Route-adaptive on-demand radio communication system for a driver, communication method using the same, and recording medium storing a program for executing the method

• US 6,778,808 B1
• Filed: 10/25/2000
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Shimazu, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chow, C.
• Application Number:
  US09/695,319
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 455/186.1, 455/3.02, 455/12.1, 455/3.03, 455/88, 455/457, 455/456, 455/3.01, 455/3.06, 455/345, 455/221, 455/158, 455/142, 701/207, 701/35, 701/201, 701/209, 701/213, 701/211, 701/204, 701/206, 701/200, 707/104.1, 707/3, 707/209, 707/100, 340/995, 340/990, 340/988, 340/438, 342/451, 348/467
• US Class Current: 455/3.03
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/15 on receiving information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/16 on playing information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations

Abstract

In a route-adaptive on-demand radio communication system, a program selector (15) selects, from a plurality of broadcast programs broadcasted from a broadcasting apparatus (11), a matched one of the broadcast programs that matches the type information stored in a favorite storage unit (13) and the location information of one of a start point, transit points, and a destination point stored in a route storage unit (14). The matched broadcast program is stored in a broadcast program storage unit (16). A reproduction program selector (20) selects, as a selected broadcast program, the matched broadcast program stored in the broadcast program storage device if the matched broadcast program matches a current time instant held in a current time instant storage unit (17) and a current location held in a current location storage unit (18). The selected broadcast program is reproduced by a reproducing unit (19).

Claims

1. A route-adaptive on-demand radio communication system for a user of a vehicle and which is for providing, by using one of digital satellite radio broadcasting and digital surface wave radio broadcasting simultaneously broadcasted to unspecified recipients, said user with particular information matching a current time instant and a current location of the vehicle and matching desired information preliminarily registered by said user, said system comprising:

a digital broadcasting apparatus, in a broadcasting station, for periodically broadcasting a plurality of broadcast programs by using said one of the digital satellite radio broadcasting and the digital surface wave radio broadcasting, each of said broadcast programs comprising a program content, a type information representative of a content type of said program content, and time information representative of a time period during which said program content is valid, and location information representative of a location where said program content is valid;

a favorite storage for storing a desired type of information;

a route storage in which pass point identifiers for a route, locations of said pass points, and a time interval between said pass points are stored;

a program selector for receiving each of said broadcast programs, for comparing the type information of each of said broadcast programs with the desired type stored in the favorite storage, for comparing the location information of each of said broadcast programs with the location of each of said pass points stored in said route storage, and for selecting a matched one of said broadcast programs that includes the type information coincident with the desired type of said favorite storage and the location information coincident with the location of each of said pass points of said route storage;

a broadcast program storage for storing said matched one of the broadcast programs as a stored broadcast program;

a current time instant storage for holding a current time instant;

a current location storage for holding a current location information;

a reproduction program selector for comparing the time information and the location information of said stored broadcast program of said broadcast program storage with the values held in said current time instant storage and said current location storage, respectively, and for selecting said stored broadcast program as a selected broadcast program when said stored broadcast program had the time information and the location information coincident with the values held in said current time instant storage and said current location storage; and

a reproduction unit for reproducing the selected broadcast program selected by said reproduction program selector.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the time intervals stored in said route storage comprise time intervals between every adjacent ones of said pass points, wherein the current time instant comprises a latest value of a current time instant and the current location comprises a latest value of a current location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the reproduction program selector periodically compares the time information and the location information.

4. A route-adaptive on-demand radio communication system which is for a user of a vehicle and which is for providing, by using one of digital satellite radio broadcasting and digital surface wave radio broadcasting simultaneously broadcasted to unspecified recipients, said user with particular information matching a current time instant and a current location of the vehicle and matching desired information preliminarily registered by said user, said system comprising:

a digital broadcasting apparatus, in a broadcasting station, for periodically broadcasting a plurality of broadcast programs by using said one of the digital satellite radio broadcasting and the digital surface wave radio broadcasting, each of said broadcast programs comprising a program content, a type information representative of a content type of said program content, and time information representative of a time period during which said program content is valid, and location information representative of a location where said program content is valid;

a favorite storage for storing a desired type of information;

a route storage in which pass point identifiers for route, locations of said pass points, a time interval between said pass points, and an actual pass time instant storage area;

a program selector for receiving each of said broadcast programs, for comparing the type information of each of said broadcast programs with the desired type stored in the favorite storage, for comparing the location information of each of said broadcast programs with the location of each of said pass points stored in said route storage, and for selecting a matched one of said broadcast programs that includes the type information coincident with the desired type of said favorite storage and the location information coincident with the location of each of said pass points of said route storage;

a broadcast program storage for storing said matched one of the broadcast programs as a stored broadcast program;

a current time instant storage for holding a current time instant;

a current location storage for holding current location information;

a pass information writing for writing, into the actual pass time instant storage area of said route storage in correspondence to each pass point stored in said route storage an actual pass time instant at which said vehicle actually passes each pass point stored in said route storage;

