FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10, rule 13)
“MOVEMENT PATH SPECIFICATION DEVICE
AND MOVEMENT PATH SPECIFICATION
METHOD AND PROGRAM”
MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD., a Japanese
Company of 16-5, Konan 2-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-
8215, Japan
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the
manner in which it is to be performed.
2
DESCRIPTION
MOVEMENT PATH SPECIFICATION DEVICE AND MOVEMENT PATH
SPECIFICATION METHOD AND PROGRAM
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001]
The present invention relates to a movement path specification device installed
in a vehicle, etc. and configured to specify a movement path of the vehicle, a movement
path specification method, and its program.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-242144, filed
November 4, 2011, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002]
A car navigation device installed in a vehicle, etc. measures a current location of
a vehicle by receiving a transmission signal transmitted from a Global Positioning
System (GPS) satellite and specifies a road on which the vehicle is currently traveling.
The car navigation device performs a process of specifying a virtual location
corresponding to a real current location of the vehicle on the specified road of a map
displayed on a screen of the car navigation device and indicating a mark representing the
current location of the vehicle at the virtual location, etc.
Also, technology for indicating the current location on the map output to the
display screen is disclosed in Patent Literature 1.
3
PRIOR ART LITERATURE
PATENT LITERATURE
[0003]
[Patent Literature 1]
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2008-134187
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
[0004]
Incidentally, a toll is collected using a charging method called road pricing for
charging the toll according to a road through which a vehicle has actually passed or a
distance in Europe, Singapore, or the like. In the road pricing, a movement path is
specified based on a positioning result of the vehicle according to a signal received from
the GPS satellite and charging, etc. are performed according to a travel distance in the
movement path.
[0005]
Here, the technology of the car navigation device of the above-described Patent
Literature 1 is technology for accurately mapping the current location of the vehicle on
the map and displaying the mapping result even when a branch of the road is a branch of
a small angle. However, there are cases in which it is erroneously determined that the
vehicle is located on another road on which the vehicle does not travel when the
movement path of the vehicle is calculated by such a car navigation device and the
movement path is used in charging calculation of the road pricing. In this case, the
calculation of a toll for charging using the erroneous path as the movement path is likely
to be performed and highly accurate toll calculation is difficult.
4
[0006]
Here, an object of the present invention is to provide a movement path
specification device and a movement path specification method capable of solving the
above-described problem and its program.
MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS
[0007]
In order to achieve the aforementioned object, according to the present invention,
there is provided a movement path specification device including: a movement path
output unit configured to output identification information of a road included in any
estimated movement path information other than that determined to be outside a
movement path among the estimated movement path information including the
identification information of the road representing the movement path of past estimation
as the identification information of the road representing an established past movement
path.
[0008]
According to the present invention, in the above-described movement path
specification device, the movement path output unit specifies the identification
information of a continuously included common road as the established past movement
path within the estimated movement path information other than that determined to be
outside the movement path, and outputs the identification information of the road
representing the past movement path.
[0009]
According to the present invention, the above-described movement path
specification device includes: a road information specification unit configured to specify
5
road information at a location within an error range from a current location of its own
device as a candidate for a current movement path; an estimated movement location
computation unit configured to sequentially compute estimated movement locations from
one endpoint closest to the current location on each road of a candidate for the current
movement path specified by the road information specification unit according to passage
of time based on a movement distance of a vehicle including its own device according to
the passage of time; a next path road information specification unit configured to specify
the road information in which the estimated movement location computed for the road
information specified by the road information specification unit first approaches another
endpoint of the road information and specify the road information connected to the road
represented by the road information as the candidate for the next path; an estimated
movement path information generation unit configured to specify the road information
connected to the road information specified by the next path road information
specification unit as the candidate for the next path from among the road information
specified by the road information specification unit as the candidate for a current
movement path and separately generate the estimated movement path information in
which the identification information of the road included in the road information and the
identification information of the road included in the road information specified by the
next path road information specification unit as the candidate for the next path are
associated for all the road information specified by the next path road information
specification unit as the candidate for the next path; and an out-of-movement-path
determination unit configured to determine the estimated movement path information in
which possibility of the candidate for the movement path is low among generated
estimated movement path information as the estimated movement path information
outside the movement path by setting the road information specified by the next path
6
road information specification unit as the candidate for the next path as the candidate for
the current movement path and sequentially performing processes of the estimated
movement location computation unit, the next path road information specification unit,
and the estimated movement path information generation unit.
[0010]
According to the present invention, in the above-described movement path
specification device, the estimated movement path information generation unit computes
estimated likelihood of the road information specified as the candidate for a current
movement path using at least a location and an extending direction in a real space of the
road included in the road information specified as the candidate for the current movement
path and the location and a traveling direction in the real space detected by its own
device, and associates and records the computed estimated likelihood and the
identification information of the road included in the road information specified as the
candidate for the current movement path in the estimated movement path information,
and the movement path output unit specifies one piece of the estimated movement path
information based on the estimated likelihood from among the estimated movement path
information other than that determined to be outside the movement path, and specifies
and outputs the identification information of each road included in the estimated
movement path information as the established past movement path.
[0011]
According to the present invention, in the above-described movement path
specification device, the movement path output unit specifies the estimated movement
path information in which the estimated likelihood having a highest value is recorded
among the estimated likelihood recorded in association with the identification
information of recently specified roads included in the estimated movement path
7
information other than that determined to be outside the movement path, and specifies
and outputs the identification information of each road included in the estimated
movement path information as the established past movement path.
[0012]
According to the present invention, in the above-described movement path
specification device, the movement path output unit specifies the estimated movement
path information in which the identification information of the road input from another
device is recorded as the identification information of a recently specified road among
the estimated movement path information other than that determined to be outside the
movement path, and specifies and outputs the identification information of each road
included in the estimated movement path information as the established past movement
path.
[0013]
According to the present invention, in the above-described movement path
specification device, the movement path output unit specifies the estimated movement
path information recording estimated likelihood having a highest value among the
estimated likelihood recorded in association with the identification information of the
road included in the road information specified as the candidate for the current movement
path a predetermined number of times earlier among the estimated movement path
information other than that determined to be outside the movement path, and specifies
and outputs the identification information of each road included in the estimated
movement path information as the established past movement path.
[0014]
According to the present invention, in the above-described movement path
specification device, after the identification information of roads specified as the
8
established past movement path is output, the movement path output unit determines to
compute the output of the identification information of the road representing the
established past movement path again when the identification information of the road
recorded in most recently estimated movement path information among the output road
identification information is not consistent with the identification information of a
connection road recorded in association with location information close to a current
location among the identification information of connection roads included in newly
specified road information.
[0015]
According to the present invention, there is provided a processing method of a
movement path specification device, including: outputting, by a movement path output
unit of the movement path specification device, identification information of a road
included in any estimated movement path information other than that determined to be
outside a movement path among the estimated movement path information including the
identification information of the road representing the movement path of past estimation
as the identification information of the road representing an established past movement
path.
[0016]
According to the present invention, in the above-described processing method,
the movement path output unit specifies the identification information of a continuously
included common road as the established past movement path within the estimated
movement path information other than that determined to be outside the movement path,
and outputs the identification information of the road representing the past movement
path.
[0017]
9
According to the present invention, the above-described processing method
includes: specifying, by a road information specification unit of the movement path
specification device, road information at a location within an error range from a current
location of its own device as a candidate for a current movement path; sequentially
computing, by an estimated movement location computation unit of the movement path
specification device, estimated movement locations from one endpoint closest to the
current location on each road of the candidate for the current movement path specified by
the road information specification unit according to passage of time based on a
movement distance of a vehicle including its own device according to the passage of
time; specifying, by a next path road information specification unit of the movement path
specification device, the road information in which the estimated movement location
computed for the road information specified by the road information specification unit
first approaches another endpoint of the road information and specifying the road
information connected to the road represented by the road information as the candidate
for the next path; specifying, by an estimated movement path information generation unit
of the movement path specification device, the road information connected to the road
information specified by the next path road information specification unit as the
candidate for the next path from among the road information specified by the road
information specification unit as the candidate for a current movement path and
separately generating the estimated movement path information in which the
identification information of the road included in the road information and the
identification information of the road included in the road information specified by the
next path road information specification unit as the candidate for the next path are
associated for all the road information specified by the next path road information
specification unit as the candidate for the next path; and determining, by an
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out-of-movement-path determination unit of the movement path specification device, the
estimated movement path information in which possibility of the candidate for the
movement path is low among generated estimated movement path information as the
estimated movement path information outside the movement path by setting the road
information specified by the next path road information specification unit as the
candidate for the next path as the candidate for the current movement path and
sequentially performing processes of the estimated movement location computation unit,
the next path road information specification unit, and the estimated movement path
information generation unit.
