JP3731301B2 - Navigation device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a navigation device that displays a position of a host vehicle superimposed on a map, and more particularly to a navigation device that displays a wide range of roads to which the host vehicle is traveling.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, such as the function of displaying a map on a display device and displaying the position of itself in an overlapping manner, a function called a route search that selects and displays an appropriate route when a start point and an end point are input, and a search route 2. Description of the Related Art There is provided a navigation device equipped with a function called route guidance that displays a searched route on a screen and guides the route so that the vehicle can travel.
[0003]
A display device of such a navigation device has a mark representing the position of the vehicle (vehicle mark) superimposed on a map, and the vehicle mark moves on the map screen as it travels and is inserted at the end of the map screen. In such a case, there is one that calls and displays the next screen that has been previously recorded from the map storage medium.
[0004]
On the other hand, there is also provided a navigation device equipped with a function (hereinafter referred to as “map screen movement mode”) in which the vehicle mark is fixed and the map screen is moved according to the user's request.
[0005]
As shown in FIG. 8, since the map screen moves with the vehicle mark fixed in the center, there is no need to find where the vehicle mark is on the screen, and it always runs upward on the screen. The screen is easy to see, and a screen close to the actual driving feeling can be obtained.
[0006]
Furthermore, a navigation device is also provided in which the vehicle mark can be switched between the center of the screen and the bottom of the screen.
[0007]
As shown in FIG. 9, if the vehicle position is fixed to the lower part of the screen, the screen in the traveling direction (upward) is displayed widely, so that there is an advantage that the screen is easier to see.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in these conventional navigation devices, the direction in which the user wants to travel is not necessarily displayed depending on the shape of the road.
[0009]
For example, in the case of the road shape shown in FIG. 8, if the user wants to proceed in the direction of the arrow a, the vehicle position is better in the downward direction, and therefore the state shown in FIG. Become.
[0010]
On the other hand, in the state of FIG. 9, if the user thinks that he wants to proceed in the direction of the arrow b, the line of sight is worsened. Therefore, the state of FIG. It can be said that.
[0011]
Therefore, when the user wants to display the traveling direction widely, there is a problem that the user is required to frequently change the position of the vehicle mark according to the shape of the road. The same was true.
[0012]
The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the prior art that the display screen is difficult to see due to the road shape.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, the display device for displaying the vehicle position and the map superimposed on each other and the moving means for moving the map screen while fixing the vehicle position at a predetermined position on the screen. A target point setting means for setting a target point indicating the traveling direction of the own vehicle, and the target point setting means. A screen shift means for shifting the entire vehicle display screen by shifting the vehicle position and the map screen by a predetermined width left and right or diagonally in a direction other than the direction in which the target point exists, and the target point set by the target point setting means Screen rotation means for rotating the direction in which the screen exists to be the upper part of the screen, and when the screen is shifted left and right or diagonally by the screen shift means, and when the screen rotation means And a switching means for switching between the screen shift means and the screen rotation means. is there.
[0014]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the target value setting means, the screen shifting means, and the prohibiting means are integrated to enable wide display of the screen in the traveling direction, and the target value setting means, the screen rotation means, and Since the prohibition means are integrated with each other, the screen in the direction of travel can be displayed widely, and the screen shift means and the means for switching the screen rotation means are provided. .
[0015]
In the navigation apparatus including route search means for searching for a route between the start point and the target point, and route guidance means for guiding the route while the host vehicle is traveling, the target point setting means described in claim 1 includes: A tracing means for tracing along the guidance route from the own vehicle position, a straight line distance calculating means for obtaining a straight line distance between the position traced by the tracing means and the own vehicle position, and an absolute value obtained by the straight line distance calculating means. And determining means for determining whether or not the value exceeds a predetermined distance, and when the determining means determines that the absolute value exceeds a predetermined value, the target point is set as the target point. It is comprised so that it may be characterized.
[0016]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the route guidance function of the navigation device and the tracing means cooperate to display a wide screen without requiring any special operation to determine the target point.
[0017]
The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the switching means for switching between the screen shift means and the screen rotation means further comprises a second switching means for switching between any one of the means and the map screen moving means. And
[0018]
According to the invention described in claim 3, in the invention described in claim 1 or 2, a screen that is easier to view can be selected according to the desire of the user.
