Modular intelligent transportation system

• US 9,359,018 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wilfred J and Louisette G Lagassey Irrevocable Trust Roger J Morgan Trustee
• Original Assignee: The Wilfred J and Louisette G Lagassey Irrevocable Trust
• Inventors: Lagassey, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US14/082,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20140114555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 701/24, 701/32.2, 701/117, 701/119, 701/32.3, 701/32.4, 701/36, 701/46, 340/438, 340/936, 340/937, 340/908, 340/917, 340/933, 348/149, 375/240.12, 375/240.16, 375/240.26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 41/00 Fittings for identifying vehicles in case of collision; Fittings for marking or recording collision areas
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/80 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0891 Video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A modular intelligent transportation system, comprising an environmentally protected enclosure, a system communications bus, a processor module, communicating with said bus, having a image data input and an audio input, the processor module analyzing the image data and/or audio input for data patterns represented therein, having at least one available option slot, a power supply, and a communication link for external communications, in which at least one available option slot can be occupied by a wireless local area network access point, having a communications path between said communications link and said wireless access point, or other modular components.

Claims

1. A cellphone apparatus, comprising:

a microphone configured to receive at least audio information;

a speaker configured to transmit at least audio information;

a cellular transceiver configured to remotely communicate audio information over a digital cellular network;

a video camera configured to capture a stream of images; and

a processor configured to;

receive and analyze the captured stream of images, to determine respective motion vectors and acceleration of a plurality of objects represented in the stream of images, and

control at least the cellular transceiver in dependence on at least the respective motion vectors.

2. The cellphone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to control the video camera selectively dependent on at least a determined respective motion vector.

3. The cellphone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to predict occurrence of a collision of at least two of the plurality of objects represented in the stream of images based on their respective motion vectors.

4. The cellphone apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a location determining system for generating data indicative of a location of the cellphone apparatus, the processor being further configured to provide vehicle traffic information received through the cellular transceiver selectively dependent on the location, to a subscriber.

5. The cellphone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cellular transceiver is configured to communicate with the digital cellular network using a TCP/IP protocol, further comprising an interface to provide wireless Internet connectivity through the cellular transceiver for other devices through a wireless local area network distinct from the digital cellular network.

6. The cellphone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor executes a Linux-based operating system and provides a graphic user interface.

7. The cellphone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to control the cellphone apparatus to act as a node of a sensor network to permit the network to track events over a broad geographic region.

8. The cellphone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to analyze the captured stream of images to determine a state of a traffic control device.

9. The cellphone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stream of images is compressed into an MPEG-4 format.

10. The cellphone apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to provide a mode of operation to buffer the MPEG-4 format compressed stream of images in a memory, to associate an accurate timecode with the stream of images, and to transmit the buffered stream using a reliable protocol which ensures receipt of the buffered stream prior to deletion of information in the buffer.

11. The cellphone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to provide at least one operating mode comprising videoconferencing.

12. The cellphone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to communicate using a voice over internet protocol communication through the cellular transceiver.

13. The cellphone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to analyze sounds received through the microphone to recognize the the sound according to at least one statistical model.

14. The cellphone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive executable programs from a remote system through the cellular transceiver and to execute the received executable programs.

15. The cellphone apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a radio frequency identification (RFID) subsystem configured to communicate with an RFID transponder and to selectively receive information therefrom.

16. The cellphone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically compose and transmit an SMS message responsive to the respective motion vectors.

17. The cellphone apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an interface to provide wireless local area network providing wireless Internet connectivity through the digital cellular network, for other devices;

a graphic user interface;

a location determining system for generating data indicative of a location of the cellphone apparatus;

a universal serial bus (USB) interface;

an 802.11 transceiver radio;

a radio frequency identification (RFID) subsystem

a Bluetooth communication interface; and

an acceleration sensor;

a temperature sensor;

wherein the processor is further configured to support;

a mode of operation in which the stream of images is compressed into an MPEG-4 format;

a mode of operation in which the stream of images is buffered in a memory and transmitted using a reliable protocol which ensures receipt of the buffered stream prior to deletion of information in the buffer;

a mode of operation in which sounds received through the microphone are analyzed to recognize the sound according to at least one statistical model;

a mode of operation comprising videoconferencing;

a mode of operation in which executable programs are received from a remote system through the digital cellular transceiver and limits execution based on a secure cryptographic access restriction.

18. A cellphone, comprising:

a microphone;

a speaker;

a cellular transceiver;

a video camera;

an interface to provide at least wireless Internet connectivity through the cellular transceiver for other devices through a wireless local area network;

through a wireless local area network;

a graphic user interface for user interaction with a multitasking operating system;

a location determining system for generating data indicative of a location of the cellphone;

a universal serial bus (USB) interface;

an IEEE-802.11 compliant radio transceiver configured to support the wireless local area network;

a Bluetooth communication interface; and

an acceleration sensor; and

a processor configured to;

communicate a voice conversation through the microphone, speaker and cellular transceiver;

analyze a captured stream of images from the video camera to detect at least a motion of an object represented in the stream of images,

analyze position, motion vectors and acceleration of a plurality of objects in the stream of images,

selectively produce outputs which are dependent on a characterization of the analyzed position, motion vectors and acceleration of the objects; and

recognize sounds received through the microphone based on at least one statistical model.

19. A cellphone comprising:

a microphone;

a speaker;

a cellular transceiver;

a video camera configured to capture a stream of images;

a graphic user interface for user interaction with a multitasking operating system controlling a cellphone adapted to download application software through the cellular transceiver for execution by the cellphone; and

a processor configured to;

buffer the stream of images in a memory;

analyze the buffered stream of images from the video camera to detect at least a motion of an object represented in the stream of images,

analyze motion vectors and accelerations of objects in the stream of images,

predict occurrence of a collision of objects of the objects in the stream of images; and

selectively produce outputs which are dependent on a characterization of the motion vectors, accelerations and collisions of the objects in the stream of images; and

selectively automatically initiate an interactive communication through the cellular transceiver in dependence on the output.

20. The cellphone according to claim 19, further comprising:

an interface to provide wireless Internet connectivity for other devices through awireless local area network bridged to the a digital cellular network through the cellular transceiver;

a location determining system for generating data indicative of a location of the cellphone;

a universal serial bus (USB) interface;

an 802.11 transceiver radio;

a radio frequency identification (RFID) subsystem;

a Bluetooth communication interface; and

a temperature sensor;

wherein the processor is further configured to support;

a mode of operation in which the stream of images is compressed into an MPEG-4 format;

a mode of operation in which the stream of images is buffered in a memory and transmitted using a reliable protocol which ensures receipt of the buffered stream prior to deletion of information in the buffer;

a mode of operation in which sounds received through the microphone are analyzed to recognize the sound according to at least one statistical model;

a mode of operation comprising videoconferencing; and

a mode of operation in which executable programs are received from a remote system through the cellular transceiver and execution of the executable programs is subject to a cryptographic access restriction.