JP2011002445A - Navigation device and map updating system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a map updating which is useful for a user without a waste, while alleviating server's burden by reducing the amount of communication traffic between vehicle and server.SOLUTION: A navigator device 3a transmits position information of destination established in own navigation device, into another navigation device 3b via inter-vehicle communication device 10. The navigation device 3b retrieves the route from own vehicle position to its destination and returns retrieved route result. The navigation device 3a judges whether there is any disagreement between another navigation device's retrieved route result and the retrieved route based on the map data 21 which are equipped in own navigation device. If there is disagreement, the map data 21 equipped in own navigation device are judged necessary to be updated. Additionally, updating of the map data 21 is requested to information center 1, only a part of the map data including disagreement part at the route is downloaded; then, the map data 21 are updated.

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation apparatus and a map update system that perform a map update by determining whether or not map data included in a navigation apparatus is the latest.

  An in-vehicle type, portable type or portable type navigation device that guides a user to a destination based on a route from the current position to the destination is known. Since the route from the current position to the destination is searched based on the map data, for example, when a newly established road is not stored in the map data or there is a road that has been abolished, these conditions are It is impossible to search for a route in consideration.

  Therefore, conventionally, whether or not the map data of the navigation device on the vehicle side is the latest is determined based on the version information of the map data or the like, and if it is determined that it is not the latest, the latest map data is wirelessly communicated from the server There is known a map update system that downloads and updates the map data on the vehicle side. However, in many cases, the vehicle-side navigation device does not necessarily require all the latest map data downloaded from the server. For example, it is useless for a user who mainly travels in and around Aichi Prefecture even if the latest map road information in the Hokkaido region is acquired, and the time and cost required for the update are wasted.

  In order to solve this problem, the technique described in Patent Document 1 is based on the route to the destination searched based on the map data of the navigation device on the vehicle side and the latest map data in the server of the map distribution center. If there is a difference between the searched route and the route to the destination, the navigation device determines that the map data of the navigation device needs to be updated, and the navigation device only includes the map data that includes the difference in the route. Is downloaded from the server and updated.

JP 2004-77254 A

  However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, the vehicle-side navigation device determines whether or not the map data included in the vehicle is the latest, each time the destination is set, In addition, it is necessary to send destination location information and the like to the server. On the other hand, the server of the map distribution center searches for a route based on the received information and transmits a search result to each vehicle. Therefore, the amount of communication traffic between each vehicle and the server is large, and the communication load of the server where communication information is concentrated is large. Further, since the server needs to execute a route search process every time information is received from each vehicle, the calculation load for the process is also large. As described above, the technique described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the load on the server becomes extremely large.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to reduce the load on the server by reducing the amount of communication traffic between the navigation device and the server, and to make a useful map useful to the user. It is an object of the present invention to provide a navigation device and a map update system for realizing update.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a navigation device and a map update system capable of suppressing communication with a server and load on the server by using another navigation device.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a navigation device capable of suppressing communication with a server and a load on the server by communicating with another navigation device using a vehicle-to-vehicle communication function mounted on the vehicle. To provide a map update system.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a navigation device and a map update system that can suppress waste of communication with other navigation devices.

  Another object of the present invention is to communicate with other navigation devices by selecting another navigation device suitable for determining the necessity of updating map data from a plurality of other navigation devices. An object of the present invention is to provide a navigation device and a map update system that can suppress wastefulness.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention described in claim 1 is a navigation device that stores map data in a state where it can be divided into a plurality of parts, and can independently update only a part of the map data, The communication means transmits the position information of the destination set in the own machine to the other machine, receives the information of the route to the destination searched by the other machine based on the map data of the other machine, and the judging means The route received by communication is determined to be inconsistent with the route searched based on the map data of the own device, and the map update means updates the map data of the own device when the mismatch is determined. Features. According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the amount of communication traffic between each navigation device and the server while realizing a wasteful map update that is useful for the user, and not to give the server a calculation load for route search. , Server load can be greatly reduced.

  In the invention according to claim 2, the determining means determines a location where the route received by communication does not match the route searched based on the map data of the own device, and the map updating means is the map data of the own device. Among them, the map data of the portion where the inconsistent portion exists is updated. In the present invention, the map data is partially updated. Accordingly, the amount of communication traffic between the navigation device and the server is reduced.

  The navigation device according to claim 3 is updated in the map data of the own device when the map updating means updates the map data of the portion where the disagreement exists in the map data of the own device. If the map data of the updated part and the map data around the updated part are not matched, the map data of the part that is not matched is updated together. Thereby, even when a partial map update is executed, it is possible to prevent the route search process from being hindered due to inconsistency with the existing map.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the communication means includes priority processing means that prioritizes communication with another machine that is likely to have a map difference among a plurality of other machines. The present invention increases the possibility of determining the necessity of updating map data when communication with a plurality of other devices is possible.

