JP2007046962A - Data updating device, data updating method, data updating program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently update a data by intervehicular communication. <P>SOLUTION: This data updating device is provided with an area setting part 101, a recognition part 102, a determination part 103, a communication part 104, an updating part 105 and a storage part 106, and is further provided with a route setting part 107. The area setting part 101 acquires base point information of a moving object to set a main active area of the moving object. The recognition part 102 acquires current point information of the moving object to recognize a current active area of the moving object. The determination part 103 determines whether a main active area of other moving object is same to the set main active area or not. The communication part 104 transceives a navigation data including a map data with respect to the other moving object, based on a determination result. The updating part 105 compares the communicated navigation data with the navigation data stored in the storage part 106, and updates the navigation data stored in the storage part 106, based on a comparison result. The route setting part 107 sets a route of the moving object. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a data update device, a data update method, a data update program, and a recording medium that are mounted on a moving body such as a vehicle. However, the use of the present invention is not limited to the above-described data update device, data update method, data update program, and recording medium.

  In recent years, for example, navigation systems that efficiently update map data used for navigation using so-called vehicle-to-vehicle communication in which vehicles communicate with each other have been provided.

  Such a navigation system is configured as follows, for example. That is, the map data client determines an update target area according to the current position, etc., and a mesh of a newer version than the mesh data in the update target area stored in the map data storage unit via the inter-vehicle communication device. The other navigation system is inquired about the possession of the data, and when there is a response, the mesh data is downloaded from the other navigation system of the response source and the mesh data in the map data storage unit is updated. The map data server efficiently updates the map data by providing a response service corresponding to the inquiry and a map data download service to other navigation systems via the inter-vehicle communication device. It is set as the structure which can be performed (for example, refer patent document 1).

JP 2004-212244 A

  However, in the above-described conventional navigation system, a navigation system installed in a vehicle having an activity base in a certain area, for example, is installed in a vehicle having an activity base in another area such as a remote area in the update target area. It is assumed that updated map data is received from the navigation system. In this case, since the map data of the area that is originally unnecessary is accumulated in the navigation system, there is a problem that it may be difficult to update the data efficiently.

  The data updating apparatus according to the invention of claim 1 acquires storage information for storing navigation data, which is data necessary for navigation processing including map data, and base information which is information relating to an activity base of a mobile object, and the base Area setting means for setting a main activity area, which is an area in which the mobile object is mainly active based on the information, and acquiring the current location information of the mobile object, and the mobile object is currently active based on the current location information Recognizing means for recognizing a current active area that is an active area, and acquiring the base information from another mobile body existing in the current active area, and a main active area of the other mobile body based on the base information is Based on the determination result by the determination means, the determination means for determining whether it is the same as the main activity area set by the area setting means, the other mobile body Communication means for transmitting / receiving vignetting data; comparing the navigation data communicated by the communication means with the navigation data stored in advance in the storage means; and based on the comparison result, the navigation in the storage means Updating means for updating data.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data updating apparatus comprising: a storage unit that stores navigation data that is data necessary for navigation processing including map data; a route setting unit that sets a route to a destination; To acquire base information, which is information related to the active base of the vehicle, and based on the base information, acquires area setting means for setting a main active area, which is an area in which the mobile body is mainly active, and current position information of the mobile body A recognizing unit for recognizing a current active region that is a region where the mobile object is currently active based on the current point information, and when the route is set by the route setting unit, the recognizing unit The base information is acquired from another mobile unit existing in the recognized current active area, and the main active area of the other mobile unit based on the base information includes the route. Determination means for determining whether or not the route area is the same area, and communication means for transmitting and receiving the navigation data to and from the other mobile body based on the determination result by the determination means; Updating means for comparing the navigation data communicated by the communication means with the navigation data stored in advance in the storage means, and updating the navigation data in the storage means based on a comparison result. It is characterized by that.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data updating method comprising: a storage step of storing navigation data, which is data necessary for navigation processing including map data, in storage means; and base information which is information relating to an active base of a mobile object. An area setting step for setting a main activity area that is an area in which the mobile object is mainly active based on the base information, and acquiring the current location information of the mobile object, and acquiring the current location information based on the current location information. A recognition process for recognizing a current active area, which is an area in which the mobile object is currently active, and acquiring the base information from another mobile object existing in the current active area, and the other mobile object based on the base information. A determination process for determining whether or not the main activity area is the same as the main activity area set by the area setting means, and based on the determination result of the determination process, A communication step for transmitting / receiving the navigation data to / from the body, the navigation data communicated by the communication step, and the navigation data stored in the storage means in advance, and based on the comparison result An update step of updating the navigation data in the storage means.

