INTELLIGENT NAVIGATION SYSTEM

• US 20130190964A1
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Uehara, Yasuo
• Granted Patent: US 8,855,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/25
• 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: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09

Abstract

An intelligent navigation system navigates a motor vehicle according to real-time road conditions and maneuverability conditions. The intelligent navigation system predicts and corrects potential route deviations before they actually occur. The intelligent navigation system interacts with the maneuverability of a motor vehicle, such that it can navigate the motor vehicle with very little to no human intervention. The intelligent navigation system may embody a method comprising the steps of receiving, from an input device, destination information related to a destination to be reached by the motor vehicle; receiving, from a positioning device, initial location information related to an initial location of the motor vehicle; determining, using a processor, a task for maneuvering the motor vehicle from the initial location to the destination; and instructing, using the processor, a vehicle maneuver controller to implement the task.

Claims

1. An intelligent navigation system for navigating and maneuvering a motor vehicle, the intelligent navigation system comprising:

an input device configured to receive destination information related to a destination to be reached by the motor vehicle;

a positioning device configured to determine an initial location of the motor vehicle and calculate a route for navigating the motor vehicle from the initial location to the destination;

a processor communicating with the input device and the positioning device, and configured to;

determine a task for maneuvering the motor vehicle from the initial location to the destination, and

generate a signal based on the determined task; and

a vehicle maneuver controller communicating with the processor, and configured to actuate the task in response to the signal.

2. The intelligent navigation system of claim 1, further comprising:

a computer server in communication with the processor, and configured to generate road condition information related to a road condition between a first position and a second position within the calculated route, such that the processor is configured to determine the task based on the road condition information.

3. The intelligent navigation system of claim 1, wherein:

the positioning device is configured to determine a transient location of the motor vehicle after the task is actuated, and

the processor is configured to;

determine a correlation between the transient location and the route, request an update of the route from the positioning device if the correlation is below a predetermined threshold, and

determine an updated task for maneuvering the motor vehicle based on the updated route.

4. The intelligent navigation system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor coupled with the processor, and configured to detect a maneuverability condition of the motor vehicle during the actuation of the task, such that the processor is configured to;

determine a safety factor of completing the task based on the maneuverability condition,

determine an alternative task if the safety factor is below a predetermined threshold, and

generate an alternative signal based on the alternative task, thereby causing the vehicle maneuver controller to actuate the alternative task.

5. The intelligent navigation system of claim 4, wherein the maneuverability condition includes at least one of a fuel level of the motor vehicle, a speed of the motor vehicle, a horsepower of the motor vehicle, or a brake condition of the motor vehicle, a relative distance between the motor vehicle and a surrounding object, a relative speed between the motor vehicle and the surrounding object, a traffic light output state, or a lane boundary.

6. The intelligent navigation system of claim 1, wherein the processor is disposed within the motor vehicle and connected with the positioning device and the vehicle maneuver controller.

7. The intelligent navigation system of claim 1, wherein the processor is disposed outside the motor vehicle and communicate with the positioning device and the vehicle maneuver controller via a wireless communication connection.

8. A method for navigating and maneuvering a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

receiving, from an input device, destination information related to a destination to be reached by the motor vehicle;

receiving, from a positioning device, initial location information related to an initial location of the motor vehicle;

determining, using a processor, a task for maneuvering the motor vehicle from the initial location to the destination; and

instructing, using the processor, a vehicle maneuver controller to implement the task.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

receiving, from the positioning device, a route for navigating the motor vehicle from the initial location to the destination.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the task includes:

defining, using the processor, a plurality of routing positions within the received route,

receiving, from a computer server, road condition information related to a road condition between a pair of successive routing positions of the plurality of routing positions, and

determining, using the processor and based on the received road condition, a maneuverability function for maneuvering the motor vehicle from a first routing position of the pair of successive routing positions to a second routing position of the pair of successive routing position.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the road condition includes at least a traffic condition between the pair of successive routing positions or a terrain condition between the pair of successive routing positions.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

receiving, from the positioning device, transient location information related to a transient location of the motor vehicle after the implementation of the task;

determining, using the processor, a correlation between the transient location and the route;

receiving, from the positioning device, an update of the route if the correlation is below a predetermined threshold;

determining, using the processor, an updated task based on the updated route; and

instructing, using the processor, the vehicle maneuver controller to implement the updated task.

13. The method of claim 8, further storing instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising the step of:

receiving, from a sensor, maneuverability condition information related to a maneuverability condition of the motor vehicle during the implementation of the task;

determining, using the processor, a safety factor of completing the task based on the maneuverability condition;

determining, using the processor, an alternative task if the safety factor is below a predetermined threshold; and

instructing, using the processor, the vehicle maneuver controller to implement the alternative task.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the maneuverability condition includes at least one of a fuel level of the motor vehicle, a speed of the motor vehicle, a horse power of the motor vehicle, or a brake condition of the motor vehicle, a relative distance between the motor vehicle and a surrounding object, a relative speed between the motor vehicle and the surrounding object, a traffic light output state, or a lane boundary.

15. A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for navigating and operating a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a destination to be reached by the motor vehicle;

determining an initial location of the motor vehicle;

calculating a route for navigating the motor vehicle from the initial location to the destination; and

determining a task for maneuvering the motor vehicle based on the calculated route.

16. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining the task includes:

defining a plurality of routing positions within the calculated route, and

determining a maneuverability function for maneuvering the motor vehicle from a first routing position of the pair of successive routing positions to a second routing position of the pair of successive routing position.

17. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 16, wherein the maneuverability function is based on a road condition including at least a traffic condition between the pair of successive routing positions or a terrain condition between the pair of successive routing positions.

18. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 15, further storing instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising the step of:

generating a signal for actuating the task;

determining a transient location of the motor vehicle during the actuation of the task;

determining a correlation between the transient location and the route;

recalculating the route if the correlation is below a predetermined threshold; and

determining an updated task for maneuvering the motor vehicle from the transient location to the destination.

19. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 15, further storing instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising the step of:

generating a signal for actuating the task;

determining a maneuverability condition of the motor vehicle before and during the actuation of the task;

determining a safety factor of completing the task based on the maneuverability condition; and

determining an alternative task if the safety factor is below a predetermined threshold.

20. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 19, wherein the maneuverability condition includes at least one of a fuel level of the motor vehicle, a speed of the motor vehicle, a horse power of the motor vehicle, a brake condition of the motor vehicle, a relative distance between the motor vehicle and a surrounding object, a relative speed between the motor vehicle and the surrounding object, a traffic light output state, or a lane boundary.