JPH07129888A - Course guide device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a course guide device which immediately deals with demands of a person on a vehicle and which informs the person on the vehicle of the optimum route on the basis of information received from outside the vehicle. CONSTITUTION:Respective detection parts 52, 44, and 46 detect a change in offering time including external information, a deviation from a next candidate course which is searched at last time, and an approach an interchange, and a search is made again. The result of the re-search is stored as the next candidate course in a next candidate course storage part 52. The next candidate course is reported at a request made by the person on the vehicle or at the same time as the end of the search, and when the person on the vehicle gives a selection instruction from an input part 28, the next candidate course is regarded as a guide course to perform subsequent course guidance.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention notifies an occupant of information sent from the outside of a vehicle by means of a device provided inside the vehicle, and controls the own vehicle along a route to a preset destination. The present invention relates to a route guidance device for a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, radio waves from artificial satellites are received to measure the position of a vehicle, and this position is compared with map information mounted on the vehicle to determine a map around the vehicle and a map on this map. A so-called GPS navigation system, which displays the vehicle position and informs the driver, is in general demand.

In this system, the map information stored in advance in the device mounted on the vehicle is the information at the time of storage, not the information at the time of actual display. In this system, the information at the actual time is only the position of the own vehicle. Therefore, for information that changes moment by moment such as road regulations and traffic congestion information due to accidents, the passengers had to rely on external displays such as traffic congestion display signs on the Shuto Expressway. In addition, the map information mounted on the vehicle may not match the actual situation due to road repair work or the like.

On the other hand, a system has been developed in which information is transmitted from a base station or a beacon installed on the side of a road, the information is received by a vehicle receiver, and the information is notified to passengers. For example, on the Metropolitan Expressway in central Tokyo, etc., a system has been developed that transmits congestion information, regulation information, accident information, etc. of the entire Metropolitan Expressway from a base station and displays this on a display device mounted on the vehicle, It is possible to display a display such as a road information display board, which is currently installed at more than ten places on the Shuto Expressway, on a display device in the vehicle. According to this, the case where the contents cannot be sufficiently confirmed by passing through the conventional display plates installed on the upper side or the side of the road is eliminated, and the information can be confirmed when the passenger desires.

Further, when transmitting information by radio waves or light from beacons installed on the side of the road, the passengers can get more detailed by transmitting particularly important information within the reach of the radio waves. Information can be obtained. For example, if the information of the approaching intersection is displayed, the contents can be confirmed even if the information has passed through the conventional road display board, like the above-mentioned traffic congestion information. Furthermore, it is possible to provide more useful information to the passenger by creating and displaying information about the time required to reach a predetermined point based on the current road conditions. As described above, by being notified of the current information, the passenger can select a route or the like corresponding to this situation.

Further, a destination point is input, a route which can reach the destination point in the shortest time is searched based on the information sent from the outside, and a route for guiding the own vehicle along the searched route. Guidance devices have been developed. Further, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. Sho 62-80100, a preset guide route is changed according to a change in external information to cope with a situation change such as a congestion situation of a road, and the objective is the shortest time at that time. A device for searching for a route to reach a point is shown.

[0007]

However, in the conventional device, a route search is performed each time external information is received or updated, and this is displayed when a new route is searched. Therefore, there is a problem that the guide route is changed every time a new route is searched, and the display is difficult for passengers to see.

Further, in order to solve this problem, when the search is started after waiting for the passenger's search instruction, there is a problem that a new route cannot be displayed during the search. .

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to simultaneously solve the above two problems. That is, even if it is possible to select a route that is more advantageous than the route currently being guided, it is not displayed until the passenger requests the display of this new route, and immediately when the passenger requests the display of the new route. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle route guidance device capable of displaying this.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, under a predetermined condition, a next candidate route which replaces the route currently being guided is searched and stored. Then, by notifying this in response to the passenger's request, the passenger does not feel the search time. Further, when a route is searched, an intersection or the like that is likely to pass is automatically set as a waypoint, thereby narrowing the selection range of the searched route and shortening the search time.

Specifically, the invention according to claim 1 has a next candidate storage means for storing at least one next candidate route in addition to the route currently being guided.

Further, in the invention described in claim 2, the provision time detecting means for detecting that the provision time information included in the external information is changed, and the change of the provision time is detected, the next candidate route is detected. And a search instruction means for instructing a search.

Further, in the invention according to claim 3, the next candidate route deviation detecting means for detecting that the current position of the host vehicle deviates from the stored next candidate route, and the next candidate route deviation is detected. In this case, it has re-search instruction means for instructing re-search of the next candidate route and updating means for updating the content of the next candidate storage means to the re-searched next candidate route.

Further, in the invention according to claim 4, a route coincidence determining means for determining whether the searched next candidate route is different from the route being guided, and when it is determined that the two routes are different from each other, Only the notification means is provided to notify the passenger that the next candidate route exists.

Further, in the invention according to claim 5, there is provided a branch point detecting means for detecting a branch point between the route being guided and the next candidate route, and the notifying means is located a predetermined distance before the branch point. It notifies that the vehicle is approaching the branch point.

Further, in the invention according to claim 6, an image display device provided near the driver's seat for notifying the searched route as a map screen, and a branch point between the route being guided and the next candidate route Detecting means for detecting a branch point, a screen deviation determining means for determining whether or not the branch point deviates from the currently displayed map screen, a next candidate display instructing means for instructing display of a next candidate route, and a next candidate display Is provided and it is determined that the screen is off, a branch point information notifying unit that notifies information about the branch points of the guide route and the next candidate route is provided.

Further, the invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that the route change notifying means notifies by displaying character information on a display screen.

Further, the invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that the route change notifying means notifies by changing the map scale so that the entire route from the current position to the destination is displayed. There is.

Further, in the invention according to claim 9, the route change notifying means notifies by displaying the map near the branch point of the route being guided and the next candidate route at the same scale as the present. It has a feature.

