JP4537984B2 - Navigation system, terminal device, departure time guidance method and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention searches for a recommended route from the current position to the destination, starting at the latest time and arriving at the destination at the desired time, and guiding the departure time at which the current position should be departed. The present invention relates to a navigation system that outputs information, and in particular, when the terminal device repeatedly measures the current position at a predetermined time interval, and the current position can be measured, the route search means determines the road based on the current position information. By referring to the network data and the traffic network data, a recommended route that departs from the current position at the latest time and arrives at the destination at the desired time is searched, guidance information including the departure time is stored, and time monitoring means is stored. Relates to a navigation system that outputs the guidance information based on the designation related to the guidance time stored in the setting condition storage means. That.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, navigation devices and navigation systems that guide a user by searching for a route from a desired departure point to a destination using map data and road data are known. Such navigation devices and navigation systems are known. As a car navigation device that is installed in an automobile and guides the route to the driver, a communication type that uses a mobile phone as a navigation terminal to send a route search request to the route search server, receives the result, and receives route guidance Navigation systems have been put to practical use.

  In particular, the communication-type navigation system is a system that uses a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone as a navigation terminal, and is also used as a navigation system for pedestrians. As a navigation system for pedestrians, it is preferable to add a route guidance function including transportation, and in addition to searching and guidance for walking routes, the route search server accumulates routes and operation time data of transportation, There is also a navigation system having a function of guiding a route from a desired departure station to a desired destination station (boarding candidate train) in addition to searching for a walking route and guidance. There is also a traffic guidance system that receives and displays information such as routes, timetables of transportation facilities, and trains that can be boarded from an information distribution server without searching for walking routes.

  A general navigation device, a route search device and a route search method used in a communication navigation system are disclosed in, for example, the following Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-165681). This navigation system is configured to send information on a departure point and a destination from a portable navigation terminal to an information distribution server, and the information distribution server searches and guides a route that matches a search condition from road network and traffic network data. Has been. As the search condition, there are means for moving from the departure place to the destination, for example, walking, automobile, combined use of railroad and walking, and the route is searched as one of the search conditions.

  The information distribution server has roads (routes) of map data as nodes and nodes as the positions of inflection points, links connecting the nodes as links, and cost information (distance and required time) of all links as a database. ing. Then, the information distribution server sequentially searches for a link from the departure node to the destination node with reference to the database, and traces the node and link with the smallest cost information of the link as a guide route. The shortest route can be guided to the portable navigation terminal. As such a route search method, a method called label determination method or Dijkstra method is used. Patent Document 1 also discloses a route search method using this Dijkstra method.

  A route search system that searches for routes that use transportation is a database of operation time data of each transportation based on route search conditions such as departure date, departure location, destination, arrival time specified by the user. It has a time database and data that makes the traffic network a database based on this. Then, referring to these databases, each available means of transportation (individual trains and route buses) connecting the departure point and destination, including connections (transfers), is sequentially traced to meet the route search conditions. It is configured to present one or a plurality of candidates for a guide route (departure station, destination station, route, train, etc.). As route search conditions, it is generally possible to specify conditions such as required time, number of transfers, and fares.

  In addition, as a system for conducting searches and guidance related to transportation facilities, a terminal device such as a mobile phone is connected to an information distribution server for guiding route information and timetable information of transportation facilities, and a desired departure station, departure time, destination station, etc. There is also provided a guidance system that can specify information, receive information on routes, trains, trains and other transportation means that can be boarded, and display them on a terminal device. In general, when such use is performed from a terminal device, address information such as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or a domain name for specifying a location where information to be downloaded exists is input to the terminal device and specified by the address. The information distribution server (information site) is accessed to download desired information.

  The route search data in the navigation system for route search, route guidance, etc. using transportation means, as well as the road network data in the in-vehicle navigation system and pedestrian navigation system, each station on the traffic route as a node, In addition to data obtained by networking stations as two-way links, the operation time and required time of each link are added as link cost data for each means of transportation operated on each traffic route. Furthermore, there is a system in which fare data is added and the fare of the searched guide route is guided together.

  Therefore, the guidance route data distributed to the terminal device includes a route search condition specified by the user, such as a route route from the departure point to the destination, and buses, trains, trains, and times that guide the ride, and the operation. A timetable or a so-called station pasted timetable posted at a station is processed as it is or into a format such as display data that can be displayed on a necessary part, and distributed to the terminal device. The terminal device can check the route and the transportation means to be boarded by displaying the guidance route data, the operation timetable, or the station pasted timetable.

  When guiding a recommended route using a transportation facility, there is also a demand for guidance on what time the current position should depart in order to leave the current position and arrive at the destination at a desired time. In such requests, for example, the current location is the current location, the recommended location that can leave the current location at the latest time and return to the home (destination) at the last train and the time to leave the workplace There is also a so-called “last train search” request for guidance on (time to leave the office for getting on or connecting to the last train).

  For example, the following Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-58663) or Patent describes a navigation system that guides by what time it should depart from the current position in order to arrive at a certain target time at a certain time. It is disclosed in Document 3 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-254777).

  The transfer guidance service providing system disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a system that guides the user at what time the current position should depart in order to use the last train, and the user's portable terminal is a GPS receiver or the like The present position detecting means is provided, and the transfer guide information is searched using the obtained position information. The Web server that provides the transfer guidance service calculates the travel time from the current position of the mobile terminal to the departure station using the position information, and takes the specified train in consideration of the calculated travel time In order to do so, the user is provided with an indication as to what time the current position must depart. Due to such a configuration, the user can get on the target train without being late for the last train or the like or spending a wasteful waiting time.

