JP2009257792A - Navigation device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a navigation device capable of guiding within a crowded area of purpose fitting facilities, by displaying clearly in each different mode, a section (circulated section) adjacent to an already-traveled road and an untraveled road (uncirculated section). <P>SOLUTION: This navigation device 100 has: a vehicle passage determination means 36 whether or not a vehicle has traveled along a road adjoined by a purpose fitting facility P retrieved based on a prescribed retrieval condition; a display image plotting means 34 for plotting a display image wherein a display mode of the first area adjoined by a road along which the vehicle has traveled, where the purpose fitting facility P exists is different from a display mode of the second area adjoined by a road along which the vehicle has not traveled, where the purpose fitting facility P exists, based on a determination result; and a display means 37 for displaying a plotted display image on a prescribed display screen. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation device that displays and guides (navigates) route information from a vehicle position to a destination on a predetermined display screen, and in particular, a plurality of destination candidates that exist in a predetermined area. The present invention relates to a technique for presenting a guidance display when determining a final destination from the inside.

  In recent years, navigation devices are generally mounted on vehicles mainly for the purpose of displaying route information to a destination.

  In the navigation device mounted on the vehicle in this way, for example, an occupant including a driver uses the operation screen (HMI (Human Machine I / F)) to specify information specifying a destination such as a postal code, an address, or a telephone number. If set, the current position of the vehicle detected by the current position detection process (hereinafter referred to as “own vehicle position”) is used as a departure point to search for a travel route from the departure point to the set destination. The recommended route information is displayed on the display screen. As a result, the driver can steer the vehicle to the destination according to the route guidance presented by the navigation device without performing unnecessary travel such as stray.

  However, the operation of the navigation device described above is merely an example of the basic operation of the route guidance function of the device. Assuming the scene that the passenger actually uses, there are few scenes where the above route guidance is performed. For example, `` The area you want to visit for sightseeing is decided, but you want to decide which tourist facility you want to go to while you are traveling in the area where the tourist facility is located. '' Rather than setting up, the final destination is determined based on the surroundings while driving in the rough destination area, and at that time, the destination is followed according to the route guidance. There are more scenes to use.

Therefore, conventionally, a “technology related to route guidance for searching and guiding a dense area of a facility that meets a set purpose” as described in Patent Document 1 has been proposed.
JP 2006-308295 A

  However, in the conventional navigation device mentioned above, sufficient consideration has been given to a method for efficiently guiding the passengers on the roads where the target facilities are dense and a method for notifying the roads where the target facilities are densely understood. However, in the situation where the route guidance is performed in the dense area of the destination-adapted facility, it cannot be said that proper guidance to the destination is necessarily performed when the navigation device is actually used.

  Considering the situation where the purpose-suitable facilities are dense, there are few cases where they are dense along a specific road, and there are many cases where they are dense within a certain range (two-dimensional plane). However, since the conventional technology simply performs road determination and route calculation based on congestion, it is determined by road unit (road link unit) and route calculation. I can't respond. In other words, in the conventional navigation device, even when there are a plurality of target facilities within a certain range, these target facilities should not be concentrated to some extent on a road link basis at a position facing the road. Not properly guided.

  Therefore, if the target facilities are densely located in the area (the dense area of the target facilities), the roads facing the facilities will be different, so the final purpose will be Out of all the purpose-fit facilities that are candidates for selection, there will be facilities that are not guided. In particular, in the case of a road composed of a plurality of traveling lanes, there is a high possibility that they will not be guided to the target facility on the corresponding lane located opposite to the traveling lane and will be overlooked.

  In addition, when there are roads with densely adapted facilities, such as a shopping street, in a grid, it is difficult to calculate a route for traveling efficiently. The route calculation can have many patterns depending on the distribution of the fitness facilities, and considering road conditions (for example, one-way traffic and traffic jam information), it is possible to uniquely determine an efficient route such as one-stroke writing (specific Is difficult).

  In this way, the conventional route guidance cannot be adapted to the case where the target facilities are densely located in the region, and the specific route guidance is performed in the dense area of the target facilities. Candidate facilities are not guided, and there is a risk of impairing the freedom of passengers to select a destination.

  Then, in consideration of the above-mentioned degree of freedom of destination selection, it is assumed that the passenger can travel freely in the dense area of the target-fit facility, and the occupant can go around the facility.

  However, with this type of response, it is difficult for the occupant to determine whether or not the current road is already a road while driving in a dense area, and the destination cannot be determined efficiently (finally) It may take extra time to determine the correct destination), and may misunderstand that it is a road that has already traveled, and overlook a facility that is a candidate for selection.

  In the present invention, in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, a section adjacent to a road that has already traveled (circulated section) and a section adjacent to a road that has not traveled (section that does not travel) are clearly displayed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a navigation device that can guide a crowded area of a purpose-fit facility.

  In order to achieve the above object, the navigation device of the present invention includes a vehicle passage determination means for determining whether or not a vehicle has traveled on a road adjacent to a target-fit facility searched based on a predetermined search condition, Based on the determination result of the vehicle passage determination means, the display mode of the first area adjacent to the road on which the vehicle has traveled and the target facility is present, and the target conformity adjacent to the road on which the vehicle is not traveling Display image drawing means for drawing a display image different from the display mode of the second area where the facility exists, and display means for displaying the display image drawn by the display image drawing means on a predetermined display screen. It is characterized by having.

  With such a configuration, the navigation device of the present invention determines whether or not the vehicle has traveled on the road facing the section where the target fitness facility exists, which is searched based on a predetermined search condition. Accordingly, the section that has passed is displayed on the display screen in a display mode different from that of the section that has not passed.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the navigation device of the present invention, the vehicle passage determination means confirms a target facility where the road on which the vehicle has traveled is located in a roadside area on the opposite lane side based on road information. The display image drawing means determines, based on the determination result of the vehicle passage determination means, the roadside area on the traveling lane side where the target facility exists, as the first area. The display image is drawn.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the navigation device of the present invention, the vehicle passage determination means travels based on at least one road information among road width, road type, number of lanes, and presence / absence of a median. It is characterized in that it is determined whether or not the road that has been used is a road that allows the occupant to confirm the target facility existing in the roadside area on the opposite lane side.

