JP3577608B2 - Vehicle guidance system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial applications]
The present invention provides a vehicle travel guidance device that provides a notification according to an instruction of a vehicle travel guidance direction according to a travel route to a destination set on a road map and guides vehicle travel guidance. About.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a vehicle travel guidance device of this type, when a destination on a road map displayed on a screen is input and set, each route connecting the current position (starting point) of the vehicle on the road map and the destination is set. From among them, it automatically searches for an optimal route that is advantageous in terms of route costs such as mileage, travel time, toll, etc., and guides driving guidance according to the searched optimal route. (See JP-A-1-138409).
[0003]
And, conventionally, when outputting guidance for driving the vehicle such that the current position of the vehicle follows the planned traveling route, when the current position of the vehicle is approaching an intersection on a predetermined route, for example, According to the route, guidance for running guidance such as right and left turns is displayed on a screen or by voice (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-163210).
[0004]
Conventionally, there has been developed a traveling guidance device for a vehicle of this type, in which when the current position of the vehicle deviates from a predetermined route, the fact is notified by voice (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S59-5959). 157798).
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The problem to be solved is that if the guidance of travel guidance such as departure from a predetermined route or right or left turn is notified by voice, the voice is difficult to hear when listening to a car stereo, etc. It can be noisy.
[0006]
In addition, with the screen display alone, the user must frequently stare at the screen to see whether the current position of the vehicle is out of the predetermined route or to see a guidance display such as a right or left turn indicated by an arrow or the like. There is a problem.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Invention]
The present invention provides a vehicle travel guidance device that provides a notification according to an instruction of a vehicle travel guidance direction according to a travel route to a destination set on a road map and guides vehicle travel guidance. In order to be able to give the driver a sense of the guidance direction without a screen display or sound, the left or the left corresponding to the guidance direction of the guidance direction with a predetermined size is provided on the steering wheel of the vehicle. Means for imparting a rightward rotational torque is provided, and the steering wheel is rotated leftward or rightward within the range of play of the steering wheel so that the guidance direction is notified.
[0008]
【Example】
FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a vehicle travel guidance device according to the present invention. The distance sensor 1 detects the travel distance of a vehicle, the direction sensor 2 detects the traveling direction of the vehicle, and the detected travel distance of the vehicle. From the starting point, the position on the X-Y coordinate for each unit traveling distance from the departure point is sequentially determined by a predetermined calculation process, and the current position on the road map projected on the screen is calculated. A signal processing unit 3 comprising a microcomputer for controlling the traveling guidance of the vehicle according to the scheduled traveling route from the starting point set above to the destination, and controlling the entire device, and digital data. A map information storage medium 4 in which road map information is stored; a map information reproducing unit 5 for selectively reading road map information in a predetermined area from the storage medium 4; A predetermined road map is displayed on the screen based on the read map information, and the current position of the vehicle and the traveling direction at the position are updated and displayed on the road map displayed on the screen, and the set road map is set. A display unit 6 for displaying a planned traveling route, selection of a road map to be displayed on a screen of the display unit 6, setting of a display scale factor, setting of a starting point and a destination of a vehicle on a map displayed on the screen, An operation unit 7 capable of giving various operation commands such as selection of a travel locus display to the signal processing unit 3, an actuator 9 for rotating a steering wheel of the vehicle to the left and right, and a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle of the steering wheel 10, a touch sensor 11 for detecting whether or not the driver is gripping the steering wheel, and an actuator 9 in accordance with an instruction of a guidance direction issued from the signal processing unit 3 in a predetermined manner. The actuator 9 is forcibly stopped when the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 10 reaches a set value, and the touch sensor 11 detects that the driver is not gripping the steering wheel. And a drive control unit 8 that prohibits the drive of the actuator 9 when it is in operation.
[0009]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the actuator 9 has a motor structure including a rotor 91 and a stator 92, and is rotated around a handle shaft 13 so as not to become a load when the handle 12 is operated. The child 91 is directly attached.
[0010]
As shown in FIG. 2, a steering angle sensor 10 is attached to a portion of the handle shaft 13.
[0011]
As shown in FIG. 4, as the touch sensor 11, a sensor main body having a pressure-sensitive conductive rubber 112 sandwiched between electrodes 111 and 113 is integrally mounted on the handle 12 so as to cover the handle 12. In the figure, reference numeral 114 denotes a protective cover.
[0012]
In such a configuration, the selectively read road map is displayed on the screen of the display unit 6 and the signal processing unit 3 executes the vehicle from the starting point set on the map. The position of the vehicle on the road map is calculated every moment in accordance with the preset scale of the map, and the data of the position is stored and updated in the internal memory of the signal processing unit 3, and the stored contents are obtained. It is sequentially read out and given to the display unit 6.
[0013]
Thereby, as shown in FIG. 5, for example, a mark indicating the current position P of the vehicle and a mark indicating the traveling direction D of the vehicle at the current position are displayed on the road map displayed on the screen, as shown in FIG. Is displayed in a constantly updated manner according to the traveling state of the own vehicle from the starting point S.
