JP5880273B2 - Congestion information presentation system, center device, vehicle device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for estimating an area where a road is congested due to concentration of vehicles, and notifying passengers of a traveling vehicle of information related to the congestion.

  Patent Document 1 describes traffic events ahead of a moving road according to traffic information acquired from a vehicle information communication system (VICS) that provides traffic information such as traffic jam information and regulation information. There is disclosed a navigation device that informs a vehicle occupant of information effective for coping.

  In this navigation device, it is determined from the received VICS information whether there is a traffic event such as traffic jam or congestion ahead on the moving path. In addition, whether or not there are branch events on the route, route points, destinations, or other route events, or facilities that may be used, are within the range of traffic events occurring in front of the travel path. judge. Then, considering the lane where the traffic event occurs, the route event or the location of the facility, information on the necessity of passing through the location where the traffic event occurs and the possibility of avoidance are notified. .

JP 2005-55427 A

  In the prior art as described above, the information center collects information such as the number of vehicles actually traveling on the road and the traveling speed through communication with the sensors installed on the road and the traveling vehicle. Every traffic situation is judged. And in the navigation apparatus of each vehicle, the information presentation which reflected the condition of the traffic congestion which has generate | occur | produced on the route to the preset destination based on the traffic information provided from an information center is performed.

  However, in such a method, when the destination is not set in the navigation device and the route to be traveled is not fixed, it is necessary to turn on the route of the road where the traffic is actually congested. The situation was not reported. Therefore, in a situation where the route to the destination is not set, there is a problem that it is difficult for the driver to quickly grasp and deal with the influence of the traffic congestion on the traveling of the own vehicle.

  In addition, in the case of the method of displaying the traffic congestion situation for each road on the map on the screen, for the driver who is driving, the situation of traffic congestion for each road is that the information presented is too detailed. The burden of thinking is large when the vehicle is visually recognized on the map and the influence on the traveling of the own vehicle is grasped.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems. The purpose is to provide a technique for notifying the influence of the congestion on the traveling of the host vehicle in a manner that is easy for the driver to understand based on the result of estimating the area where the road is congested.

The present invention made to achieve the above object relates to a congestion information presentation system having a vehicle device and a center device that communicates with the vehicle device.
Among these, the center device includes a collecting unit, a congested area specifying unit, and a notification information transmitting unit. The collecting means collects vehicle information including at least information indicating the current location of the vehicle, which is transmitted from the vehicle when an in-vehicle system mounted on the vehicle is turned on or off. The congested area specifying means is based on the vehicle information collected by the collecting means, and the vehicle is assumed to be an area involved in traffic congestion according to the number of vehicle information received within a predetermined time interval for each predetermined geographical area. Identify crowded areas. The notification information transmitting unit transmits notification information indicating the vehicle congestion area specified by the congestion area specifying unit to a predetermined vehicle device.

  On the other hand, the vehicle device includes vehicle information transmission means, notification information acquisition means, and presentation means. The vehicle information transmission means transmits vehicle information including at least information indicating the current location of the host vehicle to the center device when the in-vehicle system of the host vehicle is turned on or off. The notification information acquisition unit acquires notification information transmitted from the center device. The presenting means presents the vehicle congestion area indicated by the notification information acquired by the notification information acquiring means to the driver using the information presenting means provided in the own vehicle.

  According to the present invention configured as described above, instead of observing traffic congestion for each road and presenting information, an area that can be a source of traffic congestion is identified as a vehicle congestion area, and this vehicle congestion area is identified as a vehicle congestion area. It can be presented to the driver.

  For example, in a region where a large number of vehicles with engines, accessories, and the like turned on within a certain period of time are observed, surrounding roads are expected to be congested by vehicles flowing out of the region. Further, in a region where a large number of vehicles with engines, accessories, etc. turned off within a certain period of time are observed, it is expected that surrounding roads will be crowded with vehicles flowing from other regions. In the present invention, the area where these events are observed is regarded as a source of traffic congestion and is reflected in the presentation of information regarding the congestion situation. By doing in this way, the congestion situation can be notified to the driver of the vehicle from a viewpoint different from the conventional method of directly observing the occurrence of traffic congestion for each road.