  In order to achieve the above object, the navigation device of the present invention calculates the density of the target facility within a predetermined range, and when the calculated density exceeds a predetermined threshold, A road that has a dense area specifying means for specifying a predetermined range as a facility dense area, and the vehicle passage determining means is adjacent to a section where a target facility is located in the facility dense area specified by the dense area specifying means. It is characterized by determining whether it drive | worked.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the navigation device of the present invention, the display image drawing means displays the number of relevant facility numbers within the predetermined range indicating the density of the target-fit facilities calculated by the dense area specifying means. Drawing on the display image is characterized.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the navigation device of the present invention, the display means displays the target facility on the predetermined display screen, or displays the target facility and the requested destination. A travel route for guiding the vehicle based on route information is displayed on the predetermined display screen.

  As a result, the navigation device of the present invention clearly displays the section adjacent to the road that has already traveled (circulated section) and the section adjacent to the road that has not traveled (section that has not traveled), and the target-fit facility You can guide the crowded area.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to clearly display a section adjacent to a road that has already traveled (circulated section) and a section adjacent to a road that has not traveled (a section that does not circulate), and within a dense area of the target facility. Can be guided.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “embodiments”) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
<Hardware configuration>
Now, the hardware configuration of the navigation device according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of a navigation device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The navigation device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a control circuit 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a current location detection device 14, an auxiliary storage device 15, a display device 16, The input device 17, the data communication device 20, the drive device 21, and the interface device 23 are configured to detect the vehicle position and display a road map around the vehicle position. It also has a function for calculating the recommended route up to and a function for guiding the route based on the calculated recommended route. The navigation device 100 is a device that performs so-called navigation or road guidance.

  The control circuit 11 is composed of a microprocessor and its peripheral circuits, and is a circuit that controls the entire apparatus. The ROM 12 is a memory that stores a predetermined control program (software component) executed by the control circuit 11. The RAM 13 executes a predetermined control program (software component) stored in the ROM 12. This is a memory used as a work area (work area) when performing various controls. Therefore, the control circuit 11 performs a predetermined route search process based on the map data stored in the predetermined storage area, and the processing result is displayed as a recommended route.

  Next, the current location detection device 14 is a device that detects the current location of the vehicle. For example, a vibration gyro 14a that detects the traveling direction of the vehicle, a vehicle speed sensor 14b that detects the vehicle speed, and a GPS from a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite. A GPS sensor 14c for detecting a signal is used. Thus, based on the current location of the vehicle detected by the current location detection device 14, the display range of the map, the route search start point, etc. are determined, and the current location is displayed on the map.

  The auxiliary storage device 15 is a device that stores various types of information such as road map data and POI information (point of interest tourist spots and various facilities information) used for navigation processing, and is an HDD (nonvolatile storage device). Hard Disk Drive) is used. In addition to the auxiliary storage device 15, the various information may be a recording medium 22 such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk-ROM) or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), and is stored in the recording medium 22. Various information can be read via the drive device 21. Therefore, various information can be obtained by setting the recording medium 22 in the drive device 21 as necessary.

  Next, the display device 16 is a device that displays various data such as image data temporarily stored in an image memory (not shown) from the control circuit 11 on a display screen. For example, on the display screen of the display device 16, a vehicle position mark indicating the vehicle position, route information, guidance information, and the like are displayed together with a road map. The display device 16 also displays an operation screen for an occupant operating the function of the navigation device 100 to perform an operation request or setting.

  The input device 17 is a device for an occupant to perform various input operations via the operation screen. The input device 17 includes a touch panel switch provided so as to be superimposed on the display screen of the display device 16 and a joystick for instructing movement of the cursor or scrolling of the display screen. Further, the input device 17 may be a remote control switch or a hardware key provided around the display screen.

  Next, the data communication device 20 is a device that is connected to an external communication network to acquire various information on the Internet and transmits predetermined information to a request source. Therefore, the information management center (information management server) is accessed via the Internet, and road traffic information such as traffic jam information is acquired.

  Next, the interface device 23 transmits bidirectional data between the external system 24 configured by other devices (external devices) mounted on the vehicle and the navigation device 100 via a data transmission path (not shown). A device that performs communication. Therefore, by acquiring predetermined information from the external system 24, new information provision is realized in the navigation device 100 (function expansion can be performed).

  Thus, in the navigation device 100 according to the present embodiment, various navigations are performed based on the vehicle position information acquired by the current location detection device 14 and the map information stored in the recording medium 22 or the auxiliary storage device 15. Do.

<Guidance function in a dense area of purpose-suited facilities>
The navigation device 100 according to the present embodiment displays the vehicle position and a road map in the vicinity thereof on the display device 16, prompts the driver to steer the vehicle according to the travel route obtained by the route search, and reaches the destination. The vehicle is guided. Among them, the navigation device 100 clearly displays the section adjacent to the road that has already traveled (circulated section) and the section adjacent to the road that has not traveled (section that has not been visited), and It has a function of guiding in a dense area (hereinafter referred to as “facility dense area guidance function”). Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the function will be described.

<< Configuration >>
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a facility dense area guidance function according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The navigation device 100 according to the present embodiment includes an input unit 31 that receives an operation request or setting from an occupant, which is a function of the input device 17, and a facility search unit 32 that searches for a target facility based on a predetermined search condition. A dense area determination unit 33 that identifies a dense area of the target facility from within a predetermined range on the road map, and further determines the degree of congestion of each division unit within the dense area, and the vehicle position displayed on the display screen A drawing unit 34 that draws an image with a road map in the vicinity thereof, performs various image processing such as each section in a crowded area, a traveling locus, and a passing area by performing predetermined image processing, and a current location detection device 14 A detection unit 35 that detects the position of the vehicle that is a function of the vehicle, a passage determination unit 36 that determines a section in which the vehicle has passed in the crowded area, and a route guidance and purpose that are functions of the display device 16 A display unit 37 for displaying various information including coupling facility information on the screen, have, have realized the property rest area guidance function.

