JPH11230773A - Navigator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To search for a homing route from a last destination to own home and indicate it, without setting the home position every route searching. SOLUTION: When the route searching is made with inputs of first - third pass points PS1-PS3, the navigator searches for a route TRT1 from the vehicle present position to the first pass point PS1, a route RT2 from the first pass point PS1 to the second pass point PS2, a route RT3 from the first pass point PS2 to the second pass point PS1, and a homing route from the last pass point PS3 to own home MH and displays these routes to guide the driver. When the route searching is made, without inputting pass points while the vehicle locates at other place RSP, the navigator searches for a homing route BHRT directly returning to own home MH and displays this route to guide the driver.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a navigation apparatus, and more particularly, to searching for and displaying a route to a destination simply by inputting a destination (destination), and returning to a home from the last destination to home. The present invention relates to a navigation device having a route guidance function via a passing point for automatically searching for and displaying a navigation device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A navigation device that provides guidance for driving a vehicle so that a driver can easily arrive at a desired destination detects a vehicle position and reads map data around the vehicle position from a CD-ROM. A vehicle position mark (own vehicle position mark) is drawn together with the map image. Then, as the current position changes due to the movement of the vehicle, the own vehicle position mark is fixed at a predetermined position such as the center of the screen and the map is scrolled,
Always display a map around the vehicle location. Such a navigation device has a route guidance function of searching for an optimal guidance route so as to follow, for example, the shortest distance from a departure point to a destination, displaying the route on a screen, and guiding the driver to travel.

The route guidance function has a function of guiding a driver to a final destination via a set passing point (destination on the way). That is, by setting one or more intermediate destinations in addition to the final destination, from the current vehicle position (departure point) to the first intermediate destination, and from the first intermediate destination to the second intermediate destination. Search for routes from the last destination to the final destination, sequentially display these routes, and guide the driver to each of the intermediate destinations and the final destination. Considering the running of a vehicle, it is common to depart from home and finally return to home via one or more destinations. For this reason, in the navigation device having the function of guiding the route via the passing point, the final destination is set to the home. In this way, when returning home last time via a passing point (destination on the way), the home return route can be displayed on the screen, which is convenient.

[0004]

However, in the conventional route guidance method via a passing point, to display a return route,
When searching for a new guidance route, it is necessary to always set the home as the final destination in addition to the passing point (destination on the way), and there has been a problem that the destination setting operation is troublesome. As described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a navigation device that can automatically search for and display a return home route from the last destination to home without setting a home position at the time of guiding route search.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided a navigation apparatus for searching for a guide route to a final destination via a set intermediate destination and displaying the guide route on a screen. In (1) home position storage unit that stores home position, (2) means for inputting a destination on the way when searching for a guidance route, (3) home as the final destination, and via the input destination on the way This is achieved by a navigation device having a guidance route search unit for searching for a guidance route to home, and (4) a display unit for displaying the searched guidance route.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (a) Outline of Route Search of the Present Invention FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a search route (guide route) of the present invention. In the figure, (a) is a search route when the vehicle is located at the home MH, and (b) is a search route when the vehicle is located at a different place from the home MH. A route (c) shows a search route (return route to home) when a route search is performed without inputting a destination when the vehicle is located in a place different from the home MH. In the figure, MH is home, R
SP is the current vehicle position where the route search was performed, PS1 is the first pass point as the first destination (destination), PS2 is the second pass point as the next destination (destination), and PS3 is the last destination. This is the third pass point that is the ground (destination).

[0007] Destination PSi set during route search
(I = 1, 2,...) Are all intermediate destinations (passing points), and the home is the final destination. However, it is not necessary to set the home position as the final destination one by one. The navigation device recognizes the separately set home location as the final destination. Therefore, as shown in (a), when the vehicle is located at home MH, the first to third passing points P
When the route search is performed by setting S1 to PS3, the navigation device determines the route RT1 from the home MH to the first pass point PS1 and the route RT from the first pass point to the second pass point.
2. While searching for the route RT3 from the second pass point to the third pass point, search for the return route BHRT returning from the last third pass point to the home MH, and guiding the driver according to these routes.

Further, as shown in FIG.
And the first to third passing points P when located at another location RSP
When the route search is performed by setting S1 to PS3, the navigation device determines the first pass point PS1 from the current vehicle position RSP.
, A route R2 from the first pass point to the second pass point, and a route R from the second pass point to the third pass point.
While searching for T3, the home M
It searches for a return route BHRT returning to H and guides the driver according to these routes. Further, as shown in (c), when the vehicle is located at a different location RSP from the home MH and a route search is performed without inputting a passing point, the return route B directly returns to the home MH.
The HRT is searched and the driver is guided to the home along the return route. In this way, the driver can be automatically guided to the home by searching for a guidance route that returns from the last destination to the home without having to perform one setting operation that assumes that the home is the final destination. Can be improved. In addition, a route to return home from the current vehicle position can be searched and displayed simply by instructing a route search without inputting a passing point, so that the operation of searching for a return route can be simplified.

