JP2012112826A - Navigation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a navigation device which allows a user to easily set a route including en route stops on a forward route and/or backward route as desired.SOLUTION: A navigation device accepts a destination, en route stops, and en route stop(s) to be included in a forward route and/or backward route. The navigation device then determines and presents the of going through the en route stops and destination to a user, depending on the user's designation of the en route stops: only in the forward route from a start point to the destination, only in the backward route from the destination to the start point, or in both routes, to and fro the destination. In response to the user's approving operation, the device retrieves and sets a guiding routes, which are the forward and backward routes, from the start point to the destination, and vice versa, in accordance with the navigation order of the en route stops and destination.

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation device that provides a user with route guidance to a destination.

  In a navigation device installed in an automobile, as a technology for guiding the route to the destination for the user, the route from the user to the destination and the setting of the destination is accepted, and the route to the destination via the accepted waypoint A technique is known that guides traveling along a guidance route by searching for and setting it as a guidance route and displaying the set guidance route on a map (for example, Patent Document 1).

  As a guidance route setting technique in such a navigation device, a technique for searching for a round trip route returning to the departure place after reaching the destination and setting it as a guidance route (for example, Patent Document 2), a user A technique is also known in which each of a plurality of points designated by is used as a transit location and a guidance route to reach the destination or current location is set by patroling each transit location (for example, Patent Document 3).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-134789 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-239079 JP 2002-310714 A

According to the technology that accepts the setting of the waypoint and the destination from the user, searches for the route to the destination via the accepted waypoint, and sets it as a guidance route, there are the following problems.
In other words, if the user has a stopover on the outbound route, a stopover on the return route, or a stopover location on both the outbound and return routes in the middle of a round trip between the departure point and the destination, In order to set the route that stops at each stop in the desired route of the outbound route and the return route as a guide route, the order of each route and destination is uniquely determined using each stop as a route. It is necessary to perform a complicated task to specify.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a navigation device that allows a user to more easily set a route to stop at a desired route out of a forward route and a return route at each waypoint as a guidance route. To do.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a navigation apparatus that performs route guidance, a current position calculating unit that calculates a current position, and a starting point setting unit that sets the current position or a point designated by a user as a starting point. Point setting accepting means for accepting a destination setting, a setting of one or a plurality of stop points, a setting of the outbound stop designation of each stop, and a setting of a return stop specifying of each stop from the user, A round-trip route that starts from the departure point and arrives at the set destination and then returns to the departure point, and reaches each stop point for which the outbound stop designation is set, from the departure point to the destination Guidance route setting means for searching for a round trip route that passes through the return route from the destination to the departure point at each stop point where the return stop designation is set via the outbound route and setting it as a guidance route When, Based on the current position constant been guidance route, in which a guide means for guiding the traveling along the guidance route.

  According to such a navigation device, the user can set the outbound stop designation and the return stop designation according to whether he / she wants to stop at each stop by the outbound route or the return route, and can set the outbound route to each stop. A route that stops in a desired route out of the return route can be set as a guidance route.

  Here, such a navigation device is configured such that the point setting reception unit can receive simultaneous setting of the outbound stop designation and the return stop designation of each stop, and in the guide route setting unit, the outbound route Each stop point for which both stop-off designation and return trip stop-off designation are set passes both on the outbound route from the departure point to the destination and on the return route returning from the destination to the departure point. You may comprise so that the route of a round trip may be searched and set to the said guidance route.

By doing in this way, it is possible to eliminate the need for the user to repeatedly set the same stop for the stop where he / she wants to stop on both the outbound path and the return path.
Further, in the navigation device as described above, when the current position does not pass through the stop where the outbound stop designation is set during the outbound route until the current position reaches the destination, the navigation route The route from the destination to the departure point is a route from the destination that does not pass through the route and a route that reaches the departure point through each stop point for which the return stop designation is set. As described above, a guide route correcting means for correcting the guide route may be provided.

