JP2019190831A - Traffic information guiding device and computer program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a traffic information guiding device and a computer program that allow a user to perform an appropriate travel based on traffic information.SOLUTION: The traffic information guiding device is configured to: acquire traffic information that guides events happening on roads; display the traffic information acquired with map image on a liquid crystal display 35 with icons; extract the traffic information that guides events around a selected point when a user selects an arbitrary point on the map image displayed on a display device; and preferentially output the traffic information having a high priority set based on the content of the event to be guided when there are a plurality of pieces of extracted traffic information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

  The present invention relates to a traffic information guidance device and a computer program for guiding road traffic information.

  Conventionally, traffic information acquired from an external center or the like has been provided as one of travel support when a user moves on a road. The traffic information includes information that guides various events such as traffic jams, road closures, accidents, lane restrictions, and the like occurring on the road. Here, the provision of traffic information is generally performed by displaying on a display device such as a display. However, since a map image for guiding the user's movement is also displayed on the display device, if the detailed contents of the traffic information are always displayed on the screen, the visibility of the map image is lowered. Accordingly, traffic information is normally provided in a manner that does not reduce the visibility of map images such as arrows and marks.

  And when a user wants to grasp the details of traffic information in particular, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-99883, the user can specify the arrow or mark displayed on the display device. Providing details of traffic information to be done.

JP 2000-99883 A (page 3-4)

  Here, when there are a plurality of events such as traffic jams, traffic closures, accidents, lane restrictions, etc., particularly in a narrow area, arrows and marks are also displayed densely. In such a case, if the user specifies the arrow or mark displayed on the display device as in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to specify the arrow or mark accurately, and traffic that the user wants to know in detail. In some cases, details of traffic information different from the information were provided. In addition, when there are a plurality of events, there is a problem that it is difficult for the user to determine which event affects his / her driving (that is, which event should be acquired traffic information).

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems, and when a plurality of events exist in a narrow area, the traffic information to be guided to the user is output preferentially to the user. It is an object of the present invention to provide a traffic information guide device and a computer program that enable an appropriate travel based on traffic information to be performed.

In order to achieve the above object, a traffic information guidance device according to the present invention comprises an image display means for displaying a map image on a display device, and a traffic information acquisition means for obtaining traffic information for guiding an event occurring on a road. When the user selects an arbitrary point on the map image displayed on the display device, information output means for outputting, to the user, traffic information that guides an event around the selected point The information output means preferentially outputs traffic information having a high priority set based on the content of the event to be guided when there are a plurality of traffic information to be output.
“Events occurring on the road” include, for example, traffic jams, accidents, broken cars, road obstacles, construction, work, traffic closure, large-scale traffic closure, entry prohibition, slow speed, speed regulation, entrance closure, entrance restriction, chain There are regulations, lane restrictions, one-way traffic, face-to-face traffic, etc.

  The computer program according to the present invention is a program for guiding traffic information. Specifically, the computer displays an image display means for displaying a map image on a display device, a traffic information acquisition means for acquiring traffic information for guiding an event occurring on a road, and a user displays on the display device. A computer program for functioning as information output means for outputting to the user traffic information for guiding an event around the selected point when an arbitrary point on the map image is selected The information output means preferentially outputs traffic information having a high priority set based on the content of the event to be guided when there are a plurality of traffic information to be output.

  According to the traffic information guide device and the computer program according to the present invention having the above-described configuration, when there are a plurality of events around the point selected by the user, the traffic information related to the event to be guided to the user is preferentially output. It becomes possible. As a result, it is possible to allow the user to perform appropriate travel based on traffic information.

It is a schematic structure figure showing a traffic information guidance system concerning this embodiment. It is the block diagram which showed the structure of the traffic information guidance system which concerns on this embodiment. It is the figure which showed an example of the probe information memorize | stored in probe information DB. It is the figure which showed an example of the probe statistical information memorize | stored in probe statistical information DB. It is a block diagram which shows typically the control system of the navigation apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a flowchart of the traffic information statistical processing program which concerns on this embodiment. It is a flowchart of the traffic information guidance process program which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure explaining the example of guidance of traffic information. It is the figure which showed the example of a setting of the priority of traffic information. It is a figure explaining the example of guidance of the detailed information of traffic information. It is a figure explaining the example of guidance of the detailed information of traffic information in case there are a plurality of output candidates. It is a figure explaining the example of guidance of the detailed information of traffic information in case there are a plurality of output candidates.

  Hereinafter, a traffic information guide device according to the present invention will be described in detail based on an embodiment embodied in a navigation device 1 with reference to the drawings. First, a schematic configuration of a traffic information guidance system 2 including a navigation device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a traffic information guidance system 2 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the traffic information guidance system 2 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the traffic information guidance system 2 according to the present embodiment basically includes a server device 4 provided in a probe center 3 and a navigation device 1 that is a communication (guidance) terminal mounted on a vehicle 5. Have. The server device 4 and the navigation device 1 are configured to be able to send and receive electronic data to and from each other via the communication network 6. Instead of the navigation device 1, for example, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer may be used.

