JP2012018172A - Vehicle information providing apparatus and information providing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle information providing apparatus for providing appropriate information to a driver so as to receive a toll discount on a toll road.SOLUTION: A vehicle information providing apparatus comprises: tollgate-to-be-passed specifying means for specifying a tollgate on a toll road through which an own vehicle is scheduled to pass, as a tollgate-to-be-passed; and guiding means for providing a route of getting off from the toll road at a tollgate which is closer to the own vehicle than to the tollgate-to-be-passed and using the toll road again, if the route of getting off from the toll road at the tollgate which is closer to the own vehicle than to the tollgate-to-be-passed and using the toll road again is cheaper than a route of passing through the tollgate-to-be-passed.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular information providing apparatus, and more particularly to a vehicular information providing apparatus that provides information to a driver so that a toll discount can be applied on a toll road.

  In recent years, ETC (Electronic Toll Collection System) has been introduced for the purpose of alleviating traffic congestion on toll roads. The ETC is a system that automatically pays a toll by radio communication between the vehicle-mounted device and a toll booth antenna, and allows the vehicle to pass without stopping at the toll booth.

  In order to promote the spread of ETC, a toll discount system (so-called ETC discount system) is applied to vehicles using the ETC. This is a system that discounts a part of the toll when the time zone and distance traveled on toll roads meet certain conditions, and flexible operation is possible by using ETC technology. is there. In addition to ETC discounts, there is a system that uniformly discounts tolls at specific times and days of the week when traffic is low.

  In order to reduce the user's economic burden by proactively using the toll discount system on such toll roads, route guidance for driving the vehicle to pass the toll road during the toll discount time zone An invention about a vehicle navigation device is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this device, for example, when the host vehicle is expected to reach the entrance toll gate earlier than the start time of the toll discount time zone, the driver can be informed of that fact and guided to a facility that can adjust the time. I do. Further, when the vehicle stops in the parking area, the driver is notified of the departure time of the parking area so as to reach the exit toll gate earlier than the end time of the toll discount time zone.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-41760

  However, in the above-mentioned conventional device, how much time adjustment is necessary to receive the toll discount, that is, how much is hurry (or if you travel slowly), the toll discount can be applied. I cannot tell the driver clearly. As a practical problem, for example, even if the guidance is “Please pass the toll gate within 15 minutes”, it is difficult to drive as it is.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is intended to solve such a problem, and it is a main object of the present invention to provide a vehicle information providing apparatus that provides appropriate information to a driver so that a toll discount can be applied on a toll road. Objective.

  The invention of the reference example for achieving the above object is specified by a toll gate specifying means for specifying a toll gate on a toll road to which the host vehicle is scheduled to pass as a toll gate and a toll gate specifying means for passing. The passage condition determining means for determining the passage conditions to which the discount is applied and the passage condition determining means when passing the toll place specified by the scheduled passage tollgate specifying means A vehicle information providing apparatus comprising: target vehicle speed calculating means for calculating a target vehicle speed for satisfying a passing condition, and providing information on the target vehicle speed set by the target vehicle speed calculating means.

  According to the invention of this reference example, the target vehicle speed for passing through the toll gate on the toll road while satisfying the passing condition to which the discount is applied is calculated, and information on the target vehicle speed is provided. Can give clear advice. That is, appropriate information can be provided to the driver.

  The invention of another reference example includes a scheduled toll gate specifying means for specifying a toll gate on a toll road to which the vehicle is scheduled to pass as a scheduled toll gate, and a scheduled toll gate specified by the scheduled toll gate specifying means. To satisfy the passage condition acquired by the passage condition acquisition means when passing the passage condition acquisition means for acquiring the passage conditions to which the discount is applied and the passage passage tollgate specified by the passage passage tollgate identification means And a target vehicle speed calculating means for calculating the target vehicle speed, and providing information relating to the target vehicle speed set by the target vehicle speed calculating means.