In this way, it is possible to automatically update the guide route so that the user stops on the return route to the stop location that has not stopped on the outward route although the user has set the outward stop designation.
Further, in the navigation device as described above, during the outbound route until the current position reaches the destination, the navigation device does not pass through a stop where neither the outbound stop designation nor the inbound stop designation is set. The route between the destination of the guidance route and the return to the departure point passes through the stop point that did not pass from the destination and each stop point where the return stop designation is set. Then, guide route correcting means for correcting the guide route may be provided so that the route reaches the departure place.

In this way, if the user does not stop on the outbound route where the user has not set the outbound stop designation or return route designation, the guide route is automatically set to stop at the stop location on the return route. Can be updated.
In the navigation device as described above, in the state where the guidance route is set, an additional setting for the outbound stoppage designation and the return route stop for both the outbound stop where the outbound stop designation and the inbound stop designation are not set. Receiving at least one of the specified additional settings, and when the additional setting of the outbound stop designation is received, the guide route is corrected so as to further pass through the stop where the additional setting is received during the outbound path, When an additional setting for specifying a return stop is received, a guide route editing unit may be provided for correcting the guide route so that it further passes through the stop at which the additional setting has been received.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a navigation device that allows a user to more easily set, as a guidance route, a route that stops at a desired route out of a forward route and a return route at each waypoint. be able to.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the navigation system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the map data and table with which the navigation system which concerns on embodiment of this invention is provided. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the navigation system which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and the example of a setting of a guidance route. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the navigation system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the round trip route setting process which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the navigation system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the inward return automatic correction process which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a navigation system according to the present embodiment.
As illustrated, the navigation system includes a navigation device 1, an operation unit 2, a display device 3, a vehicle state sensor 4, and a GPS receiver 5. Here, the vehicle state sensor 4 is various sensors that detect the vehicle state, such as an angular velocity sensor such as a gyro sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, and an acceleration sensor.

  The navigation device 1 provides the user with a GUI using the map data storage unit 11, which is a storage device such as an HDD that stores map data representing a map, the current state calculation unit 12, the operation unit 2, and the display device 3. A GUI control unit 13, a route search unit 14, a memory 15, a control unit 16, and a guide image generation unit 17 are included.

  However, the above navigation apparatus 1 may be a CPU circuit having a general configuration including peripheral devices such as a microprocessor, a memory, and other graphic processors and geometric processors in terms of hardware. In this case, each unit of the navigation device 1 described above may be realized as a process embodied by a microprocessor executing a program prepared in advance. In this case, such a program may be provided to the navigation apparatus 1 via a recording medium or an appropriate communication path.

Next, FIG. 2 a shows the contents of the map data stored in the map data storage unit 11.
As shown in the figure, the map data includes the management data describing the version of the map data, the route data indicating the route type and name such as the expressway / national road / prefectural road of each road, the basic map data indicating the map, Point data.
The basic map data includes a road unit representing a road network and a drawing unit representing a map image used for map display.
The road unit is data representing a road map, and has a node table and a link table. Here, in the road unit, the road is expressed as a set of links that are line segments, and the end point of each link is a node. The node table stores various types of information regarding nodes such as the coordinates of each node, and the link table stores various types of information regarding links such as identification of nodes at both ends of each link.

Next, the point data has a point record provided corresponding to each point, and each point record includes a point name indicating the name of the point, a point type indicating a point such as a gas station or a hotel, and a point. Address, phone number of point, and coordinates of point are registered.
In addition, as a point record, the point record provided corresponding to the point previously selected by the creator of map data and the point record provided corresponding to the point which the user selected and registered are included.
Now, in such a configuration, the current state calculation unit 12 of the navigation device 1 repeatedly performs the following processing.
That is, the current state calculation unit 12 determines the previous time indicated by the basic map data of the map data read from the map data storage unit 11 with respect to the current position estimated from the outputs of the vehicle state sensor 4 and the GPS receiver 5. By performing map matching processing with a map around the current position, the most probable coordinates as the current position and the most probable direction as the current traveling direction are determined as the current position and the current traveling direction, respectively, and the memory 15 Set to.

