JP6333446B2 - Map display device, map display method, and map display program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a map display device that displays a map on a display screen based on traffic information.

  Conventionally, VICS (Vehicle Information Communication System) (registered trademark) is known as a system that provides road traffic information including road traffic congestion information. In addition, a navigation device capable of displaying traffic information on a road map in real time using VICS is known.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, when road and traffic jam identification information are displayed in an overlapping manner, the road is prioritized and displayed, thereby simultaneously displaying the road and traffic jam identification information indicating the traffic congestion status of the road. However, a technique for displaying the road in an easy-to-see manner has been proposed. Specifically, in the technology, on a scale where an image of a traffic jam identification line indicating traffic jam information and an image of a high standard road are displayed in an overlapping manner, the high standard road is displayed with priority over the traffic jam identification line. .

JP 2007-178209 A

  However, the technique proposed in Patent Document 1 has a problem of overlapping traffic information and roads. However, even if traffic information and roads do not overlap, if the traffic information amount is large, a large number of traffic congestion identification lines are used. Due to the dense display of the map, the visibility of the map tends to deteriorate. In recent years, since the amount of traffic jam information has increased, it can be said that such deterioration in visibility is likely to occur.

  Examples of the problem to be solved by the present invention are as described above. It is an object of the present invention to provide a map display device, a map display method, and a map display program capable of ensuring the visibility of a map when displaying traffic information.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a map display device, which is capable of displaying a plurality of types of traffic jam information on a map and displaying images corresponding to the plurality of types of traffic jam information together with the map. And when displaying one type of traffic information among the plurality of types of traffic information on the map, an image corresponding to the one type of traffic information is displayed in a first display mode. When the one type of traffic information is not displayed on the map, an image corresponding to the one type of traffic information is displayed in a second display mode different from the first display mode, and the plurality Among other types of traffic information, when other types of traffic information are displayed on the map, images corresponding to the other types of traffic information are displayed in a third display mode, and the other types of traffic information are displayed. If the traffic information is not displayed on the map, the other species And displaying a different fourth display mode and the image corresponding to the traffic jam information and the third display mode.

1 shows a schematic configuration of a navigation device according to an embodiment. 2 shows a functional configuration of a system controller according to an embodiment. The example of a display screen by a present Example is shown. The display control flow concerning a present Example is shown. The example of a display screen by the modification 1 is shown. The example of a display screen by the modification 2 is shown.

  In one aspect of the present invention, a map display device that displays a map on a display screen includes a traffic information acquisition unit that acquires traffic information including a plurality of types of information, and the traffic acquired by the traffic information acquisition unit. Traffic information selection means for selecting information to be displayed from the traffic information based on the amount of information for each type of information, and display control means for displaying the information selected by the traffic information selection means on a map. Prepare.

  Said map display apparatus is used suitably in order to display a map on a display screen. The traffic information acquisition means acquires traffic information including a plurality of types of information. For example, the traffic information acquisition unit acquires information indicating a traffic situation for each link. The traffic information selection means selects information from the traffic information based on the information amount for each type of traffic information, and the display control means displays the selected information on a map. That is, the display control means displays only the selected information on the map and does not display the information that has not been selected. Thereby, since information (line etc.) displayed on a map can be reduced, it becomes possible to ensure the visibility of a map.

  In one aspect of the map display device, the traffic information selection means selects information with a small amount of information from the traffic information.

  According to this aspect, information with a large amount of information in traffic information can be hidden, and information with a small amount of information in traffic information can be displayed. Thereby, the information displayed on the map can be effectively reduced.

  In another aspect of the map display device, the traffic information includes smooth information indicating a link in which no traffic jam has occurred in the map and traffic jam information indicating a link in which the traffic jam has occurred in the map. The traffic information selection means has an information amount of the traffic jam information in the map equal to or larger than a predetermined amount, and an information amount of the smooth information in the map is the traffic jam in the map. When the information amount is smaller than the information amount, the smooth information is selected as information to be displayed.

  In this aspect, in a traffic situation in which the amount of traffic information is large and the amount of smooth information is less than the amount of traffic information, the traffic information is hidden and only the smooth information is displayed. Thereby, the number of lines indicating traffic conditions displayed on the map can be appropriately reduced, and the visibility of the map can be ensured. In addition, the user can realize smooth running based on the road corresponding to the displayed smooth information. As the “predetermined amount” for determining the information amount of the traffic jam information, a value set in advance considering the visibility of the map or a value that changes according to the scale of the map is used.

  In a preferred example, the traffic information selection means defines the information amount of the traffic jam information by the total distance of the road corresponding to the traffic jam information in the map, and the road information corresponding to the smooth information in the map. A road in which the amount of information on the smooth information is defined by a total distance, a total distance of roads corresponding to the traffic information is a predetermined distance or more, and a total distance of roads corresponding to the smooth information corresponds to the traffic information The smooth information can be selected when the total distance is shorter than the total distance.

