Apparatus and program

Abstract

To provide a device, etc. for urging a user to perform safety driving by making him / her examine dangerous driving, etc. that has had the possibility to be caught for speeding, for example.SOLUTION: A device for issuing approach warning to a speed crackdown position stores information indicating that a traveling speed in approaching the speed crackdown position is the speed having the possibility to be caught for speeding in a RAM in a control section 18 when the traveling speed is the speed, and then outputs the information indicating that the traveling speed in approaching the speed crackdown position is the speed having the possibility to be caught for speeding to a display section 5 and a speaker 20 on the basis of the stored first information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to, for example, a device and a program that encourages a user to drive safely. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a known method of controlling the speed of a vehicle is to use an automatic speed enforcement device (Orbis) installed on a road. When a vehicle approaches a location where such an automatic speed enforcement device is installed, a device is known that has a function of warning a user (for example, the driver; the same applies hereinafter) that the vehicle is approaching the vehicle enforcement location (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] This patent document 1 discloses a device equipped with a control unit that performs a predetermined alarm process when the position information received by a GPS receiver and the position of a speed measurement device or the like stored in a database have a predetermined positional relationship. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-188225 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, while the technology in Patent Document 1 is useful in encouraging drivers to slow down the speed of their vehicles before reaching a location where an automatic speed enforcement device or the like that has issued a warning is installed, and to drive at a safe speed (hereinafter also referred to as "safe driving"), once the driver has passed the location where the speed enforcement device or the like is installed, the driver may forget the need to drive safely. As a result, some drivers start driving at speeds exceeding the speed limit again, and there is a problem that such drivers cannot be encouraged to drive safely unless they are warned every time they approach a speed enforcement location.

[0006] (Object of the invention) The present invention aims to improve upon the problems associated with the conventional examples, such as those described above, and to provide a device that encourages users (e.g., drivers) to reflect on dangerous driving that would have resulted in speed enforcement, thereby encouraging safe driving. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, (1) The device of the present invention is a device that issues a warning when approaching a speed control location, and is configured to store information (hereinafter referred to as ``first information'') indicating that the driving speed when approaching the speed control location is a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to enforcement, and to output information that the driving speed when approaching the speed control location was a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to enforcement based on the stored first information.

[0008] In this way, when a user (e.g., a driver, etc.; the same applies hereinafter) receives output information indicating that the driving speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement, the user can know that the driving speed when approaching the speed enforcement location was a speed that could be subject to enforcement. Therefore, the user can increase their awareness of safe driving by reflecting on the dangerous driving incident.

[0009] A "speed enforcement location" may be, for example, a location where enforcement is carried out on vehicles traveling at speeds exceeding the legal speed limit (hereinafter referred to as "speed limit"), but it is particularly good to refer to a location where an automatic speed enforcement device (for example, so-called Orbis (registered trademark)) is installed. Also, a "speed enforcement location" does not have to be a location where speed enforcement is actually carried out, and may be a location where drivers should pay attention to their driving speed.

[0010] "Approaching a speed control location" may be defined, for example, by storing the locations of speed control locations, detecting the current location of the device, and determining that the distance between these locations is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

[0011] The "approach warning" may be anything that notifies the user (especially the driver) that they are approaching a speed control point, but it may be, for example, a warning that includes a notification of the speed limit, and it is even better if the warning includes a notification that the driving speed at the time of the approach warning exceeds the speed limit. In particular, it is preferable to use (7).

[0012] "Issuing an approach warning" may be, for example, any approach warning such as sound, voice, image, or a combination thereof, but it is preferable to output the warning by sound and / or voice, and it is particularly preferable to output both sound and / or voice and an image.

[0013] The "traveling speed" may be obtained from the vehicle, for example, but it is preferable to obtain it from this device. The speed information may be acquired from the vehicle via an ODB2 connector (diagnostic connector). The speed may be acquired by the device itself, for example, by providing the device with a GPS receiver that receives signals from GPS satellites and calculates the speed. Furthermore, when the "traveling speed" is detected by the present device, it is advisable to configure it so that it is as close as possible to the traveling speed of the vehicle.

[0014] The "information indicating this" (first information) may refer to, for example, information that the driving speed when approaching the speed control location was a speed that could result in enforcement, and may be something like the information shown below.

[0015] For example, the first information may be count information relating to the number of times the driving speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement. In the case where the first information is count information in this way, the "information that the driving speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement" may be output as information that visually expresses the number of times, specifically, information that visually displays the number of times using numbers, information that shows the number of times using the number of objects on the display screen (for example, the number of cat marks displayed on the display screen), information that expresses the number of times using audio, etc. Here, the "number of times the driving speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement" is calculated by, for example, when there are multiple approaches to an Orbis enforcement location, determining each time whether the driving speed at the time of approaching the Orbis enforcement location corresponds to a speed that could be subject to enforcement, and if it is determined that it corresponds, the driving speed at the time of approaching the Orbis enforcement location corresponds to a speed that could be subject to enforcement. The speeds that correspond to the speeds to be obtained are stored in a table format in a nonvolatile memory with the first flag information set to 1, and the number of pieces of information with the first flag information set to 1 stored in the nonvolatile memory is counted.

[0016] Furthermore, the first information may be, for example, information that identifies the location of the speed enforcement location (for example, it may be information that identifies the identification number assigned to the speed enforcement location, or information that identifies the latitude and longitude of the speed enforcement location). For example, if the information used to identify the location of a speed control location is in this manner, the "information indicating that the driving speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement" may be, for example, visually displayed for each speed control location, or may output information indicating that the vehicle is reapproaching a speed control location that was previously stored as a speed that could be subject to enforcement each time the vehicle reapproaches a previously stored speed control location.

[0017] The "information indicating that" (first information) may be stored each time the traveling speed when approaching the speed control location is a speed that may result in the vehicle being subject to speed control. For example, as described above, the first information may be stored as frequency information relating to the number of times the traveling speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement.

[0018] The "user" may be, for example, anyone who installs and uses this device in a vehicle, but may also be, for example, an assistant who conveys information to the driver, and is particularly preferably the driver himself.

[0019] The "speed at which a traffic jam may occur" may be, for example, the speed limit itself, or may be a value greater than the speed limit. For example, the speed at which a traffic jam may occur may be the speed limit multiplied by a predetermined percentage and then added to the speed limit. For example, if the speed limit is 100 km / h, the speed at which a traffic jam may occur may be 130 km / h, which is 30% higher.

[0020] However, it is particularly preferable to use (8) described below. In particular, it is preferable to add the allowable upper limit error of the vehicle's speedometer to the excess speed in (8) (for example, the excess speed in (8) described below should be set as the allowable upper limit error of the speedometer). In particular, the speedometer error range should be within the range permitted by law. For example, according to Article 148 of the Notification Prescribing Details of Safety Standards for Road Transport Vehicles, the allowable range of error of a vehicle's speedometer is expressed as 10(V1-6) / 11≦V2≦(100 / 94)V1, where V1 is the speed displayed on the speedometer (unit: km / h) mounted on the automobile, and V2 is the speed measured using a speed tester (unit: km / h). Based on this, for example, when a car is driven so that the speedometer shows 40 km / h (V1 = 40 km / h), the car's speed (corresponding to the speed measured using a speed tester) V2 is in the range 30.9 ≦ V2 ≦ 42.55. In this case, the allowable upper limit error of the speedometer may be set at 2.55 km.

[0021] The "output of information indicating that the driving speed at the time of approaching the speed control point was a speed that could result in enforcement based on the stored first information" may be performed when passing through the speed control point, or immediately after passing through the speed control point, but it is better to output the information so that the approach to the speed control point has been forgotten. For example, it may be performed a predetermined time after approaching the speed control point, or when the vehicle stops, or when the engine is stopped, or the next time the engine is started.

[0022] (2) It is preferable that the approaching of the speed control location is defined as the passing of the speed control location.

[0023] In this way, when the user receives output of information indicating that the driving speed was a speed that could result in a speed enforcement target, the user can know that the driving speed at the time of passing the speed enforcement location was a speed that could result in a speed enforcement target. Therefore, the user can effectively increase their awareness of safe driving by reflecting on their own dangerous driving based on the output of information indicating that the driving speed at a location close to the speed enforcement location (for example, a location where an automatic speed enforcement device actually measures the speed of a traveling vehicle using a camera, etc.) was a speed that could result in a speed enforcement target.

[0024] "When passing a speed control point" may be, for example, a position immediately before reaching the speed control point, when reaching the speed control point, or a position immediately after passing the speed control point.

[0025] (3) It is preferable that the approach warning be issued when the vehicle approaches the speed control location.

[0026] In this way, when the user receives output information indicating that the driving speed was a speed that could result in a traffic jam, the user can know that the driving speed when the proximity warning was issued was a speed that could result in a traffic jam. Therefore, the user can know, for example, that the speed before hearing the proximity warning (for example, the speed issued when receiving the proximity warning and before starting to decelerate the vehicle being driven based on the warning (basic state)) was a speed that could result in a traffic jam. For example, the user can know that if the device had not issued the proximity warning, there was a high probability that the vehicle being driven would have reached the speed trap location at a speed that could result in a traffic jam.

[0027] Therefore, for example, the user can reflect on the dangerous driving situation that may have resulted in speed enforcement if the user had continued driving at the normal speed, and can further increase his or her awareness of safe driving.

[0028] The "time to issue an approach warning" may be, for example, when the vehicle approaches before passing through, specifically, 1 km before the speed control location, 500 m before the speed control location, etc.

[0029] (4) At the speed enforcement location, when the driving speed is no longer a speed that would result in the enforcement, information indicating this (hereinafter referred to as "second information") should be stored, and information indicating that the enforcement was avoided should be output based on the stored second information.

[0030] In this way, the user can know that the driving speed when the approach warning was issued was a speed that could have resulted in a speed enforcement target, but that by the time the vehicle reached the speed enforcement location, the driving speed was no longer a speed that could have resulted in a speed enforcement target, and therefore the user was able to avoid the speed enforcement.

[0031] For example, (4) can be configured as follows: It is desirable that the device issue a warning of approaching a speed enforcement location, and when issuing the warning, if the driving speed is such that the vehicle is subject to enforcement, store information (first information) indicating this, and output information (first output) that the vehicle was at a speed that would result in enforcement based on the stored information, and if, at the speed enforcement location, the driving speed is no longer such that the vehicle is subject to enforcement, store information (second information) indicating this, and output information (second output) that the vehicle was able to avoid enforcement based on this stored information.

[0032] In this way, the user can know that the driving speed at the time the approach warning was issued was a speed at which the vehicle could be subject to speed enforcement, and that by the time the vehicle reached the speed enforcement location, the driving speed was no longer a speed at which the vehicle could be subject to speed enforcement, and therefore the vehicle was able to avoid being subject to speed enforcement. Therefore, the user can reflect on the dangerous driving he or she was driving at a speed that could have led to a police arrest before receiving the approach warning, and can also know that the device has enabled the user to slow down the vehicle while driving and encourage safe driving.

[0033] In particular, it is preferable that the first output and the second output are related to each other. For example, the first output and the second output may be performed at different times, but it is also preferable that they are performed at the same time. In particular, it is preferable that they are related to each other. For example, they may be output on the same screen, or the content may be included in one phrase and output as audio.

[0034] "When the driving speed at the speed control location is no longer a speed that could be subject to enforcement" may refer to, for example, a case where the driving speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement when the approach warning was issued, but the vehicle slowed down based on the approach warning, and the driving speed at the speed control location is no longer a speed that could be subject to enforcement. In particular, "when the driving speed at the speed control location is no longer a speed that could be subject to enforcement" may refer to a case where the driving speed at the speed control location is no longer a speed that could be subject to enforcement, regardless of any changes in the driving speed between the issuance of the approach warning and the arrival at the speed control location (for example, even if the driving speed repeatedly drops below and exceeds the speed that could be subject to enforcement).

[0035] The "second information" may be stored each time the traveling speed at the speed control location is no longer subject to the speed control. For example, the second information may be stored each time the vehicle was traveling at a speed that would have been subject to the speed control when the approach warning was issued, but the vehicle slowed down based on the approach warning and is no longer subject to the speed control at the speed control location. For example, the second information may be count information regarding the number of times the vehicle was traveling at a speed that would have been subject to the speed control at the speed control location.

[0036] When the number of times information is used in this manner, the "information that crackdowns were avoided" may be output, for example, as information visually indicating the number of times crackdowns were avoided in numbers, or the number of times crackdowns were avoided may be displayed as the number of objects on the display screen (for example, the number of cat marks shown on the display screen), or the number of times crackdowns were avoided may be output as audio. Here, the "number of times the speed was no longer a speed that would be subject to enforcement at the speed control location" is tallied, for example, when there are multiple times when an AR camera control location is reached, by determining each time the AR camera control location is reached whether the driving speed at the AR camera control location is a speed that would be subject to enforcement, and if it is determined that this is not the case, the fact that the driving speed at the AR camera control location is a speed that would be subject to enforcement is stored in table format in non-volatile memory, with the second flag information set to 0 and associated with the first flag information mentioned above, and the number of pieces of information stored in the non-volatile memory where the first flag information is 1 and the second flag information is 0 is tallied.