  Conventionally, only the congestion situation for each road is presented, and when route guidance is not performed by the navigation function, the congestion situation can be known only at the time of on-route to a route where traffic congestion occurs. On the other hand, according to the information presentation method of the present invention, the driver can know the source of traffic congestion, and the traffic congestion trend than the case of knowing the congestion situation in a limited range for each road. Can be judged globally. Therefore, even in a situation where route guidance is not performed by the navigation function, it is possible to easily grasp the influence of congestion on the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

  In addition, in the aspect of presenting information on the congestion situation, it is easier for the driver to perceive the information sensuously by presenting the information of the range of the traffic congestion source, not the information of the line for each road, The driver's thought burden can be reduced.

The block diagram which shows schematic structure of a congestion information presentation system. The flowchart which shows the procedure of center apparatus side process (1). The flowchart which shows the procedure of the center apparatus side process (2). Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the list | wrist of vehicle information. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the graph of the reception number of vehicle information. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the graph of the reception number of vehicle information. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the list | wrist of vehicle information. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the graph of the reception number of vehicle information. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the graph of the reception number of vehicle information. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the list of vehicle congestion areas. The flowchart which shows the procedure of a vehicle apparatus side process. Explanatory drawing which shows the example of a display of a congestion area for cars.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Description of configuration of congestion information presentation system]
As shown in FIG. 1, the congestion information presentation system according to the embodiment includes a vehicle device 1 mounted on a vehicle and a center device 3 installed in an information center that provides various types of information to vehicles in a wide area. Is done.

  The vehicle device 1 is a control device mounted on a vehicle, and is embodied by, for example, a navigation device. The vehicle device 1 includes a control unit 10, to which a position detector 11, a map data input unit 12, a display device 13, an operation switch group 14, a voice input / output unit 15, a storage unit 16, a terminal The communication connection unit 17 and the wireless communication unit 18 are connected to each other.

  The control unit 10 includes a well-known information processing apparatus including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an input / output interface (not shown), and the like, and comprehensively controls each unit configuration connected to the control unit 10. The ROM of the control unit 10 stores programs and data for operating the vehicle device 1. The RAM temporarily stores processing data at the time of program execution.

  The position detector 11 is a device for detecting the current location of the host vehicle. The position detector 11 includes a GPS receiver 11a that receives a positioning signal from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite, a gyroscope 11b that detects angular velocity, and a vehicle speed sensor 11c that detects vehicle speed. Is provided. As the position detector 11, an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration in three axial directions orthogonal to each other and an inclination sensor for detecting an inclination angle in the pitching direction of the vehicle are replaced with some of the above-described components. It may be applied or may be added. The position detector 11 detects the position with high accuracy while interpolating the detection signals of these components.

  The map data input unit 12 is used for inputting navigation map data (map information) stored in a large-capacity information storage medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, hard disk drive, or nonvolatile semiconductor memory. Device. This map data includes map drawing data for map display, road data necessary for processing such as map matching, route search, route guidance, intersection data, background data for displaying background layers, place names, regions, etc. For example, place name data for displaying the point. In addition to this, data corresponding to a map, such as facility data that records detailed information about the facility, point data such as a service area, a parking area, and a parking lot, are included.

  The display device 13 is an output device that displays various image information based on a video signal input from the control unit 10, and includes, for example, a liquid crystal display installed near the driver's seat of the vehicle. The operation switch group 14 is an input device for giving a command or the like related to an operation received from a user to the control unit 10, and is provided on a mechanical switch arranged around the display device 13 or on a display screen of the display device 13. The touch panel is formed.

  A speaker 20 and a microphone 21 are connected to the voice input / output unit 15. The voice input / output unit 15 includes a voice synthesis circuit and the like, and generates a voice based on a voice signal from the control unit 10 and outputs the voice from the speaker 20 or inputs a voice signal from the microphone 21. The audio signal from the microphone 21 includes audio information for the user to input a command to the control unit 10. The voice input / output unit 15 recognizes a command included in the voice information from the microphone 21 and gives the recognition result to the control unit 10.

  The storage unit 16 is configured by a mass storage device such as a hard disk drive or a memory card. The storage unit 16 stores information that records a travel history of a vehicle on which the vehicle device 1 is mounted, information that is downloaded from the center device 3, and the like.

  The terminal communication connection unit 17 is a communication device for performing predetermined short-range wireless communication with a high-function mobile phone terminal 22 (so-called smartphone or the like) possessed by a vehicle driver or an occupant. The terminal communication connection unit 17 is used for performing communication with the center device 3 via the high function mobile phone terminal 22. The wireless communication unit 18 is a wireless communication device for performing communication with the center device 3 via a wide area communication network.

