JP5036994B2 - Map scroll device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a map scroll device that is mounted on, for example, a navigation device and receives a scroll operation of a map including a current position of a vehicle.

In recent years, the act of operating a mobile phone while traveling and the act of operating a navigation device while traveling have a significant impact on driving and are dangerous.
Therefore, the map scrolling operation in the navigation device is also forbidden during traveling, but the end user hopes that the map scrolling operation can be performed even during traveling as the navigation device becomes more sophisticated. The importance is increasing.
However, the scrolling of the map in the conventional navigation device is difficult to carry out a reliable operation unless the user operates it while looking at the screen. In practice, it is difficult to permit the operation while traveling. It is.

Although not related to a map scrolling operation while traveling, a navigation device that can safely switch the scale of a map while traveling is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below.
That is, in the navigation device disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, when a user operates a scale key of a map and selects a desired scale, the user clicks a sound corresponding to the scale to output a click sound. Can understand the scale of the map without paying attention to the map menu screen.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-187031 (paragraph numbers [0013] to [0015], FIG. 3)

  Since the conventional map scroll device is configured as described above, the user can grasp the scale of the map without watching the map menu screen, but if the user does not watch the map, It is impossible to grasp the scroll direction. For this reason, when scroll operation of a map was permitted, there existed problems, such as it being difficult to ensure the safety during driving.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a map scroll device capable of ensuring safety during traveling even when a map scroll operation is permitted.

A map scroll device according to the present invention includes a map database storing map data, a current position detecting means for detecting a current position of the vehicle, and a current position of the vehicle detected by the current position detecting means from the map database. Acquires map data, displays the map according to the map data, and divides a peripheral area centered on the current position of the vehicle detected by the current position detection means and the map display means for scrolling the displayed map Referring to the map database, the name specifying means for specifying names of a plurality of divided areas obtained by dividing the peripheral area, and the scroll direction of the map displayed by the map display means are selected and the scroll direction is determined. The scroll direction selection means and the scroll determined by the scroll direction selection means from the name identification means. Get the name of the divided areas corresponding to Lumpur direction, the name of the divided areas, in which a name reading means for audio output with scrolling of the map by the map display means.

  According to the present invention, the peripheral area centered on the current position of the vehicle detected by the current position detecting means is divided, and the names of a plurality of divided areas obtained by dividing the peripheral area are specified with reference to the map database. Since the name specifying means is provided, the name of the divided area corresponding to the scroll direction of the map is acquired from the name specifying means, and the name of the divided area is output as a voice, so that the user does not watch the map, It becomes possible to grasp the scroll direction of the map, and as a result, there is an effect that it is possible to ensure safety during traveling even if the scroll operation of the map is permitted.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a navigation apparatus to which a map scroll apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is applied. In the figure, the map database 1 stores map data such as latitude / longitude information and name information of various facilities. Memory device.
The GPS receiver 2 receives GPS signals transmitted from a plurality of GPS satellites, and performs a process of outputting the GPS signals to the current position detection unit 4.
The gyro 3 detects the moving distance and moving direction of the vehicle, and performs processing for outputting information indicating the moving distance and moving direction to the current position detecting unit 4.
The current position detection unit 4 performs processing for detecting the current position of the vehicle based on the GPS signal output from the GPS receiver 2 and the information output from the gyro 3.
The GPS receiver 2, the gyro 3, and the current position detector 4 constitute current position detection means.

The display processing unit 5 is composed of, for example, a graphic accelerator. When the current position detection unit 4 detects the current position of the vehicle, the display processing unit 5 acquires map data including the current position of the vehicle from the map database 1, and according to the map data. Processing for displaying a map on the liquid crystal display 6 is performed. The display processing unit 5 also performs processing such as displaying the route guidance map created by the route guidance unit 13 on the liquid crystal display 6.
The liquid crystal display 6 is disposed, for example, on the instrument panel of the vehicle, and displays a map or the like under the instruction of the display processing unit 5.
The display processing unit 5 and the liquid crystal display 6 constitute map display means.

