JP2008101977A - Route search device, route search method, and route search program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a route search device searching for an optimum route on a driver-by-driver basis in light of the tendency of a driver's driving. <P>SOLUTION: This route search device is suitably used for calculating a route from a place of departure to a destination. Specifically, a personal information storage means stores therein personal information prepared based on map data, vehicle information, etc. to show the tendency of each driver in driving. A route calculation means calculates a route from a place of departure to a destination for each driver based on the personal information stored in the storage means. For example, the calculation means calculates such a route as to optimize fuel consumption of a vehicle for each driver. This makes it possible to appropriately search for an optimum route for each driver based on the tendency of each driver in driving. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for searching for a route from a departure place to a destination.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a navigation device that is mounted on a vehicle or the like and calculates an optimum route from a departure point to a destination is known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique for storing fuel consumption information corresponding to the vehicle speed for each vehicle type and searching for a route that minimizes fuel consumption using link data and fuel consumption information. Patent Document 2 describes a navigation device that reflects the personal driving preference and calculates the required time that reflects personal characteristics for a route to an unexperienced destination. In addition, Patent Document 3 discloses a technique related to the present invention.

JP 2005-172582 A JP 11-6741 A JP 2005-163484 A

  However, the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 described above cannot search for the optimum route to the destination for each driver in consideration of the driving tendency of the driver.

  The above is given as an example of the problem to be solved by the present invention. An object of the present invention is to provide a route search device, a route search method, and a route search program capable of searching for an optimum route for each driver in consideration of the driving tendency of the driver.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the route search device includes personal information storage means for storing, for each driver, personal information indicating a driving tendency for each driver created based on at least map data and vehicle information. Route calculating means for calculating a route from a departure place to a destination for each driver based on the personal information stored in the personal information storage means.

  In the invention according to claim 12, in the route search method, a personal information storage step for storing, for each driver, personal information indicating a driving tendency for each driver created based on at least map data and vehicle information; A route calculation step of calculating a route from a departure place to a destination for each driver based on the personal information stored in the personal information storage step.

  According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, a route search program executed by a computer stores, for each driver, personal information indicating a driving tendency for each driver created based on at least map data and vehicle information. The computer is caused to function as information storage means, route calculation means for calculating a route from a departure place to a destination for each driver based on the personal information stored in the personal information storage means. .

  In one aspect of the present invention, the route search device includes personal information storage means for storing, for each driver, personal information indicating a driving tendency for each driver created based on at least map data and vehicle information, Route calculating means for calculating a route from a departure place to a destination for each driver based on the personal information stored in the personal information storage means.

  The route search apparatus is preferably used for calculating a route from the departure place to the destination. Specifically, the personal information storage means stores, for each driver, personal information indicating a driving tendency for each driver created based on at least map data and vehicle information. Further, the route calculation means calculates a route from the departure place to the destination for each driver based on the personal information stored in the personal information storage means. This makes it possible to appropriately search for the optimum route for each driver based on the driving tendency of the driver.

  In one aspect of the route search apparatus, the route calculation means calculates a route that optimizes the fuel efficiency of the vehicle for each driver based on the personal information. Accordingly, it is possible to appropriately search for a route with the best fuel efficiency for each driver based on the driving tendency of the driver.

  In another aspect of the route search apparatus, the personal information is created for each of a plurality of drivers by obtaining the map data from a database and obtaining the vehicle information from a vehicle. Personal information creating means for storing information in the personal information storage means is provided.

  In this aspect, the personal information is sequentially created while the vehicle is running, and the created personal information is successively accumulated in the personal information storage means. By searching for a route based on such personal information, it is possible to search for a route that accurately reflects the driving tendency of the driver.

  Preferably, in the above route search apparatus, the personal information creation means creates the personal information by acquiring the vehicle speed, the accelerator work of the driver, and fuel consumption information of the vehicle as the vehicle information. be able to.

  In another aspect of the route search device, the personal information creating means obtains traffic information and weather information from the outside in addition to the map data and the vehicle information, so that the personal information is generated for each of a plurality of drivers. Create information. In other words, the personal information creation means can create personal information for each driver in consideration of traffic and weather conditions.

