On-board sensor information providing program and on-board sensor information using program

• US 6,922,651 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2002
• Issued: 07/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Endoh, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desta, Elias
• Application Number:
  US10/329,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20030216880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 702/104, 702116-123, 702/188, 702/189, 340/933, 340/500, 701/200, 701/300
• US Class Current: 702/122
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence

Abstract

A controller obtains sensor information from sensors mounted on a vehicle running on a road, and an information offer selector allows the driver of the vehicle to select on a screen whether to provide the sensor information to a center apparatus. If the driver allows provision of the sensor information, then the sensor information is transmitted to the center apparatus via radio communications. Thus, only the sensor information that is allowed by the driver is provided to the other vehicles.

Claims

1. An on-board sensor information providing program that allows a computer to function as:

an acquisition unit that acquires sensor information used for vehicle running support from a sensor mounted on-board a vehicle;

a selection unit that allows a driver of the vehicle to select whether to provide the sensor information to an external system;

an offer unit that provides the sensor information, the provision of which has been permitted by the driver, to the external system; and

a notification unit that receives information of privilege points given corresponding to a reliability of the sensor information provided to the external system, from the external system, and notifies the driver of the privilege points.

2. The on-board sensor information providing program according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit receives the reliability information in addition to the privilege points from the external system, and notifies the driver of the privilege points and the reliability.

3. The on-board sensor information providing program according to claim 1, wherein the reliability is calculated based on a result of comparison between the reference sensor information obtained from a reference sensor installed on a road on which the vehicle is driven, and the sensor information provided to the external system.

4. The on-board sensor information providing program according to claim 1, wherein the reliability corresponds to a read result of a display pattern provided on a road on which the vehicle is driven, and is calculated based on the sensor information provided to the external system.

5. The on-board sensor information providing program according to claim 1, wherein the reliability is calculated based on a result of comparison between the reference sensor information obtained from a reference sensor mounted on another vehicle, and the sensor information provided to the external system.

6. The on-board sensor information providing program according to claim 1, wherein the privilege points are given to the sensor formation having reliability equal to or higher than a threshold.

23. The on-board sensor information providing program according to claim 1, wherein the sensor information includes at least one of a speed information, a road information, a distance information, and an information about obstacles obtained by sensors.

7. An on-board sensor information providing apparatus, comprising:

an acquisition unit that acquires sensor information used for vehicle running support from a sensor mounted on-board a vehicle;

a selection unit that allows a driver of the vehicle to select whether to provide the sensor information to an external system;

an offer unit that provides the sensor information, the provision of which has been permitted, to the external system; and

a notification unit that receives information of privilege points given corresponding to a reliability of the sensor information provided to the external system, from the external system, and notifies the driver of the privilege points.

8. The on-board sensor information providing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the notification unit receives the reliability information in addition to the privilege points from the external system, and notifies the driver of the privilege points and the reliability.

24. The on-board sensor information providing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the sensor information includes at least one of a speed information, a road information, a distance information, and an information about obstacles obtained by sensors.

9. An on-board sensor information providing method, comprising:

acquiring sensor information used for vehicle running support from a sensor mounted on-board a vehicle;

allowing a driver of the vehicle to select whether to provide the sensor information to an external system;

providing the sensor information, the provision of which has been permitted, to the external system; and

receiving information of privilege points given corresponding to a reliability of the sensor information provided to the external system, from the external system, and notifying the driver of the privilege points.

25. The on-board sensor information providing method according to claim 9, wherein the sensor information includes at least one of a speed information, a road information, a distance information, and an information about obstacles obtained by sensors.

10. An on-board sensor information using program that allows a computer to function as:

a reception unit that receives sensor information from an on-board sensor information providing apparatus, the on-board sensor information providing apparatus having

an acquisition unit that acquires the sensor information used for vehicle running support from a sensor mounted on-board a vehicle;

a selection unit that allows a driver of the vehicle to select whether to provide the sensor information to an external system; and

an offer unit that provides the sensor information, the provision of which has been permitted by the driver, to the external system;

a reliability calculation unit that calculates a reliability of the sensor information based on the sensor information provided to the external system and reference information;

a use unit that uses the sensor information for supporting running of the vehicle on a road; and

a privilege point giving unit that gives privilege points corresponding to the reliability with respect to the driver.

11. The on-board sensor information using program according to claim 10, further allowing the computer to function as a notification unit that notifies the driver of the privilege point information.

12. The on-board sensor information using program according to claim 11, wherein the notification unit notifies the driver of the privilege points and the reliability.