  The center device 3 is an information processing device installed in an organization (information center) that provides various types of information to vehicles in a wide area. The center device 3 communicates with the vehicle device 1 through a wide area communication network such as a base station 4 and a mobile phone communication network provided in a large area. The center device 3 includes a communication unit 31, a control unit 32, a database 33, and the like for communicating with the outside via the base station 4. In the center device 3, various information is collected from a large number of vehicles and information providing organizations via a wide area communication network and stored in the database 33. Examples of this information include vehicle information (position, time, etc.) uploaded from vehicles traveling in various places, traffic jam information, weather information, facility information, and the like.

[Description of Center Device Side Processing 1]
A first embodiment (center device side processing 1) of processing executed by the control unit 32 of the center device 3 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This process is repeatedly executed while the center apparatus 3 is in operation.

  In S100, the control unit 32 receives vehicle information sequentially transmitted from each vehicle existing in a wide area by communication performed by connecting to a wide area communication network via the communication unit 31, and arranges the information in a predetermined format in a database. 33. The vehicle information is information transmitted from the vehicle when the engine is turned on or off in the vehicle. This vehicle information includes information such as the current location (latitude / longitude) of the vehicle, the type of transmission factor (engine on / off), and time. In addition, the specific description about the aspect in which the center apparatus 3 accumulate | stores vehicle information is mentioned later.

  By the way, although an engine was mentioned as an example as a vehicle-mounted system that triggers the transmission of vehicle information, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the ignition may be turned on or off as a vehicle-mounted system. Alternatively, when the vehicle device 1 functions as a navigation system, the vehicle device 1 itself may be turned on or off.

  In S102, the number of received vehicle information within a predetermined time interval (for example, several minutes) for each predetermined geographical area (for example, for each radius of several hundred meters or for each specific facility) is determined based on the accumulated vehicle information. An area exceeding the specified value is identified as a vehicle congestion area that is involved in traffic congestion. And the list which consists of the information which shows the specified vehicle congestion area is created. The information indicating the vehicle congestion area includes information on the position (latitude / longitude) of the area, the type of congestion factor (engine on / off), and the scale of congestion (degree of congestion, number of vehicles). The list of vehicle congestion areas (vehicle congestion area list) is, for example, a vehicle identified within a predetermined area such as a rectangular area of several kilometers or a small administrative division unit such as a town. Information on crowded areas is created together. In addition, the specific description about the aspect of a vehicle congestion area list is mentioned later.

  In next S104, notification information for distributing the vehicle congestion area list created in S102 to the vehicle is created. In S106, the notification information of the vehicle congestion area list created in S104 is distributed to the vehicle traveling in the area corresponding to the vehicle congestion area list or in the vicinity of the area. The notification information may be distributed using a wide-area communication network used when receiving vehicle information, or using FM multiplex broadcasting or communication means such as a radio beacon or an optical beacon installed on the roadside. .

  As a method for limiting the distribution destination of the notification information to specific vehicles traveling in or around the area corresponding to the vehicle congestion area list, the traveling position is determined by periodically transmitting position information from the vehicle. A configuration may be conceived in which a delivery destination is identified and delivered from existing vehicles. Alternatively, a configuration may be considered in which notification information is distributed using communication means for setting a corresponding area in a vehicle congestion area list from among FM multiplex broadcasting, radio wave beacons and optical beacons installed in a wide area. It is done.

[Description of Center Device Side Processing 2]
A second embodiment (center device side processing 2) of processing executed by the control unit 32 of the center device 3 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This process is repeatedly executed while the center apparatus 3 is in operation.

The procedures of S200 and S202 are the same as the procedures of S100 and S102 in the above-described center apparatus side processing 1 (FIG. 2), and thus description thereof is omitted.
In S <b> 204, the control unit 32 determines whether or not a notification information delivery request regarding a vehicle congestion area has been received from the vehicle through communication performed by connecting to the wide area communication network via the communication unit 31. When the distribution request is received from the vehicle (S204: YES), the process proceeds to S206. On the other hand, when the distribution request has not been received from the vehicle (S204: NO), this process ends.

