Traffic congestion degree determination device, traffic congestion degree notification device, and program

• US 8,108,135 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2007
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Satoh, Taichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Elchanti, Hussein
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan k
• Application Number:
  US12/000,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20080162028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/118
• US Class Current: 701/118
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

When an average vehicle speed corresponding to a congested road section exists and at the same time, speed limit data corresponding to the congested road section is contained in map data, a degree of traffic congestion is determined based on the difference between the average vehicle speed and the speed limit. When an average vehicle speed corresponding to a congested road section exists but speed limit data corresponding to the congested road section is not contained in map data, a degree of traffic congestion is determined based on the average vehicle speed. When there is not information indicating an average vehicle speed corresponding to a congested road section, a degree of traffic congestion indicated in externally received traffic information is directly taken as the result of determination of a degree of traffic congestion.

Claims

1. A traffic congestion degree determination device in a vehicle, the device comprising:

a map data input device configured to provide map data which includes speed limit information indicating a speed limit with respect to each of at least one of a plurality of road sections;

an external communication unit configured to acquire, from an external traffic information providing center, traffic information which identifies a congested road section from among the road sections and a degree of traffic congestion relative to the congested road section, wherein the traffic information further includes average speed information indicating an average vehicle speed relative to the congested road section; and

a control circuit configured to determine whether average speed information indicating an average speed with respect to the congested road section is contained in the traffic information acquired from the external traffic information providing center,

the control circuit being further configured to include

a first determination unit configured to determine a degree of traffic congestion with respect to the congested road section based on the degree of traffic congestion identified by the traffic information acquired from the external traffic information providing center when the average speed information is determined not to be included in the acquired traffic information,

a second determination unit configured to determine the degree of traffic congestion with respect to the congested road section based on the average speed information when the average speed information is determined to be included in the traffic information acquired from the external traffic information providing center and the speed limit information is not acquired within the vehicle from the map data provided by the map data input device, and

a third determination unit configured to determine the degree of traffic congestion with respect to the congested road section based on the average speed information and the speed limit information when the average speed information is determined to be included in the traffic information acquired from the external traffic information providing center and the speed limit information is acquired within the vehicle from the map data provided by the map data input device.

2. The traffic congestion degree determination device according to claim 1, comprising:

a storing unit for storing a correspondence between average vehicle speeds and degrees of traffic congestion,

wherein, with respect to the congested road section, if the average speed information is included in the acquired traffic information and the speed limit information is not included in the acquired map data, the second determining unit determines the degree of traffic congestion based on the correspondence between average vehicle speeds and degrees of traffic congestion stored in the storing unit.

3. The traffic congestion degree determination device according to claim 2,

wherein the map data includes road category information individually indicating road categories of the road sections,

wherein the storing unit stores the correspondence between average vehicle speeds and degrees of traffic congestion with respect to each of the road categories, and

wherein, with respect to the congested road section, if the average speed information is included in the acquired traffic information and the speed limit information is not included in the acquired map data, the second determining unit determines the degree of traffic congestion based on the correspondence between average vehicle speeds and degrees of traffic congestion with respect to a road category of the congested road section.

4. A traffic congestion degree notification device in a vehicle, the device comprising:

the traffic congestion degree determination device according to claim 1;

a notifying unit for notifying a user of varied information; and

a notification controlling unit for notifying the user of the degree of traffic congestion determined by the traffic congestion degree determination device through the notifying unit so that the degree of traffic congestion is recognized to correspond to the congested road section.

5. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a computer program comprising instructions for causing a computer to function as the determining unit in the traffic congestion degree determination device according to claim 1.

6. The traffic congestion degree notification device according to claim 4,

the notifying unit being further configured to notify the user of the varied information along a guided route;

and

the notification controlling unit being further configured to notify, along the guided route, the user of the degree of traffic congestion determined by the traffic congestion degree determination device through the notifying unit so that the degree of traffic congestion is recognized to correspond to the congested road section.

7. A method of determining in a vehicle a degree of traffic congestion, the method comprising:

acquiring, from an external traffic information providing center, traffic information which identifies a congested road section from among a plurality of road sections and a degree of traffic congestion relative to the congested road section;

acquiring, average speed information indicating an average speed with respect to the congested road section, when the average speed information is available;

determining whether average speed information indicating an average speed with respect to the congested road section is contained in the traffic information acquired from the external traffic information providing center;

determining a degree of traffic congestion with respect to the congested road section based on the degree of traffic congestion identified by the traffic information acquired from the external traffic information providing center when it is determined that the average speed information is not contained in the acquired traffic information;

acquiring, in the traffic congestion degree determining device within the vehicle, speed limit information indicating a speed limit with respect to the congested road section, when it is determined that the average speed information is contained in the traffic information acquired from the external traffic information providing center;

determining, in the traffic congestion degree determining device, a degree of traffic congestion with respect to the congested road section based on the average speed information when the average speed information is acquired from the external traffic information providing center and the speed limit information is not acquired within the vehicle, and

determining, in the traffic congestion degree determining device, a degree of traffic congestion with respect to the congested road section based on the average speed information and the speed limit information when the average speed information is acquired from the external traffic information providing center and the speed limit information is acquired within the vehicle.