Vehicle commentary method and system

• US 20020019696A1
• Filed: 05/23/2001
• Published: 02/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kruse Commentary Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: Kruse Commentary Systems Limited
• Inventors: Kruse, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US09/864,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20020019696A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for providing commentary to one or more passengers in a moving vehicle including periodically or continuously determining the present location of the vehicle as the vehicle moves through a geographic area, assessing whether items of commentary related to different parts of the geographic area are available as the vehicle passes through different parts of the geographic area from a number of stored commentary items related to different parts of the geographic area and playing a commentary to the passenger(s) consisting of items form the stored items of commentary.

Claims

1. A method for providing cornmentary to one or more passengers in a moving vehicle including the steps of:

periodically or continuously determining the present location of the vehicle as the vehicle moves through or in a geographic area,

assessing whether items of commentary related to different parts of the geographic area are available as the vehicle passes through different parts of the geographic area, from a number of stored items of commentary related to different parts of the geographic area, and

playing a commentary to the passenger(s) consisting of a series of selected items from said stored items of commentary.

2. A method for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 1 further including the step of determining whether a selected item of commentary has already been played to the passenger(s) before playing the item.

3. A method for providing commentary to one or more passengers in a moving vehicle according to claim 2 including also playing items of information or music to the passenger(s) when there is no item in said stored items which relates to the part of a geographic area through which the vehicle is moving or when a stored item relating to the part of a geographic area through which the vehicle is moving has previously been played to the passenger or passenger(s).

4. A method for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 3 further including allowing a passenger or passengers to select a language in which to receive the commentary.

5. A method for providing commentary to one or more passengers in a moving vehicle including the steps of:

periodically or continuously determining the present location of the vehicle as the vehicle moves through or in a geographic area via a GPS receiver on the vehicle,

assessing whether items of commentary related to different parts of the geographic area are available as the vehicle passes through different parts of the geographic area, from a number of stored items of commentary related to different parts of the geographic area, and

playing a commentary to the passenger(s) consisting of a series of selected items from said stored items of commentary.

6. A method for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 5 further including the step of determining whether a selected item of commentary has already been played to the passenger(s) before playing the item.

7. A method for providing commentary to one or more passengers in a moving vehicle according to claim 6 including also playing items of information or music to the passenger(s) when there is no item in said stored items which relates to the part of a geographic area through which the vehicle is moving or when a stored item relating to the part of a geographic area through which the vehicle is moving has previously been played to the passenger or passenger(s).

8. A method for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 7 further including allowing a passenger or passengers to select a language in which to receive the commentary.

9. A system for providing commentary to one or more passengers in a moving vehicle including:

means arranged to periodically or continuously determine the present location of the vehicle as the vehicle moves through or in a geographic area,

means arranged to assess whether items of commentary related to different parts of the geographic area are available as the vehicle passes through different parts of the geographic area, from a number of stored items of commentary related to different parts of the geographic area, and

means arranged to play a commentary to the passenger(s) consisting of a series of selected items from said stored items of commentary.

10. A system for providing commentary to one or more passengers in a moving vehicle according to claim 9 also arranged to play items of information or music to the passenger(s) when there is no item in said stored items which relates to the part of a geographic area through which the vehicle is moving or when a stored item relating to the part of a geographic area through which the vehicle is moving has previously been played to the passenger or passenger(s).

11. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 10 arranged to play audio commentaries.

12. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 11 arranged to play video commentaries.

13. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 12 wherein the system is arranged to play commentaries through a central speaker or speaker and video display system to a number of passengers.

14. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 12 wherein the system is arranged to play commentaries through one or more headphone or headphone and video display devices to one or more passengers individually.

15. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 14 wherein the system is arranged to be able to simultaneously play the same commentary in different languages to different devices.

16. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 15 wherein the system is arranged to allow passengers a selection of languages in which to hear the commentaries.

17. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 13 wherein the system is arranged to allow passengers a selection of languages in which to hear the commentaries.

