GPS enabled speeding detector

• US 6,265,989 B1
• Filed: 06/17/2000
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard N. Taylor
• Original Assignee: Richard N. Taylor
• Inventors: Taylor, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/596,353
• Time in Patent Office: 402 Days
• Field of Search: 340/901, 340/902, 340/905, 340/904, 340/933, 340/936, 340/539, 340/825.06, 707/117
• US Class Current: 340/901
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

This invention is a GPS speeding detector including a GPS receiver, a CPU, a database of speed limits for a particular geographical region, and speaker. The unit can be integrally mounted in a car or used as a stand-alone device. The CPU receives position data from the GPS receiver, uses the position to calculate the speed of the vehicle, and queries the speed limit on a database. The CPU compares the vehicle speed against the posted speed. An audio tone from the speaker notifies the driver of speeding.

Claims

1. A GPS speeding alarm apparatus comprising:

a. a CPU,

b. a database holding speed limit data, said database capable of sending speed limit data to said CPU,

c. a GPS receiver capable of sending vehicle position data to said CPU,

d. a speaker capable of emitting an audio tone when said CPU sends an audio signal to activate said speaker,

wherein said CPU is capable of comparing speed limit data from said database with vehicle speeds derived from taking a time differential of said vehicle position data from said GPS receiver, and wherein said CPU can compare a current posted speed limit with vehicle speed, and wherein said CPU can send an audio signal to activate said speaker should vehicle speed exceed the current posted speed limit.

2. The invention of claim 1, further comprising:

e. a memory buffer having no moving parts, said a memory buffer connecting the CPU to the database, wherein the CPU reads data from said memory buffer, wherein said memory buffer reads data from said database, said memory buffer capable of receiving a batch of geographical data from the database when the vehicle enters a new geographic region.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein said database further includes parking data sent to the CPU when the vehicle is stopped and a button is pushed, wherein the CPU compares the parking data with vehicle position data given by the GPS receiver, wherein the CPU sends an audio signal to the speaker contextually dependent upon parking data, whereby a driver can be notified of parking rules and regulations.

4. The invention of claim 1, further comprising:

h. a recording device, connected to the CPU allowing the CPU to write a history of data on a media in the recording device, said history of data being downloadable from the vehicle, whereby a driver given a speeding ticket can challenge the speeding ticket by presenting said history of data in court.

5. The invention of claim 4, further comprising:

f. a memory buffer having no moving parts, said a memory buffer connecting the CPU to the database, wherein the CPU reads data from said memory buffer, wherein said memory buffer reads data from said database, said memory buffer capable of receiving a batch of geographical data from the database when the vehicle enters a new geographic region.

6. The invention of claim 5, wherein said database further includes parking data sent to the CPU when the vehicle is stopped and a button is pushed, wherein the CPU compares the parking data with vehicle position data given by the GPS receiver, wherein the CPU sends an audio signal to the speaker contextually dependent upon parking data, whereby a driver can be notified of parking rules and regulations.

7. A GPS speeding alarm method comprising the steps of:

a. storing speed limit data in a database, and transmitting said speed limit data to the CPU at regular time intervals,

b. configuring a CPU to receive vehicle position data from a GPS receiver at time increment one,

c. configuring a CPU to receive speed limit data from a database at time increment one,

d. configuring a CPU to obtain the speed of the vehicle at time increment one by comparing vehicle position data at time increment one with the vehicle position data of the prior time increment,

e. configuring a CPU to compare the speed limit data taken at time increment one with the posted legal speed limit to determine whether the vehicle is speeding,

f. playing an audio tone when the vehicle is speeding, wherein an audio tone is emitted from a speaker when said CPU sends an audio signal to activate said speaker.

8. The invention of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

g. sending data from the database first to a memory buffer before said data reaches the CPU, wherein said memory buffer reads data from said database, said memory buffer capable of receiving a batch of geographical data from the database when the vehicle enters a new geographic region, wherein said memory buffer having no moving parts connects the CPU to the database.

9. The invention of claim 8, further comprising:

i. recording a history of data with a recording device, said recording device connected to the CPU allowing the CPU to write a history of data on a media in the recording device, said history of data being downloadable from the vehicle, whereby a driver given a speeding ticket can challenge the speeding ticket by presenting said history of data in court.

10. The invention of claim 9, wherein said database further includes parking data sent to the CPU when the vehicle is stopped and a button is pushed, wherein the CPU compares the parking data with vehicle position data given by the GPS receiver, wherein the CPU sends an audio signal to the speaker contextually dependent upon parking data, whereby a driver can be notified of parking rules and regulations.

11. The invention of claim 7, further comprising:

j. recording a history of data with a recording device, said recording device connected to the CPU allowing the CPU to write a history of data on a media in the recording device, said history of data being downloadable from the vehicle, whereby a driver given a speeding ticket can challenge the speeding ticket by presenting said history of data in court.

12. The invention of claim 11, wherein said database further includes parking data sent to the CPU when the vehicle is stopped and a button is pushed, wherein the CPU compares the parking data with vehicle position data given by the GPS receiver, wherein the CPU sends an audio signal to the speaker contextually dependent upon parking data, whereby a driver can be notified of parking rules and regulations.