Traffic information creating device, traffic information creating method and program

• US 8,781,717 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyajima, Takayuki, Okada, Kiyokazu, Hirano, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ziaeianmehdizadeh, Navid
• Application Number:
  US13/789,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20130253810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/118
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation

Abstract

Devices, methods, and programs determine whether a vehicle has exited a link based on map information. If so, the devices, methods, and programs acquire a travel traffic congestion level of the exited link based on travel information within the exited link, and determine whether the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link coincides with a distributed traffic congestion level at a time when the vehicle exited. If not, the devices, methods, and programs determine whether the traffic information has been updated and the distributed traffic congestion level has been changed within the exited link, and if so, acquire a distribution time rate of each distributed traffic congestion level within the exited link. The devices, methods, and programs determine a traffic congestion level of the exited link based on the distribution time rate of each acquired distributed traffic congestion level and the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link.

Claims

1. A traffic information creating device comprising:

a memory that stores map information including link information related to links that constitute a road; and

a controller that;

acquires travel information including a current location of a vehicle and a vehicle speed of the vehicle at unit time intervals;

acquires traffic information, which includes a distributed traffic congestion level of each link and which is distributed from a device outside the vehicle at predetermined time intervals;

determines whether the vehicle has exited a link on the basis of the map information;

when it is determined that the vehicle has exited the link, acquires a travel traffic congestion level of the exited link on the basis of the travel information within the exited link;

determines whether the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link coincides with the distributed traffic congestion level at a time point at which the vehicle has exited the link;

when it is determined that the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link does not coincide with the distributed traffic congestion level at the time point at which the vehicle has exited the link, determines whether the traffic information has been updated and the distributed traffic congestion level has been changed within the exited link;

when it is determined that the traffic information has been updated and the distributed traffic congestion level has been changed within the exited link, acquires a distribution time rate of each distributed traffic congestion level within the exited link, the distribution time rate for each distributed traffic congestion level indicating a relative amount of travel time along the link having that distributed traffic congestion level;

determines a traffic congestion level of the exited link on the basis of the distribution time rate of each acquired distributed traffic congestion level and the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link; and

stores the determined traffic congestion level of the exited link in association with the exited link.

2. The traffic information creating device according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

determines, from among the distribution time rates of the respective distributed traffic congestion levels within the exited link, whether there is a first specific traffic congestion level of which the distribution time rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined distribution time rate; and

when it is determined that there is the first specific traffic congestion level, determines whether the first specific traffic congestion level coincides with the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link; and

when it is determined that the first specific traffic congestion level coincides with the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link, determines the first specific traffic congestion level as the traffic congestion level of the exited link.

3. The traffic information creating device according to claim 2, wherein the controller:

when it is determined that there is no first specific traffic congestion level, converts the distribution time rate of each distributed traffic congestion level within the exited link to a distance rate, the distance rate for each distributed traffic congestion level indicating a relative length of the link having that distributed traffic congestion level; and

determines the traffic congestion level of the exited link on the basis of the converted distance rate of each distributed traffic congestion level within the exited link and the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link.

4. The traffic information creating device according to claim 3, wherein the controller:

determines, from among the converted distance rates of the respective distributed traffic congestion levels within the exited link, whether there is a second specific traffic congestion level of which the distance rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance rate; and

when it is determined that there is the second specific traffic congestion level, determines whether the second specific traffic congestion level coincides with the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link; and

when it is determined that the second specific traffic congestion level coincides with the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link, determines the second specific traffic congestion level as the traffic congestion level of the exited link.

5. The traffic information creating device according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

converts the distribution time rate of each distributed traffic congestion level within the exited link to a distance rate, the distance rate for each distributed traffic congestion level indicating a relative length of the link having that distributed traffic congestion level;

determines, from among the converted distance rates of the respective distributed traffic congestion levels within the exited link, whether there is a specific traffic congestion level of which the distance rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance rate;

when it is determined that there is the specific traffic congestion level, determines whether the specific traffic congestion level coincides with the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link; and

when it is determined that the specific traffic congestion level coincides with the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link, determines the specific traffic congestion level as the traffic congestion level of the exited link.

6. A traffic information creating method comprising:

accessing stored map information including link information related to links that constitute a road;

acquiring travel information including a current location of a vehicle and a vehicle speed of the vehicle at unit time intervals;

acquiring traffic information, which includes a distributed traffic congestion level of each link and which is distributed from a device outside the vehicle at predetermined time intervals;

determining whether the vehicle has exited a link on the basis of the map information;

when it is determined that the vehicle has exited the link, acquiring a travel traffic congestion level of the exited link on the basis of the travel information within the exited link;

determining whether the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link coincides with the distributed traffic congestion level at a time point at which the vehicle has exited the link;

when it is determined that the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link does not coincide with the distributed traffic congestion level at the time point at which the vehicle has exited the link, determining whether the traffic information has been updated and the distributed traffic congestion level has been changed within the exited link;

when it is determined that the traffic information has been updated and the distributed traffic congestion level has been changed within the exited link, acquiring a distribution time rate of each distributed traffic congestion level within the exited link, the distribution time rate for each distributed traffic congestion level indicating a relative amount of travel time along the link having that distributed traffic congestion level;

determining a traffic congestion level of the exited link on the basis of the distribution time rate of each acquired distributed traffic congestion level and the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link; and

storing the determined traffic congestion level of the exited link in association with the exited link.

