JP5565203B2 - Intersection information acquisition apparatus, intersection information acquisition method, and computer program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an intersection information acquisition device, an intersection information acquisition method, and a computer program that specify an attribute of an intersection formed on a road.

  Conventionally, road information obtained from map data such as navigation devices, and various information related to vehicle travel, such as the current position specified by GPS, etc., have been acquired to inform the driver, assist driving, and drive There has been proposed a driving support device that performs appropriate driving by intervening in the vehicle. Here, the intersection formed by the intersection of a plurality of roads is a point where the vehicle traverses in a plurality of different directions and the vehicle changes its traveling direction, so it is most careful when traveling on the road. One of the points that must be done.

In order to provide appropriate driving support at the intersection, it is important to grasp the attributes of the intersection on the driving support device side. Here, the attribute of the intersection is information for identifying what kind of intersection the intersection is, and corresponds to the shape of the intersection, the regulations provided at the intersection, and the like. Examples of intersection attributes include the following.
(A) An intersection where a traffic signal is set (B) No traffic signal but an intersection with a temporary stop restriction (C) An intersection where there is no traffic light and there is no temporary stop line regulation, or even if there is a temporary stop restriction, Intersections that are difficult to distinguish non-priority

  In order to provide appropriate driving support at the intersection, it is preferable to perform driving support with the contents corresponding to the attributes of the intersection. In other words, when the vehicle approaches the intersection (A), only general warnings for the intersection may be given, but when the vehicle approaches the intersection (B) or (C), the intersection is emphasized. It is preferable to issue a warning. When the vehicle approaches the intersection (C), it is preferable to perform vehicle deceleration control in addition to the warning for the intersection.

  However, since the number of intersections formed on roads throughout the country is very large, it is very difficult to investigate the attributes of each intersection and store them as a DB. Therefore, the road information obtained from map data such as a navigation device cannot identify the intersection attribute. Therefore, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-3568, when a road surface is imaged by a camera installed in a vehicle and a paused road marking is detected based on the captured image, a paused road marking is detected. It is memorized about the technique which memorizes the data which matched that there is a temporary stop to an intersection in map data.

JP 2007-3568 (page 3-4, FIG. 2)

  However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 requires that an imaging unit such as a camera be separately installed in the vehicle, and that the CPU processing load on the captured image is increased. It was. In addition, there is a possibility that the attribute of the intersection cannot be correctly specified when the marking on the road surface is blurred or in bad weather.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems, and specifies attributes of intersections based on passage modes at intersections of a plurality of vehicles. Therefore, it is necessary to separately install imaging means such as cameras in the vehicles. It is an object of the present invention to provide an intersection information acquisition device, an intersection information acquisition method, and a computer program that can accurately specify an attribute of an intersection without imposing a large processing burden on the CPU.

In order to achieve the above object, the intersection information acquisition device (1) according to claim 1 of the present application acquires passage modes at the intersection of each vehicle for a plurality of vehicles (4) passing through the intersection (4). 21) and attribute specifying means for specifying the attribute of the intersection by statistically determining the passing mode of each vehicle acquired by the passing mode acquiring means, Based on whether or not the vehicle is temporarily stopped, and whether or not there is another vehicle that passes through the intersection direction intersecting the entry direction of the vehicle at the intersection within a predetermined time before and after the entry time of the vehicle that has paused to the intersection. And identifying an attribute of the intersection.
Here, the “intersection attribute” is information for specifying what kind of intersection the intersection is, and corresponds to, for example, the shape of the intersection and the regulations provided at the intersection. Specifically, the presence / absence of suspension, presence / absence of traffic lights, presence / absence of priority / non-priority, and the like are applicable.

Further, the intersection information acquisition device (1) according to claim 2 acquires the passage mode acquisition means for acquiring the passage mode at the intersection of each vehicle for the plurality of vehicles passing through the intersection, and the passage mode acquisition means. For each passing mode at the intersection of each vehicle (4) acquired by the attribute specifying means for specifying the attribute of the intersection by statistics of the passing mode at the intersection of each vehicle, and the passing mode acquisition means (21), based on the passing mode of other vehicles passing the intersection within a longitudinal predetermined time after entry time of the vehicle indicated by the pass mode, one of the attributes candidate among the plurality types of attribute candidate attribute candidate of the intersection associating an attribute candidate corresponding means (23) has a, the attribute specification unit, the attribute candidate corresponding means by al associated with each said passage aspect On the basis of the intersection of attribute candidate to identify an attribute of the intersection it has, based on the ratio of each type of the attribute candidate of the intersection associated with each of the passing manner by the attribute candidate corresponding means, implemented in the intersection It has a driving support content determination means (24) which determines the content of the driving support of the vehicle to be performed.

  An intersection information acquisition device (1) according to claim 3 is the intersection information acquisition device according to claim 2, wherein the attribute specifying means (22) is passed by the attribute candidate handling means (23). The attribute candidate of the type with the highest ratio among the attribute candidates of the intersection associated with each mode is specified as the attribute of the intersection.

In addition, the intersection information acquisition device (1) according to claim 4 acquires the passage mode acquisition means for acquiring the passage mode at the intersection of each vehicle for a plurality of vehicles passing through the intersection, and the passage mode acquisition means. Attribute specifying means for specifying the attribute of the intersection by statistically determining the passage mode at the intersection of each vehicle, and the attribute specifying means (22) is obtained by the passing mode acquisition means (21). For each passing mode at the intersection of the vehicle, the passing mode and the difference between the passing times through the intersection in a direction different from the passing mode within the predetermined time before and after the approach time of the vehicle indicated by the passing mode. It compares with the passage mode of other vehicles with small, and the attribute of an intersection is estimated for every approach direction of the said intersection based on a comparison result.

  Moreover, the intersection information acquisition apparatus (1) which concerns on Claim 5 is an intersection information acquisition apparatus in any one of Claim 1 thru | or 4, Comprising: The passage mode of the vehicle (4) of the said intersection is vehicle Direction of travel, passage time, and whether or not there is a temporary stop at the intersection.

Further, intersection information acquisition method according to claim 6, passes aspect acquisition means includes Luz step to respectively obtain the aspects passage in the intersection of each vehicle about a plurality of vehicles (4) passing through the intersection, attribute specifying means but has a Luz step to identify the attributes of the intersections by statistical aspects passage in the intersection of each vehicle acquired by the pass mode obtaining means, the attribute specification unit, the vehicle in the intersection Based on the presence or absence of a temporary stop and the presence or absence of another vehicle passing through the intersection direction intersecting the entry direction of the vehicle at the intersection within a predetermined time before and after the entry time of the vehicle that has paused to the intersection. It is characterized by specifying the attribute of the intersection.

