Method for operating a navigation system of a motor vehicle, navigation system and motor vehicle

• US 9,689,697 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2014
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Sorokin, Lenja, Franz, Gunnar, Roelle, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Tissot, Adam
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEBER, TAMARA L
• Application Number:
  US14/313,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a navigation system of a motor vehicle by receiving an input by means of an input device of the navigation system, a destination being indicated by way of the input; as well as by determining at least one conceivable route from a starting position to the destination by an arithmetic device of the navigation system by means of filed map data, wherein, for at least one route section of the at least one conceivable route, at least one parameter of at least one wireless communication network is determined by the arithmetic device.

Claims

1. A method for operating a navigation system of a motor vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving an input by an input device of the navigation system, a destination being indicated by way of the input;

determining at least one conceivable route from a starting position to the destination by an arithmetic device of the navigation system based on filed map data;

receiving, by the arithmetic device, network coverage map data from a first wireless communication network;

determining, by the arithmetic device for at least one route section of the at least one conceivable route, a parameter of a second wireless communication network based on the received network coverage map data, wherein the second wireless communication network is independent of the first wireless communication network; and

displaying the parameter of the second wireless communication network on a display of the navigation system in a map representation;

establishing a communication connection by way of a communication device of the motor vehicle to the second wireless communication network, independently of the first wireless communication network, during a navigation to the destination along a selected navigation route;

detecting, by way of the navigation system, the established communication connection to the second wireless communication network;

checking, by the arithmetic device, the parameter of the second wireless communication network on a route section situated ahead, wherein checking the parameter occurs after and in response to detecting the established communication connection; and

displaying, on the display, information based on the detection and the parameter of the second communication network on the route section situated ahead.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, for the at least one route section, a reception strength of the second wireless communication network is determined as the parameter by the arithmetic device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, for the at least one route section, an anticipated capacity utilization of the second wireless communication network is determined as the parameter by the arithmetic device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least two mutually different conceivable routes from the starting position to the destination are determined and, in each case, for at least one route section of the routes, the parameter of the second wireless communication network is determined based on a comparison of the respective parameter values, one of the conceivable routes being selected by the arithmetic device as the navigation route for a navigation to the destination.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, after the selection of the navigation route, the parameter of the second wireless communication network is displayed on a display of the navigation system in a map representation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, before a conceivable route is selected as the navigation route for a navigation to the destination, the parameter of the second wireless communication network is displayed at the at least one conceivable route on a display of the navigation system in a map representation.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, if it is detected by the arithmetic unit that, on the route section situated ahead, the parameter of the second wireless communication network is in a specified value range, wherein the specification value range corresponds to at least one of a reception strength being lower than a specified limit value and a capacity utilization being higher than a specified limit value, at least one of a distance to this route section and a time until this route section will be reached is determined by the arithmetic device and outputted by a display of the motor vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, between the navigation system and a vehicle-external central server device, the first wireless communication connection is established, by way of which at least a part of the digital network coverage map is transmitted by the server device to the navigation system.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in a current position of the motor vehicle, a current value of the parameter is determined, a connection to the first wireless communication network being established between the navigation system and a vehicle-external central server device, wherein the current value of the parameter is transmitted from the navigation system to the server device using said first wireless communication connection.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the parameter of the second wireless communication network is determined on the at least one route section by the arithmetic device.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the parameter of the second wireless communication network is determined for at least one of an ad-hoc network and a public WLAN network on the at least one route section by the arithmetic device.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network coverage map data is received by the arithmetic device, independently of the second wireless communication network, via a vehicle-external central server device coupled to the first wireless communication network.

13. A navigation system for a motor vehicle comprising:

an input device configured to receive a destination as an input;

an arithmetic device coupled to the input device, wherein the arithmetic device is configured to determine at least one conceivable route from a starting position to the destination based on filed map data;

receiving, by the arithmetic device, network coverage map data from a first wireless communication network;

determining, by the arithmetic device for at least one route section of the at least one conceivable route, a parameter of a second wireless communication network based on the received network coverage map data, wherein the second wireless communication network is independent of the first wireless communication network; and

a display of the navigation system on which the parameter of the second wireless communication network is displayed in a map representation,

wherein the navigation system further comprises a communication device, coupled to the arithmetic unit and configured to establish a communication connection to the second wireless communication network independent of the first wireless communication network,

wherein, during a navigation to the destination along a selected navigation route and after and in response to establishing the communication connection, the arithmetic device is configured to check the parameter of the second wireless communication network on a route section situated ahead of the motor vehicle, and

wherein the display is further configured to display information based on the established communication connection and the checked parameter.

14. The navigation system according to claim 13, wherein, for the at least one route section, the arithmetic device is configured to determine, as the parameter, at least one of a reception strength of the second wireless communication network and an anticipated capacity utilization of the second wireless communication network.

15. The navigation system according to claim 13, wherein the network coverage map data is received by the arithmetic device, independently of the second wireless communication network, via a vehicle-external central server device coupled to the first wireless communication network.

16. A motor vehicle having a navigation system, wherein the navigation system comprises an input device configured to receive a destination as an input and an arithmetic device coupled to the input device, wherein the arithmetic device is configured to (i) determine at least one conceivable route from a starting position to the destination based on filed map data, (ii) receive network coverage map data from a first wireless communication network, (iii) determine, for at least one route section of the at least one conceivable route, a parameter of a second wireless communication network based on the received network coverage map data, wherein the second wireless communication network is independent of the first wireless communication network, wherein the navigation system further comprises:

a display on which the parameter of the second wireless communication network is displayed in a map representation, and

a communication device, coupled to the arithmetic unit and configured to establish a communication connection to the second wireless communication network independently of the first wireless communication network, and wherein, during a navigation to the destination along a selected navigation route and after and in response to establishing the communication connection, the arithmetic device is configured to check the parameter of the second wireless communication network on a route section situated ahead of the motor vehicle,

wherein the display additionally displays information based on the established communication connection and the checked parameter.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 16, wherein, for the at least one route section, the arithmetic device is configured to determine, as the parameter, at least one of a reception strength of the second wireless communication network and an anticipated capacity utilization of the second wireless communication network.