Navigation using dynamic speed limits

• US 9,557,179 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2013
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Finlow-Bates, Keir
• Primary Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US13/971,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20150057831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09626 where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 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

Abstract

Method, computer program product, and apparatus for providing navigation guidance to vehicles are disclosed. In some implementations, a navigation device can be configured to determine a dynamic speed limit for a vehicle based on the location of the vehicle in a road segment, and displays the dynamic speed limit in a display of the navigation device.

Claims

1. A method of providing navigation guidance by a navigation device, comprising:

determining a location of a vehicle in a road segment, wherein the location of the vehicle in the road segment includes a lane the vehicle is in;

determining a dynamic speed limit in accordance with the location of the vehicle in the road segment; and

displaying the dynamic speed limit in a display of the navigation device, wherein the dynamic speed limit reflects a legal speed limit at the time of displaying, the legal speed limit representing a speed limit applicable to a plurality of vehicles in the road segment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a dynamic speed limit in accordance with the location of the vehicle in the road segment comprises:

retrieving a set of rules for deriving the dynamic speed limit; and

determining the dynamic speed limit based on the location of the vehicle in the road segment and the set of rules for deriving the dynamic speed limit.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of rules for deriving the dynamic speed limit comprises at least one of:

current time and date;

current weather condition;

current road condition; and

a vehicle class, wherein the vehicle class includes a weight of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a dynamic speed limit in accordance with the location of the vehicle in the road segment further comprises:

obtaining a current time and date; and

retrieving the dynamic speed limit from a database of the navigation device based on the current time and date, and the location of the vehicle in the road segment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the dynamic speed limit comprises at least one of:

the dynamic speed limit for the lane the vehicle is in at the current time and date;

the dynamic speed limit for a vehicle class at the current time and date;

the dynamic speed limit for the road segment for day time traffic;

the dynamic speed limit for the road segment for night time traffic;

the dynamic speed limit for the road segment for rush hour traffic;

the dynamic speed limit for the road segment for non-rush hour traffic; and

the dynamic speed limit for the road segment in one of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a dynamic speed limit in accordance with the location of the vehicle in the road segment further comprises:

receiving crowdsourcing data from a server based on a speed limit posted for the road segment, wherein the crowdsourcing data is gathered from a plurality of vehicles, and wherein the crowdsourcing data includes on board diagnostics data (OBD) correlated with time stamps and GPS locations reported by the plurality of vehicles; and

determining the dynamic speed limit based on the received crowdsourcing data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

detecting a current speed of the vehicle;

comparing the current speed of the vehicle to the dynamic speed limit of the road segment; and

generating a warning to a driver in response to the current speed exceeds the dynamic speed limit of the road segment.

8. A navigation device, comprising:

a control unit including processing logic, the processing logic comprising;

logic configured to determine a location of a vehicle in a road segment, wherein the location of the vehicle in the road segment includes a lane the vehicle is in;

logic configured to determine a dynamic speed limit in accordance with the location of the vehicle in the road segment; and

logic configured to display the dynamic speed limit in a display of the navigation device, wherein the dynamic speed limit reflects a legal speed limit at the time of displaying, the legal speed limit representing a speed limit applicable to a plurality of vehicles in the road segment.

9. The navigation device of claim 8, wherein the logic configured to determine a dynamic speed limit in accordance with the location of the vehicle in the road segment comprises:

logic configured to retrieve a set of rules for deriving the dynamic speed limit; and

logic configured to determine the dynamic speed limit based on the location of the vehicle in the road segment and the set of rules for deriving the dynamic speed limit.

10. The navigation device of claim 9, wherein the set of rules for deriving the dynamic speed limit comprises at least one of:

current time and date;

current weather condition;

current road condition; and

a vehicle class, wherein the vehicle class includes a weight of the vehicle.

11. The navigation device of claim 8, wherein the logic configured to determine a dynamic speed limit in accordance with the location of the vehicle in the road segment further comprises:

logic configured to obtain a current time and date; and

logic configured to retrieve the dynamic speed limit from a database of the navigation device based on the current time and date, and the location of the vehicle in the road segment.

12. The navigation device of claim 11, wherein the dynamic speed limit comprises at least one of:

the dynamic speed limit for the lane the vehicle is in at the current time and date;

the dynamic speed limit for a vehicle class at the current time and date;

the dynamic speed limit for the road segment for day time traffic;

the dynamic speed limit for the road segment for night time traffic;

the dynamic speed limit for the road segment for rush hour traffic;

the dynamic speed limit for the road segment for non-rush hour traffic; and

the dynamic speed limit for the road segment in one of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.