Further, the computer program according to claim 7 obtains a computer by a passage mode acquisition means for acquiring a passage mode at the intersection of each vehicle for a plurality of vehicles (4) passing through the intersection, and the passage mode acquisition means . And functioning as attribute specifying means for specifying the attributes of the intersection by statistics of the passing mode of each vehicle at the intersection, and the attribute specifying means includes whether or not the vehicle is temporarily stopped at the intersection , and Identifying the attribute of the intersection based on the presence or absence of another vehicle passing through the intersection direction intersecting the entry direction of the vehicle at the intersection within a predetermined time before and after the approach time of the vehicle that has been temporarily stopped It is characterized by.
Moreover, the intersection information acquisition method according to claim 8 is the step in which the passage mode acquisition unit acquires the passage mode at the intersection of each vehicle for a plurality of vehicles passing through the intersection, and the attribute specification unit includes the passage mode. Identifying the attribute of the intersection by statistically determining the passage mode of each vehicle acquired by the acquisition unit, and the attribute specifying unit is configured to determine the attribute of each vehicle acquired by the passage mode acquisition unit. For each passing mode at an intersection, the passing mode and other than the smallest difference in passing time through the intersection in a direction different from the passing mode within a predetermined time before and after the vehicle entry time indicated by the passing mode And an intersection attribute is estimated for each approach direction of the intersection based on the comparison result.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program according to a ninth aspect of the present invention, wherein the computer acquires a passage state acquisition unit that acquires a passage state of each vehicle at the intersection for a plurality of vehicles that pass through the intersection, and each vehicle acquired by the passage state acquisition unit. And functioning as attribute specifying means for specifying the attributes of the intersection by statistically analyzing the passage modes at the intersections, and the attribute specifying means pass the vehicles at the intersections acquired by the passage mode acquiring means. For each mode, the passing mode and other vehicles that pass through the intersection in a direction different from the passing mode within a predetermined time before and after the approach time of the vehicle indicated by the passing mode and have the smallest difference in passing time. Comparing with the passing mode, and estimating the attribute of the intersection for each approach direction of the intersection based on the comparison result And butterflies.

According to the intersection information acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 having the above-described configuration, the attributes of the intersection are specified based on the passing mode at the intersections of a plurality of vehicles. Therefore, it is necessary to separately install an imaging unit such as a camera in the vehicle. It is possible to accurately specify the attribute of the intersection without putting a large processing burden on the CPU. And it becomes possible by using the attribute of the specified intersection to perform suitable driving | operation assistance with respect to the vehicle which drive | works an intersection.
In addition, because the attributes of the intersection are specified based on the passing mode of other vehicles before and after the vehicle passes through the intersection, the attributes of the intersection are accurately specified based on the behavior pattern when the vehicle passes the intersection. It becomes possible to do.

  Moreover, according to the intersection information acquisition apparatus of Claim 2, it becomes possible to estimate the attribute of an intersection appropriately from a plurality of types of candidates based on a behavior pattern when a vehicle passes through an intersection. Then, since the content of the driving support is determined based on the reliability of the estimation, it is possible to prevent the assistance based on the erroneously estimated attribute from being performed, and the appropriate driving based on the reliability of the estimated attribute can be prevented. Support can be provided.

  Further, according to the intersection information acquisition device according to claim 3, since the attribute candidate of the type having the highest ratio among the attribute candidates of the intersection associated with each passing mode is specified as the attribute of the intersection, Based on the behavior pattern when the vehicle passes through the intersection, the attribute of the intersection can be appropriately estimated from a plurality of types of candidates.

  Moreover, according to the intersection information acquisition apparatus of the fourth aspect, by comparing the behavior mode when the vehicle passes the intersection with the behavior mode of the other vehicle passing at the closest timing, the intersection is temporarily stopped. It is possible to accurately estimate whether or not the restriction is provided for each passing direction.

  Further, according to the intersection information acquisition device according to claim 5, since the passage mode of the vehicle at the intersection includes the traveling direction of the vehicle, the passage time, and whether or not there is a temporary stop at the intersection, the passage mode at the intersection of the vehicle Can be appropriately identified.

In addition, according to the intersection information acquisition method described in claim 6, it is not necessary to separately install imaging means such as a camera in the vehicle, and the attributes of the intersection can be accurately specified without imposing a large processing burden on the CPU. It becomes possible. And it becomes possible by using the attribute of the specified intersection to perform suitable driving | operation assistance with respect to the vehicle which drive | works an intersection.
In addition, because the attributes of the intersection are specified based on the passing mode of other vehicles before and after the vehicle passes through the intersection, the attributes of the intersection are accurately specified based on the behavior pattern when the vehicle passes the intersection. It becomes possible to do.

Furthermore, according to the computer program of the seventh aspect, it is not necessary to separately install imaging means such as a camera in the vehicle, and it is possible to accurately specify the attribute of the intersection without imposing a large processing burden on the CPU. It becomes possible. And it becomes possible by using the attribute of the specified intersection to perform suitable driving | operation assistance with respect to the vehicle which drive | works an intersection.
In addition, because the attributes of the intersection are specified based on the passing mode of other vehicles before and after the vehicle passes through the intersection, the attributes of the intersection are accurately specified based on the behavior pattern when the vehicle passes the intersection. It becomes possible to do.
Moreover, according to the intersection information acquisition method according to claim 8, by comparing the behavior mode when the vehicle passes the intersection and the behavior mode of the other vehicle passing at the closest timing, It is possible to accurately estimate whether or not the restriction is provided for each passing direction.
Further, according to the computer program of the ninth aspect, by comparing the behavior mode when the vehicle passes the intersection with the behavior mode of the other vehicle passing at the closest timing, the restriction of the temporary stop at the intersection is provided. It is possible to accurately estimate whether it is provided for each passing direction.

It is a schematic structure figure showing an intersection information acquisition system concerning this embodiment. It is the block diagram which showed the structure of the intersection information acquisition system which concerns on this embodiment. It is the figure which showed the structure of the server. It is the figure which showed an example of the intersection. It is the figure which showed an example of the probe information collected from each vehicle. It is the figure which showed an example of center traffic information. It is a block diagram which shows typically the control system of the navigation apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a flowchart of the probe information collection processing program concerning this embodiment. It is a flowchart of the intersection attribute specific process program which concerns on this embodiment. It is the figure which showed an example of the process which matches an attribute candidate with each passage aspect collected as probe information. It is the figure which showed the list of the content of the driving assistance implemented. It is a flowchart of the driving assistance processing program concerning this embodiment. It is a figure explaining the modification of the process which specifies the attribute of an intersection. It is a figure explaining the modification of the process which specifies the attribute of an intersection.

  Hereinafter, an intersection information acquisition apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail based on an embodiment embodied in a probe center 1 with reference to the drawings. First, a schematic configuration of an intersection information acquisition system 2 including a probe center 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an intersection information acquisition system 2 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the intersection information acquisition system 2 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an intersection information acquisition system 2 according to the present embodiment collects probe information from each vehicle 4 equipped with a navigation device 3 and each vehicle 4 and creates traffic information based on the collected probe information. It is basically composed of a probe center 1 that performs distribution.

