 |
Claims  |
|
|
What is claimed is:
1. A map indication device for a vehicle, comprising:
data storage storing descriptive data related to buildings and facilities
to include shapes and names;
a display to display a map based upon the descriptive data; and
a recognition means for recognizing the shapes of displayed buildings and
facilities.
2. The map indication device according to claim 1, further comprising
search means for searching for a building or facility corresponding to a
point that is input and to identify the building or facility.
3. The map indication device according to claim 1, wherein the descriptive
data includes external data of a plurality of buildings and facilities to
include plane shapes or solid shapes and further comprises:
means for reading the external data of the buildings and facilities that
are stored;
means for converting the external data of the buildings and facilities that
are read out into display data, the display displaying a map that presents
external data of the buildings and facilities, based upon the converted
external data of the buildings and facilities, so that shapes of the
buildings and facilities can be recognized on the map that is displayed.
4. The map indication device according to claim 3, wherein the descriptive
data further includes internal data including addresses, names and
telephone numbers of the buildings and facilities in association with the
external data of buildings and facilities on the displayed map that
displays the external data of buildings, the map indication device further
comprising means for selecting a one of the plurality of buildings and
facilities using the map, and means for searching the internal data
corresponding to the selected one of the plurality of buildings and
facilities and then displays the internal data of the selected one.
5. The map indication device according to claim 1, wherein the data storage
stores data for at least one road map formed based upon road data and at
least one house map formed based upon data related to the buildings and
facilities and the map indication device further comprises means for
changing between the at least one map and the at least one house map.
6. The map indication device according to claim 5, wherein the stored road
data representing roads is displayed as a road map, the stored external
data of buildings and facilities is displayed as a house map, the map
indication device further comprising:
means for selecting the road data or the external data of the buildings and
facilities;
means for reading either the road data or the external data of the
buildings and facilities depending upon the selection; and
means for converting either the road data or the external data of the
buildings and facilities for display as a map, then displaying the
converted road data or the external data of the buildings and facilities
as the map on the display.
7. A navigation device for a vehicle, comprising:
storage means for storing house shape data related to defined integrated
units include shape data;
a display to display map data based upon the house shape data;
an input device for inputting a point based on the map data that are
displayed;
recognition means for recognizing the shape of an integrated unit based
upon the house shape data to identify the integrated unit that corresponds
to the point that is input; and
selection means for selecting the integrated unit that corresponds to the
point that is input.
8. The navigation device according to claim 7, further comprising:
means for detecting a present position of a car, wherein the house shape
data in which the shapes of the integrated units are comprised of
sequences of coordinates;
means for comparing coordinates of the point that is input with the shapes
of the integrated units comprised of the sequences of coordinates of said
house shape data to search for an integrated unit that corresponds to the
coordinates of the point that is input;
means for setting an identified integrated unit as a destination;
means for calculating a route from the present position to the destination
that is set; and
means for displaying on the display the integrated unit that corresponds to
the coordinates of the point that is input and the route that is
calculated.
9. The navigation device according to claim 7, wherein the stored house
shape data represents shapes of integrated units that are included in a
predetermined region and are sectionalized on a plane, locations of the
integrated units, and data related to the integrated units, the navigation
device further comprising:
means for designating, as a point, the integrated unit that becomes a
destination;
means for searching coordinates of the point that is designated;
means for searching house shape data in which the coordinates of the
integrated unit that is searched are included in a range of the house
shape data;
means for setting the integrated unit represented by identified house shape
data as the destination;
means for setting a guide route to the destination that is set; and
means for detecting the present position of a moving vehicle, the display
displaying data related to the integrated unit included in the searched
house shape data, the guide route that is set, and the detected present
position of the moving means.
10. A navigation device, comprising:
data storage for storing road map data formed based upon road data as well
as house map data, the house map data including shapes of integrated
units;
means for detecting a present position of a vehicle;
means for calculating a route based upon data that are input and the road
data that are stored when data necessary for calculating the route to a
destination are input;
means for providing guidance along the route based upon the calculated
route and the detected present position of the vehicle;
a display for displaying the map data that are read out and the calculated
route; and
means for changing the display between the map data formed by reading the
road map data and the map data formed by reading the house map data based
upon predetermined conditions.
