Patent Publication Number: US-2021180977-A1

Title: Methods and apparatus of vehicle guidance

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Though navigational systems are presently ubiquitous in vehicles, mobile devices, and the like, these navigational systems rely on predetermined routes and relative positions of users thereto in providing guidance during travel between an origin and a destination. As a result, in the case of a human operated vehicle, a driver may deviate from the predetermined route for a significant period of time before the navigational system recognizes the predetermined route is no longer being followed. Such an issue may become exacerbated when the driver is traveling on a multi-lane roadway. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017/0076598 entitled “Driving lane change suggestions”, by Scofield and Sedlik, is directed to a device configured to formulate lane change suggestions by detecting a current lane of the driver, comparing the travel conditions of the current lane with the travel conditions of other lanes, and presenting a lane change suggestion of another lane presenting advantageous travel conditions. This approach, however, fails to consider the time-dependency of vehicle navigation in relying on the presence of adverse travel conditions, instead ignoring the relative position of the vehicle to the adverse travel condition and to alternative routes. 
     The foregoing “Background” description is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus of vehicle guidance. 
     According to an embodiment, the present disclosure further relates to a method of vehicle guidance, comprising determining a current value of a metric of a vehicle, comparing the determined current value of the metric of the vehicle to an anticipated value of the metric of the vehicle, the anticipated value of the metric of the vehicle corresponding to a value of the metric of the vehicle along a predetermined route of the vehicle, receiving, based upon the comparison, an input regarding an intended route of the vehicle, and generating, via processing circuitry, guidance information based on the received input regarding the intended route of the vehicle. 
     According to an embodiment, the present disclosure further relates to an apparatus for vehicle guidance, comprising processing circuitry configured to determine a current value of a metric of a vehicle, compare the determined current value of the metric of the vehicle to an anticipated value of the metric of the vehicle, the anticipated value of the metric of the vehicle corresponding to a value of the metric of the vehicle along a predetermined route of the vehicle, receive, based upon the comparison, an input regarding an intended route of the vehicle, and generate guidance information based on the received input regarding the intended route of the vehicle. 
     According to an embodiment, the present disclosure further relates to a method of vehicle guidance, comprising determining a current lane-level position of a vehicle, comparing the determined current lane-level position of the vehicle to an anticipated lane-level position of the vehicle, the anticipated lane-level position of the vehicle corresponding to a lane-level position of the vehicle within a predetermined route of the vehicle, receiving, based upon the comparison, an input regarding an intended route of the vehicle, and generating, via processing circuitry, guidance information based on the received input regarding the intended route of the vehicle. 
     The foregoing paragraphs have been provided by way of general introduction, and are not intended to limit the scope of the following claims. The described embodiments, together with further advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A more complete appreciation of the disclosure and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an illustration of an automotive vehicle, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is an illustration of a cabin of an automotive vehicle, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is an illustration of a navigational map, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is an illustration of route planning by a navigational system in view of lane position, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5A  is a flow diagram of a navigational system, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5B  is a flow diagram of a process of a navigational system, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 6A  is a flow diagram of a sub process of a process of a navigational system, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 6B  is a flow diagram of a sub process of a process of a navigational system, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 6C  is a flow diagram of a sub process of a process of a navigational system, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7  is an illustration of a user interface of a navigational system of an automotive vehicle, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic of a hardware configuration of an automotive vehicle employing a navigational system, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The terms “a” or “an”, as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term “plurality”, as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term “another”, as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having”, as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). Reference throughout this document to “one embodiment”, “certain embodiments”, “an embodiment”, “an implementation”, “an example” or similar terms means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of such phrases or in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments without limitation. 
     As introduction, it can be appreciated that benefits of the present disclosure may be realized within a vehicle  101 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , The vehicle  101  may be a human-operated vehicle (i.e., at least partially operated by a driver  102 ), a semi-autonomous vehicle, or an autonomous vehicle, as appropriate. The vehicle  101  may include an electronics control unit (ECU)  160  comprising processing circuitry configured to perform the methods described herein. A more detailed description of the ECU  160  will be described below and, in particular, with reference to  FIG. 8 . 
     In an embodiment, the ECU  160  of the vehicle  101  may provide navigational guidance to the driver  102  of the vehicle. Navigational guidance may be provided integrally with the methods of the present disclosure or may be provided as part of a system including the methods of the present disclosure. In an example, the navigational guidance may be based on (1) locally stored navigational maps (e.g. high definition navigational maps) in conjunction with Global Navigation Satellite System-based (GNSS) (e.g., Global Positioning System (GPS)) coordinates of the vehicle or may be based on (2) remotely stored navigational maps in conjunction with GNSS-based coordinates of the vehicle, the ECU  160  of the vehicle  101  being in wireless communication with a remote server, or similar processing system, in order to provide position information of the vehicle to the server and to allow for an evaluation of a relative position of the vehicle. It can be appreciated that information processing, at least in the context of the present disclosure, is not limited to wired connections nor is it preferentially performed locally or remotely, suggesting a variety of modifications may be made to embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit of the invention. 
