Route calculation device, navigation device, route calculation method, navigation method, and communication system

• US 10,234,301 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2015
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Arakawa, Tomoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith-Stewart, Demetra R
• Application Number:
  US15/127,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20170108345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,534 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• 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 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096805 where the transmitted instructions are used to compute a route
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09685 where the complete route is computed only once and not updated
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

The present invention provides a route calculation device, a navigation device, a route calculation method, and a navigation device that can calculate a route that allows a user to arrive at a destination or a stop-off point within a determined time period. The route calculation device according to the present invention includes a communication available hours acquisition unit 11 that acquires communication available hours of a plurality of branch stations that establish communication with a mobile station, a reference time acquisition unit 12 that acquires a reference time, a road information acquisition unit 13 that acquires time information of a road section, and a route calculation unit 31 that calculates a first travel route that offers the shortest required time for stopping by the branch stations based on the communication available hours, the reference time, and the time information of a road section.

Claims

1. A route calculation device comprising at least one processor configured to:

acquire communication available hours of a plurality of branch stations which are devices that collect information and transmit the information to a mobile station with which communication is established;

acquire a reference time comprising one of a current time of the mobile station and a departure time at which the mobile station starts traveling;

acquire time information of a road section comprising information on a travel time from a current location of the mobile station to each of the plurality of branch stations and information on a travel time between the branch stations;

calculate a first travel route that offers a shortest required time for stopping by the branch stations based on the communication available hours, the reference time, and the time information of a road section;

acquire speed information of the road section;

acquire a travel speed;

acquire a target speed based on the first travel route and the speed information of the road section;

acquire information on a location of traffic congestion;

determine whether a difference between the target speed and the travel speed is outside a predetermined speed range;

determine whether there is traffic congestion on the first travel route based on the first travel route and the information on the location of traffic congestion;

when it is determined that the difference between the target speed and the travel speed is outside the predetermined speed range and that there is traffic congestion on the first travel route, calculate a second travel route that offers a shortest required time for stopping by the branch stations based on the communication available hours, the reference time, and the time information of the road section.

2. The route calculation device according to claim 1, the processor further configured to:

acquire a plurality of candidate sequences of stopping by the plurality of branch stations;

calculate a travel time in a case in which the mobile station stops by the plurality of branch stations according to each candidate sequence based on the time information of the road section;

calculate a delay time until communication between the mobile station and each of the plurality of branch station is established after the mobile station has arrived at the branch station with reference to each candidate sequence based on the communication available hours, the reference time, and the time information of the road section; and

calculate a required time with reference to each candidate sequence based on the travel time and the delay time, wherein

the processor is further configured to calculate the candidate sequence that offers a shortest required time as the first travel route.

3. The route calculation device according to claim 1, the processor further configured to:

acquire an elapsed time after the mobile station has started to travel;

acquire a current location;

calculate a target arrival location based on the speed information of the road section and the elapsed time; and

determine whether a locational difference between the target arrival location and the current location is outside of a predetermined location range, wherein

when it is determined that the locational difference between the target arrival location and the current location is outside of the predetermined location range, the processor is configured to calculate a second travel route that offers a shortest required time for stopping by the plurality of branch stations based on the communication available hours, the reference time, and the time information of the road section.

4. The route calculation device according to claim 3, the processor further configured to:

when it is determined that the locational difference between the target arrival location and the current location is out of the predetermined location range and that there is traffic congestion on the first travel route, calculate the second travel route that offers the shortest required time for stopping by the plurality of branch stations.

5. A navigation device comprising:

the route calculation device according to claim 1;

and

a display, wherein

the display displays the first travel route calculated by the route calculation device.

6. The navigation device according to claim 5, the processor further configured to:

determine whether the second travel route is different from the first travel route, and

when the processor determines that the second travel route calculated by the route calculation device is different from the first travel route, the display displays the second travel route calculated by the route calculation device and a notice that a travel route has changed.

7. The navigation device according to claim 5, wherein

when it is determined that the difference between the target speed and the travel speed acquired by the route calculation device is out of the predetermined speed range and that there is no traffic congestion on the first travel route, the display displays a warning.

8. The navigation device according to claim 5, wherein

the processor of the route calculation device is further configured to

acquire an elapsed time after the mobile station has started to travel;

acquire a current location;

calculate a target arrival location based on the speed information of the road section and the elapsed time; and

determine whether a locational difference between the target arrival location and the current location is outside of a predetermined location range, wherein

when it is determined that the locational difference between the target arrival location and the current location acquired by the route calculation device is outside of the predetermined range, the display displays a warning.