  Moreover, the movement information notification system disclosed in Patent Document 3 is a system that automatically performs a notification service of the time to leave the current location in order to arrive at a certain time at a certain destination station, and the main server Based on the current location of the user obtained using the externally connected GPS system, the nearest station near the current location of the user is checked, and the user information database is used from the nearest station using the externally connected station search system. The route to the destination station registered in advance and its timetable list are searched. Then, based on the searched timetable list, the time to depart from the current location to arrive at a certain time at a certain destination station is calculated, and the route to the destination station and the time to depart are determined according to the notification desired time It is configured to notify automatically.

JP 2001-165681 A (FIGS. 1 and 2) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-58663 (FIGS. 2 and 3) JP2003-254777A (FIGS. 1 and 3)

  According to the navigation systems disclosed in Patent Literature 2 and Patent Literature 3 described above, the user can use the guidance information as to when to depart from the current position in order to arrive at a desired destination at a predetermined time. I can know. In these navigation systems, the current position is measured by GPS receiving means. The GPS receiving means is equipped with a GPS receiver and, as is well known, receives signals from a plurality of GPS satellites and measures the position of the terminal device by latitude and longitude. For example, a place where signals from GPS satellites cannot be received, for example, When the terminal device is located underground or in a building, the current position cannot be measured.

  By the way, a scene in which the user wants to know when to leave the current position by using the navigation system disclosed in Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2 and return home using the last train can be eaten and eaten at a restaurant, for example. There are many cases. In this case, the terminal device is located in the basement or in the building, and the current position cannot be determined even if the route search server requests the route search for the recommended route and departure time guidance on the condition that the last train is used. , The inconvenience of not being able to receive guidance.

  As a result of various studies to solve the above problems, the inventor of the present application has repeatedly determined the current position at a predetermined time interval, and when the current position can be measured, the route search means includes the current position information. Based on the road network data and the traffic network data, a recommended route that departs the current position at the latest time and arrives at the destination at the desired time is searched, and guidance information including the departure time is stored. Then, if the time monitoring means outputs the guidance information based on the designation related to the guidance time stored in the setting condition storage means, the present invention has been completed by conceiving that the above problems can be solved. It has come to be.

  That is, the present invention has an object to solve the above-mentioned problems, and searches for a recommended route that can depart from the current position to the destination at the latest time from the current position to the destination, and starts from the current position. In the navigation system that guides the departure time, what time should the departure from the current position occur in order to arrive at a desired destination at a predetermined time even if the GPS receiving means cannot locate the current position? It is an object of the present invention to provide a navigation system that can guide the user.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application is
From the current position to the destination, the recommended route that can leave the current position at the latest time and arrive at the destination at the desired time is searched, and the departure time from the current position is determined based on the recommended route. We met a navigation system that outputs a guide information guide to,
Storage means for storing road network data , traffic network data, a condition relating to a destination and a desired arrival time, and a time determination condition which is a condition relating to a guidance time for outputting guidance information ;
Current position positioning means for repeatedly positioning the current position at predetermined time intervals ;
Route search execution determining means for determining whether or not to perform route search based on the positioning result;
When the route search execution determining unit determines to perform a route search, the recommended route that satisfies the conditions related to the destination and the desired arrival time is determined by using the position determined by the current position positioning unit as a starting point, Route search means for searching by referring to road network data and traffic network data;
Guidance information registration means for generating the guidance information based on the recommended route searched by the route search means and registering it in a predetermined storage means;
When the guidance information is newly generated, based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the guidance information, time determination means for determining whether the current time is the guidance time;
An output means for outputting the newly generated guidance information at a timing when the time determination means detects that the current time is after the guidance time ;
When the route search execution determining means determines not to perform a route search,
The time determination means determines whether or not the current time is after the guide time based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the most recently stored guide information,
It said output means is characterized also be output from the guidance information the is most recently stored.

Such invention in Claim 2 of the present application, in the navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the route search execution determining means, wherein when the current position measuring means no change in the current position positioning does not perform the route search It is characterized by determining .

The invention according to claim 3 of the present application is the navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the route search execution determining means determines that the route search is performed when the latest positioning is successful, and fails in the latest positioning. In such a case, it is determined that the route search is not performed .

The invention according to claim 4 of the present application is the navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the route search execution determining means performs route search when the latest positioning is successful and the current position is changed. When the most recent positioning fails or when the most recent positioning is successful, if the current position does not change, it is determined that route search is not performed .

The invention according to claim 5 of the present invention, in the navigation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in the proposed time determination condition, and wherein Rukoto include conditions wherein a time before departure time To do.

The invention according to claim 6 of the present invention, in the navigation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, when the time determination condition is not specified, the time determination unit, before the departure time of the guide information The time is handled as a guide time .

The invention according to claim 7 of the present application is
From the current position to the destination, the recommended route that can leave the current position at the latest time and arrive at the destination at the desired time is searched, and the departure time from the current position is determined based on the recommended route. met terminal device is connected to a route search server for outputting guidance information guiding to over the network,
The route search server
Storage means for storing road network data , traffic network data, a condition relating to a destination and a desired arrival time, and a time determination condition which is a condition relating to a guidance time for outputting guidance information ;
When the route search execution determining unit determines to perform the route search, the current position measured by the current position positioning unit is set as the departure point, and the recommended route that matches the conditions related to the destination and the desired arrival time is determined as the road. A route search means for searching by referring to network data and traffic network data,
The terminal device
Current position positioning means for repeatedly positioning the current position at predetermined time intervals ;
Route search execution determining means for determining whether or not to perform route search based on the positioning result;
Guidance information registration means for generating the guidance information based on the recommended route searched by the route search means and registering it in a predetermined storage means;
When the guidance information is newly generated, based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the guidance information, time determination means for determining whether the current time is the guidance time;
An output means for outputting the newly generated guidance information at a timing when the time determination means detects that the current time is after the guidance time ;
When the route search execution determining means determines not to perform a route search,
The time determination means determines whether or not the current time is after the guide time based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the most recently stored guide information,
It said output means is characterized also be output from the guidance information the is most recently stored.

