System and program and the like

Abstract

To provide a technique to notify a user of information for supporting driving a vehicle that is easy to understand for the user.SOLUTION: A system displays a map within a predetermined range from the position of a vehicle and notifies a user of information. The system displays an entry inhibition image I3 related to an exit of the one-way road present at a predetermined point on the map M, in association with the point. When the distance between the vehicle and the point becomes equal to or less than a threshold, the system performs control of further displaying a first guide image G1 related to the exit of the one-way road.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system, a program, and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known systems that assist users in driving vehicles safely. Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose techniques for notifying drivers not to enter a one-way road from an exit by mistake. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-139531 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 3437629 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Since the user is driving the vehicle, it is desirable for the information to assist the user in driving to be easy to understand. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a technology for notifying the user of information to assist the user in driving the vehicle in an easy-to-understand manner.

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is not limited to this, and the applicant intends to obtain rights for configurations that aim to obtain effects from parts of the configurations disclosed in this specification and drawings, etc., by filing a divisional application, amendment, etc. For example, this specification discloses a problem in which the part described as "can be" in this specification is read as "the problem is to be". The problems are described as being independent, and the applicant intends to obtain rights for the configurations for solving each problem separately by filing a divisional application, amendment, etc. Even if the problems are implicitly understood from the description in the specification, the applicant intends to include part of the configurations described in this specification in the scope of the patent claim by amendment or divisional application. In addition, the applicant has disclosed a configuration that solves a problem that combines these independent problems, and intends to obtain rights for it. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) A system is provided that displays a map within a specified range from a vehicle's position and reports information, the system having a display control unit that displays first information about a first report object located at a specified point on the map in association with the point, and when the distance between the vehicle and the point becomes equal to or less than a threshold, controls the display to further display second information about the first report object.

[0007] The user can grasp the location where the first notification object exists and the first information related to the first notification object. When the vehicle approaches the first notification object, the user can further grasp the second information related to the first notification object. In this way, the contents and display timing of the first information and the second information are different. In this way, a technology can be provided that notifies the user of information that supports driving of the vehicle in an easy-to-understand manner.

[0008] (2) The first information may indicate information regarding traffic regulations at the location.

[0009] In this way, the user can learn about traffic rules that he or she should pay attention to from the first information.

[0010] (3) The second information may indicate information regarding the operation of the vehicle at the location.

[0011] In this way, when the vehicle approaches the first notification object, the user can grasp the second information related to the operation of the vehicle at that point.

[0012] (4) The first notification object may indicate the one-way road exit closest to the vehicle among the exits of one-way roads present on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, and the second information may indicate at least one of information regarding the shape of the road to which the exit of the one-way road connects and the distance to the exit.

[0013] In this way, the user can be informed of the existence and location of an exit of a one-way road that the vehicle is approaching, and further, when approaching the exit, can be informed of other information regarding the exit of the one-way road.

[0014] (5) When a road connecting to the exit satisfies a predetermined condition, the display control unit may perform control to display the second information, which indicates a warning regarding the operation of the vehicle, instead of the shape of the road.

[0015] In this way, when a predetermined condition is met, such as the shape of the road near the exit of a one-way road exhibiting a special pattern, the user can be notified of caution information regarding vehicle operation even when the shape of the road is not displayed.

[0016] (6) The first notification object may be the intersection with a traffic light that is closest to the vehicle among intersections with traffic lights that are present on a road on which the vehicle is traveling.

[0017] In this way, the user can learn the existence and location of a traffic light intersection, as well as other information about the intersection as the user approaches it.

[0018] (7) The first information may be an enlarged image of a traffic light on the map.

[0019] This makes it easier for the user to visually grasp the intersection where the traffic light is installed and to which the vehicle is approaching.

[0020] (8) The display control unit may change the threshold value in accordance with a travel speed defined for a road on which the vehicle is traveling.

[0021] In this way, the second information can be notified to the user at an appropriate timing according to the traveling speed of the vehicle.

[0022] (9) It is preferable that the display device further includes a setting unit for setting a language or a region, and the display control unit displays the second information using the set language or a language corresponding to the set region.

[0023] In this way, when the vehicle approaches the first notification object, the second information related to the first notification object can be notified to the user in a language that the user can understand.

[0024] (10) The display control unit may be configured to perform control to display the second information when the vehicle turns in a predetermined direction.

[0025] When the vehicle is turning in a certain direction, the driver needs to pay special attention to the driving. In this way, when the vehicle is actually turning at an intersection where a traffic light is installed, information about the intersection can be displayed.

[0026] (11) The display control unit may be configured to perform control to display the second information when the speed of the vehicle is less than a predetermined speed.

[0027] When the vehicle speed decreases, it is more likely that the vehicle is about to turn than when the vehicle speed does not decrease. In this way, when there is a high possibility that the vehicle is about to turn, it is possible to notify the second information related to the first notification object present at that point.

