Vehicle information system

• US 20040049336A1
• Filed: 09/05/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Automotive Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Brown, Steven, Knockeart, Ronald P., Jozefowicz, Paul A., Asher, Harry, Rode, Melvin A., Drury, Bob
• Granted Patent: US 6,970,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA

Abstract

A vehicle information system which includes an in-vehicle system 105 and a centralized server system 120. The in-vehicle system communicates with the server system using a wireless communication link 110, such as over a cellular telephone system. A position system, such as a set of GPS satellites 140, provides positioning signals that are used by the in-vehicle systems, and optionally by the centralized server system to increase the accuracy of position estimates. In one version of the system, an operator specifies a destination to an in-vehicle system which validates the destination. The in-vehicle system transmits specification of the destination to a server system 125 at the centralized server. The server system computes a route to the destination and transmits the computed route to the in-vehicle system. The in-vehicle system guides the operator along the route. If the in-vehicle system detects that the vehicle has deviated from the planned route, it replans a new route to the destination using an in-vehicle map database.

Claims

1. A method for guiding a vehicle through a road network from a starting location to a destination, the method comprising:

transmitting a specification of the destination to a server; and

receiving from the server a specification of a planned route through the road network to the destination.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving from the server a map that includes a specification of the road network in the vicinity of the planned route.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the specified part of the road network is in the vicinity of the starting location.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the specification of the planned route includes specifications of a plurality of maneuvers to be carried out by the vehicle, and wherein the specification of each maneuver includes a location of the maneuver.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the specified part of the road network is in the vicinity of one or more maneuver locations.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the received map in conjunction with a representation of the planned route, and a location of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising estimating the location of the vehicle, and detecting when the vehicle is following the planned route.

8. A method for guiding a vehicle comprising:

transmitting a specification of a location to a server; and

receiving from the server a map that includes a specification of the a network in the vicinity of the specified location.

9. Software recorded on a computer readable medium for causing an in-vehicle computer to perform the functions of:

sending a specification of a destination to a server;

accepting from the server a specification of a planned route through a road network to the destination; and

accepting from the server a map that includes a specification of the road network in the vicinity of the planned route.

10. A method for providing navigation information to a vehicle comprising:

receiving from a vehicle a specification of a destination;

determining a planned route on a road network to the destination;

transmitting to the vehicle a specification of the planned route; and

transmitting to the vehicle a map that includes a specification of the road network in the vicinity of the planned route.

11. A method for tracking a vehicle comprising:

receiving a reference signal from a positioning system;

computing position data related to the location of the vehicle using the received reference signal;

transmitting the position data to a server;

receiving from the server position correction data;

determining estimated coordinates of the vehicle including combining data computed from the received reference signal and the position correction data.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein computing the position data, and determining the estimated coordinates, including combining the position data and the position correction data, are performed repeatedly for an interval of time using the same received position correction data, and the method further comprises, subsequent to the interval of time, repeatedly computing the position data and determining estimated coordinates of the vehicle using the position data without using the correction data.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein:

receiving the reference signal from a positioning system includes receiving signals from a plurality of positioning satellites;

computing the position data includes computing a range measurement to each of the positioning satellite;

receiving the position correction data includes receiving range correction data for range measurements to the positioning satellites; and

combining the position data and the position correction data includes combining the range measurements and the range correction data.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein:

receiving the position correction data includes receiving a location correction; and

combining the position data and the position correction data includes computing uncorrected coordinates from the position data and adding the location correction to the uncorrected coordinates to determine the estimated location of the vehicle.

15. Software recorded on a computer readable medium for causing an in-vehicle computer to perform the functions of:

receiving a reference signal from a positioning system;

computing position data related to the location of the vehicle using the received reference signal;

transmitting the position data to a server;

receiving from the server position correction data;

determining estimated coordinates of the vehicle including combining data computed from the received reference signal and the position correction data.

