Navigation mode, function - GF82.85-P-2012GZ

MODEL 164 except CODE (494) USA version except CODE (498) Japan version with CODE (527) COMAND APS (with navigation) up to Model Year 2008 

Block diagram, up to production period 31.05.2006 

Block diagram, as of production period 01.06.2006 

Continuation of block diagram, as of production period 01.06.2006 

The navigation system is intended to support the driver in finding the correct route and increase the driving safety in unfamiliar areas.

The primary navigation system functions include:

• Position determination
• Route planning
• Route calculation
• Destination-oriented navigation
• Visual guidance instructions with map illustrations
• Acoustic driving instructions

All systems required for navigation except for the GPS antenna (A2/93a6) are located in the COMAND operating, display and controller unit.

Function requirements 

• Startup 

  The COMAND operating, display and control unit can be activated by circuit 15R. After placing the navigation DVD in the drive slot in the COMAND operating, display and control unit, the navigation compares the software version already installed with the software present in the DVD. If the DVD contains a newer version of the software, it is loaded by the navigation unit.

  Simultaneously, the GPS receiver is initialized in the background. These procedures can require up to approx. 15 min.

The GPS antenna integrated into the roof antenna module receives the GPS signals from satellites and forwards these to the COMAND operating, display and controller unit.

Important data on the specific vehicle, such as

• the wheel pulse signal,
• the steering angle and
• the backup signal

are sent digitally to the COMAND, operating, display and control unit over the Control Area Network bus, class B (interior compartment) (CAN-B).

After successful initialization of the GPS receiver, the navigation unit begins with automatic calibration while driving.

It is no longer necessary to enter the tire parameters or perform a calibration drive. After driving approx. one kilometer, with a number of turns, the navigation unit is automatically calibrated. After successful startup, the navigation system in the vehicle is activated over circuit 30. The navigation DVD can then be removed or remain in the drive. However, the navigation DVD is read in each time the system is started up.

• Switching off navigation 

  When the COMAND operating, display and control unit is switched off (ignition "OFF"), the navigation unit stores important data, such as last position, direction etc. in the memory in order to by-pass a new initialization process. After starting the COMAND operating, display and control unit, it is only necessary for the navigation system to load the operating system, receive the missing GPS data and compare it with the current network of streets or roads. This procedure can require several minutes before the first driving instructions are given.

Basic navigation 

• Position determination 

  As soon as the system starts up, the navigation unit compares the GPS data supplied by the GPS antenna with the stored data for vehicle position and direction, as well as with the map data. The position of the vehicle is then determined with an accuracy of approx. 10 m by this procedure.

  If the vehicle position is requested from the COMAND operating, display and control unit, the position is indicated on the map on the color display. Display in the form of longitude and latitude is also possible.

Destination address entry for route calculation 

The following information can be used for entering the address:

• Town name
• Road
• Intersection
• Street number (depending on availability of data)
• Town centers
• Local areas with a road index (depending on data availability)
• Enter destination via map (using crosshairs which can be moved using eight-way adjuster)
• Postal code

Entries using an intelligent speller (letter and digit field) are supported by the system. Depending on the process of the entry, only those characters are made available that can be entered next. Unique names can be completed automatically, where possible.

The limitation of the selection possibilities for characters also includes special symbols. Direct entry of a number is possible for the street number. Depending on the degree of digitization, however, the number or the corresponding range of street numbers is selected.

When entering town centers without their own district boundaries, the main town is also provided as information.

• Route calculation 

  The route calculation starts after the input or call up of a destination and an acoustic information is output: "The route is calculated". In addition, during ongoing route calculation an animated CD/DVD symbol is displayed.

  The route between the instantaneous vehicle position and the destination is calculated in the navigation processor.

  The calculation models

  • Fastest route
  • short route and
  • dynamic route

  can be selected.

  In addition, "Avoid options" can also be selected by the user and taken into consideration in calculating the route. These options include avoiding items such as ferries, tunnels and toll roads.

  The route calculation can additionally be influenced by the input of a so-called VIA point and/or an intermediate destination/intermediate stop.

  After the calculation has been successfully completed, the CD/DVD symbol disappears and the route is displayed on the map.

After the route has been calculated, the navigation-CD/DVD can be removed from the drive slot. This allows an audio CD to be played during navigation. In this case, pictograms are used for display on the instrument cluster.

