JPH1172344A - Navigator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To display a bird's-eye and enlarged view with a visual angle and an image that a driver can easily recognize by providing an image pick-up means, a position inspection means, a map information storage means, an image storage means, or the like. SOLUTION: A position detection part 1 comprises a GPS system or a vehicle navigation system for detecting a vehicle position, for example, by a vehicle speed sensor. A map database 2 comprises the reading device (CD-ROM device) of a CD-ROM where map information is stored or the like. A control part 3 consists of, for example, a microcomputer for performing, for example, a processing for specifying the position of an own vehicle based on the position detection part 1 and corresponding map information, display processing, route search processing, and image processing. A digital camera 4 picks up the image of the condition in front of the vehicle and outputs the image data using a digital signal. A storage part 5 stores an image picked up by the digital camera 4 while the image corresponds to the vehicle position at the time of shooting. A display part 6 displays the map information, the image being picked up, or the like based on a signal from the control part 3.

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 guiding a traveling route of a vehicle, and more particularly to a navigation device capable of displaying an image to provide guidance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional navigation device. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to the drawings.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a position detection unit including a GPS system, an independent navigation system that detects the position of the vehicle using a vehicle speed sensor, a direction sensor, and the like. 2 is a CD-RO on which map information is recorded
It is a map database including M reading devices (CD-ROM drive) and the like. 3 is a process for specifying the position of the vehicle based on the position detection unit 1 and the corresponding map information, a display process,
The control unit includes a microcomputer or the like that performs a route search process and the like. Reference numeral 6 denotes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display that displays map information and the like based on a signal from the control unit 3.

Next, the operation of the navigation device will be described. The position data of the vehicle detected by the position detection unit 1 is sent to the control unit 3. The control unit 3 reads the map information corresponding to the position of the vehicle from the map database 2 and displays the map information on the display unit 6. When performing route guidance, the control unit 3 performs a route search from the departure point to the destination according to predetermined conditions (for example, so as to be the shortest distance), and finds the own vehicle position (current position) and the searched route. Is displayed on the display unit 6 together with the map.

[0004] While the vehicle is traveling, the map display changes in accordance with the position of the vehicle. At the intersection, the map database 2 is provided to provide the driver with detailed intersection information.
An enlarged view, a bird's eye view, and the like of the intersection stored therein are displayed on the display unit 6. In addition, instructions such as right turn and left turn are given by voice.

[0005]

In route guidance by a conventional navigation device, detailed information displayed at an intersection or the like is an enlarged view generated based on data recorded in advance in a map database 2 such as a CD-ROM. It is a bird's-eye view. Therefore, the enlarged view and the bird's-eye view of the intersection desired by the driver are not always all available. Furthermore, the recorded enlarged view and bird's-eye view are not necessarily the viewing angle as viewed from the driver's position, and the image is like an illustration, which is different from the actual scenery.

An object of the present invention is to provide a navigation device capable of displaying an enlarged view or a bird's eye view with a visual angle or an image that is easy for a driver to recognize.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a photographing means installed in a vehicle for photographing a situation around the vehicle, a position detecting means for detecting a position of the vehicle, a map, Map information storage means in which information is stored, image storage means for storing an image taken by the photography means in association with the position of the vehicle at the time of photography, and image storage means based on input position data. It is characterized by comprising display means for displaying the stored corresponding image.

[0008] Further, an operation switch for instructing the photographing means to photograph is provided.
Arrival detecting means for detecting that the vehicle has reached a predetermined position; and photographing control means for causing the photographing means to perform a photographing operation when the arrival detecting means detects that the vehicle has reached a predetermined position. It is characterized by having.

An image search means for searching whether an image corresponding to the predetermined position is stored in the image storage means; and an arrival detection means for detecting that the vehicle has reached a predetermined position, When the image search unit detects that the image corresponding to the predetermined position is stored in the image storage unit, the image search unit includes a photographing prohibition unit that prohibits photographing by the photographing unit. .

[0010] Further, when the vehicle detects that the vehicle has reached a predetermined position, the vehicle further comprises arrival detection means for outputting position data of the predetermined position to the display means. Further, a priority search means for searching for a traveling route of the vehicle so as to preferentially pass through a position corresponding to an image stored in the image storage means is provided.

[0011] Further, there is provided a priority position image display means for displaying an image corresponding to the predetermined position on the traveling route searched by the priority search means on the display means.