  The vehicle 4 is a vehicle that travels on roads throughout the country, and constitutes a probe car system together with a probe center 1 described later as a probe car. Here, the probe car system is a system that collects information using a vehicle as a sensor. Specifically, the vehicle probes the current position, vehicle speed, operating status of each system such as steering operation and shift position, etc. via the vehicle communication module 6 such as a mobile phone mounted in the vehicle in advance. A system that transmits to the center 1 and reuses the collected data as various information on the center side.

  In addition, the probe center 1 collects and accumulates probe information including the current time and travel information transmitted from each vehicle 4 traveling all over the country, and traffic information such as traffic jam information from the accumulated probe information. It is a traffic information distribution center that generates and distributes the generated traffic information to the vehicle 4 as center traffic information.

  Here, the probe information acquired by the vehicle 4 and transmitted to the probe center 1 in the intersection information acquisition system 2 according to the present embodiment is information related to the passing mode of the intersection of the vehicle. Specifically, the passage time of the intersection (for example, the entry time to the exit link, the passage time of the node of the intersection), the intersection ID that identifies the intersection that has passed, and the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 at the intersection (entry to the intersection) Link number) and information on whether or not there is a temporary stop at the intersection. And the probe center 1 specifies the attribute of an intersection by statistics each information regarding the passage mode of the intersection transmitted from the vehicle 4. And the attribute of the specified intersection is distributed with respect to the vehicle 4 as center traffic information. The attribute of the intersection is information for specifying what kind of intersection the intersection is, for example, the shape of the intersection, the regulations provided at the intersection, and the like. Specifically, the presence / absence of suspension, presence / absence of traffic lights, presence / absence of priority / non-priority, and the like are applicable.

  A navigation device 3 is installed in the vehicle 4. The navigation device 3 is an in-vehicle device that displays a map around the vehicle position based on stored map data, and searches and guides a route to a set destination. The navigation device 3 also guides the center traffic information received from the probe center 1 to the user. In particular, when there is an intersection in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle and the vehicle approaches within a predetermined distance from the intersection, guidance, vehicle control, etc. are performed based on the attribute of the intersection included in the center traffic information received from the probe center 1. Provide driving assistance. The details of the navigation device 3 will be described later.

  Next, the probe center 1 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the probe center 1 basically includes a server 11, a probe information DB 12 as information recording means connected to the server 11, a traffic information DB 13, and a center communication device 14.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the server 11 obtains passage mode acquisition means 21 that acquires, as probe information, the mode of passage of each vehicle at the intersection for a plurality of vehicles passing through the intersection, and statistically analyzes the mode of passage of each acquired vehicle at the intersection. Attribute specifying means 22 for specifying the attribute of the intersection by performing, for each passing mode at the intersection of each acquired vehicle, the intersection based on the passing mode of other vehicles at the intersection before and after the vehicle indicated by the passing mode Based on the ratio of the attribute candidates at the intersection associated with each passing mode by the attribute candidate corresponding means 23, the attribute candidate corresponding means 23 for associating the attribute candidates with each other, and the content of the vehicle driving support performed at the intersection is determined. It is an electronic control unit that constitutes the support content determination means 24 and the like and performs various controls in the probe center 1. Then, the CPU 31 as an arithmetic device and a control device, the RAM 32 used as a working memory when the CPU 31 performs various arithmetic processing, various control programs, a probe information collection processing program (FIG. 8) described later, and intersection attribute specification An internal storage device such as a ROM 33 storing a processing program (FIG. 9) and the like is provided.

  The probe information DB 12 is a storage unit that cumulatively stores probe information collected from each vehicle 4 traveling throughout the country. In the present embodiment, the probe information collected from the vehicle 4 is information related to the passage mode of the intersection of the vehicle, specifically, the passage time of the intersection (for example, the entry time to the exit link, the node of the intersection) And the like, the intersection ID for identifying the intersection that has passed, the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 at the intersection (the link number of the link entering the intersection), and information regarding whether or not there is a temporary stop at the intersection.

Hereinafter, probe information stored in the probe information DB 12 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of probe information stored in the probe information DB 12, and more particularly, is a diagram showing probe information related to the passage manner of the predetermined intersection a shown in FIG. And the probe information shown in FIG. 5 is memorize | stored in probe information DB12 for every intersection.
As shown in FIG. 5, the probe information includes the time when the vehicle has passed the intersection (for example, the time of entry to the exit link, the time of passage of the node of the intersection, etc.), the intersection ID for identifying the intersection where the vehicle has passed, The vehicle ID includes a vehicle ID for identifying the transmission source vehicle, the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 at the intersection (link number of the link entering the intersection), and whether or not there is a temporary stop at the intersection. For example, the probe information shown in FIG. 5 stores that the vehicle 4 with ID “A” temporarily stops from the link direction of L1 and passes through the intersection a at 10:00. In addition, it is stored that the vehicle 4 with ID “B” passes through the intersection a without stopping temporarily at the link direction of L2 at 10:00:03. In addition, it is stored that the vehicle 4 having ID “C” temporarily stops from the link direction of L1 and passes through the intersection a at 10:00:08.
And the server 11 specifies the attribute of an intersection by statistics of the probe information memorize | stored in probe information DB12. Specifically, for each passing mode at the intersection of each vehicle stored as probe information as described later, the passing mode of another vehicle at the intersection before and after the vehicle indicated by the passing mode (for example, in FIG. The intersection mode candidate is selected from among a plurality of types of attribute candidates and associated with the passage mode of the vehicle with ID “H” shown in FIG. And the attribute candidate of the kind with the highest ratio among the attribute candidates of the intersection matched for every passage mode is specified as the attribute of the intersection. Moreover, the attribute of the specified intersection is memorize | stored with intersection ID which specifies an intersection in traffic information DB13. The method for specifying the intersection attribute by the server 11 will be described in detail later.

Next, the center traffic information stored in the traffic information DB 13 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the center traffic information stored in the traffic information DB 13.
As shown in FIG. 6, the center traffic information includes an intersection ID for identifying an intersection, attributes specified for the intersection, and candidate attributes associated with probe information related to the intersection (that is, for each passage mode of the intersection). It is composed of a ratio. The intersection attributes specified in the present embodiment include the following (A) to (C).
(A) An intersection where a traffic signal is set (B) No traffic signal but an intersection with a temporary stop restriction (C) An intersection where there is no traffic light and there is no temporary stop line regulation, or even if there is a temporary stop restriction, Intersections that are difficult to distinguish non-priority

  For example, in the center traffic information shown in FIG. 6, for the intersection with the intersection ID “1000”, the attribute is specified as (A), and the ratio of attribute candidates associated with each passing mode of the intersection is A: B: C. = 8: 1: 1. Further, for the intersection with the intersection ID “1001”, the attribute is specified as (C), and the ratio of the attribute candidates associated with each passing mode of the intersection is A: B: C = 0: 3: 7. Is shown. The traffic information DB 13 stores the above-mentioned center traffic information for the intersections included in the map data of the navigation device 3. However, an intersection for which probe information for specifying the attribute of the intersection is insufficient is identified as “unknown”.

