DE102006057920B4 - Method and device for controlling the display of a navigation system in a mode in which no route and no destination is entered - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for controlling the display of a navigation system in a mode in which no route and no destination are entered, in which - the geographical position is continuously determined and - data for displaying a geographical map depending on the determined position are generated, - the most likely Route (15) is determined for a journey with the navigation system, and - on the map the environment (17) along the most probable route (15) is highlighted and - data from an electronic calendar and / or address book (3) of a driver of a vehicle are transmitted with the navigation system and in determining the most probable route (15) these calendar and / or address book data are taken into account.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for controlling the display of a navigation system in a mode in which no route and no destination are entered, in which the geographical position is continuously detected and data for displaying a geographical map depending on the detected position are generated. Further, the invention relates to a device for controlling the display of a navigation system in such a mode with a position determining means for continuously determining the geographical position and a memory in which geographic map data are stored, with the control device data for displaying a geographical map in dependence on the determined position can be generated.

Usually, in a navigation system, e.g. is installed in a vehicle, a destination entered by the user or a route selected from a list. The display of the navigation system is then controlled so that continuously the current position of the vehicle and the route is optionally displayed with additional information and POIs.

From the DE 41 21 095 A1 A method for displaying maps on computer-controlled screens, in particular in vehicles is known in which all information of the map is assigned an a priori importance value and the display of the information is suppressed depending on their importance value and the distance from a fixation point. The importance of certain information on the map is thus determined in advance. The more important and closer the information on the map is, the sooner it will be displayed. A disadvantage of this method for displaying maps is that not the current conditions and data that are generated during the trip, can be re-evaluated and thus dynamic each trip.

In the US 5,919,246 A a method is described for assisting a driver of a vehicle in navigation, wherein the current geographical position of the vehicle is identified and a destination is automatically determined based on probability calculations by storing stored historical travel information with current travel information, including the identified current geographical positions, be determined. A route is then determined based on the determined destination, and current travel advice for the route is transmitted from an external traffic computer after the route has been determined. The instructions are then provided to the driver.

DE 103 37 844 A1 discloses a navigation device in which, during a route guidance initiated by a user input, objects in a vicinity of the travel route are highlighted relative to other objects in the wider vicinity of the travel route.

US 2005/0228553 A1 discloses an apparatus for operating a hybrid electric vehicle in which movement patterns of the hybrid vehicle are recorded and used for predicting an energy demand associated with a route to be traveled.

The present invention relates to the mode of a navigation system in which no route and no destination are input. In this case, the driver should be presented with a geographical map which, if possible, represents only information that is particularly relevant to the driver.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a method and a device of the type mentioned above, with which a user the relevant information for him are displayed so that he can quickly and easily detect them.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1 and a device having the features of claim 7. Advantageous embodiments and further developments emerge from the subclaims.

The method according to the invention is characterized in that the most probable route is determined for a journey with the navigation system and the map is shown highlighted on the environment along the most likely route. In the method according to the invention, the most probable route for the current journey is therefore also determined in a mode of the navigation system in which no route and no destination are entered. The likelihood that information in the vicinity of this route is particularly relevant to the driver is therefore relatively high, so that the highlighted representation in the vicinity of this most probable route is likely to present the driver with particularly relevant information to the driver in a manner in which he can capture them quickly and easily. Furthermore, the driver of a vehicle is determined with the navigation system and in determining the most probable route personal data of the driver can be taken into account. According to the invention, data is transmitted from an electronic calendar and / or an address book of the driver of the vehicle and in determining the most probable route, these calendar and / or address book data considered. For example, if it results from the calendar data that the driver has an appointment with a person, the address of this person can be determined from the address book data. The likelihood that the driver drives a route to that person's address is very high in this case, so the most probable route leads to that person's address. When the geographical map is displayed on the navigation system, the current situation during navigation with the navigation system is thus adapted to the most probable route for the presentation of the geographical map.

According to a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, road types are displayed in the surroundings along the most probable route, which are not displayed outside this environment. For example, the selection of the road types displayed on the geographic map may depend on the scale chosen. At a small scale, smaller streets are displayed as well as at a larger scale. In the method according to the invention, independent of the scale in the vicinity of the most probable route, in addition to the main traffic arteries, it is also preferred to display smaller streets which are not displayed outside this environment. Furthermore, the environment along the most likely route will be displayed brighter than the areas outside that environment. Optionally, the environment along the most likely route can also be displayed in a different color or with a different background color so that the user can recognize it as quickly and easily as possible.

