Traffic information processing apparatus, traffic information management server, traffic information management system

• US 8,296,047 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2008
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sugawara, Aiko, Nogawa, Tadafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOYER, DALE S
• Application Number:
  US12/668,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20100198454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: 701117-119
• US Class Current: 701/119
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and the like for improving the communication efficiency of travel information and the like by taking account of the degree of necessity of collecting the travel information of a vehicle in view of an operating state or attribute of the vehicle. A traffic information processing apparatus (10) mounted in the vehicle (1) determines the travel information thereof and transmits the travel information intermittently to a traffic information management server (20). A transmission interval (T) for transmitting the travel information is set according to a velocity (V) indicating the operating state of the vehicle (1) and a rule designated by the traffic information management server (20).

Claims

1. A traffic information processing apparatus which is mounted in a vehicle and is provided with a first processing element configured to determine travel information of the vehicle and transmit the travel information intermittently, further comprising:

a second processing element configured to set a transmission interval according to an operating state or an attribute of the vehicle for the first processing element to transmit the travel information, wherein the second processing element sets the transmission interval when a velocity of the vehicle denoting the operating state of the vehicle is in a predefined range differently from the transmission interval set when the velocity of the vehicle is beyond the predefined range, the range including a minimum value and a maximum value.

2. The traffic information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second processing element sets the transmission interval longer when the velocity of the vehicle is beyond the predefined range than that set when the velocity thereof is in the predefined range.

3. The traffic information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second processing element sets the transmission interval when the velocity of the vehicle varies in a predefined width inside the predefined range different from that when the velocity thereof varies beyond the predefined width after the velocity thereof is restored to the predefined range.

4. The traffic information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second processing element sets the transmission interval shorter when the velocity of the vehicle varies beyond the predefined width inside the predefined range than that when the velocity thereof varies in the predefined width after the velocity thereof is restored to the predefined range.

5. The traffic information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second processing element recognizes, according to communication with a traffic information management server, a rule for setting the transmission interval for the travel information according to the operating state or the attribute of the vehicle, and sets the transmission interval according to the operating state or the attribute of the vehicle and the rule.

6. A traffic information management server receives travel information of a vehicle from a traffic information processing apparatus mounted in the vehicle, wherein

the traffic information processing apparatus is provided with a first processing element configured to determine travel information and transmit the travel information intermittently, and a second processing element configured to set a transmission interval according to an operating state or an attribute of the vehicle for the first processing element to transmit the travel information, wherein the second processing element sets the transmission interval when a velocity of the vehicle denoting the operating state of the vehicle is in a predefined range differently from the transmission interval set when the velocity of the vehicle is beyond the predefined range, the range including a minimum value and a maximum value, and

the traffic information management server is provided with a first management element for making the second processing element recognize a rule for setting the transmission interval for the travel information according to communication with the traffic information processing apparatus.

7. The traffic information management server according to claim 6 further includes a second management element configured to recognize the travel information of the vehicle according to communication with the traffic information processing apparatus, generate road traffic information according to the travel information, and provide the road traffic information to a navigation apparatus mounted in the vehicle or another vehicle.

8. A traffic information management system, comprising:

a traffic information processing apparatus mounted in a vehicle and having;

a first processing element configured to determine travel information of the vehicle and transmit the travel information intermittently, and

a second processing element configured to set a transmission interval according to an operating state or an attribute of the vehicle for the first processing element to transmit the travel information, wherein the second processing element sets the transmission interval when a velocity of the vehicle denoting the operating state of the vehicle is in a predefined range differently from the transmission interval set when the velocity of the vehicle is beyond the predefined range, the range including a minimum value and a maximum value; and

a traffic information management server that receives travel information of the vehicle from the traffic information processing apparatus and includes a first management element for making the second processing element recognize a rule for setting the transmission interval for the travel information according to communication with the traffic information processing apparatus.