  A data update method according to the invention of claim 8 is a storage step of storing navigation data, which is data necessary for navigation processing including map data, in a storage means; a route setting step of setting a route to a destination; An area setting step of acquiring base information, which is information relating to an active base of the mobile body, and setting a main active area that is an area in which the mobile body is mainly active based on the base information; and a current location of the mobile body When the information is acquired and the route is set by the recognition step of recognizing the current active region that is the region where the mobile object is currently active based on the current point information, and the route setting step, The base information is obtained from another mobile body existing in the current active area recognized by the recognition step, and the main active area of the other mobile body based on the base information is the A determination step for determining whether or not the route area is the same as the route area including the road, and the navigation data is transmitted / received to / from the other mobile body based on the determination result of the determination step. A communication step; an update step of comparing the navigation data communicated in the communication step with the navigation data stored in advance in the storage means, and updating the navigation data in the storage means based on a comparison result It is characterized by including these.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, a data update program causes a computer to execute the data update method according to the seventh or eighth aspect.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable recording medium records the data update program according to the ninth aspect.

  Exemplary embodiments of a data update device, a data update method, a data update program, and a recording medium according to the present invention will be explained below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Embodiment)
(Functional configuration of data update device)
First, the contents of the data updating apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the data updating apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the data update device is mounted on a moving body such as a vehicle (including a four-wheeled vehicle and a two-wheeled vehicle) and a mobile phone, for example. And an update unit 105 and a storage unit 106, and further includes a route setting unit 107.

  The area setting unit 101 acquires base information that is information related to the active base of the moving object, and sets a main active area that is an area in which the mobile object mainly operates based on the base information. The base information specifically refers to information that is regarded as an activity base of a mobile user, such as a home address, a postal code, or a telephone number that is input and registered in the data updating apparatus. The main activity area refers to the main activity area of the mobile body derived from the acquired base information. Specifically, for example, the base information is an address of “Kyoda Kita Kita ○-○-○” in Chiyoda-ku. For example, the main activity area is set as “Tokyo”.

  The recognizing unit 102 acquires the current location information of the moving object, and recognizes the current activity area that is the area in which the moving object is currently active based on the current position information. The current location information refers to information indicating the current location of the moving object based on information such as latitude, longitude, and altitude acquired from GPS or the like. In addition, the current activity area refers to the current activity area of the moving body that is derived by referring to the map data, for example, using the acquired current position information. When the current location “35.342N, 139.301E (Hiratsuka)” is indicated, the current activity area is recognized as “Kanagawa Prefecture” or the like.

  The determination unit 103 acquires the base information from other mobile objects existing in the current active area, and the main active area of the other mobile body based on the base information is the same as the main active area set by the area setting unit 101 It is determined whether or not. As described above, the determination unit 103, specifically, for example, in the case of a mobile object whose main activity area is set to “Tokyo”, the base information from other mobile objects indicates “Tokyo”. It is determined whether it is a thing.

  In addition, for example, when the route of the moving object is set by the route setting unit 107 described later, the determination unit 103 acquires base information from other moving objects existing in the current activity area recognized by the recognition unit 102. Then, it is determined whether or not the main activity area of another moving body based on the base information is the same as the route area that is the area including the set route.

  Based on the determination result by the determination unit 103, the communication unit 104 transmits / receives navigation data, which is data necessary for navigation processing including map data, to / from another mobile body. Specifically, the navigation data is program data used for navigation operations and data including the map data.

  For example, when the determination unit 103 determines that the main activity area of another moving body is not the same as the main activity area set by the area setting unit 101, the communication unit 104 determines navigation data from another moving body. Do not receive. Further, for example, when the determination unit 103 determines that the main activity area of another moving body is the same as the route area, the communication unit 104 receives navigation data from the other moving body. Good.

  For example, when the determination unit 103 determines that the main activity area is the same, the communication unit 104 transmits / receives navigation data by building a network with other mobile objects existing in the current activity area. May be done. Here, the navigation data transmitted and received by the communication unit 104 may be navigation data related to the main activity area.

  The update unit 105 compares the navigation data communicated by the communication unit 104 with navigation data stored in advance in the storage unit 106 described later, and updates the navigation data in the storage unit 106 based on the comparison result. The navigation data comparison process in the updating unit 105 is performed with reference to, for example, a time stamp or version information of the navigation data.

  The storage unit 106 temporarily or permanently stores navigation data communicated by the communication unit 104 and navigation data acquired from an external recording medium. Specifically, the memory | storage part 106 is comprised by the memory | storage device, for example. The route setting unit 107 calculates and sets, for example, an optimum route from the current position to the destination based on the current location information of the mobile object and the input information of the destination input by the user.

  In the data updating apparatus configured as described above, the area setting unit 101 sets the main activity area of another mobile body based on the base information from the other mobile body existing in the current active area recognized by the recognition unit 102. Navigation data can be transmitted and received based on the determination result of whether or not it is the same as the main activity area, and the navigation data in the storage unit 106 can be updated.

