JP2011179854A - Device, method and program for map display - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for map display which can ensure the visibility of a map on the occasion of displaying congestion information. <P>SOLUTION: An advancing possibility determining means determines whether the advance possibility of own vehicle is low, regarding a road or a lane having the congestion information in the map. A display control means changes a display mode of the congestion information between the road or the lane the advancing possibility of which is determined as being low, and the road or the lane of which the advance possibility is not determined as being low. In other words, the display control means changes the display mode of the congestion information, according to the necessity for the congestion information. As a result of this, it is possible to suppress concentration of display congested lines, or the like and ensuring the visibility of the map, even if the amount of congestion information is increased. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a map display device that displays a map on a display screen based on traffic jam information.

  Conventionally, VICS (Vehicle Information Communication System) is known as a system for providing road traffic information including road traffic congestion information. In addition, there is known a navigation device that can display traffic jam information on a road map in real time using VICS.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, when road and traffic jam identification information are displayed in an overlapping manner, the road is prioritized and displayed, thereby simultaneously displaying the road and traffic jam identification information indicating the traffic congestion status of the road. However, a technique for displaying the road in an easy-to-see manner has been proposed. Specifically, in the technology, on a scale where an image of a traffic jam identification line indicating traffic jam information and an image of a high standard road are displayed in an overlapping manner, the high standard road is displayed with priority over the traffic jam identification line. .

JP 2007-178209 A

  However, the technique proposed in Patent Document 1 has a problem of overlapping traffic information and roads. However, even if traffic information and roads do not overlap, if the traffic information amount is large, a large number of traffic congestion identification lines are used. Due to the dense display of the map, the visibility of the map tends to deteriorate. In recent years, since the amount of traffic jam information has increased, it can be said that such deterioration in visibility is likely to occur.

  Examples of the problem to be solved by the present invention are as described above. An object of the present invention is to provide a map display device, a map display method, and a map display program capable of ensuring the visibility of a map when displaying traffic jam information.

  In the invention according to claim 1, the map display device for displaying the map on the display screen is the traffic information acquisition means for acquiring the traffic information, and the progress of the own vehicle for the road or lane having the traffic information in the map. Progressability determination means for determining whether or not the possibility is low; roads or lanes that are determined to be low by the travelability determination means; and the travelability that is determined by the travelability determination means. Display control means for changing the display mode of the traffic jam information on a road or lane that has not been determined to be low.

  In the invention according to claim 12, the map display method executed by the device for displaying the map on the display screen is a traffic jam information acquiring step for acquiring traffic jam information, and a road or lane having the traffic jam information in the map. A travel possibility determination step for determining whether or not the own vehicle has low travel possibility; a road or lane that is determined to have low travel possibility by the travel possibility determination step; and the travel possibility determination step. And a display control step for changing the display mode of the traffic jam information on a road or lane that has not been determined to be low in travel probability.

  In a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a map display program that is executed by a device that includes a computer and displays a map on a display screen. The computer displays a traffic jam information acquisition unit that acquires traffic jam information. About a road or lane having information, a travel possibility determination means for determining whether or not the travel possibility of the own vehicle is low, a road or a lane determined to be low by the travel possibility determination means, and It is made to function as a display control means for changing the display mode of the traffic jam information on a road or lane that has not been determined to be low by the travel possibility determination means.

1 shows a schematic configuration of a navigation device according to an embodiment. 2 shows a functional configuration of a system controller according to an embodiment. The example of a display screen by a present Example is shown. The display control flow concerning a present Example is shown.

  In one aspect of the present invention, a map display device that displays a map on a display screen is capable of advancing the own vehicle with respect to a traffic jam information acquisition unit that acquires traffic jam information and a road or lane having the traffic jam information in the map. A travelability determination means for determining whether the travelability is low, a road or a lane that is determined to be low by the travelability determination means, and the travelability determination means by the travelability determination means. Display control means for changing the display mode of the traffic jam information on a road or lane that has not been determined to be low.

  Said map display apparatus is used suitably in order to display a map on a display screen. The traffic jam information acquisition means acquires traffic jam information indicating a link where a traffic jam occurs (a link means a road or a lane between nodes). The travel possibility determination means determines whether the travel possibility of the host vehicle is low for a road or lane having traffic jam information in the map. In other words, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is unlikely to travel. For example, the progress possibility determination means makes the determination on at least a road or lane in the map displayed on the screen. Then, the display control means changes the display mode of the traffic jam information between a road or lane that is determined to have a low possibility of traveling and a road or lane that is not determined to have a low possibility of traveling. That is, the display control means changes the display mode of the traffic jam information according to the necessity of the traffic jam information. Specifically, the display control means has a mode for displaying that the road or the lane is congested with respect to the road or the lane that is determined to have a low possibility of traveling, and the display control means has not been determined to have a low possibility of traveling. The mode of displaying that the road or the lane is congested is changed for the road or the lane. This makes it possible to ensure the visibility of the map even if the amount of traffic jam information increases.

