveling speed is sufficiently low, there is a high possibility that the road around the vehicle is congested. In such a case, there is a high possibility that the driver does not turn on the blinker at normal timing. Accordingly, by removing the turn-on of the winker in such a case from the recording target as the winker-on learning distance, a warning according to the characteristics of the driver at the normal time can be performed more accurately.

  Further, as described in claim 6, the features of the present invention can also be realized as a program used for a blinker forgetting warning device.

  In addition, the code | symbol in the bracket | parenthesis in the said and the claim shows the correspondence of the term described in the claim, and the concrete thing etc. which illustrate the said term described in embodiment mentioned later. .

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 shows a hardware configuration of a vehicle navigation device (corresponding to an example of a blinker forgetting warning device) 1 according to the present embodiment. The vehicle navigation device 1 includes a seat vibration control device 10, a position detector 11, an image display device 12, an operation unit 13, a speaker 14, an inter-vehicle distance sensor 15, a turn signal switch 16, a map data acquisition unit 17, and a control circuit 18. have.

  The seat vibration control device 10 is an actuator that vibrates a driver's seat of a vehicle on which the vehicle navigation device 1 is mounted in response to a control signal from the control circuit 18.

  The position detector 11 includes a well-known sensor (not shown) such as a geomagnetic sensor, a gyroscope, a vehicle speed sensor, and a GPS receiver. The current position and direction of the vehicle based on the characteristics of each of these sensors. , And information for specifying the speed is output to the control circuit 18.

  The image display device 12 displays a video based on the video signal output from the control circuit 18 to the user. The operation unit 13 outputs a signal based on an operation (for example, pressing a mechanical switch, touching a touch panel) to the input device by the driver to the control circuit 18.

  The inter-vehicle distance sensor 15 is a device that detects the distance between the host vehicle and a vehicle behind the host vehicle. The inter-vehicle distance sensor 15 can be realized by, for example, a laser sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter wave sensor, or the like provided at the rear of the vehicle.

  The turn signal switch 16 is an operation device for controlling the presence or absence of blinking of the turn signal (that is, a right turn display lamp and a left turn display lamp) of the vehicle. When the user operates the turn signal switch 16, either a right-turn display lamp or a left-turn display lamp blinks and a signal indicating which lamp is blinking is controlled in accordance with the operation content. Output to the circuit 18.

  The map data acquisition unit 17 includes a nonvolatile storage medium such as an HDD and a device that reads and writes data from and to the storage medium. The storage medium stores a program executed by the control circuit 18, map data for route guidance, and the like.

  The map data has road data and facility data. Road data includes link position information, type (for example, highway, main general road, narrow street, and number of lanes that the link has) information, travel direction information, nodes (ie, intersections such as intersections) ) Location information, type information, traffic signal presence / absence information, presence / absence of pause indication (and from which entry to the node there is a pause restriction), and the connection relationship between the node and the link Contains information. The facility data has a plurality of records for each facility, and each record has data indicating name information, location information, land lot number information, facility type information, and the like of the target facility.

  Further, the storage medium of the map data acquisition unit 17 has a storage area for the learning DB. The learning DB is data having information on the learning distance at turn-on for each branch category. The branch category is a category in which branch features at a branch point are classified into a plurality of groups. Here, a branch can be uniquely specified by three points: a branch point, an approach road to the branch point, and an exit road from the branch point.

The grouping of the branch points is performed based on the characteristics of the branch points themselves and / or the characteristics of the manner of entering and leaving the branch points. Specifically, as an index used for grouping branch points, any one or a combination of the following can be employed.
(1) Separate right turn and left turn branch (2) Angle change amount in running direction before and after branch (for example, obtuse or acute angle)
(3) Whether there is a traffic light at the branch point (4) Type of road to enter the branch point and type of exit road from the branch point (5) Branch immediately following the immediately preceding branch (for example, within 30 m) (ie, continuous) (6) Approach speed to the branch point (for example, whether it is faster or slower than the first reference speed)
(7) When the indicator of (3) is used, whether or not there is a following vehicle within the reference distance from the host vehicle when entering the branch point, when there is no signal at the branch point, The grouping may be further subdivided using whether or not there is a pause display.