  Preferably, the personal information creating means obtains at least the road type, the information on the periphery of the road, the speed limit of the road, and the information on the road width as the map data. Information on the amount of traffic of the vehicle can be acquired as the traffic information, and the personal information can be created.

  Preferably, the personal information is ranked for each data based on the fuel consumption of the vehicle. The route calculation means can calculate the route based on the rank in the personal information. Specifically, the route calculation means can calculate the route so that a road similar to a high-ranked road is selected as the route from the departure point to the destination.

  According to another aspect of the route search apparatus, a driver selection unit that selects an optimal driver for each section of the route calculated by the route calculation unit based on the personal information of a plurality of drivers is provided. Thereby, when driving the route to the destination with a plurality of drivers, it is possible to improve the average fuel consumption.

  In another aspect of the route search apparatus, when the driver changes in the middle of the calculated route, the route calculation unit calculates the route again based on the personal information of the changed driver. As a result, even when the driver changes in the middle of the route, the optimum route for each driver can be appropriately searched.

  More preferably, the apparatus further includes display control means for displaying the route calculated by the route calculation means and the fuel consumption in the calculated route as an image for each driver.

  In another aspect of the present invention, a route search method includes a personal information storage step for storing, for each driver, personal information indicating a driving tendency for each driver created based on at least map data and vehicle information, A route calculation step of calculating a route from the departure point to the destination for each driver based on the personal information stored in the personal information storage step.

  In another aspect of the present invention, a route search program executed by a computer stores, for each driver, personal information indicating a driving tendency for each driver created based on at least map data and vehicle information. Based on the personal information stored in the personal information storage means and the personal information storage means, the computer is caused to function as route calculation means for calculating a route from the departure place to the destination for each driver.

  Also by the above route search method and route search program, it is possible to appropriately search for an optimum route for each driver based on the driving tendency of the driver.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description shows an example in which the present invention is applied to a vehicle navigation apparatus.

[Navigation device]
FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the navigation device 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the navigation device 1 includes a self-supporting positioning device 10, a GPS receiver 18, a system controller 20, a disk drive 31, a data storage unit 36, a communication interface 37, a communication device 38, a display unit 40, a voice output. A unit 50 and an input device 60 are provided.

  The autonomous positioning device 10 includes an acceleration sensor 11, an angular velocity sensor 12, and a distance sensor 13. The acceleration sensor 11 is made of, for example, a piezoelectric element, detects vehicle acceleration, and outputs acceleration data. The angular velocity sensor 12 is composed of, for example, a vibrating gyroscope, detects the angular velocity of the vehicle when the direction of the vehicle is changed, and outputs angular velocity data and relative azimuth data. The distance sensor 13 measures a vehicle speed pulse composed of a pulse signal generated with the rotation of the vehicle wheel.

  The GPS receiver 18 receives radio waves 19 carrying downlink data including positioning data from a plurality of GPS satellites. The positioning data is used to detect the absolute position of the vehicle from latitude and longitude information.

  The system controller 20 includes an interface 21, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 22, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 23, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 24, and controls the entire navigation device 1.

  The interface 21 performs an interface operation with the acceleration sensor 11, the angular velocity sensor 12, the distance sensor 13, and the GPS receiver 18. From these, vehicle speed pulses, acceleration data, relative azimuth data, angular velocity data, GPS positioning data, absolute azimuth data, and the like are input to the system controller 20. The CPU 22 controls the entire system controller 20. The ROM 23 includes a nonvolatile memory (not shown) in which a control program for controlling the system controller 20 is stored. The RAM 24 stores various data such as route data preset by the user via the input device 60 so as to be readable, and provides a working area to the CPU 22.

  A system controller 20, a disk drive 31 such as a CD-ROM drive or a DVD-ROM drive, a data storage unit 36, a communication interface 37, a display unit 40, an audio output unit 50, and an input device 60 are mutually connected via a bus line 30. It is connected to the.

  The disk drive 31 reads and outputs content data such as music data and video data from a disk 33 such as a CD or DVD under the control of the system controller 20. The disk drive 31 may be either a CD-ROM drive or a DVD-ROM drive, or may be a CD and DVD compatible drive.

