Reachable range drawing device, display device, program

Abstract

To provide a reachable range drawing device and the like for easily drawing a reachable range of a moving body.SOLUTION: A reachable range drawing device 1 includes an extraction unit 2, a specification unit 4, and a drawing unit 4. The extraction unit 2 extracts as a route area 16 a rectangular area including a route 13 on which a moving body M can move in a road map 14 that indicates a route where the moving body can move with energy held therein and that is sectioned into a plurality of rectangular areas 15. The specification unit 4 specifies as an outline area 17 a rectangular area that is outside the route area and surrounds the route area. The drawing unit 4 generates drawing data 5a indicating a reachable range 7 of the moving body on which the outline area is drawn with an area line 18.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for drawing an accessible range of a mobile body in consideration of the remaining energy amount held by the mobile body and the energy amount consumed by the mobile body for movement.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is an apparatus for displaying an accessible range of a mobile body based on the remaining energy amount of the mobile body. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus includes an identification unit that identifies whether a mobile body can reach each of a plurality of regions obtained by dividing map information, and a contour extraction unit that extracts the contour of the accessible range of the mobile body from the map information based on the identification result by the identification unit, a complement unit that performs a process of increasing the vertex group with respect to the vertex group included in the extracted contour, and a removal unit that removes frequency components of a predetermined frequency or higher in the contour on which the process by the complement unit has been performed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The accessible range displayed based on the energy held by the mobile body is preferably displayed with high accuracy so that the passenger does not make a wrong judgment. On the other hand, when trying to display the accessible range with high accuracy, usually the processing becomes more and more, and it becomes complicated. That is, displaying the accessible range with high accuracy and easily processing the accessible range are usually contradictory.

[0005] Therefore, in one aspect, an object is to provide an accessible range drawing apparatus or the like that simultaneously satisfies these contradictory matters.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (1) The reachable range drawing device is characterized in that a road map showing a path that can be traveled using the energy held by a moving body is divided into a plurality of rectangular regions, and comprises an extraction unit that extracts the rectangular regions containing the moveable path as a path region, an identification unit that identifies the rectangular region outside the path region and surrounding the path region as an outline region, and a drawing unit that generates drawing data showing the reachable range of the moving body by drawing the outline region with area lines.

[0007] (2) In such an reachable range drawing device, it is preferable that the extraction unit extracts the path area based on the relative magnitudes of the diagonal slope of the rectangular area and the slope of the movable path.

[0008] (3) It is also preferable that the identifying unit starts from one of the rectangular regions adjacent to the outside of the path region and repeatedly moves through the rectangular regions adjacent to the path region one by one in a direction based on a predetermined priority to identify the outer shape region.

[0009] (4) The display device is characterized by having a display unit that uses the drawing data obtained from the above-mentioned reachable range drawing device to display the area inside the area line in a predetermined color, and displays the water area within the area inside the area in a color different from the predetermined color to indicate the reachable range of the moving body.

[0010] (5) The program causes a computer to perform drawing processing for drawing the reachable range of a moving object, the drawing processing being characterized by including the steps of: dividing a road map showing a path that can be traveled using the energy held by the moving object into a plurality of rectangular regions; extracting the rectangular regions containing the travelable paths as path regions; identifying the rectangular regions outside the path regions and surrounding the path regions as outline regions; and generating drawing data showing the reachable range of the moving object by drawing the outline regions with region lines. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The reachable range of a moving object can be output with simple processing. Furthermore, the reachable range is highly visible. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a functional block diagram showing one embodiment of a reachable range drawing device. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a road map. [Figure 3] Figure 3a is a schematic diagram showing an example of the data structure of a map information database, and Figure 3b is a schematic diagram showing an example of the data structure of mobile information. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a reachable range drawing device. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows one embodiment of the processing flow of a reachable range drawing device. [Figure 6] This is a road map showing traversable routes and a schematic diagram illustrating how the road map is divided into rectangular regions. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the extracted path regions. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a method for extracting a path region from a rectangular region. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the outline of the region. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram illustrating one example of a method for identifying the external region. [Figure 11] This is a schematic diagram showing the outer shape region, including the corners. [Figure 12] This is a schematic diagram illustrating how the region lines are drawn. [Figure 13] This is a schematic diagram illustrating one example of how to draw region lines. [Figure 14] This is a schematic diagram showing the reachable range of a moving object. [Figure 15] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the hierarchical structure.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] [1. General Description] (First) A system including the reachable range drawing device according to the present embodiment searches for a path that can be traveled with the energy held by a moving body, and draws the reachable range of the moving body on a road map so as to surround the entire searched path.

