JP4408024B2 - NAVIGATION DEVICE, PROGRAM FOR THE DEVICE, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a navigation device that searches for a route to a destination and guides the searched route, a program for the device, and a recording medium.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A navigation device searches for a route to a destination by setting a point and provides guidance for the searched route. In the searched route, the type and width of the road, the shortest distance to travel to the destination, the shortest time, and highway priority In addition, a recommended route that is optimal in accordance with various search conditions according to the user's preference selection, such as avoiding traffic jam roads, is calculated. Therefore, the search cost is set and changed according to each condition.
[0003]
In general, the search cost increases as the rank decreases, such as highways, national roads, main roads, and local roads, and increases from wide roads to narrow roads, from roads with many lanes to roads with one lane. Normally, the minimum cost route is selected from each route by calculating along the route to the destination by appropriately changing the search cost by selecting and setting the search conditions according to these search costs. It is said.
[0004]
Also, depending on the type and width of the road, narrow narrow streets of less than 5.5 m may be excluded from the route search (see, for example, Patent Document 1), or the route is searched using a weighting factor according to the road type. (For example, refer patent document 2), The device which can search for a guidance route closer to a user's request is made.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-304560
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-337909
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, for road data used in navigation devices, search costs are set according to road types such as highways, national roads, prefectural roads, local highways, road attributes, presence of intersections, and other fixed rules. Therefore, different roads are often searched with the same evaluation in terms of actual ease of travel. For example, even if it is a national road, it is actually narrower than a prefectural road, or there are many intersections and traffic lights that are difficult to run. . Even if a wide road route is searched, if there are many intersections and there are many left and right turns, it will be a difficult route.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and makes it possible to search for a route by determining an easy-to-run road such as an elevated road.
[0009]
To this end, the invention according to claim 1 is a navigation device that searches for a route to a destination and guides the searched route, storage means for storing intersections and road data, intersections stored in the storage means, Expedited road determination means for determining easy roads including elevated roads as high speed roads based on road data, intersection and road data stored in the storage means, and search cost based on the high speed road determined by the high speed road determination means Route search means for searching for a route to the destination by setting the rapid road determination means, wherein the rapid road determination means forms a line connecting a branch point and a point on each road at a predetermined distance from the branch point. angle detecting a narrow-angle branch point within the predetermined value, to determine the flyover which distance is greater than a predetermined value the narrow-angle branch point as the entrance branch point as the expressway It is characterized in.
[0012]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the navigation device according to the first aspect, the rapid road determination means is a road that is at least a prefectural road and has an average road length between traffic signals for route guidance of a predetermined value or more and between intersections. A road having an average road length greater than or equal to a predetermined value is determined as the fast road that is easy to run .
[0013]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the navigation device according to the second aspect of the invention, the rapid road determination means determines an upper / lower line separation road or a road having a central separation zone as the easy-to-run rapid road. It is.
[0014]
What invention according to claim 4, in the navigation device according to claim 2, wherein said expressway determination means, the average one vehicle ruling and judging as the easy to run expressway a predetermined value or more road It is.
[0015]
The invention according to claim 5 is a program for a navigation device that searches for a route to a destination and guides the searched route, and includes a branch point and points on each road at a predetermined distance from the branch point. Narrow angle branch point is detected by determining whether or not the angle formed by the line connecting the two is within 20 °, and an elevated road having a distance equal to or greater than a predetermined value is determined as a rapid road with the narrow angle branch point as an entrance branch point. A program for a navigation apparatus for causing a computer to execute a process of searching for a route to a destination by setting a predetermined search cost on a road determined to be a rapid road.
[0016]
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a navigation device recording medium in which the navigation device program according to the seventh aspect is recorded.
[0017]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a navigation device according to the present invention. An input device 1 for inputting information on route guidance, a current position detecting device 2 for detecting information on the current position of the host vehicle, and a route calculation. Information storage device 3 in which necessary navigation data and display guidance data necessary for guidance, navigation programs, and the like are stored, a center that performs display guidance processing necessary for route search processing and route guidance, and controls the entire system The processing device 4 stores data necessary for navigation and is an information center provided via a communication line at the request of the driver, or an electronic in which driver-specific data such as map data and destination data is stored in advance. An information transmitting / receiving device 5 for exchanging data with an information source such as a notebook, and an output device 6 for outputting information on route guidance It is obtained by al configuration. First, each configuration will be described.