     In an embodiment, the above-described GNSS-based coordinates, in combination with highly defined and annotated navigational maps, may be sufficient to provide lane-level resolution of a position of the vehicle  101  of  FIG. 1 . It can be appreciated, however, that other lane-level detection methods may be used while remaining consistent with the spirit of the invention of the present disclosure. These lane-level detection methods include, among others, infrastructure-based approaches such as road-based electromagnetic coils for vehicle detection and camera-based approaches that perform vehicle tracking by identifying vehicles traversing specific regions of roadway. 
     According to an embodiment, navigational guidance employing the above can be provided within an environment of the vehicle  101 , as shown in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  reflects a cabin of a vehicle. The navigational guidance can be provided to the driver of the vehicle via, among other methods, audio output, tactile and/or haptic output, and visual output via a navigational system  210 . The navigational system  210  may include, in an example, a display or a display controllable by a driver, or other passenger, via indirect control (e.g. control knob) or via direct control (e.g. a touch screen display  224 ). In an embodiment, the driver or other passenger may communicate with the navigational system  210  by, in addition to others, voice control. As it relates to the present disclosure, the navigational system  210  may provide information regarding a roadway  205  and directional guidance in view of, at least, a current lane  206  of the vehicle. 
     Though navigational systems, such as those generally introduced above and implemented within vehicles, mobile devices, and the like, offer real-time guidance in the context of a position of a vehicle (or device) and relative to a predetermined route, these navigational systems are unable to discern driver intent and predict future actions of the driver. Instead, even when lane-level position information is available, current navigational systems are configured to passively wait for a navigational directive to be followed or missed, and a driver to stray from a predetermined route, before providing corrective directives re-routing the driver to the predetermined route or finding an alternative route to the destination. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the above shortcomings of current navigational systems are exemplified. With reference to  FIG. 3 , current navigational systems fail to recognize or predict that a predetermined route  313  is no longer a route desirable to a driver of a vehicle  301  or that the vehicle  301  is in a current position  312  relative to the predetermined route  313  that may lead them off of the predetermined route  313 . In an example, the vehicle  301  may be traveling on a four-lane highway toward a destination  311  and, within the next quarter mile, may need to be in the leftmost lane in order to follow a fork in the road and merge onto a different highway consistent with the predetermined route  313 . The driver of the vehicle  301 , however, may currently be in the rightmost lane of the four-lane highway. As the navigational system is ignorant to the lane-level position of the vehicle  301 , the navigational system cannot provide lane-level guidance to the driver of the vehicle  301 . Moreover, the navigational system is unwise to a possible intended route  314  of the driver of the vehicle  314 . Instead, the navigational system, expecting the driver of the vehicle  301  to follow the predetermined route  313 , awaits a gross deviation from the predetermined route  313  before determining the vehicle to no longer be on the predetermined route  313  and to begin to accommodate the change in route. Among other issues, this delay in time between when the driver of the vehicle  301  may have decided to deviate from the predetermined route  313  and when the navigational system recognizes this intention may result in a ‘missed turn’ or other unexpected driving condition in which the driver of the vehicle  301  has deviated from the predetermined route  313  and must now wait for a route re-calculation. 
     With reference to  FIG. 4 , it may be the case that a navigational system can determine a lane-level position of a driver  402  of a vehicle  401 . In this case, however, the navigational system may still fail to consider the possibility that the driver  402  does not intend to follow a predetermined route  413 . For instance, it may be the case that the driver  402  of the vehicle  401  is traveling on a three-lane highway and, within the next half mile, needs to exit the highway in order to stay on the predetermined route  413 . Notably, a current position  412  of the driver  402  of the vehicle  401  happens to be a rightmost lane (Lane 4) of the three-lane highway while the exit, within the next half mile, is located in a leftmost lane (Lane 2) of travel. It can be appreciated that, with proper guidance, the driver  402  of the vehicle  401  may still be able follow the predetermined route  413  expected by the navigational system. In such a case, the navigational system may provide appropriate instruction for the driver  402  of the vehicle  401  to change lanes two times to move to Lane 2. It can be appreciated, however, that the navigational system has failed to consider whether the driver  402  intends to follow the predetermined route  413 . Instead, it may be that the driver  402  wishes to follow an alternate, intended route  414  aligned with Lane 4 (or Lane 3). Ignorant to this intention, the navigational system can only await the realization, following gross deviation of the vehicle  401  from the predetermined route  413 , that the vehicle  401  is no longer on the predetermined route  413  and that an instruction has been ‘missed’. It is only then that the navigational system begins to consider an alternate route for the driver  402  that may be more aligned with the intentions of the driver  402 . 
     Therefore, as is the focus of the present disclosure, it is necessary to provide a method for navigational guidance, including determining that a driver does not intend to follow navigational directions, prompting the driver with an alert such as “Did you mean to travel (e.g. another, alternate route)?”, and adjusting the navigational directions based on a response of the driver to the prompt. The alert can be provided preemptively so that the driver can comfortably follow any desired route of travel. As will be appreciated, such an approach is likely to result in a more comfortable experience for the driver and foster greater confidence in capabilities of the navigational system. 