  Further, in the data update device configured as described above, when a route is set, the determination result of whether or not the main activity region of another moving body is the same as the route region including the route is used. Based on this, navigation data can be transmitted and received, and the navigation data in the storage unit 106 can be updated.

  For this reason, according to this data updating apparatus, navigation data that is less frequently used with other mobile objects having an active area that is not closely related to the main active area, such as a remote area, is actively used. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the navigation data of the area that is originally unnecessary from being stored in the apparatus. In addition, even if the current active area of the moving object is different from the main active area, the moving object is different from other moving objects that have the same main active area or the same main active area and route area. It is possible to update data by actively transmitting and receiving frequently used navigation data. This makes it possible to efficiently update the navigation data related to the main activity area of the moving body so that the navigation data is always in the latest state.

(Data update processing procedure of the data update device)
Next, a data update processing procedure of the data update device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the data update processing procedure of the data update device according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, navigation data is abbreviated as navigation data unless otherwise specified.

  In the flowchart of FIG. 2, first, the base information is acquired by the area setting unit 101 based on input information from an operation unit (not shown) input in accordance with an input operation by the user of the data updating apparatus, and the mobile object The main activity area is set (step S201). Next, the recognition unit 102 recognizes the current activity area of the mobile object based on the current location information and map data of the mobile object acquired from GPS or the like (step S202). In step S202, the current active area may be recognized based only on the current location information.

  Then, the determination unit 103 acquires base information from another mobile body existing in the current activity area of the mobile body recognized by the recognition unit 102 (step S203), and the main information of the other mobile body based on the base information is obtained. It is determined whether or not the active area is the same as the main active area set by the area setting unit 101 (step S204).

  When it is determined by the determination unit 103 that it is the same as the main activity area (step S204: Yes), the communication unit 104 constructs a network with, for example, another mobile body, and the other in the constructed network. Navigation data is transmitted / received to / from the moving body (step S205), and the update unit 105 compares the navigation data communicated by the communication unit 104 with the navigation data stored in the storage unit 106 in advance. In this comparison processing, for example, it is determined whether or not the communicated navigation data is new (step S206).

  If it is determined that the communicated navigation data is new (step S206: Yes), the updating unit 105 updates the navigation data in the storage unit 106 (step S207), and the series of processes is terminated. On the other hand, when the determination unit 103 determines that the main activity area is not the same as the main activity area (step S204: No), for example, it is determined whether or not the main activity area represented by the acquired base information is the same as the route area. (Step S208).

  If it is determined that it is the same as the route area (step S208: Yes), the process proceeds to step S205, and the processes from step S205 to step S207 are performed. When it is determined that it is not the same as the route area (step S208: No) and when it is determined that the communicated data is not new (step S206: No), the series of data update processing according to this flowchart is terminated.

  By performing the data update process in this way, it is possible to make positive changes with other mobile objects whose main active area is, for example, a remote place, unless the main active area and the mobile area are the same. In this case, navigation data is not transmitted / received, and it is possible to prevent the originally unnecessary navigation data from being accumulated in the apparatus and squeezing the storage means (storage unit 106). In addition, it is possible to perform data update processing by actively transmitting and receiving navigation data to and from other mobile objects having the same main activity area. Thereby, data can be updated efficiently.

  As described above, according to the data updating apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to transmit and receive data by paying attention to the main activity area of the moving object set by the base information. For this reason, it is possible to efficiently update the data so that the navigation data including the map data related to the main activity area of the moving body is always in the latest state.

  Next, examples according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. Here, a case where the data update device according to this embodiment is applied to a navigation device mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile as a moving body will be described as an example.

(Hardware configuration of navigation device)
First, a hardware configuration of a navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the navigation apparatus 300 includes a navigation control unit 301, a user operation unit 302, a display unit 303, a position acquisition unit 304, a recording medium 305, a recording medium decoding unit 306, and an audio output unit. 307, a communication unit 308, a route search unit 309, a route guidance unit 310, a voice generation unit 311, and a speaker 312.

  The navigation control unit 301 controls the entire navigation device 300. The navigation control unit 301 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes predetermined arithmetic processing, a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various control programs, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that functions as a work area of the CPU. It can be realized by a configured microcomputer or the like.

  In addition, the navigation control unit 301 inputs / outputs information related to route guidance between the route search unit 309, the route guidance unit 310, and the voice generation unit 311 during route guidance, and displays information obtained as a result of the display unit 303 and Output to the audio output unit 307.

  The user operation unit 302 outputs information input by the user, such as characters, numerical values, and various instructions, to the navigation control unit 301. The user operation unit 302 is, for example, a push button switch, a touch panel, a remote control, or the like. Further, the user operation unit 302 may be configured to perform an input operation by voice using a microphone that inputs voice from the outside.

