Vehicle navigation system and method

• US 8,352,186 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2010
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Schunder, Mark, Scalf, Mark, Berry, Joseph J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, ABBY YEE
• Application Number:
  US12/847,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20120029805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 701408-430, 701/437, 701/445, 701/446, 701/451, 701/452, 701/454, 701/460, 701/461, 701/468, 701/469, 701/472, 701/484, 701/494, 701/501, 701517-522, 701/527, 701/533, 701/534, 701/467
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data

Abstract

An efficient route-defining method includes determining a route to a destination. The exemplary method also includes determining a wireless device to server connection type and assigning a tolerance in accordance with a connection type. The tolerance is usable to determine if a vehicle is off-route, and the tolerance is increased or decreased inversely corresponding to the speed of the connection type. According to the illustrative method, the assigned tolerance is used to determine points defining the route, such that the roads comprising the route are within a bounded area. The bounded area may be defined by the tolerance in conjunction with a plurality of lines connecting successive points along the route. Finally, the method includes delivering the determined points to a vehicle computing system in communication with the server.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

using a first computing system, dividing a route into a plurality of portions, each having a number of exits;

assigning a distance tolerance to each portion based at least in part on the number of exits, wherein a finite number of tolerances may be assigned, and wherein a highest tolerance corresponds to a fewest number of exits, a lower tolerance corresponds to a highest number of exits, and any remaining tolerances correspond to numbers of exists such that as numbers of exits increase, the tolerances decrease;

determining points defining the route such that the roads comprising the route fall within a bounded area defined by the tolerance in conjunction with a plurality of lines connecting successive points along the route; and

delivering the determined points to a vehicle computing system for navigating the vehicle toward a destination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each road of the route is one portion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each number of exits corresponding to a tolerance comprises a range of numbers of exits.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the bounded area is an area having the lines as a central axis and the tolerance defines a distance to either side of the lines, between successive points, to an outer border of the bounded area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the bounded area is an area having the line as a central axis and the tolerance defines a distance, axially centered about the lines, such that half the tolerance equals the distance from the line to an outer border of the bounded area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the higher the number of exits on a portion, the lower the tolerance assigned to the portion.