Vehicular navigation system updating based on object presence

• US 9,518,830 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2015
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Breed, David S
• Primary Examiner(s): Sweeney, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US14/886,981
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 701/532
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

Vehicular navigation system updating system includes condition detectors that detect presence of an object or condition potentially interfering with movement of vehicles on a roadway, each condition detector being located on or alongside the roadway or in a vehicle. A signal, data or information about the detected presence of the object or condition is transmitted to a remote site at which a processor generates an update for a map based on the detected presence of the object or condition and directs communication of the map update to vehicles in a vicinity of a location at which the condition detector detected the presence of the object or condition. The vehicular navigation system of each vehicle uses the map with the map update to display or otherwise indicate the presence of the object or condition. Another map update is generated when the absence of the object or condition is determined.

Claims

1. A vehicular navigation system updating system for updating vehicular navigation systems in vehicles, comprising:

at least one condition detector that automatically detects presence of an object or condition at a specific location and for which presence of the object or condition at the specific location affects movement of vehicles on a roadway, said at least one condition detector being configured to detect the presence of the object or condition at the specific location without requiring manual entry of data about the object or condition at the specific location, said at least one condition detector being situated on a vehicle;

a first communications system coupled to said at least one condition detector that wirelessly transmits a signal, data or information about the presence of the object or condition at the specific location automatically detected by said at least one condition detector, said first communications system being situated on the same vehicle as said at least one condition detector;

a second communications system that wirelessly receives transmission of the signal, data or information about the detected presence of the object or condition at the specific location from said first communications system; and

a processor coupled to said second communications system and situated at a site remote from said at least one condition detector and that is configured to generate an update for a map provided by vehicular navigation systems based on the detected presence of the object or condition at the specific location and direct communication of the generated map update to at least one vehicle in a vicinity of the specific location at which said at least one condition detector detected the presence of the object or condition,

whereby the vehicular navigation system of the at least one vehicle uses the map with the map update to display or otherwise indicate the presence of the object or condition at the specific location.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an assessment system that determines whether the object or condition whose presence was detected by said at least one condition detector at the specific location is still present at that location or is absent from the specific location,

said assessment system being configured to cause, when said assessment system determines that the object or condition whose presence was detected by said at least one condition detector at the specific location is absent at that location, transmission of a signal, data or information about the determined absence of the object or condition at the specific location,

said processor being configured to generate another update for the map based on the determined absence of the object or condition at the specific location and direct communication of the another map update to at least one vehicle,

whereby the vehicular navigation system of the at least one vehicle uses the map with the another update to remove the presence of the object or condition at the specific location.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said assessment system is coupled to said first communications system and the signal, data or information about the determined absence of the object or condition at the specific location is transmitted by said first communications system to said second communications system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said first communications system is arranged in a common housing on the vehicle with said at least one condition detector.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one condition detector is configured to detect the presence of an object or condition selected from a group consisting of an animal, an accident, a disabled vehicle, ice, construction, police radar, a landslide, pot holes, rough road, a vehicle traveling the wrong way on the roadway, smoke, low visibility, fog, snow, heavy rain and congestion.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one condition detector is removably coupled to the vehicle and receives sounds or vibrations from an environment in or around the vehicle, said at least one condition detector being independently operable when separated and removed from the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the map update comprises an audio file that is configured to be verbalized by the vehicular navigation system when a location of the at least one vehicle including the vehicular navigation system approaches the specific location at which said at least one condition detector detected the presence of the object or condition.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the map update comprises an image file that is configured to be displayed on a display of the vehicular navigation system at the specific location at which said at least one condition detector detected the presence of the object or condition.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said first communications system is co-located with said at least one condition detector on the vehicle.

10. A method for automatically conveying information about a roadway condition to vehicular navigation systems in vehicles, comprising:

identifying presence of an object or condition at a specific location using at least one condition detector located on or alongside a roadway, the presence of the object or condition at the specific location affecting movement of vehicles on the roadway, the at least one condition detector being configured to identify the presence of the object or condition at the specific location without requiring manual entry of data about the object or condition at the specific location; and

when the presence of an object or condition is identified,

transmitting a signal, data or information about the presence of the object or condition at the specific location identified by the at least one condition detector to a remote site using a first communications system;

generating, using a processor at the remote site, an update for a map provided by vehicular navigation systems based on the identified presence of the object or condition at the specific location; and

transmitting, using a second communications system, the generated map update to at least one vehicle in a vicinity of the specific location at which the at least one condition detector identified the presence of the object or condition to cause a vehicular navigation system of the at least one vehicle to use a map with the generated map update to display or otherwise indicate the presence of the object or condition at the specific location.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of generating the map update comprises at least one of:

