Vehicle information system

• US 6,680,694 B1
• Filed: 08/19/1998
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Brown, Steven, Jozefowicz, Paul A., Knockeart, Ronald P., Asher, Harry, Rode, Melvin A., Drury, Bob
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US09/136,868
• Time in Patent Office: 1,980 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.02, 342/357.14, 342/457, 342/357.13, 701/209, 701/210, 701/214, 701/216
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• 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 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• 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 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA

Abstract

A vehicle information system which includes an in-vehicle system 105 and a centralized server system 120. The in-vehicle system communicates with the server system using a wireless communication link 110, such as over a cellular telephone system. A position system, such as a set of GPS satellites 140, provides positioning signals that are used by the in-vehicle systems, and optionally by the centralized server system to increase the accuracy of position estimates. In one version of the system, an operator specifies a destination to an in-vehicle system which validates the destination. The in-vehicle system transmits specification of the destination to a server system 125 at the centralized server. The server system computes a route to the destination and transmits the computed route to the in-vehicle system. The in-vehicle system guides the operator along the route. If the in-vehicle system detects that the vehicle has deviated from the planned route, it replans a new route to the destination using an in-vehicle map database.

Claims

1. A method for guiding a vehicle through a road network from a starting location to a destination, the method comprising:

transmitting a specification of the destination from the vehicle to a server; and

receiving a response at the vehicle from the server, including

receiving a specification of a planned route through the road network to the destination, said specification including data characterizing a sequence of links of the road network, and

receiving a map of the road network in a vicinity of the planned route, said map including data characterizing a plurality of links of the road network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the received map includes data characterizing a network of interconnected links of the road network in the vicinity of the starting location.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the specification of the planned route includes data characterizing a plurality of maneuvers to be carried out between links of the sequence.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the received map includes data characterizing a network of interconnected links of the road network in the vicinity of one or more of the maneuvers.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the received map in conjunction with a representation of the planned route, and a location of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising estimating the location of the vehicle, and detecting when the vehicle is following the planned route.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing instructions to an operator of the vehicle according to the planned route;

tracking a location of the vehicle;

detecting whether the vehicle has deviated from the planned route;

if the vehicle is detected to have deviated from the planned route, planning a new route to the destination location.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein planning the new route includes determining the location of the vehicle and accessing the received map of the road network in the vicinity of the planned route.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

establishing a wireless communication channel with the server; and

terminating the wireless communication channel after receiving the planned route;

wherein transmitting the specification of the destination includes transmitting a specification of said destination over the wireless communication channel.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the specification of the destination including:

accessing a list of categories of destinations;

accepting a selection from the list of categories;

transmitting the selection from the list of categories to the server;

receiving a list of destinations from the selected category from the server;

accepting a selection from the list of destinations; and

forming the specification of the destination from the accepted selection from the list of destinations.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising transmitting data related to the location of the vehicle to the server system, and wherein the received list of destinations includes destinations that are in the vicinity of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the specification of the planned route includes data characterizing locations of a plurality of intermediate points on the links in the sequence.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising loading a map of the road network into a storage in the vehicle prior to transmitting the specification of the destination to the server.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising combining the received map and the loaded map to form a combined map of the road network.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the loaded map includes data characterizing links of the road network corresponding to some but not all of a plurality of classes of roads in the network.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the received map includes data characterizing links of the road network corresponding to a class of roads of the road network not represented in the loaded map.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the loaded map includes main roads in the road network, and the received map includes residential roads of the road network.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

detecting whether the vehicle has deviated from the planned route; and

if the vehicle is detected to have deviated from the planned route, planning a new route to the destination using the combined map.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

detecting whether the vehicle has deviated from the planned route; and

if the vehicle is detected to have deviated from the planned route, planning a new route to the destination using the loaded map.

20. Software recorded on a computer readable medium for causing an in-vehicle computer to perform the functions of:

sending a specification of a destination to a server;

accepting from the server a specification of a planned route through a road network to the destination, said specification including data characterizing a sequence of links of the road network and a plurality of maneuvers to be carried out between links of the sequence; and

accepting from the server a map of the road network in a vicinity of the planned route, said map including data characterizing a plurality of links of the road network.

21. The software of claim 20 wherein the functions further comprise:

storing the planned route;

providing instructions to an operator of the vehicle according to the stored planned route;

tracking a location of the vehicle;

detecting whether the vehicle has deviated from the planned route;

if the vehicle is detected to have deviated from the planned route, planning a new route to the destination location.

22. A method for providing navigation information from a server to a remote vehicle comprising:

receiving from a vehicle a specification of a destination;

determining a planned route on a road network to the destination;

transmitting to the vehicle a specification of the planned route, said specification including data characterizing a sequence of links of the road network and a plurality of maneuvers to be carried out between links of the sequence; and

transmitting to the vehicle a map of the road network in a vicinity of the planned route, said map including data characterizing a plurality of links of the road network.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

receiving from a vehicle a specification of a category of destinations;

determining a list of destinations in the specified category; and

transmitting to the vehicle the list of destinations;

wherein receiving the specification of the destination from the vehicle includes receiving a specification of a destination from the list of destinations.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising receiving data related to the location of the vehicle and wherein determining the list of destinations includes determining a list of destinations according to their proximity to the vehicle.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising filtering the list of destination based on a user-specified criterion.