[0014] (Moving Body M)) As the moving body M (see FIG. 1), in the present embodiment, for example, vehicles that can travel on public roads such as automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, and even electric kick scooters are applicable. Further, as the moving body M, it includes an EV (Electric Vehicle) that runs by driving a motor using electricity as energy. Examples of EV vehicles include HV (Hybrid Vehicle) vehicles, PHV (Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle) vehicles, FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle) vehicles, and the like.

[0015] (Energy) Here, the energy is used for the travel of the moving body M, and for example, it is combustion energy by fuel or electric energy, and may further be a composite use of those energies. Examples of the fuel for combustion energy include petroleum-based fuels including gasoline and light oil. Further, examples of alternative fuels for petroleum-based fuels include natural gas, methanol, ethanol, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), dimethyl ether (DME), biofuels, or hydrogen. Electric energy can be generated, for example, from thermal power, hydropower, wind power, nuclear power, solar cells, or by burning the above-mentioned fuel for power generation. Furthermore, the energy held by the mobile body M corresponds, for example, to the amount of fuel held in the fuel tank or the amount of electricity charged in the battery. The energy held may also be the amount of fuel (in the fuel tank) held by the mobile body M to generate electricity. When these held energies are used in combination to provide the energy for the mobile body M to move, the total amount of these energies may be considered the energy held.

[0016] [2.Each configuration] (System 10) First, the system will be explained using Figure 1. Figure 1 shows system 10. System 10 consists of a reachable range drawing device 1 that generates drawing data 5a (see Figure 5a), and a display device 21 that acquires the drawing data 5a and is mounted on a mobile body M, and also indicates the reachable range. Reference numeral 45 denotes a communication network.

[0017] (Reachable range drawing device 1) The reachable range drawing device 1 generates drawing data 5a that draws the reachable range in response to a request from the display device 21. The reachable range drawing device 1 mainly comprises, for example, an extraction unit 2, a identification unit 3, and a drawing unit 4. It may also further include a route search unit 11 and a grid unit 6. The functions of the route search unit 11 and / or the grid unit 6 may be executed on another server.

[0018] (Route search unit 11) The route search unit 11 includes an information acquisition unit 12. Based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 12, the route search unit 11 searches for a traversable route 13 that can be reached within the cruising range. In this embodiment, for example, Dijkstra's algorithm is used for the search. The method by which the route search unit 11 searches for a route will be described later. Figure 6 shows an example of how the traversable routes 13 are superimposed on the road map 14.

[0019] (Acquisition part 12) The acquisition unit 12 acquires information 12a for route searching. The information 12a includes map data 9, road map 14, map information database 25, and mobile information 40, which will be described later. For example, information such as road gradient can be obtained from the map information 14.

[0020] (Extraction part 2) The road map 14 shows the paths 13 that can be traveled using the energy held by the moving body M (see the upper diagram in Figure 6). In this embodiment, the road map 14 is pre-divided into a plurality of rectangular regions 15 having a predetermined shape (see the lower diagram in Figure 6). The extraction unit 2 extracts the rectangular region 15 containing the movable path 12 as the path region 16 (see Figure 7).

[0021] (Road map 14) Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a road map. In the road map 14 shown in Figure 2, the circular frames indicated by the symbol ND represent nodes. Each node is assigned an identification number ID, such as ND1, ND2, etc. In this embodiment, the nodes correspond to the locations where traffic lights are installed. Note that intersection locations may also be used as nodes. The arrow line between the two nodes indicated by the symbol L represents a link. Each link is assigned an identification number ID, such as L1, L2, etc. The arrow indicates the direction of travel on the roadway. Links L are distinguished for uphill and downhill lanes. In Figure 2, for ease of visibility, sections with wide road widths are shown with two links L, L. On the other hand, sections with narrow road widths are shown with one link L for visibility reasons, and the description is omitted. In the case of one-way traffic, there is only one link L, but in this embodiment, for improved visibility, the link is omitted and there is no distinction between the link shown as a single line and the link for one-way traffic.

[0022] (Map Information Database 25) Figure 3a is a schematic diagram showing an example of the data structure of a map information database (hereinafter referred to as the map information DB). The map information DB 25 shown in Figure 3 contains map information. The map information consists of node information 26 and link information 27. Node information 26 consists of node ID 26a and coordinate information 26b. In this embodiment, coordinate information 26b consists of longitude and latitude, but any value that can be converted to these coordinates is acceptable. Link information 27 includes link ID 27a, starting point 27b, ending point 27c, number of lanes 27d, road type 27e, and road name 27f. Other items may also be included in link information 27. The direction indicated by the link arrow corresponds to the direction from starting point 27b to ending point 27c. Number of lanes 27d indicates the number of lanes. Road type 27e indicates the type of road (e.g., national road, municipal road, private road). Road name 27f indicates the number / name of the road (e.g., national road, municipal road).