[0028] (12) The display control unit may be configured to perform control to enlarge and display the map when the distance between the vehicle and the point becomes equal to or less than the threshold value.

[0029] This makes it easier for the user to visually recognize that the first notification object is nearby.

[0030] (13) The predetermined point may be a point on or along a road on which the vehicle is traveling.

[0031] This allows the user to easily visually grasp information about the first notification object that is likely to be approached by the vehicle.

[0032] (14) When a second notification object is present within a predetermined range from the vehicle's position, the display control unit may be configured to control the map to be reduced in size and display third information regarding the second notification object.

[0033] In this way, for a second notification object that is different from the first notification object, information about the second notification object can be notified within a wide distance range from the vehicle position.

[0034] (15) A program for causing a computer to realize the functions of any of the above systems is provided.

[0035] In this way, a technology can be provided that notifies a user of information that assists in driving a vehicle in an easy-to-understand manner.

[0036] The inventions shown in (1) to (14) above can be arbitrarily combined. For example, it is preferable to add at least a part of the configuration of at least one of the inventions after (2) to all or a part of the configuration of the invention shown in (1). In particular, it is preferable to add at least a part of the configuration of at least one of the inventions after (2) to the invention shown in (1). In addition, it is also possible to extract any configuration from the inventions shown in (1) to (14) and combine the extracted configurations. The applicant of this application intends to obtain rights to the inventions including these configurations. In addition, even if there is a description such as "in the case of" or "when", it is not intended to describe the configuration as being limited to that case or time. These are examples of better configurations, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to configurations other than these cases or times. In addition, the parts described in order are not limited to this order. Configurations in which some parts have been deleted or the order has been changed are also disclosed, and the applicant intends to obtain rights. Effect of the Invention

[0037] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology for notifying a user of information that assists in driving a vehicle in a manner that is easy for the user to understand.

[0038] The effects of the invention of this application are not limited to this, and effects obtained from the configuration disclosed in the specification and drawings, etc. are also disclosed, and the intention is to obtain rights to the configuration that achieves the effects by divisional applications, amendments, etc. For example, in this specification, the phrase "can" is a description that clearly indicates the effect that is achieved, and there are also parts that show the effect even without the phrase "can." Also, there are effects that can be understood from the configuration even without such a description. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overview of a screen of a system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3]1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a system according to an embodiment; [Figure 4] 11 is a flowchart illustrating an operation related to language setting of the system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing an operation related to a driving assistance function of the system according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] 11 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a one-way no entry guidance function of the system according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display related to a one-way no entry guidance function of the system according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display related to a one-way no entry guidance function of the system according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display related to a one-way no entry guidance function of the system according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display related to a one-way no entry guidance function of the system according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing an operation of an intersection oncoming vehicle warning guidance function of the system according to one embodiment. [Figure 12] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display related to an intersection oncoming vehicle warning function of the system according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display related to an intersection oncoming vehicle warning function of the system according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart showing an operation related to a second notification object notification function of a system according to an embodiment. [Figure 15] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display related to a second notification object notification function of the system according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display on a screen of a system according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0040] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiments shown below are examples of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. In the drawings referred to in the present embodiment, the same parts or parts having similar functions are given the same or similar symbols (symbols with A, B, etc. added after the numbers), and repeated explanations may be omitted. In addition, in each of the drawings referred to in the following description, the scale may be different from the actual scale in order to make each member, each region, etc. recognizable.

[0041] Hereinafter, a case where the system of the present invention is applied to a system 10 installed in a vehicle will be described. The system 10 displays a map within a predetermined range from the vehicle's position and notifies information. Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of the system 10. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an overview of the screen of the system 10.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 1, the system 10 is a monitor-type electronic device having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The system 10 is disposed in the cabin of a vehicle 40. The vehicle 40 is a four-wheeled automobile or other vehicle. The vehicle 40 is, for example, a rental car or a user's personal car. The system 10 is fixed onto a dashboard 41, for example, using double-sided tape. An opening is provided on the front of the housing of the system 10. The system 10 has a display unit 12 for displaying an image at the position of this opening. The housing is formed of resin or other materials.

[0043] The system 10 notifies information using any one of a plurality of languages. There are five languages ​​that the system 10 can use (Japanese, English, Korean, and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)). There are four languages ​​that the system 10 uses for audio output (Japanese, English, Korean, and Chinese). The system 10 may also support languages ​​other than these. The system 10 notifies various types of information using sounds and displays.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 2, the system 10 divides the display area of ​​the display unit 12 into two, left and right. When the display unit 12 is viewed from the front, the system 10 controls to display a screen SC1 related to a route guidance function in the left area, and a screen SC2 related to a driving assistance function in the right area. The route guidance function is a function that uses sounds and displays to guide the user along a route (road) from a starting point to a destination set by the user. The screen SC1 displays information such as a map of the surrounding area of ​​the current position, an icon indicating the current position of the vehicle 40, the route to be traveled, the current position, and the current time.

