DRIVE ASSISTANCE DEVICE

• US 20140046581A1
• Filed: 02/14/2012
• Published: 02/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Ota, Yuko, Ikawa, Masahiko, Kinoshita, Ryusuke, Morita, Shigeki
• Granted Patent: US 9,207,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/408
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18154 Approaching an intersection
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09626 where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• 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 stopping vehicle estimating unit estimates one of a number of stopping vehicles and a length of a stopping vehicle line of different vehicles that are stopping at a traffic light along an estimated driving route ahead of the own vehicle closer to the traffic light than the own vehicle, based on a position information of a site at which a traffic light is provided, an own vehicle position, an own vehicle speed, and traffic information. A passable time zone estimating unit estimates a passable time zone during which the own vehicle is able to pass by the traffic light, based on the one of the number of stopping vehicles and the length of the stopping vehicle line that have been estimated by the stopping vehicle estimating unit, and on schedule information.

Claims

1. A drive assistance device mounted on a vehicle, the device comprising:

an estimated route information obtaining unit configured to obtain estimated driving route information including information regarding an estimated driving route along which own vehicle as said vehicle is expected to drive and a position of a site at which a traffic light is provided along said estimated driving route;

a vehicle information obtaining unit configured to obtain information regarding an own vehicle position indicating a position of said own vehicle and an own vehicle speed indicating a speed of said own vehicle;

a signal information obtaining unit configured to obtain schedule information including information of a traffic light passable time zone during which said traffic light makes an indication that said site is passable;

a traffic information obtaining unit configured to obtain traffic information of said estimated driving route;

a stopping vehicle estimating unit configured to estimate one of a number of stopping vehicles and a length of a stopping vehicle line of different vehicles that are stopping at said site along said estimated driving route ahead of said own vehicle closer to said site than said own vehicle, based on a position information of said site, said own vehicle position, said own vehicle speed, and said traffic information; and

a passable time zone estimating unit configured to estimate a passable time zone during which said own vehicle is passable through said, based on the one of said number of stopping vehicles and said length of the stopping vehicle line that have been estimated by said stopping vehicle estimating unit, and on said schedule information.

2. The drive assistance device according to claim 1, wherein said passable time zone estimating unit estimates a time zone out of said traffic light passable time zone obtained based on said schedule information excluding a period having positive correlation with the one of said number of stopping vehicles and said length of the stopping vehicle line from its beginning to be said passable time zone.

3. The drive assistance device according to claim 1, wherein

said traffic information obtaining unit obtains a different vehicle position of different vehicles around the own vehicle and a different vehicle speed of said different vehicles as said traffic information, and

said stopping vehicle estimating unit estimates whether or not said different vehicles are to stop at said traffic light based on said different vehicle position and said different vehicle speed, said position information of said, and said schedule information, and estimates said number of stopping vehicles.

4. The drive assistance device according to claim 2, wherein

said traffic information obtaining unit obtains a different vehicle position of different vehicles around the own vehicle and a different vehicle speed of said different vehicles as said traffic information, and

said stopping vehicle estimating unit estimates whether or not said different vehicles are to stop at said traffic light based on said different vehicle position and said different vehicle speed, said position information of said site, and said schedule information, and estimates said number of stopping vehicles.

6. The drive assistance device according to claim 1, wherein

said traffic information obtaining unit obtains a traffic volume of said estimated driving route as said traffic information, and

said stopping vehicle estimating unit estimates one of said number of stopping vehicles and said length of the stopping vehicle line according to said traffic volume.

7. The drive assistance device according to claim 2, wherein

said traffic information obtaining unit obtains a traffic volume of said estimated driving route as said traffic information, and

said stopping vehicle estimating unit estimates one of said number of stopping vehicles and said length of the stopping vehicle line according to said traffic volume.

