JPH0375997A - Guidance switching system for navigation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily switch the route guidance on the way and in the vicinity of the destination by searching the route from the destination and the starting point and outputting guidance information, based on a necessary sensor output, and switching to the route guidance by an input of the identification number of the guidance starting point. CONSTITUTION:From the destination and the starting point from an input part 7, a data processing control part 1 searches a route, based on data bases 10 - 12, and also, determines a running history and a position of a vehicle from a sensor output of a range finder 5, a steering angle meter 6, etc., and displays the guidance such as the route, a distance from the present position to the destination, etc., on a display part 14. In this state, when a vehicle approaches the vicinity of the destination and the identification number of a gas station, etc., received through a receiving antenna 3 and a receiver 4 is inputted automatically, its point becomes a guidance start point and the guidance of the display part 14 is switched automatically to navigation leading, and in accordance with a situation, the guidance is switched automatically and easily.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a guidance switching method for a navigation system that displays a route to the vicinity of a destination and switches to route guidance from the vicinity of the destination to provide course guidance.

[Conventional technology]

When visiting a new place by car, in order to arrive at the destination without getting lost, it is necessary to thoroughly consider the driving route using road maps, etc. in advance.

In considering this driving route, it goes without saying that the driving route must first be selected, but in order to ensure that the selected route is followed without fail, the driving route must be marked with landmarks such as intersections where there are right and left turns, characteristic objects, etc. It is necessary to remember road information such as distance traveled. However, as the road network becomes more complex, people may forget the names of intersections they should turn on or landmarks when driving for the first time, or they may not be able to easily check them while driving.
If you miss the name of the intersection you are supposed to turn at or the landmarks that serve as landmarks, you may not know your current location, and not only will you not be able to follow the flow of traffic smoothly, but you may also end up stranded in the middle.

Navigation devices provide route guidance so that the user can safely drive to a new destination without the above concerns, and various types of navigation devices have been proposed in recent years. Some of them include those that set a route to a destination and display the road map and the set route on the display, and others that display information such as remaining distance, names, right and left turns, etc. of intersections to turn to ensure that the route can be followed without fail. There are also those that provide information such as those that show characteristic features so that the route can be confirmed while driving, and those that provide audio guidance in addition to display.

'In such a navigation device, it is first necessary to set a route. To set a route, it is necessary to input the starting point and destination. Once the starting point and destination are determined by these inputs, the route will be searched from the road information data around and between the starting point and destination. processing is done,
The optimal route is set from among multiple routes. In addition, the method already proposed by the applicant does not set a specific route from the starting point to the destination, but instead sets the road and direction of travel to the destination at specific points such as each intersection. There is also. In this case, the mileage, steering angle,
Collects driving information such as intersections passed and recognizes the current location.
It provides route guidance by providing information about the road and direction of travel set at the current location.

As described above, in a navigation device, first, in order to go from a departure point to a destination, it is necessary to input respective positional information and perform route search and setting. The present applicant has already proposed several methods for inputting positions such as departure point and destination (for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 62-333052, Japanese Patent Application No. 63
-199093). These allow the user to enter the intersection as a code number, or to call up the desired intersection name on the screen by inputting initials etc. from a menu screen, and then inputting the departure point, etc. In such a method, registered locations such as departure points and destinations are divided into categories such as sightseeing, parking lots, and restaurants, and are also coded by region such as prefecture and city, and the codes are input. ing. In that case, in addition to directly inputting the code number, we have also proposed a method in which a menu is displayed and the code number is selected sequentially from the menu and inputted.

We have also proposed a method in which a road network is defined by having node data, and this node data is connected, and the position is input using coordinate values of east longitude and north latitude.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, especially if the distance between the destination and the departure point is long or if you are familiar with the road conditions near the destination, providing too detailed route guidance from the departure point can be rather troublesome. be. That is, if the user knows the direction in which he or she should travel, he or she may want to travel freely near the destination, taking back roads depending on the situation and choosing a route toward the destination without being restricted. Moreover, accurate route guidance is required from the vicinity of the destination to the destination.

Conventional navigation devices cannot flexibly respond to such requests because they provide guidance from the departure point to the destination using one method, whether it is route display guidance or intersection-based guidance. There's a problem.

Furthermore, in the navigation device, the method of inputting positions such as the departure point and destination, which is essential as an initial operation, has the problem that inputting a desired position is time-consuming and not convenient as described above.

For example, in a system where the driver inputs a code number, etc., it is necessary to memorize the number in advance, and when there are many code numbers, each position is defined with a special code number, so the code number must be memorized in advance. A book is required, and the position cannot be input unless the codebook is referenced one by one.

Moreover, since the codebook contains all the codes, it is huge and must be carried around.

