Device, system, method, program for reporting traffic condition, and recording medium with the program recorded therein

• US 20050099323A1
• Filed: 10/20/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Hirose, Koji
• Application Number:
  US10/968,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20050099323A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/995.13
• 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: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A plurality of traveling routes are computed with a traveling route processing section using current position, destination information, and map information. A traveling route is set based on traffic jam estimation information obtained by processing VICS data or traffic conditions in the past with the function of time, and guidance is provided on this traveling route. When any change is recognized in traffic conditions on the traveling route outside a display area currently being displayed, the reduction scale is changed so that a display area including the site of change in traffic conditions is displayed. With the features, a user can easily recognize changes in traffic conditions and determines whether running is to be continued as it is or not, or from where the current or estimated traffic jam should be evaded, so that the user is well informed of traffic conditions and excellent and smooth guidance can be provided.

Claims

1. A traffic condition reporting device comprising:

a map information acquiring section for acquiring map information;

a current position information acquiring section for acquiring current position information concerning the current position of a moving body;

a destination information acquiring section for acquiring destination information concerning the position of the destination to which said moving body travels;

a traffic information acquiring section for acquiring traffic information concerning traffic conditions of said moving body;

a traveling route setting section for setting a traveling route for said moving body based on said current position information, said destination information, and said map information; and

a display control section for having said traveling route displayed on a display section in a manner of being superimposed on said map information, and also for having said map information displayed, when a change in traffic condition for said moving body is recognized beyond the display area being displayed based on said acquired traffic information, in a display area including the site of the change on said display section.

2. The traffic condition reporting device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a traveling direction acquiring section for acquiring traveling direction information concerning a traveling direction in which said moving body travels,

wherein said display control section provides controls for changing said display area in response to the change in traffic conditions in the forward direction from the current position of said moving body on said traveling route based on said traveling direction information.

4. The traffic condition reporting device according to claim 1,

wherein said display control section provides controls for having said map information displayed in a display area including image information indicating a current position of said moving body as well as in the area including the site of change in traffic conditions for said moving body.

6. The traffic condition reporting device according to claim 1,

wherein said display control section provides controls for successively changing the reduction scale from said display area in which image information indicating a current position of said moving body is displayed in a manner of being superimposed on said map information to said display area for map information including the site of change in traffic condition for said moving body.

8. The traffic condition reporting device according to claim 1,

wherein said traffic information acquiring section acquires either one of the current traffic information concerning traffic conditions at the current point of time and traffic estimation information concerning time-series change in traffic conditions based on statistic traffic condition information obtained by subjecting traffic conditions in the past to statistic processing as a function of time as traffic information.

10. The traffic condition reporting device according to claim 8 further comprising:

an estimated position recognizing section for recognizing an estimated position to which said moving body travels in a specified period of time,

wherein, when recognizing any change in traffic conditions for said moving body based on said traffic estimation information, said display control section has image information indicating an estimated position of said moving body at a point of time when the change in traffic conditions recognized by said estimated position recognizing section displayed in a manner of being superimposed on said map information.

12. The traffic condition reporting device according to claim 10,

wherein said display control section provide controls for having at least either one of a period of rime required for said moving body to travel from the current position to an estimated position and a point of time when said moving body arrives at the estimated position together with the image display indicating the estimated position of said moving body.

14. The traffic condition reporting device according to claim 10 further comprising:

a display change demand information acquiring section for acquiring display area change demand information for demanding change of a display area,

wherein, when recognizing acquisition of the display area change demand information with said display area change demand information acquiring section, said display control section provides controls for changing the reduction scale to switch a display area to that including image information indicating the estimated position of said moving body and the site of change in traffic condition.

16. The traffic condition reporting device according to claim 1,

wherein said display control section has traffic condition image information indicating traffic conditions based on said acquired traffic information displayed in a manner of being superimposed on said map information, and also has change image information, which indicates the change in traffic conditions for said moving body and has a display format different from that of said traffic condition image information, displayed in a manner of being superimposed on said map information.

