JP2014006054A - Route guide device, route guide method and computer program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique in a route guide device, capable of performing route guide with higher reliability when the route guide passing through a building.SOLUTION: A route guide device includes: a position acquisition part which acquires a present position; a display part on which, when the acquired present position is located in a building, a guide map for guiding the inside of the building is displayed; a reception part which receives an input of a position to the guide map; a route search part in which, when the input of the position to the guide map is received, a route from the inputted position to a predetermined destination is searched; and a route guide part which guides the searched route.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for performing route guidance.

  In recent years, many route guidance devices for pedestrians have been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, a portable terminal device as a route guidance device automatically determines that a user has moved from indoor to outdoor, or moved from outdoor to indoor. A technique for seamlessly changing the display map from indoor to outdoor is disclosed. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for switching between a map on the ground and a map of an underground mall by a mobile phone as a route guidance device.

JP 2010-169490 A JP 2007-0578857 A JP 2008-033043 A JP 2000-111648 A

  Particularly in urban areas, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of buildings may be complicatedly connected by a communication passage or a sidewalk. Since the number of floors assigned to each building varies, for example, when the building A moves from the fifth floor of the building A to the building C across the connecting passage, the floor of the destination building C may be the sixth floor instead of the fifth floor. is there. Further, the ground floor (first floor) of the building A may be connected to the second floor of the building B.

  In such a situation, for example, when the user sets the route guidance device to the first floor of the building A as the departure place and the first floor of the building B as the destination, the route guidance device is in the middle of route guidance. Will be instructed to go down the stairs and escalator. In this case, the use of stairs and escalators will be guided even though the number of departures and destinations are the same in number, so the user is distrusted by the guidance provided by the route guidance device and the stairs and escalators. There is a risk of going straight ahead and entering the second floor of Building B without using the. Then, the destination in the building B cannot be reached, and there is a possibility that extra confusion will occur. Such a problem is a problem that can occur not only when route guidance across a plurality of buildings but also when moving from a departure point set on a passage or a sidewalk to a destination in the building.

  In view of such problems, there has been a demand for a technology capable of providing highly reliable guidance when performing route guidance through a building in a route guidance device. In addition, in a conventional route guidance device, for example, improvement of a display screen for improving user convenience, reduction of processing load, reduction of communication amount with a server device, and the like have been desired.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms.

(1) According to one form of this invention, a route guidance apparatus is provided. The route guidance device includes a position acquisition unit that acquires a current position; a display unit that displays a guide map that guides the building when the acquired current position is located in the building; and a position with respect to the guide map A receiving unit that receives an input of a route; a route search unit that searches for a route from the input position to a preset destination when receiving an input of a position with respect to the guide map; and guides the searched route A route guide unit for According to the route guidance device of this embodiment, when a guide map is displayed and an input of a position with respect to the guide map is accepted, a route from the input position to a preset destination is searched. Even if the user deviates from guidance by the route guidance device, a new route from the destination to the destination can be promptly guided. Therefore, it is possible to provide highly reliable guidance when performing route guidance through the building.

(2) In the route guidance device of the above aspect, the building may have a multi-story structure, and the reception unit may receive an input of a position including the number of floors of the building as the position. According to the route guidance device of this aspect, even if there is a destination in a multi-story building, highly reliable guidance can be performed.

(3) In the route guidance device according to the aspect described above, the display unit may display a guide map that three-dimensionally represents the structure of the multi-story floor of the building as the guide map. According to the route guidance device of this aspect, the position can be input intuitively using the three-dimensional guide map.

  The present invention can also be realized in various forms other than the route guidance device. For example, the present invention can be realized in the form of a route guidance system including a route guidance device and a server, a route guidance method, a computer program that realizes the method, a non-temporary recording medium that records the computer program, and the like.

