WO2008100011A1

WO2008100011A1 - System and method for providing optimum route

Info

Publication number: WO2008100011A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/006498
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hee Won Kim
Original assignee: Thinkware Systems Corporation
Priority date: 2007-02-14
Filing date: 2007-12-13
Publication date: 2008-08-21
Also published as: KR20080076019A

Abstract

A method and system for providing an optimal route which provides an optimal route based on information about a congested area is provided. A system for providing an optimal route, the system including: a server collecting congested area information, establishing a database, and providing a detour route service based on a congested area according to the congested area information of the database, the congested area information including an expected congestion time and a start point/end point of the congested area.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING OPTIMUM ROUTE

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method and system for providing an optimal route, and more particularly, to a method and system for providing an optimal route which provides an optimal route based on information about a congested area.

Background Art

Currently, a service using a communication network is provided, and various information is searched and shared in a wireless communication environment such as a portable computer, mobile phone, and the like.

A navigation system (hereinafter, referred to as 'a user terminal') is a system which provides information for driving of a transportation device, such as a vehicle, using an artificial satellite. The navigation system is automatic. The user terminal receives predetermined data from a Global Positioning

System (GPS) satellite above the Earth using a GPS receiver, and calculates its own location based on the received data.

A plurality of GPS satellites is above the Earth, and a transportation device may receive a GPS signal from three GPS satellites at any place on the Earth and calculate its own location based on the received GPS signals from the three GPS satellites.

A user terminal may provide a user with various driving information based on the calculated location information. A user terminal has been generally used for location calculation and navigation of a large transportation device such as a ship or airplane. Currently, however, a user terminal is used for location calculation and navigation of a car.

A user terminal provides a driver with various information required for driving, for example, a direction of a transportation device, distance to a destination, current speed, route set by a driver before driving, optimal route to a destination, as well as a basic navigation function. However, in a conventional art, a service for providing a route using a user terminal provides a driver only with road guidance such as providing guidance about a shortest route to a destination. That is, the service does not provide external information generated on a route to a destination.

Specifically, a road condition of a temporarily congested area due to a road construction, car accident, natural disaster, and the like, may not considered.

Also, to overcome such a disadvantage, a system using a beacon signal is installed at an intersection of each road, and traffic information is provided to a vehicle where a user terminal is installed in real time. A beacon has fixed coordinates, and thereby may transmit an accurate location signal. Also, a beacon periodically transmits a signal about a traffic condition such as a congested area, road under construction, car accident, and the like. However, for an infrastructure, a number of beacons are required to cover a wide area. Accordingly, an extravagant cost is required.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Goals The present invention provides a system for providing an optimal route which may provide the optimal route based on information about a congested area on a road.

Technical solutions

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for providing an optimal route, the system including: a server collecting congested area information, establishing a database, and providing a detour route service based on a congested area according to the congested area information of the database, the congested area information including an expected congestion time and a start point/end point of the congested area. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing an optimal route, the method including: obtaining congested area information due to an external factor; collecting the obtained congested area information, and generating the collected congested area information as a service file which is able to be provided; and providing a detour route service based on a congested area according to the congested area information generated as the service file

According to an embodiment of the present invention, congested area information generated for a certain period of time is shared, a congested area is considered when retrieving a route, and thus an uncongested route may be provided.

Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a system for providing an optimal route according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a congested area on a road and a start point/end point of the congested area according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of managing congested area information in a server with respect to a method of providing an optimal route according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a detour route excluding a link corresponding to the congested area of FIG. 2.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Hereinafter, a method and system for providing an optimal route according to the present invention is described with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a system for providing an optimal route according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As illustrated, a server 10 including a database 15 is provided. The database 15 is established by collecting information about a congested area.

The server 10 collects congested area information about the congested area due to a construction, natural disaster, and the like, and establishes the database 15. The congested area information is supplied by a local group, the Ministry of Construction and Transportation, and the like, or is provided by a user terminal 30. The congested area information includes property values including information about a location of the congested area, that is, a start point/end point of the congested area, and an expected congestion time such as a construction period.

The server 10 further includes a data verification unit 11 and a data generation unit 13. The data verification unit 11 verifies the congested area information provided by the local group or user terminal 30. The data generation unit 13 generates the congested area information, verified by the data verification unit 11, as a service file corresponding to a service format. The data verification unit 11 verifies whether the provided congested area information is available data. Also, the data generation unit 13 collects information for each congested area only with respect to the verified data, generates an external service file through adding, editing, and deleting of the collected information, and stores the external file in the database 15.

