JP4549330B2 - Communication type map display system, map distribution server, and map display terminal - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention is used in a communication type navigation system including a terminal device and a server that displays a traffic jam situation on a map image, and the like, and a communication map display system that displays the traffic jam situation on a map image, a map Concerning distribution servers and map display terminals, especially when a traffic congestion link is displayed as a continuous polyline (a traffic congestion line with a width) along a road link indicating the traffic congestion, and an arbitrary position of the traffic congestion polyline is specified Further, the present invention relates to a communication type map display system, a map distribution server, and a map display terminal that display traffic jam information such as traffic time and distance ahead from the designated position.

  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.

  In recent years, mobile terminals such as mobile phones are equipped with browsers and can access the Internet and receive desired information. In such a system, the user operates a mobile terminal, finds a desired site using a search engine provided in the server, downloads the content of the site, and browses the content with a browser. ing. The content includes information belonging to various categories, and includes information on stores and events, provision of railway timetables, and train transfer guidance.

  In providing information on stores and events, a user operates a mobile terminal to input a store or event category and an area to be searched for a search request. The server searches for stores and events that fall into the specified category and exist in the area, and the information is distributed to the map display terminal. In providing the timetable, when the user operates the mobile terminal to designate a route, the timetable of the route is presented on the screen of the display device of the mobile terminal. Further, in the transfer guidance, the recommended route is presented by the user specifying the departure place and the destination.

  In addition, connect to a map server on the Internet from a terminal device such as a personal computer or a mobile phone, and enter the desired location, facility, store address, name, telephone number, etc. to determine the location of the location, facility, or store. It is also possible to display a map image on a display device by downloading map data within a predetermined range.

  In the communication-type navigation system, map data for map display distributed from the map distribution server to a map display device as a terminal is configured as follows. That is, the map data stored in the map distribution server is composed of unit map data (mesh map data) divided into a mesh shape in a certain latitude range and longitude range. When distributing map data to the map display device, based on the position information of the map display device, the unit map adjacent in the vertical, horizontal, and diagonal directions is centered on the unit map including the position of the map display device. In total, nine unit map data are distributed. When the map display device moves and the unit map data is insufficient, the unit map data for the shortage is newly distributed.

  The map data for displaying the map image is generally composed of vector map data instead of bitmap data (raster map data) in order to suppress the amount of data during communication. The vector map data includes polygon data for displaying roads included in a map in mesh units in a state close to natural terrain, and road data expressing each road link as a vector. Road data expressed in vectors is used when drawing a guide route or route history on a map image. The current position of the map display device is drawn on the searched route and road data at the time of route guidance. The current position is calculated by satellite navigation using a GPS receiver provided in the map display device.

  A communication-type navigation system using a mobile phone as a terminal device is mainly used for route guidance for pedestrians who move on foot or using transportation, but pedestrians do not always move on foot, and taxis. It is preferable that a comprehensive route search can be performed including a section in which the vehicle moves using the road network data for the vehicle. Further, it is more preferable that the passenger who gets on the passenger seat can use the mobile phone and transmit the guidance route received from the server to the driver.

  In consideration of movement by automobile, if a traffic jam situation on a surrounding road can be known when a map is displayed, a route that avoids the traffic jam can be selected, which increases convenience. Recently, a road information distribution system has been realized that installs cameras on expressways and main trunk roads, etc., and measures traffic volume to provide traffic conditions. Roads that can monitor traffic volume are also greatly expanded. . This road traffic information can be received by an in-vehicle navigation device using FM broadcasting. It is also possible to receive road traffic data via a network.

  A map display device and a navigation device are also known that can display the traffic congestion status of surrounding roads based on such road traffic information. For example, the following Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-264082) discloses a navigation apparatus that displays a congested road link with lines and marks.

  The navigation device disclosed in Patent Document 2 draws a map around a reference position including a road, using a current position calculated by a current position calculation unit or a point designated by a scroll unit as a reference position, and receives FM broadcasts. Based on the traffic jam data received by the machine, a traffic jam mark of a predetermined color, that is, a traffic jam line, is drawn in parallel with the corresponding road on the map, and the traffic jam within a predetermined range from the reference position A traffic jam mark erasing unit that suppresses the display of the mark is provided, and the display of the traffic jam mark in the vicinity of the user's position is suppressed so that the visibility of the road or the like of the map image is not hindered.

  Further, in the following Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-91371), a line indicating a traffic jam is displayed along a road link on the map image, and the remaining distance from the current position to the traffic jam end point and the traffic jam are displayed. There is disclosed a navigation device that displays a time required for passing the vehicle and presents it to a driver.

  The navigation device disclosed in Patent Document 3 includes a remaining traffic jam distance calculating means 8 for calculating a remaining distance from the current position of the vehicle to a traffic jam end point in the traffic jam information received by the road traffic information receiving means, and the calculation A traffic jam estimated time calculation means for calculating the time until the vehicle exits the traffic jam from the remaining traffic jam distance and the current average travel speed, and the control means displays the calculation results on the display means by the user's selection It is configured.

JP 2001-165681 A (FIGS. 1 and 2) JP 2001-264082 A (FIG. 1, FIG. 3, [Solution means], paragraphs [0027] to [0031]) JP 2005-91371 A (FIG. 1, FIG. 2, paragraph [0012])

  In a general map display device, an icon image is drawn on a map image as an image indicating an object such as POI, and when the icon image is selected by a click operation of a cursor or a mouse, an information window is opened and the selected icon image is displayed. An information display method is adopted in which detailed information of an object such as POI corresponding to is displayed as text information in the information window.

  By the way, when a user who gets in the passenger seat of a car uses a navigation system that uses a mobile phone as a map display terminal to guide the driver, traffic information around the current position or a desired point is displayed on the map display screen. Preferably it can be displayed. In this case, if an arbitrary point on the road where the traffic is congested can be specified and the traffic congestion state (congestion distance and transit time) from that point to the end point of the previous traffic jam can be known, the convenience is improved. For example, while driving on a congested expressway, if you specify the next interchange and know the traffic situation up to the end of the traffic jam ahead, is it better to leave the expressway at the next interchange and drive on a general road? Can be judged.

  However, in the navigation devices disclosed in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3 described above, when a traffic jam mark is drawn as an object on a map image and selected with a cursor, the current traffic distance is the starting traffic distance. It is possible to display traffic jam information such as the time required to pass traffic and traffic jams, but there is a problem that it is not possible to specify an arbitrary point and know the traffic situation from that point to the traffic end point. This is because the navigation devices of Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3 simply acquire and display the traffic information from the road traffic information to the subsequent traffic end point based on the current position.

  The inventor of the present application has made various studies to solve the above problems, and as a result, the map distribution server generates traffic jam information including a traffic jam road link based on the road traffic information, and adds it to the vector map data to the mobile phone. It is configured to be distributed to a map display device consisting of a map display terminal such as a traffic congestion guide information related to the traffic congestion polyline by expressing a congested road link as a continuous traffic polyline (a line segment having a width). The traffic congestion information including the traffic congestion information up to the beginning of the traffic congestion is created, added to the vector map data along with the traffic congestion polyline, and distributed, and when an arbitrary position of the traffic congestion polyline is designated with the cursor, the traffic congestion If the traffic congestion link cost (congestion distance and time required for traffic congestion) from the specified position to the traffic jam start position is calculated based on the guidance information and displayed, And conceived to be solved has been led to completion of the present invention.