[0045] The driving assistance function is a driving assistance function that assists the user in driving the vehicle 40. The screen SC2 displays a map of the surroundings of the current position, an icon indicating the current position of the vehicle 40, and information on a notification object that is an object to be notified to the user. The driving assistance function includes a one-way no entry guidance function, a one-way no entry guidance function, and a second notification object notification function. Details of these functions will be described later. It is preferable that the map used for the route guidance function is multicolored (color), and the map used for the driving assistance function includes a portion displayed in black and white (monochrome).

[0046] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the system 10. The control unit 11 controls each unit of the system 10. The control unit 11 is, for example, a computer including an arithmetic processing circuit and a memory. The arithmetic processing circuit includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other arithmetic processing circuits. The memory includes, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or other volatile memory. The arithmetic processing circuit performs various controls by temporarily reading data into the memory and performing arithmetic processing. The control unit 11 functions as a setting unit that sets the language used to display information, and as a display control unit that controls the display of information on the display unit 12.

[0047] The display unit 12 displays an image. The display unit 12 may be, for example, a 3.2-inch color TFT liquid crystal display, but may also be an organic EL display or other display device. The speaker 13 outputs sound. The microwave receiver 14 includes an antenna and a receiving circuit, and receives microwaves. The control unit 11 detects the presence of a speed enforcement device (e.g., an Orbis) based on the microwaves of a predetermined frequency received by the microwave receiver 14. The GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 15 includes an antenna and a receiving circuit, and receives signals from GPS satellites. The GPS receiver 15 processes the received signals and outputs position information. The position information indicates the current position of the system 10. The position information indicates the current position of the vehicle 40 in which the system 10 is mounted. The position information may include at least latitude information and longitude information, and may further include altitude information. The communication unit 16 communicates with an external device. The communication unit 16 performs wireless communication, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or other methods.

[0048] The storage unit 17 stores data. The storage unit 17 stores, for example, a program for the control unit 11 to perform various controls. The control unit 11 reads out the program from the storage unit 17 to a memory and executes it. The storage unit 17 stores map data showing a map, data showing the types and locations of various facilities, data for notifying the presence of a notification object, data for realizing a route guidance function, and the like. The notification object may be a first notification object and a second notification object. The first notification object is an exit of a one-way road and an intersection where a traffic light is installed. The second notification object is a notification object different from the first notification object, and may be, for example, the following. The second type of notification targets include locations of drowsy driving accidents, speed measuring devices (radar type, loop coil type, H system, LH system, photocell type, mobile type, laser type, etc.), speed limit change points, enforcement areas, checkpoints, parking monitoring areas, N system, traffic monitoring systems, intersection monitoring points, traffic light ignoring prevention systems, police stations, accident-prone areas, areas with high rates of vehicle theft, sharp / continuous curves (expressways), branching / merging points (expressways), advance ETC lane guidance (expressways), service areas (expressways), parking areas (expressways), highway oases (expressways), smart interchanges (expressways), gas stations inside PAs / SAs (expressways), tunnels (expressways), highway radio receiving areas (expressways), prefectural border announcements, roadside stations, and view point parking lots, etc. The memory unit 17 stores therein information on the type of object to be notified, location information indicating the location where the object to be notified is located, data of an image (e.g., a schematic diagram or a photograph) to be displayed on the display unit 12, and audio data, in association with each other.

[0049] The storage unit 17 may include a storage medium that permanently stores data. The storage unit 17 may include, for example, an optical recording medium, a magnetic recording medium, a semiconductor recording medium, or other recording media.

[0050] The operation unit 18 accepts operations by the user. The operation unit 18 includes, for example, a touch sensor, a volume adjustment button, and a work button. The touch sensor is provided on the surface of the display unit 12 and detects a position touched by the user. The volume operation button is operated to adjust the volume of the sound output from the speaker 13. The work button is a button for performing various tasks.

[0051] The sensor unit 19 includes various sensors. The sensor unit 19 includes, for example, a geomagnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an illuminance sensor. The geomagnetic sensor detects geomagnetism to detect which direction north is relative to the direction of travel. The acceleration sensor detects the acceleration of the vehicle in the forward / backward, left / right, and up / down directions. The illuminance sensor detects the illuminance indicating the brightness inside the vehicle cabin.

[0052] The mounting unit 20 is a mounting unit in which an external storage medium is mounted, and the external storage medium is, for example, a memory card. In this case, the mounting unit 20 is a memory card slot. Data stored in the memory unit 17 may be imported via the external storage medium. This data includes update information on information (position information such as longitude and latitude, type information, etc.) of a new target to be notified.

[0053] The power supply unit 21 supplies the power supplied from the power source to each unit in the system 10. The power supply unit 21 includes, for example, a power switch and a DC jack. The DC jack is for connecting a cigarette plug cord, and is connected to a cigarette lighter socket of a vehicle via the cigarette plug cord to receive power. The power switch is a switch for turning the power supply of the system 10 on and off.

