JP3911913B2 - Navigation device - Google Patents

Description

【００４６】
そして、前述のようにメモリ部５に記憶された現在位置情報は、上記提供情報を要求したときにそれに連動して情報センタ２１へ送信される。次に、ナビゲーション装置１から情報センタ２１へ提供情報を要求したときに、ナビゲーション装置１及び情報センタ２１にて実行される処理を説明する。
【００４７】
図４は、情報センタ２１へ提供情報を要求するときにナビゲーション装置１の制御部９が実行する処理を表すフローチャートである。図４に示すように、処理を開始すると制御部９は、Ｓ１１０にて現在位置情報データ送信処理を実行し、メモリ部５に記憶されている上記現在位置情報のデータを情報センタ２１へ送信する。続くＳ１２０では、提供情報要求送信処理を実行し、所望の提供情報を要求する信号（以下、提供情報要求という）を情報センタ２１へ送信する。更に、続くＳ１３０では、Ｓ１２０にて送信した提供情報要求に対する提供情報を情報センタ２１から受信したか否かを判断し、受信していない場合は（Ｓ１３０：ＮＯ）、その提供情報を受信するまで待機する。
【００４８】
このとき、情報センタ２１（詳しくはサーバ２３）は、図５に示す処理を所定時間毎に実行している。すなわち、図５に示すように、先ず、Ｓ２１０にて、現在位置情報のデータをナビゲーション装置１から受信したか否かを判断する（Ｓ１１０参照）。現在位置情報のデータを受信していない場合は（Ｓ２１０：ＮＯ）、そのデータを受信するまでＳ２１０にて待機する。
【００４９】
現在位置情報のデータをナビゲーション装置１から受信すると（Ｓ２１０：ＹＥＳ）、情報センタ２１の処理はＳ２２０へ移行し、その現在位置情報のデータを取り込む現在位置情報受信処理を実行する。続くＳ２３０では、その現在位置情報のデータを加工し、分類整理してデータベース２４へ格納するデータベース格納処理を実行し、Ｓ２４０へ移行する。以上の処理により、各道路を走行中の多数の車両に設けられたナビゲーション装置１から受信した現在位置情報と共に、Ｓ１１０にて送信された前述の現在位置情報が、データベース２４に整理して蓄積される。これによって、前述の表１に示した交通渋滞情報等の提供情報が、図示しない他のルーチンによって作成される。
【００５０】
Ｓ２４０では、提供情報要求をナビゲーション装置１から受信したか否かを判断する（Ｓ１２０参照）。提供情報要求を受信していない場合は（Ｓ２４０：ＮＯ）、その提供情報要求を受信するまで待機する。提供情報要求を受信すると（Ｓ２４０：ＹＥＳ）、Ｓ２５０へ移行してその提供情報要求を取り込む提供情報要求受信処理を実行し、続くＳ２６０では、その提供情報要求に対応した提供情報をデータベース２４から検索する提供情報検索処理を実行する。更に、続くＳ２７０では、Ｓ２６０にて検索した提供情報をナビゲーション装置１へ送信する提供情報送信処理を実行し、一旦処理を終了する。
【００５１】
図４に戻って、このようにして、Ｓ１２０で送信した提供情報要求に対応する提供情報が情報センタ２１から送信され、その提供情報をナビゲーション装置１が受信すると（Ｓ１３０：ＹＥＳ）、制御部９の処理はＳ１４０へ移行して、その提供情報を取り込んでメモリ部５に格納する提供情報受信処理を実行する。このようにして提供情報が受信されると、図示しない他のルーチンによってその提供情報を利用し、例えば、表示部６に表示された道路地図に交通渋滞情報に応じた表示を行う等の処理が実行される。なお、図４，図５では、提供情報要求を送信する際に現在位置情報を送信する処理について説明したが、提供情報要求を長期間送信しない場合、制御部９は、図示しない他のルーチンにより現在位置情報のみを定期的に送信する。
【００５２】
このように、本実施の形態の情報センタ２１では、ナビゲーション装置１から少なくとも定期的に送信される現在位置情報を受信してデータベース２４に格納しているので、車両感知器等の整備されていない道路であっても、道路に関わる情報を良好に収集することができる。すなわち、ナビゲーション装置１から送信される現在位置情報は、前述のようにインフラリンクＩＤを含んでいるが、インフラリンクＩＤはどのような道路に対してもデータ上で定義することが可能であり、このインフラリンクＩＤさえ定義されていれば、ナビゲーション装置１を搭載した車両がその道路または区間を走行したときに、その道路または区間に関わる現在位置情報を情報センタ２１が収集することができる。
【００５３】
しかも、上記現在位置情報には平均車速のデータが含まれているので、情報センタ２１では交通渋滞情報等を極めて正確かつ容易に推定することができる。また、上記現在位置情報には検出時刻のデータが含まれているので、情報センタ２１では古い情報は破棄する等して情報の正確性を高めることもできる。このため、情報センタ２１が提供する上記提供情報は、あらゆる道路及び区間に対応したものとなり、しかも、極めて正確なものとなる。
【００５４】
ナビゲーション装置１では、双方向通信によってこの提供情報を要求し、しかも、必要な提供情報のみを情報センタ２１から送り返してもらっているので、上記収集された情報を極めて効率的に良好に活用することができる。更に、ナビゲーション装置１では、提供情報要求の送信に連動して現在位置情報を送信しているので、情報センタ２１との通信回数を減らして通信を効率化することができ、延いては、その通信に関わる消費電力等も低減することができる。
【００５５】
また、上記実施の形態では、位置検出部２で検出した車両の現在位置からインフラリンクＩＤを取得する処理をナビゲーション装置１の側で実行し、その取得されたインフラリンクＩＤを平均車速等のデータと共に情報センタ２１で収集しているので、上記提供情報を次のように一層正確にすることができる。
【００５６】
すなわち、車両側からはその車両が存在する緯度・経度等の情報を送信して、情報センタ２１で道路に対応付けた場合、高架になって道路が上下に重なっている場合や、交差点の中央で車両が停止している場合等には、その車両が上下いずれの道を走行中なのか、或いは、その車両がどの方向から走行してきたのか、等を特定することができない。これに対して、上記実施の形態では、車両側からインフラリンクＩＤ（道路または区間に対応）を送信しているので、このような場合にも良好に、その車両が走行してきた道路に関する情報を収集することができる。しかも、ナビゲーション装置１では、ＧＰＳに対応した位置検出部２を備えているので、車両の位置を極めて正確に検出することができる。このため、実際の車両の位置に一層正確に対応したインフラリンクＩＤを情報センタ２１に収集することができ、上記提供情報を一層正確にすることができる。
【００５７】
