Advance notification system and method utilizing a distinctive telephone ring

• US 6,313,760 B1
• Filed: 01/19/1999
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shipping & Transit, LLC
• Original Assignee: Global Research Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Jones, Martin Kelly
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US09/233,795
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 340/994, 340/992, 340/988, 340/989, 379/40, 379/51, 379/58, 379/59, 379/373, 379/375, 455/53.1, 455/422, 455/54.1, 455/426, 455/456, 701/117, 701/300
• US Class Current: 340/994
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968

Abstract

An advance notification system and method notifies passengers of the impending arrival of a transportation vehicle, for example, a school bus, at a particular vehicle stop. The system generally includes an on-board vehicle control unit (VCU) for each vehicle and a base station control unit (BSCU) for making telephone calls to passengers in order to inform the passengers when the vehicle is a certain predefined time period and/or distance away from the vehicle stop. Significantly, the telephone call to advise of the impending arrival preferably exhibits a distinctive ring so that the call recipient need not answer the telephone in order to receive the message. The VCU compares elapsed time and/or travelled distance to the programmed scheduled time and/or travelled distance to determine if the vehicle is on schedule. If the vehicle is behind or ahead of schedule, the VCU calls the BSCU, which then adjusts its calling schedule accordingly.

Claims

1. An advance notification method for notifying a user of an impending arrival of a vehicle at a vehicle stop, comprising the steps of:

(a) monitoring travel of said vehicle;

(b) initiating a telephone call to a user telephone interface associated with said user before said vehicle reaches said vehicle stop;

(c) causing said user telephone interface to exhibit a distinctive telephone ring sound during said telephone call; and

(d) indicating impending arrival of said vehicle at said vehicle stop via said distinctive telephone ring sound.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) includes the step of monitoring a distance travelled by said vehicle and wherein step (b) includes the step of initiating said telephone call to said user telephone interface when said vehicle is a predetermined distance from said vehicle stop.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) includes the step of monitoring a time travelled by said vehicle and wherein step (b) includes the step of initiating said telephone call to said user telephone interface when said vehicle is a predetermined time period from said vehicle stop.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said distinctive telephone ring sound comprises a ring lasting for a predefined length of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said distinctive telephone ring sound comprises a silent period between rings, said silent period lasting for a predefined length of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said distinctive telephone ring sound comprises a plurality of rings with at least two of said rings having different time durations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said distinctive telephone ring sound comprises a plurality of silent periods with at least two of said silent periods having different time durations.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said telephone call originates from a base station control unit remotely located with respect to said vehicle.

9. An advance notification system for notifying a user of an impending arrival of a vehicle at a vehicle stop, comprising:

first means for monitoring travel of said vehicle;

second means for initiating a telephone call to a user telephone interface associated with said user before said vehicle reaches said vehicle stop to thereby indicate impending arrival of said vehicle at said vehicle stop; and

third means for causing said user telephone interface to exhibit a distinctive telephone ring sound that is associated with said advance notification system, said distinctive telephone ring sound indicating said impending arrival of said vehicle at said vehicle stop.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said first means includes a means for monitoring a distance travelled by said vehicle and wherein said second means includes a means for initiating said telephone call to said user telephone interface when said vehicle is a predetermined distance from said vehicle stop.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said first means includes a means for monitoring a time travelled by said vehicle and wherein said second means includes a means for initiating said telephone call to said user telephone interface when said vehicle is a predetermined time period from said vehicle stop.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said distinctive telephone ring sound comprises a ring lasting for a predefined length of time.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said distinctive telephone ring sound comprises a silent period between rings, said silent period lasting for a predefined length of time.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein said distinctive telephone ring sound comprises a plurality of rings with at least two of said rings having different time durations.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein said distinctive telephone ring sound comprises a plurality of silent periods with at least two of said silent periods having different time durations.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein said second means is remotely located with respect to said vehicle.

17. An advance notification system for notifying a user of an impending arrival of a vehicle at a vehicle stop, comprising:

(a) a user telephone interface associated with said user;

(b) A vehicle control unit disposed on said vehicle, said vehicle control unit configured to transmit a location signal indicating a location of said vehicle; and

(c) a base station control unit having;

(1) a receiver adapted to receive said location from said vehicle control unit;

(2) a base station telephone interface;

(3) a base station control mechanism controlling said receiver and said base station telephone interface, said base station control mechanism configured to automatically establish a telephone connection between said base station telephone interface and said user telephone interface when said vehicle is within a predetermined distance from said vehicle stop, so that said user telephone interface exhibits a distinctive telephone ring sound.

18. An advance notification system for notifying a user of an impending arrival of a vehicle at a vehicle stop, comprising:

(a) a user telephone interface associated with said user;

(b) a vehicle control unit disposed on said vehicle, said vehicle control unit having;

(1) a clock;

(2) a vehicle transmitter adapted to transmit a time signal indicative of a time from said clock; and

(3) a vehicle control mechanism controlling said vehicle transmitter and said clock; and

(c) a base station control unit having;

(1) a receiver adapted to receive said time signal from said vehicle control unit;

(2) a base station telephone interface; and

(3) a base station control mechanism controlling said receiver and said base station telephone interface, said base station control mechanism configured to automatically establish a telephone connection between said base station telephone interface and said user telephone interface when said vehicle is within a predetermined time period from said vehicle stop, so that said user telephone interface exhibits a distinctive telephone ring sound.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said distinctive telephone ring sound comprises a ring lasting for a predefined length of time.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said distinctive telephone ring sound comprises a silent period between rings, said silent period lasting for a predefined length of time.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein said distinctive telephone ring sound comprises a plurality of rings with at least two of said rings having different time durations.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein said distinctive telephone ring sound comprises a plurality of silent periods with at least two of said silent periods having different time durations.

23. A method for advance notification, comprising the steps of:

monitoring travel of a vehicle;

initiating a telephone call to a telephone before said vehicle arrives at a vehicle stop; and

causing said telephone to exhibit a distinctive ring sound that is different than at least one other ring sound that is capable of being exhibited by said telephone.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a signal from said vehicle to a base station;

automatically performing said initiating step at said base station in response to said signal; and

transmitting said telephone call from said base station.

24. A system for advance notification, comprising:

means for monitoring travel of a vehicle;

means for initiating a telephone call to a telephone before said vehicle arrives at a vehicle stop; and

means for causing said telephone to exhibit a distinctive ring sound that is different than at least one other ring sound that is capable of being exhibited by said telephone.