Car navigation system, traffic information providing apparatus, car navigation device, and traffic information providing method and program

• US 7,463,973 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Xanavi Informatics Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamane, Kenichiro, Okude, Mariko
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/445,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20060287818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 701/202, 701/209, 701/3, 340/905, 340/601, 340/602
• US Class Current: 701/202
• 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 21/3694 Output thereof on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096822 where the segments of the route are transmitted to the vehicle at different locations and times

Abstract

In the present invention a traffic information providing apparatus makes a vehicle location and a running date a starting point, and predicts arrival time to each link included in a designated area, based on current traffic information provided by a traffic information center; meteorological forecast information provided by a meteorological information center; and statistical traffic information acquired from a traffic information data base where past traffic information is stored, thereby produces meteorological consideration traffic prediction information of the link, and sends the produced meteorological consideration traffic prediction information to a car navigation device. Then the car navigation device is configured to receive the produced meteorological consideration traffic prediction information and to search a guidance route, based on the produced meteorological consideration traffic prediction information.

Claims

1. A car navigation system configured with a car navigation device for displaying a guidance route to a destination in a display unit and guiding a vehicle thereto and with a traffic information providing apparatus for providing the car navigation device with traffic information, wherein the car navigation device and the traffic information providing apparatus are connected via a communication network, the traffic information providing apparatus comprising:

a communication interface where a mobile phone is connected;

a traffic information acquisition unit configured to acquire current traffic information of the designated area from a traffic information center;

a meteorological information acquisition unit configured to acquire meteorological forecast information of the designated area from a meteorological information center;

a traffic information data base configured to store statistical traffic information of past traffic information regarding every link, for every time zone, for which the past traffic information is classified, and statistically processed according to at least every considered weather condition;

a traffic information prediction unit configured to acquire the statistical traffic information for the every considered weather condition of the designated area from the traffic information data base and to produce meteorological consideration traffic forecast information of each link or a point, based on the current traffic information, the meteorological forecast information, and the statistical traffic information, by making the vehicle location and the running date and hour a starting point and predicting arrival time and meteorological information of the link or the point included in the designated area; and

a traffic prediction information providing unit configured to send the produced meteorological consideration traffic forecast information to the car navigation device,

wherein the apparatus is configured to be connected to the traffic information center for providing the current traffic information, the meteorological information center for providing the meteorological forecast information, and the traffic information data base for storing the past traffic information,

the car navigation device comprising;

the display unit configured to display a searched guidance route; and

a main body unit comprising;

a communication interface unit where a mobile phone is connected;

a traffic prediction information acquisition unit configured to receive the meteorological consideration traffic forecast information sent from the traffic information providing device and the communication interface unit; and

a guidance route search unit configured to set a link cost of a road and to search the guidance route, based on the received meteorological consideration traffic forecast information,

wherein the meteorological consideration traffic forecast information comprises meteorological forecast information at the predicted arrival time of each link or a point other than a predicted travel time, jam length, and travel speed for the link, predicted for the every considered weather condition.

5. The car navigation system according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality-of-comparison-routes search unit configured to set a plurality of search conditions;

to respectively search guidance routes for the plurality of the search conditions, based on the meteorological consideration traffic forecast information; and

to display the plurality of the searched guidance routes together in the display unit.

6. The car navigation system according to claim 1 further comprising a vicinity establishment route search unit configured to instruct a search of a vicinity establishment, to search the vicinity establishment, based on the instruction and the meteorological consideration traffic forecast information, and to sort and display the searched vicinity establishment in ascending order of a distance to a present location.

7. The car navigation system according to claim 1 configured to make a meteorological condition sent to the traffic information providing apparatus a plurality of the meteorological conditions, to receive a plurality of pieces of meteorological consideration traffic forecast information produced by the traffic information providing apparatus so as to respectively correspond to the plurality of the meteorological conditions, to respectively search guidance routes for the plurality of the received search conditions, based on the plurality of pieces of the received meteorological consideration traffic forecast information, and to display the plurality of the searched guidance routes in the display unit.

