JP2010101668A - Navigation system, route search server, and candidate route display method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the swiftness and convenience of candidate route selection by a user, by preventing candidate routes based on different nearby stations on the same transportation line from being superfluously presented to the user. <P>SOLUTION: This navigation system 10 includes a route search server 30 having a route search means 33 for searching for a candidate route containing a section where a traffic means is used, by referring to network data for route searching based on a route search request containing a departure place and a destination, and a terminal device 20 having a display means 25 for displaying the candidate route. The navigation system 10 includes an effective nearby-station pinpointing means (31, 38) which, when nearby stations in the periphery of the departure place or the destination are selected exceeding a prescribed number on the same transportation line, pinpoints the prescribed number of effective nearby stations from among the selected stations. Thereby candidate routes based on the different nearby stations on the same transportation line are restricted and prevented from being displayed exceeding the prescribed number. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation system that searches a candidate route from a departure point to a destination and presents it to a user. In particular, when presenting a plurality of candidate routes using transportation facilities, the present invention relates to different navigation systems on the same traffic route. The present invention relates to a navigation system in which candidate routes based on stop stations are not presented beyond a specified number.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, navigation devices and navigation systems that search for a route from a desired departure point to a destination by using map data and road data and present candidate routes to a user are known. For example, not only the candidate route is presented, but also a car navigation device that is installed in a car and guides the driver to the destination, or a mobile terminal is used to send a route search request to the route search server and receive the result Communication-type navigation systems that receive guidance to reach the destination have already been put into practical use.

  In particular, as a communication type navigation system, a navigation system for pedestrians by using a mobile phone, a PDA or the like as a mobile terminal is widely known. In recent years, since this navigation system for pedestrians requires presentation of candidate routes including transportation facilities, it is desirable to accumulate transportation route data and operation time data of transportation facilities in a route search server. Many navigation systems having a function of searching for a transportation route from a departure station to a desired destination station including a walking route have been proposed.

  As a general navigation device, a route search device and a route search method used in the navigation system, for example, those disclosed in the following Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-165681) are known. In this navigation system, a search condition including information on a departure place and a destination is sent from the portable navigation terminal to the information distribution server, and the information distribution server searches for a route that matches the route search condition from data of the road network and the traffic network. It is configured. As route search conditions, there are means for moving from the departure point to the destination, for example, walking, automobiles, railroads, buses, and combinations thereof, and route search is performed using these as one of the route search conditions.

  The information distribution server has roads (routes) of map data as nodes and nodes as the positions of inflection points, links connecting the nodes as links, and cost information (distance and required time) of all links as a database. ing. Then, the information distribution server sequentially searches for a link from the departure node to the destination node with reference to the database, and traces the node and link with the smallest cost information of the link as a guide route. The shortest route can be guided to the portable navigation terminal. As such a route search method, a method called label determination method or Dijkstra method is used. Patent Document 1 also discloses a route search method using this Dijkstra method.

  In addition to road network data for searching for walking routes and moving routes by car, the route search system that searches for routes that use transportation facilities is based on an operation time database that is a database of operation time data for each transportation facility. Transportation network data that is a database of transportation networks. The route search system refers to these databases based on the route search conditions specified by the user, such as departure date and time, departure location, destination, arrival time, etc., and determines the departure location and destination including transit (transfer). Follow each available means of transportation (individual trains and route buses) as a route, and guide route candidates (departure stations, destination stations, transportation routes, trains, etc.) that match the route search conditions Are configured to present one or more. As route search conditions, it is generally possible to specify a required time, the number of connections, a fare, and the like.

  By the way, in a navigation system that searches for routes using transportation facilities, in view of the purpose of increasing the utility value by presenting more candidate routes to the user, the boarding start station and the end point that are the starting points for transportation use It is said that it is preferable to present a plurality of final exit stations (nearest stations). From this point of view, for example, the navigation system disclosed in Patent Document 2 adopts a configuration in which a plurality of boarding start stations (nearest stations) present within a certain range from the departure point are presented.

JP 2001-165681 A JP 2004-118539 A

  However, when such a configuration is adopted, if there are many stations on the same traffic route within a certain range from the starting point or destination, the user is presented with all candidate routes that are closest to them. Cases may occur. Such a phenomenon becomes particularly prominent in an area where transportation facilities are dense such as Tokyo and Osaka.

Especially in areas where transportation is crowded, the fact that multiple stations on the same route are presented as the nearest station meets the needs of this type of user, but in this case, the following problems may arise: It has been found.
(1) In the case of a navigation system in which the number of candidate routes displayed on the terminal device is limited, a large number of candidate routes using the same route are preferentially displayed only when the nearest station is different. And candidate routes using other traffic routes will not be presented.
(2) Even if the number of display of candidate routes is not limited, a large number of candidate routes using substantially the same route are displayed, which makes it difficult to grasp the entire candidate route at a glance and compare and reference it. Such as it takes time to select candidate routes.

