JP3189646B2 - Voice guidance device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a travel position display device (navigation device) for displaying a current position of a car or the like on a display device together with a map, and particularly to a route search from the current position of the own vehicle to a destination. The present invention relates to a voice guidance device for guiding by voice guidance while traveling on a route.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional vehicle-mounted traveling position display device.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a direction sensor, which includes a geomagnetic sensor for detecting the absolute running direction of the vehicle and an optical gyro for detecting the relative running direction of the vehicle. Reference numeral 2 denotes a distance sensor that generates a pulse corresponding to the number of rotations of the wheels, and 3 denotes various sensor signals such as an on / off signal of a brake switch, a parking switch, and the like, and a power supply voltage monitoring signal. Reference numeral 4 denotes a sensor signal processing unit for processing sensor signals of the direction sensor 1, the distance sensor 2, and the like. Reference numeral 5 denotes a GPS (Global Positionin).
g System) receiver, and this GPS receiver 5 can obtain the position (latitude and longitude) of the receiving point by receiving and calculating radio waves transmitted from a plurality of satellites.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a CD-ROM drive.
The D-ROM drive 6 stores a CD on which map data is recorded.
In addition to reading map data from the ROM 7, it also reproduces voice guidance information, and the voice guidance is output from the speaker 20. Reference numeral 8 denotes a display / operation unit provided in the vehicle interior. The display / operation unit 8 is provided on a liquid crystal display 8A for displaying a map, a current traveling position, an azimuth, and the like of the automobile, and is provided on a front surface of the liquid crystal display 8A. Touch panel 8
B, the touch panel 8B includes a switch for instructing enlargement or reduction of a display map, a switch for instructing a route search, a switch for selecting a destination from the place names displayed on the liquid crystal display 8A, and the like. ing. 9
Is an apparatus main body, and the apparatus main body 9 is installed in a trunk room or the like.

Next, the configuration of the apparatus main body 9 will be described. CPU (Central Processing Unit) 10 that performs various calculations
ROM (Read Only Memory) 11 in which programs for various calculations performed by CPU 10 are stored, azimuth sensor 1,
A memory (DRAM) 12 for storing data from the distance sensor 2, the GPS receiver 5, the CD-ROM drive 6, etc., a calculation result in the CPU 10, etc., and necessary data even when power supply to the apparatus main body 9 is stopped. Memory (SRAM) 13, a memory (Kanji / Font ROM) 14 for storing patterns such as characters and symbols to be displayed on the liquid crystal display 8A, and map data and the current position data of the vehicle. Image processor 15 for forming a display image, map data output from CPU 10, current position data and kanji, font ROM
A memory (VRAM) 16 for storing images to be displayed on the liquid crystal display 8A by synthesizing kanji characters and fonts such as street names and road names output from 14, and an RGB conversion circuit 17 for converting output data of the VRAM 16 into color signals. With
The color signal is sent from the RGB conversion circuit 17 to the liquid crystal display 8A.
Is output to Reference numeral 18 denotes a communication interface.

FIG. 4 shows a format of data stored in the CD-ROM 7.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 21 denotes a disk label, 22 denotes a drawing parameter, 23 denotes figure leaf management information,
Is a map leaf, and the map leaf 24 stores background data, character data, road data, and the like, and stores data for each unit map obtained by dividing a topographic map of Japan as a whole by latitude and lightness.

[0008] In the map 24, a map describing a broad area roughly and a map describing a narrow area in detail are set.
Each map leaf is a map display level A, B, which describes the same area.
C. Map display levels A, B, and C
B is described in more detail than A, and C is described more specifically than B. Each of the map display levels A, B, and C is composed of map display level management information and a plurality of units.

Each unit describes a divided area obtained by dividing each map display level area into a plurality of areas. Each unit is composed of a unit header, a character layer, a background layer, a road layer, an optional layer, and the like. The character layer stores place names, road names, facility names, and the like displayed on the map, the background layer stores data for drawing roads, facilities, and the like, and the road layer stores data as shown in FIG. The table stores data on coordinate points (nodes) and lines (links) describing roads including intersections, for example, node numbers of nodes, latitude and longitude, link numbers of links, link distances, and the like.

