System and method for estimating drive elapsed time using road traffic condition information

• US 20040243301A1
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Hyoung Jin
• Application Number:
  US10/854,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20040243301A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A method for estimating a drive elapsed time using road traffic condition information according to the present invention comprising: when destination information is inputted from a user, receiving search path information from a present location to a destination; determining whether a car is in a real time traffic information collection section for each link from the present location to the destination using the search path information, and estimating passing time for each link using information on whether to collect real time traffic information; determining whether a waiting time is applied according to each of the links using the search path information, and estimating additional elapsed time; and estimating a total drive elapsed time by summing the passing time for each link and additional elapsed time.

Claims

1. A method for estimating a drive elapsed time using road traffic condition information, the method comprising:

(a) when destination information is inputted from a user, receiving search path information from a present location to a destination;

(b) determining whether a car is in a real time traffic information collection section for each link from the present location to the destination using the search path information, and estimating passing time for each link using information on whether to collect real time traffic information;

(c) determining whether a waiting time is applied according to each of the links using the search path information, and estimating additional elapsed time; and

(d) estimating a total drive elapsed time by summing the passing time for each link and additional elapsed time.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the search path information comprises real time traffic information, long-term accumulated statistics information, road traffic condition information and geographical information.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the road traffic condition information comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of kind of a road, number of lanes of the road, whether traffic signal lamps exist or not, right/left turn information, an average waiting time for each direction at an intersection, average waiting times for U-turn and P-turn, and average elapsed times of entrance/avoidance of lamp/facility.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step (b) comprising:

when an entrance link is in a real time traffic information collection section, calculating the passing time using distance and speed with respect to a corresponding link section; and

when an entrance link is in a real time traffic information non-collection section (section where real time traffic information is not collected), obtaining a speed of a car using a matrix set to estimate average speed, and calculating the passing time.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the matrix comprises information set according to lanes constituting each road and kind of road.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step (c) comprising:

(c-1) determining whether to apply the waiting time to an entrance link using the search path information;

(c-2) if it is determined that the waiting time should be applied to the entrance link, determining whether there exists a waiting time collection information; and

(c-3) if it is determined that there exists the waiting time collection information, calculating additional elapsed time using a waiting time with respect to the entrance link.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, if it is determined that there does not exist any waiting time item with respect to the entrance link as a result of the step (c-1), setting the waiting time to be zero.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein, if it is determined that there does not exist any waiting time collection information as a result of the step (c-2), estimating additional elapsed time using a matrix set to estimate the additional elapsed time.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the matrix comprises information set according to lanes constituting each road and kind of road.

10. A system for estimating a drive elapsed time using road traffic condition information, comprising:

a GPS unit for providing present location information of a car;

a path search server for providing search path information from a present location to a destination with reference to destination information inputted by a user; and

a CNS (car navigation system) for obtaining a passing time for each link from a present location to a destination and an additional elapsed time using real time search path information transmitted from the path search server or stored search path information, and then obtaining a total drive elapsed time by summing the obtained passing time for each link and the obtained additional elapsed time.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the CNS stores geographical information for partial path correction without connecting to the path search server, and obtains drive elapsed time from the present location to the destination by itself using the stored geographical information.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the search path information comprises traffic information, long-term accumulated statistics information, road traffic condition information and geographical information.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the road traffic condition information comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of kind of a road, number of lanes of the road, whether traffic signal lamps exist or not, right/left turn information, an average waiting time for each direction at an intersection, average waiting times for U-turn and P-turn, and average elapsed times of entrance/avoidance of lamp/facility.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein, in estimating passing time for each link from the present location to the destination using the search path information,

when an entrance link is in a real time traffic information collection section, the passing time is calculated using distance and speed with respect to a corresponding link section;

and

when the entrance link is in a real time traffic information non-collection section, a speed of a car is obtained using a matrix set to estimate average speed, and the passing time is calculated.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the matrix comprises information set according to lanes constituting each road and kind of road.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein, in obtaining additional elapsed time according to each of the links using the search path information,

it is determined whether to apply the waiting time to an entrance link using the search path information;

if it is determined that the waiting time should be applied to the entrance link, it is determined whether there exists a waiting time collection information; and

if it is determined that there exists the waiting time collection information, an additional elapsed time is calculated using a waiting time with respect to the entrance link.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein, if it is determined that there does not exist any waiting time item with respect to the entrance link as a result of determining whether to apply the waiting time to the entrance link using the search path information, the waiting time is set to be zero.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein, if it is determined that there does not exist any waiting time collection information as a result of determining whether there exists a waiting time collection information, additional elapsed time is estimated using a matrix set to estimate the additional elapsed time.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the matrix comprises information set according to lanes constituting each road and kind of road.