  In this specification, the term “lane” is used to mean a vehicle lane. In addition, even if there are a plurality of lanes (for example, two lanes on one side) on one side, there are two lanes: a lane that goes in a certain direction and a lane that goes in the opposite direction. Means. Therefore, in the case of face-to-face traffic, the road has two lanes, and in the case of one-way traffic, the road has only one lane.

  In one aspect of the map display device, the travel possibility determination means determines that the travel possibility is low for the opposite lane of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling. The reason for this determination is that it is considered that the possibility of traveling in the opposite lane of the traveling lane is low while traveling in a certain direction.

  Preferably, the advancing possibility determination means determines that only the lane ahead of the position of the host vehicle in the oncoming lane is less likely to travel, and determines the position of the host vehicle in the oncoming lane. However, the rear lane is not judged to have a low possibility of travel. The reason for this determination is that the road that extends backward from the position of the host vehicle may travel U-turns.

  In another aspect of the map display device, when the route to the destination is set, the travelability determination means may determine the travelability of the opposite lane of the lane on the route that has been routed. Is determined to be low. The reason for this determination is that the possibility of traveling in the opposite lane of the lane on the set route is considered to be low.

  In another aspect of the above map display device, the travelability determining means determines that the travelability of the lane in which the host vehicle has traveled is low. The reason for this determination is that a lane in which the vehicle has traveled immediately before is considered to be unlikely to travel again.

  In another aspect of the map display device, the travel possibility determination means determines that the travel possibility is low for a road with a travel restriction in which the vehicle cannot travel. The reason for this determination is that, for example, it is considered that a road that cannot pass physically or legally does not travel. It should be noted that the “road with restricted travel” means a road where the vehicle cannot travel physically or legally, for example.

  In another aspect of the map display device described above, the travel possibility determination unit is configured to select a lane toward the road on which the vehicle is traveling, from among the sideways that can turn left and right from the road on which the vehicle is traveling. It is determined that the progress possibility is low. In this aspect, it is determined that the possibility of traveling is low in the lane that the side road with respect to the traveling road has cannot enter even if turning right or left. The reason for this determination is that, for the same reason as the above-mentioned opposite lane, it is considered that there is a low possibility that the vehicle travels on a lane toward the road that is running.

  In another aspect of the above map display device, when the route to the destination is set, the travel possibility determination means, among the sideways that can turn left and right from the road on the route set, It is determined that the lane toward the road on the route has a low possibility of travel. In this aspect, it is determined that the possibility of traveling is low in a lane that cannot be entered even if turning right or left among lanes of a side road with respect to a road on the route. The reason for this determination is that, for the same reason as the above-mentioned opposite lane, it is considered that it is unlikely that the vehicle will travel in a lane toward the road on the route that has been set.

  In another aspect of the map display device, the display control unit does not display the traffic jam information for a road or lane determined to have a low possibility of traveling, and is determined to have a low possibility of traveling. The traffic jam information is displayed only for roads or lanes that did not exist.

  In this aspect, the display control means hides the traffic jam information determined to be less necessary and displays only the traffic jam information determined to be necessary. For example, the display control means displays a congestion line for roads or lanes that have not been determined to have low travel probability, and hides the congestion line for roads or lanes that have been determined to have low travel probability. As a result, it is possible to appropriately hide the traffic information on the road or lane where the own vehicle is less likely to travel, so that the visibility of the map can be ensured even if the amount of traffic information increases. Moreover, since the traffic information of the road or lane with which the own vehicle may travel can be appropriately displayed, the practicality of the traffic information can be ensured.

  In another aspect of the map display device described above, the display control means may be configured such that the road or lane determined to have a low possibility of traveling is more than the road or lane that has not been determined to have a low possibility of traveling. The traffic information is displayed inconspicuously.

  In this aspect, the display control means displays the traffic jam information for roads or lanes that are determined to have a low possibility of traveling. For example, the display control means displays a lighter color or a traffic light line of a road or lane judged to have a low possibility of travel than a traffic line of a road or lane that has not been judged as a low possibility of travel. Or display. Thus, the visibility of the map can be ensured even if the amount of traffic information increases by displaying the traffic information on the road or lane where the host vehicle is unlikely to travel inconspicuously. Moreover, the utility about traffic congestion information is securable by displaying traffic congestion information also about the road or lane with low possibility of advancing.

  In another aspect of the map display device, the display control means displays the traffic information for a road or lane determined to have a low possibility of travel when the map scale is less than a predetermined value. The traffic jam information is displayed only when the scale is not less than the predetermined value.

  In this aspect, the display control means displays traffic jam information for roads or lanes that are determined to be less likely to travel when the scale of the map is an enlarged view that is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. Specifically, the display control means hides traffic jam information when the map scale is less than a predetermined value (for example, when displaying a wide area map), and when the map scale is greater than or equal to a predetermined value (for example, details) When the map is displayed) traffic information is displayed. As described above, when the scale is less than the predetermined value, the visibility of the map can be ensured even if the amount of traffic information increases by hiding the traffic information of roads or lanes that are less likely to travel. Further, when the scale is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, it is possible to ensure the practicality of the traffic jam information by displaying the traffic jam information of the road or lane that is less likely to travel.