The invention according to claim 8 of the present application is the terminal device according to claim 7, wherein the route search execution determining unit does not perform a route search when there is no change in the current position measured by the current position positioning unit. It is characterized by determining .

The invention according to claim 9 of the present application is the terminal device according to claim 7, wherein the route search execution determining means determines that the route search is performed when the latest positioning is successful, and fails in the latest positioning. In such a case, it is determined that the route search is not performed .

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the terminal device according to the seventh aspect, the route search execution determining means performs a route search when the latest positioning is successful and the current position is changed. When the most recent positioning fails or when the most recent positioning is successful, if the current position does not change, it is determined that route search is not performed .

The invention according to claim 11 of the present invention, in the terminal device according to any one of claims 7 to 10, in the time determination condition, conditions the a time before departure time is included, characterized in Rukoto .

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the terminal device according to any of the seventh to tenth aspects, when the time determination condition is not designated, the time determination visual means is prior to the departure time of the guidance information. characterized in that the handling of the time as a guide time.

The invention according to claim 13 of the present application is
Stores road network data, traffic network data, conditions related to the destination and desired arrival time, and time determination conditions that are conditions related to the guidance time for outputting guidance information, from the current position to the destination The recommended route that departs from the current position at the latest time and arrives at the destination at the desired time is searched, and guidance information for guiding the departure time from the current position is output based on the recommended route. A departure time guidance method in a navigation system ,
A current position positioning step for repeatedly positioning the current position at predetermined time intervals;
A route search execution determination step for determining whether or not to perform a route search based on the positioning result;
If it is determined in the route search execution determining step that the route search is to be performed, the current position measured in the current position positioning step is set as a departure point, and the recommended route that matches the conditions related to the destination and desired arrival time is determined. A route search step for searching with reference to the road network data and the traffic network data;
A guide information registration step of generating guide information based on the recommended route searched in the route search step and registering it in a predetermined storage means;
When the guidance information is newly generated, based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the guidance information, a time determination step of determining whether the current time is after the guidance time ;
An output step of outputting the newly generated guidance information at a timing at which it is detected in the time determination step that the current time is after the guidance time ,
When it is determined that the route search is not performed in the route search execution determination step,
The time determination step determines whether or not the current time is after the guide time based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the guide information stored most recently.
In the output step, the most recently stored guidance information is output .

The invention according to claim 14 of the present application is
Road network data, traffic network data, conditions related to the destination and desired arrival time, and conditions related to the guidance time, which is the time to output the guidance information, are stored. A navigation system that searches for a recommended route that can depart from the current location at a later time and arrive at the destination at a desired time, and outputs guidance information that guides the departure time from the current location based on the recommended route A computer program comprising
Current position positioning means for repeatedly positioning the current position at predetermined time intervals,
Route search execution determining means for determining whether or not to perform route search based on the positioning result;
When the route search execution determining unit determines to perform a route search, the recommended route that satisfies the conditions related to the destination and the desired arrival time is determined using the current position measured by the current position positioning unit as a departure point. Route search means for searching with reference to the road network data and the traffic network data,
Guidance information registration means for generating guidance information based on the recommended route searched by the route search means and registering it in a predetermined storage means;
Time determination means for determining whether the current time is after the guide time based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the guide information when the guide information is newly generated;
Causing the computer to function as output means for outputting the newly generated guidance information at a timing when the time determination means detects that the current time is after the guidance time ;
When the route search execution determining means determines not to perform a route search,
The time determination means determines whether or not the current time is after the guide time based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the most recently stored guide information,
The output means outputs the most recently stored guidance information .

In the invention according to claim 1, the navigation system includes:
From the current position to the destination, the recommended route that can leave the current position at the latest time and arrive at the destination at the desired time is searched, and the departure time from the current position is determined based on the recommended route. We met a navigation system that outputs a guide information guide to,
Storage means for storing road network data , traffic network data, a condition relating to a destination and a desired arrival time, and a time determination condition which is a condition relating to a guidance time for outputting guidance information ;
Current position positioning means for repeatedly positioning the current position at predetermined time intervals ;
Route search execution determining means for determining whether or not to perform route search based on the positioning result;
When the route search execution determining unit determines to perform a route search, the recommended route that satisfies the conditions related to the destination and the desired arrival time is determined by using the position determined by the current position positioning unit as a starting point, Route search means for searching by referring to road network data and traffic network data;
Guidance information registration means for generating the guidance information based on the recommended route searched by the route search means and registering it in a predetermined storage means;
When the guidance information is newly generated, based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the guidance information, time determination means for determining whether the current time is the guidance time;
An output means for outputting the newly generated guidance information at a timing when the time determination means detects that the current time is after the guidance time ;
When the route search execution determining means determines not to perform a route search,
The time determination means determines whether or not the current time is after the guide time based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the most recently stored guide information,
And the output means, outputs guidance information the is most recently stored.

