Traffic information retrieval method, traffic information retrieval system, mobile communication device, and network navigation center

• US 6,922,629 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2002
• Issued: 07/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Hiroki, Mutsuga, Katsuhiko, Nakamura, Masaki, Yoshikawa, Kazutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US10/398,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20040034464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/200, 701/201, 701/204, 701209-211, 340/995.13, 340/995.18, 340/995.19, 340/995.21, 340/995.22, 340/995.23
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• 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

Abstract

From a mobile communication device, road information about either a preliminarily registered point or an arbitrary point on a route from a present position to a destination is transmitted to and received in a network navigation center via a cellular phone base station and a general telephone network. Based on that road information, the network navigation center retrieves traffic information about the registered point or the arbitrary point on the route, and then transmits the retrieved traffic information to the mobile communication device via the general telephone network and the cellular phone base station. The traffic information includes traffic congestion area data about the registered point or the arbitrary point on the route, which is displayed on a display in the mobile communication device wherein the user is informed of future traffic information like traffic congestion.

Claims

1. A method of retrieving traffic information, comprising:

storing predictive traffic information derived from statistical processing in relation to at least positional information and date-and-time information;

registering a point which a user desires to obtain the traffic information as a registered point;

displaying a name list of registered points;

selecting a desirable registered point from the name list;

obtaining positional information about the desirable registered point;

computing predictive arrival date-and-time information about the desirable registered point;

retrieving the predictive traffic information related to both the positional information and the predictive arrival date-and-time-information about the desirable registered point; and

displaying a map around the desirable registered point and a navigational indicator on the map which represents a traffic congestion area based on the retrieved predictive traffic information.

2. A method of retrieving traffic information, comprising:

storing predictive traffic information derived from statistical processing in relation to at least positional information and date-and-time information;

inputting a present position of a mobile communication device and a destination;

searching a route from the present position to the destination;

calculating points on the route to which the route predictably takes a predetermined time to travel from the present position;

obtaining positional information about the calculated points on the route;

computing predictive arrival date-and-time information about the calculated points on the route;

retrieving the predictive traffic information related to the positional information and the predictive arrival date-and-time information about the calculated points on the route; and

displaying a map around the calculated points and a navigational indicator which represents a traffic congestion area based on the retrieved predictive traffic information one after another in order of a shortest distance from the present position.

3. A traffic information retrieval system, comprising:

a storage device that stores predictive traffic information derived from statistical processing in relation to at least positional information and date-and-time information; and

a controller that;

registers a point which a user desires to obtain the traffic information as a registered point;

outputs a name list of registered points;

selects a desirable registered point from the name list;

obtains the positional information about the desirable registered point;

computes predictive arrival date-and-time information about the desirable registered point;

retrieves the predictive traffic information related to the positional information and the predictive arrival date-and-time information about the desirable registered point from the storage device; and

outputs a map around the desirable registered point and a navigational indicator on the map which represents a traffic congestion area based on the retrieved predictive traffic information.

4. The traffic information retrieval system according to claim 3, wherein the controller outputs a name of the registered point, the predictive arrival date-and-time information, and the predictive traffic information.

5. A traffic information retrieval system, comprising:

a storage device that stores predictive traffic information derived from statistical processing in relation to at least positional information and date-and-time information;

a detector that detects a present position of a mobile communication device;

an input device that inputs a destination; and

a controller that;

searches a route from the present position to the destination;

calculates points on the route to which the route predictable takes a predetermined time to travel from the present position;

obtains positional information about the calculated points on the route;

computes predictive arrival date-and-time information about the calculated points on the route;

retrieves the predictive traffic information related to the positional information and the predictive arrival date-and-time information about the calculated points on the route from the storage device; and

outputs a map around the calculated points and a navigational indicator which represents a traffic congestion area based on the retrieved predictive traffic information one after another in order of a shortest distance from the present position.

6. The traffic information retrieval system according to claim 5, wherein the controller outputs a name of the arbitrary point on the route, the predictive arrival date-and-time information, and the predictive traffic information.

7. The traffic information retrieval system according to claim 5, wherein in the case of a plurality of arbitrary points, the respective predictive traffic information about the plurality of arbitrary points are outputted one after another at specified-time intervals in order of short distance from the present position to the respective arbitrary points.

8. A mobile communication device which transmits/receives various information to/from a network navigation center, comprising:

a controller that;

registers a point which a user desires to obtain the traffic information as a registered point;

outputs a name list of registered points;

selects a desirable registered point from the name list;

obtains the positional information about the desirable registered point;

computes predictive arrival date-and-time information about the desirable registered point;

transmits the positional information and the predictive arrival date-and-time information about the desirable registered point to the network navigation center;

receives predictive traffic information related to the positional information and the predictive arrival date-and-time information from the network navigation center; and

outputs a map around the desirable registered point and a navigational indicator on the map which represents a traffic congestion area based on the received predictive traffic information.

9. The mobile communication device according to claim 8, wherein the controller outputs a name of the registered point, the predictive arrival date-and-time information, and the predictive traffic information.

10. A mobile communication device which transmits/receives various information to/from a network navigation center, comprising:

a detector that detects a present position of the mobile communication device;

an input device that inputs a destination; and

a controller that;

searches a route from the present position to the destination;

calculates points on the route to which the route predictable takes a predetermined time to travel from the present position;

obtains positional information about the calculated points on the route;

computes predictive arrival date-and-time information about the calculated points on the route;

transmits the positional information and the predictive arrival date-and-time information about the calculated points on the route to the network navigation center;

receives predictive traffic information related to the positional information and the predictive arrival date-and-time information from the network navigation center; and

outputs a map around the calculated points and a navigational indicator which represents a traffic congestion area based on the received predictive traffic information one after another in order of a shortest distance from the present position.

11. The mobile communication device according to claim 10, wherein the controller outputs a name of the arbitrary point on the route, the predictive arrival date-and-time information, and the predictive traffic information.

12. The mobile communication device according to claim 10, wherein, in the case of a plurality of arbitrary points, the respective predictive traffic information about the plurality of arbitrary points are outputted one after another at specified-time intervals in order of short distance from the present position to the respective arbitrary points.

13. A network navigation center, comprising:

a storage device that stores predictive traffic information derived from statistical processing in relation to at least positional information and date-and-time information;

a receiver that receives a present position of a mobile communication device and positional information about a desirable registered point from the mobile communication device; and

a controller that;

computes predictive arrival date-and-time information that represents the date and time of arrival at the desirable registered point from the present position;

retrieves the predictive traffic information related to the positional information and the predictive arrival date-and-time information about the desirable registered point from the storage device; and

transmits a map around the desirable registered point and a navigational indicator on the map which represents a traffic congestion area based on the retrieved predictive traffic information to the mobile communication device.

14. A network navigation center, comprising:

a storage device that stores predictive traffic information derived from statistical processing in relation to at least positional information and date-and-time information;

a receiver that receives a present position of a mobile communication device and positional information about a destination from the mobile communication device; and

a controller that;

searches a route from the present position to the destination;

calculates points on the route to which the route predictable takes a predetermined time to travel from the present position;

obtains positional information about the calculated points on the route;

computes predictive arrival date-and-time information about the calculated points on the route;

retrieves predictive traffic information related to the positional information and the predictive arrival date-and-time information about the calculated points on the route from the storage device; and

transmits a map around the calculated points and a navigational indicator which represents a traffic congestion area based on the retrieved predictive traffic information one after another in order of a shortest distance from the present position to the mobile communication device.