JP4692898B2 - Vehicle guidance device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle guidance apparatus.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-054296

  In general, a route bus travels along a predetermined route, and operates in such a manner that passengers get on and off repeatedly while changing each bus stop provided on the side of the road (for example, Patent Document 1).

  By the way, the bus stop of the route bus is often provided at a position where the distance to the intersection is relatively short. Bus stops are installed at these locations so that buses can get on and off when the traffic lights are red, the publicity of the bus stops (where the location is easy to understand, fair use), and pedestrians who get off the bus This is due to the consideration of flights crossing the intersection. And in Japan, the vehicle is on the left side, so naturally the bus stop is installed on the left side of the road direction unless it is a special form such as a safety zone.

  However, even on roads with many lanes, there are cases where bus stops are installed at positions close to intersections. In such a case, the route bus that departs from the bus stop has to suddenly change lanes from the leftmost lane with the bus stop to the rightmost lane with the right turn lane in the short road section to the intersection. In such a case, it is difficult for a driver who does not know the behavior of the following car, especially the bus on the road, to take a response such as stopping to give up the lane in consideration of the lane change of the bus. For example, a route bus in a left turn lane cannot easily leave the stop, and the travel of the vehicle in the left turn lane is hindered for a long time, or a route bus in the middle of changing lanes stops in multiple lanes. In some cases, it may cause traffic jams, such as hindering the travel of vehicles in a blocked lane for a long time.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle guide device that allows a driver of a vehicle located behind a route bus to recognize the traveling direction of the route bus passing through a front tolerance point.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

In order to solve the above-described problems, a vehicle guide device according to the present invention includes:
A road map data storage unit for storing road map data including road junction data and bus stop position data;
Current position detection means for detecting the current position of the host vehicle;
Based on the road map data and the detected current position, a current position mapping means for identifying the road on which the vehicle is in progress and mapping the current position on the road;
Road branch point specifying means for specifying a road branch point existing ahead of the current position on the road in the traveling direction;
A bus stop specifying means for specifying whether there is a bus stop along the road before the specified road junction,
When the current position approaches a predetermined distance range with respect to the bus stop, it is a bus subject to the driver of the host vehicle that changes direction at the road junction after starting the bus stop in front of the host vehicle Bus direction change notice information output means for outputting bus direction change notice information for urging attention to the bus,
It is characterized by providing.

  According to the above configuration of the present invention, when a vehicle located behind the bus approaches the bus stop located before the road junction, for example, “If there is a route bus ahead, there is a possibility of turning right. In such a form, it is possible to alert a bus that changes direction at the road junction. As a result, the driver of the vehicle behind the bus can grasp the behavior of the route bus at the road branch point, and can perform driving according to the behavior.

  The above-mentioned bus direction change caution information can be used to call attention to a bus whose lane is changed before a road junction after starting a bus stop as a caution target bus. As a result, when the driver of the vehicle located behind the bus approaches the bus stop located before the branch point, the driver can grasp the lane change before the branch point of the bus and drive accordingly. Can do.

  Also, the above-mentioned bus direction change caution information can be used to call attention to a bus that changes direction across an oncoming lane at a road junction after starting a bus stop as a caution target bus. As a result, when the driver of the vehicle located behind the bus approaches the bus stop located before the road junction, the driver can grasp that the bus crosses across the opposite lane at the road junction. Therefore, the driver can drive in consideration of the possibility of, for example, changing the lane of the bus before the intersection or temporarily stopping just before the crossing.

  In a left-handed country such as Japan, the bus direction change warning information can be used to call attention to a bus that turns right at an intersection that forms a road junction after starting a bus stop as a target bus. On the other hand, in a right-hand traffic country, the bus direction change warning information can be used to call attention to a bus that turns left at an intersection that forms a road junction after starting a bus stop as a target bus.

  In the above configuration of the present invention, when the current position approaches within a predetermined distance range with respect to the bus stop, it comprises forward bus detection means for detecting or estimating the presence of the bus in front of the host vehicle, and The bus direction change caution information output means can be configured to output bus direction change caution information on the assumption that the presence of the bus is in the detection state or the estimation state. According to this configuration, only when the bus is located in front of the vehicle or is estimated to be located, for example, the warning in the form of "There is a possibility that the bus in front may turn right. Please be careful." Executed. As a result, it is possible to appropriately perform the bus direction change caution information, and the useless output can be omitted.

  In the case of this configuration, the front bus detection means includes a front shooting camera that takes a front view of the host vehicle when the current position approaches a predetermined distance range with respect to the bus stop, and the front shooting camera takes a picture. The bus can be detected on the basis of the bus image included in the forward view image. According to this structure, the bus | bath which drive | works the front of the own vehicle can be easily detected from the picked-up image of the front photography camera provided in the own vehicle. In addition, if the vehicle is originally equipped with a front-facing camera, it can be used in a form that also serves as the camera.

  In addition, the direction determination reference information acquisition means for acquiring the direction determination reference information, which is information to be referred to for determining whether or not to change the direction after the start of the bus stop, and the bus is careful based on the acquired direction determination reference information. A caution target bus specifying means for specifying whether or not it is a target bus, and outputting a bus direction change caution information when the bus direction change caution information output means is specified as a caution target bus. Can be configured. According to this configuration, since the behavior of the bus at the intersection can be recognized from the direction determination reference information, it is possible to specify whether the bus is a target of attention. And only when specified, the above-mentioned bus direction change caution information can be output.

  The direction determination reference information acquisition unit can be configured to acquire the direction determination reference information from the bus image. According to this configuration, the direction determination reference information can be easily recognized and acquired from the captured bus image. Note that the direction determination reference information acquisition unit may be configured to acquire the direction determination reference information from the bus stop when the presence of the bus is detected or estimated by the forward bus detection unit. According to this configuration, the direction determination reference information can be easily obtained from the bus stop.

  When the direction determination reference information is acquired from the bus image, the direction determination reference information may include at least one of bus system information displayed on the bus, bus operating body information, and bus destination information. Since the captured bus image includes at least one of bus system information, bus operator information, and bus destination information, the direction determination reference information can be easily recognized and acquired from the bus image.