  In step S206, which is performed when a distribution request is received from a vehicle, notification information for distributing a vehicle congestion area list corresponding to an area where the requesting vehicle travels to the requesting vehicle is created. In S208, the notification information of the vehicle congestion area list created in S206 is distributed to the requesting vehicle.

[Vehicle information accumulation example]
Specific examples of the vehicle information stored in the center device 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6.

  FIG. 4 shows an example in which vehicle information received from each vehicle is accumulated in a list format. The list of vehicle information is created for each predetermined geographical range (for example, within a radius of 500 m), and vehicle information generated within the range is recorded. Each vehicle information record recorded in the list includes information items such as “time”, “latitude / longitude”, and “type”.

  The “time” included in the vehicle information is information indicating the time when the vehicle engine is turned on or off, or the time when the vehicle information is received on the center device 3 side. The “latitude / longitude” is information indicating the position of the vehicle when the engine is turned on / off that triggered the transmission of the vehicle information. “Type” is information indicating a factor (engine on or off) that triggered the transmission of the vehicle information.

  In the vehicle information list shown in FIG. 4, vehicle information when the engine is turned on and vehicle information when the engine is turned off are accumulated in one list. In this vehicle information list, when the number of vehicle information received during a predetermined time interval Δt (for example, 5 minutes) exceeds a specified number (for example, 50), the area is It is determined that the vehicle falls into a crowded area.

5 and 6 are graphs showing temporal transitions of the number of vehicle information received (the number of vehicles with the engine on / off) in a certain area.
Among these, the graph of FIG. 5 shows a state in which a situation in which the number of vehicle information received is long over a long period of time continues. In other words, it is suggested that traffic congestion originating from this area is likely to occur on the surrounding roads continuously over a long period of time. For example, it is considered that a crowded state as shown in the graph of FIG. 5 is exhibited in an area where a vehicle frequently enters and exits over a long time period such as a daytime such as a large commercial facility such as a supermarket.

  On the other hand, the graph of FIG. 6 shows a situation in which a large number of vehicle information receptions occur intermittently only in a relatively short specific time zone. That is, it is suggested that traffic congestion with this region as a source is likely to occur on surrounding roads intermittently in a specific time zone. For example, it is considered that a crowded state as shown in the graph of FIG. 6 is exhibited in an area where a vehicle frequently enters and exits during a limited period such as a commuting time zone such as a parking lot provided in an office or factory.

  Next, another example of vehicle information stored in the center device 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7, 8, and 9. In these cases, vehicle information generated in the same geographical area is accumulated separately for vehicle information when the engine is turned on and vehicle information when the engine is turned off.

  FIG. 7 shows an example in which vehicle information received from each vehicle is accumulated in a list format. A list of vehicle information is created for each predetermined geographical range (for example, within a radius of 500 m), and vehicle information generated within the range is recorded in a separate list for each factor. In FIG. 7, the upper list is a list of vehicle information transmitted from the vehicle when the engine is turned on. The lower list is a list of vehicle information transmitted from the vehicle when the engine is turned off.

  In the list of vehicle information, if the number of vehicle information received during a predetermined time interval Δt (for example, 5 minutes) exceeds a specified number (for example, 50), the region Is determined to fall under the vehicle congestion area. In the example of FIG. 7, the vehicle congestion area can be identified for each factor by separately determining the vehicle congestion area in the vehicle information list related to engine on and the vehicle information list related to engine off. Yes. For this reason, it is possible to determine whether there is a possibility of traffic congestion due to vehicles flowing out of the area, or whether there is a possibility of traffic congestion due to vehicles flowing into the area.

  FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are graphs showing temporal transitions of the number of vehicle information received (the number of vehicles with the engine on / off) in a certain area for each factor. In both FIGS. 8 and 9, the upper graph is a graph showing the number of vehicle information received regarding engine-on, and the lower graph is a graph indicating the number of vehicle information received regarding engine-off.

  Among these, the graph of FIG. 8 shows a state in which the situation where the number of vehicle information received is large for both engine on and off continues for a long time. In other words, it is suggested that traffic congestion originating from this area is likely to occur on the surrounding roads continuously over a long period of time. For example, in a region where there are many outflows and inflows of vehicles continuously over a long period of time such as a large commercial facility such as a supermarket, it is considered that the congestion situation shown in the graph of FIG. 8 is exhibited.

