Navigation control device and navigation method

Abstract

To provide a navigation control device and a navigation method which can provide a proper event scheduled spot considering the stand-by time for using an event facility.SOLUTION: A navigation control device comprises: an event setting information acquisition unit 25 which acquires event setting information including an event type and an event scheduled time during route guide to a destination; a first event scheduled spot calculation unit 26 which calculates a first event scheduled spot at which an own vehicle can arrive at the event scheduled time from the event setting information and information on the guided route; a stand-by time information acquisition unit 28 which acquires the stand-by time for using an event facility at the first event scheduled spot; a second event scheduled spot calculation unit 29 which calculates a second event scheduled spot apart from the first event scheduled spot by a distance which the own vehicle can move in the stand-by time from the acquired stand-by time and information on the route; and a display control unit 50 which displays each event scheduled spot on a display unit 15.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a navigation control device and a navigation method.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a navigation device that, after setting a destination, calculates and presents an event scheduled point on the route from the current position to the destination using the average vehicle speed set according to the event scheduled time set by the user and the road type.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, the waiting time for using the event facility at the event scheduled point is not taken into account in the event scheduled time. For this reason, when using the event facility at the event scheduled point, it is assumed that, for example, the arrival at the destination is delayed by the waiting time of the facility, and there is room for improvement in presenting an appropriate event scheduled point.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a navigation control device and a navigation method capable of presenting an appropriate event scheduled point considering the waiting time for using an event facility.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the navigation control device according to the present invention comprises: a route guidance unit that guides the vehicle along a route to a set destination; an event setting information acquisition unit that acquires event setting information, including the event type and scheduled event time, while the vehicle is traveling to the destination; a first event scheduled location calculation unit that calculates a first event scheduled location that the vehicle can reach at the scheduled event time from the event setting information and the guided route information; a waiting time acquisition unit that acquires the waiting time required to use the event facilities at the first event scheduled location; a second event scheduled location calculation unit that calculates a second event scheduled location that is a distance the vehicle can travel during the waiting time from the first event scheduled location, based on the acquired waiting time and route information; and a display control unit that displays the first event scheduled location and the second event scheduled location on a display unit.

[0007] Furthermore, the navigation method according to the present invention includes the steps of: acquiring event setting information including the event type and scheduled event time during route guidance to a set destination; calculating a first scheduled event location that the vehicle can reach at the scheduled event time from the event setting information and the route being guided; acquiring a waiting time for using the event facilities at the first scheduled event location; calculating a second scheduled event location that is a distance the vehicle can travel during the waiting time from the first scheduled event location, from the acquired waiting time and route information; and displaying the first scheduled event location and the second scheduled event location on a display unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to suggest an appropriate event location that takes into account the waiting time required to use the event facility. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a navigation device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2]Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in the navigation control device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of a screen displayed on the display unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the navigation control device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that are replaceable and easily replaceable by those skilled in the art, or that are substantially the same. Moreover, the components in the embodiments described below can be omitted, replaced, or modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In the following embodiments, the components necessary for illustrating embodiments of the navigation control device according to the present invention will be described, and other components will be omitted.

[0011] In this invention, a navigation device controlled by a navigation control device searches for the optimal route between the current location and a destination set by the driver, displays this route on a map, and provides route guidance to the destination. Based on event setting information set by the driver, the navigation device calculates planned event locations to be visited along the route to the destination and displays these planned event locations on the map. In this case, the navigation device displays multiple planned event locations on the map, taking into account waiting times for using the event facilities. The navigation device is a vehicle navigation device that is mounted in a vehicle or is portable and brought into a vehicle. The navigation device may consist of a portable terminal, a device installed in a vehicle, or a combination of several devices.

[0012] First, an example of the configuration of the navigation device according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the navigation device according to this embodiment. The navigation device 1 comprises an operation unit 11, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiving unit 12, a map information storage unit 13, a communication unit 14, a display unit 15, a vehicle speed information storage unit 16, and a navigation control device 20.

