Systems and methods for monitoring and reporting road quality

Abstract

A server communicates with vehicles traveling along a route. The server obtains sensor data indicative of road quality from the vehicles. The server determines that a certain proportion of the vehicles traveling along the route experience better road quality than the remaining vehicles traveling along the route. The server than determines that a first lane in the route has significantly better road quality than a second lane in the route.

1 . A method for generating navigation directions for guiding drivers to destinations, the method comprising:
 obtaining, by one or more processors from a plurality of vehicles, data indicative of road quality at certain geographic location;   determining, by the one or more processors using the obtained data, a road quality indication for the certain geographic location;   generating, by the one or more processors, a navigation route for a vehicle using the road quality indication; and   providing the navigation route to a device operating in the vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing, by the one or more processors, the average road quality indication for the certain geographic location to the device operating in the vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating an updated map using the road quality indication; and   providing the updated map to the device operating in the vehicle.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein obtaining the data indicative of road quality includes obtaining respective sensor data from the plurality of vehicles. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein obtaining the respective sensor data includes, for each of the plurality of vehicles, obtaining sensor data generated by at least one of a suspension sensor, strut sensor, shock sensor, a horizontal displacement sensor, and a vertical displacement sensor. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein obtaining the respective sensor data includes receiving the respective sensor data at a server via a communication network. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising obtaining make and model information for the plurality of vehicles. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the road quality indication for the certain geographic location includes applying, by the one or more processors, a calibration factor for the geographic location. 
     
     
         9 . A server comprising:
 a system interface to communicate with vehicles traveling along a route; and   a processing hardware configured to:
 obtain, from a plurality of vehicles, data indicative of road quality at certain geographic location; 
 determine, using the obtained data, a road quality indication for the certain geographic location; 
 generate a navigation route for a vehicle using the road quality indication; and 
 provide the navigation route to a device operating in the vehicle. 
   
     
     
         10 . The server of  claim 9 , wherein the processing hardware is further configured to provide the average road quality indication for the certain geographic location to the device operating in the vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . The server of  claim 9 , wherein the processing hardware is further configured to
 generate an updated map using the road quality indication; and   provide the updated map to the device operating in the vehicle.   
     
     
         12 . The server of  claim 9 , wherein the data indicative of road quality includes respective sensor data from the plurality of vehicles. 
     
     
         13 . The server of  claim 12 , wherein the respective sensor data includes, for each of the plurality of vehicles, sensor data generated by at least one of a suspension sensor, strut sensor, shock sensor, a horizontal displacement sensor, and a vertical displacement sensor. 
     
     
         14 . The server of  claim 9 , wherein the processing hardware is further configured to obtain make and model information for the plurality of vehicles. 
     
     
         15 . The server of  claim 9 , wherein to determine the road quality indication for the certain geographic location, the processing hardware is configured to apply a calibration factor for the geographic location. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable memory storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors in a computing device, cause the one or more processors to:
 obtain, from a plurality of vehicles, data indicative of road quality at certain geographic location;   determine, using the obtained data, a road quality indication for the certain geographic location;   generate a navigation route for a vehicle using the road quality indication; and   provide the navigation route to a device operating in the vehicle.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable memory of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to provide the average road quality indication for the certain geographic location to the device operating in the vehicle. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable memory of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
 generate an updated map using the road quality indication; and   provide the updated map to the device operating in the vehicle.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable memory of  claim 16 , wherein the data indicative of road quality includes respective sensor data from the plurality of vehicles. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable memory of  claim 19 , wherein the respective sensor data includes, for each of the plurality of vehicles, sensor data generated by at least one of a suspension sensor, strut sensor, shock sensor, a horizontal displacement sensor, and a vertical displacement sensor.