なお、上記実施の形態において、Ｓ２２０の処理が情報収集手段に、Ｓ２７０の処理が情報送信手段に、Ｓ２６０の処理が情報検索手段に、Ｓ１０の処理が道路検出手段に、Ｓ２０の処理がＩＤ検索手段に、Ｓ１１０の処理がＩＤ送信手段に、Ｓ１２０の処理が情報要求手段に、それぞれ相当する処理である。
【００５８】
また、本発明は上記実施の形態に何等限定されるものではなく、本発明の要旨を逸脱しない範囲で種々の形態で実施することができる。例えば、外気温、日射量、湿度等を検出できるセンサが車両に装備されている場合、これらのデータも現在位置情報として前述のインフラリンクＩＤと共に情報センタ２１に送信するようにすれば、情報センタ２１は一層多様な提供情報を提供することができる。
【００５９】
また、ナビゲーション装置が携帯電話等を使用して提供情報を受信する場合は、現在位置情報を送信するために通話時間が増え、ドライバの負担が増加するが、このような場合、提供情報の提供料を割り引くなどのサービスを実施することもできる。更に、上記実施の形態では、提供情報の要求に連動して現在位置情報を送信することによって通信回数を低減しているが、通信回数を低減する方法としては、この他、高速道路等で実施されつつある自動料金支払いシステムと組み合わせる方法も考えられる。
【００６０】
また更に、本発明は、交通渋滞情報等を管理する情報センタとナビゲーション装置との間の送受信に限らず、種々の分野に適用することができる。例えば、道路情報収集センタとしては、タクシーの配車を行う施設、トラック等による運搬を管理する施設、等の形態も考えられる。但し、前述のように、ナビゲーション装置の構成を利用してＩＤ送信手段を構成した場合、一般のナビゲーション装置に大幅な構成の追加を行わなくても、ＩＤ送信手段を車両に備え付けることが可能となる。すなわち、位置検出手段としての位置検出部２の構成や、地図データ記憶手段としての地図データ格納部３の構成は一般のナビゲーション装置にも同様に備えられる構成であり、ナビゲーション装置１ではこれらの構成を利用してインフラリンクＩＤを取得し、情報センタ２１へ送信している。このため、一般のナビゲーション装置に大幅な構成の追加を行わなくても、ＩＤ送信手段を車両に備え付けることが可能となる。このため、本実施の形態では、情報センタ２１を用いたシステムを容易にかつ安価で構成することができる。
【００６１】
また、道路情報収集センタから情報を受信する装置は、ＦＭ多重放送、光ビーコン、または電波ビーコンを介して情報を受信するナビゲーション装置であってもよく、電話回線等を介して屋内で情報を受信する家庭用のパーソナルコンピュータ等であってもよい。但し、ＦＭ多重放送、光ビーコン、または電波ビーコンから情報を受信する場合、情報の選択は受け手の側で行う必要が生じる。
【００６２】
更に、前述のように、ナビゲーション装置１から平均車速を情報センタ２１へ送信する場合、提供情報を要求してきた車両の走行状態を情報センタ２１側で検知することができる。そこで、提供情報を送信する際に（Ｓ２７０）、その提供情報を送信先の車両の平均車速に応じて加工してもよい。例えば、車両が高速で走行中の場合は、音声出力部７のみを介して提供情報を出力するように制御部９に指示するデータを添付してもよく、車両が渋滞に巻き込まれて極めて低速で走行している場合は、なぞなぞの問題やドライブインの名物料理情報等を添付してドライバの集中力が持続できるように配慮してもよい。
【図面の簡単な説明】
【図１】 本発明が適用されたナビゲーション装置及び情報センタの構成を概略的に表す機能ブロック図である。
【図２】 ナビゲーション装置の制御部が所定時間毎に実行する処理を表すフローチャートである。
【図３】 その処理によって記憶される現在位置情報を例示する説明図である。
【図４】 提供情報要求時の上記制御部の処理を表すフローチャートである。
【図５】 所定時間毎の情報センタの処理を表すフローチャートである。
【符号の説明】
１…ナビゲーション装置 ２…位置検出部 ３…地図データ格納部
４…スイッチ情報入力部 ５…メモリ部 ６…表示部
７…音声出力部 ８…データ通信部 ９…制御部
１０…地図データ取得部 １１…マップマッチング部 １２…経路計算部
１３…経路案内部 １４…描画部 １５…画面制御管理部
１６…通信制御部 ２１…情報センタ ２２…回線端末装置
２３…サーバ ２４…データベース[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a road information collection center that collects information related to roads or road sections. To The present invention relates to a navigation device having a function of transmitting information.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, in order to improve road traffic conditions, it is considered that traffic information such as traffic jams is notified to vehicle drivers to smooth traffic flow and to protect the environment such as exhaust gas by distributing traffic flow. ing. As such a system, FM data broadcasting such as VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System), ATIS (Advanced Traffic Information Service), etc., FM multiplex broadcasting by FM stations, optical beacons or radio waves installed on roads are used. There is a system for transmitting traffic information to a traveling vehicle via a beacon or a mobile phone. In addition, as an older system, information such as traffic congestion, construction, speed regulation, etc., and the time required to reach the main destination are displayed by an electric display board arranged on the road. is there.