JP4760792B2 - Vehicle navigation device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle navigation apparatus that guides a route to a destination, and more particularly to a method for setting a route for avoiding traffic jams.

  As the vehicle travels, the current position is detected by GPS (Global Positioning System), etc., and the current position is displayed on a display device together with a road map, and an appropriate route from the starting point to the destination The vehicle navigation device that guides the vehicle using a display device, a voice output device, or the like contributes to efficient and safe driving for the user.

  A vehicle navigation system searches for a detour to avoid a traffic jam section based on traffic jam information sent from outside the vehicle, such as a VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System: registered trademark) center, and Can be avoided. For example, when a guidance route to a destination is set, if there is a traffic jam between the current position and the destination due to information from the outside of the vehicle, a detour to avoid this can be searched. Also, because road conditions change over time, such as sudden accidents and morning and evening commuting hours, when you first search for a guide route, traffic congestion will occur after the start of travel even if there is no traffic on the guide route. There is. In this case, it is possible to avoid a traffic jam by searching for a detour that avoids only a section where the traffic jam occurs and passing along the detour.

  However, the detour often has a longer distance than the first guide route, and depending on the degree of traffic congestion, it may occur that the destination of the route reaches the destination earlier if the original guide route is used as it is. For this reason, there is a method of displaying both route information on the screen and allowing the user to manually select one of the routes. However, in this method, the user makes a decision himself / herself in a short time during each run, and the selection operation There was annoyance that had to be done.

  On the other hand, the time zone or area where the detour for the traffic jam is searched and whether or not the user has selected the detour are stored in association as “user preference”, and then the detour is searched A route guidance method for an in-vehicle navigation device has been devised that can avoid searching for a detour according to "user preference" or automatically select a detour when the user encounters (See Patent Document 1). This eliminates the need for the user to select a detour every time, thereby freeing from complicated operations.

JP 2002-90167 A

  Even in similar situations, the user's desired behavior may change temporarily. For example, even if it is a place or time zone that is always passed when a traffic jam is encountered, a detour may be selected if it is necessary to get to the target place quickly. Also, when there is a place to stop on the guidance route, the detour should not be guided. Therefore, as in Patent Document 1, it is very effective to determine whether or not to automatically bypass a traffic jam by determining user preferences based on past user behavior, but in some cases, the reverse In addition, there are problems such as delaying the user's arrival at the target location or passing through the target location, which is disadvantageous to the user.

  Against the background of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle navigation device that allows a user to select an appropriate detour according to the situation.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

  A vehicle navigation device for solving the above problems is based on position detection means for detecting the current position of the vehicle, road map data storage means for storing road map data, the current position of the vehicle and road map data, Guide route search means for searching for a guide route to a preset destination, a display that displays the road map, the current position of the vehicle, and the guide route superimposed on the display screen, and a traffic jam that acquires traffic jam information Information acquisition means, and when there is a traffic jam section on the guide route, a bypass search means for searching for a bypass route that bypasses the traffic jam section, and a guide route of the bypass route from a branch point where the bypass route branches from the guide route A switching command that switches between a detour and a basic route that the user wants to travel, using a section that includes a traffic jam section on the guide route that leads to the confluence as the basic route. The operation accepting means for accepting the route switching operation for executing the command, and the display mode of the route switching icon displayed on the display screen in accordance with the execution of the switching command, the state where the detour is selected as the travel desired route And a route switching icon display control means for switching between a first display mode shown and a second display mode showing a state in which a basic route different from the first display mode is selected.

  In the prior art, once the desired travel route is determined, other alternative route candidates and the like are returned to the normal display, and when it is desired to change to another route, it is necessary to search for the alternative route again. However, according to the above configuration, it is possible to switch between a basic route and a detour including a traffic jam section on the guide route, and always displaying which one is selected as a travel route. Convenience when it is desired to change the travel route is improved.

  In the vehicle navigation device of the present invention, the display device includes a touch panel overlaid on the display screen, the route switching icon is a soft button indicating an input button on the touch panel, and the operation accepting unit is configured to switch the route by the user. A switching command is executed by touching the icon, and the path switching icon display control means is configured to circulate and display the first display mode and the second display mode each time the switching command is executed. You can also.

  With the above configuration, switching between the first display mode and the second display mode, that is, switching of the desired travel route can be performed with one touch.

  Further, the route switching icon in the vehicle navigation device of the present invention may be configured such that at least the basic route and the detour from the junction to the junction are displayed so as to be distinguishable from each other.

