Geographic information service apparatus and method using a DSRC network

• US 20020080048A1
• Filed: 10/25/2001
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Choi, Kwang-Joo
• Granted Patent: US 6,756,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

A geographic information service system is disclosed, having a geographic information supply server that supplies geographic information by certain regions; an Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) terminal that transmits registration information service requests and geographic information service requests from a vehicle; a Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) base station that communicates bi-directionally with the ETC terminal by a DSRC method; and a DSRC server in communication with the DSRC base station that analyzes a message transmitted from the DSRC base station and supplies a requested geographic information service by communicating with the geographic information supply server.

Claims

1. A geographic information service system comprising:

a geographic information supply server that supplies geographic information by certain regions;

an Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) terminal that transmits registration information service requests and geographic information service requests from a vehicle;

a Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) base station that communicates bi-directionally with the ETC terminal by a DSRC method; and

a DSRC server in communication with the DSRC base station that analyzes a message transmitted from the DSRC base station and supplies a requested geographic information service by communicating with the geographic information supply server.

2. The geographic information service system of claim 1, wherein the ETC terminal further comprises:

a service mode conversion switch that converts a service mode of the ETC terminal in accordance with an operation of a user;

a Central Processing Unit (CPU) that recognizes the service mode and controls an operation of the ETC terminal, according to the pertinent service mode; and

a touch screen unit that transmits the geographic information service requests, inputted by the user, to the CPU and displays the pertinent geographic information received from the DSRC base station, under the control of the CPU.

3. The geographic information service system of claim 1, wherein the DSRC server generates optimum route information from a present position to a destination, in accordance with transportation conditions, by linking directly with a transportation information supplier supplying transportation information about the certain regions, and on the basis of the geographic information supplied by the geographic information supply server.

4. The geographic information service system of claim 1, wherein the geographic information supply server generates optimum route information from a present position to a destination, in accordance with transportation conditions, by linking directly with a transportation information supplier supplying transportation information about the certain regions and transmitting the transportation information to the DSRC server.

5. A geographic information service method, comprising:

transmitting a service request message generated in an Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) terminal, according to user specified information, to a DSRC server through a DSRC base station;

sending a geographic information service request from the DSRC server to a geographic information supply server;

transmitting geographic information generated by the geographic information supply server from the DSRC server to the ETC terminal, through the DSRC base station; and

displaying the geographic information received by the ETC terminal to a user.

6. The geographic information service method of claim 5, wherein a service mode of the ETC terminal is determined in accordance with an operation of a service mode conversion switch in the ETC terminal.

7. The geographic information service method of claim 6, wherein the service mode conversion switch is operated by the user of the ETC terminal.

8. The geographic information service method of claim 5, further comprising:

displaying an initial screen to the user enabling the user to input the geographic information service request; and

inputting a menu selection on the initial screen, by a touch screen manipulation, to request the geographic information.

9. The geographic information service method of claim 5, further comprising:

performing a certification function by the geographic information supply sever about the ETC terminal which transmitted the geographic information service request message;

checking a type of the received geographic information service request message when the certification is successful; and

generating and transmitting the geographic information about a destination to the DSRC server.

10. The geographic information service method of claim 9, further comprising:

generating optimum route information from a present position of the ETC terminal to a destination, in accordance with transportation conditions, by linking with a transportation information supplier and transmitting the generated route information to the DSRC server.

11. The geographic information service method of claim 5, further comprising:

generating optimum route information to a destination, in accordance with transportation conditions, by requesting transportation information from a present position of the ETC terminal to a destination from a transportation information supplier and using the geographic information to the destination supplied by the geographic information supply server.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a multiple purpose subscriber having a service mode switch that selects a mode of service supported by the multiple purpose subscriber, wherein

a first position of the service mode switch causes the multiple purpose subscriber to operate as a remote toll collection terminal, which communicates with the DSRC server via the base station to settle toll charges in a subscriber account maintained by the multiple purpose subscriber, and

a second position of the service mode switch causes the multiple purpose subscriber to operate as a remote geographic information service terminal, which communicates with the DSRC server via the base station to obtain and display the geographic information or transportation information overlaid on the geographic information.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a multiple purpose subscriber having a service mode switch that selects a mode of service supported by the multiple purpose subscriber, wherein

a first position of the service mode switch causes the multiple purpose subscriber to operate as a remote traffic management terminal, which communicates with the DSRC server via the base station to obtain traffic management information from an advanced traffic management system with which the DSRC server communicates,

a second position of the service mode switch causes the multiple purpose subscriber to operate as a remote traveler information service terminal, which communicates with the DSRC server via the base station to obtain traveler information from a traveler information system with which the DSRC server communicates,

a third position of the service mode switch causes the multiple purpose subscriber to operate as a remote public transportation information terminal, which communicates with the DSRC server via the base station to obtain public transportation information from an advanced public transportation information system with which the DSRC server communicates, and

a fourth position of the service mode switch causes the multiple purpose subscriber to operate as a remote vehicle and highway information service terminal, which communicates with the DSRC server via the base station to obtain vehicle and highway information from an advanced vehicle and highway information system with which the DSRC server communicates.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the DSRC server obtains transportation information from a transportation information server, with which it communicates, and communicates both the geographic information and the transportation information to the base station, in response to a request for a travel route from the subscriber, and

the base station communicates the geographic and transportation information to the subscriber.

