JP4085928B2 - Vehicle navigation system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle navigation system mounted on a vehicle, and more particularly, a vehicle that can improve the visibility of travel guide information to a travel destination of the vehicle and can make a driver easily recognize the travel guide information. Related to the navigation system. Specifically, the present invention relates to a display method for displaying route guidance information to a driver using a mobile display device such as a head-up display (HUD), a route guidance device, and the like.

  Some vehicles are equipped with a navigation system that displays various types of information up to the travel destination. The vehicle navigation system has display means for displaying travel guidance information to the travel destination together with the vehicle position information and road information of the vehicle, and the vehicle travels according to the various information displayed on the display means. It makes driving to the destination easy.

  Here, as one piece of travel guidance information, there is one that displays the traveling direction at an intersection using an arrow or the like. At present, this type of display is displayed on a liquid crystal display (liquid crystal display) disposed in a console box of a vehicle below the passenger compartment.

  Therefore, the driver must move his / her line of sight from the outside of the passenger compartment to the liquid crystal display section in the passenger compartment in order to view various information displayed on the display means of the navigation system during driving.

  At this time, although the driver is traveling, the driver looks away from the road and signs ahead of the passenger compartment and visually recognizes the road conditions and sign information of the navigation device. As a result, the driver may be inadvertent in the forward direction, which may lead to a dangerous state.

  In order to avoid this, a technique for reducing the movement of the line of sight by providing a head-up display device (HUD) as a display device in the navigation system has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  According to this method, in order to avoid the above-described inconvenience, the vehicle has display means for displaying travel guidance information to the travel destination of the vehicle in addition to the vehicle position information of the vehicle and the road information on which the vehicle travels. In a vehicle navigation system, a head-up display (HUD) is provided as a travel guide information display means for displaying the travel guide information on a windshield portion of the vehicle.

And it controls so that driving | running | working guidance information is displayed on the said display means together with the said own vehicle position information and road information, and driving | running | working guidance information is displayed on a windshield part by the said driving guidance information display means (HUD). So that it is controlled.
JP 2001-108476 A

  By the way, the situation outside the passenger compartment viewed by the driver through the windshield is changing every moment and is not constant.

  For example, in an urban area where route guidance is required, roads are congested, and with the display method described in Patent Document 1, the display overlaps with the vehicle ahead in the windshield part. Frequently occurs. At this time, it is not only difficult for the driver to see the route guidance display, but also the vehicle ahead may be difficult to see.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention has display means for displaying travel guidance information to the travel destination of the vehicle in addition to the vehicle position information of the vehicle and road information on which the vehicle travels, An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle navigation system having a travel guide information display means for displaying on a windshield part, and to prevent the travel guide information displayed on the windshield part from being obstructed by obstacles ahead of the vehicle or the like.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the vehicle (100) travels to the travel destination together with the vehicle position information of the vehicle (100) and the road information on which the vehicle (100) travels. In the vehicle navigation system having the display means (131, 132, 133) for displaying the guidance information (801), the driving guidance information display for displaying the driving guidance information (801) on the windshield part (44) of the vehicle (100). Means (132) is provided, and situation analysis means (203) for analyzing the situation ahead of the host vehicle is provided. Based on the information from the situation analysis means (203), the display position of the travel guidance information (801) It adapted to control the front obstacle in a windshield site (44) (901) and the traveling guidance information (801) and overlap each other, running It is characterized in that so as to extinguish the guide information (801).

According to this, the situation analysis means (203) analyzes the situation ahead of the host vehicle that changes from time to time, and the travel guidance information display means (132) is controlled in accordance with the situation ahead of the host vehicle obtained thereby. Thus, the display position of the travel guidance information (801) on the windshield part (44) can be moved to an appropriate place or changed. In the present invention, the display position of the travel guide information (801) is displayed by performing an operation of deleting the travel guide information (801) in a portion where the obstacle (901) ahead and the travel guide information (801) overlap. Is optimally controlled, so that both the travel guidance information (801) and the obstacle (901) can be visually recognized.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, in a vehicle navigation system having display means for displaying travel guidance information together with own vehicle position information and road information, a windshield part (901) is obstructed by a front obstacle (901) such as a vehicle. 44), it is possible to prevent the travel guide information (801) displayed in 44) from being difficult to see.

  Specifically, controlling the display position of the travel guidance information (801) on the windshield part (44) to an appropriate place is the display position of the travel guide information (801) as in the invention described in claim 2. Can be set to a position in the windshield part (44) that does not hinder the visual recognition of the front obstacle (901).

  According to this, the display position of the travel guidance information (801) is changed so that it does not move to a place off the front obstacle (901) or overlap the front obstacle (901). Since it is displayed, it is possible to make it easy to see the travel guide information (801) and to prevent the obstacle (901) from being difficult to see.

