JP2004233333A - Stereoscopic display method for navigation, and navigation device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stereoscopic display method for a navigation and a navigation device which can display accurate position of a destination, conditions of the surrounding, in easy to understand manner, when a map is displayed stereoscopically. <P>SOLUTION: The map is displayed with a bird's-eye view, when viewed from a car position CM and looking downward the destination PM from the rear of the sky of the destination PM, and buildings BL1, BL2, and BL3 are displayed stereoscopically in the map of the bird's-eye view. Then stereoscopic display of the front building of the destination PM is made less likely, even when the map is displayed stereoscopically. By this procedure, the nonconformity that the destination PM is hidden by behind the front building BL1 and disappears from sight can be eliminated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation stereoscopic display method and a navigation device, and is particularly suitable for use in a navigation device having a function of stereoscopically displaying a building on a map.

  In general, a navigation device for guiding a vehicle has a function of not only displaying a map around the current position but also automatically setting a guidance route from the current position to the destination by designating the destination. ing. This route guidance function automatically searches for the route with the lowest cost from the current location to the destination using map data by performing a simulation such as the breadth-first search (BFS) method or the Dijkstra method, and guides the searched route. Set as a route.

  After the guidance route is set, the guidance route is changed in color so as to be distinguished from other roads on the map image while the vehicle is running, and is drawn thick. By instructing the driver to make a right or left turn along the guidance route, especially at an intersection (displaying an enlarged view of the intersection or giving voice guidance of the traveling direction), the driver can be quickly and safely brought to the destination. In addition, guidance can be reliably performed.

  Various types of research and development have been conducted on this type of navigation device so that a user can use the navigation device more easily and can more reliably guide the user to a destination. One of the techniques for this is a bird's-eye view display in which a map is displayed while looking down from the sky behind the vehicle to give a sense of perspective, and a three-dimensional stereoscopic image of a building or the like is displayed on a bird's-eye view map. There is a function of a three-dimensional display which is displayed on the display. If the latter three-dimensional display function is used, it is possible to compare the scenery currently being viewed by the driver with the three-dimensional image displayed on the navigation screen and travel while confirming this.

  In recent years, DVD-ROMs and hard disks having a large storage capacity have been developed, and an extremely large amount of image data can be stored. In addition, the processing speed of the image is also improved due to the improvement in the performance of the navigation device. Therefore, three-dimensional image data of many buildings and the like can be stored in a DVD-ROM or the like, and can be read out and displayed according to the traveling of the vehicle.

  By the way, in general, a navigation device displays a map around the current position starting from the own vehicle position while the vehicle is running as described above, and displays the relationship between the destination and the own vehicle position in real time. It is not intended to be displayed. An all-route display function that displays all the guidance routes from the current location to the destination in order to know the positional relationship between the destination and the current location, and a route information providing function that displays detailed guidance route information in a list Although these functions can be used, in order to execute these functions, a user operation with a remote controller or the like is required, and the procedure is complicated.

  Since it is most important for the user to arrive at the destination, the closer to the destination, the more important the positional relationship between the current location and the destination. For this reason, it is inconvenient that there is no means to know in real time during driving the location of the vehicle as viewed from the destination. In order to respond to a user's request to check the situation around the destination, some navigation devices that display a map around the destination have been proposed (for example, see Patent Documents 1 to 4).

JP-A-9-134123 JP 2001-74480 A JP 2000-241175 A JP-A-8-201077

  In Patent Document 1, when a vehicle approaches a destination, a display of a different database storing a detailed house map or the like near the destination is automatically changed. Patent Literature 2 displays a narrow street between a route guidance end point and a destination, and assists traveling to the destination even after the route guidance is completed. Patent Literature 3 displays a map around a current location and a map around a destination on two screens. Patent Literature 4 displays a destination and a road around the destination in a plan view.

  However, each of Patent Documents 1 to 4 above displays a map of the vicinity of a destination in a plan view. On the other hand, when the map around the destination is displayed three-dimensionally, the destination is hidden behind the building and is not displayed in an urban area with many buildings, and the situation around the destination is very difficult to understand. . This will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a map display example when the own vehicle approaches the destination in the stereoscopic display mode. In FIG. 14, CM is a vehicle position mark indicating the current vehicle position, AW is an arrow indicating a destination, and BL1 and BL2 are three-dimensionally displayed buildings. In this map display, the location of the destination is provided to the user by the arrow AW.

  According to this map display, it is known that the destination is behind the building BL1, but the exact position of the destination (how far away from the intersection, etc.) and the situation around the destination (road width, We do not know at all about parking lots. For this reason, there is a drawback that even when the vehicle approaches the destination, the details of the surroundings cannot be understood, and the driver feels anxiety.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem. Even when a map is displayed in three dimensions, it is possible to know the exact position of the destination, the surrounding conditions, the positional relationship between the destination and the current location, and the like. The purpose is to enable easy display.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, according to the present invention, a map is displayed in a bird's-eye view in a state where the destination is viewed from the sky behind the destination when viewed from the own vehicle position, and a building is three-dimensionally displayed on the bird's-eye view map. I am trying to do it.

