USRE45287E1

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Publication number: USRE45287E1
Application number: US13/041,537
Authority: US
Inventors: Bradford H. Needham; Anthony C. Salvador; John W. Sherry
Original assignee: Intel Corp
Current assignee: Intel Corp
Priority date: 1999-02-02
Filing date: 2011-03-07
Publication date: 2014-12-09
Also published as: USRE45197E1; USRE45127E1; USRE44707E1; US7174173B1

Abstract

A system may enable vehicle operators to request information automatically along the route of travel by transmitting information requests, tied to the vehicle's current position, to a server. The server may store a plurality of informational files associated with particular global positioning system coordinates. Upon receipt of a request, the files associated with a particular position may be located and transmitted to the vehicle. The files may be stored as audio files so the user may listen to the files without being distracted while driving the vehicle.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Notice: More than one reissue application has been filed for the reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 7,174,173. This application and Ser. No. 12/505,776 and Ser. No. 12/700,920 are continuations of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/901,689, filed on Sep. 18, 2007. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/975,760 is a continuation of this application and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/901,689.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates generally to providing information to vehicles, based on their position.

As the vehicles move down highways and other roads, they encounter a variety of circumstances which may be relevant to other drivers. For example, one driver may pass a location where traffic is congested, an accident has occurred or road construction is ongoing. A driver currently has no way to broadcast that information to other drivers traversing the same route.

If other drivers were aware of the conditions ahead, they could make alternate routing plans to avoid the problem. Armed with this information, other drivers could make on-the-go decisions about the best route to take.

Existing systems provide information related to particular locations. For example, radio stations and television stations may provide information about road conditions, which tends to become outdated. Given the limited time that these stations have to broadcast this type of information, they are limited in how much information they can provide about the plethora of driving locations around their urban broadcast area.

Thus, there is a need for better ways to provide more information to more vehicle operators.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one embodiment, a method of obtaining information includes generating a signal indicative of a vehicle's position. The signal is transmitted to a base station. Information, stored at the base station in association with the vehicle's position, is then received from the base station.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block depiction of one system for implementing the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a depiction of a file structure useful in connection with the embodiment shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for software implementing a transmit function at a vehicle in one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart for software implementing the seek function at a vehicle in one embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of software at the server for handling a request from a vehicle for position-linked information in one embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of software on a server for receiving input information from a vehicle;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of software at the vehicle for receiving information from the server;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of one embodiment for a processor-based system located in the vehicle in accordance with the embodiment shown inFIG. 1; and

FIG. 9 is a depiction of a screen display in one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIG. 1, a system for providing information to a plurality of vehicle operators, keyed to the location of chose vehicles, includes aserver10 coupled with awireless link15 having anantenna14. Thewireless link15 may implement a radio frequency based transmission system, such as that used in connection with digital cellular telephones. Thewireless link15 may be part of theserver10 or may be at a separate location. Thewireless link15 may be a telephone base station coupled to theserver10 over a network such as the Internet.

Theserver10 may have associated with it a linkedaudio database12, which includes information about a plurality of different locations tied to particular location coordinate information. For example, each of the database entries may, in one embodiment of the present invention, be an audio file linked to coordinates that may, for example, have been generated by the global positioning system (GPS).

Theserver10 may communicate, for example, by radio or cellular telephone, with a plurality of vehicles16, e.g.,

vehicles

16a and16b shown inFIG. 1. Each of the vehicles may include an

appropriate receiving antenna

22a or22b. In addition, each vehicle may include its own position location system, e.g., a

GPS system

18a and18b, together with the

appropriate antennas

20a and20b.

In this way, the vehicles may request information from the server. Those requests may have appended GPS coordinate information. The server may then search itsdatabase12 to find any audio files associated with the GPS position of thevehicle16a, for example. If it finds such files, the server may transmit those files to thevehicle16a so the operator can have the benefit of what others have recorded for a particular position along the roadway.

The information associated with a particular location may include descriptions of various driving conditions or information about sites along the way. In addition, messages may be stored for other drivers who may be known by a particular operator. For example, one operator may leave a message for another operator to turn at the next right turn.

In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the vehicles16 may also include a compass, e.g., a digital compass21, which provides direction information. In this way, only information associated with a given position and vehicle heading direction may be provided by the server. For example, vehicles traveling northbound on a given highway will receive information that was stored by northbound traveling vehicles and not by southbound traveling vehicles.

Referring toFIG. 2, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the server may include adatabase12, which includesdata files24. Thefiles24 may include text, video, or other data. For example, thefiles24 may includeaudio files26, which are essentially digital recordings of voice communications received from a variety of vehicles. Each of theaudio files26 may have associatedcoordinate information28, which, in one embodiment of the present invention, may be GPS coordinate information.

