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`The Experience of Developing and Providing
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`Driver Route Information Systems
`John Wootton and Michael Ness
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`Wootton Jeffreys Consultants Limited
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`Brookwood, Woking, Surrey GU24 OBL, UK
`Tel : Brookwood (+44 4857) 80033
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`Fax : Brookwood (+44 4867) 88887
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`Table '2. Drivers' inefficiency in choosing a route
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`Percentage excess
`Percentage of drivers
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`strictly necessary
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`Shortest
`Quickest
`Trip purpose
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`50.3%
`57 3%
`6.5%
`To work
`50%
`Firm's business
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`36.2%
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`Commercial vehicle
`491%
`40 1%
`6.0%
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`Leisure
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`49 6%
`54 0%
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`network.
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`Several studies have asked drivers the criteria they use for
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`selecting a particular route. Table 1 , taken from a survey is) in the
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`United Kingdom, is typical ofthe results that are obtained. The
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`overwhelming majority, about 70%, ofdrivers aretrying to select
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`the quickest route, with approximately 10% trying to select the
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`shortest distance route and another 10% having no known
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`alternative. Other important criteria are scenic routes for leisure
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`trips and specified routes for commercial vehicles.
`Table 1. Reasons given by drivers for choice of route
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`Percentage of sample
`No known
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`Trippurpose Scenic motorway Specified alternative Quickest Shortest
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`11 4
`To work
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`D 9
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`Finn's business
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`10 0
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`Commercial Vehicle
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`Leisure
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`10 3
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`1 5
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`GH2789-6I89I0000-0071 $01.00 © 1989 IEEE
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`Table 2, from the same survey, clearly demonstratesthe inability
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`of drivers to satisfy their desired criteria. Only 50% of drivers
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`seeking eitherthe quickest or shortest routes succeed in finding
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`the route they desire. The inefficiency introduced by travelling a
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`time longeror a distance greaterthan desired has been estimated”
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`to be between 4 and 6v? percent of total travel costs.
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`substantial part, around athird, ofthe inefficiency isthoughtto be
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`concerned with the “terminal search”, the problem of finding the
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`exact location of the destination. Consequently the best driver
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`route information systems need solve the terminal search problem
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`by giving more detail as the destination is approached.
`Table 3. Comparison of actual and 'ideal' routes
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`Percentage of actual routes the same as
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`Planned
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`74.2
`60.9
`Journey to work
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`Leisure
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`41.6
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`Employer‘s business
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`Commercial vehicle
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`All journeys 63.4 86.2 53.3
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`Further analysis of the survey compared the actual routes driven
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`by drivers with a “planned route" obtained by consulting a map
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`and the direction signs found on the roads. The results in Table
`3 show that there is little difference between the actual and
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`planned routes, 86% of routes being the same. Far more ofthese
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`planned routes are the same as the actual routes than eitherthe
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`minimum time or minimum distance, which puts into question the
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`assumptions made in transport planning studies for more than
`25 years that drivers follow a minimum time, distance or cost
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`route.
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`The quantitative and qualitative evidence suggests that the
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`majority of drivers respond to the information that is given. If the
`driver can be provided with accurate information on the quickest
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`route to follow the majority of drivers will obey that information.
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`Ifthe route that is given is betterthan the driver currently follows,
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`thedriverwillobtain abenefitandthecommunitywillbenefitfrom
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`fewer miles being driven implying fewer accidents and less
`pollution. lf information can be obtained in real time, for example
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`on traffic incidents or congestion, then drivers might be advised
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`of new routes to follow to their destination with the consequent
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`reduced travel times and better use of the capacity of the road
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`BACKGROUND
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`Thecontentsofthis paperdrawupontheexperienceofdeveloping
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`several driver route information systems over a period of 10
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`years. We were first concerned with improving the information
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`given on direction signs and this was quickly followed by the
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`development of systems for providing route information for
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`journeys. Subsequently these developed into an
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`autonomous in-vehicle route guidance system as early as 1980
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`and systems which have allowed automobile clubs to automate
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`the route information services they provide to members.
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`The future also offers exciting prospects. We are involved in the
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`Autoguide trial in London and look forwardto using the two-way
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`communication features of this system for improving traffic
`control.
