JP3892741B2 - Navigation device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a navigation device that stereoscopically displays a specific facility such as a convenience store on a map.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in a navigation device that displays map information around the vehicle position, as one of the display forms, a so-called bird's-eye view display in which a viewpoint position is set over the vehicle position and the vehicle front is viewed is performed. There is something that can be done. Along with such a map display form, recently, there are many cases where three-dimensional display of various facilities is performed. For example, a case where a three-dimensional display of a building having a predetermined number of floors or more is considered.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, when performing the above-described bird's-eye view display or the like, the symbol mark for the planar map is often used as it is in the display form as an icon representing a specific facility or a symbol mark called a landmark. In this case, it seems that a plate-shaped symbol mark stands up vertically from the ground between the various buildings displayed in 3D, so there is a sense of incongruity from the viewpoint of performing 3D display of the map. There was a problem that the display became unnatural. In order to solve this problem, a stereoscopic image of the corresponding specific facility may be displayed instead of the symbol mark. However, the site shape of each specific facility varies, and a specific facility corresponding to one symbol mark is selected. If they are replaced with the same three-dimensional image, the building shape in the map image often differs from the actual building shape, and the discomfort and unnaturalness of the display image cannot be eliminated. In addition, it is conceivable to prepare a stereoscopic image for each specific facility. However, preparing a stereoscopic image of each specific facility for the entire wide area map causes an increase in data capacity, so that it is practical. Not right.
[0004]
The present invention was created in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a navigation device capable of realizing a three-dimensional display of a specific facility with a small amount of data and eliminating unnatural display. It is to provide.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problem, the navigation device of the present invention classifies a plurality of facilities to be stereoscopically displayed, and generates individual three-dimensional objects having features common to one or a plurality of facilities belonging to each classification. In order to perform map display in correspondence with each other, first map data for specifying a common three-dimensional object having a common feature for each classification, and second map data regarding a map image serving as a background of the individual three-dimensional object, 3D object that transforms a common 3D object into an individual 3D object according to the installation state of the facility using the map data storage means for storing the first map data stored in the map data storage means A map image is drawn based on the deformation means and the second map data stored in the map data storage means, and three map images are displayed on the map image. And map drawing means for drawing overlapping individual three-dimensional object that is deformed by the original object deforming means, and a display processing means for displaying a map drawn by the map drawing unit. A separate 3D object is created for each facility by preparing a common 3D object for each facility classification, not for each facility, and transforming it according to the installation status of each facility. The amount of data can be reduced compared to the case where a three-dimensional object is prepared for each facility. In addition, since map display using individual 3D objects for each facility is performed, the same 3D object is displayed for all facilities belonging to each category when displaying maps with only symbol marks associated with each facility. Compared with the case where the map is displayed in correspondence, the unnaturalness of the display can be eliminated. Furthermore, since a three-dimensional object having a common feature is used for each classification, it is possible to ensure good visibility when actually driving the vehicle.
[0006]
The common three-dimensional object described above is preferably composed of polygons. As a result, the amount of data can be further reduced, and deformation processing when creating an individual three-dimensional object is facilitated.
The first data described above preferably includes data for specifying the shape of a polygon and data for specifying a texture corresponding to the polygon. By using a combination of a polygon and a texture, it is possible to obtain a more natural facility image as well as simplifying and speeding up the processing contents when performing an object deformation process.
[0007]
The map data storage means described above includes site data for specifying the site shape corresponding to the facility, and the 3D object transformation means converts the common 3D object into an individual 3D object based on the site data. It is desirable to perform a process that deforms. By deforming the common 3D object according to the site shape, the actual facility shape can be reproduced almost accurately.
[0008]
In addition, the site data described above includes the entrance position of the corresponding facility, and it is desirable that the 3D object deforming means adds the entrance to the individual 3D object based on the entrance position of the site data. This makes it possible to create a unique three-dimensional object that matches the actual entrance position of each facility, so that the shape of the facility can be reproduced more accurately.
[0009]
Further, the map data storage means described above includes symbol mark data necessary for drawing a symbol mark representing the type of facility belonging to each category, and the map drawing means can perform individual tertiary processing based on the symbol mark data. It is desirable to draw the symbol mark so as to overlap the drawing range of the original object. Even if the unique three-dimensional object is used, a good mark can be obtained, but the visibility can be further improved by displaying the symbol mark in an overlapping manner.
[0010]
In addition, it is desirable that the texture described above includes a symbol mark indicating the type of facility belonging to each classification. By including the symbol mark in the texture, the symbol mark can be displayed more naturally.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a navigation device according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the navigation device of the present embodiment. The navigation device shown in FIG. 1 includes a navigation controller 1, a DVD 2, a disk reading device 3, a remote control (remote control) unit 4, a vehicle position detection unit 5, and a display device 6.