11. The navigation device according to claim 10, further comprising judging
means for judging the predetermined conditions, wherein the map to be
displayed as changed over to the road map from the house map when it is
judged that a speed of the vehicle is higher than a predetermined speed.
12. The navigation device according to claim 10, further comprising manual
selection means for manually selecting the map to be displayed, wherein
the map data to be displayed are selected manually or automatically, and
the map data to be displayed are changed over depending upon the selection
of the map data.
13. The navigation device according to claim 10, further comprising means
for calculating a distance from the detected present position of the
vehicle to the destination that is input and, based upon the distance that
is calculated, the map data to be displayed is changed over to the house
map from the road map upon a judgment that the vehicle is within a
predetermined distance from the destination.
14. A navigation device for a vehicle, comprising:
a storage device storing house shape data that are related to house shapes
representing shapes of places that are included in a predetermined region
and are sectionalized on a plane, positions of the places, and data
related to the places;
a display for displaying a picture;
means for generating house map data to display a house map by using the
house shapes of the places that are included in the predetermined region
and are sectionalized on the plane, the display displaying the house map
as the picture based upon the house map data that are generated;
means for generating road map data to display a road map by using a road
network and geographical data included in the predetermined region, the
display displaying the road map as the picture based upon the road map
data that are generated;
means for designating a point that becomes a destination;
means for searching coordinates of the point that is designated;
means for searching the house shape data in which the coordinates of the
identified point are included in a range of the house shape data;
means for generating for display as the picture data related to the place
identified as the searched house shape data for the destination, the
storage device also storing place data related to places that may be
selected as drop-in places;
means for searching from the place data places that correspond to a
selected genre and that meet conditions that are input as drop-in places,
displaying on the display the house shape of the identified place on the
house map in a form distinguishable from house shapes of other places;
means for designating a drop-in place out of recommended drop-in places
that are displayed, then displaying the house shape of the designated
drop-in place in a form distinguishable from the other recommended drop-in
places;
means for searching coordinates of the point designated as the drop-in
place;
means for identifying the house shape data in which the coordinates of the
point of the designated drop-in place is included in the range of the
house shape data for the drop-in place;
means for setting a guide route to the destination and a guide route to the
designated drop-in place;
means for detecting a present position of a moving means, the display
displaying the guide route together with the detected present position;
means for determining whether the present position is within a
predetermined distance from the destination when the guide route is being
displayed;
means for determining whether the house map or the road map should be
displayed depending upon predetermined conditions, the house map displayed
around the destination when the destination is set and the present
position of the moving means is determined to be within a predetermined
distance of the destination;
means for determining whether a range of the house map for display lies
outside a coordinate range of data of the house map that can be displayed;
means for changing over the display of the house map to the road map when
the range of the house map for display lies outside the coordinate range
of data of the house map that can be displayed;
means for storing in the storage device reduced scale data of the road map
when the road map displayed is changed over to the house map;
means for returning the display to the road map again on the reduced scale
in effect when a road map display was previously changed over to the house
map;
means for determining whether the house map or the road map be displayed
depending upon a manual operation by a user;
means for determining whether the vehicle is moving; and
means for inhibiting the display of the house map when it is determined
that the vehicle is moving.
15. A navigation device for a vehicle, comprising:
means for calculating a route to a destination that is input;
means for providing guidance to a user according to the calculated route;
a storage device for storing data related to the calculated route, the
storage device storing building data for indicating the shapes of
integrated units;
means for inputting a point to include the destination or a passing point;
means for searching from the building data an integrated unit corresponding
to the point that is input, wherein when the integrated unit is the
destination, the means for calculating calculates the route to a point on
a road adjacent to the identified integrated unit as an end point of the
route.
16. The navigation device according to claim 15, wherein the building data
further includes data of a particular point, when the integrated unit is
the destination, the route is calculated to the particular point.