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`DRIVER’S NEEDS AND BEHAVIOUR
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`Common sense suggests that drivers are influenced by
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`information from a variety of sources in selecting the route they
`travel. Sources of information such as maps, signs, personal
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`knowledge, experience and hearsay play an important part in
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`selecting the route. The impact that each of these sources of
`information has on route selection can not be easily quantified,
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`studies iii and experiments rzi have suggested that there are
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`limitations in maps and road signs that result in excess mileage
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`being driven. The implication being thatthe information given to
`drivers influences their choice and behaviour.
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`intervrews with drivers suggest that a minority, about a quarter,
`have some difficulty in planning a route. The great majority say
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`that their journeys are repeated. They feel they know the route
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`that istravelled well orthattheir experience is such thatthey can
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`overcome any route planning problemsthat they encounter.
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`Page 1 of 5
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`Unified Patents Exhibit 1010
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`COMPONENTS FOR ROUTE INFORMATION SYSTEMS
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`Route information systems have three major components;
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`ii)
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`The productgiven to the driver. Products vary from simple
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`maps to sophisticated electronic equipment installed inthe
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`The infra-structure needed to create and maintain the
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`currency of the information required by the product. All of
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`the products of which we are aware require a map identifying
`the roads that can be used. In addition information on road
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`markings, traffic signing, incidents and traffic conditions
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`may also be required. The information is usually coded so
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`that it can be stored on computers and presented to drivers
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`as required. Most ofthe costofproviding aroute information
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`service is spent on creating and maintaining the information.
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`iii) Communication of the route to the driver. This again can
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`take many forms. With pre-trip route information systems
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`communication might be by post, telephone or similar
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`means, whereas en-route trip information systems can
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`demand a complicated communication infra-structure
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`providing two—way communication between vehicles and
`central control.
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`MAPS
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`Every route information system needs information about the
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`roads that the vehicles can use. Maps are the most common
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`sources of this information for current computerised information
`services The information that can be obtained includes class of
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`road. distance between intersections, horizontal profile, places
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`interest, place and street names. The accuracy of this
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`information depends upon the scale of the map and the time at
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`which it was collected. Some important information, such as
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`travel times, one—way streets and prohibited turns, may not be
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`available from maps and hasto be obtained by driving the roads
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`There are several sources of maps, Atlases and maps published
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`by automobile clubs, state/provincial departments of transport
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`and commercial organisations specificallylor route finding usually
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`contain information atthree levels, overview, general, and detailed
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`insets of urban or special areas. They also include an index or
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`gazetterof places marked on the maps. For each of these levels
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`the cartographer has made decisions on which roads to include
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`and how to emphasise some routes over others. A driver using
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`the map to plan a route can only use the information given by the
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`cartographer and interpret it in the light of experience gained by
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`using the information.
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`Topographical maps produced by national mapping agencies
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`(eg. Ordnance Survey in Britain, United States Geological Survey
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`or Canada Map Office) are an alternative source of route
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`information. These maps are not designed specifically for route
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`finding but often provide the best source of detail atthe start and
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`end of the trip. The aim of the cartographer in topographical
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`maps isto give an even representation ofthe area being mapped
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`ratherthan to highlight particular details ofthe road system. The
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`disadvantage of usi ng topographical maps for route planning are
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`their size, number ( over 500 maps at 12250000 scale to cover
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`USA), lack of index and their low frequency of updating.
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`Maps are a static source of route information, they representthe
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`road system at the time of publication, with perhaps afew roads
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`marked as opening in the coming year, and are only updated by
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`purchasing the next edition ayearortwo later. They require skill
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`and experience by the userto estimate the best route, generally
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`giving little information on journey times. They do have the
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`advantage over other pre-trip route information systems that
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`routes can be generated on demand by the user and that routes
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`can be modified while the trip is undenivay.
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`The name of a town or district in a city is usually insufficient to
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`locate the drivers precise destination. A more precise method of
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`locating the destination and of determining where a vehicle is
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`relative to the map is required. Cartographers have solved this
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`problem by two methods.
`the first a system of cartesian
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`coordinates, as for example the UK’s system of grid references,
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`and the second a system of polar coordinates. as for example in
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`the universally used system of longitude and latitude. Whilst
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`these systems provide a means of locating a point on a map or
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`the earths surface, they are not universally understood by drivers
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`and acomputerised route information service needsto construct
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`indexes that relate an address to the map referencing system.
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`The addresses can take the form of zip codes, a house number
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`and street name, the intersection of two-named roads or even
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`the distance along a street from a named intersection.