[0012]
The navigation controller 1 controls the overall operation of the navigation device. The navigation controller 1 realizes its function by executing a predetermined operation program using a CPU, ROM, RAM, or the like. The detailed configuration of the navigation controller 1 will be described later.
[0013]
The DVD 2 is an information storage medium that stores map data necessary for map display, route search, and the like. Specifically, the DVD 2 stores map data in units of a rectangular shape leaf divided into an appropriate size by longitude and latitude, and the map data of each leaf designates a leaf number. By doing so, it can be specified and read out.
[0014]
In the map data of each figure leaf,
(1) "Drawing unit" consisting of various data necessary for displaying map images
(2) “Road unit” consisting of various data necessary for map matching, route search, route guidance, etc.
(3) “Intersection unit” consisting of various data representing detailed information of the intersection,
Etc. are included. The drawing unit described above includes background layer data necessary for displaying buildings or rivers, and character layer data necessary for displaying city names, road names, and the like.
[0015]
In the present embodiment, a plurality of facilities to be stereoscopically displayed are classified, and a common three-dimensional object having features common to the facilities belonging to each classification is associated with the display. Common Individual 3D objects are created by transforming 3D objects according to the actual installation state of each facility. In order to perform such processing in addition to the conventional map display processing,
(A) Building polygon data used to specify a common three-dimensional object prepared in common for facilities belonging to each category;
(B) Texture data indicating the surface pattern of this building polygon,
(C) Site polygon data indicating the actual installation state of each facility;
(D) symbol mark data for each classification used in combination to improve the visibility of individual 3D objects;
(E) background data that is the background of an individual 3D object;
Is included in the background layer described above.
[0016]
The disc reader 3 can be loaded with one or more DVDs 2 and reads map data from any of the DVDs 2 under the control of the navigation controller 1. The loaded disc is not necessarily a DVD but may be a CD. Further, both DVD and CD may be selectively loaded.
[0017]
The remote control unit 4 includes various operation keys such as up / down / left / right cursor keys and numeric keys, and outputs a signal corresponding to the operation content to the navigation controller 1.
The vehicle position detection unit 5 includes, for example, a GPS receiver, an orientation sensor, a distance sensor, and the like, detects the vehicle position (longitude, latitude) at a predetermined timing, and outputs a detection result.
[0018]
The display device 6 displays various types of information such as a map image around the vehicle position based on the image data output from the navigation controller 1.
Next, a detailed configuration of the navigation controller 1 will be described. A navigation controller 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a map buffer 10, a map readout control unit 12, a drawing processing unit 14, a specific facility extraction unit 16, a VRAM 18, a vehicle position calculation unit 20, a route search processing unit 22, a guidance route memory 24, a guidance A path drawing unit 26, an input processing unit 28, a mark image drawing unit 30, and an image composition unit 32 are included.
[0019]
The map buffer 10 temporarily stores map data read from the DVD 2 by the disk reader 3. The map data read from the DVD 2 and stored in the map buffer 10 includes the above-described background layer building polygon data, texture data, site polygon data, symbol mark data, and background data.
[0020]
The map reading control unit 12 outputs a request for reading a predetermined range of map data to the disk reading device 3 in accordance with the vehicle position calculated by the vehicle position calculating unit 20 or a request from the input processing unit 28.
The drawing processing unit 14 displays a specific facility in which an individual three-dimensional object is created based on the map data stored in the map buffer 10 in a three-dimensional manner and displays a map image in which other parts are expressed in a bird's-eye view. The map image data is generated. The drawing processing unit 14 includes a graphic deformation unit 40, a texture processing unit 42, a symbol drawing unit 44, and a map drawing unit 46.
[0021]
The graphic transformation unit 40 creates individual 3D objects according to the installation form of each facility by transforming the shape of the common 3D object specified by the building polygon data using the site polygon data. The texture processing unit 42 performs texture processing on the individual three-dimensional object created by the graphic deformation unit 40. The symbol drawing unit 44 draws a symbol mark on one surface of the individual three-dimensional object based on the symbol mark data and having the largest area when viewed from the viewpoint position when the map is drawn. The map drawing unit performs a process of drawing a map image other than the individual three-dimensional object using the background data.