  In addition, the control unit 16 sets the destination and stoppage set by the user via the GUI control unit 13 in the memory 15, and reaches the destination from the current position via the stoppage in a predetermined order. By requesting the route search unit 14 to search for a one-way guide route, the route search unit 14 is searched for the route, or the destination or stopover set by the user via the GUI control unit 13 is stored in the memory 15. And a route search unit for setting a current position as a departure point in the memory 15 and searching for a guidance route for a round-trip route that goes back and forth between the departure point and the destination while passing through a stop in a predetermined order. When the request is made to 14, the route search unit 14 is caused to search the route search unit 14 for a guide route setting control operation. However, instead of setting the current position in the memory 15 as the departure point, a setting of a point to be the departure point is received from the user, and the departure point is set as the departure point in the memory 15. It may be.

Here, details of the guidance route setting control operation will be described later.
Then, the route search unit 14 is a route between two points that passes an arbitrary number of points in an arbitrary order based on the basic map data read from the map data storage unit 11, and costs a distance as a cost. Costs that search for the route with the lowest cost based on a given cost model, such as a model, or route between two points that pass through an arbitrary number of points in the specified route order, and cost the distance A route search function for searching for a route having the lowest cost based on a predetermined cost model such as a model is provided. Then, the route search unit 14 uses the route search function to search for a guide route requested to be searched by the control unit 16 according to control from the control unit 16, and store route data of the guide route in the memory 15. set.

The control unit 16 repeats the following guide image generation process.
That is, the control unit 16 determines the display direction so that the current traveling direction set in the memory 15 is upward, determines the map scale according to the user setting or initial setting made in advance, and sets the current position as a reference. A geographical range having a predetermined size determined according to the determined display orientation and the determined map scale around the current position is determined as the map display range.

  Then, the guide image generator 17 draws a map based on the map data in the determined map display range, and draws a current position mark at a position on the map corresponding to the current position set in the memory 15. Make it. Further, when the route data of the guidance route is set in the memory 15, the control unit 16 draws a guidance route graphic representing the guidance route in the determined map display range on the map in the guidance image generation unit 17. Let In addition, when the destination, stopover, or departure place set in the memory 15 is included in the map display range, the control unit 16 displays a destination mark, stopover mark, The departure point mark is also drawn on the map by the guide image generation unit 17.

On the other hand, the guide image generation unit 17 generates the guide image by performing the above drawing under the control of the control unit 16, and displays the guide image on the display device 3 via the GUI control unit 13.
FIG. 3a shows an example of the guidance image displayed in this way.
As shown in the figure, the guide image is obtained by displaying a current position mark 302 representing the current position on a map image 301 representing a map within the map display range. When the guide route is set, the guide image is a guide image in which a guide route graphic 303 representing the guide route within the map display range is displayed on the map image 301. In addition, when the destination, stopover, and departure place are included in the map display range, the guide image further includes a destination mark 304 that represents the destination, a stopover mark 305 that represents the stoppage, and a departure that represents the departure place. The ground mark 306 is displayed on the map image.

  Further, the control unit 16 displays a command button for accepting various user instructions via the GUI control unit 13 on such a guidance image, and responds to the operation of the user command button via the operation unit 2. Process. In this embodiment, a “menu” button 3041 for calling various menus and a “route setting” button 3042 are displayed as the command buttons.

Hereinafter, the guidance route setting control operation which is the operation for controlling the guidance route setting in the control unit 16 will be described.
If the “route setting” button 3042 of the guidance image shown in FIG. 3A is operated by the user, the control unit 16 displays the route setting menu shown in FIG. 4A on the display device 3 via the GUI control unit 13. .
As shown in the figure, the route setting menu includes a “route setting to destination” button 401, a “round-trip route setting with destination” button 402, and a “stop-by location editing” button 403.
When the control unit 16 receives an operation from the user via the GUI control unit 13 on the “route setting to destination” button 401 on the route setting menu, the control unit 16 sets a destination point and a stop on the appropriate menu. The designation of the point and the designation of the order of stopover are accepted. Then, the destination and the stop-off place that have received the designation are set in the memory 15, and the route search unit searches for a one-way guidance route from the current position to the destination via the order in which the stop-off is accepted. By requesting to 14, the route search unit 14 is made to search for the guidance route and to set the route data of the guidance route in the memory 15.

