VEHICLE DYNAMIC NAVIGATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090143964A1
• Filed: 10/16/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile Per Azioni
• Original Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile Per Azioni
• Inventors: Navone, Piergiorgio, Gambera, Mario
• Application Number:
  US12/253,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20090143964A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle navigation system is described, comprising an onboard navigation unit installed on board a vehicle that can be used by a user to set target destinations and an operations centre communicating with the onboard navigation unit. The onboard navigation unit is configured to transmit a target destination and a static road route to the operations centre. The operations centre is configured to calculate a dynamic road route based on the target destination, the static road route and information regarding the traffic conditions and road conditions of said road network and/or the static road route. In addition, the operations centre compares the calculated dynamic road route with the static road route and transmits information associated with a road route that is selected on the basis of the comparison to the onboard navigation unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle navigation system, comprising an onboard navigation unit installed on board a vehicle that can be used by a user to set target destinations and an operations centre communicating with said onboard navigation unit and comprising means of monitoring traffic conditions and road conditions of at least one road network, in which said onboard navigation unit is configured to:

receive a target destination request from said user,

calculate, in response to said destination request, a first static road route based on information regarding the position of said vehicle and stored geographic data, and

provide said user with information regarding said first calculated static road route, characterized in that said onboard navigation unit is configured to;

transmit information associated with said target destination and said first static road route to said operations centre,

and that said operations centre is configured to;

calculate a dynamic road route based on said target destination, said first static road route and information regarding the traffic conditions and road conditions of said road network and/or said static road route,

compare said calculated dynamic road route with said first static road route, and

transmit information associated with a road route that is selected on the basis of said comparison to said onboard navigation unit.

2. The system according to claim 1, in which said operations centre is configured to:

calculate a journey time (t_D) for said dynamic road route and a journey time (t_S) for said first static road route,

compare said dynamic road route with said first static road route and said journey time (t_D) of said dynamic road route with said journey time (t_S) of said first static road route, and

transmit said dynamic road route and/or said journey time (t_D) of said dynamic road route or said journey time (t_S) of said first static road route to said onboard navigation unit (4) on the basis of said comparison.

3. The navigation system according to claim 2, in which said operations centre is configured to:

calculate said journey time (t_D) for said dynamic road route and said journey time (t_S) for said first static road route in cases where said dynamic road route is different from said first static road route, and

transmit said dynamic road route and said journey time (t_D) of said dynamic road route to said onboard navigation unit (4) in cases where said journey time (t_D) of said dynamic road route is less than said journey time (t_S) of said first static road route.

4. The navigation system according to claim 3, in which said operations centre is configured to:

transmit said journey time (t_S) of said first static road route to said onboard navigation unit (4) in cases where said journey time (t_D) of said dynamic road route is greater than said journey time (t_S) of said first static road route.

5. The navigation system according to claim 1, in which said operations centre is configured to:

calculate and transmit said journey time (t_D) of said dynamic road route to said onboard navigation unit (4) in cases where said dynamic road route is found to be equal to said first static road route.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1, in which said onboard navigation unit is also configured to:

calculate a second dynamic road route based on said dynamic road route received, and

provide said user information regarding said second dynamic road route and/or said journey time of said dynamic road route received, or information regarding said journey time of said first static road route.

7. The navigation system according to claim 1, in which said onboard navigation unit is also configured to:

acquire information regarding the position of said vehicle and information regarding vehicle road traffic around said vehicle, and

transmit said information regarding the position of said vehicle, said information regarding vehicle road traffic around said vehicle, said second dynamic road route and said target destination, to said operations centre.

8. The navigation system according to claim 7, in which said operations centre is configured to:

calculate said dynamic road route based on said information regarding the position of said vehicle, said information regarding vehicle road traffic around said vehicle, said second dynamic road route, information regarding the traffic conditions and the road conditions of said road network and/or said second dynamic road route, and said target destination.

