Travel guidance device, travel guidance method, and computer program

• US 9,562,787 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2011
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Kojima, Yusuke, Umemura, Tomoya
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US13/291,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20120123672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,918 Days
• Field of Search: 701/431, 701/437, 701/410, 701/435, 701/428, 701/441, 701/417, 701/436, 701/423, 701/310, 701411-412, 340/988, 340/995.2, 340/995.21, 340/995.28, 340/995.24, 340/995.19, 340/428, 340/423, 340/95.19, 340/95.2, 340/438
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance

Abstract

Travel guidance devices, methods, and programs acquire map data including a road network, a position of a vehicle, and a planned travel route of the vehicle. Based on the acquired information, the devices, methods, and programs determine whether there is a planned entry branch that the vehicle is projected to enter located ahead of the vehicle. When the planned entry branch is ahead of the vehicle, the devices, methods, and programs determine whether there is a no-lane-change zone between the vehicle and the planned entry branch. When the no-lane-change zone is located between the vehicle and the planned entry branch, the devices, methods, and programs set guidance content related to a lane change of the vehicle based on a position of the no-lane-change zone. The devices, methods, and programs generate guidance using the set guidance content and communicate the generated guidance to a user of the travel guidance device.

Claims

1. A travel guidance device, comprising:

a current position detection unit; and

a controller that;

acquires map data including a road network;

acquires a position of a vehicle from the current position detection unit;

acquires a planned travel route of the vehicle;

based on the acquired position of the vehicle, the acquired planned travel route, and the acquired map data, determines whether there is a planned entry branch that the vehicle is projected to enter located ahead in an advancing direction of the vehicle;

when the planned entry branch is located ahead of the vehicle, determines whether there is a no-lane-change zone specified in the road network between the vehicle and the planned entry branch based on the acquired map data;

when the no-lane-change zone is located between the vehicle and the planned entry branch, sets guidance content related to a lane change of the vehicle based on a position of the no-lane-change zone;

generates guidance using the set guidance content; and

communicates the generated guidance to a user of the travel guidance device.

2. The travel guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

acquires a distance from the planned entry branch to an end of the no-lane-change zone on the vehicle side as a no-lane-change start distance;

acquires a number of lanes on a road traveled by the vehicle;

calculates a guidance timing distance based on the acquired no-lane-change start distance and the acquired number of lanes; and

sets the guidance content based on the calculated guidance timing distance.

3. The travel guidance device according to claim 2, wherein the controller:

acquires a distance from the vehicle to the planned entry branch;

sets a first guidance timing at which it is determined that a distance from the vehicle to the planned entry branch is equal to a first distance;

generates the guidance based on a first guidance content at the set first guidance timing;

sets a second guidance timing at which it is determined that a distance from the vehicle to the planned entry branch is equal to a second distance shorter than the first distance;

generates the guidance based on a second guidance content at the set second guidance timing;

when the guidance timing distance is less than the second distance, generates the first guidance content and the second guidance content to include guidance related to a lane change of the vehicle; and

when the guidance timing distance is equal to or greater than the second distance;

generates the first guidance content to include guidance related to a lane change of the vehicle; and

generates the second guidance content to not include guidance related to a lane change of the vehicle.

4. The travel guidance device according to claim 2, wherein the controller:

when the guidance timing distance is equal to or greater than the first distance;

generates the guidance based on the first guidance content at a timing at which it is determined that the distance from the vehicle to the planned entry branch is equal to the guidance timing distance; and

generates the guidance to not include the first guidance content at the first guidance timing.

15. The travel guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the current position detection unit comprises one of:

a GPS sensor;

a vehicle speed sensor and a gyroscopic sensor;

a vehicle speed sensor and a steering sensor;

a GPS sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, and a gyroscopic sensor;

a GPS sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, and a steering sensor; and

a GPS sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, a gyroscopic sensor, and a steering sensor.

18. The travel guidance device according to claim 15, wherein the current position detection unit is a GPS sensor.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable travel guidance program, the program configured to cause a computer to perform the following functions:

acquiring map data including a road network;

acquiring a position of a vehicle from a current position detection unit;

acquiring a planned travel route of the vehicle;

based on the acquired position of the vehicle, the acquired planned travel route, and the acquired map data, determining whether there is a planned entry branch that the vehicle is projected to enter located ahead in an advancing direction of the vehicle;

when the planned entry branch is located ahead of the vehicle, determining whether there is a no-lane-change zone specified in the road network between the vehicle and the planned entry branch based on the acquired map data;

when the no-lane-change zone is located between the vehicle and the planned entry branch, setting guidance content related to a lane change of the vehicle based on a position of the no-lane-change zone;

generating guidance using the set guidance content; and

communicating the generated guidance to a user of the travel guidance device.