  In the invention according to claim 5, the priority processing means characterizes the own device and the other device by the area, and among other plural devices, the priority processing means is characterized by an area different from the area characterizing the own device. Give priority to communication with the machine. The present invention actively expands the possibility of determining the need to update map data to areas characterizing other aircraft.

  In the invention according to claim 6, the priority processing means characterizes the own machine and the other machine by an area including the reference position, and among the plurality of other machines, the area including the reference position of the own machine Gives priority to communication with other aircraft with reference positions in different areas. The present invention actively expands the possibility of determining the necessity of updating map data to an area including the reference position of another machine.

  In the invention according to claim 7, the priority processing means characterizes the own machine and the other machine by an area indicating a normal action range, and among the plurality of other machines, an area indicating the action range of the own machine and Gives priority to communication with other aircraft in different areas. The present invention actively expands the possibility of determining the necessity of updating map data to an area showing the normal action range of other aircraft.

  The invention described in claim 8 includes a server having the latest map database, and a navigation device that stores map data in a state where the map data can be divided into a plurality of parts and can update only a part of the map data independently. Is a map update system that communicates with each other to update an unupdated portion of map data, and the navigation device transmits the position information of the destination set in the own device to the other device, and converts it into the map data of the other device. Based on the communication means for receiving information on the route to the destination searched by the other device, and the determination means for determining the location where the route received by communication does not match the route searched based on the map data of the own device And map updating means for updating the map data of the portion where the unmatched portion exists in the map data of the own device. According to the present invention, in order to reduce the amount of communication traffic between each navigation device and the server while realizing a wasteful map update useful for the user, and to prevent the server from being subjected to a route search calculation load, Can be greatly reduced.

It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of the map update system of 1st Embodiment to which this invention is applied. It is a flowchart which shows the map update process performed in the control part of the navigation apparatus 3a of 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process performed in the control part of the navigation apparatus 3b of 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the map data delivery process performed in the control part of the information center of 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the action | operation of 2nd Embodiment to which this invention is applied. It is a flowchart which shows the map update process performed in the control part of the navigation apparatus 3a of the map update system of 3rd Embodiment to which this invention is applied. It is a flowchart which shows the map update process performed in the control part of the navigation apparatus 3a of 3rd Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the relationship on the map of the own apparatus and other apparatus in the other example of the priority process of 3rd Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the relationship on the map of the own apparatus and other apparatus in one example of the priority process of 3rd Embodiment.

  A plurality of modes for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, parts corresponding to the matters described in the preceding embodiment may be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted. When only a part of the configuration is described in each mode, the other modes described above can be applied to the other parts of the configuration. Not only combinations of parts that clearly show that combinations are possible in each embodiment, but also combinations of the embodiments even if they are not specified unless there is a problem with the combination. Is also possible.

Embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a map update system including an in-vehicle navigation device will be described. Further, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The configuration, operation, and effect of the embodiment are merely examples, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope of these descriptions. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the description of the scope of claims, and further includes meanings equivalent to the description of the scope of claims and all modifications within the scope.
(First embodiment)
Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a map updating system of the first embodiment. The map update system according to the first embodiment includes an information center 1 and a large number of navigation devices 3a and 3b. In the figure, two navigation devices 3a and 3b are shown for ease of explanation. These two navigation devices 3a and 3b are located within a range in which the inter-vehicle communication devices 10 and 10 can communicate with each other. Four or more navigation devices is also located in the communication range. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, the navigation device 3a will be described as the own device, and the navigation device 3b will be described as the other device. The navigation device 3b is illustrated with a simplified configuration for convenience, but has a configuration equivalent to that of the navigation device 3a.

  The information center 1 communicates and exchanges data with a map database 14 that stores a map whose information can be updated as needed, and a network communication device 15 that communicates with the navigation devices 3a and 3b via a network (wide area communication network) 2. And a control unit 16 for controlling. The network (wide area communication network) 2 uses a network system of a mobile phone communication network. The control unit 16 is mainly configured by a known microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an I / O, and a bus line connecting these components.

  The navigation devices 3a and 3b are car navigation devices mounted on a vehicle. Each of the navigation devices 3a and 3b includes a vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 10, an information storage unit 20, a network communication device 30, a host vehicle position detection unit 40, a display device 50, an operation, as representatively illustrated in the navigation device 3a. The switch group 60, the audio | voice output apparatus 70, and the control part 80 are provided.

