Automobile navigation system with dynamic traffic data
US005933100A
United States Patent [19]
[11] Patent Number:
5,933,100
Golding
[45] Date of Patent:
Aug. 3, 1999
[54]
AUTOMOBILE NAVIGATION SYSTEM WITH
5,689,252 11/1997 Ayanoglu et a1. .................... .. 340/905
DYNAMIC TRAFFIC DATA 75
I 1 [73]
Inventor:
Primary Examiner—Thomas Mullen Assistant Examiner—Anh La_ _
Andrew R. Goldin , Cambrid e, Mass.
g g Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Information
_
Attorney, Agent, or Fzrm—D1rk Brinkman [57] ABSTRACT
Technology Center America, Inc., Cambridge, Mass.
A system located in an automobile provides personalized traffic information and route planning capabilities. This
[21] APPL NO; 08/579,003
system uses equipment Which is' becoming standard in
_
automobiles, such as on-board navigation systems and cel
IZZI
Flled?
Dec- 27! 1995
lular telephones. On-board navigation systems use global
[51]
Int. Cl? ................................................... .. G08G 1/123 _
[52]
58
I I
_
Positioning System (GPS) Satellites to Position the ammo‘
_
bile With respect to streets in a map database. As the
US. Cl. ........................ .. 340/995,
F, M f S
automobile moves, the navigation System updates the 10Ca_
h
340 ’995 990
tion. A central database includes travel time information for
1e 0 5325698
449/ 1 £149 2’
each street segment and transition betWeen street segments
/449’ 5 4’49 4_’701 ’207 £08 '2’11 ' ’
[56]
' ’
/
’
’
in the map database. Based upon the travel time information ’
in the database, a route from a current location to a desired
References Cited
destination, or series of destinations, can be planned in order to have a minimum travel time. The route can be provided
us, PATENT DOCUMENTS
to the on-board navigation system, Which then directs the driver in traveling the route. The cellular telephone in the
2:2): a1‘ """""""""""" "
automobile can be used for communicating With the central
5,365,449
5,317,311 11/1994 5/1994 Kashiwazaki Martell et a1. ..................... .......................... 340/995 .. 340/905X
to PmV1 e
573717678 12/1994 Nomura ______ __ 34O/995 5,402,117 3/1995 Zijerhand ____ __ 340/905 5,450,343 9/1995 Yurimoto et a1. . 340/995 X 5,452,217 9/ 1995 Kishi et al- ----------------------- -- 340/995 X Ueno ..................................... ..
database, each automobile in the system operates as a data collector. As various street segments are traversed, the travel time for each segment is recorded. The travel time and street segment information is periodically transferred to the central database through the cellular telephone connection' The
575237950
6/1996 Peterson
databasiim é’btaln.travel tllm.“ fof from’ Plannmg? In Ordei Ynamlc tra‘fe Flme 1“ Ormanon to t 6 Cent“
340/905
central database then combines the travel time data from
?llrllde?ih
each automobile to create accurate travel time data for each
5,543,789
8/1996 Behr et a1. ...... ..
5,610,821 5,648,768
3/1997 GaZis et a1. 340/995 X 7/1997 Bouve ................................... .. 340/988
340/995
Street Segment‘
32 Claims, 2 Drawing Sheets
"m 3
I/ t’
LOCATION
9
INFORMATION
1
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, IO ROUTE SEGMENT ON-BOARD
II
TE
I
1 BEST ROUTE INFO/
:‘ TRAFFIC WARNINGS
I I I 5
I
DATA
NAgQgAl/lI/ON l
12
TRAVEL TIME
|—'
I,
1
,,
.
