Navigation system for hearing-impaired operators

• US 20070043503A1
• Filed: 08/18/2005
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Petschke, Julianne, Oesterling, Christopher, Glaza, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,593 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for producing navigation instructions is disclosed. The method includes generating a navigation route. The generated navigation route is translated from textual instructions and/or audio prompts to sign language symbols, and the sign language symbols are provided to a vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for producing navigation instructions, the method comprising:

generating a navigation route;

translating the navigation route from at least one of textual instructions and audio prompts to sign language symbols; and

providing the sign language symbols to a vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sign language symbols include at least one of American Sign Language symbols, Spanish Sign Language symbols, Chinese Sign Language symbols, German Sign Language symbols, British Sign Language symbols, French Sign Language symbols, La Surdite au Quebec symbols, and combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the navigation route comprises:

initiating a navigation route request from a user; and

communicating the navigation route request from the user to a navigation route generator.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the user initiates the navigation route request via at least one of verbal communications and physical communications.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein communicating the navigation route request is accomplished by transmitting the navigation route request to at least one of a call center, a telematics unit, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the navigation route is translated from textual instructions to sign language symbols by a translation engine capable of expressing the textual instructions as corresponding sign language symbols.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the navigation route is translated from audio prompts to sign language symbols by a translation engine capable of expressing the audio prompts as corresponding sign language symbols.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the sign language symbols to the vehicle includes:

transferring the translated route to a mobile unit; and

presenting the translated route to a user.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the mobile unit is at least one of a telematics unit, a handheld electronic device, a personal digital assistant, a cellular transceiver, and combinations thereof, and wherein transferring the translated route is accomplished by downloading the translated route to the mobile unit.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein presenting the translated route to the user includes:

signaling an electronic device that is operatively connected to the mobile unit, thereby alerting the user; and

displaying the translated route on a display system operatively connected to the mobile unit, the display system capable of displaying sign language symbols.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the electronic device is at least one of a tactile signaling device and a visual signaling device.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the display device is at least one of an LCD display, a driver information center display, a radio display, an arbitrary text device, a heads-up display, a vacuum fluorescent display, and combinations thereof.

13. The method as defined in claim 9 wherein presenting the translated route to the user includes displaying the translated route on a display system that is at least one of operatively connected to and integral with the mobile unit, the display system capable of displaying sign language symbols.

14. A system for producing navigation instructions, comprising:

means for generating a navigation route;

means for translating the navigation route from at least one of textual instructions and audio prompts to sign language symbols; and

means for providing the sign language symbols to a vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for selecting sign language symbols including at least one of American Sign Language symbols, Spanish Sign Language symbols, Chinese Sign Language symbols, German Sign Language symbols, British Sign Language symbols, French Sign Language symbols, La Surdite au Quebec symbols, and combinations thereof.

16. A navigation system, comprising:

a location detection system operatively disposed within a vehicle;

a two-way radio frequency communication system in communication with the location detection system;

an electronic display system in communication with the two-way radio frequency communication system, the electronic display system having a display system adapted to be visible to a vehicle passenger, the display system adapted to display a navigation route translated into sign language symbols; and

an input system adapted for use by the operator, the input system in communication with the two-way radio frequency communication system.

17. The navigation system as defined in claim 16 wherein the location detection system comprises at least one of a Global Position Satellite (GPS) receiver, a radio triangulation system, a dead reckoning position system, and combinations thereof.

18. The navigation system as defined in claim 16 wherein the display is an alphanumeric driver information display adapted to communicate at least one of vehicle diagnostic information, audio entertaining system status, compass heading, service interval, climate control system status, vehicle configuration settings, and combinations thereof.

19. The navigation system as defined in claim 16 wherein the radio frequency communication system is at least one of a cellular communication transceiver, a satellite communication transceiver, and a wireless computer network transceiver.

20. The navigation system as defined in claim 16, further comprising an electronic device in communication with the two-way radio frequency communication system, the electronic device capable of alerting an operator of at least one of an incoming call and an incoming navigation route command via the radio frequency communication system.