In FIG. 5, circles (○) indicate nodes, and lines between the nodes indicate links. A black circle (丸) of the node number: 4 indicates an intersection node.

The data recorded in the road layer is not directly involved in the map display, but is used as road network information for map matching.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 25 denotes route search data. The route search data 25 includes search data for each layer from a layer O for a narrow area to a layer n for a wide area. . The search data of each hierarchy is composed of node connection data 26, link estimated transit time (link cost) data 27, and route display data 28.

As shown in FIG. 6, the node connection data 26 is data indicating to which node each of the nodes a to g, x, y is connected. For example, for the node c, the nodes a, d, f , Y. As shown in FIG. 6, the link cost data 27 indicates the link cost of the link between the nodes. For example, the link cost of the link between the node a and the node c is “5”, and The link cost of the link between the node a and the node b is “10”, and the link cost of the link between the node a and the node d is “20”. The link cost is obtained from link cost = link distance / set speed, and the set speed is set according to the road type and the road width as shown in FIG. 7, for example.

The route display data 28 records data for displaying the route selected by the route search on a display map.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 29 denotes audio data.
The audio data 29 is recorded as a digital signal. The digital signal is D / A-converted, and then output from the amplifier to the speaker 20 via the filter, thereby reproducing the audio guidance.

In FIG. 3, the output of the azimuth sensor 1 and the output of the distance sensor 2 are transmitted to the CPU 10 via the sensor processing unit 4.
Sent to The CPU 10 calculates the current position of the vehicle,
Find the latitude and longitude of the current location. GPS receiver 5
The current position is corrected based on the data from.

Based on the current position of the own vehicle obtained in this way, the map data of the unit corresponding to the current position is represented by C
The map data is read from the CD-ROM 7 by the D-ROM drive 6 and stored in the memory (DRAM) 12 via the communication interface 18. DRAM1
A part of the map data stored in 2 is read by the CPU 10, converted into image data by the image processor 15, and written into the image memory 16. The image data stored in the image memory 16 is converted into color signals by an RGB conversion circuit 17 and sent to the liquid crystal display 8A, where a map of a predetermined range centering on the current position of the vehicle is displayed. Also DR
If the map data read from the AM 12 contains character codes and symbol codes, patterns corresponding to these character codes and symbol codes are read from the kanji / font ROM 14 and displayed on the liquid crystal display 8A together with the map such as place names. Symbols such as letters and school are displayed. Further, the current position displayed on the liquid crystal display 8A is sequentially changed based on the traveling speed and the traveling azimuth sequentially obtained as the vehicle travels.

Next, the operation of the conventional route search will be described.
This will be described with reference to FIGS. When a route search switch on the touch panel 8B is operated, a route search process is executed. First, as shown in FIG. 10, a destination is set in step A. The setting of the destination is performed, for example, by inputting the address of the destination or by specifying a point on the map displayed on the liquid crystal display 8A. In step B, it is determined whether to start a route search. This determination is made based on whether or not the route search switch on the touch panel 8B of the display device 8 has been operated. If it is determined in step B that the route search switch has been operated, the process proceeds to step C, where a route search is performed.
In this route search, as shown in FIG. 6, the link costs of all the routes from the starting point (current position node) X to the destination node Y are added, and the route with the lowest link cost is selected. In the case of FIG. 5, the link X → a → c → d
→ f → g → Y total link cost (10 + 5 + 5 + 5 +
5 + 5 = 35) is the smallest, so the link X → a →
The route connecting c → d → f → g → Y is selected. In step D, the route selected in step C of FIG. 10 is displayed, for example, in red on the display map of the liquid crystal display 8A.

FIG. 11 shows step C of the route search in FIG. 10 in more detail.

