Vehicle guidance system

• US 5,126,941 A
• Filed: 02/08/1990
• Issued: 06/30/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Adamasu Gebre
• Original Assignee: Admasu Gebre, Hailemichael Gurmu
• Inventors: Gurmu, Hailemichael, Gebre, Admasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US07/476,890
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 364/436, 364/424.02, 364/424.01, 340/989, 340/991, 340/992, 340/993, 340/905
• US Class Current: 701/24
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn

Abstract

A vehicle guidance system for guiding motor vehicles comprising a central traffic control system, a plurality of roadside equipment, and an on-board vehicle guidance and control system. The central traffic control system includes horizontal memory for storing horizontal coordinates and direction information of a locality, vertical memory for storing vertical coordinates and direction information of the locality, transmitter means for transmitting the horizontal and vertical information of the locality, and a system control unit for controlling the continuous transmission of the horizontal and vertical information of the locality. The roadside equipment includes coordinates memory for storing the coordinates information of the roadside equipment, coordinates transmitter means for transmitting the coordinates information of the roadside equipment to the vehicle, receiver means for receiving destination information from the vehicle, and vehicle destination means for transmitting the coordinates information of the roadside equipment and the destination information of the vehicle to the central traffic control system. The on-board vehicle guidance and control system includes receiver means for receiving the horizontal and vertical coordinates information of the locality traffic control system, vertical coordinates memory for storing the vertical coordinates information of the locality, horizontal coordinates memory for storing the horizontal coordinates information of the locality, an on-board system control unit for controlling the reception and storage of the horizontal and vertical coordinates information of the locality, display feed memory for storing route direction information for reaching the destination of the vehicle, and display means for displaying the route direction information.

Claims

1. A vehicle guidance system for guiding a motor vehicle, said vehicle guidance system comprising a central traffic control system, a plurality of roadside equipments, and an on-board vehicle guidance and control system,

said central traffic control system including

horizontal memory for storing horizontal coordinates information and horizontal direction information of a locality,

vertical memory for storing vertical coordinates information and vertical direction information of said locality,

transmitting means for transmitting said horizontal and vertical information of said locality, and

a system control unit for controlling the continuous transmission of said horizontal and vertical information of said locality;

each said roadside equipment including coordinates memory for storing the coordinates information of said roadside equipment,

coordinates transmitting means for transmitting the coordinates information of said roadside equipment to said vehicle,

receiver means for receiving destination information from said vehicle, and

vehicle destination transmitting means for transmitting said coordinates information of said roadside equipment and said destination information of said vehicle to said central traffic control system; and

said on-board vehicle guidance and control system including

receiver means for receiving said horizontal and vertical coordinates information from said central traffic control system,

vertical coordinates memory for storing said vertical coordinates information of said locality,

horizontal coordinates memory for storing said horizontal coordinates information of said locality,

an on-board system control unit for controlling the reception and storage of said horizontal and vertical coordinates information of said locality and the coordinates information of said roadside equipment, for comparing the adjacent roadside coordinate information with said destination information, and for transferring directions to a display feed memory using said on-board vehicle guidance and control system vertical coordinates memory and horizontal coordinates memory as a source of information,

said display feed memory further stores route direction information for reaching said destination of said vehicle, including storing decision points, and

display means for displaying said route direction information, wherein said on-board system control unit directs said display feed memory to store distances and bearings from said adjacent roadside equipment up to said vehicle destination, and wherein said display means displays said decision points stored in said display feed memory.

2. The vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said central traffic control system further comprising

receiver means for receiving said coordinates of said roadside equipment and said destination of said vehicle,

demodulator means for receiving said roadside equipment coordinates information and said vehicle destination information from said receiver means,

counter means for receiving information from said demodulator means, whereby said counter means provides information as to the number of vehicles passing said roadside equipment,

destination recorder means for receiving information from said demodulator means, whereby said destination of said vehicle is recorded from said received information,

route analyzer means whereby information is received from said destination recorder means and said counter means such that various route information for said vehicle are analyzed,

predictor means for storing said route information from said route analyzer means for a plurality of vehicles, wherein said predictor means analyzes said route information and predicts route congestion, wherein said system control unit can alter said vertical and horizontal coordinates of said locality in order to permit said vehicle to avoid said route congestion.

3. The vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said transmitting means of said central traffic control system comprises

modulator means for modulating said vertical and horizontal information of said locality;

and

amplifier means for amplifying said vertical and horizontal information.

4. The vertical guidance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said roadside equipment further comprises

multiplexer means for multiplexing the information from said coordinates transmitting means and said vehicle destination transmitting means, thereby enabling efficacious transmission.

5. The vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said roadside equipment coordinates transmitting means comprises

modulator means for modulating said coordinates information of said roadside equipment;

and

amplifier means for amplifying said coordinates information of said roadside equipment.

6. The vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said vehicle destination transmitting means comprises

modulator means for modulating said coordinates information of said roadside equipment and said destination information of said vehicle;

and

amplifier means for amplifying said roadside equipment coordinates information and said vehicle destination information.

7. The vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said on-board vehicle guidance and control system further comprises distance counter means for determining and recording a distance traveled by said vehicle toward one of said decision points, wherein said distance counter means interacts with said on-board system control unit to display the distance remaining to said one decision point and to display instructions for reaching said one decision point.

8. The vehicle guidance system claimed in claim 7, wherein said on-board vehicle guidance and control system further comprises

steering position indicator means for determining and indicating a vehicle bearing information wherein said steering position indicator means interacts with said on-board system control unit and said distance counter means to track the movement of said vehicle.

9. The vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said receiver means of said on-board vehicle control and guidance system further comprises

demodulator means for separating said vertical and horizontal information of said locality transmitted by said central traffic control system and said coordinates of said roadside equipment.