VEHICLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM WITH NAVIGATION

• US 20080027643A1
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E-Lane Systems Inc., Value8 Co., Ltd. (Wisefin Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Ridetones, Inc.
• Inventors: Basir, Otman, Miners, William
• Granted Patent: US 9,976,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00

Abstract

A vehicle communication system facilitates hands-free interaction with a mobile device in a vehicle or elsewhere. Users interact with the system by speaking to it. The system processes text and processes commands. The system supports Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free use. The system handles telephone calls, email, and SMS text messages. The user can customize the device via a user profile stored on an Internet web server.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a mobile communication device having data network access and storing information;

a GPS receiver;

a control unit in a vehicle accessing the information on the mobile communication device, the control unit determining a location based upon information from the GPS receiver and providing a route based upon the location and based upon the information on the mobile communication device accessed by the control unit.

2. The navigation system of claim 1 wherein the information includes contact information.

3. The navigation system of claim 2 wherein the contact information includes an address.

4. The navigation system of claim 2 wherein the contact information includes a geographic code associated with a plurality of locations, the control unit providing the location based upon the geographic code.

5. The navigation system of claim 1 wherein the information includes an email.

6. The navigation system of claim 5 wherein the control unit reads the email to the user and wherein the control unit is programmed to permit the user to request a route to the location associated with a sender of the email.

7. The navigation system of claim 1 wherein the control unit provides spoken route instructions to the user and wherein the control unit reads email to the user, and wherein the control unit is programmed to pause reading the email to the user so that a route instruction can be read to the user.

8. The navigation system of claim 7 wherein priority of spoken route instructions relative to email can be changed by the user.

9. A vehicle communication system comprising:

a control unit;

a microphone for receiving verbal commands from a user, the control unit providing information in response to verbal commands from the user; and

wherein the control unit is programmed to receive geographic codes verbally from the user and to provide information to the user based upon the verbal geographic codes.

10. The vehicle communication system of claim 9 wherein the geographic codes are area codes.

11. The vehicle communication system of claim 9 wherein the geographic codes are postal codes.

12. The vehicle communication system of claim 10 wherein the information is location-relevant.

13. The vehicle communication system of claim 12 wherein the information is weather.

14. The vehicle communication system of claim 12 wherein the information includes a point of interest to which the control unit provides a route.