Vehicle speeding alert system for GPS enabled wireless devices

• US 20070115113A1
• Filed: 11/21/2005
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Shengqiang
• Granted Patent: US 7,397,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.130
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle speeding alert system is implemented on a GPS enabled wireless device in communication with a wireless network. The alert system periodically determines the speed of a vehicle by determining the speed of the wireless device carried therein, using GPS signals received by the wireless device. For example, speed can be calculated by dividing a certain distance that the wireless device travels by the time it takes to travel that distance. The vehicle'"'"'s speed is then compared to the speed limit of the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling. The speed limit is determined by comparing the wireless device'"'"'s location to map data relating to the geographic area around the location. The map data may be stored on the wireless device, or obtained from a map database accessible over the network. If the vehicle speed is above the speed limit, a notification or alert is issued.

Claims

1. A method for assessing the speed of an object, the method comprising the steps of:

determining the speed of a wireless device associated with the object; and

generating a notification relating to the speed.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing the speed of the wireless device to speed information for a first location of the wireless device; and

determining whether to generate the notification based on said comparison.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

determining the first location of the wireless device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein at least one of the first location and speed are determined from at least one global positioning system (GPS) signal received by the wireless device.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

determining a second location of the wireless device; and

determining the speed by calculating a ratio of the distance between the first and second locations and a time difference between when the first and second locations are determined.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

transmitting at least one of;

information relating to said comparison;

the speed and the first location; and

the notification to a wireless network in communication with the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the speed information comprises speed limit data retrieved from a map database containing information about the first location, said map database being stored on at least one of the wireless device and a wireless network in communication with the wireless device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the map database is stored on the wireless device; and

the map database is periodically refreshed from a master database stored on the wireless network.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

determining a difference between the speed limit data and the speed of the wireless device; and

generating the notification if the difference is outside a designated range.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

transmitting the notification to at least one of the wireless device and a speeding database accessible over the wireless network.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

initiating an alarm on the wireless device if the notification is generated.

12. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

initiating an alarm on the wireless device if the notification is generated.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the speed information comprises speed limit data retrieved from a map database containing information about the first location, said map database being stored on at least one of the wireless device and a wireless network in communication with the wireless device; and

the method further comprises;

determining a difference between the speed limit data and the speed of the wireless device;

generating the notification if the difference is outside a designated range; and

transmitting the notification to at least one of the wireless device and a speeding database accessible over the wireless network.

14. A method for assessing the speed of an object, the method comprising the steps of:

comparing the speed of at least one of the object and a wireless device associated with the object to speed information for a first location of the wireless device; and

determining whether to generate a notification relating to the speed based on said comparison.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

determining the speed and the first location of the wireless device, wherein at least one of the first location and speed are determined from at least one global positioning system signal received by the wireless device.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

determining a second location of the wireless device, and determining the speed by calculating a ratio of the distance between the first and second locations and a time difference between when the first and second locations are determined.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the speed information comprises speed limit data retrieved from a map database containing information about the first location, said map database being stored on at least one of the wireless device and a wireless network in communication with the wireless device.

18. A method for assessing the speed of an object, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining data relating to the speed of at least one of the object and a wireless device associated with the object; and

comparing said data to speed information for a location of the wireless device.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

determining whether to generate a notification relating to the speed based on said comparison.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein:

the speed information comprises speed limit data retrieved from a map database containing information about the location, said map database being stored on at least one of the wireless device and a wireless network in communication with the wireless device.