  With the above configuration, the outline of the route selected by the user (desired travel route) can be understood even when the map from the branch point to the junction is not displayed on the display screen due to the map display magnification. Become.

Further, in the vehicle navigation device of the present invention, when the switching command is executed by the user after the current position of the vehicle passes the branch point, the guide route search means is configured to guide the guide route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination. Can be configured to search again.

  With the above configuration, it is possible to search for an optimum guide route according to the current position of the vehicle without being caught by the previously searched detour.

Further, the guide route search means in the vehicle navigation device of the present invention is configured such that, when the vehicle is traveling on a route that does not include the traffic jam section after the current position of the vehicle passes the branch point, the route of the traffic jam zone. The cost may be configured to search again for a guidance route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination as a value used when the traffic congestion section is not in traffic congestion.

  Normally, even in the same section, the route cost for traffic congestion is set higher than the normal route cost. Therefore, in the route re-search by the prior art, it is not possible to search for a guidance route including a traffic jam section. However, with the above-described configuration, it is possible to search for a guidance route including a traffic jam section even when the user has to select to travel in the traffic jam section.

  Further, when the vehicle in the vehicle navigation device of the present invention travels a route including a traffic jam section, the route cost of the traffic jam section is set as a value used when the traffic jam section is congested. It can also be configured to search again for the guide route up to.

  A route re-search when traveling along a route including a traffic jam section is often performed because the user does not want to travel in the traffic jam zone. With the above configuration, it is possible to search for a guidance route that does not include a traffic jam section.

  Further, the route switching icon display control means in the vehicle navigation device of the present invention can be configured not to display the route switching icon when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

  With the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the route switching icon display that is no longer necessary to be displayed from occupying the display screen and obstructing the map display.

  Further, the route switching icon display control means in the vehicle navigation device of the present invention can be configured not to display the route switching icon after the current position of the vehicle passes through a branch point or a junction.

  After the current position of the vehicle passes through the branch point, there is no need to make a detour, so the route switching icon is not necessary. With the above configuration, it is possible to prevent an unnecessary icon from being displayed and hindering the map display.

  Further, the route switching icon display control means in the vehicle navigation device of the present invention can be configured not to display the route switching icon after the current position of the vehicle passes through the traffic jam section.

  After the current position of the vehicle passes through the traffic jam section, there is no need to make a detour, so the route switching icon is not necessary. Also with the above configuration, it is possible to prevent an unnecessary icon from being displayed and hindering the map display.

Further, the guide route searching means in the vehicle navigation apparatus of the present invention searches again the guide route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination at a predetermined timing, using the current travel route as a basic route. When the vehicle is traveling on a route including a traffic jam section, the route cost of the traffic jam segment is set to a value used when the traffic jam segment is congested, while the vehicle is traveling on a route not including the traffic jam section. sometimes, a route cost of the congested section and the values used when the congested section is in the non-congestion, again searched, path switching icon display control means guide route using the route cost, the guide route searched again When the difference between the basic route and the basic route is within a predetermined range , the route switching icon may not be displayed.

  Even if the route cost is re-searched by changing the route cost value of the traffic jam section, the two guide routes match. This means that the re-searched guide route does not include the traffic jam section, that is, passes through the branch point. Or, because the vehicle is located between the traffic jam section and the branch point, the route switching icon becomes unnecessary. Also with the above configuration, it is possible to prevent an unnecessary icon from being displayed and hindering the map display.

Further, the guide route searching means in the vehicle navigation device of the present invention uses the current travel route as a basic route from the current position of the vehicle when the switching command is executed after the current position of the vehicle passes the branch point. The route switching icon display control means searches for the guidance route to the destination again, and the route switching icon display control means displays the route switching icon when the difference between the again searched guidance route and the basic route is within a predetermined range. It can also be configured not to do so.

  With the above configuration, the frequency of re-searching the guidance route can be reduced, so that an increase in processing load of the vehicle navigation device can be suppressed.

  Further, the vehicle navigation device of the present invention is configured to include a connection route search means for searching for a connection route to the junction point on the desired travel route when the current position of the vehicle deviates from the desired travel route. You can also.

  With the above configuration, it is not necessary for the user to perform a route search for returning and joining the desired travel route, and the convenience for the user is improved.

  The vehicle navigation device of the present invention can also be configured to include a desired travel route specifying means for specifying, as a desired travel route, a route on the side where the vehicle has entered from the branch point among the basic route and the detour.

  With the above configuration, it is not necessary for the user to select a desired travel route. In addition, the display of the route switching icon also reflects the specified desired travel route, and the user does not need to operate the route switching icon, thus improving the convenience for the user.

