Navi-server, navi-client, and navi-system

• US 9,534,921 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2013
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nogawa, Tadafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): OH, HARRY Y
• Application Number:
  US14/386,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20150046087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 701/522
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• 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

Provided is a navi-system or the like capable of improving accuracy of road traffic information that is created based on probe information. A navi-client 2 creates probe information including an identifier that represents a detection result as to whether a communication with a vehicle-mounted device 3 has been established or not. A server communication device 1 discriminates or selects probe information in accordance with a difference of the identifier, and creates road traffic information based on the thus discriminated or selected probe information.

Claims

1. A navi-server, comprising:

a first server arithmetic processing element that is configured to receive, from a navi-client, probe information representing a time-series change manner of a position of the navi-client;

a second server arithmetic processing element that is configured to create road traffic information based on the probe information; and

a server storage device that stores the road traffic information, wherein

the first server arithmetic processing element is configured to receive the probe information including an identifier set to indicate a communication state between the navi-client and a device mounted on a designated travelling means or a state of attachment/detachment of the navi-client to an instrument attached to the designated travelling means, and

the second server arithmetic processing element is configured to discriminate or select the probe information in accordance with a difference of the identifier, and generate the road traffic information based on the discriminated or selected probe information.

2. The navi-server according to claim 1, wherein

the first server arithmetic processing element is configured to receive the probe information further including an identifier representing a type of the designated travelling means that is identified with the communication state between the navi-client and the device or the state of attachment/detachment of the navi-client to the instrument.

3. The navi-server according to claim 1, wherein

the first server arithmetic processing element is configured to receive the probe information further including an identifier representing a level of positioning accuracy determined by the navi-client.

4. The navi-server according to claim 1, wherein

the first server arithmetic processing element is configured to receive the probe information further including an identifier representing a type of contents that the navi-client outputs via the device or a manner of outputting the contents.

5. The navi-server according to claim 1, wherein

the first server arithmetic processing element is configured to receive request information including the identifier from the navi-client,

the second server arithmetic processing element is configured to extract, from the server storage device, the road traffic information that is created based on the probe information including the identifier agreeing with the identifier included in the request information, and

the first server arithmetic processing element is configured to transmit the extracted road traffic information or sub-information thereof to the navi-client.

6. The navi-server according to claim 5, wherein

the first server arithmetic processing element is configured to receive the request information further including position information on a current position and a goal position of the navi-client from the navi-client,

the second server arithmetic processing element is configured to search for a server route connecting the current position and the goal position using the road traffic information extracted from the server storage device, and

the first server arithmetic processing element is configured to transmit server route information representing the server route as the sub-information to the navi-client.

7. A navi-client having a position measurement function that includes a first client arithmetic processing element that is configured to transmit probe information representing a time-series change manner of a measurement position to a navi-server, and

a second client arithmetic processing element that is configured to detect a communication state between the navi-client and a device mounted on a designated travelling means or a state of attachment/detachment of the navi-client to an instrument attached to the designated travelling means, and then create the probe information including an identifier indicating the detected communication state between the navi-client and the device or the state of attachment/detachment of the navi-client to the instrument, wherein the navi-server discriminates or selects the probe information in accordance with a difference of the identifier, and generates road traffic information based on the discriminated or selected probe information.

8. The navi-client according to claim 7, wherein

the second client arithmetic processing element is configured to detect a type of the designated travelling means that is identified with the communication state between the navi-client and the device or the state of attachment/detachment of the navi-client to the instrument, and then generate the probe information further including an identifier representing the detected type of the designated travelling means.

9. The navi-client according to claim 7, wherein

the second client arithmetic processing element is configured to detect a level of positioning accuracy determined by the first client arithmetic processing element, and create the probe information further including an identifier representing the detected level of positioning accuracy.

10. The navi-client according to claim 7, further comprising a client storage device to store contents therein, wherein

the second client arithmetic processing element is configured to detect an output manner of the contents output via the device or a type of a content output via the device, and then generate the probe information further including an identifier representing the detected output manner of the contents output via the device or the type of the content output via the device.

