EP2311016A2

EP2311016A2 - Method and device for detecting relevant traffic obstruction in a state without navigational guidance

Info

Publication number: EP2311016A2
Application number: EP09772009A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jochen Katzer; Mathias Mühlfelder
Original assignee: Navigon AG
Current assignee: Garmin Wurzburg GmbH
Priority date: 2008-07-02
Filing date: 2009-07-01
Publication date: 2011-04-20
Also published as: DE102009031480A1; DE112009002164A5; WO2010000239A2; WO2010000239A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a navigation system in a state without navigational guidance, wherein at least one probable driving route is predicted (140) based on the actual vehicle position (06) and the driving direction (07) and the driving route is monitored (100-190) with regard to the occurrence of traffic disturbances (100) which are transmitted (110) by a news system signalling traffic disturbances. To this end, the method comprises the following steps: - determining at least one location-dependent environment parameter (120, 200), in particular the type of road along of which the vehicle is travelling, the position inside/outside of cities, previous driving history on the driving route and/or determining the region/country just travelled as a function of the vehicle position (06) and the driving direction (07); - determining a maximum distance value (08, 09) from the vehicle position (06) to the location of a reported traffic disturbance (100) along the driving route as a function of at least the location-dependent environment parameter (210), wherein the driver is informed on the traffic disturbance (180) which has thus been classified as being relevant when said environment parameter falls below a certain threshold value. Furthermore, the invention relates to a device which is suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention.

Description

Method and device for detecting relevant traffic obstructions in a non-navigational state

The invention relates to a method for operating a navigation system in a non-navigation-leading state, in which, based on the current vehicle position and direction, at least one probable route is predicted and the route is monitored for the occurrence of traffic disruptions that are transmitted by a traffic jam reporting system ,

Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for carrying out the method.

Methods for navigation are known from the prior art, in which a navigation guidance is performed and the input route is monitored for the occurrence of traffic disruptions reported by a traffic reporting system. As soon as a message of a traffic disturbance that occurs on the route ahead of the vehicle is received, a message is issued by the known navigation method and possibly offers a detour option for the affected by the traffic sub-route.

As an example of the above-mentioned method for monitoring a navigation-guided route for traffic disruptions, reference is made to EP 1 312 062 B1, which proposes a TMC-based method (Traffic Message Channel). The traffic message channel (TMC) transmits traffic impairments in the inaudible range of the FM signal in digital form, so that modern navigation systems receive traffic jams via TMC and provide routes for the transfer of traffic. congestion and disability. A further development of this is the TMCPro system, which dispenses with the supply of data from human sources and an automatic collection of traffic data, for example by Abstand- and congestion sensors, is made to detect and report traffic congestion.

However, there are a variety of applications in which the navigation system is turned on but not used in a navigational state, especially when the driver is driving on known routes. For example, the user uses the navigation system in the so-called "moving map" mode, where the user can display his current position on a digital map to better orient himself, without the need to specify a destination route Moving Map mode is frequently performed.

Thus, the navigation methods known from the prior art can detect a fault on a known route only when the user has requested a navigation guidance along a route to a destination. However, navigation systems known from the prior art are not capable of operating in an inactive, i. non-navigational state to recognize the traveled route and to analyze for traffic disruptions. In addition, navigation systems are often used in a non-navigation-leading state, for example, as part of a multimedia unit, for example, music or audio book playback from a digital

Memory, radio or a CD to receive, the navigation unit is active unnoticed in the background and detects the current position. In all these cases the driver has not entered a route and thus can not be warned of imminent traffic jams on the route ahead of him. However, methods are known from the prior art, which allow a warning of traffic routes in a non-navigational state. Thus, for example, DE 102 53 135 Al discloses a method for active and passive operation of a navigation system, in which at least in passive operation predicts a possible route and an indication of a traffic incident and a detour proposal can be issued. For this purpose, the method checks on a currently traveled road the occurrence of a traffic incident, which, if it is only a branch away, is reported. However, the procedure is not capable of a longer-term

Predict driving route and classify traffic disruptions that are more than one turn off as relevant.

Furthermore, EP 1 533 592 A1 also discloses a method for the passive operation of a navigation system that predicts a plurality of possible travel routes, wherein a distance criterion is used to filter whether a reported traffic disruption that is within a critical distance on a predicted travel route is for which a detour route is proposed to the driver.

A method for the passive operation of a navigation system also emerges from US 2002/0121989 A1, in which at least one possible route is detected on the basis of historical data and this route is monitored for the occurrence of traffic incidents. However, this method fails when driving on unknown roads for which no historical driving information is available.

In addition, EP 1 914 514 A1 discloses a method for operating a navigation system in a non-navigational state, which on the one hand relies on historical data of already traveled routes and, on the other hand, investigates predefinable routes for traffic disturbances. This method also makes it possible to predict a predicted route even for people who have never traveled before Routes assuming whereabouts on a main road. The main road in front of the vehicle is examined for the occurrence of traffic congestion. However, the method is not able to predict complex routes and to analyze distractions from the route to traffic congestion.

The document US 5,226,948 relates to a method for determining the position and direction of a vehicle on a digital map, so that a forecast of a probable route is possible. However, the method does not provide for monitoring this route for the occurrence of traffic congestion.

Finally, DE 102 33 376 A1 discloses a method for operating a navigation system in a non-navigational state, which forecasts the route when the route is not entered and monitors it for relevant traffic reports. For this purpose, the system also relies on historical data from past route histories and monitors the predicted routes for reported traffic disruptions. However, the proposed method is unable to define a probability with which a reported traffic disturbance can actually be a hindrance to further driving, depending on the type of route.

Based on the above-outlined prior art, the problem arises that in a forecast of a route no estimate is made, whether detected traffic disturbances on this route are relevant for the onward journey or not. Thus, no specific route criteria will be considered in determining whether or not a traffic congestion will continue to be relevant on the predicted route and, thus, reporting a variety of traffic disruptions that will in fact be irrelevant to the driver and unnecessary Create detours that are associated with lost time and fuel. This is often due to the often short lifetimes of certain traffic reports and the decreasing probability the further course of the affected section of track so that distant messages can be largely ignored.