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In these systems, information related to roads is collected at a predetermined road information collection center, where traffic conditions etc. are estimated and transmitted to each vehicle or electric display panel, etc. The vehicle distribution state is detected by a vehicle detector or the like installed on the road, and the detection result is collected in the road information collection center. For this reason, it is impossible to detect a traffic jam situation or the like on a road where vehicle detectors are not provided. Therefore, for example, even if the driver knows that the main national highway or highway is congested by the conventional system, it cannot be determined whether the municipal road as the exit route is congested. In this case, it is difficult for the driver to decide whether to continue driving on major national roads or the like with patience as it is, or to go on a way out.
[0004]
Therefore, the present invention is a road where vehicle detectors and the like are not maintained. Road Road information collection center that can collect information related to roads well In addition, An object of the present invention is to provide a navigation device having a function of transmitting information.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention]
The invention of claim 1 made to achieve the above object is Position detection means for detecting the position of the vehicle, map data storage means for storing map data including road map data, and map data corresponding to the position of the vehicle detected by the position detection means from the map data storage means A navigation device comprising: a display means for reading and displaying a road map together with the position of the vehicle, on the basis of the position of the vehicle detected by the position detection means or the road on which the vehicle is traveling Road detection means for detecting the section of the road, ID search means for searching for the ID corresponding to the road detected by the road detection means or the section of the road, and the ID searched by the ID search means for collecting road information ID transmission means for transmitting to the center, the road information collection center, For each road or for each section of the road the above A road information collection center that defines IDs and collects information related to roads or sections corresponding to each ID. I D transmission means Above Receive the ID, the above An information collecting means for collecting information related to roads or sections is provided, which is a number defined by dividing each road for navigation, and changes every time an intersection intersects with a side road. The ID is set to be coarser than the road number used to give the timing for switching the map, and the ID can be defined on the data for any road. It is characterized by.