  In another aspect of the present invention, a map display method executed by an apparatus that displays a map on a display screen includes a traffic jam information acquisition step of acquiring traffic jam information, and a road or lane having the traffic jam information in a map. A progress determination step for determining whether or not the host vehicle has low progress; a road or a lane that is determined to be low by the progress determination step; and the progress determination step. A display control step of changing a display mode of the traffic jam information on a road or lane that has not been determined to have a low possibility of traveling.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, a map display program that is executed by an apparatus that includes a computer and displays a map on a display screen includes: a traffic jam information acquisition unit that acquires traffic jam information; and the traffic jam in a map. About a road or lane having information, a travel possibility determination means for determining whether or not the travel possibility of the own vehicle is low, a road or a lane determined to be low by the travel possibility determination means, and It is made to function as a display control means for changing the display mode of the traffic jam information on a road or lane that has not been determined to be low by the travel possibility determination means.

  According to the map display method and the map display program described above, it is possible to ensure the visibility of the map even if the traffic information amount increases.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description shows an example in which the present invention is applied to a vehicle navigation apparatus.

[Navigation device]
FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the navigation device 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the navigation device 1 includes a self-supporting positioning device 10, a GPS receiver 18, a system controller 20, a disk drive 31, a data storage unit 36, a communication interface 37, a communication device 38, a display unit 40, an audio output. A unit 50 and an input device 60 are provided.

  The self-supporting positioning device 10 includes an acceleration sensor 11, an angular velocity sensor 12, and a distance sensor 13, and functions as a self-supporting positioning sensor. The acceleration sensor 11 is made of, for example, a piezoelectric element, detects vehicle acceleration, and outputs acceleration data. The angular velocity sensor 12 is composed of, for example, a vibrating gyroscope, detects the angular velocity of the vehicle when the direction of the vehicle is changed, and outputs angular velocity data and relative orientation data. The distance sensor 13 measures a vehicle speed pulse composed of a pulse signal generated with the rotation of the vehicle wheel.

  The GPS receiver 18 receives radio waves 19 carrying downlink data including positioning data from a plurality of GPS satellites. The positioning data is used to detect the absolute position of the vehicle from latitude and longitude information.

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

  The interface 21 performs an interface operation with the acceleration sensor 11, the angular velocity sensor 12, the distance sensor 13, and the GPS receiver 18. From these, vehicle speed pulses, acceleration data, relative azimuth data, angular velocity data, GPS positioning data, absolute azimuth data, and the like are input to the system controller 20. The CPU 22 controls the entire system controller 20. The ROM 23 includes a nonvolatile memory (not shown) in which a control program for controlling the system controller 20 is stored. The RAM 24 stores various data such as route data preset by the user via the input device 60 so as to be readable, and provides a working area to the CPU 22.

  A system controller 20, a disk drive 31 such as a CD-ROM drive or a DVD-ROM drive, a data storage unit 36, a communication interface 37, a display unit 40, an audio output unit 50, and an input device 60 are mutually connected via a bus line 30. It is connected to the.

  The disk drive 31 reads and outputs content data such as music data and video data from a disk 33 such as a CD or DVD under the control of the system controller 20. The disk drive 31 may be either a CD-ROM drive or a DVD-ROM drive, or may be a CD and DVD compatible drive.

  The data storage unit 36 is configured by, for example, an HDD or the like, and stores various data used for navigation processing such as map information and facility data. The data storage unit 36 has a map database in which map information is stored.

  The communication device 38 includes, for example, an FM tuner, a beacon receiver, a mobile phone, a dedicated communication card, and the like, and acquires information distributed from a server such as a VICS center via the communication interface 37.

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

  The audio output unit 50 is a D / A (Digital) of audio digital data sent from the CD-ROM drive 31, DVD-ROM 32, BD-ROM, RAM 24 or the like via the bus line 30 under the control of the system controller 20. to Analog) D / A converter 51, amplifier (AMP) 52 that amplifies the audio analog signal output from D / A converter 51, and the amplified audio analog signal is converted into audio and output to the vehicle And a speaker 53.

  The input device 60 includes keys, switches, buttons, a remote controller, a voice input device, and the like for inputting various commands and data. The input device 60 is disposed around the front panel and the display 44 of the main body of the in-vehicle electronic system mounted in the vehicle. When the display 44 is a touch panel system, the touch panel provided on the display screen of the display 44 also functions as the input device 60.