In this way, each of thefiles24 may be searched for particular GPS coordinates. All thefiles26 associated with those coordinates which match the current position of a requesting vehicle may be transmitted to the vehicle.

Each of the files may also have a time stamp25 so that after an amount of time, a file may be discarded. Thus, only relatively current information will be received by the vehicle for a given position. The files may also include a user name or a reply field to facilitate a response to the submitter. Other techniques used in bulletin board systems may also be used here.

Advantageously, thefiles26 may also include avehicle identifier27, e.g., a telephone number. Thefile24 may include not only the GPS coordinates28, but also direction orcompass information29, which may also be transmitted by the vehicle16 to theserver10.

While the present invention has been described with respect to a server which serves audio files, the server may also serve text-based files as well. Thus, a server may actually receive and send text-based files. If desired, these files may then be converted, using conventional text-to-speech or speech-to-text software to and from a spoken format.

In each case, it is not necessary for the coordinates to match exactly, but instead, a given tolerance can be provided for both the GPS coordinate information and the compass information. That is, if the position of the requesting vehicle is within a given tolerance of the position and direction of a file stored in the server, that information may be provided.

Referring now toFIG. 3,software30 for enabling a vehicle16 to transmit information to theserver10 is illustrated. Initially, a check atdiamond32 determines whether an audio file has been prepared by the operator of the vehicle. If so, the current GPS coordinates may be appended to the file, as indicated atblock34. In addition, compass information may be appended as well, if desired. The file may then compressed and transmitted, as indicated inblock38, for receipt by theserver10. The transmission may be undertaken over a radio or cellular telephone communication link. Other communication links can be used as well.

Referring now toFIG. 4,software40 for enabling a vehicle operator to request information associated with a given file begins by determining whether or not an information request has been initiated, as indicated indiamond42. If so, the current GPS coordinate position is acquired as indicated inblock44. The request is then transmitted, as indicated inblock46, together with the present position information, and if desired, the directional information.

Turning now toFIG. 5, the server may respond to a request for information linked to a particular location using thesoftware50. Initially, a check determines whether a request has been received from a vehicle as indicated inblock52. Thedatabase12 is then searched (block56) for other files which have matching GPS and compass/direction information.

The audio file (with or without the identifier) may then be compressed and transmitted to the vehicle as indicated inblock60. In a cellular phone system, the request may include the requester's cellular telephone number. Alternatively, the caller's telephone number may be obtained using a caller identity delivery (CID) system. The audio file may be subsequently transmitted using the telephone information without tying up the user's telephone any more than necessary.

Moving on toFIG. 6,software62 begins by receiving an audio file, as indicated inblock64, from a vehicle. The audio file may be decompressed. The file is then stored by GPS coordinates and/or compass direction information associated with the audio file, as indicated inblock68. Time stamp data may be appended or may be obtained from the GPS system in one embodiment.

The vehicle may then receive audio information in response to a previous request using thesoftware70 shown inFIG. 7. The audio file is received, as indicated inblock72, and may be decompressed.

In one embodiment, the server may continuously broadcast information to the vehicles. The vehicles may store this information, for example using a first in first out archiving system. A vehicle based processor may then be used to sort through the location information to identify files associated with the vehicle's current position. Those files may then be identified to the vehicle operator.

As another alternative, the vehicle may periodically send its position to the server. The server may then send files associated with the area the vehicle is currently moving through. A vehicle based processor may then identify files associated with adjacent locations.

In one embodiment, illustrated inFIG. 9, the server may send information that may be displayed on a digital map, showing locations with associated files. Those files may then be selected when the vehicle reaches those locations or at any other time. The messages may also be played automatically based on the vehicle's position.

For example, the map that appears on adisplay118 may indicate the vehicle'scurrent position202, and the

locations

204,206 and208 having associated files. It may also show

roads

200,210 and212.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the audio file may be automatically played over the vehicle's sound system (block76). If the sound system is already in use, if desired, the existing audio may be muted in favor of an incoming audio file.

One embodiment of a processor-based system for implementing the capabilities previously described on a vehicle may use a processor-based system located in the vehicle's dashboard. The system illustrated inFIG. 8 may be implemented, for example, by the Intel 82430TX PCI chipset. Other processor/chipset combinations may be used as well.