  On the other hand, the graph of FIG. 9 shows a state in which a time zone in which the number of vehicle information related to engine-on is large and a time zone in which the number of vehicle information related to engine-off is large are generated separately. That is, it is suggested that the time zone in which traffic congestion due to vehicles flowing out from this region is likely to occur differs from the time zone in which traffic congestion due to vehicles flowing into this region is likely to occur. For example, there are many vehicles that flow in during work hours, such as parking lots set up in offices and factories, and there are many vehicles that flow out during work hours. It is considered that a congested situation as shown in the graph of FIG.

[Vehicle congestion area list explanation]
A specific example of the vehicle congestion area list created based on the list of vehicle information stored in the center device 3 will be described with reference to FIG. A list of congested vehicle areas is created for each predetermined geographical area (for example, a rectangular area of several kilometers, or a small administrative division such as a town), and information on the congested vehicle areas specified within that area is recorded. Is done. Each vehicle congestion area record recorded in the list includes information items such as “latitude / longitude”, “type”, and “congestion level (number)”.

  “Latitude / longitude” included in the information on the vehicle congestion area is information indicating the position coordinates of the vehicle congestion area. The position coordinates of the vehicle congestion area may be the center coordinates of the vehicle congestion area or the position coordinates of a specific facility that is the source of congestion. “Type” is information indicating a factor specified as a vehicle congestion area. Factors include the case where the number of vehicle information related to engine on is greater than or equal to the specified number, the case where the number of vehicle information received related to engine off is equal to or greater than the specified number, or the number of received vehicle information combined with engine on / off There are cases where the number is more than the specified number. The “congestion degree (number)” is information indicating the size of congestion in the vehicle congestion area. The value indicating the degree of congestion may be a value obtained by multiplying the number of vehicle information received in the vehicle congestion area by a predetermined coefficient, or the number of vehicle information received (that is, the number of detected vehicles). It may be itself.

[Description of vehicle device side processing]
A procedure of processing executed by the control unit 10 of the vehicle device 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This process is executed while the vehicle apparatus 1 is in operation.

  When starting the process, the control unit 10 detects that the engine of the host vehicle is turned on in S300. In S <b> 302, information indicating the current location of the host vehicle at the time when the engine is turned on is acquired via the position detector 11. In the next S304, vehicle information for notifying that the engine of the host vehicle is turned on is created, and the vehicle information is transmitted to the center device 3 via the wireless communication unit 18 and the terminal communication connection unit 17. The vehicle information transmitted here includes information indicating the current location acquired in S302, a flag indicating that the engine is turned on, a time when detecting that the engine is turned on, and the like.

  In S306, the current location is acquired every predetermined time while the host vehicle is traveling, and position information for notifying the current location is transmitted to the center device 3. The position information transmitted here is transmitted to request the center apparatus 3 for notification information related to the vehicle congestion area around the current location. Therefore, in the case where the notification information is distributed from the center device 3 without a request from the vehicle side, the procedure of S306 may be omitted.

  In S <b> 308, it is determined whether or not notification information related to a vehicle congestion area has been received from the center device 3. The notification information is received by connecting to the wide area communication network through the wireless communication unit 18 and the terminal communication connection unit 17. In addition to this, a method of receiving notification information from the center apparatus 3 via an optical beacon or radio beacon receiver (not shown) may be used. When notification information is received from the center apparatus 3 (S308: YES), the process proceeds to S310. On the other hand, if notification information has not been received from the center apparatus 3 (S308: NO), the process proceeds to S312.

  In S <b> 310, which proceeds when notification information is received from the center device 3, a mark indicating a congested vehicle area is drawn on the map image based on the received notification information and displayed on the display device 13. Here, based on the information of each vehicle congestion area included in the received notification information, the type of the vehicle congestion area and the size of the congestion are determined at the location corresponding to the vehicle congestion area on the map image around the current location of the host vehicle. Draw and display possible symbols.

  Here, a display example of the vehicle congestion area in S310 will be described with reference to FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 12, symbols 131, 132, and 133 indicating the position, type, and congestion scale of the vehicle congestion area are displayed at corresponding positions on the map image 130. The patterns 131 to 133 indicating the vehicle congested area can determine the type of the vehicle congested area according to the pattern. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the pattern 131 indicates that the vehicle where the engine is turned on is concentrated. In addition, the pattern 132 indicates an area where vehicles with the engine turned off are concentrated. In addition, the pattern 133 indicates that the area is concentrated including both the vehicle with the engine turned on and the vehicle with the engine turned off.

