Navigation system for determining and utilizing monetary cost information

• US 20050107951A1
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Brulle-Drews, Christian, Schirmer, Hartmut
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• 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 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A navigation system for a vehicle is presented that provides and utilizes monetary cost-related information. The navigation system may include a database system, calculation module, and comparison module. The database system stores path data and related monetary cost-related data, which include monetary costs that are route-depend and those that are not route-dependent. The calculation module determines routes to a destination, the monetary costs associated with the routes, and may determine the fastest, longest, and least expensive routes. The comparison module enables the determination of an optimal route based on various criteria, including monetary cost. The navigation system further includes methods for determining the monetary costs associated with a route, the travel time associated with a route, determining an optimal route, and for guiding the vehicle according to the monetary cost-related information.

Claims

1. A navigation system for guiding a vehicle, comprising

a database system;

data stored in the database system and including path data, monetary cost data, and a link, where the path data relates to a plurality of paths, and the link connects the path data to the monetary cost data;

a selection module configured to enable selection of at least one of the plurality of paths depending on the monetary cost data.

2. A navigation system for guiding a vehicle to a destination, comprising

a database system;

data stored in the database system and including path data, monetary cost data, and a link;

where the path data relates to a plurality of paths, and the link connects the path data to the monetary cost data; and

a calculation module configured to determine a route on the map to the destination, and monetary costs associated with the route, where the route includes a subset of the plurality of paths.

3. The navigation system of claim 2, where the database system includes a first database configured to store the path data.

4. The navigation system of claim 2, where the database system includes a second database configured to store the monetary cost data.

5. The navigation system of claim 2, where the data further includes geographic position data and a link between the monetary cost data and the geographical position data.

6. The navigation system of claim 2, where the monetary cost data includes a first monetary cost that depends on a traveled distance.

7. The navigation system of claim 2, where the monetary cost data includes a first monetary cost that depends on a vehicle characteristic.

8. The navigation system of claim 7, where the vehicle characteristic includes fuel consumption.

9. The navigation system of claim 2, where the monetary cost data includes a second monetary cost that depends on user-related data.

10. The navigation system of claim 2, where the monetary cost data includes a second monetary cost that depends on a route.

11. The navigation system of claim 10, where the second monetary cost include at least one of a road toll, a monetary cost of a vignette, a monetary cost of a ferry boat, a tunnel fee, or a monetary cost of a train.

12. The navigation system of claim 2, where the calculation module is further configured to determine a distance to the destination.

13. The navigation system of claim 2, where the calculation module is further configured to determine a plurality of routes to the destination and a plurality of monetary costs associated with the plurality of routes.

14. The navigation system of claims 13, further comprising a comparison module configured to compare the plurality of monetary costs.

15. The navigation system of claim 2, further comprising a network interface module in communication with the database system over a communication network.

16. The navigation system of claim 2, further comprising an input module configured to receive user-related data.

17. A navigation system for guiding a vehicle to a destination, comprising

a database system;

data stored in the database system and including path data, monetary cost data, and a link;

where the path data relates to a plurality of paths, and the link connects the path data to the monetary cost data;

means for selecting module configured to enable selection of at least one of the plurality of paths as a function of the monetary cost data to which the path data is linked.

18. A method guiding a vehicle, comprising:

providing map data for generating a map and including a plurality of paths;

providing monetary cost data associated with the plurality of paths;

enabling selection of one of the plurality of paths; and

determining the monetary costs associated with the one of the plurality of paths.

19. A method guiding a vehicle to a destination, comprising:

providing map data for generating a map and including a plurality of paths;

providing monetary cost data associated with the plurality of paths;

determining a route on the map to the destination, where the route includes a subset of the plurality of paths; and

determining monetary costs associated with the route.

20. The method of claim 19, where determining the monetary costs associated with the route includes determining first monetary costs that depend on a distance traveled to the destination.

21. The method of claim 20, where determining the first monetary costs includes:

determining a distance of the route;

determining a value of vehicle inherent monetary costs per distance; and

determining the first monetary costs by multiplying the vehicle inherent monetary costs per distance with the distance of the route.

22. The method of claims 25, where determining the route includes avoiding routes with which at which second monetary costs are associated.

23. The method of claim 19, where determining the monetary costs associated with the route includes determining second monetary costs that depend on the route.

24. The method of claim 23, where the second monetary cost include at least one of a road toll, a monetary cost of a vignette, a monetary cost of a ferry boat, a tunnel fee, or a monetary cost of a train.

25. The method of claim 23, where determining the second monetary costs includes considering user-related information that includes information regarding whether the vehicle includes a route-use device needed to use the route.

26. The method of claim 25, where the route-use device includes a vignette.

27. The method of claims 23, further comprising determining a route with a lowest monetary costs to the destination.

28. The method of claims 23, further comprising determining a travel time to the destination.

29. The method of claim 28, where the travel time depends on user-related information.

30. The method of claims 23, further comprising:

determining a fastest route having the shortest travel time to the destination;

determining a shortest route to the destination;

determining a least expensive route having a lowest monetary costs to the destination; and

where determining the monetary costs includes determining the monetary costs of the fastest route, the shortest route, and the least expensive route.

33. A method for determining a travel time for a vehicle to a destination, comprising:

determining a route to the destination;

determining the travel time depending a distance of the route to the destination;

providing monetary cost data including second monetary costs that depend on the selected route;

determining a time arising in connection with the second monetary costs; and

determining the travel time to the destination depending on the time arising in connection with the second monetary costs.

31. The method of claims 35, further comprising:

generating a plurality of ratios, including a ratio of the fastest route to the shortest route, a ratio of the fastest route to the least expensive route, and a ratio of the shortest route to the least expensive route; and

determining an optimal route from among the shortest, fastest, and least expensive routes, depending on the plurality of ratios.

32. The method of claims 35, where determining the optimal route further depends on a weighting factor.

34. The method of claim 33, where determining the time arising in connection with the second monetary costs includes determining whether the vehicle includes a route-use device.

35. The method of claim 33, where the time arising in connection with the second monetary costs includes time to acquire a route-use device.

36. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for utilizing monetary cost information in a navigation system, the computer-executable instructions comprising logic for performing the steps of:

providing map data for generating a map and including a plurality of paths;

providing monetary cost data associated with the plurality of paths;

enabling selection of one of the plurality of paths; and

determining the monetary costs associated with the one of the plurality of paths.

37. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for guiding a vehicle to a destination, the computer-executable instructions comprising logic for performing the steps of:

providing map data for generating a map and including a plurality of paths;

providing monetary cost data associated with the plurality of paths;

determining a route on the map to the a destination, where the route includes a subset of the plurality of paths; and

determining monetary costs associated with the route.

38. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for determining a travel time for a vehicle to a destination, the computer-executable instructions comprising logic for performing the steps of:

determining a route to the destination;

determining the travel time depending a distance of the route to the destination;

providing monetary cost data including second monetary costs that depend on the selected route;

determining a time arising in connection with the second monetary costs; and

determining the travel time to the destination depending on the time arising in connection with the second monetary costs.