[0013] The operation unit 11 can receive various operations on the navigation control device 20. The operation unit 11 is composed of, for example, physical means for operating the navigation control device 20, or a touch panel located on the display unit 15. The operation unit 11 can receive, for example, operations to input destination information or event setting information. The operation unit 11 can receive, for example, operations to switch the display information of the route guidance map displayed on the display unit 15. The operation unit 11 outputs the operation information to the operation reception control unit 21 of the navigation control device 20.

[0014] The GPS receiver 12 receives radio waves from GPS satellites (not shown). The GPS receiver 12 outputs the received radio wave signals to the position information acquisition unit 22 of the navigation control device 20.

[0015] The map information storage unit 13 stores map information. The map information includes, for example, road information including intersections. The map information also includes information about event facilities where at least one of the following events can be performed, such as "eating," "resting," or "refueling," such as restaurants, service areas, and gas stations. Furthermore, the map information includes road type information, such as road types like expressways, national roads, and prefectural roads. The map information storage unit 13 outputs the stored map information to the map information acquisition unit 23 of the navigation control device 20. The map information storage unit 13 may also be a storage device such as an external server connected via the communication unit 14.

[0016] The communication unit 14 is a communication unit. The communication unit 14 may communicate using either the internet or a mobile phone line. The communication unit 14 performs various communications based on control signals output from the communication control unit 40 of the navigation control device 20.

[0017] The display unit 15 is, for example, a display device specific to the navigation device 1, or a display device shared with other systems including a car audio system. The display unit 15 is a display including, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electro-luminescence (OLED) display. In this embodiment, the display unit 15 is a touch panel display. The display unit 15 also functions as an operation unit 11, and various operations can be input. When the navigation device 1 is installed in a vehicle, the display unit 15 is located on the dashboard, instrument panel, or center console in front of the driver of the vehicle. Based on the video signal output from the display control unit 50 of the navigation control device 20, the display unit 15 displays symbols indicating the current location, destination, and planned event locations to be visited along the way, as well as route guidance images such as line segments indicating the guidance route, on a map from the current location to the destination.

[0018] The vehicle speed information storage unit 16 stores the average vehicle speed (vehicle speed information) when a vehicle travels on various roads, such as expressways, national roads, and prefectural roads. The vehicle speed information storage unit 16 stores the average vehicle speed predetermined for each of the above-mentioned road types. It is sufficient to have one average vehicle speed predetermined for each road type, but for a single road type, multiple average vehicle speeds may be predetermined for each category, such as the day of the week (weekdays, holidays, etc.) or time of day. The vehicle speed information storage unit 16 outputs the stored average vehicle speed to the vehicle speed information acquisition unit 24 of the navigation control device 20. The vehicle speed information storage unit 16 may also be a storage device such as an external server connected via the communication unit 14.

[0019] The navigation control device 20 includes a storage device that stores various control programs and data used for various control processes, and an arithmetic processing unit that executes a predetermined control program. The storage device is, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a flash memory, an optical disk, or a DVD. The arithmetic processing unit is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a MCU (Micro Controller Unit), a microprocessor, a microcomputer, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a system LSI (System Large Scale Integration), or the like. The navigation control device 20 is implemented from one or more storage devices and one or more arithmetic processing units.

[0020] The navigation control device 20 searches for an optimal route between the current location and the destination set by the driver, and displays this route on the map of the display unit 15 to provide route guidance to the destination. The navigation control device 20 calculates an appropriate event scheduled location from the event type and event scheduled time set by the driver (or a passenger), such as a meal, a break, or refueling, during the movement to the destination. The navigation control device 20 includes an operation reception control unit 21, a position information acquisition unit 22, a map information acquisition unit 23, a vehicle speed information acquisition unit 24, an event setting information acquisition unit 25, a first event scheduled location calculation unit 26, an event facility search unit 27, a standby time information acquisition unit (standby time acquisition unit) 28, a second event scheduled location calculation unit 29, a route search unit 30, a route guidance unit 31, a communication control unit 40, and a display control unit 50, which are connected to the bus BS.

