GB2559000A

GB2559000A - Method and device for navigating a motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2559000A
Application number: GB1718919.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nordbruch Stefan
Original assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Current assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Priority date: 2016-11-18
Filing date: 2017-11-16
Publication date: 2018-07-25
Anticipated expiration: 2037-11-16
Also published as: CN108074413A; GB201718919D0; DE102016222726A1; GB2559000B

Abstract

A check is performed to determine whether a vehicle is affected by a driving restriction prescribed for a geographical area. If so, a car park outside that area is determined so that the vehicle can be navigated to it. A vehicle may be affected by a restriction if its current position, destination or part of its route is within the restricted area. The check may be initiated manually, or automatically by either the vehicle or a remote server. The vehicle may perform the check based on driving restriction data received from a server. Alternatively, a remote server may run the check based on data, received from the vehicle, relating to the vehicles position, destination or planned route. A parking space in the car park may be reserved, using a car park management server, for a predicted arrival time. An optimal car park may be selected from several available car parks.

Description

(71) Applicant(s):

Robert Bosch GmbH (Incorporated in the Federal Republic of Germany) Postfach 30 02 20, D-70442 Stuttgart, Germany (51) INT CL:

G01C 21/34 (2006.01) (56) Documents Cited:

EP 2378249 A1 CN 104778853 A JP 2008064592 A US 20030154023 A1 (58) Field of Search:

INT CL G01C, G08G Other: WPI, EPODOC

G08G 1/0968 (2006.01)

WO 2010/109762 A1 CN 104776850 A US 20100274422 A1 (72) Inventor(s):

Stefan Nordbruch (74) Agent and/or Address for Service:

A.A. Thornton & CO.

Old Bailey, London, EC4M 7NG, United Kingdom (54) Title of the Invention: Method and device for navigating a motor vehicle

Abstract Title: Navigating a vehicle to a car park outside an area where the vehicle would be affected by driving restrictions (57) A check is performed to determine whether a vehicle is affected by a driving restriction prescribed for a geographical area. If so, a car park outside that area is determined so that the vehicle can be navigated to it. A vehicle may be affected by a restriction if its current position, destination or part of its route is within the restricted area. The check may be initiated manually, or automatically by either the vehicle or a remote server. The vehicle may perform the check based on driving restriction data received from a server. Alternatively, a remote server may run the check based on data, received from the vehicle, relating to the vehicle’s position, destination or planned route. A parking space in the car park may be reserved, using a car park management server, for a predicted arrival time. An optimal car park may be selected from several available car parks.

At least one drawing originally filed was informal and the print reproduced here is taken from a later filed formal copy.

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Description

Title

Method and device for navigating a motor vehicle

The invention relates to a method and a device for navigating a motor vehicle, a motor vehicle and a computer programme .

Prior art

Publication DE 10 controlling motor

2014 214 vehicles

489 Al discloses a method for in traffic.

Publication information

DE 10 2008 040 030 Al discloses system and a method therefor.

a driver

Disclosure of the invention

The underlying objective of the invention is to propose an efficient concept for efficiently navigating a motor vehicle .

These objectives are achieved by means of the respective subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified by the subject matter of the dependent claims respectively.

Based on one aspect, a method for navigating a motor vehicle is proposed, comprising the following steps:

checking whether the motor vehicle is affected by a driving restriction prescribed for a geographical area, if the check ascertains that the motor vehicle is affected by the prescribed driving restriction, determining a car park located outside the geographical area to enable the motor vehicle to be navigated to the car park.

Based on another aspect, a device for navigating a motor vehicle is proposed and the device is configured to implement or run the method for navigating a motor vehicle.

Based on another aspect, a computer programme is proposed, comprising programme code for implementing the method for navigating a motor vehicle when the computer programme is run on a computer, in particular on the device for navigating a motor vehicle.

Based on another aspect, a motor vehicle comprising the device for navigating a motor vehicle is proposed.

