Geographically-based information distribution system

• US 8,818,258 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cirrus Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cirrus Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Burns, Chester Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Jain, Ankur
• Application Number:
  US12/251,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20100093272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,142 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.06
• US Class Current: 455/3.06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/137 the indicator being in the form of a map

Abstract

The present inventions pertain to the geographically based information distribution systems, including in particular systems configured to display advertisements and information about current status of public transit vehicles based on geographic position of the vehicle and/or the displays.

Claims

1. A geographically-based information distribution system comprising:

a first mobile unit position receiver attached to a first mobile unit, wherein the first mobile unit position receiver wirelessly receives first mobile unit position information representing the first mobile unit position;

a first mobile unit position transmitter attached to the first mobile unit, wherein the first mobile unit position transmitter transmits the first mobile unit position information;

a second mobile unit position receiver attached to a second mobile unit, wherein the second mobile unit position receiver wirelessly receives second mobile unit position information representing the second mobile unit position;

a second mobile unit position transmitter attached to the second mobile unit, wherein the second mobile unit position transmitter transmits the second mobile unit position information;

a processing unit comprising a processing unit receiver and a processing unit transmitter, wherein the processing unit includes as inputs the first mobile unit position information that is received from the first mobile unit position transmitter and the second mobile unit position information that is received from the second mobile unit position transmitter, and wherein the processing unit is configured to;

periodically identify first segments in a database, the first segments being associated with a first geographical zone that includes the first mobile unit position;

select, after a predetermined period of time, first selected segments of the first segments, wherein the first selected segments are selected by the processing unit based at least in part upon priority information associated with each of the first segments that determines how often the first segments are displayed;

transmit the first selected segments to the first mobile unit using the processing unit transmitter;

periodically identify second segments in the database, the second segments being associated with a second geographical zone that includes the second mobile unit position;

select, after a predetermined period of time, second selected segments of the second segments, wherein the second selected segments are selected by the processor based at least in part upon priority information associated with each of the second segments that determines how often the second segments are displayed;

transmit the second selected segments to the second mobile unit using the processing unit transmitter; and

at least one display configured to display the first selected segments transmitted by the processing unit transmitter.

2. The geographically-based information distribution system of claim 1 wherein the first mobile unit is a vehicle.

3. The geographically-based information distribution system of claim 2, wherein the display is located inside the vehicle.

4. The geographically-based information distribution system of claim 2, wherein the display is located on an outside surface of the vehicle.

5. The geographically-based information distribution system of claim 2, wherein:

the database further includes vehicle route information and schedule; and

the processing unit is configured to compare the vehicle position information with the vehicle route information and to schedule and to transmit results of the comparison to the vehicle.

6. The geographically-based information distribution system of claim 2 wherein the display is located at a vehicle stop.

7. The geographically-based information distribution system of claim 6, wherein:

the database further includes geographical location information for the display located at the vehicle stop, and

the processing unit is further configured to select the first selected segments to be displayed on the display based on the geographic location of the display.

8. The geographically-based information distribution system of claim 2, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine whether the vehicle is moving and to transmit information based on the determination to the vehicle.

9. The geographically-based information distribution system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first segments is an audio-video segment and the display is an audio-video display.

10. The geographically-based information distribution system of claim 1 wherein the first mobile unit position receiver is a satellite navigation system receiver configured to receive the first mobile unit position information from a satellite navigation system network.

11. The geographically-based information distribution system of claim 10 wherein the satellite navigation system receiver is a GPS receiver and the satellite navigation system network is a GPS network.

12. The geographically-based information distribution system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first segments is static.

13. The geographically-based information distribution system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first segments is dynamic.

14. The geographically-based information distribution system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit transmitter is configured to transmit the first selected segments wirelessly.

15. The geographically-based information distribution system of claim 1, wherein:

the database further includes at least one time period associated with each of the first segments, and

the processing unit is further configured to select the first selected segments from the first segments at least in part based on a time period of the first selected segments and the current time.

16. The geographically-based information distribution system of claim 1, the system further comprising at least three mobile units.

17. The geographically-based information distribution system of claim 1, wherein the first mobile unit position receiver and the first mobile unit position transmitter are included in a single apparatus.

18. The geographically-based information distribution system of claim 1, wherein the first geographical zone and the second geographical zone are different.

19. The geographically-based information distribution system of claim 1, wherein the first segments and the second segments are different.

20. A geographically-based information distribution system comprising:

mobile units, wherein each of mobile units is attached to a mobile unit position receiver that wirelessly receives mobile unit position information, and wherein each of the mobile units is attached to a mobile unit position transmitter that transmits the mobile unit position information;

a processing unit comprising;

a processing unit receiver; and

a processing unit transmitter, wherein the processing unit has as inputs the mobile unit position information that is received from the mobile unit position transmitters;

displays, wherein at least one of the displays is a stationary display;

a database including;

geographical location information of the stationary display;

segments, wherein at least some of the segments include content associated with the geographical location information of the stationary display;

priority information associated with each of the segments that determines how often the segments are displayed;

and

wherein the processing unit is configured to;

select, from the database after a predetermined period of time, selected segments to be displayed on the stationary display based on the geographic location of the stationary display and based at least in part upon the priority information associated with each of the segments that determines how often the segments are displayed; and

generate at least one presentation;

wherein the processing unit transmitter transmits to the stationary display the segments and the presentation.