JPH08254433A - Car-mounting navigation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To enable it to cope with even the size of a car, the experience and tastes of a driver, etc., by making the setting conditions of a function to search a guide route up to the destination in this car-mounting navigation system, into being more carefully, and properly throught out. CONSTITUTION: When a driver desires a route guidance and operates the specified key of a control part 3, a navigation controller 10 displays a menu to a display unit 4, making it select and set the items of types as large, medium and small cars, and an aptitude of whether a beginner or skilled driver, and the priority of a winding road or the like. Subsequently, when each place of departure and destination is inputted by a GPS receiver 2, a departure- destination setting part 18 or the like, such a road as being optimum and shortest distant conformed to this setting condition is searched by an optimum route searching part 20, whereby it is displayed on the display unit 4 together with a map image read out of a compact disk-ROM (read-only memory) 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a navigation device for searching for a guide route, and more particularly to a navigation device for searching an optimum route connecting a certain starting point to a certain destination with reference to map data. The present invention relates to a vehicle-mounted navigation device that performs a search under search conditions that match the size and driver's driving skill.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A vehicle-mounted navigation device reads out map data corresponding to the current position of an automobile from a map data storage unit such as a CD-ROM, draws a map on the display screen based on the map data, and displays the position of the automobile. The mark (location cursor) is fixedly displayed at a fixed position on the display screen (for example, the center position of the display screen) and the map is scrolled according to the movement of the car, or the map is fixed on the screen and the car position mark is moved and displayed. By doing so, it is possible to see at a glance where the vehicle is currently traveling.

The map stored in the CD-ROM is divided into areas of appropriate longitude and latitude widths according to the scale level, and the map data includes (1) a node table and an adjacent node list, It is composed of a road layer including a road list and an intersection configuration node list, (2) a background layer for displaying objects on a map, (3) a character layer for displaying names of cities, towns and villages, and the like. The map image displayed on the display is generated based on the background layer and the character layer, and the matching process and the guidance route search process are performed based on the road layer.

In the road layer, roads and the like are represented by a coordinate set of vertices (nodes) expressed in latitude and longitude, and these are drawn by connecting each node in order with a straight line. Therefore, the road is composed of two or more nodes. The part that connects two nodes is called a link.

The road layer has the structure shown in FIG. The road list RDLT has a road type (0;
National road, 1; Expressway, 2; General road, 3; Other roads), the total number of nodes that make up the road, the position of the nodes that make up the road on the node table NDTB, and the width to the next node (0 ; 1.5m or more and less than 2.5m, 1; 2.5m or more and less than 5.5m, 2; 5.5m or more and less than 11.0m, 3; 11.0m or more). The intersection node list CRLT is, for each intersection on the map, a set of positions on the node table NDTB of the other end node of the link (referred to as an intersection composing node) that is connected to the intersection. Node table ND
TB is a list of all nodes on the map. For each node, position information (longitude, latitude), intersection identification flag indicating whether or not the node is an intersection, and if it is an intersection, the position on the intersection constituent node list is displayed. If it is not an intersection or an intersection, it is composed of a pointer or the like that points to the position of the road to which the node belongs on the road list.

The intersection netlist CRNL is, for each intersection, the sequential number of the intersection, the map leaf number of the map including the intersection node, the data unit code, the intersection node ID, the number of nodes constituting the intersection, the sequential number of each adjacent intersection, and the distance to each adjacent intersection. It has the attributes (road type, width) of the road to each adjacent intersection.

By the way, the car navigation system has
There is a route guidance function that searches the optimum route from the departure point to the destination point, for example, the shortest distance, and displays it as a guidance route on the screen to guide the driver's driving. , The guide route is overlaid on the map image and the guide route is drawn in bold with a specific color, or the guide mark that moves along the guide route is displayed in front of the position mark of the vehicle. It is easy to reach.

As a method for searching the optimum route from the starting point to the destination point, there is a known method called a horizontal search method. In this horizontal search method, the shortest distance from the starting point to the destination point is taken into consideration in consideration of all the intersections existing in a region whose radius is a straight line connecting the starting point and the destination point or a region larger than the region. The search is performed by referring to CRLT. According to this method, the optimum route can be obtained using the shortest distance as an index in graph theory. Therefore, the optimum route can be displayed together with the vehicle position mark in the map image on the screen, and the driver can be guided to the desired destination.