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`The task of digitising and maintaining accurate map information
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`and the creation and maintenance of the necessary indexes is
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`enourmous. Most of the cost of providing a computerised route
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`information service will be incurred in creating and maintaining
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`all this information. Not surprisingly this is a strong barrier at the
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`present time to the development of computerised services and
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`only large organisations willing to invest considerable sums of
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`money are able to develop systems.
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`TRADITIONAL SERVICES
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`The traditional pre-trip route planning product offered by
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`automobile clubs has been a set of preprinted pages bound or
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`stapled togetherto form a route. They may take the form of text
`as in the case ofthe UK Automobile Associations Home Routes
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`Service. or a strip map as in the case of the AAA ‘Triptik’ service.
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`Other organisations eg oil companies, car rental companies
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`have also offered pre-trip route information servicesas a marketing
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`aid to their main product.
`In each casethe product is free or sold
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`to the customer at much below production cost and therefore
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`there is a strong incentive for the producer to reduce costs and
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`possibly to try and restrain demand. This need to restrain costs
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`has lead several automobile clubs to turn their pre-trip route
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`information systems overto a computer based route information
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`system.
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`From the providers point of view the information imparted by a
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`preatrip route information system must be robust without obvious
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`error, and sufficient to provide the customer with a good route.
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`Usually the route provided will relate to average traffic conditions
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`as the customer has not specified a date ortime forthe journey.
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`The route may well be personalised so that if the customer is
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`towing a caravan (trailer) unsuitable roads are avoided or the
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`customer may wish to avoid tolled routes. The route provided
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`may be the quickest or it may be the best by some other criteria.
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`The wide variety of route selection criteria means that the
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`72
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`Unified Patents Exhibit 1010
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`Page 2 of 5
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`Unified Patents Exhibit 1010
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`Figure 1 - Part of AA Prepared Route from Brookwood to
`Bristol
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`Miles
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`Brookwood (crossroads)
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`Follow signs Bagshot A322
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`Bisley (“Hen & Chickens" public house)
`West End
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`0.3
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`Junction with A319/8311
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`At roundabout take 2nd exit
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`4.7
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`1.7
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`Junction with M3
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`At roundabout take 2nd exit
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`(signposted Bracknell)
`1.6 miles farther take left-hand
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`lane 8. keep forward
`In 2.2 miles at roundabout take
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`2nd exit
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`in 0.5 mile at roundabout take
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`2nd exit
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`personalised route has to be generated from a database of route
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`information. It is not economicto hold ready compiled routes for
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`all combinations of selection criteria, although some popular
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`touring routes may be precompiled.
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`Automobile clubs, as one of the longerestablished providers of
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`route information, have built up manually maintained databases
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`of route information, and, equally importantly, established links
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`with highway authorities to record changes in the road system.
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`They also conduct their own surveys of the road system to
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`continuously check the currency of their information. Overtime
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`many automobile clubs have created a database covering their
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`entire area of operation with a uniform quality of information
`within it.
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`Newer entrants to the field of route information provision have
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`either restricted themselves geographically, perhaps by only
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`offering a small set of precompiled routes, orhave built databases
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`from cartographic sources but have not yet built in the detailed
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`knowledge gained over time by the automobile clubs.
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`THE UK AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATIONS COMPUTEHISED
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`SERVICE
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`Until 1984the AA in Britain used atext based system where each
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`sheet contained text describing a section of route including
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`turning movements ( eg take 3rd exit at roundabout ). Acomplete
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`route was built up by a compiler choosing a line of route and
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`listing the sheets to be included, which were then assembled in
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`order. Often the compiler would make typewritten alterations/
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`additionsto the route before dispatch to the member. This labour
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`intensive operation has now been replaced by a computer based
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`system.
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`The computergenerated product is still adescription ofthe route,
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`the source material for which was an expansion of the manual
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`route sheets, but the quality of the product is much improved.
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`The route is produced on small fanfold stationery so that it can
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`be used in a car easily. There are no alterations/deletions
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`apparent to the user, although the system still has facilitiesto add
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`detailed instructions at the start or end ofthe route if required and
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`true cumulative distances are incorporated throughout the text.
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`An example of the output from the system is shown in Figure 1.
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`Apartfrom labour savings the main benefitstothe producer, and
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`to the user, has been the ability to keep the route descriptions up
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`to date by incorporating new roadsfrom the day they are opened.