[0012]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a navigation device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to the drawings. Reference numeral 1 denotes a position detection unit including a GPS system, an independent navigation system that detects the position of the vehicle using a vehicle speed sensor, a direction sensor, and the like. 2 is C where map information is recorded
It is a map database including a D-ROM reader (CD-ROM drive) and the like. Reference numeral 3 denotes a control unit including a position detection unit 1 and a microcomputer for performing processing for specifying the position of the vehicle based on the corresponding map information, display processing, route search processing, photographing control, and the like. Reference numeral 4 denotes a digital camera that is installed in front of the vehicle (close to the position of the driver's eyes), captures a situation in front of the vehicle, and outputs the image data as digital signals. Reference numeral 5 denotes a storage unit that stores an image photographed by the digital camera 4 in association with the vehicle position at the time of photographing. Reference numeral 6 denotes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display that displays map information, captured images, and the like based on signals from the control unit 3. Reference numeral 7 denotes an operation switch for manually instructing the photographing operation of the digital camera 4.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the photographing / display processing by the navigation device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to the drawings. Note that this processing is started from a point in time when a start instruction operation of a route guidance operation is performed by the navigation device. Also, in this example, when the vehicle reaches an intersection (predetermined position) while the vehicle is traveling, if there is an image that has been captured and stored in advance, the image is displayed on the display unit to assist the driver in traveling. If there is no image, a situation such as an intersection is photographed for driving support from the next time, and the image is stored in the storage unit. It is also possible to take a picture at an arbitrary point desired by the driver and store the image.

In step S11, the current position of the vehicle is detected, and a corresponding map is displayed on the display unit 6, and the flow advances to step S1.
Move to 2. That is, the current position of the own vehicle is determined by the position detection unit 1 such as a GPS or a vehicle speed sensor and a gyro sensor.
Identify by longitude. Then, the map data corresponding to the current position is read from the map database 2 and displayed on the display unit 6. In addition, the shortest distance between the current location (own vehicle position) and the designated destination or a condition specified in advance (for example,
(Via a designated route), and the display unit 6 displays the travel route and the current position of the vehicle.

In step S12, it is determined whether or not the operation switch 7 has been pressed. If the operation switch 7 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S13. If not, the process proceeds to step S16. That is, it is a process of determining whether or not the driver has pressed the manual shooting operation switch 7 provided for shooting at an arbitrary position during traveling, other than a predetermined position such as an intersection set in advance. .

In step S13, a situation such as an intersection is photographed, the image is stored in the storage unit 5, and the process proceeds to step S14. That is, it is the point designated by the driver or the intersection (predetermined position) that passes for the first time, and the image captured in the past is not stored in the storage unit 5. Therefore, images related to intersections and the like are collected for driving support from the next time. The control unit 3 instructs the digital camera 4 to press the shutter. The photographing means is not limited to a digital camera, and a general analog camera may be converted into digital data in the interface unit and stored in the storage unit 5. In a complicated intersection, a plurality of images are sequentially photographed (continuous photographing).
At the next traveling, a plurality of images stored according to the traveling of the vehicle may be sequentially displayed on the display unit 6 for guidance.

In step S14, the photographed image is displayed on the display unit 6, and the flow advances to step S15. That is, the image captured by the digital camera 4 is displayed on the display unit 6 so that the driver can confirm the image. If the captured image is inappropriate in view angle, image quality, etc., it will not be useful in the next run, so the driver presses a cancel switch (not shown) so as not to store it in the storage unit 5 (the operation of the cancel switch is not performed). Then, the storage of the corresponding image data is stopped), and the image is taken again at the next run.

In step S15, the photographed image is stored in the storage unit 5 and the process is terminated. That is, since the captured image is useful, the image and the position data (photographing position) are stored in the storage unit 5 in association with each other for the next traveling support. In step S16, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has reached a predetermined position (intersection). If the vehicle has reached the predetermined position, the process proceeds to step S17. That is, the position of the vehicle detected by the position detection unit 1 is compared with the intersection position (data) of the map data to determine whether or not the vehicle has reached the predetermined position (intersection). When the vehicle travels along the searched traveling route, an instruction such as a right turn or a left turn is given by voice at an intersection or the like according to the traveling of the own vehicle.

In step S17, it is determined whether or not an image of an intersection or the like is stored in the storage unit 5. If there is an image of an intersection or the like, the process proceeds to step S18. If there is no image of an intersection or the like, the process proceeds to step S13. That is, the storage unit 5 is searched to determine whether or not an image captured in the past at the target intersection is stored in the storage unit 5. Step S1
In step 8, the image of the intersection and the like stored in the storage unit 5 is displayed on the display unit 6, and the process ends. That is, an image of an intersection or the like captured in the past is read from the storage unit 5 and displayed on the display unit 6. Then, driving assistance is provided to the driver. still,
Although the above processing has been described using an intersection as an example of the predetermined position,
The same applies to famous places (predetermined positions).

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining route search and display by the navigation device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to the drawings. This processing is started from the point in time when the navigation device performs a route search operation start instruction operation. In this example, when searching for a traveling route of a vehicle, a search is made so as to preferentially pass through an intersection with a captured image.

In step S21, the current position of the vehicle is detected, a map is displayed, and the flow advances to step S22. That is, G
The current position of the own vehicle is specified by latitude and longitude by a position detecting unit 1 such as a PS or a vehicle speed sensor and a gyro sensor. Then, the map data corresponding to the current position is read from the map database 2 and displayed on the display unit 6. Then, the current vehicle position is input to search for a traveling route. In step S22, it is determined whether or not the target position has been input. If the target position has been input, the process proceeds to step S23.