  The inter-vehicle communication device 10 is a communication device including a transmission device and a reception device, and uses millimeter waves (electromagnetic waves having a frequency of 30 to 300 GHz) as wireless communication media. Although the maximum communication distance in which vehicle-to-vehicle communication is possible depends on the surrounding environment, it is 100 to 200 meters. In vehicle-to-vehicle communication, a device that requests to receive information (for example, its own device) transmits a request signal, and a device (for example, another device) that receives the request signal receives information. This is done by sending a signal. The information providing apparatus that receives the request signal transmits the requested information signal only when communication is possible (for example, when there is a sufficient system resource).

  In the information storage unit 20, map data 21 is stored, and guidance images, audio data, and the like (not shown) are stored. As the storage medium, a rewritable ROM (Read Only Memory), a readable / writable hard disk, a memory, or the like can be used.

  The map data 21 includes drawing data 21a obtained by unitizing map information for drawing a map on the display device 50, and route data 21b for executing a route search. In addition, the map data 21 is divided and stored for each mesh with a rectangular range (for example, 2 km square) of a predetermined size called a mesh as a minimum unit. Accordingly, the map data 21 can be partially updated on a mesh basis. Each mesh is given an ID number for uniquely identifying the mesh, and the ID number includes version information indicating the new and old map data. Thus, the navigation devices 3a and 3b store the map data in a state where the map data can be divided into a plurality of pieces. Furthermore, the navigation devices 3a and 3b can independently update only a part of the map data.

  The drawing data 21a includes road data storing data such as latitude and longitude information, node number, link number, road type, etc. corresponding to each road, facilities such as roads, railways, buildings, private land, sea, rivers, etc. It consists of background data for drawing the topography and character data such as place names and facility names.

  In the route data 21b, road map information is stored as network information including a node indicating a connection point and a link connecting the nodes. For the links and nodes corresponding to each road and intersection, for example, the identification number given to each link or node, the road type such as expressway, toll road, main highway, narrow street, right / left turn prohibition, Information such as one-way traffic, traffic restrictions such as speed limit, link length, width, width, number of lanes, gradient, etc. are given. Based on these pieces of information, a cost is set for each link and node. Based on the network information and the cost stored in the route data 21b, the control unit 80 uses the well-known Dijkstra method or the like to minimize the product sum value of the cost from the current vehicle position to the destination. The optimal route calculation is performed.

  The network communication device 30 is a communication device including a transmission device and a reception device, and transmits and receives information to and from the information center 1 via the network 2.

  The own vehicle position detection unit 40 receives a radio wave transmitted from a GPS (Global Positioning System) via a GPS antenna, detects a position of the own vehicle and the current time, and a rotational motion applied to the vehicle. A gyro sensor 42 for detecting the size of the vehicle and a vehicle speed sensor 43 for detecting the speed of the vehicle are provided. The own vehicle position detection unit 40 calculates the current own vehicle position of the vehicle as a set of the position coordinates and the traveling direction based on these detection signals. Since these sensors 41 to 43 have errors of different properties, they are configured to detect the vehicle position while complementing each other. In addition, you may comprise the own vehicle position detection part 40 by the one part sensor mentioned above. Further, a geomagnetic sensor for detecting the traveling direction from the geomagnetism, a steering rotation angle sensor, or the like may be added.

  The display device 50 includes a liquid crystal display capable of color display. On the display screen of the display device 50, a map composed of background data such as roads and facilities stored in the drawing data 21, a mark indicating the current position of the vehicle, a guidance route to the destination, etc. are displayed on the map. Overlaid. Note that the symbol data, names, landmarks, traffic jam information, and the like of various facilities may be displayed superimposed on the map. As a display device, besides a liquid crystal display, there are a plasma display, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), etc., any of which may be used.

  The operation switch group 60 is configured integrally with the display device 50, and a touch panel installed on a display screen, button switches provided around the display device 50, and the like are used. Note that the touch panel and the display device 50 are laminated and integrated, and the touch panel includes a pressure-sensitive method, an electromagnetic induction method, a capacitance method, or a combination of these, and any of them may be used.

  The audio output device 70 includes a speaker, and outputs various guidance sounds based on guidance images and voice data stored in the information storage unit 20.

  The control unit 80 is configured around a known microcomputer including a CPU, ROM, RAM, I / O, a bus line connecting these components, and the like. Then, based on a program stored in a ROM or the like, a map display process for displaying a map or the like in a range instructed by an operation by the operation switch group 60 on the display device 50, and a user to the destination based on the searched route A guidance process for guiding, a map update process for updating the map data 21, and the like are executed. The control unit 80 is provided by a microcomputer including a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium stores a computer-readable program. The storage medium can be provided by a memory. The program is executed by the control unit 80 to cause the control unit 80 to function as a device described in this specification, and to cause the control unit 80 to function so as to execute the control method described in this specification. The means provided by the control unit 80 can also be called a functional block or module that achieves a predetermined function.

