Driving support device, driving support method, and driving support program

• US 9,076,333 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2009
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/867,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20100309022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,332 Days
• Field of Search: 340/929, 340/932, 701117-119, 701/414, 701/423
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Information specifying an initial motion of a vehicle when travel is started on a road in a predetermined section is obtained, and information specifying an estimated motion, which is associated in advance with the initial motion, of the vehicle on the road in the predetermined section subsequent to the initial motion is also obtained. Based on the estimated motion, a guidance unit mounted in the vehicle provides guidance for supporting driving when traveling on the road in the predetermined section.

Claims

1. A driving support device comprising:

a memory storing;

a driving support program; and

cost information, the cost information including initial motions and at least one estimated motion associated with each initial motion; and

a processor that, when executing the stored program;

obtains information specifying an initial motion of a vehicle when starting travel on a first road section of consecutive road sections, the initial motion being a stopping motion on the first road section or a motion of going through the first road section without stopping, the initial motion being obtained based on a clustered plurality of data points indicating a required time for traveling the first road section;

obtains, from the stored cost information, information specifying an estimated motion that is associated with the initial motion of the vehicle in the cost information and that is for a second road section subsequent to the first road section, the information specifying the estimated motion including information indicating a difficulty of travel when traveling from the first road section to the second road section, the difficulty of travel being generated based on occurrence probability of a clustered group of mutually similar vehicle speed information for the second road section; and

controls a guidance unit mounted in the vehicle so as to provide guidance for supporting driving when traveling on the second road section based on the information indicating the difficulty of travel.

2. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein the processor, when executing the stored program:

estimates a required time when traveling on the road sections based on the information specifying the estimated motion; and

controls the guidance unit so as to provide guidance regarding the required time.

3. The driving support device according to claim 2, wherein:

the information specifying the estimated motion is information for identifying the required time for traveling on the road sections; and

the processor, when executing the stored program, controls the guidance unit so as to provide guidance regarding the required time based on the information for identifying the required time.

4. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein:

the information specifying the estimated motion is one of a plurality of informations specifying the estimated motion that are obtained in advance, each of the plurality of informations indicating a difficulty of travel when traveling from the first road section to the second road section; and

the processor, when executing the stored program, selects the information specifying the estimated motion from among the plurality of informations based upon the initial motion of the vehicle.

5. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein the group of approximate vehicle speed information for the first road section is obtained from a plurality of vehicles.

6. A driving support method comprising:

accessing stored cost information, the cost information including initial motions and at least one estimated motion associated with each initial motion;

obtaining information specifying an initial motion of a vehicle when starting travel on a first road section of consecutive road sections, the initial motion being a stopping motion on the first road section or a motion of going through the first road section without stopping, the initial motion being obtained based on a clustered plurality of data points indicating a required time for the first road section;

obtaining, from the stored cost information, information specifying an estimated motion that is associated with the initial motion of the vehicle in the cost information and that is for a second road section subsequent to the first road section, the information specifying the estimated motion including information indicating a difficulty of travel when traveling from the first road section to the second road section, the difficulty of travel being generated based on occurrence probability of a clustered group of mutually similar vehicle speed information for the second road section; and

controlling a guidance unit mounted in the vehicle so as to provide guidance for supporting driving when traveling on the second road section based on the information indicating the difficulty of travel.

7. The driving support method according to claim 6, wherein:

the information specifying the estimated motion is one of a plurality of informations specifying the estimated motion that are obtained in advance, each of the plurality of informations indicating a difficulty of travel when traveling from the first road section to the second road section; and

the information specifying the estimated motion is obtained by selecting from among the plurality of informations based upon the initial motion of the vehicle.

8. The driving support method according to claim 6, wherein the group of approximate vehicle speed information for the first road section is obtained from a plurality of vehicles.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer-executable driving support program causing a computer to perform the functions of:

accessing stored cost information, the cost information including initial motions and at least one estimated motion associated with each initial motion;

obtaining information specifying an initial motion of a vehicle when starting travel on a first road section of consecutive road sections, the initial motion being a stopping motion on the first road section or a motion of going through the first road section without stopping, the initial motion being obtained based on a clustered plurality of data points indicating a required time for traveling the first road section;

obtaining, from the stored cost information, information specifying an estimated motion that is associated with the initial motion of the vehicle in the cost information and that is for a second road section subsequent to the first road section, the information specifying the estimated motion including information indicating a difficulty of travel when traveling from the first road section to the second road section, the difficulty of travel being generated based on occurrence probability of a clustered group of mutually similar vehicle speed information for the second road section; and

controlling a guidance unit mounted in the vehicle so as to provide guidance for supporting driving when traveling on the second road section based on the information indicating the difficulty of travel.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein:

the information specifying the estimated motion is one of a plurality of informations specifying the estimated motion that are obtained in advance, each of the plurality of informations indicating a difficulty of travel when traveling from the first road section to the second road section; and

the information specifying the estimated motion is obtained by selecting from among the plurality of informations based upon the initial motion of the vehicle.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the group of approximate vehicle speed information for the first road section is obtained from a plurality of vehicles.