  The data storage unit 36 is configured by, for example, an HDD and stores various data used for navigation processing such as map data. Further, the data storage unit 36 stores information indicating the driving tendency (癖) for each driver (hereinafter referred to as “personal information”). Thus, the data storage unit 36 functions as personal information storage means.

  The communication device 38 includes, for example, an FM tuner, a beacon receiver, a mobile phone, a dedicated communication card, and the like, and information distributed from a VICS (Vehicle Information Communication System) center or the like via the communication interface 37 (hereinafter, referred to as “communication card”). "VICS information"). For example, the communication device 38 acquires traffic information (such as traffic jam information) and weather information as VICS information.

  The display unit 40 displays various display data on a display device such as a display under the control of the system controller 20. Specifically, the system controller 20 reads map data from the data storage unit 36. The display unit 40 displays the map data read from the data storage unit 36 by the system controller 20 on the display screen. The display unit 40 includes a graphic controller 41 that controls the entire display unit 40 based on control data sent from the CPU 22 via the bus line 30 and image information that can be displayed immediately, such as a VRAM (Video RAM). A buffer memory 42 that temporarily stores, a display control unit 43 that controls display of a display 44 such as a liquid crystal display or a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) based on image data output from the graphic controller 41, and a display 44 are provided. . The display 44 functions as an image display unit, and includes, for example, a liquid crystal display device having a diagonal size of about 5 to 10 inches and is mounted near the front panel in the vehicle.

  The audio output unit 50 performs D / A (Digital to Analog) conversion of audio digital data sent from the CD-ROM drive 31, DVD-ROM 32, RAM 24, or the like via the bus line 30 under the control of the system controller 20. A D / A converter 51 to perform, an amplifier (AMP) 52 that amplifies the audio analog signal output from the D / A converter 51, and a speaker 53 that converts the amplified audio analog signal into sound and outputs the sound into the vehicle. It is prepared for.

  The input device 60 includes keys, switches, buttons, a remote controller, a voice input device, and the like for inputting various commands and data. The input device 60 is disposed around the front panel and the display 44 of the main body of the in-vehicle electronic system mounted in the vehicle. When the display 44 is a touch panel system, the touch panel provided on the display screen of the display 44 also functions as the input device 60.

  In the present embodiment, the navigation apparatus 1 obtains the departure point and the destination from the user, and calculates the route from the departure point to the destination for each driver based on the personal information stored in the data storage unit 36 described above. (Ie, search for a route). Thus, the navigation device 1 functions as a route search device in the present invention. Specifically, the system controller 20 operates as a route calculation unit, a personal information creation unit, and a driver selection unit. Further, the system controller 20 and the display control unit 43 operate as display control means.

[Route search device]
Next, the route search apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the route search apparatus. As shown in FIG. 2, the route search device 110 includes a calculation unit 111, a VICS information acquisition unit 112, a vehicle information acquisition unit 113, a map DB (database) 114, a personal information DB (database) 115, and a display. Unit 116. The route search device 110 mainly creates personal information for each driver and calculates an optimum route from the departure point to the destination for each driver based on the personal information.

  The calculation unit 111 operates as a route calculation unit, a personal information creation unit, and a driver selection unit. The calculation unit 111 and the display unit 116 operate as display control means. Further, when the route search device 110 is applied to the navigation device 1 shown in FIG. 1, the communication device 38 constitutes the VICS information acquisition unit 112, the system controller 20 constitutes the calculation unit 111, and the data storage unit 36 serves as the map DB 114. And the personal information DB 115, and the display unit 40 constitutes the display unit 116.

  The VICS information acquisition unit 112 acquires VICS information distributed from a VICS center or the like. Specifically, the VICS information acquisition unit 112 acquires traffic information (such as vehicle traffic) and weather information as VICS information. Then, the VICS information acquisition unit 112 supplies the acquired VICS information to the calculation unit 111 as a signal S112. The vehicle information acquisition unit 113 is connected to a controller (for example, ECU (Engine Control Unit)) in the vehicle, and indicates information (hereinafter referred to as “vehicle information”) indicating driving characteristics for each driver from the vehicle. get. This vehicle information is information acquired by detection or calculation in a controller in the vehicle. Specifically, the vehicle information acquisition unit 113 acquires information such as vehicle speed, accelerator work by the driver, and fuel consumption (average fuel consumption) of the vehicle as vehicle information. And the vehicle information acquisition part 113 supplies the acquired vehicle information to the calculating part 111 as signal S113.