17. The remote communication subscriber device of claim 16, wherein:

a third position of the service mode switch causes the subscriber to operate as a remote traffic management terminal, which communicates with the DSRC server via the base station to obtain traffic management information from an advanced traffic management system with which the DSRC server communicates, and

a fourth position of the service mode switch causes the subscriber to operate as a remote traveler information service terminal, which communicates with the DSRC server via the base station to obtain traveler information from a traveler information system with which the DSRC server communicates,

a fifth position of the service mode switch causes the subscriber to operate as a remote public transportation information terminal, which communicates with the DSRC server via the base station to obtain public transportation information from an advanced public transportation information system with which the DSRC server communicates, and

a sixth position of the service mode switch causes the subscriber to operate as a remote vehicle and highway information service terminal, which communicates with the DSRC server via the base station to obtain vehicle and highway information from an advanced vehicle and highway information system with which the DSRC server communicates.

19. The geographic information service method of claim 18, farther comprising displaying the geographic information for viewing by a user on a touchscreen of the subscriber.

20. The geographic information service method of claim 18, wherein the first request for the geographic information is generated by a user input through a touch screen display integrated with the subscriber.

21. The geographic information service method of claim 18, further comprising communicating the first request from the DSRC server to a geographic information server to retrieve the requested geographic information.

22. The geographic information service method of claim 18, further comprising:

communicating a second request for travel route information from the subscriber to the base station using the wireless communication;

communicating the second request from the base station to the DSRC server;

communicating the second request from the DSRC server to a transportation information server to retrieve real-time transportation information that may affect travel time along a number of routes;

selecting a travel route based on the transportation information and the geographic information and communicating the travel route to the subscriber, via the base station; and

displaying the travel route as an overlay on the geographic information for viewing by a user on a touchscreen of the subscriber.

24. The geographic information service method of claim 23, wherein when the service mode switch is set for the geographic information service mode, further comprising:

communicating a second request for travel route information from the subscriber to the base station using the wireless communication;

communicating the second request from the base station to the DSRC server;

communicating the second request from the DSRC server to a transportation information server to retrieve real-time transportation information that may affect travel time along a number of routes;

selecting a travel route based on the transportation information and the geographic information and communicating the travel route to the subscriber, via the base station; and

displaying the travel route as an overlay on the geographic information for viewing by a user on a touchscreen of the subscriber.

12. A dedicated short range communication (DSRC) system, comprising:

a DSRC server that manages the operation of the system and communicates with a geographic information server; and

a base station that communicates with the DSRC server and communicates with a subscriber by a wireless DSRC protocol, wherein

the DSRC server retrieves geographic information from the geographic information server and communicates the geographic information to the base station, in response to a request for the geographic information from the subscriber, and

the base station communicates the geographic information to the subscriber.

16. A remote communication subscriber device, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) unit that communicates with a base station by radio frequency using a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) protocol;

a media access control (MAC) unit that interfaces a communication channel between the subscriber and the base station;

a touch screen unit that displays information to a user and supports information input by the user; and

a service mode switch that selects a mode of service supported by the subscriber, wherein

a first position of the service mode switch causes the subscriber to operate as a remote toll collection terminal, which communicates with a DSRC server via the base station to settle toll charges, which are managed by the DSRC server, in a subscriber account maintained by the subscriber, and

a second position of the service mode switch causes the subscriber to operate as a remote geographic information service terminal, which communicates with the DSRC server via the base station to obtain and display geographic information or transportation information overlaid on the geographic information, which the DSRC server obtains by communicating with external servers providing the geographic and transportation information.

18. A geographic information service method, comprising:

communicating a first request for geographic information from a subscriber to a base station using a wireless communication having a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) protocol;

communicating the first request from the base station to a DSRC server that manages the operation of the base station;

communicating a response from the DSRC server to the base station containing the geographic information requested; and

communicating the response from the base station to the subscriber using the wireless communication.

23. A geographic information service method, wherein a subscriber has a service mode switch that selects a mode of service supported by the subscriber, comprising:

when the switch is set for a geographic information service mode;

communicating a first request for geographic information from the subscriber to a base station using a wireless communication having a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) protocol;

communicating the first request from the base station to a DSRC server that manages the operation of the base station;

communicating a response from the DSRC server to the base station containing the geographic information requested; and

communicating the response from the base station to the subscriber using the wireless communication; and

when the switch is set for a toll collection service mode;

communicating subscriber registration information to the DSRC server, via the base station;

communicating toll fee information from the DSRC server to the subscriber, via the base station;

debiting a toll fee from a subscriber account maintained by the subscriber; and

communicating a debit completion message from the subscriber to the DSRC server, via the base station.