Map information providing system

The present invention relates to a map information providing system that distributes map information to a vehicle or pedestrian navigation device.

A navigation system that is installed in a vehicle such as an automobile, displays the current position, and displays the route to the destination is known. As the vehicle travels, the current position is detected by GPS (Global Positioning System), etc., and the current position is displayed on the display device together with the road map to provide an appropriate route from the current location to the destination. Vehicle navigation devices that are set and guided by display devices, voice output devices, etc. contribute to the efficient and safe driving of drivers. With this device, you can drive comfortably without getting lost.

On the other hand, a system for distributing map information from the information center to the vehicle has also been devised. According to this, the user can obtain the latest map information, and can also obtain information on the weather, traffic congestion, nearby stores, and the like.

A system that selects information obtained from the information center according to the vehicle type and displays it on the navigation system is also disclosed (Patent Document 1).

<patcit num="1"><text>Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-30187</text></patcit>

<p> However, in this method, since the information is selected on the vehicle side, the amount of communication increases and the communication time also increases. A device for extracting information on the center side is also disclosed, but the vehicle side (information processing device) holds individual vehicle information, and it is necessary to transmit this individual information to the center side each time. Therefore, every time the information is received from the center, the vehicle type information is transmitted to the center, which also causes waste of communication.</p><p> Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a map information providing system for a vehicle navigation device or a pedestrian navigation device by reducing the amount of communication of map information required for a user and promptly providing the map information.</p>

Means for Solving Problems and Effects of Invention

The map information providing means of the present invention for solving the above problems guides a route to a destination based on map information installed in a vehicle or carried by a pedestrian and current position data of the vehicle or pedestrian. In a map information providing system including a navigation device and a map information distribution means for distributing map information to the navigation device, the navigation device includes an identification code storage means having a unique identification code and a map information distribution means. It has a transmission unit that requests the transmission of map information, a reception unit that receives map information from the map information distribution means, and a display unit that displays the map information received from the map information distribution means. Is a user information storage means that stores an identification code and a type based on the usage pattern of the navigation device having the identification code, a map information storage means that stores map information for each type, and distribution of map information from the navigation device. It has a receiving means for receiving the request and the identification code, and a transmitting means for delivering the map information corresponding to the type of the navigation device determined based on the identification code to the navigation device.

Since each navigation device has a unique identification code by the identification code storage means, each navigation device can be identified. The transmitting unit can request the map information distribution means to distribute the map information together with the identification code, and the receiving unit can receive the map information from the map information distribution means. Then, the received map information can be displayed by the display unit.

The map information distribution means has a user information storage means, which can store the identification code of each navigation device and the type based on the usage pattern of the navigation device having the identification code. Then, the request from the navigation device is received by the receiving means, the type based on the usage pattern of the navigation device is determined from the received identification code, and the map for each type based on the usage pattern of the navigation device stored in the map information storage means. Information can be selected and transmitted by means of transmission. Here, the type based on the usage pattern of the navigation device means, for example, a large vehicle, a medium-sized vehicle, a small vehicle, or the like. In the case of pedestrian navigation, the type is pedestrian. The received identification code can be used to obtain information about the vehicle or pedestrian who requested the distribution of map information, whereby the map information distribution means distributes appropriate map information to each vehicle or pedestrian. Can be done.

The navigation device of the map information providing system of the present invention transmits the locus of a vehicle or a pedestrian having the navigation device to the map information distribution means together with the identification code, and the map information storage means identifies the locus received from the navigation device. The type traffic history of the locus is stored based on the code.

When the navigation device transmits the trajectory of the vehicle or pedestrian to the map information distribution means together with the identification code, the map information distribution means uses the identification code of each navigation device and the usage pattern of the navigation device having the identification code. Since the type based on the above is stored, the type traffic history of the locus can be stored by this information. By accumulating the traffic history of each type of locus, it is possible to create a database of map information for each type.

Then, the map information distribution means of the present invention transmits map information including a recommended trajectory as a type based on the usage pattern of the navigation device based on the past type traffic history. By accumulating the past type traffic history, it is possible to provide information on the most frequently used locus as a recommended route in response to a request for distribution of map information. Specifically, for example, in the case of a large vehicle, since narrow roads cannot be passed, the history of passing through trunk roads and the like is accumulated. Therefore, if the road with the most traffic history is set as the recommended road and displayed on the map information, it is possible to reach the destination by an appropriate route.

Further, the map information providing system of the present invention stores a plurality of types corresponding to the vehicle body size of the vehicle on which the navigation device is mounted as types based on the usage pattern of the navigation device, and the map information storage means is the vehicle body size. The traffic record data transmitted from each navigation device is stored in the map information storage means for each of the plurality of types corresponding to the map information storage means, and the map information storage means is classified based on the vehicle body size of the distribution request destination of the map information. The type map information corresponding to the type to be delivered is delivered to the delivery request destination.

