JPH08247776A - Navigation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a navigation apparatus capable of easily revising a part of a recommended route which is once determined. CONSTITUTION: When a part of a recommended route which is once determined is revised, a CPU 6 indicates an intersection node on the recommended route and an operator designates an intersection to be revised by a cursor by operating an input device 16, the designated intersection node can be moved along with the cursor, then the intersection node is matched with a position of the intersection that the operator intends to pass through. The CPU 6 draws a guide line that is drawn between two front and rear intersection nodes with respect to the intersection to be renewed nipped thereby including the node positioned on the intersection to be passed through and it calculates a renewed recommended route along the guide line.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a navigation device for displaying the current position of a vehicle obtained by positioning at a corresponding point on map data including the current position.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a GPS (Grobal Positioning) which receives radio waves from a GPS satellite and calculates its own current position
System) Obtains the current position of oneself by navigation, etc.
-Read out the map data of the predetermined range including the current position stored in ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), etc., and display the read map data on the display, and also display the current position at the corresponding point of the current position on the map data. Navigation devices that display marks are widely used. The conventional navigation device will be described below.

A conventional navigation device is a CD-RO.
The road data in the map data stored in the storage medium such as M is represented as a line connecting the nodes with the intersections and the bent portions of the road as nodes.

In addition, the user sets the starting point and the destination on the map data to take into consideration the total traveling distance of the passing route, the required time, and the fee if traveling on a toll road. Some also have a recommended route setting function that automatically calculates the best route.
The recommended route is displayed while being superimposed on the map data, and guidance information is displayed or output by voice regarding the positional relationship between the current position and the traveling direction of the vehicle and the recommended route.

[0005]

However, in the above conventional configuration, the recommended route which seems to be the best is automatically set by setting the starting point and the destination, but even if the recommended route is the best. However, it may not always be the best, depending on user preferences, weather, and changes in road conditions. If you try to change part of the recommended route that has been set once, you must set a relay point at the intersection of the road you want to drive and follow each node, There has been a problem that the user has a heavy operation load when making corrections.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a navigation device capable of easily changing a part of a recommended route that has been set once.

[0007]

In order to achieve this object, the navigation device of the present invention is a navigation system in which a user can calculate and set a recommended route of a moving body by setting a departure place and a destination. The device is a positioning means for determining the current position, a storage means for storing map data and road information in advance, an input means for a user to perform an input operation, and a current position and a predetermined range including the current position. Display means for displaying map data etc. to the user, and when changing part of the recommended route that has been set once, the user operates the input means to select the intersection to be changed on the recommended route set. Along with the designation and the intersection to be passed outside the recommended route, a control means for calculating a new recommended route including the intersection to be passed from the two intersections before and after the intersection to be changed is provided. It was configured to include.

Further, the designation of the intersection to be changed and the intersection to be passed is performed by interlocking the node indicating the intersection to be changed with the input means from a plurality of nodes indicating the intersection shown on the recommended route displayed on the display means. The cursor is designated, and the designated node is moved together with the cursor so as to be aligned with an intersection to pass through.

[0009]

With this configuration, the user can set a new recommended route including an intersection to be passed from two intersections before and after the intersection to be changed, only by designating the intersection to be changed and the intersection to be passed. .

Further, by designating an intersection to be changed with a cursor from a plurality of nodes indicating the intersection displayed on the recommended route and moving the designated node together with the cursor, the recommended route before the change and the passage You can visually understand the positional relationship with the intersection you want.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, a vehicle is given as an example of the moving body equipped with the navigation device.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a GPS receiver that receives radio waves from a GPS satellite and obtains the current position of the vehicle. Reference numeral 2 denotes an azimuth angle of the vehicle using, for example, a vibration gyro utilizing the Coriolis force. The azimuth sensor 3 is a distance sensor such as a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the traveling distance of the vehicle. Output data from the GPS receiving unit 1, the azimuth sensor 2, and the distance sensor 3 are sent to the control unit 4.

The control unit 4 obtains output data from the GPS receiving unit 1, the azimuth sensor 2 and the distance sensor 3 via the interface unit 5, and based on these output data, the map data including the current position of the vehicle is obtained. A CPU 6 that pulls out from a storage medium 9 described later, performs image forming processing, and analyzes a command input by a user operating an input device 16 described later, and various programs executed by the CPU 6. It is composed of a ROM 7 in which other necessary information and the like are stored in advance, and a RAM 8 in which necessary information is written and read when the CPU 6 executes a program.

