JP2010169593A - Navigation device and information notification method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To notify quickly of a vehicle position to the service center side with a reduced communication amount, when notifying the position information from the vehicle to the service center through a communication terminal, such as, cellular phone. <P>SOLUTION: A service range in which an information providing server provides service is classified into meshes (small domains), and each calling number called by a communication terminal is allowed to correspond to each small domain, and a positional information calling center number corresponding table for holding correspondence is provided. In this navigation device, positional information, including the latitude and the longitude of the vehicle is determined, and a calling number corresponding to a mesh to which the vehicle belongs, and the relative position from a base point of the mesh to which the vehicle belongs are determined from the determined position information of the vehicle on reference to the positional information calling center number corresponding table. The communication terminal notifies of the relative position from the base point of the mesh to which the vehicle belongs to the information providing server by the determined calling number. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation device and an information notification method thereof, and a navigation device suitable for use when notifying position information from a vehicle equipped with the navigation device to a service center using a communication terminal such as a mobile phone, and , The information notification method.

  A navigation device is a device that assists in vehicle operation by searching and presenting a route to a destination input by a user, guiding a route direction based on the presented route, and guiding the vehicle. It is spreading rapidly with the introduction of IT.

  In addition to the basic functions as described above, navigation devices have a function of providing various information services to users. Among such information services, an operator service that connects a communication terminal such as a mobile phone to the navigation device, calls an operator of the service center, and sets destinations for navigation and via points, A service that searches for the fastest route in consideration of traffic information and a service that can use traffic information and various information in the vicinity of the current location are provided.

  For example, Non-Patent Document 1 introduces an information processing service provided by connecting a mobile phone to such a navigation device.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a system for setting a destination in an information distribution center.

JP 2005-10017 A Nissan Motor Co., “NISSAN CARWINGS Service Information”, [online], [Search June 30, 2008], Internet <URL: http: //drive.nissan-carwings.com/WEB/GUIDE/>

  In the above information processing service, it is necessary to transmit the current vehicle position to the service center side in order to notify the peripheral position information of the vehicle requesting the service. For this reason, the current vehicle position is acquired by a navigation device mounted on the vehicle and transmitted to the center side by a communication terminal such as a mobile phone. However, in order to transmit position information (latitude, longitude) with a communication terminal such as a mobile phone, the communication time is long, requiring about 20 seconds, and the response performance has been a problem.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and its object is to provide a communication amount when notifying a service center from a vehicle equipped with a navigation device to a service center using a communication terminal such as a mobile phone. It is an object of the present invention to provide a navigation device capable of reducing the risk and promptly notifying the service center of the position of the vehicle.

  The navigation device according to the present invention is connected to an information providing server via a communication terminal, and notifies the information providing server of the position of the vehicle mounted when a call is made from the communication terminal. The communication terminal communicates with the information providing server, the service area provided by the information providing server is divided into meshes (small areas), and the calling number that the communication terminal calls corresponds to each small area, This correspondence is held as position information calling center number correspondence information.

  In the navigation device, the position information including the latitude and longitude of the vehicle is obtained, the position information calling center number correspondence information is referred to, and the calling number corresponding to the mesh to which the vehicle belongs, from the obtained position information of the vehicle, The relative position from the base point of the mesh to which the vehicle belongs is obtained.

  Then, the communication terminal notifies the information providing server of the relative position from the base point of the mesh to which the vehicle belongs by the obtained calling number.

  According to the present invention, when notifying location information from a vehicle equipped with a navigation device to a service center using a communication terminal such as a mobile phone, the amount of communication is reduced and the location of the vehicle is quickly located on the service center side. A navigation device capable of notifying can be provided.

  Hereinafter, each embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[Embodiment 1]
Hereinafter, each first embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

First, the configuration of an information providing system using the navigation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of an information providing system using a navigation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the navigation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of the information providing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the information providing system using the navigation device of the present embodiment includes a navigation device 100 mounted on a vehicle 1, a communication terminal 200 connected thereto, mobile phone carriers 301a, 301b, 301c,. And a service center 400 having an information providing server 500, an operator terminal 600, an operator 700, and the like.

