JP2009176226A - Travel support information output device and travel support information outputting method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a travel support information output device and a travel support information outputting method for providing a driver with travel support information corresponding to road condition information of a front road section in the advancing direction of a vehicle so as to be in time. <P>SOLUTION: In the case of acquiring VICS information, output preparation of travel support information is performed on the basis of the VICS information, and contents of road condition information of an information providing area 20 shown by the VICS information are compared with contents of road condition information of the information providing area 20 shown by later acquired AHS information. When they are coincident, travel support information corresponding to the later acquired AHS information can be provided to the driver so as to be in time by making output preparation of travel support information be performed on the basis of the acquired VICS information prior to acquisition of the AHS information by outputting the travel support information which is output-prepared in advance. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving support information output device and a driving support information output method for providing driving support information to a driver of a vehicle.

  In recent years, roadside devices installed on roads and in-vehicle devices mounted on vehicles are operated in cooperation (road-vehicle cooperation), and traffic accidents and traffic jams are made using ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) technology using road-to-vehicle communication. An AHS (Advanced Cruise-Assist Highway Systems) system has been proposed which aims to reduce this.

  This AHS system provides information, alarms, and operational support for behavioral events immediately before the accident, such as delays in the discovery of danger by the driver who directly triggers it, misjudgments, and operational errors among various accident factors. By providing such services, accidents are effectively prevented from occurring. As a representative service, forward obstacle collision prevention support that detects a stopped vehicle that is difficult to detect from a vehicle such as a curve with a poor visibility by a sensor, etc., and notifies the traveling vehicle of a collision by preventing a collision accident. There is service.

For example, traffic condition information such as traffic jam information, accident information, fallen object information, and road construction information in the information provision area ahead of the direction of travel of vehicles traveling on the road is acquired from the roadside device installed on the road side with the in-vehicle device. And the image information according to the acquired road condition information is displayed on a vehicle-mounted monitor apparatus (for example, refer patent document 1). In this patent document 1, the vehicle-mounted monitor device displays driving support information (image information) for improving driving safety based on road condition information transmitted from the roadside device.
JP 2002-260176 A

  However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the display output of the image information to the driver is delayed because it takes a lot of time to display the image information on the in-vehicle monitor device. Specifically, in order to display the image information on the in-vehicle monitor device, after the on-vehicle device receives the road condition information, the process for analyzing the acquired road condition information, the image information according to the analysis result Drawing processing and display processing of the drawn image information must be performed. Since this process takes a lot of time, the driver can safely operate the brake when the distance from the position where the road condition information is acquired from the roadside device to the information providing area indicated by the road condition information is short. Until the position is reached, the display of the image information to the driver may not be in time.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, from the position where the road condition information of the information provision area ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle is acquired to the information provision area indicated by the road condition information. It is an object of the present invention to provide driving support information corresponding to acquired road condition information to a driver in time even when the distance is short.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, in the present invention, when the first road condition information representing the road condition including the information providing area ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle is acquired, the driving support is performed based on the first road condition information. The information is prepared for output, and the road condition information of the information provision area indicated by the first road condition information is compared with the road condition information of the information provision area indicated by the second road condition information acquired later, and they match. In this case, the driving support information prepared in advance is output.

  According to the present invention configured as described above, the preparation for outputting the driving support information is performed based on the acquired first road condition information prior to the acquisition of the second road condition information. When the road condition information of the information providing area indicated by the information matches the road condition information of the information providing area indicated by the second road condition information acquired later, the road in the information providing area ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle Even when the distance from the position where the situation information (second road situation information) is obtained to the information providing area is short, the driving assistance information corresponding to the obtained road situation information (second road situation information) is given to the driver. It can be provided in time. Thus, for example, in an information provision area with a poor prospect such as a curve, the driver can safely perform a brake operation or the like according to the provided driving support information.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, a state in which an in-vehicle device provided with the driving support information output device according to the first embodiment displays driving support information (image information) for supporting driving of the vehicle on the in-vehicle monitor of the in-vehicle device will be described. . FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a state in which an in-vehicle device provided with the driving support information output device according to the first embodiment displays driving support information on an in-vehicle monitor. As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle 10 equipped with an in-vehicle device 200 is traveling on a road 30. This road 30 has a curve section ahead of the traveling direction, and the road section 20 positioned ahead of the road 30 is not effective if it is from the front of the curve section. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that traffic congestion due to a plurality of vehicles occurs in the road section 20.

  Before the vehicle 10 reaches a point 35 on the road 30 (X [m] before a point 55 corresponding to an installation position of an AHS information transmitting device 240 described later), the driving support information output device receives the information from the VICS information transmitting device 220. VICS information (corresponding to “first road condition information” of the present invention) is acquired. Here, the VICS information transmission device 220 is a roadside device (beacon transmission device) installed on the road 30 side. The VICS information is road condition information in a wide area (for example, several kilometers square) including the road section 20 ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle 10. The VICS information includes information indicating traffic obstacles (congestion, accidents, broken cars, road obstacles, construction, road closures, lane / speed restrictions, etc.) in a wide road section. In the example of FIG. 1, the road section 50 is included in the road section 50 in which it is indicated by the VICS information acquired from the VICS information transmitting device 220 that a traffic fault has occurred.

  When the vehicle 10 reaches the point 35 on the road 30, the driving support information output device stops a predetermined function (details will be described later) among the functions being operated in the in-vehicle device 200. Then, the driving support information output device prepares to output driving support information for driving support to the in-vehicle monitor 280 of the in-vehicle device 200 based on the VICS information acquired in advance from the VICS information transmitting device 220. Start. Specifically, the driving support information output device starts the driving support information drawing process in order to output the driving support information to the in-vehicle monitor 280 of the in-vehicle device 200.

