Route setting device for setting a destination route from a departure point to a destination

• US 6,295,503 B1
• Filed: 10/26/1999
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Inoue, Hiroki, Mikame, Masami
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/426,861
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 701/209, 701/201, 701/206, 701/240, 340/905, 340/989
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem

Abstract

A route setting device, which can provide a route setting device which realize a suitable route setting for each vehicle by using vehicle side data in order to comply with a situation where travel of the vehicle is permitted or prohibited based on the vehicle side data. An ECU sets a destination route by considering the number of passengers as vehicle side data. When the number is only one, that is only driver, the ECU sets the destination route without including carpool lane. On the contrary, when the number is two or more than two, the ECU calculates the destination including the carpool lane. Since many carpool lanes have some advantages compared to the normal roads such that the carpool lane is closer to an exit or the travel distance itself is shorter. Therefore, it can be expected that destination route is set more adequately by including the carpool lane.

Claims

1. A route setting device for setting a destination route from a departure point to a destination, comprising:

vehicle relevant data collecting means for collecting vehicle relevant data indicating whether a vehicle complies with a predetermined condition to travel a particular lane; and

route setting means for setting the destination route based on link data of links connecting specific nodes and connection data between the specific links, wherein the route setting means sets the destination route including the particular lane by using a node and a link of the particular lane when the vehicle complies with the predetermined condition,

wherein the vehicle relevant data includes dynamic data, which dynamically changes, and

wherein the vehicle data collecting means detects the number of passengers actually riding on the vehicle as the dynamic data includes.

2. A route setting device according to claim 1, wherein the route setting means sets the destination route using a link of a carpool lane and links of lanes other than the carpool lane when the number of the passengers including a driver is to or more than two.

3. A route setting device for setting a destination route from a departure point to a destination, comprising:

vehicle relevant data collecting means for collecting vehicle relevant data indicating whether a vehicle complies with a predetermined condition to travel a particular lane; and

route setting means for setting the destination route based on link data of links connecting specific nodes and connection data between the specific links, wherein the route setting means sets the destination route including the particular lane by using a node and a link of the particular lane when the vehicle complies with the predetermined condition,

wherein the vehicle relevant data includes dynamic data, which dynamically changes, and

wherein the route setting means re-sets the destination route by using a changed vehicle relevant data when the vehicle relevant data changes.

4. A route setting device according to claim 3, further comprising judging means for judging whether the vehicle relevant data has changed or not when the vehicle stops.

5. A route setting device according to claim 4, wherein the judging means includes a sensor for automatically detecting the change of the vehicle relevant data.

6. A route setting device for setting a destination route from a departure point to a destination, comprising:

vehicle relevant data collecting means for collecting vehicle relevant data indicating whether a vehicle complies with a predetermined condition to travel a particular lane; and

route setting means for setting the destination route based on link data of links connecting specific nodes and connection data between the specific links, wherein the route setting means sets the destination route including the particular lane bv using a node and a link of the particular lane when the vehicle complies with the predetermined condition,

wherein the judging means includes a sensor for automatically detecting the change of the vehicle relevant data.

7. A route setting device according to claim 6, wherein the vehicle relevant data collecting means uses vehicle attribute data indicating a attribute of the vehicle as the static data.

8. A route setting device according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle attribute data includes data regarding one of the kinds and performance of an engine mounted on the vehicle.

9. A route setting device according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle attribute data includes data regarding one of size and weight of the vehicle.

10. A route setting device according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle attribute data includes data regarding the kinds of the vehicle.

11. A route setting device according to claim 6, wherein the vehicle relevant data collecting means uses data indicating a license number as the static data.

12. A route setting device according to claim 6, wherein the vehicle relevant data collecting means uses data regarding permission/prohibition condition of travel to a specific road.

13. A route setting device for setting a destination route from a departure point to a destination, comprising:

vehicle relevant data collecting means for collecting vehicle relevant data indicating whether a vehicle complies with a predetermined condition to travel a particular lane; and

route setting means for setting the destination route based on link data of links connecting spectific nodes and connection data between the specific links, wherein the route setting means sets the destination route including the particular lane by using a node and a link of the particular lane when the vehicle complies with the predetermined condition,

further comprising a calendar and time calculator to calculate date and time,

wherein the vehicle relevant data collecting means for collecting vehicle relevant data indicating whether the vehicle complies with the condition to travel the particular lane at the timing of calculated data and time.

