JPH09210696A - Car navigation system and location registering method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a car navigation system in which a memory location can be represented by a pin point at the time of registration by employing the name of street and address at the memory location or a location closest thereto as the name at the memory location. SOLUTION: A current position detector 2 retrieves a street closest to a registered location and the address of street is calculated from the node train of street retrieved by a central processing unit 40 and an information memory 3. The street thus calculated is registered along with the address in an I/O unit 1 as the name of memory location. Consequently, the memory location can be represented by a pin point. Furthermore, even when the name of street at memory location or a location closest thereto can not be retrieved, the name of a facility closest to the memory location or the latitude and longitude at memory location can be registered as the name of memory location.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a destination, a passing point,
The present invention relates to a vehicle navigation device in which a point such as a current position is input and stored, and the stored point can be read and used for setting a destination.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a vehicle navigation system for route guidance installed in an automobile or the like, a destination, a passing point, a facility to be viewed, etc. are registered in a memory point, and the registered point is used for setting the destination, etc. Is being done. For example, when the guidance screen of the navigation device is displayed and the input instruction key is operated when the cursor on the screen is moved by the remote control device or the like to reach the target point (memory point), the destination as shown in FIG. The passing point, the memory, and the mode selection of the current location are displayed. If you select the memory here, the facility closest to the cross cursor position is searched,
As shown in FIG. 11, the facility name “ABC” is displayed together with a registration number, a mark, a telephone number, etc. When the memory button is pressed, this is registered as a memory point. The points registered in this way can be displayed in a list,
For example, when the list is displayed as shown in FIG. 10 and the destination button is pressed, the memory point is set as the destination.

[0003]

By the way, in the conventional memory point registration, since the facility whose center coordinates are closest to the memory point is searched and the name is registered, the memory point is considerably distant from the memory point. However, there is a possibility that a name that has nothing to do with a memory point may be registered, in which case there is a problem that the position of the memory point becomes difficult to understand from the registered name. An object of the present invention is to enable the position of a memory point to be represented by pinpoint in registering the memory point.

[0004]

According to the present invention, in a vehicle navigation device having a memory point registration function, a street closest to a registration point is searched, and an address on the street is calculated from a node string of the searched street. It is characterized in that the street and the address are registered as names of memory points. In particular, in Europe and America, street names are used to represent addresses, and by using street names and addresses as memory point names in memory point registration, it becomes possible to express the location of memory points in pinpoint.

[0005]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a navigation device according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a navigation device according to the present invention includes an input / output device 1 for inputting / outputting information on route guidance, a current position detecting device 2 for detecting information on the current position of the vehicle, and a navigation necessary for calculating a route. Information storage device 3 in which vehicle guidance data and display guidance data necessary for guidance and the like are recorded, and a central processing unit 4 that performs route search processing and display guidance processing required for route guidance, and that controls the entire system Has been done.

The input / output device 1 instructs the central processing unit 4 to perform a navigation process by the driver's will so that the driver can input the destination or output the guidance information by voice and / or screen when the driver needs it. In addition, it has a function of printing out the processed data. As a means for realizing the function, the input section has a touch switch 11 and an operation switch for inputting a destination by a telephone number or coordinates on a map, or for requesting route guidance, and an output section. The input data is displayed on the screen, the display 12 automatically displays the route guidance on the screen in response to the driver's request, the data processed by the central processing unit 4 or the data stored in the information storage device 3 is printed. A printer 13 for outputting and a speaker 16 for outputting route guidance by voice are provided.

Here, a voice recognition device for enabling voice input or a recording card reading device for reading data recorded on an IC card or a magnetic card can be added. In addition, an information center that stores data necessary for navigation and is provided via a communication line at the driver's request, and a computerized notebook in which driver specific data such as map data and destination data are stored in advance It is also possible to add a data communication device for exchanging data with an information source such as.

The display 12 is composed of a color CRT or a color liquid crystal display, and a target name input screen based on map data or guidance data processed by the central processing unit 4, a route setting screen, a section diagram screen, an intersection diagram. All screens necessary for navigation, such as screens, are output in color display, and on this screen, buttons for setting route guidance, guidance during route guidance, and switching screens are displayed. In particular, transit intersection information such as transit intersection names is displayed in color in a pop-up on the section map screen at any time, and on the target name input screen, the number of remaining lists of all target names that have a common reading part, and A target name selection screen or the like is displayed, and when the target name is selected by the selection key or remote control operation, a map around the destination is displayed.

