Broadcasting type information providing system and travel environment information collecting device

• US 6,359,571 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1999
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Xanavi Informatics Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Xanavi Informatics Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Endo, Yoshinori, Nakamura, Kozo, Kuroda, Hiroshi, Hiroshige, Hideo, Fujiwara, Toshio, Kurata, Keʼnichirou, Hondo, Ichiro, Mariko, Okude
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, BENJAMIN C
• Application Number:
  US09/417,483
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/988, 340/995, 340/989, 340/990, 340/991, 340/993, 340/825.44, 701/117, 701/119, 701/229, 455/4.2, 455/422
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09 Arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions railroad crossing signals B61L; reflectors E01F, G08B; indicating arrangements for variable information by selection or combination of individual elements G09F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice

Abstract

In a broadcasting type information providing system, a moving body 10 includes a bidirectional communication unit 13 which performs communication with an information providing center 21, an information processing unit 11 which communicates request information necessary for a user via the bidirectional communication unit 13 to the information providing center 21 as well as presents answer information with respect to the request information to the user and a broadcast receiving unit 14 which receives the answer information broadcasted from a broadcasting station 22, and the information providing center 21 generates the answer information with respect to the request information being transmitted from the moving body 10 as well as selects a broadcasting station 22 of which service area covers the position of the moving body 10 depending on the position of the moving body 10 detected either at the side of the moving body 10 or at the side of the information providing center 21 and causes the selected broadcasting station 21 to broadcast the answer information, thereby when transferring information from the information providing center 21 to the moving body 10, an optimum communication means and broadcasting station can be selected.

Claims

1. A broadcasting type information providing system including a moving body side device mounted on a moving body and an information providing side device for providing information to the moving body side device, characterized in that

the moving body side device comprises:

a position measuring means which measures the position of the moving body concerned;

a moving body side communication means which performs bidirectional communication with the information providing side device;

an information requesting means which transmits request information representing request contents of a user and the measured position information of the moving body to the information providing side device via the moving body side communication means;

a receiving means which receives answer information with respect to the request information being transmitted from the information providing side device; and

an information presenting means which presents the received answer information to the user,

and further characterized in that the information providing side device comprises;

a first information providing side communication means which performs bidirectional communication with the moving body side communication means;

an answer information editing means which generates answer information to the request information transmitted from the moving body via the first information providing side communication means;

a second information providing side communication means which performs communication with a broadcasting installation performing broadcasting for a specific service area so as to transmit the answer information to the moving body; and

a control means which selects a broadcasting installation of which service area includes a position at which the moving body receives the answer information based on the position information of the moving body, which is transmitted from the moving body via the first information providing side communication means, transmits the answer information to the selected broadcasting installation via the second information providing side communication means and causes to broadcast the answer information from the selected broadcasting installation.

7. A broadcasting type information providing system according to claim 1, characterized in that said moving body side device further comprises a destination setting means which sets a destination of the moving body, and said information requesting means transmits the information relating to the destination together with the request information and the position information to the information providing side device, and said control means in the information providing side device further comprises a position estimating means which estimates the position of the moving body at the moment when the answer information is transmitted based on the position information and the destination information being transmitted from the moving body.

2. A broadcasting type information providing system including a moving body side device mounted on a moving body and an information providing side device for providing information to the moving body side device, characterized in that

the moving body side device comprises:

a moving body side communication means which performs bidirectional communication with the information providing side device via base stations arranged in a cell shape;

an information requesting means which transmits request information representing request contents of a user to the information providing side device via the moving body side communication means;

a receiving means which receives answer information with respect to the request information being transmitted from the information providing side device; and

an information presenting means which presents the received answer information to the user, and further characterized in that

the information providing side device comprises;

a first information providing side communication means which performs bidirectional communication with the moving body side communication means;

a position measuring means which measures the position of the moving body based on the information relating to the position of the via base station during the communication with the moving body side communication means;

an answer information editing means which generates answer information to the request information transmitted from the moving body via the first information providing side communication means;

a second information providing side communication means which performs communication with a broadcasting installation performing broadcasting for a specific service area so as to transmit the answer information to the moving body; and

a control means which selects a broadcasting installation of which service area includes a position at which the moving body receives the answer information based on the position information of the moving body measured by the position measuring means, transmits the answer information to the selected broadcasting installation via the second information providing side communication means and causes to broadcast the answer information from the selected broadcasting installation.