[Function configuration]
Next, the functional configuration of the system controller 20 described above will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the present embodiment, the system controller 20 determines whether or not the traffic information is necessary when the traffic information is acquired, and displays only the necessary traffic information without displaying the traffic information with low necessity. Do. Specifically, the system controller 20 determines the necessity of the traffic information by determining the possibility of the own vehicle traveling on a road or lane having the traffic information. In this case, the system controller 20 determines that the traffic information on the road or lane where the own vehicle is less likely to travel is less necessary. Then, the system controller 20 does not display traffic jam information for roads or lanes that are determined to have a low possibility of traveling, and displays traffic congestion information only for roads or lanes that are not determined to have a low probability of travel. I do. As described above, the conventional technology basically displays all the traffic information, but in the present embodiment, only the necessary traffic information is displayed without displaying the traffic information that is less necessary. . The system controller 20 corresponds to an example of a map display device.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the system controller 20 includes a traffic jam information acquisition unit 20a, a progress possibility determination unit 20b, and a display control unit 20c.

  The traffic jam information acquisition unit 20a acquires traffic jam information indicating a link where a traffic jam has occurred. In this case, the traffic jam information acquisition unit 20 a acquires the traffic jam information received by the communication device 38 from the VICS center, the server of the probe system, or the like via the communication interface 37. Here, the “link where traffic congestion has occurred” corresponds to a link having a traffic situation with an average speed of 10 [km / h] or less or a traffic situation of about 10 to 20 [km / h], for example. Such a traffic jam information acquisition unit 20a corresponds to an example of a traffic jam information acquisition unit.

  The traffic jam information includes information indicating a link where the traffic jam occurs for each lane. That is, when the road is face-to-face, traffic congestion information for each two lanes is acquired for the road.

  The travelability determination unit 20b determines the travelability of the host vehicle for the road or lane corresponding to the traffic jam information acquired by the traffic jam information acquisition unit 20a, in other words, determines whether the host vehicle is likely to travel. To do. Specifically, the travel possibility determination unit 20b determines whether the travel possibility of the host vehicle is low at least for each link having traffic information in the map displayed on the screen. In this case, the travel possibility determination unit 20b also determines the travel possibility of the vehicle using the map information stored in the map database 36a in the data storage unit 36. Such a travelability determination unit 20b corresponds to an example of a travelability determination unit. The details of the method for determining the possibility of progress will be described later.

  The display control unit 20c performs control for displaying traffic jam information based on the determination result of the progress possibility determination unit 20b. In this case, the display control unit 20c controls the display unit 40. Specifically, the display control unit 20c does not display traffic jam information for roads or lanes that are determined to have a low possibility of traveling, and traffic information only for roads or lanes that are not determined to have a low probability of travel. Control to display. That is, the display control unit 20c does not display an image indicating that the road or the lane is congested for a road or lane that is determined to have a low possibility of traveling, and is determined to have a low possibility of traveling. Control is performed to display an image indicating that the road or the lane is congested only for the road or lane that has not existed.

  The display control unit 20c, for roads or lanes that have not been determined to be less likely to travel, will be referred to as a line indicating a traffic jam section (hereinafter referred to as “traffic traffic line”. The traffic jam line includes not only line segments but also arrows. ) Is displayed along the road or lane for each link. On the other hand, the display control unit 20c performs control to hide the traffic congestion line for roads or lanes that are determined to be less likely to travel. Such a display control unit 20c corresponds to an example of a display control unit.

[Procedure determination method]
Next, a description will be given of a method for determining the possibility of progress in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the travel possibility determination unit 20b in the system controller 20 determines whether or not the own vehicle has a low travel possibility for roads or lanes having traffic jam information at least in the map displayed on the screen. To do. Specifically, the travel possibility determination unit 20b determines that the travel possibility is low on a road or lane as shown in the following (1) to (4).

(1) Oncoming lane The advancing possibility determination unit 20b determines that the oncoming lane of the traveling lane of the host vehicle (hereinafter referred to as “traveling lane” as appropriate) has a low possibility of traveling. Specifically, the travel possibility determination unit 20b determines that the possibility of traveling in the opposite lane of the traveling lane is low when the route to the destination is not set. In this case, the travel possibility determination unit 20b identifies the oncoming lane as described above based on the map information stored in the map database 36a and determines that the oncoming lane is less likely to travel. The reason for this determination is that it is considered that the possibility of traveling in the opposite lane of the traveling lane during traveling in a certain direction is low.

  In addition, when the route to the destination is set, the travel possibility determination unit 20b determines that the travel possibility is low for the opposite lane of the lane on the route that has been set. In this case, the travel possibility determination unit 20b identifies the oncoming lane as described above based on the map information stored in the map database 36a and determines that the oncoming lane is less likely to travel. The reason for this determination is that the possibility of traveling in the opposite lane of the lane on the set route is considered to be low.

  It may be determined that the possibility of traveling in the opposite lane of the traveling lane is low regardless of whether or not the route is set.

  In addition, the travel possibility determination unit 20b is less likely to travel in a lane that extends rearward of the vehicle position (in other words, a lane that extends in the direction opposite to the traveling direction) in the above-described opposite lane. It is possible to determine that only the lane that extends forward from the vehicle position (in other words, the lane that extends in the traveling direction) in the opposite lane is less likely to travel. The reason for this determination is that the road that extends backward from the position of the host vehicle may travel U-turns. However, if the road that is the target of the determination of the possibility of travel is prohibited from making a U-turn, the travelability determination unit 20b determines that the lane that extends backward from the vehicle position is also less likely to travel. be able to.