Further, in the invention according to claim 10, the image display device provided near the driver's seat for displaying the searched route on the map screen, and the route being guided and the next candidate route have already passed. And a passage route erasing means for erasing the route guidance display.

Further, in the invention described in claim 11, an advantage determination means for determining whether the searched next candidate route has a predetermined advantage over the route being guided,
It has means for notifying the passenger that the next candidate route exists only when the superiority is judged.

Further, in the twelfth aspect of the present invention, the abandoned route storage means for storing the abandoned route and the abandoned route matching for judging whether or not the searched next candidate route matches the abandoned route. It has a determining means and an advantage changing means for changing the determination criterion of the superiority determining means when it is determined that the next candidate route matches the abandoned route, and the next candidate is determined only when the superiority is higher. The feature is that the passenger is notified of the existence.

Further, in the invention described in claim 13, an elapsed time measuring means for measuring an elapsed time from the start of notifying the route currently being guided, and a judgment criterion of the superiority judging means according to the elapsed time. It is characterized by having an advantage changing means for changing, and notifying the passenger that the next candidate exists only when the advantage is higher as the elapsed time is shorter.

Further, in the invention of claim 14, an interchange detecting means for detecting that the expressway interchange on the guide route is approached to a predetermined distance, and a search for a next candidate when the approach approach is detected. It has a search instruction means for instructing.

According to the fifteenth aspect of the invention, in the vehicle route guidance device for searching the optimum route to the destination point based on the information sent from the outside of the vehicle and notifying the passenger of the optimum route, It has an information content determination means for determining whether the content of the information sent from it is different from the previous information content, and a re-search instruction means for instructing a re-search of the route when the information content is determined to be different. ing.

Further, in the invention according to claim 16, a traffic obstacle detecting means for judging whether or not the information contents regarding the traffic obstacle of the previous time and this time are different on the route currently being guided, and a route for avoiding the traffic obstacle. When the vehicle is re-searched, a search rank changing unit that includes a road having a lower rank in a predetermined area including the passage obstacle point as a search target is included.
Further, in the invention according to claim 17, there is a waypoint setting means for setting the intersection as a waypoint in order from an intersection close to the traffic obstacle ahead of the traffic obstacle,
The feature is that the search is sequentially performed until a route superior to the route being guided is found.

Further, in the invention as set forth in claim 18, the intersection of a toll road, an intersection in front of a bridge or a tunnel, or an intersection where a route being guided intersects with a national road or a prefectural road, ahead of a traffic obstacle It is characterized by having waypoint setting means for setting as a point and searching for a route to the original destination point via the waypoint.

[0028]

The present invention has the configuration as described above, and by searching and storing the route of the next candidate in addition to the route currently being guided in advance, a new route can be immediately obtained in response to the passenger's request. It is possible to notify the route. Further, when re-searching for a route, by setting a waypoint and limiting the route to search, it is possible to perform the route search earlier.

Specifically, in the invention according to claim 1, by providing the next candidate storage means, when the passenger requests the notification of the next candidate route, the next candidate storage means is provided. It is possible to make a notification without a time delay due to calling or searching.

Further, in the invention according to the second aspect, the re-search can be started at an appropriate timing by using the change of the provision time information as a trigger for the search of the next candidate route.

Further, in the third aspect of the present invention, it is detected that the own vehicle has deviated from the next candidate route that was once searched and stored, and the re-search is triggered. As a result, it is determined that the passenger has not selected the next candidate route, and a further next candidate is automatically searched. Then, when the passenger subsequently wants to confirm the next candidate route, the next candidate route based on the latest information is notified.

Further, in the invention according to claim 4, it is judged whether or not the next candidate route matches the route currently being guided, and if they match, the notification that the next candidate is present is prohibited, so that the boarding is performed. When a person gives an instruction to notify the next candidate route, it is prevented that a route equal to the current guide route is actually notified.

Further, in the fifth aspect of the invention, the passenger is notified of the timing of the change to the next candidate route by notifying that the route being guided is approaching the branch point of the next candidate route. Further, it notifies that the notification of the next candidate route will be invalid soon, and prevents the passenger from being confused by sudden invalidation.

Further, in the invention according to claim 6, when the guide route is displayed as a map on the image display device, when the next candidate route is displayed, information on the branch point between this route and the route being guided is displayed. provide. This makes it possible to notify the information of the branch point even when branching at a point outside the screen.

Further, in the invention described in claim 7, when the next candidate route is displayed, the information about the branch point between the guide route and the next candidate route is displayed as character information.

Further, in the invention described in claim 8, when the next candidate route is displayed, the map is displayed so that the entire route from the current position to the destination is displayed, so that the route under guidance and the next route are displayed. Differences in candidate routes can be reported, and information about branch points can also be reported.

Further, in the invention according to claim 9, when the next candidate route is displayed, by displaying the map near the branch point of the route being guided and the next candidate route at the same scale as the present condition, the branch point is displayed. Information can be reported.

Further, in the invention as set forth in claim 10, by deleting the already passed portion of the guide route, the unnecessary portion is not displayed,
The display can be easily read.

Further, in the invention described in claim 11, the case of traveling on the route currently being guided is compared with the case of traveling on the route of the next candidate, and when there is no predetermined difference in advantage, the next candidate is selected. Do not notify passengers that the route has been searched.
This prevents the route from being changed frequently.

Further, in the invention according to claim 12, the next candidate route which is not selected or the guide route which is abandoned by selecting the next candidate route is stored, and the next candidate route re-searched after the next time is stored. The route and the stored abandoned route are compared, and if there is no predetermined difference in advantage, the next candidate route searched this time is not displayed. This prevents the abandoned routes from being displayed frequently.

Further, in the invention described in claim 13, the criterion for determining the superiority of the next candidate route is changed according to the elapsed time from the notification of the current guiding route, so that the frequent route is frequently changed. Prevent changes. That is, if it is not too long after the route has been notified, the next candidate is displayed only when the superiority of the next candidate is relatively high so that the change is not made again, and when the elapsed time is long, on the contrary. The next candidate is displayed even if the advantage is relatively low.

