Route Calculation Method for a Vehicle Navigation System
First Claim
1. In a vehicle navigation system having an output screen, a method for optimizing a travel route between a first location and a second location using traffic information supplied from a remote location, comprising the steps of:
- calculating a travel route between the first location and the second location based on the traffic information received from the remote location;
determining whether the calculated travel route is based at least in part on actual traffic flow information included in the traffic information received from the remote location;
displaying the calculated travel route in the output screen, if it is determined that the travel route is based at least in part on actual traffic flow information received from the remote location;
acquiring historical traffic information from the remote location, if it is determined that the travel route is not based at least in part on actual traffic flow information received from the remote location;
recalculating the travel route based on the acquired historical traffic information; and
displaying the recalculated travel route in the output screen.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Traffic information, including flow information and incident information, obtained through a traffic management system for providing and facilitating the exchange of traffic information between a remote location and a vehicle may be used in route calculation by a navigation device. The navigation device may recalculate a route based on anticipated user error. Alternatively, the navigation device may recalculate a route using received traffic information triggered by the receipt of a traffic information update, or triggered by the passage of an amount of time. The broadcast rate of traffic information updates may vary temporally (providing more frequent updates during peak commute times) or geographically (providing more frequent updates to metropolitan areas with increased traffic information needs). If route calculation is triggered by an elapsed amount of time, the amount of time may vary to be shorter during peak commute times. Additional route calculation techniques allow the incorporation of historical traffic information or the use of the most recent traffic information if incomplete traffic information is available. Still further route calculation techniques may calculate a best route by avoiding zigzagging or evaluating an assigned cost of a potential route.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a vehicle navigation system having an output screen, a method for optimizing a travel route between a first location and a second location using traffic information supplied from a remote location, comprising the steps of:
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calculating a travel route between the first location and the second location based on the traffic information received from the remote location; determining whether the calculated travel route is based at least in part on actual traffic flow information included in the traffic information received from the remote location; displaying the calculated travel route in the output screen, if it is determined that the travel route is based at least in part on actual traffic flow information received from the remote location; acquiring historical traffic information from the remote location, if it is determined that the travel route is not based at least in part on actual traffic flow information received from the remote location; recalculating the travel route based on the acquired historical traffic information; and displaying the recalculated travel route in the output screen. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. In a vehicle navigation system having an output screen, a method for optimizing a travel route between a first location and a second location using traffic flow information and traffic incident information supplied from a remote location, comprising the steps of:
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acquiring traffic flow information and traffic incident information from the remote location; calculating a travel route between the first location and the second location based on the acquired traffic flow information and traffic incident information relevant to the travel route; determining whether the traffic flow information or traffic incident information used in calculating the travel route includes extent information; displaying the calculated travel route in the output screen, if it is determined that the traffic flow information or traffic incident information includes extent information; determining an amount of time that has passed for each traffic incident included in the acquired traffic incident information used to calculate the travel route, if it is determined that the traffic incident information did not include extent information; calculating an alternative travel route to the second location based on the determined amount of time that has passed; and displaying the calculated alternative travel route in the output screen. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. In a vehicle navigation system having an output screen, a method for optimizing a travel route between a first location and a second location using traffic information supplied from a remote location, comprising the steps of:
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acquiring traffic information from the remote location relevant to a coverage area including the first location and the second location; calculating a travel route between the first location and the second location based on the acquired traffic information; determining whether the traffic information used in calculating the travel route includes traffic flow information or traffic incident information with extent information; displaying the calculated travel route in the output screen, if it is determined that the traffic information includes at least one of traffic flow information or traffic incident information with extent information; determining an elapsed amount of time that has passed for each traffic incident included in the acquired traffic information used to calculate the travel route, if it is determined that the acquired traffic information did not include traffic flow information or traffic incident information with extent information; calculating an alternative travel route to the second location based on the determined elapsed amount of time that has passed; and displaying the calculated alternative travel route in the output screen. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification