JPH1038602A - Portable navigation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a navigation system which can be carried conveniently with a walker. SOLUTION: A portable navigation system is constituted of a base-side device 4 and a walker-side device 2. The device 2 is provided with an input means 12 which inputs a starting point and a destination, a number-of-step counting means 6 which counts the number of steps of a walker, a geomagnetism sensor 8, a first storing means 18 which stores route information, and a control means 26. The device 4 is provided with a map information storing means 42 which stores map information and a second control means 44. A starting point signal and a destination signal are sent to the device 4 from the device 2 and the second control means 44 retrieves the route to the destination based on a map information signal, the starting point signal, and the destination signal and sends the decided route information to the device 2 and the first control means 26 guides the walker to the destination based on a number-of-step signal from the counting means 6, an azimuth signal from an azimuth sensor, and the route information signal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a portable navigation system that can be carried and used by pedestrians.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A navigation device has been proposed as a device for guiding a route to a destination, and has been put to practical use. This navigation device uses a satellite-based GP.
An S (global positioning system), a CD-ROM device having map information, and a liquid crystal display device as display means are provided. In recent years, this type of navigation device has been widely developed especially for use in vehicles, and its size has been reduced. As one of the developments of the navigation device, a walking route guidance device in which a vehicle-mounted device is converted to a pedestrian has been commercialized.

[0003]

However, this walking route guidance device is a product of a vehicle-mounted device which is commercialized as a portable device without changing the basic configuration. Is large and inconvenient to carry.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable navigation system that is convenient for pedestrians to carry and carry.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a base device installed on the ground and a portable device for utilizing the base device, and the portable device determines a departure place and a destination. An input unit for inputting, a step counting unit for counting the number of steps, a direction sensor for detecting a direction, a first transmitting / receiving unit for transmitting and receiving information, and a second unit for storing route information to a destination. 1 storage means, step counting means,
A first control unit for processing a signal from the azimuth sensor and the first storage unit, wherein the base-side device is a map information storage unit for storing map information, and is for transmitting and receiving information. Second transmission / reception means, and second control means for processing the map information signal from the map information storage means, wherein the departure point signal and the destination signal input by the input means of the portable device are provided. Is transmitted by the first and second transmission / reception means to the second control means of the base-side device, and the second control means of the base-side device receives the map information signal from the map information storage means and the A route to the destination is searched for and determined based on the departure signal and the destination signal, and the route information to the destination determined by the base device is transmitted to the portable device via the first and second transmitting / receiving means. First storage means of the side device The first control means of the portable device performs route guidance to the destination based on the step number signal from the step number counting means, the direction signal from the direction sensor, and the route information signal from the first storage means. , A portable navigation system. According to the present invention, a portable navigation system includes a base-side device installed on the ground and a portable-side device serving as a pedestrian-side device. It is configured separately from the side device.
Therefore, the miniaturization of the portable device is achieved, and the portable device can be easily carried. In addition, the base-side device includes a map information storage unit and a second control unit that processes the map information signal stored therein to determine a route to a destination.
The portable device has input means for inputting a departure place and a destination, and first storage means for storing route information to the destination determined by the base device. After obtaining the route information, route guidance is performed based on the obtained route information. Therefore, the exchange of information between the base device and the portable device is small, and an efficient system can be provided.

According to the present invention, the portable device includes a stride input means for inputting a stride value, the stride value input by the stride input means is stored in a second storage means, and the first control means comprises: Providing route guidance to a destination based on a step count signal from a step counting means, a direction signal from a direction sensor, a route information signal from the first storage means, and a stride signal from the second storage means. I do. According to the present invention, the portable device includes the stride input device, and the stride value of the pedestrian using the portable device can be set by the stride input device. The walking distance of the pedestrian can be known more accurately by the step number signal from the step number counting means, and accurate route guidance to the destination can be performed.

Further, according to the present invention, the first control means has a stride correction means for correcting the stride value stored in the second storage means, and the corrected stride value corrected by the stride correction means is a stride length. The value is stored in the second storage means instead of the value. According to the present invention, the corrected stride value corrected by the stride correcting means is stored in the second storage means, and the corrected stride value thus stored is used for calculating the subsequent walking distance.
It is possible to know the pedestrian's walking distance more accurately.