[0023] (Rectangular area 15) In this embodiment, the rectangular regions 15 (see the lower diagram in Figure 6) are all square and have the same shape. The vertical lines extending vertically in Figure 6 are longitude lines 15a, and the horizontal lines extending horizontally are latitude lines 15b. The mesh-like shape formed by the longitude lines 15a and latitude lines 15b, and composed of multiple rectangular regions 15, is grid A.

[0024] (Specific part 3) The identifying unit 3 identifies the outline region 17 (see Figure 9). The outline region 17 corresponds to the region within the rectangular region 15 that is adjacent to the outside of the path region 16 and surrounds the path region 16.

[0025] (Drawing section 4) The drawing unit 4 draws the outline region 17 with region lines 18 (see Figure 12).

[0026] (Grid section 6) The grid section 6 divides the road map 14 into multiple rectangular areas 15 of predetermined shape and size (see the lower diagram in Figure 6).

[0027] (Display device 21) As the display device 21, for example, a device that displays a screen such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma display panel (PDP), or organic electroluminescence (EL) (see reference numeral 21a in Figures 1 and 4) can be used. Specifically, as the display device 21, it may be a communication device equipped with a display function, such as an in-vehicle device or a smartphone.

[0028] (Display section 5) The display unit 5 displays the internal range 19 of the region line 18 in a predetermined color, and displays the water area 20 within the internal range 19 in a color different from the predetermined color (see Figure 14). Here, the water area 20 corresponds to the sea, river, lake, or swamp.

[0029] (Communication network 45) The communication network 45 is, for example, the internet communication network, and also includes mobile phones. It is constructed using communication networks, wireless communication channels, Ethernet (registered trademark), etc.

[0030] [3. Hardware Configuration] Next, the hardware configuration of the reachable range drawing device 1 will be explained using Figure 4. In this embodiment, the hardware configuration of the display device 21 is almost the same as that of the reachable range drawing device 1, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, the reachable range drawing device 1 of this embodiment uses, for example, a computer. The reachable range drawing device 1 is equipped with a CPU (or GPU) 30. The CPU 30 is connected to, for example, a memory (hereinafter referred to as the storage unit) 31, a connection port 33 for connecting / reading a recording device 32, a communication circuit 34 for communicating with the outside via a network, and a screen display device 21a via a bus line 35. The storage unit 31 stores a program 36 for processing the system 10. It may also store a browser program 37 and an OS 38 (operating system). The program 36 is installed by the recording device 32. Furthermore, the storage unit 31 stores a road map 14, a road information DB 25, and map data 9 (described later in Figure 15). Furthermore, in the hardware configuration of the display device 21, the storage unit 31 is equipped with mobile information 40 (see dashed line). Furthermore, the hardware configuration of the display device 21 does not include the map data 9, which is indicated by the dashed line, in the storage unit 31. In addition, reference numeral 36a denotes the program for the display device 21.

[0032] In this embodiment, program 36(36a) may work in cooperation with OS38 and browser program 37 by utilizing their respective functions. Alternatively, program 36(36a) may operate independently without utilizing browser program 37 or OS38.

[0033] In the hardware configuration described above, the functions shown in the functional block diagram of Figure 1 are implemented, for example, using the CPU 30 and program 36 (36a). However, some or all of these functions may be sequentially controlled using logic circuits such as a microcontroller or a PLC (programmable logic controller).

[0034] [4. Program] (Flowchart showing the processing of the reachable range drawing device 1 and the display device 12) Figure 5 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of the processing of programs 36 and 36a used in the reachable range drawing device 1 and the display device 12, respectively. In the following description of the flowchart, necessary drawings will be used in addition to Figure 5 as appropriate. Reference numeral 22 in the figure indicates the method of drawing the reachable range.

[0035] (Q1: Requesting the transmission of drawing data) The CPU 30 of the display device 21 (see Figure 4) requests the reachable range drawing device 1 to transmit drawing data 5a. When making the request, the display device 21 transmits mobile body information 40, such as the position information and remaining energy amount of the mobile body M. The request may be automatically executed when the user of the mobile unit M or the display device 21 meets predetermined conditions. These predetermined conditions include, for example, when the remaining energy amount reaches a predetermined amount (e.g., half), or when a predetermined operating time is reached.

[0036] (R1: Pathfinding) The CPU 30 of the reachable range drawing device 1 (see Figure 4) searches for traversable routes 13. The upper part of Figure 6 schematically shows a road map 14 that shows the traversable routes 13 (see the thick lines in the figure). The search method will be described later. For the sake of clarity, the road map 14 shown in Figure 6 uses a larger scale map than the road map 14 in Figure 2, and displays a wider area.

[0037] (S0: Road map classification) The CPU 30 of the reachable range drawing device 1 (see Figure 4) divides the road map 14 into multiple rectangular regions 15 (see the lower part of Figure 6). The figure shows the road map 14 divided into multiple rectangular regions 15. In this embodiment, the road map 14 is divided into rectangular regions 15 in advance. For example, the divided road map 14 is recorded in the storage unit 31 (see Figure 4).

