Vehicle fleet navigation system

• US 20040252050A1
• Filed: 06/16/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Weiss, John P., Berry, Richard C., Tengler, Steven C.
• Application Number:
  US10/462,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20040252050A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.08
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0285 using signals transmitted via a public communication network, e.g. GSM network
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle fleet navigation system includes a main mobile navigation system, at least one secondary mobile navigation system, and a land based navigation system. The main mobile navigation system includes a navigation unit for determining the position of the main vehicle, a visual display for displaying the position of the main vehicle, and a wireless transceiver in communication with the navigation unit. The secondary system includes a second navigation unit for determining the position of the second vehicle, and a second wireless transceiver in communication with the second navigation unit. The second wireless transceiver is operable to transmit a position signal corresponding to positional information of the second vehicle received from the second navigation unit. The main mobile navigation system is operable to receive the positional information of the second vehicle and display the position of the second vehicle on the visual display. The land based navigation system is in communication with one of the main mobile navigation system and the secondary mobile navigation system to receive the positional information of the second vehicle. The land based navigation system includes a visual display for displaying the position of the second vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle fleet navigation system comprising:

a main mobile navigation system mounted in a main vehicle including;

a navigation unit for determining the position of the main vehicle;

a visual display for displaying the position of the main vehicle; and

a wireless transceiver in communication with said navigation unit;

at least one secondary mobile navigation system mounted in a second vehicle including;

a second navigation unit for determining the position of the second vehicle;

a second wireless transceiver in communication with said second navigation unit, said second wireless transceiver operable to transmit a position signal corresponding to positional information of the second vehicle received from said second navigation unit, wherein said main mobile navigation system is operable to receive the positional information of the second vehicle and display the position of the second vehicle on said visual display; and

a land based navigation system in communication with one of said main mobile navigation system and said secondary mobile navigation system to receive the positional information of the second vehicle, wherein said land based navigation system includes a visual display for displaying the position of the second vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the visual display of the main mobile navigation system and the visual display of the land based navigation system displays the position of the second vehicle on a pictorial map.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said land based navigation system is in communication with said main mobile navigation system, and wherein said visual display of said land based navigation system is operable to display the position of the main vehicle on said pictorial map of said land based navigation system.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said land based navigation system is in communication with said main mobile navigation system via said wireless transceiver of said main mobile navigation system.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said land based navigation system includes a wireless receiver for directly communicating with said wireless transceiver of said main navigation system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said land based navigation system is in communication with said secondary mobile navigation system via said second wireless transceiver of said second navigation system.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said land based navigation system includes a wireless receiver for directly communicating with said second wireless transceiver.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said land based navigation system is in communication with one of said main mobile navigation system and said secondary mobile navigation system by a server.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said server is an Internet server.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said sever is accessed by a transceiver connected to local area wireless network.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said land based navigation system is in communication with one of said main mobile navigation system and said second navigation unit by a third transceiver.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said third transceiver is a cellular phone.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said third transceiver is operable to receive a position signal indicative of the position of the second vehicle.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said transceiver of said main mobile navigation system is in communication with said navigation unit for generating a position signal indicative of the position of the main vehicle, and wherein said third transceiver is operable to receive said position signal emitted from said transceiver of said main mobile navigation system.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said transceiver and said second transceiver are operable to communicate with one another via a local area wireless network.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein one of said transceiver and said second transceiver is a cellular phone.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said second transceiver is a cellular phone.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said visual display and one of said transceiver and said second transceiver and are integrated together.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said one of said transceiver and said second transceiver is in communication with the Internet, and wherein said pictorial map is received by said one of said transceiver and said second transceiver via web page over the Internet.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the navigation unit and second navigation unit uses a global positioning system for determining the position of the corresponding vehicle.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein said secondary mobile navigation system includes a visual display for displaying the position of the second vehicle.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said second navigation unit is operable to receive positional information of the main vehicle and display the position of the main vehicle on said display of said secondary mobile navigation system.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein said visual display displays a symbol representative of the position of said second vehicle overlaid on a pictorial map.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of position signals are transmitted at spaced apart time intervals to update the positional information of the second vehicle.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of signals are transmitted according to a time schedule.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of signals are transmitted according to the occurrence of an event.