Location-based vehicle messaging system

id="REI-00001" date="20140909"

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

id="REI-00001"

0001This reissue application is a continuation reissue application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/901,689, filed on Sep. 18, 2007, which is a Reissue of Ser. No. 09/243,701 filed Feb. 2, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,174,173 and this continuation reissue application is related to a continuation reissue application of U.S. Pat. No. 7,174,173, Ser. No. 12/505,776, filed on Jul. 20, 2009.

BACKGROUND

0002This invention relates generally to providing information to vehicles, based on their position.

0003As 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.

0004If 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.

0005Existing 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example, radio stations and television stations may provide information about road conditions, which tends to become outdated.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.

0006Thus, there is a need for better ways to provide more information to more vehicle operators.

SUMMARY

0007In 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

0008<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is a block depiction of one system for implementing the present invention;

0009<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> is a depiction of a file structure useful in connection with the embodiment shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>;

0010<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> is a flow chart for software implementing a transmit function at a vehicle in one embodiment;

0011<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> is a flow chart for software implementing the seek function at a vehicle in one embodiment;

0012<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref> is a flow chart of software at the server for handling a request from a vehicle for position-linked information in one embodiment;

0013<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref> is a flow chart of software on a server for receiving input information from a vehicle;

0014<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref> is a flow chart of software at the vehicle for receiving information from the server;

0015<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 8</figref> is a block diagram of one embodiment for a processor-based system located in the vehicle in accordance with the embodiment shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>; and

0016<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 9</figref> is a depiction of a screen display in one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

0017Referring to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, a system for providing information to a plurality of vehicle operators, keyed to the location of those vehicles, includes a server <b>10</b> coupled with a wireless link <b>15</b> having an antenna <b>14</b>. The wireless link <b>15</b> may implement a radio frequency based transmission system, such as that used in connection with digital cellular telephones. The wireless link <b>15</b> may be part of the server <b>10</b> or may be at a separate location. The wireless link <b>15</b> may be a telephone base station coupled to the server <b>10</b> over a network such as the Internet.

0018The server <b>10</b> may have associated with it a linked audio database <b>12</b>, 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).

0019The server <b>10</b> may communicate, for example, by radio or cellular telephone, with a plurality of vehicles <b>16</b>, e.g., vehicles <b>16</b>a and <b>16</b>b shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>. Each of the vehicles may include an appropriate receiving antenna <b>22</b>a or <b>22</b>b. In addition, each vehicle may include its own position location system, e.g., a GPS system <b>18</b>a and <b>18</b>b, together with the appropriate antennas <b>20</b>a and <b>20</b>b.

0020In this way, the vehicles may request information from the server. Those requests may have appended GPS coordinate information. The server may then search its database <b>12</b> to find any audio files associated with the GPS position of the vehicle <b>16</b>a, for example. If it finds such files, the server may transmit those files to the vehicle <b>16</b>a so the operator can have the benefit of what others have recorded for a particular position along the roadway.

0021The 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.

0022In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the vehicles <b>16</b> may also include a compass, e.g., a digital compass <b>21</b>, 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.

0023Referring to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the server may include a database <b>12</b>, which includes data files <b>24</b>. The files <b>24</b> may include text, video, or other data. For example, the files <b>24</b> may include audio files <b>26</b>, which are essentially digital recordings of voice communications received from a variety of vehicles. Each of the audio files <b>26</b> may have associated coordinate information <b>28</b>, which, in one embodiment of the present invention, may be GPS coordinate information.

0024In this way, each of the files <b>24</b> may be searched for particular GPS coordinates. All the files <b>26</b> associated with those coordinates which match the current position of a requesting vehicle may be transmitted to the vehicle.

0025Each of the files may also have a time stamp <b>25</b> 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.

0026Advantageously, the files <b>26</b> may also include a vehicle identifier <b>27</b>, e.g., a telephone number. The file <b>24</b> may include not only the GPS coordinates <b>28</b>, but also direction or compass information <b>29</b>, which may also be transmitted by the vehicle <b>16</b> to the server <b>10</b>.

0027While 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.

0028In 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.

0029Referring now to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref>, software <b>30</b> for enabling a vehicle <b>16</b> to transmit information to the server <b>10</b> is illustrated. Initially, a check at diamond <b>32</b> 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 at block <b>34</b>. In addition, compass information may be appended as well, if desired. The file may then compressed and transmitted, as indicated in block <b>38</b>, for receipt by the server <b>10</b>. The transmission may be undertaken over a radio or cellular telephone communication link. Other communication links can be used as well.

