Automatic driving route planning application

• US 10,451,428 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2014
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Lathrop, William Brian, Oel, Peter, Lipinski, Daniel, Glaser, Erik, Toggweiler, James Leigh, Coser, Nathaniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Worden, Thomas E
• Application Number:
  US15/501,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20170219364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,059 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/02 Control of position or course in two dimensions

Abstract

A method and system is provided for a semi-autonomous vehicle to have optional routes that vary in an amount of autonomous driving offered. The system performs processes including aggregating data from various sources to thereby position and orient the vehicle, assigning an autonomous driving value to different route segments, determining an optimal route by minimizing a distance between a start position and a destination position and maximizing the percent autonomous value assigned, and displaying the optimal route.

Claims

1. A system for determining an optimal route to a destination position for a transportation vehicle configured to operate at least partially in an autonomous driving mode, comprising:

a storage for storing map data;

an input terminal for receiving navigational data from one or more navigational data sources;

a processing apparatus, operatively coupled to the input terminal and storage, wherein the processing apparatus comprises routing means for;

aggregating at least the navigational data to determine a location of the transportation vehicle and incorporate the determined location with the map data,

processing the map data to determine a number of routes each having a plurality of route segments between the location of the transportation vehicle and the destination position, and

calculating an autonomous driving value for each of the plurality of route segments based on a prediction of available autonomous driving along each route segment; and

a display, operatively coupled to the processing apparatus for simultaneously displaying the number of routes including indication of an autonomous driving value for each route comprising a percentage of autonomous driving based on the autonomous driving value for each corresponding route segment for user selection.

2. A system for generating a navigational map using navigation information for a vehicle, comprising:

a storage for storing map data;

a first input terminal for receiving navigational data from one or more navigational data sources;

a second input terminal for receiving a destination value for the vehicle; and

a processing apparatus, operatively coupled to the first input terminal, second input terminal, and storage, wherein the processing apparatus is configured to;

determine a location for the vehicle based on the received navigational data,

generate a number of routes from the location to the received destination value each having a plurality of route segments,

calculate a length value of each of the plurality of route segments,

calculate an autonomous driving value for each of the plurality of route segments based on a prediction of a quality of autonomous driving available along each route segment, and

process the length values and autonomous driving values with the map data to generate a navigation map comprising information relating to the autonomous driving values and length values calculated for each of the plurality of route segments, and

a display for displaying the number of routes for user selection, wherein each of the number of routes includes an indication of an autonomous driving value comprising a percentage of autonomous driving for each route based on the autonomous driving value for each corresponding route segment.

3. A processor-based method for determining optimal routing to a destination for a transportation vehicle configured to operate at least partially in an autonomous driving mode, the method comprising:

aggregating navigational data from one or more navigational data sources to determine a position of the transportation vehicle relative to map data;

processing the map data to determine a number of routes from the position of the transportation vehicle to a destination each having a plurality of route segments;

calculating an autonomous driving value for each of the plurality of route segments based on a prediction of autonomous driving available along each route segment;

and

displaying, by a display, the number of routes including indication of an autonomous driving value comprising a percentage of autonomous driving for each route based on the autonomous driving value for each corresponding route segment for user selection.

4. The processor-based method according to claim 3, further comprising assigning a weight to at least one of the calculated autonomous driving values for the route segments.

5. The processor-based method of claim 4, wherein the weight is based on a length of a corresponding route segment.

6. The processor-based method of claim 3, wherein calculating the autonomous driving value comprises:

assigning a weight to the autonomous driving value for each route segment to obtain a weighted value for each route segment; and

summing the weighted value of each route segment.

7. The processor-based method of claim 3, wherein the autonomous driving value is determined by:

8. The processor-based method of claim 3, wherein the autonomous driving value is determined by:

9. The processor-based method of claim 3, wherein each of the routes comprise at least one of (i) a different distance value and (ii) a different time value.

10. The processor-based method of claim 9, wherein determining the optimal route comprises selecting one of the routes based on at least one of the distance value and time value of the route and the autonomous driving value of the route.

11. A method for providing navigation information for a transportation vehicle, comprising:

determining a location for the transportation vehicle based on navigational data;

receiving a destination for the transportation vehicle;

generating a plurality of routes from the location to the destination based on map data including the destination, each of the routes including a plurality of route segments;

calculating a length value representing the driving distance for each of the plurality of routes;

calculating an autonomous driving value representing the available amount of autonomous driving for each of the plurality of route segments; and

processing the length values and autonomous driving values with the map data to generate a navigation map comprising information relating to the autonomous driving values and length values calculated for each of the plurality of routes,

displaying, by a display, the plurality of routes including indication of an autonomous driving value comprising a percentage of autonomous driving of each route based on the autonomous driving values for each of the corresponding route segments for user selection.

12. The processor-based method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, for one of the plurality of route segments, if an autonomous driving value is below a predetermined threshold; and

generating a warning if the autonomous driving value is determined to be below the predetermined threshold.

13. The processor-based method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, for one of the plurality of route segments, if an autonomous driving value is above a predetermined threshold; and

generating an autonomous driving mode engagement message if the autonomous driving value determined to be above the predetermined threshold.

14. The processor-based method of claim 11, wherein the destination is received from a portable computing device.

15. The processor-based method of claim 14, wherein the generated navigational map is communicated to the portable computing device.

16. The processor-based method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a navigational map route selection from the portable computing device; and

communicating the route selection to an in-vehicle navigation system.

17. The processor-based method of claim 11, wherein displaying includes communicating the navigational map to a user.

18. The processor-based method of claim 17, wherein the navigational map is communicated to at least one of a portable computing device and an in-vehicle display screen.