Route display device, route display method, and route display program

Abstract

This invention provides a route display device that allows for partial modification of a pre-set route while comparing information about points along the route before and after the change. [Solution] When the user operates on a point to be moved along the first route while the first route to the destination is displayed on the route display device, the device determines two endpoints on the first route according to the position of the point to be moved. Furthermore, when the destination position of the point to be moved is determined, a second route including the destination position and the two endpoints is determined. The first route and the second route are then displayed on the map, and route comparison information is displayed that allows comparison of information regarding the first route and information regarding the second route.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for editing a set route.

Background Art

[0002] Navigation devices have a function of determining a route to a destination specified by a user and guiding the user along the route. Patent Document 1 describes a method for a user to change a set route. Specifically, in Patent Document 1, when a user drags a point on the set route with a finger or the like, two points on the set route are set as fixed points, and a modified route including those fixed points and the point specified by the drag operation is determined.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the fixed points are "the end point closest to the operation target, the right / left turn point, the destination point, the departure point (current location), etc.", and if there are no fixed points on the currently displayed screen, that is, if it is necessary to set fixed points beyond the current scale, the fixed points cannot be set. In Patent Document 1, if an attempt is made to reset the route beyond the current scale, the fixed points will be set to the end points on the display screen at the current scale.

[0005] Also, in Patent Document 1, once the fixed points are set, they are fixed and not dynamically changed by the user's operation. Therefore, for example, when the end point closest to the operation target is set as the fixed point, the route can only be changed within the range between those end points, which is inefficient. Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, detailed information about the points on the changed route is not displayed.

[0006] The above are just a few examples of problems that the present invention aims to solve. The present invention aims to provide a route display device that can partially change a pre-set route while comparing information about points on the route before and after the change. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The invention described in the claims is a route display device comprising: display control means for causing a first route displayed on a map to be displayed on a display unit; endpoint determination means for determining two endpoints on the first route according to the positions of a point on the first route that is moved by a user; position determination means for determining the destination position of the point to be moved; and second route determination means for determining a second route that includes the destination position of the point to be moved and the two endpoints, wherein the display control means displays the first route and the second route on the display unit when the second route is determined, and also displays route comparison information that allows comparison between information regarding the first route and information regarding the second route.

[0008] The invention described in the claims is a route display method performed by a route display device equipped with a display unit, comprising: a display control step of causing the display unit to display a first route displayed on a map; an endpoint determination step of determining two endpoints on the first route according to the positions of a point on the first route that is a point to be moved by a user; a position determination step of determining the destination position of the point to be moved; and a second route determination step of determining a second route that includes the destination position of the point to be moved and the two endpoints, wherein the display control step displays the first route and the second route on the display unit when the second route is determined, and also displays route comparison information that allows comparison of information regarding the first route and information regarding the second route. The invention described in the claims is a route display program executed by a route display device comprising a display unit and a computer, wherein the computer functions as a display control means for causing the display unit to display a first route displayed on a map, an endpoint determination means for determining two endpoints on the first route according to the position of a point on the first route that is moved by a user, a position determination means for determining the destination position of the point to be moved, and a second route determination means for determining a second route that includes the destination position of the point to be moved and the two endpoints, and the display control means displays the first route and the second route on the display unit when the second route is determined, and also displays route comparison information that allows comparison of information regarding the first route and information regarding the second route. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a navigation device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a diagram illustrating the general outline of route editing. [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates how boundary circles are determined in path editing. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates how boundary circles are determined in path editing. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates how to change the scale when editing routes. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart of the route editing process. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart of the mode determination process. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart for the endpoint search process. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart for determining the destination node. [Figure 10] This shows an example of the display before route editing by the route editing process. [Figure 11] This shows an example of the display during route editing using the route editing process. [Figure 12] This shows another example of the display before route editing by the route editing process. [Figure 13] This shows another example of the display during route editing using the route editing process. [Figure 14] This shows another example of the display during route editing using the route editing process. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the route display device includes: display control means for causing a first route displayed on a map to be displayed on a display unit; endpoint determination means for determining two endpoints on the first route according to the position of a point on the first route that is moved by a user; position determination means for determining the destination position of the point to be moved; and second route determination means for determining a second route that includes the destination position of the point to be moved and the two endpoints, wherein when the second route is determined, the display control means displays the first route and the second route on the map and also displays route comparison information that allows comparison of information regarding the first route and information regarding the second route.

[0011] The above-described route display device, while showing the first route to the destination, determines two endpoints on the first route when the user manipulates a point to be moved on the first route, based on the position of that point. Furthermore, once the destination position of the point to be moved is determined, a second route is determined, including the destination position and the two endpoints. The first and second routes are then displayed on the map, along with route comparison information that allows for comparison between the information regarding the first and second routes. This allows the user to edit the first route while comparing it to the second route.

[0012] In one embodiment of the above-described route display device, the route comparison information includes location information for the two endpoints and the destination position of the target point. In another embodiment, the location information includes the intersection name of the corresponding location.

[0013] In another aspect of the above-described route display device, the route comparison information includes a list indicating guide points on the first route and the second route. In this case, preferably, the point information includes at least one of the presence or absence of a signal and lane information at the corresponding point.

[0014] In another aspect of the above-described route display device, the route comparison information includes route bars indicating the first route and the second route.

[0015] In another aspect of the above-described route display device, the display control means displays candidate destination points that can be specified as the destination position of the moving target point on the map, and the positioning means determines the candidate destination point as the destination position when the position of the moving target point coincides with the candidate destination point. Therefore, only a point determined in advance as a candidate destination point can be determined as the destination position.

