Navigation systems and vehicles for predicting routes

• US 10,088,316 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2012
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Dufford, Mohammad Effendi, Yamaguchi, Hiro, Yokoo, Takehito
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutchinson, Alan D
• Application Number:
  US13/687,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20140148970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,134 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Navigation systems and vehicles for predicting routes are provided. A navigation system includes one or more processors, a satellite antenna, one or more memory modules, which stores one or more previous location, a segment list, and machine readable instructions. The satellite antenna receives a first signal from one or more global positioning system satellites. When executed by the one or more processors, the machine readable instructions cause the navigation system to transform the first signal into a first location of the navigation system, access the one or more previous locations stored in the one or more memory modules, automatically determine that a turn has occurred based on the first location and the one or more previous locations, store a segment in the segment list after it is determined that the turn has occurred, and predict a route based on the segment list.

Claims

1. A navigation system for predicting a route comprising:

one or more processors;

a satellite antenna communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the satellite antenna receives a first signal from one or more global positioning system satellites;

one or more memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or more processors;

one or more previous locations stored in the one or more memory modules;

a segment list stored in the one or more memory modules; and

machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules that cause the navigation system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors;

transform the first signal into a first location of the navigation system;

access the one or more previous locations stored in the one or more memory modules;

calculate a first heading based on the first location;

calculate a previous heading based on the one or more previous locations;

calculate a difference between the first heading and the previous heading;

determine, automatically, that a turn has occurred based on the first location and the one or more previous locations when the calculated difference exceeds a heading threshold;

store a segment in the segment list after it is determined that the turn has occurred; and

predict a route based on the segment list.

2. The navigation system of claim 1, further comprising a route list stored in the one or more memory modules, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules further cause the navigation system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors:

transform a second signal received from the one or more global positioning satellites with the satellite antenna into a second location;

identify one or more segment candidates from the segment list, wherein at least one location of each of the one or more segment candidates is within a threshold distance of the second location;

identify one or more route candidates from the route list, wherein each route candidate includes at least one of the one or more segment candidates; and

select the predicted route from the one or more route candidates.

3. The navigation system of claim 2, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules further cause the navigation system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors:

calculate a route weight for each identified route candidate.

4. The navigation system of claim 3, wherein the route weight is based on a start date, a start time, a day of the week, a time of the day, a ratio of the number of times the identified candidate route was travelled to a total number of times any of the candidate routes were travelled.

5. The navigation system of claim 3, wherein the predicted route is the route candidate with the highest calculated route weight.

6. The navigation system of claim 2, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules further cause the navigation system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors:

transform a third signal received from the one or more global positioning satellites with the satellite antenna into a third location;

remove at least one segment from the one or more segment candidates, wherein no location of the removed segment is within the threshold distance of the third location; and

remove at least one route candidate from the one or more route candidates, wherein the removed route candidate includes the removed segment.

7. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the stored segment includes a starting location of the stored segment and an ending location of the stored segment.

8. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the stored segment includes a plurality of locations, and wherein the plurality of locations includes the one or more previous locations.

9. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules further cause the navigation system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors:

adjust a vehicle operating parameter based on the predicted route.

10. The navigation system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle operating parameter is battery state of charge.

11. The navigation system of claim 9, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules further cause the navigation system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors:

calculate a route prediction confidence level, wherein the vehicle operating parameter is only adjusted when the route prediction confidence level exceeds a confidence threshold.

12. A navigation system for predicting a route comprising:

one or more processors;

a satellite antenna communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the satellite antenna receives a second signal from one or more global positioning system satellites;

one or more memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or more processors;

a segment list stored in the one or more memory modules; and

machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules that cause the navigation system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors;

transform the second signal into a second location of the navigation system;

identify, automatically, one or more segment candidates from the segment list, wherein at least one location of each of the one or more segment candidates is within a threshold distance of the second location;

identify one or more route candidates from a route list, wherein each route candidate includes at least one of the one or more segment candidates;

calculate a route weight for each identified route candidate; and

predict a route, wherein the predicted route is the one or more route candidates with the highest calculated route weight.

13. The navigation system of claim 12, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules further cause the navigation system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors:

transform a third signal received from the one or more global positioning satellites with the satellite antenna into a third location;

remove at least one segment from the one or more segment candidates, wherein no location of the removed segment is within the threshold distance of the third location; and

remove at least one route candidate from the one or more route candidates, wherein the removed route candidate includes the removed segment.

14. The navigation system of claim 12, wherein the route weight is based on a start date, a start time, a day of the week, a time of the day, a ratio of the number of times the identified candidate route was travelled to a total number of times any of the candidate routes were travelled.

15. The navigation system of claim 12, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules further cause the navigation system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors:

adjust a vehicle operating parameter based on the predicted route.

16. The navigation system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle operating parameter is battery state of charge.

17. The navigation system of claim 15, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules further cause the navigation system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors:

calculate a route prediction confidence level, wherein the vehicle operating parameter is only adjusted when the route prediction confidence level exceeds a confidence threshold.

18. A vehicle for predicting a route comprising:

one or more processors;

a satellite antenna communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the satellite antenna receives a first signal from one or more global positioning system satellites;

one or more memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or more processors;

one or more previous locations stored in the one or more memory modules;

a segment list stored in the one or more memory modules;

a route list stored in the one or more memory modules; and

machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules that cause the vehicle to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors;

transform the first signal into a first location of the vehicle;

access the one or more previous locations stored in the one or more memory modules;

determine, automatically, that a turn has occurred based on the first location and the one or more previous locations;

store a segment in the segment list after it is determined that the turn has occurred;

predict a route based on the segment list;

transform a second signal received from the one or more global positioning satellites with the satellite antenna into a second location;

identify one or more segment candidates from the segment list, wherein at least one location of each of the one or more segment candidates is within a threshold distance of the second location;

identify one or more route candidates from the route list, wherein each route candidate includes at least one of the one or more segment candidates; and

select the predicted route from the one or more route candidates.