Non-computing navigation system

• US 7,100,825 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2001
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alfred B. Levine
• Original Assignee: Alfred B. Levine
• Inventors: Levine, Alfred B.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIK, STEVE S
• Application Number:
  US09/814,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20010032880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,993 Days
• Field of Search: 235/384, 235/462.01, 235/462.25, 340/988, 340/991, 340/992, 701/209, 701/223, 701/224
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0058 responsive to externally generated signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/30 Arrangements interacting with transmitters or receivers otherwise than by visible means, e.g. using radar reflectors or radio transmitters E01F11/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096822 where the segments of the route are transmitted to the vehicle at different locations and times
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle navigation system for guiding a vehicle to a preselected destination by continually communicating the heading direction to be followed regardless of any detours away from a direct heading. In one embodiment, a two phase system is provided to initially guide the vehicle to a zonal area containing the destination, and in the second phase, guiding the vehicle, by communicating local information, directly to a specific destination within said zonal area. The system can employ bar coded signs being read by a remote reader on the vehicle to obtain detailed information concerning the vehicle location, the streets-roads in the vicinity of each sign, traffic control information, parking and fuel availability, and specific street-road address information.

Claims

1. A non-computing navigation system for guiding a driver operated vehicle to a selected destination communicating only an uncluttered two location representation of the changeable location of the vehicle referenced to the fixed location of the destination, and wherein the system does not provide any specific routing path between the two locations but instead enables the driver to select any routing path guided only by the two location representation, detecting means for continually detecting exteriorly of the vehicle the changeable location of the vehicle,

display means energized by said detecting means and responsive to a driver chosen destination to continually display only a pair of uncluttered markings corresponding to the changeable vehicle location and that of the fixed destination location, said display being free of any routing path interconnecting the two locations,

said markings being displayed within the vehicle in such manner that they can be continually observed by the driver without diverting attention from safe driving of the vehicle.

2. In the system of claim 1, said driver operated vehicle having an observation window for observing roadway conditions, and said two location display being applied to said window to enable continuing viewing of said markings while observing the roadway conditions.

3. In the system of claim 1, said system providing a second phase of operation when the vehicle nears the destination,

in said second phase of operation, digital sensor means for detecting digital codes on landmarks near the destination, which landmarks may include individual buildings to identify said landmarks, said digital sensor means energizing said display means to superimpose an identification of said landmarks on said markings when the vehicle nears said destination,

whereby the vehicle is continually guided solely by the two markings on the display supplemented by the landmark identification when the vehicle nears the destination.

4. In the system of claim 1, said detecting means comprising a digital reader for detecting digitally coded markings located at geographically spaced locations exteriorly of the vehicle.

5. A non-computing navigation system for a driver operated vehicle for continually guiding the vehicle to a selected destination without following any predetermined, calculated routing path,

said system providing an uncluttered map-free display of only two discrete markings, the first marking corresponding to the changeable geographic location of the vehicle regardless of the route followed by the vehicle, and the second marking corresponding to a fixed geographic location of a selected destination,

said navigation system being free of computation of any predetermined route path for the vehicle to follow to said destination, and the two discrete markings providing the sole guidance by the navigation system until the vehicle nears said destination,

said display of the two markings being provided within the vehicle in such manner that they can be observed without diverting attention away from safe operation of the vehicle.

6. In the system of claim 5, said vehicle having a conventional viewing window to permit viewing of the streets and roads ahead of the vehicle, and the display of the two discrete markings being applied to said window, thereby to minimize distraction in operation of the vehicle by the driver.

7. In the system of claim 5, the display of the two markings on the screen being enlarged in scale as the vehicle approaches closer to the destination, thereby to more accurately guide the vehicle.

8. A two phase navigation system for assistance in guiding a driver operated vehicle to a selected destination along any travel route selected by the driver of the vehicle leading toward said destination, and wherein during a first phase said system continually communicates an uncluttered representation of only two markings corresponding to the changeable location of the vehicle and the fixed location of the destination until the vehicle nears the destination, and in a second phase, said system communicates as a supplement to said markings, local landmark information that may include an identification of an individual building, whereby during both of the two phases, the driver can choose any route to the destination that is available or convenient, said system comprising:

in said first phase, detection means for continually determining the actual geographic location of the vehicle referenced to the geographic location of the destination and communicating said two geographic locations by only two markings exclusive of any other communication,

two markings exclusive of any other communication, and

in the second phase, when the vehicle has neared the location of the destination, sensor means for detecting actual landmark information that may include an individual local building structure, as a supplement to the communication of the two markings,

whereby during both of the two phases, the driver can choose any available routing path toward the destination and continually receive advisory guidance from the system to assist in reaching said destination.