  The inter-vehicle communication device 10 corresponds to the communication unit of the present invention, and the control unit 80 corresponds to the determination unit and the map update unit of the present invention.

  Next, map update processing executed by the control unit 80 in the navigation device 3a will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The process shown in this flowchart is executed according to a computer program stored in the control unit 80.

  First, in step S10 in FIG. 2, the vehicle position is detected. In step S20, the destination input by the user via the operation switch group 60 is detected as longitude and latitude information. In step S30, a request signal for requesting vehicle-to-vehicle communication is transmitted to the periphery of the host vehicle.

  In step S40, it is determined whether or not the navigation device 3b capable of vehicle-to-vehicle communication has been detected. When the navigation device 3b capable of vehicle-to-vehicle communication is detected by receiving a signal from the navigation device 3b of the other device (step S40: YES), the process proceeds to step S50, and the navigation device capable of vehicle-to-vehicle communication is selected. When it cannot detect (step S40: NO), it returns to step S30.

  In step S50, the position information (longitude / latitude information) of the destination detected in step S20 is transmitted to the navigation device of another vehicle capable of communication by inter-vehicle communication.

  In step S60, it is determined whether the route search result to the destination calculated in the navigation device of the other vehicle is received by inter-vehicle communication. As the route search result, the link string of the route to the destination and the ID number of the mesh where the route exists are received. Since the link ID and the mesh ID number are text information, the traffic is very small. When the route search result is received (step S60: YES), the process proceeds to step S70. Step S60 repeats self-transition until a route search result is received.

  In step S70, it is determined whether or not the route search result received in step S60 matches the route searched by the navigation device of the own device. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the link number of the link string received as the route search result matches the link number of the link string of the route searched based on the map data 21 of the navigation device 3a of the host vehicle. judge. When there is a portion where the link numbers do not match, there is a possibility that the road is newly established or the existing road is demolished. If the received route search result matches the route searched by the own device (step S70: YES), it is determined that there is no need to update the map, and this processing is terminated. When the received route search result does not match the route searched by the own device (step S70: NO), the process proceeds to step S72.

  In step S72, it is determined whether or not there is a mesh having an older version among the meshes including the route to the destination. Whether or not the own machine has an older mesh can be detected by comparing the ID number of the mesh received in step S60 with the ID number of the mesh of the map data provided in the own machine. If there is a mesh with an older version (step S72: YES), the process proceeds to step S74. If there is no mesh with an older version (step S72: NO), map update is required. It is determined that there is no, and this process is terminated.

  In step S74, the ID number of the mesh determined to be older in step S72 is detected. In step S80, a signal requesting download of map data of the mesh portion corresponding to the ID number detected in step S74 is transmitted to the information center 1 via the network 2. In step S90, download of the map data (only corresponding mesh part) transmitted from the information center 1 is started.

  In step S100, it is determined whether downloading of the mesh is completed. When the download is completed (step S100: YES), the process proceeds to step S110. Step S100 repeats self-transition until the download is completed.

  In step S110, the map data 21 is updated by storing the downloaded latest version of the mesh in the map data 21 of the information storage unit 20 of the own device. In this way, the map update means communicates with the server and partially updates only the unupdated portion of the map data.

  Next, processing executed in the control unit 80 in the navigation device 3b will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. The process shown in this flowchart is executed according to a computer program stored in the control unit 80.

  First, in step S200 in FIG. 3, it is determined whether a request signal for requesting inter-vehicle communication is received from a navigation device of another vehicle. When the request signal transmitted from the navigation device of the other vehicle is received (step S200: YES), the process proceeds to step S210. Step S200 repeats self-transition until a request signal transmitted from the navigation device of another vehicle is received.

  In step S210, it is determined whether or not the navigation device of the own vehicle is in a state in which vehicle-to-vehicle communication is possible. If system resources are available and vehicle-to-vehicle communication is possible (step S210: YES), the process proceeds to step S220. If vehicle-to-vehicle communication is not possible (step S210: NO), the process returns to step S200.

  In step S220, the destination position information set in the other vehicle is received by inter-vehicle communication. In step S230, a route from the vehicle position to the destination received in step S220 is searched based on map data stored in the information storage unit 20 of the vehicle. In step S240, the route search result searched for in step S230 (link string and ID number of the mesh including the route) is transmitted to the navigation device of the other vehicle by inter-vehicle communication, and this process is terminated.

  Next, processing executed in the control unit 16 of the information center 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Note that the processing shown in this flowchart is executed according to a computer program stored in the control unit 16.