According to such a configuration, the time for outputting the user in advance the destination, a specification associated with the arrival time to the destination, guidance information for guiding the departure departure time of the current position based on the recommended route by setting the time determination conditions concerning a guide at time it is to measure the current position at the current position measuring means (GPS unit) is repeated a predetermined interval, a route search execution determining means route search based on the positioning result If it is determined whether or not to perform a route search, the recommended route is searched, and when the guidance information is newly generated, the time determination means is based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the guidance information. It is determined whether or not the current time is the guidance time, and at the timing when it is detected that the current time is after the guidance time, the newly generated guidance information is output, and it is determined that the route search is not performed. if you did this The time determination means determines whether the current time is after the guide time based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the latest stored guide information, and outputs the most recently stored guide information. Therefore, even if the GPS means moves into a building where positioning is not possible, the guidance information searched based on the position information that was measured immediately before is output, so what time should the current position depart? You will be able to guide in advance.

In the invention according to claim 2, in the navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the route search execution determining means, wherein when the current position measuring means no change in the current position positioning, Without route search Since the determination is made , the load of the route search process can be reduced.

In the invention according to claim 3, in the navigation system according to claim 1, when the route search execution determining means succeeds in the latest positioning, the route search execution determining unit determines that the route search is performed and fails in the latest positioning. In this case, it is determined that the route search is not performed . According to such a configuration, the load of the route search process can be reduced.

In the invention according to claim 4, in the navigation system according to claim 4, the route search execution determining means determines that the route search is performed when the most recent positioning is successful and the current position is changed. When the most recent positioning fails or when the current position does not change even if the most recent positioning is successful, it is determined that the route search is not performed . According to such a configuration, the load of the route search process can be reduced .

In the invention according to claim 5, in the navigation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in the time determination condition, since the a shall include conditions a time before departure time, the current It becomes possible to receive guidance regarding the time to leave the location before a desired time. Therefore, it is possible to reliably reach the destination using the transportation system, particularly the last train.

In the invention according to claim 6, the navigation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, when the time determination condition is not specified, the time determination unit, the time before the departure time of the guide information the handle as a guide time. According to such a configuration, it is possible to receive the guidance of the departure time before the time required for the walking route to the departure station of the transportation system to be used, so it is necessary to reliably arrive at the destination using the last train Will be able to.

In the invention according to the seventh to twelfth aspects, it is possible to provide a terminal device constituting the navigation system according to the first to sixth aspects. The invention according to claim 13, it is possible to provide a starting time information guidance method in a navigation system according to claim 1, in the invention according to claim 14, constituting the navigation system according to claim 1 A computer program can be provided.

  Hereinafter, specific examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples and drawings. However, the embodiments shown below illustrate a navigation system for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and are not intended to specify the present invention for this navigation system. The present invention can be equally applied to navigation systems of other embodiments included in the scope.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a navigation system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a terminal device 20 using a portable terminal such as a mobile phone, a PDA, or a music player, and a route search server 30 on a network 12 such as the Internet. It is configured to be connected via. The route search server 30 is a database (DB1) that stores road network data for route search, a database (DB2) that stores traffic network data based on timetable data as traffic network data, each train of transportation, etc. A timetable based on the operation schedule, a timetable / fare data database (DB3) that accumulates fares, and a database (DB4) that accumulates map data for display. The timetable / fare data can be acquired from the information distribution server 50 via the network.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the navigation system 10 shown in FIG. The navigation system 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a terminal device 20 that communicates via a network 12 such as the Internet, a route search server 30, and an information distribution server 50 as shown in the block diagram of FIG. It is configured.

  The terminal device 20 sets a route search condition such as a departure point and a destination to the route search server 30 and transmits a route search request. The route search server 30 performs road network data 36, traffic network data according to the route search condition. The optimum route is searched with reference to 37, and the optimum route is edited into guide route data and distributed to the terminal device 20.

  The terminal device 20 includes a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, a GPS reception unit 23, a search activation unit 24, a display unit 25, a guidance storage unit 26, a time monitoring unit 27, a setting condition storage unit 28, an operation / input unit 29, and the like. It is prepared for. Although not shown, the control unit 21 is a microprocessor having a RAM, a ROM, and a processor, and controls the operation of each unit by a control program stored in the ROM. The communication means 22 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving communication data with the route search server 30 and the like via the network 12.

The GPS receiving means 23 receives signals from a plurality of GPS satellites and measures the current position with latitude and longitude. The search activation means 24 is a means for activating a repetitive route search request according to the present invention, and uses designation related to the destination and the desired time of arrival at the destination, for example, using the last train with the home as the destination. In the case of requesting the guidance information including the recommended route and the departure time to the route search server 30 in order to know when to depart from the current position as in the case of the designation of returning home, the route search is performed by the search starting means 24. Launch the requesting application.

  When the application for repetitive route search is activated, the GPS means 23 repeatedly measures the current position at a predetermined cycle, and sends a route search request to the route search server 30 together with the route search conditions stored in the setting condition storage means 28. Hereinafter, such a route search according to the present invention is referred to as a final route search. However, it is used not only when using the last train, but also when setting a desired arrival time to arrive at the destination and searching for a recommended route that can leave the current location the latest and receiving guidance on the departure time. be able to.

  The setting condition storage means 28 stores route search conditions for searching for the last train. The route search conditions are input from the operation / input means 29 according to the setting screen of FIG. In the setting screen 301 of FIG. 3, a destination setting field 302, an arrival time setting field 303, an activation time setting field 304, a guidance alarm output time setting field 305, and a destination are selected from points already registered in the terminal device 20. A case selection field 306 and a check box 307 for updating a registered point. When setting conditions for final train search, these setting fields 302 to 306 are used to set the destination, desired arrival time, start time of the route search application, that is, the time for starting repeated route search requests and the current position. Sets the time for outputting guidance information including the departure time to depart.