Furthermore, in the one-menu system, it is not possible to input a desired position on one screen, and the desired position cannot be input unless a number of screens are sequentially switched and a predetermined item is selected on each screen. That is, the display device used in the navigation device is mounted in a relatively easy-to-read space near the driver's seat, so a compact device is used, and the amount of information that can be displayed at one time is small. Therefore, there is a problem in that the screens are classified into more detailed categories, the number of menu screens increases, and input operations take more time and effort.

The method of inputting coordinates also has the trouble of not being able to input a position without a coordinate table, and having to search the coordinate table for the coordinate values of the position to be input.

There is also a method of inputting a name, but this method also has the problem that the operation is complicated and cumbersome because the user has to select one character at a time from among many characters.

The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the invention is to enable route guidance to be switched between midway and near the destination as required. Also,
Another object of the present invention is to automatically set a guidance starting point, and to set it using a nearby telephone number.

[Means to solve the problem]

To this end, the present invention provides a navigation system that performs route searches and travel guidance between a destination and a departure point, including a database that stores information for route searching and route guidance, vehicle travel history, and location information. sensors for detecting, input means for entering destination, departure point, and other information;
An output means for outputting course guidance information and setting information, and data for managing each of the above means, searching for a route from a specified destination and starting point, setting a course, and providing guidance information along the course. The data processing control means performs a route search on the condition that the destination and departure point are input, displays the route from the departure point to the destination, and inputs the identification number of the guidance starting point. It is characterized by switching to route guidance.

Further, the input identification number of the guidance starting point is the telephone number of the gas station, and the present invention is characterized in that it includes means for receiving a signal from a transmitter installed at the throat of the J1 gas station.

Furthermore, when the telephone number of a gas station is input, the data processing control means performs input processing of a guidance starting point on the condition that the route display mode is selected, and corrects the current position on the condition that the route guidance mode is selected. If there is no instruction to start guidance within a predetermined time even after inputting the guidance start point, the route display mode is continued.

[Action and effect of invention]

In the guidance switching method of the navigation system of the present invention,
The data processing control means 1 performs a route search on the condition that the destination and departure point are input, displays a route from the departure point to the destination, and switches to route guidance by inputting the identification number of the guidance starting point. Therefore, the route guidance method can be switched before and after the guidance starting point, providing guidance that allows the vehicle to travel relatively freely until it reaches the destination, and then providing guidance using detailed information once it is near the destination. be able to.

Furthermore, since the guidance starting point can be entered using the telephone number of the gas station, inputting the guidance starting point becomes easier. Moreover,
Since it is equipped with a receiver 4 that receives a signal from a transmitter 21 installed at a gas station, by setting the telephone number of the gas station in the ID number setting section 22 on the side of the transmitter 21, the gas station automatically sends a message to the station. can be set as the guidance starting point.

Furthermore, when the telephone number of a gas station is input, the guidance start point is inputted if the route display mode is selected, and the current location is corrected if the route guidance mode is selected. If there is no instruction to start guidance within a predetermined time even after inputting the guidance start point, the route display mode will continue, so you can freely select a gas station along the route as the guidance start point, or , you can check your current location at a gas station.

Note that the above symbols are added to clarify the correspondence with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

1 〔Example〕 Examples will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of one embodiment of the navigation system according to the present invention, in which (a) shows the system configuration on the vehicle side, and (b) in the same figure shows the configuration of the transmitting device on the gas station side. Give an example. In the figure, 1 is a data processing control unit, 2 is a switch, 3 is a receiving antenna, 4 is a receiver, 5 is a distance meter, 6 is a rudder angle meter, 7 is an input unit, 8 is an input decoder, and 9 is an input decoder Tables 10 to 12 are databases, 13 is an image output control section, 14 is a display section, 15 is an audio output control section, 1
6 is a speaker, 21 is a transmitter, 22 is an ID number setting section,
23 indicates a transmitting antenna.

In FIG. 1(a), the switch 2 is connected to the receiving antenna 3.
This is an interrupt switch used when switching from input unit 7 to position input using input unit 7.
The system receives an ID number transmitted from a transmitter installed at a gas station or the like. The transmitter 21, ID number setting unit 22, and transmitting antenna 23 shown in FIG. 2B are installed at a gas station 2, and the telephone number of the gas station is set in the ID number setting unit 22 as an ID number.

The distance meter 5 measures the distance traveled by the vehicle, and may be, for example, one that detects and counts the rotation of a wheel, or one that detects acceleration and integrates it twice, but may be any other measuring means. Good too.

The steering angle meter 6 detects whether or not the intersection has been turned. For example, an optical rotation sensor attached to the rotating part of the steering wheel, a rotating resistance volume, etc. can be used, but it is possible to use an optical rotation sensor attached to the rotating part of the steering wheel, a rotating resistance volume, etc. An attached angle sensor may also be used.