On the other hand, when the control unit 16 receives an operation of the “round trip route setting with destination” button 402 on the route setting menu via the GUI control unit 13 from the user, the control unit 16 displays the point setting window shown in FIG. 13 on the display device 3.
As shown in the figure, the point setting window includes a destination display box 411, a plurality of stoppage display boxes 412, a set of “outbound” button 413 and “return” button 414 provided for each stoppage display box, A “set” button 415, “additional stop” button 416, and “setting complete” button 417 are provided.

  When the control unit 16 receives an operation of the “destination setting” button 415 of the point setting window from the user via the GUI control unit 13, the control unit 16 selects the destination from each point corresponding to each point record of the map data. The point of the point selected by the user by using the appropriate GUI using the GUI control unit 13 to search and select the point to be searched by the point type, the point name, the address and the telephone number. The name is displayed in the destination display box 411.

  In addition, when the control unit 16 accepts the operation of the “additional stop” button 416 of the point setting window via the GUI control unit 13, the control unit 16 sets a stopover from each point corresponding to each point record of the map data. A function for searching and selecting a point by a point type, a point name, an address or a telephone number is provided to the user by an appropriate GUI using the GUI control unit 13, and the point name of the point selected by the user using the function Is displayed in the top stop display box 412 in the stop display box 412 for which the display of the point name has not yet been performed.

  In addition, the control unit 16 controls the GUI control unit 13 to operate the “outward” button 413 and the “return” button 414 provided for the stop-off area display box 412 in which the point name is displayed in the point setting window. Each time an operation is received, the display color of the button is switched between a predetermined non-selected state color and a predetermined selected state color. It should be noted that only one or both of the “outward” button 413 and the “return” button 414 can be selected. Note that the initial display color of the “outward” button 413 and the “return” button 414 is a non-selected state color.

  Here, using each of the points whose point names are displayed in any of the stop point display boxes 412 as stop points, the user uses the “outward” button 413 and the “return” button 414 to call each stop point. You can make a stop-by designation for a local trip or a return trip. That is, the stop where the point name is displayed in the stop stop display box 412 corresponding to the “outbound” button 413 whose display color is the selected state color is the stop stop specified by the user, and the display color is selected. The stop where the user designates the stop where the name of the spot is displayed in the stop display box 412 corresponding to the “return” button 414 that is the status color.

When the control unit 16 accepts the user operation of the “setting complete” button 417 in the point setting window via the GUI control unit 13, the control unit 16 stores the departure / destination management table, the stop-by location in the memory 15. Create a management table.
Here, as shown in FIG. 2b, the departure point / destination management table is provided with the entry of the departure point and the destination, and the entry of the departure point includes the coordinates of the departure point (the coordinates of the current position). Register as coordinates. Further, in the destination entry, the point where the point name is registered in the destination display box 411 is registered as the destination, and the point name registered in the destination point record is registered as the destination name. The coordinates registered in the point record are registered as the destination coordinates, and the arrival / absence of the destination is registered. Here, the presence / absence of arrival at the destination represents the presence / absence of arrival at the destination. When the departure point / destination management table is created, presence / absence of arrival at the destination is registered.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 2c, an entry corresponding to each stop is provided in the stop management table. Then, in the entry corresponding to each stop, register the spot name registered in the spot record of the stop as the stop name, and use the coordinates registered in the spot record of the stop as the stop coordinates. In addition to registration, the outbound / return designation, the outbound stoppage status, and the inbound return status are registered.

  Here, in the outbound / return designation, if the stop corresponding to the entry is a stop where the user has only designated the outbound stop, only the outbound is registered, and the stop where the user has only designated the return stop In some cases, only the return trip was registered, and when the user was a stop-off location designated by both the outbound stop and the return stop, the outbound route and the return route were registered, and the user did not specify the outbound stop or the return route. If it is a stopover, unspecified is registered.