The object of the present invention is therefore to propose a method and a device for a non-navigation-guiding operation, which monitors with high security an occurrence of traffic disturbances on a predicted route and only informs the driver of the relevant traffic disturbances. In this case, the invention is intended to provide the possibility of a warning of traffic disturbances by a navigation system in the course of a journey, the navigation system determines the route to be traveled, which is monitored for traffic reports, regardless of a route defined by start and end point. Instead, the probable route is determined based on the currently traveled road and for a predeterminable distance.

This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1 and a device according to claim 27.

Advantageous developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

For this purpose, the invention proposes a method for operating a navigation system in a non-navigation-leading state, which predicts at least one probable route based on the current vehicle position and direction, and which routes are communicated to the occurrence of traffic jams transmitted by a traffic jam message system. supervised. The method is characterized in that the following steps are included:

Determination of at least one location-dependent environmental parameter, in particular the type of road being traveled, position within / outside of localities, previous driving history on the route and / or determination of the region which has just been traveled on / land, depending on the vehicle position and direction of travel;

Determining a maximum distance value from the vehicle position to the location of a reported traffic disturbance along the travel route as a function of at least the location-dependent environmental parameter, below which the driver is informed of the traffic disturbance classified as relevant.

In other words, the invention relates to a method for monitoring a predicted route in a non-navigation-leading state, as is already known from the prior art, and determines, based on the current vehicle position and direction, location-dependent environmental parameters, such as type of road traveled, drive through a locality or outside a locality, experience of previously traveled routes along this road and similar parameters. Starting from at least one of these location-dependent environmental parameters, a locally valid maximum distance value is determined from the vehicle position to the location of a possible traffic disturbance, so that only traffic disturbances that are reported within this maximum value on the predicted driving route are displayed to the driver. Thus, a congestion warning function is provided which allows the user to do so without further input, i. usually by pure switch-on operation, it is possible to get reports of relevant traffic jams, whereby traffic jam messages which are not likely to be on the route or which have already been resolved until they reach their destination are ignored.

The underlying method is fundamentally based on a prediction of the route to be traveled in the future and on monitoring this route for the existence or arrival of traffic reports, for example via the RDS-TMC channel or else via wireless point-to-point communication ( for example, IP based connections via GPRS / UMTS / EDGE / WLAN / WiMax or messaging systems such as SMS, MMS or similar).

While the prediction of a driver's further route is in certain circumstances possible only with very great inaccuracy (e.g., within a city), there are also situations in which prediction of the progression is very possible. As an indicator of such path prediction parameters, the following location-dependent environmental parameters can be used:

• Road number of the currently used road;

• Roads with defined ascents / descents (Controlled Access

Roads);

• circle around the user (possibly depending on the importance of the road currently in use);

• direction of travel of the user;

• position within / outside closed towns;

• Driving history (longer drive through rural or metropolitan area, driving style, average speed, etc.).

With knowledge of at least one of the aforementioned environmental parameters, a good prediction is possible in which critical maximum distance traffic disruptions can occur which will be relevant for the onward journey. Therefore, in the context of the method according to the invention, algorithms are also used which use a so-called "path prediction" and predict the possible further course of the route on the basis of further parameters. For example, reference is made to the article by Jimmy Krozel, "Intelligent Path Prediction for Vehicular Travel". AI Magazine, Volume 15, Number 1, 1994 pp. 67-68, noted. To illustrate the method according to the invention serves the following example: Is the driver with his vehicle on a road that has a certain importance and has a unique number (eg, federal highway (B3, B l, 2, 3 ...) and highways (A7 , A3, ...) in Germany, European roads (E3, ...)), so it is relatively likely that the driver will continue on this road for a while. Taking into account the direction of travel on this road and limits the search for relevant traffic reports to all those messages that are in the specified direction on the street with the current street number within a certain radius, so these traffic reports can be brought to the user to display , This can then make further decisions.

In one variant of the method according to the invention, at least one location parameter is evaluated in order to select one of a plurality of predetermined maximum distance values and to carry out the distance comparison against them. Different criteria can be considered as location parameters; It is particularly advantageous to use as a location parameter the road category, which can be determined in particular from the Nameroute type. Numbered road types are marked with the "Nameroute-Type" attribute, which defines a numerical hierarchy of road numbering numbers, so that European roads, highways, highways, highways ... are populated with Nameroute types, such as in Europe's European roads ( E), Autoroutes (A), Routes Nationales (N) and Routes Departementales (D) Based on these Nameroute types, motorways can have a greater maximum distance than federal highways It is also advantageous to use the information as location parameter, whether the driver is located in a closed village or outside a built - up area, taking into account the difference of being in a city on a main road to reach a nearby motorway In this case, it is uninteresting for the driver to receive a traffic report 100 km away, which relates to this highway, while 100 km on a highway overland travel quite a relevant preview distance. Another useful location parameter is the length of the ride at the current time. So it makes a difference whether a driver drives off just in a city and thus the above situation can occur, or whether he is already on the road for a while - for example, in the absence of highways in the area. In this case, a longer foresight than for a start on a highway in a city makes sense. Another aspect is the type of road on which the driver is traveling. If it is an at least motorway-like developed road, which can only be driven or left by junctions - in the common maps, this property is represented by the attribute 'controlled access' -, then in turn a tendentially longer maximum distance value makes sense. Especially in combination with the location parameter 'closed locality' / 'overland', this provides a suitable corrective to suitably observe the manageable driving distance. It is also part of the invention to provide combinations of said location parameters and to define corresponding maximum distance values for these combinations.

In principle, the maximum distance value can be determined arbitrarily, in particular directly from the specific location-dependent environmental parameters. In one embodiment, however, it is advantageous that the maximum distance value is determined indirectly by determining an expected travel time to the location of a traffic disturbance as a function of the environmental parameter, the traffic disruption type, the time of day and / or the travel route. In this case, for example, serve a predetermined travel time for driving off a road segment for the mood of a total journey time, based on this from a variable average travel speed, for example From historical data, empirical values, in particular for certain periods, or can be retrieved wirelessly retrievable data, can calculate a maximum distance value. For example, at certain times, such as the typical commuter commuting in the morning between 7 and 9 o'clock or in the evening between 16 and 18 o'clock at an occurrence of

Traffic jams can be expected with much longer traffic jam resolution and waiting times, while traffic jams in the late evening or at night or in the late morning time usually allow a short waiting time.