  Furthermore, the size of the congestion can be determined based on the size of the symbol indicating the crowded area of the vehicle. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the size of the symbol to be displayed is increased as the size of the congestion indicated by the vehicle congestion area information increases. In addition, you may express the shape of the symbol which shows a vehicle crowded area not only in a circle but in another shape, such as a polygon. Moreover, you may comprise so that the content of a vehicle congestion area can be discriminate | determined using visual effects, such as not only a pattern of a pattern but a color distinction and blinking.

  Returning to the flowchart of FIG. In S312, it is determined whether it is detected that the engine of the host vehicle is turned off. If the engine of the host vehicle is not turned off (S312: NO), the process returns to S306. On the other hand, when it is detected that the engine of the host vehicle is turned off (S312: YES), the process proceeds to S314.

  In S314, which proceeds when it is detected that the engine of the host vehicle is turned off, information indicating the current location of the host vehicle at the time when the engine is turned off is acquired via the position detector 11. In next S316, vehicle information for notifying that the engine of the host vehicle is turned off is created, and the vehicle information is transmitted to the center device 3 via the wireless communication unit 18 and the terminal communication connection unit 17. The vehicle information transmitted here includes information indicating the current location acquired in S314, a flag indicating that the engine has been turned off, the time at which it was detected that the engine was turned off, and the like. After the vehicle information is transmitted, this process ends.

[effect]
The congestion information presentation system according to the embodiment has the following effects.
Instead of observing traffic congestion for each road and presenting information, the number of vehicles with engines turned on or off is estimated to estimate the traffic congestion area that can be the source of traffic congestion, and this vehicle congestion area is displayed on a map. Can be presented to the driver. According to such an information presentation method, the driver can know the area that is estimated to be the source of traffic congestion, and the traffic congestion trend rather than knowing the congestion situation in a limited area for each road. Can be judged globally. Therefore, even in a situation where route guidance is not performed by the navigation function, it is possible to easily grasp the influence of congestion on the road on which the vehicle is traveling. Further, by displaying the traffic congestion source on the map as regional information, it becomes easier for the driver to perceive the information sensuously, and the driver's thought burden can be reduced.

  Further, on the center device 3 side, it is possible to separately specify a vehicle congestion area caused by the concentration of the engine-on vehicles and a vehicle congestion area caused by the concentration of the engine-off vehicles. it can. As a result, the vehicle congestion area can be displayed in such a manner that the cause of the engine on or off can be determined on the vehicle device 1 side. By doing in this way, whether traffic is generated on the surrounding road due to vehicles flowing out from the vehicle congested area, or whether traffic is generated on the surrounding road due to vehicles flowing into the congested area This makes it possible for the driver to grasp the details.

  Further, on the center device 3 side, information indicating the degree of congestion in the specified vehicle congestion area can be reflected in the notification information transmitted to each vehicle. Thereby, a vehicle congestion area can be displayed in the aspect which can discriminate | determine the magnitude | size of congestion in the vehicle apparatus 1 side. By doing in this way, the information regarding the size of the congestion reflected in the display of the vehicle congestion area can be used as an effective determination material when the driver examines a method of dealing with the vehicle congestion area.

  Further, when the center device 3 transmits the notification information regarding the vehicle congested area, the center device 3 may transmit the notification to the vehicle apparatus 1 mounted on the vehicle traveling within a predetermined geographical area including the vehicle congested area. it can. By doing in this way, highly useful information can be provided for the vehicle which receives the notification information regarding a vehicle congestion area. Further, communication resources can be saved by limiting the range in which the notification information is transmitted.

[Modification]
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be implemented in various modes. Below, the modification of embodiment is described.

  In the above-mentioned embodiment, the vehicle apparatus 1 employ | adopted the structure which transmits vehicle information with respect to the center apparatus 3, when the engine of the own vehicle is turned on or off. For example, the vehicle information is transmitted to the center device 3 at the timing when the accessory switch of the vehicle is turned on or off or when the power of the traveling system in the electric vehicle is turned on or off. May be. Alternatively, the vehicle information may be transmitted to the center device 3 at the timing when the high-function mobile phone terminal 22 is connected to the vehicle device 1 so as to be communicable.