13. The on-board sensor information using program according to claim 10, wherein the reliability calculation unit calculates the reliability based on a result of comparison between the reference information obtained from a reference sensor installed on the road and the sensor information provided to the external system.

14. The on-board sensor information using program according claim 10, wherein the reliability calculation unit calculates the reliability corresponding to a read result of a display pattern provided on the road, based on the sensor information provided to the external system and the display pattern as the reference information.

15. The on-board sensor information using program according to claim 10, wherein the reliability calculation unit calculates the reliability based on a result of comparison between the reference information obtained from a reference sensor installed on another vehicle on the road and the sensor information provided to the external system.

16. The on-board sensor information using program according to claim 10, wherein the privilege point giving unit gives the privilege points to the sensor information that has a reliability equal to or higher than a threshold.

17. The on-board sensor information using program according to claim 13, wherein the privilege point giving unit gives the privilege points to the sensor information that has a reliability equal to or higher than a threshold.

18. The on-board sensor information using program according to claim 14, wherein the privilege point giving unit gives the privilege points to the sensor information that has a reliability equal to or higher than a threshold.

19. The on-board sensor information using program according to claim 15, wherein the privilege point giving unit gives the privilege points to the sensor information that has a reliability equal to or higher than a threshold.

26. The on-board sensor information using program according to claim 10, wherein the sensor information includes at least one of a speed information, a road information, a distance information, and an information about obstacles obtained by sensors.

20. An on-board sensor information using apparatus comprising:

a reception unit that receives sensor information from an on-board sensor information providing apparatus, the on-board sensor information providing apparatus having

an acquisition unit that acquires the sensor information used for vehicle running support from a sensor mounted on-board a vehicle;

a selection unit that allows a driver of the vehicle to select whether to provide the sensor information to an external system; and

an offer unit that provides the sensor information, the provision of which has been permitted by the driver, to the external system;

a reliability calculation unit that calculates a reliability of the sensor information based on the sensor information provided to the external system and reference information;

a use unit that uses the sensor information for supporting running of the vehicle on a road; and

a privilege point giving unit that gives privilege points corresponding to the reliability with respect to the driver.

21. The on-board sensor information using apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising a notification unit that notifies the driver of the privilege point information.

27. The on-board sensor information using apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the sensor information includes at least one of a speed information, a road information, a distance information, and an information about obstacles obtained by sensors.

22. An on-board sensor information using method comprising:

receiving sensor information from an on-board sensor information providing apparatus, the on-board sensor information providing apparatus having

an acquisition unit that acquires the sensor information used for vehicle running support from a sensor mounted on-board a vehicle;

a selection unit that allows a driver of the vehicle to select whether to provide the sensor information to an external system; and

an offer unit that provides the sensor information, the provision of which has been permitted by the driver, to the external system;

calculating a reliability of the sensor information based on the sensor information provided to the external system and reference information;

using the sensor information for supporting running of the vehicle on a road; and

giving privilege points corresponding to the reliability with respect to the driver.

28. The on-board sensor information using method according to claim 22, wherein the sensor information includes at least one of a speed information, a road information, a distance information, and an information about obstacles obtained by sensors.

29. An apparatus comprising:

an on-board sensor mounted on a vehicle to obtain sensor information related to the vehicle;

an acquisition unit to acquire the sensor information from the on-board sensor of the vehicle;

a selection unit to allow a driver of the vehicle to determine whether to provide the sensor information from the acquisition unit to an external system;

an offer unit to provide the sensor information to the external system based upon the determination of the driver in the selection unit, to provide the sensor information from the acquisition unit to the external system; and

a notification unit that receives information of privilege points given corresponding to a reliability of the sensor information provided to the external system, from the external system, and notifies the driver of the privilege points.

30. A method comprising:

obtaining sensor information from an on-board sensor of a vehicle;

determining whether to provide the obtained sensor information to an external system;

providing the obtained sensor information to the external system based upon the determination; and

receiving information of privilege points given corresponding to a reliability of the sensor information provided to the external system, from the external system, and notifying a driver of the vehicle, of the privilege points.

31. A method comprising:

means for obtaining sensor information from an on-board sensor of a vehicle;

means for determining whether to provide the obtained sensor information to an external system;

means for providing the obtained sensor information to the external system based upon the determination; and

means for receiving information of privilege points given corresponding to a reliability of the sensor information provided to the external system, from the external system, and notifying a driver of the vehicle, of the privilege points.