Furthermore, by a known average speed on a traveled route and a known distance up to one

Traffic disruption determines a travel time at which it is foreseeable in certain traffic disturbance types that when the location of the traffic disruption is reached this will already be resolved. Thus, the maximum distance value for each reported traffic disruption and the typical pass time of this traffic disruption or the expected travel time can change up to the location of the traffic disruption. Thus, it is advantageous for each type of traffic disruption, taking into account the location-dependent parameters and other boundary conditions, such as time, type of traffic disruption, a determination of the maximum distance value for assessing whether the traffic incident will be relevant or not to provide.

Furthermore, if the maximum distance value corresponds to an airline continuous value, it is advantageous to determine a maximum driving distance value and / or a maximum driving time value up to a relevant traffic disturbance by means of at least one empirically determined conversion factor, in particular a conversion factor per road type. When a traffic incident occurs, it is very easy to determine an airline distance between the current vehicle position and the location of the traffic incident. However, to determine the driving distance between the current position and the location of the traffic disruption, a route planning has to be carried out which is time-and-computed. is intense. Empirically, it is therefore possible to determine from the easily determinable air-line distance value and the location-dependent environmental parameter, in particular the road type, a conversion factor which serves to determine a realistic driving distance. For highways, for example, a value of 1, 2 to 1, 3 has been found to be sufficient. Other road types may have other factors.

Moreover, as already mentioned, it can be quite advantageous, starting from an individually currently reported traffic disturbance, to determine a maximum distance value for this traffic disturbance from an expected pass time of the traffic disturbance and at least one empirically determined travel speed, in particular one travel speed per road type. Thus, when traffic accidents occur on rural roads, a different maximum distance value can be determined than for highways to assess whether or not this traffic accident is relevant for the onward journey. Furthermore, e.g. a warning of morning fog as a traffic disruption make a maximum distance value determinable, which ensures with high certainty that the morning mist continues to exist when the fault point is reached, since it is known from experience, for example, from which time a morning mist has dissolved. Thus, from an expected pass time of traffic congestion, which in many cases can be determined empirically, and the travel speed, an individual maximum distance value can be determined for each individual type of traffic disruption. Traffic disruptions according to the TMC standard are typified by so-called event codes, so the assignment of such pass time values can advantageously be mapped via the TMC event codes

Thus, it is quite conceivable and advantageous that a plurality of maximum distance values for different traffic disturbance types, different times of the day, etc. can be determined, so that a maximum distance value can be determined individually for each individual traffic disturbance. To determine a predicted route and / or the maximum distance value, it may be advantageous to use historical data. Thus, frequently driven routes can be examined for what average speed was achieved, and which typical pass time had reported traffic disruptions. On the basis of these historical data, when a traffic incident affecting this route occurs, a maximum distance value associated with the traffic disturbance can be estimated in order to assess whether or not the traffic incident is relevant for the onward journey.

Furthermore, with regard to the route forecast, it is advantageously conceivable that a determination of the predicted route is assumed to remain on the currently used road type, in particular on a numbered road type (Nameroute type). It is therefore advantageous to adopt one or particular values of the Nameroute types and to use the inventive method only for them, eg. the procedure only for the Nameroute type European road and highway apply. Normally, the Nameroute type European route has the value 1, so that, for example, the method is activated only for the Nameroute type 1 or 1 -3.

It is quite conceivable and advantageous that the follower segments linked topologically via nodes in the direction of travel of the current segment are identified as the following segment and part of the route likely to be traveled, since the probability of remaining on the numbered street type is quite high ,

In a further exemplary embodiment of the method, to determine the predicted route, a graph tree of roads that are likely to continue to be used as segments of the graph tree is created at least up to a distance of the maximum distance value. Thus, to find the predicted route, a graphene tree is created, which, as segments, predicts the travel direction and potentially can be traveled. The individual segments of the graph tree extend at least up to a distance from the current vehicle position to the maximum distance value that was previously determined. Thus, the lengths of the segments are summed from the current position to at least the maximum distance value.

In this context, the problem arises how this graphene tree can be constructed. For this purpose, it is advantageous for the graph tree to be expanded cyclically as the drive continues, and for driving through to remove segments from the graph tree. Due to the fact that the vehicle is usually moving, the distances between the current location and the segments concerning the respective road change, thus new segments are considered, and passed segments become meaningless. It is therefore advantageous to check permanently or cyclically whether new segments are added in order to add them to the graph or tree so that new segments are added only at open ends of the graph (leaves of the tree). Similarly, with the movement of the vehicle, segments are traversed that are behind the vehicle and are no longer relevant to potential traffic announcements. Therefore, it is also advantageous that the traversed segments are removed from the stored graph tree.

Alternatively, but in addition to this, it is quite conceivable that the graphene tree is completely rebuilt at least at regular intervals, especially when a new traffic message arrives. First of all, it has to be examined whether the new traffic report concerns the route likely to be traveled. Rebuilding the graphene tree has the advantage that no segment has to be removed and thus no additional main memory for the graphene tree has to be maintained. Finally, changing from one numbered street to another street does not clean up the graph

(garbage-collecting) required, but at the next cyclic or Event-triggered rebuilding of the graphene tree only the roads to be driven on with new road numbers are used as the basic criterion. In this way, the tree can be rebuilt in a short time with a completely new orientation and probably predicted route instead of realigning dynamically and costly in several steps. This also corrects errors in the tree and makes a completely new forecast of the route.

If a traffic disturbance warning based on a TMC system is used, which also means a TMC-Pro system that enables automatic data collection of traffic disruptions by fixed traffic surveillance sensors in particular, TMC location codes are transmitted, the entire segments, especially between two departures of consecutively arranged road segments. These are usually so-called TMC location codes, the use of these codes being independent of the traffic information transmission path, i. also via a point-to-point connection, can be transmitted. For this reason, it is advantageous that, for each road segment, the associated or associated TMC location code (s) are determined and stored in a TMC segment assignment list, TMC location codes of reported traffic disturbances using the TMC segment assignment lists be assigned to a road segment. Due to the fact that in current digital road maps TMC location codes are assigned to the segments, there is an N: M relationship between the entities. In this case, the assignment of the traffic message to the segments is basically arbitrary, a TMC segment assignment list, however, makes it possible to quickly find the affected road segment when a TMC location code arrives. Thus, when a TMC location code arrives, the affected one very quickly

Can be found very efficiently whether the segment is on a predicted route, ie half of the established graphene tree, and thus should be warned below the maximum distance value of the driver from the traffic jam.