[0021] The operation reception control unit 21 acquires the operation information input to the operation unit 11. The operation reception control unit 21 receives various operation information such as, for example, input operations of destination information and event setting information described later, and outputs a control signal. In the present embodiment, the operation reception control unit 21 outputs the received event setting information to the event setting information acquisition unit 25.

[0022] The position information acquisition unit 22 acquires position information indicating the current location of the host vehicle. In the present embodiment, the position information acquisition unit 22 acquires the position information of the host vehicle based on the radio wave signal acquired by the GPS reception unit 12. The position information acquisition unit 22 outputs the acquired position information of the host vehicle to the map information acquisition unit 23, the event setting information acquisition unit 25, the first event scheduled point calculation unit 26, the second event scheduled point calculation unit 29, the route search unit 30, the route guidance unit 31, and the display control unit 50.

[0023] The map information acquisition unit 23 acquires map information from the map information storage unit 13. The map information acquisition unit 23 acquires map information regarding reaching the destination via the event scheduled point from the current location of the host vehicle based on the position information of the host vehicle acquired by the position information acquisition unit 22, the position information of the destination acquired by the operation reception control unit 21, and the position information of the event scheduled point calculated by at least one of the first event scheduled point calculation unit 26 and the second event scheduled point calculation unit 29, from the map information storage unit 13. The map information acquisition unit 23 outputs the acquired map information to the vehicle speed information acquisition unit 24 and the display control unit 50.

[0024] The vehicle speed information acquisition unit 24 acquires vehicle speed information from the vehicle speed information storage unit 16. The vehicle speed information acquisition unit 24 acquires road type information (for example, road type information such as expressways, national highways, prefectural roads, etc.) included in the route from the current location of the host vehicle to the destination from the map information acquisition unit 23, and acquires the average vehicle speed (vehicle speed information) defined in advance for each road type from the vehicle speed information storage unit 16. The vehicle speed information acquisition unit 24 outputs the acquired average vehicle speed to the first event scheduled point calculation unit 26 and the second event scheduled point calculation unit 29.

[0025] The event setting information acquisition unit 25 acquires event setting information output from the operation reception control unit 21. The event setting information includes at least the event type and the scheduled event time. The event type is the type of event desired by the driver, and includes, for example, "meal," "break," "refueling," etc. The scheduled event time refers to the start time of the event desired by the driver. This scheduled event time can be expressed in any way as long as it is uniquely determined with respect to the known current time, for example, "12:30," "15:00 (3pm)," "60 minutes later," etc. The event setting information acquisition unit 25 outputs the event setting information to the first scheduled event location calculation unit 26.

[0026] The first event location calculation unit 26 calculates the first event location that the vehicle can reach at the scheduled event time based on the event setting information and the route information being provided. Here, the route information being provided is, for example, the average vehicle speed (vehicle speed information) predetermined for each type of road. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first event location calculation unit 26 calculates the first event location based on the event setting information and the average vehicle speed. For example, if the vehicle is driving on a national highway at 10:00 AM and receives "12:00 PM" as the scheduled event time, the first event location calculation unit 26 calculates the distance that can be traveled in 2 hours at the average vehicle speed on the national highway (for example, 50 km / h), which is 100 km. Then, the first event location calculation unit 26 calculates the first event location that can be reached by driving 100 km from the current location at the scheduled event time. In this case, it is preferable that the first event location is calculated on the route from the current location to the destination, and furthermore, it is preferable that it be within a predetermined distance range (for example, a radius of 1 km). The first event location calculation unit 26 outputs information regarding the calculated first event location to the event facility search unit 27 and the route search unit 30. In this embodiment, as an example of the route information being guided, a form using predetermined average vehicle speed (vehicle speed information) for each road type has been described, but it is not limited to this, and for example, a form using road congestion information (road traffic information) transmitted by the VICS (registered trademark) center may also be used.