18. The traffic condition reporting device according to claim 1,

wherein said display control section provides controls for having the display area changed upon recognition of a change in traffic conditions for said moving body displayed for a prespecified period of time and then restoring the original display area upon recognition of display area change demand information for demanding change of the display area.

3. A traffic condition reporting device comprising:

a map information acquiring section for acquiring map information;

a current position information acquiring section for acquiring current position information concerning the current position of a moving body;

a traveling direction information acquiring section for acquiring a traveling direction in which said moving body travels, a traffic information acquiring section for acquiring traffic information concerning traffic conditions of said moving body; and

a display control section for having image information indicating the current position of said moving body displayed on a display section in a manner of being superimposed on said map information, and also for having said map information displayed, when a change in traffic conditions for said moving body in the forward direction in which said moving body moves is recognized beyond said display area being displayed based on said acquired traffic information and said traveling direction information, in a display area including a site of the change on said display section.

5. The traffic condition reporting device according to claim 3,

wherein said display control section provides controls for having said map information displayed in a display area including image information indicating a current position of said moving body as well as in the area including the site of change in traffic conditions for said moving body.

7. The traffic condition reporting device according to claim 3,

wherein said display control section provides controls for successively changing the reduction scale from said display area in which image information indicating a current position of said moving body is displayed in a manner of being superimposed on said map information to said display area for map information including the site of change in traffic condition for said moving body.

9. The traffic condition reporting device according to claim 3,

wherein said traffic information acquiring section acquires either one of the current traffic information concerning traffic conditions at the current point of time and traffic estimation information concerning time-series change in traffic conditions based on statistic traffic condition information obtained by subjecting traffic conditions in the past to statistic processing as a function of time as traffic information.

11. The traffic condition reporting device according to claim 9 further comprising:

an estimated position recognizing section for recognizing an estimated position to which said moving body travels in a specified period of time,

wherein, when recognizing any change in traffic conditions for said moving body based on said traffic estimation information, said display control section has image information indicating an estimated position of said moving body at a point of time when the change in traffic conditions recognized by said estimated position recognizing section displayed in a manner of being superimposed on said map information.

13. The traffic condition reporting device according to claim 11,

wherein said display control section provide controls for having at least either one of a period of rime required for said moving body to travel from the current position to an estimated position and a point of time when said moving body arrives at the estimated position together with the image display indicating the estimated position of said moving body.

15. The traffic condition reporting device according to claim 11 further comprising:

a display change demand information acquiring section for acquiring display area change demand information for demanding change of a display area,

wherein, when recognizing acquisition of the display area change demand information with said display area change demand information acquiring section, said display control section provides controls for changing the reduction scale to switch a display area to that including image information indicating the estimated position of said moving body and the site of change in traffic condition.

17. The traffic condition reporting device according to claim 3,

wherein said display control section has traffic condition image information indicating traffic conditions based on said acquired traffic information displayed in a manner of being superimposed on said map information, and also has change image information, which indicates the change in traffic conditions for said moving body and has a display format different from that of said traffic condition image information, displayed in a manner of being superimposed on said map information.

19. The traffic condition reporting device according to claim 3,

wherein said display control section provides controls for having the display area changed upon recognition of a change in traffic conditions for said moving body displayed for a prespecified period of time and then restoring the original display area upon recognition of display area change demand information for demanding change of the display area.

20. A traffic condition reporting system comprising:

a server unit comprising a storage section for storing map information therein; and

a traffic condition reporting device for acquiring said map information from the server unit via a network, the traffic condition reporting device further comprising;

a map information acquiring section for acquiring map information;

a current position information acquiring section for acquiring current position information concerning the current position of a moving body;

a destination information acquiring section for acquiring destination information concerning the position of the destination to which said moving body travels;

a traffic information acquiring section for acquiring traffic information concerning traffic conditions of said moving body;

a traveling route setting section for setting a traveling route for said moving body based on said current position information, said destination information, and said map information; and

a display control section for having said traveling route displayed on a display section in a manner of being superimposed on said map information, and also for having said map information displayed, when a change in traffic condition for said moving body is recognized beyond the display area being displayed based on said acquired traffic information, in a display area including the site of the change on said display section.