3. A broadcasting type information providing system including a moving body side device mounted on a moving body and an information providing side device for providing information to the moving body side device, characterized in that

the moving body side device comprises:

a moving body side communication means which performs bidirectional communication with the information providing side device;

an information requesting means which transmits request information representing request contents of a user to the information providing side device via the moving body side communication means;

a receiving means which receives answer information with respect to the request information being transmitted from the information providing side device; and

an information presenting means which presents the received answer information to the user, and further characterized in that

the information providing side device comprises;

a first information providing side communication means which performs bidirectional communication with the moving body side communication means;

an answer information editing means which generates answer information to the request information transmitted from the moving body via the first information providing side communication means;

a second information providing side communication means which performs communication with a broadcasting installation performing broadcasting for a specific service area so as to transmit the answer information to the moving body; and

a control means which evaluates predetermined items with regard to generation and transmission of the answer information and, when transmitting the answer information, determines whether the answer information be transmitted via the first information providing side communication means or via the selected broadcasting installation depending on the evaluation result of the predetermined items.

4. A broadcasting type information providing system according to claim 3, wherein said control means in the information providing side device uses as the evaluation items at least one of a crowded degree of broadcasting signals in the broadcasting installation in which the answer information is to be broadcasted, a communication speed between the information providing side communication means and the moving body side communication means, data volume in the answer information, a required time for generating the answer information and a time dependency of the answer information, and determines the communication route to be used when transmitting the answer information depending on the evaluation result of the predetermined items.

5. A broadcasting type information providing system according to claim 3, characterized in that the moving body side device further comprises a selecting means which performs selection of the communication route to be used when transmitting the answer information, wherein said information requesting means transmits the information relating to the selection together with the request information to the information providing side device and said control means in the information providing side device determines the communication route when transmitting the answer information depending on the selection information.

6. A broadcasting type information providing system according to claim 3, characterized in that either the moving body side device or the information providing side device is provided with a position measuring device which measures the position of the moving body, said control means in the information providing side device, instead of evaluating the predetermined items with regard to generation and transmission of the answer information, determines whether the answer information be transmitted via the first information providing side communication means or via the broadcasting installation depending on the measured position of the moving body.

8. A broadcasting type information providing system including a moving body side device mounted on a moving body and an information providing side device for providing information to the moving body side device, characterized in that

the moving body side device comprises:

a moving body side communication means which performs bidirectional communication with the information providing side device;

an information requesting means which transmits request information representing request contents of a user to the information providing side device via the moving body side communication means;

a broadcast receiving means which receives answer information with respect to the request information being broadcasted from the information providing side device; and

an information presenting means which presents the received answer information to the user, and further characterized in that

the information providing side device comprises;

a first information providing side communication means which performs bidirectional communication with the moving body side communication means;

an answer information editing means which generates answer information to the request information transmitted from the moving body via the first information providing side communication means; and

a broadcasting means for transmitting the answer information to the moving body, and further characterized in that

the moving body side device further comprises a device control means for controlling the broadcast receiving means so as to receive broadcasting of the answer information by the broadcasting means.

9. A broadcasting type information providing system according to claim 8, characterized in that said device control means performs at least one of on and off of a power source and changing-over of receiving channels for the broadcast receiving means depending on information relating to broadcast schedule in the answer information which is to be transmitted via the first information providing side communication means and the moving body side communication means.

