System for providing environmental condition information to vehicles and related methods

• US 8,816,876 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baron Services Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Baron Services Incorporated
• Inventors: Jones, Erick C., Baron, Robert O. Sr., Thompson, Thomas S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US13/673,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20130069798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/539.13, 340/539.12, 340/601, 702/3, 702/19
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/02 Instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover or wind speed G01W1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

An apparatus for communicating weather related information to a vehicle has been developed. The invention includes, a navigational positioning system that provides the location of the vehicle and a receiver for receiving weather related data at the vehicle that includes road conditions, atmospheric conditions, weather warnings and watches, and forecast conditions. The weather related data is associated with a geographic grid that is made of a plurality of cells. The invention'"'"'s processor determines if the weather related data is associated with the vehicle location and displays the weather related data to the vehicle'"'"'s occupants.

Claims

1. An apparatus for communicating weather related information comprising:

(a) a navigational positioning system that provides the location of a vehicle;

(b) a receiver for receiving matrixed weather related data for a plurality of geographic grid cells at the vehicle, where the weather related data comprises,

road conditions,

atmospheric conditions,

weather warnings and watches, and

forecast conditions for each one of the plurality of geographic grid cells, wherein, each grid cell is assigned a value indicative of each of the road conditions, atmospheric conditions, weather warnings and watches and forecast conditions associated with each grid cell;

(c) a processor at the vehicle that locally determines if the matrixed weather related data is associated with the vehicle location; and

(d) a display device that displays reportable road conditions, atmospheric conditions, weather warnings and watches and forecast conditions associated with the vehicle location.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, where the location of the vehicle is associated with the plurality of geographic grid cells.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, where the receiver is a satellite radio receiver.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, where each of the plurality of geographic grid cells is identified by its longitude and latitude.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, where the processor also determines if the matrixed weather related data is associated with an anticipated future vehicle location.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, where the vehicle'"'"'s anticipated future location is based on the automobile'"'"'s current heading and speed.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising memory configured to store the matrixed weather related data associated with a latitude or longitude near the vehicle location.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, where the matrixed weather related data is received by the receiver in different messages.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, where said messages comprise the matrixed weather related data associated with a row of cells having the same approximate latitude.

10. A system for receiving and processing environmental information related to a vehicle comprising:

(a) a receiver configured for receiving matrixed data associated with a plurality of grid cells, where the data comprises weather conditions, road conditions, and weather warnings and watches in said plurality of grid cells, wherein each one of the plurality of grid cells is assigned a value indicative of each of the weather conditions, road conditions and weather warnings and watches associated with each grid cell;

(b) means for providing a geographic position of said vehicle; and

(c) a computer system at said vehicle having a memory configured with processor-readable instructions to cause said computer system to receive the geographic position of the vehicle and locally determine if the received matrixed data associated with a plurality of grid cells is relevant to said geographic position of said vehicle.

11. The system of claim 10, where the receiver is a satellite radio receiver.

12. The system of claim 10, where the computer system determines whether the received matrixed data is relevant by determining if the data is associated with a latitude or longitude near the geographic position of said vehicle.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a display device that displays a visual alert if reportable weather conditions, road conditions or weather warnings and watches are associated with the geographic position of the vehicle.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, where the data associated with a plurality of grid cells is received by the receiver in different messages.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, where said messages comprise the data associated with a row of cells having the same approximate latitude.

16. An apparatus for communicating weather related information comprising:

(a) means for determining the location of a vehicle;

(b) means for receiving matrixed weather related data associated with a geographic cell grid comprised of individual grid cells, where the weather related data comprises at least two of meteorological data, road condition data and road status data—

wherein each individual grid cell in the geographic grid is assigned a value indicative of each of the meteorological data, road condition data and road status data associated with each grid cell; and

(c) means for processing the matrixed weather related data based on the location of the vehicle to locally determine the relevant matrixed weather related data to an end user, said means for processing at the vehicle; and

(d) means for displaying the matrixed relevant weather end user.