The name identification processing unit 7 is composed of, for example, a semiconductor integrated circuit on which an MPU or the like is mounted. The name identification processing unit 7 divides a peripheral area centered on the current position of the vehicle detected by the current position detection unit 4 and With reference to this, a process of identifying names of a plurality of divided areas obtained by dividing the peripheral area is performed. In addition, the name specific process part 7 comprises the name specific means.
The operation switch 8 is, for example, a rotary dial that is disposed on the instrument panel of the vehicle and is used when the user sets the scroll direction of the map, the destination, and the like.
The scale change switch 8a is a rotary dial that is arranged, for example, on the instrument panel of the vehicle and used when the user changes the scale of the map.
The scroll processing unit 9 is composed of, for example, a semiconductor integrated circuit on which an MPU or the like is mounted. When the user selects a map scroll direction using the operation switch 8, the scroll processing unit 9 instructs the display processing unit 5 to specify the map scroll direction. Perform the process.
The operation switch 8 and the scroll processing unit 9 constitute scroll direction selection means.

The audio output unit 10 is composed of, for example, a sound chip, acquires the name of the divided area corresponding to the scroll direction instructed by the scroll processing unit 9 from the name specifying processing unit 7, and sets the name of the divided area to the speaker 11. Performs audio output processing. The voice output unit 10 also performs a process of outputting the guidance information output from the route guide unit 13 to the speaker 11 by voice.
The voice output unit 10 and the speaker 11 constitute name reading means.

When the user designates a destination to be guided using the operation switch 8, the destination setting unit 12 performs a process of outputting the destination to the route guidance unit 13.
The route guidance unit 13 searches for an optimum route from the current position of the vehicle detected by the current position detection unit 4 to the destination, and performs a process of guiding the route until the vehicle reaches the destination.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the map scroll apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  In the example of FIG. 1, the current position detection unit 4, the display processing unit 5, the name identification processing unit 7, the scroll processing unit 9, the voice output unit 10, the destination setting unit 12, and the route guidance unit 13 that are components of the navigation device. However, when the navigation device is configured by a computer, the current position detection unit 4, the display processing unit 5, the name identification processing unit 7, and the scroll processing unit 9 are shown. The program describing the processing contents of the voice output unit 10, the destination setting unit 12, and the route guide unit 13 is stored in a memory of a computer, and the CPU of the computer executes the program stored in the memory. Good.

Next, the operation will be described.
The GPS receiver 2 performs a process of receiving GPS signals transmitted from a plurality of GPS satellites and outputting the GPS signals to the current position detection unit 4.
Further, the gyro 3 performs a process of detecting the moving distance and moving direction of the vehicle and outputting information indicating the moving distance and moving direction to the current position detecting unit 4.
When the GPS receiver 2 can receive GPS signals transmitted from three or more GPS satellites, the current position detection unit 4 uses, for example, a triangulation technique to detect a vehicle from a plurality of GPS signals. Is detected (step ST1).
The current position detector 4 uses the moving distance and moving direction of the vehicle detected by the gyro 3 when the GPS receiver 2 cannot receive GPS signals transmitted from three or more GPS satellites. The current position of the vehicle is detected.
Since the technique itself for detecting the current position of the vehicle from a plurality of GPS signals and information on the gyro 3 is a known technique, detailed description thereof is omitted.

When the current position detection unit 4 detects the current position of the vehicle, the display processing unit 5 acquires map data including the current position of the vehicle from the map database 1 and, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the map is displayed on the liquid crystal display 6 (step ST2).
When the current position detection unit 4 detects the current position of the vehicle, the name identification processing unit 7 performs a process of equally dividing a peripheral area centered on the current position of the vehicle as shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows an example in which the peripheral area is divided into 8 parts every 45 degrees.
When the peripheral area is equally divided as described above, the name identification processing unit 7 refers to the map database 1 and performs a process of identifying names of a plurality of divided areas obtained by dividing the peripheral area (steps). ST2).
Specifically, names of a plurality of divided areas are specified as follows.

