Apparatus for handling a traffic message

• US 6,453,230 B1
• Filed: 11/23/1998
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Geurts, Joris Hubert Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Louis-Jacques, Jacques H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Broadhead, Brian J.
• Application Number:
  US09/197,712
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• Field of Search: 701/203, 701/119, 701/118, 701/202, 701/208, 701/117, 340/905
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/093 Data selection, e.g. prioritizing information, managing message queues, selecting the information to be output

Abstract

A geographical region is divided into a number of areas according to a pre-defined standard. The apparatus filters received traffic messages and only those that relate to a particular one of the defined areas are passed on for processing. According to the invention, an area of interest is specified by expanding the particular defined area in at least one direction.

Claims

1. An apparatus for handling a traffic message, the apparatus comprising:

indication means for indicating a first area with a predetermined length,

a receiver for reception of the traffic message comprising an event and a location to which the traffic message relates,

a filter for determining whether the location is inside the first area and, if such is the case, passing on the traffic message for processing, characterized in that the apparatus further comprises expansion means for expanding the first area to a second area in at least one geographical direction by an expansion factor that is substantially smaller than the predetermined length of the first area wherein the total length of the first and second area is less than a multiple of the predetermined length of the first area in that geographical direction, and that the filter is arranged for determining whether the location is inside the second area and, if such is the case, passing on the traffic message for processing; and

a pre-set key, whereby the apparatus is arranged to, in a first mode, enable the user to assign the first area to a pre-set key, and to in a second mode, activate the filter for the first area thus assigned.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the expansion means is arranged to expand the first area to the second area in all geographical directions.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising input means for entering the expansion factor by a user.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a list of entries corresponding to respective pre-defined areas, wherein the indication means is arranged to enable a user to scroll through the list with entries and to select the current indicated entry from the list to indicate the desired first area.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a number of databases, each including a number of entries for respective first areas, and wherein the indication means enables a user to select a particular database;

wherein if the selected database includes a plurality of entries for respective areas, enable the user to select a particular entry to indicate the desired first area; and

wherein if the selected database includes a single entry, indicates that the corresponding area is the desired first area.

6. An RDS TMC receiver for handling a traffic message, the receiver comprising:

indication means for indicating a first area with a predetermined length,

a receiver for reception of the traffic message comprising an event and a location to which the traffic message relates,

a filter for determining whether the location is inside the first area and, if such is the case, passing on the traffic message for processing, characterized in that the apparatus further comprises expansion means for expanding the first area to a second area in at least one geographical direction by an expansion factor that is substantially smaller than the predetermined length of the first area wherein the total length of the first and second area is less than a multiple of the predetermined length of the first area in that geographical direction, and that the filter is arranged for determining whether the location is inside the second area and, if such is the case, passing on the traffic message for processing; and

a pre-set key, whereby the apparatus is arranged to, in a first mode, enable the user to assign the first area to a pre-set key,. and to in a second mode, activate the filter for the first area thus assigned.

7. A navigation system having the capability of receiving a traffic message, the system comprising:

indication means for indicating a first area with a predetermined length,

a receiver for reception of the traffic message comprising an event and a location to which the traffic message relates,

a filter for determining whether the location is inside the first area and, if such is the case, passing on the traffic message for processing, characterized in that the apparatus further comprises expansion means for expanding the first area to a second area in at least one geographical direction by an expansion factor that is substantially smaller than the predetermined length of the first area wherein the total length of the first and second area is less than a multiple of the predetermined length of the first area in that geographical direction, and that the filter is arranged for determining whether the location is inside the second area and, if such is the case, passing on the traffic message for processing; and

a pre-set key, whereby the apparatus is arranged to, in a first mode, enable the user to assign the first area to a pre-set key, and to in a second mode, activate the filter for the first area thus assigned.

8. A method of handling a traffic message comprising:

indicating a first area selected from a group of predefined areas which are each identified by a location code, the first area having a predetermined length,

receiving the traffic message comprising an event and a location to which the traffic message relates,

determining whether the location is inside the first area and, if such is the case, passing on the traffic message for processing, expanding the first area to a second area in at least one geographical direction by an expansion factor that is substantially smaller than the predetermined length of the first area wherein the length of the first and second area is less than a multiple of the predetermined length of the first area in that geographical direction, and determining whether the location is inside the second area and, if such is the case, passing on the traffic message for processing

providing a pre-set key to enable a user to assign the first area to the pre-set key in a first mode, and in a second mode, activate the filter for the first area thus assigned.