METHOD OF DISPLAYING A MAP VIEW AND NAVIGATION DEVICE

• US 20150025783A1
• Filed: 07/10/2014
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: SECHNY, Marek
• Granted Patent: US 10,054,462 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• 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 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods

Abstract

Techniques of displaying a map view (200) for navigation of a vehicle are described. The map view includes graphical representation of predictive traffic information (220-1, 220-2, 220-3) respectively at an estimated time of passing of a corresponding road segment (210).

Claims

1. A method of displaying a map view of a road segment network for navigation of a vehicle, the map view including a graphical representation of a predictive traffic information for a plurality of road segments, the method comprising:

a processor determining the plurality of road segments in dependence of a field of view of the map view and/or in dependence of a distance to a current position of the vehicle;

for each one of the plurality of road segments of the road segment network, the processor determining an estimated time of passing of the respective road segment; and

displaying the map view on a display, the map view including the graphical representation of the predictive traffic information for the plurality of road segments,

wherein the graphical representation illustrates the predictive traffic information at the respective estimated time of passing of each one of the plurality of road segments.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the estimated time of passing for a respective one of the plurality of road segments includes:

the processor executing a road network search between the current position of the vehicle and the respective road segment the road network search expanding route links along the road segments of the road segment network and yielding an optimized route to each one of the plurality of road segments.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the road network search is selected from the group comprising:

a static road network search based on time-invariant costs for the road segments; and

a dynamic road network search based on time-variant costs for the road segments which correspond to the predictive traffic information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the road network search is a static road network search which is executed in a piecewise manner, wherein pieces of the road network determine all road segments of the road segment network which are reachable within a certain duration interval (abort criterion) and/or have a certain distance to the current position.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein the predictive traffic information is provided for forecast time intervals,

wherein the duration intervals of the pieces of the road network search correspond to the forecast time intervals of the predictive traffic information, and

wherein the costs (500-1-500-4) of each piece of the road network search are determined based on the predictive traffic information (220, 220-1, 220-2, 220-3) of the forecast time interval (310-1-310-4).

6. The method of claim 4,

wherein a first piece of the road network search corresponds to road segments which are reachable within a first duration interval,

wherein a second piece of the road network search corresponds to road segments which are reachable within a second duration interval,

wherein the second duration interval includes longer times to reach a respective road segment than the first duration interval, and

wherein the road network search is executed at a higher degree of abstraction for the second piece than for the first piece.

7. The method of claim 2,

wherein the road network search operates on a subset of road segments of the road segment network, the subset of road segments being selected from the group comprising:

road segments of the road segment network having a predefined road hierarchy class;

road segments of the road segment network being situated within a threshold distance to the current position of the vehicle; and

road segments of the road segment network having an associated likelihood of passage by the vehicle which is higher than a threshold likelihood, the likelihood being determined based on at least one of the following;

a historical driving pattern;

a current driving direction; and

a road hierarchy class.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein the determining of the plurality of road segments is further dependent on elements selected from the group comprising:

a current direction and/or historic direction of driving of the vehicle;

a road hierarchy class of the respective road segments;

a likelihood of passing of the respective road segment being larger than a threshold likelihood; and

predictive traffic information being available for the respective road segments.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of road segments is situated within a threshold distance from the current position of the vehicle and/or are situated along a pre-calculated route for which the navigation of the vehicle is provided.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of road segments are distributed in various directions around the current position of the vehicle and/or correspond to all road segments which are visible in the map view and for which the predictive traffic information is available.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein the predictive traffic information is provided for forecast time intervals, and

wherein the method further comprises:

the processor interpolating the predictive traffic information over time based on the predictive traffic information for two adjacent forecast time intervals of the same road segment and/or interpolating the predictive traffic information over space based on the predictive traffic information for two adjacent road segments for the same forecast time interval.

12. The method of claim 1,

wherein, for at least two different road segments of the plurality of road segments, the graphical representation illustrates the predictive traffic information at different estimated times of passing, i.e. corresponding to different forecast intervals.

13. A navigation device for displaying a map view of a road segment network for navigation of a vehicle, the map view including a graphical representation of a predictive traffic information for a plurality of road segments, the navigation device comprising:

a processor which is configured to determine the plurality of road segments in dependence of a field of view of the map view and/or in dependence of a distance to a current position of the vehicle,

wherein the processor is further configured to determine an estimated time of passing of the respective road segment, for each one of the plurality of road segments of the road segment network; and

a display which is configured to display the map view including the graphical representation of the predictive traffic information,

wherein the graphical representation illustrates the predictive traffic information at the respective estimated time of passing of each one of the plurality of road segments.

14. (canceled)

15. A method of executing a dynamic road network search based on predictive traffic information which is provided for a first forecast time interval and a second time interval, the method comprising:

executing a first static road network search which expands route links along a first plurality of road segments of a road segment network; and

executing a second static road network search which expands route links along a second plurality of road segments of the road segment network,

wherein each expanded route link is associated with a respective estimated time of passing, and

wherein the first forecast time interval comprises the estimated times of passing associated with the route links expanded by the first static road network search and the second forecast time interval comprises the estimated times of passing associated with the route links expanded by the second static road network search.