Navigation system

Abstract

To change contents of guidance by a navigation device according to the cause of a route change when a driver selects a route different from a route guided by the navigation device.SOLUTION: In a navigation system 10, when a driver selects a route different from the initial route guided by a navigation device 12, a control device 22 changes contents of guidance by the navigation device 12 based on the state of the driver detected by sensors (a driver monitor camera 16, a voice input device 18, and a driver operation input device 20) for detecting the state of the driver.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a navigation system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a technique of recording a point where a set route is deviated as a deviation point, recording the number of times of passing through a movement locus outside the set route actually traveled from the deviation point to a point on the set route or the destination point, and performing a route search by adding the movement locus to a search target based on the number of times of passing through.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When a driver selects a route different from the route guided by a navigation device, the appropriate operation of the navigation device differs depending on whether the driver accidentally deviates from the route or intentionally deviates from the route. In contrast, the technique described in Patent Document 1 cannot determine whether the driver accidentally deviates from the route or intentionally deviates from the route when a route different from the guided route is selected.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above facts, and an object thereof is to obtain a navigation system capable of changing the guidance content by the navigation device according to the cause of route change when a driver selects a route different from the route guided by the navigation device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The navigation system according to the first aspect includes a control unit that changes the content of the guidance by the navigation device based on the driver's situation detected by a sensor that detects the driver's situation when the driver selects a route different from the route guided by the navigation device.

[0007] When the driver selects a route different from the route guided by the navigation device, the situation such as the driver's behavior differs depending on the reason for the route change (whether the driver accidentally deviated from the route or intentionally deviated from the route). Based on this, the first aspect changes the content of the guidance by the navigation device based on the driver's situation detected by a sensor that detects the driver's situation. As a result, when the driver selects a route different from the route guided by the navigation device, the content of the guidance by the navigation device can be changed according to the reason for the route change.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] The present disclosure has an effect that when the driver selects a route different from the route guided by the navigation device, the content of the guidance by the navigation device can be changed according to the reason for the route change.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a navigation system 10 according to this embodiment. The navigation system 10 includes a navigation device 12, a route recording device 14, a driver monitor camera 16, a voice input device 18, a driver operation input device 20, a control device 22, and a display device 34. Note that the vehicle equipped with the navigation system 10 is hereinafter referred to as the "host vehicle".

[0011] The navigation device 12 includes a GNSS sensor that receives GNSS signals from a plurality of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellites to measure the position of the host vehicle, and a map information storage unit that stores map information. The navigation device 12 searches for a route from the current position of the host vehicle to the destination based on the position information obtained by the GNSS sensor and the map information stored in the map information storage unit, and performs route guidance processing to guide the host vehicle to travel along the searched route by means of images and voices. The navigation device 12 outputs information such as the route being guided to the control device 22. The route recording device 14 records in a non-volatile storage unit the time-series history of the position information of the host vehicle output from the GNSS sensor, that is, the information on the route (path) traveled by the host vehicle. The route recording device 14 outputs the route information recorded in the storage unit to the control device 22.

[0012] The driver monitor camera 16 is provided in the vehicle interior of the host vehicle so as to be able to photograph a range including the driver's face, and outputs the photographed face image of the driver to the control device 22. The voice input device 18 is provided in the vehicle interior of the host vehicle so as to be able to detect voices etc. uttered by the driver, and outputs the data of the detected voice uttered by the driver to the control device 22. The driver operation input device 20 detects driving operations by the driver, such as an accelerator operation, a brake operation, a steering operation, etc., and outputs the detection result to the control device 22. Note that the driver monitor camera 16, the voice input device 18, and the driver operation input device 20 are examples of the "sensors for detecting the driver's situation" in the present disclosure.

[0013] The control device 22 is composed of an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). When the driver selects a route different from the route guided by the navigation device 12, the control device 22 performs a process of changing the content of the guidance by the navigation device 12 based on the driver's situation detected by each sensor (driver monitoring camera 16, voice input device 18, and driver operation input device 20), where the CPU built into the ECU executes a predetermined program. Thus, the control device 22 is an example of the control unit in the present disclosure.

[0014] Also, when the CPU executes the predetermined program, the control device 22 functions as a route change reason determination unit 24, a control content determination unit 26, a modified route search unit 28, an alternative route search unit 30, and a route guidance end unit 32, respectively.

[0015] When the driver selects a route different from the route guided by the navigation device 12, the route change reason determination unit 24 determines the reason for the route change based on the driver's situation detected by each sensor. Based on the route change reason determined by the route change reason determination unit 24, the control content determination unit 26 determines which of the modified route search unit 28, the alternative route search unit 30, and the route guidance end unit 32 is to be activated.

[0016] The modified route search unit 28 searches for a modified route as the route to be presented to the driver. For example, as shown in Fig. 3(A), if the initial route guided by the navigation device 12 is a route that travels on a main road and the deviation route selected by the driver is a route that deviates from the main road to a side road, an example of the modified route is a route that returns the travel route to the initial route (the route that travels on the main road).

[0017] In addition, the alternative route search unit 30 searches for an alternative route as the route to be presented to the driver. For example, as shown in FIG. 3(B), if the initial route guided by the navigation device 12 is a route that travels on a main road and the deviation route selected by the driver is a route that deviates from the main road to a side road, an example of the alternative route is a route that directly passes through the side road and reaches the destination. The route guidance end unit 32 ends the route guidance to the driver.

[0018] The display device 34 is a center display installed, for example, at the upper part of the console of the host vehicle and provided with an input unit such as a touch sensor. Note that instead of the center display, the display device 34 may be a meter display provided on the instrument panel of the host vehicle.