17. The navigation device according to claim 16, wherein the data of the
particular point are data related to an entrance to a building.
18. The navigation device according to claim 16, wherein the data of the
particular point are data related to a parking lot.
19. A navigation device for a vehicle, comprising:
an input device;
calculation means for calculating a route to a destination that is input
using the input device; and
means for presenting guidance along the calculated route, the navigation
device storing building data indicating the shapes of integrated units and
searches, from the building data, integrated units that correspond to a
genre of the destination that is input, detects a position designated by
the input device, searches for an integrated unit that corresponds to the
designated position, and portrays a building corresponding to the genre
that is input in a first indication form and portrays a building
identified from the building data in a second indication form with the
means for presenting. |
|
 |
|
 |
Claims |
|
|
|
Description |
|
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a map indication device and to a navigation device
which produces route guidance to a destination (goal) that is set by a
user.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional map indication device can be represented by, for example, a
car navigation device mounted on a car. The car navigation device stores a
plurality of items related to places, such as geographical names,
telephone numbers and addresses of buildings, parks, companies. These
items have been stored in the navigation device together with
representative coordinates that specify the geographical location of each
facility. When an item, such as the geographical name, telephone number,
or address is specified by the user, the destination desired by the user
is thereby input to the navigation device. According to another navigation
device, a particular point can be designated on a map presented on a
display using a cursor. In such a navigation device, when a point, which
is the destination, is designated by the user on the map picture using the
cursor, the coordinates of the designated point are set to the navigation
device as a destination point.
As described above, designating the destination using the means described
above makes it convenient to reliably select the destination. However, the
above-mentioned navigation devices require list data in which geographical
coordinates of destination points are corresponded to the items, such as
geographical names, telephone numbers, and addresses, that are related to
a plurality of possible destination points on a map. Such list data must
be stored in a memory having a very large capacity. The navigation device
equipped with the memory having such a very large capacity results in an
increase in the cost of production.
Therefore, the conventional navigation devices have been provided with a
memory of limited capacity to avoid an increase in the cost of production.
That is, the list data stored in the navigation device consists only of
that data associated with major places. In other words, the navigation
device does not store list data related to all possible places.
Therefore, when geographic places, that are not included in the list data,
are to be set as destinations, such destinations must be designated by a
separate method such as the one in which a map picture of a region
including the destination is indicated on the display of the navigation
device, and the destination is designated by using a cursor on the map
picture displayed. It is, however, difficult to move the cursor to an
exact point on the map picture.
In the conventional navigation device, furthermore, setting the
destinations and detecting the present position of the car are effected by
using a road map based upon road data. Besides, searching the route up to
a designated destination from the present position of the car and road
guidance along the searched route are performed using the road map.
In order to offer proper route guidance while the car is running, the map
on the display of the navigation device indicates only a minimum of data.
This is to easily allow the driver, or user, to know the present position
of the car and the principal roads along which he/she may proceed.
As described above, the conventional navigation device indicates small
amounts of data and, hence, offers relatively small amounts of data from
which the user must confirm the destination or a particular facility
desired by the user. Accordingly, the user may often find it cumbersome to
determine the exact point. With the map data consisting of conventional
road data, the user may overlook the destination on the displayed map
despite the fact the user is approaching the destination according to the
route guidance. As a result, the user passes by the destination and must
take a detour to arrive at the destination; i.e., the function of the
navigation device is often not efficiently used.
In the conventional navigation device, the roads on the map indicated on
the picture generally consist of straight lines coupling a plurality of
coordinate points. Besides, large facilities are surrounded by lines so
that the entire site of the facilities can be observed. Further, names of
the facilities are often indicated on the map picture. When map
coordinates are input for setting the destination, there may often be
searched a road in the vicinity of the coordinates or an intersection
closest to the coordinates. The point or the intersection on the searched
road is set as an end point of the route guidance, and a route is searched
from the present position of the car to the end point.