• Journey on the calculated route 

  The actual position is compared cyclically in the navigation processor with the predicted position. The input parameters include the data from the yaw rate sensor (GYRO), integrated in the COMAND operating, display and control unit and the route data emanating from the vehicle. If the vehicle travels along the precalculated route, then all necessary information is given to the driver visually on the display and partly acoustically via the speakers.

  This information includes:

  • Aim
  • Calculated arrival time and journey time
  • Route mode (fast route, short route, dynamic route)
  • Route list
  • Traffic information (TMC) (for ECE only)

  This function terminates upon reaching the destination.

• Leaving the calculated route 

  If the vehicle is no longer moving on the precalculated route, the route is recalculated.

  If the re-calculated values are plausible, the modified route is displayed:

  • If the vehicle is on a road that is present in digital form, however, for which no supplemental information is available such as one-way street, expressway, etc., the display "OFF ROAD" appears.
  • If the vehicle is located outside of the digitized map area, the display "OFF MAP" appears.

POI (Points of Interest) 

POIs can be selected according to the following criteria:

• Position surroundings
• Surrounding area of last destination
• Surrounding area of any central location (other location)
• National destinations

The search radius for POIs in a category is usually approx. 20 km, but certain categories, e.g. airports, have a search radius covering the entire country.

• The following POI categories are defined  (availability depending on degree of digitization and national version):
  • Fair ground
  • Highway exit
  • Highway intersection
  • Highway service
  • Rest area
  • Car rental
  • Railroad station
  • Bank
  • Bowling center
  • Bus station
  • Shopping center
  • Ferry
  • Airport
  • Golf course
  • Border crossing
  • Hotel
  • Cinema
  • Hospital
  • MB authorized workshop
  • Museum
  • Nightlife
  • Public facility
  • Parking space
  • Police
  • Post
  • Highway rest stop
  • Restaurant
  • Sight
  • Other destinations
  • Sports facilities
  • Club airfield
  • Sports area
  • Gas station
  • Theater
  • Underground garage
  • Tourist Information
  • Wine-growing estate

Destination memory 

Entered destinations can be stored manually in an address book.

A maximum of 200 entries can be stored.

Last destinations 

In the navigation main menu, the user is able to access a list of the last destinations and memory points. Memory points are points which are passed along a route.

At the start of navigation, the destination address is stored automatically in the "Last destinations" memory. The memory can accommodate up to fifty entries. If the memory is full, the entries are deleted automatically as per the "first-come-first-delete" principle. In other words, the fiftieth entry is deleted first. Manual deletion of entries by the user is also possible.

Compass 

Shown in compass display:

• Cardinal points via compass card
• Steering angle via vehicle display
• Altitude via altitude scale

Voice output 

• The following languages are available: 
  • German
  • British English
  • French
  • Spanish
  • Italian
  • Dutch
• Voice outputs are given for: 
  • Turning recommendations
  • Numbered roads (limited to highways and Federal highways in Europe)
• A special instruction for areas is given with: 
  • Destination in area not open to traffic
  • Destination area with restricted driveability
  • Route via ferry
  • Route via toll road
• Further announcements: 
  • Start of route calculation
  • Destination, intermediate destination reached
  • General information (route influenced by traffic announcements)

Route calculation 

• Route criteria and route options 

  The following criteria are available for route calculation:

  • Shortest route
  • Fastest route
  • Dynamic route (corresponds to the fastest route taking traffic radio messages into account)

  These criteria can be restricted by means of the following options:

  • Avoid highway
  • Avoid toll roads
  • Ferry, avoid car embarkation
  • Avoid tunnel (visual notification)

Route calculation is accomplished using the option set to the greatest possible extent.

If observance of the options is not possible, the options set are ignored for the sections in question.

The set criteria and options can be displayed and changed at any time.

If an avoidance option cannot be fulfilled by the system, then the user is visually informed accordingly by a pop-up window in the display on the COMAND operating, display and controller unit.

• Route planning 

  The navigation system differentiates between main destinations and stopovers on a journey.

  The primary destinations must be arrived at exactly in each case, before route planning can be accomplished to the next destination. If, in contrast, a main destination is entered along with an intermediate destination, then the navigation system divides the route into two parts and guides the user to the intermediate destination (or a stopover) and then automatically to the required main destination.

  VIA destinations are treated by the navigation system as "soft" destinations along the actual route. In other words, VIA destinations also influence the route calculation to the actual main destination and are not treated as a second route.

• Remaining driving time and remaining driving distance 

  The distance from the vehicle position to the next destination and the estimated driving time are given.

  The driving time results from the vehicle speed which is assigned to the sections of road which are still to be driven through.