  The navigation device 100 mounted on the vehicle 1 and the communication terminal 200 are connected by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth or wired wiring. Then, a call is made from the communication terminal 200, and the information of the navigation device 100 is sent to the information providing server 500 of the service center 400 via the mobile phone network 300 connecting the mobile phone carriers 301a, 301b, 301c,. Can be sent to.

  At this time, the navigation apparatus 100 changes the calling number for the mobile phone carrier 301a based on the position of the own vehicle when transmitting the position of the own vehicle to the service center 400. Details of this will be described later.

  The information providing server 500 receives the communication of the service request from the navigation device 100 and the transmission of the vehicle position, searches the database for the route and the peripheral position information of the vehicle 10, and sends it back to the navigation device side. Further, when the user uses the operator service provided by the operator 700, the operator terminal 600 is used to exchange data.

  Next, the configuration of the navigation device 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the navigation device 100 includes an acceleration sensor 101, a vibration gyro 102, a vehicle speed sensor 103, a GPS sensor 104, a control device 110, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 120, a ROM 131, a RAM 132, an image memory 133, and a display. The monitor 134, the nonvolatile memory 135, and the Bluetooth communication device 140 are included.

  The acceleration sensor 101 is a sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle. The vibration gyro 102 is a gyro device that detects displacement in the traveling direction of the vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor 103 is a sensor that detects the vehicle speed. The GPS sensor 104 is a sensor that detects a GPS signal from a GPS satellite.

  The navigation apparatus 100 can detect the current position of the vehicle by using these sensors.

  The control device 110 is composed of a microprocessor and its peripheral circuits, executes a program, performs calculations, and gives control instructions to each unit. The ROM 131 stores a control program and an application program. The RAM 132 is a working memory that is temporarily used. The image memory 133 is a memory for displaying an image on the display monitor 134. The display monitor 134 is a device such as an LCD for displaying an image and an interface for displaying information.

  The nonvolatile memory 135 is a device for storing data that the user wants to retain even when the power is turned off.

  The HDD 120 is a storage device that records information on a magnetic disk and reads it with a magnetic head, and stores map data and the like.

  The Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication device 140 is a device for communicating with the communication terminal 200 such as a mobile phone by Bluetooth. Bluetooth is one of the short-range wireless communication technologies used for connection between devices of several meters in portable information devices and the like, and can communicate at a speed of 1 Mbps using a radio wave of 2.45 GHz band.

  Further, fuel efficiency information and setting information for various vehicles are input to the control device 110 of the navigation device 100 as vehicle information 150.

  Next, the hardware configuration of the information providing server of the information providing system will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the information providing server 500 includes a CPU 501, a main memory 502, a network I / F 503, a display I / F 504, an input / output I / F 505, and an auxiliary storage device I / F 506.

  A CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501 is a device that controls each unit and executes a program loaded in the main memory 502.

  The main memory 502 is a storage device that loads a program executed by the CPU 501 and stores temporary data for program execution.

  A network I / F 503 is an interface for a network with the outside. The information providing server 500 transmits / receives data to / from the mobile phone carrier 301a and the operator terminal 600 in the service center 400 via the network I / F 503.

  A display I / F 504 is an interface with the display device 510.

  An input / output I / F 505 is an interface with input / output devices such as a keyboard 520 and a mouse 521.

  The auxiliary storage device I / F 506 is an interface with a large-capacity storage device such as an HDD. The HDD 530 connected to the auxiliary storage device I / F 506 stores a map information DB 541 and a user information DB 542 that are necessary databases for providing services.

  The HDD 530 also stores a location information calling number correspondence table DB 543. The position information calling number correspondence table DB 543 is a database that holds a position information calling number correspondence table. The location information calling number correspondence table will be described in detail later.