[0018]
According to the present invention, there is provided a program for causing a
computer of a movement path specification device to function as: a movement path
output means configured to output identification information of a road included in any
estimated movement path information other than that determined to be outside a
movement path among the estimated movement path information including the
identification information of the road representing the movement path of past estimation
as the identification information of the road representing an established past movement
path.
[0019]
According to the present invention, in the above-described program, the
movement path output means specifies the identification information of a continuously
included common road as the established past movement path within the estimated
movement path information other than that determined to be outside the movement path,
and outputs the identification information of the road representing the past movement
path.
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[0020]
According to the present invention, the above-described program causes the
computer to function as: a road information specification means configured to specify
road information at a location within an error range from a current location of its own
device as a candidate for a current movement path; an estimated movement location
computation means configured to sequentially compute estimated movement locations
from one endpoint closest to the current location on each road of a candidate for the
current movement path specified by the road information specification means according
to passage of time based on a movement distance of a vehicle including its own device
according to the passage of time; a next path road information specification means
configured to specify the road information in which the estimated movement location
computed for the road information specified by the road information specification means
first approaches another endpoint of the road information and specify the road
information connected to the road represented by the road information as the candidate
for the next path; an estimated movement path information generation means configured
to specify the road information connected to the road information specified by the next
path road information specification means as the candidate for the next path from among
the road information specified by the road information specification means as the
candidate for a current movement path and separately generate the estimated movement
path information in which the identification information of the road included in the road
information and the identification information of the road included in the road
information specified by the next path road information specification means as the
candidate for the next path are associated for all the road information specified by the
next path road information specification means as the candidate for the next path; and an
out-of-movement-path determination means configured to determine the estimated
12
movement path information in which possibility of the candidate for the movement path
is low among generated estimated movement path information as the estimated
movement path information outside the movement path by setting the road information
specified by the next path road information specification means as the candidate for the
next path as the candidate for the current movement path and sequentially performing
processes of the estimated movement location computation means, the next path road
information specification means, and the estimated movement path information
generation means.
EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0021]
According to the present invention, a movement path on which a vehicle has
previously traveled can be accurately computed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022]
Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a movement path
specification device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating road information stored by a map data storage
unit.
Fig. 3 is a first diagram illustrating an estimated movement path information
data table.
Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a processing flow of the movement path
specification device.
Fig. 5 is a first diagram illustrating a processing outline of a road information
13
specification unit.
Fig. 6A is a second diagram illustrating the processing outline of the road
information specification unit.
Fig. 6B is a second diagram illustrating the processing outline of the road
information specification unit.
Fig. 7 is a second diagram illustrating the estimated movement path information
data table.
Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating a processing outline of an out-of-movement-path
determination unit.
Fig. 9 is a third diagram illustrating the estimated movement path information
data table.
Fig. 10 is a first diagram illustrating a processing outline of a movement path
output unit.
Fig. 11 is a second diagram illustrating the processing outline of the movement
path output unit.
Fig. 12 is a third diagram illustrating the processing outline of the movement
path output unit.
Fig. 13 is a fourth diagram illustrating the processing outline of the movement
path output unit.
Fig. 14A is a diagram illustrating an outline of an effect of the movement path
specification device.
Fig. 14B is a diagram illustrating an outline of the effect of the movement path
specification device.
Fig. 14C is a diagram illustrating an outline of the effect of the movement path
specification device.
14
Fig. 15A is a fifth diagram illustrating the processing outline of the movement
path output unit.
Fig. 15B is a fifth diagram illustrating the processing outline of the movement
path output unit.
Fig. 16 is a diagram illustrating a processing outline during tunnel traveling.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0023]
Hereinafter, a movement path specification device according to an embodiment
of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the movement path
specification device according to the embodiment.
In Fig. 1, reference sign 1 represents the movement path specification device.
The movement path specification device 1, for example, is a device provided in a car
navigation device included in a vehicle or connected to the car navigation device via a
communication cable within the vehicle. The movement path specification device 1 is a
device configured to accurately determine a road on which the vehicle provided with its
own device has previously travelled.
[0024]
The movement path specification device 1 is connected to a latitude-longitude
measurement device 2, an acceleration sensor 3, a gyro sensor 4, and a vehicle velocity
signal output device 5 provided in the vehicle via a communication cable. In the
movement path specification device 1, information output from the latitude-longitude
measurement device 2, the acceleration sensor 3, the gyro sensor 4, and the vehicle
velocity signal output device 5 is input by an input unit 10 of the movement path
15
specification device 1. In addition, the movement path specification device 1 includes
processing units and storage units of a communication unit 11, a map data storage unit 12,
a road information specification unit 13, an estimated movement location computation
unit 14, a next path road information specification unit 15, an estimated movement path
information generation unit 16, an estimated movement path information storage unit 17,
an out-of-movement-path determination unit 18, a movement path output unit 19, an
established movement path storage unit 20, a payment request response unit 21, and a
control unit 100.
[0025]
The communication unit 11 is the processing unit configured to receive
information from another device via a communication network such as a wireless link.
In this embodiment, for example, a signal transmitted by a transmission device provided
on a roadside or information transmitted by an information distribution server connected
to a network via a wireless base station device is received.
The map data storage unit 12 is the storage unit configured to store map data
including road information for roads included in a map. Although an example when the
movement path specification device 1 according to this embodiment includes the map
data storage unit 12 within its own device will be described, the map data storage unit 12
may be provided in an external device. In this case, the movement path specification
device 1 reads and processes information stored in the map data storage unit 12 via the
communication cable or the communication network.
In addition, the road information specification unit 13 is the processing unit
configured to specify road information of an initial time of a movement start serving as a
candidate for a movement path of the vehicle provided with its own device from among a
plurality of pieces of the road information stored in map data within the map data storage
16
unit 12 based on information input from the input unit 10.
[0026]
In addition, the estimated movement location computation unit 14 is the
processing unit configured to compute a location in the specified road information based
on traveling of the vehicle.
In addition, the next path road information specification unit 15 is the processing
unit configured to specify the road information serving as the candidate for the next path.
In addition, the estimated movement path information generation unit 16 is the
processing unit configured to generate the estimated movement path information in
which road identification information (road IDs) represented by the road information is
associated and held in order of movement path using road information specified as the
candidate for the current movement path or road information specified as the candidate
for the next path. Although details about the estimated movement path information will
be described later, the estimated movement path information stores the road ID of the
road on which the vehicle provided with the movement path specification device 1 has
previously traveled or is currently traveling. For example, when it is estimated that the
vehicle is likely to have sequentially traveled on roads A, B, C, and D, the estimated
movement path information generation unit 16 generates the estimated movement path
information associated and stored in order of road ID of the roads A, B, C, and D. In
addition, the vehicle is likely to have sequentially traveled on the roads A, B, C, and E
simultaneously when it is estimated that the vehicle is likely to have sequentially traveled
on the roads A, B, C, and D. In this case, the estimated movement path information
generation unit 16 further generates the estimated movement path information associated
and stored in order of road ID of the roads A, B, C, and E.
The estimated movement path information storage unit 17 is the storage unit
17
configured to store the estimated movement path information generated by the estimated
movement path information generation unit 16. More specifically, the estimated
movement path information generation unit 16 writes the generated estimated movement
path information to the estimated movement path information storage unit 17. Thereby,
the estimated movement path information storage unit 17 stores the estimated movement
path information.
[0027]
In addition, the out-of-movement-path determination unit 18 is the processing
unit configured to determine the estimated movement path information including
information about a road determined to be outside the movement path among the
estimated movement path information recorded on the estimated movement path
information storage unit 17.
