JPH01132911A - On-vehicle type navigator apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To detect the error of an azimuth sensor and to enhance reliability, by calculating the movement of the sun and that of the moon from present position data and present time data and displaying the apparent directions of both of the sun and the moon with respect to the advance direction of a vehicle. CONSTITUTION:A CPU 3 obtains detection data from both of an advance azimuth sensor 1 and a moving distance detection sensor 2 to calculate the present place and supplies a display signal, wherein the present place data is arranged on the map data obtained from a memory means 4, to a display apparatus 6 through a display control apparatus 5. Further, the CPU 3 receives not only data of a month, a day and a time from a clock 7 by the operation of an operation input means 9 but also the data relating to the movement of the sun and that of the moon from a movement data recording means 8 and displays the apparent positions of both of the sun and the moon at that time of the apparatus 6 in such a state that the advance direction of a vehicle is turned upwardly. A driver compares said display positions with the actual positions of the sun and the moon and detects the error of the azimuth sensor 1 and confirms that usual display coincides with the actual positions to make it possible to enhance the reliability of the whole of the apparatus.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an on-vehicle navigator device that is mounted on a vehicle and detects and displays the position of the vehicle.

(Summary of the Invention) The present invention relates to an in-vehicle navigator device that extracts the movements of the sun and the moon from data used for navigation, and displays the calculated apparent directions of the sun and the moon from the vehicle. The purpose is to improve the reliability of the device by making it possible to determine errors in data when they do not match the actual directions of the sun and moon.

[Conventional technology]

The so-called in-vehicle navigation device (G) is equipped with a position detection means that detects the current position of the vehicle by, for example, determining a reference point and integrating travel data such as the traveling direction and distance traveled by the vehicle. As a result, the detected current position of the vehicle is displayed on the display device (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 58-12
9212, etc.).

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, when performing position detection by integrating vehicle travel data as described above, a direction sensor that applies a geomagnetic sensor or the like is generally used to detect the direction of travel of the vehicle. It has been pointed out that there is a problem in which cumulative errors occur due to external disturbances, etc.
4512, etc.).

However, no means for easily detecting such errors has been proposed so far.

In other words, the above-mentioned literature proposes a method to eliminate data from the direction sensor at locations where disturbances are expected to occur to avoid errors; Even if the error can be eliminated, there is a risk that the error may occur in other locations, and the occurrence of such an error significantly impairs the reliability of the entire navigator device.

Various methods have also been proposed for calibrating errors when they occur (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-206913, etc.).
Such a calibration is required before errors in the orientation sensor must be detected.

Therefore, since there is no means for easily detecting errors in the conventional orientation sensor, there has been a problem in that the reliability of the entire navigator device may be significantly impaired.

This application has been made in view of these points.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention includes means (CPU (3)) for detecting the current position of the vehicle using data on the traveling direction and distance traveled by the vehicle (sensor (11(2))), and a clock (7) for detecting the current time.
) and storage means (8) storing at least data regarding the movement of the sun and the moon, the current position from the position detection means and the current time from the clock being stored in the storage means. The movement of the sun and the moon is calculated based on the data, and the calculated values are used to display (device (6)) the apparent direction of the movement of the sun and the moon relative to the traveling direction of the vehicle. This is an in-vehicle navigator device with special features.

[Effect]

According to this, it is possible to detect an error in the direction sensor when the apparent positions of the sun and the moon detected based on data from the position detection means do not match their actual positions. The reliability of the entire device can be significantly improved.

〔Example〕

Figure 1 shows the configuration of the main parts. In this figure, (1) is a sensor that detects the traveling direction of the vehicle, and (2) is a sensor that detects the distance traveled. Detection from these sensors (1) and (2) The data is supplied to the CPU (3) which performs calculations and control, and calculates the current location of the vehicle.

Further, (4) is a storage means, such as a CD-ROM device, which stores road map data, on which the vehicle can travel,
Data from this storage means (4>) is supplied to the CPU (3).

In this CPU (31), the storage means (4
) The calculated current location data is placed on top of the map data from ), and a display signal with an arbitrary mark or the like provided at the position of this calculated data is supplied to the display device (6) through the display control device (5). be done. This allows the display device (6)
The current location of the vehicle is displayed on a predetermined road map as instructed, and when the above-mentioned calculated and output data deviates from the drivable range of the map data, the calculated data is relocated within the drivable range. etc. are performed.

Further, (7) is a clock, and data such as month, date, time, etc. from this clock (7) is supplied to the CPU (31). Also, (8) is a clock that stores data regarding the movement of the sun and the moon. It is a storage means that stores data such as the direction and angle of the sun and moon as seen from a specific point for any month, day, and time. Note that (9) is a manual operation means for switching display modes and the like.

Accordingly, in the above-mentioned apparatus, by operating the manual operating means (9) at a desired time, the apparent directions of the sun and the moon at that time can be displayed on the display device (6).

That is, FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a part of the operation of the CPU (3). In this figure, when the operation is started, the current month, day, and time from the clock (7) are first read in step (1). data is detected, and in step [2], data on the movement of the sun and moon is stored in the storage means (8) based on this data.
) is searched from. Furthermore, in step [3], the sensor (1
) The current location of the vehicle is calculated based on the detected data from +21, etc., and the data from the storage means (8) is corrected based on this calculated data in step [4].

Further, the display mode is determined in step [5], and if the apparent positions of the sun and the moon are to be displayed with the traveling direction of the vehicle facing up, as shown in FIG. 3A, for example, step (6) is performed.
The traveling direction of the vehicle is detected from the sensor (1) at step [7], the data is corrected so that the direction is upward, and the data is displayed at step [8].

Furthermore, if the display mode in step [5] is to display on a map with a fixed orientation as shown in Figure 3B, an arbitrary mark etc. is synthesized at the position based on the data and step [8] is displayed.

Therefore, with this device, the apparent positions of the sun and the moon calculated based on the data from the position detection means are displayed on the display device (6), so that the driver can check the displayed position and the actual position of the sun. and the position of the moon, and if these do not match, it can be known that an error has occurred in the direction sensor 11) or the like.

This allows the driver to confirm that the normal display matches the actual position and to know that no error has occurred, thereby greatly improving the reliability of the entire navigator device.

Furthermore, according to the above-mentioned device, when the display and the actual position do not match, the operation input means (
It is also possible to calibrate the orientation sensor (1) by controlling from 9) or the like. Alternatively, optical sun and moon position detection means may be provided to automatically perform calibration.

Note that the display method is not limited to the above example, and it is also possible to provide an independent display by providing a light emitting element etc. around the display surface of the display device (6), and also to indicate the direction of the vehicle or map displayed together with the map. It is also possible to add an arrow to the symbol for display.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to this invention, an error in the direction sensor can be detected when the apparent positions of the sun and the moon detected based on data from the position detection means do not match their actual positions. It has become possible to significantly improve the reliability of the entire navigator device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an example of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams for explaining the same. (11T2) is a sensor, (3) is a CPU, (4) is a storage means, (5) is a display control device, (6) is a display device, (7
) is a clock, (8) is an operation data storage means, and (9) is an operation input means.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] Means for detecting the current position of the vehicle based on data on the traveling direction and distance traveled by the vehicle, a clock for detecting the current time, and a storage means storing data regarding at least the movement of the sun and the moon. The movement of the sun and the moon is calculated based on the data stored in the storage means based on the current position from the position detection means and the current time from the clock, and the movement of the sun and the moon is calculated based on the calculated values. An on-vehicle navigator device characterized in that it displays the apparent direction of movement of the sun and the moon with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle.