Dial a destination system

• US 5,677,837 A
• Filed: 10/18/1995
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Reynolds, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALDER, STEPHEN JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US08/544,768
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 364/449, 364/443, 364/424.02, 364/449.1, 364/449.2, 364/449.3, 364/449.5, 364/449.7, 364/458, 364/460, 364/424.028, 364/424.029 , 364/424.031, 364/424.027, 342/419
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0285 using signals transmitted via a public communication network, e.g. GSM network

Abstract

A method and system for determining the location of a mobile position determining system with respect to a destination. In one embodiment, a mobile position determining system has a communication device coupled thereto. Position information of the mobile position determining system is transmitted, via the communication device, to a destination position information database. The destination position information database contains position information of at least one destination. A position comparator then generates range and bearing information indicative of the relative position of the mobile position determining system with respect to the at least one destination. An output device then reports the relative position of the mobile position determining system with respect to the at least one destination to a user of the mobile position determining system.

Claims

1. A dial-a-destination position locating system comprising:

a mobile position determining system disposed within a vehicle,

a cellular telephone system disposed within said vehicle,

a destination position information database disposed separate from a vehicle in which said mobile position determining system is disposed, said destination position information database containing position information of a destination, said destination position information database adapted to be communicatively coupled to said mobile position determining system, said destination position information database having a telephone number associated with said position information of said destination such that said position information is accessed from said vehicle by dialing, on said cellular telephone, said telephone number associated with said destination,

a position comparator communicatively coupled to said destination position information database, said position comparator generating information indicative of the relative position of said mobile position determining system with respect to said at least one destination, and

an output device communicatively coupled to said position comparator, said output device reporting said relative position of said mobile position determining system with respect to said at least one destination, said output device disposed proximate to said mobile position determining system.

2. The dial-a-destination position locating system of claim 1 wherein said destination position information database contains position information for a plurality of destinations.

3. The dial-a-destination position locating system of claim 2 wherein said destination position information database containing position information for each of said plurality of destinations is located at a central service station.

4. The dial-a-destination position locating system of claim 2 wherein each of said plurality of destinations has respective position information stored in said destination position information database and said respective position information of each of said plurality of destinations has a respective telephone number associated therewith such that said position information of a respective destination is accessed by dialing, on said cellular telephone within said vehicle, said respective telephone number associated with said respective destination.

5. The dial-a-destination position locating system of claim 1 wherein said information generated by said position comparator includes synthesized voice information indicative of the relative position of said mobile position determining system with respect to said destination.

6. The dial-a-destination position locating system of claim 5 wherein said output device further comprises an audio speaker for audibly reporting said synthesized voice information indicative of the relative position of said mobile position determining system with respect to said destination.

7. The dial-a-destination position locating system of claim 1 wherein said position information database is communicatively coupled to said mobile position determining system via said cellular telephone.

8. The dial-a-destination position locating system of claim 1 wherein said information generated by said position comparator includes the range and bearing of said mobile position determining system to said destination.

9. The dial-a-destination position locating system of claim 1 wherein said output device further comprises a video display for visually reporting said information indicative of the relative position of said mobile position determining system with respect to said destination.

10. The dial-a-destination position locating system of claim 1 wherein said output device reports said information indicative of the relative position of said mobile position determining system with respect to said destination via said cellular telephone.

11. The dial-a-destination position locating system of claim 1 wherein said destination position information database is located at said destination such that said position information of said destination is accessed by dialing, on said cellular telephone within said vehicle, a telephone number associated with said destination.

12. The dial-a-destination position locating system of claim 1 wherein said position comparator is located proximate with said destination position information database, said position comparator generating said information indicative of the relative position of said mobile position determining system with respect to said destination upon the dialing, on said cellular telephone within said vehicle, said telephone number associated with said destination.

13. A method for determining the location of a vehicle having a mobile position determining system residing therein with respect to a destination by dialing a telephone number associated with the destination, said method comprising the steps of:

generating position information indicative of the location of a mobile position determining system,

dialing a telephone number associated with a destination of a vehicle in which said mobile position determining system resides,

transmitting said position information indicative of the location of said vehicle in which said mobile position determining system resides to a destination position information database located separately from said vehicle, said destination position information database containing position information of said destination,

comparing said position information of said mobile position determining system with said position information of said destination,

generating information indicative of the relative position of said vehicle in which said mobile position determining system resides with respect to said destination, and

reporting said relative position of said vehicle in which said mobile position determining system resides with respect to said destination to a user of said mobile position determining system.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said step of generating information indicative of the relative position of said vehicle in which said mobile position determining system resides with respect to said destination further includes generating synthesized voice information indicative of the relative position of said vehicle in which said mobile position determining system resides with respect to said destination.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein said step of reporting said relative position of said vehicle in which said mobile position determining system resides with respect to said destination to a user of said mobile position determining system further includes audibly reporting said synthesized voice information to a user of said mobile position determining system.

16. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said step of transmitting said position information indicative of the location of said vehicle in which said mobile position determining system resides to a destination position information database further includes the step of transmitting said position information indicative of the location of said mobile position determining system from a cellular telephone in said vehicle in which said mobile position determining system resides to said destination position information database.

17. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said step of generating information indicative of the relative position of said vehicle in which said mobile position determining system resides with respect to said destination further includes generating the range and bearing of said vehicle in which said mobile position determining system resides to said destination.

18. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said step of reporting said relative position of said vehicle in which said mobile position determining system resides with respect to said destination to a user of said mobile position determining system further includes visually reporting said information to a user of said mobile position determining system.

19. The method for determining the position of a vehicle relative to a destination by dialing a telephone number associated with the destination as recited in claim 13 wherein said step of dialing a telephone number associated with a destination of a vehicle further comprises the step of:

dialing a destination position information database residing at a central service station.

20. The method for determining the position of a vehicle relative to a destination by dialing a telephone number associated with the destination as recited in claim 13 wherein said step of comparing said position information of said mobile position determining system with said position information of said destination is activated by dialing of said telephone number associated with said destination.

21. A dial-a-destination position locating system comprising:

a mobile position determining system disposed within a vehicle,

a communication system disposed within said vehicle, said communication system adapted to be communicatively coupled to said mobile position determining system,

a destination position information database located at a central service station separate from said vehicle, said destination position information database containing position information of a plurality of destinations, said destination position information database adapted to be communicatively coupled to said mobile position determining system via said communication system, said destination position information database having a respective identification number associated with said position information of respective destinations such that position information of a respective destination is accessed from said vehicle by contacting, on said communication system, said respective identification number associated with said respective destination,

a position comparator generating range and bearing information indicative of the relative position of said mobile position determining system with respect to one of said plurality of said destinations, and

an output device communicatively coupled to said position comparator, said output device reporting said relative position of said mobile position determining system with respect to said one of said plurality of said destinations, said output device integral with said communication system.

22. The dial-a-destination position locating system of claim 21 wherein said output device further comprises an audio speaker for audibly reporting synthesized voice information indicative of the relative position of said mobile position determining system with respect to said at least one destination.

23. The dial-a-destination position locating system of claim 21 wherein said output device further comprises a video display for visually reporting said information indicative of the relative position of said mobile position determining system with respect to said at least one destination.