  Map data is memorize | stored in map DB114. Specifically, road information indicating the type of road, information on the periphery of the road, information on the speed limit of the road, road width, and the like are stored as map data. For example, information such as national roads and city roads is stored as the type of road, and information such as whether there are buildings in the vicinity or rice fields around is stored as information about the road.

  The personal information DB 115 stores personal information for each driver. The personal information is information indicating the driving tendency for each driver, created based on the map data, VICS information, and vehicle information described above. For example, personal information includes map data such as road type and road area information, VICS information such as traffic information and weather information, driver's vehicle speed and accelerator work (changes in accelerator opening, etc.), average fuel consumption, etc. Vehicle information is stored in association with each other. That is, the personal information indicates the driving habits of the driver with respect to the type of road, the situation around the road, the amount of traffic of the vehicle, the weather, and the like.

  The calculation unit 111 performs a process of sequentially creating personal information every time the situation or the like changes during traveling of the vehicle. Specifically, the calculation unit 111 acquires VICS information from the VICS information acquisition unit 112, acquires vehicle information from the vehicle information acquisition unit 113, and acquires map data from the map DB 114, thereby creating personal information. . Specifically, the calculation unit 111 determines the driver's vehicle speed, accelerator work, average fuel consumption, etc., for map data such as road type, surrounding information, and speed limit, and VICS information on vehicle traffic and weather. The data in which the vehicle information is associated is created as personal information. The calculation unit 111 stores the personal information thus created in the personal information DB 115. Further, the calculation unit 111 ranks such personal information data based on the average fuel consumption, and stores this rank in the personal information DB 115 as personal information. In this way, personal information is sequentially created while the vehicle is running, and the created personal information is stored in the personal information DB 115 one after another.

  Furthermore, the calculation unit 111 performs a process of calculating a route from the departure place to the destination based on the personal information created as described above. Specifically, the calculation unit 111 obtains a starting point and a destination from a user (driver) and obtains personal information stored in the personal information DB 115, thereby calculating a route optimal for the driver. For example, the calculation unit 111 calculates a route that optimizes the average fuel consumption of the vehicle for each driver. In this case, the calculation unit 111 calculates a route based on the rank defined based on the average fuel consumption, which is data included in the personal information. More specifically, the calculation unit 111 calculates a route so that a road similar to a high-ranked road is selected as the route from the departure point to the destination. Furthermore, the display unit 116 displays the route calculated as described above and the average fuel consumption in the calculated route on the display 44 as an image for each driver.

  The map data, VICS information, and vehicle information used when creating personal information are not limited to those described above. For example, an intersection, the number of signals, the shape of a road (for example, a curve or a straight road), and the like can be used as map data used when creating personal information. Moreover, although the example which uses average fuel consumption as vehicle information was shown, you may use instantaneous fuel consumption and other fuel consumption information as vehicle information instead of average fuel consumption or with average fuel consumption.

  Moreover, although the example which produces personal information based on map data, VICS information, and vehicle information was shown above, the calculating part 111 can create personal information based on at least map data and vehicle information. . That is, it is not always necessary to use VICS information such as traffic information and weather information in order to create personal information.

[Specific examples of personal information]
Here, a specific example of the personal information stored in the personal information DB 115 is shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows a plurality of pieces of personal information data obtained from one driver, showing map data, VICS information, vehicle information, average fuel consumption, and rank in order from the left. As map data in personal information, the type of road, the situation around the road, the speed limit of the road, and the road width are stored. Further, as the VICS information in the personal information, whether the traffic volume is large or small, and the weather are stored. Further, as vehicle information in the personal information, whether the speed of the vehicle is fast or slow, and accelerator work (change is intense, strong, weak, constant, etc.) are stored. Further, the average fuel consumption and rank are stored in association with these pieces of information. Specifically, the rank stores a value determined based on a predetermined average fuel consumption and rank correspondence table. The rank is a value indicating whether the average fuel efficiency is good or bad. In the example shown in FIG. 3, a larger value is determined as the average fuel efficiency is improved. As described above, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the personal information indicates the driver's driving habits and average fuel efficiency with respect to the type of road, the situation around the road, the amount of traffic, and the weather. .