  Further, at least one of the bus system information, the bus operator information, and the bus destination information constituting the direction determination reference information and the change direction specifying information for specifying the specific change direction of the bus are stored in association with each other. A bus that is configured to include an information storage unit, obtains a change direction specifying information corresponding to the direction determination reference information from the change direction specifying information storage unit, and reflects the change direction specifying information. It can be configured to output direction change attention information. According to this configuration, a behavior at a bus intersection, for example, a left or right turn, can be acquired as the change direction specifying information, so that appropriate bus direction change caution information can be output according to each specified behavior. For example, in the case of a left turn, you can output “The bus in front will turn left. Please be careful about the deceleration of the bus.” In the case of a right turn, you will see “The bus in front will turn right. Please output ".

  In the configuration of the present invention, when a bus is detected based on a bus image, support information for specifying whether or not the bus is a caution target bus is input from a predetermined input unit. And a support information input guidance means for guiding the driver, and a caution target bus specifying means for specifying whether or not the bus is a caution target bus based on input information from the input unit by the driver. The bus direction change notice information output means can be configured to output the bus direction change notice information when it is specified that the bus is the attention target bus. According to this configuration, when a bus is detected ahead, it is possible to easily determine whether or not the bus is the attention bus by inputting information from the driver.

  In the case of this configuration, the content of the support information input by the driver should be determined so that the content of the direction determination reference information including at least one of bus system information, bus operator information, and bus destination information can be specified. it can. Thereby, the content of the direction determination reference information can be easily specified from the input support information.

  In the configuration of the present invention described above, a timetable data storage unit for storing the timetable data of each bus stop is provided, and the forward bus detection means further includes a current time acquisition means for acquiring the current time, and a bus stop in advance. Departure time acquisition means for acquiring the departure time of the attention bus at the bus stop based on the timetable data when the current position approaches within a defined distance range, and the current time is the departure time It can be estimated that there is a bus subject to attention when it is within a predetermined time range including. According to this configuration, the presence or absence of the attention target bus can be easily estimated from the timetable, and the bus direction change attention information as described above can be output only when the attention target bus is estimated.

  In the configuration of the present invention described above, the bus direction change caution information output means specifies the travel lane of the host vehicle when the host vehicle approaches the current position within a predetermined distance range with respect to the bus stop. It can be configured to include an identifying means so that the contents of the bus direction change caution information can be changed and output according to the identified travel lane. According to this configuration, the contents of the caution information for changing the direction of the bus are changed according to the behavior of the bus with respect to the host vehicle, such as the bus entering the host vehicle lane or the bus leaving the host vehicle lane. Appropriate bus direction change warning information can be output according to the situation.

  In the above configuration of the present invention, the bus direction change attention information output means is acquired when the current time approaches the current time acquisition means for acquiring the current time and the own vehicle approaches a predetermined distance range with respect to the bus stop. The bus direction change notice information can be output only when the current time is included in a predetermined output allowable time zone. Thereby, the output of the bus direction change notice information can be omitted in the time zone where the output of the bus direction change notice information is unnecessary.

  Specifically, the output allowable time zone can be determined so as to include a predetermined traffic time zone in which traffic congestion is expected. Since changing the lane of a bus is likely to be difficult in a traffic jam time zone, the bus can change lanes smoothly by outputting the warning information for changing the direction of the bus at least during a traffic jam.

  Further, the output allowable time zone can be determined excluding the time zone in which the operation of the attention target bus is ended. According to this configuration, it is possible to omit outputting the bus direction change notice information in a time zone when the bus is not operating.

  Hereinafter, a vehicle guide device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle navigation device (hereinafter abbreviated as a navigation device) 100 that constitutes the vehicle guidance device of the present invention. The navigation device 100 includes a position detector 1, a map data input device 6, an operation switch group 7, a remote control (hereinafter referred to as remote control) sensor 11, a voice synthesis circuit 24 for performing voice guidance, a speaker 15, a memory 9, and a display. 10, a transceiver 13, a hard disk device (HDD) 21, a LAN (Local Area Network) I / F (interface) 26, a control circuit 8 connected thereto, a remote control terminal 12, and the like.

  The position detector 1 is a well-known geomagnetic sensor 2, a gyroscope 3 that detects the rotational angular velocity of the vehicle, a distance sensor 4 that detects the travel distance of the vehicle, and a GPS receiver that detects the position of the vehicle based on radio waves from a satellite. Machine 5 is provided. Since these sensors 2, 3, 4, and 5 have errors of different properties, they are configured to be used while being complemented by a plurality of sensors. Depending on the accuracy, some of the above-described sensors may be used, and further, a steering rotation sensor or a wheel sensor of each rolling wheel, such as a vehicle speed sensor 23, may be used. The position detector 1 corresponds to the current position detecting means of the present invention.

  As the operation switch group 7, for example, a touch panel 22 integrated with the display device 10 or a mechanical switch is used. The touch panel 22 is pressed when an electric circuit is wired in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction through a gap called a spacer on a glass substrate and a transparent film on the screen of the display 10, and the user touches the film. Since the voltage value changes due to short-circuiting of a part of the wiring, a so-called resistance film method for detecting this as a two-dimensional coordinate value (X, Y) is widely used. In addition, a known so-called capacitance method may be used. In addition to the mechanical switch, a pointing device such as a mouse or a cursor may be used. Moreover, you may arrange | position the mechanical switch of the operation switch group 7 in the escutcheon which covers the indicator 10 and its periphery and becomes a design frame.

  It is also possible to input various instructions using the microphone 31 and the voice recognition unit 30. In this method, a voice signal input from the microphone 31 is processed by a voice recognition technique such as a well-known hidden Markov model in the voice recognition unit 30, and converted into an operation command corresponding to the result. Various instructions can be input through the operation switch group 7, the remote control terminal 12, the touch panel 22, and the microphone 31.

  The transmitter / receiver 13 is connected to a road traffic from a VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System) center 14 by an optical beacon or a radio beacon output from a transmitter (not shown) provided along the road, for example. It is a device for receiving information or receiving FM multiplex broadcasting. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which can be connected to external networks, such as the internet, using the transmitter / receiver 13. FIG.

