Method for determining a destination different from an intended location, system, and motor vehicle equipped with a system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11441908-B2
Application number	US-201816631547-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2018
Priority date	Jul 18, 2017
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for determining a destination for a motor vehicle that is different from an intended location, comprising the following steps: specifying an intended location; determining a usage rate at the intended location by means of a computing apparatus on the basis of data provided on the intended location; determining a plurality of possible alternative destinations different from the intended location on the basis of the data provided on the intended location if the usage rate exceeds a predefined usage rate threshold value; determining a predicted usage rate at the possible alternative destinations by means of the computing apparatus on the basis of data provided on the possible alternative destinations; and selecting a destination from the plurality of possible alternative destinations while taking into consideration the predicted usage rate at the alternative destinations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling the travel of a motor vehicle to an alternative destination that is different from an intended location, the method comprising:
identifying an intended location including a point of interest;
determining a usage rate at the intended location using a computing apparatus on the basis of data provided on the intended location;
determining a plurality of possible alternative destinations with a respective point of interest corresponding to but different from the intended location on the basis of the data provided on the intended location if the usage rate exceeds a predefined usage rate threshold value;
determining a predicted usage rate at the possible alternative destinations using the computing apparatus on the basis of data provided on the possible alternative destinations;
selecting the alternative destination from the plurality of possible alternative destinations while taking into consideration the predicted usage rate at the possible alternative destinations;
automatically controlling the propulsion and navigation of the motor vehicle to the selected alternative destination.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data provided on the intended location are provided by one or more of one other motor vehicle and one detection apparatus at the intended location.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein one or more of a current usage rate and a predicted usage rate at the intended location is determined when determining the usage rate at the intended location.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the data provided on the intended location comprise one or more of an occupancy of parking lots at the intended location, a number of people at the intended location, navigation targets of other motor vehicles that correspond to the intended location, and information about an event at the intended location.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein at least one datum selected from the group consisting of: a point in time of the data provided on the intended location, a point in time of the data provided on the possible alternative destinations, and an arrival time of the motor vehicle at the intended location or the destination is taken into consideration when determining the usage rates.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of a current usage rate and a predicted usage rate at the intended location is determined when determining the usage rate at the intended location.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the data provided on the intended location comprise one or more of an occupancy of parking lots at the intended location, a number of people at the intended location, navigation targets of other motor vehicles that correspond to the intended location, and information about an event at the intended location.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein at least one datum selected from the group consisting of: a point in time of the data provided on the intended location, a point in time of the data provided on the possible alternative destinations, and an arrival time of the motor vehicle at the intended location or the destination is taken into consideration when determining the usage rates.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data provided on the intended location comprise one or more of an occupancy of parking lots at the intended location, a number of people at the intended location, navigation targets of other motor vehicles that correspond to the intended location, and information about an event at the intended location.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein at least one datum selected from the group consisting of: a point in time of the data provided on the intended location, a point in time of the data provided on the possible alternative destinations, and an arrival time of the motor vehicle at the intended location or the destination is taken into consideration when determining the usage rates.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one datum selected from the group consisting of: a point in time of the data provided on the intended location, a point in time of the data provided on the possible alternative destinations, and an arrival time of the motor vehicle at the intended location or the destination is taken into consideration when determining the usage rates.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the usage rate at the intended location and/or at the possible alternative destinations includes analyzing at least one datum selected from the group consisting of: planned travel of other motor vehicles to the intended location or the possible alternative destinations, historic data, and a reaction of other motor vehicles in the event of the other motor vehicles being guided to the intended location or the possible alternative destinations along alternative routes.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data provided on the possible alternative destinations are provided by one or more of one other motor vehicle and by at least one detection apparatus at the respective possible alternative destinations.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the possible alternative destinations includes consideration of at least one datum selected from the group consisting of: a distance comparable to that to the intended location proceeding from a point of departure of the motor vehicle and/or in consideration of a history of destinations stored in the computing apparatus, preferences, and the possible alternative destinations located within a predefined surrounding area of the intended location.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the possible alternative destinations are locations or places of the same category as the intended location.

16. A system for controlling a motor vehicle to drive to an alternative destination that is different from an intended location including a first point of interest, the system comprising:
a computing apparatus configured to determine a usage rate at a specified intended location on the basis of data provided on the intended location; wherein the computing apparatus is further configured:
to determine a plurality of possible alternative destinations each with a respective point of interest corresponding to but different from the intended location on the basis of the data provided on the intended location if the usage rate exceeds a predefined usage rate threshold value;
to determine a predicted usage rate at the possible alternative destinations on the basis of data provided on the possible alternative destinations;
to select a destination from the plurality of possible alternative destinations while taking into consideration the predicted usage rate at the possible destinations; and
to control operation of the motor vehicle to drive to the alternative destination.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the data provided on at least one of the intended location and the destination is provided by one or more of a detection apparatus of at least one other motor vehicle and a detection apparatus at the intended location or at the possible alternative destinations.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the detection apparatus of the at least one other motor vehicle comprises one or more of a navigation system, a camera, and at least one environment sensor.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the detection apparatus at the intended location or at the respective destinations comprises one or more of a camera, an environment sensor, a parking lot occupancy sensor.

20. A motor vehicle equipped with a system of claim 16 .

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Max Stephan
• Günzel Thorben

Classifications

• G01C21/3685

  the POI's being parking facilities · CPC title

• G08G1/14 Primary

  indicating individual free spaces in parking areas · CPC title

• G08G1/0116

  from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons · CPC title

• G01C21/26 Primary

  specially adapted for navigation in a road network · CPC title

• G08G1/0112

  from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD] · CPC title