The invention is based on the knowledge that if there is a geographical area for which a driving restriction has been prescribed, drivers of motor vehicles will usually ask whether their motor vehicle is affected by the driving restriction and, this being the case, whether they are even permitted to drive into the geographical area or not, for example. Depending on this, a motor vehicle may not be in a position to continue its original route under certain circumstances, for example. The driver might well have chosen a totally different route or a totally different destination had he known that his motor vehicle was affected by the driving restriction.

Accordingly, the invention is based on the knowledge that to navigate a motor vehicle efficiently, it is of advantage to know whether a motor vehicle is affected by a driving restriction for a geographical area.

If the motor vehicle is affected by the driving restriction, the motor vehicle is therefore no longer able to drive without restriction in the geographical area or even enter it at all respectively drive through the geographical area. In such a situation, it may be of advantage for a driver to abandon the idea of travelling with the motor vehicle and continue his journey by some other means of transport and/or on foot, for example. As a rule, therefore, the driver will no longer need the motor vehicle for his current journey. A practical approach, therefore, will be to leave the motor vehicle somewhere safe, for which purpose a car park is usually a particularly suitable place.

It is therefore proposed by the invention that a car park be determined for the motor vehicle where the motor vehicle can be left or parked, and this car park is located outside the geographical area. The motor vehicle is still able to drive to this car park respectively the motor vehicle can still be navigated to this car park provided no driving restrictions have been prescribed for this car park.

The invention therefore proposes a concept which enables the motor vehicle to be navigated efficiently because, for example, possible detours or unnecessary journeys that might otherwise be made due to the driving restriction can be efficiently avoided.

In particular, unnecessary fuel consumption can be avoided as a result. In particular, an unnecessary loss of time for the driver can be avoided as a result.

The check to ascertain whether the motor vehicle is affected by the driving restriction is run on the basis of data specific to the motor vehicle, for example, which may comprise the following data respectively information, for example: number plate, vehicle number, vehicle colour, engine type, for example internal combustion engine, for example diesel engine, petrol engine or gas engine, electric engine, existence of an environmental badge, type of environmental badge.

A geographical area is an environmental zone, for example.

A driving restriction will exist because a threshold value for exhaust emission for the geographical area was exceeded, for example.

For example, a threshold value of an exhaust emission is a threshold value for nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and/or particulate emissions, for example soot.

What this means in particular is that a driving restriction has been provided or prescribed for the geographical area due to an inadmissibly high level of particulate pollution.

A driving restriction prescribes which motor vehicles may drive in respectively through the geographical area or even enter it at all, for example.

For example, the driving restriction might prescribe that only specific number plates, for example with an even respectively odd last digit, may drive in the geographical area respectively may not drive in the geographical area.

For example, the driving restriction might prescribe that only specific vehicle numbers, for example with an even respectively odd last digit, may drive in the geographical area respectively specifically may not drive in the geographical area.

For example, a driving restriction might prescribe that only motor vehicles of a specific colour may drive in the geographical area respectively specifically may not drive in the geographical area.

For example, a driving restriction might prescribe that only motor vehicles with a specific type of engine may drive in the geographical area respectively specifically may not drive in the geographical area. An engine type is an electric engine or an internal combustion engine, for example .

Based on one embodiment, the check is run on the basis of the current position of the motor vehicle and the motor vehicle is affected by the prescribed driving restriction if the current position of the motor vehicle is within the geographical area.

The technical advantage of this is that the check can be run efficiently, for example.

Based on one embodiment, the check is run on the basis of a planned route of the motor vehicle and the motor vehicle is affected by the prescribed driving restriction if the planned route is located at least partially within the geographical area.

Based on one embodiment, the planned route is a route predefined by the driver of the motor vehicle or a route determined on the basis of an electronic calendar of the driver of the motor vehicle or a route determined on the basis of a graph plotting several past journeys of the motor vehicle.

The technical advantage of this is that efficiently determined routes are used for checking purposes for example, which in turn results in the technical advantage of being able to run the check efficiently.

Based on one embodiment, the planned route is predefined by the driver of the motor vehicle.

Based on one embodiment, the planned route is determined on the basis of an electronic calendar of the driver of the motor vehicle.