In FIG. 11, first, at step a, a departure node and a destination node closest to the departure and destination positions are selected. FIG. 6 shows that the node X is selected as the departure node and the node Y is selected as the destination node. Next, in step b, the route search data including the departure node X is read from the CD-ROM 7, and in step c, a route search on the departure point side is performed. As described above, this route search selects a route with the lowest total link cost.

Next, in step d, as a result of the search in step c, it is determined whether or not the connection has been made to the target node. If the distance from the departure point to the destination is relatively short and the data read from the CD-ROM 7 in step b includes the destination node Y, the determination is yes in step d. If the destination is far, it is determined NO in step d and the process proceeds to step e. Step e
Then, the route search data including the target node Y is stored in the CD-RO
At step f, a route search for the destination is performed. In step g, it is determined whether the route selected by the route search on the destination side in step f is connected to the search route on the departure side. If the result of this determination is no, the search hierarchy is raised by one rank in step h in FIG. If the read data in step b and step e is the route search data of layer O, the rank is raised to layer 1 in step h. Next, in step i, the starting node and the destination node are reset, and step b
Return to

FIG. 8 shows that the distance between the departure point and the destination is long,
FIG. 12 is a diagram for easily understanding the operation when a negative determination is made in step d and step g in FIG. 11, wherein the route selected in the route search on the departure side is not connected to the destination node, and the route on the destination side is When the route selected by the search is not connected to the route searched by the departure route search, the route search data 25 of the hierarchy 1 is read and the departure node 3
0, the target node 31 is set. When the route indicated by the solid line is searched by the route search in the hierarchy 1, the determination is yes in step d of FIG. 10 and the process proceeds to step j. In step j, the route from the starting point to the destination is formed.
The display data of the route searched in is created, and the route search ends.

In FIG. 5, a thick line indicates a guide route selected as a result of the route search.
→ 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 → Unit 1 node 1 → 2 → 3
→ The route 4 is the selected guide route.

When the guide route is selected in the course of driving the vehicle along the route displayed on the liquid crystal display 8A, the guide points (700 m, 300 m, and 100 m before the intersection node (node 4 of the unit 2)) are reached. (Guide points) A, B, and C are set. When the current position reaches the guidance point A in accordance with the traveling of the automobile, a predetermined voice guidance, for example, a voice guidance "about 700 m to the right" is provided. Similarly, when the vehicle reaches the guidance points B and C, the guidance is given by voice, "approximately 300 m to the right," and "soon to the right."

FIG. 9 shows a table created by the route search. FIG. 9A is a table of the unit-based route tracking data of the guide route from the current position to the destination. In the example of FIG. 5, the units 2 and 1 are written in the unit-based route tracking data table.

FIG. 9B is a table of route tracking data, in which the order of the nodes in each unit of the selected guide route is written in the order of the routes. FIG.
In the example, the node 1 of the unit 2 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6
Is written, and nodes 1 → 2 → 3 of unit 1 continue
→ 4 is written.

FIG. 9C is a table of guidance point data, which is approximately 700 m, 300 m before the intersection node (node 4 of unit 2) of the selected guide route.
A guidance point is set at a point of 100 m, for example, in the case of FIG. 5, between the nodes 2 and 3 of the unit 1 and between the nodes 3 and 4 of the unit 2, and the guidance route displayed on the liquid crystal display 8A. In the process of traveling along, the voice guidance is performed each time the current position reaches the guidance points A, B, and C.

[0028]

As described above, in the above-described conventional example, voice guidance is performed every time the vehicle reaches the guidance points A, B, and C. After it is determined that the vehicle has reached the guidance point A, the user is guided to, for example, "approximately 700 m to the right" by playing music from the CD-ROM. After determining that the guidance points B and C have also been reached, the CD-
Request music playback from ROM. However, this C
The D-ROM seeks to an audio track after receiving a reproduction request, and performs music reproduction in order to perform a music reproduction. There was a second delay. For this reason, even if the guidance phrase “approximately 700 m is to the right” is provided, there is a case where the guidance phrase is actually within 700 m.
Further, even if the guide point or the CD-ROM access timing is set in consideration of the access time of the CD-ROM, an error occurs in the distance to be guided when the access point is changed to a CD-ROM deck having a different access time. I will.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems.
-The access time is always measured for the ROM access, and the CD-ROM access timing at the guide point can be made variable in consideration of the average access time of the CD-ROM deck, and the error of the guided distance can be suppressed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a music guide device which is enabled.

