Navigation device, recommended speed arithmetic device, and recommended speed presentation device

• US 8,700,299 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2011
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Morita, Shigeki, Maeda, Takashi, Sugawara, Hisashi, Tosa, Takatoshi, Igarashi, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US13/989,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20130245945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 701/123, 701/490, 701/533
• US Class Current: 701/123
• 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: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

Disclosed is a navigation device including a traveling route estimating unit 1 for estimating a route along which a moving object will travel and which falls within a predetermined region from a current position, a first recommended speed arithmetic unit 10 for computing a recommended speed in each of road sections on the route estimated by the traveling route estimating unit 1 on the basis of road state information showing a road state, and a second recommended speed arithmetic unit 20 for computing a recommended speed in a road section between the road sections for each of which the recommended speed is computed by the first recommended speed arithmetic unit 10 according to a predetermined speed variation function.

Claims

1. A navigation device having a function of computing a recommended speed of a moving object, said navigation device comprising:

a traveling route estimating unit for estimating a route along which said moving object will travel and which falls within a predetermined region from a current position;

a first recommended speed arithmetic unit for computing a recommended speed in each of road sections on the route estimated by said traveling route estimating unit on a basis of road state information showing a road state;

a second recommended speed arithmetic unit for computing a recommended speed in a road section between said road sections for each of which the recommended speed is computed by said first recommended speed arithmetic unit according to a predetermined speed variation function; and

a parameter setting unit for storing parameters defining operational characteristics of said moving object according to types of moving objects including said moving object,

wherein said second recommended speed arithmetic unit determines the speed variation function for defining acceleration and deceleration according to the operational characteristics of said moving object by using a parameter which said second recommended speed arithmetic unit selects on a basis of the type of said moving object from among the parameters stored in said parameter setting unit, and computes the recommended speed in the road section between said road sections for which the recommended speed is computed by said first recommended speed arithmetic unit according to said speed variation function.

2. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said navigation device includes a recommended speed presenting unit for presenting the recommended speed in each of said road sections which is computed by said first recommended speed arithmetic unit and the recommended speed in said road section which is computed by said second recommended speed arithmetic unit to a driver.

3. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein by using at least two methods each of using road state information in the road section on the route estimated by said traveling route estimating unit, said road state information being one of a road speed limit, a road width, a road geometry, a travel history, traffic light information showing traffic light change times, and information about other moving objects traveling in front of said moving object along said root, said first recommended speed arithmetic unit computes the recommended speed in the road section corresponding to said road state information.

4. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said parameter setting unit has maximum deceleration at a time of applying a regeneration brake as a parameter of a vehicle driven by a motor.

5. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said parameter setting unit has a lower limit speed at a time of applying an engine brake as a parameter of a gasoline engine vehicle.

6. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said recommended speed presenting unit presents descriptions of said road state information corresponding to said road section for which the recommended speed is computed to a driver.

7. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said recommended speed presenting unit displays at least one of images respectively showing descriptions of said road state information corresponding to said road section, and an acceleration or deceleration command for making a speed of said moving object match the recommended speed, as well as the recommended speed in said road section, to present at least said image to a driver.

8. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said recommended speed presenting unit presents a recommended speed on said route which said moving object will have after a lapse of a predetermined time as a recommended speed at a current time.

9. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said navigation device includes a speed limiter unit for, when said moving object has a speed exceeding said recommended speed by a predetermined value, notifying a travel control device of said moving object that said moving object has an excessive speed.

10. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein when a destination is set to said navigation device and route guidance about a route is carried out, said traveling route estimating unit estimates said route as the route along which said moving object will travel.

11. The navigation device according to claim 10, wherein when no destination is set to said navigation device and no route guidance is carried out, said traveling route estimating unit estimates a most heavily trafficked road among roads existing in the predetermine region from the current position as the route along which said moving object will travel.

13. The recommended speed arithmetic device according to claim 11, wherein by using at least two methods each of using road state information in the road section on the route estimated by said traveling route estimating unit, said road state information being one of a road speed limit, a road width, a road geometry, a travel history, traffic light information showing traffic light change times, and information about other moving objects traveling in front of said moving object along said root, said first recommended speed arithmetic unit computes the recommended speed in the road section corresponding to said road state information.

12. A recommended speed arithmetic device for computing a recommended speed of a moving object, said recommended speed arithmetic device comprising:

a first recommended speed arithmetic unit for computing a recommended speed in each of road sections on a route along which said moving object will travel and which falls within a predetermined region from a current position on a basis of road state information showing a road state;

a second recommended speed arithmetic unit for computing a recommended speed in a road section between said road sections for each of which the recommended speed is computed by said first recommended speed arithmetic unit according to a predetermined speed variation function; and

a parameter setting unit for storing parameters defining operational characteristics of said moving object according to types of moving objects including said moving object,

wherein said second recommended speed arithmetic unit determines the speed variation function for defining acceleration and deceleration according to the operational characteristics of said moving object by using a parameter which said second recommended speed arithmetic unit selects on a basis of the type of said moving object from among the parameters stored in said parameter setting unit, and computes the recommended speed in the road section between said road sections for which the recommended speed is computed by said first recommended speed arithmetic unit according to said speed variation function.

14. The recommended speed arithmetic device according to claim 12, wherein said recommended speed arithmetic device outputs descriptions of said road state information corresponding to said road section for which the recommended speed is computed.

15. The recommended speed arithmetic device according to claim 12, wherein said recommended speed arithmetic device includes a traveling route estimating unit for estimating the route along which said moving object will travel and which falls within the predetermined region from the current position.

16. The recommended speed arithmetic device according to claim 12, wherein said recommended speed arithmetic device includes a speed limiter unit for, when said moving object has a speed exceeding said recommended speed by a predetermined value, notifying a travel control device of said moving object that said moving object has an excessive speed.

17. A recommended speed presentation device for presenting a recommended speed of a moving object to a driver, said recommended speed presentation device comprising:

a traveling route estimating unit for estimating a route along which said moving object will travel and which falls within a predetermined region from a current position;

a first recommended speed arithmetic unit for computing a recommended speed in each of road sections on the route estimated by said traveling route estimating unit on a basis of road state information showing a road state;

a second recommended speed arithmetic unit for computing a recommended speed in a road section between said road sections for each of which the recommended speed is computed by said first recommended speed arithmetic unit according to a predetermined speed variation function;

a recommended speed presenting unit for presenting the recommended speed in each of said road sections which is computed by said first recommended speed arithmetic unit and the recommended speed in said road section which is computed by said second recommended speed arithmetic unit to the driver; and

a parameter setting unit for storing parameters defining operational characteristics of said moving object according to types of moving objects including said moving object,

wherein said second recommended speed arithmetic unit determines the speed variation function for defining acceleration and deceleration according to the operational characteristics of said moving object by using a parameter which said second recommended speed arithmetic unit selects on a basis of the type of said moving object from among the parameters stored in said parameter setting unit, and computes the recommended speed in the road section between said road sections for which the recommended speed is computed by said first recommended speed arithmetic unit according to said speed variation function.

18. The recommended speed presentation device according to claim 17, wherein said recommended speed presenting unit presents descriptions of said road state information corresponding to said road section for which the recommended speed is computed to the driver.