Route consideration apparatus

• US 6,223,124 B1
• Filed: 01/25/1999
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Akira, Matsuno, Koji, Matsuura, Munenori, Mine, Atsushi, Konno, Toshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US09/236,455
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/200, 701/208, 701/209, 701/210, 701/211, 701/214, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995, 73/178 R
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a route consideration apparatus which can reduce amount of road geometry data to a necessary and sufficient volume to be managed, foreseeing probable routes by selecting branch roads appropriately.

The route assessor 5 designates three route at maximum, i.e., the first prior route to the third prior route, according to the data inputted from the navigator. The curve geometry detector 6 detects rode geometry according to inputted data from the navigator 3.

Thus previewing of route to be traveled can be carried out effectively and the vehicle dynamic control system works well with the previewing function.

Claims

1. A route consideration apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a navigation system for storing road map information and for determining a current vehicle position on a current road; and

route assessment means for determining a plurality of routes that include branch roads in front of said current road;

wherein said route assessment includes;

branch road detecting means for detecting branch roads in front of said current road,

priority assigning means for assigning priority to said branch roads detected by said detecting means, said priority assigning means assigning said priority to branch roads based upon at least one of a guided route to a destination provided by said navigation system, branch road type, branch road width, and branch road curvature with respect to said current road, and

route registering means for determining said plurality of routes based upon said priority assigned to said branch roads by said priority assigning means.

2. The route consideration apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a road curvature detecting means for detecting branch road curvature based on said road map information.

3. The route consideration apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

said route assessment means determines at least three routes.

4. The route consideration apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said route assessment means determines at least three routes.

5. The route consideration apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said priority assigning means assigns a highest priority to a branch road belonging to said guided route, and in the absence of a guided route, said priority assigning means assigns a highest priority to a branch route based upon said road type, said road width, and said road curvature.

6. The route consideration apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, among said branch road type, said branch road width, and said branch road curvature, said priority assigning means assigns priority to said branch roads such that a relatively highest priority is accorded based upon branch road type, and

when plural branch roads are of the same type, a relatively highest priority is accorded based upon branch road width, and

when plural branch roads are of the same width, a relatively highest priority is accorded based upon branch road curvature.

7. A route consideration apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a navigation system for storing map data and road information to navigate said vehicle to a destination and for determining a current vehicle position on a current road; and

route assessment means for determining a plurality of routes that include branch roads in front of said current road;

wherein said route assessment means includes;

branch road detecting means for detecting a branch road in front of said current road,

priority assigning means for assigning priorities including a highest priority and a lower priority lower than said highest priority to said branch roads detected by said branch road detecting means, and

route registering means for calculating routes beyond said current vehicle position on said current road based upon a branch road assigned said highest priority and another branch road assigned a lower priority by said priority assigning means, said route registering means calculating routes that include said highest priority branch road for a greater distance beyond said current road than routes that include said lower priority branch road.

8. The route consideration apparatus according to claim 7 wherein:

said road information includes at least one of a guided route to a destination, branch road types, branch road widths, and a direction of branch road curvature with respect to said current road.

9. The route consideration apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

curvature detecting means for detecting road curvature in routes determined by said route assessment means based on said road information from said navigation system.

10. A route consideration method for a vehicle comprising:

determining a current vehicle position on a current road;

determining a running direction;

detecting branch roads in front of said current road;

assigning priority to detected branch roads based on at least one of a guided route to a destination, branch road types, branch road widths and branch road curvature with respect to said current road; and

determining a plurality of routes that include said detected branch roads, based upon priority assigned to said detected branch roads during said assignment step.

11. A route consideration method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

determining the presence or absence of a guided route, and in the presence of a guided route, assigning a highest priority to a branch road belonging to said guided route, and in the absence of a guided route, assigning a highest priority to a branch route based upon said road type, said road width, and said road curvature.

12. The route consideration method according to claim 11, wherein, among said branch road type, said branch road width, and said branch road curvature, assigning priority to said branch roads such that a relatively highest priority is accorded based upon branch road type, and

when plural branch roads are of the same type, a relatively highest priority is accorded based upon branch road width, and

when plural branch roads are of the same width, a relatively highest priority is accorded based upon branch road curvature.