According to the present invention, the stride correcting means includes distance information from the departure place to the correction target point in the map information stored in the first storage means, and a step count when moving from the departure place to the correction target point. The correction step length is set based on the step count value of the means. According to the present invention, the stride correction unit corrects the stride value when the pedestrian walks from the departure place to the correction target point, so that the stride value is corrected at the beginning of the walk toward the destination. This enables accurate route guidance.

Further, according to the present invention, the stride correcting means includes distance information from the departure place to the destination in the map information stored in the first storage means, and a step number counting means for moving from the departure place to the destination. It is characterized in that a corrected stride value is set based on the step count value. According to the present invention, the stride correction means corrects the stride value when walking from the departure place to the destination. Therefore, by using this corrected stride value as the stride value for the next route guidance, an accurate route can be obtained. Guidance becomes possible.

Further, according to the present invention, the portable device comprises a portable unit having input means, a step counting means, a direction sensor, a first storage means, and a transmitting / receiving unit having first transmitting / receiving means. The unit is an installed telephone. According to the present invention, since the transmitting / receiving unit of the portable device is a telephone, information is exchanged with the base device using a communication system including the telephone. Therefore, the first
It is not necessary to include the transmitting / receiving means in a device carried by a pedestrian, and the size of the portable unit can be further reduced. Further, since a communication system including a telephone is used, for example, a public telephone widely installed nationwide can be used as a part of the portable device.

[0011]

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

In FIG. 1, the illustrated navigation system comprises a portable device 2 and a base device 4, and information is exchanged between the portable device 2 and the base device 4. .

The portable device 2 shown in FIG.
The device 2 includes a geomagnetic sensor 8, a voice output unit 10, an input unit 12, and a display unit 14. The device 2 is basically carried by a pedestrian. The step counting means 6 counts the number of steps of the pedestrian carrying the portable device 2, and the geomagnetic sensor 8 as a direction sensor detects the walking direction of the pedestrian carrying the portable device 2. The voice output means 10 can be composed of, for example, a speaker, and performs route guidance by voice to a pedestrian carrying the portable device 2. The input means 12 includes, for example, a numeric keypad and a Japanese syllabary key.
By using these keys, letters and numbers can be input. In the embodiment, a departure place and a destination are inputted by the input means 12. As the departure place and the destination, the house display may be input as in "A city B town C chome D-E", or their telephone numbers may be input, and further typical buildings, for example, The names of stations, schools, hospitals, public facilities such as city halls, department stores, supermarkets, etc. may be input. Note that the route search cannot be performed unless the input information of the departure place and the destination corresponds to the map information stored in the base-side device 4. The display means 14 can be composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display device. When input is made by the input means 12, the input departure place and destination are displayed so that it is possible to confirm whether or not the input contents are correct. Has become. Further, as described later in detail, this display means 14
Route guidance information is displayed and the content is transmitted to pedestrians. In this example, the input unit 12 also functions as a step input unit. That is, the stride of the pedestrian using the portable device 2 can be input by pressing the numeric keypad of the input unit 12 and inputting a stride value, for example, “80” centimeters. The stride value input by the input means 12 is used when calculating a pedestrian's walking distance, as described later.

The portable device 2 has storage means 16. In the embodiment, the storage unit 16 includes first to fourth storage units 18, 20, 22, and 24. The first storage unit 18 stores route information from the departure place to the destination. The second storage means 20 stores the stride value input by the input means 12. Further, the departure place and the destination inputted by the input means 12 are stored in the third storage means 22. Further, the fourth storage means 24
Stores the stride values of a plurality of persons together with ID (certification) numbers. Therefore, when an ID number is input by the input unit 12, a stride value corresponding to the ID number is read from the fourth storage unit 22 and stored in the second storage unit 20. If the step value is not registered in advance together with the ID number, the fourth storage unit 24 can be omitted.