Also, with respect to congested area information obtained from an experience of a user, location information about the congested area, that is, the start point/end point of the congested area, and expected congested time are provided through the user terminal 30, and provided to the server 10. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the user terminal 30 includes a user interface 31 and a communication unit 37. The user interface 31 is for inputting the congested area information including the expected congestion time and the start point/end point of the congested area. The communication unit 37 transmits the congested area information, inputted through the user interface 31, to the server 10. When the user terminal 30 is a model where a data communication is available, the congested area information, inputted through the user interface 31 , is transmitted to the server 10 via the data communication. The user terminal 30 provides a particular menu screen for inputting the congested area information through the user interface 31 , and thus a user may input the congested area information through the particular menu screen.

Also, when the user terminal 30 is a model where a web communication is available, the congested area information is inputted through a web page provided by the server 10 and transmitted, after directly connecting to the server 10. That is, when a menu screen where the congested area information may be inputted is provided in the web page of the server 10, the congested area information may be inputted through the menu screen of the web page which is displayed via the user interface 31 of the user terminal 30.

The user terminal 30 may be a model where a wireless communication including the data communication, the web communication as well as a data communication for broadcasting such as a digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB), radio frequency (RF), and the like, is available.

FIG. 2 illustrates a road including a congested area, and a user interface screen for inputting information about the congested area.

It is preferable that a menu screen for inputting congested area information is included in a service screen. The service screen provides a map for each area or route guidance. Also, the menu screen includes a function enabling a user to select a start point/end point of the congested area, and a function enabling the user to input an expected congested time.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the user selects the start point/end point of the congested area, for example, a construction area, included in a route 300. Also, the user inputs the expected congested time of the selected congested area, for example, a starting date and end date of construction.

A user terminal 30 generates an external file from the congested area information inputted by the user, and provides the external file to a server 10. The external file includes a link identification (ID) corresponding to the start point/end point, map version of a map program stored in the user terminal 30, expected congested time, and other property information.

Also, the user terminal 30 stores the generated congested area information in a storage unit 35. Also, when retrieving a route, a detour route excluding the congested area stored in the storage unit 35 is provided under control of a control unit 39.

An information management operation in a server 10 collecting the congested area information through the user terminal 30 is described in detail with reference to FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of managing congested area information in a server 10 with respect to a method of providing an optimal route according to an embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 3, in operation SlO, the server 10 receives congested area information from at least one user terminal 30.

In operation S20, after verifying whether the received congested area information is available data, only congested area information which is the available data is collected. In operation S30, the congested area information is generated as an external service file to share the collected congested area information. The external file for service may be provided to a user terminal 30. In operation S40, the external file for service, that is, the congested area information, is provided to a user according to a request from the user terminal 30.

The user terminal 30 receives the congested area information, provided by the server 10, via a communication unit 37, and stores the congested area information in a storage unit 35. Also, when retrieving a route, the user terminal 30 provides a detour route excluding the congested area, stored in the storage unit 35, under control of a control unit 39.

Accordingly, the user terminal 30 stores the congested area, provided by the server 10 or provided through the user terminal 30 itself, in the storage unit 35. Also, the user terminal 30 retrieves the detour route excluding a link corresponding to the stored congested area, and provides guidance about the detour route.

Hereinafter, a configuration of the user terminal 30 providing guidance about a route and a method of providing a detour route are described in detail.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the user terminal 30 providing guidance about a route includes a storage unit 35, a route retrieval/guidance unit 33, and a user interface 31.

The storage unit 35 is a map database storing road map data and route guidance data associated with the road map data. Also, the storage unit 35 stores congested area information obtained by the storage unit 35 or congested area information received from a server 10. A user selects a destination desired to be guided via the user interface 31. The route retrieval/guidance unit 33 ascertains a current location of a transportation device using a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal received via a GPS receiver which is not illustrated in FIG. 1. Also, the route retrieval/guidance unit 33 retrieves a route from the current location to the destination using the road map data stored in the storage unit 35, and generates route information.

In this instance, when the route information includes a link corresponding to the congested area stored in the storage unit 35, the route retrieval/guidance unit 33 re- retrieves a detour route excluding the link and generates detour route information.