  The turn-on learning distance is a set of information about the distance from the vehicle to the turn point (hereinafter referred to as the remaining distance) when the turn signal is turned on to display a right or left turn in front of the turn point. It is a statistic. Specifically, the information on the average value of the past remaining distance and the number of times the remaining distance is recorded for the branch corresponding to a certain branch category corresponds to the information on the learning distance at the time of turn-on of the branch category.

  A control circuit (corresponding to a computer) 18 is a microcomputer having a CPU, RAM, ROM, I / O and the like. The CPU executes a program for the operation of the vehicle navigation device 1 read from the ROM or the map data acquisition unit 17, reads information from the RAM, the ROM, and the map data acquisition unit 17 at the time of execution. And, if possible, information is written to the storage medium of the map data acquisition unit 17, and the seat vibration control device 10, the position detector 11, the image display device 12, the operation unit 13, the speaker 14, and the inter-vehicle distance sensor 15 and the turn signal switch 16 exchange signals.

  Specific processing performed by executing a program by the control circuit 18 includes current position specifying processing, map display processing, guidance route calculation processing, route guidance processing, learning recording processing, winker on warning processing, and the like.

  The current position specifying process is a process for specifying the current position and direction of the vehicle based on a signal from the position detector 11 using a known technique such as map matching. The map display process is a process for causing the image display device 12 to display a map of a specific area such as the vicinity of the current position of the vehicle. At this time, information used for map display is acquired from the map data.

  The guide route calculation process is a process of receiving an input of a destination by the user from the operation unit 13 and calculating an optimum guide route from the current position to the destination. In the route guidance process, when the vehicle arrives in front of a guidance point such as a right-left turn intersection on the guidance route, a guidance voice instructing a right turn, a left turn, etc. is output to the speaker 14, and an enlarged view of the guidance point is displayed. This is a process of guiding the driving of the vehicle along the guidance route by being displayed on the image display device 12.

  The learning recording process records the remaining distance to the vehicle branch point when the turn signal is turned on, before the turn point where the turn is to be made, as a turn signal turn-on learning distance in the learning DB over a plurality of occasions when the vehicle is running. It is processing to do.

  When the vehicle is running, the winker-on warning process is performed based on the winker-on learning distance of the branch category to which the branch point A belongs and the current position of the vehicle before the branch point A scheduled to bend along the guide route. This is a process of warning the driver of the vehicle about turning on the turn signal based on a comparison with the distance to the branch point A or the like.

  Hereinafter, the learning recording process and the winker on warning process will be described in detail. For the learning recording process, the control circuit 18 repeatedly executes the program 100 shown in FIG. 2 when an ignition switch (not shown) of the host vehicle is turned on. Further, the control circuit 18 repeatedly executes the program 200 shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 in parallel with the program 100 when the ignition switch of the host vehicle is turned on for the winker on warning process.

  In the execution of the program 100 in the learning and recording process, the control circuit 18 first waits until the turn signal of the host vehicle is turned on in step 110 and receives a signal indicating that the turn signal is turned on from the turn signal switch 16. Execute.

  In step 120, the distance (that is, remaining distance) from the current position of the host vehicle to the branch point is calculated. As a branch point, a node of an end point on the current traveling direction side on the link on which the host vehicle is currently traveling (that is, the nearest branch point in front of the host vehicle) is used. The identification of the branch point and the position of the identified branch point are performed based on information in the map data.

  Subsequently, in step 130, category distribution is performed for the current branch (that is, the turn at the branch point). That is, it is determined to which of the above branch categories the current branch belongs.

  When the index (1) is adopted as the branch category grouping, category assignment is realized by specifying whether the current branch is a right turn or a left turn based on a signal from the turn signal switch 16.

  When the index (2) is adopted, the direction of the approach road and the exit road at the current branch point is specified based on the map data, and the amount of angular deviation between these directions is calculated. Sorting is realized. As the approach road, a link on which the host vehicle is currently traveling is adopted, and as the exit road, a link that is bent from the approach road in the turning direction specified based on the turn signal switch 16 is adopted.

  In addition, when the index (3) is adopted, based on the map data, whether or not a traffic light is installed at the current branching point, and temporarily at the point where the current approaching road enters the current branching point. The category distribution is realized by determining whether or not there is a restriction on the stop.

