JP3789239B2 - Car navigation system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an on-vehicle navigation device, and more particularly to an on-vehicle navigation device that is convenient for avoiding traffic jams on main roads.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Search from the current location obtained by the vehicle position calculation device or the arbitrary starting point on the map of the display device input by the input device by the destination on the map of the display device input by the input device or by information search processing A vehicle-mounted navigation device that calculates a recommended route to a target facility and displays the calculated route on a display device is known.
[0003]
There are several levels of map database data used for the above information search. The higher the level , the larger the area covered, but the road data becomes sparse and only main road data such as expressways and national roads are retained. Will do. Also, the lower the level, the narrower the covered area, but the road data becomes denser and only detailed road data is retained. By using a map database having such a data structure, arithmetic processing can be performed at a high speed and with a minimum amount of memory even when the distance from the start point to the end point is long.
[0004]
Conventionally, a route search using a labeling method or the like was performed using the map database as described above, but in that case, the road data near the starting point or near the destination is searched using low-level road data, and the high-level road data at intermediate positions. Searching with. FIG. 5 shows an example of the structure of the guidance route searched as described above.
[0005]
In FIG. 5, the sections of the route search result sequence in the entire process are arranged so as to change from the upper column to the lower column as going from the starting point to the destination. In the range A shown in the figure in the middle part of the process, the level of road data is high and the main road is often used.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above-described conventional in-vehicle navigation device, in order to avoid traffic jams, etc., when it is desired to avoid passing the main road as much as possible, guidance is made so that the main road is hardly passed near the search start point and end point. In the middle part of the route, the main road is guided and the user's request may not be met.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle-mounted navigation device capable of guiding the vehicle so as to avoid a main road even in an intermediate point area from the starting point to the destination. Is to provide.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The vehicle-mounted navigation device according to the present invention is a map on the display device input by the input device from the current location obtained by the vehicle position calculation device or an arbitrary starting point on the map in the display device input by the input device. In the in-vehicle navigation device that searches the route to the ground, displays the guidance route on the display device, and searches for the route as needed during the operation, the vehicle position every time a certain time elapses or a certain distance travels The first fixed point taxiway ahead of the first predetermined distance from the current driving taxiway is compared, and the route search is performed again when a predetermined condition is satisfied.
[0009]
In the in-vehicle navigation device, the predetermined condition is that the level of the first fixed point taxiway is higher than the level of the taxiway currently running.
[0010]
Further, in the vehicle navigation apparatus, the predetermined condition is taxiway level of the first fixed point is obtained by the fact that matches the taxiway levels currently driving.
[0011]
Further, each of the in-vehicle navigation devices is configured such that the route search is performed again in the mesh including the center vehicle of the mesh having the lowest level road information in the map database and the surrounding eight meshes. is there.
[0012]
In the in-vehicle navigation device, in the second route search, a second fixed point located at a second predetermined distance near the first fixed point from the current position is set as a route search start point, and the outside of the eight meshes The point where the boundary and the current taxiway cross each other or the destination in the eight meshes is the route search end point.
[0013]
In each of the in-vehicle navigation devices, when the vehicle position is not on the guidance route obtained by the second route search, a search start point is set again and the route search is repeated within a predetermined number of times.
[0014]
Further, each of the in-vehicle navigation devices is configured so that whether or not to perform the route search again can be selected by mode switching.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An in-vehicle navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an in-vehicle navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a main controller composed of a microcomputer or the like, which controls the entire apparatus and calculates a recommended route from the departure point to the destination.
[0016]
Reference numeral 2 denotes an own vehicle position processing device, which includes an autonomous navigation sensor 2a such as a speed sensor and a direction sensor, a GPS (global positioning, system) receiver 2b, and an own vehicle position calculation device 2c, and calculates the own vehicle position. The data is output to the main controller 1.
[0017]
The map database 3 is composed of a CD-ROM or the like, and stores map data by level . The recording medium reader 4 reads the map data of the area and level designated by the main controller 1 from the map database 3 and supplies the read map data to the main controller 1. The main memory 5 stores map data and other data supplied from the main controller 1.
[0018]
The input device 6 is composed of a key or a remote controller, and activates the device by making initial settings such as current location and destination before using the device. The video processing device 7 includes a graphic controller 7a, a video RAM 7b, and a display device 7c. The graphic controller 7a develops and stores the map screen data calculated by the main controller 1 from the map data and the recommended route data calculated by the main controller 1 in the video RAM 7b, and stores the map screen data in the RAM 7b in the display device 7c such as an LCD. Display. The audio output device 8 is controlled by the main controller 1 and outputs a guide message.
[0019]
In the in-vehicle navigation device having the above-described configuration, when the destination is set by the input device and the taxiway searched under the condition that the main road is not used is displayed as much as possible, the mode changeover switch of the input device is operated. 2 to 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. The main routine shown in FIG. 2 is executed periodically, for example, every 3 minutes during the operation. Note that the routine shown in FIG. 2 is not executed when the mode switch is not re-searched.
[0020]
When this routine is started, first, in step S1, it is determined whether or not the route search conditions are met by executing the subroutine shown in FIG.
[0021]
In the subroutine shown in FIG. 3, first, in step S5, it is determined whether or not the present location and the destination are separated by a predetermined distance or more. If they are separated, the process proceeds to step S6. If it is not determined, the termination procedure in the main routine is executed.
[0022]
In step S6, it is determined whether the currently running road is one of an expressway, a metropolitan expressway, or a toll road. If it is any of these, it is determined that the conditions for route search are not met, and the main routine is executed. Is completed, and if it is not an expressway, a capital expressway or a toll road, the process proceeds to step S7.
[0023]
In step S7, the current driving road is compared with the first fixed point taxiway at a first predetermined distance, for example, 3 km away from the vehicle position, and the first fixed point taxiway level (highway, capital expressway) , Other toll roads, etc.) are determined to be higher than the level of the road at which the vehicle is located. If so, the process proceeds to step S2 of the main routine. If not, it is determined that the route search conditions are not met. Then, the termination procedure in the main routine is executed.
[0024]
In step S2 of the main routine, a route search is performed by executing the subroutine shown in FIG. In the subroutine shown in FIG. 4, first, in step S8, the second fixed point that is a second predetermined distance, for example, 1 km ahead of the first fixed point from the current position is determined as the route search start point, and the process proceeds to step S9.
[0025]
In step S9, it is determined whether or not the destination is within the search range as a mesh including the middle car of the mesh having the lowest level road information in the map database and eight meshes around it. If it is, the process proceeds to step S13, and if not within the range, the process proceeds to step S10.
[0026]
In step S10, the intersection of the current taxiway and the boundary of the search range is determined as the search end point, and the process proceeds to step S11. In step S11, a route is searched on the condition that the main road is not used as much as possible between the search start point and the search end point, and the process proceeds to step S12. In step S12, the taxiway searched in step S11 and the taxiway up to the present are connected at the end point of the taxiway searched for, and the process proceeds to step S3 of the main routine.
[0027]
In step S13, the destination is determined as the search end point, and the process proceeds to step S14. In step S14, a route is searched on the condition that the main road is not used as much as possible between the search start point and the search end point, and the process proceeds to step S3 of the main routine.
[0028]
In step S3 of the main routine, it is determined whether or not the vehicle position is traveling on the taxiway determined in step S2. If the vehicle is not traveling, step S2 is repeated. Update to the obtained taxiway (step S4) and end the main routine. Note that the number of re-searches in step S2 may be limited to a predetermined number.
[0029]
In this way, the operation is performed while updating the taxiway. In the operation, guidance of the traveling direction and the like by the audio output device 8 at the intersection or the like is the same as in the conventional navigation device. Since the route search in steps S11 and S14 is performed in a narrow and limited range, the search time can be shortened and the memory can be saved.
[0030]
Since such a shortening of the search time is performed, for example, in calculating the duration of the path of this to obtain data required time to the destination and the like road information (road closures due congestion and accidents) from the beacon It is possible to calculate the dynamic path to be used.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
According to the vehicle-mounted navigation device of the present invention, it is possible to satisfy the user's desire not to travel on the main road as much as possible in order to avoid traffic jams.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an in-vehicle navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle-mounted navigation device.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle-mounted navigation device.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle-mounted navigation device.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a route search result of a conventional in-vehicle navigation device.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main controller 2 Own vehicle position processing device, 2a Autonomous navigation sensor, 2b GPS receiver, 2c Own vehicle position calculating device 3 Map database 4 Recording medium reading device 5 Main memory 6 Input device 7 Video processing device, 7a Graphic controller, 7b Video RAM, 7c Display device 8 Audio output device