  In another preferred example, the traffic information selection means defines an information amount of the traffic jam information by a total distance of roads corresponding to the traffic jam information in the map and corresponds to the smooth information in the map. The information amount of the smooth information is defined by the total distance of the road, the ratio of the total distance of the road corresponding to the traffic jam information to the total road distance in the map is a predetermined value or more, and the smooth information When the total distance of the roads corresponding to is shorter than the total distance of the roads corresponding to the traffic jam information, the smooth information can be selected.

  In another aspect of the above map display device, the traffic information selection means uses information on a road that does not have the traffic information as a selection target in addition to the traffic information, and the display control means uses the traffic information. When information on a road that does not have the traffic information is selected by the selection means, the information is displayed on a map.

  In this aspect, when there is no traffic information for some roads, information about roads that do not have traffic information is displayed. Thereby, the user can appropriately discriminate between a road having traffic information and a road not having traffic information.

  In another aspect of the map display device, the traffic information includes smooth information indicating a link in which no traffic jam has occurred in the map and traffic jam information indicating a link in which the traffic jam has occurred in the map. The traffic information selection means is configured to obtain information on a road that does not have the smooth information and the traffic information in the map, and the information amount of the traffic jam information in the map is a predetermined amount or more. When the combined information amount is smaller than the information amount of the traffic jam information in the map, the smooth information and the information on the road that does not have the traffic information are selected.

  In this aspect, in a traffic situation where the information amount of traffic jam information is large and the information amount of road information that does not have smooth traffic information and traffic information is smaller than the traffic traffic information information traffic, Display information about roads that do not have information. Also by this, the number of lines displayed on the map can be reduced as compared with the case of displaying traffic jam information, so that the visibility of the map can be ensured. Further, when there is no traffic information for some roads, by displaying information indicating that fact, the user can appropriately recognize that the road on which no information is displayed is congested. Furthermore, even when there is no traffic information for some roads, the user can realize smooth running based on the roads corresponding to the displayed smooth information.

  In another aspect of the map display device, the traffic information selection unit includes at least the accident information and the traffic when the traffic information acquired by the traffic information acquisition unit includes accident information and traffic regulation information. Select regulatory information.

  According to this aspect, accident information can always be displayed as the minimum information suggesting a traffic jam, and traffic regulation information can always be displayed as the minimum information for preventing movement.

  In another aspect of the above map display device, the traffic information selection means performs the selection every time a predetermined distance is traveled or a predetermined time elapses.

  According to this aspect, the selected traffic information can be continuously displayed until the vehicle travels a predetermined distance or until a predetermined time elapses. Thereby, it can prevent appropriately that a display target switches frequently.

  In another aspect of the map display device, the display control unit displays the information selected by the traffic information selection unit on a map, and displays the type of information being displayed and the type of information not being displayed. A guide that can be recognized by the user is displayed. According to this aspect, the user can easily recognize the information being displayed and the information not being displayed.

  Suitably, the said display control means can display the said guidance with the icon corresponding to each kind of the said traffic information. For example, the display control means displays icons other than the icon corresponding to the information to be displayed in gray out.

  In another aspect of the map display device, the display control means changes a screen color according to the type of the traffic information being displayed. According to this aspect, the user can immediately recognize the information displayed in the traffic information.

  In another aspect of the present invention, a map display method executed by an apparatus for displaying a map on a display screen includes a traffic information acquisition step of acquiring traffic information including a plurality of types of information, and the traffic information acquisition step. A traffic information selection step for selecting information to be displayed from the traffic information based on the information amount for each type of the acquired traffic information, and a display for displaying the information selected by the traffic information selection step on a map A control step.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, a map display program that is provided by a computer and that displays a map on a display screen, obtains traffic information including a plurality of types of information from the computer. Means, traffic information selection means for selecting information to be displayed from the traffic information based on the amount of information for each type of the traffic information acquired by the traffic information acquisition means, selected by the traffic information selection means It functions as a display control means for displaying information on a map.

  Also by the map display method and the map display program described above, the information displayed on the map can be reduced, so that the visibility of the map can be ensured.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description shows an example in which the present invention is applied to a vehicle navigation apparatus.

[Navigation device]
FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the navigation device 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the navigation device 1 includes a self-supporting positioning device 10, a GPS receiver 18, a system controller 20, a disk drive 31, a data storage unit 36, a communication interface 37, a communication device 38, a display unit 40, an audio output. A unit 50 and an input device 60 are provided.

  The self-supporting positioning device 10 includes an acceleration sensor 11, an angular velocity sensor 12, and a distance sensor 13, and functions as a self-supporting positioning sensor. The acceleration sensor 11 is made of, for example, a piezoelectric element, detects vehicle acceleration, and outputs acceleration data. The angular velocity sensor 12 is composed of, for example, a vibrating gyroscope, detects the angular velocity of the vehicle when the direction of the vehicle is changed, and outputs angular velocity data and relative azimuth data. The distance sensor 13 measures a vehicle speed pulse composed of a pulse signal generated with the rotation of the vehicle wheel.

