Method of route planning in a navigation system

• US 6,701,248 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2002
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Akihiko Sugiura, Ibiden Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Kersken, Ulrich, Hahlweg, Cornelius, Draeger, Gerd, Petzold, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US10/203,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20030093217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/202, 701/205, 701/209, 701/210, 701/211, 701/23, 701/25, 701/26, 340/990, 340/995.21
• US Class Current: 701/202
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles

Abstract

A method of route planning in a navigation system, takes place in three steps. In a first step, a quantity of first travel routes is determined on the basis of an optimization criterion, and location-independent and situation-specific user preferences derived therefrom. In the second step, the first travel routes are recalculated in sub-segments on the basis of location-dependent and situation-specific user preferences. In the third step, the determined travel routes are prioritized on the basis of at least one rating criterion. The intermediate results obtained may be displayed for the user after each step, so that the user may select one of the routes if necessary and thus end the method early. The operating behavior of the user and/or the way in which the user follows the route recommendations may be monitored and statistically evaluated, making it possible to customize the rating criteria and user preferences for route planning.

Claims

1. A method of route planning in a navigation system in which a user makes basic settings for a route to be planned, and the route is defined on the basis of optimization criteria, the method comprising:

a) determining a quantity of first travel routes based on location-independent and situation-specific user preferences;

b) recalculating the first travel routes in sub-segments based on location-dependent and situation-specific user preferences;

c) prioritizing the first travel routes based on at least one rating criterion;

enabling the user to select one of the first travel routes after each of steps a), b) and c); and

presenting the first travel routes at least one of visually and acoustically to the user along with a respective rating after each of steps a), b) or c).

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

deriving the location-independent and situation-specific user preferences from at least one of a route segment characteristic and an environmental characteristic of the route segments.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

presetting the location-independent and situation-specific user preference, and the location-dependent and situation specific user preferences by the user or by an external system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rating criterion includes at least one of travel time or route length.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rating criterion is configured via user-specific and situation-related behavior statistics.

6. A navigation system, comprising:

an output unit; and

a route planner configured to perform a route planning method, the method including;

a) determining a quantity of first travel routes based on location-independent and situation-specific user preferences;

b) recalculating the first travel routes in sub-segments based on location-dependent and situation-specific user preferences;

c) prioritizing the first travel routes based on at least one rating criterion;

enabling the user to select one of the first travel routes after each of steps a), b) and c); and

presenting the first travel routes at least one of visually and acoustically to the user along with a respective rating after each of steps a), b) or c).