With the facilities being surrounded by lines as described above, however,
it is not often obvious on the picture where the entrance to the facility
is located. Moreover, since the end point of the route guidance is set and
the guide route is searched based on the input point, the route is guided
to the vicinity of the destination. When the surrounding of the facility
at the destination has a complex shape, however, the user is often finally
guided to the back door or to a byroad of the facility at the destination
if the principal entrance is not known by the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention was accomplished in order to solve the above-mentioned
problems.
A first object of the invention is to provide a navigation device which
makes it possible to simply and easily search buildings and to designate
destinations by recognizing the shapes of buildings.
A second object of the invention is to provide a navigation device which
indicates guidance while running and makes it easy to determine a point on
a map that is indicated.
A third object of the invention is to provide a navigation device which is
capable of automatically changing the indication of house maps and road
maps depending upon the predetermined conditions.
A fourth object of the invention is to provide a navigation device capable
of calculating a suitable route to the destination.
A fifth object of the invention is to provide a navigation device which,
when the destination is indicated on a house map, automatically sets a
guide route to a point on a road adjacent to the building which is the
destination.
According to the invention, the shape of a building is formed as data and
is stored, making it possible to easily recognize the shape of the
building. This makes it possible to search the building at a point that is
input, and the user is able to quickly and easily execute the operation
for inputting a desired building which is the destination. Moreover, the
shape of the building is indicated on the picture using the data related
to the shape of the building. Therefore, the present point that is
indicated can be easily recognized, and the user is able to easily
recognize the present point.
Further, according to the invention, the indication of the road maps and
the house maps is changed over depending upon the running condition of the
car, and the guide route can be watched more easily while the route is
being guided. Under given running conditions of the car, the point can be
easily confirmed. Moreover, since provision is made for means capable of
selecting the indicated contents of map data, the user finds it-easy to
recognize a point, such as the destination, on the indicated map when such
a point is set.
According to the invention, moreover, the house map is automatically
indicated on the display when the car has arrived at the vicinity of the
destination, making it possible to properly recognize the position of the
destination on the map. As a result, the user is able to arrive at the
destination quickly and easily. When the car is running at a speed faster
than a predetermined speed, furthermore, the road map is automatically
indicated on the picture, making it possible to watch the map more easily
while running. When it is desired to confirm a place of the building on
the indicated map, a house map is indicated under the condition where the
car is running at a speed slower than a predetermined speed, and the
building can be easily recognized.
According to the invention, a point on the road adjacent to the building
which is the destination is indicated as an end point of road guidance,
and a guide route for arriving at this end point is searched, that is,
identified. This eliminates the possibility that the end point of the
guide route is erroneously set on a road remote from the destination.
Besides, the road is guided up to just before the destination, and the
user is able to determine his car is located in the vicinity of the
destination by viewing the figure that represents the shape of the house
which is the destination indicated on the house map.
Although the invention is described in the context of use in a car, it may
be used in any vehicle moving on roads.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be described with reference to the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of the navigation
device;
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a road map;
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a house map;
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating some of the data stored in the RAM of a
first embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the contents of house shape data;
FIG. 6 is a diagram of data related to the shape of a house;
FIG. 7 is a summary flow chart of the processing executed by the navigation
device;
FIG. 8 is a flow chart of the process for setting a destination in a first
embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a process for designating a destination in a
first embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a cursor KL and the data related to the
shape of a house;
FIG. 11 is a diagram indicating a list of detailed data related to the
house shapes;
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing some of the data stored in the RAM of a second
embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 13 is a flow chart illustrating a process for designating a
destination of the second embodiment;
FIG. 14 is a flow chart illustrating the process for switching the map of
the second embodiment;
FIG. 15 is a flow chart illustrating a process for manual operation of the
second embodiment;
FIG. 16 is a flow chart illustrating the process for switching maps when
the destination is approached of the second embodiment;
FIG. 17 is a flow chart illustrating the process for switching to a house
map of the second embodiment;