  Further, in any of the reference example inventions, for example, a current position specifying means for specifying the current position of the own vehicle and a recommendation from the current position of the own vehicle specified by the current position specifying means to a preset destination And a recommended route setting means for setting a route including a use section of a toll road, and the scheduled passage tollgate specifying means identifies a planned passage toll gate based on the recommended route set by the travel route setting means. It may be a means.

  In the invention of any of the reference examples, when the target vehicle speed set by the target vehicle speed calculation means exceeds a predetermined upper limit vehicle speed, information regarding the target vehicle speed may not be provided, It is also possible to change the scheduled toll gate so that it is close and provide information regarding this change.

  In any of the reference examples, when the target vehicle speed set by the target vehicle speed calculation means is less than a predetermined lower limit vehicle speed, information relating to a facility that can be stopped may be provided.

  The invention of any one of the reference examples further includes vehicle speed detection means for detecting the vehicle speed of the host vehicle, and the target vehicle speed set by the target vehicle speed calculation means is centered on the vehicle speed of the host vehicle detected by the vehicle speed detection means. When it is within the predetermined range, information regarding the target vehicle speed may not be provided.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the information provision apparatus for vehicles which provides suitable information to a driver | operator so that application of a toll discount can be received on a toll road can be provided.

It is a figure which shows an example of the whole structure of the information provision apparatus 1 for vehicles which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart showing the flow of a process of the passage plan toll gate specific | specification part 23, the passage condition determination part 24, and the target vehicle speed calculation part 25 which are the characteristic parts of this invention. It is a time chart which shows typically the run situation of vehicles in which this example is not applied.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a vehicle information providing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle information providing apparatus 1 includes, as main components, a navigation apparatus 10, a vehicle speed sensor 30, a speedometer 32, a target vehicle speed display apparatus 34, a gyro sensor 36, a communication apparatus 40, and an ETC in-vehicle device 50. And comprising. Note that in-vehicle communication in the following description is performed using an appropriate communication protocol such as CAN (Controller Area Network).

  The navigation device 10 includes an integrated antenna 12, a memory 14, a display panel 16, a voice input / output device 18, and a navigation device ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 20.

  The integrated antenna 12 is an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving various radio signals, receives GPS signals from GPS satellites and radio beacons related to road traffic information transmission services, and outputs them to the navigation device ECU 20.

  In addition, the integrated antenna 12 transmits / receives information related to toll collection with an ETC roadside device provided at a toll gate on a toll road according to an instruction from the ETC on-board device 50. When the ETC card is inserted, the ETC on-vehicle device 50 wirelessly communicates information necessary for payment of tolls with the ETC roadside device. This ETC card is a settlement card equipped with an IC chip, which identifies a payer and records data necessary for payment of a toll. Specifically, the ETC in-vehicle device 50 records the ID of the entrance toll gate and the vehicle type when the vehicle enters the toll road, and records the ID and vehicle type of the exit toll gate when leaving the toll road. Processing such as paying the toll road fee. Further, the ETC in-vehicle device 50 sequentially outputs the usage status of the ETC (whether the vehicle is traveling on a toll road, which toll gate, etc.) to the ECU 20 for the navigation device. In addition, the specific aspect of the said radio | wireless communication is known, and since it does not make the core of this invention, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The memory 14 is a storage medium such as a hard disk, a DVD, or a CD-ROM, and stores map information. This map information basically represents road shapes in the form of nodes and links, and includes section information on toll roads, toll information for each section, toll gate location, ID, and the like. Further, discount information acquired by the communication device 40 is stored as will be described later.

  The display panel 16 is a display device that employs a VGA (Video Graphics Array) as a graphic system to display an image including a moving image and allows a user to perform various input operations as a touch panel. The display panel 16 detects a change in voltage caused by a user touching the surface of the display panel 16 and recognizes a touched position. The display content of the display panel 16 is determined by the navigation device ECU 20, and the input operation performed on the display panel 16 is transmitted to the navigation device ECU 20.