[0054] The light emitting unit 22 emits light in various colors and includes, for example, a light emitting diode.

[0055] The cable terminal unit 23 is a terminal to which an external connection cable is connected. For example, the connection cable is a cable that connects the system 10 to an OBD-II connector mounted on a vehicle. The OBD-II connector is also called a fault diagnosis connector, and is connected to the ECU of the vehicle to output various vehicle information.

[0056] In addition to the above, the system 10 may also have the functions of well-known car navigation systems and radar detectors.

[0057] The operation of the system 10 will now be described.

[0058] <1. Language setting function> The language setting function is a function for setting the language used to notify information by the system 10. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the system 10 regarding the language setting function.

[0059] In the system 10, the control unit 11 displays a screen for accepting input of language setting (step S101). The control unit 11 may display buttons corresponding to each of the languages, Japanese, English, Korean, Chinese (simplified characters), and Chinese (traditional characters), on the display unit 12 and accept an operation to select one of the languages ​​using the operation unit 18. The control unit 11 sets the language selected by the user's operation of the operation unit 18 as the language to be used for notifying information (step S102). The control unit 11 may store the language setting data in the memory or the storage unit 17. The control unit 11 notifies information in a specific language based on this setting data.

[0060] <2. Safe driving support functions> 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the safe driving support function of the system 10. In the system 10, the control unit 11 executes a one-way no entry guidance function, an intersection oncoming vehicle warning function, and a second notification object notification function in parallel during the operation of the safe driving support function (steps S1, S3, S5). The operation of the safe driving support function may be, for example, a period during which the power of the system 10 is turned on, a period from when the user instructs the operation of the safe driving support function to when it is terminated, or any other period.

[0061] <2-1. One-way street entry prohibited guidance function> The one-way no entry guidance function will be described with a concrete example. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the one-way no entry guidance function of the system 10. Figs. 7 to 10 are diagrams showing examples of screen displays related to the one-way no entry guidance function.

[0062] The control unit 11 displays a one-way street image and a no-entry image on the map (step S11). The one-way street image shows a traffic sign indicating that the road is one-way. The one-way street image is an image in which a white arrow image is drawn on a blue background. The arrow indicates the direction in which vehicles are permitted to travel. The one-way street image is placed at a point on the one-way road. The no-entry image shows a traffic sign prohibiting entry of vehicles. The no-entry image is an image in which a white "-" pattern is drawn inside a red circular figure. The no-entry image is placed at a point on the map where an exit of the one-way road exists. The no-entry image shows information about the exit of the one-way road, and indicates the first information about the traffic rules of the road.

[0063] In the example of FIG. 7(a), the control unit 11 displays a vehicle position icon I1 indicating the current position of the vehicle 40 and a one-way street image I2 on the map M. In the example of FIG. 7(a), the no-entry image is not displayed. The map M is scaled so that an area within a distance range of 300 m (the upper end value of the right scale) in the vertical direction of the display unit 12 is displayed on the display unit 12. Hereinafter, this is expressed as a scale of 300 m. The control unit 11 uses different colors for the road on which the vehicle 40 is traveling (hereinafter referred to as the "traveling road") and the one-way road. It is preferable to use green, which is a dedicated color, for the one-way road, and white for the traveling road. The vehicle position icon I1 is placed at a point on the traveling road R1. The position of the vehicle 40 is identified by the position information generated by the GPS receiving unit 15. The traveling road R1 is identified by the road on which the vehicle 40 is currently traveling. The control unit 11 may execute a map matching function that corrects the current position indicated by the position information based on map data. In this way, even if there is a GPS positioning error, the vehicle position icon I1 is placed on the road R1. The control unit 11 displays the one-way street image I2 in association with each one-way road on the map M.

[0064] FIG. 7(b) shows a state in which the vehicle 40 has advanced forward from the state of FIG. 7(a). In the example of FIG. 7(b), the control unit 11 displays the vehicle position icon I1, a one-way road image I2, and an entry prohibition image I3 on ​​the map M. The control unit 11 displays the entry prohibition image I3 at the exit of the one-way road R2 that is connected to the road on which the vehicle 40 is traveling that is closest to the current position of the vehicle 40. The term "closest" here means the closest in the traveling direction on the road on which the vehicle 40 is traveling. The control unit 11 does not display the entry prohibition image I3 at the exits of other one-way roads. The control unit 11 does not display the entry prohibition image for one-way roads that can be entered from the road R1, even if the one-way road is connected to the road R1.