10. The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the current position detection unit comprises one of:

a GPS sensor;

a vehicle speed sensor and a gyroscopic sensor;

a vehicle speed sensor and a steering sensor;

a GPS sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, and a gyroscopic sensor;

a GPS sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, and a steering sensor; and

a GPS sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, a gyroscopic sensor, and a steering sensor.

11. The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the current position detection unit is a GPS sensor.

12. The storage medium according to claim 5, the program further configured to cause the computer to perform the following functions:

acquiring a distance from the planned entry branch to an end of the no-lane-change zone on the vehicle side as a no-lane-change start distance;

acquiring a number of lanes on a road traveled by the vehicle;

calculating a guidance timing distance based on the acquired no-lane-change start distance and the acquired number of lanes; and

setting the guidance content based on the calculated guidance timing distance.

13. The storage medium according to claim 12, the program further configured to cause the computer to perform the following functions:

acquiring a distance from the vehicle to the planned entry branch;

setting a first guidance timing at which it is determined that a distance from the vehicle to the planned entry branch is equal to a first distance;

generating the guidance based on a first guidance content at the set first guidance timing;

setting a second guidance timing at which it is determined that a distance from the vehicle to the planned entry branch is equal to a second distance shorter than the first distance;

generating the guidance based on a second guidance content at the set second guidance timing;

when the guidance timing distance is less than the second distance, generating the first guidance content and the second guidance content to include guidance related to a lane change of the vehicle; and

when the guidance timing distance is equal to or greater than the second distance;

generating the first guidance content to include guidance related to a lane change of the vehicle; and

generating the second guidance content to not include guidance related to a lane change of the vehicle.

14. The storage medium according to claim 12, the program further configured to cause the computer to perform the following functions:

when the guidance timing distance is equal to or greater than the first distance;

generating the guidance based on the first guidance content at a timing at which it is determined that the distance from the vehicle to the planned entry branch is equal to the guidance timing distance; and

generating the guidance to not include the first guidance content at the first guidance timing.

6. A travel guidance method, comprising:

acquiring map data including a road network;

acquiring a position of a vehicle from a current position detection unit;

acquiring a planned travel route of the vehicle;

based on the acquired position of the vehicle, the acquired planned travel route, and the acquired map data, determining whether there is a planned entry branch that the vehicle is projected to enter located ahead in an advancing direction of the vehicle;

when the planned entry branch is located ahead of the vehicle, determining whether there is a no-lane-change zone specified in the road network between the vehicle and the planned entry branch based on the acquired map data;

when the no-lane-change zone is located between the vehicle and the planned entry branch, setting guidance content related to a lane change of the vehicle based on a position of the no-lane-change zone;

generating guidance using the set guidance content; and

communicating the generated guidance to a user of the travel guidance device.

7. The travel guidance method according to claim 6, further comprising:

acquiring a distance from the planned entry branch to an end of the no-lane-change zone on the vehicle side as a no-lane-change start distance;

acquiring a number of lanes on a road traveled by the vehicle;

calculating a guidance timing distance based on the acquired no-lane-change start distance and the acquired number of lanes; and

setting the guidance content based on the calculated guidance timing distance.

8. The travel guidance method according to claim 7, further comprising:

acquiring a distance from the vehicle to the planned entry branch;

setting a first guidance timing at which it is determined that a distance from the vehicle to the planned entry branch is equal to a first distance;

generating the guidance based on a first guidance content at the set first guidance timing;

setting a second guidance timing at which it is determined that a distance from the vehicle to the planned entry branch is equal to a second distance shorter than the first distance;

generating the guidance based on a second guidance content at the set second guidance timing;

when the guidance timing distance is less than the second distance, generating the first guidance content and the second guidance content to include guidance related to a lane change of the vehicle; and

when the guidance timing distance is equal to or greater than the second distance;

generating the first guidance content to include guidance related to a lane change of the vehicle; and

generating the second guidance content to not include guidance related to a lane change of the vehicle.

9. The travel guidance method according to claim 7, further comprising:

when the guidance timing distance is equal to or greater than the first distance;

generating the guidance based on the first guidance content at a timing at which it is determined that the distance from the vehicle to the planned entry branch is equal to the guidance timing distance; and

generating the guidance to not include the first guidance content at the first guidance timing.

16. The travel guidance method according to claim 6, wherein the current position detection unit comprises one of:

a GPS sensor;

a vehicle speed sensor and a gyroscopic sensor;

a vehicle speed sensor and a steering sensor;

a GPS sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, and a gyroscopic sensor;

a GPS sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, and a steering sensor; and

a GPS sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, a gyroscopic sensor, and a steering sensor.

17. The travel guidance method according to claim 16, wherein the current position detection unit is a GPS sensor.