Providing destination suggestions

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for providing one or more destination suggestions by a vehicle, said method comprising: receiving a request from the vehicle to provide the destination suggestion; receiving a set of destination clusters from the vehicle; adapting an activity indicator for each destination cluster from among the set of destination clusters according to a distance between the vehicle and a given destination cluster from among the set of destination clusters; temporarily removing one or more destination clusters from the set of destination clusters according to the corresponding activity indicator for a destination cluster from among the set of destination clusters in order to produce a modified set of destination clusters; and providing a destination cluster from among the modified set of destination clusters as the destination suggestion offered by the vehicle.

Description

[0001] 24-3330 1

[0002] Method for providing one or more navigation destination suggestions by a vehicle, computer-readable medium, system, and vehicle

[0003] The invention relates to a method for providing one or more navigation destination suggestions by a vehicle. The invention further relates to a computer-readable medium for providing one or more navigation destination suggestions by a vehicle, a system for providing one or more navigation destination suggestions by a vehicle, and a vehicle comprising the system for providing one or more navigation destination suggestions by a vehicle.

[0004] Methods for predicting navigation destinations are known from the prior art. These methods can utilize statistics that describe when a user has driven from destination A to destination B. The destinations can be grouped into navigation destination clusters. A single user can drive to a large number of destinations, for example, several hundred or several thousand.

[0005] The large number of destinations can reflect the user's mobility behavior with the vehicle. This can lead to a navigation destination being predicted with only a low probability. Furthermore, if the user's local mobility behavior changes and new destinations are added, old, no longer relevant destinations may still be more likely than new ones, so that old, no longer relevant destinations are suggested more frequently than new ones.

[0006] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a navigation destination suggestion by a vehicle more efficiently. In particular, an object of the invention is to provide a navigation destination suggestion by a vehicle more precisely.

[0007] This problem is solved by the features of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention result from the dependent claims.

[0008] According to a first aspect, the invention is characterized by a method for providing one or more navigation destination suggestions by a vehicle. The method can be a computer-implemented method and / or a control unit-implemented method. 24-3330 2

[0009] The method comprises receiving a request from the vehicle to provide the navigation destination suggestion, receiving a set of navigation destination clusters from the vehicle, and adjusting an activity indicator of each navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters depending on the vehicle's distance from that specific navigation destination cluster. The method further comprises temporarily removing one or more navigation destination clusters from the set of navigation destination clusters depending on the activity indicator of each navigation destination cluster to generate a modified set of navigation destination clusters, and providing one navigation destination cluster from the modified set of navigation destination clusters as the navigation destination suggestion by the vehicle.

[0010] Advantageously, navigation destination suggestions can be provided more effectively. Navigation clusters that are no longer being visited can be temporarily removed from the set of navigation clusters. These temporarily removed destination clusters are not considered when a navigation destination suggestion is currently being provided, but they become available again as navigation destination suggestions if the activity indicator shows that a temporarily removed destination is being visited again. By using distance as a metric to adjust the activity indicator, local patterns of a user's and / or vehicle's mobility behavior can be efficiently taken into account. The method can thus provide navigation destination suggestions with greater relevance.

[0011] According to an advantageous embodiment, adjusting the activity indicator of each navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters depending on the distance of the vehicle to the respective navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters, determining a distance distribution of the vehicle's approaches to the respective navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters, calculating an initial distance to the respective navigation destination cluster using the determined distance distribution of the vehicle's approaches to the respective navigation destination cluster, and adjusting the activity indicator of the respective navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters depending on the current distance of the vehicle to the respective navigation destination cluster and the calculated initial distance to the respective navigation destination cluster from the set of 24-3330 3

[0012] This includes navigation destination clusters. This allows for an area to be provided for...

[0013] Navigation destination clusters can be efficiently defined as navigation destination suggestions.

[0014] According to a further advantageous embodiment, adjusting the activity indicator of each navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters depending on the distance of the vehicle to the respective navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters, determining the distance distribution of the vehicle's approaches to the respective navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters, calculating a first distance to the respective navigation destination cluster using the determined distance distribution of the vehicle's approaches to the respective navigation destination cluster, and calculating a second distance to the respective navigation destination cluster using the determined distance distribution of the vehicle's approaches to the respective navigation destination cluster.and include adjusting the activity indicator of each navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters depending on the vehicle's current distance to the respective navigation destination cluster, the calculated first distance to the respective navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters, and the calculated second distance to the respective navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters. This allows for the efficient definition of an area for providing navigation destination clusters as navigation destination suggestions.

