EP2504805A2 - Method and device for guiding the driver of a vehicle - Google Patents

Method and device for guiding the driver of a vehicle

Info

Publication number
EP2504805A2
EP2504805A2 EP10831191A EP10831191A EP2504805A2 EP 2504805 A2 EP2504805 A2 EP 2504805A2 EP 10831191 A EP10831191 A EP 10831191A EP 10831191 A EP10831191 A EP 10831191A EP 2504805 A2 EP2504805 A2 EP 2504805A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
route
target profile
driving
vehicle
driver
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
EP10831191A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP2504805A4 (en
Inventor
Kimmo ERKKILÄ
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus
Original Assignee
Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus filed Critical Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus
Publication of EP2504805A2 publication Critical patent/EP2504805A2/en
Publication of EP2504805A4 publication Critical patent/EP2504805A4/en
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01C—MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY
    • G01C21/00—Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00
    • G01C21/26—Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
    • G01C21/34—Route searching; Route guidance
    • G01C21/36—Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
    • G01C21/3626—Details of the output of route guidance instructions
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
    • B60W30/00—Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units, or advanced driver assistance systems for ensuring comfort, stability and safety or drive control systems for propelling or retarding the vehicle
    • B60W30/14—Adaptive cruise control
    • B60W30/143—Speed control
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
    • B60W50/00—Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
    • B60W50/08—Interaction between the driver and the control system
    • B60W50/14—Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01C—MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY
    • G01C21/00—Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00
    • G01C21/26—Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
    • G01C21/34—Route searching; Route guidance
    • G01C21/36—Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
    • G01C21/3605—Destination input or retrieval
    • G01C21/3617—Destination input or retrieval using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01C—MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY
    • G01C21/00—Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00
    • G01C21/26—Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
    • G01C21/34—Route searching; Route guidance
    • G01C21/36—Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
    • G01C21/3697—Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
    • B60W50/00—Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
    • B60W50/08—Interaction between the driver and the control system
    • B60W50/14—Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
    • B60W2050/146—Display means
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
    • B60W2555/00—Input parameters relating to exterior conditions, not covered by groups B60W2552/00, B60W2554/00
    • B60W2555/20—Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
    • B60W2555/00—Input parameters relating to exterior conditions, not covered by groups B60W2552/00, B60W2554/00
    • B60W2555/60—Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
    • B60W2556/00—Input parameters relating to data
    • B60W2556/10—Historical data
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
    • B60W2556/00—Input parameters relating to data
    • B60W2556/45—External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
    • B60W2556/50—External transmission of data to or from the vehicle for navigation systems
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
    • B60W2720/00—Output or target parameters relating to overall vehicle dynamics
    • B60W2720/10—Longitudinal speed
    • B60W2720/103—Speed profile

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to guiding the driver of a vehicle.
  • the invention relates to a method and a system for determining a target profile for a driving event and to a method and a device for guiding the driver of a vehicle .
  • a stable driving style has been considered economical; in other words, this includes light acceleration, slight pressure on the accelerator and rolling out of gear in good time before stopping.
  • Different devices have been developed in order to modify the driving style to a more economical direction. These devices usually relate to guiding the driving style of normal consumers.
  • a method for determining a target profile for a driving event comprises collecting a set of initial data comprising at least a route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and route schedule information between the start and end points of the route, and determining a route-specific target profile for a driving guide on the basis of the initial data to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
  • the method in determining the target profile the method further takes into account at least one of the following: congestion, lightness, driving conditions, weather, speed bumps, road construction work, stop-specific schedules, height variation of the route.
  • the target profile determining the optimal driving style in different parts of the route optimizes the staying on schedule and/or energy efficiency .
  • the target profile determines the optimal acceleration speed in different parts of the route and/or target speed for different parts of the route .
  • the target profile is transmitted to the driving guide.
  • a request for receiving the target profile for a specific route is received from the driving guide before the transmission step.
  • a system for determining a target profile for a driving event comprises processing means for collecting a set of initial data comprising at least a route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and route schedule information between the start and end points of the route, and for determining a route-specific target profile for a driving guide on the basis of the initial data, wherein the target profile determines the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
  • the processing means are arranged to take into account at least one of the following: congestion, lightness, driving conditions, weather, speed bumps, road construction work, stop-specific schedules, height variation of the route.
  • the target profile determining the optimal driving style in different parts of the route optimizes the staying on schedule and/or energy efficiency .
  • the target profile determines the op ;imal acceleration speed in different parts of the route and/or target speed for different parts of the route.
  • the system comprises transmission means for transmitting the target profile to the driving guide. In one embodiment of the invention the system comprises reception means for acquiring the target profile of the request for a specific route from the driving guide.
  • a method for guiding the driver of a vehicle comprises setting a target profile for a route to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route, and receiving information concerning one or more parameters associated to the vehicle and the location of the vehicle during a driving event.
  • the method further comprises determining the actual driving relative to the target profile during the driving event and guiding the driver of the vehicle by a driving guide device during the driving event on the basis of the target profile, one or more parameters associated to the vehicle, location of the vehicle and actual driving relative to the target profile.
  • the guiding comprises at least one of the following: inviting the driver to drive at the target speed suggested by the target profile, inviting the driver to add acceleration, inviting the driver to reduce acceleration, giving warning information to the driver.
  • the method further comprises updating the target profile during the driving event in response to the actual driving relative to the target profile.
  • the method further comprises receiving update information to the target profile via a telecommunications connection during the driving event and using the updated target profile in guiding the driver of the vehicle.
  • the target profile is received via a wireless telecommunications connection.
  • the target profile for a specific route is requested from an external system before the setting step and the requested target profile is received from the external system in response to the request .
  • a set of initial data is collected before the setting step comprising at least the route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and route schedule information between the start and end points of the route, and a route- specific target profile is determined on the basis of the initial data to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
  • a device for guiding the driver of a vehicle comprises processing means for setting a target profile for a route, wherein the target profile determines the optimal driving style in different parts of the route, and first reception means for receiving information concerning one or more parameters associated to the vehicle and the location of the vehicle during a driving event.
  • the processing means are arranged to determine the actual driving relative to the target profile during the driving event.