  First, in step S300 in FIG. 4, it is determined whether a signal requesting download of map data from the navigation device 3a is received via the network 2. The signal transmitted from the navigation device 3a includes the mesh ID number for requesting the map update. If a download request signal is received from the navigation device 3a (step S300: YES), the process proceeds to step S310. Step S300 repeats the self-transition until a signal requesting download is received from navigation device 3a.

  In step S310, map data of only the mesh portion corresponding to the ID number included in the information received in step S300 is transmitted to the navigation device 3a via the network 2.

  In step S320, it is determined whether or not the transmission of the map data to the navigation device 3a is completed. If the transmission of the map data is completed (step S320: YES), this process ends. Step S320 repeats the self-transition until the transmission of the map data is completed.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the route search result in the navigation device 3b of the other vehicle is received by inter-vehicle communication to determine whether or not the own map data needs to be updated. Therefore, the amount of communication traffic between the navigation devices 3a and 3b and the information center 1 is reduced, and further, no calculation load for route search is given to the information center 1. Therefore, the burden on the information center 1 can be greatly reduced. Further, in the route to the destination set by the navigation device 3a, the route searched by the other device and the route searched by the own device do not match, and the version of the map data provided by the own device Update the map if is old. Therefore, since unnecessary map updating is not performed, it is possible to reduce communication costs and communication time burdened on the user.

(Second Embodiment)
A second embodiment, which is a modification of the first embodiment, will be described with reference to FIG. In the second embodiment, when updating the map data of the mesh portion requested by the navigation device 3a, it is determined whether or not the mesh and the surrounding mesh in the map data 21 of the own device are matched. If not, the map data of the mesh portion that is not matched is updated together. As shown in FIG. 5 (a), when a new road exists in the updated mesh and the new road straddles the adjacent mesh, the new road exists in the updated mesh. There is no new road in the mesh stored in. Therefore, the link of the new road is interrupted and not matched at the boundary between the updated mesh and the mesh stored in the map data. If they are not matched, there is a problem in that network information such as a link corresponding to a new road cannot be accurately constructed at the mesh boundary, and calculation of a route search may be impossible. Therefore, in the second embodiment, it is determined whether or not these meshes are matched at the boundary between the updated mesh and the mesh stored in the map data. Whether or not it is matched is, for example, whether links that cross the boundary of the mesh among the links that exist in the updated mesh are reliably connected to the nodes that exist in the mesh stored in the map data. Can be determined. If the link across the mesh boundary is not connected to a node existing in the mesh stored in the map data, the network information of the route data 21b cannot be constructed at the mesh boundary, and the mesh boundary is not matched. Determined. If it is determined that they are not matched, as shown in FIG. 5B, the map data of the mesh portion that is not matched is updated together. As a result, even when a partial map update is executed without causing the above problem, it is possible to prevent the route search process from being hindered due to being inconsistent with the existing map.

(Third embodiment)
A third embodiment, which is a modification of the first embodiment, will be described with reference to FIGS. In the third embodiment, when there are a plurality of other devices capable of executing communication and processing for map update within a range where communication from the own device is possible, one other device is selected and the selected device is selected. Prioritize communication with other devices. More specifically, an other machine having a high possibility of having an updated map difference is selected from a plurality of other machines. In other words, an other machine that is likely to have new map data different from the map data of the own machine is selected. Further, the communication with the selected other machine is executed with priority over the other machine not selected. Thereby, possibility that the necessity for the update of map data will be detected by communication between an own machine and another machine becomes high. In other words, the proportion of communication with other devices that do not have a difference in map data is reduced.

  In the following description, the navigation device 3a is also referred to as the own device 3a. The plurality of other devices include at least a navigation device 3b1 as the first other device and a navigation device 3b2 as the second other device. The navigation device 3b1 is also called a first other machine 3b1. The navigation device 3b2 is also called a second other machine 3b2.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a map update process executed by the control unit of the navigation device 3a of the map update system of this embodiment. First, in step S2010, the other machine located in the communicable range of the inter-vehicle communication device 10 is searched. For example, consider a case where a vehicle on which the vehicle is mounted stops at an intersection to wait for a signal. In this case, a plurality of vehicles may stop within a range in which communication from the own device is possible. Furthermore, the plurality of vehicles may be equipped with a plurality of other devices that can communicate with the own device. In step S2020, it is determined whether there is another device capable of communication. Here, it is also determined whether there is another device capable of communication and processing for map update. As a specific determination condition in this determination, for example, a compatibility condition indicating that the map data of the own device and the other device is compatible can be used. For example, it can be used that the application logic is the same, in other words, the version of the application software is the same, the model number of the navigation device is the same. Furthermore, a difference condition indicating a possibility that a difference is found in the map data can be used. For example, different map data versions can be used. The navigation device 3a repeats steps S2010 and S2020 until another communicable device appears.

