JP2011220746A - Navigation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate the recognition of the routing after passing the junctions in a navigation apparatus that provides route guidance by three-dimensionally displaying buildings around junctions.SOLUTION: A display unit 10 displays a road map of an area surrounding a junction positioned on a guided route and an enlarged junction map in which buildings around the junction are enlarged. In the enlarged junction map, the buildings around the junction are displayed as inclined three-dimensional building patterns 21, 22, 23 and 24 which are inclined in the direction three-dimensionally separating from the junction. If the inclined three-dimensional building pattern 21 hides the guided route (a route 50) curved beyond the crossing as in Fig. 3(a), the inclined three-dimensional building pattern 21 is modified and displayed so as not to hide the guided route (an inclined three-dimensional building pattern 21a in Fig. 3(b)). This facilitates the recognition of the guided route since, even if the guided route is curved beyond the crossing, the guided route is not hidden by the inclined three-dimensional building pattern 21a.

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation device, and more particularly, to a navigation device that displays a map around a branching point for guidance in a three-dimensional manner.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various navigation devices are known that display an enlarged map around an intersection when the current position is near the intersection where route guidance is performed. As this type of apparatus, as shown in FIG. 5, there is an apparatus that displays an intersection and its surrounding buildings two-dimensionally. Also, as shown in FIG. 6, there are many devices that display a three-dimensional enlarged view of the intersection as viewed from a predetermined position before the intersection.

  Moreover, the intersection map of patent document 1 is also known. The intersection map of Patent Document 1 is a map in which the intersection is viewed from above, and a shape in which buildings existing around the intersection are developed on the side away from the intersection. In addition, this patent document 1 makes it a subject "to improve the convenience as a guide means to a target moving location".

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-123946

  All of the conventional enlarged intersections had problems. In the two-dimensional enlarged view of the intersection, as shown in FIG. 5, the three-dimensional shape of the building near the intersection is not known at all. For this reason, it is impossible to quickly determine which of the actual buildings is the building shown in the enlarged intersection view.

  Also, in the case of a three-dimensional enlarged view with a predetermined position in front of the intersection as a viewpoint, as shown in FIG. 6, when the guidance route bends at the intersection, the guidance route immediately after the intersection is turned into the building. There is a problem of being hidden. Note that if the guide route is hidden by a three-dimensionally displayed building, it may be possible to express the building transparently, but even in this case, it is compared with the case where the building does not completely obstruct the guide route. In this case, the visibility of the guide route is lowered.

  On the other hand, as shown in Patent Document 1, if the viewpoint is located above the intersection and the building existing around the intersection is shown in a shape developed on the side away from the intersection, the guidance immediately after the intersection The route is no longer hidden in the building. In addition, since the buildings are displayed three-dimensionally, it is possible to quickly determine which of the displayed buildings corresponds to the actual building.

  Here, although the intersection map of Patent Document 1 is drawn on paper, it is described as “as a guide means to a target moving place”, and therefore, it may be applied to a navigation device. However, even if the intersection map of Patent Document 1 is applied to a navigation device, if the guidance route is bent at a relatively short distance beyond the enlarged intersection, the guidance route is hidden by the three-dimensionally displayed building. There's a problem. An example is the case shown in FIG.

  This problem occurs not only at the intersection but also at a branch point where one road branches into a plurality of roads. In addition, it can be said that an intersection is a point where a road that can travel is branched into a plurality, and in a broad sense, an intersection is also a branch point. In this specification, the branch point includes an intersection.

  The present invention has been made based on this circumstance, and the object of the present invention is to pass through a branch point in a navigation device that displays a building around the branch point in three dimensions and provides route guidance. The purpose is to make the later route easier to recognize.

  In order to achieve the object, the invention according to claim 1 is a navigation device that displays a road map on a display unit, and shows a guide route on the displayed road map to provide route guidance. A branch point enlarged display processing means for enlarging and displaying the road map around the branch point located in the area and the surrounding buildings on the display, and the branch point enlarged display processing means has a plane shape of the road at the branch point. In addition to displaying, the building around the branch point is displayed as an inclined three-dimensional building graphic that is three-dimensionally inclined away from the branch point, and the inclined three-dimensional building graphic is hidden from the guide route. It is characterized by not displaying.

  In this way, even if the guide route is curved at the tip of the branch point, the guide route ahead of the branch point is not hidden by the inclined three-dimensional building figure. Becomes easier to recognize.

