Vehicle information processing system and method

• US 7,610,138 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2006
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamane, Masao, Fujita, Susumu, Takagi, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US11/338,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20060173611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: 701/96, 701/117, 701/301, 701/204, 701/205, 701/211, 340/905, 340/903, 340/435, 340/436, 340/902, 340/932, 340/995.13, 434/29
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/191 Highlight information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

A vehicle information processing system 100 conducts wireless communications between a preceding vehicle 200 and a succeeding vehicle 201, and exhibits information on a winker operation of the preceding vehicle 200 to a driver of the succeeding vehicle 201, and includes vehicle-mounted apparatuses 1 in the preceding and succeeding vehicles, of which one 1 in the preceding vehicle 200 wirelessly transmits information on a winker operation of the preceding vehicle, and the other 1 in the succeed vehicle 201 receives the wirelessly transmitted information on the winker state, and exhibits same to a driver of the succeeding vehicle 201, while the apparatus 1 in the succeeding vehicle 201 estimates a relationship between the preceding vehicle 200 and the succeeding vehicle 201, judges whether an exhibition liming of the information on the winker state is to be hastened or delayed based on an estimation result, and exhibits the information on the winker state at the judged timing.

Claims

1. A vehicle information processing system configured to process information on a vehicle, comprising:

an estimator configured to estimator running-related relationship between a first vehicle and a second vehicle; and

a timing decider configured to decide, depending on a result of an estimation by the estimator, an exhibition timing at which information on a winker state of the first vehicle is exhibited to a driver of the second vehicle.

2. The vehicle information processing system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an information acquirer configured to acquire information on a winker state of the first vehicle.

3. The vehicle information processing system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit the information on the winker state of the first vehicle,

wherein the first vehicle includes, mounted thereon, the information acquirer and the transmitter.

4. The vehicle information processing system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a receiver configured to receive the information on the winker state of the first vehicle,

wherein the second vehicle, mounted thereon, the receiver and the timing decider.

5. The vehicle information processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first vehicle includes, mounted thereon:

an information acquirer configured to acquire information on a winker state of the first vehicle; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the information on the winker state of the first vehicle to the second vehicle, and

wherein the second vehicle includes, mounted thereon;

a receiver configured to receive the information on the winker state of the first vehicle;

the estimator; and

the timing decider.

6. The vehicle information processing system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second vehicle is a vehicle configured to run by following the first vehicle.

7. The vehicle information processing system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the timing decider is configured to decide the exhibition timing of the information on the winker state, in case of prediction that follow-up running of the second vehicle will be disordered.

8. The vehicle information processing system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the case of prediction that follow-up running of the second vehicle will be disordered, is at least one of cases that the first vehicle has made a right or left turn, that the first vehicle has changed a traffic lane, and that the first vehicle is about to pass through a toll gate of a toll road.

9. The vehicle information processing system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the information acquirer is configured to acquire information on a running status of the first vehicle, in addition to the information on the winker state,

wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the information on the running status of the first vehicle,

wherein the receiver is configured to receive the information on the running status of the first vehicle, from the transmitter, and

wherein the timing decider is configured to decide an exhibition timing of the information on the winker state, based on the received information on the running status of the first vehicle.

10. The vehicle information processing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the information acquirer is configured to acquire, as the information on the running status of the first vehicle, a distance from the first vehicle to an intersection at the time when a winker of the first vehicle was operated, and

wherein the timing decider is configured to judge that the exhibition timing of the information on the winker state is to be hastened as the distance is longer, and to judge that the exhibition timing of the information on the winker state is to be delayed as the distance is shorter.

11. The vehicle information processing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the information acquirer is configured to acquire, as the information on the running status of the first vehicle, information on a shape of a road which the first vehicle has cruised down, and

wherein the timing decider is configured to judge a necessity of deceleration depending on the shape of the road, in a manner to judge that the exhibition timing of the information on the winker state is to be hastened as the judged necessity of deceleration is increased, and to judge that the exhibition timing of the information on the winker state is to be delayed as the judged necessity of deceleration is lowered.

12. The vehicle information processing system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a second information acquirer mounted on the second vehicle and configured to acquire information on a running status of the second vehicle, and

wherein the timing decider is configured to decide the exhibition timing of the information on the winker state, based on both the information on the running status of the first vehicle and the information on the running status of the second vehicle.

13. The vehicle information processing system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the information acquirer and the second information acquirer are each configured to acquire vehicular speed information as the running status information, and

wherein the timing decider is configured to judge:

that the exhibition timing of the information on the winker state is to be hastened, when a current vehicular speed of the second vehicle exceeds a vehicular speed of the first vehicle at a current location of the second vehicle; and

that the exhibition timing of the information on the winker state is to be delayed, when the current vehicular speed of the second vehicle is equal to or less than the vehicular speed of the first vehicle at the current location of the second vehicle.

14. The vehicle information processing system as claimed in claim 13, further comprising an exhibiter configured to exhibit the information on the winker state of the first vehicle at the exhibition timing decided by the timing decider, and

wherein the exhibiter is mounted on the second vehicle.

15. The vehicle information processing system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the exhibiter exhibits at least one of information to brake, and information to shift down in advance of the information on the winker state, when the vehicular speed of the second vehicle exceeds the vehicular speed of the first vehicle at the current location of the second vehicle.

16. The vehicle information processing system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the information acquirer and the second information acquirer are each configured to acquire information on a cruising lane as the running status information, and

wherein the timing decider is configured to judge that the exhibition timing of the information on the winker state is to be hastened when a cruising lane the first vehicle has cruised down is different from a current cruising lane of the second vehicle, at a current location of the second vehicle.

17. The vehicle information processing system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the information acquirer and the second information acquirer are each configured to acquire information on a state of a traffic light to be passed by the vehicle, and

wherein the ting decider is configured to judge:

that the exhibition timing of the information on the winker state is to be hastened, in case that a traffic light to be next passed by the second vehicle has been turned into green when the second vehicle is about to approach the traffic light though the traffic light was red when the first vehicle approached it; and

that the exhibition timing of the information on the winker state is to be delayed, in case that a traffic light to be next passed by the second vehicle has been turned into red when the second vehicle is about to approach the traffic light though the traffic light was green when the first vehicle approached it.

18. The vehicle information processing system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the information acquirer and the second information acquirer are each configured to acquire a minimum timing radius of the vehicle as the running status information, and

wherein the timing decider is configured to judge:

that the exhibition timing of the information on the winker state is to be hastened, in case that the second vehicle has a minimum turning radius larger than a minimum turning radius of the first vehicle; and

that the exhibition timing of the information on the winker state is to be delayed, in case that the second vehicle has a minimum turning radius equal to or less than a minimum timing radius of the first vehicle.

19. A vehicle information processing system configured to process information on a vehicle, comprising:

estimation means for estimating a running-related relationship between a first vehicle and a second vehicle; and

timing decision means for deciding an exhibition timing of information on a winker state of the first vehicle, depending on a result of an estimation by the estimation means.

20. A vehicle information processing method of processing information on a vehicle, comprising:

estimating a running-related relationship between a first vehicle and a second vehicle; and

deciding an exhibition timing of information on a winker state of the first vehicle, depending on an estimation result.