In addition, the movement path output unit 19 is the processing unit configured
to output information about the road established as that representing a past movement
path using the estimated movement path information other than that including the
information about the road determined to be outside the movement path.
[0028]
In addition, the established movement path storage unit 20 is the storage unit
configured to store the information about the road established as that representing the
past movement path output by the movement path output unit 19.
In addition, the payment request response unit 21 is the processing unit
configured to issue a payment request response according to a payment request from an
external device such as a charging device. The information recorded on the established
movement path storage unit 20 is stored in the payment request response. That is, the
payment request response unit 21 is the processing unit configured to control a process of
18
reading information recorded on the established movement path storage unit 20 when a
payment request has been input, generating the payment request response including the
information, and transmitting the payment request response to a device of a payment
request transmission source via the communication unit 11.
In addition, the control unit 100 is the processing unit configured to control the
processing units of the input unit 10, the communication unit 11, the road information
specification unit 13, the estimated movement location computation unit 14, the next path
road information specification unit 15, the estimated movement path information
generation unit 16, the out-of-movement-path determination unit 18, the movement path
output unit 19, and the payment request response unit 21. Also, a central processing
unit (CPU) of a computer provided in the movement path specification device 1 executes
a program and therefore these processing units are provided within the movement path
specification device.
[0029]
Then, the movement path specification device 1 provided with the processing
units and the storage units as described above estimates the road on the path on which the
vehicle provided with its own device has previously traveled and outputs a road ID of the
road representing the established past movement path.
More specifically, the movement path specification device 1 specifies road
information at a location within the error range as a candidate for a current movement
path based on at least a location in a real space of its own device from among the road
information including at least a road ID, location information including an endpoint in
the real space of the road, an extending direction, and an ID (connection road ID) of a
connection road connected to the road as the road information about a plurality of roads
divided by an endpoint or the road, a branch point, or a connection point.
19
[0030]
In addition, the movement path specification device 1 specifies the location
information of one endpoint closest to the current location in the real space of its own
device for the specified road information among the location information included in the
specified road information, and sequentially computes the estimated movement location
in the road represented by the specified road information according to the passage of time
based on a movement distance of its own deice according to the passage of time.
In addition, the movement path specification device 1 specifies the road
information in which the estimated movement location computed for the specified road
information first approaches another endpoint of the road information, and specifies the
road information representing the road connected to the other endpoint of the road
information as a candidate for the next path.
In addition, the movement path specification device 1 specifies the road
information including the location information of the endpoint included in the road
information specified as the candidate for the next path and the location information of a
close endpoint within a predetermined distance from among the road information
specified as the candidate for a current movement path, and generates the estimated
movement path information in which the road ID included in the road information and
the road ID included in the road information specified as the candidate for the next path
are associated for all the road information specified as the candidate for the next path.
[0031]
In addition, the movement path specification device 1 determines the estimated
movement path information in which possibility of the candidate for the movement path
is low as the estimated movement path information outside the movement path among
generated estimated movement path information by setting the road information specified
20
as the candidate for the next path as the candidate for the current movement path and
sequentially performing estimated movement location computation, next path road
information specification, and estimated movement path information generation.
In addition, the movement path specification device 1 outputs the road ID
included in any estimated movement path information other than that determined to be
outside the movement path as the road ID representing the established past movement
path.
[0032]
Alternatively, for the output of the road ID representing the established past
movement path, the movement path specification device 1, for example, specifies a
continuously included common road ID as the established past movement path within the
estimated movement path information other than that determined to be outside the
movement path, and outputs the road ID representing the past movement path.
Alternatively, for the output of the road ID representing the established past
movement path, the movement path specification device 1, for example, specifies one
piece of estimated movement path information based on estimated likelihood from
among the estimated movement path information other than that determined to be outside
the movement path, and specifies and outputs each road ID included in the estimated
movement path information as the established past movement path.
[0033]
Alternatively, for the output of the road ID representing the established past
movement path, the movement path specification device 1, for example, specifies the
estimated movement path information recording estimated likelihood having a highest
value among the estimated likelihood recorded in association with recently specified road
IDs included in the estimated movement path information other than that determined to
21
be outside the movement path, and specifies and outputs each road ID included in the
estimated movement path information as the established past movement path.
Alternatively, for the output of the road ID representing the established past
movement path, the movement path specification device 1, for example, specifies the
estimated movement path information in which the road ID input from another device is
recorded as a recently specified road ID among the estimated movement path information
other than that determined to be outside the movement path, and specifies and outputs
each road ID included in the estimated movement path information as the established
past movement path.
[0034]
Alternatively, for the output of the road ID representing the established past
movement path, the movement path specification device 1, for example, specifies the
estimated movement path information recording estimated likelihood having a highest
value among the estimated likelihood recorded in association with the road ID included
in the road information specified as the candidate for the current movement path a
predetermined number of times earlier among the estimated movement path information
other than that determined to be outside the movement path, and specifies and outputs
each road ID included in the estimated movement path information as the established
past movement path.
Alternatively, for the output of the road ID representing the established past
movement path, the movement path specification device 1, for example, computes the
output of the road ID representing the established past movement path again when the
road ID recorded in most recently estimated movement path information among output
road IDs after the road ID specified as the established past movement path is output is
not consistent with a connection road ID recorded in association with location
22
information close to a current location among connection road IDs included in newly
specified road information.
[0035]
Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating road information stored by the map data storage
unit.
The road information stored by the map data storage unit 12 is information about
roads represented in a map represented by map data, and information such as road IDs of
the roads, a location (latitude and longitude) in a real space of the road, an extending
direction, and a connection road ID representing another connected road is stored. It is
assumed that the road represented in the map represented by the map data is divided at a
location such as a branch point, a starting point, or an end point of the road and a road ID
is allocated to each division road. For example, the road on the map as illustrated in Fig.
2 is divided into 9 roads from a road of ID1 to a road of ID9 based on the starting point
or the branch point of the road or a connection point of another road.
[0036]
In the road as illustrated in Fig. 2, road information about the 9 roads from the
road of ID1 to the road of ID9 is recorded on the map data storage unit 12. Then, a
plurality of pieces of location information such as location information of endpoints such
as the starting point and the end point of the road in one division road represented by the
road ID and an intermediate point may be stored as a location in the real space of the
road in one piece of road information. For example, for the road of ID1 in Fig. 2,
location information of a connection point connected to the road of ID2, location
information of a connection point connected to the road of ID3, location information of
an intermediate point of the road of ID1, etc. are stored in the road information about the
road of ID1. Alternatively, location information of each point of a predetermined
23
spacing between endpoints such as the starting point and the end point may be stored in
the road information.
[0037]
In addition, the extending direction stored in the road information is an angle
formed with a certain reference direction. For example, when the reference direction is
true north, the extending direction corresponding to a location of a point on the road
included in the road information is an angle of a straight line connecting the location of
another point on the same road adjacent to the point formed with the reference direction.
In addition, for example, in this embodiment, location information of a plurality of points
on the road and the extending direction represented by the angle from the reference
direction for the location information of the plurality of points may be stored in the road
information.
[0038]
In addition, because the road represented by the road ID1 is connected to the
road represented by the road ID2 and the road represented by the road ID3, the
connection road ID2 and the connection road ID3 are stored as the connection road IDs
in the road information including the road ID1. Here, the connection road IDs, for
example, are registered in association with location information of an endpoint of a side
to which the road represented by the connection road ID is connected among location
information of the endpoints included in the road information. That is, for example, for
the road information of the road ID1, the road ID2 is connected to an endpoint A of the
road and the road ID3 is connected to an endpoint B of the road. Accordingly, as the
road information of the road ID1, the road ID1, the location information of the endpoint
A, and the location information of the endpoint B are stored, the road ID2 is stored in
association with the location information of the endpoint A, and the road ID3 is stored in
24
association with the location information of the endpoint B. In addition, various
information within the road information may be stored in other formats.
[0039]
Fig. 3 is a first diagram illustrating an estimated movement path information
data table stored by the estimated movement path information storage unit.
The estimated movement path information storage unit 17 stores one or more
pieces of estimated movement path information generated by the estimated movement
path information generation unit 16 within the estimated movement path information data
table. The example of Fig. 3 is an example when four pieces of road information
estimated as roads on which the vehicle provided with its own device travels are
specified from among the road information recorded on the map data storage unit 12
immediately after the movement path specification device 1 has started the process, and
recorded within the estimated movement path information data table.