[0018]
The input device 1 has a function of instructing the central processing device 4 to perform navigation processing according to the driver's intention so that the destination can be input or guidance information can be output by voice and / or a screen when the driver needs it. As a means for realizing the function, a touch switch and an operation switch for inputting a destination by a telephone number or coordinates on a map or requesting route guidance are provided. Of course, an input device such as a remote controller may be used. Here, a voice recognition device for enabling voice input and a recording card reading device for reading data recorded on an IC card or a magnetic card may be added.
[0019]
The information transmission / reception device 5 includes a VICS (Vehicle Information & Communication System) reception device and a data transmission / reception device which are traffic information acquisition means. VICS transmits road traffic information to vehicles by FM multiplexing (text broadcasting), radio beacons, and optical beacons in real time. FM multiplexing transmits rough information over a wide area. Detailed information on a narrow area within a radius of about 10 km centered on the beacon, and can be received when the vehicle passes the beacon. The VICS transmission data is based on the link number assigned to each road, such as the degree of traffic congestion (for example, inaccessibility, congestion, congestion, heavy traffic volume, normal traffic, etc.), traffic jam head position, traffic length, traffic It consists of regulations (construction information, closed roads, etc.) and travel time (time required at a predetermined speed). The data transmitter / receiver is, for example, a mobile phone or a personal computer, and exchanges information necessary for navigation with a traffic information center (for example, ATIS) at the request of the driver.
[0020]
The output device 6 has a function of outputting guidance information by voice and / or a screen when the driver needs it, or printing out data processed by the central processing unit 4, and the like. As a means, the input data is displayed on the screen, the display automatically displays the route guidance on the screen according to the driver's request, the data processed by the central processing unit 4 and the data stored in the information storage device 3 are printed. A printer for outputting and a speaker for outputting route guidance by voice are provided.
[0021]
The display is composed of a color CRT and a color liquid crystal display, and displays all the screens necessary for navigation, such as route setting screens, section diagram screens, and intersection diagram screens based on map data and guide data processed by the central processing unit 4. In addition to color display output, buttons for setting route guidance, guidance during route guidance, and switching operation of the screen are displayed on this screen. In particular, passing intersection information such as passing intersection names is displayed in color in a pop-up on the section diagram screen as needed. This display is provided, for example, in an instrument panel in the vicinity of the driver's seat, and the driver can check the current position of the host vehicle by looking at the section diagram, and can obtain information on the future route.
[0022]
The current position detection device 2 is a device that detects information related to the current position of the vehicle. For example, an absolute direction sensor composed of a geomagnetic sensor, a relative direction sensor composed of a steering sensor, a gyro, and the like, and the rotational speed of a wheel. A distance sensor for detecting a travel distance and a GPS receiver using a satellite navigation system (GPS) are provided.
[0023]
The information storage device 3 is an external storage device that stores a navigation program and data, and is a recording medium such as a CD-ROM. The program is composed of a map drawing unit, a route searching unit, a route guiding unit, a current position calculating unit, a destination setting operation control unit, and the like, and includes an application unit and an OS unit that perform navigation signal output processing. Program for processing such as search, display output control necessary for route guidance, program for performing voice output control necessary for voice guidance and data necessary for it, and display information necessary for route guidance and map display Data is stored. The data includes map data necessary for route guidance (road map, house map, building shape map, etc.), intersection data, node data, road data, photo data, registration point data, destination point data, guide road data, It consists of files of shape data, guidance data, destination data, destination direction data, detailed destination data, destination reading data, telephone number data, address data, landmark data, and other data. It is remembered.
[0024]
The central processing unit 4 stores a CPU that executes various arithmetic processes, and important information (for example, a program for executing route search and route guidance, data for setting conditions, and data for various parameters) in a nonvolatile manner. Flash memory (for example, electrically erasable and programmable EEPROM) which is a rewritable ROM (rewritable non-volatile storage means), a program (program read) for performing flash memory program check and update processing ROM, which is a non-volatile storage means storing the means), a memory point where information on an arbitrary point is registered by a driver's operation, frequency information accumulated by a learning function, error correction information of various detection means, etc. Read / write volatile storage of stored information temporarily (volatile) A RAM (for example, an SRAM (Static RAM that can electrically store temporarily stored information)) is provided as storage means. Furthermore, an image memory in which image data used for screen display on the display is stored, an image processor that extracts image data from the image memory based on a display output control signal from the CPU, performs image processing, and outputs the image data to the display, A voice processor that synthesizes voice, a phrase, a single sentence, a sound, and the like read from the information storage device 3 based on a voice output control signal from the CPU, converts them into analog signals, and outputs them to a speaker is provided. Yes.