  Here, the traffic information guidance system 2 according to the present embodiment constitutes a so-called probe car system. Here, the probe car system is a system that collects information using the vehicle 5 as a sensor. Specifically, the vehicle 5 transmits the operation status of each system such as the steering data and the shift position, including the speed data, to the probe center 3 through the communication device previously mounted on the vehicle 5 together with the GPS position information, A system that reuses the collected data as various information on the center side.

  The server device 4 included in the probe center 3 appropriately collects and accumulates probe information (material information) including the current time and travel information from each vehicle 5 that travels throughout the country, and roads from the accumulated probe information. Various types of support information (eg road closure information, accident information, traffic jam information, travel time, etc.) are generated, and the generated support information is distributed to the navigation device 1 and various processes using the support information are performed. It is an information management server. In particular, in the present embodiment, the server device 4 collects information for specifying the current position of the vehicle 5 and the traveling link from each vehicle 5 at a predetermined interval (for example, every several seconds), and statistically analyzes the collected information. Traffic information specifying the event that has occurred is created and distributed to the vehicle 5. “Events occurring on the road” include, for example, traffic jams, accidents, broken cars, road obstacles, construction, work, traffic closure, large-scale traffic closure, entry prohibition, slow speed, speed regulation, entrance closure, entrance restriction, chain There are regulations, lane restrictions, one-sided mutual traffic, face-to-face traffic, etc., especially for events that impede road travel.

  In the present embodiment, the server device 4 also applies to “guidance non-target roads” that are not generally targets for traffic information in addition to “guide target roads” that are generally targets for traffic information. The traffic information is created as an object and distributed to the vehicle 5. In the following description, the “non-guide road” is a narrow street (link that exists only at level 0), and the “guide road” is a general road or highway other than the narrow street. For example, the narrow street is a road having a road width of less than 5.5 m, and the general road is a road other than a highway having a road width of 5.5 m or more. However, the “guide target road” and the “non-guide target road” can be classified based on elements other than the road type, the road width, and the link level.

  On the other hand, the navigation apparatus 1 is mounted on the vehicle 5 and displays a map around the vehicle position based on the stored map data, displays the current position of the vehicle on the map image, and sets the guide route. It is an in-vehicle device that performs movement guidance along. The navigation device 1 also guides the traffic information received from an external server such as the server device 4 to the user. The details of the navigation device 1 will be described later.

  The communication network 6 includes a large number of base stations arranged in various parts of the country and a communication company that manages and controls each base station. The base station and the communication company are connected to each other by wire (optical fiber, ISDN, etc.) or wirelessly. It is configured by connecting. Here, the base station has a transceiver (transmitter / receiver) for communicating with the navigation device 1 and an antenna. The base station performs wireless communication between communication companies, and relays the communication of the navigation device 1 that is at the end of the communication network 6 and is within the range (cell) of the base station's radio waves to and from the server device 4. Have a role to play.

  Then, the structure of the server apparatus 4 which comprises the traffic information guidance system 2 is demonstrated in detail using FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the server device 4 basically includes a server control ECU 11, a probe information DB 12 as information recording means connected to the server control ECU 11, a probe statistical information DB 13, and a center communication device 14. .

  The server control ECU 11 (electronic control unit) is an electronic control unit that performs overall control of the server device 4, and is used as a working memory when the CPU 21 performs various types of arithmetic processing as well as the CPU 21 as the arithmetic device and the control device. In addition to the RAM 22 and the control program, a ROM 23 in which a traffic information statistical processing program (see FIG. 6) described later is recorded, and an internal storage device such as a flash memory 24 for storing the program read from the ROM 23 are provided. .

  The probe information DB 12 is a storage unit that cumulatively stores probe information collected from each vehicle 5 traveling throughout the country. In the present embodiment, the probe information collected from the vehicle 5 includes (a) the date and time, (b) the current position coordinates of the vehicle 5, and (c) the link ID of the link on which the vehicle 5 travels. However, the probe information does not necessarily include all the information on the above (a) to (c), and may include information other than (a) to (c) (for example, vehicle speed). In the traffic information guidance system 2 according to the present embodiment, probe information is also collected from a vehicle traveling on a non-guide road (for example, a narrow street) in addition to the guide road.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of probe information stored in the probe information DB 12. As shown in FIG. 3, the probe information includes a vehicle ID for identifying the transmission source vehicle, information on the above (a) to (c), and the like. For example, the probe information shown in FIG. 3 stores that the vehicle 5 with ID “A” is located at (x1, y1) of the link with ID “100001” at 9:00:05 on March 2. . Similarly, other probe information is also stored.