[0027]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of a navigation device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
[0028]
A navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention shows a navigation device that combines GPS (Groval Positioning System) and autonomous navigation for calculation of the position of the vehicle, and the arithmetic processing device 3 receives the signal from the antenna 1. A GPS receiver 2 that demodulates radio waves, a vehicle speed sensor 6 that detects the speed of the automobile, and a gyro sensor 7 that detects the angular displacement of the automobile are connected.
[0029]
Further, a map storage medium 4 storing map data, and a display device 5 for displaying the vehicle mark representing the vehicle position and the map in an overlapping manner are connected.
[0030]
The arithmetic processing unit 3 receives a command from the operation input means 8 and realizes a desired function, performs a positioning calculation of an automobile, transmits map data to the display unit 5 and the like. (CPU) 303, a map data memory area 302 for storing map information data from the map storage medium 4, and a map scale and R1 indicating a predetermined distance from the current location are stored in association with each other. It has a memory composed of a scale-R1 memory area 301.
[0031]
It also has a route guidance function (not shown).
[0032]
A functional block diagram performed by the CPU and FIG. 4 showing a peripheral connection state will be described. In the figure, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 3 are the same as those in FIG.
[0033]
The CPU 303 in the arithmetic processing unit 3 is functionally route-guided by a current position calculation means 315 for calculating the current position from the data from the GPS receiver 2, the vehicle speed sensor 6 and the gyro sensor 7, and a route guidance means (not shown). And a tracing means 311 for tracing by moving a virtual cursor from the vehicle mark position along the guidance route toward the target point, and every predetermined movement distance or every predetermined time during the tracing A linear distance calculation means 312 for calculating an absolute value from the vehicle mark position, and a scale-R1 memory area 301 in which the scale of the currently displayed map and the predetermined absolute value distance R1 from the vehicle mark position are stored in association with each other. A comparison / determination unit 313 for comparing the value r1 obtained by the linear distance calculation unit 312 with R1 called from When r1 becomes smaller than R1 due to 13, the direction determining means 314 for determining the direction from the own vehicle mark position to that point, and the screen shift means 319 or the screen rotation means 320 perform a predetermined operation. A map screen movement mode prohibiting unit 318 for prohibiting the map screen movement mode is included.
[0034]
Note that the map moving means 317 for moving and displaying the map with the own vehicle position fixed and the own vehicle moving means 316 for moving and displaying the own vehicle mark with the map fixed are the operations input means 8. In response to the instruction, it can be selected alternatively.
[0035]
In addition, when the azimuth is determined by the azimuth fixing means, the screen shift means 319 for shifting the screen and the screen rotation means 320 for rotating the azimuth to the upper part of the screen are alternatively selected in response to an instruction from the operation input means 8. It is configured to be able to.
[0036]
The operation of the navigation device according to the present invention will be described below.
[0037]
The antenna 1 receives radio waves from a satellite. The GPS receiver 2 receives radio waves from the antenna 1 and transmits transmission data from the satellite to a central processing unit (CPU) 303 of the arithmetic processing unit 3.
[0038]
The current location calculation means 315 that has received the current location information from the GPS receiver 2, the vehicle speed sensor 6, and the gyro sensor 7 performs a predetermined positioning calculation to determine the latitude and longitude of the current location of the vehicle.
[0039]
Further, the CPU 3 displays the vehicle mark on the display device 5 by superimposing the vehicle mark on the map data stored in the map data memory area from the map information storage medium 4 at the latitude / longitude position of the vehicle position.
[0040]
The map storage medium 4 stores map data of Japan nationwide divided into areas for each predetermined area. This map data also stores latitude and longitude information and coordinate information with a predetermined place as the origin.
[0041]
Based on the latitude and longitude information of the vehicle position, an area of the map where the current location of the vehicle exists is specified. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, assuming that the current location of the vehicle is in area E, for example, the arithmetic processing unit 3 uses the area E of the map data as the center and ABCDEFHIJ as shown in FIG. Each adjacent area is read into the arithmetic processing unit 3 and stored in the map data memory area 302.
[0042]
Based on the data stored in the map data memory area 302, for example, the area composed of the coordinates of abcd according to the scale based on the command from the operation input means 8, assuming that the vehicle is in the area E. The vehicle mark is cut out and displayed on the display device 5 and the vehicle mark is superimposed on the vehicle position for which the latitude and longitude are specified.
