Speed limit informing device installed in on-board navigation system

• US 20090195411A1
• Filed: 01/29/2009
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Hayashida, Atsushi, Sobue, Eiji, Ichihashi, Syo, Sugawara, Yoshihiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,138,947 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element

Abstract

A device for informing to a driver a speed limit set for an own lane included in a multi-lane road is installed in a navigation system mounted on an automotive vehicle. The device includes a road surface camera for taking pictures of the speed limit painted on a road surface and informing devices such as a display panel and/or a speaker. The speed limit set for the own lane is specified based on the pictures taken by the road surface camera, and the specified speed limit is informed to the driver. Speed limits set for neighboring lanes may be also specified, and if they are different from the speed limit set for the own lane, this is informed to the driver together with the speed limits set for the neighboring lanes. It is not required to distinguish the own lane from among other lanes included in the multi-lane road because the speed limit set for the own lane is detected by the camera mounted on the own vehicle.

Claims

1. An on-board device for informing a speed limit set for an own lane, on which an own vehicle is driving, the own lane being included in a multi-lane road, the informing device comprising:

means for specifying the speed limit set for the own lane; and

means for informing the specified speed limit to a driver.

2. The on-board device as in claim 1, wherein:

the specifying means specifies the speed limit set for the own lane based on a picture, showing the speed limit set for the own lane, taken by an on-board camera.

3. The on-board device as in claim 1, wherein:

the specifying means further specifies a speed limit set for a neighboring lane to the own lane; and

the informing means informs to the driver that the speed limit set for the neighboring lane is different from that of the own lane if such is the case.

4. The on-board device as in claim 3, wherein:

the informing means further informs to the driver the speed limit set for the neighboring lane.

5. The on-board device as in claim 3, wherein:

the specifying means specifies the speed limit set for the neighboring lane based on a picture, showing the speed limit set for the neighboring lane, taken by an on-board camera.

6. The on-board device as in claim 2, further including a device for reading out information regarding speed limits set for the respective lanes included in the multi-lane road from a memory device storing such information, wherein:

the informing means informs to the driver that the speed limit set for the own lane specified based on the picture taken by the on-board camera is different from the speed limit set for the own lane read out from the memory device, if such is the case.

7. A memory medium for storing a computer program for operating the specifying means and the informing means defined in claim 1.

8. The on-board device as in claim 2, wherein:

the informing means includes a display panel on which information is shown.

9. The on-board device as in claim 4, wherein:

the informing means informs to the driver the speed limit set for neighboring lanes at both sides of the own lane, if such is the case.