METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ROUTE CALCULATION INVOLVING FREEWAY JUNCTION

• US 20170059351A1
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kawamukai, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 9,829,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map

Abstract

A method and apparatus of calculating a route involving a freeway junction determines an undesired freeway junction that can pose a driving difficulty, and performs route recalculation that avoids the undesired freeway junction. A distance from a freeway entry to a freeway junction, or a number of freeway entries up to the freeway junction are used to determine the undesired freeway junction. A distance from the freeway junction to a freeway exit is also used to determine the undesired freeway junction. An intermediate point is set to recalculate a route that does not involve the freeway junction to create an overall route.

Claims

1. A method of route calculation for a navigation system, comprising the following steps of:

establishing, by using a processor, a calculated route between a start point and a destination by evaluating map data of a navigation system where the calculated route includes a freeway;

examining the calculated route to detect whether there is a freeway junction, where the freeway junction is defined as a route to allow a vehicle to change from one freeway to another freeway;

examining the calculated route to detect a location of an entry to the freeway or an exit from the freeway proximate to the freeway junction;

further examining the calculated route to detect whether there is an undesired condition related to the freeway junction, entry to the freeway or exit from the freeway that may require prompt driving maneuvers of the vehicle by a driver; and

recalculating, when the undesired condition is detected, a route between the start point and the destination so that the recalculated route avoids the freeway junction related to the undesired condition.

2. The method of route calculation as defined in claim 1, said step of examining the calculated route to detect the undesired condition is conducted by comparing a number of entries to the freeway with a predetermined threshold number where the number of entries to the freeway is counted between the first entry to the freeway and the freeway junction.

3. The method of route calculation as defined in claim 1, said step of examining the calculated route to detect the undesired condition is conducted by comparing a distance between a first entry to the freeway and the freeway junction with a predetermined threshold distance.

4. The method of route calculation as defined in claim 1, said step of examining the calculated route to detect the undesired condition is conducted by comparing a distance between a last exit from the freeway and the freeway junction with a predetermined threshold distance.

5. The method of route calculation as defined in claim 1, when a part of the calculated route runs from an entry to a first freeway, and to a second freeway via the freeway junction, said step of recalculating a route between the start point and the destination includes the following steps of:

detecting, by examining the map data, an entry to the second freeway that comes first after passing the freeway junction;

setting the detected entry as an intermediate destination to the navigation system;

calculating a first route between the start point and the intermediate destination;

calculating a second route between the intermediate destination and a final destination; and

combining the first route and the second route, thereby creating an overall route between the start point and the final destination.

6. The method of route calculation as defined in claim 1, when a part of the calculated route runs from a first freeway to a second freeway via the freeway junction and to an exit from the second freeway, said step of recalculating a route between the start point and the destination includes the following steps of:

detecting, by examining the map data, an exit from the first freeway that comes immediately before the freeway junction;

setting the detected exit as an intermediate destination to the navigation system;

calculating a first route between the start point and the intermediate destination;

calculating a second route between the intermediate destination and a final destination; and

combining the first route and the second route, thereby creating an overall route between the start point and the final destination.

7. The method of route calculation as defined in claim 1, when a part of the calculated route runs from an entry to a first freeway, and to a second freeway via the freeway junction, said step of recalculating a route between the start point and the destination includes the following steps of:

detecting, by examining the map data, an entry to the second freeway that comes first after passing the freeway junction;

setting the detected entry as an intermediate destination to the navigation system;

calculating a first route between the start point and the intermediate destination without freeways and without assigning costs to difference of road class;

calculating a second route between the start point and the intermediate destination including freeways and without assigning costs to difference of road class; and

comparing an overall cost of the first route and an overall cost of the second route and selecting the route of lower cost.

8. The method of route calculation as defined in claim 7, further comprising a step of combining the selected route with a remaining route between the entry to the second freeway and the final destination established in the route originally calculated, thereby creating an overall route between the start point and the final destination.

9. The method of route calculation as defined in claim 1, when a part of the calculated route runs from a first freeway to a second freeway via the freeway junction and to an exit from the second freeway, said step of recalculating a route between the start point and the destination includes the following steps of:

detecting, by examining the map data, an exit from the first freeway that comes immediately before the freeway junction;

setting the detected exit as an intermediate destination to the navigation system;

calculating a first route between the intermediate destination and a final designation without freeways and without assigning costs to difference of road class;

calculating a second route between the intermediate destination and the final destination including freeways and without assigning costs to difference of road class; and

comparing an overall cost of the first route and an overall cost of the second route and selecting the route of lower cost.

10. The method of route calculation as defined in claim 9, further comprising a step of combining the selected route with a remaining route between the start point to the exit from the first freeway established in the route originally calculated, thereby creating an overall route between the start point and the final destination.