The name identification processing unit 7 identifies the name of each divided area according to the scale of the map displayed by the display processing unit 5.
(1) When the scale of the map is [˜1 / 8000] In each divided area, the name of an intersection or facility that is closest to the current position of the vehicle is acquired, and the name of the intersection or the like is the name of the divided area Adopt as.
However, when there are a plurality of intersections or the like at the same distance, a name such as an intersection of a road with a wide road is preferentially acquired.
(2) When the scale of the map is [1/8000 to 1/21000] In each divided area, the name of the town, village, or character that is closest to the current position of the vehicle is acquired, and the name of the town, etc. is obtained. Adopted as the division area name.
However, when there are a plurality of towns, etc. at the same distance, the names of towns with a large population are acquired preferentially.

(3) When the map scale is [1/21000 to 1/75000] In each divided area, the name of the city, county, ward or district (for example, island) that is closest to the current position of the vehicle is acquired. The name of the city or ward is adopted as the name of the divided area.
However, when there are a plurality of cities, etc. at the same distance, the names of cities, etc. with a large population are acquired preferentially.
(4) When the map scale is [1/75000 to 1 / 150,000] In each divided area, the name of a city with a population of 150,000 or more that is closest to the current position of the vehicle is acquired, and the name of the city Is adopted as the name of the divided area.

(5) When the scale of the map is [1 / 150,000 to 1/300000] In each divided area, the name of the prefecture that is closest to the current position of the vehicle is acquired, and the name of the prefecture is obtained from the divided area. Adopt as a name.
(6) When the map scale is [1 / 300,000 to 1 / 900,000] The local names such as the Tohoku region and the Chubu region are acquired, and the names of the local names are adopted as the names of the divided areas.
However, when the scroll direction is the ocean, the name of the ocean (for example, the Pacific Ocean or the Sea of Japan) is adopted as the name of the divided area.

As described above, after the name identification processing unit 7 identifies the names of the plurality of divided areas, when the user presses the operation switch 8, the mode is switched to the direction selection mode in which the scroll direction of the map can be selected. As shown in FIG.4 (b), the display process part 5 implements the process which displays the name of the some divided area specified by the name specific process part 7 on a map (step ST3).
In the example of FIG. 4B, since the scroll direction of the map is initially selected as “Kasama Crossing Bridge direction” and “Ofuna 3 intersection direction”, the display processing unit 5 selects “Kasama Crossing Bridge direction and Ofuna 3 intersection direction”. Is displayed on the liquid crystal display 6 and the audio output unit 10 reads out “Kasama Crossing Bridge and Ofuna 3 Intersection”, and the scroll direction of the map is “Kasama Crossing Bridge” and “Ofuna 3 Intersection”. Notify the user that “Direction” is selected.

Thereafter, when the user turns the operation switch 8 to the right (step ST4), the scroll processing unit 9 changes the scroll direction of the map from "Kasama bridge bridge direction" and "Ofuna 3 intersection direction" to "Iwase intersection direction" and "Obukuro valley intersection". A command to switch to “direction” is output to the display processing unit 5 (step ST5), and the display processing unit 5 has the scroll direction of the map “to the Iwase intersection and the Kobuya intersection” as shown in FIG. 4C. Display a speech bubble.
In addition, the voice output unit 10 performs a process of reading out “Iwase intersection direction and Obakutani intersection direction”, and indicates that the scroll direction of the map is selected as “Iwase intersection direction” and “Obukurodani intersection direction”. Notify the user.