  Thereafter, when the vehicle 10 reaches the vicinity of the point 55 on the road 30, the driving support information output device acquires AHS information (corresponding to “second road condition information” of the present invention) from the AHS information transmitting device 240. Here, the AHS information transmission device 240 is a roadside device (beacon transmission device) installed on the road 30 side. The AHS information is road conditions in a narrow road area (for example, several tens of square meters) in the forward direction of the vehicle 10 (corresponding to the road area 20 in the example of FIG. 1, hereinafter referred to as “information providing area”). Information. The AHS information includes information indicating traffic obstacles (congestion, accidents, broken cars, road obstacles, construction, road closures, lane / speed restrictions, etc.) in narrow road sections. In the present embodiment, it is indicated by the AHS information acquired from the AHS information transmitting device 240 that a traffic failure has occurred in the information providing area 20.

  A range 90 sandwiched between the line 80 and the line 85 indicates the driver's visual field range when the vehicle 10 passes the point 55 on the road 30. That is, when the vehicle 10 passes the point 55 of the road 30, the driver cannot visually grasp the road condition of the information providing area 20 that is out of the visual field range.

  The driving support information output device, when acquiring the AHS information from the AHS information transmitting device 240, the content of the road condition information in the information providing area 20 indicated by the VICS information acquired in advance from the VICS information transmitting device 220, The content of the road condition information in the information providing area 20 indicated by the AHS information is compared to determine whether or not they match. When it is determined that the content of the road situation information in the information provision area 20 indicated by the VICS information matches the content of the road situation information in the information provision area 20 indicated by the AHS information, the driving support information output device Before acquiring the AHS information from 240, the driving support information prepared (drawn) in advance is displayed on the in-vehicle monitor 280 of the in-vehicle device 200 installed near the driver's seat. The driving support information output device starts the function that is stopped when the vehicle 10 reaches the point 35 on the road 30 after outputting the driving support information to the in-vehicle monitor 280.

  As described in detail with reference to FIG. 1, the driving support information output device prepares to output driving support information based on VICS information acquired in advance prior to acquisition of AHS information. Therefore, the driving support information output device, when the content of the road condition information of the information provision area 20 indicated by the VICS information matches the content of the road condition information of the information provision area 20 indicated by the AHS information acquired later. The information obtained even when the distance from the position (in the present embodiment, corresponding to the point 55 on the road 30) from which the road condition information (AHS information) of the information providing area 20 is acquired to the information providing area 20 is short. The driving support information corresponding to the road condition information (AHS information) of the providing area 20 can be provided to the driver in time. Thus, before the vehicle 10 reaches the information provision area 20 where the traffic obstacle has occurred, the driver can safely perform a brake operation or the like according to the driving support information displayed on the display screen of the in-vehicle monitor 280. It can be carried out.

  Next, specific functional configuration examples of the in-vehicle device 200, the VICS information transmission device 220, and the AHS information transmission device 240 will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of the in-vehicle device 200, the VICS information transmission device 220, and the AHS information transmission device 240.

  First, a specific functional configuration example of the VICS information transmission device 220 will be described. The VICS information transmitting device 220 is a plurality of roadside devices that are installed on the road 30 at some interval. As shown in FIG. 2, the VICS information transmitting apparatus 220 includes a VICS information receiving unit 300 and a VICS information transmitting unit 320. The VICS information receiving unit 300 receives VICS information transmitted from a VICS center (not shown). In the VICS center, road condition information in a wide road section detected using a sensor (for example, a camera, not shown) provided on the road 30 side is collected by data communication and generated based on the road condition information. The VICS information is transmitted to the VICS information transmitting device 220. The VICS information to be transmitted is updated every predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes). The VICS information transmitting unit 320 transmits the VICS information received by the VICS information receiving unit 300 to the in-vehicle device 200 by radio waves.

  Next, a specific functional configuration example of the AHS information transmission device 240 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of AHS information transmission devices 240 are roadside devices that are installed on the road 30 at some interval. As shown in FIG. 2, the AHS information transmission device 240 includes an AHS information reception unit 340 and an AHS information transmission unit 360. The AHS information receiving unit 340 receives AHS information transmitted from an AHS center (not shown). In the AHS center, road conditions in a narrow road section (corresponding to the information providing area 20 of each AHS information transmission device 240) detected using a sensor (for example, a camera, not shown) provided on the road 30 side. Information is collected by data communication, and AHS information generated based on the road condition information is transmitted to the AHS information transmitting device 240. The AHS information to be transmitted is updated every predetermined time (for example, 1 minute). The AHS information transmission unit 360 transmits the AHS information received by the AHS information reception unit 340 to the in-vehicle device 200 using radio waves.

  Next, a specific functional configuration example of the in-vehicle device 200 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle device 200 includes a driving support information output device 260 and an in-vehicle monitor 280. As shown in FIG. 2, the driving support information output device 260 includes a first road condition information acquisition unit 400, a second road condition information acquisition unit 420, a map information storage unit 440, a current position detection unit 460, and an installation position information storage unit. 480, the information provision area information storage part 500, the output preparation part 520, the determination part 540, the driving assistance information output part 560, the function stop part 580, and the function starting part 600 are comprised.

  The first road condition information acquisition unit 400 receives the VICS information transmitted by the VICS information transmission unit 320. In the present embodiment, the first road condition information acquisition unit 400 receives the VICS information transmitted by the VICS information transmission unit 320 near the installation position of the VICS information transmission device 220 (area where the VICS information can be received).

  Second road condition information acquisition section 420 receives the AHS information transmitted by AHS information transmission section 360. In the present embodiment, the second road condition information acquisition unit 420 receives the AHS information transmitted by the AHS information transmission unit 360 near the installation position of the AHS information transmission device 240 (AHS information receivable area).