[0038] (S1: Extraction of path regions) The CPU 30 of the reachable area drawing device 1 (see Figure 4) extracts the route area 16. The upper part of Figure 7 schematically shows how the route area is extracted from the road map. The gray-colored area corresponds to the route area 16. Note that in the lower part of Figure 7, the road map 14 is omitted to make it easier to understand the extracted route area 16.

[0039] (Extraction method) Figure 8 schematically shows a method for extracting a route area from a rectangular region. The figure shows a magnified portion of grid A (see Figure 7) formed on road map 14 (see Figure 2). The route area 16 is extracted using the following procedure. (1) Determine the slope of link L. (2) Compare the inclination of link L with the inclination of the diagonal of the rectangular region 15. In this embodiment, since the rectangular region 15 is formed as a square, the diagonal (see the dashed line indicated by reference numeral 15c) is 45°. In this embodiment, the inclination of link L and the diagonal are obtained as absolute values. (3) If the slope of the link is greater than the slope of the diagonal, the rectangular region 15 that includes the side (see the thick line indicated by symbol 15d) having the point where the link L and the latitude line 15b intersect (see the circle indicated by symbol 23) is defined as the path region 16. In the figure, the upper and lower rectangular regions 15, 15, with the latitude line 15b containing the intersection point 23 as the common side 15d, are defined as the path regions 16, 16. (4) On the other hand, if the slope of the link is smaller than the slope of the diagonal, the rectangular region 15 containing the point (not shown) where the link L and the longitude line 15a intersect is defined as the path region 16. The left and right rectangular regions 15, 15 with the longitude line 15a containing the intersection point 23 as a common side are defined as the path regions 16, 16. If the slope of the link and the slope of the diagonal are the same, the rectangular region 15 is extracted as the path region 16 in the same way as when the slope of the link is greater than and / or less than the slope of the diagonal. (5) In the diagram, a path region 16 is extracted for each link L, but this should be done for all links L.

[0040] (S2: Identification of the external area) The CPU 30 of the reachable range drawing device 1 (see Figure 4) identifies the outline region 17 from the path region 16. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating the outline region. In this embodiment, the outline region 17 shown in Figure 9 is identified such that it can enclose, for example, an area adjacent to the outside of the path region 16 with a single stroke.

[0041] (Identification method) Figure 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for identifying the outline region. First, we will explain how to identify the outline region 17 using Figure 10. The outline region 17 is identified by the following procedure.

[0042] (Identifying the starting region) Figure 10 shows the starting area 24, which is the area of ​​the starting point for identifying the outline area 17 in a single stroke. Note that Figure 10 shows a portion of grid A. The area shown roughly corresponds to the area within the dashed-dot frame in the upper diagram of Figure 7. The starting area 24 is shown in dark color. The starting area 24 is confirmed by searching grid A column by column, starting from the top row, until a path area 16 is encountered. The area that is encountered at the top of the path area 16 is identified. The rectangular area 15 adjacent to the top of the path area 16 is designated as the starting area 24.

[0043] (Identification of the external area) Next, a method for identifying the outline region 17 will be explained. Figure 10 schematically shows how rectangular regions 15 to be designated as the outline region 17 are sequentially identified starting from the starting region 24. In this embodiment, the outline region 17 is identified by enclosing the path region 16 in a clockwise direction. Specifically, the outline region 17 is identified by repeatedly moving one region at a time from the starting region 24 to the rectangular regions 15 adjacent to the path region 16 in a direction based on a predetermined priority.

[0044] (T1) In this embodiment, since the path region 16 is enclosed in a clockwise direction, the direction of travel is to the right of the starting region 24 in the figure. The arrows in the figure (see symbol B) indicate the direction of travel. The priority order for the direction of enclosure is "right → forward → left → backward" relative to the direction of travel. Since the path region 16 is to the right (downward in the figure) relative to the direction of travel (right in the figure, direction of the arrow), it is not possible to move to the right. Therefore, according to the priority order, it moves forward (right in the figure, direction of the arrow). (T2) The rectangular region 15 located ahead is defined as the outline region 17. Since there is no path region 16 to the right (downwards in the diagram) relative to the direction of travel, proceed to the right. (T3) The rectangular area 15 on the right is defined as the outline area 17. Since there is a path area 16 to the right (downwards in the diagram) relative to the direction of travel (downwards in the diagram, in the direction of the arrow), it is not possible to move to the right. Therefore, according to priority, it moves forward (downwards in the diagram, in the direction of the arrow). (T4) The rectangular area 15 located ahead is defined as the outline area 17. Since there is a path area 16 to the right, then forward, and then left relative to the direction of travel, proceed backward (opposite direction of the arrow) according to priority. (T5) The rectangular region 15 ahead is already designated as the outline region 17, so nothing is done. There is no path region 16 to the right of the direction of travel, so proceed to the right according to priority. (T6) The rectangular region 15 on the right is designated as the outline region 17. The same procedure is repeated until returning to the starting region 24, thereby identifying the outline region 17 that encloses the outer perimeter of the path region 16 in a single stroke.