[0027] The event facility search unit 27 searches for event facilities in the vicinity of the calculated event location (including the first event location and the second event location described later). These event facilities are those related to the event type in the event setting information. For example, if the driver sets "dining" as the event type, the event facility search unit 27 searches for event facilities such as "restaurants" or "diners" located near the first event location via the communication unit 14 and obtains information about the searched event facilities (location, name). At least one event facility needs to be found, but multiple facilities may be found and the driver can select one. When setting the event setting information, it is possible to set not only the event type (dining) but also information about the genre (e.g., Japanese food or Western food) and information about the store (e.g., family restaurant) to better match the driver's (passenger's) preferences. The event facility search unit 27 outputs the information about the searched event facilities to the waiting time information acquisition unit 28.

[0028] The waiting time information acquisition unit 28 acquires the waiting time required to use the searched event facility. Waiting time refers to the time spent waiting inside or outside the event facility before the event is held. For example, it is the waiting time until being seated at the event facility "restaurant". The waiting time information acquisition unit 28 retrieves waiting time information for the searched event facility via the communication unit 14. The waiting time information acquisition unit 28 may also access, for example, a review site for the relevant event facility or the SNS (Social Networking Service) of users of the event facility via the communication unit 14 to acquire estimated waiting time information per scheduled event time. If multiple event facilities are searched, the waiting time information acquisition unit 28 acquires waiting time information for each event facility. The waiting time information acquisition unit 28 outputs the acquired waiting time information to the second scheduled event location calculation unit 29.

[0029] The second event location calculation unit 29 calculates a second event location that is a distance from the first event location that can be traveled by the vehicle during the waiting time, based on the waiting time and average vehicle speed described above. In other words, instead of spending the waiting time at the event facility of the first event location waiting, the second event location calculation unit 29 calculates a second event location that is a distance that can be traveled by the vehicle during that waiting time. Specifically, if the waiting time at the event facility is 60 minutes, the second event location calculation unit 29 calculates a second event location that is a distance of 50 km from the first event location that can be traveled at the average vehicle speed on the national highway (e.g., 50 km / h) during those 60 minutes. This second event location does not need to be on the route to the destination that was searched in advance, and may be located off this route. Also, if the waiting time information acquisition unit 28 outputs waiting times for each of the multiple event facilities, the second event location calculation unit 29 may select one of these multiple waiting times. For example, it may select the shortest waiting time from the multiple waiting times. In this configuration, waiting time at event facilities is actively used for travel to calculate a new second event location, thus enabling the provision of appropriate event locations that make effective use of waiting time.

[0030] Furthermore, the second event location calculation unit 29 calculates a location as the second event location where the waiting time at the event facility (a distant location) is less than or equal to a predetermined time. That is, the second event location calculation unit 29 calculates several candidate locations for the second event location that are far enough from the first event location that the vehicle can travel the distance during the aforementioned waiting time, and selects a candidate location from among these candidates where the waiting time at the event facility is less than or equal to a predetermined time as the second event location. This predetermined time is at least less than or equal to the waiting time at the first event location, and is preferably set to a time that the driver can tolerate waiting for (e.g., 20 minutes) or less. With this configuration, it is possible to calculate a second event location where there is an event facility with a waiting time shorter than the waiting time at the event facility of the first event location, and an appropriate event location can be provided.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second event location calculated by the second event location calculation unit 29 is located closer to the destination than the first event location described above. That is, the second event location is located closer to the destination than the first event location by the distance that the vehicle can travel during the waiting time at the first event location. With this configuration, since a second event location closer to the destination can be calculated when using the waiting time to move, it is possible to suppress significant delays in arrival time at the destination. It is preferable to calculate the second event location from among those located closer to the destination than the first event location described above, but it may also be calculated from among those located closer to the current location by the distance that the vehicle can travel during the waiting time than the first event location. With this configuration, for example, it is possible to calculate a second event location that can be reached earlier than the peak hours (e.g., lunchtime) of the event facility (restaurant), making it possible to further reduce the waiting time. The second event location calculation unit 29 outputs information about the calculated second event location to the route search unit 30.