  In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the map is displayed in such a form that the destination is located at the lower part of the screen. In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, even if the destination is arranged at the lower part of the screen, when a building is inevitably present in front of the destination, the building in front of the destination is hidden.

  In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the map is displayed in a bird's-eye view at an optimal scale capable of simultaneously displaying both the destination and the position of the host vehicle in one screen. In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the map is displayed in a bird's eye view on an optimal scale such that the destination is located at the lower part of the screen and the vehicle position is located at the upper part of the screen. It is further preferable to gradually change the height of the viewpoint when displaying the bird's-eye view according to the distance between the destination and the position of the vehicle.

  According to the present invention configured as described above, the building is displayed three-dimensionally on the basis of the destination as viewed from above and behind the destination, so that the building is not easily displayed three-dimensionally in front of the destination. In other words, it is possible to eliminate the inconvenience that the destination is hidden behind a building in front and becomes invisible. As a result, the user can clearly check the exact position of the destination, the surrounding situation, and the like.

  When the map is displayed in such a manner that the destination is located at the lower part of the screen, three-dimensional display of the building is hardly performed in front of the destination. In addition, if the building in front of the destination is hidden, it is possible to prevent the building from being always displayed three-dimensionally in front of the destination, and to confirm the situation around the destination without fail Will be able to

  In addition, when the map is displayed on a scale that can simultaneously display the destination and the position of the host vehicle in one screen, the positional relationship between the destination and the current location can be provided in an easy-to-understand manner. If the map is displayed at an optimal scale such that the destination is at the bottom of the screen and the vehicle position is at the top of the screen, the information from the current location to the destination is enlarged using the entire screen. Can be displayed. At this time, by displaying the map while gradually changing the height of the viewpoint according to the distance between the destination and the position of the vehicle, the vehicle position is almost fixed to the upper part of the screen even on a map of the same scale I can show you.

(1st Embodiment)
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the navigation device according to the first embodiment.

  In FIG. 1, a navigation control device 100 controls the entire navigation device. Reference numeral 11 denotes a recording medium such as a DVD-ROM, which stores various map data necessary for map display, route search, and the like. Here, the DVD-ROM 11 is used as a recording medium for storing map data, but another recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a hard disk may be used.

  The map data recorded on the DVD-ROM 11 includes various data such as map matching and route search in addition to drawing unit data (various data on roads, buildings, and facilities existing on the map) necessary for map display. The data of the road unit necessary for the processing and the data of the intersection unit indicating the details of the intersection are included. The data of the above-described drawing unit includes position data of a building and the like, polygon data necessary for three-dimensional display of the building, and the like.

  In the following, when simply referred to as map data, it is assumed that the position data of buildings and the like and polygon data are excluded. In addition, the position data of a building or the like and the polygon data are collectively referred to as building data.

  Reference numeral 12 denotes a VICS receiver, which performs two-way communication via radio waves mainly with a radio beacon transceiver installed on an expressway, and communicates with an optical beacon transceiver mainly installed on a general road. VICS road traffic information sent from the VICS center is received by performing bidirectional communication between the devices via light. Then, the received VICS road traffic information is output to the navigation control device 100.

  Reference numeral 13 denotes an operation unit such as a remote controller, a touch panel, and an operation switch. The user sets various information (for example, a route guidance destination and a waypoint) to the navigation control device 100 and performs various operations (for example, Menu selection operation, enlargement / reduction operation, manual map scrolling, numerical value input, etc.). The mode switching operation between the two-dimensional display and the three-dimensional display can be performed by the operation unit 13.

  Reference numeral 14 denotes a self-contained navigation sensor for measuring the current position of the vehicle, a distance sensor (vehicle speed sensor) 14a that outputs one pulse every predetermined traveling distance to detect a moving distance of the vehicle, and a rotation angle of the vehicle. And an angular velocity sensor (relative direction sensor) 14b such as a vibrating gyroscope for detecting (moving direction). The self-contained navigation sensor 14 detects the relative position and azimuth of the vehicle using the distance sensor 14a and the angular velocity sensor 14b, and outputs the information to the navigation control device 100.

  Reference numeral 15 denotes a GPS receiver for measuring the current position of the vehicle, which receives radio waves transmitted from a plurality of GPS satellites with a GPS antenna 16 and performs three-dimensional positioning processing or two-dimensional positioning processing to perform absolute positioning of the vehicle. The position and the direction are calculated (the vehicle direction is calculated based on the current position of the vehicle and the position of the vehicle one sampling time ΔT before). The calculated absolute position and azimuth information of the vehicle is output to the navigation control device 100 together with the positioning time.

  An image display device 17 displays an image generated under the control of the navigation control device 100. On the screen of the image display device 17, map information of a range including the own vehicle position and the destination is displayed together with a vehicle position mark, a destination mark, and the like. A guidance route is displayed on this map, and an enlarged view of the intersection is displayed when the position of the vehicle approaches the vicinity of the guidance intersection. Furthermore, when the function of three-dimensional display is selected, buildings along the road are displayed in three dimensions.