The input unit 7 may be a joystick, a key, a touch panel, or it may be combined with the screen of the display unit 14 to display keys and menus on the screen and input from that screen.

The input decoding unit 8 decodes the data input from the input unit 7 while referring to the input decoding table 9. For example, when setting a route, the starting point (current position) and destination are determined by telephone number or When a code, menu, or other mode is input, conversion into departure point data or destination data is performed by referring to the input decoding table 9 according to the mode. Further, in the case of inputting help or other instructions other than location input such as departure point or destination, corresponding processing is performed. Therefore, the input decoding table 9 is set in accordance with the type of input given from the input unit 7 and the input data.

The databases 10 to 12 contain road network data, map data, audio data, and GS data including information on gas station GS used for route search and guidance, as well as GS data on gas stations included in the same city code of the telephone. It stores TL data consisting of pointers.

The data processing control unit 1 has various navigation programs for route searching and course guidance, and when a departure point and a destination are input, in the case of input using a telephone number, the data processing control unit 1 has various navigation programs that perform route search and course guidance. The position is set based on the GS data and TL data, and the database 10-1
From the road data stored in 2, a route connecting the departure point and the destination is searched and set. When the route is set, the map data is selected from the route data and drawn on the screen of the display unit 14 according to the user's request, and the route is displayed on the screen, or a guide map is drawn along the route. , display characteristic photos of intersections and along routes, display the remaining distance to the intersection, the direction of travel at the next intersection, and display other guidance information. Display section 1
4, a CRT, liquid crystal display, plasma display, etc. can be used. At the same time, speaker 1
From 6 onwards, guidance information is also outputted by voice as appropriate. Databases 10 to 12 store road data, map data, audio data, and other display data for this purpose. The image output control section 13 controls the output of the image to the display section 14, and the audio output control section 15 controls the output of the sound to the speaker 16.

5 Next, the overall processing flow of the guidance switching method of the navigation system according to the present invention will be explained.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the overall processing flow of the navigation device according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a route display displayed based on a route set as a result of route search.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of division of drawn map data, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a start screen.

In the navigation system according to the present invention, first, the second
As shown in the figure, the destination is input in the departure and destination position input mode, and then the departure place is input (steps ① to ②). These inputs may be a code input method, a coordinate input method, a menu input method, or a telephone number input method.

Next, a route search from the departure point to the destination is performed, and a map including the departure point and destination as shown in FIG. 3 is drawn, for example, and the selected route is displayed on it (steps ). In addition, in this route display, if the current position changes as the vehicle travels, it may be necessary to check the driving history information from the distance meter or steering angle meter, input from the driver during the trip, or input from the outside via radio waves, etc. The current location may be updated based on the location information etc., and the current location may be displayed on the route display screen.

When the vehicle travels close to the destination and more detailed guidance is required, a guidance starting point is input, and a route search to the destination is performed using this guidance starting point as the starting point (steps ■ to ■).

Then, a start guidance screen as shown in FIG. 5 is displayed with the guidance starting point as the starting point, and an operation guidance message is outputted by voice. Then, wait until the start key area is touched on the start guidance screen, and when it is confirmed that it has been touched, the mode will switch to guidance guidance mode and route guidance will be performed according to the set course (steps ■ to ■)
. In this case, if there is no touch after a certain period of time has elapsed, it may be determined that there is no request for guidance and the display may return to the original guidance display mode.

When arriving at the destination, the arrival information screen is displayed (step ■).

Figure 3 shows an example of the route display displayed based on the route set as a result of the route search, and Figure 3 (a) shows the drawing of a map pig with the Chubu region as the unit area and the route display. An example is shown, and the vertical and horizontal lines indicate dividing lines. In this screen, the route is displayed in the upper left corner. In such a case, the present invention selects drawn map data divided into 16 parts as shown in FIG. 3(b) to display the route. However, if the route covers the entire area, the route is displayed using map data drawn in a wide area, as shown in FIG.

Figure 4 shows an example of dividing the drawn map data.
Figure (a) shows basic drawing map data. Since this drawn map data is a wide-area drawing, it consists of data for displaying, for example, coastlines, main roads, expressways, and major cities (positions). On the other hand, Figure b) is the basic drawn map data of Figure (a) divided into four parts, and Figure (C)
~(e) is 1/1/2 vertically, horizontally, and horizontally and vertically due to the same size.
It is shifted by 2 pitches. These drawn map data include coastlines, main roads, expressways, major cities (
The representative city name is added to the location). In addition, figure (f) is the basic drawing map data of figure (a) divided into 16 parts. A total of 35 pieces of drawn map data are prepared in advance with each display screen size, and the drawn map data that is the smallest that can accommodate the set route and that fits the route closer to the center is selected and drawn.These drawn map data are as follows: It consists of data for displaying coastlines, national roads, expressways, national road numbers, representative city names, etc.

