RADIOS, SYSTEMS, AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING REAL-TIME INFORMATION ABOUT USER-DEFINED GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS

• US 20080224896A1
• Filed: 03/12/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Lundblad, Patrik
• Application Number:
  US11/684,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20080224896A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/989
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

Radios, systems, and methods for providing real-time information about user-defined geographic locations are disclosed. One radio includes memory configured to store a data file representing a geographic location(s) defined by a user, and a receiver configured to receive signals including real-time information about a plurality of geographic locations. A processor is included to compare each of the plurality of geographic locations to the user-defined geographic location(s), and the information about the user-defined geographic locations is provided to the user. A system includes a computing device to create a data file of user-defined geographic locations, and transmit the data file to the radio. One method includes storing user-defined geographic location(s) in memory and receiving signals including information about a plurality of geographic locations. Each of the plurality of geographic locations is compared with the user-defined geographic location(s), and the user is presented with the information about the user-defined geographic location(s).

Claims

1. A radio, comprising:

a memory configured to store a data file representing at least one geographic location defined by a user;

a receiver configured to receive signals including real-time information about a plurality of geographic locations;

a processor coupled to the memory and the receiver, and configured to compare each of the plurality of geographic locations to the at least one geographic location; and

a communication device that conveys the information about the at least one geographic location to the user.

2. The radio of claim 1, wherein the communication device is one of a visual display and an audio speaker.

3. The radio of claim 1, wherein the data file includes less than 1 MB of data.

4. The radio of claim 1, wherein the memory is one of a removable magnetic memory device, a removable optical memory device, and a removable solid-state memory device.

5. The radio of claim 1, wherein the information represents one of a traffic condition and a weather condition.

6. A system for providing real-time information about user-defined locations, comprising:

a computing device configured to receive and store data from a user in a data file defining at least one geographic location; and

a radio configured to receive the data file, the radio including;

a memory configured to store the data file;

a receiver configured to receive signals including real-time information about a plurality of geographic locations;

a processor coupled to the memory and the receiver, and configured to compare each of the plurality of geographic locations to the at least one geographic location in the data file; and

a communication device that conveys the information about the least one geographic location to the user.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the computing device is configured to store the data file defining the at least one geographic location in a removable memory and the radio is configured to receive the removable memory.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the computing device is configured to transmit the data file defining the at least one geographic location to an external device.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the computing device is configured to transmit the data file defining the at least one geographic location directly to the radio.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the computing device is configured to transmit the data file defining the at least one geographic location to one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, and a portable computing device, and the radio is configured to receive the data file from the one of the cellular telephone, the personal digital assistant, and the portable computing device.

11. The radio of claim 6, wherein the communication device is one of a visual display and an audio speaker.

12. The radio of claim 6, wherein the information represents one of a traffic condition and a weather condition.

13. The radio of claim 6, wherein the data file defining the at least one geographic location includes less than about 1 MB of data.

14. The radio of claim 6, wherein the memory is one of a removable magnetic memory device, a removable optical memory device, and a removable solid-state memory device.

15. A method for providing real-time information about user-defined locations comprising the steps of:

storing at least one user-defined geographic location in a radio memory;

receiving signals including information about a plurality of geographic locations;

comparing each of the plurality of geographic locations with the at least one user-defined geographic location; and

presenting a user with the information about the at least one user-defined geographic location.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of receiving the at least one user-defined geographic location from a removable storage medium.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the receiving step comprises the step of receiving the at least one user-defined geographic location from one of a flash drive, an optical drive, a smartcard, and a jump drive.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of receiving the at least one user-defined geographic location from an external computing device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the external computing device is one of a cellular telephone, a portable computing device, and a personal digital assistant.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the presenting step comprises the step of presenting one of a traffic condition and a weather condition to the user.