  If another communicable device appears, the process proceeds to step S2030. Here, it is assumed that a plurality of other devices 3b1 and 3b2 that can communicate appear. In step S2030, the inter-vehicle communication device 10 communicates with the other devices 3b1, 3b2. Step S2030 includes step S2040 as priority processing means. In step S2040, the other machine having a high possibility of having a map difference is selected from the plurality of other machines 3b1, 3b2 that can communicate. And it communicates with the selected other machine by the inter-vehicle communication device 10. In this communication, transmission processing for transmitting the location information of the destination set in the own device to the other device, and reception for receiving information on the route to the destination searched by the other device based on the map data of the other device Processing.

  Other machines that are likely to have map differences can be selected based on various information. For example, the selection can be made based on information indicating an area. For priority processing, the aircraft and other aircraft are characterized by area. In the priority processing means, priority is given to communication with another machine characterized by an area different from the area characterizing the own machine among a plurality of other machines. Other aircraft characterized by the same area as your aircraft are likely to have acquired the same map data as your aircraft. On the other hand, another aircraft characterized by another area different from the own aircraft and having a relationship with the other area is likely to have new map data different from the own map data. By giving priority to communication with such other devices, it is possible to increase opportunities for determining that the map data of the own device needs to be updated. A specific example of priority processing will be described later.

  Next, in step S2050, a calculation for searching for a route from the departure place to the destination is executed based on the map data of the own device 3a. In step S2060, it is determined that the other device search route Rb received from the other device by inter-vehicle communication is inconsistent with the own device search route Ra searched based on the map data of the own device, that is, there is a difference. Identify the disagreement. Step S2060 provides a determination unit. The mismatched portion is indicated by a certain range on the map including the mismatched portion. This range can be a unit range that allows partial rewriting of map data. For example, a mesh, which corresponds to a predetermined range on the map and is the minimum unit for updating the map data, can be used to specify a mismatched portion. If there is no difference between the other device search route Rb and the own device search route Ra, the process returns to step S2010. On the other hand, if there is a difference between the other device search route Rb and the own device search route Ra, the process proceeds to step S2070.

  In step S2070, the own map data is updated. Step S2070 provides map update means. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a process for updating the map data. In step S2072, the identification number of the own device is transmitted to the information center 1 which is a server. Based on the update history recorded in the server, the server checks whether the map data of the navigation device 3a specified by the identification number has been updated. The server transmits the necessity of further updating to the navigation device 3a specified by the identification number. In step S2074, it is determined whether map data is updated. If there is no update, the process proceeds to step S2080. If there is an update, the process proceeds to step S2076. In step S2076, the updated map data is received from the server. Here, the updated map data provided from the server and received by the own device 3a includes at least a mesh including at least a mismatched portion. The received map data can include only meshes that include inconsistent locations. Thereby, the communication time and communication amount of a navigation apparatus and a server can be suppressed. Further, the received map data can include a plurality of meshes located around the mesh in addition to the mesh including the mismatched portion. Even in this case, in this embodiment, the necessity of updating the map data is determined by inter-vehicle communication, so that the communication time and the communication amount between the navigation device and the server can be suppressed.

  Returning to FIG. 6, in step S2080, it is determined whether or not the update of the map data has been completed successfully. If the update of the map data has not been completed, the process returns to step S2070. When the update of the map data is completed, the series of processes is terminated.

  Returning to step S2040, a specific example of priority processing will be described. In a more specific example, the own aircraft and the other aircraft are characterized by an area including the reference position of the own aircraft and the other aircraft. The priority processing means prioritizes communication with another machine having a reference position in an area different from the area including the reference position of the own machine among a plurality of other machines.

  FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a map relationship between the own device 3a and the other devices 3b1, 3b2 in one example of priority processing. Two vehicles equipped with two other devices 3b1 and 3b2 are located in the communicable range COM of the inter-vehicle communication device 10 of the vehicle on which the own device 3a is mounted. The own aircraft 3a is mounted on a vehicle having a home Ha as a resident position in the area A Ma on the map. The first other machine 3b1 is mounted on a vehicle having a home Hb1 in the area A Ma. The second other machine 3b2 is mounted on a vehicle having a home Hb2 in the B zone Mb. The A sections Ma and BMb correspond to a mesh that is the minimum update unit of the map data portion updated by the map update means. It can be said that the own aircraft 3a and the first other aircraft 3b1 are characterized by the area Ma. Moreover, it can be said that 2nd other machine 3b2 is characterized by the area Mb. In this case, the priority processing means uses the second other device having the home Hb2 in the B zone Mb different from the own device 3a rather than the communication with the first other device 3b1 having the home Hb1 in the same A zone Ma as the own device 3a. The communication with 3b2 is executed with priority.