  The map information storage unit 440 stores various types of map information necessary for map display, route search, and the like. The map information storage unit 440 can be configured by a recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), a CD (Compact Disc), a hard disk, or a semiconductor memory.

  The current position detection unit 460 detects the current position of the vehicle 10. In the present embodiment, the current position detection unit 460 is stored in the map information storage unit 440 and information indicating the absolute longitude and latitude of the vehicle 10 acquired by a GPS receiver (not shown) connected to the in-vehicle device 200. Based on the current map information, the current position of the vehicle 10 on the map is detected.

  The installation position information storage unit 480 stores installation position information indicating the installation position of each AHS information transmission device 240. The installation position information stored in the installation position information storage unit 480 includes a “device ID” for identifying each AHS information transmission device 240 and a map of the AHS information transmission device 240 corresponding to the “device ID”. The item information includes an “installation position” indicating the installation position. The installation position information storage unit 480 can be configured by a recording medium such as a DVD, a CD, a hard disk, or a semiconductor memory. In the present embodiment, in the driving support information output device 260, the map information storage unit 440 and the installation position information storage unit 480 are separately provided, but part of the map information stored in the map information storage unit 440 is provided. The installation position information may be included.

  The information provision area information storage unit 500 stores information provision area information representing the information provision area 20 indicated by the AHS information transmitted by each AHS information transmission device 240. The information provision area information stored in the information provision area information storage unit 500 includes an “apparatus ID” for identifying each AHS information transmission apparatus 240 and an AHS information transmission apparatus 240 corresponding to the “apparatus ID”. “Information provision area” indicating the information provision area 20 indicated by the AHS information to be transmitted is included as item information. The information provision area information storage unit 500 can be configured by a recording medium such as a DVD, a CD, a hard disk, or a semiconductor memory. In the present embodiment, in the driving support information output device 260, the map information storage unit 440 and the installation position information storage unit 480 are separately provided, but part of the map information stored in the map information storage unit 440 is provided. Information providing area information may be included.

  The output preparation unit 520 includes the VICS information acquired by the first road condition information acquisition unit 400 and the current position information of the vehicle 10 detected by the current position detection unit 460 after the predetermined function is stopped by the function stop unit 580. Based on the installation position information read from the installation position information storage unit 480 and the information provision area information read from the information provision area information storage unit 500, preparation for output of driving support information for supporting driving of the vehicle 10 is performed. . Specifically, first, the output preparation unit 520 specifies the AHS information transmission device 240 that is closest to the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10. That is, the output preparation unit 520 refers to the item information “installation position” included in each installation position information stored in the installation position information storage unit 480, and uses the current position information detected by the current position detection unit 460. The AHS information transmission device 240 that is closest to the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 is identified by searching for the “device ID” associated with the “installation position” that has the shortest distance from the current position of the vehicle 10 shown. To do.

  Next, the output preparation unit 520 searches the information provision area information storage unit 500 for information provision area information that includes “device ID” identical to the “device ID” retrieved from the installation position information storage unit 480 as item information. . Then, the output preparation unit 520 identifies the information provision area of the AHS information transmission device 240 by referring to the item information “road section” included in the information provision area information retrieved from the information provision area information storage unit 500. .

  Finally, the output preparation unit 520 refers to the VICS information acquired by the first road condition information acquisition unit 400, and draws driving support information corresponding to the road condition information in the information provision area 20 of the AHS information transmission device 240. I do. Specifically, when the traffic congestion in the information provision area 20 is indicated by the VICS information, the output preparation unit 520 draws the driving support information representing the traffic jam image. Further, when the accident in the information provision area 20 is indicated by the VICS information, the output preparation unit 520 draws the driving support information representing the accident image. Further, when the construction in the information provision area 20 is indicated by the VICS information, the output preparation unit 520 draws the travel support information representing the construction image.

  In the present embodiment, the output preparation unit 520 refers to the VICS information acquired from the VICS information transmission device 220 and transmits AHS information to the road section indicated by the VICS information indicating that a traffic fault has occurred. Only when the information providing area 20 of the device 240 is included, the driving support information corresponding to the road condition information of the information providing area of the AHS information transmitting device 240 is drawn. In the example of FIG. 1, since the information provision area 20 is included in the road section 50 in which the VICS information indicates that a traffic failure has occurred, the output preparation unit 520 The driving support information corresponding to the road condition information is drawn.

  When the AHS information is acquired by the second road condition information acquisition unit 420, the determination unit 540 refers to the VICS information acquired by the first road condition information acquisition unit 400, and displays the AHS information indicated by the VICS information. The content of the road condition information in the information provision area 20 of the transmission device 240 and the content of the road condition information in the information provision area 20 of the AHS information transmission device 240 indicated by the AHS information acquired by the second road condition information acquisition unit 440 Are compared to determine whether they match. For example, when the content of the road condition information in the information provision area 20 indicated by the VICS information and the content of the road condition information in the information provision area 20 indicated by the AHS information match due to traffic congestion, the determination unit 540 determines that they match. In addition, when only the content of the road condition information in the information provision area 20 indicated by the AHS information is traffic jam, the determination unit 540 determines that they do not match. Further, if the content of the road condition information in the information provision area 20 indicated by the VICS information is construction, and the content of the road condition information in the information provision area 20 indicated by the AHS information is traffic jam, the determination unit 540 must judge.

  The driving support information output unit 560 includes the contents of the road situation information of the information provision area 20 of the AHS information transmission device 240 indicated by the VICS information and the road situation information of the information provision area 20 of the AHS information transmission device 240 indicated by the AHS information. When the determination unit 540 determines that the contents match, the driving support information prepared in advance (drawn) by the output preparation unit 520 is output to the in-vehicle monitor 280.

