Apparatus, program and storage medium for notifying intersection information

• US 20090212973A1
• Filed: 02/10/2009
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Namikawa, Yutaka
• Granted Patent: US 8,040,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/909
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/07 Controlling traffic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

A signal sequence of a traffic signal is notified for a driver of a vehicle that is heading for an intersection by using a signal sequence notification apparatus. If the apparatus determines, based on received signal sequence information, that the information indicates that the traffic signal is currently allowing an entrance into the intersection having the next signal sequence indicating that entrance is not allowed with no right turning permission, the driver receives warning about the entrance into the intersection. The warning thus decreases the possibility of the vehicle to be brought to a standstill in the intersection due to the traffic signal that has a signal sequence of no right/left turn by the right/left turn light after a signal change from GO to STOP regarding the straight traffic.

Claims

1. An intersection information notification apparatus for use in a vehicle comprising:

a receiver for receiving information regarding a signal sequence of a traffic signal that is disposed at an intersection; and

a warning unit for providing a warning that warns a driver of the vehicle of entrance into the intersection under a circumstance that (a) the vehicle is traveling toward the traffic signal in line with a signaling direction of the traffic signal, and (b) a current signal sequence of the traffic signal indicates that a current signal is allowing entrance into the intersection with a subsequent signal not allowing entrance into the intersection and not allowing a turn at the intersection.

2. The intersection information notification apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a memory medium that distinguishingly memorizes an attention-required traffic signal from other traffic signals, wherein the attention-required traffic signal is equipped with a first signal unit for signaling entrance and a second signal unit for signaling the turn, the second signal unit indicating no turn even after a signal change of the first signal unit from a first condition allowing entrance to a second condition not allowing entrance, wherein the warning unit provides the warning that warns the driver of the vehicle of entrance into the intersection under a circumstance that (a) the traffic signal is determined as the attention-required traffic signal based on information memorized in the memory medium, and (b) a current signal sequence of the traffic signal indicates that the current signal is allowing entrance into the intersection.

3. The intersection information notification apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the warning unit allows the driver of the vehicle of entrance into the intersection under a circumstance that (a) the vehicle is traveling toward the traffic signal in line with the signaling direction of the traffic signal, and (b) the current signal sequence of the traffic signal indicates that a current signal is allowing entrance into the intersection with a subsequent signal not allowing entrance into the intersection and allowing a turn at the intersection.

4. An intersection information notification apparatus for use in a vehicle comprising:

a receiver for receiving information regarding a signal sequence of a traffic signal that is disposed at an intersection; and

a notification unit for notifying the driver of the vehicle of transition of the signal sequence based on the information regarding the signal sequence under a circumstance that the vehicle is traveling toward the traffic signal in line with a signaling direction of the traffic signal.

5. An intersection information notification apparatus for use in a vehicle comprising:

a memory medium that distinguishingly memorizes an attention-required traffic signal from other traffic signals, wherein the attention-required traffic signal is equipped with a first signal unit for signaling entrance and a second signal unit for signaling a turn, the second signal unit indicating no turn even after a signal change of the first signal unit from a first condition allowing entrance to a second condition not allowing entrance; and

a warning unit for providing a warning that warns a driver of the vehicle of entrance into the intersection under a circumstance that (a) the vehicle is traveling toward the traffic signal in line with a signaling direction of the traffic signal, and (b) the traffic signal is determined as the attention-required signal based on information memorized in the memory medium

6. A computer program product comprising one or more computer readable media storing computer executable instructions that implement:

a receiver for receiving information regarding a signal sequence of a traffic signal that is disposed at an intersection; and

a warning unit for providing a warning that warns a driver of the vehicle of entrance into the intersection under a circumstance that (a) the vehicle is traveling toward the traffic signal in line with a signaling direction of the traffic signal, and (b) a current signal sequence of the traffic signal indicates that a current signal is allowing entrance into the intersection with a subsequent signal not allowing entrance into the intersection and not allowing a turn at the intersection.

7. A computer program product comprising one or more computer readable media storing computer executable instructions that implement:

a receiver for receiving information regarding a signal sequence of a traffic signal that is disposed at an intersection; and

a notification unit for notifying the driver of the vehicle of transition of the signal sequence based on the information regarding the signal sequence under a circumstance that the vehicle is traveling toward the traffic signal in line with a signaling direction of the traffic signal.

8. A memory medium for use in a computer for storing traffic signal information, the traffic signal information distinguishes, from other traffic signals, a traffic signal that is equipped with a first signal unit for signaling entrance and a second signal unit for signaling a turn, the second signal unit indicating no turn even after a signal change of the first signal unit from a first condition allowing entrance to a second condition not allowing entrance.