EP0300205B1 - Route-selective reproduction method for traffic messages, and vehicle receiver - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a vehicle receiver for the route-selective playback of traffic messages according to the preamble of claim 1.

From the essay by Peter Brägas "Control and information system in the motor vehicle - A contribution to the improvement of traffic flow and traffic safety", magazine "International traffic", issue 5/85 a method for the route-selective reproduction of digitally coded traffic messages is known in which Entry of the desired route is achieved that only messages relating to this route are output. The method uses the so-called transparent channel of the RDS telegram, in which digitally coded traffic messages can be broadcast.

The advantage of the known measure is that the driver can reach the messages that concern him and that his attention is not claimed by messages that are irrelevant to him. This helps to relieve the driver and thus improve traffic safety, especially during peak traffic periods.

It has also been proposed to provide a memory in a radio receiver for receiving and decoding digitally coded traffic messages, which memory is divided into road-oriented segments, which in turn are divided into route segments. The Information stored in these segments can be called up by evaluating the digital traffic news. This enables the detailed information corresponding to the data telegram to be generated and the digital data transmission to take place at a faster repetition rate.

The vehicle receiver according to the invention with the features of the main claim has the advantage that it is possible that by comparing the route-specific features of the traffic messages with features of the route it is achieved that only route-specific traffic messages are activated. As a result of the configuration according to the invention, the features of the route held in the storage device 16 are compared with their route-specific features immediately after new traffic messages are received and, if they match, are switched through to the output device and conveyed to the driver in an optical and / or acoustic manner. The driver therefore does not need to memorize the road types and numerical designations, which is particularly the case for roads that are less familiar to him, in order to then compare them with the incoming traffic news. Rather, he can determine the route before starting the trip using a map or in dialog, e.g. perform in the so-called roll mode with a suitably trained vehicle receiver.

When using terminology that corresponds to or approximates the official name of the most important roads, i.e.A for the freeway and B for federal roads or superordinate trunk roads, followed by a Because of the relatively small amount of data for each feature, the comparison can be carried out quickly for streets with the same numerical designation that distinguish the street type. The driver receives the traffic news that concerns him without any significant time delay.

If, in addition to the road types and numerical designations, other features such as route names or route segments are taken into account, a hierarchical division of the memory into main, intermediate and sub-areas proves to be particularly useful, because if there are deviations in the features in a higher hierarchy level, the check is ignored of the other hierarchy levels can be canceled. This is particularly advantageous for a quick comparison when there is extensive traffic information.

To limit the traffic messages that only concern the roads still to be traveled, a route encoder determines the local routes that have already been passed with an evaluation circuit and deletes the features relating to these routes.

The route encoder and the evaluation circuit can also be designed such that the expected time until the route section is reached is calculated with the traffic disruption and compared in a comparator with a predetermined time. An enable signal is then only delivered to the enable input of the gate circuit if the signal falls below and is at the same time.

Further developments and advantageous embodiments of the invention result from the claims, the description and the drawing which illustrates an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1

das Bildungsgesetz für Verkehrsnachrichten sowie eine nach dem Bildungsgesetz vollzogene Codierung für Verkehrsnachrichten,

Fig. 2

eine Möglichkeit für eine Gliederung von Straßen in streckenspezifische Merkmale und

Fig. 3

ein Blockschaltbild eines erfindungsgemäßen Fahrzeugempfängers.

The drawing shows:

Fig. 1

the education law for traffic news as well as a coding for traffic news implemented according to the education law,

Fig. 2

a possibility for dividing roads into route-specific characteristics and

Fig. 3

a block diagram of a vehicle receiver according to the invention.

1 illustrates the education law for traffic news using an example. The information contained in the traffic news can be divided into certain structures. The abbreviations also used in FIG. 1 are used for the traffic news relating to a fault on any road used. The first specification is A or B and denotes the type of road, namely the motorway or national trunk roads. This is followed by a numerical designation x or y for the number that is followed by the street type.

Route guidance names, which are identified by the letter E and an index, are used to delimit main sections of the route. The letter M with an index is used to delimit smaller route segments. Finally, various standard texts are also provided which also use letters or numbers for their designation, but do not play a role in the route selection to be carried out according to the invention.

