Method and apparatus for an automatic vehicle location, collision notification and synthetic voice

• US 6,266,617 B1
• Filed: 06/12/2000
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Venus Locations LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Wayne W. Evans
• Inventors: Evans, Wayne W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US09/593,044
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/207, 701/209, 701/211, 701/213, 701/214, 701/215, 701/220, 701/300, 701/301, 340/436, 340/438, 340/991, 340/995, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.09, 342/357.12, 342/357.13, 455/3.1, 455/404
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

An automatic system for vehicle location, collision notification, and synthetic voice communication having, if desired, three distinct operating modes: pre-collision, collision, and post-collision with another vehicle or object. A program stored in a controller'"'"'s memory has a plurality of data structures formulated into instruction modules and at least one navigational location record. A Global Positioning Module receives data from an associated Global Positioning System and translates the received data into the vehicle'"'"'s present navigational position. An Automatic Speed Controlled Location Detection Module in communication with the Global Positioning Module dynamically searches the memory for a match between the vehicle'"'"'s present navigational position and the navigational location record. The Automatic Speed Controlled Collision Detection Module in communication with the Automatic Speed Controlled Location Detection Module formulates the match between the vehicle'"'"'s navigational position and the navigational location record into a collision event. A Data to Speech Translation Module in communication with the Automatic Speed Controlled Collision Detection Module translates the collision event into a synthetic voice. The wireless communication means transmits the synthetic voice to a recipient or third party.

Claims

1. A apparatus for automatic vehicle location, collision notification, and synthetic voice communication, the apparatus having a controller with a memory, a Global Positioning System, and means for wireless communication connectively disposed within a vehicle, the memory having stored therein a plurality of data structures formulated into instruction modules to direct the functioning of the controller, the memory further having stored therein at least one navigational location record comprising:

a) a Global Positioning Module receiving data from the Global Positioning System, said Global Positioning Module selectively translating said received data into the vehicle'"'"'s present navigational position;

b) an Automatic Speed Controlled Location Detection Module in communication with said Global Positioning Module, said Automatic Speed Controlled Location Detection Module dynamically searching the memory for a match between said vehicle'"'"'s present navigational position and the navigational location record;

c) an Automatic Speed Controlled Collision Detection Module receiving at least one vehicle collision indicator from at least one vehicle collision sensor;

d) said Automatic Speed Controlled Collision Detection Module in communication with said Automatic Speed Controlled Location Detection Module, said Automatic Speed Controlled Collision Detection Module formulating said match between said vehicle'"'"'s navigational position and the navigational location record into a collision event;

e) a Data to Speech Translation Module in communication with said Automatic Speed Controlled Collision Detection Module, said Data to Speech Translation Module translating said collision event into a synthetic voice;

whereby means for said wireless communication transmits said synthetic voice.

2. A controller as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

f) a Dynamic Speed to Record Detector Range Converter in communication with said Automatic Speed Controlled Location Detection Module;

h) said Dynamic Speed to Record Detector Range Converter having at least one range factor data structure relative to the speed of the vehicle;

i) said range factor data structure transforming at least one navigational record into a look-ahead navigational record;

whereby said Dynamic Speed to Record Detector Range Converter continuously communicates expected vehicle navigation position relative to the speed of the vehicle.

3. A controller as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

a) a Receive Command Tone Decoder Module in communication with means for wireless communication, said Receive Command Tone Decoder Module having at least one tone selector data structure receiving at least one tone generated by a recipient of said synthetic voice;

b) said Receive Command Tone Decoder Module transforming said received tone into at least one command logic function;

c) a Command, Control and Timing Module in communication with said Receive Command Tone Decoder Module, said Command, Control and Timing Module responsive to said command logic function;

whereby said recipient of said synthetic voice being in communication with the apparatus for automatic vehicle location, collision notification, and synthetic voice communication.

4. A controller as recited in claim 3 wherein said Global Positioning Module translating data selected from the group consisting of navigational parameters and timing data.

5. A controller as recited in claim 4 wherein said Automatic Speed Controlled Module prioritizes the transmittal of said synthetic voice.

6. A controller as recited in claim 5 wherein said transmittal priorities being selected from the group consisting of in-vicinity emergency facilities, vehicle maintenance facilities, and telephone voice-mail.

7. A controller as recited in claim 6 wherein said Automatic Speed Controlled Module in a manual mode prioritizes the transmittal of said synthetic voice.

8. A controller as recited in claim 7 wherein said Wireless Voice Communications Module receiving at least one transmittal confirmation from said selected group consisting of in-vicinity emergency facilities, vehicle maintenance facilities, and telephone voice-mail.

9. An article of manufacture comprising:

a) a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a response to a vehicular collision, said computer readable program code means in the article of manufacture comprising;

b) computer readable program code means for causing a computer to selectively formulate a collision event relative to said vehicular collision and navigational vehicular positional data received from a global positioning system;

c) computer readable program code means for causing a computer to translate said collision event into a synthetic voice; and

d) computer readable program code means for causing a computer to selectively transmit said synthetic voice via a means for wireless communication.

10. A computer data signal embodied in a transmission medium, the transmission medium being a product of wireless bi-directional communication between a vehicle transceiver and at least one remote facility transceiver, comprising:

a) a synthesized speech segment embedded in the transmission medium, comprising a collision event;

b) said collision event being transmitted by the vehicle to at least one remote facility transceiver;

c) an audible tone responsive to said transmitted collision event being embedded in the transmission medium;

whereby the remote facility transceiver transmits said audible tone embedded in the transmission medium.

11. A method for automatic vehicle location, collision notification, and synthetic voice communication, comprising a controller with a memory, a Global Positioning System, and means for wireless communication connectively disposed within a vehicle, the memory having stored therein a plurality of data structures formulated into instruction modules to direct the functioning of the controller, the memory further having stored therein at least one navigational location record, comprising the steps of:

a) receiving global position data from the Global Positioning System;

b) translating said received data into the vehicle'"'"'s present navigational position;

c) searching the memory of the controller for a match between said navigational position and the navigational location record;

d) receiving at least one vehicle collision indicator from at least one vehicle collision sensor;

e) formulating said match between said navigational position and the navigational location record into a collision event;

f) translating said collision event into a synthetic voice; and

g) transmitting said synthetic voice to a selected third party.