Based on one embodiment, the planned route is determined on the basis of a graph plotting several past journeys of the motor vehicle, for example using a probability calculation. This means in particular that on the basis of several past journeys of the motor vehicle for example, it will be determined what route the motor vehicle will drive next with what probability. If the determined probability is greater than or equal to a predefined probability threshold value, this route will be used as the planned route, for example. If several routes with several probabilities are determined, the route with the highest probability will be used as the planned route, for example.

A graph plotting past journeys comprises past daily journeys, for example.

Based on one embodiment, the check is run on the basis of a predefined destination of the motor vehicle and the motor vehicle is affected by the prescribed driving restriction if the predefined destination of the motor vehicle is located within the geographical area.

Based on another embodiment, the check is initiated manually by the driver and/or is initiated automatically by means of the motor vehicle and/or is initiated automatically by means of a remote server.

The technical advantage of this is that the check can be initiated efficiently, for example. In particular, initiation might be described as triggering.

Based on another embodiment, if the check is initiated automatically by means of the motor vehicle, the motor vehicle requests driving restriction data prescribing the driving restrictions for geographical areas from a remote server via a communications network, and the motor vehicle runs the check on the basis of the driving restriction data .

The technical advantage of this is that the motor vehicle is able to run the check efficiently, for example.

Driving restriction data prescribes which vehicle-specific data a motor vehicle must have in order to be affected respectively not affected by the driving restriction, for example .

Based on one embodiment, if the check is initiated automatically by means of the motor vehicle, the motor vehicle issues a request to the driver of the motor vehicle as to whether the check should be run. In particular, the check is not run unless the driver authorises respectively confirms that the check should be run.

The technical advantage of this is that the driver of the motor vehicle is able to determine the start of the check, for example.

Based on one embodiment, if the check is initiated automatically by means of the remote server, the remote server receives data from the motor vehicle and/or from a terminal device of the driver of the motor vehicle via a communications network, the data comprising a current position of the motor vehicle and/or a destination of the motor vehicle and/or a planned route of the motor vehicle, and the remote server runs the check on the basis of the received data.

The technical advantage of this is that the server is efficiently able to decide whether the motor vehicle is affected by the driving restriction or not on the basis of the data, for example. In addition to or instead of the current position of the motor vehicle respectively in addition to or instead of the destination of the motor vehicle respectively in addition to or instead of the planned route of the motor vehicle, the aforementioned data comprises vehicle-specific data of the motor vehicle, for example .

Vehicle-specific data in the context of the description comprises the following data respectively information for example: number plate, vehicle number, vehicle colour, engine type, for example internal combustion engine, for example diesel engine, petrol engine or gas engine, electric engine, existence of an environmental badge, type of environmental badge.

Based on one embodiment, a check is run to ascertain whether the car park located outside the geographical area still has a free parking space and/or whether the car park located outside the geographical area will still have a free parking space at a foreseeable arrival time of the motor vehicle at the car park.

The technical advantage of this is that it can be efficiently ensured that the motor vehicle can also be left in the car park, for example.

Based on one embodiment, a reservation request for a parking space is sent to a car park management server of the car park via a communications network in order to reserve a parking space in the car park for the motor vehicle .

The technical advantage of this is that it can be efficiently ensured that a parking space in the car park that is currently free will not be occupied by another vehicle by the time the motor vehicle arrives at the car park, for example.

Based on one embodiment, the reservation request is initiated manually by means of the driver and/or is initiated automatically by means of the motor vehicle and/or is initiated automatically by means of a remote server.

The technical advantage of this is that the reservation request can be efficiently initiated, for example.

Based on one embodiment, a route from the determined car park to a destination of the motor vehicle is determined.

The technical advantage of this is that after parking the motor vehicle in the car park, the driver of the motor vehicle can be efficiently directed to his original destination, for example.

The route from the determined car park to the destination can be determined taking account of local public transport, for example. The route may therefore be wholly or partially travelled by local public transport, for example.

Based on one embodiment, a route from a current position of the motor vehicle to the determined car park is determined.

The technical advantage of this is that the motor vehicle can be efficiently navigated to the determined car park, for example.