  Further, by communicating with the ETC on-vehicle device 17, it is possible to capture the fee information received by the ETC on-vehicle device 17 from the roadside device (not shown) into the navigation device 100. Further, the ETC on-vehicle device 17 may be connected to an external network and communicate with the VICS center 14 or the like.

  The control circuit 8 is configured as a normal computer, and connects a well-known CPU 81, ROM 82, RAM 83, I / O 84 as an input / output circuit, A / D conversion unit 86, drawing unit 87, clock IC 88, and these components. A bus line 85 is provided. The CPU 81 controls the navigation program 21p and data stored in the HDD 21. The CPU 81 controls the reading / writing of data to / from the HDD 21. In addition, a program for performing a minimum necessary operation as the navigation device 100 may be stored in the ROM 82 in a case where the data read / write control from the CPU 81 to the HDD 21 becomes impossible.

  The A / D conversion unit 86 includes a well-known A / D (analog / digital) conversion circuit, and converts analog data input from the position detector 1 or the like to the control circuit 8 into digital data that can be calculated by the CPU 81, for example. It is.

  The drawing unit 87 generates display screen data to be displayed on the display unit 10 from map data 21m (described later) stored in the HDD 21 or the like, display data, and display color data.

  The clock IC 88 is also called a real-time clock IC, and sends or sets clock / calendar data in response to a request from the CPU 81. The CPU 81 acquires date / time information from the clock IC 88. This timepiece IC 88 corresponds to the current time acquisition means of the present invention. Note that the date and time information included in the GPS signal received by the GPS receiver 5 may be used. The date information may be generated based on a real-time counter included in the CPU 81. The date information is used, for example, when storing a travel history.

  The image processing unit 89 includes an image processing circuit that analyzes an image photographed by the camera 32 by a known technique such as pattern recognition. In the image processing unit 89, for example, a general binarization process is performed on the video signal photographed by the camera 32 to convert it into digital multi-value image data for each pixel. Then, a desired image portion is extracted from the obtained multi-value image data using a general image processing method. The image processing unit 89 in the present embodiment functions as an obstacle detection unit that detects an obstacle from a front visual field image continuously captured by the camera 32. Moreover, it functions also as a front bus detection means which detects the bus image which exists in the front visual field of the own vehicle from the front visual field image image | photographed with the camera 32. FIG. Furthermore, it also functions as direction determination reference information acquisition means for acquiring direction determination reference information described later from the bus image of the front visual field image.

  In addition to the navigation program 21p, the HDD 21 stores so-called map matching data for improving the accuracy of position detection, and map data 21m including road data representing road connections. The map data 21m stores predetermined map image information for display, and also stores road network information including link information, node information, lane information (lane information), and road surrounding facility information. The link information is predetermined section information constituting each road, and includes position coordinates, distance, required time, road width, number of lanes, speed limit, and the like. The node information (road branch point data) is information that defines an intersection (branch road) or the like, and includes position coordinates, the number of right / left turn lanes, a connection destination road link, and the like. In addition, data indicating whether or not traffic is permitted is set in the link connection information. The lane information is composed of data such as the number of lanes of the link, each lane width, each lane position, and which link each lane can be connected to. The road peripheral facility information stores the name and type of the road peripheral facility, and includes, for example, bus stop information including a bus stop name, bus stop position information (bus stop position data), and the like.

  The map data 21m corresponds to the road map data storage unit of the present invention. The map data 21m also functions as a bus-related data storage unit that stores bus stop-related data, and further functions as a lane information storage unit that stores lane information.

  Further, the HDD 21 can store auxiliary information for route guidance, entertainment information, and other data that can be written by the user, and is stored as user data 21u. Data and various information necessary for the operation of the navigation device 100 are also stored as the database 21d. For example, road peripheral facility information may be stored in the database 21d in a form associated with the map data 21m.

  Further, the database 21d is provided with a template data storage unit that stores template data for performing obstacle detection, bus detection, and direction determination reference information detection by the camera 32. Thereby, the image processing unit 89 can identify the obstacle, the bus, and the direction determination reference information by comparing the front view image captured by the camera 32 with the template data.

  The database 21d is also provided with a timetable data storage unit that stores timetable data (FIG. 17) for each bus stop. Thereby, when a bus stop is specified, the departure / arrival time (estimated departure / arrival time) of the bus of the bus stop can be acquired.

  The navigation program 21p, map data 21m, user data 21u, and database 21d can be added / updated from the storage medium 20 via the map data input device 6. The storage medium 20 is generally a CD-ROM or DVD based on the amount of data, but may be another medium such as a memory card. Moreover, you may use the structure which downloads data via an external network.

  The memory 9 is composed of a rewritable device such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable & Programmable Read Only Memory) or a flash memory, and stores information and data necessary for the operation of the navigation apparatus 100. Has been. The memory 9 holds the stored contents even when the navigation device 100 is turned off. Further, instead of the memory 9, information and data necessary for the operation of the navigation device 100 may be stored in the HDD 21. Further, information and data necessary for the operation of the navigation device 100 may be stored separately in the memory 9 and the HDD 21.

  The display 10 is composed of a known color liquid crystal display, and includes a dot matrix LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and a driver circuit (not shown) for performing LCD display control. The driver circuit uses, for example, an active matrix driving method in which a transistor is attached to each pixel so that the target pixel can be reliably turned on and off, and is based on a display command and display screen data sent from the control circuit 8. To display. Further, an organic EL (ElectroLuminescence) display or a plasma display may be used as the display 10. The display 10 corresponds to the recommended parking space information guidance output means and the recommended parking space photographed image output means of the present invention.

  The speaker 15 is connected to a well-known voice synthesis circuit 24, and the digital voice data stored in the memory 9 or the HDD 21 in accordance with a command from the navigation program 21p is converted into analog voice by the voice synthesis circuit 24 and sent out. Note that speech synthesis methods include a recording / editing method in which speech waveforms are stored as they are or after being encoded and connected as necessary, and a text synthesis method in which corresponding speech is synthesized from character input information.

  The vehicle speed sensor 23 includes a rotation detection unit such as a known rotary encoder. For example, the vehicle speed sensor 23 is installed in the vicinity of the wheel mounting unit to detect the rotation of the wheel and send it to the control circuit 8 as a pulse signal. The control circuit 8 converts the rotation speed of the wheel into the speed of the vehicle, calculates the expected arrival time from the current position of the vehicle to a predetermined location, and calculates the average vehicle speed for each travel section of the vehicle.

