Enhanced mobile communication device with extended radio, and applications

• US 20040230370A1
• Filed: 05/12/2003
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dash Navigation, Inc.
• Inventors: Tzamaloukas, Assimakis
• Granted Patent: US 6,925,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases

Abstract

An enhanced mobile communication device, or on-board equipment, communicates according an enhanced ad-hoc mode of communication and an infrastructure mode of communication. A method switches between the enhanced ad-hoc mode of communications and the infrastructure mode of communications. The enhanced mobile communication device receives content and updates a geographic database. The enhanced mobile communication device reads the geographic database and transmits content. Data, such as location information from global positioning satellite signals, is collected by the enhanced mobile communication. On-board software of the enhanced mobile communication device communicates with the geographic database for computing routes, paths, and turn-by-turn direction.

Claims

1. An enhanced mobile communication device for providing communications and navigation in a vehicle, the device comprising:

enhanced ad-hoc mode communication means for vehicle-to-vehicle communications;

infrastructure mode means for vehicle-to-egress point communications; and

means for switching between said enhanced ad-hoc mode communication means and said infrastructure mode means.

2. The invention of claim 1 further comprising wireless wide area network radio means for communicating with a central server.

3. The invention of claim 1 further comprising means for receiving content from said enhanced ad-hoc mode communication means and said infrastructure mode means, means for storing the content, means for performing calculations on the content, and means for updating a geographic database with the content.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said means for performing calculations includes automatic centerlining means.

5. The invention of claim 1 further comprising means for reading a geographic database, means for performing calculations on the geographic database to produce content, and means for transmitting the content according to said enhanced ad-hoc communication means.

6. The invention of claim 5 further comprising means for transmitting the content according to said infrastructure mode means.

7. An automatic centerlining method for representing a road in a geographic database, the method comprising:

(a) collecting a plurality of traces from a plurality of participating vehicles traveling in the same direction on the road by way of a hierarchical floating car data network; and

(b) calculating the center of the road from the plurality of traces.

8. The invention of claim 7 further comprising calculating a number of lanes of the road from the plurality of traces.

9. The invention of claim 7 further comprising calculating a width of the road from the plurality of traces.

10. An on-board data collection method for an enhanced mobile communication device in a participating vehicle of a hierarchical floating car data network, wherein the enhanced mobile communication device comprises a geographic database, the method comprising:

(a) collecting data;

(b) caching the collected data;

(c) filtering the cached data;

(d) classifying the filtered data;

(e) determining the credibility of the classified data; and

(f) if the classified data is determined in (e) to be credible, updating the geographic database.

11. The invention of claim 10 further comprising if the classified data is determined in (e) to be ambiguous, rejecting the classified data.

12. The invention of claim 10 further comprising if the classified data is determined in (e) to be ambiguous, storing the classified data for additional filtering and classification.

13. The invention of claim 10 wherein said collecting data in (a) further comprises collecting data according to an enhanced ad-hoc mode of communications.

14. The invention of claim 10 wherein said collecting data in (a) further comprises collecting data according to an infrastructure mode of communications.

15. The invention of claim 10 wherein said collecting data in (a) further comprises collecting data directly according to a wireless wide area network mode of communications.

16. The invention of claim 10 wherein said collecting data in (a) further comprises collecting data from global positioning system signals.

17. The invention of claim 10 wherein said collecting data in (a) further comprises collecting data from an enhanced dead reckoning method.

18. The invention of claim 10 wherein said collecting data in (a) further comprises collecting data from an inertial sensor.

19. The invention of claim 10 wherein said collecting data in (a) further comprises collecting on-board diagnostic data.

20. The invention of claim 10 wherein said filtering comprises extracting features.

21. The invention of claim 10 wherein said classifying comprises learning.

22. A method for switching between an enhanced ad-hoc mode of communication and an infrastructure mode of communication for an enhanced mobile communication device of a participating vehicle having a current location in a transportation network, wherein the participating vehicle is part of a hierarchical floating car data network, wherein the hierarchical floating car data network comprises a plurality of egress points, the method comprising:

(a) operating in the enhanced ad-hoc mode;

(b) detecting at least one beacon from at least one egress point of the plurality of egress points;

(c) switching to the infrastructure mode; and

(d) communicating with exactly one egress point of the plurality of egress points.

23. The invention of claim 22 further comprising:

(e) if said communicating in (d) is no longer possible, switching to the enhanced ad-hoc mode.

24. The invention of claim 22 wherein the at least one beacon comprises a first beacon from a first egress point of the plurality of egress points and a second beacon from a second egress point of the plurality of egress points, and further comprising determining the exactly one egress point by the steps of:

(f) decoding the first beacon to determine the location of the first egress point;

(g) decoding the second beacon to determine the location of the second egress point; and

(h) comparing the locations of the first and second egress points to the location of the participating vehicle;

wherein the exactly one egress point is the first egress point if the distance between the location of the first egress point and the current location of the participating vehicle is less than the distance between the location of the second egress point and the current location of the participating vehicle, and

wherein the exactly one egress point is the second egress point if the distance between the location of the second egress point and the current location of the participating vehicle is less than the distance between the location between the first egress point and current the locations of the participating vehicle.

25. The invention of claim 22 further comprising after (b) but before (c) decoding the at least one beacon to determine the location of the egress point, and comparing the location of the egress point to a trajectory of the participating vehicle.

26. On-board equipment for a participating vehicle in a hierarchical floating car data network, the on-board equipment comprising:

a microprocessor;

a locate position module in communication with said microprocessor;

a memory;

a storage device;

an input/output module;

a radio module;

antennas connected to said radio module; and

a bus interconnecting said memory, said storage device, said radio module, said input/output module, and said microprocessor.

27. The invention of claim 26 further comprising an auxiliary sensor module in communication with said microprocessor.

28. The invention of claim 26 wherein said radio module comprises a wireless local area network radio.

29. The invention of claim 26 wherein said radio module comprises a wireless wide area network radio.

30. The invention of claim 26 wherein said locate position module comprises a global positioning system receiver.

31. The invention of claim 26 wherein said memory comprises on-board software which when executed by said microprocessor causes the on-board equipment to operate in the hierarchical floating car data network, said on-board software comprising:

a geographic database;

navigation module means for searching said geographic database for location and direction information;

routing module means for determining turn-by-turn direction;

cartographic module means for displaying a portion of said geographic database;

maneuver module means for calculating a path;

processor module means for running an operating system, interfaces, and an application;

interface module means for interfacing between said processor module means and said navigation module means, said routing module means, said cartography means, and said maneuver module means;

communication protocols module means for communication according to a communication protocol;

sensor/on-board diagnostics processing module means for collecting and processing sensor and on-board diagnostic data; and

cache means for storing data from said communication protocols module means and said sensor/on-board diagnostics processing module means.