  Hereinafter, a vehicle navigation device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a vehicle navigation device (hereinafter abbreviated as a navigation device) 100. The navigation device 100 includes a position detector 1, a map data input device 6, an operation switch group 7, a memory 9, a display 10, a remote control (hereinafter referred to as remote control) sensor 11, a voice synthesis circuit 24 for performing voice guidance, a speaker, and the like. 15, a transceiver 13, a hard disk device (HDD) 21, a LAN I / F (interface) 26, a control circuit 8 connected thereto, a remote control terminal 12, and the like.

  The position detector 1 is a well-known geomagnetic sensor 2, a gyroscope 3 that detects the rotational angular velocity of the vehicle, a distance sensor 4 that detects the travel distance of the vehicle, and a GPS receiver that detects the position of the vehicle based on radio waves from a satellite. Machine 5 is provided. Since these sensors 2, 3, 4, and 5 have errors of different properties, they are configured to be used while being complemented by a plurality of sensors. Depending on the accuracy, some of the sensors described above may be used, and further, a steering rotation sensor (not shown), a wheel sensor of each rolling wheel, for example, a vehicle speed sensor 23 or the like may be used. The position detector 1 corresponds to the position detection means of the present invention.

  As the operation switch group 7, for example, a touch panel 22 integrated with the display device 10 or a mechanical switch is used. The touch panel 22 is pressed when an electric circuit is wired on the screen of the display 10 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction through a gap called a spacer on a glass substrate and a transparent film, and the user touches the film. Since the voltage value changes due to short-circuiting of a part of the wiring, a so-called resistance film method for detecting this as a two-dimensional coordinate value (X, Y) is widely used. In addition, a known so-called capacitance method may be used. In addition to the mechanical switch, a pointing device such as a mouse or a cursor may be used.

  It is also possible to input various instructions using the microphone 31 and the voice recognition unit 30. In this method, a voice signal input from the microphone 31 is processed by a voice recognition technique such as a well-known hidden Markov model in the voice recognition unit 30, and converted into an operation command corresponding to the result. Various instructions can be input by the operation switch group 7, the remote control terminal 12, the touch panel 22, and the microphone 31 corresponding to the operation receiving means of the present invention.

  The control circuit 8 is configured as a normal computer, and connects a well-known CPU 81, ROM 82, RAM 83, I / O 84 as an input / output circuit, A / D conversion unit 86, drawing unit 87, clock IC 88, and these components. A bus line 85 is provided. The CPU 81 controls the navigation program 21p and data stored in the HDD 21. The CPU 81 controls the reading / writing of data to / from the HDD 21. In addition, a program for performing a minimum necessary operation as the navigation device 100 may be stored in the ROM 82 in a case where the data read / write control from the CPU 81 to the HDD 21 becomes impossible. The control circuit 8 corresponds to the guidance route search means, the detour search means, the route switching icon display control means, the connection route search means, and the desired travel route specifying means of the present invention.

  The A / D conversion unit 86 includes a well-known A / D (analog / digital) conversion circuit, and converts analog data input from the position detector 1 or the like to the control circuit 8 into digital data that can be calculated by the CPU 81, for example. It is.

  The drawing unit 87 generates display screen data to be displayed on the display 10 from road map data 21m (described later), display data, and display color data stored in the HDD 21 or the like.

  The clock IC 88 is also called a real-time clock IC, and sends or sets clock / calendar data in response to a request from the CPU 81. The CPU 81 acquires date / time information from the clock IC 88. Further, date and time information included in the GPS signal received by the GPS receiver 5 may be used. Further, the date / time information may be generated based on a known real-time counter included in the CPU 81. The date / time information is used, for example, for management of a travel history.

  The memory 9 is composed of a rewritable device such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable & Programmable Read Only Memory) or a flash memory, and stores information and data necessary for the operation of the navigation apparatus 100. Has been. The memory 9 holds the stored contents even when the navigation device 100 is turned off. Further, instead of the memory 9, information and data necessary for the operation of the navigation device 100 may be stored in the HDD 21. Further, information and data necessary for the operation of the navigation device 100 may be stored separately in the memory 9 and the HDD 21.

  The display 10 is composed of a known color liquid crystal display, and includes a dot matrix LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and a driver circuit (not shown) for performing LCD display control. The driver circuit uses, for example, a well-known active matrix driving method, and performs display based on a display command and display screen data sent from the control circuit 8 (drawing unit 87). Further, a known organic EL (ElectroLuminescence) display or plasma display may be used as the display 10.