  In addition, the outbound stoppage status indicates whether or not the stopover location corresponding to the entry has stopped in the outbound route, that is, the route from the departure place to the destination, and is not registered when creating the stopover management table. . In addition, the return stop state indicates whether or not the stop point corresponding to the entry has stopped on the return route, that is, the route returning from the destination to the departure point, and is not registered when the stop point management table is created. The

When the control unit 16 creates the departure point / destination management table and the stopover management table in this way, the control unit 16 executes a round trip route setting process.
FIG. 5 shows the procedure of the round trip route setting process.
As shown in this figure, in this process, first, at least the number of stoppages registered in the outbound / return designation of the stoppage management table is n, and at least the return path is registered in the outbound / return designation of the stoppage management table. Let m be the number of stopovers (step 502).
Then, the route from the first stop to the nth stop in which the outbound route is registered in the outbound / return route designation of the stop-by location management table, and the route from the departure point to the destination via each stop in that order. Is determined using the route search function of the route search unit 14 so as to be the lowest cost route (step 504).

Then, the destination route is set to n + 1 (step 506).
In addition, the order of transit from n + 2 to n + m + 1 of the stop locations where at least the return route is registered in the outbound / return designation in the stop-by location management table, from the destination to each stop in that order. It is determined using the route search function of the route search unit 14 so that the route from the route to the departure point becomes the lowest cost route (step 508).

Then, the order of departure is set to n + m + 2 (step 510).
Then, the determined order of stopovers and destinations are presented to the user (step 512).
This via order presentation is performed by displaying the via order confirmation window shown in FIG. 4C via the GUI control unit 13.
As shown in the figure, in the via order confirmation window, the destination on the round-trip route returning from the departure place to the departure place and the order of each stopping place, and the name of the destination and each stopping place are indicated. A route map 421 represented by arrows in the order of passage is displayed.
Here, the route confirmation window shown in FIG. 4c corresponds to the setting of the destination and the stoppage in the point setting window of FIG. 4b, and as shown in FIG. The stop area where the user only specified the outbound stop in the location setting window passes through the outbound route from the departure location to the destination, and the stop location where the user only specified the return stop in the location setting window changes from the destination to the departure location. A stopover place where the user has made both the outbound stop designation and the inbound return designation in the point setting window via the returning home route simply represents the route through both the outbound route and the inbound route. It should be noted that the route represented by the route map is a route that does not pass through the stop-off place that the user has not designated for the outbound stop or the inbound return in the point setting window.

  Now, an upward and downward triangular button 422 for receiving an operation for changing the order of stoppage is provided for the display of each stopover name in the route map 421 of the stoppage confirmation window. The route order confirmation window is also provided with a “route search” button 423 for receiving a route search instruction operation and a “return” button 424 for receiving a return operation.

  Now, returning to FIG. 5, if the control unit 16 accepts an operation for changing the transit order of the stop by the triangular button 422 of the transit order confirmation window (step 514), the control unit 16 accepts the transit order change operation according to the operation content. The order of stoppage of the stopovers is changed, and the display order of the point names of the stops on the route map 421 is also changed according to the change of the stopover order (step 520). That is, for example, if the upward triangular button 422 provided for the stop "Restaurant Mare" in FIG. 4c is operated, as shown in FIG. 4d, the route map 421 on the stop "Restaurant Mare" Change the order of transit with “Outlet Park Yokohama”, which is one stop above. Also, if the downward triangle button 422 provided for the stop "Restaurant Mare" in FIG. 4c is operated, the stop "1" below the route map 421 of the stop "Restaurant Mare". Swap the order of “Acquaintance A's house”.

