Travel time data processing apparatus, travel time data processing method and program

• US 10,151,593 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2015
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• 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: Tashiro, Hiroyuki, Hosoya, Yume, Nakamura, Motohiro, Kodan, Tomoki, Ikeno, Atsushi, Kato, Yoshitaka, Koshiba, Sadahiro, Maekawa, Kazuteru
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith-Stewart, Demetra R
• Application Number:
  US15/120,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20170074670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• 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: 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 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard

Abstract

A travel time data processor extracts a link that is present in the neighborhood of a target link, as a reference link. The travel time data processor selects an identical time zone of the reference link that is identical with the time zone of the target link in which the number of sample data is less than a reference number, and searches for another time zone having similar statistical data to that of the selected time zone. The travel time data processor adds the number of sample data in a time zone of the target link corresponding to the searched another time zone of the reference link to the number of sample data in the time zone of the target link that is equal to or less than the reference number, and generates statistical data from the summed-up sample data.

Claims

1. A travel time data processing apparatus configured to process data regarding a travel time that is a time period required for traveling on a road, the travel time data processing apparatus comprising:

a road network data storage configured to store road network data that includes link data representing roads;

a probe information storage configured to store probe information obtained from each apparatus traveling on a road;

a travel time data calculator configured to use the probe information and calculate data on the travel time with regard to each road corresponding to each piece of the link data; and

a travel time data processor configured to;

when a time zone of statistical data of one piece link data has a number of probe information that is insufficient for calculating a travel time of the road represented by the one piece of link data;

select another piece of link data that satisfies a predetermined condition relative to the one piece of link data,

select a time zone of statistical data of the other piece of link data that is identical to the time zone of statistical data of the one piece of link data,

search statistical data of the other piece of link data for another time zone of statistical data that has similar statistical data to statistical data of the selected time zone of statistical data of the other piece of link data,

select the other time zone of statistical data of the other piece of link data that has the similar statistical data, and

add a number of probe information in the selected other time zone of statistical data of the other piece of link data to the number of probe information in the time zone of statistical data of the one piece of link data that has the number of probe information that is insufficient.

2. The travel time data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

each piece of the link data includes zoning information that defines a zoning of buildings, and

the travel time data processor refers to the zoning information and selects the other piece of link data out of target pieces of link data having zoning information that is identical with or that has at least a certain relevance to the one piece of link data.

3. The travel time data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

each piece of the link data includes road level information that defines a road level, and

the travel time data processor selects the other piece of link data out of target pieces of link data having an identical road level with a road level of the one piece of link data.

4. A travel time data processing method of calculating a travel time of a road based on information sent from an information terminal, the travel time data processing method comprising:

causing a computer to obtain probe information from each apparatus traveling on a road;

causing the computer to store the probe information into a probe information storage;

causing the computer to use the probe information and calculate a travel time that is a time period required for traveling, with regard to each road corresponding to each piece of link data that is included in road network data stored in a road network data storage; and

causing the computer to;

when a time zone of statistical data of one piece link data has a number of probe information that is insufficient for calculating a travel time of the road represented by the one piece of link data;

select another piece of link data that satisfies a predetermined condition relative to the one piece of link data,

select a time zone of statistical data of the other piece of link data that is identical to the time zone of statistical data of the one piece of link data,

search statistical data of the other piece of link data for another time zone of statistical data that has similar statistical data to statistical data of the selected time zone of statistical data of the other piece of link data,

select the other time zone of statistical data of the other piece of link data that has the similar statistical data, and

add a number of probe information in the selected other time zone of statistical data of the other piece of link data to the number of probe information in the time zone of statistical data of the one piece of link data that has the number of probe information that is insufficient.

5. A non-transitory computer readable medium staring a program configured to calculate a travel time of a road based on information sent from an information terminal, the program being executed by a computer, the program causing the computer to implement the functions of:

obtaining probe information from each apparatus traveling on a road;

storing the probe information into a probe information storage;

using the probe information and calculating a travel time that is a time period required for traveling, with regard to each road corresponding to each piece of link data that is included in road network data stored in a road network data storage; and

when a time zone of statistical data of one piece link data has a number of probe information that is insufficient for calculating a travel time of the road represented by the one piece of link data;

selecting another piece of link data that satisfies a predetermined condition relative to the one piece of link data,

selecting a time zone of statistical data of the other piece of link data that is identical to the time zone of statistical data of the one piece of link data,

searching statistical data of the other piece of link data for another time zone of statistical data that has similar statistical data to statistical data of the selected time zone of statistical data of the other piece of link data,

selecting the other time zone of statistical data of the other piece of link data that has the similar statistical data, and

adding a number of probe information in the selected other time zone of statistical data of the other piece of link data to the number of probe information in the time zone of statistical data of the one piece of link data that has the number of probe information that is insufficient.