  In addition, when the index (4) is adopted, the category distribution is realized by specifying the type of the approach road to the current branch point and the type of the exit road from the branch point based on the map data. .

  When the index (5) is adopted, the distance along the road from the last branch point where the character vehicle passes to the current branch point is calculated based on the map data and the traveling locus of the host vehicle. Thus, category distribution is realized.

  Further, when the index (6) is adopted, category distribution is realized by specifying the current vehicle speed of the host vehicle. Further, when the index (7) is employed, the category distribution is realized by specifying the distance from the own vehicle to the following vehicle based on the signal from the inter-vehicle distance sensor 15.

  Subsequently, in step 135, it is determined whether or not the speed of the host vehicle is equal to or higher than a second reference speed (lower than the first reference speed; for example, 10 km / h). Step 140 is executed, and if it is below the reference speed, the current execution of the program 100 is terminated.

  In step 140, it is determined whether or not warning output has been made in the winker-on warning process for the current branch point. If not, step 150 is executed, and if this is done, the current execution of the program 100 is executed. finish.

In step 150, the remaining distance measured in step 120 is recorded in the learning DB as a learning distance at turn-on. Specifically, the average value M and the recording count N are read out from the branch category to which the current branch specified in step 130 belongs, and a new average value M ′ is obtained by the following equation using these and the current remaining distance Z. Is calculated.
M ′ = (M · N + Z) / (N + 1)
Further, a value obtained by adding 1 to the recording number N is set as a new recording number N ′. The new average value M ′ and the number of recording times N ′ thus obtained are replaced with the average value M and the number of recording times N so far, and are recorded in the learning DB as the learning distance at the time of winker on of the branch category. After step 150, the current execution of program 100 is terminated.

  By repeatedly executing such a program 100 for a plurality of opportunities and types of branches in the learning and recording process, the control circuit 18 specifies the remaining distance to the vehicle branch point when the turn signal is on (see step 110). (See step 120), among the plurality of branch categories in the learning DB, the average value and the number of times of recording incorporating the specified remaining distance as the learning distance at the time of turn-on of the branch category to which the current branch belongs (see step 130). A set of statistical objects is recorded (see step 150).

  However, when the winker is turned on after the warning in the winker on warning process described later (see step 140), the distance from the vehicle to the branch point when the winker is on is determined from the recording target as the learning distance when the winker is on. Exclude (see step 140 → NO).

  The turn-on of the winker executed by receiving the warning is different from the turn-on of the winker spontaneously executed by the driver, and the execution timing does not reflect the characteristics of the driver. By removing the turn-on of the winker in such a case from the recording target as the turn-on learning distance, it is possible to perform a warning according to the driver characteristics more accurately.

  Further, the control circuit 18 determines that the remaining distance to the current branch point is when the turn signal is on, based on the fact that the vehicle traveling speed is less than the second reference speed when the turn signal is turned on (see step 110). Excluded from the record as the learning distance (see step 135 → NO).

  When the traveling speed is sufficiently low, there is a high possibility that the road around the vehicle is congested. In such a case, there is a high possibility that the driver does not turn on the blinker at normal timing. Accordingly, by removing the turn-on of the winker in such a case from the recording target as the winker-on learning distance, a warning according to the characteristics of the driver at the normal time can be performed more accurately.

  As described above, when the learning distance at winker on is accumulated in the learning DB, the data that becomes noise is removed because the reliability of the learning DB after accumulation is lowered. Further, accumulation of the learning distance at turn-on time in the learning DB is executed regardless of whether route guidance along the guidance route is performed.

  Next, the winker on warning process will be described. In each execution of the program 200, the control circuit 18 first determines in step 205 whether a guidance route has been calculated and whether route guidance processing has been executed for the guidance route, and the determination result is affirmative. If it is true, step 210 is subsequently executed, and if negative, execution of the current program 200 is terminated.

  In step 210, based on the guidance route information, the map data information, the current position identification process, the signal from the inter-vehicle distance sensor 15, etc., the branch point where the vehicle is expected to enter next along the guidance route The branch category to which the branch at (hereinafter referred to as branch point A) belongs is specified.

  The correspondence relationship between the index adopted as the branch category grouping and the branch category specifying method is the same as the category distribution process of step 130 in the learning recording process. However, when the index (1) is adopted, the branch category to which the branch point A belongs is determined based on whether the guide route is turning right or left at the branch point A. The exit road is a link whose guide route enters after the branch point A.