  The GPS receiver 18 receives radio waves 19 carrying downlink data including positioning data from a plurality of GPS satellites. The positioning data is used to detect the absolute position of the vehicle from latitude and longitude information.

  The system controller 20 includes an interface 21, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 22, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 23, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 24, and controls the entire navigation apparatus 1.

  The interface 21 performs an interface operation with the acceleration sensor 11, the angular velocity sensor 12, the distance sensor 13, and the GPS receiver 18. From these, vehicle speed pulses, acceleration data, relative azimuth data, angular velocity data, GPS positioning data, absolute azimuth data, and the like are input to the system controller 20. The CPU 22 controls the entire system controller 20. The ROM 23 includes a nonvolatile memory (not shown) in which a control program for controlling the system controller 20 is stored. The RAM 24 stores various data such as route data preset by the user via the input device 60 so as to be readable, and provides a working area to the CPU 22.

  A system controller 20, a disk drive 31 such as a CD-ROM drive or a DVD-ROM drive, a data storage unit 36, a communication interface 37, a display unit 40, an audio output unit 50, and an input device 60 are mutually connected via a bus line 30. It is connected to the.

  The disk drive 31 reads and outputs content data such as music data and video data from a disk 33 such as a CD or DVD under the control of the system controller 20. The disk drive 31 may be either a CD-ROM drive or a DVD-ROM drive, or may be a CD and DVD compatible drive.

  The data storage unit 36 is configured by, for example, an HDD or the like, and stores various data used for navigation processing such as map information and facility data. The data storage unit 36 has a map database in which map information is stored.

  The communication device 38 includes, for example, an FM tuner, a beacon receiver, a mobile phone, a dedicated communication card, and the like, and acquires information distributed from a server such as a VICS center via the communication interface 37.

  The display unit 40 displays various display data on a display device such as a display under the control of the system controller 20. Specifically, the system controller 20 reads map information from the data storage unit 36. The display unit 40 displays the map information read from the data storage unit 36 by the system controller 20 on the display screen. The display unit 40 includes a graphic controller 41 that controls the entire display unit 40 based on control data sent from the CPU 22 via the bus line 30 and a memory such as a VRAM (Video RAM), and can display image information that can be displayed immediately. A buffer memory 42 that temporarily stores, a display control unit 43 that controls display of a display 44 such as a liquid crystal display or a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) based on image data output from the graphic controller 41, and a display 44 are provided. . The display 44 functions as an image display unit, and includes, for example, a liquid crystal display device having a diagonal size of about 5 to 10 inches and is mounted near the front panel in the vehicle.

  The audio output unit 50 is a D / A (Digital) of audio digital data sent from the CD-ROM drive 31, DVD-ROM 32, BD-ROM, RAM 24 or the like via the bus line 30 under the control of the system controller 20. to Analog) D / A converter 51, amplifier (AMP) 52 that amplifies the audio analog signal output from D / A converter 51, and the amplified audio analog signal is converted into audio and output to the vehicle And a speaker 53.

  The input device 60 includes keys, switches, buttons, a remote controller, a voice input device, and the like for inputting various commands and data. The input device 60 is disposed around the front panel and the display 44 of the main body of the in-vehicle electronic system mounted in the vehicle. When the display 44 is a touch panel system, the touch panel provided on the display screen of the display 44 also functions as the input device 60.

[Function configuration]
Next, the functional configuration of the system controller 20 described above will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the present embodiment, when the system controller 20 acquires traffic information having a plurality of types of information, the system controller 20 selects information to be displayed from the traffic information and performs a process of displaying only the selected information. Specifically, the system controller 20 acquires, as traffic information, “smooth information” indicating a link in which no traffic jam occurs in the map, “traffic information” indicating a link in which traffic jam occurs in the map, and the like. To do. Then, the system controller 20 selects one of the traffic information and the smooth information based on the information amount of the traffic information and the information information of the smooth information, and performs a process of displaying the selected information. More specifically, the system controller 20 selects the smooth information as a display target when the information amount of the traffic jam information is a predetermined amount or more and the information amount of the smooth traffic information is smaller than the information amount of the traffic jam information. . That is, the traffic jam information is hidden and only the smooth information is displayed. The system controller 20 corresponds to an example of a map display device.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the system controller 20 includes a traffic information acquisition unit 20a, a traffic information selection unit 20b, and a display control unit 20c.