[0025]
The navigation program and data may be read from the outside via the information transmitting / receiving device 5. As described above, the necessary navigation program and data are read from the outside via the information transmitting / receiving device 5, so that a necessary program is used by using a recording medium such as a DVD instead of the CD-ROM for the information storage device 3. It is also possible to update and store the latest data as needed, or to store the data directly in the flash memory or RAM of the central processing unit 4 without the information storage device 3.
[0026]
Next, a configuration example of operation and road guidance data used will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the flow of the entire system of the navigation device according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of road guidance data and the like. In the navigation device according to the above embodiment, when the route guidance system program is started by the CPU of the central processing unit 4, the current position is first detected by the current position detection device 2 as shown in FIG. The surrounding map is displayed (step S1), and then the destination is set using the telephone number, address, facility name, memory point, etc. (step S2). Then, a route search from the current position to the destination is performed (step S3). When the route is determined, the route guidance / display is repeated until the destination is reached while tracking the current position by the current position detection device 2 (step S4).
[0027]
As shown in FIG. 3A, the guide road data file includes a road number, a length, road attribute data, a shape data address, a size, and a number for each of the number n of roads searched by the route search. It consists of address data and size data of guidance data, and is stored as data required for route guidance obtained by route search.
[0028]
As shown in FIG. 3B, the shape data has coordinate data including east longitude and north latitude for each node number m when each road is divided into a plurality of nodes (nodes). As shown in FIG. 3C, the guidance data includes intersection (or branch point) name, attention point data, road name data, road name voice data address, size and destination data address, and size data. .
[0029]
As shown in FIG. 3D, the destination data includes a destination road number, a destination name, an address of destination name voice data, a size and destination direction data, and travel guidance data. Among the destination data, as shown in FIG. 3E, the destination direction data is invalid (does not use the destination direction data), unnecessary (does not guide), straight ahead, right direction, diagonal right direction, direction to return to the right, It is data indicating information on the left direction, the diagonally left direction, and the direction returning to the left.
[0030]
The road number is set for each direction (outbound path, return path) for each road between the branch points. The road attribute data is road guidance auxiliary information data, for example, data indicating information on the number of lanes. Road name data includes information on road types of expressways, city expressways, toll roads, and general roads (national roads, prefectural roads, etc.) and information indicating whether the main road or road is attached to expressways, city expressways, and toll roads. It is composed of road type data and an intra-type number which is individual number data for each road type.
[0031]
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a determination process for a rapid road, and FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a determination process for an elevated road and a shape. In the navigation device according to the present embodiment, in the process of performing the route search in step S3 described with reference to FIG. 2, a road that is easy to run is determined as a fast road based on the intersection and road data, and the search cost is set to reach the destination. The route is searched, and in the determination of a fast road, a narrow-angle branch point is detected and an elevated road is extracted to be a rapid road, so that the elevated road can be used as a rapid road to the destination without having information on the elevated road. Priority is included in the route.
[0032]
In the rapid road determination process, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, first, roads of the same route are extracted (step S11), and a road is determined by performing determination for each road under condition 1 (step S12). Here, the condition 1 is to determine whether the road is a candidate for a high speed road. The road on the same route is, for example, a prefectural road or more, or the average road length between traffic signals for route guidance is a predetermined value or more (for example, 1 km). Or the average road length between intersections of three or more roads is a predetermined value or more (for example, 150 m or more), a road with an upper / lower line separation road or a median, or the average number of one-side lanes is a predetermined value or more (for example, 1 .5 or more) or a continuous elevated road.
[0033]
Next, it is determined whether or not the condition 2 is satisfied (step S13). If the condition is satisfied, the road is extracted, and if not, the adjacent groups are combined. (Step S14). Here, condition 2 is a determination condition for a high-speed road, where roads on the same route are at least prefectural roads, an average road length between traffic signals for route guidance is a predetermined value or more, and between intersections of three or more roads It is determined that the average road length is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and that the upper / lower line separation road, the road with the median strip or the average number of one-side lanes is equal to or greater than the predetermined value. In addition, even when elevated information is included as attribute information, it is determined that it corresponds to a case where the road is higher than a prefectural road and is an elevated road.
[0034]
In the process of step S13, it is determined again whether or not the condition 2 is satisfied for the joining of adjacent groups not corresponding to the condition 2 (step S15). If the condition is satisfied, the road is extracted. Is repeatedly extended (step S16), and it is determined whether or not the condition 2 is satisfied three times (step S17). If it does not correspond to the determination process of step S17, it is not a rapid road (step S20).