[0037] When visually displaying "information that enforcement was avoided," the "output of information that enforcement was avoided" may be output on a different display screen from the "information that the driving speed was a speed that could have resulted in enforcement" in (1), or may be displayed on the same screen.

[0038] (5) Even at the speed enforcement location, if the driving speed is such that the vehicle may be subject to enforcement, information indicating this (hereinafter referred to as "third information") may be stored, and information indicating that the enforcement could not be avoided may be output based on the stored third information, and the information indicating that the enforcement could be avoided may be output in a manner different from the information indicating that the enforcement could not be avoided.

[0039] In this way, when the user pays attention to the different aspects of the two pieces of information that have been output, Even at speed enforcement locations, it is possible to know when the driving speed is such that the vehicle could be subject to enforcement and the enforcement could not be avoided, and when the driving speed is no longer such that the vehicle could be subject to enforcement and the enforcement could be avoided.

[0040] The second output and the third output may be related to each other. For example, the second output and the third output may be performed at different times, but it is preferable to perform them at the same time. It is particularly preferable to perform them related to each other. For example, they may be output on the same screen, or the content may be included in one phrase and output as audio.

[0041] "When the driving speed at the speed control location is a speed that could be subject to enforcement" may refer to, for example, a case where the driving speed at the time the proximity warning was issued was a speed that could be subject to enforcement, the vehicle was slowed down based on the proximity warning, and the driving speed at the speed control location is also a speed that could be subject to enforcement. In particular, "when the driving speed at the speed control location is a speed that could be subject to enforcement" may refer to a case where the driving speed at the speed control location is a speed that could be subject to enforcement, regardless of any changes in the driving speed between the issuance of the proximity warning and the time of reaching the speed control location (for example, even if the driving speed repeatedly drops below and exceeds the speed that could be subject to enforcement).

[0042] The "third information" may be stored each time the driving speed at the speed control location is a speed that could be subject to speed control. For example, the third information may be a speed that could be subject to speed control when the approach warning is issued, and may be stored each time the driving speed at the speed control location is a speed that could be subject to speed control. For example, the third information may be count information regarding the number of times the driving speed at the speed control location was a speed that could be subject to speed control. Here, the "number of times the speed was such that the vehicle could be subject to speed enforcement even at a speed control location" is tallied, for example, when there are multiple times that an AR camera control location is reached, by determining each time the vehicle reaches that AR camera control location whether the driving speed at that AR camera control location is such that the vehicle could be subject to enforcement, and if it is determined that the driving speed is such that the vehicle could be subject to enforcement, the third flag information is set to 1, and the fact that the driving speed at the AR camera control location is such that the vehicle could be subject to enforcement is stored in table format in non-volatile memory in association with the first flag information described above, and the number of pieces of information stored in the non-volatile memory where the first flag information is 1 and the third flag information is 1 is tallied.

[0043] When the number of times information is used in this manner, the "information that crackdowns were avoided" may be output, for example, as information visually indicating the number of times crackdowns were avoided in numbers, or the number of times crackdowns were avoided may be displayed as the number of objects on the display screen (for example, the number of cat marks shown on the display screen), or the number of times crackdowns were avoided may be output as audio.

[0044] "Outputting in a different manner" may be anything as long as it outputs a different manner, but for example, it may be done by displaying objects in different colors or different color tones.

[0045] In this way, the user can recognize information that indicates that the crackdown was avoided and information that indicates that the crackdown was not avoided by paying attention to and recognizing the color-coded or different color tones of the objects.

[0046] "Displaying an object in different colors or with different color tones" may mean, for example, displaying the inside color or color tone of the object's outer shape with different colors depending on whether or not the crackdown was avoided. For example, if the crackdown was avoided, the color may be used to indicate a relative success, and if the crackdown was not avoided, the color may be used to indicate a relative failure. For example, Cases where enforcement was avoided may be displayed in white, and cases where enforcement was not avoided may be displayed in gray.

[0047] In particular, the color used for avoiding speed traps is desirable because the driving speed when approaching a speed trap was a speed that could have led to a speed trap, but at the speed trap, the driving speed was no longer a speed that could have led to a speed trap, and so there was a certain degree of risk. However, it is also desirable to use a color that indicates a lower risk than if the driving speed at the speed trap was a speed that could have led to a speed trap. For example, it is desirable to display red when a speed trap could not be avoided, while yellow when a speed trap was avoided. (Yellow can be used to indicate when there was a risk but the vehicle was not caught in a speed trap, and red can be used to indicate when it would not have been surprising if the vehicle had been caught in a speed trap.)

[0048] Furthermore, for example, the cases where the crackdown was avoided may be colored, and the cases where the crackdown was not avoided may be colorless. Also, for example, in addition to color coding and different color tones, one may be displayed with a pattern and the other without a pattern.

[0049] In this way, when the user looks at the object while paying attention to its color coding or color tone, the user can visually recognize whether the speed at which the vehicle was traveling when the approach warning was issued was a speed that could have resulted in a crackdown, but by the time the speed control location was passed, the speed was no longer a speed that could have resulted in a crackdown, and whether the user was able to avoid being caught.

[0050] Furthermore, for example, the first information may be count information relating to the number of times the driving speed was a speed that could result in a traffic violation, as described above. In this way, when the user counts the number of objects while paying attention to the color coding and color tone, the user can recognize the number of times that the traffic violation was avoided and the number of times that the traffic violation was not avoided, or the ratio of both.

[0051] (6) The information indicating that the speed was such that it could be subject to enforcement may be configured as an object having the same external shape.

[0052] In this way, when a user sees and recognizes an object with the same external shape, the user can know that the speed is one that could be subject to enforcement.

[0053] "Objects with the same external shape" may be objects with the same external shape and content when multiple objects are displayed, but any objects with the same external shape may be used. For example, if there are multiple instances of approaching speed control points, and multiple pieces of information are stored separately indicating that the driving speed at the time of approaching the speed control points was a speed that could result in enforcement, and if this information indicating that the driving speed was a speed that could result in enforcement is displayed separately using multiple objects, it is preferable to display the multiple objects with the same external shape as a picture or symbol.

[0054] In particular, as an example, the "objects with the same external shape" may be simple illustrations of animals such as cats.

[0055] Furthermore, "objects having the same external shape" are not limited to being comprised of pictures or symbols, but may be other shapes. "Identical pictures or symbols" may be, for example, pictures or symbols that look substantially identical, even if they are not completely identical.

[0056] The object may be, for example, an object that is particularly reminiscent of speed enforcement or the like (for example, an object of a traffic ticket or a fine).

[0057] When a user sees an object that reminds them of speeding or fines, the user can strongly imagine that they must drive safely to avoid being caught, and can more effectively reflect on dangerous driving.

[0058] Furthermore, when an object reminiscent of speed enforcement or the like is displayed, the illustration may be displayed in different colors or in gradually changing colors depending on the degree to which the driving speed exceeded the speed limit when approaching the speed enforcement location. For example, if an illustration reminiscent of speed enforcement or the like is an illustration of a traffic ticket, the color may be the same as that of a traffic ticket depending on the degree to which the driving speed exceeded the speed limit. Also, for example, if an illustration reminiscent of speed enforcement or the like is an illustration of a fine, the amount of the fine may be changed depending on the degree to which the driving speed exceeded the speed limit.

[0059] Furthermore, if the object is displayed as an illustration of a fine, for example, if the case where enforcement is avoided is white (or yellow) and if enforcement is not avoided is gray (or red), the user can easily imagine how much fine they have avoided by using this device by focusing on the white (or yellow) illustration of the fine, and thereby realize the effect of installing this device. Furthermore, they can consider using the money they have avoided to purchase a new product.

[0060] (7) The approach warning should be configured to be issued at a position just before the speed enforcement location, at a position where the user who receives the approach warning can decelerate from their current speed, which is subject to enforcement, to a speed that is not subject to enforcement before reaching the speed enforcement location.

[0061] In this way, by recognizing the approach warning issued by the device, the user can slow down from the current speed that would be subject to speed enforcement to a speed that would not be subject to speed enforcement before reaching the speed enforcement location.

[0062] The "position where deceleration is possible" may be any position where the vehicle's traveling speed can be decelerated to a speed where the vehicle is not subject to enforcement, for example. It is particularly preferable that the position be a position where the vehicle can safely decelerate to a speed where the vehicle is not subject to enforcement. It is also preferable that the position be a position where the vehicle can decelerate without suddenly braking even if the current speed where the vehicle is subject to enforcement is significantly higher than the speed where the vehicle is subject to enforcement (for example, if the speed limit is 100 km / h, the position should be a position where the vehicle can decelerate to the speed limit even if the traveling speed is 160 km / h or 170 km / h). It is particularly preferable that the position be a position where the vehicle can gradually decelerate to a speed where the vehicle is not subject to enforcement, while maintaining a constant distance between the vehicles in front and behind, without suddenly closing in on each other.

[0063] (8) The speed at which the vehicle may be subject to enforcement may be set to the speed limit plus a predetermined value (hereinafter referred to as the "excess speed") when approaching the enforcement location.

[0064] In this way, when the user receives output information indicating that the speed at which the vehicle approached the speed control location was at a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to a speed control, the user can know that the vehicle was traveling at a speed that exceeded the speed limit. Therefore, for example, the user only needs to be aware of slowing down the vehicle by a predetermined value (exceeding the speed limit). This simplifies the user's thinking when slowing down, and improves the effectiveness of the deceleration operation.

[0065] The "predetermined value" may be any value that is likely to result in a traffic violation if the vehicle is driven at a speed equal to the speed limit plus the predetermined value. , it is recommended to use values ​​such as those shown below.

[0066] For example, if a vehicle is traveling on a road with a speed limit of 100 km / h, the preset value may be, for example, 30 km / h 1 km before the enforcement location installed on the road, and 15 km / h at a location just before the enforcement location (for example, 250 m before the enforcement location).

[0067] The information indicating that the driving speed is a speed at which the vehicle may be subject to enforcement may be output in different formats for each of a plurality of ranges of the driving speed at which the vehicle may be subject to enforcement.

[0068] In this way, when the user receives and recognizes information that the speed at which the vehicle was traveling could be subject to enforcement, output in different manners across multiple ranges, the user can learn the information that the traveling speed was a speed at which the vehicle was subject to enforcement across multiple ranges. For example, it would be a good idea to divide the speed into multiple stages, such as relatively high speeds and relatively low speeds, and change the display format for each stage. For example, it would be good to do it like the following (9).

[0069] (9) The output of information that the driving speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement may be displayed on a screen, and based on the content of the first information, the output of information that the driving speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement may be displayed in two stages on the screen, dividing the information into an acceptable level range that is acceptable on a daily basis and an unacceptable level range that exceeds the acceptable level.

[0070] In this way, when the user receives and recognizes information that the driving speed displayed in two stages on the screen is a speed that could be subject to enforcement, the user can know that the driving speed is a speed that could be subject to enforcement, dividing it into an acceptable level range that is acceptable on a daily basis and an unacceptable level range that exceeds the acceptable level.

[0071] The "daily acceptable and unacceptable level ranges" can be anything that can divide information about a speed that could be subject to enforcement based on whether it is acceptable or not from the perspective of whether the probability of being subject to enforcement is high or low (from the perspective of the risk of enforcement), for example, but it would be best to use the following:

[0072] Considering the current situation where driving at speeds exceeding the speed limit is tolerated in many cases on the premise of safe driving, this tolerated range can be defined as the acceptable range, and the "acceptable level area" can be, for example, a speed area within this acceptable range, and the non-acceptable level area can be, for example, a speed area exceeding this acceptable range.

[0073] (10) The unacceptable level area may be displayed in two or more stages depending on the degree to which the traveling speed exceeds the speed limit.

[0074] In this way, when the user views the non-acceptable level area displayed in two or more stages, the user can know in more detail how much the vehicle is exceeding the speed limit within the non-acceptable level area. Therefore, the user can specifically recognize his / her own driving tendencies when driving above the speed limit and use this information to improve safe driving.

[0075] "Depending on the degree to which the driving speed exceeds the speed limit" means, for example, in the case of a road with a speed limit of 100 km / h, the speeds subject to enforcement (speeds at which there is a risk of being caught) are sorted in order of decreasing risk, for example, 1 km before the speed limit. It is advisable to define the risk as low if the speed exceeds the limit by 15 to 30% (for example, if the vehicle is speeding 15 to 30 km / h above the speed limit), and high if the speed exceeds the limit by 30% or more (if the vehicle is speeding 30 km / h or more above the speed limit).

[0076] (11) It is preferable that the information indicating that the speed was one that could be subject to enforcement is not output as text information.

[0077] In this way, the user can obtain information that the speed was such that the vehicle was subject to traffic enforcement without reading the text. In particular, it is preferable to output information that is concisely presented other than text information. In this way, the user can efficiently review that the driving speed was such that the vehicle was subject to traffic enforcement based on the concisely presented information. It is preferable to display the concisely presented information as an object other than text.

