JP2009156685A - Vehicle navigation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To heighten computation accuracy of a destination-arrival prediction clock time, without having to force a user to operate, while he is driving. <P>SOLUTION: A vehicle navigation apparatus 1 is provided, which applies a vehicle speed in an automatic traveling state to a certain zone, where a vehicle is in at least the automatic travelling state among respective zones of route data connecting the current position to a destination, based on the current clock time, when the vehicle is in the automatic travelling state, and then computes the destination-arrival prediction clock time at which the vehicle is forecasted to arrive at the destination. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle navigation apparatus that calculates a predicted arrival time at a destination expected to arrive at a destination.

The vehicle navigation apparatus has a function of calculating a predicted arrival time at a destination expected to arrive at the destination. When a user sets a destination, this type of vehicle navigation apparatus acquires route data from the current position to the destination and obtains the road type of each section of the route data (for example, a narrow street, a general road, or a highway) ) And the current vehicle time as a reference, the set vehicle speed (for example, “10 km / h” for narrow streets, “30 km / h” or “80 km / h” on highways, etc.) is applied to calculate the expected arrival time at the destination (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-166841

  However, the conventional procedure for calculating the estimated arrival time at the destination is based on the assumption that the actual traveling vehicle speed is the set vehicle speed, and it is difficult to say that the actual traveling situation is properly reflected. There is room for improvement in terms of calculation accuracy of the expected time. Further, in order to appropriately reflect the actual traveling situation, the user needs to change the set vehicle speed to the actual traveling vehicle speed at any time during driving, which lacks feasibility.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle navigation device that can improve the calculation accuracy of the predicted arrival time without forcing the user to perform an operation during driving. There is.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the user sets a destination, the route data acquisition means uses the current position acquired by the current position acquisition means based on the map data acquired by the map data acquisition means. The route data to the destination set by the location setting unit is acquired, and the road type acquisition unit is configured to obtain each route data acquired by the route data acquisition unit based on the map data acquired by the map data acquisition unit. The road type of the section (for example, narrow street, general road, highway, etc.) is acquired. Here, if the vehicle is in automatic travel, the vehicle speed acquisition means during automatic travel acquires the vehicle speed when the vehicle is in automatic travel, and the estimated arrival time calculation means acquires route data based on the current time. The destination arrival that is expected to arrive at the destination by applying the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition means during automatic traveling to at least the section where the vehicle is automatically traveling among the sections of the route data acquired by the means Calculate the expected time. As a result, at least in the section where the vehicle is traveling automatically, the actual traveling vehicle speed is applied to calculate the estimated arrival time at the destination. The calculation accuracy of can be improved.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the estimated arrival time calculating means selects the section in which the vehicle is automatically traveling among the sections of the route data acquired by the route data acquiring means and the same road type as the section. The vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition means during automatic traveling is applied to the section having the vehicle, and a destination arrival expected time estimated to arrive at the destination is calculated. As a result, in the section where the vehicle is automatically traveling, the actual traveling vehicle speed can be applied to calculate the estimated arrival time at the destination, and furthermore, the vehicle has the same road type as the section where the vehicle is traveling automatically. The estimated destination arrival time can be calculated by assuming that the vehicle automatically travels in the section and applying the current vehicle speed even in the section in which the vehicle travels automatically.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, the estimated arrival time calculation means obtains the vehicle speed during automatic traveling only for the sections in which the vehicle is traveling automatically among the sections of the route data obtained by the route data obtaining means. By applying the vehicle speed acquired by the means, the estimated arrival time at the destination expected to arrive at the destination is calculated. Thereby, the actual traveling vehicle speed can be applied only in the section in which the vehicle is traveling automatically, and the destination arrival predicted time can be calculated.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the estimated arrival time calculating means includes all the sections from the section in which the vehicle is automatically traveling to the destination among the sections of the route data acquired by the route data acquiring means. The vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition means during automatic traveling is applied to the section, and the estimated arrival time at the destination expected to arrive at the destination is calculated. As a result, it is possible to calculate the estimated arrival time at the destination by applying the actual traveling vehicle speed in the section where the vehicle is traveling automatically, and further, from the section where the vehicle is traveling automatically to the destination. It is assumed that the vehicle automatically travels in all the sections, and the current vehicle speed is applied even in the section where the vehicle is assumed to travel automatically, so that the estimated arrival time at the destination can be calculated.