  On the other hand, the probe statistical information DB 13 is a storage unit that cumulatively stores probe statistical information (traffic information) generated by statistics of the probe information stored in the probe information DB 12. In particular, in the present embodiment, the traffic information for performing statistics on the probe information and referring to information acquired from other external servers, etc., and guiding events occurring in the guidance target roads and the guidance non-target roads nationwide. Generate. Note that the event basically covers an event in which the road travels. Specifically, the traffic information includes the type of event occurring on the road, the cause of the event, the time zone in which the event occurs, the road type of the road on which the event occurs, and the length of the section affected by the event. , Information that specifies the time elapsed since the event occurred, and the degree of traffic congestion on the road where the event occurred.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of probe statistical information stored in the probe statistical information DB 13. As shown in FIG. 4, the probe statistical information is information indicating the content of an event occurring for each link. Specifically, information specifying the date and time of statistics (in the example shown in FIG. 4, statistics are performed at 5-minute intervals), the road type and link ID of the link to be statistics, and the cause of the event And information specifying the type of event, the elapsed time since the event occurred, and the degree of traffic congestion on the road where the event has occurred. For example, in the probe statistical information shown in FIG. 4, the link of ID “100001” has been closed for more than 30 minutes by the marathon event from 9:00 to 9:05 on March 2, resulting in traffic jams. Is remembered. The road type is classified into two types, a guidance target road and a non-guide target road, but may be a more detailed classification. Further, the degree of traffic jam is evaluated in three stages of “traffic jam”, “congestion”, and “vacant” in descending order of the traffic jam, and is specified based on the average vehicle speed and the speed limit of the road. In this embodiment, the length of the section affected by the event (that is, the length of the traffic jam caused by the event) is the link length of the link where the event occurs. It may be stored separately.

  The probe statistical information is generated for each link included in the guidance target roads and the guidance non-target roads nationwide.

  Then, the server device 4 distributes the probe statistical information stored in the probe statistical information DB 13 to the navigation device 1 in response to a request from the navigation device 1. On the other hand, the navigation apparatus 1 to which the probe statistical information is distributed executes various processes for guiding traffic information as described later using the distributed probe statistical information.

  The center communication device 14 is a communication device for communicating with an external traffic information center such as a vehicle 5 or a VICS (registered trademark: Vehicle Information and Communication System) center via the network 15. In the present embodiment, probe information and distribution information are transmitted to and received from each vehicle 5 via the center communication device 14. In addition, information specifying a traffic jam section is acquired from an external traffic information center. However, the server device 4 may identify the traffic jam section based on the probe information collected from each vehicle 5 instead of being acquired from an external server.

  Next, a schematic configuration of the navigation device 1 mounted on the vehicle 5 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the navigation apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the navigation device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a current position detection unit 31 that detects a current position of a vehicle on which the navigation device 1 is mounted, a data recording unit 32 that records various types of data, A navigation ECU 33 that performs various arithmetic processes based on the input information, a touch panel 34 that receives operations from the user, a liquid crystal display 35 that displays a map, traffic information, and the like around the vehicle to the user, and route guidance And a communication module 38 for communicating with an information center such as a probe center 3 or a VICS center.

Below, each component which the navigation apparatus 1 has is demonstrated in order.
The current position detection unit 31 includes a GPS 41, a vehicle speed sensor 42, a steering sensor 43, a gyro sensor 44, and the like, and can detect the current vehicle position, direction, vehicle traveling speed, current time, and the like. . Here, in particular, the vehicle speed sensor 42 is a sensor for detecting a moving distance and a vehicle speed of the vehicle, generates a pulse according to the rotation of the driving wheel of the vehicle, and outputs a pulse signal to the navigation ECU 33. And navigation ECU33 calculates the rotational speed and moving distance of a driving wheel by counting the pulse which generate | occur | produces. Note that the navigation device 1 does not have to include all the four types of sensors, and the navigation device 1 may include only one or more types of sensors.

  The data recording unit 32 reads out an external storage device and a hard disk (not shown) as a recording medium, a map information DB 45, a distribution information DB 46, a predetermined program, and the like recorded on the hard disk and stores predetermined data on the hard disk. And a recording head (not shown) as a driver for writing. The data recording unit 32 may be configured by an optical disk such as a flash memory, a memory card, a CD, or a DVD instead of the hard disk. Further, the map information DB 45 and the distribution information DB 46 may be stored in an external server, and the navigation device 1 may acquire the information by communication.

  Here, the map information DB 45 includes, for example, link data relating to roads (links), node data relating to node points, search data used for processing relating to route search and change, facility data relating to facilities, and a map for displaying a map. The storage means stores display data, intersection data regarding each intersection, search data for searching for a point, and the like.

  The distribution information DB 46 is storage means for storing distribution information (traffic information, probe statistical information) distributed from the server device 4.

  On the other hand, the navigation ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 33 is an electronic control unit that controls the entire navigation device 1. The CPU 51 as an arithmetic device and a control device, and a working memory when the CPU 51 performs various arithmetic processes. As well as the RAM 52 and the control program stored in the RAM 52 and the control program as well as the traffic information guidance processing program (see FIG. 7) described later, etc. An internal storage device such as a flash memory 54 for storing the read program is provided. The navigation ECU 33 has various means as processing algorithms together with the server control ECU 11. For example, the image display means displays a map image on the liquid crystal display 35. The traffic information acquisition means acquires traffic information that guides an event occurring on the road. When the user selects an arbitrary point on the map image displayed on the liquid crystal display 35, the information output means outputs traffic information that guides an event around the selected point to the user.