[0045] (Deletion of corners) Next, we will explain how to remove the corners using Figure 11. Figure 11 schematically shows the outline region 17 including the corner 28. In the figure, the corner 28 is shown in the darkest color. When identifying the outline region 17, the corner 28 is defined as the part of the outline region 17 that curves to the right relative to the direction of travel B. In the figure, a portion of the arrow curving to the right is shown. Also, the region indicated by reference numeral 29 in the figure is the region that curves to the right after moving forward (see T6 in Figure 10), and therefore does not form a corner. For this reason, it is not removed.

[0046] (S3: Drawing with region lines (generating drawing data)) The CPU 30 (see Figure 4) of the reachable area drawing device 1 draws area lines 18 based on the outline area 17. Figure 12 schematically shows how the area lines 18 are drawn based on the outline area 17. In this embodiment, the area lines 18 are drawn using a preset method. The drawn area lines 18 are transmitted to the display device 21 as drawing data 5a. The drawing data 5a consists of position information of multiple drawing points. The area lines 18 are formed by placing multiple drawing points on the road map 14. The color and size of the drawing points may be pre-registered or may be changeable. Reference numeral 19 corresponds to the internal area enclosed by the area lines 18.

[0047] (Drawing method) Figures 13a, 13b, and 13c schematically illustrate examples of methods for drawing region lines. The figures show how to draw region line 18 curving to the left. Note that when region line 18 curves to the right, only the direction of the curve is changed from left to right; all other aspects are the same. Therefore, explanations of the common aspects are omitted.

[0048] (Turn left) Figure 13a shows an example of drawing the region line 18 by curving it to the left relative to the direction of travel. In the figure, the outline regions 17a, 17b, and 17c are arranged in an inverted L shape, starting from the bottom left of the figure, and the region line 18 is progressing in this order. Below the outline regions 17a and 17b, and to the right of the outline regions 17b and 17c, there are path regions 16, 16, 16, and 16, although these are not shown in the figure. The region line 18 in the figure consists of a straight section 18a and a curved section 18b. A straight region line 18a is drawn in the outer regions 17a and 17c. If one side of the outer region 17 is taken as 1, the straight region line 18a is drawn at a position of 0.25 from the path region 16 side. The dimension lines in the figure show the ratio of lengths as 1 and 0.25 as dimension values. Furthermore, a curved portion 18b is drawn on the outer region 17b. The curved portion 18b is drawn as a circular arc with a radius of 0.75, which is the ratio when one side of the outer region 17 is set to 1. The center O is located at the upper part of the common vertex of the outer regions 17a and 17b.

[0049] (Turn left and forward) Figure 13b shows an example of drawing the region line 18 by curving it to the left and forward relative to the direction of travel. The figure shows the region line 18 passing through outline regions 17a, 17b, and 17d. Outline regions 17a, 17b, and 17d are arranged from the left to the upper right of the figure, and the region line 18 progresses in this order. The region line 18 in the figure consists of a straight section 18a, a slightly curved section 18c, and a diagonal section 18d. A linear region line 18a is drawn in the outer region 17a. If the length of one side of the outer region 17 is 1.0, the linear region line 18a is drawn at a position of 0.25 from the path region 16. In addition, the outer regions 17b and 17d have diagonal sections 18d drawn along the diagonals of their respective regions. The linear section 18a and the diagonal section 18d are smoothly connected by a small curved section 18c of the outer region 17b. The center O of the arc of the small curved section 18c is located at a position of 0.884 to the left and below the top left vertex of the rectangular region 15 in the upper left of the figure. The dimension value of 0.884 is the ratio of the length when the length of one side of the outer region 17 is set to 1.

[0050] (Make a U-turn backwards) Figure 13c shows an example of drawing the region line 18 by making a U-turn backward in the opposite direction of travel. From left to right in the figure, the region line 18 is drawn passing through the outline regions 17a and 17b. Although not shown, path regions 16 are located above and below the outline region 17a, and above, below, and to the right of the outline region 17b. The region line 18 in the figure consists of a straight section 18a and a turn section 18e. Two straight region lines 18a, 18a are drawn parallel to each other vertically in the outer regions 17a and 17c. If one side of the outer region 17 is set to 1.0, the upper and lower region lines 18a, 18a are drawn at positions with lengths of 0.25, 0.25, respectively, from the upper and lower path regions 16, 16. In addition, a turn section 18e is drawn in the outer region 17b. The turn section 18a is drawn as a semicircle with its center (see symbol O) at the center of the outer region 17b, and with a radius of 0.5, if one side of the outer region 17 is set to 1.0.