  In the example of the setting screen of FIG. 3, “home” as the destination, “last train (use of last train)” as the arrival time, “6 pm” as the start time, and the output time of the guidance alarm should depart It is set like “15 minutes before” the time. The route search conditions set on this screen are stored in the setting condition storage means 28, and when the start time instruction is input from the operation / input means 29 to the search start means 24, the search start means 24 sets the start time set. Start the last train route search application. It can also be configured such that the search start means 24 starts the last-route route search application at a set time every day.

  This application needs to be activated before the terminal device 20 moves into a building or underground where the GPS unit 23 may not be able to perform positioning. In general, when it is assumed that the user goes to a restaurant and returns home at the last train, this application may be activated when leaving the office or at the end time of work.

  When the application is started, in the terminal device 20, the GPS unit 23 measures the current position at a predetermined time interval. As a result, if the current position can be measured, the route search server 30 determines the last train based on the above-described route search condition. Send a route search request. In this case, the current position obtained by the previous positioning is compared with the current position measured this time, and if there is a change in the current position, the final route search request based on the aforementioned route search condition is transmitted to the route search server 30. It is preferable to do so. If there is no change in the current position, the result of the route search will not change. Therefore, the route search is not performed again. If the route search is requested only when the current position is changed, the route search of the route search server 30 is performed. The load can be reduced.

  When the route search server 30 receives from the terminal device 20 the final train route search request according to the route search conditions together with information on the current location, the route search means 33 refers to the road network data 36 and the traffic network data 37 from the current location. Search for a recommended route to your destination. At that time, the route search means 33 searches for a recommended route that can start at the latest position and arrive at the destination using the last train, and search for a time at which the current position as the departure point should depart. The time to depart is the departure time of the current position at which the user can board or transfer to the last train searched on the recommended route, including the time required for the walking route from the current position to the departure station.

  The guidance information including the recommended route and departure time searched by the route search server 30 is edited into data for distribution to the terminal device 20 by the guidance data editing means 32 and distributed to the terminal device 20 via the communication means 34. . When receiving the guidance information from the route search server 30, the terminal device 20 stores the guidance information in the guidance storage unit 26. The positioning interval in the terminal device 20 is about 1 minute, for example. In a navigation system using a mobile phone as a terminal device, the GPS positioning interval is about 5 seconds, so that the power consumption for repeatedly measuring the current position at 1 minute intervals and transmitting the final train search request is large. Don't be.

  When the GPS means 23 cannot measure the current position, or when there is no change in the measured current position, it does not send a final route search request to the route search server 30, so after the user enters an underground restaurant or the like, Since the terminal device 20 does not transmit the final route search request to the route search server 30, the recommended route and the time to depart from are not updated. When the guidance time set in the terminal device 20 is reached, the time monitoring means 27 detects this, and the guidance information stored in the guidance storage means 26, that is, the building where the user is present (for example, a restaurant) is displayed. The time of departure should be output.

  The time at which the guidance information is output is 15 minutes before the time at which the current position should depart (in the case of the setting in FIG. 3). FIG. 4 shows a display screen when guidance information is output to the display means 25. The display screen 401 includes a display field 402 indicating that the last train route search is on, a display column 403 that displays a guidance message, and a display column 404 that displays the positioning time when a last train route search request is finally sent to the route search server 30. It is composed of

  In FIG. 4, in the message display field 403, a message stating that “the time of the last train is approaching”, the time “23:40” that should depart from the current position, and the departure station “00 line 00 station” The departure time “23:55” of the train to be displayed is displayed. The time required for the walking section from the current position to the departure station is “15 minutes”. In the case of the setting condition of FIG. 3, since the guidance alarm time is set to “15 minutes before”, this guidance information is displayed 15 minutes before the time to depart from the current position, that is, 23:25. In the example of FIG. 4, since the last positioning result is obtained at “21:10”, the route search result and the departure time are based on the positioning result of 21:00.

  Simultaneously with the display, it is preferable to output vibrations caused by vibration or the like and music registered in advance to prompt the user to confirm the guidance information. In 15 minutes, the user pays to the restaurant and gets enough time to get ready and leave the current location, so it is possible to prevent inconveniences such as being late for the last train and being unable to return home. When the guidance alarm time is not set, the time monitoring means 27 adds the required time of the walking route from the current position to the departure station to the departure time of the train to be boarded at the departure station, and guide information 15 minutes before that. Should be output. When the output of the guide information is finished, the output event is ended (deleted), but the guide information need not be deleted. Moreover, you may comprise so that guidance information may be output repeatedly at predetermined time intervals like snooze of an alarm clock.

  Even if the time monitoring means 27 detects that it is the output time of the guidance information, the recommended route stored in the guidance storage means 26 received from the route search server 30 does not include the route of the transportation system, but only the walking route. In this case, since it is possible to arrive at the destination without using the last train, there is no need to output guidance information.

  Here, the road network data 36 and the traffic network data 37 for the recommended route search and the route search method will be described. The road network data 36 for route search in the pedestrian navigation system and the car navigation system is configured as follows. For example, when the road is composed of roads A, B, and C as shown in FIG. 5, the end points, intersections, and bending points of the roads A, B, and C are used as nodes, and the roads connecting the nodes are directed links. Link cost data with node data (node latitude / longitude), link data (link number) and link cost of each link (link distance or time required to travel the link) as data Composed.

  That is, in FIG. 5, Nn (◯ mark) and Nm (◎ mark) indicate nodes, and Nm (◎ mark) indicates a road intersection. Directional links connecting the nodes are indicated by arrow lines (solid line, dotted line, two-dot chain line). As for the links, there are links facing in the upward and downward directions of the road, but in FIG. 5, only the links in the direction of the arrows are shown for the sake of simplicity.