  The center communication device 14 is a communication device for communicating with the vehicle 4 or the VICS center via the network 15. In this embodiment, probe information and center traffic information are transmitted / received to / from each vehicle 4 via the center communication device 14.

  Next, a schematic configuration of the navigation device 3 mounted on the vehicle 4 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a block diagram schematically showing a control system of the navigation device 3 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the navigation device 3 according to the present embodiment includes a current position detection unit 41 that detects a current position of a vehicle on which the navigation device 3 is mounted, a data recording unit 42 that records various data, A navigation ECU 43 that performs various arithmetic processes based on the input information, an operation unit 44 that receives operations from the user, a liquid crystal display 45 that displays a guide route to the map and destination for the user, a route, A speaker 46 that outputs voice guidance related to guidance, a DVD drive 47 that reads a DVD that is a storage medium storing a program, and a communication module 6 that communicates with the probe center 1, the VICS center, and the like. Yes.

Below, each component which comprises the navigation apparatus 3 is demonstrated in order.
The current position detection unit 41 includes a GPS 51, a vehicle speed sensor 52, a steering sensor 53, a gyro sensor 54, and the like, and can detect the current vehicle position, direction, vehicle traveling speed, current time, and the like. . Here, in particular, the vehicle speed sensor 52 is a sensor for detecting a moving distance and a vehicle speed of the vehicle, generates a pulse according to the rotation of the driving wheel of the vehicle, and outputs a pulse signal to the navigation ECU 43. And navigation ECU43 calculates the rotational speed and moving distance of a driving wheel by counting the generated pulse. Note that the navigation device 3 does not have to include all of the above five types of sensors, and the navigation device 3 may include only one or more of these types of sensors.

  The data recording unit 42 reads an external storage device and a hard disk (not shown) as a recording medium, a map information DB 55, a distribution information DB 56, a predetermined program, and the like recorded on the hard disk, and stores predetermined data on the hard disk. And a recording head (not shown) as a driver for writing. The data recording unit 42 may be constituted by a memory card instead of the hard disk.

  Here, for example, the map information DB 55 searches for link data relating to roads (links), node data relating to node points, facility data relating to facilities, map display data for displaying a map, intersection data relating to each intersection, and routes. Search means, search data for searching points, and the like are stored.

  The distribution information DB 56 is a storage unit that stores center traffic information (FIG. 6) distributed from the probe center 1. And navigation ECU43 performs driving assistance, such as guidance and vehicle control, using the center traffic information memorize | stored in distribution information DB56.

  On the other hand, the navigation ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 43 is a guide route setting means for setting a guide route from the departure point to the destination when the destination is selected, and the way of passing the intersection when passing the intersection. Probe information transmitting means for transmitting to the probe center 1 as probe information, traffic information acquiring means for acquiring the intersection attributes and attribute candidate ratios as center traffic information from the probe center 1, and when there is an intersection ahead of the traveling direction, This is an electronic control unit that constitutes driving support means for performing guidance and vehicle control based on the ratio of attributes and attribute candidates, and controls the entire navigation device 3. The CPU 61 as the arithmetic device and the control device, the RAM 61 that is used as a working memory when the CPU 61 performs various arithmetic processes, stores the route data when the route is searched, and the control program. In addition, an internal storage device such as a ROM 63 in which a later-described probe information collection processing program (see FIG. 8), a driving support processing program (see FIG. 12), and the like are recorded, and a flash memory 64 that stores a program read from the ROM 63 are provided. Yes.

  The operation unit 44 is operated when inputting a departure point as a travel start point and a destination as a travel end point, and includes a plurality of operation switches (not shown) such as various keys and buttons. The navigation ECU 43 performs control to execute various corresponding operations based on switch signals output by pressing the switches. The operation unit 44 can also be configured by a touch panel provided on the front surface of the liquid crystal display 45.

  The liquid crystal display 45 also includes a map image including a road, traffic information, operation guidance, an operation menu, key guidance, a planned travel route from the departure point to the destination, guidance information along the planned travel route, news, weather Forecast, time, mail, TV program, etc. are displayed. Moreover, it is used also when displaying the information regarding the searched facility when a facility search is performed. In addition, based on the distributed center traffic information, guidance regarding intersections is also provided. For example, a message indicating that an intersection is approaching or a sentence that indicates that the intersection is an intersection to which special attention should be paid is displayed.

  Further, the speaker 46 outputs voice guidance for guiding traveling along the planned traveling route and traffic information guidance based on an instruction from the navigation ECU 43. It is also used when outputting information related to the found facility when the facility search is performed. In addition, based on the distributed center traffic information, guidance regarding intersections is also provided. For example, it outputs a guidance indicating that an intersection is approaching or a voice that indicates that the intersection is an intersection to which special attention should be paid.

  The DVD drive 47 is a drive that can read data recorded on a recording medium such as a DVD or a CD. Then, the map information DB 55 is updated based on the read data.

  The communication module 6 is a communication device for receiving center traffic information and VICS information transmitted from the probe center 1 and the VICS center, and corresponds to, for example, a mobile phone or DCM.

  Subsequently, a probe information collection processing program executed in the navigation device 3 and the probe center 1 configuring the intersection information acquisition system 2 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the probe information collection processing program according to this embodiment. Here, the probe information collection processing program is a program that is executed after the ACC of the vehicle is turned on, and transmits the passing mode of the intersection of the vehicle 4 to the probe center 1 as probe information. The programs shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 8, 9, and 12 below are stored in the RAM 62 and ROM 63 provided in the navigation ECU 43, the RAM 32 and ROM 33 provided in the server 11, and the like. Executed.

First, a probe information collection processing program executed in the navigation device 3 will be described.
In step (hereinafter abbreviated as S) 1, the CPU 61 acquires vehicle information related to the own vehicle. Here, the vehicle information acquired in S1 is information on the current position, direction, and vehicle speed of the host vehicle. The current position of the vehicle is detected using the GPS 51. Furthermore, the current position on the map is specified by performing map matching processing for the current position of the vehicle. The vehicle direction is detected using the steering sensor 53 and the gyro sensor 54. Further, the vehicle speed is detected using a vehicle speed sensor 52.

  Next, in S2, the CPU 61 determines whether or not the vehicle has passed the intersection based on the vehicle information acquired in S1 and the map information stored in the map information DB 55.

  And when it determines with the own vehicle having passed the intersection (S2: YES), it transfers to S3. On the other hand, when it is determined that the vehicle does not pass the intersection (S2: NO), the probe information collection processing program is terminated.

