JP3030138B2 - Navigation device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a navigation apparatus for displaying a point stored on an outward route on a display when returning to the same destination or going to the same destination.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In-vehicle navigation devices have recently been put into practical use. Currently marketed navigation devices are similar to so-called location devices that indicate where the current vehicle is traveling on the map by drawing a cursor indicating the current position and a surrounding map on a display. . Originally, a navigation device refers to a device that notifies a driver of a route from a current position of a vehicle to a destination. Therefore, it can be said that navigation devices currently on the market are far from the original purpose.

[0003] However, this does not mean that there is no movement to devise a device for informing the route to be traveled. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-15238 proposes a method of notifying a driver of a traveling route by a method described below with reference to FIG.

[0004] Each time the vehicle curves on an outgoing route during the traffic of the vehicle, the angle and the distance between the curves are measured and stored. As a method of detecting the angle at which the vehicle curves, a method of detecting the direction of terrestrial magnetism, a method of detecting a change in the steering wheel angle, a method of detecting a rotational speed difference between a pair of left and right wheels, and a lateral direction of the vehicle using a gyro sensor There has been proposed a method of detecting a change in the acceleration of a vehicle.

[0005] The traveling data of the vehicle stored on the outbound route is reproduced on the inbound route. The reproducing method is a method of notifying the driver of the distance to the next curve and the direction of the curve by an eight-direction lamp shown in FIG. 2, as shown in FIG.

[0006]

The method of notifying the driver of the direction in which the vehicle should proceed next from the current heading direction using an eight-way ramp is not always easy for the driver to understand. Because even if you know the distance to the next intersection to turn and the direction of the curve, you do not know the direction and distance to the original destination, and the driver has an idea of how long it will take to reach the destination I can't.

Further, since the navigation apparatus adopting the above-mentioned method adopts a method of acquiring a change in the heading at an intersection, the object is not limited to a car, but it is a ship or a portable navigation system of human beings as a recent trend. Equipment is commercially available, but application to such is difficult.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of this point,
Acquires the position coordinates of the point that has passed on the outward route, and when returning or returning to the same destination, indicates the point acquired on the outward route with any symbol and informs the driver of the next point to be passed in an easy-to-understand manner to the driver A navigation device is provided.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a mobile
Current position calculation unit that measures the position coordinates of the current position
Drawing information about the output from the display on the display
And a navigation device comprising
Memory unit that can store the output from the position calculation unit
The current position calculated by the current position calculation unit on the outward route.
Location information in the memory unit at predetermined intervals, and
When the moving object returns or goes through the same route,
The position coordinates of the point stored in the
To show on the above display and pass next
The location symbol should be displayed separately from other location symbols.
And features.

[0010]

The position coordinates of a point passed on the outbound path are acquired, and the point acquired on the outbound path is indicated by a symbol on the return path or when traveling to the same destination again, so that the driver can determine the point to be passed next. Can be easily notified.

[0011]

【Example】

<Embodiment 1> An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a microcomputer for controlling the entire apparatus. 2 is a GPS receiver (Global Positioning System Re
current position calculating unit that calculates the current position of the vehicle by combining a direction sensor such as a ciever or a geomagnetic sensor and a distance sensor that can measure the traveling distance of the vehicle. In this embodiment, a method using a GPS receiver is employed. . Reference numeral 3 denotes a storage medium for storing map information. In this embodiment, a CD-ROM is used. Reference numeral 4 denotes a CD-ROM drive for reading map information stored in the CD-ROM. 5
Is a memory unit for storing the current position coordinates output from the current position calculation unit 2 as necessary. Reference numeral 6 denotes a drawing unit for drawing map information read from a CD-ROM on a display 7. An input unit 8 includes a key for activating the apparatus, a key for activating a path storage function, a key for activating a path reproduction function, and the like.

When the navigation device is activated by inputting a device activation key included in the input unit 8 of the mobile device having the navigation device having the above-described configuration, the microcomputer 1 first uses the current position calculation unit 2 to control the mobile device. Get the current position coordinates. In this embodiment, since the map including the current position is drawn on the display 7, the microcomputer 1 stores the map information including the acquired position coordinates in the CD-ROM.
3 is searched for at which address. CD-RO
Since M3 is provided with an index describing at which address the map information including the position coordinates is located, the microcomputer 1 may search for the address in accordance with the index. When the address at which the map information to be found exists is found, the microcomputer 1
-Acquire map information from the ROM drive device 4.