The touch panel 34 is arranged in front of the display area of the liquid crystal display 35, when scrolling the map image, selecting a button arranged in the display area, or when outputting traffic information as described later. To be operated. Then, the navigation ECU 33 performs “touch-on” in which the user touches the touch panel 34 from a state in which the user does not touch the touch panel 34 based on a detection signal output from the touch panel 34 by the operation of the touch panel 34, Detects “touch-off” that shifts from a touched state to a non-touched state. Further, touch coordinates that are coordinates of a point touched by the user (touch point) and displacement of touch coordinates when an operation for moving the touch point in a touched state (that is, drag operation or flick operation) is received are also detected. . Then, the navigation ECU 33 performs control to execute various operations corresponding to the detected touch operation, touch coordinates, and the like.
Note that an operation unit such as a tablet may be used instead of the touch panel 34 as an operation unit that receives a user's touch operation.

  In addition, the liquid crystal display 35 includes a map image including a road, traffic information, operation guidance, operation menu, key guidance, guidance information along a guidance route (planned travel route), news, weather forecast, time, mail, television. Programs etc. are displayed. In particular, in this embodiment, the traffic information distributed from the server device 4 is displayed. Instead of the liquid crystal display 35, HUD or HMD may be used.

  The speaker 36 outputs voice guidance for guiding traveling along a guidance route (planned traveling route) or traffic information guidance based on an instruction from the navigation ECU 33. In particular, in the present embodiment, the traffic information distributed from the server device 4 is output.

  The DVD drive 37 is a drive that can read data recorded on a recording medium such as a DVD or a CD. Based on the read data, music and video are reproduced, the map information DB 45 is updated, and the like. A card slot for reading / writing a memory card may be provided in place of the DVD drive 37.

  The communication module 38 is a communication device for receiving traffic information transmitted from the probe center 3, the VICS center, other external centers, and the like, and corresponds to, for example, a mobile phone or DCM. In addition, a vehicle-to-vehicle communication device that performs communication between vehicles and a road-to-vehicle communication device that performs communication with roadside devices are also included. It is also used for transmitting and receiving probe information and distribution information to and from the server device 4.

  Next, a traffic information statistical processing program executed in the server device 4 constituting the traffic information guidance system 2 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the traffic information statistical processing program according to the present embodiment. Here, the traffic information statistical processing program is executed after a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) has elapsed since the last time the program was executed, and the current traffic congestion situation is specified based on the probe information transmitted from each vehicle 5. It is a program to do. Note that the program shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 below is stored in the RAM 22 or the ROM 23 provided in the server device 4 and executed by the CPU 21.

  In step (hereinafter abbreviated as “S”) 1, the CPU 21 determines that the probe information currently stored in the probe information DB 12 is in a period from the current time (ie, the time when statistics are performed) to a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes). Such probe information is extracted. As shown in FIG. 3, the probe information includes “date and time when the vehicle detected the current position”, “vehicle ID for identifying the vehicle”, “current position coordinates of the vehicle 5”, and “the vehicle 5 is traveling. Link ID "of the link to be performed. In particular, the probe information corresponding to the period from the present time to a predetermined time before the “date and time when the vehicle detected the current position” is extracted.

  The probe information is generated at a very short time interval (for example, every several seconds) in the navigation device 1 mounted on each vehicle 5 traveling throughout the country, and is sequentially transmitted to the server device 4. On the other hand, the server device 4 accumulates the received probe information and stores it in the probe information DB 12. Further, when the navigation apparatus 1 generates probe information, the current position coordinates of the vehicle are detected using the GPS 41, the vehicle speed sensor 42, and the like. The link ID of the link on which the vehicle 5 travels is specified by performing a map matching process for matching the current position of the vehicle with the map information. Further, when the link on which the vehicle 5 travels is specified, it is preferable to specify the link with the level 0 of the smallest unit (finest) including the narrow streets.

  Next, in S <b> 2, the CPU 21 generates “information of the type of event”, “cause of the event”, “event” for the link in which an event that causes trouble in road travel occurs at the time of generating the traffic information. "Elapsed time since occurrence of" and road type (guide target road, guidance non-target road) "are acquired. “Event types” include, for example, traffic jams, accidents, broken vehicles, road obstacles, construction, work, traffic closure, large traffic closure, entry prohibition, slow speed, speed regulation, entrance closure, entrance restriction, chain regulation, lane There are regulations, one-way traffic, face-to-face traffic, etc. Further, “cause of occurrence of an event” includes, for example, road construction, an accident, and event holding. Further, the “elapsed time from the occurrence of the event” may be a time from the occurrence of the event to the end of the event as long as the time at which the event ends can be predicted. In addition, about the identification of the link where the event that interferes with driving on the road occurs, and the acquisition of “the type of the event that occurred”, “the cause that the event has occurred”, and “the elapsed time since the event occurred” May be performed based on information acquired from another external server, or may be specified using probe information as long as it can be specified from the probe information extracted in S1. In addition to “guide target roads” that are generally targets for traffic information, in addition to “guide non-target roads” that are not generally targets for traffic information, the same applies when an event occurs. Acquire various information.

  Subsequently, in S3, the CPU 21 calculates the average vehicle speed of the vehicle traveling on the road for each link by statistics of the probe information extracted in S1. Based on the average vehicle speed of the vehicle and the speed limit set on the road, the degree of congestion is calculated for each link. The speed limit set for the road is obtained from the map information. The degree of traffic congestion is evaluated in three levels, “congested”, “congested”, and “empty” in descending order of the degree of traffic congestion. For example, when the average vehicle speed is less than 20% of the speed limit, “congestion”, when the average vehicle speed is less than 40% of the speed limit, “congested”, and when the average vehicle speed is 40% or more of the speed limit Is “empty”. However, the threshold value of the congestion degree may be set based on the road type instead of the speed limit. In addition to “guide target roads” that are generally targets for traffic information, the degree of congestion is also calculated for “non-guide target roads” that are not generally targets for traffic information.

