Process for operating a route acquisition system and a route acquisition system

• US 10,006,773 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2012
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Isert, Carsten, Winckler, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Antonucci, Anne M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US13/368,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20120209511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,330 Days
• Field of Search: 701117, 701120, 701411, 701431, 701533, 715733, 340990, 370392, 342457, 358 115, 345173
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance

Abstract

A process is provided for operating a route acquisition system, configured for determining route data during movement of the route acquisition system along preset routes, and for storing the latter as electronic routes in the data memory. A preset selection of routes is determined as a function of the stored electronic routes. For each route of the preset selection, a route count and a route point in time, and a first and a second route time indication, are determined. A route evaluation is determined for each route based on the assigned route count, the assigned route point in time, and the first and second route time indication. As a function of a determined size of the occupied storage space of the data memory, the respective route of the preset selection is deleted from the data memory as a function of its assigned route evaluation.

Claims

1. A process for operating a route acquisition system via an implementation unit, the route acquisition system having a route acquisition unit, the implementation unit and a data memory operably configured for determining route data during a movement of the route acquisition system along preset routes and for storing the preset routes in the form of electronic routes in a data memory, the process comprising the following acts implemented by the implementation unit:

during a preset first operation of the route acquisition system, as a function of the electronic routes stored in the data memory, a preset selection of routes is determined;

for each route of the preset selection, a number of essentially coinciding routes of the preset selection and a route point in time, which is representative of a point in time at which the route acquisition system was moved along the preset route, and a first route time indication relative to a first time unit as a function of the route point in time, and a second route time indication relative to a second time unit as a function of the route point in time, are determined;

a route evaluation is determined for each route of the preset selection as a function of the assigned number of routes and the assigned route point in time and the assigned first and second route time indication;

each route of the preset selection is marked with the assigned determined route evaluation;

during a preset second operation of the route acquisition system, a size of an occupied storage space of the data memory is determined; and

as a function of the determined size of the occupied storage space, a respective route of the preset selection is deleted from the data memory as a function of its assigned route evaluation.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein:

the determined size of the occupied storage space is compared with a preset first occupancy level threshold value and with a preset second occupancy level threshold value; and

the respective route of the preset selection is deleted as a function of its assigned route evaluation if the determined size of the occupied storage space is larger than the preset first occupancy level threshold value and smaller than the preset second occupancy level threshold value.

3. The process according to claim 2, wherein routes of the preset selection will be deleted as a function of their assigned route evaluation until the size of the occupied storage space reaches or falls below a preset third occupancy level threshold value.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein, for each route of the preset selection:

a first evaluation value is determined as a function of the assigned route point in time;

a second evaluation value is determined as a function of the assigned route count;

a third evaluation value is determined as a function of the assigned first and second route time indication; and

the route evaluation is determined as a function of the first and second and third evaluation value.

5. The process according to claim 4, wherein, for each route of the preset selection:

the assigned route point in time is compared with several preset time ranges, a preset range assignment value, being assigned to each time range;

it is determined to which preset time range the route point in time is assigned; and

the range assignment value of the determined time range is assigned to the first evaluation value.

6. The process according to claim 4, wherein, for each route of the preset selection:

the assigned route count is compared with a preset route count threshold value;

when there is a falling below the preset route count threshold value, a preset first value is assigned to the second evaluation value;

otherwise, a second value, which is a function of the assigned route count, is assigned to the second evaluation value.

7. The process according to claim 6, wherein the second value is determined as a function of the assigned route count such that the second value is representative of a reciprocal value of the assigned route count.

8. The process according to claim 4, wherein:

from the preset selection of routes, route clusters of essentially coinciding routes are determined;

from a respective route cluster, a most recent route is determined which has the most recent route point in time;

a preset third value is assigned to the third evaluation value of the most recent route of the respective route cluster;

for each additional route of the respective route cluster, the first route time indication of the additional route is compared with the first route time indication of the most recent route, and the second route time indication of the additional route is compared with the second route time indication of the most recent route;

as a function of the comparison, a degree of a time-related coincidence relative to the first and second route indication between the most recent route and the additional route is determined; and

as a function of the determined degree of the time-related coincidence, the third evaluation value is determined and is assigned to the additional route.

9. The process according to claim 8, wherein:

a first coincidence value is determined as a function of a preset normal distribution relative to the first route time indication of a respective additional route; and

as a function of the first coincidence value, the time-related coincidence for the respective additional route of the respective route cluster is determined.

10. The process according to claim 9, wherein:

a second coincidence value is determined such that;

in the case of a coincidence of the second route time indication of the additional route with the second route time indication of the most recent route, a first preset assignment value is assigned to the second coincidence value;

in the case of a coincidence in a preset category of the second route time indication of the respective additional route and the second route time indication of the most recent route, a second preset assignment value is assigned to the second coincidence value;

otherwise, a third preset assignment value is assigned to the second coincidence value; and

as a function of the second coincidence value, the time-related coincidence for the respective additional route of the respective route cluster is determined.

11. The process according to claim 1, wherein, during the preset first operation of the route acquisition system, for each route of the preset selection, a route length is determined, and as a function of the determined route length, the route evaluation is determined.

12. The process according to claim 11, wherein, for each route of the preset selection:

a fourth evaluation value is determined as a function of the assigned route length; and

the route evaluation is determined as a function of the fourth evaluation value.

13. The process according to claim 12, wherein, for each route of the preset selection:

the determined route length is compared with a preset route length threshold value; and

when the route length threshold value is exceeded, a preset fourth value is assigned to the fourth evaluation value, otherwise, the fourth evaluation value is determined as a function of the route length and of a preset assignment, the assignment taking place such that, from a diminishing route length, a decreasing fourth evaluation value is obtained.

14. A route acquisition system, comprising:

a route acquisition unit;

a data memory, the route acquisition unit and data memory being operably configured for determining route data during a movement of the route acquisition system along preset routes and for storing the preset routes in the form of electronic routes in the data memory; and

an implementation unit operably configured for;

during a preset first operation, as a function of the electronic routes stored in the data memory, determining a preset selection of routes;

determining, for each route of the preset selection, a number of essentially coinciding routes of the preset selection and a route point in time, which is representative of a point in time at which the route acquisition system was moved along the preset route, and a first route time indication relative to a first time unit as a function of the route point in time, and a second route time indication relative to a second time unit as a function of the route point in time;

determining a route evaluation for each route of the preset selection as a function of the assigned route count and the assigned route point in time and the assigned first and second route time indication;

marking each route of the preset selection with the assigned determined route evaluation; and

during a preset second operation, determining a size of an occupied storage space of the data memory, and as a function of the determined size of the occupied storage space, deleting a respective route of the preset selection from the data memory as a function of its assigned route evaluation.