JP2011247644A - Navigation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To execute image display or voice guidance in an appropriate timing so that a user can accurately grasp a guidance point and a guidance direction and drive without deviating from a route by mistake.SOLUTION: When the route has two district guidance signs (installation locations displayed as 5a and 6a) installed in a section from a current location shown by a vehicle mark 10a to a first guidance point 2a, which is a left-turning point, the present invention executes a picture display or voice guidance indicating "turn left at the second district guidance sign." The user will turn left at an intersection when actually finding the second district guidance sign installed in front of the intersection. Thus, it is possible for the user to drive without deviating from the route.

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation device that provides screen display and voice guidance for route guidance at a guidance point.

  For example, when the navigation device is guided to make a right turn at the next intersection (the intersection becomes the guidance point), when approaching the intersection, the navigation device travels along the schematic diagram or the enlarged view of the intersection (in this case, the right turn direction) ) Is displayed on the screen. At the same time, the user is informed that the intersection is approaching at the timing of voice guidance prompting a right turn.

  However, it is not always easy for the user to accurately grasp the guidance point and the guidance direction at an appropriate timing due to the visibility of the screen display of the navigation device, the complicated shape of the actual intersection, the accuracy of the voice guidance timing, etc. There was no. Actually, there are intersections where direction guidance signs are installed, and in addition to the screen display of the navigation device, it is also possible to compare and visually check such direction guidance signs so that the guidance point and direction can be accurately identified at the appropriate time. It may be helpful in grasping. Therefore, mainly by voice guidance so that the direction sign information including the position data of the actual direction guidance sign is stored and the user can accurately grasp the guidance point and the guidance direction by visual recognition of only the actual direction guidance sign. A navigation device to assist is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 11-337359 A

  According to the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, it may be difficult for the user to accurately grasp the guidance point and the guidance direction by visually recognizing only the actual direction guide sign. For example, if there is another intersection that should go straight ahead in close proximity to the guidance point where the direction guidance sign is installed, and another direction guidance sign is installed at the other intersection, There is a problem that the necessity of comparative visual recognition with the screen display of the navigation device increases. This is because, after the voice guidance notifies the user that a direction guidance sign associated with the guidance point will appear, another direction guidance sign associated with the other intersection will appear. . Depending on the timing of voice guidance and position detection accuracy, the user may misrecognize the other intersection as a guidance point.

  A navigation device according to the present invention includes position detection means for detecting the current position of a vehicle, storage means for storing information on a direction guide sign installed on the road in the road map data, and guidance based on the road map data. Setting means for installing points, counting means for counting the number of direction guide signs installed in the section from the current position of the vehicle to the nearest guidance point based on road map data, and guidance along with the count value by the counting means And a notifying means for notifying the user of the direction to proceed at the point by screen display or voice guidance.

  According to the present invention, the user can accurately grasp the guidance point and the guidance direction at an appropriate timing, and can move without deviating from the route by mistake.

Figure explaining direction guide sign The figure which showed the example which the vehicle 10 carrying the navigation apparatus in this Embodiment drive | works the intersections 1-4 in which the direction guidance signs 5-9 were installed. The block diagram showing the hardware constitutions of the navigation apparatus 100 in this Embodiment The flowchart explaining the process sequence for the route guidance assistance using the direction guidance sign at the time of the route guidance in the navigation apparatus 100 Screen display example of navigation device 100 in the present embodiment when vehicle 10 approaches the guidance point

  With reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, an embodiment in which the navigation apparatus according to the present invention is mounted on a vehicle will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a direction guide sign. Although there are several types of direction guidance signs, in the description of the present embodiment, two kinds of direction guidance signs will be described as direction guidance signs.

  FIG. 1A is an example of a direction guide sign installed in Japan just before an intersection where two roads intersect. Place names and IC (interchange) names located in each direction are written. Moreover, the route name of the road which goes to each of those directions is described. In the example of FIG. 1, all are represented by symbols representing national or prefectural roads and route numbers.