[0032] The route search unit 30 searches for a route from the vehicle's current location to the destination. Furthermore, if the second event location described above is selected while the route search unit 30 is moving along the route to the destination, it searches for a new route from the current location to the destination via the second event location. The route search unit 30 presents the searched route to the passenger. The method for searching the route is not limited to known route search methods; any such method can be used.

[0033] The route guidance unit 31 provides route guidance from the vehicle's current location to the destination. Furthermore, if the second event location is selected while the vehicle is traveling along the route to the destination, the route guidance unit 31 provides route guidance from the current location, via the second event location, to the destination. More specifically, the route guidance unit 31 provides route guidance along the searched route. The route guidance unit 31 provides voice guidance from the vehicle's current location, via the second event location, to the destination. The method of providing route guidance is not limited to known route guidance methods; any such method can be used.

[0034] The communication control unit 40 controls communication in the communication unit 14. The communication control unit 40 performs wireless communication with an external information server (not shown) via the communication unit 14. In this embodiment, the communication control unit 40 may receive information from the external information server regarding event facilities around the scheduled event location, and information regarding the waiting time for using the searched event facilities.

[0035] The display control unit 50 displays the route searched by the route search unit 30 on the display unit 15. The display control unit 50 displays the searched route superimposed on the map image, for example. In addition, if a first event location and a second event location are calculated, the display control unit 50 displays these first and second event locations on the display unit 15 along with their respective waiting times. In this configuration, the driver can select the first and second event locations, so that the appropriate event locations can be presented to the driver.

[0036] Next, an example of the processing (navigation method) of the navigation control device will be described. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing in the navigation control device according to this embodiment. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the screen displayed on the display unit. The processing shown in Figure 2 is executed by the navigation control device 20 based on a predetermined control program and data. The navigation control device 20 starts the processing shown in Figure 2 after route guidance to the set destination has started.

[0037] The navigation control device 20 acquires event setting information while providing route guidance to the destination (step S101). Specifically, if the driver or a passenger inputs event setting information, such as event type "meal" and scheduled event time "12 o'clock," to the display unit 15 while driving on a national highway at the current time of 10:00, the event setting information acquisition unit 25 acquires the event setting information input by the operation reception control unit 21.

[0038] The navigation control device 20 calculates the first planned event location (step S102). Specifically, the location information acquisition unit 22 acquires the vehicle's current location information based on the radio wave signals acquired by the GPS receiver 12. The vehicle speed information acquisition unit 24 acquires the average vehicle speed predetermined for each road type (for example, the average vehicle speed for national roads is "50 km / h") from the vehicle speed information storage unit 16. The first planned event location calculation unit 26 then calculates the first planned event location that the vehicle can reach at the scheduled event time, based on the event setting information, the vehicle's current location, and the average vehicle speed predetermined for each road type.

[0039] In the example above, the vehicle is currently driving on a national highway at 10:00 AM and has obtained the event scheduled time as "12:00 PM" and the average vehicle speed on the national highway as "50 km / h". Therefore, the first event destination calculation unit 26 calculates the distance of 100 km that can be traveled in 2 hours at the average vehicle speed of "50 km / h" on the national highway, and calculates the first event destination that can be reached by driving 100 km from the current location at the event scheduled time of "12:00 PM". It is preferable that this first event destination be calculated on the route from the current location to the destination.

[0040] The navigation control device 20 obtains the waiting time at the event facility at the first scheduled event location (step S103). Specifically, the event facility search unit 27 searches for event facilities in the vicinity of the calculated first scheduled event location. In the example above, since the event type "dining" is set, the event facility search unit 27 searches for event facilities such as "restaurants" or "diners" located near the first scheduled event location via the communication unit 14 and obtains information about the searched event facilities (location, name). Then, the waiting time information acquisition unit 28 obtains the waiting time to use the searched event facility. The waiting time information acquisition unit 28 accesses, for example, a review site for the relevant event facility or SNS of event facility users via the communication unit 14 to obtain an estimated waiting time of "60 minutes" around the scheduled event time of "12 o'clock".