A storage medium 9 is a CD-ROM or IC.
Digitized map data and road information are stored in a card or the like. The CPU 6 obtains the current position of the vehicle based on the output data from the GPS receiving unit 1, the azimuth sensor 2, and the distance sensor 3, and the map data of the area of the predetermined range including the point on the map data corresponding to this current position. And road information are acquired from the storage medium 9, temporarily stored in the RAM 8, and output to the display unit 11 described later.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a display unit, which is a CRT (Cathode Ra
y Tube) Display and LCD (Liquid Crystal Displ)
ay), a display unit 12, a graphic memory 13 having a video RAM in which map drawing data sent from the control unit 4 is written, and a graphic memory 1
3, a graphic controller 14 that outputs the map drawing data written in 3 as image data, and a display controller 15 that controls the output of the image data sent from the graphic controller 14 to the display unit 12.
It is composed of

Reference numeral 16 denotes an input device operated by the user,
When a user operates an operation surface including a keyboard, a trackball, etc., various commands corresponding to the operated keys are output to the control unit 4. The operation surface of the input device 16 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is a view showing the operation keys of the input device according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing an example of the operation surface. As shown in FIG. 2, the operation keys of the input device 16 include cursor keys 2 that can move a cursor displayed on the display unit 12 (see FIG. 1) in eight directions.
1. A menu key 22 for opening a menu screen for making various settings and an OK key 23 for making settings are provided, as well as a start key 26 for starting or restarting positioning, a destination or a departure place, etc. Various keys such as a position registration key 24 for registering a position, a position correction key 25 for correction, a guide setting key 27 for setting a route, and scale keys 28 and 29 for changing the scale of map data are provided.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display example of the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. When positioning is started, the display screen of the display 12 shows the current state of the vehicle as shown in FIG. Map data of a predetermined range including the position is displayed, and the own vehicle mark is displayed at the corresponding point of the current position.

The operation of the navigation device configured as described above will be described below. In addition,
In the following description, the reference numerals used in FIGS. 1 and 2 are used as they are.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
6 shows an operation of setting a recommended route or changing a part of the recommended route that has been set once. In addition, FIG. 5, FIG. 6, FIG. 7, FIG.
0, FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 are views showing one display example of the navigation device in one embodiment of the present invention, and show one display example at each step of the flowchart shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the user inputs the input device 16
By operating the guidance setting key 27 of, the display screen becomes a recommended route processing mode screen as shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, "route setting" and "route correction" are displayed on the display screen, and the user operates the cursor key 21 of the input device 16 to select either one, and OK.
By operating the key 23, setting or correction of the recommended route is started (Step 101).

When the user selects "route setting" in Step 101, the CPU 6 first sets the departure place. As shown in FIG. 6, the CPU 6 displays "departure point setting" on the display screen. The user operates the cursor key 21 of the input device 16 to align the cursor appearing on the display screen with an intended point on the displayed map data, and operates the OK key 23. The CPU 6 sets the point indicated by the cursor as the departure point (Step
p102).

When the process of setting the departure place in Step 102 is completed, the CPU 6 next sets the destination. As shown in FIG. 7, the CPU 6 displays “destination setting” on the display screen.
Is displayed. The user moves the cursor to an intended point on the displayed map data and operates the OK key 23 in the same manner as when the departure point is set in Step 102. The CPU 6 sets the point indicated by the cursor as the destination (Step 103).

When the destination setting process in Step 103 is completed, the CPU 6 calculates a recommended route based on the starting point and the destination set in Steps 102 and 103. The CPU 6 uses the Dijkstra method or the like to calculate the route, checks all the routes connecting the two points of the set starting point and destination, and calculates the best route based on the shortest distance. It takes time to do. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, “Route Searching” is displayed on the display screen, and the progress of the route calculation process is displayed by a bar graph or the like (Step 104).

When the recommended route calculation process in Step 104 is completed, the CPU 6 displays the calculated recommended route by color coding or superimposition display so as to connect the symbol-displayed starting point and destination (Step 105).

On the other hand, when the user selects "route correction" in Step 101, the recommended route is already set in this case, but a part of the route calculated in Step 104 is changed (Step 105).
First, as shown in FIG. 10, the CPU 6 displays “route correction” on the display screen and also displays each intersection node and cursor on the set recommended route.

The user operates the cursor keys 21 of the input device 16.
When you move the cursor to the intersection node you want to change and operate the OK key 23, the selected intersection node can be moved together with the cursor. As shown in FIG. 11, move the cursor to the desired passage intersection and press the OK key 23
To operate.