  • the device further comprises guide means for guiding the driver of the vehicle during the driving event on the basis of the received target profile, one or more parameters associated to the vehicle, location of the vehicle, and on the basis of the actual driving relative to the target profile.
  • the guide means are arranged to carry out at least one of the following: inviting the driver to drive at the target speed suggested by the target profile, inviting the driver to add acceleration, inviting the driver to reduce acceleration, and giving warning information to the driver.
  • the processing means are arranged to update the target profile during the driving event in response to the actual driving relative to the target profile.
  • the device further comprises second reception means for receiving update information to the target profile via a telecommunications connection during the driving event, wherein the processing means are arranged to use the updated target profile in guiding the driver of the vehicle.
  • the device further comprises transmission means for requesting the target profile for a specific route from an external system. Furthermore, the second reception means are arranged to receive the requested target profile from the external system in response to the request .
  • the processing means are arranged to collect a set of initial data comprising at least the route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and route schedule information between the start and end points of the route.
  • the processing means are further arranged to determine a route-specific target profile on the basis of the initial data to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
  • Fig. 1 is a block chart representing a method determining a target profile according to one embodiment the invention
  • Fig. 2 is a block chart representing a method for guiding the driver of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the invention
  • Fig. 3 is a block chart representing a system according to one embodiment of the invention.
  • Fig. 4 is a block chart representing a device according to one embodiment of the invention.
  • Figure 1 represents a block chart representing a method for determining a target profile according to one embodiment of the invention.
  • a set of initial data is collected.
  • the initial data comprises at least a route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and route schedule information between the start and end points of the route.
  • the route may be associated to any scheduled route. Scheduled routes are used for example by delivery vans, busses, trucks etc.
  • the initial data may additionally include, for example in the case of busses, stop-specific schedules.
  • the initial data may additionally include special information associated to distinct places or areas.
  • the initial data may additionally concern for example one or more of the fol lowing :
  • a route-specific target profile is determined for a driving guide on the basis of the initial data to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
  • Optimal driving style in different parts of the route preferably refers to a solution which optimizes the staying on the route schedule and/or energy efficiency (fuel consumption) .
  • the weight put on the schedule or the energy efficiency may vary depending on the solution and/or the route.
  • the target profile may determine for example the optimal acceleration speed in different parts of the route and target speed for different parts of the route.
  • determining the target profile may take into account for example congestion, lightness, driving conditions, speed bumps, road construction work, stop- specific schedules and/or height profile of the route. For example, maintaining the highest allowed speed is not advisable at the speed bumps. The bumps should be crossed carefully and at a low speed in order to not damage the vehicle. This, in turn, brings more braking and acceleration to the target profile. Furthermore, the optimal point of the position of the accelerator in slopes can be determined by guiding the driver by the driving guide to maintain a specific speed or acceleration. One or more of the above-mentioned factors do not necessarily affect the target speed of the target profile, but the driver is given a warning of the current condition or factor. In this case the target profile also includes additional information conveyed to the driver of the vehicle . In one embodiment the target profile is transmitted to driving guide. The transmission takes place for example a wireless connection via a mobile telephone network other wireless network.
  • a request may be received from the driving guide concerning the target profile associated to a specific route. This situation may arise if, for one reason or another, the target profile associated to the route has not been transmitted to the driving guide before the driving event .
  • Figure 2 represents a block chart representing a method for guiding the driver of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the invention.
  • a target profile is set for a route to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
  • Setting means for example activation of a target profile that is preset in a driving guide for a driving event that is about to start.
  • the target profiles for routes typically driven by the vehicle in question have been pre-stored in the driving guide.
  • the pre-stored target profiles can be downloaded to the driving guide locally or for example remotely through a wireless telecommunications connection (for example a GSM or 3G mobile network etc.) .
  • the activation may take place automatically in one embodiment as the driving guide identifies the start point of the route on the basis of location information.
  • the driving guide may receive the target profile from an external system before the onset of the driving event. The reception takes place for example via a wireless telecommunications connection.
  • the driving guide acquires the activation information from an external system.
  • the driver selects the route and thereby performs the activation.
  • step 202 information concerning one or more parameters associated to the vehicle and the location of the vehicle is received during the driving event .
  • These parameters may include for example parameters acquired from the information system of the vehicle (for example speed, location, position of the accelerator etc.) .
  • the above-mentioned parameters (for example speed and location) are acquired from a positioning device that is part of the driving guide or from a separate positioning device connected to the driving guide.
  • some of the parameters are acquired from the information system of the vehicle and some are acquired via other means (for example from a positioning device) .
  • step 204 the actual driving relative to the target profile is determined during the driving event. The determination can be set to be performed periodically, for example every second, and is preferably performed throughout the driving event.
  • the actual driving determines how well the driving event corresponds to the target profile of the route.
  • the target profile is updated during the driving event as a continuous process in response to the actual driving relative to the target profile. For example, if the driver lags behind the schedule determined by the target profile in the initial portion of the driving event, the target profile can be updated so as to catch the schedule during the remainder of the driving event, with consideration to the current speed limits. In other words, the target profile is updated in the remaining driving portion so that in suitable sites it guides the driver to use the maximum allowed speed.
  • the original target profile is updated so as to reduce the guided driving speed and at the same time to improve energy efficiency (lower fuel consumption) .
  • step 206 the driver of the vehicle is guided by the driving guide device during the driving event on the basis of the target profile, one or more parameters associated to the vehicle, location of the vehicle and on the basis of the actual driving relative to the target profile.
  • parameters associated to the vehicle mean for example information acquired from the information system of the vehicle (for example via the CAN bus of the vehicle) concerning the speed and location on the route.
  • the driving guide acquires the location of the vehicle via a separate positioning device.
  • the driving guide itself includes a positioning device.
  • the speed of the vehicle is determined by a separate positioning device.
  • the target profile for a specific route is requested from an external system before the setting step 200 and the requested target profile is received from the external system in response to the request. This situation may emerge for example when the route has not been pre-stored in the driving guide.
  • the target profile is determined by the driving guide.
  • the driving guide collects a set of initial data comprising at least the route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and route schedule information between the start and end points of the route.
  • a route-specific target profile is determined on the basis of the initial data to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
  • the target profile preferably determines for a driving event a driving style by which the driver should carry out the driving event.