[0078] (12) The approach warning may be configured to be issued in a manner that differs depending on whether the first information is stored or not.

[0079] In this way, the user can receive and distinguish between approach warnings that are different in type depending on whether the first information (information indicating that the driving speed is a speed that could result in enforcement) is stored or not, and, particularly when recognizing the approach warning that is issued when the first information is stored, the user can know that he or she is again approaching a speed enforcement location that is the subject of a warning and that the user has previously driven at a speed that could result in enforcement.

[0080] This allows the user to recognize when they are passing through an area where they are likely to overspeed, and to slow down the vehicle to avoid repeating past speeding mistakes.

[0081] "Performing a different manner depending on whether the first information is stored or not" may be, for example, any manner that is different, but in particular, it may be a warning that the user is approaching a location where the first information is stored.

[0082] Here, the warning may be, for example, a display of an image or a sound output, but it is particularly preferable to display a dedicated warning screen, or to output a sound announcement such as "Caution required," or a combination of these.

[0083] (13) In the program of the present invention, it is preferable that each processing function of the device described in any one of (1) to (12) above is realized by a computer having a control unit that is pre-installed as a key part of the device.

[0084] In this way, the control functions of the control unit, which is the main part of the device, can be realized by a computer that the control unit is equipped with, and information such as the fact that the vehicle's traveling speed is at a speed that could be subject to enforcement can be output quickly and smoothly. This has the advantage that the driver can quickly obtain all the information necessary for safe driving.

[0085] The configurations (1) to (13) may be arbitrarily combined. The components (1) to (13) may also be arbitrarily combined. [Effects of the Invention]

[0086] According to the device of the present invention, for example, a user (e.g., a driver) can be notified of speed restrictions. This will encourage drivers to reflect on dangerous driving that could have been avoided and encourage safe driving. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0087] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a radar detector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a radar detector. [Figure 3] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing examples of the standby screen, radar scope, and GPS alert display. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a warning screen display in a radar wave warning function. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of display of information regarding speeds that may be subject to enforcement. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0088] (First embodiment) 1 and 2 show the configuration of an in-vehicle radar detector as an embodiment of the device of the present invention. This radar detector is usually mounted on the dashboard of a vehicle.

[0089] This radar detector is usually fixed to the dashboard by adhering the bottom surface of plate 33b of base 33. A ball joint receiving portion 33a is provided on the top of base 33, and a ball portion provided at the lower end of support portion 31 extending downward from the bottom surface of case body 1 is inserted into this ball joint receiving portion 33a, allowing the ball portion to be held at any angle or position within its movable range. Base 33 has a spherical recess at a predetermined position on its top surface, and base 33 is made of a material such as rubber that is elastically deformable and has an appropriate coefficient of friction. The outer diameter of the ball portion and the inner diameter of the recess are set to be approximately equal.

[0090] As a result, when the ball part is inserted into the recess, the outer shape of the ball part and the inner shape of the recess roughly match, allowing the ball part to rotate and move in any direction along the spherical surface.By roughly matching the diameters of the two and providing an appropriate friction coefficient for the inner shape of the recess, the ball part can be held at any angle or posture.

[0091] Furthermore, since the base 33 is elastically deformable, when the case body 1 is forced upward while holding the base 33 from the state shown in Figure 1, the diameter of the opening of the recess expands, allowing the ball portion to be released from the recess.

[0092] Conversely, when the base 33 and the ball are separated, pressing the ball against the opening of the recess and then, in that state, applying a force so as to push it toward the base 33 causes the opening to expand due to elastic deformation of the recess, and the ball is housed within the recess. Thereafter, the shape of the recess returns to its original state due to the elastic restoring force of the base 33, preventing the ball from easily coming out of the recess.

[0093] One side of an adhesive member such as a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet, double-sided adhesive tape, or hook-and-loop fastener is attached to the bottom surface of base 33, and the other side of the adhesive member is attached to a predetermined position inside the vehicle cabin, such as the dashboard, thereby fixing base 33 to the predetermined position inside the vehicle cabin.

[0094] As shown in Figure 1, this radar detector has a solar panel 2 and a switch unit 3 arranged on the top surface of the case body 1, and a microwave receiver 4 that detects microwaves in the frequency band emitted by the speed measuring device arranged inside the front side of the case body 1 (the side arranged toward the front of the vehicle (windshield side)).

[0095] On the other hand, a display unit 5, a warning lamp 6, an infrared communication device 7, and a remote control receiver 16 are arranged on the rear side of the case main body 1 (the side located toward the rear of the vehicle (user side (driver side))). Also, a GPS receiver 8 is arranged inside the top side of the case main body 1.

[0096] Furthermore, an adapter jack 9 is arranged on one side of the case body 1, and A power switch 10 and a DC jack 21 (not shown) are arranged in the case body. A battery is provided inside the bottom side of the case body, and this battery is charged with power supplied from the solar panel 2 and the DC jack 21 and supplies power to each part.

[0097] A speaker 20 is also built into the case body 1. In the first embodiment, the display unit 5 is a small 2.4-inch liquid crystal display, and the rear side of the case body 1 (the side arranged toward the rear of the vehicle (user side (driver side))) serves as the display surface. The height H of the rear side of the case body 1 where the display unit 5 is mounted is greater than the height H0 of other parts.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 2, the infrared communication device 7 transmits and receives data to and from a communication device such as a mobile phone 12 that has an infrared communication device built in.

[0099] Adapter jack 9 is a terminal for connecting memory card reader 13. By connecting memory card reader 13 to adapter jack 9, data stored in memory card 14 attached to memory card reader 13 can be imported into the device, and the contents of database 19 and the memory of control unit 18 can be written to memory card 14.

[0100] More specifically, if the data stored in memory card 14 contains updated information such as information on a new target (location information including longitude and latitude, type information, etc.), control unit 18 stores (downloads) the updated information in database 19 built into the radar detector, and updates the data in database 19. The function of memory card reader 13 may be configured to be built into case body 1. Specifically, when the information about the new target object is information about an OBIS inspection location as a speed enforcement location, which will be described later, the memory card 14 stores the following data: the identification number of the OBIS inspection location, location information including longitude and latitude (latitude and longitude information of the OBIS inspection location), type information, speed limit information of the OBIS inspection location, and information about the speed at which the vehicle may be subject to enforcement; the control unit 18 downloads this information to the database 19, updates the data in the database 19, and stores it. Here, the speed camera enforcement location refers to the location where the target, an automatic speed camera (speed camera), is conducting enforcement at a speed that could be subject to enforcement. Furthermore, the speed at which a vehicle may be subject to enforcement is stored in the database 19 as a value greater than the speed limit at the Orbis enforcement location. Here, the speed at which a vehicle may be subject to enforcement is calculated by adding 30% of the speed limit at the Orbis enforcement location to the speed limit. In the first embodiment, if the speed limit at the Orbis enforcement location is 100 km / h, the speed at which a vehicle may be subject to enforcement is stored in the database 19 as 130 km / h, which is 30% more than the speed limit.

[0101] The database 19 is a non-volatile memory (for example, an EEPROM) that is either built into the microcomputer of the control unit 18 or externally attached to the microcomputer. Information about certain targets is registered in the database 19 at the time of shipment, and data about targets added thereafter can be updated as described above. Data updates can also be performed via the infrared communication device 7. In addition, this database 19 is also configured to store audio information such as an approach warning sound as described below, an audio sound notifying that the driving speed when approaching an Orbis inspection location is a speed that may result in enforcement, an audio sound notifying the speed limit, and an audio sound notifying the speed at which the vehicle may be subject to enforcement. Here, the traveling speed is the traveling speed (moving speed) of the radar detector, and when detected by this radar detector, it is configured to be equal to the traveling speed of the vehicle in which this radar detector is installed.

[0102] The DC jack 21 is for connecting a cigarette lighter plug cord (not shown), and is connected to a cigarette lighter socket of a vehicle via the cigarette lighter plug cord so that power can be supplied.

[0103] Radio receiver 15 receives incoming radio waves of a predetermined frequency. Remote control receiver 16 communicates data with remote control (portable device: slave device) 17 via infrared rays and performs various settings for this device. Switch unit 3 is also connected to control unit 18 (not shown), and can perform settings similar to those of remote control 17. Remote control 17 is equipped with a standby switch button, a setting button, a selection button, a cancel button, a decision button, and up, down, left, and right cross buttons.

[0104] Furthermore, the radar detector of the first embodiment is provided with a connection cable 22 that connects to an ODB-II (II is the Roman numeral "2," and hereinafter "ODB-II" will be referred to as "ODB2") connector installed in the vehicle as shown in Fig. 2, and a connector terminal 23 that can be detachably attached to the ODB2 connector of the vehicle is attached to the tip of this connection cable 22. The ODB2 connector is also called a fault diagnosis connector, and is connected to the vehicle's ECU to output various vehicle information.

[0105] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the other end of the connection cable 22 is provided with a connector terminal 25 for connecting to a socket 24 provided on the side of the case body 1 of the radar detector, so that the connection cable 22 can be attached and detached to the radar detector. Of course, the connection cable 22 may also be connected directly to the radar detector.

[0106] Therefore, by connecting the connector terminal 23 attached to the connection cable 22 with the ODB2 connector on the vehicle body side, the control unit 18 can periodically acquire various vehicle information, such as vehicle speed, engine speed, engine load, throttle opening, instantaneous fuel consumption, intake air flow (MAF), injection open time, remaining fuel amount, accelerator opening, turn signal information (operation (ON / OFF) of left and right turn signals), steering wheel rotation angle information, etc.

[0107] The control unit 18 is a microcomputer equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, non-volatile memory, I / O, etc., and executes specific processing as described below based on information input from the various input devices described above, and outputs alarms, messages, and information corresponding to the processing using the various output devices described above.

[0108] For example, the nonvolatile memory stores data of an illustration of a cat as an object to be displayed on the display screen of the display unit 5. The nonvolatile memory also stores, in a table format, first flag information regarding whether the driving speed when approaching an Orbis inspection location is a speed that could be subject to enforcement, information regarding the Orbis inspection location (in the first embodiment, the Orbis inspection location's identification number), information regarding the stored date and time, and information regarding the stored location, all in association with each other. Here, the first flag information is stored as 1 if the driving speed is a speed that could be subject to enforcement, and as 0 if the driving speed is not a speed that could be subject to enforcement.

[0109] The first flag information, information regarding the speed camera inspection location, information regarding the stored date and time, and information regarding the stored location constitute information (also referred to as "first information") indicating that the driving speed when approaching the speed camera inspection location is within the range that could result in enforcement. Here, this first information is stored in the form of a list to which new information is added each time an Orvis inspection location is approached. In the first embodiment, the approach to an Orbis control position refers to the time when the Orbis control position is passed and when a proximity warning is issued, as will be described later. This is when the vehicle approaches the speed enforcement location before passing the speed enforcement location. In the first embodiment, the time of passing the speed enforcement location is the position just before reaching the speed enforcement location (the point just before). The approach warning is issued by the GPS alarm function, which will be described later, and is issued 1 km before the speed enforcement location, as will be described later. These basic configurations can basically be the same as those of the conventional ones.

[0110] The functions of the radar detector of the first embodiment are stored in the EEPROM of the control unit 18 as a program to be executed by the computer in the control unit 18 (a computer provided in the control unit 18 that is pre-installed as a key part of the radar detector), and are realized by the computer in the control unit 18 executing this program.

[0111] The functions realized by the computer through the programs stored in the control unit 18 include a GPS log function, a standby screen display function, a radar scope display function, a GPS warning function, a radar wave warning function, and a wireless warning function.

[0112] The GPS log function is a function in which the control unit 18 associates the current position detected by the GPS receiver 8 every second with the time of detection and the speed (vehicle speed) and stores the result in a non-volatile memory as a position history. This position history is recorded in, for example, NMEA format. The standby screen display function is a function for displaying the speed, latitude, longitude, and altitude of the vehicle detected by the GPS receiver 8 on the display unit 5, as shown in FIG. 3(a).

[0113] As shown in FIG. 3(b), the radarscope display function searches for targets within a predetermined range (for example, within approximately 1 km) from the current position detected by the GPS receiver 8 based on the position information stored in the database 19, and displays the relative positional relationship between the vehicle position and the target position on the display unit 5.

[0114] In Figure 3(b), the "W" on the left indicates west, the "E" on the right indicates east, and the "N" on the top indicates north. The icon at the intersection of the horizontal line connecting "W" and "E" and the vertical line extending downward from "N" indicates the vehicle's position. Additionally, icons with letters such as "L," "RD," "P," and "N" indicate the type and location of the target.

[0115] If pressing of the standby switch button provided on the remote control 17 is detected while the standby screen display function as shown in Fig. 3(a) is being executed, the display function is switched to the radarscope display function as shown in Fig. 3(b). Also, if pressing of the standby switch button provided on the remote control 17 is detected while the radarscope display function is being executed, the display function is switched to the standby screen display function.