a next time point calculator for calculating, with reference to said route storage, a scheduled arrival time instant for the arrival to a next pass point next to a latest pass point at a latest pass time instant before a value of the current time instant held in said current time instant storage;

a next point calculator for calculating, with reference to said route storage, the location of said next pass point on the basis of a value of the current location information held in said current location storage;

a next-point-adaptive reproduction program selector for comparing the time information and the location information of said stored broadcast program of said broadcast program storage with a calculated result of said next time point calculator and said next point calculator, respectively, and for selecting said stored broadcast program as a selected broadcast program when said stored broadcast program includes the time information and the location information coincident with the calculated result of said next time point calculator and said next point calculator; and

a reproduction unit for reproducing the selected broadcast program selected by said reproduction program selector.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the time intervals stored in said route storage comprise time intervals between every adjacent ones of said pass points, wherein the current time instant comprises a latest value of a current time instant and the current location comprises a latest value of a current location.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the next-point-adaptive reproduction program selector periodically compares the time information and the location information.

7. A route-adaptive on-demand radio communication method which is for a user of a vehicle and which is for providing, by using one of digital satellite radio broadcasting and digital surface wave radio broadcasting simultaneously broadcasted to unspecified recipients, said user with particular information matching a current time instant and a current location of the vehicle and matching desired information preliminarily registered by said user, said method comprising:

making a digital broadcasting apparatus of a broadcasting station periodically broadcast a plurality of broadcast programs by using one of the digital satellite radio broadcasting and the digital surface wave radio broadcasting, each of said broadcast programs comprising a program content, a type information representative of a content type of said program content, and time information representative of a time period during which said program content is valid, and location information representative of a location where said program content is valid;

making a favorite storage store a desired type of information requested by said user;

making a route storage store pass point identifiers for a route, locations of said pass points, and a time interval between said pass points;

making a current time instant storage hold a current time instant;

making a current location storage hold a current location information;

receiving each of said broadcast programs;

comparing the type information of each of said broadcast programs with the desired type of said favorite storage and comparing the location information of each of said broadcast programs with the location of each of said pass points of said route storage to select a matched one of said broadcast programs that includes the type information coincident with the desired type of said favorite storage and the location information coincident with the location of each of said pass points of said route storage;

making a broadcast program storage store said matched one of the broadcast programs as a stored broadcast program;

comparing the time information and the location information of said stored broadcast program of said broadcast program storage with the latest values of said current time instant storage and said current location storage, respectively, to select said stored broadcast program as a selected broadcast program when said stored broadcast program includes the time information and the location information coincident with the values held in said current time instant storage and said current location storage; and

reproducing said selected broadcast program.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the time intervals stored in said route storage comprise time intervals between every adjacent ones of said pass points, wherein the current time instant comprises a latest value of a current time instant and the current location comprises a latest value of a current location.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the comparison between the time information and the location information occurs periodically.

10. A route-adaptive on-demand radio communication method which is for a user of a vehicle and which is for providing, by using one of digital satellite radio broadcasting and digital surface wave radio broadcasting simultaneously broadcasted to unspecified recipients, said user with particular information matching a current time instant and a current location of the vehicle and matching desired information preliminarily registered by said user, said method comprising:

making a digital broadcasting apparatus of a broadcasting station periodically broadcast a plurality of broadcast programs by using one of the digital satellite radio broadcasting and the digital surface wave radio broadcasting, each of said broadcast programs comprising a program content, a type information representative of a content type of said program content, time information representative of a time period during which said program content is valid, and location information representative of a location where said program content is valid;

making a favorite storage store a desired type of information;

making a route storage store pass point identifiers for a route, locations of said pass points, and a time interval between said pass points by;

making a current time instant storage hold a current time instant;

making a current location storage hold current location information;

receiving each of said broadcast programs;

comparing the type information of each of said broadcast programs with the desired type of the favorite storage and comparing the location information of each of said broadcast programs with the location of each of said pass points of said route storage to select a matched one of said broadcast programs that includes the type information coincident with the desired type of said favorite storage and the location information coincident with the location of each of said pass points of said route storage;

making a broadcast program storage store said matched one of the broadcast programs as a stored broadcast program;

comparing the current location information of said current location storage with the location of each pass point of said route storage, reading, when said vehicle passes a place sufficiently close to a particular one of the pass points of said route storage, the latest value of the current time instant from said current time instant storage as a read current time instant, and writing, as an actual pass time instant, said read current time instant into the actual pass time instant storage area of said route storage in correspondence to said particular one of the pass points of said route storage;

calculating, supplied with the current time instant from said current location storage and with the current location information from said current location storage, a scheduled pass time instant for a next scheduled pass point of the pass points of said route storage and the location of said next scheduled pass point;

comparing the time information and the location information of said stored broadcast program of said broadcast program storage with the scheduled pass time instant for said next scheduled pass point and the location of said next scheduled pass point to select said stored broadcast program as a selected broadcast program when said stored broadcast program includes the time information and the location information coincident with the scheduled pass time instant for said next scheduled pass point and the location of said next scheduled pass point; and

reproducing said selected broadcast program.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the time intervals stored in said route storage comprise time intervals between every adjacent ones of said pass points, wherein the current time instant comprises a latest value of a current time instant and the current location comprises a latest value of a current location.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the comparison between the time information and the location information occurs periodically.