The portable device 2 further includes a step counting unit 6, a geomagnetic sensor 8, an input unit 12, and a storage unit 16.
And a start key 28, an end key 30, and a clear key 32. In the illustrated embodiment, the control unit 26 includes the walking processing unit 3.
4 and a stride correcting means 36. The walking processing means 34 calculates the distance traveled in the moving direction of the pedestrian based on the number of steps signal from the number-of-steps counting means 6, the direction signal from the geomagnetic sensor 8 and the stride value stored in the second storage means 20, Route guidance is provided to the pedestrian while comparing it with the route information stored in the first storage means 18 (in other words, a signal is sent to the voice output means 10 and the display means 14 to determine the next route to be taken) Let me know). Further, the stride correction means 36 calculates an actual stride value based on the distance the pedestrian has walked and the number of steps required to walk the distance, and uses the calculated stride value as a corrected stride value in the second step. Is stored in the storage means 20. Thus, the stored stride value is cleared, and thereafter, the walking distance is calculated using the corrected stride value.

The start key 28 is depressed when the use of the portable device 2 is started, and the operation of the navigation system, that is, the portable device 2 is started by pressing the key 28. The end key 30 is pressed when the use of the navigation system is finished, and the operation of the system, that is, the operation of the portable device 2 is finished by pressing the key 30. The clear key 32 is pressed when clearing an input error by the input unit 12,
Pressing this key 32 clears the information being input (departure point, destination, step value).

The portable device 2 further includes a transmitting / receiving means 38
Contains. The transmission / reception means 38 can be composed of, for example, a PHS (Personal Handy System).
That is, while transmitting the departure point signal and the destination signal to the base device 4, the route information from the base device 4 to the destination is received, and the route information is transmitted to the first storage means 18 through the control means 26. Pay. The transmission / reception means 38 has a transmission key 40, and a signal is transmitted from the portable device 2 by pressing the transmission key 40.

The base unit 4 includes a map information storage means 42 and a control means 44 (constituting a second control means) for processing the map information signal from the map information storage means 42. Installed. Map information storage means 4
Reference numeral 2 stores map information. In the embodiment, the map information includes a house display, a point corresponding to a telephone number, a representative building name, and the like. The control means 44 searches for a route from the departure place to the destination based on the departure point signal and the destination signal from the portable device 2 and the map information signal from the map information storage means 42, and has a substantially shortest distance. Determine the path of This route search and determination requires relatively large storage means for storing map information and control means for processing signals at relatively high speed.
Since these units are provided in the base device 4, a device that sufficiently satisfies the above-described performance can be used as the base device 4. In contrast, the mobile device 2
Does not require storage means for storing map information and control means for searching for a route and determining the shortest route,
The miniaturization and weight reduction of the mobile device 2 are achieved, and the pedestrian can easily carry and carry the device.

The base unit 4 further includes a transmitting / receiving unit 46.
Contains. The transmitting / receiving means 46, which may be a transmitting / receiving device, receives the departure place signal and the destination signal from the transmitting / receiving means 38 of the portable device 2 and sends these signals to the control means 44,
The route information to the destination determined by the control means 44 is sent to the portable device 2.

Next, the operation of the navigation system will be described with reference to FIGS. First, in FIG. 2, when the use of this system is started, the start key 28 is pressed. When pressed, the process proceeds to step S1, in which supply of current from a battery (not shown) incorporated in the portable device 2 is started, and the portable device 2 is activated. Next, the process proceeds to step S2, where a departure place is input. The input of the departure place is performed by pressing the ten-key and the Japanese syllabary key of the input means 12, and the input signal is stored in the third storage means 22 via the control means 26 and the display means 1 is displayed.
4 is displayed, whereby the input contents can be confirmed. For example, in the case of departure from the P station in the map of FIG. When the telephone number of the P station is known, the telephone number may be input instead of the station name, or the residence display of the station may be used instead.

Next, in step S3, a destination is input. The input of the destination is performed in the same manner as the input of the departure place. For example, when the destination is company S in the map of FIG. 5, the input of the destination by the input means 12 is, for example, "company S". Instead of inputting "Company S" as a company name, the telephone number or the residence display can be input. The destination information input by the input means 12 is stored in the third storage means 22 in the same manner as the departure place information.