Further, when the user turns the operation switch 8 to the right (step ST4), the scroll processing unit 9 changes the map scroll direction from “Iwase intersection direction” and “Obukurodani intersection direction” to “Ofuna station front direction” and “Honmura intersection direction”. Is output to the display processing unit 5 (step ST5). As shown in FIG. 4D, the display processing unit 5 generates a balloon whose map scroll direction is “front of the Ofuna station and the Honmura intersection”. indicate.
In addition, the voice output unit 10 reads out “Ofuna station front and Honmura intersection”, and informs the user that the scroll direction of the map is selected as “Ofuna station front” and “Honmura intersection”. Notice.
In this state, when the user depresses the operation switch 8, the scroll processing unit 9 determines the scroll direction of the map as “front of the Ofuna station” and “to the Honmura intersection” (step ST6).

After that, when the user turns the operation switch 8 to the right (step ST7), the scroll processing unit 9 outputs a command to the display processing unit 5 and the audio output unit 10 to scroll the map in the right direction ("Honmura intersection direction"). .
As a result, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), the map currently displayed by the display processing unit 5 is scrolled to the right ("honmura intersection direction") (step ST8), and at the same time, the scroll direction of the map is "Honmura. A speech balloon that is “to the intersection” is displayed. Further, the voice output unit 10 performs a process of reading out “to the Honmura intersection” and notifies the user that the map is being scrolled to “to the Honmura intersection” (step ST9).

Here, since the scroll direction of the map is determined as “Ofuna station front” and “Honmura intersection”, when the user turns the operation switch 8 to the right, the map scrolls to the right (“Honmura intersection”). For example, when the scroll direction of the map is determined to be “Kasama Bridge Line” and “Ofuna 3 Intersection”, when the user turns the operation switch 8 to the right, the map is moved upward (“ Scroll to “Kasama Overpass”.
If the map scroll direction is determined as “Iwase intersection direction” or “Obukurodani intersection direction”, when the user turns the operation switch 8 to the right, the map scrolls to the upper right direction (“Iwase intersection direction”). To do.
Also, if the map scroll direction is determined as “Daitobashi” or “Jorakuji intersection”, the user scrolls the map to the lower right (“Jorakuji intersection”) when turning the operation switch 8 to the right. To do.

On the other hand, when the user turns the operation switch 8 to the left (step ST7), the scroll processing unit 9 outputs a command to the display processing unit 5 and the audio output unit 10 to scroll the map leftward ("front of the Ofuna station"). .
As a result, as shown in FIG. 5B, the map currently displayed by the display processing unit 5 is scrolled to the left (“front of the Ofuna station”) (step ST10), and at the same time, the scroll direction of the map is “Ofuna”. A speech balloon “front of the station” is displayed. In addition, the voice output unit 10 performs a process of reading “front side of Ofuna station” to notify the user that the map is scrolled to “front side of Ofuna station” (step ST11).

Here, since the scroll direction of the map is determined to be “Ofune station front” and “Honmura intersection”, when the user turns the operation switch 8 to the left, the map scrolls to the right (“Ofune station front”). For example, when the scroll direction of the map is determined as “Kasama bridge bridge direction” and “Ofuna 3 intersection direction”, when the user turns the operation switch 8 to the left, the map is moved downward (“ Scroll to Ofuna 3 intersection ")".
When the map scroll direction is determined to be “Iwase intersection direction” and “Obukuro valley intersection direction”, when the user turns the operation switch 8 to the left, the map is moved to the lower left direction (“Obukuro valley intersection direction”). Scroll.
In addition, when the scroll direction of the map is determined as “Daitobashi” and “Jorakuji intersection”, when the user turns the operation switch 8 to the left, the map is scrolled in the upper left direction (“Daitobashi”). .

