US 6,983,204 B2
Mapping travel routes
James Irwin Knutson, Austin, Tex. (US)
Assigned to International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y. (US)
Filed on Mar. 10, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/797,823.
Application 10/797823 is a division of application No. 10/042497, filed on Jan. 09, 2002, abandoned.
Prior Publication US 2004/0172192 A1, Sep. 02, 2004
Int. Cl. G01C 21/30 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 701—208 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for automatically updating a selected travel route for a vehicle from a current position of a vehicle to a predetermined destination, said method comprising:
determining said selected travel route, said selected travel route comprising a series of travel segments along said selected travel route, said selected travel route being based upon a first set of segment traffic flow rates for said travel segments;
receiving current position information related to a current position of said vehicle;
periodically receiving real-time segment traffic flow rates for said travel segments;
determining average traffic segment flow rates for said travel segments for differing time periods for each of said travel segments; and
recalculating said selected travel route to provide a new travel route, said new travel route being based upon said real-time segment traffic flow rates and said average segment traffic flow rates whereby said real-time segment traffic flow rates are used in determining new nearby travel segments which are nearby said current position of said vehicle and said average traffic segment flow rates are used in determining new distant travel segments which are nearby said destination.