[0030]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a vehicle which travels along a route searched by a route searching means.
2. Description of the Related Art In a voice guidance apparatus for guiding a user by a voice guidance phrase reproduced from a CD-ROM, the access time of the CD-ROM is always measured, and the CD-ROM for voice guidance is determined based on the total access time and the average access time obtained from the number of accesses. It is characterized in that the access timing is made variable.

Thus, the CD-RO at the guidance point
The M access timing can be changed in consideration of the average access time of the CD-ROM deck, and even if the M-access timing is connected to various CD-ROM decks having different access times, it is possible to suppress an error in the guided distance.

[0032]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A voice guidance apparatus according to a first invention of the present application provides a route for searching for a route from a current position to a destination.
Searching means, and the route searched by the route searching means.
Guidance means for reproducing a voice guidance phrase from a CD-ROM while traveling along a route, voice guidance, measuring means for measuring the access time of the CD-ROM, and average access from the access time measured by the measuring means. calculating means for calculating the time, the run on the average access time
Means for setting the access timing of the CD-ROM by adding the distance obtained by multiplying the speed of the line to the guidance point, and the measuring means comprises a CD-ROM.
The access time is measured for each access, and the calculating means calculates the average access time from the total of the measured access times and the number of accesses, and adds the distance obtained by multiplying the average access time by the current vehicle speed to the guidance point. Then, the access timing of the CD-ROM is set.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a traveling position display device provided with a voice guidance device according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the same components as those of FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the components will be omitted.

This embodiment is different from the conventional one in that a function of measuring the access time for each access to the CD-ROM 7 at the time of reproducing map data and music, and an average access time based on the total of the access times and the number of accesses. Is added to the CPU 10A by adding an average access time calculation function for calculating the average access time and a function for setting the access timing of the CD-ROM by adding the distance obtained by multiplying the average access time by the current vehicle speed to the guidance point. is there. Along with this, the program ROM 11 contains
A processing program shown in FIG. 2 for performing the above functions is stored.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. In the voice guidance device according to this embodiment, the output of the direction sensor 1 and the output of the distance sensor 2 are sent to the CPU 10 via the sensor processing unit 4,
At 10, the current position is calculated, and the latitude and longitude of the current position are obtained. The current position is corrected based on the data from the GPS receiver 5.

Based on the current position detected in this way, map data in a predetermined range centered on the current position is stored on the CD-ROM.
The map data is read from the CD-ROM 7 by the ROM drive 6 and stored in the D-RAM 12 via the communication interface 18. A part of the map data stored in the D-RAM 12 is read, converted into image data by the image processor 15, and written into the V-RAM 16. The image data stored in the V-RAM 16 is read out by the image processor 15, sent to the liquid crystal display 8A, and a map of a predetermined range centering on the current position is displayed.

If the map data read from the D-RAM 12 contains character codes and symbol codes, patterns corresponding to these character codes and symbol codes are read from the kanji / font ROM 14 and the liquid crystal display 8A. In addition to the map, characters such as place names and symbols such as schools are displayed. In addition, the liquid crystal display 8A is based on a traveling speed and a traveling azimuth sequentially obtained as the vehicle travels.
The current position displayed in is changed gradually. When a route search is instructed and a destination is designated, a route that can be predicted to reach the destination in the shortest time is selected by the route search, and the selected route is displayed on the map displayed on the liquid crystal display 8A. .

