Apparatus for planning trips combination, method for the same, and program for the same

• US 8,855,913 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Certin, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwari, Maceeh
• Application Number:
  US13/017,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20110191017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200
• US Class Current: 701/400
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles

Abstract

A drive management system proposes a trips combination, such as a combination of two regular trips and/or a side trip from an ongoing trip. A trips database stores a plurality of trips including regular trips. A regular trips combination proposing module automatically creates a trips combination of regular trips and proposes the trips combination to a user. The real-time trips combination proposing module finds out a trip combinable with an ongoing trip based on short-term needs which are retrieved from the trips database and proposes the trips combination to a user. The system proposes the trips combination and shows an impact which will be caused by the proposed trips combination. As a result, it is possible to support a user to plan a trips combination advantageous in some aspect.

Claims

1. An apparatus for planning a trips combination for driving a vehicle, comprising:

a non-transitory storage device; and

at least one of a navigation system and a computer configured to communicate with the storage device;

the storage device has a trips database which stores a plurality of trips including at least a regular trip described by attributive information which shows habits of a user and which includes frequency information (i) showing a daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly periodic interval between similar trips, or (ii) indicating specific dates or dates of the trips;

the at least one of the navigation system and the computer, sets, in a primary trip setting module, a primary trip to be combined into the trips combination;

the at least one of the navigation system and the computer, sets, in a secondary trip setting module, a secondary trip combinable with the primary trip based on the attributive information stored in the trips database;

the at least one of the navigation system and the computer evaluates, in an evaluating module, impact caused by the trips combination in which the primary trip and the secondary trip are combined; and

the at least one of the navigation system and the computer proposes, in a proposing module, to a user, the trips combination in which the primary trip and the secondary trip are combined, wherein

the proposing module proposes only the trips combination which is evaluated in the evaluating module to cause advantageous impact,

the plurality of trips stored in the trips database include a plurality of regular trips,

the primary trip setting module sets one of the regular trips stored in the trips database as the primary trip,

the secondary trip setting module sets a regular trip as the secondary trip, the regular trip being another one of the regular trips stored in the trips database and being combinable with the primary trip,

the proposing module proposes the trips combination which sequentially visits in a single route both destinations of the primary and secondary trips, and

the frequency information, which describes the regular trip, is considered, in the secondary trip setting module, as an index indicative of flexibility which is a period of time in which the regular trip can be undertaken, and is used for setting the regular trip as the secondary trip.

2. The apparatus for planning a trips combination according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of a minimum departure time, a maximum arrival time, a mean departure time, a mean arrival time a trip time length, a departure point, a destination point, a purpose, door operation, and number of passengers is contained in the attributive information, and is used for setting the secondary trip.

3. An apparatus for planning a trips combination for driving a vehicle, comprising:

a non-transitory storage device; and

at least one of a navigation system and a computer configured to communicate with the storage device;

the storage device has a trips database which stores a plurality of trips including at least a regular trip described by attributive information which shows habits of a user and which includes frequency information (i) showing a daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly periodic interval between similar trips, or (ii) indicating specific dates or days of the trips;

the at least one of the navigation system and the computer, sets, in a primary trip setting module, a primary trip to be combined into the trips combination;

the at least one of the navigation system and the computer, sets, in a secondary trip setting module, a secondary trip combinable with the primary trip based on the attributive information stored in the trips database;

the at least one of the navigation system and the computer evaluates, in an evaluating module, impact caused by the trips combination in which the primary trip and the secondary trip are combined; and

the at least one of the navigation system and the computer proposes, in a proposing module, to a user, the trips combination in which the primary trip and the secondary trip are combined, wherein

the proposing module proposes only the trips combination which is evaluated in the evaluating module to cause advantageous impact,

the plurality of trips stored in the trips database include a planned trip indicating a plan of a user,

the primary trip setting module sets a presently ongoing trip as the primary trip,

the secondary trip setting module sets a destination point which is considered to be likely accepted by a user on the ongoing trip based on one of the trips stored in the trips database, and sets a trip to the destination point as the secondary trip,

the proposing module proposes the trips combination which sequentially visits in a single route both destinations of the primary and secondary trips, and

the frequency information, which describes the regular trip, is considered, in the secondary trip setting module, as an index indicative of flexibility which is a period of time in which the regular trip can be undertaken, and is used for setting the destination point which is considered to be likely accepted by a user on the ongoing trip based on the regular trip described by the frequency information.

