JP3848774B2 - Navigation device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a navigation device that searches for a route on which a vehicle can travel appropriately.
[0002]
[Prior art]
There is an in-vehicle navigation device as a convenient information device that searches and guides the route of a travel route to a destination. In the route search, when a destination is input based on map information provided by a storage device such as a CD-ROM, a recommended travel route such as the shortest route is searched and guided.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In conventional navigation apparatuses, a road that becomes a route is guided based on map information provided in advance by a storage device such as a CD-ROM, but a route in which the vehicle cannot actually travel may be searched. For example, in recent years, the proportion of recreational vehicles with a high vehicle height has increased, and it is necessary to detect during traveling whether or not the vehicle can pass under an overpass.
[0004]
The present invention solves such problems, and is characterized by realizing a navigation device that can search for a route through which a vehicle can pass and can travel comfortably on a route based on the route search.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a navigation apparatus having route search means for searching for a route to a destination, and route display means for displaying the route searched by the route search means on a display. Obstacle detection means for detecting the height of a space formed by an object, comparing the height of the vehicle with the space, and detecting a space at a height that the vehicle cannot pass as an obstacle through which the vehicle cannot pass; The obstacle position detecting means for detecting the position of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting means, and the obstacle position storing means for storing the position of the obstacle detected by the obstacle position detecting means. And
[0006]
The space formed by the obstacle is elevated. Further, the present invention is characterized by comprising obstacle notifying means for notifying the presence of an obstacle when the position of the obstacle stored in the obstacle position storing means is on the route searched by the route searching means.
[0007]
In addition, when the route search means searches for a route, the route search means has a restriction means for restricting the search so as to search for a route not including the position of the obstacle stored by the obstacle position storage means.
[0008]
【Example】
Next, a navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a navigation device in one embodiment of the present invention.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a GPS device that receives radio waves from a GPS satellite and calculates the latitude and longitude of a local point. Reference numeral 2 denotes a vehicle speed sensor that measures the speed of the vehicle, and includes, for example, a wheel rotation speed sensor that outputs a signal synchronized with the rotation of the wheel. Reference numeral 3 denotes an azimuth sensor that measures the direction (traveling azimuth) of the vehicle, and is composed of a rotating gyroscope or the like. 4 is a map database of map information (road data, etc.), which is composed of a CD-ROM on which map data is recorded and its reading device, and stores data necessary for map display, data necessary for route search, etc. Data can be read according to the situation. Reference numeral 6 denotes a rewritable storage unit that retains stored contents even when the navigation device used for data storage is not in operation. The rewritable storage unit 6 is composed of a RAM, a magnetic, an optical disk device, or the like to which backup power is supplied. Is stored. Reference numeral 7 denotes an operation unit for the user to operate the navigation device, which includes a push button switch, a joystick, and the like. A display unit 8 displays a map or the like, and includes a liquid crystal display panel or the like. 9 radiates electromagnetic waves such as millimeter waves and laser beams toward the front of the vehicle, receives a reflected signal from the front object, and the distance from the obstacle (or the preceding vehicle) by the reflected signal from the obstacle, the obstacle This is a radar device that measures the size and shape of the radar. As shown in FIG. 5, the radar apparatus 9 has a transmission / reception antenna 91 mounted on the top of the vehicle head, and radiates a radar beam to the front via the transmission / reception antenna 91. Further, the radar device 9 is a millimeter wave radar device or the like (device having a small θ in FIG. 5) having a very good azimuth discriminability in the vertical plane, and there is an obstacle in the front portion of the vehicle lower than the vehicle height H1. It makes it easy to detect whether or not there is. That is, for example, it is easy to determine whether or not the passage of the vehicle is hindered under the front overpass (the height H2 at the lower end). Similarly, for example, a radar device with improved azimuth discrimination in the horizontal plane may be used to determine the occurrence of a fault in the road width direction when a vending machine occupies a road. (Instead of the millimeter wave radar device, the electromagnetic wave reaching distance is reduced, but a laser radar device may be used.) 10 is an acoustic device that generates an alarm sound based on a signal from the control unit 5, In this embodiment, an alarm signal is applied to an amplifier circuit of an audio device such as a radio or a disk player. 5 is a route search, road map, own vehicle position, route display, on the route based on signals from the GPS device 1, the vehicle speed sensor 2, the direction sensor 3, the CD-ROM 4, the operation unit 7, the radar device 9, etc. This is a control unit that displays the obstacles and is configured by a microcomputer.
[0009]
Next, processing performed by the control unit 5 when determining an obstacle will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the obstacle detection process performed by the control unit 5. This process is repeatedly performed together with other processes of the navigation device in a state where the navigation device is activated and the radar device 9 is activated (detecting an obstacle). In step A1, it is determined whether there is an obstacle based on a signal from the radar apparatus 9. If there is an obstacle, the process proceeds to step A2, and if there is no obstacle, the process is terminated. In step A2, the distance to the detected obstacle is calculated based on the signal from the radar apparatus 9, and it is determined whether the calculated distance is larger than the determination threshold Lm. Move. As shown in FIG. 5, since the radiation angle of this radar beam has a spread of θ °, the radar beam reflected wave is detected at a stage where the distance L is large if there is an overhead that can pass in front of the road. Detect obstacles. In this embodiment, when the distance L is equal to or less than the determination threshold Lm, an elevated height (obstacle) at which the vehicle can pass cannot be detected (a state where an elevated height at which the vehicle can pass through is barely detected at the distance Lm). A radar device 9 is installed. In step A3, an obstacle signal (a signal with an obstacle and a distance to the obstacle) is output, and the present process ends.