  The traffic information acquisition unit 20 a acquires traffic information from the communication device 38 via the communication interface 37. In this case, the traffic information acquisition unit 20a acquires the traffic information received by the communication device 38 from a VICS center, a probe system server, or the like. Specifically, the traffic information acquisition unit 20a includes information indicating traffic conditions for each link such as “smooth”, “congestion”, and “congestion”, accident information, and traffic regulation information such as traffic closure and lane regulation. Get traffic information. The traffic situation “congested” corresponds to a traffic situation with an average speed of, for example, 10 [km / h] or less, and the traffic situation “congested” has an average speed of, for example, about 10 to 20 [km / h]. The traffic situation “smooth” corresponds to a traffic situation having an average speed of 20 [km / h] or more, for example. Such a traffic information acquisition unit 20a corresponds to an example of a traffic information acquisition unit.

  In the following, “congestion information” indicates information related to a link whose traffic status is “congestion” and “congestion” (link means a road between nodes), and “smooth information” It is assumed that the information regarding the link whose is “smooth” is indicated. Hereinafter, a road corresponding to such traffic information is referred to as a “traffic road”, and a road corresponding to such smooth information is referred to as a “smooth road”.

  The traffic information selection unit 20b selects information to be displayed from the traffic jam information and the smooth information acquired by the traffic information acquisition unit 20a. Specifically, the traffic information selection unit 20b selects one of the traffic information and the smooth information as a display target based on the information amount of the traffic information and the information amount of the smooth information. In this case, the traffic information selection unit 20b defines the information amount of the traffic jam information based on the total distance of the traffic jam roads in the map displayed on the screen, and determines the traffic information according to the total distance of the smooth roads in the map displayed on the screen. Specifies the amount of smooth information. Specifically, the traffic information selection unit 20b uses the traffic jam information and the smooth information acquired by the traffic information acquisition unit 20a and the map information stored in the map database 36a in the data storage unit 36. Find the distance.

  In one example, the traffic information selection unit 20b determines that the total distance of the congested road is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance and the total distance of the smooth road is shorter than the total distance of the congested road (hereinafter referred to as “first condition”). If it is established, the smooth information is selected as a display target. On the other hand, when the first condition is not satisfied, the traffic information selection unit 20b selects traffic jam information as a display target. In another example, the traffic information selection unit 20b has a ratio that the total distance of the congestion road occupies a predetermined value or more with respect to the total road distance in the map displayed on the screen, and the total distance of the smooth road is When a condition that the distance is shorter than the total distance of the congested road (hereinafter referred to as “second condition”) is satisfied, the smooth information is selected as a display target. On the other hand, when the second condition is not satisfied, the traffic information selection unit 20b selects traffic jam information as a display target.

  Note that the traffic information selection unit 20b basically obtains the total distance of traffic jam roads, the total distance of smooth roads, the total road distance, etc. for the roads in the map displayed on the screen, but is displayed on the screen. Such a road distance may be obtained by using a map of a predetermined size in a wider range than the existing map. Moreover, the traffic information selection part 20b may select both traffic information and smooth information as a display object, when the sum total of the total distance of a traffic jam road and the total distance of a smooth road is shorter than predetermined distance. This is because even if both the traffic jam information and the smooth information are displayed, the number of lines displayed on the map is not large, and thus the visibility of the map can be ensured. In this case, the “predetermined distance” may be the same as or different from the predetermined distance of the first condition described above.

  Further, the traffic information selection unit 20b performs the selection of the display target as described above every time the vehicle travels a predetermined distance or every time a predetermined time elapses. This is to prevent frequent switching of the display target. Such a traffic information selection unit 20b corresponds to an example of a traffic information selection unit.

  The display control unit 20c performs control to display the information selected by the traffic information selection unit 20b on a map. That is, the display control unit 20c performs control to display either one of the traffic jam information and the smooth information. In other words, the display control unit 20c includes a mode for displaying traffic information (hereinafter referred to as “traffic information display mode”) and a mode for displaying smooth information (hereinafter referred to as “smooth information display mode”). Perform switching control. In this case, the display control unit 20c controls the display unit 40.

  Specifically, in the traffic jam information display mode, the display control unit 20c displays a line indicating a section where the traffic condition is “traffic jam” (hereinafter referred to as “first traffic jam line”) along the road of the section. While displaying, the line which shows the area where traffic condition is "congested" (henceforth a "2nd traffic congestion line") is displayed along the road of the said area. On the other hand, in the smooth information display mode, the display control unit 20c displays a line indicating a section in which the traffic condition is “smooth” (hereinafter referred to as “smooth line”) along the smooth road. In this case, the display control unit 20c hides the first congestion line and the second congestion line and displays only the smooth line. Further, the display control unit 20c displays each of the first congestion line, the second congestion line, and the smooth line on the map in different display modes. For example, the display control unit 20c displays the first traffic line, the second traffic line, and the smooth line in different colors. Each line is displayed by an arrow, for example.

