METHOD OF DISPLAYING TRAFFIC INFORMATION AND DISPLAYING TRAFFIC CAMERA VIEW FOR VEHICLE SYSTEMS

• US 20110246051A1
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• 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
• Granted Patent: US 8,660,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

A method or a system for displaying a traffic camera view of a road on a display within a vehicle. The method or the system may include monitoring a movement of the vehicle, determining an existence of a traffic event based on the movement of the vehicle, receiving a traffic camera view on the road, and displaying the traffic camera view if the traffic event is detected.

Claims

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

monitoring a movement of the vehicle;

determining an existence of a traffic event based on the movement of the vehicle;

receiving a traffic camera view; and

displaying the traffic camera view on the display if the traffic event exists.

2. The method of displaying a traffic camera view according to claim 1, wherein the existence of the traffic event is determined based on a comparison between the movement of the vehicle and a prerecorded drive data.

3. The method of displaying a traffic camera view according to claim 2, wherein:

the movement of the vehicle includes vehicle speed on a road,

the prerecorded drive data includes a corresponding prerecorded speed for the road, and

the existence of the traffic event is determined if the vehicle speed is lower than the prerecorded speed.

4. The method of displaying a traffic camera view according to claim 3, wherein the corresponding prerecorded speed for the road is determined based on at least one of time and day.

5. The method of displaying a traffic camera view according to claim 3, wherein, the corresponding prerecorded speed for the road is determined by road classification.

6. The method of displaying a traffic camera view according to claim 2, wherein:

the movement of the vehicle includes vehicle speed on a road,

the prerecorded drive data includes a corresponding posted speed for the road, and

the existence of the traffic event is determined if the vehicle speed is less than the posted speed for a predetermined time period.

7. The method of displaying a traffic camera view according to claim 6, wherein the corresponding posted speed for the road is determined by road classification.

8. The method of displaying a traffic camera view according to claim 1, wherein

the movement of the vehicle includes a vehicle brake operation, and

the existence of the traffic event is determined if the vehicle brake operation is applied for a predetermined time period.

9. The method of displaying a traffic camera view according to claim 1, further comprising:

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

waiting for a predetermined time, if the vehicle is within the predetermined distance from the traffic signal;

determining again if the vehicle is within the predetermined distance from the traffic signal;

determining that a traffic event exists on a road upon which the vehicle is traveling, if the vehicle is still within the predetermined distance from the traffic signal.

10. The method of displaying a traffic camera view according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the traffic camera that exists on the road ahead of the vehicle and

then displaying the selected camera view on the display if the traffic event exists.

11. The method of displaying a traffic camera view according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the traffic camera that exists on a navigated route, which is provided by a navigation system, or within a predetermined distance form the navigated route ahead of the vehicle, and

then displaying the selected camera view on the display if the traffic event exists.

12. The method of displaying a traffic camera view according to claim 11, wherein selecting the traffic camera that exists on a navigated route further comprises selecting the traffic camera closest to the vehicle.

13. The method of displaying a traffic camera view according to claim 11, wherein selecting the traffic camera that exists on a navigated route further comprises selecting a plurality of cameras.

14. The method of displaying a traffic camera view according to claim 1, wherein displaying the traffic camera view on the display if the traffic event exists further comprises displaying the camera view with a map indicating a geographic position of the selected camera on the display.

15. A traffic camera view displaying system for a vehicle comprising:

means for monitoring a movement of the vehicle;

an electrical computing system detecting an existence of a traffic event;

means for receiving a traffic camera view which may be relevant to the traffic event, and

a screen located in the vehicle that displays the traffic camera view, wherein,

the electrical computing system detects the existence of the traffic event based on the movement of the vehicle, and

the screen displays the traffic camera view when the electrical computing system detects the traffic event.

16. The traffic camera view displaying system according to claim 15, wherein the electrical computing system calculates a braking time period of the vehicle based on the movement of the vehicle and detects the traffic event if the braking time period is longer than a predetermined time period.

17. The traffic camera view displaying system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a drive speed database storing a criterion speed data for respective road classifications;

wherein, the electrical computing system determines the classification of the road which the vehicle is traveling, calculates a speed of the vehicle based on the movement of the vehicle, and detects the existence of the traffic event if the speed of the vehicle speed is slower than the criterion speed data of the road classification.

18. A traffic camera view displaying system for a vehicle comprising:

means for monitoring a movement of the vehicle;

means for determining an existence of a traffic event based on the movement of the vehicle;

means for receiving at least one of a plurality of traffic camera views on the road; and

means for displaying the traffic camera view if the traffic event is detected.

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

monitoring an operation of the vehicle;

predicting an existence of a traffic event based on the operation of the vehicle;

receiving a traffic camera view from a camera in front of the vehicle; and

displaying the traffic camera view on the display.

20. The method of displaying a traffic camera view according to claim 19, wherein predicting the existence of the traffic event is determined based on a comparison between the movement of the vehicle and prerecorded drive data.