[0009]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional guide route search method, since the optimum route with the shortest distance is simply searched without considering the width and type of the road, the optimum route among the searched optimum routes is searched. Often includes narrow roads, and in this case, it is difficult to drive if the vehicle used is large or if the driver is inexperienced.
In addition, the optimum route hardly includes highways and main roads, and it is sometimes difficult for a driver who normally travels on these main roads to have different abilities and to drive. From the above, the object of the present invention is to determine the size of the vehicle and the driver's technology
An object of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle navigation device that can search for an optimum route in which tastes and the like are added.

[0010]

According to the present invention, the above-mentioned problem is solved by a map data storing means for storing map data, a current position detecting means for detecting a current position of a vehicle, and guidance to a desired destination. An optimum route searching means for searching and storing a route, a current position of the vehicle detected by the vehicle position detecting means, road data corresponding to the current position read from the map data storing means, and read from the guide route searching means. And a map image drawing means for displaying the guide route on the display device, and the optimum route searching means searches for an optimum route satisfying various conditions relating to the on-vehicle environment set and input by the menu displayed before the route search. It is solved by being something.

The above-mentioned problem is solved by the above-mentioned paragraph, in which the menu displayed by the optimum route search means before the route search relates to the size of the vehicle, the aptitude of the driver, and the shape and type of the road. be able to.

[0012]

According to the present invention, when searching for a guide route, the size (vehicle type) of the vehicle used for traveling, whether the driver is a beginner or an expert, the driver's preference regarding the road, etc., in advance. By selecting and setting these in the menu that is displayed, the optimum route is searched by selecting a road that satisfies these conditions. Therefore, if the vehicle is small and the driver is also an expert, the route with the shortest distance is selected as the optimum route even when the road is narrow. Further, if the vehicle is large and the driver is unskilled, a wide road is selected as the optimum guide route even if it is a detour. further,
If a winding road or the like is set as a preference, a route that goes through a mountainous road with many curves will be selected as the optimum route as the guide route, so it is not only a search for the shortest distance road but also a car navigation device that supports various mixed environments. Become.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an in-vehicle navigator device of the present invention, in which 1 is a CD-ROM forming a road map.
Etc. is a map data storage unit. The map data is composed of (1) road layer, (2) background layer for displaying objects on the map, (3) character layer for displaying municipalities, and the like.

The map stored in the CD-ROM 1 is divided into areas of a longitude width and a latitude width of appropriate sizes according to the scale level, and roads are represented by vertices (nodes) represented by coordinates of longitude and latitude. ) Is shown as a set. A part that connects two or more nodes is called a link. The road data included in each map is the road link data RDL as shown in FIG.
T, node data NDTB, and intersection data CRLT. Among them, the road link data RDLT gives the attribute information of the road link. The number of all nodes on the link and the node data of each node forming the link. N
It is composed of data such as DTB numbers, road names, and road types. Further, the intersection data CRLT is a set of numbers on the node data NDTB of a node (each intersection node) closest to the intersection on a link connecting to the intersection for each intersection on the map, and the node data NDTB is the map. A list of all the above nodes, coordinate information (longitude, latitude) for each node, an intersection identification flag indicating whether the node is an intersection, an intersection if it is an intersection, and the node belongs if not an intersection It is composed of a pointer pointing to a road link.

Reference numeral 2 is a GPS receiver for detecting the vehicle position and vehicle direction by satellite navigation, and 3 is a map scroll key, an enlargement / reduction key for changing the map scale, a route guidance mode setting key, a destination setting key and the like. The operation unit 4 is a display device that displays a map image corresponding to the current position of the vehicle, such as a vehicle position mark, a cursor mark, and a guide route.

