On-board vehicle navigation device and program

• US 8,515,665 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshikawa, Kazutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US12/550,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20100063722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/411
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element

Abstract

Signal data stored in an information storage unit of an on-board vehicle navigation device includes signal numbers, position information for each signal, signal indication information for determining the indication, and information for a relationship between the indications and times for each signal. Based on a determination that the target signal has been set by selecting a signal intersection on a map screen (S10), a route from a current position to the target signal is searched (S31). Signals on the set route are read from map data (S60). Travel time between the current position and the closest signal on the route and the travel times required between adjacent signals on the route are calculated (S70). The indication information for each signal is predicted from the travel times required and the signal indication information in the signal data (S80). And then, the indication of the target signal at the time of arrival is determined and announced (S90).

Claims

1. An on-board vehicle navigation device comprising:

a current position information acquisition unit that acquires current position information relating to a current position of a host vehicle;

a signal information acquisition unit that acquires signal position information relating to positions where plural signals are respectively installed and signal indication information, including a relationship between indications of a signal and time, for determining indication of each signal, each signal changing indications in a timed sequence;

a target signal setting unit that sets a specific signal as a target signal based on the signal position information;

a route search unit that searches to determine a plurality of routes from the current position to the set target signal based on the current position information and the signal position information;

signal indication determination unit that calculates a required travel time for each of the determined plurality of routes and that determines the indication of the target signal at arrival times the vehicle would arrive at the target signal by travel of each of the determined plurality of routes, based on the calculated required travel time for each route of the plurality of routes and the signal indication information; and

an announcement unit that notifies a driver of the host vehicle of the indication of the target signal determined by the signal indication determination unit for each of the plurality of routes, the indications of the target signal and arrival times at the target signal differing among the plurality of routes; and

wherein

the announcement unit displays one route from among the plurality of routes as a candidate route with the determined indication of the target signal at the arrival time for travel of the one route on a map display showing each of a plurality of routes.

2. The on-board vehicle navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the signal indication information is information that indicates a relationship between the indications of a plurality of signals, and the signal indication determination means identifies signals existing on each route of the plurality of routes, based on the route and the position information and determines the indication of the target signal for when the vehicle will arrive at the target signal, based on the signals existing on each route and the signal indication information.

3. The on-board vehicle navigation device according to claim 2, wherein the relationship is associated with a plurality of travel times, and the signal indication determination unit calculates a travel time for each distance between signals identified as existing on each route, and determines the indication of the target signal of when the vehicle arrives at the target signal based on the travel time for each distance between the adjacent signals and the signal indication information.

4. The on-board vehicle navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the signal indications include indications for stop and go.

5. The on-board vehicle navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the announcement unit further displays a second route from the among the plurality of routes from the current position to the set target signal with the indication of the target signal at the arrival time at the target signal for the host vehicle traveling the second route.

8. The on-board vehicle navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the target signal setting unit includes a display of the acquired positions where signals are installed and an operation switch for selection of, as the target signal, one of signals.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a program comprising:

a current position information acquisition step that acquires current position information relating to a current position of a host vehicle;

a signal information acquisition step that acquires signal position information relating to installation positions of plural signals and signal indication information, including a relationship between the indications of the signal and times, for determining indication of each signal, each signal changing indications in a timed sequence;

a target signal setting step that sets a specific signal as a target signal based on the signal position information;

a route search step that searches to determine a plurality of routes from the current position to the target signal based on the current position information and the signal position information;

a signal indication determination step that calculates a required travel time for each of the determined plurality of routes and that determines the indication of the target signal at an arrival time of arrival of the vehicle would arrive at the target signal by travel of each of the determined plurality of routes, based on the calculated required travel time for each of the plurality of routes route and the signal indication information; and

an announcement step that notifies a driver of the host vehicle of the indication of the target signal that was determined by the signal indication determination step for each route of the determined plurality of routes; and

wherein;

the signal indication determination unit determines the indication of the target signal at the time the vehicle will arrive at the target signal for each of the plurality of routes, and the announcement step displays one route from among the plurality of routes as a candidate route with the determined indication of the target signal at the time of arrival for travel of corresponding to the one route on a map for each of a plurality of routes.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a program according to claim 6, wherein the target signal setting step includes displaying a map showing a plurality of signals and selecting a target signal from among the displayed plurality of signals by use of an operation switch.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a program according to claim 6, wherein the signal indications include indications for stop and go.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a program according to claim 6, wherein the announcement step further displays a second route from the among the plurality of routes from the current position to the set target signal with the indication of the target signal at the arrival time at the target signal for the host vehicle traveling the second route.