JP3277831B2 - Dynamic route guidance device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a dynamic route guidance device,
In particular, the present invention relates to a system in which guidance target data such as a destination is transmitted from a vehicle to a control center, and the control center returns a recommended route to the guidance target such as the destination to the vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, a vehicle transmits destination data of a vehicle to a road beacon, and a traffic control center connected to the road beacon calculates a recommended route to the destination and transmits the recommended route to the vehicle via the road beacon. A system for replying has been proposed.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-190794 discloses a vehicle which is provided with a device for searching for a route to a destination. A route sent from a traffic control center via a road beacon has higher reliability. There is disclosed an apparatus that determines whether a route is high and valid and selects one of the routes according to the determination result.

[0004]

The traffic control center acquires data on traffic conditions that change every moment and presents a recommended route based on this data. Therefore, the vehicle obtains the latest recommended route as possible as a vehicle. It is desirable. However, depending on the destination data to be sent to the control center, this system (hereinafter referred to as UTMS (Universal Traffic Manager)
nt Systems): There is a case where the service of the integrated traffic control system cannot be received (for example, when the position corresponding to the destination data is out of the service area). In this case, even if the destination data is transmitted to the road beacon, the control center cannot obtain the data on the recommended route, so that there is a problem that the vehicle must travel on the route originally searched by the vehicle. Was.

[0005] Even if the destination data is within the service area, there is a problem that the recommended route is not returned in the following cases. In other words, the traffic control center prepares a plurality of recommended routes for one destination in advance, and returns a route selected from the recommended routes to the vehicle according to traffic conditions. If there is a common link (connecting nodes indicating intersections and bends) to all of the recommended route candidates for the ground, and if that link becomes impassable due to construction or accident, Because the recommended route candidate is not allowed to pass, the control center cannot return a recommended route according to the destination data sent from the vehicle.

Further, even if the destination data is within the area of the service and a recommended route is obtained from the control center, it is desired to obtain traffic data near the destination, particularly, beyond the destination. In some cases, the conventional technique has a problem that the user must input new destination data and acquire information from the control center each time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the related art, and has as its object to easily and reliably obtain information that a user wants to obtain. It is an object of the present invention to provide a dynamic route guidance device that enables a vehicle to travel smoothly.

[0008]

To achieve the above object, according to the Invention The recommended route first invention, which transmits the destination data <br/> from the vehicle to the control center, leading to the destination data in the control center a dynamic route guidance apparatus for route guidance system to reply to the vehicle in search of the destination data from the control center
When the recommended route leading to is not returned, the purpose
New destination closer to vehicle location than location in location data
It is characterized by comprising transmission means for automatically transmitting data .

Further, a second invention, transmits the destination data from the vehicle to the control center, the destination data in the control center
A dynamic route guidance apparatus for route guidance system to reply to the vehicle in search a recommended route leading to the motor, before the control center
If you receive a suggested route to your destination data ,
Under certain conditions, the vehicle position is more than the position of the destination data.
It is characterized by comprising a transmission means for automatically transmitting new farther destination data .

Further, the third invention, in the second invention, the predetermined condition, characterized in that the recommended route is a condition which is not substantially updated.

In a fourth aspect based on the first aspect, the new destination data is a link connected to a branch point.

Further, the fifth invention, transmits the destination data from the vehicle to the control center, the destination data in the control center
A dynamic route guidance apparatus for route guidance system to reply to the vehicle in search a recommended route leading to the motor, position it different from each other
A plurality of transmitting means, wherein the transmitting destination data that is characterized by having an evaluation means for evaluating a plurality of recommended route transmitted from the control center on the basis of each of the destination data.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the present embodiment. The antenna 10 and the wireless communication unit 12 are for performing bidirectional data communication between the road beacon and the vehicle. The control unit 16 including a microcomputer and a memory is connected to the wireless communication unit 12, and the destination data and the vehicle-related data (for example, vehicle speed) input from the operation unit 24 are transmitted to the wireless communication unit 12.
And transmits the recommended route data received from the road beacon on the display unit 20 or outputs it to the voice output unit 22 by voice. The operation unit 24 can be composed of, for example, a touch switch or the like on a liquid crystal screen.
The operation unit 24 can also be used. The position evaluation sensor unit 14 is configured by a GPS, a wheel speed sensor, a gyro sensor, and the like, detects a current position of the vehicle, and supplies the current position to the control unit 16. A map data storage unit 1 such as a CD-ROM
8 stores road information (road type, road, etc.) necessary for road map display and route search.
Using these data, the map data and the current position are superimposed and displayed on the display unit 20, and the route to the destination can be searched independently of the control center. Also,
The map data storage unit 18 also stores UTMS link data, which is road link data of the control center, in addition to the map data, and stores the correspondence between the links on the map data and the UTMS links. Specifically, an identification number is assigned to each of the link on the road map data and the UTMS link, and the duplicate flag “1” is set for both links existing at the same position. In such a configuration, when the user uses the UTMS, when the destination data is input from the operation unit 24, the control unit 26 selects the UTMS link closest to the input destination and transmits the data to the guidance target data. To the road beacon (control center) via the wireless communication unit 12. Hereinafter, the link sent to the control center is referred to as a transmission link. At the control center, the received transmission link is terminated, and a recommended route that minimizes the cost from the current location is obtained and returned to the vehicle side. The cost calculation is performed based on link costs (running time) and connection costs (infinite in the case of entry prohibition, etc.), as well as traffic conditions (for example, traffic congestion and accident information) obtained from time to time by the control center. For example, if traffic congestion occurs on a certain link, the cost of that link will increase according to the degree of congestion compared to other links. The cost of the link is infinite. Then, the recommended route sent from the control center is sent to the control unit 16 via the antenna 10 and the wireless communication unit 12. The control unit 16 that has received the recommended route from the control center combines the previously obtained search route and the received recommended route into a final route, and displays the final route.
To be displayed.