It is a figure which shows a mode that the some building is connected intricately by the communication path and the sidewalk. It is explanatory drawing explaining the structure of a route guidance system. It is a flowchart of a route guidance process. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of a map image. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of a guide map of a building. It is explanatory drawing which shows the designation | designated method of the real position in 2nd Embodiment.

A. First embodiment:
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the route guidance system. The route guidance system 10 includes a smartphone 20 as a route guidance device and a map server 50. The smartphone 20 can access the map server 50 connected to the Internet INT via a communication carrier 70 including a transmission / reception antenna, a radio base station, and an exchange.

  The smartphone 20 includes a wireless communication unit 32, a display unit 38, a touch panel 36, a main control unit 22, an audio output unit 40, a GPS receiver 42, and a step count measuring unit 44.

  The wireless communication unit 32 is a circuit for performing data communication and voice communication via the communication carrier 70. The display unit 38 is a device that displays various images such as a map image. The touch panel 36 is provided so as to be superimposed on the display unit 38 and accepts a touch operation from the user with a finger or a stylus pen. The GPS receiver 42 measures the current position (longitude / latitude) of the smartphone 20 (user) based on radio waves received from artificial satellites constituting a GPS (Global Positioning System / Global Positioning System).

  The main control unit 22 includes a CPU and a memory, and controls the entire operation of the smartphone 20. The main control unit 22 functions as a route search unit 24 and a route guide unit 26 when the CPU executes a predetermined program recorded in the memory.

  The route search unit 24 receives input of search conditions including a departure place and a destination from the user via the touch panel 36, and searches for a route that matches the received search conditions using the wireless communication unit 32, which will be described later. 50. This request is hereinafter referred to as “route search request”.

  The route guidance unit 26 receives route data representing the route searched by the map server 50 from the map server 50 using the wireless communication unit 32, and uses the display unit 38 to route the user to the user based on the received route data. I will guide you.

  The step count measuring unit 44 includes an acceleration sensor, and measures the number of steps the user has walked based on a change in acceleration obtained by the acceleration sensor.

  In the present embodiment, the smartphone 20 accepts an operation from the user via the touch panel 36, but includes various operation buttons such as a cross key and a numeric keypad, and accepts an operation from the user via these operation buttons. It is good as well.

  The map server 50 includes a communication unit 52, a control unit 54, and a map database 56. The communication unit 52 can communicate with the smartphone 20 via the Internet INT.

  The map database 56 stores map data for displaying a map on the display unit 38 of the smartphone 20 and network data for performing a route search. The map data includes map data for displaying a map for pedestrians and guide map (floor map) data indicating the internal structure of the building. The network data includes data that expresses the connection state of the sidewalk that pedestrians can pass by links and nodes. In this specification, “walk” includes roads and devices that allow humans to move regardless of the inside or outside of the building, such as pedestrian crossings, pedestrian bridges, communication paths, stairs, elevators, escalators, and the like.

  The control unit 54 includes a CPU and a memory, and controls the entire operation of the map server 50. When receiving a route search request from the smartphone 20 via the communication unit 52, the control unit 54 performs a route search using the network data stored in the map database 56 and transmits the search result to the smartphone 20. In addition, when receiving a map acquisition request from the smartphone 20, the control unit 54 reads map data from the map database 56 and transmits the map data to the smartphone 20.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart of route guidance processing executed by the main control unit 22 of the smartphone 20. This process is started when the user calls the route guidance function of the smartphone 20 using the touch panel 36. When the route guidance process is started, the route search unit 24 of the main control unit 22 receives an input of search conditions (step S100). Search conditions are conditions, such as a departure place, a destination, a waypoint, departure time, and arrival time, for example.

  When receiving the search condition input, the route search unit 24 transmits the input search condition together with the route search request to the map server 50 (step S102). When the map server 50 receives the route search request and the search condition, the map server 50 searches for a route from the departure place to the destination using the network data recorded in the map database 56 according to the received search condition. For example, when the departure point and the destination are specified in different buildings, a route including the route in each building is searched.