  The transmitter / receiver 13 receives road traffic information from the VICS center 14 or receives FM multiplex broadcast by an optical beacon or radio wave beacon output from a transmitter (not shown) provided along the road, for example. It is a device for. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which can be connected to external networks, such as the internet, using the transmitter / receiver 13. FIG. The transceiver 13 corresponds to the traffic jam information acquisition unit of the present invention.

  The speaker 15 is connected to a well-known voice synthesis circuit 24, and the digital voice data stored in the memory 9 or the HDD 21 in accordance with a command from the navigation program 21p is converted into analog voice by the voice synthesis circuit 24 and sent out. Note that speech synthesis methods include a recording / editing method in which speech waveforms are stored as they are or after being encoded and connected as necessary, and a text synthesis method in which corresponding speech is synthesized from character input information.

  Further, by communicating with the ETC on-vehicle device 17, it is possible to capture the fee information received by the ETC on-vehicle device 17 from the roadside device (not shown) into the navigation device 100. Further, the ETC on-vehicle device 17 may be connected to an external network and communicate with the VICS center 14 or the like.

  In addition to the navigation program 21p, the HDD 21 stores so-called map matching data for improving the accuracy of position detection and road map data 21m, which is a map database including road data representing road connections. The road map data 21m stores predetermined map image information for display and road network information including link information and node information. The link information is predetermined section information constituting each road, and includes position coordinates, distance, required time, road width, number of lanes, speed limit, and the like. The node information is information defining an intersection (branch road) or the like, and is composed of position coordinates, the number of right / left turn lanes, a connecting road link, and the like. In addition, data indicating whether or not traffic is permitted is set in the link connection information. The road map data 21m corresponds to the road map data storage means of the present invention.

  In addition, in the HDD 21, auxiliary information for route guidance, entertainment information, and other data can be written independently by the user and stored as user data 21u. Data and various information necessary for the operation of the navigation device 100 are also stored as the database 21d.

  The navigation program 21p, road map data 21m, user data 21u, and database 21d can be added / updated from the storage medium 20 via the map data input device 6. The storage medium 20 is generally a CD-ROM or DVD based on the amount of data, but may be another medium such as a memory card. Moreover, you may use the structure which downloads data via an external network.

  The vehicle speed sensor 23 includes a rotation detection unit such as a known rotary encoder. For example, the vehicle speed sensor 23 is installed in the vicinity of the wheel mounting unit to detect the rotation of the wheel and send it to the control circuit 8 as a pulse signal. The control circuit 8 converts the rotation speed of the wheel into the speed of the vehicle, calculates the expected arrival time from the current position of the vehicle to a predetermined location, and calculates the average vehicle speed for each travel section of the vehicle.

  The communication unit 25 is configured as a well-known wireless transceiver, and is used for connecting to a public communication network such as the Internet. The communication unit 25 may be configured as an interface circuit between the mobile communication terminal and the control circuit 8 for performing data communication by connecting a mobile communication terminal (not shown) such as a mobile phone.

  The LAN I / F 26 is an interface circuit for exchanging data with other in-vehicle devices and sensors via the in-vehicle LAN 27. Further, data may be taken from the vehicle speed sensor 23 or connected to the ETC on-vehicle device 17 via the LAN I / F 26.

  With this configuration, the navigation device 100 allows the user to operate the operation switch group 7, the touch panel 22, the remote control terminal 12, or from the microphone 31 when the navigation program 21 p is activated by the CPU 81 of the control circuit 8. When a route guidance process for displaying a destination route on the display 10 is selected from a menu (not shown) displayed on the display 10 by voice input, the following process is performed.

  That is, first, the user searches for a destination. The destination search method is, for example, a method of specifying an arbitrary point on the map, a method of searching from the area where the destination is located, a method of searching from the telephone number of the destination, or a name of the destination from the Japanese syllabary table There are a method of searching by inputting the number of characters stored in the memory 9 as a facility frequently used by the user. When the destination is set, the current position of the vehicle is obtained by the position detector 1, and a process for obtaining an optimum guide route to the destination from the current position is performed. Then, the guidance route is superimposed on the road map on the screen of the display 10 to display an appropriate route for the user. As a method for automatically setting an optimum guide route, a method such as the Dijkstra method is known. In addition, at least one of the display 10 and the speaker 15 performs notification of a message according to an operation guidance or an operation state.

  In the route search, from the starting point (current location) to the destination, the search for the road (link) to the next reachable intersection (node) and the cost (evaluation value) are sequentially calculated until the destination. Selects a route (link string) with the minimum cost. The cost of each link is calculated by a predetermined calculation formula based on the road length, road type, road width, toll free, traffic congestion, right / left turn, crossing, etc. In this case, the value becomes large in proportion to the road length.