  When route search is performed using such road network data as a route search database, links linked from the starting node to the destination node are traced to accumulate the link cost, thereby minimizing the accumulated link cost. Search and guide the route. That is, in FIG. 5, when a route search is performed with the departure point as the node AX and the destination as the node CY, the road travels from the node AX to the road A, turns right at the second intersection, enters the road C, and reaches the node CY. The link cost is accumulated sequentially, and a route that minimizes the accumulated link cost is searched for and guided.

  Although other routes from the node AX to the node CY are not shown in FIG. 5, there are actually other such routes, so a plurality of routes that can be reached from the node AX to the node CY are displayed. A search is performed in the same manner, and a route with the lowest link cost is determined as the optimum route. This method is performed by, for example, a known method called the Dijkstra method.

  On the other hand, the traffic network data 37 for route search of the transportation system is configured as follows. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, in the case of traffic routes A, B, and C, each station (each airport on an aircraft route) provided on each traffic route A, B, and C is a node, and the nodes are connected. A section is represented by a directional link, and node data (latitude / longitude) and link data (link number) are network data. In FIG. 6, Nn (◯ mark) and Nm (◎ mark) indicate nodes, Nm (◎ mark) indicates a transit point (such as a transfer station) on a traffic route, and a directional link connecting each node. It is indicated by an arrow line (solid line, dotted line, two-dot chain line). As for the links, there are links facing in the upward and downward directions of the traffic route. In FIG. 6, only the links in the direction of the arrows are illustrated for the sake of simplicity.

  However, the traffic network basically has a different link cost compared to the road network. In other words, in the road network, the link cost is fixed and static, but in the traffic network, as shown in FIG. 6, trains and aircraft (hereinafter referred to as individual trains and aircrafts) that operate the traffic route. A plurality of means of transportation). The time of departure from one node and the time of arrival at the next node are determined for each means of transportation (specified by timetable data and operation data), and individual routes do not necessarily link to adjacent nodes. There is a case. This is the case, for example, with express trains and trains that stop at each station. In such a case, a plurality of different links exist on the same traffic route, and the required time between nodes may differ depending on the transportation means.

  In the transportation network illustrated in FIG. 6, a plurality of transportation means (routes) Aa to Ac... Exist on the same link of the transportation route A, and a plurality of transportation means (routes) Ca to Cc. Will do. Therefore, unlike a simple road network, the transportation network of a transportation facility has a data amount proportional to the total number of transportation means (routes such as individual aircraft and trains). For this reason, the data of the traffic network becomes a huge amount of data compared to the data amount of the road network. Accordingly, much time is required for route search accordingly.

  In order to search for a route from a certain departure point to a certain destination using such traffic network data, all the means of transportation that can be used (ride) when arriving from the departure point to the destination are searched. It is necessary to specify the means of transportation that matches the search conditions.

  For example, in FIG. 6, when performing a route search in which the departure point is a node AX of the traffic route A and a certain departure time is specified and the node CY of the traffic route C is the destination, the route operates on the traffic route A. Of the transportation means Aa to Ac..., All transportation means after the departure time are sequentially selected as the departure route. Based on the arrival time at the transit node on the transit route C, among all the transit means Ca to Cc... Operating on the transit route C, all combinations of transit means after the time that can be boarded at the transit node. The total time required for each route, the number of transfers, and the like are guided.

  Using such network data, the route search server 30 searches for a train that can be boarded or transferred to the last train as a recommended route based on the time of each last train arriving at the nearest station of the destination. At that time, the train that departs from the nearest station of the current position at the latest time is searched as a recommended route at the time when the last train arriving at the nearest station of the destination from the nearest station of the current position can be taken. The time required to depart from the current position is the sum of the departure time of the searched train and the time required to move to the departure station on foot from the current position. Guidance information such as a departure time and a recommended route (departure station or transit station) is output a predetermined time before the departure time, for example, 15 minutes before or a set time.

  As shown in the message display field 403 in FIG. 4, when the enter key or the enter key is operated, the walking route from the current position to the departure station is displayed on the display unit 25 together with the map image. As shown in FIG. 7, the map data 35 is divided into map areas in units of predetermined latitude and longitude, and is composed of mesh unit map data M <b> 11 to M <b> 33 and distributed to the terminal device 20. A total of nine unit map data M21, M23, M12, M32, M11, M13, M31, M33 adjacent to the unit map data M22 including 20 current positions PP in the vertical direction, the horizontal direction, and the diagonal direction. A unit map is distributed.

  When the terminal device 20 moves and the map data is insufficient, the moving direction of the terminal device 20 is determined, and the route search server 30 distributes the insufficient unit map data. The same applies when the terminal device 20 makes a distribution request for map data by designating a specific point or POI (Point of Interest) position.

  Next, a procedure for setting route search conditions will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the activation process of the repeated route search request (final route search) according to the present invention. First, when the route search request activation process is performed in the process of step S101, it is determined in the process of step S102 whether or not there is a key input in the operation / input means 29. If there is no key input, the determination in step S102 is repeated, and if there is a key input, the process proceeds to step S103.

  In the process of step S103, it is determined whether the key input information is condition setting information or the end of the route search request activation process. In the case of condition setting, the process proceeds to the processing routine of step S104, the condition setting screen shown in FIG. 3 is displayed, and setting processing is performed in response to input of each item. After the setting process is completed, the process returns to the key input determination process in step S102. If it is determined in the determination process in step S103 that the route search request activation process has ended, the end process in step S105 is performed, and the entire process ends.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a repeated route search request (final route search request) according to the present invention. When the search activation unit 24 activates the application for searching for the last train route, a positioning event is generated by the GPS unit 23 at a predetermined time interval. For example, a positioning event of the GPS means 23 is executed by a timer interruption by an OS (operation system) of the terminal device 20 at intervals of 1 minute.