In many cases, more than one TMC location code is associated with a segment, especially if the segment allows bi-directional travel, as is typically found on highways and in the city. In such a case, the situation may arise that one TMC location code for one direction of travel and also another TMC location code for the opposite direction of travel exist. In this case, it is advantageous that only segments directed in the direction of travel are deposited in the graph tree, and a TMC location code relating to an oncoming lane of a segment is not considered with regard to a traffic disruption. Thus, no misleading traffic alerts are issued that concern only a traffic incident on an oncoming lane.

The basis for viewing directed segments within the graph tree is an assignment of two directions of travel to a segment in the network of a digital road map connecting two nodes. In the search for the segment according to the method described above, the map can be searched topologically, wherein in a known vehicle direction, only the segment is taken in the graphene tree, which is directed in the vehicle direction. In known digital maps, the TMC location codes are also available as directional codes. Thus, a road section between two terminals including TMC location codes 4503 and 4504, for example, is assigned TMC location code 4504P (P = plus) toward terminal 4504, while the road section in the opposite direction is TMC location code 4503M (M = Minus) gets assigned. For a street with separate digitized lanes there is thus one TMC location code per segment, while for a single digitized street, eg overland and federal highways, there are two TMC location codes are available, but with the opposite direction identifier, in the example 4504P and 4503M. Based on this information of the traveled direction through the segment, the correctly directed TMC location code can now be read out and inserted into the second list. If, on the other hand, there are two TMC location codes, both of which are directed in positive (P) or both in the negative (M) direction and lie on one segment in the same direction, both TMC location codes can be placed in the second list (TMC segment code). Assignment list).

In a further conceivable embodiment of the method, it is advantageous that, before the identification of a directed segment, it is determined whether this segment is already present in the graphene tree in the other direction. This may be the case if unfavorable turns, cross connections, etc. in the digital map leave the direction of travel and the opposite direction may have to be considered.

If a graph tree is constructed, basically only a single maximum distance value for the entire graph tree can be determined. However, it is entirely conceivable and possible for the method to be predicted, at least for each branch of the graph tree or for each segment of the graph tree, in particular each segment of road number and type number other than the currently traveled segment for which at least a certain probability of a travel route is performed recursively, in each case a maximum distance value for each segment or for each branch or each possible route course is determined. In other words, this means that different maximum distance values are assumed, at least for different possible routes, in particular for segments with other road type numbers or nameroute types, ie for other road types. For example, when traveling on a motorway, a maximum distance value may be provided when following the highway, wherein a possible departure on a main road within a second maximum distance value, which is generally selected smaller than the maximum distance value for the highway, is examined for relevant traffic disruptions. This should also take into account that the probability of remaining on the highway is higher than a possible turnoff to the main road. Branches or branches of this highway from one or more country road (s), so can or can be determined for these a third or more third maximum distance values, so that the highways for a also still shorter maximum distance value on the occurrence of a

Traffic disturbance are investigated, wherein at least in an increased likelihood of driving on the main road and subsequent highway the traffic disturbances occurring on this route are displayed to the driver within a shorter maximum distance from the current vehicle position. Conversely, for example, when driving on a federal highway, it is very probable to branch off onto an adjacent motorway, so that in this case the maximum distance value for monitoring a neighboring freeway that could soon be diverted is greater than the maximum distance value for the federal highway being used is.

When assigning TMC location codes to road segments, there is a special situation when a segment on which the vehicle is currently located has several numbered roads. Such situations of overlapping numbered roads exist especially in the case of federal highways, e.g. at road passages (e.g.

Eibbrücken in Hamburg: B4 / B75), but also for highways (eg A3 / A4 on the eastern Cologne Ring). For these segments, it is advantageous that the method is performed at least for the road type with the most significant number. Thus, at least for the determination of the largest maximum distance value, the method is used with respect to the highest order street entyp number. Alternatively, it is also conceivable that for each road number currently being traveled the procedure is carried out separately, even if several road numbers relate to an identical road segment. For example, traffic reports relating to an identical section of the car, identified as both A3 and A4 within a certain range, can be independently processed by the method for both the A3 and the A4.

In the former embodiment, road numbers that are one category lower than at least one other road number associated with the segment are ignored. Running e.g. a highway and a highway parallel, so only the highway is followed up. It is also advantageous in this case to select the abovementioned location parameters for determining the maximum distance value only on the basis of the highest existing road number.

By reporting a relevant traffic incident, the driver is notified of a traffic problem on the route ahead of him. As a rule, the driver endeavors to avoid this traffic disruption. Thus, it is advantageous that, in the event of a traffic disturbance detected on the predicted driving route within a maximum distance value, a navigation guidance is performed on the driver's request in order to bypass the traffic disruption. Thus, the driver can decide for himself whether the received message actually affects his intended route. The driver can ignore the message and request a proposal of a detour route. It often happens in practice that you drive a fairly long distance frequently and do not need route guidance, eg because you are traveling several hundred kilometers on the same freeway. Alternative routes are therefore rarely known. In this case, the method intervenes and assists the driver by suggesting a detour route that bypasses the disturbance. In principle, it is arbitrary how the method determines the detour route. However, it has been found to be advantageous for the navigation guide to avoid a traffic disturbance to select a departure and an ascent from / to the predicted travel route as the start or destination, which enables a distance or minimum time bypassing of the traffic incident. Thus, the navigation system tries to approach as close as possible to the reported traffic disruption and also to choose the driveway as close as possible to the end of the affected traffic disruption segment. This ensures that the journey only affects a small part of the predicted route.

Based on this, it is entirely conceivable and advantageous for the bypass to select a driveway onto the route which leads into the segment following the segment affected by the traffic disruption, which segment has a different TMC location code than the segment of the traffic jam. In this context, it is quite conceivable that the bypass selects a departure from a segment immediately before the segment affected by the TMC location code.

