Route Calculation Device for Timely Arrival via Branch Station Hours

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing navigation systems fail to ensure users arrive at destinations or stop-off points within a determined time period, particularly when branch stations are not operating, leading to inefficiencies in data collection and communication.

Innovation Solution

A route calculation device that incorporates communication available hours, reference time, and road information to calculate the shortest required time for stopping at branch stations, optimizing routes to ensure timely arrival and improve communication efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If routes are determined simply based on traffic information and geographic locations, then the route calculation is simple, but the user cannot arrive at the destination or stop-off point within a determined time period

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroute calculation complexityVSAvoidarrival time
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by acquiring communication available hours of branch stations in advance before route calculation. This allows the route calculation to consider not only traffic information and geographic locations but also the operating hours of branch stations, ensuring timely arrival without requiring complex real-time adjustments during travel.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The route calculation dynamically adapts by integrating multiple variable factors including traffic information, geographic locations, communication available hours of branch stations, and determined time periods. This dynamic approach allows the system to calculate optimal routes that ensure arrival within specified time frames while accounting for varying conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Loss of information

If the car stops by plural branch stations to collect information, then information collection is complete, but when a branch station is not in operating hours, additional work is required and work efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation collection completenessVSAvoidwork efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by acquiring the communication available hours of each branch station before calculating the route. This advance information allows the route calculation to plan visits only to branch stations that are operating during the determined time period, eliminating unnecessary trips and waiting time, thus improving work efficiency while ensuring complete information collection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system serves itself by automatically filtering out branch stations that are not operating during the determined time period. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual checking and adjustment of branch station operating hours, allowing the system to autonomously optimize the route to visit only accessible branch stations, thereby improving productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Loss of time

If the route calculation considers communication available hours of branch stations, then arrival within determined time period is ensured, but the calculation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvearrival timeVSAvoidroute calculation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system resolves the contradiction by performing preliminary action - acquiring communication available hours of branch stations before route calculation. This pre-acquisition of operating hour information allows the subsequent route calculation to efficiently integrate this constraint without requiring complex iterative adjustments, thus ensuring timely arrival while managing calculation complexity through structured preprocessing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3124914B1Route calculation device, navigation device, route calculation method, navigation method, and communication system
Publication Date: 2024.06.19 NEC CORP
  • EP3124914B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3124914B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3124914B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The present invention provides a route calculation device, a navigation device, a route calculation method, and a navigation device that can calculate a route that allows a user to arrive at a destination or a stop-off point within a determined time period. The route calculation device according to the present invention includes a communication available hours acquisition unit 11 that acquires communication available hours of a plurality of branch stations that establish communication with a mobile station, a reference time acquisition unit 12 that acquires a reference time, a road information acquisition unit 13 that acquires time information of a road section, and a route calculation unit 31 that calculates a first travel route that offers the shortest required time for stopping by the branch stations based on the communication available hours, the reference time, and the time information of a road section.