JP2014032211A - Navigation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To appropriately execute a route search using statistical traffic data classified according to day types of weekdays or holidays by a navigation apparatus even if passing boundaries of administrative districts or borders having different national holidays while driving a vehicle.SOLUTION: A navigation device stores planned time for entering a mesh area (S603) based on the collected present date (S601) regarding a mesh area or link included in a route to a destination. The type of day is specified based on a calendar of the administrative districts belonging to the mesh area (S605). Search is made of the link travelling time included in the statistical traffic information based on the type of day (S606) and stores the planned time for completing passing of the link (S607). The process is repeated to the destination and a planned time for reaching the destination is derived (S612).

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation device that performs route search using statistical traffic information.

  Some navigation devices execute route search calculation and required time calculation in consideration of traffic jam based on traffic information. However, since traffic conditions change as time elapses from the time of traffic information acquisition, a technology for accurately searching for recommended routes based on statistical traffic data corresponding to day types such as weekdays or holidays collected in the past is disclosed in Patent Literature. 1 is disclosed.

JP 2004-239741 A

  According to the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, the second conversion table for associating the date with the date type is not changed unless the user performs an operation. Therefore, there is a problem that a route search using statistical traffic data based on an incorrect day type is executed when the vehicle passes, for example, a boundary or border between administrative divisions with different holidays.

  A navigation apparatus according to the present invention includes a detection unit that detects a position of a host vehicle, a search unit that searches for a route from the departure point to a destination, using the position of the host vehicle detected by the detection unit, and a road map. Memory for storing road map data for displaying roads, calendar data for each region including the calendar of each region and the day type of each calendar day, and statistical traffic data for each day type regarding the section roads included in the road map The vehicle, a selection means for selecting the calendar data corresponding to the area including the route from the calendar data for each area stored in the storage device, and the calendar vehicle selected by the selection means, Determines the day of the day on which the route travels, and determines the purpose of the vehicle based on the date of the day of travel, the section road included in the route, the time when the vehicle travels on the section road, and statistical traffic data. To the ground Calculating means for calculating an expected arrival time, and the selecting means sequentially selects the calendar data corresponding to each of a plurality of areas including the route according to the section road on which the vehicle travels. Features.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to execute a route search using statistical traffic information even when the vehicle travels through boundaries or borders of administrative divisions with different holidays.

The figure which illustrates the structure of the navigation apparatus of embodiment of this invention. The figure which illustrated management of statistical traffic information memorized by auxiliary storage. The figure which illustrated the day type registration table memorize | stored in the auxiliary storage device. The figure which illustrated the search route from the departure place to the destination. The flowchart which shows the process sequence which calculates and displays the destination arrival scheduled time by the selected path | route. The flowchart which shows the process sequence which calculates the destination arrival scheduled time.

  An embodiment in which a navigation device according to the present invention is mounted on a vehicle will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a 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 sensor, a gyro sensor, and a vehicle speed sensor. The input data from the GPS sensor includes time data, and the CPU 110 has a clock function (CPU built-in clock) and a calendar function for correcting the time based on the time data. The user input device 130 is, for example, a touch panel, a push button switch around the panel, a remote control, and a joystick.

  The auxiliary storage device 140 is a storage device that stores road map data and POI (Point Of Interest) information used for navigation processing. The auxiliary storage device 140 may be, for example, a hard disk drive, a CD or DVD storing road map data, a flash memory, other recording media, 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 calculating a recommended route (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.

  The auxiliary storage device 140 stores statistical traffic information, calendar data, and a date type registration table that associates calendar dates with date types. The statistical traffic information, the day type, and the day type registration table will be described later in the description of FIGS. The day type registration table is created for each administrative division based on the calendar data for each administrative division. The display module 150 displays image data including characters and graphics output from the CPU 110 on the screen.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating management of statistical traffic information stored in the auxiliary storage device 140. As described above, the statistical traffic information is managed in units of mesh codes. The statistical traffic information for the mesh code # x_1 forms a hierarchical structure, and is largely classified and stored by day type. There are five types of day types, for example, weekdays (general), weekdays (days before holidays), holidays (first day of consecutive holidays), holidays (days during consecutive holidays), and holidays (last days of consecutive holidays). Since the traffic conditions are different for each day type, statistical traffic information is managed for each day type.