21. A traffic condition reporting system comprising:

a server unit comprising a storage section for storing map information therein; and

a traffic condition reporting device for acquiring said map information from the server unit via a network, the traffic condition reporting device further comprising;

a map information acquiring section for acquiring map information;

a current position information acquiring section for acquiring current position information concerning the current position of a moving body;

a traveling direction information acquiring section for acquiring a traveling direction in which said moving body travels,

a traffic information acquiring section for acquiring traffic information concerning traffic conditions of said moving body; and

a display control section for having image information indicating the current position of said moving body displayed on a display section in a manner of being superimposed on said map information, and also for having said map information displayed, when a change in traffic conditions for said moving body in the forward direction in which said moving body moves is recognized beyond said display area being displayed based on said acquired traffic information and said traveling direction information, in a display area including a site of the change on said display section.

22. A traffic condition reporting system comprising:

a traffic condition reporting device; and

a terminal unit connected via a network to the traffic condition reporting device in the state enabling data transaction therebetween, the terminal unit having a display section for displaying said map information thereon.

where the traffic condition reporting device further comprises;

a map information acquiring section for acquiring map information;

a current position information acquiring section for acquiring current position information concerning the current position of a moving body;

a destination information acquiring section for acquiring destination information concerning the position of the destination to which said moving body travels;

a traffic information acquiring section for acquiring traffic information concerning traffic conditions of said moving body;

a traveling route setting section for setting a traveling route for said moving body based on said current position information, said destination information, and said map information; and

a display control section for having said traveling route displayed on a display section in a manner of being superimposed on said map information, and also for having said map information displayed, when a change in traffic condition for said moving body is recognized beyond the display area being displayed based on said acquired traffic information, in a display area including the site of the change on said display section.

23. A traffic condition reporting system comprising:

a traffic condition reporting device; and

a terminal unit connected via a network to the traffic condition reporting device in the state enabling data transaction therebetween, the terminal unit having a display section for displaying said map information thereon.

where the traffic condition reporting device further comprises;

a map information acquiring section for acquiring map information;

a current position information acquiring section for acquiring current position information concerning the current position of a moving body;

a traveling direction information acquiring section for acquiring a traveling direction in which said moving body travels,

a traffic information acquiring section for acquiring traffic information concerning traffic conditions of said moving body; and

a display control section for having image information indicating the current position of said moving body displayed on a display section in a manner of being superimposed on said map information, and also for having said map information displayed, when a change in traffic conditions for said moving body in the forward direction in which said moving body moves is recognized beyond said display area being displayed based on said acquired traffic information and said traveling direction information, in a display area including a site of the change on said display section.

24. A traffic condition reporting system comprising:

a terminal unit having a demand signal generating section for generating a demand signal for demanding a traveling route for a moving body to travel on and a display section for providing a screen display of said traveling route superimposed on the map information; and

a server unit with said terminal unit connected thereto via a network in the state enabling data transaction therebetween and comprising a storage section for storing therein map information, a current position information acquiring section for acquiring current position information concerning a current position of said moving body, a destination information acquiring section for acquiring destination information concerning a position of a destination to which said moving body travels to, a traffic information acquiring section for acquiring traffic information concerning traffic conditions for said moving body, a demand signal recognizing section for recognizing said demand signal, and a traveling route setting section for setting, when said demand signal is recognized by said demand signal recognizing section, a traveling route for said moving body based on said current position information, said destination information and said map information,

wherein at least either one of said terminal unit and said server unit has a display control section for providing controls for having said traveling route displayed on said display section in a manner of being superimposed on said map information, and also for providing controls, when a change in traffic conditions for said moving body is recognized beyond the display area currently being displayed based on the traffic information acquired by the traffic information acquiring section in said server unit, to have said map information displayed in a display area including the area of change.