  When the route search is performed by the map server 50, the route search unit 24 acquires route data representing a route from the departure point to the destination from the map server 50 (step S104). At this time, when a passage in the building is included in the route, the route search unit 24 acquires guide map data indicating the internal structure of the building from the map server 50.

  When route data is acquired by the route search unit 24, the route guide unit 26 of the main control unit 22 acquires the current position of the smartphone 20 (user) using the GPS receiver 42 (step S106). When the current position is acquired, the route guide unit 26 determines whether or not the user has moved into the building based on the current position acquired last time and the current position acquired this time (step S108). For example, when the current position acquired last time is outdoor and the current position is acquired in a building this time (more specifically, the current position is included in a graphic representing the building on the map image). Case), it can be determined that the vehicle has moved into the building. Further, even when the current position is not acquired this time even though the current position was acquired last time, it can be determined that the user has moved into the building.

  If it is not determined in step S108 that the user has moved into the building (step S108: No), the route search unit 24 subsequently determines whether the user is in the building (step S110). Specifically, when the current position is not acquired in step S106, the route search unit 24 determines that the user is in a building. If the current position is acquired in step S106, it can be determined that the user is not in the building (that is, outdoors).

  In step S110, when it is determined that the user is not in the building (that is, outside) (step S110: No), the route guide unit 26 stores the current information acquired in step S106 in the map server 50. The transmission of map data around the position is requested (step S112). When the route guidance unit 26 acquires map data from the map server 50 (step S114), the route represented by the route data acquired in step S104 and the current position are displayed on the map image represented by the acquired map data. The mark shown is superimposed and displayed on the display unit 38 (step S116).

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a map image. In FIG. 4, the map image MP is displayed on the display unit 38 of the smartphone 20, and the route RT from the building A to the building B and the current position CL are superimposed and displayed on the map image MP. An example is shown. In the example shown in FIG. 4, 2F of building A and 3F of building B are connected by a communication passage, and route RT is set on the communication passage.

  In step S116, when the route and the current position are displayed on the map image, the route guide unit 26 determines whether or not the user has arrived at the destination (step S118). Specifically, the route guide unit 26 determines that the current position acquired in step S106 or the current position estimated in step S124 described later substantially matches the destination set in step S100. Determines that has arrived at the destination. When it is determined that it has arrived at the destination (step S118: Yes), the route guidance unit 26 ends the route guidance process, and when it is determined that it has not arrived, the route guide unit 26 performs processing. Is returned to step S106 described above (step S118: No).

  In step S108 (FIG. 3) described above, when it is determined that the user has moved into the building (step S108: Yes), the route guidance unit 26, based on the building guide map data acquired in step S104, A guide map of the building is displayed on the display unit 38 (step S120). When the map image as shown in FIG. 4 has already been displayed on the display unit 38, the route guide unit 26 switches the map image to the building guide map.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example of a building guide map. In FIG. 5, a guide map FM of 3F of the building B shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on the display unit 38 of the smartphone 20. On the guide map FM, the route RT in the building, the current position CL, the purpose An example is shown in which the ground DS is superimposed and displayed.

  After displaying the guide map in step S120 (FIG. 3) or when it is determined in step S110 described above that the user is in the building (step S110: Yes), the user is in the building. Therefore, the route guide unit 26 cannot acquire the current position by the GPS receiver 42. Therefore, the route guide unit 26 acquires the number of steps the user has walked in the building from the step counting unit 44 (step S122), and estimates the current position in the building based on the number of steps and the route data in the building ( Step S124). Specifically, the route guide unit 26 calculates the travel distance by adding the number of steps acquired in step S122 to the average travel distance (for example, 60 cm) per step, and the position advanced by the travel distance along the route. Is estimated as the current position. When the user is outdoors, the main control unit 22 takes one step of the user based on the movement distance measured based on the GPS receiver 42 and the number of steps measured by the step counting unit 44 in advance. It is also possible to calculate the average movement distance per hit. If the average moving distance calculated in advance is used in this way, the current position in the building can be estimated more accurately.