  FIG. 1B is a warning sign for direction guidance. It is configured with substantially the same notation as in FIG. 1 (a), except that the notation "300m" is added at the bottom, meaning the installation location of the notice sign. In this case, an intersection shown in the notice sign exists 300 m away from the place where the notice sign is installed.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the vehicle 10 equipped with the navigation device according to the present embodiment travels at the intersections 1 to 4 where the direction guide signs 5 to 9 are installed. The current location of the vehicle 10 and the intersections 1 to 4 are both located on the route searched in advance by the navigation device that is currently guiding the route of the vehicle 10. A direction guide sign 5 is installed near the intersection 1 where the vehicle 10 is going straight ahead. Thereafter, a direction guide sign 6 is installed near the intersection 2 where the vehicle 10 is scheduled to turn left. Thereafter, a direction guide sign 7 is installed in the vicinity of the intersection 3 where the vehicle 10 is going straight ahead. Finally, in the vicinity of the intersection 4 where the vehicle 10 is scheduled to make a right turn, a direction guidance sign 9 is installed, and a direction guidance sign 8 that is a notice guidance sign is installed in front of the sign (for example, 200 m before). Yes.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of navigation device 100 according to the present embodiment. The CPU 110 is an arithmetic processing device that controls the entire navigation device 100, and the CPU 110 and its peripheral devices are connected to each other via a bus. The peripheral devices include a main storage device 115, an auxiliary storage device 140, and a display module 150. The main storage device 115 has a work memory that is a work area of the CPU 110 and a program memory in which a control program is stored.

  In the CPU 110, signals from the current location detection device 120 and the user input device 130 are input. The current location detection device 120 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor, a gyro sensor, and a vehicle speed sensor. The user input device 130 is, for example, a touch panel, a push button switch around the panel, a joystick, or a remote controller.

  The auxiliary storage device 140 is a storage device that stores road map data and POI (Point of Interest and various facilities) information used for navigation processing. The auxiliary storage device 140 may be, for example, a hard disk drive, a CD, a DVD, a flash memory, other recording media storing road map data, and a reading device thereof.

  The road map data is information relating to the map, and includes map display data, route search data, and guidance data. The map display data is data for displaying the road and the background of the road map. The route search data is data including branch information that is not directly related to the road shape, and is mainly used when a recommended route is calculated (route search). The guidance data is data including intersection name, road name, direction name, and direction guide facility information, and is used when the user is guided based on the calculated recommended route.

  In road map data, a single road is represented as link string data by defining intersections as nodes and defining links between nodes. Therefore, the link string data is composed of node data and link data. In the road map data, node data and link data are classified and stored in mesh area units together with mesh codes. The mesh area refers to each divided area when the road map is divided into predetermined ranges. A number for identifying the mesh area is stored in the mesh code storage area. In the link string data storage area, node position coordinates, link numbers representing links between nodes, and position coordinates of interpolation points that further divide the links are stored. These position coordinates are used as shape data for map display and locator processing.

When the road map data includes one or a plurality of direction guide signs related to the intersection represented by the node data, the road map data also includes direction guide sign information regarding these direction guide signs. The direction guide sign information includes actual direction guide sign position data (for example, latitude / longitude data, link number, mesh code), and direction data for indicating in which direction the vehicle is traveling. It is.

  The display module 150 displays image data including characters and graphics output from the CPU 110 on the screen. The audio module 160 converts the sound signal output from the CPU 110 into sound and outputs the sound.

  Next, the route guidance support using the direction guidance sign performed at the time of route guidance by the navigation device 100 in the present embodiment will be specifically described.

  In FIG. 2, the first guidance point for the vehicle 10 at the current location is the intersection 2. In the section from the current location to the intersection 2, there are a total of two direction guidance signs 5 and 6 in which different direction guidance information is written. Therefore, when the vehicle 10 moves to an area where guidance related to the guidance point corresponding to the intersection 2 is provided, the navigation device according to the present embodiment, when the vehicle 10 has not yet passed the intersection 1, A screen saying “Turn left for the second signpost” is displayed (described later in the description of FIG. 5). In addition, at an appropriate timing which will be described later in the description of FIG. Therefore, the user who has boarded the vehicle 10 can accurately grasp the guidance point (intersection 2 in this example) and the guidance direction (left turn in this example) by visually recognizing only the actual direction guide sign.

  When the vehicle 10 turns left at the intersection 2, the next guidance point is the intersection 4. In the section from intersection 2 to intersection 4, there are a total of three direction guidance signs 7 and 9 in which different direction guidance information is written and a direction guidance sign 8 which is a warning sign of the direction guidance sign 9. When the vehicle 10 moves to an area where guidance related to the guidance point corresponding to the intersection 4 is provided, the navigation device in the present embodiment does not move the intersection 3 at that point in the same way as the processing described in the previous paragraph. If it has not passed, the screen “Turn right at the 3rd direction guide sign” is displayed. If the vehicle has already passed through the intersection 3 and has not yet reached the installation location of the direction guidance sign 8, a screen “turn right at the second direction guidance sign” is displayed. In addition, it is also notified by voice guidance at an appropriate timing. Therefore, the user who has boarded the vehicle 10 can accurately grasp the guidance point (intersection 4 in this example) and the guidance direction (right turn in this example) by visually recognizing only the actual direction guide sign.