  Next, in the internal configuration of the navigation control device 100, reference numeral 21 denotes a map buffer, which temporarily stores map data read from the DVD-ROM 11. Reference numeral 22 denotes a stereoscopic image buffer which temporarily stores building data read from the DVD-ROM 11. Reference numeral 23 denotes a ROM read control unit which controls reading of map data and building data from the DVD-ROM 11.

  The ROM readout control unit 23 inputs the vehicle current position information after the map matching processing from the map matching control unit 28 described later, the destination position information from the guidance route control unit 29 described later, and the like. Then, an instruction to read map data and building data in a predetermined range including the current position of the vehicle and the destination is output. Thereby, the map data and the building data necessary for the map display and the three-dimensional display of the building are read from the DVD-ROM 11 and stored in the map buffer 21 and the three-dimensional image buffer 22.

  Reference numeral 24 denotes a VICS information buffer which sequentially stores VICS road traffic information output from the VICS receiver 12. Reference numeral 25 denotes an external signal input unit, which inputs an operation signal according to the operation state from the operation unit 13. Reference numeral 26 denotes a vehicle position / azimuth calculation unit which calculates the absolute own vehicle position (estimated vehicle position) and the vehicle direction based on the data of the relative position and the direction of the own vehicle output from the self-contained navigation sensor 14. I do. Reference numeral 27 denotes a data storage unit for sequentially storing data of the absolute position and azimuth of the vehicle output from the GPS receiver 15.

  The above-described map matching control unit 28 stores the map data read into the map buffer 21, the estimated vehicle position and the vehicle direction based on the self-contained navigation sensor 14 calculated by the vehicle position / direction calculation unit 26, and the data Using the data of the own vehicle position and the vehicle azimuth by the GPS receiver 15 stored in the storage unit 27, a map matching process by a projection method or the like is performed for each vehicle mileage, and the running position of the own vehicle is stored in the map data. Correct the position on the road.

  Using the map data stored in the map buffer 21, the above-described guidance route control unit 29 searches for a guidance route that has the lowest cost from the current location to the destination. A guidance route memory 30 stores guidance route data (a set of nodes from the current position to the destination) set by the guidance route control unit 29.

  That is, when the destination of the route search is set by operating the operation unit 13, the guidance route control unit 29 stores the destination data in the guidance route memory 30. When a route search instruction is issued by operating the operation unit 13, the own vehicle position corrected by the map matching control unit 28 is set as departure place data and stored in the guidance route memory 30. Then, a travel route connecting the departure point and the destination stored in the guidance route memory 30 under predetermined conditions is searched for, and the result is further stored in the guidance route memory 30.

  A map drawing unit 31 generates map image data necessary for displaying a map (plan view) on the image display device 17 based on the map data stored in the map buffer 21. Reference numeral 32 denotes a VRAM (video RAM), which temporarily stores map image data generated by the map drawing unit 31. A read control unit 33 controls reading of map image data from the VRAM 32. That is, the map image data generated by the map drawing unit 31 is temporarily stored in the VRAM 32, and the read control unit 33 reads the map image data for one screen.

  Reference numeral 34 denotes a three-dimensional image drawing unit, based on the map data stored in the map buffer 21 and the building data stored in the three-dimensional image buffer 22, a map based on a bird's-eye view and buildings (buildings, bridges, towers, etc.) on the bird's-eye view. 3) Generate stereoscopic image data necessary for stereoscopic display. Reference numeral 35 denotes a three-dimensional image position detecting unit which detects a position on a map of a building drawn by the three-dimensional image drawing unit 34.

  Reference numeral 36 denotes a stereoscopic image adjustment unit, which is viewed from above the destination based on the position information of the building input from the stereoscopic image position detection unit 35 and the position information of the destination read from the guidance route memory 30. It is determined whether there is a building in front of the destination, and when such a building is present, the stereoscopic image data of the building drawn by the stereoscopic image drawing unit 34 is deleted.

  The above-mentioned three-dimensional image drawing part 34, three-dimensional image position detection part 35, and three-dimensional image adjustment part 36 constitute a destination reference image drawing means of the present invention. Here, an example in which the three-dimensional image drawing unit 34 draws a bird's eye view has been described, but this may be drawn by the map drawing unit 31.

  Reference numeral 37 denotes an intersection guidance unit, which performs intersection guidance based on the vehicle position information from the map matching control unit 28, the guidance intersection information calculated by the guidance route control unit 29, and the map data from the map buffer 21. For example, when the vehicle approaches within a predetermined distance from a guidance intersection located ahead of the guidance route, a plane enlarged image of the guidance map of the approaching intersection is displayed based on the intersection enlarged map data stored in the map buffer 21. Generate and output. In addition, in order to provide voice guidance such as "Please turn right at the next signal.", A guidance voice signal is output to an external audio unit (not shown).