Further, when the user turns the operation switch 8 to the left, the scrolling of the map is continued. When the map is scrolled to a certain point, the name specifying processing unit 7 is centered on the point as shown in FIG. The process of identifying the names of a plurality of divided areas is performed by equally dividing the peripheral area.
In the example of Fig. 5 (c), "Tamarindai intersection", "Kasama Ohashi lower entrance", "Daitobashi intersection", "Shrine-mae intersection", "Ofuna station square", "Tamarinaka entrance intersection", "Yamazaki crossing bridge north The names of “intersection” and “Obukuro valley intersection” are specified, and the display processing unit 5 displays these names on the map.
Thereafter, when the user presses the operation switch 8, the direction selection mode for selecting the scroll direction of the map is ended as shown in FIG.

  As apparent from the above, according to the first embodiment, a peripheral area centered on the current position of the vehicle detected by the current position detection unit 4 is divided, and the map database 1 is referred to and the peripheral area is divided. A name specifying processing unit 7 for specifying names of a plurality of divided areas is obtained, the names of the divided areas corresponding to the scroll direction of the map are acquired from the name specifying processing unit 7, and the names of the divided areas are output as voices As a result, the user can grasp the scroll direction of the map without gazing at the map. As a result, even if the scroll operation of the map is permitted, safety during traveling is ensured. There is an effect that can be.

In the first embodiment, the name identification processing unit 7 has shown that the peripheral area centered on the current position of the vehicle is equally divided into eight, but it is not necessarily divided into eight and is not necessarily divided equally. There is no need to do.
Therefore, the peripheral area centered on the current position of the vehicle may be divided into four parts, sixteen parts, or non-uniform parts, for example.
In the first embodiment, the name identification processing unit 7 specifies the name of each divided area according to the scale of the map. However, the classification of the scale is not limited to 6 levels, and is 7 levels or more. May be classified.
Moreover, the acquisition name in each scale is only an example, and the name of an interchange on a highway may be acquired.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment, the map scroll operation and the voice guidance in the scroll direction have been described. In the second embodiment, an operation for changing the scale of the map and the voice guidance accompanying the change in the scale will be described.

Specifically, it is as follows.
When the current position detection unit 4 detects the current position of the vehicle, the display processing unit 5 acquires map data including the current position of the vehicle from the map database 1 as in the first embodiment, and according to the map data A map is displayed on the liquid crystal display 6.
When the current position detection unit 4 detects the current position of the vehicle, the name identification processing unit 7 divides the peripheral area centered on the current position of the vehicle and refers to the map database 1 as in the first embodiment. Then, a process of specifying names of a plurality of divided areas obtained by dividing the peripheral area is performed.

As described above, after the name identification processing unit 7 identifies the names of the plurality of divided areas, when the user presses the scale change switch 8a, the scale is switched to a scale change mode in which the scale of the map can be changed. As shown in FIG. 6 (a), the display processing unit 5 performs a process of displaying the names of a plurality of divided areas on a map. In FIG. 6 (a), as the scroll direction of the map, An example in which “Honmura intersection direction” is selected is shown. Selection of the map scroll direction is the same as that in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.
Further, in FIG. 6A, a map having a smallest map scale (a map of a scale [˜1 / 8000]) is displayed.
In this case, the display processing unit 5 displays a speech balloon whose map scroll direction is “front of the Ofuna station and the Honmura intersection”, and the voice output unit 10 reads out “the front of the Ofuna station and the direction of the Honmura intersection”. Then, the user is notified that the scroll direction of the map is selected as “Ofuna station front” and “Honmura intersection”.

Thereafter, when the user turns the scale change switch 8 a to the right, the scroll processing unit 9 outputs a command for increasing the map scale to the display processing unit 5 and the audio output unit 10.
As a result, as shown in FIG. 6B, the scale of the map currently displayed by the display processing unit 5 is increased by one level, and a map with a scale of [1/8000 to 1/21000] is displayed at the same time. The identification processing unit 7 identifies names of a plurality of divided areas at a map level of scale [1/8000 to 1/21000].
In other words, “Uekicho area”, which has a larger area than “Ofune station front”, “Komidacho area”, which has a larger area than “Honmura intersection”, and “Tayamachi area”, which has a larger area than “Daitobashi intersection”, etc. To do.
The display processing unit 5 displays on the map “Uekicho direction”, “Kotamachi direction”, “Tayamachi direction” and the like specified by the name specification processing unit 7, and the “Uekicho direction” corresponding to the scroll direction. "And" Kodamachi area "balloons are displayed.
In addition, the voice output unit 10 reads “Ueki-machi and Kanda-machi” corresponding to the scroll direction, and notifies the user that the map is scrolled to “Ueki-cho” and “Kota-machi”.