[0015] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the method can also include detecting when the vehicle approaches a temporarily removed navigation destination cluster, adjusting the activity indicator of the temporarily removed navigation destination cluster, adding the temporarily removed navigation destination cluster to the modified set of navigation destination clusters based on the adjusted activity indicator to generate a further modified set of navigation destination clusters, and providing a navigation destination cluster from the further modified set of navigation destination clusters as the suggested navigation destination by the vehicle. This allows a temporarily removed navigation destination cluster to be efficiently added back to the set of navigation destination clusters from which the suggested navigation destination is provided.

[0016] According to a further, advantageous embodiment, the method can also detect an approach to a temporarily distant navigation target cluster from the set of 24-3330 4

[0017] The process includes: Identifying navigation destination clusters with the vehicle; determining one or more temporarily distant navigation destination clusters from the set of navigation destination clusters at a specified distance from the temporarily distant navigation destination cluster with the detected approach; adjusting the activity indicator of the temporarily distant navigation destination cluster with the detected approach and the respective activity indicators of the determined navigation destination clusters at the specified distance; adding the temporarily distant navigation destination clusters to the modified set of navigation destination clusters depending on the adjusted activity indicators to generate a further modified set of navigation destination clusters; and providing a navigation destination cluster from the further modified set of navigation destination clusters as the navigation destination suggestion by the vehicle.This allows multiple temporarily removed navigation destination clusters to be efficiently added back to the set of navigation destination clusters from which the navigation destination suggestion is provided.

[0018] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the set of navigation destination clusters for the vehicle can comprise one or more navigation destination clusters for destinations previously visited by the vehicle. This allows the set of navigation destination clusters to be determined efficiently.

[0019] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the provision of the navigation destination cluster from the modified set of navigation destination clusters as the navigation destination suggestion, or the provision of the navigation destination cluster from the again modified set of navigation destination clusters as the navigation destination suggestion, by the vehicle can include providing the navigation destination cluster with the highest destination probability from the modified set of navigation destination clusters or the navigation destination cluster with the highest destination probability from the again modified set of navigation destination clusters. This allows for the efficient provision of a navigation destination suggestion.

[0020] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the method can also include determining the current position of the vehicle and current time information, and providing a navigation destination cluster from the modified set of navigation destination clusters as the navigation destination suggestion, or a navigation destination cluster from the again modified set of navigation destination clusters as the navigation destination suggestion with the highest 24-3330 5

[0021] The probability of reaching the destination based on the vehicle's current position and the current time information provided by the vehicle is included. This allows for the efficient provision of a navigation destination suggestion.

[0022] According to a further advantageous embodiment, a navigation target cluster from the modified set of navigation target clusters can be provided as the navigation target proposal, or a navigation target cluster from the again modified set of navigation target clusters can be provided as the navigation target proposal, if the target probability of the navigation target cluster exceeds a predefined minimum target probability. This allows for the efficient provision of a navigation target proposal.

[0023] According to another aspect, the invention is characterized by a computer-readable medium for providing one or more navigation destination suggestions by a vehicle, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises instructions which, when executed on a computer and / or a control unit, perform the method described above.

[0024] According to another aspect, the invention is characterized by a system for providing one or more navigation destination suggestions by a vehicle, wherein the system is configured to perform the method described above.

[0025] According to another aspect, the invention is characterized by a vehicle comprising the system described above for providing one or more navigation destination suggestions by the vehicle.

[0026] Further features of the invention will become apparent from the claims, the figures, and the description of the figures. All features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description, as well as those subsequently mentioned in the description of the figures and / or shown in the figures alone, are usable not only in the combinations specified, but also in other combinations or individually.

[0027] A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Further details, preferred configurations, and further developments of the invention will be derived from these drawings. Figure 24-3330 6 shows schematically in detail.

[0028] Fig. 1 shows an exemplary method for providing one or more navigation destination suggestions by a vehicle, Fig. 2 shows an exemplary diagram of a distance distribution of approaches to a navigation destination cluster by a vehicle, and

[0029] Fig. 3 shows an exemplary scenario for a vehicle to provide a navigation destination suggestion.

[0030] Figure 1 shows in detail an exemplary method 100 for providing one or more navigation destination suggestions by a vehicle. For example, the method 100 can provide a navigation destination suggestion to a user of the vehicle or a vehicle function, such as a navigation function of the vehicle, at or after the vehicle is started. The method 100 can receive a request from the vehicle to provide the navigation destination suggestion 102. For example, the method can receive the request from the vehicle at or after the vehicle is started.

[0031] Furthermore, the procedure can receive a set of vehicle navigation destination clusters. The set of vehicle navigation destination clusters can include one or more navigation destination clusters for historically visited destinations. A navigation destination cluster includes a geographic coordinate, such as latitude and longitude, which defines the location of the navigation destination cluster on a digital map. A navigation destination cluster can be determined, for example, using density-based spatial cluster analysis with noise for historical destinations of the vehicle. The set of navigation destination clusters can, for example, include all navigation destination clusters of the vehicle that were determined using density-based spatial cluster analysis with noise. Each navigation destination cluster can be associated with an activity indicator.The activity indicator can be representative of the distance a vehicle travels to the navigation destination cluster.