For carrying out the method, it is irrelevant whether the route guidance for avoiding the disturbance is automatically proposed by the system or has to be confirmed by the user. In the latter case, it is advantageous because of a distraction-poor interaction between the driver and the navigation system that the driver requests a detour navigation guidance by means of voice control for acoustic and / or visual notification of a relevant traffic disruption. An acoustic request for a detour navigation guidance allows the driver to concentrate on the route, in particular in front of him lying traffic problems, without programming the navigation system cumbersome to prepare a navigation guidance.

In one possible embodiment, the bypass navigation guidance switches off automatically after reaching a destination segment behind the traffic incident, and the method starts again as usually to run and pay attention to disturbances in the further course of the predicted route. This means that for determining the detour route a usual navigation guidance is performed from a starting point on the route before the relevant traffic incident to a destination on the route after the relevant traffic incident, bypassing the restricted segment, in particular with TMC support, and a shutdown of the navigation guidance when re-entering the route takes place automatically. Thus, after execution of the detour navigation, the normal inactive operation of the navigation device is returned, so that the driver does not have to perform an active deactivation of the navigation guidance for this purpose.

Frequently, several traffic disruptions within a maximum distance value occur on a predicted route, and / or several alternative routes can be selected. This results in a disadvantage, since the Umfahrungsmöglichkeit is usually not displayed transparently and the user must bypass all traffic jams concerned the route individually, with no combined representation of the plurality of alternative routes is possible. In order to solve this further problem, it is proposed in a further exemplary embodiment that, to determine the detour route, the method offers the driver at least two detour alternative routes - if ascertainable - for selection. By selecting at least two alternative routes, where, for example, the distance one and around leads around the traffic disruption, but a second bypasses two or more on the route traffic disturbances, the driver a high degree of flexibility and clarity of the detour navigation is opened. As a result, the driver has the option of selecting a different bypass alternative route than the first one found by the system, in particular in the case of several traffic incidents occurring, but also in the event of only a single traffic disruption The first detour may have fewer kilometers, but may be longer in time than a second detour.

Based on this, it is entirely conceivable and advantageous that at least individual segments of a first detour route are subjected to punitive surcharges, in particular multi-kilometer, overtime, in order to determine further detour alternative routes for calculating at least one second detour alternative route. If, for example, a first alternative route alternative route is calculated, then a second alternative route detour route can be calculated, which is normally more disadvantageous, since distance or time is disadvantageous than the first detour route. Since optimization algorithms are usually present in navigation systems, an unfavorable evaluation of the first found and generally more advantageous detour route may force the system to find a second route which offers an "apparent" advantage over the first alternative route occupied by penalty surcharges By adding penalty penalties, eg longer detour or increased time duration, it becomes unlikely for the routing algorithm to consider the segments of the first detour alternative route be performed to a predetermined number of desired alternative routes.

If more than one diversion alternative route is calculated, then it is conceivable and advantageous that, with regard to at least one second detour alternative route found, one or more selection aid information (s) about mileage, overtime or the like are displayed. Information relating to the alternative routes serves to orient the driver by providing information, whereby the first one differs from the second detour route, and supports him in the needs-based selection of the detour route.

In particular, it makes sense to present a comparative presentation of the additional costs when selecting the second alternative route to the first alternative route.

Furthermore, it is advantageous to present to the driver at least one combined map-based route course representation about the course of the detected alternate route routes with regard to the calculated bypass alternative routes. Due to the fact that a human being can capture visually recorded routes much faster than textually described routes, a map-based graphical route representation of several, in particular all, found alternative routes of rapid orientation and optimal decision making for selecting an alternative route by the driver.

In principle, any number of detour routes can be calculated. Alternatively, a fixed number may be entered to calculate the alternate route routes. However, it is quite conceivable and advantageous, in the case of finding alternate detour routes through the occupancy of discovered routes with penalty surcharges, in particular multi-kilometer, overtime, etc., to calculate a further detour alternative route and compare this with the previously calculated Umfahrungsalternativroute (assessed with penalties) , It makes sense to terminate the calculation if the last-calculated alternate route of the route is more disadvantageous than any previously calculated alternate route detour routes that have been penalized. Thus, it is ensured that no detour alternative routes are determined, which are considerably more disadvantageous than previously discovered detour alternative routes (with penalties), whereby the number of detour alternative detour routes is greatly restricted and only detour alternative routes are offered, which are disadvantageous in a certain tolerance range as previously found routes.

In this case, it is conceivable that the penalties would depend on other parameters, such as Road type number, rural or urban area or other location-dependent parameters.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a navigation device for carrying out the method according to the invention. For this purpose, the navigation device according to the invention comprises a position-determining device (usually a GPS position-determining device), a traffic disturbance reporting system, in particular a TMC receiving device, a map memory, an output device and a traffic disturbance monitoring controller. Here, the navigation apparatus is characterized in that the controller is a position and heading determining unit for determining the vehicle position and direction on a digital map road, a forecast route determining unit for determining a probable route, a maximum distance determination unit for determining a maximum distance value for locating a relevant traffic disturbance, a traffic disturbance selection and comparison unit, in particular a TMC location code selection and comparison unit, for selecting relevant traffic disturbances from the reported traffic disturbances and a warning output device for formulating a warning of relevant traffic disturbances. The above-mentioned devices are related to one another in such a way that the controller is designed to select one or more relevant traffic disturbances from the reported traffic disruptions that are closer than the maximum distance along the travel route and to acoustically and / or optically display the driver by means of the output device warn of the relevant traffic incident (s). In other words, the navigation device comprises the commonly existing traffic jamming notification systems, position determination devices and card memories, as well as an output device, typically a display, in particular a touch screen display, and a controller, ie a computing unit, which is the computer-based

Performs navigation tasks of the navigation device. Within the controller, the position and driving direction determination unit serves to determine a vehicle position on a digital map and to determine a direction of travel, so that the relevant directional segment can be identified, particularly in the case of directed segments. Furthermore, the controller includes a forecasted route determination unit that can predetermine a likely traveled route using prior art path prediction methods and, in particular, can predict the whereabouts or change to road types with higher street type numbering the controller comprises a maximum distance value determination unit which, depending on location-dependent bypass parameters, in particular traveled road type, position within / outside of localities, previous travel history on the route and / or determination of the currently traversed region / country, a maximum distance value for monitoring traffic congestion on the By means of a traffic jamming selection and comparison unit, when traffic incidents occur, in particular TMC location codes, it is determined whether these codes are segments which are located in front of the vehicle expected route, and whether these traffic disturbances occur within the critical maximum distance. In the event of a relevant traffic disturbance occurring within the maximum distance value, a warning of relevant traffic disturbances is prepared within the controller by means of a warning output device and brought to the attention of the driver by means of an output device. In this case, it is advantageous for the warning output device to comprise a bypass determination device which can perform detour navigation for performing a detour around one or more relevant traffic incidents. By means of a bypass possibility, the driver can request a detour navigation guidance by the navigation device and thus put the device in an "active" mode, by means of which he is guided around the traffic congestion.

