Mobile communication device

• US 7,268,700 B1
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Steven Mark Hoffberg
• Original Assignee: Steven Mark Hoffberg
• Inventors: Hoffberg, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US10/937,044
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/093 Data selection, e.g. prioritizing information, managing message queues, selecting the information to be output
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• 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 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A mobile communications device comprising a location sensing system, producing a location output; a memory, storing a set of locations and associated events: a telecommunications device, communicating event and location information between a remote system and said memory; and a processor, processing said location output in conjunction with said stored locations and associated events in memory, to determine a priority thereof.

Claims

1. A vehicular system, comprising:

a wireless communication subsystem configured to communicate information through;

a direct communication pathway for communicating information directly with a remote station, and

an indirect communication pathway employing at least one wireless repeater for communicating information through an intermediary with the remote station when a desired direct communication pathway is unavailable;

a movement dependent subsystem, configured to produce a movement dependent output representing a position, speed and at least one of acceleration and deceleration of a vehicle; and

a vehicle navigation subsystem, configured to present an output to a user in dependence on both (a) a location of said vehicular system determined based on at least said movement dependent output; and

(b) current information received through said wireless communication subsystem relating to vehicle travel conditions, said current information comprising at least information dependent on a position, speed and the at least one of acceleration and deceleration of other vehicles determined based on at least information derived from transmissions of other vehicles with the remote station.

2. The vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication subsystem communicates through said direct communication pathway, which comprises a broadcast from an orbiting satellite.

3. The vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said movement dependent subsystem comprises a geographic positioning system receiver.

4. The vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle navigation subsystem comprises a graphic output.

5. The vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle navigation subsystem comprises a voice output.

6. The vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein the direct communication pathway comprises a cellular base station, further comprising a cellular communication transceiver for voice communications.

7. The vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication subsystem transmits current information relating to the vehicle.

8. The vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication subsystem is adapted to communicate directly with a wireless communication subsystem of another vehicle.

9. The vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication subsystem is adapted to serve as a repeater for the direct communication pathway, serving as an indirect communication pathway for a wireless communication subsystem of another vehicle.

10. The vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said current information received through said wireless communication subsystem comprises traffic information.

11. The vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said current information received through said wireless communication subsystem comprises accident information.

12. The vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said current information received through said wireless communication subsystem comprises abnormal traffic patterns.

13. The vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said current information received through said wireless communication subsystem comprises weather information.

14. The vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said current information received through said wireless communication subsystem comprises police action information.

15. The vehicular system according to claim 1, further comprising a sensing subsystem, for determining at least one of traffic information, accident information, abnormal traffic patterns, weather information, and police action information.

16. The vehicular system according to claim 15, wherein information generated by said sensing subsystem is transmitted remotely from the vehicle through said wireless communication subsystem.

17. The vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle navigation subsystem further presents said output to a user in dependence on a destination of the vehicle, and current information received through at least one of the direct communication pathway and indirect communication pathway relating to routes between the position of the vehicle and destination of the vehicle.

18. The vehicular system according to claim 17, wherein said vehicle navigation subsystem produces a proposed route for the vehicle.

19. The vehicular system according to claim 1, further comprising a memory for storing information relating to a status of a paid subscription for authorizing a use of received information.

20. The vehicular system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image sensor for acquiring image sensor data proximate to a vehicle;

a processor for digitally compressing the sensor data while maintaining image information therein;

said wireless communications subsystem being further adapted for bidirectionally communicating information comprising the compressed image sensor data and a respective position associated with the sensor data; and

a vehicle navigation subsystem further presenting an output to a user of the vehicle in dependence on an intended path of the vehicle and a map database, the current information further comprising at least one decompressed image from an image sensor in conjunction with information defining a position associated with the decompressed image.

21. A method, comprising:

communicating information wirelessly through;

a direct communication pathway for communicating information directly with a remote station, and

an indirect communication pathway employing at least one wireless repeater for communicating information through an intermediary with the remote station when a desired direct communication pathway is unavailable;

producing a movement dependent output representing a position, speed and at least one of acceleration and deceleration of a vehicle; and

presenting an output to a user in dependence on both (a) a location of the vehicle determined based on at least said movement dependent output; and

(b) current information received through at least one of the direct communication pathway and indirect communication pathway, said current information comprising at least information dependent on a position, speed and at least one of acceleration and deceleration of other vehicles determined based on at least information derived from transmissions of other vehicles with the remote station.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the current information is communicated through the direct communication pathway, which comprises a broadcast from an orbiting satellite.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein said movement dependent output is generated by a geographic positioning system receiver.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the output presented to the user comprises a graphic output.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein the output presented to the user comprises a voice output.

26. The method according to claim 21, wherein the direct communication pathway comprises a cellular base station, further comprising the step of communicating voice communications over a cellular communication transceiver.

27. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of transmitting current information relating to the vehicle externally from the vehicle.

28. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of wirelessly communicating directly with another vehicle.

29. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of serving as a repeater for the direct communication pathway, to provide an indirect communication pathway to another vehicle.

30. The method according to claim 21, wherein said current information comprises traffic information.

31. The method according to claim 21, wherein said current information comprises accident information.

32. The method according to claim 21, wherein said current information comprises abnormal traffic patterns.

33. The method according to claim 21, wherein said current information comprises weather information.

34. The method according to claim 21, wherein said current information comprises police action information.

35. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of sensing at least one of traffic information involving other vehicles, accident information involving other vehicles, abnormal traffic patterns involving other vehicles, local weather information, and local police action information from the vehicle.

36. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the steps of sensing information locally to the vehicle, and transmitting the sensed information remotely from the vehicle.

37. The method according to claim 21, wherein said presenting step further comprises presenting said output to a user in dependence on a destination of the vehicle, and current information received through at least one of the direct communication pathway and indirect communication pathway relating to routes between the position of the vehicle and destination of the vehicle.

38. The method according to claim 37, further comprising the step of producing a proposed route for the vehicle.

39. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of limiting use of received information based on a status of a paid subscription.

40. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the steps of

acquiring image sensor data proximate to a vehicle;

digitally compressing the sensor data while maintaining image information therein;

bidirectionally wirelessly communicating current information comprising the compressed image sensor data and a respective position associated with the sensor data; and

said presenting step further comprising presenting an output to a user of the vehicle in dependence on an intended path of the vehicle and a map database, the current information further comprising at least one decompressed image from an image sensor of another vehicle in conjunction with information defining a position of the other vehicle.