In addition, as shown in the drawing, the triangular button 422 in the direction that accepts a change operation that changes the route order of the destination and the departure point is not provided and does not accept such a change operation.
When a return operation by the “return” button 424 is accepted (step 516),
The display on the display device 3 from the departure point to the destination is returned to the point setting window shown in FIG. 4B (step 522), and the round trip setting process is terminated.
On the other hand, when a route search instruction operation by the “route search” button 423 is accepted (step 518), the route of the guidance route that starts from the departure point and passes through each stop, the destination, and the departure point in order of passage. The route search unit 14 is made to search and set the route data of the guidance route in the memory 15 (step 524). Then, the display on the display device 3 is returned to the display of the guide image shown in FIG. 3A (step 526), and the round trip path setting process is terminated.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 3b, a guidance route that returns from the departure point to the departure point via the destination and that passes through each stop and the destination in the order of passage shown in the route diagram 421 of the route confirmation window. Is set by the route search unit 14, and travel guidance along the guidance route is started. The guidance route in FIG. 3b is a guidance route set in correspondence with the route map 421 of the point setting window in FIG. 4b and the route order confirmation window in FIG. 4d. The stop area where the user only specified the stop-off stop is routed only during the outbound route from the departure place to the destination. A stopover place that is routed only during the return trip and where the user designates both the outbound stoppage and the return trip stoppage in the point setting window is a route that passes through both the outbound route and the inbound route.

The guidance route setting control operation, which is an operation for controlling the guidance route setting in the control unit 16, has been described above.
When the control unit 16 has set a guide route that reciprocates between the departure point and the destination as shown in FIG. 3b as described above, the arrival at the destination or stopover at the current position is performed. If arrival of the destination is detected, “arrived” is registered in the presence / absence of arrival of the destination entry in the departure point / destination management table.

If the arrival at the stoppage registered in the outbound / return route designation of the stoppage management table is detected in the outbound route before arrival at the destination, “done” is registered in the outbound stoppage state of the stop.
In addition, if the arrival at the stoppage registered in the stoppage management table is detected on the return route before arrival at the destination, “Sai” is registered in the return stoppage state of the stopover.

  In addition, the control unit 16 displays in response to the operation of the “route setting” button 3042 of the guidance image illustrated in FIG. 3a during the setting of the guidance route that reciprocates between the departure point and the destination. When the “stop stop editing” button 403 of the route setting menu shown is operated by the user, the following stop stop editing process is performed.

In this stoppage editing process, first, the above-described point setting window is displayed.
However, when a guidance route that goes back and forth between the departure point and the destination is being set, when the point setting window is displayed, the destination display box 411 displays the departure point / destination management table as shown in FIG. 6a. The destination name registered in the destination entry is automatically input and displayed, the point of the destination name is set as the destination, and each stoppage display box 412 is registered in each entry of the stoppage management table. The name of the stop-off area is automatically input and displayed, and the point of the stop-by name is set as the stop-off place.

  In addition, when the location setting window is displayed, “outward” provided for the stoppage display box 412 that displays the stoppage name of the stoppage where at least the forward route is registered in the forward / return route designation of the stoppage management table. The display color of the button 413 is set as the selected state color, and the stop is set in a state in which the user is designated to stop by the outbound route. However, the “outbound trip” button 413 provided for the stopover display box 412 that displays the stopover name of the stoppage of the entry whose entry is registered in the outbound stoppage state is invalidated and the stop The ground is in a state where the user is not designated to stop by the outbound route.

  If the current time is after arrival at the destination, the “outbound” button 413 provided for the stopover display box 412 that displays the stopover names of all stopovers is invalidated, and It is assumed that the stop is not designated for the stop by the user.

  Similarly, the display of a “return” button 414 provided for the stoppage display box 412 displaying the stoppage name of the stoppage where at least the return pass is registered in the outbound / return designation in the stoppage management table. Let the color be the selected state color, and the stop is in a state where the user is designated to stop by the return trip. However, the “return trip” button 414 provided for the stopover display box 412 that displays the stoppage name of the stoppage of the entry registered in the return pass stoppage state is invalidated and the stop The ground is in a state where the user is not designated to stop by the return trip.

Then, as described above, adding a stop by operating the “add stop” button 416 of the location setting window, or specifying the outbound stop for each point by operating the “outbound” button 413 and the “return” button 414, The designation, the outbound stop designation, and the cancellation of the inbound stop designation are accepted from the user.
Then, when the user's operation of the “setting complete” button 417 in the point setting window is accepted, the stoppage management table is created as described above, and the stoppage management table of the memory 15 is replaced with the created stoppage management table. . Here, the departure point / destination management table maintains the current departure point / destination management table as it is.

