FR2847703A1 - Road information system for motor vehicle driver, uses position of vehicle to control display of information on number of lanes and road signs ahead, with distances provided to each - Google Patents

Abstract

The road information system indicates to the driver the nature of road segments (101-108) ahead and the distance to each segment (112-118). The position of the vehicle is determined, e.g. by a GPS system, and information on road segments ahead fetched for display in the vehicle. The display indicates how many lanes in each road segment, and road signs ahead (122-128) with the distance (131-138) to each.

Description

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system

  information for informing a vehicle driver and giving him the properties of the segments of paths of a path, these segments being located from the location of the vehicle, upstream of the vehicle, in its direction of travel, comprising: - means for determining the location of the vehicle, - means for determining the segments of the paths which lie from the location of the vehicle and in the direction of travel of the vehicle upstream thereof as well as from the properties of the segments , - means for providing properties or information describing

  these properties to the driver of the vehicle.

  STATE OF THE ART By rail vehicles, in particular stiff trains such as the TGV, information systems of the above type are known which inform the driver of the locomotive or train of the characteristics of the track segments upstream of the train on the road. The information transmitted to the driver of the locomotive or of the train is that relating to the position of signals which release or authorize entry 20 into a section of track. This information is provided to the driver

  of the train or locomotive according to the respective position of the train via a display device.

  Vehicle navigation systems are also known which inform the driver by direction indications to guide him from a starting point to a destination. These means calculate

  the journey beforehand using the location where the vehicle is located, obtained by a location device to the destination entered by the user using cartographic information recorded in digital form and comprising the data of the traffic route.

  Aim, description and advantages of the invention For example the federal road 10 (B10), comprises between the localities of Landau and Pirmasens in the Palatinate, DE, on their route long segments with only two lanes, that is to say say with one lane

  in each direction of travel. These segments of traffic lanes are not suitable for overtaking maneuvers because of their winding layout and the intensity of traffic. In addition, this road has three or four-lane segments allowing relatively safe overtaking maneuvers in both directions

  lation; in the case of three-way segments, these maneuvers are possible for at least one direction.

  It should be noted that in particular drivers with local knowledge of the road often dare risky overtaking maneuvers on two-lane road segments. Although in many cases, after a few kilometers we meet road segments allowing overtaking maneuvers such as for example three or four lane segments, these maneuvers are nevertheless undertaken. The present invention relates to an information system

  of the type defined above, characterized in that the properties include characteristics of the segments relating to overtaking maneuvers.

  The information system according to the invention informs the driver of the properties of the road sections allowing overtaking maneuvers on a route, and which are located upstream of the vehicle in the direction of traffic moving away from the location of the vehicle.

  Thus, the invention facilitates relaxed and calm driving, in particular at least in part on national or regional two or three lane roads such as for example national or federal roads and thus it contributes to an increase in road safety.

  Advantageously, the prohibitions on overtaking and / or the number of traffic lanes, in particular the number of lanes associated with the same direction of travel and / or the width of the traffic lanes and / or lack of visibility and / or the length of track sections corresponding to certain characteristics are information sent by the information system according to the invention and to allow

overtaking maneuvers.

  In addition, the information system according to the invention advantageously has means for determining the distance between the location of the vehicle and the track sections having the characteristics allowing overtaking maneuvers or properties allowing movement maneuvers as well as means for

issue the distances.

  It is particularly interesting for a driver to know for example the distance between the instantaneous location of the vehicle and the next possibility of overtaking or even until the start of the next section of road, following, with several lanes. Thus, the driver can organize overtaking maneuvers in sufficient time or, knowing the distance to the next favorable possibility of overtaking, to renounce a possibly risky overtaking maneuver on the two-lane section of roadway which he travels

just now.

  From the point of view of forward planning and the organization of overtaking maneuvers, it is particularly advantageous in particular to know the length of the sections allowing

overtaking maneuvers.

  According to an advantageous development of the invention, the sections and the information which describe their characteristics or their properties, in particular the number of lanes in the proper direction of the vehicle, can be represented graphically on the display screen of the system. information. Alternatively, the information can be sent by a voice message with / ans request by the driver, for example in the form "next possibility of overrun at

2.5 km ".

  In addition, the information describing the properties or characteristics of the road sections are represented in the form of easily optically detectable symbols, preferably according to

  traffic signs corresponding to the highway code.

