Vehicle-mounted communication device and navigation device equipped with this vehicle-mounted communication device, communication device for pedestrians and navigation device equipped with this communication device for pedestrians, and pedestrian-to-vehicle communication system

• US 9,142,124 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Maeda, Takashi, Igarashi, Yuji, Hamada, Yuji, Sugawara, Hisashi, Tosa, Takatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, DANIEL J
• Application Number:
  US14/238,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20140191884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/436, 340/903, 340/904, 340/944, 701/300, 701/301
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Disclosed is a vehicle-mounted communication device that carries out radio communications with a communication device for pedestrians which is carried by a pedestrian, the vehicle-mounted communication device including: a receiver that receives pedestrian information showing whether the pedestrian belongs to a pedestrian group formed of the pedestrian and a plurality of pedestrians in the vicinity of the pedestrian from the communication device for pedestrians; a controller that judges the pedestrian information received by the receiver and issues a command to present pedestrian attention information when the pedestrian information shows that the pedestrian does not belong to a pedestrian group; and an information outputter that presents the pedestrian attention information according to the command from the controller. Therefore, the vehicle-mounted communication device enables the driver to certainly recognize the existence of a pedestrian not belonging to a pedestrian group.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted communication device that carries out radio communications with a communication device for pedestrians which is carried by a pedestrian, said vehicle-mounted communication device comprising:

a receiver that receives pedestrian information showing whether said pedestrian belongs to a pedestrian group formed of said pedestrian and a plurality of pedestrians in a vicinity of said pedestrian from said communication device for pedestrians;

a controller that judges said pedestrian information received by said receiver, and issues a command to present pedestrian attention information and also issues a command to transmit vehicle approach information showing that said vehicle is approaching when said pedestrian information shows that said pedestrian does not belong to a pedestrian group;

an information outputter that presents said pedestrian attention information according to the command from said controller; and

a transmitter that transmits said vehicle approach information to a communication device for pedestrians carried by a pedestrian not belonging to said pedestrian group according to the command from said controller.

2. The vehicle-mounted communication device according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle-mounted communication device further includes a vehicle position detector that detects a position of said vehicle, and wherein said receiver also receives a position of the pedestrian carrying said communication device for pedestrians, as well as said pedestrian information, from said communication device for pedestrians and said controller issues the command to present said pedestrian attention information when said pedestrian information shows that said pedestrian does not belong to a pedestrian group and a distance between said vehicle and said pedestrian, which said controller calculates on a basis of the position of the vehicle detected by said vehicle position detector and the position of the pedestrian received from said communication device for pedestrians, is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

3. The vehicle-mounted communication device according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle-mounted communication device further includes a vehicle position detector that detects a position of said vehicle and a vehicle information acquirer that acquires vehicle information including at least a vehicle speed, and wherein said receiver also receives a position of the pedestrian carrying said communication device for pedestrians, as well as said pedestrian information, from said communication device for pedestrians and said controller issues the command to present said pedestrian attention information when said pedestrian information shows that said pedestrian does not belong to a pedestrian group and a time required for said vehicle to reach said pedestrian, which said controller calculates on a basis of the position of the vehicle detected by said vehicle position detector, the position of the pedestrian received from said communication device for pedestrians, and the vehicle speed acquired by said vehicle information acquirer, is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

4. A navigation device that includes a vehicle position detector that detects a position of a vehicle and provides guidance on a basis of the position of the vehicle detected by said vehicle position detector and map data, said navigation device comprising said vehicle-mounted communication device according to claim 1.

5. A communication device for pedestrians that carries out radio communications with a vehicle-mounted communication device mounted in a vehicle, and that is carried by a pedestrian, said communication device for pedestrians comprising:

a pedestrian information acquirer that acquires pedestrian information showing whether said pedestrian belongs to a pedestrian group formed of said pedestrian and a plurality of pedestrians in a vicinity of said pedestrian;

an information processor that issues a command to transmit the pedestrian information acquired by said pedestrian information acquirer by using a transmission method of changing a transmission frequency, transmission power, or a transmission priority according to whether said pedestrian information belongs to a pedestrian group; and

a transmitter that transmits said pedestrian information to said vehicle-mounted communication device in response to the command from said information processor.

6. The communication device for pedestrians according to claim 5, wherein said communication device for pedestrians further includes a receiver that receives vehicle approach information showing that said vehicle is approaching from said vehicle-mounted communication device, and an information outputter that presents said vehicle approach information received by said receiver.

7. The communication device for pedestrians according to claim 5, wherein said communication device for pedestrians further includes a pedestrian position detector that detects a position of said pedestrian, and a receiver that receives positions of other pedestrians transmitted from other communication devices for pedestrians respectively carried by the other pedestrians, and wherein when there exist a predetermined number or more of other communication devices for pedestrians whose positions, which are transmitted from said other communication devices, fall within a predetermined range at a certain distance from the position of said pedestrian detected by said pedestrian position detector, said information processor determines that said pedestrian belongs to a pedestrian group;

otherwise, determines that said pedestrian does not belong to a pedestrian group, and generates said pedestrian information.

8. The communication device for pedestrians according to claim 5, wherein when said pedestrian information shows that the pedestrian carrying said communication device for pedestrians does not belong to a pedestrian group, said information processor issues the command to transmit said pedestrian information with the increased transmission frequency as the transmission method of transmitting said pedestrian information.

9. The communication device for pedestrians according to claim 5, wherein when said pedestrian information shows that the pedestrian carrying said communication device for pedestrians does not belong to a pedestrian group, said information processor issues the command to transmit said pedestrian information with the increased transmission power as the transmission method of transmitting said pedestrian information.