0030Referring now to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref>, software <b>40</b> 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 in diamond <b>42</b>. If so, the current GPS coordinate position is acquired as indicated in block <b>44</b>. The request is then transmitted, as indicated in block <b>46</b>, together with the present position information, and if desired, the directional information.

0031Turning now to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref>, the server may respond to a request for information linked to a particular location using the software <b>50</b>. Initially, a check determines whether a request has been received from a vehicle as indicated in block <b>52</b>. The database <b>12</b> is then searched (block <b>56</b>) for other files which have matching GPS and compass/direction information.

0032The audio file (with or without the identifier) may then be compressed and transmitted to the vehicle as indicated in block <b>60</b>. 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.

0033Moving on to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref>, software <b>62</b> begins by receiving an audio file, as indicated in block <b>64</b>, 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 in block <b>68</b>. Time stamp data may be appended or may be obtained from the GPS system in one embodiment.

0034The vehicle may then receive audio information in response to a previous request using the software <b>70</b> shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref>. The audio file is received, as indicated in block <b>72</b>, and may be decompressed.

0035In 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.

0036As 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.

0037In one embodiment, illustrated in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 9</figref>, 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.

0038For example, the map that appears on a display <b>118</b> may indicate the vehicle's current position <b>202</b>, and the locations <b>204</b>, <b>206</b> and <b>208</b> having associated files. It may also show roads <b>200</b>, <b>210</b> and <b>212</b>.

0039In one embodiment of the present invention, the audio file May be automatically played over the vehicle's sound system (block <b>76</b>). If the sound system is already in use, if desired, the existing audio may be muted in favor of an incoming audio file.

0040One 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 in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 8</figref> may be implemented, for example, by the Intel 82430TX PCI chipset. Other processor/chipset combinations may be used as well.

0041The processor <b>126</b> communicates across a host bus <b>151</b> to a bridge <b>150</b>, an L2 cache <b>152</b>, and system memory <b>154</b>. The bridge <b>150</b> may communicate with a bus <b>156</b>, 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. The bus <b>156</b>, in turn, may be coupled to a display controller <b>162</b>, which may drive a display <b>118</b> in one embodiment in the invention. A digital camera <b>164</b> may be coupled through an interface <b>162</b> to the bus <b>156</b>. The camera may be used to create digital images that may be sent to the server <b>10</b> which may then send them with other data to other vehicles.

0042A microphone input <b>166</b> may feed to the Audio Codec (AC'97) <b>166</b>a, where it may be digitized and sent to memory through the audio accelerator <b>166</b>b. The AC'97 specification is available from Intel Corporation (www.developer.intel.com/pc-supp/platform/ac97). A tuner <b>160</b> may be controlled from a south bridge <b>168</b>. The output of the tuner may be sent to system memory <b>154</b> or mixed in the Codec and sent to the car sound system <b>158</b>. Sounds generated by the processor <b>126</b> may be sent through the audio accelerator <b>166</b>b and the AC'97 Codec <b>166</b>a to the car sound system <b>158</b>.

0043The bus <b>156</b> may be coupled to a south bridge <b>168</b>, which may have an Extended Integrated Drive Electronics (EIDE) coupling <b>170</b> and Universal Serial Bus (USB) coupling <b>176</b> (i.e., a device compliant with the Universal Serial Bus Implementers Forum Specification Version 1.0 [www.usb.org.]). Finally, the USB connection <b>176</b> may couple to a series of USB hubs <b>178</b>. One of these hubs may couple to an in-car bus bridge <b>180</b> as illustrated. The in-car bus bridge <b>80</b> 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.

0044The EIDE connection <b>170</b> may couple to a hard disk drive <b>172</b> and a CD-ROM player <b>174</b>. In sonic 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 the drive <b>172</b>. The GPS receiver <b>18</b> may be attached by a cable <b>182</b> to a serial port or on a serial I/O device <b>188</b> attached to the bus <b>186</b>, as are the keyboard <b>191</b> and modem <b>192</b>.

0045The bridge <b>168</b> in turn may be coupled to an additional bus <b>186</b>, which may couple to a serial interface <b>188</b>, which drives a peripheral <b>190</b>, a keyboard <b>191</b>, a modem <b>192</b> coupled to a cellular phone <b>194</b>, and a basic input/output system (BIOS) memory <b>196</b>.

0046The memory may be implemented, for example, by a 28F200 two megabyte Hash 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).

0047While 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.