Intersection guide system, method, and program

• US 9,508,258 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2013
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Arai, Yumie, Ishikawa, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US14/424,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20150221220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• Field of Search: 340/932.2, 340/907, 701/532, 701/533, 701/431, 701/436, 701/437, 701/429, 701/465
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/365 Guidance using head up displays or projectors, e.g. virtual vehicles or arrows projected on the windscreen or on the road itself
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09 Arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions railroad crossing signals B61L; reflectors E01F, G08B; indicating arrangements for variable information by selection or combination of individual elements G09F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/36 characterised by the display of a graphic pattern, e.g. using an all-points-addressable [APA] memory

Abstract

Intersection guide systems, methods, and programs acquire a degree of approach of a vehicle to an intersection ahead of a vehicle and display a guide image at a position of the intersection superimposed on a forward scene ahead of the vehicle. The systems, methods, and programs set, as a position of superimposition of the guide image, an intersection position within the forward scene when the degree of approach is less than a threshold. The intersection position corresponds to a registered position registered in map information as the position of the intersection. The systems, methods, and programs set, as the position of superimposition, a straight-line position within the forward scene when the degree of approach is equal to or more than the threshold. The straight-line position corresponds to a position on a straight-ahead line that is a straight line extending in a travel direction of the vehicle from the vehicle.

Claims

1. An intersection guide system comprising:

a memory storing an intersection guide program; and

a processor that, when executing the program;

acquires a distance from a vehicle to an intersection that is present ahead of the vehicle, a road upon which the vehicle is approaching the intersection having a plurality of lanes; and

causes a display to;

superimpose a guide image that provides guidance on a position of the intersection on a forward scene ahead of the vehicle, the guide image including a point that is superimposed on the position of the intersection and an arrow image connected to the point; and

display the guide image superimposed on the forward scene;

sets, as a position of superimposition of the point, an intersection position within the forward scene when the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is more than a threshold, the intersection position corresponding to a registered position registered in map information as the position of the intersection; and

sets, as the position of superimposition of the point, a straight-line position within the forward scene when the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is equal to or less than the threshold, the straight-line position corresponding to a position on a straight-ahead line that is a straight line extending in a travel direction of the vehicle from the vehicle.

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

acquires a projected space corresponding to the forward scene that is a part of a space ahead of the vehicle and is projected on the display section; and

sets, as the position of superimposition of the point, an end position within the forward scene when the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is more than the threshold and the registered position is present on a left side or a right side with respect to the projected space, the end position corresponding to a position at a left end or a right end within the projected space.

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

determines that the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is more than the threshold when a remaining distance from the vehicle to the intersection is longer than a predetermined reference distance.

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

determines that the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is more than the threshold when an angle formed in a horizontal plane between a straight line extending from the vehicle to the registered position and the straight-ahead line is larger than a predetermined reference angle.

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

determines that the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is more than the threshold when a required period before the vehicle reaches the intersection is longer than a predetermined reference period.

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

causes the display to display a forward image obtained by capturing the forward scene with an optical axis positioned on the straight-ahead line; and

sets, as the straight-line position, a position on a bisector of the forward image in a lateral direction when the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is equal to or less than the threshold.

7. The intersection guide system according to claim 2, wherein the processor, when executing the program:

determines that the registered position is present on the left side or the right side with respect to the projected space when an angle formed in a horizontal plane between a straight line extending from the vehicle to the registered position and the straight-ahead line is larger than a predetermined determination angle.

8. An intersection guide method comprising:

acquiring, with a processor, a distance from a vehicle to an intersection that is present ahead of the vehicle, a road upon which the vehicle is approaching the intersection having a plurality of lanes;

causing, with the processor, a display to display a guide image that provides guidance on a position of the intersection superimposed on a forward scene ahead of the vehicle, the guide image including a point that is superimposed on the position of the intersection and an arrow image connected to the point;

setting, with the processor, as a position of superimposition of the point, an intersection position within the forward scene when the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is more than a threshold, the intersection position corresponding to a registered position registered in map information as the position of the intersection; and

setting, with the processor, as the position of superimposition of the point, a straight-line position within the forward scene when the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is equal to or less than the threshold, the straight-line position corresponding to a position on a straight-ahead line that is a straight line extending in a travel direction of the vehicle from the vehicle.