[0022]
The specific facility extraction unit 16 extracts a target for stereoscopic display that was a specific facility included in the drawing range. In this embodiment, a group of facilities having a form called a chain store is regarded as one classification, and a common three-dimensional object is prepared for each classification. For example, in a convenience store or a family restaurant, one classification corresponds to each brand. The specific facility extraction unit 16 performs a process of extracting whether there is a facility of each classification associated with the common three-dimensional object in the drawing range of the map image.
[0023]
The VRAM 18 stores drawing data output from the drawing processing unit 14. The vehicle position calculation unit 20 calculates the vehicle position and the vehicle direction based on the detection data output from the vehicle position detection unit 5, and when the calculated vehicle position is not on the road of the map data, A map matching process for correcting the vehicle position is performed.
[0024]
The route search processing unit 22 searches for a travel route that connects a departure point and a destination (or waypoint) designated by the user under predetermined conditions. For example, a travel route that minimizes the cost under various conditions such as the shortest distance and the shortest time is set as the guide route. Data (guidance route data) indicating the content of the guidance route set by the route search processing unit 22 is stored in the guidance route memory 24.
[0025]
The guide route drawing unit 26 selects, from the guide route data set by the route search processing unit 22 and stored in the guide route memory 24, the one included in the map drawn in the VRAM 18 at that time, and selects the guide route. Guide route drawing data to be displayed on the map is generated.
[0026]
The input processing unit 28 outputs commands for performing operations corresponding to various operation instructions input from the remote control unit 4 to each unit in the navigation controller 1.
The mark image drawing unit 30 generates image data for displaying a predetermined vehicle position mark at the own vehicle position after the map matching process has been performed or displaying a predetermined cursor mark at the cursor position.
[0027]
The image composition unit 32 performs image composition by superimposing the map image data read from the VRAM 18 corresponding to the vehicle position and the like and the image data output from the mark image drawing unit 30, and displays the composite image data on the display device 6. Output to.
The map buffer 10 described above is the map data storage means, the graphic deformation unit 40 is the three-dimensional object deformation means, the map drawing unit 46, the texture processing unit 42, and the symbol drawing unit 44 are the map drawing means, the VRAM 18, and the image composition unit 32. Corresponds to the display processing means.
[0028]
The navigation device of this embodiment has such a configuration, and the operation thereof will be described next.
2, 3, and 4 are diagrams illustrating specific examples of the common three-dimensional object. These drawings show, as an example, a common three-dimensional object corresponding to stores of three brands included in a convenience store. In the present embodiment, “shop” is “large classification”, each form of “shop” such as convenience stores and family restaurants is “medium classification”, and each brand such as convenience store is “small classification”.
[0029]
As shown in these figures, a common 3D object of the same shape is prepared corresponding to the middle classification called convenience store, and a different pattern for each brand is attached to this common 3D object, A common three-dimensional object is created for each brand. Specifically, a common three-dimensional object with a pattern or color representing the characteristics of the A brand is created corresponding to the convenience store of the A brand shown in FIG. Further, in correspondence with the B brand convenience store shown in FIG. 3, a common three-dimensional object with a pattern or color representing the characteristics of the B brand is created. Similarly, corresponding to the C brand convenience store shown in FIG. 4, a common three-dimensional object with a pattern or color representing the characteristics of the C brand is created.
[0030]
Note that the three common three-dimensional objects corresponding to the above-described three types of brands all have the same shape, and the features of each brand are expressed by changing the pattern, color, and the like. Accordingly, the common three-dimensional object prepared for each small classification needs to change only the texture data to be combined using the same building polygon data if the middle classification is the same.
[0031]
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an outline of a process for deforming the shape of the common three-dimensional object performed in the graphic deforming unit 40. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, consider a case where a common three-dimensional object 100 having a shape almost similar to a cube is prepared and is deformed in accordance with a site polygon having a rectangular site shape with a part missing. . In the site polygon data, the positions of four points A, B, C, and D corresponding to the four corner points on the bottom surface of the common three-dimensional object are specified, and the common three-dimensional object 100 is deformed to satisfy these correspondences. To do. Thereby, the individual three-dimensional object 120 is created.
[0032]
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a specific example of the processing by the graphic deformation unit 40. FIG. 6A shows a common three-dimensional object of A brand. FIG. 6B shows an individual three-dimensional object created when the shape of the bottom polygon and the site polygon are almost the same and the orientation differs by 180 ° with respect to the common three-dimensional object. FIG. 6C shows an individual three-dimensional object created when the site polygon shape is shortened along one direction. FIG. 6D shows an individual three-dimensional polygon created when the site polygon has a substantially circular shape. As described above, the shape of the common three-dimensional object is deformed according to various site shapes, and individual three-dimensional objects are created. Since individual 3D objects are created by considering the direction and matching the site shape, it is possible to realize a 3D object shape that is close to an actual building. Needless to say, since the common three-dimensional object is composed of polygons, it can be freely rotated 360 ° in accordance with the actual site shape.