  The candidate route search display process will be described with reference to FIG. This process is included in the navigation program 21p and is repeatedly executed together with other processes of the navigation program 21p. First, traffic jam information ahead of the vehicle in the traveling direction is received from the outside of the vehicle such as the VICS center 14 (S201). The front in the traveling direction of the vehicle can be specified from the history of the current position of the vehicle detected by the position detector 1 or the gyroscope 3. When there is a traffic jam location on the guide route (S202: Yes), a detour route for detouring the traffic jam section is searched by the same method as the above route search (S203). A plurality of detours may be searched.

  Next, the travel time is calculated for the case where the vehicle travels on the basic route, including the traffic jam section on the guide route, from the junction with the detour on the guide route to the junction, and on the detour. To do. The travel time can be calculated, for example, by dividing the distance of each route by a predetermined reference vehicle speed. The reference vehicle speed may be different depending on the road type. Then, it is determined whether or not the traveling shortening time when traveling on the detour from the branch point to the junction point exceeds a predetermined threshold value (eg, there is a significant difference) such as 10 minutes or more.

  As shown in FIG. 12, when there is a traffic jam section S ahead of the current position P of the vehicle, P → Q (branch point) → car jam section S → R (meeting point) is the basic route, and P does not include the traffic jam section S. → Q (branch point) → R (junction point) is a detour.

  If it is determined that there is no significant difference (S204: No), this process is terminated. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is a significant difference (S204: Yes), the speaker 15 informs the user that there is traffic jam ahead of the guidance route, for example, “There is a traffic jam section ahead”. It outputs as a voice message (S205). A similar message may be displayed on the display screen of the display 10.

  Then, the display 10 changes the display color or display pattern on the map so that the user can identify the first candidate and the second candidate of the route, and roads that do not belong to any of them (this is not essential). Are displayed (S206), and a route change button which is a route switching icon of the present invention is displayed (S207). At this time, the first candidate is a basic route, and the second candidate is a detour. After that, the traffic jam avoiding mode process for performing route search / guidance is executed in the “traffic jam avoiding mode” until it passes through the traffic jam section (S208, described later).

  The traffic jam avoidance mode process corresponding to step S208 in FIG. 2 will be described with reference to FIG. In the traffic jam avoidance mode processing, “passing the first candidate / second candidate branch point” and “traveling route between the time when the vehicle position has passed the traffic jam section or junction after the detour is searched Manages events such as "leaving from" and "passing through a traffic jam section", and performs necessary processing according to each event.

  First, the current position information of the vehicle is acquired from the position detector 1 (S301). Next, it is determined whether or not the route change button displayed on the display device 10 has been pressed (touching the touch panel 22, the same applies hereinafter). When the route change button is pressed (S302: Yes), processing when the route change button is pressed is executed (S308, described later).

  On the other hand, when the route change button is not pressed (S302: No), the current position of the vehicle approaches a predetermined range such as 500 m before the branch point of the first candidate and the second candidate on the guide route. Determine whether or not. When it is determined that the vehicle has approached the branch point (S303: Yes), a branch point passage process is executed (S309, described later).

  On the other hand, when it is not determined that the vehicle has approached the branch point (S303: No), it is determined whether the vehicle has deviated from the current guide route. When it is determined that the vehicle has deviated from the current guide route (S304: Yes), a return route for returning to the first candidate (that is, the desired travel route that was running before the departure) is searched (S310). , Described later).

  On the other hand, when the current position of the vehicle is on the guidance route (S304: No), it is determined whether or not the vehicle is traveling on the detour. When it is not determined that the vehicle is traveling on the detour (S305: No), it is determined whether the vehicle has passed through the traffic jam section. When it is determined that the vehicle has passed through the traffic jam section (S311: Yes), the display of the second candidate on the map displayed on the display 10 is deleted. Also, the display of the route change button is deleted (S307). At this time, for example, guidance such as “passed through a traffic jam section” may be output as a voice message from the speaker 15, or a similar message may be displayed on the display screen of the display 10.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling on the detour (S305: Yes), it is determined whether or not the vehicle has passed the junction between the first candidate and the second candidate. When it is determined that the vehicle has passed the junction (S306: Yes), the process of step S307 described above is executed.

  The process at the time of pressing the route change button corresponding to step S308 in FIG. 3 will be described with reference to FIG. In this process, when the route change button is pressed, a process according to the current position of the vehicle is performed.