     To this end, and according to an embodiment, the present disclosure describes a method for naturalistic routing with lane-level localization. Such naturalistic routing with lane-level localization offers earlier detection of current lane-level position and evaluation of driver intent, allowing for suggested routing to reflect the natural driving behavior of the driver. In an embodiment, estimated arrival times can also be considered in the determination of suggested, alternate routes. 
     Further to the above, the present disclosure describes, in an embodiment, a system implementing a method of determining a relative lane-level position of a vehicle and providing navigational guidance in view of possible travel routes. Implementing this method with a view to the time-dependency of vehicle travel allows the system to consider the current position of a vehicle, the anticipated position of the vehicle, and the intent of the driver as to adherence of a predetermined travel route or deviation therefrom. 
     The approach of the present disclosure may be further introduced with reference to the illustrations of  FIG. 4 . In an example, a driver  402  of a vehicle  401  may be understood to be traveling in Lane 4. The navigational system may understand the vehicle  401  needs to be in Lane 2 in order to follow a predetermined route  413  to a destination  411 . Concurrently, the navigational system recognizes that, though there remains sufficient time for the vehicle  401  to move from a current position  412  to a position consistent with the predetermined route  413 , the driver  402  may not intend to the follow the predetermined route  413 . Proactively, the navigational system may query the driver  402  as to an intended route  414  of travel. For instance, the navigational system may query the driver  402  based on, inter alia, alternative routes available to the vehicle  401  to travel from the current position  412  to a destination and habitual routes traveled by the vehicle  401  or, more specifically, the driver  402  of the vehicle  401 , on previous trips. The alternative routes may be determined in a manner similar to those determined by widely-available navigational systems and may consider, as an example, traffic flow patterns, congestion pricing, and the like. In response to the query, the driver  402  may indicate to the navigational system, by selection, an intended route  414  of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the driver  402  may respond to the query by indicating that the predetermined route  413  is desirable. In another embodiment, the driver  402  may respond to the query by indicating that an alternative route is the intended route  414 . In any event, the navigational system may, response to input, provide guidance to the driver  402  in order to reach the destination. This is possible, in part, as a result of proactively and preemptively querying the driver to determine an intended route of the vehicle. This can be directly contrasted with previous approaches, described above, that rely on reactive realizations and modifications to travel route following an failed directive. 
     According to an embodiment, and as a supplement to the above, the navigational system may, in an example, store the query response within a database in order to analyze travel history and discern habits of the driver  402 . This will be described in greater detail with reference to  FIG. 6C . 
     The method of the present disclosure, exemplified in  FIG. 4 , will now be described generically with reference to  FIG. 5A . The high level flow diagram of  FIG. 5A  represents the method of the present disclosure as performed, by the ECU of the vehicle, iteratively and during navigational guidance. In an embodiment, and as is the case in  FIG. 5A , the method of the present disclosure may be performed in the context of any metric of the vehicle that may be reflective of an intent of a driver. For instance, though this metric of the vehicle is described above and below as being a ‘lane-level position’ of a vehicle, the metric can be any metric reflective of driver intent, including information processed and/or received as an input from audio devices, video devices, and other sensors integrated within the vehicle or peripherals thereof. In an example, the received information could be video data of head movements and facial expressions of a driver, wherein lack of head movement and facial expressions may indicate the driver has no intention of changing lanes to follow a predetermined route. In another example, the received information could be time-dependent data from vehicle sensors such as a speedometer, a speed or rate of change of speed of the vehicle possibly indicating intent of a driver, Determinations of driver intent, in context of the above examples of received information, could be made according to pattern recognition of such events. 
     Returning to  FIG. 5A , the navigational guidance  515  of the present disclosure, as performed by the ECU of the vehicle, may begin with a determination of a current metric value of the vehicle (or the driver of the vehicle) at step  530 . In an embodiment, process  515  is initiated following initiation of navigational guidance by the driver of the vehicle. The navigational guidance may provide driving direction along a predetermined route determined to be most time efficient in consideration of traffic and other factors. 
     According to an embodiment, the metric value may be a metric indicative of driver intent, as introduced above. The metric value may be based on vehicular data related to, among others, velocity, relative position, and time. In an example, the metric value may be based on a length of residence time of a vehicle within a specific lane. In another example, the metric value may be based on a vector of a trajectory of a vehicle describing a speed and direction of movement of the vehicle relative to a lane-level position. 
     At sub process  531  of process  515 , the ECU may perform a comparison of the determined current metric value and an anticipated metric value. The sub process  531 , described in detail with reference to  FIG. 6A , may generate an error score between the determined current metric value and the anticipated metric value. 
     At step  534  of process  515 , the error score may be compared to a predetermined threshold to evaluate the deviation. The predetermined threshold may be established according to historical data, and the like, demonstrating an error score at which driver intent can be reliably correlated. If the error score does not achieve the predetermined threshold, process  515  may return to step  530  and continue to be iteratively performed by the ECU. Alternatively, if the error score does achieve the predetermined threshold, process  515  proceeds to sub process  535  and driver intent is discerned. 
