Traveling support information processing system

• US 6,594,577 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2001
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Institute For Land and Infrastructure Management Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transportation
• Original Assignee: National Institute For Land and Infrastructure Management Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transportation
• Inventors: Yumiba, Ryo, Takahashi, Kazunori, Shima, Takeshi, Nakajima, Norihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US10/029,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20020123838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/118, 701/119, 701/1, 340/905, 340/901, 340/902, 340/991, 340/910, 340/917, 342/106, 342/113, 342/114
• US Class Current: 701/117
• 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 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

A traveling support information processing unit which can prevent willful assessment of information by a device installed on a road or loaded in a vehicle and makes it possible for the device to always issue a demand for acquisition of required information or a demand for consultation for cooperated determination, and which does not require any specific and additional device for acquisition of positional information for each vehicle and also can improve safety and efficiency in road utilization. In a computer system, vehicles 114A to 114C, 115C, and 115D with the behaviors on a road such as acceleration, deceleration, and lane change projected are made to run on a road 113 simulating the road structure. Communication is performed between a function 101 for tracking or projecting behaviors of the vehicle and the vehicles 115A, 115B having a communicating function.

Claims

1. A traveling support information processing system for executing interactive communication via radio with specified vehicles being driven on a road, said traveling information processing system comprising:

a first traveling support information unit provided on or near the road, said first traveling support information unit comprising particular vehicle specification means for identifying the specified vehicles, specified vehicle information collection means for collecting information from each of the specified vehicles, road utilization information preparation means for preparing information regarding road utilization from the information collected from the specified vehicles, specified vehicle information output means for outputting information regarding the specified vehicles based on the information collected from the specified vehicles and the road utilizaton information, vehicle behavior assessment consultation processing means for providing consultation and communication between the first traveling support information unit and a second traveling support information unit provided in each of the specified vehicles regarding their behavior based on the information collected from the specified vehicles and the road utilization information, and vehicle behavior decision means for determining the future behavior of vehicles based on the vehicle behavior assessment consultation processing means; and

a second traveling support information unit provided in each of the specified vehicles.

2. The traveling support information processing system of claim 1, additionally comprising means for enabling radio communication between the first traveling support information unit and the second traveling support information unit.

3. The traveling support information processing system of claim 1, additionally comprising means for performing one-way communication via a radio communication device with the specified vehicles and information delivery units spaced apart at a distance of at least 10 meters from each other for receiving information regarding the operation of the specified vehicles.

4. The traveling support information processing system according to claim 1, wherein information concerning traveling of the specified vehicles is projected in relation to vehicles not having means for communicating with the traveling support information processing system and prepared from information obtained through the use of a sensor.

5. The traveling support information processing system according to claim 1, wherein information regarding the driver'"'"'s operation of the vehicle is collected and is at least one member selected from the group consisting of the speed of the vehicle, the acceleration of the vehicle and the deceleration of the vehicle.