FR3152312A1 - Method and device for determining a road route for a two-wheeled vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a device for determining a road route for a two-wheeled vehicle. The method calculates (34) a travel time associated with each section of the road route from a calculation mode adapted to two-wheeled vehicle traffic (32) and road traffic information if an average speed obtained (31) on each section of the road route from the road traffic information is lower than a predetermined travel speed of the two-wheeled vehicle along each section of the road route. Abstract: Figure 3

Description

Method and device for determining a road route for a two-wheeled vehicle

The present invention relates to methods and devices for determining a road route for a two-wheeled vehicle. In particular, the present invention relates to calculating the travel time of a road route intended to be traveled by a two-wheeled vehicle.

Technological background

It is known to use a navigation system to determine a road route to be taken by a vehicle between a starting point and an arrival point on the basis of geographical data in the form of electronic road maps. The geographical position of the vehicle is positioned on these road maps and this geographical position of the vehicle is updated regularly from a satellite geo-positioning system called GPS (from the English "Global Positioning System").

A navigation system on board a vehicle may be part of an electronic system implemented by one or more computers on board the vehicle or be implemented in a mobile communication device, for example a mobile phone, itself on board the vehicle.

A navigation system determines different driving routes that the vehicle can take to get from a starting point to an arrival point. To do this, the navigation system can take into account parameters chosen by a vehicle user, such as the shortest route, the fastest route, or the route that does not take a fast lane, etc.

A navigation system determines different routes taking into account these parameters and road traffic information regularly received by the vehicle via a communication network. This road traffic information defines in particular traffic slowdowns along road sections of the different routes. This traffic information may include, in particular, average vehicle speeds traveling along some (or all) road sections of some (or all) different routes.

The navigation system associates a travel time with each determined route. A user can then choose one of these routes, for example the one associated with the shortest travel time or, equivalently, the one associated with the arrival time closest to the expected departure time.

The navigation system determines road routes considering whether these road routes are traveled by a pedestrian, a bicycle or a vehicle without making any distinction on the type of this vehicle.

In fact, the navigation system considers that the vehicle is of the automobile type and the calculation of the journey times along the determined road routes are calculated for a vehicle of the automobile type, that is to say by a vehicle with more than two wheels.

However, a two-wheeled vehicle, such as a motorcycle, does not always travel at the same speed as a car, and travel times are not always the same for the same route. The navigation system may therefore suggest a road route estimated to be the fastest for a two-wheeled vehicle, even though this route is not necessarily the fastest for a car.

Summary of the present invention

An object of the present invention is to solve at least one of the problems of the technological background described above.

Another object of the present invention is to optimize the road route duration calculated by a navigation system on board a two-wheeled vehicle.

Another object of the present invention is to improve road traffic.

According to a first aspect, the present invention relates to a method for determining a road route for a two-wheeled vehicle, said method comprising the following steps for calculating a travel time associated with each section of the road route:
- obtaining an average speed on a section of the road route from road traffic information;
- selection of a method for calculating the travel time of the road route from a method of calculation suitable for two-wheeled vehicle traffic and a method of calculating the road route suitable for a vehicle with more than two wheels.
- if the method of calculating the travel time of the selected road route is the calculation method adapted to two-wheeled vehicle traffic and if the average speed obtained on the section of the road route is lower than a predetermined travel speed of the two-wheeled vehicle along the section of the road route in road traffic conditions similar to those described by the road traffic information, then the travel time associated with the section of the road route is calculated from the predetermined travel speed of the two-wheeled vehicle along the section of the road route.

The method makes it possible to adapt the calculation of the travel time of a road route usually implemented in navigation systems for automobile-type vehicles, to the travel capabilities of two-wheeled vehicles, taking into account that a two-wheeled vehicle can, in particular, go upstream from lines of vehicles traveling at low speed in dense road traffic, or even in a traffic jam in which vehicles are stopped or at a traffic light.

The method allows a navigation system to provide a road route for a two-wheeled vehicle which is associated with a journey time or an arrival time as close as possible to reality and thus makes it possible to optimize the selection of a road route for a two-wheeled vehicle.

According to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the predetermined speed of the two-wheeled vehicle along the section of the road route is proportional to the average speed obtained.

According to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the predetermined speed of the two-wheeled vehicle along the section of the road route is equal to the average speed obtained on the section of the road route multiplied by a coefficient greater than 1.

According to a particular and non-limiting example of implementation, the coefficient is determined by taking into account a possible rise between lines of vehicles of the two-wheeled vehicle along the section of the road route.