  Furthermore, the display control unit 20c performs control for displaying either the traffic jam information or the smooth information on the map as described above, and also allows the user to recognize the displayed information and the information that is not displayed. Is displayed on the screen. Specifically, the display control unit 20c displays such guidance using icons corresponding to the traffic jam information and the smooth information. For example, the display control unit 20c displays a list of icons corresponding to the first traffic line, the second traffic line, and the smooth line, and the same color scheme as the first traffic line, the second traffic line, and the smooth line. And display each icon. Further, for example, the display control unit 20c displays an icon corresponding to a line that is not a display target in grayout. Such a display control unit 20c corresponds to an example of a display control unit.

[Display screen example]
Next, a specific example of a screen displayed according to the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a display screen according to the present embodiment. Here, a traffic situation in which the information amount of traffic jam information is large and the information amount of smooth information is smaller than the information amount of traffic jam information is taken as an example.

  FIG. 3A shows an example of a display screen when all the traffic jam information and the smooth information are displayed. In the display screen, the first traffic line 70 and the second traffic lines 71a to 71f as traffic information are displayed along the traffic road, and the traffic line 72 as traffic information is displayed along the traffic road. The first traffic congestion line 70 is displayed as a thick line, the second traffic congestion lines 71a to 71f are displayed as thin lines, and the smooth line 72 is displayed as a broken line.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 3A, an image 80 showing a list of icons (specifically arrow icons) 80a, 80b, and 80c corresponding to the first congestion line, the second congestion line, and the smooth line, respectively. Is displayed. That is, an arrow icon 80a indicating that the traffic condition is “congested”, an arrow icon 80b indicating that the traffic condition is “congested”, and an arrow icon 80c indicating that the traffic condition is “smooth” are displayed. ing. The arrow icon 80a is displayed with a thick line, the arrow icon 80b is displayed with a thin line, and the arrow icon 80c is displayed with a broken line. That is, the respective arrow icons 80a, 80b, and 80c are displayed in the same display mode as the first traffic line, the second traffic line, and the smooth line. In this case, since all of the first traffic line, the second traffic line, and the smooth line are to be displayed, all of the arrow icons 80a, 80b, and 80c are filled in to represent this. .

  FIG. 3B shows a display screen example when only the traffic jam information is displayed. In the display screen, only the first traffic line 70 and the second traffic lines 71a to 71f as traffic information are displayed, and the smooth line 72 as smooth information is not displayed. Further, in this case, since the first traffic congestion line and the second traffic congestion line are to be displayed, as shown in the image 81 in FIG. 3B, each of the first traffic congestion line and the second traffic congestion line is displayed. Corresponding arrow icons 81a and 81b are filled. On the other hand, since the smooth line is not a display target, the arrow icon 81c corresponding to the smooth line is displayed in white.

  Here, in a traffic situation where there is a large amount of information on the traffic jam information, both the traffic jam information and the smooth information are displayed as shown in FIG. 3 (a), or the traffic jam information as shown in FIG. 3 (b). It can be said that the visibility of the map may be deteriorated. For example, it can be said that the visibility of the map tends to deteriorate due to the dense display of the first traffic line, the second traffic line, and the like. Therefore, in this embodiment, in a traffic situation where the information amount of the traffic jam information is a predetermined amount or more and the information amount of the smooth traffic information is smaller than the information volume of the traffic jam information, the traffic jam information is hidden and only the smooth traffic information is displayed. indicate. That is, the map is displayed in the smooth information display mode.

  FIG. 3C shows an example of a display screen when only the smooth information is displayed. That is, an example of a display screen in the smooth information display mode according to the present embodiment is shown. On the display screen, only the smooth line 72 as the smooth information is displayed, and the first traffic line 70 and the second traffic lines 71a to 71f as the traffic information are not displayed. In this case, since only the smooth line is the display target, as shown in the image 82 in FIG. 3C, only the arrow icon 82c corresponding to the smooth line is filled. On the other hand, since the first traffic congestion line and the second traffic congestion line are not displayed, the arrow icons 82a and 82b corresponding to the first traffic congestion line and the second traffic congestion line are displayed in white. .

  According to such a present Example, the number of the lines which show the traffic condition displayed on a map can be reduced appropriately, and it becomes possible to ensure the visibility of a map. In the example shown in FIG. 3, since traffic information is associated with all roads, the user recognizes that roads on which no smooth information is displayed are congested by referring to the display screen. can do.