  The display unit 303 includes, for example, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display, a plasma display, and the like. Specifically, the display unit 303 can be configured by, for example, a video I / F or a video display device connected to the video I / F.

  Specifically, the video I / F includes, for example, a graphic controller that controls the entire display device, a buffer memory such as a VRAM (Video RAM) that temporarily stores image information that can be displayed immediately, and a graphic controller. Based on the output image information, the display device is configured by a control IC or the like. The display unit 303 displays map data, information on route guidance, and other various information.

  The position acquisition unit 304 includes a GPS receiver and various sensors, and acquires information on the position of the moving body (the position of the navigation device 300). Then, the acquired position information is output to the navigation control unit 301. The GPS receiver receives radio waves from a GPS satellite and obtains a geometric position with respect to the GPS satellite.

  GPS is an abbreviation for Global Positioning System, and is a system for accurately obtaining a position on the ground by receiving radio waves from four or more satellites. The GPS receiver includes an antenna for receiving radio waves from a GPS satellite, a tuner that demodulates the received radio waves, an arithmetic circuit that calculates a current position based on the demodulated information, and the like.

  The various sensors are sensors mounted on the moving body or the navigation device 300 such as a speed sensor, an angular speed sensor, and an acceleration sensor. From information output from these sensors, the moving displacement of the moving body, the moving speed, the moving direction, Calculate the tilt angle. Thus, the position of the moving body can be recognized with higher accuracy by using the output information of the various sensors together with the information obtained from the received radio wave of the GPS receiver.

  Various control programs and various information are recorded on the recording medium 305 in a state readable by a computer. The recording medium 305 can be realized by, for example, an HD (Hard Disk), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), a CD (Compact Disk), a memory card, or the like. Note that the recording medium 305 may accept writing of information by the recording medium decoding unit 306 and record the written information in a nonvolatile manner.

  The recording medium 305 records map data used for route search and route guidance. The map data stored in the recording medium 305 includes background data representing features (features) such as buildings, rivers, and the ground surface, and road shape data representing road shapes. It is drawn in two or three dimensions on the display screen.

  When the navigation device 300 is guiding a route, the map data read from the recording medium 305 by the recording medium decoding unit 306 and the mark indicating the position of the moving body acquired by the position acquisition unit 304 are displayed in the navigation control unit 301. Thus, the image is displayed on the display screen of the display unit 303 in an overlapping manner.

  The background data includes background shape data representing the shape of the background and background type data representing the type of the background. The background shape data includes, for example, feature representative points, polylines, polygons, feature coordinates, and the like. The background type data includes, for example, text data representing the name, address, and telephone number of a feature, and type data of a feature such as a building, river, or ground surface.

  The road shape data is data relating to a road network having a plurality of nodes and links. The node indicates an intersection where a plurality of roads such as a three-way intersection, a crossroad, and a five-way intersection intersect. The link indicates a road connecting the nodes. Some links have shape interpolation points, and curved roads can be expressed by these shape interpolation points.

  The road shape data further includes traffic condition data. Traffic condition data includes, for example, whether or not there are traffic lights or pedestrian crossings, highway entrances and junctions, link lengths (distances), vehicle widths, travel directions, traffic prohibitions, road types (high speeds) Road, toll road, general road, etc.). This traffic condition data stores past traffic information obtained by statistically processing past traffic information based on seasons, days of the week, large holidays, and times.

  In this embodiment, the map data is recorded on the recording medium 305. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The map data is not limited to being recorded integrally with the hardware of the navigation device 300, and may be provided outside the navigation device 300. In that case, the navigation apparatus 300 acquires map data via a network through the communication unit 308, for example. The acquired map data is stored in a RAM or the like.

  The recording medium decoding unit 306 controls reading / writing of information with respect to the recording medium 305. For example, when HD is used as a recording medium, the recording medium decoding unit 306 is an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

  The audio output unit 307 reproduces sound such as guidance sound by controlling output to the connected speaker 312. There may be one speaker 312 or a plurality of speakers 312. Specifically, the audio output unit 307 includes, for example, a D / A converter that performs D / A conversion of audio digital information, an amplifier that amplifies an audio analog signal output from the D / A converter, and an A of audio analog information. An A / D converter that performs / D conversion can be used.

  The communication unit 308 includes, for example, an FM multiplex tuner, a VICS (registered trademark) / beacon receiver, a wireless communication device, and other communication devices, and performs communication with other communication devices. The communication unit 308 may be configured to perform communication via a communication medium such as a mobile phone, a PHS, a communication card, and a wireless LAN.

  In this embodiment, examples of information acquired by the communication unit 308 include road traffic information such as traffic jams and traffic regulations distributed from a VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System) center. Moreover, the traffic information of a desired area may be requested | required via the network with respect to the server which accumulate | stored the road traffic information of the whole country, and you may make it acquire the requested road traffic information.