Furthermore, it is advantageous that the device comprises an acoustic input device with which a rerouting desire of the driver for a relevant traffic disturbance can be initiated by a spoken command of the driver. This is particularly useful not to distract the driver unnecessarily, especially if a relevant traffic incident occurs in front of him.

In the following, the invention will be explained with reference to figures.

Show it:

1 is a flowchart illustrating the main flow of an embodiment of the method according to the invention;

2 is a flowchart of the embodiment, which the

Represents steps to determine the probable route;

FIG. 3 is a table of the embodiment for determining the maximum distance value based on the "road type" and "in-situ / out-of-location" environmental parameters; FIG.

Fig. 4-6 a map of Würzburg and surroundings with different positions of a vehicle; Fig. 7 is a map representation of one embodiment of various particular alternative routes;

8 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a navigation device according to the invention.

The basic procedure of an embodiment is shown in FIG. 1 as a flow chart. It is assumed that the navigation system in question has been set to display relevant traffic information according to the inventive method. In the presentation made here, the method is triggered by the arrival of a new traffic message (TMC traffic message). Other options, in particular a permanent or cyclic queries or the detection of a significant movement of the vehicle as a trigger for the process, are also conceivable.

After arrival of the traffic message (1 10) is first checked where the vehicle is located (120). Usually, navigation systems permanently perform so-called map matching, which maps the position, for example determined by GPS, to an object in the map, in particular a segment, that is to say matched. By standard card access methods, which are also executed, for example, by software modules such as the Advice, the name (s) of the street represented by the segment can be determined become (120). The method only makes sense if a street 1 has a street number, otherwise the procedure will already jump to the end and will not output the traffic report directly. Verification 130 may additionally check whether the road category (road type) should be checked. Thus, only the top three categories (in Germany: European road, highway and highway) could be used, below these categories, the procedure is not applied. In this case, in the case of a district road, for example, at branch 130, one would jump directly to 170 and thus to the end (190). In step 140, the most probable route is now determined (predicted) on the basis of the road number (s) determined in 120. This procedure is outlined in Fig. 2 and explained below. The result of step 140 is a first list of segments. From this list, a second list of TMC location codes, ie a TMC segment assignment list, which contains the segments from the first list, is now determined in 150. Each TMC location code is inserted only once in the TMC segment assignment list. If other codes are used both in the traffic data transmission and in the digital map available, so the process can be carried out without any problems with it.

Based on the TMC segment allocation list, it is now checked whether the traffic report is likely to be relevant to the user or not. For this purpose the traffic message 100 is analyzed, and all the TMC location codes contained therein are determined. At branch 160, it is now determined whether or not the intersection of the two TMC Location Code sets from the TMC segment allocation list and the traffic message is empty. If the quantity is empty, a traffic message is branched off in 170 and no traffic message is output, otherwise a branch is made in 180 and the message is output or otherwise brought to the attention or further processing of the user.

FIG. 2 illustrates in detail the procedure in operation 140 of FIG. 1: the current segment and the determined road number (s) for which the most probable routes (n) are determined are known at this time should). The process begins with the identification of the location parameters (200), which are necessary for the determination of the maximum distance value. Depending on the complexity of the method, one or more of the available parameters may or may be taken into account here. FIG. 3 illustrates in this connection how the maximum distance value can be determined (see below). Now in 220 the possible segments are determined. In the version presented here, all candidates are first determined, and then filtered, which come into question. Alternatively, new segments could also be iteratively determined, and once the first one is found that does not meet the criteria, it is assumed that its successor also does not meet the criteria (in particular the distance criterion), and at least that strand of the graph is aborted. In the variant shown here, a loop is now started in 230 over all candidate segments, which leads to loop end 300. All actions performed on it are executed on all candidate segments.

First, the determined distance is evaluated as the most important criterion. For this, the segment distance must be calculated (240), or if this corresponds to the distance of the distance, it makes more sense to calculate this distance successively in 220 and store it with each candidate segment. Alternatively, not shown in this example, the time distance could also be used. If the segment distance is less than the maximum distance value (250) determined in step 210, then the segment can still be considered a candidate, otherwise it is discarded (260) and the loop continues to the next segment.

If the check is positive in step 250, check whether the segment already exists in the segment list 290 (270). If this is not the case, then it can be added to the segment list (graphene tree) in 280. As long as there are still more segments to be processed, in 300 again branches to the loop start or this process is terminated.

3 shows, as a look-up table, an exemplary embodiment according to which environmental parameters the maximum distance value can be determined. As shown above, the location parameters are determined based on the starting segment. For this, it is determined in this example: - Road type (Nameroute type);

- Controlled Access (ie only passable via connection points, if not relevant for the maximum distance, is in the table a '-');

- the starting segment is in a closed locality (if it is in a closed locality, the starting point is the place where the journey started (not important for overland routes, therefore marked '-')).

It is easy to see that for European roads and highways, in this example, no difference is made as to whether the start segment is urban or inland. For federal roads, especially those without

Controlled Access, the difference is 30 km in built-up areas and 100 km in overland areas.

It makes sense to maintain this table differently for different countries. Especially in densely populated transit countries such as Belgium, other values make sense for federal highways than, for example, in Portugal, where there are only a few highways.

Figures 4-6 show a concrete example of how the method can be used. For this purpose, a map 1 of the Würzburg area is shown. In the scenario shown in Figs. 4-6 is a driver in Würzburg and drives to a known address to Munich. He has NOT entered his destination in his navigation system, so that the navigation system is in a non-navigational state.