  On the other hand, users who use this type of navigation system are generally the best ones when comparing candidate routes using different transportation routes (railways, buses, etc.) when selecting candidate routes using transportation. Therefore, it is generally considered unnecessary to over-present candidate routes that use substantially the same route, although the nearest station is different, as described above.

  This invention has been made paying attention to the above problems and user needs, and by avoiding excessive presentation of candidate routes based on different nearest stations on the same traffic route to the user, It is an object of the present invention to provide a navigation system that improves the speed and convenience of selecting a candidate route by a user.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application is
A route search server having route search means for searching for a candidate route including a section using a transportation facility by referring to network data for route search based on a route search request including a starting point and a destination; A navigation system comprising a terminal device having display means for displaying a route,
When the nearest station near the departure point or destination selected when using transportation is selected more than the specified number on the same traffic route, the specified number is valid from the selected items. Equipped with effective nearest station identification means to identify the nearest station,
Accordingly, the navigation system is configured to limit the display of candidate routes based on different nearest stations on the same traffic route beyond a specified number.

  The invention according to claim 2 of the present application is characterized in that the prescribed number of effective nearest stations specified by the effective nearest station specifying means in the invention according to claim 1 is determined for each route search request. And

  Further, the invention according to claim 3 of the present application is the navigation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the specified number of effective nearest stations specified by the effective nearest station specifying means is the departure point, destination or traffic used. It is determined based on any attribute of the route.

  The invention according to claim 4 of the present application is characterized in that, in the navigation system according to claim 3, the attribute of the departure place or the destination is a predetermined area attribute.

  Further, the invention according to claim 5 of the present application is the navigation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the route search means specifies the effective nearest station after the effective nearest station is specified or the starting point of the transportation facility. It is characterized in that a candidate route search process as an end point is performed.

The invention according to claim 6 of the present application is
A route search server in a navigation system for searching and presenting candidate routes from a starting point to a destination,
Based on a route search request including a starting point and a destination, route search means for searching for candidate routes including sections using transportation facilities with reference to network data for route search;
When the nearest station near the departure point or destination selected when using transportation is selected more than the specified number on the same traffic route, the specified number is valid from the selected items. An effective nearest station identifying means for identifying the nearest station,
Accordingly, the route search server in the navigation system is characterized in that the candidate routes based on different nearest stations on the same traffic route are restricted from being presented to the user beyond the prescribed number.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the route search server according to claim 6, wherein the specified number of effective nearest stations specified by the effective nearest station specifying means is determined for each route search request. And

The invention according to claim 8 is the route search server according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the specified number of effective nearest stations specified by the effective nearest station specifying means is a departure point, a destination, or a used traffic route. It is determined based on one of the attributes.

  The invention according to claim 9 is characterized in that, in the route search server according to claim 8, the attribute of the departure place or the destination is a predetermined area attribute.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the route search server according to any one of the sixth to ninth aspects, after the effective nearest station is determined, the route search means is a candidate having the effective nearest station as a starting point of transportation. A route searching process is performed.

The invention according to claim 11 is
A candidate route display method in a navigation system for searching and presenting a candidate route from a starting point to a destination according to a route search request,
Selecting the nearest station near the departure or destination,
When the nearest station is selected exceeding the specified number on the same traffic route, the step of identifying the specified number of effective nearest stations from the selected ones;
Searching for a candidate route based on the determined effective nearest station;
Presenting the searched candidate route;
A candidate route display method characterized by comprising:

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the candidate route display method according to the eleventh aspect, the step of specifying the prescribed number of effective nearest stations includes a process of determining an appropriate prescribed number for each route search request. It is characterized by that.

  According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the candidate route display method according to the eleventh or twelfth aspect, the step of identifying the specified number of effective nearest stations is any of a departure point, a destination, or a used traffic route. And a process for determining the prescribed number based on the attribute of.

  The invention according to claim 14 is the candidate route display method according to claim 13, wherein the attribute of the departure place or the destination is a predetermined area attribute.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the nearest station near the departure point or the destination selected when using transportation is selected more than the specified number on the same traffic route, the selection is made. Since a specified number of effective nearest stations are identified from among those that have been made, this may limit the display of candidate routes based on different nearest stations on the same traffic route beyond the specified number. it can. as a result,
(1) In the case of a navigation system in which the number of candidate routes displayed on the terminal device is limited,
There is a problem that candidate routes using other traffic routes will not be presented because a number of candidate routes using the same route will be displayed preferentially only when the nearest station is different. Can be resolved.
(2) Even when the display number of candidate routes is not limited, it is difficult to grasp the candidate routes at a glance and compare and reference them by displaying a large number of candidate routes using the same route. Thus, it is possible to solve problems such as taking a long time to select a desired candidate route.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the specified number of effective nearest stations specified by the effective nearest station specifying means can be determined for each route search request. As a result, for example, it is possible to perform flexible display restrictions according to the route search request, such as making it possible to change the specified number each time based on an arbitrary designation from the user for each route search request.