  On the other hand, the driving support information output unit 560 includes the contents of the road condition information of the information provision area 20 of the AHS information transmission apparatus 240 indicated by the VICS information and the road condition of the information provision area 20 of the AHS information transmission apparatus 240 indicated by the AHS information. When the determination unit 540 determines that the information content does not match (for example, the VHS information is acquired by the first road condition information acquisition unit 420 and then the AHS information is acquired by the second road condition information acquisition unit 420). AHS information indicated by the AHS information received by the second road condition information acquisition unit 420, such as when the road condition information of the information provision area 20 has changed in accordance with the change of the road condition before acquisition) The driving support information corresponding to the road condition information in the information provision area 20 of the transmission device 240 is drawn and output to the in-vehicle monitor 280.

  The function stopping unit 580 uses the installation position (point 55 in FIG. 1) of the AHS information transmission device 240 that is closest to the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 retrieved from the installation position information storage unit 480 and the current position detection unit 460. When the detected distance from the current position of the vehicle 10 reaches a position (point 35 in FIG. 1) where the distance is a predetermined value (X [m] in FIG. 1), the output preparation unit 520 supports driving. Before performing the information output preparation, the functions that affect the processing load of the driving preparation information output preparation among the functions being operated in the in-vehicle device 200 are stopped.

  In the present embodiment, the function stopping unit 580 extracts, for example, digital audio data recorded on a music CD as a function that affects the output preparation processing load by the output preparation unit 520 and processes it by the in-vehicle device 200. Based on the CD ripping function that converts the file into a possible file format and saves it, and the VICS information acquired by the first road condition information acquisition unit 400, the cost of the current guide route and other (provisional) guide routes The comparison is performed immediately, and if the cost of the temporary guidance route is smaller, the active route search function that announces the route change is stopped.

  The function starting unit 600 starts the function stopped by the function stopping unit 580 after the driving support information output unit 560 outputs the driving support information to the in-vehicle monitor 280.

  Finally, a specific functional configuration example of the vehicle-mounted monitor 280 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle monitor 280 includes a driving support information display unit 620. The driving support information display unit 620 displays the driving support information output by the driving support information output unit 560. In addition to displaying the driving support information output by the driving support information output unit 560, the driving support information display unit 620 further outputs an audible sound for prompting the driver to pay attention to the driving support information. May be.

  Next, the flow of the driving support information output process by the driving support information output device 260 in the present embodiment will be described in comparison with the prior art. FIG. 3 shows each process (upper stage) constituting the driving support information output process according to the prior art and each process (lower stage) constituting the driving support information output process by the driving support information output device 260 in the present embodiment from the left. It is the figure arranged side by side in time series. As shown in FIG. 3, in the prior art, after receiving the AHS information (the road condition information of the information providing area 20), a process of analyzing the acquired AHS information, and a drawing process of a driving assistance image according to the analysis result And the display process with respect to the vehicle-mounted monitor 280 of the drawn driving assistance information is sequentially performed.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, before the AHS information reception process by the second road condition information acquisition unit 420, a function stop process by the function stop unit 580, a VICS analysis process by the output preparation unit 520, and an output preparation process for driving support information And are performed in order. In addition, after the AHS information is received by the second road condition information acquisition unit 420, a determination process by the determination unit 540, a driving support information output process by the driving support information output unit 560, and a function activation process by the function activation unit 600 are sequentially performed. Is called.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, the driving support information can be output in about 1 [s] after the AHS information is received. In other words, in the present embodiment, image information drawing processing is performed after AHS information is received (that is, it takes about 2.5 [s] to output travel support information after receiving AHS information). Compared with the prior art, it is possible to reduce the time from when the AHS information is received until the driving support information is output by about 1.5 [s].

  Further, in the present embodiment, the function stop process by the function stop unit 580 is performed before the driving preparation information drawing process by the output preparation unit 520. As a result, in the in-vehicle device 200, the CPU occupancy rate for the drawing processing of the driving support information by the output preparation unit 520 is increased, so that the driving support information drawing processing requires about 1.5 [s] compared to the conventional technique. The driving support information output device 260 according to the present embodiment can complete the drawing processing of the driving support information in a short time (about 1 [s] in FIG. 3).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the function stop process by the function stop unit 580 starts 3 [s] before the AHS information reception process by the second road condition information acquisition unit 420. This 3 [s] is the time required to complete the function stop process by the function stop unit 580 and the output preparation process by the output preparation unit 520 with a certain margin before the AHS information reception process. For example, in the example of FIG. 1, when the road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling is an expressway (for example, legal speed 100 [km]), it is converted into a travel distance from the point 55 before the AHS information reception process. The function stop process by the function stop unit 580 is started at a point 35 before about 83 [m]. It can be determined based on the current position detected by the current position detection unit 460 that the vehicle 10 is traveling on the expressway.

  In the example of FIG. 1, before the AHS information reception process, the function stop unit 580 at a point 35 before the travel distance (X [m]) at 3 [s] according to the travel speed of the vehicle 10 from the point 55. The function stop process by may be started. In this way, even if the traveling speeds of the respective vehicles 10 are different, in all the vehicles 10, the function stop process by the function stop unit 580 and the output preparation process by the output preparation unit 520 are performed before the AHS information reception process. Can be reliably completed with a certain margin.

  Next, an operation example of the driving support information output device 260 in the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the driving support information output device 260 in the first embodiment. In the process of step S100 in FIG. 4, for example, the driving support information output device 260 makes a display request to the in-vehicle monitor 280 for driving support information through the operation of an operation unit (not shown) included in the in-vehicle device 200 by the driver. Start by accepting.