[0116] The control unit 18 executes processing to realize each function, such as a GPS warning function, a radar wave warning function, a wireless warning function, etc., in response to an event that occurs while the standby screen display function or the radar scope display function (hereinafter these functions are collectively referred to as the standby function) is being executed. The priority of each function is set in descending order: radar wave warning function, wireless warning function, and GPS warning function.

[0117] The GPS warning function is a process executed at a predetermined time interval (1 second interval) in response to an event from a timer in the control unit 18. The process calculates the distance between the target object and the object from the latitude and longitude stored in the database 19 and the latitude and longitude of the current position detected by the GPS receiver 8. When the calculated distance reaches a predetermined approach distance (for example, 1 km), the display unit 5 displays a message to that effect (approach warning) and the speaker 20 outputs an audio message indicating this.

[0118] These targets include locations of drowsy driving accidents, radar, speed limit change points, enforcement areas, Orbis (also known as "automatic speed enforcement devices" or "vehicle speed measuring devices"), and checkpoints. There are areas, no-parking monitoring areas, N systems, traffic monitoring systems, intersection monitoring points, red light ignoring prevention systems, police stations, accident-prone areas, vehicle theft-prone areas, sharp / continuous curves (expressways), branch / merging points (expressways), ETC lane advance guidance (expressways), service areas (expressways), parking areas (expressways), highway oases (expressways), smart interchanges (expressways), PA / SA gas stations (expressways), tunnels (expressways), highway radio reception areas (expressways), prefectural border notices, roadside stations, view point parking, Zone 30, etc., and information on the type of these landmarks, latitude and longitude information indicating their locations, schematic diagram or photograph data and audio data to be displayed on display unit 5, the speed limit at that location, and the speeds at which the location may be subject to enforcement are associated and stored in database 19. The speeds at which the location may be subject to enforcement are stored as the speed limit multiplied by 30% and added to the speed limit.

[0119] Here, an Orbis (automatic speed enforcement device, vehicle speed measurement device) is a device that automatically measures the speed of vehicles passing through an enforcement location and records the vehicle if its speed exceeds the speed at which it could be subject to enforcement at the enforcement location.Examples of such a device include loop coils, new H systems, LH systems, and radar systems.

[0120] The radar wave warning function is an alarm function that displays an alarm screen on the display unit 5 and outputs an alarm sound from the speaker 20 when the microwave receiver 4 detects a signal corresponding to microwaves in the frequency band emitted from a speed measuring device (such as a mobile radar (hereinafter simply referred to as "radar")).

[0121] For example, when microwaves in the frequency band of microwaves emitted by radar are detected by microwave receiver 4, a schematic diagram or photograph of radar stored in database 19 is displayed as a warning screen on display unit 5, as shown in Fig. 4, and audio data stored in database 19 is read out and a voice message saying "Radar. Watch your speed" is output from speaker 20. While the voice is being output, warning lamp 6 is lit.

[0122] The radio alarm function issues an alarm when radio signals from emergency vehicles or other vehicles are received by the radio receiver 15 to prevent interference with their travel. The radio alarm function scans frequencies for police radios, car location radios, digital radios, special small radios, police station radios, police telephones, police activity radios, tow truck radios, helicopter radios, fire helicopter radios, fire department radios, emergency radios, highway radios, and security radios. When a radio signal is received at a scanned frequency, the display unit 5 displays a schematic diagram indicating that a radio signal corresponding to the frequency stored for that radio type in the database 19 has been received as an alarm screen. The audio data stored for each radio type in the database 19 is read, and an audio alert indicating the radio type is output from the speaker 20. For example, when a police radio signal is received, the audio output is "This is a police radio signal. Watch your speed." While the audio output is in progress, the alarm lamp 6 is illuminated.

[0123] In addition to the functions described above, the radar detector of the first embodiment is equipped with a speed limit notification function, an over-speed notification function, a previous driving speed notification function, and a first output function that outputs information indicating that the driving speed when approaching an Orbis inspection location was a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to inspection.

[0124] The speed limit notification function is a process executed by the control unit 18 when the vehicle is within 1 km of an Orbis control location, in which the control unit 18 reads the speed limit for the Orbis control location stored in the database 19, displays that speed limit on the display unit 5, and outputs a voice announcing the speed limit, which is stored as audio data in the database 19, from the speaker 20. The voice announcing the speed limit is something like, "The speed limit is XX kilometers per hour."

[0125] Here, a point that is within 1 km of an speed camera inspection location is defined as a point where the distance between the speed camera inspection location stored in database 19 and the current location detected by GPS receiver 8 is calculated, and the calculated distance is 1 km. The driving speed is calculated by the control unit 18 using the radar detector position information and time received by the GPS receiver 8. The speed limit at the Orbis inspection location is the speed limit of the road at the Orbis inspection location read out from the database 19 by the control unit 18.

[0126] The speed limit notification function is a process executed by the control unit 18 at a point within 1 km of an Orbis inspection location or at a point immediately preceding the Orbis inspection location. In this process, the control unit 18 reads the speed limit for the Orbis inspection location stored in the database 19, and if the result of subtracting the speed limit from the driving speed calculated as described below is greater than zero, the control unit 18 displays on the display screen of the display unit 5 that the driving speed at that location exceeds the speed limit, and also outputs to the speaker 20 a voice message, stored as audio data in the database 19, announcing that the speed limit has been exceeded. The voice message announcing that the speed limit has been exceeded is, for example, "You are speeding by XX kilometers."

[0127] Here, the point within 1 km of the speed camera inspection location is determined by calculating the distance between the speed camera inspection location stored in database 19 and the latitude and longitude of the current location detected by GPS receiver 8, and determining the point where the calculated distance is 1 km.

[0128] In addition, the point immediately preceding the speed camera inspection location is determined by calculating the distance between the latitude and longitude of the speed camera inspection location stored in database 19 and the latitude and longitude of the current location detected by GPS receiver 8, and the point where the calculated distance is 100 m.

[0129] The driving speed is calculated by the control unit 18 using the radar detector position information and time received by the GPS receiver 8. The speed limit at the Orbis inspection location is the speed limit of the road at the Orbis inspection location read out from the database 19 by the control unit 18.

[0130] The latest driving speed notification function is a process executed by the control unit 18 at a point immediately before an Orbis inspection location. In this process, the control unit 18 controls the display unit 5 to display the driving speed at the point immediately before the Orbis inspection location as the latest driving speed, and also controls the speaker 20 to output a voice announcing this latest driving speed, which is stored as audio data in the database 19. The voice announcing the latest driving speed is, for example, "Your vehicle is traveling at XX kilometers per hour."

[0131] Here, as mentioned above, the point immediately preceding the speed camera inspection location is determined by calculating the distance between the latitude and longitude of the speed camera inspection location stored in database 19 and the latitude and longitude of the current location detected by GPS receiver 8, and the point where the calculated distance is 100 m.

[0132] As described above, the traveling speed is calculated by the control unit 18 using the radar detector position information received by the GPS receiver 8 and the time.

[0133] As mentioned above, the first output function is a function that outputs information that the driving speed when approaching an Orbis control location was a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to control at the time of an approach warning (approach distance to Orbis control location: 1 km) and at a point just before the Orbis control location (approach distance to Orbis control location: 100 m). Specifically, this first output function is performed by the control unit 18 to perform the following processing.

[0134] The control unit 18 reads from the database 19 the speed camera inspection location (latitude and longitude) for which an approach warning is issued by the aforementioned GPS alarm function, and the speed at which the speed camera inspection location may be subject to enforcement, which is stored in association with the speed camera inspection location.

[0135] The traveling speed is calculated by the control unit 18 using the time and position information of the radar detector received by the GPS receiver 8. Specifically, the control unit 18 continuously detects the current position of the radar detector from the GPS receiver 8 at one-second intervals, stores this detected current position in non-volatile memory at one-second intervals, and continues to calculate the traveling speed at one-second intervals from the current position and the position one second prior.

[0136] Then, when the distance between the current position of this radar detector detected by the GPS receiver 8 and the speed camera inspection location read from the database 19 as described above becomes 1 km, the control unit 18 determines whether the driving speed when approaching the speed camera inspection location is greater than or equal to the speed at which the vehicle would be subject to inspection at the speed camera inspection location read.

[0137] When the control unit 18 determines that the driving speed when approaching the speed camera inspection location is equal to or greater than the speed at which the vehicle could be subject to enforcement, it stores the following in non-volatile memory as a process for storing first information. Specifically, the control unit 18 sets first flag information, which relates to whether the driving speed when approaching the speed camera inspection location is a speed at which the vehicle could be subject to enforcement, to 1, and associates this first flag information with information about the speed camera inspection location (here, the identification number of the inspection location (speed camera)), information on the stored date and time, and information about the stored location (here, the time of the approach warning (1 km before the speed camera inspection location) or just before arriving at the speed camera inspection location (information indicating that the location is 100 m before the speed camera inspection location)), and stores these in non-volatile memory.

[0138] The control unit 18 performs the above process of storing the first information each time the driving speed when approaching the Orbis inspection location becomes a speed that could be subject to enforcement. Therefore, there are multiple cases where the speed becomes a speed that could be subject to enforcement, and by storing the first information each time, the first information is stored multiple times in non-volatile memory in table format. Therefore, when the control unit 18 stores multiple pieces of first information, the first information is stored in the non-volatile memory within the control unit 18 as count information regarding the number of times the driving speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement.

[0139] Thereafter, when the vehicle engine is stopped, the control unit 18 reads out the first information stored in the non-volatile memory, counts the number of pieces of this first information (specifically, information whose first flag information is 1), and performs a process of displaying on the display unit 5 a number of cat illustration objects equivalent to the number of pieces of information counted as information indicating that the driving speed when approaching the speed camera inspection location was a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to inspection (see Figure 5).

[0140] When displaying this object on the display unit 5, the control unit 18 performs a process to make the object white for each object to be displayed if it determines that the information regarding the stored position in the first information is the position at the time of the "approach warning," and to make the object gray if it determines that the position is the position "just before reaching the speed camera inspection location."

[0141] Furthermore, the number of times the driving speed when approaching the Orbis control location was a speed that could be subject to control is counted as the number of times the Orbis control location was recorded as audio data in the database 19. The system then outputs to the speaker 20 a sound announcing the number of times the driving speed when approaching the stop position was a speed that could be subject to enforcement.

[0142] Figure 5 shows an example of a display screen when the control unit 18 outputs to the display unit 5 information that the driving speed when approaching the speed camera inspection location was a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to inspection, as information on the number of times that the speed was a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to inspection.

[0143] The information indicating that the driving speed was such that the vehicle could be subject to enforcement may be output in any manner, but in the first embodiment, if the vehicle approaches an Orbis enforcement location multiple times, the control unit 18 reads out the multiple pieces of first information stored in non-volatile memory each time the vehicle approaches an Orbis enforcement location, tallies the number of these pieces of first information, and displays a number of objects corresponding to the number of tallied pieces of first information on the display screen of the display unit 5. The objects are configured to be illustrations of cats with the same external shape, simple and identical to each other.

[0144] In this way, when the user sees objects with the same external shape and recognizes the number of such objects, the user can know the number of times the speed at which the vehicle was traveling could be subject to traffic regulations. Here, the "user" is a person who installs and uses this device in a vehicle, such as the driver himself or herself or an assistant who conveys information to the driver.

[0145] 5, the display screen of display unit 5 is configured as a single display screen. Control unit 18 reads out illustration data of cats as objects with the same external shape from the non-volatile memory, and performs control to display a maximum of 8 vertically and 5 horizontally on the display screen, the number of objects corresponding to the number of first information items, as described above.

[0146] In addition, in FIG. 5, the control unit 18 executes a program stored in the nonvolatile memory of the control unit 18, thereby displaying each object as a white cat and / or a gray cat. In the first embodiment, the white cat-shaped object in Fig. 5 indicates that the speed at which the vehicle was traveling could be subject to enforcement when the approach warning was issued. Also, the gray cat-shaped object indicates that the speed at which the vehicle was traveling could be subject to enforcement when the vehicle was in a position just before reaching the speed camera.

[0147] Next, the operation of the radar detector in this first embodiment will be described.

[0148] This radar detector is powered on when the engine is started. This causes the control unit 18 to activate the GPS alarm function, read out the speed camera inspection location stored in the database 19, and begin calculating the distance between the speed camera inspection location and the current location detected by the GPS receiver 8. The control unit 18 continues this calculation at predetermined time intervals (1-second intervals) set by its own timer.

[0149] When the control unit 18 determines based on the calculation result of the mutual distance that the vehicle has reached a point 1 km before the speed camera inspection location, it performs a process of displaying a warning on the display unit 5 that the speed camera is 1 km away, and also performs a process of outputting an approach warning sound from the speaker 20 to indicate this.

[0150] Furthermore, when it is determined that the vehicle has reached the point 1 km away, the control unit 18 notifies the vehicle of the speed limit in addition to issuing an approach warning for the next 1 km. Specifically, the control unit 18 notifies the vehicle of the speed limit by causing the display unit 5 to display the speed limit of the speed control location (orbis) stored in the database 19, and by causing the speaker 20 to output a sound announcing the speed limit.