The map information thus obtained is represented by code information. The drawing unit 6 reads the map information represented by the code information and draws a map according to a program from the microcomputer 1. The map drawn in this way is displayed on the display 7.

Next, the operation of storing the position coordinates of a point on the outward route will be described. The description will be made according to the flowchart of FIG.

A map including the current position is displayed, and the mobile starts moving to the destination. At that time, I want to memorize the traveled route for return. Therefore, a key for starting the path storage function included in the input unit 8 is input to start path storage (step 1). When the key for activating the route storage function is input, the microcomputer 1 first stores the current position of the moving object, which is the output of the current position calculation unit 2, in the memory unit 5 as an initial value (step 2). Note that the microcomputer 1 is programmed to acquire the result of the measurement of the current position of the moving object by the current position calculation unit 2 from the current position calculation unit 2 at regular time intervals (step 3).

Thereafter, the microcomputer 1 uses the memory unit 5 as an initial value.
Then, a straight-line distance between the position coordinates input to (1) and the position coordinates output from the current position calculation unit 2 is calculated (step 4). If the distance is smaller than a certain reference value (1 km in this embodiment), no processing is performed (step 5), and the operation from step 3 is repeated. If it is determined in step 5 that the moving object is far away from the position coordinates initially input to the memory unit 5 and the linear distance is greater than 1 km, the output of the current position calculation unit 2 at that time is stored in the memory unit 5.
(Step 6). After step 6 is performed, the operation from step 3 is repeated. However, what calculates the linear distance from the output of the current position calculation unit 2 in step 4 is the position coordinates of the point last stored in the memory unit 5. The storage of the traveling route on the outward route is performed by repeating the above steps.

Next, on the return path, information on the path stored in the outward path is read out from the memory unit 5 and displayed on the display 7.
An example of display on a map will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, a key for starting the path reproduction function included in the input unit 8 is input (step 1). Then, the microcomputer 1 reads out the position coordinates of a certain point stored from the memory unit 5 (step 2). Prior to step 1, the current position of the moving object has been acquired by the current position calculation unit 2.
The microcomputer 1 calculates the upper and lower limits of latitude and longitude of the map currently displayed on the display 7 based on the position coordinates and the scale of the map (step 3). Then, the stored position coordinates are compared with the upper and lower limits of the latitude and longitude of the display 7 calculated in step 3 and the c-th point stored in the memory unit 5 is displayed on the display screen of the display 7. (Step 5). Here, c is the value of the counter of the microcomputer 1 as shown in the figure, and represents the order of the point information stored in the memory unit 5.

If the position coordinate of the c-th point is not within the display screen of the display 7, no processing is performed, and the process returns to step 4 and the above processing is performed on all the points stored in the memory unit 5. Find out what is.

If it is determined in step 4 that the determination in step 5 has not been completed for all the points stored in the memory unit 5, the operations in and after step 5 are repeated. When it is determined in step 5 that the position coordinates of a certain point stored in the memory unit 5 are present in the display screen of the display 7, the position coordinates are sent to the drawing unit 6 by the microcomputer 1 and the drawing unit At 6, a process for displaying on the display 7 is performed.

As described above, the upper and lower latitudes and longitudes displayed on the display 7 are known, and the position coordinates of the point are also known. You can easily calculate where to display it. When the microcomputer 1 performs such a calculation, the drawing unit 6 draws a symbol indicating a point on the display 7 based on the result (step 6).

When step 6 is completed, the determination in step 4 is performed, and the processing is repeated until it is determined that the processing has been performed for all the points stored in the memory unit 5.

FIG. 5 shows an example in which symbols representing points are displayed on the map of the display 7 by such processing.
“◇” in FIG. 5 is a symbol indicating a point stored in the memory unit 5.

The navigation device described above can be applied not only to automobiles but also to other vehicles. The reason is GPS
The receiver can be mounted on most vehicles, and the portable navigation devices that are now commercially available also use GPS receivers, and if a GPS receiver is used, the location where the moving object exists This is because the position coordinates of can be obtained.

In this embodiment, a map is drawn on the display 7 to obtain and display the position coordinates of the point. However, displaying a map on the display 7 requires at least a recording medium that records map information and a drive device that can read the information. It is not realistic to provide such a thing in a portable navigation device for humans. However, the navigation device according to the present invention does not
By displaying a cursor "O" indicating the current position, a symbol "◇" indicating a point to be passed next, and a scale bar indicating the distance on the display 7 as shown in FIG. However, it is possible to consider in which direction and how long to move. Such display can be easily realized since only the map is not drawn in the above embodiment. Therefore, the present invention can be applied to a portable navigation device for humans.