11. An apparatus of route calculation for a navigation system, comprising:

a display configured to display thereon information concerning operations of navigation system;

a storage device configured to store map data and programs for operations of navigation system;

an input device configured to accept a user'"'"'s input including a start point and a destination for the navigation system; and

a central processing unit configured, by executing the programs in the storage device, to conduct the following operations of;

establishing a calculated route between a start point and a destination by evaluating map data of a navigation system where the calculated route includes a freeway;

examining the calculated route to detect whether there is a freeway junction, where the freeway junction is defined as a route to allow a vehicle to change from one freeway to another freeway;

examining the calculated route to detect a location of an entry to the freeway or an exit from the freeway proximate to the freeway junction;

further examining the calculated route to detect whether there is an undesired condition related to the freeway junction, entry to the freeway or exit from the freeway that may require prompt driving maneuvers of the vehicle by a driver; and

recalculating, when the undesired condition is detected, a route between the start point and the destination so that the recalculated route avoids the freeway junction related to the undesired condition.

12. The apparatus of route calculation as defined in claim 11, wherein the central processing unit is further configured to conduct an operation of examining the calculated route to detect the undesired condition by comparing a number of entries to the freeway with a predetermined threshold number where the number of entries to the freeway is counted between the first entry to the freeway and the freeway junction.

13. The apparatus of route calculation as defined in claim 11, wherein the central processing unit is further configured to conduct an operation of examining the calculated route to detect the undesired condition by comparing a distance between a first entry to the freeway and the freeway junction with a predetermined threshold distance.

14. The apparatus of route calculation as defined in claim 11, wherein the central processing unit is further configured to conduct an operation of examining the calculated route to detect the undesired condition by comparing a distance between a last exit from the freeway and the freeway junction with a predetermined threshold distance.

15. The apparatus of route calculation as defined in claim 11, wherein, when a part of the calculated route runs from an entry to a first freeway, and to a second freeway via the freeway junction, the central processing unit is further configured to conduct an operation of recalculating a route between the start point and the destination by performing the operations of:

detecting, by examining the map data, an entry to the second freeway that comes first after passing the freeway junction;

setting the detected entry as an intermediate destination to the navigation system;

calculating a first route between the start point and the intermediate destination;

calculating a second route between the intermediate destination and a final destination; and

combining the first route and the second route, thereby creating an overall route between the start point and the final destination.

16. The apparatus of route calculation as defined in claim 11, wherein, when a part of the calculated route runs from a first freeway to a second freeway via the freeway junction and to an exit from the second freeway, the central processing unit is further configured to conduct an operation of recalculating a route between the start point and the destination by performing the operations of:

detecting, by examining the map data, an exit from the first freeway that comes immediately before the freeway junction;

setting the detected exit as an intermediate destination to the navigation system;

calculating a first route between the start point and the intermediate destination;

calculating a second route between the intermediate destination and a final destination; and

combining the first route and the second route, thereby creating an overall route between the start point and the final destination.

17. The apparatus of route calculation as defined in claim 11, wherein, when a part of the calculated route runs from an entry to a first freeway, and to a second freeway via the freeway junction, the central processing unit is further configured to conduct an operation of recalculating a route between the start point and the destination by performing the operations of:

detecting, by examining the map data, an entry to the second freeway that comes first after passing the freeway junction;

setting the detected entry as an intermediate destination to the navigation system;

calculating a first route between the start point and the intermediate destination without freeways and without assigning costs to difference of road class;

calculating a second route between the start point and the intermediate destination including freeways and without assigning costs to difference of road class; and

comparing an overall cost of the first route and an overall cost of the second route and selecting the route of lower cost.

18. The apparatus of route calculation as defined in claim 17, wherein the central processing unit is further configured to conduct an operation of combining the selected route with a remaining route between the entry to the second freeway and the final destination established in the route originally calculated, thereby creating an overall route between the start point and the final destination.

19. The apparatus of route calculation as defined in claim 11, wherein, when a part of the calculated route runs from a first freeway to a second freeway via the freeway junction and to an exit from the second freeway, the central processing unit is further configured to conduct an operation of recalculating a route between the start point and the destination by performing the operations of:

detecting, by examining the map data, an exit from the first freeway that comes immediately before the freeway junction;

setting the detected exit as an intermediate destination to the navigation system;

calculating a first route between the intermediate destination and a final designation without freeways and without assigning costs to difference of road class;

calculating a second route between the intermediate destination and the final destination including freeways and without assigning costs to difference of road class; and

comparing an overall cost of the first route and an overall cost of the second route and selecting the route of lower cost.

20. The apparatus of route calculation as defined in claim 19, wherein the central processing unit is further configured to conduct an operation of combining the selected route with a remaining route between the start point to the exit from the first freeway established in the route originally calculated, thereby creating an overall route between the start point and the final destination.