  The route search unit 309 uses the map data acquired from the recording medium 305 via the recording medium decoding unit 306, the VICS information acquired via the communication unit 308, and the like to optimize the route from the departure point to the destination. Search for a route. Here, the optimal route is a route that best matches the condition specified by the user. In general, there are an infinite number of routes from the departure point to the destination. For this reason, items considered in the route search are set to search for a route that matches the condition.

  For example, the departure point of the route searched by the route search unit 309 is the current position of the moving body (current position of the navigation device 300) acquired by the position acquisition unit 304 or the departure specified by the user from the user operation unit 302. The ground is set. In addition to the destination input by the user, the facility searched from the map data based on the genre search or the like may be set as the destination.

  The route guidance unit 310 includes the optimum route information searched by the route search unit 309, the position information of the moving body acquired by the position acquisition unit 304, and the map data obtained from the recording medium 305 via the recording medium decoding unit 306. Based on the above, route guidance information for guiding the user to the destination is generated.

  At this time, the route guidance information generated by the route guidance unit 310 may be information that considers the traffic jam information received by the communication unit 308. The route guidance information generated by the route guidance unit 310 is output to the display unit 303 via the navigation control unit 301.

  The voice generation unit 311 generates various types of voice information such as guidance sounds. That is, based on the route guidance information generated by the route guidance unit 310, the virtual sound source corresponding to the guidance point is set and the voice guidance information is generated, and this is output to the voice output unit 307 via the navigation control unit 301. To do.

  The speaker 312 reproduces (outputs) the navigation guidance sound output from the audio output unit 307 and the audio output from the navigation control unit 301 via the audio output unit 307. Further, for example, a headphone or the like may be provided on the speaker 312 so that the output form of the guide sound or voice may be changed as appropriate so that the sound field of the guide sound or voice output from the entire vehicle interior is not generated.

  The area setting unit 101 in FIG. 1 that is a functional configuration of the data updating apparatus according to the embodiment is specifically realized by the navigation control unit 301, the user operation unit 302, the communication unit 308, and the like. The recognition unit 102 realizes its function by, for example, the navigation control unit 301, the position acquisition unit 304, the recording medium 305, the recording medium decoding unit 306, and the like.

  Further, the determination unit 103 in FIG. 1 specifically realizes its function by, for example, the navigation control unit 301 and the communication unit 308, and the communication unit 104 realizes its function by, for example, the communication unit 308. Further, the updating unit 105 in FIG. 1 specifically realizes its function by, for example, the navigation control unit 301, the recording medium 305, and the recording medium decoding unit 306, and the storage unit 106 has, for example, the recording medium 305 and the recording medium. The function is realized by the decoding unit 306 or the like.

(Outline of data communication between vehicles having a navigation device)
Next, an outline of data communication between vehicles having a navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of data communication between vehicles having the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 4, for example, vehicles (moving bodies) 401 to 403 having the same main activity area include navigation devices 411 to 413 each equipped with the data update device of the present embodiment. 411 to 413 are provided with the communication unit 308 described above.

  Each communication unit 308 is configured to be able to communicate with each other while changing the communication speed, and a communication path 421 between the vehicle 401 and the vehicle 402 and a communication path between the vehicle 402 and the vehicle 403. As in the case of the communication path 423 between the vehicle 422 and the vehicle 403 and the vehicle 401, it is possible to construct a network between the vehicles 401 to 403 and transmit / receive navigation data.

  Each vehicle 401 to 403 (here, only the vehicle 403 is illustrated) is connected to the communication unit 431 provided in the navigation data distribution source communication base station (fixed station) 430 as indicated by the communication path 433. Communication of navigation data (mainly received by the vehicles 401 to 403) can be performed at the variable communication speed as described above.

(Data update procedure of navigation device)
Next, a data update processing procedure of the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a data update processing procedure of the navigation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. Here, a data update process for recognizing the vehicle activity area and updating the map data of the navigation data will be described.

  Specifically, in the process shown in FIG. 5, the CPU of the navigation control unit 301 executes a program stored (recorded) in the RAM, ROM, or recording medium 305 of the navigation control unit 301 shown in FIG. Realized by In the following, description will be made mainly with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, but portions overlapping with those already described are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. Here, the description will focus on data update processing by the data update device in the navigation device 411 mounted on the vehicle 401.

  In FIG. 5, first, the navigation control unit 301 of the data update device of the vehicle 401 acquires base information such as the user's home address input from the user operation unit 302, for example, and sets the main activity area of the vehicle 401. (Step S501). Next, the current position information of the vehicle 401 is acquired from the GPS of the position acquisition unit 304 by the navigation control unit 301 and, for example, the current data of the vehicle is referenced with reference to map data read from the recording medium 305 via the recording medium decoding unit 306. The active area is recognized (step S502).