  According to the invention of claim 3, the specified number of effective nearest stations specified by the effective nearest station specifying means is set to any attribute (including a combination thereof) of the departure place, the destination, or the used traffic route. Can be determined based on. Therefore, it is possible to automatically set a predetermined number determined in advance by the departure point, the destination, or the traffic route. For this reason, it is possible to omit the complexity of explaining the significance of selecting the specified number to the user and placing a burden on the selection, and flexible display restrictions corresponding to the individual circumstances of the departure point, destination and traffic route used. It becomes possible to do.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the effective nearest station number can be automatically determined based on the regional attribute specified by the departure place or the destination. Therefore, for example, it is more user-friendly in consideration of local conditions, such as differentiating the prescribed number between regions where railway traffic routes are dense and a relatively large number of candidate routes are expected to be selected, and regions where such routes are not. Display restrictions can be made.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, after the effective nearest station is determined, a search for a candidate route having the effective nearest station as the start point or the end point of the transportation is performed. Therefore, prior to calculating the candidate route by the Dijkstra method or the like, the nearest station is identified, calculation of a candidate route based on the nearest station that is not valid becomes unnecessary, and route search time is reduced.

  According to the inventions according to claims 6 to 10, it is possible to provide route search servers constituting the navigation systems according to claims 1 to 5, respectively, and according to the inventions of claims 11 to 14, respectively, A route display method in the navigation system according to 1 to 4 can be provided.

  Hereinafter, specific examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples and drawings. However, the following embodiment is illustrative of a navigation system for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and is not intended to specify the present invention for this navigation system. The present invention can be equally applied to other navigation systems included in the scope. The present invention can be applied not only to the limited presentation of candidate routes based on the boarding origin station near the departure point, but also to the limited presentation of candidate routes based on the final departure station. Since it is embodied using the same technical idea, in order to avoid redundant description, the following description exemplifies a case where only the boarding origin station is applied as a nearest display target station.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the navigation system 10 according to the present embodiment connects a terminal device 20 employing a mobile device such as a mobile phone, a PDA, or a music player and a route search server 30 via a network 12 such as the Internet. It is configured to be. The route search server 30 is a database (DB1) that stores road network data for route search, a database (DB2) that stores traffic network data based on timetable data as traffic network data, each train of transportation, etc. A timetable based on the operation schedule, a timetable / freight data database (DB3) that accumulates fares, and a database (DB4) that accumulates map data for display during guidance and the like. In this example, the timetable / fare data is periodically acquired from the information distribution server 50 arranged on the network.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, a database (DB5) is provided that stores data for restricting use of the nearest station node, which is a main part of the present invention. In this database, when a plurality of boarding origin stations (nearest station nodes) on the same traffic line are selected during a route search performed prior to the guidance guidance, a plurality of these based on the nearest station nodes are selected. Data necessary for restricting the candidate routes from being displayed beyond a certain number is stored. Details will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The navigation system 10 according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration. The route search server 30 includes a POI (Point of Interest (leisure facilities, restaurants, event venues) as well as a navigation service function. It is possible to provide a function of a map distribution server that distributes a map of a place of interest). Also in this case, the terminal device 20 can employ a mobile device such as a mobile phone, a PDA, a music player, or a mobile game machine.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the navigation system 10 shown in FIG. The route search server 30 includes control means 31, guidance information editing means 32, route search means 33, communication means 34, road network data 35, traffic network data 36, map data 37, nearest station node adoption restriction data 38, etc. It is configured with. Although not shown, the control means 31 is a so-called microprocessor having a RAM, a ROM, and a processor, and controls the operations of the components 32 to 38 by a control program stored in the ROM. In this control program, the above-mentioned nearest station adoption restriction data is referred to, so that a plurality of candidate routes based on each nearest station node on the same traffic route are not displayed beyond a certain number. A dedicated program is included. That is, the effective nearest station specifying means according to the present invention is realized by the control means 31 storing the dedicated program and the nearest station employment restriction data 38. Details will be described later with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The communication means 34 indicates a communication interface for transmitting / receiving communication data to / from the terminal device 20 or the like via the network 12.

  The guide guidance data editing unit 32 displays a map near the current location on the terminal device 20 when executing the guidance guidance that is started after the candidate route that is the main part of the present invention is presented and the user selects one route. The guide guidance data for displaying the guide guidance information by adding data or the like is edited.

  On the other hand, the terminal device 20 includes a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, a position detection unit 23, a route storage unit 24 that stores guidance guidance data received from the route search server 30, a display unit 25, a display control unit 26, and a guidance guide. It is configured to include temporary storage means 27, operation input means 28, and the like that temporarily store download data such as map data received from the route search server when executed.