  In S3, the CPU 61 specifies “the intersection ID for identifying the intersection where the vehicle has passed” and the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 at the intersection based on the vehicle information acquired in S1 and the map information stored in the map information DB 55. Therefore, “the link number of the link entering the intersection” is acquired as the intersection passage mode.

  Subsequently, in S4, the CPU 61 acquires “presence / absence of temporary stop at the intersection” as the passing mode of the intersection based on the vehicle information acquired in S1.

  Furthermore, in S <b> 5, the CPU 61 transmits the passage mode of the intersection where the vehicle has passed to the probe center 1 as probe information. Specifically, “intersection transit time (for example, entry time to exit link, intersection node transit time, etc.)”, “vehicle ID identifying own vehicle”, and “own vehicle acquired in S3” The “intersection ID for identifying the intersection where the vehicle passes”, “the link number of the link entering the intersection”, and “the presence or absence of temporary stop at the intersection” acquired in S4 are transmitted. Thereafter, the probe information collection processing program is terminated.

Next, a probe information collection processing program executed in the probe center 1 will be described.
First, in S11, the CPU 31 determines whether probe information is transmitted from each vehicle 4 traveling throughout the country.

  If it is determined that probe information is transmitted (S11: YES), the transmitted probe information is received (S12). Then, the CPU 31 cumulatively stores the received probe information in the probe information DB 12 (S13).

  On the other hand, when it is determined that no probe information is transmitted (S11: NO), the probe information reception processing program is terminated. The probe information received in S12 includes “vehicle ID identifying the transmission source vehicle” and “passing time of the transmission source vehicle (for example, entry time to the exit link, passage of the intersection node). Time, etc.), “intersection ID identifying the intersection through which the transmission source vehicle passed”, “link number of the link where the transmission source vehicle entered the intersection”, and “pause at the intersection of the transmission source vehicle” Or not ”(see FIG. 5).

  Next, an intersection attribute specifying processing program executed in the probe center 1 constituting the intersection information acquisition system 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the intersection attribute identification processing program according to the present embodiment. Here, the intersection attribute specification processing program is executed after a predetermined period (for example, one month) since the previous execution of the program, and based on the probe information transmitted from each vehicle 4, each intersection included in the map information is displayed. It is a program that specifies attributes.

  The following processes of S21 to S24 are executed in a loop for each intersection included in the map information, and are repeated until the processes for all the intersections included in the map information are completed.

First, in S21, the CPU 31 extracts the passing mode of the intersection to be processed from the probe information stored in the probe information DB 12, and associates an intersection attribute candidate for each passing mode. Here, the attribute candidate associated in S21 is an index for specifying the attribute of the intersection, and includes the following (A) to (C) that are the same as the attribute.
(A) An intersection where a traffic signal is set (B) No traffic signal but an intersection with a temporary stop restriction (C) An intersection where there is no traffic light and there is no temporary stop line regulation, or even if there is a temporary stop restriction, Intersections that are difficult to distinguish non-priority

Hereinafter, the attribute candidate association process in S21 will be described in more detail. Specifically, when associating attribute candidates with a passage mode, from among the above (A) to (C) based on the passage modes of other vehicles at the intersection before and after the vehicle indicated by the passage mode passes Select attribute candidates to be associated.
(1) When there is regularity in the approach direction for each time zone, it is estimated that the traveling direction of the intersection is limited by the traffic signal installed at the intersection, and the attribute candidates of (A) are associated.
(2) A vehicle entering from a predetermined direction (for example, north-south direction) is temporarily stopped in front of the intersection, and intersects with the predetermined direction (for example, east-west) within a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) before and after the entry time. When there is no approaching vehicle from the direction), the vehicle is temporarily stopped before the intersection even though the vehicle does not enter from the direction to be careful. It is estimated that there is an attribute, and the attribute candidate (B) is associated.
(3) A vehicle entering from a predetermined direction (for example, the north-south direction) is temporarily stopped in front of the intersection, and the vehicle enters from the intersection direction (for example, the east-west direction) intersecting the predetermined direction within a predetermined time before and after the approach time When there is a vehicle and a reverse pattern (when an approaching vehicle from the east-west direction enters the intersection after a temporary stop and there is an approaching vehicle from the north-south direction within a predetermined time before and after that), When vehicles enter from the direction of caution, the vehicles in each direction of the intersection are temporarily stopped before each other, so there are no traffic lights and there are no restrictions on the stop line, or there are restrictions on the temporary stop. However, it is estimated that the intersection is difficult to distinguish between priority and non-priority, and the attribute candidate (C) is associated.

Here, FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which attribute candidates are associated with each passing mode constituting the probe information related to the intersection a shown in FIG.
For example, in the passing mode of the vehicle 4 with ID “C” of 10:00:08, referring to the passing mode of the vehicles with ID “B to E” before and after, a vehicle entering from the north-south direction (L1-L3 direction) Since there is no approaching vehicle from the east-west direction (L2-L4 direction) that intersects within a predetermined time before and after the approach time, and at the intersection a is a road in a predetermined direction, although there is no traffic light It is estimated that there is a restriction on suspension, and the attribute candidate (B) is associated.
Further, in the passing mode of the vehicle 4 with ID “H” at 10:00:44, referring to the passing mode of the vehicles with ID “F to J” before and after, the vehicle entering from the north-south direction temporarily stops before the intersection. If there is an approaching vehicle from the east-west direction that intersects within a predetermined time before and after the entry time, and the reverse pattern can also be detected, the intersection a has no traffic light and the regulation of the temporary stop line It is estimated that there is no intersection or an intersection where it is difficult to distinguish between priority and non-priority even if there is a restriction on suspension, and attribute candidates (C) are associated.
Further, in the passing mode of the vehicle 4 with ID “R” of 10:01:35, even if the passing mode of the preceding and following vehicles is referred to, it does not apply to any of the above patterns (1) to (3). Do not associate candidates.

  Next, in S22, the CPU 31 statistics the attribute candidates associated with each passing mode in S21 for the intersection to be processed. Then, the ratio of the passage mode in which the attribute candidates (A), (B), and (C) are associated with each other is calculated, and the attribute candidate with the highest ratio is specified as the attribute of the intersection to be processed. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 10, since the ratio of the attribute candidates associated with the intersection a is A: B: C = 0: 5: 2, the attribute of the intersection a is specified as (B). If the probe information at the intersection to be processed is insufficient, the attribute is specified as “unknown”.

  Subsequently, in S23, the CPU 31 stores the ratio of the attribute candidates calculated in S22 and the attribute specified in S22 in the traffic information DB 13 as center traffic information. That is, the attribute of the intersection to be processed and the ratio of the attribute candidates are stored in the traffic information DB 13 as center traffic information regarding the intersection to be processed (see FIG. 6).