  The graphical representation of information describing the

  properties or characteristics of the road sections allows a particularly rapid and efficient entry of the situation by the driver.

  This is particularly important while driving to have the concentration necessary for driving the vehicle. Representations in the form of symbols are perceived particularly quickly as practice shows. This is all the more true for symbols adapted or copying the traffic symbols according to the highway code, which have very advanced recognition characteristics for

  the driver of the vehicle and are seen particularly quickly.

  To determine the information necessary for the driver on the sections of track of the journey traveled, the information system advantageously includes a mass memory and / or can be linked to such a memory containing the properties of the segments

roadways.

  According to a particularly advantageous development of the invention, the information system is produced in the form of a navigation system or as part of a vehicle navigation system. Navigation systems for vehicles generally have a mass memory or are linked to such a memory which contains the edges which can be connected as nodes for the track sections with parameters associated with the nodes and / or the edges. The parameters associated with the nodes and / or the edges are for example average speeds depending on the section of roadway. According to the invention, the 1o cartographic data mentioned can be supplemented by the data of the segment segments with their properties insofar as this information is not contained in the cartographic data. A combination of a navigation device and an information system within the meaning of the present invention advantageously makes it possible to use twice the cartographic data supplemented if necessary as indicated above. In addition, advanced vehicle navigation devices have the possibility of a cartographic representation for navigation applications. The required display can advantageously be used by the information system according to the invention. Drawings The present invention will be described below in more detail with the aid of exemplary embodiments in which: FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a driving information system according to the invention,

  - Figure 2 shows by way of example the content used for driver information, this content being on an optical transmission device of the driving information system.

  Description of the exemplary embodiments

  FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a simple embodiment of a driving or driver information system according to the invention.

  The central part of the information system is a control 30 which develops all the functions of the information system according to the invention. For this, the control 30 preferably comprises a microprocessor which processes an operating program recorded in a memory of the device. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, implementing the information system as part of a navigation system or comprising a vehicle navigation system, the control 30 also serves to develop the functions of the navigation device. driving navigation such as determining position and calculating the route as well as generating direction indication

  to guide the driver of the vehicle.

  An input unit 10, a location device 20, a mass memory 40 and a transmission unit 10 are connected to the control 30.

  The input unit 10 returns a path for example by

  introduction of the starting point and the ending point of the different segments of the journey or of the roads traveled using a keyboard. According to a preferred embodiment comprising the information system according to the invention and a vehicle navigation system, the entry unit 15 preferably serves as the entry means of a destination for navigation. In this case, the command 30, starting from the data of the current location of the vehicle and the destination, entered, calculates by itself the road route to be traveled.

  According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the path 20 can also be written using a mobile data medium such as a magnetic strip or a smart card 12 or even for example using a computer diskette 14 on which the road trip data has been previously recorded by introduction of the input device 10. The trip data can for example be calculated using a trip calculation program such as those available on the Internet or receive registration using a PC computer on the program medium 12, 14.

  The location device 20 has the function of determining the current location of the vehicle. For this, the localization device preferably comprises a receiver for the satellite signals of the global location system (GPS system) and which, by means of appropriate use in the receiver, makes it possible to determine the position with the precision of a few meters. Alternative embodiments of the position determining device 20 are possible and form part of the framework for

the invention.

  The mass memory 40 contains the section data and the properties associated with the sections, in particular the characteristics or properties essential for overtaking maneuvers. These data

  born include in particular overtaking bans, the number of lanes, the width of the lanes, unobstructed visibility, crossings, speed bumps, troughs, ascents and descents and / or curves (as well as the winding of the upstream section of track) as well as the length of track sections of a certain characteristic, subject

  for example speed limits or constructive features such as bridges or tunnels.

  According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the mass memory can also be connected by a radio interface, in particular 1o a mobile telephone interface substantially according to the GSM or UMTS standard with the information system. For this, the mass memory can be selected substantially centrally from a service provider and from an interface. The emission device 100 is preferably produced in the form of an optical display device which presents the sections of roadway located upstream of the vehicle, in the

  direction of travel on the path to be traveled.

  The information system 1 as described operates as follows:

  First we introduce a path; in the case of the information system 20 as a single system, for example by entering the starting point and the ending point of the different sections of traffic lane or in the case of traffic lanes, by a keyboard the input unit 10. As a variant, a path is read by the input unit 10, which has been calculated beforehand and has been recorded on a removable rem25 data medium such as a magnetic card 12 or a floppy disk 14.