  Further, each function unit refers to predetermined data stored in a predetermined storage area of the auxiliary storage device 15 and realizes the facility dense area guidance function. These predetermined data will be briefly described.

(Destination information)
The destination information 41 is POI information (point of interest information on tourist spots and various facilities), and is composed of destination data, position data, and the like. Destination data is data consisting of information on destination candidates such as sightseeing spots and facilities, etc., and position data is data consisting of information indicating the position (latitude / longitude) of each destination. Is mainly used when displaying a destination on a road map during route guidance.

(Map information)
The map information 42 includes map display data, route search data, guidance data (intersection name / road name / direction name / direction guide facility information, etc.) and the like. The map display data is data for displaying a road or a background of a road map. The route search data is data including branch information that is not directly related to the road shape, and is mainly used when calculating (route search) a recommended route. The guidance data is data including names of intersections and the like, and is used when a driving route is guided to a driver or the like based on the calculated recommended route.

(Road information)
The road information 43 includes road type data and road width data. Road type data is data consisting of information related to road types such as highway automobile national roads, automobile exclusive roads, general national roads, major local roads, general prefectural roads, general city roads in designated cities, and other city roads. The width data is data including information indicating the road width based on the number of lanes and the road type, and these data are mainly used when displaying route guidance based on the scale of the road map.

  For each of the above information, only basic information is first stored in the auxiliary storage device 15 and sequentially updated to the latest information. As an information update method, for example, the latest information is installed from the recording medium 22 via the drive device 21, or the latest information is downloaded from the predetermined information management center via the electric communication line by the data communication device 20 and installed. Such as methods.

  In the description so far, each functional unit and related data for realizing the facility dense area guidance function according to the present embodiment have been described. From here, in order to explain the features of the facility dense area guidance function in an easy-to-understand manner, the case where the passenger actually uses the function will be described as an example.

(1) Retrieval of Purpose-fit Facility FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen related to facility search according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
First, the occupant searches for a suitable facility.

(Enter search conditions)
When the navigation apparatus 100 receives an operation instruction for facility search from the occupant via the input unit 31, the display unit 37 displays an input screen as shown in FIG.

  The occupant sets various search conditions for facility search from the input screen. FIG. 3A shows an example of an input screen in which the address of the search area, the search category, the range of the search area, and the like can be set as the search conditions. For example, the occupant touches the input screen for each search condition and presses a software key, a hardware key, or the like to set the value (search condition value) of each condition item. Each search condition value is input in an input format such as a character string input using a text box or a selection input using a pull-down menu in accordance with each search condition value.

  The occupant sets each search condition value from such an input screen and gives a final facility search operation instruction (for example, presses an OK button on the input screen).

  The above-mentioned condition items, search condition value input methods, screen layouts, and the like are examples of input screens for setting various search conditions for facility search, and the present invention is not limited to these contents. .

(Search for suitable facilities and identify dense areas)
As a result, in the navigation device 100, taking the search condition values shown in FIG. 3A as an example, the destination information 41 is obtained for “a restaurant whose travel time (travel time) is within 15 minutes from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture”. Browse and search.

  Specifically, each set search condition value is transferred from the input unit 31 to the facility search unit 32, and the facility search unit 32 stores the destination information stored in the auxiliary storage device 15 based on each search condition value. 41, information on the corresponding facility, that is, the target-fit facility (various information such as the number of corresponding facilities, destination data, and position data) is acquired, and the acquired information is passed to the dense block determination unit 33.

The densely divided section determination unit 33 calculates the degree of congestion of the target facility in a predetermined range based on the number of relevant facilities. The congestion level mentioned here is a value indicating how many target facilities are included in a predetermined range on the two-dimensional plane, and is a reference value for specifying a dense area ( The number of relevant facilities included in the range on the two-dimensional plane) is set in advance. The range on the two-dimensional plane is a range that is equally divided into rectangular regions with a predetermined distance corresponding to the scale of the road map as one side. Therefore, the density is a value indicated by “N cases / 200 m ² ”, for example.

The dense block determination portion 33 compares a predetermined threshold value (for example, 10 cases / 200 m ² ) that is a preset reference value of the density of the target facility and the calculated density within a predetermined range ( It is determined whether or not the calculated density is a reference value or more).

  As a result, the dense section determination unit 33 specifies a range on the two-dimensional plane where the density is calculated as a dense area only when the calculated density is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

  In this way, in the navigation apparatus 100, a plurality of target-fit facilities are searched by the facility search unit 32, and the plurality of target-fit facilities are within a predetermined range of the two-dimensional plane by the densely divided section determination unit 33. A range in which there is a target facility that is equal to or higher than a threshold value that is a predetermined crowded area determination criterion is specified as a crowded area of the target facility.

  In addition, each setting value such as the predetermined range or a predetermined threshold value that is a reference value of the density may be received from an occupant via the input unit 31. In addition, since the congestion level of the target facility is different between the metropolitan area and the local area, each setting value such as the predetermined range corresponding to each of the above and a predetermined threshold value that is a reference value of the congestion level is held, Which set value is used may be dynamically switched based on the vehicle position by the current position detection device 14.

  In addition, the densely divided area determination unit 33 may specify a densely populated area on the basis of the number of relevant facilities in the target facilities existing in these areas, for example, administrative areas such as municipalities as one area. . In other words, if the address of the search area is “X City”, the number of relevant facilities for the target facility for each ward that is an administrative area is calculated, and the calculated number of relevant facilities is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold. The ward is a dense area. In addition, when the calculated number of corresponding facilities is smaller than a predetermined threshold (when the number of corresponding facilities is smaller than the predetermined number), a preset rule (for example, expanding to a range including adjacent wards) Expand the range according to the above and recalculate the number of facilities.

