VEHICLE NAVIGATION SYSTEM

• US 20110231086A1
• Filed: 03/18/2010
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Montealegre, Steven, Boufelliga, Rhita, Haase, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,285,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries

Abstract

A system and method is provided for identifying and generating a route that provides a driver with an exhilarating ride. In an example method, the navigation system obtains location data for routes between a starting and ending location. The location data is analyzed by identifying points of inflection of the curved road portion. At least one curved segment is identified as being road portions between the points of inflection. A linear distance, L_linear, is measured between the points of inflection of the at least one curved segment. A curve depth, H, is measured by identifying the maximum distance between the line between the points of inflection and any point on the curved segment along a perpendicular to the line between points of inflection. A curved segment degree of curviness=H/L_linear is calculated and used to determine the measure of curviness of the route.

Claims

1. A method for determining a measure of curviness having a curved road portion configured for operation in a navigation system, the method comprising:

determining location data for the curved road portion from map data retrieved from a map database;

identifying points of inflection from the location data of the curved road portion;

identifying at least one curved segment as road portions between the points of inflection;

measuring a linear distance, L_linear, between the points of inflection of the at least one curved segment;

measuring a curve depth, H, by identifying the maximum distance between the line between the points of inflection and any point on the curved segment along a perpendicular to the line between points of inflection;

calculating a curved segment degree of curviness=H/L_linear; and

using the curved segment degree of curviness to determine the measure of curviness of the route.

2. The method of claim 1 where the curved road portion includes a plurality of curved segments, the method further including:

measuring the linear distance L_linear and the curve depth H for each remaining curved segment in the curved road portion;

calculating the curved segment degree of curviness=H/L_linear for each remaining curved segment in the curved road portion; and

using the curved segment degree of curviness for each curved segment in the curved road portion to determine the measure of curviness for the curved road portion.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

expressing the curved segment degree of curviness as;

X %=H/L_linear×

100%.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

after identifying the points of inflection, determining a number of curved segments by adding the number of road portions between each consecutive pair of points of inflection; and

using the number of curved segments to determined the measure of curviness for the curved road portion.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

after the step of determining the location data for the curve road portions, reducing the data volume of the location data by removing locations between selected points using a predetermined scale.

6. A method for determining a measure of sportiness for a route for operation in a navigation system, the method comprising:

determining location data for a curved road portion of the route from map data retrieved from a map database;

identifying points of inflection from the location data of the curved road portion;

identifying a plurality of curved segment as road portions between the points of inflection;

measuring a linear distance, L_linear, between the points of inflection of the plurality of curved segments;

for each curved segment, measuring a curve depth, H, by identifying the maximum distance between the line between the points of inflection and any point on the curved segment along a perpendicular to the line between points of inflection;

for each curved segment, calculating a curved segment degree of curviness=H/L_linear; and

when the curved segment degree of curviness has been calculated for each curved segment, combining the curved segment degrees of curviness for the plurality of curved segments to determine the measure of sportiness of the route.

7. The method of claim 6 where the step of combining the curved segments comprises:

adding the curved segment degrees of curviness to determine a sum of the degrees of curviness; and

using the sum of the degrees of curviness as the measure of sportiness.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

calculating a measure of curviness as;

measure of curviness=X %=H/L_linear×

100% for each curved segment; and

using an average of X % for all of the curved segments as the measure of sportiness.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

after identifying the curved segments, determining a number of curved segments by adding the number of road portions between each consecutive pair of points of inflection;

using the number of curved segments to determine the measure of sportiness for the curved road portion.

10. The method of claim 9 where the number of curved segments is compared to a threshold number of curved segments for a sporty route, the method comprising:

identifying the route as being not sporty if the number of curved segments is not greater than the threshold.

11. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

after the step of determining the location data for the curve road portions, reducing the data volume of the location data by removing locations between selected points using a predetermined scale.

12. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

identifying at least one more route having a curvy portion; and

for each at least one more route having curvy portion, performing the steps of;

determining location data for a curved road portion of the route from map data retrieved from a map database;

identifying points of inflection from the location data of the curved road portion;

identifying a plurality of curved segment as road portions between the points of inflection;

measuring a linear distance, L_linear, between the points of inflection of the plurality of curved segments;

for each curved segment, measuring a curve depth, H, by identifying the maximum distance between the line between the points of inflection and any point on the curved segment along a perpendicular to the line between points of inflection;

for each curved segment, calculating a curved segment degree of curviness=H/L_linear; and

when the curved segment degree of curviness has been calculated for each curved segment, combining the curved segment degrees of curviness for the plurality of curved segments to determine the measure of sportiness of the route; and

providing the driver with alternative curvy routes and corresponding measures of sportiness.

13. A navigation system comprising:

a processing unit;

an input device;

a display device;

a map database containing location data;

a route generator configured to determine a route between a first and second location, the route generator configured to provide the driver with at least one route;

a curvy route analyzer configured to analyze the route and determine a measure of curviness for the route by identifying points of inflection in curved portions of the route, measuring a curve depth for curved segments between each pair of points of inflection, and using the curve depth to determine the measure of curviness.

14. The navigation system of claim 13 where the curvy route analyzer is configured to determine location data for the route from map data retrieved from the map database.

15. The navigation system of claim 13 where the curvy route analyzer is configured to determine the curve depth by:

measuring a linear distance, L_linear, between the points of inflection of one of the curved segments; and

identifying the maximum distance, H, between the line between the points of inflection and any point on the curved segment along a perpendicular to the line between points of inflection.

16. The navigation system of claim 15 where the curvy route analyzer is configured to determine the measure of curviness for the route by:

calculating a curved segment degree of curviness=H/L_linear; and

using the curved segment degree of curviness for each curved segment to determine the measure of curviness of the route.

17. The navigation system of claim 16 where the curvy route analyzer is configured to determine the measure of curviness of the route by adding the curved segment degree of curviness for all of the curved segments in the curved portion of the route.

18. The navigation system of claim 16 where the curvy route analyzer is configured to determine the measure of curviness of the route by averaging the curved segment degree of curviness for all of the curved segments in the curved portion of the route.

19. The navigation system of claim 18 where the curvy route analyzer is configured to express the curved segment degree of curviness as:

X %=H/L_linear×

100% before determining the average of the curved segment degrees of curviness.

20. The navigation system of claim 13 where the curvy route analyzer is configured to:

determine a number of curved segments by counting road portions between pairs of points of inflection;

comparing the number of curved segments to a minimum threshold for a sporty route; and

if the number of curved segments is greater than the minimum threshold, continuing with determining the curve depth and the measure of curviness of the route.