Method and device for guiding vehicles as a function of the traffic situation

• US 5,818,356 A
• Filed: 10/25/1996
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Schuessler, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US08/735,985
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995, 340/990, 340/988, 340/905, 340/994, 364/424.8, 364/449.4, 379/58, 379/59
• US Class Current: 340/995.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3446 Details of route searching algorithms, e.g. Dijkstra, A*, arc-flags, using precalculated routes
• 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: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096822 where the segments of the route are transmitted to the vehicle at different locations and times
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A method and a device for vehicle guidance as a function of the traffic situation is provided, during which vehicle guidance the traffic situation data are evaluated in a control center which has a computer. The control center computer determines the optimum route as a function of starting data, the traffic situation data and stored road network data in the form of sequences of intermediate destinations such that a vehicle-end navigation device is capable of reproducing successive sections of the optimum route and issuing the associated guidance instructions by using a traffic situation-independent route search method. This system permits a traffic situation-dependent vehicle guidance in which the more costly route optimization tasks are performed by the control center computer. The vehicle-end navigation computer only has to carry out traffic situation-independent route finding tasks.

Claims

1. A method for guiding a vehicle as a function of a traffic situation, in which traffic situation data used for guiding the vehicle are made available in a control center and are used to determine optimum routes, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting necessary vehicle-specific starting data to said control center;

determining an optimum route (R₂) as a function of said starting data, said traffic situation data and stored road network data;

determining intermediate destinations (Zz₁, Zz₂, . . . ), located on said optimum route, using a computer in said control center such that each section (W₁, W₂, . . . ) of said optimum route located between every two successive ones of said intermediate destinations can be reproduced unambiguously by a vehicle-end navigation device located in the vehicle using a traffic situation-independent route search method;

transmitting said intermediate destination data from said control center to said vehicle-end navigation device;

successively determining with the vehicle-end navigation device successive ones of said sections (W₁, W₂, . . . ) of said optimum route (R₂) between every two successive ones of said intermediate destinations by using said traffic situation-independent route search method, wherein a respective intermediate destination (S, Zz₁, Zz₂, . . . ) is used as a starting point and a subsequent intermediate destination (Zz₁, Zz₂, . . . Z) as an end point of a respective route section; and

generating associated guidance instructions by said vehicle-end navigation device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said control center computer determines a minimum quantity of said intermediate destinations (Zz₁, Zz₂, . . . ) which is sufficient for the unambiguous reproduction of the optimum route (R₂) in terms of the traffic situation by the vehicle-end navigation device using its traffic situation-independent route search method, and transmits the said minimum quantity to the vehicle-end navigation device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein activation of a guidance procedure is triggered automatically by at least one of the vehicle-end navigation device whenever a journey is begun and at regular time intervals and in an event-dependent way during the journey, or is triggered automatically by the control center in an event-dependent fashion during the journey or is triggered in response to a driver request.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein activation of a guidance procedure is triggered automatically by at least one of the vehicle-end navigation device whenever a journey is begun and at regular time intervals and in an event-dependent way during the journey, or is triggered automatically by the control center in an event-dependent fashion during the journey or is triggered in response to a driver request.

5. A device for guiding a vehicle as a function of a traffic situation, comprising:

a control center with a control center computer which has access to traffic situation data which have been made available;

a vehicle-end navigation device with a navigation computer, a road network memory which can be read out from the navigation computer, and a navigation sensor system which is connected to the navigation computer;

a data communication link between said control center and said vehicle-end navigation device; and

a control center road network memory provided in the control center, said control center road network memory being read out by said control center computer,

wherein the control center computer determines an optimum route (R₂) as a function of vehicle-specific starting data, the traffic situation data which have been made available, and the stored road network data, and determines intermediate destinations (Zz₁, Zz₂, . . . ) located on the optimum route, such that every section (W₁, W₂, . . . ) of the optimum route located between every two successive intermediate destinations is reproduced unambiguously by the vehicle-end navigation device by a traffic situation-independent route search method,

wherein the data communication link is configured to transmit the starting data to the control center and the intermediate destination data from the control center to the vehicle-end navigation device, and

wherein the vehicle-end navigation device is located in the vehicle and is designed to determine successively the successive sections (W₁, W₂, . . . ) of the optimum route (R₂) between every two successive intermediate destinations (S, Zz₁, Zz₂, . . . Z) by the traffic situation-independent route search method with a respective intermediate destination (S, Zz₁, Zz₂, . . . ) serving as a starting point and a subsequent intermediate destination (Zz₁, Zz₂, . . . , Z) as an end point, said vehicle-end navigation device generating associated guidance instructions.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the data communication link is formed by a mobile radio link.