In this way, if Fig. 3(a) is the topmost layer, Fig. 3(b) to (e) are the lower layers, and Fig. 3(f)
By adopting a so-called layered structure in which , (g) are further lower layers, the narrower the drawing area becomes, the more information is displayed, and local information can be provided. Note that (1]) in the same figure is similar to (b) to (g) in the same figure.
FIG. 3(a) shows all the dividing lines.

9 Next, an example of processing for displaying a route based on route data from a departure point to a destination will be described.

First, a route road number of route data is input, and a node string is read from this road number. Next, calculate the range from east to west, north to south (X coordinate maximum and minimum, Y coordinate maximum and minimum).

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the optimal drawn map data that falls within this range is selected from each drawn map data, the nodes are converted to screen coordinates, and a map is drawn. The route is displayed on the map drawn in this way according to the route data.

In the above route display, for example, each time the current position recognition means detects passage of an intersection or other preset check point on the route, the current position is recognized and the current position is updated sequentially until the destination is reached. This can be displayed as travel history information on the route display screen, for example, by changing the color of the route display. From this state, the route guidance mode is entered through guidance start point input and start guidance as described above. In route guidance, a landscape photograph of the next guidance intersection, the name of the intersection, the shape of the intersection, the remaining distance to that point, the characteristic points in the landscape photograph, the direction of travel there, etc. are displayed in sequence. In addition, the position of the own army is calculated and recognized based on the measurement information from the distance meter 5 and the steering angle meter 6, and the display unit 14
Also, through the speaker 16, the driver is provided with guidance on features on the way through, guidance on intersections, and the like. Particularly when the distance to the next intersection is long, in order to give the driver a sense of security that they have not deviated from the route along the route, photos of the features they are passing are displayed on the screen, or guide maps are displayed. and the vehicle's position, and inform the user of the driving position on the route. When the intersection approaches, the intersection information is outputted on the screen or by voice as described above, and voice instructions are outputted as appropriate.

As described above, in the guidance switching method of the navigation system according to the present invention, by allowing the input of a guidance start point, a landing point near the destination is set, and route guidance is performed until that point by route display, and the destination is (7)- This is to enable route guidance to be provided for each intersection from the vicinity of the intersection, and to switch from guidance based on route display to guidance based on detailed route guidance.

In general, it is sufficient to drive in the direction of the destination without making any mistakes until it reaches the vicinity of the destination, and there is also a desire to travel by freely selecting a route depending on the situation without a fixed route. There is also. In such a case, guidance using a route display as shown in FIG. 3 can provide more freedom. However, near the destination, accurate guidance on the route to the destination is required. To this end, guidance is required that can sequentially provide instructions on the direction of travel and confirmation of the route by presenting characteristic objects at intersections and along the way. The present invention can meet such demands.

In addition, when displaying a route, instead of displaying a route by drawing a map from basic data such as node string data based on a set route as in the past, several pieces of drawn map data are prepared. 7. Select the drawn map button that is most suitable for displaying the set route. 7. The route is displayed. 1. Therefore, so-called navigation map data and road data for route guidance and these data for route display are provided separately. This is because the route display is intended to provide the user with a rough overall route from the starting point to the destination, so it is possible to display characteristic photos, show the remaining distance to the intersection, and show progress at the next intersection. This is because the content and amount of data are different from navigation data that displays directions and other guidance information to provide detailed information along the route. However, in the case of drawing map data for a narrow area (local), navigation data can be used as is, so in such cases, it is possible to use navigation data without preparing route display data in particular. The route may also be displayed.

In addition, if the guidance starting point is a gas station and the phone number there can be input as the ID number, there is no need to input a code number, coordinate values, or name from a menu. Since the number can be confirmed on the spot, there is no need to memorize input information, and the guidance starting point can be easily input and set. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, if a transmitter is installed at a gas station with the telephone number of the station set as an ID number, the ID number can be input from the transmitter, identified, and a guidance starting point can be set. In other words, just by refueling at a gas station, you can automatically set that location as the starting point for guidance. Furthermore, if no signal is input from the transmitter or if the transmitter/receiver is out of order, an interrupt can be generated by operating the switch 2, and the telephone number there can be inputted as a 1D number in an interactive manner. In any case, the location can be set without having to remember code numbers or the like.

Next, an example of the configuration of the database will be explained.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a map database, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the GS database, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the TL database.

For example, if the map database has a road network consisting of four intersection numbers I to ■ and road numbers ■ to ■, as shown in Figure 6(a), the intersection data is shown in Figure 6(b), and the road data is shown in Figure 6(b). C), the node data has a data structure as shown in FIG.