  Reference numeral 38 denotes a VICS information display unit, which outputs the VICS road traffic information to the image synthesizing unit 42 in order to display the VICS road traffic information stored in the VICS information buffer 24 on the image display device 17. An operation screen generation unit 39 generates and outputs an operation screen necessary for performing various operations using the operation unit 13. Reference numeral 40 denotes a various mark generation unit which generates and outputs a vehicle position mark displayed at the own vehicle position after the map matching processing, various landmarks displaying a gas station, a convenience store, and the like.

  Reference numeral 41 denotes a guide route drawing unit, which generates drawing data of the guide route using the result of the route search process stored in the guide route memory 30. That is, from the guidance route data stored in the guidance route memory 30, those included in the map area drawn on the VRAM 32 at that time are selectively read out, and overlaid on the map image with a predetermined color different from other roads. Draw the guidance route that is emphasized thickly.

  The above-described image synthesizing unit 42 adds the three-dimensional image adjusting unit 36, the intersection guide unit 37, the VICS information display unit 38, the operation screen generating unit 39, and the various mark generating units 40 to the map image data read by the read control unit 33. Each of the image data output from each of the guidance route drawing units 41 is superimposed to perform image synthesis, and output to the image display device 17. As a result, the combined image is displayed on the screen of the image display device 17.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a navigation screen displayed in the stereoscopic display mode by the navigation device configured as described above. In FIG. 2, CM is a vehicle position mark indicating the current vehicle position, TM is an arrow indicating a guide route, PM is a destination mark indicating a destination, TML is a final route to the destination, BL1, BL2, BL3. .. Indicates a three-dimensionally displayed building.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, a map based on a bird's-eye view is displayed in a state where the destination PM is viewed from the sky behind the destination PM when viewed from the vehicle position CM, and the map is displayed on the bird's-eye view. A plurality of buildings BL1, BL2, BL3,... Are stereoscopically displayed.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 3A, for example, the viewpoint from which the destination PM is looked down from above is x degrees with respect to the direction from the host vehicle position CM to the destination PM (counterclockwise is defined as a positive direction- (Arbitrary angle satisfying 90 ≦ x ≦ 90). The example in FIG. 2 corresponds to the case where x ≒ 45.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, the viewpoint at which the destination PM is looked down from above is set to x degrees with respect to the final route TML to the destination PM (0 ≦ x ≦ 180 with the counterclockwise direction being the positive direction). (Arbitrary angle that satisfies). Under such conditions, the example in FIG. 2 corresponds to the case where x ≒ 135.

  In the example of FIG. 3A, every time the vehicle moves by a predetermined distance or a predetermined time, the stereoscopic image drawing unit 34 sets the viewpoint that forms x degrees from the own vehicle position after the movement to the destination. The three-dimensional map image detected from the viewpoint is sequentially drawn. Thereby, on the navigation screen, the three-dimensional map appears to rotate little by little as the vehicle moves. At this time, the relative direction between the vehicle position mark CM and the destination mark PM hardly changes, and only the distance between them becomes closer as the vehicle moves.

  On the other hand, in the case of the example of FIG. 3B, since the viewpoint from which the destination is looked down from above is irrelevant to the position of the vehicle, the direction in which the three-dimensional map is viewed on the navigation screen is independent of the movement of the vehicle. It remains fixed. Instead, the vehicle position mark CM appears to move on the map little by little as the vehicle moves.

  In the example of FIG. 2, the destination PM is arranged below the navigation screen (below the center of the screen, preferably near the bottom of the screen). In this way, the three-dimensional display of the building is reduced before the destination PM when viewed from behind the destination PM. Further, in the present embodiment, it is determined whether or not there is a building between the destinations PM, and if so, the building is hidden. Thereby, even if the destination PM is arranged in the lower part of the screen, even if there is a case where a building is inevitably present before the destination PM, the three-dimensional display of the building is not always displayed in front of the destination PM. can do.

  In this way, by displaying the map three-dimensionally in a state of looking down from behind the destination PM, not from above the vehicle position CM, as in the conventional example shown in FIG. The inconvenience of hiding behind the shade can be eliminated. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the surroundings of the destination PM (the exact position of the destination PM, its position, etc.) are not obstructed by the building BL1 in front of the destination PM when viewed from the vehicle position CM. The width of the surrounding road or the presence or absence of a parking lot) can be clearly checked.

  In the above example, the vehicle position mark CM is not displayed on the navigation screen when the vehicle position is outside the map area shown in FIG. 2, and the vehicle position mark CM is not displayed when the vehicle position enters the map area. It will be displayed on the navigation screen. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the navigation screen is divided into a plurality of areas (two in the vertical direction in the example of FIG. 4), a large-scale map is displayed in the first area, and the second area ( A small detailed map may be displayed around the destination.

  The three-dimensional map shown in FIG. 4 is a three-dimensional map viewed from above the destination PM, and the display scale of each divided region is set so that the entire route from the current position CM to the destination PM is within the screen. It is generated by changing. Although the screen is divided into two regions here, the screen may be divided into more regions, and the map may be displayed by changing the display scale stepwise.