Then, based on the attribute candidate ratio calculated in S22 and the attribute specified in S22, the content of the driving support to be executed for the intersection to be processed is determined (S23). In this embodiment, as will be described later, when there is an intersection ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle and the vehicle is located within a predetermined distance from the intersection, traveling support such as guidance or vehicle control is performed in the vehicle (FIG. 12). reference). And the content of the driving | running | working assistance implemented is fundamentally determined by the ratio of the attribute of a target intersection, and an attribute candidate.
For example, as shown in FIG. 11, when the attribute of an intersection located within a predetermined distance is “unknown”, guidance is provided only for the presence of the intersection.
On the other hand, when the attribute of the intersection located within the predetermined distance is (A), the vehicle approaches the intersection where the traffic signal is installed, so that it is estimated that no special guidance is necessary, and the attribute candidate Guidance will be given only on the existence of an intersection regardless of the ratio.
Further, when the attribute of the intersection located within the predetermined distance is (B), the vehicle has no traffic light and approaches the intersection where the suspension is restricted. However, if the ratio of the attribute candidate (B) specified as the attribute to the whole is less than a predetermined ratio (for example, 70%), the reliability of the attribute of the specified intersection is low, so there is an intersection. Guidance about only. On the other hand, if the ratio of the attribute candidate (B) specified as the attribute to the whole is a predetermined ratio (for example, 70%) or more, the reliability of the attribute of the specified intersection is high, and therefore there is an intersection. In addition to the above, guidance is provided to call attention to pause.
In addition, when the attribute of an intersection located within a predetermined distance is (C), the vehicle has no traffic signal, and there is no traffic signal and there is no stop line restriction, or even if there is a stop restriction, priority or non-priority You will approach an intersection that is difficult to distinguish. However, if the ratio of the attribute candidate (C) specified as the attribute to the whole is less than the first predetermined ratio (for example, 70%), the reliability of the attribute of the specified intersection is low, so there is an intersection. Guidance only about what to do. On the other hand, when the ratio of the attribute candidate (C) specified as the attribute to the whole is less than a second predetermined ratio (for example, 90%) that is greater than or equal to the first predetermined ratio (for example, 70%) and higher than the first predetermined ratio Since the reliability of the attribute of the specified intersection is relatively high, in addition to the existence of the intersection, guidance is given to warn that the intersection is a cautionary intersection. Further, when the ratio of the attribute candidate (C) specified as the attribute to the whole is equal to or higher than the second predetermined ratio (for example, 90%), the reliability of the attribute of the specified intersection is particularly high. In addition to being present, guidance is given to warn that the intersection is a critical intersection, and vehicle deceleration control is also performed. That is, as the reliability of the specified attribute is higher, detailed guidance and vehicle control corresponding to the specified attribute are performed, and it is possible to prevent assistance based on the erroneously specified attribute.
The processing for determining the content of the driving support in S24 may be performed by the navigation device 3 without being performed by the probe center 1.

  Thereafter, when an unprocessed intersection remains, the process returns to S21, and the processes of S21 to S24 are performed in the same manner. On the other hand, when the processes of S21 to S24 for all the intersections included in the map information are completed, the process proceeds to S25.

  In S25, the CPU 31 distributes the attribute of each intersection stored in the traffic information DB 13 and the ratio of the attribute candidates to the requested navigation device 3 as the center traffic information. In addition, you may transmit also about the content of the driving assistance determined by said S24. Moreover, when delivering the content of driving assistance, it is good also as a structure which is not delivered about the ratio of an attribute and an attribute candidate.

  Next, a driving support processing program executed in the navigation device 3 constituting the intersection information acquisition system 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the driving support processing program according to this embodiment. Here, the driving support processing program is a program that is executed after the ACC of the vehicle is turned on and performs driving support of the vehicle based on the information about the intersection acquired from the probe center 1.

  First, in the driving support processing program, in S31, the CPU 61 receives the center traffic information distributed from the probe center 1. The received center traffic information is stored in the distribution information DB 56. Further, the received center traffic information includes the attributes of each intersection constituting the map information and the ratio of attribute candidates.

  Next, in S32, the CPU 61 acquires vehicle information related to the own vehicle. Here, the vehicle information acquired in S32 is information on the current position and direction of the host vehicle. The current position of the vehicle is detected using the GPS 51. Furthermore, the current position on the map is specified by performing map matching processing for the current position of the vehicle. The vehicle direction is detected using the steering sensor 53 and the gyro sensor 54.

  Subsequently, in S33, based on the vehicle information and map information acquired in S32, the CPU 61 determines whether there is an intersection ahead of the traveling direction of the host vehicle and the distance from the intersection to the host vehicle is within a predetermined distance. To do.

  If there is an intersection ahead of the traveling direction of the host vehicle and it is determined that the distance from the intersection to the host vehicle is within a predetermined distance (S33: YES), the process proceeds to S34. On the other hand, when there is no intersection ahead of the traveling direction of the host vehicle, or when it is determined that the distance from the intersection to the host vehicle is longer than a predetermined distance (S33: NO), the traveling is performed without performing driving support. The support processing program is terminated.

  In S <b> 34, the CPU 61 performs driving support for an intersection located within a predetermined distance. Specifically, the support determined based on the ratio between the attribute of the target intersection and the attribute candidate is performed. Note that the details of the support to be implemented have already been described with reference to FIG.

As described above in detail, in the probe center 1 according to the present embodiment, the intersection information acquisition method by the probe center 1 and the computer program executed by the probe center 1, the passing mode of the intersection is probed from each vehicle 4 traveling at the intersection. Since it is acquired as information (S12), the attribute of the intersection is specified by statistically determining the passing mode of the acquired intersection (S21 to S23), and driving support based on the specified attribute of the intersection is executed by the vehicle 4, so that the camera Thus, it is not necessary to separately install an imaging unit such as the above in the vehicle 4, and it is possible to accurately specify the attribute of the intersection without imposing a large processing burden on the CPU. And it becomes possible by using the attribute of the identified intersection to perform suitable driving | operation assistance with respect to the vehicle 4 which drive | works an intersection.
In addition, for each passing mode at the intersection of each vehicle 4, intersection attribute candidates are associated with each other based on the passing mode of other vehicles 4 at the intersection before and after the vehicle 4 indicated by the passing mode. Since the content of the driving support of the vehicle 4 implemented at the intersection is determined based on the ratio for each type of attribute candidate of the vehicle, there are a plurality of types of intersection attributes based on the behavior pattern when the vehicle 4 passes the intersection. It is possible to appropriately estimate from the candidates. Then, since the content of the driving support is determined based on the reliability of the estimation, it is possible to prevent the assistance based on the erroneously estimated attribute from being performed, and the appropriate driving based on the reliability of the estimated attribute can be prevented. Support can be provided.
Moreover, since the attribute candidate of the kind with the highest ratio among the attribute candidates of the intersection matched for every passage mode is specified to the attribute of the intersection, based on the behavior pattern when the vehicle 4 passes the intersection It is possible to appropriately estimate the intersection attribute from a plurality of types of candidates.
Moreover, since the passage mode of the vehicle 4 at the intersection includes the traveling direction of the vehicle 4, the passage time, and the presence or absence of a temporary stop at the intersection, the passage mode at the intersection of the vehicle 4 can be appropriately specified.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
For example, when specifying the attribute of an intersection in the above-described intersection attribute specification processing program (FIG. 9), for each passing mode at the intersection of each vehicle acquired from the probe information, the passing mode and the vehicle indicated by the passing mode Compare with the passing mode of other vehicles that pass the same intersection in a different direction (for example, the crossing direction) from the passing mode within a predetermined time (for example, within 10 seconds) before and after the approach time and have the smallest difference in passing time. Based on the comparison result, an intersection attribute (for example, presence of temporary stop restriction) may be estimated for each approach direction of the intersection.