If the input destination data is distant and the transmission link is outside the UTMS area, the control center cannot present a recommended route,
Reply that "Destination is abnormal". In this case, if new destination data is input again, the burden on the user increases. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the UTM
The service area of S is grasped in advance, so that destination data from which a recommended route can be reliably obtained can be transmitted.

FIG. 2 shows a processing flowchart of the control unit 16. First, the control unit 16 determines whether a destination has been set (S101). If the destination has not been set yet, there is no need to perform any processing since the UTMS is not used originally.
It is preferable to know the UTMS service area in advance in preparation for using S. Therefore, even when the destination is not set, a link satisfying the transmission link determination coefficient in the traveling direction of the vehicle is automatically transmitted to the control center as a transmission link (S102). Here, the transmission link determination coefficient is a parameter indicating the radius of the UTMS service area centered on the current position of the vehicle, and is initially set to a certain value (for example, a radius of 10 km). After transmitting the transmission link, it is determined whether or not information has been received from an optical beacon, which is a road beacon (S103). If the information has been received, it is further confirmed whether or not the information includes a destination abnormality flag (step S103). S104). If the destination is not abnormal, that is, if the control center returns a recommended route based on the transmission link, the transmission link determined in S102 is within the service area, and there is a possibility that the service area covers farther. Therefore, the transmission link determination coefficient is increased and corrected (S105). As a result, the transmission link next sent to the control center in S102 is farther from the previous transmission link when viewed from the current value. If the destination abnormal flag is included, it means that the transmission link determined in S102 is already outside the service area of the UTMS, so that a transmission link closer to the current location is transmitted. Then, the transmission link determination coefficient is corrected to decrease (S106). By repeating the automatic transmission-reception-coefficient correction-automatic transmission, the boundary of the UTMS service area viewed from the current position can be reliably grasped, and the transmission link in the service area can be selected. on the other hand,
When a destination is set, first, a route to the destination is searched independently using the map data stored in the map data storage unit 18, and a transmission link determination coefficient is determined on the obtained searched route. The link closest to the destination among the UTMS links that are satisfied is set as the transmission link (S107). In order to select a UTMS link on the search path, the duplication flag of the search link is checked, a link whose duplication flag is 1 is searched, and the corresponding UTMS link is read. Also, the transmission link determination coefficient is initially set to a certain value as in the case where the destination is not set, but if the destination is not set when the vehicle-side system is started, the above-described steps S105 and S105 are performed. Since the transmission link determination coefficient is adjusted in the process of S106, the adjusted value can be used as an initial value when a destination is set thereafter. Then, it is determined whether or not information has been received from the optical beacon (S108). When the information has been received, it is next confirmed whether or not a destination abnormality flag is included (S10).
9). If the destination is not abnormal, that is, if a recommended route ending with the transmission link is returned from the control center, the process can be terminated because this recommended route is the route desired by the user. In order to acquire the traffic situation data near the ground, it is determined whether or not a predetermined condition α is satisfied (S110). Here, the condition α means a condition that does not hinder the collection of the route and travel time information, which is the original purpose, and is a condition under which substantially no updated information is lost. In addition, "substantially"
Means that the received recommended route changes in at least a part of the route, and that the received information may be substantially updated. (1) Information provision time (not reception time) When more than 5 minutes have passed since (2) advancing the vehicle (even if the transmission link determination coefficient is constant), an intersection of three or more forks with another UTMS link is formed between the transmission link changed far and the original transmission link. When there is a link (in this case, an excellent detour may be added as a recommended route candidate on the control center side) (3) When an event that significantly impedes traffic flow occurs on the recommended route, etc. There is. Therefore, the condition α is specifically a case other than these. For example, if five minutes have not elapsed since the information provision time, it is considered that there is no substantial change in the received recommended route information, and the transmission link determination coefficient is increased and corrected assuming that the condition α is satisfied (S111). Send to control center. The transmission link at this time is a temporary transmission link different from the transmission link indicating the original destination data, and it is preferable that a flag indicating the temporary transmission link be transmitted at the same time. The control center that has received the temporary transmission flag returns a traffic situation farther from the current location than the original destination to the vehicle. If the condition α is not satisfied, that is, if the received information (information related to the original destination) is likely to be largely updated because it corresponds to any of the above (1) to (3), Since it is not appropriate to transmit a temporary transmission link, the transmission link determination coefficient is not corrected. If the transmission link selected in S107 is outside the service area, the control center returns a destination abnormality flag (N in S109).
O), the transmission link determination coefficient is corrected to decrease and the next transmission link is set as a transmission link closer to the current location (S10
6).