  First, the first road condition information acquisition unit 400 receives the VICS information transmitted by the VICS information transmission unit 320 (step S100). Next, the output preparation unit 520 refers to the VICS information acquired in step S100 and moves forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 to the road section indicated by the VICS information that a traffic fault has occurred. It is determined whether or not the information providing area of the closest AHS information transmitting device 240 is included (step S120).

  If the output preparation unit 520 determines that the information provision area is not included in the road section indicated by the VICS information that the traffic fault has occurred (NO in step S120), the driving support information The output device 260 ends the process in FIG. On the other hand, when the output preparation unit 520 determines that the information provision area is included in the road section indicated by the VICS information that the traffic fault has occurred (YES in step S120), the function stop unit Reference numeral 580 denotes a distance between the installation position of the AHS information transmission device 240 closest to the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 retrieved from the installation position information storage unit 480 and the current position of the vehicle 10 detected by the current position detection unit 460. It is determined whether or not the distance is less than or equal to a predetermined value (X [m]) (step S140).

  If function stop unit 580 determines that the distance between the installation position of AHS information transmission device 240 and the current position of vehicle 10 is not less than a predetermined value (NO in step S140), the process is as follows. In step S140, the function stopping unit 580 repeats the determination process in step S140 until the distance becomes equal to or smaller than the predetermined value.

  On the other hand, when function stop unit 580 determines that the distance between the installation position of AHS information transmission device 240 and the current position of vehicle 10 is equal to or less than a predetermined value (YES in step S140), function stop unit 580 stops the function which influences the processing load of the output preparation of driving assistance information among each function currently operate | moving with the vehicle equipment 200 (step S160). Next, the output preparation unit 520 draws the driving support information according to the road condition information of the information providing area based on the VICS information acquired in step S100 (step S180).

  Next, the second road condition information acquisition unit 420 receives the AHS information transmitted by the AHS information transmission unit 360 (step S200). Next, the determination unit 540 refers to the VICS information acquired in step S100, and indicates the content of the road status information of the information providing area indicated by the VICS information and the AHS information acquired in step S200. It compares with the contents of the road condition information of the information provision area to be determined to determine whether they match (step S220).

  If the determination unit 540 determines that the content of the road condition information in the information provision area indicated by the VICS information matches the content of the road condition information in the information provision area indicated by the AHS information (YES in step S220) ), The process transitions to step S260.

  On the other hand, when the determination unit 540 determines that the content of the road condition information in the information provision area indicated by the VICS information and the content of the road condition information in the information provision area indicated by the AHS information do not match (step S220) In step S240, the driving support image output unit 560 draws driving support information corresponding to the road condition information of the information providing area indicated by the AHS information received in step S200.

  After the process of step S220 or step S240 is completed, the driving support information output unit 560 outputs the driving support information drawn in step S180 or step S240 to the in-vehicle monitor 280 (step S260). Finally, the function activation unit 600 activates the function stopped in step S160 (step S280). Thereafter, when the process of step S280 is completed, the driving support information output device 260 ends the process in FIG.

  As described above in detail, in the first embodiment, when the first road condition information acquisition unit 400 receives the VICS information, the output preparation unit 520 prepares to output the driving support information based on the VICS information ( Drawing process). Thereafter, when the second road condition information acquisition unit 420 receives the AHS information, the road condition of the information providing area indicated by the VICS information is referred to by referring to the VICS information acquired by the first road condition information acquisition unit 400 It is determined whether the content of the information matches the content of the road condition information in the information providing area indicated by the AHS information. When it is determined that they match, the driving support information output unit 560 outputs the driving support information prepared in advance (drawing processing) to the in-vehicle monitor 280.

  Thereby, prior to the acquisition of AHS information, the preparation of the output of the driving support information is performed based on the VICS information acquired in advance, so the content of the road condition information in the information providing area indicated by the VICS information, When the content of the road condition information of the information providing area indicated by the AHS information acquired later matches, the AHS information acquired later even when the distance from the position where the AHS information is acquired to the information providing area is short It is possible to provide driving support information corresponding to the vehicle in time for the driver.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, the output preparation unit 520 travels only when the information providing area is included in the road section indicated by the VICS information that the traffic fault has occurred. Prepare to output support information. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the wasteful preparation of the output preparation for the driving support information according to the road condition information of the information providing area in which no traffic obstacle has occurred.

  In addition, according to the first embodiment, the function stopping unit 580 travels among the functions being operated in the in-vehicle device 200 before the output preparation unit 520 performs output preparation (drawing processing) of the travel support information. Stops the functions that affect the processing load for the support information output preparation. The function activation unit 600 activates the function stopped by the function stop unit 580 after the driving support information is output by the driving support information output unit 560. As a result, in the in-vehicle device 200, the CPU occupancy rate for the drawing process of the driving support information by the output preparation unit 520 increases, so that the output preparation process (drawing process) of the driving support information can be completed in a short time. Therefore, for example, even when the time from the reception of VICS information to the reception of AHS information is short (that is, the distance between the VICS information transmission device 220 and the AHS information transmission device 240 is short), before the AHS information is received. The driving preparation information output preparation process can be completed.

  In addition, according to the first embodiment, the function stopping unit 580 immediately affects the processing load that affects the output preparation of the driving support information among the functions that are operating in the in-vehicle device 200 immediately after receiving the VICS information. May be stopped, the installation position of the AHS information transmitting device 240 closest to the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 retrieved from the installation position information storage unit 480 and the vehicle 10 detected by the current position detection unit 460 The above function is stopped when the distance to the current position becomes a predetermined value or less. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the functions being operated in the in-vehicle device 200 from being stopped for a long time before the driving preparation information output preparation process is performed.