7. The traffic information creating method according to claim 6, further comprising:

determining, from among the distribution time rates of the respective distributed traffic congestion levels within the exited link, whether there is a first specific traffic congestion level of which the distribution time rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined distribution time rate; and

when it is determined that there is the first specific traffic congestion level, determining whether the first specific traffic congestion level coincides with the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link; and

when it is determined that the first specific traffic congestion level coincides with the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link, determining the first specific traffic congestion level as the traffic congestion level of the exited link.

8. The traffic information creating method according to claim 7, further comprising:

when it is determined that there is no first specific traffic congestion level, converting the distribution time rate of each distributed traffic congestion level within the exited link to a distance rate, the distance rate for each distributed traffic congestion level indicating a relative length of the link having that distributed traffic congestion level; and

determining the traffic congestion level of the exited link on the basis of the converted distance rate of each distributed traffic congestion level within the exited link and the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link.

9. The traffic information creating method according to claim 8, further comprising:

determining, from among the converted distance rates of the respective distributed traffic congestion levels within the exited link, whether there is a second specific traffic congestion level of which the distance rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance rate;

when it is determined that there is the second specific traffic congestion level, determining whether the second specific traffic congestion level coincides with the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link; and

when it is determined that the second specific traffic congestion level coincides with the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link, determining the second specific traffic congestion level as the traffic congestion level of the exited link.

10. The traffic information creating method according to claim 6, further comprising:

converting the distribution time rate of each distributed traffic congestion level within the exited link to a distance rate, the distance rate for each distributed traffic congestion level indicating a relative length of the link having that distributed traffic congestion level;

determining, from among the converted distance rates of the respective distributed traffic congestion levels within the exited link, whether there is a specific traffic congestion level of which the distance rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance rate;

when it is determined that there is the specific traffic congestion level, determining whether the specific traffic congestion level coincides with the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link; and

when it is determined that the specific traffic congestion level coincides with the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link, determining the specific traffic congestion level as the traffic congestion level of the exited link.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device storing a computer-executable program for creating traffic information, the program comprising:

instructions for accessing stored map information including link information related to links that constitute a road;

instructions for acquiring travel information including a current location of a vehicle and a vehicle speed of the vehicle at unit time intervals;

instructions for acquiring traffic information, which includes a distributed traffic congestion level of each link and which is distributed from a device outside the vehicle at predetermined time intervals;

instructions for determining whether the vehicle has exited a link on the basis of the map information;

instructions for, when it is determined that the vehicle has exited the link, acquiring a travel traffic congestion level of the exited link on the basis of the travel information within the exited link;

instructions for determining whether the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link coincides with the distributed traffic congestion level at a time point at which the vehicle has exited the link;

instructions for, when it is determined that the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link does not coincide with the distributed traffic congestion level at the time point at which the vehicle has exited the link, determining whether the traffic information has been updated and the distributed traffic congestion level has been changed within the exited link;

instructions for, when it is determined that the traffic information has been updated and the distributed traffic congestion level has been changed within the exited link, acquiring a distribution time rate of each distributed traffic congestion level within the exited link, the distribution time rate for each distributed traffic congestion level indicating a relative amount of travel time along the link having that distributed traffic congestion level;

instructions for determining a traffic congestion level of the exited link on the basis of the distribution time rate of each acquired distributed traffic congestion level and the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link; and

instructions for storing determined the traffic congestion level of the exited link in association with the exited link.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device according to claim 11, the program further comprising:

instructions for determining, from among the distribution time rates of the respective distributed traffic congestion levels within the exited link, whether there is a first specific traffic congestion level of which the distribution time rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined distribution time rate; and

instructions for, when it is determined that there is the first specific traffic congestion level, determining whether the first specific traffic congestion level coincides with the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link; and

instructions for, when it is determined that the first specific traffic congestion level coincides with the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link, determining the first specific traffic congestion level as the traffic congestion level of the exited link.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device according to claim 12, the program further comprising:

instructions for, when it is determined that there is no first specific traffic congestion level, converting the distribution time rate of each distributed traffic congestion level within the exited link to a distance rate, the distance rate for each distributed traffic congestion level indicating a relative length of the link having that distributed traffic congestion level; and

instructions for determining the traffic congestion level of the exited link on the basis of the converted distance rate of each distributed traffic congestion level within the exited link and the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device according to claim 13, the program further comprising:

instructions for determining, from among the converted distance rates of the respective distributed traffic congestion levels within the exited link, whether there is a second specific traffic congestion level of which the distance rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance rate;

instructions for, when it is determined that there is the second specific traffic congestion level, determining whether the second specific traffic congestion level coincides with the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link; and

instructions for, when it is determined that the second specific traffic congestion level coincides with the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link, determining the second specific traffic congestion level as the traffic congestion level of the exited link.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device according to claim 11, the program further comprising:

instructions for converting the distribution time rate of each distributed traffic congestion level within the exited link to a distance rate, the distance rate for each distributed traffic congestion level indicating a relative length of the link having that distributed traffic congestion level;

instructions for determining, from among the converted distance rates of the respective distributed traffic congestion levels within the exited link, whether there is a specific traffic congestion level of which the distance rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance rate;

instructions for, when it is determined that there is the specific traffic congestion level, determining whether the specific traffic congestion level coincides with the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link; and

instructions for, when it is determined that the specific traffic congestion level coincides with the travel traffic congestion level of the exited link, determining the specific traffic congestion level as the traffic congestion level of the exited link.