  According to the invention described in claim 5, after the vehicle has automatically traveled, the storage means uses the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition means during automatic travel as the set vehicle speed corresponding to the road type of the section in which the vehicle traveled automatically. Update memory. As a result, even if the vehicle does not automatically travel, it is possible to calculate the estimated destination arrival time by applying the past automatic traveling vehicle speed in a section having the same road type as the section of the road that has automatically traveled in the past. .

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the overall configuration of the vehicle navigation apparatus. The vehicle navigation apparatus 1 includes a control unit 2 (current position acquisition means, destination setting means, route data acquisition means, road type acquisition means, current time acquisition means, estimated arrival time calculation means) in the present invention, position detector 3 , Map data input device 4 (map data acquisition means in the present invention), external memory 5 (storage means in the present invention), external information input device 6, remote control sensor 7, communication device 8, operation switch group 9, display device 10 and an audio output device 11 and a vehicle interface unit 12 (automatic traveling vehicle speed acquisition means referred to in the present invention).

  The control unit 2 includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and an I / O bus, and executes a control program to control the operation of the entire apparatus. The position detector 3 includes a GPS receiver 3a, a vehicle speed sensor 3b, a gyroscope 3c, and a G sensor 3d, and these components have detection errors having different properties. The control unit 2 detects (acquires) the current position and travel locus of the vehicle by complementing the detection signals input from these components. In this case, the position detector 3 does not have to include all these components as long as the current position can be detected with the required detection accuracy, and the steering sensor for detecting the steering angle of each steering wheel and each wheel. A wheel sensor or the like that detects rotation may be combined.

  The map data input device 4 is loaded with a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, memory card or HDD, and inputs (acquires) map data from the loaded recording medium. The map data is configured to include map drawing / map matching data and route calculation data, and the control unit 2 determines the destination from the current position based on the map data input from the recording medium by the map data input unit 4. Route data up to is obtained, and the road type (for example, narrow street, general road, highway, etc.) of each section (link) of the route data is obtained.

  The external memory 5 stores various types of stored information, one of which is the correspondence between the road type and the set vehicle speed. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the external memory 5 stores “10 km / h” for narrow streets, “30 km / h” for ordinary roads, and “80 km / h” for expressways as the set vehicle speed. Yes. The set vehicle speed may be a default value set by the factory at the product manufacturing stage, or may be a user set value set by the user himself after purchasing the product. The external information input device 6 receives VICS (registered trademark) information from the center device via a communication network. The remote control sensor 7 outputs the operation signal received from the remote control 13 to the control unit 2. The communication device 8 controls communication operations. The operation switch group 9 includes mechanical switches arranged around the display device 10 and touch switches formed on the display device 10, for example, operation contents (for example, menu display selection, destination setting, route search) performed by the user. , Route guidance start, display screen change, volume adjustment, etc.) are detected and output to the control unit 2.

  The display device 10 is composed of, for example, a color liquid crystal display, displays various display screens such as a menu display selection screen, and superimposes a current position mark representing a current position of the vehicle, a travel locus, and the like on a map of map data. indicate. The display device 10 may be composed of an organic EL, a plasma display, or the like. The voice output device 11 outputs, for example, route guidance voice or warning sound. The vehicle interface unit 12 is connected to the automatic travel control ECU 14 via the in-vehicle LAN 15. For example, when the user operates an automatic travel button (auto cruise button) arranged on the steering wheel, the automatic travel control ECU 14 starts automatic travel, and the vehicle speed at that time or the vehicle speed at the time of automatic travel is preset by the user. The set vehicle speed is output to the vehicle interface unit 12 via the in-vehicle LAN 15.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.
In the vehicle navigation device 1, the control unit 2 determines whether or not the user has performed an operation for setting a destination (step S1). If the control unit 2 determines that the user has performed an operation for setting the destination (“YES” in step S1), the control unit 2 sets the destination according to the operation performed by the user, and the position detector The current position of the vehicle is acquired by mutually complementing the detection signals input from the three components (step S2). Next, the control unit 2 acquires the current time (step S3), and acquires route data from the current position to the destination based on the map data input from the recording medium by the map data input device 4 (step S4). ). If the GPS receiver 3a is capable of receiving GPS signals, the control unit 2 may acquire the GPS time extracted from the GPS signals as the current time, or the GPS receiver 3a receives the GPS signals. If it is impossible, the time generated by the internal clock may be acquired as the current time.

