Positional information use apparatus

• US 20080010009A1
• Filed: 05/10/2007
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Miyoshi, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,840,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A vehicular swept path processor and a map matching processor calculate a current position of a subject vehicle. A gyro sensor and a steering sensor output detection signals. A POI recognition processor makes a determination as to whether the vehicle stopped off at a POI or not based on the calculated current position and the outputted detection signals. When the determination is affirmatively made, i.e., the vehicle is determined to have stopped off at the POI, the POI recognition processor calculates a recognition confidence degree relative to an accuracy in the determination. A vehicle control ECU controls an in-vehicle device such that the in-vehicle device performs a predetermined operation corresponding to the POI in a mode according to the calculated recognition confidence degree.

Claims

1. A positional information use apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a position calculation unit configured to calculate a current position of the vehicle;

a POI storing unit configured to store POI positional information on a position of a Point Of Interest (POI);

an acquisition unit configured to acquire state information on a change in a heading direction of the vehicle;

an area determination unit configured to make an area determination, based on the calculated current position, as to whether the vehicle is present within a predetermined stop-off determination area, which is defined based on the stored POI positional information, for determining a stop-off of the vehicle at the POI; and

a stop-off determination unit configured to make a stop-off determination, based on the acquired state information, as to whether the vehicle stops off at the POI when the area determination is affirmatively made.

2. The positional information use apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a map data storing unit configured to store map data, wherein

the position calculation unit computes a current position matched to be present on a road based on the stored map data, and

the area determination unit makes an area determination, based on the calculated current position present on the road, as to whether the vehicle is present within a predetermined stop-off determination area, which is defined on the road adjacent to the POI.

3. The positional information use apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an in-vehicle device control unit communicative with an in-vehicle device and configured to control the in-vehicle device such that the in-vehicle device performs a predetermined operation corresponding to the POI when the stop-off determination is affirmatively made.

4. The positional information use apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a confidence degree calculation unit configured to calculate a confidence degree in an accuracy in the affirmatively made stop-off determination, wherein

the in-vehicle device control unit controls the in-vehicle device such that the in-vehicle device performs a predetermined operation corresponding to the POI according to the calculated confidence degree.

5. The positional information use apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the confidence degree calculation unit evaluates an accuracy in calculation by the position calculation unit and then calculates the confidence degree based on the evaluated accuracy.

6. The positional information use apparatus of claim 4,

wherein the POI storing unit stores a value of a user evaluation regarding the POI,

the apparatus further comprising:

an evaluation reception unit configured to receive an evaluation relative to the affirmatively made stop-off determination and to change the stored value of the user evaluation based on the received evaluation, wherein

the confidence degree calculation unit calculates the confidence degree based on the stored value of the user evaluation regarding the POI.

7. A method for determining a stop-off at a spot by a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

storing spot positional information on a position of a spot;

calculating a current position of the vehicle;

acquiring state information on a change in a heading direction of the vehicle;

making an area determination, based on the calculated current position, as to whether the vehicle is present within a predetermined stop-off determination area, which is defined based on the stored spot positional information, for determining a stop-off of the vehicle at the spot; and

making a stop-off determination, based on the acquired state information, as to whether the vehicle stops off at the spot when the area determination is affirmatively made.