(2) Traveled lane The travel possibility determination unit 20b determines that the travel possibility is low for the traveled lane of the host vehicle. Specifically, the travel possibility determination unit 20b refers to the recorded travel locus to determine that the travel possibility is low for a lane that has traveled a predetermined distance before the current position. Alternatively, the travel possibility determination unit 20b refers to the recorded travel trajectory, so that the travel possibility of a lane that has traveled up to a predetermined time before the current position is low. Judge.

  The reason for this determination is that a lane in which the vehicle has traveled immediately before is considered to be unlikely to travel again. In addition, even if the vehicle travels again in the lane that the vehicle has already traveled, it is considered that the necessity of displaying traffic jam information is low because the user feels the traffic jam by the previous run.

(3) Road with travel restriction The travel possibility determination unit 20b determines that the travel possibility is low with respect to a road with travel restriction in which the host vehicle cannot travel. Specifically, the travelability determination unit 20b determines whether the road to be determined is a road with travel restrictions based on the vehicle information of the own vehicle, the map information stored in the map database 36a, and the like. The road is determined to have a travel restriction, and it is determined that the possibility of traveling is low. For example, the travelability determination unit 20b determines a road that is not allowed to pass due to a limitation on the vehicle type (such as a large vehicle) or a limitation on the vehicle size (a limitation on the vehicle width or vehicle height) as a road with travel restrictions. .

  The reason for this determination is that a road that cannot be physically or legally passed is considered not to travel.

(4) Lane toward the traveling road The travel possibility determination unit 20b determines whether the traveling road is a road that can turn right or left from the traveling road of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "traveling road" as appropriate). Judge that the lane to go is less likely to travel. In other words, the travel possibility determination unit 20b determines that a lane that cannot be entered even if turning right or left is low in the lane of the side road with respect to the traveling road. Specifically, the travel possibility determination unit 20b determines that the possibility of traveling in such a lane is low when the route to the destination is not set. In this case, the progress possibility determination unit 20b performs the determination based on the map information stored in the map database 36a. The reason for this determination is that, for the same reason as the above-mentioned opposite lane, it is considered that there is a low possibility of traveling on a lane toward the traveling road.

  In addition, when the route to the destination is set, the travel possibility determination unit 20b is a lane (hereinafter referred to as a lane) toward the road on the route among the sideways that can turn left and right from the road on the route set. Such a lane is also appropriately expressed as “a lane heading to the road during travel”). In other words, the advancing possibility determination unit 20b determines that a lane that cannot be entered even if turning right or left is low in the lane of the side road with respect to the road on the route. In this case, the progress possibility determination unit 20b performs the determination based on the map information stored in the map database 36a. The reason for this determination is that, for the same reason as the above-mentioned opposite lane, it is considered that it is unlikely that the vehicle will travel in a lane toward the road on the route that has been set.

  Regardless of whether the route is set or not, it may be determined that the possibility of traveling is low for a lane that goes to the traveling road among the side roads that can turn right and left from the traveling road.

[Display screen example]
Next, a specific example of a screen displayed according to the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of a display screen according to this embodiment. Here, for the sake of comparison, a case where traffic jam information is displayed by a conventional method (hereinafter referred to as “comparative example”) is also illustrated. In the comparative example, the congestion information is displayed for all the links having the congestion information in the map.

  Further, here, a case where all the links in the map displayed on the screen have traffic jam information is taken as an example. In FIG. 3, reference numerals 60 and 60a indicate the current position of the vehicle. In addition, it is assumed that the host vehicle is traveling from the bottom to the top in the figure. Further, it is assumed that no route is set.

  FIG. 3A shows an example of a display screen when traffic jam information is displayed by the method according to the comparative example. As shown in FIG. 3A, in the method according to the comparative example, traffic jam information is displayed for all lanes having traffic jam information in the map. Specifically, in the method according to the comparative example, along each of all lanes in the map, a congestion line corresponding to the congestion section (indicated by arrows in FIG. 3, the same applies hereinafter) 70a, 70b, 71a, 71b, 72a, 72b, 73a, 73b are displayed. When all the congestion lines are displayed in this manner, the visibility of the map may be deteriorated because the congestion lines are densely displayed.

  Next, FIG.3 (b) has shown the example of the display screen by a present Example. Specifically, of the side roads that can turn right and left from the traveling road, an example of a display screen when it is determined that the lane toward the traveling road is unlikely to travel and the congestion information of the lane is hidden Show. As shown in FIG. 3B, in the display screen according to the present embodiment, compared to the display screen according to the comparative example, the congestion lines 72a and 72b along the lane toward the traveling road are not displayed. Recognize.

