Method for outputting traffic information in a motor vehicle

• US 6,868,331 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2000
• Issued: 03/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hanebrink, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/515,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20020077741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/118, 701/119, 701/207, 701/208, 701/211, 701/213, 340/988, 340/999, 340/995, 340/903, 340/904, 340/905, 340/934, 340/901, 340/906, 340/907, 455/186.1, 455/228, 455/345
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/091 Traffic information broadcasting broadcasting communication H04H
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/093 Data selection, e.g. prioritizing information, managing message queues, selecting the information to be output
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for outputting traffic information in a motor vehicle. In order to present the driver with traffic information in such a way that he can adapt his driving behaviour and/or his selection of a route for his journey to the respective current traffic situation in time, there is a provision that traffic messages are stored together with the respective position of the route section to which they relate. The positions of the traffic messages are then compared with the respective position of a motor vehicle in which the traffic information is to be output in order to detect the distances between the respective position of the traffic messages and the position of this motor vehicle. The traffic messages are then output sorted according to distances, starting with the smallest distance.

Claims

1. A method for outputting traffic information in a motor vehicle, in which

traffic messages are stored together with the respective position of the route section or point to which they relate,

the positions of the traffic messages are compared with the respective position of the motor vehicle in which the traffic information is to be output in order to determine the distances between the respective positions in the traffic messages and the position of this motor vehicle,

the traffic messages are sorted in accordance to the determined distances, and

the traffic messages sorted according to distances are output as sorted according to distances starting with the smallest distance;

transmitting each traffic message together with an item of updating information which describes the anticipated duration of the general relevance of the respective traffic message,

detecting an average vehicle speed, logically linking the average vehicle speed to the distances assigned to the traffic messages and comparing the average vehicle speed and distances assigned to the traffic message with the updating information in order to detect the specific relevance of the respective traffic message, and

outputting only traffic messages that have been accessed and are relevant to the respective vehicle in terms of timing.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sorted traffic messages are transmitted to a motor vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the traffic messages are transmitted to a motor vehicle, sorted there and stored.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the traffic messages which are transmitted to a motor vehicle are continuously updated at predefinable time intervals.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein only traffic messages which relate to a selected area are stored and are subsequently output in the motor vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the selected area surrounds the position of the motor vehicle in an essentially circular shape.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the selected area can be defined with respect to the particular current position of the motor vehicle as a function of a planned route for a journey, surrounding it in a corridor-like fashion.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the updating information of the respective traffic message contains a transmission time of the traffic message, an anticipated duration of a traffic event associated with the traffic message and a detection time of the event associated with the traffic message.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

first the direction of travel of the motor vehicle is detected,

the direction of the motor vehicle with respect to the particular position of the traffic message is detected and is compared with the direction of travel, and

the traffic messages are output sorted according to directions.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein a directional factor is formed for each traffic message from the direction of the motor vehicle with respect to the particular position of the traffic message and the direction of travel, which factor is combined with the distance assigned to the respective traffic message to form a local relevance factor which is taken into account during the outputting of the traffic messages.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein a traffic message is output only if its local relevance factor is higher than a predefinable threshold value.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position of the motor vehicle is detected as a Geocode using a satellite-supported position-determining system, in particular with the GPS (Global Positioning System), and in that the positions of the traffic messages are also provided as Geocodes, with the result that the distances can be determined without further conversion calculations.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein the transmitting of updating information further comprises providing the elapsed time from a start of the traffic congestion and an estimated time duration of the traffic congestion.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein the transmitting of updating information further comprises providing:

a detection time of a traffic event associated with the traffic message;

an initial transmission time of the traffic message to the motor vehicle; and

an anticipated duration time of the traffic event associated with the traffic message.

15. The method according to claim 1 further comprising outputting with the traffic message an estimated time of arrival of the motor vehicle to an area associated with a traffic event corresponding to the traffic message.