  A front photographing camera (hereinafter abbreviated as a camera) 32 is a well-known CCD video camera or the like, and is a front monitoring camera that monitors the front of the host vehicle. The captured image data is sent to the control circuit 8 (image processing unit 89). FIG. 8 is an example of such mounting, and the camera 32 is attached to, for example, the front center of the ceiling in the vehicle compartment so that the front of the vehicle can be photographed. It is desirable that the photographing range is wider than at least the visual field range of the driver. Moreover, you may attach on a dash panel. The camera 32 corresponds to the front photographing camera (front bus detecting means) of the present invention.

  The LAN I / F 26 is an interface circuit for exchanging data with other in-vehicle devices and sensors via the in-vehicle LAN 27. Further, data may be taken from the vehicle speed sensor 23 or connected to the ETC on-vehicle device 17 via the LAN I / F 26.

  In the navigation device 100 having such a configuration, when the navigation program 21p is activated by the CPU 81 of the control circuit 8, the user operates the operation switch group 7, the touch panel 22, the remote control terminal 12, or the voice input from the microphone 31. When the route guidance process for displaying the destination route on the display 10 is selected from the menu displayed on the display 10, the following process is performed.

  That is, first, the user searches for a destination. The destination search method includes, for example, a method of specifying an arbitrary point on the map, a method of searching from the area where the destination is located, a method of searching from the telephone number of the destination, and a name of the destination from the Japanese syllabary table There is a method of searching by inputting the number of characters, or a method of searching from what is stored in the memory 9 as a facility frequently used by the user. When the destination is set, the current position of the vehicle is obtained by the position detector 1, and a process for obtaining an optimum guide route to the destination from the current position is performed. As a method for automatically setting an optimum guide route, a method such as the Dijkstra method is known.

  Then, a road map based on the map data 21m is displayed on the display 10, and the obtained guide route and the current position are displayed on the road map so as to guide the user to an appropriate route. The route guidance is performed in such a manner that at least one of the display device 10 and the speaker 15 notifies a message according to an operation guidance or an operation state. If the route guidance process is not selected, a road map based on the map data 21m is displayed on the display 10, and the current position obtained by the position detector 1 is displayed over the road map ( Current position mapping means), information notification is made as necessary.

  Further, the navigation program in the present embodiment further specifies a road branch point and a bus stop that are ahead of the current position on the road in the traveling direction, and further, on the near side of the road branch point among the specified bus stops. And a bus stop in front of the branch point located within a predetermined distance from the road branch point. When the bus stop in front of the branch road is identified and the current position of the host vehicle approaches within a predetermined range with respect to the bus stop, the driver of the host vehicle is in front of the host vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to output bus direction change caution information that calls attention to the direction change at the road junction after the start of the bus that starts the bus stop.

  In particular, as shown in FIG. 2, a bus stop S is provided in front of a branch point P of a road with a large number of lanes (lanes), and a bus B that has departed from the bus stop S has started from the bus stop S before the branch point P Consider a case where the road turns at the road junction P across the opposite lane L0. The bus stop S is provided on the side of the outermost lane L1 of the road, and the bus that departs from here must move to the right turn lane L3 on the center side of the road while repeating rapid lane changes. In the present embodiment, it is possible to alert a driver of a vehicle about a bus subject to attention including a bus that may change the lane of the bus.

  Here, the bus direction change alerting process will be described with reference to FIG. This process is included in the navigation program 21p, and is repeatedly executed together with other processes of the navigation program 21p not only when the route guidance process of the navigation program 21p is executed but also during non-route guidance. In this embodiment, the road is always left-hand traffic. As a result, when turning right, the vehicle may cross an oncoming lane.

  First, in S <b> 1, it is determined whether or not the navigation device 100 is set to a mode that alerts the driver to change the direction of the bus before stopping the bus. If the mode for alerting is set, the process proceeds to S2, and if not set, the process proceeds to S8. In S8, normal navigation display processing is executed.

  The mode setting is performed in such a manner that a mode setting screen is displayed on the display unit 10 by operating the operation switch group 7, the remote control terminal 12, the touch panel 22, or by voice input to the microphone 31. Since the set contents are stored in a predetermined area of the memory 9 or the HDD 21, in S 1, the mode set by reading this is determined.

  In S2, a road branch point closest to the front of the host vehicle (hereinafter referred to as an approach target branch point) is identified, and a bus stop (hereinafter referred to as a branch) from which the host vehicle is approaching in front of the identified approach target branch point. It is determined whether there is a point proximity bus stop. This is determined based on the road branch point data and the bus stop position data read from the HDD 21, and the current position and the traveling direction of the host vehicle are detected from the position detector 1. If it is determined that there is no branch point adjacent bus stop, the process proceeds to S7, and data search is started for a road branch point where the host vehicle is predicted to approach next, a course up to the branch point, a bus stop on the course, and the like. . On the other hand, if it is determined that there is a branch point proximity bus stop, the process proceeds to S4.

  In S4, an output process for alerting the change of bus direction (hereinafter referred to as an alert output process) is executed. It progresses to S5 after execution, and it is determined whether this alerting process is continued. When continuing, it progresses to S7. On the other hand, if the process is not continued, the process is terminated.

  In the present embodiment, the navigation program 21p functions as a road branch point specifying unit, a bus stop specifying unit, and a bus direction change caution information output unit together with the current position mapping unit of the present invention.

  Next, the alerting output process executed in S4 will be described with reference to FIG. In the alert output process 1 of FIG. 4, the bus direction change alert information is output as a voice in S11, and this process ends. Then, after completion, the process returns to S5 of FIG. In this case, the output of the bus direction change warning information in S11 is executed regardless of whether or not there is a bus in front of the host vehicle, and if there is a bus that has departed from a branch point proximity bus stop, the bus changes direction. The content that there is a possibility is output. For example, the audio output is such as “Please note that there is a possibility of a right turn if you can see the bus ahead.”