  FIG. 3C also shows a display screen example according to the present embodiment. Specifically, an example of a display screen is shown in a case where it is determined that there is a low possibility of traveling in a lane toward the traveling road and an opposite lane of the traveling lane, and traffic congestion information of these lanes is hidden. As shown in FIG. 3C, in the display screen according to the present embodiment, the traffic congestion lines 71a, 71b, 72a, and 72b along the lane toward the opposite lane and the traveling road are not compared with the display screen according to the comparative example. You can see that it is displayed.

  FIG. 3D also shows a display screen example according to the present embodiment. Specifically, a display screen when it is determined that the lane toward the running road, the opposite lane of the running lane, and the lane that has already traveled are unlikely to travel, and the traffic information of these lanes is hidden An example is shown. Here, consider the situation when the vehicle travels from the position indicated by reference numeral 61 to the position indicated by reference numeral 60a (see arrow 80). As shown in FIG. 3D, in the display screen according to the present embodiment, compared with the display screen according to the comparative example, the traffic congestion lines 70a and 71a along the lanes that have already traveled, the opposite lanes, and the lanes that are heading to the traveling road. 71b, 72a, 72b are not displayed.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the traffic information on the road or the lane where the own vehicle is less likely to travel is hidden as the necessity is low. Thereby, it can suppress that a congestion line etc. are displayed densely, and it becomes possible to ensure the visibility of a map, even if the amount of congestion information increases. Further, on the display screen according to the present embodiment, the traffic information on the road or lane where the host vehicle may travel is displayed as necessary, so that the practicality of the traffic information can be ensured.

[Display control flow]
Next, a display control flow according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The processing in the flow is repeatedly executed by the system controller 20 at a predetermined cycle.

  First, in step S <b> 101, the traffic jam information acquisition unit 20 a in the system controller 20 acquires traffic jam information from the communication device 38 via the communication interface 37. In this case, the traffic jam information acquisition unit 20a acquires the traffic jam information received by the communication device 38 from a VICS center, a probe system server, or the like. Then, the process proceeds to step S102.

  In step S102, the travel possibility determination unit 20b in the system controller 20 sets roads and lanes having traffic information in the map displayed on the screen as targets for determining the travel possibility. Then, the process proceeds to step S103. Hereinafter, roads and lanes set as determination targets are referred to as “target roads” and “target lanes”, respectively.

  The travel possibility determination unit 20b basically sets the roads and lanes in the map displayed on the screen as the above-described determination targets, but has a predetermined size in a wider range than the map displayed on the screen. This map may be used to set the roads and lanes in the map as judgment targets.

  In step S103, the travel possibility determination unit 20b in the system controller 20 determines whether or not the target lane is an oncoming lane. Specifically, the travel possibility determination unit 20b determines whether the target lane is the opposite lane of the traveling lane when the route to the destination is not set. On the other hand, when the route to the destination is set, the travel possibility determination unit 20b determines whether the target lane is an opposite lane of the lane on the route that has been set. In this case, the progress possibility determination unit 20b performs the determination based on the map information stored in the map database 36a.

  If the target lane is an oncoming lane (step S103; Yes), the process proceeds to step S108. In this case, the travel possibility determination unit 20b determines that the travel possibility of the host vehicle is low for the target lane, and performs setting so as not to display the traffic jam information for the target lane (step S108). Then, the process proceeds to step S109. On the other hand, when the target lane is not the oncoming lane (step S103; No), the process proceeds to step S104.

  In step S104, the travel possibility determination unit 20b in the system controller 20 determines whether or not the target lane is a lane that has been traveled. Specifically, the travel possibility determination unit 20b refers to the recorded travel locus to determine whether the target lane is a lane that has traveled a predetermined distance before the current position. Alternatively, the travel possibility determination unit 20b refers to the recorded travel locus so that the target lane is a lane that has traveled a predetermined distance before the current position and has traveled a predetermined time before. It is determined whether or not there is.

  If the target lane is a lane that has already traveled (step S104; Yes), the process proceeds to step S108. In this case, the travel possibility determination unit 20b determines that the travel possibility of the host vehicle is low for the target lane, and performs setting so as not to display the traffic jam information for the target lane (step S108). Then, the process proceeds to step S109. On the other hand, when the target lane is not a traveled lane (step S104; No), the process proceeds to step S105.

  In step S105, the travel possibility determination unit 20b in the system controller 20 determines whether or not the target road is a road with travel restrictions. Specifically, the travel possibility determination unit 20b determines whether or not the target road is a road with travel restrictions based on the vehicle information of the host vehicle or the map information stored in the map database 36a. For example, when the target road is inaccessible due to the limitation of the vehicle type or the limitation of the vehicle size, the travelability determination unit 20b determines that the target road is a road with travel restrictions.

  If the target road is a road with travel restrictions (step S105; Yes), the process proceeds to step S108. In this case, the travel possibility determination unit 20b determines that the target road is less likely to travel on the subject road, and performs setting so as not to display traffic jam information regarding the target road (step S108). Then, the process proceeds to step S109. On the other hand, when the target road is not a road with travel restrictions (step S105; No), the process proceeds to step S106.

