GPS traveling control systems and the method of the same

• US 6,564,147 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2001
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SIN ETKE Technology Company Limited
• Original Assignee: SIN ETKE Technology Company Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Kuo-Rong, Lee, Chun-Chung, Huang, Cheng-Hung
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US09/984,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20030023377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/211, 701/200, 701/205, 701/207, 701/208, 701/215, 340/996, 340/870.09, 340/903, 340/905, 340/988, 340/995, 342/357.01, 342/457, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

A GPS traveling control system includes a GPS global positioning device, a memory device, and a microprocessor. The GPS global positioning device receives signals from the global positioning satellites and then derives global positioning data. The memory device stores at least one corresponding control condition and one instruction. The microprocessor determines whether the global positioning data is matched to the control condition, and then controls the corresponding component to execute the corresponding instruction. The present invention can monitor the track of a vehicle automatically, and can automatically control one of the components in the vehicle to execute a corresponding instruction according to a matched control condition.

Claims

1. A GPS traveling control system utilized in a moving vehicle for receiving signals from global positioning satellites and for automatically controlling the operation of a plurality of different vehicle components in the vehicle, the GPS traveling control system comprising:

a GPS global positioning device for receiving signals from the global positioning satellites and then deriving global positioning data about longitude/latitude, time/date, speed, or altitude of a vehicle;

a memory device storing a plurality of control conditions relating to control of said different vehicle components and at least one instruction corresponding to each control condition;

each control condition defining a judgement condition to determine whether the corresponding instruction is to be executed; and

each control condition containing at least one control parameter; and

a microprocessor for comparing the global positioning data from the GPS global positioning device with each of the control conditions in the memory device, determining whether the global positioning data is matched to at least one corresponding control condition and, if yes, controlling each vehicle component to which a corresponding control condition is matched by executing the at least one corresponding instruction.

2. The GPS traveling control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of different components of the vehicle are selected from the group consisting of head lamps, fog lamps, an audio device, a video device, a multimedia system, and a GSM/hand free system.

3. The GPS traveling control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each control condition includes at least one of the following control parameters:

(a) time/date parameter;

defining a specific time/date, or a time interval for executing the corresponding instruction;

(b) longitude/latitude parameter;

defining a location having a specific longitude/latitude, or a geometric zone for executing the corresponding instruction;

(c) speed parameter;

defining a specific speed, or a speed range for executing the corresponding instruction; and

(d) altitude parameter;

defining a specific altitude, or an altitude range for executing the corresponding instruction.

4. The GPS traveling control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each control condition includes at least two control parameters and Boolean logic operations thereof.

5. The GPS traveling control system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an input device for inputting data through wired transmission to change one of the control conditions or instructions.

6. The GPS traveling control system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an input device for inputting data through wireless transmission to change one of the control conditions or instructions.

7. The GPS traveling control system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the wireless transmission is GSM wireless communication net transmission.

8. A GPS traveling control method utilized in a GPS traveling control system of a moving vehicle for receiving signals from global positioning satellites and for automatically controlling the operation of a plurality of different vehicle components in the vehicle;

the GPS traveling control system storing a plurality of control conditions relating to control of said different vehicle components and at least one instruction corresponding to each control condition;

each control condition defining a judge judgement condition to determine whether the corresponding instruction is to be executed; and

each control condition containing at least one control parameter;

the GPS traveling control method comprising the steps of;

receiving signals from the global positioning satellites and then deriving current global positioning data about longitude/latitude, time/date, speed, or altitude of the vehicle;

comparing the current global positioning data with each of said plurality of control conditions corresponding to said plurality of vehicle components to be controlled, and determining whether the global positioning data is matched to at least one of said one of said plurality of control conditions;

for each control condition that matches the current global positioning data, reading the at least one instruction corresponding to the matching one of the plurality of control conditions; and

controlling the corresponding vehicle component to execute the corresponding at least one instruction.

9. The GPS traveling control method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plurality of different components of the vehicle are selected from the group consisting of head lamps, fog lamps, an audio device, a video device, a multimedia system, and a GSM/hand free system.

10. The GPS traveling control method as claimed in claim 8, wherein each control condition includes at least one of the following control parameters:

(a) time/date parameter;

defining a specific time/date, or a time interval for executing the corresponding instruction;

(b) longitude/latitude parameter;

defining a location having a specific longitude/latitude, or a geometric zone for executing the corresponding instruction;

(c) speed parameter;

defining a specific speed, or a speed range for executing the corresponding instruction; and

(d) altitude parameter;

defining a specific altitude, or an altitude range for executing the corresponding instruction.

11. The GPS traveling control method as claimed in claim 8, wherein each control condition includes at least two control parameters and Boolean logic operations thereof.

12. The GPS traveling control method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of inputting data to change one of the control conditions or instructions.

13. The GPS traveling control method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the step of inputting data includes the step of receiving data from GSM wireless communication net transmission.

14. A computer readable recording medium utilized in a GPS traveling control system of a moving vehicle for receiving signals from global positioning satellites and for automatically controlling the operation of a plurality of different vehicle components in the vehicle;

the GPS traveling control system storing a plurality of control conditions relating to control of said different vehicle components and at least one instruction corresponding to each control condition;

each control condition defining a judge judgement condition to determine whether the corresponding instruction is to be executed; and

each control condition containing at least one control parameter;

the recording medium recording a software program for automatically controlling the operation of said plurality of vehicle components in the vehicle in response to GPS global positioning data calculated from signals of GPS global positioning satellites;

the software program comprising;

first program means for receiving signals from the global positioning satellites and then deriving current global positioning data about longitude/latitude, time/date, speed, or altitude of the vehicle;

second program means for comparing the current global positioning data with each of said plurality of control conditions corresponding to said plurality of vehicle components to be controlled, and determining whether the current global positioning data is matched to at least one of said one of said plurality of control conditions;

third program means for reading the at least one instruction corresponding to each of the plurality of control conditions that matches the current global positioning data; and

fourth program means for controlling the corresponding vehicle component to execute the corresponding at least one instruction.

15. The computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 14, wherein the plurality of different components of the vehicle are selected from the group consisting of head lamps, fog lamps, an audio device, a video device, a multimedia system, and a GSM/hand free system.

16. The computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 14, wherein each control condition includes at least one of the following control parameters:

(a) time/date parameter;

defining a specific time/date, or a time interval for executing the corresponding instruction;

(b) longitude/latitude parameter;

defining a location having a specific longitude/latitude, or a geometric zone for executing the corresponding instruction;

(c) speed parameter;

defining a specific speed, or a speed range for executing the corresponding instruction; and

(d) altitude parameter;

defining a specific altitude, or an altitude range for executing the corresponding instruction.

17. The computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 14, wherein each control condition includes at least two control parameters and Boolean logic operations thereof.

18. The computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a fifth program means for inputting data to change one of the control conditions or instructions.

19. The computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 18, wherein the fifth program means receives data from GSM wireless communication net transmission.