JP3648091B2 - Navigation method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a navigation method, and more particularly, to a navigation method for displaying a vehicle periphery detailed map by expressing roads and buildings in a planar figure using detailed map information.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A navigation device that provides driving guidance for a vehicle so that a driver can easily arrive at a desired destination, detects the position of the vehicle, reads out map data around the vehicle position from a CD-ROM or the like, and displays a map image. In addition to displaying on the display screen, a vehicle position mark (vehicle mark) is displayed superimposed on a predetermined location on the map image. As the current position changes due to the movement of the vehicle, the vehicle mark on the screen is moved, or the vehicle mark is fixed at a predetermined position such as the center of the screen and the map is scrolled. Map information can be seen at a glance.
[0003]
Such a navigation device can change the scale of the map displayed on the display screen according to the driver's needs, and can display a wide area map of the national scale to a narrow area map of the 100 m scale for each predetermined scale. Furthermore, it is possible to display up to a 25m / 50m scale detailed map by a DVD navigation device that stores a detailed map information on a DVD-ROM, which is a large-capacity storage medium, and the map information required by the driver. Can be provided at each scale. As a display function, the navigation device divides the display screen into two parts and displays different maps on the left and right screens, and displays a map that looks down diagonally from a high place. It has a “bird's eye view” function that makes it easier for the driver to see and provides more map information.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, the conventional navigation device can display each scale map from the wide area map to the detailed map, and can display an effective map for the driver by the display function. However, in any map display, only a planar map viewed from the sky is displayed, which is not necessarily sufficient map information for a driver traveling on a road. In particular, when driving in an urban area where a high building is adjacent, even if a detailed map is displayed, the name of the building and the planar shape of the building viewed from above are only displayed, as seen from the driver traveling on the road. Unlike the actual scenery, the driver feels inconvenient that it is difficult to grasp the actual vehicle position.
From the above, the object of the present invention is to express the buildings on both sides of the road on which the vehicle travels by a figure whose height can be recognized, and by arranging and displaying the buildings along the traveling direction, the urban area where tall buildings are lined up is displayed. It is to provide a navigation method that makes it easy for a traveling driver to grasp an actual vehicle position.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, according to the present invention, the building information such as the name, position, floor number, etc. of each building is stored in the map storage medium together with the detailed map information, and the information on the buildings existing on both sides of the road on which the vehicle travels is searched. Based on the building information, the left side building image and the right side building image in which the buildings existing on both sides of the traveling road are represented by a figure corresponding to the height and arranged in order along the traveling direction are created. This is achieved by displaying the side building image and the right side building image together with the vehicle periphery detailed map on both sides thereof.
In addition, according to the present invention, the above-mentioned problem adds a building width as viewed from a road to the building information, and based on the width of the building and the height converted from the height or floor number of the building, This is accomplished by generating the graphic representing the building.
Further, according to the present invention, the above object is achieved by adding the name of the facility on each floor to the building information and displaying the name of the facility or the landmark of the facility at a position corresponding to the number of floors located.
In other words, the driver can see the actual vehicle by expressing the buildings on both sides of the road on which the vehicle travels along with the detailed map around the vehicle in a figure that can recognize their height and arranging them along the direction of travel. The position can be easily grasped.
[0006]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(A) Outline of the Present Invention FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the navigation method of the present invention. DP is the display screen of the navigation device, CF is a detailed map of the vehicle periphery displayed in the center area of the display screen DP divided into three parts, LF is the left area of the display screen DP, and the buildings lined up on the left side of the road on which the vehicle runs Left side building image that displays schematic diagrams in order of progress, RF is a right side building image that displays schematic diagrams of buildings lined up on the right side of the road on which the vehicle is traveling in the right area of the display screen DP, CM is a vehicle position mark , BL _{11 to} BL ₁₅ , BL _{21 to} BL ₂₅ are schematic diagrams of buildings lined up along the road on which the vehicle travels. NM _{11 to} NM ₁₄ and NM _{21 to} NM ₂₅ are schematic diagrams of facilities located in the building schematic diagram BL _ij Name display.