10. The communication device for pedestrians according to claim 5, wherein when said pedestrian information shows that the pedestrian carrying said communication device for pedestrians does not belong to a pedestrian group, said information processor issues the command to transmit said pedestrian information with the increased priority as the transmission method of transmitting said pedestrian information.

11. A navigation device that includes a pedestrian position detector that detects a position of a pedestrian and provides guidance on a basis of the position of the pedestrian acquired by said pedestrian position detector and map data, said navigation device comprising said communication device for pedestrians according to claim 5.

12. A pedestrian-to-vehicle communication system that includes a communication device for pedestrians carried by a pedestrian and a vehicle-mounted communication device mounted in a vehicle, and that carries out radio communications between said communication device for pedestrians and said vehicle-mounted communication device, wherein

said communication device for pedestrians comprises:

a pedestrian information acquirer that acquires pedestrian information showing whether said pedestrian belongs to a pedestrian group formed of said pedestrian and a plurality of pedestrians in a vicinity of said pedestrian;

an information processor that issues a command to transmit the pedestrian information acquired by said pedestrian information acquirer by using a transmission method of changing a transmission frequency, transmission power, or a transmission priority according to whether said pedestrian information belongs to a pedestrian group; and

a transmitter that transmits said pedestrian information to said vehicle-mounted communication device in response to the command from said information processor, and wherein

said vehicle-mounted communication device comprises;

a receiver that receives said pedestrian information transmitted from the transmitter of said communication device for pedestrians;

a controller that judges said pedestrian information received by said receiver, and issues a command to present pedestrian attention information and also issues a command to transmit vehicle approach information showing that said vehicle is approaching when said pedestrian information shows that said pedestrian does not belong to a pedestrian group;

an information outputter that presents said pedestrian attention information according to the command from said controller; and

a transmitter that transmits said vehicle approach information to a communication device for pedestrians carried by a pedestrian not belonging to said pedestrian group according to the command from said controller.

13. The pedestrian-to-vehicle communication system according to claim 12, wherein said communication device for pedestrians further includes a receiver that receives said vehicle approach information transmitted from the transmitter of said vehicle-mounted communication device, and an information outputter that presents said vehicle approach information received by said receiver.

14. The pedestrian-to-vehicle communication system according to claim 12, wherein said communication device for pedestrians further includes a pedestrian position detector that detects a position of said pedestrian, and a receiver that receives positions of other pedestrians transmitted from other communication devices for pedestrians respectively carried by the other pedestrians, and wherein when there exist a predetermined number or more of other communication devices for pedestrians whose positions, which are transmitted from said other communication devices, fall within a predetermined range at a certain distance from the position of the pedestrian detected by said pedestrian position detector, said information processor determines that said pedestrian belongs to a pedestrian group;

otherwise, determines that said pedestrian does not belong to a pedestrian group, and generates said pedestrian information.

15. The pedestrian-to-vehicle communication system according to claim 12, wherein when said pedestrian information shows that the pedestrian carrying said communication device for pedestrians does not belong to a pedestrian group, said information processor issues the command to transmit said pedestrian information with an increased transmission frequency as the transmission method of transmitting said pedestrian information.

16. The pedestrian-to-vehicle communication system according to claim 12, wherein when said pedestrian information shows that the pedestrian carrying said communication device for pedestrians does not belong to a pedestrian group, said information processor issues the command to transmit said pedestrian information with increased transmission power as the transmission method of transmitting said pedestrian information.

17. The pedestrian-to-vehicle communication system according to claim 12, wherein when said pedestrian information shows that the pedestrian carrying said communication device for pedestrians does not belong to a pedestrian group, said information processor issues the command to transmit said pedestrian information with an increased priority as the transmission method of transmitting said pedestrian information.

18. The pedestrian-to-vehicle communication system according to claim 12, wherein said communication device for pedestrians further includes a pedestrian position detector that detects a position of said pedestrian and the transmitter of said communication device for pedestrians also transmits the position of the pedestrian detected by said pedestrian position detector when transmitting said pedestrian information, and wherein said vehicle-mounted communication device further includes a vehicle position detector that detects a position of said vehicle, the receiver of said vehicle-mounted communication device also receives the position of the pedestrian carrying said communication device for pedestrians, as well as said pedestrian information, from said communication device for pedestrians, and said controller issues the command to present said pedestrian attention information when said pedestrian information shows that said pedestrian does not belong to a pedestrian group and a distance between said vehicle and said pedestrian, which said controller calculates on a basis of the position of the vehicle detected by said vehicle position detector and the position of the pedestrian received from said communication device for pedestrians, is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

19. The pedestrian-to-vehicle communication system according to claim 12, wherein said communication device for pedestrians further includes a pedestrian position detector that detects a position of said pedestrian and the transmitter of said communication device for pedestrians also transmits the position of the pedestrian detected by said pedestrian position detector when transmitting said pedestrian information, and wherein said vehicle-mounted communication device further includes a vehicle position detector that detects a position of said vehicle and a vehicle information acquirer that acquires vehicle information including at least a vehicle speed, said receiver also receives the position of the pedestrian carrying said communication device for pedestrians, as well as said pedestrian information, from said communication device for pedestrians, and said controller issues the command to present said pedestrian attention information when said pedestrian information shows that said pedestrian does not belong to a pedestrian group and a time required for said vehicle to reach said pedestrian, which said controller calculates on a basis of the position of the vehicle detected by said vehicle position detector, the position of the pedestrian received from said communication device for pedestrians, and the vehicle speed acquired by said vehicle information acquirer, is equal to or less than a predetermined value.