[0032] Method 100 can adjust an activity indicator for each navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters depending on the distance of the vehicle to the respective navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters 106. For this purpose, Method 100 can determine a distance distribution of vehicle approaches to the respective navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters. For the determined distance distribution, the method can calculate a first distance to the respective navigation destination cluster 24-3330 7 using the determined distance distribution of vehicle approaches to the respective navigation destination cluster and a second distance to the respective navigation destination cluster using the determined distance distribution of vehicle approaches to the respective navigation destination cluster.

[0033] The first distance could, for example, be a distance two standard deviations above the mean of the distance distribution. The second distance could, for example, be a distance three standard deviations above the mean of the distance distribution. If the distance of the vehicle to a navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters is less than or equal to the first distance when the request is received, the activity indicator can take the value 1. This means that this navigation destination cluster is not temporarily removed from the set of navigation destination clusters and / or is not considered when providing the navigation destination suggestion. In other words, the navigation destination cluster, specifically a navigation destination probability of the navigation destination cluster, is weighted with the value 1.If the distance of the vehicle to a navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters is greater than the second distance at the time the request is received, the activity indicator can take the value 0. This means that this navigation destination cluster is temporarily removed from the set of navigation destination clusters and / or is not considered when providing the navigation destination suggestion. In other words, the navigation destination cluster, specifically its navigation destination probability, is weighted with the value 0.If the distance of the vehicle to a navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters is greater than the first distance and less than the second distance when the request is received, the activity indicator can be calculated as a function of a predefined linear or nonlinear function, for example, a modeled sine function. The value of the activity indicator decreases from 1 to 0 in the range between the first and second distances. In other words, the weighting of a navigation destination cluster, specifically its probability of reaching a destination, decreases if its distance lies between the first and second distances. The navigation destination cluster in the range between the first and second distances remains in the set of navigation destination clusters, but its probability decreases.

[0034] Probability that the navigation destination cluster will be provided as a navigation destination suggestion.

[0035] Procedure 100 can temporarily remove one or more navigation target clusters from the set of navigation target clusters, depending on the respective activity indicator of a navigation target cluster, to generate a modified set of navigation target clusters 108. For example, a navigation target cluster can be temporarily removed from the set of navigation target clusters if the activity indicator is 0.

[0036] Method 100 can provide a navigation destination cluster from the modified set of navigation destination clusters as the navigation destination suggestion by the vehicle 110. For example, the navigation destination cluster with the highest destination probability from the modified set of navigation destination clusters can be provided as the navigation destination suggestion by the vehicle. The navigation destination cluster with the highest destination probability could, for example, be the navigation destination cluster with the most frequent approaches by the vehicle.

[0037] Figure 2 shows an example diagram 200 of the distance distribution of vehicle approaches to a navigation destination cluster. The x-axis 204 shows the distance of the vehicle's approaches to the navigation destination cluster. The y-axis 202 shows the number of approaches. A large proportion of the approaches are around a distance of approximately 100 km. The first distance 206 is approximately 120 km and the second distance 208 is approximately 130 km.

[0038] Figure 3 shows in detail an exemplary scenario 300 for providing a navigation destination suggestion by a vehicle. The set of navigation destination clusters is labeled with the number 302. The vehicle is located at position 304. Starting from position 304, navigation destination clusters 302 are provided as navigation destination suggestions. These clusters are located within an area defined by the first distance 206 and the second distance 208, as described above. Navigation destination clusters in an area around Munich are temporarily removed from the set of navigation destination clusters in scenario 300. 24-3330 9

[0039] Advantageously, adjusting the activity indicator allows for efficient control of temporarily removing navigation destination clusters from the set of navigation destination clusters. The set of navigation destination clusters then only includes clusters within a dynamically calculated area around the vehicle's position at the time of the request. This leads to improved precision in navigation destination suggestions. Navigation destination clusters already identified in the set do not need to be deleted; instead, they can be temporarily removed and quickly added back to the set upon a subsequent approach. The vehicle can thus provide more accurate navigation destination suggestions with a higher probability of success. The precision of navigation destination suggestions can therefore be efficiently increased.