9. The navigation system according to claim 1, in which said onboard navigation unit is also configured to:

calculate a simplified version of said first static road route, and

transmit said simplified version of said first static road route to said operations centre.

10. The navigation system according to claim 6, in which said onboard navigation unit is also configured to:

calculate a simplified version of said first static route or said second dynamic route, and

transmit said simplified version of said first static route or said second dynamic route to said operations centre.

11. The navigation system according to claim 1, in which said operations centre is configured to calculate said dynamic route based on said simplified version of said first static route or said second dynamic route.

12. The navigation system according to claim 1, in which said operations centre is configured to transmit said information regarding the traffic conditions and road conditions of said road network and/or said first static route or said dynamic route and/or said second dynamic route to said onboard navigation unit.

24. A vehicle comprising an onboard navigation unit as defined in claim 1.

13. A vehicle navigation method, comprising:

receiving a target destination request from said user on an onboard navigation unit installed on board a vehicle,

calculating, in response to said request, a first static road route based on information regarding the position of said vehicle and geographic data stored in said onboard navigation unit,

providing said user with information regarding said first static road route,

transmitting said target destination and said first static road route to an operations centre,

calculating, at said operations centre, a dynamic road route based on said target destination, said first static road route and information regarding the traffic conditions and road conditions of said road network and/or said static road route,

comparing said calculated dynamic road route with said first static road route, and

transmitting information associated with a road route that is selected on the basis of said comparison to said onboard navigation unit.

14. The method according to claim 13, also comprising:

calculating, at said operations centre, a journey time (t_D) for said dynamic road route and a journey time (t_S) for said first static road route,

comparing said dynamic road route with said first static road route and said journey time (t_D) of said dynamic road route with said journey time (t_S) of said first static road route, and

transmitting said dynamic road route and/or said journey time (t_D) of said dynamic road route or said journey time (t_S) of said first static road route to said onboard navigation unit on the basis of said comparison.

15. The method according to claim 14, also comprising:

calculating said journey time (t_D) of said dynamic road route and said journey time (t_S) of said first static road route in cases where said dynamic road route is different from said first static road route, and

transmitting said dynamic road route and said journey time (t_D) of said dynamic road route to said onboard navigation unit in cases where said journey time (t_D) of said dynamic road route is less than said journey time (t_S) of said first static road route.

16. The method according to claim 15, also comprising:

transmitting said journey time (t_S) of said first static road route to said onboard navigation unit in cases where said journey time (t_D) of said dynamic road route is greater than said journey time (t_S) of said first static road route.

17. The method according to claim 13, also comprising:

calculating and transmitting said journey time (t_D) of said dynamic road route to said onboard navigation unit in cases where said dynamic road route is found to be equal to said first static road route.

18. The method according to claim 13, also comprising:

calculating a second dynamic road route based on said dynamic road route received, and

providing said user with information regarding said second dynamic road route and/or said journey time of said dynamic road route, or information regarding said journey time of said first static road route.

19. The method according to claim 13, also comprising:

acquiring information regarding the position of said vehicle and information regarding vehicle road traffic around said vehicle, and

transmitting said information regarding the position of said vehicle, said information regarding vehicle road traffic around said vehicle, said second dynamic road route and said target destination, to said operations centre.

20. The method according to claim 19, also comprising:

calculating said dynamic road route based on said information regarding the position of said vehicle, said information regarding vehicle road traffic around said vehicle, said second dynamic road route, information regarding the traffic conditions and the road conditions of said road network and/or said second dynamic road route, and said target destination.

21. The method according to claim 13, also comprising:

calculating a simplified version of said first static road route or said second dynamic road route, and

transmitting said simplified version of said first static road route or said second dynamic road route to said operations centre.

22. The method according to claims 13, also comprising:

calculating said dynamic route based on said simplified version of said first static road route or said second dynamic road route.

23. The method according to claim 13, also comprising:

transmitting said information regarding the traffic conditions and road conditions of said road network and/or said first static road route and/or said second dynamic road route to said onboard navigation unit.