Next, the process proceeds to step S4, in which the step of the pedestrian using the portable device 2 is set. This step setting is performed by the input unit 12. In the embodiment, 2
There are different types of input styles. That is, when directly inputting the stride value, the key of the input means 12 may be pressed to input, for example, “80” and the size of the stride, and the inputted stride value is stored in the second storage means 20. It is memorized. When a pre-registered stride value is read and input, the key of the input means 12 may be pressed and the user's ID number may be input. The stride value corresponding to the input ID number is read out of the stored stride values, and the read stride value is stored in the second storage means 20. The input content of the stride value, that is, the stride value or the ID number is also displayed on the display means 14 so that the content can be confirmed.

When the departure place, the destination and the stride value are input, the process proceeds to step S5, where the departure place information and the destination information are transmitted to the base station device 4. Information can be transmitted by pressing the transmission key 40 of the transmission / reception means 38. So,
Signals corresponding to the departure point information and the destination information stored in the third storage unit 22 are transmitted to the transmission / reception unit 38 via the control unit 26, and transmitted from the transmission / reception unit 38.

The transmitted signal is received by the transmitting / receiving means 46 of the base station 4 in step S6.
The received departure signal and destination signal are transmitted to the control means 44.
Sent to Then, in step S7, a route search from the departure place to the destination is performed in the base-side device 4. At the time of this route search, the map information stored in the map information storage means 42 is read, and a map information signal corresponding to the map information is sent to the control means 44. Therefore, the control unit 44 performs a route search to the destination based on the map information signal from the map information storage unit 42 and the departure point signal and the destination signal from the portable device 2.
The route search by the control means 44 is performed, for example, by selecting a plurality of routes from the departure point P station to the destination company S on the map shown in FIG. 5, calculating the total length of each of the selected plurality of routes, and The shortest route is determined as the optimal route (step S8). When selecting the optimal route, if the total length of the route from the departure point to the destination is equal, it is also possible to add conditions such as giving priority to a large road or giving priority to a narrow alley. The route information in the case of the embodiment is, for example, "a) go straight to the south, 500 m from the P station to the Q intersection; b) turn left to the east, 200 m from the Q intersection to the R intersection; c) turn right to the south, and S from the R intersection. 100m to the company ".

Next, in step S9, the route information is sent to the portable device 2. The transmission of the route information is performed by transmitting a route information signal corresponding to the optimum route determined by the control unit 44 from the transmission / reception unit 46 to the portable device 2. The transmitted signal is received by the transmitting / receiving means 38 of the mobile device 2 (step S10),
The received path information signal is transmitted to the first
Is stored in the first storage unit 18 as route information to the destination S company (step S11).

In the embodiment, after the portable device 2 obtains information on the optimum route to the destination from the base device 4, the process proceeds to step S12 shown in FIG. Start key 2 to start moving
8 is pressed again. Then, the process proceeds from step S12 to step S13, and route guidance for the pedestrian by the portable device 2 is started. Then, the route guidance by the portable device 2 is performed until the pedestrian arrives at the destination S company, and the route guidance is performed according to a flowchart (described later) shown in FIG. When the vehicle arrives at the destination, the process proceeds from step S13 to S14, and the route guidance by the portable device 2 ends, so that the end key 30 is pressed.
When the end key 30 is pressed, the process proceeds to step S15,
Step correction is performed by the step correction means 36. The path information signal stored in the first storage unit 18 and the step count signal of the step counting unit 6 are used as the step length correction unit 36 of the control unit 26.
The stride correction means 36 was required to walk the distance information signal of the entire length of the path from the departure point to the destination in the path information signal and the full length of the path from the departure point to the destination in the step count signal. A corrected stride value is calculated based on the step count signal corresponding to the step count value (the entire path may be divided by the step count value). Next, the process proceeds to step S16, in which the corrected stride value is changed. That is, in step S4,
When the stride value is directly input by the input means 12,
This corrected stride value is sent to the second storage means 20, and the second
Is stored in place of the stride value stored in the storage means 20. On the other hand, in step S4, the ID number is inputted by the input means 12 and the fourth storage means 2 is inputted.
4 is read out and stored in the second storage means 2
When stored in 0, the corrected stride value is sent to the second and fourth storage means 20 and 24, and the second stored stride value and the stride registered in advance in the fourth storage means 24. The value (the stride value corresponding to the ID number) is changed to the corrected stride value.

