Method and system for linked vehicle navigation

• US 7,894,982 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2005
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Veliu, Shpetim S., Reeser, Brad T., Sumcad, Anthony J., Patenaude, Russell A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOUIE, WAE LENNY
• Application Number:
  US11/194,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20070027614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,031 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/207, 340/995.12
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0968 Systems involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle
• 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

Abstract

A method of navigating a plurality of vehicles includes receiving vehicle identifications from the plurality of vehicles at a central location. A travel group is formed based on the received vehicle identifications. Global positioning information is received from at least one vehicle associated with the travel group at the central location. The received global positioning information is transmitted from the central location to at least one vehicle associated with the travel group.

Claims

1. A method of navigating a plurality of vehicles, the method comprising:

receiving vehicle identifications from the plurality of vehicles at a central location;

receiving a request to form a travel group, the travel group being an unordered pack of the plurality of vehicles, and the request specifying at least one vehicle authorized to join the travel group;

forming the travel group based on the received vehicle identifications in response to the request;

receiving global positioning information from at least one of the vehicles associated with the travel group at the central location;

transmitting the received global positioning information and travel information from the central location to at least one of the vehicles associated with the travel group; and

transmitting additional travel information from any or all vehicles to any or all other vehicles associated with the travel group, each of the vehicles associated with the travel group being able to access and share, with any or all of the other vehicles associated with the travel group, the travel information from the central location and the additional travel information from any or all of the other vehicles.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the travel group request is received at the central location, and wherein the method further comprises:

associating a plurality of the received vehicle identifications based on the travel group request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying at least one of the vehicle identifications.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the forming of the travel group comprises:

stipulating a leader and at least one follower.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein during traveling of the travel group, the method further comprises:

i) physically passing the leader by one of the at least one follower, or ii) designating, by the leader, that the leader no longer desires to be the leader; and

in response to the physically passing or the designating, switching positions of the leader and the one of the at least one follower, whereby the leader becomes a follower and the one of the at least one follower becomes the leader.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the central location is a web-hosting portal or a call center.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the travel information is selected from a group consisting of an estimated time of arrival of a travel group vehicle, directions, distance between travel group vehicles, a route, an itinerary, road conditions, and miscellaneous information.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the travel information is transmitted upon receiving a travel information request.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the travel information is sent automatically.

10. A computer usable medium including a program for navigating a plurality of vehicles, the computer usable medium comprising:

computer readable program code for receiving vehicle identifications from the plurality of vehicles at a central location;

computer readable program code for receiving a request to form a travel group, the travel group being an unordered pack of the plurality of vehicles, and the request specifying at least one vehicle authorized to join the travel group;

computer readable program code for forming the travel group based on the received vehicle identification in response to the request;

computer readable program code for receiving global positioning information from at least one of the vehicles associated with the travel group at the central location;

computer readable program code for transmitting the received global positioning information and travel information from the central location to at least one of the vehicles associated with the travel group; and

computer readable program code for transmitting additional travel information from any or all vehicles to any or all other vehicles associated with the travel group, each of the vehicles associated with the travel group being able to access and share, with any or all of the other vehicles associated with the travel group, the travel information from the central location and the additional travel information from any or all of the other vehicles.

11. The computer usable medium of claim 10, wherein the travel group request is received at the central location, and wherein the computer usable medium further comprises:

computer readable program code for associating a plurality of the received vehicle identifications based on the travel group request.

12. The computer usable medium of claim 10, further comprising computer readable program code for verifying at least one of the vehicle identifications.

13. The computer usable medium of claim 10, wherein the computer readable program code for forming the travel group comprises computer readable program code for stipulating a leader and at least one follower.

14. The computer usable medium of claim 13, further comprising computer readable program code for switching positions of the leader and one of the at least one follower during traveling of the travel group, the switching positions occurring in response to i) physically passing the leader by the one of the at least one follower, or ii) designating, by the leader, that the leader no longer desires to be the leader.

15. The computer usable medium of claim 10, wherein the travel information is selected from a group consisting of an estimated time of arrival of a travel group vehicle, directions, distance between travel group vehicles, a route, an itinerary, road conditions, and miscellaneous information.

16. The computer usable medium of claim 15, wherein the travel information is transmitted upon receiving a travel information request.

17. The computer usable medium of claim 15, wherein the travel information is sent automatically.

18. A system for navigating a plurality of vehicles, the system comprising:

means for receiving vehicle identifications from the plurality of vehicles at a central location;

means for receiving a request to form a travel group, the travel group being an unordered pack of the plurality of vehicles, and the request specifying at least one vehicle authorized to join the travel group;

means for forming the travel group based on the received vehicle identifications in response to the request;

means for receiving global positioning information from at least one of the vehicles associated with the travel group at the central location;

means for transmitting the received global positioning information and travel information from the central location to at least one of the vehicles associated with the travel group; and

means for transmitting additional travel information from any or all vehicles to any or all other vehicles associated with the travel group, each of the vehicles associated with the travel group being able to access and share, with any or all of the other vehicles associated with the travel group, the travel information from the central location and the additional travel information from any or all of the other vehicles.