In step S23, an intersection (point) having an image is searched for, the result is displayed on the display unit 6, and the process proceeds to step S24. That is, in order to preferentially pass through an intersection or the like with an image, an intersection or the like with an image is searched from the storage unit 5. In step S24, a route search is executed to display a plurality of route plans, and the process proceeds to step S25. That is, a search is performed in the same manner as a normal route search (to minimize the traveling distance as much as possible), and a plurality of routes are displayed on the display unit 6 as route plans.

In step S25, it is determined whether or not a route has been selected. If a route has been selected, the process proceeds to step S26. If no route has been selected, the process proceeds to step S29. That is, it is determined which of the plurality of route plans the driver has designated. In step S26, the selected route is displayed, and the flow advances to step S27. That is, the route selected by the driver is displayed on the display unit 6.

In step S27, images such as intersections on the determined route are sequentially displayed, and the flow advances to step S28. That is, images such as intersections are sequentially displayed from the current location to the destination. By this processing, the driver can be notified of the outline of each intersection in advance. In step S28, route guidance is performed, and the process ends. That is, the process follows the process according to the flowchart of FIG.

In step S29, the route having the largest number of intersections in the stored image is displayed, and the flow advances to step S27. That is, since the driver does not particularly designate (select) a route, the route is preferentially determined to pass through an intersection having an image for which driving support is possible. Then, the route is displayed on the display unit 6. FIG. 4 is a diagram for searching and searching for famous places (famous scenic spots, facilities, etc.) using the navigation device according to one embodiment of the present invention.
It is a flow chart for explaining display processing. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to the drawings. Note that this processing is started from a point in time when a search for a famous place by the navigation device is instructed. In this example, a place of interest is searched for in map data, and an image related to the place of interest is displayed on a display unit.

In step S31, a famous place is searched, and the routine goes to step S32. That is, a specified condition (distance from the current position, type of the famous place, etc.) is searched from the map database. In step S32, the search result of the famous place is displayed on the display unit 6, and the process proceeds to step S33. That is, the name of the searched place (for example, place A, place B, place C, etc.)
Is displayed on the display unit 6.

In step S33, it is determined whether or not a famous place has been designated. If so, the flow advances to step S34.
If not, the process proceeds to step S36. In other words, it is determined whether selection (instruction) for displaying an image of a specific landmark (for example, landmark B) among a plurality of searched landmarks or selection (instruction) for outputting an image of all landmarks has been made.

In step S34, an image relating to the selected place of interest is searched, and the flow advances to step S35. That is, an image related to the selected landmark B is searched from among the images captured in advance and stored in the storage unit 5, and the process proceeds to step S35. In step S36, images relating to all the famous places are searched, and the process proceeds to step S35. In step S35, an image related to the searched place of interest is displayed on the display unit 6, and the process ends. That is, the images stored in the storage unit 5 for the selected sights or all sights are sequentially displayed on the display unit 6.

As described above, in this embodiment, since the image photographed from the position of the driver is displayed, it is easier to recognize than the conventional enlarged view and bird's-eye view. Further, at a new intersection or the like where image data is not stored, an image of the intersection or the like can be automatically collected every time the vehicle travels, so that guidance by the image is possible from the next time. Further, the driver can confirm the passing intersection by using an image when the driving route is searched.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a navigation device capable of displaying a guide image which is easy for a driver to recognize.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a shooting / display process performed by the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a route search / display process performed by the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a famous place search / display process by the navigation device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional navigation device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ··· Position detector 5 · · · Memory 2 · · · Map database 6
Display unit, 3 ... Control unit, 7 ...
..Operation switches, 4 ... Digital cameras.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A photographing means installed in a vehicle for photographing a situation around the vehicle; a position detecting means for detecting a position of the vehicle; a map information storing means in which map information is stored; Image storage means for storing a captured image in association with the position of the vehicle at the time of shooting; and display means for displaying a corresponding image stored in the image storage means based on input position data. A navigation device characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. The navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising an operation switch for instructing the photographing means to photograph. 3. An arrival detecting means for detecting that the vehicle has reached a predetermined position; and causing the photographing means to perform a photographing operation when the arrival detecting means detects that the vehicle has reached a predetermined position. 2. The navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising a photographing control unit. 4. An image search means for searching whether an image corresponding to the predetermined position is stored in the image storage means, and the arrival detection means detecting that the vehicle has reached a predetermined position, 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a photographing prohibiting unit that prohibits photographing by the photographing unit when the image search unit detects that the image corresponding to the predetermined position is stored in the image storage unit. A navigation device as described. 5. The navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising: arrival detecting means for outputting position data of the predetermined position to the display means when detecting that the vehicle has reached a predetermined position. 6. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising priority search means for searching for a traveling route of the vehicle so as to preferentially pass through a position corresponding to an image stored in the image storage means. Navigation device. 7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a priority position image display means for displaying an image corresponding to the predetermined position on the traveling route searched by the priority search means on the display means. Navigation device.