Transportation vehicle location monitor generating unique audible messages

• US 4,713,661 A
• Filed: 08/16/1985
• Issued: 12/15/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Summit Business Capital Corp. (Bank of America Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Regency Electronics Incorporated (BK Technologies Corp.)
• Inventors: Boone, Joseph E., Ahlemeyer, W. Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Rowland, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent A.
• Application Number:
  US06/766,607
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 340/991-994, 340/988, 340/996, 340/539, 180/168, 342/457, 364/436, 364/460, 364/424, 455/49, 455/99, 179/2 E, 179/2 EB
• US Class Current: 340/994
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A transportation vehicle alert monitor incorporating a speech synthesizer for voice announcement of vehicle location by stop number. The monitor includes a radio receiver responsive to coded RF signals containing either current vehicle location data or data for programming the monitor. Current location data includes school system number, bus number, route number, and stop number. Programming data includes school system number, monitor serial number, student number, two route numbers for one bus number, and initial and final alert stops for each route. Programability of initial alert stops allows each alert monitor to be remotely adjusted to allow varying conditions including the discharge between adjacent stops, traffic conditions, and distance from a passenger'"'"'s house to the stop.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring the location of a vehicle on a transportation route having a plurality of stops from a location proximate to a stop designated for said apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

(a) memory means for storing data corresponding to said designated stop and for storing initial stop data corresponding to a preselected stop prior to said designated stop on said route;

(b) receiver means for receiving and demodulating a modulated RF signal containing current stop data representing the current location of said vehicle;

(c) alert signal generating means for generating a unique alert signal for each stop between said preselected stop and said designated stop on said transportation route, said alert signal generating means including means for detecting current stop data which corresponds with said initial stop data and current stop data which corresponds with said designated stop data;

(d) a speech synthesizer, said speech synthesizer including means responsive to each unique alert signal for synthesizing a corresponding unique audio message;

(e) a speaker coupled to an output of said speech synthesizer;

wherein said receiver means is operative to receive and demodulate a modulated RF signal containing programming data which include said initial and designated stop data;

(f) means for coupling said current stop data and said initial and designated stop data from said receiver means to said memory means;

(g) means for accessing a current bus number, route number, and stop number in said current stop data and for accessing a bus number, first route number, initial stop number, and designated stop number in said programming data;

wherein said alert signal generating means generates a first unique alert signal if said current bus number, route number, and stop number match said bus number, first route number, and initial stop number, respectively, in said programming data, and generates a second unique alert signal if said current bus number, route number, and stop number match said bus number, first route number, and designated stop number, respectively, in said programming data;

(h) means for accessing a second route number, second initial stop number, and second designated stop number in said programming data;

wherein said alert signal generating means alternatively generates said first alert signal if said current bus number, route number, and stop number match said bus number, second route number, and second inital stop number, respectively, in said programming data, and alternatively generates said second alert signal if said current bus number, route number, and stop number match said bus number, second route number, and second designated stop number, respectively, in said programming data;

(i) means for identifying first, second, and third programming data words in said received programming data;

(j) means for interpreting first and second sequentially received portions of said first programming data word as a system number and a serial number, respectively;

(k) means for interpreting first, second, and third sequentially received portions of said second programming data word as said first route number, said second route number, and said bus number in said programming data, respectively; and

(l) means for interpreting first, second, third, and fourth sequentially received portions of said third programming data word as said initial stop number for said first route number, said designated stop number for said first route number, said initial stop number for said second route number, and said designated stop number for said second route number, respectively.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said identifying means includes a microprocessor

operative in response to a first state of an addres/data bit in a received programming data word to identify said received programming data word as said first programming data word;

operative in response to a second state of said address/data bit to interpret another bit in said received programming data word as a type bit having first and second states;

operative in response to said first state of said type bit to identify said received programming data word as said second programming data word; and

operative in response to said second state of said type bit to identify said received programming data word as said third programming data word;

and wherein said memory means includes an internal register bank in said microprocessor for storing said current stop data and a nonvolatile electronic memory external to said microprocessor for storing said programming data.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

(m) means for interpreting first, second, and third sequentially received portions of said current stop data as said current bus number, route number, and stop number, respectively.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said identifying means includes

means responsive to a first state of an address/data bit insaid received programming data for identifying a portion thereof as said first programming data word;

means responsive to a second state of said address/data bit and a first state of a type bit in said received programming data for identifying a portion thereof as said second programming data word; and

means responsive to said second state of said address/data bit and a second state of said type bit for identifying a portion of said received programming data as said third programming data word.