  First, based on the current position information of the vehicle, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is before passing the branch point. If it is determined that the vehicle is before passing through the branch point (S501: Yes), it is determined that there is a request for changing the desired travel route, and the display forms of the first candidate (travel desired route) and the second candidate are displayed. Switch. That is, the first display mode is selected when a detour is selected as the desired travel route, and the second display mode is selected when a basic route is selected. (S502). Then, for example, guidance such as “the route has changed” is output as a voice message from the speaker 15 (S503). A similar message may be displayed on the display screen of the display device 10.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the vehicle has passed through the branch point (S501: No), the current travel route is used as a basic route to search again for a guide route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination (S504). . FIG. 13 shows details of the re-search. When the vehicle is traveling on a route including a traffic jam section (S601: Yes), the route cost of the traffic jam section is set to a value used when the traffic jam section is congested such as 2000 (S602). The value may be calculated based on the content of the acquired traffic jam information (the traffic distance or the time required to pass through the traffic jam section). On the other hand, when the vehicle is traveling on a route that does not include a traffic jam section (S601: No), the route cost of the traffic jam zone is set to a value that is used when the traffic jam zone is non-congested, such as zero (S604). . This value may also be calculated based on the content of the acquired traffic jam information. Then, the guidance route is searched again using the respective cost values (S603).

  Returning to FIG. 4, it is determined whether or not there is a significant difference between the searched route and the currently traveling route (basic route, first candidate). The contents of the significant difference are the same as in FIG. Also, it is determined that there is a significant difference when the basic route and the searched route are different routes and the basic route passes through the traffic jam section.

  When there is a significant difference (S505: Yes), the display mode of the first candidate and the second candidate (searched route) is switched in the same manner as above (S502), for example, “the route has changed” The guidance is output as a voice message from the speaker 15 (S503).

  On the other hand, when there is no significant difference between the route currently being traveled and the re-searched guide route (S505: No), the display of the second candidate on the map displayed on the display 10 is deleted. Also, the display of the route change button is deleted (S506). Then, the traffic jam avoidance mode is terminated (S507). At this time, for example, a guidance such as “End traffic jam avoidance mode” may be output as a voice message from the speaker 15, or a similar message may be displayed on the display screen of the display 10. .

  The congestion avoidance mode end determination process will be described with reference to FIG. This process is included in the navigation program 21p and is repeatedly executed together with other processes of the navigation program 21p. For example, it is executed between steps S303 and S304 in FIG. Further, this process corresponds to another example of determination of the end of the traffic jam avoidance mode in the process when the route change button is pressed in FIG. In this process, it is a precondition that a path change button is displayed on the display 10. First, it is checked whether or not the guide route re-search timing has arrived. For example, the re-search timing is when the vehicle travels a predetermined cycle or a predetermined distance.

  When the guide route re-search timing has arrived (S901: Yes), the guide route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination is searched again using the current travel route as the basic route (S902). The re-search method is the same as in FIG. Then, similarly to FIG. 4, when there is no significant difference with respect to the currently traveling route (basic route) (S903: No), the display of the second candidate on the map displayed on the display 10 is deleted. Also, the display of the route change button is deleted (S904). Then, the traffic jam avoidance mode is terminated (S905). At this time, as in FIG. 4, for example, a guidance such as “End traffic jam avoidance mode” may be output as a voice message from the speaker 15, or a similar message may be displayed on the display screen of the display 10. May be displayed.

  The branch point passage process corresponding to step S309 in FIG. 3 will be described with reference to FIG. In this process, a process required from when the current position of the vehicle approaches the branch point between the first candidate and the second candidate until the vehicle passes the junction is executed. First, a voice message indicating that the vehicle is approaching the branch point, such as “I will soon be a branch point”, is output from the speaker 15 (S401). A similar message may be displayed on the display screen of the display 10.

  Next, the current position information of the vehicle is acquired from the position detector 1, and it is determined whether or not the vehicle has passed the branch point (S402). When it is determined that the vehicle has passed the branch point (S403: Yes), it is confirmed whether the user has selected the first candidate or the second candidate among the candidate routes (S404). That is, the current position of the vehicle after passing through the branch point is detected, and the candidate route on which the vehicle is currently traveling is set as the travel desired route selected by the user.

  Then, when the user selects the second candidate by pressing the route switching icon or causing the vehicle to enter the second candidate route (S405: No), in the route display on the display screen of the display unit 10, The display colors or display patterns of the first candidate and the second candidate are switched and displayed (S406). That is, the candidate route selected by the user is set as a travel desired route (first candidate). On the other hand, when the user selects the first candidate (S405: Yes), the display is left as it is.