According to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the road traffic information is received via a communications network.

According to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the method further comprises a step of selection, by a user of the two-wheeled vehicle, of the method of calculating the travel time of the road route from among the method of calculation adapted to the circulation of a two-wheeled vehicle and the method of calculating the road route adapted to a vehicle with more than two wheels.

This variant is advantageous because it allows the method to be implemented in a conventional navigation system embedded in a vehicle. A user can then choose whether a travel time for a road route is calculated for a car or for a two-wheeled vehicle.

According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a device for determining a road route for a two-wheeled vehicle, the device comprising a memory associated with a processor configured for implementing the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

According to a third aspect, the present invention relates to a vehicle, for example of the automobile type, comprising a device as described above according to the second aspect of the present invention.

According to a fourth aspect, the present invention relates to a computer program which comprises instructions adapted for executing the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the present invention, in particular when the computer program is executed by at least one processor.

Such a computer program may use any programming language, and may be in the form of source code, object code, or code intermediate between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

According to a fifth aspect, the present invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

On the one hand, the recording medium may be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium may include a storage medium, such as a ROM memory, a CD-ROM or a microelectronic circuit type ROM memory, or a magnetic recording medium or a hard disk.

Furthermore, this recording medium may also be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, such a signal being able to be conveyed via an electrical or optical cable, by conventional or terrestrial radio or by self-directed laser beam or by other means. The computer program according to the present invention may in particular be downloaded from a network such as the Internet.

Alternatively, the recording medium may be an integrated circuit in which the computer program is incorporated, the integrated circuit being adapted to perform or to be used in performing the method in question.

Brief description of the figures

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the description of the particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present invention below, with reference to the appended figures 1 to 3, in which:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a road environment in which a two-wheeled vehicle circulates or is likely to circulate, according to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a device configured to determine a road route for a two-wheeled vehicle of the FIG. 1 , according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of the different stages of a process for determining a road route for the two-wheeled vehicle of the FIG. 1 , according to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Description of examples of implementation

A method and a device for determining a road route for a two-wheeled vehicle will now be described in the following with joint reference to Figures 1 to 3. The same elements are identified with the same reference signs throughout the description which follows.

The terms “first(s)”, “second(s)” (or “first(s)”, “second(s)”), etc. are used in this document by arbitrary convention to identify and distinguish different elements (such as operations, means, etc.) implemented in the embodiments described below. Such elements may be distinct or correspond to a single element, depending on the embodiment.

According to the present invention, a user of a navigation system can choose that the travel time of a road route is calculated either for a car-type vehicle or for a two-wheeled vehicle. The navigation system adds the travel times of the different sections of a road route to calculate the travel time of the road route or to determine an arrival time of the vehicle at the destination of the road route. The travel time of each section of the road route is calculated according to the choice made by the user. If the user has chosen that the travel time of the road route is calculated for a two-wheeled vehicle, the travel time of each section of the road route is then adapted to the travel capabilities of two-wheeled vehicles along the section of the road route such as their ability to move up between lines of vehicles traveling at low speed on the section of the road route whether on a multi-lane roadway or in an urban environment.

There FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a road environment in which a two-wheeled vehicle 10 circulates or is likely to circulate, according to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The vehicle 10 corresponds, for example, to a vehicle with a thermal engine, with electric motor(s) or even a hybrid vehicle with a thermal engine and one or more electric motors. The vehicle 10 thus corresponds, for example, to a motorcycle.

According to a first particular and non-limiting embodiment, the vehicle 10 has a GPS type geolocation system (from the English “Global Positioning System” or in French “Geo-positioning system by satellites”).

According to a second particular and non-limiting embodiment, a user has a mobile communication device, for example a tablet or a smart cell phone (from the English “smartphone”) which implements a GPS type navigation system.

Vehicle 10 also has a navigation system in association with the geolocation system.

The vehicle 10 may also have one or more ADAS systems (Advanced Driver-Assistance System) to guide or control the vehicle in its environment to reach a destination.

The GPS system and the navigation system and, possibly, each ADAS system, are controlled by one or more computers of the vehicle 10. These computers communicate and exchange data with each other via one or more computer buses, for example a communication bus of the CAN (Controller Area Network) type, CAN FD (Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate) type, FlexRay (according to the ISO 17458 standard), LIN (Local Interconnect Network) type or Ethernet (according to the ISO/IEC 802-3 standard).