[0006]
In the present invention configured as described above, the above As the ID, a predetermined value is defined for each road or for each section of the road, and by receiving this ID from a vehicle traveling on the road, Road information collection center The information collecting means can collect information related to the road or section. In addition, the above ID can be defined on the data for any road, so long as the ID is defined, Navigation device of the present invention When a vehicle equipped with travels on the road or section , As described below The information collecting means can collect information relating to the road or section. Therefore, Above road information collection center Then, even if the road is not equipped with a vehicle detector or the like, information related to the road can be collected well.
In addition, it is a number defined by dividing each road for navigation, and it changes every time it passes through a fine intersection that intersects a side road, etc. It is also used to give the timing to switch the map for navigation The ID is set to be coarser than the road number.
[0014]
the above The present invention configured as follows Navigation equipment Then, the position detection means detects the position of the vehicle, and the map data storage means stores map data including road map data. Therefore, the display means reads out map data corresponding to the position of the vehicle detected by the position detection means from the map data storage means, and displays it as a road map together with the position of the vehicle. For this reason, the driver can obtain the current position of the vehicle and the geographical information around it based on the display of the display means. That is, in the present invention, the driver can be navigated by the display on the display means.
[0015]
The road detecting means detects a road on which the vehicle is traveling or a section of the road based on the position of the vehicle detected by the position detecting means. Then, the ID search means searches for the ID defined corresponding to the road detected by the road detection means or the section of the road, and the ID transmission means searches for the searched ID. the above Send to the road information collection center. As a result, the road information collection center can collect information related to roads or sections as described above.
[0016]
As described above, the navigation device of the present invention transmits the ID to the road information collection center using the position detected for navigating the driver. Further, the position detection means, the map data storage means, and the display means are similarly provided in a general navigation device. Therefore, in the present invention, without adding a significant configuration to a general navigation device, the above ID transmission means can be installed in the vehicle, the above A system using the road information collection center can be easily and inexpensively configured.
[0017]
Claim 2 The described invention is claimed. 1 In addition to the configuration described above, the position detection means is compatible with GPS that detects the position of the vehicle based on radio waves from a satellite.
[0018]
In the present invention, since the position detection means is adapted to GPS (Global Positioning System), the position of the vehicle can be detected very accurately. For this reason, it is possible to accurately detect the road on which the vehicle is traveling or the section of the road, and by extension, an ID that accurately corresponds to the actual position of the vehicle. the above It can be transmitted to the road information collection center.
[0019]
Accordingly, the present invention claims 1 In addition to the effects of the described invention, an ID that more accurately corresponds to the actual vehicle position can be transmitted to the road information collection center, and information related to the road or section collected by the road information collection center There is an effect that the accuracy of the can be further improved.
[0020]
Claim 3 The described invention is claimed. 1 Or 2 In addition to the configuration described above, the ID transmission means adds the average vehicle speed to the ID and transmits it to the road information collection center.
[0021]
In the present invention, since the ID transmission means adds the average vehicle speed to the ID and transmits it to the road information collection center, the road information collection center that has received the ID transmits a traffic jam condition or the like based on the collected information. It can be estimated accurately and easily.
[0022]
Accordingly, the present invention claims 1 Or 2 In addition to the effects of the described invention, there is an effect that it is possible to more accurately and easily estimate the traffic congestion status in the road information collection center.
[0023]
Claim 4 The described invention is claimed. 1 ~ 3 In addition to the configuration described in any of The road information collection center further comprises information transmission means for transmitting information collected by the information collection means to the vehicle when requested by the vehicle. An information requesting means for transmitting a signal for requesting the transmission of the information to the road information collection center is further provided, and the ID transmitting means obtains the ID in conjunction with the transmission of the signal by the information requesting means. It is characterized by transmitting.
[0024]
In the present invention, The above-mentioned information transmission means for transmitting information collected by the information collection means to the vehicle side when requested by the vehicle side In the road information collection center, Information request means A signal for requesting transmission of the information is transmitted. For this reason ,road Information collected by the road information collection center can be used very well on the vehicle side. The ID transmitting means of the present invention transmits the ID in conjunction with the transmission of the signal by the information requesting means. For this reason, the frequency | count of communication between the said road information collection center and the vehicle provided with this invention can be reduced.
[0025]
Accordingly, the present invention claims 1 ~ 3 In addition to the effect of any of the inventions described above, there is an effect that communication can be made more efficient by reducing the number of communications with the road information collection center. Therefore, power consumption and the like related to communication can be reduced.
[0026]
Claim 5 The described invention is claimed. 4 In addition to the configuration described above, the information requesting unit transmits the signal with data specifying the type of information required.