Further, specifically, controlling the display position of the travel guidance information (801) on the windshield part (44) to an appropriate place is the same as that of the travel guidance information (801), as in the third aspect of the invention. The display position can be a position where the display background is not complicated in the windshield part (44). Here, the complicated background is a portion of a green forest or a crowded urban signboard.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle navigation system according to any one of the first to third aspects, the travel guidance information (801) is converted into information (802, 803, 804, 805, 806, 807, 808, 809, and 810).

  According to this, in addition to the travel guidance information (801), information (802 to 810) that can specify a point is given, which is preferable because information can be presented more easily.

  Specifically, the information (802) that can specify the point can be the name of the intersection, that is, the name of the intersection, as in the invention described in claim 5.

  Further, the information (803, 805) that can specify the point can be the name of the building (902) that serves as a landmark, as in the sixth aspect of the invention. Here, a building means a store, a building, a station, a government office, a bronze statue, a bridge, and the like.

  Moreover, the information (808) which can specify a point can be the number of intersections or traffic lights as in the invention described in claim 7.

  Moreover, the information (809) which can specify a point can be made into the distance to an intersection like the invention of Claim 8.

  Furthermore, the information which can specify a point can be made into the distance to the building used as a mark like the invention of Claim 9.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle navigation system according to any one of the fourth to ninth aspects, information (804, 806) for identifying a point is displayed with a symbol or a picture. It is said.

  As described above, the information (804, 806) that can specify the point can be displayed as a symbol such as a map symbol or a symbol mark or a simplified picture.

  According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the vehicular navigation system according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, the travel guidance information (801) is displayed together with a schematic diagram (810) of an intersection. is doing.

  In this way, if the travel guide information (801) is displayed together with the schematic diagram (810) of the intersection, it is possible to present information that is easier to understand.

  Here, as in the invention according to claim 12, in the vehicle navigation system according to claim 11, the schematic diagram (810) of the intersection can be displayed by the wire frame.

  By adopting a wire frame display using only such lines, a more simplified display form can be obtained.

  In the vehicle navigation system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, as in the invention described in claim 13, a head-up display (132) is adopted as the travel guidance information display means. can do.

  In addition, the code | symbol in the bracket | parenthesis of each said means is an example which shows a corresponding relationship with the specific means as described in embodiment mentioned later.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an arrangement example of each part of the vehicle navigation system in a vehicle 100. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the driver's seat and the windshield 44 in the vehicle 100.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle navigation system of the present embodiment includes an information input unit 205, an information output unit 206, an external storage device 207, and a control unit 200 that controls them.

  The information input unit 205 includes a front radar 101, a front monitoring camera 102, a rear radar 103, a rear monitoring camera 104, a side monitoring camera 105, 106, a vehicle speed sensor 107, a throttle sensor 108, a brake hydraulic pressure sensor 109, a steering torque sensor 110, Steering angle sensor 111, solar radiation sensor 112, light switch 1113a, ignition switch 113b, wiper switch 113c, direction indicator switch 113d, direction sensor 114, automatic operation switch 115, GPS antenna 116, FM antenna 117a, telephone antenna 117b, beacon reception It is configured to include each part such as the element 117c.

  The front radar 101 monitors the front of the vehicle 100 and detects the traveling road shape in front, the position of the vehicle / obstacle in front, and the relative speed. As such a front radar 101, for example, a laser or a millimeter wave that recognizes an object ahead can be employed.

  The front monitoring camera 102 obtains an image in front of the vehicle 100. As such a front monitoring camera 102, for example, a CCD (charge-coupled device) can be employed.

  The rear radar 103 monitors the rear of the vehicle 100, and detects the shape of the road behind the vehicle, the position of the vehicle / obstacle behind the vehicle, and the relative speed. As such a rear radar 103, for example, a laser or a millimeter wave that recognizes an object behind can be employed.

  The rear monitoring camera 104 obtains an image of the rear of the vehicle 100, and the side monitoring cameras 105 and 106 obtain an image of the side of the vehicle 100. As the rear monitoring camera 104 and the side monitoring cameras 105 and 106, for example, a CCD or the like can be adopted.

  The vehicle speed sensor 107 detects the speed of the vehicle 100, the throttle sensor 108 detects the throttle opening of the vehicle 100, and the brake hydraulic pressure sensor 109 detects the brake hydraulic pressure of the vehicle 100. is there.

  The steering torque sensor 110 detects the steering torque of the vehicle 100, and the steering angle sensor 111 detects the steering angle of the vehicle 100. The steering torque sensor 110 and the steering angle sensor 111 are omitted in FIG.