The display 12 is provided in the instrument panel near the driver's seat, and the driver can confirm the current position of the vehicle by looking at the section map and obtain information about the route from now on. it can. The display 12 is provided with a touch panel 11 corresponding to the display of the function buttons, and is configured to execute the above-described operation based on a signal input by touching the button. The input signal generating means including the button and the touch switch constitutes an input unit, but a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

The current position detecting device 2 is a GPS receiving device 21 using a satellite navigation system (GPS), a beacon receiving device 22, such as a cellular phone (automobile phone) or an F.
A data transmission / reception device 23 for receiving a GPS correction signal using an M multiplex signal, an absolute direction sensor 24 including a geomagnetic sensor, a relative direction sensor 25 including a wheel sensor, a steering sensor, a gyro, and the like, wheel rotation A distance sensor 26 for detecting the traveling distance from the number is provided.

The information storage device 3 includes map data, intersection data, node data, street data, photo data, registered spot data, guidance spot data, destination data, telephone number data, address data necessary for route guidance and spot registration. It is a database that consists of files such as the above and records all the data necessary for the navigation device.

The central processing unit 4 has a CPU 40 for executing various arithmetic processes, a process such as a route search, a process for reading out necessary information stored in an information storage device, a process for retrieving position coordinates of an input point, and street information. Search control, registration processing for associating position coordinates with street information, registration information search processing, display output control required for route guidance, voice output control required for voice guidance ROM for storing the program and necessary data therefor, RAM 42 for temporarily storing the searched route guidance information such as the set point coordinates of the destination, the street number, etc. and the data being processed, the route guidance and The second ROM 43, which stores the display information data necessary for the map display, and the image data used for the screen display on the display are stored. Image memory 44, which outputs image data from the image memory 44 based on a display output control signal from the CPU 40, performs image processing and outputs the image data to a display, and an information storage device based on a sound output control signal from the CPU. Voice read from 3,
A voice processor 46 that synthesizes a phrase, a set of sentences, sounds, and the like, converts the synthesized signal into an analog signal, and outputs the analog signal to the speaker 16, a communication interface 47 that exchanges input / output data by communication, and a sensor of the current position detection device 2. Sensor input interface 4 for capturing signals
8. It is provided with a clock 49 for writing the date and time in the internal diagnostic information. Here, the route guidance screen is displayed and voice output is performed, and the presence or absence of voice output can be selected by the driver. It should be noted that the display and the speaker constitute an informing means for informing information.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the structure of main data files stored in the information storage device 3 according to the present invention shown in FIG. FIG. 2A shows a proposed street data file in which data necessary for calculating a route by the route calculating means and performing route guidance is stored. For each number of streets n, the street number, length, and street. It consists of attribute data, address of shape data, size and address of guide data, and size data. The street number is the direction (outward path,
Return route) is set separately. The street attribute data as the street guidance auxiliary information data indicates whether the street is an overpass, next to an overpass, underpass, next to an underpass,
This is data indicating information on the number of lanes. The shape data is
As shown in FIG. 2B, when each street is divided into a plurality of nodes (sections), there are coordinate data consisting of east longitude and north latitude for each number m of nodes, and address data corresponding to the node. doing.

As shown in FIG. 2C, the guidance data includes intersection (or branch) name, attention point data, street name data, street name voice data address, size and destination data address, size. It consists of each data. The caution data is data indicating information such as railroad crossings, tunnel entrances, tunnel exits, width reduction points, and nothing.Data for calling the driver's attention at railroad crossings other than branch points, tunnels, etc. Is. The street name data indicates data indicating road types of expressways, urban expressways, toll roads, general roads (national roads, prefectural roads, etc.) and actual names such as “ABC street” and “Arc de Triomphe street”. It consists of data.

As shown in FIG. 2D, the destination data is composed of a destination road number, a destination name, an address of destination name voice data, a size and a destination direction data, and travel guidance data. The destination name includes a direction name. In addition, destination direction data is invalid (do not use destination direction data), unnecessary (do not guide), go straight,
It is data indicating information on the right direction, diagonally right direction, right returning direction, left direction, diagonally left direction, and left returning direction. The driving guidance data stores data for guiding which lane to drive when there are a plurality of lanes, and is data indicating information from the right, from the left, from the center, or nothing. .

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the flow of the entire system of the navigation device according to the present invention. When the program of the route guidance system is started by the CPU 51 of the central processing unit 4, the current position detecting device 2 detects the current position and displays a map around the current position and the name of the current position. Yes (Step S
1). Next, the destination is set using the target name such as the place name and the facility name, the telephone number and the address, the registration point, etc. (step S
2) A route search from the current position to the destination is performed (step S3). In the present invention, the registration points are registered by street name and street address. Once the route is determined,
While tracking the current position by the current position detection device 2,
The route guidance / display is repeated until the vehicle arrives at the destination (step S4). If a detour setting is input before arriving at the destination, a search area is set, a re-search is performed in the search area, and route guidance is repeated until the vehicle arrives at the destination.