  The voice input / output device 18 includes, for example, a microphone capable of voice input and a speaker. The output content of the voice input / output device 18 is determined by the navigation device ECU 20, and the voice input to the voice input / output device 18 is input to the navigation device ECU 20.

  The navigation device ECU 20 is, for example, a computer unit in which a ROM, a RAM, and the like are connected to each other via a bus with a CPU as a center, and includes an input / output interface, a timer, a counter, and the like. The ROM stores programs executed by the CPU and data. Further, the navigation device ECU 20 includes a current position specifying unit 21, a route guide unit 22, a planned toll gate specifying unit 23, and a passing condition determining unit 24 as main functional blocks implemented using such hardware. And a target vehicle speed calculation unit 25.

  The current position specifying unit 21 specifies the current position (latitude, longitude, altitude) of the host vehicle by calculation based on the time difference between GPS signals. The current position specifying unit 21 corrects the current position of the host vehicle based on sensor output values input from the vehicle speed sensor 30 and the gyro sensor 36 and information included in the radio beacon received by the integrated antenna 12. In addition, correction may be performed based on information received by FM multiplex broadcasting, or correction based on a well-known map matching technique may be performed. The vehicle speed sensor 30 is composed of, for example, a wheel speed sensor attached to each wheel and a skid control computer, and the skid control computer outputs a wheel speed pulse signal output from the wheel speed sensor to the vehicle speed rectangular wave pulse signal (vehicle speed signal). And output to the navigation device ECU 20 and the speedometer 32.

  The route guidance unit 22 refers to the map information stored in the memory 14, and the user inputs using the display panel 16 or the voice input / output device 18 from the current position of the host vehicle specified by the current position specifying unit 21. A recommended route to the ground is set and stored in a storage medium such as an EEPROM. Then, image display and voice guidance using the display panel 16 and the voice input / output device 18 are performed so that the host vehicle travels according to the recommended route. The information stored as the recommended route (hereinafter referred to as recommended route information) includes information related to the section of the toll road scheduled to travel along the route. In other words, the route guide unit 22 sets a recommended route including the use section of the toll road.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the scheduled toll gate specifying unit 23, the passing condition determining unit 24, and the target vehicle speed calculating unit 25, which is a characteristic part of the present invention. The functions of these functional blocks will be described below with reference to this drawing. This flow is repeated, for example, every predetermined time.

  The scheduled passage toll gate specifying unit 23 identifies the toll gate through which the host vehicle is scheduled to pass as the scheduled toll gate (S100). Various methods are conceivable as specific methods for this specification, and specific examples are shown below.

  (1) With reference to the recommended route information, if the vehicle is currently traveling on a general road, the entrance toll gate of the toll road to be used next is specified as the scheduled toll gate. If the vehicle is currently traveling on a toll road, the exit toll gate that is scheduled to leave the toll road is identified as the toll gate. There are toll gates that require payment once during use on the same toll road. In this case, not the exit toll gate, but the midway toll gate is specified as the toll gate.

  (2) In addition, it is assumed that the destination is not set by the user, and therefore recommended route information is not created. In this case, the current position and map of the host vehicle specified by the current position specifying unit 21 It is determined whether the vehicle is traveling on a toll road by matching information and taking into account the information from the ETC on-board device 50. If the vehicle is actually traveling on a toll road, The toll gate closest to the host vehicle in the traveling direction of the vehicle is specified as the toll gate.

  In addition to this, by creating a rational logic, a toll gate having a high probability of passing the host vehicle may be specified as a toll gate. If none of these identification methods apply (for example, when the recommended route does not include a toll road and the vehicle is traveling on a general road), the toll gate is identified. The process of S100 is repeatedly performed until it reaches (S110).