The intersection data is intersection number 1 as shown in the same figure (b).
Corresponding to ~ ■, at least the smallest road number among the roads where the intersection is the starting point, the smallest road number among the roads where the intersection is the end point, and the location of the intersection (east longitude, north latitude) ), has information on intersection names.

In addition, the road data includes, as shown in FIG. It has information such as start point, end point, node string pointer, and road length by number.

As is clear from the figure, the next road number among roads with the same starting point and the next road number among roads with the same ending point can be generated by searching for the same number from the starting point and ending point using the intersection number. I can do it. Furthermore, the road length can also be determined by integrating the position information of the next node string data.

As shown in Figure (d), the node string data includes the number of nodes at the beginning of the point pointed by the node string pointer of the road data, and then the node position (east longitude, north latitude) information for the nodes corresponding to that number. have. In other words, a node string is configured for each road data. The illustrated example shows node strings of road numbers ■ and ■.

As is clear from the above data structure, the road number unit consists of a plurality of nodes. In other words, node string data is a set of data related to one point on a road, and if the connection between nodes is called an arc, a road is expressed by connecting each of multiple node strings with an arc. . For example, regarding the road number, the node string data Aooo can be accessed from the node string pointer of the road data, and it can be recognized that the road number consists of 15 nodes.

For example, if we focus on intersection number V, in a course starting from this point, we first select the road number ■ from the information of the road where the intersection data appears, and then the next road data with the same starting point. Road number ■ is searched from the information of "Road number".

Then, from similar information regarding the road number ■, the road number ■
, followed by ■. Here, since the road number ■ is the first road number, it can be determined that there are no surrounding roads with other road numbers.

This also applies to the end point. In this way, by using the intersection data and road data, it is possible to search for the road number for entering and exiting each intersection, and also to find the distance of the route connecting each intersection. Furthermore, by adding driving conditions such as entry prohibition, right/left turn prohibition, road width, etc. to these data, the data can be used as information for extremely detailed route searching, which will be described later.

For example, as shown in Figure 7, the GS database includes telephone numbers, coordinate values of east longitude and north latitude, location information such as connecting intersections for linking with the map database 4, names of gas stations, and their landmarks, etc. has identification information. Therefore, once a course is set based on a row of intersections, gas stations on the course can be searched by searching for connected intersections in the GS database from that intersection, and the landmark pattern for that gas station can be found according to the coordinates of east longitude and north latitude. etc. can be drawn on the course.

As shown in Figure 8, the TL database includes area code data consisting of pointers to local area code data, local area code data consisting of pointers to GS data indexes, and GS data.
It consists of a GS data index consisting of data pointers. Therefore, using this information, it is possible to know from any telephone number the number of gas stations included in that local code, and read out the GS data for each.

Next, input the guidance starting point using the above database,
An example of route search processing is shown below.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a subroutine for inputting a guidance starting point, and FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an ID dialogue input screen.

When inputting the guidance starting point, as shown in Figure 9, the I
Wait until D input is received. If a transmitter is not installed at a gas station, or if there is no ID input from the receiver due to a malfunction of the transmitter or receiver, an interrupt is generated and a switch is input to input the ID dialogue as shown in Figure 10. You may also enter the ID from the screen.

When there is an ID input from the receiver or switch, first,
The location N entered from the area code data.

Search for the area code that matches the area code, and store the number of local area codes and a pointer to the local area code data.

Next, search for a local code that matches the input T E L No from the pointer position to the above city code data in the local code data to a position ahead by the number of city codes above, and search for the local code that matches the input T E L No. Stores a pointer to the data index.

Further, the number of GS data included in the station number area from the position of the pointer to the GS data index in the data of the GS data index is stored, and this number of GS data numbers are stored.

Then, the GS data corresponding to the GS data number is read from the GS database, and the gas station with the matching telephone number is set as the guidance starting point.

The route search process includes a surrounding road search subroutine that searches for surrounding roads from intersections, excluding roads where entry is prohibited such as right/left turns, road width, whether guidance is required, and other conditions necessary to calculate the optimal route. It has an optimal route condition setting subroutine and an end condition subroutine that determines the end of route search, and searches for the optimal route from the starting point to the destination between the nearest intersections.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the flow of the route search process, FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the surrounding road search subroutine,
Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the optimal route condition setting subroutine.
Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the termination condition confirmation subroutine, Figure 15.
The figure shows an example of the structure of intersection string and node string data.
FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of optimal course setting data for each intersection.

Next, the flow of processing when searching for a route using the above network data will be explained with reference to FIG.

Here, L (c) is the distance, F (c) is the flag, and R (c
) is the road number passed through, S o + S + is the intersection number on both sides of the starting point, eo + c! + is the intersection number on both sides of the destination. In addition, C is the intersection number, and flag F (c) is "0" for not yet searched, "1" for searching, and "2" for
indicates the end of the search.