  There are various examples of the alerting output process executed in S4. Hereinafter, the above-described attention output process 1 in FIG. 4 is referred to as a first embodiment, and an embodiment of a different alert output process will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a second embodiment of the alerting output process. In this second embodiment, when the current position of the host vehicle approaches within a predetermined distance range with respect to the branch point proximity bus stop (when it becomes Yes in S4 of FIG. 3), the lane on which the host vehicle travels The number of lanes is acquired and the bus direction change caution information corresponding to the acquired number of lanes is output.

  In the alert output process 2 in FIG. 5, first, in S21, the lane information (lane information) of the currently running road is acquired from the map data 21m, the number of lanes (excluding oncoming lanes) is specified, and S22 It is determined whether the number of lanes is 2 or more. If the number of lanes is 2 or more, the process proceeds to S23.

  In S23, the bus direction change warning information that there is a possibility of lane change when the bus changes direction is output as a voice. The output of the warning information for changing the bus direction in S23 is executed regardless of whether or not there is a bus ahead of the host vehicle. For example, “If the bus is visible ahead, the bus may change the lane. "Please be careful." When the output is finished, the alert output process 2 ends. On the other hand, when the number of lanes is 1, since there is no need for voice guidance, the warning output processing 2 is terminated without outputting the bus direction change warning information. After completion, the process returns to S5 in FIG.

  FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of the alerting output process. In this third embodiment, when the current vehicle approaches the bus stop within a predetermined range (when it becomes Yes in S4 in FIG. 3), the current time is acquired from the clock IC 88, Only when the current time is included in the predetermined allowable output time zone, the bus direction change caution information is output. Further, when the current position of the host vehicle approaches a predetermined distance range with respect to the bus stop, the travel lane of the host vehicle is identified, and the bus direction change notice information is determined according to the identified travel lane. Change the contents and output. By executing this process, the vehicle lane identification unit of the present invention functions.

  In the alert output process 3 of FIG. 6, first, in S31 and S32, the lane number determination process similar to S21 and S22 of the second embodiment is performed. If it is determined in S32 that the number of lanes is two or more, the current time is acquired from the clock IC 88 in S33. In S34, it is determined whether or not the acquired current time is an operation time zone in which the bus is operating. If it is not in the operation time zone, there is no need to alert the direction change of the bus, so the processing is terminated. If it is an operation time zone, in S35, it is determined whether or not it is a predetermined traffic time zone in which traffic congestion is expected. If it is not in the traffic jam time zone, it is less necessary to call attention to changing the direction of the bus. Therefore, the warning output processing 3 is ended without outputting the warning information for changing the bus direction. If it is a heavy traffic time zone, the process proceeds to S36.

  Subsequently, in S36, the position detection means 1 identifies the current travel lane (travel lane) of the host vehicle. In S37 and S39, when it is specified that the vehicle is positioned in the leftmost lane, the alert output A (S38) in FIG. 7 is displayed. When it is specified that the vehicle is positioned in the right turn lane, the alert output B in FIG. If it is determined that S40) is located in the other central lane, the alert output C (S41) of FIG. 7 is output as a voice, and the alert output process 3 is terminated.

  These alerting outputs A to C are output regardless of whether or not there is a bus in front of the host vehicle, and the possibility of changing the direction of the bus according to the traveling lane in which the host vehicle is located, specifically the lane change This is a voice output. Note that the alerting output A is a content indicating that there is no possibility of lane change, and therefore, the output may be omitted. When the alert output process 3 ends, the process returns to S5 in FIG.

  FIG. 10 is a fourth embodiment of the alert output process. In the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the camera 32 mounted on the host vehicle A takes a picture of its front field of view as shown in FIG. After identifying the traveling bus B, a warning output is executed regarding the direction change of the identified bus B. By executing this processing, the forward bus detection means, the direction determination reference information acquisition means, and the attention target bus identification means of the present invention function.

  The camera 32 in this embodiment also functions as an obstacle detection unit that detects an obstacle ahead of the host vehicle. In this embodiment, the camera 32 also serves as a front bus specifying unit that specifies a bus in front of the host vehicle. Has been.

  In the alert output process 4 of FIG. 10, first, in S51, it is determined whether or not the camera 32 is set to a mode for detecting the presence of a front bus. In this mode setting, the mode can be set in such a manner that a mode setting screen is displayed on the display unit 10 by operating the operation switch group 7, the remote control terminal 12, the touch panel 22 or by inputting voice to the microphone 31. . Since the setting contents are stored in a predetermined area of the memory 9 or the HDD 21, in S 51, the mode set by reading this is determined. If the mode for detecting the presence of the forward bus is set, the process proceeds to S52, and if not set, the process proceeds to S62. In S62, the warning output G shown in FIG. 11 is output as a voice, and the warning output process 4 is terminated.

  In S <b> 52, the front view is captured by the camera 32. Then, in S53, it is determined whether or not a bus image is included in the captured front view image. If the bus image is included, it is determined that the bus B exists in front of the host vehicle A. Further, when it is determined that the bus B exists, it is determined whether or not the image of the direction determination reference information is included in the image of the bus B. If the image of the direction determination reference information is included, the direction determination reference information is recognized and acquired from the image.

  The direction determination reference information is information that should be referred to for determining whether or not the bus B changes direction after the bus stop starts. In this embodiment, it is bus system information displayed on the bus, and bus management entity information (such as bus patterns and window frame outlines). Bus destination information can also be used instead of bus system information. The direction determination reference information is normally displayed at the upper position of the front, back, and side surfaces of the bus.

  In addition, the detection of the bus B by the image recognition process as described above is performed by using the contour displayed in each area of the captured image of the camera 32 and the template data related to the bus stored in the template data storage unit of the database 21d. It is done by comparing. If there is an image that matches the template data related to the bus, it is determined that the bus has been detected. Similarly, the detection of the direction determination reference information by the image recognition processing is performed by comparing the contour displayed in each area of the bus image with the template data related to the direction determination reference information stored in the template data storage unit. Done in When there is an image that matches the template data related to the direction determination reference information, it is determined that the direction determination reference information has been detected. Note that the degree of pattern matching need not be 100%, and a degree of matching that can be determined from an experiment or the like is obtained, and whether or not to match is determined based on the degree of matching.