  The passage condition determination unit 24 determines a passage condition to which a discount is applied for the planned passage fee toll specified by the scheduled passage fee identification unit 23 (S120). Specifically, referring to information (discount information) related to restrictions on discount time zones and travel distances for each toll road section acquired in advance by the communication device 40 and stored in the memory 14, Pass conditions for passing (from what time to what time should it pass or whether there is a discount applied through the toll gate) are derived.

  For example, the communication device 40 receives discount information transmitted from the information center 80 via the radio base station 60 and the network 70. The acquisition is performed regularly, for example, every day, every week, every other week. Between the communication device 40 and the radio base station 60, a mobile phone network, a PHS (Personal Handy-phone System) network, a wireless LAN, WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), a satellite phone, a beacon, a TV or radio broadcasting network Etc. is used for wireless communication. The network 70 that connects the radio base station 60 and the information center 80 is a wired network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a digital communication network (ISDN), or an optical fiber. For data transmission / reception, for example, HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol), FTP (File Transfer Protocol), MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension), etc., which are upward compatible with protocols such as TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / IP (Internet Protocol), etc. Protocol is used.

  Accordingly, the communication device 40 includes, for example, a data communication antenna and a communication module. A Bluetooth-compatible mobile phone may be used, a mobile phone may be mechanically connected, a beacon transceiver, a TV or radio receiver, or the like may be used. The information center 80 includes, for example, information service facilities of automobile manufacturers, public institutions, broadcasting stations, and the like.

  Here, as an example of the discount information, information on commuting discount that is currently employed as one of the ETC discounts will be exemplified. This means, “I traveled by ETC wireless communication at the entrance toll booth where ETC is maintained and passed through the entrance or exit toll booth in the morning and evening commuting hours (between 6-9 o'clock in the morning or from 17:00 to 20:00 in the evening, The discount is applied when the total use distance is within 100 km.

  In this case, the passage condition determination unit 24 sets (A) a passing condition that the own vehicle passes the scheduled passage toll during the above time zone when the scheduled passage toll gate is an entrance toll gate.

  (B) If the scheduled toll pass is an exit toll gate, and the entrance toll gate satisfies the above time zone, the distance between the entrance toll gate and the scheduled toll pass is within 100 [km] There are no special passage conditions. On the other hand, if the above time zone is not satisfied at the entrance toll gate, the distance between the entrance toll gate and the scheduled toll pass is within 100 [km] and the host vehicle is scheduled to pass during the above time zone. The passage condition is to pass through. In this case, if the conditions related to the distance traveled are violated (that is, if the toll pass toll that is scheduled to leave is too far away), the toll pass toll will be changed to a toll close to the host vehicle and a message to that effect will be input. Announcement is made by the output device 18 (for example, “If you get off at the ** toll booth, you can apply a discount”) (S130, 150). Then, the passage condition is determined again for the changed toll gate (S120). However, if the driver inputs that he / she does not intend to get off at the toll booth close to the vehicle by switch operation or voice, the toll gate is not changed. If the toll gate is the closest to the host vehicle and it violates the conditions related to the travel distance in (B) above, it is no longer possible to receive a discount. By repeating the process, a process of waiting for the host vehicle to pass through the scheduled passage fee and determine the passage condition relating to the next scheduled passage fee (S140).

  Further, the process of changing the scheduled toll gate so as to meet the above-mentioned conditions related to the travel distance may be included in the setting of the recommended route by the route guide unit 22. That is, the recommended route is created so as to satisfy the restrictions on the travel distance and the discount application time zone from the beginning. Also, calculate the route to use the toll road again after exiting the toll gate once again depending on the driving conditions, discount application time, toll information, etc. The cheaper one may be guided as a recommended route by comparing the charges when traveling on a toll road without any changes. For example, when the mileage of a toll road is 150 [km] and the discount is applied only when the total mileage is 100 [km] or less, the fare may be cheaper than using an all-section toll road. Because you get. At this time, it goes without saying that the recommended route is created with the time zone discount as a comparison target. When a recommended route is created by such logic, it can be a more useful route guide for a driver who wants to travel at a low price even a little.