8. The drive assistance device according to claim 6, wherein

when said own vehicle is estimated to arrive during a traffic light impassable time zone during which an indication of said traffic light is impassable, said stopping vehicle estimating unit estimates, as the one of said number of stopping vehicles and said length of the stopping vehicle line, a multiplication value between a first value having positive correlation with said traffic volume with respect to a section from said own vehicle to said traffic light and a second value having positive correlation with a period from beginning of said traffic light impassable time zone to time at which said own vehicle is expected to arrive at said traffic light and taking a value equal to or greater than 0 and equal to or smaller than 1.

9. The drive assistance device according to claim 7, wherein

when said own vehicle is estimated to arrive during a traffic light impassable time zone during which an indication of said traffic light is impassable, said stopping vehicle estimating unit estimates, as the one of said number of stopping vehicles and said length of the stopping vehicle line, a multiplication value between a first value having positive correlation with said traffic volume with respect to a section from said own vehicle to said traffic light and a second value having positive correlation with a period from beginning of said traffic light impassable time zone to time at which said own vehicle is expected to arrive at said traffic light and taking a value equal to or greater than 0 and equal to or smaller than 1.

10. The drive assistance device according to claim 1, wherein

said signal information obtaining unit is provided so as to be able to communicate with an external device having said schedule information of said traffic light, and obtains said schedule information from said external device through communication.

11. The drive assistance device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recording medium in which said schedule information of said traffic light by which said own vehicle has previously passed is recorded, and

said signal information obtaining unit estimates said schedule information of said traffic light along said estimated driving route based on said schedule information recorded in said recording medium.

12. The drive assistance device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recommended speed calculating unit configured to calculate a speed pattern to reduce consumption energy when driving, based on said passable time zone, said estimated driving route information, said own vehicle position, and said own vehicle speed.

13. The drive assistance device according to claim 12, wherein

said recommended speed calculating unit calculates said speed pattern such that signal passing time of said own vehicle is included within a range of said passable time zone.

14. The drive assistance device according to claim 12, wherein

said recommended speed calculating unit sets an upper limit and a lower limit of the speed of said own vehicle, and calculates, when said speed pattern such that signal passing time of said own vehicle is included within a range of said passable time zone includes either a speed over said upper limit or a speed under said lower limit, a speed pattern to reduce said speed of said own vehicle based on a deceleration rate of the speed of said own vehicle when employing one of an engine brake and a regenerative brake.

15. The drive assistance device according to claim 13, wherein

said recommended speed calculating unit sets an upper limit and a lower limit of the speed of said own vehicle, and calculates, when said speed pattern such that signal passing time of said own vehicle is included within a range of said passable time zone includes either a speed over said upper limit or a speed under said lower limit, a speed pattern to reduce said speed of said own vehicle based on a deceleration rate of the speed of said own vehicle when employing one of an engine brake and a regenerative brake.

5. A drive assistance device mounted on a vehicle, the device comprising:

an estimated route information obtaining unit configured to obtain estimated driving route information including information regarding an estimated driving route along which own vehicle as said vehicle is expected to drive and a position of a site at which a traffic light is provided along said estimated driving route;

a vehicle information obtaining unit configured to obtain information regarding an own vehicle position indicating a position of said own vehicle and an own vehicle speed indicating a speed of said own vehicle;

a signal information obtaining unit configured to obtain schedule information including information of a traffic light passable time zone during which said traffic light makes an indication that said site is passable;

a traffic information obtaining unit configured to obtain information of a position of an end of a line of different vehicles stopping at said traffic light as traffic information;

a stopping vehicle estimating unit configured to estimate one of a number of stopping vehicles and a length of the stopping vehicle line of the different vehicles that are stopping at said site along said estimated driving route ahead of said own vehicle closer to said site than said own vehicle, based on a difference between said traffic information and said position of said site; and

a passable time zone estimating unit configured to estimate a passable time zone during which said own vehicle is passable through said site, based on the one of said number of stopping vehicles and said length of the stopping vehicle line that have been estimated by said stopping vehicle estimating unit, and on said schedule information.