Vehicle on-board unit

• US 7,739,031 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ramirez, Kenneth, Tengler, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US11/514,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 701/204, 701/200, 701207-209, 701/211, 701/213, 701/117, 731/78.R, 340/988, 340/990, 340/994
• US Class Current: 701/204
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635

Abstract

A vehicle on-board unit is configured and arranged to report an estimated time of arrival and an accuracy indicator for an estimated time of arrival from historical estimated time of arrival information. The vehicle on-board unit basically has a destination input section, a historical data input section and an estimated time of arrival reporting section. The destination input section is used to enter a destination point. The historical data input section provides historical estimated time of arrival information based on a plurality of actual motorist travel times to the destination point. The estimated time of arrival reporting section reports to a user an estimated time of arrival and an accuracy indicator for the estimated time of arrival from the historical estimated time of arrival information.

Claims

1. A vehicle on-board unit comprising:

a destination input section configured to enter a destination point,

a historical data input section configured to provide historical estimated time of arrival information based on a plurality of actual motorist travel times to the destination point; and

an estimated time of arrival reporting section configured to report to a user an estimated time of arrival and an accuracy indicator for the estimated time of arrival from the historical estimated time of arrival information.

2. The vehicle on-board unit according to claim 1, further comprising

a travel route information section configured to provide at least one potential travel route to the destination point.

3. The vehicle on-board unit according to claim 2, wherein

the travel route information section is further configured to provide a plurality of potential travel routes to the destination point, and

the estimated time of arrival reporting section is further configured to report to the user an estimated time of arrival and an accuracy indicator for each of the potential travel routes based on the historical estimated time of arrival information.

4. The vehicle on-board unit according to claim 2, wherein

the estimated time of arrival reporting section includes a display unit for visually displaying the potential travel route.

5. The vehicle on-board unit according to claim 4, wherein

the estimated time of arrival reporting section is further configured to display the estimated time of arrival and the accuracy indicator together on a single screen display on the display unit.

6. The vehicle on-board unit according to claim 4, wherein

the estimated time of arrival reporting section is further configured to display a map including the destination point with the map being divided into areas having the accuracy indicator provided for each of the areas.

7. The vehicle on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein

the historical data input section includes a wireless communication device configured to receive the historical estimated time of arrival information from an external source.

8. The vehicle on-board unit according to claim 7, wherein

the wireless communication device is further configured to receive at least one potential travel route to the destination point from the external source.

9. The vehicle on-board unit according to claim 1, further comprising

a vehicle positioning section configured to provide a current location of a host vehicle equipped with the vehicle on-board unit;

and

a vehicle travel data collecting section configured to collect travel route data that includes travel times between two locations of the host vehicle as determined by the vehicle positioning section.

10. The vehicle on-board unit according to claim 9, wherein

the historical data input section includes a wireless communication device configured to send recorded travel times to an external source.

11. The vehicle on-board unit according to claim 10, wherein

the wireless communication device is further configured to receive the historical estimated time of arrival information from an external source.

12. The vehicle on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein

an estimated time of arrival reporting section displays the estimated time of arrival and the accuracy indicator to the user in response to user input.

13. The vehicle on-board unit according to claim 12, wherein

the estimated time of arrival reporting section is further configured to display a map divided into areas having the accuracy indicator provided for each of the areas.

14. The vehicle on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein

the accuracy indicator includes a percentage of accuracy based on the historical estimated time of arrival information.

15. The vehicle on-board unit according to claim 14, wherein

a higher percentage for the accuracy indicator represents a higher accuracy.

16. The vehicle on-board unit according to claim 14, wherein

the estimated time of arrival includes at least one of a fast time and a slow time.

17. An estimated time of arrival reporting system comprising:

a plurality of vehicles each including

a vehicle travel data collecting section configured to collect travel route data that includes travel times between at least two locations actually traveled;

a destination input section configured to enter a destination point,

a two-way communication unit configured to transmit the travel route data and receive historical estimated time of arrival information including an estimated time of arrival and an accuracy indicator for the estimated time of arrival, and

an estimated time of arrival reporting section configured to report to a user the estimated time of arrival and the accuracy indicator from the historical estimated time of arrival information; and

a base station including two-way communications configured to receive the travel route data from the vehicles, and to selectively send the historical estimated time of arrival information based on the travel route data that was received to the vehicles in response to a vehicle'"'"'s request.

18. The estimated time of arrival reporting system according to claim 17, wherein

the base station is further configured to provide at least one potential travel route to the destination point in response to the vehicle'"'"'s request.

19. The estimated time of arrival reporting system according to claim 17, wherein

the base station is further configured to provide a plurality of potential travel routes to the destination point, and send the historical estimated time of arrival information relating to each of the potential travel routes.