Next, the process of registering a memory point by the central processing unit 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. If the input operation key is instructed while the guidance screen is displayed, the mode options are displayed (Fig. 10), and when the memory button is operated when the cursor reaches the point to be registered, the CPU
The memory point registration program is activated by 51, and the memory point registration processing shown in FIG. 4 starts. First, the latitude / longitude data of the registration point designated by the cursor is read and acquired from the map data file of the information storage device 3, and the latitude / longitude is registered as the memory point position (S).
11, S12). Next, the street closest to the registration point is searched, for example, in a 100 m square, and street name data is read from the guidance data described in FIG. 2C to obtain the street name (S13). in this case,
For example, as shown in FIG. 5, 100 m from the memory point M
If there are ABC and XYZ streets on all sides, draw a perpendicular line from memory point M to each street.
The distance MP to the BC street and the distance MQ to the XYZ street are compared to determine which is closer.
In this way, when the nearest ABC street is acquired, A
The address is calculated from the node string of BC street (FIG. 2B) (S14), the street name and the address are registered as the memory spot name (S15), and stored in the registered spot data file of the information storage device 3. .

When the street cannot be retrieved 100 m square from the memory point M, the facility closest to the memory point M is retrieved from the distance between the center coordinate position of the facility and the memory point (S16), and the facility name is retrieved. Is registered as (S17). If the facility closest to the memory point cannot be retrieved, the longitude / latitude of the memory point is registered as the memory point name (S18).

The memory spot list registered by selection on the menu screen can be displayed on the screen.
The memory location list is a registration number (for example, 1 to 10).
0), parking lot, logo mark for distinguishing food items, name of memory point consisting of street name and address, telephone number, position of memory point (latitude / longitude), detour, special purpose such as beep. Therefore, the name of the memory point is basically represented by the street name and address, and when the street name and address cannot be retrieved, it is represented by the facility name or longitude / latitude. This memory point list can be used in various ways, and can be used for setting the destination and the present location, confirming the address of the present location, and the like.

Next, an example of how to assign addresses will be described. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing one road having addresses 0 to 500, and ● represents a node, and the illustrated address is attached to each node (FIG. 2B). ). As a method of assigning an address in such a case, the following methods can be adopted. For the set point, the node closest to the coordinates is searched and the address is registered. Nodes corresponding to all the addresses are set so that the nodes and the addresses are in one-to-one correspondence. Calculate an appropriate address from the currently stored node.

For example, as shown in FIG.
If memory point M is registered between address 00,
According to the method, 0 address or 100 address is added. In this case, if there is a node in the vicinity of the memory point, the address can be set appropriately, so that the method of 1 may be adopted.

However, since the distance between the nodes is wide at a place where a straight road continues, it is possible that a node far from the memory point is selected and its address is given. In such a case, if you use the above method, there is no problem,
The above method can be used. That is, an appropriate address corresponding to the memory point is calculated by proration based on the relationship between the addresses of the start point and the end point and the distance. For example, if the number of streets is one lane on each side, setting the up lane as an even numbered street and setting the down lane as an odd numbered street will determine whether the street is up or down even if the nodes are wide. It is possible to calculate an appropriate address. Further, also on a one-way street, it is possible to calculate an appropriate address corresponding to the memory point by proration based on the relationship between the addresses of the start point and the end point and the distance.

In addition, the above method may be used in combination, and if the node closest to the memory point is within a predetermined distance, the address of the node is used, and if it is a predetermined distance or more, the method is used. Good.

By the way, in the above embodiment, the street corresponding to the set point is searched by searching the node from the street data. However, with this method, it is not always possible to properly register a street when a person is in a parking lot in a facility. For example, as shown in FIG.
When a point is set at the parking lot at the 10th ABC street, if the set point is closer to the node N ′ on the XYZ street than the node N on the ABC street, the XYZ street may be registered.