Based on another embodiment, determining the car park located outside the geographical area comprises selecting as the determined car park to which the motor vehicle should be navigated that car park from a plurality of car parks located outside the geographical area which is located at the shortest distance from the geographical area and/or from which an optimum route to a destination of the motor vehicle was determined and/or which still has a free parking space and/or which will still have a free parking space at a foreseeable arrival time of the motor vehicle at the car park and/or which can be reached the quickest from a current position of the motor vehicle and/or which is at the shortest distance from a current position of the motor vehicle .

The technical advantage of this is that the car park to which the motor vehicle is navigated respectively should be navigated can be efficiently determined, for example.

Technical functions of the device for navigating a motor vehicle apply in the same way as the corresponding technical functions of the method for navigating a motor vehicle and vice versa.

In other words, the device features apply to the corresponding method features and vice versa.

Based on one embodiment, the method for navigating a motor vehicle is implemented or run by means of the device for navigating a motor vehicle.

Based on one embodiment, the device for navigating a motor vehicle is a navigation system, in particular a navigation system of a motor vehicle.

Based on one embodiment, the device for navigating a motor vehicle is a terminal device, in particular a mobile terminal device, for example a mobile telephone.

The invention may be implemented on the basis of software and/or hardware.

Based on one embodiment, the device for navigating a motor vehicle comprises a processor. The processor is configured to check whether the motor vehicle is affected by a driving restriction prescribed for a geographical area, for example. The processor is configured to determine a car park located outside the geographical area to enable the motor vehicle to be navigated to the car park if the check ascertains that the motor vehicle is affected by the prescribed driving restriction, for example.

The computer programme is an app, for example, which can be respectively is implemented on a terminal device, for example a mobile terminal device, in particular on a mobile telephone .

The computer programme is implemented on the aforementioned processor respectively can be implemented on the aforementioned processor, for example.

A car park in the context of the description comprises one or more parking spaces in which motor vehicles are able to park, for example.

The term respectively includes in particular the expression and/or.

A communications network in the context of the description comprises a wireless communications network and/or a hardwired communications network, for example.

A wireless communications network comprises a mobile radio communications network and/or a WLAN communications network, for example.

Based on one embodiment, the remote server is part of a cloud infrastructure.

Based on one embodiment, a communication between the motor vehicle and the remote server is run by means of a head control device (head unit).

The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples of preferred embodiments. Of the drawings :

Fig. 1 is a sequence diagram illustrating a method for navigating a motor vehicle,

Fig. 2 illustrates a device for navigating a motor vehicle and

Fig. 3 illustrates a motor vehicle.

Fig. 1 is a sequence diagram illustrating a method for navigating a motor vehicle.

The method comprises the following steps:

checking 101 whether the motor vehicle is affected by a driving restriction prescribed for a geographical area, if the check 101 ascertains that the motor vehicle is affected by the prescribed driving restriction, determining 103 a car park located outside the geographical area to enable the motor vehicle to be navigated to the car park.

If the check 101 ascertains that the motor vehicle is not affected by the prescribed driving restriction, the method terminates, for example.

The driving restriction prescribes that only motor vehicles having a green environmental badge may drive within the geographical area, for example.

In step 101, for example, a check is run to ascertain whether a planned route of the motor vehicle is located at least partially within the geographical area. If so, step 103 is run.

In step 101, for example, a check is run to ascertain whether a current position of the motor vehicle is located within the geographical area. If so, step 103 is run.

For example, the process of determining 103 the car park located outside the geographical area comprises selecting as the determined car park to which the motor vehicle should be navigated that car park from a plurality of car parks located outside the geographical area which is located at the shortest distance from the geographical area and/or from which an optimum route to a destination of the motor vehicle was determined and/or which still has a free parking space and/or which will still have a free parking space at a foreseeable arrival time of the motor vehicle at the car park and/or which can be reached the quickest from a current position of the motor vehicle and/or which is at the shortest distance from a current position of the motor vehicle .

Based on one embodiment, the motor vehicle navigates respectively is navigated from the current position of the motor vehicle to the determined car park on the basis of the determined route.

Fig. 2 illustrates a device 201 for navigating a motor vehicle .

The device 201 is configured to implement the method for navigating a motor vehicle.

For example, the method for navigating a motor vehicle is implemented or run by means of the device 201 for navigating a motor vehicle.