When the stride value is changed in step S16, the process proceeds to step S17, where the first storage means 18
The route information to the destination stored in the destination is deleted.
Then, in step S18, the end key 30 is pressed again, whereby the portable device 2 is deactivated, and the supply of current from the built-in battery (not shown) is stopped. Further, the corrected stride value stored in the second storage means 20 is deleted.

In this embodiment, when the portable device 2 is to be used again, it is necessary to return to step S1 and press the start key 28 again. In this case, the following procedure is also possible. . After step S17, the process returns to step S2 without pressing the end key 30, and the departure place is input by the input means 12, and then step S17 is performed.
The third and subsequent steps can be similarly repeated. At this time, the corrected stride value is calculated in steps S15 and S16, and the corrected stride value is stored in the second storage means 20, so that the stride input operation in step S4 is
Can be omitted.

The route guidance by the portable device 2 is performed as follows. Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, when the pedestrian presses the start key 28 to start walking toward the destination, first, a route information signal from the first storage unit 18 to the destination is transmitted to the control unit 26. To the control means 26
Is the first part of the route information, in other words, the first
The route information signal to the destination (Q intersection), more specifically, the route information signal about “straight south, 500 m from P station to Q intersection” is output by the voice output means 10 and the display means 1.
4 in step S21, the display means 14 displays "straight south, 500 m from P station to Q intersection", informs the pedestrian by displaying the route information, and outputs the voice information in step S22. Numeral 10 outputs a message to inform the pedestrian by voice.

Then, in step S23, it is determined whether the pedestrian has walked to the first destination. The walking distance of the pedestrian is calculated based on the step count value from the step counting means 6 and the stride value stored in the second storage means 20. The walking distance is calculated based on the stride signal from the second storage means 20, and when the calculated distance becomes equal to the distance information in the first portion of the route information, the vehicle arrives at the first destination (Q intersection). Become. When the pedestrian moves to the first destination, that is, the Q intersection, the process proceeds from step S23 to step S24. In step S24, the display unit 14 displays the second part of the route information, in other words, the first destination (Q intersection). From the control unit 26 to the display unit 14 is transmitted from the control unit 26 to the display unit 14, the route information from the to the second destination (the R intersection), more specifically, “turn left east, 200 m from the R intersection to the Q intersection”. The display means 14 displays "turn left east, 200 m from intersection Q to intersection R" to inform pedestrians of that fact. Also, the second of the route information
Is sent from the control means 26 to the audio output means 10, and in step S26, the audio output means 10 outputs a message to that effect. In this system, when a pedestrian makes a left turn east at a Q intersection, which is a first destination, walking of the first part of the route information is completed and the process proceeds to walking of the second part. The change is detected by a signal from the geomagnetic sensor 8.

In the embodiment, the directions used for this route guidance are “east”, “west”, “south”, “north”, “tohoku”,
There are eight types, “Southeast”, “Northwest”, and “Southwest”, and the walking direction is also “straight”, “retreat”, “left”, “right”, “diagonal left” as shown in FIG. , "Oblique right", "left rear", and "right rear".
And the route guidance by the display means 14 is performed.

As understood from the above description, the route guidance is, in the embodiment, a first destination, a second destination, etc. existing on a route on the way to the destination are points at which the walking direction is changed. The intersection of or the building is selected, and the intersection of the point where the walking direction is not changed is basically not selected. This is the first destination, the second destination
Until the pedestrian does not need to change the walking direction, it is only necessary to go straight to the next destination. In addition,
As for the destination, a point on the way before the direction is changed can be provided. In this case, more detailed route guidance can be provided.