14. A route setting device for setting a destination route from a departure point to a destination, comprising:

vehicle relevant data collecting means for collecting vehicle relevant data indicating whether a vehicle complies with a predetermined condition to travel a particular lane; and

route setting means for setting the destination route based on link data of links connecting specific nodes and connection data between the specific links, wherein the route setting means sets the destination route including the particular lane by using a node and a link of the particular lane when the vehicle complies with the predetermined condition,

wherein the vehicle relevant data collecting means includes;

manually input unit to which the driver manually inputs the vehicle relevant data indicating whether the vehicle complies with the condition to travel the particular lane.

15. A route setting device for setting a destination route from a departure point to a destination, comprising:

vehicle relevant data collecting means for collecting vehicle relevant data indicating whether a vehicle complies with a predetermined condition to travel a particular lane; and

route setting means for setting the destination route based on link data of links connecting specific nodes and connection data between the specific links, wherein the route setting means sets the destination route including the particular lane by using a node and a link of the particular lane when the vehicle complies with the predetermined condition,

wherein the route setting means sets the destination route without including the particular lane by using a node and a link of the particular lane when the vehicle does not comply with the predetermined condition.

16. A route setting device for setting a destination route from a departure point to a destination, comprising:

vehicle relevant data collecting means for collecting vehicle relevant data indicating whether a vehicle complies with a predetermined condition to travel a particular lane which only a vehicle with specific attribute passenger rides can travel; and

route setting means for setting the destination route based on link data of links connecting specific nodes and connection data between the specific links, wherein the route setting means sets the destination route including the particular lane by using a node and a link of the particular lane when the vehicle complies with the predetermined condition.

17. A route setting device according to claim 16, wherein:

the link data includes link class data for indicating the kinds of roads, and

the route setting means includes memory for storing the link class data.

18. A route setting device according to claim 16, further comprising arrival time calculating means for calculating a predicted arrival time to an entrance of the particular lane,

wherein the vehicle relevant data collecting means collects the vehicle relevant data at the predicted arrival time, and the route setting means sets the destination route in advance to an actual arrival to the entrance.

19. A route setting device according to claim 16, further comprising a calendar and time calculator to calculate date and time,

wherein the vehicle relevant data collecting means for collecting vehicle relevant data indicating whether the vehicle complies with the condition to travel the particular lane at the timing of calculated date and time.

20. A route setting device according to claim 16, wherein the vehicle relevant data collecting means includes:

manually input unit to which the driver manually inputs the vehicle relevant data indicating whether the vehicle complies with the condition to travel the particular lane.

21. A route setting device according to claim 16, wherein the route setting means sets the destination route without including the particular lane by using a node and a link of the particular lane when the vehicle does not comply with the predetermined condition.

22. Method of setting a destination route from a departure point to a destination, comprising the steps of:

collecting vehicle relevant data indicating whether a vehicle complies with a predetermined condition to travel a particular lane;

sequentially searching specific nodes from a search-start node corresponding to a start point to a search-end node corresponding to a destination and links connecting the specific nodes;

judging whether searched specific nodes and links include nodes and link of the particular lane;

judging whether the vehicle complies with the predetermined condition to travel the particular lane;

calculating route cost based on;

each specific nodes and links, when the searched specific nodes and links do not include the nodes and link of the particular lane or the vehicle does not comply with the predetermined condition to travel the particular lane,

each specific nodes and links, and nodes and link of the particular lane, when the searched specific nodes and links include the nodes and link of the particular lane and the vehicle complies with the predetermined condition to travel the particular lane.

23. Method of setting a destination route according to claim 22, further comprising the step of calculating a predicted arrival time to an entrance of the particular lane,

wherein the step of judging whether searched specific nodes and links include nodes and link of the particular lane judges based on data of the particular lane at the predicted arrival time.

24. Method of setting a destination route according to claim 22, further comprising the step of collecting vehicle relevant data indicating whether the vehicle complies with the condition to travel the particular lane at the timing of calculated date and time.

25. Method of setting a destination route according to claim 22, wherein the vehicle relevant data collecting step includes a step of requesting input of vehicle relevant data by user.

26. Method of setting a destination route according to claim 25, wherein the requesting step includes step of displaying a notice on a display and outputting voice sound from a speaker.

27. Method of setting a destination route according to claim 22, wherein the step of judging whether the vehicle complies with the predetermined condition to travel the particular lane is executed when the vehicle stops.

28. Method of setting a destination route according to claim 22, wherein the step of judging whether the vehicle complies with the predetermined condition to travel the particular lane is executed when one of d oors of the vehice is opened.