Traffic information transmitting apparatus, transmitting method, and transmitting program

• US 7,660,663 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Hiroki, Yoshikawa, Kazutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US11/093,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20050240340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,777 Days
• Field of Search: 701117-119, 701/200, 340933-934
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions

Abstract

A traffic information transmitting apparatus, method, and program store accumulated traffic information including past traffic information and estimate traffic information at a time when a vehicle passes through a predetermined link based on the accumulated traffic information. The apparatus, method, and program determine whether the estimated traffic information is substantially different from traffic information stored in the vehicle. The apparatus, method, and program transmit, when the estimated traffic information and the traffic information stored in the vehicle are substantially different, the substantially different estimated traffic information to the vehicle.

Claims

1. A traffic information transmitting apparatus for transmitting traffic information to a vehicle, the traffic information transmitting apparatus comprising:

a memory that stores accumulated traffic information including past traffic information and map data; and

a controller that is configured to;

receive a current position of the vehicle and a destination;

search for a tentative route from the current position to the destination;

define a plurality of areas within the map data including the tentative route as target areas;

specify entering times when the vehicle enters the target areas;

estimate traffic information for each road within the target areas at the entering times based on the accumulated traffic information;

determine that the each road within the target areas is a peculiar road if the estimated traffic information for the each road is substantially different from past traffic information stored in the vehicle at the entering times;

determine that the target areas are peculiar areas when a ratio of a total number of peculiar roads in each target area to a total number of roads in the target area is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio; and

transmit the estimated traffic information for the each road within the peculiar areas to the vehicle.

2. An information server comprising the traffic information transmitting apparatus of claim 1.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the entering times are specified by entering times to a part of the tentative route within the target area.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller:

receives current traffic information; and

estimates the traffic information at the entering times based on a combination of the received current traffic information and the stored accumulated traffic information.

5. A traffic information transmitting method, comprising:

storing accumulated traffic information including past traffic information and map data in a memory;

receiving a current position of the vehicle and a destination;

searching for a tentative route from the current position to the destination in the map data stored in the memory;

defining a plurality of areas within the map data including the tentative route as target areas;

specifying entering times when the vehicle enters the target areas;

estimating traffic information for each road within the target areas at the entering times based on the accumulated traffic information;

determining that the each road within the target areas is a peculiar road if the estimated traffic information for the each road is substantially different from past traffic information stored in the vehicle at the entering times;

determining that the target areas are peculiar areas when a ratio of a total number of peculiar roads in each target area to a total number of roads in the target area is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio; and

transmitting the estimated traffic information for the each road within the peculiar areas to the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving current traffic information; and

estimating the traffic information at the entering times based on a combination of the received current traffic information and the stored accumulated traffic information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the entering times are specified by entering times to a part of the tentative route within the target area.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the method is implemented by a controller.

9. A storage medium storing a set of program instructions executable on a data processing device and usable to transmit traffic information, the instructions comprising:

instructions for storing accumulated traffic information including past traffic information and map data;

instructions for receiving a current position of the vehicle and a destination;

instructions for searching for a tentative route from the current position to the destination;

instructions for defining a plurality of areas within the map data including the tentative route as target areas;

instructions for specifying entering times when the vehicle enters the target areas;

instructions for estimating traffic information for each road within the target areas at the entering times based on the accumulated traffic information;

instructions for determining that the each road within the target areas is a peculiar road if the estimated traffic information for the each road is substantially different from past traffic information stored in the vehicle at the entering times;

instructions for determining that the target areas are peculiar areas when a ratio of a total number of peculiar roads in each target area to a total number of roads in the target area is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio; and

instructions for transmitting the estimated traffic information for the each road within the peculiar areas to the vehicle.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program usable to transmit traffic information, the program causing a computer to:

store accumulated traffic information including past traffic information and map data;

receive a current position of the vehicle and a destination;

search for a tentative route from the current position to the destination;

define a plurality of areas within the map data including the tentative route as target areas;

specify entering times when the vehicle enters the target areas;

estimate traffic information for each road within the target areas at the entering times based on the accumulated traffic information;

determine that the each road within the target areas is a peculiar road if the estimated traffic information for the each road is substantially different from past traffic information stored in the vehicle at the entering times;

determine that the target areas are peculiar areas when a ratio of a total number of peculiar roads in each target area to a total number of roads in the target area is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio; and

transmit the estimated traffic information for the each road within the peculiar areas to the vehicle.