JP4725375B2 - Navigation device, program and method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation device, a navigation program, and a navigation method that display characters for arrival and departure for arrival at a destination point or departure from a departure point.

  Conventionally, navigation devices have been widely used as devices for enjoying comfortable driving. The basic function of the navigation device is to assist the driver by displaying the route to the destination and presenting it to the driver to guide the route. In addition to these basic functions, navigation devices that have a function of using a prerecorded real voice as a guidance voice or incorporating a voice recognition function to respond to voice input from a driver are also known. ing. Furthermore, when performing guidance, there are also images in which an image of a character prepared in advance is displayed on the screen in conjunction with the situation of the navigation device.

  As such a navigation device, in Patent Document 1, information on the operation state of the navigation device and the operation state of the input operation device is presented in a size change, movement, facial expression, pose, voice, etc. of the displayed character. What is made is described. As an example of associating the operation state of the navigation device with the expression by the character, for example, when the guide point is on the right side with respect to the route, there is an example in which the character takes a walking pose facing right. ing. For example, if the jog dial is rotated to the right, the character poses to walk upward, kicks the calendar with his feet, and scrolls downward. The example which shows the state which is performing the selection of a date is given.

  In addition, as a technology related to this, Patent Document 2 recognizes and judges the surrounding state including a person's movement and sound based on the detection result of the sensor and the like, and outputs an operation and sound corresponding to the result. There is described a navigation device having an agent device that performs the function of performing in conjunction with the movement of the appearance of an agent (character) and voice.

JP 2000-193463 A JP 2004-054300 A

  However, according to the conventional navigation apparatus, when the destination approaches a preset destination, a message such as “Arrived near the destination” is output by voice, but no other operation is performed. In this case, the content of the message may slightly change depending on whether the destination is at home or at another point, but basically, the expression does not change greatly depending on the destination. For this reason, even if the user goes out by car, the expression by the navigation device when arriving at the destination is always the same. Therefore, even when driving to a new destination, the freshness is not expressed and the characteristics of the land are not expressed.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a navigation device that makes it possible to feel the arrival and departure in an impressive manner when arriving at the destination and departing from the departure place in view of the problems of the prior art. There is to do.

  In order to achieve the above object, a navigation device according to a first aspect of the present invention provides a detection means for detecting that a predetermined vicinity of a target point has been reached, a display means for displaying a character, and the display means, wherein the detection means Change means for changing the display of the character so as to express that the point of approach is approached as it approaches the target point from the time when detection is made until the point arrives at the target point. It is characterized by.

  Here, examples of the navigation device include a vehicle-mounted device, a portable device, and a device incorporated in a mobile phone or a mobile terminal. For example, the destination or home corresponds to the target point. Examples of the predetermined neighborhood include a point at a predetermined distance from the target point and a point at which the target point appears on the map displayed for navigation. The character is not limited to a human character, but may be an animal, anthropomorphic object, or a character such as an animation.

  In this configuration, when it is detected that a predetermined vicinity of the target point has been reached, display of a character for greeting or the like is started. Thereafter, the display of the character changes as it approaches the target point, thereby expressing that the character is approaching the target point. Therefore, the user can recognize sensuously that he is approaching the target point.

  The navigation device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the detection means for detecting that the object point has been moved to a predetermined position, the display means for displaying the character, and the display means for detecting the detection from when the object point is departed. And changing means for changing the display of the character so as to express that the character is moving away from the target point as the user moves away from the target point until detection by the means is performed.

  A navigation device according to a third invention is characterized in that, in the first or second invention, the change in display of the character by the changing means is a change in the display size of the character.

  A navigation device according to a fourth invention is the navigation device according to any one of the first to third inventions, wherein the image data for display of the character is associated with the target point, or the type of the target point. And image data supply means for supplying the one specified by the user or the one corresponding to the time zone when the display is performed.

  A navigation device according to a fifth invention is characterized in that, in the fourth invention, the image data supply means has acquisition means for acquiring the image data for character display from a server on a predetermined network.

  A navigation program according to a sixth invention causes a computer to function as each means in the navigation device according to any one of the first to fourth inventions.

  In the navigation method according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, a detection step of detecting that the vehicle has reached a predetermined vicinity of the target point, a display step of displaying a character, and a time when detection in the detection step is performed in the display step. A change step of changing the display of the character so as to express that the vehicle approaches the target point as it approaches the target point until it reaches the target point.

