SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION INFORMATION ACQUIRING DEVICE, SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION INFORMATION ACQUIRING METHOD, AND SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION INFORMATION ACQUIRING PROGRAM

• US 20110046873A1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagase, Kenji
• Application Number:
  US12/922,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20110046873A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/08 according to detected number or speed of vehicles

Abstract

In order to precisely specify a lighting pattern of an actual traffic signal, traveling direction information indicating a traveling direction of a vehicle at a signalized intersection is acquired from a plurality of vehicles, and the information on the lighting pattern of the traffic signal at the signalized intersection is acquired based on the traveling direction information of the plurality of vehicles.

Claims

1. A signalized intersection information acquiring device comprising:

a traveling direction information acquiring unit for acquiring traveling direction information indicating a traveling direction of a vehicle at a signalized intersection from a plurality of vehicles and a passing time at which the vehicle passes the signalized intersection; and

a lighting pattern information acquiring unit for acquiring information on a lighting pattern of a traffic signal at the signalized intersection and information on a lighting duration time of the lighting pattern of the traffic signal based on the traveling direction information of the plurality of vehicles.

2. The signalized intersection information acquiring device according to claim 1, wherein the lighting pattern information acquiring unit specifies an approach direction, in which the vehicle enters the signalized intersection, based on the traveling direction and the passing time, and specifies a time zone in which the specified approach direction is continuously observed to consider a breakpoint of the time zone as a switching timing of the lighting pattern.

3. The signalized intersection information acquiring device according to claim 2, wherein the lighting pattern information acquiring unit specifies a leaving direction, in which the vehicle leaves the signalized intersection, based on the traveling direction and the passing time, and specifies a specified leaving time zone in which only the specified leaving direction is continuously observed in every time zone to consider a breakpoint of the specified leaving time zone as a switching timing of the lighting pattern.

4. The signalized intersection information acquiring device according to claim 3, wherein

the lighting pattern information acquiring unit specifies the lighting duration time of the lighting pattern of the traffic signal based on the time zone and/or the specified leaving time zone.

5. The signalized intersection information acquiring device according to claim 1, wherein the lighting pattern information acquiring unit acquires an index indicating difficulty in traveling when traveling in the specified traveling direction at the signalized intersection, based on the lighting duration time of the lighting pattern, the index being used to search a route to a destination.

8. The signalized intersection information acquiring device according to claim 4, wherein the lighting pattern information acquiring unit acquires an index indicating difficulty in traveling when traveling in the specified traveling direction at the signalized intersection, based on the lighting duration time of the lighting pattern, the index being used to search a route to a destination.

6. A method for acquiring signalized intersection information, comprising:

a traveling direction information acquiring step of acquiring traveling direction information indicating a traveling direction of a vehicle at a signalized intersection from a plurality of vehicles and a passing time at which the vehicle passes the signalized intersection; and

a lighting pattern information acquiring step of acquiring information indicating a lighting pattern of a traffic signal at the signalized intersection and information on a lighting duration time of the lighting pattern of the traffic signal based on the traveling direction information of the plurality of vehicles.

7. A signalized intersection information acquiring program for having a computer implemented:

a traveling direction information acquiring function for acquiring traveling direction information indicating a traveling direction of a vehicle at a signalized intersection from a plurality of vehicles and a passing time at which the vehicle passes the signalized intersection; and

a lighting pattern information acquiring function for acquiring information indicating a lighting pattern of a traffic signal at the signalized intersection and information on a lighting duration time of the lighting pattern of the traffic signal based on the traveling direction information of the plurality of vehicles.