[0019] Next, as an operation of the present embodiment, route guidance processing executed by the control device 22 while the ignition switch of the host vehicle is on will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

[0020] In step 50 of the route guidance processing, when the destination of the host vehicle is input via the touch sensor of the display device 34, the control device 22 causes the navigation device 12 to search for a route from the current position of the host vehicle to the input destination. Then, the route (initial route) obtained by the route search by the navigation device 12 is displayed on the display device 34, and the navigation device 12 is caused to perform route guidance processing.

[0021] In step 52, the control device 22 determines whether or not the host vehicle has arrived at the destination. If the determination in step 52 is negative, the process proceeds to step 54. In step 54, the control device 22 determines whether or not the current position of the host vehicle has deviated from the initial route. If the determination in step 54 is negative, the process returns to step 50, and steps 50 to 54 are repeated until the determination in step 52 or step 54 is affirmative.

[0022] During this period, the driver performs a driving operation to drive the own vehicle. Also, if the own vehicle arrives at the destination without deviating from the original route due to this driving operation, the determination in step 52 is affirmed, and the route guidance process ends. Note that the determination in step 52 is also affirmed when the process of ending the route guidance is performed by the route guidance end unit 32 (described later).

[0023] On the other hand, if the own vehicle deviates from the original route, the determination in step 54 is affirmed, and it is determined in steps 56 to 60 whether the route deviation is intentional based on the driver's situation. That is, in step 56, the route change reason determination unit 24 determines whether there is a change in the driver's line of sight and the direction of the face before and after the route deviation based on the face image of the driver input from the driver monitoring camera 16. If the determination in step 56 is negated, the process proceeds to step 58.

[0024] In step 58, the route change reason determination unit 24 determines whether there is a change in the driver's voice before and after the route deviation based on the voice data input from the voice input device 18. If the determination in step 58 is negated, the process proceeds to step 60. In step 60, the route change reason determination unit 24 determines whether there is a change in the driver's driving operation before and after the route deviation based on the detection result of the driving operation by the driver input from the driver operation input device 20.

[0025] If any of the determinations in steps 56 to 60 is affirmed, the process proceeds to step 62. In step 62, the route change reason determination unit 24 determines that the deviation of the own vehicle from the original route is not intentional by the driver, for example, due to a mistake in the driving operation. Then, in the next step 64, the corrected route search unit 28 is activated, and the corrected route search unit 28 searches for a corrected route (see Fig. 3(A)) to return to the original route.

[0026] Also, when all the determinations in steps 56 to 60 are negative, the process proceeds to step 66. In step 66, the route change reason determination unit 24 determines that the deviation from the original route of the host vehicle is intentional by the driver. In step 68, the route change reason determination unit 24 acquires route information representing the history of the routes traveled by the host vehicle in the past from the route recording device 14, and based on the acquired route information, determines whether the route after the deviation is a route commonly used by the driver.

[0027] When the determination in step 68 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 70. In step 70, the alternative route search unit 30 is activated, and the alternative route search unit 30 searches for an alternative route (Fig. 3(B)) different from the original route. Also, when the determination in step 68 is negative, the process proceeds to step 72. In step 72, the route guidance end unit 32 is activated, and the route guidance end unit 32 performs a process to end the route guidance.

[0028] When any one of the processes in steps 64, 70, and 72 is performed, the process proceeds to step 74. In step 74, the control device 22 causes the display device 34 to display the notification content. That is, when the corrected route is searched by the corrected route search unit 28, the searched corrected route is displayed on the display device 34, and when the alternative route is searched by the alternative route search unit 30, the searched alternative route is displayed on the display device 34. Also, when the process to end the route guidance is performed by the route guidance end unit 32, information indicating that the route guidance is ended is displayed. Then, after performing the process in step 74, the process returns to step 50.

[0029] As described above, when the driver selects a route different from the initial route guided by the navigation device 12, the control device 22 changes the guidance content by the navigation device 12 based on the driver's situation detected by sensors (driver monitor camera 16, voice input device 18, and driver operation input device 20) that detect the driver's situation. Thereby, when the driver selects a route different from the route guided by the navigation device 12, the guidance content by the navigation device 12 can be changed according to the factor of route change (depending on whether it is an intentional route deviation).

[0030] Also, in the present embodiment, based on the driver's face image input from the driver monitor camera 16, a first determination for determining whether there is a change in the driver's line of sight and face orientation before and after route deviation, based on the voice data input from the voice input device 18, a second determination for determining whether there is a change in the driver's voice before and after route deviation, and based on the detection result of the driving operation by the driver input from the driver operation input device 20, a third determination for determining whether there is a change in the driver's driving operation before and after route deviation. If any of these is affirmed, it is determined that it is not an intentional route deviation, and if the first to third determinations are each negated, it is determined that it is an intentional route deviation. Thereby, it is possible to accurately determine whether it is an intentional route deviation from the driver's situation.

[0031] Note that in the above embodiment, as the driver's situation, a mode of detecting the driver's line of sight and face orientation, the driver's voice, and the driving operation by the driver has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, as the driver's situation, biometric information such as the driver's heart rate and brain waves may be detected.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0032] 10 Navigation System 12 Navigation device 16 Driver monitoring camera (sensor) 18 Voice input device (sensor) 20 Driver operation input device (sensor) 22 Control device (control unit) 34 Display device

Claims

【Claim 1】 A navigation system including a control unit that changes the content of guidance by the navigation device based on the driver's situation detected by a sensor that detects the driver's situation when the driver selects a route different from the route guided by the navigation device.

Images