Next, a data structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of a communication packet sent from the communication terminal 200 to the information providing server 500 in comparison between the prior art and the case of the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a position information calling number correspondence table according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the communication packet of the prior art includes control information 31, position information 32a, and user information 33. The position information 32a of the prior art is expressed by latitude and longitude, and has a large amount of data.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, the communication packet according to the present embodiment is represented by a mesh (small area) that covers the area covered by the information providing server 500 and is represented by a relative position within the mesh. Numerical values are stored as the relative position information 32b. As a result, the amount of data in the area represented by the position information can be saved, and overhead due to transmission / reception of communication packets can be reduced.

  The position information calling number correspondence table shown in FIG. 5 is a table that holds the correspondence between the position information of the map mesh represented by longitude and latitude and the center number that is called from the communication terminal 200 to the information providing server 500 side. It is. The position information calling number correspondence table is stored in the ROM 131 of the navigation device 100, and a center number to be called is obtained based on the current vehicle position information, and the center number is passed through the Bluetooth communication device 140. The communication terminal 200 makes a call.

  The location information calling number correspondence table DB 543 of the information providing server 500 also stores data similar to that shown in FIG. 5, and is used to obtain the approximate position represented by longitude and latitude from the center number that has been called. Used.

  The area covered by the information providing server 500 is conceptually divided into a fixed mesh. Each range is a range divided by the position information calling number correspondence table shown in FIG. 5, and in this embodiment, both latitude and longitude are 30 minutes which is half of one degree.

  Each mesh is associated with a calling center number. For example, in the example of the location information calling number correspondence table shown in FIG. 5, “0XXX-YYY-0001” is set as the calling center number for the mesh M1, and “ “0XXX-YYY-0002” is associated.

Next, the operation | movement at the time of the information notification of the information provision system which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention using FIG. 6 to FIG. 8 is demonstrated.
FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing a calling number to be called to the information providing server 500 for each mesh according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure when the control device 110 of the navigation device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention instructs a call from the communication terminal 200 via the Bluetooth communication device 140.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a procedure when the information providing server 500 of the service center 400 according to the first embodiment of the present invention obtains vehicle position information from the called number and the received communication packet. .

  First, the control device 110 of the navigation device 100 obtains latitude and longitude as the position information of the vehicle 10 (S100 in FIG. 7).

  Next, the control device 110 of the navigation device 100 refers to the position information calling number correspondence table and obtains the calling center number corresponding to the mesh to which the vehicle 10 belongs and the relative position information in the mesh to which the vehicle 10 belongs (S101). ). In the example shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle 10 belongs to the mesh M2. The relative position information is (xkm, ykm) with the upper left as a base point.

  Next, the control device 110 of the navigation device 100 creates a communication packet including the relative position information 32b shown in FIG. 4B (S102).

  Then, the control device 110 of the navigation device 100 issues a call instruction to communicate the communication packet created in S102 by the call center number obtained in S101. In this example, a call is made to “0XXX-YYY-0002”, which is a call center number corresponding to the mesh M2. Thereafter, when communication is established, the communication packet created in S102 is transmitted (S104), and the service is started (S105).

  Next, the operation on the service center side will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.

  When the communication terminal 200 makes a call, the call is received by the information providing server 500 via the mobile phone network and the mobile phone carrier 301a, and the information providing server 500 obtains the received communication packet (S200 in FIG. 8).

  The CPU 501 of the information providing server 500 extracts the calling center number from the communication information (S201).

  Next, the CPU 501 of the information providing server 500 takes out the relative position information 32b in the communication packet shown in FIG. 4B (S202).

  Then, the information represented by the original latitude and longitude is synthesized from the mesh information corresponding to the calling center number in the position information calling number correspondence table and the relative position information 32b extracted in S201 (S203).

  The information providing server 500 obtains the position information of the vehicle by the above procedure, and the service of the service center 400 is started based on the position information (S204).

  As described above, by roughly dividing the area covered by the information providing server 500 and transmitting only the relative position information in the area as position information included in the communication packet from the vehicle side, The number of digits can be greatly reduced, and an improvement in response at the service center 400 can be expected.