  That is, the present invention is a communication type map display system that displays a traffic jam situation on a map image, displays a traffic jam with a traffic jam polyline continuous along a road link indicating the traffic jam, and an arbitrary position of the traffic jam polyline. It is an object of the present invention to provide a communication type map display system, a map distribution server, and a map display terminal that can display a traffic jam link cost from the designated position when the is designated.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application is
A map display terminal having a display means for displaying a map, a map database storing vector map data, and road traffic information acquisition means for acquiring road traffic information, and acquiring a predetermined range of vector map data and the road traffic information In a communication type map display system comprising: a map distribution server that distributes traffic jam information based on road traffic information acquired by the means to the map display terminal;
The map distribution server includes a traffic congestion polyline creation means for creating traffic congestion polyline data along a traffic link that has been congested based on the road traffic information acquired by the road traffic information acquisition means, from the beginning to the end of the traffic jam, Congestion information generation means including traffic congestion information creation means for creating traffic congestion information related to the traffic congestion polyline including information up to the start point of the traffic congestion, the traffic congestion polyline data corresponding to the delimitation of the road link Created by dividing each divided traffic link, and adds the traffic polyline data and the traffic guide information to the vector map data and distributes it to the map display terminal,
The map display terminal includes a cursor selection determination unit and a traffic jam link cost calculation unit, displays a map image on the display unit based on the vector map data received from the map distribution server, and displays the map image on the map image. A traffic congestion polyline is displayed, the cursor selection determining means detects the traffic congestion polyline selection operation by the cursor, and when the cursor selection determination means detects a specific traffic congestion polyline selection operation, the traffic congestion link cost calculating means is configured to detect the traffic congestion polyline. Based on the data, the position on the traffic congestion polyline where the selection operation is performed by the cursor is used as a starting position to calculate the traffic congestion link cost to the traffic congestion start point of the traffic congestion polyline, and the display means includes the traffic congestion link cost including the traffic congestion link cost. Guidance information is displayed.

The invention according to claim 2
A map display terminal having a display means for displaying a map, a map database storing vector map data, and road traffic information acquisition means for acquiring road traffic information, and acquiring a predetermined range of vector map data and the road traffic information In a communication type map display system comprising: a map distribution server that distributes traffic jam information based on road traffic information acquired by the means to the map display terminal;
The map distribution server includes a traffic congestion polyline creation means for creating traffic congestion polyline data along a traffic link that has been congested based on the road traffic information acquired by the road traffic information acquisition means, from the beginning to the end of the traffic jam, Vector map data that includes a traffic jam information generating unit including a traffic jam guide information generating unit that generates traffic jam information related to the traffic jam polyline including information up to the head point of the traffic jam, and the map distribution server distributes to the map display terminal predetermined latitude ranges, separated by longitude range, to the vector map data, the latitude range, and including congestion polyline data data congestion link to the last from the beginning point of traffic congestion regardless longitude range, the congestion And adding it to the map display terminal,
The map display terminal includes a cursor selection determination unit and a traffic jam link cost calculation unit, displays a map image on the display unit based on the vector map data received from the map distribution server, and displays the map image on the map image. A traffic congestion polyline is displayed, the cursor selection determining means detects the traffic congestion polyline selection operation by the cursor, and when the cursor selection determination means detects a specific traffic congestion polyline selection operation, the traffic congestion link cost calculating means is configured to detect the traffic congestion polyline. Based on the data, the position on the traffic congestion polyline where the selection operation is performed by the cursor is used as a starting position to calculate the traffic congestion link cost to the traffic congestion start point of the traffic congestion polyline, and the display means includes the traffic congestion link cost including the traffic congestion link cost. and features that you display the guide information.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the communication type map display system according to the first or second aspect , the traffic polyline data is a predetermined area in a width direction that is thicker than the line width of the traffic polyline displayed on the map display terminal. Including determination area data for identifying
The map display terminal further includes cursor control means, and the cursor control means determines whether or not the cursor is in the predetermined area based on the determination area data, and the cursor is in the predetermined area. If it is determined that the traffic congestion polyline is present, the display means highlights the traffic congestion polyline with a thicker line width.

The invention according to claim 4 is the communication type map display system according to claim 3 ,
When the cursor display means determines that the cursor is within the predetermined area, the map display terminal determines that the corresponding traffic congestion polyline is selected by the cursor, and the traffic congestion link cost is determined. The calculation means calculates a traffic congestion link cost up to a traffic congestion start point of the traffic congestion polyline based on the traffic congestion polyline data from the position on the traffic congestion polyline where the selection operation has been performed by the cursor as a starting position, and the display means The traffic jam guide information including the calculated traffic jam link cost is displayed in the display area.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the communication type map display system according to the fourth aspect , the predetermined display area is an information window display area, which is opened when the traffic congestion guidance information is displayed. It is characterized by displaying.

The invention according to claim 7 of the present application is
A map display terminal having a display means for displaying a map, comprising a cursor selection determining means and a traffic jam link cost calculating means, and displaying a map image on the display means based on vector map data received from a map distribution server And displaying a traffic congestion polyline on the map image, the cursor selection determining means detects a traffic congestion polyline selection operation by a cursor, and when the cursor selection determination means detects a specific traffic congestion polyline selection operation, The traffic congestion link cost calculating means calculates a traffic congestion link cost up to a traffic congestion start point of the traffic congestion polyline based on the traffic congestion polyline data, with the position on the traffic congestion polyline selected by the cursor as a starting position, and the display Means is a map display for displaying traffic information including the traffic link cost A traffic jam information based on a predetermined range of vector map data and road traffic information acquired by the road traffic information acquisition means, and a map database storing vector map data and road traffic information acquisition means for acquiring road traffic information. In a map distribution server constituting a communication type map display system comprising a map distribution server that distributes to the map display terminal,
The map distribution server includes a traffic congestion polyline creation means for creating traffic congestion polyline data along a traffic link that has been congested based on the road traffic information acquired by the road traffic information acquisition means, from the beginning to the end of the traffic jam, Congestion information generation means including traffic congestion information creation means for creating traffic congestion information related to the traffic congestion polyline including information up to the start point of the traffic congestion, the traffic congestion polyline data corresponding to the delimitation of the road link It is created by dividing each divided traffic congestion link, and the traffic congestion polyline data and the traffic congestion guide information are added to the vector map data and delivered to the map display terminal.

The invention according to claim 7 is:
A map display terminal having a display means for displaying a map, comprising a cursor selection determining means and a traffic jam link cost calculating means, and displaying a map image on the display means based on vector map data received from a map distribution server And displaying a traffic congestion polyline on the map image, the cursor selection determining means detects a traffic congestion polyline selection operation by a cursor, and when the cursor selection determination means detects a specific traffic congestion polyline selection operation, The traffic congestion link cost calculating means calculates a traffic congestion link cost up to a traffic congestion start point of the traffic congestion polyline based on the traffic congestion polyline data, with the position on the traffic congestion polyline selected by the cursor as a starting position, and the display Means is a map display for displaying traffic information including the traffic link cost A traffic jam information based on a predetermined range of vector map data and road traffic information acquired by the road traffic information acquisition means, and a map database storing vector map data and road traffic information acquisition means for acquiring road traffic information. In a map distribution server constituting a communication type map display system comprising a map distribution server that distributes to the map display terminal,
The map distribution server includes a traffic congestion polyline creation means for creating traffic congestion polyline data along a traffic link that has been congested based on the road traffic information acquired by the road traffic information acquisition means, from the beginning to the end of the traffic jam, Vector map data that includes a traffic jam information generating unit including a traffic jam guide information generating unit that generates traffic jam information related to the traffic jam polyline including information up to the head point of the traffic jam, and the map distribution server distributes to the map display terminal predetermined latitude ranges, separated by longitude range, to the vector map data, the latitude range, and including congestion polyline data data congestion link to the last from the beginning point of traffic congestion regardless longitude range, the congestion by adding the guidance information, the features that you distributed to the map display terminal.