A schematic diagram BL _ij of each building displayed in the left side building image LF and the right side building image RF is represented by a rectangular shape having a size corresponding to the width of the building and the height of the building. In the building schematic diagram BL _ij , the name of the facility NM _ij is displayed at a position corresponding to the number of floors. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the facility located in the schematic diagram BL _ij of the building is displayed with the name NM _ij , but a symbol code for identifying the facility is added to the building information, and the landmark corresponding to the symbol code is displayed. By reading out, it is possible to display the facility located in the building schematic diagram BL _ij as a landmark. In the left side building image LF and the right side building image RF, scroll display by moving the cursor is also possible, and the buildings before and after being hidden can be confirmed. Furthermore, it can be set as a destination by designating a facility located in the building schematic diagram BL by remote control operation or the like.
The navigation device displays the left side building image LF and the right side building image RF together with the vehicle periphery detailed map CF on the display screen DP, and scrolls the map and the building image as the vehicle travels.
[0007]
(B) Configuration of Navigation Device (b-1) Overall Configuration FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of the navigation device. 1 is a navigation control device, 2 is a remote control for inputting various commands to the navigation control device, Display device for displaying maps, guidance routes, various menus, etc., 4 is a storage medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM for storing map information, 5 is a radio wave from a satellite and receives the current position and direction of the vehicle A GPS receiver to be measured, 6 is a self-contained navigation sensor, and 7 is an audio unit that outputs a guidance voice for notifying that a destination has been reached and a guidance voice at an intersection. The GPS receiver 5 performs three-dimensional positioning or two-dimensional positioning processing to calculate the vehicle position and direction, and outputs these together with the positioning time. The self-contained navigation sensor 6 includes a relative azimuth sensor (angle sensor) such as a vibration gyro that detects a vehicle rotation angle, and a distance sensor that generates one pulse for each predetermined travel distance, although not shown.
[0008]
In addition to normal map information, (1) city area detailed map information, (2) building database information, (3) landmark information, and the like are stored in the storage medium 4. The detailed map information on the city area shows the location and plan shape of each building, road, etc. so that the shape of each building, road width, signal position, one-way direction, and alleys can be grasped realistically. Contains.
[0009]
The city area detailed map information is divided into units (units) divided into predetermined longitude widths and latitude widths. As shown in FIG. 3, the range of each unit on the absolute longitude and latitude coordinates (X, Y) is the absolute longitude and latitude coordinates (X _T1 , Y _T1 ), (X _T2 , Y _T2 ) of the diagonal vertices E and F. It is managed by. The map graphic data of each unit defines many plane figures such as roads, buildings, and parks. As shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), (1) lines, polygons (polygons), etc. In addition to attributes such as primitive type, color, line type, fill status, building name, etc., (2) fold points for lines, vertices for polygons, etc., the longitude and latitude of each element point G1 to Gn Coordinate strings (x ₁ , y ₁ ), (x ₂ , y ₂ ),..., (X _n , y _n ) are included. A detailed city map around the point (vehicle position, destination) indicated by using this detailed map information can be displayed on a 25 m / 50 m scale as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the building database information includes a building database composed of position (longitude and latitude), name, number of floors, and width for each building (building). Then, there is a building tenant beta base that stores the name (tenant name) of the facility located in the building. In addition, there is a tenant detailed information database that stores a symbol code that identifies the telephone number, address, floor number, and landmark of the facility linked to the tenant name.
As shown in FIG. 6, the landmark information includes a correspondence table LMT of a symbol code for specifying a landmark and a pointer indicating a storage location of the landmark image, and a landmark image data storage unit LMM.
[0010]
(B-2) Navigation control device In the navigation control device 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a map reading control unit, and when a map moving operation or map selecting operation is performed, the cursor position (the longitude and latitude position in the center of the screen) is set. (2) Predetermined detailed map information is read out from the storage medium 4 based on the vehicle position or cursor position, etc., and input to the map buffer. (3) Also, the building database information is read out from the storage medium 4 to obtain building information. Input to the storage unit.
[0011]
Reference numeral 12a denotes a map buffer for storing detailed map information read from the storage medium 4, and a plurality of (multiple units) detailed map information around the vehicle position or the cursor position so that the map can be scrolled, for example, 3 × 3 units The detailed map information is stored. A building information storage unit 12b stores building database information read from the storage medium 4. A map drawing unit 13a generates a detailed map image using the detailed map information stored in the map buffer 12a. Reference numeral 13b denotes a both-side building drawing unit that generates left / right side building images LF and RF (see FIG. 1) of the traveling road using the building database information stored in the building information storage unit 12b. 14a is a VRAM (1) for storing a detailed map image, 14b is a VRAM (2) for storing a left / right side building image, and 15a is a map image for the screen of the display area from the VRAM (1) 14a based on the vehicle position. Is a reading control unit A that reads the map and scrolls the map according to the movement of the vehicle position or the movement of the cursor. Reference numeral 15b denotes a read control unit B that reads out the building image for the screen in the display area from the VRAM (2) 14b based on the vehicle position or the cursor position, and scrolls and displays the building image according to the movement of the vehicle position.