[0040] 24-3330 10

[0041] Reference symbol list

[0042] 100 procedures

[0043] 102 Receiving a request from the vehicle

[0044] 104 Receiving a set of navigation destination clusters

[0045] 106 Customizing an activity indicator for each navigation destination cluster

[0046] 108 Temporarily removing one or more navigation destination clusters

[0047] 110 Providing a navigation destination cluster

[0048] 200 Diagram

[0049] 202 Number

[0050] 204 Distance

[0051] 206 first distance

[0052] 208 second distance

[0053] 300 Scenario

[0054] 302 Navigation clusters

[0055] 304 Position of the vehicle when receiving the request

Claims

24-3330 11 Patent claims 1. Method for providing one or more navigation destination suggestions by a vehicle, the method comprising: Receiving a request from the vehicle to provide the navigation destination suggestion; Receiving a set of navigation destination clusters from the vehicle; Adjusting an activity indicator for each navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters depending on the distance of the vehicle to a respective navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters; Temporarily removing one or more navigation target clusters from the set of navigation target clusters, depending on the respective activity indicator of a navigation target cluster, to generate a modified set of navigation target clusters; and Providing a navigation destination cluster from the modified set of navigation destination clusters as the navigation destination suggestion by the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment of the activity indicator of each navigation target cluster from the set of navigation target clusters comprises: Determining a distance distribution of the vehicle's approaches to the respective navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters; Calculating an initial distance to the respective navigation destination cluster using the determined distance distribution of the vehicle's approaches to the respective navigation destination cluster; and Adjusting the activity indicator of the respective navigation target cluster from the set of navigation target clusters depending on the current distance of the vehicle to the respective navigation target cluster and the calculated, first distance to the respective navigation target cluster from the set of navigation target clusters.

3. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the adjustment of the activity indicator of each navigation target cluster from the set of navigation target clusters in 24-3330 12 The dependency of the vehicle's distance to the respective navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters includes: Determining the distance distribution of the vehicle's approaches to the respective navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters; Calculating an initial distance to the respective navigation destination cluster using the determined distance distribution of the vehicle's approaches to the respective navigation destination cluster; Calculating a second distance to the respective navigation destination cluster using the determined distance distribution of the vehicle's approaches to the respective navigation destination cluster; and Adjusting the activity indicator of the respective navigation target cluster from the set of navigation target clusters depending on the current distance of the vehicle to the respective navigation target cluster, the calculated first distance to the respective navigation target cluster from the set of navigation target clusters, and the calculated second distance to the respective navigation target cluster from the set of navigation target clusters.

4. A method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising: Detecting an approach to a temporarily distant navigation destination cluster with the vehicle; Adjusting the activity indicator of the temporarily removed navigation destination cluster; Adding the temporarily removed navigation target cluster to the modified set of navigation target clusters, depending on the adjusted activity indicator, to generate a further modified set of navigation target clusters; and Providing a navigation destination cluster from the again modified set of navigation destination clusters as the navigation destination suggestion by the vehicle.

5. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the method further comprises: Detecting an approach to a temporarily distant navigation destination cluster from the set of navigation destination clusters with the vehicle; Determine one or more temporarily distant navigation target clusters from the set of navigation target clusters at a specified distance to the temporarily distant navigation target cluster with the detected approach; 24-3330 13 Adjusting the activity indicator of the temporarily removed navigation target cluster with the detected approach and the respective activity indicators of the determined navigation target clusters at the specified distance; Adding the temporarily removed navigation target clusters to the modified set of navigation target clusters, depending on the adjusted activity indicator, to generate a further modified set of navigation target clusters; and Providing a navigation destination cluster from the again modified set of navigation destination clusters as the navigation destination suggestion by the vehicle.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the set of navigation destination clusters of the vehicle comprises one or more navigation destination clusters relating to historically visited destinations of the vehicle.

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the provision of the navigation destination cluster from the modified set of navigation destination clusters as the navigation destination suggestion or of the navigation destination cluster from the again modified set of navigation destination clusters as the navigation destination suggestion by the vehicle comprises: Providing the navigation destination cluster from the modified set of navigation destination clusters or the navigation destination cluster from the again modified set of navigation destination clusters with the highest destination probability as the navigation destination suggestion with the highest destination probability by the vehicle.

8. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the method further comprises: Determining the vehicle's current position and time information; and providing a navigation destination cluster from the modified set of Navigation destination cluster as the navigation destination suggestion or of a navigation destination cluster from the again modified set of navigation destination clusters as the navigation destination suggestion with the highest destination probability with respect to the current position of the vehicle and the current time information provided by the vehicle.

9. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a navigation target cluster from the modified set of navigation target clusters is selected as the navigation target proposal, or a navigation target cluster from the again modified set of navigation target clusters is selected as the 24-3330 14 A navigation destination suggestion is provided if the destination probability of the navigation destination cluster exceeds a predefined minimum destination probability.

10. Computer-readable medium for providing one or more navigation destination suggestions by a vehicle, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises instructions which, when executed on a computer and / or a control unit, execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. System for providing one or more navigation destination suggestions by a vehicle, wherein the system is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

12. Vehicle comprising the system according to claim 11 for providing one or more navigation destination suggestions by the vehicle.

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