Intersection guide system, method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9739628-B2
Application number	US-201314413842-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2013
Priority date	Aug 10, 2012
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

Intersection guide systems, methods, and programs acquire information on a path of a vehicle and acquire a travel direction of the vehicle at a guide intersection ahead of the vehicle on the basis of the information on the path. The systems, methods, and programs display a guide image that represents the travel direction superimposed on a portion of a forward scene ahead of the vehicle other than an image of the guide intersection, and a connection line image as superimposed on the forward scene, the connection line image connecting between the image of the guide intersection in the forward scene and the guide image. The connection line image is superimposed on the forward scene such that a length of the connection line image becomes shorter as a degree of approach of the vehicle to the guide intersection becomes larger.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An intersection guide system comprising:
a memory storing a program; and
a CPU that, when executing the program:
acquires information on a path of a vehicle;
acquires a travel direction of the vehicle at a guide intersection ahead of the vehicle on the basis of the information on the path;
causes a display to display a guide image that represents the travel direction as superimposed on a portion of a forward scene ahead of the vehicle other than an image of the guide intersection;
causes the display to display a connection line image as superimposed on the forward scene, the connection line image connecting between the image of the guide intersection in the forward scene and the guide image;
monitors a distance from the vehicle to the guide intersection;
determines whether the monitored distance from the vehicle to the guide intersection has become shorter by a first redetermined distance; and
causes the display to display the connection line image as superimposed on the forward scene such that a length of the connection line image becomes progressively shorter by a second predetermined distance each time the monitored distance from the vehicle to the guide intersection becomes shorter by the first predetermined distance.

2. The intersection guide system according to claim 1 , wherein, when executing the program, the CPU:
causes the display to display the guide image as superimposed on a portion of the forward scene above the image of the guide intersection, and causes the display to display the guide image as superimposed on the forward scene such that the guide image descends toward the image of the guide intersection in the forward scene as the monitored distance from the vehicle to the guide intersection becomes shorter.

3. The intersection guide system according to claim 1 , wherein, when executing the program, the CPU:
causes the display to display the guide image as superimposed on the forward scene such that a size of the guide image becomes larger as the monitored distance from the vehicle to the guide intersection becomes shorter.

4. The intersection guide system according to claim 1 , wherein, when executing the program, the CPU:
causes the display to display the connection line image as superimposed on the forward image such that a tilt of the connection line image in the forward scene is kept constant.

5. The intersection guide system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the guide image includes an entry portion that indicates the travel direction on an entry road for entry into the guide intersection based on the information on the path, and an exit portion that indicates the travel direction on an exit road for exit from the guide intersection based on the information on the path; and
when executing the program, the CPU causes the display to display the entry portion as superimposed on an extension line of the connection line image in the forward scene.

6. The intersection guide system according to claim 1 , wherein, when executing the program, the CPU:
superimposes a shape image, which represents a shape of a connected road connected to the guide intersection, on the forward scene, and causes the display to display the guide image as superimposed on the forward scene such that the guide image represents on the shape image an entry road for entry into the guide intersection and an exit road for exit from the guide intersection.

7. The intersection guide system according to claim 1 , wherein, when executing the program, the CPU:
superimposes a base image on the forward scene, and causes the display to display the guide image as superimposed on the base image.

8. The intersection guide system according to claim 1 , wherein, when executing the program, the CPU:
in the case where the monitored distance from the vehicle to the guide intersection becomes less than a threshold, makes a transition from a first display state, in which the display is caused to display the guide image and the connection line image as superimposed on the forward scene, to a second display state, in which the display is caused to display the guide image as superimposed on the image of the guide intersection in the forward scene.

9. The intersection guide system according to claim 1 , wherein both (i) the connection line image becomes progressively shorter, and (ii) a width of the connection line becomes progressively smaller, as the monitored distance from the vehicle to the guide intersection becomes shorter.

10. The intersection guide system according to claim 1 , wherein the connection line image becomes progressively shorter as the monitored distance from the vehicle to the guide intersection becomes shorter, an amount by which a length of the connection line decreases as it becomes shorter becoming increasingly larger as the monitored distance from the vehicle to the guide intersection becomes shorter.

11. An intersection guide method comprising:
acquiring information on a path of a vehicle;
acquiring a travel direction of the vehicle at a guide intersection ahead of the vehicle on the basis of the information on the path; and
causing a display to display a guide image that represents the travel direction as superimposed on a portion of a forward scene ahead of the vehicle other than an image of the guide intersection;
causing the display to display a connection line image as superimposed on the forward scene, the connection line image connecting between the image of the guide intersection in the forward scene and the guide image;
monitoring a distance from the vehicle to the guide intersection;
determining whether the monitored distance from the vehicle to the guide intersection has become shorter by a first predetermined distance; and
causing the display to display the connection line image as superimposed on the forward scene such that a length of the connection line image becomes progressively shorter by a second predetermined distance each time the monitored distance from the vehicle to the guide intersection becomes shorter by the first predetermined distance.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable intersection guide program, the program comprising instructions to implement the following functions on a computer:
acquiring information on a path of a vehicle;
acquiring a travel direction of the vehicle at a guide intersection ahead of the vehicle on the basis of the information on the path; and
causing a display to display a guide image that represents the travel direction as superimposed on a portion of a forward scene ahead of the vehicle other than an image of the guide intersection;
causing the display to display a connection line image as superimposed on the forward scene, the connection line image connecting between the image of the guide intersection in the forward scene and the guide image;
monitoring a distance from the vehicle to the guide intersection;
determining whether the monitored distance from the vehicle to the guide intersection has become shorter by a first predetermined distance; and
causing the display to display the connection line image as superimposed on the forward scene such that a length of the connection line image becomes progressively shorter by a second predetermined distance each time the monitored distance from the vehicle to the guide intersection becomes shorter by the first second predetermined distance.

Assignees

• Aisin Aw Co
• Aisin Aw Co

Inventors

• Ishikawa Ken
• Mino Kosei
• Kondo Yoshito
• Osoko Saki
• Arai Yumie

Classifications

• G01C21/3647

  Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams · CPC title

• G06T2207/30256

  Lane; Road marking · CPC title

• G01C21/3635

  Guidance using 3D or perspective road maps · CPC title

• G09G5/377

  for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns (G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01C21/3655

  Timing of guidance instructions · CPC title