JP3405775B2 - Car route guidance device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention uses a map database to plan a travel route from a current position of a vehicle to a predetermined travel destination. The present invention relates to a route guidance device for a vehicle that performs route guidance for the own vehicle based on a given traveling route. 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a route guidance device (navigation device) has been mounted on an automobile in order to assist the vehicle in traveling on unfamiliar land. This route guidance device generally travels from a current position of the own vehicle using a map database to a travel destination set by a driver's input operation or the like, as disclosed in, for example, JP-A-2-129800. A route is planned, and the route of the own vehicle is guided based on the planned traveling route. [0003] The planning of the above-mentioned traveling route is based on an optimal traveling route that minimizes the traveling route loss (that is, the expected traveling obstruction factors such as loss of traveling time, loss of traveling distance, and loss of ease of traveling). This is generally done by searching from a map database. For example, in the route guidance device described in the above publication, the shortest route that minimizes the required travel time from the current position of the vehicle to the travel destination is searched from the map database to perform the travel route planning. [0004] By the way, such a route guidance device includes storage means for storing the planned traveling route until the route guidance is completed. Conventionally, as this storage means, a volatile storage means such as a semiconductor memory (that is, a storage means which needs to keep supplying power to store information) has been used. However, the route guidance device generally starts operating when the ignition switch is turned on, and stops operating when the ignition switch is turned off. Therefore, while the vehicle is running according to the route guidance, for example, in a restaurant, In the case where the engine is stopped for eating and the vehicle is parked, the ignition switch is turned off, and the power supply to the storage means is also stopped. Accordingly, the planned travel route is also erased. Therefore, even if it is attempted to turn on the ignition switch to resume the route guidance, it is necessary to set the travel destination and the like and to plan the travel route again. For this reason, there is a problem that the input operation for resetting is troublesome and that it takes time to resume the route guidance. Further, even when the ignition switch is in the ON state, it is necessary to consider a case where it is necessary to temporarily deviate from the planned traveling route and travel by itself.
A route guidance device configured so that the route guidance can be turned on / off by a manual switch has also been proposed. In such a route guidance device, a traveling route that is planned when the manual switch is turned off is also deleted. Therefore, in order to restart the route guidance by turning on the manual switch after that, it is necessary to set the travel destination and the like and to plan the travel route again, which has the same problem as described above. [0007] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and even if route guidance is interrupted on the way, it is possible to quickly set the travel destination and the like without having to reset. It is an object of the present invention to provide an automobile route guidance device capable of restarting route guidance. [0008] The route guidance apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a non-volatile storage means, and when the route guidance is interrupted on the way, the traveling route planned for the route guidance is provided. Is stored in the non-volatile storage means, and the route guidance can be resumed based on the traveling route stored in the non-volatile storage means, thereby achieving the above object. . That is, as described in claim 1, traveling route planning means for planning a traveling route from a current position of the vehicle to a predetermined traveling destination using a map database, and A route guidance device for a vehicle, comprising: route guidance means for performing route guidance of the own vehicle based on a traveling route, wherein the nonvolatile guidance means includes an input of a route guidance interruption signal from a manual switch.
And a travel route storage input unit for storing, in the non-volatile storage unit, a travel route from at least the operation stopped point to the travel destination in the planned travel route when the operation is stopped by the route guidance. The means may operate in a state where there is no change in the setting of the traveling destination after the operation is stopped.
Input of a route guidance restart signal from the manual switch
When the operation is restarted, the restart signal is input from the restart signal input point.
A new route guidance is performed to the interruption signal input point , and this route is
After the completion of the guidance, the route guidance based on the traveling route stored in the nonvolatile storage unit is restarted . The above-mentioned "state where there is no change in the setting of the travel destination" means a state where the set travel destination is not deleted and a new travel destination is not set. As described above, when the route guidance means stops operating, at least the travel route from the point where the operation stopped to the travel destination is planned by the travel route planning means. The travel route is stored in the non-volatile storage means, and when the operation is resumed thereafter, if there is no change in the setting of the travel destination, the route guidance means will use the travel route stored in the non-volatile storage means. Since the route guidance is performed based on the route guidance information, the information necessary for the route guidance is not lost due to the stoppage of the operation of the route guidance means. There is no need to set the ground and the like and plan the traveling route. Therefore, according to the present invention, even when the route guidance is interrupted during the route guidance, it is not necessary to perform a troublesome input operation for resetting the travel destination and the like, and the route guidance is quickly performed. Can be resumed. [0013] The "deactivation route guidance means" has be detected by the route guidance interruption signal input from Ma two <br/> Interview al switch, route guidance interruption signal input from the manual switch temporarily In many cases, such as when it is necessary to deviate from the planned traveling route and travel on its own, etc. , in this case , the route guidance means uses a new route from the restart signal input point to the interrupt signal input point. Route guidance (that is, normal route guidance that is not based on the traveling route stored in the nonvolatile storage means) is performed, and after completion of the route guidance, the route guidance based on the traveling route stored in the nonvolatile storage means is performed. so as to resume the route guidance. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a vehicle route guidance apparatus according to the present invention. This route guidance device is a device mounted on an automobile, and as shown in FIG.
