JP3852754B2 - Mobile navigation system and mobile phone having navigation system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a navigation system, and more particularly to a navigation system that can be incorporated into a device such as a mobile phone that can be easily carried by a user.
[0002]
[Prior art]
With the spread of GPS and the like, navigation systems for automobiles, ships, airplanes and the like are widely used. In addition to such vehicles, various navigation systems for pedestrians have been developed for mountain climbing and orienteering, and the navigation system is incorporated into cellular phones (hereinafter simply referred to as cellular phones) and PHS (personal handyphone system) phones. Something is also being developed. As a navigation system using a PHS telephone (hereinafter simply referred to as PHS), for example, there is one described in Utility Model Registration No. 3040233. In this conventional example, position information of a target destination is set in advance, and a route from the current position to the destination position is selected and displayed, or guided by voice.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Thus, when the position of the target destination is known in advance, the above-described conventional example can be applied, but the destination may be unknown depending on the person walking. For example, when you go shopping in a suburban shopping mall by car, park your car in a large parking lot, shop, and then try to return to your car, you may not know where your car is. is there. This is because it is necessary to return to this place when leaving the vehicle, so it is only necessary to register the place as a destination in a navigation system incorporated in a mobile phone or the like. This is because often does not work. That is, it is often thought that it was only necessary to register the position when leaving the own vehicle after the position of the own vehicle is lost. As described above, the conventional portable navigation system cannot guide the route to the destination unless the location of the destination is known and the location is registered intentionally. .
Moreover, even if it can be registered, the operation becomes complicated.
[0004]
  Therefore, the present invention can be set without knowing the position of the destination in the state where the destination is known and registering it intentionally.AndTo provide a navigation system capable of guiding a route to a destination and a mobile phone having the function of the navigation systemEyesTarget.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is mounted on a vehicle.For near field communicationSent from the transmitterFaithThe receiving means for receiving the signal is provided, and when the receiving means cannot receive this signal, it controls to store the position obtained by the position detecting means, and when the guidance request from the user is accepted, the position is The mobile navigation system provides guidance information using the current location obtained by the detection means and the position stored in the storage means.
[0006]
Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the position of the automobile or the like is automatically stored in the portable navigation system when leaving the predetermined place such as the automobile. When trying to do so, it is possible to guide the route or the direction and distance to a predetermined place such as an automobile.
[0007]
  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 2When the user is receiving guidance to the vehicle when returning to the vehicle, if the signal from the vehicle can be received by the receiving means, the control means finishes providing the guidance information by the portable navigation system.It is what you do.
[0008]
  Therefore, according to the invention described in claim 2, such as an automobileWhen the vehicle is approached to a close range where the vehicle can be found, the guidance is no longer necessary, so that the provision of the guidance information is automatically terminated, and it can be seen that the user is at the destination, that is, in the vicinity of the own vehicle.
[0017]
  Claim3The invention described in claim 1Or 2A mobile phone having the function of the mobile navigation system described.
[0018]
  Therefore, the claims3According to the invention described in (1), it is not necessary to carry the navigation system alone, and the position is automatically memorized when the user moves away from a certain position of the predetermined device only by carrying the cellular phone usually worn. Is possible.
[0029]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of a portable navigation system according to the present invention. The portable navigation system 10 includes a position detector 107, a separation detection unit 112, an operation unit 109 having a switch group, a navigation control unit 204, a speaker 104, a display device 110, and a memory 108. The position detector 107 detects the current position of the portable navigation system. For example, the position detector 107 can calculate the latitude and longitude of the current location based on radio signals from at least three or more satellites by GPS (Global Positioning System). it can. Note that the position detection method of the position detector 107 is not limited to GPS. When the mobile navigation system 10 is incorporated in a mobile phone or a housing of the PHS, a current location specifying method possessed by the mobile phone or the PHS itself. Can also be used.
[0030]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the internal structure of the navigation control unit 204 in FIG. The navigation system control unit 204 includes a map data reading unit 211, a control circuit 212, and an external memory 213. The control circuit 212 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) which is a basic component similar to that of an ordinary personal computer, a memory such as a ROM or a RAM, an interface, and a bus line interconnecting them. Note that when the mobile navigation system 10 is incorporated in a mobile phone or PHS housing, the operation unit 109, the speaker 104, the display device 110, the memory 108, the control circuit 212, and the external memory 213 in FIG. Some or all of them can be shared.