■　About all intersections Distance L (c) is infinite (ω) Set flag F (c) to "0" (not searched).

With this initial setting, all intersections will be unexplored,
The distance from the starting point is infinite.

■ Intersection numbers S on both sides of the starting point. Input the distance from the starting point into the distance L (so) and L (sl) corresponding to +Sl, and further enter the intersection numbers S on both sides of the starting point.

Flag F(so) corresponding to +S+.

1 "1" in each F (s,), road number R passed through
Set the road number from the starting point to (c).

(2) Search for the intersection number C8 where the flag F is not 2j and the distance nL(c) is the minimum.

■ Execute the surrounding road search subroutine and find the intersection number C.
Search for surrounding roads starting from 8.

■ Check whether there are any surrounding roads.

In the case of YES, the process moves to the next process (2), and in the case of NO, the process moves to process 0.

■ Execute the optimal route condition setting subroutine to set road conditions and other conditions for searching for the optimal route.

■ Let CI be the intersection number at the end of the road, and let l be the length of the road.

■ Calculate the distance P to the intersection at the end of the road.

Calculate P=L(ca)+fl.

Here, L(co) is the distance from the starting point to intersection number C8, and P is the distance from intersection number C8 through the second road (the road being searched) to the end point, intersection number c1.
The distance to

(2) Check whether p<L(c+) and F(c,)≠2.

In the case of YES, the process moves to the next process 0, and in the case of NO, the process returns to process (2).

■ Distance L from the starting point to the intersection number C1 being searched (
c,) is Pl, the flag F(c,) of that intersection number CI is set to "1", and the road number R(c,) passed through until reaching the intersection number CI is the road number being searched for.

0 If NO in process ■, set F(co) to “2”
Set to .

o Execute the termination condition confirmation subroutine.

(2) Check whether the process has ended or not. If NO, return to process (2); if YES, terminate the process.

By performing the above processing, the road number of the optimal course from the departure point to the intersection number is set for each intersection number, corresponding to each intersection number.

In addition, the surrounding road search subroutine of the above process
The processing shown in Figure 2 is performed. That is, (1) Check whether this is the first search for surrounding roads.

If YES, proceed to process ■; if NO, proceed to process ■
Move to.

■ Extract the road number whose starting point is the current intersection C8 from the intersection data and store it.

■ Refer to the road data and extract the prohibited road with the road number that comes to the intersection C6 being searched for.

■ Check whether the road you just retrieved is a prohibited road.

In the case of YES, the process moves to process (2), and in the case of NO, the process moves to the next process (2).

■ Remember the road you just retrieved as a surrounding road and return.

■ Extract the road number from the road data that has the same starting point as the previously searched road and has the next number.

■ Check whether the initially searched road and the road just retrieved are the same.

In the case of YES, the process moves to the next process (2), and in the case of NO, the process returns to the process (2).

■ Determine that there are no surrounding roads and return.

Further, the optimal route condition setting subroutine of process (2) shown in FIG. 11 above performs the process shown in FIG. 13. That is, (1) Read the size W and length l of the surrounding road from the road data.

■ Check whether the size W of the surrounding roads is 1 or less.

In the case of YES, the process moves to the next process (2), and in the case of NO, the process moves to the process (2).

■ Let l be the length l multiplied by a. In other words, roads with D greater than 1 are considered normal wide roads, and roads with D less than 1 are considered narrow roads.
The evaluation is based on twice the distance. Therefore, a is a number greater than 1.

■ Read the non-guidance data of the road that passed through the intersection currently being searched from the road data.

■ Check whether there are any surrounding roads that match the no-guidance data.

5 If YES, return; if NO, proceed to the next process (■).

(2) Furthermore, add bm to length l and set the value to new length l and return. In other words, compared to intersections that do not require guidance, intersections that require guidance such as turning left or right are equivalent to b
It is evaluated by adding m.

Then, in the end condition confirmation subroutine of process (2) shown in FIG. 11, as shown in FIG. For example, set an end flag.

As described above, in the route search of the present invention, the shortest route is searched by weighting the distance between intersections in consideration of driving conditions such as the size of surrounding roads and whether road guidance is required or not. As a result, as shown in FIG. 16, road number information along the optimal course is obtained at each intersection.

As described above, when an optimal route is searched by the route search process, intersection array and node array data from the starting point to the destination are created along the route. FIG. 15 shows an example of the data structure. For example, as shown in Fig. 15(a), the intersection string data consists of information such as the intersection name, intersection number, photo number of the characteristic landscape of the intersection, turning angle, distance, etc. , as shown in FIG. 4(b), consists of information such as east longitude, north latitude, intersection number, attribute, angle, distance, etc. representing the node position. Furthermore, these data consist only of intersections that require guidance, excluding intersections that do not require guidance. Therefore, in navigation, this data may be sequentially read and output corresponding to a predetermined position.