[0016] Another aspect of the above-described route display device includes a scale display means for displaying a scale display body indicating the scale of the map displayed on the display unit, and a scale change means for changing the scale of the displayed map in response to a user's change operation on the scale display body. The scale change means accepts the change operation and changes the scale of the map when the position of the moving target point does not coincide with the candidate destination point. Thereby, when a desired candidate destination point is not displayed, the user can change the scale of the map to display other candidate destination points.

[0017] In another aspect of the above-described route display device, the endpoint determination means determines two points on the first route adjacent to the position of the moving target point as two endpoints, and changes the two determined endpoints based on the positional relationship between the boundary circle having the two determined endpoints as the diameter and the moving target point. Thereby, appropriate endpoints are determined according to the position of the moving target point.

[0018] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a route display method performed by a route display device equipped with a display unit includes: a display control step of causing the display unit to display a first route displayed on a map; an endpoint determination step of determining two endpoints on the first route according to the positions of a point on the first route that is moved by a user; a position determination step of determining the destination position of the point to be moved; and a second route determination step of determining a second route that includes the destination position of the point to be moved and the two endpoints, wherein the display control step displays the first route and the second route on the map when the second route is determined, and also displays route comparison information that allows comparison of information regarding the first route and information regarding the second route. This allows the user to edit the first route while comparing the first route and the second route.

[0019] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a route display program executed by a route display device comprising a display unit and a computer includes: display control means for causing a first route displayed on a map to be displayed on the display unit; endpoint determination means for determining two endpoints on the first route according to the position of a point on the first route that is moved by a user; position determination means for determining the destination position of the point to be moved; and second route determination means for determining a second route including the destination position of the point to be moved and the two endpoints. When the second route is determined, the display control means displays the first and second routes on the map and also displays route comparison information that allows comparison of information regarding the first route and information regarding the second route. The above-described route display device can be realized by executing this program on a computer. This program can be stored and handled on a storage medium. [Examples]

[0020] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments apply the route display device of the present invention to a navigation device.

[0021] [1] Navigation system Figure 1 shows the configuration of the navigation device 1. As shown in Figure 1, the navigation device 1 includes an autonomous positioning device 10, a GPS receiver 18, a system controller 20, a disk drive 31, a data storage unit 36, a communication interface 37, a communication device 38, a display unit 40, an audio output unit 50, an input device 60, and an external data storage unit 61.

[0022] The autonomous positioning device 10 includes an acceleration sensor 11, an angular velocity sensor 12, and a distance sensor 13. The acceleration sensor 11 is made of, for example, a piezoelectric element, detects the acceleration of the vehicle, and outputs acceleration data. The angular velocity sensor 12 is made of, for example, a vibration gyroscope, detects the angular velocity of the vehicle when the vehicle changes direction, and outputs angular velocity data and relative direction data. The distance sensor 13 measures the vehicle speed pulse, which consists of pulse signals generated in conjunction with the rotation of the vehicle's wheels.

[0023] The GPS receiver 18 receives radio waves 19 from multiple GPS satellites that carry downlink data including positioning data. The positioning data is used to detect the absolute position of the vehicle (hereinafter also referred to as "current position") from latitude and longitude information, etc.

[0024] The system controller 20 includes an interface 21, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 22, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 23, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 24, and controls the entire navigation device 1.

[0025] Interface 21 interacts with the acceleration sensor 11, angular velocity sensor 12, distance sensor 13, and GPS receiver 18. From these, it inputs vehicle speed pulses, acceleration data, relative direction data, angular velocity data, GPS positioning data, absolute direction data, etc., to the system controller 20.

[0026] The CPU 22 controls the entire system controller 20. The ROM 23 has a non-volatile memory (not shown) that stores control programs and the like for controlling the system controller 20. The RAM 24 stores various data, such as route data pre-set by the user via the input device 60, in a readable format, and also provides a working area to the CPU 22.

[0027] The system controller 20, a disk drive 31 such as a CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive, a data storage unit 36, a communication interface 37, a display unit 40, an audio output unit 50, and an input device 60 are interconnected via a bus line 30.

[0028] The disk drive 31, under the control of the system controller 20, reads and outputs content data such as music data and video data from disks 33 such as CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray Discs.

[0029] The data storage unit 36 ​​is a unit that stores various types of data used for navigation processing, such as map data, and is composed of, for example, an HDD.

[0030] The communication device 38 acquires information managed by the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) through the vehicle's in-vehicle communication network.

[0031] The display unit 40 displays various display data on a display device such as a display under the control of the system controller 20. Specifically, the system controller 20 reads map data from the data storage unit 36. The display unit 40 displays the map data and other information read from the data storage unit 36 ​​by the system controller 20 on the display screen. The display unit 40 includes a graphics controller 41 that controls the entire display unit 40 based on control data sent from the CPU 22 via the bus line 30, a buffer memory 42 that temporarily stores image information that can be displayed immediately, consisting of memory such as VRAM (Video RAM), a display control unit 43 that controls the display of a display 44 such as an LCD or CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) based on image data output from the graphics controller 41, and a display 44. The display 44 functions as a display unit and consists of, for example, an LCD display device with a diagonal of about 5 to 10 inches, and is mounted near the front panel inside the vehicle.

