Route guidance system and method

• US 7,653,485 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2005
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Shioda, Takehiko, Fujita, Ryujiro, Inoue, Hiroto, Ichihara, Naohiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nolan; Peter D
• Application Number:
  US11/547,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20080319640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,778 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/208, 701/210, 701/211, 340/995.14, 340/995.19, 340/995.24, 340/995.27, 382/154, 382/224, 382162-167
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A routing guide system includes route calculating means for calculating the route of a vehicle to a destination, image providing means for reading from storage means scenery images on the route calculated by the route calculating means, and display means for displaying the scenery images on the calculated route generated by the image providing means. The routing guide system also includes route confirming means for confirming as a set route the route calculated by the route calculating means, according to an operation, during or after display of the scenery images on the calculated route by means of the display means.

Claims

1. A routing guide system comprising:

a route calculating device configured to calculate a route of a vehicle to a destination;

an image providing device, having a storage device configured to store, as data, scenery images of a plurality of location points, said image providing device configured to read, from said storage device, scenery images on the route calculated by said route calculating device;

a display device configured to display the scenery images on the calculated route generated by said image providing device; and

a route confirming device configured to confirm, as a set route, the route calculated by said route calculating device, according to an operation, during or after display of the scenery images on said calculated route by said display device,

wherein the vehicle is provided with a camera configured to capture scenery images in front of the vehicle, and a pleasantness degree calculating device configured to calculate a degree of pleasantness of each of the scenery images in front of the vehicle captured by the camera,

wherein said pleasantness degree calculating device includes;

a road analyzing device configured to perform road analysis processing on each of the scenery images in front of the vehicle captured by the camera;

a scene analyzing device configured to perform scene analysis processing on each of the scenery images in front of the vehicle;

a background analyzing device configured to perform background analysis processing on each of the scenery images in front of the vehicle;

a road pleasantness calculating device configured to calculate a degree of road pleasantness on the basis of results of said road analysis processing;

a scene pleasantness calculating device configured to calculate a degree of scene pleasantness on the basis of results of said scene analysis processing; and

a background pleasantness calculating device configured to calculate a degree of background pleasantness on the basis of results of said background analysis processing, and

wherein each said scenery image contains appendix information that includes said degree of pleasantness of each said scenery image, and wherein said degree of pleasantness of each said scenery image includes said degree of road pleasantness, said degree of scene pleasantness and said degree of background pleasantness.

2. The routing guide system according to claim 1 further comprising a route guiding device configured to provide guidance on said set route when the set route is confirmed by said route confirming device.

3. The routing guide system according to claim 2, wherein when a current position of said vehicle approaches a location point corresponding to a scenery image on said set route, said route guiding device provides guidance regarding the location point.

4. The routing guide system according to claim 1, wherein said route calculating device includes:

an image selection device configured to select, according to a second operation, an image from among the scenery images on said calculated route displayed by said display device; and

a route correcting device configured to recalculate the route to said destination to avoid a location point corresponding to the image selected by said image selection device.

5. The routing guide system according to claim 1, wherein said image providing device reads, from said storage device, scenery images on the route calculated by said route calculating device or peripheral thereto, and

wherein said route calculating device further includes:

a periphery display device configured to display the scenery images of the calculated route periphery generated by said image providing device;

a second image selection device configured to select, according to a third operation, an image from among the scenery images of said calculated route periphery displayed by said periphery display device; and

a route correcting device configured to recalculate the route to said destination to transit a location point corresponding to the image selected by said second image selection device.

6. The routing guide system according to claim 1, wherein said route calculating device, said display device, and said route confirming device are provided in an on-vehicle terminal device mounted in said vehicle;

wherein the image providing device having said storage device is included in a server positioned outside said vehicle; and

wherein bi-directional communication is carried out between said server and said on-vehicle terminal device.

7. The routing guide system according to claim 6, wherein said on-vehicle terminal device includes:

said camera;

said pleasantness degree calculating device;

a pleasant image determining device configured to determine whether or not the degree of pleasantness calculated by said pleasantness degree calculating device is larger than a predetermined threshold value; and

an appendix information creation device configured to create, for a scenery image determined by said pleasant image determining device to be of a degree of pleasantness larger than the predetermined threshold value, appendix information including location, direction and date and time of the image capture and the degree of pleasantness, and configured to transmit the scenery image along with the appendix information to said server.

8. The routing guide system according to claim 6, wherein said server includes:

a receiving device configured to receive the scenery image along with the appendix information thereof, transmitted from said on-vehicle terminal device;

a comparison device configured to compare the appendix information of the scenery image received by said receiving device with the appendix information of an existing scenery image already saved in said storage device; and

a saving control device configured to save in said storage device, said received scenery image and the appendix information thereof, if the appendix information of the received scenery image is different from the appendix information of the existing scenery image.

9. The routing guide system according claim, 8, wherein said saving control device discards said received scenery image and the appendix information thereof, if the appendix information of the received scenery image is the same as the appendix information of the existing scenery image.

10. The routing guide system according to claim 8, wherein when the degree of pleasantness contained in the appendix information of said received scenery image is higher than the degree of pleasantness contained in the appendix information of the existing scenery image, said saving control device saves in said storage device said received scenery image along with the appendix information thereof even if the appendix information of said received scenery image other than the degree of pleasantness is identical to the appendix information of the existing scenery image.

11. The routing guide system according to claim 7, wherein said pleasantness degree calculating device includes:

an image dividing device configured to divide an image in front of the vehicle, captured by said camera, into an upper region image, a lower region image, a right region image and a left region image by means of two diagonal lines,

wherein said road analyzing device performs road analysis processing on the lower region image;

wherein said scene analyzing device performs scene analysis processing on the right region image and the left region image;

wherein said background analyzing device performs background analysis processing on the upper region image;

wherein said pleasantness degree calculating device further includes;

a road characteristic index device configured to establish a plurality of road characteristic indices, on the basis of results of said road analysis processing;

a scene characteristic index device configured to establish a plurality of scene characteristic indices for each of said right and left right region images, on the basis of results of said scene analysis processing; and

a background characteristic index device configured to establish a plurality of background characteristic indices on the basis of results of said background analysis processing,

wherein said road pleasantness calculating device calculates an average of said plurality of road characteristics indices, as the degree of road pleasantness;

wherein said scene pleasantness calculating device calculates an average of said plurality of scene characteristics indices for said right region image, as the degrees of right scene pleasantness and calculates an average of said plurality of scene characteristics indices for said left region image, as the degrees of left scene pleasantness; and

wherein said background pleasantness calculating device calculates an average of said plurality of background characteristics indices as the degree of background pleasantness; and

wherein said pleasantness degree calculating device further includes an average calculating device configured to calculate an average of said degree of road pleasantness, said degree of right scene pleasantness, said degree of left scene pleasantness, and said degree of background pleasantness as the degree of pleasantness of said scenery image in front of the vehicle.

12. The routing guide system according to claim 2, wherein said route calculating device includes:

an image selection device configured to select, according to a second operation, an image from among the scenery images on said calculated route displayed by said display device; and

a route correcting device configured to recalculate the route to said destination to avoid a location point corresponding to the image selected by said image selection device.

13. The routing guide system according to claim 3, wherein said route calculating device includes:

an image selection device configured to select, according to a second operation, an image from among the scenery images on said calculated route displayed by said display device; and

a route correcting device configured to recalculate the route to said destination to avoid a location point corresponding to the image selected by said image selection device.