The invention according to claim 8 of the present application is
Map database storing vector map data, road traffic information acquisition means for acquiring road traffic information, and traffic congestion polyline data along a road link congested based on the road traffic information acquired by the road traffic information acquisition means Congestion information generation means including traffic congestion polyline creation means for creating from the head of the traffic to the tail and traffic congestion information creation means for creating traffic congestion information related to the traffic congestion polyline including information up to the head of the traffic jam The traffic congestion polyline data is created for each traffic congestion link partitioned in correspondence with the road link partition, and the traffic congestion polyline data and the traffic congestion guide information are added to the vector map data. A map display terminal connected to a map distribution server for distribution to a display terminal,
The map display terminal includes a cursor selection determination unit and a traffic jam link cost calculation unit, displays a map image on the display unit based on the vector map data received from the map distribution server, and displays the map image on the map image. A traffic congestion polyline is displayed, the cursor selection determining means detects the traffic congestion polyline selection operation by the cursor, and when the cursor selection determination means detects a specific traffic congestion polyline selection operation, the traffic congestion link cost calculating means is configured to detect the traffic congestion polyline. Based on the data, the position on the traffic polyline where the selection operation is performed by the cursor is used as a starting position, and the traffic link cost to the head of the traffic on the traffic polyline is calculated, and the display means includes traffic jam guidance including the traffic link cost. It is characterized by displaying information.

The invention according to claim 9 is the map display terminal according to claim 8 ,
The traffic congestion polyline data includes determination area data for specifying a predetermined area in the width direction that is thicker than the line width of the traffic congestion polyline displayed on the map display terminal, and the map display terminal further includes cursor control means, and the cursor The control means determines whether or not the cursor is in the predetermined area based on the determination area data, and if it is determined that the cursor is in the predetermined area, the display means Is highlighted with a thicker line width.

The invention according to claim 10 is the map display terminal according to claim 9 ,
When the cursor display means determines that the cursor is within the predetermined area, the map display terminal determines that the corresponding traffic congestion polyline is selected by the cursor, and the traffic congestion link cost is determined. The calculation means calculates a traffic congestion link cost up to a traffic congestion start point of the traffic congestion polyline based on the traffic congestion polyline data from the position on the traffic congestion polyline where the selection operation has been performed by the cursor as a starting position, and the display means The traffic jam guide information including the traffic jam link cost is displayed in the display area.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the map display terminal according to the tenth aspect , the predetermined display area is an information window display area, which is opened when the traffic congestion guidance information is displayed, and displays the traffic congestion guidance information. It is characterized by that.
It is characterized by that.

In the invention according to claim 1,
The map distribution server corresponds to the road link delimiter from the head point of the traffic jam to the tail of the traffic jam polyline data along the road link jammed based on the road traffic information acquired by the road traffic information acquisition means. It is created by dividing each traffic jam link divided , and traffic jam information related to the traffic jam polyline is created including information up to the head point of traffic jam, added to vector map data, and delivered to the map display terminal The map display terminal displays a map image and a traffic jam polyline on the display means based on the vector map data received from the map distribution server, and detects a traffic jam polyline selection operation by a cursor. The position on the traffic polyline where the cursor was selected based on the traffic jam polyline data is the starting position. Calculating a congestion link cost to the beginning point of traffic congestion of the traffic congestion polyline, the display means displays the jam guidance information including the traffic congestion link cost.

According to such a configuration, by selecting an arbitrary point on the traffic congestion polyline with the cursor, the traffic congestion link cost (the traffic congestion distance and the required travel time) from that position to the head position of the traffic congestion ahead is used as traffic congestion guidance information. It can be displayed. Accordingly, it is possible to grasp the traffic jam ahead from a desired point instead of the current position, and to determine a route for traffic jam avoidance. In addition, since the traffic congestion polyline data is created by dividing each traffic congestion link where the coordinates corresponding to the traffic congestion road link are separated, the traffic congestion link cost calculation means is from any point on the traffic congestion polyline to the first traffic congestion point. The traffic congestion link cost can be calculated.

In the invention according to claim 2 ,
The map distribution server creates traffic congestion polyline data along the traffic road link congested based on the road traffic information acquired by the road traffic information acquisition means from the beginning of the traffic jam to the tail, and relates to the traffic congestion polyline. Congestion guidance information including information up to the beginning of the traffic jam is created, and the vector map data distributed by the map distribution server to the map display terminal is divided by a predetermined latitude range and longitude range, and the congestion polyline data is the latitude range, see contains the data of the congestion link from the beginning point of traffic congestion regardless longitude range to the end, the added vector map data is distributed to the map display terminal, the map display terminal, the map distribution on the display means Based on the vector map data received from the server, the map image and the traffic congestion polyline are displayed, and the traffic congestion polyline is selected by the cursor. When an operation is detected, the traffic congestion link cost calculation means calculates the traffic congestion link cost up to the traffic congestion start point of the traffic congestion polyline starting from the position on the traffic congestion polyline where the selection operation was performed with the cursor based on the traffic congestion polyline data. and, the display means that displays the congestion guidance information including the traffic congestion link cost.

According to such a configuration, by selecting an arbitrary point on the traffic congestion polyline with the cursor, the traffic congestion link cost (the traffic congestion distance and the required travel time) from that position to the head position of the traffic congestion ahead is used as traffic congestion guidance information. It can be displayed. Accordingly, it is possible to grasp the traffic jam ahead from a desired point instead of the current position, and to determine a route for traffic jam avoidance. The traffic congestion polyline data includes traffic congestion link data from the beginning to the end of the traffic jam regardless of the latitude range and longitude range of the map area. It is possible to calculate the traffic congestion link cost from the first traffic to the first traffic congestion point.

In the invention concerning Claim 3 , in the communication type map display system concerning Claim 1 or Claim 2 ,
The traffic jam polyline data includes determination area data for specifying a predetermined area in the width direction that is thicker than the line width of the traffic jam polyline displayed on the map display terminal,
The map display terminal further includes cursor control means, and the cursor control means determines whether or not the cursor is in the predetermined area based on the determination area data, and the cursor is in the predetermined area. When it is determined that the traffic congestion polyline is present, the display means highlights the corresponding traffic congestion polyline with a thicker line width.

  According to such a configuration, the traffic congestion is displayed with a continuous traffic polyline along the road link indicating the traffic jam, the predetermined area in the width direction wider than the line width of the displayed traffic congestion polyline is specified, and the cursor is Since it is determined whether or not it is within the area, it is easy to select the congestion road link with the cursor.

In the invention according to claim 4 , in the communication type map display system according to claim 3 ,
When the cursor display means determines that the cursor is within the predetermined area, the map display terminal determines that the corresponding traffic congestion polyline is selected by the cursor, and the traffic congestion link cost is determined. The calculating means calculates a traffic congestion link cost up to a traffic congestion start point of the traffic congestion polyline based on the traffic congestion polyline data, using the position on the traffic congestion polyline where the selection operation has been performed by the cursor as a starting position. Displayed as traffic jam information.

  According to such a configuration, the predetermined area in the width direction that is thicker than the line width of the displayed traffic jam polyline is specified, and it is determined whether or not the cursor is within the predetermined area. It becomes easy to select, and the congestion link cost (congestion distance and required travel time) from the position on the congestion polyline specified by the cursor to the head position of the previous congestion can be displayed as the congestion information. .

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the communication type map display system according to the fourth aspect , the predetermined display area is an information window display area, which is opened when the traffic congestion guidance information is displayed. Is displayed.

  According to such a configuration, since the display area opens on the display screen only when the traffic jam information is displayed, the traffic jam information can be displayed only when necessary, which hinders the observation of the map. There is nothing.