     According to an embodiment, the historical data may be independent of the tendencies of an individual driver and, accordingly, the current metric value considered at step  534  of process  515  can be viewed relative to universal thresholds and baselines associated with the current metric value. For instance, if the current metric value is a vector indicating a vehicle is traveling from a leftmost lane to a rightmost lane, and an upcoming directive requires the vehicle to be in the leftmost lane, the method of the present disclosure may be initiated to determine if the driver intends to follow the predetermined route based on a comparison of the vector to universal thresholds reflecting actions of the average driver intending to follow the predetermined route. 
     According to an embodiment, the historical data may be dependent on tendencies of an individual driver and, accordingly, the current metric value can be considered at step  534  of process  515  in view of thresholds and baselines defined by actions of the driver during the current trip and/or during previous trips. For instance, the current metric value may be a residence time indicating a length of time a vehicle has been at a specific lane-level position. If a driver of a vehicle is in a leftmost lane for a prolonged period of time and a navigational directive indicates the vehicle should be in the rightmost lane in order to follow a predetermined route, this may potentially indicate a desire to stay in this lane-level position and follow an alternate route. The driver, however, may have a tendency, when compared with the average driver, to follow navigational directives at a distance and time closer to when the navigational directive must be followed. Accordingly, the method of the present disclosure may determine to delay querying the driver as to intent, as the driver is known to follow directives at the ‘last minute’. 
     Having determined the error score to achieve the predetermined threshold, the ECU may configure a user interface to query the driver of the vehicle regarding an intended route of travel at sub process  535  of process  515 . The query may include suggestions of alternative routes of travel based on time efficiency or historical data of the driver that may indicate habits or patterns, Sub process  535  will be described in greater detail with reference to  FIG. 6B . 
     Having received a response to the query from the driver, guidance information can be generated at sub process  540  of process  515 . At sub process  540  of process  515 , the guidance information can be generated while, concurrently, the response to the query from the driver is analyzed and stored so that patterns and habit formation can be determined, thereby improving future navigational guidance. 
     As noted above, the metric value of the vehicle can be any metric indicative of driver intent. As a specific example,  FIG. 5B  is a high level flow diagram of the method of the present disclosure wherein the metric value of the vehicle is the current lane-level position of the vehicle. In an embodiment, process  515  is initiated following initiation of navigational guidance by the driver of the vehicle. The navigational guidance may provide driving direction along a predetermined route determined to be most time efficient in consideration of traffic and other factors. 
     At step  580  of process  515 , navigational guidance, as performed by the ECU of the vehicle, may begin with a determination of a current lane-level position of the vehicle. 
     At sub process  581  of process  515 , the ECU may perform a comparison of the determined current lane-level position and an anticipated lane-level position. The sub process  581 , described in detail with reference to  FIG. 6A , may generate an error score between the determined current lane-level position and the anticipated lane-level position. 
     At step  584  of process  515 , the error score may be compared to a predetermined threshold to evaluate the deviation of the vehicle from the predetermined route. The predetermined threshold may be established according to historical data, and the like, demonstrating an error score at which driver intent can be reliably correlated. If the error score does not achieve the predetermined threshold, process  515  may return to step  580  and continue to be iteratively performed by the ECU. Alternatively, if the error score does achieve the predetermined threshold, process  515  proceeds to sub process  585  and driver intent is discerned. 
     At sub process  585  of process  515 , described in detail with reference to  FIG. 6B , the ECU may configure a user interface to query the driver of the vehicle regarding an intended route of travel. The query may include suggestions of alternative routes of travel based on time efficiency or historical data of the driver that may indicate habits or patterns. 
     Having received a response to the query from the driver, guidance information can be generated at sub process  590  of process  515 . At sub process  590  of process  515 , the guidance information can be generated while, concurrently, the response to the query from the driver is analyzed and stored so that patterns and habit formation can be determined, thereby improving future navigational guidance. 
     Sub process  581 , wherein a comparison of a determined current lane-level position of the vehicle and an anticipated lane-level position of the vehicle is performed, is further described with reference to  FIG. 6A . 
     At step  682  of sub process  581 , the anticipated lane-level position of the vehicle may be determined based on predetermined route data gathered at step  613 . In an example, if a right hand turn is an anticipated action of the vehicle, the anticipated lane-level position may be the rightmost lane of travel of the roadway. 
     At step  683  of sub process  581 , an error score is generated based on the determined anticipated lane-level position of the vehicle and the current lane-level position of the vehicle determined at step  580  of process  515 . The generated error score may reflect the level of disagreement between the two lane-level positions of the vehicle. 
     The generated error score may then be evaluated relative to a predetermine threshold to determine if the level of disagreement between the anticipated lane-level position of the vehicle and the current lane-level position of the vehicle is significant. If the error score achieves the predetermined threshold, process  515  proceeds to sub process  585 , as shown in FIG. GB. 