  The solar radiation sensor 112 detects the amount of solar radiation, and as such a solar radiation sensor 112, for example, a sensor using a photodiode or the like that generates an electrical signal according to the brightness can be adopted. .

  The light switch 113a is a switch for turning on / off the light of the vehicle 100, the ignition switch 113b is a switch for turning on / off the engine of the vehicle 100, and the wiper switch 113c is a switch for turning on / off the wiper of the vehicle 100. The direction indicator switch 113d is a switch for turning on and off the direction indicator of the vehicle 100.

  The lighting switch 113a, the ignition switch 113b, the wiper switch 113c, and the direction indicator switch 113d are provided at positions at which the driver can operate the steering wheel 113 of the vehicle 100 shown in FIG. It has been.

  The direction sensor 114 determines the direction of the east, west, north, and south of the vehicle 100. Note that the orientation sensor 114 is omitted in FIG. The automatic operation switch 115 is a switch for turning on / off a driving state in which the vehicle speed is constant, that is, a so-called auto cruising mechanism.

  A GPS (Global Positioning System) antenna 116 is for receiving a signal for determining own vehicle position information from an artificial satellite. The beacon receiving element 117c can receive a signal from an optical communication relay station installed on the road, that is, a beacon.

  Here, the FM antenna 117a, the telephone antenna 117b, and the beacon receiving element 117c are provided in the antenna installation portion 117 of the vehicle 100 shown in FIG. These FM antenna 117a, telephone antenna 117b, and beacon receiving element 117c are for receiving road information such as construction information and traffic jam information.

  Next, the information output unit 206 mainly includes a multi-display 131, a head-up display 132, a meter display 133, a speaker 134, a throttle 135, a brake 136, and a steering 137.

  Here, the multi-display 131, the head-up display 132, and the meter display 133 display travel guidance information to the travel destination of the vehicle 100 together with the vehicle position information of the vehicle 100 and the road information on which the vehicle 100 travels. The display means 131, 132, 133 to be configured.

  Specifically, the display means such as the multi-display 131, the head-up display 132, and the meter display 133, and the speaker 134 are information presenting means for outputting an image and sound based on the image information and sound information generated by the control unit 200. It is configured.

  The multi display 131 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) and the like, and the meter display 133 includes a speedometer, a tachometer, a fuel meter, a hydraulic meter, and the like.

  The head-up display 132 is configured as a travel guide information display unit that displays travel guide information on the windshield 44, and details thereof will be described later. The appearances of the multi-display 131, the head-up display 132, and the meter display 133 are as shown in FIG.

  The throttle 135, the brake 136, and the steering 137 are actuators that operate based on the control signal generated by the control unit 200. Specifically, the automatic operation (auto cruising) is performed by operating the automatic operation switch 115. It is controlled accordingly.

  The external storage device 207 includes devices such as a DVD (digital versatile disk), a ROM (read only memory), and a hard disk, and the external storage device 207 stores map data.

  In addition, the control unit 200 has a navigation function of reading out map data in the vicinity of the current position detected from the GPS antenna 116 from the external storage device 207 and displaying it on the multi-display 131.

  Further, the map data of the external storage device 207 includes data relating to road shapes. For example, names of intersections, names of buildings such as shops, buildings, stations, government offices, bronze statues, bridges, mountains, Information on terrain such as rivers is recorded.

  The control unit 200 includes a microcomputer (CPU) 203, a memory 202 including a ROM / RAM, an input port 201, an output port 204, and the like. The control unit 200 collects signals obtained from the information input unit 205 via the input port 201 and stores the signals in the memory 202.

  Specifically, this processing is performed as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the front traveling path shape and the position / relative speed of the vehicle / obstacle from the front radar 101, the rear traveling path shape and the position / relative speed of the vehicle / obstacle from the rear radar 103, Vehicle speed from the vehicle speed sensor 107, throttle opening from the throttle sensor 108, brake oil pressure from the brake oil pressure sensor 109, steering torque from the steering torque sensor 110, steering angle from the steering angle sensor 111, and ambient light from the solar radiation sensor 112 Then, the direction of the vehicle is input from the direction sensor 114 and stored in the memory 201.

  Further, the state of switches such as the light switch 113a, the ignition switch 113b, the wiper switch 113c, the direction indicator switch 113d, and the automatic operation switch 115 are input and stored in the memory 202.

  For example, the value of the variable indicating the state of the lighting switch 113a is 0 when the lighting switch 113a is off, 1 when it is small, and 2 when it is high, and the value of the variable indicating the state of the ignition switch 113b is It is 0 when the switch 113b is off and 1 when it is on.

  The value of the variable indicating the state of the wiper switch 113c is 0 when the wiper switch 113c is off, 1 when the wiper switch 113c is low, and 2 when the wiper switch 113c is high, and the value of the variable indicating the state of the direction indicator switch 113d is , 0 when the direction indicator switch 113d is off, 1 when it is right, and 2 when it is left.

