JP3607174B2 - Car navigation system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a car navigation system that displays a travel position of an automobile on a map and provides travel guidance to a destination.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Some conventional car navigation systems include a VICS receiver that receives VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System) information transmitted from a roadside device, and performs a route search in consideration of the VICS information. In such a system, when VICS event regulation data is included in a link (road) to be searched, a route search avoiding the link (road) is performed. As this type of car navigation system, for example, those disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 6-201389 and 10-122882 are known.
[0003]
The car navigation system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-201389 judges whether or not a plurality of routes include a route portion of the traffic jam based on the traffic jam information obtained by road-to-vehicle communication, and excludes a route including the traffic jam portion. A traffic jam presence / absence judgment unit for displaying the shortest route is provided.
[0004]
Further, the car navigation system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-122882 excludes a search for a travel route of a vehicle by excluding a congested road having a high traffic frequency or congestion based on the read traffic information. Means.
[0005]
There are various route search algorithms, but all of them are basically candidates for the next route that connects the road connected to the intersection, and the distance and transit time that each link has. The optimal route is searched while taking into account the parameters (cost parameters). When it is desired to search for a route that does not pass through roads such as road closures and traffic jams, the link is excluded from the candidates for the search road, or a cost parameter that is larger than usual is given.
[0006]
As an example, as shown in FIG. 5, there is a guide route from a road A where the vehicle's current location P is located to a destination R via roads B, C, D, and E, and an accident occurs on the road C along the way. Think if you are. In such a case, the conventional car navigation system receives the VICS restriction information regarding the road C, and performs a route search excluding the road C based on the VICS information. As a result, for example, A->B->I->K->L->D-> E (thick solid line route in FIG. 5) can be obtained as the optimum guidance route.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when there is an accident or construction on a certain road, there is often a traffic jam on the road before the accident or construction road. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when there is an accident or construction on the road C, there is often a traffic jam on the road B before the intersection (node) a as shown by the dotted line.
[0008]
At this time, if the road B is a road for which VICS information is not provided, a route search route that avoids the congested road B cannot be drawn. Further, even if the road B is a road for which VICS information is provided, a route search route that avoids the congested road cannot be drawn at the time when the post-accident traffic information is not input to the VICS. As a result, the route A → B → I → K → L → D → E (see the thick solid line) including the road B is displayed as the optimum route, and traffic congestion cannot be avoided.
[0009]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a car navigation system that can perform a route search that avoids traffic jams associated with regulations.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In view of the above object, in the car navigation system of the present invention, search means for searching for a guide route from the current location of the host vehicle to the destination, display means for displaying the guide route, and restriction information existing in the guide route Restriction information acquisition means for acquiring, and inflow link group search means for searching for the first inflow link group before the first intersection at the entrance of the specific search road candidate that gives the restriction information as seen from the current location. The search means excludes the specific search road candidate and the first inflow link group, and searches for a new guide route from the current location to the destination. Thereby, it is possible to avoid a traffic jam that is expected to accompany the regulation.
[0011]
In another car navigation system according to the present invention, the inflow link group search means further includes a second inflow link group located before the second intersection at the entrance of the first inflow link group as viewed from the current location. The search means excludes the specific search road candidate, the first inflow link group, and the second inflow link group, and searches for a new guidance route from the current location to the destination. ing. Thereby, the primary traffic congestion and secondary traffic congestion which are anticipated according to the kind of regulation can be avoided.
[0012]
In another car navigation system of the present invention, the display means includes a new guidance route from the current location to the destination obtained by the search means excluding the specific search road candidate and the first inflow link group. , Which simultaneously displays a specific search road candidate, a first inflow link group, and a new guide route from the current location to the destination obtained by the search means excluding the second inflow link group. is there.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a car navigation system according to the present invention.
[0014]
In FIG. 1, a car navigation system includes a main controller 1 composed of a microcomputer or the like, a vehicle position processing device 2, a map database 3, a storage medium reading device 4, a main storage memory 5, an input device 6, a video processing device 7, an audio. An output device 8 and a VICS receiver 9 are provided.
[0015]
The own vehicle position processing device 2 includes an autonomous navigation sensor 2a, a GPS receiver 2b, and an own vehicle position calculation device 2c. The own vehicle position processing device 2 uses the own vehicle position calculation device 2c to determine the own vehicle position based on the own vehicle related sensor information from the autonomous navigation sensor 2a and the current location information of the own vehicle by receiving GPS satellite radio waves from the GPS receiver 2b. Is calculated.
[0016]
The storage medium reader 4 reads map data from the map database 3 such as a CD-ROM and supplies it to the main controller 1.