  The target vehicle speed calculation unit 25 calculates the target vehicle speed V * so as to satisfy the time zone condition among the passage conditions (S160). For the target vehicle speed V *, for example, the discount application time zone closest to the current time is extracted from the discount application time zones whose end time is earlier than the current time, and the start time Ts, end time Te, and current time are extracted. T, the target vehicle speed range can be calculated by the following formulas (1) and (2) using the distance X from the host vehicle to the scheduled toll pass, and an appropriate vehicle speed can be determined within the range. For example, it is determined to be as close as possible to a reference vehicle speed that is slightly lower than the legal speed within the range. In addition, when it becomes a negative value in Formula (1), it shall be disregarded.

Vmax = X / (Ts−T) (1)
Vmin = X / (Te−T) (2)

  Then, it is determined whether or not the target vehicle speed V * calculated by the target vehicle speed calculation unit 25 exceeds a predetermined upper limit vehicle speed Vh (S170). As the predetermined upper limit vehicle speed Vh, for example, the legal speed of the section may be employed as it is. If the vehicle speed exceeds the predetermined upper limit vehicle speed Vh, it is determined that it is difficult to increase the vehicle speed and pass within the discount application time (if legal speed is adopted for the predetermined upper vehicle speed Vh, it will be illegal driving), The scheduled toll gate is changed to a toll gate close to the host vehicle, and the voice input / output device 18 announces that fact (S150). By doing so, the user can leave the toll road at the toll booth in front and receive a discount. Prior to the change, as in S140, it is determined whether or not the toll gate is the closest to the own vehicle, and as a result, the toll gate is changed to a toll gate that is close to the own vehicle. If it is determined that it is impossible, it is preferable to perform the process of returning to S100.

  When the target vehicle speed V * is equal to or lower than the predetermined upper limit vehicle speed Vh, it is determined whether or not the target vehicle speed V * is less than the predetermined lower limit vehicle speed Vl (S180). The predetermined lower limit vehicle speed Vl may be changed according to the classification of the traveling road. For example, the predetermined lower limit vehicle speed Vl is about 40 to 60 [km / h] on a toll road and about 30 to 40 [km / h] on a general road. It is preferable to set near the lower limit of the vehicle speed range that does not obstruct traffic. When the target vehicle speed V * is less than the predetermined lower limit vehicle speed V1, guidance is provided for facilities that can be used for time adjustment (such as parking areas on toll roads) (S190). As a result, the time adjustment up to the time zone where the discount is applied can be smoothly performed. When the adjustment time has elapsed, an alarm may be sounded in the passenger compartment, or the driver's mobile phone or mobile terminal may be notified. Further, a command for setting a timer may be transmitted to the mobile phone or the like. By doing so, it is possible to prevent accidentally taking a break and missing the discount application time zone.

  When the target vehicle speed V * is within the predetermined upper limit vehicle speed Vh and the lower limit vehicle speed Vl, it is considered that no particular problem occurs even when the vehicle travels at the target vehicle speed V *. Accordingly, the target vehicle speed V * is displayed using the target vehicle speed display device 34 (S200). The target vehicle speed display device 34 is, for example, a liquid crystal display device, and is desirably provided in parallel in the combination meter so as to facilitate comparison with the speedometer 32.

  By displaying the target vehicle speed V * in comparison with the actual vehicle speed, the driver can travel by adjusting the accelerator pedal or the like so that the actual vehicle speed approaches the target vehicle speed V *. As a result, when the host vehicle reaches the toll gate, it is highly likely that the vehicle is within the discount application time zone. In addition, since the target vehicle speed V * is displayed, there is an effect that the driver notices that there is a possibility that the discount can be applied.