(B) Configuration of Navigation Apparatus FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a navigation apparatus according to the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes a map storage medium for storing map information, for example, a CD-ROM, 12 a CD-ROM control unit for controlling reading of map information from the CD-ROM, and 13 a position measuring device for measuring the current position of the vehicle And includes a vehicle speed sensor, a gyro, a GPS, a position calculation CPU, and the like.
14 is a map information memory for storing map information read from the CD-ROM, 15 is a menu selection operation, and map enlargement /
A remote controller 16 performs a reduction operation, a cursor movement (map scroll) operation, a home position registration operation, a destination (passing point) input operation, and the like. 17
Is a processor (CP) that controls the entire navigation device.
U) and 18 are various programs for navigation (for example, a route search program RSPR for searching for a guide route to return to home via a set destination (passing point)).
19) is home position data MHP,
A battery backup RAM that stores searched route data RTDT and the like, 20 a display controller that generates a map image and a menu image, 21 a video RAM that stores a display image such as a map image and a menu image generated by the display controller, Reference numeral 22 denotes a display device (monitor) for displaying a map image / menu image / own vehicle position mark and the like, and 23 denotes a bus.

(C) Route search (c-1) Home registration Home search is performed before the route search. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of home registration. To register your home, first,
The navigation device is set to the home registration mode by a menu selection operation. Then, tilt the joystick of the remote controller up, down, left and right to scroll the map MP with respect to the cursor CSR, adjust the home position to the cursor position, and press the execution key of the remote controller. Thereby, the processor 17 calculates the latitude and longitude of the cursor point and stores it as the home position MHP in the RAM.
Register at 19.

(C-2) Route Search Process FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the route search process. To search for a route, the navigation device is set to a route search mode by a menu selection operation of the remote controller (step 101). Next, it is determined whether to return to home via one or more destinations or to return directly to home (step 102). If there is one or more destinations, these destinations are sequentially input as passing points (step 103). It is not necessary to input a passing point when returning directly to home.

If the input of all destinations is completed, or if the user is to return directly to his / her home, an instruction to start a route search is issued (step 104). Thus, the processor 17 searches for a guidance route that returns to the home via each passing point in order, with the home as the final destination, according to the route search program, and stores the guidance route data RTDT in the RAM 19. For example,
As shown in FIG. 1A, when the vehicle is located at the home MH and the pass points (destinations) PS1 to PS3 are set and the route search is performed, the guide route RT1 → RT2 → RT3 → BHRT is searched and stored in the RAM 19. It is memorized. Also, as shown in FIG. 1B, when the vehicle is located at a point RSP other than the home, the pass points (destinations) PS1 to PS3 are set and a route search is performed, whereby the route RT1 → RT2 → RT3 → BHRT becomes It is searched and stored in the RAM 19. Further, as shown in FIG. 1 (c), when a route search is performed without inputting a passing point (destination) when the vehicle is located at a point RSP other than the home, the return route BH
RT is searched and stored in the RAM 19. Thereafter, the display controller 20 uses the guidance route data RTDT to display the guidance route so as to be distinguishable from other roads (for example, by changing colors) (step 106). Thereafter, the navigation device displays the guidance route on the display device 22 as the vehicle moves. Thereby, the driver can travel toward the destination along the guidance route, and can return home from the last destination along the return route BHRT.

[0013]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to automatically search for and display a return route from the last destination to the home without performing a setting operation to make the home the final destination. Operation performance can be improved. According to the present invention, if a route search is simply instructed without inputting a passing point,
A return route from the current vehicle position to home can be searched and displayed. For this reason, the search operation of the return route can be easily performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a search route according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a navigation device.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of home registration.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a route search process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 MH ··· Home PS1 to PS3 ···· First to third pass points (destination on the way) RT1 to RT3 ··· Route BHRT ·· Return home RSP ··· Vehicle position where route search operation was performed

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A navigation device for searching for a guide route to a final destination via a set intermediate destination and displaying the guide route on a screen, a home position storage unit for storing a home position, A means for inputting a destination on the way when searching for a route, a home being the final destination, a guide route searching unit for searching for a guide route to home via the input destination on the way, and displaying the searched route. A navigation device comprising a display unit.