The information on the type stored in the user information storage means includes information on the size of the vehicle, in addition to information on which size the vehicle is classified into, such as a large vehicle, a medium-sized vehicle, and a small vehicle. That is, the type also includes information such as the size and dimensions of the vehicle on which the navigation device is installed. It may also include information on hybrids, fuel cell vehicles, and the like. Then, by accumulating the traffic record data transmitted from each navigation device in the map information storage means, it is possible to create type map information suitable for each type, and the navigation device is installed in each navigation device. It is possible to provide appropriate map information for the vehicle.

Further, the type as a navigation device carried by a pedestrian is added to the type. Appropriate map information for pedestrians can also be sent to the navigation device carried by pedestrians. Information such as pedestrian-only roads is transmitted to the pedestrian navigation system.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to examples shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the overall structure of the present invention. This map information providing system starts from the navigation device (in-vehicle navigation) 100 mounted on the vehicle, the pedestrian navigation (pedestrian navigation) 101 such as a mobile phone, and the center (map distribution center) 14 which is a map information distribution means. Become. The map distribution center 14 holds information of the type based on the usage pattern of all the users to be distributed. The user type is vehicle type information (large vehicle, medium-sized vehicle, small vehicle, hybrid, fuel cell vehicle, vehicle size, etc.) of the vehicle in which the navigation device is installed. The center 14 side receives the current position information and the like from the in-vehicle navigation system and the pedestrian navigation system in real time. On the center 14 side, vehicle type information is added to the received information and stored as a map information database.

The map distribution center 14 distributes a map to the user terminal (vehicle-mounted navigation 100, pedestrian navigation 101) in response to a request from the user terminal (vehicle-mounted navigation 100, pedestrian navigation 101). Further, the map information center 14 is provided with not only a map but also location information of, for example, stores and facilities, and provides map information in response to a request from a user terminal, and at the same time, for example, the location of stores and facilities. Alternatively, information about the store, facility, or the like may be distributed to the user terminal.

When the map distribution center 14 receives a route search request from the navigation terminals (vehicle-mounted navigation 100, pedestrian navigation 101), the map distribution center 14 uses the map information database to which the vehicle type information is added to specify the starting point and the destination. The recommended route connecting the points is searched, and the map information and the recommended route information suitable for the vehicle type are transmitted to the requested navigation terminal.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a vehicle navigation device as an embodiment of the present invention. The navigation device 100 includes a position detector 1, an operation switch group 7, a remote control (hereinafter referred to as a remote controller) sensor 11, a speaker 15 for voice guidance, an external memory 9, a display device 10, a communication unit 19, and an ETC on-board unit. 16. It is equipped with these connected control circuits 8 and a remote control terminal 12.

The position detector 1 has a well-known geomagnetic sensor 2, a gyroscope 3, a distance sensor 4, and a GPS receiver 5 for GPS that detects the position of the vehicle based on radio waves from satellites. Since each of these sensors, etc. 2, 3, 4, 5 has errors having different properties, they are configured to be used while being complemented by a plurality of sensors. Depending on the accuracy, some of the above-mentioned sensors may be used, or a steering rotation sensor, a wheel sensor for each driving wheel, or the like may be used.

As the operation switch group 7, for example, a touch switch or a mechanical switch integrated with the display device 10 is used. The touch switch is composed of infrared sensors arranged vertically and horizontally finely on the screen of the display device 10. For example, when the infrared rays are blocked by a finger or a touch pen, the blocked position is a two-dimensional coordinate value (X, Detected as Y). Various instructions can be input by the operation switch group 7 and the remote control terminal 12.

The display device 10 as a display unit is composed of a color liquid crystal display, and on the screen of the display device 10, the vehicle current position mark input from the position detector 1, the map information received from the map distribution center 14, and the map information are further displayed. In addition to superimposing additional data such as guidance routes to be displayed on the map, buttons for setting route guidance, guidance during route guidance, and screen switching operations are displayed on this screen.

The transmitter / receiver 13 as a transmitter and a receiver is a device for receiving information provided by the map distribution center 14 and transmitting the information to the map distribution center 14. Information received from the outside via the transmitter / receiver 13 is processed by the control circuit 8.

In addition, the vehicle navigation device 100 can be connected to the external network 18 by a mobile communication device such as a mobile phone 17 via the communication unit 19, and can be connected to the Internet or a dedicated information center. be able to. Further, by communicating with the ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) on-board unit 16, the toll information received by the ETC on-board unit 16 from the ETC on-board unit can be taken into the navigation device. It is also possible to connect to the external network 18 by the ETC on-board unit 16.

Further, the external memory 9 stores data necessary for the operation of the navigation device. The external memory 9 retains the stored contents even when the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off (that is, the navigation device 100 is turned off).