Claims (7)

Guide route by searching for a route from the current location obtained by the vehicle position calculation device or an arbitrary starting point on the map in the display device input by the input device to the destination on the map in the display device input by the input device Is displayed on the display device, and further, in the in-vehicle navigation device that searches for a route as needed during operation, every time a certain time elapses or a certain distance travels, the first predetermined distance ahead of the vehicle position A vehicle-mounted navigation device configured to compare a guide route at a fixed point and a guide route that is currently running and perform route search again when a predetermined condition is satisfied. Wherein the predetermined condition is vehicle navigation system of claim 1 taxiways level of the first fixed point is higher than the guide path levels currently driving. 2. The in-vehicle navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is that the level of the guideway at the first fixed point coincides with the level of the guideway that is currently traveling. 5. The vehicle-mounted navigation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second route search is performed in a mesh including a center vehicle of the mesh having the lowest level road information in the map database and eight meshes around the mesh. In the second route search, the second fixed point located at a second predetermined distance near the first fixed point from the current position is set as a route search start point, and the outer boundary of the eight meshes and the current guide route intersect. Or a destination in the eight meshes as a route search end point. The in-vehicle navigation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the vehicle position is not on the guide route obtained by the second route search, the search start point is set again and the route search is repeated within a predetermined number of times. The in-vehicle navigation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, configured to be able to select whether or not to perform the route search again by mode switching.

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