  Further, the following method may be used. The densely divided section determination unit 33 may specify a densely populated area based on the number of relevant facilities of the target facility existing in these areas, with the display screen area of the displayed road map as one area. That is, the number of relevant facilities of the target facility existing in the display screen area is calculated, and when the calculated number of relevant facilities is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the display screen area is set as a dense area. If the calculated number of applicable facilities is smaller than a predetermined threshold, the range is expanded according to a preset rule (for example, the scale of the road map is halved) and the number of corresponding facilities is recalculated. To do.

(Display of search results)
In the navigation device 100, when the dense area of the target facility is specified by the dense compartment determination unit 33, the position information of the specified dense area is passed to the drawing unit 34, and the search result as shown in FIG. Display the screen.

  FIG. 3B shows an example of a search result screen in which the vehicle position mark 91 and a plurality of identified dense areas 51 are displayed on the road map. In the example of FIG. 3B, the range of each area determined as the dense area 51 is determined so that the difference in the density in each area range of the dense areas 51a, 51b, and 51c can be visually confirmed. A dense area mark composed of a dotted line frame and a facility number mark M that quantitatively indicates the number of relevant facilities in the target facilities existing in each area is displayed. In the example shown in FIG. 3B, for example, the number of applicable facilities in the dense area 51 is represented corresponding to a certain number of cases, for example, the number of applicable facilities 5 for one facility number mark M. Yes.

  The drawing unit 34 draws a road map image based on the map information 42 stored in the auxiliary storage device 15 in response to the identification of the dense area 51, and further, on the drawn road map image. Based on the detection result of the detection unit 35 of the current location detection device 14, the congestion area 51a, 51b, and 51c in each of the dense areas 51a, 51b, and 51c based on the image of the vehicle position mark 91 and the position information of the identified dense area 51. Draw the image of the mark.

  Thereby, the navigation apparatus 100 can present one or more areas where selection candidates of the target facility are crowded to the occupant, and furthermore, when presenting a plurality of dense areas 51 to the occupant. Which dense area 51 is an area with a large number of target facilities can be presented in an easy-to-understand manner.

  The own vehicle position mark 91, the area range, the density display method, the screen layout, and the like are examples of the search result screen, and the present invention is not limited to these contents.

(2) Route Guidance to the Congested Area The occupant selects the congested area 51 that determines the final destination based on the search result screen.

(Determination of crowded areas to guide)
The occupant touches one of the plurality of dense area marks 51a, 51b, and 51c displayed on the search result screen as shown in FIG. 3B on the screen to determine the final destination. A dense area 51 to be determined is selected.

  When the navigation device 100 receives an instruction to select the dense area 51 from the occupant via the input unit 31, the display unit 37 displays a route guidance screen to the dense area 51b as shown in FIG.

  In addition, although the example which a passenger | crew performs selection of the dense area 51 which determines a final destination was mentioned above, this invention is not limited to this content. The navigation device 100 may automatically select based on a predetermined rule. According to the predetermined rule, the dense area 51 having the highest density is selected, or the dense area 51 that can move from the vehicle position to the dense areas 51a, 51b, and 51c in the shortest time is selected. Such as rules. These rules may be set in advance, or the selection rules may be displayed when selecting the dense area 51 so that the rules to be used can be specified from the screen.

(Route guidance to crowded areas)
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen related to facility dense area guidance according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4A shows an example of a route guidance screen on which a recommended route (a line segment indicated by a dotted line in the figure) from the vehicle position to the selected dense area 51b is displayed. In response to the selection of the dense area 51, the navigation device 100 draws a road map image based on the map information 42 stored in the auxiliary storage device 15, and the drawn road map. The image of the vehicle position mark 91 based on the detection result of the detection unit 35 of the current position detection device 14 and the image of the area mark of the dense area 51b based on the position information of the dense area 51b that is instructed to be selected And draw.

  Subsequently, the navigation device 100 searches for a recommended route from the departure point to the destination, and performs vehicle steering according to the travel route by a route guide unit (not shown) that guides the travel route based on the searched route information. The driver is urged to guide the vehicle to the destination (the selected crowded area 51). Meanwhile, the drawing unit 34 redraws the vehicle position mark 91 on the route guidance screen according to the position of the traveling vehicle. As a result, the driver is notified that the vehicle is moving through the display screen.

  As a result, the navigation device 100 can prompt the driver to perform optimal vehicle steering, and can guide the vehicle into the dense area 51 along an optimal route.

  FIG. 4B shows an example of a route guidance screen when the vehicle approaches the target crowded area 51b after traveling according to the route guidance. The position of the target facility P that exists is displayed.

  In the navigation device 100, after the dense area determination unit 33 identifies the dense area 51, the navigation apparatus 100 further matches the target facility in the units of blocks (blocks) included in each of the identified dense areas 51a, 51b, and 51c. The density of P is calculated in advance.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, the navigation device 100 guides the vehicle to the target crowded area 51 by the route guide unit and reaches the vehicle before entering the crowded area 51 (predetermined distance to entry). A simple route guidance screen.

  As described above, the crowded area 51 is specified based on whether or not there are a predetermined number or more of fitness facilities P within a predetermined range. From this, it can be said that the dense area 51 is an area having a certain size. Therefore, when the vehicle approaches the dense area 51 and the scale on the road map increases, a plurality of sections separated by the roads in the dense area 51 appear.

  Therefore, the navigation apparatus 100 calculates the degree of congestion of the purpose-adapted facility P for each section by the crowded section determination unit 33, and when the vehicle enters the crowded area 51 (a predetermined distance to the approach), Based on the calculation result, the drawing unit 34 draws a section in which the target facility P is dense (hereinafter referred to as “dense section”) and a section that is not so in a different manner.