  The value of the variable indicating the state of the automatic driving switch 115 is 0 when the automatic driving switch 115 is off, 1 in the case of the inter-vehicle maintenance control in which the control for maintaining the inter-vehicle distance is performed, and the lane in addition to the inter-vehicle maintenance control It is set to 2 in the case of inter-lane / lane keeping control in which maintenance control is also performed.

  Further, a front image from the front monitoring camera 102, a side image from the side monitoring cameras 105 and 106, and a rear image from the rear monitoring camera 104 are transmitted by the GPS antenna 116, FM antenna 117a, telephone antenna 117b, and beacon receiving element 117c. The current position and traffic information (VICS etc.) are acquired from the received signal and stored in the memory 202.

  Then, the CPU 203 reads out necessary information from these pieces of information stored in the memory 202, determines the situation, and determines a control target and a control method. That is, the CPU 203 is configured as a situation analysis unit that analyzes the situation ahead of the host vehicle.

  Here, the situation is a road situation ahead of the host vehicle, a driving situation or a running situation of the host vehicle, and the control targets are a multi-display 131, a head-up display 132, a meter display 133, a speaker of the information output unit 206. 134, throttle 135, brake 136, and steering 137.

  Then, the CPU 203 is determined from the HMI (Human Machine Interface) such as the multi-display 131, the head-up display 132, the meter display 133, and the speaker 134, the throttle 135, the brake 136, and the steering wheel 137 via the output port 204. Various driving support functions are realized by outputting control signals to the controlled objects.

  Of these driving support functions, functions related to display on the multi-display 131, the head-up display 132, and the meter display 133 will be mainly described.

  FIG. 3 shows the interior of the vehicle 100 as viewed from the driver's seat. The multi-display 131 and the navigation display area 131a that is the display area thereof, the head-up display 132 and the windshield 44 that is the display area thereof. The position of the meter display 133 is shown.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the head-up display 132 in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the head-up display 132 includes a video projector 42, a screen 43, a windshield 44, and a Fresnel mirror 45. Here, the Fresnel mirror 45 is for enlarging an image from the screen 43 and making it visible to the eyes of a viewer (shown as a driver K in FIG. 4).

  The operation of the head-up display 132 as shown in FIG. 4 is as follows. The control unit 200 sends a video signal to the video projector 42 via a video data signal line 41 made of a cable or the like. The video projector 42 converts this video signal into light and projects it onto the screen 43.

  The screen 43 reflects the light projected from the video projector 42 toward the Fresnel mirror 45, and the Fresnel mirror 45 reflects the light toward the windshield 44.

  The windshield 44 reflects the light reflected by the Fresnel mirror 45 in the direction of the viewpoint of the driver K to form a virtual image that is visible to the driver K. The windshield 44 is superimposed on the light that passes through the windshield 44 itself from the front of the vehicle 100 and enters the passenger compartment, and presents this virtual image.

  In this embodiment, as another display method of the head-up display 132, a display configuration that enables perspective display by parallax as shown in FIG. 5 can be employed. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the display principle of the head-up display 132 shown in FIG.

  In this case, the head-up display 132 includes a windshield 44, mirror groups 45a and 45b, a video projector 42, and a condenser lens 46. Here, the video projector 42 includes two video projectors 42a and 42b, that is, a right-eye video projector 42a and a left-eye video projector 42b.

  The control unit 200 sends two pieces of video data having parallax to the two video projectors 42 (42a, 42b) based on the display information input. Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the right-eye image 47a is projected from the right-eye video projector 42a, and the left-eye image 47b is projected from the left-eye video projector 42b.

  The two displays projected from the video projectors 42a and 42b enter the condenser lens 46 via the mirror groups 45a and 45b. The condensing lens 46 has a role of reflecting the incident parallax display light by the windshield 44 and condensing the eyes on the left and right eyes of the driver K as display images 47a and 47b.

  In this way, as shown in FIG. 6, the driver K recognizes the right-eye image 47a and the left-eye image 47b as virtual images at the visual recognition position 48 in front of the vehicle with respect to the images 47a and 47b. . Accordingly, the driver K can visually recognize an image having a perspective due to parallax.

  Next, operation | movement of this vehicle navigation system is demonstrated based on the flowchart of FIG. Here, processing executed by the CPU 203 of the control unit 200 will be described.

  In the CPU 203, route setting processing and route guidance processing normally executed by a conventional navigation system are also executed. For example, the process of setting the route to the travel destination while showing the position of the vehicle in the map displayed on the multi-display 131 and guiding the vehicle along the set route is as follows: This is also performed in a normal vehicle navigation system.