  • the target profile can emphasize the staying on schedule or energy efficiency, depending on the situation .
  • Guiding the driver refers to any appropriate audible guidance and/or visual guidance through the driving guide.
  • the target speed may be expressed each time to the driver on the display of the driving guide.
  • the driver may be guided to accelerate or reduce the speed to the target speed on the display of the driving guide and/or by a separate audio signal .
  • the driving guide may give warning information to the driver.
  • the warning information is not necessarily associated to the target profile but gives additional information to the driver for example concerning a current condition (for example slippery road) .
  • This additional information may include for example warning about slipperiness of the road visually or by an acoustic signal, warning about an upcoming road construction work, warning about elks crossing the road etc.
  • the driving guide receives additional information concerning the route from an external system during the driving event. Reception of additional information takes place for example via a mobile network. This additional information is associated for example to newly emerged events, for example a recent crash, abrupt change of the weather or the condition of the carriageway.
  • the target profile that has been preset in the driving guide can be changed where necessary on the basis of the received additional information to take into account the changed conditions.
  • the received additional information may include exact coordinates on which basis the driving guide warns the driver and possibly additionally also changes the target profile (for example reduces the target speed for the slippery part of the route) .
  • the target profile is updated on the basis of observation of the conditions performed by the vehicle itself.
  • the information system of the vehicle may for example observe that the road surface is dangerously slippery, and the target profile is updated on the basis of the observation. In practice, this means for example that the target speed is reduced on particularly slippery portions of the road.
  • the driving guide is arranged to store information concerning the driving event.
  • the information to be stored includes for example speed profile of the driver (i.e. the speed driven by the driver in different stages of the route) , suggested speeds of the driving guide and instantaneous fuel consumption.
  • the stored information can be transferred to an external system immediately after the driving event or alternatively later for subsequent analysis. If the information is transferred immediately after the driving event, the transfer is performed for example through a mobile network.
  • the driving guide may include a physical connection via which the information accumulated in the driving guide can be uploaded to an external reader. The driving guide acts as an impartial meter concerning the success of the driver's driving performances. Each driving event can be evaluated separately, if desired, and the parameters representing the driving event can be compared with pre-established reference values.
  • the functionality of different target profiles can be evaluated statistically on the basis of the stored driving speed information (speed and acceleration) and vehicle information (for example mass of the vehicle etc.) in consideration to the characteristics of each road, such as height variation.
  • driving speed information speed and acceleration
  • vehicle information for example mass of the vehicle etc.
  • the most energy efficient target profiles that meet the selected criteria can be determined for each transfer.
  • Information concerning congestion, lightness, temperatures and other driving conditions can also be used in determining the target profile.
  • the collected speed profiles can further act as a speed default in determining the driving guidance for the route. This determination can then be adjusted on the basis of real-time staying on schedule, dangerously slippery places and other additional observations produced by background systems.
  • the driving guide is connected to the information system of the vehicle so as to adjust the driving speed of the vehicle, as with a cruise control, in the manner determined by the target profile.
  • the function can be switched off any time, either by the driving guide itself when a specific limiting condition is met or by the driver.
  • Such a place may be found for example with an opening in the elk- fence used by the elk for crossing the road. In these places the driving guide may issue a "possible hazard" guidance to the driver.
  • acceleration of the vehicle can be limited at the desired points by using the target profile.
  • a reason for limitation may be for example local noise impacts. For example in narrow street canyons and other acoustically problematic locations the noise pollution caused by vehicles is a problem.
  • FIG. 3 is a block chart representing a system according to one embodiment of the invention.
  • the system 300 comprises processing means 302 arranged to collect a set of initial data comprising at least a route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and route schedule information between the start and end points of the route, and to determine a route-specific target profile on the basis of the initial data to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
  • the system additionally comprises transmission means 306 arranged to transmit the determined target profile to a driving guide.
  • a memory 304 is arranged to store the information collected by the processing means 302.
  • the memory 304 may additionally include program code controlling the operation of the processor 302 in collecting and transmitting the information .
  • Transmission means 306 refer for example to receiver- transmitter components of a wireless network (for example a mobile network) .
  • the receiver- transmitter 306 is arranged to receive a request from the driving guide concerning a specific target profile and to transmit the requested target profile to the driving guide.
  • the system presented in Figure 3 can be implemented by an suitable combination of hardware and software components including for example software to be executed on computer .
  • FIG. 4 is a block chart representing a device according to one embodiment of the invention.
  • the device is referred to as a driving guide 400.
  • the driving guide 400 is used to guide the driver of a vehicle during a driving event.
  • the driving guide 400 comprises processing means 402 for setting a target profile for a route, wherein the target profile determines the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
  • the driving guide 400 further comprises reception means 410 for receiving information concerning one or more parameters associated to the vehicle and the location of the vehicle during the driving event.
  • the collection of information takes place for example via the vehicle's own data transfer bus (CAN), by an internal positioning device of the driving guide and/or by a separate positioning device connected to the driving guide.
  • CAN vehicle's own data transfer bus
  • the processing means 402 are arranged to determine the actual driving relative to the target profile during the driving event.
  • the driving guide 400 further comprises guide means 406 for guiding the driver of the vehicle during the driving event on the basis of the received target profile, one or more parameters associated to the vehicle, location of the vehicle and on the basis of the actual driving relative to the target profile.
  • the guide means 406 refer for example to a display and/or to a loudspeaker via which the driver of the vehicle is guided.
  • a memory 404 is arranged to store for example the received target profile.
  • the memory 404 may additionally include program code controlling the operation of the processor 402 in collecting and transmitting the information. It is also possible to store statistics concerning the driving event collected in the memory 404 during the driving event.
  • Transmission means 408 refer for example to receiver- transmitter components of a wireless network (for example a mobile network) via which the statistics collected from the driving event can be transmitted to an external system for analysis.
  • the transmission means 408 may in one embodiment also refer to a physical connection of the driving guide 400 via which the information stored from the driving event can be uploaded from the driving guide.
  • the receiver- transmitter 408 may also be used to receive update information to the target profile or other additional information during the driving event.
  • the driving guide 400 comprises a positioning de ⁇ rice determining the location of the vehicle on the route.