[0043]
While the vehicle is moving from area E to area J with time, the vehicle mark is moved based on the latitude and longitude, and the coordinates of efgh in the map data in the internal memory are cut out and displayed on the display device 5. To do.
[0044]
In this way, the current position calculation means 315 of the own vehicle and the map data memory 302 cooperate to call the map data from the map recording medium 4 and move the map screen in accordance with the movement of the own vehicle position.
[0045]
Further, when the vehicle position enters the area J, the ABCK in the internal memory of the arithmetic processing unit 3 is deleted, and each area of GKNML is newly read into the internal memory as shown in FIG.
[0046]
In addition, the coordinates of abcd can be rotated at a predetermined angle such as 30 degrees, 45 degrees, 60 degrees, 70 degrees, or 90 degrees, or can be displayed at an arbitrary angle. ing.
[0047]
The arithmetic processing device 3 reads map data from the map recording medium 4 and draws a map on the display device 5. At this time, the user can display a map of a predetermined scale by an instruction from the operation input means 8.
[0048]
For example, the map is displayed on the screen at a scale as shown on the left side of FIG.
[0049]
In this case, R1 values as shown in FIG. 5 are associated with each scale and stored in the memory area of the arithmetic processing unit 3. R1 is determined according to the scale currently displayed on the display device 5.
[0050]
In addition, the user performs operations such as enlargement and reduction of the map by operating the operation input means 8, and the CPU 303 that receives the instruction implements a desired function.
[0051]
Next, the operation of the navigation device of FIGS. 3 and 4 will be described based on the flowcharts of FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0052]
In FIG. 1, first, based on a command from the operation input means 8, it is determined whether the screen rotation means 320 is operable (rotation mode) or the screen shift means 319 is operable (shift mode) (step S11). In the case of the shift mode, the process proceeds to the flowchart of FIG. In the case of the rotation mode, the screen rotation mode 320 is turned on based on the operation of the operation input means 8 (step S12).
[0053]
In addition, when neither the rotation mode nor the shift mode is set to move the map screen while fixing the vehicle mark, the screen shift mode or the screen rotation mode is set based on the operation input means 8. It is necessary to switch to the setting.
[0054]
Next, R1 based on the scale of the currently displayed map is called from the scale-R1 memory area and set in the comparison determination means 313 (step S13).
[0055]
Next, tracing is started on the guide route by the tracing unit 311 from the current location obtained by the current location calculating unit 315 by the linear distance calculating unit 312 and the linear distance r1 from the current location to the trace position at every predetermined time or every predetermined distance. Is obtained (step S14).
[0056]
The comparison / determination means 313 compares r1 and R1, and if R1 is smaller than r1, tracing is continued. If R1 is not smaller than r1, the process proceeds to the next step (step S15).
[0057]
When r1 is not smaller than R1, the direction determining means 314 connects the vehicle mark position and the point with a straight line with the point as the X point. This state is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11 for the direction indicated by this straight line, one of eight directions of north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, and northwest is determined, and the direction connecting the vehicle mark position and the X point is determined. If it is in the middle of the eight directions, the closest orientation is determined (step S16).
[0058]
When the azimuth is determined, the screen rotation means 320 that has received a command from the azimuth determination means 314 rotates and displays the map to be displayed cut out from the map data memory area so that the determined azimuth is at the top of the screen. At the same time, a prohibition command is issued to the map screen movement mode prohibiting means 318 (step S17).
[0059]
This rotated screen is shown in FIG. When the upper direction in FIG. 5 is north, FIG. 6 shows a state in which the west is rotated upward.
[0060]
The map screen moving mode prohibiting means 318 fixes the own vehicle mark, and the map screen moving means 317 performing the operation of moving the map is prohibited. As a result, the operation of the own vehicle moving means 318 fixes the map. An operation of moving the vehicle mark is performed (step S18).
[0061]
Next, when the user wants to end the rotation mode (step S19), the operation is terminated (END) by the operation of the operation input means 8, and when the user does not end, the operation of moving the vehicle mark is continued. .