According to a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the ascertained geographical positions and / or data on past journeys are taken into account in determining the most probable route. For example, past routes can be stored and the current route traveled so far can be compared with these stored routes. The most probable route can be determined from the correspondence of the geographical position in the current journey with sections of routes from past routes.

Furthermore, any traffic obstructions on the most probable route are preferably determined and output, in particular displayed on the geographical map.

In accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, context-related basic data are acquired and interpreted in such a way that situation-dependent context data are obtained. Depending on the context data, the most likely route for the user is determined.

For the purposes of the invention, "context-related basic data" is understood to mean all influencing variables which are relevant to the context or situation in which the vehicle is located and which can be measured, observed, transmitted or otherwise recorded. Although a measurement error can be assigned to them, they are not assigned a probability distribution in the sense that the determination contains uncertain or uncertain data or that influencing factors are disregarded. In the simplest case, the basic data are measured values of a sensor.

Context generally refers to any type of information that can be used to describe the situation of an entity. An entity is a person, place, or object that is relevant to the interaction between a user and an application, including the user and the application itself. Here, in the context of the driver's interaction with the vehicle, all information is understood to mean that the driver's interaction with the vehicle is relevant. These are in particular the current situation and a user model of the driver.

The description of the situation can be divided into categories. It is possible to differentiate between the situation in the vehicle environment (for example, one's own position, the position of other vehicles, weather, traffic conditions), the situation in the vehicle interior (condition and behavior of the driver and possibly other occupants) and the vehicle condition itself.

With regard to the user model, the individual characteristics of different users and the personal preferences of the individual user can be taken into account. The creation of a history of operation, i. the continuous storage and evaluation of data regarding a user's behavior can be used as the basis for the assessment of such preferences.

For the purposes of the invention, "context data" means the data resulting from an interpretation of the basic data. The term "interpretation" here means that conclusions are drawn even with incomplete knowledge. For this reason, a probability distribution can be assigned to the context data, since it is not possible to determine a reliable value for the context data when interpreting the basic data. Rather, only the probability that the context data will assume a particular state can be indicated.

The basic data can be obtained in a variety of ways. For example, the basic data can be detected by means of sensors of the vehicle. In particular, all sensors are taken into account, which in some form provide data that are of any relevance to the situation in which the vehicle is located. Furthermore, the basic data can be read from at least one memory provided in the vehicle. Finally, basic data can be transmitted by means of at least one communication interface from vehicle-external information sources. The data can be transmitted, for example via a mobile network or a wireless data network.

When interpreting the basic data, very heterogeneous information from different sources is evaluated. For the interpretation especially methods from the field of artificial intelligence are used. For example, a Bayesian network whose variables form the basic data is used to interpret the basic data. A Bayesian network is an acyclic, directed graph in which the nodes are random variables and the edges describe conditional dependencies between the variables. Each node of the network is assigned a conditional probability distribution of the random variable represented by it. Parents of a node v are those nodes from which an edge leads to the node v. An edge from a node u to a node v means that u has a direct influence on v. The probability distribution of the node quantifies the influence the parent nodes have on the node.

The topology of Bayesian mesh can be understood as a structured knowledge base from which information valid in a variety of different situations can be extracted. A Bayesian network represents the general structure of causal processes in a domain, rather than the details of a multitude of snapshots from the domain. With a Bayesian network, the common probability distribution of all the variables involved can be represented in a compact manner by using known conditional independence.

According to a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, points of interest are displayed separately, irrespective of any display of a geographical map in the navigation system in the mode of the navigation system in which no route and no destination are entered. In particular, those special destinations that are in the area along the most likely route are shown separately.

The control device according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises a computation unit with which the most probable route for the journey can be determined, and that with the control device the data for displaying the geographical map are changeable such that the environment is along the most probable route on the map highlighted.