  As template data relating to the bus, the outline of a bus image obtained by photographing the bus from a plurality of angles from the rear and a license plate image are used. Further, as template data for detecting the direction determination reference information, data displayed on the bus can be used. In this embodiment, a bus system display figure (bus system information) and a bus pattern are used. And the outline of the window frame (bus management entity information). It is also possible to use characters / symbols (bus destination information) in the bus destination display frame.

  Subsequently, in S54, it is determined whether or not a bus is detected in S53. If no bus is detected, the alert output process 4 is terminated. If a bus is detected, the process proceeds to S55, and it is determined whether or not the direction determination reference information is recognized. If not recognized, the process proceeds to S63. In S63, a warning output H for warning the possibility of changing the direction of the bus as shown in FIG. 11 is output as a voice, and the warning output process 4 is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in S55 that the direction determination reference information is recognized, the process proceeds to S56.

  In S56, change direction specifying information for specifying a specific change direction of the bus is acquired based on the recognized direction determination reference information. Here, the database 21d is provided in advance with a change direction specifying information storage unit that stores the direction determination reference information and the change direction specifying information in association with each other, and in S56, the direction recognized from the change direction specifying information storage unit. The change direction specifying information corresponding to the determination reference information is acquired. From the acquired turning direction specifying information, a specific branching point traveling direction (intersection traveling direction) such as a straight road / road at a branch point, a right turn across an opposite lane, or a left turn other than those is specified.

  Subsequently, in S57 and 59, the warning output D (S58) in FIG. 11 is specified when the bus is specified to turn right from the turn direction specifying information acquired in S56. , The warning output F (S61) of FIG. 11 is output as a voice, and the warning output process 4 is terminated. . Note that the alerting output A is a content indicating that there is no possibility of lane change, and therefore, the output may be omitted. After the alert output process 4 ends, the process returns to S5 in FIG.

  The change direction specifying information associated with the direction determination reference information is a link that is selected as an approach path and an exit path at a road branch point corresponding to the branch point adjacent bus stop of the bus on which the direction determination reference information is displayed. Information (two links for entering and leaving) can be used. A specific turning direction can be easily obtained by specifying the entry link and the exit link based on the traveling direction of the bus corresponding to the direction determination reference information (that is, the traveling direction of the host vehicle).

  The acquisition of the change direction in this case will be specifically described with reference to FIG. First, the current position and the traveling direction are acquired from the position detector 1, and the approach target branch point P (the one where the branch point proximity bus stop S is located in front) where the host vehicle is currently approaching is specified. Then, at the approach target branch point P, link information that becomes an approach route and a exit route on which the bus corresponding to the direction determination reference information recognized in S53 travels is acquired. Subsequently, the position detecting means 1 detects the traveling direction of the host vehicle, and the detected traveling direction is set as the traveling direction of the bus. Based on the traveling direction of the bus and the link information, the approach link (in FIG. In this case, link # 1) and exit link (link # 4 in the case of FIG. 2) are identified. Based on the relationship between the identified entry link and exit link, the vehicle travels straight and becomes an oncoming lane. The turn direction (branch point advancing direction) such as a right turn or other left turn is acquired.

  It should be noted that the caution output process 4 includes the lane number determination (S31 to S32), the output allowable time zone determination process (S33 to S35), and the lane determination as in the caution output process 3 (third embodiment) in FIG. Processing (S36, S37, S39) can also be added.

  FIG. 12 shows a fifth embodiment of the alerting output process. In the fifth embodiment, when the current position of the host vehicle approaches within a predetermined distance range with respect to the branch point proximity bus stop (when it becomes Yes in S4 in FIG. 3), first, the branch point proximity bus stop The bus that turns right across the opposite lane is taken as a caution target bus among the buses that stop at the branch point adjacent bus stop, and the direction determination reference information of the caution target bus is acquired. Then, bus direction change notice information is output to the attention target bus. For example, the direction determination reference information displayed on the target bus is “Please turn right (or change lanes for right turn).” It is made with contents that can be understood. That is, the bus direction change caution information is output so that the driver can recognize what kind of direction determination reference information should be paid attention to.

  In the alert output process 4 of FIG. 12, first, in S71, the direction determination reference information of the bus that stops at the branch point adjacent bus stop specified in S2 of FIG. 3 is acquired using the table shown in FIG. This table associates the branch point proximity bus stop with the direction determination reference information of the bus that stops at the branch point proximity bus stop (in this embodiment, bus system information and bus operating entity information), and further determines the direction determination. In the database 21d in advance, the reference information and the link information to be selected as the entry and exit routes at the road junction corresponding to the branch point adjacent bus stop of the bus displaying the direction determination reference information are associated with each other in advance. It is remembered.

  Next, in S72, a specific turning direction of the bus displaying the acquired direction determination reference information at the road branch point corresponding to the branch point adjacent bus stop is acquired. First, link information corresponding to the direction determination reference information is acquired from the table shown in FIG. 13, and further, the position detection unit 1 detects the traveling direction of the host vehicle. The detected traveling direction of the host vehicle is set as the traveling direction of the bus. Based on the traveling direction of the bus and the link information acquired from the table of FIG. 13, the entering link (link # 1 in the case of FIG. 2) and the leaving link (link # in the case of FIG. 2) on which the bus proceeds. 4), and based on the relationship between the specified entry link and exit link, change the direction (branch point traveling direction) such as straight turn / road, right turn across the opposite lane, other left turn, etc. get.

  Subsequently, in S73, a bus whose right turn in which the acquired turn direction crosses the oncoming lane is identified as a caution target bus. Then, in S74, the bus direction change warning information is output for the attention target bus. As described above, the output is made so that the driver can recognize what kind of direction determination reference information should be paid attention to. For example, if the table of FIG. 13 is stored in the database 21d and the host vehicle approaches the branch point adjacent bus stop S (bus stop 01) and the road branch point P (intersection 020) as shown in FIG. The main 2 bus will turn right because the lane is changed. Please be careful. ”It is output regardless of whether there is a bus in front of the vehicle. After the output, this alert output process 5 is terminated. After completion, the process returns to S5 in FIG.