  As the next layer of the day type, statistical information is stored for each link number of the link included in the mesh area represented by mesh code # x_1. For example, the statistical traffic information stored for the link number # y_1 is further stored by time in the next layer. The statistical traffic information for the time from 0:00 to 1:00, which is one of them, is information of travel time 257 seconds and traffic level 1 in the example shown in FIG. In mesh code # x_1, the time required to travel the link represented by link number # y_1 is 257 seconds in the time zone from 0:00 am to 1:00 am. It means that the traffic situation is level 1.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a day type registration table stored in the auxiliary storage device 140. As described above, the date type registration table associates calendar days with date types. FIG. 3A illustrates the day type for five days from August 28 (Thu) when September 1, 2008 (Mon) is a holiday. Specifically, August 28th (Thursday), 2008 is “Weekday (General)”, 29th (Friday) is “Weekday (Day before holiday)”, 30th (Saturday) is “Holiday (First day of consecutive holidays)”, The 31st (day) is associated with “holiday (day during consecutive holidays)”, and September 1, 2008 (month) is associated with “holiday (last day of consecutive holidays)”.

  For example, in the United States, in addition to the holidays set by the federal government, there are also holidays set by the state government. Therefore, for example, when the day type registration table in the state A is represented as shown in FIG. 3A, the day type registration table in the state B adjacent to the state A is shown in FIG. August 28th (Thursday) is represented as "Weekdays (Days before holidays)", 29th (Friday) as "Holidays (first day of consecutive holidays)" and 30th (Saturday) as "Holidays (days during consecutive holidays)" Is also possible.

  Next, route search execution processing contents using statistical traffic information in the navigation device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a search route from the departure point S to the destination G. The mesh regions M10 and M20 are adjacent to each other. The search route is composed of links L11, L12, and L21. The links L11 and L12 are included in the mesh region M10, and the link L21 is included in the mesh region M20. The link L11 connects the departure point S and the route point P1, the link L12 connects the route points P1 and P2, and the link L21 connects the route point P2 and the destination G.

  Further, the mesh region M1 belongs to the A state, and when using statistical traffic information, the day type registration table shown in FIG. The mesh area M2 belongs to the state B, and when using statistical traffic information, the day type registration table shown in FIG.

  For example, when the vehicle departs from the departure point S on Friday, August 29, 2008, the latitude and longitude of the departure point S and the destination G are specified based on the input signal from the current position detection device 120. . Therefore, the navigation device 100 can identify that the departure place S belongs to the mesh region M1, that is, the state A, by referring to the road map data stored in the auxiliary storage device 140. Similarly, it can be identified that the destination G belongs to the mesh area M2, that is, belongs to the state B. As shown in FIG. 3, August 29, 2008 (Friday) is a weekday (day before holidays) in the state A to which the departure place S belongs, but is a holiday (first day of consecutive holidays) in the state B to which the destination G belongs.

  The link travel time corresponding to the specified day type is read from the hourly statistical traffic information shown in FIG. 2 for each of the links L11, L12, and L21. The link travel times of the links L11 and L12 correspond to weekdays (days before holidays), and the link travel time of the link L21 corresponds to holidays (first day of consecutive holidays). By adding the departure time and the link travel time, the estimated arrival time at the destination G is calculated and displayed on the panel of the display module 150.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a route search calculation process executed by the CPU 110 of the navigation device 100 and a processing procedure for calculating and displaying a destination arrival scheduled time according to the selected route.