[0010]
Through the processing described above, an obstacle such as an elevated height that cannot pass through the vehicle (an obstacle detected when the distance L is equal to or less than the determination threshold Lm) is detected, and an alarm sound is generated.
Next, the obstacle storage process performed by the control unit 5 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the obstacle storage process performed by the control unit 5, and is repeatedly performed together with other processes of the navigation device in a state where the navigation device is activated and the radar device 9 is activated. In step B1, it is determined whether an obstacle signal is detected. If it is determined that there is an obstacle, the process proceeds to step B2, and if it is determined that there is no obstacle, the process is terminated. This determination can be made based on the result of the process shown in FIG. 2 (whether or not an obstacle signal is output in step A3). In step B2, the distance from the radar device 9 to the obstacle is calculated, and the current vehicle position determined from the signals from the GPS device, the vehicle speed sensor, and the direction sensor, and the calculated distance L to the obstacle, Based on the azimuth data from the azimuth sensor, the position of the obstacle on the map is calculated, and the process proceeds to step B3. In step B3, the calculated position of the obstacle is stored in the storage unit 6, and the process proceeds to step B4. In Step B4, it is determined from the position of the calculated obstacle whether it is on the route to the destination that is searched for by the navigation device and traveling. If it is determined that it is on the route, the process proceeds to Step B5 and is not on the route. If it is determined, the process is terminated. In step B5, an alarm signal is output to the sound device 10 to generate an alarm sound, and at the same time, an alarm is displayed on the display unit 8 and the present process is terminated.
[0011]
If there is an obstacle signal that the vehicle cannot pass through the above processing, the position is stored in the storage unit 6, and if the obstacle is on the route to the traveling destination, an alarm (sound and display) is issued. Be emitted.
Next, a route search process performed by the control unit 5 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a route search process performed by the control unit 5 and is repeatedly performed together with other processes while the navigation device is activated. In Step C1, it is determined whether or not the driver is performing an operation for instructing a route search based on a signal from the operation unit 7. If there is an instruction operation for route search, the process proceeds to Step C2, and if there is no instruction operation, this processing is terminated. In step C2, a route search is performed using map data or the like, and the process proceeds to step C3. In step C3, the searched route is compared with the position of the obstacle on the map stored in the storage unit 6. If there is an obstacle on the searched route, the process proceeds to step C4. End processing. In step C4, a message indicating that there is an obstacle on the route is displayed on the display unit 8 (text message, blinking obstacle position on the map, etc.), and the process proceeds to step C5. In step C5, a signal is output to the acoustic device 10 to generate an alarm sound from the acoustic device, and the process proceeds to step C6. In step C6, it is determined from the signal from the operation unit 7 whether the operator has performed a re-search instruction operation. If there is a re-search instruction operation, the process proceeds to step C8, and if there is no re-search instruction operation, the process proceeds to step C7. Move. In step C7, it is determined whether the elapsed time from the alarm sound output has exceeded the predetermined time T. If it has exceeded, the process is terminated, and if not, the process returns to step C6. In step C8, the passage of the position of the obstacle is restricted (prohibited) in the route search process, that is, the road link where the obstacle exists (the unit road between the intersection and the adjacent intersection) is excluded from the search candidates, Return to Step C2.
[0012]
With the above processing, when a route search is performed in the navigation device, the route can be searched by restricting the vehicle so as not to include an obstacle position (stored in the storage unit 6) that the vehicle cannot pass.
[0013]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the navigation device of the present invention, the position of an obstacle through which the vehicle cannot pass is detected and stored, so that it is possible to search for an appropriate route by using the stored information.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of a navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of obstacle detection processing performed by a control unit 5;
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of obstacle storage processing performed by a control unit 5;
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of route search processing performed by a control unit 5;
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a detection situation by a radar device 9;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... GPS apparatus 2 ... Vehicle speed sensor 3 ... Direction sensor 4 ... CD-ROM
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 ... Control part 6 ... Memory | storage part 7 ... Operation part 8 ... Display part 9 ... Radar apparatus 10 ... Acoustic apparatus

Claims (4)

A route search means for searching for a route to the destination;
In a navigation device having route display means for displaying a route searched by the route search means on a display device,
Detect the height of the space formed by the obstacles,
Obstacle detection means for comparing the height of the vehicle with the space and detecting a space at a height where the vehicle cannot pass as an obstacle through which the vehicle cannot pass ,
Obstacle position detection means for detecting the position of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection means;
A navigation apparatus comprising obstacle position storage means for storing an obstacle position detected by the obstacle position detection means. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the space formed by the obstacle is elevated . If the position of the stored obstacle to the obstacle position memory means on the path which the route search means has searched, claim 1 characterized in that it has an obstacle informing means for informing the presence of an obstacle or The navigation device according to claim 2 . When the route search means for searching for a route, according to claim 1 or claims characterized in that it has a regulating means for regulating to search for a route that does not include the position of the obstacle which the obstacle position storage means has stored Item 3. The navigation device according to Item 2 .

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