  Then, using the location device 20, the current location of the information system and thus the location of the vehicle equipped with the information system i is determined; here this is done for example using the signal from the satellites of the global positioning system (GTS).

  In an alternative embodiment of the invention, in

  which the information system 1 is part of or includes the navigation system, instead of entering the route through the input unit 10 a destination is entered. Then the command using the map information recorded in the mass memory 40 calculates a route between the location of the vehicle and the destination using the location device 20.

  After checking the route and the current position of the vehicle, the control correlates the current position of the vehicle.

  calculates using a known "map match", using a path segment contained in the mass memory; in the case of the example in FIG. 2, this is the first path segment 101. In other words, this means that due to the position data of the position determining means 20 and the position information of the path segments recorded in the mass memory 40, the control 30 determines the path segment 101 on which the current position of the vehicle is located. In addition, control 30 correlates the path with other path segments 102-108 stored in memory

massive.

  Such correlated path segments which are located on the path traveled by the vehicle, upstream thereof, are displayed by the command 30 on the transmission device 100. In addition, the command 30 extracted from the mass memory 40 the properties and additional information associated with the path segments, read, in particular the information important for the overtaking maneuvers and which are associated with the path segments to appear in the transmission or display device 100. Preferably, the properties associated with the path segments or information describing the properties are displayed, and this in geographical connection with

the path segments.

  The properties associated with the path segments are for example the number of traffic lanes per traffic direction, the width of the traffic lanes, the positive and negative slopes, etc. The properties of the information are for example symbolic representations and in particular traffic signs according to the highway code, which describe the properties such as for example a traffic sign with a triangular symbol with an angle indicating a positive or negative slope as well as symbolic representations such as for example limitations of speed, sharp curves, crossings and others. The transition between the properties associated with the path segments and the information describing the properties can in each case be done continuously.

  According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the information system also includes a receiver 50 for traffic information transmitted by radio and working according to the TMC standard. This location information contained in the road traffic information is correlated by the command with the data of the path segments contained in the mass memory 40 and as far as the path segments being displayed are concerned, the information associated with them. For example, traffic jams, construction sites with speed limits may be displayed, among other things, to the information displayed for the user and concerning the journey segments. According to another advantageous embodiment of

  the invention, the information system has a mobile telephone interface 60, for example in the form of a mobile telephone connected or sus10 ceptible to be connected to the control. The mobile radio or mobile phone interface 60 makes it possible to interrogate and / or transmit properties complementary to the current information or which it is necessary to update with the data of the paths recorded in the mass memory 40.

  In addition, the radio or mobile phone interface also makes it possible to establish a connection to an external mass memory 40

  in the sense of the present invention and which will not have to be registered in the information system.

  The information represented on the display transmitting device 100 will be repeated according to the current position of the vehicle and which will be repeated using the position determining means 20, each time substantially at a given time interval or after having traveled a determined distance, for example 500 meters, to be updated. Thus, as soon as a segment of the path represented on the display device is traversed, that is to say that it is no longer upstream of the vehicle in the direction of movement, the segment is determined.

  path following the last segment shown; in this case it would be the segment with the number 109 which is represented with the properties or information associated with it or which can be associated with it by radio transmission (radio, GSM, UMTS).

  Thus, the transmission or display device 100 has

  always a predetermined number of route segments located upstream in the direction of travel of the vehicle with the corresponding information concerning overtaking.

  Alternatively, and analogously, one can always represent a predetermined path, for example 20 km in the direction of travel. Figure 2 shows by way of example the content of the information usable by the driver and which appears on the device

  optical display 100 of the driving information system according to the invention, and which correspond to the driver's vision.

  The display shows, in a straight line, the path segments which, seen from the current vehicle location, are in the direction of travel upstream of the vehicle 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107 , 108 of the current trip; these segments are segments of paths symbolically represented and corresponding to the planned paths. The representation of the path segments includes the number of lanes of the segments and the road markings. In the case of the 10 path segments 101, 106, these are therefore two-way segments on

  which overruns are allowed.

  In the case of path segments 103, 104, 105, 107, they are, on the contrary, two-path path segments with no overtaking; these segments have a continuous center line. The other three path segments 102, 108 are three-lane path segments with two lanes for the current direction on these path segments. We can thus consider overtaking on the two lanes on the right while for traffic coming in the opposite direction, on the left lane this is not possible.