  In step S501, the current position of the vehicle on which the navigation device 100 is mounted is detected using the current location detection device 120. In step S502, it is determined whether or not a destination setting and route search calculation execution instruction has been received from the user via the user input device 130. This processing procedure repeats step S502 until the execution instruction is received. When the execution instruction is received, a route search calculation is executed in step S503. In step S504, the route search result is displayed on the display panel of the display module 150. In step S505, it is determined whether a route selection execution instruction has been received from the user via the user input device 130. This processing procedure repeats step S505 until the execution instruction is received. When the execution instruction is received, a subroutine S506 for calculating a destination arrival time which will be described later with reference to FIG. 6 is executed. When the estimated destination arrival time obtained as a result is displayed on the display panel of the display module 150 in step S507, this processing procedure ends.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for calculating a destination arrival scheduled time, which is a subroutine of step S506 in FIG. 5 described above. In step S601, the current date and time are collected and set to T by the clock function of the CPU 110. In step S602, a total of n mesh regions including the selected route are sorted in the order of traveling from the departure point to the destination (i = 1, 2,..., N). Hereinafter, a series of procedures from step S603 to step S610 and step S611 are repeated until i = 1 to n.

  In step S603, the scheduled time T for entering the mesh area #i is stored in the main storage device 115 or the auxiliary storage device 140. In step S604, the link numbers constituting the selected route are sorted in the order of travel (j = 1, 2,..., M). Hereinafter, a series of procedures from step S605 to step S608 and step S609 are repeated until j = 1 to m.

  In step S605, the administrative division to which the mesh area #i and the link #j belong is specified based on the road map data stored in the auxiliary storage device 140, and the day type registration table corresponding to the administrative division is referred to. The date type X corresponding to the current date and time is specified. In step S606, the travel time t_ij of the link #j at day type X and time T is searched with reference to the statistical traffic information in mesh code units stored in the auxiliary storage device 140. In step S607, the travel end scheduled time T of the link #j is stored in the main storage device 115 or the auxiliary storage device 140 based on the travel time t_ij of the link #j.

  In step S608, “j = m?” Is determined in order to determine whether or not the estimated travel end time T for all links included in the mesh region #i has been calculated. If a negative determination is made, j is incremented to j + 1 in step S609, and the process returns to step S605. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S610.

  In step S610, “i = n?” Is determined in order to determine whether or not the estimated travel end time T for all mesh regions including the selected route has been calculated. If a negative determination is made, i is incremented to i + 1 in step S611, and the process returns to step S603. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S612. When the destination arrival scheduled time T is stored in step S612, this subroutine ends and the process returns to the main routine shown in FIG.

  The navigation device 100 according to the embodiment described above is configured to store the day type registration table for each administrative division in the auxiliary storage device 140 in advance. Thereby, the selection of the day type registration table is switched and referred according to the administrative division to which the searched route belongs, and statistical traffic information corresponding to the specified day type can be acquired. Therefore, even when the travel route crosses the boundaries of administrative divisions with different holidays, the navigation device 100 performs route search using appropriate statistical traffic information and calculates the destination arrival scheduled time with high accuracy. There is an effect of being able to.

---- Modified example ---
The navigation device 100 of the embodiment described above can be modified as follows.
(1) In the present embodiment described above, the navigation device 100 detects the current location using the current location detection device 120 and automatically selects the day type registration table corresponding to the administrative division to which the detected current location belongs. However, the day type registration table may be set and selected manually during the route search calculation. For example, when the user instructs the CPU 110 to set the day type registration table via the user input device 130, the CPU 110 displays a calendar on the panel of the display module 150. When the user designates the target calendar date, selects the date type to be associated and confirms the input, the date type registration table is set and selected. When only the day type registration table stored in advance in the auxiliary storage device 140 is selected, when the user inputs the name of the administrative division to which the route belongs through the user input device 130, the CPU 110, based on the input The day type registration table is read from the auxiliary storage device 140 and selected. If the day type registration table corresponding to a plurality of administrative divisions having the same holiday system is classified and managed in categories 1, 2, etc., the user designates such category number instead of entering the administrative division name. It is also good to do.

(2) In the present embodiment described above, the navigation device 100 refers to the day type registration table for each administrative division in order to search the statistical traffic information according to the day type and calculate the link travel time. Specify the day type corresponding to the current date and time. However, it is also possible to refer to calendar data for each administrative district and determine the day type corresponding to the current date and time based on the reference result.