generating an audio file that is configured to be verbalized by the vehicular navigation system when a location of the at least one vehicle approaches the specific location at which the at least one condition detector identified the presence of the object or condition; and

generating an image file that is configured to be displayed on a display of the vehicular navigation system at the specific location at which the at least one condition detector identified the presence of the object or condition.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of identifying presence of an object or condition at a specific location using at least one condition detector located on or alongside the roadway comprises identifying presence of an object or condition selected from a group consisting of an animal, an accident, a disabled vehicle, ice, construction, police radar, a landslide, pot holes, rough road, a vehicle traveling the wrong way on the roadway, smoke, low visibility, fog, snow, heavy rain and congestion.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

arranging the at least one condition detector at a fixed location on or alongside the roadway such that the at least one condition detector identifies the presence of objects or conditions on or alongside the roadway;

the step of transmitting the generated map update to at least one vehicle comprising directing a vehicle-targeted map update from the remote site to vehicles travelling on the roadway based on the location of the at least one condition detector at which the presence of the object or condition is identified.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of identifying presence of an object or condition that affects movement of vehicles on the roadway using the at least one condition detector comprises analyzing sounds received by the at least one condition detector to identify animals on or alongside the roadway.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether the object or condition whose presence was identified by the at least one condition detector at the specific location is still present at that location or is absent at the specific location; and

if the object or condition whose presence was identified by the at least one condition detector at the specific location is determined to be absent at the specific location,

transmitting a signal, data or information about the determined absence of the object or condition at the specific location to the remote site;

generating, using the processor at the remote site, another update for the map based on the determined absence of the object or condition at the specific location; and

directing communication of the another map update to at least one vehicle,

whereby the vehicular navigation system of the at least one vehicle uses the map with the another map update to remove the presence of the object or condition at the specific location.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying presence of another object or condition at a specific location and that affects movement of vehicles on the roadway using at least one vehicular-situated condition detector located on at least one vehicle without requiring manual entry of data about the another object or condition; and

when the presence of another object or condition is identified by the at least one vehicular-situated condition detector located on the at least one vehicle,

communicating the identified presence of the another object or condition to the remote site using a third communications system coupled to the at least one vehicular-situated condition detector located on the at least one vehicle;

generating, using the processor at the remote site, another update for the map for use by the vehicular navigation systems based on the identified presence of the another object or condition; and

transmitting, using the second communications system, the another map update to any vehicle in a vicinity of the specific location at which the at least one vehicular-situated condition detector located on the at least one vehicle detected the presence of the another object or condition to cause the vehicular navigation system of that vehicle to use a map with the another map update to display or otherwise indicate the presence of the another object or condition at the specific location.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of generating the another map update comprises at least one of:

generating an audio file that is configured to be verbalized by the vehicular navigation system when a location of a vehicle including the vehicular navigation system approaches the specific location; and

generating an image file that is configured to be displayed on a display of the vehicular navigation system of the vehicle including the vehicular navigation system at the specific location.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of identifying presence of another object or condition at a specific location and that affects movement of vehicles on a roadway using at least one vehicular-situated condition detector located on the at least one vehicle without requiring manual entry of data about the another object or condition comprises identifying presence of another object or condition selected from a group consisting of an animal, an accident, a disabled vehicle, ice, construction, police radar, a landslide, pot holes, rough road, a vehicle traveling the wrong way on the roadway, smoke, low visibility, fog, snow, heavy rain and congestion.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining whether the another object or condition whose presence was detected by the at least one vehicular-situated condition detector located on the at least one vehicle at the specific location is still present at that location or is absent at the specific location at a subsequent time after generation of the another map update relating to the presence of that another object or condition using an assessment system in any of the vehicles passing by that location or infrastructure capable of obtaining information about that location, and

when the assessment system determines that the another object or condition is absent at the specific location,

communicating the absence of the another object or condition at the specific location to the remote site using a fourth communications system;

generating, using the processor at the remote site, still another update for the map for use by the vehicular navigation systems based on the absence of the another object or condition at the specific location; and

transmitting, using the second communications system, the still another update to vehicles in that vicinity to cause the vehicular navigation system of the vehicles to use a map with the still another map update to avoid display or indication of the presence of the another object or condition at the specific location.

20. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

arranging the at least one condition detector at a fixed location on or alongside the roadway such that the at least one condition detector detects objects or conditions on or alongside the roadway;

the step of transmitting the map update to any vehicle comprising directing a vehicle-targeted map update from the remote site to vehicles travelling on the roadway based on location of the at least one condition detector at which the presence of the object or condition is detected.