When it is determined in step S23 that the vehicle has arrived at the first destination (the intersection Q), that is, when the vehicle turns left east at the intersection Q, the process proceeds to step S24.
Proceeding to step S27, the stride value is corrected. In step S27, the step count value (step count value from the departure point to the Q intersection) from the step count means 6 is sent to the control means 26, and in step S28, the route information from the first storage means 18 is sent. Is sent to the control means 26. In step S29, the stride correction means 36 of the control means 26 determines the first destination (the Q intersection) (the first intersection) from the departure point in the route information signal sent to the control means 26.
Is corrected based on the distance information signal of the path length up to the target point and the step number signal corresponding to the step count value required to walk the path from the departure point to the first destination. The value is calculated (the path length may be divided by the step count value). The corrected stride value thus calculated is calculated in step S
Updated at 30. That is, the corrected stride value is sent to the second storage means 20, and the corrected stride value is used instead of the stride value stored in the second storage means 20 (the stride value input by the input means 12 in step S4). The value is stored.
Then, after the first destination, the walking distance of the pedestrian is calculated based on the corrected stride value stored in the second storage means 20. In this way, the pedestrian's stride is corrected based on the actual gait at the beginning of the gait, so that the pedestrian's gait distance can be accurately calculated, thereby enabling more accurate route guidance. Become.

When turning left at the first destination (Q intersection),
Proceeding to step S31, it is determined whether the vehicle has reached the second destination. The walking distance of the pedestrian is calculated based on the step count value from the step count means 6 (the step count value from the departure point) and the corrected stride value stored in the second storage means 20, and the walking processing control means 34 Calculates the walking distance based on the step count signal from the walking counting means 6 and the corrected stride signal from the second storage means 20, and the calculated distance is the distance of the distance information in the first part and the second part of the route information. When it becomes equal to the sum, it means that the vehicle has arrived at the second destination (R intersection). When the pedestrian moves to the second destination, that is, the Q intersection, the process proceeds from step S31 to step S32. In step 32, the display means 14 displays the third part of the route information, in other words, the second destination (the R intersection). Route information from the control means 26 to the destination (company S), more specifically, a route information signal about "turn right to the south, 100 m from the R intersection to company S" is sent from the control means 26 to the display means 14, and Is "Turn right to south, 100 from R intersection to S company
m ”to inform the pedestrian to that effect. The third part of the route information is transmitted from the control unit 26 to the audio output unit 1.
0, and in step S33, the audio output means 1
0 outputs that effect by voice.

When the vehicle turns right at the R intersection, which is the second target point, the process proceeds to step S34, where it is determined whether the vehicle has arrived at the destination. The walking distance of the pedestrian is calculated based on the step count value from the step counting means 6 (step count value from the departure point) and the corrected step value in the second storage means 20. The walking distance is calculated based on the step count signal from the means 6 and the corrected stride signal from the second storage means 20, and this calculated distance is the sum of the distance information from the departure point to the destination in the path information (first to first). 3 (the sum of the distance information of the portions 3), it means that the vehicle has arrived at the destination (company S). When the pedestrian moves to the destination, that is, company S, the process proceeds from step S34 to step S35, and proceeds to step S3.
At 5, the display means 14 displays the destination, and informs the pedestrian that the destination has been reached. Step S36
In, the voice output means 10 outputs the destination by voice,
Inform pedestrians that they have arrived at their destination.

As described above, the first device of the portable device 2
The pedestrian's route guidance is performed based on the route information stored in the storage means 18 of the above. After the route guidance is completed, that is, after arriving at the destination, the end key 30
Is pressed (step S14).

FIG. 7 is a block diagram schematically showing a main part of a second embodiment of the navigation system according to the present invention. In the second embodiment, the mobile device is modified, but the base device is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment. Note that, in the second embodiment, the first
Members that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

Referring to FIG. 7, the portable device 102 shown in FIG.
Is a portable unit 104 carried and carried by pedestrians,
It comprises a transmission / reception unit 106 which enables transmission / reception of information between the portable unit 104 and the base device. The portable unit 102 is substantially the same as the portable device 2 of the first embodiment except that the transmission / reception means 38 is omitted. The step counting means 6, the geomagnetic sensor 8, the voice output means 10, the input means 12, and the display means 14. Storage means 1
6, control means 26, start key 28, end key 30
And a clear key 32.
It is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment.

In the embodiment, the transmitting / receiving unit 106 comprises a public telephone device 108, and the public telephone device 1
08 is a transmitting / receiving means 110 for transmitting / receiving a signal;
Input means 112 is provided for inputting a call number for calling the base-side device, and the input means 112 includes a numeric keypad for inputting a number.

