Route search system, route search method, and computer program

• US 10,145,698 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2015
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanizaki, Daisuke, Hiyokawa, Toyoji, Kato, Tatsuya, Nakamura, Motohiro, Watanabe, Kazunori, Tashiro, Hiroyuki, Hiroo, Kei
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Application Number:
  US15/503,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20170350715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3446 Details of route searching algorithms, e.g. Dijkstra, A*, arc-flags, using precalculated routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/47 the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/056 with provision for distinguishing direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09 Arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions railroad crossing signals B61L; reflectors E01F, G08B; indicating arrangements for variable information by selection or combination of individual elements G09F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

Route search systems, methods, and programs search for a recommended route using a cost value of a link or a node that constitutes a route. The systems, methods, and programs calculate the cost value of the link or the node on the basis of calculation material information that serves as a material for calculating the cost value, and specify a reliability degree of the calculated cost value of the link or the node on the basis of a number of pieces of the calculation material information used to calculate the cost value of the link or the node. The systems, methods, and programs correct the cost value of the link or the node, the reliability degree of which has been specified, on the basis of the specified reliability degree, and search for the recommended route using the corrected cost value.

Claims

1. A route search system that searches for a recommended route using a cost value of a link or a node that constitutes a route, comprising:

a processor programmed to;

calculate the cost value of the link or the node on the basis of calculation material information that serves as a material for calculating the cost value;

specify a reliability degree of the calculated cost value of the link or the node on the basis of a number of pieces of the calculation material information used to calculate the cost value of the link or the node;

correct the cost value of the link or the node, the reliability degree of which has been specified, on the basis of the specified reliability degree; and

search for the recommended route using the corrected cost value.

2. The route search system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is programed to:

correct the cost value of the link or the node, the reliability degree of which has been specified, such that the cost value is lower as the specified reliability degree is higher.

3. The route search system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to:

specify the reliability degree of the cost value of the link or the node as being higher as the number of pieces of the calculation material information used to calculate the cost value of the link or the node is larger.

4. The route search system according to claim 1, wherein:

the calculation material information includes probe information acquired from a vehicle.

5. The route search system according to claim 4, wherein the processor is programmed to:

calculate the cost value of the link or the node on the basis of information related to the link or the node acquired from map information and an average travel time or a congestion degree specified from the probe information.

6. The route search system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to:

correct the cost value of the link or the node by multiplying the calculated cost value by a coefficient that matches the specified reliability degree.

7. The route search system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to:

extract a piece of the calculation material information corresponding to the link or the node as an object for calculation of the cost value, among pieces of the calculation material information that serve as materials for calculating the cost value;

calculate the cost value of the link or the node using the extracted piece of the calculation material information; and

increase the number of pieces of the calculation material information to be extracted in order to calculate the cost value of the link or the node by alleviating a correspondence condition for extraction.

8. The route search system according to claim 7, wherein:

the calculation material information is travel information on a vehicle, to which a link or a node through which the vehicle has traveled, a direction of entry into the link or the node, and a direction of exit from the link or the node have been added as a travel mode; and

the processor is programmed to;

extract a piece of the calculation material information to which the travel mode corresponding to the link or the node as the object for calculation of the cost value has been added; and

increase the number of pieces of the calculation material information to be extracted in order to calculate the cost value of the link or the node by excluding one or both of the direction of entry and the direction of exit from the correspondence condition for the travel mode.

9. The route search system according to claim 7, wherein:

the calculation material information is travel information on a vehicle, to which a time of travel of the vehicle has been added; and

the processor id programmed to;

extract a piece of the calculation material information to which a time included in the same time classification as a time for calculation of the cost value has been added; and

increase the number of pieces of the calculation material information to be extracted in order to calculate the cost value of the link or the node by widening the time classification.

10. The route search system according to claim 7, wherein:

the calculation material information is travel information on a vehicle, to which a date or day of the week of travel of the vehicle has been added; and

the processor is programmed to;

extract a piece of the calculation material information to which a date or day of the week included in the same date classification or day-of-the-week classification as a date or day of the week for calculation of the cost value has been added; and

increase the number of pieces of the calculation material information to be extracted in order to calculate the cost value of the link or the node by widening the date classification or the day-of-the-week classification.

11. The route search system according to claim 7, wherein:

the calculation material information is travel information on a vehicle, to which a weather during travel of the vehicle has been added; and

the processor is programmed to;

extract a piece of the calculation material information to which a weather included in the same weather classification as a weather during calculation of the cost value has been added; and

increase the number of pieces of the calculation material information to be extracted in order to calculate the cost value of the link or the node by widening the weather classification.

12. A route search method for searching for a recommended route using a cost value of a link or a node that constitutes a route, comprising:

calculating the cost value of the link or the node on the basis of calculation material information that serves as a material for calculating the cost value;

specifying a reliability degree of the calculated cost value of the link or the node on the basis of a number of pieces of the calculation material information used to calculate the cost value of the link or the node;

correcting the cost value of the link or the node, the reliability degree of which has been specified, on the basis of the specified reliability degree; and

searching for the recommended route using the corrected cost value.

13. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for searching for a recommended route using a cost value of a link or a node that constitutes a route, the computer program causing a computer to:

calculate the cost value of the link or the node on the basis of calculation material information that serves as a material for calculating the cost value;

specify a reliability degree of the calculated cost value of the link or the node on the basis of a number of pieces of the calculation material information used to calculate the cost value of the link or the node;

correct the cost value of the link or the node, the reliability degree of which has been specified, on the basis of the specified reliability degree; and

search for the recommended route using the corrected cost value.