  Specifically, the drawing unit 34 is a predetermined image for improving visibility from the occupant with respect to the dense compartment of the target facility P based on the calculation result of the compartment density of the dense compartment determination unit 33. Apply processing. For example, as shown in FIG. 4B, the predetermined image processing referred to here is a method of filling only the dense sections 71a to 71d of the target facility P with a predetermined color among a plurality of sections in the dense area 51b. (Shaded area in the figure).

  Thereby, the navigation apparatus 100 can show the crowded section 71 of the objective facility P in the crowded area 51 in an easy-to-understand manner to the passenger.

  The filling of the dense compartment 71 of the purpose-fit facility P is an example of image processing for distinguishing between the dense compartment 71 of the purpose-fit facility P and the non-compatibility compartment P, and the present invention is limited to this content. It is not something. Any processing that allows the occupant to clearly distinguish between the dense section 71 and the other sections of the purpose-fit facility P in different display modes.

(3) Guidance in the Congested Area When the vehicle enters the target crowded area 51, the navigation device 100 ends the route guidance that has been performed so far and switches to the guidance in the crowded area 51.

  Conventionally, route guidance to a set destination is performed even in the crowded area 51. However, this route guidance does not guide a facility that is originally a candidate for selection, and gives the passengers the freedom to select a destination. There was a problem that there was a risk of damage. Therefore, in this embodiment, route guidance with a set destination is not performed in the dense area 51.

  Further, in the present embodiment, since the passenger can freely travel in the dense area 51 of the target facility P and allow the occupant to go around the facility, the road that is currently traveling is already running while traveling in the dense area 51. It is difficult for passengers to determine whether or not the road has been used, and it is not possible to determine the destination efficiently (it takes extra time to determine the final destination), or it is already driving on a road that has not yet been driven In order to solve problems such as overlooking a facility that is a candidate for selection due to misunderstanding that it is a road that has already been driven, a section adjacent to a road that has already traveled (patrol section) and a section adjacent to a road that has not traveled (patrolling) The section which is not done) is clearly displayed, and the inside of the dense area 51 of the purpose-fit facility P is guided. That is, in the crowded area 51, the travel route to the destination is not guided, but the route already traveled in the area is notified to the occupant. Thus, the occupant can efficiently circulate in the dense area 51, and can determine a desired facility from a plurality of target-fit facilities P as a final destination.

(Display that shows the running track and the section passed)
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen showing the traveling locus 81 and the section passage completed area 61 in the facility dense area 51 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the navigation device 100, the drawing unit 34 travels from the point where the vehicle enters the crowded area 51 to the currently traveling vehicle position (the vehicle position mark 91 in the drawing) 81 (broken line in the drawing). Draw. The drawing unit 34 draws the travel locus 81 and the passed area 61 based on the position information detected by the detection unit 35 of the current location detection device 14.

  FIG. 5A shows an example of a guidance screen on which a travel locus 81 and a passaged area 61 are displayed when a vehicle passes a road facing a dense section 71c. The drawing unit 34 draws a travel locus 81 by connecting points (coordinates on the image) specified from the position information with line segments based on the position information that changes with time. Similarly, a road and a roadside area between points (coordinates on the image) specified from each position information are tiled with a rectangle of a predetermined size, and the passed area 61 (first area) Draw.

  FIG. 5B shows an example of a guidance screen on which a traveling locus 81 and a passaged area 61 are displayed when a vehicle passes through all roads facing the respective sections of the densely divided areas 71b and 71c. It is shown. In the navigation device 100, the passage determination unit 36 determines whether or not the traveling vehicle has passed the road facing the dense compartment 71. The determination method includes, for example, a determination method based on the position of the traveling vehicle and the position of the road facing the dense section 71, or the coordinates of the dense section 71 and the coordinates of the traveling locus 81 on the displayed road map. And a determination method based on the above. As described above, in the navigation device 100, based on the determination result by the passage determination unit 36, the drawing unit 34 has passed the road where the vehicle has traveled in the dense area 51 and the roadside region where the target facility exists. In the area 71 (first area), a display image different from an area (second area) indicating a road that has not yet traveled and a roadside area where the target-fit facility exists is drawn.

  In addition, the navigation device 100 determines whether or not the traveling vehicle has made a round (circulates) the dense section 71 based on the determination result. When the passage determination unit 36 determines that the traveling vehicle has made a round around the dense compartment 71, the drawing unit 34 displays an image of the compartment in which the target facility P is not dense with respect to the relevant dense compartment 71. Performs the same image processing as when drawing and redraws. For example, in FIG. 5 (A), the dense sections 71c and 71b painted in a predetermined color are received. In FIG. 5 (B), the vehicle travels on all roads facing the dense sections 71c and 71b. The display is the same as the section where the purpose-fit facilities P are not crowded. As a result, the navigation device 100 can clearly present to the occupant the sections that the vehicle has visited and the sections that have not been visited.

  Further, in the navigation device 100, the drawing unit 34 draws the passed area 61 with a different pattern according to the road width of the road facing the densely divided section 71.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen related to a section passing state in the facility dense area 51 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6A shows an example of a guidance screen on which the passed area 61a is displayed when the road width is equal to or larger than a predetermined width, while FIG. 6B shows a road width that is predetermined. An example of a guidance screen on which the passaged area 61b is displayed when the area is smaller than the size of is shown.

For example, sandwiched between two dense compartment 71 road, when the road width comprising a plurality of lanes of wide road R ₁ is object adapted in the roadside both running lane and opposite lane from among a motorized cart for passengers It is difficult to see the facility P, and usually the target facility P facing the traveling lane side is seen. Meanwhile, 1 when the road width is narrower road R ₂ at lane unlike road width is wide road, you can see the desired adaptation facility P in the roadside both running lane and opposite lane. In this way, the purpose-adapted facility P that the occupant can confirm while traveling differs depending on the width of the road that has traveled. Therefore, in the present embodiment, based on the road width data of the road information 43, the area 61a that has passed through the road area on the traveling lane side, the area that has passed through the road area in both the driving lane and the opposite lane, and Drawing is performed with one of the patterns of the passed area 61b. Hereinafter, different drawing patterns of the passed area 61 will be described.