In particular, data on past journeys are stored in the memory of the control device, so that the calculation unit can take this data into account for past data in the calculation of the most probable route. Furthermore, the determined geographical positions can be taken into account. Furthermore, the control device according to the invention is preferably coupled to a device for determining the driver of a vehicle with the navigation system, wherein the arithmetic unit in this case can take into account personal data of the driver in the calculation of the most likely route. The control device according to the invention is coupled to the navigation system with an electronic calendar and / or an address book of the driver of the vehicle. In computing unit takes into account the calculation of the most likely route data of this calendar and / or this address book.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, it has means for acquiring basic data which are coupled to a data processing device. With the data processing device, the basic data can be interpreted such that situation-dependent context data can be obtained and the computing unit can determine the most probable route as a function of the context data.

The means for acquiring the basic data include z. As sensors, one or more memory in which basic data are stored, and / or a communication interface, via which basic data from vehicle-external information sources are transferable.

The data processing device uses a Bayesian network whose variables form the basic data for interpreting the basic data according to a preferred embodiment.

In the following the invention will be explained by means of embodiments with reference to the drawings.

1 schematically shows a first embodiment of the control device according to the invention,

2 schematically shows a second embodiment of the control device according to the invention, and

3A to 3C show possible representations of points of interest, which are independent of the representation of a geographical map.

The control device of the present exemplary embodiment is part of a navigation system which, for example in a vehicle, displays navigation instructions and further information to the driver. In the following, a mode of the navigation system is considered in which no route and no destination is entered. This mode is also called cruising mode.

Also in this so-called. Cruising mode, the geographical position of the vehicle, which contains the navigation system, displayed on a geographic map in a known per se. This is an arithmetic unit 1 provided with a memory 2 and a position determination device 4 connected is. The position determining device comprises a receiver for satellite signals, such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver or a receiver for other satellite navigation systems. The position determination device 4 continuously determines the current geographical position of the vehicle and transmits it to the computing unit 1 , The arithmetic unit 1 then loads from a digital geographical map stored in memory 2 is stored, a section that includes the current position, from the memory 2 and generates data for displaying the geographical map. These data are sent to a display device 16 transmit which the current position 14 of the vehicle in this map. Depending on the scale of the geographical map, a selection is made as to which road types and, if appropriate, which points of interest and additional information are displayed.

In order to improve the presentation of the map to the user, the map display is changed so that the information contained in the section of the memory 2 stored digital geographic map and are likely to be the most relevant to the user, to be highlighted. For this purpose, the arithmetic unit changes 1 the representation on the display device 16 so that the area around the current position 14 highlighted by the vehicle, eg by a different background color or brighter. In the general presentation side roads are shown relatively dark, so they do not immediately catch the eye. Major roads, on the other hand, are highlighted by greater brightness. The invention further relates to the vehicle position 14 around the side streets also highlighted. The immediate area around the vehicle position 14 around is in fact most likely for the user particularly interesting. The area around the vehicle position 14 for example, in which further information is highlighted, may be circular or in the form of a club, for example, which emphasizes the surroundings in front of the vehicle more than behind the vehicle.

Furthermore, the arithmetic unit determines 1 at least from the geographical positions determined by the position-determining device 4 constantly transmitted, the most likely route for the current journey. The arithmetic unit 1 changes the data for displaying the geographic map depending on the most likely route so that the most probable route 15 in the displayed map. Furthermore, on the map the environment 17 highlighted along the most likely route. The highlighting can be done by graphical means, such as this environment 17 with a different background color or brighter. Furthermore, in this environment 17 also street types are displayed, such as side roads, due to the selected scale outside the environment 17 the most likely route 15 not shown. Furthermore, any traffic obstructions on the most probable route can be determined and output on the map.

In the following, various possibilities are described, such as the arithmetic unit 1 determine the most likely route.

The arithmetic unit 1 can any driven route in the store 2 to save. During a new ride, the arithmetic unit 1 the driven route with sections of past routes that are in the store 2 are stored, compare. If the distance covered is the same as the distance of a previously traveled route, it is likely that the driver has the same destination. In this case, the route which includes the already traveled route section, from the memory 2 loaded and chosen as the most likely route.

Alternatively or additionally, the arithmetic unit 1 with a device 3 be connected, which contains personal data of the driver. The device 3 may be, for example, an electronic calendar with a driver's address book. Based on the current date and time, the arithmetic unit 1 Verify that a specific date of the driver is pending at a particular address. On the basis of the already traveled route, the arithmetic unit 1 check if this route leads to a route leading to the address of the Appointments heard, matches. If so, select the arithmetic unit 1 the address as destination and calculates a route there. This route is selected as the most likely route.

