Navigation System Departure Time Calculation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current navigation systems, such as PNDs, rely on users to estimate departure times based on coarse and often inaccurate information about road conditions, leading to unreliable arrival times at destinations.

Innovation Solution

A navigation system that connects to a server for real-time traffic data, calculates the most efficient route, and provides users with a recommended departure time to ensure arrival at a desired destination by considering current and historical traffic conditions, using GPS and mobile communication technologies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If users rely on coarse and inaccurate information about road conditions, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of arrival time is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliability of arrival timeVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a server as an intermediary component that stores and provides real-time and historical traffic data. The navigation device communicates with this external server to obtain accurate traffic information without needing to store all data locally, thereby improving arrival time reliability while avoiding excessive device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating travel times for multiple routes using historical traffic data and storing them on the server. When a user requests navigation, the system quickly retrieves pre-computed data and provides accurate departure time recommendations, improving reliability without requiring complex real-time calculations on the device

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If real-time traffic data and historical travel patterns are integrated into navigation calculations, then the measurement precision of travel time is improved, but the loss of information is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprecision of travel time calculationVSAvoidloss of information
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments traffic information into distinct components: real-time traffic data, historical travel patterns, and route-specific metrics. Each segment is processed and stored separately, allowing the system to retrieve only relevant information for specific routing decisions, thereby improving measurement precision while minimizing information loss through selective data management

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution provides users with accurate and up-to-date information for determining the best departure time, reducing uncertainty and ensuring timely arrivals by integrating real-time traffic data and historical travel patterns into navigation calculations.

Implementation Method 1

PNDs of this type also include a GPS antenna by means of which satellite-broadcast signals, including location data, can be received and subsequently processed to determine a current location of the device

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGPS signal reception:

Implementation Method 2

The PND may also include electronic gyroscopes and accelerometers which produce signals that can be processed to determine the current angular and linear acceleration

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGyroscope: Gyroscope

Implementation Method 3

The PND may also include electronic gyroscopes and accelerometers which produce signals that can be processed to determine the current angular and linear acceleration

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAccelerometer: Accelerometer

Data Source

PatentEP2866179B1Navigation system and method for providing departure times
Publication Date: 2018.07.25 TOMTOM NAVIGATION BV
  • EP2866179B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2866179B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2866179B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A navigation system comprises a processing resource (202) configured to receive destination data representative of a destination, to determine an expected travel time to the destination, and to determine a departure time in dependence upon the expected travel time to the destination, and an output device (206) for providing the departure time to a user.