  In FIG. 3, the first congestion line, the second congestion line, and the smooth line are represented by thick lines, thin lines, and broken lines, respectively, but in reality, solid lines (including arrows) having different colors in each line. ) Is displayed. For example, the first traffic congestion line is displayed in red, the second traffic congestion line is displayed in orange, and the smooth line is displayed in blue. Moreover, such display modes of the first traffic congestion line, the second traffic congestion line, and the smooth line are similarly applied to the corresponding arrow icons. For example, an arrow icon corresponding to the first traffic line is displayed in red, an arrow icon corresponding to the second traffic line is displayed in orange, and an arrow icon corresponding to the smooth line is displayed in blue. Further, in FIG. 3, an arrow icon corresponding to a line that is a display target is expressed in a solid color, and an arrow icon corresponding to a line that is not a display target is expressed in white. However, in reality, the arrow icon corresponding to the line to be displayed is displayed in a color assigned to each line, and the arrow icon corresponding to the line not to be displayed is displayed in gray out. Is done. It should be noted that the contents described above are similarly applied to FIGS.

[Display control flow]
Next, a display control flow according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The processing in the flow is repeatedly executed by the system controller 20 at a predetermined cycle. Specifically, it is executed every time a predetermined distance is traveled or a predetermined time elapses.

  First, in step S <b> 101, the traffic information acquisition unit 20 a in the system controller 20 acquires traffic information from the communication device 38 via the communication interface 37. In this case, the traffic information acquisition unit 20a acquires the traffic information received by the communication device 38 from a VICS center, a probe system server, or the like. Specifically, the traffic information acquisition unit 20a acquires traffic information including traffic jam information indicating the traffic status for each link and smooth information. Then, the process proceeds to step S102.

  In step S102, the traffic information selection unit 20b in the system controller 20 makes a determination based on the traffic information (specifically, congestion information and smooth information) acquired in step S101. Specifically, the traffic information selection unit 20b determines whether the total distance of the congested roads in the map displayed on the screen is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance. In this case, the traffic information selection unit 20b makes a determination with reference to the map information stored in the map database 36a. Note that a predetermined fixed value may be used as the predetermined distance used in the determination, or a value that changes according to a map scale or the like may be used.

  In addition, instead of determining whether the total distance of the congestion road is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance as described above, the ratio of the total distance of the congestion road to the total road distance in the map displayed on the screen is You may determine whether it is more than a predetermined value. In this case, as the predetermined value used for determining the ratio, a predetermined fixed value may be used, or a value that changes according to the scale of the map or the like may be used.

  If the total distance of the congested road is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance (step S102; Yes), the process proceeds to step S103. On the other hand, when the total distance of the congested road is less than the predetermined distance (step S102; No), the process proceeds to step S105. In this case, since it can be said that the information amount of the traffic jam information is absolutely small, the traffic information selection unit 20b selects the traffic jam information as a display target, and the display control unit 20c displays the traffic jam information (step S105). That is, the traffic information display mode is set. Then, the process ends.

  In addition, when the sum total of the total distance of a congested road and the total distance of a smooth road is shorter than a predetermined distance as mentioned above, you may select both traffic information and smooth information as a display target. In this case, after it is determined that the total distance of the congested road is less than the predetermined distance (step S102; No), “whether the sum of the total distance of the congested road and the total distance of the smooth road is shorter than the predetermined distance” When the sum of the total distance of the congested road and the total distance of the smooth road is shorter than the predetermined distance, the traffic information selection unit 20b selects both the traffic information and the smooth information as display targets, and the display control unit 20c Displays traffic information and smooth information. On the other hand, if such a sum is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance, the process proceeds to step S105, the traffic information selection unit 20b selects traffic jam information as a display target, and the display control unit 20c displays the traffic jam information.

  In step S103, the traffic information selection unit 20b in the system controller 20 determines whether the total distance of the smooth roads in the map displayed on the screen is shorter than the total distance of the congested roads in the map displayed on the screen. Determine whether or not. In this case, the traffic information selection unit 20b makes a determination with reference to the map information stored in the map database 36a.

  When the total distance of the smooth road is shorter than the total distance of the traffic jam road (step S103; Yes), the process proceeds to step S104. In this case, the information amount of the traffic jam information is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount, and the information amount of the smooth information corresponds to a traffic situation that is smaller than the information amount of the traffic jam information (that is, the first condition is satisfied). The information selection unit 20b selects the smooth information as a display target, and the display control unit 20c displays the smooth information (step S104). That is, the smooth information display mode is set. Then, the process ends.

  On the other hand, when the total distance of the smooth road is equal to or greater than the total distance of the traffic jam road (step S103; No), the process proceeds to step S105. In this case, since the information amount of the traffic jam information is relatively smaller than the information amount of the smooth information, the traffic information selection unit 20b selects the traffic jam information as a display target, and the display control unit 20c displays the traffic jam information ( Step S105). That is, the traffic information display mode is set. Then, the process ends.

  According to the processing described above, in a traffic situation where the amount of traffic jam information is large and the amount of smooth traffic information is less than the traffic traffic information, the traffic jam information is not displayed and only the smooth traffic information is displayed. be able to. Thereby, the number of lines indicating traffic conditions displayed on the map can be appropriately reduced, and the visibility of the map can be ensured. In addition, the user can realize smooth running based on the displayed smooth road.