10. An information providing side device for a broadcasting type information providing system and for providing information to a moving body side device mounted on a moving body, characterized in that

the information providing side device comprises:

a first information providing side communication means which performs bidirectional communication with the moving body side communication means;

an answer information editing means which generates answer information to request information transmitted from the moving body via the first information providing side communication means;

a second information providing side communication means which performs communication with a broadcasting installation performing broadcasting for a specific service area so as to transmit the answer information to the moving body; and

a control means which selects a broadcasting installation of which service area includes a position at which the moving body receives the answer information, transmits the answer information to the selected broadcasting installation via the second information providing side communication means and causes to broadcast the answer information from the selected broadcasting installation.

11. An information providing side device for a broadcasting type information providing system and for providing information to a moving body side device mounted on a moving body, characterized in that

the information providing side device comprises:

first information providing side communication means which performs bidirectional communication with the moving body side communication means;

an answer information editing means which generates answer information to request information transmitted from the moving body via the first information providing side communication means;

a second information providing side communication means which performs communication with a broadcasting installation performing broadcasting for a specific service area so as to transmit the answer information to the moving body; and

a control means which evaluates predetermined items with regard to generation and transmission of the answer information and, when transmitting the answer information, determines whether the answer information be transmitted via the first information providing side communication means or via the selected broadcasting installation depending on the evaluation result of the predetermined items.

12. An information processing and communicating device which is mountable on a moving body, for receiving information from an information providing side device via an information broadcasting system;

said information processing and communication device comprising;

a position measuring means which measures the position of the moving body;

a moving body side communication means which performs bidirectional communication with the information providing side device;

an information requesting means which transmits information requests and measured position information of the moving body to the information providing side device via the moving body side communication means;

a broadcast receiving means which receives answer information with respect to an information request, being broadcasted from the information providing side device;

an information presenting means which presents the received answer information to the user; and

a device control means for controlling the broadcast receiving means so as to receive the answer information being transmitted via the broadcasting.

13. A travel environment information collection device which is mountable on a vehicle,

said travel environment information collecting device comprising:

a collecting means which collects travel environment information concerning a road on which the vehicle is travelling;

a receiver means which receives travel environment information being transmitted via broadcasting from an information center which stores in advance travel environment information;

a judgment means which determines whether updating or new generation for a part of the received travel environment information is necessary, based on the collected travel environment information; and

a transmitting means which transmits travel environment information collected by the collecting means to the information center, to be used for processing as travel environment information, when the judgment means determines that either updating or new generation processing is necessary.

17. A travel environment information collecting device according to claim 13, characterized in that the travel environment information collected by the collecting means includes at least one of traffic jamming information, road condition information and weather information.

21. A travel environment information collecting device according to claim 17, characterized in that the travel environment information collecting device further comprises a position measurement means which measures the position of the vehicle concerned and wherein the travel environment information collected by the collecting means includes position information with respect to the position where the travel environment information is collected and time information with regard to the time when the travel environment information is collected.

14. A travel environment information collection device which is mountable on a vehicle,

said travel environment information collection device comprising:

a collecting means which collects travel environment information concerning a road on which the vehicle is travelling;

a receiver means which receives travel environment information being transmitted via broadcasting from outside;

a comparison means which compares collected travel environment information with corresponding travel environment information included in the received travel environment information; and

a transmitter means which transmits collected travel environment information to an information center external to the vehicle when the travel environment information compared in the comparison means are determined to be different.

18. A travel environment information collecting device according to claim 14, characterized in that the travel environment information collected by the collecting means includes at least one of traffic jamming information, road condition information and weather information.

22. A travel environment information collecting device according to claim 18, characterized in that the travel environment information collecting device further comprises a position measurement means which measures the position of the vehicle concerned and wherein the travel environment information collected by the collecting means includes position information with respect to the position where the travel environment information is collected and time information with regard to the time when the travel environment information is collected.

