JPH0535183A - Navigation system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To reduce the burden on the user when setting / changing the optimal map scale according to the moving speed. [Structure] The map information storage means 11 stores map information of many areas. The map display device 12 displays the map information of the designated area in the state of the designated scale and the map information storage means 1
Read from 1 and display. The processing circuit 15 obtains the optimum map scale corresponding to the moving speed obtained from the speed measuring means 13 and gives the map display device 12 an instruction of the set scale. [Effect] Even if the moving speed changes, map information of the optimum scale can always be automatically displayed according to the moving speed, and the user can concentrate on maneuvering the moving body, so driving safety is improved. Can be increased.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a navigation system which enables a driver of a moving body such as an automobile to obtain map information through a display.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 shows a schematic structure of a conventional navigation system. In FIG. 2, 1 surrounded by a broken line shows the user himself, 1a shows the knowledge that the user 1 has, and 1b shows the judgment made by the user 1. The solid arrows indicate the flow of electrical signals or information, while the chain arrows indicate the operation or perception performed by the user 1.

Map information of a large number of digitized areas is stored in the map information storage means 2.

The map display device 3 displays the map information read from the map information storage means 2, and also serves as an operation unit for the user 1 (operator) to give various instructions. Even on a map of the same area, it is possible to display a plurality of types of map information having different scales.

The user 1 instructs the operation unit of the map display device 3 to call the map information of the required area. At this time, the map scale is also designated. As a result, the map information of the designated area is read out from the map information storage means 2 in the state of the designated scale, and the map display device 3 is displayed.
Displayed in.

The map scale must be selected according to the speed of the moving body. When the moving speed is fast, it is necessary to display the map information over a wide area having a large scale ratio, and conversely, when the moving speed is slow, the map information for a small area having a small scale ratio is more convenient.

The speed information can be known by looking at the display of the speed measuring device 4.

The user 1 confirms the current speed displayed on the speed measuring device 4, and then instructs the map scale which seems to be optimal for the speed. The judgment 1
For b, the knowledge 1a that the user 1 has, "the optimum scale for a certain speed", is used.

[0009]

However, the conventional system having such a configuration has the following problems. Each time the moving speed of the moving body changes, the user 1 has to determine the optimum map scale according to his / her judgment 1b, which increases the burden on the user 1. In many cases, the user 1 is the operator himself, which is unfavorable because it hinders the operation. In particular, in the case of a moving body that travels at high speed such as an automobile, it causes a dangerous state in its driving.

Further, in order to select the optimum map scale according to the moving speed, the user 1 himself / herself sets the scale of a large number of digitized map information stored in the map information storage means 2. Regarding the type, the correspondence relationship between the moving speed and the optimum scale, etc., this must be filled in as knowledge 1a in advance. This is User 1
Will be a huge burden for us.

Further, when setting or changing the map scale, the map information currently displayed on the map display device 3 is always checked, and the current moving speed is checked by the speed measuring device 4 while the map scale is being changed. The setting / changing judgment 1b must be made, and such a judgment 1b is extremely difficult for the general user 1.

The present invention was devised in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to significantly reduce the burden on the user in setting and changing the optimum map scale according to the moving speed. And

[0013]

A navigation system according to the present invention comprises a map information storage means for storing a large number of map information, and the map information in a designated scale for the map information of a designated area. A map display device which is read from the storage means and displayed, a speed measuring means for measuring the moving speed of the moving body, and an optimum map scale corresponding to the moving speed is obtained based on the moving speed obtained from the speed measuring means. And means for giving a scale instruction to the map display device.

[0014]

The optimum map scale corresponding to the moving speed is automatically obtained, and the map information is automatically displayed on the map display device at the obtained map scale. When the moving speed changes, it is displayed at the optimum scale for the changed moving speed.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a navigation system according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a map information storage means such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, an IC card or the like, which stores a plurality of kinds of digitized map information of a plurality of areas at different scales for each area. Reference numeral 12 denotes a liquid crystal display panel or a CRT-based map display device for displaying arbitrary map information read from the map information storage means 11.
Is a speed measuring means such as a tachometer for measuring the moving speed of a moving body (for example, a passenger car) equipped with this navigation system.