     At step  686  of sub process  585 , and responsive to the determination that the driver may not intend to follow the predetermined route, the ECU of the vehicle may determine alternate routes to the destination based on the determined current lane-level position. The determined alternate routes may be based on alternate route data gathered at step  687  and data gathered from a historical database  617 , the historical database  617  including habitual data. The alternate route data may include route data from standard navigational guidance, each route configured to provide options to the driver optimizing time, distance traveled, and/or tolls paid between the current lane-level position of the vehicle and the destination. In an embodiment, the historical data may be a corpus of previous trip data including route data from previous trips made by the vehicle to the destination from the current lane-level position. In this way, the corpus of previous trip data can be analyzed to identify habits and patterns of travel of the vehicle (i.e. habitual data) and in order to provide suggested alternate route data to a driver of the vehicle. In another embodiment, the historical data may include route data from previous trips made by a specific driver and can include identifiable tendencies of the specific driver that arise during a trip. For instance, the historical data may include a corpus of previous trip data that may be analyzed to identify habits and patterns including, among others, particular routes, independent of length of travel time, preferred by the driver and particular routes preferable to the driver on specific days of the week, such as weekdays. These habits can be used to provide alternate routes to the driver of the vehicle reflecting possible intended routes of the driver. 
     In an embodiment, the historical database  617  may include global route data collected from other drivers who have traveled the same route. The global route data may be collected from other drivers and may be stored within the historical database  617  such that the ECU of the vehicle may provide alternate routes based on prior actions of other drivers traveling between the same or similar origin and destination. For instance, it may be that, in the absence of sufficient historical data from the current driver from which to derive habitual behavior, or as complementary information thereto, the ECU of the vehicle may access the historical database  617  and analyze historical data from other drivers to determine if habitual behavior exists, globally, and if and how this habitual behavior deviates from guidance which may be traditionally provided by a navigation system at step  687 . The ECU of the vehicle may also analyze the historical data to determine if travel trends exist across a global dataset. In an example, it may be that alternate route data gathered at step  687  and global route data collected from the historical database  617  indicate that a majority of drivers, globally, ignore primary guidance of the alternate route data and, instead, follow a secondary route not originally provided by a navigation system. Accordingly, the ECU of the vehicle may consider this habitual behavior (i.e., the secondary route) in providing alternate routes to a driver of the vehicle. 
     It can be appreciated that the global route data may be gathered via wireless communication with a remote server storing the historical database  617 , may be stored within a local historical database  617  accessible directly by the ECU of the vehicle, or may be acquired via vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. Moreover, in the case of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the above-described global route data may be regional route data gathered from surrounding vehicles traveling the same route. Analyzing regionally-available data reduces computational burdens by limiting data processing to likely-relevant data. 
     Having determined alternate routes at step  686  of sub process  585 , the ECU may configure a user interface to query the driver regarding the intended route of the vehicle at step  688  of sub process  585 . The query to the driver may be in the form of an audio question, a visual question, or other mode of inquiry such that the driver may respond, in kind, with a selection indicating an intended route of the vehicle. 
     This input can be received by the ECU, at step  689  of sub process  585 , as a reflection of intent of the driver. The received input can be provided by, among others, voice command, haptic control via touch screen of a user interface or control knob of a control panel, and specific facial muscle movements or other distinct facial features. In an embodiment, the received input may be an indication that the driver wishes to follow the predetermined route of the vehicle. Similarly, in another embodiment, the received input may be an indication that the driver wishes to follow one of the alternate routes identified by the ECU as a possible intended route. By performing the analysis preemptively and with adequate time for the driver to comfortably navigate the vehicle to the desired route, the method of the present disclosure allows for navigation to either the predetermined route or an alternate route and avoids reactive re-calculation of travel routes in response to a missed direction. 
     Having received an indication of the intended route of the driver at step  689  of sub process  585 , process  515  may proceed to sub process  590 , described with reference to  FIG. 6C . At step  693  of sub process  590 , guidance information for the intended route of the vehicle can be provided based on the input received at sub process  685  of process  515 . The received input identifies the intended route data that may be gathered at step  694  of sub process  590 , wherein the gathered intended route data is either the predetermined route or one of a plurality of alternate routes. The intended route data can include navigational guidance required for subsequent travel to the destination. The gathered intended route data can then be conveyed to the driver at step  695 , as described in  FIG. 7 . 
     According to an embodiment, sub process  585  of process  515  of  FIG. 6B  provides a query to a driver of a vehicle based on alternate route data and historical data associated with the driver (or the vehicle) that may include data indicative of a habit of the driver. For instance, the habit may be a tendency of the driver to travel at a speed above the speed limit and dramatically follow navigational directives at a rate of speed higher than that typically done by an average driver. To this end, sub system  618  of  FIG. 6C  includes steps to supplement the historical data and identify habits and patterns of a driver that may improve the intelligence of the method of the present disclosure in identifying intentions of the driver. At step  691  of sub system  618 , the selection received from the driver of the intended route can be used in combination with historical data gathered from a historical database  617  to identify habits and preferences of the driver at step  691  of sub system  618 . The labeled data provided by the selection of the driver can be directly compared with and evaluated in the context of the historical data  617 . Subsequently, the received, identified input of the driver can be stored in an updated historical database  627  at step  692 , the received, identified input then being annotated according to habits and preferences identified. The updated historical database  627  may then be available during further instances of the method of the present disclosure. 
