Electronic device, control method for electronic device, and control program for electronic device

• US 9,824,588 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2016
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Original Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Inventors: Tokita, Shigetoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/217,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20160328975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 340905, 340436, 340907, 340933, 340435, 340901-904, 340915-918, 340924, 340931, 340932, 340938, 340991-994
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18154 Approaching an intersection
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

An electronic device includes: a monitor unit configured to monitor a speed and a position of a host car and a preceding car; a reception unit configured to receive traffic signal information including at least a current display state of a traffic light in an intersection and timing information of a change of the display state of the traffic light; a prediction unit configured to generate a first prediction result and a second prediction result; and a warning unit configured to give a first-stage warning when the first prediction result indicates that the preceding car will go into the intersection after the traffic light changes to the red signal display state, and give a second-stage warning when the second prediction result indicates that the preceding car cannot stop without braking suddenly.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a monitor unit configured to monitor a traveling speed and a traveling position of a host car, and a speed and a position of a preceding car, the host car being a vehicle in which the electronic device is mounted, the preceding car being a vehicle traveling ahead of the host car;

a reception unit configured to receive traffic signal information including at least a current display state of a traffic light in an intersection located ahead of the host car in a traveling direction and timing information of a change of the display state of the traffic light;

a prediction unit configured to generate a first prediction result of a prediction whether or not the preceding car will go into the intersection after the traffic light changes to a red signal display state when the preceding car maintains a current speed based on monitor information and the traffic signal information received by the reception unit, and generate, at a timing when the traffic light becomes the yellow signal display state, a second prediction result of a prediction whether or not the preceding car can stop before the intersection without braking suddenly based on the position and the speed of the preceding car and a distance between the preceding car and the intersection, the monitor information including the traveling speed and the traveling position of the host car and the speed and the position of the preceding car monitored by the monitor unit; and

a warning unit configured to give a first-stage warning when the first prediction result indicates that the preceding car will go into the intersection after the traffic light changes to the red signal display state, and give a second-stage warning when the second prediction result indicates that the preceding car cannot stop before the intersection without braking suddenly.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the prediction unit generates the second prediction result within a period in which the current display state of the traffic light is determined to be a yellow signal display state based on the received traffic signal information.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the prediction unit generates a third prediction result when at least one of an increase in the speed of the preceding car and turning-on of a blinker of the preceding car is detected after the current display state of the traffic light is determined to be the yellow signal display state based on the received traffic signal information, and

the warning unit warns the user of host car based on the third prediction result.

4. A control method for an electronic device comprising:

a monitoring step for monitoring a traveling speed and a traveling position of a host car, and a speed and a position of a preceding car, the preceding car being a vehicle traveling ahead of the host car;

a receiving step for receiving traffic signal information including at least a current display state of a traffic light in an intersection located ahead of the host car in a traveling direction and timing information of a change of the display state of the traffic light;

a predicting step for generating a first prediction result of a prediction whether or not the preceding car will go into the intersection after the traffic light changes to a red signal display state when the preceding car maintains a current speed based on monitor information and the traffic signal information received in the receiving step, and generating, at a timing when the traffic light becomes the yellow signal display state, a second prediction result of a prediction whether or not the preceding car can stop before the intersection without braking suddenly based on the position and the speed of the preceding car and a distance between the preceding car and the intersection, the monitor information including the traveling speed and the traveling position of the host car and the speed and the position of the preceding car monitored in the monitoring step; and

a warning step for giving a first-stage warning when the first prediction result indicates that the preceding car will go into the intersection after the traffic light changes to the red signal display state, and giving a second-stage warning when the second prediction result indicates that the preceding car cannot stop before the intersection without braking suddenly.

5. A control program for an electronic device for causing a computer to execute:

a monitoring step for monitoring a traveling speed and a traveling position of a host car, and a speed and a position of a preceding car, the preceding car being a vehicle traveling ahead of the host car;

a receiving step for receiving traffic signal information including at least a current display state of a traffic light in an intersection located ahead of the host car in a traveling direction and timing information of a change of the display state of the traffic light;

a predicting step for generating a first prediction result of a prediction whether or not the preceding car will go into the intersection after the traffic light changes to a red signal display state when the preceding car maintains a current speed based on monitor information and the traffic signal information received in the receiving step, and generating, at a timing when the traffic light becomes the yellow signal display state, a second prediction result of a prediction whether or not the preceding car can stop before the intersection without braking suddenly based on the position and the speed of the preceding car and a distance between the preceding car and the intersection, the monitor information including the traveling speed and the traveling position of the host car and the speed and the position of the preceding car monitored in the monitoring step; and

a warning step for giving a first-stage warning when the first prediction result indicates that the preceding car will go into the intersection after the traffic light changes to the red signal display state, and giving a second-stage warning when the second prediction result indicates that the preceding car cannot stop before the intersection without braking suddenly.