[0017]
The main controller 1 functions as search means and inflow link group search means. The main controller 1 includes road network link data (including the cost parameter of the link) in the map data from the storage medium reading device 4, own vehicle current location data from the own vehicle position processing device 2, and an input device 6. The optimal guidance route is calculated based on the position data regarding the destination inputted from the above and received VICS information of the VICS receiver 9 described later, and the obtained route search data is stored in the main memory 5.
[0018]
Further, the main controller 1 supplies map data from the storage medium reading device 4 that reads the map database 3 and route search data read from the main storage memory 5 to the video processing device 7.
[0019]
The video processing device 7 includes a graphic controller 7a, a video RAM 7b, and a display device 7c as display means. The video processing device 7 stores map data and route search data in the video RAM 7b by the graphic controller 7a. Further, the video processing device 7 supplies the map data read from the video RAM 7b and the searched route data to the display device 7c, and displays them on the display screen of the display device 7c.
[0020]
The VICS receiver 9 functions as restriction information acquisition means. The VICS receiver 9 receives VICS information transmitted from a roadside device (not shown) by FM multiplex broadcasting, radio wave beacon, optical beacon, and the like, and supplies the VICS information to the main controller 1.
[0021]
Next, a route search operation in the car navigation system of the present embodiment having the above-described configuration will be described.
[0022]
In the present invention, when there is a link to be excluded as a VICS link (that is, a restricted link), the main controller 1 excludes this link from all search road candidates. Also, the main controller 1 regards the previous inflow link connected to this link at an intersection (node) as a congested road regardless of whether it is a VICS link, and excludes it from all search road candidates.
[0023]
The main controller 1 selects a link (inflow link) connected at an intersection (node) in front of the road from the road number (link ID) on the map data of the map database 3 corresponding to the regulated VICS link. Explore. If the extracted inflow link is a VICS link, the cost parameter obtained from the map data regarding the inflow link is replaced with the cost parameter provided in the VICS information. If the extracted inflow link is not a VICS link, the cost parameter is excluded.
[0024]
Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a destination R via roads B, C, D, and E connected at each intersection (node) in the traveling direction from a road A that is the current location P of the vehicle. Consider a case where there is a route to the road C and there is an accident on road C. In such a case, regarding the road C, VICS regulation (accident and construction) information is transmitted from the roadside device.
[0025]
During the route search, the main controller 1 excludes the road C from the search road candidates based on the VICS restriction information indicating the accident on the road C received by the VICS receiver 9. Next, the main controller 1 searches for a link flowing into the road C via the first intersection (node) a as viewed from the traveling direction of the vehicle, and the roads B, I, J are used as the first inflow link group. Confirm. As a result, the roads B, I, and J are excluded from the search road candidates as the first inflow link group that may be congested.
[0026]
Next, the main controller 1 selects a road C having VICS regulation information indicating an accident from all the search road candidates, and roads B, I, and J that are a first inflow link group to the road C and may be congested. A route search is performed based on the remaining search candidate roads excluding. As a result, A → F → H → K → L → D → E (thick solid line in FIG. 2) is obtained as the optimum guide route. Thus, a new guidance route is displayed on the screen of the display device 7c.
[0027]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the route search described above.
[0028]
First, VICS information is received (step S1), and it is determined whether there is link restriction information in the VICS information (step S2). If the answer is no, route search is performed using all links (all searched road candidates) (step S3), and the process proceeds to step S6.
[0029]
On the other hand, if the answer to step S2 is yes, an inflow link connected to the link having the regulation information as viewed from the traveling direction of the vehicle at the intersection (node) is searched (step S4). Next, a route search is performed by excluding the links with restriction information and the inflow links whose existence has been confirmed as a result of the search from all search road candidates (step S5). Then, the search result is displayed on the screen of the display device 7c (step S6).
[0030]
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications and applications are possible. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the restriction information has been described as being limited to an accident. However, the restriction information is not limited thereto, and may be other types such as a pedestrian heaven and a marathon event.
[0031]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the route search is performed by excluding the inflow link, but instead, the inflow link is not excluded, and the cost parameter set in advance for the inflow link is determined according to the degree of congestion. Weighting (change) may be performed so as to increase the value and used for route search. The weighting can correspond to, for example, complete traffic congestion, congestion level, and the like.
[0032]
As another embodiment, the second inflow link group flowing into the first inflow link group from the traveling direction of the host vehicle through the second intersection is searched, and a specific search road is selected from all the search road candidates. The route from the current location to the destination may be searched by excluding the candidates and the first and second inflow link groups extracted by the search means.
[0033]
Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, roads V, A, B, C, D, and E that are linearly connected at each intersection (node) in the traveling direction from the road W that is the current location P of the vehicle. Suppose that there is a route to the destination R through the road C, for example, there is an accident or construction on the road C. In such a case, regarding the road C, VICS regulation (accident and construction) information is transmitted from the roadside device.