[0151] Furthermore, when it is determined that the vehicle has reached the point 1 km before, the control unit 18 also issues a speeding notification. Specifically, when the control unit 18 subtracts the speed limit from the traveling speed and the result is greater than zero, the control unit 18 performs processing to cause the display unit 5 to display that the traveling speed exceeds the speed limit, and also performs processing to cause the speaker 20 to output a voice message notifying the user that the traveling speed exceeds the speed limit.

[0152] At this time, if the driving speed at the time of issuing the approach warning (or speed limit notification) is a speed at which the vehicle may be subject to enforcement, the control unit 18 stores information indicating this (first information) in the non-volatile memory of the control unit 18. Here, as described above, the control unit 18 stores the first information by associating the first flag information, information relating to the speed camera enforcement location (information on the speed camera enforcement location's identification number), information on the stored date and time, and information relating to the stored location (information indicating that the information is stored 1 km before the speed camera enforcement location).

[0153] After that, when the radar detector approaches even closer to the speed camera and the control unit 18 determines that the radar detector has reached a position just before reaching the speed camera (100 m before the speed camera inspection location), the control unit 18 will notify the driver of the latest driving speed and will also notify the driver of a second speeding limit.

[0154] At the position just before reaching the speed camera, if the driving speed at the position just before reaching the speed camera is a speed that could result in enforcement, the control unit 18 stores information indicating this (first information) in the non-volatile memory of the control unit 18. At this time, the control unit 18 stores, as the first information, information about the speed camera enforcement position (information about the speed camera enforcement position identification number), information about the stored date and time, and information about the stored position (information that the recording was made at a position 100 m before (just before reaching) the speed camera enforcement position).

[0155] Here, when an approach warning is issued, if the driving speed at that time is a speed that could make the vehicle subject to enforcement, information (first information) indicating that the driving speed is a speed that could make the vehicle subject to enforcement is stored in the non-volatile memory of the control unit 18, and then, if the driving speed at the position just before reaching the speed camera is also a speed that could make the vehicle subject to enforcement, the control unit 18 in this embodiment processes the first information stored when the approach warning was issued to update the first information stored when the vehicle reached the position just before reaching the speed camera.

[0156] The above steps are repeated each time the vehicle's radar detector approaches an Orbis enforcement location.

[0157] Thereafter, when the vehicle engine is stopped, the control unit 18 reads out the first information stored in the non-volatile memory, tallies the number of times the driving speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement, and performs a process to display on the display unit 5 information that the driving speed when approaching the speed camera inspection location was a speed that could be subject to enforcement as information on the number of times that speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement (see Figure 5), and also performs a process to output the number of times that speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement by voice from the speaker 20.

[0158] Here, the control unit 18 performs a process to display on the display unit 5 information that the driving speed when approaching the speed camera inspection location was a speed that could be subject to inspection, as information on the number of times that the speed was a speed that could be subject to inspection, for a certain period of time (specifically, 10 seconds) after the vehicle engine is stopped.

[0159] If the standby screen is displayed on the display unit 5 until just before the vehicle stops, when the engine of the vehicle stops, the control unit 18 ends the display of the standby screen and displays that the driving speed is subject to enforcement. The number of times the speed was possible is displayed on the screen.

[0160] (Effects of the first embodiment) (1) The first output function of this radar detector outputs information that the driving speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement, so when the user receives the output of information that the driving speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement, the user can know that the driving speed when approaching the Orbis enforcement location was a speed that could be subject to enforcement. Therefore, the user can increase their awareness of safe driving by reflecting on the dangerous driving they had done.

[0161] (2) Furthermore, the control unit 18 displays information on the display screen of the display unit 5 that the driving speed was a speed that could result in enforcement as an object with the same external shape, so that when the user sees and recognizes the object with the same external shape, the user can know that the driving speed was a speed that could result in enforcement.

[0162] (3) When the user receives output of information indicating that the driving speed was a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to enforcement based on the first information stored at a position just before reaching the speed camera enforcement location (for example, when the user focuses on the gray cat object displayed on the display unit 5), the user can effectively increase their awareness of safe driving by reflecting on their own dangerous driving based on the output of information indicating that the driving speed at a position close to the speed camera enforcement location was a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to enforcement.

[0163] (4) Furthermore, when information is output based on the first information stored at the location when the approach warning was issued that the driving speed was a speed that could result in enforcement (for example, when focusing on the white cat object), it is possible to know that the driving speed when the approach warning was issued was a speed that could result in enforcement.

[0164] Therefore, the user can know, for example, that the speed before hearing the approach warning (for example, the speed before starting to slow down the vehicle while driving based on the approach warning (basic state)) was a speed that could be subject to enforcement. For example, the user can also know that if the radar detector had not issued the approach warning, there was a high possibility that the vehicle would have reached the Orbis enforcement location at a speed that could be subject to enforcement. Therefore, the user can reflect on the dangerous driving situation that may have resulted in speed control if the user had continued driving at the normal speed, and can further increase his or her awareness of safe driving.

[0165] (5) Furthermore, when there are multiple instances where the speed reached a speed that could be subject to enforcement, this radar detector stores the first information each time, and based on this, outputs information on the number of times the driving speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement.Therefore, when the user receives the information on the number of times the driving speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement and recognizes the number, he or she can also know the number of times the vehicle was driven at a speed that could be subject to enforcement.

[0166] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described.

[0167] In addition to the first output function of the first embodiment, the radar detector of this second embodiment stores information (hereinafter referred to as "second information") in non-volatile memory indicating that the driving speed at the Orbis control location is not a speed that would be subject to enforcement if the driving speed at the location where the approach warning was issued or the location immediately preceding the Orbis control location was a speed that would be subject to enforcement, but is no longer a speed that would be subject to enforcement at the Orbis control location. The system is configured to store the second information in the non-volatile memory, read out the stored second information from the non-volatile memory, and, at the speed camera inspection location, output information indicating that the speed camera inspection was avoided (second output function).

[0168] Here, the radar detector according to the second embodiment is a radar detector that issues a warning when approaching an Orvis inspection location, similar to the first embodiment.

[0169] Here, the non-volatile memory of the control unit 18 provided in the radar detector is configured to store the second information in association with the first information in addition to the first information. Specifically, this second information is information (second flag information) that indicates by a flag that the driving speed at the Orbis inspection location does not fall within the speed range that would make the vehicle subject to enforcement. Here, the control unit 18 is configured to store the second flag information as 0 if it determines that the driving speed at the Orbis inspection location does not fall within the speed range that would make the vehicle subject to enforcement.

[0170] When this radar detector issues an approach warning using its control unit 18, it reads out from the database 19 the speed at which a vehicle may become subject to enforcement, and if the driving speed at the time of issuing the approach warning or immediately before the speed camera enforcement location is a speed at which a vehicle may become subject to enforcement, it stores a first flag indicating that the driving speed is a speed at which a vehicle may become subject to enforcement as 1 in the non-volatile memory of the control unit 18 (first information), and outputs information indicating that the driving speed was a speed at which a vehicle may become subject to enforcement based on the first information stored in the non-volatile memory (first output).

[0171] In addition, when the driving speed at a speed camera inspection location is no longer a speed that would result in the vehicle being subject to inspection, the control unit 18 stores information (second information) indicating that the driving speed is no longer a speed that would result in the vehicle being subject to inspection in the non-volatile memory of the control unit 18, with the second flag set to 0 and associated with the first information, and when the vehicle engine is stopped, this stored information is read out and processed to output to the display unit 5 and speaker 20 information indicating that the vehicle has been able to avoid inspection (second output).

[0172] Here, "when the speed at the speed camera location is no longer a speed that would be subject to enforcement" refers to, for example, when the approaching warning was issued and the vehicle was slowed down based on the approaching warning, and the speed at the speed camera location is no longer a speed that would be subject to enforcement. In particular, "when the speed at the speed camera location is no longer a speed that would be subject to enforcement" refers to when the speed at the speed camera location is no longer a speed that would be subject to enforcement, regardless of any changes in speed between the issuance of the approaching warning and the arrival at the speed camera location (for example, even if the speed repeatedly fluctuates below and above the speed that would be subject to enforcement).

[0173] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the speed at which a vehicle may be subject to enforcement is also stored in the database 19 as a value greater than the speed limit. For example, as described above, the speed at which a vehicle may be subject to enforcement is calculated by multiplying the speed limit by 30% and adding that value to the speed limit. In the second embodiment, if the speed limit is 100 km / h, the speed at which a vehicle may be subject to enforcement is stored in the database 19 as 130 km / h, which is 30% greater than the speed limit.

[0174] Furthermore, in order to output information to the speaker 20 indicating that the crackdown has been avoided, the database 19 is configured to store audio information of the second information in addition to the audio information shown in the first embodiment.

[0175] As described above, in the second embodiment, both the first output function and the second output function are realized. However, here, the first output by the first output function and the second output by the second output function are output as separate screens and sounds at separate times. The first output of the first output function is the same as in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted. The second output function will be described in more detail below.

[0176] The second output function is performed by the control unit 18 to perform the following processes.

[0177] First, when the control unit 18 executes the second output function, it uses the speed at which a vehicle may be subject to enforcement at the speed camera inspection location, the speed camera inspection location (latitude and longitude) that was the target of the first output function, and the speed at which a vehicle may be subject to enforcement at the inspection location stored in association with the speed camera inspection location, as the speed at which a vehicle may be subject to enforcement at the speed camera inspection location, the speed camera inspection location (latitude and longitude) that was the target of the second output function, and the speed at which a vehicle may be subject to enforcement at the inspection location stored in association with the speed camera inspection location.

[0178] As with the first output function, the traveling speed is calculated by the control unit 18 using the time and position information of the radar detector received by the GPS receiver 8. Specifically, the control unit 18 continuously detects the current position of the radar detector from the GPS receiver 8 at one-second intervals, stores this detected current position in non-volatile memory at one-second intervals, and continues to calculate the traveling speed at one-second intervals from the current position and the position one second prior.

[0179] Then, the control unit 18 calculates the distance between the speed camera inspection location and the current location detected by the GPS receiver 8 from their latitude and longitude, and when it determines that the speed camera inspection location, which is a point where the calculated distance is 20 m, is reached, it compares the driving speed at the speed camera inspection location with the speed at which the vehicle could be subject to inspection at the speed camera inspection location that has been read.

[0180] If, as a result of the comparison, the control unit 18 determines that the calculated driving speed is below the speed at which the vehicle could be subject to enforcement (if it determines that the driving speed at the speed camera enforcement location does not fall within the speed at which the vehicle could be subject to enforcement), it stores information (second information) indicating that the driving speed does not fall within the speed at which the vehicle could be subject to enforcement in the non-volatile memory of the control unit 18, associating the second flag information with the first flag information as 0.

[0181] The control unit 18 performs the above process of storing the second information each time the driving speed at the Orbis inspection location is below the speed at which the vehicle would be subject to inspection. Therefore, there are multiple cases where the driving speed at the Orbis inspection location is below the speed at which the vehicle would be subject to inspection, and by storing the second information each time, multiple pieces of the second information are stored in the non-volatile memory in table format in association with the first information.

[0182] Therefore, when the control unit 18 stores multiple pieces of second information, it stores them in the non-volatile memory within the control unit 18 as count information regarding the number of times the driving speed was no longer a speed that could be subject to enforcement.

[0183] Thereafter, when the vehicle engine is stopped, the control unit 18 reads out the first information and the second information stored in the non-volatile memory, counts the number of pieces of second information (specifically, the number of pieces of information stored with the first flag information set to 1 and the second flag information set to 0), and performs a process of displaying on the display unit 5 a number of cat illustration objects corresponding to the number of pieces of second information counted as information indicating that the vehicle has avoided being caught (see Figure 5).

[0184] 5, the control unit 18 executes a program stored in the nonvolatile memory of the control unit 18 to display each object as a white cat and / or a gray cat. When the approach warning is issued, the speed information indicating that the vehicle was traveling at a speed that could result in a crackdown is displayed as a white cat object. Also, the control unit 18 displays the speed information indicating that the vehicle was traveling at a speed that could result in a crackdown when the vehicle was just about to reach the speed sensor as a gray cat object.

[0185] Furthermore, the total number is used as the number of times that enforcement was avoided, and a voice is output from the speaker 20 to announce the number of times that the driving speed at the speed camera enforcement location stored as audio data in the database 19 was no longer a speed that would result in enforcement.

[0186] In the operation of the second embodiment, in addition to the operation of the first output function included in the first embodiment, the following operation of the second output function is also performed.

[0187] The control unit 18 calculates the distance between the latitude and longitude of the speed camera inspection location stored in the database 19 and the latitude and longitude of the current location detected by the GPS receiver 8, and when it determines that the speed camera inspection location (as a speed enforcement location) has been reached where the calculated distance is 20 m, it reads out the speed stored in the database 19 that could result in enforcement, and determines whether the driving speed is the read speed that could result in enforcement.