  Note that this warning output process 5 outputs bus direction change warning information only when a bus is specified from the captured image of the camera 32 as in the warning output process 4 (fourth embodiment) of FIG. It may be a thing. In this case, it is not necessary to acquire the direction determination reference information from the bus image. Further, the current time is acquired from the clock IC 88, and whether or not a bus is present near the branch point adjacent bus stop where the host vehicle is approaching is based on the timetable data in the database 21 and the acquired current time. The bus direction change attention information may be output only when it is estimated to be present.

  FIG. 14 shows a sixth embodiment of the alerting output process. In the sixth embodiment, when the current position of the host vehicle approaches within a predetermined distance range with respect to the branch point proximity bus stop (when it becomes Yes in S4 in FIG. 3), the driver determines the direction determination reference information. And whether or not the bus that displays the input direction determination reference information is a cautionary bus, that is, whether or not it is a cautionary bus that changes lanes or turns right, and a bus based on the determination result Output direction change notice information to the driver. By executing this processing, the support information input guiding unit and the attention target bus identifying unit of the present invention function.

  In the alert output process 6 of FIG. 14, first, the front view of the vehicle is photographed by the camera 32 in S81, and the presence of the bus is specified from the front view image photographed in S82. In S83, it is determined whether or not a bus exists. If the bus exists, the process proceeds to S84, and if it does not exist, the alert output process 6 ends. These processes are the same as S52 to S54 (fourth embodiment) in FIG. 10 (note that the direction determination reference information is unnecessary).

  In S84, an input reception screen 10a as shown in FIG. 15A is displayed on the display 10, and the driver is prompted to input bus direction determination reference information that is visible in front of the host vehicle. In S85, it is determined whether or not there is an input. If there is an input, the process proceeds to S86, and if there is no input, the process proceeds to S94. In S94, the process returns to S85 until a predetermined time elapses, but when that time elapses, the input acceptance screen 10a is returned to the original display screen, and the alert output process 6 is ended. To do.

  In S86, an approach target branch point corresponding to the branch point approaching bus stop to which the host vehicle approaches is specified. In S87, a bus corresponding to the direction determination reference information input in S84 passes through the specified approach target branch point. It is determined whether or not the input is correct, and based on the result, it is determined whether or not the input is correct (if it passes, it is determined that the input is correct). If it is determined that the input is incorrect, the process proceeds to S95 to start accepting re-input of the direction determination reference information and returns to S85. If it is determined that the input is correct, the process proceeds to S88.

  In S88, a specific turn direction of the bus corresponding to the input direction determination reference information at the approach target branch point is acquired. First, link information corresponding to the direction determination reference information is acquired from the table shown in FIG. 13, and further, the position detection unit 1 detects the traveling direction of the host vehicle. The detected traveling direction of the host vehicle is set as the traveling direction of the bus. Based on the traveling direction of the bus and the link information acquired from the table of FIG. 13, the entering link (link # 1 in the case of FIG. 2) and the leaving link (link # in the case of FIG. 2) on which the bus proceeds. 4), and based on the relationship between the specified entry link and exit link, change the direction (branch point traveling direction) such as straight turn / road, right turn across the opposite lane, other left turn, etc. get.

  Subsequently, in S89 and 91, the warning output D (S90) of FIG. 11 is specified when the bus is specified to turn right from the turning direction acquired in S88, and the warning of FIG. 11 is specified when specified to turn left. When it is specified that the alert output E (S92) is going straight on or along the road, the alert output F (S93) of FIG. 11 is output as a voice, and the alert output process 6 is terminated. After the completion, the process returns to S5 in FIG.

  Note that the alerting outputs D to F may be displayed as the alerting output screen 10b on the display 10 that displays the input acceptance screen for inputting the direction determination reference information in the form as shown in FIG. 15B.

  FIG. 16 shows a seventh embodiment of the alerting output process. In the seventh embodiment, when the current position of the host vehicle approaches within a predetermined distance range with respect to the branch point proximity bus stop (when it becomes Yes in S4 in FIG. 3), Timetable data and the current time are acquired, and it is estimated whether or not there is a bus near the branch point adjacent bus stop. When the presence of the bus is estimated, the bus direction change caution information is output.

  In the alert output process 6 of FIG. 16, first, in S101, timetable data of the branch point adjacent bus stop where the host vehicle is approaching is acquired from the database 21 (timetable data storage unit), and in S102, The time is acquired from the clock IC 88. In S103, whether or not the acquired current time is close to the departure time of the bus that is apparent from the timetable data, specifically, the current time is within a predetermined time range including the departure time of the bus. It is determined whether or not. If it is within the range of the next officer, the process proceeds to S104, and it is presumed that there is a bus around the host vehicle. Therefore, if there is a bus that has departed from the branch point proximity bus stop, the bus may change direction. The bus direction change warning information is output. For example, an audio output such as “Please note that there is a possibility of a right turn if you can see the bus ahead” is output.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, these are only illustrations to the last, this invention is not limited to these, Based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, unless it deviates from the meaning of a claim Various changes are possible.

  For example, the output of the bus direction change caution information is not limited to voice output, and may be performed by screen display output or both voice output and screen display output.

  In addition, the navigation device 100 includes a communication unit 25 that is a well-known wireless transceiver, and the bus stop is configured to be communicable from communication means provided outside the vehicle, and information on each bus stop is communicated with the traveling vehicle. When configured to be communicable, it functions as a communication means for communicating with the bus stop. For example, when the presence of a bus is detected by a camera or the like, or when the existence of a bus is estimated, the direction determination reference information can be acquired by wireless communication from a bus stop. In addition, when the presence of a bus is detected by a camera or the like, when the presence of a bus is estimated, or when the current position of the host vehicle approaches within a predetermined distance range with respect to a branch point proximity bus stop In addition, it may be configured to acquire necessary information such as bus stop timetable data, direction determination reference information, turn direction specifying information, attention buses, and the like by communication with an approaching bus stop.

  Furthermore, when the current position of the vehicle approaches within a predetermined distance range with respect to the branch point proximity bus stop, the warning output information specification that specifies the bus direction change attention information corresponding to the branch point proximity bus stop The information is received, and based on the warning output information specifying information, the information to be output is specified from the bus direction changing attention information stored in advance in the HDD 21 of the navigation device 100, and the specified bus direction changing attention information is specified. Can also be configured to output.