[0032] The audio output unit 50 is configured to include a D / A converter 51 that performs D / A (Digital to Analog) conversion of audio digital data sent via the bus line 30 from a CD-ROM drive 31 or DVD-ROM 32 or RAM 24, etc., under the control of the system controller 20, an amplifier (AMP) 52 that amplifies the audio analog signal output from the D / A converter 51, and a speaker 53 that converts the amplified audio analog signal into sound and outputs it inside the vehicle.

[0033] The input device 60 consists of keys, switches, buttons, remote controls, voice input devices, etc., for inputting various commands and data. The input device 60 is positioned around the front panel of the main unit of the in-vehicle electronic system installed in the vehicle, or around the display 44. If the display 44 is a touch panel type, the touch panel provided on the display screen of the display 44 also functions as an input device 60.

[0034] The external data storage unit 61 is configured, for example, with a USB memory stick and is used for the purpose of exchanging edited route information with other devices.

[0035] In the above configuration, the display unit 40 functions as a display control means of the present invention, and the CPU 22 functions as a designated position determination means, an endpoint determination means, and a second path determination means of the present invention.

[0036] [2] Route editing Next, we will explain route editing in this embodiment.

[0037] (1) Overview First, let's explain the overview of route editing. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the overview of route editing. Figure 2(a) shows an example of a route display image 70. The route display image 70 is an image showing a route that has already been set on a map. Now, let's assume that a route 73 from the starting point 71 to the destination 72 has been determined and is displayed on the map. On route 73, multiple points (also called "nodes"), including guidance points, are indicated by black point markers 74. In addition, roads 75 that are not included in route 73, and white point markers 76 indicating points not included in route 73 are also shown on the map. Note that the nodes displayed by point markers 76 are nodes that can be selected as destinations when moving from one node on the already set route 73 to another node.

[0038] If the user wants to change the path 73 to pass through node 76x instead of node 74x, the user can operate the touch panel on the display 44 to drag point 74x to point 76x and drop it. Specifically, when the user touches the touch panel with their finger, a pointer 77 appears on the display 44, as shown in Figure 2(b). When the user touches point 74x with their finger and drags it toward point 76x while maintaining contact with the touch panel, the pointer 77, which is shaped like a hand holding an object, moves in the direction of the arrow 78, as shown in Figure 2(b). Then, as shown in Figure 2(c), when the user lifts their finger from the touch panel at point 76x and drops the pointer 77, the path 73 is changed to pass through point 76x. At this point, the pointer 77 takes the shape of a released hand.

[0039] Thus, a route editing instruction is input to change node 74x to node 76x. In response, the navigation device 1 creates a route that passes through node 76x instead of node 74x, as shown in Figure 2(d).

[0040] (2) Detailed operation Next, we will explain the detailed operation of route editing. As shown in Figure 3(a), a route 73 from the departure point 71 to the destination 72 has been determined, and nodes (points) P1 to P6 exist on route 73. The user will modify route 73 to pass through node P10 instead of node P3. Hereafter, node P3, which is the target of the movement, will be called the "target node," and node P10, which is the destination of the target node, will be called the "destination node." Nodes P10, P11, etc., are not included in the current route 73, but can be specified as destination nodes through route editing, and these will be called "candidate destination nodes." Note that the target node corresponds to the target point of the present invention, and the candidate destination node corresponds to the candidate destination point of the present invention.

[0041] In this embodiment, when the user moves (drags) the target node on the map, two endpoints defining the section to be changed are determined according to its position. Next, the user selects a target destination candidate node from multiple candidate destination nodes, drags the target node to the target destination candidate node on the touch panel, and drops it. This destination candidate node is then determined as the destination node. The navigation device 1 then determines a new path passing through the two endpoints and the destination node. While the user touches the target node with their finger and drags the pointer 77 in any direction, the pointer 77 is displayed as a clenched fist. When the user drops the pointer 77 they were dragging on the destination candidate node, the pointer 77 is displayed as an open fist.

[0042] (Determination of endpoints) Next, the method for determining endpoints will be explained. As shown in Figure 3(a), when the user touches the target node P3 and drags it towards node P10, the CPU 22 of the navigation device 1 first determines two nodes P2 and P4 adjacent to the target node P3 as endpoints. Here, endpoints are points that define both ends of a section of the path 73 that is modified by path editing. That is, a new path is created for the section with the endpoints as both ends. The CPU 22 also displays direction lines (auxiliary lines) 79 connecting each of the two endpoints P2 and P4 to the pointer 77 while the user is moving the target node. The direction lines 79 serve to show the user the relationship between the two endpoints determined at that time and the direction of movement of the target node (the direction in which it is being dragged).

[0043] Next, as shown in Figure 3(b), the CPU 22 assumes a boundary circle R1 whose diameter is the line connecting the two endpoints. Note that this boundary circle R1 is a virtual circle used by the navigation device 1 in the route editing process and is not displayed on the display 44 for the user to see. As long as the pointer 77 indicating the target node P3 is located within the boundary circle R1, the CPU 22 maintains nodes P2 and P4 as the two endpoints. The CPU 22 also displays candidate destination nodes 76 (node ​​P10 in this example) that are located within the boundary circle R1.