  • the location information is acquired from the vehicle's own positioning device by the CAN bus.
  • the driving guide can be implemented as a separate device that may be connected to the information system of the vehicle.
  • the driving guide is implemented as part of the vehicle's own control and information system.
  • the transmission means 408 are arranged to request the target profile for a specific route from an external system and to receive the requested target profile .
  • the processing means 402 are arranged to form the target profile for the route.
  • the processing means 402 are thus arranged to collect a set of initial data comprising at least the route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and schedule information between the start and end points of the route, and to determine a route-specific target profile on the basis of the initial data to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
  • the driving guide 400 is arranged to perform at least some of the features presented in the description of Figure 1. Due to one or more of the presented embodiments the driving performance of the driver of a vehicle can be monitored and thereby the performances of different drivers can also be compared.
  • the driving performance can be optimized by the target profile to be more fuel -efficient .
  • the safety of the driving event is also improved because the use of the target profile aims at avoiding unnecessary speeding and because different safety factors can be utilized in forming and/or updating the target profile (for example driving conditions, speed limits etc.) .
  • the driving guide guides the driver to stay on schedule.
  • the exemplifying embodiments are designated for an exemplifying purpose, and many variations are possible in terms of the specific hardware used to implement the exemplifying embodiments, as is obvious to a person skilled in the hardware and/or software arts.
  • the functionality of one or more components of the exemplifying embodiments can be implemented by one or more hardware and/or software devices .
  • the exemplifying embodiments may store information associated to different processes described herein. This information can be stored in one or more memories, such as a hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, RAM or the like.
  • One or more databases can store information used to implement the exemplifying embodiments of the present invention.
  • the databases can be organized using information structures (for example records, tables, segments, fields, graphs, trees, lists and the like) included in one or more memories or storage devices listed herein.
  • the described processes may include suitable information structures in order to store the data collected and/or formed by the processes of the devices and/or subsystems of the exemplifying embodiments in one or more databases.
  • All or some of the exemplifying embodiments can be suitably implemented using one or more general -purpose processors, microprocessors, digital signal processors, microcontrollers and the like, programmed according to the teachings of the exemplifying embodiments of the present invention, as is appreciated by a person skilled in the computer and software arts. Programmers of ordinary skill can readily produce appropriate software on the basis of the teachings of the exemplifying embodiments, as is obvious to a person skilled in the software arts.
  • the exemplifying embodiments can be implemented by production of ASIC circuits or by combining regular component circuits to form an appropriate network, as is appreciated by a person skilled in the electronic arts. Therefore, the exemplifying embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware and/or software.
  • the exemplifying embodiments of the present invention can include software in order to control the components of the exemplifying embodiments, to run the components of the exemplifying embodiments, to allow the components of the exemplifying embodiments to interact with a human user, and the like.
  • software may include but is not limited to device drivers, software, operating systems, application development tools, applications and the like.
  • These computer readable media can further comprise the computer program product of an embodiment of the present invention in order to perform all of the processing or part of the processing (in case the processing is distributed) performed to implement the invention.

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Abstract

The invention discloses a solution for guiding the driver of a vehicle. The solution comprises setting a target profile for a route to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route, and receiving information concerning one or more parameters associated to the vehicle and the location of the vehicle during a driving event. The solution further comprises determining the actual driving relative to the target profile during the driving event, and guiding the driver of the vehicle by a driving guide device during the driving event on the basis of the target profile, one or more parameters associated to the vehicle, location of the vehicle and the actual driving relative to the target profile.

Description

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR GUIDING THE DRIVER OF A VEHICLE FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to guiding the driver of a vehicle. In particular, the invention relates to a method and a system for determining a target profile for a driving event and to a method and a device for guiding the driver of a vehicle .
DECRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Conventionally, a stable driving style has been considered economical; in other words, this includes light acceleration, slight pressure on the accelerator and rolling out of gear in good time before stopping. Different devices have been developed in order to modify the driving style to a more economical direction. These devices usually relate to guiding the driving style of normal consumers.
When the driving event is associated to a fixed schedule the situation changes considerably. If a short route is always driven within the same time, accelerations and decelerations should be performed more swiftly in order to reduce the highest driving speed as much as possible without risking the schedule.
The problems in the known solutions relate to the above- mentioned feature. In guiding the driving style, it is particularly problematic to take into account the vehicles that drive at a fixed schedule.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a first aspect of the invention a method for determining a target profile for a driving event is disclosed. The method comprises collecting a set of initial data comprising at least a route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and route schedule information between the start and end points of the route, and determining a route-specific target profile for a driving guide on the basis of the initial data to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
In one embodiment of the invention, in determining the target profile the method further takes into account at least one of the following: congestion, lightness, driving conditions, weather, speed bumps, road construction work, stop-specific schedules, height variation of the route.
In one embodiment of the invention the target profile determining the optimal driving style in different parts of the route optimizes the staying on schedule and/or energy efficiency .
In one embodiment of the invention the target profile determines the optimal acceleration speed in different parts of the route and/or target speed for different parts of the route .
In one embodiment of the invention the target profile is transmitted to the driving guide.
In one embodiment of the invention a request for receiving the target profile for a specific route is received from the driving guide before the transmission step. According to a second aspect of the invention a system for determining a target profile for a driving event is disclosed. The system comprises processing means for collecting a set of initial data comprising at least a route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and route schedule information between the start and end points of the route, and for determining a route-specific target profile for a driving guide on the basis of the initial data, wherein the target profile determines the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
In one embodiment of the invention, in determining the target profile the processing means are arranged to take into account at least one of the following: congestion, lightness, driving conditions, weather, speed bumps, road construction work, stop-specific schedules, height variation of the route.
In one embodiment of the invention the target profile determining the optimal driving style in different parts of the route optimizes the staying on schedule and/or energy efficiency .
In one embodiment of the invention the target profile determines the op ;imal acceleration speed in different parts of the route and/or target speed for different parts of the route.
In one embodiment of the invention the system comprises transmission means for transmitting the target profile to the driving guide. In one embodiment of the invention the system comprises reception means for acquiring the target profile of the request for a specific route from the driving guide.