In reference to 2 The following is a much more complex way to determine the most likely route:
At the lowest level are in the vehicle sensors 5 provided which detect observable data. The sensors 5 may include all sensor systems commonly known in a motor vehicle. In particular, sensors are used 5 which provide data useful in determining the most likely route. It can in the described embodiment z. B. following sensors 5 be provided: a sensor that detects the phase of the car ride. In particular, it records whether the journey has just begun, whether it is a city trip or a motorway trip and whether the vehicle is in a traffic jam. Furthermore, a sensor that detects the user's operating history is provided. Furthermore, vehicle data are read out from the CAN bus of the vehicle. In particular, data about the speed and the acceleration and the direction of travel of the vehicle are recorded. Furthermore, the number of people in the vehicle is recorded. In addition, the time of day, the season and the day of the week are recorded. The ones from the sensors 5 collected data are sent to a data bus provided in the vehicle 7 transfer.

Furthermore, in the vehicle memory 6 provided, whose data is also available via the data bus 7 can be read out. The on the data bus 7 Present data is sent via the interface 10 to a data processing device 9 , which is provided in the vehicle transmitted.

Furthermore, there are communication interfaces 8th provided, via which basic data from vehicle-external information sources via the interface 10 to the data processing device 9 can be transmitted. The communication interface 8th is for example a receiver for a digital radio data service over which traffic information is transmitted (Traffic Message Channel, TMC). This way you can use the communication interface 8th the traffic density in the vicinity of the vehicle or on the various possible routes of the vehicle and traffic jams and detours are detected.

The over the interface 10 the data processing device 9 data supplied to an interpretation device 11 as well as a facility 12 to create a user model. Furthermore, the data is sent directly to the interface 13 transfer. About the interface 13 they pass through the interpretation device 11 and the device 12 data obtained and via the interface 10 read basic data to the arithmetic unit 1 with which, in particular, depending on the context data, the most probable route for the user can be determined and the visual representation assigned to this route can be generated. The arithmetic unit 1 finally, transmits the display data associated with the visual display to the display device 16 ,

The interpretation device 11 interprets those over the interface 10 supplied basic data such that situation-dependent context data are obtained. For this purpose, a Bayesian network is used. Through the Bayesian network, probabilities for contextual data are obtained through automatic reasoning. The calculation of the probabilities takes place z. B. on the basis of so-called branch trees, which are generated from the Bayesian network. Algorithms for computing probabilities in Bayesian networks are known per se and available as commercial software tools. For example, Hugin Expert A / S offers such software tools.

One characteristic of Bayesian meshes is that conclusions can be drawn even with incomplete knowledge of the variables taken into account in the model. Thus, there are no direct observations (evidences) about the context data, but rather it is possible to indicate the probability that the user is heading for a specific destination. The more basic data, ie evidences, in the Bayesian network, the more reliable the probabilistic conclusions that can be derived from the Bayesian network. The context data and the probabilities associated with it are taken from the interpretation device 11 to the interface 13 transfer.

Further context data result from the unit 12 the data processing device 9 which creates a user model. Here, too, the information available as basic data is interpreted so that corresponding context data and its probability distribution are obtained. As the basic data for the user model, for example, the person of the driver is determined and read from saving individual characteristics and preferences of the driver and his operating history with respect to the interaction with the vehicle and the controls present therein. In addition, the basic data may include physiological and psychological data about the driver. The device 12 can interpret this basic data again by means of a Bayesian network in such a way that context data is obtained to which a probability distribution is assigned. The contextual data is provided by the facility 12 also to the interface 13 transfer.

About the interface 13 become the context data of the arithmetic unit 1 which determines the most probable route. Also in this case, the method of automatic reasoning z. B. be used by Bayesian networks. The arithmetic unit 1 now creates a visual representation associated with the most likely route. The display data then becomes the display device 16 which it indicates.

Here are two examples of how to determine the most likely route from the context data:
If it results from the context data that the tank contains only little fuel, the arithmetic unit 1 automatically conclude that there is a high probability that the driver wants to drive to the next gas station. From this the most probable route is selected, a route leading to the nearest gas station.

From the personal data of the driver, the duration of the driving time without a break and possibly physiological data of the driver can be z. B. revealed that the driver is very likely hungry. From this, the arithmetic unit 1 deduce that the most likely route leads to the nearest restaurant.