  In addition, the navigation screen is divided into two screens, and a map around the current position (a flat map or a three-dimensional map representing the position of the vehicle viewed from behind) is displayed on the first screen, and is displayed on the second screen. A three-dimensional map around the destination (a three-dimensional map representing a map and buildings in a state where the destination is looked down from above in the rear) may be displayed.

  5 to 8 are diagrams showing examples of the two-screen display. 5 shows an example of a screen displayed when the distance from the vehicle position CM to the destination PM is a long distance (for example, when the distance is equal to or longer than a predetermined distance). In FIG. 5, on a first screen 51, a planar map around the own vehicle position is displayed according to a scale specified by the user. In addition, on the second screen 52, a three-dimensional map similar to that shown in FIG. 4 is displayed.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of a screen displayed when the distance from the vehicle position CM to the destination PM is a short distance (for example, when the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined distance). When the vehicle position CM approaches within a predetermined distance from the destination PM as the vehicle travels, the screen of FIG. 5 is automatically switched to the screen of FIG. The map is displayed in detail as in FIG.

  7 and 8 show a case where the route from the originally set guidance route to the destination PM changes greatly (the guidance route to the destination PM is searched again by the reroute function of the guidance route control unit 29). An example of a screen displayed in (case) is shown.

  FIG. 7 shows a display example in the case where the viewpoint of the stereoscopic display is set as shown in FIG. According to this example, even after rerouting, the three-dimensional map around the destination is rotated so that the direction in which the vehicle position CM can be seen from the destination PM is almost the same as before rerouting. On the other hand, FIG. 8 shows a display example in the case where the viewpoint of the three-dimensional display is set as shown in FIG. According to this example, even after rerouting, the three-dimensional map does not rotate, and the guidance route from the vehicle position CM to the destination PM changes from TM1 to TM2.

  As described in detail above, according to the present embodiment, the map and the building are stereoscopically displayed in a state where the destination is viewed from the sky behind the destination when viewed from the own vehicle position. The inconvenience of being hidden behind a building can be eliminated. This allows the user to clearly check the situation around the destination.

  Note that, in the above embodiment, the conditions of the viewpoint for looking down the destination from above the rear have been described with reference to the examples of FIGS. In both cases, the value of the angle x is fixed, but this may be a variable value. For example, based on the position information of the building detected by the stereoscopic image position detection unit 35 and the position information of the destination read from the guidance route memory 30, the building is located in front of the destination when viewed from above and behind the destination. Alternatively, a three-dimensional image may be drawn in a state in which an angle x where there is no is found and the object is looked down from above the rear sky forming the angle x. If there is no such angle, a fixed angle x as shown in FIG. 3A or FIG. 3B may be adopted to hide the building in front of the destination.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which a building is hidden when a building exists before the destination, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the front building may be made semi-transparent (the building is represented only by a frame, and the roads and buildings behind it are displayed so as to be visible).

  In addition, the building in front of the destination is displayed normally, and the height information of the building in front of the destination and the relative positional relationship information between the building and the destination (for example, the Based on the information on the width of a road in between, the map may be displayed with the height of the viewpoint changed so that the destination can be seen from above the building in front of the destination.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the navigation device in this case. In FIG. 9, components denoted by the same reference numerals as those illustrated in FIG. 1 have the same functions, and thus redundant description will be omitted. In the example shown in FIG. 9, a three-dimensional image drawing unit 45 having a different function from the three-dimensional image drawing unit 34 shown in FIG. 1 is provided. Further, a table information storage unit 46 is further provided.

  The table information storage unit 46 indicates how far the destination is from the building in front of the destination, how high the building is, and how much the viewpoint can be raised to see the destination. The table information is stored in advance. The three-dimensional image drawing unit 45 includes height information of the building in front of the destination (included in the building data stored in the three-dimensional image buffer 22) and road width information between the building and the destination ( (Included in the map data stored in the map buffer 21), the table information is referred to, and the height of the viewpoint at which the destination can be seen is determined. Then, a three-dimensional image in which the destination is looked down from the height of the obtained viewpoint is drawn.

  If the height information of the building in front of the destination and the width information of the road between the destination and the building in front of the destination do not match any of the conditions stored in the table information, , Judge that you can't see your destination no matter how high you look. In this case, the three-dimensional image drawing unit 45 draws a three-dimensional image from a prescribed height, and the three-dimensional image adjustment unit 36 erases the image data of the building in order to hide the troublesome building.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a navigation device according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 10, components denoted by the same reference numerals as those illustrated in FIG. 1 have the same functions, and thus redundant description will be omitted.

  In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 10, in place of the ROM readout control unit 23 and the stereoscopic image drawing unit 34 shown in FIG. 1, a ROM readout control unit 51 and a stereoscopic image drawing unit 52 having different functions are provided. ing.

  The ROM read control unit 51 stores the distance information between the destination and the own vehicle position input from the guidance route control unit 29 (vehicle current position information input from the map matching control unit 28 and the information set in the guidance route memory 30). Based on the position information of the destination), the map data and the building data of the scale in which both the destination and the own vehicle position are simultaneously included in one screen are read out from the DVD-ROM 11. At this time, the ROM read control unit 51 selects an optimal scale such that the destination is located at the lower part of the screen and the current vehicle position is located at the upper part of the screen.