As described above, when the destination is not set, the transmission link is changed in accordance with the response result from the control center and the transmission is automatically performed sequentially, so that the service area of the UTMS can be reliably grasped. Even if the destination is set and the recommended route is returned from the control center because the transmission link is within the service area, a temporary link different from the original transmission link under certain conditions By automatically transmitting the transmission link, traffic conditions near the destination can be obtained.

If no destination is set,
A plurality of transmission links may be transmitted at one time as long as the control center permits, instead of automatically changing the transmission link sequentially according to the response result from the control center. In this case, the control center obtains a recommended route for each of the plurality of received transmission links, returns a recommended route for a certain transmission link, and sets a destination abnormality flag for another transmission link when the transmission link is out of the service area. Will reply. Therefore, the control unit 16 of the vehicle can quickly grasp the service area of the UTMS by evaluating the plurality of return results. The transmission links to be simultaneously transmitted may be, for example, 4 to 5 transmission links separated by 5 km.

It is also conceivable to simultaneously transmit a plurality of links (near the destination) in the service area in addition to the original destination. In this case, a special flag (a flag indicating a temporary destination) is set for links other than the original destination data and transmitted, so that a recommended route to the destination and traffic in the vicinity thereof are set. You can get the situation at once.

Further, in this embodiment, the UTMS link is transmitted as the destination data, but a node may be transmitted instead of the link.

<Second Embodiment> In the above-described first embodiment, a case has been described in which useful information is acquired by automatically transmitting a plurality of transmission links to a control center sequentially or simultaneously. A case in which a recommended route is reliably acquired by automatically transmitting a plurality of transmission links to the control center sequentially will be described.

In FIG. 3, a solid line is a UTMS link included in the control center, and a thin line is a non-UTMS link (a fine link on the map data) that only the vehicle has in the map data. Now, UTMS links GH, FG, EF,
It is assumed that the control center prepares two candidate routes as recommended routes to the DE in advance as follows.

Link GH: ABCDEFGH, ABCIEGH Link FG: ABCDEFG, ABCIEFG Link EF: ABCDEF, ABCIEF Link DE: ABCDE, ABCJDE It is assumed that the vehicle does not know what route is prepared as a recommended route candidate. . In such a case, if a link GH is transmitted from the vehicle as destination data, for example, a route with a lower cost, for example, ABCDEFGH is returned as a recommended route in consideration of traffic conditions. In the case that the road is impassable due to construction or accidents between the BCs, both of the candidate routes use the link BC.
Any of the routes becomes inappropriate as a recommended route.
Therefore, the control center returns a traffic abnormality flag to the vehicle, and the vehicle cannot obtain useful route information.

On the other hand, as is apparent from FIG. 3, if the link DE is not transmitted as the destination data but the link DE is transmitted, the route of the ABJDE which does not pass through the link BC is sent to the control center side. Is prepared as a recommended route candidate, so that even if the link BC is impassable, the control center can return this route to the vehicle as a recommended route. Therefore, when the traffic abnormality flag is received when the link GH is transmitted from the vehicle, the link DE may be transmitted next.