[0044] On the other hand, if the user moves the pointer 77 beyond the boundary circle R1, as shown in Figure 3(c), the CPU 22 resets the endpoints to nodes P1 and P5, which are outside of the previously set endpoints P2 and P4. That is, the CPU 22 changes the endpoint on the departure point 71 side from node P2 to node P1, which is closer to the departure point 71, and changes the endpoint on the destination 72 side from node P4 to node P5, which is closer to the destination. Then, it assumes a boundary circle R2 with the line connecting the newly determined nodes P1 and P5 as its diameter. As long as the pointer 77 is located within the boundary circle R2, the CPU 22 maintains nodes P1 and P5 as endpoints and displays candidate destination nodes 76 (nodes P10 and P11 in this example) that are located within the boundary circle R2. If the user moves the pointer 77 in the opposite direction and the pointer 77 returns to the boundary circle R1, the CPU 22 returns the endpoints to nodes P2 and P4 and the boundary circle from R2 back to R1.

[0045] If pointer 77 moves beyond the boundary circle R2, CPU 22 sets the endpoints to nodes further out (on the origin and destination sides). If the user moves pointer 77 further out, CPU 22 repeats this process until the endpoints coincide with the origin 71 and destination 72.

[0046] In the example in Figure 3, when the target node moves beyond the boundary circle R2 shown in Figure 3(c), the CPU 22 assumes a boundary circle Rn with the origin 71 and destination 72 as two endpoints, and the line connecting them as its diameter, as shown in Figure 4. Even if the pointer 77 moves further beyond the boundary circle Rn in this state, the CPU 22 maintains the origin 71 and destination 72 as endpoints.

[0047] Thus, in this embodiment, the endpoints of the section to be modified are automatically determined based on the positional relationship between the node to be moved indicated by pointer 77 and other nodes on the original path. Therefore, when modifying a part of an already determined path, the user does not need to specify the section to be modified, specifically the two endpoints.

[0048] When the user drops pointer 77 onto a candidate destination node P10, P11, etc. (by releasing their finger on the node), the CPU 22 determines that the node where pointer 77 was dropped is the destination node. The CPU 22 then determines a new path (hereinafter referred to as the "alternative path") that passes through the destination node, using the two endpoints set at that time as both ends. The alternative path corresponds to the second path of this invention.

[0049] (Change scale) Next, we will explain how to change the map scale while editing a route. The destination candidate nodes 76 (nodes P10, P11, etc.) displayed on the map are determined according to the map scale currently displayed. Generally, at wide-area map scales, only large intersections are displayed as destination candidate nodes 76, while at detailed map scales, smaller intersections are also included as destination candidate nodes 76. For example, at wide-area map scales, only intersections on roads of a certain width or greater (or roads with two lanes in each direction) are set as destination candidate nodes 76, at more detailed map scales, intersections with traffic lights are added as destination candidate nodes 76, and at even more detailed map scales, intersections without traffic lights are also added as destination candidate nodes 76. In this way, the nodes displayed as destination candidate nodes 76 are predetermined for each map data scale.

[0050] Now, in Figure 5(a), suppose the user wants to move node P3 to another node, but the desired destination node is not displayed as a candidate destination node 76 on the map at the current scale. In this case, the user touches node P3 and starts dragging pointer 77, then releases their finger at any location other than the candidate destination node 76, i.e., releases pointer 77. When pointer 77 is released at a location other than the candidate destination node 76, CPU 22 stops the movement of pointer 77 at that location and allows the user to change the scale. In other words, the user cannot drop pointer 77 anywhere other than the candidate destination node 76, and if the user lifts their finger from the touch panel at a location other than the candidate destination node 76, pointer 77 is considered to have been released at that location, and the route editing work is temporarily suspended. When the user places pointer 77 on a candidate destination node, the color of pointer 77 may be changed or otherwise indicated to the user that pointer 77 is on a candidate destination node. Furthermore, if pointer 77 is released at a location other than the candidate destination node 76, it is preferable to display pointer 77 in the shape of an outstretched hand, as shown in Figure 5.

[0051] The scale ruler 81 shown in Figure 5(a) is used to change the scale. The scale ruler 81 indicates the scale of the displayed map, and the user can change the scale of the displayed map by moving the bar 82 on the scale ruler 81. It is preferable to keep the scale ruler 81 displayed at all times while editing a route. The scale ruler corresponds to the scale display unit of the present invention.

[0052] In the situation shown in Figure 5(a), if the user releases the pointer 77 corresponding to the target node P3 at a location other than the candidate destination node 76, and changes the scale by manipulating the scale bar 82 to display a detailed map as shown in Figure 5(b), nodes P15 to P18, which were not displayed at the original scale, will be displayed as candidate destination node 76. In this way, if the node that the user wants to specify as the destination of the target node is not displayed as a candidate destination node 76, the user can change the scale to display that node as a candidate destination node 76. When the scale is changed by the user and a detailed map is displayed, a window 90 showing the positional relationship between the current display area and the entire route will also be displayed, as shown in Figure 5(b). The window 90 shows an outline 93 of the currently set route and the display range 92 at the current scale within the frame 91. By displaying the window 90, even if the user changes the scale to display a detailed map while editing the route, they can easily grasp the relationship between the current display area and the entire route. Conversely, if the user changes the scale to display a wider area map, and the area around pointer 77 becomes difficult to see, a detailed view of the area around the pointer may be displayed in a separate window.

[0053] If changing the scale displays the desired destination node 76, the user can resume editing the route by starting to drag pointer 77 again.