17. An apparatus for communicating weather related information comprising:

(a) a global positioning system (GPS) that provides the location of an automobile based on the automobile'"'"'s current latitude and longitude;

(b) a satellite radio receiver for receiving matrixed weather related data associated with a geographic cell grid comprising a plurality of geographic grid cells at the automobile, where the matrixed weather related data comprises,

threatening road condition data,

threatening atmospheric condition data,

National Weather Service (NWS) weather warning and watch data, and

current and forecast weather condition data, for each one of the geographic grid cells, wherein each geographic grid cell is assigned a value indicative of each of threatening road condition data, threatening atmospheric condition data, National Weather Service (NWS) weather warning and watch data and current and forecast weather condition data associated with each grid cell;

(c) a microprocessor at the automobile that filters the matrixed weather related data based on the location of the vehicle and stored preferences to locally determine the relevant matrixed weather related data associated with the vehicle'"'"'s present location and the vehicle'"'"'s anticipated future location; and

(d) a visual display device that displays the reportable weather related data associated with the vehicle location.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, where the microprocessor further determines if the relevant weather data is associated with the vehicle'"'"'s anticipated future location, where the vehicle'"'"'s anticipated future location is calculated as a fan-shaped area that is based on the vehicle'"'"'s current direction and speed.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, where the display of reportable weather related data is also associated with the vehicle'"'"'s anticipated future location.

20. A system for providing weather related data to mobile users, comprising:

(a) a central processor that receives, processes and stores weather related data in a matrix for a plurality of geographic grid cells, said matrixed weather related data comprising, meteorological data, and road status data for each one of the plurality of geographic grid cells, wherein each grid cell is assigned a value indicative of each of the meteorological data and road status data associated with each grid cell;

(b) a data distribution network that provides matrixed weather related data to multiple mobile users; and

(c) where the matrixed weather related data is formatted to allow sorting by a remote processor to locally determine relevant weather related data based on the mobile users'"'"' location.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, where each grid cell is identified by its longitude and latitude.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, where the weather related data is distributed to the mobile users via satellite.

23. A computer system for providing environmental information to one or more mobile remote users comprising:

a memory configured with processor-readable instructions to execute a method comprising;

(b) receiving environmental data, said environmental data being at least two of meteorological data, road condition data and road status data;

(c) processing the environmental data to associate the environmental data with a plurality of geographic grid cells having the same approximate geographic location as the environmental data,

(d) assigning condition indicators to each one of the plurality of cells of the geographic grid representing the environmental data associated with the plurality of cells to create an environmental condition matrix, where the condition indicators represent at least two of meteorological conditions, road conditions or road status conditions; and

(e) outputting said environmental condition matrix to a distribution network for distribution to one or more remote mobile users for local processing to determine relevant environmental data based upon the mobile users'"'"' location.

24. The system of claim 23, where the assigned condition indicators comprises at least two of lighting, wind, and hail.

25. The system of claim 23, where the assigned condition indicators comprises road conditions, road status, and meteorological conditions.

26. The system of claim 23, where the assigned condition indicators data represent meteorological conditions comprising at least two of National Weather Service Warning and Watches, forecasted precipitation, visibility, and wind.

27. The system of claim 23, where the assigned condition indicators comprises at least four of road conditions, road status, lighting, wind, hail, National Weather Service Warning and Watches, forecasted precipitation, and visibility.

28. The system of claim 23, where the assigned condition indicators are output in single message to the distribution network for the cells of the geographic grid having the same approximate latitude.

29. The system of claim 23, where the distribution network comprises satellite radio.

30. The system of claim 23, where the distribution network comprises a cellular telephone network.

31. The system of claim 23, where the output to the distribution network further includes the latitude and longitude of the cells of the geographic grid to which the indicator has been assigned.

32. A method for providing environmental information to one or more mobile remote users comprising:

(a) step for receiving environmental data selected from at least two of the group comprising meteorological data, road condition data and road status data;

(b) step for processing the environmental data to associate the environmental data with a plurality of geographic grid cells having the same approximate geographic location as the environmental data;

(c) step for assigning a status indicator for every geographic grid cell that represents the conditions of that cell to create an environmental condition matrix; and

(d) step for outputting the environmental condition matrix to a distribution network for distribution to one or more remote mobile users for local processing to determine relevant environmental data based upon the mobile users'"'"' location based upon the mobile users'"'"' location.