JPH05164566A - Vehicle guidance device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform easily and surely the selection of an optimum route in condsideration of traffic conditions by searching a plurality of routes in order thereof in which the cost of a line segment is minimum and arbitrarily choosing one of the routes. CONSTITUTION:Routes in which the cost of a line segment (for instance, a distance, average running time or their combination and the like) is minimum from a start point to a goal set on a road map shown on a display in consideration of a traffic condition such as a previously registered one-way road on the basis of digital map data read out from a map information storage medium 5 are searched in order of degree in response to the cost of the line segment within a signal processor 3. One of them can be arbitrarily chosen as an optimum route by input operation from the operation device 8. The chosen optimum route, for instance, the road map shown on the display is shown in specific colors and a present position of a vehicle on the optimum road is renewed and indicated on the display 7 for the purpose of guidance of the vehicle.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle travel guide device for searching a route from a starting point set on a road map displayed on a screen to a destination and providing vehicle travel guidance. ..

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, a starting point and a destination are arbitrarily set on a road map displayed on a screen, and an optimum route from the set starting point to the destination is set based on digital map data. Has been developed, and a vehicle travel guide device for guiding the travel of the vehicle in accordance with the searched route has been developed (for example, JP-A-62-133).
See Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 600 or Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-173297).

As digital map data, an actual road shape shown in FIG. 3 is approximated to a polygonal line by a line segment as shown in FIG. It consists of data related to the connection status between.

Conventionally, for example, Dijkstra is known as a method for performing a route search based on digital map data.
According to well-known algorithms such as the method, the connected nodes on the digital map are traced one after another so that the required distance is minimized, and the route that minimizes the distance from the starting point to the destination is searched. There are various route search methods that minimize the cost of the line segment from the starting point to the destination (for example, distance, average travel time, or a combination thereof).

However, even if a route that minimizes the cost of the line segment from the starting point to the destination is searched for, it will be searched because of traffic conditions such as the fact that it must pass through a crowded city area. There is a case where the vehicle does not want to be guided along a different route, but wants to be guided by a main trunk road such as a national road even if the distance is a little long.

[0006]

A problem to be solved is a route that minimizes the cost of a line segment from a starting point set on a road map to a destination based on digital map data. When the vehicle is searched for and the vehicle is guided to travel, the searched route may not be optimal due to traffic conditions.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a route that minimizes the cost of a line segment from a starting point set on a road map to a destination is searched for on the basis of digital map data. A means for searching a plurality of routes with the lowest cost of the line segment in order so that the optimum route can be arbitrarily selected in view of traffic conditions when the vehicle travel guidance is provided. An input means for arbitrarily selecting one of the two routes is adopted.

At this time, if the plurality of searched routes are simultaneously displayed on the road map projected on the screen at the same time, each route becomes complicated and very difficult to see. In particular, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily and surely select the optimum route by displaying the searched routes of the plurality of candidates on the road map with good visibility in order. I am able to

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a vehicle traveling guide device according to the present invention. For example, a distance sensor 1 for outputting a pulse signal for each unit traveling distance according to the rotation of a tire of a vehicle.
For example, a directional sensor 2 that outputs a signal proportional to the amount of directional change that accompanies traveling of the vehicle that detects a change in angular velocity in the yaw direction, and the number of pulse signals from the distance sensor 1 is counted to measure the traveling distance of the vehicle. At the same time, the current position on the XY coordinates for each constant traveling distance of the vehicle is sequentially calculated by calculating the change in the traveling direction according to the output signal of the direction sensor 2, and the entire vehicle traveling guide device is obtained. A signal processing device 3 including a microcomputer for performing control, and data of the current position of the position on the XY coordinates that is obtained by the signal processing device 3 and changes every moment are sequentially stored, and finite continuous position information of the vehicle is stored. And a map information storage medium in which road map information based on digital map data is stored in advance. 5, a storage medium reproducing device 6 for selectively reading out road map information of a required area from the storage medium 5, a predetermined road map is displayed on the screen based on the read road map information, and the screen is displayed. A display device 7 for displaying the current position of the vehicle on the road map shown in FIG. 2 along with the traveling locus and the traveling direction of the vehicle at the current position as necessary as the vehicle travels, and a signal processing device. 3 is given an operation command, the map is displayed on the display device 7, and the starting point and destination of the vehicle are set on the displayed map. Change the direction of the displayed map and travel path,
The operation unit 8 is capable of appropriately changing the display position such as shifting of the display position, partial enlargement display of the map and traveling locus, selection of display scale factor, and the like.