  In the terminal device 20, the control means 21 is a so-called microprocessor having a RAM, a ROM, and a processor (not shown), and controls the operations of the constituent elements 22 to 28 by a control program stored in the ROM. The communication means 22 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving communication data with the route search server 30 and the like via the network 12. The position detection unit 23 includes a GPS reception unit and the like, receives a GPS satellite signal, and calculates a current position and a current time.

  Note that the position detection means 23 is used exclusively for specifying the current location for guidance. Communication with mobile phone base stations at stop stations, detection of departure / stop using acceleration sensors, speed detection, route information, etc. so that the current position can be confirmed even when getting on transportation such as a subway that cannot receive GPS satellite signals It is possible to configure so that the current position can be specified via the above.

  Next, an outline of the usage mode of the navigation system according to the present embodiment will be described while showing an example of the screen content displayed on the terminal device 20. As is clear from the above description, the navigation system of this embodiment has a function of guiding and guiding the user to the destination as well as searching for candidate routes. Since it is related to the candidate route search that is executed prior to the guidance, detailed description of the guidance will be omitted.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a menu screen for setting a route search condition displayed on the display unit 25 of the terminal device 20. The route search condition setting screen 310 shown in the figure includes a departure point input field 302, a destination input field 303, a time condition input field 304, a sort condition input field 305 for setting candidate route sort conditions, and a search start button. 308 is provided.

The starting point and destination are set by inputting an address, a telephone number, a station name, a station name such as a building name, a latitude / longitude, or the like in the starting point input field 302 and the destination input field 303. In this input field, a free word can be input in principle, but can be set by an address, a telephone number, a POI (Point of interest) name, or the like. It is also possible to call and set a route search history or a registered point previously input to the terminal device 20 by operating a pull-down button.
In the time condition input field 304, time conditions such as departure date and time and destination arrival date and time are entered. If it is not necessary to set the time condition, the setting can be omitted. FIG. 3 shows an example in which “## building” is set as the departure point, “** hotel” is set as the destination, and destination arrival time “15:35” is set as the time condition.

  The sort condition input field 305 is used when requesting a search process for a plurality of candidate routes. In this sort condition input field 305, conditions for displaying the plurality of searched candidate routes with priority on the terminal device 20 are input. In this example, items such as “in order of decreasing number of transfers”, “in order of shortest total travel time”, “in order of cheaper transportation fare”, “in order of distance to the nearest station” are prepared as pull-down menus in advance. Any one of these is appropriately selected and input. FIG. 3 shows an example in which “in order of short total required time” is selected as the sorting condition. In this embodiment, it is possible not to specify the sorting conditions for candidate routes. In this case, a search request for a so-called optimum route (the route with the shortest required time) is made. Only the search for the candidate route is executed.

  When these necessary condition settings are completed and the search start button 308 is operated, route search condition data is transmitted from the terminal device 20 to the route search server 30, whereby the route search server 30 accepts a route search request. .

  When the route search server 30 receives the route search condition data from the terminal device 20, the route search means 33 refers to the road network data 35, the traffic network data 36, and the nearest station node adoption restriction data 38 from the current position. A candidate route to the destination is searched, and candidate route data for displaying a list of the candidate routes on the terminal device 20 is created.

  Candidate route data is transmitted from the route search server 30 to the terminal device 20 via the communication means 34. The terminal device 20 displays a candidate route list on the display unit 25 based on the candidate route data.

  An outline of the contents of the candidate route list screen is shown in FIG. In the example shown in the figure, in the route search condition setting menu screen shown in FIG. 3, “present location” specified through the GPS function as the departure location, “AA tower” as the destination, and “departure time” as the time condition 12:00 ”, and“ in order of short total required time ”is set as the candidate route sorting condition.

  As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, after a plurality of candidate routes satisfying the route search condition specified by the user are specified, they are displayed in order according to the candidate route sorting condition. In this example, only three candidate routes (routes 1 to 3) are shown, but in the present embodiment, up to five candidate routes (up to default values, settings can be changed) are displayed on the terminal device 20. By scrolling the screen, it is possible to display and refer to routes below the fourth route.

  Further, as is clear from the contents of “Route 1” and “Route 2” shown in the figure, in this embodiment, even if the first transportation is the same route (railway X), a plurality of routes are used. Under the situation where the nearest stations (stations a and b) are searched, candidate routes starting from each station are searched and presented.

  Although not shown in FIG. 4, this candidate route list further includes walking route information (time required, etc.) from the departure point to the nearest station (boarding station), and the nearest destination station (last departure). If the route information (travel time, etc.) from the station to the destination, the time of transportation such as trains and buses from the nearest station to the destination, and the transfer station are included. Is configured to display time required for transfer, detailed information on transportation such as trains and buses to be transferred at the transfer station, and the like.