  In S3, the degree of congestion may be calculated based on the mode value or median value of the vehicle speeds of each vehicle, instead of the average vehicle speed obtained by averaging the vehicle speeds of the vehicles. Further, the unit of the section for calculating the traffic congestion degree may be a finer distance unit (for example, 10 m unit) instead of the link unit.

  Subsequently, in S4, the CPU 21 generates probe statistical information (traffic information) by combining the information related to the event occurring in the link acquired in S2 and the congestion degree acquired in S3, and stores it in the probe statistical information DB 13 (See FIG. 4). The probe statistics information includes information for specifying the date and time when statistics are performed (in the example shown in FIG. 4, statistics are performed at intervals of 5 minutes), the road type and link ID of the link to be statistics, and an event. Information that identifies the cause of the event, the type of event, the length of the section affected by the event, the elapsed time since the event occurred, and the congestion level of the road where the event occurs. And after performing the process of said S1-S4 for the guidance object road and guidance non-object road in the whole country, it transfers to S5.

  In S5, the CPU 21 distributes the probe statistical information stored in the probe statistical information DB 13 to the requested vehicle 5 as distribution information. In addition, you may distribute to all the vehicles 5 in the state which can communicate irrespective of the presence or absence of a distribution request. Or you may make it deliver only with respect to the vehicle located around the event used as guidance object by traffic information.

  Next, a traffic information guidance processing program executed in the navigation device 1 constituting the traffic information guidance system 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the traffic information guidance processing program according to the present embodiment. Here, the traffic information guidance processing program is executed after the ACC power supply (accessory power supply) of the vehicle is turned on, and the traffic information generated by the traffic information statistical processing program (FIG. 6) is transmitted to the vehicle occupant. This is a program to guide you. Note that the program shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7 below is stored in the RAM 52, ROM 53, and the like provided in the navigation device 1, and is executed by the CPU 51.

  First, in the traffic information guidance processing program, in S11, the CPU 51 receives traffic information distributed from the probe center 3, the VICS center, or the like. Note that only the traffic information around the current position of the vehicle may be received, or a wider range of traffic information may be received. If a guidance route (scheduled travel route of the host vehicle) is set in the navigation device 1, traffic information around the guidance route may be used.

  The received traffic information is stored in the distribution information DB 46. In S11, traffic information about the non-guide target road is acquired in addition to the guide target road.

  Next, in S12, based on the traffic information acquired in S11, the CPU 51 displays an icon indicating the contents of the event on the map image for the event on the guidance target road included in the guidance target area. Specifically, for a point or section where an event occurs on the map image, an icon corresponding to the type of event (for example, an icon indicating an accident if an accident occurs, an icon indicating a lane restriction if a lane restriction) Is displayed. In addition, for a section where traffic congestion occurs, a color line segment (a type of icon) corresponding to the traffic congestion level is displayed along the road. Information specifying the position where the event has occurred is included in the traffic information acquired in S11. The guidance target area is basically an area where a map image is displayed on the liquid crystal display 35. However, when a guidance route (scheduled travel route of the host vehicle) is set in the navigation device 1, only the guidance route among the areas where the map image is displayed may be used as the guidance target area. Further, only the route along the road with respect to the current position of the host vehicle may be set as the guidance target area.

  Subsequently, in S13, the CPU 51 targets the guidance non-target road within a predetermined distance (for example, 1 km) from the section where the traffic jam occurs on the guidance target road, and similarly, for the event on the non-guide target road, Displays icons and line segments indicating the contents on the map image. The section where the traffic jam occurs is a section where the traffic congestion degree is “congested” or higher, but may be a section where the traffic congestion degree is “congestion”.

  In S13, the non-guide road that is within the predetermined distance from the section where the traffic jam occurs in the guidance target road and is connected to the guidance target road within the predetermined range (for example, within 1 km from the section). It is desirable to display icons and line segments for. In particular, when a guidance route (scheduled travel route of the host vehicle) is set in the navigation device 1, icons and line segments are displayed for guidance non-target roads connected to the guidance route within a predetermined range. Is desirable. Moreover, you may display an icon and a line segment for the guidance non-target road connected within the predetermined range with the path | route along the road with respect to the present position of the own vehicle. As a result, it is possible to display icons and line segments for non-guide roads that can be selected as a detour for the user.

  For example, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the travel guidance screen 61 displayed on the liquid crystal display 35 when icons and line segments for the guidance target road and the guidance non-target road are displayed in S12 and S13. As shown in FIG. 8, the travel guidance screen 61 displays a map image 62 around the current position of the vehicle and a vehicle position mark 63 indicating the current position of the vehicle. Further, on the guidance target road and the non-guidance target road included in the map image, an icon 64 indicating a road closure is displayed at a point where the road is closed, and an icon 65 indicating an accident is displayed at a point where the accident occurs. An icon 66 indicating the lane restriction is displayed at a point where the lane restriction occurs. In addition, when other events (for example, chain regulation, broken persons, etc.) have occurred, icons corresponding to the other events are also displayed. Further, for a section where traffic congestion occurs, a line segment 67 is displayed along the road in a color corresponding to the traffic congestion level (for example, “congestion” is red and “congestion” is yellow).