  In the process of step S201, the GPS means 23 receives a signal from a GPS satellite and measures the current position. In the process of step S202, it is determined whether positioning has failed, positioning has succeeded, and there has been a change from the previous positioning data, positioning has succeeded, and there has been no change from the previous positioning data. If the determination result is a positioning failure or there is no change in the positioning data, the process proceeds to step S206.

  When the positioning is successful and there is a change from the previous positioning data, that is, when information on a new current position is obtained, the process proceeds to step S203, and the terminal device 20 searches the route search server 30 for the final route search. A request is transmitted to wait for reception of a search result (guidance information) from the route search server 30. In the process of step S204, the terminal device 20 determines whether or not the search result (guidance information) has been successfully received from the route search server 30.

  If the guide information is received, the process proceeds to step S205, where the guide information is stored in the guide storage means 26, and the process proceeds to step S206. As described above, the guidance information includes the recommended route and the departure time data to depart from the current position. This process is updated to the final route search result based on the current position newly obtained. If the guide information cannot be received, the process proceeds to step S206. In the process of step S206, the time monitoring unit 27 determines whether or not a predetermined time for outputting the guidance information has come (15 minutes before in the case of FIG. 3).

  If it is determined in step S206 that it is time to output guidance information, the guidance screen shown in FIG. 4 is output to the display means 25 in step S207, and the process returns. If it is determined that it is not time to output the guidance information, the process returns. After the guidance information is output in the process of step S207, an application that makes a normal route search request that does not depend on the repeated route search request of the present invention can be used by inputting a predetermined key.

  In the flowchart of FIG. 9, the example in which the guidance information is output a predetermined time before the set departure time has been described. However, every time it is determined whether or not the guidance information of the route search result is received in the process of step S205, the guidance information is output. May be output on the display screen. As shown in FIG. 4, since the latest GPS positioning time is displayed on the guidance information display screen, if the GPS positioning time is not displayed, the recommended route and the departure time as the result of the final train search are still obtained. You will be able to confirm the operation.

  Further, if the recommended route received from the route search server 30 in step S205 is a short route that can be walked, the departure time is set to “99 hours” so that the guidance information is not output. In this case, since the terminal device 20 may be further moved to another location, the repeated final power route search may be continued. This is also effective in such a case because it is possible to go out after returning home without using the last train.

  Note that positioning by the GPS means 23 is performed at predetermined time intervals, but in the key input information discrimination process of step S103 in the flowchart of FIG. 8, the selection screen 501 shown in FIG. 10 is displayed on the display screen, and re-positioning is performed. It may be selectable. When the re-positioning is selected, the GPS unit 23 immediately measures the current position. Therefore, the user (terminal device 20) measures the current position immediately before entering the building, and receives guidance information by searching for the last train. It can also be made to be able to be executed manually. In addition to the repositioning selection item 504, a selection item 503 for turning off the last train search and a selection item 505 for closing the menu (selection screen in FIG. 10) are also displayed on the selection screen shown in FIG. The selection item 502 of the last train search is selected when starting the last train route search manually.

  In addition, if there are two destinations, home and second house, and the destinations to be returned vary depending on the day of the week, multiple destinations are registered, and the multiple destinations are registered by day of the week using the calendar function. You may comprise so that an applicable destination may be selected.

  Since the present invention is executed from the route search request application that operates in the background of the terminal device 20, the time at which the departure point should be departed from a predetermined time before starting without a special setting every time. I can guide you. Therefore, since the mobile phone can be used as a terminal device and can be implemented as a standby application, the mobile phone is suitable as a terminal device of a navigation system, and the usage range and functions of the mobile phone can be expanded.

1 is a system configuration diagram showing a configuration of a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the detailed structure of the navigation system concerning the Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen which sets the conditions of the repeated route search request concerning this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the output display screen of the guidance information which is the result of a route search. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the concept of the road network data for a route search. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the concept of the traffic network data for the route search using a transportation system. It is a figure which shows the structure of map data. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure which sets the conditions of the repeated route search request | requirement concerning this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the repeated route search request concerning this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the selection screen for making a GPS means manually perform GPS re-positioning.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Navigation system 12 ... Network 20 ... Terminal device 21 ... Control means 22 ... Communication means 23 ... GPS reception means 24 ... Search starting means 25... Display means 26... Guide storage means 27... Time monitoring means 28... Setting condition storage means 29. ... Control means 32 ... Guide data editing means 33 ... Route search means 34 ... Communication means 35 ... Map data 36 ... Road network data 37 ... Traffic network data

Claims (14)