Mobile unit 104 and public telephone device 106
Is the code 1 when exchanging information between the two.
14 is detachably connected. That is, the portable unit 104 and the public telephone device 108 are each provided with a terminal portion. The terminal on one end of the cord 114 is connected to the terminal portion of the portable unit 104, and the terminal on the other end is Connected to terminal. Note that the transmission / reception unit 106 is not limited to the public telephone device 108, but may be, for example, a business telephone device, a home telephone device, or the like. Since the portable device 102 is composed of a portable unit 104 and a transmitting / receiving unit 106 and a telephone device 108 installed nationwide is used as the transmitting / receiving unit 106, there is no inconvenience for transmitting / receiving information, and the portable unit 102 (Equipment purchased by the user) can be further reduced in weight and size, and the cost can be reduced.

Next, referring to FIG. 8 together with FIG.
The operation of the system according to the embodiment will be described. Step S4
1, the start key 28 is pressed and the portable unit 104 is pressed.
To the operating state. Next, in step S42, a departure place is inputted by the input means 12, and step S43 is performed.
Enter the destination with. Thereafter, a stride value is input by the input means 12 which also functions as a stride input means. The operations of steps S41 to S44 are substantially the same as steps S1 to S4 in the first embodiment.

Next, the user carries the portable unit 104 and goes to a place where the public telephone device 108 is installed, and connects the portable unit 104 and the public telephone device 108 with the code 114.
(Step S45). Code 1
The connection of 14 can also be made before the start key 28 is pressed, that is, before step S41.

After connecting the code 114, step S
In step 46, the input means 112 of the public telephone device 108 is pressed to input a call number for transmitting and receiving to and from a base station device (not shown). Thus, the portable unit 104
And the base-side device are connected via the public telephone device 108, so that an information signal described later can be exchanged between the portable unit 104 and the base-side device. Next, step S4
Proceeding to 7, the signal relating to the departure place and the destination inputted in the portable unit 104 is transmitted to the base station apparatus via the public telephone device 108, and the transmitted departure point signal and destination signal are received by the base station apparatus (Step S4
8).

Next, the process proceeds to step S48, in which the base-side device performs a route search from the departure point to the destination based on the stored signal relating to the map information and the received departure point signal and destination signal. Determines the optimal route. The route search and determination in steps S48 to S50 are substantially the same as steps S6 to S8 in the first embodiment.

When the route to the destination is determined by the base device, the process proceeds to step S51, where a route information signal is transmitted from the base device, and the transmitted information signal is transmitted to step S5.
At 2, it is received by the public telephone device 108. Then, the received route information is transmitted from the public telephone device 108 to the code 114.
The route information sent to the portable unit 104 via the portable unit 104 is stored in the storage unit 16 and the portable unit 1
Route guidance by 04 is performed based on the route information stored in the storage unit 16.

After the route information is transmitted from the base device, the exchange of information with the base device becomes unnecessary.
By removing the cord 114, the connection between the portable unit 104 and the public telephone device 108 is released (step S54). Next, in step S55, the end key 30 is pressed to complete the exchange of the path information. Then, step S
Proceeding to 56, the start key 28 is pressed. As a result, route guidance by the portable unit 104 is started, and thereafter, the same operations as those in steps S13 to S18 in the first embodiment are performed. In addition, the same operation as steps S21 to S36 in the first embodiment is performed for route guidance.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0048]

According to the present invention, a portable navigation system comprises a base-side device installed on the ground and a portable device serving as a pedestrian-side device. The base device is configured separately from the portable device. Therefore, the miniaturization of the portable device is achieved, and the portable device can be easily carried. In addition, the base-side device includes a map information storage unit and a second control unit that processes the map information signal stored therein to determine a route to a destination. The mobile device has input means for inputting a departure place and a destination, and first storage means for storing route information to the destination determined by the base device, and the route information from the base device. After obtaining the route information, route guidance is performed based on the obtained route information. Therefore, the exchange of information between the base device and the portable device is small, and an efficient system can be provided.

Further, according to the present invention, the portable device includes the stride input means, and the stride value of the pedestrian using the portable device can be set by the stride input means. The walking distance of the pedestrian can be known more accurately from the step value and the step count signal from the step counting means, and accurate route guidance to the destination can be performed.

Further, according to the present invention, the corrected step value corrected by the step correction means is stored in the second storage means,
Since the stored corrected stride value is used for calculating the subsequent walking distance, it is possible to know the pedestrian's walking distance more accurately.