Reference numeral 10 is a navigation controller having a microcomputer configuration, which draws a map image together with vehicle position marks, cursor marks, etc. using the map data of the CD-ROM 1 and displays it on the display device 4 or sets the route guidance mode. , Vehicle type, size, driver's experience level, driver's road preference, etc. are input, the starting point and destination are set, and then the starting point is set using the map data of the CD-ROM 1. The optimum route connecting the vehicle and the destination is searched under the above-mentioned search conditions, and after the search, a map image is drawn together with the vehicle position mark and the guide route using the map data and displayed on the screen.

In the navigation controller 10, 1
Reference numeral 1 is a buffer memory for temporarily storing the map data read from the CD-ROM 1, and 12 is a map image in which the map data including the own vehicle position is used in the navigation mode and the north is centered on the own vehicle position. When the map is scrolled and the map is scrolled, a map image with the cursor position (longitude, latitude) calculated by the cursor position calculation unit (to be described later) as the center and the north facing upward is drawn together with the cursor mark. The map image drawing unit draws a map image with the north facing upward centering on the vehicle position (after the route search is completed) together with the vehicle position mark and the guide route. Reference numeral 13 is a video RAM that stores the map image drawn by the map image drawing unit 12, and 14 is a video conversion unit that reads the image stored in the video RAM 13, converts it into a predetermined video signal, and outputs it to the display device 4. .

Reference numeral 17 denotes a cursor position calculation unit which, in the map scroll mode (immediately after the route guidance mode setting key is pressed to set the route guidance mode, the navigation controller 10 automatically sets the map scroll mode). The vehicle position detected by the GPS receiver 2 is initially set as the cursor position, and thereafter, the cursor position that continuously changes from the initial setting position is calculated according to the operation of the map scroll key and is output to the map image drawing unit 12, A map image is scrolled by rewriting the map image in the video RAM 13 so that the cursor position is always at the center (in the map scroll mode, a cursor mark is drawn at the center of the map image by the map image drawing unit 12). ).

18 is set to the route guidance mode, the GPS mark is detected by the GPS receiver 2 when the destination setting key of the operation unit 3 is pressed after the cursor mark at the center of the screen is set to the destination by the map scroll key. It is a departure place / destination setting unit that sets the vehicle position as the departure place and the cursor position as the destination.

After 20 is set to the route guidance mode,
After setting the origin and destination, connect the origin and destination using the intersection netlist in the map data,
In addition, it is an optimum route search unit that searches for the shortest optimum route that satisfies the conditions set on the menu screen by the horizontal search method. Reference numeral 21 is a guide route memory that stores, as guide route data, a node sequence that forms an optimum route connecting a departure place to a destination, 22 is an initial setting immediately after power-on, and a route guide mode setting operation is performed by the operation unit 3. Etc. is a mode setting unit for setting a predetermined mode.

When the power source is turned on in the apparatus having the above-mentioned configuration, the GPS receiver 2 periodically detects the vehicle position data and the vehicle direction data by satellite navigation. On the other hand, after the navigation controller 10 is powered on, the mode setting unit 22 initially sets the navigation mode,
The map image drawing unit 12 inputs the vehicle position data and the vehicle direction data from the GPS receiver 2, reads the map data including the vehicle position from the CD-ROM 1 into the buffer memory 11, and uses the read map data to determine the vehicle position. A map image with the north as the center facing upward is drawn in the video RAM 13, and a vehicle position mark with the vehicle azimuth direction facing the center of the map image is drawn. The image drawn in the video RAM 13 is read by the video conversion unit 14, converted into a predetermined video signal, output to the display device 4, and displayed on the screen. As the vehicle moves, the map image drawing unit 1
2 redraws a new map image centering on the vehicle position in the video RAM 13 together with the vehicle position mark, and as a result, the map image on the screen scrolls with the movement of the vehicle while keeping the vehicle position mark at the center.

Here, when the driver wants to travel along an optimum route from the current position to the desired destination and to guide the route, he or she operates a predetermined key of the operation unit 3. The operation of the present invention in this case will be described below with reference to the operation flow chart of FIG. First, since it is a case where the route guidance is desired, a predetermined key of the operation unit 3 is operated as described above to set the mode setting unit 22 to the route search mode (step 41).

The menu is activated and the menu items are displayed on the screen (step 42). The driver makes his / her desired setting for each menu item. As a menu item,
Set the vehicle type, suitability, and priority setting items.