[0031]
A map data reading unit 211 in FIG. 2 stores various data including map data and landmark data, map matching data used for improving position detection accuracy, and the like from a recording medium (not shown). Are loaded into the portable navigation system 10. As the recording medium, a memory card, a compact flash (R) memory, or the like can be used. In this recording medium, map data for each region is recorded in advance.
[0032]
A color liquid crystal display can be used as the display device 110 in FIG. The display device 110 displays a map based on the map data read by the map data reading unit 211 from the recording medium, and the current location detected by the position detector 107 is displayed by a predetermined mark. In addition, the image of the additional data can be displayed on the map, for example, a route that is a guide route to the destination is displayed in a different color of the road. These display modes are basically the same as the display mode of an ordinary automobile navigation system, so-called car navigation system.
[0033]
The operation unit 109 includes, for example, a joystick type position input unit, and can input the position of a destination as a destination. The navigation control unit 204 uses the destination input from the operation unit 109 and the current location input from the position detector 107 to automatically select the optimum route from the current location to the destination, and guide route (Route) is formed and displayed on the map displayed on the display device 110. A technique such as the Dijkstra method is known as a technique for automatically selecting an optimum route in the route guidance function. In addition, as a part of the operation unit 109, for example, a touch panel integrated with the display unit of the display device 110 may be included. The operation unit 109 is used to input various commands from the user such as image display mode and volume control.
[0034]
The navigation control unit 204 not only selects the guidance route from the current location to the destination as described above, but also calculates the required time to the destination and displays it on the display device 110 together with the names of facilities near the destination. It also has a control function. The required time is calculated in real time using the distance from the current location to the destination and the average speed. When using GPS, the average speed can be obtained from a moving distance per unit time. When the portable navigation system 10 is mounted on a vehicle, a vehicle speed signal from a vehicle speed sensor included in the vehicle can be obtained from Bluetooth. tooth). Moreover, it can also comprise so that reception by communication of a vehicle speed signal may be performed by wired connection.
[0035]
When inputting a destination using the operation unit 109, an index that combines a list of destination facility names and a required time is displayed on the display device 110, and the user selects a target facility from the index. can do.
[0036]
The separation detection unit 112 in FIG. 1 detects that the portable navigation system 10 is at a position separated from a predetermined device. It is assumed that a charger for the portable navigation system 10 is currently mounted on the automobile. Normally, the portable navigation system 10 is electrically connected to a charger (not shown) and a battery (not shown) is charged. The separation detection unit 112 has a function of monitoring the output voltage of the charger. Accordingly, when the user gets out of the car with the portable navigation system 10 when getting out of the car, the electrical connection with the charger is cut off, and the separation detecting unit 112 detects that the output voltage becomes 0, and It detects that the navigation system 10 has been removed from the charger, and sends a position storage instruction signal to the navigation control unit 204. When the navigation control unit 204 receives the position storage instruction signal, the navigation control unit 204 stores the current position obtained from the position detector 107 in the memory 108.
[0037]
Therefore, if the user has the portable navigation system 10 and gets out of the car, the user can automatically memorize the position where the car is stopped. Therefore, the user must leave the car without carefully checking the stop position of the car in a large parking lot. However, the position of the car before leaving is automatically stored, that is, without the user being aware of it. Thereafter, when the user returns to the parking lot and does not know where in the parking lot, the user operates the operation unit 109 of the portable navigation system 10 to read the position at the time of leaving the car from the memory 108. An instruction is given to the navigation control unit 204 (user request). When this request is made, the position information previously stored from the memory 108 is read out, and this position information is stored in a predetermined storage unit in the control circuit 212 as a destination destination. In other words, a destination that the user does not know can be automatically set.
[0038]
The portable navigation system 10 gives the user a route from the current location to the destination in the same manner as described above, based on the relationship between the destination thus set automatically and the current location obtained from the position detector 107. In this case, since there is no guideline for displaying a route such as a road inside a parking lot or the like, the direction and distance from the current location to the destination are displayed on the display device 110 with arrows or characters, or voice synthesis is performed. The voice can be uttered from the speaker 104 and given to the user. The user can return to the parking position of the own vehicle according to the guidance information given by display on the screen or voice.