  Subsequently, at step 215, the learning distance at turn-on corresponding to the branch category determined at step 210 is read from the learning DB. Subsequently, at step 220, the turn signal flags corresponding to the branch point A, the approach road, and the exit road are read from the storage medium of the map data acquisition unit 17. The winker flag is a flag provided for each set of a branch point, an approach road, and an exit road (hereinafter also simply referred to as a branch type), and its initial value is 1. As will be described later, warnings are prohibited for branch types whose turn signal flag is 0. If the read blinker flag is 1, then step 220 is executed. If it is 0, step 240 is bypassed and step 245 is executed.

  In Step 225, the distance from the current position of the host vehicle to the branch point A is compared with the average value in the learning distance at the turn-on time read out in Step 215, and the distance from the current position to the branch point A is shorter. If it is not shorter, step 225 is executed again. The criterion of whether or not the distance from the current position to the branch point A is shorter than the average value during the turn-on learning distance is whether or not the vehicle has passed the position where the turn-on should be turned on. It is an example of the reference | standard for determining.

  In step 230, based on the signal from the turn signal switch 16, it is determined whether or not the turn signal is currently turned on in a predetermined bending direction (that is, along the guide route). If not, step 245 is bypassed and step 245 is executed.

  In step 235, it is determined whether or not the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than the second reference speed. If the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than the second reference speed, step 240 is executed. Then, Step 245 is executed.

  In step 240, a warning is issued to prompt the driver to turn on the blinker in an appropriate direction. For example, the characters “Please turn on the right turn signal” may be displayed on the image display device 12, a beep sound may be output to the speaker 14, and the seat vibration control device 10 may be controlled. Then, the driver seat may be vibrated.

  In this way, the map data acquisition unit 17 is the winker-on learning distance (specifically, the winker-on time for the branch category to which the branch point A belongs (see step 210) before the branch point A to be bent. (The average value of the distance from the vehicle to the same kind of branch point) (see step 215), and by comparing the read turn-on learning distance and the distance from the vehicle current position to the branch point A, It is determined whether or not the vehicle has passed the position where the turn signal should be turned on (see step 225). Based on the fact that the determination result is affirmative, the turn signal is not turned on (step 230). (See step 240).

  In this way, the distance to the branch point at the turn-on timing of the winkers at a plurality of past opportunities is recorded as the winker-on learning distance (see the program 100 in FIG. 2). In the relationship, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has passed the position where the turn signal should be turned on. Therefore, the vehicle navigation apparatus 1 can issue a warning according to the characteristics of the individual drivers (that is, the turn-on timings of the drivers different for each driver).

  Further, the vehicle navigation apparatus 1 compares the learning distance at winker on the branch category to which the branch point A belongs before the branch point A with the distance from the current position of the vehicle to the branch point A. It is determined whether or not the vehicle has passed the position where the turn signal should be turned on. In this way, branch points are grouped, and the learning distance at winker on is separately recorded for each group and used for warning determination, so that the execution / non-execution of warning can be controlled more finely.

  However, the control circuit 18 warns when the vehicle speed is lower than the second reference speed even if the turn signal is not turned on when the host vehicle has passed the position where the turn signal should be turned on (see step 235). There is no output. If the vehicle speed is sufficiently low, there is a high possibility that the surroundings of the vehicle are congested. In such a case, there is often no problem even if the turn signal is turned on at a later timing than usual. The operation is based on ideas. In this way, the possibility that the driver feels noisy is reduced.

  Further, when the winker flag corresponding to the set of the branch point A, the approach road, and the exit road is off (see step 220), the control circuit 18 passes the position where the own vehicle should turn on the winker. Even if the turn signal is not turned on, no warning is output.

  The processing after Step 245 is processing for setting the value of the turn signal flag (hereinafter referred to as the target turn signal flag) for the current set of the branch point A, the approach road, and the exit road. In step 245, the control circuit 18 waits until the own vehicle leaves the branch point A, and after leaving, determines whether or not the own vehicle branches the branch point A along the guide route, and follows the guide route. If it is branched, step 250 is subsequently executed. If it is not branched, execution of the current program 200 is terminated without changing the value of the target blinker flag.

