Travel time calculation server, a travel time calculating apparatus used for a vehicle and a travel time calculation system

• US 8,255,145 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2008
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Murata, Kenichi, Yoshikawa, Kazutaka, Zaitsu, Tomoyuki, Nagase, Kenji, Ishikawa, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US12/528,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20100049428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,645 Days
• Field of Search: 701/118, 701/117, 701/119, 701/120
• US Class Current: 701/118
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

A travel time calculation server is provided which comprises: a probe data reception part 31 configured to receive travel time data of an intersection node 6 through which a vehicle 3 passes as well as a traffic event of each of links 1-4 connecting to the intersection node; and a right and left turn cost generating part 33 configured to store a table, which stores the travel time data of the intersection node 6 associated with combinations of traffic events of the links 1-4, in storage means 35.

Claims

1. A travel time calculation server, comprising:

a probe data reception part configured to receive travel time data of an intersection node through which a vehicle passes as well as a traffic event of each of links connecting to the intersection node; and

a right and left turn cost generating part programmed to store a table on an intersection node basis in a storage device, said table storing the travel time data of the intersection node associated with a combination of a traffic event of the link entering the intersection node and a traffic event of the link connected to the intersection node in a left turn direction, and a combination of a traffic event of the link entering the intersection node, a traffic event of the link connected to the intersection node in a right turn direction and a traffic event of the link opposite to the link entering the intersection node.

2. The travel time calculation server as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a current traffic event acquisition device configured to acquire current traffic events of the links; and

a route search part configured to extract the intersection node included in a route toward a predetermined goal, wherein

the route search part extracts the current traffic events of the links connecting to the intersection node in the route from the current traffic events acquired by the current traffic event acquisition device, and predicts an arrival time at the goal using the travel time data extracted from the table, said travel time data being extracted according to the combination of the current traffic events of the links.

3. The travel time calculation server as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the right and left turn cost generating part is programmed to generate, on an intersection node basis, right and left turn costs based on the probe data, and stores a right and left turn cost table, which stores the generated right and left turn costs associated with combinations of traffic events of the links, in the storage device.

4. The travel time calculation server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the traffic event is degree of traffic jam consisting of traffic jam, heavy traffic and wide-open traffic.

5. The travel time calculation server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the traffic event is link travel time or link passage speed of the link connecting to the intersection node.

6. The travel time calculation server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the right and left turn cost generating part is programmed to store the table in the storage device on a cost factor basis, said cost factor being at least one of a time period, a season and a day of the week.

7. The travel time calculation server as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a route search request reception part configured to receive current vehicle position information and goal information from the vehicle, wherein

the route search part predicts the arrival time at the goal of the goal information and notifies the vehicle of the predicted arrival time.

8. The travel time calculation server as claimed in claim 2, wherein the server extracts time data of time required for right turn or left turn from the travel time data extracted from the table according to the combination of current traffic events, and transmits the extracted time to a vehicle which outputs the extracted time in an audio or visual manner, or transmits the extracted time to road side facilities.

9. The travel time calculation server as claimed in claim 2, wherein the route search part predicts the arrival time at the goal using the travel time data which the probe data reception part receives instead of using the travel time data stored in the table, as far as the intersection node whose travel time data is received by the probe data reception part is concerned.

10. A travel time calculating apparatus used for a vehicle for predicting an arrival time at a goal, comprising:

a right and left turn cost generating part programmed to store a table on an intersection node basis in which travel time data of the intersection node is stored in such a manner that the travel time data is associated with a combination of a traffic event of the link-entering the intersection node and a traffic event of the link connected to the intersection node in a left turn direction, and a combination of a traffic event of the link entering the intersection node, a traffic event of the link connected to the intersection node in a right turn direction and a traffic event of the link opposite to the link entering the intersection node;

a current traffic event acquisition device configured to acquire current traffic events of the links; and

a route search part configured to extract the intersection node included in a route to the goal, wherein

the route search part extracts the current traffic events of the links connecting to the intersection node in the route from the current traffic events acquired by the current traffic event acquisition device, and predicts the arrival time at the goal using the travel time data of the intersection node extracted from the table according to the combination of the current traffic events.

11. A travel time calculation system comprising a travel time calculation server and a vehicle, wherein

the travel time calculation server includes

a reception part configured to receive travel time data of an intersection node through which a vehicle passes, and a traffic event of each of links connecting to the intersection node;

and

a right and left turn cost generating part programmed to store a table on an intersection node basis in a storage device, which table stores the travel time data of the intersection node associated with a combination of a traffic event of the link entering the intersection node and a traffic event of the link connected to the intersection node in a left turn direction, and a combination of a traffic event of the link entering the intersection node, a traffic event of the link connected to the intersection node in a right turn direction and a traffic event of the link opposite to the link entering the intersection node, and

the vehicle device includes

a table reception device configured to receive the table from the travel time calculation server;

a current traffic event acquisition device configured to acquire current traffic events of the links; and

a route search part configured to extract the intersection node included in a route to a predetermined goal, wherein

the route search part extracts the current traffic events of the links connecting to the intersection node in the route from the current traffic events acquired by the current traffic event acquisition device, and predicts an arrival time at the goal using the travel time data of the intersection node extracted from the table according to the combination of the current traffic events.