  With reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4, a processing procedure for route guidance support using a direction guidance sign at the time of route guidance in the navigation device 100 will be described. The following steps are executed as program processing of the CPU 110 in the navigation device 100. In step S401, the CPU 110 determines whether or not a guidance point based on road map data has been set. If the vehicle arrives from the current location to the destination only in a straight line, a negative determination is made and the processing procedure ends. If there is a guidance point that requires a right or left turn between the current location and the destination, an affirmative determination is made, and 0 is substituted for variable N in step S402.

  In step S403, 1 is added to the variable N. In step S404, a distance L from the current location to the Nth guidance point is calculated. The Nth guidance point is the guidance point closest to the current location. In step S405, it is determined whether the distance L is equal to or less than a predetermined value T. The predetermined value T may be set as a fixed value in the navigation device 100, or may be set as a variable value according to a user input. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step S404. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S406. In step S406, the CPU 110 analyzes the road map data and counts the number C of direction guidance signs up to the Nth guidance point. In step S407, it is determined whether or not the direction guidance sign number C is zero. In the case of an affirmative determination, since route guidance support using the direction guidance sign at the Nth guidance point is impossible, the process proceeds to step S417, and the CPU 110 waits for the vehicle 10 to pass the Nth guidance point. Thus, since route guidance support using the direction guidance sign may not be possible, this processing procedure is preferably executed as support for route guidance inherent in the navigation device.

  If a negative determination is made in step S407, the process proceeds to step S408. In step S408, it is determined whether there is a direction guidance sign for the Nth guidance point. In the case of negative determination, since route guidance support using the direction guidance sign at the Nth guidance point is impossible, the process proceeds to step S417, and the CPU 110 waits for the vehicle 10 to pass the Nth guidance point.

  If the determination is affirmative in step S408, the process proceeds to step S409. In step S409, in order to output the value of the direction guidance sign number C in the guidance screen display related to the Nth guidance point, which will be described later in the description of FIG. 5, the number of direction guidance signs when the user visually recognizes the screen display. The value of C can be known. It is determined whether or not the time when moving to step S410 corresponds to the voice guidance notification timing regarding the Nth guidance point. In the case of an affirmative determination, voice guidance notification including the value of the number of direction guidance signs C is executed in step S411, and in the case of a negative determination, immediately in step S412, the latest direction guidance sign is passed. Determine whether or not. If a negative determination is made, the process returns to step S410. If an affirmative determination is made, the process proceeds to step S413, and the number of direction guide signs C is decremented by 1. In step S414, the guidance screen display regarding the Nth guidance point is displayed and after subtraction. Is updated to the value of the number of direction guidance signs C and output.

  In step S415, it is determined whether or not the number C of direction guidance signs subtracted in step S413 is zero. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step S410. If the determination is affirmative, the guidance process related to the Nth guidance point is completed, and thus the guidance screen that has been displayed so far is not displayed in step S416. Then, since it is assumed that the vehicle 10 will pass the Nth guidance point soon, in step S417, negative determination is repeated about whether it passed the Nth guidance point, and it waits for a short time. When the vehicle 10 passes through the Nth guidance point, the determination in step S417 is affirmative, and in step S418, it is determined whether there are any guidance points that remain before the destination arrives. If the determination is affirmative, the process returns to step S403, and the above-described processing procedure is repeated again toward the next guidance point. If the determination is negative, this processing procedure ends.

  FIG. 5 is a screen display example of the navigation device 100 in the present embodiment when the vehicle 10 approaches the guidance point. This is a display example when the guidance screen display output in step S408 in FIG. 4 is associated with the Nth guidance point, but the Nth guidance point is the intersection 2 in FIG. In the right half of the display screen, an enlarged view of the vicinity of the intersection 2 as the Nth guidance point is displayed, and in the left half, a map in which the route on which the vehicle 10 is guided is highlighted. The vehicle 10 in FIG. 2 is shown as vehicle marks 10a and 10b in FIG. 5, the intersections 1 to 3 are the intersection notations 1a to 3a and 1b to 3b, and the direction guide signs 5 to 7 are the direction guide mark marks 5a to 5a. 7a. Further, the intersection notation 4b in FIG. 5 corresponds to the intersection 4 in FIG. 5 is achieved when the display module 150 displays image data including characters and graphics output from the CPU 110 of the navigation device 100 on a display panel (not shown).

