Navigation system and method for computing the overall costs of a route

• US 9,188,455 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Tava, Marcello
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stroud, James E
• Application Number:
  US13/790,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20130191025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 701/410, 701/468, 701/532, 701/454, 701/533, 701/428, 701/420, 701/425, 701/209, 701/202, 701/208, 340/995.1, 340/995.23, 340/988, 340/990
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles

Abstract

A navigation system has an interface for accessing a memory unit, in which an electronic road map is stored with a large number of road sections, each of which has at least one first cost element assigned thereto, and has a computer unit, which is designed such that at least one second cost element is assigned or will be assigned to at least some of the road sections. In order to compute a route, a cost value is assigned or will be assigned to each of the road sections, wherein the computation of the cost value for the first road sections is based in each case on the first and the second cost element and for the second road sections is based in each case on the first and not on the second cost elements.

Claims

1. A navigation system, comprising:

a display;

an interface operatively configured to access a first memory unit in which an electronic road map is stored, the road map having a large number of road sections, each of which is assigned at least one first cost element; and

a computer unit operatively configured to assign to at least some of the road sections at least one second cost element;

wherein the computer unit is further operatively configured to assign a cost value in order to compute a route to be displayed on the display, a computation of the cost value for first road sections being based in each case on the first and the second cost element, and the computation of the cost value for second road sections being based, in each case, on the first cost element and not on the second cost element, wherein the second cost elements are based on a navigation usage history, and wherein further the first road sections comprise road sections located closer to either a starting point or a destination point of the route than the second road sections, and wherein a number of first road sections or a ratio of the first road section to a number of second road sections varies as a function of utilization of the computer unit of the navigation system.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the second cost elements are at least one of determined and stored in accordance with one of:

a specific motor vehicle, a specific motor vehicle manufacturer, a specific user of the motor vehicle, and a specific motor vehicle model.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the cost values are computed during computation of the route, the cost values being stored in the navigation system.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising a second memory unit in which the second cost elements are to be stored.

5. The navigation system according to claim 3, further comprising a second memory unit in which the second cost elements are to be stored.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the navigation system computes the route based on determining a sum of the cost values of the road sections defining the route which is minimal.

11. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the first road sections are in proximity to either the starting point or the destination point of the route.

14. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the navigation usage history describes at least one of when, by whom, how often, with which destination and with which starting place an associated road section was traveled.

7. A navigation system comprising:

a display; and

a computer unit operatively configured to compute total costs of a route to be displayed on the display, wherein;

a first cost element and, at least to a certain extent, a second cost element are assigned to each section of a road defining the route,

a cost value is assigned to each of the road sections, a computation of the cost value for first road sections being based, in each case, on a first cost element and a second cost element and a computation of the cost value for second road sections being based, in each case, on the first cost element and not the second cost element, and

a total cost of the route is based on the cost values of the road sections that are an essential part of the route, wherein the second cost element is based on a navigation usage history, and wherein further the first road sections comprise road sections located closer to either a starting point or a destination point of the route than the second road sections, and wherein a number of first road sections or a ratio of first road sections to a number of second road sections varies as a function of utilization of the navigation system.

9. The navigation system according to claim 7, wherein the second cost element is at least one of determined and stored in accordance with one of:

a specific motor vehicle, a specific motor vehicle manufacturer, a specific user of the motor vehicle, and a specific motor vehicle model.

12. The navigation system according to claim 7, wherein the first road sections are in proximity to either the starting point or the destination point of the route.

15. The navigation system according to claim 7, wherein the navigation usage history describes at least one of when, by whom, how often, with which destination and with which starting place an associated road section was traveled.

8. A method of operating a navigation system to compute a total cost of a route to be traveled, the method comprising the acts of:

assigning a first cost element and, at least to a certain extent, a second cost element to each of road sections defining the route;

assigning a cost value to each of the road sections defining the route, wherein a computation of the cost value for first road sections is based, in each case, on both first and second cost elements for the respective first road sections, and a computation of the cost value for second road sections is based, in each case, on the first cost element but not on the second cost element for the respective second road sections;

determining the total costs of the route based on the assigned cost values of those road sections comprising an essential part of the route to be traveled, wherein the second cost elements are based on a navigation usage history, and wherein further the first road sections comprise road sections located closer to either a starting point or a destination point of the route than the second road section, and wherein a number of first road sections or a ratio of first road sections to a number of second road sections varies as a function of utilization of the navigation system; and

displaying the route on a display of the navigation system.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second cost element is at least one of determined and stored in accordance with one of:

a specific motor vehicle, a specific motor vehicle manufacturer, a specific user of the motor vehicle, and a specific motor vehicle model.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first road sections are in proximity to either the starting point or the destination point of the route.

16. The method according to claim 8, wherein the navigation usage history describes at least one of when, by whom, how often, with which destination and with which starting place an associated road section was traveled.