[0040]
The example of Fig. 3 is an example when the four pieces of road information
including ID=1, 2, 4, and 5 are specified immediately after the movement path
specification device 1 has started the process. An out-of-movement-path flag
representing whether it is determined to be outside the movement path and the road
information are stored in each of four pieces of corresponding estimated movement path
information. In this embodiment, the out-of-movement-path flag is set to “0” in a
situation in which it is not determined to be outside the movement path and is set to “1”
in a situation in which it is determined to be outside the movement path. In addition,
the road information stored in the estimated movement path information, for example, is
a road ID and estimated likelihood. The estimated likelihood is a value representing a
degree (likelihood) to which the road is estimated to be a road on which the vehicle
25
provided with the estimated path specification device travels, and is a value to be
computed by the estimated movement path information generation unit 16.
[0041]
Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a processing flow of the movement path
specification device.
Next, details of the process of the movement path specification device will be
described in order using Fig. 4.
First, when the vehicle starts up, power is supplied from a battery of the vehicle
to the movement path specification device 1 provided in the vehicle. Then, the control
unit 100 of the movement path specification device 1 outputs a start request signal of the
road information specification process to the road information specification unit 13.
Then, the road information specification unit 13 starts the road information specification
process (step S101). In addition, when the vehicle starts up, power is also supplied to
the latitude-longitude measurement device 2, the acceleration sensor 3, the gyro sensor 4,
and the vehicle velocity signal output device 5. Then, the latitude-longitude
measurement device 2, the acceleration sensor 3, the gyro sensor 4, and the vehicle
velocity signal output device 5 output detection signals to the movement path
specification device 1.
[0042]
Specifically, the latitude-longitude measurement device 2 outputs a current
location (latitude and longitude) of the vehicle provided with the movement path
specification device 1 to the movement path specification device 1 at predetermined
intervals. In addition, the acceleration sensor 3 outputs current acceleration of the
vehicle to the movement path specification device 1 at predetermined intervals. In
addition, the gyro sensor 4 outputs an angle of the vehicle based on a predetermined
26
direction or an angular velocity of the vehicle to the movement path specification device
1 at predetermined intervals. In addition, the vehicle velocity signal output device 5
outputs a pulse signal (vehicle velocity signal) proportional to the number of rotations of
an axle to the movement path specification device 1 at predetermined intervals. Then,
the road information specification unit 13 of the movement path specification device 1
first specifies road information of an initial time of a movement start within an error
range of a current location using the current location among input information (step
S102).
[0043]
Fig. 5 is a first diagram illustrating a processing outline of the road information
specification unit.
The process of step S102 will be described in further detail. The road
information specification unit 13 reads a distance of the error range from a memory, etc.
In addition, the road information specification unit 13 reads road information storing a
certain road IDx from the map data storage unit 12, reads location information in which a
distance from the current location is closest among the location information stored along
with the road IDx from the road information, and determines whether the distance
between a location represented by the location information and the current location is less
than the distance of the error range. Then, when the determination is Yes, the road
information specification unit 13 estimates and specifies the road information including
the road IDx as a candidate for a road which is likely to be on a movement path at an
initial time of movement. Then, the road information specification unit 13 similarly
determines whether the road is within the error range using road information about each
road stored in the map data storage unit 12, and estimates and specifies the road
information representing the road within the error range as the road information
27
representing the candidate for the road which is likely to be on the movement path.
[0044]
In Fig. 5, an example when the current location of the vehicle is in the vicinity
of a connection point between the road of the road ID1 and the road of the road ID2 is
illustrated. In this case, a distance between a location of a point (endpoint or the like)
on the road included in each of four pieces of road information including road IDs of the
road ID1, the road ID2, the road ID4, and the road ID5 and the current location is
assumed to be within the error range. Then, the four pieces of road information
including the road IDs of the road ID1, the road ID2, the road ID4, and the road ID5 are
estimated and specified to be road information representing the candidate for the road
which is likely to be on the movement path.
Thus, the road information specification unit 13 reads the four pieces of
specified road information including the road IDs of the road ID1, the road ID2, the road
ID4, and the road ID5 from the map data storage unit 12 and outputs the read four pieces
of specified road information to the estimated movement location computation unit 14.
In addition, the road information specification unit 13 outputs the four pieces of specified
road information as the road information of the initial time of the movement start to the
estimated movement path information generation unit 16.
[0045]
When the road information of the initial time of the movement start is input, the
estimated movement path information generation unit 16 determines whether the
estimated movement path information is already recorded within the estimated
movement path information data table of the estimated movement path information
storage unit 17. Here, power is supplied to the movement path specification device 1
and no estimated movement path information is recorded within the estimated movement
28
path information data table of the estimated movement path information storage unit 17
in an initial state. The estimated movement path information generation unit 16 reads a
road ID from the road information of the initial time of the movement start specified by
the road information specification unit 13 and generates estimated movement path
information equal in number to the number of pieces of the road information of the initial
time of the movement start individually including the road ID (step S103). That is, the
estimated movement path information generation unit 16 generates estimated movement
path information 1 including the road ID1, estimated movement path information 2
including the road ID2, estimated movement path information 3 including the road ID4,
and estimated movement path information 4 including the road ID5. Then, the
estimated movement path information generation unit 16 registers the information of the
estimated movement path information 1 to 4 in the estimated movement path information
data table.
[0046]
At this time, the estimated movement path information generation unit 16
records the estimated movement path information 1 by associating and recording an
out-of-movement-path flag representing “0” of the situation in which it is not determined
to be outside the movement path and the road ID1 serving as the road information in the
estimated movement path information data table within the estimated movement path
information storage unit 17.
In addition, the estimated movement path information generation unit 16 records
the estimated movement path information 2 by associating and recording the
out-of-movement-path flag representing “0” of the situation in which it is not determined
to be outside the movement path and the road ID2 serving as the road information in the
estimated movement path information data table within the estimated movement path
29
information storage unit 17.
In addition, the estimated movement path information generation unit 16 records
the estimated movement path information 3 by associating and recording the
out-of-movement-path flag representing “0” of the situation in which it is not determined
to be outside the movement path and the road ID4 serving as the road information in the
estimated movement path information data table within the estimated movement path
information storage unit 17.
In addition, the estimated movement path information generation unit 16 records
the estimated movement path information 4 by associating and recording the
out-of-movement-path flag representing “0” of the situation in which it is not determined
to be outside the movement path and the road ID5 serving as the road information in the
estimated movement path information data table within the estimated movement path
information storage unit 17.
Thereby, the estimated movement path information generation unit 16 generates
the estimated movement path information data table as illustrated in Fig. 3.
[0047]
Figs. 6A and 6B are second diagrams each illustrating the processing outline of
the road information specification unit.
On the other hand, when the specified road information of the initial time of the
movement start is input from the road information specification unit 13, the estimated
movement location computation unit 14 specifies location information of one endpoint
close to the current location in a real space of its own device from among endpoints of
the location information included in the road information. For example, location
information of one endpoint close to the current location is read from the four pieces of
road information including the road ID1, the road ID2, the road ID4, and the road ID5.
30
Then, movement distances are sequentially computed using a vehicle velocity signal,
acceleration, each velocity, latitude/longitude, etc. input from the input unit 10 according
to passage of time. The estimated movement location computation unit 14 sequentially
computes estimated movement locations (see Fig. 6A) according to the movement
distances from one endpoints specified in the four pieces of specified road information
(step S104), and outputs the road information specified by the road information
specification unit 13 and the estimated movement location iteratively computed
according to the passage of time for the specified road information to the next path road
information specification unit 15.
[0048]
The next path road information specification unit 15 sequentially receives the
road information specified by the road information specification unit 13 and estimated
movement locations for the specified road information input from the estimated
movement location computation unit 14. Then, the next path road information
specification unit 15 iteratively computes a distance between the location information of
another endpoint different from the one endpoint included in the road information and the
estimated movement location, and determines whether the computed distance is within a
predetermined distance for the road information (step S105). Then, the first road
information for which the computed distance is within the predetermined distance is
specified (step S106). Thereby, when it is estimated that movement according to the
movement distance represented by the estimated movement location has been performed
on the road represented by the road information specified by the road information
specification unit 13, the road that first reaches the branch point or the connection point
with another road is specified.