(Drawing pattern of the passed area 1: When the road width is larger than the predetermined width)
The passage determination unit 36 refers to the road information 43 stored in the auxiliary storage device 15 while determining whether or not the traveling vehicle has passed the road facing the dense compartment 71, and determines the road width of the road. Get the indicated road width data. Subsequently, the passage determination unit 36 compares a predetermined threshold value that is a preset reference value of the road width with the value of the acquired road width data, and when the road width is equal to or larger than the predetermined width, The drawing unit 34 is instructed to draw a roadside area on the lane side (a section corresponding to one side of the road R ₁ that has traveled) as the passed area 61. As a result drawing unit 34, for example, as shown in FIG. 6 (A), to draw the roadside area of the running the cruising lane side of the road R ₁ as the passing-area-61a.

(Drawing pattern 2 of the passed area: When the road width is narrower than the predetermined width)
On the other hand, when the road width is narrower than the predetermined width, the passage determination unit 36 instructs the drawing unit 34 to draw a section corresponding to all the roads R ₁ that have traveled as the passed area 61. As a result drawing unit 34, for example, as shown in FIG. 6 (B), rendering the running lane and the opposite lane and both roadside area of the (entire traveling road R ₂ (both sides) hits compartment) as the passing-area-61b To do.

  Each setting value such as a predetermined threshold value that is the reference value of the road width may be received from the occupant via the input unit 31.

  Further, the passage determination unit 36 is in a state in which the road R on which the vehicle has traveled can confirm the target facility P existing in the roadside area on the opposite lane side from the traveling vehicle based on the road width data of the road information 43. Although an example in which it is determined whether or not it is a road and the drawing unit 34 is instructed to draw the passed area 61 has been shown, the present invention is not limited to the content to be determined based on the road width data. The passage determination unit 36 only needs to be able to determine whether the occupant in the traveling vehicle is a road in a state where the target facility P existing in the roadside area on the opposite lane side can be confirmed. The determination may be made based on various data included in the road information 43 such as the number of lanes and the presence or absence of a median. The situation that can be confirmed corresponds to, for example, a situation where the distance from the traveling lane to the roadside area on the opposite lane side is short, or a situation where there is no obstacle between the traveling lane and the opposite lane.

  For example, in the case of a road type, among high-speed automobile national roads, automobile exclusive roads, general national roads, main local roads, general prefectural roads, general city roads in designated cities, and other residential roads, A road having a narrow road width and easy for passengers to check the target facility P existing in the roadside area on the opposite lane side is determined as a criterion. At the time of determination, the determination can be made based on whether or not the road type obtained from the road information 43 matches the determination criterion based on the determined criterion.

  The same applies to the number of lanes. A predetermined number of lanes can be determined in advance as a criterion, and can be determined by comparing the number of lanes obtained from the road information 43 with the criterion (for example, when the number of lanes is equal to or greater than the criterion) Etc.). In the case of a median strip, based on the information indicating the presence or absence of the median strip obtained from the road information 43, if the road has a median strip, the occupant is placed in the roadside area on the opposite lane side by planting trees. It is determined that the existing target facility P could not be confirmed.

  In this way, the passage determination unit 36 determines whether the traveled road exists in the roadside area on the opposite lane side by the occupant according to the characteristics of the traveled road such as the width of the road and the presence of obstacles. It is determined whether the road can be confirmed.

  Furthermore, if an in-vehicle camera (not shown) is mounted in the vehicle, an image of an occupant (a specific occupant such as a driver) in the vehicle is captured, and a predetermined image processing is performed. It may be determined whether the user is looking at one side of the road or both sides of the road.

  As a result, the navigation device 100 in the dense area 51, among the densely divided areas 71 facing the road, a section adjacent to the road that has already traveled (circulated section) and a section that is adjacent to the road that has not traveled (touring) The display section is clearly displayed in a different display mode, and the occupant can clearly confirm the non-traveling road on which the target facility P faces, that is, the target facility P that is not patrol.

  The operation (function) of each functional unit described so far is, for example, a facility dense area guidance program (software component) stored in the ROM 12 included in the navigation device 100 is read onto the RAM 13 and the control circuit 11. It is realized by being executed by.

  The transmission / reception of various data performed between the functional units will be described in the following operational procedure of the functional units.

  The navigation device 100 according to the present embodiment travels with a traveling locus 81 and a section adjacent to a road that has already traveled (circulated section) by operating the facility dense area guidance function configured by each of the above functional units. A section adjacent to a road that has not been visited (a section that has not been visited) is clearly displayed, and the inside of the dense area 51 of the target facility P is guided. The occupant sets a desired facility as a final destination from among the plurality of target-adapted facilities P thus guided, and the vehicle follows the recommended route searched from the current vehicle position. You can easily reach the destination.

  As described above, the facility dense area guidance function according to the present embodiment is provided when the occupant selects a specific facility as the final destination from the purpose-fit facilities P existing in the dense area 51. Helping you to make selections efficiently while maintaining the degree of freedom of selection.

  The operation of each functional unit described so far is realized by, for example, reading a program (software component) stored in the ROM 12 of the navigation device 100 onto the RAM 13 and executing it by the control circuit 11. The

  The transmission / reception of various data performed between the functional units will be described in the following operational procedure of the functional units.

<< Operation >>
An operation procedure of each functional unit realizing the facility dense area guidance function according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart.