  As described above, in the navigation system of the present embodiment, a plurality of candidate routes are presented in principle. Furthermore, even if the first transportation is the same route (railway X), if there are a plurality of nearest stations (stations a and b), candidate routes starting from them are searched for, respectively. Therefore, the user is configured to be able to select one desired candidate route by comparing and referring to a plurality of presented candidate routes including the selection of the nearest station.

  When the user selects one desired route from the candidate route list, guidance information including a map image and the like is appropriately transmitted from the route search server 30, and guidance guidance from the departure point to the destination is executed. The Rukoto. The guidance information is stored in the temporary storage unit 27, read out as necessary, and displayed on the display unit 25.

  Next, the concept of route search in the route search server 30 will be described with reference to FIG. As network data for route search, as shown in FIG. 2, road network data 35 for searching for a moving route by foot or a car and traffic network data 36 for searching for a moving route using public transportation are included. Accumulated. The route searching means 33 refers to the route search network data and searches for a route by walking or a car or a route using both walking and transportation.

  The road network data 35 is configured as follows. For example, if the road is composed of roads A, B, and C as shown in FIG. 5, the end points, intersections, and inflection points of the roads A, B, and C are used as nodes, and the roads connecting the nodes are directed. Link cost data expressed as links, with node data (node latitude / longitude), link data (link number) and link cost of each link (link distance or time required to travel the link) as data Consists of.

  In FIG. 5, Nn (◯ mark) and Nm (◎ mark) indicate nodes, and Nm (◎ mark) indicates a road intersection. In addition, the directional link connecting each node is indicated by an arrow line (solid line, dotted line, two-dot chain line). Actually, there are links indicated by arrows pointing in the directions of going up and down the road, but in FIG. 6, the links are shown as arrows in only one direction for the sake of simplicity.

  When route search is performed using such road network data as a route search database, links linked from the starting node to the destination node are traced, and the link cost is accumulated to minimize the accumulated link cost. Search for a route. That is, in FIG. 5, when performing a route search with the departure point as the node AX and the destination as the node CY, travel on the road A from the node AX and turn right at the second intersection node Nm via the nodes Nm and Nn. A link that enters the road C, passes through the node Nn, and sequentially follows the link to the node CY, accumulates each link cost, and searches for a route that minimizes the accumulated value of the link cost.

  Although only one path from the node AX to the node CY is shown in FIG. 5, in reality, there are other such paths, and therefore, a plurality of paths that can reach the node CY from the node AX. Are searched in the same manner, and the route with the lowest link cost is determined as the optimum route. This method is performed by, for example, a known method called the Dijkstra method. However, in this embodiment, since a plurality of candidate routes are searched, it is not necessarily the only optimum route that is presented, as described above.

  On the other hand, the traffic network data 36 for route search of the transportation system is configured as follows. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when there is a traffic route A (solid line), B (dashed line), C (dotted line), each station provided on each traffic route A, B, C (in the traffic route of an aircraft, each The section connecting the nodes is represented by a directional link, and node data (latitude / longitude) and link data (link number) are network data. In FIG. 6, Nn (◯ mark) and Nm (◎ mark) indicate nodes, and Nm (◎ mark) indicates a transit point (transfer station, etc.) of a traffic route, and an arrow line (solid line, dotted line, two-dot chain line) ) Indicates each directed link connecting the nodes. There are links (arrow lines) that simultaneously indicate the directions of up and down traffic routes. In FIG. 6, only links in one direction are shown in order to simplify the illustration.

  By the way, the traffic network is slightly different from the road network in handling the link cost. That is, in the road network, the link cost is fixed and static, whereas in the traffic network, as shown in FIG. 6, a train or an aircraft (hereinafter referred to as each route such as an individual train or an aircraft) that operates a traffic route. And the time of departure from the node and the time of arrival at the next node (specified by timetable data and operation data) for each means of transportation. Link is not necessarily directly linked to an adjacent node, and the link cost tends to be dynamic. For example, when an express and each station stop are operated on the same route, a plurality of different links exist on the same traffic route, and the required time between nodes also differs.

  In the transportation network illustrated in FIG. 7, a plurality of transportation means (routes) Aa to Ac... Exist on the same link of the transportation route A, and a plurality of transportation means (routes) Ca to Cc. To do. Therefore, unlike a relatively simple road network, the transportation network of a transportation facility has a data amount proportional to the total number of transportation means (routes such as individual aircraft and trains).

  In order to search for a route from a certain departure point to a certain destination by using such traffic network data 36, all the means of transportation that can be used when arriving from the departure point to the destination are searched for a route search. It is necessary to identify the means of transportation that meets the conditions.

