Travel route searching method of mobile object

• US 7,493,214 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2005
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jeong Soo, Lee, Hee Youn, Jung, Mun Ho, Yi, Dong Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/234,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20060069501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• 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 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases

Abstract

A travel route searching method of a mobile object whereby a travel route preferred by a user of a mobile object is searched using a road preferred by the user of the mobile object, a travel pattern at a crossroad and a road recommended by other user, and wherein the method comprises the steps of: collecting information of a road traveled by the mobile object, and discriminating a road preference by the collected information of the road to search the travel route; collecting a behavioral factor of the mobile object at a crossroad, and discriminating a behavioral factor preference of the user by the collected behavioral factor to search the travel route; storing as a recommended road the information of the road the mobile object has traveled if there is a instruction of storing the recommended road; and searching a recommended road situated between a starting point and a destination if the travel route is searched. Preference of the user relative to roads, a travel pattern preferred by the user and a recommended route are selectively used for the search of the travel route by the user.

Claims

1. A travel route searching method of a mobile object, the method comprising:

retrieving route segment data from a route information database wherein the route information comprises information about nodes and segments, wherein a segment is a route between two nodes, wherein route segment data for each segment comprises a starting node, an ending node, a length, a preference factor, and a weight factor responsive to a frequency the segment is used, wherein node data for each node comprises a behavioral factor and a behavioral preference weight factor; and

selecting a travel route from a starting point to a destination comprising at least one route segment from the route information database responsive to a sum of the weight factors of the at least one route segment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving route segment data occurs after selecting the travel route starting point and destination.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the travel route starting point is determined by a current GPS location of the mobile object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the travel route is selected to maximize the sum of the weight factors of the at least one route segment.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when more than one travel route has the same sum of the weight factors, selecting the travel route responsive to at least one of a sum of the at least one route segments lengths and the route segment preference factors associated with one or more of the at least one route segments.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a current location of the mobile object using GPS data;

determining whether the current location of the mobile object follows the at least one route segment of the selected travel route to the selected travel route destination;

when the mobile object follows the at least one route segment of the selected travel route, updating the weight factor of each of the at least one route segment of the selected travel route; and

when the mobile object deviates from at least one route segment of the selected travel route, retrieving a deviated route segment from the route information database, and updating the associated weight factor.

7. A travel route searching method of a mobile object, the method comprising:

storing route information in a database when the moving object passes a detection location on a travel route, wherein the route information comprises information about nodes and segments, wherein a segment is a route between two nodes, wherein information for each segment comprises a starting node, an ending node, a length, a preference factor, and a weight factor responsive to a frequency the segment is used, wherein information for each node comprises a behavioral factor and a behavioral preference weight factor, and wherein the detection location is one of the nodes;

analyzing the stored behavioral factors to determine a preferred travel pattern;

selecting a travel route from a starting point to a destination responsive to the preferred travel pattern,

wherein selecting the travel route comprises;

sequentially selecting at least one node and at least two segments situated between the starting point and the destination responsive to a sum of a products of the behavioral factor and the behavioral preference weight factor of the at least one node; and

determining a travel direction at each of the at least one node according to the behavioral factor of each of the at least one node.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the travel route starting point and a current location of the mobile object are determined by navigational messages received by a GPS receiver.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the behavioral preference weight factor is updated with a low weight factor as the mobile object passes each of the at least one node along the selected travel route and with a high weight factor when the mobile object deviates from the selected travel route at each of the at least one node.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the behavioral factors are classified by type and behavioral preference weight factors are applied to each type of behavioral factor.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the travel route is selected when the sum of the behavioral factors of the sequentially selected at least one node equals or exceeds a threshold value.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining whether a user preferred travel route is stored in the database when the sum of the behavioral preference weight factors of the selected travel route is less than the threshold; and

selecting the user preferred travel route if the user preferred travel route is stored.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining the sequential nodes according to a manufacturer'"'"'s preference when the user preferred travel route is not stored.

14. A travel route searching method of a mobile object, the method comprising:

storing route information in a database, wherein the route information comprises nodes and segments, wherein a segment is a route between two nodes, wherein information for each segment comprises a starting node and an ending node, and wherein information for each node comprises a behavioral factor and a behavioral preference weight factor; and

selecting a travel route from a starting point to a destination according to the stored node behavioral preference weight factors,

wherein selecting the travel route comprises;

sequentially selecting nodes from the starting point to the destination of the travel route by determining a preferred direction of travel at each node by multiplying each node'"'"'s behavioral factor and the behavioral preference weight factor.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a user stores the behavioral preference weight factor for each node.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein a manufacturer of the mobile object stores the behavioral preference weight factor for each node.

