Method and apparatus for detecting and responding to an absence of journey-related information

• US 6,603,406 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2001
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jambhekar, Shrirang Nilkanth, Wheatley, David, Seymour, Leslie Gabor, Zancho, William F.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US09/994,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20030098800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/995, 340/988, 340/995.13, 701/117, 701/200, 701/208, 701/211, 455/425, 455/517, 455/99
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence

Abstract

In a vehicle equipped with a dedicated short-range two-way communications system to acquire and otherwise participate in a roadway information service, method and apparatus are provided to detect (301) an absence of the availability of such a service and to respond by substituting (302) roadway information from other sources and to provide notice (303) to the driver regarding the absence of realtime service information and/or the present use of substituted roadway information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a terrestrial vehicle;

detecting an absence of received radio frequency transmissions that are compliant with a first roadway information service;

in response to detecting an absence of received radio frequency transmissions that are compliant with the first roadway information service, automatically using substitute roadway information; and

automatically providing notice to at least a driver of the terrestrial vehicle regarding at least one of;

the absence of received radio frequency transmissions; and

the automatic use of substitute roadway information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting comprises:

receiving a beacon radio frequency transmission that is compliant with the first roadway information service;

extracting a message from the beacon radio frequency transmission comprising a notice regarding at least an impending absence of received radio frequency transmissions that are compliant with the first roadway information service.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting comprises:

receiving a radio frequency transmission that is compliant with the first roadway information service;

in response to receiving the radio frequency transmission that is compliant with the first roadway information service initiating a count;

detecting the absence of received radio frequency transmissions that are compliant with the first roadway information service when the count attains at least a predetermined value before a subsequent reception of another radio frequency transmission that is compliant with the first roadway information service.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting comprises:

detecting a visual image which visual image should ordinarily be accompanied by reception of a radio frequency transmission that is compliant with the first roadway information service;

detecting the absence of received radio frequency transmissions that are compliant with the first roadway information service when reception of a radio frequency transmission that is compliant with the first roadway information service does not occur within a predetermined period of time subsequent to detecting the visual image.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein detecting a visual image comprises detecting at least one predetermined shape.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein detecting at least one predetermined shape comprises detecting at least one predetermined shape from amongst a plurality of predetermined shapes.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein detecting a visual image comprises detecting a bar code.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein detecting a visual image comprises detecting a light source having at least one predetermined frequency.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting comprises sensing that a user of the vehicle has asserted a predetermined input mechanism.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle has an on-board navigation system and wherein the step of detecting comprises automatically interacting with the on-board navigation system to identify that the vehicle has attained a particular position with respect to a geographic area which geographic area is known to not contain radio frequency transmissions of at least a first type that are compliant with the first roadway information service.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting comprises:

receiving a vehicle-to-vehicle radio frequency transmission that is compliant with the first roadway information service;

extracting a message from the vehicle-to-vehicle radio frequency transmission comprising a notice regarding at least an impending absence of received radio frequency transmissions that are compliant with the first roadway information service.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically using substitute roadway information comprises accessing previously stored information that corresponds to a journey within an area that is at least not presently fully serviced by radio frequency transmissions that are compliant with the first roadway information service.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of accessing previously stored information comprises receiving at least a part of the previously stored information from a second vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of receiving at least a part of the previously stored information from a second vehicle comprises transmitting a request to the second vehicle for the information.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of accessing previously stored information comprises accessing a historical database in the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically using substitute roadway information comprises receiving at least one radio frequency transmission from at least one other information service.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically using substitute roadway information comprises processing signals received from on-board sensors on the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle has an on-board navigation system and stored map information regarding a geographic area that corresponds to an area where an absence of radio frequency transmissions that are compliant with the first roadway information service has been detected, and wherein the step of automatically using substitute roadway information comprises using the stored map information and the on-board navigation system to provide estimates regarding at least some items of roadway information.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically using substitute roadway information comprises using information received pursuant to reception of some radio frequency transmissions that are compliant with the first roadway information service to interpolate at least part of the substitute roadway information.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically using substitute roadway information comprises receiving at least one radio frequency transmission that is compliant with the first roadway information service, which at least one radio frequency transmission is sourced from the terrestrial vehicle.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of receiving at least one radio frequency transmission includes the step of receiving at least one very short range radio frequency transmission.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically using substitute roadway information comprises the steps of:

determining a present geographic location of the terrestrial vehicle;

accessing a memory containing roadway information;

identifying at least one item of roadway information that correlates with the present geographic location of the terrestrial vehicle;

transmitting the at least one item of roadway information using a very short range radio frequency transmission that is compatible with the first roadway information service;

receiving the at least one item of roadway information and using the at least one item of roadway information as substitute roadway information.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically providing notice includes providing previously received roadway information to the user.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein providing previously received roadway information to the user includes persisting in displaying at least one item of previously received information for at least one of:

a predetermined period of time; and

a predetermined traveled distance.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically providing notice includes providing a textual notice regarding the absence of received radio frequency transmissions.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically providing notice includes providing an audible notice regarding the absence of received radio frequency transmissions.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle includes at least one sensor and wherein a common display is used to provide information to a user of the vehicle regarding both the at least one sensor and roadway information as obtained from radio frequency transmissions that are compliant with the first roadway information service, wherein the step of automatically providing notice includes providing the notice on the common display.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting an absence of received radio frequency transmissions that are compliant with a first roadway information service comprises detecting an absence of the received radio frequency transmissions from a second vehicle.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein detecting an absence of the received radio frequency transmissions from the second vehicle includes detecting a visible indicator on the second vehicle.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein detecting a visible indicator on the second vehicle includes detecting a visible indicator on a license plate of the second vehicle.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein detecting an absence of the received radio frequency transmissions from the second vehicle includes transmitting to the second vehicle a radio frequency transmission that is compliant with the first roadway information service.

32. An apparatus for use in a terrestrial vehicle comprising:

detection means for detecting an absence of received radio frequency transmissions that are compliant with a first roadway information service;

information means responsive to the detection means for automatically providing substitute roadway information when roadway information is not available from the first roadway information service;

notification means operably coupled to at least one of the detection means and the information means for providing notice to at least a driver of the terrestrial vehicle regarding at least one of the absence of received radio frequency transmissions and the automatic use of substitute roadway information.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the detection means includes counter means for determining that a radio frequency transmission that is compliant with the first roadway information service has not been received for at least a predetermined count.

34. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the detection means includes scanning means for scanning visual images along a roadway.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the detection means further includes means for identifying a scanned visual image as being an image that should be accompanied by reception of a radio frequency transmission that is compliant with the first roadway information service.

36. The apparatus of claim 32 and further including navigation means for determining a present location of the terrestrial vehicle, wherein the detection means includes means for correlating the present location of the terrestrial vehicle with previously stored information regarding known areas that have an absence of received radio frequency transmissions that are compliant with the first roadway information service.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 and further including memory means for storing at least historical roadway information, wherein the previously stored information is based at least in part on the historical roadway information.

38. The apparatus of claim 32 and further comprising display means for displaying at least part of the substitute roadway information.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the terrestrial vehicle includes sensors and wherein the display means further functions to display at least some information derived from at least one of the sensors.

40. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the display means further functions to indicate to a user of the terrestrial vehicle that substitute information is being displayed when displaying at least part of the substitute roadway information.