[0027]
In the present invention, the information requesting means transmits the signal with data specifying the type of information required. For this reason, the information requesting means of the present invention the above If a signal for requesting the information is transmitted to the road information collection center, necessary information can be designated and the information can be efficiently sent back by the data attached to the signal.
[0028]
Accordingly, the present invention claims 4 In addition to the effects of the described invention, the required information can be more efficiently sent back from the road information collection center, the above There is an effect that the information collected in the road information collection center can be used more effectively.
[0029]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a navigation apparatus 1 to which the present invention is applied and an information center 21 as a road information collection center to which the present invention is applied. In addition, the navigation apparatus 1 is provided in each of a plurality of vehicles, and FIG. 1 illustrates one of them. The information center 21 is provided as a facility fixed at a predetermined position on the ground.
[0030]
As shown in FIG. 1, a navigation device 1 includes a position detection unit 2 as a position detection unit, a map data storage unit 3 as a map data storage unit, a switch information input unit 4, a memory unit 5, and a display unit as a display unit. 6, an audio output unit 7, a data communication unit 8, and a control unit 9. The position detection unit 2 includes a GPS sensor, a gyro sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, and the like, and is a part that detects the current position of the vehicle. If the current position of the vehicle can be detected, it is not necessary to provide all the sensors, and it is sufficient to provide at least one or more of them. However, when a GPS sensor is provided, the position of the vehicle can be detected very accurately. Therefore, in the following description, it is assumed that the position detection unit 2 includes at least a GPS sensor.
[0031]
The map data storage unit 3 includes a DVD player, a hard disk, a CD player, and the like, and stores map data including road map data. The road data stored in the map data storage unit 3 stores a predetermined road number associated with each road, and depending on the road, a predetermined road number may be stored for each section of the road. It is stored in association.
[0032]
The switch information input unit 4 is switches attached to the left and right or top and bottom of the display device as the display unit 6, and the driver makes various selections and gives instructions for various operations via the switch information input unit 4. Can go. The memory unit 5 is composed of, for example, a ROM or a RAM. The ROM stores programs for executing various processes described later, including a navigation program. The RAM of the memory unit 5 has an area for temporarily storing the work memory of the program and the map data acquired from the map data storage unit 3.
[0033]
The display unit 6 is configured as a display device for displaying a map for navigating the driver and displaying a destination selection screen and the like. The voice output unit 7 utters voices for navigating the driver and explanations of screen operations. The data communication unit 8 has an intercommunication function, and includes, for example, a mobile phone, a car phone, a beacon, and the like.
[0034]
The control unit 9 controls the above-described units of the navigation device 1, and includes a map data acquisition unit 10, a map matching unit 11, a route calculation unit 12, a route guide unit 13, a drawing unit 14, a screen control management unit 15, and The communication control unit 16 is configured. Next, the operation of the control unit 9 will be described.
[0035]
As will be described later, the map data acquisition unit 10 acquires map data required by the above-described units of the control unit 9 from the map data storage unit 3 and provides the map data to each unit. Further, the processing in the map data acquisition unit 10 and the processing in other units are executed using the ROM and RAM of the memory unit 5.
[0036]
The map matching unit 11 specifies on which road the current position exists using the current position of the vehicle detected by the position detection unit 2 and the road shape data of the map data acquired from the map data storage unit 3. To do. At this time, the map data acquisition unit 10 acquires necessary map data from the map data storage unit 3. After specifying the road, the map data is used to convert the data indicating the road or the road section into a value (hereinafter referred to as an infrastructure link ID) that can be recognized by the information center 21, and position information (average vehicle speed, etc.) and detection The current position information is stored in the predetermined storage area of the memory unit 5 together with the time. This process will be described in detail later.
[0037]
In the route calculation unit 12, the current position calculated by the map matching unit 11 or the departure point designated by the driver reaches the destination set by the driver by displaying a desired map using the switch information input unit 4. Calculate the route. The route guidance unit 13 calculates the points necessary for guidance from the result of the route calculation and road shape data stored in the map data, intersection location information, level crossing location information, etc. It is calculated whether guidance (instruction to turn right or left, etc., that is, so-called navigation) is necessary.
[0038]
The drawing unit 14 draws a map of the current position, a schematic diagram of the expressway, an enlarged view of the vicinity of the intersection in the vicinity of the intersection, and the like according to instructions from the screen control management unit 15 and displays them on the display unit 6. The communication control unit 16 instructs the data communication unit 8 when it is instructed by the driver using the switch information input unit 4 and every time a predetermined time elapses so that mutual communication with the information center 21 is possible. To do. Even when the data communication unit 8 receives a request from the information center 21, the communication control unit 16 makes the above-described mutual communication possible. When mutual communication is possible in this way, the map center 11 notifies the information center 21 of the current position information stored in the memory 5. In addition, desired information can be obtained from the information center 21 by transmitting an information request for traffic jam information, character information, and the like.