  Furthermore, according to the processing, the traffic information can be displayed in a traffic situation where the information amount of the traffic jam information is small or a traffic situation where the information amount of the traffic jam information is smaller than the information amount of the smooth information. In this case, it is possible to ensure the practicality of the traffic jam information.

[Modification]
Below, the modification of this invention is demonstrated. Note that the processing and control according to the modification is executed by the system controller 20 described above. Further, contents not specifically described in each modification are the same as those in the above-described embodiment.

(Modification 1)
Modification 1 is different from the above-described embodiment in that when the smooth information display mode is set, a screen for clearly indicating that the mode is set is displayed. That is, in the first modification, the system controller 20 displays a screen having a display mode different from that in the traffic information display mode when the smooth information display mode is set.

  Specifically, in one example of the first modification (hereinafter referred to as “first example of the first modification”), the system controller 20 has a plurality of information when the smooth information display mode is set. An image is displayed with a color in a box containing an arrow icon. Further, in another example of the first modification (hereinafter referred to as “second example of the first modification”), the system controller 20 enters the traffic jam information display mode when the smooth information display mode is set. The base color in the display part of the map is displayed in a different color from the case where it is set. That is, in the second example of the first modification, the screen color is changed between the smooth information display mode and the traffic jam information display mode.

  FIG. 5 shows a display screen example according to the first modification. Here, an example of a display screen when the smooth information display mode is set is shown. The contents of the basic display screen are the same as those shown in FIG. Therefore, elements having the same reference numerals as those shown in FIG. 3C have the same meanings, and the description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 5A shows a display screen example according to the first example of the first modification. In the first example of the first modification, when the smooth information display mode is set, as indicated by an arrow 90 in FIG. 5A, a plurality of arrow icons 82a to 82c are stored in a box. Colored and displayed. When the traffic information display mode is set, no color is added to the box. In this case, the box is displayed in white, for example.

  FIG. 5B shows a display screen example according to the second example of the first modification. In the second example of Modification 1, as shown by the arrow 91 in FIG. 5B, the display portion of the map is displayed with a color. Specifically, in the second example of the first modification, when the smooth information display mode is set, the map color is different from the color used in the traffic jam information display mode (that is, the color used in normal times). The base color in the display part is displayed.

  According to the first modified example, the user can clearly recognize that the smooth information display mode is set.

  In the second example of the first modification, an arrow icon is displayed and the screen color is changed (see FIG. 5B), but only the screen color is displayed without displaying the arrow icon. May be changed.

(Modification 2)
Modification 2 differs from the above-described embodiment and modification 1 in that when there is a road that does not have traffic information, that is, when there is no traffic information for some roads, information about the road is also displayed. . In the second modification, the system controller 20 displays the traffic information in addition to the smooth information when displaying the smooth information when there is a road having no traffic information (hereinafter referred to as “traffic congestion unknown road”). Information about roads that do not have (hereinafter referred to as “unknown congestion information”) is also displayed. This is because if only smooth information is displayed when there is no traffic information for some roads, it is difficult for the user to determine whether the road on which no information is displayed is congested or there is no traffic information. It is. An example of a road with unknown traffic congestion is a narrow street.

  Specifically, in the second modification, the system controller 20 uses the traffic jam unknown information as a selection target in addition to the traffic jam information and the smooth information, that is, as a display candidate. The system controller 20 determines whether to display the traffic information or the smooth information and the unknown traffic information by comparing the information amount of the traffic information with the information amount obtained by combining the smooth information and the unknown traffic information. To do. In this case, when the information amount of the traffic jam information is equal to or larger than the predetermined amount and the information amount of the smooth traffic information and the traffic jam unknown information is smaller than the traffic traffic information information amount, the system controller 20 determines the smooth traffic information and the traffic jam unknown. Select information for display. Specifically, the system controller 20 is configured such that the total distance of the congested roads in the map is a predetermined distance or more, or the ratio of the total distance of the congested roads in the map to the total road distance in the map is a predetermined value or more, In addition, when a condition that the total distance of the smooth road in the map and the road with unknown traffic jam is shorter than the total distance of the traffic jam road in the map (hereinafter referred to as “third condition”), the smooth information is displayed as a display target. And select the traffic jam unknown information. On the other hand, when the third condition is not satisfied, the system controller 20 selects traffic jam information as a display target.

  When the smoothing information and the traffic jam unknown information are selected as display targets, the system controller 20 displays a smooth line along the smooth road and a line along the traffic jam unknown road (hereinafter referred to as “traffic traffic unknown line”). .) Is displayed. In this case, the system controller 20 displays the traffic jam unknown line in a display mode different from the first traffic jam line, the second traffic jam line, and the smooth line. The system controller 20 also displays icons corresponding to the traffic jam unknown line in addition to the icons corresponding to the first traffic jam line, the second traffic jam line, and the smooth line. In this case, the system controller 20 displays an icon corresponding to the traffic jam unknown line with the same color scheme as the traffic jam unknown line.

