Navigation device assisting road traffic congestion management

• US 20080234921A1
• Filed: 03/10/2008
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom International BV (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Groenhuijzen, Lucien, Rulten, Ben, Schuurbiere, Rob
• Granted Patent: US 8,332,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/118
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• 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 1/091 Traffic information broadcasting broadcasting communication H04H

Abstract

A navigation device has a GPRS receiver for receiving real-time information about slow traffic flow or slow average speed on a stretch of motorway, indicating congestion. The device calculates a new itinerary to avoid the congestion, based on historically recorded speeds on secondary roads weighed by the current average speed in the congestion area.

Claims

1. A mobile navigation device (118) configured for providing navigation information to a mobile user on a road network, depending on a geographic position of the device and upon being programmed to guide the mobile user to a pre-determined destination via an itinerary, wherein the device comprises:

a storage (406) for storing information about a segment of the road network, including historical data representative of respective historical traffic progress on respective roads in the segment;

a wireless receiver (404) for receiving data indicative of current traffic progress on a stretch of a specific road in the segment;

a data processor (414) coupled to the receiver and operative to;

determine if the stretch is included in a portion of the itinerary to be traveled;

if the stretch is not included, to keep using the itinerary;

if the stretch is included, using the historical data to determine an alternative itinerary to the destination based on comparing a first expected travel time for the itinerary, given the current traffic progress, to a second expected travel time for the alternative itinerary; and

depending on a result of the comparing, starting to provide the navigation information with respect to the alternative itinerary.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the second expected travel time is calculated by the processor based on scaling the historical traffic progress on a further road in the alternative itinerary with a quantity representative of the current traffic progress on the specific road.

3. Software (416) for a mobile navigation device (118) configured for providing navigation information to a mobile user on a road network, depending on a geographic position of the device and upon being programmed to guide the mobile user to a pre-determined destination via an itinerary, wherein the device comprises:

a storage (406) for storing information about a segment of the road network, including historical data representative of respective historical traffic progress on respective roads in the segment;

a wireless receiver (404) for receiving data indicative of a current traffic progress on a stretch of a specific road in the segment; and

a data processor (414) coupled to the receiver;

and wherein the software comprises instructions for control of the processor to;

determine if the stretch is included in a portion of the itinerary to be traveled;

if the stretch is not included, to keep using the itinerary;

if the stretch is included, using the historical data to determine an alternative itinerary to the destination based on comparing a first expected travel time for the itinerary, given the current traffic progress, to a second expected travel time for the alternative itinerary; and

depending on a result of the comparing, starting to provide the navigation information with respect to the alternative itinerary.

4. The software of claim 3, comprising further instructions for the processor to calculate the second expected travel time based on scaling the historical traffic progress on a further road in the alternative itinerary with a quantity representative of the current traffic progress on the specific road.

5. A method of providing navigation information to a user of a mobile navigation device (118), depending on a geographic position of the device, for guiding the user to a pre-determined destination via an itinerary, wherein the method comprises:

accessing a storage (406) storing information about a segment of a road network, including historical data representative of respective historical traffic progress on respective roads in the segment;

receiving via a wireless receiver (404) data indicative of a current traffic progress on a stretch of a specific road in the segment;

determining if the stretch is included in a portion of the itinerary to be traveled;

if the stretch is not included, using the itinerary;

if the stretch is included, using the historical data to determine an alternative itinerary to the destination based on comparing a first expected travel time for the itinerary, given the current traffic progress, to a second expected travel time for the alternative itinerary; and

depending on a result of the comparing, starting to provide the navigation information with respect to the alternative itinerary.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second expected travel time is calculated based on scaling the historical traffic progress on a further road in the alternative itinerary with a quantity representative of the current traffic progress on the specific road.

7. A method of providing navigation information to a user of a mobile navigation device (502;

602), depending on a geographic position of the device, for guiding the user to a pre-determined destination via an itinerary, wherein the method comprises;

receiving (710) data from the device representative of the geographical position;

determining (716) a segment of a road network relevant to the itinerary;

determining (718) information about the segment, including historical data representative of respective historical traffic progress on respective roads in the segment;

determining current traffic progress on a stretch of a specific road in the segment;

determining if the stretch is included in a portion of the itinerary to be traveled;

if the stretch is not included, using the itinerary;

if the stretch is included, using the historical data to determine (720) an alternative itinerary (722) to the destination based on comparing a first expected travel time for the itinerary, given the current traffic progress, to a second expected travel time for the alternative itinerary; and

depending on a result of the comparing, starting to provide the navigation information with respect to the alternative itinerary.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second expected travel time is calculated based on scaling the historical traffic progress on a further road in the alternative itinerary with a quantity representative of the current traffic-progress on the specific road.