5. An apparatus for monitoring the location of a vehicle on a transportation route having a plurality of stops from a location proximate to a stop designated for said apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

(a) memory means for storing data corresponding to said designated stop and to a preselected initial stop prior to said designated stop on said route, said data including a route number for said route, a bus number, a designated stop number, and an initial stop number, said memory means including means for storing a serial number identifying said apparatus;

(b) receiver means for receiving and demodulating a modulated RF signal alternatively containing current stop data and programming data, said current stop data representing the current location of said vehicle and including a current route number, bus number, and stop number, said programming data including said designated and initial stop data;

(c) alert signal generating means for generating a unique alert signal for each stop between said preselected stop and said designated stop on said transportation route, said alert signal generating means including means for detecting when said current route number, bus number, and stop number match said route number, bus number, and initial stop number, respectively, stored in said memory means, and when said current route number, bus number, and stop number match said route number, bus number, and designated stop number, respectively, stored in said memory means;

(d) speaker means for producing a unique audible alert signal in response to each unique alert signal;

(f) means for identifying first, second, and third programming data words in said received programming data;

(g) means for interpreting a portion of said first programming data word as a serial number;

(h) means for interpreting first and second sequentially received portions of said second programming data word as a route number and a bus number, respectively;

(i) means for interpreting first and second sequentially received portions of said third programming data word as an initial alert stop number and a designated stop number in said received programming data from said receiver means to said memory means if said serial number in said first programming data word matches said serial number stored in said memory means.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said identifying means includes a microprocessor

operative in response to a first state of an address/data bit in a received programming data word to identify said received programming data word as said first programming data word;

operative in response to a second state of said address/data bit to interpret another bit in said received programming data word as a type bit having first and second states;

operative in response to said first state of said type bit to identify said received programming data word as said second programming data word; and

operative in response to said second state of said type bit to identify said received programming data word as said third programming data word.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said identifying means includes

means responsive to a first state of an address/data bit insaid received programming data for identifying a portion thereof as said first programming data word;

means responsive to a second state of said address/data bit and a first state of a type bit in said received programming data for identifying a portion thereof as said second programming data word; and

means responsive to said second state of said address/data bit and a second state of said type bit for identifying a portion of said received programming data as said third programming data word.

8. A method of monitoring the location of a vehicle on a transportation route having a plurality of stops from a location proximate to a designated stop on said route, said method comprising the steps:

(a) storing data corresponding to said designated stop and initial stop data corresponding to a preselected stop prior to said designated stop on said route in a memory;

(b) receiving and demodulating a modulated RF signal containing current stop data representing the current location of said vehicle;

(c) generating a unique alert signal for each stop between said preselected stop and said designated stop on said transportation route, said alert signal generating step including detecting current stop data which corresponds with said initial stop data and current stop data which corresponds with said designated stop data; and

(d) synthesizing a first unique audio message indicating the pressence of said vehicle at said preselected stop prior to said designated stop in response to a first unique alert signal and synthesizing a second unique audio message indicating the presence of said vehicle at said designated stop in response to a second unique alert signal;

(e) programming said memory remotely by receiving and demodulating a modulated RF signal containing programming data which include said initial and designated stop data, and by supplying said initial and designated stop data to said memory;

(f) interpreting first, second, and third sequentially received portions of said current stop data as a current bus number, route number, and stop number, respectively;

(g) identifying first, second, and third programming data words in said received programming data;

(h) interpreting a portion of said first programming data word as a serial number;

(i) interpreting first and second sequentially received portions of said second programming data word as a route number and a bus number, respectively;

(j) interpreting first and second sequentially received portions of said third programming data word as an initial alert stop number and a designated stop number, respectively, for said route number; and

(k) coupling said route number, bus number, initial alert stop number, and designated stop number in said received programming data from said receiver means to said memory means if said serial number in said first programming data word matches said serial number stored in said memory means.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said first unique alert signal is generated if said current bus number, route number, and stop number match said bus number, route number, and initial stop number, respectively, in said programming data, and wherein said second unique alert signal is generated if said current bus number, route number, and stop number, match said bus number, route number, and designated stop number, respectively, in said programming data.