Fig. 4 shows a map display, wherein the vehicle is located at a vehicle position 6 and moves in the direction of the arrow. In the inner city 2 of Würzburg many roads are first used that do not fall into the grid described in the invention (3), ie they either have no street number or they belong to a category not considered. In the area there are highways 4 and highways 5. The vehicle position 6 indicates that the driver is on a road that is not considered for the procedure. There is no search for relevant messages.

In the situation shown in Fig. 5, the driver drives on the B l 3 in the direction Ochsenfurt (6). The system now takes into account the direction of travel and a maximum distance value matching the federal highway (e.g., 30 km - shown hatched (09)). Once the city area is abandoned, this maximum distance 09 can be increased. Since the driver is near the A3 (04) motorway, in this situation the system is already monitoring the motorway routes towards Frankfurt and Nuremberg with a motorway-specific maximum distance value 08 (shaded) for the occurrence of relevant traffic obstructions.

The driver changes at the ramp Würzburg / Randersacker on the A3 in the direction of Nuremberg (6). The system now considers in Fig. 6 the direction of travel and a maximum distance value appropriate to the highway (e.g., 100 km). If there is a traffic jam on the A3 in the direction of Nuremberg at a distance of 37km, it will be shown to the user. Alternatively, a bypass route can be calculated. As the driver approaches the intersection A3 / A7, the method monitors the likewise possible and therefore predicted courses of the A7 in both directions of travel within the maximum distance value 08.

The further course in the direction of Munich is shown as equivalent to FIG. 6 and treated analogously.

FIG. 7 shows a map representation of possible courses of alternative routes which can be found by an exemplary embodiment of the method. For this purpose, a bypass navigation device is activated in the method, wherein a plurality of alternative routes 28, 29, 30 are proposed. For this purpose, FIG. 7 shows the logic in the processing of traffic reports on a predicted route. For example the navigation device receives several traffic reports concerning the predicted route 25 - solid thin line. In the example, there are three traffic reports 26, 27. Two traffic reports 26 (solid thick line) are so serious that they are within the maximum distance value and thus a congestion bypass 28, 29 is proposed. Another traffic disruption 27 (dotted thick line) is designed on the basis of its type, for example halting traffic with a short pass time, so that it lies below the maximum distance value relevant to this traffic disturbance 27 and thus no alternative route is offered for this traffic disturbance.

There would be the possibility of bypassing the two blocking traffic reports 26 (briefly) on the bypass routes 28, 29 and avoiding the traffic message 27, which does not trigger a detour. This will be referred to as option 1 below: In option 1, an alternative congestion detour screen would mark the current route 25 as a "current route" and plot a congestion detour route that passes over sections 31, 28, 32, 29, and 33. Considering the behavioral dependent speed data now a recommendation for an alternative route is determined.

There would also be a possibility 2 of congestion avoidance: This is the route that leads across sections 34, 30 and 35 in the alternative congestion detour screen. Here, too, the traffic-dependent speed data would recommend a traffic jam avoidance (depending on the time of day, etc.). The decision as to whether option 1 or option 2 is displayed to the user depends on the stored route algorithm and the penalty charges for the individual traffic jam messages. The route calculation unit finds the best way around the congestion or jams and / or a combination of both. This is achieved on the basis of the penalties described which are assigned to the route segments with the traffic incidents that occur. Finally, Fig. 8 shows schematically an embodiment of a device according to the invention. The navigation device 10 comprises a position determining device 12, which is designed as a GPS module and can determine the current location of the vehicle by means of GPS satellites. Furthermore, the navigation device 10 comprises a

TMC receiving device 1 1, which serves as a traffic jamming message system and can receive traffic disruptions coded in particular via VHF, these traffic jamming messages are locally receivable within the range of influence of the FM stations to be received. In addition, a map memory 13 is provided in the navigation device 10, which holds a digital map on the basis of the current absolute position, which was determined by the GPS module 12 (latitude and longitude), the position of the vehicle on the digital map can be determined and the direction of travel due to the movement trajectory is derivable. Furthermore, the navigation apparatus 10 comprises an output device 15, for example a touch screen display, on which navigation instructions and traffic disruption warnings can be output. At the heart of the navigation device 10 is a controller for traffic disturbance monitoring 14. This controller usually coordinates a navigation guidance, but is used in inactive mode for traffic disturbance monitoring and recognizes by means of a position and direction determining unit 16 due to the position detected by the GPS module 12 and the digital data of Map memory 13 Position and direction of travel on a road network. The prognosticated route determination unit 17, which is likewise included in the controller 14, is designed to determine a predicted route based on the current position and driving direction, for example by comparison with historical data, so that busy routes are preferably used as the predicted route, or by assuming the whereabouts on a particular type of road being used or changing to a road type with a higher road type number. For this purpose, various path prediction methods are known from the prior art. tion method known. Within a maximum distance value determination unit 18, based on location-dependent parameters which can be determined by means of the position and heading determination unit, such as position of the vehicle within / outside a location, driving of a current road type, time, historical data, etc., a maximum distance value is defined. which serves to identify traffic disruptions that lie within the maximum distance value in front of the vehicle on the predicted route as relevant traffic disruptions. The TMC location code comparison and selection unit 19 receives the traffic incidents received by the TMC receiver 11 and is aware of the location and heading of the vehicle detected by the position and heading direction unit 16 and the maximum distance value determined by the maximum distance value determination unit 18 was determined. Based on the position and position of the vehicle, the maximum distance value and the received TMC

Location codes selects the TMC location code comparison and selection unit 19 relevant traffic disruptions that lie within the maximum distance value on the predicted route in the direction of travel of the vehicle. For these relevant traffic disturbances, the warning output and bypass determination device 20 generates a warning, whereby different warnings can be formulated based on the type of traffic disruption, its distance and relevance.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 8, the output device 15 finally issues the warning that a jam end is located at a distance of 3.7 km on this road, as well as a possibility of congestion avoidance traveling at 700 m from the road Road is feasible, offered. The driver can, for example, request a detour navigation by voice input, whereby the navigation system can guide him around the relevant traffic disruption and can subsequently switch back to inactive operation on return to the predicted route.

