Digital Windshield Information System Employing a Recommendation Engine Keyed to a Map Database System

• US 20080238723A1
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xylon LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Holding 32 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Merritt, Edward, Fein, Gene S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,796,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/365 Guidance using head up displays or projectors, e.g. virtual vehicles or arrows projected on the windscreen or on the road itself
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0244 Optimization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and system for recommending locations keyed to a map database system and providing navigation instructions to the recommended locations to a driver of a vehicle by gathering actual statistics about the preferences of the user and/or by comparing the user to population data to create recommendations in accord with the preferences of the population.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle computer system for presenting to a vehicle driver recommendations on locations keyed to a map database system, comprising:

a display device for presenting, on the windshield of a vehicle, text or graphical information related to locations;

a position determining device determining location and changes in location of the vehicle;

a recommendation engine responsive to the position determining device, the recommendation engine;

determining at least one location to recommend that is in accord with the determined location of the vehicle; and

forwarding information related to the determined location to the display device for presentation to a driver of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the recommendation engine determines the at least one location to recommend by at least one of:

(a) accumulating the driver'"'"'s past requests for locations and determining at least one location in accord with the past requests;

(b) accumulating alternate user data and determining at least one location in accord with the accumulated alternate user data;

(c) accessing demographic data on preferences of general populations similar to the driver and determining at least one location in accord with the preferences of general populations; and

(d) accessing collaborative data on preferences of collaborators and determining at least one location in accord with the preferences of the collaborators.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the recommendation engine determines the at least one location to recommend by cycling through each of (a) through (d).

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the information related to locations includes at least one of:

geographic information sufficient to provide driving directions;

a telephone number of the location;

logos related to the location; and

events related to the location.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one speaker for presenting audio information related to locations to the driver, and wherein the recommendation engine further forwards audio information related to the determined location.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the presentation device, position determining devices and recommendation engine are powered by an alternative energy source.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the alternative energy source includes at least one of:

solar power;

wind power;

hand crank; and

regenerative braking.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the display device is at least one of:

a transparent light-emitting diode (LED) display located at the windshield;

a transparent light-emitting diode screen projected onto the windshield;

a fiber optic lighting display screen embedded in the windshield; and

a fiber optic lighting display screen projected onto the windshield.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor coupled to the vehicle providing information related to the operation of the vehicle to the recommendation engine and wherein the recommendation engine employs the sensor provided information to further determine and forward an alert message to the display device.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the recommendation engine suppresses information related to the at least one location in favor of the alert message.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the alert message includes at least one

an indication of mechanical condition of the vehicle;

and

an indication of hazards in the road.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the information related to the determined location is retrieved wirelessly from at least one remote database.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein information related to the determined location includes at least one of:

directions to the at least one location from the position of the vehicle;

an advertisement,

an audio message;

a graphical message; and

a text message.

14. An in-vehicle method of recommending information on locations keyed to a map database to a driver of a vehicle comprising the computer implemented steps of:

autonomously determining at least one location to recommend to the driver of a vehicle;

automatically presenting information related to the determined location to the driver.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein autonomously determining at least one location to recommend to the driver of a vehicle includes at least one of:

accumulating past driver requests for locations and determining at least one location in accord with the past requests;

accumulating alternate driver data and determining at least one location in accord with the accumulated user data;

accessing demographic data on preferences of general populations similar to the driver and determining at least one location in accord with the preferences of general populations; and

accessing collaborative data on preferences of collaborators and determining at least one location in accord with the preferences of the collaborators.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein autonomously determining at least one location to recommended to the driver of a vehicle includes cycling through each of:

accumulating past driver requests for locations and determining at least one location in accord with the past requests;

accumulating alternate driver data and determining at least one location in accord with the accumulated user data;

accessing demographic data on preferences of general populations similar to the driver and determining at least one location in accord with the preferences of general populations; and

accessing collaborative data on preferences of collaborators and determining at least one location in accord with the preferences of the collaborators.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein automatically presenting information related to the determined location to the driver includes at least one of:

presenting text or graphical information related to the determined location to the driver via a display on the windshield; and

presenting sound information related to the determined location via one or more speakers.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein automatically presenting information related to the determined location to the driver includes retrieving information from at least one remote database via a wireless data link.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein information related to the determined location includes at least one of:

directions to the determined location;

an advertisement;

a text message;

a graphical message;

an audio message;

video; and

audio.

20. An apparatus for providing recommendations on locations keyed to a map database system to a vehicle device comprising:

means for determining a position of the vehicle;

means for recommending one or more locations to the driver; and

means for presenting information related to the recommended one or more locations to the driver.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising:

means for determining at least one parameter related to safe operation of the vehicle; and

means for presenting the determined at least one parameter related to safe operation of the vehicle to the driver.