According to a third aspect of the invention a method for guiding the driver of a vehicle is disclosed. The method comprises setting a target profile for a route to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route, and receiving information concerning one or more parameters associated to the vehicle and the location of the vehicle during a driving event. The method further comprises determining the actual driving relative to the target profile during the driving event and guiding the driver of the vehicle by a driving guide device during the driving event on the basis of the target profile, one or more parameters associated to the vehicle, location of the vehicle and actual driving relative to the target profile. In one embodiment of the invention the guiding comprises at least one of the following: inviting the driver to drive at the target speed suggested by the target profile, inviting the driver to add acceleration, inviting the driver to reduce acceleration, giving warning information to the driver.
In one embodiment of the invention the method further comprises updating the target profile during the driving event in response to the actual driving relative to the target profile.
In one embodiment of the invention the method further comprises receiving update information to the target profile via a telecommunications connection during the driving event and using the updated target profile in guiding the driver of the vehicle. In one embodiment of the invention the target profile is received via a wireless telecommunications connection.
In one embodiment of the invention the target profile for a specific route is requested from an external system before the setting step and the requested target profile is received from the external system in response to the request .
In one embodiment of the invention a set of initial data is collected before the setting step comprising at least the route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and route schedule information between the start and end points of the route, and a route- specific target profile is determined on the basis of the initial data to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention a device for guiding the driver of a vehicle is disclosed. The device comprises processing means for setting a target profile for a route, wherein the target profile determines the optimal driving style in different parts of the route, and first reception means for receiving information concerning one or more parameters associated to the vehicle and the location of the vehicle during a driving event. The processing means are arranged to determine the actual driving relative to the target profile during the driving event. The device further comprises guide means for guiding the driver of the vehicle during the driving event on the basis of the received target profile, one or more parameters associated to the vehicle, location of the vehicle, and on the basis of the actual driving relative to the target profile.
In one embodiment of the invention the guide means are arranged to carry out at least one of the following: inviting the driver to drive at the target speed suggested by the target profile, inviting the driver to add acceleration, inviting the driver to reduce acceleration, and giving warning information to the driver.
In one embodiment of the invention the processing means are arranged to update the target profile during the driving event in response to the actual driving relative to the target profile.
In one embodiment of the invention the device further comprises second reception means for receiving update information to the target profile via a telecommunications connection during the driving event, wherein the processing means are arranged to use the updated target profile in guiding the driver of the vehicle.
In one embodiment of the invention the device further comprises transmission means for requesting the target profile for a specific route from an external system. Furthermore, the second reception means are arranged to receive the requested target profile from the external system in response to the request .
In one embodiment of the invention the processing means are arranged to collect a set of initial data comprising at least the route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and route schedule information between the start and end points of the route. The processing means are further arranged to determine a route-specific target profile on the basis of the initial data to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
The advantages of the invention in comparison with the prior art are associated for example to energy savings in the form of reduced fuel consumption as the driver of the vehicle follows the target profile, and to safety improvements .
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings which are incorporated to provide further understanding of the invention and form part of the description disclose the embodiments of the invention and together with the description help to explain the principles of the invention. In the figures:
Fig. 1 is a block chart representing a method determining a target profile according to one embodiment the invention;
Fig. 2 is a block chart representing a method for guiding the driver of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 3 is a block chart representing a system according to one embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 4 is a block chart representing a device according to one embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the following, reference is made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention which are exemplified in the accompanying figures. Figure 1 represents a block chart representing a method for determining a target profile according to one embodiment of the invention. In step 100 a set of initial data is collected. The initial data comprises at least a route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and route schedule information between the start and end points of the route. The route may be associated to any scheduled route. Scheduled routes are used for example by delivery vans, busses, trucks etc. The initial data may additionally include, for example in the case of busses, stop-specific schedules. The initial data may additionally include special information associated to distinct places or areas. The initial data may additionally concern for example one or more of the fol lowing :
- congestion;
- lightness;
- driving conditions (for example slipperiness of the road surface etc.);
- weather;
- speed bumps;
- road construction work;
- stop-specific schedules;
- height variation of the route. In step 2, a route-specific target profile is determined for a driving guide on the basis of the initial data to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route. Optimal driving style in different parts of the route preferably refers to a solution which optimizes the staying on the route schedule and/or energy efficiency (fuel consumption) . The weight put on the schedule or the energy efficiency may vary depending on the solution and/or the route. The target profile may determine for example the optimal acceleration speed in different parts of the route and target speed for different parts of the route.
As stated above, determining the target profile may take into account for example congestion, lightness, driving conditions, speed bumps, road construction work, stop- specific schedules and/or height profile of the route. For example, maintaining the highest allowed speed is not advisable at the speed bumps. The bumps should be crossed carefully and at a low speed in order to not damage the vehicle. This, in turn, brings more braking and acceleration to the target profile. Furthermore, the optimal point of the position of the accelerator in slopes can be determined by guiding the driver by the driving guide to maintain a specific speed or acceleration. One or more of the above-mentioned factors do not necessarily affect the target speed of the target profile, but the driver is given a warning of the current condition or factor. In this case the target profile also includes additional information conveyed to the driver of the vehicle . In one embodiment the target profile is transmitted to driving guide. The transmission takes place for example a wireless connection via a mobile telephone network other wireless network.
In another embodiment a request may be received from the driving guide concerning the target profile associated to a specific route. This situation may arise if, for one reason or another, the target profile associated to the route has not been transmitted to the driving guide before the driving event .
Figure 2 represents a block chart representing a method for guiding the driver of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the invention.
In step 200 a target profile is set for a route to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route. Setting means for example activation of a target profile that is preset in a driving guide for a driving event that is about to start. Preferably, the target profiles for routes typically driven by the vehicle in question have been pre-stored in the driving guide. The pre-stored target profiles can be downloaded to the driving guide locally or for example remotely through a wireless telecommunications connection (for example a GSM or 3G mobile network etc.) . The activation may take place automatically in one embodiment as the driving guide identifies the start point of the route on the basis of location information. In another embodiment the driving guide may receive the target profile from an external system before the onset of the driving event. The reception takes place for example via a wireless telecommunications connection. In another embodiment the driving guide acquires the activation information from an external system. In another embodiment the driver selects the route and thereby performs the activation.