, The localization device 14, the route planning device 16, the data processing device 18, the image output device 20, and the audio output device 22
, A data input device 24, a guidance management device 26, an external storage device 28, an ignition switch 30, and a manual switch 32. The map database 12 is a database storing a wide range of road networks and other map data, and is accessible from a route planning device 16 and a data processing device 18. This map database 1
The road network in 2 is composed of multiple nodes (nodes such as intersections)
And a link (minimum unit of the traveling route) connecting these nodes. The localization device 14 is a device for recognizing the current position of the vehicle, and is configured to recognize the current position of the vehicle by a known method using a GPS receiver, a gyro, a geomagnetic sensor, or the like. This localization device 14
Is output to the route planning device 16 and the data processing device 18. The route planning device 16 uses the map database 12 to plan a travel route from the current position of the vehicle to a preset travel destination. In this travel route planning, a process for obtaining an optimal travel route that minimizes the travel route loss from the current position of the vehicle to the travel destination by using the Dijkstra method or the like is performed. The travel route loss is calculated based on the cost set for each link and each node (ie, the time required to travel through the link (travel time), the road width of the link,
Gradient, pavement presence or absence, straight-ahead, right-turn, left-turn, etc., at the node, to the extent that driving ease is impaired). The data processing device 18 is a device for performing data processing for the route guidance of the own vehicle based on the traveling route planned by the route planning device 16, and sets the traveling route to the current vehicle traveling position. Accordingly, the route guidance is performed by sequentially presenting the route guidance to the driver. The presentation of the traveling route is performed by using the image output device 20 and the audio output device 22 to appeal to the driver's sight and hearing using images and sounds. The data processing device 18 has a built-in volatile storage element, and stores the optimal travel route (the planned travel route) during route guidance. The setting of the travel destination is performed by manual input using a touch panel or the like in the data input device 24. In the route guidance device according to the present embodiment, a portion including a localization device 14, a route planning device 16, a data processing device 18, an image output device 20, a voice output device 22, and a data input device 24 (hereinafter referred to as a "route When the ignition switch 30 is turned on, the operation is started to perform the above-described route guidance processing, and when the ignition switch 30 is turned off, the operation is stopped. In addition, ignition switch 3
Even when 0 is in the ON state, the main body of the route guidance device can be turned on and off by the manual switch 32. The guidance management device 26 is operated by a battery power source (or another power source not linked to the ignition switch 30). When an off signal is input from the ignition switch 30, a predetermined time is set by a timer. The power supply from the battery power source or the like to the main body of the route guidance device is continued, and the optimum traveling route stored in the volatile storage element of the data processing device 18 is stored in the external storage device 28 during that time. The external storage device 28 is a non-volatile memory such as a magnetic recording medium or a hard disk, and can store the optimal driving route once stored for a long time regardless of whether the ignition switch 30 is on or off. It is not necessary to store the optimal travel route stored in the volatile storage element in the external storage device 28 over the entire travel route, and at least the optimal travel from the point where the off signal is input to the travel destination is required. It is enough to memorize the route. When the ignition switch 30 is turned on after the operation of the route guidance device is stopped, the process for route guidance is restarted. If the location setting has been entered, the driving route planning will be performed again,
Route guidance is performed according to the planned travel route, but the travel destination is not deleted and a new travel destination is not set, that is, there is no change in the initial travel destination setting. In this case, the travel route planning is not performed again, and the data processing device 18 performs route guidance according to the optimal travel route stored in the external storage device 28. When the route guidance interruption signal is input from the manual switch 32, the guidance management device 26 also stores the optimum traveling route stored in the volatile storage element of the data processing device 18 in the external storage device. 28. Thereafter, when a route guidance restart signal is input from the manual switch 32, the route planning device 16 and the data processing device 18 start to input the interruption signal from the restart signal input point (the point where the route guidance is interrupted). And the route guidance in accordance with the planned travel route is performed. Further, after the route guidance is completed, the data processing device 18 determines the route according to the optimal travel route stored in the external storage device 28. Guidance is resumed. Thus, even after the route guidance interruption signal is input, even if the vehicle deviates temporarily from the planned traveling route and travels on its own, the vehicle can be returned to the point where the route guidance was interrupted once. . For this reason, it is possible to perform route guidance to the original travel destination in accordance with the optimal travel route stored in the external storage device 28 without again performing a travel route plan. As described in detail above, in this embodiment, when the route guidance is interrupted due to the stoppage of the operation of the route guidance device main body, at least the travel route from the interruption point to the travel destination is determined by the route planning device. 16 is stored in the external storage device 28, and when the interruption is released thereafter,
If there is no change in the setting of the traveling destination, the data processing device 1
8, the route guidance is performed based on the optimal traveling route stored in the external storage device 28, so that the information necessary for the route guidance is not lost due to the interruption of the route guidance. Therefore, there is no need to set a travel destination or the like or to plan a travel route again to resume route guidance thereafter. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if the route is interrupted during route guidance, it is not necessary to perform a troublesome input operation for resetting the traveling destination and the like, and the route can be quickly routed. Guidance can be resumed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a vehicle route guidance apparatus according to the present invention. [Description of References] 12 Map Database 14 Localization Device 16 Route Planning Device (Driving Route Planning Means) 18 Data processing device (route guidance means) 20 Image output device 22 Audio output device 24 Data input device 26 Guidance management device (running route storage input device) 28 External storage device (non-volatile storage device) 30 Ignition switch 32 Manual switch

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims 1] Travel route planning means for planning a travel route from a current position of a vehicle to a predetermined travel destination using a map database, A route guidance device for an automobile, comprising: route guidance means for performing route guidance of the own vehicle based on a traveling route, wherein the nonvolatile storage means; and route guidance from a manual switch.
Travel path storage input means for storing, in the non-volatile storage means, a travel path from at least the point of operation stop to the travel destination in the planned travel path when the operation is stopped by input of the interruption signal. , the route guidance means, from said manual switch with no change in the travel destination is set after the deactivation
Entered by when resuming the operation of the route guidance resumption signal, the
From the restart signal input point to the interrupt signal input point, a new
A route guidance device for an automobile , wherein the route guidance is performed, and after the route guidance is completed, the route guidance based on the traveling route stored in the nonvolatile storage unit is restarted .