  In the navigation method according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the detection step for detecting that the target point has been moved to the predetermined position, the display step for displaying the character, and the detection from the start of the target point in the display step. A change step of changing the display of the character so as to express that the character is moving away from the target point as the user moves away from the target point until the detection in the process is performed.

  According to the present invention, the display of the character is changed so that it is expressed as the target point is approached or separated from the target point. You can feel it impressively.

  Further, as image data for character display, data associated with the target point, data corresponding to the type of the target point, data specified by the user, or data corresponding to the time zone when the display is performed Since it can be used, it is possible to deepen the feeling of arrival and departure by meeting and seeing off by characters that match the characteristics of the target point, allowing customization by the user, whether arrival or departure is at night or noon, etc. The atmosphere on arrival and departure can be optimized accordingly.

  In addition, since image data for character display can be acquired from a server on the network, for example, image data of a character created by a related party of a facility or a local government of a tourist spot is stored on the server. By registering in association with a facility or a sightseeing spot, when that facility or a sightseeing spot is set as a target point, it can be picked up by a character representing the characteristics of the facility or the sightseeing spot. Thereby, the advertising effect of the facility and the sightseeing spot can be increased.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, this system includes an input operation unit 11 that receives an input operation, a position information detection unit 12 that detects a current position, a destination information storage unit 13 that stores information about a set destination, and a registration A registration point information storage unit 14 for storing information about the point, an image data storage unit 15 for storing character image data, an audio data storage unit 16 for storing voice data for messages, and an output device 17 for outputting images and sounds. And a control unit 18 for controlling each unit.

  The input operation unit 11 accepts input based on pressing of a touch panel or button or key operation, or performs speech recognition processing on an audio signal input via a microphone, and accepts input of an audio command or the like. is there. The registered points stored in the registered point information storage unit 14 are points such as facilities, sightseeing spots, restaurants, and the like that are registered in advance as points that can be targets of destinations and waypoints. Each character based on the image data in the image data storage unit 15 is displayed for the purpose of greeting or seeing off.

  The image data storage unit 15 and the audio data storage unit 16 store image data and audio data for a plurality of characters in association with each other. The message based on each voice data is a character message output from the voice output unit 22 as if the corresponding character being displayed is uttered for the purpose of greeting or sending off. The position information detection unit 12 detects the current position of the vehicle on which the system is mounted by GPS. The destination information storage unit 13, the registration point information storage unit 14, the image data storage unit 15, and the audio data storage unit 16 are configured using a storage medium such as a hard disk or a flash memory. Note that these storage media also store programs, map data, and the like necessary for navigation processing by the control unit 18.

  The control unit 18 performs information processing based on information from the input operation unit 11 to the audio data storage unit 16 and outputs image data and audio data to the output unit 17. The output unit 17 performs an image processing unit 19 that performs predetermined image processing on the image data from the control unit 18, and a display unit that displays an image such as a map or a character based on the data processed by the image processing unit 19. 20, voice processing unit 21 for performing predetermined voice processing on the voice data from the control unit 18, and voice output for outputting voices such as guidance voices and character messages based on the data processed by the voice processing unit 21 The unit 22 is provided.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the welcome processing by the control unit 18 in the system of FIG. The meeting process is performed when the vehicle arrives at a preset destination stored in the destination information storage unit 13. Here, it is assumed that one of registered points stored in advance in the registered point information storage unit 14 is set as the destination.

  When the welcome process is started, the control unit 18 first waits at step 31 to reach a predetermined vicinity position with respect to the destination. Examples of the predetermined vicinity position include a position at a predetermined distance from the destination when viewed in terms of a straight line distance and a route length, and a position at which the destination can be displayed on the map displayed on the display unit 20. To do. The control unit 18 can detect whether or not a predetermined proximity position has been reached based on the current position, the position information of the destination stored in the destination information storage unit 13, map data, and the like.

  When it is detected that the predetermined vicinity position has been reached, in step 32, display of a character set in advance for welcome is started as shown in FIG. As the display position of the character, for example, a predetermined position on the display screen in the display unit 20 or a position overlapping the destination on the displayed map is applicable. The display size of the character is made somewhat smaller than the original size that is finally displayed when it arrives at the destination. The character image may be a mere still image or an animation (moving image).

