Travel pattern information obtaining device, travel pattern information obtaining method, and travel pattern information obtaining program

• US 8,417,443 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2009
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Application Number:
  US12/867,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20100324806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,513 Days
• Field of Search: 701/418, 701/117, 701/118, 701/119, 701/410, 701/414, 701/533, 340/990, 340/995, 340/906, 340/435, 340/439, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 701/119
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data

Abstract

Vehicle speed identification information for identifying vehicle speed of a vehicle on a road is obtained for a plurality of vehicles. Based on a distribution of the vehicle speed identification information, the vehicle speed identification information is classified into groups corresponding to motions of the vehicle. An occurrence probability of a motion of the vehicle is obtained based on the classification.

Claims

1. A travel pattern information obtaining device comprising:

a vehicle speed identification information obtaining unit for obtaining vehicle speed identification information in order to identify vehicle speed of a vehicle on a road for a plurality of vehicles;

a vehicle speed identification information classifying unit for classifying the vehicle speed identification information into a group corresponding to a motion of the vehicle, based on a distribution of the vehicle speed identification information; and

a motion occurrence probability obtaining unit for obtaining an occurrence probability of the motion of the vehicle, based on the classification characterized in that

the vehicle speed identification information obtaining unit obtains the vehicle speed identification information of a plurality of road sections, respectively, that are consecutive between two preset points, the vehicle speed identification information indicating the vehicle speed or required time of the road sections,

the vehicle speed identification information classifying unit classifies the vehicle speed identification information of each of the road sections into the group which is systematically defined in order from the road section with the smallest number n (natural number) such that a plurality of vehicle speed identification information for a road section (n+1) obtained by theplurality of vehicles that outputted a plurality of vehicle speed identification information comprising one group for a road section n is further classified into one or more groups, and

the motion occurrence probability obtaining unit obtains the occurrence probability of the motion of the vehicle on each of the road sections based on the systematic classification, the occurrence probability being dependent on the occurrence probability of the motion of the vehicle on a previous road section of the road section.

2. The travel pattern information obtaining device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle speed identification information obtaining unit refers to map information divided into layers such that a higher-ranked layer has a lower density of nodes, and extracts lower-layer-nodes, which are set on a road identical to a road between the two preset points, from the layer ranked lower than the layer that includes higher-layer-nodes corresponding to both ends of the road between the two preset points, to designate the lower- layer-nodes, as end points of each the road sections.

3. The travel pattern information obtaining device according to claim 1, wherein

the motion occurrence probability obtaining unit obtains the occurrence probability for a motion of the vehicle that corresponds to a difficulty of travel when traveling from one of the road sections that are consecutive to the next, and obtains information specifying the difficulty of travel based on the occurrence probability.

4. The travel pattern information obtaining device according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle speed identification information classifying unit classifies the vehicle speed identification information into the group using clustering.

7. The travel pattern information obtaining device according to claim 2, wherein

the motion occurrence probability obtaining unit obtains the occurrence probability for a motion of the vehicle that corresponds to a difficulty of travel when traveling from one of the road sections that are consecutive to the next, and obtains information specifying the difficulty of travel based on the occurrence probability.

8. The travel pattern information obtaining device according to claim 2, wherein

the vehicle speed identification information classifying unit classifies the vehicle speed identification information into the group using clustering.

10. The travel pattern information obtaining device according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle speed identification information classifying unit classifies the vehicle speed identification information into the group using clustering.

5. A travel pattern information obtaining method comprising the steps of:

obtaining vehicle speed identification information in order to identify vehicle speed of a vehicle on a road for a plurality of vehicles;

classifying in a classifying unit, the vehicle speed identification information into a group corresponding to a motion of the vehicle, based on a distribution of the vehicle speed identification information; and

obtaining an occurrence probability of the motion of the vehicle, based on the classification, characterized in that the step of obtaining vehicle speed identification information comprises the step of obtaining the vehicle speed identification information of a plurality of road sections, respectively, that are consecutive between two preset points, the vehicle speed identification information indicating the vehicle speed or required time of the road sections,

the step of classifying in a classifying unit, the vehicle speed identification information comprises the step of classifying the vehicle speed identification information of each of the road sections into the group which is systematically defined in order from the road section with the smallest number n (natural number) such that a plurality of vehicle speed identification information for a road section (n+1) obtained by the plurality of vehicles that outputted a plurality of vehicle speed identification information comprising one group for a road section n is further classified into one or more group, and

the step of obtaining an occurrence probability comprises the step of obtaining the occurrence probability of the motion of the vehicle on each of the road sections based on the systematic classification, the occurrence probability being dependent on the occurrence probability of the motion of the vehicle on a previous road section of the road section.

9. The travel pattern information obtaining device according to claim 5, wherein the vehicle speed identification information classifying unit classifies the vehicle speed identification information into the group using clustering.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a travel pattern information obtaining program executed in a computer to perform the functions of:

obtaining vehicle speed identification information in order to identify vehicle speed of a vehicle on a road for a plurality of vehicles;

classifying the vehicle speed identification information into a group corresponding to a motion of the vehicle, based on a distribution of the vehicle speed identification information; and

obtaining an occurrence probability of the motion of the vehicle, based on the classification, characterized in that the function of obtaining vehicle speed identification information comprises the function of obtaining the vehicle speed identification information of a plurality of road sections, respectively, that are consecutive between two preset points, the vehicle speed identification information indicating the vehicle speed or required time of the road sections,

the function of classifying the vehicle speed identification information comprises the function of classifying the vehicle speed identification information of each of the road sections into the group which is systematically defined in order from the road section with the smallest number n (natural number) such that a plurality of vehicle speed identification information for a road section (n+1) obtained by the plurality of vehicles that outputted a plurality of vehicle speed identification information comprising one group for a road section n is further classified into one or more groups, and

the function of obtaining an occurrence probability comprises the function of obtaining the occurrence probability of the motion of the vehicle on each of the road sections based on the systematic classification. the occurrence probability being dependent on the occurrence probability of the motion of the vehicle on a previous road section of the road section.