(1) Search for Facility Dense Area and Route Guidance Operation to Dense Area FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a processing procedure when searching for a facility dense area 51 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The navigation device 100 accepts the setting of the search condition (destination condition) for the target facility P via the input unit 31 (step S101), and the facility search unit 32 sets the search condition item based on the condition value. Then, with reference to the destination information 41 stored in the auxiliary storage device 15, the corresponding target-fit facility P is searched (step S 102).

Subsequently, in the navigation device 100, the dense section determination unit 33 determines the number of relevant facilities in the target facility P within a predetermined range on the two-dimensional plane of the road map based on the number of relevant facilities in the search result. : Consultation / m ² ), and the calculated density is compared with a predetermined threshold value that is a reference value of the density of the target facility P set in advance (step S103), and the calculated density is It is determined whether or not it is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value that is a preset reference value of the density of the target facility P (step S104).

  As a result, when it is determined in step S104 that the calculated density is smaller than the predetermined threshold and the number of corresponding facilities is less than the predetermined number (when step S104 is NO), the dense area 51 exists. If not, the process is terminated. At this time, the dense section determination unit 33 notifies the drawing unit 34 that the dense area 51 has not been specified, and displays a screen for notifying the passenger by the drawing unit 34 via the display unit 37. You may do it.

  If it is determined in step S104 that the calculated density is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold and the number of relevant facilities is greater than or equal to the predetermined number (if step S104 is YES), the target fitness facilities equal to or greater than the predetermined number After P is specified as the dense area 51 of the target facility, the range in which the target facility is equal to or higher than a threshold that is a preset crowd area determination criterion within a predetermined range of the two-dimensional plane, The densely divided area determination unit 33 calculates the degree of congestion of the purpose-fit facility P in units of areas (blocks) included in the identified dense area 51 (step S106).

  Subsequently, in the navigation device 100, the drawing unit 34 refers to the map information 42 stored in the auxiliary storage device 15, and images of the plurality of dense areas 51 specified by the densely divided section determination unit 33 are displayed as road maps. The image is drawn by the drawing unit 34 together with the image, and the display unit 37 displays the drawing result. In this manner, one dense area 51 is determined from the plurality of dense areas 51 presented to the occupant in accordance with a selection instruction received via the input unit 31 or a predetermined rule set in advance. The recommended route to the dense area 51 is searched (step S107).

  In the navigation device 100, the drawing unit 34 displays an image in which the recommended route as a search result is drawn on the road map on the display unit 37, and prompts the driver to drive the vehicle according to the route guidance by the display. It guides to 51 (step S108).

  As described above, the navigation device 100 performs the search of the facility dense area 51 and the route guidance to the dense area 51 by the above processing procedure.

(2) Guidance Operation in Facility Dense Area The following describes the procedure of the guidance operation performed for a vehicle that has entered the facility dense area 51 by the route guidance. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing procedure when guiding the facility dense area 51 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Further, FIG. 8 shows whether or not the road that has been traveled is a road that allows the occupant to confirm the target facility P existing in the roadside area on the opposite lane side according to the characteristics of the road that has been described above. An example in which the process of determining is performed based on the width of the road is shown.

  The navigation device 100 determines whether or not the vehicle has entered the crowded area 51 based on the position of the traveling vehicle (step S201), and periodically performs the determination until the vehicle enters the crowded area 51. (While step S201 is NO).

  If it is determined in step S201 that the vehicle has entered the dense area 51 (if step S201 is YES), the passage determination unit 36 uses the road information 43 stored in the auxiliary storage device 15 as a basis. Then, it is determined whether or not the traveling vehicle has passed through the road facing the dense section 71 where the target facility P is dense among the sections included in the dense area 51 (step S203).

  At this time, the passage section determination unit 36 compares a predetermined threshold value that is a preset reference value of the road width with the value of the road width data of the road information 43, and determines whether or not the road width is equal to or larger than the predetermined width. Is determined (step S204).

As a result, in step S204, if the road width is equal to or larger than the predetermined width (if step S204 is YES), the vehicle passes through the roadside area of the driving lane (a section corresponding to one side of the road that has traveled: one side section). It instructs the rendering unit 34 to render a finished area 61a, the drawing unit 34, the rendered image traveling the travel lane of the road R ₁ and only its roadside area as the passage-area-61a, the display unit 37 is displayed (Step S205).

In step S204, if the road width is narrower than the predetermined width (if step S204 is NO), the roadside areas of both the driving lane and the opposite lane (sections on both sides of the road that has traveled: both-side sections) It instructs the rendering unit 34 to render a passage already area 61, the drawing unit 34, the rendered image traveling the travel lane and the opposite lane of the road R ₂ and the roadside area of both the passage-area-61b The display unit 37 displays (step S206).

  In the navigation device 100, after displaying the passed area 61, the drawing unit 34 draws an image of the non-passed area (non-passed section), and the display unit 37 displays it (step S207).

  In this way, the navigation device 100 provides guidance so that the passenger can select and determine efficiently while maintaining the degree of freedom of facility selection for the vehicle that has entered the facility dense area 51 by the above processing procedure. Yes.

<Summary>
As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the navigation device 100 according to the present embodiment searches for the target facility P existing within a certain range based on the set search condition, and The dense area 51 where the target-fit facilities P are dense is specified according to the density of the facilities, and route guidance is performed to the identified dense area 51.

  When the vehicle enters the dense area 51, the navigation device 100 determines whether or not the vehicle has traveled on the road facing the dense compartment 71 where the target facility P in the dense area 51 is dense by the passage determination unit 36. And the section that has passed according to the determination result is displayed on the display unit 37 as the passed area 61.

  As a result, the navigation device 100 clearly displays, along with the travel locus 81, a section adjacent to the road that has already traveled (circulated section) and a section adjacent to the road that has not traveled (section that has not been visited). Notify crew.

  Therefore, the navigation device 100 clearly displays a section adjacent to the road that has already traveled (circulated section) and a section adjacent to the road that has not traveled (part that has not been visited) together with the travel locus 81. The inside of the dense area 51 of the conforming facility P can be guided.