  In step S106, the travel possibility determination unit 20b in the system controller 20 determines whether or not the target lane is a lane that has a side road that can turn right and left from the traveling road, and is a lane that faces the traveling road. To do. Specifically, the travel possibility determination unit 20b performs the determination when the route to the destination is not set. On the other hand, in the case where the route to the destination is set, the travel possibility determination unit 20b has a target lane that is a lane that a side road that can turn right and left from a road on the route that has been set, It is determined whether the lane is toward the upper road. The progress possibility determination unit 20b performs such determination based on the map information stored in the map database 36a.

  When the target lane is a lane toward the traveling road (step S106; Yes), the process proceeds to step S108. In this case, the travel possibility determination unit 20b determines that the travel possibility of the host vehicle is low for the target lane, and performs setting so as not to display the traffic jam information for the target lane (step S108). Then, the process proceeds to step S109.

  On the other hand, when the target lane is not a lane toward the traveling road (step S106; No), the process proceeds to step S107. In this case, the target road or target lane does not correspond to the road or lane listed in the determinations in steps S103 to S106. Therefore, the travel possibility determination unit 20b determines that there is a possibility of traveling of the host vehicle for the target road or the target lane, and performs a setting for displaying traffic congestion information regarding the target road or the target lane (step S107). . Then, the process proceeds to step S109.

  In step S109, the travel possibility determination unit 20b in the system controller 20 determines whether or not the determination for all roads and lanes has been completed. For example, the travelability determination unit 20b performs the determination by comparing the total number of roads and lanes set as determination targets in step S102 with the number of roads and lanes that have been determined so far. If the determination is complete (step S109; Yes), the process proceeds to step S110.

  In step S110, the display control unit 20c in the system controller 20 performs processing for displaying traffic jam information according to the settings in steps S107 and S108 described above. Specifically, the display control unit 20c hides traffic jam information for roads or lanes set not to display traffic jam information and displays traffic jam information only for roads or lanes set to display traffic jam information. Process to display. In this case, the display control unit 20c performs a process of displaying the traffic line along the road or the lane according to the traffic area for the road or the lane set to display the traffic information. On the other hand, the display control unit 20c performs a process of hiding such a congestion line for roads or lanes that are set not to display the congestion information. Then, the process ends.

  On the other hand, when the determination with respect to all the roads or lanes is not completed (step S109; No), a process progresses to step S111. In step S111, the travel possibility determination unit 20b in the system controller 20 increments the target road or the target lane. For example, the travel possibility determination unit 20b increments the number of roads and lanes that have already been determined. Then, the process returns to step S103. In this case, the process after step S103 will be performed again on a road or lane different from the road or lane on which the above determination has been made.

  According to the above-described processing, it is possible to appropriately hide the traffic information on the road or lane where the own vehicle is less likely to travel, so that the visibility of the map is ensured even if the traffic information amount increases. Is possible. Moreover, since the traffic jam information can be appropriately displayed for roads or lanes where the host vehicle is likely to travel, it is possible to ensure the practicality of the traffic jam information.

  In the above-described display control flow, congestion information is not displayed for all of (1) oncoming lanes, (2) lanes that have traveled, (3) roads that are restricted to travel, and (4) lanes that are heading to roads that are running. An example is shown. However, it is not limited to hiding the traffic jam information for all the roads or lanes of (1) to (4), and only one of the roads or lanes of (1) to (4) is traffic jam information. May be hidden, traffic information may be hidden only on any two roads or lanes of (1) to (4), or any of (1) to (4) Congestion information may be hidden only for three roads or lanes.

[Modification]
Below, the modification of this invention is demonstrated.

(Modification 1)
In the above description, the traffic information is not displayed for roads or lanes that are determined to have a low possibility of travel. In the first modification, the road or lane determined to have a low possibility of traveling is displayed in a manner that makes traffic information less noticeable than the road or lane that has not been determined to have a low possibility of traveling. And different. That is, in the first modification, the traffic jam information is also displayed for the road or lane determined to have a low possibility of traveling, that is, the traffic jam line is displayed. This is because when the traffic information is hidden, it is difficult to distinguish whether the traffic information is not displayed because it is not congested or because the possibility of progress is low. .

  Specifically, in the first modification, a road or lane congestion line that is determined to have a low possibility of traveling is displayed more narrowly than a road or lane congestion line that is not determined to have a low possibility of traveling. Or, instead of displaying the congestion line thinly, the color of the congestion line of the road or lane judged to be low in progress is more than the color of the congestion line of the road or lane that was judged not likely to travel. Display lightly. Alternatively, a road or lane congestion line that is determined to have a low possibility of traveling is displayed more thinly and in a lighter color than a road or lane congestion line that is not determined to have a low possibility of traveling. In the first modification as well, for roads or lanes that have not been determined to be less likely to travel, a traffic congestion line is displayed as usual, as in the above-described embodiment.

  According to the first modification, the visibility of the map can be ensured even if the amount of traffic information increases by displaying the traffic information on the road or lane where the host vehicle is less likely to travel inconspicuously. . Moreover, in the modification 1, since traffic congestion information is displayed also about the road or lane with low possibility of advancing, the practicality about traffic congestion information is securable.