[0188] When the calculated driving speed is below the speed at which the vehicle may be subject to enforcement, the control unit 18 stores information (second information) indicating that the driving speed does not fall within the speed at which the vehicle may be subject to enforcement in the non-volatile memory of the control unit 18 by setting the second flag to 0.

[0189] The above operation is repeated each time an Orbis inspection location is reached. Therefore, the control unit 18 stores the second information each time the vehicle's traveling speed was such that it could be subject to inspection when the approach warning was issued, but the vehicle equipped with the radar detector of this embodiment slows down based on this approach warning and is no longer subject to inspection at the Orbis inspection location. Therefore, the control unit 18 stores the second information (specifically, information in which the first flag information is stored as 1 and the second flag information is stored as 0) in the non-volatile memory as count information regarding the number of times the vehicle's traveling speed was no longer subject to inspection at the Orbis inspection location.

[0190] When the engine of the vehicle is stopped, the control unit 18 reads out the second information stored in the non-volatile memory, in which the first flag information is 1 and the second flag information is 0, counts the number of this second information, and performs a process of displaying on the display unit 5 a number of cat illustration objects corresponding to the number of counted pieces of information indicating that the vehicle has avoided being caught (see Figure 5).

[0191] As mentioned above, when the control unit 18 performs the process of displaying an object with a cat illustration on the display unit 5, it displays as a white cat object information that indicates a speed that could result in a crackdown when the approach warning is issued, and as a grey cat object information that indicates a speed that could result in a crackdown when the vehicle is in a position just before reaching an automatic speed camera.

[0192] Furthermore, the total number is regarded as the number of times that control checks have been avoided, and a voice announcing the number of times that control checks have been avoided, which is stored as voice data in the database 19, is output from the speaker 20.

[0193] Here, the display screen of the display unit 5 according to the second embodiment will be specifically described with reference to Fig. 5 again. On this display screen, the control unit 18 performs processing to display an illustrated object of a cat, which has the same external shape as the display screen shown in Fig. 5 in the first embodiment. There are.

[0194] As described above, in the second embodiment, the first output by the first output function and the second output by the second output function are displayed as different screens at different times. Here, only the screen of the second output by the second output function will be described. The screen of the first output is the same as that shown in the first embodiment. The control unit 18 switches between the screen of the first output and the screen of the second output based on a timer.

[0195] In the second embodiment, each cat object corresponds to a second output, which is displayed in white or gray, as described above.

[0196] Here, the white cat object represents an individual fact: when the approach warning was issued, the vehicle's driving speed was such that it could be subject to enforcement, but based on this approach warning the vehicle slowed down, and by the time it passed the speed camera enforcement location, the driving speed was no longer such that it could be subject to enforcement.

[0197] In addition, the gray cat object represents an individual fact: when the vehicle was in a position just before reaching the speed camera, its speed was such that it could be subject to enforcement, but based on the approach warning, the vehicle slowed down, and by the time it passed the speed camera enforcement location, its speed was no longer such that it could be subject to enforcement.

[0198] In this way, the user can know that the speed at which the vehicle was traveling when the approach warning was issued or when the vehicle was just about to reach the Orbis was a speed that could have been subject to enforcement, but that by the time the Orbis enforcement location was reached, the speed was no longer a speed that could have been subject to enforcement, and therefore the user can know that the enforcement was avoided.As a result, the user can reflect on the dangerous driving situation that could have resulted in speed enforcement if the vehicle had continued traveling at the normal speed before receiving the approach warning, and can know that the device has prompted the vehicle to slow down and drive safely.

[0199] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described.

[0200] In addition to the first output function in the first embodiment and the second output function in the second embodiment, the radar detector in the third embodiment is configured to have the following additional function: if the driving speed when approaching the speed camera inspection location at the point of the approach warning or the point immediately preceding the speed camera inspection location is a speed at which the vehicle could be subject to enforcement, and if the driving speed at the speed camera inspection location is also a speed at which the vehicle could be subject to enforcement, the radar detector stores information (hereinafter referred to as "third information") in non-volatile memory indicating that the driving speed at the speed camera inspection location is also a speed at which the vehicle could be subject to enforcement, reads out the stored third information from the non-volatile memory, and outputs information (third output function) indicating that enforcement could not be avoided at the speed camera inspection location.

[0201] Furthermore, the control unit 18 is configured to perform processing to simultaneously output, in different formats, information indicating that the crackdown was avoided using the second output function and information indicating that the crackdown was not avoided using the third output function.

[0202] Here, the non-volatile memory of the control unit 18 provided in the radar detector also stores information (hereinafter referred to as "third information") that indicates that the driving speed at the Orbis inspection location is within the range of speeds that may be subject to enforcement, in association with the first information and second information described above. Specifically, this third information is information (third flag information) that indicates with a flag that the driving speed at the Orbis inspection location is within the range of speeds that may be subject to enforcement. Here, with regard to the third flag information, the control unit 18 is configured to store the information as 1 if it determines that the driving speed at the speed camera inspection location is a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to inspection.

[0203] In the third embodiment, the control unit 18 causes the display unit 5 to output the object in different modes by changing the color tone of the object, such as between white and gray.

[0204] Here, the radar detector according to the third embodiment, like the first and second embodiments, is a radar detector that issues a warning when approaching an Orvis inspection location.

[0205] Specifically, the third output function adds the following processing to the processing of the first and second output functions.

[0206] When the control unit 18 compares the driving speed calculated at the speed camera inspection location with the speed at which the vehicle could be subject to enforcement, and if the driving speed at the speed camera inspection location is such that the vehicle could be subject to enforcement, the control unit 18 stores information (third information) indicating that the driving speed at the speed camera inspection location is such that the vehicle could be subject to enforcement, by setting the third flag to 1 and associating it with the first and second information, in the non-volatile memory within the control unit 18, and when the vehicle engine is stopped, it reads out this stored information and processes the output (third output) of information to the display unit 5 and speaker 20 that the vehicle was unable to avoid enforcement.

[0207] Here, "when the driving speed is such that the vehicle may be subject to enforcement even at the speed camera inspection location" refers to, for example, a case where the vehicle's driving speed when the approach warning is issued is such that the vehicle may be subject to enforcement, and the vehicle is slowed down based on this approach warning, but the vehicle's driving speed is such that the vehicle may be subject to enforcement even at the speed camera inspection location. In particular, "if the driving speed is such that the vehicle could be subject to enforcement even at the speed camera enforcement location" means that the driving speed at the speed camera enforcement location is such that the vehicle could be subject to enforcement regardless of any changes in the driving speed between the issuance of the approach warning and the arrival at the speed camera enforcement location (for example, even if the driving speed repeatedly drops below and exceeds the speed that could be subject to enforcement).

[0208] Furthermore, the speeds at which a vehicle may be subject to enforcement in the third embodiment are the same as those at which a vehicle may be subject to enforcement in the first and second embodiments.

[0209] Furthermore, in order to output information to the speaker 20 that the crackdown could not be avoided, the database 19 stores audio information of the second information in addition to the audio information shown in the first and second embodiments.

[0210] Next, in the third embodiment, the second and third output functions that function in cooperation with the first function will be described in more detail.

[0211] The second and third output functions are functions in which the control unit 18 performs the following processes in addition to the first function.

[0212] First, when the control unit 18 executes the second and third output functions, it uses the speeds at which a vehicle may be subject to enforcement at the speed camera inspection location, speed camera inspection location (latitude and longitude) that was the target of the first output function, and the speeds at which a vehicle may be subject to enforcement at the speed camera inspection location stored in association with the speed camera inspection location that was the target of the second and third output functions, and the speeds at which a vehicle may be subject to enforcement at the speed camera inspection location, speed camera inspection location (latitude and longitude) that was the target of the second and third output functions, and the speeds at which a vehicle may be subject to enforcement at the speed camera inspection location stored in association with the speed camera inspection location.

[0213] As with the first output function, the traveling speed is calculated by the control unit 18 using the time and position information of the radar detector received by the GPS receiver 8. Specifically, the control unit 18 continuously detects the current position of the radar detector from the GPS receiver 8 at one-second intervals, stores this detected current position in non-volatile memory at one-second intervals, and continues to calculate the traveling speed at one-second intervals from the current position and the position one second prior.

[0214] Then, the control unit 18 calculates the distance between the speed camera inspection location and the current location detected by the GPS receiver 8 from their latitude and longitude, and when it determines that the speed camera inspection location, which is a point where the calculated distance is 20 m, is reached, it compares the driving speed at the speed camera inspection location with the speed at which the vehicle could be subject to inspection at the speed camera inspection location that has been read.

[0215] If the control unit 18 determines as a result of the comparison that the calculated traveling speed is equal to or lower than the speed at which the vehicle may be subject to enforcement, it stores information (second information) indicating that the traveling speed does not fall within the speed at which the vehicle may be subject to enforcement in the nonvolatile memory of the control unit 18, associating the information with the first flag information with second flag information set to 0. On the other hand, if the calculated traveling speed is higher than the speed at which the vehicle may be subject to enforcement, it stores information (third information) indicating that the traveling speed falls within the speed at which the vehicle may be subject to enforcement in the nonvolatile memory of the control unit 18, associating the information with the first flag information with third flag information set to 1.

[0216] The control unit 18 performs the process of storing the second information each time the driving speed at the speed camera inspection location is below the speed at which the vehicle would be subject to inspection, and performs the process of storing the third information each time the driving speed at the speed camera inspection location is higher than the speed at which the vehicle would be subject to inspection.

[0217] Therefore, there may be multiple cases where an speed camera inspection location is reached, and by storing the second information or the third information each time, the second or third information will be associated with the first information and stored multiple times in non-volatile memory in table format.

[0218] Therefore, when the control unit 18 stores multiple pieces of second information, it will store the second information in the non-volatile memory of the control unit 18 as count information regarding the number of times the driving speed was no longer a speed that could be subject to enforcement. Also, when the control unit 18 stores multiple pieces of third information, it will store the third information in the non-volatile memory of the control unit 18 as count information regarding the number of times the driving speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement when approaching an Orbis inspection location, and the driving speed remained a speed that could be subject to enforcement even at the Orbis inspection location.

[0219] Thereafter, when the engine of the vehicle is stopped, the control unit 18 reads out the second information stored in the non-volatile memory, counts the number of pieces of this second information (specifically, the number of pieces of information stored with the first flag information set to 1 and the second flag information set to 0), and performs a process of displaying a number of cat illustrations equivalent to the number of pieces of information counted as white objects on the display screen of the display unit 5. Here, these white cat-shaped objects indicate that, when the approach warning was issued, the driving speed was one that could have been subject to enforcement, but that, at the speed detection location, the driving speed was no longer one that could have been subject to enforcement, and thus enforcement was avoided (see Figure 5).

[0220] Furthermore, when the engine of the vehicle is stopped, the control unit 18 also reads out the third information stored in the nonvolatile memory, counts the number of pieces of this third information (specifically, the number of pieces of information in which the first flag information is 1 and the third flag information is 1), and displays the number of cat illustrations corresponding to the counted number of pieces of information as gray objects on the display screen of the display unit 5. The gray cat-shaped object indicates that the speed at which the approach warning was issued was such that the vehicle could be subject to enforcement, and that the speed at which the vehicle was also subject to enforcement at the Orbis enforcement location was such that the vehicle could not avoid being subject to enforcement (see Figure 5).

[0221] Furthermore, the number of times the driving speed at the Orbis control location was no longer a speed that could be subject to enforcement is taken as the number of times the collected number of times for the second information, and a voice (first voice) announcing the number of times the driving speed at the Orbis control location was no longer a speed that could be subject to enforcement, stored as voice data in the database 19, is output to the speaker 20. Similarly, the number of times the collected number of times the driving speed at the Orbis control location remained a speed that could be subject to enforcement is taken as the number of times the driving speed at the Orbis control location remained a speed that could be subject to enforcement, stored as voice data in the database 19, and a voice announcing the number of times the driving speed at the Orbis control location remained a speed that could be subject to enforcement is output to the speaker 20.

[0222] Here, the control unit 18 performs a process of outputting the first voice and the second voice from the speaker 20 by including the contents of one phrase.

[0223] In this way, when the user pays attention to the color of the cat illustration objects and recognizes the number of gray cat illustration objects, the user can understand that the driving speed at the Orbis inspection location is a speed that could result in being subject to inspection, and the number of times that inspection was not possible.Furthermore, when the user recognizes the number of white cat illustration objects, the user can understand that the driving speed at the Orbis inspection location is no longer a speed that could result in being subject to inspection, and the number of times that inspection was possible.

[0224] In addition, by comparing two of the above numbers for each of the above, it is possible to find out the ratio of the number of times that enforcement was avoided to the number of times that enforcement was not avoided, the ratio of the number of times that the driving speed when approaching an Orbis enforcement location was such that the driver could be subject to enforcement and the number of times that enforcement was avoided, and the ratio of the number of times that the driving speed when approaching an Orbis enforcement location was such that the driver could be subject to enforcement and the number of times that enforcement was not avoided.