[0049]
31
Then, the next path road information specification unit 15 specifies the road
information about the connection road connected to the other endpoint among the road
information in which the current location of the vehicle is specified to be closest to the
location of the other endpoint in the specified road information as the road information
(see Fig. 6B) about the road representing the candidate for the next path (step S107).
For example, a connection road ID included within the specified road information in
association with the other endpoint of the road information in which the current location
of the vehicle is specified to be closest to the location of the other endpoint in the
specified road information is detected. Then, the road information including the road
ID which is the same as the connection road ID is read from the map data storage unit 12
and the road information is specified to be the road information representing the road of
the candidate for the next path. In the example of Fig. 6B, the road information of the
road ID4 and the road information of the road ID5 are specified to be the road
information serving as the candidate for the next path. Then, the next path road
information specification unit 15 outputs the road information serving as the candidate
for the current movement path specified by the road information specification unit 13 and
the road information serving as the candidate for the next path specified by the next path
road information specification unit 15 to the estimated movement path information
generation unit 16.
[0050]
When the road information serving as the candidate for the current movement
path specified by the road information specification unit 13 and the road information
serving as the candidate for the next path specified by the next path road information
specification unit 15 are input from the next path road information specification unit 15,
the estimated movement path information generation unit 16 calculates estimated
32
likelihood of each of the roads represented by the road information serving as the
candidates for the current movement path. The estimated likelihood is a value
representing the degree (likelihood) to which the vehicle is likely to travel on the road
represented by the road information serving as the candidate for the current movement
path.
[0051]
In a specific computation technique, for example, location information P1, a
movement distance L1, and a traveling direction D1 of the vehicle are first computed
according to passage of time from the time at which the road information serving as the
candidate for the current movement path is specified to the time at which the road
information serving as the candidate for the next path is specified. In addition, the
estimated movement path information generation unit 16 reads location information P2,
an extending distance L2 between endpoints of the road, and an extending direction D2
included in the road information serving as the candidate for the current movement path.
Then, a difference between the location information P1 and the location information P2,
a difference between the movement distance L1 and the extending distance L2, and a
difference between an angle (an angle from a reference azimuth such as true north)
represented by the traveling direction D1 and an angle (an angle from a reference
azimuth such as true north) represented by the extending direction D2 are computed
according to the passage of time and a sum of values obtained by weighting the
differences is computed as the estimated likelihood. Then, the estimated movement
path information generation unit 16 associates the estimated likelihood computed for the
road information serving as the candidate of the current movement path with the road ID
of the road information and records the associated estimated likelihood and road ID
within the estimated movement path information data table illustrated in Fig. 3 (step
33
S108). The computation of the estimated likelihood and the recording within the
estimated movement path information data table are performed for the road information
serving as the candidates for all current movement paths.
[0052]
After the above-described process of step S106, the next path road information
specification unit 15 sets the road information specified as the candidate for the next path
as the candidate for the current movement path, and outputs the road information
representing the candidate for the current movement path to the estimated movement
location computation unit 14. Then, the estimated movement location computation unit
14 computes the estimated movement location as described above using the road
information serving as the candidate for the current movement path input from the next
path road information specification unit 15. In addition, based on the estimated
movement location, the next path road information specification unit 15 specifies specific
information serving as the candidate for the next path. Then, the similar process is
iterated at intervals of predetermined timings T1, T2,  in the estimated movement
location computation unit 14 and the next path road information specification unit 15,
and the next path road information specification unit 15 outputs the road information
serving as the candidate for the current movement path and the road information serving
as the candidate for the next path to the estimated movement path information generation
unit 16 at predetermined intervals.
[0053]
The estimated movement path information generation unit 16 receives the road
information serving as the candidate for the current movement path and the road
information serving as the candidate for the next path input from the next path road
information specification unit 15 at predetermined intervals. Then, every time there is
34
an input, the estimated movement path information is updated or generated (step S109).
More specifically, the estimated movement path information generation unit 16
determines whether the estimated movement path information is already recorded within
the estimated movement path information data table of the estimated movement path
information storage unit 17. Here, the estimated movement path information including
the road ID of the road information of the initial time of the movement start is already
recorded within the estimated movement path information data table according to the
above-described process. Then, the estimated movement path information generation
unit 16 specifies the road information for holding the same road ID as the connection
road ID in association with the location information of the endpoint included in the road
information specified as the candidate for the next path from among the road information
specified as the candidate for the current movement path. Then, the estimated
movement path information in which the road ID included in the road information is
associated with the road ID included in the road information specified as the candidate
for the next path is separately generated for all the road information specified as the
candidate for the next path.
[0054]
That is, in the description using the examples of Figs. 5, 6A, and 6B, the road
information specified as the candidate for the current movement path is the road
information including each of the road ID1, the road ID2, the road ID4, and the road ID5.
In addition, the road information specified as the candidate for the next path is the road
ID4 and the road ID5. Then, the estimated movement path information generation unit
16 reads each of connection road IDs associated with location information of an endpoint
from the road information of the road ID4 and the road ID5 specified as the candidate for
the next path. The connection road ID2 is included in the connection road IDs. Then,
35
the estimated movement path information generation unit 16 specifies the road
information in which the same road IDs as the read connection road IDs are held from
the road information including the road ID1, the road ID2, the road ID4, and the road ID5.
That is, the road information including the road ID2 is specified.
[0055]
Then, the estimated movement path information generation unit 16 copies the
estimated movement path information (the estimated movement path information 2 of
Fig. 3) including the connection road ID2 as the road ID of the previously specified road
information, and generates new estimated movement path information 2-2 recording the
road ID4 of the road information specified as the candidate for the next path by
associating the copied estimated movement path information with the road ID2 within
the estimated movement path information. In addition, likewise, the estimated
movement path information generation unit 16 copies the estimated movement path
information (the estimated movement path information 2 of Fig. 3) including the
connection road ID2 as the road ID of the previously specified road information, and
generates new estimated movement path information 2-3 recording the road ID5 of the
road information specified as the candidate for the next path by associating the copied
estimated movement path information with the road ID2 within the estimated movement
path information.
[0056]
In addition, the estimated movement path information generation unit 16 updates
the estimated movement path information 1 to 4 already recorded on the estimated
movement path information storage unit 17 by reading each road ID and associating the
read road ID with the same road ID within the estimated movement path information.
That is, the estimated movement path information 1 is updated by associating the road
36
ID1 and the road ID1. In addition, likewise, the estimated movement path information
2 is updated by associating the road ID2 and the road ID2. In addition, likewise, the
estimated movement path information 3 is updated by associating the road ID4 and the
road ID4. In addition, likewise, the estimated movement path information 4 is updated
by associating the road ID5 and the road ID5.
[0057]
Fig. 7 is a second diagram illustrating the estimated movement path information
data table stored by the estimated movement path information storage unit.
According to the above-described process of the estimated movement path
information generation unit 16, the estimated movement path information data table
stores estimated movement path information 1, estimated movement path information 2,
estimated movement path information 2-2, estimated movement path information 2-3,
estimated movement path information 3, and estimated movement path information 4 as
illustrated in Fig. 7. Also, in the end step of the above-described process, the road ID of
the road information (road information 1) specified at the initial time (timing T1) of the
movement start and its estimated likelihood are recorded in the estimated movement path
information, and the road ID of the road information (road information 2) specified by
the next path road information specification unit as the candidate for the next path at a
timing T2 is further recorded in association with its road ID. At a time point of this
process, the estimated likelihood associated with each road ID represented by the road
information 2 is not yet registered.
[0058]
Then, the estimated movement path information generation unit 16 performs a
similar process of the above-described estimated likelihood computation technique when
the road information serving as the candidate for the current movement path specified by
37
the road information specification unit 13 and the road information serving as the
candidate for the next path specified by the next path road information specification unit
15 are input from the next path road information specification unit 15 the next time.