[0039]
Also, instead of using voice synthesis for guidance to the destination, a simple beep-on repetition (for example, a beeping sound) is used, and the repetition speed is increased as the distance to the destination approaches, for example, a predetermined distance of about 20 m. For example, the user can confirm that the user has approached the destination by switching to a continuous sound when approaching. In the above example, the case where guidance is provided by a request from the user has been described. However, even if there is no request from the user, the position of the vehicle is automatically displayed with an arrow or distance, and the portable navigation system is It can also be configured to always display while being carried.
[0040]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment. Specifically, the operation of the CPU of the control circuit 212 is shown. When the portable navigation system 10 is turned on, predetermined initialization (not shown) is performed, and it is then determined in step S1 whether or not it is connected to the charger. If it is determined that it is not connected to the charger, the current position is stored in the memory 108 in step S2. Thereafter, whether or not a user request has been input is determined in step S3, and if there is no request, it is determined in step S5 whether or not it is connected to the charger again. If not connected, the process returns to step S3, and if connected, the process returns to step S1. If it is determined in step S3 that there is a request, the previously stored position is read from the memory 108 in step S4, and the direction and distance to the destination (vehicle position) are displayed from the relationship with the current location.
[0041]
In the first embodiment, the separation detection unit 112 determines whether or not the separation detection unit 112 is separated from a predetermined device by the presence or absence of electrical connection with the charger. However, as another embodiment, Bluetooth or the like is used. By using the short-range communication function to detect that a predetermined distance or more has been detected, it is possible to detect separation from a predetermined device. In this case, a transmitter for near field communication is mounted on the automobile, and a predetermined signal is transmitted and received by the portable navigation system 10. When the portable navigation system 10 is separated from the automobile by, for example, about 10 m, it becomes impossible to receive a signal from the transmitter, and using this as a trigger, the current location at that time can be stored in the memory 108. If the distance from which the signal from the transmitter can be received is too long, that is, if it is several tens of meters or more, the memorized position will be away from the car by this distance, and the destination when returning will be shifted from the car position by that distance, It cannot guide to the parking position accurately. Therefore, the communicable distance is preferably about 10 m or less. The destination guidance in this case can be guidance to a destination area that covers a communicable area instead of guiding a point. Therefore, when the route is guided, the user can easily find the vehicle by looking around the periphery while recognizing that the vehicle is within the range of the guided destination area.
[0042]
In the first embodiment, the mobile navigation system determines the electrical connection with the charger and automatically sets the destination. However, the present invention is not limited to the charger, and for example, a vehicle navigation device is used. Automatic setting with the current location as the destination may be performed with the electrical connection with the hands-free device cut as a trigger. Further, whether or not to operate the automatic destination setting function of the above embodiment may be set by the user operation by the operation unit 109.
[0043]
In the first embodiment, the case where the vehicle is guided to the parking position has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such use. In other words, when you go out for a walk from a hotel that you have visited for the first time, or when a person with dementia goes out of the house, if you go out by removing the mobile navigation system from the charger, the location where you should return automatically is memorized. So, you can solve the problem of getting lost and unable to return to your hotel or home, and can guide you accurately. In this case, for example, it is preferable to display “Please come home” or “Go-Back-Home” so as to return to the home.
[0044]
Next, a second embodiment of the navigation system of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the second embodiment. A navigation system 10A in FIG. 2 includes a key insertion detector 101, a wireless device 102 for communicating with the outside, a sound processing unit 103, a speaker 104 that reproduces a sound signal received from the sound processing unit 103, and generates sound waves. Connected to an electric signal microphone 105 (also simply referred to as a microphone), a control unit 106 that performs various controls including navigation control, a position detector 107, a memory 108, an operation unit 109, a display device 110, and a wireless device 102. An antenna 111 is provided. Among these portions, those having the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 have substantially the same configuration or function, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.
[0045]
The key insertion detector 101 will be described with reference to a different part from FIG. 1. First, the key insertion detector 101 is in a state in which the key of the main key switch for controlling on / off of a motor of a vehicle such as an automobile into which the portable navigation system is brought is inserted. , Or the state of being removed. As a detection method, a method of detecting an off state of an ignition key of a vehicle or an off state of an ACC (accessory) signal can be used. Other methods include optically detecting the presence or absence of key insertion at a predetermined portion in the keyhole, using a microswitch that is turned on only when a key is inserted into the keyhole, and other electromagnetic methods. Any of the methods such as the detection method can be appropriately selected and used. In this embodiment, it is expressed that the insertion or removal of the key is detected, but the actual insertion and removal of the key is not important, whether the key is inserted and the key is on, Alternatively, since it is important whether the key is in the off state, the insertion / removal of the key corresponds to the off state and the on state of the key.