  FIG. 4 shows an example of a correspondence table between average fuel consumption and rank used when creating the personal information shown in FIG. FIG. 4 shows the average fuel consumption on the left side and the rank corresponding to the average fuel consumption on the right side. The rank is set by setting the best value and the bad value with respect to the average fuel consumption, and dividing between these values into a plurality of stages. In this example, the minimum value of the average fuel consumption is set to 4 Km / L, the maximum value is set to 10 Km / L, and the rank is set by dividing these values into five stages. The rank boundary value is re-ranked every time it is changed.

  Although FIG. 3 described above shows an example of personal information created based on map data, VICS information, and vehicle information, personal information can be created without using VICS information. That is, since average fuel consumption can be created based on at least map data and vehicle information, it is not always necessary to use VICS information in order to create personal information.

[Route search processing]
Next, the process (route search process) for searching for a route according to the present embodiment will be described. This process is executed by the calculation unit 111 to search for a route from the departure place to the destination based on the personal information. Specifically, the calculation unit 111 acquires personal information corresponding to the driver from the personal information DB 115, and calculates a route that optimizes the average fuel consumption of the vehicle for the driver based on the acquired personal information. . Specifically, the calculation unit 111 calculates a route so that a road similar to a road having good average fuel consumption for the driver stored as personal information is selected as a route from the departure point to the destination. That is, the calculation unit 111 calculates a route so that a road similar to a road with a high rank in personal information is selected as a route from the departure point to the destination.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing route search processing according to this embodiment. This process is executed by the calculation unit 111 in the route search apparatus 110.

  First, in step S100, the calculation unit 111 selects a driver whose route is to be calculated. Specifically, the calculation unit 111 selects a preset driver. Then, the process proceeds to step S101. In step S101, the calculation unit 111 acquires the personal information of the driver selected in step S100 from the personal information DB 115. Then, the process proceeds to step S102. In step S102, the calculation unit 111 acquires a departure place and a destination from a user (driver or the like). Then, the process proceeds to step S103.

  In step S103, the calculation unit 111 searches for a route that matches the personal information. Specifically, the calculation unit 111 searches for a route so that a road similar to a road with a high rank in personal information is selected from the departure point to the destination. For example, when the rank is set as illustrated in FIG. 4, the calculation unit 111 first searches for a road similar to a road having a rank of “5”. Then, the process proceeds to step S104.

  In step S104, the calculation unit 111 determines whether there is a route that matches the personal information. For example, if a road similar to a road having a rank of “5” is searched in step S103, it is determined whether such a road exists. If there is a route that matches the personal information (step S104; Yes), the process proceeds to step S105. On the other hand, when there is no route that matches the personal information (step S104; No), the process returns to step S103. In this case, the rank used when searching for the route in the previous processing of step S103 is lowered, and the route is searched again. For example, if a road similar to a road with a rank of “5” was searched in the previous processing of step S103, a road similar to a road with a rank of “4” is searched in the current processing of step S103. To do. That is, until a suitable road is searched, the rank used when searching for a route is lowered, and the search is repeated.

  In step S105, the calculation unit 111 starts guidance based on the route determined as a result of the processing in steps S103 and S104. Specifically, the calculation unit 111 supplies information such as the determined route to the display unit 116, and the display unit 116 displays this information on the display 44. When the above process ends, the process exits the flow.