[0054] (Route editing process) Next, the route editing process will be explained. Figure 6 shows the main routine of the route editing process, and Figures 7-9 show the subroutines of the route editing process. The route editing process is implemented by the CPU 22 of the navigation device 1 executing a pre-prepared program. As a prerequisite for the route editing process, it is assumed that the user has specified a destination and performed a route search, and that one route to the destination has been set. That is, as shown in Figure 3(a), it is assumed that a route display image 70 showing a route 73 including the departure point 71 and destination 72 on the map is displayed on the display 44. The route editing process is started when the user wishes to change a part of this set route and issues a route editing instruction.

[0055] In Figure 6, the CPU 22 first displays the candidate destination node 76 (step S11). The candidate destination node 76 is a node that can be specified as the destination of the node to be moved, and as mentioned above, it is predetermined according to the scale of the map being displayed.

[0056] Next, the CPU 22 performs a mode determination (step S12). Mode determination is a process that determines the mode of route editing based on the state of the pointer 77 operated by the user through an input device such as a touch panel. Figure 7 shows the details of the mode determination.

[0057] First, the CPU 22 determines whether any node is active or not (step S31). Here, if the user touches a node with their finger and the pointer 77 is grasping that node, that node is called "active". In other words, the CPU 22 determines whether the user is grasping any node with the pointer 77. The node grasped by the user with the pointer 77 is designated as the node to be moved. If a node is not grasped by the pointer 77, that node is called "inactive".

[0058] If any node is active (step S31: Yes), the CPU 22 determines that the current mode is "editing". In other words, the CPU 22 determines that the user is in the process of moving the pointer 77 corresponding to the target node in the desired direction and dragging it to the desired destination node. Then, the process returns to the main routine shown in Figure 7.

[0059] On the other hand, if neither node is active (step S31: No), it is assumed that pointer 77 is not being dragged by the user and is placed somewhere. Therefore, the CPU 22 determines whether pointer 77 overlaps with the candidate destination node 76 (step S33). If pointer 77 overlaps with the candidate destination node 76 (step S33: Yes), it is assumed that the user has instructed a path change to change the target node to that candidate destination node, so the CPU 22 determines the current mode to be "editing" (step S34). Then, the process returns to the main routine.

[0060] On the other hand, if pointer 77 does not overlap with the candidate destination node 76 (step S33: No), the user has released pointer 77 at a location other than the candidate destination node 76, so the CPU 22 determines the current mode to be "pending" (step S35). Then, the process returns to the main routine. Note that in pending mode, as mentioned above, the user can change the scale by operating the scale ruler 81.

[0061] Returning to Figure 6, the CPU 22 determines whether the current mode determined by the mode determination is pending (step S13). If the current mode is pending (step S13: Yes), the CPU 22 performs the scale change process. Specifically, the CPU 22 determines whether the user has performed a scale change operation using the scale ruler 81 (step S19). If a scale change operation has been performed (step S19: Yes), the CPU 22 performs the scale change (step S21). That is, the CPU 22 changes the scale of the displayed map as illustrated in Figures 5(a) and (b). Then, the process returns to step S11.

[0062] If no scale change operation has been performed (step S19: No), the CPU 22 determines whether the user has entered an instruction to end route editing (step S20). If an instruction to end is entered (step S20: Yes), the route editing process ends. If no instruction to end is entered (step S20: No), the process returns to step S11.

[0063] In step S13, if it is determined that the current mode is not pending (step S13: No), the CPU 22 determines whether a node change operation has been performed, specifically whether the target node being moved, which the user is holding with pointer 77, has been moved (step S14). If no node change operation has been performed (step S14: No), the process returns to step S12.

[0064] On the other hand, if a node change operation has been performed (step S14: Yes), the CPU 22 performs an endpoint search (step S15). An endpoint search is the process of determining two endpoints based on the position of pointer 77. Figure 8 shows the details of the endpoint search.

[0065] The CPU 22 first searches for adjacent nodes to the node to be moved (step S41). Here, "adjacent nodes" refer to nodes adjacent to the node to be moved, specifically two nodes on the destination side and two on the departure side. Of these four nodes, the two nodes closer to the node to be moved are called near-end nodes, and the two nodes further away from the node to be moved are called far-end nodes. In the example in Figure 3, the CPU 22 determines the near-end nodes P2 and P4 and the far-end nodes P1 and P5 based on the node to be moved P3.

[0066] Next, the CPU 22 calculates a circle with the two far-end nodes as its diameter (referred to as the "far-end circle") (step S42), and then calculates a circle with the two near-end nodes as its diameter (referred to as the "near-end circle") (step S43). In the example shown in Figure 3, the far-end circle R2 and the near-end circle R1 are determined.

[0067] Next, the CPU 22 determines the positional relationship between the pointer 77 and the far-end circle and the near-end circle (step S44). Specifically, if the pointer 77 is inside the near-end circle, the process proceeds to step S45; if the pointer 77 is between the near-end circle and the far-end circle, the process proceeds to step S47; and if the pointer 77 is outside the far-end circle, the process proceeds to step S48.

[0068] Now, in step S45, the CPU 22 determines whether the near-end node matches the initial position of the node to be moved (step S45). If the near-end node does not match the initial position of the node to be moved (step S45: No), the CPU 22 designates the current near-end node as the far-end node and the adjacent node closer to the initial position of the node to be moved as the near-end node (step S46). In other words, the near-end node and the far-end node are shifted one position each towards the initial position of the node to be moved. Then, the process returns to step S42. On the other hand, if the near-end node matches the initial position of the node to be moved (step S45: Yes), the two far-end nodes at that time are designated as endpoints (step S47). In this case, since the near-end node matches the initial position of the node to be moved, the far-end nodes are the two nodes adjacent to the initial position of the node to be moved. In the example in Figure 3, the near-end node and node P3 match, so the far-end nodes are nodes P2 and P4, and nodes P2 and P4 are determined as endpoints.