10. The intersection guide method according to claim 8, further comprising:

acquiring, with the processor, a projected space corresponding to the forward scene that is a part of a space ahead of the vehicle and is projected on the display section; and

setting, with the processor, as the position of superimposition of the point, an end position within the forward scene when the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is more than the threshold and the registered position is present on a left side or a right side with respect to the projected space, the end position corresponding to a position at a left end or a right end within the projected space.

11. The intersection guide method according to claim 8, further comprising:

determining, with the processor, that the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is more than the threshold when a remaining distance from the vehicle to the intersection is longer than a predetermined reference distance.

12. The intersection guide method according to claim 8, further comprising:

determining, with the processor, that the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is more than the threshold when an angle formed in a horizontal plane between a straight line extending from the vehicle to the registered position and the straight-ahead line is larger than a predetermined reference angle.

13. The intersection guide method according to claim 8, further comprising:

determining, with the processor, that the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is more than the threshold when a required period before the vehicle reaches the intersection is longer than a predetermined reference period.

14. The intersection guide method according to claim 8, further comprising:

causing, with the processor, the display to display a forward image obtained by capturing the forward scene with an optical axis positioned on the straight-ahead line; and

setting, with the processor, as the straight-line position, a position on a bisector of the forward image in a lateral direction when the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is equal to or less than the threshold.

15. The intersection guide method according to claim 10, further comprising:

determining, with the processor, that the registered position is present on the left side or the right side with respect to the projected space when an angle formed in a horizontal plane between a straight line extending from the vehicle to the registered position and the straight-ahead line is larger than a predetermined determination angle.

9. A non-transitory storage medium storing a computer-executable intersection guide program, the program comprising:

instructions for acquiring distance from a vehicle to an intersection that is present ahead of the vehicle, a road upon which the vehicle is approaching the intersection having a plurality of lanes;

instructions for causing a display to display a guide image that provides guidance on a position of the intersection superimposed on a forward scene ahead of the vehicle, the guide image including a point that is superimposed on the position of the intersection and an arrow image connected to the point;

instructions for setting, as a position of superimposition of the point, an intersection position within the forward scene when the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is more than a threshold, the intersection position corresponding to a registered position registered in map information as the position of the intersection; and

instructions for setting, as the position of superimposition of the point, a straight-line position within the forward scene when the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is equal to or less than the threshold, the straight-line position corresponding to a position on a straight-ahead line that is a straight line extending in a travel direction of the vehicle from the vehicle.

16. The storage medium according to claim 9, the program further comprising:

instructions for acquiring a projected space corresponding to the forward scene that is a part of a space ahead of the vehicle and is projected on the display section; and

instructions for setting as the position of superimposition of the point, an end position within the forward scene when the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is more than the threshold and the registered position is present on a left side or a right side with respect to the projected space, the end position corresponding to a position at a left end or a right end within the projected space.

17. The storage medium according to claim 9, the program further comprising:

instructions for determining that the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is more than the threshold when a remaining distance from the vehicle to the intersection is longer than a predetermined reference distance.

18. The storage medium according to claim 9, the program further comprising:

instructions for determining that the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is more than the threshold when an angle formed in a horizontal plane between a straight line extending from the vehicle to the registered position and the straight-ahead line is larger than a predetermined reference angle.

19. The storage medium according to claim 9, the program further comprising:

instructions for determining that the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is more than the threshold when a required period before the vehicle reaches the intersection is longer than a predetermined reference period.

20. The storage medium according to claim 9, the program further comprising:

instructions for causing the display to display a forward image obtained by capturing the forward scene with an optical axis positioned on the straight-ahead line; and

instructions for setting as the straight-line position, a position on a bisector of the forward image in a lateral direction when the acquired distance from the vehicle to the intersection is equal to or less than the threshold.