Method and System to Calculate Historical Traffic Data

• US 20090326802A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: JOHNSON, Richard A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• 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

Abstract

A system for a vehicle navigation accurately calculates travel times between locations and serves a vehicle driver request for the shortest time route. A navigation server compiles data of common road segments between two locations that are contained in route requests and subsequently calculates travel time between the two locations. When subsequent route requests contain further information pertaining to the same locations, the navigation server updates the travel time. Consequently, the navigation server can calculate the travel times of different routes from the same source vehicle location and destination location. When a vehicle driver requests directions from the vehicle'"'"'s current location to a destination, the navigation server then provides directions for the shortest time route to the vehicle driver.

Claims

1. A method for providing directions for a shortest time route by a vehicle navigation system, the method comprising:

receiving a first route request from a telematics unit wherein the first route request contains a first time-of-day and a first vehicle current location;

receiving a second route request from the telematics unit wherein the second route request contains a second time-of-day and a second vehicle current location; and

calculating a current travel time between the first vehicle location and the second vehicle location using the first time-of-day and the second time-of-day.

2. A method for providing directions for a shortest time route by a vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, the method further comprising storing the current travel time in an electronic database based on one or more time-of-day categories.

3. A method for providing directions for a shortest time route by a vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, the method further comprising updating a stored travel time in an electronic database using the current travel time based on the one or more time-of-day categories, wherein the stored travel time is calculated between the first vehicle location and the second vehicle location.

4. A method for providing directions for a shortest time route by a vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the telematics unit records the first time-of-day, the first vehicle location, the second time-of-day, and the second vehicle location.

5. A method for providing directions for a shortest time route by a vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle navigation system comprises the navigation server that receives the first route request and the second route request, calculates the current travel time using one or more software applications, and updates the stored travel time using the one or more software applications.

6. A method for providing directions for a shortest time route by a vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle navigation system further comprises the telematics unit installed in a vehicle that sends the first route request, the second route request, the first time-of-day, the first vehicle location, the second time-of-day, and the second vehicle location, to a navigation server across a wireless communication network.

7. A method for providing directions for a shortest time route by a vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle navigation system further comprises:

one or more software applications implemented by the navigation server to calculate the current travel time and update the stored travel time;

one or more electronic databases that store the stored travel time and a repository of different route directions from the first vehicle location to the second vehicle location; and

the wireless communication network that provides a communication link between the telematics unit installed in the vehicle to the navigation server.

8. A method for providing directions for a shortest time route by a vehicle navigation system according to claim 1 wherein the time-of-day categories are selected from the group consisting of rush hour, non-rush hour, weekday, weekend, holiday, seasonal, summer winter, fall, spring, day, night, morning, afternoon, evening, and night.

9. A method for providing directions for a shortest time route by a vehicle navigation system, the method comprising:

receiving a route request for driving directions to a destination from a vehicle location wherein the route request contains the destination, the vehicle location and a time-of-day;

analyzing one or more stored travel times each for a different route stored in one or more electronic databases based on the time-of-day and one or more time-of-day categories wherein each different route is between the vehicle location and the destination;

sending the directions for a route with shortest stored travel time based on the time-of-day and the one or more time-of-day categories between the vehicle location and the destination.

10. A method for providing directions for a shortest time route by a vehicle navigation system according to claim 9, wherein the vehicle navigation system comprises a navigation server that receives the route request, analyzes the one or more stored travel times each for a different route stored in one or more electronic databases based on the time-of-day, and sends sending the directions for a route with shortest stored travel time based on the time-of-day and the one or more time-of-day categories between the vehicle location and the destination using one or more software applications.

11. A method for providing directions for a shortest time route by a vehicle navigation system according to claim 9, wherein the vehicle navigation system further comprises a telematics unit installed in a vehicle that records the destination, the vehicle location and the time-of-day, sends the route request to the navigation server across a wireless communication network.

12. A method for providing directions for a shortest time route by a vehicle navigation system according to claim 9, wherein the vehicle navigation system further comprises:

one or more software applications implemented by the navigation server to analyzes the one or more stored travel times each for a different route stored in one or more electronic databases based on the time-of-day;

one or more electronic databases that store the one or more stored travel times each for a different route and a repository of different route directions from the vehicle location and the destination; and

the wireless communication network that provides a communication link between the telematics unit installed in the vehicle to the navigation server.

13. A method for providing directions for a shortest time route by a vehicle navigation system according to claim 9, wherein the time-of-day categories are selected from the group consisting of rush hour, non-rush hour, weekday, weekend, holiday, seasonal, summer winter, fall, spring, day, night, morning, afternoon, evening, and night.

19. A system for providing directions for a shortest time route according to claim 10, wherein the time-of-day categories are selected from the group consisting of rush hour, non-rush hour, weekday, weekend, holiday, seasonal, summer winter, fall, spring, day, night, morning, afternoon, evening, and night.

14. A system for providing directions for a shortest time route, the system comprising:

a first route request sent from a telematics unit to a navigation server across a wireless communication network wherein the first route request contains a first vehicle location and a first time-of-day;

a second route request sent from the telematics unit to the navigation server across the wireless communication network wherein the second route request contains a second vehicle location and a second time-of-day;

a navigation server that receives the first route request and the second route request;

a telematics unit installed in a vehicle that sends a first route request and a second route request to a navigation server across a wireless communication network;

one or more software applications implemented by the navigation server to calculate a current travel time and update a stored travel time;

one or more electronic databases that store the stored travel time and a repository of different route directions from the first vehicle location to the second vehicle location; and

the wireless communication network that provides a communication link between the telematics unit installed in the vehicle to the navigation server.

15. A system for providing directions for a shortest time route according to claim 14, the system comprising a third route request sent from a telematics unit to a navigation server across a wireless communication network wherein the third route request contains a third vehicle location, a third time-of-day, and a destination.

16. A system for providing directions for a shortest time route according to claim 14, wherein the navigation server:

calculates the current travel time between the first vehicle location and the second vehicle location using the first time-of-day and the second time-of-day;

stores the current travel time in the one or more electronic databases based on one or more time-of-day categories;

updates the stored travel time the stored travel time in the one or more electronic databases using the current travel time based on the one or more time-of-day categories, wherein the stored travel time is calculated between the first vehicle location and the second vehicle location.

17. A system for providing directions for a shortest time route according to claim 14, wherein the navigation server:

receives a third route request for driving directions to a destination from a third vehicle location wherein the route request contains the destination, the third vehicle location and the third time-of-day;

analyzes one or more stored travel times each for a different route stored in one or more electronic databases based on the time-of-day and the one or more time-of-day categories wherein each different route is between the third vehicle location and the destination;

sends the directions for a route with shortest stored travel time based on the time-of-day and the one or more time-of-day categories between the vehicle location and the destination.

18. A system for providing directions for a shortest time route according to claim 14, wherein the telematics unit:

records the first time-of-day, the first vehicle location, the second time-of-day, and the second vehicle location;

sends a third route request containing the destination, the third vehicle location and the third time-of-day; and

records the destination, the third vehicle location and the third time-of-day.