Further, in the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to promptly deal with a traffic obstacle on the expressway by searching for the next candidate route before a predetermined distance from the interchange of the expressway. is there. The expressway cannot be exited from any place other than the interchange, and once it enters a section with a traffic accident such as an accident, it cannot be avoided, and the traveling speed is relatively fast. According to the present invention, the next candidate route can be notified with sufficient margin.

Further, in the invention described in claim 15, the traffic condition is changed by comparing the contents of the external information between the previous time and this time and re-searching the route when the contents are changed. Since the search is performed only when, the burden on the calculation unit is reduced.

Further, in the invention described in claim 16, when a traffic obstacle such as an accident occurs on the route being guided, a detour route is targeted to a road having a low search rank in the vicinity of this obstacle section. By searching for, it is possible to avoid the traffic obstacle with a minimum change in route.

Furthermore, in the seventeenth aspect of the present invention, when a route search for avoiding a traffic obstacle section on the route being guided is performed, a waypoint is set behind the traffic obstacle section to narrow down the target. As a result, the search time can be shortened.

Further, in the eighteenth aspect of the present invention, the search target is narrowed down by setting a point behind the passage obstruction section with a high possibility of passing as a via point,
The search time can be shortened. The points that are likely to pass are specifically the intersections in front of bridges and tunnels, the interchanges of toll roads or the intersections of highways such as national and prefectural roads.

[0047]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle external information notification device of this embodiment. GPS antenna 10 and GPS receiver 1 constituting the GPS navigation system
2, various sensors such as a vehicle speed sensor 14, a steering sensor 16, a geomagnetic sensor 18, and a distance sensor 20, and a control unit 22. G in the GPS receiver 12
Radio waves from the geodetic satellite on the satellite orbit received by the PS antenna 10 are received. Based on the direction of this received radio wave, the control unit 22 calculates the latitude / longitude of the current position of the vehicle.
In this device, a so-called self-contained navigation system is basically adopted in which the current position is calculated by integrating the detection values from the departure point by sensors such as the vehicle speed sensor 14, the steering sensor 16, the geomagnetic sensor 18, and the distance sensor 20. Has been done. However, in order to further improve the detection accuracy of the current position, the correction is performed based on the current position of the host vehicle calculated based on the radio wave from the geodetic satellite.

The specific action of each sensor is that the vehicle speed sensor 14 first detects the vehicle speed to calculate how much the host vehicle has moved in a predetermined time. This distance can also be calculated by the distance sensor 20. Further, the steering sensor 16 and the geomagnetic sensor 18 can be used to calculate how much the vehicle has changed its traveling direction. The amount of change in the traveling direction may be detected by a gyro system. Then, the latitude and longitude detected by these sensors are compared with the map information stored in the map information storage unit 24, and the position of the host vehicle on the map is calculated by the control unit 22. Then, the map information and the position of the own vehicle are displayed in an overlapping manner on the display unit 26 provided near the driver's seat to notify the passenger. Further, the detected position of the own vehicle and the map information are constantly compared to determine whether the position on the map is a proper position. For example, if there is no road in the place where the vehicle is currently traveling and there is a road parallel to the traveling locus of the host vehicle, the position of the host vehicle is shifted and the current position is corrected to be on the road. The position detection accuracy detected by the above-mentioned sensors is compensated by such a correction called map matching.

Further, in this apparatus, by setting a destination point in advance and storing the route to reach this destination point, guidance of a route to be selected before an intersection to turn, etc. is performed and stored. Guidance can be made along the route. When the destination point is input from the input unit 28, the control unit 22 searches for a route from the current position measured by the GPS to the destination point, and the searched route is stored in the route storage unit 30. Then, the route guidance is performed by comparing the route stored during the actual traveling with the position of the host vehicle. The route guidance is performed, for example, in front of an intersection that makes a right turn or a left turn, by displaying a map around the intersection on the display unit 26 and indicating the route with an arrow or the like. indicate. further,
In the case of this device, in addition to the display, voice guidance is also performed by the voice generation unit 32. For example, when approaching an intersection where a right turn is to be made, a voice message such as "Turn right at the next intersection." If the notification is given by voice, the driver can select the set route without looking at the display of the display unit 26, so that the line of sight is not warped from the front.

The function described above is applicable to the map information storage unit 24.
It operates based on the information stored by, and the current information is not taken into consideration. Therefore, there is a possibility that the searched route cannot be actually passed due to traffic restrictions such as road construction. In addition, there may be a case where a part of the searched route is congested, and actually selecting another route may reach the destination point in a short time. Such inconvenience is caused by the fact that the current information is only the position of the own vehicle and traffic conditions on the road such as traffic congestion and regulations are not taken into consideration.

In the present apparatus, such information at the present time is received from the outside by the method described later and used as a judgment factor such as route selection. As a method for transmitting the current traffic conditions from the outside to each vehicle, some of them are currently put into practical use, such as those using FM multiplex broadcasting and those transmitting radio waves or light from a beacon provided on the side of the road. There is.

The present apparatus includes an FM multiplex receiver 34 for receiving the above-mentioned FM multiplex broadcast as a means for receiving external information and a beacon receiver 36 for receiving radio waves from a beacon.
Is equipped with.