  Further, the size of the mesh shown in FIG. 6 may be variable. For example, in urban areas such as Tokyo and Osaka, where users of information provision services are expected to be large, in areas such as Hokkaido where the number of users of information provision services is expected to be small, the mesh size is fine. Increase the size of the mesh. For example, as shown in the table of FIG. 5 of the present embodiment, when the size of the mesh in Tokyo is 30 minutes for both latitude and longitude, in Hokkaido, the latitude and longitude that are 1/4 of the mesh size. Both are set once.

  In the present embodiment, in the configuration of the navigation device, the navigation device 100 and the communication terminal 200 communicate with each other via Bluetooth. However, as a communication means between the navigation device 100 and the communication terminal 200, infrared rays such as IrDA are used. It may be an interface to be used. Further, wired communication may be used.

[Embodiment 2]
Hereinafter, each second embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12.

  In the first embodiment, the area covered by the information providing server 500 is divided into fixed meshes, and a calling center number is associated with each mesh, from the navigation device 100 mounted on the vehicle 10. , To notify the relative position from the mesh of the vehicle.

  In the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the area covered by the information providing server 500 is divided into fixed meshes, and a calling center number is associated with each mesh. The position information sent from the navigation device 100 mounted on is different.

  In the present embodiment, each mesh associated with the calling center number is divided for each latitude and longitude, for example, and the positional information sent from the navigation device 100 mounted on the vehicle 10 is the latitude and longitude. Detailed position information of minutes and seconds is transmitted in the lower section.

  The information providing server 500 can determine the accurate position information of the vehicle 10 based on the latitude and longitude known from the calling number and information expressed in seconds corresponding to more detailed information.

  The system configuration of the information providing system, the configuration of the navigation device, and the hardware configuration of the information providing system of this embodiment are the same as those shown in the first embodiment.

  Further, the area where the service of the information providing server 500 is provided is divided by mesh as in the first embodiment.

First, the data structure used in the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a communication packet sent from the communication terminal 200 to the information providing server 500 according to the second embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a position information calling number correspondence table according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the communication packet according to the present embodiment stores position information expressed in minutes and seconds as detailed position information 32c. As a result, compared to the prior art, the amount of data in the area represented by latitude and longitude can be saved, and overhead due to transmission / reception of communication packets can be reduced.

  The position information calling number correspondence table according to the second embodiment of the present invention is divided in units of latitude and longitude as shown in FIG.

Next, the operation | movement at the time of the information notification of the information provision system which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention using FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 is demonstrated.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure when the control device 110 of the navigation device 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention instructs a call from the communication terminal 200 via the Bluetooth communication device 140.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a procedure when the information providing server 500 of the service center 400 according to the second embodiment of the present invention obtains vehicle position information from the called number and the received communication packet. .

  Here, differences from the first embodiment will be described.

  In the procedure when the control device 110 of the navigation device 100 issues a call instruction from the communication terminal 200 via the Bluetooth communication device 140, the processing at S101 in FIG. S101a is different.

  In the present embodiment, the control device 110 of the navigation device 100 refers to the position information calling number correspondence table to obtain the calling center number corresponding to the mesh to which the vehicle 10 belongs (S101a).

  In step S102 for creating the next communication packet, the communication packet shown in FIG. 9 is created.

  In the procedure on the service center side, the process at S202 in FIG. 8 is S202a in FIG. 12 and the process at S203 in FIG. 8 is S203a in FIG. Is different.

In the present embodiment, on the service center side, the CPU 501 of the information providing server 500 takes out the detailed position information 32b from the communication packet (S202a).
Also, the service center side extracts the minute and second from the latitude and longitude of the mesh corresponding to the calling center number in the position information calling number correspondence table and the detailed position information 32c, and complete (latitude, longitude, minute, The position information of the vehicle 10 expressed in seconds is synthesized (S203a).

  As long as the characteristics of the present invention are not impaired, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and other forms conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention. .