[0039]
The information center 21 is connected to a radio base station 17 capable of communicating with each vehicle through a telephone station 18, and data is transmitted and received between the radio base station 17 and the navigation device 1. The information center 21 also includes a line terminal device 22 that performs communication via the telephone station 18, a server 23 that processes necessary information, and a database 24 that stores necessary data. The information center 21 processes the current position information obtained from the navigation device 1 by communication with the server 23 and stores it in the database 24. When there is an information request, the server 23 retrieves necessary information from the database 24 and transmits data using the line terminal device 22.
[0040]
Next, processing in the navigation device 1 and the information center 21 configured as described above will be specifically described with reference to flowcharts. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the control unit 9 of the navigation device 1 every predetermined time.
[0041]
As shown in FIG. 2, when the process is started, first, in S10 (S represents a step: the same applies hereinafter), the road number and the average vehicle speed are acquired from the current position of the vehicle detected by the position detection unit 2. That is, using the current position of the vehicle and the road shape data of the map data acquired from the map data storage unit 3 or the like, it is specified on which road the current position exists, and the road number is acquired. Further, the average vehicle speed is also acquired based on the change amount of the current position that is detected every moment. The road number is a number that is defined by finely dividing each road for navigation. The road number changes every time it passes through a fine intersection that intersects a side road or the like, and the map displayed on the display unit 6 is switched. It is also used to give timing. For this reason, the road classification corresponding to the road number is finer than the road classification corresponding to the aforementioned infrastructure link ID.
[0042]
In subsequent S20, the road number acquired in S10 is converted into an infrastructure link ID, and in S30, it is determined whether or not the infrastructure link ID has changed since the previous processing. If not changed (S30: NO), the average vehicle speed update process is executed in S50, and then the process is temporarily terminated, and the process is executed again from S10 at the next execution timing. If the infrastructure link ID has changed (S30: YES), the current position storage process is executed in S40, and then the process is temporarily terminated. In S40, the infrastructure link ID converted in S20 is stored in the memory unit 5 as current position information together with the average vehicle speed acquired in S10 and its detection time. As a result of the above processing, each time the vehicle passes through a road or section corresponding to one infrastructure link ID (S30: YES), one current position information can be stored and accumulated in the memory unit 5. it can.
[0043]
For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, it is assumed that the road R is divided by points P1, P2, P3, P4,... And different infrastructure link IDs are defined in each section. In this case, when the vehicle V travels on the road R in the direction of the arrow, as shown in parentheses in the figure, current position information corresponding to the section up to the point P1, and current position information corresponding to the section between the points P1 and P2. The current position information corresponding to the section from point P2 to point P3 and the current position information corresponding to the section from point P3 to point P4 can be sequentially stored and accumulated in the memory unit 5. In S40, when the current position information is newly acquired, the currently stored current position information may be rewritten with the information. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. When traveling to the point P6, only the current position information corresponding to the section from the point P5 to the point P6 is stored in the memory unit 5.
[0044]
The navigation device 1 is a so-called ATIS-compatible navigation device, and by providing appropriate operation input to the switch information input unit 4, desired information shown in Table 1 is provided to the information center 21. Can be requested.
[0045]
[Table 1]

[0046]
As described above, the current position information stored in the memory unit 5 is transmitted to the information center 21 in conjunction with the request for the provision information. Next, a process executed by the navigation device 1 and the information center 21 when request information is provided from the navigation device 1 to the information center 21 will be described.
[0047]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the control unit 9 of the navigation device 1 when requesting provision information to the information center 21. As shown in FIG. 4, when the processing is started, the control unit 9 executes current position information data transmission processing in S <b> 110 and transmits the data of the current position information stored in the memory unit 5 to the information center 21. . In subsequent S120, a provision information request transmission process is executed, and a signal requesting desired provision information (hereinafter referred to as provision information request) is transmitted to the information center 21. Further, in the subsequent S130, it is determined whether or not the provision information for the provision information request transmitted in S120 has been received from the information center 21. If not received (S130: NO), the provision information is received. stand by.
[0048]
At this time, the information center 21 (specifically, the server 23) executes the processing shown in FIG. 5 at predetermined time intervals. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, first, in S210, it is determined whether or not data of current position information has been received from the navigation device 1 (see S110). When the current position information data is not received (S210: NO), the process waits at S210 until the data is received.
