Patent application EP18178085A (EP), filed 2018-06-15
Publication number: EP3418690A1
Title: RESTRICTED-USE AUTOMATED-VEHICLE NAVIGATION SYSTEM
Abstract: A navigation system (10) for a restricted-use automated-vehicle includes a digital-map (18), a location-detector (26), and a controller (30). The digital-map (18) characterizes roadways on the digital-map (18) with a usage-rating (22). The usage-rating (22) is indicative of a minimum-value of a vehicle-rating (24) of a vehicle allowed to use each of the roadways. The location-detector (26) indicates a location (28) of a host-vehicle (12) on the digital-map (18). The controller (30) is in communication with the digital-map (18) and the location-detector (26). The controller (30) receives a destination (32) of the host-vehicle (12), and determines a route (36) from the location (28) to the destination (32) that avoids roadways with usage-ratings greater than the vehicle-rating (24) of the host-vehicle (12).
IPC codes: G01C  21/    34            A I
G01C  21/    36            A I
G05D   1/    00            A I
G05D   1/    02            A I
Claims: number: 1
text: A navigation system (10) for a restricted-use automated-vehicle, said system (10) comprising:
number: 2
text: The system (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the usage-rating (22) is based on a speed-limit (40) of the roadway, and the route (36) avoids roadways (20) where the speed-limit (40) is greater than a speed-threshold (42) of the host-vehicle (12).
number: 3
text: The system (10) in accordance with claim 2, wherein the route (36) crosses roadways (20) characterized by a speed-limit (40) greater than the speed-threshold (42) only where a traffic-control-device (44) is present that momentarily stops cross-traffic of the roadway.
number: 4
text: The system (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the usage-rating (22) is based on a time-of-day (46), and the route (36) avoids a roadway when usage-rating (22) of the roadway is greater than the vehicle-rating (24) of the host-vehicle (12).
number: 5
text: The system (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the usage-rating (22) of a roadway is determined dynamically based on information from a road-sensor (48), and the route (36) avoids a roadway when the usage-rating (22) of the roadway is greater than the vehicle-rating (24) of the host-vehicle (12).
number: 6
text: The system (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the usage-rating (22) is based on a vertical-slope (50) of a roadway, and the route (36) avoids the roadway when the vertical-slope (50) is greater than a slope-threshold (52) of the host-vehicle (12).
number: 7
text: The system (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the usage-rating (22) is based on a maximum-weight (54) of vehicles allowed to operate on a roadway, and the route (36) avoids the roadway when the maximum-weight (54) is greater than a weight-threshold (56) of the host-vehicle (12).
number: 8
text: The system (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the usage-rating (22) is based on an accident-history (58) of a roadway, and the route (36) avoids the roadway when the accident-history (58) of the roadway is greater than an accident-threshold (60) of the host-vehicle (12).
Office action: search_report, dated 2018-12-26
Rejection reasons: novelty_epc_54
Prior art cited: ref_id: WO2015112752A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US9587952B1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US9558659B1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2017010612A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2010057346A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2010057346
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: WO2015112752
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
ref_id: US2017010612
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US9558659
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US9587952
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
Final disposition: pending (2018-12-26)