[0069] Next, in step S47, the CPU 22 designates the two far-end nodes at that time as endpoints. In the example in Figure 3, when the pointer 77 is at the position shown in Figure 3(c), it is between the circle R1 (see Figure 3(b)) with nodes P2 and P4 as its diameters and the far-end circle R2, so the far-end nodes P1 and P5 at that time are determined to be the endpoints.

[0070] In step S48, the CPU 22 determines whether the far-end node coincides with the origin or destination. If the far-end node coincides with the origin or destination, i.e., as shown in Figure 4, the boundary circle is not expanded further, so the CPU 22 determines the two far-end nodes at that time as endpoints (step S47). In other words, in the example of Figure 4, the origin and destination are determined as endpoints. In this case, the entire route 73 is subject to editing.

[0071] On the other hand, if the far-end node is neither the origin nor the destination (step S48: No), the CPU 22 sets the current far-end node as the near-end node and the next furthest adjacent node from the node to be moved as the far-end node (step S49). That is, the CPU 22 shifts the near-end node and the far-end node one position away from the node to be moved (i.e., in the direction of the origin and destination, respectively). Then the process returns to step S42.

[0072] Once the endpoint is determined in step S47, the process returns to the main routine. Next, the CPU 22 performs a destination node determination (step S16). The destination determination is the process of determining the destination node. Details of the destination node determination are shown in Figure 9.

[0073] The CPU 22 determines whether the position of the node to be moved, i.e., the pointer 77, matches the position of the candidate destination node 76 (step S51). In other words, the CPU 22 determines whether the user has dragged the node to be moved onto the candidate destination node 76. If the position of the node to be moved does not match the position of the candidate destination node 76 (step S51: No), the CPU 22 determines that the destination node is undetermined (step S54), and the process returns to the main routine.

[0074] On the other hand, if the position of pointer 77 matches the position of candidate destination node 76 (step S51: Yes), the CPU 22 determines whether the target node has changed from active to inactive (step S52). That is, the CPU 22 determines whether the user has dropped the pointer 77 that they were dragging. If the target node has not changed to inactive (step S52: No), the CPU 22 determines that the destination node is undecided (step S54), and the process returns to the main routine.

[0075] On the other hand, if the target node changes to inactive (step S52: Yes), the CPU 22 determines the location where the pointer 77 was dropped as the destination node (step S53). In other words, if both steps S51 and S52 are Yes, the user has dropped the pointer 77 indicating the target node onto one of the candidate destination nodes 76, and the CPU 22 determines that candidate destination node 76 as the destination node. Then, the process returns to the main routine.

[0076] Next, in the main routine shown in Figure 6, the CPU 22 determines whether or not the destination node has been determined (step S17). If the destination node determination determines that the destination node is undetermined (step S17: No), the process returns to step S12. On the other hand, if the destination node has been determined (step S17: Yes), the CPU 22 searches for an alternative route that connects the endpoints determined in the endpoint search in step S15 and passes through the destination node determined in step S16 (step S18). More specifically, the CPU 22 searches for an alternative route that uses the endpoint on the departure side as the departure point, the destination node as a waypoint, and the endpoint on the destination side as the destination. In this way, an alternative route that passes through the destination node specified by the user is obtained. If multiple alternative routes are obtained, the CPU 22 can present the multiple routes to the user and prompt them to make a selection.

[0077] (Example display) Next, we will explain an example of displaying an alternative route obtained through route editing. Figure 10 shows an example of the display before route editing, i.e., when one route is obtained through the initial route search. A route display image 70 showing the route 73 from the starting point to the destination on the map is displayed on the display 44. Furthermore, a node list 75 for each node P1 to P6 of the route 73 is displayed. The node list 75 shows the location information for each node on the route 73. Here, the location information includes the direction of travel, intersection name, presence or absence of traffic lights, lane information (presence or absence of a right-turn lane), etc.

[0078] Figure 11 shows an example of the display when an alternative route is obtained by moving node P3 on route 73 to node P10. The alternative route (nodes P2 → P10 → P4) is shown as a solid line, and the original route (nodes P2 → P3 → P4) is shown as a dashed line. In this way, the route display image 70 displays the original route and the alternative route in a distinguishable manner. In addition, in the node list 75, in addition to the list of the entire original route, the location information of each node that makes up the alternative route (nodes P2 → P10 → P4) is displayed as an additional list 75x. The additional list 75x includes the location information of the two endpoints determined in the route editing process described above (nodes P2 and P4 in this example) and the destination node (node ​​P10 in this example). Although not applicable in this example, if there is a node other than the destination node between the two endpoints, the location information of that node is also displayed.

[0079] This allows users to compare point information (direction of travel, intersection name, presence or absence of traffic lights, lane information, etc.) between the original route and the alternative route. This enables users to find alternative routes that suit their preferences, such as routes with more right and left turns at intersections with traffic lights than at intersections without traffic lights, or routes with more right turns at intersections with right-turn lanes than at intersections without right-turn lanes.