Based on one embodiment, the device 201 comprises a processor for checking whether the motor vehicle is affected by a driving restriction prescribed for a geographical area and for determining a car park located outside the geographical area to enable the motor vehicle to be navigated to the car park if the check ascertains that the motor vehicle is affected by the prescribed driving restriction.

The processor is configured to determine a route from the current position of the motor vehicle to the determined car park, for example.

Other technical functions of the device 201 respectively the processor apply directly to corresponding functions of the method and vice versa.

Fig. 3 illustrates a vehicle 301 comprising the device 201.

Claims

1. Method for navigating a motor vehicle, comprising the following steps:

checking (101) whether the motor vehicle is affected by a driving restriction prescribed for a geographical area, if the check (101) ascertains that the motor vehicle is affected by the prescribed driving restriction, determining (103) a car park located outside the geographical area to enable the motor vehicle to be navigated to the car park.

2. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the check (101) is run on the basis of the current position of the motor vehicle and the motor vehicle is affected by the prescribed driving restriction if the current position of the motor vehicle is within the geographical area.

3. Method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the check (101) is run on the basis of a planned route of the motor vehicle and the motor vehicle is affected by the prescribed driving restriction if the planned route is located at least partially within the geographical area .

4. Method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the planned route is a route predefined by the driver of the motor vehicle or a route determined on the basis of an electronic calendar of the driver of the motor vehicle or a route determined on the basis of a graph plotting several past journeys of the motor vehicle.

5. Method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the check (101) is run on the basis of a predefined destination of the motor vehicle and the motor vehicle is affected by the prescribed driving restriction if the predefined destination of the motor vehicle is located within the geographical area.

6. Method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the check (101) is initiated manually by the driver and/or is initiated automatically by means of the motor vehicle and/or is initiated automatically by means of a remote server.

7. Method as claimed in claim 6, wherein if the check (101) is initiated automatically by means of the motor vehicle, the motor vehicle requests driving restriction data prescribing the driving restrictions for geographical areas from a remote server via a communications network, and the motor vehicle runs the check (101) on the basis of the driving restriction data .

8. Method as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein if the check (101) is initiated automatically by means of the motor vehicle, the motor vehicle issues a request to the driver of the motor vehicle as to whether the check (101) should be run.

9. Method as claimed in one of claims 6 to 8, wherein if the check (101) is initiated automatically by means of the remote server, the remote server receives data from the motor vehicle and/or from a terminal device of the driver of the motor vehicle via a communications network, the data comprising a current position of the motor vehicle and/or a destination of the motor vehicle and/or a planned route of the motor vehicle, and the remote server runs the check (101) on the basis of the received data.

10. Method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein a check is run to ascertain whether the car park located outside the geographical area still has a free parking space and/or whether the car park located outside the geographical area will still have a free parking space at a foreseeable arrival time of the motor vehicle at the car park.

11. Method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein a reservation request for a parking space is sent to a car park management server of the car park via a communications network in order to reserve a parking space in the car park for the motor vehicle.

12. Method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the reservation request is initiated manually by means of the driver and/or is initiated automatically by means of the motor vehicle and/or is initiated automatically by means of a remote server.

13. Method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein a route from the determined car park to a destination of the motor vehicle is determined.

14. Method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein determining (103) the car park located outside the geographical area comprises selecting as the determined car park to which the vehicle should be navigated that car park from a plurality of car parks located outside the geographical area which is located at the shortest distance from the geographical area and/or from which an optimum route to a destination of the motor vehicle was determined and/or which still has a free parking space and/or which will still have a free parking space at a foreseeable arrival time of the motor vehicle at the car park and/or which can be reached the quickest from a current position of the motor vehicle and/or which is at the shortest distance from a current position of the motor vehicle.

15. Device (201) for navigating a motor vehicle, the device (201) being configured to implement the method as claimed in one of the preceding claims.

16. Motor vehicle (301) comprising the device (201) as claimed in claim 15.

17. Computer programme comprising programme code for implementing the method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 14 when the computer programme is run on a computer .

Dr Maurice Blount

14 May 2018

GB1718919.2

1-17