Method and apparatus for storing, accessing, generating and using information about speed limits and speed traps
First Claim
1. A method of providing speed information relative to a legal speed limit, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining said legal speed limit as a function of position information and stored information indicating the legal speed limit at each of a plurality of different geographic locations;
comparing a current speed to said legal speed limit; and
alerting the user if the current speed differs from the legal speed limit by a set amount.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for storing, accessing, generating and using information about speed limits and speed traps are described. The system includes a positional sensor such as a GPS device. Position information is used to access a database of speed limit and/or speed trap information. The database may be local or remote. Access to a remote database may be achieved using a wireless communications device such as a wireless (cellular) modem. Encountered speed traps are logged in response to the activation of a speed trap alert button by a user of the device or the output of a radar/laser detector. Speed trap position, date and time information is transmitted to the remote database system. Speed limit information is used to control the speed of the automobile as part of a cruise control operation and/or is used to provide the motor vehicle operator with warnings, e.g., that the applicable speed limit is being exceeded. Speed trap information which is retrieved using positional information provided by the GPS device is used to warn the user of the device of speed traps in the user'"'"'s vicinity as the user approaches the location of the known speed trap.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A method of providing speed information relative to a legal speed limit, the method comprising the steps of:
-
determining said legal speed limit as a function of position information and stored information indicating the legal speed limit at each of a plurality of different geographic locations;
comparing a current speed to said legal speed limit; and
alerting the user if the current speed differs from the legal speed limit by a set amount. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 21)
-
-
10. A method of controlling a speed of a vehicle, the method comprising:
-
accessing stored legal speed limit information as a function of position information to determine the applicable legal speed limit; and
modifying the speed of the vehicle as a function of the applicable legal speed limit. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
16. A method of generating a speed trap alert, the method comprising:
-
operating a location finding device to generate device position information indicating the position of said device;
comparing the generated device position information to information in a database of known speed trap locations; and
generating a speed trap alert when the device position information indicates a position within the vicinity of a known speed trap.
-
-
20. A vehicle speed control system, comprising:
-
a database of legal speed limit information;
a global positioning device for indicating the position of the vehicle;
means for accessing the database of speed limit information as a function of position information provided by the global positioning device to determine the legal speed limit applicable to the vehicle based on its current location; and
cruise control circuitry for controlling the speed of the vehicle as a function of the determined legal speed limit.
-
-
22. A method of controlling the speed of a vehicle, the method comprising:
-
determining the position of the vehicle;
determining from a database of speed limit information the applicable speed limit based on the determined position of the vehicle; and
automatically controlling the speed of the vehicle as a function of the determined applicable speed limit. - View Dependent Claims (23)
-
Specification