[0065] Next, the control unit 11 judges whether the distance from the current position to the exit of a one-way road on the travel road is equal to or less than a first threshold (step S12). The control unit 11 judges whether the distance to the exit of the nearest one-way road on the travel road R1 is equal to or less than a first threshold. The first threshold may be 40 m, but may be a distance less than 40 m or greater than 40 m. If the judgment in step S12 is "NO", the control unit 11 advances the process to step S20. In this case, the control unit 11 judges whether to terminate the one-way no entry guidance function (step S20), and if not (step S20; NO), the process returns to step S11. The user can grasp the existence and location of the exit of the one-way road that the vehicle 40 is approaching.

[0066] If the control unit 11 judges "YES" in step S12, it enlarges and displays the map (step S13). For example, the control unit 11 sets the scale to 150m and the scale is reduced by two times. Next, the control unit 11 judges whether the shape of the road connecting to the exit of the one-way road is a predetermined pattern (step S14). The predetermined pattern is, for example, a predetermined road shape pattern such as a crossroads or a T-junction. The predetermined pattern is a simple and typical shape that can be seen in relatively many places. In this case, the control unit 11 judges "YES" in step S14.

[0067] If the determination in step S14 is "YES," the control unit 11 determines whether the speed of the vehicle 40 is less than the threshold and the distance from the current position to the exit of the one-way road on the road to be traveled is equal to or greater than the second threshold (step S15). The threshold for the speed of the vehicle 40 may be, for example, 50 km / h, but may be less than 50 km / h or greater than 50 km / h. The second threshold may be 40 m, but may be a distance less than 40 m or greater than 40 m. The second threshold may be the same as the first threshold, but may be different. The control unit 11 may acquire speed information from the vehicle 40 via the cable terminal unit 23 to identify the speed of the vehicle 40. The control unit 11 may identify the speed of the vehicle 40 using the speed measured by the sensor unit 19.

[0068] If the determination in step S15 is "YES", the control unit 11 displays a first guide image G1 on the map M. As shown in FIG. 8(a), the first guide image G1 includes display elements G11, G12, and G13. The display element G11 is an image of a simplified intersection diagram that simply shows the shape of the road connected to the exit of the one-way road, and an arrow that shows the direction in which the vehicle can proceed. The display element G12 is an image of a traffic sign indicating that entry is prohibited, and is the same as the no-entry image I3. The display element G13 is the distance from the current position to the exit of the one-way road (here, 93 m). The first guide image G1 is located in the upper right position on the map M, and does not overlap with the no-entry image I3, and these are displayed simultaneously. When the vehicle 40 approaches the exit of the one-way road, the user can grasp other information about the exit of the one-way road from the first guide image G1.

[0069] For example, when the speed of the vehicle 40 is slow, there is a higher possibility that the vehicle is about to turn compared to when the speed is not slow. In this way, when there is a high possibility that the user will enter an exit of a one-way road, the control unit 11 displays the first guide image G1 including the display elements G11 to G13 so that the user can grasp various information. The user can grasp related information. Also, when the distance is greater than the second threshold, it may be difficult to visually confirm the exit of the one-way road, so the control unit 11 displays the display element G13 indicating the distance.

[0070] After the process of step S16, the control unit 11 judges whether or not the vehicle has passed the exit of the one-way road (step S17). If the judgment in step S17 is "NO", the control unit 11 returns to the process of step S14.

[0071] If the determination in step S15 is "NO," the control unit 11 displays the first guide image G1a on the map M. As shown in FIG. 8(n), the first guide image G1 includes display elements G11 and G12, but does not include display element G13. In this way, if the speed of the vehicle 40 is greater than the threshold value or the distance to the exit of the one-way road is less than the second threshold value, the control unit 11 does not display the distance from the current position to the exit of the one-way road. In such a case, the vehicle 40 is unlikely to turn off the road and enter the exit of the one-way road. Therefore, the control unit 11 does not display the display element G13. After processing step S18, the control unit 11 proceeds to step S17.

[0072] If the result of the determination in step S14 is "NO," the control unit 11 displays the second guide image G2 on the map M (step S21). The second guide image G2 is displayed to call attention to vehicle operation when the road connecting to the exit of the one-way road does not fall under the above-mentioned predetermined pattern due to a complex intersection shape or the like. The second guide image G2 includes information to call attention to vehicle driving, and is displayed as "NO ENTORY" here. If a language other than Japanese is set as the language, it may be displayed in English, and if the language is Japanese, a character string such as "No Entry" may be displayed. In this way, the control unit 11 can provide the user with information to assist in driving the vehicle even when a predetermined condition is met, such as, for example, the shape of the road near the exit of the one-way road being special. After the process of step S21, the control unit 11 proceeds to the process of step S17. During all or part of the display period of the guide image in step S16, S17, or S21, the control unit 11 may output a "beep beep" sound from the speaker 13 to notify the user.

[0073] In step S17, when the control unit 11 judges that the vehicle has passed the exit of a one-way road (step S17; YES), the control unit 11 returns the map scale to the original size and stops displaying the guidance image (step S19). The control unit 11 judges whether to end the one-way no entry guidance function (step S20), and if so (step S20; YES), ends the execution of the one-way no entry guidance function.

