Communication system for message display onboard mass transit vehicles

• US 5,218,629 A
• Filed: 05/12/1989
• Issued: 06/08/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Public Access Cellular Telephone Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Public Access Cellular Telephone Incorporated
• Inventors: Dumond, David I. Jr., Brooks, Barbara J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shehata, M.
• Application Number:
  US07/351,421
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/57, 379/59, 340/904, 340/905, 340/991, 340/994, 340/901, 307/9.1, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/137 the indicator being in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/02 with bell or annunciator systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/42 for mass transport vehicles, e.g. buses, trains or aircraft

Abstract

A communication system for displaying route specific messages onboard a plurality of mass transit vehicles operating along designated routes within a geographical area serviced by a cellular telephone network includes a transmitter connectable to any telephone in the telephone system, the transmitter capable of transmitting messages to any other addressable telephone number in the system, and a cellular based visual communication unit mounted onboard each of the vehicles, each of the units having an addressable telephone number. The transmitter and each cellular based visual communication unit cooperatively assure that the contents of the route specific messages transmitted from the transmitter via the cellular telephone system to the respective vehicle are received, stored and subsequently displayed in an error-free condition, regardless of whether or not the vehicles are mobile or stationary.

Claims

1. A communication system for message display onboard mass transit vehicles comprising:

a plurality of mass transit vehicles operating within a geographical area serviced by a cellular telephone network, the cellular telephone network being interconnected with the telephone system, each said vehicle being periodically assigned for passenger service along a designated route located within said geographical area, each of said vehicle equipped with a plurality of passenger seats;

means for generating a plurality of route specific messages and transmitting route specific messages to said vehicles via the cellular telephone network from any telephone located remotely in said system; and

a cellular based visual communication unit located within each of said vehicles in a position that is viewable from a plurality of passenger seats in the vehicle, each said unit being operatively connected to said telephone system via said cellular network and adapted to receive and store, both during passenger service on a designated route and prior thereto, a route specific message particular to the designated route to which the vehicle has been assigned;

each cellular based visual communication unit adapted to subsequently display the stored message during passenger service along the assigned route.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said transmitting means and said cellular based visual communication unit cooperatively assure error-free transmission and reception of said messages via said cellular network, regardless of whether or not the vehicles are mobile or stationary.

3. The communication system of claim 2 wherein each said cellular based visual communication unit further comprises:

a cellular transceiver adapted to receive a message;

a cellular data modem operatively connected to said transceiver to demodulate said received message;

a microprocessor operatively connected to the modem, the microprocessor having a buffer memory to immediately store said received message, and a main memory into which said received and stored message is transferred from said buffer memory; and

a display board operatively connected to the microprocessor to display said message stored in said main memory to passengers onboard said vehicle.

4. The communication system of claim 3 wherein power to each said unit is supplied by the conventional vehicle power supply and further comprising:

a back up power supply connected to said microprocessor to ensure storage of said message if said vehicle power supply should fail.

5. The communication system of claim 4 and further comprising:

a switch for selectively connecting power to said display to initiate display of said message onboard said vehicle.

6. The communication system of claim 1 and further comprising:

means for sensing temperature exterior of said vehicle; and

means for displaying said sensed temperature via said telephone unit.

7. A communication system for mass transit vehicles comprising:

a plurality of mass transit vehicles operating within a geographical area serviced by a cellular telephone network, the cellular telephone network being interconnected with the telephone system, each said vehicle being periodically assigned for passenger service along a designated route located within said geographical area, each said vehicle equipped with a plurality of passenger seats;

a generator/transmitter connectable to a telephone located anywhere in said system and adapted to generate and transmit digital signals to any addressable code in said system, each digital signal corresponding to a message;

a cellular based visual communication unit located within each of said vehicles in a position that is viewable from a plurality of passenger seats, each said unit having an addressable code within said system and being operatively connected with said telephone system via said cellular network; and

each said unit including means for receiving and storing, both during passenger service on a designated route and prior thereto, a digital signal intended to be appropriate to the designated route to which the respective vehicle has been assigned, each signal being sent from said generator/transmitter via the cellular telephone network to the addressable code of the respective unit, the generator/transmitter and each said respective receiving means cooperatively ensuring error-free reception of the respective digital signal;

each said unit further including means for subsequent selective display during passenger service of a route specific message corresponding to the respective received and stored digital signal.

8. The message display system of claim 7 further comprising:

means selectively connectable to each said telephone unit for transmitting a route designation from onboard each of said vehicles to said generator/transmitter.

9. A method for communicating messages for display onboard mass transit vehicles comprising the steps of:

operatively linking each of a plurality of mass transit vehicles with a telephone system via a cellular based visual communication unit mounted in each of said vehicles, each said vehicle being periodically assigned to a designated route within a geographical area serviced by a cellular telephone network;

generating and transmitting alphanumeric route specific messages to said vehicles via the cellular telephone network, the transmissions originating from a remotely located telephone connected to the system; and

receiving, storing and subsequently displaying the alphanumeric route specific messages onboard the mass transit vehicles, each received, stored and displayed route specific message being particular to a designated route to which the respective vehicle has been assigned.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said transmitting and receiving steps cooperatively provide error-free receipt of said messages.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said displayed messages include both text and graphics.

12. The method of claim 9 and further comprising the step of:

periodically updating the route specific messages based upon periodic updates of the vehicle route assignments.

13. The message of claim 9 and further comprising the step of:

communicating from each of said vehicles a route designation to a known location from which said transmitting step is to be performed.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein said vehicles are periodically assigned to designated routes at least partially within said geographical area and said transmitting and said receiving and storing steps are performed while said vehicles are located in said geographical area.

15. The method of communicating messages for display onboard a plurality of mass transit vehicles which are periodically assigned for passenger service along designated routes, comprising the steps of:

a) transmitting data corresponding to an addressable code number and a route designation pair from each of said vehicles to a central station, each said transmission occurring via a cellular based visual communication unit onboard the vehicle and each addressable code number corresponding to the telephone number of the cellular based visual communication unit onboard the vehicle, the central station being interconnected with a telephone system and a cellular network within the system;

b) storing in a definable memory slot at said station the data corresponding to each transmitted addressable code and route designation pair, each of said definable memory slot being dedicated to a designated route;

c) transmitting data corresponding to the alphanumeric contents of a route specific message from any telephone to each said definable memory slot at said central station;

d) storing in said definable memory slots said data corresponding to said route specific messages;

e) transmitting, via the cellular telephone network from said central station, the contents stored during steps b) and d) from each of said definable memory slots to the vehicle having the addressable code number stored therein;

f) receiving and storing at each of said cellular based visual communication units, the contents transmitted from the definable memory slot having the addressable code number of the respective unit stored therein, steps e) and f) being performed in a manner which assures error-free receipt and storage of said messages by said units, for each vehicle, the steps a) through f) being performable both prior to and during passenger service along a designated route; and

g) subsequently displaying said stored messages onboard said vehicles during passenger service along an assigned route.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein step e) is performed automatically by said control station upon completion of steps a) through d).