Traffic information system

Claim 2

The traffic information system according to claim 1, wherein said individual information collecting apparatus comprises clocking means for measuring time, time data obtained by said clocking means being included in the individual information transmitted by said first transmitter.

Claim 3

The traffic information system according to claim 2, wherein said individual information collecting apparatus further comprises a storage device for storing an identification code of said individual information collecting apparatus or the vehicle carrying the individual information collecting apparatus, said first transmitter in said individual information collecting apparatus transmits at least the position data, the time data and the identification code at least twice at a predetermined time interval, and transmits, in response to entry of the information from said information manual entering means, the entered information and at least the identification code, and said information processing means in said center apparatus judges the traveling direction of the vehicle carrying said individual information collecting apparatus on the basis of the position data, the time data and the identification code which are received at least twice.

Claim 4

The traffic information system according to claim 1, wherein information relating to at least one of an accident, a traffic jam and weather is entered by said information manual entering means in said individual information collecting apparatus.

Claim 5

An information collecting apparatus, used in a traffic information system comprising said information collecting apparatus, which is to be used on a vehicle, for collecting individual information including information relating to traffic and a center apparatus for creating synthesis information relating to a region within a predetermined range on the basis of the individual information transmitted from said information collecting apparatus, comprising: position sensing means for measuring at least a position to produce position data; information manual entering means for manually entering information representing environmental circumstances; and a first transmitter for transmitting a signal representing individual information including the position data produced by said position sensing means, an identification code relating to said information collecting apparatus, and the information entered by said information manual entering means.

Claim 6

The information collecting apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising clocking means for measuring time, time data obtained by said clocking means being included in the individual information transmitted by said first transmitter.

Claim 7

The information collecting apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a first receiver for receiving a signal representing synthesis information transmitted from said center apparatus, and a reporting device for reporting the synthesis information received by said first receiver.

Claim 8

The information collecting apparatus according to claim 5, comprising a car navigation system, the car navigation system comprising at least said position sensing means and said information manual entering means.

Claim 9

A car navigation system comprising: position sensing means for measuring a position to produce position data; and information manual entering means for manually entering information relating to at least one of an accident, a traffic jam and weather.

Claim 10

A traffic information system comprising an individual information collecting apparatus, which is to be used on a vehicle, for collecting individual information relating to the travel of the vehicle and a center apparatus for creating traffic information in a region within a predetermined range on the basis of the individual information transmitted from said individual information collecting apparatus, wherein said individual information collecting apparatus comprises position sensing means for measuring at least a position to produce position data, a storage device for storing an identification code of said individual information collecting apparatus or the vehicle carrying the individual information collecting apparatus, a first transmitter for transmitting individual information including the position data produced by said position sensing means and the identification code stored in said storage device at least twice at a predetermined time interval, a first receiver for receiving the traffic information transmitted from said center apparatus, and a reporting device for reporting the traffic information received by said first receiver, and said center apparatus comprises a second receiver for receiving the individual information transmitted from said first transmitter in said individual information collecting apparatus, information processing means for creating the traffic information in a region within a predetermined range on the basis of the individual information received at least twice by said second receiver, and second transmitting means for transmitting the traffic information created by said information processing means to said individual information collecting apparatus.

Claim 11

The traffic information system according to claim 10, wherein said individual information collecting apparatus comprises clocking means for measuring time, time data obtained by said clocking means being included in said individual information transmitted by said first transmitter.

Claim 12

The traffic information system according to claim 10, wherein the traffic information created by said information processing means in said center apparatus is traffic jam information.

Claim 13

The traffic information system according to claim 12, wherein said traffic jam information includes the presence or absence of a traffic jam and the degree thereof.

Claim 14

The traffic information system according to claim 10, wherein said individual information collecting apparatus comprises vehicle speed sensing means for sensing the traveling speed of the vehicle carrying the individual information collecting apparatus, and said first transmitter transmits data representing the traveling speed sensed by said vehicle speed sensing means to said center apparatus.