The vehicle 10 is also configured to communicate (receive and/or transmit) data with other vehicles and/or an infrastructure of a communication network according to a wireless communication mode, called V2X (from the English “Vehicle-to-everything” or in French “Vehicle to everything”).

For this purpose, the vehicle 10 carries a communication device corresponding for example to a telematic control unit, called TCU (from the English “Telematic Control Unit”) associated with one or more antennas.

The road environment 1 of the vehicle 10 comprises, for example, a mobile communication infrastructure, for example an infrastructure of a V2X type network, with which the vehicle 10 is configured to communicate data. The mobile communication infrastructure implements, for example, communications according to LTE (Long-Term Evolution), LTE-Advanced (Long-Term Evolution - Advanced), C-V2X (Cellular - Vehicle to Everything) technology which is based on 4G and/or 5G, based on LTE. The vehicle 10 advantageously communicates using a V2X communication system, for example based on the 3GPP LTE-V or IEEE 802.11p standards of ITS G5. In such a V2X communication system, each vehicle carries a node to enable vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and/or vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication.

The mobile communication infrastructure comprises, for example, communication devices 110 corresponding to relay antennas and/or roadside units (RUs), each corresponding to a node of the network.

The antenna or UBR 110 is advantageously connected to one or more remote servers 111, 112, for example via the “cloud” 100 (or in French “nuage”), via a wired and/or wireless connection. The antenna or UBR 110 is thus configured to act as a relay between the “cloud” 100 (and the remote server 111) and the vehicle 10.

The vehicle 10, for example, advantageously incorporates in its passenger compartment a display system comprising a screen and a computer configured to control the display of content(s) of a graphical Human-Machine Interface (HMI) on the screen. The computer corresponds, for example, to the computer of the infotainment system, called the IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) computer of the vehicle 10.

The screen is for example touch-sensitive and corresponds for example to an LCD type screen (from the English "Liquid Crystal Display" or in French "Display à cristals liquide"), for example of the TFT type (from the English "Thin-Film Transistor" or in French "Transistor en film mince"), or OLED (from the English "Organic Light-Emitting Diode" or in French "Diode électroluminescente biologique"). The screen is for example arranged in the center of the dashboard, for example above a central facade. Of course, the position of the screen is not limited to this example, the screen can be arranged in any position, for example on the central facade.

The screen allows content to be displayed for the driver and passengers of the vehicle 10. The screen is also configured to allow the driver and/or passengers of the vehicle 10 to interact with one or more systems embedded in the vehicle via a human-machine interface (HMI) displayed on the screen.

According to another example, the screen is not integrated into the passenger compartment but corresponds to a screen of a second mobile communication device, such as a smartphone or a tablet, connected in communication, for example wirelessly, with at least one on-board computer of the vehicle.

Road environment 1 of the FIG. 1 also illustrates a section 11 of a road route on which the vehicle 10 is likely to travel.

Section 11 illustrates a slowdown on a multi-lane roadway, as might occur on a motorway or in an urban environment. Vehicles on section 11 travel at reduced speeds, typically less than 50 km/h.

The computer of the display system is in communication with the on-board computer(s) of the vehicle 10 which implement the navigation system or in communication with the mobile communication device which implements the navigation system. The screen of the display system can then display visual content relating to information relating to the navigation system such as map data and an indicator of the current geographic position of the vehicle 10. The display system is also configured to allow the driver and/or passengers of the vehicle 10 to interact with the navigation system via a human machine interface (HMI) displayed on the screen.

A process for determining a road route for a two-wheeled vehicle is configured to calculate a travel time for a road route including section 11 or, equivalently, to determine an arrival time at a destination based on a departure time of the road route.

The process of determining a road route can be implemented either by one or more on-board computers of the vehicle 10 which implement the navigation system, or by one or more on-board computers of the vehicle 10 which are in communication with one or more computers of the vehicle 10 implementing the navigation system, or by a mobile communication device which is in communication with one or more computers of the vehicle 10, in particular the computer of the display system of the vehicle 10.

For example, a user enters the coordinates of a starting point and an arrival point via the HMI of the vehicle 10 or the mobile communication device. The starting point is, for example, the location of the user or the vehicle 10.

In a first operation, an average speed is obtained on a section of the road route from road traffic information.

According to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the traffic information is received via the mobile communication infrastructure described above.

In a second operation, a method for calculating a travel time for the road route is selected from a method for calculating the travel time of a two-wheeled vehicle and a method for calculating the road route suitable for a vehicle with more than two wheels.

