Speed limit guiding device

• US 20090259395A1
• Filed: 04/07/2009
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sobue, Eiji
• Application Number:
  US12/385,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20090259395A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers

Abstract

A speed limit guiding device includes: a position detector; a information acquisition device for obtaining map information having road information and speed limit information; a determination device for determining whether it is daytime or nighttime; a specifying device for specifying the road, on which the vehicle is disposed; and a guiding device for informing the speed limit information. The guiding device informs a daytime speed limit corresponding to the road, on which the vehicle is disposed, when the determination device determines that it is daytime, and the guiding device informs a nighttime speed limit corresponding to the road, on which the vehicle is disposed, when the determination device determines that it is nighttime.

Claims

1. A speed limit guiding device for a vehicle comprising:

a position detector for detecting a current position of the vehicle;

a first information acquisition device for obtaining map information stored in a memory medium, wherein the map information includes road information about a position of a road, and speed limit information about a daytime speed limit and a nighttime speed limit of the road;

a determination device for determining whether it is daytime or nighttime;

a first specifying device for specifying the road, on which the vehicle is disposed, based on the current position of the vehicle and the map information; and

a guiding device for informing the speed limit information,

wherein the guiding device informs the daytime speed limit corresponding to the road, on which the vehicle is disposed, when the determination device determines that it is daytime, and

wherein the guiding device informs the nighttime speed limit corresponding to the road, on which the vehicle is disposed, when the determination device determines that it is nighttime.

2. The speed limit guiding device according to claim 1,

wherein the determination device includes a sensor for detecting one of brightness, illumination intensity and light flux around the vehicle, and

wherein the determination device determines based on detection result of the sensor whether it is daytime or nighttime.

3. The speed limit guiding device according to claim 2,

wherein the determination device determines that it is daytime when the one of brightness, illumination intensity and light flux is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, and

wherein the determination device determines that it is nighttime when the one of brightness, illumination intensity and light flux is smaller than the predetermined threshold.

4. The speed limit guiding device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second information acquisition device for obtaining date and time information; and

a second specifying device for specifying a sunrise time and a sunset time based on the date and time information and the current position of the vehicle,

wherein the determination device determines based on the date and time information, the sunrise time and the sunset time whether the present time is in daytime from the sunrise time to the sunset time or in nighttime from the sunset time to the sunrise time.

5. The speed limit guiding device according to claim 2,

wherein the determination device further includes a time acquisition device for obtaining time information, and

wherein the determination device determines based on the detection result of the sensor and the time information whether it is daytime or nighttime.

6. The speed limit guiding device according to claim 5,

wherein the determination device determines that it is daytime when the one of brightness, illumination intensity and light flux is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, or when the present time is disposed in a predetermined daytime zone, and

wherein the determination device determines that it is nighttime when the one of brightness, illumination intensity and light flux is smaller than the predetermined threshold, and when the present time is disposed in a predetermined nighttime zone.

7. The speed limit guiding device according to claim 5, further comprising:

a correction device,

wherein the first information acquisition device further obtains shield information from the memory medium,

wherein the shield information shows a position of a shield, which interrupts the sunshine, and

wherein the correction device corrects determination result of the determination device based on the current position of the vehicle and the shield information.

8. The speed limit guiding device according to claim 7,

wherein the correction device switches from the determination result of daytime to nighttime when the one of brightness, illumination intensity and light flux is smaller than the predetermined threshold, when the present time is disposed in a predetermined daytime zone, and when the current position of the vehicle does not coincide with the position of the shield.

9. The speed limit guiding device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second information acquisition device for obtaining date and time information; and

a second specifying device for specifying a sunrise time and a sunset time based on the date and time information and the current position of the vehicle,

wherein the determination device includes a sensor for detecting one of brightness, illumination intensity and light flux around the vehicle,

wherein the determination device determines that it is daytime when the one of brightness, illumination intensity and light flux is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, or when the present time is in daytime from the sunrise time to the sunset time, and

wherein the determination device determines that it is nighttime when the one of brightness, illumination intensity and light flux is smaller than the predetermined threshold, and when the present time is in nighttime from the sunset time to the sunrise time.