  When the current position in the building is estimated in step S124, the route guide unit 26 displays the route RT and the estimated current position CL on the guide map FM as shown in FIG. 5 (step S126). .

  When the current position is displayed on the guide map FM, the route guide unit 26 uses the touch panel 36 to display the actual position (hereinafter referred to as the following) for the guide map displayed on the display unit 38. It is determined whether or not “actual position” is input (step S128). For example, FIG. 5 shows an example in which the number of floors corresponding to the guide map is displayed at the top of the guide map along with the guide map. The user can freely switch the number of floors of the guide map displayed on the display unit 38 by touching any floor in the area (floor display area FN) where the floor is displayed. Therefore, the user designates the number of floors that actually exist by the floor display area, and after the guide map of the designated floor is displayed, touches the position where the user actually exists on the guide map. Thus, the actual position of the user can be input.

  When it is determined in step S128 that the input of the actual position has been received from the user (step S128: Yes), the route search unit 24 searches for the input actual position as the departure place and the destination set in step S100. A route search request (reroute request) as a condition is transmitted to the map server 50 (step S130), and the process proceeds to step S104. Then, since the route data representing the rerouted route is transmitted from the map server 50, the route searching unit 24 acquires the route data (step S104), and the route guiding unit 26 based on the route data. The processes from step S106 to step S130 are executed again. If it is determined in step S128 that the input of the actual position has not been accepted (step S128: No), the route guide unit 26 determines whether the user has arrived at the destination (step S118). . If the user arrives at the destination, the route guidance process is terminated. If the user has not arrived at the destination, the process proceeds to step S106, and the route guidance process is repeated.

  According to the route guidance system 10 of this embodiment described above, when a user moves into a building, a guide map of the building is automatically displayed. When the actual position of the user with respect to the guide map is input, the route from the actual position to the destination is immediately rerouted. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, the use of stairs and escalators was guided even though the starting point and the destination are the same number of floors. Even if the user proceeds as it is without using the stairs or escalator, when the user notices his / her own mistake, he / she can input a new actual position to create a new location from that position to the destination. The route will be guided quickly. As a result, according to the route guidance system 10 of the present embodiment, highly reliable guidance can be performed during route guidance through the building.

  In particular, in this embodiment, at the time of route guidance in a building, the current position is estimated based on the number of steps of the user, and the current position is displayed on the original route, so the user is moving away from the route. Even in this case, it is displayed on the display unit 38 as if it is always moving along the route. Therefore, if the user can input an actual position when he / she notices an error as in the present embodiment, the route to the destination can be immediately rerouted, so that highly reliable route guidance is possible.

  Further, according to the route guidance apparatus of the present embodiment, it is possible to input the actual position by designating the number of floors for a multi-story building. Therefore, highly reliable guidance can be performed when guiding a route passing through a building having a multi-story structure.

  In the present embodiment, the example in which the destination is set in the building is shown. However, if there is a route passing through the building in at least a part of the route from the departure point to the destination, The route guidance process described above can also be applied when guiding a simple route.

B. Second embodiment:
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for specifying an actual position in the second embodiment. In the first embodiment described above, as shown in FIG. 5, the actual position is designated on the guide map displayed two-dimensionally. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, the route guide unit 26 displays the guide map of each floor on the display unit 38 in a three-dimensional manner as shown in FIG. When designating the floor number, the guide map of the target floor number is touched among the three-dimensionally displayed guide maps. Then, the route guide unit 26 enlarges and displays the touched guide map so as to be relatively larger than the guide maps of other floors as shown in FIG. 6B. The user designates the actual position for the enlarged guide map. In this way, if the guide map is displayed three-dimensionally, the user can intuitively specify his / her actual position. As a method of displaying the guide map in a three-dimensional manner, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, an idea projection may be displayed using an oblique projection map, and in addition, an orthographic projection map, an isometric projection map, or the like may be displayed. It may be used to display a guide map.