9. The navigation device according to claim 5, wherein

the processor of the route calculation device is further configured to

acquire an elapsed time after the mobile station has started to travel;

acquire a current location;

calculate a target arrival location based on the speed information of the road section and the elapsed time;

determine whether a locational difference between the target arrival location and the current location is outside of a predetermined location range; and

when it is determined that the locational difference between the target arrival location and the current location acquired by the route calculation device is outside of the predetermined location range and that there is no traffic congestion on the first travel route, the display displays a warning.

10. The navigation device according to claim 5, wherein

the display additionally displays the target speed acquired by the route calculation device.

11. The navigation device according to claim 5, wherein

the processor is further configured to calculate an estimated arrival time of arriving at a next branch station to be stopped by based on the reference time, the first travel route, and the time information of the road section, and

the display displays the estimated arrival time.

12. The navigation device according to claim 5, the processor further configured to:

acquire a communication range of a branch station of the plurality of branch stations, wherein

the display displays the communication range of the branch station.

13. The navigation device according to claim 12, wherein

the display displays the branch stations.

14. The navigation device according to claim 12, wherein

the display displays a branch station with which communication has not been completed out of the branch stations.

15. The navigation device according to claim 12, wherein

the display displays the number of branch stations with which communication has not been completed out of the branch stations.

16. A route calculation method comprising following steps:

acquiring communication available hours of a plurality of branch stations which are devices that collect information and transmit the information to a mobile station with which communication is established;

acquiring a reference time comprising one of a current time of the mobile station and a departure time at which the mobile station starts traveling;

acquiring time information of a road section comprising information on a travel time from a current location of the mobile station to each of the plurality of branch stations and information on a travel time between the branch stations;

calculating a first travel route that offers a shortest required time for stopping by the branch stations based on the communication available hours, the reference time, and the time information of a road section;

acquiring speed information of the road section;

acquiring a travel speed;

acquiring a target speed based on the first travel route and the speed information of the road section;

acquiring information on a location of traffic congestion;

determining whether a difference between the target speed and the travel speed is outside a predetermined speed range;

determining whether there is traffic congestion on the first travel route based on the first travel route and the information on the location of traffic congestion;

when it is determined that the difference between the target speed and the travel speed is outside the predetermined speed range and that there is traffic congestion on the first travel route, calculating a second travel route that offers a shortest required time for stopping by the branch stations based on the communication available hours, the reference time, and the time information of the road section.

17. The route calculation method according to claim 16, further comprising following steps:

acquiring a plurality of candidate sequences of stopping by the plurality of branch stations;

calculating a travel time in a case in which the mobile station stops by the plurality of branch stations of each candidate sequence based on the time information of the road section;

calculating a delay time until communication between the mobile station and each of the plurality of branch station is established after the mobile station has arrived at the branch station with reference to each candidate sequence based on the communication available hours, the reference time, and the time information of the road section; and

calculating a required time with reference to each candidate sequence based on the travel time and the delay time, wherein

the route calculation step further comprises calculating the candidate sequence that offers a shortest required time as the first travel route.

18. A route calculation device comprising at least one processor configured to:

acquire communication available hours of a plurality of branch stations which are devices that collect information and transmit the information to a mobile station with which communication is established;

acquire a reference time comprising one of a current time of the mobile station and a departure time at which the mobile station starts traveling;

acquire time information of a road section comprising information on a travel time from a current location of the mobile station to each of the plurality of branch stations and information on a travel time between the branch stations;

calculate a first travel route that offers a shortest required time for stopping by the branch stations based on the communication available hours, the reference time, and the time information of a road section;

acquire an elapsed time after the mobile station has started to travel;

acquire a current location;

calculate a target arrival location based on the speed information of the road section and the elapsed time; and

determine whether a locational difference between the target arrival location and the current location is outside of a predetermined location range, wherein

when it is determined that the locational difference between the target arrival location and the current location is outside of the predetermined location range, the processor is configured to calculate a second travel route that offers a shortest required time for stopping by the plurality of branch stations based on the communication available hours, the reference time, and the time information of the road section.

19. A navigation device comprising:

a route calculation device comprising at least one processor configured to;

acquire communication available hours of a plurality of branch stations which are devices that collect information and transmit the information to a mobile station with which communication is established;

acquire a reference time comprising one of a current time of the mobile station and a departure time at which the mobile station starts traveling;

acquire time information of a road section comprising information on a travel time from a current location of the mobile station to each of the plurality of branch stations and information on a travel time between the branch stations; and

calculate a first travel route that offers a shortest required time for stopping by the branch stations based on the communication available hours, the reference time, and the time information of a road section;

acquire a communication range of a branch station of the plurality of branch stations; and

a display, wherein the display displays the first travel route calculated by the route calculation device and displays the communication range of the branch station.