For the transmission of coded traffic messages, it is advisable to base the coding on this education law. It is then possible to enter the same route-specific features when specifying the route and to carry out a comparison between these features. Since the order of the features is hierarchical, it is advisable to compare the links let standing features begin and then successively carry out from left to right. As soon as a characteristic is different, the comparison can be ended. This is particularly useful in the case of a large number of traffic reports in order to be able to identify a relevant traffic notice from these traffic reports as quickly as possible.

To explain the method, reference is made to FIG. 2, in which the route names and the nodes, in the present case, descents, intersections or triangles between Hamburg Stillhorn and Hildesheim Ost, are listed using the A7 motorway as an example.

The route R should lead on the A7 from Hildesheim Ost towards Hamburg to Falligbostel. When starting the journey, the route is entered first. This can be done menu-driven in roll mode to make operation easier for drivers who are not yet familiar with the process and the system. The main roads, i.e. the main sections of the route, or the starting point and the destination can be entered. In the latter case, a processor then automatically becomes an appropriate main line from one Find or calculate the stored number of magistrals and display them as a receipt or, if there are several options, request a selection and only then acknowledge.

During the journey, the features of the route are now compared with the route-specific features of the digitally coded traffic messages received, in the order as explained in connection with FIG. 1. If the comparison is limited to the road types and the route names, all traffic messages about faults on the A7 between Hanover and Hamburg would be switched through, including traffic messages about a fault S between Evendorf and Garlstorf. If, on the other hand, the route segments between individual exits, intersections or triangles were also taken into account, the traffic message about the fault S would be suppressed, since the destination is ahead of the route segments with the fault S. This also applies if the vehicle crosses the route in the opposite direction, i.e. from Hamburg towards Hanover.

Would also the distance traveled as well as the average or current distance speed evaluated, so further improvements can be achieved. Assuming the starting point is Hildesheim Ost again, but the destination is Hamburg Harburg and the vehicle is already in Rammelsloh when the traffic news with the disorder S is transmitted, the characteristics of the route traveled are no longer taken into account as current and the playback of the traffic news about the disruption omitted.

Suppose the starting point is in a further variation very far from the road segment with the disturbance S, e.g. Kassel and the destination Hamburg Harburg, the travel time needed to Evendorf would be determined if the traffic news about the disturbance was transmitted. This travel time is now compared with a predetermined comparison time, which e.g. corresponds to the usual cycle by repeating traffic messages. With the assumed constellation, the expected travel time will be longer than the comparison time and the traffic news will be suppressed.

Fig. 3 shows a vehicle receiver, in addition to the usual modules for receiving radio broadcasts has a possible embodiment of the features according to the invention. These features relate to a decoder 10, which combines several modules, an output device 12, an input device 14, a memory device 16, a comparator 18 within a control circuit 20 and a gate circuit 26, the enable input 24 of which is connected to a parity output 22 of the comparator 18 . In addition, a route encoder 44 and an evaluation circuit 46 for driving data can also be provided.

The features of the route are entered into the storage device 16 via the input device 14. To facilitate operation, this is done in dialog with a processor 48, which issues 50 queries or receipts via a display. The characteristics of the travel route stored in the memory device 16 are fed to an input 52 of the comparator 18. Another input 36 of the comparator 18 receives route-specific features when the traffic news arrives via an output 34 of a memory 28. If the features at the inputs 36 and 52 then match, the enable input 24 of the gate circuit 26 is controlled via the parity output 22.

This transmits a message made audible by a speech processor 54 to loudspeakers 58 via a low-frequency amplifier 56, the current radio program being interrupted or attenuated. Optionally, a display 60 for the optical reproduction of the traffic news can also be provided and controlled.

The route-specific features occurring at the output 34 of the memory 28 are generated by hierarchically stored data in the memory 28, from which the features are obtained by controlling appropriate memory locations via address inputs 30 by an RDS evaluation circuit 32. For this purpose, the RDS evaluation circuit 32 is fed with the signal at the output of an FM IF stage 62 of the receiver and evaluates the RDS signal of the subcarrier broadcast with the normal radio program.

The memory 28 is arranged hierarchically in order to limit the storage space requirement and is divided into main areas 38, intermediate areas 40 and sub-areas 42. In the main areas 38, the streets are of the same street type and the same numerical Labeling summarized. The route names are summarized in the intermediate areas 40, one or more of which are each assigned to the main areas 38. The sub-areas 42 contain the nodes, for example departures, locations, intersections or triangles. These are in alphabetical or route-related order. The direction of travel then results from the ascending or descending order of the features.