  Here, the display process which is a process peculiar to the vehicle navigation system of this embodiment is demonstrated. That is, the display process of the head-up display 132 performed based on the situation determination of the CPU 203 will be described.

  FIG. 7 shows a flowchart for explaining the process of display processing unique to this embodiment.

  As shown in step 505 (S505) and step 560 (S560), this display processing is repeatedly executed when the ignition switch 113b of the vehicle is turned on and there is information to be displayed. In addition, when the ignition switch 113b of the vehicle is OFF, the display process ends.

  When the execution of the display process is started, first, in step 510 (S510), the CPU 203 calculates the position and orientation of the vehicle 100. The position and orientation of the vehicle 100 are calculated based on the signal from the GPS antenna 116, the signal from the vehicle speed sensor 107, and the signal from the direction sensor 114.

  In the subsequent step 515 (S515), the CPU 203 acquires the map data near the current location calculated in step 510 from the map database (map DB) stored in the external storage device 207.

  In the subsequent step 520 (S520), the CPU 203 acquires display setting data that has already been set from the memory 202. The display setting data referred to here is data relating to the shape, color, and display position of the information transmitter. The information communicator means, for example, a display object for transmitting information to the driver, such as a guide arrow, an image diagram for transmitting road conditions, and characters for directly transmitting information.

  For example, when a guide arrow is set as an information transmitter in step 520, data related to the shape and color of the guide arrow is acquired from the memory 202 to the CPU 203.

  In the subsequent step 525 (S525), the CPU 203 specifies the display position of the information transmitter based on the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 calculated in step 510 and the map data acquired in step 515.

  In the subsequent step 530 (S530), the CPU 203 analyzes and specifies the state in front of the vehicle based on signals from the front monitoring camera 104 and the front radar 101. Here, “specify the state” means, for example, grasping the position and shape of a preceding vehicle, a roadside structure, etc., the state of the scenery seen from the driver, and the like.

  In the subsequent step 535 (S535), the CPU 203 branches the processing path depending on whether or not there is any obstacle at the planned display position of the information transmitter specified in step 525. That is, it is determined whether or not an obstacle appears to overlap the display position of the information transmitter on the windshield 44 as viewed from the viewer (driver).

  If it is determined in step 535 that there is any obstacle, the process proceeds to step 540 (S540), and if it is determined that there is no obstacle, the process proceeds to step 550 (S550). In addition, as an obstruction, a front vehicle (preceding vehicle), various signboards, construction equipment, a pedestrian, etc. are mentioned.

  In step 540, the CPU 203 moves or changes the display position of the information transmitter on the windshield 44 to a position that does not hinder visual recognition of the obstacle. The movement of the display position of the information transmitter is only moved on the data, and the actual display by the head-up display 132 has not been performed yet.

  When this movement is completed, the process proceeds to step 545 (S545). Step 545 will be described later. Then, when step 545 is completed, the process proceeds to step 550.

  Actually, in step 550, the CPU 203 displays the display information on the head-up display 132. As a modification of the present embodiment, after step 540, step 545 may be omitted and actual display in step 550 may be executed.

  Here, an example of the processing in step 540 will be described with reference to the image diagrams shown in FIGS.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display image of the information transmitter when the front of the vehicle is viewed from the inside of the vehicle through the windshield when there is no obstacle in front of the vehicle and FIG. 9 is when there is an obstacle in front of the vehicle. Here, the information transmitters 701 and 801 are shown as guide arrows as travel guide information.

  As shown in FIG. 8, when there is no obstacle in front of the vehicle, the information transmission element 701 is displayed on the head-up display 132 so as to overlap the road at the intersection, so that the driving guidance information is accurately displayed to the driver. I can tell you.

  However, as shown in FIG. 9, when an obstacle (preceding vehicle) 901 exists in front of the vehicle and an intersection or a road surface cannot be seen from the driver, the information transmitter 701 overlaps the obstacle 901. For this reason, the driver may have difficulty in recognizing the information transmitter 701 or the obstacle 901, or both.

  Therefore, in step 540, as shown in FIG. 9, the information transmitter 701 is moved to a place where it is easy to see without overlapping with an obstacle. The moved information transmitter 801 is actually displayed on the head-up display 132 in step 550 (see FIG. 7). This reduces the sense of incongruity felt by the driver and makes it easier to recognize the information transmitter 801.

  Furthermore, when information specifying a point is added to the information transmitter, the driver can easily understand the route guidance information. In step 545 following step 540, the CPU 203 adds information (point specifying information) that can further specify a spot in addition to the travel guidance information as display information.

  In step 550 following step 545, the CPU 203 displays the travel guidance information on the head-up display 132 together with the point specifying information.

