Intersection information supply system and onboard information transmission apparatus applicable thereto

• US 6,292,109 B1
• Filed: 09/25/1998
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Murano, Takahiko, Tachibana, Akihide
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US09/160,265
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 340/902, 340/903, 340/907, 340/436
• US Class Current: 340/903
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

An intersection information supply system supplies information about a first vehicle approaching an intersection on a first road to a driver of a second vehicle approaching the intersection on a second road, the first road and the second road intersecting at the intersection, wherein the intersection information supply system includes: a transmission unit, provided in the first vehicle, transmitting a predetermined signal when the first vehicle approaches the intersection; a receiving unit, installed near the intersection, receiving the predetermined signal from the transmission unit provided in the first vehicle; and an information supply unit supplying information to the second vehicle approaching the intersection on the second road when the receiving unit receives the predetermined signal, the information indicating that there is the first vehicle approaching the intersection on the first road.

Claims

1. An onboard information transmission apparatus provided in a vehicle comprising:

approaching detecting means for detecting that the vehicle approaching an intersection on a first road reaches a position at a predetermined distance before the intersection, the first road and a second road intersecting at the intersection;

signal transmission means for transmitting a predetermined signal when said approaching detecting means detects that the vehicle reaches the position at the predetermined distance before the intersection, wherein the predetermined signal transmitted by said signal transmission means is used to supply information, indicating that there is the vehicle approaching the intersection on the first road, to another vehicle approaching the intersection on the second road;

running state detecting means for detecting a running state of the vehicle; and

transmission control means for controlling, based on the detecting result obtained by said running state detecting means, the transmission of the predetermined signal by said signal transmission means,

wherein said running state detecting means comprises time estimating means for estimating a time period from a time said approaching detecting means detects that the vehicle reaches the position at the predetermined distance before the intersection to a time the vehicle reaches the intersection, and

wherein said transmission control means comprises determination means for determining whether the time period obtained by said time estimating means is less than a predetermined value, said transmission control means causing said signal transmission means to transmit the predetermined signal when said determination means determines that the estimated time period is less than the predetermined value.

2. The onboard information transmission apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said approaching detecting means has means to detecting from which side of the intersection the vehicle reaches the position the predetermined distance before the intersection, wherein the predetermined signal transmitted by said signal transmission means includes information indicating that the vehicle is approaching the intersection from a side based on the detecting result obtained by said means.

3. The onboard information transmission system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the running state of the vehicle includes one selected from the group consisting of running speed, acceleration, and a time period needed to reach the intersection.

4. The onboard information transmission apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

following vehicle state detecting means for detecting a presence state of one or a plurality of following vehicles in a rearward area of the vehicle; and

vehicle group information generating means for generating, based on the presence of the one or the plurality of following vehicles detected by said following vehicle state detecting means, information about a vehicle group of the vehicle and the one or the plurality of following vehicles, wherein the predetermined signal transmitted by said signal transmission means includes the information about the vehicle group generated by said vehicle group information generating means.

5. An onboard information transmission apparatus provided in a vehicle comprising:

an approaching detecting unit detecting that the vehicle approaching an intersection on a first road reaches a position at a predetermined distance before the intersection, the first road and a second road intersecting at the intersection;

a signal transmission unit transmitting a predetermined signal when said approaching detecting unit detects that the vehicle reaches the position at the predetermined distance before the intersection, wherein the predetermined signal transmitted by said signal transmission unit is used to supply information, indicating that there is the vehicle approaching the intersection on the first road, to another vehicle approaching the intersection on the second road; and

a running state detecting unit detecting a running state of the vehicle; and

a transmission control unit controlling, based on the detecting result obtained by said running state detecting unit, the transmission of the predetermined signal by said signal transmission unit,

wherein said running state detecting means comprises a time estimating unit estimating a time period from a time said approaching detecting unit detects that the vehicle reaches the position at a predetermined distance before the intersection to a time the vehicle reaches the intersection, and

wherein said transmission control means comprises a determination unit determining whether the time period obtained by said time estimating unit is less than a predetermined value, said transmission control unit causing said signal transmission unit to transmit the predetermined signal when said determination unit determines that the estimated time period is less than the predetermined value.

6. The onboard information transmission apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said approaching detecting unit has a unit detecting from which side of the intersection the vehicle reaches the position the predetermined distance before the intersection, wherein the predetermined signal transmitted by said signal transmission unit includes information indicating that the vehicle is approaching the intersection from a side based on the detecting result obtained by said unit.

7. The onboard information transmission system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the running state of the vehicle includes one selected from the group consisting of running speed, acceleration, and a time period needed to reach the intersection.

8. An onboard information transmission apparatus in a vehicle comprising:

an approaching detecting unit detecting that the vehicle approaching an intersection on a first road reaches a position at a predetermined distance before the intersection, the first road and a second road intersecting at the intersection;

a signal transmission unit transmitting a predetermined signal when said approaching detecting unit detects that the vehicle reaches the position at the predetermined distance before the intersection, wherein the predetermined signal transmitted by said signal transmission unit is used to supply information, indicating that the vehicle is approaching the intersection on the first road, to another vehicle approaching the intersection on the second road;

a following vehicle state detecting unit detecting a presence state of one or a plurality of following vehicles in a rearward area of the vehicle; and

a vehicle group information generating unit generating, based on the presence of the one or the plurality of following vehicles detected by said following vehicle state detecting unit, information about a vehicle group including the vehicle and the one or the plurality of following vehicles,

wherein said signal transmission unit transmits the predetermined signal including the vehicle group information generated by said vehicle group information generating unit, such that said predetermined signal is used to supply the vehicle group information to another vehicle approaching the intersection on the second road.