[0225] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the control unit 18 correlates the second output and the third output and processes them so that both are displayed on the same display screen of the display unit 5 at the same time. Therefore, when the user recognizes the second output and the third output, which are correlated and displayed on the same display screen at the same time, the user can grasp the number of times that they were able to avoid being caught, the number of times that they were unable to avoid being caught, and the number of times that their driving speed when approaching an automatic speed camera detection location was such that they could be subject to detection, as well as the percentage of each of these, all together on a single display screen.

[0226] Furthermore, both the white cat object and the gray cat object correspond to the first information, and the total number of white cat objects and gray cat objects represents the information that the speed at which the vehicle was traveling could be subject to enforcement when an approach warning was issued. Therefore, when the user recognizes the total number of cat illustration objects output on the display screen of the display unit 5, the user can understand the number of times the speed at which the vehicle was traveling could be subject to enforcement when an approach warning was issued.

[0227] (Other embodiments) Other embodiments will be described below.

[0228] In the GPS warning function in each of the above embodiments, when the calculated distance becomes a predetermined approach distance (for example, 1 km), the control unit 18 displays this (approach warning) on ​​the display unit 5 and outputs an approach warning sound indicating this from the speaker 20, but the approach distance may also be 500 m, or the approach distance may be both 1 km and 500 m.

[0229] The radar detector in each of the above embodiments notifies the driver of the speed limit using the speed limit notification function under the control of the control unit 18, but this speed limit notification does not have to be performed. Also, the control unit 18 displays the speed limit at the speed limit inspection location on the display unit 5 and outputs an audio message announcing the speed limit from the speaker 20, but instead, it may only output either the audio or the display.

[0230] Furthermore, although the radar detectors in the above embodiments issue speeding notification using the speeding notification function under the control of the control unit 18, the speeding notification does not have to be issued. Furthermore, the control unit 18 uses the speeding notification function to perform processing to display on the display unit 5 that the traveling speed exceeds the speed limit, and to output from the speaker 20 an audio message notifying that the speed limit has been exceeded, but instead, it may only output either the audio or the display.

[0231] The speeding notification function in each of the above embodiments performs processing to display on the display screen of display unit 5 that the traveling speed exceeds the speed limit and to output from speaker 20 a sound notifying that the speed limit has been exceeded, but does not perform processing to notify the value of the exceeded speed itself. However, processing may be performed to display on the display screen of display unit 5 the traveling speed calculated by control unit 18 at the time of speeding notification as the exceeded speed value and / or output this as sound. Alternatively, control unit 18 may perform processing to display on the display screen of display unit 5 a value obtained by subtracting the speed limit from the traveling speed and / or output this as sound.

[0232] In the above embodiments, the approach warning is provided by the GPS warning function of the radar detector, but is not limited to this. The approach warning can be any warning that notifies the driver that the speed limit and / or speed limit notification provided by the radar detector is within a predetermined distance from the speed limit control location, and the approach warning function can be provided by the radar detector instead of the GPS warning function.

[0233] In addition, the predetermined approach position was determined by calculating the distance between the target's latitude and longitude stored in database 19 and the latitude and longitude of the current position detected by GPS receiver 8, and the calculated distance was set to 1 km.However, when the vehicle is traveling on a highway, the aforementioned predetermined approach distance may be 2 km before the speed camera instead of 1 km before it.

[0234] In addition, the approach warning can be issued at a position just before the speed camera enforcement location, where a user who receives the approach warning via the GPS alarm function can slow down the vehicle equipped with a radar detector of each of the above embodiments from its current speed, which would make it subject to enforcement, to a speed that would not make it subject to enforcement before reaching the speed camera enforcement location (for example, 2 km, 1 km, 500 m, 100 m, etc.)

[0235] In this way, by recognizing the approach warning issued by the radar detector, the user can slow down from their current speed, which would be subject to enforcement, to a speed that would not be subject to enforcement before reaching the speed camera enforcement location.

[0236] Here, the "position where deceleration is possible" may be any position where the vehicle's traveling speed can be decelerated to a speed where the vehicle's traveling speed is not subject to enforcement, but it is particularly desirable to be a position where the vehicle's traveling speed can be decelerated safely to a speed where the vehicle's traveling speed is not subject to enforcement. Even if the current speed that is subject to enforcement is significantly higher than the speed where the vehicle is subject to enforcement, it is desirable to be a position where the vehicle can be decelerated without suddenly braking (for example, if the speed limit is 100 km / h and the traveling speed is 160 km / h or 170 km / h, it is desirable to be a position where the vehicle can be decelerated to the speed limit). In particular, it is desirable to be able to avoid situations where the distance between the vehicles in front and behind suddenly becomes close. It is preferable to set the vehicle at a position where the speed of the vehicle can be gradually reduced while keeping the speed almost constant, to a speed that is not subject to enforcement.

[0237] The approach warning is a process in which the fact is displayed on the display unit 5, an approach warning indicating the approach warning is displayed from the speaker 20, and an approach warning sound indicating the fact is output from the speaker 20, but the approach warning may be any kind of sound, voice, image, or a combination thereof, and may be output by sound and / or voice, for example.

[0238] In each of the above embodiments, the speed enforcement location is an Orbis enforcement location, but it can be any location where enforcement is carried out at a speed that could make vehicles traveling at speeds exceeding the legal speed limit (hereinafter referred to as the speed limit) subject to enforcement, and it can also be a location where drivers should be careful about their driving speed.

[0239] Approaching an speed camera control location is defined as when passing the speed camera control location and when an approach warning is issued, but it may also be when passing the speed camera control location or when an approach warning is issued.

[0240] Although the time of passing the speed camera inspection position is assumed to be the position immediately before reaching the speed camera inspection position, it may also be the time of reaching the speed camera inspection position or the position immediately after passing the speed camera inspection position.

[0241] The driving speed is calculated by the control unit 18 using the radar detector's position information and time received by the GPS receiver 8, but instead, the control unit 18 may obtain the vehicle's driving speed from the vehicle via the vehicle's ODB2 connector (diagnostic connector) and the connection cable 22 connected to it, and use this as the radar detector's driving speed.

[0242] Furthermore, with regard to the first to third information, the control unit 18 stores the first to third information in a non-volatile memory within the control unit 18, but this is not limiting. The control unit 18 may store all or part of the first to third information in another storage device, for example, in a RAM within the control unit 18 or in the database 19.

[0243] In each of the above embodiments, the control unit 18 is configured to display the number of objects corresponding to the number of collected first information (second information, third information), but it may also display a number corresponding to the number of collected first information (second information, third information), or may display both of them in association with each other. Also, it may output a sound from the speaker 20 announcing the number of collected first information (second information, third information) as the number of times each information has been collected.

[0244] In the above embodiments, the speed at which a vehicle may be subject to enforcement stored in the database 19 is the speed limit multiplied by 30% and added to the speed limit, but it may be any other value greater than the speed limit, and is not limited to this. When the speed at which a vehicle may be subject to enforcement is greater than the speed limit, it is preferable to add the excess speed to the speed limit when approaching the enforcement location.

[0245] Here, this excess speed may be any value that is likely to result in enforcement if the vehicle is driven at a speed that is the speed limit plus a preset value. For example, when a vehicle is driving on a road with a speed limit of 100 km / h, the preset value may be, for example, 30 km / h 1 km before the enforcement position installed on the road, and 15 km / h at a position immediately before the enforcement position (for example, 100 m before the enforcement position). h.

[0246] In this way, if the user receives output information indicating that the speed at which the vehicle approached the speed control location was at a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to a speed control, the user can know that the vehicle was traveling at a speed exceeding the speed limit. Therefore, the user only needs to be aware of slowing down the vehicle by a predetermined value (excess speed) relative to the vehicle's speed. This simplifies the user's thinking when slowing down, and improves the effectiveness of the deceleration operation.

[0247] In particular, the speed that may be subject to enforcement should be a value that includes an allowable error in the vehicle's speedometer. In particular, the error range of the speedometer should be within the range allowed by law. In particular, the error range of the speedometer should be within the range allowed by law.

[0248] For example, according to Article 148 of the Notification on the Detailed Safety Standards for Road Transport Vehicles, the allowable error range for a vehicle's speedometer is expressed as 10(V1-6) / 11≦V2≦(100 / 94)V1, where V1 is the speed displayed on the vehicle's speedometer (unit: km / h) and V2 is the speed measured using a speedometer (unit: km / h). Based on this, for example, when a vehicle is driven so that its speedometer indicates 40 km / h (V1=40 km / h), the vehicle's speed (the speed measured using the speedometer) V2 falls within the range of 30.9≦V2≦42.55. In this case, the allowable upper limit error for the speedometer could be set at 2.55 km / h.

[0249] Furthermore, although the speed that may be subject to enforcement may be any value greater than the speed limit, the present invention is not limited to this. The speed that may be subject to enforcement may be the speed limit itself.

[0250] In each of the above embodiments, the process of displaying the cat illustration object on the display unit 5 is performed when the vehicle engine is stopped, but instead, the process may be performed when passing an speed camera inspection location, or immediately after passing an speed camera inspection location, or after a specific period of time has passed after the vehicle has forgotten that it was approaching a speed camera inspection location, for example, 1 hour, 2 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours, 1 day, or 2 days after passing the speed camera inspection location, or when the vehicle is stopped after the specific period of time has passed, or the next time the engine is started.

[0251] Similarly, the process of outputting an audio message from speaker 20 announcing the number of times the vehicle's driving speed when approaching an AR camera inspection location was at a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to inspection is described as being performed when the vehicle's engine is stopped, but instead, the process may be performed when the vehicle passes the AR camera inspection location, or immediately after passing the AR camera inspection location, or after a specific period of time has passed, for example, 1 hour, 2 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours, 1 day, or 2 days after passing the AR camera inspection location, or the process may be performed when the engine is stopped, or the next time the engine is started.

[0252] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the process by which the control unit 18 displays an object with an illustration of a cat on the display unit 5 and the process by which the control unit 18 outputs to the speaker 20 an audio message announcing the number of times that the driving speed when approaching the speed camera inspection location was at a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to inspection were described as being performed simultaneously, but this is not limited to this, and the control unit 18 may perform these processes at different times.

[0253] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the process of displaying the cat illustration object on the display unit 5 and the process of outputting the sound from the speaker 20 to notify the number of times that the driving speed when approaching the Orbis inspection position was a speed that could be subject to inspection may be performed when passing through, or after passing through. You can go right after.

[0254] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the process of displaying the cat illustration object on the display unit 5 and the process of outputting audio from the speaker 20 announcing the number of times the driving speed when approaching an OBIS inspection location was at a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to inspection are performed when the vehicle's engine is stopped. However, the control unit 18 may also perform a process in which, when the radar detector passes through the entrance to a specific section of road (for example, the entrance to an interchange on a highway), it reads from the database 19 only the first information of OBIS inspection locations that are associated with this entrance and identified within a certain range (for example, 10 km) in the direction of travel, tallying up the number of this first information, and displaying a number of cat illustration objects corresponding to this number on the display unit 5, as well as outputting audio from the speaker 20 announcing that number as the number of times the driving speed was at a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to inspection.

[0255] In each of the above embodiments, the control unit 18 performs both the process of displaying an object with an illustration of a cat on the display unit 5 and the process of outputting to the speaker 20 an audio message announcing the number of times the driving speed when approaching the speed camera inspection location was at a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to inspection, but it may also be configured to output only one of these functions.

[0256] In the second embodiment, the first output by the first output function and the second output by the second output function are output as separate screens and sounds at separate times, but the first output and the second output may be output at the same time, and it is particularly preferable to output them on the same screen, or to output the content of one phrase as sound.

[0257] The third embodiment shows a mode in which the first output and the second output are performed at the same timing and output to the same screen.

[0258] Furthermore, although the control unit 18 is configured to switch between the first output screen and the second output screen based on a timer, the user may also be able to switch between them by operating the remote control 17.

[0259] In the third embodiment, the control unit 18 performs processing to display both the second output and the third output on the same display screen of the display unit 5 at the same timing, but they may also be performed on the same display screen at different timings, or on different display screens at the same or different timings.

[0260] The control unit 18 performs a process of outputting the first voice and the second voice to the speaker 20 by including the content of the first voice and the second voice in one phrase, but the first voice and the second voice may also be output as separate phrases.

[0261] In each of the above-described embodiments, the objects displayed by the control unit 18 are illustrated in Fig. 5 as illustrations of cats with the same, simple, and identical outer shapes, but this is not limited to this. Any object with the same, simple, and identical outer shape may be used. For example, an object with a simple outline shape is preferable, and in particular, a simple illustration of an animal or the like is preferable.

[0262] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, FIG. 5 shows that the objects (cat illustrations) are controlled to be displayed in a vertical array of 8 by horizontal array of 5 on the display screen, but the objects may be displayed in a different number of rows and columns, or in a smaller number of rows and columns, by enlarging or reducing the objects, for example.