Further, Claim 6 of the present application, in the invention according to claim 7, respectively claim 1, it is possible to provide a map distribution server constituting the communication type map display system according to claim 2, claim 8 or claim in the invention of claim 11, respectively, according to claim 1, it is possible to provide a map display device constituting the communication type map display system according to claims 3 to 5.

  Hereinafter, specific examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples and drawings. However, the embodiment shown below exemplifies a communication type map display system for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and is intended to specify the present invention as this communication type map display system. Instead, the present invention can be equally applied to the communication type map display system of other embodiments included in the scope of claims.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a map display system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the map display system 10 includes a map display terminal 20, such as a mobile phone, a map distribution server 30, a POI information distribution server 50, a road traffic information distribution server 51, etc., connected via a network 12 such as the Internet. It is configured with. The map distribution server 30 includes a map database 36 that stores vector map data and a search network database 35 for route search. Refer to the search network database 35 for a route search request from the map display terminal 20. The map database 36 is referred to when an optimum route or a candidate route is searched and the result is distributed together with the map data, or when there is a map data distribution request by designating the current position or desired point of the map display terminal. To distribute corresponding map data.

  The map distribution server 30 receives the latest road traffic information from the road traffic information distribution server 51 every time the road traffic information distribution server 51 updates the road traffic information. When the latest road traffic information is acquired, traffic jam information is generated based on the road traffic information, and the traffic jam information is added to the vector map data and distributed to the map display terminal 20. Accordingly, the map distribution server 30 distributes the traffic jam information created based on the latest road traffic information together with the vector map data only when the map data is distributed to the map display terminal 20. The traffic jam information added to the vector map data will be described in detail later.

  Further, when there is a search request for a desired location of interest (POI) from the map display terminal 20, the map distribution server 30 mediates the search request to the POI information distribution server 50, and from the POI information distribution server 50. When the search result is received, the search result is delivered to the map display terminal 20. Here, the POI is, for example, a hotel, restaurant, gas station, supermarket or public facility, and the map display terminal 20 acquires POI information by designating the name, telephone number, category, keyword, etc. of the POI. can do. The map display terminal 20 that has acquired the POI position information and the like can also request the map distribution server 30 for a POI location map.

  The communication type map display system 10 according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration, and the map distribution server 30 may be a map distribution server that does not have a navigation service function or a POI search function. The device 20 is not limited to a mobile phone, and may be a mobile device such as a PDA or a music player.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the map distribution server 30 in the communication type map display system of FIG. In order to respond to various requests from the map display terminal 20, the map distribution server 30 includes a map database 36 and a search network database 35 for route search. The map data stored in the map database 36 is vector map data. Such map data in vector format requires a small amount of data for communication, and can add data for drawing (displaying) an object image such as an icon on the map image displayed on the display means. Therefore, it is most suitable for a communication type map display system like the present invention.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, this map data is divided into map areas in units of predetermined latitude and longitude, is composed of mesh unit map data M11 to M33, and is distributed to the map display terminal 20. Unit map data M21, M23, M12, M32, M11, M13, M31, M33 adjacent to the unit map data M22 including the current position PP of the map display terminal 20 in the vertical direction, the horizontal direction, and the diagonal direction. A total of nine unit maps are distributed. When the map display terminal 20 moves and the map data is insufficient, the moving direction of the map display terminal 20 is determined, and the map distribution server 30 distributes the shortage unit map data. The same applies when the map display terminal 20 requests the distribution of map data by designating a specific point or POI position.

  The search network database 35 for route search stores road network data 351 that is used when moving by walking or by car, and traffic network data 352 that is used when moving together with walking and transportation. The configuration of the road network data 351 and the traffic network data 352 is the same as that used in a normal navigation system.

  The map distribution server 30 also includes a control unit 31, a distribution data editing unit 32, a route search unit 33, a communication unit 34, a road traffic information acquisition unit 37, and a traffic jam information generation unit 38. The traffic jam information generation unit 38 is a traffic jam. Polyline creation means 381 and traffic jam information creation means 382 are provided. The road traffic information acquisition unit 37 receives the latest road traffic information from the road traffic information distribution server 51 every time the road traffic information distribution server 51 updates the road traffic information. When the road traffic information acquisition unit 37 acquires the latest road traffic information, the traffic jam information generation unit 38 generates traffic jam polyline data and traffic jam guide information, which will be described later, based on the road traffic information.

  The road traffic information distribution server 51 measures the speed and traffic volume of a vehicle traveling on a road link with cameras installed at various locations on each road, detects a traffic jam every 5 minutes (hereinafter referred to as a traffic jam link), and Update the degree of congestion and distribute it to each organization as road traffic information. The congestion level is divided into several levels such as “congestion” and “congestion”. Based on the congestion level, the distance of the traffic jam and the required travel time are calculated. The road traffic information provided through FM broadcasting, etc., is created based on the traffic jam distance and transit time calculated in this way, based on the traffic jam head location. Is expressed as “15 km traffic jam”.

  The road traffic information acquisition means 37 acquires the road traffic information as described above updated every 5 minutes from the road traffic information distribution server 51 (receives distribution data). The traffic jam information generation unit 38 generates traffic jam polyline data and traffic jam guide information as traffic jam information based on the traffic jam link and traffic jam degree data (road traffic information) received by the road traffic information acquisition unit 37.

  That is, the traffic jam polyline creating means 381 creates traffic jam polyline data along a traffic jam road by connecting traffic jam links. The polyline here is data of a line having a predetermined line width. The traffic jam polyline expresses a traffic jam road as a continuous line, but since the boundaries of each traffic jam link are known, if the distance of each traffic jam link and the time required to pass (hereinafter referred to as traffic jam link cost) are accumulated. The traffic link cost from the beginning to the end of the traffic can be calculated.

The traffic jam information creating means 382 accumulates the distance of each traffic jam link and the required travel time (hereinafter referred to as traffic jam link cost) from the data of the traffic jam polyline, and calculates the traffic jam link cost from the head of the traffic jam to the tail. A traffic jam link cost such as a traffic jam distance and a required travel time is created as traffic jam guide information along with the name of the traffic jam road and the head of the traffic jam.
Here, when the traffic congestion polyline data and traffic congestion guidance information are sent to the map display terminal 20 and a map image is displayed on the display means, and the traffic congestion polyline is drawn on the map image, the traffic congestion polyline can be selected and operated by the cursor. Therefore, the map display terminal 20 can display the traffic congestion guide information by selecting the traffic congestion polyline with the cursor. Further, as will be described later, it is possible to detect the position of the traffic congestion polyline selected by the cursor, and calculate and display the traffic congestion distance from the position to the head of the previous traffic congestion and the required travel time.

  In the map distribution server 30, the control means 31 is a microprocessor having a RAM, a ROM, and a processor (not shown), and controls the operation of each unit by a control program stored in the ROM. The communication means 34 is an interface for communicating with the map display terminal 20, the POI information distribution server 50 that provides various POI information, and the road traffic information distribution server 51 via the network 12. The distribution data editing means 32 is for editing the result of route search or POI search or map data into data for distribution to the map display terminal 20. The map distribution server 30 can collect POI information from various POI information distribution servers 50 via the network 12 and update or expand the map data stored in the map database 36.

  The route search means 33 is a multimodal route search engine, and has a route search function using both walking and transportation. Such a route search engine is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-258184. A known so-called Dijkstra method is applied as a route search method, and route search conditions, map requests, or POI search conditions are transmitted from the map display terminal 20.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the map display terminal 20 includes a control unit 21, a GPS processing unit 22, a processing request unit 23, an operation input unit 24, a display unit 25, a cursor control unit 26, a cursor selection determination unit 27, a congestion link cost. The calculation means 28 etc. are provided. 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 operation input means 24 is for operation / input consisting of numeric keys, alphabet keys, cursor operation keys, other function keys, selection keys, scroll keys, etc., and can be selected from a menu screen displayed on the display means 25. The menu is selected or various input operations are performed by operating keys. Therefore, the display unit 25 also functions as a part of the operation input unit 24. Further, the operation input means 24 is provided with operation means such as a cursor.