  The intersection 1 is located in front of the intersection 2 which is the first guidance point for the vehicle 10. A direction guidance sign 6 is installed corresponding to the intersection 2, and a direction guidance sign 5 is installed corresponding to the intersection 1. Accordingly, since there are two direction guidance signs in the section from the current position of the vehicle 10 to the first guidance point where a left turn is scheduled, the top of the right half of the display screen shown in FIG. A notification message “Turn left for the second guide sign” is displayed. Although the intersection 1 is in a position very close to the intersection 2, when the vehicle 10 passes through the intersection 1, an affirmative determination in step S411 shown in FIG. 4 and each subsequent processing step are immediately executed, and steps S413 and S410 are performed. Since the screen display and the voice guidance are executed at an appropriate timing, for example, an erroneous operation in which the user accidentally turns the vehicle 10 to the left at the intersection 1 is reduced.

  The navigation device 100 according to the embodiment described above is configured to perform route guidance support using the number of direction guidance signs located in a section from the current location of the vehicle 10 to the next guidance point. Accordingly, the user can accurately grasp the guidance point and the guidance direction at an appropriate timing and can move without deviating from the route by mistake.

---- Modified example ---
The navigation device 100 of the embodiment described above can be modified as follows.
(1) In FIG. 4 described above, route guidance support using the number of direction guidance signs is not executed until the distance L from the current location to the Nth guidance point is equal to or less than a predetermined value T in step S405. However, the route guidance support using the number of direction guidance signs may not be executed until the number of direction guidance signs located in the section from the current location to the Nth guidance point becomes equal to or less than a predetermined number. Alternatively, any condition determination may be abolished, and route guidance support using the number of direction guidance signs may be always executed.

(2) In FIG. 4 described above, route guidance support using the number of direction guidance signs is not executed until the distance L from the current location to the Nth guidance point is equal to or less than the predetermined value T in step S405. However, the route guidance support using the number of direction guidance signs may not be executed until the remaining time until the estimated time of passing the Nth guidance point is equal to or less than a predetermined time.

(3) In FIG. 4 described above, when it is the predetermined voice guidance notification timing in step S410, it has been described that voice guidance notification is executed including the value of C in step S411. When C on the guidance screen display is updated, the voice guidance notification may be executed without fail including the value of C.

(4) In FIG. 5 described above, it has been described that the notification message “Turn left for the second direction guide sign” is displayed. However, the description content (the sign drawing) for the second piece of the method guide sign is also displayed. Also good.

(5) In FIGS. 1 to 5 described above, the embodiment of the present invention has been described with reference to route guidance support using the number of direction guide signs as shown in FIG. 1, but signs other than the direction guide signs are used. The route guidance support used may be used. For example, when various toll roads including an expressway are used, route guidance support using an entrance guide sign indicating the direction of entrance interchange may be used. In that case, it is preferable that the road map data includes the entrance guide sign information, and that the calculation considering the entrance guide sign information is executed during the route search.

(6) In FIGS. 1 to 5 described above, the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described as being mounted on the vehicle 10 and used. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, for example, PND (Personal) Various information terminal devices having a navigation function such as a navigation device (PDA), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a portable personal computer, and a portable game machine may be used.

  The above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined.

1, 2, 3, 4 intersections 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4b intersection notation 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 direction guidance signs 5a, 6a, 7a direction guidance sign marks 10 vehicles 10a, 10b vehicles Mark 100 Navigation device 115 Main storage device 120 Current location detection device 130 User input device 140 Auxiliary storage device 150 Display module 160 Audio module

Claims (4)

Position detecting means for detecting the current position of the vehicle;
Storage means for storing information relating to guide signs installed on the road in road map data;
Setting means for setting a guidance point based on the road map data;
Counting means for counting the number of the guide signs installed in the section from the current position of the vehicle to the nearest guide point based on the road map data;
A navigation device comprising: notification means for executing notification processing for notifying a user of a direction to proceed at the guidance point together with a count value obtained by the counting means by screen display or voice guidance. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein
The said notification means performs the said notification process, when the distance from the present position of the said vehicle to the nearest said guidance point or the estimated required time is in the range of predetermined distance or predetermined time, The navigation apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned . The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein
The said notification means performs the said notification process, when the count value by the said count means is in the range of predetermined value, The navigation apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The navigation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit executes the notification process when a count value of the counting unit changes.

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