NAVIGATION SYSTEM WITH LIVE SPEED WARNING FOR MERGING TRAFFIC FLOW
First Claim
1. A navigation system of the type to be carried in a vehicle traveling on a first road segment of a road network having first and second road segments that merge over a downstream merger region, and arranged to provide its driver with navigation information, said navigation system comprising:
- a processor;
a warning device operatively connected to said processor (36) for producing audible, visual and/or haptic information;
a determination device operatively connected to said processor for determining a speed and position of said navigation system relative to the road network;
a computer program executed by said processor and comprising instructions and data in order to allow said processor to, when approaching the merger region on the road network, communicate via audible, visual and/or haptic means an average speed of surrounding vehicular traffic proximate said merger region;
wherein said computer program causes the warning device to audibly, visually or haptically communicate at least one of the following pieces of information;
speed information or a speed change to match the speed of traffic proximate the merger region if the determined speed of said navigation system does not equal the average speed of traffic proximate the merger region; and
information indicating the need to leave adequate inter-vehicle distance,wherein the average speed of surrounding vehicular traffic proximate said merger region is calculated based on historical speed data.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A navigation method and navigation system (14) capable of taking into account the speed of a vehicle (10) traveling along a road segment (52) and providing an acoustic, visual and/or haptic warning or speed recommendation and/or recommendation to change lane or increase inter-vehicle distance to support effective lane merging situation as the vehicle approaches a merging region with another road segment (54). The navigation system (14) monitors the position and speed of a vehicle (10) in which the navigation system (14) is carried simultaneously determining or being provided with an average speed of vehicles traveling on another road segment which merges ahead. The navigation system (14) communicates the average speed to the first vehicle and also recommends a speed change if the vehicles monitored speed does not equal the average speed traveling on the other road segment.
87 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A navigation system of the type to be carried in a vehicle traveling on a first road segment of a road network having first and second road segments that merge over a downstream merger region, and arranged to provide its driver with navigation information, said navigation system comprising:
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a processor; a warning device operatively connected to said processor (36) for producing audible, visual and/or haptic information; a determination device operatively connected to said processor for determining a speed and position of said navigation system relative to the road network; a computer program executed by said processor and comprising instructions and data in order to allow said processor to, when approaching the merger region on the road network, communicate via audible, visual and/or haptic means an average speed of surrounding vehicular traffic proximate said merger region; wherein said computer program causes the warning device to audibly, visually or haptically communicate at least one of the following pieces of information; speed information or a speed change to match the speed of traffic proximate the merger region if the determined speed of said navigation system does not equal the average speed of traffic proximate the merger region; and information indicating the need to leave adequate inter-vehicle distance, wherein the average speed of surrounding vehicular traffic proximate said merger region is calculated based on historical speed data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 4)
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3. (canceled)
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5. A method for providing a vehicle driver with navigation information pertaining to merging traffic conditions on a road network having first and second road segments that merge over a downstream merger region, said method comprising the steps of:
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transporting a navigation system in a vehicle traveling on the first road segment; determining a position and a speed of the vehicle relative to the road network; and when approaching the merger region, audibly, visually or haptically recommending a speed increase or decrease to conform the speed of the vehicle with an average speed of traffic in the merger region, wherein the average speed of surrounding vehicular traffic proximate said merger region is calculated based on historical speed data. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19)
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18. (canceled)
Specification