[0012]
16 is an intersection guide unit that outputs guidance voices at intersections from the audio unit 7, 17 is a remote control unit that receives a signal corresponding to the operation of the remote controller and instructs each unit, and 18 is based on GPS data and autonomous navigation sensor output The vehicle position calculation unit 19 calculates the vehicle position, 19 is a guidance route control unit that performs a guidance route calculation process, and 20 is the position data of all nodes on the guidance route calculated by the guidance route control unit 19. A guide route memory for storing the route from the destination to the destination, 21 is a guide route drawing unit that reads the guide route information (node sequence) from the guide route memory 20 and draws the guide route on the map in an identifiable manner. An operation screen generating unit for generating a screen), 23 a various mark generating unit for outputting various marks such as a vehicle position mark and a cursor, and 24 an image synthesizing unit.
[0013]
(C) Display processing according to the present invention When the display mode according to the present invention is selected by the driver, the map reading control unit 11 reads out detailed city map information (see FIG. 3) around the vehicle from the storage medium 4 to the map buffer 12a. At the same time, the building database information (see FIG. 5) is read into the building information storage unit 12b. Next, the map drawing unit 13a creates a city area detailed map image based on the city area detailed map information stored in the map buffer 12a and stores it in the VRAM (1) 14a. Further, both side building drawing units 13b create a left / right side building image based on the building name included in the attribute data of the urban area detailed map information and the building database information already read out to the building information storage unit 12b. And stored in the VRAM (2) 14b. That is, the both side building drawing unit 13b searches the building database (see FIG. 5) for building information corresponding to the building names on both sides of the running road in the city area detailed map, and calculates the building width and number of floors included in the building information. Create a left / right side building image according to the height, tenant name, etc. The readout control unit A15a reads out the detailed urban area map image for the screen of the display area (center area) from the VRAM (1) 14a based on the vehicle position, and the readout control unit B15b displays it from the VRAM (2) 14b based on the vehicle position. The left / right side building image for the screen of the area (left / right area) is read. The image synthesizing unit 24 synthesizes the read city area detailed map image and both side building images, and displays them on the display device 3 as shown in FIG.
When a facility located in a building is displayed as a landmark instead of a name, the corresponding landmark is stored in the landmark image data by referring to the correspondence table LMT (see FIG. 6) from the symbol code (see FIG. 5) of the building database information. Displayed by reading from the part LMM.
In the above, the building width data and the floor number data corresponding to the height are included in the building database information. However, the building width and height data can be included in the detailed urban area map information.
[0014]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, since the building information on both sides of the road is displayed even when the road is lined with tall buildings such as urban areas, the driver is actually surrounded by tall buildings and is difficult to grasp only with the detailed map. The vehicle position can be easily grasped.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a navigation device of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of detailed map graphic data.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a city area detailed map;
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of building database information.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of landmark information.
[Explanation of symbols]
CF ·· Detailed map around the vehicle BL _ij · · Schematic diagram of buildings standing along the road on which the vehicle runs NM _ij · · Name display LF of the facility located in the building schematic diagram BL · · Left side building image RF · · Right side building image DP ··· Display screen

Claims (3)

In a navigation method for displaying a detailed map around a vehicle by expressing roads and buildings in a flat figure using detailed map information,
Stores building information such as the name, position, and floor number of each building along with detailed map information in a map storage medium,
Search for information about buildings on both sides of the road where the vehicle is running,
Based on the building information, create a left side building image and a right side building image in which the buildings existing on both sides of the road are represented in a figure corresponding to the height and arranged in order along the traveling direction,
A navigation method, wherein the left side building image and the right side building image are displayed on both sides together with the vehicle periphery detailed map. Adding the width of the building on the road surface to the building information, and generating the figure representing the buildings on both sides based on the width of the building and the height converted from the height or the number of floors of the building. The navigation method according to claim 1. The navigation method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a name or landmark of a facility on each floor is added to the building information, and the name of the facility or the landmark of the facility is displayed at a position corresponding to the number of floors where the facility is located.

Images