Next, an example of the structure of the drawn map data will be explained.

Fig. 17 shows an example of the structure of a display data management table, Fig. 18 shows an example of the structure of road node string selection data, and Fig. 9 shows an example of the structure of a drawn map selection data table. figure,
FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of layer 1.2 road node data, and FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of drawn map data.

The display data management table includes, as shown in FIG. 17, the address and size of the road node string selection data table shown in FIG. 18, the address and size of the drawn map selection data table shown in FIG. 19, latitude and longitude. The information includes the area size, latitude and longitude corresponding to one dot on the display screen. Therefore, by first accessing this table, it is possible to recognize, for example, the storage area size that should be prepared when reading the road node sequence selection data table and the drawn map selection data table, and the storage address thereof. 2.The road node string selection data includes the road number, the address and size of the road node 1' column data table shown in FIG. 20, and the starting point intersection offset for each road number as shown in FIG. y
) It has information on the address, the number of nodes between roads, and the area size based on XY coordinates. In addition, the drawn map selection data is divided into XY
It has information on the screen size based on coordinates, the address of the drawn map data table shown in FIG. 21, and its size.

Of the above data, a map is drawn using the drawn map selection data shown in FIG. 19 and the drawn map data shown in FIG. 21. In addition, in Fig. 4, (a) is layer 1, (
If b) to (e) are layer 2 and (f) and (g) are layer 3, and a route is to be displayed on a layer 3 map, detailed local information is required as in route guidance.

However, in the case of layer 1 and layer 2, rough information is sufficient. In such a case, layer 1 and layer 2
When drawing a route on a map, the road node string selection data shown in FIG. 18 and the road node string data shown in FIG. 20 can be used, and for layer 3, navigation data can be used.

Furthermore, the road numbers in the road node string selection data shown in FIG. 18 are assigned in units of route search, that is, from intersection to intersection as described later, but the road numbers shown in FIG. Column data is stored for each national highway, for example. Therefore, the road node string data shown in FIG. 20 includes a large number of road numbers for 9 route search units.

Therefore, by including this national highway information in the road node string selection data shown in Figure 18, when reading the road node string data of the next road number, if the national highway is the same, it will be included in the data that has already been read. Since it is possible to recognize that it is only necessary to extract from

In the data structure as described above, when displaying a route based on a set route, first, the maximum and minimum values of the node string of the route are determined based on the XY coordinates. To draw a map, after confirming that it falls within the area size based on latitude and longitude in the display data management table, the drawing map selection data is read from the drawing map selection data table address into the storage area corresponding to the size. Then, the screen size based on the xY coordinates of each drawn map data is compared with the maximum and minimum values based on the xY coordinates of the node string of the route, and drawn map data having a screen size that includes the route is extracted. In this case, if there are multiple pieces of drawing screen data, a higher number of divisions is selected, and if the number of divisions is the same, drawn map data whose route is closer to the center of the screen is selected. That is, the drawn map data having the closest distance between the center of the rectangle formed by the maximum and minimum values of the XY coordinates of the node string of the route and the center of the drawn map data is selected. When the drawn map data is selected by the drawn map selection data in this way, the drawn map data is read from the drawn map data table address into the storage area corresponding to the size, and is loaded into the coastline node string, prefectural border node string, and national road node string. , expressway node sequence,
A map is drawn by drawing each data such as national road number and city name.

Then, when displaying the route on the drawn map,
The road node string selection data is read from the road node string selection data table address in the display data management table, and the road numbers of the route are matched. Then, road node data is read from the road node string data table address of that road number, and a predetermined node string is extracted from the number of inter-road nodes from the starting point intersection offset address and displayed on the map. This is done in the route layer from the departure point to the destination.

In the case of route display, as explained earlier, it is a rough display covering a wide area, so in particular, upper layer maps such as those shown in Figs. 18 and 20 are
Processing efficiency can be improved by preparing and processing data different from the navigation data as shown in the figure, but for lower layer maps such as those shown in Figure 4 (f) and (), the area is narrower and the details are smaller. Since information is required, navigation data may be used.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above embodiment, the route search (steps ■ and ■ in Figure 2) is performed after inputting the departure point and after inputting the guidance start point, but for example, the route search results after inputting the departure point are used. The route search after inputting the guidance starting point may be omitted. Further, the route search after inputting the departure point may be limited to the minimum processing necessary to display the route. In this case, for example, you can set up a typical point within the region, such as Anjofu, Kariyafu, etc., and search for which representative point the route will take from the departure point to the destination. Select a route that passes through that representative point. In this selection as well, the guide starting point is set at the representative point that is the shortest in a straight line on the route from the departure point to the destination and is closest to the destination. Good too. In other words, if you do this, you first need to drive toward the representative point where the guidance starting point is set, and after arriving at the representative point, you only need to find a gas station in that area. In addition, the route search is not a process according to the embodiment, but is based on arterial roads, major roads,
Of course, it is also possible to have road map data in a hierarchical layered structure like local roads, and search for a route that starts from the search starting point, passes through the nearest intersection in the upper layer, and connects intermediate routes with arterial roads. be.