The FM multiplex receiver 34 has an FM antenna 38.
The FM wave received by is received. The FM multiplex information is, for example, road congestion status or regulation information. Further, the beacon receiver 36 receives and receives radio waves from a beacon transmission source provided on the side of the road by the beacon antenna 40. Beacons are relatively narrow range, suitable for transmitting information. Utilizing this, a beacon transmission source is installed at a predetermined position before a specific intersection,
Information specific to this intersection is transmitted. The information unique to an intersection is, for example, the destination display for each branching direction of the intersection, which is conventionally displayed as a signboard in front of the intersection, and the required time (travel time) from the corresponding intersection to the destination displayed above. is there. On the other hand, the above-mentioned FM multiplex wave is suitable for transmitting information in a wide area, and information is transmitted from the base station. This information content is, for example, traffic congestion information on the entire Metropolitan Expressway, regulation information due to accidents, falling objects, etc., and other messages from the road administrator. Of course, it is also possible to transmit the traffic congestion information and the regulation information transmitted by the FM multiplex by the beacon.

As described above, the information received by the FM multiplex receiver 34 and the beacon receiver 36 is temporarily stored,
After the display instruction is given, it is displayed on the display unit 26. This display instruction is given, for example, after the reception is completed or after it is detected that the signal has passed directly below the beacon transmission source. Alternatively, it may be after a predetermined distance has passed from the reception or after a predetermined time has elapsed. Further, it is also preferable that the passenger can display it by giving an instruction from the input unit 28. In such a case, the external information can be prevented from being interrupted when the passenger is looking at another screen by displaying it only when the passenger requests it.

As described above, when re-searching the optimum route based on the received external information, the problem is the re-search timing and the display timing. For example, re-searching one after another based on the received external information and displaying this, the guiding route will change one after another,
The passengers may be confused. Also, even if the passenger operates to find the optimal route at the present time, if the search takes time, the new route cannot be displayed immediately and the passenger is made to wait. Such cases are also possible.

Therefore, the present apparatus detects a predetermined timing, starts the re-search, and stores the searched route as the next candidate route. Then, as soon as there is a notification instruction from the passenger, the stored next candidate route is read out and notified so that the new route can be notified when the passenger desires.

This configuration is shown in FIG. 1 above. The timing of re-searching is the provision time detection unit 42, the next candidate route deviation detection unit 44, and the interchange detection unit 46.
It is judged by either of the following.

Part of the content of the external information includes a time stamp indicating the time (provision time) when the information was created. If this time stamp is changed from the previous one, it means that the latest information has been received. In order to utilize this, the present apparatus has a provision time detection unit 42 that detects that the time stamp has changed. When this is detected, the search instruction unit 48 gives an instruction to perform a search based on the latest information. Then, when the search is completed, the updating unit 50 updates the next candidate route up to the previous time to the searched route and stores it in the next candidate route storage unit 52.

Further, the next candidate route deviation detecting section 44 detects that the host vehicle is traveling outside the next candidate route searched and stored last time. When the passenger departs from the next candidate route, the passenger has no intention to select the next candidate route. At this time, it is necessary to search for a new route and wait. Therefore, at the time of departure from the next candidate route, the search instructing unit 48 instructs the re-search, and when the search is completed, the updating unit 50 updates the contents of the next candidate route storing unit.

Further, the interchange detecting section 46 detects that the own vehicle approaches an interchange on a highway or a ramp on a toll road, and when this is detected, the search instructing section 48 instructs a re-search. Then, similarly to the re-search started at the above-mentioned provision time, the next candidate route is searched and stored. Expressways have the special property that they cannot enter or exit except at interchanges, and once you enter a section where traffic is congested due to accidents or regulations, you cannot exit. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain the traffic jam information and deal with it before entering the section where the traffic jam is occurring. Specifically, if there is a traffic jam such as a traffic jam between the next interchange and the next interchange, there is an option to get off the expressway at the next interchange. To do this, a route search is performed before the interchange.

Further, on an expressway, a situation different from a general road occurs in that the vehicle speed is high. That is, if it takes time to search for a route, it may happen that the route that passes through the interchange and leaves the interchange cannot be taken. Therefore, by searching for and storing the next candidate when approaching the interchange to some extent, it is possible to immediately notify the passenger of the notification instruction.

As described above, when the next candidate route searched at a predetermined timing is stored, the passenger is notified that the next candidate route has been found. This notification is displayed on the display unit 2 described above.
6 and / or the voice generation unit 32. A display example is shown in FIG. Here, the own vehicle position and the traveling direction are displayed by the own vehicle symbol 80, and the road 82 is shown by a solid line. A thick solid line indicates the route currently being guided. Then, the next candidate switch 86 is displayed on the upper right of the screen.
Is displayed. The display of this next candidate switch indicates that the next candidate route is stored and can be displayed immediately. In addition, the present device has a display unit 2
Reference numeral 6 denotes a touch panel type input unit 28, and the next candidate switch 86 is also a key for giving an instruction to display the next candidate. In the case of voice, for example, "The next candidate was found. To display it, press the key."
And so on.

The search for the next candidate route does not search for the optimum route among the routes excluding the route currently being guided. In other words, the next candidate route as a result of the search may actually be the same as the route being guided. In such a case, this device prohibits the notification that the next candidate route has been searched. Therefore, a route matching determination unit 54 that determines whether the next candidate route matches the route being guided, and a notification prohibition unit 56 that prohibits notification of the next candidate route when the two routes match There is.

Further, the superiority judgment unit 58 judges whether or not the next candidate route has a predetermined superiority to the guide route, and if there is no predetermined superiority, the next candidate route is searched. I will not notify you. Specifically, the travel time of the route being guided is compared with the travel time of the next candidate route, and if there is no difference for a predetermined time or more (for example, 5 minutes), it is determined that the next candidate route has no superiority. This is because the required time changes depending on the external information and the accuracy of calculating the travel time, and it is not worth judging the superiority based on this error. In addition, if the notification is made even if there is a slight difference, the notification may be made frequently and the passengers may find it annoying.If there is no significant difference in order to prevent this, the next candidate route is not notified. .

Further, the notification is also prohibited when the branch point between the route being guided and the next candidate route is approached to a predetermined distance. The branch points of the two paths are detected by the branch point detection unit 60,
This is compared with the current position, and when approaching within a predetermined distance, notification of the next candidate route is prohibited. by this,
It is prevented that the notified position comes too close to the branch point, and the driving operation corresponding to the route change becomes insufficient. In other words, it is notified that the next candidate route exists only at the position where it is possible to cope with the route change with a sufficient margin.