C. Variations:
・ Modification 1:
In the above embodiment, the map server 50 stores map data and network data. On the other hand, the smartphone 20 may store map data and network data in its own memory. In this case, the smartphone 20 can display a map using the map data stored in its own memory, and can perform a route search using the network data stored in its own memory.

Modification 2
In the said embodiment, the present position in a building is estimated based on a user's step count. In contrast, for example, the smartphone 20 receives radio waves from a plurality of wireless LAN access points arranged in a building, and estimates the current position based on a difference in radio wave intensity of each wireless LAN access point. Good.

・ Modification 3:
In the above embodiment, the route guidance device of the present invention is applied to the smartphone 20. On the other hand, the route guidance device of the present invention is applied to various devices such as a general mobile phone, a notebook personal computer, a tablet terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable music player, and a portable game machine. It is possible.

-Modification 4:
In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to route guidance for pedestrians has been described. For example, a route to a vehicle such as an automobile when a plurality of multilevel parking lots are complicatedly connected by a communication passage. The same can be applied to the guidance.

Modification 5:
The guide map and map shown in the above embodiment can be displayed in various ways. For example, when specifying the number of floors in the guide map shown in FIG. 5, if a list of stores or the like existing on each floor is displayed on any part of the screen, the user can select his / her own from the list of stores. The number of floors can be efficiently specified by searching for a store near the position where is present.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and can be realized with various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments and the modifications corresponding to the technical features in each embodiment described in the summary section of the invention are to solve some or all of the above-described problems, or In order to achieve part or all of the effects, replacement or combination can be performed as appropriate. Further, if the technical feature is not described as essential in the present specification, it can be deleted as appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Route guidance system 20 ... Smartphone 22 ... Main control part 24 ... Route search part 26 ... Route guidance part 32 ... Wireless communication part 34 ... Communication control part 36 ... Touch panel 38 ... Display part 40 ... Audio | voice output part 42 ... GPS receiver 44 ... Step count unit 50 ... Map server 52 ... Communication unit 54 ... Control unit 56 ... Map database 70 ... Communication carrier CL ... Current position FM ... Guide map FN ... Level display area MP ... Map image DS ... Destination RT ... Route INT …the Internet

Claims (5)

A route guidance device,
A position acquisition unit for acquiring the current position;
A display unit for displaying a guide map for guiding the inside of the building when the acquired current position is located in the building;
A reception unit for receiving an input of a position with respect to the guide map;
A route search unit that searches for a route from the input position to a preset destination when receiving an input of a position with respect to the guide map;
A route guide for guiding the searched route;
A route guidance device comprising: The route guidance device according to claim 1,
The building has a multi-story structure,
The said reception part is a route guidance apparatus which receives the input of the position containing the floor number of the said building as the said position. The route guidance device according to claim 2,
The said display part is a route guidance apparatus which displays the guide map which represents the structure of the multi-story floor of the said building as the said guide map in three dimensions. A route guidance method by a route guidance device, a location acquisition step of acquiring a current location,
A guide map output step of outputting a guide map for guiding the inside of the building when the acquired current position is located in the building;
An accepting step of receiving an input of a position with respect to the guide map;
A route search step of searching for a route from the input position to a preset destination when receiving an input of a position for the guide map;
A route guidance process for guiding the searched route;
A route guidance method comprising: A computer program for performing route guidance,
A position acquisition function to acquire the current position;
A guide map output function for outputting a guide map for guiding the inside of the building when the acquired current position is located in the building;
A reception function for receiving an input of a position with respect to the guide map;
A route search function for searching for a route from the input position to a preset destination when receiving an input of a position for the guide map;
A route guidance function for guiding the searched route;
A computer program that causes a computer to realize

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