[0046]
When the navigation system 10A is used as a portable navigation system, the wireless device 102 communicates with a fixed navigation system or the like originally installed in an automobile or the like to exchange position information or map data. Used for. The usage mode by communication with the fixed navigation system will be described in detail later. Note that the control unit 106 used in the configuration of FIG. 4 has a communication control function that a mobile phone, a PDA, and the like have in addition to the function of the navigation control unit 204 used in the configuration of FIG.
[0047]
The audio processing unit has a function of D / A converting the digital signal from the control unit 106 and supplying the audio signal to the speaker 104, and A / D converting the audio signal from the microphone 105 and sending it to the control unit 106. . In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the speaker 104 is directly connected to the navigation system control unit 204. However, an audio processing unit that D / A converts the digital signal and supplies the audio signal to the speaker 104 is provided. It is assumed that it is included in the navigation control unit 204.
[0048]
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the navigation system of the present invention. The third embodiment differs from the second embodiment in the following points. In other words, the second embodiment has a function of communicating with a fixed navigation system mounted on a vehicle, but the third embodiment does not have such a communication function and operates only by it. is there. Note that the microphone 105 shown in FIG. 4 is not used in the third embodiment. Also, the D / A function in the voice processing unit 103 in FIG. 4 is built in the navigation control unit 204 as in the first embodiment.
[0049]
The navigation control unit 204 in FIG. 5 has the same configuration as that of FIG. 2 showing the first embodiment, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
[0050]
Next, the operation of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. The navigation system shown in FIG. 6 is a navigation system assembly comprising a set of a fixed navigation system and a portable navigation system used therewith. Such an assembly is simply referred to herein as a navigation system.
[0051]
FIG. 6 shows a state in which a fixed navigation system 30 mounted on an automobile or the like is connected to the communication terminal 40 by wire or wireless, and the communication terminal 40 can communicate with the portable navigation system 10A. The portable navigation system 10A can use the configuration of FIG. 4 described in the second embodiment as it is or with some modification. Further, it is assumed that the fixed navigation system 30 has the same configuration as that of the key insertion detector 101 described in FIG.
[0052]
The communication between the communication terminal 40 and the wireless device 102 (FIG. 4) of the portable navigation system 10A may be a method using Bluetooth or a cellular communication method similar to a mobile phone or PHS. In the case of the cellular communication system, it is possible to receive or transmit various information by connecting to various sites through the Internet as well as communication between the communication terminal 40 and the portable navigation system 10A. However, there is a problem that communication is not possible in places where radio waves are difficult to reach such as underground parking lots. On the other hand, in the case of the method using Bluetooth, there is no problem of such communication failure, so it can be said that using both of them together is a preferable mode.
[0053]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the fourth embodiment of FIG. This flowchart shows the operation of the CPU, which is a component of the fixed navigation system 30, but as will be described later, the CPU included in the control unit (corresponding to the control unit 106 in FIG. 4) of the portable navigation system 10A. It can also be set as the operation. Here, it demonstrates as what shows operation | movement of CPU of the fixed navigation system 30. FIG.
[0054]
First, in step S1, it is determined whether the portable navigation system 10A is wirelessly connected to the fixed navigation system 30 so as to be communicable. Note that. In the example of FIG. 6, the mode of wireless connection is displayed, but since wired connection may be used, there is a description of wireless or wired in step S <b> 1. If not connected, it is determined in step S3 whether reconnection is possible, and if possible, the process returns to step S1. On the other hand, if it is not possible, it is determined in step S2 whether or not the key has been removed. The determination method is the same as that described in the second embodiment. When the key is not removed (ON state), the process returns to step S1. On the other hand, when the key is removed (OFF state), the process goes to step S4, where the current position information is transmitted from the fixed navigation system 30 to the portable navigation system 10A and stored in the memory 108 of the portable navigation system 10A. Thereafter, in step S5, it is determined whether or not the data communication is completed, and step S4 is repeatedly executed until the data communication is completed.
[0055]
If it is determined that the data communication is completed, the process goes to step S6, and the power supply of the fixed navigation system (in-vehicle navigation system) 30 and the portable navigation system 10A is stopped. The power supply to the key insertion detector 101 added to the fixed navigation system 30 is also stopped at this time. In other words, the power of each part is continuously supplied until the data communication is completed and the information on the current position is reliably stored on the portable navigation system 10A side.