  Here, depending on the road shape, an inclined three-dimensional building figure can be displayed so as not to hide any road. If the inclined three-dimensional building figure can be displayed so as not to hide any road, the same inclined three-dimensional building figure can be used no matter which road the guide route passes.

  However, since roads exist in various directions around the building, it is often difficult to create an inclined three-dimensional building figure without hiding all the roads. Therefore, as in claim 2, the branching point enlarged display processing means, when the inclined three-dimensional building figure determined regardless of the guide route hides the guide route, It is preferable to perform correction so as not to hide the guide route.

  In this way, if the inclined three-dimensional building figure is corrected according to the guidance route, it is not necessary to create the inclined three-dimensional building figure without hiding all the roads, so that the guidance route is not hidden. Thus, it becomes easy to display the inclined three-dimensional building figure.

  In addition, the sloped 3D building figure before correction is usually drawn to give an impression similar to that of the actual building. It is preferable that the impression is as similar as possible.

  Therefore, as in claim 3, the branch point enlargement display processing means changes the position of the tip surface while maintaining the shape of the tip surface of the tilted three-dimensional building graphic, so It is preferable that the guide route is not hidden. In this way, since the shape of the front end surface is maintained, the degree to which the impression of the inclined three-dimensional building figure after correction deviates from the impression of the three-dimensional building figure before correction can be reduced.

  In addition to maintaining the shape of the front end surface of the inclined three-dimensional building figure, the branching point enlarged display processing means maintains the size of the front end surface as in claim 4, while maintaining the size of the front end surface. It is preferable to change the position. If not only the shape of the front end face but also the size thereof is maintained, the degree to which the impression of the inclined three-dimensional building figure after correction deviates from the impression of the three-dimensional building figure before correction can be reduced.

  Further, as described in claim 5, the branch point enlarged display processing means is a part of a plurality of buildings existing around the branch point that is set as a building that is useful as a guide for route guidance It is good also as displaying the said inclination 3D building figure limited to.

  In this way, since the inclined three-dimensional building figure is displayed only for buildings that are useful as landmarks for route guidance, the user can select the actual three-dimensional building figure displayed on the display unit. Searching for a building Decreases the question of which inclined 3D building figure to use.

  When an inclined 3D building graphic is displayed only for some buildings, for example, a building higher than the surrounding buildings is set as a building that displays the inclined 3D building graphic as in claim 6. Can do. In addition, as in claim 7, a building whose appearance is widely known may be set as a building that displays an inclined three-dimensional building figure.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a navigation device to which the present invention is applied. It is an example of a branch point enlarged view. It is an example which shows the branching point enlarged view before and behind correction when a guidance route is hidden by the inclination three-dimensional building figure. It is another example which shows the branching point enlarged view before and behind correction when a guidance route is hidden by the inclination three-dimensional building figure. It is an example of a two-dimensional intersection enlarged view. It is an example of the three-dimensional enlarged view which made the predetermined point before the intersection a viewpoint. It is a figure which shows the example where a guidance route is hidden by the building displayed in three dimensions.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a navigation apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

  As shown in the figure, the car navigation device of the present embodiment is connected to a position detector 1, a map data input device 6, an operation switch group 7, an external memory 9, a display device 10, an external information input / output device 11 and these. The control circuit 8 is provided.

  The control circuit 8 is configured as a normal computer, and includes a well-known CPU, ROM, RAM, I / O, and a bus line for connecting these configurations. In the ROM, a program to be executed by the control circuit 8 is written, and a CPU or the like executes predetermined arithmetic processing according to this program.

  The position detector 1 includes a known geomagnetic sensor 2, a gyroscope 3, a distance sensor 4, and a GPS receiver 5 for GPS (Global Positioning System) that measures the position of a vehicle based on radio waves from a satellite. Have. Since these have errors of different properties, the current position is sequentially detected while complementing the signals from each. That is, the current position of the vehicle is determined by hybrid navigation that combines radio wave navigation using GPS and self-contained navigation using the geomagnetic sensor, the gyroscope 3 and the distance sensor 4. Depending on the accuracy of each sensor, the position detector 1 may be configured as a part of the above-described ones, and a steering rotation sensor (not shown), a vehicle speed sensor for each rolling wheel, or the like may be used.

  The map data input device 6 is a device for inputting map data including road data indicating a planar shape of a road, building data, background data, and character data. As a storage medium for storing the map data, for example, a hard disk, a flash memory, an optical disk (DVD-ROM or the like) can be used.