In the above embodiment, the linear distance between the position coordinate last stored in the memory unit 5 and the position coordinate output from the current position calculating unit 2 is calculated, and when the calculated value is equal to or larger than a predetermined reference value. The output of the current position calculation unit 2 was stored in the memory unit 5. However, when the current position calculation section 2 there is a sensor the moving distance of the moving body can be calculated obtains the distance that the mobile has moved, when the movement distance is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value There is a method of storing the output of the current position calculation unit 2 in the memory unit 5. According to this method, it is not necessary to calculate the linear distance each time there is an input from the current position calculation unit 2 as compared with the method of the above-described embodiment, so that the load on the microcomputer 1 can be reduced.

For example, in a car, the traveling distance when the tire makes one revolution is known, so that the traveling distance of the vehicle can be easily calculated by acquiring the number of revolutions.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart that employs this method.
Shown in Except that the traveling distance of the vehicle is calculated in step 4 and the traveling distance calculated in step 5 is compared with a predetermined reference value to determine whether the output of the current position calculation unit 2 is stored in the memory unit 5. Is the same as the flowchart described in the above embodiment of FIG. <Embodiment 2> Next, an embodiment in which symbols representing points stored in the memory unit 5 are thinned out and displayed will be described. The CD-ROM 3 storing map information stores map information corresponding to several levels of enlargement. Display 7
When a map of, for example, 100 km in both the vertical and horizontal directions is displayed, the point position stored in the memory unit 5 is represented by a symbol on the map as in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the distance between the points stored in the memory unit 5 is 1 km. If this point position is displayed on a 100 km square map using symbols, the symbols representing the point information are very dense, and the symbols may overlap each other. When the symbols overlap, the map becomes very difficult to see.

In order to avoid such a situation, the symbols representing the point positions may be displayed by thinning them at intervals such that they do not overlap. This embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In the present embodiment, even at the point positions stored in the memory unit 5, there are points displayed as symbols at certain intervals and points not displayed. In order to distinguish between them, in this embodiment, the symbol display interval value M and the display interval counter d are used, and the counter d is incremented by one each time a point existing in the display screen is read from the memory unit 5, and this counter d When the value reaches the symbol display interval M, the position coordinates of the point read from the memory unit 5 are sent to the drawing unit 6 so as to be displayed. As a result, the position coordinates from the memory unit 5 are displayed on the display 7 at every M symbol display intervals. It is assumed that the counter d is provided in the microcomputer 1.

The display interval value M is determined from the relationship between the interval between the position coordinates of the points stored on the outward route and the scale of the map displayed on the display 7. For example, the position coordinate of a point is 1 km
It is stored at intervals and the information is displayed on the display 7 at 100 km.
If the symbol display interval value M is set to about 20 in the case of trying to display on a map on four sides, it is possible to display on the display 7 without overlapping the storage points on the outward route. In this case, the storage points can be displayed at intervals of 20 km on a 100 km square map.

First, a key for starting the route reproduction function is input to display the point information stored in the memory unit 5 in the flowchart of FIG. 8 (step 1). Then, the microcomputer 1 reads out the position coordinates of the point stored from the memory unit 5 (step 2). Before step 1, the current position of the moving object is acquired by the current position calculation unit 2, and the microcomputer 1 sets the upper and lower limits currently displayed on the display 7 based on the position information and the scale of the map. The latitude and longitude are calculated (step 3). Then, the stored position coordinates are compared with the upper and lower latitudes and longitudes of the display 7 calculated in step 3 to check whether or not the stored point exists in the display screen of the display 7. (Step 5).

If the position coordinates of the examined point are not on the display screen of the display 7, no processing is performed. Then, it is determined whether or not the determination as to whether or not it exists on the display 7 in step 5 has been performed for all the points stored in the memory unit 5 (step 4).

If it is determined in step 4 that the determination in step 5 has not been completed for all the storage points, the operations in and after step 5 are performed. When it is determined in step 5 that the position coordinates of the point stored in the memory unit 5 are present in the display screen of the display 7,
The display interval counter d is incremented by one (step 6).