[0056]
In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the position information obtained by the fixed navigation system 30 is transmitted to the mobile navigation system 10A, but the mobile navigation system 10A is similar to the second embodiment shown in FIG. In the case where the position detector 107 is provided, position information can be obtained therefrom. In this case, the fixed navigation system 30 may notify the mobile navigation system 10A that the key has been removed. In the fourth embodiment of FIG. 6, a key insertion detector is not required on the portable navigation system 10A side, but a key insertion detector is also provided on the portable navigation system 10A side, and the output signal is sent to the portable navigation system 10A side. The portable navigation system 10A side may also perform the same operation as in the flowchart of FIG.
[0057]
FIG. 8 is a modification of the fourth embodiment, and differs from the configuration of FIG. 6 only in that the fixed navigation system 30 and the communication terminal 40 of FIG. FIG. 9 also shows that the communication method in the configuration of FIG. 8 is changed to wired communication. As wired communication, a LAN or the like laid in a car can be used. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the fixed navigation system 60 and the portable navigation system 10A are connected by the cable 70 that performs such wired communication.
[0058]
FIG. 10 is a flowchart for route guidance in the second and fourth embodiments and the two modifications thereof. First, in step S11, it is determined whether or not there is a route guidance user request. If there is, the mobile navigation system 10A goes to step S12 and the fixed (for example, in-vehicle) navigation system 30 (or 50, 60) wirelessly or It is determined whether or not a wired connection is established. If connected, route guidance is not necessary in the portable navigation system 10A, and the process returns. When it is not connected, it is determined that route guidance is necessary, so the process goes to step S13 to display the azimuth and distance from the current position to the car position. If step S13 is completed or if NO in step S11, the process returns.
[0059]
In the above embodiment, the case where the portable navigation system is configured as a single device and the case where the portable navigation system is incorporated into a mobile phone, a PHS, or the like has been described. However, instead of a key inserted into a keyhole of a car door, radio waves or infrared rays are used. It is also possible to incorporate the functions of the portable navigation system of the present invention into a terminal device that locks and unlocks a door and a similar terminal device that starts an engine. In addition, the portable navigation system of the present invention can be incorporated into a wristwatch, a wristwatch-type mobile phone, or a PHS.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a first embodiment of a navigation system according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a navigation control unit in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of a CPU included in the control circuit in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a second embodiment of a navigation system according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a third embodiment of a navigation system according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a fourth embodiment of a navigation system according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the fourth exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a modified example of the fourth embodiment in FIG. 6;
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of another modification of the fourth embodiment of FIG. 6;
10 is a flowchart showing an operation at the time of route guidance in the fourth embodiment of FIG. 6 and the modified examples shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
10, 10A Mobile navigation system
40 Communication terminal
50 Navigation system with communication function
60 Navigation system
101 Key insertion detector (key-off detection means)
102 radio
103 Voice processing unit
104 Speaker
105 microphone
106 Control unit (control means)
107 Position detector (position detection means)
108 Memory (storage means)
109 Operation unit (input means)
110 Display device
112 Separation detection unit (separation detection means)
204 Navigation control unit (control means)
211 Map data reading section
212 Control circuit
213 External memory

Claims (3)

A portable navigation system having position detecting means for detecting a current location, having a route guidance function to a destination set by a user when mounted on a vehicle, and when taken out of the vehicle, the position of the vehicle is Storing and having a function of guiding at least one of a route, a direction, and a distance to the vehicle when the user returns to the vehicle,
A receiving means for the portable navigation system receives the signals sent from the on-board short-range communication transmitter to a vehicle,
Storage means for storing the position detected by the position detection means;
An input means for receiving a guidance request from a user;
When receiving the signal by the receiving means, control to store the position obtained by the position detecting means in the storage means, and when a guidance request from the user is received by the input means, Control means for controlling the mobile navigation system to provide guidance information using the current location obtained by the position detection means and the position stored in the storage means,
A portable navigation system.   When the user receives guidance to the vehicle when returning to the vehicle, the control unit provides guidance information by the portable navigation system when the signal can be received by the receiving unit. The portable navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the portable navigation system is configured to control to end. A mobile phone having the function of the mobile navigation system according to claim 1.

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