Intersection guide system, method, and program

• US 9,347,786 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2013
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Ken, Mino, Kosei, Kondo, Yoshito, Osoko, Saki, Arai, Yumie
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US14/413,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20150198456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 701/437
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3635 Guidance using 3D or perspective road maps
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

Intersection guide systems, methods, and programs acquire information on a vehicle path, acquire a vehicle travel direction at a guide intersection ahead of the vehicle based on the information on the path, and cause a display to transition from a first display state to a second display state when a degree of approach of the vehicle to the guide intersection becomes equal to or more than a threshold. In the first display state, the display displays a guide image that represents the travel direction superimposed on a portion of a forward scene ahead of the vehicle other than the guide intersection, and displays a connection line image superimposed on the forward scene that connects between the guide intersection in the forward scene and the guide image. In the second display state, the display displays the guide image superimposed on the guide intersection in the forward scene.

Claims

1. An intersection guide system comprising:

a memory storing a program; and

a CPU that, when executing the program;

acquires information on a path of a vehicle;

acquires a travel direction of the vehicle at a guide intersection ahead of the vehicle on the basis of the information on the path;

causes a display state on a display to transition from a first display state to a second display state in the case where a degree of approach of the vehicle to the guide intersection becomes equal to or more than a threshold;

in the first display state, causes the display to display a guide image that represents the travel direction as superimposed on a portion of a forward scene ahead of the vehicle above an image of the guide intersection, and causes the display to display a connection line image as superimposed on the forward scene, the connection line image connecting between the image of the guide intersection in the forward scene and the guide image; and

in the second display state, causes the display to display the guide image as superimposed on the image of the guide intersection in the forward scene, a shape of the guide image superimposed on the image of the guide intersection in the second display state being either (i) congruent to a shape of the guide image displayed on the forward scene in the first display state or (ii) proportionally enlarged relative to the shape of the guide image displayed on the forward scene in the first display state.

2. The intersection guide system according to claim 1, wherein:

the guide image includes an entry portion that indicates the travel direction on an entry road for entry into the guide intersection based on the information on the path, and an exit portion that indicates the travel direction on an exit road for exit from the guide intersection based on the information on the path; and

when executing the program, the CPU, around a transition from the first display state to the second display state, causes the display to display the guide image as superimposed on the forward scene such that the entry portion is maintained on the same line in the forward scene.

3. The intersection guide system according to claim 1, wherein, when executing the program, the CPU:

in the first display state, causes the display to display the connection line image as superimposed on the forward scene such that a length of the connection line image becomes shorter as the degree of approach becomes larger.

4. The intersection guide system according to claim 3, wherein, when executing the program, the CPU:

in the first display state, causes the display to display the guide image as superimposed on a portion of the forward scene above the image of the guide intersection, and causes the display to display the guide image as superimposed on the forward scene such that the guide image descends toward the image of the guide intersection in the forward scene as the degree of approach becomes larger.

5. The intersection guide system according to claim 1, wherein, when executing the program, the CPU:

in the first display state, causes the display to display the guide image as superimposed on the forward scene such that a size of the guide image becomes larger as the degree of approach becomes larger.

6. The intersection guide system according to claim 1, wherein, when executing the program, the CPU:

in the second display state, causes the display to display the guide image as superimposed on the forward scene such that a size of the guide image becomes larger as the degree of approach becomes larger.

7. The intersection guide system according to claim 1, wherein, when executing the program, the CPU:

determines that the degree of approach is equal to or more than the threshold in the case where a size of the image of the guide intersection in the forward scene is equal to or more than a predetermined value.

8. The intersection guide system according to claim 1, wherein, when executing the program, the CPU:

in the first display state, superimposes a shape image, which represents a shape of a connected road connected to the guide intersection, on the forward scene, and causes the display to display the guide image as superimposed on the forward scene such that the guide image represents on the shape image an entry road for entry into the guide intersection based on the information on the path and an exit road for exit from the guide intersection based on the information on the path.

9. The intersection guide system according to claim 1, wherein, when executing the program, the CPU:

in the first display state, superimposes the guide image on a base image, and causes the display to display the base image as superimposed on the forward scene.

10. The intersection guide system according to claim 1, wherein, when executing the program, the CPU:

sets the threshold of the degree of approach to be larger in the case where there is any non-guide target intersection present on a road between the vehicle and the guide intersection than in the case where there is no non-guide target intersection present on the road between the vehicle and the guide intersection.

11. The intersection guide system according to claim 1, wherein, when executing the program, the CPU:

sets the threshold of the degree of approach to be larger in the case where there is any obstacle present on a road between the vehicle and the guide intersection than in the case where there is no obstacle present on the road between the vehicle and the guide intersection.

12. An intersection guide method comprising:

acquiring information on a path of a vehicle;

acquiring a travel direction of the vehicle at a guide intersection ahead of the vehicle on the basis of the information on the path; and

causing a display state on a display to transition from a first display state to a second display state in the case where a degree of approach of the vehicle to the guide intersection becomes equal to or more than a threshold,

by;

in the first display state, causing the display to display a guide image that represents the travel direction as superimposed on a portion of a forward scene ahead of the vehicle above an image of the guide intersection, and causing the display to display a connection line image as superimposed on the forward scene, the connection line image connecting between the image of the guide intersection in the forward scene and the guide image; and

in the second display state, causing the display to display the guide image as superimposed on the image of the guide intersection in the forward scene, a shape of the guide image superimposed on the image of the guide intersection in the second display state being either (i) congruent to a shape of the guide image displayed on the forward scene in the first display state or (ii) proportionally enlarged relative to the shape of the guide image displayed on the forward scene in the first display state.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable intersection guide program, the program comprising instructions to implement:

a path information acquisition function of acquiring information on a path of a vehicle;

a travel direction acquisition function of acquiring a travel direction of the vehicle at a guide intersection ahead of the vehicle on the basis of the information on the path; and

a display control function of causing a display state on a display to transition from a first display state to a second display state in the case where a degree of approach of the vehicle to the guide intersection becomes equal to or more than a threshold,

wherein;

the display control function causes the computer to;

in the first display state, cause the display to display a guide image that represents the travel direction as superimposed on a portion of a forward scene ahead of the vehicle above an image of the guide intersection, and cause the display to display a connection line image as superimposed on the forward scene, the connection line image connecting between the image of the guide intersection in the forward scene and the guide image; and

in the second display state, cause the display to display the guide image as superimposed on the image of the guide intersection in the forward scene, a shape of the guide image superimposed on the image of the guide intersection in the second display state being either (i) congruent to a shape of the guide image displayed on the forward scene in the first display state or (ii) proportionally enlarged relative to the shape of the guide image displayed on the forward scene in the first display state.