System and method for providing information to an operator of a motor vehicle

• US 7,174,154 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2005
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: Gregory Ehlers
• Inventors: Ehlers, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Gary; Erika A.
• Application Number:
  US11/127,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/56.1
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• 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 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

An information system and method provides information to an operator of a motor vehicle. A destination location and a current position of the motor vehicle are established. A planned route as a function of the destination location and the current position is established and communicated to at least one traffic control system, an alternate route is established as a function of a factor which may delay travel over the planned route, the destination location, and the new current position and a modified route plan is communicated to at least one traffic control system. The traffic control received positional data on the vehicle and controls the traffic control devices under its management to expedite the transit of the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. An information system for providing information to an operator of a motor vehicle, comprising:

an input system for establishing a destination location of the motor vehicle;

a positioning system for establishing a current position of the motor vehicle;

a routing system in two-way communication with at least one traffic control system via a two-way communications network, the at least one traffic control system being external to the motor vehicle, the routing system for automatically determining, without operator input, a planned route as a function of the destination location and the current position, for sending the planned route to at least one traffic control system over a two-way communications network and responsively receiving information relating to a factor, established as a function of the planned route, which may delay travel over the planned route, establishing a new current positions, responsively determining if the planned route needs to be modified and automatically determining an alternate route as a function of the factor, the destination location, and the new current position and sending the alternate route to the at least one traffic control system over the two-way communications network, if the planned route needs to be modified.

2. An information system, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a preference device containing preference information related to an operator of the motor vehicle, the routing system for establishing the planned route and/or alternate route as a function of the preference information.

3. An information system, as set forth in claim 1, the input system comprising a user interface, the system further comprising a communication system for communicating information to an operator.

4. An information system, as set forth in claim 3, the communication system including a display coupled to the routing system for graphically and/or textually displaying the planned route and/or the alternate route to the operator.

5. An information system, as set forth in claim 3, the communication system including one or more speakers for audibly communicating the planned route and/or the alternate route to the operator.

6. An information system, as set forth in claim 1, the received information related to the factor including a plurality of parameters which may affect the estimated time of arrival.

7. An information system, as set forth in claim 6, the plurality of parameters including at least one of location of factor, vector coordinates of factor, radial impact of factor, or gradient impact of factor.

8. An information system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the routing system receives the information related to the factor from any suitable system over any suitable network.

9. An information system, as set forth in claim 8, the routing system being able to receive data, voice or entertainment services.

10. An information system, as set forth in claim 1, the routing system for monitoring the current position of the motor vehicle, determining if the operator has not followed the planned route, and responsively modifying the planned route as a function of the position of the motor vehicle.

11. An information system, as set forth in claim 1, the routing system for transmitting data across the two-way network including the current position, all aspects of vehicle progress along the planned route and vehicle operational characteristics.

12. An information system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the routing system receives the information relating to the factor from the at least one traffic control system over the two-way communications network.

13. An information system, as set forth in claim 12, wherein the factor is related to the planned route.

14. A computer based method for providing information to an operator of a motor vehicle, comprising:

establishing a destination location of the motor vehicle;

establishing a current position of the motor vehicle;

automatically determining, without operator input, a planned route as a function of the destination location and the current position;

sending the planned route to at least one traffic control system over a two-way communications network, the at least one traffic control system being external to the motor vehicle;

responsively receiving information related to a factor, established as a function of the planned route, which may delay travel over the planned route and responsively determining if the planned routed needs to be modified;

establishing a new current position and automatically determining without operator input an alternate route as a function of the received information, the destination location, and the new current position if the planned route needs to be modified; and

,

sending the alternate route to the at least one traffic control system over the two-way communications network.

15. A method, as set forth in claim 14, including the steps of storing preference information related to an operator of the motor vehicle and establishing the planned route and/or alternate route as a function of the preference information.

16. A method, as set forth in claim 14, including the step of communicating the planned route and/or the alternate route to the operator.

17. A method, as set forth in claim 16, wherein the step of communicating the planned route and/or the alternate route to the operator includes the step of graphically and/or textually displaying the planned route and/or the alternate route to the operator on a display.

18. A method, as set forth in claim 16, wherein the step of communicating the planned route and/or the alternate route to the operator includes the step of audibly communicating the planned route and/or the alternate route to the operator.

19. A method, as set forth in claim 14, the received information related to the factor including a plurality of parameters which may affect the estimated time of arrival.

20. A method, as set forth in claim 19, the plurality of parameters including at least one of location of factor, vector coordinates of factor, radial impact of factor, or gradient impact of factor.

21. A method, as set forth in claim 14, including the step of receiving the information related to the factor from an external system over a network.

22. A method, as set forth in claim 21, including the step of transmitting data across the two-way communications network including the current position, all aspects of vehicle progress along the planned route and vehicle operational characteristics.

23. A method, as set forth in claim 14, including the step of monitoring the current position of the motor vehicle, determining if the operator has not followed the planned route, and responsively modifying the planned route as a function of the position of the motor vehicle.

24. A method, as set forth in claim 14, wherein the information relating to the factor is received from the at least one traffic control system over the two-way communications network.

25. A method, as set forth in claim 24, wherein the factor is related to the planned route.

26. An information system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

an input system for establishing a destination location of the motor vehicle;

a positioning system for establishing a current position of the motor vehicle;

a routing system for determining, without operator input, a planned route as a function of the destination location and the current position; and

,

a traffic control system external to the motor vehicle and being linked to the routing system by a two-way communications network, the routing system for sending the planned route to the traffic control system over the communications network, the traffic control system for determining at least one factor as a function of the planned route which may delay travel over the planned route and sending the at least one factor to the routing system over the two-way communications network, the routing system for receiving the at least one factor, establishing a new current position, responsively determining if the planned route needs to be modified, automatically determining without operator input an alternate route as a function of the factor, the destination location, and the new current position and sending the alternate route to the at least one traffic control system over the two-way communications network, if the planned route needs to be modified.

27. A computer based method for providing information to an operator of a motor vehicle, comprising:

establishing a destination location of the motor vehicle;

establishing a current position of the motor vehicle;

determining without operator input a planned route as a function of the destination location and the current position;

sending the planned route to a traffic control system over a two way communications network, the traffic control system being external to the motor vehicle;

establishing, by the traffic control system, a factor, as a function of the planned route, which may delay travel over the planned route;

sending the factor over the two-way communications network to the motor vehicle;

establishing a new current position, responsively determining if the planned route needs to be modified and automatically determining without operator input an alternate route as a function of the factor, the destination location, and the new current position and sending the alternate route to the at least one traffic control system over the two-way communications network, if the planned route needs to be modified.