17. A travel route searching method of a mobile object, the method comprising:

storing route information in a database, wherein the route information comprises nodes and segments, wherein a segment is a route between two nodes, wherein information for each segment comprises a starting node, an ending node, a length, a preference factor, and a weight factor responsive to a frequency the segment is used, and wherein information for each node comprises a behavioral factor and a behavioral preference weight factor;

retrieving route data from the database; and

selecting a travel route having a starting point and a destination, the travel route comprising at least one segment from the database,

wherein selecting the travel route comprises determining sequential nodes situated between the starting point and the destination and determining a travel direction at each node according to the behavioral factor and the behavioral preference weight factor of each node.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising updating the behavioral preference weight factor of each node according to the travel direction at each node of the selected travel route when the mobile object passes each node.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the behavioral preference weight factor is updated with a low weight factor as the mobile object passes the node along the selected travel route and with a high weight factor when the mobile object deviates from the selected travel route at the node.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the travel route starting point and a current location of the mobile object are determined by navigational messages received by a GPS receiver.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the travel route is selected when the sum of the behavioral preference weight factors of the sequential nodes equals or exceeds a threshold value.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

determining whether a user preferred travel route is stored in the database when the sum of the behavioral preference weight factors of the selected travel route is less than the threshold value; and

selecting the user preferred travel route if the user preferred travel route is stored.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising determining the sequential nodes according to a manufacturer'"'"'s preference when the user preferred travel route is not stored.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the behavioral factors are classified by type and behavioral preference weight factors are applied to each type of behavioral factors.

25. A travel route searching method of a mobile object, the method comprising:

storing route information in a database, wherein the route information comprises nodes and segments, wherein a segment is a route between two nodes, wherein information for each segment comprises a starting node, an ending node, a length, a preference factor, a weight factor responsive to a frequency the segment is used, and a recommendation indicator, and wherein information for each node comprises a behavioral factor and a behavioral preference weight factor;

retrieving route data from the database; and

selecting a travel route having a starting point and a destination, the travel route comprising at least one segment from the database,

wherein the recommendation indicator indicates whether the corresponding segment is a recommended segment, and

wherein selecting the travel route comprises selecting at least one segment having a recommendation indicator.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein if the travel route cannot be selected having at least one segment having the recommendation indicator, selecting the travel route comprising at least one route segment from the database responsive to a sum of the weight factors of the at least one route segment.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the travel route starting point and a current location of the mobile object are determined by navigational messages received by a GPS receiver.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the travel route is selected such that the sum of the weight factors is maximized

29. The method of claim 25, wherein if the travel route cannot be selected having at least one segment having the recommendation indicator, then selecting the travel route comprises selecting at least one segment from the database responsive to at least one of the sum of the selected at least one segment length, the sum of the selected at least one segment preference factor, and traffic information received from a public communications network.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein if the mobile object deviates from the selected travel route, the database is updated to include at least the starting node, the ending node, the length, the preference factor, the weight factor responsive to a frequency the segment is used, and the recommendation indicator for each new segment and the behavioral factor and behavioral preference weight factor for each new node of the deviation from the selected travel route.

31. A mobile object for searching a travel route, the mobile object comprising:

a route information database comprising information about nodes and segments, wherein a segment is a route between two nodes, wherein route segment data for each segment comprises a starting node, an ending node, a length, a preference factor, and a weight factor responsive to a frequency the segment is used, wherein node data for each node comprises a behavioral factor and a behavioral preference weight factor; and

a controller operatively coupled to the route information database for selecting a travel route from a starting point to a destination comprising at least one route segment from the route information database responsive to a sum of the weight factors of the at least one route segment.

32. The mobile object of claim 31, wherein the travel route starting point is determined by a current GPS location of the mobile object.

33. The mobile object of claim 31, wherein the travel route is selected to maximize the sum of the night factors of the at least one route segment

34. The mobile object of claim 31, further comprising:

the controller selecting the travel route responsive to at least a sum of the selected route segment lengths or the sum of the selected route segment preference factors when more than one travel route has the same sum of the weight factors.

35. The mobile object of claim 31, wherein the controller detects a current location of the mobile object using GPS data,

wherein the controller determines whether the current location of the mobile object follows the at least one route segment of the selected travel route to the selected travel route destination,

wherein when the mobile object follows the at least one route segment of the selected travel route, the controller updates the weight factor of each of the at least one route segment of the selected travel route;

and

wherein when the mobile object deviates from at least one route segment of the selected travel route, the controller retrieves a deviated route segment from the route information database, and updates the associated weight factor.