  FIGS. 10 to 19 show displays when various point specifying information is added in addition to the information transmitter 801 as a guide arrow as travel guidance information when the front of the vehicle is viewed through the windshield from inside the vehicle. It is a figure which shows an image.

  FIG. 10 shows a case where intersection name information 802 is added as point specifying information to be added to the information transmitter 801. In FIG. 10, the name of the intersection serving as a mark is displayed on the head-up display 132 together with the information transmitter 801 as character information 802 “XX intersection”.

  FIG. 11 shows a case where information 803 of the name of a building 902 serving as a mark, which is an object that can specify a place, is added as point specifying information added to the information transmitter 801. Here, a building means a store, a building, a station, a government office, a bronze statue, a bridge, and the like.

  In FIG. 11, a post office building is located in front of the vehicle as the building 902. On the head-up display 132, the name of the post office is displayed together with the information transmitter 801 as character information 803 of “XX post office”.

  FIG. 12 shows a case where symbol information 804 of an object that can specify a place is added as point specifying information to be added to the information transmitter 801. In FIG. 12, a post office building as a building 902 is located in front of the vehicle as such an object. On the head-up display 132, the information 804 of the symbol mark of the post office is displayed together with the information transmitter 801.

  FIG. 13 shows a case where the information 805 of the name of the building 902 serving as a mark is superimposed on the building 902 as the point specifying information to be added to the information transmitter 801.

  In FIG. 13, a post office building is located in front of the vehicle as the building 902. In the head-up display 132, the name of the post office is displayed as the character information 803 “XXX post office” together with the information transmitter 801, and the character information 805 “XX post office” is constructed. It is displayed superimposed on the object 902.

  FIG. 14 shows a case in which symbol information 806 of an object whose location can be specified is superimposed and displayed on the object as point specifying information to be added to the information transmitter 801.

  In FIG. 14, the post office building as the building 902 is located in front of the vehicle as such an object. In the head-up display 132, the post office symbol mark information 804 is displayed together with the information transmitter 801, and the post office symbol mark information 806 is displayed superimposed on the building 902. Yes.

  In FIG. 15, in addition to the information 803 of the name of the object that can specify the location as the point specifying information to be added to the information transmitter 801, the name information 803 and the information 807 associated with the object are added and displayed. It is.

  In FIG. 15, the post office building as the building 902 is located in front of the vehicle as such an object. In the head-up display 132, the name of the post office is displayed as the character information 803 “XXX post office” together with the information communicator 801. Further, between the character information 803 and the building 902 is displayed. Leading line information 807 to be connected is displayed as the association information.

  In FIG. 16, as the point specifying information to be added to the information transmitter 801, in addition to the symbol information 804 of the object whose location can be specified, the symbol information 804 and the information 807 associated with the object are added and displayed. It is.

  In FIG. 16, a post office building as a building 902 is located in front of the vehicle as such an object. In the head-up display 132, the symbol mark information 804 of the post office is displayed together with the information transmitter 801. Further, the information of the lead line connecting the symbol mark information 804 and the building 902 is displayed. Reference numeral 807 is displayed as the associated information.

  FIG. 17 shows a case where information 808 indicating the number of intersections is added as point specifying information to be added to the information transmitter 801. In FIG. 17, when the number of intersections up to a mark point is two, the number of intersections is displayed on the head-up display 132 together with the information transmitter 801 as information 808 indicating “2”. Although not shown, the number of traffic lights may be used instead of the number of intersections.

  FIG. 18 shows a case where distance information 809 to the intersection is added as point specifying information to be added to the information transmitter 801. In FIG. 18, when the distance to the intersection name serving as a mark is 200 m, the distance to the intersection is displayed on the head-up display 132 together with the information transmitter 801 as character information 809 indicating that the distance to the intersection is “200 m”.

  Although not shown, information on the distance to the building as a landmark may be added as point specifying information to be added to the information transmitter 801. For example, when such a building is a post office and the distance from the vehicle position to the post office is 200 m, the character information “200 m” is displayed on the head-up display 132 as in FIG.

  FIG. 19 shows a case where a schematic diagram 810 of an intersection is added as point specifying information to be added to the information transmitter 801. In FIG. 19, in order to make it easy to identify the intersection and to understand the direction of the turn, a simplified display of the shape of the intersection is displayed on the head-up display 132 together with the information transmitter 801 as a schematic diagram 810.

  In FIG. 19, the schematic diagram 810 of the intersection may have a color, but as shown in FIG. 19, the intersection may be displayed by a wire frame display represented only by lines. Good.

  9 and 10 to 19 show an example in which the information transmitter is moved to a place where it is easy to see without overlapping with the obstacle. However, as shown in FIG. The information transmitter may disappear in a portion where the child 801 overlaps. Thereby, both the information transmitter 801 and the obstacle 901 can be visually recognized.