Claim 15

An information collecting apparatus, used in a traffic information system comprising said information collecting apparatus, which is to be used on a vehicle, for collecting individual information relating to the travel of the vehicle and a center apparatus for creating traffic information in a region within a predetermined range on the basis of the individual information transmitted from said information collecting apparatus, comprising: position sensing means for measuring at least a position to produce position data; a storage device for storing an identification code of said information collecting apparatus or the vehicle carrying the information collecting apparatus; and a first transmitter for transmitting individual information including the position data produced by said position sensing means and the identification code stored in said storage device at least twice at a predetermined time interval.

Claim 16

The information collecting apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising clocking means for measuring time, time data obtained by said clocking means being included in the individual information transmitted by said first transmitter.

Claim 17

The information collecting apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a first receiver for receiving the traffic information transmitted from said center apparatus, and a reporting device for reporting the traffic information received by said first receiver.

Claim 18

A traffic information system comprising an individual information collecting apparatus, which is to be used on a vehicle, for collecting individual information including information relating to traffic and a center apparatus for creating synthesis information relating to a region within a predetermined range on the basis of the individual information transmitted from said individual information collecting apparatus, wherein said individual information collecting apparatus comprises position sensing means for measuring at least a position to produce position data, a radar for projecting an electromagnetic wave into a predetermined range, receiving its reflected wave, and creating environmental information representing environmental circumstances of said vehicle on the basis of a received wave signal, a first transmitter for transmitting individual information including the position data produced by said position sensing means and the environmental information created by said radar, a first receiver for receiving the synthesis information transmitted from said center apparatus, and a reporting device for reporting the synthesis information received by said first receiver, and said center apparatus comprises a second receiver for receiving said individual information transmitted from said first transmitter in said individual information collecting apparatus, information processing means for creating the synthesis information relating to a region within a predetermined range on the basis of said individual information received by said second receiver, and second transmitting means for transmitting the synthesis information created by said information processing means to said individual information collecting apparatus.

Claim 19

The traffic information system according to claim 18, wherein said individual information collecting apparatus comprises clocking means for measuring time, time data obtained by said clocking means being included in the individual information transmitted by said first transmitter.

Claim 20

The traffic information system according to claim 18, wherein the environmental information created by said radar is at least one of the position, the shape, the direction of movement, and the speed of an object to be sensed existing in the vicinity of said vehicle, the number of vehicles, the distance between vehicles, and the shape of a road.

Claim 21

The traffic information system according to claim 18, wherein said individual information collecting apparatus further comprises traffic information creating means for creating traffic information on the basis of the environmental information created by said radar, and said first transmitter transmits the traffic information created by said traffic information creating means to said center apparatus.

Claim 22

The traffic information system according to claim 18, wherein said individual information collecting apparatus further comprises vehicle speed sensing means for sensing the speed of said vehicle.

Claim 23

An information collecting apparatus, used in a traffic information system comprising said information collecting apparatus, which is to be used on a vehicle, for collecting individual information including information relating to traffic and a center apparatus for creating synthesis information relating to a region within a predetermined range on the basis of the individual information transmitted from said information collecting apparatus, comprising: position sensing means for measuring at least a position to produce position data; a radar for projecting an electromagnetic wave into a predetermined range, receiving its reflected wave, and creating environmental information representing environmental circumstances of said vehicle on the basis of a received wave signal; and a first transmitter for transmitting individual information including the position data produced by said position sensing means and the environmental information created by said radar.

Claim 24

The information collecting apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising clocking means for measuring time, time data obtained by said clocking means being included in the individual information transmitted by said first transmitter.

Claim 25

The information collecting apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising a first receiver for receiving the synthesis information transmitted from said center apparatus, and a reporting device for reporting the synthesis information received by said first receiver.

Claim 26

The information collecting apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the environmental information created by said radar is at least one of the position, the shape, the direction of movement, and the speed of an object to be sensed existing in the vicinity of said vehicle, the number of vehicles, the distance between vehicles, and the shape of a road.

Claim 27

The information collecting apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising traffic information creating means for creating traffic information on the basis of the environmental information created by said radar, said first transmitter transmitting the traffic information created by said traffic information creating means to said center apparatus.

Claim 28

The information collecting apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising vehicle speed sensing means for sensing the speed of said vehicle.