[0074] The first guide images G1, G1a show information related to vehicle operation, and are second information related to an exit for a one-way road. The second guide image G2 shows information related to vehicle operation, and is second information calling attention to vehicle operation.

[0075] The control unit 11 may change the first threshold value according to the travel speed stipulated for the road on which the vehicle 40 travels. FIG. 10 shows a display screen when the vehicle 40 travels on the expressway R3. The control unit 11 may set the first threshold value to be different between the general road and the expressway. In this case, the first threshold value may be set to be greater than 40 m, for example, 100 m. The control unit 11 may also set the scale of the map to be different between the general road and the expressway. For example, the control unit 11 may set the scale to 150 m when traveling on the general road and the scale to 300 m when traveling on the expressway. In this way, it is possible to notify the user of information at an appropriate timing according to the travel speed of the vehicle, and to support the user's safe driving. The control unit 11 may not display the expressway on the map in a color exclusive to one-way roads, but only display the general road.

[0076] The first guide image G3 includes display elements G31 and G32. The display element G31 is an image of a simplified intersection diagram that shows the shape of the road connected to the exit of the one-way road, with an arrow indicating the direction in which the vehicle can proceed. The display element G32 is an image of a traffic sign indicating that the road is a no-entry road, and is the same as the no-entry image I3. Here, the distance from the current position to the exit of the one-way road is not displayed. If information on the speed limit of the road can be acquired, the control unit 11 may vary the threshold value depending on the speed limit.

[0077] <2-2. Intersection oncoming vehicle warning function> The intersection oncoming vehicle warning guidance function will be described with a concrete example. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation related to the intersection oncoming vehicle warning guidance function of the system 10. Figs. 12 and 13 are diagrams showing examples of screen displays related to the intersection oncoming vehicle warning guidance function.

[0078] The control unit 11 judges whether an intersection with a traffic light is present on the road to be traveled (step S31). If the answer is "YES" in step S31, the control unit 11 enlarges an image of a traffic light showing the traffic light at the nearest intersection to display the image of the traffic light at the intersection (step S32).

[0079] 12(a) is a display example when the determination in step S31 is "NO." The road R4 is the road on which the vehicle 40 is traveling. The control unit 11 displays the vehicle position icon I1 indicating the current position of the vehicle 40 on the road R4 on the map M, but does not display a traffic light image because there is no traffic light nearby. The map M is, for example, reduced in scale to 300 m (upper end value of the right scale).

[0080] FIG. 12(b) is a display example in the case where the vehicle 40 has moved forward from the state of FIG. 12(a) and the answer is determined as "YES" in step S31. In the example of FIG. 12(b), the control unit 11 displays the vehicle position icon I1 indicating the current position of the vehicle 40 and traffic light images I4 and I5 on the map M. Both of the traffic light images I4 and I5 are images indicating traffic lights. Among the traffic light images on the travel road R4, the traffic light image I5 closest to the current position of the vehicle 40 is larger than the other traffic light images I4. In addition, the control unit 11 displays the traffic light image I5 in a blinking manner, but may display the traffic light image I4 without blinking. In this way, the user can easily visually grasp the presence of the traffic light that the vehicle 40 is approaching. The traffic light image enlarged in this manner is information about the intersection where the traffic light is installed, and indicates the first information about the traffic rules of the travel road.

[0081] After the process of step S32 or if the result of the determination in step S31 is "NO", the control unit 11 judges whether the distance from the current position to an intersection on the road where a traffic light is installed is equal to or less than a third threshold (step S33). The control unit 11 judges whether the distance from the position of the vehicle 40 to the nearest intersection where a traffic light is installed is equal to or less than a third threshold. The third threshold may be 100 m, but may be a distance less than 100 m or greater than 100 m. If the result of the determination in step S33 is "NO", the control unit 11 proceeds to the process in step S41. In this case, the control unit 11 judges whether to terminate the intersection oncoming vehicle warning guidance function (step S41), and if not (step S41; NO), returns the process to step S31.

[0082] If the answer is "YES" in step S33, the control unit 11 enlarges and displays the map (step S34). For example, the control unit 11 sets the scale to 150 m, which is double the scale.

[0083] Next, the control unit 11 judges whether the speed of the vehicle 40 is less than the threshold value and the distance from the current position to an intersection where a traffic light is installed is equal to or greater than a fourth threshold value (step S35). The threshold value for the speed of the vehicle 40 may be, for example, 50 km / h, but may be less than 50 km / h or greater than 50 km / h. The fourth threshold value may be 40 m, but may be a distance less than 40 m or greater than 40 m. The fourth threshold value may be the same as the third threshold value, but may be different. The method of identifying the speed may be as described above.