  In the first embodiment described above, an example in which the output preparation unit 520 prepares to output the travel support information based on the VICS information acquired by the first road condition information acquisition unit 400 has been described. The preparation unit 520 may perform output preparation of the driving support information based on the map information read from the map information storage unit 440 in addition to the VICS information. Specifically, the output preparation unit 520 reads the road condition information of the information providing area indicated by the VICS information and the map information around the information providing area read from the map information storage unit 440 (for example, the information providing area is a curve section). If it is located at (2), the drawing processing of the driving support information obtained by synthesizing the distance to the curve section and the text information indicating the shape and curvature of the curve section is performed. Thereby, driving support information including more information that leads to safe driving support of the vehicle 10 can be provided to the driver.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a specific functional configuration example of the vehicle-mounted device 200, the VICS information transmission device 220, and the AHS information transmission device 240 according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 5, those given the same reference numerals as those shown in FIG. 2 have the same functions, and therefore redundant description is omitted here.

  In the second embodiment, the driving support information output device 260 is configured to further include a destination acquisition unit 680, a guidance route search unit 700, and a driving support information storage unit 720 in addition to the configuration shown in FIG. Yes. The driving support information output device 260 includes an output preparation unit 520 ′ instead of the output preparation unit 520 of FIG. The destination acquisition unit 680 acquires the destination set by the driver via the operation unit (not shown) of the in-vehicle device 200. The guide route search unit 700 refers to the map information stored in the map information storage unit 440, and the destination acquired by the destination acquisition unit 680 from the current position of the vehicle 10 detected by the current position detection unit 460. Search for the guidance route to.

  The driving support information storage unit 720 corresponds to road condition information indicating traffic obstacles (congestion, accident, broken car, road obstacle, construction, road closure, lane / speed regulation, etc.) in the information provision area ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 A plurality of driving support information is stored. The driving support information storage unit 720 can be composed of a recording medium such as a DVD, a CD, a hard disk, or a semiconductor memory. In the present embodiment, the driving support information output device 260 has a configuration in which the map information storage unit 440 and the driving support information storage unit 720 are provided separately, but part of the map information stored in the map information storage unit 440 Driving support information may be included.

  In the present embodiment, the output preparation unit 520 ′ refers to the VICS information and outputs the driving support information corresponding to the road condition information in the information providing area of the AHS information transmitting device 240 that is closest to the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10. By reading from the driving support information storage unit 720, preparation for output of driving support information is performed.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the output preparation unit 520 ′ refers to the VICS information acquired from the VICS information transmitting device 220, and in the road section indicated by the VICS information that a traffic fault has occurred. Only when the information provision area is included and the information provision area is included on the guidance route searched by the guidance route search unit 700, the VICS information transmitted from the VICS information transmission device 220 is used. Preparation for output of driving support information according to the road condition information of the indicated information providing area is performed.

  Next, an operation example of the driving support information output device 260 in the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation example of the driving support information output device 260 according to the second embodiment. In the process of step S300 in FIG. 6, for example, the driving support information output device 260 makes a display request to the in-vehicle monitor 280 for driving support information through the operation of an operation unit (not shown) included in the in-vehicle device 200 by the driver. Start by accepting.

  First, the first road condition information acquisition unit 400 receives the VICS information transmitted by the VICS information transmission unit 320 (step S300). Next, the output preparation unit 520 ′ refers to the VICS information acquired in step S300 and moves forward of the vehicle 10 in the traveling direction on the road section indicated by the VICS information that a traffic fault has occurred. It is determined whether or not the information providing area of the AHS information transmitting device 240 located closest to is included (step S320).

  If the output preparation unit 520 ′ determines that the information provision area is not included in the road section indicated by the VICS information that the traffic fault has occurred (NO in step S320), the driving support The information output device 260 ends the process in FIG. On the other hand, when the output preparation unit 520 ′ determines that the information provision area is included in the road section indicated by the VICS information that the traffic fault has occurred (YES in step S320), the output preparation The unit 520 ′ determines whether or not the information provision area is included on the guidance route searched by the guidance route search unit 700 (step S340).

  If the output preparation unit 520 ′ determines that the information provision area is not included on the guidance route (NO in step S340), the driving support information output device 260 ends the process in FIG. On the other hand, when output preparation unit 520 ′ determines that the information providing area is included on the guidance route (YES in step S340), function stop unit 580 searches for AHS retrieved from installation position information storage unit 480. It is determined whether or not the distance between the installation position of the information transmission device 240 and the current position of the vehicle 10 detected by the current position detection unit 460 is equal to or less than a predetermined value (X [m]) (step S360). .

  If function stop unit 580 determines that the distance between the installation position of AHS information transmission device 240 and the current position of vehicle 10 is not less than a predetermined value (NO in step S360), the process is as follows. In step S360, the function stop unit 580 repeats the determination process in step S360 until the distance becomes equal to or smaller than the predetermined value.

  On the other hand, when function stop unit 580 determines that the distance between the installation position of AHS information transmission device 240 and the current position of vehicle 10 is equal to or less than a predetermined value (YES in step S360), function stop unit 580 stops the function which influences the processing load of the output preparation of driving assistance information among each function currently operate | moving with the vehicle equipment 200 (step S380).

  Next, the output preparation unit 520 ′ reads out the driving support information corresponding to the road condition information of the information providing area indicated by the VICS information acquired in step S300 from the driving support information storage unit 720, so that the driving support information is read out. Is prepared for output (step S400). Next, the second road condition information acquisition unit 420 receives the AHS information transmitted by the AHS information transmission unit 360 (step S420).

  Next, the determination unit 540 refers to the VICS information acquired in step S300 and indicates the content of the road status information of the information providing area indicated by the VICS information and the AHS information acquired in step S420. The contents of the road information in the information providing area to be compared are compared to determine whether or not they match (step S440). If the determination unit 540 determines that the content of the road condition information in the information providing area indicated by the VICS information matches the content of the road condition information in the information providing area indicated by the AHS information (YES in step S440) ), The process moves to step S480.