In addition to the route-specific features, the features of the standard texts can also be stored in the memory 28. If this is not the case, the entire message can also take place in the control circuit 20 by decoding and converting the data telegrams evaluated by the RDS evaluation circuit 32. For this purpose, a signal line is also led from the RDS evaluation circuit 32 to an input 64 of the control circuit 20.

The travel distance sensor 44 (wheel sensor or tachometer pulse processing) with the evaluation circuit 46 also serves to take into account the distance traveled. The output signals of the evaluation circuit 46 reach an input 66 of the control circuit 20, which determines the characteristics of the route traveled and deletes the characteristics which are no longer current by transmitting control signals to an input 68 of the memory device 16. This can be implemented particularly simply if the memory device 16 operates in the manner of a shift register and is clocked synchronously with the distance traveled.

An additional function is achieved by a further comparator 70, the input 72 of which is supplied with the output signals of the evaluation circuit 46 and the other input 74 of which is supplied with a time comparison signal with a predeterminable time τ. If the calculated time is less than or equal to the predetermined time, an enable signal is given to the enable input 24 of the gate circuit 26 via a less than or equal output 76 of the comparator 70. In order to be able to link the output signals of the two comparators 70 and 18, an AND gate 78 is also arranged between the output 22 and the output 76 on the one hand and the enable input 24 on the other hand.

The comparators 18 and 70 drawn in the control circuit 20 do not need to be in physical form to be. In a practical implementation, it is rather expedient to provide a computer which carries out the functions described in a program-controlled manner. The functions of other modules can also be included. For this purpose, the RDS evaluation circuit 32, the processor 48, the speech processor 54 and the evaluation circuit 46 are suitable. However, due to the better clarity, these modules have also not been graphically integrated into the control circuit 20.

Claims (9)

1. Vehicle receiver with a decoder (10) for decoding traffic messages which have been received in a digitally encoded form, a visual and/or acoustic output device (12) for the traffic messages and an input device (14) and storage device (16) for route-specific features, characterized in that a control circuit (20), which comprises a comparator (18) for route-specific features of the traffic messages with features of the route is connected to the storage device (16) and a parity output (22) of the comparator (18) is connected to an enabling input (24) of a gate circuit (26) between the decoder (10) and the output device (12).
2. Vehicle receiver according to Claim 1, characterized in that storage locations of a memory (28) contain route-specific features of a region which is relevant for traffic messages, in that address inputs (30) of the memory (28) are connected to an evaluation circuit (32) for the route-specific portions of the encoded traffic messages, and in that outputs (34) of the memory (28) are connected to inputs (36) of the comparator (18).
3. Vehicle receiver according to Claim 2, characterized in that the storage locations of the memory (18) are divided into areas in which areas or storage locations for sub-amounts are combined.
4. Vehicle receiver according to Claim 3, characterized in that the storage locations are divided into main areas (38) for different types of roads and their numerical designations as well as, if appropriate, for the direction of travel.
5. Vehicle receiver according to Claim 4, characterized in that the main areas (38) are divided into intermediate areas (40) for main route sections.
6. Vehicle receiver according to Claim 5, characterized in that the intermediate areas (40) are divided into sub-areas (42) for route segments.
7. Vehicle receiver according to one or more of Claims 4 - 6, characterized in that the types of roads, numerical designations and the main route sections and the route segments are arranged uniformly in ascending or descending order in relation to the direction of travel.
8. Vehicle receiver according to one or more of Claims 1 - 7, characterized in that a route transmitter (44) is provided with an evaluation circuit (46) which is connected via the control circuit (20) to the memory (28) for the input, route-specific features in such a way that the features assigned to the route which has already been travelled through can be cleared.
9. Vehicle receiver according to Claim 8, characterized in that the route transmitter (44) with the evaluation circuit (46) is designed to determine an average speed and/or instantaneous speed and to calculate the time required until the route section with a traffic problem is reached, and in that a smaller-than-or-equal-to output of the time comparator is connected to the enabling input (24) of the gate circuit (26) via a logic connection element.

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