  Thereafter, a voice message indicating that the vehicle has passed the branch point, such as “passed the branch point”, is output from the speaker 15 (S407). A similar message may be displayed on the display screen of the display 10.

  The return route search process corresponding to step S310 in FIG. 3 will be described with reference to FIG. First, it is checked whether or not the vehicle is about to enter the second candidate. It can be determined whether the current position of the vehicle is on the second candidate route or whether the traveling direction of the vehicle is toward the second candidate route.

  When the vehicle is about to enter the second candidate (S701: Yes), the display mode of the first candidate (desired travel route) and the second candidate is switched (S702). Next, for example, guidance such as “the route has changed” is output as a voice message from the speaker 15 (S703). A similar message may be displayed on the display screen of the display device 10. Then, the route of the first candidate after replacement is guided (S704).

  On the other hand, when the vehicle is not about to enter the second candidate (S701: No), a return route to the first candidate is searched (S705). Then, route guidance is performed based on the return route (S706).

  FIG. 6 shows a display screen example of the display 10 when steps S206 and S207 of FIG. 2 are executed. The basic route R1 that is the selected candidate route (first candidate, desired travel route) is displayed with a solid line, and the detour route R2 that is a candidate route that is not selected (second candidate) is displayed with a broken line. Can be identified. A method of changing the display color of the route may be used. A route switching icon (hereinafter abbreviated as an icon) I for executing a switching command for switching the desired travel route between the first candidate and the second candidate is displayed on the upper right of the road map. The display position of the icon I may be set by the user. The icon I also indicates that the route selection state can be identified. At this time, the display in the icon I displays the route (first candidate, second candidate) from the junction to the junction, regardless of the scale of the map display.

  FIG. 7 shows a display screen example of the display 10 when the detour R2 is selected as the desired travel route. This is also a state when the icon I is pressed on the display screen of FIG. 6 or when the second candidate is entered with the first candidate set as the desired travel route. Since the desired travel route has been changed from the basic route R1 to the detour R2, the detour route R2 that has become the first candidate and the travel desired route is displayed with a solid line, and the basic route R1 is not selected as a candidate route (second candidate) ). The display of the icon I is changed in the same way. If the icon I is pressed in the state of FIG. 7, the state returns to the state of FIG. Instead of pressing the icon I, the switch command may be executable by operating the operation switch group 7, the remote control terminal 12, or by voice input from the microphone 31.

  As a function of the navigation device, there is one that displays an enlarged view of an intersection when approaching an intersection. An example in which icons are superimposed on the enlarged view of the intersection is shown below. FIGS. 8 and 9 show examples of the enlarged view K of the intersection and the icon I indicating the selected state when the vehicle approaches the intersection Q which is also a branch point. FIG. 8 shows a display example in which the basic route R1 is the first candidate. FIG. 9 shows a display example in which the detour R2 is the first candidate. Also in this case, if the icon I is pressed, the first candidate and the second candidate are switched and displayed.

  FIG. 10 shows a display screen example of the display 10 when the desired travel route is changed by pressing the icon I, that is, the route change button, that is, when steps S502 and S503 in FIG. 4 are executed. That is, when the icon I is pressed in the state of FIG. 7, a caution screen W indicating that the route has been changed is displayed. Then, the display modes (first display mode and second display mode) on the map and on the icon I are switched. The icon Ia may be displayed on the caution screen W. Icons may be displayed only on the caution screen W.

  In FIG. 11, the example of a display screen of the indicator 10 when a vehicle approaches a branch point is shown. As shown in FIG. 11, a caution screen W for guiding the detour R2 selected as the first candidate is displayed. At this time, when the user enters the basic route R1 as the second route without pressing the icon I (or Ia), the screen of FIG. 10 is displayed, and the display mode (first display on the map and the icon I) is displayed. Mode and second display mode) are switched.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and the knowledge of those skilled in the art can be used without departing from the spirit of the claims. Various modifications based on this are possible.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the navigation apparatus for vehicles. The flowchart explaining a candidate route search display process. The flowchart explaining traffic congestion avoidance mode processing. The flowchart explaining a route change button press process. The flowchart explaining a branch point passage process. The figure which shows the example of a display of a candidate route search result. The figure which shows another example of a display of a candidate route search result. The figure which shows the example which overlaps and displays an icon on an intersection enlarged view. The figure which shows another example which overlaps and displays an icon on an intersection enlarged view. The figure which shows the example of a display at the time of travel desired route change. The figure which shows the example of a display at the time of a branch point approach. The figure which shows the state ahead of the vehicle in this invention. The flowchart explaining the detail of route re-search. The flowchart explaining a return route search process. The flowchart explaining traffic congestion avoidance mode completion | finish determination processing.