[0033]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the navigation device of the present embodiment. For example, when displaying a map image around a running vehicle, an operation procedure for displaying an image of an individual three-dimensional object corresponding to a specific facility is shown. It is shown.
When the vehicle position is calculated by the vehicle position calculation unit based on the output of the vehicle position detection unit 5 (step 100), the map reading control unit 12 updates the map data of a new figure according to the change of the vehicle position. It is determined whether or not reading is necessary (step 101). When it becomes necessary to read map data corresponding to a new leaf, an affirmative determination is made in the determination of step 101, and then the map reading control unit 12 sends an instruction to the disk reading device 3, and the disk reading device 3 Map data corresponding to a predetermined map leaf is read (step 102).
[0034]
In this way, after the reading of the map data in the predetermined range is completed, or the reading of the map data is not necessary and a negative determination is made in the determination of step 101, the drawing processing by the drawing processing unit 14 is started. . When the specific facility within the drawing range is extracted by the specific facility extraction unit 16 (step 103), the graphic transformation unit 40 is shared based on the building polygon data and the site polygon data corresponding to the extracted specific facility. A process of transforming the shape of the three-dimensional object into the shape of the individual three-dimensional object is performed (step 104). Next, or in parallel with the above-described extraction process of the specific facility and the shape change process to the individual 3D object, the map drawing unit 46 determines whether each individual 3D object is based on the background data included in the map data. A background map image as a background is drawn (step 105). This drawing processing is performed, for example, in the form of a bird's eye view display in which the viewpoint position is set above the rear of the vehicle.
[0035]
Next, the texture processing unit 42 performs texture mapping processing for pasting the texture onto the building polygons that make up the individual 3D object whose shape has been changed, and performs perspective projection conversion, thereby moving the individual 3D object from a predetermined viewpoint position. The drawn processing is performed (step 106). In addition, the symbol drawing unit 44 draws a symbol mark corresponding to the specific facility, overlaid on the individual three-dimensional object extracted and drawn by the specific facility extraction unit 16 (step 107).
[0036]
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a specific example of symbol mark drawing. As shown in FIG. 8, in the present embodiment, when an image corresponding to an individual three-dimensional object is drawn, it overlaps the surface having the largest display area among the six basic surfaces (front, right side, etc.). Thus, the symbol mark is displayed.
[0037]
When the symbol mark drawing process ends, a series of map drawing processes around the vehicle position ends. Thereafter, the processing after the vehicle position calculation in step 100 described above is repeated at regular time intervals, and the surrounding map is displayed according to the traveling position of the vehicle.
[0038]
As described above, in the navigation device according to the present embodiment, a 3D object having a common shape is prepared for each facility belonging to the middle class, not for each specific facility, and a pattern or pattern for each facility belonging to the small category is prepared. Three-dimensional objects with common colors and shapes are prepared, and when a map is displayed, the shape of the three-dimensional object is transformed to match the shape of the site polygon, and drawing processing is performed. The amount of map data can be reduced compared to the case of preparing a three-dimensional object.
[0039]
In addition, because each specific facility belonging to the small classification has a characteristic pattern or color, and a map is displayed using an individual three-dimensional object having a building shape that matches the actual site shape, Eliminates the unnaturalness of display compared to displaying a map with only a flat symbol mark or when displaying a map with the same 3D object associated with all facilities belonging to each category. be able to. In particular, 3D objects with common patterns and colors are used for each sub-classification, so individual 3D as a landmark close to the actual building that enters the driver's field of view when actually driving the vehicle An object can be used for each specific facility, and good visibility can be secured.
[0040]
In this embodiment, since the common three-dimensional object prepared for each specific facility belonging to the medium classification or the small classification is composed of polygons, the common three-dimensional object can be expressed with a small amount of data. The process of generating a common 3D object and generating an individual 3D object is facilitated. By performing a deformation process and a drawing process for a three-dimensional object by combining a polygon and a texture, it is possible to obtain a more natural facility image while simplifying and speeding up the processing contents when performing the deformation process.
[0041]
In the present embodiment, the symbol mark is drawn so as to overlap the drawing range of the individual three-dimensional object corresponding to each specific facility, and the visibility of the specific facility in the surrounding map can be further improved.
In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation implementation is possible within the range of the summary of this invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the symbol mark is drawn over the drawing range of the individual three-dimensional object, but the symbol mark may be included as a part of the texture.