Claim 29

A traffic information system comprising an individual information collecting apparatus, which is to be used on a vehicle, for collecting individual information including information relating to traffic and a center apparatus for creating synthesis information relating to a region within a predetermined range on the basis of the individual information transmitted from said individual information collecting apparatus, wherein said individual information collecting apparatus comprises position sensing means for measuring at least a position to produce position data, a sensor for sensing information representing environmental circumstances, a first transmitter for transmitting individual information including the position data produced by said position sensing means and the information sensed by said sensor, a first receiver for receiving the synthesis information transmitted from said center apparatus, and a reporting device for reporting the synthesis information received by said first receiver, and said center apparatus comprises a second receiver for receiving said individual information transmitted from said first transmitter in said individual information collecting apparatus, information processing means for creating the synthesis information relating to a region within a predetermined range on the basis of said individual information received by said second receiver, and second transmitting means for transmitting the synthesis information created by said information processing means to said individual information collecting apparatus.

Claim 30

The traffic information system according to claim 29, wherein said individual information collecting apparatus comprises clocking means, time data obtained by said clocking means being included in said individual information transmitted by said first transmitter.

Claim 31

The traffic information system according to claim 29, wherein said sensor is at least one of a sensor for sensing traffic information and a sensor for sensing weather information.

Claim 32

The traffic information system according to claim 29, wherein said sensor is at least one of a sensor for sensing accident information, a sensor for sensing traffic jam information, and a sensor for sensing weather information.

Claim 33

The traffic information system according to claim 29, wherein said sensor is at least one of a laser radar, a road surface condition discriminator and a rainfall sensor.

Claim 34

An information collecting apparatus, used in a traffic information system comprising said information collecting apparatus, which is to be used on a vehicle, for collecting individual information including information relating to traffic and a center apparatus for creating synthesis information relating to a region within a predetermined range on the basis of the individual information transmitted from said information collecting apparatus, comprising: position sensing means for measuring at least a position to produce position data; a sensor for sensing information representing environmental circumstances; and a first transmitter for transmitting individual information including the position data produced by said position sensing means, an identification code relating to said information collecting apparatus, and the information sensed by said sensor.

Claim 35

The information collecting apparatus according to claim 34, further comprising clocking means for measuring time, time data obtained by said clocking means being included in the individual information transmitted by said first transmitter.

Claim 36

The information collecting apparatus according to claim 34, further comprising a first receiver for receiving the synthesis information transmitted from said center apparatus, and a reporting device for reporting the synthesis information received by said first receiver.

Claim 37

The information collecting apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said sensor is at least one of a sensor for sensing traffic information and a sensor for sensing weather information.

Claim 38

The information collecting apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said sensor is at least one of a sensor for sensing accident information, a sensor for sensing traffic jam information and a sensor for sensing weather information.

Claim 39

The information collecting apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said sensor is at least one of a laser radar, a road surface condition discriminator and a rainfall sensor.

Claim 40

A car navigation system comprising: position sensing means for measuring a position to produce position data; a receiver for receiving information relating to at least one of an accident, a traffic jam and weather; and a reporting device for reporting the information received by said receiver.

Claim 41

The traffic information system according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33, further comprising a repeater for repeating communication between said individual information collecting apparatus and said center apparatus.

Claim 42

A vehicle carrying the information collecting apparatus according to any one of claims 5, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16, 17, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 and 39 or the car navigation system according to claim 9 or 40.

Claim 43

The traffic information system according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33, wherein said first receiver and said reporting device are provided in a large-sized reporting apparatus installed in the vicinity of the road instead of being provided in said individual information collecting apparatus, and said second transmitting means transmits said synthesis information to said large-sized reporting apparatus.

Claim 44

The traffic information system according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33, wherein said center apparatus comprises means for storing for each identification code the number of times of receiving of said individual information transmitted from said individual information collecting apparatus having the identification code, and means for outputting data relating to the identification code corresponding to the number of times of receiving which reached a predetermined value.

Claim 45

A traffic information system comprising an individual information collecting apparatus, which is to be used on a vehicle, for collecting and transmitting individual information relating to traffic including an identification code of the vehicle carrying the individual information collecting apparatus and a center apparatus for creating synthesis information on the basis of the individual information transmitted from said individual information collecting apparatus, wherein said center apparatus comprises means for storing for each identification code the number of times of receiving of said individual information transmitted from said individual information collecting apparatus having the identification code, and means for outputting data relating to the identification code corresponding to the number of times of receiving which reached a predetermined value.