With the above-mentioned structure, the selectively read road map is displayed on the screen of the display device 7, and the signal processing is performed in accordance with the traveling of the vehicle from the starting point set on the map. The current position on the XY coordinates is calculated by the device 3 every moment in accordance with the preset scale of the map, and the calculation result is sequentially sent to the traveling locus storage device 4 to update the stored contents. As it goes, the stored content is read and sent to the display device 7.

As a result, the display device 7, for example, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, a display mark M1 indicating the current position of the vehicle on the map displayed on the screen, a display mark M2 indicating the traveling direction of the vehicle at the current position, and a traveling locus from the starting point S to the current position. The display mark M3 is displayed in a simulated manner following the running state of the vehicle.

According to the present invention, there is provided such a vehicle driving guide device in which, in the signal processing device 3, based on the digital map data read from the map information storage medium 5, the traffic information such as one-way traffic which is registered in advance is stored. After taking into consideration, the route that minimizes the cost of the line segment from the starting point set on the road map displayed on the screen to the destination (for example, distance, average travel time or a combination thereof), A plurality of searches are performed in an order according to the cost of the line segment, and one of them can be arbitrarily selected as an optimum route by an input operation from the operating device 8, and the selected optimum route is selected. Is displayed in a special color on the road map projected on the screen,
The vehicle can be guided so that the current position of the vehicle is updated and displayed on the optimum route.

Here, various well-known methods are widely applied to the basic algorithm for the route search.

In such a case, in particular, in the present invention, a plurality of high-ranked search routes are ranked by changing the display form depending on the color or the line type such as a dotted line or a chain line, and then, for example, As shown in FIG. 5, each of the searched upper three routes A (red), B (yellow), C (blue) from the starting point S to the destination O is displayed on the road map at the same time. Then, by selectively pressing one of the designated keys K1, K2, K3 (each designated key of red, yellow, and blue) of each display mode provided on the operating device 8, the pressed key is pressed. The search route of the corresponding order is set as the optimum route.

When none of the upper plurality of searched routes is selected, the next candidate key K4 provided on the operating device 8 is pressed to delete the previously displayed upper plurality of searched routes and then A plurality of searched routes in the order are simultaneously displayed on the road map in different display forms, and one of them can be selected in the same manner as described above.

Under the control of the signal processing device 3, the number of times of switching the display of a plurality of search paths of the next order by the operation of the next candidate key K4 is limited to, for example, about 3 times, and the limit is exceeded. When the candidate key K4 is pressed, the process returns to the first display of a plurality of high-ranking candidates, and the route selection operation is repeated as before.

At this time, the display switching of a plurality of high-ranked candidates may be performed in the reverse order of the above.

Alternatively, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6, the upper one search route A from the starting point S to the destination O is displayed on the road map and is provided on the operating device 8. The search route A is selected by pressing the selected selection key K1, and when the search route A is not selected, the next candidate key K4 provided on the operation device 8 is pressed to display the search route A earlier. After deleting the upper one search route A, the next-order search route is displayed on the road map so that the switched search route can be similarly selected. There is.

Similarly, the display of the next candidate search route is sequentially switched until the optimum route desired by the driver is obtained.

At this time, the candidates to be selected are limited to a plurality of search routes of about the top 5 candidates, and when the next candidate key K4 is pressed without selecting the lowest search route among them, the first search route is selected. Return to the candidates and repeat the promising route selection operations in the same order as before.

Further, a front candidate key K5 is separately provided on the operation device 8, and when the front candidate key K5 is pressed, the searched route displayed on the road map is switched to the immediately preceding candidate, and the highest candidate is displayed. When the previous candidate key K5 is pressed while the key is pressed, the candidate is switched to the lowest candidate.

Further, according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of searched routes A to E of about the top 5 candidates are simultaneously displayed on the road map so that the top candidates are blinked, displayed with high brightness or specified. Is displayed in color and the display form is changed from the others to make the searched route A that is the current selection target noticeable, and then the selection key K provided on the operation device 8 is displayed.
When 1 is pressed, the searched route A is selected.

