Vehicle arrival alerting method and system thereof

• US 8,125,353 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2009
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly Weisser, Steven Weisser
• Original Assignee: Kimberly Weisser, Steven Weisser
• Inventors: Weisser, Kimberly, Weisser, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US12/392,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20100214134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 340/994, 340/988, 701/117, 701/300
• US Class Current: 340/994
• 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

Disclosed are a method and a system for alerting a user of a vehicle'"'"'s arrival at a user location. A wireless signal is transmitted to the user location from a transmitter station located on the vehicle. The wireless signal is transmitted when the vehicle is within a predefined distance range of the user location. Further, the wireless signal is received at a base station located at the user location. Moreover, a sensory alert signal is generated at the base station based on the received wireless signal for alerting the user of the vehicle'"'"'s arrival at the user location.

Claims

1. A method for alerting a user of a vehicle'"'"'s arrival at a user location, the method comprising:

transmitting a wireless signal to the user location from a transmitter station located on the vehicle, the wireless signal transmitted when the vehicle is at least within predefined distance range of the user location;

transmitting data within the wireless signal, where the data concerns parameters related to the transmitter station;

receiving the wireless signal at a base station located at the user location;

decoding data transmitted with the wireless signal via the base station; and

generating a sensory alert signal at the base station based on the received wireless signal for alerting the user of the vehicle'"'"'s arrival.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an input at the transmitter station for transmitting the wireless signal to the user when the vehicle is within predefined distance range of the user location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the input is received when a transmitter button of the transmitter station is pressed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensory alert signal comprises at least one of a visual alert signal, an audio alert signal and a vibration alert signal.

5. A method for alerting a user of a vehicle'"'"'s arrival at a user location, the method comprising:

receiving a wireless signal at a base station located at the user location, the wireless signal transmitted to the user from a transmitter station located on the vehicle;

decoding data sent with the wireless signal at the base station, where said data includes parameters concerning the transmitter station; and

generating a sensory alert signal based on the received wireless signal transmitted for alerting the user of the arrival of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sensory alert signal comprises at least one of a visual art signal, an audio alert signal and a vibration alert signal.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the wireless signal is transmitted from the transmitter station when the vehicle is within a predefined distance range of the user location.

8. A system for alerting a user of a vehicle'"'"'s arrival at a user location, the system comprising:

a transmitter station located on the vehicle, the transmitter station configured to transmit a wireless signal to the user location, the wireless signal transmitted to the user when the vehicle is at least within a predefined distance range of the user location, where the wireless signal includes data related to the transmitter station parameters;

a base station located at the user location, the base station comprising;

a receiving unit configured to receive the wireless signal and decode data transmitted with the wireless signal; and

a sensory alert unit configured to generate a sensory alert signal based on the received wireless signal.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the base unit is capable of being mounted on a wall at the user location.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the base unit is portable and is capable of being worn by the user.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensory alert signal comprises at least one of a visual alert signal, an audio alert signal and a vibration alert signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the sensory alert unit comprises at least one of a light source for generating the visual alert signal, a speaker for generating the audio alert signal and a means for generating the vibration alert signal.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the transmitter station further comprising a transmitter button, the transmitter button is configured to receive an input at the transmitter station.

14. The system according to claim 8, wherein said data includes at least one of a distance between the transmitter station and the base station, and an estimated time of arrival for the vehicle.