  Of the above map data, the building data includes the building position, the figure that shows the bottom shape of the building called a house plan, and the data that shows the height of the building for some buildings around the junction. ing.

  The map data can also be acquired from an external server by communication and stored in an external memory 9 described later. In this case, using the map data stored in the external memory 9, various navigation functions such as displaying a map around the vehicle, changing the scale of the displayed map, and route guidance can be performed. These functions are executed mainly by performing various arithmetic processes by the control circuit 8.

  The operation switch group 7 is constituted by, for example, a touch switch or a mechanical switch integrated with a display 10 described later, and is used for various inputs. For example, it is possible to input the position of the destination using the operation switch group 7. In this case, the navigation device automatically selects the optimum route from the current point to the destination and guides the route. A so-called route guidance function is provided.

  The external memory 9 includes a storage medium such as a memory card or a hard disk. The external memory 9 stores various data such as text data, image data, audio data, and travel locus data stored by the user. Further, as described above, when the vehicle navigation apparatus acquires map data from an external server, the map data is stored.

  The display device 10 is constituted by, for example, a liquid crystal display, and is input from the map data input device 6 and a vehicle mark that displays the traveling direction corresponding to the current position of the vehicle on the screen of the display device 10. A road map around the vehicle generated by the map data can be displayed. Furthermore, when a destination is set, a guidance route from the current point to the destination can be displayed on the road map in an overlapping manner. In addition, a branch point enlarged view, which will be described later, is displayed as a road map at a branch point (guide branch point) where route guidance is performed.

  The external information input / output device 11 receives information such as road traffic information distributed from the VICS center via beacons laid on the road and FM broadcast stations in various places, or from the vehicle side to the outside as necessary. It is a device that transmits information. The received information is processed by the control circuit 8. For example, traffic jam information, regulation information, and the like are displayed on the road map displayed on the display 10.

  Next, the control circuit 8 will be described. The control circuit 8 performs various processes such as a destination setting process, a route search process, and a route guidance process by executing a program written in the ROM while the CPU uses the temporary storage function of the RAM. One of these various processes is a map display process.

  The map display process is a process of displaying a road map on the display unit 10 based on the map data acquired from the map data input unit 6. More specifically, during the route guidance, the map display process acquires map data around the vehicle position, displays a road map around the vehicle position, and displays the guidance route on the displayed road map. . As a display mode of the guide route, in this embodiment, a line indicating the guide route is superimposed on the road. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the road corresponding to the guidance route itself may be displayed in a color that can be distinguished from other roads.

  Further, the map display process includes a branch point enlarged display process. Therefore, the control circuit 8 corresponds to the branch point enlarged display processing means in the claims. Next, this branch point enlarged display process will be described.

  In the branch point enlarged display process, when a predetermined enlarged display condition is satisfied, a branch point enlarged view in which the vicinity of the branch point is enlarged is displayed. For example, the enlarged display condition is that the vehicle turns right or left at the branch point. Moreover, it is good also as conditions on performing voice guidance at the branch point.

  The branching point enlarged view is a diagram showing an enlarged road map around the branching point and surrounding buildings, and the road shape is displayed as a plan view looking down on the branching point from directly above. On the other hand, the surrounding buildings are displayed in an inclined three-dimensional building figure that is inclined three-dimensionally and away from the branch point.

  The enlargement factor (scale) in the enlarged enlarged view of the branch point may be an enlargement factor with which the three-dimensional shape of the building can be visually recognized when the building figure is displayed in three dimensions. When such an enlargement factor is specified at locations other than the vicinity of the branch point in the map enlargement factor designation operation from the user, a map display with the same enlargement factor as that at the branch point enlarged view may be performed at other locations than the vicinity of the branch point.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of a branch point enlarged view. The example of FIG. 2 is an example of turning right at the intersection of five intersections. In FIG. 2, 21, 22, 23, and 24 are inclined three-dimensional building figures, and 30 is a guide route line indicating a guide route.

  Next, the drawing method of a branch point enlarged view is demonstrated. First, map data around the branch point is acquired from the map data input device 6. As described above, this map data includes road data and building data. Further, the building data includes a house plan and data indicating the height of the building.

  Next, the road shape is displayed based on the road data included in the acquired map data. A guide route line 30 is also displayed. Next, let the house plan be translated by a distance determined based on the height of the building to be the front end surface of the building. At this time, the direction of translation is a direction parallel to the line segment L illustrated in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the line segment L is a line segment that starts from the corner on the branch point side of the section where the building is located and goes in a direction away from the branch point. If a three-dimensional building figure is created by translating the house plan in a direction parallel to the line segment, the three-dimensional building figure is inclined in a direction away from the branch point.