FIG. 18 is a flow chart illustrating a process for setting a place to be
dropped in of the second embodiment;
FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a color indication and a solid indication
of a house shape of the second embodiment;
FIG. 20 is a diagram showing some of the data stored in the RAM for the
third embodiment;
FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the contents of a road data file of the third
embodiment;
FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating route guidance of the third embodiment;
FIG. 23 is a diagram representing the structure of road number data of the
third embodiment;
FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating the contents of house shape data of the
third embodiment;
FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between the house shape at
the destination and the adjacent roads of the third embodiment;
FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between the house shape at
the destination and the roads when the adjacent roads are not part of the
route guidance of the third embodiment;
FIG. 27 is a summary flow chart illustrating the process for searching the
route of the third embodiment;
FIG. 28 is a flow chart of the process for determining the start point of
the route of the third embodiment;
FIG. 29 is a flow chart of the process for determining the end point of
route of the third embodiment;
FIG. 30 is a flow chart of the process for searching a guide route of the
third embodiment;
FIG. 31 is a flow chart illustrating a process for designating an arrival
point according to a fourth embodiment;
FIG. 32 is a flow chart illustrating a process for determining an end point
according to the fourth embodiment;
FIG. 33 is a flow chart illustrating a process for searching a guide route
according to the fourth embodiment;
FIG. 34 is a flow chart illustrating a process for determining the end
point according to a fifth embodiment;
FIG. 35 is a flow chart illustrating a process for searching a guide route
according to the fifth embodiment;
FIG. 36 is a flow chart illustrating the process for setting a point
according to a sixth embodiment; and
FIG. 37 is a flow chart of a process for searching a route according to the
sixth embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The data storage unit 37 stores the house shape data (FIG. 5) surrounded by
a plurality of straight lines and representing the shape of a place
sectionalized on a plane. A destination can be designated by using a
cursor KL on a picture as indicated on a display 33. In this case, the
coordinates of the center KLC of the cursor are found on the picture. The
house shape data, including coordinates of the center KLC of the cursor
within the section, are searched. A geographical place represented by the
house shape data, including coordinates of the center KLC of the cursor,
is designated as the destination. Therefore, the destination can be set
more easily by using the house shape data than by bringing the center KLC
of the cursor into agreement with the coordinates on the picture.
When a given item is selected from a list of a plurality of items indicated
on the display 33, a destination according to the item selected is
automatically selected. Then, a house map of a range including the
selected destination is indicated on the display 33. When a picture range
including the destination, present position and center of cursor at the
center of the picture, does not lie within a coordinate range of the house
map, a road map is displayed instead of showing the house map. The map
picture indicated on the display 33 can be switched to either a house map
or a road map through manual operation. When the present position is
within a predetermined distance of the registered destination TP, a house
map is automatically shown on the display 33. When the car is coming to a
halt or is running at a speed slower than a predetermined speed,
indication of the house map is inhibited. When the road map is changed
over to the house map, a reduced scale of the road map is stored. When the
house map is changed over again to the road map, the display is made on
this stored scale.
The house shape data file includes data (adjacent road data) related to
roads adjacent to the house shape. When the destination designated by the
user consists of house shape data, the coordinate of a node included in
the adjacent road data in the house shape data is regarded to be an end
point. Then, a guide route arriving at the end point is searched. Thus,
there is set a guide route to the end point on the road adjacent to the
house shape which is the goal.
1. First Embodiment
Described below are the features of a map indication device according to a
first embodiment of the invention. The map indication device of the first
embodiment stores data related to a building, such as shape and name of
the building. Based upon the data, a map is indicated and the shape of the
indicated building is recognized. In the first embodiment, a building
corresponding to a point that is input is searched and is identified.
The map indication device of this embodiment that will be described below
includes a storage means for storing external data of buildings, sites,
and objects, such as planar shapes or solid shapes of the buildings, sites
and objects, reading means for reading the external data of the buildings
et al. (described as buildings for simplicity) stored in the above storage
means, a conversion means for converting the external data of the
buildings read by the above reading means into data for display or print
output, and an indication means for presenting a map that shows the
external data of the buildings based upon the external data of the
buildings converted by the conversion means. A feature resides in that the
shape of a building is recognized on the map presented by the indication
means.