[0051] (Q2: Display of reachable area) The CPU 30 of the display device 21 (see Figure 4) acquires drawing data 5a and generates the reachable range of the moving object M. Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing the reachable range of the moving object M. The symbols 7 shown in Figure 14 represent the reachable range. The reachable range 7 is shown in gray. On the other hand, the white area in the figure is the unreachable range 8, where there is insufficient energy and the moving object M cannot reach. Note that in Figure 14, the scale of the road map 14 is small, and the rectangular area 15 is finely defined, so the boundary line 18 has a different shape from the area line 18 shown in Figure 12.

[0052] Next, we will explain how to display the reachable range 7. (U1) The CPU 30 of the display device 21 (see Figure 4) overlays drawing data 5a onto the road map 14 of the display device 21 to display area lines 18 on the road map 14. The internal area 19 of the (U2) region line 18 is colored by superimposing a predetermined color onto the road map 14. In the figure, the internal area 19 is shown in gray. (U3) Within the internal range 19, the aquatic areas 29a, such as seas, lakes, and swamps, are colored with a different color from the internal range 19, superimposed on top of the internal range 19. In the figure, the aquatic areas 19a are shown in dark gray (almost black). The color of the aquatic areas 19a may be the same as the seas, lakes, and swamps in the road map 14.

[0053] [5. Search section] Next, we will explain the pathfinding unit 11 (see Figure 1). First, the search procedure is described below. (V1) The search unit 11 calculates the remaining range based on various information 12a, including the remaining amount of energy held by the mobile body M, which is acquired from the acquisition unit 12.

[0054] (Mobile information 40) Figure 3b is a schematic diagram showing an example of the data structure of mobile information 40. The mobile information shown in Figure 3b includes, for example, an identification number (vehicle ID) 41, location information 42 of the mobile body M obtained from GPS, etc., and vehicle information 43. The vehicle information 43 includes, for example, the remaining energy amount 43a, information on the fuel consumption of the mobile body M 43b, energy consumption by in-vehicle equipment such as air conditioners and audio systems 43c, and the speed and acceleration status of the mobile body M 43d.

[0055] (V2) Returning to Figure 1, the search unit 11 searches for the node ND (see Figure 2) that has not been visited from the current position of the mobile unit M and has the longest remaining range. (V3) The search unit 11 searches for any node ND that can be reached from the found node ND. If the remaining distance is less than 0m, it does not visit the node. (V4) Update the remaining distance for each node ND that was found. (V5) Repeat steps (V2) to (V4) above until there are no more unvisited node NDs with a remaining distance greater than 0m.

[0056] In a typical omnidirectional search, the search is performed on all roads within the drivable range. However, since the reachable range 7 (see Figure 14) is vast, the number of roads that can be included in an omnidirectional search becomes enormous. Performing a search using Dijkstra's algorithm on all roads would result in a very long processing time. Therefore, the technical requirements for accurately searching the reachable range 7 and reducing the search time are usually contradictory. In this embodiment, in order to satisfy these contradictory technical requirements simultaneously, a hierarchical approach to omnidirectional search is implemented.

[0057] (layering) Figure 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating the hierarchical structure. The arrows in the figure indicate links L, and the mobile object M moves in the direction indicated by the arrows. Nodes ND are located at the tips of the arrows (only a portion is shown). Figure 15 shows a three-layered map data 9 structure. S in the figure is the starting point of the search and represents the current position of the mobile object M. The map data 9 is stored, for example, in the memory unit 31 (see Figure 4). Here, generally, map data 9 has multiple map levels depending on the scale of the road. For example, in this embodiment, the map data 9a, 9b, and 9c, which are Lv2, Lv4, and Lv6, are used for omnidirectional search.

[0058] (level) The level (Lv) of the map data 9 used in this embodiment is described below. • In Level 2 map data 9a, the map size is approximately 4.5km x 5.5km (width x height). Roads other than narrow streets are registered in the data. • In Level 4 map data 9b, the map size is approximately 17.5 km x 22 km. The area of ​​Level 4 map data 9b is approximately 16 times that of Level 2 map data 9a. Prefectural roads, major local roads, national roads, expressways, etc., are registered as data. • In Level 6 map data 9c, the map size is approximately 73.5 km x 91.5 km. The area of ​​Level 6 map data 9c is approximately 16 times the area of ​​Level 4 map data 9b. National roads and expressways are registered as data. These three map data sets 9 are each associated with each other. For example, the arrow line indicated by symbol 39 shows the corresponding node ND between different levels of map data 9.

