Group interaction system for interaction with other vehicles of a group

• US 6,868,333 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2003
• Issued: 03/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Infotechnology Center Co., Ltd. (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Infotechnology Center Co., Ltd. (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Melen, Roger D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US10/346,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20040148090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/213, 701/214, 340/988
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/44 Star or tree networks

Abstract

The group interaction system comprises a plurality of vehicle navigation systems that are capable of communicating with one another, displaying the location of other vehicle navigation systems in a group, and receiving selection of certain vehicle navigation systems in the group and selection of an application for interaction among the selected vehicle navigation systems. A group of vehicle navigation systems to interact with is established. One or more of other vehicle navigation systems to interact with the vehicle navigation system. An application is also selected on the vehicle navigation system for interaction with the selected other vehicle navigation systems. In response, the vehicle navigation system runs the selected application with respect to the selected other navigation systems.

Claims

1. A vehicle navigation system capable of interacting with a plurality of other vehicle navigation systems of a group, the vehicle navigation system comprising:

a memory device including a group data module, a group establishment module, and an applications module, the group data module storing identification information identifying members of the group of the vehicle navigation system and said other vehicle navigation systems, the group establishment module storing a group establishment application configured to be executed in the vehicle navigation system for establishing the group, and the applications module storing a plurality of group interaction applications for interaction with selected ones of the members of the group, a selected one of said group interaction applications being executed among said selected ones of the members of the group; and

a processor coupled to the memory device for executing the group establishment application and said selected one of the group interaction applications.

2. The vehicle navigation system of claim 1, wherein the applications module further stores a global position system application for determining locations of the members of the group.

3. A vehicle navigation system in a first vehicle and capable of interacting with a plurality of other vehicle navigation systems of a group, the group comprised of the vehicle navigation system in the first vehicle and the other vehicle navigation systems in a plurality of second vehicles, the vehicle navigation system comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) module receiving a GPS signal and determining a location of the first vehicle based upon the GPS signal;

a wireless communications module for communicating with the other vehicle navigation systems of the group and receiving location information corresponding to the second vehicles from the other vehicle navigation systems of the group;

a display device coupled to the GPS module and the wireless communications module and displaying the location of the first vehicle and the second vehicles on a map and a list of a plurality of group interaction applications;

a touch sensitive screen coupled to the display device and capable of receiving input commands corresponding to a selection of one or more of the second vehicles on the map and a selection of one of the group interaction applications;

a processor coupled to the touch sensitive screen for executing the selected one of the group interaction applications with respect to the vehicle navigation system in the first vehicle and the other vehicle navigation systems in the selected ones of the second vehicles and a group establishment application for establishing the group; and

a memory device storing the group interaction applications, the group establishment application, and identification information identifying the other vehicle navigations systems in the second vehicles of the group.

4. The vehicle navigation system of claim 3, wherein the identification information is a cellular telephone number corresponding to each of the other vehicle navigation systems in the second vehicles or a vehicle identification number corresponding to each of the second vehicles.

5. The vehicle navigation system of claim 3, wherein the vehicle navigation system in the first vehicle is communicatively coupled to the other vehicle navigation systems in the second vehicles via the wireless communication module without a vehicle network server.

6. The vehicle navigation system of claim 3, wherein the vehicle navigation system receives the identification information corresponding to the other vehicle navigation systems in the second vehicles by receiving input to the vehicle navigation system on the touch sensitive screen.

7. The vehicle navigation system of claim 3, wherein the wireless communications module is a cellular telephone interface.

8. The vehicle navigation system of claim 3, wherein the selected one of the group interaction applications is a cellular telephone application and the processor enables establishment of a cellular telephone call between the vehicle navigation system in the first vehicle and the other vehicle navigation systems in the selected second vehicles.

9. The vehicle navigation system of claim 3, wherein the locations of the first vehicle and the second vehicles are indicated on the display device as icons on the map and one or more of the second vehicles are selected for interaction by touching the corresponding icons as the input commands to the touch sensitive screen.

10. In a first vehicle navigation system, a method of interacting with a plurality of second vehicle navigation systems, the method comprising:

establishing a group including the first vehicle navigation system and the second vehicle navigation systems by executing a group establishment application in the first vehicle navigation system;

receiving information regarding the locations of the first vehicle navigation system and the second vehicle navigation systems;

displaying the locations of the first and the second vehicle navigation systems;

displaying a plurality of group interaction applications;

receiving selection of one or more of the second vehicle navigation systems;

receiving selection of one of the group interaction applications; and

executing said selected one of the group interaction applications with respect to the first vehicle navigation system and said selected ones of the second vehicle navigation systems.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein establishing a group comprises;

receiving identification information corresponding to the first vehicle navigation system and the plurality of second vehicle navigation systems;

establishing communication with the plurality of second vehicle navigation systems based upon the identification information and requesting the plurality of second vehicle navigation systems for permission to be added to the group; and

adding to the group the second vehicle navigation systems giving permission.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the identification information is a cellular telephone number corresponding to each of the first and second vehicle navigation systems.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein establishing a group comprises executing the group establishment application in the first vehicle navigation system to receive identification information corresponding to the first vehicle navigation system and the second vehicle navigation systems from a vehicle network server communicatively coupled to the first vehicle navigation system.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said selected one of the group interaction applications is a cellular telephone application and executing said selected one of the group interaction applications comprises establishing a cellular telephone call between the first vehicle navigation system and said selected ones of the second vehicle navigation systems.

15. A vehicle navigation system in a first vehicle and capable of interacting with a plurality of other vehicle navigation systems of a group, the group comprised of the vehicle navigation system in the first vehicle and the other vehicle navigation systems in second vehicles, the vehicle navigation system comprising:

global positioning system (GPS) means for receiving a GPS signal and determining a location of the first vehicle based upon the GPS signal;

communication means for communicating with the other vehicle navigation systems of the group and receiving location information corresponding to the second vehicles from the other vehicle navigation systems of the group;

output means coupled to the GPS means and the communications means for outputting the location of the first vehicle and the second vehicles on a map and a list of a plurality of group interaction applications;

input means coupled to the output means for receiving input commands corresponding to a selection of one or more of the second vehicles on the map and a selection of one of the group interaction applications;

processor means coupled to the input means for executing the selected one of the group interaction applications with respect to the vehicle navigation system in the first vehicle and the other vehicle navigation systems in the selected ones of the second vehicles and a group establishment application for establishing the group; and

memory means for storing the group interaction applications, the group establishment application, and identification information identifying the other vehicle navigations systems in the second vehicles of the group.