13. A recording medium recording a program for making a computer execute a route-adaptive on-demand radio communication method which is for a user of a vehicle and which is for providing, by using one of digital satellite radio broadcasting and digital surface wave radio broadcasting simultaneously broadcasted to unspecified recipients, said user with particular information matching a current time instant and a current location of the vehicle and matching desired information preliminarily registered by said user, said method comprising:

making a digital broadcasting apparatus of a broadcasting station periodically broadcast a plurality of broadcast programs by using one of the digital satellite radio broadcasting and the digital surface wave radio broadcasting, each of said broadcast programs comprising a program content, a type information representative of a content type of said program content, and time information representative of a time period during which said program content is valid, and location information representative of a location where said program content is valid;

making a favorite storage store a desired type of information;

making a route storage store pass point identifiers for a route, locations of said pass points, and a time interval between said pass points by said user;

making a current time instant storage hold current time instant;

making a current location storage hold current location information;

receiving each of said broadcast programs;

comparing the type information of each of said broadcast programs with the desired type of said favorite storage and comparing the location information of each of said broadcast programs with the location of each of said pass points of said route storage to select a matched one of said broadcast programs that includes the type information coincident with the desired type of said favorite storage and the location information coincident with the location of each of said pass points of said route storage;

making a broadcast program storage store said matched one of the broadcast programs as a stored broadcast program;

comparing the time information and the location information of said stored broadcast program of said broadcast program storage with the values of said current time instant storage and said current location storage, respectively, to select said stored broadcast program as a selected broadcast program when said stored broadcast program includes the time information and the location information coincident with the values held in said current time instant storage and said current location storage; and

reproducing said selected broadcast program.

14. The medium of claim 13, wherein the time intervals stored in said route storage comprise time intervals between every adjacent ones of said pass points, wherein the current time instant comprises a latest value of a current time instant and the current location comprises a latest value of a current location.

15. The medium of claim 13, wherein the comparison between the time information and the location information occurs periodically.

16. A recording medium recording a program for making a computer execute a route-adaptive on-demand radio communication method which is for a user of a vehicle and which is for providing, by using one of digital satellite radio broadcasting and digital surface wave radio broadcasting simultaneously broadcasted to unspecified recipients, said user with particular information matching a current time instant and a current location of the vehicle and matching desired information preliminarily registered by said user, said method comprising:

making a digital broadcasting apparatus of a broadcasting station periodically broadcast a plurality of broadcast programs by using one of the digital satellite radio broadcasting and the digital surface wave radio broadcasting, each of said broadcast programs comprising a program content, a type information representative of a content type of said program content, and time information representative of a time period during which said program content is valid, and location information representative of a location where said program content is valid;

making a favorite storage store a desired type of information;

making a route storage store pass point identifiers for a route, locations of said pass points, and a time interval between said pass points;

making a current time instant storage hold a current time instant;

making a current location storage hold current location information;

receiving each of said broadcast programs;

comparing the type information of each of said broadcast programs with the desired type of the favorite storage and comparing the location information of each of said broadcast programs with the location of each of said pass points of said route storage to select a matched one of said broadcast programs that includes the type information coincident with the desired type of said favorite storage and the location information coincident with the location of each of said pass points of said route storage;

making a broadcast program storage store said matched one of the broadcast programs as a stored broadcast program;

comparing the value of the current location information of said current location storage with the location of each pass point of said route storage, reading, when said vehicle passes a place sufficiently close to a particular one of the pass points of said route storage, the value of the current time instant from said current time instant storage as a read current time instant, and writing, as an actual pass time instant, said read current time instant into said route storage in correspondence to said particular one of the pass point of said route storage,

calculating, supplied with the value of the current time instant from said current location storage and with the value of the current location information from said current location storage, a scheduled pass time instant for a next scheduled pass point of the pass points of said route storage and the location of said next scheduled pass point;

comparing the time information and the location information of said stored broadcast program of said broadcast program storage the scheduled pass time instant for said next scheduled pass point and the location of said next scheduled pass point to select said stored broadcast program as a selected broadcast program when said stored broadcast program includes the time information and the location information coincident with the scheduled pass time instant for said next scheduled pass point and the location of said next scheduled pass point; and

reproducing said selected broadcast program.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the time intervals stored in said route storage comprise time intervals between every adjacent ones of said pass points, wherein the current time instant comprises a latest value of a current time instant and the current location comprises a latest value of a current location.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein the comparison between the time information and the location information occurs periodically.

19. A route-adaptive on-demand radio communication system comprising:

a favorite storage that stores information indicating a desired type;

a receiver that receives broadcast programs that include type information and location information;

a selector that selects a broadcast programs that include the desired type and the location of a pass point on a route; and

a reproducer that reproduces the selected broadcast program.