[0059] (A method of omnidirectional search using hierarchical structuring) Initially, the search will be conducted using Level 2 road data 9a. (1) Within a range that can be reached within 10 km from the current location of the mobile object M (i.e., until the cruising range decreases by 10 km), a search will be conducted on all roads using Level 2 map data 9a. (2) When the mobile unit M is within 80km of its current location (i.e., until its cruising range decreases by 80km), the search will be conducted using Level 6 map data 9b, focusing only on larger roads such as prefectural roads, major local roads, national highways, and expressways. (3) When the mobile unit M is more than 80 km away from its current location (i.e., the cruising range has decreased by more than 80 km), the search will be conducted using Level 6 map data 9c, focusing only on major roads such as national highways and expressways. Here, some nodes ND are linked across levels (see reference numeral 39 in Figure 15). When a linked node ND is found, a search can be performed on the higher-level map data 9. By gradually increasing the range of the map data 9 and narrowing the roads being searched to larger roads, the processing time for drawing the area lines 18 can be reduced.

[0060] [6. Other Embodiments] Next, other embodiments of System 10 will be described. The other embodiments described below are substantially the same as System 10 described above, so the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0061] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and a system may be formed by appropriately combining the configurations of the embodiments described below. Furthermore, the present invention may be implemented by distributing some of the functions of the reachable range drawing device 1 to other external servers. (1) The shape that replaces the square in the rectangular region 15 may be a rectangle, parallelogram, rhombus, or a triangle or a shape with five or more sides. Furthermore, the shapes of all rectangular regions 15 in grid A do not have to be the same. (2) In the aforementioned system 10, the road map 14 is pre-divided into rectangular areas 15 (preparation step S0), but the system may also include a separate step of dividing the road map 14 into rectangular areas 15 of a predetermined size. (3) Other known methods may be used for extracting the path region (see S1 in Figure 3), identifying the outline region (see S2 in Figure 3), and drawing the region lines (see S3 in Figure 3). (4) When replacing the square in the rectangular area 15 with a rhombus, one of the lines in the figure that rises to the right or to the left shall be designated as the longitude line 15a, and the other as the latitude line 15b. The direction in which the longitude line 15a extends shall be the vertical direction, and the direction in which the latitude line 15b extends shall be the horizontal direction. (5) In the case of a rhombus, as in the embodiment described above, the starting region 24 is searched inward from the diagonal column or diagonal row at the end of grid A to identify the outer region 17. (6) When specifying the outline region 17, the region line 18 may be drawn without deleting the corners 28 (see Figure 11). (7) Furthermore, when identifying the starting area 24 for determining the outline area 17, the area that intersects with the path area 16 from the bottommost column of grid A may be identified, and the rectangular area 15 above the bottommost area may be set as the starting area 24. Similarly, the area that intersects with the path area 16 may be identified row by row from the leftmost or rightmost part of grid A toward the center, and the rectangular area 15 further to the right or left of that area may be set as the starting area 24. (8) In the path search performed by the path search unit 11, other known methods may be used. (9) The layered map data 9 may consist of 2 or 4 or more layers, in addition to 3 layers. (10) The map data levels may be any combination other than Lv2, Lv4, and Lv6. (11) The information stored in the memory unit 31 (see Figure 4) may be stored on an external server connected to the network. (12) The reachable range drawing device 1 and the display device 21 are separate devices, but the functions of the reachable range drawing device 1 may be included in the display device 21 and integrated into one unit. (13) The outer shape region 17 may be defined by surrounding the path region 16 in a counterclockwise direction.

[0062] [7. Summary]

[0063] (1) The reachable range drawing device 1 is characterized in that a road map 14 showing the paths that can be traveled by the energy held by the moving body M is divided into a plurality of rectangular regions 15, and comprises an extraction unit 2 that extracts the rectangular region containing the movable path 13 as a path region 16, an identification unit 3 that identifies the rectangular region outside the path region and surrounding the path region as an outline region 17, and a drawing unit 4 that generates drawing data 5a showing the reachable range 7 of the moving body drawn with area lines 18 over the outline region. Therefore, drawing data can be generated with high accuracy and in a simple manner.

[0064] (2) In such an reachable range drawing device 1, the extraction unit 2 extracts the path area 16 based on the relative inclination of the diagonal of the rectangular area 15 and the inclination of the movable path 13, thereby reducing processing time.

[0065] (3) Furthermore, the identification unit 3 identifies the outer shape area by selecting one of the rectangular areas 15 adjacent to the outside of the path area 16 as the starting area 24 and repeatedly moving through the rectangular areas adjacent to the 17 path areas one by one in a direction based on a predetermined priority, thereby further reducing the processing time.

