Navigation systems, methods, and programs

• US 20050209772A1
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagase, Kenji, Tomita, Hiroshi, Minami, Toshiaki, Yoshikawa, Kazutaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,525,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• 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 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard

Abstract

Navigation systems, methods, and programs store traffic information and crated prediction traffic information based on the stored traffic information. The systems, methods, and programs search a plurality of routes to a destination, each route including at least one link and calculate a predicted passage time of each link in each route. The systems, methods, and programs obtain, for each link, prediction traffic information at the predicted passage time, based on the created prediction traffic information and extract the obtained prediction traffic information pertinent to route-search-as information to be distributed, according to a predetermined order of priority.

Claims

1. A navigation system, comprising:

a memory that stores traffic information; and

a controller that;

creates prediction traffic information based on the traffic information stored in the memory;

searches a plurality of routes to a destination, each route including at least one link;

calculates a predicted passage time of each link in each route;

obtains, for each link, prediction traffic information at the predicted passage time, based on the created prediction traffic information; and

extracts the obtained prediction traffic information pertinent to route searching as information to be distributed, according to a predetermined order of priority.

2. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the controller creates prediction traffic information by creating a short-term prediction link travel time pattern according to a pattern matching method.

3. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the controller creates prediction traffic information by creating a short-term prediction link travel time pattern according to a waveform compensation method.

4. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the controller creates prediction traffic information by dividing a long-term prediction link travel time pattern into at least one sub-pattern.

5. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein:

the created prediction traffic information includes congestion prediction information;

the controller creates a prediction link travel time pattern based on link travel time patterns stored in the memory; and

creates the congestion prediction information based on the prediction link travel time pattern.

6. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein:

the prediction traffic information includes restriction information and congestion prediction information; and

the controller extracts the restriction information as information to be distributed with higher priority.

7. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein:

the prediction traffic information includes congestion prediction information; and

the controller extracts, from a plurality of routes within a same section, the congestion prediction information of a route with a longer travel time, as information to be distributed with higher priority.

8. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein:

the controller extracts the obtained prediction traffic information close to the point of departure on a route as distribution data with higher priority.

9. An information server comprising the navigation system of claim 1.

10. A navigation system, comprising:

a server comprising;

a memory that stores traffic information; and

a controller that;

creates prediction traffic information based on the traffic information stored in the memory;

searches a plurality of routes to a destination, each route including at least one link;

calculates the predicted passage time of each link in each route;

obtains, for each link, prediction traffic information at the predicted passage time, based on the created prediction traffic information; and

extracts the obtained prediction traffic information pertinent to route searching as information to be distributed, according to a predetermined order of priority; and

an onboard device that performs a route search using the information to be distributed to search a route to said destination.

11. A navigation method, comprising:

storing traffic information;

creating prediction traffic information based on the stored traffic information;

searching a plurality of routes to a destination, each route including at least one link;

calculating a predicted passage time of each link in each route;

obtaining, for each link, prediction traffic information at the predicted passage time, based on the created prediction traffic information; and

extracting the obtained prediction traffic information pertinent to route search as information to be distributed, according to a predetermined order of priority.

12. The navigation method of claim 11, wherein creating prediction traffic information comprises creating a short-term prediction link travel time pattern according to a pattern matching method.

13. The navigation method of claim 11, wherein creating prediction traffic information comprises creating a short-term prediction link travel time pattern according to a waveform compensation method.

14. The navigation method of claim 11, wherein creating prediction traffic information comprises dividing a long-term prediction link travel time pattern into at least one sub-pattern.

15. The navigation method of claim 11, wherein creating prediction traffic information comprises:

creating congestion prediction information;

creating a prediction link travel time pattern based on link travel time patterns stored in the memory; and

creating the congestion prediction information based on the prediction link travel time pattern.

16. The navigation method of claim 11, wherein:

creating prediction traffic information comprises creating restriction information and congestion prediction information; and

extracting the obtained prediction traffic information comprises extracting the restriction information as information to be distributed with higher priority.

17. The navigation method of claim 11, wherein:

creating prediction traffic information comprises creating congestion prediction information; and

extracting the obtained prediction traffic information comprises extracting, from a plurality of routes within a same section, the congestion prediction information of a route with a longer travel time, as information to be distributed with higher priority.

18. The navigation method of claim 11, wherein:

extracting the obtained prediction traffic information comprises extracting the obtained prediction traffic information close to the point of departure on a route as distribution data with higher priority.

19. The navigation method of claim 11, further comprising:

distributing the information to be distributed; and

performing a route search using the information to be distributed to search a route to said destination

20. A storage medium storing a set of program instructions executable on a data processing device and usable for performing the method recited in claim 11.