  According to the above route search processing, it is possible to appropriately search for a route with the average fuel efficiency optimal for each driver based on the driving tendency of the driver.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of routes calculated based on the personal information of three drivers (hereinafter referred to as “drivers A, B, and C”). Specifically, the route calculated by the route search process shown in FIG. 5 so that the average fuel consumption of the vehicle is optimized for each of the drivers A, B, and C is shown. FIG. 6 shows the calculated route on the left side, and the distance, time required, cost (expense), and average fuel consumption of the route on the right side. FIG. 6A shows a route calculated based on the personal information of the driver A, FIG. 6B shows a route calculated based on the personal information of the driver B, and FIG. ) Indicates a route calculated based on the personal information of the driver C. In this example, a route from the departure point P to the destination Q is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 6 (a), the driver A calculates the route of the general road R11, the highway H1, the general road R31, the general road R12, and the general road R22 as a route from the departure point P to the destination Q. ing. Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, the route for the general road R24, the general road R31, the general road R41, and the general road R22 is calculated as the route from the departure point P to the destination Q by the driver B. . Further, as shown in FIG. 6C, the driver C calculates the route of the general road R11, the highway H2, the general road R12, and the general road R22 as a route from the departure point P to the destination Q. . Thus, when the route search process is executed, a different route is calculated for each driver.

  Information indicating the route and average fuel consumption as shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the display 44 as an image. Specifically, when the route is calculated based on the personal information of one driver, only information such as the route corresponding to the driver is displayed. In addition, when routes are calculated based on personal information of a plurality of drivers, information such as routes corresponding to the plurality of drivers is displayed. In this case, the calculation unit 111 can select a driver having the optimum average fuel consumption among a plurality of drivers and display information on the selected driver.

  As described above, the route search device according to the present embodiment includes the personal information DB 115 that stores, for each driver, personal information indicating the driving tendency for each driver created based on at least map data and vehicle information, And a calculation unit 111 that calculates a route from the departure point to the destination for each driver based on the personal information stored in the information DB 115. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately search for the optimum route for each driver based on the driving tendency of the driver.

[Modification]
In the above-described embodiment, the process for calculating the route from the departure place to the destination is shown for each of a plurality of drivers, but the present invention is not limited to this. In another example, when driving from a departure point to a destination with a plurality of drivers, an optimal driver can be selected for each section of the route from the departure point to the destination. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a method of selecting an optimum driver for each section. Here, an example will be described in which the arithmetic unit 111 selects an optimum driver from among three drivers A, B, and C on the route from the departure point to the destination. In this case, the calculation unit 111 specifies a driver for the sections 81 to 83 based on the personal information of each of the drivers A, B, and C. As a result, the driver C is specified for the section 81, the driver B is specified for the section 82, and the driver A is specified for the section 83. By performing such processing, it is possible to improve the average fuel consumption and the like when driving a route to the destination with a plurality of drivers. If the order of drivers to be driven is determined in advance, the calculation unit 111 calculates an optimum route for each driver based on the order of the drivers, and searches for a route from the departure point to the destination. can do.

  In another example, when the driver changes while the vehicle is traveling on the route calculated by the route search process (see FIG. 5), the calculation unit 111 is based on the personal information of the changed driver. Thus, the route can be calculated again. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating the route again when the driver changes. Here, a case where the driver A changes to the driver B in the middle of the route will be described. In this case, a route composed of a route 91 and a route 92 (shown by a broken line) is calculated based on the personal information of the driver A, and the driver A is changed to the driver B at a connection point 95 between the route 91 and the route 92. An example is shown. When the driver is changed in this way, the calculation unit 111 calculates the route again based on the personal information of the changed driver B. Thereby, a new route 93 from the point 95 to the destination is calculated. According to the above processing, when the driver is changed in the middle of the route, it is possible to appropriately search for the optimum route for each driver.

  In the above description, the embodiment has been described in which the route is searched based on the personal information so that the average fuel consumption is optimum. In another example, the calculation unit 111 searches for a route in consideration of other factors other than the average fuel consumption, in addition to the average fuel consumption being optimized or the average fuel consumption being optimized. be able to. In one example, the calculation unit 111 can search for a route that reflects the personal preference of the driver based on the personal information. In another example, the calculation unit 111 can search for a route through which driving can be enjoyed based on personal information. In another example, the calculation unit 111 can search for a route that does not require attention based on personal information. In still another example, the calculation unit 111 can search for a route with a large road width and a small amount of traffic in a situation where the road is difficult to see due to rain at night. Note that the method for searching for a route described above can be switched by, for example, selecting a method for searching for a route by a driver. Or it is also possible for the calculating part 111 to switch the method of searching a path | route according to the weather etc.