Theprocessor126 communicates across ahost bus151 to abridge150, anL2 cache152, andsystem memory154. Thebridge150 may communicate with abus156, which could, for example, be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus in accordance with the revision 2.1 of the PCI electrical specification available from the PCI Special Interest Group, Portland, Oreg. 97214. Thebus156, in turn, may be coupled to adisplay controller162, which may drive adisplay118 in one embodiment in the invention. Adigital camera164 may be coupled through aninterface162 to thebus156. The camera may be used to create digital images that may be sent to theserver10 which may then send them with other data to other vehicles.

Amicrophone input166 may feed to the Audio Codec (AC'97)166a, where it may be digitized and sent to memory through theaudio accelerator166b. The AC'97 specification is available from hotel Corporation (www.developer.intel.com/pc-supp/platform/ac97). Atuner160 may be controlled from asouth bridge168. The output of the tuner may be sent tosystem memory154 or mixed in the Codec and sent to thecar sound system158. Sounds generated by theprocessor126 may be sent through theaudio accelerator166b and theAC'97 Codec166a to thecar sound system158.

Thebus156 may be coupled to asouth bridge168, which may have an Extended Integrated Drive Electronics (EIDE)coupling170 and Universal Serial Bus (USB) coupling176 (i.e., a device compliant with the Universal Serial Bus Implementers Forum Specification Version 1.0 [www.usb.org.]). Finally, theUSB connection176 may couple to a series ofUSB hubs178. One of these hubs may couple to an in-car bus bridge180 as illustrated. The in-car bus bridge80 may, for example use the Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol or the Society of Automotive Engineers J1850 standard. The in-car bus provides communication between microcontrollers that control vehicle operation. The other hubs may be available for implementing additional functionality.

TheEIDE connection170 may couple to ahard disk drive172 and a CD-ROM player174. In some systems, it may be desirable to replace the hard disk drive with other memory forms. For example, a flash memory may be used in place of thedrive172. TheGPS receiver18 may be attached by acable182 to a serial port or on a serial I/O device188 attached to the bus186, as are thekeyboard191 andmodem192.

Thebridge168 in turn may be coupled to an additional bus186, which may couple to aserial interface188, which drives a peripheral190, akeyboard191, amodem192 coupled to acellular phone194, and a basic input/output system (BIOS)memory196.

The memory may be implemented, for example, by a 28F200 two megabyte flash memory, available from Intel Corporation. The USB hubs may be implemented using 8093HX microcontrollers, available from Intel Corporation. Local firmware may be stored on EPROM memory (e.g., the 27C256 EPROM, available from Intel Corporation).

While the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous modifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and variations, as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A processor based system mountable in a vehicle, said system comprising:

a processor;

a position locating device coupled to said processor;

a transmitter to transmit requests for information with appended position information; and

wherein said processor to determine the vehicle's current location, sort information received in response to said request based on appended position information, and identify information with appended position information corresponding to the vehicle's current location.

2. The system ofclaim 1 wherein said transmitter is a radio frequency transceiver.

3. The system ofclaim 1 wherein said transmitter is adapted to append compass information.

4. The system ofclaim 1 wherein said system is adapted to receive information previously transmitted and stored and then relayed to the vehicle, based on the vehicle's position.

5. The system ofclaim 1 wherein said transmitter is adapted to append information that identifies the transmitter.

6. The system of chum1 adapted to transmit audio files.

7. The system ofclaim 1 adapted to receive audio files.

8. The system ofclaim 1 wherein said system only displays said information when the vehicle becomes proximate to a location corresponding to said appended position information.

9. A processor based system comprising:

a processor;

a position locating device coupled to said processor;

a transmitter to transmit a request for information with associated position information; and

wherein said processor to determine a vehicle's current location, sort information received in response to said request based on associated position information, and identify information with associated position information related to a location ahead of the vehicle's current location.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said transmitter is a radio frequency transceiver.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said transmitter is adapted to append digital compass information.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein said system is adapted to receive information previously transmitted and stored and then relayed to the vehicle, based on the vehicle's position.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein said transmitter is adapted to append information that identifies the transmitter.

14. The system of claim 9 adapted to transmit audio files.

15. The system of claim 9 adapted to receive audio files.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein said system only displays said information when the vehicle becomes proximate to a location corresponding to said associated position information.

17. The system of claim 9 wherein said information related to a location ahead of the vehicle's current location including information about driving conditions.

18. The system of claim 9 wherein said information related to a location ahead of the vehicle's current location including information about sites.

19. The system of claim 9 wherein said position information includes global positioning system coordinates.

20. The system of claim 19, said processor to sort information about road conditions or information about en-route sites.

21. The system of claim 20, said system including a device to determine the direction of vehicle travel, said processor to sort information to find information related to sites ahead of the vehicle in the direction of travel.

