Navigation systems, methods, and programs

• US 7,525,451 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagase, Kenji, Tomita, Hiroshi, Minami, Toshiaki, Yoshikawa, Kazutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Olsen; Lin B
• Application Number:
  US11/066,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20050209772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/209, 340/995.13, 340/995.19
• US Class Current: 340/995.13
• 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

Abstract

Navigation systems, methods, and programs store traffic information and crated prediction traffic information based on the stored traffic information. The systems, methods, and programs search a plurality of routes to a destination, each route including at least one link and calculate a predicted passage time of each link in each route. The systems, methods, and programs obtain, for each link, prediction traffic information at the predicted passage time, based on the created prediction traffic information and extract the obtained prediction traffic information pertinent to route-search-as information to be distributed, according to a predetermined order of priority.

Claims

1. A navigation system, comprising:

a memory that stores traffic information; and

a controller that;

creates prediction traffic information based on the traffic information stored in the memory, the prediction traffic information including restriction information and congestion prediction information;

searches a route to a destination, the route including at least one link;

calculates a predicted passage time of each link in the route;

obtains, for each link, the prediction traffic information at the predicted passage time from the created prediction traffic information;

determines whether the obtained prediction traffic information for all links of the route can be distributed; and

extracts the restriction information for each link of the obtained prediction traffic information as distribution information according to a predetermined priority when the obtained prediction traffic information for all links of the route cannot be distributed.

2. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the controller creates prediction traffic information by creating a short-term prediction link travel time pattern according to a pattern matching method.

3. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the controller creates prediction traffic information by creating a short-term prediction link travel time pattern according to a waveform compensation method.

4. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the controller creates prediction traffic information by dividing a long-term prediction link travel time pattern into at least one sub-pattern.

5. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein:

the controller creates a prediction link travel time pattern based on link travel time patterns stored in the memory; and

creates the congestion prediction information based on the prediction link travel time pattern.

6. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the controller:

searches a plurality of routes to the destination, each of the routes including at least one link;

calculates a predicted passage time of each link in each of the routes; and

obtains, for each link, the prediction traffic information at the predicted passage time.

7. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the controller:

determines whether the restriction information of all of the links in the route exceed a predetermined distribution data size;

extracts the restriction information of the links along the route in an order starting with the links closer to a point of departure of the route as distribution information when the restriction information of all of the links in the route exceed the predetermined distribution data size; and

extracts the restriction information of each link and the congestion prediction information of the links along the route in an order starting with the links closer to the point of departure of the route as distribution information when the restriction information of all of the links in the route do not exceed the predetermined distribution data size.

8. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the controller:

determines whether no restriction information is included in the obtained prediction traffic information of each link; and

extracts the congestion prediction information of the links along the route in an order starting with the links closer to a point of departure of the route as distribution information when no restriction information is included in the obtained prediction traffic information of each link.

9. An information server comprising the navigation system of claim 1.

10. A navigation system, comprising:

a server comprising;

a memory that stores traffic information; and

a controller that;

creates prediction traffic information based on the traffic information stored in the memory, the prediction traffic information including restriction information and congestion prediction information;

searches a route to a destination, the route including at least one link;

calculates a predicted passage time of each link in the route;

obtains, for each link, the prediction traffic information at the predicted passage time from the created prediction traffic information;

determines whether the obtained prediction traffic information for all links of the route can be distributed; and

extracts the restriction information for each link of the obtained prediction traffic information as distribution information according to a predetermined priority when the obtained prediction traffic information for all links of the route cannot be distributed; and

an onboard device that performs a route search using the distribution information to search a route to the destination.

11. A navigation method, comprising:

storing traffic information;

creating prediction traffic information based on the traffic information stored in the memory, the prediction traffic information including restriction information and congestion prediction information;

searching a route to a destination, the route including at least one link;

calculating a predicted passage time of each link in the route;

obtaining, for each link, the prediction traffic information at the predicted passage time from the created prediction traffic information;

determining whether the obtained prediction traffic information for all links of the route can be distributed; and

extracting the restriction information for each link of the obtained prediction traffic information as distribution information according to a predetermined priority when the obtained prediction traffic information for all links of the route cannot be distributed.

12. The navigation method of claim 11, wherein creating prediction traffic information comprises creating a short-term prediction link travel time pattern according to a pattern matching method.

13. The navigation method of claim 11, wherein creating prediction traffic information comprises creating a short-term prediction link travel time pattern according to a waveform compensation method.

14. The navigation method of claim 11, wherein creating prediction traffic information comprises dividing a long-term prediction link travel time pattern into at least one sub-pattern.

15. The navigation method of claim 11, wherein creating prediction traffic information comprises:

creating a prediction link travel time pattern based on link travel time patterns stored in the memory; and

creating the congestion prediction information based on the prediction link travel time pattern.

16. The navigation method of claim 11, further comprising:

searching a plurality of routes to the destination, each of the routes including at least one link;

calculating a predicted passage time of each link in each of the routes; and

obtaining, for each link, the prediction traffic information at the predicted passage time.

17. The navigation method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether the restriction information of all of the links in the route exceed a predetermined distribution data size;

extracting the restriction information of the links along the route in an order starting with the links closer to a point of departure of the route as distribution information when the restriction information of all of the links in the route exceed the predetermined distribution data size; and

extracting the restriction information of each link and the congestion prediction information of the links along the route in an order starting with the links closer to the point of departure of the route as distribution information when the restriction information of all of the links in the route do not exceed the predetermined distribution data size.

18. The navigation method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether no restriction information is included in the obtained prediction traffic information of each link; and

extracting the congestion prediction information of the links along the route in an order starting with the links closer to a point of departure of the route as distribution information when no restriction information is included in the obtained prediction traffic information of each link.

19. The navigation method of claim 11, further comprising:

distributing the distribution information; and

performing a route search using the distribution information to search a route to the destination.

20. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program the program comprising:

instructions for storing traffic information;

instructions for creating prediction traffic information based on the traffic information stored in the memory, the prediction traffic information including restriction information and congestion prediction information;

instructions for searching a route to a destination, the route including at least one link;

instructions for calculating a predicted passage time of each link in the route;

instructions for obtaining, for each link, the prediction traffic information at the predicted passage time from the created prediction traffic information;

instructions for determining whether the obtained prediction traffic information for all links of the route can be distributed; and

instructions for extracting the restriction information for each link of the obtained prediction traffic information as distribution information according to a predetermined priority when the obtained prediction traffic information for all links of the route cannot be distributed.