JPH0933276A - Voice guidance apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate CD-ROM accessing for a voice guidance phrase reproduction in a software processing manner at a guidance point. SOLUTION: When the current position reaches a guidance point, it is judged whether a right way guidance phase is reproduced or not or whether a left way guidance phrase is reproduced or not. (S1). When the right way guidance is conducted, a flag for voice guidance in an R channel is set (S2) and when the left way guidance is conducted, a flag for voice guidance in an L channel is set. (S3) By setting the flag, minute, second and a sector or a start address and minute, second and a sector of an end address in a CD-ROM of the guidance phrase are designated. (S4). The right way and left way voice guidance reproduction processings differ from each other only in the setting of the flags in the R channel and L channel, and the processing can be in common for the indicating of the minute, second, the sector of the CD-ROM address.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a traveling position display device (navigation device) for displaying the current position of an automobile or the like on a display device together with a map. The present invention relates to a voice guidance device for guiding by voice guidance while traveling on a route.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 shows an outline of an on-vehicle traveling position display device.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 1 denotes an azimuth sensor. The azimuth sensor 1 includes a geomagnetic sensor for detecting the absolute traveling azimuth of an automobile and an optical gyro for detecting the relative traveling azimuth of the automobile. Reference numeral 2 is a distance sensor that generates a pulse according to the number of rotations of the wheel, and 3 is various sensor signals such as an ON / OFF signal of a brake switch and a parking switch, and a power supply voltage monitoring signal. Reference numeral 4 denotes a sensor signal processing unit that processes sensor signals from the azimuth sensor 1 and the distance sensor 2, and 5 denotes a GPS (Global Positionin).
This GPS receiver 5 is capable of obtaining the position (latitude, longitude) of the reception point by receiving and calculating radio waves transmitted from a plurality of satellites.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a CD-ROM drive, which is C
The D-ROM drive 6 is a CD on which map data is recorded.
-To read map data from the ROM 7. Further, the music of the voice guidance is also reproduced, and the voice guidance is output from the speaker 20. Reference numeral 8 denotes a display / operation unit provided in the vehicle interior. The display / operation unit 8 is provided on a liquid crystal display 8A for displaying a map, a current traveling position, a direction, and the like of the automobile, and is provided on a front surface of the liquid crystal display 8A. The touch panel 8B includes switches for instructing enlargement and reduction of a display map,
A switch for instructing a route search, a switch for selecting a destination from the place names displayed on the liquid crystal display 8A, and the like are provided. Reference numeral 9 denotes an apparatus main body, and the apparatus main body 9 is installed in a trunk room or the like.

Next, the structure of the apparatus body 9 will be described. 10 is a CPU (central processing unit) that performs various calculations,
Reference numeral 11 is a ROM (read only memory) in which programs for various calculations performed by the CPU 10 are stored, and 12 is an azimuth sensor 1, a distance sensor 2, a GPS receiver 5, and a CD-RO.
A memory (DRAM) for storing data from the M drive 6 and the like, a calculation result in the CPU 10 and the like, and 13 is a backup memory for holding necessary data even when the power supply to the apparatus body 9 is stopped. (SRAM), 14 is a memory (kanji / font ROM) in which patterns such as characters and symbols to be displayed on the liquid crystal display 8A are stored, and 15 forms a display image based on map data and current position data of the vehicle. 16 for CPU1 for image processor
A memory (VRAM) 17 for storing an image to be displayed on the liquid crystal display 8A by synthesizing map data output from 0, current position data, and kanji / font such as town name and road name output from the kanji / font ROM 14 VR
RGB for converting AM16 output data to color signals
This is a conversion circuit, and the color signal is output from the RGB conversion circuit 17 to the liquid crystal display 8A. Reference numeral 18 is a communication interface.

FIG. 5 shows the format of data stored in the CD-ROM 7. In FIG. 5, 21
Is a disk label, 22 is a drawing parameter, 23 is a leaf management information, 24 is a leaf (map data), and the leaf 24 stores background data, character data, road data, etc. The data for each unit map obtained by dividing the topographic map by latitude and longitude is stored.