  The map data recorded on the DVD-ROM 11 is a unit called a level from a high-level (wide-area scale) map for overlooking a wide area to a low-level (narrow-area scale) map describing a narrow area in detail. Are managed hierarchically. Each level is divided in units of a rectangular area called a section divided by predetermined longitude and latitude. The map data of each section can be read by the ROM read control unit 51 by specifying a section number.

  Based on the map data stored in the map buffer 21 and the building data stored in the three-dimensional image buffer 22, the three-dimensional image drawing unit 52 uses a bird's-eye view at a scale in which the destination and the own vehicle position are simultaneously included in one screen. It generates three-dimensional image data necessary for three-dimensional display of the map and the building on the bird's-eye view. At this time, the three-dimensional image drawing unit 52 converts the three-dimensional image data while gradually changing the height of the viewpoint at the time of bird's-eye view display according to the distance between the destination and the position of the own vehicle that sequentially changes as the vehicle travels. Redraw sequentially.

  Next, the operation of the navigation device according to the second embodiment configured as described above will be described. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an operation example regarding switching of the map scale and change of the viewpoint height according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a screen display example by switching the map scale.

  As shown in FIG. 11, in the present embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the destination PM and the vehicle positions CM1 to CM3 are projected from a viewpoint set above the destination PM with the destination PM as a starting point. A map based on a bird's-eye view is displayed, and a plurality of buildings are stereoscopically displayed on the bird's-eye view map.

  At this time, the map is displayed while appropriately switching to an optimal scale such that the destination PM is located at the lower part of the screen and the vehicle positions CM1 to CM3 are located at the upper part of the screen. That is, in the example of FIG. 11, as the map data in the DVD-ROM 11, map data MP1 of 20 [km] scale, map data MP2 of 1 [km] scale, and map data MP3 of 10 [m] scale are prepared. Suppose.

  In this case, when the distance D to the destination PM is within the range of 20 [km] ≧ D> 1 [km], the map MP1 on the 20 [km] scale is displayed, and the destination PM is displayed. When the vehicle position CM2 is within the range of 1 [km] ≧ D> 10 [m], a map MP2 of 1 [km] scale is displayed, and the distance D to the destination PM is 10 [m]. When the vehicle position CM3 is within the range of ≧ D, a map MP3 on a 10 [m] scale is displayed.

  That is, for example, the own vehicle position CM1 moves toward the destination PM on the map MP1 of 20 [km] scale, and the distance between the destination PM and the own vehicle position CM1 is the next 1 [km] scale. When the value becomes smaller, the map MP1 on the 20 [km] scale is switched to the map MP2 on the next 1 [km] scale and displayed. Switching from the map MP2 on the 1 [km] scale to the map MP3 on the 10 [m] scale is performed in the same manner.

  In this manner, by displaying the map scale while appropriately switching the map scale according to the distance between the destination PM and the vehicle positions CM1 to CM3, as shown in FIG. 12, no matter how much the vehicle position approaches the destination, And the destination PM is fixedly displayed at the lower part of the screen (preferably near the center of the lowermost part of the screen), and the vehicle positions CM1 to CM3 are displayed at the upper part of the screen (preferably near the center of the uppermost part of the screen). can do.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the map is displayed while gradually changing the height of the viewpoint in accordance with the distance between the destination PM and the own vehicle positions CM1 to CM3 that change sequentially. That is, in the example of FIG. 11, immediately after switching to the map MP1 on the 20 [km] scale, the stereoscopic map data projected from the position of the viewpoint VW1 is drawn. Thereafter, every time the vehicle position CM1 advances by a predetermined distance or a predetermined angle, the stereoscopic map data is sequentially drawn while gradually lowering the height of the viewpoint VW1.

  Immediately after switching from the map MP1 on the 20 [km] scale to the map MP2 on the 1 [km] scale, the stereoscopic map data projected from the position of the viewpoint VW2 is drawn. Similarly, each time the vehicle position CM2 advances by a predetermined distance or a predetermined angle, the three-dimensional map data is redrawn while gradually lowering the height of the viewpoint VW2. Immediately after switching to the map MP3 of the 10 [m] scale, the stereo map data projected from the position of the viewpoint VW3 is drawn.

  After switching to the map MP3 of the minimum scale (10 [m] scale), the vehicle position CM3 is drawn so as to gradually move toward the destination PM as the vehicle travels. During that time, the height of the viewpoint VW3 is gradually lowered to approach the height of the actual destination PM. Then, when the vehicle finally arrives at the destination PM, the three-dimensional map data viewed from the height of the destination PM is drawn.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a screen display example of a map image around a destination. When the destination PM is on the upper floor of the building, the map is displayed from the viewpoint of looking into the own vehicle from the upper floor of the destination PM as shown in FIG. On the other hand, when the destination PM is on the ground, as shown in FIG. 13B, the map is displayed from the viewpoint of looking at the own vehicle from the line of sight on the ground.