  The target vehicle speed display device 34 is not limited to displaying the target vehicle speed V * itself as described above, and may display a difference between the target vehicle speed V * and the actual vehicle speed. The color of an indicator such as a lamp may be changed or blinked according to a numerical value. By reducing the amount of information related to visual recognition in this way, the visual burden on the driver can be reduced.

  Further, the display panel 16 may be used to display the image along with the route guidance (the surrounding map and the position of the host vehicle), or the position of the simulated vehicle traveling at the target vehicle speed V * is referred to the position of the host vehicle. May be displayed. In this way, information on the target vehicle speed V * can be obtained at the same time as viewing the map, so that the driver's visual burden can be reduced. Furthermore, a display device other than the display panel 16 may be shared. For example, the position of the simulated vehicle traveling at the target vehicle speed V * may be displayed as a virtual image on the front windshield by a HUD (Head Up Display) display device. In this way, the simulation vehicle is displayed in the normal field of view of the driver, so that the driver's visual burden can be reduced.

  As described above, the target vehicle speed V * is set to an appropriate vehicle speed within the range of the target vehicle speed range. However, it is assumed that the target vehicle speed V * passes through the toll gate when it is assumed that the vehicle travels according to the target vehicle speed V * ( (The difference between the expected transit time) and the time closer to the expected transit time among the start time and end time of the discount application time zone) may be considered. This is in order to prevent inconvenient behavior such as sudden acceleration, sudden deceleration, or stopping after approaching the toll gate in consideration of the safety of other vehicles. In this case, the margin time may be displayed together with the target vehicle speed V * by the target vehicle speed display device 34. By indicating the allowance time, the driver can recognize whether the target vehicle speed V * is the limit vehicle speed or in fact the vehicle speed calculated with a margin, so that driving can be performed with more peace of mind.

  In addition, the vehicle of this embodiment is based on a predetermined operation of the driver in cooperation with a constant speed traveling control system that performs vehicle control so as to travel while maintaining a constant vehicle speed, which is known by a name such as a cruise control system. It can be considered that application such as setting the target vehicle speed V * displayed by the information providing apparatus 1 to the target vehicle speed of the constant speed traveling control system is also possible. In this case, since the constant speed traveling control system automatically adjusts the throttle opening and the like according to the target vehicle speed V *, the driver is not distracted by the accelerator control, and the driving load can be reduced.

  In addition to the constant speed traveling control system, it is possible to cooperate with an inter-vehicle distance control system that performs vehicle control so as to travel while maintaining a constant inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle. For example, when the target vehicle speed V * is within a predetermined upper limit vehicle speed Vh and the lower limit vehicle speed Vl, and the actual vehicle speed deviates from the target vehicle speed V * by a predetermined vehicle speed or more, the inter-vehicle distance control is automatically stopped and It is conceivable to notify the effect. In other words, if the actual vehicle speed is far from the target vehicle speed V * based on the inter-vehicle distance control in a state where the discount can be applied, the inter-vehicle distance control is stopped. In this case, the inter-vehicle distance control may be automatically restarted on condition that the actual vehicle speed has returned within the predetermined vehicle speed from the target vehicle speed V *. As a result, while the actual vehicle speed is changing near the target vehicle speed V *, it is possible to utilize the inter-vehicle distance control system and receive a discount. Therefore, the driving load can be reduced by using the inter-vehicle distance control system as much as possible while giving priority to discount application.

  As described above, according to the vehicle information providing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to provide appropriate information to the driver so that the toll discount can be applied on the toll road.

  FIG. 3 is a time chart schematically showing a traveling phase of a vehicle to which the present embodiment is not applied. In the case of (A) in the figure, if you drive a little later on the toll road, the time to pass the exit toll booth took the discount time zone, and you could receive a discount. On the other hand, in the vehicle to which this embodiment is applied, the exit toll gate is specified as the scheduled toll gate around time (a), and the target vehicle speed V * lower than the actual vehicle speed is set so that the discount can be applied. Is displayed. According to this, the driver travels slower than the example of FIG. 3 (or adjusts the time at the guided facility), so that the possibility of receiving a discount is high.