[0042]
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a specific example in which a symbol mark is included in a part of a texture. As shown in FIG. 9, when a symbol mark is attached to a predetermined place of the building in an actual specific facility, the driver creates a texture so as to accurately reproduce the position, size, etc. Map display closer to the actual scenery seen from Moreover, even if the symbol mark is not attached to the actual specific facility, the symbol mark image can be displayed in a more natural display mode.
[0043]
In the embodiment described above, the case where the entrance of the building is provided as a part of the pattern has been described. However, in a convenience store or the like, even if it is the front of the building, there is an entrance on the left side, the center or the right side Depending on the reason, the impression you see when you look at the image of the building varies greatly. Therefore, it is possible to perform display closer to an actual building by accurately drawing the position of the entrance.
[0044]
10, FIG. 11, and FIG. 12 are diagrams showing a specific method for accurately displaying the position of the entrance of a building. In addition to the building polygon shown in FIG. 10A, the entrance polygon shown in FIG. 10B is prepared, whereby the entrance can be formed at an arbitrary position on a specific surface of the building.
[0045]
For example, data of points E and F indicating the position of the entrance is added near the left end of one side to the site polygon data as shown in FIG. By arranging the entrance polygon between E and F, a unique three-dimensional object having an entrance on the front left side as shown in FIG. 11B can be created.
[0046]
Further, data of points E and F indicating the position of the entrance is added near the right end of one side to the site polygon data as shown in FIG. By arranging the entrance polygon between E and F, it is possible to create a unique three-dimensional object having the entrance on the front right side as shown in FIG.
[0047]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, a common three-dimensional object is prepared for each facility classification, not for each facility, and is deformed according to the installation state of each facility, so that each facility is Therefore, the amount of data can be reduced as compared with the case where a three-dimensional object is prepared for each facility. In addition, since map display using individual 3D objects for each facility is performed, the same 3D object is displayed for all facilities belonging to each category when displaying maps with only symbol marks associated with each facility. Compared with the case where the map is displayed in correspondence, the unnaturalness of the display can be eliminated. Furthermore, since a three-dimensional object having a common feature is used for each classification, it is possible to ensure good visibility when actually driving the vehicle.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a navigation device according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of a common three-dimensional object.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of a common three-dimensional object.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of a common three-dimensional object.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a process for deforming the shape of a common three-dimensional object performed in a graphic deforming unit.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of processing by a graphic deforming unit.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the navigation device of the present embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a specific example of drawing a symbol mark.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a specific example in which a symbol mark is included in a part of a texture.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a specific method for accurately displaying the position of the entrance of a building.
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a specific method for accurately displaying the position of the entrance of a building.
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a specific method for accurately displaying the position of the entrance of a building.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Navigation controller
2 DVD
3 Disc reader
5 Vehicle position detector
6 Display device
10 Map buffer
12 Map readout controller
14 Drawing processing unit
16 Specific facility extraction section
18 VRAM
32 Image composition part
40 Figure transformation part
42 Texture processing section
44 Symbol drawing section
46 Map drawing part

Claims (4)

Classify a plurality of facilities to be stereoscopically displayed, associate a common three-dimensional object having characteristics common to one or a plurality of facilities belonging to each classification, and convert an individual three-dimensional object obtained by transforming the common three-dimensional object. A navigation device that creates and displays a map,
Map data storage in which first map data for specifying a common 3D object having the common characteristics for each classification and second map data relating to a map image serving as a background of the individual 3D object are stored Means,
Site data that is provided separately from the first and second map data and specifies the site shape and entrance corresponding to the building of the facility, using the first map data stored in the map data storage means 3D object deformation means for transforming the common 3D object into the individual 3D object based on
The map image is drawn based on the second map data stored in the map data storage means, and the individual 3D object deformed by the 3D object deforming means is overlaid on the map image. Map drawing means,
Display processing means for displaying the map drawn by the map drawing means;
The three-dimensional object transforming means transforms the common three-dimensional object into the individual three-dimensional object based on the site shape, and the map drawing means converts the facility entrance position data included in the site data into based on the navigation device characterized that you place the inlet polygon. In claim 1,
The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first map data includes data for specifying a shape of the polygon and data for specifying a texture corresponding to the polygon. In claim 1,
The map data storage means includes symbol mark data necessary for drawing a symbol mark representing the type of facility belonging to each classification,
The navigation apparatus characterized in that the map drawing means draws the symbol mark so as to overlap the drawing range of the individual three-dimensional object based on the symbol mark data. In claim 2,
The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the texture includes a symbol mark representing a type of facility belonging to each classification.

Images