Traffic information calculation device, traffic information calculation method, traffic information display method, and traffic information display device

• US 7,576,661 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mochizuki, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland; Donnie L
• Application Number:
  US10/587,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20070171095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/995.13
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions

Abstract

A traffic information calculation device includes: a probe information database for accumulating vehicle information including a vehicle position and the time of the vehicle position; a branch judgment unit for judging the branch direction of the vehicle at an intersection according to the position of the intersection on the map database and the vehicle information; and intersection traffic information calculation unit for calculating the wait time or jam length of the branch direction at the intersection from the vehicle information. Thus, the intersection traffic information calculation unit can calculate the traffic information for each branch direction at the intersection and it is possible to obtain accurate traffic information for each branch direction even at an intersection having five directions or more.

Claims

1. A traffic information calculation device, comprising:

vehicle information acquisition unit configured to acquire vehicle information from a plurality of vehicles, the vehicle information including positions of the plurality of vehicles, and times at which the positions of the plurality of vehicles are acquired;

branch determination unit configured to determine a direction of a vehicle of the plurality of vehicles exiting an intersection based on (1) a position of the intersection stored in a map database and (2) the vehicle information of the vehicle, the vehicle capable of exiting the intersection in more than two directions; and

intersection traffic information calculation unit configured to calculate, from the vehicle information of the plurality of vehicles, a waiting time or a jam length at the intersection for each of the more than two directions.

2. The traffic information calculation device according to claim 1, characterized in that the intersection traffic information calculation unit calculates the waiting time or the jam length at the intersection for each of the more than two directions using a driving speed of each of the plurality vehicles derived from the vehicle information.

3. The traffic information calculation device according to claim 2, characterized in that the driving speed of each of the plurality vehicles is derived based on at least either a vehicle speed pulse signal or positioning satellite information.

4. A traffic information calculation method comprising:

acquiring vehicle information from a plurality of vehicles, the vehicle information including positions of the plurality of vehicles and times at which the positions of the plurality of vehicles are acquired,

determining a direction of a vehicle of the plurality of vehicles exiting an intersection based on (1) a position of the intersection stored in a map database and (2) the vehicle information of the vehicle, the vehicle capable of exiting the intersection in more than two directions, and

calculating, from the vehicle information of the plurality of vehicles, a waiting time or a jam length at the intersection for each of the more than two directions.

5. A traffic information display method in which an intersection is displayed on a map, and in accordance with an intersection on the map having more than two directions along which a vehicle may exit the intersection, a waiting time or a jam length at the intersection is displayed for each of the more than two directions, the waiting time or the jam length at the intersection being calculated from vehicle information acquired from a plurality of vehicles, the waiting time or the jam length calculated for each of the more than two directions, the vehicle information including positions of the plurality of vehicles and times at which the positions of the plurality of vehicles are acquired.

6. A traffic information display device, comprising:

cartographic information storage means that stores cartographic information including an intersection from which a vehicle may exit in more than two directions, and display means that displays, in accordance with the intersection on a map stored in the cartographic information storage means, a waiting time or a jam length at the intersection for each of the more than two directions, the waiting time or the jam length at the intersection being calculated from vehicle information acquired from a plurality of vehicles, the vehicle information including positions of the plurality of vehicles and times at which the positions of the plurality of vehicles are acquired.