Explanation of symbols

1 Position detector (position detection means)
7 Operation switch group (operation receiving means)
8. Control circuit (guidance route search means, detour search means, route switching icon display control means, connection route search means, desired travel route identification means)
10 Display 12 Remote control terminal (operation receiving means)
13 Transceiver (congestion information acquisition means)
15 Speaker 21 Hard disk drive (HDD)
21d database 21m road map data (road map data storage means)
22 Touch panel (operation receiving means)
25 Communication unit 30 Voice recognition unit 31 Microphone (operation receiving means)
100 Vehicle navigation device I, Ia Route switching icon (icon, operation accepting means)

Claims (13)

Position detecting means for detecting the current position of the vehicle;
Road map data storage means for storing road map data;
Based on the current position of the vehicle and the road map data, a guide route search means for searching for a guide route to a preset destination;
A display that superimposes and displays the road map, the current position of the vehicle, and the guidance route on a display screen;
Traffic information acquisition means for acquiring traffic information,
A detour search means for searching for a detour that detours the congested section when there is a congested section on the guide route;
A section including the traffic jam section on the guide route from the branch point where the detour branches from the guide route to the junction where the detour bypasses the guide route is a basic route,
An operation receiving means for receiving a route switching operation for executing a switching command for switching a travel desired route desired by the user between the detour and the basic route;
A display mode of a route switching icon displayed on the display screen in accordance with the execution of the switching command, a first display mode showing a state where the detour is selected as the travel desired route, and the first display A route switching icon display control means for switching between a second display mode indicating a state where the basic route different from the mode is selected;
A vehicle navigation device comprising: The display comprises a touch panel overlaid on the display screen,
The route switching icon is a soft button indicating an input button on the touch panel,
The operation accepting unit executes the switching command when the user touches the route switching icon,
The vehicle navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the route switching icon display control means circulates and displays the first display mode and the second display mode each time the switching command is executed.   3. The vehicle navigation device according to claim 1, wherein at least the basic route and the detour from the branch point to the junction are displayed on the route switching icon so as to be distinguishable from each other. If the switching command is executed by the user after the current position of the vehicle has passed the branch point,
The vehicle navigation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the guide route search means searches again for a guide route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination. When the vehicle is traveling on a route that does not include the traffic jam section after the current position of the vehicle passes the branch point , the guidance route search means calculates the traffic cost of the traffic jam section as the traffic jam. The vehicle navigation device according to claim 4, wherein the route for searching from the current position of the vehicle to the destination is searched again as a value used when the section is not congested.   When the vehicle is traveling on a route including the traffic jam section, the guidance route search means uses the route cost of the traffic jam section as a value used when the traffic jam section is congested. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the navigation route is searched again.   The vehicle navigation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the route switching icon display control means does not display a route switching icon when a predetermined condition is satisfied.   The vehicle navigation device according to claim 7, wherein the route switching icon display control means does not display the route switching icon after the current position of the vehicle passes the branch point or the junction.   The vehicle navigation device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the route switching icon display control means does not display the route switching icon after the current position of the vehicle passes through the traffic jam section. The guide route search means searches again for a guide route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination at a predetermined timing, using the current travel route as a basic route,
When the vehicle is traveling on a route including the traffic congestion section, the route cost of the traffic congestion section is a value used when the traffic congestion section is congested, while the vehicle does not include a route including the traffic congestion section. When traveling, the route cost of the traffic congestion section is set to a value used when the traffic congestion section is not congested, and the guidance route is searched again using the route cost,
The route switching icon display control means does not display the route switching icon when the difference between the guide route searched again and the basic route is within a predetermined range. Item 10. The vehicle navigation device according to any one of Item 9. When the switching command is executed after the current position of the vehicle has passed the branch point , the guide route search means uses the current travel route as a basic route to get from the current position of the vehicle to the destination. Search the guide route again,
The route switching icon display control means does not display the route switching icon when a difference between the guide route searched again and the basic route is within a predetermined range. Vehicle navigation system.   The connection route search means for searching for a connection route to a junction point on the desired travel route when the current position of the vehicle deviates from the desired travel route. The vehicle navigation apparatus described.   The travel desired route specifying means for specifying, as the travel desired route, a route on the side where the vehicle enters from the branch point of the basic route and the detour is provided. The vehicle navigation apparatus described.

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