The control circuit 8 is configured as a normal computer, and is provided with a well-known CPU 81, ROM 82, RAM 83, I / O 84 and a bus line 85 connecting these configurations as shown in FIG.

The CPU 81 is controlled by the programs and data stored in the ROM 82 and the RAM 83. As shown in FIG. 3, the ROM 82 stores an operating system (hereinafter referred to as an OS) 82s, a navigation program (hereinafter referred to as a navigation program) 82p running on the OS 82s, and an identification code 82k. The identification code 82k is a code unique to each navigation device, and ROM 82 is an identification code storage means. In addition, the navigation program 82p operates on the OS 82s with the navigation program work memory 83w as the work area. Further, the working memory 83s of the OS 82s is formed in the RAM 83.

With such a configuration, in the navigation device 100, when the navigation program 82p is started by the CPU 81 of the control circuit 8, the driver operates the operation switch group 7 or the remote control terminal 12, and the display device 10 is displayed. When the route guidance process for displaying the destination route on the display device 10 is selected from the menu displayed in, the following process is performed. That is, when the driver inputs the destination, the current location of the vehicle is obtained based on the satellite data obtained from the GPS receiver 5, and the map information distribution request is transmitted to the map distribution center 14 together with the information and the identification code. Then, the map information is received from the map distribution center 14, a road map suitable for the vehicle of that type to pass is displayed on the display device 10, and the driver is guided to the appropriate route. The above operation and the following examples are controlled by the navigation program 82p.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the information server 25 of the map distribution center 14. The information server 25 has a CPU 51, a ROM 52, a RAM 53, and an input / output interface (I / O) 54, and includes a computer main body 50 to which these are connected so as to be able to send and receive by a bus line 55. Alternatively, via an input device such as a mouse 57, a recording medium reading means such as a CD-ROM drive 58 or a floppy (registered trademark) disk drive (hereinafter referred to as FDD) 59, an HDD (hard disk drive) 60, and a monitor control unit 61. The whole is constructed as a computer system to which the connected monitor 62, the printer 63, the network control unit 64 and the like for communicating with the transmission / reception device 22 and the like are connected. A DVD-ROM drive or the like may be used instead of the CD-ROM drive 58.

The HDD60 stores an operating system program (hereinafter referred to as an OS) 60a and an information server program 60b. The information server program 60b operates in the form of the information server work memory 53b secured in the RAM 53 on the OS 60a as a work area in order to realize the function as an information server. This is stored in a computer-readable state on, for example, a CD-ROM 65, and is installed in a predetermined storage area on the HDD 60. In addition, the working memory 53a of OS60a is also formed in the RAM53.

In addition, a user information database 23a and a map information database 23b are constructed in the HDD 60. Therefore, the HDD 60 is a user information storage means and a map information storage means. The user information database 23a records the identification code assigned to the user's navigation device as shown in FIG. 6 and the vehicle type information of the vehicle in which the navigation device of the identification code is installed. The vehicle type information is whether the vehicle on which the navigation device is installed is a large vehicle, a medium-sized vehicle, a small vehicle, or the dimensions of the vehicle. Alternatively, information on a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, or the like may be included. In the case of pedestrian navigation, it is recorded that it is a pedestrian instead of the vehicle type. In addition, map data is recorded in the map information database 23b. For roads as map data, road IDs are defined for each road. Then, the traffic history of each vehicle type is recorded for each defined road. Then, it is recorded as a map information database for each vehicle type based on the driving history of the user.

With such a configuration, the information server 25 functions as an information server after executing necessary initialization processing when the information server program 60b is started by the CPU 51 of the computer main body 50. After that, when a connection request or a search request is generated from the navigation device 100 via the transmission / reception device 22, the process stored in the information server program 60b is executed, and the necessary data or the search result of the database 23 is transmitted / received. It is sent to the navigation device 100 via the device 22.

In addition, the contents of the user information database 23a and the map information database 23b are updated as needed. This is to update the vehicle traffic history of the database 23b when the vehicle information and the current location are sent from the moving vehicle.

Figure 5 shows an example of the processing steps of the map information distribution system. An identification code (ID) is assigned to each of the navigation devices owned by the user. Then, the server records the vehicle type information about the vehicle in which the navigation device of each identification code is installed as user information.

First, the creation of a map database that records driving information for each vehicle type will be described. The user's vehicle detects the current position by the position detector 1 while driving, and transmits the current position information or the passing road ID to the map distribution center 14 together with the identification code (S1). Both the current location information and the passing road ID may be transmitted, or either. The map distribution center 14 receives the information (S2), and accumulates the information on the driving route for each vehicle type in the map database 23b (S3). Specifically, the map distribution center 14 that receives the current position information or the passing road ID together with the identification code adds the vehicle type information of the identification code stored in advance from the identification code, and the vehicle of which vehicle type. The map information database records which road the vehicle traveled on. As a result, roads for large vehicles, roads for small vehicles, and roads for pedestrians are classified. By creating a database of driving information of a large number of users, it is possible to classify the roads that are most suitable for each vehicle type or the roads that cannot be driven.