  In this way, the map is not only switched simply according to the distance between the destination PM and the vehicle positions CM1 to CM3, but also the heights of the viewpoints VW1 to VW3 are gradually reduced so that the map is sequentially changed. By redrawing, the vehicle positions CM1 to CM3 can be displayed almost fixed at the upper part of the screen (near the center of the uppermost part of the screen).

  That is, by simply switching the map scale, the vehicle positions CM1 to CM3 slightly move toward the destination PM in the upper part of the screen while using the map of the same scale during the switching. On the other hand, by gradually lowering the height of the viewpoints VW1 to VW3, the own vehicle positions CM1 to CM3 can be used even when using the map of the same scale due to the compression effect of the distance obtained when bird's eye is viewed from a lower position. It is possible to make it look almost immovable in the upper part of the screen.

  Since the destination PM can be displayed almost fixedly at the lower part of the screen and the own vehicle positions CM1 to CM3 at the upper part of the screen, the positional relationship between the destination PM and the own vehicle positions CM1 to CM3 is provided to the user in an easy-to-understand manner. be able to. Further, the distance from the vehicle positions CM1 to CM3 to the destination PM can be made as large as possible in the screen, and the guidance route between them can be displayed fully over the entire screen.

  As described in detail above, according to the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the map and the building are displayed three-dimensionally in a state where the destination is viewed from the sky above the destination when viewed from the own vehicle position. This eliminates the inconvenience that the destination is hidden behind a building in front and cannot be seen. This allows the user to clearly check the situation around the destination.

  Further, in the second embodiment, the map is displayed while appropriately switching the map scale so that the destination and the position of the vehicle can be simultaneously displayed on one screen. Not only the appearance but also the positional relationship between the destination and the current location can be intuitively understood. In addition, since the height of the viewpoint is gradually changed according to the distance between the destination and the position of the vehicle, information from the current position to the destination is displayed on the screen fully by effectively using the screen. be able to.

  In the second embodiment, an example has been described in which the map scale in which the vehicle positions CM1 to CM3 and the destination PM fall within one screen is selected, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the guidance route is largely bent or when a stopover is set relatively far away, even if the own vehicle positions CM1 to CM3 and the destination PM are within one screen. In some cases, a part of the guidance route between them may not fit within one screen. In order to cope with such a case, a map scale may be appropriately selected such that all of the vehicle positions CM1 to CM3 and the destination PM, and furthermore, all of the guidance routes therebetween are within one screen.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which a map of a discrete scale prepared in advance is simply switched and displayed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each time the vehicle moves by a predetermined distance or a predetermined angle, a map of a scale corresponding to the distance between the own vehicle positions CM1 to CM3 and the destination PM at that time is generated by an interpolation calculation, and is sequentially redrawn. You may do it.

  For example, when the distance D to the destination PM is within the range of 20 [km] ≧ D> 1 [km], the vehicle position CM1 has a scale of 20 [km] according to the position of the vehicle position CM1. And a map of 1 km scale is used to perform an interpolation operation, thereby sequentially generating and redrawing a map of a scale corresponding to the distance D at that time. Also in this case, it can be seen that the vehicle positions CM1 to CM3 hardly move in the upper part of the screen.

  The method of stereoscopic display according to the first and second embodiments described above can be realized by any of a hardware configuration, a DSP, and software. For example, when implemented by software, the navigation control device 100 of each embodiment is actually configured with a computer CPU or MPU, RAM, ROM, and the like, and is implemented by operating a program stored in the RAM or ROM. it can.

  Therefore, the present invention can be realized by recording a program that causes a computer to perform the functions of the embodiments on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM and reading the program into the computer. As a recording medium for recording the program, a flexible disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a DVD, a nonvolatile memory card, and the like can be used in addition to the CD-ROM.

  Some recent navigation devices have a communication function and some can be used by connecting to a mobile phone or the like having a communication function. In the case of this type of navigation device, the functions of the above-described embodiments can also be realized by downloading the program to a computer via a network such as the Internet.

  Further, in order to realize the functions of the navigation control device 100 according to each embodiment in a network environment, all or some of the programs may be executed by another computer.

  Further, not only the functions of the embodiments are realized by the computer executing the supplied program, but also the program cooperates with an operating system (OS) or other application software running on the computer. This also applies to the case where the functions of the embodiments are realized or the case where all or a part of the processing of the supplied program is performed by a function expansion board or a function expansion unit of a computer to realize the functions of the embodiments. The program is included in the embodiment of the present invention.

