JP2009052901A - Vehicle travel support device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow passage through an intersection surely without anxiety even at an intersection where change sequence of a signal is unintelligible. <P>SOLUTION: This vehicle travel support device for displaying a present position of a vehicle on a map to support its travel is equipped with a present position detection means 1 for detecting a present position of the vehicle, an information storage means 3 for therein storing map information and intersection information, and a control means 2 for supporting the travel by displaying the present position on the map. The control means is used to read the intersection information out of the storage means and to display an intersection passage pattern for information at an intersection having the passage pattern showing the change sequence of the signal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle travel support apparatus and a program that guide a change order of traffic lights at an intersection.

When passing through intersections and branching points, especially when the road shape is complex, it is difficult to understand the order in which traffic lights change (the order in which the vehicle travels) when the signal stops. is there. If you know when the traffic light in front of you becomes a green light, you will not make a mistake, so the traffic light information on the traffic light and lighting time will be sent from the traffic light to the vehicle, and the vehicle will receive this traffic light information. Thus, there has been proposed one that knows the timing at which the lighting state of the traffic light is switched (Patent Document 1).
JP 2004-171459 A

  In the proposal of Patent Document 1, since it is necessary to install a transmitter in the traffic light and a receiver in the vehicle, it takes a considerable preparation period and a large expense to realize this.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to pass through an intersection without fail even at an intersection where the change order of traffic lights is difficult to understand.
The present invention relates to a vehicle travel support apparatus that displays a current position of a vehicle on a map and supports traveling, a current position detection unit that detects the current position of the vehicle, and an information storage unit that stores map information and intersection information. And a control means for displaying the current position detected by the current position detecting means on a map and supporting driving, wherein the control means reads the intersection information from the information storage means and passes through the intersection indicating the change order of the traffic lights. The intersection passing pattern is guided and displayed at an intersection having a pattern.
Further, the present invention provides a program for controlling a vehicle travel support apparatus that displays a current position of a vehicle on a map and supports travel, a step of detecting the current position of the vehicle, a step of reading intersection information from the information storage means, In an intersection having an intersection passage pattern indicating a change order of traffic lights, the computer is caused to execute a step of guiding the intersection passage pattern.

  The present invention can definitely pass through an intersection without fail even at an intersection where the change order of traffic lights is difficult to understand.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle travel support apparatus according to the present embodiment. Current position detection device 1 that detects information related to the current position of the host vehicle, map display processing, route search processing to a destination set by destination setting means (not shown), display / voice guidance processing necessary for driving support Furthermore, the control device 2 that controls the entire system, map data, intersection data, intersection passage patterns indicating the change order of specific intersection traffic lights, data necessary for route search, display / audio data necessary for guidance, An information storage device 3 that stores a program (application and / or OS) for performing map display, driving support, route search, voice guidance, etc., and a display and speaker for outputting information related to driving support, route guidance, etc. The output device 4 is configured.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the intersection data structure of this embodiment.
At intersections such as crossroads, you can pass through the intersection without error if you only pay attention to the signal in the direction of travel. Not only the direction signal but also the other direction signal is worrisome, and the order of signal switching is difficult to understand. Therefore, at intersections that are difficult to understand the order of signal changes and are likely to enter before they become green signals by mistake, crossing pattern data that makes it easy to understand the order in which traffic signals change (the order in which vehicles pass through the intersection) ( (Details will be described later). For example, as shown in FIG. 2, for each intersection, a flag indicating whether or not there is traffic change order data is set, and at the intersection where the flag is set with reference to this data, data on the intersection passing pattern is obtained. Is read and displayed on the guidance screen. In the illustrated example, the intersections A ₂ and A _k have traffic change order data, and the vehicle travel support device refers to the intersection data to detect that the current position is reached at the intersection A ₂ or the intersection A _k. When detected by the device, the change order data of the traffic lights at the intersection is read, and the intersection passage pattern is displayed on the guidance screen. The driver can safely pass through the intersection without error by looking at the intersection passing pattern.

Next, an example in which the change of the traffic light is irregular will be described taking a three-way as an example.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a three-way crossing, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an order in which traffic signals are switched.
In FIG. 3, the three-way road intersects three roads in one lane on one side, and has three approach roads S1, S2, S3 and three exit roads R1, R2, R3. It is assumed that traffic lights 10, 11 and 12 are arranged on the side. In FIG. 4, a solid arrow indicates that entry in that direction is possible, and a cross indicates that entry is not possible. FIG. 4 (a) → FIG. 4 (b) → FIG. 4 (c) → FIG. ) …… Indicates that the signal is cyclically switched in the order.