  Here, since the own device 3a has the home Hb1 in the A section Ma, it can be considered that the data of the A mesh Ma on the map data is updated with high frequency. For the same reason, it can be considered that the data of the A mesh Ma is also updated frequently in the first other machine 3b1. On the other hand, regarding the B mesh Mb, the possibility that the first other machine 3b1 has the latest map data is unknown. However, since the second other device 3b2 has the home Hb2 in the B zone Mb, it can be considered that the map data of the B mesh Mb is updated with high frequency. Therefore, the own device 3a can increase the possibility of detecting the difference of the map data in the B mesh Mb by giving priority to the communication with the second other device 3b2 over the first other device 3b1. In other words, even if it communicates with the first other device 3b1, it is unlikely that a difference in map data is detected, so the rate at which a difference in map data is not detected depending on the result of communication can be reduced.

  In the figure, an example of the own device search route Ra and the other device search route Rb is shown. When inter-vehicle communication is executed in the state shown in the figure, the own device 3a calculates the own device search route Ra as the route to the destination Ds. However, the second other device 3b2 having the latest updated map data of the B area Mb can calculate the other device search route Rb as the route to the destination Ds. In this case, since the own device search route Ra and the other device search route Rb are different, the own device 3a can detect the necessity of updating the map data in the B area Mb.

  When the area where the home of the first other machine 3b1 is located and the area where the home of the second other machine 3b2 are both different from the area where the home of the own machine 3a is located, the first other machine 3b1 And the second other machine 3b2, the other machine having a high possibility of obtaining the map data difference is selected, and the communication with the selected other machine is prioritized. For example, it is possible to preferentially execute communication with another machine characterized by an area farther away from an area characterizing the own device 3a. Also, the ranking between the two other machines 3b1, 3b2 is based on the link ID indicating the traveling history of the other machines 3b1, 3b2, the traveling direction of the other machines 3b1, 3b2, etc. It is possible to set so that communication with other devices that are highly likely to be obtained is prioritized.

  As the reference position, the position of the navigation device owner's home, the position of the vehicle owner's home where the navigation device is mounted, the position of the organization office to which the navigation device belongs, the registered position of the vehicle where the navigation device is mounted, Position information related to a specific navigation device, such as the departure point of the navigation device and the destination of the navigation device, can be used.

  For example, when using the registered position of the vehicle on which the own device and the other device are mounted, priority is given to communication with another device having a registered position of an area name different from the area name indicating the registered position of the own apparatus. Specifically, when a vehicle equipped with its own machine is registered in the Mikawa region, it is registered in the Nagoya region where the region name is different from that of the first other aircraft 3b1 installed in the vehicle registered in the same Mikawa region. The second other machine 3b2 mounted on the vehicle is selected, and the second other machine 3b2 is preferentially communicated.

  In another more specific example, the aircraft and other aircraft are characterized by an area indicating a normal range of action. The priority processing means prioritizes communication with another machine having an action range that is different from the area indicating the action range of the own machine among a plurality of other machines.

  FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a map relationship between the own device 3a and the other devices 3b1, 3b2 in another example of priority processing. Two vehicles equipped with two other devices 3b1 and 3b2 are located in the communicable range COM of the inter-vehicle communication device 10 of the vehicle on which the own device 3a is mounted. The own aircraft 3a is mounted on a vehicle having an A area Ma on the map as a normal action range. The first other machine 3b1 is mounted on a vehicle having the A zone Ma as a normal action range. The second other machine 3b2 is mounted on a vehicle having the B zone Mb as a normal action range. The areas Ma and Mb have an area that can be called an area or a district including a plurality of meshes. It can be said that the own machine 3a and the first other machine 3b1 are characterized by the A section Ma. Further, it can be said that the second other machine 3b2 is characterized by the B section Mb. In this case, the priority processing means sets the B zone Mb different from the own device 3a as the normal action range rather than the communication with the first other device 3b1 having the same A zone Ma as the own device 3a as the normal action range. The communication with the second other machine 3b2 is executed with priority.

  The normal action range can also be referred to as an area where the navigation device is located at a high frequency. Such a normal action range can be specified based on history data recorded in the navigation device. For example, the history data includes data such as a stay period, a travel route, and a passage location. From these historical data, the navigation device or a vehicle equipped with the navigation device is identified as an action range such as a place where the vehicle repeatedly passes, and an area where the action range is frequently distributed It can be the range of action.

