JP3966215B2 - Vehicle navigation device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a navigation device for a vehicle, and more particularly to an improvement in display of a predicted arrival time at a destination or a waypoint.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a navigation device that detects the current position of a vehicle by GPS (Global Positioning System) and guides a route to a destination is known.
[0003]
Such a navigation device can superimpose and display the current position of the vehicle on the map screen of the display device, and can display the route to the destination and display the estimated arrival time of the destination and waypoint. The display device also displays the current time, and the user can prepare for driving preparation such as a route change by comparing the current time with the estimated arrival time at the destination and the waypoint.
[0004]
Here, the estimated arrival time of the destination and the waypoint is calculated based on time information (hereinafter referred to as GPS time information) included in the radio wave transmitted from the GPS satellite.
[0005]
On the other hand, in a general clock device, the display of the current time is indicated by a time several minutes ahead of the actual current time according to the user's preference. For example, in order to prevent the action schedule from being delayed, it is generally performed that the time that the user intentionally advances several minutes from the current time is displayed as the current time.
[0006]
The current time displayed on the display device described above measures the current time based on the GPS time information, but the display of the current time can be changed according to the user's preference.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, even when the display of the current time on the display device is changed, the estimated arrival time at the destination and waypoint calculated by the navigation device based on the GPS time information is displayed as it is. Therefore, there arises a problem that the difference between the displayed current time and the expected arrival time is not correct.
[0008]
For example, if the current time is displayed several minutes ahead, the current time is displayed before the expected arrival time is displayed, and the user misunderstands whether the destination has been passed. is there. In particular, if you are driving on an expressway, it will travel a considerable distance in a few minutes, so when displaying the estimated arrival time using the interchange as a transit point, the discrepancy between the current time and the estimated arrival time is often displayed to the user. It will be confusing.
[0009]
Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and has an object to eliminate variations in the display of the current time and the estimated arrival time, that is, to correctly display the difference between the current time and the estimated arrival time. And
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A vehicle navigation device according to the present invention is a vehicle navigation device that detects a current position and guides a route to a destination to a user. The vehicle navigation device includes a route guidance to the destination based on its own time information. Means for calculating the expected arrival time of the waypoint, means for receiving the change time information of the clock device whose display time has been changed by the user, and the expected arrival time of the destination and the waypoint based on the change time information And means for changing.
[0011]
In the vehicle navigation device of the present invention, the time information of the vehicle is GPS time information included in a radio wave transmitted from a GPS satellite, and the timepiece device is a timepiece device that measures time based on the GPS time information. It is characterized by.
[0012]
Furthermore, the vehicle navigation apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising an instruction means for inputting a user instruction whether or not to change the estimated arrival time.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0014]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a vehicle navigation apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The vehicle navigation device 1 according to the present embodiment includes an electronic control unit ECU 10 that controls the whole and performs various data processing, and is connected to various components 12 to 22 of the vehicle navigation device 1 described below. . The ECU 10 is specifically composed of a microcomputer, and executes a navigation control program to process digital data. In the present embodiment, the ECU 10 basically searches for a route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination, calculates the arrival time of the destination and waypoint, and displays the current position of the vehicle on the map screen on the display device. And the route and the estimated arrival time are displayed. As will be described later, the ECU 10 changes the estimated arrival time based on the change time information of the clock device whose display time has been changed by the user, as will be described later.
[0015]
Hereinafter, each component will be described in detail.
[0016]
The GPS antenna 12 is connected to the ECU 10 via the GPS receiver 14. The GPS antenna 12 receives transmission radio waves from GPS satellites, and the GPS receiver 14 processes GPS data included in the transmission radio waves, and displays the current position (latitude, longitude, altitude), current time, speed, and direction of the vehicle. To detect. The radio wave transmitted from the GPS satellite includes time information by an atomic clock (hereinafter referred to as GPS time information), and the current time is detected based on the GPS time information. The GPS receiver 14 supplies the detected current position and the like to the ECU 10. In addition to the GPS receiver, a DGPS device that receives a position error signal included in FM multiplex broadcasting and corrects the error may be mounted to detect the current position with higher accuracy. Further, the current position may be detected in combination with a vehicle speed sensor or a direction sensor.