  In FIG. 4A, the traffic light 10 is green and the vehicle on the approach road S1 can turn left or right, the traffic light 11 is red and the vehicle on the approach road S2 cannot enter, and the traffic light 12 is on the left turn signal and the vehicle on the approach road S3 is It is possible to turn left and not right. Next, each traffic light is switched to FIG. 4 (b). The traffic light 10 is a red signal and the vehicle on the approach road S1 cannot enter. The traffic light 11 is a left turn signal and the vehicle on the approach road S2 is allowed to turn left and cannot turn right. Is a green light and the vehicle on the approach path S3 is in a state where it can turn left or right. Next, each traffic light is switched to FIG. 4 (c), the traffic light 10 is a left turn signal and the vehicle on the approach road S1 can turn left, the right turn is impossible, the traffic light 11 is a green light and the vehicle on the approach road S2 can turn left or right, The traffic light 12 is red and the vehicle on the approach path S3 is in an inaccessible state. Thereafter, the traffic lights are switched in this order.

  In this way, since the vehicle enters from the left and right sides in front of a three-way intersection, the driver tends to be confused, so the order of signal switching shown in FIG. 4 is patterned into the guidance screen of the vehicle travel support device. A display example will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a guidance screen of the vehicle travel support device. This example shows a navigation screen that guides the route to the destination using the route search function and guidance function of the vehicle travel support device. The solid arrow indicates the direction in which the vehicle should travel, and the broken arrow indicates the direction in which the vehicle can travel. Yes. Of course, such guidance can be applied to normal traveling other than the navigation guidance route.
FIG. 5A is a guidance screen during route travel, and shows a route that has a three-way intersection similar to that shown in FIG. 4 in the traveling direction, and turns right (solid arrow). When the vehicle approaches the three-way crossing (FIG. 5B) and stops, the vehicle transits to an intersection passage pattern screen showing a signal change order. On the intersection passing pattern screen, the screen is cyclically displayed as shown in FIG. 5 (c) → FIG. 5 (d) → FIG. 5 (e) → FIG. In addition, the solid line arrow of each guidance screen indicates the direction of travel, and the dashed line arrow indicates the direction in which travel is possible. FIG. 5 (c) is FIG. 4 (a), FIG. 5 (d) is FIG. (E) corresponds to FIG. By guiding such an intersection passing pattern, the driver can know the order in which the signals are switched and can know the state of the next signal, so it can definitely pass through the intersection with confidence. In addition, when searching for the route to the destination and traveling along the route, when displaying the intersection passage pattern, the intersection passage pattern when traveling along the route is displayed in an identifiable manner. For example, in the example of FIG. 5, the arrow is displayed so as to be identifiable by a solid line only in the case of FIG. 5C that travels along the route, so that the intersection can be passed along the route without error.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing flow for displaying an intersection passage pattern.
It is judged whether or not the vehicle has stopped by approaching the intersection (step S1). When the vehicle stops, it is judged whether or not there is an intersection within a predetermined distance ahead (step S2). Is determined (step S3). If it does not have the traffic light change order data, the process returns to step S1, and if it has the traffic light change order data, the traffic light change order is guided and displayed (step S4). Next, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has passed the intersection (step S5). If it has not passed, the guidance display is continued.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the vehicle travel assistance apparatus of this embodiment. It is a figure explaining an intersection data structure. It is a figure which shows a three-way. It is a figure explaining the order which the traffic signal of a three-way crossing switches. It is a figure which shows the example of the guidance screen of a vehicle travel assistance apparatus. It is a figure which shows the example of the processing flow which displays an intersection passage pattern.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Current position detection apparatus, 2 ... Control apparatus, 3 ... Information storage apparatus, 4 ... Display apparatus.

Claims (4)

In a vehicle driving support device that supports driving by displaying the current position of a vehicle on a map,
Current position detecting means for detecting the current position of the vehicle;
Information storage means for storing map information and intersection information;
Control means for displaying the current position detected by the current position detection means on a map and supporting driving,
The control means reads the intersection information from the information storage means, and guides and displays the intersection passage pattern at an intersection having an intersection passage pattern indicating the change order of traffic lights. 2. The vehicle travel support according to claim 1, wherein when the vehicle stops at a position within a predetermined distance to a front intersection, the control means makes a transition to an intersection passage pattern screen showing a change order of traffic lights and guides the vehicle. apparatus. Further, a destination setting means and a route searching means are provided, the route searching means searches for a route to the destination set by the destination setting means, and when the vehicle travels to the destination, the control means The vehicle travel support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when displaying the passage pattern, the intersection passage pattern when traveling along a route is displayed in an identifiable manner. In a program for controlling a vehicle driving support device that displays a current position of a vehicle on a map and supports driving,
Detecting the current position of the vehicle;
Reading intersection information from the information storage means;
Guiding an intersection passage pattern at an intersection having an intersection passage pattern indicating a change order of traffic lights;
A program that causes a computer to execute.

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