  Next, the control unit 2 determines whether or not the vehicle is in automatic travel (step S5). Here, when the control unit 2 determines that the vehicle is not automatically traveling (“NO” in step S5), the control unit 2 acquires the correspondence relationship between the road type and the set vehicle speed stored in the external memory 5 (step S6). Based on the current time, the set vehicle speed corresponding to the road type acquired from the external memory 5 is applied to all sections of the route data from the current position to the destination, and the vehicle is expected to arrive at the destination. Estimated destination arrival time is calculated (step S7). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the route data from the current position to the destination is a section “L1” to “L8” in which narrow streets, ordinary roads, and highways are mixed as road types. Then, “10 km / h” is applied to the sections “L1” and “L7” whose road types are narrow streets, and sections “L2”, “L4”, “L6”, “ “30 km / h” is applied to “L8”, “80 km / h” is applied to sections “L3” and “L5” where the road type is a highway, and the destination is expected to arrive at the destination Calculate the estimated arrival time. In FIG. 4, “S” indicates a point (starting point) where the destination is set, and “G” indicates the destination.

  On the other hand, when the control unit 2 determines that the vehicle is in automatic traveling, for example, when the user operates an automatic traveling button (auto cruise button) arranged on the steering wheel (" YES ”), at this time, it is determined which one of“ road type same section application mode ”,“ single section application mode ”and“ all section application mode ”is set (steps S8 and S9). These “road type same section application mode”, “single section application mode” and “all section application mode” are used to select a section to which the vehicle speed during automatic traveling is applied. “Road type same section application mode” is set, and the user can change the setting by himself after purchasing the product.

  Here, when the control unit 2 determines that the “road type same section application mode” is set (“YES” in step S8), the control unit 2 calculates the road type and the set vehicle speed stored in the external memory 5. The correspondence relationship is acquired (step S10), the vehicle speed during automatic traveling input from the automatic travel control ECU 14 by the vehicle interface unit 12 is acquired from the vehicle interface unit 12 (step S11), and the vehicle is included in each section of the route data. The vehicle speed during automatic traveling is applied to a section during automatic traveling and a section having the same road type as that section, and the set vehicle speed corresponding to the road type acquired from the external memory 5 is applied to other sections. Apply and calculate the expected destination arrival time that is expected to arrive at the destination (step S12). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4A, the control unit 2 is a case where the user sets automatic travel while the vehicle travels in a section “L3” whose road type is a highway. The vehicle speed during automatic driving is applied to the section “L3” for which the user has set automatic driving and the section “L5” having the same road type as the section “L3”, and the other sections “L4”, “ The set vehicle speed corresponding to the road type acquired from the external memory 5 is applied to “L6” to “L8”, and the predicted destination arrival time expected to arrive at the destination is calculated.

  When the control unit 2 determines that the “single section application mode” is set (“NO” in step S8, “YES” in step S9), the road stored in the external memory 5 The correspondence relationship between the type and the set vehicle speed is acquired (step S13), and the vehicle speed during automatic traveling input from the automatic traveling control ECU 14 by the vehicle interface unit 12 is acquired from the vehicle interface unit 12 (step S14). The vehicle speed during automatic traveling is applied only to the section where the vehicle is traveling automatically in each section, and the set vehicle speed corresponding to the road type acquired from the external memory 5 is applied to the other sections. A predicted destination arrival time expected to arrive at the ground is calculated (step S15). More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4B, the control unit 2 is a case where the user sets automatic traveling while the vehicle is traveling in the section “L3” whose road type is a highway. The vehicle speed during automatic driving is applied only to the section “L3” for which the user has set automatic driving, and the road types acquired from the external memory 5 are applied to the other sections “L4” to “L8”. Applying the set vehicle speed, the estimated arrival time at the destination expected to arrive at the destination is calculated.