(Modification 2)
Modification 2 differs from the above-described embodiment and modification 1 in that traffic information is displayed for roads or lanes that are determined to have a low possibility of travel when the scale of the map is an enlarged view of a predetermined value or more. . That is, in the modified example 2, when the map scale is smaller than a predetermined value (for example, when a wide area map is displayed), the traffic jam information is not displayed, and when the map scale is larger than the predetermined value (for example, a detailed map is displayed). When it is) traffic information is displayed, that is, a traffic line is displayed. This is because, for example, when a detailed map is displayed, it is considered that the visibility of the map is not deteriorated due to the display of the congestion line.

  Specifically, in the modified example 2, when the scale of the map is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the road or lane that is determined to have a low possibility of traveling, or the traffic of the road or lane that is not determined to have a low possibility of traveling. Displays a traffic congestion line similar to the line. Alternatively, when the scale of the map is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the road or lane that is determined to have a low possibility of traveling is displayed with a thin traffic line or a light color as shown in Modification 1. . In the second modified example, as for roads or lanes that have not been determined to be less likely to travel, the congestion line is displayed as usual, regardless of the scale of the map.

  According to the second modified example, when the scale is less than the predetermined value, the traffic information on the road or the lane that is less likely to travel is hidden, so that the visibility of the map can be improved even if the traffic information amount increases. Can be secured. Moreover, according to the modification 2, the practicality about traffic congestion information can be ensured by displaying the traffic congestion information on the road or the lane that is less likely to travel when the scale is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

(Modification 3)
The application of the present invention is not limited to navigation devices. The present invention can also be applied to a terminal device such as a mobile phone.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Navigation apparatus 20 System controller 20a Traffic jam information acquisition part 20b Progress possibility judgment part 20c Display control part 36 Data storage unit 37 Communication interface 38 Communication apparatus 40 Display unit

Claims (13)

A map display device for displaying a map on a display screen,
Traffic information acquisition means for acquiring traffic information,
About a road or lane having the traffic jam information in the map, a travel possibility judging means for judging whether or not the travel possibility of the own vehicle is low;
The congestion information of the road or lane that is determined to be low by the travelability determination unit and the road or lane that is not determined to be low by the travelability determination unit. A map display device comprising: a display control means for changing a display mode.   The map display device according to claim 1, wherein the travel possibility determination unit determines that the travel possibility is low for an opposite lane of a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling.   The travel possibility determination means determines that only the lane ahead of the position of the host vehicle in the oncoming lane is less likely to travel, and the lane behind the position of the host vehicle in the oncoming lane. The map display device according to claim 2, wherein it is not determined that the possibility of progression is low.   The said advancing possibility judgment means judges that the advancing possibility is low about the opposite lane of the lane on the said route setting path | route, when the route to the destination is set. The map display device according to 1.   The map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the travel possibility determination means determines that the travel possibility is low for a lane in which the host vehicle has traveled.   The said advancing possibility judgment means judges that the advancing possibility is low about the road with the driving | running | working control which cannot drive | work the said own vehicle. Map display device.   The advancing possibility determining means determines that the advancing possibility is low for a lane that goes to a road on which the own vehicle is traveling, among lateral roads that can turn left and right from the road on which the own vehicle is traveling. The map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.   When the route to the destination is set, the travel possibility determination means is configured to perform the progress for a lane that goes to the road on the route out of the side roads that can turn right and left from the road on the route set. The map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein it is determined that the possibility is low.   The display control means does not display the traffic jam information for roads or lanes determined to have a low possibility of travel, and displays the traffic information only for roads or lanes that have not been determined to have a low travel probability. The map display device according to claim 1, wherein the map display device is a display device.   The display control means displays the congestion information inconspicuously for roads or lanes that are determined to be less likely to travel than roads or lanes that are not determined to be less likely to travel. The map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.   The display control means does not display the traffic information when the scale of the map is less than a predetermined value for a road or lane determined to be less likely to travel, and only when the scale is greater than or equal to the predetermined value. The map display device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the traffic jam information is displayed. A map display method executed by a device for displaying a map on a display screen,
A traffic information acquisition process for acquiring traffic information;
For a road or lane having the traffic jam information in the map, a travelability determination step for determining whether the travel possibility of the own vehicle is low;
The road information or the lane that is determined to be low in the travelability determination step and the road or lane that is not determined as the travelability is low in the travelability determination step. A map display method comprising: a display control step of changing a display mode. A map display program that is executed by a device that includes a computer and displays a map on a display screen,
The computer,
Traffic information acquisition means for acquiring traffic information,
About a road or lane having the traffic information in the map, a travel possibility judging means for judging whether or not the travel possibility of the own vehicle is low,
The congestion information of the road or lane that is determined to be low by the travelability determination unit and the road or lane that is not determined to be low by the travelability determination unit. A map display program that functions as display control means for changing a display mode.

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