  Then, the corresponding points on the tip surface and the household diagram are connected. The polygon generated in this way is a three-dimensional building figure. The line segment L in FIG. 2 divides the section into two equal parts, and the inclined three-dimensional building figure 24 includes a front end surface 242 obtained by translating the house plan 241 along the line segment L, and the household figure 241. Is tied. Other inclined three-dimensional building figures 21, 22, and 23 are also created by translating the house plan parallel to the line segment that bisects the section.

  A large number of buildings usually exist around the branch point, and it is set in advance for which building the inclined three-dimensional building figure is created. For example, an inclined three-dimensional building figure may be created for all buildings existing in a predetermined range around a branch point. However, in this embodiment, a useful one as a mark for route guidance is used. Part of the building is set as a building for creating a three-dimensional building figure.

  A building that is useful as a marker for route guidance is, for example, a building that is higher than a building that exists in the vicinity (such as the tallest building in the range in which an enlarged view is displayed). A building whose appearance is widely known is also a useful building as a guide for route guidance. A building whose appearance is widely known includes, for example, a building that is unique only in its place and has a unique appearance, so that its appearance is widely known. In addition, there are many buildings that are widely known for their appearance due to the presence of many similar buildings such as convenience stores and gas stations. Also in FIG. 2, a plurality of inclined three-dimensional building figures may be displayed as if four inclined three-dimensional building figures 21, 22, 23, 24 are displayed. Further, only one inclined three-dimensional figure may be displayed.

  By the way, in FIG. 2, the road (that is, the guide route) 40 on which the guide route line 30 is shown does not overlap any inclined three-dimensional building figure. However, as shown in FIG. 3A in which an inclined three-dimensional building figure is created in the same manner as in FIG. 2, if the road 50 is a guide route, the route is hidden by the inclined three-dimensional building figure 21. Become.

  Therefore, when the guide route is hidden by the inclined three-dimensional building graphic 21, the inclined three-dimensional building graphic is corrected and displayed so as not to hide the guide route. In FIG. 3A, there is a portion where the entire width of the guide route (the road 50) is hidden by the inclined three-dimensional building graphic 21. Only in such a case, the inclined three-dimensional building figure may be corrected, and if the inclined three-dimensional building figure partially hides the width direction of the route, the inclined three-dimensional building figure is changed. You may make it correct and display.

  As a method for correcting an inclined three-dimensional building graphic, in this embodiment, the position of the tip surface is changed while maintaining the shape and size of the tip surface of the inclined three-dimensional building graphic. FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of a branching point including the inclined three-dimensional building figure 21a corrected as described above. In a specific method for creating the corrected inclined three-dimensional building figure 21a, first, the position of the front end surface 212 is moved to a position that does not overlap the road 50 while maintaining the shape and size. In FIG. 3B, the moving direction is a perpendicular direction (directly downward in the figure) of the road 50 at a portion overlapping the tip surface 212. However, the moving direction is not limited to this direction, and the moving direction can be set as appropriate, such as a direction orthogonal to a line segment connecting the house plan and the tip surface before correction. After the position of the tip surface is moved, the corresponding points on the tip surface and the household diagram are connected in the same manner as before the correction.

  3C, unlike the example of FIG. 3B, the size of the tip surface is reduced (the shape is maintained), and the inclined three-dimensional building figure 21b is changed when the position of the tip surface is changed. It is an example. In this way, the inclined three-dimensional building figure may be corrected by reducing the size of the tip surface. However, as can be seen from the comparison between FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C, it is more similar to the figure before correction when the size of the front end surface is maintained. Therefore, it is preferable to maintain the size of the tip surface.

  Next, FIG. 4 shows another example in which the guidance route ahead of the branch point is hidden by the inclined three-dimensional building figure. In the example of FIG. 4, the guidance route turns right at the intersection 60 and turns left at the intersection 70 immediately after the intersection 60. A building between the intersection 60 and the intersection 70 is set as a mark for the intersection 60, and the building is displayed as an inclined three-dimensional building figure 80.

  In the example of FIG. 4A, a house plan 801 of an inclined three-dimensional building graphic 80 is displayed in a direction parallel to a line segment L that bisects a section where the inclined three-dimensional building graphic 80 exists at an intersection 60. A tip surface 802 is obtained by translating a distance determined based on the direction data included in the building data. As shown in the figure, the inclined three-dimensional building figure 80 hides the road 90 serving as a guide route.