     It can be appreciated that sub system  618  may be performed outside of the process of  515 , thereby justifying the hashed nature of the arrow connecting sub process  685  of process  515  to sub system  618 . 
     According to an embodiment, the updated historical database  627  may include sufficient historical data such that pre-determined route data may be based on sub process  618 , in an example, the pre-determined route data being based on habitual behavior of a driver or of a globally-referenced driver, Therefore, an intended route determined from habitual behavior may be provided as the pre-determined route, thereby obviating the need for interaction with the driver of the vehicle after having provided a traditional route as the pre-determined route. To this end, intended routes, or preferred routes, of the driver can be learned from the historical data and, with reference to  FIG. 6A , the pre-determined route data of step  613  can be based on the learned, intended routes of the driver. It can be appreciated that, as described in the flow diagrams of  FIG. 5A  through  FIG. 6C , a learned, intended route of a driver provided as the pre-determined route may then be evaluated, as would a traditionally-provided pre-determined route, to determine if the learned, intended route, or pre-determined route, remains the desired route of the driver. 
     With reference again to  FIG. 6C , the guidance information conveyed at step  695  of sub process  590  can be conveyed to the driver of the vehicle by a variety of means. With reference to  FIG. 7 , an illustration of a front cabin of a vehicle, the guidance information regarding a roadway  705  can be provided to a driver of the vehicle via a navigational system  710 . The navigational system  710  can include a display or touch screen display  724  in addition to a speaker  722 . A heads up display, disposed above a steering wheel  725 , may also be integrated within the navigational system  710  to provide enhanced comfort to the driver of the vehicle. 
     According to an embodiment and with reference to sub process  585  of process  515 , the driver of the vehicle (or a passenger of the vehicle) may respond to a query from the navigational system  710  by interaction with the navigational system  710 . For instance, the driver may respond by, among others, manipulating a control knob  724  on the steering wheel  725  of the vehicle, interacting with the touch screen display  724  of the navigational system, speaking into a microphone  720  to provide a voice command, and using body motions to indicate to a camera  721  a response. 
       FIG. 8  is a schematic of hardware components of an exemplary embodiment of an automotive vehicle and an electronics control unit (ECU)  860  that may be implemented in order to perform the methods of the present disclosure. It should be noted that  FIG. 8  is meant only to provide a generalized illustration of various components, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate. It can be noted that, in some instances, components illustrated by  FIG. 8  can be localized to a single physical device and/or distributed among various networked devices, which may be disposed at different physical locations. Moreover, it can be appreciate that, in an embodiment, the ECU  860  can be configured to process data (i.e. audio signal(s), video signal(s), haptic signal(s)) and control operation of the navigational system. In another embodiment, the ECU  860  can be configured to be in communication with remote processing circuitry configured to, in coordination with the ECU  860 , process data and control operation of the navigational system. The remote processing circuitry may be a centralized server or other processing circuitry separate from the ECU  860  of the vehicle. The ECU  860  is shown comprising hardware elements that can be electrically coupled via a BUS  867  (or may otherwise be in communication, as appropriate). The hardware elements may include processing circuitry  861  which can include without limitation one or more processors, one or more special-purpose processors (such as digital signal processing (DSP) chips, graphics acceleration processors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and/or the like), and/or other processing structure or means. The above-described processors can be specially-programmed to perform operations including, among others, image processing and data processing. Some embodiments may have a separate DSP  863 , depending on desired functionality. 
     According to an embodiment, the ECU  860  can include one or more input device controllers  870 , which can control without limitation an in-vehicle touch screen display, heads up display, a touch pad, microphone, button(s), dial(s), switch(es), camera(s), and/or the like. In an embodiment, one of the one or more input device controllers  870  can be configured to control a microphone and can be configured to receive audio signal input(s)  868  as a response from a driver of a vehicle. In an embodiment, one of the one or more input device controllers  870  can be configured to control a touch screen display or heads up display and can be configured to receive tactile/haptic signal input  878  from the driver of the vehicle via the touch screen display or other tactile and/or haptic user interface. In an embodiment, one of the one or more input device controllers  870  can be configured to control a camera and can be configured to receive video signal input(s)  877  as a response from the driver of the vehicle. Accordingly, the processing circuitry  861  of the ECU  860  may execute processes of the navigational system in response to the received input(s). 
     According to an embodiment, the ECU  860  can also include one or more output device controllers  862 , which can control without limitation a display, a visual indicator such as an LED, speakers, and the like. For instance, the one or more output device controllers  862  can be configured to control audio outputs)  875  of the speakers of a vehicle such that queries and navigational guidance can be provided to a driver. In addition, the one or more output device controllers  862  can be configured to control a display output(s)  879  such as a touch screen display or a heads up display, the display output(s)  879  conveying a query or navigational guidance to the driver. 