Therefore, an embodiment in which building shape map data is prepared to eliminate such a problem will be described below. Figure 8 depicts the shapes of buildings (general houses, office buildings, condominiums, fire stations, department stores, hospitals, stations, etc.), facilities (towers, parks, amusement parks, playgrounds, etc.), bridges, roads, and various other so-called buildings. The data structure of the building shape map for displaying and displaying is shown in FIG. 1, which is stored in the map data file of the information storage device, and is composed of a plurality of coordinate values for drawing and displaying the shape of the building. Coordinate column, name of the building, address, various information belonging to the building,
For example, it has information such as type, height, configuration (resident), and its telephone number.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8 (A), the number N of building data is stored next to the number N of building data. Then, the data of each building includes each information of the building name, address, type, building shape, height, and details. The name is the building name if it is a building, the resident name if it is an individual house, the facility name if it is a facility, the road type such as "National Highway No. 1", "ABC Street" if it is a road. Street name and address is the street and street number of the building. The shape of the building is the number of coordinates n representing the shape and its coordinate values (x ₀ , y ₀ ), (x ₁ , y ₁ ),
... (x _n-1 , y _n-1 ) and the type is information such as general houses, condominiums, office buildings, public facilities, roads, and parks. The height is information on the number of floors and the height (m). For example, in the case of a tenant building, the details are information on each resident. For the number m of names and each tenant, the name, telephone number, room number, classification (type of business such as restaurant, convenience store,..., Business content). Information. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8B, for example, the coordinate values are sequentially read as the information about the shape of the building, and the drawing is performed by connecting and drawing the lines to output the planar shape of the building or house or the topography of the park. it can.

FIG. 9 is a display example of a building shape map, in which names of parks, public facilities, and streets are also displayed as names of buildings. Furthermore, what is displayed in some aspects of each building is the one in which the display aspect is changed, and in the case of color display, the distinction display is made by color, density, or a combination of those aspects. Therefore, the display mode is changed according to the data type information, height information, the number of detailed names, and the like. For example, in schools, city halls, public facilities such as train stations, parks, and tenant buildings, the buildings with a large number of names are displayed differently from the normal display mode, so that the target objects and features of the area displayed as a map can be displayed. You can make it easier to understand.

Thus, since the building shape map data has streets and addresses as addresses, for example, when registering the point of the cursor (KL) in FIG. 11, if the cursor is operated at this point. The building shape map data is searched, and when the street and address are set as the address in the data of this facility, the searched street and address are registered as the point name. In this way, unlike the search from street data, different streets will not be searched and registered. Further, when it is determined that the street and address are not set as the address when searching the building shape map data, the street data of FIG. 2 may be searched.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, when registering a memory point, the position of the memory point is pinpointed by using the street name and the address of the memory point or the nearest street address as the memory point name. It becomes possible to express by, and even if the street name of the memory point or the street name closest to the memory point cannot be searched,
The name of the facility closest to the memory point or the latitude and longitude of the memory point can be registered as the memory point name.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a road data structure.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a flow of the entire system.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a memory location registration processing flow.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a search for the nearest street.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating how to assign addresses.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a defect of street search by a node.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating building shape map data.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a display example of a building shape map.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating conventional memory point registration.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating conventional memory point registration and list.

[Explanation of symbols]

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 input / output device, 2 current position detecting device, 3 information storage device, 4 central processing device, 11 touch switch, 12
... Display, 13 ... Printer, 16 ... Speaker, 2
1 ... GPS receiver, 22 ... beacon receiver, 23 ...
Data transmitting / receiving device, 40 CPU, 41 first ROM,
42 RAM, 43 second ROM, 44 image memory,
45 image processor, 46 audio processor, 47
Communication interface, 48: Sensor input interface, 49: Clock

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A desired point is input, the position coordinates and street information of the input point are searched from the data related to the map, the position coordinates of the searched point and the street information are registered in association, and a request is made. A vehicle navigation device configured to notify information including position coordinates of a registered point and street information accordingly. 2. A processing means for accessing map information and guidance information and reading out necessary information, an input means for inputting a desired spot, and a position coordinate search means for searching for position coordinates of the input spot. Street information search means for searching street information corresponding to a point, registration means for associating and registering the results of the position coordinate search means and the street information search means, and registration information for searching the information registered by the registration means A vehicle navigation device comprising: a search unit; and an informing unit for informing the information retrieved by the registered information retrieval unit in response to a request. 3. An input means, a storage means for storing map data and street data, a reading means for accessing stored information of the storage means and reading out necessary information, and a position coordinate of an input memory point. Position coordinate searching means for searching, street information searching means for searching the street information of the input memory point or closest to the memory point, and the searched street information is registered as a memory point name and stored in the storage means. A vehicle navigation device comprising: a registration unit that allows the information to be read, and a notification unit that notifies the information read from the storage unit in response to a request. 4. The vehicle navigation device according to claim 1, wherein a street name and an address are registered as street information. 5. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, on the condition that the street information cannot be searched, a facility related to the input point is searched and its name is registered. A vehicle navigation device characterized by: 6. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 5, wherein the longitude and latitude of the input point position are registered on condition that the facility related to the input point could not be searched. apparatus. 7. A step of inputting a desired point, retrieving position coordinates and street information of the input point from data relating to a map, and registering the position coordinates of the retrieved point and street information in association with each other. How to register points.