Process for selecting the traffic information transmitted by a traffic information center which concerns a route of a vehicle equipped with a terminal in a road network

• US 6,266,607 B1
• Filed: 07/13/1999
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sirius XM Connected Vehicle Services Inc. (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mannesmann AG (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Meis, Josef, Stangier, Peter, Parra, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/331,137
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/206, 701/201, 701/209, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/093 Data selection, e.g. prioritizing information, managing message queues, selecting the information to be output
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice

Abstract

A suitable selection of information sent by a central traffic station with respect to its relevance for a route of a vehicle with a terminal unit through the traffic network is made possible by a terminal unit and by a process for the selection of traffic information which is relevant to a route of a vehicle in a traffic network, which vehicle has a terminal unit, and which is transmitted by a central station. The route is determined in the form of path points between a starting point and a destination in the traffic network. A zone is defined for the selection of relevant traffic information between two path points. Traffic information concerning a location in the zone is selected as relevant, while traffic information concerning a location outside of the zone is defined as irrelevant.

Claims

1. A terminal unit, comprising:

a storage with a program for carrying out a process for selecting traffic information which is relevant for a route of a vehicle in a traffic network, which is transmitted by a central station, the process including determining the route in a form of path points between a starting point and a destination in a traffic network, defining a zone for selecting relevant traffic information between two path points, defining traffic information concerning a location in the zone as relevant, and defining traffic information concerning a location outside of the zone as irrelevant;

a processor for running the program;

a communications device for receiving at least one of traffic information and route information from the central traffic station; and

user interface for supplying a user of the terminal unit with information, the interface being at least one of optical and acoustic.

2. A process for selecting traffic information which is relevant for a route of a vehicle in a traffic network, which vehicle has a terminal unit, and which is transmitted by a central station, the process comprising the steps of:

determining the route in a form of path points between a starting point and a destination in a traffic network;

defining a zone for selecting relevant traffic information between two path points;

defining traffic information concerning a location in the zone as relevant;

defining traffic information concerning a location outside of the zone as irrelevant; and

supplying traffic information selected as relevant to a user of the terminal unit one of optically and acoustically.

3. A process according to claim 2, including judging a necessity for a route recalculation using only traffic information selected as relevant.

4. A process according to claim 2, including carrying out a route calculation in the central traffic station.

5. A process according to claim 2, including carrying out the transmission of traffic information with a designation of one of roads and road sections to which the traffic information relates.

6. A process according to claim 2, including carrying out the transmission of traffic information with an indication of geographic location of one of a location and an area to which the traffic information relates.

7. A process according to claim 2, including transmitting route information defining path points from the central station to the terminal unit by radio.

8. A process according to claim 2, wherein path points are defined where designations of roads change along the route.

9. A process according to claim 2, including transmitting traffic information concerning a traffic situation as a radio broadcast.

10. A process according to claim 9, wherein the traffic situation traffic information is transmitted as a digital radio broadcast.

11. A process according to claim 2, including defining one zone between every two successive path points of the entire route.

12. A process according to claim 11, including defining the zone in the terminal unit as a corridor between two lines parallel to a line connecting the successive path points at a predetermined distance from the connection line.

13. A process according to claim 12, wherein the zone has a constant width along the route.

14. A process according to claim 2, including transmitting traffic information concerning a traffic situation by radio.

15. A process according to claim 14, wherein the traffic situation traffic information is transmitted by mobile radio.

16. A process according to claim 15, wherein the traffic situation traffic information is transmitted by GSM SMS.