The route retrieval/guidance unit 33 provides guidance about the route to the user based on the generated detour route information.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a detour route excluding a link corresponding to the congested area of FIG. 2. As illustrated in FIG. 4, when a route 300 including the congested area, that is, the construction area, is retrieved after retrieving the route to the destination set by the user, a detour route 400 is provided. The detour route 400 is for avoiding the link corresponding to the congested area. The detour route 400 is provided during the expected congested time of the congested area information stored in the storage unit 35. After the expected congested time passes, the route 300 including the congested area is provided.

Also, the detour route 400 and the route 300 including the congested area are compared, and when the detour route 400 is farther than a predetermined distance, the route 300 including the congested area may be selected and provided.

Thus, according to an embodiment of the present invention, information about a congested area may be shared among user terminals and a detour route based on the congested area may be provided.

The above-described embodiment of the present invention may be recorded in computer-readable media including program instructions to implement various operations embodied by a computer. The media may also include, alone or in combination with the program instructions, data files, data structures, and the like. The media and program instructions may be those specially designed and constructed for the purposes of the present invention, or they may be of the kind well-known and available to those having skill in the computer software arts. Examples of computer-readable media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media such as CD ROM disks and DVD; magneto-optical media such as optical disks; and hardware devices that are specially configured to store and perform program instructions, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include both machine code, such as produced by a compiler, and files containing higher level code that may be executed by the computer using an interpreter. The described hardware devices may be configured to act as one or more software modules in order to perform the operations of the above-described embodiments of the present invention. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method and system for providing an optimal route may provide following effects.

First, the method and system for providing an optimal route provides a detour route excluding a congested area, generated for a certain period of time, based on information about the congested area, and thereby may provide an uncongested route.

Second, the method and system for providing an optimal route enables user terminals to share congested area information, and thereby may improve a route guidance service and provide an optimal route.

Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments. Instead, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A system for providing an optimal route, the system comprising: a server collecting congested area information, establishing a database, and providing a detour route service based on a congested area according to the congested area information of the database, the congested area information including an expected congestion time and a start point/end point of the congested area.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the database collects the congested area information which is supplied by a local group or provided by a user terminal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the server further comprises: a data verification unit verifying the congested area information provided by the local group or user terminal; and a data generation unit generating the congested area information, verified by the data verification unit, as a service file corresponding to a service format.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the user terminal comprises: a user interface for inputting the congested area information including the expected congestion time and the start point/end point of the congested area; and a communication unit transmitting the congested area information, inputted through the user interface, to the server.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the user terminal further comprises a control unit providing a detour route based on the congested area according to the congested area information inputted through the user interface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the server provides a user terminal with the congested area information of the database according to a request from the user terminal.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the user terminal comprises: a communication unit receiving the congested area information from the server; and a control unit providing a detour route based on the congested area according to the congested area information received from the communication unit.

8. A method of providing an optimal route, the method comprising: obtaining congested area information due to an external factor; collecting the obtained congested area information, and generating the collected congested area information as a service file which is able to be provided; and providing a detour route service based on a congested area according to the congested area information generated as the service file.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the obtaining collects the congested area information including an expected congestion time and start point/end point of the congested area, the congested area being supplied by a local group or provided by a user terminal while driving.

10. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising: generating and storing the congested area information including the expected congestion time and start point/end point of the congested area in the user terminal; and connecting, via the user terminal, to a server which collects the congested area information, and transmitting the stored congested area information to the server.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmitting connects to the server and transmits the congested area information via a web communication or data communication.

12. The method of claim 10, the method further comprising: providing, by the user terminal, a detour route based on the congested area according to the stored congested area information.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the collecting and generating comprises: verifying the obtained congested area information and collecting available congested area information; and generating a service file including an expected congestion time for each link of a congested area corresponding to the collected congested area information.

14. The method of claim 8, the method further comprising: providing a user terminal with the congested area information generated as the service file according to a request from the user terminal.

15. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising: receiving, by the user terminal, the congested area information including an expected congestion time and a start point/end point of the congested area from the server; and providing, by the user terminal, a detour route based on the congested area according to the received congested area information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the providing of the detour route provides the detour route excluding the congested area for the expected congestion time, and provides a route including the congested area after the expected congestion time passes.

17. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for implementing the method according to any one of claims 8 through 16.