  When the current activity area is recognized, the navigation control unit 301 searches for surrounding vehicles while receiving base information from other vehicles 402 and 403 via the communication unit 308 (step S503). Here, for example, it is assumed that vehicles 402 and 403 are searched. At this time, the navigation control unit 301 determines whether or not the vehicle 401 is in the route guidance by the route guidance unit 310 (step S504).

  When it is determined that the route is not being guided (step S504: No), the navigation control unit 301 determines whether the main activity area is the same as that of the vehicle 401 based on the searched base information of the vehicles 402 and 403. That is, it is determined whether or not the vehicles have the same activity base (step S505).

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the route is being guided (step S504: Yes), the navigation control unit 301 determines that these main activity areas are the departure of the vehicle 401 based on the base information of the vehicles 402 and 403 searched. It is determined whether or not the route area includes the route from the ground to the destination, that is, whether or not the main activity area is the same vehicle as the route area (step S506).

  When it is determined that the main activity region is not the same vehicle as the route region (step S506: No) and when it is determined in step S505 that the main activity region is not the vehicle having the same activity base (step S505: No), The process proceeds to step S503 to resume searching for surrounding vehicles.

  When it is determined that the main activity region is the same vehicle as the route region (step S506: Yes) and when it is determined in step S505 that the activity base is the same vehicle (step S505: Yes). The navigation control unit 301 determines whether or not the vehicle has new navigation data based on the time stamp of the navigation data transmitted and received through the communication unit 308 (step S507).

  If it is determined that the vehicle does not have new navigation data (step S507: No), the process proceeds to step S503 and the search for surrounding vehicles is resumed. When it is determined that the vehicle has new navigation data (step S507: Yes), the navigation control unit 301 determines the communication status of the navigation data in the communication unit 308 (step S508) and communication. The speed is optimized (step S509), and navigation data communication is executed (step S510).

  Then, the navigation control unit 301 determines whether or not the communication executed through the communication unit 308 is completed or interrupted (step S511). If it is determined that the communication is not completed or interrupted (step S511: No) ) Goes to step S508 and repeats the processing from step S508 to step S511.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the communication is completed or interrupted (step S511: Yes), the navigation control unit 301 determines whether the received data, that is, the communicated navigation data is complete data ( Step S512). If it is determined that the navigation data is not complete data (step S512: No), the process proceeds to step S503 and the search for surrounding vehicles is resumed.

  When it is determined that the navigation data is complete data (step S512: Yes), the navigation control unit 301 transmits the navigation data transmitted and received through the communication unit 308 to the recording medium 305 via the recording medium decoding unit 306. The writing and navigation data are updated (step S513). Thus, a series of data update processing according to this flowchart is completed.

  Here, the outline of data communication between vehicles in the data update process will be further described. 6 and 7 are explanatory views showing an outline of data communication between vehicles having the data update device according to the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 6, for example, vehicles 611 to 614 whose main activity area is area T601 each establish a network 619 and perform data communication.

  Similarly, vehicles 621 to 624 whose main activity area is area S602 constructs network 629, and vehicles 631 to 634 whose main activity area is area K603 constructs network 639 and whose main activity area is area F609. The vehicles 691 and 692 that perform the communication construct data 699 and perform data communication with each other.

  This data communication is similarly performed even when the current active area is different from the main active area, that is, for example, when the vehicle 611 having the main active area as the area T601 is in the area S602 as the current active area. . Here, for example, when the vehicle 611 whose main activity area is the area T601 travels from a certain place in the area T601 as a departure point, and a destination in the area K603 through a route 640 passing through the area S602. Data communication will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 7, in the area T601, the vehicle 611 establishes a network 619 with other vehicles 612 to 614 to perform data communication. However, as shown by the traveling direction 711 of the white arrow in the figure, the area S602 Therefore, data communication as shown by the communication path 701 is also performed with the vehicle 625 whose main activity area is the area S602 existing in the area T601, and navigation data in the area S602 is received.

  When the vehicle 611 further advances in the traveling direction 711 and enters the area S602, the vehicle 611 leaves the network 619. The other vehicles 621 to 624 in this area S602 establish a network 629 and perform data communication. However, since the vehicle 611 heads for the area K603 as indicated by the traveling direction 712 of the white arrow in the figure, Data communication as shown by communication paths 702 and 703 is performed with the vehicles 635 and 636 having the area K603 in the main activity area as the main activity area, and navigation data in the area K603 is received.

  At this time, since the distance between the vehicle 611 and the vehicles 635 and 636 is different, the data update device of the vehicle 611 performs optimum data communication while changing the communication speed by the communication unit 308. Further, the data update device of the vehicle 611 does not perform data communication as indicated by the communication path 705 with the vehicle 691 having the area F609 existing in the area S602 as the main activity region, and is related to the area T601 and the path 640. It is possible to prevent unnecessary navigation data having no data from being stored in the recording medium 305 or the like.