22. The system of claim 21 including a display on said processor to depict the vehicle's location and associate position information on a map depiction.

23. The system of claim 9 adapted to transmit video.

24. The system of claim 9 adapted to receive video.

25. The system of claim 9 including a display, said processor to indicate the position of said vehicle and said location ahead of the vehicle's current location on said display.

26. The system of claim 9 wherein said system is mountable in a vehicle.

27. A method comprising:

using a computer to determine a vehicle's current position;

using said computer to sort information received in response to a request for information with associated position information based on associated position information; and

identifying, using said computer, information with associated position information related to a location ahead of the vehicle's current location.

28. The method of claim 27 including using said computer to determine the vehicle's direction of travel.

29. The method of claim 28 including using the computer to sort information received in response to said request based on said direction of travel.

30. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that when executed enable a computer to:

transmit a request for information with associated position information;

determine a vehicle's current location;

sort information received in response to said request based on associated position information; and

identify information with associated position information related to a location ahead of the vehicle's current location.

31. The medium of claim 30 storing instructions to determine the vehicle's direction of travel.

32. The medium of claim 31 storing instructions to sort information received in response to said request based on said direction of travel.

33. A server comprising:

a processor to receive a request for information with associated position information and provide information in response to said request based on said associated position information including providing information with associated position information related to a location ahead of the associated position in the vehicle's direction of travel; and

a storage coupled to said processor.

34. A processor based system comprising:

a processor;

a position locating device coupled to said processor;

wherein said processor to determine the vehicle's current location and direction of travel, sort information received in response to said request based on associated position information and said direction of travel, and identify information with associated position information.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said transmitter is a radio frequency transceiver.

36. The system of claim 34 wherein said transmitter is adapted to append digital compass information.

37. The system of claim 34 wherein said system is adapted to receive information previously transmitted and stored and then relayed to the vehicle, based on the vehicle's position.

38. The system of claim 34 wherein said transmitter is adapted to append information that identifies the transmitter.

39. The system of claim 34 adapted to transmit audio files.

40. The system of claim 34 adapted to receive audio files.

41. The system of claim 34 wherein said system only displays said information when the vehicle becomes proximate to a location corresponding to said associated position information.

42. The system of claim 34 wherein said information related to a location ahead of the vehicle's current location including information about driving conditions.

43. The system of claim 34 wherein said information related to a location ahead of the vehicle's current location including information about sites.

44. The system of claim 34 wherein said position information includes global positioning system coordinates.

45. The system of claim 44, said processor to sort information about road conditions or information about en-route sites.

46. The system of claim 45, said system including a device to determine the direction of vehicle travel, said processor to sort information to find information related to sites ahead of the vehicle in the direction of travel.

47. The system of claim 46 including a display on said processor to depict the vehicle's location and associate position information on a map depiction.

48. The system of claim 34 adapted to transmit video.

49. The system of claim 34 adapted to receive video.

50. The system of claim 34 including a display, said processor to indicate the position of said vehicle and said location ahead of the vehicle's current location on said display.

51. The system of claim 34 wherein said system is mountable in a vehicle.

52. A processor based system comprising:

a processor;

a position locating device coupled to said processor;

a transmitter to transmit a request for information with associated position information together with user information; and

wherein said processor to determine the vehicle's current location, sort information received in response to said request based on associated position information, and identify information with appended position information corresponding to the vehicle's current location.

53. The system of claim 52, said processor to determine the vehicle's direction of travel.

54. The system of claim 53, said processor to identify information with appended position information related to a location ahead of the vehicle's current location.

55. The system of claim 52 wherein said user information includes information about a driving condition at a location.

56. The system of claim 52 wherein said user information includes information about a site and its location.

57. The system of claim 52 wherein said system is mountable in a vehicle.

58. A method comprising:

using a computer to transmit a request for information with associated position information together with user information;

using a computer to determine a vehicle's current location;

using a computer to sort information received in response to said request based on associated position information; and

using a computer to identify information with appended position information corresponding to the vehicle's current location.

59. The method of claim 58 including determining the vehicle's direction of travel.

60. The method of claim 59 including identifying information with appended position information related to a location ahead of the vehicle's current location.

61. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that when executed enable a computer to:

transmit a request for information with associated position information together with user information;

determine a vehicle's current location;

identify information with appended position information corresponding to the vehicle's current location.

62. The medium of claim 61 further storing instructions to determine the vehicle's direction of travel.

63. The medium of claim 61 further storing instructions to identify information with appended position information related to a location ahead of the vehicle's current location.