  In step 250, it is determined whether or not the turn signal is actually turned on in the planned bending direction before the branch point A. If it is turned on, the value of the target turn signal flag is set to 1 in step 255 and turned on. If not, then in step 260, the value of the target blinker flag is set to zero. Subsequent to Steps 255 and 260, in Step 265, the set value of the target blinker flag is overwritten and recorded in the storage medium of the map data acquisition unit 17.

  Thus, the control circuit 18 outputs a warning (see step 240), and in the case where the turn signal is turned on and the own vehicle turns the branch point A along the guide route), step 245 is performed. , 250, the target blinker flag is set to 1 in step 255.

  This is because if the blinker is turned on after the warning is output, it is likely that the driver has forgotten to turn on the blinker, so this branch type should continue to be warned when necessary at a later time. The operation is based on the idea. For such a branch type, as described above, a warning is output when the host vehicle passes the position where the turn signal should be turned on, and before the host vehicle passes the position where the turn signal should be turned on, A warning for urging winker on may be given.

  Moreover, although the control circuit 18 outputs a warning (see step 240), the driver ignores it and travels along the guide route, and as a result, the turn signal is not turned on before entering the branch point A. Through steps 245 and 250, in step 260, the target blinker flag is set to 0, thereby prohibiting warning for the branch point A thereafter.

  The reason why the driver ignores the warning is not necessarily clear, but it is considered that the warning should not be issued before the same branch type from the next time, assuming that the winker was not turned on for some reason of the driver. Is based on operation.

  In this way, even if it is determined that the winker forgotten warning device is a branch, it is possible to suppress a warning that the winker is not turned on at a point where the driver does not determine that the branch is a branch. Therefore, there are fewer scenes where the driver feels noisy.

  Further, when the control circuit 18 does not branch the branch point along the guide route, the control circuit 18 makes a negative determination in step 245 and leaves the target blinker flag as it is. If a warning is output (see step 240), since the target blinker flag is 1 at that time, a warning is output as necessary for the branch type from the next time onward.

  This is because it is unknown whether the driver turned on the turn signaler according to the warning when it actually passed the branch A along the guide route because it passed the branch A this time. This case is based on the idea that this case should not be used to determine whether or not there is a subsequent warning output.

  For the same branch type, the target winker flag becomes zero as a result of traveling along the guide route without turning on the winker despite the driver receiving a warning last time. Although no warning was given (see NO at step 220), if the driver voluntarily turns on the winker (see step 250) and travels along the guide route (see step 245), the control circuit 18 sets the target winker flag. 1 (see step 255), and from the next time, a warning is output to the branch type as necessary.

  This means that even if the driver turns the branch type as planned and ignores the warning and does not turn on the blinker, it will ignore the warning if it turns on the blinker at the same branch type. This is because there is a high possibility that this is due to a temporary cause. In this way, the possibility of suppressing the warning even when it is truly necessary is reduced, and the warning processing more suitable for the driver characteristics can be performed.

  Here, an example will be described in which the vehicle passes through the branch point A when the combination of the indices (1), (2), (3), (4), and (6) is adopted as the branch category. For example, along the guidance route, turn left at branch point A, and there is a traffic light at branch point A. The amount of change in the angle of the road before and after branch point A is 90 degrees. It is assumed that the vehicle is a lane road and the vehicle approach speed is 10 km / h or more (that is, the second reference speed or more). In that situation, it is assumed that the average distance for the branch category to which the branch point A in the learning DB belongs is 30 m. In addition, it is assumed that the turn signal flag for the set of the branch A, the approach road, and the exit road is 1.

  At this time, it is assumed that the turn signal is not turned on (see step 230) even if the host vehicle approaches the position less than 30 m from the branch point A (see step 225). At that time, the control circuit 18 outputs a warning to turn on the winker (see step 240), and does not reflect the remaining distance in the learning DB even if the winker is turned on thereafter (see step 140 → NO).

  However, when the turn signal is turned on 40 m before the branch point A, no warning is output (see step 230 → NO), and the remaining distance is reflected in the learning DB (see step 140 → YES).

