Vehicle Navigation System for Emission-Based Route Adaptation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing traffic control solutions are inflexible and unreliable, leading to high load values and environmental pollution, particularly in urban areas, as they are based on static measurements and do not effectively adapt to changing conditions.

Innovation Solution

A method using a navigation system integrated in vehicles to detect environmental characteristics such as emissions, evaluate these data, and adjust routes in real-time to reduce environmental impact by selecting alternative routes with lower load values, which can be done automatically or with driver confirmation, using sensors and external data processing for comprehensive evaluation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If static traffic control solutions are used, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but reliability deteriorates due to excessive load values and inflexibility

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetraffic control reliabilityVSAvoidnavigation system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The navigation system continuously receives feedback from sensors detecting environmental properties (noise, air quality, particulate matter) and dynamically adjusts routing decisions. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables the system to adapt to changing traffic conditions and environmental factors in real-time, significantly improving reliability compared to static solutions while managing complexity through modular sensor integration and algorithmic processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from static routing to dynamic route adaptation by continuously monitoring environmental properties and adjusting navigation paths based on real-time conditions. The routing algorithm dynamically recalculates optimal paths considering current noise levels, air quality, and traffic density, allowing the system to respond flexibly to changing conditions and maintain high reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-generated harmful factors

If real-time environmental detection and route adaptation is implemented, then environmental pollution is reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle emission pollutionVSAvoidsensor and processing system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the environmental monitoring function into separate sensor modules (noise sensors, air quality sensors, particulate matter detectors) that independently measure specific environmental properties. This segmentation allows for targeted data collection and processing, reducing overall system complexity while effectively monitoring multiple pollution factors simultaneously to enable emission-reducing routing decisions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The navigation system acts as an intermediary that processes sensor data and translates environmental conditions into routing decisions. Rather than requiring complex direct control of vehicle emissions, the system mediates between environmental monitoring and route selection, using algorithms to interpret sensor inputs and determine optimal paths that minimize pollution impact

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If dynamic route adjustment is performed, then adaptability to environmental conditions is improved, but loss of time occurs due to route recalculation and driver interaction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroute adaptability to environmental conditionsVSAvoidtime for route adjustment and driver confirmation
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary route adaptation by pre-calculating alternative routes and preparing adjustment options before environmental conditions become critical. The navigation system continuously evaluates multiple potential paths in advance, so when route changes are needed, the adaptation can be executed quickly with minimal driver interaction, reducing time loss while maintaining high adaptability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3707471B1Vehicle navigation method
Publication Date: 2024.12.25 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP3707471B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3707471B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The invention relates to a vehicle navigation method (100) with a navigation system (20) of a vehicle (1) for determining at least one route and navigation on the basis of said determined route according to a position of the vehicle (1), said method comprising the following steps: detecting (210) at least one environmental characteristic (110) of the vehicle (1), specific for at least one emission of the vehicle, by means of at least one sensor (30) of the vehicle (1), so as to determine a detection result (211); performing an evaluation (220) of the detection result (211) so as to determine an evaluation result (221); and adapting (230) the determined route during the navigation on the basis of the evaluation result (221).