Navigation apparatus used-in vehicle

• US 9,002,635 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2009
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLLOWAY, JASON R
• Application Number:
  US12/736,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20110087429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,274 Days
• Field of Search: 701422-425, 701/430, 701/435, 701/439, 701/457, 701/462, 701/482, 701/521, 701/540, 340/995.28
• US Class Current: 701/424
• 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. An 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 receiver, the receiver being operative to 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, a memory; and

a processor, the processor being operative to;

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; and

a vehicle carrying predetermined hazardous material;

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;

analyse plural routes or route portions from a plurality of sessions to identify statistically at least one trend of road use by vehicles of the vehicle category of interest, wherein the trend is a trend of vehicles of the category of interest having deviated from an expected route; and

generate said supplementary information based on the at least one trend of road use by vehicles of the vehicle category of interest, the supplementary information representing suitability of road use according to vehicle category, wherein the generated supplementary information comprises information indicative of at least one road preferred by the users of the vehicles of the vehicle category of interest.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to designate, in response to detection of the trend for a road, the road as being suitable for use by vehicles of the vehicle category of interest.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, 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.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to designate, in response to detection of the trend for a road, the road as being unsuitable for use by vehicles of the vehicle category of interest.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, 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.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to combine said supplementary road information with information representing official designations of road suitability by vehicle category.

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

8. A method of generating, by an apparatus comprising a processor and an input device operatively connected thereto, supplementary information for a digital map, the supplementary information representing suitability of road use according to vehicle category, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, by the processor from the input device, 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) analyzing, by the processor, 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; and

a vehicle carrying predetermined hazardous material;

(c) analyzing, by the processor, 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) analyzing, by the processor, plural routes or route portions from a plurality of sessions to identify statistically at least one trend of road use by vehicles of the vehicle category of interest, wherein the trend is a trend of vehicles of the category of interest having deviated from an expected route; and

(e) generating, by the processor, said supplementary information based on the at least one trend of road use by vehicles of the vehicle category of interest, the supplementary information representing suitability of road use according to vehicle category, wherein the generated supplementary information comprises information indicative of at least one road preferred by the users of the vehicles of the vehicle category of interest.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the generation step comprises designating, in response to detection of the trend for a road, the road as being suitable for use by vehicles of the vehicle category of interest.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the generation step comprises designating, in response to detection of the trend for a road, the road as being unsuitable for use by vehicles of the vehicle category of interest.

11. A non-transitory computer program product, which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement a method comprising:

(a) receiving, by the processor, 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, by the processor, 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; and

a vehicle carrying predetermined hazardous material;

(c) analysing, by the processor, 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, by the processor, plural routes or route portions from a plurality of sessions to identify statistically at least one trend of road use by vehicles of the vehicle category of interest, wherein the trend is a trend of vehicles of the category of interest having deviated from an expected route; and

(e) generating, by the processor, supplementary information based on the at least one trend of road use by vehicles of the vehicle category of interest, the supplementary information representing suitability of road use according to vehicle category, wherein the generated supplementary information comprises information indicative of at least one road preferred by the users of the vehicles of the vehicle category of interest.