The map indication means of the embodiment that will be described in
further detail later includes an external data storage means for storing
external data of the buildings such as the shapes of the buildings, an
internal data storage means for storing internal data, such as addresses,
names, and telephone numbers, etc. of the buildings in relation to the
external data of the buildings stored in the external data storage means,
an indication means for presenting a map that shows the external data of
buildings based upon the external data of the buildings stored in the
external data storage means, a discrimination means for determining the
shape of the building from the map showing external data of buildings
presented by the indication means, a searching means for searching, from
the internal storage means, the internal data related to the building
identified by the discrimination means, and an informing means for
informing the internal data of the building searched by the searching
means.
Moreover, the map indication device of the embodiment that will be
described in greater detail below includes a house shape data storage
means for storing data related to the buildings, such as the shapes of the
buildings, an indication means for indicating map data based upon the data
stored in the house shape data storage means, a point input means for
inputting a point based on the data indicated on the indication means, and
a house shape searching means which recognizes the shape of a building
based on the house shape data storage means and searches for a building
that corresponds to the point input by the point input means, and wherein
the indicator means identifies a building that corresponds to a point
input by the input means.
A navigation device of the embodiment that will be described further below
includes a present position detection means for detecting the present
position of the car, a house shape data storage means for storing shapes
of buildings in the form of a coordinate sequence, an indication means for
presenting map data based on the data stored in the house shape data
storage means, a point input means for inputting a point based upon the
data presented on the indication means, a house shape searching means
which compares the coordinates of the point input by the input means with
the shape of a building formed by the coordinate sequence of the house
shape data storage means, to identify a building that corresponds to the
coordinates of the point that is input, a destination setting means for
setting, as a destination, the building searched by the house shape
searching means, and a route operation means for operating a route from
the present position to the destination set by the destination setting
means, wherein the indicator means identifies a building that corresponds
to the coordinates of the point input by the input means and further
identifies the route operated by the route operation means.
Moreover, the navigation device of the embodiment that will be described in
detail below includes a house shape data storage means for storing house
shape data related to the house shape and represents the shapes of places
sectionalized on a plane in a predetermined region, positions of the
places and data related to the places, a destination designation means for
designating a destination by a point, a coordinate searching means for
searching the coordinates of a point designated by the destination
designation means, a house shape searching means for searching the house
shape data in which are included the coordinates of the place searched by
the coordinate searching means, a destination setting means which regards
the place represented by the house shape data searched by the house shape
searching means to be a destination, a guide route setting means for
setting a guide route to the destination that is set by the destination
setting means, an indication means for presenting a picture, a data
indication means for indicating, on said indicator means, the house shape
data related to a place included in the house shape data searched by the
house shape searching means, a present position detection means for
detecting the present position of a moving means, and a route indication
control means for indicating, on the indicator means, the guide route set
by the guide route setting means and the present position detected by the
present position detection means.
2. Overall Circuitry
FIG. 1 shows the overall circuitry of the navigation device. A central
processor 1 is equipped with a CPU 2 which controls the operation of the
navigation device. The central processor 1 is provided with a flash memory
3, a RAM 4, a ROM 5, a clock 6, a sensor input interface 7, a
communication interface 8, an image processor 9, a picture memory 10, and
a voice processor 11.
The flash memory 3 stores a system program executed by the CPU 2, programs
for controlling a display and for controlling voice guidance, as well as a
variety of parameters. The RAM 4 stores data input from external units, a
variety of parameters used for arithmetic operations, and the results.
The ROM 5 stores data necessary for guiding the routes and for indicating
the maps. The clock 6 generates time data. The sensor input interface 7
receives a variety of detection data from an absolute position sensor 21,
a relative position sensor 22, a distance sensor 23 and a vehicle speed
sensor 24 that make up a present position detector 20. The detection data
from the present position detector 20 is sent to the CPU 2 through the
sensor input interface 7. The communication interface 8 controls the
exchange of various data between unit connected to a data bus 28 and the
central processor 1.
