Traffic situation determination systems, methods, and programs

• US 20080270015A1
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Hiroki, Kano, Toshihiro, Yamamoto, Yukio
• Granted Patent: US 8,326,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/119
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions

Abstract

Traffic situation determination systems, methods, and programs acquire a current position of the vehicle based on a radio signal received from a GPS satellite and determine a first travel path of the vehicle based on the acquired position of the vehicle. The systems, methods, and programs determine whether a road on which the vehicle is traveling has a traffic jam. If the road on which the vehicle is traveling has a traffic jam, the systems, methods and programs transmit first information relating to the first travel path from the vehicle to an information center. The systems, methods, and programs receive second information relating to a second travel path of the vehicle, the second information being received from a mobile phone communication center and being based on a mobile phone signal received by the mobile phone communication center. The systems, methods, and programs determine a road corresponding to the first travel path as having a traffic jam and determine a road corresponding to the second travel path, and not corresponding to the first travel path, as having no traffic jam.

Claims

1. A traffic situation determination system, comprising:

a vehicle;

a mobile phone communication network that determines a travel path of the vehicle based on a mobile phone signal received from the vehicle; and

an information center that communicates with a communication device of the vehicle and the mobile phone communication network; and

the vehicle including;

the communication device that communicates over a mobile phone network; and

a controller that;

acquires a current position of the vehicle based on a radio signal received from a GPS satellite;

determines a travel path of the vehicle based on the acquired position of the vehicle;

determines whether a road on which the vehicle is traveling has a traffic jam;

if the road on which the vehicle is traveling has a traffic jam, causes the communication device to transmit information relating to the travel path to an information center; and

if the road on which the vehicle is traveling does not have a traffic jam, does not cause the communication device to transmit information relating to the travel path to the information center.

2. The traffic situation determination system of claim 1, wherein the controller:

acquires a speed of the vehicle;

compares the acquired speed to a predetermined threshold speed; and

if the acquired speed is less or equal to than the predetermined threshold speed, determines that the road on which the vehicle is traveling has a traffic jam.

3. The traffic situation determination system of claim 1, wherein the transmitted information relating to the travel path is information relating to the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

4. The traffic situation determination system of claim 1, wherein the transmitted information relating to the travel path is:

information relating to the road on which the vehicle is traveling; and

information relating to a road adjacent to the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

5. The traffic situation determination system of claim 1, wherein the transmitted information relating to the travel path is:

information relating to the road on which the vehicle is traveling; and

an amount of information about a road or roads adjacent to the road on which the vehicle is traveling whose transmission would not raise a communication cost compared to a communication cost of transmitting only the information relating to the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

6. The traffic situation determination system of claim 1, wherein the controller is included in a navigation device installed in the vehicle.

7. An information center, comprising:

a communication device that communicates with a mobile phone communication center and a vehicle; and

a controller that;

acquires from the communication unit first information relating to a first travel path of the vehicle, the first information being received from the vehicle and being based on a radio signal received from a GPS satellite;

acquires from the communication unit second information relating to a second travel path of the vehicle, the second information being received from the mobile phone communication center and being based on a mobile phone signal received by the mobile phone communication center;

determines a road corresponding to the first travel path as having a traffic jam; and

determines a road corresponding to the second travel path, and not corresponding to the first travel path, as having no traffic jam.

8. The information center of claim 7, wherein the controller:

corrects the second travel path based on the first information.

9. The information center of claim 8, wherein the first information is information relating to a road on which the vehicle is traveling.

10. The information center of claim 8, wherein the first information is:

information relating to a road on which the vehicle is traveling; and

information relating to a road adjacent to the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

11. The information center of claim 8, wherein the first information is:

information relating to a road on which the vehicle is traveling; and

an amount of information about a road or roads adjacent to the road on which the vehicle is traveling whose transmission would not raise a communication cost compared to a communication cost of transmitting only the information relating to the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

12. A traffic situation determining method, comprising:

acquiring a current position of the vehicle based on a radio signal received from a GPS satellite;

determining a first travel path of the vehicle based on the acquired position of the vehicle;

determining whether a road on which the vehicle is traveling has a traffic jam;

if the road on which the vehicle is traveling has a traffic jam, transmitting first information relating to the first travel path from the vehicle to an information center;

receiving second information relating to a second travel path of the vehicle, the second information being received from a mobile phone communication center and being based on a mobile phone signal received by the mobile phone communication center;

determining a road corresponding to the first travel path as having a traffic jam; and

determining a road corresponding to the second travel path, and not corresponding to the first travel path, as having no traffic jam.

13. The traffic situation determining method of claim 12, further comprising:

correcting the second travel path based on the first information.

14. The traffic situation determining method of claim 13, wherein the first information is information relating to the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

15. The traffic situation determining method of claim 13, wherein the first information is:

information relating to the road on which the vehicle is traveling; and

information relating to a road adjacent to the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

16. The traffic situation determining method of claim 13, wherein the first information is:

information relating to the road on which the vehicle is traveling; and

an amount of information about a road or roads adjacent to the road on which the vehicle is traveling whose transmission would not raise a communication cost compared to a communication cost of transmitting only the information relating to the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program usable to determine a traffic situation, the program comprising instructions that cause a computer to implement the method of claim 12.