  Next, in steps 33 and 34, as shown in FIG. 2B, the character display size is gradually increased as the distance to the destination decreases until the destination is reached. . If it is detected in step 34 that the vehicle has arrived at the destination, the process proceeds to step 35, where a greeting message corresponding to the displayed character is reproduced and output from the voice output unit 22 as shown in FIG. To do. Thereby, the welcome process is completed. An example of a greeting message is “Come here. Welcome!”. Whether or not the vehicle has arrived at the destination is determined based on whether the distance to the destination is, for example, 100 [m] or less, whether the transmission gear is shifted to the parking position, whether the side brake is applied, etc. Can be performed.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the see-through process by the control unit 18. The see-through process is performed when leaving the set destination. When the see-off process is started, the control unit 18 first waits for detection of departure from the destination in step 41. The departure from the destination can be detected based on the distance from the destination, the position of the transmission gear, the state of the side brake, etc., as in the case of arrival detection.

  When the departure from the destination is detected, the process proceeds to step 42, and as shown in (a) in FIG. 3, image display of the character set for see-off is started on the display unit 20 and the character being displayed is displayed. The message for see-through corresponding to is reproduced and output from the audio output unit 22. As the display position of the character, a predetermined position or a position overlapping the destination on the map can be adopted as in the case of the greeting process. For example, “Thank you for using the service. We ’re looking forward to seeing you again.”

  Next, in steps 43 and 44, the display size of the character is reduced as the distance from the destination increases. In step 44, if it is detected that the distance from the destination is a predetermined distance in terms of a straight line distance or a route length, or that a predetermined time has elapsed since the departure from the registration point, the process proceeds to step 45, and ( As in c), the character display is erased. Thereby, the see-through process is completed.

  According to this embodiment, since the display size of the character is changed according to the distance to the destination, the distance to the destination can be recognized sensuously. In addition, when the user arrives at the destination or departs from the destination, the user can be given a sense of familiarity with the point set as the destination by having the character meet and see off.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a navigation system according to another embodiment of the present invention. This system is obtained by adding a communication unit 24 for the control unit 18 to communicate with the external server 23 to the system of FIG. The communication unit 24 has a function of accessing the external server 23 via the Internet or the like via a predetermined access point by radio.

  The external server 23 stores image data and audio data for a large number of characters that are downloaded by the navigation system and can be used in the above-described welcome processing and send-off processing. The image data and audio data of each character in the external server 23 can be accompanied by information on corresponding points, where it is desirable to use the character, as necessary.

  The control unit 18 downloads and displays the image data and sound data of each character registered in the external server 23 based on the user's instruction, accepts the selection by the user, and selects the image data and sound data of the selected character. Can be registered in the image data storage unit 15 and the audio data storage unit 16. The registered image data and voice data of the character are used in the above-mentioned welcome process and send-off process. At that time, it is possible to accept the user's settings and use the image data and audio data of the set characters. The setting can be made for each destination.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the character setting process by the control unit 18 in FIG. This process shows an example of a process for setting a character to be displayed in the above-described welcome process and send-off process for the set destination. When the process is started, the control unit 18 first sets a destination in step 51 based on an instruction from the user. At this time, the user can set a destination selected from the registered points registered in the registered point information storage unit 14 or can set the home as the destination. When the destination is set, processing such as setting the route to the destination is also performed.

  When the setting of the destination is completed, in step 52, the control unit 18 accesses the external server 23, and determines the presence or absence of data for the character corresponding to the set destination. This determination can be made with reference to the information regarding the corresponding points accompanying the image data and voice data of each character described above in the external server 23. If there is information corresponding to the destination as information on the corresponding point, it means that the character corresponding to the corresponding point is the character corresponding to the destination.

  If it is determined that character data corresponding to the destination exists, the process proceeds to step 53 to download the image data and audio data. Further, in step 54, the character is set as a pick-up character for the destination, and the downloaded image data and audio data are used as data for the character dedicated to the registration point set as the destination. The image data storage unit 15 and the audio data storage unit 16 are registered. This completes the character setting process.

  If it is determined in step 52 that the character data corresponding to the destination does not exist in the external server 23, a predetermined standard character is set, and the character setting process is terminated. Based on the character set in this way, the corresponding image data and audio data are read from the image data storage unit 15 and the audio data storage unit 16 and used in the subsequent greeting process and send-off process. become.