1 is a system configuration diagram of an information providing system using a navigation device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the navigation apparatus which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a hardware block diagram of the information provision system which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which contrasted and showed the structure of the communication packet sent to the information provision server 500 from the communication terminal 200 in the case of a prior art and 1st embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the position information call number corresponding | compatible table of 1st embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which represented typically the calling number which calls to the information provision server 500 for every mesh which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure when the control device 110 of the navigation device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention instructs a call from the communication terminal 200 via the Bluetooth communication device 140. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure when the information provision server 500 of the service center 400 which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention calculates | requires the positional information on a vehicle from the called number and the received communication packet. It is the figure which showed the structure of the communication packet sent to the information provision server 500 from the communication terminal 200 of 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the position information call number corresponding | compatible table of 2nd embodiment of this invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure when the control device 110 of the navigation device 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention instructs a call from the communication terminal 200 via the Bluetooth communication device 140. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure when the information provision server 500 of the service center 400 which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention calculates | requires the positional information on a vehicle from the called number and the received communication packet.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Vehicle 100 ... Navigation apparatus 200 ... Communication terminal 300 ... Mobile phone network 301a, 301b, 301b ... Mobile phone carrier 400 ... Service center 500 ... Information providing server 600 ... Operator terminal 700 ... Operator.

Claims (11)

Position detection means for detecting the current position;
A calling number storage means for storing a calling number for making a call to the information providing server according to the current position;
Calling number reading means for reading a calling number corresponding to the current position from the calling number storage means;
An in-area position calculating means for calculating an in-area position in an area to receive information from the information providing server according to the current position;
Calling means for sending outline information about the location in the area to the information providing server by calling the information providing server using the calling number;
A navigation apparatus comprising: current position transmission means for supplementing and transmitting detailed information about the detailed position in the region.   2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calling number storage unit divides a geographical area into a plurality of areas and stores a calling number corresponding to each of the areas.   The navigation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the current position transmitting unit transmits a relative position from a reference point in the area as a current position in the area.   The navigation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the current position transmission unit transmits detailed information on the absolute position of the current position. Navigation device communication means for communicating with the navigation device;
Calling number acquisition means for acquiring a calling number at the time of calling by the navigation device communication means;
Calling number storage means for storing a calling number from the navigation device according to the position of the navigation device;
Current position receiving means for receiving the current position of the navigation device via the navigation device communication means;
Information providing comprising navigation device position calculating means for calculating the position of the navigation device based on the acquired calling number and the received current position with reference to the calling number storage means server.   6. The information providing server according to claim 5, wherein the calling number storage unit divides a geographical area into a plurality of areas and stores a calling number corresponding to each of the areas.   The information providing server according to claim 6, wherein the current position received from the navigation device is a relative position from a reference point in the area.   The information providing server according to claim 6, wherein the current position received from the navigation device is detailed position information of the current position. In an information providing system comprising a navigation device and an information providing server communicating with the navigation device,
The navigation device
Detect current position,
Communicate with the information providing server via a communication terminal;
When communicating with the information providing server, a call is made with the calling number acquired from the calling number storage means for storing a calling number for calling the information providing server according to the current location, and the current Sending the location to the information providing server;
The information providing server includes:
Receiving a call from the navigation device, obtaining a calling number at the time of calling, receiving the current position of the navigation device;
In response to the current position of the navigation device, referring to a calling number storage means for storing a calling number from the navigation device, based on the acquired calling number and the received current position, An information providing system characterized by calculating a position. In the information notification method of the navigation device that communicates with the information providing server,
The navigation device includes calling number storage means for storing a calling number for calling the information providing server according to the current position,
Detecting a current position of the navigation device;
The navigation device communicating with the information providing server via a communication terminal;
Making a call with the calling number acquired from the calling number storage means during communication with the information providing server;
And a step of transmitting the current location to the information providing server. In the position specifying method of the navigation device in which the information providing server that communicates with the navigation device specifies the current position of the navigation device.
Receiving a call from the navigation device and obtaining a calling number at the time of calling;
Receiving the current position of the navigation device;
With reference to calling number storage means for storing a calling number from the navigation device corresponding to the current position of the navigation device, based on the acquired calling number and the received current position, the navigation device And a step of calculating a current position.

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