[0014]
It should be noted that, instead of calculating the current position on the road map by calculation while detecting the traveling distance and the traveling direction of the vehicle, the current position on the road map is obtained by radio navigation using GPS or the like. The current position of the car may be directly obtained. In this case, there is no need to set the starting point S of the vehicle on the map.
[0015]
Further, when the starting point S and the destination O are set in the signal processing unit 3, based on the digital map data read from the map information storage medium 5, the starting point S and the destination O set on the road map are set. An optimal route advantageous in terms of route cost such as the distance to the route and the required time is searched.
[0016]
For searching for the optimal route from the starting point S to the destination O, a conventional method is applied as it is.
[0017]
Also, instead of automatically searching for the optimal name from the starting point S to the destination O in the signal processing section 3, each intersection is designated by an input operation, which is a target of a scheduled travel. Then, an arbitrary route may be set manually.
[0018]
Then, the signal processing unit 3 stores the data of the route from the starting point S to the destination O in the internal memory, and then specially specifies the route NC to be traveled on the road map as shown in FIG. The driving direction is indicated to the driving control unit 8 so that the current position P of the own vehicle follows the guiding route NC when traveling from the starting point S.
[0019]
Now, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the signal processing unit 3 detects that the current position P of the own vehicle is approaching a certain distance before the intersection Ix to be turned right on the route NC, the guidance of the right turn is provided. An instruction of the direction is given to the drive control unit 8.
[0020]
The drive control unit 8 drives the actuator 9 for a set time according to the instruction of the guidance direction, on condition that the touch sensor 11 detects that the driver is gripping the steering wheel 12. A predetermined rotational torque is applied to the handle 12 to rotate the handle 12 rightward within the range of play.
[0021]
As a result, the steering wheel is slightly moved to the right within the range of the play of the steering wheel, thereby informing the driver of the direction of the right turn guidance.
[0022]
As a safety measure, even if an instruction of the guidance direction is given to the drive control unit 8, if the touch sensor 11 does not detect that the driver is holding the steering wheel 12, the drive control unit 8 drives the actuator 9 at all. In addition, when the driver releases his / her hand from the steering wheel on the way, the driving is immediately stopped. When the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 10 reaches a preset value, the drive control unit 8 forcibly informs the guidance direction by the rotation of the steering wheel within the range of the play by the driving of the actuator 9. It is designed to stop temporarily.
[0023]
【effect】
As described above, in the vehicle travel guidance device according to the present invention, the vehicle travels in accordance with the instruction of the vehicle travel guidance direction according to the travel route up to the destination set on the road map. When the guidance is given, the steering wheel is turned to the left or right within the range of play according to the instruction in the guidance direction so that the steering wheel can be slightly taken in the guidance direction. Accordingly, guidance for right or left turn can be given to the driver sensuously, and the driver can be surely notified of the guidance without distracting the driving of the vehicle and even in a bustle.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one configuration example of a vehicle travel guidance device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which an actuator and a steering angle sensor are attached to a handle shaft.
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the actuator.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration example of a touch sensor attached to a handle portion.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display state of a screen.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of the display state of the screen.
[Explanation of symbols]
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 distance sensor 2 direction sensor 3 signal processing unit 4 map information storage medium 5 map information reproducing unit 6 display unit 7 operation unit 8 drive control unit 9 actuator 10 steering angle sensor 11 touch sensor 12 handle 13 handle shaft

Claims (4)

A travel guidance device for a vehicle, which makes a notification according to an instruction of a guidance direction of vehicle travel according to a travel route to a destination set on a road map and guides the vehicle to travel, includes: The steering wheel is provided with a means for applying a left or right rotation torque in accordance with the instruction of the guidance direction according to a predetermined size, and the guidance direction is notified by rotating the steering wheel left or right within the range of the play of the steering wheel. A driving guidance device for a vehicle, wherein the driving guidance is performed. While detecting the current position of the vehicle on the road map and displaying the current position of the vehicle on the road map projected on the screen, it is used to indicate the guidance direction according to the scheduled travel route set on the road map. 3. The vehicle travel guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is guided to guide the travel of the vehicle by making a corresponding notification. A touch sensor is provided on the handle portion, and a means for inhibiting rotation torque from being applied to the handle according to a sensor output when the driver detects that the driver does not hold the handle is adopted. 2. The vehicle travel guidance device according to claim 1, wherein: A steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle of the steering wheel is provided, and when the detected steering angle reaches a set value, a means for forcibly stopping the notification of the guidance direction due to rotation within a play range of the steering wheel. 2. The vehicle guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle travel guidance device is adapted to be used.

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