  When the vehicle 611 further advances in the traveling direction 712 and enters the area K603, the other vehicles 631 to 634 in the area K603 construct the network 639 and perform data communication, but the vehicle 611 has reached the destination. Data communication is not performed with other vehicles 631 to 634.

  However, since the vehicle 637 having the area K603 in the area K603 as the main active area heads for the area T601 as indicated by the traveling direction 713 of the white arrow in the figure, the vehicle 611 is located between the vehicle 637 and the area 6603. Then, data communication as indicated by the communication path 704 is performed, and navigation data of the area T601 is transmitted.

  As described above, according to the data updating apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, another mobile body is searched based on the main active area and the current active area of the mobile body. It is possible to send and receive data on the condition that the main activity area is the same as the route area or on the condition that the activity base is the same when the route is not being guided. For this reason, for example, navigation data with low usage frequency such as a remote location can be prevented from being stored in the apparatus, and navigation data can be updated efficiently.

  As described above, according to the data update device, the data update method, the data update program, and the recording medium according to the present invention, data can be updated by sending and receiving data while paying attention to the main activity area of the mobile object. That is, when other mobile objects have the same main activity area, or when the main activity area is not the same but the path area of the mobile object is the same as the main activity area of another mobile object, etc. It is possible to actively transmit / receive navigation data to / from a mobile body and maintain the navigation data in the latest state. For this reason, there is an effect that the data can be efficiently updated so that the data necessary for the navigation operation including the map data related to the main activity area and the route of the moving body is always updated.

  In the data update device according to the present invention, new navigation data is distributed from a communication base station as a fixed station installed in, for example, a gas station or a store, or mounted on a moving body while traveling in the city. It is possible to automatically transmit and receive navigation data and update data between mobile objects simply by distributing. For this reason, it is possible to efficiently distribute (distribute) new data to the side of distributing new navigation data.

  In the present embodiment, the data communication performed by the communication unit 308 of the data update device has been described with respect to data communication (vehicle-to-vehicle communication) between vehicles by taking a vehicle as an example of a moving body and another moving body. The mobile body is not limited to a vehicle, and may be, for example, a mobile phone or a portable information terminal having a communication function. Data can be updated more efficiently by performing data communication between them and the vehicle. Can be performed.

  Also, in this embodiment, when other moving objects do not have the same main active area, or when the main active area does not become the same, the path area of the moving object and the main active area of the other moving object are not the same. For example, since the navigation data is not transmitted / received to / from another mobile body, unnecessary navigation data having a low usage frequency can be prevented from being communicated. For this reason, there is a problem that unnecessary navigation data flows in the network between mobile bodies and obstructs communication traffic, or unnecessary data remains in the storage means (for example, the recording medium 305) of the data update device, and is stored. It is possible to minimize problems such as pressing the capacity and making the operation of the device unstable.

  In addition, the data updating apparatus according to the present embodiment is configured to acquire the base information, set the main activity area, and recognize the current activity area based on the current location information and the map data. An area switching unit or the like that can switch the active area may be provided, and the set main active area, the range of the recognized current active area, and the like may be appropriately changed. In this way, the intention of the user can be reflected more flexibly when updating data.

  Further, when data communication is performed, the communication unit 308 may transmit / receive, for example, navigation data to be transmitted / received in a state of being divided for each predetermined capacity. In this way, since the volume of navigation data transmitted and received in one data communication is determined, even if the communication state is not good, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of incomplete data due to communication disconnection or the like. It becomes possible.

  In the data updating apparatus of the present embodiment, the communication status by the communication unit 308 is determined to optimize the communication speed. In addition, for example, the communication status is determined and added to the navigation data. A priority may be set for data communication based on information such as an identifier and a version number, and data communication may be performed for each priority. In this way, for example, data can be updated by performing transmission / reception by data communication in order from high priority navigation data, so that data can be updated efficiently.