The above-described round trip route setting process is executed to set a new guidance route.
However, if the current time is before arrival at the destination, in the step 504 of the round trip route setting process executed in the stop area editing process, the lowest cost route from the current position to the destination via the stop place designated for the outbound route The order of stoppages specified by the outbound route is calculated. Also, if the current time is after arrival at the destination, instead of steps 502-510, the return stop designated by the lowest cost route from the current position via the stop designated by the return route to the departure place and departure Calculate the route order of the ground.

  Further, in the route order confirmation window displayed in step 512 of the round trip route setting process executed in the stopover editing process, if the current time is before arrival at the destination, as shown in FIG. Then, a route map 421 is displayed in which the route until returning to the departure point is represented by connecting the destination and the name of each stop point with the current position as the starting point in the order of the route. In addition, if the current time is after arrival at the destination, a route map 421 representing the route from the current position to the point of return to the departure place, connected by arrows starting from the current location in order of the name of each stop is displayed. To do.

  In step 522 of the round trip route setting process executed in the stop-stop editing process, if the current time is before arrival at the destination, the vehicle departs from the current position and passes through each stop, the destination, and the start point in order. The route search unit 14 searches the route search unit 14 as a guidance route. If the current time is after arrival at the destination, the route search starts from the current position and passes through each stop and the departure point in order. Let the part 14 search.

  With this stop editing process, after setting the guide route that makes a round trip between the departure point and the destination, the stop location where the user did not specify the outbound stop or return stop at any time when setting the guide route Set a point without searching for and setting up the stop by operating the “Add Stop Place” button 416 (stop stop where “not specified” is specified in the outbound / return route designation of the stop stop management table) By simply operating the “outward” button 413 and the “return” button 414 corresponding to the stoppage in the window, it can be incorporated into the guidance route.

  That is, for example, the guidance route of the round trip shown in FIG. 3b is set, and the stopover editing process is started when the current position advances between the stopover place “BB bookstore” and the stopover place “Acquaintance A's house” Then, when setting the current roundabout guidance route, the stop location “CC Shop” which was not designated as a stop-off stop or return stop as shown in FIG. In the displayed point setting window, it is displayed as a stopover. Then, as shown in FIG. 6b, by responding to the operation of the “setting complete” button 417 in the point setting window shown in FIG. As shown in the route confirmation window shown in FIG. 6c displayed, the guidance route is updated to a route passing through the stop location “CC shop”.

In the foregoing, the stopover editing process performed by the control unit 16 has been described.
When the control unit 16 detects arrival at the destination, it executes the automatic return path correction process shown below.
FIG. 7 shows the procedure of the automatic return path correction process.
As shown in the figure, in this automatic return route correction process, there is a stop location entry in the stop location management table in which only the outward route is registered in the outbound route / return route designation and the outbound route stop state is not registered. Whether there is a stop is determined (step 702).

Next, it is checked whether or not there is an entry for a stoppage where “undesignated” is registered in the outbound / return designation and there is an entry of “undesignated” in the outbound stop status (step 706). Then, the stop is set as a stopover (step 708).
Next, the stopover location of the entry whose return route is registered in the outbound / return route designation is set as a transit location in the stop location management table (step 710).
Then, the route search unit 14 is caused to search for a guidance route from the current position as the destination to the departure point via each waypoint and to set the route data of the guidance route in the memory 15.
As a result, the guide route is designated to stop by the return route when setting the guide route to and from the departure point and the destination, and the outbound route specification when setting the guide route to and from the departure point and the destination. However, via a stop that did not stop on the outbound route, and a stop that did not stop on the outbound route nor specified on the outbound route when setting up a guidance route that reciprocates between the departure point and the destination. However, the route is updated to the guidance route from the destination to the departure point.