Further, in the map leaf 24, a map leaf that roughly describes a wide region is set to a map leaf that describes a narrow region in detail. Each map leaf is composed of map display levels A, B, and C that describe the same area.
As for B and C, B is described in more detail than A and C is described in more detail than B. Each of the map display levels A, B, and C is composed of map display level management information and a plurality of units.
The unit describes a divided area obtained by dividing the area of each map display level into a plurality of areas, and each unit includes a unit header, a character layer, a background layer, a road layer, an option layer, and the like. Place names, road names, facility names, etc. displayed on the map are recorded in the character layer, data for drawing roads, facilities, etc. are recorded in the background layer, and the road layer is as shown in FIG. In the table, data on coordinate points (nodes) and lines (links) that describe roads including intersections, for example, node numbers of nodes, latitude, longitude, link numbers of links, link distances, etc. are stored.

In FIG. 6, circles (∘) indicate nodes, and lines between the nodes indicate links. A black circle (●) with a node number of 4 indicates an intersection node.

The data recorded in the road layer is not directly involved in the map display, but is used as road network information for map matching.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 25 denotes route search data. The route search data 25 is recorded for each layer from layer 0 for a narrow area to layer n for a wide area. . The search data of each layer is composed of node connection data 26, assumed link transit time (link cost) data 27, and route display data 28.

The node connection data 26 is data indicating which node each of the nodes a to g, x and y is connected as shown in FIG. 7. For example, for the node c, the nodes a, d, f, and It is data indicating that the connection is made to y. Further, the link cost data 27 indicates the link cost of the link between the nodes as shown in FIG. 7. For example, the link cost of the link between the node a and the node c is “5”, The link cost of the link between a and node b is “10”, node a and node d
It is shown that the link cost of the link between and is "20". The link cost is obtained from link cost = link distance / set speed, and the set speed is set according to the road type and the road width as shown in FIG. 6, for example. The route display data 28 is recorded with data for displaying the route selected by the route search on the display map.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 29 is voice data,
This voice data 29 is recorded as voice digital data, and this voice digital data is output to an amplifier and a speaker via D / A conversion and a filter to reproduce voice guidance.

In FIG. 4, the output of the direction sensor 1 and the output of the distance sensor 2 are sent to the CPU 10 via the sensor processing unit 4.
Sent to The CPU 10 calculates the current position of the vehicle and obtains the latitude and longitude of the current position. Also GPS
The current position is corrected based on the data from the receiver 5.

Based on the present position thus obtained, the map data of the unit corresponding to the present position is CD-R.
The map data is read from the CD-ROM 7 by the OM drive 6 and stored in the memory (DRAM) 12 via the communication interface 18. DRAM 12
A part of the map data stored in is read by the CPU 10, converted into image data by the image processor 15 and written in the image memory 16. The image data stored in the image memory 16 is converted into a color signal by the RGB conversion circuit 17 and sent to the liquid crystal display 8A, and a map of a predetermined range centering on the current position is displayed.

If the map data read from the DRAM 12 includes character codes and symbol codes, patterns corresponding to these character codes and symbol codes are read from the Kanji / font ROM 14 and displayed on the liquid crystal display 8A. Characters such as place names and symbols such as schools are displayed together with the map. In addition, the current position displayed on the liquid crystal display 8A is sequentially changed based on the traveling speed and traveling direction that are sequentially obtained as the automobile travels. Next, regarding the route search operation of the conventional example, FIG. 12 will be described with reference to FIG.

When the route search switch on the touch panel 8B is operated, the route search process is executed. First, FIG.
As shown in step 1, the destination is set in step A.
The destination is set, for example, by inputting the address of the destination or by designating a point on the map displayed on the liquid crystal display 8A.
In step B, it is determined whether or not to start the route search. This determination is made based on whether or not the route search switch on the touch panel 8B of the display device 8 is operated. If it is determined in step B that the route search switch has been operated, the process proceeds to step C and route search is performed. In this route search, as shown in FIG. 7, the link costs of all routes from the starting point (current position node) X to the destination node Y are added, and the route with the lowest link cost is selected. In the case of 7, the total link cost of the links X → a → c → d → f → g → Y (10 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 35) is the smallest, so the links X → a → c → d → f → g → Y are connected. The route is selected. The route selected in step C of FIG. 9 is the liquid crystal display 8 in step D.
For example, it is displayed in red on the display map of A.