[0062]
Then, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has traveled a predetermined distance (step S20). If the vehicle has traveled a predetermined distance, the vehicle mark position is temporarily set at a predetermined position, for example, the original map screen moving means shown in FIG. After moving to a position to be fixed when operating, the process returns to step S13 to continue the operation.
[0063]
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing processing in the screen shift mode.
[0064]
Steps S32 to S35 after the screen shift mode is turned on in step S31 are the same as steps S12 to S16 in the screen rotation mode, and thus description thereof is omitted.
[0065]
In FIG. 7 showing a state where the screen frame is shifted to the left, since the planned road is on the left side, the map screen itself is shown shifted to the right side. As in the rotation mode, the eight directions are determined (step S35), and the screen is shifted to the opposite side to the direction (step S36).
[0066]
In addition, when using without route guidance, in addition to automatically performing the target point setting means, a predetermined point on the map from the operation input means 8 can be set as the target point. You can also.
[0067]
【Example】
The present invention can be modified in various ways within the scope disclosed in the present specification. For example, in the description of the embodiment, eight orientations are determined, but any of four orientations, 16 orientations, and 32 orientations is possible. But you can.
[0068]
Even when route search or route guidance is not being performed, it is possible to determine in which direction the road continues in the case of a single road such as a mountain road that is complicatedly undulated based on information on the road that is currently running. In some cases, it can be determined that the driver wants the direction of travel and the map is shifted and displayed, and the rotation in the map movement mode performed for each curve can be stopped.
[0069]
In such a case, for example, even if the road is branched by specifying highway priority or national road priority, the present invention can be applied even when the traveling direction can be uniquely determined.
[0070]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the direction of the traveling direction is improved on the display device, and the driver can display his / her traveling direction on the screen to the maximum extent, so that the road he / she should travel from now on during the driving. It is no longer difficult to understand what the situation is.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an operation in a rotation mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation in a shift mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the central processing unit of the navigation device according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory diagram of the navigation device according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory diagram of the navigation device according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory diagram of the navigation device according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a screen on a display device of a conventional navigation device.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a screen on a display device of a conventional navigation device.
FIG. 10 is a correspondence diagram for data in the scale-R1 memory area.
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating eight directions for determining the direction.
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the map data in the map memory area and the state of the display portion.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Antenna 2 GPS receiver 3 Arithmetic processing unit 301 Scale-R1 memory area 302 Map data memory area 303 Central processing unit (CPU)
311 Tracing means 312 Linear distance calculating means 313 Comparison determining means 314 Direction determining means 315 Current position calculating means 316 Vehicle moving means 317 Map screen moving means 318 Map screen moving mode prohibiting means 319 Screen shifting means 320 Screen rotating means 4 Map storage medium 5 Display device 6 Vehicle speed sensor 7 Gyro sensor 8 Operation input means

Claims (3)

  A display device that displays the vehicle position and the map superimposed on each other, map screen moving means for moving the map screen while fixing the vehicle position at a predetermined position on the screen, and a predetermined position on the screen of the own vehicle position In a navigation device comprising means capable of changing the target position, target point setting means for setting a target point indicating the traveling direction of the host vehicle, and a direction other than the direction in which the target point set by the target point setting means exists. Screen shift means for shifting the vehicle position and map screen left and right or diagonally by a predetermined width to shift the entire map display screen, and the direction where the target point set by the target point setting means is present so that it is at the top of the screen The screen rotation means, and when the screen is shifted left and right or diagonally by the screen shift means and when the screen rotation can be performed by the screen rotation means, Navigation apparatus comprising: the inhibiting means for inhibiting the operation of the map screen moving means, a switching means for switching the screen shifting means and the screen rotation means   In a navigation device comprising route search means for searching for a route between a start point and a target point, and route guide means for guiding the route while the host vehicle is traveling, the target point setting unit is guided from the host vehicle position. Tracing means for tracing along the route, linear distance calculating means for calculating a linear distance between the position traced by the tracing means and the vehicle position, and an absolute value obtained by the linear distance calculating means is a predetermined distance. And determining means for determining whether or not the absolute value exceeds a predetermined distance by the determining means, and setting the target point with the traced position when determined as a target point The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation device is a device.   The navigation device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a second switching means for switching between the one of the means and the map screen moving means in the switching means for switching the screen shift means and the screen rotation means. .

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