[0084] If the answer is "YES" in step S35, the control unit 11 displays a third guide image G4 on the map M (step S36). As shown in FIG. 13(a), the third guide image G4 includes display elements G41 and G42. The display element G41 displays a message "RIGHT TURN ATTENTION TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC" that calls attention to turning right. For example, a foreigner who is not familiar with Japanese traffic rules is likely to take the wrong lane when turning right, so a message is displayed to call attention to turning right. Furthermore, the distance from the vehicle position to the intersection (67 m in this example) is displayed below the display element G41. During all or part of the display period of step S34, the control unit 11 may output a voice "Shan" from the speaker 13 to notify the driver. The control unit 11 may change the characters of the display element G41 according to the set language.

[0085] After the process of step S36, the control unit 11 judges whether or not the vehicle 40 has passed an intersection where a traffic light is installed (step S37). If the result of the determination in step S37 is "NO", the control unit 11 returns to the process of step S35. If the result of the determination in step S35 is "YES", the control unit 11 displays a third guide image G41a on the map M (step S38). As shown in FIG. 13(b), the third guide image G41a does not include the display element G13. In this way, if the speed of the vehicle 40 is greater than the threshold value or the distance to the intersection is less than the fourth threshold value, the control unit 11 does not display the distance from the current position to the intersection. This is because in such cases, the vehicle 40 is unlikely to turn. After the process of step S38, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S37.

[0086] The third guide image G4, G41a shows information about the operation of the vehicle, and is the second information about an intersection with traffic lights. When the vehicle is turning in a certain direction, the driver needs to pay special attention to the driving. In this way, the system 10 can display information about the intersection with traffic lights when the vehicle is actually turning at the intersection.

[0087] In step S37, when the control unit 11 determines that the intersection has been passed (step S37; YES), the control unit 11 returns the map scale to its original size and stops displaying the third guide image (step S39). Furthermore, the control unit 11 returns the display of the enlarged traffic light image to its original size (step S40). The control unit 11 determines whether to end the intersection oncoming vehicle warning guidance function (step S41), and if so (step S41; YES), ends the execution of the intersection oncoming vehicle warning guidance function.

[0088] <2-3. Second object notification function> The second notification object notification function will be described with a specific example. Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation of the second notification object notification function of the system 10. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing a display example of a screen related to the second notification object notification function.

[0089] The control unit 11 judges whether or not the second notification object exists within a predetermined range from the current position (step S51). If the result of the judgment in step S51 is "YES", the control unit 11 judges whether or not a one-way road exists on the road to be traveled (step S52). If the result of the judgment in step S52 is "NO", the control unit 11 judges whether or not an intersection with a traffic light exists on the road to be traveled (step S53). If the result of the judgment in step S53 is "NO", the control unit 11 reduces the map and displays information of the second notification object (step S54). The predetermined range is determined by the points displayed on the display unit 12 when the map is reduced. For example, when the second notification object does not exist, the display is as shown in FIG. 15(a), and when the second notification object exists, the display is as shown in FIG. 15(b). The scale of the map M is 600m to 2100m. Information of the second notification object is icons I61, I62, and I63. Furthermore, the strip-shaped information display region T1 at the bottom of the display unit 12 displays "Checkpoint area 1076m." This is the third information related to the second object to be notified. In this way, when the first object to be notified is not nearby, information related to the second object to be notified, which is different from the first object to be notified, can be notified within a wide distance range from the vehicle's position.

[0090] When the control unit 11 has executed the processing of step S54, or when it judges "NO" in step S51, it determines whether to terminate the second notification object notification function (step S56), and if it does not terminate (step S56; NO), it returns to the processing of step S51.

[0091] If the answer is "YES" in step S52 or S53, the control unit 11 displays information about the second notification object (step S55). In step S55, the map is not reduced as in step S54, but the information about the second notification object is displayed on a map of a scale specified by the one-way no entry guidance function and the intersection oncoming vehicle warning guidance function.

[0092] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a display example of the screen of the system 10 in step S55. The control unit 11 displays information on the second notification object together with information on the first notification object. FIG. 16 shows an example of a case where the second notification object exists within a predetermined range when the vehicle 40 approaches the exit of a one-way road. Here, the control unit 11 displays an information display area T2 of "policing area 192m" and an information display area T3 showing the type of the alarm object in addition to the vehicle position icon I1, the one-way road image I2, and the no entry image I3. The control unit 11 displays the first guidance image G1 at a position shifted downward from the information display area T3 so as not to overlap with the information display area T3. At this time, the control unit 11 may determine the presence or absence of only notification objects existing ahead of the vehicle position.

[0093] If the determination in step S56 is "YES", the control unit 11 ends the execution of the second notification object notification function.

[0094] According to the embodiment described above, a technology can be provided that displays information to assist a user in driving a vehicle in an easily understandable manner. The system 10 at least displays first information about a first notification object present at a specific point on a map in association with the point, and when the distance between the vehicle and the point becomes equal to or less than a threshold, performs control to further display second information about the first notification object. In this way, the difference in content and display timing of the first information and the second information also helps the user to easily understand information related to driving assistance.