[0017]
The input device 16 is for inputting a user instruction, and for example, a destination is input. In the present embodiment, the input device 16 changes whether or not the expected arrival time calculated by the ECU 10 is changed, that is, the clock device whose display time is changed by the user for the estimated arrival time at the destination and waypoint. Whether to change the estimated arrival time based on the time information is input. Specifically, the input device 16 includes buttons and touch switches, and may be configured integrally with a display device 20 described later.
[0018]
The map data storage device 18 stores display map data and route search map data. The route search map data includes, for example, a large number of nodes and links. Each link has a link cost, which is the time required to traverse that link. Using this link cost, the estimated arrival time at the destination and waypoint is obtained. The map data may have a hierarchical structure, and the map data includes not only road data but also data of various facilities. The map data storage device 18 is composed of, for example, a CD-ROM or DVD, and supplies map data to the ECU 10 in accordance with access from the ECU 10.
[0019]
The ECU 10 reads the search map data from the map data storage device 18 and searches for a route to the destination based on the current position of the vehicle supplied from the GPS receiver 14 and the destination input by the user. Further, the ECU 10 uses the current time detected from the GPS time information as its own time information, and calculates the estimated arrival time of the destination and the waypoint using the link cost of the search map data. The ECU 10 guides these processing results together with the display map data to the user through the display device 20 described later.
[0020]
The display device 20 is connected to the ECU 10 via the display control unit 22. The display control unit 22 includes a microcomputer, and is connected to the ECU 10 via a vehicle LAN, for example. Further, the display device 20 can be composed of a CRT, a liquid crystal, or the like. The display control unit 22 superimposes and displays the current position of the vehicle supplied from the ECU 10 on the map screen, and causes the display device 20 to display a route to the destination, a destination, an estimated arrival time at the waypoint, and the like.
[0021]
Further, the display control unit 22 measures time based on GPS time information supplied via the ECU 10 (or current time supplied based on GPS time information), and causes the display device 20 to display the current time. . In the present embodiment, the display device 20 and the display control unit 22 correspond to the timepiece device of the present invention. The current time to be displayed can be displayed by being advanced from the current time according to a user instruction input to a touch panel sensor or the like configured in the display device 20, for example. The display control unit 22 changes the current time to the display time and displays it according to the change time information instructed by the user. This change time information (for example, a difference time between the current time and the display time, such as a time advanced by 10 minutes) can be stored in the internal memory of the display control unit 22.
[0022]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a display example of the display device 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the display device 20 displays a route guidance area 24 indicating a route to the destination, a current time area 26 displaying the current time, and an arrival indicating the expected arrival time of the destination and the waypoint. The route guidance, current time, and estimated arrival time are displayed in each region. As shown in FIG. 2, the route guidance area 24 displays the destination C point, the waypoint A point, and the B point, and the estimated arrival time area 28 displays the estimated arrival times of the A, B, and C points. ing.
[0023]
In the vehicle navigation device 1 of this embodiment, what is characteristic is that the estimated arrival time of the destination and the waypoint is changed. As described above, the current time displayed on the display device 20 may be advanced by the user. When the user instructs to change the display of the estimated arrival time of the navigation route guidance, the ECU 10 changes the estimated arrival time based on the change time information.
[0024]
Hereinafter, this process will be described in detail.
[0025]
In the present embodiment, the ECU 10 acquires change time information from the display control unit 22. For example, the ECU 10 outputs a change time information transmission request to the display control unit 22, and the display control unit 22 transmits the change time information to the ECU 10. The change time information includes a change time (for example, a difference time from the current time of 10 minutes delay and 10 minutes earlier) and the changed display current time itself. The change time information may be received when the vehicle navigation apparatus 1 is turned on or before the estimated arrival time is displayed. In addition, when the display time of the present time is changed, the display control unit 22 is configured to supply the change time information to the ECU 10, and the ECU 10 may store the change time information in the internal memory.