The image processor 9 reads picture data stored in the picture memory 10,
writes picture data thereon, and controls the indication of the picture on
a display 33. The display 33 may be a CRT, a liquid crystal display or a
plasma display. The picture memory 10 stores the picture data to be
indicated on the picture of the display 33, and exchanges the picture data
relative to the image processor 9. In response to an instruction from the
CPU 2, the image processor 9 converts map data into display data forming
the picture data to be displayed on the display 33.
In this case, picture data are formed having a range larger than the
picture size which can be indicated at one time on the display 33, and are
stored in the picture memory 10. Therefore, even when the picture of the
display 33 is scrolled in the longitudinal direction or in the transverse
direction, the map picture is quickly indicated. The ROM 5 also stores
voice waveform data by recording synthetic voice or natural voice for
providing voice guidance. Controlled by the CPU 2, the voice waveform data
that are required are read out from the ROM 5 and are sent to a voice
processor 11 which converts the voice waveform data into voice signals of
analog waveforms and outputs them to a speaker 13.
The present position detector 20 detects the present position of the car.
The detection data are sent to the central processor 1 from the present
position detector 20 which, as noted, includes an absolute direction
sensor 21, a relative direction sensor 22, a distance sensor 23, a car
speed sensor 24, as well as a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver
unit 25, a beacon receiver unit 26, and a data transmitter/receiver unit
27. The absolute direction sensor 21 is a terrestrial magnetism sensor for
detecting terrestrial magnetism in the direction of the magnetic field of
the earth. The absolute direction sensor 21 outputs data that represent
south-and-north position which is the absolute bearing that is detected.
The relative direction sensor 22 outputs data that represent a deviation of
the direction in which the car is travelling from the absolute direction
detected by the absolute direction sensor 21. The relative direction
sensor 22 is made up of, for example, a gyroscope, such as an optical
fiber gyroscope or a piezoelectric oscillation gyroscope, or a steering
angle sensor for detecting the steering angle of the wheels. The distance
sensor 23 outputs data that represent the distance travelled by the car
and is, for example, a digital counter interlocked to, for example, an
odometer. The car speed sensor 24 outputs a voltage signal or a digital
signal that varies in proportion to the running speed of the car.
The GPS receiver unit 25 receives a plurality of electromagnetic wave
signals emitted from the orbiting GPS satellites and finds the present
position of the car upon arithmetic operation by using the electromagnetic
wave signals. The GPS receiver unit 25 outputs data indicating the present
position of the car. The beacon receiver unit 26 receives correction data,
for the GPS, that is sent from a ground station and from a data offering
system, such as VICS (road traffic data communication system). The
correction data corrects for the degraded GPS satellite signals. The
received data are sent to the central processor 1 from the beacon receiver
unit 26. The data transmitter/receiver unit 27 exchanges a variety of data
between the car and the bidirectional present position data offering
system, or the ATIS (traffic data service), etc. by use of a cellular
phone, FM multiplex signals or a telephone circuit.
The input/output device 30 is used for inputting data necessary for setting
the destination and other route data, such as start point and passing or
transit points, and provides the user with guide data during the
navigation operation. A transparent touch panel 34 is provided on the
picture of the display 33. The touch panel 34 comprises transparent touch
switches that are arranged in the form of a matrix on a plane. A printer
35 is used for printing a variety of data, such as a map and a guide to
facilities, output through the communication interface 8. The printer 35
can be omitted depending upon the totally of a system desired.
Programs, according to the attached flow charts to be described later, for
the navigation process which are executed by CPU 2 and programs which
relate to the other process are stored in the data storage unit 37. The
programs are read (installed/transferred/copied) from the data storage
unit 37 (outside memory means/medium) and written and stored to the flash
memory 3 (inside memory means/medium). This installing
(transferring/copying) is executed automatically by setting the data
storage unit 37 to the navigation device or turning on the navigation
device or upon input of an instruction (operation) by the operator.
The data storage unit 37 can be exchanged for another data storage unit,
therefore the programs and data can be exchanged for the other newer or
the newest programs and data. Accordingly the newest navigation system can
be provided by the exchange.