[0049]
When the data of the current position information is received from the navigation device 1 (S210: YES), the process of the information center 21 proceeds to S220 and executes the current position information receiving process for taking in the data of the current position information. In subsequent S230, the current position information data is processed, sorted and organized, and stored in the database 24. Then, the process proceeds to S240. Through the above processing, the current position information transmitted in S110 is stored in the database 24 together with the current position information received from the navigation device 1 provided in many vehicles traveling on each road. The As a result, the provision information such as the traffic jam information shown in Table 1 is created by another routine (not shown).
[0050]
In S240, it is determined whether a provision information request has been received from the navigation device 1 (see S120). When the provision information request is not received (S240: NO), the process waits until the provision information request is received. When the provision information request is received (S240: YES), the process proceeds to S250 to execute a provision information request reception process for fetching the provision information request. In subsequent S260, the provision information corresponding to the provision information request is searched from the database 24. The provided information search process is executed. Further, in the subsequent S270, a provision information transmission process for transmitting the provision information searched in S260 to the navigation device 1 is executed, and the process is temporarily terminated.
[0051]
Returning to FIG. 4, when the provision information corresponding to the provision information request transmitted in S120 is transmitted from the information center 21 and the navigation apparatus 1 receives the provision information (S130: YES), the controller 9 The process proceeds to S140, and the provision information reception process for fetching the provision information and storing it in the memory unit 5 is executed. When the provision information is received in this way, the provision information is used by another routine (not shown), for example, processing such as displaying on the road map displayed on the display unit 6 according to the traffic congestion information is performed. Executed. 4 and 5, the process of transmitting the current position information when transmitting the provision information request has been described. However, when the provision information request is not transmitted for a long period of time, the control unit 9 performs other routines (not shown). Only the current location information is sent periodically.
[0052]
As described above, in the information center 21 of the present embodiment, the current position information transmitted at least periodically from the navigation device 1 is received and stored in the database 24, so that vehicle detectors and the like are not provided. Even on a road, information related to the road can be collected well. That is, the current position information transmitted from the navigation device 1 includes the infrastructure link ID as described above, but the infrastructure link ID can be defined on the data for any road. As long as this infrastructure link ID is defined, the information center 21 can collect the current position information related to the road or section when the vehicle on which the navigation device 1 is mounted travels on the road or section.
[0053]
In addition, since the current position information includes average vehicle speed data, the information center 21 can estimate traffic congestion information and the like extremely accurately and easily. In addition, since the current position information includes detection time data, the information center 21 can improve the accuracy of information by discarding old information. For this reason, the provided information provided by the information center 21 corresponds to all roads and sections, and is extremely accurate.
[0054]
Since the navigation apparatus 1 requests the provision information by bidirectional communication and sends back only the necessary provision information from the information center 21, the collected information can be used very efficiently and satisfactorily. it can. Furthermore, since the navigation apparatus 1 transmits the current position information in conjunction with the transmission of the provision information request, the number of communication with the information center 21 can be reduced to improve the communication efficiency. Power consumption and the like related to communication can also be reduced.
[0055]
Moreover, in the said embodiment, the process which acquires infrastructure link ID from the present position of the vehicle detected by the position detection part 2 is performed by the navigation apparatus 1, and the acquired infrastructure link ID is used as data, such as average vehicle speed. At the same time, since the information is collected by the information center 21, the provided information can be made more accurate as follows.
[0056]
That is, when information such as latitude / longitude where the vehicle exists is transmitted from the vehicle side and is associated with a road in the information center 21, when the road is elevated and the road overlaps vertically, the center of the intersection When the vehicle is stopped, it is impossible to specify whether the vehicle is traveling on the upper or lower road, or from which direction the vehicle is traveling. In contrast, in the above embodiment, since the infrastructure link ID (corresponding to the road or section) is transmitted from the vehicle side, the information on the road on which the vehicle has traveled can be satisfactorily also in such a case. Can be collected. Moreover, since the navigation device 1 includes the position detection unit 2 corresponding to GPS, the position of the vehicle can be detected extremely accurately. For this reason, the infrastructure link ID corresponding to the actual vehicle position more accurately can be collected in the information center 21, and the provided information can be made more accurate.
[0057]
In the above embodiment, the process of S220 is the information collection means, the process of S270 is the information transmission means, the process of S260 is the information search means, the process of S10 is the road detection means, and the process of S20 is the ID search. The process of S110 corresponds to the ID transmission means, and the process of S120 corresponds to the information request means.
[0058]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, if a vehicle is equipped with a sensor that can detect the outside air temperature, the amount of solar radiation, the humidity, and the like, these data are also transmitted to the information center 21 together with the infrastructure link ID as the current position information. 21 can provide a wider variety of provision information.
