Method for determining a route in a navigation system, and navigation system

• US 8,620,573 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Rychlak, Stefan, Kersken, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Application Number:
  US13/000,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20110191015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 701/532, 701/414, 701/123, 701/117, 701/423, 701/1, 701/31.4, 701/200, 701/210, 701/22, 701/23, 701/79, 701/410, 702/2, 700/245, 700/258, 700/250, 700/253, 182/82, 725/75, 180/65.21, 726/16, 430/567
• US Class Current: 701/408
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects

Abstract

A method for determining a route from a starting point to a destination point in a navigation system for a motor vehicle, a factor which influences the energy consumption or the pollutant emissions while traveling the route being taken into account when determining the route. The factor describes the energy consumption or pollutant emissions during standstills of the motor vehicle while traveling the route and a navigation system for this purpose. A route calculation is improved with the goal of minimizing the energy consumption or pollutant emissions over the entire route and thereby contributes to environmental protection.

Claims

1. A method for determining a route from a starting point to a destination point in a navigation system for a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

determining the route as a function of a factor which describes at least one of an energy consumption and pollutant emissions during motor vehicle standstills;

statistically determining the factor from a duration of a current standstill and associated standstill durations;

storing associations of the duration of the current standstill with locations to which the motor vehicle has not yet traveled, which associations are created only for locations that are determined to be similar to a current location of the motor vehicle; and

responsive to a determination that the duration of the current standstill exceeds an average waiting time at the current location, outputting a recommendation for shutting down at least one of an energy source of the motor vehicle and a pollutant source of the motor vehicle;

wherein the factor is determined in relation to an environmental condition including ambient temperature and season.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the duration of the current standstill in relation to a situation that relates to a cause of the current standstill.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the associated standstill durations is from a previous trip.

3. A navigation system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a processor adapted to;

determine a route from a starting point to a destination point as a function of a factor which describes at least one of an energy consumption and pollutant emissions during motor vehicle standstills;

statistically determine the factor from a duration of a current standstill and associated standstill durations;

store in a storage device associations of the duration of the current standstill with locations to which the motor vehicle has not yet traveled, which associations are created only for locations that are determined to be similar to a current location of the motor vehicle; and

responsive to a determination that the duration of the current standstill exceeds an average waiting time at the current location, output a recommendation for shutting down at least one of an energy source of the motor vehicle and a pollutant source of the motor vehicle;

wherein the factor is determined in relation to an environmental condition including ambient temperature and season.

4. The navigation system according to claim 3, further comprising an additional data memory for storing the factor in relation to at least one of a location and a situation.

6. The navigation system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the associated standstill durations is from a previous trip.