METHOD OF DISPLAYING TRAFFIC INFORMATION

• US 20110246016A1
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Vang, Doua, Alasry, Bilal
• Application Number:
  US12/751,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20110246016A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

A method of displaying traffic on a display within a vehicle may include monitoring a current vehicle speed, monitoring external traffic data by various methods, determining if a brake is applied for at least a predetermined time period, determining if the vehicle is a predetermined distance from a traffic signal that the vehicle is approaching, determining that a traffic event exists on a road upon which the vehicle is traveling, inquiring if traffic cameras exist on the road upon which the vehicle is traveling, and displaying traffic data on a display within the vehicle that corresponds to the road ahead upon which the vehicle is traveling. The method may include determining if the vehicle speed is maintained at a speed less than the posted speed for a predetermined time period. The display may display traffic data captured by the traffic cameras, downloaded from remote servers, or communicated directly from another vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of displaying traffic of a road on a display within a vehicle, the method comprising:

monitoring a current speed of a vehicle;

monitoring external traffic data;

monitoring a brake of a vehicle;

determining that the brake of the vehicle has not been applied for at least a predetermined time period;

monitoring the speed of a vehicle;

determining if there is any external traffic data regarding the road upon which the vehicle is traveling;

determining that traffic cameras exist ahead on the road; and

displaying, on the display, camera images that the traffic cameras view.

2. The method of displaying traffic according to claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a driver speed database stored in a controller memory within the vehicle and determining that the driver is driving slower than historically recorded relative to a posted speed limit for the road.

3. The method of displaying traffic according to claim 1, wherein displaying traffic data further comprises:

communicating with another vehicle using vehicle to vehicle communication to obtain the traffic data.

4. The method of displaying traffic according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a traffic event exists ahead on the road; and

downloading the traffic data from a distant computer server.

5. A method of displaying traffic on a display within a vehicle, comprising:

monitoring a current speed of a vehicle;

monitoring external traffic data;

determining if a vehicle brake is applied for at least a predetermined time period;

determining that traffic data exists and displaying the traffic data on a display within the vehicle; and

displaying traffic data on the display.

6. A method of displaying traffic according to claim 5, wherein before displaying traffic data on the display, the method further comprising:

determining that the vehicle speed is maintained at a speed less than the posted speed for a predetermined time period.

7. A method of displaying traffic according to claim 6, further comprising:

accessing a driver speed database and determining if a driver speed is historically lower than a posted speed.

8. A method of displaying traffic according to claim 5, further comprising:

determining that a traffic event exists on a road upon which the vehicle is traveling.

9. A method of displaying traffic according to claim 8, further comprising:

determining if traffic cameras exist on the road ahead of the vehicle.

10. A method of displaying traffic according to claim 9, further comprising:

downloading traffic data of the traffic event from a distant computer server.

11. A method of displaying traffic according to claim 9, further comprising:

importing the traffic data from another vehicle using vehicle to vehicle communication.

12. A method of displaying traffic according to claim 6, further comprising:

accessing a driver speed database and determining if a driver speed is historically lower than a posted speed.

13. A method of displaying traffic according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining that a driver speed is not historically lower than a posted speed;

determining that a traffic event exists on a road upon which the vehicle is traveling;

downloading traffic data of the traffic event from a distant computer server; and

displaying traffic data on a display within the vehicle.

14. A method of displaying traffic according to claim 13, wherein displaying traffic data further comprises:

importing the traffic data from another vehicle using vehicle to vehicle communication.

15. A method of displaying traffic according to claim 13, wherein displaying traffic data further comprises:

importing the traffic data from a computer server located away from the vehicle.

16. A method of displaying traffic on a display within a vehicle, the method comprising:

monitoring a current speed of a vehicle;

monitoring external traffic data; and

monitoring a vehicle brake to determine if the brake is applied for at least a predetermined time period.

17. The method of displaying traffic according to claim 16, further comprising:

determining if the vehicle is a predetermined distance from a traffic signal that the vehicle is approaching;

waiting for a predetermined time after confirming that the vehicle is a predetermined distance from a traffic signal that the vehicle is approaching;

determining again if the vehicle is a predetermined distance from the traffic signal that the vehicle is approaching;

confirming that the vehicle is a predetermined distance from the traffic signal that the vehicle is approaching;

determining that a traffic event exists on a road upon which the vehicle is traveling;

inquiring if traffic cameras exist on the road upon which the vehicle is traveling; and

displaying traffic data on a display within the vehicle that corresponds to the road ahead upon which the vehicle is traveling.

18. The method of displaying traffic according to claim 16, further comprising:

determining that the vehicle speed is maintained at a speed less than the posted speed for a predetermined time period;

determining that a driver speed is not historically lower than a posted speed;

determining that a traffic event exists on a road upon which the vehicle is traveling;

inquiring if traffic cameras exist on the road upon which the vehicle is traveling; and

displaying traffic data on a display within the vehicle that corresponds to the road ahead upon which the vehicle is traveling.

19. The method of displaying traffic according to claim 16, further comprising:

determining that the vehicle speed is maintained at a speed less than the posted speed for a predetermined time period;

determining that traffic data exists and displaying the traffic data on a display within the vehicle;

determining that a traffic event exists on a road upon which the vehicle is traveling;

inquiring if traffic cameras exist on the road upon which the vehicle is traveling; and

displaying traffic data on a display within the vehicle that corresponds to the road ahead upon which the vehicle is traveling.