     The ECU  860  may also include a wireless communication hub  864 , or connectivity hub, which can include without limitation a modem, a network card, an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device, and/or a chipset (such as a Bluetooth device, an IEEE 802.11 device, an IEEE 802.16.4 device, a WiFi device, a WiMax device, cellular communication facilities including 4G, 5G, etc.), and/or the like. The wireless communication hub  864  may permit data to be exchanged with, as described, in part, a network, wireless access points, other computer systems, and/or any other electronic devices described herein. The communication can be carried out via one or more wireless communication antenna(s)  865  that send and/or receive wireless signals  866 . 
     Depending on desired functionality, the wireless communication hub  864  can include separate transceivers to communicate with base transceiver stations (e.g., base stations of a cellular network) and/or access point(s). These different data networks can include various network types. Additionally, a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) may be a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network, a Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) network, an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) network, a WiMax (IEEE 802.16), and so on. A CDMA network may implement one or more radio access technologies (RATS) such as cdma2000, Wideband-CDMA (W-CDMA), and so on. Cdma2000 includes IS-95, IS-2000, and/or IS-856 standards. A TDMA network may implement Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Digital Advanced Mobile Phone System (D-AMPS), or some other RAT. An OFDMA network may employ LTE, LTE Advanced, and so on, including 4G and 5G technologies. 
     The ECU  860  can further include sensor controller(s)  874 . Such controllers can control, without limitation, one or more sensors of the vehicle, including, among others, one or more accelerometer(s), gyroscope(s), camera(s), radar(s), LiDAR(s), odometric sensor(s), and ultrasonic sensor(s), as well as magnetometer(s), altimeter(s), microphone(s), proximity sensor(s), light sensor(s), and the like. 
     Embodiments of the ECU  860  may also include a Satellite Positioning System (SPS) receiver  871  capable of receiving signals  873  from one or more SPS satellites using an SPS antenna  872 . The SPS receiver  871  can extract a position of the device, using various techniques, from satellites of an SPS system, such as a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) (e.g., Global Positioning System (GPS)), Galileo over the European Union, GLObal NAvigation Satellite System (OLONASS) over Russia, Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) over Japan, Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) over India, Compass/BeiDou over China, and/or the like. Moreover, the SPS receiver  871  can be used by various augmentation systems (e.g., an Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS)) that may be associated with or otherwise enabled for use with one or more global and/or regional navigation satellite systems. By way of example but not limitation, an SBAS may include an augmentation system(s) that provides integrity information, differential corrections, etc., such as, e.g., Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), Multi-functional Satellite Augmentation System (MEAS), GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation or GPS and Geo Augmented Navigation system (GAGAN), and/or the like. Thus, as used herein an SPS may include any combination of one or more global and/or regional navigation satellite systems and/or augmentation systems, and SPS signals may include SPS, SPS-like, and/or other signals associated with such one or more SPS. 
     The ECU  860  may further include and/or be in communication with a memory  869 . The memory  869  can include, without limitation, local and/or network accessible storage, a disk drive, a drive array, an optical storage device, a solid-state storage device, such as a random access memory (° RAM″), and/or a read-only memory (“ROM”), which can be programmable, flash-updateable, and/or the like. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any appropriate data stores, including without limitation, various file systems, database structures, and/or the like. 
     The memory  869  of the ECU  860  also can comprise software elements (not shown), including an operating system, device drivers, executable libraries, and/or other code embedded in a computer-readable medium, such as one or more application programs, which may comprise computer programs provided by various embodiments, and/or may be designed to implement methods, and/or configure systems, provided by other embodiments, as described herein. In an aspect, then, such code and/or instructions can be used to configure and/or adapt a general purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations in accordance with the described methods, thereby resulting in a special-purpose computer. 
     Obviously, numerous modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure may also be as set forth in the following parentheticals. 
     (1) A method of vehicle guidance, comprising determining a current value of a metric of a vehicle, comparing the determined current value of the metric of the vehicle to an anticipated value of the metric of the vehicle, the anticipated value of the metric of the vehicle corresponding to a value of the metric of the vehicle along a predetermined route of the vehicle, receiving, based upon the comparison, an input regarding an intended route of the vehicle, and generating, via processing circuitry, guidance information based on the received input regarding the intended route of the vehicle. 
     (2) The method according to (1), wherein the received input regarding the intended route of the vehicle includes an indication of whether a driver of the vehicle desires to deviate from the predetermined route of the vehicle. 
     (3) The method according to either (1) or (2), wherein the receiving the input regarding the intended route of the vehicle includes determining alternate routes between a current position of the vehicle and a destination of the vehicle based on the determined current value of the metric of the vehicle. 
     (4) The method according to any of (1) to (3), wherein the comparing the determined current value of the metric of the vehicle to the anticipated value of the metric of the vehicle includes generating an error score of the determined current value of the metric of the vehicle and the anticipated value of the metric of the vehicle, and comparing the generated error score to a predetermined error score threshold. 
