Method for operating a navigation system in a vehicle and corresponding control system and computer program product

• US 9,677,895 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2016
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Schulz, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/015,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20160153792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• 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: G06F 13/362 with centralised access control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard

Abstract

In order to operate a navigation system in a vehicle where navigation data of the navigation system are transferred to at least one of a plurality of control devices of the vehicle, wherein the data is transferred via at least one data bus to which the control devices are connected, the navigation data are prioritized, and the transfer of the navigation data via the data bus is controlled on the basis of the prioritization.

Claims

1. A method for operating a navigation system in a vehicle, in which navigation data from the navigation system are transmitted to at least one of a plurality of control apparatuses of the vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

transmitting the data via at least one data bus to which the control apparatuses are connected;

prioritizing the navigation data, wherein

the transmission of the navigation data via the data bus is controlled on the basis of the prioritization,

wherein data relating to a current geographical position and relating to a current speed are given a higher priority than maneuver data and geographical data relating to a route.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of data buses are provided for transmitting the navigation data.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the navigation data are output only once to the at least one data bus and/or a further data bus by the navigation system within a predefined output time window.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the navigation data are output to the data bus in order of their assigned hierarchy within the output time window.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the connected control apparatuses of the vehicle stores the navigation data output only once to the data bus within the output time window for a predefined period and/or in a list with a limited storage size.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein navigation data are stored in a navigation data list and the control apparatuses retrieve the navigation data.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when outputting the navigation data, the navigation system outputs a report stating that data have been output.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein:

reference data relating to the control apparatuses are stored in an output list, and

the navigation system uses the reference data to inform the respective control apparatuses of the respective output of the navigation data.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the navigation data are provided by the navigation system as binary-coded data and/or as text data.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the navigation data are at least partially provided as category data, at least one of the following categories being provided:

an imminent driving maneuver,

a driving maneuver which has been carried out,

a measured value,

a report.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein maneuver data for carrying out a driving maneuver at a maneuvering location are output by the navigation system, and at least one vehicle sensor and position data provided by the navigation system are used to check, even before reaching the maneuvering location, whether the maneuver has been initiated with the vehicle, and a report is output if the maneuver has not been initiated.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein maneuver data for carrying out a driving maneuver at a maneuvering location are output by the navigation system, and at least one vehicle sensor and position data provided by the navigation system are used to check whether navigation data stored in the navigation system match corresponding data recorded by the vehicle sensor in the vehicle environment, and the navigation data are adapted to the recorded data if there is a discrepancy.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein maneuver data for carrying out a driving maneuver at a maneuvering location are output by the navigation system, and position data provided by the navigation system are used to output control signals to a vehicle actuator which changes a vehicle state and/or to a data output device of the vehicle.

14. A method for operating a navigation system in a vehicle, in which navigation data from the navigation system are transmitted to at least one of a plurality of control apparatuses of the vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

transmitting the data via at least one data bus to which the control apparatuses are connected;

prioritizing the navigation data, wherein

the transmission of the navigation data via the data bus is controlled on the basis of the prioritization,

a minimum throughput is reserved on the data bus for transmitting the navigation data, and

the minimum throughput is used to transmit the data in a prioritization order.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein data relating to a current geographical position and relating to a current speed are given a higher priority than maneuver data and geographical data relating to a route.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the following high-priority navigation data are provided for the minimum throughput:

current geographical position,

current speed, and/or

current position with respect to a traveled route.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the minimum throughput contains a predefined maximum data volume for low-priority navigation data and/or navigation messages which are assigned a lower priority than the high-priority navigation data.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein a low-priority navigation message comprises a plurality of partial messages with the following contents:

current relative position within a stipulated route in a geographical distance dimension,

type of maneuver at the current position, and/or

further information relating to the current position and/or relating to its environment.

19. A control system for operating a navigation system in a vehicle, in which navigation data from the navigation system are transmitted to at least one of a plurality of control apparatuses of the vehicle, the control system comprising one or more processors and associated memory configured to execute a program to:

transmit the data via at least one data bus to which the control apparatuses are connected;

prioritize the navigation data, wherein

the transmission of the navigation data via the data bus is controlled on the basis of the prioritization,

wherein maneuver data for carrying out a driving maneuver at a maneuvering location are output by the navigation system, and at least one vehicle sensor and position data provided by the navigation system are used to check, even before reaching the maneuvering location, whether the maneuver has been initiated with the vehicle, and a report is output if the maneuver has not been initiated.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein data relating to a current geographical position and relating to a current speed are given a higher priority than maneuver data and geographical data relating to a route.