Motor vehicle navigation system

• US 9,170,121 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2009
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Tava, Marcello, Berger, Roman
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US12/578,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20100094540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,205 Days
• Field of Search: 701/202, 701/209, 701/201, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes

Abstract

A motor vehicle navigation system and method uses an output device for the acoustic output of driving maneuver information and a processor device which is equipped such that a route to be traveled is determined. Driving maneuver information is determined based on the route to be traveled and on an actual position. An alternate route is computed, assuming that the determined driving maneuver information is not observed. As a function of the difference between the route and the alternate route, particularly with respect to the expected driving time, driving distance and/or driving cost, the driving maneuver information is either acoustically emitted or not.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle navigation system, comprising:

an acoustic output device for outputting acoustic driving maneuver information; and

a processor operatively configured to;

determine a route to be traveled,

determine driving maneuver information based on the route to be traveled and an actual position,

compute at least one alternate route based on an assumption that the determined driving maneuver information is not followed, and

determine whether or not to acoustically emit via the acoustic output device the determined driving maneuver information as a function of a difference between the route to be traveled and the alternate route with respect to at least one of an expected driving time, driving distance, and driving cost, wherein;

the determined driving maneuver information is acoustically emitted only if at least one of the expected driving time, driving distance, and driving cost of the alternate route exceeds the respective at least one of the expected driving time, driving distance, and driving cost of the route to be traveled by at least a predefined value, and

the determined driving maneuver information is not acoustically emitted if the at least one of the expected driving time, driving distance, and driving cost of the alternate route does not exceed the respective at least one of the expected driving time, driving distance, and driving cost of the route to be traveled by at least the predefined value.

2. The motor vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a visual output device providing a visual output of driving maneuver information; and

wherein the determined driving maneuver information is output visually independent of the difference between the route to be traveled and the alternate route.

3. The motor vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising an operator adjusting device operatively configured to allow an operator to adjust the predefined value.

4. The motor vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein as a function of the difference between the route and the alternate route with respect to at least one of the driving time, driving distance and driving cost, the determined driving maneuver information is dividedable into different driving maneuver information classes, and wherein the determined driving maneuver information is acoustically emitted or not as a function of a respective driving maneuver information class.

5. The motor vehicle navigation system according to claim 4, further comprising a selection device operatively configured for an operator to select at least one driving maneuver information class whose associated determined driving maneuver information is to be acoustically emitted.

6. The motor vehicle navigation system according to claim 4, further comprising a selection device by which an operator selects at least one driving maneuver information class whose associated determined driving maneuver information is not to be acoustically emitted.

7. A method of operating a motor vehicle navigation system having an acoustic output device for acoustically outputting driving maneuver information and a processing device operatively configured to determine a route to be traveled along with driving maneuver information based on the route to be traveled and an actual position, the method comprising the acts of:

determining the route to be traveled,

determining the driving maneuver information based on the route to be traveled and the actual position,

computing at least one alternate route to the route to be traveled based on an assumption that a determined driving maneuver information will not be followed;

determining a difference between the route to be traveled and the alternate route with respect to at least one of an expected drive time, drive distance, and drive cost; and

determining whether or not to acoustically emit the determined driving maneuver information as a function of the determined difference, wherein;

the determined driving maneuver information is acoustically emitted only if at least one of the expected driving time, driving distance, and driving cost of the alternate route exceeds the respective at least one of the expected driving time, driving distance, and driving cost of the route to be traveled by at least a predefined value, and

the determined driving maneuver information is not acoustically emitted if the at least one of the expected driving time, driving distance, and driving cost of the alternate route does not exceed the respective at least one of the expected driving time, driving distance, and driving cost of the route to be traveled by at least the predefined value.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the act of outputting the determined driving maneuver information visually independent of the determined difference between the route to be traveled and the alternate route.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the act of adjusting the predefined value in response to an operator input.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the acts of:

dividing the determined driving maneuver information into different driving maneuver information classes as a function of a respective difference between the route to be traveled and the alternate route with respect to at least one of the expected drive time, drive distance, and drive cost; and

determining whether or not to acoustically output the determined driving maneuver information as a function of its respective driving maneuver information class.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the act of selecting, in response to an operator input, at least one driving maneuver information class whose associated determined driving maneuver information is to be emitted acoustically.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the act of selecting, in response to an operator input, at least one driving maneuver information class whose associated determined driving maneuver information is not to be emitted acoustically.