The CPU 6 draws a guideline from the intersection nodes before and after the intersection node selected on the recommended route to the intersection node set as the desired passage intersection, and calculates a new recommended route according to the guideline. As shown in FIG. 12, the calculated recommended route is displayed together with the recommended route before correction excluding the correction section.

Here, an example of selection criteria of an intersection node which is an end point of a guide line drawn when a part of the above-mentioned recommended route is changed will be described. 13 and 14
FIG. 15 and FIG. 15 are explanatory diagrams of route correction in one embodiment of the present invention.

As for the selection criteria of two intersection nodes before and after sandwiching the intersection to be changed when drawing the guideline, as shown in FIG. 13, the angle θ formed by the two guidelines is set in advance and the intersection to be changed is set. An appropriate one is selected from the intersection nodes that are located in the range such that the two guide lines form an angle θ between them.

Further, as shown in FIG. 14, with reference to the straight line distance L between the intersection node to be changed and the intersection node to be passed, the intersection nodes before and after the intersection node to be changed are L-1 <L1 <L + 1, L. -1 <L2 <L +
Select an appropriate value within the range of 1. For example, if the straight line distance L is 3 Km in actual distance, an appropriate one is selected from the intersection nodes existing within the range of 2 Km to 4 Km in actual distance from the intersection to be changed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 15, the user may specify the intersection nodes before and after the intersection node to be changed. However, these are examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the recommended route once set by inputting the starting point and the destination is changed, the user selects the desired intersection on the recommended route as the desired crossing point with the cursor. By moving, the guideline will be drawn from the intersection node before and after the intersection node you want to change to the intersection node at the desired passage intersection, and a new recommended route along this guideline will be calculated and displayed. The person can easily change the recommended route.

[0035]

As described above, according to the present invention, when a part of the recommended route that has been set once is changed, the user wants to change the intersection on the recommended route and the intersection that the user wants to pass outside the recommended route. By simply specifying, it is possible to calculate a new recommended route that includes the intersection you want to pass, using the two intersections before and after the intersection you want to change as the end points, so you can easily change part of the recommended route that has been set once. It is possible to realize a navigation device.

Further, as a method of designating an intersection to be changed and an intersection to be passed when changing a part of the recommended route once set, a node indicating each intersection is displayed on the recommended route, and each displayed route is displayed. Specify the node indicating the intersection you want to change from the node with the cursor, and make the node indicating the specified intersection moveable with the cursor,
By locating the vehicle at the intersection that the user wants to pass through, it is possible to realize a navigation device that allows the user to visually understand the positional relationship between the recommended route that has been set and the intersection that the user wants to pass.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing operation keys of an input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display example of a navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example of a navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of a navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display example of the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display example of a navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a display example of the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display example of the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display example of the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a display example of a navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of route correction according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of route correction according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of route correction in one embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 GPS receiver 2 Direction sensor 3 Distance sensor 4 Control unit 9 Storage medium 11 Display unit 16 Input device

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A navigation device capable of calculating and setting a recommended route of a moving body by a user setting a starting point and a destination, and positioning means for obtaining a current position,
Storage means for storing in advance map data, road information, etc., input means for the user to perform an input operation, and display means for displaying to the user the current position and map data within a predetermined range including this current position. When changing a part of the recommended route once set, the user operates the input means to specify an intersection to be changed on the set recommended route, and to specify an intersection to pass outside the recommended route. A navigation device comprising: a control unit that, when specified, calculates a new recommended route including an intersection to be passed from two intersections before and after sandwiching the intersection to be changed. 2. When changing a part of the recommended route that has been set once, the control means draws a guideline from the two intersections before and after the intersection on the recommended route to be changed to the intersection to be passed. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein a new recommended route that complies with these guidelines is calculated. 3. Two intersections before and after the intersection on the recommended route to be changed are selected on the basis of an angle formed by two guidelines drawn from the two intersections with respect to the intersection to be passed. The navigation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: 4. The two intersections before and after the intersection on the recommended route to be changed are selected on the basis of the straight line distance between the intersection to be changed and the intersection to be passed. The navigation device according to claim 2. 5. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein two intersections before and after the intersection on the recommended route to be changed can be designated by the user through the input means. 6. The intersection to be changed and the intersection to be passed are specified by selecting the node indicating the intersection to be changed from the nodes indicating the intersection indicated on the recommended route on the map data displayed on the display means. 3. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation device is specified by a cursor or the like interlocked with, and the specified node is moved together with the cursor so as to be aligned with an intersection to pass through.