Patent ID: 8040252
Filing Date: 2011-10-18
Classification: G08G

Abstract:
1. An intersection information notification apparatus for use in a vehicle comprising: a receiver that receives information regarding a signal sequence of a traffic signal that is disposed at an intersection; a positional detector unit that determines the position of the vehicle relative to the traffic signal at the intersection; a control unit that warns a user of the vehicle of a second-variety traffic signal which is different from a first-variety traffic signal, the second-variety traffic signal is a traffic signal that has a signal sequence in the following order: a first phase that allows through traffic and does not indicate turns allowed and does not indicate turns not allowed, to a second phase that does not allow through traffic and does not indicate turns allowed for a period of time to allow crossing traffic to pass through the intersection, to a third phase that does not allow through traffic and indicates turns are allowed, the control unit receives the position of the vehicle from the positional detector unit to determine whether the vehicle is approaching an intersection with a traffic signal and whether the vehicle will make a turn at the intersection; the control unit receives the signal sequence of the traffic signal from the receiver and determines from the signal sequence whether the traffic signal is the first-variety traffic signal or the second-variety traffic signal; and wherein the control unit provides a warning to the user during the first phase and disables the warning during the third phase, to not enter the intersection because the traffic signal is a second-variety traffic signal that does not permit a turn after the first phase, when the traffic signal is the second-variety traffic signal.