[0263] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the object is displayed on one display screen, but this is not limitative and the object may be displayed across multiple screens (pages).

[0264] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the recording period for the objects displayed on this single screen may be any period, such as one year up to the present, one month up to the present, one week up to the present, or one day up to the present, and it is particularly preferable to record the period from the start of use to the present.

[0265] In the above embodiments, the objects displayed on the display unit 5 are illustrations of cats with the same outline, simple and identical shapes, but when displaying multiple objects, any objects with substantially the same outline can be used.

[0266] For example, the object may have multiple instances where the vehicle has approached an automatic speed camera inspection location, and multiple separate pieces of information may be stored indicating that the vehicle's driving speed when approaching the automatic speed camera inspection location was a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to inspection.If this information indicating that the vehicle was traveling at a speed that could result in the vehicle being subject to inspection is displayed separately using multiple objects, it is advisable to display the same picture or symbol across the multiple objects.

[0267] In particular, as an example, the "objects with the same external shape" may be simple illustrations of animals such as cats. "Objects having the same external shape" are not limited to being comprised of pictures or symbols, but may be other shapes. "Identical pictures or symbols" may be, for example, pictures or symbols that look substantially identical, even if they are not completely identical.

[0268] The objects are illustrations of cats with the same simple and identical shape, but any illustration can be used, and for example, illustrations that are particularly reminiscent of speeding enforcement (for example, illustrations of violation tickets or fines, etc.) are good choices.

[0269] In this way, if an object such as an illustration is used that evokes speed traps, when the user recognizes it, the user can visualize that they must drive safely to avoid being caught in a speed trap, and can more effectively reflect on dangerous driving.

[0270] Furthermore, when an object reminiscent of speed enforcement, etc. is displayed, the illustration may be displayed in different colors or in gradually changing colors depending on the degree to which the driving speed exceeded the speed limit when approaching the Orbis enforcement location. For example, if an illustration reminiscent of speed enforcement, etc., is used as an illustration of a violation ticket, it is recommended to use the same color as the violation ticket depending on the degree to which the driving speed exceeded the speed limit. Also, for example, if an illustration reminiscent of speed enforcement, etc., is used as an illustration of a fine, it is recommended to change the amount of the fine depending on the degree to which the driving speed exceeded the speed limit.

[0271] If the object is displayed as an illustration of a fine, for example, white (or yellow) indicates that enforcement was avoided, and gray (or red) indicates that enforcement was not avoided, then by focusing on the white (or yellow) illustration of the fine, the user can easily imagine how many fines they have avoided by using this radar detector, and this allows them to get a real feel for the benefits of installing this device.

[0272] In the above embodiments, the object is output in different modes by changing the color tone, such as white and gray. However, this "output in different modes" may be any mode that outputs different modes. For example, the object may be displayed in different colors. For example, in each of the above embodiments, a white cat may be displayed as a yellow cat, and a gray cat may be displayed as a red cat.

[0273] In this way, the user can recognize information indicating that the crackdown was avoided and information indicating that the crackdown was not avoided by paying attention to the color-coded display of the objects and recognizing them.

[0274] For example, in the first and second embodiments, a white cat object was displayed when the vehicle was traveling at a speed that could result in detection at a location far from an automatic speed camera inspection location, such as the location at the time of the approach warning. However, in this case, the control unit 18 may display the object in another color (e.g., yellow) that indicates a relatively low risk of detection.

[0275] A white cat object is displayed when the speed is such that the driver is likely to be subject to enforcement at a location close to an speed camera inspection location, such as immediately before the speed camera inspection location. However, in this case, the control unit 18 may display the object in another color (for example, red) that indicates a relatively high risk of being inspected. For example, in the third embodiment, from the viewpoint of whether or not the crackdown was avoided, information indicating that the crackdown was avoided may be colored yellow, and information indicating that the crackdown was not avoided may be colored red.

[0276] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the object is output in different forms by changing the color tone, such as white and gray, but when displaying in different colors, the control unit 18 may display the object on the display screen of the display unit 5 with a different color tone inside the outer shape of the object.

[0277] Furthermore, instead of displaying objects in different color tones, the objects may be displayed in different colors, and in this case, the control unit 18 may display the objects on the display screen of the display unit 5 in different colors inside the outer shapes of the objects.

[0278] Also, instead of displaying the objects in different colors, one object may be colored and the other object that could not be avoided may be colorless. Also, for example, in addition to color coding and different color tones, the control unit 18 may perform display processing such that one object has a pattern and the other does not have a pattern.

[0279] In the first and second embodiments, the information indicating that the driving speed was a speed at which the vehicle could be subject to enforcement was output in different ways depending on the location where the first information was stored, but the information may also be output in different ways depending on multiple ranges of speeds at which the driving speed could be subject to enforcement.

[0280] For example, the nonvolatile memory of the control unit 18 may further store information relating to the traveling speed as the first information.

[0281] Furthermore, when the radar detector is actually in use, if the control unit 18 determines that the driving speed when approaching an speed camera inspection location is equal to or greater than the speed at which the vehicle could be subject to inspection at the speed camera inspection location read from the non-volatile memory, it may store the speed value obtained by subtracting the speed at which the vehicle could be subject to inspection from the driving speed at that time as information on exceeding the speed limit that would be subject to inspection in the non-volatile memory.

[0282] When the engine of the vehicle is stopped, the stored first information in the nonvolatile memory is read out, and when a process of displaying the number of cat illustration objects corresponding to the number of pieces of first information on the display unit 5 is performed, if the value of the speed limit information is less than 15 km / h, the object is displayed in white. If the speed limit information value is 15 km / h or more, the object should be gray.

[0283] The control unit 18 may perform processing to display the white of this object as yellow and the gray as red on the display screen of the display unit 5.

[0284] In this way, when the user receives and recognizes information that the speed at which the vehicle was traveling could be subject to enforcement, output in different manners across multiple ranges, the user can learn the information that the traveling speed was a speed at which the vehicle was subject to enforcement across multiple ranges.

[0285] In addition, when the control unit 18 reads the first information from the non-volatile memory and performs a process of displaying a number of cat illustration objects corresponding to the number of pieces of first information on the display unit 5 when the engine of the vehicle is stopped, the output of information that the driving speed was a speed that could be subject to enforcement may be divided into an acceptable level range that is acceptable on a daily basis and an unacceptable level range that exceeds the acceptable level, and the display of the objects may be displayed in two stages on the display screen of the display unit 5.

[0286] In this way, when the user receives and recognizes information that the driving speed displayed in two stages on the screen is a speed that could be subject to enforcement, the user can know that the driving speed is a speed that could be subject to enforcement, dividing it into an acceptable level range that is acceptable on a daily basis and an unacceptable level range that exceeds the acceptable level.

[0287] Here, the acceptable level area and non-acceptable level area that are accepted on a daily basis can be anything that can be used to divide information that a speed that could be subject to enforcement based on whether it is acceptable or not from the perspective of whether the probability of being subject to enforcement is high or low (from the perspective of the risk of enforcement), but it is preferable to use the following criteria.

[0288] Considering the current situation where driving at speeds exceeding the speed limit is tolerated in many cases on the premise of safe driving, this tolerated range can be defined as the acceptable range, and the acceptable level area can be defined as a speed area within the acceptable range that is greater than 100% and less than 115% of the speed limit, among speeds that exceed the speed that may be subject to enforcement, and the non-acceptable level area can be defined as a speed area that exceeds this acceptable range (more than 115% of the speed limit), for example.

[0289] For example, the control unit 18 reads out the first information from the non-volatile memory, and when it determines that the value of the speed limit exceeding enforcement limits information is within the range of 100% or more and less than 115% of the speed limit by referring to the first information, it may display this first information on the display screen of the display unit 5 as an object belonging to the acceptable level area, and when the value is 115% or more of the speed limit, it may display this first information on the display screen of the display unit 5 as an object belonging to the unacceptable level area.

[0290] Furthermore, the unacceptable level area may be displayed in two or more stages depending on the degree to which the traveling speed exceeds the speed limit.

[0291] For example, the control unit 18 reads out the first information from the non-volatile memory, and when it determines that the value of the speed limit information is within the range of 115% or more and less than 130% of the speed limit by referring to the speed limit information of the first information, it may display this first information on the display screen of the display unit 5 as an object belonging to the first unacceptable level area, and when the value is 130% or more of the speed limit, it may display this first information on the display screen of the display unit 5 as an object belonging to the second unacceptable level area.

[0292] In this way, when the user views the non-acceptable level area displayed in two or more stages, the user can know in more detail how much the vehicle is exceeding the speed limit within the non-acceptable level area. Therefore, the user can specifically recognize his / her own driving tendencies when driving above the speed limit and use this information to improve safe driving.

[0293] In addition, "depending on the degree to which the driving speed exceeds the speed limit" means, for example, in the case of a road with a speed limit of 100 km / h, the speed at which enforcement is targeted (the speed at which there is a risk of enforcement) should be determined in order of decreasing risk, for example, if the speed exceeds the speed limit by 15 to 30% (i.e., the vehicle's speed exceeds the speed limit by 15 to 30 km / h) 1 km before the road, the risk is low, and if the speed exceeds the speed limit by 30% or more (the vehicle's speed exceeds the speed limit by 30 km / h or more), the risk is high.

[0294] It is preferable that the information indicating that the speed was such that the vehicle was subject to enforcement is not output as text information.

[0295] In this way, the user can obtain information that the speed is one that may be subject to enforcement without reading the text.

[0296] In particular, it is preferable to output information other than text information in a concise manner, so that the driver can efficiently review whether the driving speed was within the range of a speed that could be subject to enforcement based on the concise information.

[0297] In each embodiment, with regard to approach warnings using the GPS alarm function, before issuing the aforementioned approach warning, the control unit 18 inquires whether first information is stored in the non-volatile memory for the inspection location (speed camera) where the approach warning is to be issued, and the control unit 18 issues the approach warning in different manners depending on whether the control unit 18 determines that the first information is stored or not.

[0298] In this way, the user will receive and be able to distinguish between approach warnings that are different in type depending on whether the first information (information indicating that the vehicle's speed is such that it could be subject to enforcement) is stored or not.In particular, if the user recognizes the approach warning that is issued when the first information is stored, the user will be able to know that they are once again approaching an speed camera enforcement location that is the subject of a warning and that they have previously been traveling at a speed that could be subject to enforcement.

[0299] This allows the user to recognize when they are passing through an area where they are likely to overspeed, and to slow down the vehicle to avoid repeating past speeding mistakes.

[0300] It has been stated that "the control unit 18 issues an approach warning in a different manner depending on whether the control unit 18 determines that the first information is stored or not," but this may be any manner as long as it is different, and in particular, it is preferable to issue a warning that the user is approaching the location where the first information is stored.

[0301] Specifically, the warning may be, for example, a control to display an image of the warning via the display unit 5 or a control to output a sound via the speaker 20, but it is particularly preferable to display a dedicated warning screen or the like on the display unit 5, or to control the output of a sound such as "Caution required" from the speaker 20, or a combination of these may be output.

[0302] The modified examples, the constituent elements of the contents of each embodiment, and the elements to which the elements and ideas described in the means for solving the problems are applied may be combined in any manner to form an embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0303] 1 case body 2. Solar panels 3 Switch section 4 Microwave receiver 5 Display section 6 Lamp 7. Infrared communication device 8 GPS receivers 9 Adapter Jack 10 Power switch 12 Mobile Phones 13 Memory card reader 14. Memory Card 15 Radio receiver 16 Remote control receiver 17 Remote Control 18 Control Unit 19 Databases 20 speakers 21 DC jack 22 Connection cable 23 Connector terminal

Claims

1. A device that issues a warning when approaching a speed control location, The device is provided with a function to display, in a distinguishable display mode, the number of cases in which the vehicle approached the speed control location multiple times and was at a speed that could be subject to control when the vehicle was at a position just before reaching the speed control location, and the number of cases in which the vehicle's traveling speed was at a speed that could be subject to control when the approach warning was issued but was not at a speed that could be subject to control when the vehicle passed the speed control location. An apparatus characterized by:

2. When there are multiple approaches to the speed control location, the display mode is such that the number of cases where the speed when the vehicle was at a position immediately before reaching the speed control location was a speed that could be subject to control and the number of cases where the traveling speed when the approach warning was issued was a speed that could be subject to control but the traveling speed when passing the speed control location was not a speed that could be subject to control can be distinguished, and the color that can distinguish the number of cases where the traveling speed when the vehicle was at a position immediately before reaching the speed control location was different from the color that can distinguish the number of cases where the traveling speed when the approach warning was issued was a speed that could be subject to control but the traveling speed when passing the speed control location was not a speed that could be subject to control.

2. The device of claim 1 .

3. The display mode that can distinguish the number of cases where the speed at which the vehicle was traveling could be subject to speed control when the vehicle was at a position immediately before reaching the speed control location has a function of displaying the number of objects indicating that the speed at which the vehicle was traveling could be subject to speed control and displaying the same picture or symbol among the number of objects.

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that

4. A program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images