[0041] The navigation control device 20 calculates candidate locations that can be reached by driving during the acquired waiting time, based on the waiting time and average vehicle speed (step S104). Specifically, the second event location calculation unit 29 calculates one or more candidate locations that are located a distance that the vehicle can travel during the waiting time, based on the waiting time of "60 minutes" and average vehicle speed of "50 km / h" as described above, and are located away from the first event location. These candidate locations do not need to be on the route to the destination that was searched in advance, and may be located off this route, but it is preferable that the difference between the arrival time of the destination on the route via the candidate locations from the current location and the arrival time of the destination on the pre-searched route is within a predetermined time (for example, about 30 minutes). In this case, the arrival time of the destination by each route is calculated from the time required to travel to the destination, for example, excluding waiting time and stay time at the event location.

[0042] The navigation control device 20 designates candidate locations where the waiting time at the event facility is within a predetermined time as the second planned event location (step S105). Specifically, the event facility search unit 27 searches for event facilities of the same type in the vicinity of each calculated candidate location. The waiting time information acquisition unit 28 then acquires the waiting time (e.g., 10 minutes) required to use the searched event facility. Furthermore, the second planned event location calculation unit 29 designates candidate locations from the above-mentioned candidate locations where the waiting time at the event facility is less than or equal to a predetermined time as the second planned event location. This predetermined time is at least less than or equal to the waiting time at the first planned event location.

[0043] The navigation control device 20 displays each scheduled event location on the display unit 15 along with its waiting time (step S106). Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the display control unit 50 displays on the display unit 15 a vehicle icon 100 indicating the vehicle's current position, a destination icon 101, and a route 102 from the current position to the destination. The display control unit 50 also displays an icon 103 for the first scheduled event location on this route 102, an icon 104 for the second scheduled event location on a route 107 that deviates from this route 102, and explanatory sections 105 and 106 for each scheduled event location. These explanatory sections 105 and 106 include the event type "meal," the estimated arrival time, the estimated waiting time, and selection buttons 105A and 106A, respectively. The example in Figure 3 is merely an example, and multiple second scheduled event locations may be displayed instead of just one. In addition to the arrival time at each event location, or instead of the arrival time, the estimated travel time from the current location to each event location may also be displayed.

[0044] When the second event location is selected (step S107), the navigation control device 20 starts route guidance via the selected second event location (step S108). Specifically, in Figure 3, when the selection button 106A of the explanation unit 106 for the second event location is touched (operated), the navigation control device 20 determines that the second event location has been selected. The route search unit 30 then searches for a new route from the vehicle's current position to the destination via the second event location, and the route guidance unit 31 starts route guidance for the vehicle according to the new route. The navigation control device 20 then completes the processing shown in the flowchart in Figure 3. Although not shown in the example in Figure 3, if the first event location is selected, the previous route guidance continues.

[0045] As described above, the navigation control device 20 according to this embodiment includes: a route guidance unit 31 that guides the vehicle along a set route to a destination; an event setting information acquisition unit 25 that acquires event setting information, including the event type and scheduled event time, during route guidance to the destination; a first scheduled event location calculation unit 26 that calculates a first scheduled event location that the vehicle can reach at the scheduled event time based on the event setting information and the average vehicle speed predetermined for each road type; a waiting time information acquisition unit 28 that acquires the waiting time for using the event facilities at the first scheduled event location; a second scheduled event location calculation unit 29 that calculates a second scheduled event location that is a distance the vehicle can travel during the waiting time from the first scheduled event location based on the acquired waiting time and average vehicle speed; and a display control unit 50 that displays the first scheduled event location and the second scheduled event location on the display unit 15. With this configuration, the waiting time at the event facilities at the first scheduled event location is actively used for travel to calculate a new second scheduled event location, thus providing an appropriate scheduled event location that makes effective use of the waiting time.