When the current position of the vehicle obtained by the CPU 10 reaches a predetermined point before the intersection, the voice guidance function reproduces the voice guidance phrase stored in the music area of the CD-ROM according to an instruction from the CPU 10. For example, a sound is output from the speaker 20 such as "approximately 700 m to the right."

Next, the calculation processing of the average access time will be described with reference to FIG. The access time calculation process shown in FIG. 2 is started for all read requests to the CD-ROM deck. Accordingly, when an access request to the CD-ROM is generated (step S1), the number of accesses is incremented (step S2). Then, the timer is started (step S3), and the read request is sent to the CD-R.
It is issued to the OM deck (step S4). Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the reading has been completed (step S5). After the reading is completed, the timer is turned off (step S6), and the time from the issuance of the read request to the completion of the reading (t: access + data transfer time) is measured. Since the time t includes the read data transfer time, the transfer time is obtained from the number of data transfers. Next, only the access time t 'is obtained by subtracting the data transfer time from the measurement time (step S7). Then, to find the total S of the previous access time (step S8), and determines the average access time t _A than the sum S and the access count N of the access time (step S9). Next, the distance determined by vehicle speed x average access time is added to the guidance point, and the CD
-When the access timing of the ROM 7 is set, the CD-RO
The point at which the access of the M deck ends is the guidance point. This makes it possible to set the CD-ROM access timing in consideration of the average access time of the CD-ROM deck.

According to such an embodiment, the CD-R
CD-RO considering average access time of OM deck
The access timing of M can be set, and even if various CD-ROM decks having different access times are connected, an error in the guided distance can be suppressed.

[0042]

As described above, according to the present invention, the map data is read by the voice guidance apparatus for guiding the user with the voice guidance phrase reproduced from the CD-ROM while traveling on the route searched by the route search means. And CD for music playback
-For the ROM access, the access time is always measured, and the CD-ROM access timing at the guide point can be changed in consideration of the average access time of the CD-ROM deck, and various CD-ROMs having different access times can be used.
Even when connected to a deck, there is an effect that errors in the guided distance can be suppressed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a voice guidance device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for calculating an average access time in one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a conventional voice guidance device.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a format of a conventional CD-ROM.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of road data recorded on a conventional CD-ROM.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining a conventional route search method.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of speed data recorded on a conventional link cost calculation CD-ROM.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a hierarchical structure for a conventional route search.

FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram showing a table created by a conventional route search.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a conventional route search.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a conventional route search.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 direction sensor 2 distance sensor 3 various sensor signals 4 sensor signal processing unit 5 GPS receiver 6 CD-ROM drive 7 CD-ROM 8 display / operation unit 8A liquid crystal display 8B touch panel 9 main unit 10A CPU 11 program ROM 12 D-RAM 13 S-RAM 14 Kanji / Font ROM 15 Image processor 16 V-RAM 17 RGB conversion 18 Communication interface 20 Speaker 21 Disk label 22 Drawing parameter 23 Diagram management information 24 Diagram (map data) 25 Route search data 26 Node connection data 27 Link cost data 28 Route display data 29 Voice data

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G01C 21/00 G08G 1/0969 G09B 29/00-29/10 G10L 13/00

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A vehicle provided with a route searching means is a route searching device.
While traveling on the route searched by the step , the CD-RO
Guidance means for reproducing a voice guidance phrase from M to provide voice guidance; measuring means for measuring the access time of the CD-ROM; computing means for calculating an average access time from the access time measured by the measuring means; The distance obtained by multiplying the average access time by the traveling speed is added to the guidance point, and the CD-RO is added.
Means for setting an M access timing. 2. A vehicle provided with a route searching means is a route searching device.
While traveling on the route searched by the step, the measuring means measures the access time of the CD-ROM, and the calculating means calculates the average access time.
The distance is obtained by multiplying the traveling speed, and the voice guide means transmits the CD-RO at an access timing corresponding to the distance.
A voice guidance method, characterized by starting reproduction of a voice guidance phrase from M and providing voice guidance.