Claims

claims

1. A method for operating a navigation system in a non-navigation-leading state, in which starting from the current vehicle position (06) and direction (07) at least one probable route is predicted (140) and the route to the occurrence of traffic disturbances (100) (10), is monitored (100-190), characterized in that the method comprises the steps of:

Determining at least one location-dependent environmental parameter (120, 200), in particular driven road type, position within / outside of localities, previous driving history on the route and / or determination of the currently traversed region / country, depending on the vehicle position (06) and Direction of travel (07);

Determining a maximum distance value (08, 09) from the vehicle position (06) to the location of a reported traffic disturbance (100) along the route in dependence on at least the location-dependent environmental parameter (210), below which the driver is classified as being classified as relevant Traffic congestion (180).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the maximum distance value (08, 09) is indirectly determined by determining an expected travel time to the location of a traffic disturbance (100) in dependence on the environmental parameter, the traffic disturbance type, the time and / or the route.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the maximum distance value (08, 09) corresponds to an air line distance value, from which by means of at least one empirically determined conversion factor, in particular a conversion factor per

Road type, a maximum travel distance value and / or a maximum travel time value is determined until a relevant traffic incident.

4. The method of claim 2 or 3, characterized in that starting from a reported traffic disturbance (1 10) a maximum distance value (08, 09) to this traffic disturbance (100) from an expected pass time of the traffic disturbance (100) and at least one empirically determined travel speed , in particular a travel speed per road type is determined.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plurality of maximum distance values (08, 09) are determined for different traffic disturbance types, different times of the day, etc.,

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that for each reported traffic disturbance (1 10) a separate maximum distance value (08, 09) is determined.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for determining the predicted route and / or the maximum distance value (08, 09) historical data are used.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for determining the predicted route, a whereabouts on the currently used road type, in particular on a numbered road type is assumed.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method is applied only when driving on numbered road types, in particular only in a hierarchically ordered subset of numbered road types.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for the determination of the predicted route a graphene tree probably further passable roads as segments of the graph tree at least up to a distance of the maximum distance value is created (200-300).

1 1. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the graphene tree is extended cyclically in the onward journey and traversed segments are removed from the graph tree.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 10 or 1 1, characterized in that the graphene tree is completely rebuilt at least at regular intervals (230-300).

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 10 to 12, characterized that TMC location codes associated with each segment are determined and stored in a TMC segment allocation list (150), wherein TMC location codes of reported traffic incidents (110) are compared with the TMC segment allocation list in order to find and presumably locate relevant traffic incidents attributable to the segment to be traveled (160).

14. Method according to claim 13, characterized in that the graph tree comprises only segments directed in the direction of travel and a TMC system which affects an opposite lane of a segment

Location code of a traffic jam (100) is ignored.

15. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 10 to 14, characterized in that for each segment of the graph tree, in particular each segment with a different road type number than the currently used

Segment, for which at least a certain probability of a route is predicted, the method is performed recursively, wherein in each case a maximum distance value (08, 09) is determined for each segment.

16. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 10 to 15, characterized in that for segments having a plurality of road type numbers, the method is performed at least for the road type with the most significant number.

17. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that after notification of a relevant traffic incident (100) on the driver's request, a navigation guidance to avoid the traffic congestion (100).

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that the navigation guide for bypassing a departure and / or driveway from / to the route selects as the start or destination, which allows a distancing or minimum time bypassing the traffic incident (100).

The method of claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the bypass selects a driveway on the route that terminates in the next segment having a different TMC location code than the segment of the traffic jam (100).

20. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 17 to 19, characterized in that by the driver Umfahrungsnavigationsführung means

Voice control is requested for acoustic and / or visual notification of a relevant traffic incident.

21. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 17 to 20, characterized in that for determining the Umfahrungsroute a conventional navigation guidance from a starting point on the route before the relevant traffic incident to a destination on the route after the relevant traffic incident, bypassing the locked segment, in particular with TMC support, and a shutdown of the navigation guidance when driving back to the

Driving route takes place.

22. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 17 to 21, characterized in that the driver at least two Umfahrungsalternativroute are offered for selection to determine the detour route to the driver.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that for the calculation of at least one second bypass alternative route at least individual segments of a first detour route with penalty surcharges, especially multi-kilometer, multi-travel time, occupied to determine other Umfahrungsalternativroute.

24. The method according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that at least one selection help information on multi-kilometer, overtime or the like is shown with respect to at least one second alternative route found alternative.

25. The method according to any one of claims 22 or 24, characterized in that with respect to the calculated Umfahrungsalternativrouten at least one combined map-based route history representation on the course of Umfahrungsalternativroute is displayed.

26. The method according to any one of claims 23 to 25, characterized in that for calculating the Umfahrungsalternativroute the already calculated and occupied with penalties Umfahrungsalternativ- routes are compared with the currently calculated Umfahrungsalternativroute, and the calculation is terminated if the last calculated Umfahrungsalternativroute disadvantageous than the previously calculated detour alternative routes.

27. Navigation device (10) for carrying out a method according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a position-determining device (12), a traffic jam reporting system, in particular a TMC receiving device (1 1), a card memory (13), an output device (15) and a A traffic disturbance monitoring controller (14), characterized in that the controller (14) comprises: a position and heading determining unit (16) for determining the vehicle position (06) and heading (07) on a vehicle

Road of a digital map (01), a forecasted route determining unit (17) for determining a probable driving route, a maximum distance value determining unit (18) for determining a maximum distance value (08, 09) for finding a relevant one

Traffic disturbance, a traffic disturbance selection and comparison unit, in particular a TMC location code selection and comparison unit (19), for selecting relevant traffic disturbances from the reported traffic disturbances (100), and a warning output device (20) for formulating a warning the relevant traffic disruption, wherein the controller (14) is adapted to select one or more relevant traffic disturbances from the reported traffic disturbances (100) that are closer than the maximum distance value (08, 09) along the travel route and the driver by means of the output unit (15 ) a- acoustically and / or visually warn of the or the relevant traffic disturbances.

28. The device according to claim 27, characterized in that the warning output device (20) has a Umfahrungsbestimmungsungs- device, which can at least initiate a detour navigation guidance by one or more relevant traffic disturbances.

29. Device according to one of the preceding device claims, characterized in that the device (10) comprises an acoustic input device by means of which a detour request of the driver can be entered to a relevant traffic incident.