11. The navi-client according to claim 7, wherein

the first client arithmetic processing element is configured to transmit request information including the identifier to the navi-server, and receive road traffic information that is created by the navi-server based on the probe information including an identifier agreeing with the identifier or sub-information thereof from the navi-server.

12. The navi-client according to claim 11, wherein

the first client arithmetic processing element is configured to transmit the request information further including position information on a current position and a goal position to the navi-server, and receive route information as the sub-information from the navi-server, the route information representing a server route connecting the current position and the goal position that is searched by the navi-server using the road traffic information based on the request information.

13. A navi-system comprising a combination of a navi-server and a navi-client, wherein

the navi-server includes:

a first server arithmetic processing element that is configured to receive, from the navi-client, probe information representing a time-series change manner of a position of the navi-client;

a second server arithmetic processing element that is configured to create road traffic information based on the probe information; and

a server storage device that stores the road traffic information, wherein

the first server arithmetic processing element is configured to receive the probe information including an identifier set to indicate a communication state between the navi-client and a device mounted on a designated travelling means or a state of attachment/detachment of the navi-client to an instrument attached to the designated travelling means,

the second server arithmetic processing element is configured to discriminate or select the probe information in accordance with a difference of the identifier, and create the road traffic information based on the discriminated or selected probe information, and

the navi-client has a position measurement function, and includes a first client arithmetic processing element that is configured to transmit probe information representing a time-series change manner of a measurement position to the navi-server, and a second client arithmetic processing element that is configured to detect the communication state between the navi-client and the device mounted on the designated travelling means or the state of attachment/detachment of the navi-client to the instrument attached to the designated travelling means, and then create the probe information including the identifier indicating the communication state between the navi-client and the device or the state of attachment/detachment of the navi-client to the instrument.

14. The navi-system according to claim 13, wherein

the first server arithmetic processing element is configured to receive the probe information further including an identifier representing a type of the designated travelling means that is identified with the communication state between the navi-client and the device or the state of attachment/detachment of the navi-client to the instrument, and

the second client arithmetic processing element is configured to detect the type of the designated travelling means that is identified with the communication state between the navi-client and the device or the state of attachment/detachment of the navi-client to the instrument, and then generate the probe information further including the identifier representing the detected type of designated travelling means.

15. The navi-system according to claim 13, wherein

the first server arithmetic processing element is configured to receive the probe information further including an identifier representing a level of positioning accuracy determined by the navi-client, and

the second client arithmetic processing element is configured to detect the level of positioning accuracy determined by the first client arithmetic processing element, and then generate the probe information including the identifier representing the detected level of positioning accuracy.

16. The navi-system according to claim 13, wherein

the first server arithmetic processing element is configured to receive the probe information further including an identifier representing a type of contents that the navi-client outputs via the device or a manner of outputting the contents,

the navi-client further includes a client storage device to store contents therein, and

the second client arithmetic processing element is configured to detect an output manner of the contents via the device or a type of the contents output via the device, and then generate the probe information including the identifier representing the detected output manner of the contents output via the device or the type of the content output via the device.

17. The navi-system according to claim 13, wherein

the first server arithmetic processing element is configured to receive request information including the identifier from the navi-client,

the second server arithmetic processing element is configured to extract the road traffic information that is created based on the probe information including the identifier agreeing with the identifier included in the request information from the server storage device,

the first server arithmetic processing element is configured to transmit the extracted road traffic information or sub-information thereof to the navi-client, and

the first client arithmetic processing element is configured to transmit the request information including the identifier to the navi-server, and receive road traffic information that is created by the navi-server based on the probe information including an identifier agreeing with the identifier or sub-information thereof from the navi-server.

18. The navi-system according to claim 17, wherein

the first server arithmetic processing element is configured to receive the request information further including position information on a current position and a goal position of the navi-client from the navi-client,

the second server arithmetic processing element is configured to search for a server route connecting the current position and the goal position using the road traffic information extracted from the server storage device,

the first server arithmetic processing element is configured to transmit server route information representing the server route as the sub-information to the navi-client, and

the first client arithmetic processing element is configured to transmit the request information further including position information on a current position and a goal position to the navi-server, and receive route information as the sub-information from the navi-server, the route information representing a server route connecting the current position and the goal position that is searched by the navi-server using the road traffic information based on the request information.