In step 202 information concerning one or more parameters associated to the vehicle and the location of the vehicle is received during the driving event . These parameters may include for example parameters acquired from the information system of the vehicle (for example speed, location, position of the accelerator etc.) . In another embodiment the above-mentioned parameters (for example speed and location) are acquired from a positioning device that is part of the driving guide or from a separate positioning device connected to the driving guide. In another embodiment some of the parameters are acquired from the information system of the vehicle and some are acquired via other means (for example from a positioning device) . In step 204 the actual driving relative to the target profile is determined during the driving event. The determination can be set to be performed periodically, for example every second, and is preferably performed throughout the driving event. This way, the actual driving determines how well the driving event corresponds to the target profile of the route. In one embodiment the target profile is updated during the driving event as a continuous process in response to the actual driving relative to the target profile. For example, if the driver lags behind the schedule determined by the target profile in the initial portion of the driving event, the target profile can be updated so as to catch the schedule during the remainder of the driving event, with consideration to the current speed limits. In other words, the target profile is updated in the remaining driving portion so that in suitable sites it guides the driver to use the maximum allowed speed. Correspondingly, if the driver is ahead of schedule, the original target profile is updated so as to reduce the guided driving speed and at the same time to improve energy efficiency (lower fuel consumption) .
In step 206 the driver of the vehicle is guided by the driving guide device during the driving event on the basis of the target profile, one or more parameters associated to the vehicle, location of the vehicle and on the basis of the actual driving relative to the target profile. As stated above, parameters associated to the vehicle mean for example information acquired from the information system of the vehicle (for example via the CAN bus of the vehicle) concerning the speed and location on the route. In one embodiment the driving guide acquires the location of the vehicle via a separate positioning device. In another embodiment the driving guide itself includes a positioning device. In another embodiment the speed of the vehicle is determined by a separate positioning device.
In one embodiment the target profile for a specific route is requested from an external system before the setting step 200 and the requested target profile is received from the external system in response to the request. This situation may emerge for example when the route has not been pre-stored in the driving guide. In one embodiment the target profile is determined by the driving guide. For this purpose, the driving guide collects a set of initial data comprising at least the route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and route schedule information between the start and end points of the route. A route-specific target profile is determined on the basis of the initial data to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
The target profile preferably determines for a driving event a driving style by which the driver should carry out the driving event. The target profile can emphasize the staying on schedule or energy efficiency, depending on the situation .
Guiding the driver refers to any appropriate audible guidance and/or visual guidance through the driving guide. The target speed may be expressed each time to the driver on the display of the driving guide. In addition, depending on whether the driver is driving slower or faster than the target speed, the driver may be guided to accelerate or reduce the speed to the target speed on the display of the driving guide and/or by a separate audio signal .
In addition to the guiding associated to the target profile, the driving guide may give warning information to the driver. The warning information is not necessarily associated to the target profile but gives additional information to the driver for example concerning a current condition (for example slippery road) . This additional information may include for example warning about slipperiness of the road visually or by an acoustic signal, warning about an upcoming road construction work, warning about elks crossing the road etc. In one embodiment the driving guide receives additional information concerning the route from an external system during the driving event. Reception of additional information takes place for example via a mobile network. This additional information is associated for example to newly emerged events, for example a recent crash, abrupt change of the weather or the condition of the carriageway. The target profile that has been preset in the driving guide can be changed where necessary on the basis of the received additional information to take into account the changed conditions. The received additional information may include exact coordinates on which basis the driving guide warns the driver and possibly additionally also changes the target profile (for example reduces the target speed for the slippery part of the route) .
In one embodiment the target profile is updated on the basis of observation of the conditions performed by the vehicle itself. The information system of the vehicle may for example observe that the road surface is dangerously slippery, and the target profile is updated on the basis of the observation. In practice, this means for example that the target speed is reduced on particularly slippery portions of the road.
In one embodiment the driving guide is arranged to store information concerning the driving event. The information to be stored includes for example speed profile of the driver (i.e. the speed driven by the driver in different stages of the route) , suggested speeds of the driving guide and instantaneous fuel consumption. The stored information can be transferred to an external system immediately after the driving event or alternatively later for subsequent analysis. If the information is transferred immediately after the driving event, the transfer is performed for example through a mobile network. In another embodiment the driving guide may include a physical connection via which the information accumulated in the driving guide can be uploaded to an external reader. The driving guide acts as an impartial meter concerning the success of the driver's driving performances. Each driving event can be evaluated separately, if desired, and the parameters representing the driving event can be compared with pre-established reference values.
In one embodiment the functionality of different target profiles can be evaluated statistically on the basis of the stored driving speed information (speed and acceleration) and vehicle information (for example mass of the vehicle etc.) in consideration to the characteristics of each road, such as height variation. On this basis the most energy efficient target profiles that meet the selected criteria can be determined for each transfer. Information concerning congestion, lightness, temperatures and other driving conditions can also be used in determining the target profile. The collected speed profiles can further act as a speed default in determining the driving guidance for the route. This determination can then be adjusted on the basis of real-time staying on schedule, dangerously slippery places and other additional observations produced by background systems. In one embodiment the driving guide is connected to the information system of the vehicle so as to adjust the driving speed of the vehicle, as with a cruise control, in the manner determined by the target profile. As with the cruise control, the function can be switched off any time, either by the driving guide itself when a specific limiting condition is met or by the driver. In one embodiment it is possible to detect, on the basis of the statistics, that for example the driving speed is reduced more at a specific point than elsewhere, and this is not required by congestion. Such a place may be found for example with an opening in the elk- fence used by the elk for crossing the road. In these places the driving guide may issue a "possible hazard" guidance to the driver. Correspondingly, if for example the speeds at a specific bend of the road are lower than normally, and this is not required by congestion, it can be interpreted that the reduction of speed has a specific reason. In this case, those entering the bend can be appropriately warned of an exceptional situation. If intensive reduction is observed at a bend or just before a bend, it can be assumed that an immediate hazard is present at the bend.
In one embodiment acceleration of the vehicle can be limited at the desired points by using the target profile. A reason for limitation may be for example local noise impacts. For example in narrow street canyons and other acoustically problematic locations the noise pollution caused by vehicles is a problem.