Further, according to the present invention, the stride correcting means corrects the stride value when the pedestrian walks from the departure place to the correction target point, so that the stride value is corrected at the beginning of the walk toward the destination. Corrections are made, which enables accurate route guidance.

Further, according to the present invention, the stride correcting means corrects the stride when walking from the departure place to the destination, so that this corrected stride value is used as the stride value for the next route guidance. This enables accurate route guidance.

Further, according to the present invention, since the transmitting / receiving unit of the portable device is a telephone, information is exchanged with the base device using a communication system including the telephone. Therefore, it is not necessary to include the first transmitting / receiving means in a device carried by a pedestrian, and the size of the portable unit can be further reduced. Further, since a communication system including a telephone is used, for example, a public telephone widely installed nationwide can be used as a part of the portable device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a first embodiment of a portable navigation system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation up to exchange of route information in the navigation system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation after the route guidance in the navigation system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of route guidance in the navigation system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a map for explaining route guidance from a departure place to a destination.

FIG. 6 is a simplified explanatory diagram for explaining a display style relating to a walking direction of a pedestrian;

FIG. 7 is a simplified block diagram showing a part of a second embodiment of the portable navigation system according to the present invention.

8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation up to exchange of route information in the navigation system of FIG. 7;

[Explanation of symbols]

 2,102 Portable device 4 Base device 6 Step counting means 8 Geomagnetic sensor 10 Voice output means 12 Input means 14 Display means 16 Storage means 18 First storage means 20 Second storage means 26 Control means 38 Transmission / reception means 42 Map Information storage means 44 control means 46 transmitting / receiving means 104 portable unit 106 transmitting / receiving unit 108 public telephone device

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A base device installed on the ground and a portable device for using the base device, wherein the portable device has input means for inputting a departure place and a destination. A step counting means for counting the number of steps, a direction sensor for detecting a direction, a first transmitting and receiving means for transmitting and receiving information, and a first storing means for storing route information to the destination. A first signal processing means for processing signals from the step counting means, the direction sensor and the first storage means.
The base-side device comprises: a map information storage means for storing map information; a second transmitting / receiving means for transmitting and receiving information; and map information from the map information storage means. Second control means for processing a signal, wherein the departure signal and the destination signal input by the input means of the portable device are transmitted to the base station by the first and second transmission / reception means. Transmitted to the second control means of the apparatus, the second control means of the base station apparatus, the map information signal from the map information storage means and the departure point signal from the portable apparatus and The route to the destination is searched for and determined based on the destination signal, and the route information to the destination determined by the base-side device is transmitted via the first and second transmission / reception means. Stored in the first storage means of the portable device; The first control means of the side device performs route guidance to the destination based on a step number signal from the step number counting means, a direction signal from the direction sensor, and a route information signal from the first storage means. A portable navigation system. 2. The portable device includes a stride input means for inputting a stride value, the stride value input by the stride input means is stored in a second storage means, and the first control means is To the destination based on the step count signal from the step count counting unit, the azimuth signal from the azimuth sensor, the route information signal from the first storage unit, and the stride signal from the second storage unit. 2. A route guidance for a vehicle is provided.
A portable navigation system as described. 3. The first control means includes a stride correction means for correcting a stride value stored in the second storage means, and the corrected stride value corrected by the stride correction means is used as a reference. 3. The portable navigation system according to claim 2, wherein the stride value is stored in the second storage means. 4. The step length correcting means includes a distance information from the departure place to the correction target point in the map information stored in the first storage means, and a distance from the departure place to the correction target point. 4. The portable navigation system according to claim 3, wherein the correction step value is set based on the step count value of the step counting means. 5. The step length correction means includes: distance information from the departure place to the destination in the map information stored in the first storage means; and information on a distance from the departure place to the destination. 4. The portable navigation system according to claim 3, wherein the correction step value is set based on a step count value of the step counting means. 6. The portable device includes the input unit, the step counting unit, the direction sensor, a portable unit including the first storage unit, and a transmission / reception unit including the first transmission / reception unit. The portable navigation system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the transmission / reception unit is an installed telephone.