Combined offboard and onboard navigation system and method

• US 9,200,914 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2011
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobile Devices Ingenierie
• Original Assignee: Mobile Devices Ingenierie
• Inventors: Solomon, Aaron, Zarka, Julien, Quintana, Aude, Tran, Jean-Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, LUAT T
• Application Number:
  US14/003,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20130345963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: 701/420, 701/533, 701/467, 701/468, 701/465, 701/410
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• 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

Abstract

Navigation system and method comprising a server system with a navigation server (6) and a host server (7) connected to internet, having a first cartographic database (61) and a first routing engine, a mobile device (8) having geolocating means to determine a current location, having a second cartographic database (81) and a second routing engine, wherein the mobile device transmits a routing request to the remote server system, wherein the server system calculates a primary route (4) from the current location (3) to the destination point (2), said primary route comprising a list of maneuvering points each maneuvering point, wherein the server system calculates a list of waypoints located on the primary route, spaced away from the maneuvering points, the second routing engine establishing therefrom a secondary route (5), based on the waypoints and on the second cartographic database.

Claims

1. Navigation system comprising:

a server system connected to internet, having a first cartographic database and a first routing engine, adapted to calculate routes from starting points to destination points, taking into account traffic information,

a mobile device wirelessly connected to the server system, having geolocating means to determine a current location, having a second cartographic database and a second routing engine, wherein the second cartographic database may exhibit differences with regard to the first cartographic database,

wherein said mobile device is adapted to determine a destination point, and to transmit a corresponding routing request to the remote server system,

wherein the server system is adapted to;

calculate a primary route from the current location to said destination point, said primary route comprising a list of maneuvering points each maneuvering point comprising geo-coordinates and a maneuver to be performed,

wherein the server system is adapted to;

calculate a list of waypoints, said waypoints being located on the primary route and spaced away from the maneuvering points, the list of waypoints generally not including the maneuvering points,

send this list of waypoints to the mobile device, and wherein the second routing engine is adapted to establish a secondary route, from said current location to said destination point, based on the waypoints and on the second cartographic database, without requiring the reception from the server system of maneuvering points or maneuver instructions or cartographic data, whereby only a limited bandwidth wireless connection is required between the mobile device and the server system.

2. Navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the server system comprises at least a navigation server, and at least a host server both connected to internet, wherein the navigation server is adapted to:

calculate said primary route from a current location to said destination point,

send this primary route to the host server, wherein the host server is adapted to;

calculate a list of waypoints, said waypoints being located on the primary route and spaced away from the maneuvering points,

send this list of waypoints to the mobile device, the second routing engine being adapted to establish said secondary route.

3. Navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the list of waypoints comprises either one or two waypoints between two maneuvering points.

4. Navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said waypoints are spaced away from crossroads.

5. Navigation system according to claim 2, wherein the navigation server is adapted to calculate, upon request of the host server, a schedule information including an estimated time of arrival at destination point and a list of estimated intermediate locations reached respectively within a list of time intervals from the current time, and wherein the navigation server is adapted to send this schedule information to the host server.

6. Navigation system according to claim 5, wherein the host server is adapted to:

periodically track the position of the mobile device and,

send again a request to the navigation server to require updated schedule information whenever the current position of the mobile device differs from an intermediate location after the corresponding time interval, of more than a predetermined distance.

7. Navigation system according to claim 5, wherein the host server is adapted to periodically send a request to the navigation server to know whether the traffic conditions have significantly changed along the planned route, and wherein if the traffic conditions have significantly changed, the navigation server is adapted to send again the updated schedule information to the host server.

8. Navigation system according to claim 5, wherein the schedule information comprises a list of time intervals selected from one or more of the following:

5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 20 min, 25 min and 30 min.

9. Navigation method carried out by a navigation system comprising:

a system server connected to internet, having a first cartographic database and a first routing engine, adapted to calculate routes from starting points to destination points, taking into account traffic information,

a mobile device wirelessly connected to the server system, having geolocating means to determine a current location, having a second cartographic database and a second routing engine, which does not require the reception from the server system of maneuvering points or cartographic data, wherein the second cartographic database may exhibit differences with regard to the first cartographic database, said navigation method comprising the following steps;

a—

) a geolocating step wherein said mobile device determines its current location,

b—

) a destination determination step wherein said mobile device determines a destination point,

c—

) a routing requesting step wherein the mobile device transmits a routing request to the remote server system,

d—

) a calculating step wherein the server system calculates a primary route leading from said current location to said destination point, said primary route comprising a list of maneuvering points, each maneuvering point comprising geo-coordinates and a maneuver instruction to be performed,

f—

) a waypoint calculating step wherein said server system calculates a list of waypoints, said waypoints being located on the primary route and spaced away from the maneuvering points, the list of waypoints generally not including the maneuvering points,

g—

) a waypoint sending step wherein the server system sends said list of waypoints to the mobile device,

h—

) a secondary route establishing step wherein the second routing engine establishes a secondary route based on said waypoints and on the second cartographic database, whereby only a limited bandwidth wireless connection is required between the mobile device and the server system.

10. Navigation method according to claim 9, wherein the server system comprises at least a navigation server, and at least a host server both connected to internet,

wherein in the routing requesting step c), the routing request is sent to the navigation server via the host server,

wherein the calculating step is performed by the navigation server,

wherein the method further comprises the following step between steps d—

) and f—

);

e—

) a primary route transmitting step wherein the navigation server transmits said primary route to the host server,

wherein the waypoint calculating step is performed by the host server,

wherein the waypoint sending step is performed by the host server.

11. Navigation method according to claim 9, wherein the list of waypoints comprises either one or two to waypoints between two maneuver points.

12. Navigation method according to claim 9, wherein said waypoints are spaced away from crossroads.

13. Navigation method according to claim 9, comprising the additional steps of:

the host server calculates and sends route lengths separating consecutive waypoints;

the mobile device calculates locally route lengths separating consecutive waypoints thanks to the second routing engine and to the second cartographic database;

the mobile device compares locally route lengths separating consecutive waypoints to route lengths received from the host server;

the mobile device requires to the host server additional waypoints whenever the comparison shows a difference greater than a predefined value.

14. Navigation method according to claim 10, comprising the steps of:

a time calculation step wherein the navigation server calculates, upon request of the host server, a schedule information including an estimated time of arrival at destination point and a list of estimated intermediate locations reached respectively within a list of time intervals from the current time,

the navigation server sends this schedule information to the host server.

15. Navigation method according to claim 14, comprising the steps of:

the host server periodically tracks the position of the mobile device,

the host server sends again a request to the navigation server to require updated schedule information whenever the current position of the mobile device differs from an intermediate location after the corresponding time interval, of more than a predetermined distance.

16. Navigation method according to claim 14, comprising the steps of:

the host server periodically sends a request to the navigation server to know whether the traffic conditions have significantly changed along the planned route,

the navigation server sends again the updated schedule information to the host server whenever the traffic conditions have significantly changed.

17. Navigation method according to claim 14, wherein schedule information comprises a list of time intervals selected from one or more of the following:

5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 20 min, 25 min and 30 min.