  In the above embodiment, the route search device of the present invention is applied to an in-vehicle navigation device. Instead, the route search device of the present invention can also be applied to information devices such as PCs, terminal devices, and mobile phones that connect to a server using a network. An example of application to such an information device is shown in FIG. In FIG. 9, the route search apparatus of the present invention is configured as an information device 141. The information device 141 is connected to the server 143 via a network 142 such as the Internet. The server 143 is connected to a DB (database) 145. In this case, the DB 145 stores map data, personal information for each driver, and the like. By using the information device 141 configured as described above, it is possible to appropriately search for an optimum route for each driver.

  In recent years, an in-vehicle navigation device in which a main navigation unit is configured to be detachable from a vehicle is known. This type of navigation unit is removed from the vehicle and used by connecting to a home PC or the like. In this case, as shown by a broken line in FIG. 9, the navigation unit 141x is connected to the information device 141, and is connected to the server 143 via the network 142, whereby the route is searched by acquiring information from the DB 145. be able to. In this case, a program stored in the navigation unit 141x is activated using the information device 141, and an optimum route is searched for each driver.

It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the navigation apparatus which concerns on an Example. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of a route search apparatus. It is a figure which shows the example of the personal information in a driver. It is a figure which shows an example of the correspondence table of average fuel consumption and a rank. It is a flowchart which shows the route search process by a present Example. An example of a route calculated based on personal information of a plurality of drivers is shown. It is a figure for demonstrating the method to select the optimal driver for every area. It is a figure for demonstrating the method of calculating a route again when a driver changes. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the route search apparatus which concerns on a modification.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Navigation apparatus 10 Self-supporting positioning apparatus 18 GPS receiver 20 System controller 22 CPU
36 Data storage unit 38 Communication device 40 Display unit 44 Display 110 Route search device 111 Calculation unit 113 Vehicle information acquisition unit 115 Personal information DB

Claims (13)

Personal information storage means for storing, for each driver, personal information indicating a driving tendency for each driver created based on at least map data and vehicle information;
A route search device comprising: route calculation means for calculating a route from a departure place to a destination for each driver based on the personal information stored in the personal information storage means.   The route search device according to claim 1, wherein the route calculation unit calculates a route that optimizes the fuel efficiency of the vehicle for each driver based on the personal information.   Personal information for obtaining the map data from a database and creating the personal information for each of a plurality of drivers by acquiring the vehicle information from a vehicle and storing the created personal information in the personal information storage means The route search apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a creation unit.   4. The personal information creating means creates the personal information by acquiring the vehicle speed, the driver's accelerator work, and fuel consumption information of the vehicle as the vehicle information. Route search device.   The personal information creating means creates the personal information for each of a plurality of drivers by acquiring traffic information and weather information from the outside in addition to the map data and the vehicle information. Or the route search apparatus of 4.   The personal information creating means obtains at least the road type, the road periphery information, the road speed limit, and the road width information as the map data, and information on the amount of traffic of the vehicle on the road. The route search device according to claim 5, wherein the personal information is created by acquiring the traffic information as the traffic information.   The route search device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the personal information is ranked for each data based on fuel consumption of the vehicle.   The route search apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the route calculation unit calculates the route based on the rank in the personal information.   9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a driver selection unit that selects an optimal driver for each section of the route calculated by the route calculation unit based on the personal information of a plurality of drivers. The route search device described in 1.   10. The route calculation unit according to claim 1, wherein, when a driver changes in the middle of the calculated route, the route calculation unit calculates the route again based on the personal information of the changed driver. The route search device described in 1.   11. The display control unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a display control unit configured to display the route calculated by the route calculation unit and the fuel consumption in the calculated route as an image for each driver. The described route search device. A personal information storage step for storing personal information for each driver, the personal information indicating a driving tendency for each driver created based on at least map data and vehicle information;
A route search method comprising: a route calculation step of calculating a route from a departure place to a destination for each driver based on the personal information stored in the personal information storage step. A route search program executed by a computer,
Personal information storage means for storing, for each driver, personal information indicating a driving tendency for each driver created based on at least map data and vehicle information;
A route search program for causing the computer to function as route calculation means for calculating a route from a departure place to a destination for each driver based on the personal information stored in the personal information storage means.

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