19. A system for providing commentary to one or more passengers in a moving vehicle according to claim 18 also arranged to play items of information or music to the passenger(s) when there is no item in said stored items which relates to the part of a geographic area through which the vehicle is moving or when a stored item relating to the part of a geographic area through which the vehicle is moving has previously been played to the passenger or passenger(s).

20. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 19 arranged to play audio commentaries.

21. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 20 arranged to play video commentaries.

22. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 21 wherein the system is arranged to play commentaries through a central speaker or speaker and video display system to a number of passengers.

23. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 21 wherein the system is arranged to play commentaries through one or more headphone or headphone and video display devices to one or more passengers individually.

24. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 23 wherein the system is arranged to be able to simultaneously play the same commentary in different languages to different devices.

25. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 24 wherein the system is arranged to allow passengers a selection of languages in which to hear the commentaries.

26. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 22 wherein the system is arranged to allow passengers a selection of languages in which to hear the commentaries.

28. A system for providing commentary to one or more passengers in a moving vehicle according to claim 27 also arranged to play items of information or music to the passenger(s) when there is no item in said stored items which relates to the part of a geographic area through which the vehicle is moving or when a stored item relating to the part of a geographic area through which the vehicle is moving has previously been played to the passenger or passenger(s).

29. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 28 arranged to play audio commentaries.

30. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 29 arranged to play video commentaries.

31. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 30 wherein the system is arranged to play commentaries through a central speaker or speaker and video display system to a number of passengers.

32. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 30 wherein the system is arranged to play commentaries through one or more headphone or headphone and video display devices to one or more passengers individually.

33. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 32 wherein the system is arranged to be able to simultaneously play the same commentary in different languages to different devices.

34. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 33 wherein the system is arranged to allow passengers a selection of languages in which to hear the commentaries.

35. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 31 wherein the system is arranged to allow passengers a selection of languages in which to hear the commentaries.

37. A system for providing commentary to passengers according to claim 36 wherein the commentary includes discrete items of commentary information, the playing of each of which is separately initiated when the means arranged to monitor the location of the vehicle indicates that the vehicle is in a part of the geographic area to which an individual item of commentary information relates.

38. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 37 wherein the commentary is an audio or an audio and video commentary.

40. A system for providing commentary to passengers according to claim 39 wherein the commentary includes discrete items of commentary information, the playing of each of which is separately initiated when the means arranged to monitor the location of the vehicle indicates that the vehicle is in a part of the geographic area to which an individual item of commentary information relates.

41. A system for providing commentary to passengers in a vehicle according to claim 40 wherein the commentary is an audio or an audio and video commentary.

18. A system for providing commentary to one or more passengers in a moving vehicle including:

means arranged to periodically or continuously determine the present location of the vehicle as the vehicle moves through or in a geographic area,

means arranged to assess whether items of commentary related to different parts of the geographic area are available as the vehicle passes through different parts of the geographic area, from a number of stored items of commentary related to different parts of the geographic area,

means arranged to play a commentary to the passenger(s) consisting of a series of selected items from said stored items of commentary, and

means arranged to receive information from a remote transmitter.

27. A system for providing commentary to one or more passengers in a moving vehicle including:

means arranged to periodically or continuously determine the present location of the vehicle as the vehicle moves through or in a geographic area,

means arranged to assess whether items of commentary related to different parts of the geographic area are available as the vehicle passes through different parts of the geographic area, from a number of stored items of commentary related to different parts of the geographic area, and

means arranged to play a commentary to the passenger(s) consisting of a series of selected items from said stored items of commentary, and

means arranged to store vehicle data.

36. A system for providing commentary to one or more passengers in a moving automobile, buss motorhome, or air or marine craft (herein:

vehicle), including means arranged to monitor the location of the vehicle as it travels through or in a geographic area, and means arranged to play a pre-recorded commentary related to the current location of the vehicle to the passenger(s).

39. A system for providing commentary to one or more passengers in a moving automobile, bus, motorhome, or air or marine craft (herein:

vehicle), including GPS receiver means on board the vehicle arranged to monitor the location of the vehicle as it travels through or in a geographic area, and means arranged to play a pre-recorded commentary related to the current location of the vehicle to the passenger(s).