  The GPS processing means 22 includes a GPS receiver, receives signals from a plurality of GPS satellites, and measures the position of the map display terminal 20 using latitude and longitude. The processing request unit 23 is for transmitting a map request, a route search request, a POI search request, and the like to the map distribution server 30, and the route search condition (departure point, destination, movement) input by the operation input unit 24. The POI search condition or the map distribution request is transmitted to the map distribution server 30.

  The display unit 25 includes a liquid crystal display unit and the like, and displays a map image based on the map data received from the map distribution server 30. On the map image, the current position measured by the GPS processing means 22 is drawn as a current position mark, and when a route search is requested, the guide route distributed from the map distribution server 30 is drawn on the map image. .

  The cursor control unit 26 displays a cursor on the display screen of the display unit 25, and moves and draws the cursor according to the cursor operation of the operation input unit 24. The cursor control means 26 determines whether or not the cursor moved to the desired position overlaps with a specific object image, in this case, a specific traffic congestion polyline, and the cursor selection determination means 27 performs a selection operation (such as traffic congestion polyline or the like) using the cursor. It is determined whether or not an object image selection operation (for example, a selection button operation or a click operation) has been performed.

  Based on the position on the traffic congestion polyline selected by the cursor, the traffic congestion link cost calculation means 28 accumulates the cost of the corresponding traffic congestion link ahead of that position from the cursor position to the traffic congestion leading position, and starts from the cursor position to the traffic congestion leading position. Traffic jam information such as the remaining distance to the vehicle and the time required to pass is generated. If this congestion information is displayed on the display means 25, it is possible to provide the remaining congestion distance and required transit time starting from a desired position regardless of the current position.

  In order to enable the processing as described above, the following congestion data polyline data and congestion information are added to the map data distributed from the map distribution server 30 to the map display terminal 20. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a data format of generally used vector map data. As shown in FIG. 5, the vector map data is composed of areas of a data header DH, a vector map data main body MPD, and additional data AD.

  A mesh number of the unit map is set in the data header DH, and road data and polygon data for drawing a road are recorded in the vector map data main body MPD. The road data is data representing each road link as a vector, and includes data indicating road attributes such as road type (type of highway or national road). Character information used in map drawing, icon information such as an icon ID for displaying various objects as icons, and the like can be added to the additional data AD.

In the present invention, the traffic jam polyline data is recorded in the vector map data main body MPD, and traffic jam guide information is added to the additional data AD and distributed to the map display terminal 20. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of map data to which traffic jam polyline data and traffic jam guidance information are added.
As shown in FIG. 6, vector data for drawing a road line (1) to vector data for drawing a road line (N) in the unit map area are arranged in the vector map data main body (drawing information). . The vector data of the road line (1) is a column of vector data (latitude and longitude at both ends of the link) for each continuous road link constituting the road 1. The same applies to the road line (N).

  The vector map data main body MPD is further arranged with traffic link data (traffic polyline data) created by the traffic jam polyline creating means. Congested roads, for example, the polyline data for traffic jam (1) is the vector data of the traffic jam link (latitude and longitude at both ends of the traffic jam link) and the data string of the traffic jam level. Data for drawing a line. The same applies to the data of the traffic jam polyline for traffic jam (2) and traffic jam (3).

  The data of road line (1) to road (N) for road drawing are data in a map area divided into meshes. On the other hand, the data of the traffic jam polyline is recorded from the head point to the tail of the traffic jam, that is, the entire traffic jam road when the traffic jam follows the adjacent unit map. Therefore, the same data is recorded as the traffic jam polyline data of adjacent unit maps. When the map display terminal 20 draws a traffic jam polyline, the traffic jam polyline data is composed of latitude / longitude data, so that only the traffic jam polyline within the unit map is drawn.

  On the other hand, in the additional data AD, traffic congestion guide information related to a traffic congestion link (congested road) corresponding to the traffic congestion polyline recorded in the vector map data main body MPD is stored as text data. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, for the road with traffic jam (1), the name of the road and the head of the traffic jam, such as “Metropolitan Expressway No. 3 Shibuya Line / Upbound / Tanimachi JCT (Junction) / Congestion 1Km / YY at XX hour” Guidance information such as position, traffic jam distance, and update time is stored.

  This traffic jam information is text data associated with a traffic jam polyline by a hyperlink, and if the traffic jam polyline drawn on the map display terminal 20 is selected with a cursor, it is linked to the traffic jam information of the corresponding traffic jam link. Data (congestion guide information) can be displayed on the display means 25. As a result, it is possible to easily present the length of the traffic jam (traffic jam distance) that follows the map image displayed on the display means 25 and the required transit time.

In addition, traffic congestion polyline data and traffic congestion information are stored in the unit map data over the entire traffic congestion section, so you can specify an arbitrary position of the displayed traffic congestion polyline with the point cursor, It is possible to calculate a traffic jam link cost (a traffic jam distance and a required travel time) up to the head point of.
That is, since the traffic congestion polyline data (traffic congestion information of the entire traffic jam section) from the head position of the traffic jam to the tail is delivered to the map display terminal 20 in a lump, the traffic jam link cost calculation means 28 The traffic congestion link cost from the position designated by the cursor to the beginning of the traffic congestion can be accumulated. This accumulated value is the remaining traffic distance and the required time to pass from the designated point.

  The traffic jam distance can be obtained by accumulating the distances of the traffic jam links, and further, the required travel time can be accumulated by using the traffic jam degree. In addition, in the case of a road with a long individual link length such as an expressway, it can be delivered to the map display terminal 20 in addition to the traffic jam polyline data as the time required for passing it as a time cost. In this case, the required travel time can be used with priority over the above-mentioned traffic jam distance, and the traffic jam link cost of the remaining section can be calculated as the required travel time by accumulating individual traffic jam link costs. As a result, it is possible to grasp the traffic situation ahead of the desired point regardless of the current position. Therefore, the user can make a determination by displaying a route selection that avoids traffic jams in advance regardless of the current position.

  Furthermore, since the traffic jam information is added to the vector map data, no special communication is required to distribute the traffic jam information between the map display terminal 20 and the map distribution server 30. When the map distribution server 30 distributes map data in response to a map request from the map display terminal 20, it is only necessary to create and distribute traffic congestion polyline data and traffic congestion guidance information based on the latest road traffic information. The communication load is not increased. Further, since the processing of the map distribution server 30 is completed once every time map data distribution is completed, the processing load does not become excessive.

  As described above, when the vector map data is added with the congestion information of the entire section of the congested road and distributed, when the map display terminal 20 moves and receives new unit map data, the distribution is already received. The case where it has changed from the traffic jam information added to unit map data (vector map data) can be considered. This is because the road traffic information is updated at a predetermined time interval, for example, every 5 minutes.

  However, at an interval of about 5 minutes, which is the update interval of road traffic information, it can be said that the probability of a large change in the traffic situation is low and does not matter. In addition, when traveling on a road without traffic jam, the distance of one unit map road will pass in about 30 seconds, and the probability that traffic information at different times is recorded between adjacent unit maps is not high. . That is, since there is a large difference between the new map request interval and the road traffic information update interval, it can be estimated that there is no problem. Further, when the map display terminal 20 is passing through a congested road, the moving speed is originally slow, and the time interval at which new unit map data is required is longer than 5 minutes as the road traffic information update interval. Therefore, it is not considered a problem.