4. The apparatus for planning a trips combination according to claim 3, wherein

the secondary trip setting module selects a short-term trip, which would be taken soon, from the plurality of trips stored in the trips database based on attributive information stored in the trips database, sets a destination point which is considered to be likely accepted by a user on the ongoing trip based on attributive information of the short-term trip, and sets a trip to the destination point as the secondary trip.

5. The apparatus for planning a trips combination according to claim 3, wherein

at least one of a minimum departure time, a maximum arrival time, a mean departure time, a mean arrival time a trip time length, a departure point, a destination point, a purpose, door operation, and number of passengers is contained in the attributive information, and is used for setting the secondary trip.

6. A method for planning a trips combination for driving a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

storing, by at least one of a navigation system and a computer, in a trips database a plurality of trips including at least a regular trip described by attributive information which shows habits of a user and which includes frequency information (i) showing a daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly periodic interval between similar trips, or indicating specific dates or days of the trips;

setting, by the at least one of the navigation system and the computer, a primary trip to be combined into the trips combination;

setting, by the at least one of the navigation system and the computer, a secondary trip combinable with the primary trip based on the attributive information stored in the trips database;

evaluating, by at least one of the navigation system and the computer, impact caused by the trips combination in which the primary trip and the secondary trip are combined; and

proposing, by the at least one of the navigation system and the computer, to a user, the trips combination in which the primary trip and the secondary trip are combined, wherein

the proposing step proposes only the trips combination which is evaluated in the evaluating step to cause advantageous impact,

the storing step stores a plurality of regular trips in the trips database,

the primary trip setting step sets one of the regular trips stored in the trips database as the primary trip,

the secondary trip setting step sets a regular trip as the secondary trip the regular trip being another one of the regular trips stored in the trips database and being combinable with the primary trip,

the proposing step proposes the trips combination which sequentially visits in a single route both destinations of the primary and secondary trips, and

the frequency information, which describes the regular grip, is considered, in the secondary trip setting step, as an index indicative of flexibility which is a period of time in which the regular trip can be undertaken, and is used for setting the regular trip as the secondary trip.

7. The method for planning a trips combination according to claim 6, wherein

at least one of a minimum departure time, a maximum arrival time, a mean departure time, a mean arrival time, a trip time length, a departure point, a destination point, a purpose, door operation, and number of passengers is contained in the attributive information, and is used for setting the secondary trip.

8. A method for planning a trips combination for driving a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

storing, by at least one of a navigation system and a computer, in a trips database a plurality of trips including at least a regular trip described by attributive information which shows habits of a user and which includes frequency information (i) showing a daily, weekly, bi weekly, or monthly periodic interval between similar trips, or (ii) indicating specific dates or days of the trips;

setting, by the at least one of the navigation system and the computer, a primary trip to be combined into the trips combination;

setting, by the at least one of the navigation system and the computer, a secondary trip combinable with the primary trip based on the attributive information stored in the trips database;

evaluating, by the at least one of the navigation system and the computer, impact caused by the trips combination in which the primary trip and the secondary trip are combined; and

proposing, by the at least one of the navigation system and the computer, to a user the trips combination in which the primary trip and the secondary trip are combined, wherein

the proposing step proposes only the trips combination which is evaluated in the evaluating module to cause advantageous impact,

the storing step stores a planned trip indicating a plan of a users in the trips database,

the primary trip setting step sets a presently ongoing trip as the primary trip,

the secondary trip setting step sets a destination point which is considered to be likely accepted by a user on the ongoing trip based on one of the trips stored in the trips database, and sets a trip to the destination point as the secondary trip,

the proposing step proposes the trips combination which sequentially visits in a single route both destinations of the primary and secondary trips, and

the frequency information, which describes the regular trip, is considered, in the secondary trip setting step, as an index indicative of flexibility which is a period of time in which the regular trip can be undertaken, and is used for setting the destination point which is considered to be likely accepted by a user on the ongoing trip based on the regular trip described by the frequency information.

