NAVIGATION APPARATUS USED-IN VEHICLE

• US 20110087429A1
• Filed: 01/14/2009
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tomtom Global Content B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom International BV (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Trum, Jeroen
• Granted Patent: US 9,002,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• 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: G01C 21/3815 Road data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3844 Data obtained from position sensors only, e.g. from inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases

Abstract

A technique is disclosed for enabling collection and/or refinement of digital map information for aiding navigation route planning for vehicles larger than ordinary cars, such as goods-vehicles, buses, and car+caravan combinations. In at least one embodiment, a profile of a vehicle'"'"'s characteristics, and one or more routes followed, are logged by a navigation device, and fed-back to a server that supports the navigation device with map data updates. At the server, or an alternative processing centre, the fed-back data from plural navigation devices is analysed to observe statistically the patterns of roads used by these vehicles, and to categorise these by the type of vehicle.

Claims

1. Apparatus for generating supplementary information for a digital map, the supplementary information representing suitability of road use according to vehicle category, the apparatus comprising a processing resource configured to:

(a) receive trip information representing sessions of logged journeys from a plurality of navigation devices, each session of a logged journey including vehicle category information in respect of a vehicle making the logged journey,

(b) analyse the vehicle category information to identify at least one session corresponding to a vehicle category of interest, the vehicle category of interest including at least one selected from;

a goods-vehicle;

a bus;

a car+caravan combination;

a vehicle exceeding a predetermined weight threshold;

a vehicle exceeding a predetermined width threshold;

a vehicle exceeding a predetermined height threshold;

a vehicle exceeding a predetermined length threshold;

a vehicle carrying predetermined hazardous material;

(c) analyse the trip information corresponding to at least one vehicle category of interest, to identify a route or route portion used by the vehicle on its journey;

(d) analyse plural routes or route portions from a plurality of sessions to identify statistically at least one pattern of road use by the vehicle category of interest; and

(e) generate said supplementary information based on the at least one pattern of road use by the vehicle category of interest.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pattern is a trend of vehicles of the category of interest having used a road.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processing resource is configured to designate, in response to detection of the pattern for a road, the road as being suitable for use by the vehicle category interest.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the trend is established by use of the road by at least a predetermined number of vehicles of the category of interest, during a predetermined time interval.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pattern is a trend of vehicles of the category of interest having deviated from a planned route.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processing resource is configured to designate, in response to detection of the pattern for a road, the road as being unsuitable for use by the vehicle category of interest.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the trend is established by deviation by at least a predetermined number of vehicles of the category of interest, during a predetermined time interval.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing resource is further configured to combine said supplementary road information with complementary information representing officially designations of road suitability by vehicle category.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing resource is further configured to update digital map information with said supplementary information.

10. A navigation device for in-vehicle use, the navigation device comprising:

a store for vehicle information representing characteristics of the vehicle for categorising the vehicle;

a position determining system for determining a real-time position of the navigation device;

a data logging system for logging data representing at least one vehicle journey; and

a data uploading system for uploading the logged data and the vehicle information to a receiver for pattern analysis of road use according to vehicle category.

11. The navigation device of claim 10, further comprising:

a store for digital map information;

a route planning system for calculating a route from a departure location to a destination location;

a navigation system for generating guidance information for guiding a driver to follow the calculate route.

12. The navigation device of claim 11, wherein the route planning system is operative to calculate a route according to the vehicle information or to selection criteria derived at least partly from the vehicle information.

13. The navigation device of claim 12, further comprising an updating system for receiving updated map information identifying road suitability according to vehicle category.

14. A method of generating supplementary information for a digital map, the supplementary information representing suitability of road use according to vehicle category, the method comprising:

(a) receiving trip information representing sessions of logged journeys from a plurality of navigation devices, each session of logged journeys including vehicle category information in respect of a vehicle making the logged journey,

(b) analysing the vehicle category information to identify at least one session corresponding to a vehicle category of interest, the vehicle category of interest including at least one selected from;

a goods-vehicle;

a bus;

a car+caravan combination;

a vehicle exceeding a predetermined weight threshold;

a vehicle exceeding a predetermined width threshold;

a vehicle exceeding a predetermined height threshold;

a vehicle exceeding a predetermined length threshold;

a vehicle carrying predetermined hazardous material;

(c) analysing the trip information corresponding to at least one vehicle category of interest, to identify a route or route portion used by the vehicle on its journey;

(d) analysing plural routes or route portions from a plurality of sessions to identify statistically at least one pattern of road use by the vehicle category of interest; and

(e) generating said supplementary information based on the at least one pattern of road use by the vehicle category of interest.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the pattern is a trend of vehicles of the category of interest having used a road.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the generation step comprises designating, in response to detection of the pattern for a road, the road as being suitable for use by the vehicle category interest.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the pattern is a trend of vehicles of the category of interest having deviated from a planned route.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the generation step comprises designating, in response to detection of the pattern for a road, the road as being unsuitable for use by the vehicle category of interest.

19. A method comprising:

implementing operation of an electronic navigation device to;

(a) store vehicle information representing characteristics of a vehicle for categorising the vehicle;

(b) determine a real-time position of the navigation device;

(c) log data representing at least one vehicle journey; and

(d) upload the logged data and the vehicle information to a receiver for pattern analysis of road use according to vehicle category.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

analysing logged data uploaded from plural electronic navigation devices; and

determining, from the analysis, patterns of road use according to vehicle category.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

using the determined patterns of road use to influence route planning according to vehicle category.

22. A format for representing a digital map, the digital map including:

(a) a road information component representing at least a position of a road in the map;

(b) a supplementary road information component representing, for the road, supplementary information including at least suitability of the road for use according to vehicle category, based on a statistical analysis of a history of road usage by vehicle category.

23. The format of claim 22, wherein the supplementary information includes, for a road, information indicative that the road is of a type used by goods-vehicles, based on said statistical analysis of road usage by vehicle category.

24. A computer program, which when executed by a processing resource, cause the processing resource to implement a method comprising:

(a) receiving trip information representing sessions of logged journeys from a plurality of navigation devices, each session of logged journeys including vehicle category information in respect of a vehicle making the logged journey,

(b) analysing the vehicle category information to identify at least one session corresponding to a vehicle category of interest, the vehicle category of interest including at least one selected from;

a goods-vehicle;

a bus;

a car+caravan combination;

a vehicle exceeding a predetermined weight threshold;

a vehicle exceeding a predetermined width threshold;

a vehicle exceeding a predetermined height threshold;

a vehicle exceeding a predetermined length threshold;

a vehicle carrying predetermined hazardous material;

(c) analysing the trip information corresponding to at least one vehicle category of interest, to identify a route or route portion used by the vehicle on its journey;

(d) analysing plural routes or route portions from a plurality of sessions to identify statistically at least one pattern of road use by the vehicle category of interest; and

(e) generating supplementary information based on the at least one pattern of road use by the vehicle category of interest, the supplementary information representing suitability of road use according to vehicle category.

25. A non-transitory machine readable information carrier carrying or embodying the computer program defined in claim 24.