  The vehicle apparatus 1 may be configured to receive notification information from the center apparatus 3 regarding a vehicle congestion area existing in a range other than the vicinity of the current location of the host vehicle. Specifically, when the route to the destination by the navigation function is set, the vehicle device 1 distributes notification information regarding the crowded vehicle area existing around the route from the current location to the destination to the center device 3. To request. On the other hand, the center device 3 distributes notification information related to the corresponding crowded vehicle area to the region requested by the vehicle device 1.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle apparatus, 10 ... Control part, 11 ... Position detector, 11a ... GPS receiver, 11b ... Gyroscope, 11c ... Vehicle speed sensor, 12 ... Map data input part, 13 ... Display apparatus, 14 ... Operation switch group, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 ... Voice input / output part, 16 ... Memory | storage part, 17 ... Terminal communication connection part, 18 ... Wireless communication part, 20 ... Speaker, 21 ... Microphone, 22 ... High-function mobile phone terminal, 3 ... Center apparatus, 31 ... Communication part 32, control unit, 33, database, 4 ... base station.

Claims (5)

In a congestion information presentation system having a vehicle device (1) and a center device (3) that communicates with the vehicle device,
The center device is
Collecting means (32, S100, S200) for collecting vehicle information including at least information indicating the current location of the vehicle, which is transmitted from the vehicle when an in-vehicle system mounted on the vehicle is turned on or off;
Based on the vehicle information collected by the collecting means, according to the number of receptions of the vehicle information within a predetermined time interval for each predetermined geographic area, a vehicle congestion area estimated to be an area involved in traffic congestion , Congestion area specifying means (32, S102, S202) for specifying the size of congestion in the vehicle congestion area according to the number of received vehicle information corresponding to the vehicle congestion area ;
Notification information transmission means (32, 32) for transmitting notification information including information indicating the congested vehicle area specified by the congested area specifying means and scale information indicating the scale of congestion in the congested vehicle area to a predetermined vehicle device. S106, S208)
With
The vehicle device includes:
Vehicle information transmitting means (10, S302, S316) for transmitting vehicle information including at least information indicating the current location of the own vehicle to the center device when the in-vehicle system of the own vehicle is turned on or off;
Notification information acquisition means (10, S308) for acquiring the notification information transmitted from the center device;
Presenting means (10, S310) for presenting the vehicle congested area indicated by the notice information obtained by the notice information obtaining means to the driver using the information presenting means (13) provided in the own vehicle; With
The presenting means is a congestion indicated by a scale information included in the notification information at a position corresponding to the vehicle congested area on the map image displayed on the information presenting means, and indicating a pattern indicating the vehicle congested area. Presenting the crowded area of the vehicle in a manner in which the scale of congestion can be determined by drawing in a size according to the scale of
Congestion information presentation system. In the congestion information presentation system according to claim 1,
In the center device,
The collection means acquires the vehicle information further including factor information for identifying on or off of the in-vehicle system,
The crowded area specifying means is based on factor information included in the vehicle information, and is based on the number of received vehicle information when the in-vehicle system is turned on, and when the in-vehicle system is turned off. Separately identifying the vehicle congestion area based on the number of received vehicle information,
The notification information transmitting means transmits the notification information including information indicating a vehicle congestion area specified by the congestion area specifying means and factor information corresponding to the vehicle congestion area to the vehicle device,
In the vehicle device,
The vehicle information transmission means includes the vehicle information including information indicating a current location of the own vehicle and factor information for identifying on / off of the in-vehicle system when the in-vehicle system of the own vehicle is turned on or off. To the center device,
The said presentation means presents the said vehicle congestion area in the aspect which can distinguish ON or OFF of a vehicle-mounted system based on the factor information contained in the said notification information. The congestion information presentation system characterized by the above-mentioned. In the congestion information presentation system according to claim 1 or 2,
In the center device,
The notification information transmitting means corresponds to the crowded area with respect to the vehicle device mounted on a vehicle traveling within a predetermined geographic area including the vehicle crowded area identified by the crowded area identifying means. A congestion information presentation system characterized by transmitting notification information . The center apparatus provided with the said collection means in the congestion information presentation system of any one of Claim 1 thru | or 3 , the said congestion area specific | specification means, and the said notification information transmission means. The vehicle apparatus provided with the said vehicle information transmission means, the said notification information acquisition means, and the said presentation means in the congestion information presentation system of any one of Claim 1 thru | or 3 .