The data storage unit 37 stores various data, such as map data,
intersection data, node data, road data, photographic data, destination
data, guide point data, detailed destination data, destination road data,
house shape data, indication guide data, voice guidance data, and picture
data showing simple guide route, that are necessary for the navigation
operation. The data storage unit 37 comprises a data recording medium,
such as an IC memory, a CD-ROM, an IC memory card, an optical disk, or a
magnetic disk, and a reader unit therefor.
The map data file stored in the data storage unit 37 includes road map
data, such as a road map of the entire country and house map data from
which the shapes of buildings can be recognized. The road map and the
house map may consist of a plurality of maps of differing scales for the
same region, or may consist of a piece of map of a required, or preset,
scale. In this embodiment, the road map and the house map comprise a
plurality of map data of differing scales for each of the regions. The
house map has been stored as a collection of data of buildings for
particular areas (e.g., cities, towns, villages only).
The road map contains road networks, characters, signs or figures
representing the location of principal buildings or facilities, principal
map signs representing such features as railroad crossings and bridges and
geographical data, such as geographical names of cities, towns, and
villages. FIG. 2 illustrates a picture display based upon the road map
data having the largest scale. The largest scale is defined as one showing
the facilities in the greatest size on the picture on the display 33, i.e.
the smallest area is shown so what is shown is large relatively speaking.
In the picture of the road map, based upon the road data, the roads are
distinguished by lines having different thicknesses and colors. The
principal buildings and facilities have a symbol or mark at the
coordinates where they exist. Other data, also presented on the picture
are names of buildings or facilities, names of principal roads, names of
the regions, and marks of road regulations, such as one-way, stop and
yield right of way, etc. although they are not shown in FIG. 2.
The house map indicates the shapes of houses representations of the shapes
of roads, rivers, buildings, and with facilities above ground, etc. as
figures using a scaled reduction of the sizes. The house map also includes
geographical data. FIG. 3 shows an exemplary house map. As shown in FIG.
3, the data for the house map is such that the scale is larger than the
largest reduction scale of the road map or is the same as the largest
reduction scale of the road map, that is if the road map data is 1:20,000,
the house map data is 1:10,000 so features are twice as large when
displayed. In the house map, therefore, the widths of the roads are
correct reductions of the widths of the practical roads. The house map
also shows features such as sidewalks and pedestrian bridges. The house
map further indicates marks representing traffic signals at the
intersections, and map signs representing areas, such as fields and
pasture lands, etc. Though not diagramed, the house map further shows the
names of buildings and facilities, names of principal roads, names of the
areas, and road signs. The house map data recorded in the data storage
unit 37 are used to create the house map on the display 33.
Here, the house shape consists of data for defining the outer shapes of
buildings above the ground. That is, the "house shape" represents planar
shapes of sections, buildings and sites as a plan view. Though expressed
as "house shape" for the purpose of easy explanation, the house shape data
includes features other than the houses, such as sites of facilities,
roads, and rivers.
The intersection data file of the data storage unit 37 comprises data
related to intersections, such as the locations and names of the
intersections. The node data data file comprises a group of data, such as
coordinates, for a plurality of nodes set on the roads. The nodes define
segments of the roads on the road map that are approximated as straight
lines between a pair of adjacent nodes. The road data file contains data
for the positions and kinds of roads, number of lanes, and data
representing connections among the roads. The photographic data file has
photographic picture data of places where visual expression is required,
such as of facilities, sight-seeing resorts, and principal intersections.
The destination data file contains data of places that have been set as
destinations, such as principal sight-seeing resorts, buildings,
enterprises listed in a telephone book, places of business, geographical
positions of facilities, and data related to the destination such as the
names of the facilities. The guide point data file comprises guide data
related to roads. The guide data include the contents of the guide boards
installed along the road, and data necessary for guiding along the roads,
such as guides at branching points. The detailed destination data file
contains detailed data related to destinations stored in the destination
data file.
The destination read data file comprises list data for phonetically
searching the destinations in the destination data file. The house shape
data file contains shape data of house shapes for indicating the outer
shapes in response to the house map data, and discrimination data that
accompanies the house shapes. Other data files may include an address list
| | |