[0095] In addition, the system 10 sets the first notification object on the road on which the vehicle is traveling or at a point along the road as the notification object. In this way, the system 10 can make it easier for the user to visually grasp information about the first notification object that is likely to be approached by the vehicle.

[0096] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0097] The intersection oncoming vehicle warning function is a function that notifies the user of the existence of an intersection when the vehicle is about to turn at the intersection in front of the vehicle. Whether the vehicle is about to turn at the intersection may be determined, for example, by indicating that the route specified by the route guidance is to turn at the nearest intersection. In the intersection oncoming vehicle warning function, the control unit 11 may notify the user when a road that turns right exists, and may not notify the user when no road exists.

[0098] The control unit 11 may control whether or not to notify the intersection oncoming vehicle attention function according to the set language. The control unit 11 may notify when the language setting is language A (e.g., English) used in a country where traffic drives on the right, and may not notify when the language setting is language B (e.g., Japanese) used in a country where traffic drives on the left. It is preferable to set the country as a notification target only when it is estimated from the language setting that the country drives on the right. In this way, notification of complicated information for the user can be suppressed. Also, since lane errors are likely to occur when turning right to change lanes, the control unit 11 may notify when turning right, but may not notify when turning left.

[0099] The system 10 may stop a part or all of the safe driving support function according to the user's settings. In addition, the system 10 may not display the screen of the safe driving support function when information related to the route guidance function is displayed on the screen SC2. In addition, the display of the screen and the sound of the safe driving support function can be turned on and off by settings.

[0100] A part of the configuration and operation described in each of the above-mentioned embodiments may be omitted or changed. For example, the display using two screens may not be performed, and the driving support functions including the one-way no entry guidance function, the intersection oncoming vehicle warning guidance function, and the second notification object notification function may be omitted. The first notification object may be related to traffic rules at a point on the map, or may be something else. The traffic rules are not limited to the no entry from the exit of a one-way road, but may be speed limits, temporary stops, no overtaking, or other traffic rules. The guidance image may also include a more detailed explanation of the operation method as information regarding the operation of the vehicle at the point on the map.

[0101] In the language setting function, the language to be used for notifying information may be set according to a region (e.g., a country or a region within the country) set by the user. The region set by the user is, for example, a country of origin or country of residence (or region of residence) where a typically used language can be understood. The control unit 11 may set the language to be used for notifying information based on the region set by the user in accordance with predetermined conditions. In this way, when the vehicle approaches the first notification object, the system 10 can notify information related to the first notification object using a language that the user can understand.

[0102] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations expressly described in the specification, but includes combinations of various aspects of the present invention disclosed herein. The configurations of the present invention that are sought to be patented are specified in the appended claims, but it is the intention of the present inventors to claim configurations disclosed in this specification that are not currently specified in the claims.

[0103] The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above-mentioned embodiments. The components of each of the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Any components of each of the embodiments and modifications may be arbitrarily combined with any components described in the means for solving the invention or any components that embody any components described in the means for solving the invention. We intend to acquire rights to these as well in amendments to this application or divisional applications. Even if there is a description such as "in the case of" or "when", this is not intended to describe the configuration as being limited to that case or time. We also disclose configurations that are not in these cases or times, and we intend to acquire rights. Furthermore, the parts described in order are not limited to this order. We also disclose configurations in which some parts are deleted or the order is changed, and we intend to acquire rights.

[0104] In addition, we intend to obtain rights to the overall design or partial design by filing a conversion application to a design application. The drawings show the entire device in solid lines, but they include not only the overall design but also partial designs claimed for a portion of the device. For example, it is of course possible to make a portion of the device a partial design, and it is of course possible to make a portion of the device a partial design regardless of the portion. A portion of the device may be a portion of the device, or it may be a part of that portion. We intend to obtain rights to the overall design as well as partial designs in which any portion of the solid line portion of the drawings is made into a dashed line portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 10: System 11: Control unit 12: Display section 13: Speaker 14: Microwave receiver 15: GPS receiver 16: Communications Department 17: Storage section 18:Operation section 19: Sensor section 20: Mounting part 21: Power supply section 22: Light emitting part 23: Cable terminal section 40: Vehicle

Claims

1. a control unit that controls the notification; The control unit has a function of controlling whether to issue a notification in accordance with a set language, The system is provided with a function to notify when the language setting is Language A, which is used in countries where traffic drives on the right side of the road, and not to notify when the language setting is Language B, which is used in countries where traffic drives on the left side of the road. A system characterized by:

2. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit has a function of issuing a warning when turning right but not issuing a warning when turning left.

3. 3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit has a function of turning on and off a screen display and a sound for making a notification, respectively, by setting.

4. A program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the control unit of the system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images