In one embodiment of the invention the operation logic of the driving guide can be used for changing the controls of the vehicle, for example for selecting the change settings. This way, energy efficiency can be improved further when running on schedule and particularly when running ahead of schedule . Figure 3 is a block chart representing a system according to one embodiment of the invention. The system 300 comprises processing means 302 arranged to collect a set of initial data comprising at least a route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and route schedule information between the start and end points of the route, and to determine a route-specific target profile on the basis of the initial data to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route. In one embodiment the system additionally comprises transmission means 306 arranged to transmit the determined target profile to a driving guide. A memory 304 is arranged to store the information collected by the processing means 302. The memory 304 may additionally include program code controlling the operation of the processor 302 in collecting and transmitting the information . Transmission means 306 refer for example to receiver- transmitter components of a wireless network (for example a mobile network) . In one embodiment the receiver- transmitter 306 is arranged to receive a request from the driving guide concerning a specific target profile and to transmit the requested target profile to the driving guide.
The system presented in Figure 3 can be implemented by an suitable combination of hardware and software components including for example software to be executed on computer .
Figure 4 is a block chart representing a device according to one embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment the device is referred to as a driving guide 400. The driving guide 400 is used to guide the driver of a vehicle during a driving event. The driving guide 400 comprises processing means 402 for setting a target profile for a route, wherein the target profile determines the optimal driving style in different parts of the route. The driving guide 400 further comprises reception means 410 for receiving information concerning one or more parameters associated to the vehicle and the location of the vehicle during the driving event. The collection of information takes place for example via the vehicle's own data transfer bus (CAN), by an internal positioning device of the driving guide and/or by a separate positioning device connected to the driving guide. The processing means 402 are arranged to determine the actual driving relative to the target profile during the driving event. The driving guide 400 further comprises guide means 406 for guiding the driver of the vehicle during the driving event on the basis of the received target profile, one or more parameters associated to the vehicle, location of the vehicle and on the basis of the actual driving relative to the target profile. The guide means 406 refer for example to a display and/or to a loudspeaker via which the driver of the vehicle is guided. A memory 404 is arranged to store for example the received target profile. The memory 404 may additionally include program code controlling the operation of the processor 402 in collecting and transmitting the information. It is also possible to store statistics concerning the driving event collected in the memory 404 during the driving event. Transmission means 408 refer for example to receiver- transmitter components of a wireless network (for example a mobile network) via which the statistics collected from the driving event can be transmitted to an external system for analysis. The transmission means 408 may in one embodiment also refer to a physical connection of the driving guide 400 via which the information stored from the driving event can be uploaded from the driving guide. In one embodiment the receiver- transmitter 408 may also be used to receive update information to the target profile or other additional information during the driving event. In one embodiment the driving guide 400 comprises a positioning de\rice determining the location of the vehicle on the route. In another embodiment the location information is acquired from the vehicle's own positioning device by the CAN bus. The driving guide can be implemented as a separate device that may be connected to the information system of the vehicle. In another embodiment the driving guide is implemented as part of the vehicle's own control and information system.
In one embodiment the transmission means 408 are arranged to request the target profile for a specific route from an external system and to receive the requested target profile .
In one embodiment the processing means 402 are arranged to form the target profile for the route. The processing means 402 are thus arranged to collect a set of initial data comprising at least the route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and schedule information between the start and end points of the route, and to determine a route-specific target profile on the basis of the initial data to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route. In this embodiment the driving guide 400 is arranged to perform at least some of the features presented in the description of Figure 1. Due to one or more of the presented embodiments the driving performance of the driver of a vehicle can be monitored and thereby the performances of different drivers can also be compared. Furthermore, due to one or more of the presented embodiments it is possible to reduce fuel consumption because the driving performance can be optimized by the target profile to be more fuel -efficient . Furthermore, due to one or more of the presented embodiments the safety of the driving event is also improved because the use of the target profile aims at avoiding unnecessary speeding and because different safety factors can be utilized in forming and/or updating the target profile (for example driving conditions, speed limits etc.) . In addition, due to one or more of the presented embodiments it will be easier to stay on schedule because the drivers need not concern themselves with staying on schedule in different stages of the driving event, but instead the driving guide guides the driver to stay on schedule.
A person skilled in the art also appreciates that the embodiments presented in connection with Figures 1 to 4 can be combined so that such a combination would comprise one or more of the embodiments presented above.
It is to be appreciated that the exemplifying embodiments are designated for an exemplifying purpose, and many variations are possible in terms of the specific hardware used to implement the exemplifying embodiments, as is obvious to a person skilled in the hardware and/or software arts. For example, the functionality of one or more components of the exemplifying embodiments can be implemented by one or more hardware and/or software devices .
The exemplifying embodiments may store information associated to different processes described herein. This information can be stored in one or more memories, such as a hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, RAM or the like. One or more databases can store information used to implement the exemplifying embodiments of the present invention. The databases can be organized using information structures (for example records, tables, segments, fields, graphs, trees, lists and the like) included in one or more memories or storage devices listed herein. In association to the exemplifying embodiments, the described processes may include suitable information structures in order to store the data collected and/or formed by the processes of the devices and/or subsystems of the exemplifying embodiments in one or more databases. All or some of the exemplifying embodiments can be suitably implemented using one or more general -purpose processors, microprocessors, digital signal processors, microcontrollers and the like, programmed according to the teachings of the exemplifying embodiments of the present invention, as is appreciated by a person skilled in the computer and software arts. Programmers of ordinary skill can readily produce appropriate software on the basis of the teachings of the exemplifying embodiments, as is obvious to a person skilled in the software arts. In addition, the exemplifying embodiments can be implemented by production of ASIC circuits or by combining regular component circuits to form an appropriate network, as is appreciated by a person skilled in the electronic arts. Therefore, the exemplifying embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware and/or software.
Stored on any combination of computer readable media, the exemplifying embodiments of the present invention can include software in order to control the components of the exemplifying embodiments, to run the components of the exemplifying embodiments, to allow the components of the exemplifying embodiments to interact with a human user, and the like. Such software may include but is not limited to device drivers, software, operating systems, application development tools, applications and the like. These computer readable media can further comprise the computer program product of an embodiment of the present invention in order to perform all of the processing or part of the processing (in case the processing is distributed) performed to implement the invention.