Thereafter, when the user further turns the scale change switch 8a to the right, the scroll processing unit 9 outputs a command for increasing the scale of the map to the display processing unit 5 and the audio output unit 10 as described above.
When the scale of the map is increased, maps and balloons as shown in FIGS. 6C to 6F are displayed, and the names of the divided areas as shown in FIGS. 6C to 6F are read out.
On the other hand, when the user turns the scale change switch 8a counterclockwise, the scroll processing unit 9 outputs a command to lower the map scale to the display processing unit 5 and the audio output unit 10 in the reverse manner.
When the scale of the map is lowered, a map and balloons as shown in FIG. 6A are displayed, and the names of the divided areas as shown in FIG. 6A are read out.

  As apparent from the above, according to the second embodiment, when the scale of the map displayed by the display processing unit 5 is changed, the names of the plurality of divided areas are changed according to the scale. Since it comprised, there exists an effect which can grasp | ascertain how much distance a map moves by scroll operation per unit time.

  In the first and second embodiments, the operation switch 8 and the scale change switch 8a are rotary dials. However, as shown in FIG. 7, the left and right keys and the determination key, or the up and down keys and the determination key. The operation switch may be a combination of the above, and is not limited to the rotary dial.

It is a block diagram which shows the navigation apparatus to which the map scroll apparatus by Embodiment 1 of this invention is applied. It is a flowchart which shows the processing content of the map scroll apparatus by Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the division area of the peripheral area centering on the present position of a vehicle. It is explanatory drawing which shows selection operation of the scroll direction of a map. It is explanatory drawing which shows the scroll operation of a map, and the voice guidance of a scroll direction. It is explanatory drawing which shows the voice guidance accompanying operation which changes the scale of a map, and a scale change. It is explanatory drawing which shows an operation switch.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Map database, 2 GPS receiver (current position detection means), 3 Gyro (current position detection means), 4 Current position detection part (current position detection means), 5 Display processing part (map display means), 6 Liquid crystal display ( Map display means), 7 name identification processing section (name identification means), 8 operation switch (scroll direction selection means), 8a scale change switch, 9 scroll processing section (scroll direction selection means), 10 voice output section (name reading means) ), 11 Speaker (name reading means), 12 Destination setting unit, 13 Route guidance unit.

Claims (5)

A map database storing map data;
Current position detecting means for detecting the current position of the vehicle;
Obtaining map data including the current position of the vehicle detected by the current position detecting means from the map database, displaying a map according to the map data , and scrolling the displayed map;
A name specifying unit that divides a peripheral area centered on the current position of the vehicle detected by the current position detecting unit and specifies names of a plurality of divided areas obtained by dividing the peripheral area with reference to the map database; ,
A scroll direction selecting means for selecting a scroll direction of the map displayed by the map display means and determining a scroll direction;
A name reading means for obtaining a name of the divided area corresponding to the scroll direction determined by the scroll direction selecting means from the name specifying means, and outputting the name of the divided area together with the scroll of the map by the map display means; Scrolling device with   2. The map scroll apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the name specifying means specifies names of the plurality of divided areas according to a scale of the map displayed by the map display means. 2. The map scroll apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the name reading unit outputs a name of the divided area corresponding to the scroll direction selected by the scroll direction selecting unit.   2. The map scroll apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scroll direction selecting means includes a rotary dial operation switch.   2. The map scroll apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scroll direction selection means includes a left / right key or an up / down key operation switch.

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