Therefore, for example, after a guidance route that makes a round trip between the departure point and the destination as shown in FIG. 3b is set, the user arrives at the destination without stopping at the stop point “BB bookstore” designated by the user. In this case, as shown in FIG. C, the guide route is updated on the return route from the destination to the departure place via the stoppage “BB bookstore”.
In step 710 of the stop area editing process, only the return path is registered in the outbound / return designation from the stop area of the entry where the return path is registered in the outbound area management table, and the outbound stop state is completed. It is good also as a process which sets each stop in the stop except the stop in which is registered as a stopover.
In this way, the guide route is designated as a route that does not go through the return route that has been stopped by the return route when the return route is specified when setting the guide route that goes back and forth between the departure point and the destination. Can do.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Navigation apparatus, 2 ... Operation part, 3 ... Display apparatus, 4 ... Vehicle state sensor, 5 ... GPS receiver, 6 ... Traffic information receiver, 11 ... Map data storage part, 12 ... Current state calculation part, 13 ... GUI control unit, 14 ... route search unit, 15 ... memory, 16 ... control unit, 17 ... guide image generation unit.

Claims (6)

A navigation device that provides route guidance,
Current position calculating means for calculating the current position;
A starting point setting means for setting the current position or a point designated by the user as a starting point;
Point setting accepting means for accepting a destination setting, a setting of one or a plurality of stop points, a setting of a stop-by-stop designation for each stop-off point, and a setting of a return-stop calling specification for each stop point;
A round-trip route that starts from the departure point and arrives at the set destination and then returns to the departure point, from each departure point to the destination where the outbound stop designation is set. Guidance route setting that searches for the route of the round trip route that passes through the return route from the destination to the departure point and sets it as the guidance route at each stop point that is set in the return route designation via the outgoing route Means,
A navigation device comprising guide means for guiding the progress along the guide route based on the set guide route and the current position. The navigation device according to claim 1,
The point setting accepting unit is capable of accepting simultaneous setting of the outbound stop designation and the return stop designation of each stop.
The guidance route setting means returns to each stop point where both the outbound stop designation and the inbound stop designation are set, during the outbound route from the departure place to the destination, and from the destination to the departure place. A navigation device characterized in that a route of the round-trip route that passes through both during and after returning is searched and set as the guidance route. The navigation device according to claim 1 or 2,
In the outbound route until the current position reaches the destination, the route from the destination of the guidance route to the departure point is not reached when the outbound location specified by the outbound route designation is not passed. Guidance that corrects the guidance route so that the route between the destination and the stop point that did not pass from the destination and the stop point set for the return pass is the route from the destination to the departure point A navigation device comprising route correction means. The navigation device according to claim 1 or 2,
When the current position reaches the destination, the destination of the guidance route is not passed through a stop where neither the outbound stop designation nor the return stop designation is set. The route from the destination to the departure point is a route from the destination to the departure point via the stop point that did not pass and the stop point set for the return stop designation. Further, the navigation apparatus further comprises a guide route correcting means for correcting the guide route. The navigation device according to claim 1,
In the state where the guide route is set, at least one of the additional setting of the outbound stop designation and the additional setting of the outbound stop specifying of the stop where both the outbound stop designation and the inbound stop designation are not set is accepted. When the additional setting of the outbound stop designation is received, the guide route is corrected so as to further pass through the stopping place where the additional setting is accepted during the outbound route, and the additional setting of the return stop designation is accepted The navigation apparatus further comprises guide route editing means for correcting the guide route so as to further pass through the stop at which the additional setting is received during the return route. A computer program that is read and executed by a computer,
The computer program is a computer program that causes the computer to function as a navigation device that performs route guidance.
The navigation device
Current position calculating means for calculating the current position;
A starting point setting means for setting the current position or a point designated by the user as a starting point;
Point setting accepting means for accepting a destination setting, a setting of one or a plurality of stop points, a setting of a stop-by-stop designation for each stop-off point, and a setting of a return-stop calling specification for each stop point;
A round-trip route that starts from the departure point and arrives at the set destination and then returns to the departure point, from each departure point to the destination where the outbound stop designation is set. Guide route setting that searches for a round trip route that passes through the return route from the destination to the departure point and sets it as a guide route at each stop point where the return stop designation is set. Means,
A computer program comprising guide means for guiding the progress along the guide route based on the set guide route and the current position.