  In addition to this, when passing through sections affected by traffic information, additional driving time is added.

• Transmitter selection for dynamic destination-oriented navigation system 

  For dynamic destination-oriented navigation, a TMC location table (TMC = Traffic Message Channel) for the country available on the data medium is maintained. A prerequisite is that corresponding information for this country is available.

  The information as to whether TMC Location Tables are available or not, is made available to the TMC data source, so that a station source selection can be made and the filtering of traffic messages is done as close to the source as possible.

  Dynamic traffic messages can be shown on the map as an icon and additionally as text message.

  If shown as text, the messages are sorted according to country and highway in question.

  Traffic reports relevant to the route are, for example:

  • Completely closed
  • Jam
  • Stop and go traffic
  • Heavy traffic

• Manual block 

  Manual exclusions can be specified by

  • Distance from start of traffic jam (traffic jam ahead) up to max. of 10 km

  It is only possible to block out a portion of the route in the vicinity of the current location depending on the distance to the destination, not the entire route.

  Similarly independent cancellation of the exclusion is also possible.

• Destination-oriented navigation 

  Driving recommendations are always output taking into consideration

  • the current vehicle speed,
  • the current road class and
  • the distance to the decision point.

  Depending on the situation driving recommendations are issued in up to three stages:

  • Advance notice (dependent on current road category)
  • Approach
  • Action

• Symbolic driving recommendations 

  A pictogram may be displayed depending on the turning situation. A symbolic driving recommendation is generated for each decisive point. A distinction is made between the following situations:

  • Follow the road course ("Follow")
  • Advance notice ("Prepare")
  • Turnoff at an intersection (All roads at the intersection are specified and displayed with a direction resolution of 30°.)
  • Leaving a slip road (direction resolution of 90°)
  • Rotary, right and left-hand traffic (all exits of the traffic circle are specified, in fully digitized areas only.)
  • Junction (direction resolution of 30°)
  • Route recalculation
  • Turning, right-hand and left-hand traffic
  • Destination direction for route calculation (Off Road, Off Map and No Route)
• Distance 

  The distance to the next turning point is indicated when the action is within the vicinity of the route search. Additionally, a turn-off recommendation is indicated by a bar graph.

• Street names and signs 

  The following information is available:

  • Name of road currently being driven on;
  • Name of road to turn into;
  • On freeways: Signposts with information on exit number, road number, name of city in main direction or federal highway

During destination-oriented navigation, the driving recommendations can be depicted in so-called split screen mode.

• Split-Screen 

  This feature allows the user to have driving recommendations displayed in an enlarged window, the map display being less detailed. The current vehicle position, route and turning points are displayed.

• Dynamization 

  Dynamic mode is based on the functionality of RDS/TMC.

  The data contents are taken from the definition of TMC events. The use of TMC data can be activated or deactivated in the navigation system by the "Dynamic Route" option.

  The TMC data are taken from the following TMC sources:

  • Reception of RDS/TMC from the FM signals (radio messages)

The audio gateway integrated in the COMAND operating, display and controller unit is a 2 tuner receiver. A background tuner is mainly used for receiving the TMC. It scans for continuously receivable TMC programs and stores the received TMC messages in a TMC table, which is transmitted to the navigation system.

The navigation system checks all messages in terms of route relevance. This enables all the TMC messages from all receivable TMC sources to be taken into consideration. Multiple TMC tables can be loaded simultaneously, usually two.

For international routes, the foreign route-relevant TMC messages can also be considered and displayed. For this reason, the messages are sorted according to country and highway.

• VIA points 

  With a VIA point, the route calculation takes place to the next destination taking a transition point into consideration.

  The VIA point is not an actual destination and need not be actually driven to. It is used in route guidance only as an orientation point for the route calculation.

  A VIA point is entered from the VIA menu of the COMAND operating, display and control unit, by the user selecting the desired VIA point from a VIA list.

  In each case a VIA point can be determined between the current vantage point and the next destination.

The navigation functions via the voice control system (VCS [SBS]), code 813, are described in the voice control system (VCS [SBS]) function.

	Instrument cluster (IC), function		GF54.30-P-0002GZ
	Antenna system (ATS), function		GF82.62-P-0001GZ
	Voice control system (VCS), function	with Voice Control System (VCS [SBS]) code 813	GF82.70-P-0002GZ
	COMAND operating, display and control unit, component description		GF82.85-P-3134GZ
	Multifunction steering wheel, function		GF82.90-P-0001GZ