Vehicle based communication system

• US 8,779,909 B1
• Filed: 11/24/2010
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James Moyles
• Original Assignee: James Moyles
• Inventors: Richardson, Gus C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US12/927,818
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/426.16, 340/995, 701/1, 359/630
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/191 Highlight information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/589 Wireless data transfers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1529 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/191 Highlight information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/589 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/23 Head-up displays [HUD] optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1645 the display being suitable to be used in combination with an external overhead projector
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0426 tracking fingers with respect to a virtual keyboard projected or printed on the surface virtual keyboards on touch screens G06F3/04886
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A touch screen/keyboard is positionable within a vehicle. The touch screen/keyboard has a cradle. A projector is positioned on a dashboard of the vehicle. In this manner digital data is displayed on a windshield of the vehicle. A receiver couples the touch screen/keyboard and the projector. In this manner digital data is received and transmitted. A computer couples the touch screen/keyboard and the receiver. Further in this manner digital data is received and transmitted.

Claims

1. A vehicle based communication system (10) for sending and receiving text messages through heads up displaying and selective inputting, the sending and receiving and the displaying and inputting being done in a safe, convenient and economical manner, the system comprising, in combination:

a vehicle (14) having a forward end (16) and a rearward end (18), the vehicle including a dashboard (20) and a windshield (22) extending laterally across the width of the vehicle, the vehicle also including a rearwardly extending steering wheel (24) located to one side of the dashboard and windshield;

a standard touch screen/keyboard (28) coupled to a laterally intermediate region of the dashboard and extending rearwardly thereof, the standard touch screen/keyboard having alpha-numeric keys (30) adapted to be contacted by a user to create text messages, the standard touch screen/keyboard having a cradle (32;

a projector (38) extending upwardly from the dashboard forwardly of and in longitudinal alignment with the steering wheel, the projector adapted to project text messages onto the windshield centered in front of a user sitting at the steering wheel, the projected text messages including a plurality of optional formats including horizontally and vertically spaced messages;

a receiver (42) positioned within the dashboard, the receiver wirelessly coupling the standard touch screen/keyboard and the projector for transmitting digital data from the standard touch screen/keyboard to the projector, the receiver including an antenna (44) for receiving digital data from the standard touch screen/keyboard and from remote communication devices and for transmitting the received digital data to the projector for display as messages, the windshield having a height and a width, each message having a height and a width, the windshield having a top 67 percent devoid of messages and a bottom 33 percent adapted to receive messages covering the majority of the bottom 33 percent of the windshield in front of the steering wheel, the width of the message being greater than the height of the message;

a computer (48) positioned within the dashboard, the computer wirelessly coupling the coupling the standard touch screen/keyboard and the receiver for transmitting digital data from the standard touch screen/keyboard to the computer and then to the projector, the computer adapted to receive digital data from the standard touch screen/keyboard and adapted to transmit the received digital data to the receiver and then to the projector to transmit digital data through the standard touch screen/keyboard and receiver and projector for display on the windshield.