Then, the estimated movement path information generation unit 16 computes the
estimated likelihood for the road of each road ID represented by the road information 2,
and records the estimated likelihood computed for the road information serving as the
candidate of the current movement path in association with the road ID of corresponding
road information within the estimated movement path information data table. Thereby,
the estimated likelihood is recorded in association with each road ID recorded as the road
information 2 of the estimated movement path information of Fig. 7.
[0059]
Next, the out-of-movement-path determination unit 18 performs a process of
excluding the estimated movement path information recorded as the road ID of the road
information in which the road ID of the road considered as the movement path having
low possibility has recently been specified from among the estimated movement path
information recorded on the estimated movement path information storage unit 17 from
the candidate (step S110).
In this process, for example, when a road information notification signal
(beacon) storing the road ID is received from an external device via the communication
unit 11 during the above-described process, the estimated movement path information in
which the road ID other than that read from the road information notification signal is
recorded as the road ID of the road information most recently specified is excluded as a
candidate.
Alternatively, for example, the estimated movement path information recording
estimated likelihood less than or equal to a threshold value among estimated likelihood
38
recorded within the estimated movement path information in association with the road ID
of the most recently specified road information is excluded as a candidate.
[0060]
Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating a processing outline of the out-of-movement-path
determination unit.
Fig. 8 is a tree diagram illustrating the estimated movement path information
illustrated in Fig. 7. Road information specified at each of timings T1 and T2 is stored
in the estimated movement path information. In this state, an example in which the
out-of-movement-path determination unit 18 has excluded the estimated movement path
information 1, the estimated movement path information 3, and the estimated movement
path information 4 recorded by associating the estimated likelihood less than or equal to
the threshold value with the latest (timing T2) road information based on the estimated
likelihood as candidates is illustrated.
[0061]
Fig. 9 is a third diagram illustrating the estimated movement path information
data table stored by the estimated movement path information storage unit.
When the estimated movement path information in which the road ID of the
road considered as the movement path having low possibility is recorded as the road ID
of the road information most recently specified (timing T2) is excluded from among the
estimated movement path information recorded on the estimated movement path
information storage unit 17, the out-of-movement-path determination unit 18 rewrites the
out-of-movement-path flag stored in the estimated movement path information
determined to be excluded from “0” to “1” as illustrated in Fig. 9. Then, the
out-of-movement-path determination unit 18 outputs a movement path establishment
request to the movement path output unit 19.
39
[0062]
Next, when the movement path establishment request is input from the
out-of-movement-path determination unit 18, the movement path output unit 19 specifies
the road ID established as the movement path from among road IDs representing roads
estimated as past movement paths using the road ID included in the estimated movement
path information including the out-of-movement-path flag “0” recorded on the estimated
movement path information storage unit 17 (step S111). Specifically, for example, the
movement path output unit 19 compares the road IDs in sequence from the first recorded
road ID among all the estimated movement path information including the
out-of-movement-path flag “0” recorded on the estimated movement path information
storage unit 17, and extracts a continuously common road ID. Then, the movement path
output unit 19 specifies the road represented by the extracted road ID continuously
common from the first road ID as the established past movement path, and records the
“road ID continuously common from the first road ID” representing the established
movement path on the established movement path storage unit 20.
[0063]
Fig. 10 is a first diagram illustrating a processing outline of the movement path
output unit.
In Fig. 10, the estimated movement path information including road information
specified at timings T1, T2, T3, and T4 is illustrated in a tree diagram. An example in
which the road represented by the road ID continuously common from the first road ID
specified at the timing T1 is specified as the established past movement path based on the
estimated movement path information is illustrated. The example of Fig. 10 is an
example in which the number of pieces of the estimated movement path information
including the out-of-movement-path flag “0” recorded on the estimated movement path
40
information storage unit 17 is 3. Thus, an example in which the movement path output
unit 19 records the road ID2 specified at the timing T1 and the road ID4 specified at the
timing T2 as the road ID continuously common from the first road ID on the established
movement path storage unit 20 using the three pieces of estimated movement path
information is illustrated.
[0064]
Here, in addition to the above-described process, the movement path
specification device 1 may be configured to perform a map matching process of plotting
and displaying a current location on a map displayed on the display unit such as a
monitor as in the related art (step S112). Then, the control unit 100 of the movement
path specification device 1 determines whether to perform an end operation based on an
input of power OFF, a processing pause request signal included in a wireless signal
received from an external device when the vehicle enters a parking lot, a payment request
signal from outside, or the like (step S113), and iterates the process from the
above-described process of step S104 when there is no end. Thereby, a process of
recording new estimated movement path information, updating the estimated movement
path information, or excluding the estimated movement path information as a candidate
is performed on the estimated movement path information data table of the estimated
movement path information storage unit 17. The movement path output unit 19 records
the road ID representing the past movement path sequentially established by iterating the
process on the established movement path storage unit 20 after step S111. Then, for
example, when a payment request is input (step S114), the payment request response unit
21 outputs a payment request response storing the road ID recorded on the established
movement path storage unit 20 to the request source (step S115).
[0065]
41
Here, the request source of the payment request, for example, is a charging
processing device connected via a wireless communication network, a car navigation
device connected via the communication cable, or the like. Then, when the device of
the request source inputs the payment request response, a charging process is performed
based on the road ID stored in the payment request response.
[0066]
Also, the road ID continuously common from the first road ID is not likely to be
extracted using the estimated movement path information including the
out-of-movement-path flag “0” recorded on the estimated movement path information
storage unit 17. For example, it is assumed that there is a region in which computation
is difficult because a road branch, etc. is complex. In this case, a transmission device
configured to transmit a road information notification signal in which the road ID is
stored may be installed on the road, the movement path specification device 1 may
receive a road information communication signal via the communication unit 11, and the
movement path output unit 19 may specify the road ID established as the movement path
based on the road ID included in the road information communication signal. In this
case, the movement path output unit 19 specifies the estimated movement path
information in which the road ID read from the road information communication signal is
held as the latest recorded road ID from among all the estimated movement path
information including the out-of-movement-path flag “0,” specifies the road represented
by each road ID included in the estimated movement path information as the established
past movement path, and records the road ID representing the established movement path
on the established movement path storage unit 20.
[0067]
Alternatively, when the vehicle is in a certain specific region, a road ID having
42
high reliability is read from a reliability database within its own device when it is
determined that the vehicle travels on a road within the region by storing the road ID
having the high reliability for a final movement path. Thus, the estimated movement
path information in which the road ID is recorded as the road ID of the recently specified
road information may be specified, the road represented by each road ID included in the
estimated movement path information may be specified as the established past movement
path, and the road ID representing the established movement path may be recorded on the
established movement path storage unit 20.
[0068]
Alternatively, the movement path output unit 19 may use other techniques in the
above-described process of specifying the estimated movement path information as the
established past movement path. For example, when a movement path establishment
request has been input from the out-of-movement-path determination unit 18, the
movement path output unit 19 may specify one piece of estimated movement path
information based on estimated likelihood from among the estimated movement path
information including the out-of-movement-path flag “0” recorded on the estimated
movement path information storage unit 17, and specify and output each road ID
included in the estimated movement path information as the road ID representing the
established past movement path. In this case, the movement path output unit 19 reads
latest estimated likelihood recorded in the estimated movement path information from
among the estimated movement path information including the out-of-movement-path
flag “0” recorded on the estimated movement path information storage unit 17, and
specifies the road represented by each road ID included in the estimated movement path
information in which the estimated likelihood representing a highest value is recorded as
the established past movement path.
43
[0069]
Fig. 11 is a second diagram illustrating the processing outline of the movement
path output unit.
Fig. 11 is an example in which the movement path output unit 19 specifies the
estimated movement path information in which the estimated likelihood having the
highest value for the road information specified at a latest timing is recorded from among
the estimated movement path information including the out-of-movement-path flag “0,”
and specifies and outputs each road ID included in the estimated movement path
information as the road ID representing the established past movement path. In the
example of Fig. 11, estimated likelihood of the road ID4 among the road information
specified at the latest timing T4 is highest. Accordingly, the estimated movement path
information including the road ID4 at the timing T4 is specified. Then, the movement
path output unit 19 specifies the road ID2, the road ID4, the road ID5, and the road ID4
included in the estimated movement path information as the road ID representing the
established past movement path and records the specified road ID2, road ID4, road ID5,
and road ID4 on the established movement path storage unit 20.