     (5) The method according to any of (1) to (4), wherein the determined anticipated value of the metric of the vehicle is based on a habit associated with a driver of the vehicle, the habit including a driving pattern of the driver of the vehicle identified within historical data associated with the driver, the historical data associated with the driver being stored within a historical database. 
     (6) The method according to any of (1) to (5), wherein the generating the guidance information based on the received input regarding the intended route of the vehicle includes identifying a driving pattern of a driver of the vehicle based on the received input regarding the intended route of the vehicle and historical data associated with the driver of the vehicle, the received input being associated with the determined current value of the metric of the vehicle, wherein each entry of the historical data associated with the driver includes the received input regarding the intended route of the vehicle, the determined current value of the metric of the vehicle, the anticipated value of the metric of the vehicle, and a corresponding geolocation of the vehicle. 
     (7) The method according to any of (1) to (6), wherein the generating the guidance information based on the received input regarding the intended route of the vehicle includes recording the identified driving pattern of the driver of the vehicle within the historical data associated with the driver of the vehicle. 
     (8) The method according to any of (1) to (7), wherein the metric of the vehicle includes a vector of a trajectory of the vehicle. 
     (9) The method according to any of (1) to (8), wherein the generating the guidance information based on the received input regarding the intended route of the vehicle includes conveying the generated guidance information to a driver of the vehicle by one or more of audio and video. 
     (10) An apparatus for vehicle guidance, comprising processing circuitry configured to determine a current value of a metric of a vehicle, compare the determined current value of the metric of the vehicle to an anticipated value of the metric of the vehicle, the anticipated value of the metric of the vehicle corresponding to a value of the metric of the vehicle along a predetermined route of the vehicle, receive, based upon the comparison, an input regarding an intended route of the vehicle, and generate guidance information based on the received input regarding the intended route of the vehicle. 
     (11) The apparatus according to (10), wherein the received input regarding the intended route of the vehicle includes an indication of whether a driver of the vehicle desires to deviate from the predetermined route of the vehicle. 
     (12) The apparatus according to either (10) or (11), wherein, prior to receipt of the input regarding the intended route of the vehicle, the processing circuitry is further configured to determine alternate routes between a current position of the vehicle and a destination of the vehicle based on the determined current value of the metric of the vehicle. 
     (13) The apparatus according to any of (10) to (12), wherein, in order to compare the determined current value of the metric of the vehicle to the anticipated value of the metric of the vehicle, the processing circuitry is further configured to generate an error score of the determined current value of the metric of the vehicle and the anticipated value of the metric of the vehicle, and compare the generated error score to a predetermined error score threshold. 
     (14) The apparatus according to any of (10) to (13), wherein the determined anticipated value of the metric of the vehicle is based on a habit associated with a driver of the vehicle, the habit including a driving pattern of the driver of the vehicle identified within historical data associated with the driver, the historical data associated with the driver being stored within a historical database. 
     (15) The apparatus according to any of (10) to (14), wherein, in order to generate the guidance information based on the received input regarding the intended route of the vehicle, the processing circuitry is further configured to identify a driving pattern of a driver of the vehicle based on the received input regarding the intended route of the vehicle and historical data associated with the driver of the vehicle, the received input being associated with the determined current value of the metric of the vehicle, wherein each entry of the historical data associated with the driver includes the received input regarding the intended route of the vehicle, the determined current value of the metric of the vehicle, the anticipated value of the metric of the vehicle, and a corresponding geolocation of the vehicle. 
     (16) The apparatus according to any of (10) to (15), wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to record the identified driving pattern of the driver of the vehicle within the historical data associated with the driver of the vehicle. 
     (17) The apparatus according to any of (10) to (16), wherein the metric of the vehicle includes a vector of a trajectory of the vehicle. 
     (18) The apparatus according to any of (10) to (17), wherein, in order to generate the guidance information based on the received input regarding the intended route of the vehicle, the processing circuitry is further configured to convey the generated guidance information to a driver of the vehicle by one or more of audio and video. 
     (19) A method of vehicle guidance, comprising determining a current lane-level position of a vehicle, comparing the determined current lane-level position of the vehicle to an anticipated lane-level position of the vehicle, the anticipated lane-level position of the vehicle corresponding to a lane-level position of the vehicle within a predetermined route of the vehicle, receiving, based upon the comparison, an input regarding an intended route of the vehicle, and generating, via processing circuitry, guidance information based on the received input regarding the intended route of the vehicle. 
     (20) The method according to (19), wherein the receiving the input regarding the intended route of the vehicle includes determining alternate routes between a current position of the vehicle and a destination of the vehicle based on the determined current lane-level position of the vehicle. 
     Thus, the foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Accordingly, the disclosure of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting of the scope of the invention, as well as other claims. The disclosure, including any readily discernible variants of the teachings herein, defines, in part, the scope of the foregoing claim terminology such that no inventive subject matter is dedicated to the public.