13. The navigation device of claim 8, wherein the logic configured to determine a dynamic speed limit in accordance with the location of the vehicle in the road segment further comprises:

logic configured to receive crowdsourcing data from a server based on a speed limit posted for the road segment, wherein the crowdsourcing data is gathered from a plurality of vehicles, and wherein the crowdsourcing data includes on board diagnostics data (OBD) correlated with time stamps and GPS locations reported by the plurality of vehicles; and

logic configured to determine the dynamic speed limit based on the received crowdsourcing data.

14. The navigation device of claim 8, further comprises:

logic configured to detect a current speed of the vehicle;

logic configured to compare the current speed of the vehicle to the dynamic speed limit of the road segment; and

logic configured to generate a warning to a driver in response to the current speed exceeds the dynamic speed limit of the road segment.

15. A computer program product comprising non-transitory medium storing instructions for execution by a navigation device, the instructions comprising:

instructions for determining a location of a vehicle in a road segment, wherein the location of the vehicle in the road segment includes a lane the vehicle is in;

instructions for determining a dynamic speed limit in accordance with the location of the vehicle in the road segment; and

instructions for displaying the dynamic speed limit in a display of the navigation device, wherein the dynamic speed limit reflects a legal speed limit at the time of displaying, the legal speed limit representing a speed limit applicable to a plurality of vehicles in the road segment.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the instructions for determining a dynamic speed limit in accordance with the location of the vehicle in the road segment comprises:

instructions for retrieving a set of rules for deriving the dynamic speed limit; and

instructions for determining the dynamic speed limit based on the location of the vehicle in the road segment and the set of rules for deriving the dynamic speed limit.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the set of rules for deriving the dynamic speed limit comprises at least one of:

current time and date;

current weather condition;

current road condition; and

a vehicle class, wherein the vehicle class includes a weight of the vehicle.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the instructions for determining a dynamic speed limit in accordance with the location of the vehicle in the road segment further comprises:

instructions for obtaining a current time and date; and

instructions for retrieving the dynamic speed limit from a database of the navigation device based on the current time and date, and the location of the vehicle in the road segment.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the dynamic speed limit comprises at least one of:

the dynamic speed limit for the lane the vehicle is in at the current time and date;

the dynamic speed limit for a vehicle class at the current time and date;

the dynamic speed limit for the road segment for day time traffic;

the dynamic speed limit for the road segment for night time traffic;

the dynamic speed limit for the road segment for rush hour traffic;

the dynamic speed limit for the road segment for non-rush hour traffic; and

the dynamic speed limit for the road segment in one of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the instructions for determining a dynamic speed limit in accordance with the location of the vehicle in the road segment further comprises:

instructions for receiving crowdsourcing data from a server based on a speed limit posted for the road segment, wherein the crowdsourcing data is gathered from a plurality of vehicles, and wherein the crowdsourcing data includes on board diagnostics data (OBD) correlated with time stamps and GPS locations reported by the plurality of vehicles; and

instructions for determining the dynamic speed limit based on the received crowdsourcing data.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprises:

instructions for detecting a current speed of the vehicle;

instructions for comparing the current speed of the vehicle to the dynamic speed limit of the road segment; and

instructions for generating a warning to a driver in response to the current speed exceeds the dynamic speed limit of the road segment.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

means for determining a location of a vehicle in a road segment, wherein the location of the vehicle in the road segment includes a lane the vehicle is in;

means for determining a dynamic speed limit in accordance with the location of the vehicle in the road segment; and

means for displaying the dynamic speed limit in a display of the apparatus, wherein the dynamic speed limit reflects a legal speed limit at the time of displaying, the legal speed limit representing a speed limit applicable to a plurality of vehicles in the road segment.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for determining a dynamic speed limit in accordance with the location of the vehicle in the road segment comprises:

means for retrieving a set of rules for deriving the dynamic speed limit; and

means for determining the dynamic speed limit based on the location of the vehicle in the road segment and the set of rules for deriving the dynamic speed limit.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for determining a dynamic speed limit in accordance with the location of the vehicle in the road segment further comprises:

means for obtaining a current time and date; and

means for retrieving the dynamic speed limit from a database of the apparatus based on the current time and date, and the location of the vehicle in the road segment.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for determining a dynamic speed limit in accordance with the location of the vehicle in the road segment further comprises:

means for receiving crowdsourcing data from a server based on a speed limit posted for the road segment, wherein the crowdsourcing data is gathered from a plurality of vehicles, and wherein the crowdsourcing data includes on board diagnostics data (OBD) correlated with time stamps and GPS locations reported by the plurality of vehicles; and

means for determining the dynamic speed limit based on the received crowdsourcing data.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprises:

means for detecting a current speed of the vehicle;

means for comparing the current speed of the vehicle to the dynamic speed limit of the road segment; and

means for generating a warning to a driver in response to the current speed exceeds the dynamic speed limit of the road segment.