In-vehicle apparatus and information processing center

• US 8,649,946 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2009
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Shinji, Sekiyama, Hiroaki, Katsukawa, Keiko, Fujishiro, Minako, Nakamura, Yukiko, Sato, Yoshiharu, Kobayashi, Yoshimi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): EVANS, GARRETT F
• Application Number:
  US13/265,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20120221215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/51
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods

Abstract

A vehicle information processing unit 16 collects vehicle information, which is information relating to the discharge amount of exhaust gas of at least one at any of a predetermined point, a predetermined section, and a predetermined period of time. An ecological traveling history DB 26 accumulates the vehicle information collected by the vehicle information processing unit 16 for each point through which the vehicle has traveled. A display device 30 displays the vehicle information accumulated in the ecological traveling history DB 26 by an image on a map including each point for each point through which the vehicle has traveled. Therefore, it becomes possible to allow a driver to recognize previous traveling performance at the point through which the vehicle has traveled, and to more effectively provide the driver with a guide or a motivation to perform ecological traveling, thereby providing a more useful in-vehicle apparatus which allows the driver to perform ecological traveling.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle apparatus comprising:

a vehicle information collection device which collects vehicle information, which is information relating to an emission amount of at least one vehicle at any of a predetermined point, a predetermined section, and a predetermined period of time;

a traveling history database which accumulates the vehicle information collected by the vehicle information collection device along with a point through which the vehicle has traveled; and

a display device which displays the vehicle information accumulated in the traveling history database for each point through which the vehicle has traveled,

wherein the display device displays the vehicle information accumulated in the traveling history database with a symbol of a plurality of symbols which indicate gradually a degree of attainment as to whether or not the vehicle information satisfies a predetermined condition by an image on a map including each point for each point through which the vehicle has traveled,

when a discharge amount of exhaust gas in the vehicle information is smaller, when an amount of fuel consumption in the vehicle information is smaller, when a vehicle speed in the vehicle information is lower, when an acceleration in the vehicle information is lower, or when a reduction ratio of a use gear of the transmission in the vehicle information is smaller, the display device displays the symbol on the map on a more magnified scale, and

the display device displays the symbol while changing a kind of the symbols according to a cumulative number of times from the past that the vehicle information satisfied the predetermined condition at the point through which the vehicle has traveled.

2. The in-vehicle apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display device changes and displays the symbol in accordance with at least one of the type, size, displacement, and mileage of the vehicle.

3. The in-vehicle apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display device changes and displays the symbol in accordance with at least one of the driving skill and experience of the driver of the vehicle.

4. The in-vehicle apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the traveling history database accumulates the vehicle information for a plurality of vehicles along with points through which the vehicles have traveled, and

the display device displays the vehicle information for a plurality of vehicles accumulated in the traveling history database with symbols by images on a map including the points for the respective points through which a plurality of vehicles have traveled, and changes and displays the symbols between a host vehicle and other vehicles.

5. The in-vehicle apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, when traffic flow at each point is heavier, the display device enlarges more an area where the symbol is displayed on the map near the point.

6. The in-vehicle apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the information relating to the emission amount is information relating to at least one of the discharge amount of exhaust gas, the amount of fuel consumption, the vehicle speed, the acceleration, and the use gear of the transmission of the vehicle.

7. The in-vehicle apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display device changes the content to be displayed in accordance with the vehicle information for each point through which the vehicle has traveled.