The vehicle type is set (step 43). As the vehicle type, for example, small type, medium type, and large type can be selected and set. This is when searching the guide route,
The road width data guides the optimum route according to the set vehicle type, and roads having a small width and difficult to pass each other are not selected as the guide route by the vehicle type setting.

Next, the suitability is set (step 4).
4). There are beginners and experts as options, and it guides the optimum route according to the driving technique by judging the road shape. If you select a beginner, you can avoid turning right and U-turns as much as possible and you can easily drive On the other hand, if a skilled person is selected, a road that guides the shortest route is selected even if the course changes a little.

Finally, whether priority is given or not is selected (step 4).
5) If priority is selected, winding roads, etc.
Since a road according to the driver's preference is selected depending on the road shape and road type, a driver who prefers a mountain road with many curves may select this function. On the contrary, do not select a driver who likes to drive slowly on a flat national road.

In this way, when the setting for the menu items is completed, the map scroll operation is performed with the cursor keys to search for the destination. At this time, when the cursor key operation is started, the cursor position calculation unit 17 initializes the current vehicle position as the initial cursor position, and then continuously changes the cursor position according to the operation of the cursor key. The map drawing image drawing unit 12 is a CD-
The map data including the cursor position is read from the ROM 1 to the buffer memory 11, the map image with the north facing upward centering on the cursor position is drawn on the video RAM 13 using the read map data, and the cursor mark is displayed at the center of the map image. To draw. The image drawn in the video RAM 13 is read by the video conversion unit 14, converted into a predetermined video signal, output to the display device 4, and displayed on the screen. As a result, the map image on the screen scrolls according to the operation of the cursor key, and the cursor mark is displayed at the center.

When the destination input key of the operation unit 3 is pressed when the cursor is aligned with the destination (step 46), the departure point / destination setting unit 18 sets the cursor position at that time as the destination and the route is set. The data is output to the search unit 20 as destination data. The route search unit 20 to which the destination data is input
Sets the detected current position as the departure point, and the map data of the range from the departure point to the destination is entered on the CD-RO.
From the M1 to the buffer memory 11, a horizontal search is performed for the optimum and shortest route in the read map data, particularly the route connecting the starting point to the destination using the road layer, which meets the above-mentioned setting conditions. Then, the result is stored in the guide route memory 21 (step 47).
After that, the guide route in the area where the map image is drawn centered on the cursor position is read, and the desired optimum route is drawn by drawing the guide route that is overlaid on the map image and emphasized thickly with a predetermined color. Provided (step 4)
8).

In the above-mentioned embodiment, as the settable menu items, vehicle type, suitability, and priority setting items are provided. However, in addition to these, according to the driver's various tastes and various in-vehicle environments. Items can be set and a guide route can be searched.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the route search function of the navigation system, which is expected to become more and more popular in the future, not only the shortest route road but also the size of the vehicle, the driving skill of the driver, and It is possible to provide route guidance according to various in-vehicle environments such as driving preferences, and it is possible to realize a driver-friendly navigation system.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram showing a configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a data configuration diagram of a road layer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Map data storage unit (CD-ROM) 2 GPS receiver 3 Operation unit 4 Display device 10 Navigation controller 11 Buffer memory 12 Map image drawing unit 13 Video RAM 14 Video conversion unit 17 Cursor position calculation unit 18 Departure / destination setting Part 20 Optimal route search part 21 Guided route memory 22 Mode setting part

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A map data storage means for storing map data, a current position detection means for detecting a current position of a vehicle,
An optimum route searching means for searching for and storing a guide route to a desired destination, a current position of the vehicle detected by the vehicle position detecting means, and road data corresponding to the current position read from the map data storing means, Map image drawing means for displaying the guide route read out from the guide route search means on a display device, and the optimum route search means relates to in-vehicle environments set and input by a menu displayed before the route search. An in-vehicle navigation device that searches for an optimum route that satisfies a condition. 2. The optimum route search means displays the menu displayed before the route search regarding the size of the vehicle, the aptitude of the driver, and the shape and type of the road. The vehicle-mounted navigation device described.