Further, in the section where both the route being guided and the next candidate route have passed, the passage route erasing unit 62 erases the guidance route display to provide a normal road display. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the guide route 84 is indicated by a thick solid line in the front of the traveling direction of the own vehicle, but is indicated by the same thin solid line as the normal road in the rear. Even when the next candidate route is not displayed, the passage section is deleted on the next candidate route storage unit 52.

The control flow up to this point is summarized in FIG. First, the guide route display of the portion where the vehicle has already passed is erased (S100). Next, it is determined whether the interchange of the expressway or the ramp of the toll road has approached a predetermined distance (for example, 2 km) (S102).
When approaching an interchange or the like, route search is immediately performed (S104). If it is determined in step S102 that the interchange is not approaching, it is determined whether the time stamp of the received external information has been changed from that of the previous time (S106). If changed, the route search is immediately started (S104). If it is determined in step S106 that the time stamp has not been changed, it is determined whether the vehicle is traveling on the next candidate route searched for last time (S108). Here, even when the vehicle is traveling in a section where the next candidate route matches the route being guided, the current position is compared with the next candidate route stored in the storage unit 52 regardless of the route being guided, and it is determined. If you run off the next candidate route and leave the next candidate route as it is,
The route displayed when the passenger instructs the display of the next candidate route is a route that has already deviated and is meaningless. In other words, when the vehicle deviates from the next candidate route, the next next candidate route must be calculated immediately so that the passenger's ideograph request cannot be immediately dealt with. Therefore, when the vehicle is not traveling on the next candidate route, the route is controlled to be searched.

When it is detected in step S108 that the vehicle has deviated from the next candidate route, if the next candidate switch 86 (FIG. 2) is displayed, it is deleted (S).
110, S112) The route search is started (S104).
When the route search is completed, the searched route is stored as the next candidate route (S114), and the process returns to step S100. If the vehicle is traveling on the next candidate route in step S108, it is determined whether the route being guided matches the next candidate route (S116). The next candidate route is obtained by searching for the route that can reach the destination in the shortest required time based on the current external information, and as a result, the same route as the route currently being guided may be searched. It is possible. In this case, since it has no meaning as the next candidate route, the switch display is turned off (S118, S120).

If it is determined in step S116 that the two routes do not match, it is determined whether or not the route is being guided (S122). When the vehicle is not traveling on the route being guided, it is considered that the display of the next candidate route is instructed, so the switch display is performed (S124, S12).
6). When it is determined in step S122 that the vehicle is traveling on the route being guided, it is next determined whether the difference between the required times of the two routes is less than or equal to a predetermined value (S128). If it is less than or equal to the predetermined value, it is considered that the superiority of selecting the next candidate is not recognized, and the same handling as when the next candidate and the route being guided coincide is performed. That is, the next candidate selection switch is not displayed (S118, S120). This prevents the next candidate from being displayed frequently. In particular, when the travel times of the two routes are almost the same and the dominant routes searched by the timing of the search are different, it is possible to prevent unnecessary notification of the next candidate route.

Further, when the superiority is recognized in the next candidate route in step S128, it is determined whether or not the branch point between the next candidate route and the route being guided is approached to a predetermined distance (S130). If it is close to the branch point to some extent, even if the next candidate route is displayed suddenly, it may not be possible to deal with this, so displaying this will be meaningless. Therefore, also in this case, the switches are not displayed (S118, S120). If there is still a margin to the branch point, the next candidate selection switch is displayed (S124, S126).

As described above, the next candidate selection switch 86 is a switch for notifying that there is a next candidate and at the same time giving an instruction to display it. When this switch is turned on (S132), the switch is erased (S134), and the next candidate route is changed to the guide route (S1).
36).

The outline of the control of this apparatus has been described above, but a part thereof will be described in more detail.

In step S106 of FIG. 3, the case where the route search is performed every time the provision time (time stamp) changes has been described. However, when the provision time has changed a predetermined number of times since the previous route search, the route is searched. It is also preferable to perform the search again. For example, the route search may be performed once every three changes of the provision time. With this configuration, the number of times route search is performed can be reduced, and the calculation load on the control unit can be reduced.

Although the predetermined value relating to the difference in required time is fixed in step S128, it may be changed according to the elapsed time after the display of the route currently being guided. It is considered that the route being guided is selected by the passenger's intention, and that it has not been long since this was displayed, it is considered that the intention of the passenger who selected that route is strongly reflected. To be On the contrary, if the time after the display is long, the intention of the selection is considered to be weak. Therefore, immediately after the current guide route is displayed as shown in FIG. 4, the value of the superiority criterion is set to be large so that the next candidate is not displayed,
Make it smaller over time.

Further, steps S130 and S118,
In S120, it is said that if the switch is approached within a predetermined distance to the branch point, the switch is erased even if it is displayed, but it is also preferable to control not to erase it suddenly but to gradually erase it. For example, the brightness of the display is gradually decreased to notify that this switch will be invalid soon. Also, not only the brightness of the display, blinking,
A so-called conceal control may be performed in which the color is changed or the liquid is flowed to the side so as to sneak under the background screen.
Furthermore, it may be notified by voice, such as "I am approaching the branch point with the next candidate." In this way, by notifying the passengers in advance that the branch point will soon approach, and the currently stored next candidate route will no longer be useful,
It is possible to prevent the passenger from being confused by suddenly turning off the switch.

Further, in steps S132, S134 and S136, the next candidate route is controlled to be the guide route immediately after the next candidate selection switch is turned on.
It may be configured such that the current guide route and the next candidate route are displayed at the same time and then either one is selected. Specifically, when the switch is turned on for the first time, both routes are displayed, and when the next candidate selection key is turned on, the guidance route up to that point is deleted and the next candidate route is promoted to the guidance route. When the cancel switch is pressed while both routes are displayed, the next candidate route is erased, and the control route is maintained so that the previous guidance route is maintained. The cancel switch is displayed on the touch panel display section similarly to the next candidate selection switch.