7. A method for guiding a plurality of vehicles as a function of a traffic situation, in which traffic situation data used for guiding the vehicles are made available in a control center separate from the vehicles and are used to determine optimum routes, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting necessary vehicle-specific starting data to said control center from respective vehicles;

determining optimum routes (R₂) for respective vehicles as a function of said starting data, said traffic situation data and stored road network data;

determining intermediate destinations (Zz₁, Zz₂, . . . ), located on said optimum routes, using a computer in said control center such that each section (W₁, W₂, . . . ) of said optimum routes located between every two successive ones of said intermediate destinations can be reproduced unambiguously by respective vehicle-end navigation devices located in the respective vehicles using a traffic situation-independent route search method;

transmitting said intermediate destination data from said control center to said respective vehicle-end navigation devices;

successively determining with the vehicle-end navigation device successive ones of said sections (W₁, W₂, . . . ) of said optimum routes (R₂) between every two successive ones of said intermediate destinations by using said traffic situation-independent route search methods at respective vehicle-end navigation devices, wherein a respective intermediate destination (S, Zz₁, Zz₂, . . . ) from said control center is used as a starting point and a subsequent intermediate destination (Zz₁, Zz₂, . . . , Z) from said control center is used as an end point of a respective route section; and

generating associated vehicle guidance instructions by said vehicle-end navigation devices for guiding respective vehicles along said respective sections of said optimum routes.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said control center computer determines a minimum quantity of said intermediate destinations (Zz₁, Zz₂, . . . ) which is sufficient for the unambiguous reproduction of the optimum routes (R₂) in terms of the traffic situation by the vehicle-end navigation devices using their respective traffic situation-independent route search methods, and transmits the said minimum quantity to the respective vehicle-end navigation devices.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein activation of a guidance procedure is triggered automatically by at least one of the respective vehicle-end navigation devices whenever a journey is begun and at regular time intervals and in an event-dependent way during the journey, or is triggered automatically by the control center in an event-dependent fashion during the journey or is triggered in response to a driver request of a respective vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein activation of a guidance procedure is triggered automatically by at least one of the respective vehicle-end navigation devices whenever a journey is begun and at regular time intervals and in an event-dependent way during the journey, or is triggered automatically by the control center in an event-dependent fashion during the journey or is triggered in response to a driver request of a respective vehicle.

11. A system for guiding vehicles as a function of a traffic situation, comprising:

a control center with a control center computer which has access to traffic situation data which have been made available;

vehicle-end navigation devices at respective vehicles with a navigation computer, a road network memory which can be read out from the navigation computer, and a navigation sensor system which is connected to the navigation computer;

data communication links between said control center and said vehicle-end navigation devices; and

a control center road network memory provided in the control center, said control center road network memory being read out by said control center computer,

wherein the control center computer determines an optimum route (R₂) as a function of vehicle-specific starting data, the traffic situation data which have been made available, and the stored road network data, and determines intermediate destinations (Zz₁, Zz₂, . . . ) located on the optimum routes of respective vehicles, such that every section (W₁, W₂, . . . ) of the optimum route located between every two successive intermediate destinations is reproduced unambiguously by the respective vehicle-end navigation devices by a traffic situation-independent route search method,

wherein the data communication links are configured to transmit the respective vehicle starting data to the control center and the respective intermediate destination data from the control center to the respective vehicle-end navigation devices, and

wherein the vehicle-end navigation devices are located in the respective vehicles and are designed to determine successively the successive sections (W₁, W₂, . . . ) of the respective optimum routes (R₂) between every two successive intermediate destinations (S, Zz₁, Zz₂, . . . Z) by the traffic situation-independent route search method with a respective intermediate destination (S, Zz₁, Zz₂, . . . ) serving as a starting point and a subsequent intermediate destination (Zz₁, Zz₂, . . . , Z) as an end point, said vehicle-end navigation devices generating associated guidance instructions for guiding respective vehicles along said respective sections of said optimum routes.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the data communication links are formed by mobile radio links.