  Therefore, correction for moving the tip surface 802 to a position where the road 90 is not hidden is performed on the inclined three-dimensional building graphic 80. FIG. 4B is an enlarged enlarged view of a branch point including the corrected inclined three-dimensional building figure 80a. 4B is created by moving the position of the front end surface 802 of the inclined three-dimensional building graphic 80 in FIG. 4A in the direction perpendicular to the road 90.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment described above, the road shape of the branch point is displayed on a plane, and the enlarged enlarged view of the branch point that displays the building around the branch point as an inclined three-dimensional building figure is displayed. The inclined three-dimensional building figure is displayed so as not to hide the guide route. Therefore, even if the guide route is curved at the tip of the branch point, the guide route ahead of the branch point is not hidden by the inclined three-dimensional building figure, so the guide route ahead of the branch point is easy to recognize. Become.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since the inclined three-dimensional building figure is corrected according to the guide route, it is not necessary to create the inclined three-dimensional building figure so as not to hide all the roads. Therefore, it becomes easy to display the inclined three-dimensional building figure without hiding the guide route.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, the inclined three-dimensional building figure is corrected by changing the position of the leading end face while maintaining the shape and size of the leading end face of the inclined three-dimensional building figure. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the degree to which the impression of the corrected three-dimensional building graphic deviates from the impression of the three-dimensional building graphic before correction.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, the inclined three-dimensional building figure is displayed limited to a part of the buildings that are useful as a guide for route guidance among a plurality of buildings existing around the branch point. Therefore, the user is less likely to be confused as to which of the inclined three-dimensional building figures displayed on the display 10 is the inclined three-dimensional building figure to search for an actual building.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

1: position detector, 2: geomagnetic sensor, 3: gyroscope, 4: distance sensor, 5: GPS receiver, 6: map data input device, 7: operation switch group, 8: control circuit (branch point enlarged display processing Means), 9: external memory, 10: display, 11 external information input / output device, 21: inclined three-dimensional building figure, 212: tip surface, 21a: (after correction) inclined three-dimensional building figure, 21b: (correction) Later) Inclined three-dimensional building graphic, 22: Inclined three-dimensional building graphic, 23: Inclined three-dimensional building graphic, 24: Inclined three-dimensional building graphic, 241: House figure, 242: Tip surface, 30: Guide route line, 40: road, 50: road, 60: intersection, 70: intersection, 80: inclined three-dimensional building figure, 80a: Amended) tilt three-dimensional building figure, 90: Road

Claims (7)

A navigation device that displays a road map on a display unit and that shows a guidance route on the displayed road map and performs route guidance,
A branch point enlarged display processing means for enlarging a road map around the branch point located on the guide route and a building around the road map and displaying it on the display unit,
The branching point enlargement display processing means displays the road shape of the branching point on a plane, and an inclined three-dimensional building figure in which the buildings around the branching point are inclined three-dimensionally in a direction away from the branching point. A navigation apparatus characterized by displaying and displaying the inclined three-dimensional building figure so as not to hide the guide route. In claim 1,
The branching point enlargement display processing means corrects the guide route so as not to be hidden with respect to the inclined three-dimensional building graphic when the inclined three-dimensional building graphic determined regardless of the guide route hides the guide route. A navigation device characterized by that. In claim 2,
The branching point enlarged display processing means changes the position of the tip surface while maintaining the shape of the tip surface of the inclined three-dimensional building graphic so that the guide route is not hidden by the inclined three-dimensional building graphic. A navigation device characterized by that. In claim 3,
The branch point enlargement display processing means changes the position of the front end surface while maintaining the size of the front end surface in addition to maintaining the shape of the front end surface of the inclined three-dimensional building figure. A navigation apparatus characterized in that the guide route is not hidden by a former building figure. In any one of Claims 1-4,
The branching point enlarged display processing means is limited to a part of buildings that are set as useful buildings as a guide for route guidance among a plurality of buildings existing around the branching point, and the inclined three-dimensional A navigation device characterized by displaying a building figure. In claim 5,
A navigation apparatus characterized in that a building higher than a surrounding building is set as a building for displaying the inclined three-dimensional building figure. In claim 5,
A navigation apparatus characterized in that a building whose appearance is widely known is set as a building that displays the inclined three-dimensional building figure.

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