TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM, VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM, AND TRAFFIC CONTROL METHOD

• US 20130144516A1
• Filed: 08/11/2011
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Kunihito
• Granted Patent: US 9,014,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/118
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0145 for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

A traffic control system provides a driver of a vehicle, which runs in a predetermined running state among vehicles running on a road with information on the suppression of traffic congestion on the road. The predetermined running state is, for example, a running state constituting a cause of traffic congestion on the road. The information may be provided by urging the driver to perform a driving operation of at least one of acceleration and lane change.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A traffic control system characterized by providing a driver of a vehicle, which runs in a predetermined running state among vehicles running on a road, with information on suppression of traffic congestion on the road,

wherein the predetermined running state is running at a head of a vehicle group, and the information is provided by providing a driver of a leading vehicle running at the head of the vehicle group with information on at least one of formation of the vehicle group with the leading vehicle at the head and driving operation of suppressing a growth of the vehicle group,

wherein the traffic control system is adapted to provide the driver with the information on a basis of at least one of a running speed of the leading vehicle, a vehicle-to-vehicle value between the leading vehicle and a vehicle running immediately in front of the leading vehicle, and a number of vehicles included in the vehicle group, wherein the vehicle-to-vehicle value is a value concerning a relationship between the leading vehicle and the vehicle running immediately in front of the leading vehicle such as a vehicle-to-vehicle distance,

the traffic control system being configured to urge the driver of the leading vehicle to perform a driving operation of at least one of acceleration and lane change in providing the driver with the information.

14. The traffic control system according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined running state is a running state constituting a cause of traffic congestion on the road.

15. The traffic control system according to claim 13, which more strongly urges the driver of the leading vehicle to perform the driving operation when the running speed of the leading vehicle is low than when the running speed of the leading vehicle is high.

16. The traffic control system according to claim 13, which more strongly urges the driver of the leading vehicle to perform the driving operation when the vehicle-to-vehicle value between the leading vehicle and the vehicle running immediately in front of the leading vehicle is large than when the vehicle-to-vehicle value between the leading vehicle and the vehicle running immediately in front of the leading vehicle is small.

17. The traffic control system according to claim 15, which more strongly urges the driver of the leading vehicle to perform a driving operation when the number of the vehicles included in the vehicle group is large than when the number of the vehicles included in the vehicle group is small.

22. The traffic control system according to claim 13, which the traffic control system provides the driver with the information when the vehicle is in at least one of a range of a running environment tending to cause a fall in running speed on the road and a range before the range of the running environment.

18. A traffic control system characterized by providing a driver of a vehicle, which runs in a predetermined running state among vehicles running on a road, with information on suppression of traffic congestion on the road,

wherein the predetermined running state is running at a speed lower than a predetermined speed set in advance, and

the information is provided by providing a driver of a predetermined vehicle running at the speed lower than the predetermined speed with information on at least one of predictable formation of a vehicle group with the predetermined vehicle at a head and a driving operation of restraining the vehicle group from being formed with the predetermined vehicle at the head.

19. The traffic control system according to claim 18, which the traffic control system provides the driver with the information when the vehicle is in at least one of a range of a running environment tending to cause a fall in running speed on the road and a range before the range of the running environment.

23. The traffic control system according to claim 18, wherein the predetermined running state is a running state constituting a cause of traffic congestion on the road.

20. A vehicle control system for performing running control of a vehicle to suppress a growth of a vehicle group when the vehicle runs at a head of the vehicle group, wherein a driver of a leading vehicle running at the head of the vehicle group is provided with information on at least one of formation of the vehicle group with the leading vehicle at the head and driving operation of suppressing a growth of the vehicle group,

wherein the traffic control system is adapted to provide the driver with the information on a basis of at least one of a running speed of the leading vehicle, a vehicle-to-vehicle value between the leading vehicle and a vehicle running immediately in front of the leading vehicle, and a number of vehicles included in the vehicle group, wherein the vehicle-to-vehicle value is a value concerning a relationship between the leading vehicle and the vehicle running immediately in front of the leading vehicle such as a vehicle-to-vehicle distance,

the vehicle control system being configured to urge the driver of the leading vehicle to perform a driving operation of at least one of acceleration and lance change in providing the driver with the information.

21. A traffic control method comprising:

detecting a vehicle running in a predetermined running state among vehicles running on a road; and

providing a driver of the detected vehicle running in the predetermined running state with information of suppression of traffic congestion on the road,

wherein the information is provided by providing a driver of a leading vehicle running at the head of the vehicle group with information on at least one of formation of the vehicle group with the leading vehicle at the head and a driving operation of suppression a growth of the vehicle group,

providing the driver with the information on a basis of at least one of a running speed of the leading vehicle, a vehicle-to-vehicle value between the leading vehicle and a vehicle running immediately in front of the leading vehicle, and a number of vehicles included in the vehicle group, wherein the vehicle-to-vehicle value is a value concerning a relationship between the leading vehicle and the vehicle running immediately in front of the leading vehicle such as a vehicle-to-vehicle distance, and

urging the driver of the leading vehicle to perform a driving operation of at least one of acceleration and lane change in providing the driver with the information.