NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE AND NAVIGATION SERVICE METHOD FOR THE SAME

• US 20110320115A1
• Filed: 11/18/2010
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Oh, Chi Nam, Kim, Tae Soo, Kim, Min Suk, Ma, Young Eon
• Granted Patent: US 9,336,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0295 by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases

Abstract

A navigation system for a vehicle and a navigation method for the same are disclosed. The navigation system collects transportation information and fuel efficiency information from several source vehicles located in a specific region, generates an optimum route for the corresponding region, and informs a target vehicle having requested a navigation service of the optimum route, resulting in the implementation of more effective navigation service.

Claims

1. A navigation system for a vehicle comprising:

a receiver for receiving transportation information and fuel efficiency information from one or more source vehicles located in a specific region;

a central processing unit (CPU) for generating navigation information of the specific region using the transportation information and the fuel efficiency information; and

a transmitter for receiving navigation information from the CPU, and transmitting the received navigation information to a target vehicle.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the CPU calculates a vehicle speed for each traveling direction of the one or more source vehicles, an average waiting time for each traveling direction of the one or more source vehicles, and an average fuel efficiency for each traveling direction of the one or more source vehicles using the transportation information and the fuel efficiency information, and generates the navigation information using the calculated information.

3. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein the CPU, when a first route in which an average vehicle speed from a departure to a destination is excellent, is different from a second route in which fuel efficiency is excellent, informs the target vehicle of the first and second routes so that a vehicle driver is able to select one of the first and second routes.

4. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein the CPU, when a plurality of identical routes are searched for in an operation for searching for a route on the basis of a distance from a departure to a destination, determines an optimum route using the transportation information and the fuel efficiency information.

5. The navigation system according to claim 4, wherein the CPU, when a first route in which an average vehicle speed from a departure to a destination is excellent, is different from a second route in which fuel efficiency is excellent, informs the target vehicle of the first and second routes so that a vehicle driver is able to select one of the first and second routes.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the CPU additionally reflects geographical information of the specific region to generate the navigation information.

7. The navigation system according to claim 6, wherein the CPU, when a plurality of identical routes are searched for in the operation for generating the navigation information using the transportation information and the fuel efficiency information, determines an optimum route based on the geographical information.

8. The navigation system according to claim 7, wherein the geographical information includes information about a road slope.

9. The navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a database for accumulating the transportation information and the fuel efficiency information of the specific region, and storing the accumulated information.

10. The navigation system according to claim 9, wherein the CPU, upon receiving no transportation information and no fuel efficiency information from the source vehicles, generates the navigation information using the transportation information and the fuel efficiency information pre-stored in the database.

11. The navigation system according to claim 9, wherein the CPU provides the target vehicle with the navigation information, that is generated using the transportation information and the fuel efficiency information real-time received from the source vehicles, during a predetermined time zone from a start time to a predetermined time;

and

provides the target vehicle with the navigation information generated using the transportation information and fuel efficiency information pre-stored in the database after the predetermined time.

12. A navigation method for a vehicle comprising:

a) receiving a route search request for a specific region from a target vehicle;

b) receiving transportation information and fuel efficiency information from source vehicles located in the specific region;

c) generating navigation information using the transportation information and the fuel efficiency information; and

d) transmitting the generated navigation information to the target vehicle.

13. The navigation method according to claim 12, wherein the receiving step b) includes receiving information about a moving speed of each source vehicle located in the specific region, information about a crossroads waiting time of each source vehicle, information about fuel consumption of each source vehicle, and information about a moving distance of each source vehicle.

14. The navigation method according to claim 13, wherein the generating step c) includes:

calculating a vehicle speed for each traveling direction of the source vehicles, an average waiting time for each traveling direction and an average fuel efficiency for each traveling direction; and

generating the navigation information using the calculated information.

15. The navigation method according to claim 14, wherein the transmitting step d) includes:

when a first route in which an average vehicle speed from a departure to a destination is excellent, is different from a second route in which fuel efficiency is excellent, informing the target vehicle of the first and second routes so that a vehicle driver is able to select one of the first and second routes.