  For example, in FIG. 7, when performing a route search with the departure point as a node AX of the traffic route A and specifying a certain departure time and using the node CY of the traffic route C as the destination, the route operates on the traffic route A. All the transportation means after the departure time among the transportation means Aa to Ac... Are sequentially selected as routes at the time of departure. Based on the arrival time at the transit node on the transit route C, among all the transit means Ca to Cc... Operating on the transit route C, all combinations of transit means after the time that can be boarded at the transit node. The candidate time is searched by accumulating the required time of each route and the number of transfers.

  The route search server 30 searches for a plurality of candidate routes that match the route search conditions as described above, and transmits the results to the terminal device 20 as candidate route data. At this time, if the departure time of the departure place is specified as the route search condition, the arrival time at the destination is specified. If the arrival time at the destination is specified, the specified time is set at the destination. The departure time of the departure place for arriving at is included in the candidate route data, and the terminal device 20 displays these details on the display means 25. Furthermore, when a transfer station is included in the route, the time required for transfer at the transfer station is also displayed.

  In route search when walking and transportation are used as means of movement, road network data 35 and traffic network data 36 are combined to edit comprehensive network data and perform route search. The road network data 35 is referred to for specifying the walking route, and the traffic network data 36 is referred to for specifying the route using the transportation facility. In the present embodiment, in principle, the routes that enter the top 5 in order from the lowest total cost are presented to the user as candidate routes. Therefore, routes that do not minimize the walking route section may be preferentially presented, but these can be preferentially presented by changing the default value, for example, by preferentially presenting candidate routes with a small number of transfers, It can also be configured to preferentially present one with a small fare for the route section using. These settings are common in navigation systems using this type of transportation.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure in the terminal device 20. First, in step 101, the operation input means 29 accepts input of route search conditions (departure point, destination, etc. (see FIG. 3)) from the user. Next, the current time and current position are acquired (step 102). The current time / current position can be acquired using a GPS receiver included in the position detection means 23. Of course, the current time may be acquired by a clock means included in the terminal device 20, or the current time may be acquired on the route search server device 30 side. Similarly, the current position can be configured to be performed on the server device 30 side through communication with the relay base station of the terminal device 20 or the like.

  In step 103, the route search condition data received in step 101, the time data acquired in step 102, and the current position data are transmitted to the route search server 30 via the communication unit 22. As a result, the route search server 30 searches for candidate routes that meet these route search conditions, and as a result, candidate route data is received from the route search server 30 (step 104) and temporarily stored as candidate route search results. Store in the means 27 (step 105).

  Next, the information on the candidate route data stored in the temporary storage means 27 is read and displayed on the display means 25 (step 106 (see FIG. 3)). Then, until a predetermined selection input of one desired route from a plurality of candidate routes or an operation input corresponding to the end of use is made by the user (step 108), the processing is temporarily completed by accepting these input processing. Is terminated. If one desired route is selected, a process for so-called guidance guidance based on the route is continued, but the description is omitted because it is not directly related to the main part of the present invention. To do.

On the other hand, an operation procedure for candidate route search executed in the route search server 30 which is a main part of the present invention is shown in the flowchart of FIG.
When the route search server 30 receives the route search condition data from the terminal device 20 via the communication means 34 (step 201), first, in executing the route search process, the nearest station node is selected (step 202). Here, after acquiring the position information of the departure point from the current position data specified via the GPS function or the departure point data specified as the route search condition, the straight line distance from the departure point is within a certain range (for example, 1 km) All stations (including bus stops) in the area are selected as nearest station nodes.

  Next, it is determined whether or not two or more nearest station nodes on the same route are selected among these selected nearest station nodes (step 203). When there are no two or more selected routes (step 203). 203NO), based on all the nearest station nodes selected in step 202, the route search means 33 performs a search process of candidate routes including the optimum route that matches the route search condition (step 208), and the total cost is low. Candidate route data for the route that enters the top five in order from the one is created and transmitted to the terminal device 20 (step 209), and the processing is terminated once.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that two or more nearest station nodes are selected on the same route (step 203 YES), the number of nearest station nodes that should be valid among a plurality of nearest station nodes on the same route. (Same route effective nearest station node) is confirmed (step 204). This process is executed by referring to the nearest station node employment restriction data 38 (see FIG. 2) through determination of which of the predetermined area attributes the departure place belongs to.

  An outline of the content of the nearest station node employment restriction data is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, in the present embodiment, the same route effective nearest station node number is a prescribed number uniquely determined based on regional attributes (region A, region B, region C...) In the nearest station node employment restriction data, a predetermined number predetermined for each regional attribute is written for each of the railway and the bus. In FIG. 9, the display represented by “−” means that the specified number is not set (no restriction) for the area attribute.

  Returning to FIG. 8, if it is confirmed in step 204 that the specified number of effective nearest station nodes is not set to either rail or bus (step 205 NO), all the nodes selected in step 202 are selected. Based on the nearest station node, the route search means 33 performs a search process for candidate routes including the optimum route that matches the route search condition (step 208). Candidate route data is created and transmitted to the terminal device 20 (step 209), and the process is temporarily terminated.

