System and method of a GPS control system with communication function

• US 6,671,621 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2002
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2002
• 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 G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US10/103,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20030182058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/207, 701/200, 701/208, 701/212, 701/209, 340/990, 340/995, 340/988, 455/456, 455/12.1, 455/414, 455/422, 455/412, 455/445, 455/408, 455/428, 455/560, 455/561, 455/3.02, 455/33.4, 455/541, 455/89, 342/357.06
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position

Abstract

A GPS control system is disclosed, which is installed in a vehicle. The GPS control system will select a proper base station to provide communications, so the communication quality is improved and the communication costs are reduced. A current location coordinate of the vehicle, and an information database for the base stations are two factors for selecting the proper base station.

Claims

1. A method for providing communications between a GPS control system and a base station, the GPS control system installed in a vehicle and obtaining location information updates from the base station, the method comprising:

Step A;

obtaining a current location coordinate of the vehicle;

Step B;

searching for contact information of a related base station according to the current location coordinate of the vehicle, the GPS control system installed in said vehicle comprising an information database, the information database recording location information of a plurality of regions and contact information of a plurality of base stations related to the plurality of regions, said contact information of said plurality of base stations including telephone numbers of said plurality of base stations, and said step of searching for contact information including a search of said telephone numbers based on the location coordinate of the vehicle; and

Step C;

setting a base station selected as a result of a search of said telephone numbers as a default contact base station.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the location information of each region stored in the information database utilizes at least one rectangle to describe each region, each region including two location coordinates for defining the rectangle.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the location information of each region utilizes a main rectangle substantially containing the region and a plurality of sub-rectangles describing each region, each region including at least two pairs of location coordinates for defining the main rectangle and the sub-rectangle, respectively.

4. A GPS control system with communication functionality for a vehicle, the GPS control system adapted to receive a global positioning satellite signal to update location information of the vehicle and to contact a base station, the GPS control system comprising:

a global positioning satellite receiver for receiving the global positioning satellite signal;

a memory device for storing at least one information database, the information database recording location information of a plurality of regions and contact information of a plurality of base stations related to the plurality of regions, said contact information including telephone numbers of said plurality of base stations;

a wireless communication device; and

a microprocessor connected to the memory device for obtaining a current location coordinate for the vehicle from the memory device and selecting a related region for the location coordinate according to the information database to obtain contact information, including a telephone number of a related selected base station, said telephone number being obtained from a search of said telephone numbers according to said current location coordinate;

wherein the GPS control system sets the selected base station having said telephone number as a default contact base station for the wireless device.

5. The GPS control system of claim 4 wherein the location information of each region stored in the information database utilizes at least one rectangle to describe each region, each region including two location coordinates for defining the rectangle.

6. The GPS control system of claim 4 wherein the location information of each region utilizes a main rectangle substantially containing the region and a plurality of sub-rectangles describing each region, each region including two pairs of location coordinates t for defining the main rectangle and the sub-rectangle, respectively.