  As a result, for example, when the user visually recognizes the travel guidance screen 61 shown in FIG. 8, the user can grasp an event occurring in the traveling direction ahead of the guidance target road on which the host vehicle travels. Furthermore, when there is a traffic jam on the guidance target road, it is possible to grasp an event occurring on the guidance non-target road in the vicinity. Therefore, when detouring traffic, an appropriate detour route can be selected.

  Subsequently, in S14, the CPU 51 calculates the priority for each piece of traffic information that guides the event in which the icon is displayed in S12 and S13. Note that the process of S14 is omitted when only one icon is displayed or when no icon is displayed.

Here, the priority calculated in S14 is a value indicating the degree of influence of the traffic information on the user (the degree of importance for the user). Specifically, an evaluation value is first calculated for each traffic information by the following formula (1).
Evaluation value = β1 × “time zone” + β2 × “road type” + β3 × “section length” + β4 × “event type” + β5 × “effect time” + β6 × “congestion level” 1)
(Β1 to β6 are coefficients)

The “time zone” is a value determined by the time zone in which an event occurs (that is, the current time zone in which traffic information is guided), and is set as follows, for example.
Commuting time zone (8:00 to 9:00, 17:00 to 19:00) ... a1
Daytime (for example, 11: 00-15: 00) ... a2
Night (for example, from 19:00 to 5:00) ... a3
Other time zone ... a4
The magnitude relationship between the values is a1>a2>a3> a4.

The “road type” is a value determined by the road type of the road in which the event occurs, and is set as follows, for example.
Guidance target road (highway, general road) ... b1
Non-guided road (narrow street) b2
The magnitude relationship between the values is b1> b2.

The “section length” is a value determined by the length of the section affected by the event (that is, the length of the traffic jam caused by the event). For example, the value is set as follows.
3km or more c1
Less than 3km ... c2
The magnitude relationship between the values is c1> c2. In this embodiment, the length of the section affected by the event is the link length of the link where the event occurs, but the length of the section affected by the event may be calculated separately based on the probe information.

The “event type” is a value determined by the type of event that has occurred, and is set as follows, for example.
Closed road ... d1
Accident ... d2
Lane regulation ... d3
Others ... d4
The magnitude relationship between the values is d1>d2>d3> d4.

The “influence time” is a value determined by the elapsed time since the occurrence of the event, and is set as follows, for example.
More than 30 minutes ... e1
Less than 30 minutes ... e2
The magnitude relationship between the values is e1> e2. The elapsed time from the occurrence of the event may be the time from the occurrence of the event to the end of the event as long as the time at which the event ends can be predicted.

The “congestion degree” is a value determined by the congestion degree of the road where the event occurs (that is, the congestion degree of the congestion caused by the event). For example, the value is set as follows.
Traffic jam ... f1
Congestion ... f2
Empty (no traffic jam) ... f3
The magnitude relationship between the values is f1>f2> f3.

  Coefficients β1 to β6 are coefficients for weighting the above elements. It may be a fixed value or a variable. It is desirable to set the coefficient for an element that has a large degree of influence by the user to a larger value. For example, β5 can be set to the largest value.

  Thereafter, the evaluation values calculated for the respective traffic information guiding the event in which the icon is displayed in S12 and S13 are compared, and the priority is set in order from the highest evaluation value. For example, when there are three pieces of traffic information shown in FIG. 9 as the traffic information for guiding the event whose icon is displayed in S12 and S13, each traffic information is based on the evaluation value calculated by the above formula (1). Is set to 1 to 3.

  Next, in S <b> 15, the CPU 51 determines whether or not the user has selected any point on the map image displayed on the liquid crystal display 35 based on the detection signal transmitted from the touch panel 34.

  When it is determined that the user has selected any point on the map image displayed on the liquid crystal display 35 (S15: YES), the process proceeds to S16. On the other hand, if it is determined that the user has not selected any point on the map image displayed on the liquid crystal display 35 (S15: NO), the process returns to S11, and traffic information based on icons and line segments. Continue to display.

  In S16, the CPU 51 calculates the position coordinates (coordinates on the map) of the point selected by the user based on the touch coordinates and the map information. Note that the touch coordinates are the coordinates of the position of the touch point where the user touches the operation surface of the touch panel 34 (it is considered that the capacitance has changed in the capacitance method). Moreover, although a detection period changes with kinds of the touch panel 34, it becomes 200 Hz-2 kHz, for example. As the touch panel 34, a detection method (for example, a resistance film method) other than the electrostatic capacitance method may be used.

  Next, in S17, the CPU 51, based on the position coordinates calculated in S16, within a predetermined distance from the point selected by the user among the traffic information that guides the event in which the icon is displayed in S12 and S13. The traffic information that guides the event at is extracted. The predetermined distance is preferably changed according to the display scale of the map image. For example, the distance is 3 cm on the display screen (for example, 300 m for a scale of 1/10000).