According to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the method of calculating the travel time of the selected road route is obtained from a memory of the vehicle 10. The calculation method can for example be selected in advance by a user as parameters of the navigation system.

According to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the method of calculating a journey time of the road route is selected by a user from an HMI of the vehicle 10, such as for example the graphic HMI of the screen of the display system or an HMI of the mobile communication device.

If the method of calculating the travel time of the selected road route is the calculation method suitable for two-wheeled vehicle traffic and if the average speed obtained on the section of the road route is lower than a predetermined travel speed of the two-wheeled vehicle along the section of the road route under road traffic conditions similar to those described by the road traffic information, then, in a third operation, the travel time associated with the section of the road route is calculated from the predetermined travel speed of the two-wheeled vehicle along the section of the road route.

According to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the predetermined speed of the two-wheeled vehicle 10 along the section of the road route is proportional to the average speed obtained.

According to a particular and non-limiting example of embodiment, the predetermined speed of circulation of the two-wheeled vehicle along the section of the road route is equal to the average speed obtained on the section of the road route multiplied by a coefficient greater than 1.

According to a particular and non-limiting example of embodiment, the coefficient is determined by taking into account a possible rise between lines of vehicles of the two-wheeled vehicle 10 along the section of the road route.

The present invention makes it possible to add to an existing navigation system a method for calculating the travel time of a road route that is adapted to the capabilities of two-wheeled vehicles. Indeed, in the event of heavy road traffic, the navigation system receives road traffic information in real time, thus providing knowledge of the traffic conditions on each section of the road route. On a multi-lane roadway of one of these sections, if the average speed reported by the road traffic information or calculated from this road traffic information is less than 50 km/h, a symptom of a slowdown in traffic, the speed of the vehicle 10 taken into account for calculating the travel time of the section is equal to the actual speed of a two-wheeled vehicle in these traffic conditions, i.e. approximately 50 km/h, which is the authorized speed in lane separation. Similarly, in an urban road environment, if the average speed reported by the road traffic information or calculated from this road traffic information is less than 50 km/h, the navigation system can apply a correction to this average speed by multiplying it by a coefficient greater than 1 in order to take into account the possible inter-lane movement of the vehicle 10.

ThereFIG. 2schematically illustrates a device 2 configured for controlling a journey of a vehicle, for example of the vehicle 10, according to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The device 2 corresponds for example to a device on board the vehicle 10, for example a computer.

Device 2 is for example configured to implement the operations described with regard to the FIG. 1 and/or steps of the method described with regard to the FIG. 3 . Examples of such a device 2 include, but are not limited to, on-board electronic equipment such as a vehicle on-board computer, an electronic calculator such as an ECU (“Electronic Control Unit”), a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop. The elements of the device 2, individually or in combination, may be integrated into a single integrated circuit, into several integrated circuits, and/or into discrete components. The device 2 may be implemented in the form of electronic circuits or software (or computer) modules or even a combination of electronic circuits and software modules.

The device 2 comprises one (or more) processor(s) 20 configured to execute instructions for carrying out the steps of the method and/or for executing the instructions of the software(s) embedded in the device 2. The processor 20 may include integrated memory, an input/output interface, and various circuits known to those skilled in the art. The device 2 further comprises at least one memory 21 corresponding for example to a volatile and/or non-volatile memory and/or comprises a memory storage device which may comprise volatile and/or non-volatile memory, such as EEPROM, ROM, PROM, RAM, DRAM, SRAM, flash, magnetic or optical disk.

The computer code of the embedded software(s) including the instructions to be loaded and executed by the processor is for example stored in the memory 21.

According to various particular and non-limiting embodiments, the device 2 is coupled in communication with other similar devices or systems and/or with communication devices, for example a TCU (from the English “Telematic Control Unit” or in French “Telematic Control Unit”), for example via a communication bus or through dedicated input/output ports.

According to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the device 2 comprises a block 22 of interface elements for communicating with external devices. The interface elements of the block 22 comprise one or more of the following interfaces:
- RF radio frequency interface, for example Wi-Fi® type (according to IEEE 802.11), for example in the 2.4 or 5 GHz frequency bands, or Bluetooth® type (according to IEEE 802.15.1), in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, or Sigfox type using UBN (Ultra Narrow Band) radio technology, or LoRa in the 868 MHz frequency band, LTE (Long-Term Evolution), LTE-Advanced;
- USB interface (from the English “Universal Serial Bus” or “Universal Serial Bus” in French);
- HDMI interface (from the English “High Definition Multimedia Interface” or “High Definition Multimedia Interface” in French);
- LIN interface (from the English “Local Interconnect Network”).