I
COLLECTOR ROUTE SEGMENT, P IR
@
@ \
I
I
‘3
gags‘? 4
______ _.
/I4
WIRELESS
I I DATABASE UPDATE
COMMUNICATION TRAVEL TIME INFO
DEVICE
I
PROCEDURE
:
I
E 5
I
DATABASE RETRIEVAL
5 g , : 1 j ‘
/22
PROCEDURE
2
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, "5",",
I
United States Patent [19]
[11] Patent Number:
5,933,100
Golding
[45] Date of Patent:
Aug. 3, 1999
[54]
AUTOMOBILE NAVIGATION SYSTEM WITH
5,689,252 11/1997 Ayanoglu et a1. .................... .. 340/905
DYNAMIC TRAFFIC DATA 75
I 1 [73]
Inventor:
Primary Examiner—Thomas Mullen Assistant Examiner—Anh La_ _
Andrew R. Goldin , Cambrid e, Mass.
g g Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Information
_
Attorney, Agent, or Fzrm—D1rk Brinkman [57] ABSTRACT
Technology Center America, Inc., Cambridge, Mass.
A system located in an automobile provides personalized traffic information and route planning capabilities. This
[21] APPL NO; 08/579,003
system uses equipment Which is' becoming standard in
_
automobiles, such as on-board navigation systems and cel
IZZI
Flled?
Dec- 27! 1995
lular telephones. On-board navigation systems use global
[51]
Int. Cl? ................................................... .. G08G 1/123 _
[52]
58
I I
_
Positioning System (GPS) Satellites to Position the ammo‘
_
bile With respect to streets in a map database. As the
US. Cl. ........................ .. 340/995,
F, M f S
automobile moves, the navigation System updates the 10Ca_
h
340 ’995 990
tion. A central database includes travel time information for
1e 0 5325698
449/ 1 £149 2’
each street segment and transition betWeen street segments
/449’ 5 4’49 4_’701 ’207 £08 '2’11 ' ’
[56]
' ’
/
’
’
in the map database. Based upon the travel time information ’
in the database, a route from a current location to a desired
References Cited
destination, or series of destinations, can be planned in order to have a minimum travel time. The route can be provided
us, PATENT DOCUMENTS
to the on-board navigation system, Which then directs the driver in traveling the route. The cellular telephone in the
2:2): a1‘ """""""""""" "
automobile can be used for communicating With the central
5,365,449
5,317,311 11/1994 5/1994 Kashiwazaki Martell et a1. ..................... .......................... 340/995 .. 340/905X
to PmV1 e
573717678 12/1994 Nomura ______ __ 34O/995 5,402,117 3/1995 Zijerhand ____ __ 340/905 5,450,343 9/1995 Yurimoto et a1. . 340/995 X 5,452,217 9/ 1995 Kishi et al- ----------------------- -- 340/995 X Ueno ..................................... ..
database, each automobile in the system operates as a data collector. As various street segments are traversed, the travel time for each segment is recorded. The travel time and street segment information is periodically transferred to the central database through the cellular telephone connection' The
575237950
6/1996 Peterson
databasiim é’btaln.travel tllm.“ fof from’ Plannmg? In Ordei Ynamlc tra‘fe Flme 1“ Ormanon to t 6 Cent“
340/905
central database then combines the travel time data from
?llrllde?ih
each automobile to create accurate travel time data for each
5,543,789
8/1996 Behr et a1. ...... ..
5,610,821 5,648,768
3/1997 GaZis et a1. 340/995 X 7/1997 Bouve ................................... .. 340/988
340/995
Street Segment‘
32 Claims, 2 Drawing Sheets
"m 3
I/ t’
LOCATION
9
INFORMATION
1
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, IO ROUTE SEGMENT ON-BOARD
II
TE
I
1 BEST ROUTE INFO/
:‘ TRAFFIC WARNINGS
I I I 5
I
DATA
NAgQgAl/lI/ON l
12
TRAVEL TIME
|—'
I,
1
,,
.
I
COLLECTOR ROUTE SEGMENT, P IR
@
@ \
I
I
‘3
gags‘? 4
______ _.
/I4
WIRELESS
I I DATABASE UPDATE
COMMUNICATION TRAVEL TIME INFO
DEVICE
I
PROCEDURE
:
I
E 5
I
DATABASE RETRIEVAL
5 g , : 1 j ‘
/22
PROCEDURE
2
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, "5",",
I