  FIG. 7 is a front view showing the appearance of the map display terminal 20 using a mobile phone. The map display terminal 20 (mobile phone) has a display means 25 composed of a liquid crystal display unit and an operation input means 24 composed of keys, buttons and the like. A menu screen, a map image, and the like are displayed on the display screen 251. As shown in FIG. 7, the scroll key 241 provided in the operation input means 24 is composed of up / down / left / right keys. When the scroll key 241 is operated, an image of a cursor (scroll cursor) is displayed on the display screen 251 and up / down / left / right. You can move the cursor to. By moving the cursor to an arbitrary position and operating the selection button 242, the image at the position where the cursor is superimposed can be selected.

  The initial position of the cursor is the center of the display screen 251, and a straight line connecting the initial position to the cursor movement position is displayed. When the cursor moves and reaches the end of the display screen 251, the map image is scrolled so that the cursor position at that time becomes the center of the display screen 251. Since the cursor position and the initial position are connected by a straight line, the cursor can be easily returned to the initial position by moving the cursor so as to return to the straight line. Further, the input operation and the like so far can be cleared by operating the clear key 243.

  In general, when a map image is first displayed on the display screen, the current position of the map display terminal 20, the position of the POI of interest, and the like are displayed at the center of the map image. Therefore, the initial position of the cursor matches the current position and the point of interest, and even if you move the cursor and scroll the map, you can easily return the cursor along a straight line and return to the initial map image. Convenience is improved. As such a scroll and cursor control technique, for example, a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-208095 can be applied.

  Accordingly, with the map image and the traffic jam polyline image displayed on the display means 25, the scroll key 241 is operated to move the cursor over the traffic jam polyline, and the selection button 242 is operated to display the desired traffic jam polyline. You can select and specify. The cursor control unit 26 determines whether the cursor is moved by the scroll key 241 and whether or not the cursor is moved over the traffic jam polyline by a method described later. Further, the selection operation for selecting the traffic congestion polyline by the cursor is performed by the cursor selection determining means 27.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a map image and a traffic jam polyline displayed on the display means 25 of the map display terminal 20 shown in FIG. The current position PP of the map display terminal 20 is in the parking lot. An icon image is drawn as an object in the parking lot. This parking lot has three exits, exit A1 to exit A3, and the surrounding roads are displayed. When leaving a parking lot, the user checks the presence or absence of traffic on the surrounding roads and which exit to check to avoid being involved in the traffic.

  When there is a traffic jam in the vicinity, as shown in FIG. 6, the traffic vector polyline data is recorded in the vector map data. Therefore, the traffic jam polyline PL1 along the traffic jam road of the map image displayed on the display means 25. ~ PL3 is displayed. The traffic congestion polylines PL1 to PL3 are, of course, drawn so as to be located on the left side in the traveling direction if the traffic is on the left side according to the traveling direction of the road. When the user operates the scroll key 241 (see FIG. 7), a cursor (cross cursor) is displayed on the display screen, and the cursor can be moved by operating the scroll key 241. The cursor can be moved onto an arbitrary object image, here, the traffic congestion polylines PL1 to PL3, and the corresponding traffic congestion polyline can be selected by operating the selection button 242.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the structure in the length direction of the traffic jam polyline displayed on the display screen. FIG. 9 shows only the traffic jam polyline PL2 of FIG. The traffic congestion polylines PL1 to PL3 are one continuous line (line) on the display as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, but the data structure can be understood from the traffic congestion polyline data shown in FIG. So that it has the same traffic jam link break as the road link break. That is, the traffic congestion polyline PL2 and the like are continuous traffic congestion line segments corresponding to road links. Even when the road is curved, the inflection point becomes a break.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the structure in the line width direction of the traffic jam polyline PL2 shown in FIG. The traffic congestion polyline PL2 has an area WD (dashed area) in the line width direction that is thicker than the displayed thickness (line width), and when the cursor enters this area, that is, the cursor is a specific traffic congestion polyline. When it overlaps with PL2, the display means 25 (viewer) performs control to highlight the traffic congestion polyline PL2 one level thicker. Since the traffic congestion polyline PL2 is usually thin and cannot be easily clicked, a wide area WD is prepared for the click. As a result, it becomes possible to easily select a traffic jam polyline with the cursor, and the operability can be improved.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram of a display image for explaining the selection of a traffic jam polyline by the cursor in the map display state shown in FIG. In FIG. 11, the cursor is moved by operating the scroll key 241 to enter the traffic congestion polyline where the cursor is located, in this figure the area WD of the traffic congestion polyline PL2, and the traffic congestion polyline PL2 is thicker than the normal display width. The highlighted state is shown. Whether or not the cursor has entered the area WD of the traffic jam polyline PL2 is determined by the cursor control means 26. When the selection button 242 (see FIG. 7) is operated in a state where the cursor is in the area WD of the traffic jam polyline PL2, the cursor selection discrimination means 27 discriminates that the traffic jam polyline PL2 has been selected and selects the selected object (here, , Confirm traffic jam polyline PL2).

  FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state in which the traffic jam polyline PL2 is selected and the traffic jam guidance information is displayed in the information window 121. FIG. When the selection of the traffic jam polyline PL2 by the cursor operation is confirmed as shown in FIG. 11, an information window 121 opens from the cursor in the form of a balloon as shown in FIG. 12, and the traffic jam guidance information related to the traffic jam polyline PL2 is a vector. It is read from the map data and displayed. As described above, the traffic jam polyline data added to the vector map data and the traffic jam guidance information of the corresponding traffic jam road are associated with each other by the hyper ring, so if one of the specific traffic jam polylines PL1 to PL3 is selected, You can link to related traffic information and immediately display it on the display screen.

  FIG. 13 shows a state where the traffic congestion polyline PL3 is selected in the same manner and the traffic congestion guidance information is displayed in the information window 121. In FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the traffic jam information may be displayed in a specific display area in addition to the mode displayed in the information window 121.

  FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 show examples in which the traffic jam guide information relating to the entire traffic jam from the beginning to the tail of the traffic jam is simply displayed as the traffic jam guide information. The map display terminal 20 calculates more detailed traffic jam guide information. Can also be displayed. For example, the position on the traffic congestion polyline where the cursor overlaps is detected, and the remaining traffic distance to the beginning of the traffic jam and the required travel time (traffic link cost) are calculated from that position. Detailed traffic information can be provided.

  FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of creating such traffic jam guide information. As shown in FIG. 14, when the cursor is over the traffic congestion polyline PL2, the position CP of the cursor can be detected, and the traffic distance and the time required to pass can be calculated based on the position CP. . This is because, as shown in FIG. 9, the traffic congestion polyline PL2 is data divided for each traffic congestion link, and as described with reference to FIG. This is because the entire traffic congestion polyline data up to the tail and traffic congestion guidance information data are added together. Therefore, if a specific point on the traffic congestion polyline is designated, the remaining traffic congestion link costs up to the head of the traffic congestion can be calculated by accumulating the traffic congestion link costs of the subsequent traffic congestion links.

  FIG. 15 shows the traffic jam guide information indicating the traffic status of the remaining (remaining) traffic from the position on the traffic congestion polyline PL2 selected with the cursor superimposed in this way. An example is shown. The traffic jam information is displayed in the information window 121. With this kind of guidance, you can move the cursor to any position on the traffic jam polyline, not just the current location, and know the traffic situation ahead from that location. It will be possible to determine in advance whether or not to get off the interchange.