  The route currently taken corresponds in the case of a navigation system and a driving information system, combined, preferably to the route calculated by the vehicle navigation system from the previous location or from the current location to the destination entered by the user. In the absence of a navigation system in the vehicle, the user can enter the route with the route segments shown in the figure and, if necessary, other route segments, for example by entering the start and end of the routes. route segments concerned and / or road number (A65, B10, A8, etc ...). The route can also be calculated by a personal computer, for example using an Internet route planning system to be transmitted on a transportable memory medium and from there to be transferred to the information system. As a variant, in the presence of a vehicle navigation system without destination entries, it is possible to send information for the journey segments up to the next intersection and if necessary for a selected journey segment

after crossing.

  On the left, next to the journey segments, the display device 100 carries distance indications 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118 which indicate the respective distances between the current location of the vehicle and each segment of route 102-108. In the case of the first segment 101, following that of the current location of the vehicle, there is no indication of distance because the location of the vehicle is already on this segment 101. The situation shown in Figure 2 is distant from the second segment of 102.2 kilometers (reference 112) from the third segment of 103.3 km (113) from a fourth segment of 104.7 km (114) from the fifth segment of 105.9 km ( 115) and the sixth segment of 107.11 km (116), the seventh segment of 107.12 km (117) and the eighth

  io segment represented by 108.15 km (118).

  On the right, next to the traffic lane symbols 101 108, there are other distance indications 131, 132, 133, 136, 137, 138. These distance indications correspond to the lengths of the adjacent segments 101-108. Thus, the road segment 101 currently traveled corresponds to a residual length of 2 km (reference 131) relative to the current location of the vehicle; the next pavement segment 102 has a total length of 1000 meters (132); the following road segments 103 (3 km), 104 (4 km) and 105 (5 km) have a total length of 8 km (133); the next sixth pavement segment 106 is 1000 meters long (136); the next seventh pavement segment 107 is 3 km long (137) and the last following pavement segment 108 is 2.5 km long (138).

  In the representation of Figure 2, there are three segments 103 (third segment), 104 (fourth segment) and 105 (fifth segment) whose total length added gives 8 km (133) because these three segments are all two-lane with a ban on overtaking on all segments. The driver of the vehicle thus advantageously receives information concerning the total length of the continuous journey prohibited from overtaking formed of the third, fourth and

  fifth segment. Thus, the indications of distance 114 and 115 up to the fourth and fifth segment are possibly of little interest and are put in brackets as being optional.

  As is also shown in FIG. 2, on the right, next to the indications of distance 131-138 of the corresponding paving segments 101-108, there have been indicated traffic signs symbolically represented and whose shape preferably depends road traffic signs according to the highway code. Thus for the second pavement segment 102 there is a second symbol 122 indicating a rising pavement segment; the third road segment 103 is associated with a third symbol 123 indicating a tunnel; the fourth road segment 104 has been associated with a fourth symbol 124 corresponding to a tight right curve; the fifth segment of shoe 105 has been associated with a fifth symbol 125 indicating a crossing; the seventh segment 107 has been associated with a seventh symbol indicating a donkey's back; to the eighth segment 108 we have again associated an eighth

  segment 128 corresponding to an ascending path.

  The symbols 121-128 inform the driver of the vehicle, io in a simple and easily visible manner, of the properties or characteristics relating to operations for passing segments 101-108

  represented on the display 100 and which are located upstream of the vehicle, segments with which a display is associated.

  In the case of the situation in FIG. 2, the driver of the vehicle is informed that from the current location of the vehicle, and after a distance of 2 km (112) there will be a possibility of overtaking without risk on a segment 102 with three lanes and over a length of 1000 m (132) while the segment present is a sloping segment 122. In addition, the driver of the vehicle will learn from the display in FIG. 20 2 only after this segment three-lane there will be a two-lane segment 103, 104, 105 with a length of 8 km (133) with no overtaking; this overtaking ban results from the continuous center line and from the symbol associated with roadway 103, 104, 105. On this roadway segment there is a passage in a tunnel 123 after 3 km (113), a curve to the right, tight 124 after 7 km (114) and a crossover 125 after 9 km (115). The driver will also learn from the display appearing on the display device 100, that after the journey with prohibition of overtaking there will be a possibility of overtaking over a length of 1000 m (136) in the form of a sixth segment 106 two-lane, after 30 11 km (116) then a passing segment 107 at a distance of

  12 km (117) in length 3 km (137) with a summit 127 and finally another good possibility of overtaking in the form of an eighth segment 108 with three lanes of which two are associated with the side of the road, of a length 2.5 km (138) and with a slope (128).

