TRAFFIC-RELATED INFORMATION DICTIONARY CREATING DEVICE, TRAFFIC-RELATED INFORMATION DICTIONARY CREATING METHOD, AND TRAFFIC-RELATED INFORMATION DICTIONARY CREATING PROGRAM

• US 20120136560A1
• Filed: 11/16/2011
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: MURAMATSU, Ryuya, NOMOTO, Hirokazu, YAMADA, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 9,318,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation

Abstract

Devices, methods, and programs acquire provided information and position information that corresponds to the provided information from a provided information storage unit. The provided information has been provided to the provided information storage unit by an information provider and stored in the provided information unit with the position information. The position information specifies a position at which the provided information was provided by the information provider. The devices, methods, and programs acquire traffic-related information from a traffic-related information distribution unit. The traffic-related information includes information that specifies an occurring traffic-related event and information that specifies a range of the occurring traffic-related event. Based on the acquired position information and the acquired traffic-related information, the devices, methods, and programs identify the provided information that is provided within the range of the occurring traffic-related event, and associate and store a phrase included in the identified provided information with the occurring traffic-related event.

Claims

1. A traffic-related information dictionary creating device that is communicably connectable through a network to a provided information storage unit and a traffic-related information distribution unit, the traffic-related information dictionary creating device comprising:

a traffic-related information phrase storage unit; and

a controller that;

acquires provided information and position information that corresponds to the provided information from the provided information storage unit, the provided information having been provided to the provided information storage unit by an information provider and stored in the provided information unit with the position information, the position information specifying a position at which the provided information was provided by the information provider;

acquires traffic-related information from the traffic-related information distribution unit, the traffic-related information including information that specifies an occurring traffic-related event and information that specifies a range of the occurring traffic-related event;

based on the acquired position information and the acquired traffic-related information, identifies the provided information that is provided within the range of the occurring traffic-related event;

associates a phrase included in the identified provided information with the occurring traffic-related event; and

stores the associated phrase and the occurring traffic-related event in the traffic-related information phrase storage unit.

2. The traffic-related information dictionary creating device according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

determines whether to store the associated phrase in the traffic-related information phrase storage unit based on a cumulative number of times the same phrase is included in the provided information that is provided within the specified range of the same type of occurring traffic-related event.

3. The traffic-related information dictionary creating device according to claim 1, wherein:

provider identifying information that uniquely identifies the information provider is associated with the provided information in the provided information storage unit; and

the controller;

acquires the provider identifying information from the provided information storage unit;

associates the associated phrase with the acquired provider identifying information; and

stores the associated phrase and the provider identifying information in the traffic-related information phrase storage unit.

4. The traffic-related information dictionary creating device according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

based on the acquired position information, associates the associated phrase with an area that includes the position at which the provided information was provided; and

stores the associated phrase and the area in the traffic-related information phrase storage unit.

5. A traffic-related information dictionary creating method comprising:

acquiring provided information and position information that corresponds to the provided information from a provided information storage unit, the provided information having been provided to the provided information storage unit by an information provider and stored in the provided information unit with the position information, the position information specifying a position at which the provided information was provided by the information provider;

acquiring traffic-related information from a traffic-related information distribution unit, the traffic-related information including information that specifies an occurring traffic-related event and information that specifies a range of the occurring traffic-related event;

based on the acquired position information and the acquired traffic-related information, identifying the provided information that is provided within the range of the occurring traffic-related event;

associating a phrase included in the identified provided information with the occurring traffic-related event; and

storing the associated phrase and the occurring traffic-related event in the traffic-related information phrase storage unit.

6. The traffic-related information dictionary creating method according to claim 5, further comprising:

determining whether to store the associated phrase in the traffic-related information phrase storage unit based on a cumulative number of times the same phrase is included in the provided information that is provided within the specified range of the same type of occurring traffic-related event.

7. The traffic-related information dictionary creating method according to claim 5, wherein:

provider identifying information that uniquely identifies the information provider is associated with the provided information in the provided information storage unit; and

the method further comprises;

acquiring the provider identifying information from the provided information storage unit;

associating the associated phrase with the acquired provider identifying information; and

storing the associated phrase and the provider identifying information in the traffic-related information phrase storage unit.

8. The traffic-related information dictionary creating method according to claim 5, further comprising:

based on the acquired position information, associating the associated phrase with an area that includes the position at which the provided information was provided; and

storing the associated phrase and the area in the traffic-related information phrase storage unit.

10. The storage medium according to claim 5, the program further comprising:

instructions for determining whether to store the associated phrase in the traffic-related information phrase storage unit based on a cumulative number of times the same phrase is included in the provided information that is provided within the specified range of the same type of occurring traffic-related event.

11. The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein:

provider identifying information that uniquely identifies the information provider is associated with the provided information in the provided information storage unit; and

the program further comprises;

instructions for acquiring the provider identifying information from the provided information storage unit;

instructions for associating the associated phrase with the acquired provider identifying information; and

instructions for storing the associated phrase and the provider identifying information in the traffic-related information phrase storage unit.

12. The storage medium according to claim 5, the program further comprising:

instructions for, based on the acquired position information, associating the associated phrase with an area that includes the position at which the provided information was provided; and

instructions for storing the associated phrase and the area in the traffic-related information phrase storage unit.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable traffic-related information dictionary creating program, the program comprising:

instructions for acquiring provided information and position information that corresponds to the provided information from a provided information storage unit, the provided information having been provided to the provided information storage unit by an information provider and stored in the provided information unit with the position information, the position information specifying a position at which the provided information was provided by the information provider;

instructions for acquiring traffic-related information from a traffic-related information distribution unit, the traffic-related information including information that specifies an occurring traffic-related event and information that specifies a range of the occurring traffic-related event;

instructions for, based on the acquired position information and the acquired traffic-related information, identifying the provided information that is provided within the range of the occurring traffic-related event;

instructions for associating a phrase included in the identified provided information with the occurring traffic-related event; and

instructions for storing the associated phrase and the occurring traffic-related event in the traffic-related information phrase storage unit,