According to another particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the device 2 comprises a communication interface 23 which makes it possible to establish communication with other devices (such as other computers of the on-board system or a mobile communication device) via a communication channel 230. The communication interface 23 corresponds for example to a transmitter configured to transmit and receive information and/or data via the communication channel 230. The communication interface 23 corresponds for example to a wired network of the CAN (Controller Area Network) type, CAN FD (Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate), FlexRay (standardized by the ISO 17458 standard) or Ethernet (standardized by the ISO/IEC 802-3 standard).

According to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the device 2 can provide output signals to one or more external devices, such as a display screen 240, touch-sensitive or not, one or more speakers 250 and/or other peripherals 260 (projection system) via output interfaces 24, 25 and 26 respectively. According to a variant, one or other of the external devices is integrated into the device 2.

There FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of the different steps of a method for determining a road route for a two-wheeled vehicle, for example the vehicle 10, according to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The method is for example implemented by a device on board the vehicle 10, by a mobile communication device on board the vehicle 10 or by the device 2 of the FIG. 2 .

In a first step 31, an average speed is obtained on a section of the road route from road traffic information.

In a second step 32, a method for calculating a travel time of the road route is selected from a method for calculating suitable for two-wheeled vehicle traffic and a method for calculating the road route suitable for a vehicle with more than two wheels.

If the method of calculating the travel time of the selected road route is the calculation method suitable for two-wheeled vehicle traffic and if the average speed obtained on the section of the road route is lower than a predetermined travel speed of the two-wheeled vehicle along the section of the road route under road traffic conditions similar to those described by the road traffic information, then in a third step 33, the travel time associated with the section of the road route is calculated from the predetermined travel speed of the two-wheeled vehicle along the section of the road route.

According to a variant, in a fourth step, a user of the two-wheeled vehicle selects the method of calculating the travel time of the road route from among the method of calculating suitable for two-wheeled vehicle travel and the method of calculating the road route suitable for a vehicle with more than two wheels.

According to a variant, the variants and examples of the operations described in relation to the FIG. 1 apply to the process steps of the FIG. 3 .

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above but extends to a method for determining a road route for a two-wheeled vehicle which would include secondary steps without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention. The same would apply to a device configured for implementing such a method.

The present invention also relates to a vehicle, for example a two-wheeled vehicle or more generally an autonomous land-powered vehicle, comprising the device 2 of the FIG. 2 .

Claims (10)

Method for determining a road route for a two-wheeled vehicle, said method comprising the following steps for calculating a journey time associated with each section of the road route:
- obtaining (31) an average speed on a section of the road route from road traffic information;
- selection (32) of a method for calculating a journey time of the road route from among a method for calculating the duration of a two-wheeled vehicle and a method for calculating the road route suitable for a vehicle with more than two wheels;
- if the method of calculating the travel time of the selected road route is the method of calculation suitable for two-wheeled vehicle traffic and if the average speed obtained on the section of the road route is lower than a predetermined travel speed of the two-wheeled vehicle along the section of the road route in road traffic conditions similar to those described by the road traffic information, then the travel time associated with the section of the road route is calculated (33) from the predetermined travel speed of the two-wheeled vehicle along the section of the road route. A method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined speed of travel of the two-wheeled vehicle along the section of the road route is proportional to the average speed obtained. A method according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined travel speed of the two-wheeled vehicle along the section of the road route is equal to the average speed obtained on the section of the road route multiplied by a coefficient greater than 1. Method according to claim 3, in which the coefficient is determined taking into account a possible rise between lines of vehicles of the two-wheeled vehicle along the section of the road route. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the road traffic information is received via a mobile communication infrastructure. Method according to one of the preceding claims, which further comprises a step (34) of selection, by a user of the two-wheeled vehicle, of the method of calculating the travel time of the road route from among the method of calculation adapted to the circulation of a two-wheeled vehicle and the method of calculating the road route adapted to a vehicle with more than two wheels. Computer program comprising instructions for implementing the method according to one of the preceding claims, when these instructions are executed by a processor. Computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of the method according to one of claims 1 to 6. Device (2) for determining a road route for a two-wheeled vehicle, said device (2) comprising a memory (21) associated with at least one processor (20) configured for implementing the steps of the method according to one of claims 1 to 6. Two-wheeled vehicle (10) comprising the device (2) according to claim 9.