  This information allows the driver to perform a

  predictive driving by providing the necessary or desirable overtaking maneuvers and thus having a predictable and flexible driving. In addition to the information shown in the figure, you can also send

  other information, in particular that concerning the possibilities of overtaking such as for example speed limits or the like on the display device.

  In case of communication link with a server which

  provides such information or by integrating a receiver for traffic information operating according to ISO 14819-1, -2, -3 (1999) in the RDS / TMC system which allows information to be taken into account concerning overtaking maneuvers, and which are also displayed on display 100. We can for example receive information concerning traffic jams, very slow traffic, construction sites, accidents or other segments of roadways concerned as well as for example slippery roads or segments of roads thus concerned. Finally, provisional speed limits can be introduced.

  Finally, it is also possible to indicate the segments concerned by current or permanent speed controls, the speed control signals are currently given by many radio stations. By coded transmission of these messages, for example in the TMC system or for example by mobile radio or mobile telephone communication, they can be associated with certain road segments.

  According to an advantageous development of the invention, the road segments and the properties or information of the characteristics, in particular the number of traffic lanes in the direction of traffic used, can be emitted acoustically, in particular by a synthesis unit voice. The acoustic messages will then preferably be made on special request by the driver, for example by the actuation of a question key or alternatively also after updating the information or in the event of a change in passing.

on a new segment.

  The information shown, in particular the distance indications 112-118, which represent the distance between the current location and the respective segment 101-108 displayed on the display device 100, is preferably continuously updated and the 'display of segments 101-108 itself as well as the associated information 122-128 and 132138.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the distance indications 112-118 are updated in particular in a non-continuous but step-by-step manner. As a variant, it is also possible to round the indications of distances, for example to an accuracy of 500 meters because otherwise this would be to the detriment of the readability and the ease of entering the information indicated.

Claims (1)

CLAIMS) Information system for informing a vehicle driver and giving him the properties of the path segments (101-108) of a path, these segments being located from the location of the vehicle, upstream of the vehicle, in its direction of travel, comprising: - means (20) for determining the location of the vehicle, - means (30) for determining the segments of the paths which lie from the location of the vehicle and in the direction of travel of the vehicle upstream of it as well as of the properties of the segments, - means (100) for supplying properties or information (112 ... 118, 121, ..., 128, 131, ..., 138 ) describing these properties to the driver of the vehicle, characterized in that the properties include characteristics of the segments relating to i5 overtaking maneuvers. ) Information system according to claim 1, characterized in that the properties emitted from the segments include possible prohibitions on overtaking and / or the number of lanes, in particular the number of traffic lanes corresponding to the proper direction, used, and / or the width of the tracks and / or the unobstructed visibility and / or the crossings and / or the length corresponding to a certain property of the segments.   30) Information system according to claim 1 or 2, with means   to determine the distances between the location of the vehicle and the path segments with the properties relating to the overtaking maneuvers or the information concerning the overtaking maneuvers and means for transmitting these distances.   ) Information system according to claim 1, characterized in that the path segments and the properties associated with them or the information describing the properties, in particular the number of lanes, are   represented graphically for the proper direction of travel.   ) Information system according to claim 1, characterized in that the path segments and the properties associated with them or the information describing the properties associated with them, in particular the number of lanes, corresponding to the direction of clean circulation, are emitted acoustically and in particular by a text-to-speech unit.   ) Information system according to claim 5, characterized in that the transmission is made at the request of the driver, for example by   pressing a request or request key.   ) Information system according to claim 4, characterized in that   the properties associated with the path segments or the information describing the properties associated with the path segments are represented in the form of symbols (121-128) which are easy to enter optically, in particular by relying on the traffic signs corresponding to the Traffic Laws.   ) Information system according to claim 1, characterized in that the properties are recorded in a mass memory (40) connected to the information system or capable of being linked to the system   information for path segments.   ) Information system according to claim 1, characterized in that the information system comprises a vehicle navigation system   or is part of a vehicle navigation system.