  On the other hand, when the prescribed number is set in the nearest station node adoption restriction data (step 205 YES), the straight line distance from the departure place is the closest to each route where two or more nearest station nodes are selected. The effective nearest station node of the same route within the specified number is specified, and the nearest station node of another route (the route obtained only for the nearest station node of 1) is added as the effective nearest station node. Obtain (step 206). If the specified number specified in step 204 exceeds the number of nearest station nodes selected on the same route, all the nearest stations on the same route become effective nearest station nodes.

  Next, based on the effective nearest station node acquired in step 206, candidate route including the optimum route that matches the route search condition is searched through the route search means 33 (step 208), and the total cost is low. Candidate route data for candidate routes that enter the top five in order is created and transmitted to the terminal device 20 (step 209), and the process is temporarily terminated.

  Next, the basic concept of selecting the nearest station node shown in step 202 in the flowchart of FIG. 8 will be described based on FIG.

  This figure shows the transportation facilities (railways, bus routes) near the departure point and the boarding stations of each transportation. In this figure, the solid line represents the railway line X, the alternate long and short dash line represents the railway line Y, The dotted line indicates the bus route Z, a to j indicate the boarding stations (including bus stops) of each transportation facility, and the dotted line indicates the straight line distance from the departure point to the boarding station. Moreover, the code | symbol (R1-R10) attached | subjected to each dotted line has shown the short order (shortest: R1-longest R10) of the straight line distance from a departure place, and all boarding stations aj set it as a straight line distance. It shall be within 500m.

  In an environment where there is a transportation system as shown in FIG. 10, in the nearest station node selection shown at step 202 in FIG. 8, as shown in FIG. All the nearest station nodes are elected in (10)). Specifically, for railway line X, there are four nearest station nodes (indicated by numbers (1), (2), (5), (6) in FIG. 11). Four station nodes (numbers (3), (4), (7), (8) in the figure)) and two bus stations Z (numbers (9), (10 in the figure) )) Is selected.

  In such a case, in the case of a conventional navigation system that does not adopt the concept of specifying the same route effective nearest station node as shown in steps 203 to 207 in FIG. 8, all these nearest station nodes selected are selected. The candidate route search process is executed based on the above, and the candidate routes that are ranked in the top five in order from the lowest total cost are presented to the user. FIG. 12A shows an example of the boarding start station for the candidate route presented to the user in such a case. This example is presented in the case where the candidate route having the railway line a station, b station, c station, railway line e station, and f station as boarding origin stations is calculated as the top five low total cost. The boarding origin station of a candidate route (1-5 in FIG. 12 (a)) is illustrated.

  On the other hand, in the navigation system of the present embodiment adopting the concept of specifying the same route effective nearest station node, the boarding origin station as shown in FIG. 12B is presented even under similar conditions. It will be. That is, in this example, although illustration is omitted, since the specified number specified by the regional attribute of the departure point is “2” for the railway, only two nearest station nodes on the same route are valid. And not. As a result, the nearest station node for the C station where the straight line distance is the third corresponding to the railway line X is invalid, and search for candidate routes with this C station as the boarding origin station and presentation to the user are not performed. Instead, a candidate route (10 in FIG. 12B) is presented starting from the i stop on bus route Z, which was not presented as a candidate route in the past.

  As is clear from the comparison of FIGS. 12A and 12B described above, according to the navigation system of this embodiment, the number of candidate routes displayed on the terminal device 20 is limited to five. Other than the fact that only three candidate routes using the same route (railway line X) are preferentially displayed, only the boarding starting stations (a station, b station, c station) are different. It is possible to solve the problem that the candidate route using the engine (bus route Z) is not presented.

  In this embodiment, the number of candidate routes displayed on the terminal device 20 is limited. However, even if there is no such limitation, if the technical idea of the present invention is employed, substantially the same route is used. By presenting a large number of candidate routes, it is possible to resolve problems such as difficulty in grasping the candidate routes at a glance and making comparison reference difficult, and taking a long time to select a desired candidate route.

  In the above-described embodiment, the navigation system of this type is provided with a general guidance guide function. However, the main part of the present invention is a candidate route using a transportation facility. Needless to say, the present invention is also applicable to a navigation system that presents only candidate routes without performing guidance guidance.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the prescribed number of the same route effective nearest station nodes is set in advance in the nearest station node adoption restriction data, but the prescribed number is, for example, from the user for each route search request Based on the arbitrary designation, the specified number can be changed each time, and the flexible display restriction according to the route search request can be performed.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the prescribed number is set in advance corresponding to the regional attribute. However, if it is determined based on the attribute of the used traffic route, a flexible display corresponding to the individual circumstances of the used traffic route, etc. It is also possible to limit.