In the following, as a specific example of the above-described modification, a process for estimating the presence of a temporary stop restriction as an attribute of the intersection a based on the probe information related to the intersection a shown in FIG. 5 will be described.
First, the server 11 passes the same intersection in the crossing direction within a predetermined time (for example, within 10 seconds) before and after the entry time of the vehicle and the passage manner of the other vehicle having the smallest difference in passage time. Based on the above, the presence pattern of the restriction of suspension is estimated as one of “pattern 1 to pattern 6”. Note that the presence pattern of the restriction of suspension includes estimation reliability (three-step determination of high, medium, and low).
(Pattern 1)
As shown in FIG. 13, when the vehicle is temporarily stopped before the intersection and there is no other vehicle passing through the same intersection in the intersection direction within a predetermined time before and after the entry time of the vehicle, the entry direction of the vehicle It is presumed that there is a temporary stop restriction and no temporary stop restriction in the crossing direction. The reliability of the estimation is “high”. In pattern 1, since the other vehicle stops from the direction to which attention should be paid, the reliability is set high.
(Pattern 2)
If the vehicle is not paused before the intersection and there is no other vehicle that passes the same intersection in the intersection direction within a predetermined time before or after the entry time of the vehicle, the suspension restriction is imposed in the entry direction of the vehicle. It is estimated that there is a temporary stop restriction in the crossing direction. The reliability of the estimation is “low”. In Pattern 2, since the vehicle passes in a state where no other vehicle exists, there is a possibility that the vehicle has neglected the duty of temporary suspension, and the reliability is set low.
(Pattern 3)
When the vehicle is paused before the intersection, and there is another vehicle that passes the same intersection in the intersection direction within a predetermined time before and after the entry time of the vehicle, and the other vehicle is also paused before the intersection Therefore, it is estimated that it is not possible to determine whether or not there is a temporary stop restriction in the vehicle approach direction and the crossing direction (unknown). Further, the reliability of the estimation is “medium”.
(Pattern 4)
The vehicle is not paused before the intersection, there is another vehicle that passes the same intersection in the intersection direction within a predetermined time before and after the approach time of the vehicle, and the other vehicle is not paused before the intersection In this case, it is estimated that the presence / absence of restriction of temporary stop in the approach direction and the crossing direction of the vehicle cannot be specified (unknown). Further, since this is an intersection to be noted, the reliability of the estimation is “high” for the purpose of outputting a warning as described later.
(Pattern 5)
The vehicle is not paused before the intersection, there is another vehicle that passes the same intersection in the intersection direction within a predetermined time before and after the approach time of the vehicle, and the other vehicle is paused before the intersection In this case, it is estimated that there is no temporary stop restriction in the approach direction of the vehicle, and there is a temporary stop restriction in the crossing direction. Further, the reliability of the estimation is “medium”.
(Pattern 6)
The vehicle is paused before the intersection, and there is another vehicle that passes the same intersection in the intersection direction within a specified time before or after the approach time of the vehicle, and the other vehicle is not paused before the intersection It is estimated that there is a temporary stop restriction in the approach direction of the vehicle and no temporary stop restriction in the crossing direction. Further, the reliability of the estimation is “medium”.

Next, the server 11 estimates the attribute of the intersection for each approach direction of the intersection by counting the presence patterns of the restriction of suspension estimated for each vehicle passage mode. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, in the traveling direction (the north-south direction (L1-L3 direction) or the east-west direction (L2-L4 direction)) that is presumed that there is a temporary stop restriction for each vehicle passage mode. The count value corresponding to the reliability is associated. The count value corresponding to the reliability is “2” if the reliability is “high”, “1” if the reliability is “medium”, and “0” if the reliability is “low”. .5 ". Then, the total value of the count values is calculated for each traveling direction. In addition, when it is estimated that it is unknown, the value corresponding to the reliability is associated with “attention required”.
For example, in the example shown in FIG. 14, the total value of the count values associated with the north-south direction (L1-L3 direction) is 16, and the total value of the count values associated with the east-west direction (L2-L4 direction). Is 0, and the total value of the count values associated with “Needs Attention” is 6.
Then, based on the ratio of each count value to the number of data, the ratio at which there is a temporary stop restriction for each approach direction of the intersection is calculated. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 14, the ratio at which the temporary stop restriction exists in the north-south direction is 16/20 (80%), and the ratio at which the temporary stop restriction exists in the east-west direction is 0/20 ( 0%), and the ratio determined as an intersection to be noted is 6/20 (30%).
Subsequently, the server 11 estimates the attribute of the intersection for each approach direction of the intersection based on a threshold value for determining a preset attribute. For example, if the threshold is 70%, the intersection a is estimated to be “an intersection where there is a temporary stop restriction for entry from the north-south direction”. However, when the ratio determined as an intersection to be noted is a predetermined ratio or more (for example, 50% or more), it may be defined as a “passing attention intersection”.
And the navigation apparatus 3 supports driving | running | working according to the attribute of the estimated intersection. For example, when a vehicle approaches from the north-south direction at an intersection a that is estimated to be “a crossing where there is a temporary stop restriction for entry from the north-south direction”, a guidance “there is a restriction of temporary stop” is output. . In addition, when the vehicle approaches an intersection estimated as a “passing caution intersection”, a guidance “Please be careful about passing” is output or deceleration control is performed.

  In the present embodiment, the probe center 1 is configured to specify the intersection attributes and the ratio of candidate attributes based on the intersection histories of a plurality of vehicles. It is good also as composition which specifies an attribute of an intersection and a ratio of an attribute candidate based on it. In that case, the structure which acquires the passage history of the probe center 1 or another vehicle becomes unnecessary.

  In the present embodiment, the execution subject of the intersection attribute identification processing program shown in FIG. 9 is the probe center 1, but the navigation apparatus 3 may be configured to execute it. Moreover, it is good also as a structure performed by several main body. When the navigation device 3 executes the intersection attribute specification processing program, it is desirable to acquire the passing history of the intersection of another vehicle via the probe center 1 or by inter-vehicle communication.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as the passage history of the intersection, the time at which the vehicle has passed the intersection, the intersection ID for identifying the intersection that has passed, the link number of the link entering the intersection, and information on whether there is a temporary stop at the intersection However, other information may also be acquired. For example, the vehicle speed when passing through an intersection, the presence / absence of a left / right turn, the link number of a link traveling after exiting the intersection, and the like may be acquired.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as travel support for the intersection, it is configured to perform intersection guidance and vehicle deceleration control, but other travel support can also be performed. For example, the intersection displayed on the map may be displayed in a color corresponding to the attribute specified for the intersection.

