Traffic signal state detection apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016133129-A1
Application number	US-201514922876-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 26, 2015
Priority date	Nov 6, 2014
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A traffic signal state detection apparatus includes a first traffic signal information obtaining part that obtains first traffic signal information generated by a first infrastructure, a first output process part configured to calculate, based on the first traffic signal information from the first traffic signal information obtaining part, a second traffic signal information obtaining part that obtains second traffic signal information generated by a second infrastructure that is different from the first infrastructure, a second output process part that calculates, based on the second traffic signal information from the second traffic signal information obtaining part, and an output part that outputs one of the first and second remaining times in a situation where the first and second output demands are generated simultaneously, the output remaining time being related to one of the first and second output demands that is being continuously generated before the other is generated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A traffic signal state detection apparatus, comprising:
a first traffic signal information obtaining part configured to obtain first traffic signal information generated by a first infrastructure, the first traffic signal information representing a change in a light state of a traffic signal in time series, the traffic signal being located ahead of a host vehicle; a first output process part configured to calculate, based on the first traffic signal information obtained by the first traffic signal information obtaining part, a first remaining time before a timing when the light state of the traffic signal is to be changed from a current predetermined first state to a second predetermined state that is different from the first state, and generate a first output demand for outputting the calculated first remaining time; a second traffic signal information obtaining part configured to obtain second traffic signal information generated by a second infrastructure that is different from the first infrastructure, the second traffic signal information representing the change in the light state of the traffic signal in time series; a second output process part configured to calculate, based on the second traffic signal information obtained by the second traffic signal information obtaining part, a second remaining time before the timing when the light state of the traffic signal is to be changed from the current predetermined first state to the second predetermined state, and generate a second output demand for outputting the calculated second remaining time; and an output part configured to output one of the first and second remaining times in a situation where the first and second output demands are generated simultaneously, the output remaining time being related to one of the first and second output demands that is being continuously generated before the other is generated.

2 . The traffic signal state detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein once the output part has output the one of the first and second remaining times related to the one of the first and second output demands in a situation where the first and second output demands are generated simultaneously, the output part prevents the remaining time related to the other output demand from being output even if the one of the first and second output demands is not generated afterward and the other is still being generated.

3 . The traffic signal state detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined first state corresponds to the light state of a red traffic signal where the host vehicle cannot go ahead, and the predetermined second state corresponds to the light state of a blue traffic signal where the host vehicle can go ahead, and
once the output part has output one of the first and second remaining times related to one of the first and second output demands during a certain cycle of the red signal, the output part prevents the remaining time related to the other output demand from being output even if the one of the first and second output demands is not generated afterward and the other is generated afterward during the same cycle of the red signal.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Matsuoka Katsuhiro
• Morimoto Kazuhiro

Classifications

• G08G1/093 Primary

  Data selection, e.g. prioritizing information, managing message queues, selecting the information to be output · CPC title

• G08G1/096 Primary

  provided with indicators in which a mark progresses showing the time elapsed, e.g. of green phase · CPC title

• G08G1/095

  Traffic lights · CPC title

• G08G1/096775

  where the origin of the information is a central station · CPC title

• G08G1/096716

  where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control · CPC title