Target input for navigation system

• US 5,919,246 A
• Filed: 04/07/1997
• Issued: 07/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mannesmann AG (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Mannesmann AG (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Albrecht, Uwe, Garthwaite, Paul, Waizmann, Gerd
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US08/817,319
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/202, 701/208, 701/209, 701/210, 73/178 R, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases

Abstract

A process and a device for providing navigational assistance to a vehicle driver in reaching a target position in a vehicle, in which the current local position is identified, a route is determined and current travel tips for this route are obtained from a traffic computer, which is disposed outside of the vehicle, and are displayed to the driver. To provide fully automatic navigational assistance in which the driver'"'"'s input is minimized, especially in the case of frequently repeated routine trips, the target position is derived automatically, according to probability, on the basis of stored historical travel information.

Claims

1. A process for providing navigational assistance to a vehicle driver in reaching a target position in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

identifying a current local position of the vehicle;

automatically deriving the target position according to probability by comparing stored historical travel information with current travel information including the identified current local positions;

determining a route based on the derived target position;

obtaining current travel tips for the route from a traffic computer disposed outside the vehicle;

after the route has been determined; and

relaying the tips to the driver.

2. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of identifying current local position includes continuously detecting the current local positions of the vehicle and storing the detected local positions in a working memory, the target position deriving step including determining the target position based on the local positions stores during a first phase of a trip by the vehicle.

3. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein the target position deriving step includes determining the target position based on chronological data including a point in time at which a trip begins.

4. A process as defined in claim 2, wherein the target position deriving step includes determining the target position by comparing the stored current local positions with standard routes stored in a standard route memory.

5. A process as defined in claim 4, including deciding whether the stored current local positions agree with one of the standard routes in the standard route memory with a predeterminable statistical certainty.

6. A process as defined in claim 4, including automatically storing the stored current local positions for determining the standard routes at an end of each trip in an intermediate route memory for a predetermined period of time.

7. A process as defined in claim 6, including transferring a route from the intermediate route memory into the standard route memory when a frequency with which the route is present in the intermediate route memory exceeds a predetermined value.

8. A process as defined in claim 6, including deleting the routes stored in the intermediate memory after expiration of a predetermined period of time.

9. A process as defined in claim 7, including deleting the routes stored in the intermediate memory after being transferred into the standard route memory.

10. A process as defined in claim 7, including storing the standard routes together with chronological data.

11. A process as defined in claim 10, wherein the chronological data include a day of the week and time of day.

12. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein the target position deriving step includes determining the target position with computing programs.

13. A device for providing navigational assistance to a vehicle driver in reaching a target position, comprising:

local position finding means for detecting a current local position of vehicle;

route finding means for determining a route, the route finding means including a target position derivation device operative to automatically derive the target position, according to probability, based on stored historical travel information and the detected current local positions;

communication means for exchanging data with a traffic computer disposed outside the vehicle after the route has been determined; and

means for relaying travel tips to the driver.

14. A navigational assistance device as defined in claim 13, wherein the local position finding means is operative to continuously detect the current local positions, and further comprising working memory means for storing the continuously detected current local positions, the target position derivation device having stored criteria from which the target position can be derived based on the stored current local positions.

15. A navigational assistance device as defined in claim 13, wherein the stored historical information includes chronological data containing at least a time point at which a trip began.

16. A navigational assistance device as defined in claim 15, wherein the target position derivation device is operative to derive the target position using the chronological data.

17. A navigational device as defined in claim 14, wherein the target position derivation device includes a standard route memory in which routes previously travelled by the vehicle are stored as consecutive local positions, and comparison means for comparing the stored current local positions with routes stored in the standard route memory for deriving the target position.

18. A navigational device as defined in claim 17, and further comprising an intermediate route memory for storing the stored current local positions after an end of each trip.

19. A navigational device as defined in claim 18, and further comprising transfer means for transferring routes from the intermediate route memory into the standard route memory when a frequency with which a given route has been historically travelled exceeds a preestablished value.

20. A navigational device as defined in claim 13, wherein the local position finding means includes an on-board computer.

21. A navigational device as defined in claim 20, wherein the target position derivation device is configured as a calculating program provided in a user memory of the on-board computer.

22. A navigational device as defined in claim 21, wherein the target position derivation device includes at least one statistical computing program.

23. A navigational device as defined in claim 13, wherein the communication means is a mobile phone.