Route Planning and Scheduling in Dynamic Traffic Environments

Applications in electronic mapping are gaining in popularity because of the increased availability of both digital roadmap databases and sophisticated graphics processing capabilities. Based on this technology and using information provided by vehicle navigation and traffic reporting systems, we've developed an automated navigation system, called the Driver's Assistant, that plans and schedules routes for vehicles travelling on city streets. Texas Instruments initiated the Driver's Assistant program to develop the required technology to meet the needs of customers building automotive electronics systems. This paper summarizes the progress of the Driver's Assistant program toward achieving two objectives: (1) feasibility of real-time route planning, dynamic replanning, and route scheduling using very large digital road maps (2) compatibility with both portable, digital traffic reporting and automotive navigation systems. Operation of the applications are demonstrated in a simulated real-time driving scenario.