  In addition, when the user performs a drag operation on the map image, that is, when the selected point is moved after selecting an arbitrary point on the map image, the predetermined point is selected from the point selected by the user in S17. It is desirable to extract traffic information that guides an event on a road that is within a distance and that corresponds to the moving direction (drag direction) of the selected point. For example, when the user receives an operation of dragging north on the map image, traffic information that guides an event on a road arranged in the north-south direction is extracted. As a result, it is possible to select the traffic information that the user particularly desires for detailed guidance using the road.

  Thereafter, in S18, the CPU 51 determines whether or not there is a plurality of traffic information extracted in S17.

  When it is determined that there are a plurality of traffic information extracted in S17 (S18: YES), the process proceeds to S20. On the other hand, when it is determined that the traffic information extracted in S17 is only one (S18: NO), the process proceeds to S19.

  In S19, the CPU 51 displays the details of the traffic information extracted in S17 on the liquid crystal display 35. For example, FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the travel guidance screen 61 displayed on the liquid crystal display 35 when the details of the traffic information are displayed in S19. As shown in FIG. 10, an information window 71 for displaying details of traffic information is displayed on the travel guidance screen 61, and the detailed contents of target traffic information are described in the information window 71. For example, “type of event that has occurred”, “cause that event has occurred”, “period in which an event is expected to occur”, and the like are displayed. The content displayed in the information window 71 is more detailed information than the information obtained from the icon at least about the content of the event guided by the traffic information. In addition, about the detail of the traffic information displayed by said S19, the information contained in the traffic information acquired by said S11 may be acquired from this traffic information, and may be newly acquired from an external server. . Thereafter, the traffic information guidance processing program ends.

  On the other hand, in S20, the CPU 51 displays the details of the traffic information having the highest priority calculated in S14 among the traffic information extracted in S17 on the liquid crystal display 35. For example, FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a travel guidance screen 61 displayed on the liquid crystal display 35 when the traffic information details are displayed in S20. As shown in FIG. 11, an information window 71 for displaying details of traffic information is displayed on the travel guidance screen 61, and the details of the target traffic information are described in the information window 71. An alphabet is additionally displayed next to an icon for guiding an event within a predetermined distance from the point selected by the user (that is, an icon corresponding to the traffic information extracted in S17). It is given in order from (A) in descending order of priority of corresponding traffic information. Furthermore, in the information window 71, alphabets corresponding to traffic information for displaying the current details are described. The information window 71 also displays the scroll button 72. When the user presses the scroll button 72, the traffic information whose details are displayed in the information window 71 as described later is displayed in the traffic information extracted in S17. It becomes possible to switch sequentially.

  Thereafter, in S21, the CPU 51 determines whether or not an operation for switching the traffic information displaying details to other traffic information has been performed. In particular, in the present embodiment, when the scroll button 72 displayed in the information window 71 is operated, it is determined that an operation for switching the traffic information displaying details to other traffic information has been performed.

  And when it determines with operation which switches the traffic information which displays details to other traffic information having been performed (S21: YES), it transfers to S22. On the other hand, when it is determined that the operation for switching the traffic information displaying details to other traffic information is not performed (S21: NO), the traffic information guidance processing program is terminated.

  In S22, the CPU 51 displays the details of the traffic information having the second highest priority calculated in S14 among the traffic information extracted in S17 on the liquid crystal display 35. As a result, when the user presses the scroll button 72 as shown in FIG. 12, the traffic information whose details are displayed in the information window 71 is the traffic information having the second highest priority from the traffic information having the highest priority. It will be switched to. When the scroll button 72 is further pressed, the traffic information whose details are displayed in the information window 71 is switched from the traffic information having the second highest priority to the traffic information having the third highest priority. .

  As a result of performing the processing of S20 to S22, when the user selects a point on the map image and requests details of the traffic information, there is a plurality of traffic information that guides an event around the selected point. In addition, it is possible to preferentially output the details of traffic information with high priority (that is, traffic information related to an event to be guided to the user). Furthermore, it becomes possible to sequentially switch the traffic information to be output by the user's operation.

  As described in detail above, the navigation apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment acquires traffic information that guides an event occurring on the road (S11), and the acquired traffic information together with the map image is displayed on the liquid crystal display 35 by an icon. On the other hand, when the user selects an arbitrary point on the map image displayed on the display device (S12, S13), traffic information that guides an event around the selected point is extracted (S17). ), When there are a plurality of extracted traffic information, traffic information having a high priority set based on the contents of the event to be guided is output preferentially (S20 to S22). In the case where there are a plurality of events, it is possible to preferentially output traffic information related to events to be guided to the user. As a result, it is possible to allow the user to perform appropriate travel based on traffic information.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
For example, in this embodiment, “guide target roads” that are generally targets for traffic information are general roads and highways other than narrow streets, and “non-guide roads” that are not targets for traffic information are narrow targets. Although it is a street (a link that exists only at level 0), the classification of “guide target road” and “guidance non-target road” can be changed as appropriate.

  In the present embodiment, the user selects an arbitrary point on the map image using the touch panel 34 when requesting detailed traffic information. However, a method other than the touch panel 34 may be used to select the point. For example, it may be performed by moving a pointer with a controller or a mouse.