2. A traffic information providing apparatus configured to provide with traffic information a car navigation device for displaying a guidance route to a destination in a display unit and guiding a vehicle thereto, the traffic information providing apparatus comprising:

a communication interface unit where a mobile phone is connected;

a traffic information acquisition unit configured to acquire current traffic information of the designated area from a traffic information center;

a meteorological information acquisition unit configured to acquire meteorological forecast information of the designated area from a meteorological information center;

a traffic information data base configured to store statistical traffic information of past traffic information regarding every link, for every time zone, for which the east traffic information is classified, and statistically processed according to at least every considered weather condition;

a traffic information prediction unit configured to acquire the statistical traffic information for the every considered weather condition of the designated area from the traffic information data base and to produce meteorological consideration traffic forecast information of each link or a point, based on the current traffic information, the meteorological forecast information, and the statistical traffic information, by making the vehicle location and the running date and hour a starting point and predicting arrival time and meteorological information of the link or the point included in the designated area; and

a traffic prediction information providing unit configured to send the produced meteorological consideration traffic forecast information to the car navigation device,

wherein the apparatus is configured to be connected to the traffic information center for providing the current traffic information, the meteorological information center for providing the meteorological forecast information, and the traffic information data base for storing the past traffic information, and

wherein the meteorological consideration traffic forecast information comprises meteorological forecast information at the predicted arrival time of the link or the point other than a predicted travel time, jam length, and travel speed for the link predicted for the every considered weather condition.

4. The car navigation system according to claim 2 configured to display the predicted arrival time or a trip time thereto and the meteorological forecast information thereat of at least one point included in the guidance route together with the guidance route,

wherein the meteorological consideration traffic forecast information comprises the meteorological forecast information of the predicted arrival time at each link other than the traffic information of the link.

3. A traffic information providing apparatus configured to provide with traffic information a car navigation device for displaying a guidance route to a destination in a display unit and guiding a vehicle thereto, the traffic information providing apparatus comprising:

a communication interface unit where a mobile phone is connected;

a traffic information data base configured to store statistical traffic information of past traffic information regarding every link, for every time zone, for which the past traffic information is classified, and statistically processed according to at least every considered weather condition;

a traffic information prediction unit configured to acquire the statistical traffic information for the every considered weather condition of the designated area from the traffic information data base and to produce meteorological consideration traffic forecast information of each link or a point, based on the meteorological information and the traffic information, by making the vehicle location and the running date and hour a starting point and predicting arrival time of the link or the point included in the designated area; and

a traffic information providing unit configured to send the produced meteorological consideration traffic forecast information to the car navigation device,

wherein the apparatus is connected to the traffic information data base for storing past traffic information.

8. A traffic information providing method in a traffic information providing apparatus configured to provide with traffic information a car navigation device for displaying a guidance route to a destination in a display unit and guiding a vehicle thereto, the apparatus being connected to a traffic information center for providing current traffic information, a meteorological information center for providing meteorological forecast information, and a traffic information data base storing statistical traffic information of past traffic information regarding every link, for every time zone, for which the past traffic information is classified, and statistically processed according to at least every considered weather condition, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving information sent by the car navigation device, including a vehicle location and a running date and hour, and a designated area;

acquiring the current traffic information of the designated area from the traffic information center;

acquiring the meteorological forecast information for the every considered weather condition of the designated area from the meteorological information center;

acquiring statistical traffic information of the designated area from the traffic information data base;

producing meteorological consideration traffic forecast information of each link or a point, based on the current traffic information, the meteorological forecast information, and the statistical traffic information by making the vehicle location and the running date and hour a starting point and predicting arrival time and meteorological information of the link or the point included in the designated area; and

sending the produced meteorological consideration traffic forecast information to the car navigation device.

9. A traffic information providing method in a traffic information providing apparatus configured to provide with traffic information a car navigation device for displaying a guidance route to a destination in a display unit and guiding a vehicle thereto, the apparatus being connected to a traffic information data base storing statistical traffic information of past traffic information regarding every link, for every time zone, for which the past traffic information is classified, and statistically processed according to at least every considered weather condition, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving information sent by the car navigation device, including a vehicle location and a running date and hour, and a designated area;

acquiring the statistical traffic information of the designated area from the traffic information data base

producing meteorological consideration traffic forecast information for the every considered weather condition of each link or a point, based on the meteorological forecast information and statistical traffic information by making the vehicle location and the running date and hour a starting point and predicting arrival time and meteorological information of the link or the point included in the designated area; and

sending the produced meteorological consideration traffic forecast information to the car navigation device.