Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Navigation – Determination of travel data based on the start point and...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-13
2001-11-27
Beaulieu, Yonel (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Navigation
Determination of travel data based on the start point and...
C701S025000, C701S208000, C340S490000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06324468
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a process for the transmission of route information concerning a route of a vehicle in a traffic network between a central traffic station and a terminal unit in a vehicle, a central traffic station, and a terminal unit.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A central traffic station can prepare traffic status reports, traffic forecasts and traffic navigation aids for a terminal unit from information obtained from stationary detectors in a traffic network and obtained from mobile detectors (in vehicles FCD) and transmitted to the central traffic station. For the transmission of obtained traffic information from a vehicle (via mobile radio, etc.) to a central traffic station as well as for the transmission of information about traffic status reports, traffic forecasts, traffic navigation aids, etc. from a central station (via mobile radio, etc) to a terminal unit, it is required to designate each location to which a piece of information refers. When there is an identical map in the terminal unit and in the central station, location referencing with respect to the map is possible; however, maps are constantly being updated because of new roads, changes in driving direction, detours, construction sites, etc., so that different map versions may exist in the terminal unit and in the central station. A problem in location referencing based exclusively on geographic longitude and latitude consists in the required allocation to a road in a map; in particular, for example, there may be no road at a measured location position of a terminal unit in the map in the central station or no road in the map terminal unit at a geographic location position in the map which is referenced by a central traffic station. The use of shared reference tables for locations in a traffic network is limited with respect to the degree of detail because of limited available storage capacity. Such processes are accordingly suitable only to a limited extent for the transmission of information within the framework of a navigation service which is also especially advisable in remote areas.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is a simple and efficient optimizing of the location referencing in the transmission of information between a terminal unit and a central traffic station.
The invention makes possible an efficient location referencing also in remote areas for which there may be no detailed map in the terminal unit and/or no reference table with code designations and locations assigned thereto in the traffic network. In this respect, the transmitted route information concerning the route of a vehicle in a traffic network is sufficient for identifying a route of a vehicle when transmitting route information to the vehicle as well as when transmitting route information to the central traffic station. The location of a possible turn of a vehicle is sufficiently defined by means of designating the next road following in the driving direction of the route and by designating the location of a path point; the continued forward movement direction of the vehicle is defined by sending the driving direction after the path point. For this purpose, a path point is defined wherever a vehicle has turned off or should turn off from a road.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the transmitted route information indicates a route suggested by the central traffic station for the vehicle as a navigation aid, wherein the route information is transmitted to the vehicle from the central traffic station and wherein path points are defined wherever the central traffic station transmits a suggestion to the terminal unit in the vehicle that the vehicle should turn. This makes possible an efficient navigation aid for a vehicle without the need for the presence of a detailed map for remote areas, foreign territory, etc. or for location reference tables in the terminal unit in the vehicle.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the route information describes a route which is traveled by a vehicle and concerning which the vehicle transmits information to the central traffic station (for interactive monitoring of navigation of the vehicle or for preparing traffic status reports or traffic forecasts); in so doing, the route information is transmitted from the terminal unit in the vehicle to the central traffic station. Path points are defined wherever the vehicle has turned off from a road. When this arrangement is used as a navigation aid, the name and, if necessary, the driving direction can be queried from the vehicle terminal unit to the central traffic station so as to be entered in the terminal unit by the user manually or acoustically for interactivity or for monitoring the path along which a navigated vehicle is driving. The direction can also be determined based on continuous GPS measurements. When using this arrangement for conveying information to the central traffic station about a path traveled by the vehicle for preparing traffic status reports or traffic forecasts, route information, especially a detection of the names of the roads being traveled, the locations of path points and the driving direction, is advisably detected in the terminal unit automatically; when determining position (e.g., from GPS), road names, locations of turnoff-path points, e.g., from a map in the terminal unit, and driving directions are automatically determined and sent as route information to the central traffic station.
There is advisably a digital map of the traffic network in the central station.
A route in the traffic network recommended by the central station to a terminal unit in a vehicle is calculated in the central station, e.g., by a route calculation program; in so doing, a digital map and/or traffic information, etc. can be included.
The communication between a central traffic station and a vehicle is advisably carried out by radio, especially mobile radio. The driving direction after a path point can be indicated and transmitted in the route information particularly as a compass point and/or as a turnoff direction (that is, left/right/straight/sharp left, etc.).
The process according to the invention can be implemented as a program in a central traffic station and in a terminal unit.
Further features and advantages of the invention are indicated in the following description of an embodiment with reference to the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5839086 (1998-11-01), Hirano
patent: 6061625 (2000-05-01), Fastenrath
patent: 6111521 (2000-08-01), Mulder et al.
Meis Josef
Parra Andreas
Stangier Peter
Beaulieu Yonel
Cohen & Pontani, Lieberman & Pavane
Mannesmann AG
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