  The data updating method described in the present embodiment can be realized by executing a program prepared in advance on a computer such as a personal computer or a workstation. This program is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a hard disk, a flexible disk, a CD-ROM, an MO, and a DVD, and is executed by being read from the recording medium by the computer. Further, this program may be a transmission medium that can be distributed via a network such as the Internet.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of a functional structure of the data update apparatus concerning embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining an example of the data update process sequence of the data update apparatus concerning embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of the navigation apparatus concerning an Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline | summary of the data communication between the vehicles which have the navigation apparatus concerning an Example. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the data update process sequence of the navigation apparatus concerning an Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline | summary of the data communication between the vehicles which have the data update apparatus concerning an Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline | summary of the data communication between the vehicles which have the data update apparatus concerning an Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Area setting part 102 Recognition part 103 Judgment part 104,308 Communication part 105 Update part 106 Storage part 301 Navigation control part 302 User operation part 303 Display part 304 Position acquisition part 305 Recording medium 306 Recording medium decoding part 307 Audio | voice output part 309 Path | route Search unit 310 Route guidance unit 311 Audio generation unit 312 Speaker

Claims (10)

Storage means for storing navigation data, which is data necessary for navigation processing including map data;
Area setting means for acquiring base information that is information relating to an active base of a mobile object, and setting a main active area that is an area in which the mobile object is mainly active based on the base information;
Recognizing means for acquiring current location information of the mobile object and recognizing a current activity area that is an area in which the mobile object is currently active based on the current location information;
Whether the main activity area of the other mobile body based on the base information is the same as the main active area set by the area setting means, by acquiring the base information from another mobile body existing in the current active area Determining means for determining whether or not;
Communication means for transmitting and receiving the navigation data to and from the other mobile body based on the determination result by the determination means;
Updating means for comparing the navigation data communicated by the communication means with the navigation data stored in advance in the storage means, and updating the navigation data in the storage means based on a comparison result;
A data update device comprising:   When the determination means determines that the main activity area of the other moving body is not the same as the main activity area set by the area setting means, the communication means receives the navigation data from the other moving body. The data updating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein no data is received. It further comprises route setting means for setting a route to the destination,
When the route is set by the route setting unit, the determination unit acquires the base information from another mobile body existing in the current active area recognized by the recognition unit, and stores the base information in the base information. Determining whether the main activity area of the other mobile based on is the same as the path area that is the area containing the path;
The communication means receives the navigation data from the other moving body when the determining means determines that the main activity area of the other moving body is the same as the route area. The data updating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.   The data update apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the navigation data transmitted and received by the communication unit is navigation data related to the main activity area. Storage means for storing navigation data, which is data necessary for navigation processing including map data;
Route setting means for setting a route to the destination;
Area setting means for acquiring base information that is information relating to an active base of a mobile object, and setting a main active area that is an area in which the mobile object is mainly active based on the base information;
Recognizing means for acquiring current location information of the mobile object and recognizing a current activity area that is an area in which the mobile object is currently active based on the current location information;
When the route is set by the route setting unit, the base information is acquired from another mobile body existing in the current active area recognized by the recognition unit, and the other movement based on the base information is acquired. Determining means for determining whether or not a main activity area of the body is the same as a path area that is an area including the path;
Communication means for transmitting and receiving the navigation data to and from the other mobile body based on the determination result by the determination means;
Updating means for comparing the navigation data communicated by the communication means with the navigation data stored in advance in the storage means, and updating the navigation data in the storage means based on a comparison result;
A data update device comprising:   The communication means receives the navigation data from the other moving body when the determining means determines that the main activity area of the other moving body is the same as the route area. The data update device according to claim 5. A storage step of storing navigation data, which is data necessary for navigation processing including map data, in storage means;
An area setting step of acquiring base information that is information relating to an active base of a mobile object, and setting a main active area that is an area in which the mobile object is mainly active based on the base information;
Recognizing the current location information of the mobile body, recognizing a current activity area that is an area where the mobile body is currently active based on the current location information,
Whether the main activity area of the other mobile body based on the base information is the same as the main active area set by the area setting means, by acquiring the base information from another mobile body existing in the current active area A determination step of determining whether or not,
Based on the determination result by the determination step, a communication step for transmitting and receiving the navigation data to and from the other mobile body,
An update step of comparing the navigation data communicated in the communication step with the navigation data stored in advance in the storage means, and updating the navigation data in the storage means based on a comparison result;
The data update method characterized by including. A storage step of storing navigation data, which is data necessary for navigation processing including map data, in storage means;
A route setting process for setting a route to the destination;
An area setting step of acquiring base information that is information relating to an active base of a mobile object, and setting a main active area that is an area in which the mobile object is mainly active based on the base information;
Recognizing the current location information of the mobile body, recognizing a current activity area that is an area where the mobile body is currently active based on the current location information,
When the route is set by the route setting step, the base information is acquired from another mobile body existing in the current active area recognized by the recognition step, and the other movement based on the base information is acquired. A determination step of determining whether the main active area of the body is the same as a path area that is an area including the path;
Based on the determination result by the determination step, a communication step for transmitting and receiving the navigation data to and from the other mobile body,
An update step of comparing the navigation data communicated in the communication step with the navigation data stored in advance in the storage means, and updating the navigation data in the storage means based on a comparison result;
The data update method characterized by including.   A data update program for causing a computer to execute the data update method according to claim 7 or 8. 10. A computer-readable recording medium on which the data update program according to claim 9 is recorded.

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