  That is, in the example shown in FIG. 20, the display position of the information transmitter 801 is not moved, but an operation of deleting a part of the scheduled display position of the information transmitter 801, that is, the display position is changed. The display position of the information transmitter 801 as travel guidance information is optimally controlled.

  As shown in FIG. 7, after step 535 or step 545 is completed, step 550 for actually displaying on the head-up display 132 is performed. In this display, the CPU 203 or the like “ A determination is made as to whether or not the change in the color tone of the display position is significant, or whether or not the color at the display position is similar to the display data.

  If the color change of the display position of the information transmitter or the like is severe, the display position is changed to a position where the color change is small, or the color of the display position is similar to the display data of the information transmitter or the like. The CPU 203 performs control such as changing the display data color, and then performs actual display.

  Further, in the example of the present embodiment described above, the obstacle 901 ahead is detected by detecting the obstacle 901 ahead and moving or changing the display position of the information transmitter 801 as travel guidance information. The position was not disturbed. However, in addition to determining the display position based on the obstacle as described above, the display position of the travel guidance information 801 may be a position on the windshield 44 where the display background is not complicated.

  For example, if the background of the display position of the information communicator 801 is a complex background such as a forest of green color or a crowded area of an urban signboard, the information communicator 801 is complicated. It may be difficult to see due to overlap with the background.

  Therefore, a step for determining whether or not the background of the display scheduled position is a complex background is provided, and when it is determined that the background is a complex background, the display position of the information transmitter 801 is changed in the same manner as described above. What is necessary is just to make it move to the place where a background is not comparatively complicated.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the display unit 131 that displays the travel guidance information 801 to the travel destination of the vehicle 100 together with the vehicle position information of the vehicle 100 and the road information on which the vehicle 100 travels, In the vehicle navigation system having 132 and 133, a travel guide information display means 132 for displaying the travel guide information 801 on the windshield 44 of the vehicle 100 is provided, and a situation analysis means 203 for analyzing the situation ahead of the host vehicle is provided. The vehicle navigation system is characterized in that the display position of the travel guidance information 801 is controlled based on the information from the situation analysis means 203.

  According to this, the CPU 203 as the situation analysis means analyzes the situation ahead of the host vehicle that changes from moment to moment, and the display position of the travel guidance information 801 on the windshield 44 according to the situation ahead of the subject vehicle obtained by the analysis. It can be moved to a suitable place or changed.

  Therefore, according to the vehicle navigation system of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the travel guidance information 801 displayed on the windshield 44 from being obstructed by an obstacle 901 ahead of the vehicle or the like.

  Specifically, in the above-described embodiment, controlling the display position of the travel guide information 801 on the windshield 44 to an appropriate location means that the display position of the travel guide information 801 is visually recognized by an obstacle 901 in front of the windshield 44. This is realized by setting the position so as not to hinder.

  According to this, since the display position of the travel guidance information 801 is displayed so as not to move to a position away from the front obstacle 901 or overlap the front obstacle 901, the travel guidance information 801 can be easily seen. This prevents the front obstacle 901 from being difficult to see.

  Further, as described above, controlling the display position of the travel guide information 801 on the windshield 44 to an appropriate location means that the display position of the travel guide information 801 is a position on the windshield 44 where the display background is not complicated. This can also be realized.

  Moreover, in the preferable form of this embodiment, the driving guide information 801 is displayed together with the point specifying information 802 to 810. According to this, since the point specifying information 802 to 810 is given in addition to the travel guide information 801, it is possible to provide more easily understandable information, which is preferable.

  Further, in the example shown in FIG. 19, the travel guide information 801 is displayed together with the schematic diagram 810 of the intersection, so that information can be presented more easily. Then, by displaying the schematic diagram 810 of the intersection with a wire frame using only a line, a more simplified display form can be obtained.

