Method for dynamic route recommendation

• US 6,028,553 A
• Filed: 06/12/1997
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Oberstein, Karla
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Dao L.
• Application Number:
  US08/873,419
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 342/457, 342/450, 342/357, 701/213
• US Class Current: 342/457
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice

Abstract

Using a mobile radiotelephone network and a traffic routing and information central as well as a navigation apparatus and a mobile radiotelephone in the vehicle, the user requests a current route in dialogue via a mobile radiotelephone network and a traffic routing and information central. The destination input ensues at any arbitrary location independently of a mobile radiotelephone connection to the central. The navigation apparatus initially calculates the route purely self-sufficiently on the basis of the stored on-board data. With an inquiry to the central, it is not the current position but the presumed position at the time of the anticipated reply to the vehicle that is transmitted, and the data of the route recommendation is forwarded to the vehicle in the form of a sequence of path segments.

Claims

1. A method for dynamic route recommendation, for vehicles utilizing a traffic routing and information central and a mobile radiotelephone network for communication of said central with said vehicles, the vehicles being equipped with a navigation system, in which data is stored, which includes routes between several current positions and destinations and the vehicles being equipped as well with mobile radiotelephones sending a question to the traffic routing and information central and for receiving a response after a predetermined period of time, the method comprising the steps of:

inputting a destination in the navigation system;

providing a first course route recommendation from a current position to the destination by the navigation system;

providing a presumed position of the vehicle after the predetermined period of time by the navigation system, provided the vehicle starts immediately and follows the first route recommendation for the predetermined period of time;

transmitting the presumed position and the destination to the traffic routing and information central via the mobile radiotelephone;

providing a second updated route recommendation from the presumed position to the destination by the traffic routing and information central based on actual traffic data stored in the traffic routing and information central; and

transmitting the second route recommendation to the vehicle via the mobile radiotelephone.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a version number of data stored in a mass storage of an on-board device is transmitted to the central together with the current route request, as is an entire sequence of path segments up to the anticipated arrival of the reply and are compared therein to a received version;

and wherein, for an earlier version number, the central transmits specific, lacking street segment data and a reference signal to the vehicle, whereby the deficiencies of the current version are indicated.

3. A method for dynamic route recommendation in an inner city region for a vehicle with a self-sufficient navigation system using a mobile radiotelephone network and using a traffic routing and information central, comprising the steps of:

providing stored on-board data in the vehicle;

providing a navigation device and a mobile radiotelephone device in the vehicle;

requesting by a user in the vehicle a current route using the navigation device in dialogue via a mobile radiotelephone interface via a mobile radiotelephone network and its traffic routing and information central;

providing a destination input at any arbitrary location of the vehicle independently of a mobile radiotelephone connection to the central;

calculating via the navigation device a route to the destination based on the stored on-board data;

transmitting to the central a calculated, presumed position at a time of an anticipated reply to the vehicle to the central with an inquiry instead of a current position; and

forwarding data of a recommended route from the central to the vehicle in the form of a sequence of path segments.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a version number of the stored on-board data is transmitted to the central together with the current route request, as is an entire sequence of path segments up to the anticipated arrival of a reply and are compared therein to a received version;

and wherein for an earlier version number, the central transmits specific, lacking street segment data and a reference signal to the vehicle, whereby deficiencies of the current version are indicated.

5. A method for dynamic route recommendation in an inner city region for a vehicle with a self-sufficient navigation system using a mobile radiotelephone network and using a traffic routing and information central, comprising the steps of:

providing stored on-board data in the vehicle;

providing a navigation device and a mobile radiotelephone device in the vehicle;

requesting by a user in the vehicle a current route using the navigation device in dialogue via a mobile radiotelephone interface via a mobile radiotelephone network and its traffic routing and information central and transmitting to the central a version number of the stored on-board data, the current route request, a sequence of path segments up to an anticipated arrival of a reply;

providing a destination input at any arbitrary location of the vehicle independently of a mobile radiotelephone connection to the central;

calculating via the navigation device a route to the destination based on the stored on-board data;

transmitting to the central a new version number and a calculated, presumed position at a time of an anticipated reply to the vehicle with an inquiry instead of a current position; and

forwarding data of a recommended route and a new version number to the vehicle in the form of a sequence of path segments, for an earlier version number, the central transmits specific, lacking street segment data and a reference signal to the vehicle, whereby deficiencies of the current version are indicated.