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`The major problem of stockholding, updating and reordering of
`route sheets has been eliminated. The software content of the
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`system is approximately one quarterdevoted to route production
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`and three quarters devoted to input, updating and checking the
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`database. The system produces about 500,000 routes per year.
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`The AA system runs on a Prime minicomputer. As an indication
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`of performance, a modern PC is capable of calculating and
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`printing a route every minute. In practice the operator and printer
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`are the limiting factors on throughputs and a single workstation
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`has a capacity of about 12 routes per hour.
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`10.0 5.3 Bracknell
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`Follow signs Reading A329
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`12.8 2.8
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`15.5 2.7
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`Junction with A329(M)/BS408
`At roundabout take 2nd exit
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`to join Motorway A329(M)
`Junction with M4
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`Branch left (signposted South
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`Wales) to join M4
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`21.1
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`5.6
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`Junction11(A33)
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`Etc.
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`An alternative form of pre-trip route planning product is the
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`"Triptik" produced by the AAA and CAA. This again is assembled
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`from preprinted sheets, but the sheets contain strip maps,
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`supplemented by descriptions of major towns, cities and a map
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`giving fuller details ofthe area highlighted on the strip map. The
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`system is operated from a large numberof regionalcentres, each
`of which has a number of trained counsellors who assemble the
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`Triptiks and mark routes on maps. This map based system
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`presents a greater level of difficulty when developing a computer
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`based system to replace it.
`In particular any text based product
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`has to be entirely computer generated and the technology for
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`printing a map based product at speed, at an economic cost, has
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`only recently become available.
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`IN-VEHICLE NAVIGATION SYSTEMS
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`ln-vehicle navigation systems are a natural extension of the
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`traditional pre-trip planning services. They fall broadly into two
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`groups. Those that are self contained within the vehicle and
`those that can transmit and receive information from external
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`units.
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`The most elimentary ofthe self contained systems are those that
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`undertake map matching. The Etak. Carin, Travel Pilot and
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`Honda systems are typical examples. In these systems a map is
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`73
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`Page 3 of 5
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`Unified Patents Exhibit 1010
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`Page 3 of 5
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`Unified Patents Exhibit 1010
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`

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`displayed to the driver and the location of the vehicle on the map
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`is shown. The benefits from these systems is largely with the
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`destination search problem andtheirvaiue in relation totheircost
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`is debateable. The value of these systems would be increased
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`if additional information was available on meeting places, hotels
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`and other places of interest, but it should also be remembered
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`that drivers do not rate this additional information as highly as
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`receiving information on traffic conditions. The commercial
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`success of these systems seems likely to depend upon their
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`inclusion as part of existing in-vehicle entertainment systems.
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`Other self contained systems, for example our own MicroPilot,
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`have the added feature of selecting the route and presenting it to
`the driver as a set of instructions. The location of the vehicle
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`relative to the map is still required but as an intersection is
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`approached instructions are spoken to the driver and can be
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`presented visually on which way to turn. For example the
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`message “turn right on the A322 towards Guildford" would be
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`typical of the instructions given.
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`The communication system is the most important feature of the
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`second group of vehicle navigation systems. Forgreatest benefits
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`this communication system must be two-way so that the vehicle
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`can tell the central control system its location and its required
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`destination and can in turn be updated by the central control
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`system on the route to follow, trafficconditions and otherincidents.
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`The type of communication, for example infra red or microwave,
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`is not too important but in Europe systems based on infra red
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`communication are already operating in Berlin, Munich and
`London.
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`There are other features of a two-way communication system
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`that have not yet been exploited. One can conceive pricing and
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`control mechanisms that depend upon these systems and
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`electronic signposts that give information on road and traffic
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`conditions ahead, Forexample a vehicle could receive a message
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`and tell the driver “the bridge 200 metres ahead is frozen over".
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`AUTOGUIDE
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`The Sieme'ns Ali-Scout system is now well established and
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`seems likely to become the de facto European vehicle navigation
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`standard. An Anglo-German agreement has established
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`communication protocols and the Ali-Scout system is now being
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`promoted as Autoguide in the United Kingdom and Ulysse in
`France.