16. An in-vehicle navigation system comprising:

a positioning system receiver for receiving reference signals from a positioning system;

a wireless communication interface for accepting data signals from a server; and

a processor coupled to the positioning system and to the wireless communication system, wherein the onboard computer is programmed to perform the functions of

accepting reference data from the positioning system receiver,

determining position data from the reference data,

providing the position data to the wireless communication interface for transmission to the server,

accepting position correct data from the communication interface, and

determining estimated coordinates for the vehicle from the reference data and the accepted position correction data.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the processor is further programmed to perform the function of timing an interval during which it determines the estimated coordinates for the vehicle from the reference data and the accepted position correction data, and after which it determines the estimated coordinates for the vehicle from the reference data and without using the accepted position correction data

18. A method for tracking a vehicle comprising:

receiving a specification of a first location, the specification including coordinates of the first location;

determining when the vehicle is at the first location;

computing first position data using a reference signal received from a positioning system at the time at which the vehicle was determined to be at the first location;

computing position correction data using the first position data and the coordinates of the first location;

computing second position data using a reference signal received from the positioning system at a second time subsequent to the time at which that the vehicle was determined to be at the first location;

determining coordinates of the vehicle at the second time including combining the correction data and the second position data.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the specification of the first location includes a specification of a maneuver to be carried out by the vehicle at the first location, and determining when the vehicle is at the first location includes detecting when the vehicle performs the specified maneuver.

20. Software recorded on a computer readable medium for causing an in-vehicle computer to perform the functions of:

receiving a specification of a first location, the specification including coordinates of the first location;

determining when a vehicle is at the first location;

computing first position data using a reference signal received from a positioning system at the time at which the vehicle was determined to be at the first location;

computing position correction data using the first position data and the coordinates of the first location;

computing second position data using a reference signal received from a positioning system at a second time subsequent to the time at which that the vehicle was determined to be at the first location;

determining coordinates of the vehicle at the second time including combining the correction data and the second position data.

21. A vehicle navigation system comprising:

a positioning system receiver for receiving reference signals from a positioning system;

a first storage for holding a specification of a first location, the specification including coordinate of the first location;

a second storage for holding position correction data;

a vehicle sensor for sensing motion of the vehicle; and

a processor coupled to the positioning system receiver, to the first and the second storage, and to the vehicle sensor, and programmed to perform the functions of

determining when the vehicle is at the first location using signals from the vehicle sensor,

accepting first reference data related to the location of the vehicle at the time at which the vehicle was determined to be at the first location from the positioning system receiver,

computing position correction data using the first reference data and the coordinates of the first location, and

determining coordinates of the vehicle at a second time subsequent to the time at which that the vehicle was determined to be at the first location using the computed position correction data.

22. A method for detecting when a vehicle deviates from a planned route comprising:

tracking a first estimated position of the vehicle using signals from a positioning system that are received at the vehicle;

tracking a second estimated position of the vehicle using an estimate of the distance traveled along the planned route;

detecting that the vehicle has deviated from the planned route when the first estimated position and the second estimated position differ by at least a tolerance distance.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the planned route includes a first point and a path following the first point, and wherein tracking the second estimated position includes detecting when the vehicle is at the first point on the planned route and estimating the distance traveled along the path following the first point.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising adjusting the tolerance distance, including reducing the tolerance distance when the vehicle is detected to be at the first point on the planned route, and increasing the tolerance distance as the vehicle travels along the path following the first point.

25. Software recorded on a computer readable medium for causing an in-vehicle computer to perform the functions of:

tracking a first estimated position of a vehicle using signals from a positioning system that are received at the vehicle;

tracking a second estimated position of the vehicle using an estimate of the distance traveled along the planned route;

detecting that the vehicle has deviated from the planned route when the first estimated position and the second estimated position differ by at least a tolerance distance.

26. A vehicle tracking system comprising:

a first position estimator including a positioning system receiver, for determining a first estimate of the vehicle'"'"'s location determined using information received from the positioning system receiver;

storage for a planned route;

a second position estimator coupled to a vehicle motion sensor and to the storage for the planned route, for determining a second estimate of the vehicle'"'"'s location using information received from the vehicle sensor and the planned route; and

an off-route detector coupled to the first position estimator and to the second position estimator, for comparing the first estimate of the vehicle'"'"'s position and the second estimate of the vehicle'"'"'s position.