[0070]
Alternatively, the movement path output unit 19 may specify the estimated
movement path information in which the estimated likelihood having the highest value is
recorded among the estimated likelihood recorded in association with the road ID of the
road information specified as the candidate for the current movement path at a timing a
predetermined number of times earlier from among the estimated movement path
information including the out-of-movement-path flag “0” recorded on the estimated
movement path information storage unit 17, and specify and output each road ID
included in the estimated movement path information as the road ID representing the
44
established past movement path.
[0071]
Fig. 12 is a third diagram illustrating the processing outline of the movement
path output unit.
Fig. 12 illustrates an example in which the movement path output unit 19
specifies the estimated movement path information in which the estimated likelihood
having the highest value is recorded among the estimated likelihood recorded in
association with the road ID of the road information specified at a timing a
predetermined number of times earlier as the candidate for the current movement path
from among the estimated movement path information including the
out-of-movement-path flag “0,” and specifies and outputs each road ID included in the
estimated movement path information as the road ID representing the established past
movement path. In the example of Fig. 12, the estimated likelihood recorded in
association with the road ID recorded at a timing T3 previous to the road ID recorded at
the latest timing T4 for the currently generated estimated movement path information is
read from among the estimated movement path information including the
out-of-movement-path flag “0,” the road ID1, the road ID4, and the road ID4 included in
the estimated movement path information recording an estimated likelihood of “0.7”
which is the highest value are specified as the road ID representing the established past
movement path and recorded on the established movement path storage unit 20.
[0072]
Fig. 13 is a fourth diagram illustrating the processing outline of the movement
path output unit.
The movement path output unit 19 may be configured to compute an output of
the road ID representing the established past movement path again when the road ID
45
most recently recorded in the estimated movement path information among the output
road IDs after the road ID representing the established past movement path is output to
the established movement path storage unit 20 is not consistent with the connection road
ID recorded in association with the location information closest to the current location
among the connection road IDs included in the road information in association with the
road ID representing the movement path newly established after the output of the road
ID.
[0073]
That is, as illustrated in (a) of Fig. 13, the movement path output unit 19 is
assumed to sequentially output the road ID2, the road ID4, and the road ID4 as the
established past movement paths at the timings T1, T2, and T3. In this situation, the
movement path output unit 19 compares the road ID4 recorded in the estimated
movement path information most recently (timing T3) among the already output road IDs
to the connection road ID included in information about the road ID6 having the highest
estimated likelihood value representing the newly established movement path thereafter
(timing T4). Here, the connection road IDs included in the road information of the road
ID6 are only the connection road ID5 and the connection road ID7, and the connection
road ID4 is not included. Accordingly, it can be determined that the road represented
by the road ID4 and the road represented by the road ID6 are not connected. Thereby,
the movement path output unit 19 determines to compute the established past movement
path again when the road ID4 recorded in the estimated movement path information most
recently (timing T3) among the already output road IDs is not consistent with the
connection road ID included in information about the road ID6 having the highest
estimated likelihood value representing the newly established movement path thereafter
(timing T4). Then, in this case, the movement path output unit 19 computes the road ID
46
serving as the established past movement path again as illustrated in (b) of Fig. 13.
[0074]
Here, in general map matching technology, it may be determined and displayed
that the vehicle travels on a road different from a road on which the vehicle actually
travels according to accuracy of map matching. However, according to the
above-described process of the movement path specification device, a highly reliable
road estimated as a traveling road is established based on estimated likelihood, a road ID
obtained according to communication from another device, or the like, and the road ID of
the established road is output as the past movement path. Accordingly, it is also
possible to specify the road representing a highly accurate past movement path from road
specification using map matching of the related art.
[0075]
Figs. 14A, 14B, and 14C are diagrams each illustrating an outline of an effect of
the movement path specification device.
Fig. 14A illustrates the general map matching technology. In the map
matching technology, a location is specified based on a reception signal from a GPS
satellite and a current traveling road is specified. However, in the map matching
technology, accuracy is degraded and sudden transition from a situation in which
traveling on a certain road is determined to a situation in which traveling on another road
not connected to the road is determined may occur. In such a case, it is difficult to
determine a road on which the vehicle has actually traveled and determine whether the
vehicle has reached a road specified for current traveling by traveling through the
determined road. However, when the road of the previously established road ID2 is
connected to the road of the road ID4 and the road of the road ID5 as illustrated in Fig.
14B, the movement path specification device 1 of this embodiment determines which of
47
the road of the road ID4 and the road of the road ID5 is a road on which the vehicle has
traveled according to estimated likelihood at the end of traveling of the road of the road
ID4 or the road of the road ID5 (at the end of traveling up to an endpoint) or a road ID
read from a signal from another device. Accordingly, as illustrated in Fig. 14C, each
continuous road included in the movement path can be accurately specified.
[0076]
Figs. 15A and 15B are fifth diagrams each illustrating the processing outline of
the movement path output unit.
The situation illustrated in Fig. 15A is an example in which the number of roads
capable of being established by the movement path output unit 19 as the past movement
path is two or more. For example, when the movement path according to roads of Road
ID2Road ID5Road ID6Road ID8 and the movement path according to roads of
Road ID2Road ID4Road ID7Road ID8 are considered as illustrated in Fig. 15A,
the movement paths are compared, a different road is specified, and a sum of distances of
the roads is computed for each movement path. Then, the movement path having a
smallest distance sum may be established as the past movement path (Fig. 15B).
Thereby, it is possible to perform a cheapest charging process in consideration of a merit
for a user when charging is performed according to a movement distance. Alternatively,
a different road is specified by comparing the movement paths and a sum of payment
money of the road is computed for each movement path. Then, a movement path of a
smallest sum of payment money may be established as the past movement path.
[0077]
Fig. 16 is a diagram illustrating a processing outline during tunnel traveling.
The movement path specification device 1 may be configured to stop a process
of establishing the past movement path from the entry of a tunnel to the exit of the tunnel.
48
In this case, the next path road information specification unit 15 detects a road ID
representing a tunnel input according to communication or the like at the tunnel entry and
a road ID representing the tunnel input according to communication or the like at the
tunnel exit, and outputs road information including the road ID (tunnel) as the road
information serving as the candidate for the next path to the estimated movement path
information generation unit 16 by detecting the two road IDs. In addition, the
out-of-movement-path determination unit 18 excludes estimated movement path
information in which a road ID other than that of the tunnel is most recently recorded,
and the movement path output unit 19 establishes the road ID representing the past
movement path from among the estimated movement path information in which the road
ID of the tunnel is most recently recorded.
[0078]
Also, the above-described movement path specification device internally
includes a computer system. The steps of each of the above-described processes may be
stored in a computer-readable recording medium in the form of a program, and the
above-described processes are performed by causing a computer to read and execute the
program. Here, “computer-readable recording medium” denotes a magnetic disk, a
magneto-optical disc, a compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile
disc (DVD)-ROM, a semiconductor memory, etc. The computer program may be
distributed to a computer via a communication line, and executed by the computer
receiving the distributed program.
[0079]
The program may implement some of the functions described above. The
program may also be a so-called differential file (differential program) capable of
implementing the above-described functions in combination with a program already
49
recorded on the computer system.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0080]
The present invention can be widely applied to a movement path specification
device, which is disposed in a vehicle, etc. and specifies a movement path of the vehicle,
and a movement path specification method, and a movement path through which the
vehicle has previously traveled can be accurately computed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE SYMBOLS
[0081]
1 Movement path specification device
2 Movement longitude measurement device
3 Acceleration sensor
4 Gyro sensor
5 Vehicle velocity signal output device
10 Input unit
11 Communication unit
12 Map data storage unit
13 Road information specification unit
14 Estimated movement location computation unit
15 Next path road information specification unit
16 Estimated movement path information generation unit
17 Estimated movement path information storage unit
18 Out-of-movement-path determination unit
50
19 Movement path output unit
20 Established movement path storage unit
21 Payment request response unit
100 Control unit
51
CLAIMS
[Claim 1]
A movement path specification device comprising:
a movement path output unit configured to output identification information of a
road included in any estimated movement path information other than that determined to
be outside a movement path among the estimated movement path information including
the identification information of the road representing the movement path of past
estimation as the identification information of the road representing an established past
movement path.
