Methods and apparatus for storing, accessing, generating and using information about speed limits and speed traps

• US 20040107037A1
• Filed: 10/23/2003
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael P. Straub
• Original Assignee: Michael P. Straub
• Inventors: Straub, Michael P.
• Granted Patent: US 6,895,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/93
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0058 responsive to externally generated signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/80 Country specific, e.g. driver age limits or right hand drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data

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.

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.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

obtaining said current position information from a global positioning device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the set amount is a positive amount resulting in notification when said legal speed limit is exceeded by said positive amount.

4. The method of claim 2, where the set amount is a negative amount resulting in notification when the current speed drops below said speed limit by the set amount.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

calculating the current speed from changes in position information obtained from the global positioning device over a period of time.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

periodically updating the stored information indicating the legal speed limit by downloading update information over the Internet.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing said set amount as a speed limit offset value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further involves controlling the speed of a vehicle, the method further comprising:

comparing the current speed to a speed set relative to said legal speed limit; and

adjusting the speed of the vehicle to reduce any different between said speed set relative to said speed limit and said legal speed limit.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is further directed to generating speed trap alert notifications, the method further comprising:

comparing current position information to information on the location of known speed traps; and

generating an alert signal when said comparing operation indicates that the current position is approaching the location of a known speed trap.

21. The vehicle speed control system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for predicting when the vehicle is about to enter an area having a lower legal speed limit than the current determined legal speed limit; and

means for controlling the cruise control circuitry to reduce the speed of the vehicle as a function of the lower legal speed limit.

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.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving said position information from a global positioning system device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a speed set relative to the applicable legal speed limit as a function of the applicable legal speed limit and a stored speed offset value; and

wherein the step of modifying the speed of the vehicle includes;

comparing the speed set relative tot eh applicable speed limit to a current speed of the vehicle; and

controlling the speed of the vehicle to reduce any difference between the speed set relative to the applicable speed limit and the current speed of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

determining the current speed of the vehicle from changes in position information over time.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

updating the stored legal speed limit information using speed limit information received over the Internet.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

accessing stored information indicating a speed at which a user has requested to receive a speed alert; and

comparing the speed of the vehicle to a speed at which the user has requested a speed alert; and

providing a speed alert to the user when the speed of the vehicle matches a speed at which the user has requested to receive a speed alert.

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.

17. The method of claim 16,

wherein the location finding device is a global positioning system device, the method further comprising:

receiving known speed trap location information from a remote information provider; and

updating the database of known speed trap locations using said received information.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating a speed trap alert message including information on the location of a detected speed trap, and the date on which the speed trap is detected; and

transmitting the speed trap alert message to a remote provider of speed trap information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of generating a speed trap alert message is performed in response to receiving a signal indicating the detection of one of a radar and a laser signal.

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.

23. The method of claim 23,

repeating each of the recited steps of claim 22, the step of automatically controlling the speed of the vehicle including controlling cruise control circuitry to reduce the speed of said vehicle without operator action when an applicable speed limit which is lower than the previously determined applicable speed limit is determined to be applicable.