[0034]
During the route search, the main controller 1 excludes the road C from the search road candidates based on the VICS restriction information indicating the accident on the road C received by the VICS receiver 9. Next, the main controller 1 searches for a link flowing into the road C via the first intersection (node) a as seen from the traveling direction of the vehicle, and the roads B, I, J are used as the first inflow link group. Confirm. Subsequently, the main controller 1 searches for a link flowing into the road B via the second intersection (node) b as seen from the traveling direction of the vehicle, and the roads A, F, G as the second inflow link group. Confirm. Further, the main controller 1 searches for a link flowing into the road A via the third intersection (node) c as viewed from the traveling direction of the vehicle, and the roads V, S, and T are used as a third inflow link group. Confirm.
[0035]
After the confirmation, the main controller 1 determines, from all the search road candidates, the road C having the VICS regulation information indicating the accident and the roads B, I, and J that are the first inflow links to the road C and that may be congested. A route search is performed based on the remaining search candidate roads excluding. As a result, W → V → A → F → H → K → L → D → E (thick solid line (1) in FIG. 4) is obtained as the first route.
[0036]
Subsequently, the main controller 1 determines, from all the search road candidates, the road C having the VICS regulation information indicating the accident, the roads B, I, and J that are the first inflow link group, and the road B to the second intersection ( The remaining search candidate roads that exclude the roads A, F, and G that may be congested next to the first inflow link group described above, which are the second inflow link groups that flow in via the node b) Based on this, a route search is performed. As a result, W → V → S → U → H → K → L → D → E (thick solid line (2) in FIG. 4) is obtained as the second route.
[0037]
Further, the main controller 1 selects the road C having the VICS regulation information indicating the accident, the roads B, I, and J that are the first inflow link group, and the road that is the second inflow link group from all the search road candidates. A third inflow link group that flows into A, F, G, and road A via a third intersection (node) c, and a road that may be congested next to the second inflow link group described above A route search is performed based on the remaining search candidate roads excluding V, S, and T. As a result, W → X → Z → U → H → K → L → D → E (thick solid line (3) in FIG. 4) is obtained as the third route.
[0038]
The first, second and third routes {circle around (1)}, {circle around (2)} and {circle around (3)} obtained as described above are a link with restriction information and an inflow link group weighted with possibility of traffic jam, respectively. As the excluded routes, they can be displayed alone or simultaneously on the screen of the display device 7c. Thereby, it is possible to avoid the first traffic jam, the second traffic jam, and the third traffic jam that are expected according to the type of regulation.
[0039]
As another embodiment, the main controller 1 searches for an inflow link group flowing in from the traveling direction of the own vehicle through an intersection to a specific search road candidate having restriction information, and specifies a specific search road candidate from all search road candidates. Search the route from the current location to the destination by excluding the search road candidates and the specific search road candidates that are in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle or within a predetermined distance from the intersection. It may be configured. In this way, even in an area where there are many intersections, it is possible to effectively avoid traffic congestion without going to the vicinity of a specific search road candidate where an accident or the like has occurred.
[0040]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, it is possible to avoid a traffic jam that is expected to accompany a regulation.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an embodiment of a car navigation system according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of route search in the block diagram of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the car navigation system shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment of the route search in the block diagram of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a route search in a conventional car navigation system.
6 is a diagram showing an actual road situation in FIG. 5. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Main controller (search means, inflow link group search means)
2 Self-vehicle position processing device 3 Map database 4 Storage medium reading device 5 Main storage memory 6 Input device 7 Video processing device 7c Display device (display means)
8 Audio output device 9 VICS receiver (regulation information acquisition means)

Claims (3)

Search means for searching for a guidance route from the current location of the vehicle to the destination;
Display means for displaying the guidance route;
Restriction information obtaining means for obtaining restriction information existing in the guide route;
Inflow link group search means for searching for the first inflow link group before the first intersection at the entrance of the specific search road candidate that gives the restriction information as seen from the current location;
With
The car navigation system characterized in that the search means excludes the specific search road candidate and the first inflow link group and searches for a new guidance route from the current location to the destination. The inflow link groups searching means further viewed from the current position, searches for a second inflow link group in front of the second intersection at the entrance of the first inflow link group,
The search means excludes the specific search road candidate, the first inflow link group, and the second inflow link group, and searches for a new guidance route from the current location to the destination. The car navigation system according to claim 1. The display means includes
A new guidance route from the current location to the destination obtained by the search means excluding the specific search road candidate and the first inflow link group;
A new guidance route from the current location to the destination obtained by the search means excluding the specific search road candidate, the first inflow link group, and the second inflow link group;
The car navigation system according to claim 2, wherein the two are displayed simultaneously.

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