  As a result, the vehicle travels efficiently in the dense area 51 of the target facility P, and the occupant can travel without overlooking the target facility P. Therefore, the navigation device 100 provides an environment in which an occupant can select a destination with a degree of freedom while traveling in the dense area 51 of the target-fit facility P, and can appropriately guide the facility to a selection candidate. (It is possible to assist the occupant in determining the destination in the dense area 51 of the purpose-fit facility P).

  Up to this point, the present invention has been described based on the above embodiment, but the “facility dense area guidance function” of the navigation device 100 according to the above embodiment includes each processing procedure described with reference to the drawings. This can be realized by being executed by a computer as a program coded in a programming language suitable for the operating environment (platform) of the navigation device 100. Therefore, the facility dense area guidance program according to the above embodiment can be stored in the computer-readable recording medium 22.

  Therefore, the facility dense area guidance program according to the above-described embodiment is stored in the recording medium 22 such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk, CD-ROM, DVD, and the like from the recording medium 22 connected to the drive device 21. Can be installed in the navigation device 100. Further, since the navigation device 100 includes the data communication device 20 that can be connected to a telecommunication line such as the Internet, for example, the facility dense area guide program can be downloaded and installed via this telecommunication line. .

  In the above-described embodiment, the travel locus 81 and the passed area 61 are displayed on the display device 16 in the dense area 51, and information such as roads and dense sections 71 that are not running is presented to the passengers. , Guidance of the crowded area 51. Among them, the navigation device 100 may display information on the destination-adapted facility P that is approaching during traveling based on the destination information 41 or notify the information by voice.

  In addition, the navigation device 100 travels through the display screen of the display device 16 and picks up an image with the in-vehicle camera after looking around the target facility P using the facility dense area guidance function. The inside image may be configured to be viewable by the occupant, and the final destination facility may be determined from the browsed image.

  Further, when there is an unpassed area in the dense area 51, the navigation device 100 can detect that the vehicle is traveling away from the dense area 51, and the route guidance unit notifies the fact. However, route guidance to return to the dense area 51 may be performed.

  In the above embodiment, various information such as the destination information 41, the map information 42, and the road information 43 referred to in the facility dense area guidance function is referred to the predetermined storage area of the auxiliary storage device 15. Although the configuration to be acquired has been described as an example of the information acquisition method, the present invention is not limited to this information acquisition method. For example, the data communication device 20 may access the information center and acquire the various information.

  Finally, the present invention is not limited to the requirements shown here, such as combinations of other elements with the shapes listed in the above embodiments. With respect to these points, the present invention can be changed within a range that does not detract from the gist of the present invention, and can be appropriately determined according to the application form.

It is a figure which shows the hardware structural example of the navigation apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the facility dense area guidance function which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a display screen regarding the facility search which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a display screen regarding the facility dense area guidance which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a display screen which shows the driving | running | working locus | trajectory in the facility dense area which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention, and the division passage completed area. It is a figure which shows the example of a display screen regarding the division passage state in the facility dense area which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the process sequence when searching the facility dense area which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the process sequence when guiding the facility dense area which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

11 Control circuit 12 ROM
13 RAM
14 Current location detection device 14a Vibration gyro 14b Vehicle speed sensor 14c GPS sensor 15 Auxiliary storage device 16 Display device 17 Input device (touch panel)
20 Data communication device 21 Drive device 22 Recording medium 23 Interface device 24 External system 31 Input unit 32 Facility search unit 33 Dense section determination unit 34 Drawing unit 35 Detection unit 36 Passage determination unit 37 Display unit 41 Destination information 42 Map information 43 Road Information 51 Dense area 61 of purpose-appropriate facilities Passed area (road area that has been run and its road area)
71 Congested section 81 of target conforming facility 81 Traveling track 91 Own vehicle position mark 100 Navigation device M Number of corresponding facility mark P Target conforming facility R ₁ wide road R ₂ narrow road

Claims (6)

Vehicle passage determination means for determining whether or not the vehicle has traveled on a road adjacent to the target facility searched based on a predetermined search condition;
Based on the determination result of the vehicle passage determination means, the display mode of the first area adjacent to the road on which the vehicle has traveled and the target facility is present, and the road adjacent to the road on which the vehicle has not traveled A display image drawing means for drawing a display image different from the display mode of the second area where the conforming facility exists;
A navigation device comprising: display means for displaying the display image drawn by the display image drawing means on a predetermined display screen. The vehicle passage determining means is
Based on the road information, it is determined whether the road that has been traveled is a road that allows the passengers to confirm the purpose-fit facility existing in the roadside area on the opposite lane side,
The display image drawing means includes:
2. The navigation according to claim 1, wherein, based on a determination result of the vehicle passage determination unit, the display image is drawn with a roadside region on the traveling lane side where the target facility is present as the first area. apparatus. The vehicle passage determining means is
Based on at least one road information among road width, road type, number of lanes, and presence / absence of median strip, the occupant can confirm the target facility in the roadside area on the opposite lane side by the passenger. The navigation device according to claim 2, wherein it is determined whether or not the road. The navigation device
A dense area specifying unit is provided for calculating the density of the target facility within a predetermined range and specifying the predetermined range on the road map as the facility dense area when the calculated density is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. ,
The vehicle passage determining means is
4. It is determined whether or not the vehicle has traveled on a road adjacent to a section in which the target facility exists in the facility dense area specified by the dense area specifying means. The navigation device described in 1. The display image drawing means includes:
5. The information on the number of relevant facilities within the predetermined range representing the degree of congestion of the target-fit facilities calculated by the dense area specifying unit is drawn on the display image. 6. Navigation device. The display means includes
The target facility is displayed on the predetermined display screen, or the target facility and a travel route for guiding the vehicle based on route information to the requested destination are displayed on the predetermined display screen. The navigation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: