Apparatus and method for providing information to a driver of a vehicle, and apparatus and method for presenting information to the driver

• US 6,807,467 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2003
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yanai, Tatsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibson, Eric M.
• Application Number:
  US10/342,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20030163227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/117, 701/119, 701/200, 701/209, 701/212, 340/932.2, 340/988, 340/936, 340/989, 340/990, 340/995.15, 340/995.23
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

A system for providing information to a drive of a vehicle, including information providing apparatus and information presenting apparatus. Information providing apparatus includes means for storing information data about a facility with a parking lot, means for measuring vehicle speed of the vehicle traveling into the parking lot, means for selecting an objective information data to be provided to the driver from the stored information data on the basis of the vehicle speed measured, and means for transmitting the objective information data selected to the vehicle. Information presenting apparatus includes means for receiving the objective information data transmitted, means for storing the objective information data received, means for sensing vehicle speed, means for selecting an information data from the stored objective information data on the basis of the vehicle speed sensed, and means for presenting the information data selected to the driver in a predetermined form.

Claims

1. An information providing system, comprising:

a) an apparatus for providing information to a driver of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising;

information storage means for storing

information data about a facility with a parking lot;

speed measuring means for measuring vehicle speed of the vehicle traveling into the parking lot;

information selecting means for selecting an objective information data to be provided to the driver from the stored information data on the basis of the vehicle speed measured; and

information transmitting means for transmitting the objective information data selected to the vehicle; and

b) an apparatus for presenting information to a driver of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising;

information receiving means for receiving the objective information data transmitted from the information transmitting means of the apparatus for providing information;

information memory means for storing the objective information data received by the information receiving means;

speed sensing means for sensing vehicle speed of the vehicle;

information control means for selecting an information data from the stored objective information data on the basis of the vehicle speed sensed; and

information presentation means for presenting the information data selected to the driver in a predetermined form,

wherein the predetermined form of the objective information data includes moving image data when the vehicle speed sensed is equal to a first reference value, still image data when the vehicle speed sensed is not less than a second reference value larger than the first reference value, and frame image data when the vehicle speed sensed is larger than the first reference value and smaller than the second reference value.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information selecting means determines a time period required until the vehicle reaches a predetermined position in the parking lot on the basis of the vehicle speed measured, the information selecting means determines and selects an amount of the objective information data on the basis of the time period determined, the amount of the objective information data being recognizable and comprehensible to the driver in the time period determined.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the predetermined position is an entrance of the parking lot.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined form of the objective information data includes voice data.

5. A method of providing information for a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising:

storing information data about a predetermined facility with a parking lot;

measuring vehicle speed of the vehicle traveling into the parking lot;

selecting an objective information data to be provided to the driver from the stored information data on the basis of the vehicle speed measured;

transmitting the objective information data selected to the vehicle;

receiving the objective information data transmitted;

storing the objective information data received;

sensing vehicle speed of the vehicle;

selecting an information data from the stored objective information data on the basis of the vehicle speed sensed; and

presenting the information data selected to the driver in a predetermined form,

wherein the predetermined form of the objective information data includes moving image data when the vehicle speed sensed is equal to a first reference value, still image data when the vehicle speed sensed is not less than a second reference value larger than the first reference value, and frame image data when the vehicle speed sensed is larger than the first reference value and smaller than the second reference value.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising determining a time period required until the vehicle reaches a predetermined position in the parking lot, the objective information data selecting operation determining and selecting an amount of the objective information data on the basis of the time period determined, the amount of the objective information data being recognizable and comprehensible to the driver in the time period determined.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the predetermined form of the objective information data includes voice data.

8. An apparatus for presenting information to a driver of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

information receiving means for receiving information data;

information memory means for storing the information data received by the information receiving means;

speed sensing means for sensing vehicle speed of the vehicle;

information control means for selecting an objective information data from the stored information data on the basis of the vehicle speed sensed; and

information presentation means for presenting the objective information data selected to the driver in a predetermined form,

wherein the predetermined form of the objective information data comprises moving image data when the vehicle speed sensed is equal to a first reference value, the predetermined form of the objective information data comprising still image data when the vehicle speed sensed is not less than a second reference value larger than the first reference value, the predetermined form of the objective information data comprising frame image data when the vehicle speed sensed is larger than the first reference value and smaller than the second reference value.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the predetermined form of the objective information data includes voice data.

10. A method of presenting information to a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving information data;

storing the information data received;

sensing vehicle speed of the vehicle;

selecting an objective information data from the stored information data on the basis of the vehicle speed sensed; and

presenting the objective information data selected to the driver in a predetermined form,

wherein the predetermined form of the objective information data comprises moving image data when the vehicle speed sensed is equal to a first reference value, the predetermined form of the objective information data comprising still image data when the vehicle speed sensed is not less than a second reference value larger than the first reference value, the predetermined form of the objective information data comprising frame image data when the vehicle speed sensed is larger than the first reference value and smaller than the second reference value.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the predetermined form of the objective information data includes voice data.