15. A travel environment information collection device which is mountable on a vehicle, and comprises:

a collecting means which collects travel environment information concerning a road on which the vehicle is travelling;

a receiver means which receives travel environment information being transmitted from outside;

a judgment means which determines whether information relating to the road on which the vehicle concerned is now travelling is included in the received travel environment information; and

a transmitting means which, when the judgment means determines that the information relating to the road on which the vehicle concerned is now travelling is not included in the received travel environment information, transmits the travel environment information collected by the collecting means with regard to the road region which is determined not included in the received travel environment information to an information center installed in the outside.

19. A travel environment information collecting device according to claim 15, characterized in that the travel environment information collected by the collecting means includes at least one of traffic jamming information, road condition information and weather information.

23. A travel environment information collecting device according to claim 19, characterized in that the travel environment information collecting device further comprises a position measurement means which measures the position of the vehicle concerned and wherein the travel environment information collected by the collecting means includes position information with respect to the position where the travel environment information is collected and time information with regard to the time when the travel environment information is collected.

16. A travel environment information collecting device which is mountable on a vehicle, and comprises:

a collecting means which collects travel environment information concerning a road on which the vehicle is travelling;

an environmental change judgment means which determines whether a travel environment change from previous one has happened for the vehicle concerned; and

a transmitting means which transmits collected travel environment information to an information center external to the vehicle when the environment change judgment means determines the travel environment has changed.

20. A travel environment information collecting device according to claim 16, characterized in that the travel environment information collected by the collecting means includes at least one of traffic jamming information, road condition information and weather information.

24. A travel environment information collecting device according to claim 20, characterized in that the travel environment information collecting device further comprises a position measurement means which measures the position of the vehicle concerned and wherein the travel environment information collected by the collecting means includes position information with respect to the position where the travel environment information is collected and time information with regard to the time when the travel environment information is collected.

25. A travel environment information collecting device mounted on a vehicle, characterized in that,

the travel environment information collecting device comprises:

a position measuring means which measures the position of the vehicle concerned;

a traffic jam information collecting means which collects traffic jam information representing whether the road on which the vehicle concerned is now travelling is in traffic jam; and

a transmitting means which transmits the traffic jam information and the position information representing the position of the vehicle concerned which is measured by the position measurement means to an information center installed in the outside, when the traffic jam information collected by the traffic jam information collecting means changes from non-traffic jamming to traffic jamming.

26. A travel environment information collecting device which is mountable on a vehicle, and comprises:

a collecting means which collects travel environment information concerning a road on which the vehicle is travelling;

a transmitting means which transmits an information retrieval request including locating information, associating information, and image information of facilities to an information center installed external to the vehicle; and

a receiving means which receives answer information with respect to the information retrieval request transmitted from the information center;

wherein the transmitting means transmits the travel environment information collected by the collecting means together with the information retrieval request to the information center.

27. A travel environment information collecting device according to claim 26, further characterized in that the travel environment information collecting device further comprises transmission control means which limits transmitting information volume of the travel environment information so that the transmission of the travel environment information collected by the collecting means is completed until the reception of the answer information with regard to the information retrieval request being transmitted from the information center is completed.

28. An information providing system comprising a travel environment information collection device which is mountable on a vehicle, and collects information relating to the travel environment of a road on which the vehicle is travelling, and an information center which stores information relating to travel environment as well as provides the stored travel environment information to vehicles, wherein the travel environment information collecting device comprises:

a collecting means which collects travel environment information concerning a road on which the vehicle is currently travelling;

a receiving means which receives travel environment information transmitted via broadcasting from the information center;

a judgment means which determines whether updating or new generation of information for a part of the received travel environment information is necessary, based on the collected travel environment information;

a transmitting means which transmits the travel environment information collected by the collecting means, for processing at the information center when the judgment means determines that either updating or the new generation of information is necessary; and

the information center includes,

a memory means which stores travel environment information;

a transmitting means which transmits the stored travel environment information;

a receiving means which receives travel environment information transmitted from the travel environment information collecting device; and

an updating means which updates or newly generates at least a part of the travel environment information stored in the memory means based on the received travel environment