Traffic navigation system

• US 20080027636A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tengler, Steve, Baehner, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,606,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• 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 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard

Abstract

A vehicle navigation system is provided with a destination input section, a travel route information section, a historical data input section and an expected travel time reporting section. The travel destination input section is provided for entering a destination point. The travel route information section provides at least one potential travel route to the destination point. The historical data input section provides historical time information based on a plurality of actual motorist travel times to navigate various travel routes. The expected travel time reporting section reports to a user an expected travel times based on the historical time information for a potential travel route.

Claims

1. A vehicle navigation system comprising:

a destination input section configured to enter a destination point,

a travel route information section configured to provide at least one potential travel route to the destination point;

a historical data input section configured to provide historical time information based on a plurality of actual motorist travel times to navigate various travel routes; and

an expected travel time reporting section configured to report to a user a plurality of expected travel times based on the historical time information for the potential travel route.

2. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the historical data input section includes a wireless communication device for receiving the historical time information from an external source.

3. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the travel route information section is further configured to provide a plurality of potential travel routes to the destination point, and

the expected travel time reporting section is further configured to report to a user the expected travel times for each of the potential travel routes based on the historical time information.

4. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the expected travel time reporting section is further configured to report statistical data to the user including a middle expected travel time determined from the actual motorist travel times for the potential travel route as one of the expected travel times for the potential travel route.

5. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 4, wherein

the expected travel time reporting section is further configured to report a median time of the actual motorist travel times as the middle expected travel time.

6. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 4, wherein

the expected travel time reporting section is further configured to report a mean time of the actual motorist travel times as the middle expected travel time.

7. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 6, wherein

the expected travel time reporting section is further configured to report a fast expected travel time that is at least one standard deviation less than the mean time and a slow expected travel time that is at least one standard deviation more than the mean time.

8. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the historical data input section is further configured to provide the historical time information for a plurality of travel segments between a route initialization point and the destination point, and

the expected travel time reporting section is further configured to report to the user the expected travel times for each of the travel segments.

9. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the expected travel time reporting section includes a display unit configured to display to the user the expected travel times.

10. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the historical data input section is further configured to provide the historical time information based on a time of day that the potential travel route is to be traveled.

11. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the expected travel time reporting section is further configured to report a middle expected travel time determined from the actual motorist travel times for the potential travel route, a fast expected travel time that is shorter than the middle expected travel time for the potential travel route, and a slow expected travel time that is longer than the middle expected travel time for the potential travel route.

12. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the historical data input section is further configured to receive updated information during travel between a route initialization point and the destination point, and

the expected travel time reporting section is configured to provide updated expected travel times to the user based on the updated information.

13. A vehicle navigation system comprising:

a destination input section configured to enter a destination point;

a travel route information section configured to provide at least two potential different travel routes to the destination point;

a historical data input section configured to provide historical time information based on a plurality of actual motorist travel times to navigate various travel routes; and

an expected travel time reporting section configured to report to a user an expected travel time based on the historical time information for each of the different travel routes.

14. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 13, wherein

the historical data input section includes a wireless communication device for receiving the historical time information from an external source.

15. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 13, wherein

the expected travel time reporting section is further configured to report a middle expected travel time determined from the actual motorist travel times for each of the potential travel routes.

16. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 13, wherein

the historical data input section is further configured to provide the historical time information for a plurality of travel segments between a route initialization point and the destination point for each of the potential travel routes, and

the expected travel time reporting section is further configured to report to the user the expected travel times for each of the travel segments for each of the potential travel routes.

17. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 13, wherein

the expected travel time reporting section includes a display unit configured to display to the user of the expected travel time for each of the potential travel routes.

18. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 13, wherein

the historical data input section is further configured to provide the historical time information based on a time of day that the potential travel routes are to be traveled.

19. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 13, wherein

the expected travel time reporting section is further configured to report a middle expected travel time determined from the actual motorist travel times for each of the potential travel routes, a fast expected travel time that is shorter than the middle expected travel time for each of the potential travel routes, and a slow expected travel time that is longer than the middle expected travel time for each of the potential travel routes.

20. A traffic navigation system comprising:

a plurality of vehicles each including

a vehicle travel data collecting unit configured to collect travel route segment travel data including actual motorist travel times for road segments traveled,

a navigation unit including a destination input section configured to enter a destination point, and a travel route information section configured to provide travel route information to the destination point, and an expected travel time reporting section configured to report to a user the travel route information and an expected travel time based on the actual motorist travel times, and

a two-way communication unit configured to transmit the travel route segment travel data and receive information relating to the expected travel time;

a plurality of roadside units including wireless two-way communications configured to receive and send the travel route segment travel data; and

a base station including two-way communications configured to receive and store the travel route segment travel data from the roadside units, and further configured to send historical time information based on the travel route segment travel data to the vehicles via the roadside units.

21. The traffic navigation system according to claim 20, wherein

the historical time information is based on a plurality of actual motorist travel times to navigate various travel routes.

22. The traffic navigation system according to claim 20, wherein

the travel route information section is further configured to provide a plurality of potential travel routes to the destination point, and

the expected travel time reporting section is further configured to report to a user the expected travel times for each of the potential travel routes based on the historical time information.

23. The traffic navigation system according to claim 20, wherein

the expected travel time reporting section is further configured to report statistical data to the user including a middle expected travel time determined from the actual motorist travel times for the potential travel route as one of the expected travel times for the potential travel route.

24. The traffic navigation system according to claim 23, wherein

the historical time information is updated during travel between a route initialization point and the destination point, and

the expected travel time reporting section is configured to provide updated expected travel times to the user.

25. The traffic navigation system according to claim 20, wherein

the base station is configured to send the travel route information and the expected travel time associated with the travel route information.

26. The traffic navigation system according to claim 20, wherein

the expected travel time reporting section is further configured to report a plurality of expected travel times based on the historical time information for a plurality of potential travel routes contained in the travel route information.

27. The traffic navigation system according to claim 26, wherein

the expected travel time reporting section is further configured to report a middle expected travel time determined from the actual motorist travel times for each of the potential travel routes, a fast expected travel time that is shorter than the middle expected travel time for each of the potential travel routes, and a slow expected travel time that is longer than the middle expected travel time for each of the potential travel routes.

28. The traffic navigation system according to claim 27, wherein

the base station is further configured to send the middle expected times for the potential travel routes, the quick day expected travel times for the potential travel routes, and the slow day expected travel times for the potential travel routes.