(Other embodiments)
As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, the scope of the present invention is not limited only to the said embodiment, The various form which can implement | achieve the function of each invention specific matter of this invention is included. It is.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the blinker flag is provided for each set of branch points, approach roads, and exit roads, but may be provided for each branch category.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the learning distance at winker on of a certain branch category is information on the average value of the past remaining distance and the number of remaining distances recorded for the branch corresponding to the branch category. However, it is sufficient that the learning distance at the time of turn-on for a certain branch category is a statistic obtained by combining past remaining distances for the branch category.

  For example, the turn-on learning distance of a certain branch category may be all past remaining distance values for the branch category. In that case, in step 225 of FIG. 3, the average value and the standard deviation σ are calculated using all the remaining distance data recorded for the branch category, and the distance from the host vehicle to the branch point A is the average value. If the standard deviation σ is 3 times or more shorter than that (that is, the distance from the host vehicle to the branch point A is far below the average value), a positive determination may be made. .

  In addition, the vehicle navigation device 1 achieves the effect of the present invention in which the winker-on forget warning according to the characteristics of the driver is performed even if a single winker-on learning distance is used for all branches without providing a branch category. Is done. Conversely, the branch category may be divided for each set of branch point, approach road, and exit road.

  In addition, data that needs to be updated, such as a learning DB, is not limited to the storage medium of the map data acquisition unit 17, and can continue to hold data even when the main power supply of the vehicle navigation device 1 is stopped. It may be stored in a storage medium that can be stored (for example, flash memory, EEPROM, backup RAM). In that case, the storage medium of the map data acquisition unit 17 does not have to be a writable storage medium such as an HDD, and may be a non-writable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM.

  In the above embodiment, each function realized by the control circuit 18 executing the program is realized using hardware having those functions (for example, an FPGA capable of programming the circuit configuration). You may come to do.

It is a lineblock diagram of navigation device 1 for vehicles concerning an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a flowchart of a program 100 executed by a control circuit 18; It is a flowchart of the program 200 which the control circuit 18 performs. It is a flowchart of the program 200 which the control circuit 18 performs.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle navigation apparatus 10 Seat vibration control apparatus 11 Position detector 12 Image display apparatus 14 Speaker 15 Inter-vehicle distance sensor 16 Winker switch 18 Control circuit

Claims (6)

A recording means (100) for recording the distance to the vehicle branch point when the turn signal is on as a learning distance when the turn signal is turned on over a plurality of occasions;
Compare the turn-on learning distance recorded over a plurality of occasions by the recording means (100) and the distance from the current position of the vehicle to the branch point A before the branch point A scheduled to bend. Determination means (225) for determining whether or not the vehicle has passed a position where the turn signal should be turned on,
A blinker forgetting warning device comprising warning means (240) for warning the driver of the vehicle based on the fact that the turn signal is not turned on even though the determination means makes a positive determination. The recording means (100) records, for each of a plurality of branch categories, a turn-on learning distance of a plurality of branch points belonging to the branch category.
The determination means (225) compares the learning distance at turn-on for the branch category to which the branch point A belongs and the distance from the current position of the vehicle to the branch point A before the branch point A. Accordingly, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has passed a position where the turn signal should be turned on.   Based on the fact that the blinker was not turned on before entering the branch point A despite the warning means (240) giving a warning, the warning prohibiting means (hereinafter, prohibiting warning for the branch point A) 260) The blinker forgetting warning device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: 260).   When the winker is turned on after the warning by the warning means (240), the recording means (100) records the distance from the vehicle to the branch point A when the winker is on as the learning distance when the winker is on. The winker forgetting warning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the warning indicator is excluded from the target.   Based on the fact that the traveling speed of the vehicle is lower than the reference speed when the turn signal is turned on, the recording means (100) determines the distance from the vehicle to the branch point A when the turn signal is turned on. The blinker forgetting warning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the warning indicator is excluded from a recording target as a distance. A recording means (100) for recording the distance to the vehicle branch point when the turn signal is on as a learning distance when the turn signal is turned on over a plurality of occasions,
Compare the turn-on learning distance recorded over a plurality of occasions by the recording means (100) and the distance from the current position of the vehicle to the branch point A before the branch point A scheduled to bend. Thus, the determination means (225) for determining whether or not the vehicle has passed the position where the turn signal should be turned on, and the turn signal is turned on even though the determination means makes a positive determination. A program for causing a computer to function as warning means (240) for warning the driver of the vehicle based on what has not been done.

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