[0066] (4) The display device 21 is characterized by having a display unit 5 that uses drawing data 5a acquired from the reachable range drawing device 1 to display the internal range 19 of the area line 18 in a predetermined color, and also displays the water area 19a within the internal range in a color different from the predetermined color to indicate the reachable range 7 of the moving body M. Therefore, the reachable range of a moving object can be output with simple processing. Furthermore, the reachable range is highly visible.

[0067] (5) The program 36 causes the computer to execute a drawing process 22 for drawing the reachable range 7 of the mobile body M, the drawing process being characterized by including the steps of: dividing a road map 14 showing a path 13 that the mobile body can travel on with the energy it holds into a plurality of rectangular regions 15; extracting the rectangular region containing the moveable path as a path region 16; identifying the rectangular region outside the path region and surrounding the path region as an outline region 17; and generating drawing data 5a showing the reachable range 7 of the mobile body by drawing the outline region with region lines 18. Therefore, drawing data 5a can be generated with high accuracy and in a simple manner. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 1. Reachable Range Drawing Device 2 Extraction part 3 Specific part 4. Drawing section 5 Display section 5a Drawing data 6 Grid section 7. Reachable range 8. Unreachable area 9. Map data 9a Lv2 map data 9b Lv4 map data Map data for level 6 (9c) 10 Systems 11 Route Search Unit 12 Acquisition Department 12a Information 13 Possible routes 14 Road Map 15 rectangular area 15a Longitude line 15b latitude line 15c Diagonal 15d Common edge 16 Path regions 17 Outline area 17a Outline area 17b Outline area 17c Outline area 17e External area 18 Area line 18a Straight section 18b Curved section 18c Diagonal 18d Small curved part 18e Turn section 19 Internal range 20 Water area 21 Display device 21a Device for displaying a screen 22 Drawing method 23 intersection 24 Starting area 25. Map Information Database (Map Information DB) 26 Node Information 27 Link Information 27a Link ID 27b Starting point 27c End point 27d number of lanes 27e Road type 27f Road name 28 corners 29. Parts that will not be removed as corners. 30 CPU 31. Memory (storage unit) 32 Recording Devices 33 connection ports 34 Communication Circuit 35 Bus Line 36 Programs 37 Browser Programs 38 OS 39 Corresponding section 40 Mobile Information 41 Identification Number 42 Location information 43. Vehicle Information 43a Energy reserve 43b Fuel efficiency information 43c Energy consumption 43d Velocity and acceleration conditions 45 Communication Network A Grid B Direction of travel ND node L Link M Mobile object O Center

Claims

1. A road map showing the paths that can be traveled using the energy held by a moving object is divided into multiple rectangular regions. An extraction unit extracts a rectangular region containing the movable path as a path region based on the relative inclination of the diagonal of the rectangular region and the inclination of the movable path, A defining unit that identifies a rectangular region located outside the aforementioned path region and surrounding the aforementioned path region as an outer shape region, A drawing unit that generates drawing data indicating the reachable range of the moving object, with the aforementioned outer region drawn using region lines, A reachable range drawing device equipped with the following features.

2. The specified unit uses one of the rectangular regions adjacent to the outside of the path region as the starting region, The reachable range drawing device according to claim 1, which identifies the outer shape area by repeatedly advancing one rectangular area at a time from the path area in a direction based on a predetermined priority.

3. The reachable range drawing device according to Claim 1, A system comprising a display unit that uses the drawing data acquired from the reachable range drawing device to display the internal range of the area line in a predetermined color, and displays the water area within the internal range in a color different from the predetermined color to indicate the reachable range of the moving object.

4. A road map showing a path that can be traveled using the energy held by a moving object is divided into a plurality of rectangular regions, An extraction unit extracts a rectangular region containing the movable path as a path region based on the relative inclination of the diagonal of the rectangular region and the inclination of the movable path, A defining unit that identifies a rectangular region located outside the aforementioned path region and surrounding the aforementioned path region as an outer shape region, A drawing unit that generates drawing data indicating the reachable range of the moving object, with the aforementioned outer region drawn using region lines, A display unit that uses the aforementioned drawing data to display the internal range of the region line in a predetermined color, and displays the water area within the internal range in a color different from the predetermined color to indicate the reachable range of the moving object, A display device equipped with the following features.

5. A program that causes a computer to perform a drawing process to draw the reachable range of a moving object, The aforementioned drawing process is, The steps include dividing a road map showing a path that can be traveled using the energy held by the moving object into a plurality of rectangular regions, The steps include: extracting a rectangular region containing the movable path as a path region based on the relative inclination of the diagonal of the rectangular region and the inclination of the movable path; The steps include identifying a rectangular region that is outside the aforementioned path region and encloses the aforementioned path region as the outer shape region, The steps include generating drawing data that shows the reachable range of the moving body by drawing the outline region with region lines, A program that includes this.

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