  Further, in these cases, the wireless communication target is not a bus stop, but the above-described required information is wirelessly set to a wireless communication target that is a bus center that comprehensively manages bus information (for example, bus position information) related to the bus in operation. A configuration for acquiring communication is also possible.

The block diagram which shows the structure of a vehicle-mounted navigation apparatus. The figure which shows the behavior of the route bus which is going to turn right at a tolerance point (road junction). The flowchart which shows a bus direction change alerting process. The flowchart which shows the process of the 1st Example of an alerting output process. The flowchart which shows the process of 2nd Example of an alerting output process. The flowchart which shows the process of the 3rd Example of an alerting output process. The figure explaining the content of the alerting output in a 3rd Example. The figure explaining the example of mounting to a vehicle of a camera. The figure which shows an example of the front visual field which a camera image | photographs. The flowchart which shows the process of 4th Example of an alerting output process. The figure explaining the content of the alerting output in a 4th and 6th Example. The flowchart which shows the process of 5th Example of an alerting output process. The figure which shows the content of the table memorize | stored in the database in 5th Example. The flowchart which shows the process of 6th Example of an alerting output process. The figure which shows the display content of an input reception screen. The figure which shows the display content of a warning output screen. The flowchart which shows the process of 7th Example of an alerting output process. The figure which shows the memory content of a timetable data storage part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Display device 100 Navigation apparatus 8 Control circuit 88 Clock IC
21 HDD
32 cameras

Claims (17)

A road map data storage unit for storing road map data including road junction data and bus stop position data;
Current position detection means for detecting the current position of the host vehicle;
Based on the road map data and the detected current position, a current position mapping means for identifying the road on which the host vehicle is traveling and mapping the current position on the road;
Road branch point identifying means for identifying a road branch point existing ahead of the current position on the road in the traveling direction;
A bus stop specifying means for specifying whether there is a bus stop in front of the specified road junction along the road;
A bus that changes direction at the road junction after starting the bus stop in front of the host vehicle to the driver of the host vehicle when the current position approaches within a predetermined distance range with respect to the bus stop. A bus direction change notice information output means for outputting bus direction change notice information for urging attention to the attention target bus,
A vehicle guidance device comprising:   The vehicle guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the bus direction change caution information is used to call attention to a bus whose lane is changed before the road branch point after starting the bus stop as the caution target bus.   The said bus direction change caution information calls the attention to the bus which changes direction across an opposite lane at the said road junction after starting the said bus stop as said attention object bus | bath. Vehicle guidance device.   The vehicle guidance device according to claim 3, wherein the bus direction change caution information is used to call attention to a bus that turns right at the intersection that forms the road branch after the bus stop is started as the caution target bus. Forward bus detection means for detecting or estimating the presence of the bus in front of the host vehicle when the current position approaches within a predetermined distance range with respect to the bus stop;
5. The bus direction change caution information output means outputs the bus direction change caution information on the premise that the presence of the bus is in a detection state or an estimation state. The vehicle guide device according to the item.   The front bus detection means includes a front shooting camera for shooting a front view of the host vehicle when the current position approaches a predetermined distance range with respect to the bus stop, and the front shooting camera takes a picture. The vehicle guide device according to claim 5, wherein the bus is detected based on a bus image included in a front view image. Direction determination reference information acquisition means for acquiring direction determination reference information that is information to be referred to in determining whether or not the bus changes direction after the bus stop starts,
Based on the acquired direction determination reference information, the attention target bus identifying means for identifying whether the bus is the attention target bus,
The vehicle guidance device according to claim 6, wherein the bus direction change notice information output unit outputs the bus direction change notice information when it is specified that the bus is the attention target bus. Comprising the requirements of claim 6;
The vehicle guidance device according to claim 7, wherein the direction determination reference information acquisition unit acquires the direction determination reference information from the bus image.   The vehicular guidance device according to claim 8, wherein the direction determination reference information includes at least one of bus system information, bus operating body information, and bus destination information displayed on the bus. A change direction that stores at least one of the bus system information, the bus operator information, and the bus destination information constituting the direction determination reference information in association with change direction specifying information that specifies a specific change direction of the bus. A specific information storage unit,
The bus direction change notice information output unit obtains the change direction specification information corresponding to the direction determination reference information from the change direction specification information storage unit, and outputs the bus direction change notice information reflecting the change direction specification information. The vehicular guide device according to claim 9. When the bus is detected based on the bus image, the driver is guided to input support information for specifying whether or not the bus is a caution target bus from a predetermined input unit. Support information input guidance means to perform,
Based on input information from the input unit by the driver, the attention target bus specifying means for specifying whether the bus is the attention target bus,
The vehicle guidance device according to claim 6, wherein the bus direction change caution information output unit outputs the bus direction change caution information when it is specified that the bus is a caution target bus.   The content of the support information input by the driver is determined so that the content of direction determination reference information including at least one of bus system information, bus operating body information, and bus destination information can be specified. 11. A vehicle guidance apparatus according to 11. A timetable data storage unit for storing timetable data of each bus stop;
The forward bus detection means includes a current time acquisition means for acquiring a current time, and the current position in the bus stop based on the timetable data when the current position approaches within a predetermined distance range with respect to the bus stop. A departure time acquisition means for acquiring a departure time of a caution target bus, and estimating that the caution target bus exists when the current time is within a predetermined time range including the departure time The vehicle guidance device according to claim 5.   The bus direction change caution information output means is a host vehicle travel lane specifying means for specifying a travel lane of the host vehicle when the host vehicle approaches the current position within a predetermined distance range with respect to the bus stop. The vehicle guidance device according to claim 1, further comprising: changing the content of the bus direction change warning information according to the identified travel lane.   The bus direction change attention information output means includes a current time acquisition means for acquiring a current time, and the current time acquired when the vehicle approaches the current position within a predetermined distance range with respect to the bus stop. The vehicular guidance device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the bus direction change warning information is output only when the time is included in a predetermined output allowable time zone.   The vehicle guidance device according to claim 15, wherein the allowable output time zone is determined so as to include a predetermined traffic time zone in which traffic congestion is expected.   The vehicle guidance device according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the output allowable time zone is determined excluding a time zone in which the operation of the caution target bus is ended.

Images