  On the other hand, in the case of (B) in the figure, if the vehicle traveled a little earlier on a general road, the time passing through the entrance toll booth took the discount time zone, and the discount could be applied. On the other hand, in the vehicle to which this embodiment is applied, if the use of toll roads is included in the recommended route, the exit toll gate is identified as the scheduled toll gate around time (b), and the discount is applied. A target vehicle speed V * higher than the actual vehicle speed is displayed so that it can be received. Since the driver travels faster than the example of FIG. 3 according to this, the possibility of receiving a discount is high.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. And substitutions can be added.

  For example, the discount information is periodically acquired by the communication device 40. However, the discount information may be acquired every time the scheduled toll pass is specified. Further, acquisition by communication is not an essential configuration, and may be periodically updated at a dealer store or the like.

  Discount information may be stored with a storage medium in which map information is stored, or may be stored as a default value in a ROM or the like.

  In addition, although it is exemplified that the determination of the passage condition is performed in the vehicle, the current position of the host vehicle and the scheduled toll gate are transmitted to the information center 80, and are determined and returned in the information center 80 accordingly. It is good also as what uses passage conditions. In this case, instead of the functional block “passing condition determination unit 24” in the embodiment, a functional block called “passing condition acquisition unit 24” that controls the acquisition of the passing condition by communication may be included.

  Further, when the target vehicle speed V * is within a predetermined range centered on the current vehicle speed, the target vehicle speed V * may not be displayed. This is because it is considered unnecessary to call for special attention if there is a high possibility that a discount will be applied even if the vehicle travels at the same vehicle speed.

  Further, when the process of S190 in the embodiment is omitted and the vehicle speed falls below the predetermined lower limit vehicle speed Vl, the target vehicle speed V * may not be simply displayed.

  The present invention can be used in the automobile manufacturing industry, the automobile parts manufacturing industry, and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle information provision apparatus 10 Navigation apparatus 12 Integrated antenna 14 Memory 16 Display panel 18 Voice input / output apparatus 20 ECU for navigation apparatus
21 Current position specifying unit 22 Route guide unit 23 Planned toll gate specifying unit 24 Passing condition determining unit 25 Target vehicle speed calculating unit 30 Vehicle speed sensor 32 Speed meter 34 Target vehicle speed display device 36 Gyro sensor 40 Communication device 50 ETC onboard equipment 60 Wireless base Station 70 Network 80 Information Center

Claims (2)

Toll gate identification means for identifying the toll gate of the toll road that the vehicle is scheduled to pass as the toll gate,
If the route using the toll road after getting off the toll road at a tollgate closer to the vehicle than the planned toll toll is cheaper than the route to pass the toll toll Guiding means for guiding the route using the toll road again after getting off the toll road at a toll booth closer to the vehicle than the scheduled toll booth;
An information providing device for a vehicle comprising: A toll gate identification step for identifying a toll gate on the toll road that the vehicle is scheduled to pass as a toll gate,
Passage conditions to which discount conditions determined based on the distance between the entrance toll gate and the exit toll gate included in the specified toll pass and the time zone that passes through at least one of the entrance toll gate and the exit toll gate can be applied A first determining step for determining
A determination step of determining whether or not the discount condition can be applied to the traveling that passes through the specified scheduled toll pass;
In the determination step, it is determined that the discount condition is not applied, or a more preferable discount condition is obtained by once getting off the toll road between the specified entrance toll gate and the exit toll gate and using the toll road again. A change step of changing an exit toll gate included in the scheduled toll gate to a toll gate close to the vehicle when it is determined to be applied;
A second determination step of determining a passage condition to which the discount condition can be applied, using the scheduled passage fee changed in the changing step;
An information provision method for a computer to execute.

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