Traffic situation display method, traffic situation display system, in-vehicle device, and computer program

• US 8,169,339 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kawai, Jun, Yano, Katsutoshi, Yamada, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): POINT, RUFUS C
• Application Number:
  US12/478,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20090267801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 340/990, 340/991, 340/992, 340/993, 340/994, 340/995, 340/905.99, 348143-159
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

There is provided a method for displaying a traffic situation in a traffic situation display system, the method comprising: transmitting image data obtained by imaging an imaging region including roads from a road-side device; receiving the transmitted image data in an in-vehicle device; displaying an image on the basis of the received image data; storing, by the road-side device, corresponding information in which a pixel coordinate in the image and positional information of the imaging region are corresponded to each other; transmitting, by the road-side device, the stored corresponding information; receiving, by the in-vehicle device, the corresponding information; acquiring, by the in-vehicle device, positional information of an own vehicle; specifying, by the in-vehicle device, an own vehicle position on the image based on the received corresponding information and the acquired positional information; and displaying, by the in-vehicle device, the specified own vehicle position on the image.

Claims

1. A traffic situation display method for displaying a traffic situation in a traffic situation display system, the method comprising:

transmitting image data obtained by imaging an imaging region including roads from a road-side device and imaging orientation information identifying the imaging orientation of the road-side device;

receiving image data of different imaging orientations and the imaging orientation information, in an in-vehicle device;

detecting an advancing orientation of a vehicle in which the in-vehicle device is mounted;

selecting an image to be displayed on the basis of the detected advancing orientation and the received imaging orientation information;

displaying, by the in-vehicle device, the selected the image;

storing, by the road-side device, corresponding information in which a pixel coordinate in the image and positional information of the imaging region are corresponded to each other;

transmitting, by the road-side device, the stored corresponding information;

receiving, by the in-vehicle device, the corresponding information;

acquiring, by the in-vehicle device, positional information of an own vehicle;

specifying, by the in-vehicle device, an own vehicle position on the image on the basis of the received corresponding information and the acquired positional information; and

displaying, by the in-vehicle device, the specified own vehicle position on the image.

5. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a setting part setting a priority to at least one of a straight direction, a left-turn direction, and a right-turn direction of the own vehicle; and

a deciding part deciding an imaging orientation corresponding to a direction with highest priority that is set by the setting part on the basis of the advancing orientation detected by the detection part, wherein

the selection part selects an image of the imaging orientation decided by the deciding part.

6. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein the displaying part displays the advancing direction detected by the detection part on the display device.

2. A traffic situation display system comprising:

a road-side device transmitting image data obtained by imaging an imaging region including roads; and

an in-vehicle device receiving the image data transmitted by the road-side device, wherein

the traffic situation display system displays an image on the basis of the image data received by the in-vehicle device,

the road-side device includes;

a storage storing corresponding information in which a pixel coordinate in the image and positional information of the imaging region are corresponded to each other; and

a transmission part transmitting the corresponding information stored in the storage and an imaging orientation information identifying the imaging orientation of the road-side device, and

the in-vehicle device includes;

a receiving part receiving the corresponding information and the imaging orientation information transmitted by the road-side device;

an acquiring part acquiring positional information of an own vehicle,

a specifying part specifying an own vehicle position on the image on the basis of the corresponding information received by the receiving part and the positional information acquired by the acquiring part,

a detecting part detecting an advancing orientation of the own vehicle, by the in vehicle device,

a selecting part selecting an image data for an image to be displayed on the basis of the advancing orientation detected by the detection part and the imaging orientation information received by the receiving part,

a displaying part displaying the image, for which the image data is selected by the selecting part, and the own vehicle position specified by the specifying part on the image.

3. An in-vehicle device connectable to a display device, for receiving image data obtained by imaging an imaging region including roads, and displaying an image on the basis of the received image data, the in-vehicle device comprising:

an acquiring part acquiring positional information of an own vehicle;

a receiving part receiving imaging orientation information identifying the imaging orientation of a road-side device with image data of different imaging orientation and corresponding information in which pixel coordinates in the image transmitted by a road-side device and the positional information acquired by the an acquiring part of the imaging region are associated with each other,

an acquiring part acquiring positional information of an own vehicle;

a specifying part specifying an own vehicle position on the image on the basis of the corresponding information received by the receiving part and the positional information acquired by the acquiring part;

a detecting part detecting an advancing orientation of the own vehicle, by the in vehicle device;

a selecting part selecting an image to be displayed on the basis of the advancing orientation detected by the detection part and the imaging orientation information received by the receiving part; and

a displaying part displaying the image selected by the selecting part and the own vehicle position specified by the specifying part on the image of the display device.

4. The in-vehicle device according to claim 3, wherein

the receiving part further includes:

an identifier receiving part receiving receives an identifier for identifying an imaging device which has acquired the image data; and

includes a storage storing, in plurals, a conversion equation for converting the positional information of the own vehicle to an own vehicle position in the image in correspondence to the identifier on the basis of the corresponding information, and

the specifying part specifies the own vehicle position on the image on the basis of the conversion equation corresponding to the identifier received by the receiving part.

7. The in-vehicle device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a determining part determining whether the own vehicle exists in the imaging region on the basis of the positional information contained in the corresponding information received by the receiving part and the positional information acquired by the acquiring part; and

a notifying part making a notification when determined that the own vehicle does not exist in the imaging region by the determining part.

8. The in-vehicle device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a determining part determining whether the own vehicle exists in the imaging region on the basis of the positional information contained in the corresponding information received by the receiving part and the positional information acquired by the acquiring part, wherein

the displaying part displays a direction the own vehicle exists at a periphery of the image on the display device when determined that the own vehicle does not exist in the imaging region by the determining part.

10. The in-vehicle device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a storage storing the priority table defining the priority of the monitoring direction in accordance with the advancing orientation and the imaging orientation, wherein

the selection part selects an image on the basis of the priority table.

9. A computer-readable non-transitory medium which stores a computer-executable program for causing an in-vehicle device connectable to both a display device and a road-side device to display an own vehicle position on the display device, the program making the in-vehicle device execute:

a receiving part receiving image data obtained by imaging an imaging region including roads and imaging orientation information identifying the imaging orientation of the road-side device with image data of different imaging orientation;

specifying the own vehicle position on the image on the basis of corresponding information, in which a pixel coordinate in the image and positional information of the imaging region are corresponded to each other, and positional information of the own vehicle;

a detecting part detecting an advancing orientation of the own vehicle, by the in vehicle device,

a selecting part selecting an image data for an image to be displayed on the basis of the advancing orientation detected by the detection part and the imaging orientation information received by the receiving part,

displaying the image, for which the image data is selected by the selecting part, and the specified own vehicle position on the image on the basis of the received image data in the display device.