[0059]
In addition, when the navigation device receives the provided information using a mobile phone or the like, the call time increases because the current position information is transmitted, which increases the burden on the driver. In such a case, the provided information is provided. Services such as discounting fees can also be implemented. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the number of communications is reduced by transmitting the current location information in conjunction with the request for the provided information. A method of combining with an automatic fee payment system that is being considered is also conceivable.
[0060]
Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to transmission / reception between an information center that manages traffic jam information and the like and a navigation device, and can be applied to various fields. For example, as a road information collection center, a form such as a facility for dispatching a taxi, a facility for managing transportation by truck, etc. can be considered. . However As described above, when the ID transmission unit is configured by using the configuration of the navigation device, the ID transmission unit can be provided in the vehicle without adding a significant configuration to a general navigation device. Become. That is, the configuration of the position detection unit 2 as the position detection unit and the configuration of the map data storage unit 3 as the map data storage unit are the same as those provided in a general navigation device. Is used to acquire the infrastructure link ID and transmit it to the information center 21. For this reason, it becomes possible to equip the vehicle with the ID transmission means without adding a significant configuration to a general navigation device. For this reason, in this Embodiment, the system using the information center 21 can be comprised easily and cheaply.
[0061]
In addition, the device that receives information from the road information collection center may be a navigation device that receives information via FM multiplex broadcasting, optical beacons, or radio beacons, and receives information indoors via a telephone line or the like. It may be a personal computer for home use. However, when receiving information from FM multiplex broadcasting, optical beacons, or radio beacons, it is necessary to select information on the receiver side.
[0062]
Furthermore, as described above, when the average vehicle speed is transmitted from the navigation device 1 to the information center 21, the traveling state of the vehicle that has requested the provision information can be detected on the information center 21 side. Therefore, when providing the provided information (S270), the provided information may be processed according to the average vehicle speed of the destination vehicle. For example, when the vehicle is traveling at a high speed, data for instructing the control unit 9 to output the provided information only through the audio output unit 7 may be attached. If you are traveling on the road, you may be able to keep the driver's concentration by attaching riddles and information on special dishes for drive-ins.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a navigation device and an information center to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing processing executed by a control unit of the navigation device at predetermined time intervals.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating current position information stored by the processing.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing of the control unit when providing information is requested.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing processing of the information center every predetermined time.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Navigation apparatus 2 ... Position detection part 3 ... Map data storage part
4 ... Switch information input unit 5 ... Memory unit 6 ... Display unit
7 ... Audio output unit 8 ... Data communication unit 9 ... Control unit
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Map data acquisition part 11 ... Map matching part 12 ... Route calculation part
13 ... Route guidance unit 14 ... Drawing unit 15 ... Screen control management unit
16 ... Communication control unit 21 ... Information center 22 ... Line terminal device
23 ... Server 24 ... Database

Claims (5)

Position detecting means for detecting the position of the vehicle;
Map data storage means for storing map data including road map data;
Display means for reading out map data corresponding to the position of the vehicle detected by the position detection means from the map data storage means and displaying it as a road map together with the position of the vehicle;
A navigation device comprising:
Road detection means for detecting a road on which the vehicle is traveling or a section of the road based on the position of the vehicle detected by the position detection means;
ID search means for searching for an ID corresponding to the road detected by the road detection means or a section of the road;
ID transmission means for transmitting the ID searched by the ID search means to a road information collection center;
With
The road information collection center, road or each define a section the ID for each of the road, a road information collection center for collecting information relating to the corresponding road or section to each ID,
Receiving the upper Symbol I D transmission means or found on Symbol ID, and information collection means for collecting information relating to the road or section,
Prepared,
A number that is defined by dividing each road for navigation, and changes every time it passes through an intersection that intersects a side road. In addition, the road number is used to give the timing for switching the map for navigation. However, the navigation apparatus is characterized in that the ID is set coarser and the ID can be defined on data for any road. 2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position detection means is compatible with GPS that detects the position of the vehicle based on radio waves from a satellite. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ID transmission means adds the average vehicle speed to the ID and transmits the average vehicle speed to the road information collection center. The road information collection center further comprises information transmission means for transmitting the information collected by the information collection means to the vehicle side when requested by the vehicle side,
Information request means for transmitting a signal for requesting the transmission of the information to the road information collection center,
In addition to providing
The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ID transmission unit transmits the ID in conjunction with transmission of the signal by the information request unit. 5. The navigation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the information requesting unit transmits the signal with data specifying the type of information required.

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