FIG. 12 shows step C of the route search in FIG. 11 in more detail.

In FIG. 12, first, in step a, a starting node and a destination node that are closest to the positions of the starting point and the destination are selected. In FIG. 7, the node X is selected as the departure node and the node Y is selected as the destination node. Next, in step b, the route search data including the departure node X is read from the CD-ROM 7, and in step c, the route search on the departure side is performed. As described above, this route search selects the route with the lowest total link cost.

Next, in step d, as a result of the search in step c, it is determined whether or not the target node is connected. If the distance from the starting point to the destination is relatively short and the destination node Y is included in the data read from the CD-ROM 7 in step b, it is determined as yes in step d, but from the starting point. If the destination is far, it is determined no in step d and the process proceeds to step e.

In step e, the route search data including the destination node Y is read from the CD-ROM 7 and in step f the route search on the destination side is performed. In step g, step f
It is determined whether or not the route selected by the route search on the destination side is connected to the search route on the departure side. If the result of this determination is NO, the search hierarchy is increased by one rank in step h in FIG. Step b,
When the read data in step e is the route search data of layer 0, the rank is increased to layer 1 in step h. Next, in step i, the starting node and the destination node are reset, and the process returns to step b.

In FIG. 9, the distance between the starting point and the destination is long,
It is the figure which showed the operation | movement when it is determined by step d and step g in FIG. In FIG. 9, when the route selected in the route search on the departure side is not connected to the destination node, and the route selected in the route search on the destination side is not connected to the route searched in the route search on the departure side. , The route search data 29 of the layer 1 is read, and the departure node 30 and the destination node 31 are set. When the route shown by the solid line is searched by the route search in the hierarchy 1, it is judged as YES in step d of FIG. 12 and step j
In step i, the route from the starting point to the destination is constructed in step i, the display data of the route searched in step k is created, and the route search is finished.

In FIG. 6, the thick line indicates the guide route selected as a result of the route search, and node 1 of unit 2
→ 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 → node 1 of unit 1 → 2 → 3
→ 4 indicates that the route is the selected guide route. When the guide route is selected in the process of traveling the vehicle according to the route displayed on the liquid crystal display 8A, the guide point (guide point) is located at about 700m, 300m, 100m before the intersection node (node 4 of the unit 2). A, B, C are set. When the current position reaches the guidance point A as the vehicle travels,
A predetermined voice guidance, for example, "I will turn right at about 700 m." Similarly, when the vehicle reaches the guidance points B and C, the voice guidance will be made, "about 300 m to the right," and "soon to the right."

FIG. 10 shows a table created by the route search. FIG. 10A is a table of unit-by-unit route tracking data of a guide route from the current position to the destination. In the example of FIG. 6, units 2 and 1 are written in the unit-by-unit route tracking data table. FIG. 10B is a table of route tracking data, and the order of the nodes in each unit of the selected guide route is written in the route order in this table. In the example of FIG. 6, the nodes 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 of the unit 2 are written, and subsequently the nodes 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 of the unit 1 are written. FIG. 10C is a table of guide point data, which is an intersection node (unit 2 of the selected guide route).
Before node 4), about 700m, 300m, 100
At the point m, for example, in FIG. 6, a guidance point is set between the nodes 2 and 3 of the unit 1 and between the nodes 3 and 4 of the unit 2, and the guide route displayed on the liquid crystal display 8A. The voice guidance is performed every time the current position reaches the guidance points A, B, and C in the process of traveling along.

Next, the voice guidance function of the conventional example will be described. When the current position reaches the guidance point, the voice guidance function provides voice guidance to the branch ahead of whether to proceed to the right or to the left. The guidance phrase is C
It is recorded in the D-ROM as audio digital data, and when the CD-ROM is played back as music, guidance is output from the speaker. The audio digital data recorded in the CD-ROM has a right guide phrase recorded in the R channel and a left guide phrase recorded in the L channel in order to suppress the capacity recorded in the CD-ROM.