  In addition, each of the first and second embodiments is merely an example of the embodiment for carrying out the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted in a limited manner. It must not be. That is, the present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit or main features thereof.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a navigation device having a function of displaying a building on a map in a three-dimensional manner. Useful for

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a navigation device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a navigation screen displayed in the stereoscopic display mode by the navigation device according to the first embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of how to take a viewpoint which looks down on a destination from the sky above. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating another example of the navigation screen displayed in the stereoscopic display mode by the navigation device of the first embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a display which divided the navigation screen into two screens, and is a figure which shows the example of a screen displayed when the distance from the own vehicle position to a destination is a long distance. It is a figure which shows the example of a display which divided the navigation screen into two screens, and is a figure which shows the example of a screen displayed when the distance from an own vehicle position to a destination is a short distance. It is a figure which shows the example of a display which divided the navigation screen into two screens, and is a figure which shows the example of a screen displayed when reroute is performed. It is a figure showing the example of a display which divided the navigation screen into two screens, and is a figure showing other examples of a screen displayed when reroute is performed. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating another configuration example of the navigation device according to the first embodiment. It is a block diagram showing the example of composition of the navigation device by a 2nd embodiment. It is a figure showing the example of operation about change of a map scale and change of viewpoint height by a 2nd embodiment. It is a figure showing the example of a screen display by switching of a map scale. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a screen display example of a map image around a destination according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a conventional screen display example.

Explanation of reference numerals

21 map buffer 22 stereoscopic image buffer 31 map drawing unit 32 VRAM
33 read control unit 34 stereoscopic image drawing unit 35 stereoscopic image position detecting unit 36 stereoscopic image adjustment unit 45 stereoscopic image drawing unit 46 table information storage unit 51 ROM read control unit 52 stereoscopic image drawing unit

Claims (17)

In a navigation stereoscopic display method for displaying a building stereoscopically on a map,
A three-dimensional display for navigation, wherein a map is displayed in a bird's-eye view in a state where the destination is looked down from above the destination when viewed from the own vehicle position, and a building is three-dimensionally displayed on the map in the bird's-eye view. Method.   The three-dimensional navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the viewpoint from which the destination is looked down from above is set in a direction forming x degrees (0≤x≤180) with respect to the final route to the destination. Display method.   The viewpoint from which the destination is looked down from above in the rear is set at a direction forming x degrees (-90 ≦ x ≦ 90) with respect to a direction from the vehicle position to the destination. 3D display method for navigation as described.   2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the map is displayed in such a manner that the destination is located at a lower portion of the screen.   5. The stereoscopic display method for navigation according to claim 4, wherein a building located in front of the destination is hidden when the destination is viewed from the rear sky.   When the destination is viewed from above the rear, the building in front of the destination is also displayed, and height information of the building in front of the destination and relative positional relationship information between the building and the destination are displayed. The three-dimensional navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the map is displayed by changing the height of the viewpoint so that the destination can be seen from above a building in front of the destination based on the navigation. Display method.   The screen is divided into a plurality of parts, and a map is displayed on the first screen in a state where the own vehicle position is viewed from the rear, and a map is displayed on the second screen in a state where the destination is looked down from above the rear view. 2. The three-dimensional display method for navigation according to claim 1, wherein the display is performed and the building is three-dimensionally displayed on the bird's-eye view map.   Based on the distance information between the destination and the position of the own vehicle, map display is performed while appropriately switching at least both the destination and the position of the own vehicle to a scale that can be simultaneously displayed on one screen. The stereoscopic display method for navigation according to claim 1, wherein:   The stereoscopic display method for navigation according to claim 8, wherein the scale is switched so that the destination is located at a lower part of the screen and the vehicle position is located at an upper part of the screen.   10. The map display according to claim 8, wherein a map is displayed while changing a height of a viewpoint overlooking the destination based on distance information between the destination and the position of the vehicle. Stereoscopic display method for navigation. Destination drawing reference image drawing means for drawing a map by a bird's-eye view in a state of looking down on the destination from the sky above the destination as viewed from the own vehicle position and three-dimensionally drawing a building on the map of the bird's-eye view;
A navigation device, comprising: display control means for controlling a destination reference stereoscopic image drawn by the destination reference image drawing means to be displayed on a display device.   The navigation device according to claim 11, wherein the destination reference image drawing means draws the map in such a manner that the destination is located at a lower part of the screen.   The destination reference image drawing means draws another building in a form in which the destination can be seen by not drawing a building in front of the destination when the destination is viewed from above the rear. 13. The navigation device according to claim 12, wherein Current position reference image drawing means for drawing a map in a state where the vehicle position is viewed from behind,
The display control means divides the screen of the display device into a plurality of parts, displays the current position reference image drawn by the current position reference image drawing means on the first screen, and displays the current position reference image on the second screen. 12. The navigation device according to claim 11, wherein control is performed so as to display a three-dimensional image of the destination reference drawn by the destination reference image drawing means.   The destination reference image drawing means, based on distance information between the destination and the vehicle position, a scale capable of simultaneously displaying at least both the destination and the vehicle position on one screen. The navigation device according to claim 11, wherein the map is drawn while being appropriately switched.   The destination reference image drawing means is arranged such that the vehicle position moves toward the destination on a map of a certain scale, and a distance between the destination and the vehicle position is a value of a next scale. 16. The navigation device according to claim 15, wherein when it becomes smaller, the map is drawn by switching from the certain scale to the next scale. The destination reference image drawing means draws a map while changing a height of a viewpoint overlooking the destination based on distance information between the destination and the position of the vehicle. 17. The navigation device according to 15 or 16.

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