Expandable, multi-level intelligent vehicle highway system

• US 5,565,874 A
• Filed: 09/16/1994
• Issued: 10/15/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Rode, Melvin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US08/307,952
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 364/449, 342/957, 340/910, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 342/457
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice

Abstract

An expandable multi-level intelligent vehicle highway navigation system 11 for a motor vehicle having an input device 34 that is adapted to load the segments 21 of a route into a memory means 32. A controller 30 receives a wheel pulse input 28 for distance and electric power 36 from the vehicle and controls the memory 32 and a plurality of displays 13 for displaying the segments 21 of the route, graphic symbols for vehicle direction and segment distance. The controller 30 may be adapted to control additional units such as infrared transceivers 58, RF transceivers 44, GPS devices 52, routing computers 48, map data bases 50, compass 56, etc. and various miscellaneous inputs 54 to build the basic unit into a more complex routing system.

Claims

1. An expandable, multi-level intelligent vehicle highway navigation system for a vehicle having an invehicle unit including a wheel pulse input signal generator such as a odometer electronic signal device, and a power supply and an out of vehicle central processing means, the system comprising:

global positioning means for determining the initial and present position in latitude and longitude coordinates of the vehicle;

a memory unit adapted to contain a plurality of addresses, and points of interest representing designation locations identification, said addresses and points of interest identified by latitude and longitude coordinates;

a keyboard for inputting into the memory unit the desired designation identification for selecting a route and the segments thereof for directions from the initial location to the designation location;

radio-frequency means for communication between said memory unit and the central processing means for addressing the central processing means for the generation and transmission of route segments and travel information to said memory unit of the vehicle;

a display unit for displaying graphic symbols indicating the direction of travel of the vehicle for each route segment including the direction of turning and the distance of each segment;

including a data display unit for displaying alphanumeric symbols describing the several segments of the route; and

a controller adapted to receive the signals generated by the wheel pulse input signal generator, global positioning means and the power supply, said controller for organizing and operating said display unit to present successive segments of the route in response to the distance traveled as measured by the pulses from the wheel pulse input generator.

2. An intelligent vehicle highway navigation system according to claim 1 additionally including an in vehicle infrared transceiver means for communication between the vehicle and roadside infrared beacons for traffic routing information and means in response to said infrared transceiver means receiving a signal to override said routing computer.

3. An intelligent vehicle highway navigation system according to claim 1 wherein said memory unit includes street address ranges, street names, city names and points of interests adapted to be combined to form said segments for directions from the initial location to the destination location.