[0080] Next, we will describe other display examples of alternative routes obtained through route editing. Figure 12(a) shows an example of the display before route editing, i.e., when one route is obtained through the initial route search. A route display image 70 showing the route 73 from the starting point to the destination is displayed on the display 44. Furthermore, a route bar 60 is displayed that shows the nodes passed along the route 73 in a straight line 61. In the route bar 60, nodes P1 to P6 that exist on the route 73 are shown on the straight line 61 that represents the original route 73. Note that intersection names, etc., may be displayed at the positions of each node P1 to P6. The interval between nodes P1 to P6 shown on the straight line 61 corresponds to the interval between each node on the route 73.

[0081] Furthermore, to make it easier for the user to select the target node, target node selection buttons 55L and 55R are displayed. When the input device is a touch panel, it can be difficult to accurately drag the target node. In particular, when nodes on the route are close together on the displayed map, it is possible to accidentally select an adjacent node. Therefore, target node selection buttons 55L and 55R are displayed, and a cursor 62 is displayed on the route bar 60. When the user operates target node selection button 55L, the cursor 62 moves to the node one position to the left on the route bar 60, and when the user operates target node 55R, the cursor 62 moves to the node one position to the right on the route bar 60. In this way, by operating target node selection buttons 55L and 55R, the user can easily select the target node to move. After selecting the target node to move, the user can edit the route by moving the pointer 77 within the route display image 70.

[0082] Figure 12(b) shows an example of an alternative route display obtained when a user edits the route to change node P3 to node P10. In the route display image 70, the alternative route (node ​​P2 → P10 → P4) is shown as a solid line, and the original route (node ​​P2 → P3 → P4) is shown as a dashed line. In the route bar 60, in addition to the straight line 61 that shows the original route 73, a straight line 63 that shows the alternative route is displayed along the straight line 61 at a corresponding position. A cursor 62 indicating the target node to move to (node ​​P3 in this example) is displayed on the straight line 61 that shows the original route, and a mark 64 indicating the destination node (node ​​P10 in this example) is displayed on the alternative route.

[0083] Figure 13(a) shows an example of an alternative route display obtained when a user edits a route to change node P3 to another node P11. In the route display image 70, the alternative route (node ​​P1 → P11 → P5) is shown as a solid line, and the original route (node ​​P1 → P2 → P3 → P4 → P5) is shown as a dashed line. In the route bar 60, in addition to the straight line 61 that shows the original route 73, a straight line 63 that shows the alternative route is displayed along the straight line 61 at a corresponding position. A cursor 62 indicating the target node to move to (node ​​P3 in this example) is displayed on the straight line 61 that shows the original route, and a mark 64 indicating the destination node (node ​​P11 in this example) is displayed on the alternative route.

[0084] Figure 13(b) is an example of Figure 13(a) in which more information is displayed on the route bar 60. Specifically, nodes P1 and P5, which correspond to the endpoints determined in route editing, are displayed separately from other nodes by boxes 65. In addition, the intersection name is indicated by a callout 66 for nodes P1 and P5 that correspond to the endpoints. Furthermore, for nodes that correspond to endpoints, such as node P5, intersection information 69 for that intersection may be displayed. Also, if there is congestion information, traffic congestion information, road closure information, etc. in the original route or alternative route, this information may be indicated by marks 68 that indicate the section.

[0085] In the example above, for the sake of explanation, the original route and the alternative route are distinguished by solid and dashed lines, respectively. However, in actual display, you can distinguish them by changing the type, thickness, and color of the line segments.

[0086] Figure 14 shows another display example. In the example in Figure 14, instead of displaying the node list 75 as in the example in Figure 11, a guidance panel 78 is displayed. The guidance panel 78 indicates the direction of travel and traffic signs at each point using marks. This allows users to easily visually recognize information at each point on the route before and after the change. If there is sufficient display area on the display 44, this guidance panel 78 may also be displayed in the examples in Figure 11 and Figure 13(b). In addition, in the examples in Figure 11 and Figure 13(b), the guidance panel 78 may be displayed as a speech bubble in response to user instructions.

[0087] [Differentiation] (1) In the above route editing, when displaying candidate destination nodes, it is preferable to exclude nodes that cannot be passed due to reasons such as one-way streets, no entry zones, or road closures from the list of candidate destination nodes. Furthermore, when the present invention is applied to a portable navigation device, the user may select and set their mode of transportation from walking, cycling, or driving, and the displayed candidate destination nodes may be selected according to the mode of transportation. For example, if the mode of transportation is driving, candidate destination nodes may be displayed considering traffic signs such as one-way streets and traffic conditions as described above, while if the mode of transportation is walking, candidate destination nodes may be displayed without considering traffic signs for vehicles.

[0088] Furthermore, the system may allow users to specify additional conditions such as traffic volume and road width when presenting potential destination nodes. This can be done by adding traffic volume and road width data to the node and path data in the map data beforehand, and then presenting only potential destination nodes that meet the traffic volume and road width conditions specified by the user. The traffic volume and road width data added in this way can also be used as weights when searching for alternative routes.

[0089] (2) The above embodiment assumes a system in which route editing is temporarily suspended when changing the scale. That is, the scale can be changed when the pointer 77 is released at a location other than the destination candidate node 76. However, in a system in which route editing and scale change operations can be performed in parallel, it is not necessary to suspend the route editing operation in order to perform the scale change operation. In this case, steps S12 and S13 in Figure 6 can be omitted.

[0090] (3) In the above embodiment, the calculated alternative route may be temporarily saved. For example, a button such as "save temporarily" may be provided on the display 44 so that the alternative route can be saved at the user's instruction. After saving one alternative route, the user may continue editing the route to obtain other alternative routes and compare them with the saved alternative route to determine the final alternative route.