  Further, when the control unit 2 determines that the “all-section application mode” is set (“NO” in step S9), in this case, the road type and the set vehicle speed stored in the external memory 5 are determined. Without reading the corresponding relationship, the vehicle interface unit 12 obtains the vehicle speed during automatic traveling input from the automatic traveling control ECU 14 from the vehicle interface unit 12 (step S16), and the vehicle is automatically out of each section of the route data. The vehicle speed during automatic traveling is applied to all the sections from the section being traveled to the destination, and the predicted destination arrival time expected to arrive at the destination is calculated (step S17). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4C, the control unit 2 is a case where the user sets automatic traveling while the vehicle is traveling in the section “L3” whose road type is a highway. A destination that is predicted to arrive at the destination by applying the vehicle speed during the automatic traveling to all the sections “L3” to “L8” from the section “L3” set by the user to the destination. Calculate the estimated arrival time.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the vehicle navigation device 1, when the vehicle is running automatically, the current time is used as a reference and the route data from the current position to the destination is out of each section. Since it is configured to calculate the estimated destination arrival time that is expected to arrive at the destination by applying the vehicle speed during automatic traveling at least for the section in which the vehicle is traveling automatically, at least during the automatic traveling of the vehicle In some sections, the actual traveling vehicle speed is applied to calculate the predicted destination arrival time, and the calculation accuracy of the predicted destination arrival time can be improved without forcing the user to perform an operation during driving.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified or expanded as follows.
The road type may be a type other than narrow streets, ordinary roads, and highways.
After the vehicle automatically travels, the vehicle speed during automatic travel may be stored and updated as the set vehicle speed corresponding to the road type of the section in which the vehicle traveled automatically. That is, if the user sets automatic traveling while the vehicle is traveling on the section “L3” whose road type is a highway, and the vehicle speed during the automatic traveling is “100 km / h”, for example, it is stored in the external memory 5. The set vehicle speed corresponding to the expressway corresponding to the highway may be updated and stored from “80 km / h” to “100 km / h”. If configured in this manner, even if the vehicle does not travel automatically thereafter, when the vehicle travels in a section where the road type is a highway, the updated vehicle speed “100 km / h” is applied. The estimated arrival time at the destination can be calculated.

Functional block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention Diagram showing correspondence between road type and set vehicle speed flowchart Diagram showing the procedure for calculating the estimated arrival time at the destination

Explanation of symbols

  In the drawings, 1 is a vehicle navigation device, 2 is a control unit (current position acquisition means, destination setting means, route data acquisition means, road type acquisition means, current time acquisition means, and estimated arrival time calculation means), and 4 is map data. Input devices (map data acquisition means), 5 is an external memory (storage means), and 12 is a vehicle interface unit (automatic traveling vehicle speed acquisition means).

Claims (5)

Current position acquisition means for acquiring the current position of the vehicle;
Destination setting means for setting the destination;
Map data acquisition means for acquiring map data;
Route data acquisition means for acquiring route data from the current position acquired by the current position acquisition means to the destination set by the destination setting means based on the map data acquired by the map data acquisition means When,
Road type acquisition means for acquiring the road type of each section of the route data acquired by the route data acquisition means based on the map data acquired by the map data acquisition means;
Storage means for storing a correspondence relationship between a road type and a preset vehicle speed set in advance;
Current time acquisition means for acquiring the current time;
Automatic vehicle speed acquisition means for acquiring the vehicle speed when the vehicle is in automatic operation;
When the vehicle is in automatic travel, the current time acquired by the current time acquisition means is used as a reference, and at least a section of the route data acquired by the route data acquisition means in the section where the vehicle is in automatic travel A vehicle navigation system comprising: an estimated arrival time calculating unit that applies the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquiring unit during automatic traveling to calculate an estimated arrival time at a destination expected to arrive at the destination. apparatus. The vehicle navigation device according to claim 1,
The estimated arrival time calculating means is performing the automatic traveling for a section in which the vehicle is traveling automatically and a section having the same road type as the section among the sections of the route data acquired by the route data acquiring means. A vehicle navigation device characterized in that the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition means is applied to calculate a predicted arrival time at the destination expected to arrive at the destination. The vehicle navigation device according to claim 1,
The estimated arrival time calculation means applies the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition means during automatic traveling only to a section where the vehicle is automatically traveling among the sections of the route data acquired by the route data acquisition means. A vehicle navigation apparatus that calculates a predicted arrival time at a destination expected to arrive at the destination. The vehicle navigation device according to claim 1,
The estimated arrival time calculating means is configured to calculate the vehicle speed during automatic traveling for all sections from the section where the vehicle is automatically traveling to the destination among the sections of the route data acquired by the route data acquiring means. A vehicle navigation apparatus characterized in that the vehicle speed acquired by the acquisition means is applied to calculate a predicted arrival time at a destination expected to arrive at the destination. In the vehicle navigation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The storage means stores and updates the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition means during automatic traveling as a set vehicle speed corresponding to a road type of a section in which the vehicle has automatically traveled after the vehicle has automatically traveled. Navigation device.

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