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`In the Autoguide system a unit in the cargives spoken and visual
`instructions to the driver on the best route to follow. The unit
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`communicates with
`roadside beacons using infra-red
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`transmission. A central computer is told the vehicles destination
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`and its current
`location by the roadside beacons so it can
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`calculate the best route forthe vehicle from the prevailing traffic
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`conditions, The driver receives messages on the turns to make,
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`routes to follow and is guided to within 50 metres ofthe required
`destination.
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`The vehicle‘s location isdetermined by an odometerandelectronic
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`compass. The vehicle receives sufficient map information as it
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`approaches a beacon lorit to match its position with the map until
`it reaches the next beacon.
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`Autoguide is also capable of operating in autonomous mode
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`independent of any information from beacons. In autonomous
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`mode, the system points, like a compass, in the direction of the
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`destination. This facility helps considerably with the terminal
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`search and allows the system to operate without having coded
`all the detailed information associated with local roads.
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`The installation of an Autoguide system in London will become
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`possible when the Government's present transport bill has
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`gained Parliamentary approval. The bill provides the legislation
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`needed to introduce the system and allows the Government to
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`offer a licence to operate a pilot system which, if successful, will
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`be followed by a London wide system, The Government has
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`already invited companies to bid for the licence, and whoever
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`wins, the pilot system can be expected to be operational in 1991
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`with the installation of the larger system starting a year later. A
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`further licence to operate a system in another part of the country
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`can be expected within the same time scales.
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`The Pilot system will be used to prove the technology and
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`establish the financial viability and benefits of Autoguide. The
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`Government believes that the system will provide substantial
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`benefits to users and non-users. Delays should be reduced as
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`the system can encourage better use ofthe road capacity. Atthe
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`same time, by encouraging the use of main roads. sensitive
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`areas can be protected. The safety of the system is an important
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`matter and this will be watched closely during the Pilot phase.
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`initial trials of the Ali-Scout system were carried out in Munich
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`andthis ledto afull installation ofthe system covering Berlin. The
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`Autoguide system in London is likely to be followed by similar
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`systems installed in other European cities. Within the next 5
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`years any driverwith an in-vehicle unit can lookforward to using
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`his system anywhere in Europe.
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`FINAL THOUGHTS
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`We have been involved in trafficforecasting long enoughto know
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`that any prediction we make will certainly be wrong in some
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`is however tantalising to look into the future and
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`speculate on the vehicle navigation systems that may exist in ten
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`We believe there will still be a need fortwo types of service. A pre-
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`trip planning service and an en-route service, The pre—trip
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`planning service will be a development of the personal service
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`currently provided by many automobile clubs. These services
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`can be automated and provide drivers, at their home or in their
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`office, with detailed information about theirjourney and facilities
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`along the route. The product we prefer is one which provides
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`both a map and a written description of the journey.
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`The second service is the en-route service of which the Ali-Scout
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`system is currently the outstanding example in Europe. These
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`systems can respond to traffic conditions, help drivers avoid
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`incidents and traffic congestion and guide them to their precise
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`destination. The systems are capable of providing firms with
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`information on the location of thei r fleet of vehicles and of forming
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`part of sophisticated traffic control systems. We expect the Ali-
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`Scout system to become the de facto standard in Europe.
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`The autonomous in-vehicle systems, represented by Carin and
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`Travel Pilot, look likely to be left out in the cold. But it must be
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`remembered that both are being promoted by large firms who
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`can influence the market. Consequently we expect the emphasis
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`of these systems to change with navigation elements becoming
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`Page 4 of 5
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`Unified Patents Exhibit 1010
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`only a small part of a more general information system. In the
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`Iongerterm the autonomous systems are unlikely to remain self
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`contained and will developcommunication links. Anew European
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`standard for digital cellular radio is expected to come into
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`operation in the mid—1 990’s. It is not unreasonable to believe that
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`this will become the communication link for en-route navigation
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`systems and that a rationalisation of all the existing systems
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`could take place at around the same time.
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`REFERENCES
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`1. Wootton, Ness & Burton. “Improved direction signs and
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`the benefits for drivers". Traffic Engineering and Control,
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`May 1981.
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`2.
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`Lunn. “Route choice by Drivers". Transport and Road
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`Research Laboratory, SR 374. ISSN 0305 1315
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`3. Outram and Thompson. “Drivers’ perceived cost in route
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`choice". Proc. PTRC Summer Annual Meeting, University
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`of Warwick, 1978.
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`75
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`Unified Patents Exhibit 1010
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`Page 5 of 5
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`Unified Patents Exhibit 1010
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