When the search route A is not selected, the next candidate key K4 provided on the operating device 8 is pressed to input the next candidate. When the next candidate is input, the next candidate is designated. It is possible to select the search route B by changing the display form of the search route B of the next rank by switching to the candidate.

In the same way, until the optimum route desired by the driver is obtained from the plurality of high-ranked candidates, the operation of selecting the route of the next candidate is performed.

When the next candidate key K4 is pressed without selecting the lowest search route E, the process returns to the first search route A and repeats the proper operation of route selection in the same order as before. Alternatively, the process returns to the immediately preceding candidate, and the route selection operation is repeated in the order opposite to the previous order.

Alternatively, the operation device 8 is provided with a front candidate key separately, and when the front candidate key is pressed, the searched route displayed on the road map is switched to the immediately preceding candidate, and the highest candidate is displayed. Alternatively, when the previous candidate key is pressed during this time, the candidate may be switched to the lowest candidate.

[0027]

As described above, in the vehicle travel guidance device according to the present invention, the route from the starting point set on the road map displayed on the screen to the destination is searched based on the digital map data. In doing so, it is possible to search multiple routes with the lowest cost of the line segment in order, display the searched multiple routes with good visibility, and select one of them with good operability. Therefore, there is an advantage that the optimum route can be easily and surely selected in consideration of traffic conditions and the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a vehicle travel guide device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of display contents in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an actual road shape.

4 is a diagram showing a digital map of the road of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of selecting one of a plurality of candidate search routes.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another embodiment when selecting one of a plurality of candidate search routes.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing yet another embodiment when selecting one of a plurality of candidate search routes.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 distance sensor 2 direction sensor 3 signal processing device 4 traveling locus storage device 5 map information storage medium 6 storage medium reproducing device 7 display device 8 operating device

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A destination is reached from a starting point set on a road map displayed on a screen based on digital map data composed of data relating to each line segment when an actual road shape is approximated by a polygonal line. In a vehicle travel guidance device for performing travel guidance of a vehicle by searching for a route that minimizes the cost of a line segment, a means for searching a plurality of routes that minimizes the cost of the line segment in order, and A vehicle travel guidance device, characterized in that it has an input means for arbitrarily selecting one of the two routes. 2. A plurality of high-ranking searched routes are simultaneously displayed on a road map in different display modes, and the route is selected by input designation of the display mode. The vehicle travel guidance device according to the description. 3. A plurality of higher-ranked search routes previously displayed are erased by inputting a next candidate, and then a plurality of next-ranked search routes are simultaneously displayed on the road map in different display modes. According to the second aspect, the vehicle travel guide device described above. 4. A high-order one search route is displayed on a road map so that the selection or the designation of the next candidate can be performed, and when the input of the next candidate is designated. The vehicle travel guidance device according to the above-mentioned item 1, wherein the top one searched route displayed earlier is erased and the next ranked searched route is displayed on the road map. 5. A candidate to be selected is limited to a plurality of upper search routes, and when the lowest candidate search route is not selected and the next candidate is input, the first candidate is returned to. The fourth feature of the present invention is that the route selection operation is repeated in the same order as above.
A vehicle travel guidance device according to the item. 6. The search route displayed on the road map is switched to the immediately preceding candidate when the previous candidate is input and the lower candidate is displayed, and the highest candidate is displayed. In this case, the vehicle running guide device according to the above item 5 is characterized in that when the previous candidate is designated for input, the candidate is switched to the lowest candidate. 7. A plurality of high-ranked search routes are simultaneously displayed on a road map, the display form of high-rank candidates is changed to specify the selection or the next candidate, and the next candidate is designated. The vehicle according to the above-mentioned item 1 is characterized in that, when it is opened, the display mode of the search route of the next rank is changed by changing to the previous candidate so that the selection is designated or the next candidate is designated. Driving guidance device. 8. A method of inputting a next candidate when none of the plurality of high-order search routes is selected, so that the first candidate is returned and the route selection operation is repeated in the same order as before. The vehicle travel guide device according to the above item 7. 9. When the display form of the lower candidate is changed, the search route whose display form is changed when the input designation of the previous candidate is made is switched to the immediately preceding candidate, and the display form of the highest candidate is changed. The vehicle travel guide device according to the above item 8, wherein the search route whose display form is changed when the input of the previous candidate is changed is changed to the lowest candidate.