9. In the system of claim 8, said detection means including a visual display screen within the vehicle and means for energizing said display to show only a pair of markings corresponding to the geographic location of the vehicle and the geographic location of the destination, thereby to continually advise the driver of the heading direction to reach the destination regardless of the routing path followed by the vehicle.

10. In the system of claim 8, said detection means including an audible generator for communicating said markings and said landmark information.

11. In the system of claim 8, said driver operated vehicle having an observation window for enabling the driver to view roadway condition, and display means for applying said two markings to said window.

12. A two-phase, non-computing, advisory navigation system for guiding a driver operated vehicle to any selected destination, and enabling the driver to select any travel routing to said destination that is available or convenient, said system comprising:

a direction communicating means within the vehicle for continually advising of the heading direction to be followed for any travel routing selected by the driver,

said direction communicating means comprising detector means for continually determining the actual geographic location of the vehicle referenced to the geographic location of the destination, and including a communicating means energized by said detector means to generate a map-free display within the vehicle displaying only two discrete markings corresponding to said location of the vehicle and the location of the destination,

thereby continually advising of the heading direction to be followed to said destination regardless of the travel route selected by the driver of the vehicle.

13. In a navigation system for a driver operated vehicle means for enabling the driver of the vehicle to select any available routing to reach a selected destination while continuously providing guidance to the driver to assist in reaching said destination,

said means comprising a communicator means for conveying a first uncluttered, discrete communication corresponding to the changeable geographic location of the vehicle at all locations along any routing chosen by the driver, and said communicating means conveying a second uncluttered, discrete communication corresponding to a fixed geographic location of a destination selected by the driver of the vehicle, said first and second communications being map-free and exclusive of other communications by the guidance system until nearing the location of the selected destination,

whereby said first and second discrete location communications continually inform the driver of the vehicle of the location of the vehicle referenced to that of the destination to guide the vehicle toward said destination regardless of the routing chosen by the driver of the vehicle.

14. In the system of claim 13, said communicator means comprising a visual screen, and said first and second uncluttered communications comprising first and second discrete visual markings on the screen exclusive of any other visual presentation on the screen.

15. In the system of claim 13, said communicator means comprising an imaging device providing first and second discrete visual markings corresponding to said first and second uncluttered communications, said imaging device applying said visual markings to the driver without diverting attention away from proper driving of the vehicle,

said uncluttered discrete markings exclusive of other visual presentations from the imaging device requiring minimized attention of the driver of the vehicle.

16. In the system of claim 13, the addition of sensor means for detecting digital markings on landmarks and structures in the vicinity of the selected destination, which landmarks and structures may include specific buildings and building addresses, said sensor means energizing said communicator means to supplement said uncluttered communications with the identity of said landmarks and structures when the vehicle is in the vicinity of said destination.

17. A non-computerized navigation system for a driver operated vehicle wherein the system communicates to the driver an uncluttered, map-free, representation limited only to the comparative geographic location of the vehicle referenced to the geographic location of a selected destination, and wherein the system does not compute any selected routing path for the vehicle to follow to reach said destination, comprising:

detecting means for receiving actual external information that continually identifies the changeable actual location of the vehicle,

communicating means energized by said detecting means and responsive to the inputting of said selected destination for communicating a map-free, uncluttered representation consisting solely of the geographic location of the vehicle and the geographic location of the destination,

said communicating means providing only two discrete, displaced marking locations until the vehicle nears the location of the destination.

18. A non-computing, two phase navigation system for driver operated vehicles for enabling the continual guiding of the vehicle to a selected destination by heading direction alone during a first phase without reference to any selected routing path, and in a second phase occurring when the vehicle has arrived in the near vicinity of said destination, guiding the vehicle to the destination along any routing selected by the driver, by communicating localized information specific to the landmarks of the areas about the destination comprising:

in the first phase, communicating means for continually conveying a map-free uncluttered representation corresponding only to the relative geographic location of the vehicle referenced to the selected destination, thereby enabling the vehicle to proceed toward the destination along any routing chosen by the driver by heading direction alone without following any predefined routing of streets, roads, or road intersections, and

in the second phase occurring when the vehicle has neared the vicinity of the destination, communicating local landmark information near the destination to enable the vehicle to be guided directly to the destination by the local landmark information along any desired routing.