[0046] In the navigation control device 20 according to this embodiment, the second event location calculation unit 29 calculates a location as the second event location where the waiting time at the event facility is less than or equal to a predetermined time, and the display control unit 50 displays the first event location and the second event location along with their respective waiting times on the display unit 15. With this configuration, since the second event location where the waiting time at the event facility is less than or equal to a predetermined time is calculated, even if the vehicle passes through the event location, it is possible to prevent the arrival time at the destination from being significantly delayed from the scheduled time. In addition, since each event location and the waiting time at that location are displayed simultaneously, the driver or passenger can easily compare each event location and appropriately select one event location to choose.

[0047] In the navigation control device 20 according to this embodiment, when the second event location is selected from the first and second event location, the route guidance unit 31 guides the user along a new route that has been searched from the current location, via the second event location, to the destination. With this configuration, a new route via the second event location is searched, and the user's vehicle can be guided along this route, thereby improving convenience.

[0048] In the navigation control device 20 according to this embodiment, the second event location calculation unit 29 calculates a second event location that is located closer to the destination than the first event location by the distance that the vehicle can travel during the waiting time at the first event location. With this configuration, since the second event location that is closer to the destination can be calculated when moving using the waiting time, it is possible to suppress significant delays in the arrival time at the destination from the scheduled time.

[0049] Each component of the illustrated navigation control device 20 is a functional concept and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. In other words, the specific form of each device is not limited to that shown, and all or part of them may be functionally or physically distributed or integrated in any unit depending on the processing load and usage conditions of each device.

[0050] The configuration of the navigation control device 20 is realized, for example, as software, such as a program loaded into memory. In the above embodiment, these were described as functional blocks realized by the cooperation of hardware or software. That is, these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by hardware alone, software alone, or a combination thereof. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 1. Navigation system 15 Display 20 Navigation control unit 22 Location information acquisition section 23 Map Information Acquisition Unit 24 Vehicle speed information acquisition section 25 Event setting information acquisition unit 26. Calculation Unit for the First Event Location 27 Event Venue Search Department 28. Waiting Time Information Acquisition Unit (Waiting Time Acquisition Unit) 29. Second Event Scheduled Location Calculation Unit 30 Route search unit 31 Route guidance section 50 Display Control Unit

Claims

1. A route guidance unit that provides directions to the set destination, During route guidance to the aforementioned destination, an event setting information acquisition unit acquires event setting information including the event type and scheduled event time. A first event location calculation unit calculates a first event location that the vehicle can reach at the scheduled time of the event, based on the event setting information and the route information provided. A waiting time acquisition unit that acquires the waiting time for using the event facilities at the first planned event location, A second event location calculation unit calculates a second event location that is located a distance from the first event location that the vehicle can travel during the waiting time, based on the acquired waiting time and route information. A display control unit that displays the first scheduled event location and the second scheduled event location on the display unit, A navigation control device equipped with the following features.

2. The second event location calculation unit calculates a location as the second event location where the waiting time for the event facility at the second event location is less than or equal to a predetermined time. The display control unit displays the first scheduled event location and the second scheduled event location on the display unit along with their respective waiting times. The navigation control device according to claim 1.

3. The second event location calculation unit calculates the second event location which is located closer to the destination than the first event location by the distance that the vehicle can travel during the waiting time at the first event location. Navigation control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. During route guidance to the set destination, the step of obtaining event setting information including the event type and scheduled event time, The steps include: calculating a first event location that the vehicle can reach at the scheduled event time based on the event setting information and the route information provided; The steps include obtaining the waiting time for using the event facilities at the first planned event location, The steps include: calculating a second event location that is located a distance from the first event location that can be traveled by the vehicle during the waiting time, based on the acquired waiting time and route information; The steps include displaying the first event location and the second event location on the display unit, A navigation method that includes the following features.

Images