Road traffic information processing apparatus, road traffic information processing method, computer program, and information record medium

• US 6,947,833 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2002
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Yano, Kenichiro, Yamashita, Motoyuki, Kita, Daisaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US10/212,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20030033078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/200, 701/201, 701/205
• 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 1/09675 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 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element

Abstract

A road traffic information processing apparatus determines the continuity of road conditions of a traffic jam, control, etc., in a traffic information link (v1, v2) received by road traffic information reception section and the continuity of road conditions of a traffic jam, control, etc., existing in traffic information links of different roads.

Claims

1. A navigation system, comprising:

a receiving circuit that receives road traffic information for a first portion of a route; and

a controller that determines continuity of at least one traffic condition for the first portion of the route based on the road traffic information,

wherein the controller determines the continuity of the at least one traffic condition by determining a first ratio calculated based on a length of the at least one traffic condition and a length of the first portion of the route.

2. The navigation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first ratio is a ratio of the length of the at least one traffic condition to the length of the first portion of the route, and

wherein the controller determines that the at least one traffic condition is continuous along the entire first portion of the route when the first ratio is greater than a predetermined number.

3. The navigation system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the controller determines that the at least one traffic condition is not continuous along the entire first portion of the route when the first ratio is less than a predetermined number.

4. A navigation system, comprising:

and

a receiving circuit that receives road traffic information for a first portion of a route;

a controller that determines continuity of at least one traffic condition for the first portion of the route based on the road traffic information,

wherein the at least one traffic condition comprises a plurality of traffic conditions,

wherein the controller determines a first length based on the sum of lengths of the plurality of traffic conditions;

wherein the controller determines the continuity of the at least one traffic condition by determining a first ratio calculated based on the first length and a second length of the first portion of the route.

5. The navigation system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the controller determines that the at least one traffic condition is continuous along the entire first portion of the route when the first ratio is greater than a predetermined number.

6. The navigation system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller determines that the at least one traffic condition is not continuous along the entire first portion of the route when the first ratio is less than a predetermined number.

7. A navigation system, comprising:

a receiving circuit that receives first road traffic information for a first portion of a route and receives second road traffic information for a second portion of the route, wherein the first portion of the route and the second portion of the route are contiguous; and

a controller that determines continuity of at least a first traffic condition for the first portion of the route and at least a second traffic condition for the second portion of the route based on the first road traffic information and the second road traffic information,

wherein the controller determines the first traffic condition and the second traffic condition are continuous along the first portion of the route and the second portion of the route when a first ratio of a sum of the lengths of the first traffic condition and the second traffic condition to a sum of the lengths of the first portion and the second portion of the route is greater than a predetermined number.

8. The navigation system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first traffic condition comprises a first set of traffic conditions, and

wherein the second traffic condition comprises a second set of traffic conditions.

9. A navigation system, comprising:

a receiving circuit that receives first road traffic information for a first portion of a route and receives second road traffic information for a second portion of the route, wherein the first portion of the route and the second portion of the route are contiguous; and

a controller that determines continuity of at least a first traffic condition for the first portion of the route and at least a second traffic condition for the second portion of the route based on the first road traffic information and the second road traffic information,

wherein the controller determines that the first traffic condition is continuous along the entire first portion of the route when a first ratio of a length of the first traffic condition to a length of the first portion of the route is greater than a predetermined number;

wherein, when the first ratio is less than the predetermined number, the controller determines that the first traffic condition and the second traffic condition are a single continuous traffic condition spanning alone both the first portion and the second portion of the route when the first traffic condition and the second traffic condition are contiguous; and

wherein, when the first ratio is less than the predetermined number, the controller determines that the first traffic condition and the second traffic condition are not a single continuous traffic condition spanning along both the first portion and the second portion of the route when the first traffic condition and the second traffic condition are not contiguous.