When the next candidate route is searched, it is displayed at the same time as the route being guided, and when the next candidate selection switch is turned on, the next candidate is displayed as a new guidance route and the cancel switch is turned on. In this case, the conventional guide route may be maintained.

Next, control when the branch point between the next candidate route and the route currently being guided does not fall within the display range of the screen will be described.

The display unit 26 used in the vehicle route guidance device cannot use a screen that is so large due to space restrictions. Usually, a 4 to 5 inch display is used. Therefore, it becomes necessary to change the scale according to the situation. For example, the scale is increased when the user wants to see a narrow back street, while the scale is decreased when he wants to see a wide range.

By displaying a map screen on such a display unit,
When route guidance is performed in which the guidance route is changed in accordance with the external information described above, the branch points of the route being guided and the route of the next candidate may not be displayed depending on the scale. In this case, the passenger cannot decide whether to select the next candidate or the current guide route. Therefore, in this apparatus, the position of the branch point is detected by the branch point detection unit 60 shown in FIG. 5, and the image deviation determination unit 64 determines whether or not this branch point is out of the currently displayed screen range. Is determined.

Specific display method is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.
Will be described. In FIG. 6, the guide route R1 from the current position S to the destination point D is shown by a thick solid line. For some reason, the route R2 indicated by the broken line is determined to have a shorter travel time, and this is stored as the next candidate route. At present, the display screen displays the area A1 around the current position, and the display status is shown in FIG. In FIG. 7, the reference numerals used are the same as those in FIG. In addition to FIG. 2, the next candidate route is a broken line 88.
Indicated by. However, with this alone,
Since the branch point X of 1 and the next candidate route R2 is not included in the area A1, the two routes show exactly the same route in the display range, and it is not known where the route is branched. Therefore, a part of the character information display portion 90 of the display screen is provided so that the distance to the branch point and the turning direction are shown. With this, it is possible to inform the passenger how far ahead the vehicle will branch.

As another display method, it is also preferable to change the scale of the screen and display the entire route from the current position S to the destination point D. That is, if the area A2 in FIG. 6 is displayed as the display range, the difference between the route being guided and the next candidate route can be seen at a glance. Furthermore, as another display method, it is also preferable to display a map near the branch point of the two routes without changing the current scale. In FIG. 6, the area A3 is the display range. If the route is frequently used by passengers, simply provide information near the junction,
This is sufficient because we know at which intersection the route should be changed.

The above is the timing for searching the next candidate route,
Although the display method and the like have been described, the features of the present apparatus when performing a route search will be described below.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration related to the route search of this device. When the external information is received, the information content determination unit 66 determines whether the content has been changed from the previous information content. When the information content is changed, the re-search instructing unit 68 instructs the route search.

At the time of this search, a traffic obstacle that prevents smooth traffic such as an accident, regulation, or traffic congestion is detected by the traffic obstacle detection unit 70 on the route currently being guided. Then, a route for avoiding this obstacle section is searched. At this time, the search rank changing unit 72 performs a route search including a road with a low search rank in a relatively narrow area including the corresponding obstacle section. For example, FIG. 6 shows a case where the route to be searched is not changed, and the route R2 is searched because only the main road is set as the search target. However, if a route search is performed in the vicinity of the traffic obstacle section including roads other than the main road, it is possible to cope with the traffic obstacle without changing the route so much.

For example, FIG. 9 shows a map of the same area as FIG. 6, and shows a traffic obstacle Y. In order to avoid this obstacle, if the search is limited to the displayed main road, for example, the route R2 is searched. However, there is a possibility that a new route can be searched without significantly changing the current guide route by expanding the target to a road with a low search rank around the traffic obstacle Y. Figure 1
0 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the traffic obstacle Y in FIG. 9, and includes the general roads R11 to R15 in addition to the main road R1. Further, intersections I1 to I5 of these roads are shown.
The result of the route search for these general roads is R3 indicated by the broken line. If such a search is performed, it is only necessary to depart from the current guidance route in the section from the intersection I1 to I5. Further, in the above-mentioned example, the route R2 of FIG. 6 was searched even when only the main road was searched, but there may be a case where a new route cannot be actually searched. In such a case, it is particularly effective to lower the road rank of the search target and widen the selection range as in the present device.

However, if the number of roads to be searched is increased in this way, the number of options increases and the search time becomes longer. In order to prevent this, the present apparatus sets a waypoint in the waypoint setting unit 74 and searches only the route passing through this waypoint. The waypoint is first set to the nearest intersection beyond the point where the traffic obstacle occurred, and the travel time of the route being guided is compared. In FIG. 10, the intersection closest to the traffic obstacle Y is I4, which is set as the waypoint. If there is a type of road that cannot pass at all, the shortest route when the waypoint is the intersection I4 becomes a new route. However, if the traffic obstruction takes time such as congestion but it is possible to pass, and if a route with a shorter travel time than the conventional route cannot be found, the setting of the waypoint is changed to the next intersection I5. To do. In the case of FIG. 10, when the intersection I5 is set as the waypoint, a route having a travel time shorter than that of the route being guided can be searched, and the route is indicated by a broken line.

In setting a waypoint, it is also preferable to set it at an intersection or the like that has a very high possibility of passing. For example, it is set as an interchange of a toll road / motorway, an intersection in front of a bridge or tunnel, or an intersection where the route being guided intersects with a main road such as a national road. Since there is a high possibility that such an intersection passes through any route, it is possible to shorten the search time by setting it as a waypoint from the beginning.

