Patent ID: 8296062
Filing Date: 2012-10-23
Classification: G01C,G08G,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for displaying traffic information making use of: a traffic information storage unit that stores traffic information on a future traffic situation of a link; a map data storage unit that stores map data; an operation input unit that inputs operations of a user; a positioning data acquisition unit that acquires data necessary to measure a location of a vehicle; a data processing unit that is coupled to said traffic information storage unit, said map data storage unit, said operation input unit, and said positioning data acquisition unit, and that performs data processing; and a display unit that displays processing results of said data processing unit, the method comprising the steps, carried out by said data processing unit, of: measuring a location of the vehicle based on data obtained from said positioning data acquisition unit; calculating a recommended route to be traveled by the vehicle; receiving a specified future time, which is later than a departure time designated by the user, through said operation input unit; calculating a predicted arrival location on said recommended route where the vehicle arrives at the specified future time, based on data of the links making up said recommended route and said specified future time, the calculation of the predicted arrival location including calculating a predicted arrival time to each link; specifying an area of a map to be displayed based on said predicted arrival location and the predicted arrival time to each link, and then obtaining map data of the specified area from said map data storage unit; obtaining traffic information of the specified future time from said traffic information storage unit; and making said display unit show the links in said map data with said traffic information within an area of ellipses that are superimposed on said display unit, each of the ellipses has foci of start and end nodes of one of the links, including a first link on which said predicted arrival location lies, and the others located ahead of the first link on the recommended route; the method further comprising the steps, carried out by said data processing unit, of: calculating a time change in said traffic information indicating a degree of change in traffic congestion; selecting said links based on said time change; and making said display unit show said selected links in association with said traffic information corresponding to said links; wherein said change of traffic congestion degree is determined, and said links to be displayed with said traffic information is limited to the links where said traffic congestion is becoming worse.