  Since the own machine 3a uses the A zone Ma as a normal action range, it can be considered that the map data of the mesh in the A zone Ma is updated frequently. For the same reason, the first other machine 3b1 can also be considered that the mesh map data in the area A Ma is frequently updated. On the other hand, regarding the mesh in the B area Mb, the possibility that the first other machine 3b1 has the latest map data is unknown. However, since the second other device 3b2 uses the B area Mb as a normal action range, it can be considered that the map data of the B area Mb is updated frequently. Therefore, the own device 3a can increase the possibility of detecting the map data difference in the B zone Mb by giving priority to the communication with the second other device 3b2 over the first other device 3b1. In other words, even if it communicates with the first other device 3b1, it is unlikely that a difference in map data is detected, so the rate at which a difference in map data is not detected depending on the result of communication can be reduced.

  Also, when the area indicating the normal action range of the first other machine 3b1 and the area indicating the normal action range of the second other machine 3b2 are both different from the area indicating the normal action range of the own machine 3a Of the first other machine 3b1 and the second other machine 3b2, the other machine that is highly likely to obtain the difference in the map data is selected, and the communication with the selected other machine is prioritized. For example, it is possible to preferentially execute communication with another machine characterized by an area farther away from an area characterizing the own device 3a. Also, the ranking between the two other machines 3b1, 3b2 is based on the link ID indicating the traveling history of the other machines 3b1, 3b2, the traveling direction of the other machines 3b1, 3b2, etc. It is possible to set so that communication with other devices that are highly likely to be obtained is prioritized.

  Furthermore, a method for setting the priority processing order based on the above-described area that depends on the reference position such as the home position, and the priority processing order based on the area that depends on the normal action range such as a place to pass repeatedly. You may combine with the method to set.

  According to this embodiment, when a single other machine is located within the communicable range, it is possible to determine the necessity of updating the map data by communicating with the other machine. As a result, the map data can be updated while suppressing the communication time and the communication amount with the server. In addition, when multiple other devices are located within the communicable range, it is highly possible to have a map difference by giving priority to communication with other devices characterized by areas different from the own device. Since priority is given to communication with other devices, useless communication with other devices can be suppressed. In addition, it is possible to actively expand the range to be updated and determine the necessity of updating the map data.

(Other embodiments)
In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a vehicle-mounted navigation device. Alternatively, the present invention may be applied to a portable navigation device. For example, instead of a vehicle-to-vehicle communication device, a built-in communication device may be provided in the navigation device itself so that communication can be performed between a plurality of navigation devices.

  The means and functions provided by the control device can be provided by software only, hardware only, or a combination thereof. For example, the control device may be configured by an analog circuit.

1 Information center (server)
14 Map database 15 Network communication device 16 Control unit 2 Network 3a Navigation device (own device)
3b Navigation device (other machine)
3b1, 3b2 Navigation device (other machine)
10 Inter-Vehicle Communication Device 20 Information Storage Unit 30 Network Communication Device 80 Control Unit

Claims (8)

A navigation device that stores map data in a state where it can be divided into a plurality of parts, and that can independently update only a part of the map data,
Communication means for transmitting location information of a destination set in the own device to another device, and receiving information on a route to the destination searched by the other device based on map data of the other device;
Determining means for determining that the route received by the communication is inconsistent with the route searched based on the map data of the own device;
A navigation device, comprising: a map updating unit that updates the map data of the own device when the mismatch is determined. The determination means includes
Determine where the route received by communication does not match the route searched based on the map data of your aircraft,
The map update means includes
The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein map data of a portion where the inconsistent portion exists is updated in the map data of the own device. The map update means includes
When updating the map data of the part where the disagreement exists in the map data of the own machine, the map data of the part to be updated in the map data of the own machine and the vicinity of the updated part The navigation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the map data is not matched, the map data of the unmatched portion is updated together. The communication means includes
The navigation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising priority processing means that prioritizes communication with another machine that is likely to have a map difference among a plurality of other machines. The priority processing means includes
Characterize itself and other aircraft by area,
The navigation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein priority is given to communication with another machine characterized by an area different from an area characterizing the own machine among a plurality of other machines. The priority processing means includes
Characterize yourself and other aircraft by the area containing the reference position,
6. The navigation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein priority is given to communication with another machine having a reference position in an area different from an area including the reference position of the own machine among a plurality of other machines. The priority processing means includes
Characterize yourself and other aircraft by areas that show normal range of activity,
6. The navigation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein priority is given to communication with another machine having an area of action different from the area indicating the area of action of the own machine among a plurality of other machines. The navigation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
With the latest map database server,
The map updating system communicates with the server and updates an unupdated portion of the map data.

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