Although the present invention has been described in relation to several exemplifying embodiments and implementations, the present invention is not limited merely thereto; instead, it covers different variations and alternatives within the protective scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for determining a target profile for a driving event, characterized in that the method comprises: collecting a set of initial data comprising at least a route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and route schedule information between the start and end points of the route;
determining a route-specific target profile for a driving guide on the basis of the initial data to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising :
taking into account at least one of the following in determining the target prof le:
congestion;
1 ightness ;
driving conditions;
weather;
speed bumps ;
road construction work;
stop-specific schedules;
height variation of the route.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the target profile determining the optimal driving style in different parts of the route optimizes the staying on schedule and/or energy efficiency.
4. The method according to any one of the previous claims 1 to 3 , wherein the target profile determines the optimal acceleration speed in different parts of the route and/or target speed for different parts of the route.
5. The method according to any one of the previous claims 1 to 4 , wherein the target profile is transmitted to the driving guide.
6. The method according to any one of the previous claims 1 to 5, wherein a request is received from the driving guide before the transmission step to acquire the target profile for a specific route.
7. A system for determining a target profile for a driving event, characterized in that the system comprises: processing means (302) for collecting a set of initial data comprising at least a route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and route schedule information between the start and end points of the route, and for determining a route-specific target profile for a driving guide (400) on the basis of the initial data, wherein the target profile determines the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the processing means (302) are arranged to take into account at least one of the following in determining the target profile :
congestion;
lightness ;
driving conditions;
weather ;
speed bumps ;
road construction work; stop-specific schedules;
height variation of the route.
9. The system according to claim 7 or 8 , wherein the target profile determining the optimal driving style in different parts of the route optimizes the staying on schedule and/or energy efficiency.
10. The system according any one of the previous claims 7 to 9, wherein the target profile determines the optimal acceleration speed in different parts of the route and target speed for different parts of the route.
11. The system according to any one of the previous claims 7 to 10, wherein the system comprises transmission means (306) for transmitting the target profile to the driving guide (400) .
12. The system according to any one the previous claims 7 to 11, wherein the system comprises reception means (306) for acquiring the target profile of the request from the driving guide (400) for a specific route.
13. A method for guiding the driver of a vehicle, characterized in that the method comprises:
setting a target profile for a route to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route;
receiving information concerning one or more parameters associated to the vehicle and the location of the vehicle during a driving event;
determining the actual driving relative to the target profile during the driving event; and guiding the driver of the vehicle by a driving guide device (400) during the driving event on the basis of the target profile, one or more parameters associated to the vehicle, location of the vehicle and the actual driving relative to the target profile.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the guiding comprises at least one of the following:
inviting the driver to drive at the target speed suggested by the target profile;
inviting the driver to add acceleration;
inviting the driver to reduce acceleration;
giving warning information to the driver.
15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the method further comprises:
updating the target profile during the driving event in response to the actual driving relative to the target prof i le .
16. The method according to any one of the previous claims 13 to 15, wherein the method further comprises:
receiving update information to the target profile via a telecommunications connection during the driving event; and
using the updated target profile in guiding the driver of the vehicle.
17. The method according to any one of the previous claims 13 to 16, wherein the target profile is received via a wireless telecommunications connection.
18. The method according to any one of the previous claims 13 to 17, wherein before the setting step:
requesting the target profile for a specific route from an external system; and
receiving the requested target profile from the external system in response to the request .
19. The method according any one of the previous claims 13 to 17, wherein before the setting step:
collecting a set of initial data comprising at least the route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and route schedule information between the start and end points of the route; determining a route - speci fic target profile on the basis of the initial data to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
20. A device for guiding the driver of a vehicle, characterized in that the device comprises:
processing means (402) for setting a target profile for a route, wherein the target profile determines the optimal driving style in different parts of the route;
first reception means (410) for receiving information concerning one or more parameters associated to the vehicle and the location of the vehicle during a driving event;
wherein the processing means (402) are arranged to determine the actual driving relative to the target profile during the driving event ; and
guide means (406) for guiding the driver of the vehicle during the driving event on the basis of the received target profile, one or more parameters associated to the vehicle, location of the vehicle and the actual driving relative to the target profile.
21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the guide means (406) are arranged to carry out at least one of the following:
inviting the driver to drive at the target speed suggested by the target profile;
inviting the driver to add acceleration;
inviting the driver to reduce acceleration;
giving warning information to the driver.
22. The device according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the processing means (402) are arranged to update the target profile during the driving event in response to the actual driving relative to the target profile.
23. The device according to any one of the previous claims 20 to 22, wherein the device further comprises:
second reception means (408) for receiving update information to the target profile via a telecommunications connection during the driving event; and
wherein the processing means (402) are arranged to use the updated target profile in guiding the driver of the vehicle .
24. The device according to any one of the previous claims 20 to 23, wherein the device further comprises transmission means (408) for requesting the target profile for a specific route from an external system;
wherein the second reception means (408) are arranged to receive the requested target profile from the external system in response to the request .
25. The device according to any one of the previous claims 20 to 23, wherein the processing means (402) are arranged to:
collect a set of initial data comprising at least the route between start and end points, speed limit information included in the route and route schedule information between the start and end points of the route;
determine a route-specific target profile on the basis of the initial data in order to determine the optimal driving style in different parts of the route.
EP20100831191 2009-11-23 2010-11-23 Method and device for guiding the driver of a vehicle Ceased EP2504805A4 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FI20096223A FI20096223A0 (en) 2009-11-23 2009-11-23 Method and apparatus for instructing in driving mode
PCT/FI2010/000071 WO2011061384A2 (en) 2009-11-23 2010-11-23 Method and device for guiding the driver of a vehicle

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EP2504805A2 true EP2504805A2 (en) 2012-10-03
EP2504805A4 EP2504805A4 (en) 2015-03-25

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FI (1) FI20096223A0 (en)
WO (1) WO2011061384A2 (en)

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Also Published As

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WO2011061384A2 (en) 2011-05-26
EP2504805A4 (en) 2015-03-25
FI20096223A0 (en) 2009-11-23
WO2011061384A3 (en) 2011-07-14

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