  By the way, in addition to the traffic jam polyline, icon images are displayed on the map image to indicate the positions of parking lots, various facilities, buildings, landmarks, etc. Detailed object information can be displayed. Therefore, a traffic congestion polyline and icon image may be displayed close to each other in a narrow area or may be displayed densely. There are also cases where traffic congestion polylines approach or cross each other. Even in such a state, it is preferable that the image can be easily and accurately selected with the cursor.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a map image in which an icon image indicating another object, for example, a parking lot icon image 111 is displayed close to the traffic jam polyline PL2. In this case, when the cursor is moved from the current position PP by operating the scroll key 241, the distance between the center position of the cursor and the center position of the icon image indicating the object or the traffic jam polyline PL2 is calculated, and the distance closest to the cursor position is calculated. The image of the object is drawn so as to be at the top of the display image. Since the traffic congestion polyline is an image of a line, a vertical line is dropped from the cursor center position to the traffic congestion polyline PL2, and the length is defined as the distance.

  When the cursor moves and overlaps with an object image such as the traffic jam polyline PL2 or icon image, the cursor control means 26 targets the object image drawn on the uppermost surface of the display image among the displayed object images. The object image selected by the cursor is specified. If the traffic congestion polyline PL2 is drawn on the uppermost surface of the display image, whether or not the cursor overlaps is determined for the traffic congestion polyline PL2.

  Since the traffic congestion polyline PL2 is highlighted when it is selected by the cursor, the user can confirm that the target object has been correctly selected. If the icon image is also highlighted when selected, the user can easily identify which object has been selected. When an undesired object is highlighted, the cursor may be operated again to adjust the movement direction of the cursor. Since the cursor movement start point (the center of the screen) and the cursor position are displayed in a straight line, it can be easily returned to the original position by moving the cursor back along the straight line.

  Next, the determination method of the cursor control means 26 for determining whether or not the cursor has overlapped with the traffic jam polyline will be described in detail. FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram for explaining this process. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating the traffic jam polyline PL2 and the parking lot icon 111 shown in FIG. 16 as an example. The object is identified by the cursor according to the following procedures (1) to (4).

(1) If there are a plurality of traffic congestion polyline areas at the cursor position, the traffic congestion polyline drawn at the end is targeted.
(2) Check for overlap between the congestion polyline PL2 and the icon 111.
(3) If the center 112 of the icon 111 exists in the region C1 that is separated from the XY coordinates of the cursor ± the half L0 of one side of the image of the icon 111, one of the traffic jam polyline PL2 and the icon 111 The last one drawn is targeted. In other words, assuming a region C1 having the same size as the icon 111 at the cursor position and the center 112 of the icon 111 is present in the region C1, the last drawn one of the traffic jam polyline PL2 and the icon 111 is targeted. .
(4) Alternatively, it is checked whether the cursor is included in the area of all displayed icons, and if it is included, the last drawn one among the traffic jam polyline and the icon is targeted.
In this way, the traffic congestion polyline or icon displayed at the top is specified as the selection target.

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, by selecting an arbitrary point on the traffic jam polyline with the cursor, the traffic jam link cost from that position to the head of the previous traffic jam (the traffic jam distance and the time required for passing) ) Can be displayed as traffic jam information. Accordingly, it is possible to grasp the traffic jam ahead from a desired point instead of the current position, and to determine a route for traffic jam avoidance.
In addition, by selecting the traffic congestion polyline drawn on the map image displayed on the display means, it becomes possible to easily display the detailed information of the corresponding traffic jam road, and it is easy to select the traffic congestion polyline with the cursor Will be able to do.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, an example in which a mobile phone is used as a map display terminal is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a music player, a game machine, a personal computer, or the like is used as a map display terminal to display an electronic map. It is also possible to apply to this.

It is a system configuration figure showing the composition of the communication type map display system concerning the example of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the map delivery server in the communication type map display system shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the map display terminal in the communication type map display system shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the unit map (area) in general map data. It is explanatory drawing which shows the data format of general vector map data. It is a data block diagram which shows the detail of an example of the vector map data of this invention. It is a front view which shows the external appearance of the map display terminal at the time of setting a mobile telephone as a terminal device. It is a figure which shows an example of the map image displayed on the display means of a map display terminal, and the display image of a traffic jam polyline. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the structure of the length direction of the traffic congestion polyline displayed on the display screen of a map display terminal. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the structure of the line width direction of the traffic congestion polyline displayed on the display screen of a map display terminal. It is a figure which shows the display image for demonstrating the mode of selection of the traffic congestion polyline by a cursor. It is a figure which shows an example of the state as which the traffic congestion guidance information regarding the traffic congestion polyline selected by cursor operation was displayed. It is a figure which shows the other example of the state by which the traffic congestion guidance information regarding the traffic congestion polyline selected by cursor operation was displayed. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the concept which produces the traffic congestion guidance information which guides the traffic congestion situation which continues from the selection position of the traffic congestion polyline by a cursor as the starting point. It is a figure which shows the state in which the traffic congestion guidance information produced by the method shown in FIG. 14 was displayed. It is a figure for demonstrating the method of cursor selection in case the icon image which shows another object is displayed close to a traffic congestion polyline. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the discrimination | determination method of the cursor control means which discriminate | determines whether the cursor has overlapped with the traffic congestion polyline.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Map display system 12 ... Network 20 ... Map display terminal 21 ... Control means 22 ... GPS processing means 23 ... Processing request means 24 ... Operation input means 25... Display means 26... Cursor control means 27... Cursor selection determination means 28. Control means 32 ... Distribution data editing means 33 ... Route search means 34 ... Communication means 35 ... Search network database 351 ... Road network data 352 ... Traffic network data 36 ··· Map database 37 ··· Road traffic information acquisition means 38 ··· Congestion information generation means 381 · Congestion polyline creation means 382 · Congestion guide information creation Stage

Claims (11)