FIG. 11 shows a concrete example thereof. In the figure, a bridge B spans a river L, and a route R10 being guided is a route that crosses this bridge. Now, when a traffic obstacle Z occurs on the route R10, the bridge B must be crossed anyway, so it is necessary to cross the intersection I6. Therefore, since the route after crossing the bridge does not need to be changed from the route R10 being guided, by setting the intersection I6 as a waypoint, only the route before crossing the bridge needs to be searched. Therefore, the search time is shortened. By searching and storing the next candidate route in advance at a predetermined timing as described above, it is possible for the passenger to immediately display the next candidate route when he or she wants to see the next candidate route. Become. Also,
When a traffic obstacle occurs on the route, the route to be searched will be greatly changed and the passengers will be confused by reducing the rank of the road to be searched in the area around the traffic obstacle and expanding the target to a narrower road. Can be prevented. Furthermore, by setting a waypoint when performing a route search, the selection branch of the search is limited and the search time is shortened.

[0091]

As described above, according to the present invention, in addition to the route currently being guided, the next candidate route is searched and stored in advance, so that a new route is immediately notified in response to a passenger's request. be able to. Further, at the time of re-search, it is possible to notify a new route that is not significantly changed by lowering the rank of the road to be searched only in a specific range. Furthermore, when a re-search is performed, a waypoint is set and the route is limited and searched, so that the route can be searched in a shorter time.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, by reading the information already stored in the next candidate storage means, it is possible to immediately notify the passenger in response to the passenger's request, so that the passenger is kept waiting. Will disappear.

According to the second aspect of the invention, since the re-search is started only when the provision time is changed, the search is not performed when the same information is received, and the load on the arithmetic circuit is reduced.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the re-search is started when the vehicle deviates from the next candidate route, it is possible to always keep an appropriate next candidate route stored.

In the invention according to claim 4, when the route being guided and the searched next candidate route match, the passenger is notified more than necessary by prohibiting the notification of the existence of the next candidate route. Prevent that.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the passenger can be urged to prepare for the route change by notifying that the route being guided is approaching the branch point of the next candidate route. It is also possible to prevent the passenger from being confused because the display indicating that the next candidate is present suddenly disappears.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since information about the route being guided and the branch point of the next candidate route can be notified, the passenger can be urged to prepare to select the next candidate route.

In the invention described in claim 7, the information regarding the branch point can be notified as character information, and the information regarding the branch point can be notified to the passenger without changing the current display screen. .

In the invention described in claim 8, since the entire route from the current position to the destination is displayed, it is possible to notify the difference between the route being guided and the next candidate route,
It is possible to provide a judgment material when the passenger selects.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since the information around the branch point can be displayed, the passenger can be urged to prepare for the operation at the branch point.

In the tenth aspect of the present invention, by deleting the display of the guide route that has already passed, it is possible to make the unnecessary portion easy to see as a normal road.

According to the eleventh aspect of the invention, when the next candidate route does not have a predetermined advantage over the route being guided, the next candidate route is not displayed so that the next candidate route is frequently displayed. It is prevented that a candidate is displayed. As a result, it is possible to omit the operation when the travel time is not significantly shortened even if the next candidate route is displayed. In addition, the case where the route which has been abandoned once is displayed again as the next candidate is reduced.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, the abandoned route is prevented from being frequently displayed by storing the abandoned route once and comparing it with the searched next candidate route. it can.

In the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the display of the presence of the next candidate is prevented frequently by changing the elapsed time from the start of notifying the route being guided to the superiority criterion as a parameter. When the elapsed time is long, it is possible to secure an opportunity to inform the passenger of the information on the next candidate route.

In the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the next candidate route is searched before the interchange such as an expressway, so that the passenger is immediately notified when the route needs to be changed at the interchange. Is possible.

According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, since the route is searched again only when the content of the external information changes, the number of searches can be reduced, and the load on the arithmetic unit can be reduced.

According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, a road having a low search rank in the area around the section where the traffic obstacle has occurred is also searched, so that the traffic obstacle can be avoided without significantly changing the route. it can.

According to the seventeenth aspect of the present invention, by setting a waypoint at a recent intersection which is ahead of a traffic obstacle and narrowing down a search target to a route passing through the intersection, a search option is selected. Narrowing down and search time can be reduced. In addition, if the searched route has no superiority to the route being guided, by setting a waypoint at the next closest intersection, it is possible to search for a superior next candidate route in a short time. .

In the eighteenth aspect of the present invention, by selecting an intersection which has a high possibility of passing ahead of a traffic obstacle as a waypoint, it is possible to narrow down the search options and reduce the search time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a part of the configuration of a preferred embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display of the device of this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a part of a control flow of the apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining criteria for determining the superiority of the next candidate route of the device of this embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a part of the configuration of the device of the present embodiment, and is a block diagram of a configuration particularly when the branch points of the route being guided and the next candidate route deviate from the display screen.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of the apparatus of the present embodiment, and is an explanatory view of an operation regarding provision of information regarding a branch point between the route being guided and the next candidate route.

FIG. 7 is an example of a display of the device of the present embodiment, and is a display example in the case of providing information regarding branch points of the route being guided and the next candidate route in text information.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a part of the configuration of the device of the present embodiment, and is a block diagram of a configuration relating to route search particularly when a traffic obstacle occurs in a guide route.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of the device of the present embodiment, and is an explanatory view of an operation particularly when a traffic obstacle occurs on the guide route.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of the apparatus of the present embodiment, and is an explanatory view of an operation particularly when a traffic obstacle occurs on the guide route.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of the operation of the device of the present embodiment, and is an explanatory view of the operation particularly when a traffic obstacle occurs on the guide route.