FIG. 4 shows a control unit 16 according to this embodiment.
Is shown. First, among the search links, the number of the link corresponding to the UTMS link to be transmitted to the control center is transmitted to the control center as m0, and the identification number i is set to 0 (S201). Note that the search link is a route search link corresponding to the road data stored in the map data storage unit 18 (covers fine roads such as prefectural roads and forest roads in addition to main roads). The link selected first for transmission to the destination is the link closest to the destination, but if the destination is outside the service area or if a waypoint is set, select the link corresponding to that To the control center. Next, it is confirmed whether or not a traffic abnormality flag has been received from a traffic control center via a road beacon (S2).
02). If the traffic abnormal flag is not received, it means that the transmitted transmission link was appropriate, so there is no problem.If the traffic abnormal flag is received, it is determined that part of the recommended route is impassable as described above. May have become. Therefore, the control unit 1 searches for an appropriate transmission link.
6 confirms that the search link number m is larger than the predetermined value k (S203), and then reduces the search link number m by 1 to select a search link closer to the current location (S20).
4) It is checked whether the duplication flag F is 1, that is, whether the corresponding UTMS link exists (S2).
05). The reason that m> k is confirmed in S203 is to obtain a recommended route to a certain distance.
And if there is a corresponding UTMS link,
It is confirmed that the corresponding link is not the same as the previous transmission link (S206), and the corresponding UTMS link number selected this time is substituted as a new identification number i (S20).
7). Then, it is determined whether or not a plurality of UTMS links are connected to the start node of the selected UTMS link i (S208). This determination is for confirming whether or not the selected UTMS link is a link connecting to a branch point. If a branch path exists, the control center prepares a new recommended route candidate. This is a process in consideration of the possibility that the information may be lost. If there is a branch path, the link is determined as the transmission link i (S209),
If there is no branch road, there is no possibility that a new recommended route candidate will be presented from the traffic control center, so a link closer to the current location is selected and the same processing is repeated (S20).
4). For example, in FIG. 3, link FG is not selected as the next transmission link because only a single link is connected to the start node, but links EF and DE are connected to a plurality of UTMS links at the start node. Therefore, when the traffic abnormality flag is received when the link GH is transmitted, the control unit 16 determines the link EF instead of the link FG as the transmission link and transmits the link EF to the control center. Note that, even if the transmission link EF is transmitted in FIG. 3, the traffic abnormality flag is similarly received, so that the control unit 16 executes the processing after S202 again and selects the link DE as the next transmission link. Can be.

As described above, when the traffic abnormality flag is received, the control unit 16 sequentially determines the UTMS link near the current location and connected to the branch point as the transmission link and automatically transmits the UTMS link. Even in the case where an impassable route occurs in another section, another alternative route can be efficiently obtained. And
Since this alternative route is a route that takes into account the ever-changing traffic conditions, there is a high possibility that the vehicle can reach the destination more smoothly than a route originally searched based only on map data on the vehicle side It is.

In the present embodiment, the link DE cannot be transmitted immediately after the transmission of the link GH, because the vehicle does not know which point is impassable. Therefore, if the impassable position can be known by some means (for example, VICS or the like), it is a UTMS link in which a plurality of UTMS links are connected to the start node, and the impassable position is avoided. By determining the link connected to the link as the transmission link, an appropriate transmission link can be quickly determined.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Know the service area supported by the control center,
Appropriate guidance target data (destination data) can be sent to the control center.

Further, it is possible to additionally obtain the traffic situation near the guidance target without impairing the acquisition of the guidance information originally required.

Further, even if the route to the original guidance target is not presented to the vehicle due to the relationship between the recommended route prepared in advance at the traffic control center and the location of traffic abnormalities (such as impassability), other appropriate guidance is provided. Select the target and send it automatically,
An alternative recommended route can be reliably obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a processing flowchart of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a relationship between a recommended route and an impassable position according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a processing flowchart of a second embodiment.

[Description of Signs] 10 antennas, 12 wireless communication section, 14 position evaluation sensor section, 16 control section, 18 map data storage section, 20
Display unit, 22 audio output unit, 24 operation unit.

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A dynamic route guidance device for a route guidance system for transmitting destination data from a vehicle to a control center and for returning a route to the vehicle at the control center for a recommended route to the destination data , comprising: when the recommended route to the destination data from the center is not returned, rather than the position of the destination data
A dynamic route guidance device comprising transmission means for automatically transmitting new destination data closer to a vehicle position . 2. A dynamic route guidance device for a route guidance system for transmitting destination data from a vehicle to a control center and for returning a route to the vehicle at the control center for a recommended route to the destination data , comprising: If a recommended route from the center to the destination data is returned , the location of the destination data under certain conditions
A dynamic route guidance device comprising transmission means for automatically transmitting new destination data farther from a vehicle position than the vehicle . Wherein the predetermined condition, the dynamic route guidance apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the recommended route is a condition which is not substantially updated. 4. The dynamic route guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the new destination data is a link connected to a branch point. 5. A transmitting destination data from the vehicle to the control center, a dynamic route guidance system for route guidance system to reply to the vehicle in search a recommended route leading to the destination data in the control center, together to a transmitting means for transmitting the position of plurality of different destination data, and evaluation means for evaluating a plurality of recommended route transmitted from the control center on the basis of each of the destination data, characterized in that it has a Dynamic route guidance device.