A map display terminal having a display means for displaying a map, a map database storing vector map data, and road traffic information acquisition means for acquiring road traffic information, and acquiring a predetermined range of vector map data and the road traffic information In a communication type map display system comprising: a map distribution server that distributes traffic jam information based on road traffic information acquired by the means to the map display terminal;
The map distribution server includes a traffic congestion polyline creation means for creating traffic congestion polyline data along a traffic link that has been congested based on the road traffic information acquired by the road traffic information acquisition means, from the beginning to the end of the traffic jam, Congestion information generation means including traffic congestion information creation means for creating traffic congestion information related to the traffic congestion polyline including information up to the start point of the traffic congestion, the traffic congestion polyline data corresponding to the delimitation of the road link Created by dividing each divided traffic link, and adds the traffic polyline data and the traffic guide information to the vector map data and distributes it to the map display terminal,
The map display terminal includes a cursor selection determination unit and a traffic jam link cost calculation unit, displays a map image on the display unit based on the vector map data received from the map distribution server, and displays the map image on the map image. A traffic congestion polyline is displayed, the cursor selection determining means detects the traffic congestion polyline selection operation by the cursor, and when the cursor selection determination means detects a specific traffic congestion polyline selection operation, the traffic congestion link cost calculating means is configured to detect the traffic congestion polyline. Based on the data, the position on the traffic congestion polyline where the selection operation is performed by the cursor is used as a starting position to calculate the traffic congestion link cost to the traffic congestion start point of the traffic congestion polyline, and the display means includes the traffic congestion link cost including the traffic congestion link cost. A communication-type map display system characterized by displaying guidance information . A map display terminal having a display means for displaying a map, a map database storing vector map data, and road traffic information acquisition means for acquiring road traffic information, and acquiring a predetermined range of vector map data and the road traffic information In a communication type map display system comprising: a map distribution server that distributes traffic jam information based on road traffic information acquired by the means to the map display terminal;
The map distribution server includes a traffic congestion polyline creation means for creating traffic congestion polyline data along a traffic link that has been congested based on the road traffic information acquired by the road traffic information acquisition means, from the beginning to the end of the traffic jam, Vector map data that includes a traffic jam information generating unit including a traffic jam guide information generating unit that generates traffic jam information related to the traffic jam polyline including information up to the head point of the traffic jam, and the map distribution server distributes to the map display terminal predetermined latitude ranges, separated by longitude range, to the vector map data, the latitude range, and including congestion polyline data data congestion link to the last from the beginning point of traffic congestion regardless longitude range, the congestion And adding it to the map display terminal,
The map display terminal includes a cursor selection determination unit and a traffic jam link cost calculation unit, displays a map image on the display unit based on the vector map data received from the map distribution server, and displays the map image on the map image. A traffic congestion polyline is displayed, the cursor selection determining means detects the traffic congestion polyline selection operation by the cursor, and when the cursor selection determination means detects a specific traffic congestion polyline selection operation, the traffic congestion link cost calculating means is configured to detect the traffic congestion polyline. Based on the data, the position on the traffic congestion polyline where the selection operation is performed by the cursor is used as a starting position to calculate the traffic congestion link cost to the traffic congestion start point of the traffic congestion polyline, and the display means includes the traffic congestion link cost including the traffic congestion link cost. communication type map display system which is characterized that you display the guidance information . The traffic jam polyline data includes determination area data for specifying a predetermined area in the width direction that is thicker than the line width of the traffic jam polyline displayed on the map display terminal,
The map display terminal further includes cursor control means, and the cursor control means determines whether or not the cursor is in the predetermined area based on the determination area data, and the cursor is in the predetermined area. 3. The communication type map display system according to claim 1, wherein the display unit highlights the corresponding traffic jam polyline with a thicker line width when it is determined that the traffic congestion polyline is present. When the cursor display means determines that the cursor is within the predetermined area, the map display terminal determines that the corresponding traffic congestion polyline is selected by the cursor, and the traffic congestion link cost is determined. The calculation means calculates a traffic congestion link cost up to a traffic congestion start point of the traffic congestion polyline based on the traffic congestion polyline data from the position on the traffic congestion polyline where the selection operation has been performed by the cursor as a starting position, and the display means 4. The communication type map display system according to claim 3 , wherein traffic congestion guide information including the calculated traffic congestion link cost is displayed in a display area. 5. The communication type map display system according to claim 4 , wherein the predetermined display area is an information window display area, which is opened when displaying the traffic jam guidance information and displays the traffic jam guidance information. A map display terminal having a display means for displaying a map, comprising a cursor selection determining means and a traffic jam link cost calculating means, and displaying a map image on the display means based on vector map data received from a map distribution server And displaying a traffic congestion polyline on the map image, the cursor selection determining means detects a traffic congestion polyline selection operation by a cursor, and when the cursor selection determination means detects a specific traffic congestion polyline selection operation, The traffic congestion link cost calculating means calculates a traffic congestion link cost up to a traffic congestion start point of the traffic congestion polyline based on the traffic congestion polyline data, with the position on the traffic congestion polyline selected by the cursor as a starting position, and the display Means is a map display for displaying traffic information including the traffic link cost A traffic jam information based on a predetermined range of vector map data and road traffic information acquired by the road traffic information acquisition means, and a map database storing vector map data and road traffic information acquisition means for acquiring road traffic information. In a map distribution server constituting a communication type map display system comprising a map distribution server that distributes to the map display terminal,
The map distribution server includes a traffic congestion polyline creation means for creating traffic congestion polyline data along a traffic link that has been congested based on the road traffic information acquired by the road traffic information acquisition means, from the beginning to the end of the traffic jam, Congestion information generation means including traffic congestion information creation means for creating traffic congestion information related to the traffic congestion polyline including information up to the start point of the traffic congestion, the traffic congestion polyline data corresponding to the delimitation of the road link A map distribution server which is created by dividing each divided traffic congestion link , adds the traffic congestion polyline data and the traffic congestion guide information to the vector map data and distributes it to the map display terminal. A map display terminal having a display means for displaying a map, comprising a cursor selection determining means and a traffic jam link cost calculating means, and displaying a map image on the display means based on vector map data received from a map distribution server And displaying a traffic congestion polyline on the map image, the cursor selection determining means detects a traffic congestion polyline selection operation by a cursor, and when the cursor selection determination means detects a specific traffic congestion polyline selection operation, The traffic congestion link cost calculating means calculates a traffic congestion link cost up to a traffic congestion start point of the traffic congestion polyline based on the traffic congestion polyline data, with the position on the traffic congestion polyline selected by the cursor as a starting position, and the display Means is a map display for displaying traffic information including the traffic link cost A traffic jam information based on a predetermined range of vector map data and road traffic information acquired by the road traffic information acquisition means, and a map database storing vector map data and road traffic information acquisition means for acquiring road traffic information. In a map distribution server constituting a communication type map display system comprising a map distribution server that distributes to the map display terminal,
The map distribution server includes a traffic congestion polyline creation means for creating traffic congestion polyline data along a traffic link that has been congested based on the road traffic information acquired by the road traffic information acquisition means, from the beginning to the end of the traffic jam, Vector map data that includes a traffic jam information generating unit including a traffic jam guide information generating unit that generates traffic jam information related to the traffic jam polyline including information up to the head point of the traffic jam, and the map distribution server distributes to the map display terminal predetermined latitude ranges, separated by longitude range, to the vector map data, the latitude range, and including congestion polyline data data congestion link to the last from the beginning point of traffic congestion regardless longitude range, the congestion map distribution server characterized that you distributed to the map display terminal by adding a guide information. Map database storing vector map data, road traffic information acquisition means for acquiring road traffic information, and traffic congestion polyline data along a road link congested based on the road traffic information acquired by the road traffic information acquisition means Congestion information generation means including traffic congestion polyline creation means for creating from the head of the traffic to the tail and traffic congestion information creation means for creating traffic congestion information related to the traffic congestion polyline including information up to the head of the traffic jam The traffic congestion polyline data is created for each traffic congestion link partitioned in correspondence with the road link partition, and the traffic congestion polyline data and the traffic congestion guide information are added to the vector map data. A map display terminal connected to a map distribution server for distribution to a display terminal,
The map display terminal includes a cursor selection determination unit and a traffic jam link cost calculation unit, displays a map image on the display unit based on the vector map data received from the map distribution server, and displays the map image on the map image. A traffic congestion polyline is displayed, the cursor selection determining means detects the traffic congestion polyline selection operation by the cursor, and when the cursor selection determination means detects a specific traffic congestion polyline selection operation, the traffic congestion link cost calculating means is configured to detect the traffic congestion polyline. Based on the data, the position on the traffic polyline where the selection operation is performed by the cursor is used as a starting position, and the traffic link cost to the head of the traffic on the traffic polyline is calculated, and the display means includes traffic jam guidance including the traffic link cost. A map display terminal characterized by displaying information. The traffic congestion polyline data includes determination area data for specifying a predetermined area in the width direction that is thicker than the line width of the traffic congestion polyline displayed on the map display terminal, and the map display terminal further includes cursor control means, and the cursor The control means determines whether or not the cursor is in the predetermined area based on the determination area data, and if it is determined that the cursor is in the predetermined area, the display means The map display terminal according to claim 8 , wherein the map is highlighted with a thicker line width. When the cursor display means determines that the cursor is within the predetermined area, the map display terminal determines that the corresponding traffic congestion polyline is selected by the cursor, and the traffic congestion link cost is determined. The calculation means calculates a traffic congestion link cost up to a traffic congestion start point of the traffic congestion polyline based on the traffic congestion polyline data from the position on the traffic congestion polyline where the selection operation has been performed by the cursor as a starting position, and the display means The map display terminal according to claim 9 , wherein traffic jam guide information including the traffic jam link cost is displayed in a display area of the map. The map display terminal according to claim 10 , wherein the predetermined display area is an information window display area, and is opened when displaying the traffic jam guidance information, and displays the traffic jam guidance information.

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