[0025]

As described above, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the right guide phrase and the left guide phrase are recorded on the R channel and the L channel separately in the CD-ROM. C for each guide phrase
It is necessary to have the address of the D-ROM in the table, and a CD for playing the guidance phrase at the guide point.
-ROM access is complicated by software processing,
The common control of the right and left voice guidance at the guidance point could not be performed.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems. By reproducing the right guide phrase and the left guide phrase in the same reproduction address length, the voice guide phrase is reproduced at the guidance point. It is an object of the present invention to provide a voice guidance device capable of facilitating the CD-ROM access by the software processing.

[0027]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a CD-ROM in which road data and voice guidance phrases are recorded, and a vehicle speed based on the traveling speed and traveling direction of the vehicle. Current position calculating means for detecting the current position, display means for displaying the road map read from the CD-ROM and the current position obtained by the current position calculating means, and a route from the current position to the destination. And a CD-ROM while traveling on the route searched by the route searching means.
A voice guidance device having means for guiding by a voice guidance phrase reproduced from, wherein a right guidance phrase or a left guidance phrase is played when the current position of the vehicle reaches a guidance point. Means for setting a flag for each of the guide phrases and a means for designating the start address and end address of the CD-ROM of the guide phrase to be reproduced according to the flag, and the guide phrase for the right direction and the left direction. R for CD-ROM
The recording is performed separately for the channel and the L channel, and the voice phrases of the R channel and the L channel have the same length.

[0028]

According to the present invention, which has the above-described structure, the guide phrase is read in the right direction and the left direction by the R of the CD-ROM.
It is recorded separately for the channel and the L channel, and by making the lengths of the voice phrases of the R channel and the L channel the same, it becomes easy to access the CD-ROM address, and the right direction guidance and the left direction guidance at the guidance point. Common control of.

[0029]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a traveling position display device having a voice guidance device according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the same components as those in FIG. 4 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The difference between the embodiment of FIG. 1 and the prior art is that a CD for voice guidance phrase reproduction at a guidance point is used.
-C to facilitate ROM access by software processing
D-ROM 7, CPU 101 and program ROM 11
The function described below in 1 is newly added.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the CD-ROM 71 has a reproduction guide phrase C at the guidance point.
A management information table for managing the D-ROM address is stored, and the guide phrases of this management information table are recorded separately for the R channel and the L channel of the CD-ROM 71 for the rightward guidance and the leftward guidance. Besides,
CD-ROM of the guidance phrase to be played back so that the length of the voice phrases of the R and L channels are the same.
The start address minute, second and sector and the end address minute, second and sector are set.

Further, the CPU 101 and the program ROM
Reference numeral 111 indicates a management information table for determining whether to play the guidance phrase in the right direction or the guidance phrase in the left direction when the current position of the vehicle reaches the guidance point. A function for setting the voice guidance of the R channel is set when performing the guide, and a flag for the voice guidance of the L channel is set when performing the leftward guidance.

Next, the operation of the voice guidance device of this embodiment constructed as described above will be described with reference to FIG.

The voice guidance device in this embodiment is as follows.
The output of the azimuth sensor 1 and the output of the distance sensor 2 are sent to the CPU 101 via the sensor processing unit 4, the CPU 101 calculates the current position, and obtains the latitude and longitude of the current position. Further, the current position is corrected based on the data from the GPS receiver 5.

Based on the current position detected in this way, map data of a predetermined range centered on the current position is stored in the CD-
The map data is read from the CD-ROM 71 by the ROM drive 6 and stored in the D-RAM 12 via the communication interface 18. A part of the map data stored in the D-RAM 12 is read out, converted into image data by the image processor 15 and written in the V-RAM 16. The image data stored in the V-RAM 16 is read by the image processor 15 and sent to the liquid crystal display 8A, and a map within a predetermined range centering on the current position is displayed.

If the map data read from the D-RAM 12 contains a character code and a symbol code,
The patterns corresponding to these character codes and symbol codes are read out from the Chinese character / font ROM 14, and the liquid crystal display 8A displays characters such as place names and symbols such as schools together with the map. Further, based on the traveling speed and traveling direction that are sequentially obtained as the vehicle travels, the liquid crystal display 8
The current position displayed on A is changed sequentially. Also,
When a route search is instructed and a destination is designated, a route that can be predicted to reach the destination in the shortest time is selected by the route search, and the selected route is displayed on the map displayed on the liquid crystal display 8A.