  In the present embodiment, the icons 64 to 66 corresponding to the type of the event are displayed for the point or section where the event occurs on the map image, but the icons 64 to 66 are not necessarily displayed. No. Moreover, although the output of the traffic information in said S19, S20, S22 is performed by the display with respect to the liquid crystal display 35, you may carry out by the audio | voice output from a speaker.

  In the present embodiment, the execution subject of the traffic information statistical processing program shown in FIG. 6 is the server device 4, but may be configured to be executed by the navigation device 1. Further, the server device 4 and the navigation device 1 may each partially execute. In addition, when the navigation apparatus 1 executes the traffic information statistical processing program, it is desirable to acquire the travel history of other vehicles via the server apparatus 4 or by inter-vehicle communication.

  Further, instead of the navigation device 1, the traffic information guidance system 2 can be configured by another device having a travel guidance function. For example, in-vehicle devices other than the navigation device 1, mobile phones, smartphones, tablet terminals, personal computers, and the like are possible. In that case, in addition to the vehicle travel guidance, it is also possible to provide travel guidance for moving bodies other than the vehicle (pedestrians, bicycles, etc.).

  Moreover, although the embodiment which actualized the traffic information guidance device according to the present invention has been described above, the traffic information guidance device can also have the following configuration, and in this case, the following effects can be obtained.

For example, the first configuration is as follows.
An image display means (51) for displaying the map image (62) on the display device (35), a traffic information acquisition means (51) for acquiring traffic information for guiding an event occurring on the road, and the user An information output means (51) for outputting, to the user, traffic information for guiding an event around the selected point when an arbitrary point on the map image displayed on the display device is selected; The information output means preferentially outputs traffic information having a high priority set based on the content of the event to be guided when there are a plurality of traffic information to be output.
According to the traffic information guide device having the above-described configuration, when there are a plurality of events around the point selected by the user, it is possible to preferentially output the traffic information regarding the event to be guided to the user. As a result, it is possible to allow the user to perform appropriate travel based on traffic information.

The second configuration is as follows.
When the user moves the selected point after selecting an arbitrary point on the map image (62) displayed on the display device (35), the information output means (51) Traffic information for guiding an event on a road arranged in a corresponding direction is output to the user.
According to the traffic information guide device having the above configuration, when there are a plurality of events around the point selected by the user, the traffic information of the event on the road that the user desires to output based on the user's operation content is stored in advance. It becomes possible to sort. As a result, it is possible to output traffic information desired by the user.

The third configuration is as follows.
There is icon display means (51) for displaying icons (64-66) indicating the contents of the event at the position where the event exists on the map screen (62), and the information output means (51) is based on the traffic information. The event to be guided is output with more detailed content than the icon.
According to the traffic information guide device having the above configuration, the user can grasp the existence of the event by the icon, while the traffic information related to the event to be guided to the user can be output in more detail than the icon. It becomes.

The fourth configuration is as follows.
The priority of the traffic information includes the type of event guided by the traffic information, the time zone in which the event occurs, the road type of the road in which the event occurs, the length of the section affected by the event, and the occurrence of the event Is set based on at least one of the elapsed time and the degree of traffic congestion on the road where the event occurs.
According to the traffic information guide apparatus having the above-described configuration, it is possible to accurately determine traffic information related to an event to be guided to the user.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Navigation apparatus 2 Traffic information guidance system 3 Probe center 4 Server apparatus 5 Vehicle 11 Server control ECU
33 Navigation ECU
51 CPU
61 Traveling guidance screen 62 Map image 64-66 Icon 71 Information window

Claims (5)

Image display means for displaying a map image on a display device;
Traffic information acquisition means for acquiring traffic information for guiding events occurring on the road;
An information output means for outputting, to the user, traffic information for guiding an event around the selected point when the user selects an arbitrary point on the map image displayed on the display device; Have
The information output means is a traffic information guidance device that preferentially outputs high-priority traffic information that is set based on the content of an event to be guided when there is a plurality of traffic information to be output.   The information output means is a road arranged in a direction corresponding to a moving direction when the user moves a selected point after selecting an arbitrary point on the map image displayed on the display device. The traffic information guide device according to claim 1, wherein the traffic information that guides an event is output to the user. An icon display means for displaying an icon indicating the content of the event at a position where the event exists on the map screen;
The traffic information guide device according to claim 1, wherein the information output unit outputs more detailed information than the information obtained from the icon regarding the content of the event guided by the traffic information.   The priority of the traffic information includes the type of event guided by the traffic information, the time zone in which the event occurs, the road type of the road in which the event occurs, the length of the section affected by the event, and the occurrence of the event The traffic information guidance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the traffic information guidance device is set based on at least one of an elapsed time and a degree of traffic jam on a road where an event occurs. Computer
Image display means for displaying a map image on a display device;
Traffic information acquisition means for acquiring traffic information for guiding events occurring on the road;
An information output means for outputting, to the user, traffic information for guiding an event around the selected point when the user selects an arbitrary point on the map image displayed on the display device; A computer program for functioning,
The information output means is a computer program that preferentially outputs high-priority traffic information that is set based on the content of an event to be guided when there is a plurality of traffic information to be output.