  On the other hand, when the determination unit 540 determines that the content of the road situation information in the information provision area indicated by the VICS information and the content of the road situation information in the information provision area indicated by the AHS information do not match (step S440) In step S460, the driving support image output unit 560 reads driving support information corresponding to the road condition information in the information providing area indicated by the AHS information received in step S420 from the driving support information storage unit 720. ).

  After the process of step S440 or step S460 is completed, the driving support information output unit 560 outputs the driving support information read in step S400 or step S460 to the in-vehicle monitor 280 (step S480). Finally, the function activation unit 600 activates the function stopped in step S380 (step S500). Thereafter, when the process of step S500 is completed, the driving support information output device 260 ends the process in FIG.

  As described above in detail, in the second embodiment, the output preparation unit 520 ′ reads out the driving support information corresponding to the road condition information of the information providing area indicated by the VICS information from the driving support information storage unit 720. Preparation for output of driving support information. As a result, the output preparation unit 520 ′ does not need to perform the drawing process of the driving support information, and only needs to read the driving support information from the driving support information storage unit 720. Therefore, the output preparation process of the driving support information is shorter. Can be completed in time. Therefore, for example, even when the time from the reception of VICS information to the reception of AHS information is shorter (that is, the distance between the VICS information transmission device 220 and the AHS information transmission device 240 is short), before the AHS information is received. Thus, the driving preparation information output preparation process can be completed.

  Further, according to the second embodiment, the output preparation unit 520 ′ refers to the VICS information acquired from the VICS information transmission device 220, and indicates that a traffic failure has occurred due to the VICS information. Only when the information provision area is included in the road section and the information provision area is included in the guidance route, the preparation for outputting the driving support information is performed. As a result, it is possible to eliminate wasteful preparation for output of driving support information in accordance with road condition information in an information providing area that is not included on the guidance route.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, in the driving support information output process by the driving support information output device 260, the function stop process by the function stop unit 580 and the function start process by the function start unit 600 are performed. As described above, the function stop process and the function start process are not necessarily essential processes. If the function stop process by the function stop unit 580 is not performed, the timing of starting the output preparation process by the output preparation unit 520 (in the example of FIG. 3, the 3rd of the AHS information reception process by the second road condition acquisition unit 420 [ s] The previous time) should be made earlier.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the example in which the AHS information transmission device 220 and the VICS information transmission device 240 are roadside devices of different infrastructures has been described. However, the AHS information transmission device 220 and the VICS information transmission device are described. 240 may be a roadside device of the same infrastructure.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the example in which the information acquired by the first road condition information acquisition unit 400 is VICS information has been described. However, the acquired information indicates the traveling direction of the vehicle 10. Any road condition information in a wide road section including the information providing area ahead may be used.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the example in which the information acquired by the second road condition information acquisition unit 420 is AHS information has been described. However, the acquired information indicates the traveling direction of the vehicle 10. Any road condition information in a narrow road section ahead may be used.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, before the second road condition information acquisition unit 420 acquires AHS information, the output preparation unit 520 (520 ′) prepares for output of travel support information (image information). In the above example, the function stop process by the function stop unit 580 is started 3 [s] before the AHS information is acquired, but the timing at which the function stop process by the function stop unit 580 is started is the second. Any timing may be used as long as the preparation for outputting the driving support information by the output preparation unit 520 (520 ′) is started before the road condition information acquisition unit 420 starts the acquisition process of the AHS information. In this case, there is a time period in which the AHS information acquisition process by the second road condition information acquisition unit 420 and the driving preparation information output preparation process by the output preparation unit 520 (520 ′) are executed in parallel. .

  In the first and second embodiments described above, road condition information in a wide road section indicated by the VICS information received by the first road condition information acquisition unit 400 is a traffic jam, an accident, a broken vehicle, a road obstacle. However, the road condition information is not limited to this, but other lane merges, continuous curves, falling rocks, high waves, or road surface freezing have been explained. It may be traffic obstacle information indicating the like.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, road condition information in a narrow road section (information provision area) indicated by the AHS information received by the second road condition information acquisition unit 420 is a traffic jam, an accident, I explained an example of traffic obstacle information indicating a broken car, obstacles on the road, construction, road closure or lane / speed regulation, etc., but the road status information is not limited to this, merging of other lanes, continuous curves, Traffic obstacle information indicating rockfall, high waves, or road surface freezing may be used.

  In the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, the output preparation unit 520 (520 ′) refers to the acquired VICS information, and a traffic fault has occurred due to the VICS information. Although the example in which the determination process regarding whether or not the information provision area is included in the road section shown has been described, this determination process is not necessarily an essential process. However, from the viewpoint of avoiding wasteful preparation of output of driving support information according to road condition information in an information provision area where no traffic obstacle has occurred, a traffic fault may have occurred due to VICS information. It is preferable to perform a determination process as to whether or not the information provision area is included in the road section shown.

  Further, the functional configuration of the driving support information output device 260 is not limited to the functional configuration described in the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, and is a function that performs output preparation based on map information in addition to VICS information. , Function to prepare for output by reading out driving support information, function to prepare for output when information providing area is included on guidance route, information providing area is included in road section where traffic obstacle occurs A function to perform output preparation, a function to stop the function affecting the processing load of output preparation, or a function to stop the predetermined function when the vehicle reaches a predetermined distance before the installation position of the AHS information transmission device A functional configuration having a function arbitrarily selected from the above may be used.

  In addition, each of the first and second embodiments described above is merely an example of implementation in carrying out the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted in a limited manner. It will not be. In other words, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit or main features thereof.