25. A traffic condition reporting system comprising:

a terminal unit having a display section for providing a screen display of map information; and

a server unit with said terminal unit connected thereto via a network in the state enabling data transaction therebetween and comprising a storage section for storing therein map information, a current position information acquiring section for acquiring current position information concerning a current position of said moving body, and a traffic information acquiring section for acquiring traffic information concerning traffic conditions for said moving body,

wherein at least either one of said terminal unit and said server unit has at least either one of a traveling direction information acquiring section for acquiring traveling direction information concerning a traveling direction of said moving body, and a display control section for having image information indicating a current position of said moving body displayed on said display section in a manner of being superimposed on said map information, and also for providing controls, when a change in traffic conditions for said moving body in the direction in which said moving body moves is recognized beyond the display area currently being displayed based on the traffic information acquired by the traffic information acquiring section in said server unit as well as traveling direction information acquired by said traveling direction information acquiring section, to have said map information displayed in an area including the display area.

26. A traffic condition reporting method comprising the steps of:

acquiring map information, current position information concerning current position of a moving body, destination information concerning the position of a destination to which said moving body travels, and traffic information concerning traffic conditions for said moving body;

setting a traveling route for said moving body based on said current position information, said destination information, and said map information; and

providing controls for having said traveling route displayed on a display section in a manner of being superimposed on said map information, and also for having, when a change in traffic conditions for said moving body is recognized beyond the display area currently being displayed based on said acquired traffic information, said map information displayed in a display area including the area on said display section.

27. A traffic condition reporting method comprising the steps of:

acquiring map information, current position information concerning a current position of a moving body, traveling direction information concerning a traveling direction of said moving body, and traffic information concerning traffic conditions for said moving body; and

providing controls for having image information indicating a current position of said moving body displayed on a display section in a manner of being superimposed on said map information and also for having, when a change in traffic conditions for said moving body in the direction in which said moving body travels is recognized beyond said display area being displayed based on said traffic information and said traveling direction information, said map information displayed in a display area including the area on said display section.

28. A traffic condition reporting program for making a computing section execute a traffic condition reporting method which comprises the steps of:

acquiring map information, current position information concerning current position of a moving body, destination information concerning the position of a destination to which said moving body travels, and traffic information concerning traffic conditions for said moving body;

setting a traveling route for said moving body based on said current position information, said destination information, and said map information; and

providing controls for having said traveling route displayed on a display section in a manner of being superimposed on said map information, and also for having, when a change in traffic conditions for said moving body is recognized beyond the display area currently being displayed based on said acquired traffic information, said map information displayed in a display area including the area on said display section.

29. A traffic condition reporting program for making a computing section execute a traffic condition reporting method which comprises the steps of:

acquiring map information, current position information concerning a current position of a moving body, traveling direction information concerning a traveling direction of said moving body, and traffic information concerning traffic conditions for said moving body; and

providing controls for having image information indicating a current position of said moving body displayed on a display section in a manner of being superimposed on said map information and also for having, when a change in traffic conditions for said moving body in the direction in which said moving body travels is recognized beyond said display area being displayed based on said traffic information and said traveling direction information, said map information displayed in a display area including the area on said display section.

30. A recording medium with a traffic condition reporting program recorded therein in a manner readable by a computing section, the traffic condition reporting program being a program for making a computing section execute the traffic condition reporting method which comprises the steps of:

acquiring map information, current position information concerning current position of a moving body, destination information concerning the position of a destination to which said moving body travels, and traffic information concerning traffic conditions for said moving body;

setting a traveling route for said moving body based on said current position information, said destination information, and said map information; and

providing controls for having said traveling route displayed on a display section in a manner of being superimposed on said map information, and also for having, when a change in traffic conditions for said moving body is recognized beyond the display area currently being displayed based on said acquired traffic information, said map information displayed in a display area including the area on said display section.

31. A recording medium with a traffic condition reporting program recorded therein in a manner readable by a computing section, the traffic condition reporting program being a program for making a computing section execute the traffic condition reporting method which comprises the steps of:

acquiring map information, current position information concerning a current position of a moving body, traveling direction information concerning a traveling direction of said moving body, and traffic information concerning traffic conditions for said moving body; and

providing controls for having image information indicating a current position of said moving body displayed on a display section in a manner of being superimposed on said map information and also for having, when a change in traffic conditions for said moving body in the direction in which said moving body travels is recognized beyond said display area being displayed based on said traffic information and said traveling direction information, said map information displayed in a display area including the area on said display section.