Related to the 3A to 3C In the following, representations of points of interest are shown which may be independent or separate from the representation of the geographical map when the navigation system is in cruising mode. The points of interest shown can be selected independently of the most probable route determined. Preferably, however, information about such points of interest is displayed, which are in connection with the determined most probable route. In this case, only information about a POI is displayed at a time. In the lower part of the display is the name of the POI concerned, in the upper area there are two perspectively inclined rings or ring sections and a central text field.

In the in the 3A and 3B shown status view, the display on the outer ring symbolizes the viewing direction in which the POI is located. The inner ring contains a status value for the point of interest in the category selected in the navigation system, such as in 3A and 3B the price of gasoline shown, and the text in the middle of the rings indicates the actual status value, ie in this case the price of gasoline.

In the in 3C shown distance view, the two rings can be used for a differentiated distance display by different levels of coverage of the two rings provide information about the distance of the POI to the vehicle. In the present example, the inner ring represents a 500m boundary and the outer ring represents a 2000m boundary. Furthermore, each ring can be shown in full color or semitransparent. Depending on the actual distance of the POI, the areas will be colored. If the point of interest is eg 1000 m away, the inner ring can be shown in full color and the outer ring semi-transparent. In this case, the text field might not display the status value, such as the gasoline price, but the distance in meters.

Similarly, instead of a POI, a specific place or name of people and their approximate direction may be displayed. The display is thus in the cruising mode of the navigation system for the driver to an easily manageable location option for objects of various kinds.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

 computer unit

2

 Storage

3

 electronic calendar and electronic address book of a user

4

 Location facility

5

 sensors

6

 Storage

7

 bus

8th

 Communication interfaces

9

 Data processing device

10

 interface

11

 interpreter

12

 Device for creating a user model

13

 interface

14

 Presentation of the current vehicle position

15

 Presentation of the most likely route

16

 display device

17

 Area of the display in the area of the most probable route

Claims (10)

A method for controlling the display of a navigation system in a mode in which no route and no destination is entered, in which - the geographical position is continuously determined and - Data for displaying a geographical map are generated as a function of the position determined, - the most probable route ( 15 ) is determined for a journey with the navigation system and - on the map the environment ( 17 ) along the most likely route ( 15 ) and - data from an electronic calendar and / or address book ( 3 ) of a driver of a vehicle with the navigation system and in determining the most probable route ( 15 ) this calendar and / or address book data are taken into account. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that in determining the most probable route ( 15 ) the determined geographical positions and / or data on past journeys are taken into account. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in determining the most probable route ( 15 ) personal data of the driver are taken into account. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that context-related basic data are acquired, the basic data are interpreted such that situation-dependent context data are obtained and, depending on the context data, the most probable route ( 15 ) is determined for the ride. Method according to Claim 4, characterized in that a Bayesian network whose variables form the basic data is used to interpret the basic data. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that points of interest in the environment along the most probable route ( 15 ) are represented separately from the geographical map. Device for controlling the display of a navigation system in a mode in which no route and no destination are entered, with - a position determining device ( 4 ), which is set up for continuously determining the geographical position, and - a memory ( 2 ), in which geographical map data are stored, - the control device being set up to generate data for displaying a geographical map as a function of the determined position, - the control device having a computing unit ( 1 ), which is set up to determine the most probable route for the journey, - the control device is set up to change the data for displaying the geographical map so that the environment on the map ( 17 ) along the most likely route ( 15 ) is highlighted, - the control device is set up to be coupled to a device for determining a driver of a vehicle with the navigation system and - the control device is set up with an electronic calendar and / or address book ( 3 ) of the driver and that the arithmetic unit ( 1 ) is set up in the calculation of the most probable route ( 15 ) Data of this calendar and / or address book ( 3 ). Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that in the memory ( 2 ) Data on past trips are stored and that the arithmetic unit ( 1 ) is set up in the calculation of the most probable route ( 15 ) to take into account this data on past trips. Apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the arithmetic unit ( 1 ) is set up in the calculation of the most probable route ( 15 ) to take into account personal data of the driver. Device according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the control device for establishing basic data established means ( 5 . 6 . 7 ), which are set up with a data processing device ( 9 ), that the data processing device ( 9 ) is arranged to interpret the basic data, and to derive situation-dependent context data therefrom, and the arithmetic unit ( 1 ), depending on the context data, the most probable route ( 15 ) to investigate.

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