The voice guidance function has a CD-ROM 71 according to an instruction from the CPU 101 when the current position of the vehicle obtained by the CPU 101 reaches a predetermined point before the intersection.
The voice guidance phrase stored in the music area is reproduced and a voice is output from the speaker 20, for example, "about 700 m to the right."

That is, as shown in FIG. 3, when the current position of the vehicle reaches the guidance point by starting the voice guidance function, the right guidance phrase is reproduced, or
It is determined whether or not the left guidance phrase is reproduced (step S1). When performing guidance in the right direction, a flag for performing voice guidance for the R channel is set (step S
2) In the case of performing guidance in the left direction, a flag for performing voice guidance for the L channel is set (step S).
3). When the flag of the playback channel is set,
According to the management information table shown in (1), the start address minute, second, sector and end address minute, second, sector of the CD-ROM of the guide phrase to be reproduced are designated (step S4). Then, according to the address designation of the right or left guidance phrase, the right or left voice guidance phrase is reproduced (step S5).

As described above, since the lengths of the addresses for reproducing the guidance phrase in the right direction and the guidance phrase in the left direction are the same, the common control of the reproduction of the voice guidance phrase at the guidance point in the R channel / L channel is performed. It will be possible.

[0042]

As described above, according to the present invention, the current position calculation for detecting the current position of the vehicle based on the CD-ROM in which the road data and the voice guidance phrase are recorded and the traveling speed and the traveling direction of the vehicle is performed. Means, display means for displaying the road map read from the CD-ROM and the current position obtained by the current position calculating means, and a route from the current position to the destination is searched and displayed on the display means. In a voice guidance device having route search means for displaying and means for guiding by a voice guidance phrase reproduced from the CD-ROM while traveling on the route searched by the route search means,
CD-R with guidance phrases to the right and left
Separately record into the R channel and L channel of OM,
Make the R-channel and L-channel voice phrases the same length to facilitate access to the CD-ROM address,
This has the advantage of enabling common control of right and left guidance at the guidance point.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a traveling position display device including a voice guidance device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing voice guidance phrase management information in the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of voice guidance in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a traveling position display device including a conventional voice guidance device.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing a format of a CD-ROM.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram showing road data recorded in a CD-ROM.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining a route search method.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a memory that stores a set speed for link cost calculation.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a hierarchical structure for route search.

FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram showing a table created by a route search.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart of conventional route search.

FIG. 12: Flowchart of conventional route search

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Direction Sensor 2 Distance Sensor 3 Various Sensor Signals 4 Sensor Signal Processing Unit 5 GPS Receiver 6 CD-ROM Drive 7 CD-ROM 8 Display / Operation Unit 8A Liquid Crystal Display 8B Touch Panel 9 Main Unit 101 CPU 111 Program ROM 12 D-RAM 13 S-RAM 14 Kanji / Font ROM 15 Image processor 16 V-RAM 17 RGB conversion 18 Communication interface 20 Speaker 21 Disk label 22 Drawing parameters 23 Figure leaf management information 24 Figure leaf (map data) 25 Route search data 26 Node connection data 27 Link cost data 28 Route display data 29 Voice data

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A CD-ROM in which road data and voice guidance phrases are recorded, a current position calculation means for detecting the current position of the vehicle based on the traveling speed and traveling direction of the vehicle, and the CD-ROM. Display means for displaying the read road map and the current position obtained by the current position calculating means; route searching means for searching for a route from the current position to the destination and displaying it on the display means; While traveling on the route searched by the route searching means, the CD-ROM
A voice guidance device having a means for guiding by a voice guidance phrase reproduced from, wherein when the current position of the vehicle reaches a guidance point, a right guidance phrase or a left guidance phrase is reproduced. It is provided with means for determining whether or not each is set, and means for designating the start address and end address of the CD-ROM of the guide phrase to be reproduced according to the flag, and the guide phrase is provided to the right or left. The voice guidance device is characterized in that the R-channel and the L-channel of the CD-ROM are separately recorded and the lengths of the voice phrases of the R-channel and the L-channel are made the same.