9. The method for planning a trips combination according to claim 8, wherein

the secondary trip setting step selects a short-term trip, which would be taken soon, from the plurality of trips stored in the trips database based on attributive information stored in the trips database, sets a destination point which is considered to be likely accepted by a user on the ongoing trip based on attributive information of the short-term trip, and sets a trip to the destination point as the secondary trip.

10. The method for planning a trips combination according to claim 8, wherein

at least one of a minimum departure time, a maximum arrival time, a mean departure time, a mean arrival time, a trip time length, a departure point, a destination point, a purpose, door operation, and number of passengers is contained in the attributive information, and is used for setting the secondary trip.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program product, which when executed, performs the steps of:

storing in a trips database a plurality of trips including at least a regular trip described by attributive information which shows habits of a user and which includes frequency formation (i) showing a daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly periodic interval between similar trips, or (ii) indicating specific dates or days of the trips;

setting a primary trip to be combined into the trips combination;

setting a secondary trip combinable with the primary trip based on the attributive information stored in the trips database;

evaluating impact caused by the trips combination in which the primary trip and the secondary trip are combined, and

proposing to a user the trips combination in which the primary trip and the secondary trip are combined, wherein

the proposing step proposes only the trips combination which is evaluated in the evaluating module to cause advantageous impact,

the storing step stores a plurality of regular trips in the trips database,

the primary trip setting step sets one of the regular trips stored in the trips database as the primary trip,

the secondary trip setting step sets a regular trip as the secondary trip, the regular trip being another one of the regular trips stored in the trips database and being combinable with the primary trip,

the proposing step proposes the trips combination which sequentially visits in a single route both destinations of the primary and secondary trips,

and the frequency information, which describes the regular trip, is considered, in the secondary rip setting step, as an index indicative of flexibility which is a period of time which the regular trip can be undertaken, and is used for setting the regular trip as the secondary trip.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein

at least one of a minimum departure time, a maximum arrival time, a mean departure time, a mean arrival time, a trip time length, a departure point, a destination point, a purpose, door operation, and number of passengers is contained in the attributive information, and is used for setting the secondary trip.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program product, which when executed, performs the steps of:

storing in a trips database a plurality of trips including at least a regular trip described by attributive information which shows habits of a user and which includes frequency information (i) showing a daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly periodic interval between similar trips, or (ii) indicating specific dates or days of the trips;

setting a primary trip to be combined into the trips combination;

setting a secondary trip combinable with the primary trip based on the attributive information stored in the trips database;

evaluating impact caused by the trips combination in which the primary trip and the secondary trip are combined; and

proposing to a user the trips combination in which the primary trip and the secondary trip are combined, wherein

the proposing step proposes only the trips combination which is evaluated in the evaluating step to cause advantageous impact,

the storing step stores a planned trip indicating a plan of a users in the trips database,

the primary trip setting step sets a presently ongoing trip as the primary trip,

the secondary trip setting step sets a destination point which is considered to be likely accepted by a user on the ongoing trip based on one of the trips stored in the trips database, and sets a trip to the destination point as the secondary trip,

the proposing step proposes the trips combination which sequentially visits in a single route both destinations of the primary and secondary trips, and

the frequency information, which describes the regular trip, is considered, in the secondary trip setting step, as an index indicative of flexibility which is a period of time in which the regular trip can be undertaken, and is used for setting the destination point which is considered to be likely accepted by a user on the ongoing trip based on the regular trip described by the frequency information.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein

the secondary trip setting step selects a short-term trip, which would be taken soon, from the plurality of trips stored in the trips database based on attributive information stored in the trips database sets a destination point which is considered to be likely accepted by a user on the ongoing trip based on attributive information of the short-term trip, and sets a trip to the destination point as the secondary trip.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein

at least one of a minimum departure time, a maximum arrival time, a mean departure time, a mean arrival time, a trip time length, a departure point, a destination point, a purpose, door operation, and number of passengers is contained in the attributive information, and is used for setting the secondary trip.