Road-condition informing apparatus and road-condition informing method

• US 7,817,064 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2004
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fourie Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fourie Incorporated
• Inventors: Nishida, Shinsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US11/632,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20070252725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,286 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/539.22, 340/539.26, 340/601, 340/933, 340/934, 340/935, 340/938, 324/337, 324/344
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates 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 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element

Abstract

A detecting unit that is provided at a detection position on a road detects a road condition near the detection position. A light emitting unit that is provided at the detection position emits a light. A control unit controls a light emission of the light emitting unit based on detected road condition.

Claims

1. An apparatus for informing a road condition of a road to a driver of a vehicle driving on the road, the apparatus comprising:

a detecting unit configured to be provided at a detection position on the road and to detect the road condition near the detection position;

a light emitting unit configured to be provided at the detection position and to emit a light; and

a control unit that controls a light emission of the light emitting unit based on detected road condition,

wherein the detecting unit is provided in correspondence with a single lane of a road having a plurality of lanes, and

wherein the light emitting unit is operative to provide a flashing light with a variable frequency that is controlled on the basis of an output of the detecting unit to represent a respective one of a plurality of road conditions.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transmitting unit that transmits information on the detected road condition to the vehicle driving on the road.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the light emitting unit emits the light toward a surface of the road.

4. A system for informing a road condition of a road to a driver of a vehicle driving on the road, the system comprising:

a plurality of road-condition informing apparatuses provided at a plurality of detection positions on the road, wherein

each of the road-condition informing apparatuses includes

a detecting unit that detects the road condition near corresponding detection position;

a light emitting unit that emits a light; and

a control unit that controls a light emission of the light emitting unit based on detected road condition,

wherein the detecting unit is provided in correspondence with a single lane of a road having a plurality of lanes, and

wherein the light emitting unit is operative to provide a flashing light with a variable frequency that is controlled on the basis of an output of the detecting unit to represent a respective one of a plurality of road conditions.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein

the light emitting unit is positioned above the road, and

light emissions of light emitting units of the road-condition informing apparatuses are recognized by the driver of the vehicle driving toward the light emitting units in an ascending order of respective distances from the vehicle.

6. The system according to claim 4 wherein

the light emitting unit emits the light toward a surface of the road.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein

each of the road-condition informing apparatuses further includes

a transmitting unit that transmits information on the detected road condition to the vehicle driving on the road.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein

the vehicle includes:

a receiving unit that receives the detected road condition from the transmitting unit of each of the road-condition informing apparatuses;

a control unit that analyzes a traffic condition of the road based on received road condition; and

a display unit that displays thereon analyzed traffic condition.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein

the vehicle includes

a receiving unit that receives the detected road condition from the transmitting unit of each of the road-condition informing apparatuses;

and

a control unit that analyzes a traffic condition of the road based on received road condition, and controls a speed of the vehicle based on analyzed traffic condition.

10. A method of informing a road condition of a road to a driver of a vehicle driving on the road, the method comprising:

detecting the road condition near a detection position on the road; and

controlling a light emission of a light emitting unit provided at the detection position based on detected road condition,

wherein the detecting unit is provided in correspondence with a single lane of a road having a plurality of lanes, and

wherein the light emitting unit is operative to provide a flashing light with a variable frequency that is controlled on the basis of an output of the detecting unit to represent a respective one of a plurality of road conditions.