  According to the present embodiment, the external server 23 registers, as image data and sound data of each character, those created by the parties related to the character or the local government of the land where the point is located. Thus, when the point is set as the destination, the character can be picked up by the character representing the feature of the point.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a welcome process in a navigation system according to still another embodiment of the present invention. As a system configuration diagram, FIG. 1 can be applied as it is. However, the image data storage unit 15 stores animation data as image data.

  When the welcome process is started, the control unit 18 first waits at step 61 to reach a predetermined vicinity position with respect to the destination. This is the same processing as step 31 in FIG. When it is detected that a predetermined vicinity position has been reached, in step 62, animation display is started for an egg character that has been set in advance for reception, as shown in FIG. 6 (a).

  Next, in steps 63 and 64, as shown in (b) in FIG. 2, the animation is performed so that the egg gradually shakes greatly in inverse proportion to the decrease in the distance to the destination until it reaches the destination. Change the display. In other words, the display hardly shakes at the start of display, but vigorously shakes immediately before arrival. If it is detected in step 64 that the vehicle has arrived at the destination, the process proceeds to step 65, where an egg roaring animation is displayed as shown in (c) of FIG. Is output.

  According to this embodiment, before arrival at the destination, the arrival can be predicted with a more realistic feeling, and upon arrival, the arrival can be realized with a more realistic feeling.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, It can deform | transform and implement suitably. For example, in the above description, the pick-up process and the send-off process are performed when arriving at and departing from a registered point set in advance as a destination, but instead set as a destination. It may be performed when the user arrives at the home and the user leaves the home. In that case, for example, “Please come home. Further, as the message to be sent off, for example, “Come here. Please be careful.” Can be used.

  In the above description, different characters are used for the greeting and the see-off character. Instead, the same character may be used as the greeting and the send-off character. Also, a plurality of characters may be prepared and used depending on the time zone such as daytime and night, the distance to the destination, and the like.

  Alternatively, different characters may be prepared for each type of registered spot, and different characters may be set for each type of registered spot that is set as the destination. In that case, if the registration point set as the destination is a facility that has its own character, and if the character can be displayed, it can be displayed when it arrives at the destination or from there. Since the feeling at the time of departure becomes deeper, it is desirable to prepare a character suitable for the registration point so that such a character can be used. In addition, the image and voice data created by the user can be registered as characters and messages for the greeting process and the see-off process, and the family image is used as the character when the destination is at home. It may be possible to customize such as.

  In the above, the character display size is changed or the animation is changed according to the distance to the destination, etc., but instead of or in addition to this, the character's facial expression, etc. May be changed to express a sense of distance from the destination. In parallel with the display of the character, the distance from the destination may be displayed by characters, for example, “1 km”.

  In the above description, the present invention is applied to an in-vehicle navigation system. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is also applied to a portable navigation device, a mobile phone having a navigation function, and the like. be able to.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the navigation system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the welcome process by the control part in the system of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the see-through process by the control part in the system of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the navigation system which concerns on another embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the character setting process by the control part in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the welcome process in the navigation system which concerns on another embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

11: Input operation unit, 12: Position information detection unit, 13: Destination information storage unit, 14: Registration point information storage unit, 15: Image data storage unit, 16: Audio data storage unit, 17: Output device, 18: Control unit, 19: image processing unit, 20: display unit, 21: audio processing unit, 22: audio output unit, 23: external server, 24: communication unit.

Claims (4)

Display means for displaying map information;
In the display means, detection means for detecting that the registered target point has reached a position where display is possible; and
Between when the detection by said detecting means is made to arrive to the point of interest, along with displaying a character representing the characteristic of the object point on the display unit, Yuku approaching the target point gets closer to the point of interest And a display control means for displaying on the display means so as to gradually change the display size of the character. 2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image data supply unit includes an acquisition unit that acquires the image data for character display from a server on a predetermined network. A navigation program for causing a computer to function as each means in the navigation device according to claim 1. A detection step of detecting that the registered target point has reached a position where it can be displayed in the display means for displaying the map information ;
Until arriving at the target point from the time the detection made in the detection step, along with displaying a character representing the characteristic of the object point on the display unit, Yuku approaching the target point gets closer to the point of interest A display control step of causing the display means to display the character so that the display size of the character is gradually changed.

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