[0035]
In addition to the above processing, in order to determine and extract an elevated road having no elevated information, an elevated road is extracted by detecting a narrow-angle branch point (intersection) as an entrance (step S18). The elevated shape is determined based on the angle of the narrow-angle branch point (step S19), and the elevated road determined to be the elevated shape is extracted as a rapid road, and the road not so is not a rapid road. That is, in step S18, two consecutive branch points are extracted as narrow-angle branch points that serve as entrance / exit branch points, and the space between them is assumed to be an elevated road. It is determined whether the road is an elevated road.
[0036]
Basically, an elevated road is a road line in which there are no more than three branch points between entrance and exit branch points. Therefore, in the case of an elevated road, two consecutive branch points are detected as elevated entrance branch points. The The elevated entry / exit branching point is a branching point having a single narrow angle (within 20 °) in a three-way difference pattern as shown in FIG. 5 (A), and as shown in FIG. 5 (B). It is a branch point where there are two narrow angles (within 20 °) in the four-way pattern. As shown in FIG. 5C, the narrow angle at this time is a line (illustrated dotted line) connecting the branch point and the first shape interpolation point exceeding a predetermined distance, for example, 30 m, along the shape from the node. It is determined by the angle formed by these. That is, a narrow-angle branch point is determined when an angle formed by a line (a dotted line in the figure) connecting a branch point and a point on each road at a predetermined distance from the branch point is within 20 °.
[0037]
The high speed road extracted by the processes of steps S13, S15, S17, and S19 obtains a distance in order to delete the short distance section (step S21), and determines whether or not the distance is a section of 2 km or more ( (Step S22) If it is not a section of 2 km or more, it will not be a rapid road (step S20). If it is a section of 2 km or more, that is, a road connecting 2 km or more will eventually be a rapid road (step S23). ).
[0038]
In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible. For example, in the above embodiment, conditions that are at least prefectural roads are set as fast roads. However, depending on the region, roads with wider widths or roads with less curves are newly created even if they are agricultural roads or local roads below the prefectural roads. It goes without saying that the conditions may be changed so that such roads can be extracted depending on the width and presence / absence / number of curves.
[0039]
【The invention's effect】
As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, it is possible to run on an elevated road, a road with few traffic lights, a road that passes through a large intersection, a road with an upper / lower line separation, a road with a median, a road with a large number of lanes on one side, etc. The easy road can be used as a high-speed road, and the route can be easily searched, and the route by the easy-to-run road can be guided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a navigation device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the flow of the entire system of the navigation device according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of road guidance data and the like.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a rapid road determination process;
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an elevated road and shape determination process;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Input device, 2 ... Current position detection device, 3 ... Information storage device, 4 ... Central processing unit, 5 ... Information transmission / reception device, 6 ... Output device

Claims (6)

In a navigation device that searches for a route to a destination and guides the searched route,
Storage means for storing intersection and road data;
Express road determination means for determining easy roads including elevated roads as express roads based on the intersection and road data stored in the storage means;
Route search means for setting a search cost based on the intersection and road data stored in the storage means and the rapid road determined by the rapid road determination means and searching for a route to the destination, and the rapid road determination The means detects a narrow-angle branch point whose angle formed by a line connecting a branch point and a point on each road at a predetermined distance from the branch point is within a predetermined value, and the narrow-angle branch point is detected as an entrance / exit branch point. A navigation device characterized in that an elevated road having a distance greater than or equal to a predetermined value is determined as the rapid road. The high speed road determination means is a high speed road that is easy to run on roads that are at least prefectural roads and whose average road length between traffic signals for route guidance is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and that are on the same route whose average road length between intersections is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation device is determined as: 3. The navigation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the rapid road determination means determines an upper / lower line separation road or a road having a median as the easy-to-run rapid road. The expressway determining means navigation device according to claim 2, wherein the average one wheel line speed is determined as the easy to run expressway a predetermined value or more roads. A navigation device program that searches for a route to a destination and guides the searched route,
A narrow-angle branch point is detected by judging whether or not an angle formed by a line connecting a branch point and a point on each road at a predetermined distance from the branch point is within 20 °;
With the narrow-angle branch point as an entrance / branch branch point, an elevated road whose distance is a predetermined value or more is determined as a rapid road ,
A program for a navigation device for causing a computer to execute a process of searching for a route to a destination by setting a predetermined search cost on a road determined to be a fast road.   6. A navigation device recording medium, wherein the navigation device program according to claim 5 is recorded.

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