[0091] (4) In the above embodiments, the present invention is applied to an in-vehicle navigation system, but the present invention can also be applied to other devices such as smartphones, tablet PCs, and PCs, or to applications that run on such devices. When the present invention is applied to an in-vehicle navigation system, a remote control may be used as the input device, and the cursor or pointer displayed on the display 44 may be operated with the remote control. When the present invention is applied to a regular PC, a mouse may be used as the input device, and the cursor or pointer displayed on the display may be operated with the mouse. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1. Navigation system 20 System Controllers 22 CPU 40 display units 44 displays 50 Audio Output Units 60 Input devices 70 Route display image

Claims

1. A display control means for displaying the first route shown on the map on the display unit, An endpoint determination means for determining two endpoints on the first path according to the position of a point on the first path that is moved by a user, Position determination means for determining the destination position of the point to be moved, The system comprises a second path determination means for determining the destination position of the point to be moved and the two endpoints, The display control means is characterized in that, when the second route is determined, it displays the first route and the second route on the display unit, and also displays route comparison information that allows comparison between information regarding the first route and information regarding the second route.

2. In the route display device according to claim 1, A scale display means for displaying a scale indicator that shows the scale of the map displayed on the display unit, The system includes a scale changing means that changes the scale of the map displayed on the display unit in response to a user's operation to change the scale of the scale display unit, The display control means displays candidate destination points that can be specified as the destination position of the point to be moved on the map displayed on the display unit, The position determination means determines the destination candidate point as the destination position when the position of the point to be moved coincides with the destination candidate point. The route display device is characterized in that the scale changing means accepts the change operation and changes the scale of the map when the position of the point to be moved does not coincide with the candidate destination point.

3. In the route display device according to claim 1, The endpoint determination means determines two points on the first path adjacent to the point to be moved as the two endpoints, and changes the two endpoints based on the positional relationship between the boundary circle having the two determined endpoints as its diameter and the point to be moved.

4. In the route display device according to claim 1, The display control means is characterized by displaying a guide panel that shows at least one of the direction of travel and traffic signs at each point in the first and second routes with a mark, in order to display information at each point in the first and second routes in a comparable manner.

5. In the route display device according to claim 1, The display control means causes the display unit to display, on the same screen, marks indicating sections corresponding to at least one of the congestion information, traffic congestion information, or road closure information for the first route and the second route, side by side. A route display device characterized in that it enables users to recognize and compare congestion information, traffic congestion information, or road closure information in the aforementioned section.

6. In the route display device according to claim 1, When the display control means displays the map at a detailed scale on the display unit, it also displays an auxiliary window that shows the positional relationship between the display range at the current scale and the overall display of the route including the first and second routes. The auxiliary window is characterized by including within its frame an outline display of the entire route, including the first route and the second route, and a display of the display range according to the current scale.

7. In the route display device according to claim 1, The route display device is characterized in that, when the map is displayed on the display unit at a wide scale, it also displays an auxiliary window showing a detailed view of the area around the pointer corresponding to the point to be moved.

8. In the route display device according to claim 1, The route display device is characterized in that, when the display control means displays candidate destination points that can be designated as the destination position of the point to be moved on the map displayed on the display unit, it excludes candidate destination points that correspond to locations that cannot be passed due to one-way streets, no entry, or road closures.

9. In the route display device according to claim 1, The display control means selects a list of candidate destination points that can be designated as the destination position of the target point to be moved, according to the means of movement set by the user. When an automobile is selected as the means of transportation, the system displays the candidate destinations considering vehicle traffic signs or traffic conditions. A route display device characterized in that, when walking is set as the means of transportation, it displays the candidate destination without considering traffic signs for vehicles.

10. In the route display device according to claim 1, The aforementioned display control means is characterized by displaying only candidate destination points that can be designated as destination locations for the target point of movement that satisfy the conditions specified by the user, based on the traffic volume or road width conditions.

11. In the route display device according to claim 1, The route display device is characterized in that the display control means has a function to temporarily store the second route, displays a plurality of stored second routes in a comparable manner, and determines the final second route by the user's selection.

12. In the route display device according to claim 1, The aforementioned display control means is characterized by displaying a cursor on the route bar, moving the cursor between nodes on the route bar in accordance with a target node selection button, and enabling the selection of a node corresponding to the point of movement.

13. A route display method performed by a route display device equipped with a display unit, A display control step that causes the first route displayed on the map to be displayed on the display unit, Depending on the position of the point on the first path that is moved by the user, An endpoint determination step of determining two endpoints on the first path, A position determination step for determining the destination position of the point to be moved, The process includes a second path determination step for determining the destination position of the point to be moved and the two endpoints, The display control step is characterized by displaying the first route and the second route on the display unit when the second route is determined, and also displaying route comparison information that allows comparison between information regarding the first route and information regarding the second route.

14. A route display program executed by a route display device comprising a display unit and a computer, A display control means for displaying the first route shown on the map on the display unit, An endpoint determination means for determining two endpoints on the first path according to the position of a point on the first path that is moved by a user, Position determination means for determining the destination position of the point to be moved, The computer is used as a second path determination means to determine a second path that includes the destination position of the point to be moved and the two endpoints. The display control means is a route display program characterized in that, when the second route is determined, it displays the first route and the second route on the display unit, and also displays route comparison information that allows comparison between information regarding the first route and information regarding the second route.

15. A storage medium storing the route display program described in claim 14.

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