  In the present embodiment, the travel guidance information display means is the head-up display 132, but other than the head-up display, for example, a transparent EL (electroluminescence) display formed on the windshield 44 may be used.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the navigation system for vehicles which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of arrangement | positioning in the vehicle of each part of the navigation system for vehicles shown by FIG. It is a front view which shows the mode of the driver's seat and windshield part in the vehicle which concerns on above-described embodiment. It is a figure showing typically the composition of the head up display in the above-mentioned embodiment. It is a figure which shows typically the structure which enabled the perspective display by the parallax as another example of the head-up display in above-described embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the display principle of the head-up display shown by FIG. It is a figure which shows the flowchart for demonstrating the process of the display process in the said embodiment. It is a figure which shows the display image of an information transmission element when the vehicle front is seen through the windshield from the inside of a vehicle when there is no obstacle ahead of the vehicle. It is a figure which shows the display image of the information transmitter which moved when the vehicle front was seen through the windshield from the inside of a vehicle when there exists an obstruction in the vehicle front. It is a figure which shows a display image when adding the information of the name of an intersection in addition to an information transmitter, when the vehicle front is seen through the windshield from the inside of a vehicle. It is a figure which shows a display image when the information of the name of a building is added in addition to an information transmitter, when the vehicle front is seen from the inside of a vehicle through a windshield. It is a figure which shows a display image when adding the information of the symbol of the object which can specify a place in addition to an information transmitter, when the vehicle front is looked through the windshield from the inside of a vehicle. It is a figure which shows the display image when the information of the name of a building is superimposed on the building in addition to the information transmitter when the vehicle front is viewed through the windshield from inside the vehicle. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display image when information on a symbol of an object whose location can be specified is superimposed on the object in addition to the information transmitter when the vehicle front is viewed from inside the vehicle through the windshield. When viewing the front of the vehicle through the windshield from inside the vehicle, in addition to the information communicator, the information of the name of the object that can specify the location and the display image when the information of the name and the information associated with the object are added are shown. FIG. When viewing the front of the vehicle through the windshield from inside the vehicle, in addition to the information transmitter, the symbol information of the object that can identify the location and the display image when the symbol information and the information associated with the object are added are shown. FIG. It is a figure which shows a display image when the information of the number of intersections is added in addition to the information transmission element when the vehicle front is viewed through the windshield from within the vehicle. It is a figure which shows a display image when the information of the distance to an intersection is added in addition to an information transmitter, when the vehicle front is looked through the windshield from the inside of a vehicle. It is a figure which shows a display image when adding the schematic of an intersection in addition to an information transmitter, when the vehicle front is seen through the windshield from the inside of a vehicle. It is a figure which shows a display image when the information transmitter of the part which has overlapped with the obstruction is displayed when viewing the front of the vehicle through the windshield from the inside of the vehicle.

Explanation of symbols

44 ... windshield, 100 ... vehicle,
131... Multi-display as display means
132. Head-up display as display means and travel guidance information display means,
133 ... Meter display as display means,
203 ... CPU as situation analysis means,
801 ... Information transmitter as travel guidance information,
802 ... Information on the name of the intersection as point specifying information,
803, 805 ... Information on the name of the building that serves as a landmark as point specifying information,
804, 806 ... Information on the symbol of the object that can specify the location as the point specifying information,
807 ... Information (point specifying information) associating the object name or symbol information with the object,
808 ... Information on the number of intersections as point specifying information,
809 ... information on the distance to the intersection as point specifying information,
810 ... Schematic of the intersection, 901 ... A preceding vehicle as an obstacle,
902: A landmark building.

Claims (13)

Display means (131, 132) for displaying travel guidance information (801) to the travel destination of the vehicle (100) together with the vehicle position information of the vehicle (100) and the road information on which the vehicle (100) travels. 133), a vehicle navigation system having
A travel guide information display means (132) for displaying the travel guide information (801) on the windshield part (44) of the vehicle (100) is provided,
Situation analysis means (203) for analyzing the situation ahead of the host vehicle is provided,
Based on the information from the situation analysis means (203), the display position of the travel guidance information (801) is controlled ,
The vehicular navigation system characterized in that the travel guidance information (801) is erased at a portion where the front obstacle (901) and the travel guidance information (801) overlap in the windshield part (44). . The vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the position which does not interfere with the viewing of the obstacle (901) in the display position of the travel guide information (801) comprises a front glass portion (44). The display position of the travel guide information (801) is Ri position der background of the display is less complex in the windscreen region (44),
3. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the complicated background is a green-colored forest or a portion where urban signboards are congested . 4. The travel guidance information (801) is displayed together with information (802, 803, 804, 805, 806, 807, 808, 809, 810) that can specify a spot. The vehicle navigation system described in 1. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 4, wherein the information (802) that can identify the point is a name of an intersection. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 4, wherein the information (803, 805) that can identify the point is a name of a building (902) that serves as a landmark. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 4, wherein the information (808) that can specify the point is the number of intersections. 5. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 4, wherein the information (809) that can specify the point is a distance to the intersection. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 4, wherein the information that can identify the point is a distance to a building that serves as a landmark. The vehicle navigation system according to any one of claims 4 to 9, wherein the information (804, 806) that can specify the point is displayed by a symbol or a picture. The vehicle navigation system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the travel guidance information (801) is displayed together with a schematic diagram (810) of an intersection. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 11, wherein a schematic diagram (810) of the intersection is displayed by a wire frame. The vehicle navigation system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the travel guidance information display means is a head-up display (132).

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