Subsequently, the user transmits an identification code (ID) to the map distribution center 14 as a request for acquiring map information (S11). The server that receives the user's request checks the vehicle type of the received identification code from the user information database. Then, in S13, information about the same model is extracted from the map database created in S3. Then, the map information suitable for the user's vehicle type is distributed (S14).

Figure 6 shows an example of data from the navigation device and map distribution center. As shown in (a), the vehicle 91 transmits the information of the identification code (ID) and the current position to the map distribution center. Vehicle type information and map data for each ID are recorded in the map distribution center 14. Then, the user information and the map data are linked in the above-mentioned order. (b) shows an example of data transmitted by the user's navigation device 100. This data includes information about the user's ID and current location. An example of vehicle type information as user information possessed by the center 14 is shown in (c). IDs of all users and their vehicle type information are stored in the center. Then, as shown in (d), the transmission information of the user and the user information stored in the information server are linked based on the ID transmitted from the navigation device 100 of the user. Using this data, the history of vehicles traveling on each road is recorded for each vehicle type.

Figure 7 shows an example of map information including vehicle type information in the map distribution server. First, as shown in FIG. 7, the road 111 is stored as a road ID of 1, the road 112 is stored as a road ID of 2, the road 113 is stored as a road ID of 3, and the road 114 is stored as a road ID of 4. In this way, road IDs are assigned to all roads. When the driving information is transmitted from the user's navigation device, each road ID and the vehicle type traveled are linked and stored. For example, if only pedestrians are passing on the road with road ID 1, a record 121 is recorded to that effect. Then, if there is a request from the pedestrian navigation device to provide map information, the road is transmitted as a pedestrian road. In addition, the history of large cars, medium-sized cars, and small cars running on roads with road IDs 2 and 3 is recorded 122,123. Therefore, if there is a map distribution request from the navigation device of these vehicle types, these road information is transmitted. Furthermore, road 114 with road ID 4 is judged to be a road for small cars and pedestrians because it has a record of traffic history of small cars and pedestrians 124.

Figure 8 shows an example of traffic history data by vehicle type for each road. As described in Fig. 7, a database of traffic history for each vehicle type is created for each road ID of the road. This is recorded in the information server 25 of the map distribution center 14. In FIG. 8, the number of times each of a large vehicle, a medium-sized vehicle, a small vehicle, and a pedestrian has passed is recorded for each road ID. Only pedestrian traffic is recorded on the road with road ID1. That is, it is a road that only pedestrians can pass. Road IDs 2 and 3 record the driving history of large cars, medium-sized cars, and small cars. That is, it is a road on which large cars, medium-sized cars, and small cars can travel. Furthermore, the road with road ID 4 is judged to be a road that small cars or pedestrians can pass by recording the passage of small cars and pedestrians.

Figure 9 shows the screen of the navigation device. (a) is an example of a screen of a small car, and (b) and (c) are examples of a screen of a large car. Roads 115,116,117 are displayed because small cars can pass through narrow roads. However, in the case of a large vehicle, the narrow road 117 cannot pass. Since such information is accumulated in the map database as traffic records by vehicle type, as shown in (b), the screen of the navigation device for large vehicles is a narrow road that large vehicles cannot pass (there is no history of passage). Road) 117 is not displayed. Alternatively, as shown in (c), a narrow road 117 that cannot be passed by a large vehicle can be marked with a mark 118.

As described above, the map information according to the vehicle type or pedestrian is distributed by receiving the traffic road information from the vehicle navigation device or the pedestrian navigation device and accumulating it in the map distribution center as the type traffic history. be able to.

<figref num="1">The figure which shows the whole structure of the map information providing system of this invention.</figref><figref num="2">The block diagram which shows the navigation device as one Example of this invention.</figref><figref num="3">The figure for demonstrating the structure of a control circuit.</figref><figref num="4">The block diagram which shows the whole structure of the map distribution center as one Example of this invention.</figref><figref num="5">The figure explaining the information processing order.</figref><figref num="6">The figure explaining an example of the data structure of a user information and a present position.</figref><figref num="7">The figure explaining the traffic history by road.</figref><figref num="8">The figure explaining an example of the data structure of the traffic history by vehicle type.</figref><figref num="9">The figure explaining the difference in the display of the navigation device of a small car and a large car.</figref>

Code description

13 Transmitter / receiver 14 Map distribution center 22 Transmitter / receiver 25 Information server 91 Vehicle 100 Navigation device