    In the above description, only the boarding start station is shown as the nearest station, but the present invention is equally applicable to restrictive presentation of the final departure station, or limited presentation of both the boarding origin station and the final departure station. . The configuration of the navigation system in such a case can be easily implemented by those skilled in the art by referring to the above-described embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted here.

  The present invention is not limited to a communication navigation system using a mobile terminal, but can also be applied to a navigation system using a personal computer as a terminal device and a traffic route information (route information) providing system.

1 is a system configuration diagram showing a configuration of a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the detailed structure of the navigation system concerning the Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the setting menu screen of route search conditions. It is a figure which shows an example of a candidate path | route list screen. It is a schematic diagram which shows the concept of the data of a road network. It is a schematic diagram which shows the concept of the data of a traffic network. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure of the terminal device which comprises the navigation system concerning the Example of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure of the route search server which comprises the navigation system concerning the Example of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the outline of the content of the nearest station selection restriction data. It is a figure for demonstrating the concept of nearest station node selection. It is a figure which shows an example of the nearest station node elected. It is a figure which shows the example of the boarding origin station about the route candidate shown, FIG.12 (a) is a figure which shows the example of the boarding origin station shown conventionally, FIG.12 (b) is shown by a present Example. It is a figure which shows the example of a boarding origin station.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Navigation system 12 ... Network 20 ... Terminal device 21 ... Control means 22 ... Communication means 23 ... Position detection means 24 ... Route storage means 25 ... Display means 26 ... Display control means 27 ... Temporary storage means 28 ... Operation input means 30 ... Route search server 31 ... Control means 32 ... Guide guidance data editing means 33 ... Route search means 34 ... Communication means 35 ... Road network data 36 ... Traffic network data 37 ... Map data 38 ... Stop station node adoption restriction data 50 ... Information distribution server

Claims (14)

A route search server having route search means for searching for a candidate route including a section using a transportation facility by referring to network data for route search based on a route search request including a starting point and a destination; A navigation system comprising a terminal device having display means for displaying a route,
When the nearest station near the departure point or destination selected when using transportation is selected more than the specified number on the same traffic route, the specified number is valid from the selected items. Equipped with effective nearest station identification means to identify the nearest station,
As a result, the candidate routes based on different nearest stations on the same route are restricted from being displayed beyond the specified number.
A navigation system characterized by that.   The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the prescribed number of effective nearest stations specified by the effective nearest station specifying means is determined for each route search request.   3. The specified number of effective nearest stations specified by the effective nearest station specifying means is determined based on any attribute of a departure place, a destination, or a used transportation route. The navigation system described in.   The navigation system according to claim 3, wherein the attribute of the departure place or the destination is a predetermined area attribute.   5. The route search means, after specifying an effective nearest station, performs a candidate route search process using the effective nearest station as a start point or an end point of transportation. Navigation system. A route search server in a navigation system for searching and presenting candidate routes from a starting point to a destination,
Based on a route search request including a starting point and a destination, route search means for searching for candidate routes including sections using transportation facilities with reference to network data for route search;
When the nearest station near the departure point or destination selected when using transportation is selected more than the specified number on the same traffic route, the specified number is valid from the selected items. An effective nearest station identifying means for identifying the nearest station,
As a result, the candidate routes based on different nearest stations on the same traffic route are restricted from being presented to the user beyond the specified number.
A route search server in a navigation system.   The route search server according to claim 6, wherein the prescribed number of effective nearest stations specified by the effective nearest station specifying means is determined for each route search request.   8. The specified number of effective nearest stations specified by the effective nearest station specifying means is determined based on any attribute of a departure place, a destination, or a used traffic route. The route search server described in 1.   9. The route search server according to claim 8, wherein the attribute of the departure place or the destination is a predetermined area attribute.   The route according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the route search means performs a process for searching for a candidate route having the effective nearest station as a starting point of transportation after the effective nearest station is determined. Search server. A candidate route display method in a navigation system for searching and presenting a candidate route from a starting point to a destination according to a route search request,
Selecting the nearest station near the departure or destination,
When the nearest station is selected exceeding the specified number on the same traffic route, the step of identifying the specified number of effective nearest stations from the selected ones;
Searching for a candidate route based on the determined effective nearest station;
Presenting the searched candidate route;
A candidate route display method characterized by comprising:   12. The candidate route display method according to claim 11, wherein the step of identifying a prescribed number of effective nearest stations includes a process of determining an appropriate prescribed number for each route search request.   12. The step of identifying a prescribed number of effective nearest stations includes a process of determining the prescribed number based on any attribute of a departure place, a destination, or a use transportation route. 12. The candidate route display method according to 12.   The candidate route display method according to claim 13, wherein the attribute of the departure place or the destination is a predetermined area attribute.

Images