From the current position to the destination, the recommended route that can leave the current position at the latest time and arrive at the destination at the desired time is searched, and the departure time from the current position is determined based on the recommended route. We met a navigation system that outputs a guide information guide to,
Storage means for storing road network data , traffic network data, a condition relating to a destination and a desired arrival time, and a time determination condition which is a condition relating to a guidance time for outputting guidance information ;
Current position positioning means for repeatedly positioning the current position at predetermined time intervals ;
Route search execution determining means for determining whether or not to perform route search based on the positioning result;
When the route search execution determining unit determines to perform a route search, the recommended route that satisfies the conditions related to the destination and the desired arrival time is determined by using the position determined by the current position positioning unit as a starting point, Route search means for searching by referring to road network data and traffic network data;
Guidance information registration means for generating the guidance information based on the recommended route searched by the route search means and registering it in a predetermined storage means;
When the guidance information is newly generated, based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the guidance information, time determination means for determining whether the current time is the guidance time;
An output means for outputting the newly generated guidance information at a timing when the time determination means detects that the current time is after the guidance time ;
When the route search execution determining means determines not to perform a route search,
The time determination means determines whether or not the current time is after the guide time based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the most recently stored guide information,
And the output means, the navigation system characterized that you outputs guidance information the is most recently stored. The route search execution determining means, the navigation system of claim 1, wherein the current position measuring means when there is no change in current position positioning, and determines not to perform a route search. The route search execution determining means determines that the route search is performed when the latest positioning is successful, and determines that the route search is not performed when the latest positioning is unsuccessful. Item 4. The navigation system according to item 1. The route search execution determining means is successful in the latest positioning, and when there is a change in the current position, determines that the route search is performed, and if the latest positioning fails or succeeds in the latest positioning 2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein when there is no change in the current position, it is determined not to perform a route search . The time in the determination condition, the navigation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the condition is a time before the starting time is included, characterized in Rukoto. When the time determination condition is not specified, the time determination unit, according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that handling time before departure time of the guidance information as a guidance time Navigation system. From the current position to the destination, the recommended route that can leave the current position at the latest time and arrive at the destination at the desired time is searched, and the departure time from the current position is determined based on the recommended route. met terminal device is connected to a route search server for outputting guidance information guiding to over the network,
The route search server
Storage means for storing road network data , traffic network data, a condition relating to a destination and a desired arrival time, and a time determination condition which is a condition relating to a guidance time for outputting guidance information ;
When the route search execution determining unit determines to perform the route search, the current position measured by the current position positioning unit is set as the departure point, and the recommended route that matches the conditions related to the destination and the desired arrival time is determined as the road. A route search means for searching by referring to network data and traffic network data,
The terminal device
Current position positioning means for repeatedly positioning the current position at predetermined time intervals ;
Route search execution determining means for determining whether or not to perform route search based on the positioning result;
Guidance information registration means for generating the guidance information based on the recommended route searched by the route search means and registering it in a predetermined storage means;
When the guidance information is newly generated, based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the guidance information, time determination means for determining whether the current time is the guidance time;
An output means for outputting the newly generated guidance information at a timing when the time determination means detects that the current time is after the guidance time ;
When the route search execution determining means determines not to perform a route search,
The time determination means determines whether or not the current time is after the guide time based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the most recently stored guide information,
And the output means, the terminal device characterized that you outputs guidance information the is most recently stored. It said route search execution determining means, wherein when the current position measuring means no change in the current position positioning the terminal apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the determining not to perform the route search. The route search execution determining means determines that the route search is performed when the latest positioning is successful, and determines that the route search is not performed when the latest positioning is unsuccessful. Item 8. The terminal device according to Item 7. The route search execution determining means is successful in the latest positioning, and when there is a change in the current position, determines that the route search is performed, and if the latest positioning fails or succeeds in the latest positioning The terminal device according to claim 7, wherein when there is no change in the current position, it is determined not to perform a route search . The time in the determination condition, the terminal apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 10 wherein the condition is a time before the starting time is included, characterized in Rukoto. When the time determination condition is not specified, the time determination unit, according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that handling time before departure time of the guidance information as a guidance time Terminal device. Stores road network data, traffic network data, conditions related to the destination and desired arrival time, and time determination conditions that are conditions related to the guidance time for outputting guidance information, from the current position to the destination The recommended route that departs from the current position at the latest time and arrives at the destination at the desired time is searched, and guidance information for guiding the departure time from the current position is output based on the recommended route. A departure time guidance method in a navigation system ,
A current position positioning step for repeatedly positioning the current position at predetermined time intervals;
A route search execution determination step for determining whether or not to perform a route search based on the positioning result;
If it is determined in the route search execution determining step that the route search is to be performed, the current position measured in the current position positioning step is set as the departure point, and the recommended route that matches the conditions related to the destination and the desired arrival time is determined. A route search step for searching with reference to the road network data and the traffic network data;
A guide information registration step of generating guide information based on the recommended route searched in the route search step and registering it in a predetermined storage means;
When the guidance information is newly generated, a time determination step of determining whether the current time is after the guidance time based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the guidance information ;
An output step of outputting the newly generated guidance information at a timing at which it is detected in the time determination step that the current time is after the guidance time ,
When it is determined that the route search is not performed in the route search execution determination step,
The time determination step determines whether or not the current time is after the guide time based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the latest stored guide information,
The said output step outputs the said guidance information memorize | stored most recently, The departure time guidance method characterized by the above-mentioned . Road network data, traffic network data, conditions related to the destination and desired arrival time, and conditions related to the guidance time, which is the time to output the guidance information, are stored. A navigation system that searches for a recommended route that can depart from the current location at a later time and arrive at the destination at a desired time, and outputs guidance information that guides the departure time from the current location based on the recommended route A computer program comprising
Current position positioning means for repeatedly positioning the current position at predetermined time intervals,
Route search execution determining means for determining whether or not to perform route search based on the positioning result;
When the route search execution determining unit determines to perform a route search, the recommended route that satisfies the conditions related to the destination and the desired arrival time is determined using the current position measured by the current position positioning unit as a departure point. Route search means for searching with reference to the road network data and the traffic network data,
Guidance information registration means for generating guidance information based on the recommended route searched by the route search means and registering it in a predetermined storage means;
Time determination means for determining whether the current time is after the guide time based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the guide information when the guide information is newly generated;
Causing the computer to function as output means for outputting the newly generated guidance information at a timing when the time determination means detects that the current time is after the guidance time ;
When the route search execution determining means determines not to perform a route search,
The time determination means determines whether or not the current time is after the guide time based on the time determination condition and the departure time of the most recently stored guide information,
The output means outputs the most recently stored guidance information.

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