It is a figure explaining the operation example of the driving assistance information output device by a 1st embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the function structural examples, such as a driving assistance information output device by 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the flow of the operation | movement process of the driving assistance information output device by 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the operation example of the driving assistance information output device by 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the function structural example of the driving assistance information output device by 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the operation example of the driving assistance information output device by 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

220 VICS Information Transmitting Device 240 AHS Information Transmitting Device 260 Driving Support Information Output Device 400 First Road Situation Information Acquisition Unit 420 Second Road Situation Information Acquisition Unit 440 Map Information Storage Unit 460 Current Location Detection Unit 480 Installation Location Information Storage Unit 500 Information Provided area information storage unit 520, 520 ′ output preparation unit 540 determination unit 560 travel support information output unit 580 function stop unit 600 function start unit 720 travel support information storage unit

Claims (13)

A first road condition information acquisition unit that acquires a road condition including an information providing area ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle as first road condition information;
Based on the first road condition information acquired by the first road condition information acquisition unit, an output preparation unit for preparing output of travel support information for supporting driving of the vehicle;
A second road condition information acquisition unit that acquires the road condition of the information provision area as second road condition information after the output preparation unit starts preparing the output of the driving support information;
Road status information of the information provision area indicated by the first road status information acquired by the first road status information acquisition unit when the second road status information acquisition unit acquires the second road status information And determining whether or not they match by comparing the contents of the information and the contents of the road condition information of the information providing area indicated by the second road condition information acquired by the second road condition information acquisition unit And
The determination unit determines that the content of the road condition information in the information providing area indicated by the first road condition information matches the content of the road condition information in the information providing area indicated by the second road condition information. A driving assistance information output device comprising: a driving assistance information output unit that outputs the driving assistance information prepared for output by the output preparation unit. In the driving assistance information output device according to claim 1,
The output preparation unit prepares to output the driving support information based on the map information read from the map information storage unit that stores map information in addition to the first road condition information. Support information output device. In the driving assistance information output device according to claim 1,
A driving support information storage unit for storing a plurality of driving support information corresponding to a plurality of road conditions;
The output preparation unit prepares to output the driving support information by reading out driving support information corresponding to the road status information of the information providing area indicated by the first road status information from the driving support information storage unit. A driving support information output device characterized by that. In the driving assistance information output device according to claim 1,
An information provision area information storage unit for storing information provision area information representing an information provision area indicated by the second road condition information;
The output preparation unit is based on the first road condition information only when the information provision area indicated by the information provision area information read from the information provision area information storage unit is included on a guide route. A driving support information output device for preparing output of driving support information. In the driving assistance information output device according to claim 1,
An information provision area information storage unit for storing information provision area information representing an information provision area indicated by the second road condition information;
The output preparation unit is configured so that the information provision area information storage unit includes a road section indicating that a traffic failure has occurred according to the first road state information acquired by the first road state information acquisition unit. Only when the information providing area indicated by the read information providing area information is included, the driving support information output is prepared based on the first road condition information. apparatus. In the driving assistance information output device according to claim 1,
Before the output preparation unit prepares to output the driving support information, it affects the processing load of the output preparation of the driving support information among the functions being operated in the in-vehicle device including the driving support information output device. A function stop unit that stops the function;
The driving support information output device further comprising a function starting unit that starts the function stopped by the function stopping unit after the driving support information is output by the driving support information output unit. In the driving assistance information output device according to claim 6,
An installation position information storage unit that stores installation position information indicating an installation position of a roadside device that transmits the second road condition information;
A current position detector for detecting a current position of the vehicle,
The function detecting unit detects that the vehicle has arrived at a predetermined distance before the installation position of the roadside device indicated by the installation position information read from the installation position information storage unit. Sometimes, the function is stopped and the driving support information output device is characterized. In the driving assistance information output device according to claim 6,
An information provision area information storage unit for storing information provision area information representing an information provision area indicated by the second road condition information;
The function stopping unit stops the function only when the information providing area indicated by the information providing area information read from the information providing area information storage unit is included on a guidance route. Driving support information output device. In the driving assistance information output device according to claim 6,
An information provision area information storage unit for storing information provision area information representing an information provision area indicated by the second road condition information;
The function stop unit is connected to the road section where a traffic fault is indicated by the first road condition information acquired by the first road condition information acquisition unit, from the information providing area information storage unit. The driving support information output device, which stops the function only when the information providing area indicated by the read information providing area information is included. In the driving assistance information output device according to claim 1,
The driving support information output device, wherein the first road condition information acquisition unit and the second road condition information acquisition unit acquire the road condition of the information providing area via roadside devices of different infrastructures. In the driving assistance information output device according to claim 10,
The driving support information output device, wherein the first road condition information is VICS information, and the second road condition information is AHS information. A first step of acquiring a road situation including an information providing area ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle as first road situation information;
A second step of preparing to output driving support information indicating the road condition based on the first road condition information acquired in the first step;
A third step of acquiring the road situation of the information providing area as second road situation information;
When the second road condition information is acquired in the third step, the road condition information of the information providing area indicated by the first road condition information acquired in the first step; A fourth step of comparing the road condition information of the information providing area indicated by the second road condition information acquired in the step of determining whether or not they match,
When it is determined in the fourth step that the road condition information of the information providing area indicated by the first road condition information matches the road condition information of the information providing area indicated by the second road condition information And a fifth step of outputting the driving support information prepared for output in the second step. The driving support information output method according to claim 14,
Before the preparation for outputting the driving support information is performed in the second step, the driving support information among the functions operating in the vehicle-mounted device including the driving support information output device that executes the driving support information output method. A sixth step of stopping the function affecting the processing load of the output preparation of
A driving support information output method comprising: a seventh step of starting the function stopped in the sixth step after the driving support information is output in the fifth step.