Driver preference responsive vehicle route planning system

• US 6,216,086 B1
• Filed: 03/16/1994
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barnea, Michael, Seymour, Leslie G., Kirson, Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FREJD, RUSSELL WARREN
• Application Number:
  US08/213,839
• Time in Patent Office: 2,582 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.02, 364/443, 364/449, 364/424.01, 364/436, 364/437, 364/438, 364/444, 340/905, 340/995, 340/988, 340/990, 395/900, 395/905
• US Class Current: 701/202
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3446 Details of route searching algorithms, e.g. Dijkstra, A*, arc-flags, using precalculated routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 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 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• 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 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice

Abstract

A vehicle route planning system takes a trip origin location and a trip destination location provided by the driver then considers alternative routes, taken from a map (107), between the trip origin location and trip destination location. Certain attributes, such as traffic congestion and concentration intensity, and driver preferences are considered in a fuzzy inferencing device for planning a preferred route.

Claims

1. A vehicle route planning system comprising:

means for receiving information identifying a trip origin location and a trip destination location;

map means, responsive to said received information, for identifying at least a first route and a second route connecting said identified trip origin location and said identified trip destination location;

means for assigning a first attribute to said first route and a second attribute to said second route, said attributes associated with certain route characteristics;

means for driver preference matching, said means for providing a first driver preference attribute output dependent on ranking the first attribute assigned to said first route by predetermined driver preferences, and providing a second driver preference attribute output dependent on ranking the second attribute assigned to said second route by said predetermined driver preferences; and

another means for driver preference matching, said another means for selecting a preferred route from said first and second routes dependent on selecting a higher route selection score of a first route selection score and a second route selection score, wherein the first route selection score is dependent on ranking said first driver preference attribute output by other predetermined driver preferences, and the second route selection preference score is dependent on ranking said second driver preference attribute output by the other predetermined driver preferences.

2. A vehicle route planning system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first attribute further comprises traffic congestion information associated with said first route.

3. A vehicle route planning system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first attribute further comprises traffic concentration intensity information associated with said first route.

4. A vehicle route planning system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for assigning further comprises a radio transmitter which transmits said first attribute.

5. A vehicle route planning system in accordance with claim 4 further comprising a radio receiver for receiving said first attribute transmitted by said radio transmitter.

6. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first and second attributes are associated with different route characteristics.

7. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for driver preference matching provides a plurality of first driver preference attribute outputs dependent on ranking the first attribute assigned to said first route by said predetermined driver preferences, and provides a plurality of second driver preference attribute outputs dependent on ranking the second attribute assigned to said second route by said predetermined driver preferences;

and

wherein said another means for driver preference matching selects a preferred route from said first and second routes dependent on selecting a higher route selection score of said first route selection score and said second route selection score, wherein the first route selection score is dependent on ranking said plurality first driver preference attribute outputs by said other predetermined driver preferences, and the second route selection preference score is dependent on ranking said plurality of second driver preference attribute outputs by said other predetermined driver preferences.

8. A vehicle route planning method comprising the steps of:

receiving information identifying a trip origin location and a trip destination location;

identifying at least a first route and a second route connecting said identified trip origin location and said identified trip destination location;

assigning a first attribute to said first route and a second attribute to said second route, said attributes associated with certain route characteristics;

providing a first driver preference attribute output dependent on ranking the first attribute assigned to said first route by predetermined driver preferences, and providing a second driver preference attribute output dependent on ranking the second attribute assigned to said second route by said predetermined driver preferences; and

selecting a preferred route from said first and second routes dependent on selecting a higher route selection score of a first route selection score and a second route selection score, wherein the first route selection score is dependent on ranking said first driver preference attribute output by other predetermined driver preferences, and the second route selection preference score is dependent on ranking said second driver preference attribute output by the other predetermined driver preferences.

9. A vehicle route planning method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said step of assigning a first attribute further comprises assigning traffic congestion information associated with said first route.

10. A vehicle route planning method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said step of assigning a first attribute further comprises assigning traffic concentration intensity information associated with said first route.

11. A vehicle route planning method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said step of assigning a first attribute further comprises transmitting a radio signal embodying said first attribute.

12. A vehicle route planning method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said step of assigning a first attribute further comprises receiving a radio signal embodying said first attribute.

13. A vehicle route planning system comprising:

means for receiving information identifying a trip origin location and a trip destination location;

map means, responsive to said received information, for identifying at least a first route and a second route connecting said identified trip origin location and said identified trip destination location;

means for assigning a first attribute to said first route and a second attribute to said second route;

means for driver preference matching, said means for providing a first driver preference attribute output dependent on ranking the first attribute assigned to said first route by predetermined driver preferences, and providing a second driver preference attribute output dependent on ranking the second attribute assigned to said second route by said predetermined driver preferences; and

means for selecting a preferred route from said first and second routes dependent on ranking said first driver preference attribute output and said second driver preference attribute output, wherein said ranking is dependent on other predetermined driver preferences.

14. A vehicle route planning system comprising:

means for receiving information identifying a trip origin location and a trip destination location;

map means, responsive to said received information, for identifying at least a first route and a second route connecting said identified trip origin location and said trip destination location;

means for assigning a first attribute to said first route and a second attribute to said second route;

first means for driver preference matching, said first means for providing a first driver preference attribute output dependent on ranking the first attribute assigned to said first route by first predetermined driver preferences, and providing a second driver preference attribute output dependent on ranking the second attribute assigned to said second route by said first predetermined driver preferences;

second means for driver preference matching, said second means for providing a first route selection preference score and a first route exclusion preference score, wherein each of the first route scores are dependent on ranking said first driver preference attribute output by second predetermined driver preferences, and for providing a second route selection preference score and a second route exclusion preference score, wherein each of the second route scores are dependent on ranking said second driver preference attribute output by said second predetermined driver preferences; and

third means for driver preference matching, said third means for selecting a preferred route from said first and second routes dependent on assigning a higher preference coefficient to a higher of both of the first route selection preference score and the second route selection preference score, and a assigning a lower preference coefficient to a higher of both of the first route exclusion preference score and the second route exclusion preference score.