[Explanation of symbols]

 22 control unit 34 FM multiplex receiver 36 beacon receiver 42 provision time detection unit 44 next candidate route deviation detection unit 46 interchange detection unit 48 search instruction unit 50 update unit 52 next candidate route storage unit 54 route match determination unit 56 notification prohibition unit 58 superiority Sex determination unit 60 Branch point detection unit 62 Passage route deletion unit 64 Screen deviation determination unit 66 Information content determination unit 68 Re-search instruction unit 70 Passing obstacle detection unit 72 Search rank change unit 74 Waypoint setting unit

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Akihiko Nojima 1 Toyota-cho, Toyota-shi, Aichi Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shoji Hirota 1 Toyota-cho, Toyota-shi, Aichi Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. ( 72) Inventor Yasuya Iwata 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yoshitaka Kato, 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Toyota Motor Co., Ltd.

Claims (18)

[Claims] 1. A route guidance device for a vehicle, which searches an optimum route to a destination based on information sent from outside the vehicle and notifies the passenger of the optimal route by means of notification means, in addition to the route currently being guided. A route guidance device for a vehicle, comprising a next candidate storage means for storing at least one next candidate route. 2. The vehicle route guiding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein provision time detecting means for detecting that the provision time information included in the external information is changed, and change of the provision time are detected. And a search instruction means for instructing a search for a next candidate route, and an updating means for updating the content of the next candidate storage means to the re-searched next candidate route. 3. The vehicle route guidance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a next candidate route deviation detecting means for detecting that the current position of the host vehicle deviates from the stored next candidate route, and a next candidate. A re-search instructing means for instructing a re-search of the next candidate route when an off-route is detected, and an updating means for updating the content of the next candidate storage means to the re-searched next candidate route. A vehicle route guidance device. 4. The vehicle route guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the searched next candidate route is
It has a route coincidence judging means for judging whether it is different from the route being guided, and a notification prohibiting means for prohibiting notifying the passenger that the next candidate route exists when it is judged that the two routes match. A vehicle route guidance device characterized by the above. 5. The vehicle route guiding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising branch point detecting means for detecting a branch point between the route being guided and a next candidate route, and the notifying means. A vehicular route guide device for notifying that a vehicle is approaching a branch point by a predetermined distance before the branch point. 6. The route guidance device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an image display device provided near a driver's seat that notifies the searched route as a map screen, and a route being guided. And a next candidate route, a branch point detecting unit for detecting a branch point, a screen deviation determining unit for determining whether or not the branch point deviates from the currently displayed map screen, and a next candidate for instructing display of the next candidate route. When the display instruction means and the instruction to display the next candidate are given and it is determined that the screen is off,
A route guidance device for a vehicle, comprising a branch point information reporting means for reporting information about a branch point of a guidance route and a next candidate route. 7. The vehicle route guiding apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the branch point information notifying means notifies by displaying character information on a display screen. 8. The vehicle route guidance device according to claim 6, wherein the branch point information notifying means notifies by changing the map scale so that the entire route from the current position to the destination is displayed. A vehicle route guidance device characterized by the above. 9. The vehicle route guidance device according to claim 6, wherein the branch point information notifying unit displays the route under guidance and the map near the branch point of the next candidate route at the same scale as the present scale. A route guidance device for a vehicle, which notifies the user. 10. The vehicle route guidance device according to claim 1, wherein an image display device provided near a driver's seat for displaying the searched route on a map screen and a route being guided. And a passage route erasing means for erasing a guidance display of a route that has already passed through the next candidate route. 11. The vehicle route guidance device according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether the searched next candidate route has a predetermined advantage over the route being guided. A route guide device for a vehicle, comprising: a sex determination unit; and a notification unit that notifies a passenger that a next candidate route exists only when the superiority is determined. 12. The vehicle route guidance device according to claim 11, wherein the abandoned route storage unit that stores the abandoned route and whether the searched next candidate route matches the abandoned route are determined. Abandoned route matching determination means and superiority changing means for changing the determination criterion of the superiority determination means when it is determined that the next candidate route matches the abandoned route. Only when the superiority is higher. A route guidance device for a vehicle, which notifies a passenger that a next candidate exists. 13. The route guiding apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein elapsed time measuring means for measuring an elapsed time from when the notification of the route currently being guided is started, and the superiority determination using the elapsed time as a parameter. A route guiding apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: a superiority changing unit for changing the determination criterion of the means, wherein the advantage of the determination criterion is higher as the elapsed time is shorter. 14. The route guidance device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an interchange detection means for detecting that a highway interchange on the guidance route has approached a predetermined distance, and a next candidate when the interchange approach is detected. A route guidance device for a vehicle, comprising: a search instructing means for instructing the search of. 15. A vehicle route guidance device that searches for an optimum route to a destination based on information sent from outside the vehicle and notifies the passenger of the optimum route, the content of the information sent from outside last time. And a search instruction means for instructing a re-search of a route when it is determined that the information content is different, and a route guidance device for a vehicle. 16. The vehicle route guidance device according to claim 15, wherein a traffic obstacle detecting means for determining whether or not information contents regarding a traffic obstacle of the previous time and this time are different on the route currently being guided, and the traffic obstacle. A route guidance device for a vehicle, comprising: a search rank changing means for including a road having a lower rank in a predetermined area including the passage obstacle point as a search target when re-searching for a route that avoids. 17. A vehicle route guidance device that searches for an optimal route to a destination based on information sent from outside the vehicle and notifies the passenger of the optimal route by a notification means. It has a traffic obstacle detection means to detect whether there is a obstacle and a waypoint setting means to set the intersection as a waypoint in order from the intersection close to the traffic obstacle ahead of the traffic obstacle, and has an advantage over the route being guided. A route guidance device for a vehicle, which sequentially searches until a route that becomes 18. A vehicle route guidance device that searches for an optimal route to a destination point based on information sent from outside the vehicle, and notifies the passenger of the optimal route by means of a notification means. Passing obstacle detection means for detecting whether there is an obstacle, and an intersection at the intersection of the interchange of toll roads, a bridge or a tunnel in front of the toll road, or the route under guidance intersects with a national or prefectural road. A route guidance device for a vehicle, which has a waypoint setting means set as, and searches for a route to the original destination point via the waypoint.