  Note that the system controller 20 determines that a road for which traffic information has not been acquired, among roads in the map displayed on the screen, is a traffic jam unknown road. In this case, the system controller 20 makes the determination with reference to the map information stored in the map database 36a.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of a display screen according to the second modification. Here, an example of a display screen when smooth information and traffic jam unknown information is selected as a display target is shown. Note that elements in the display screen that are not particularly described below are the same as those shown in FIG.

  In the display screen shown in FIG. 6, a smooth line 75 as smooth information is displayed along a smooth road, and traffic unknown lines 76a and 76b as traffic unknown information are displayed along a traffic unknown road. Specifically, the traffic jam unknown lines 76a and 76b are indicated by a one-dot chain line. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, an image 85 displaying a list of arrow icons 85 a to 85 d corresponding to the first congestion line, the second congestion line, the smooth line, and the congestion unknown line is displayed. Specifically, the arrow icon 85d corresponding to the traffic jam unknown line is displayed by a one-dot chain line, that is, displayed in the same display manner as the traffic jam unknown line. In this case, since the smoothing information and the traffic jam unknown information are to be displayed, the arrow icon 85c corresponding to the smooth line and the arrow icon 85d corresponding to the traffic jam unknown line are filled. On the other hand, since the first traffic congestion line and the second traffic congestion line are not displayed, the arrow icons 85a and 85b corresponding to the first traffic congestion line and the second traffic congestion line are displayed in white. .

  In FIG. 6, the traffic jam unknown line is represented by a one-dot chain line, but actually the traffic jam unknown line is displayed by a solid line (including an arrow) having a predetermined color. In FIG. 6, the arrow icon corresponding to the traffic jam unknown line is expressed by a one-dot chain line, but actually, the arrow icon is displayed in the same color as the traffic jam unknown line. For example, a traffic jam unknown line and an arrow icon corresponding to the traffic jam unknown line are displayed in light blue.

  According to the second modification, by displaying the traffic jam unknown information when there is no traffic information for some roads, the user appropriately recognizes that the road on which no information is displayed is jammed. be able to. Moreover, according to the modification 2, even when there is no traffic information about a part of roads, the user can realize smooth running based on the displayed smooth roads.

  Furthermore, according to the second modification, in the traffic situation where the information amount of the traffic jam information is a predetermined amount or more and the information amount of the smooth traffic information and the traffic jam unknown information is smaller than the traffic traffic information amount, the smooth information and Traffic jam unknown information can be displayed. Therefore, according to the second modification, the number of lines displayed on the map can be reduced as compared with the case where the traffic jam information is displayed, so that the visibility of the map can be ensured.

  Note that Modification 1 and Modification 2 may be combined. Specifically, a screen for clearly showing the set display mode may be displayed, and the traffic jam unknown information may be displayed on the map.

(Modification 3)
Modification 3 is different from the above-described embodiments and Modifications 1 and 2 in that display relating to accident information and traffic regulation information is performed. Specifically, in the third modification, the system controller 20 always displays the accident information as the minimum information suggesting a traffic jam when the traffic information includes the accident information. For example, the system controller 20 displays an icon indicating an accident. In the third modification, the system controller 20 always displays the traffic regulation information as the minimum information for preventing the movement from being obstructed when the traffic information includes traffic regulation information such as traffic closure or lane regulation. This is because the accident information and the traffic regulation information are not frequently displayed information, and it is considered that the visibility is not deteriorated so much even if the setting is always displayed.

  In addition, when traffic information includes accident information, it is not limited to always displaying accident information. By switching display / non-display of traffic information, the display / non-display of accident information is switched. Also good.

(Modification 4)
The application of the present invention is not limited to navigation devices. The present invention can also be applied to a terminal device such as a mobile phone.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Navigation apparatus 20 System controller 20a Traffic information acquisition part 20b Traffic information selection part 20c Display control part 36 Data storage unit 37 Communication interface 38 Communication apparatus 40 Display unit

Claims (1)

Multiple types of traffic information can be displayed on the map,
Display control means for displaying images corresponding to the plurality of types of traffic jam information together with the map;
Of the plurality of types of traffic information, when displaying one type of traffic information on the map, an image corresponding to the one type of traffic information is displayed in the first display mode,
When the one type of traffic jam information is not displayed on the map, an image corresponding to the one type of traffic jam information is displayed in a second display mode different from the first display mode,
Of the plurality of types of traffic information, when displaying other types of traffic information on the map, an image corresponding to the other types of traffic information is displayed in a third display mode,
When the other type of traffic jam information is not displayed on the map, an image corresponding to the other type of traffic jam information is displayed in a fourth display mode different from the third display mode. Map display device.

Images