Reference numeral 14 is a speed-scale storage means for storing in advance the relationship between various moving speeds and the optimum map scale corresponding to each moving speed, and 15 is the moving speed obtained by the speed measuring means 13. The optimum map scale corresponding to the moving speed input by inputting and searching the speed-scale storage means 14 based on this moving speed is read out, and the scale related to the map information stored in the map information storage means 11 is read. Of these, determine the scale closest to the optimal map scale above,
It is a processing circuit which gives the scale to the map display device 12 as a set scale.

Next, the operation will be described.

As its initial operation, the processing circuit 15 determines the scale of the map information stored in the map information storage means 11 for each piece of map information, and creates a table in which the map number and the scale are associated with each other. I'll do it.

The user sets and inputs the map number of the area to be displayed in the processing circuit 15. Then, the processing circuit 15 first reads the current moving speed from the speed measuring means 13, searches the speed-scale storage means 14 by the moving speed, and reads the optimum map scale according to the current moving speed. Then, the processing circuit 15 searches the table based on the map number, and a plurality of types of scales in the map number and the speed-scale storage unit 1.
The optimum map scale read from 4 is compared, and the scale closest to the optimum map scale among the plurality of types of scales is determined as the set scale. Then, the map number and the set scale are set and input to the map display device 12.

The map display device 12 searches the map information storage means 11 on the basis of the map number and the set scale, and reads the map information of the corresponding number at the corresponding scale,
Display on screen.

Even if the moving speed of the moving body changes, the same processing is performed based on the changed moving speed. Therefore, the map display device 12 always displays a map of a scale most suitable for the current moving speed. Information will be displayed.

In displaying the map information at the optimum scale, the user does not need to read the moving speed from the speed measuring means 13, it is not necessary to judge the optimum scale in mind, and It is not necessary to manually set and input the optimum scale, and it is possible to concentrate on controlling a moving body such as a passenger car.

In the above embodiment, a plurality of types of scale and speed-scale storage means 1 for each piece of map information is provided.
The optimum map scale read out from No. 4 is compared and the closest one is selected. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the scale types for all map information are fixed in advance. If determined, the above comparison and selection become unnecessary, and the optimum map scale read from the speed-scale storage unit 14 can be set and input as it is to the map display device 12 as the set scale.

In the above embodiment, the speed-scale storage means 14 for storing the relationship between the moving speed and the optimum map scale corresponding to each moving speed is provided, but the present invention is not limited to this. Instead, the speed-scale storage unit 14 may be omitted, and the processing circuit 15 itself may be provided with a function of calculating the optimum map scale from the traveling speed.

Further, the map information storage means 11 does not necessarily need to store a plurality of types of scale information for each map information, but only one type for each map information and stores it in the map display device 12. The scale may be converted to the instructed scale by performing thinning processing by an attached microprocessor or the like.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention, the map information of the optimum scale is always automatically generated in response to the changing moving speed without the intervention of the artificial confirmation, judgment and instruction by the user. Since it can be displayed in, it is possible to significantly reduce the burden on the user when setting / changing the map scale. That is, the user does not need to specify the map scale after confirming the moving speed, and it is not necessary to remember the relationship between the moving speed and the optimum map scale corresponding thereto as knowledge. In particular, in the case of a moving body that travels at a high speed such as an automobile, it is possible to concentrate on its control, so that it is possible to enhance the safety of traveling.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a conventional navigation system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Map Information Storage Means 12 Map Display Device 13 Speed Measuring Means 14 Speed-Scale Storage Means 15 Processing Circuit

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A map information storage means for storing a large number of map information, and map information of a designated area is read out and displayed from the map information storage means in an instructed scale state. A map display device, speed measuring means for measuring the moving speed of the moving body, and based on the moving speed obtained from this speed measuring means, an optimum map scale corresponding to the moving speed is obtained to obtain the map display device. And a means for giving a scale instruction.