(3) In the present embodiment described above, the day type registration table for each administrative division is created based on the calendar data for each administrative division, and stored in the auxiliary storage device 140 in advance. However, the navigation device 100 may further include a communication module, and calendar data for each administrative district may be downloaded from a server connected to the communication network via the communication module.

(4) In step S503 of FIG. 5 described above, the navigation device 100 performs a route search calculation from the current location to the destination, and then, in step S506, sets the estimated destination arrival time for the route selected in step S505. It was decided to calculate. However, in step S503, the day type for each administrative division to which each mesh area from the current location to the destination detected by the current location detection device 120 from the date type registration table stored in the auxiliary storage device 140 belongs. Select the registration table, refer to the selected day type registration table, identify the day type, and use the hourly statistical traffic information corresponding to that day type to calculate the route from the current location to the destination good. According to this, the destination arrival scheduled time in each route can be obtained together with the route from the current location to the destination. Therefore, in step S504, it is preferable to display the destination arrival scheduled time together with the route search result on the display panel of the display module 150. Furthermore, when a route selection execution instruction is received from the user in step S505, the process proceeds to step S507, the destination arrival scheduled time of the selected route is displayed on the display panel of the display module 150, and the destination arrival schedule is displayed. It is preferable to end the time calculation processing procedure.

(5) In the above description of the present embodiment and modifications, the embodiment in which the present invention is applied to the navigation device 100 has been described. However, PND (Personal Navigation Device), PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), mobile phone The present invention may be applied to portable personal computers and portable game machines.

  Each embodiment and each modification described above may be combined. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the device configuration in the above-described embodiment unless the characteristic functions of the present invention are impaired.

100 navigation device 110 CPU
115 Main storage device 120 Current location detection device 130 User input device 140 Auxiliary storage device 150 Display module

Claims (4)

Detecting means for detecting the position of the host vehicle;
Search means for searching for a route from the departure place to the destination with the position of the vehicle detected by the detection means as a departure place;
Road map data for displaying a road map, calendar data for each region including the calendar of each region and the day type of each calendar day, and statistical traffic data for each day type related to the section road included in the road map A storage device for storing
Selecting means for selecting calendar data corresponding to an area including the route from calendar data for each area stored by the storage device;
With reference to the calendar data selected by the selection means, the day type of the travel day on which the host vehicle travels the route is determined, and the date type of the travel date, the section road included in the route, the vehicle Calculating means for calculating an estimated arrival time at which the host vehicle is expected to arrive at the destination based on a time when the vehicle travels on the section road and the statistical traffic data;
The navigation device, wherein the selection means sequentially selects calendar data corresponding to each of a plurality of areas including the route according to the section road on which the host vehicle travels. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein
The navigation device characterized in that the selection means specifies the plurality of areas corresponding to the calendar data sequentially selected by the selection means based on the road map data by referring to the storage device. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein
The apparatus further includes an input means for the user to input an instruction for an area corresponding to the calendar data,
The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit specifies the plurality of regions corresponding to the calendar data sequentially selected by the selection unit based on the instruction input via the input unit. Detecting means for detecting the position of the host vehicle;
Search means for searching for a route from the departure place to the destination with the position of the vehicle detected by the detection means as a departure place;
Road map data for displaying a road map, calendar data for each region including the calendar of each region and the day type of each calendar day, and statistical traffic data for each day type related to the section road included in the road map A storage device for storing
Selecting calendar data corresponding to an area including the route from calendar data for each area stored by the storage device;
The search means refers to the calendar data selected by the selection means, determines the day type of the traveling day on which the host vehicle travels the route, and includes the day type of the traveling day and the route included in the route Search for the route based on the section road, the time when the vehicle travels the section road, and the statistical traffic data,
The navigation device, wherein the selection means sequentially selects calendar data corresponding to each of a plurality of areas including the route according to the section road on which the host vehicle travels.

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