Furthermore, although configuration 3 has been described in which the guidance starting point is a gas station and the guidance starting point is set using the phone number of the gas station, it may be possible to set any location other than the gas station that has a phone number. Even in guidance mode, when passing in front of a gas station, the I
When the D number is received, the current position may be corrected to set that position as the current position, or even if the location is other than a gas station, if the receiving device can receive the position information signal, the current position may be corrected. By receiving the position information signal, the starting point may be set in the position setting mode, and the current position may be corrected in the current position tracking mode (guidance mode). Of course, it is also possible to use a one-sided menu method, a code input method, and a coordinate input method so that the input method can be selected as appropriate. Furthermore, it may be possible to similarly input telephone numbers for the departure point and destination, or it may be possible to input telephone numbers to confirm the current location.

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, a route search is performed on condition that a destination and a departure point have been input, and a route 4 from the departure point to the destination is displayed, and the guidance start point is displayed. Since the route guidance is switched by inputting the identification number, the route guidance method can be changed before and after the guidance starting point, and the guidance is provided so that the driver can travel relatively freely until the destination is reached, and when the vehicle is near the destination, the route guidance can be changed. It is possible to provide guidance using detailed information. Moreover, until you reach the guidance starting point, you can know the driving direction to your destination by displaying the route, and even if you freely select the route depending on the situation, once you reach the guidance starting point, you can reach the destination from the guidance starting point. You can switch to accurate route guidance. In addition, if you target a gas station as a guidance starting point and set its phone number as an identification number, you can set that gas station as a guidance starting point with a phone number that can be easily confirmed. input,
Settings become easier. Further, by providing a gas station with an identification number transmitter so that the guidance starting point can be set by receiving the identification number, the guidance starting point can be automatically set. Therefore, since the guidance start point can be automatically set at the same time as gasoline refueling, the input of the guidance start point can be simplified and the burden on the user can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the structure of one embodiment of the navigation system according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the overall processing flow of the navigation device according to the present invention, and FIG. A diagram showing an example of a route display based on the route set as a result, Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of division of drawn map data, Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the start screen, and Figure 6 is a map database. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a GS database, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a TL database, and FIG. 9 is an example of a subroutine for inputting a guidance starting point. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the ID dialogue input screen, FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the flow of route search processing, FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the surrounding road search subroutine, and FIG. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the subroutine for setting optimal route conditions, FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the end condition confirmation subroutine, FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of intersection string and node string data, and FIG. Figure 17 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the display data management table; Figure 18 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of road node string selection data; Figure 19 is the drawing map selection data. Figure 20 shows an example of the structure of layer 1.2 road node.
FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of drawn map data. 1...Data processing control unit, 2...Switch, 3...
Receiving antenna, 4...Receiver, 5...Distance meter, 6.
... Rudder angle meter, 7... Input section, 8... Input decoding section, 9
...Input decoding table, 10-12...Database, 13...Image output control section, 14...Display section, 15
...Audio output control section, 16...Speaker, 21...
Transmitter, 22... ID number setting section, 23... Transmission antenna. Applicant Aisin AW Co., Ltd. (External 1)
given name)

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) In a navigation system that performs route searches and travel guidance between a destination and a departure point, a database that stores information for route searching and route guidance, as well as vehicle travel history and position are detected. Sensors, input means for inputting destination, departure point, and other information, output means for outputting course guidance information and setting information, and managing each of the above means to search for a route from the specified destination and departure point. The data processing control means is configured to set a course and provide guidance information along the course. A guidance switching method for a navigation system characterized in that a route to a destination is displayed and route guidance is started by inputting an identification number of a guidance starting point. (2) The guidance switching system for a navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the input identification number of the guidance starting point is a telephone number of a gas station. (3) The guidance switching system for a navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the input means includes means for receiving a signal from a transmitter installed at a gas station. (4) When the telephone number of a gas station is input, the data processing control means performs processing for inputting a guidance start point on the condition that the route display mode is set, and inputs the current position on the condition that the route guidance mode is set. 2. The guidance switching method for a navigation system according to claim 1, wherein a correction process is performed. 5. The guidance switching system for a navigation system according to claim 4, wherein a guidance start point is inputted and if there is no instruction to start guidance within a predetermined time, the route display mode is continued.