The display interval counter d is compared with the symbol display interval value M. If d is smaller than M, the process returns to step 4 (step 7). However, if the display interval counter d is equal to the symbol display interval value M, the position coordinates are sent to the drawing unit 6 by the microcomputer 1, and the drawing unit 6 performs a process for displaying on the display 7 (step 8). Then, the value of the display interval counter d is initialized (step 9).

The above-described processing is repeated until it is determined in step 4 that the processing has been performed for all the points stored in the memory unit 5. <Embodiment 3> A description will be given of an embodiment in which a point where a moving object passes among points to be passed next is deleted. The embodiment for displaying the point to be passed on the display 7 has been described in the first and second embodiments, and thus will be omitted. Here, a method for determining the passage of a point to be passed and a method for deleting the displayed symbol will be described. explain.

There are various ways to determine whether or not to pass a point to be passed. Here, a simple method as shown in FIG. 9 is adopted. Create a frame as shown at the point where you should pass. The size of the frame is appropriately determined according to the size of the screen. If the current position of the moving object enters and exits this frame once, it is determined that the moving object has passed.

However, what should be noted in this passage determination method is that the output from the current position calculation unit 2 contains an error. For example, in a method employing positioning by GPS, an error of 30 to 100 m is always expected. Even if the current position calculation unit 2 once determines that the moving object has entered the frame of the point, if the output of the next measurement indicates that the position of the moving object is outside the frame due to an error expected in the current position calculation unit 2 However, the mobile unit determines that the vehicle has passed the point to be passed. In order to avoid such a situation, the moving body is judged to have passed that point when it exits the frame after being in the frame for a certain set number of times or more.

Next, a description will be given of a method of deleting the symbol of the point determined to have passed by the above method from the map. The process of deleting the displayed symbol is performed by the drawing unit 6. It is assumed that the drawing unit 6 has an empty image memory other than the image memory in which the map is drawn. The map data hidden by the symbol indicating the passing point is saved in the empty image memory. Then, when the moving object passes through the point, the drawing unit 6 transfers the map data saved in the image memory to the map area where the original symbol is written. In this way, the symbol at the point where the vehicle has passed can be deleted.

Finally, since the point at which the moving object should pass next is displayed separately from the others, the symbol of the point to be passed next is set to a different symbol from the other symbols by the drawing unit 6. By changing or blinking, it can be displayed on a map by distinguishing it from other symbols.

In the above description, the point to be passed next is in the order stored in the memory unit 5 (the reverse order stored in the memory unit 5 on the return trip). The closest point can be the next point to pass. In this case, a search method for a point to be passed next can be easily performed because, among the point information stored in the memory unit 5, a point closest to the current position of the moving object can be searched except for a point that has already passed. be able to.

[0042]

According to the present invention, the current position of a moving object
From the current position calculation unit that measures the coordinates, and the current position calculation unit
A drawing unit that draws information about the output of the
In the navigation device comprising:
A memory unit that can store the output from the output unit
In the outward route, the current position information is
Information is stored in the memory unit at predetermined intervals.
Memory section when the return route or the same route
The position coordinates of the point stored in
The current position and the next pass are indicated on the display.
The point of interest can be displayed on one screen, so the relative position between them
Location and know the direction and distance to the driver
Can be notified easily, and the sign of the next point to pass
By distinguishing it from the symbols representing other points,
Informs the driver of points to be passed in an easy-to-understand manner
be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram according to a navigation device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a conventional technique.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the navigation device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the navigation device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a display example of the navigation device of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a display example of the navigation device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the navigation device of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the navigation device according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of the navigation device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Microcomputer 2 Current position calculation part 3 CD-ROM 4 CD-ROM drive device 5 Memory part 6 Drawing part 7 Display

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G01C 21/00 G08G 1/0969 G09B 29/10

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A navigation device comprising: a current position calculating unit for measuring a current position coordinate of a moving body; and a drawing unit for drawing information on an output from the current position calculating unit on a display. A memory unit capable of storing the output of the current position information stored in the memory unit at predetermined intervals on the outward route at a predetermined interval.
The position coordinates of the point stored in the memory unit are stored in the drawing unit.
Sign on the above display and then pass
The symbol of the point to be made is displayed separately from the symbols representing other points
A navigation device characterized in that: 2. The memory device according to claim 1, wherein a point at which the moving object should pass next is stored in the memory unit.
Above the location coordinates of the point
The current position of the moving object, which is the output result of the current position calculation unit
Navigator characterized by being the point closest to the coordinates
Device.