[Claim 2]
The movement path specification device according to claim 1, wherein the
movement path output unit specifies the identification information of a continuously
included common road as the established past movement path within the estimated
movement path information other than that determined to be outside the movement path,
and outputs the identification information of the road representing the past movement
path.
[Claim 3]
The movement path specification device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:
a road information specification unit configured to specify road information at a
location within an error range from a current location of its own device as a candidate for
a current movement path;
an estimated movement location computation unit configured to sequentially
compute estimated movement locations from one endpoint closest to the current location
on each road of a candidate for the current movement path specified by the road
information specification unit according to passage of time based on a movement
52
distance of a vehicle including its own device according to the passage of time;
a next path road information specification unit configured to specify the road
information in which the estimated movement location computed for the road
information specified by the road information specification unit first approaches another
endpoint of the road information and specify the road information connected to the road
represented by the road information as the candidate for the next path;
an estimated movement path information generation unit configured to specify
the road information connected to the road information specified by the next path road
information specification unit as the candidate for the next path from among the road
information specified by the road information specification unit as the candidate for a
current movement path and separately generate the estimated movement path information
in which the identification information of the road included in the road information and
the identification information of the road included in the road information specified by
the next path road information specification unit as the candidate for the next path are
associated for all the road information specified by the next path road information
specification unit as the candidate for the next path; and
an out-of-movement-path determination unit configured to determine the
estimated movement path information in which possibility of the candidate for the
movement path is low among generated estimated movement path information as the
estimated movement path information outside the movement path by setting the road
information specified by the next path road information specification unit as the
candidate for the next path as the candidate for the current movement path and
sequentially performing processes of the estimated movement location computation unit,
the next path road information specification unit, and the estimated movement path
information generation unit.
53
[Claim 4]
The movement path specification device according to claim 3,
wherein the estimated movement path information generation unit computes
estimated likelihood of the road information specified as the candidate for a current
movement path using at least a location and an extending direction in a real space of the
road included in the road information specified as the candidate for the current movement
path and the location and a traveling direction in the real space detected by its own
device, and associates and records the computed estimated likelihood and the
identification information of the road included in the road information specified as the
candidate for the current movement path in the estimated movement path information,
and
wherein the movement path output unit specifies one piece of the estimated
movement path information based on the estimated likelihood from among the estimated
movement path information other than that determined to be outside the movement path,
and specifies and outputs the identification information of each road included in the
estimated movement path information as the established past movement path.
[Claim 5]
The movement path specification device according to claim 4, wherein the
movement path output unit specifies the estimated movement path information in which
the estimated likelihood having a highest value is recorded among the estimated
likelihood recorded in association with the identification information of recently
specified roads included in the estimated movement path information other than that
determined to be outside the movement path, and specifies and outputs the identification
information of each road included in the estimated movement path information as the
established past movement path.
54
[Claim 6]
The movement path specification device according to any of claims 1 to 3,
wherein the movement path output unit specifies the estimated movement path
information in which the identification information of the road input from another device
is recorded as the identification information of a recently specified road among the
estimated movement path information other than that determined to be outside the
movement path, and specifies and outputs the identification information of each road
included in the estimated movement path information as the established past movement
path.
[Claim 7]
The movement path specification device according to claim 4, wherein the
movement path output unit specifies the estimated movement path information recording
estimated likelihood having a highest value among the estimated likelihood recorded in
association with the identification information of the road included in the road
information specified as the candidate for the current movement path a predetermined
number of times earlier among the estimated movement path information other than that
determined to be outside the movement path, and specifies and outputs the identification
information of each road included in the estimated movement path information as the
established past movement path.
[Claim 8]
The movement path specification device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
wherein, after the identification information of roads specified as the established past
movement path is output, the movement path output unit determines to compute the
output of the identification information of the road representing the established past
movement path again when the identification information of the road recorded in most
55
recently estimated movement path information among the output road identification
information is not consistent with the identification information of a connection road
recorded in association with location information close to a current location among the
identification information of connection roads included in newly specified road
information.
[Claim 9]
A processing method of a movement path specification device, comprising:
outputting, by a movement path output unit of the movement path specification
device, identification information of a road included in any estimated movement path
information other than that determined to be outside a movement path among the
estimated movement path information including the identification information of the road
representing the movement path of past estimation as the identification information of the
road representing an established past movement path.
[Claim 10]
The processing method according to claim 9, wherein the movement path output
unit specifies the identification information of a continuously included common road as
the established past movement path within the estimated movement path information
other than that determined to be outside the movement path, and outputs the
identification information of the road representing the past movement path.
[Claim 11]
The processing method according to claim 9 or 10, comprising:
specifying, by a road information specification unit of the movement path
specification device, road information at a location within an error range from a current
location of its own device as a candidate for a current movement path;
sequentially computing, by an estimated movement location computation unit of
56
the movement path specification device, estimated movement locations from one
endpoint closest to the current location on each road of the candidate for the current
movement path specified by the road information specification unit according to passage
of time based on a movement distance of a vehicle including its own device according to
the passage of time;
specifying, by a next path road information specification unit of the movement
path specification device, the road information in which the estimated movement location
computed for the road information specified by the road information specification unit
first approaches another endpoint of the road information and specifying the road
information connected to the road represented by the road information as the candidate
for the next path;
specifying, by an estimated movement path information generation unit of the
movement path specification device, the road information connected to the road
information specified by the next path road information specification unit as the
candidate for the next path from among the road information specified by the road
information specification unit as the candidate for a current movement path and
separately generating the estimated movement path information in which the
identification information of the road included in the road information and the
identification information of the road included in the road information specified by the
next path road information specification unit as the candidate for the next path are
associated for all the road information specified by the next path road information
specification unit as the candidate for the next path; and
determining, by an out-of-movement-path determination unit of the movement
path specification device, the estimated movement path information in which possibility
of the candidate for the movement path is low among generated estimated movement
57
path information as the estimated movement path information outside the movement path
by setting the road information specified by the next path road information specification
unit as the candidate for the next path as the candidate for the current movement path and
sequentially performing processes of the estimated movement location computation unit,
the next path road information specification unit, and the estimated movement path
information generation unit.
[Claim 12]
A program for causing a computer of a movement path specification device to
function as:
a movement path output means configured to output identification information
of a road included in any estimated movement path information other than that
determined to be outside a movement path among the estimated movement path
information including the identification information of the road representing the
movement path of past estimation as the identification information of the road
representing an established past movement path.
[Claim 13]
The program according to claim 12, wherein the movement path output means
specifies the identification information of a continuously included common road as the
established past movement path within the estimated movement path information other
than that determined to be outside the movement path, and outputs the identification
information of the road representing the past movement path.
[Claim 14]
The program according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the program causes the
computer to further function as:
a road information specification means configured to specify road information at
58
a location within an error range from a current location of its own device as a candidate
for a current movement path;
an estimated movement location computation means configured to sequentially
compute estimated movement locations from one endpoint closest to the current location
on each road of a candidate for the current movement path specified by the road
information specification means according to passage of time based on a movement
distance of a vehicle including its own device according to the passage of time;
a next path road information specification means configured to specify the road
information in which the estimated movement location computed for the road
information specified by the road information specification means first approaches
another endpoint of the road information and specify the road information connected to
the road represented by the road information as the candidate for the next path;
an estimated movement path information generation means configured to
specify the road information connected to the road information specified by the next path
road information specification means as the candidate for the next path from among the
road information specified by the road information specification means as the candidate
for a current movement path and separately generate the estimated movement path
information in which the identification information of the road included in the road
information and the identification information of the road included in the road
information specified by the next path road information specification means as the
candidate for the next path are associated for all the road information specified by the
next path road information specification means as the candidate for the next path; and
an out-of-movement-path determination means configured to determine the
estimated movement path information in which possibility of the candidate for the
movement path is low among generated estimated movement path information as the
59
estimated movement path information outside the movement path by setting the road
information specified by the next path road information specification means as the
candidate for the next path as the candidate for the current movement path and
sequentially performing processes of the estimated movement location computation
means, the next path road information specification means, and the estimated movement
path information generation means.