Traffic Information Providing System, Apparatus, Method, And In-Vehicle Information Apparatus

• US 20090030596A1
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Xanavi Informatics Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kumagai, Masatoshi, Hiruta, Tomoaki, Abe, Noriyuki, Amaya, Shinichi, Endo, Yoshinori, Okude, Mariko
• Granted Patent: US 8,244,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data

Abstract

When receiving a traffic information providing request, a traffic information providing apparatus analyzes which area'"'"'s traffic information is requested based on the received request information. Traffic information of road links located in the requested area is read from the traffic information, and it is determined whether the road links'"'"' traffic information is similar or not. Similar links configure a link group, and traffic information corresponding to the link group is created. Traffic information of the configured link group is delivered to an in-vehicle information apparatus.

Claims

1. A traffic information providing system, comprising:

a traffic information providing apparatus for delivering collected road traffic information to a communication network;

an in-vehicle information apparatus installed in a vehicle and receiving road traffic information delivered to said communication network; and

a transmitter, disposed in said traffic information providing apparatus, transmitting a link group formed with a plurality of road links which similar to each other and traffic information corresponding to said link group via said communication network.

2. The traffic information providing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a similarity determination unit, disposed in said traffic information providing apparatus, determining the similarity of said traffic information of said plurality of road links, and

a link group collector creating said link group by collecting said plurality of road links that have been determined to be similar by the similarity determination unit.

3. The traffic information providing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a link group collector creating said link group by collecting a plurality of said road links whose traffic information difference is within a predetermined range.

4. The traffic information providing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second similarity determination unit that compares information including travel time, travel speed, degree of traffic jam, length of traffic jam, or traffic jam location along the road links and determines the similarity of said plurality of road links.

5. The traffic information providing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an identification code assigning means for assigning each link group an identification code which identifies a plurality of created link groups, wherein

said delivery means delivers traffic information that corresponds to said identification code.

6. The traffic information providing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a means for creating link group configuration information that defines a correspondence relation between said link group and individual road links that configure said link group, wherein

said delivery means also delivers said link group configuration information.

7. The traffic information providing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a delivery means for comparing traffic information of each road link of said link group and, when there is a peculiar link whose difference exceeds an expected value, delivering traffic information that corresponds to the peculiar link.

8. The traffic information providing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

link group update means for comparing traffic information of links of said link group, detecting the presence of a peculiar link whose difference exceeds an expected value, and, when the number of peculiar links exceeds a prescribed quantity, reconfiguring the link group.

9. The traffic information providing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage means for storing link group configuration information that defines a correspondence relation among individual road links that configure said link group, wherein

said delivery means delivers said traffic information corresponding to the link group and said link group configuration information.

10. The traffic information providing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage means for storing link group configuration information that defines a correspondence relation among individual road links that configure said link group, wherein

said delivery means has delivery mode 1 for delivering said traffic information corresponding to the link group and delivery mode 2 for delivering said traffic information corresponding to the link group and said link group configuration information.

11. The traffic information providing system according to claim 1, wherein

said delivery means has delivery mode 1 for delivering said traffic information corresponding to the link group and delivery mode 3 for delivering said traffic information corresponding to an individual road link.

12. The traffic information providing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage means for storing link group configuration information that defines a correspondence relation among individual road links that configure said link group, wherein

said delivery means has delivery mode 2 for delivering said traffic information corresponding to the link group and said link group configuration information, and

delivery mode 3 for delivering said traffic information corresponding to an individual road link.

13. The traffic information providing system according to claim 1, wherein

said in-vehicle information apparatus has a link group configuration information storage means, and when traffic information corresponding to said link group is received from said communication network, link group configuration information stored in said link group configuration information storage means is updated.

14. The traffic information providing system according to claim 1, wherein

said in-vehicle information apparatus has a delivery request transmitting means for sending a request for the delivery of said traffic information to said traffic information providing apparatus via said communication network.

15. The traffic information providing system according to claim 1, wherein

said traffic information providing apparatus has a plurality of delivery modes to deliver said traffic information, and

said in-vehicle information apparatus has a delivery request transmitting means for sending a request for the delivery of said traffic information to said traffic information providing apparatus via said communication network by specifying one of said delivery modes.

16. The traffic information providing system according to claim 1, wherein

said traffic information providing apparatus comprises

a means for creating link group configuration information that defines a correspondence relation between said link group and individual road links that configure said link group, and

a delivery means for adding said link group configuration information to traffic information of said corresponding link group and delivering the information, and

said in-vehicle information apparatus has a means for sending a request for the delivery of said traffic information to said traffic information providing apparatus via said communication network by specifying the necessity or unnecessity of said link group configuration information.

17. The traffic information providing system according to claim 1, wherein

said in-vehicle information apparatus has

a link group configuration information storage means, and

a delivery request collector creating a delivery request that includes information about an area whose traffic information is to be acquired, and information for specifying the necessity or unnecessity of link group configuration information according to the presence or absence of the storage of said link group configuration information of each corresponding area.

18. A traffic information providing apparatus for delivering collected road traffic information to a communication network, comprising:

a similarity determination unit for determining the similarity of traffic information of a plurality of road links,

a link group collector creating a link group by collecting a plurality of road links that have been determined to be similar by the similarity determination unit. and

a delivery means for delivering the created link group and traffic information corresponding to the link group via said communication network.

19. A traffic information providing method, comprising the steps of:

delivering collected road traffic information to a communication network;

receiving road traffic information delivered to said communication network by an in-vehicle information apparatus installed in a vehicle;

determining similarity of traffic information of a plurality of road links;

creating a link group by collecting a plurality of road links which have been determined to be similar in the similarity determination step; and

delivering said created link group and traffic information corresponding to the link group via said communication network.