Road traffic information output apparatus

• US 6,952,643 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2002
• Issued: 10/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Xanavi Informatics Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hideo, Saito, Toru, Horie, Takeshi, Matsuoka, Yoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Broadhead, Brian J.
• Application Number:
  US10/262,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20030028312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995.12, 340/995.13, 340/901, 340/903, 340/905, 455/456.6, 455/456.3, 455/414.3, 455/186.1, 701/117, 701/118, 701/119, 701/208, 701209-210, 701/211
• 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: H04H 20/62 for transportation systems, e.g. in vehicles

Abstract

A road traffic information output apparatus includes: a road traffic information obtaining device that obtains road traffic information; a decision-making device that determines in advance a specific area for which road traffic information will need to be output; and a control device that implements control to output road traffic information that has been obtained by the road traffic information obtaining device for the specific area determined in advance, when the road traffic information for the specific area determined in advance by the decision-making device is required.

Claims

1. A road traffic information provider system, comprising:

an information provider system that provides road traffic information via wireless communication; and

a navigation apparatus that comprises an information obtaining device which obtains road traffic information provided from the information provider system, a road traffic information obtaining device which obtains road traffic information provided via at least one of radio broadcast and light beacons and radio wave beacons, and a display control device which controls to display road traffic information obtained by the information obtaining device and the road traffic information obtaining device on a display device, wherein;

the navigation apparatus further comprises a decision-making device that makes a decision whether or not road traffic information is obtained by the information obtaining device;

the information obtaining device of the navigation apparatus transmits information related to a request of road traffic information to the information provider system when the decision-making device has made a decision that road traffic information is obtained by the information obtaining device; and

the information provider system provides road traffic information to the navigation apparatus in response to the information related to the request transmitted from the information obtaining device of the navigation apparatus.

2. A road traffic information provider system according to claim 1, wherein:

the decision-making device of the navigation apparatus makes a decision that desired road traffic information is obtained by the information obtaining device in case that the desired road traffic information can not be obtained by the road traffic information obtaining device.

3. A road traffic information provider system according to claim 1, wherein:

the information provider system provides road traffic information of a substantially entire country.

4. A road traffic information provider system according to claim 1, wherein:

the wireless communication comprises a data communication supported by a portable telephone system.

5. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a road traffic information obtaining device which obtains road traffic information provided via at least one of radio broadcast and light beacons and radio wave beacons;

an information obtaining device which obtains road traffic information provided via wireless communication from an information provider system;

a display control device which controls to display road traffic information obtained by the road traffic information obtaining device and the information obtaining device on a display device;

a decision-making device that makes a decision whether or not road traffic information is obtained by the information obtaining device, wherein

the information obtaining device transmits information related to a request of road traffic information to the information provider system when the decision-making device has made a decision that road traffic information is obtained by the information obtaining device, and obtains road traffic information provided from the information provider system in response to the information related to the request.

6. An information provider system comprising:

a computer that provides road traffic information in response to information related to a request of road traffic information from a navigation apparatus that comprises;

a road traffic information obtaining device which obtains road traffic information provided via at least one of radio broadcast and light beacons and radio wave beacons;

an information obtaining device which obtains road traffic information provided via wireless communication from the information provider system;

a display control device which controls to display road traffic information obtained by the road traffic information obtaining device and the information obtaining device on a display device; and

a decision-making device that makes a decision whether or not road traffic information is obtained by the information obtaining device, and wherein

the computer provides the road traffic information in response to the information related to the request of road traffic information from the navigation apparatus, when the information obtaining device of the navigation apparatus transmits the information related to the request of road traffic information to the information provider system in case that the decision-making device has made a decision that road traffic information is obtained by the information obtaining device.