  Further, TR (Traffic Rule) data may be used to specify the attribute of the intersection. The TR data is data provided from a police station or the like, and includes information related to intersection attributes. Therefore, when comparing the attribute candidates associated with the intersection in S22, the ratio may be increased for the attribute candidates that match the TR data. In addition, when determining the details of the driving support at the intersection, if the specified attribute matches the TR data, it can be determined that the reliability of the specified attribute is high, so that it corresponds to the specified attribute. You may comprise so that detailed guidance and vehicle control may be performed.

  Moreover, it is good also as a structure which calculates the reliability of TR data based on the attribute of the intersection specified by the intersection attribute specification processing program shown in FIG. When calculating the reliability of TR data, it is desirable to calculate the reliability for each area. Furthermore, the TR data may be modified based on the specified intersection attribute.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Probe center 2 Intersection information acquisition system 3 Navigation apparatus 4 Vehicle 11 Server 31 CPU
32 RAM
33 ROM
43 Navigation ECU
61 CPU
62 RAM
63 ROM

Claims (9)

Passing mode acquisition means for acquiring a passing mode at the intersection of each vehicle for a plurality of vehicles passing through the intersection;
Attribute specifying means for specifying the attribute of the intersection by statistically determining the passage mode at the intersection of each vehicle acquired by the passing mode acquisition means,
The attribute specifying means includes the presence / absence of a temporary stop of the vehicle at the intersection, and a crossing direction that intersects the approaching direction of the vehicle at the intersection within a predetermined time before and after the time when the vehicle that has temporarily stopped entering the intersection. An intersection information acquisition device that identifies an attribute of the intersection based on the presence or absence of other vehicles passing through the road. Passing mode acquisition means for acquiring a passing mode at the intersection of each vehicle for a plurality of vehicles passing through the intersection;
Attribute specifying means for specifying the attribute of the intersection by statistically determining the passage mode at the intersection of each vehicle acquired by the passing mode acquisition means;
Wherein each aspect passage in the intersection of each vehicle acquired by the passage aspect acquisition means, based on the passage aspect of other vehicles passing the intersection within longitudinal predetermined time after entry time of the vehicle indicated by the pass mode, a plurality has an attribute candidate corresponding means for associating any attribute candidate among the types of attribute candidate attribute candidate of the intersection, and
The attribute specifying unit specifies the attribute of the intersection based on the attribute candidate of the intersection associated with each passing mode by the attribute candidate corresponding unit,
A driving support content determination unit that determines the content of the driving support of the vehicle implemented at the intersection based on the ratio of each type of attribute candidate of the intersection associated with each passing mode by the attribute candidate corresponding unit. Transportation satin information acquisition apparatus you, comprising.   The attribute specifying unit specifies an attribute candidate of a type having the highest ratio among the attribute candidates of the intersection associated with each passing mode by the attribute candidate corresponding unit as the attribute of the intersection. The intersection information acquisition apparatus according to claim 2. Passing mode acquisition means for acquiring a passing mode at the intersection of each vehicle for a plurality of vehicles passing through the intersection;
Attribute specifying means for specifying the attribute of the intersection by statistically determining the passage mode at the intersection of each vehicle acquired by the passing mode acquisition means,
The attribute specifying means includes
For each passing mode at the intersection of each vehicle acquired by the passing mode acquisition means, the passing mode and the intersection within a predetermined time before and after the approach time of the vehicle indicated by the passing mode in a direction different from the passing mode. Compare with the passing mode of other vehicles that pass and have the smallest difference in passing time,
Comparison result based, exchange satin information acquisition apparatus you and estimates the attributes of intersection for each entering direction of the intersection.   The intersection information acquisition apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the passage mode of the vehicle at the intersection includes a traveling direction of the vehicle, a passage time, and whether or not there is a temporary stop at the intersection. Pass mode acquisition means includes Luz step to respectively obtain the aspects passage in the intersection of each vehicle about a plurality of vehicles passing the intersection,
Attribute specifying means, anda Luz step to identify the attributes of the intersections by statistical aspects passage in the intersection of each vehicle acquired by the pass mode obtaining means,
The attribute specifying means includes the presence / absence of a temporary stop of the vehicle at the intersection, and a crossing direction that intersects the approaching direction of the vehicle at the intersection within a predetermined time before and after the time when the vehicle that has temporarily stopped entering the intersection. The intersection information acquisition method characterized by specifying the attribute of the said intersection based on the presence or absence of the other vehicle which passes . The computer,
Passing mode acquisition means for acquiring a passing mode at the intersection of each vehicle for a plurality of vehicles passing through the intersection;
Attribute specifying means for specifying the attribute of the intersection by statistically determining the passage mode at the intersection of each vehicle acquired by the passing mode acquisition means ;
As well as function
The attribute specifying means includes the presence / absence of a temporary stop of the vehicle at the intersection, and a crossing direction that intersects the approaching direction of the vehicle at the intersection within a predetermined time before and after the time when the vehicle that has temporarily stopped entering the intersection. A computer program for identifying an attribute of the intersection based on the presence or absence of other vehicles passing through the road. A passing mode acquisition means for acquiring a passing mode at the intersection of each vehicle for a plurality of vehicles passing through the intersection;
An attribute specifying unit specifying the attribute of the intersection by statistics of a passing mode at the intersection of each vehicle acquired by the passing mode acquiring unit;
The attribute specifying means includes
For each passing mode at the intersection of each vehicle acquired by the passing mode acquisition means, the passing mode and the intersection within a predetermined time before and after the approach time of the vehicle indicated by the passing mode in a direction different from the passing mode. Compare with the passing mode of other vehicles that pass and have the smallest difference in passing time,
An intersection information acquisition method characterized by estimating an intersection attribute for each approach direction of the intersection based on a comparison result. Computer
Passing mode acquisition means for acquiring a passing mode at the intersection of each vehicle for a plurality of vehicles passing through the intersection;
Attribute specifying means for specifying the attribute of the intersection by statistically determining the passage mode at the intersection of each vehicle acquired by the passing mode acquisition means;
As well as function
The attribute specifying means includes
For each passing mode at the intersection of each vehicle acquired by the passing mode acquisition means, the passing mode and the intersection within a predetermined time before and after the approach time of the vehicle indicated by the passing mode in a direction different from the passing mode. Compare with the passing mode of other vehicles that pass and have the smallest difference in passing time,
A computer program for estimating an attribute of an intersection for each approach direction of the intersection based on a comparison result.

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