[0026]
When the ECU 10 receives the change time information, the ECU 10 changes the estimated arrival time based on the change time information. For example, a case where the display of the current time on the display device is advanced by 10 minutes will be described. Like the time indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 2, the ECU 10 calculates the estimated arrival time as 9:55 for point A, 10:35 for point B, and 11:35 for point C. When the ECU 10 obtains the change time information indicating that it has advanced 10 minutes, the change time is added (subtracted) to the estimated arrival time, and the estimated arrival time is 10:05 for point A, 10:45 for point B, C The point changes the estimated arrival time to 11:45. The ECU 10 supplies the changed estimated display arrival time to the display control unit 22. The display control unit 22 displays the changed estimated display arrival time on the display device 20 as shown in the estimated arrival time area 28 of FIG. As a result, it is possible to eliminate variations in the display of the current time and the estimated arrival time, that is, to correctly display the difference between the current time and the estimated arrival time.
[0027]
When the ECU 10 accepts the current display time as the change time information, the ECU 10 compares the current time calculated based on the GPS time information with the current display time, obtains the change time, and performs the above-described processing. .
[0028]
Next, the operation of the vehicle navigation device 1 of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a process flowchart of the present embodiment.
[0029]
The ECU 10 calculates an estimated arrival time at the destination and the waypoint (S10). Next, it is determined whether there is an instruction input for changing the estimated arrival time of the user (S12). When there is a user instruction (S12), the ECU 10 checks whether there is change time information (S14). For example, the ECU 10 outputs a change time information transmission request to the display control unit 22, and the display control unit 22 transmits the change time information to the ECU 10. When the ECU 10 receives the change time information (YES in S14), the ECU 10 changes the predicted arrival time to the predicted display arrival time based on the change time information (S16). The ECU 10 supplies the estimated display arrival time to the display control unit 22, and the display control unit 22 displays the estimated display arrival time on the display device 20 (S18). As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the difference between the current time and the estimated arrival time is correctly displayed, and the estimated arrival time that matches the user's actual use can be provided.
[0030]
If there is no change instruction from the user in S12 or there is no change time information in S14, the estimated arrival time calculated by the ECU 10 is displayed on the display device 20 as it is (S20).
[0031]
In the present embodiment, the display device 20 (and the display control unit 22) used in the vehicle navigation device 1 as a clock device has been described as an example. However, the vehicle includes an electronic device unit such as a CD player unit. These electronic device units often have a clock function. These time displays may be changed according to the user's preference. In the present embodiment, it is also preferable that the electronic device unit and the vehicle navigation device 1 are connected by communication via an in-vehicle LAN or the like, the current time of the electronic device unit is received, and the estimated arrival time is changed.
[0032]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, since the estimated arrival time is changed according to the change time of the clock device whose display of the current time has been changed by the user, the display of the current time and the expected arrival time are displayed. In other words, the difference between the current time and the estimated arrival time can be correctly displayed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a vehicle navigation apparatus 1 according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a display example of a display device.
FIG. 3 is a process flowchart of the embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle navigation apparatus, 10 Electronic control unit ECU, 12 GPS antenna, 14 GPS receiver, 16 Input device, 18 Map data storage device, 20 Display apparatus, 22 Display control part.

Claims (3)

A vehicle navigation device that detects a current position and guides a route to a destination to a user,
A means for calculating the estimated arrival time of the destination and waypoint along with route guidance to the destination based on the own time information;
Means for receiving change time information of a clock device whose display time has been changed by the user;
Based on the change time information, a means for changing the expected arrival time of the destination and waypoint,
A vehicle navigation device comprising: The vehicle navigation device according to claim 1,
The self time information is GPS time information included in a radio wave transmitted from a GPS satellite,
The timepiece device is a timepiece device that measures time based on GPS time information. The vehicle navigation device according to claim 1 or 2,
An in-vehicle navigation device comprising: instruction means for inputting a user instruction as to whether or not to change the estimated arrival time.

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